From the "New Bike" post:
Heh. Well, first of all, the review... Errr... I only got to take it out twice, for a couple of short trips around the campground, before the front tire blew. I don't mean the tube - I mean the actual sidewall blew out. Fortunately, WallyWorld has a generous return/exchange policy. More on this later in the week - suffice to say, the bike I took on vacation is not the bike I took home from vacation.
Excellent choice, after all, the point of riding is exercise. Now, clothespins to hold baseball cards against the spokes to give it the motor sound.
- August 18, 2009 8:31 AM
Congrats on the new bike. The singlespeed lifestyle is simple and refreshing. My commuter and mountain bike are single geared and have been for years. Please note some purists might take you to task for assigning the "fixie" moniker to your new stead. A fixed gear bike (fixie) does not have the ability to coast.
- August 18, 2009 9:45 AM
I've got $10 on the Boy. Any takers?
Cards in the spokes - man, that takes me back. If only I could reproduce the "potato potato" sound... ;)
Point taken on the difference between this bike and a "fixie", Mike. Guess it makes sense, as the gear truly is "fixed" in that sense. In any way, the single speed is one helluva workout.
And no contest. TheBoy wins (he throws a fit when he loses... I should try that sometime with the Mrs. Heh.)
Defensive practice post:
Simply excellent points, all. I would dearly love to get into some form of action shooting discipline in the very near future, even if it's something as simple as attending the next pin shoot at my gun club. Time, unfortunately, is severely limited for me at the moment, so I'm reluctant to get into any formal schedule where I may not be a reliable participant. For those that can, absolutely. I can't think of a better way to get into a more "fighting" mindset.
With due respect to Jay, nothing brushes up the shooting skills faster then competition, especially competition against people better then you.
- August 18, 2009 4:48 PM
Jay, you're forgetting one important concept: movement while firing. Remember some of the force-on-force variations of the Tueller drill: standing still while firing is NOT a good idea!
Something like IDPA is REALLY good practice, as well...- August 18, 2009 10:53 PM
My police friend showed me this relatively simple drill. Start out about 5 paces from the target. Draw your gun, double tap the target, step back 2 paces, double tap, and repeat until the magazine is empty. Clearly you can only do this when you are alone at the range. The first couple times you do this are humbling.
As for shooting on the move, that's an excellent component as well. Unfortunately, a lot of ranges won't let you practice this sort of drill without some sort of overseeing body (IDPA/IPSC/etc.) - it's not something you can just pop in on a Tuesday afternoon and futz around with (and for a good chunk of folks, that's probably not a bad idea...). I think the overwhelming message here is that you don't get the full effect by shooting holes in paper.
Caldwell Target review post:
I've got a roll of 3" peel & stick orange stickers I bought years ago that are the perfect size for these targets; I've also got a can of orange Krylon. I think I'll give each a try and see which is easier/faster... The wire wheel/repaint idea is a good one, but I know me - being a lazy SOB, it'll be a once-a-year thing.
FYI: Walmart sells replacement target stickers for those.
- August 19, 2009 7:37 AM
Wire wheel in an electric drill to scrub off most of the old paint/lead, Then hit them with black spraypaint to take the shine off. Cheap spraypaint. None of it's bulletproof anyways.
- August 19, 2009 5:58 PM
I own a couple of these. When they get scuffed up lay it on a small piece of plywood and spray paint them with the cheapest paint I could find. No cleaning, no wire brushing. It dries in 10 minutes. Works like a charm.
- August 19, 2009 7:10 PM
I have one that's similar. I just spray each with the cheapest white paint I can find - no cleaning or brushing, just spray, dry, shoot.
- August 19, 2009 11:36 PM
Kinda like cleaning my shotgun... :)
.308 Thoughts post
I'm going to give a few general responses first, then reply to specific comments here. First off, the three guns were chosen mainly because they're the three best-known semi-auto .308s, at least in my opinion. There were many others named that I'm certain are excellent firearms; please do not take my exclusion of your personal favorite as any sort of slight at the platform. I was trying to narrow it down to what I considered the three main systems.
Another good question asked was "what do you want it for?" Really, this is just tire-kicking right now. I don't shoot my Bushmaster AR-15 anywhere near enough; the .308 would be the next step up, a semi-auto battle rifle with more oomph than 5.56mm. I guess it'd be something to have for later when I have time to devote to long(er) range shooting, or to put away in case they get stupid about a semi-auto ban...
I think Sigivald hit it closest:
For "just having a .308"Well, that's why I got the VEPR - before I found out that VEPR .308 mags are made of compressed unicorn tears... I'd like a semi-auto .308 that I can stock up pre-ban magazines for, basically. The VEPR kicks pretty hard; I don't know if I'd want something lighter for .308 Win. I've shot an FN/FAL before and been impressed with the minute-of-tin-can accuracy and ease of breakdown.
I know you have narrowed your choices to those 3, but I'm just wondering why the something like the PTR91 didn't make your cut? Decent parts supply, and you can still buy 20rnd mags for $1 a piece.
word verification=loane - what I need so I can afford to buy myself a PTR91
Get something that can share VEPR mags ;) I havn't shot any of them, the closest are the little brothers, AR-15 and M1 carbine. While the AR is a very advanced platform, for me at least the carbine is more fun so I'd lean toward M1A.
Of course, I'd have to invest a LOT more time and money into getting to the point where my rifle shooting was good enough to tell the difference, so...
PSL, ROMAK III, or better (and more expensive), the actual Dragunov SVD.
Same ammo as your Mosin-Nagant...
And they might let you keep it in MA, since it was built by communists...
WV: redlesse--really I promise, the communists thing was typed before I saw this.
Are You Carrying post:
Plenty of good comments here as well; also going to respond in general to this one.
1. Work has no formal "No weapons" policy. However, work is also in MA, and if G-d forbid anything were to ever happen where I got "made" or otherwise found out (other than a defensive situation), I'd stand about a 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999% of losing my job and an equal chance of going to jail. And be about as likely to find employment that didn't involve asking if they want fries with that to boot...
2. Answering the door. Oh yes. If I am not expecting someone and the doorbell rings, you can absolutely believe I'll have a heater secreted somewhere on my person. Nothing good comes of someone unannounced banging on your door at 2AM...
3. Mexican wedding shirt. Very similar to Hawaiian shirt. Meant to be worn untucked.
4. "They don't know. Really, they don't know". Boy, howdy, did that take a LOT of time to actually sink in. I think the day I accidentally pulled my G21 magazine out of my pocket while searching for change (and absentmindedly put it on the counter) without causing a panic helped me realize that 99% of the people out there wouldn't recognize a concealed gun if you had a neon sign over your head...
Chortle post:
I imagine if you run the numbers, you'll find that skyrocketing populations in the south & west have more to do with immigration and birth rate among minorities than they do with flight from Massachussetts. Nice try, though.
- August 20, 2009 11:52 AM
Remember, this is the place where reduced tuition for illegal immigrants became a rallying point in the last gubernatorial race...
Try again.
THfRO review:
"Roy Scheider???"
Um, don't remember the guy from Jaws being in THRO.
You're not talking about Scott Glenn, playing the role of Capt. Bart Mancuso, are you?- August 20, 2009 3:35 PM
However, the fact is that we also watched "Jaws" while on vacation - we made the mistake of pointing out to TheBoy that "Jaws" was filmed on Martha's Vineyard while we were visiting, so he insisted on seeing the movie. Young male human, movie about a great white attacking people, filmed where he was visiting... Foregone conclusion...
1. Our RV has a pass-through system for the monitor, so we were able to kick on the outside speakers and watch the movie while sitting under the stars, thank you very much.
Dude...you're on the Cape, in a veritable vacation paradise with the ocean schlepping at your front door, & you're watching a DVD??!!?
- August 20, 2009 9:18 PM
2. The MA DYS takes a dim view of leaving small children unattended in a camper so you can take a long walk on a beach...
Friday Fun Thread, Hauler edition:
Mater!
1951 International Harvester tow truck. Don't see too many of those around for some reason, though.- August 21, 2009 9:25 AM
Well Jay, since mine is almost the identical twin of yours; you already know my favorite. :P
Just a minor correction though. The new Hemi Ram 1500 has a dual exhaust which brings it up to 390 ponies. They also added electronic trailer sway control to all but the most basic models.
I would add the Dodge Durango to the list. The hemi gives it a towing capacity only 150lbs less then the 1500 pickup while carrying a family and their crap. Plus it's got electronic trailer sway control as well, and it's easier to park.- August 21, 2009 4:42 PM
As for the Durango, see comment to Marko above. Just what you see in the case, pal...
And lastly, Teh Funny post. Thanks everyone. The kids are just too cute; I couldn't resist at least one super-cute kid pic while I was on vacation...
I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see BabyGirl G. in a dumptruck, nor TheBoy in a squad car...
That is all.
4 comments:
Jay,
Took my LR-308 out to the range this weekend for the maiden run. Was expecting a lot of kick. Didn't get much to speak of. The heavy barrel has enough mass to dampen the bulk of the kick, the the AR-style buffer absorbs the rest. A bolt-action kicks much harder.
You should really consider an AR-10 style...
Pax,
Newbius
Oh, thanks, make the decision even harder...
(SRSLY, thanks for the update, Newbius)
"Pretty much answered your own question, eh? :) I tried to keep it to rifles that cost less than most of the cars I've owned through the years..."
Hey, just because it's out of MY price range...... (ok, technically I *can* afford it, but I just cant seem to spend that much for a plastic gun when there is so much pretty wood left to buy!) Starting at around $1100 it's actually at the low end price-wise of the 3 you picked.
"Oh, make no mistake. Some form of semi-auto 7.62X54mmR rifle is also on the want list..."
I was going to mention Zastava M76, but looks like one in that calibre can be hard to find in the US(they were made in 7.62x54R, 7.62Nato and 7.92 Mauser, AKA 8mm mauser). You can get a kit+reciever deal for one in 7.92x57 mauser(AKA 8mm mauser) for around $1200+shipping though.
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