Month: September 2020

ULD Rifle: Final Range Session

The Gun Thing

Earlier this week I went off to the range to finish sighting in the Ultimate Long-Distance Rifle:

I’d zeroed the thing at 100 yards (just to “put it on paper”), so now I was making the final adjustments to give it a 200-yard zero, and also checking to see which ammo it “prefers” (between the Federal “Non-Typical” Whitetail Softpoint 180gr and the Winchester SuperX Powerpoint 180gr).

The ammo part first:  on this day, under these conditions, using this gun, fired by Your Humble Narrator, the Federal stuff (my “premium” choice) was a bust.  I couldn’t get anything like the accuracy I got from the Winchester loads in the first couple of targets, and so I only fired five rounds into the target below (the last five rounds in the box).   It’s not bad ammo, of course:  but under all the above conditions, it wasn’t as good as the SuperX.

Next, I adjusted the Zeiss up 2 inches, and used a point-of-aim a little below the target bull, trying to land the bullets into the bull using a “hold-under”.  (I know, it’s a little wonky as techniques go, but it’s how I do this kind of thing, and it seems to work for me.)

Here’s a pic of the last targets I shot, suitably annotated, at 100 yards distance:

The bottom four smaller targets may require a little explanation.  Generally, once I think I’ve zeroed the scope/rifle combination to my satisfaction, I throw caution to the winds — all that precision stuff makes my head ache after a couple hours’ hard concentration — and I go for a “rapid” fire string — one bullet per target, holding on the bull because it’s just easier to acquire it when you’re shooting and working the bolt as quickly as you can.  From a precision perspective, it sucks — but as preparation for hunting, it’s pretty cool practice, and it’s always worked for me.  Also, I dialed the magnification down from 24x to 10x, to give me a wider field of vision and help me reacquire the target more quickly.

One last thing:  all these shots were fired through a “dirty” barrel — I’d already put thirty rounds through the gun while shooting at the previous targets, I was running short on time, and the range doesn’t allow cleaning of guns in the bay anyway.  Gotta say:  that’s a pretty decent result, all things considered.  Oh, and I did allow the barrel to cool between target strings, except of course for the last four rounds fired.  (The flier in the central group was caused by the guy in the next bay letting off a round a split-second before I did.)

Okay, folks:  that’s about as much as my fading skills will allow me to zero the thing.  Over the weekend I’ll have the draw, and announce the winner next Monday, Sep 14 at 1700h Central.

The ULD Rifle will be shipped on Tuesday morning first thing.

Note:  I’d planned on also testing Sellier & Bellot ammo as well, but the cartridges set off the range’s magnetometer, indicating doubleplusungood steel somewhere in the boolet;  so, no S&B on this day.

Bird Time

Behind Enemy Lines, Friends and Family, Hunting

Because Mr. Free Market is a Foul Evil BastardTM, he decided to send me a few scenic pics from his current sooper-seekrit location in Scottishland.  Here’s the general milieu (note the complete absence of freezing rain, for the first time ever in this event I’m told):

(Note that Mr. FM is not wearing a face condom, despite Scottish law.)

Then it’s off to the “boxes”:

 

Note the careful arranging of reloads in pairs, ready for the old Load & Slaughter routine in his Beretta O/U (gawd help us, but the man has such terrible taste in shotguns).

The group shot down several hundred grouse and partridge, but here’s a pic of one brace, taken by Mr. FM with a single barrel.

When I say “taken”, I mean “shot”, of course, not clubbed out of the sky with his shotgun (which would be poor form, of course).

I am so jealous I could spit.

Alternative

Marxists, Military, Technology

Over at Insty’s place, there’s a post linking to a thing about the Marxists and the military, also containing the story of Gurgle censoring a blogger by hiding his site when you search for an article he wrote (specifically:  “Under Obama, there came to be a cancer in the Pentagon” with the addition of his website: “site:bookwormroom.com” in the search string.

Under Gurgle, nada.  Using DuckDuckGo, however:

Yup, it’s #1.

I don’t think I’ve used Gurgle for over two years, for just this reason.

Invasions

Men & Women

Every so often I come across a headline which causes me to experience a complex reaction:

Russian beauty queen screaming ‘I hate women’ carries out horrifying knife attack on shop worker

Now I will confess that at times I too am tempted to strap on the old Anza Skinner and head for the fabric store, but only at times of severe provocation.

Like this one:

Female lingerie tycoon, 39, launches legal fight to force Garrick Club to admit women for first time in 189-year-old private members’ club’s history

Outside the suggestion of more gun-control laws, this is the kind of bullshit which causes me to throw shit across the room and shoot an extra hundred rounds at the range.  I’ve ranted about this topic so many times in the past (example:  here) that I can’t find anything more to say about it, other than perhaps in the invention of more swear words.

Of course, this is all happening in (formerly) Great Britain, where there’s no guaranteed freedom of association, but as my own take above on Augusta National indicates, that doesn’t mean that it can’t and won’t happen here too.

Ordinarily, I would just say (in answer to a demand to end men-only clubs) that we can do that only if all other gender-exclusionary clubs are likewise banned.   Here’s an example, from some list:

The Sorority club is an online network for professional women who want to collaborate and inspire others. While this is not a physical club, the members, 4% of whom are royalty, meet regularly at selected luxury venues in London. Membership is by invitation only, although by filling out their online pledge, you can encourage them to consider you for membership, just be sure to have a good answer to the question; ‘What do you value most in life?’
“The way women connect with each other is unique,” says founder Lisa Tse. “We have a tendency to overly criticize ourselves and often underplay our successes and achievements. In a collegiate environment of women, we thrive as we are always so supportive of our friends and aim to bring out the best in each other in a way we never do for ourselves.”
“We are also in desperate need of providing role models of real women living real lives who are successful on their own terms. We need to move away from traditional stereotypes of businesswoman and success and embrace the diverse and rich experience of inspiring women with amazing stories to tell.”

“The way women connect with each other is unique”?  Can I be the first to say that if I started a men-only club by saying “The way men connect with each other is unique”, I’d be castrated by the Feminazi Grrrrls faster than a Kardashian woman drops her panties for a rich Black guy.

Try this observation from another vagina-only club:

“There’s been a paradigm shift which means that increasingly women are seeking out other women’s company. Not that they don’t love their husbands and partners, but they often have deeper conversation with women than men. Women have become less competitive with each other, more embracing and there appears to be a sorority that is stronger than it’s ever been.”

Here’s a tip for these wimmens:  ignore the “paradigm shift” nonsense and invert the sexes, and that’s always been the case among men.  There are certain conversations that men can only have with other men — and I’m not just talking about shot groupings or 0-60 acceleration times.  And no, I’m not going to list any of those topics, because it’s nobody’s fucking business.  Unlike women, we don’t have to analyze and talk about everything — hence the need for men-only clubs like Garrick, where we can indulge ourselves with guy talk and not be interrupted by a group of people with, to be kind, a different (and stupid) set of talking points.

And show me one men-only club which actually harms women by their exclusion of cervix-owners from the dues list.

I’m running low on gin for my breakfast G&T (shuddup, we just got through a long weekend), or else I’d have a second pint.  Instead, I think I’ll just head to the 100-yard indoor range at the local gun club, where women aren’t excluded but where I’ve never actually seen a woman shooting off a Barrett, so I’m pretty much assured of male-only company (albeit without booze).

Fucking harpies.  When they ask why we hate wimmens so much, the universal answer should be:  “Because you’re always trying to pull shit like this.  Leave us the fuck alone.”

But they can’t, can they?

Stupid Ranking

Grooming, The Gun Thing, Travels

When I see articles like this, I just shake my head.  Go ahead, read it and see the glaring omission.

A well-built jacket will keep you dry in the field whatever the weather, protecting you from rain, wind and keeping you warm during the winter months as well.
It shouldn’t just keep the elements out though. The best waterproof shooting jacket will be made from a silent material too – keeping any noises that might disturb or spook your target to a minimum.
Other features to factor in are the number of pockets, which are useful for carrying cartridges in; a colour that blends into your environment; and good breathability.
Not all waterproof shooting jackets are equal though. Read on to find out our pick of the best you can currently buy.

Well, any such list which doesn’t include the peerless Barbour jacket isn’t a list at all:  it’s a fraud no doubt perpetrated by Commies*.  Here’s a pic which encapsulates all that is good about the thing:

I’ve owned a Barbour jacket now for about 12 years, and it’s still in excellent shape.  (I left it at The Englishman’s Castle after my last trip Over There because a) I didn’t have room in the suitcase and b)  I hardly ever wear the damn thing in Cuidad Tejas  because it only rains here about twice a year vs. twice a day in Britishland.  I left my wellies there for the same reason.)

Here’s the thing:  when I have worn the Barbour Over Here, I have had people comment favorably on it every single time  I put it on — whether at gun shows, shooting events or just visits to the supermarket.  They’re not only wonderfully durable, they’re also good-looking — and they never go out of style.

Mine is the shorter “Cowen Commando” style (almost like a bomber jacket):

…but I hanker after the longer “Bransdale” style as in the first pic.

Sadly, we don’t get the range of Barbour jackets Over Here that they offer Over There, but you could probably order the one you want (Bransdale or Beaufort would be my recommendation) through Orvis or Nordstrom.  They are not cheap (around $300), but you’re buying it for life, so it’s a bargain.  My Younger Readers could expect at least 30 years out of a Barbour — for the Olde Pharttes, it’s truly a lifetime purchase.

For the ladies, there’s the cold-weather Dartford:

The men’s equivalent is the Oakum:

Don’t thank me;  it’s all part of the service.

*That’s only mild hyperbole.  In class-obsessed societies like Britishland, Barbour is the absolute uniform of the upper classes — add a customized Land Rover / Range Rover and a matched pair of Holland shotguns, and the Labour Party will hate you on sight.

Makes you want to own one, doesn’t it?

Tight Times

The Gun Thing

No, I’m not referring to that Girl Scout Parking Lot Incident of 1975 (and she looked way older than 15, anyway), I’m talking about the Great Ammo Shortage Of 2020.

Right now, there’s no end in sight to this tight market.
“We’ve been talking with major manufacturers, for example, Magtech, which is one of the big ammo producers in the country. They’re telling us that they are on backorder throughout the rest of the year, throughout the rest of 2020,” Phelps said.

FFS, if Magtech ammo is in short supply, we’re all doomed.  But to continue:

Usually, that only applies to personal protection ammo, but right now, even hunting ammunition could be impacted.
“Usually shotgun shells are around, they’re plentiful, but we had another manufacturer telling us it’s the parts to make the ammunition … the primers are on a one-year backorder,” Phelps said.

Here’s the kicker:

South Dakota Game Fish and Parks says they’re not too worried about the ammo shortage impacting this year’s hunting season because most hunters are already well-stocked.

As should be all experienced shooters.  Personally, I start getting “shortage fear” when I’m down to my last 1,000 rounds (in any caliber except .22 LR, when it’s 10,000), so right now  I can afford to wait awhile till the shortage eases, as I think I have enough to last me a couple of years (lifetimes, according to the Son&Heir, who usually has to help me move the stuff from one house to another).

And they said National Ammo Day was a foolish invention…

Looks like it’s going to be a little more difficult to get that 100 round-minimum this year.  I can’t decide whether that’s a Good- or Bad Thing.