Photo Updates – (Like Us On Facebook)

Recently it became clear the links to many of our photos are broken. It is a cumbersome process to go back through all the posts over the past three years to fix the issues. In some cases it may not be possible, but many of the photos are mine and I just need to revise each post. If you find a broken photo link, feel free to post a comment and I will get to it. I’ve gotten about half way through both 2014 and 2012 and will continue to work on it with the goal to have the photo links restored where possible in the next two months.

If you feel so inclined, please like our Facebook page. The button is at the bottom right of the cover photo which is the same photo as on the blog.

Ruger Gunsite Scout

Ruger seems to always know how to get your attention. Last week they ran a contest to win a new unannounced firearm. Of course I didn’t win, but a fellow from the Greensboro area did. As it turns out the new product is a Ruger Gunsite Scout chambered in .223/5.56. Previously the rifle was only available in .308 and from all reports is an outstanding firearm. I think the new model makes good sense especially for those who don’t already have a firearm in .308 and don’t want to have to purchase additional ammunition for a single rifle. I’m already seeing some gripes about the magazine being proprietary, but in truth you aren’t going to be shooting hundreds of rounds out of a bolt-action guide gun so at most one might want a single spare magazine since this is not a tactical firearm. I remember the first rifle I used to hunt with was a single shot bolt-action Winchester .22LR. You made your shots count because it took too long to reload. That is how I envision a guide gun in use.

Anyway, the next time Ruger has a contest they should just go ahead and let me win. I think that is more than fair. 😉

Winchester M*22 Recall

If you have any Winchester M*22 .22 Long Rifle ammo please check the lot number to see if your ammunition is subject to recall. The lot number is on the 500 round package and if you have lot numbers GD42L or GD52L discontinue use of the ammunition and follow the instructions on the Winchester website to return the ammunition.

Bond Range Report

Also took the Bond Cowboy Defender to the range on Saturday. I wanted to bring some .410 defensive rounds, shotshells, and also some .45 Long Colt. The .45LC turned out to be an issue since a box of 50 where I found them was almost a buck a round and they were nothing special. For some reason the cartridge is very popular so the Bond saw no metallic cartridge action.

The Bond has 2 1/2″ barrels which limits some of your ammunition choices. There are defensive rounds in that size and I wish I had purchased some standard slugs, but I did not. So what I had was some #4 shot and the defensive Winchester PDX1 ammunition. My first mistake was not setting up a new target, I was using one with many perforations from previous rounds. The shotshells gave a massive sound wave and they peppered the target from seven yards. In hindsight I probably should have moved up a few yards to really see the effectiveness. I think the shotshell would be good to get someone to leave you alone and know you may not wipe them off the planet. The defensive rounds were a question mark. I fired four and in truth could only really determine one spot I was sure was impact. The idea is the three discs spread out 120 degrees from each other and then 12 BB shot follow along behind. I am positive this would do the trick, but I really need to fire a few at a clean target to see the impact.

So my impression is this will be an awesome car or vehicle gun. I don’t think I would carry it for concealed with shotshells because I would not be able to have much confidence the shot would stay in the area where I aimed. I may change that tune with a few additional trips to the range, but this gun is a nice little handful and the recoil from the shotgun shells was manageable and not painful. I look forward to taking it to the range again!

A Single Shot

Today we have become a society where we default to bigger being better. Instead of a rifle with a single shot we want the ability to follow-up with as many shots as the firearm can hold and then carry around additional magazines to further increase capacity. In my opinion marksmanship has suffered as a result of this ideology.

I remember the Winchester Model 67 my father let me use which was given to him as a boy. It was a 22 caliber and could shoot shorts, long and long rifle, but was a bolt-action single shot with no clip or magazine (please note for those cringing at my use of the term clip, some rifles to employ a clip). Your shot had to count or it would take too long to reload and get off a second shot. I’d often keep bullets in my lips (I know, a bad idea) to be ready to go if I needed a follow-up shot.

The first time he gave me the gun I set up an old paper oil can in a tree and tried to hit it and could not hit the broad side of a barn. My mother was a ferocious typist and I borrowed some liquid paper and dotted the front sight to make it more visible. From then on I was deadly accurate with that rifle. I like to squirrel hunt and  we would eat the squirrel for supper after I finished up the hunt. My grandmother would not allow me to shoot them in the head since she wanted the brains so I would have to hit the squirrel with a deadly shot in the heart. Lest you think that is an easy shot just try to figure out where the heart is in a squirrel when it is running between trees. I remember one particularly fast squirrel got seven shots at him and I though I was missing until I brought the poor boy down and found seven holes in him.

Over time I got better with that rifle. One day while squirrel hunting with a buddy we saw a tweety bird bouncing from limb to limb. I’m not exactly sure what type of bird it was, but that is what we called them. He started to take aim with a shotgun and I told him to save the shell I’d take it out with the Model 67. I watched the bird bounce at 50-70 yards and noticed it stopped for a split second when it hit the limb. After a few more bounces I pulled the trigger and we had us a tweety bird. Another time we found a snake poking it’s head out of a cinder block wall and my father wanted me to shoot it. We thought about a shotgun, but that would mar the wall so I suggested the old Winchester. Pulled it out and by the time I got there all you could see on the snake was the tip of it’s head. I took aim into the crack from above and a few seconds later the snake, having been shot, released it’s muscles and slowly slid out of the wall. It was about 6 feet long so it took awhile to reach the ground.

So why today would anyone want a single shot? Perhaps nostalgia for times gone by or perhaps they desire to improve their marksmanship. Often today bolt-action rifles come with a magazine which is not a bad thing, however if you want to know you have to make your shots count, a single shot is the way to go.