All I Want for Christmas is a New Gun

By Glen Wunderlich

It’s always fun trying out a new gun and working with energetic beginners makes it that much more rewarding. So it was yesterday, when a friend brought his two teenage daughters over to the range for a plinking session. (Plinking is a technical term for punching paper, “recycling” plastic bottles filled with water, and bowling with bullets in an informal setting; at least that’s what I’m calling it.)

L-R: Mike, Abbey, and Allie Load Up

The two young ladies, Allie and Abbey, had already been introduced to plinking this past summer, but now they were able to partake in a live practice session with their own pistol: a Smith & Wesson model 22A in .22 caliber long rifle. (Dad’s keeping it under his control until they are older.) With an ATN reflex sight, the young ladies took to it like a fast-action video shooting game with which they were quite familiar.

We started with some sub-sonic fodder for introduction purposes. The target pistol functioned flawlessly with the lower-power ammo and we soon graduated to some Winchester rimfire rounds advertised at 1300 feet per second. We experienced several misfires in 200 rounds but found that the pistol’s firing pin was doing its job on the rim of the cartridges; they just didn’t ignite for some reason.

Of course, punching paper gets a bit boring after a while, so we moved on to bowling pins at 20 feet.

Abbey lines 'em up

Both youngsters are quite competitive, so the challenge became to knock down 10 pins with 10 shots. It was a bit problematic, because my stock of bowling pins are quite shot up and have been outdoors for 15 years and some of the wood inside them has “gone away.” Because of that, we found that some good hits passed clean through without much more than a wobble, but we could tell a good hit anyway.  Below is a short clip of the action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObahxPgYz_A&feature=plcp&context=C335c633UDOEgsToPDskJ5WbNVYHg6AUo3d3HPdggt

Guess it’s time to visit a local bowling alley for some fresh targets.

In any case, all of us gained a bit of experience and look forward to another session when the weather is more cooperative.

Firearms , , , ,

Obama Expected to Sign NRA-Backed Bill Provisions

H.R. 2055—the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012—has been passed by the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been sent to the President for his expected signature.  This bill contains three NRA-backed provisions that will strengthen our Second Amendment rights and prohibit your federal tax dollarsfrom being used to advance an anti-gun agenda. Read more

Firearms, Gun Control , ,

Home Invader Shot by Retired Cop in Warren

A retired police officer heard knocking at his door and thought maybe it was a package delivery.  Instead, it was an intruder, who had already entered.  He was greeted by gunfire, ran to a waiting car, which drove off.  The home invader was later found receiving attention at a Detroit hospital for gunshot wounds to his biceps and hand.  He also got attention from the police and will do some serious time.  More here…

Self Defense ,

RMEF Supports Wolf Delisting in Great Lakes

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation today cheered federal delisting of wolves in the Great Lakes states, as well as the State of Wisconsin’s rapid movement toward implementing its own science-based wolf management plan.

Both actions help pave the way toward predator populations that are in better balance with elk, deer and other species commonly preyed upon by wolves.

“Barring any legal holdups from animal rights activists, we should see science-based wolf management and control measures go into effect by February, and that’s great news for conservation overall in the Great Lakes region,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. Read more

General

Wildlife Land Trust Not to Be Trusted

The pitch sounds almost sounds palatable.  But, I wondered about the motive.  Here’s your answer…

This from the U.S. Sportsman’s Alliance.

If you have never heard of the Wildlife Land Trust, now could be a good time to take note. This project is a subsidiary of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the country’s largest animal rights group.   This anti-hunting trust reported control or ownership of more than 100 “sanctuaries” in 38 states.

Hunting and trapping are prohibited on these sites, many of which are donated to the HSUS.  In fact, they boast that “recreational and commercial hunting and trapping will always be prohibited”.

Unfortunately, they garnered $5 million in donations last year alone for this trust.

Additional details, in case you want to determine if these anti-hunting properties are located near you, can be found at:  www.wlt.org. And in true HSUS fashion, you’ll spot a donation link if you go there.

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife , , ,

Wolf Delisting Decision a Big Win for Sportsmen

(Columbus, Ohio) – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that gray wolf populations in the Western Great Lakes region have exceeded recovery goals and should no longer be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Once official, this move will return wolves to state management in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and some portions of adjoining states.

In an even bigger victory for sportsmen, the Service also announced that it has reversed its previous view that two wolf species exist in the Western Great Lakes region.  Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife , , , , , ,
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