Comments On The Day

I am steadily improving in my pistol shooting. I shot 50 rounds of steel case Tula ammo through the Glock and was slightly left of centerline but it was mostly all in the 8 ring with a handful of fliers and the dozen or so I put in the head - on purpose, I might add. The High Standard is still a fun and accurate little gun as well, I put 100 rounds through it and had a nice little hole in the middle and a dozen or so zombie-killing holes in the head. All of this hole-making was done at around 10 yards or so. At this rate I can work my way up to Tam's definition of "mediocre" maybe by the time I am 80 or so; before I was looking at 120 at least. This makes me happy.

The G-36 will reliably feed steel-case Tula ammo, for varying degrees of "reliably". I had one FTE in a 50 round box, which is about the norm for this pistol. On a different, but related, note I find that the G-36 will NOT reliably feed light hand-loads. This seems to confirm my suspicion that the recoil spring is maybe a bit too tight. I will be getting a lighter recoil spring* to see if it makes a difference. I am sanguine at the prospects (the hopeful kind, not the bloody kind). This makes me happy.

The Marlin is still a tack driver. I was only shooting it at 25 yards but I had a large hole in the center of the target for my troubles. Incidentally the Marlin is almost exactly dimensionally identical to the Arisaka T30 carbine, the length is the same but the trigger group is about 1/2" farther forward on the Marlin. I had never put the two side by side so I hadn't noticed until now. This makes me happy.

.338 Lapua makes me laugh every time it goes off. By the time GB had blown through a C note worth of smoke and noise** I was giggling uncontrollably.  Yes, the bitch goes boom, and she does so with authority. She also kicks like a mule. A well-behaved mule, but a mule nonetheless. I was a puddle of giggle by the time I had touched her off for a second time. That is one hell of a rifle. That made me delirious.

By definition any day at the range is a good one, and this was one of the best even though I only brought my little poodle-shooter to play with. The difference in report was pretty funny as well...tap - tap - tap - BOOM! tap - tap - tap...after a while I just gave up. It almost didn't seem worth the effort.

The day was finished off with a haircut, ordering the right tool kit for the Scooby so that I have a jack handle*** and dinner out with the kids. Plus, convertible. 110 degrees F is almost too hot for top down. Almost. Now, it's nap time.

*I should probably get another barrel for the G-36 as well. By my calculations I have put between 800 and 1000 rounds through it and it was used when I got it. How can you tell when the barrel needs to be replaced?

** The cheapest my Graf & Sons catalog has .338 Lapua ammo for is $52.99/box of 20 10, which ends up being  $2.65 $5.30 a round. He was shooting handloads at around $4.50 a round. Kind of makes me feel better about paying $22.99/box of 20 for 6.5x50 Japanese ($1.15/round).

***The trucklet was missing both jack and tool kit when I bought it so I had to order them both; the jack was OK but the tool kit ended up being the wrong one. It has only a tire iron and a screwdriver; the right one has a jack handle and a two-piece tie down kit for the flat that screws into the bed of the trucklet. I found this out when a friend in Florida tried to use the jack on his car. Good thing I never had a flat.

Zounds!

I have no .45ACP target ammo.

I can offer no explanation for my wretched state.

Off to the ammo store I go.

Say what you will about Sam's Big Box Store, if you want .45 ACP ammo at 8:30 at night, there's really only one place to go...

Interesting (in the Chinese sense of the word)

So Obamacare survives because, contrary to previous statements, it is a tax. How nice.

I had predicted the individual mandate would go down but somehow the court would come up with some shyster lawyerly scumbag (but there was no reason to repeat myself) means of keeping the rest.

I was wrong. They came up with a shyster lawyerly scumbag means of keeping all of it.

I'm going to the dentist now. I'm going shooting tomorrow, too. Hopefully this is not related to any of the above.

Yet.

Home Again

I think everything that Pop wanted to send back has been sent back. All of it fit in the back of the little scoobytruck like I thought it would, and I didn't even have to fold down the rear seats.

The ride back was rain-soaked all the way through Florida and Georgia, the sun came out halfway through South Carolina and then it was just the occasional sprinkle from there.

South Carolina has gas for less than $3.00 per gallon, the best price I saw was $2.979 but I understand it can be had for even less if you look hard enough. See North Carolina? It can be done! (For the record, our prices are pretty much the same as Florida.)

The speed limit on I-95 is 70 MPH all the way through Florida, Georgia and South Carolina with the occasional drop to 65 MPH in the cities.  The speed limit through North Carolina on I-95 is 65 MPH except for a brief spot through Fayett-nam that is 70. Maybe just a bit backwards? (The limit on I-40 is 70.)

I-95 was full of idiots, as usual, but the craziest thing was I-40 just before we got into Raleigh. The exit for Highway 70 was closed, and for some reason they had closed the right lane off as well, so traffic was backed up for a few miles.

Other than that...a pretty good trip. Next time I take the convertible.

Piling On

The whole Fast N' Furious thing is growing legs now with the declaration of executive privilege and all. Let me note that it would not have gone this far without the efforts of the internets, most notably David Codrea and Mike Vanderboegh. I haven't written anything about it mostly because others are doing a much better job, but I hope it's clear if the balloon goes up...I'm on the side with all the guns.


Every Democrat president in my lifetime (I was born during the Johnson administration) has been more classless and clueless than the last. IMO there hasn't been a decent Dem as President since Truman, and I never imagined they would get one elected that made me think fondly of the Clinton years.

I'm almost afraid to see who will be next.

And We're Off

Today is Youngest Son's last day at school.

He wants to go down to Florida and spend about a month with his sister, so in a half an hour or so I'll go pick him up in the Scoobytruck and off we go.

I'm taking the trucklet because Pop has more stuff from his garage to come back with me. I should be able to get everything in without the trailer this time.

When I go to get Youngest Son at the end of next month I'll be driving the pony. It just about kills me to be in Florida without my convertible, but at least the Scooby is a good beach car.

Blogging light since I'll be on my cell card, for some reason I can't post comments when I'm on the road. Keep posting though, I'll be around.

Back For A Limited Time Only!

Gunwalker shirts!

You know you want one.

Click on the picture for details.

Help Wanted

I had no idea that finding vendors to sell T shirts at a car show could be so difficult.

Anyone know of one that can be available in Raleigh NC around October 6th?

Happy Father's Day

If you are fortunate enough to still have your Dad with you be sure to call him today.

Diamondback 2012

Finally.

Got Your Back

I got a little wake-up call from my back last night. I was cleaning up in the shop and knocked over a small box of bolts. I bent over and put the bolts back in the box, and when I straightened back up to put the box back on the shelf the pain hit me, right below the shoulder blades, like someone stuck me with a knife straight in the middle of my back, about halfway between shoulder and elbow height.

It wasn't the "ZOMG CALL AN AMBERLAMPS I THINK I'M GONNA DIE!!!" sort of pain, more like a "hey twinkie me and youse gonna talk later" kind of thing. I stood up and sort of stretched around for a bit and after a while it went away completely, but it got my attention.

I guess it's about time I gave up the illusion that I can still do all the things I did when I was younger. Thanks to my houseguests I haven't had to mow my own lawn for quite some time now, and if I complain long and loud enough the house stays clean with a minimum of effort on my part (only fair because it gets dirty with only a minimum effort on my part as well), so I actually haven't had to put myself through any real labor other than what is required of me at work.

It's also a reminder that part of the "lift with your legs and not your back" applies to my own bulk, which has gotten noticeably more in the past seven or so years. I used to laugh when the chiefs told me "if you are in Naval Aviation you are not sedentary!" but it appears to be true after all.

Looks like I need to take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, and no matter how good that cheesecake is one piece is probably enough. Maybe I'll even take Dog to the lake to walk the trails for a while this weekend, I know Dog would enjoy it at least. If nothing else it will make the doc happier when I go in for my annual.

Getting old ain't for sissies.

Behold!

the power of BACON!



HT: JayG

Mission Accomplished

Favorite Niece (well, at least she tells me she's my favorite) graduated Friday. She is going on to Shenandoah University.

Yes, the diploma was signed.

Saturday Youngest Son and I went to drive the Diamondback.

Afterwards we stopped for lunch at a restaurant along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a designated State Park. Apparently they haven't gotten the word about HB650.

We were glad to finally get home last night.

Fair Winds

Number One (and only) Blogson (I guess I can call him that, he blames me for getting started after all) has decided to take a break. Whether that break becomes permanent or not no one knows.

Thanks for everything Q. Come back any time.

The Longest Day

68 years ago today the Allied high command sat on pins and needles. We don't appreciate today how it could have easily gone the other way.

They fought, they died...they triumphed.

I Would Have

posted something about this, but seriously, if you are here on purpose you have seen it already.

Still, it is pretty cool.

One more night on the work schedule. To sleep, perchance to dream.

Two

I don't know if it gets better or if you just get used to it. Maybe a little of both.