.22 Henry - Card Cutting - Cool Toys

Typically Memorial Day is spent at the coast bathing a pent up saltwater addiction with sun and sand.  Fore casted 30 mph winds and overbearing grass in the surf re-directed us to the ranch.  Caleb turned 13 this month.  So we turned this opportunity a day of dad / son time before 5 of his buddies came along to celebrate his birthday and hunt hogs (come back for later posts for that).  

Despite the blowhard forecast - Thursday afternoon was a 95 degree pressure cooker in deep south Texas.  No wind to speak of. 

A particular habit the boy and I developed comes from my youth.  Hours and hours farting around with an old friend - Lance Fox.  As long as I can remember, if we read about it in a book or saw it on TV, we'd try it.  Hand tossed dimes, quarters, marbles, with BB guns and .22's we did it.  50 - 75 yard shots with multi-pump pellet guns, crappy scopes and some serious hold off - you bet!  Flying stuff with bow and arrows - no problem.  There are saltwater issues.  Kingfish, offshore, on medium action bass fishing gear and 12 pound line.  Done!  We never could stop blackfin tuna on 8 lb line though.   Tons of stuff people say can't be done - can....you just gotta try it. 

Caleb is a talented shot and kids think everything is possible.  Passing on the "can do" philosophy is easy.  Incoming clays with a pellet gun and .22 - he's done it.  Hell on wheels with a shotgun, blowgun, and very solid at 25 yards shooting 9mm brass with my RWS.  500 yards with a .223 or 30.06, trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end!  So we're always pushing the limits because paper punching is boring.  So we decided to cut a playing card in half with a .22 since we'd seen some guy do it on TV.  A sawhorse, handy grooves - nice!

 

Your target awaits.

 

 

20 yards away - the cards view.  Do notice he is not pointing at me....just for artistic effect.

 

 

Well, it took 4 shots.

 

 

First of all, you gun guys and gals will notice the rifle.  It is a full sized Henry lever action .22 with a Truglo red dot sight on top.  This rifle is super accurate, including a silky smooth action - solid as a vault.  They ain't cheap, but nothing good is cheap, so don't skimp on your kids.  This gun will be around when I am laying under the daisy roots.

Now it's time for the old man -  5 shots.  Maybe we need to back it up!  Gotta tell you, it is very satisfying to hit something that small.

 

 

My more fastidious readers will notice all the scratches.  Well, yeah, uh, it slid off the roof of the ranch house and fell to the ground last November.  It was a much safer situation than it sounds - while sounding completely stupid.  Thus I am justifying the actions of a mismanaged situation.....on the upside we proved durability at a level you won't see on a comment or message board anywhere else! 

Dad and son, easy times, relaxing a bit and pushing the limits of marksmanship.  It is a great way to become a superb shot.  If you can hit the edge of a card, everything else is easier.

 

Take a kid outdoors, teach them to participate in the ecosystem because apex predators rock. 

Especially when they have cool toys.

 

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Fishing - Baseball - Deer - A First

Holr Smokes - Baseball, really?

Please hang in there - fish, random critter puncturing, and hopefully a bit of wisdom occur later in the story

 

Working with youth in any capacity is natural for your correspondent. Today he will cross pollinate outdoor blogvangelism with baseball.  The spring 2011 10U Orioles came roaring out of the losers bracket to the championship; losing to the #1 seeded White Sox.  It was hard to end like that but, just like I told them: "If you're gonna play, play the best team out there!"

 

 

Connor Hathaway is one of our most determined players.  Always attentive, a fast learner, thinking kind of young man - you love coaching kids like that. Here he comes sliding under the tag at home just like he was taught!

 

 

Connor's dad discovers this baseball coach dude has an outdoor addiction.  Chit chats ensue: guns, ammo, set ups, adjustments for youth, fishing and alot of baseball but that is self-evident from the beginning.  Mr. Hathaway is kind enough to peruse my blog at times.  He recently sent some pictures of a fishing trip.  Boys and men lean many things from chunking around in a stock tank.

 

 

A trusty Zebco, warm sun, life as you know it should be.  Time passes, it's just a "ho hum" kind of day.

The fish start cooperating. 

 

 

Those little buggers keep you busy, Connor is after bigger critters. 

His patience is rewarded.

 

 

 Moving further back in time, during our discussions this season, a.k.a telling hunting stories, I find out Connor took his first deer this year.  80 yards with a .243.  Attentive, fast learner, thinking kind of young man..........works in the deer blind as well.

 

 

 

We're making this a double day dream kind of thing.  Cool crisp weather, gun oil, freshly fired gunpowder, the great outdoors.  You can't find that on Xbox.  Connor is turning out to be quite an outdoorsman.  Way to go dad!

 

5 boys are at the ranch for a porcine puncturing mayhem weekend.   Updates in the near future will include fun.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.  Mr. Hathaway found this thing on his hitch haul.  If you can identify it, send me an e-mail.

 

 

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Rifle .223 - Get Close - Recipe - Success

     If you have perused this blog a bit ......

     You might agree with me on the heavy gun thing.  You might agree light recoil helps accuracy.  If you have not perused my blog, please check out some of my earlier posts and note I have a recipe for all this:

    1.  Heavy gun, check,

    2.  Light recoil, check,

    3.  Bipod, check,

    4.  Light caliber - preferably a .223

    4.  The final ingredient is the most important - “If you think you are close enough, get much closer.”

   Here in Texas with deer blinds and bait, you have the perfect situation for accurate shot placement under hunting stress.  100 yards is pretty easy at the rifle range, on a bench, with a sandbag.  But hair and horns result in central nervous system overload.  So, cut it in half in the field.  Yup; 2 X 25, the mid-field stripe, 50 yards – maybe less!    Rig the deal my good man!   

     55 grain soft points pushing 3,000 fps create a delightful "POP" on impact.  They are quite convincing.  My son's first hog, right at 200 pounds, was not ballistically astute, had not considered a 55 grain bullet as too small.  He responded by sticking his feet up in the air.

3 months later we picked up his skull.  Notice the baseball sized chunk missing just left of his artistically applied eye. There are no chew marks, so this is not the result of an over zealous coyote wielding a Sawzall.

Our .223 has another nuance.   We call it, "The 1st gun" meaning:  If this is the first time you are hunting with us, we give you our Handi Rifle Ultra Varmint .223, the same one seen above.  WHEN you are successful, your name is permanently engraved on the stock.  Tipping the scales just under 10 pounds but she's "muscular" - but not "fat".  Recoil is almost non-existent contributing to a healthy blog roll.  This picture is dated. Three more names are on there now and we have a hunt coming up in the next couple weeks.

A little bullet in the right place beats a big bullet pulled due to pucker factor - every time.   (I highly recommend the H@R Handi Rifle Ultra Varmint!  It is offered in larger calibers's) - whatever gun you choose, take my recipe, liberally apply rule #4 - your success rate will skyrocket.

Hunting and fishing is the ultimate "green" experience.  Teach every kid you can find how to participate in the ecosystem.  Lord knows they get enough tree hugging propaganda out there.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Skattergun Games - Fall - Laugh Lines

           My dear reader a shotgun is a fine instrument.   I have had the great fortune to receive instruction from  previous Army Skeet Team members and mentors with God given talent.  Result - “scattergun love”.  One used an over and under .410 for every shotgun game out there.  I never saw him take more than a couple boxes of shells into the dove field.  He didn't have to. 

            Another shot a 12 gauge Winchester 101 with 30" barrels choked full over full; an exceptional trap shooter, he was particularly hard on ducks and those high flying white wings.  One thing they all had in common, shotguns were for fall field work: doves quail, ducks.  Man I can still feel the apprehension in those early mornings, cold ears, coffee, laughter, cigarette smoke, a day full of surprises.  It never seemed like they would start the truck.

             Spend some time with your shotgun and teach a kid the great games offered. 

 

12 year old Caleb Fowler station 4 - at Best of the West in Liberty Hill.

 

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is awesome

Adultery Bull - Hypothesis - Brain Sucking Porch

Biblically speaking, adultery is a Feaux Pas.  

Often you will find me (if your were there, but you aren't there) sitting on the brain sucking porch.  If you were there it would appear I am wasting time.  But alas, I am not.  It takes effort to develop some hypothesis'.  What you see (but you can't see) is I am testing a theory:
"A quiet ecosystem and no schedule sucks negative data directly out of your brain.  This brain sucking activity (unlike Zombies or extra terrestrial brain sucking) improves overall health." 

Initial testing shows each byte of negative data exits the body via a small space around each hair follicle.  Results increase with a relaxed scalp.  Significant peacefulness leads to a relaxed the scalp, enlarging each tiny little space, improving results.   This mid-day I am deep in scientific discovery.

But first let's cover sin.

Every spring 3 to 5 Brahma Bulls are allocated to shameless adultery.  This is not an offense to Christianity, bulls are not mentioned.  200+ cows, subjected to an 8 week service objective, without their input.  The bulls can call this work.....but they better not complain much.  From what I hear, the estrogen crowd nags alot; throwing accusations of disloyalty around to include a few double dating sideswipes and foul language. Apparently, this young fella has discovered the brain sucking porch. 

He and I.

I and he.

Peaceful, follicular, oozing little bubbles of stress.

Then the moo'oing starts. 

Random cheap shots -  "You chunk of excrement!!!"

Then very clearly, "Shove that thing in your backside, excrement orifice!!!!" 

His reply is an exhausted, silent, glance. 

"You ladies just don't appreciate a reliable guy committed to all this hard work!"

The cheap shot game becomes the ignore and mumble game which we cannot hear.

He and I.

I and he.

Inner peace, puffy clouds, and silence. 

That is all for now.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Ranch Birthday - Spongebob - Rock River

Most boys like the idea of a ranch birthday.  Well, since I am an outdoor blogvangeist expanding the hunting and fishing world, I am the perfect ranch birthday party guy.  There happens to be a ranch as well.  My son Thomas on the far right turned 9.

I feel all creative this morning and will use a "start at the end and take it back to the beginning" writing trick.  Linear is so straightforward, it ain't fun.

At the end of the trip the boys gathered for a picture at the gate.  Another successful ranch Birthday.

Then there were ranch Fairy duties.  Basically, I am the ranch fairy.  If something breaks, or the feeders run out, or...about 9,234 other things "just call Uncle Troy" is the standard response.  Well, today we arrive to a broken pipe spewing water all over the bottom of the house.  I am glad it is on piers or things would have been tough.  A little glue and a handy 3/4" cap - water is tight and the house is back to normal.  (Showers are great at the ranch!).

Quick unload and we started the barrage of .22 shell popping - a required ranch birthday activity.  Mitchell getting warmed up with a Henry single shot.

(This is an excellent starter rifle for kids - as safe as a rifle can be)

Like grannies rushing a girdle sale "more, more, more, give me MORE!"

Two of my buddies own sweet AR - 15's with retractable stocks (yeah I know most of them are that way).  But alas, here is the teaching part.

Low recoil, relatively inexpensive ammunition, and a 500 yard target at the ranch make for some significant rifle work. 

Here's Rick ripping away with the new Rock River.

This is a FACT:  Boys are gun curious.  If you do not teach them how - they will never learn how and then you get some serious issues later on in life.  Like I say every time at the ranch,

"Boys" I bellow out -

"Guns, knives, chainsaws, fast cars and women will always be interesting.  They will also kill you" 

We'll work on the cars and women part later.

Introducing every anti-gun weenie's nightmare!!!!

Mind you - these guys are shooting 500 yards at 9 and 11 years old, which proved quite difficult in 25 MPH SE wind, when you hit the steel target (the size of your chest) it was barely audible.  The military might want to put in a draft pick......

Of course there was Spongebob cake - what do you think - I am a southern, redneck, tough guy, lift kit truck driving, tied down knife wearing "wanna be?"  Oh, yeah, those guys DON'T TAKE THEIR KIDS........they are home tire shining the "33's.

There was pig population control, I will report later - waiting on photo's.

If you don't teach the next generation, who will?

I told you I was going to use a writing trick.  I started with harmless gate pictures and a little plumbing problem, brought in some subtle (ha!) pro-gun nuances, then spun it back to finish with boys standing like runway models, on a cistern, below a harmless spongebob cake.

Not bad for a wanna be tough guy outdoorsman who is building the next generation of outdoorsmen.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Hunting - Rant - Complain - Fat Southerners

I promise not to do this too often.

But today is a "Special" day where I feel fiesty.  I am going to point the finger at the outdoor industry as a whole.  Why on this good green Earth are there no hunting and fishing shows or print articles focused on youth?   Why do MOST of the outdoorsmen and magazines all say "Take a kid fishing or hunting!" 

Like we're all supposed to do it.

Then they produce a whole year of content with NO KIDS.  As you well know, we have plenthora of fat, southern, camo clad, chin bearded yuckity, yucks out there encouraging us to do what they won't.  (Maybe I should get fat and grow facial hair - then people would listen to me!!!)

 

Yes, there are kid pictures in some of the print stuff - that's about it. 

Here's food for thought.  Apple puts their computers in every school possible.  Interestingly as I travel for my real job, I see more than half the young professionals (say under 30) dragging around a Mac.  It's called planning for the future, building a customer base, brainwashing is the 60's way to say it.

 

Oh, and by the way.  If one of you outdoor personalities, manufacturer's, or sales reps thinks putting kids on TV and in print is a good idea.

Forget that.

They are web, blog, you tube, and social media focused.  Print is going to die, TV has too many channels and in 10 years will evolve.  Why wait for TV when you pick and choose video clips on the web.  Your target market is also dying off - literally.   Follow my blog and holler at me sometime, I have some ideas to reach out to the youth hunting and fishing world.

Maybe those folks at Apple computer know what they're doing?

 

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME