.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 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

Rifle Rest - Aimelss - Purpose - Pointless?

John Wayne can still swing two .44 caliber lever actions in circles, on horseback.  He is preserved on film.....many a bad guy falls to his shooting.  I have explored un-aided off hand shooting, the basic kind with feet set on Mother Earth.  My Choreographer is not as skilled as Mr. Wayne's. 

Alas, resting my rifles helps my score and one handed riflery is no longer sought for my bag of "man" tricks. 

Kids focus on results.   Trust me, you want results because kids need Midol when they miss.  Especially if the rifle is bouncing around with a case DT's before the shot.   In a typical blind or "hide" set up I suggest sand bags or your back pack.  Bed that gun down solid like you are cheating - Mr. Murphy has enough options you cannot control.

On our ranch in Texas, we participate in the aimless wander.  Before I continue, let me just say many people fail to address the wander correctly.  Wandering has subtle nuances.  There is the pointless wander - meaning you don't really care where you end up.  The meaningful wander - you are going to do something, somewhere but final destination many change.  Then there is the purposeful wander - you are going somewhere ending in a measurable result.  This one is known as chores.

The aimless wander has no destination, no clearly defined goals, but may become pointless if nothing happens or purposeful wander should a snake or crawdad is available.   At least that is the best way to wander.  Pigs and seasonal animals of pursuit are included in the "option" list while still retaining aimless status.

Aimlessly messing around with a water moccasin, in a place you weren't planning to end up, the distraction allows a sounder of feral hogs (the pinnacle of aimless wanderers) within 150 yards of your snake.  Your son's rifle upgrades you to a purposeful wander.   The 10 pound rifle offering minimal recoil is available (because you are smart and maybe I influenced you a bit) but you have no rifle rest.  Damn rules - forgot to tell you, a rifle rest is a purposeful part of being aimless but not pointless. 

Shooting sticks are a nice option, I made these after a norther turned my Double Bull blind into a sail.  Added a bit of duct tape, perfection.  We have wandered up on all kinds of critters and whacked them with these.

Should you have no extra fiberglass poles around, go to Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops and look for a Bi-Pod.  The unipods are okay, marketing literature is full color, tidy, and convincing.  I don't think the marketing team actually uses them - total crap.   Tripods are better than bipods.  The one below is a camera tripod.  I cut a piece of 3" PVC in half, and modified it to mount just like a camera.  (I'll post details of the assembly later on) It stays in the back of the truck for purposeful wanders begun aimlessly and brush blind hunting.  Notice how the gun just sits there, kid stands behind and it requires very little work.  It swivels as far as you can go.  This Model 700 ADL 30.06 is content.

Pointlessly aimless and all that has passed, it is time to wrap up.  What I have noticed using a bi-pod or tripod most people use the barrel as point of contact.  I had one of our cousins Caleb demonstrate stupid for us.  He was just following my advice......so, uh....?  This is the stupid way to do it - it causes misses.  Very simple - physics.  The gun is heavy in comparison to said youth hunter.  Said youth hunter tends to look up and drop the rifle at trigger pull - shot goes high because all the weight is behind the "rest".  (Adults do the same thing but just forget that because it isn't you - just other guys).

Rest the rifle on the balance point which is usually about the middle of the scope and you'll get accuracy!  If the gun leans a little barrel heavy - fine.

This is the way to do it.

The rifle is balanced and yes, the kid (or adult) may look up and all that.  We addressed Mr. Murphy earlier,

When you are playing "Bwana Gun Bearer".  Stand to the side, hang on to the bipod and cover your gun side ear.  I know it looks like yoga. 

This yoga move retains proper hearing and a secondary benefit.  You will often hear the bullet hit the animal with your off side ear.  It is a delightful "POP"ing sound.  Not covering your ear gives you a reason to avoid conversations at home....for a few days.

In closing, remember to purposefully take the essentials for being aimless.  Rest the rifle in the middle and get close.  You will get results.

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

Airgun + Sexy = Accurate Cheek Pressure

I have an especially good wife.  She is “especially” because of many things not applicable to this niche forum on guns and such.   What is applicable?  This special lady bought me my first German Air Rifle – an RWS model 52.

I’ve managed to keep both happy for 20+ years now.

Here’s a sexy picture - applicable to this discourse.

 

A couple weeks ago I found my self alone, just me and her, at the ranch house.  Though it had been a few years, I remembered how to handle her.  Four shots resulted in nice performance.

The 9mm casing is there to show how tightly this gun shoots.  Trust me; high end airguns, much like those rifles we shoot, are way better than we are!  Empty rifle brass

on a saw horse make a good shooting gallery at 20 yards. 

CARNAGE!

  25-35, 7.62, three . 357 magnum casings....in that order.

Here is the shooter’s view through the 6X42 RWS scope (My camera didn’t like the magnification for some reason but you get the jist of it).   You can see the hold off required to hit the middle target (discussed below).

 One thing different about this kind of task, use heavy wood like a 2X4, the pellets stop on impact and you can see the misses in your scope.  This helps you to judge hold off.  In this case the wind was about 15 MPH in my face.  For some reason, despite earlier zero confirmation, to hit the brass, I had to hold off three vertical crosshair widths to the right.  Sure, I could have adjusted the scope, but fooey on that……..we were alone and I was in the mood for action!

For those of you obsessed with accuracy, I found out my RWS is quite responsive to cheek pressure.   Less is more with this gun.  If I barely placed my cheek on the stock I got better results.  That isn’t the kind of thing you figure out banging away with a .300.  But it could help you shoot your .300 better. 

The cheek pressure discovery made me push further; I stuck a 3” nail in the saw horse. Three shots later – a metallic thud resulted in a grey nail head……The pellet went into chunks on impact leaving enough evidence.  That is some tight shooting mister!

Man I love this gun.

Kid’s like her too.  It is a great way to teach new shooters to stay down and look through the scope while shooting.  Cheap ammo and lot’s of practice increases accuracy greatly.   The RWS Model 52 is about 11 pounds, adult length, has a crisp trigger, Monte Carlo, stock and a full size scope.  Which sounds like a marketing piece and it is.  If you teach a kid to shoot that gun well; they will succeed with that long, heavy, adult sized rifle you give them to pop deer with.  The only thing you need to fix about your deer rifle is recoil.  Look in my archive on this blog – there are many suggestions.  I am the sole person saying “recoil is bad” in the sporting world.  The rest of the party thinks recoil is “part of being a man”.   That train of though is stupid.  I would never ask you to kick me in the shoulder just to prove I am a man……why with rifles?

What is not stupid is buying a sexy, high end, Airgun.  Caress her slowly and learn about cheek pressure.  You think your wife will buy you one after reading that?  Good Gosh man, don’t tell her.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Rifle - Muzzle Up is Stupidity - Muzzle Down - Smartipidity - Action Open

On ward we roll through this vast life of ours.  I have got to say something about muzzle management.  You have taught your son's and daughters to point their guns UP when they carry them.  I am done with all the dad's who fight me when I re-train everyone to carry guns muzzle down.

 

Let's start simply because I can hear your arguments (which are stupid) brewing:

 

1.   Muzzle Management is defined as "managing the bad end of that bang stick you are holding".  As you all know, the bad end is where the bullets come out.

No new news here.

2.  Kids are short.  Youth rifles are traditionally two things that make them horrible as a weapon.  Short and light. 

3.  Anyhoo, if a short person is carrying a short weapon and it happens to be loaded AND YOU HAVE TRAINED THEM TO HOLD THE GUN MUZZLE UP you can get in a scary situation.   

4.  If the rifle accidentally goes off - you can take one under the jaw.  Because accidents happen.

 

Okay so seriously, you can see where the muzzle is pointing. (despite the fact he is two steps behind his dad and Paul played along nicely.   I took this stock photo to make a point).  THIS IS THE WRONG WAY TO MANAGE YOUR MUZZLE.

 

 

Here is the proper way to do it.  Gun is down, if it discharges the bullet may hit his dad's foot or friends foot or his own foot. 

God help us we don't want any accidents.  But I'd rather be shot in the leg than the jaw. 

 

 

Finally, I suggest any time, any where, any PERSON, moving with a gun, the gun should be unloaded, action open, muzzle down.  I know, they may jam the muzzle in the ground, they may trip and the gun falls on the ground, they may not get a crack shot off at a fleeting animal  - they may, they may, they may, blah, blah, blah.....I can clean the gun, there are more critters out there, safety first!!!!  In fact, it is my opinionated opinion you worry about your guns way too much.  If they drop it, with kids this will happen, or lay it down on the ground, or trip and stick it in the mud, clean the barrel and the gun. 

 

If you take one under the cheek, you won't be there to complain and whine about the gun getting dirty.  Should you have a $10,000 rifle you love more than your kids, then don't take it out shooting.

Guns are tools, kid are the future of the shooting sports and safety should always be the first thing!!!

 

Finally, next time you are watching military operations, or any person in the military actively carrying a weapon pay attention to the muzzle.  When you see those guys go through a door to clear a room - did I already say "please notice where the muzzle is pointing", they have to practice serious muzzle management to keep from shooting their teammates.  Weird how that makes sense huh?

 

If you disagree with anything I said here please comment or e-mail me.  I acknowledge I am not the smartest person in the world and your help to keep things safe and fun is appreciated.

 

If you agree with me and like my blog, click the RSS feed button and follow me.  I will be updating this blog with opinionated opinions, mostly about youth hunting and fishing, regularly.  If you have a future sportsman in the house - I can help you.  NO ONE covers youth hunting and fishing to the extent you will see here.

 

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME