Jamie Jackson

Holy Cow!   Congratulations to Andrew! :up:   Andrew is solid people, extremely knowledgeable & a talented instructor. "Hard Core" is an understatement. Andrew is 110% on everything he puts his mind to....and one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.   Thanks for posting this Clod Stomper.

Very well, and passionately, said.   We need more folks like this. :up:     I ran across this yesterday and sent it out to some friends.

    Just to senselessly add to the hippie ass kicking reference...my favorite version is from The New Riders of the Purple Sage     "Up against the Wall (Redneck Mother)"       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP8AxTgZ2g0       :cool:

God Bless bersaguy.   Sometimes life is kinda bumpy Brother. Thoughts are with you.

Prayers sent...for all. God Bless.

    I would certainly be interested. Like I mentioned above, I'm in the market, but have budgetary concerns. This sounds promising.       Thanks for the reply S.L.F. :hat:

    I don't mean to derail this thread. I'm in the market as well and was/am considering an Aimpoint PRO. I have an EOTech and it serves it's intended role well. But I'd like some affordable low power magnification that will serve for close range as well. Money is a consideration.   Could you tell me more about your lemonade? :pleased:

Thanks for posting whitewolf. :up:   I too like spam-can AK ammo for LTS.

Excellent discussion. There are some very good points being made...6.8, Dennis, Dolomite, and others.   I think on many levels it comes down to trust. Trust in our fellow citizens, will they/we do what's right? Demand what's right? or, as for so long, will apathy prevail? Folks...I just don't know...   My gut tells me the best path is through regaining control at a local, and State, level. Active involvement and participation.   Our elected officials at the Federal level have proven time and again that they do not represent us...they only represent their own desire for personal power. They have for many years ignored our Constitution and bastardized and morphed the 3 branches into unrecognizable entities. What makes anyone think they would adhere to any move to restore our God Given and Constitutionally (supposedly) Protected Rights?   I wish I had more faith in our system...make that our collective desire and willingness to sacrifice to ensure that the "system" works.   I don't even recognize the America I grew up in anymore. To quote the book, "I Miss America".   I accept responsibility for my own apathy and inaction in my life. We hang our own swords.   But it's the "Rule of Unintended Consequences" that I am most concerned about should a Con-Con occur.   I haven't read Levin's book...maybe I should.   I don't know where this all will lead. But I do see where we're going if we continue to do nothing. And it doesn't bode well for what's left of us.   Whatever path we choose, I guess we choose along with the consequences of that choice. I personally will continue to Pray for guidance.   But my concern, my fear, is that a Con-Con will send that balloon up...maybe it's what's needed...maybe it's inevitable.   :2cents:

My vote would be for Gold Dot 124 gr +P.   I still have a few boxes of Black Hills 124 gr +P from when they used the Gold Dot bullets. (I think Black Hills uses the XTP bullet nowadays.) I've been carrying the Black Hills version for over 10 years.   I do like the recoil impulse of the 147 gr bullet though...I plan to pick up more of those when availability and budget allow.

Thank you Tanker. That reminder is appreciated.   Happy Thanksgiving to all of our extended TGO family.   God Bless.

LOL   That's Max Michel.   Max's father and uncles used to shoot with our club in South MS. Great folks. Max senior was a pretty remarkable shooter. But Junior? Heck, he was incredible at 14 years of age.   Way to go Max! :up:   Thanks for posting the vid Tanker.

Awesome. Congrats Norma! :up:

    I personally have handloaded 115 gr 9mm JHP from several manufactures using "generic" data for them. As always I start low and slowly work up watching for proper function, accuracy, and signs of pressure. As recommended a chronograph would be very useful.   Be mindful of OAL. If you have access to any factory Winchester JHP in 9mm, that may be a useful OAL reference. Maybe someone here at TGO has the info..   Good luck to you.

Thanks for the head's up on "Apocalypse Drift"...I almost ordered it a few days ago.   Looks like it needs to go onto the "to buy" list. :pleased:

I do as mentioned above.   And I have e-mailed the specific powder companies (you can find the contact info at their websites) and asked specific questions about specific bullets and powder combinations, and for suggestions.   Alliant has been particularly helpful. They even provided load data for the 9mm 147 gr lead FP I wanted to handload that wasn't yet listed on their website, nor in any manuals or websites I had searched.

I appreciate your viewpoint Smith, and my response is in no way a flame and is respectfully submitted.   On instructors: It is our obligation to choose wisely. I agree that some classes are indeed just fantasy gun camps with an over abundance of Walter Mitty types. And some instructors simply don't possess the background, or teaching abilities they may profess. I have been fortunate that the majority of training venues I've attended contained serious adults with realistic goals and expectations, taught by competent and gifted professionals. But I did the footwork first...   The greatest value I personally gleaned from professional training was the realization that "I didn't know what I didn't know". So for me it is an ongoing venture from "unconscious incompetence" towards "conscious competence" and maybe, just maybe, one day "unconscious competence". It's merely a personal goal.   We are extremely fortunate in this day and age to have many learning opportunities available to us. There were only a few "schools" when I started this journey.   To repeat myself (I getting old and old people do that sometimes...)...It's our responsibility to choose wisely where we spend our hard earned dollars. But investing in yourself is never a bad idea, imho.   We are also pretty darned fortunate to have some talented professionals as frequent contributors here at TGO.   :2cents:

Thank you jaredsterry. Good post...and welcome as well.   imho, training, professional training, and incorporating the information from that training into regular practice is one of the most necessary, but neglected aspects of firearms ownership. I'm not meaning to be disrespectful to anyone...as Robert pointed out, there are folks that collect or amass firearms, and folks that own firearms with the purpose of self defense in mind. Nothing wrong with either group.   Investing in professional instruction is investing in yourself. To me that is the best possible investment that can be made. That said, your training must be recent, relevant, and realistic...I am remiss in this and hope to improve upon myself in the coming year.   Thanks again for the thoughtful post.

Welcome Gothic. :hat:     I live in West Knoxville and have been a member at ORSA since I arrived here in '06. It's a great facility with a lot of good folks, especially at the matches. I'll post some links below.   A buddy and I were shooting at Norris this past Wednesday It's another great option. The permits for Norris are handled by the Norris PD, in beautiful downtown Norris. As mentioned it's only $40.00 June to June, or $20.00 for a single day...kinda of a no brainer really.   The Norris PD are some good folks A bud of mine works there. Very gun friendly from my experiences.   Each place has it's pluses and minuses...but for a total of $160.00 per year combined? It's hard to beat short of a private range.     http://orsaonline.org/   http://orsaap.com/     I'll be "baby sitting" the indoor range at ORSA this afternoon. Unfortunately I have to stay in the indoor range after I open the doors. But if you know a member that can escort you in, you are welcome to come shoot some handgun with us. The rifle range will be open after noon..but until you are a member, you'll need to be someone's guest.   You can attend the matches without membership. Hope you'll check them out.

I started with a Lee single stage press and still use it with regularity. It's been going strong since the mid 1980's. While I use my Dillon more often, the Lee allowed me to develop an understanding of the mechanics of handloading. As was mentioned above, there is a lot going on at one time with a progressive press. But that familiarity allows you to pick up on the subtle changes, and through experience, to intervene or alter your process as you go. It's not complicated or anything like that. But you do have to understand what you are doing and why. I always planned to get an RCBS big-dog press...but I can't seem to wear out my Lee. :pleased: Please forgive the clutter and mess in my little corner of the basement...but here's a pic of my humble setup. It serves my needs well. btw...the Dillon is from either '89 or '90...it won't wear out either. :cool:

They are legion...   But two that immediately stand out are:   Very early production laser for a Beretta 9mm...only slightly smaller than a howitzer...and not even close to visible past 3 feet in daylight...   Scherer aftermarket Glock magazines during the Clinton Gun Ban era...great for malfunction practice...but that was about all. Thank God for OEM, KCI, and Kahn Glock mags.

Great company!   I picked up several of the $8.99 mags, as did several folks I know...Heck, they threw in some free mags to a couple of guys. I received a Magpul AR grip with mine. Priority mail shipping as well.   IMHO they are GTG. :up:

Too darn funny!  LOL.   I couldn't catch that sucker either KahMan. :pleased:   Thank you RoadKill.

I'm an admitted fan of the "Holding Their Own" series by Joe Nobody.   It looks like book 6 is only out on kindle as Mark A mentioned... I like books...that's just the way I am...bit of a neanderthal, but wtf. :pleased:   The 3 reviews on Amazon are a bit mixed. But I can't imagine it being anything but good, as the last five have been.   Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GO43Z9E/ref=dra_a_cs_mr_hn_it_P1400_1000?tag=dradisplay-20     Anybody have a handle on the physical book release?       And, since I need to pick up a few more books...any thoughts on the quality of the "Dark Grid" series?   http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=dark%20grid%20series&sprefix=dark+grid%2Cstripbooks%2C244   TIA folks. :hat:

  Yet  :cool: