StPatrick

I thought we were all pals here, having friendly discussions and such. I can cruise through the caliber wars, the 1911 threads, Glock threads, etc., and feel no personal animus. But this last thing...I'm afraid I just can't countenance it, not even a little bit. There's some men out there that are just plain wrong, so allow me to explain: Dr. Pepper is now, and always shall be, the finest non-alcoholic beverage on the planet. There is no other! That is all. If you choose to disagree, you choose to be wrong. Someday, your grandchildren will taste the 23 flavors, wonder what was wrong with you, and then hope it wasn't genetic.

Amen. We are capable of great and terrible things, but it would be wise to remember that the Earth has been here for billions of years, and will be here for billions more. It seems a bit arrogant to assume that we can change the entire planet by our very existence. Rather, the world is as it is because we are able to observe it as it is now, and if it were any other way, we would not be here to observe it. I'm not sure I agree entirely with the previous, but here's the philosophical underpinnings of the idea: Anthropic principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don't be too surprised - if you look at the "Old Farmer's Almanac" (I know, the predictions are based on silly stuff like solar activity and ocean currents, as opposed to BS models with myriad assumptions*), they're calling for a colder than normal winter for TN, with average precipitation. Like most every other year, they expect the heaviest precip to occur in late Feb / early March. *No bull there - I know the ins and outs of statistical modeling, especially the limitations.

My Mark III had occasional light strikes, along with occasional stovepipes and rare double feeds. Total failures were probably <5%, but they were driving me nuts, so I decided to replace some parts. After adding the VQ extractor and firing pin, it's been 100%, even with cheap ammo. If you're experiencing FTF or FTE, my experience suggests the VQ parts will solve that issue. Unrelated: I also replaced the trigger, hammer, and sear with VQ parts (before the work on the bolt), and they're worth the money if you really like to shoot your .22 pistol, and are semi-handy. Total trigger travel is less than 1/8", including pre-travel. One thing I did find - leave more pre-travel than necessary for full reset...otherwise, you'll find yourself having to remove your finger from the trigger after every shot to get a good reset.

You might look at this one, on sale at Midway right now: Sightron SI Rimfire Rifle Scope 3-9x 32mm Fine Crosshair Reticle Matte - MidwayUSA I have one, and thus far am pleased. It's a bit more expensive at $116, plus shipping, than the bargain-barrel rimfire scopes, but it's built heavy, is nitrogen filled, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

You've just managed to classify every single living creature on Earth as a varmint - including freakin' whales. Chuck Norris likes the cut of your jib, good sir.

I have a commander (4") sized Kimber in .45ACP with an alloy frame, and it's very pleasant to shoot. Even with the alloy frame, it's still a comparatively heavy gun vs. anything polymer. As others have noted previously, the recoil of a .45 is different than other calibers - it's much more a shove than a snap. From my personal experience, I would put the recoil of a .45 from a "heavy" pistol (Sig 220, 1911) in between that of a 9mm and a .40, both of which were also fired from "heavy" pistols (9mm: Sig P229, .40: Ruger P94). YMMV; I have not fired these calibers from lightweight pistols, thus I cannot compare them. Apples, oranges, and such...

If anybody cares to join up, I've got Friday off, and plan to convert some money into noise. I'm not sure what will make the trip as far as pistols go, but my CZ 452 .22lr is definitely coming, as is my Finnish M39, recently acquired from a fellow TGO member. I'll be doing some work on the car in the morning, but should be out around lunchtime, once it's warm-ish. PM or reply if interested.

I looked into the Yodave trigger kit, but my trigger was so good out of the box that there's no need for it. Regarding sights, once I've gotten to the point where the irons are limiting my ability to hit far / small, I'll scope the rifle.

Reminds me of something I saw on a Mosin board earlier this week, talking about early "collector's mistakes": Oh, suppose I should mention my day at an indoor range. The indoor range is only 25 yards & they said I could shoot my M39 there. First & only shot was so loud from ECHO that the vibration off the cement walls caused the overhead flourescent light tubes to explode. I never in my life felt so embarrassed, lol but do think it was funny even though I'm not allowed to ever bring my M39 there ever again, lol GTO in the cul de sac, or egg in the microwave?

You don't know how bad I have it...before the CZ had arrived, I had already bought a Finnish Mosin from another member here. Mostly because I love history, and it's a very interesting gun, but still - if the .22 didn't scratch the itch, I'm pretty darned sure 7.62x54r would.

I'll begin with a story, and try to keep it short: I've never been a rifle shooter, since I don't hunt - not that I'm not interested in the idea, but my gun money and trigger time have been dedicated to pistols to this point. This has recently changed...I can't remember why I got the idea, but at some point I decided that, much like being able to change a tire, tie a tie, start a fire, etc., there are some things every man should be able to do, and I realized that one of those things should be the ability to load, fire accurately, and break down / clean a rifle. How to proceed, then? For simplicity's sake, I decided that the best way to learn would be a .22 bolt action with open sights (it's kind of funny - Mike's post in this thread explained where my head was at better than I could, and if it had been posted a month or two earlier, I'd credit him for why I've done what I've done - as it is, he certainly gets credit for suggesting the 452). Looking around the rimfire forums, the CZ 452 Lux became my front-runner, and I ordered one online. I picked it up at the Saddle Shop yesterday (big ups to Mike Patterson for $20 transer + $10 TICS). For those who haven't seen one, they look like this: To this point, I'd say 99% of all the rifle shots I'd taken had been via 10/22, and I wasn't very good. I'd be a viable defender against hordes of milk-jugs and paper plates at 15 yards, but that's about it. Imagine my surprise when the first 5 rounds downrange (25 yards, front elbow on bench at CHMR / Owl Hollow earlier today) looked like this: That's 1.5" from the lower flyer to the farthest center I could find, cold bore, factory zero, with a n00b behind the trigger...and what a trigger - there's just enough pre-travel to "settle in" on your shot, and the break is light and crisp. I probably ran ~300 Federal bulk (plated HV HP) through it today, and I got to know this little rifle well very quickly. After shooting supported and offhand for awhile at 25 yards, I decided to play "what if", and moved down the line to where someone had left several clay pigeons on the 50 yard berm. I moved the leaf sight to the 50 meter setting (it is ranged from 25 - 200m in 25m increments), got into a good supported position, and made 5 disappear with 5 shots [insert big stupid grin]. It took 5 more to take one offhand, but hey - this is still akin to giving Bob Dylan a new guitar, and instead of strumming chords, he's suddenly flatpicking like Lester Flatt. I eventually got around to setting up some targets at 50 yards, and even offhand, I ended up with more in the black than out, and only missed paper twice out of 50...and then only barely. It's still early in the game, so I'm not going to run around telling everyone it's the greatest rifle ever or anything (I've certainly read and learned quite a bit about basic marksmanship on TGO and elsewhere since I last spent any time with a rifle), but so far I feel that it's been money well spent, e.g. it may not be the only reason I shot better than I ever have, but it's certainly a big part of the equation. If you're in the market for a .22 and you'd like to shoot mine (Mid-TN), let me know. I'd like to see how someone else does with it.

I'm interested in a firearm in the TGO classifieds, but don't have the time for an in-person trade. What's the best way to ship, what are the pitfalls and potential complications for both buyer and seller, etc. Guidance from those with experience is sincerely appreciated.

My "Frankenruger" - it's a mkiii target with Volquartsen ignition parts, and a fiber optic front sight when it's not wearing a red dot. Total distance the trigger travels from pre to post is about 1/8". If I was any good, the accuracy would be awesome; I know this 'cause I've seen what good shooters can do with it.

Link doesn't work, but surplusammo.com has some terrific deals.

If you're looking purely for a plinker, which will only be used for poking holes in paper, then the Ruger Mk II / III or Browning Buckmark are the be-all end-all of low cost high performance .22 pistols. If you're looking for something to mimic the controls on a pistol you already have, that changes things. What do you intend to do with your .22 once you get it?

Just saw a promo for a piece on "why wild hogs are the #1 threat to TN wildlife". It will air during tonight's 9:00 news on Fox 17 (Nashville / mid-tenn). Hopefully, they'll highlight the state's excessive hunting regulations.

... Unless the "anyone" you're referring to is a FFL holder, be careful - I'm not all that familiar with C&R law, but if you're looking for a non-FFL C&R holder to make a purchase for you, you could end up in a world of legal hurt, since something like the above could be construed as a straw purchase (if I've missed your intent, I apologize - I'm sure you intend to stay within all legal boundaries). Based on what I know, it's probably best to be patient and wait for your license; there will be plenty of good deals available once you have it. C&R holders: if I'm wrong, please correct me.

Hell, I'd take beating and give 'em a pass on jailing, assuming the aforementioned asskicking was appropriately thorough.

Maui Jim Waileas unless there's running, jumping, or swimming involved - then it's bolle anacondas and croakies.

There's a first time for everything, and this appears to be one if those. /insert smiley something or other

I wrote a former professor (and serious hunter / ballistician) about .243 awhile back, since it's the hunting round most similar in performance to Rem 6.8 SPC II (smaller, but faster), and I was thinking about an AR build at the time. Here's what he had to say about .243: Patrick, What a pleasant surprise to hear from you. As to 243, I've killed over 190 whitetail and mule deer and antelope with mine, and lost only 2. I highly recommend it be used only with 100 grain spire point boat tail bullets, if you reload, or if you can find them prepackaged. Any 100 grain non-hollow point will kill cleanly and quickly if placed in the chest cavity. I've used mine out to 575 yards with known hand loads. They still kill, but I only do that if it is a last day, last chance to fill the license issue. On large deer they may not exit, so there is little blood to follow but again they rarely go more than 50-125 yards at worst. In moderately open country I usually watch them fall. I've seen the same loads kill elk, though I think a bit light for that. Hope that helps - also, as far as bullet weight, take into account that he's shooting prey in WI / MN prairie at distances a TN hunter will never encounter, so an 80 grain load shouldn't be ruled out, if you're dropping deer quickly and humanely. Don't know if that helps or not, but my having that particular e-mail combined with this thread existing dictated that I had to post it. Good luck to all you hunters, Patrick

Same here; I love 'em.

I just ordered a CZ 452 Lux this morning, and my expectations are even higher after reading this thread. I'm really looking forward to putting it through its paces!

This is the reality 1/1/2011 - taxes are increasing to pre-2003 rates. This includes income, dividend, capital gains, and corporate rates. All of these taxes are paid, in the end, by the employee or consumer, e.g. YOU. Raise Cain now, or pay later.