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  Glad to hear you had a good hike! How busy was it? I suspect it's getting to the point in the season where trail traffic picks up out there.

It's a natural area. Leave no trace, stay on trails. There are trails that lead right up to many caves, including upper sheep. With a good flashlight, you can really peer into some of them.

  225/mi isn't bad. I've played in the Smoky Mtns plenty.   The trail is rough, the elevation change isn't spread out evenly along it.   [PDF WARNING] Here's a trail/topo map. Print it on water resistant paper, or print two copies on large normal paper. Keep one in a ziploc bag. I print on tabloid sheets, but legal/letter is better than no map.   Do the overlook hike. It's not long, but will add some elevation change. It's always been a great view from up there.   Here's the site where I got the map, they've also got stuff you can throw in a GPS, if you use one. Though I'd leave it at home and just take a compass. Lots of canopy in there, I never had signal. Also, your cell phone may work on the overlook, it probably will NOT work on the trail. I had verizon. Mine didn't get any coverage the first trip, left it in the car after that.   And leave the blanket. Take a hammock with straps! Lots of excellent places to hook up and get a nap in. But don't overdo the break. You definitely don't want to hike this one out in the dark.

I've done it a few times, last trip was in 2013. Caster is right, some awesome camping spots. We've done the one by the waterfall with a cave, as well as the campsite at virgin falls.   The hike to the falls is down and in 900ft elevation change over 4 miles of rocky and uneven terrain, the hike back is up and out.   Plan for up to 8-9hrs of hiking. If you're in good form, it'll be less with a light load (5-6). Bring your lunch, some snacks and you'll have a good time. Also, unless you're each going to carry 4 liters of fluids, then bring some way to purify water- either a pump, steripen, or tablets.   At 1.5 miles or so in, there's a cable crossing. You will get your feet wet. Be smart - if the water is a torrent, call off the hike and come back later.   Many areas the trail is loose or in poor condition, stay on the uphill edge unless trail etiquette dictates otherwise. We had a couple youth in the group try the slide down(on accident, and luckily in areas that weren't complete dropoffs). The consensus was that it wasn't enjoyable. Trekking poles are helpful in maintaining purchase while in this terrain.   The hike is great, definitely worth the trip. Enjoy it, and stay safe. How much water is flowing will determine how much you can explore around the falls. Every time I've been, it's been a torrent. In drier seasons, it really opens up.   Good luck!   PS: I really am serious about needing to watch your footing and that it's a very rough trail these days. Next to last trip we were on, a young lady had severely injured her ankle - either broken or sprained. Another group stopped and helped us and her boyfriend, they took turns carrying the young lady, we turtle-packed the carriers' gear - got everyone and their things out in one trip.   Wear the right footwear, watch your step, take breaks before you get tired. Enjoy the hike, it's one of my favorites!

Use a some clothespins and playing cards hung from a string or coat hanger - shoot out the hearts/spades/clubs/diamonds. Fun, and a deck of cards is cheap!

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBrfpWc4oQ[/media]   Watch through, easy, simple, cheap.

  Nope. Gotta send in an application.  

    Barrel length will cause more unburnt powder to flash, 3031 is slow burning - that high load, with that shorter barrel - and only 2' away from the chronograph. I'd put money down that you had muzzle flash interfering with the chrono. I've seen the same thing with a buddy of mine's Chrony brand chronograph. We were shooting .223 out of my 10.5" ar pistol, couldn't get reliable reads. Moved the chrono out, much more reliable (though higher pucker factor for sure! I didn't want to buy a new chronograph either!)

1. What kind of chrono?   2. How far is it from the muzzle?   The IMR load data imr3031 shows for a 165gn Hornady SP pill, 41.6gn is the top end load - out of a 24" barrel. If it's a light sensitive chrono, with your load and an 18" barrel with a brake I'd wager your sensors are being spoofed by excessive flash. This could also explain why your .223 loads are reading normally as well as your erratic readings on the .308.   I'd probably back down on the charge as well, if you think the bottle was "off". Granted, I'm a novice reloader, and generally excessively cautious.

If you want a "cheap" rail, buy UTG. A bunch of their products are made here in the USA, relatively inexpensive, and every one that I've seen functioned well, but was heavy. (Note: I've not handled their low profile rails yet)   Of course, one should never forget: "Heavy is good. Heavy is reliable."   ROFL, seriously though. Their rails aren't bad. Not the most beautiful, but it's a tool, right?

    Thanks! That makes for a much better sense of scale. Looks like a really convenient size. This might be on my shortlist.

Can we get a pic of it in the hand?

MRAD. Easier maths, right? I like the reticle more too.

Not anti-gravity. See, gravity is still working. It's the Australian model.

Here's an article on what to expect when you use DX lenses on an FX camera   And here's a good example of what will happen with the crop factor when using FX lenses on a DX body.   If you're curious about lens compatibility with a newer Nikon body - it's not hard to find what will work. Here's the breakdown for a D7100 Almost every other current body has a similar breakdown on Nikon's website.   As far as moving to digital goes, I would have gone with an FX body if I could afford it and the newer lenses. As an amateur with other expensive hobbies (guns/home ownership), I could not justify the costs. So, I use my old lenses and adjust my setup for the focal length and depth of field changes, as well as the crop factor issues that occur. I've also spent some money on some very handy DX lenses.   Good luck making your switch. I did, and am enjoying it. Just make sure the new body has an AF motor built in if you want to use your older screw drive AF lenses.

Alright,   I'm no expert on CCTV's but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express once in my lifetime and I was also tasked with maintaining/upgrading/expanding some of ours at work. So here's an amateur's response!   ****Wall O' Text Warning!****   How much video do you need to maintain? 72 hours (give time for retrieval if out of town)   The 16 cameras with 2tb storage will probably just get you a bit more than the 3 days or so since the Q-See says it records at 15fps (live view at 30). It uses H264. Should be ok here.   What are you monitoring? < 1 acre, house, adjacent 30x40 secured barn, Attached pole-shed, near-field property. Do you need remote access to the video?   As far as the area you described goes, the cabling that comes with the unit likely won't be sufficient for your longer runs. The good news is, that cable isn't terribly expensive. It's RG59 siamese cable. If you're handy with terminations, you can make your own. Or you can buy some premade. Whatever works for you.   I've never run the stuff outside - we convert to fiber for our exterior home-runs and convert back at the recorders (but that mess is expensive). Tthey're anywhere from 100 to 1500+ foot runs. So, no idea what you're gonna need to do for your outdoor runs cables. I'd probably bury em in conduit and mark on a map of the property where I had cable. Your call again!   Do you need remote access to the video? My brother is tech geek, so probably   Good luck. The home networking modifications aren't that bad, but viewing through a browser can be difficult to impossible. They claim support for IE, Firefox and Chrome and Safari - but people have complained on many a forum as well as retail sites in reviews about IE issues. If you're using anything after ie8 it's iffy. After IE9 - it's a solid nope. The mobile apps supposedly work - but I've not used them.   Do you have a secure place to hide the DVR/NVR? yes   Good. This is important no matter what product you go with!   Camera types etc?   I am sure at least 2-3 would be eventually changed.   Really think through your needs here. Draw a map of the property and every major angle that needs to be watched. When we mapped our home, we found that the 16 we thought we needed could be cut to 6. This is with a house, a shop, a barn and a side lot - all total about 2 acres. Some areas we didn't care if we saw or didn't see people, others we do. Same at my workplace (where we have systems all over the place. We watch the points where we have access to items/equip/personnel, wide angles cover the areas we don't have under direct surveillance.   Finally, the ultimate question: Is the Q-See system good? Answer: It's a mixed bag.   Things we're almost sure of: A. It's a rebranded system - consensus is it's a Dahua. Dahua branded is arguably slightly higher quality than QSee, but barely, They're slow to update software/firmware... it's even slower for QSee to push theirs (have to rebrand/modify to match their "look"). B. HIKvision is another OEM in this range - they make for Swann and Lorex, as well as their own. Similar story as the Dahua/QSee story. (Some have said that Dahua is the OEM for HIKvision- I can't verify).   Things I've learned about QSee over a couple years of lurking on some other forums/general knowledge re CCTV systems: High resolution - Don't be fooled, it is 480i. Not really that great (considering the megapixel cams avail now), but sufficient for most people. It certainly isn't bad. Durability/Lifespan: Mixed reviews. Some say it's good - but plenty complain of DVRs rebooting every 5 minutes for no reason, ghosting issues (could be poor cable shielding or shoddy electronics in the box). Camera lifespan - most common complaint about QSee cams is that the "infrared" NV mode goes out after a few months. Not the end of the world, but not great if you're relying on it. NV distance is not going to be what's claimed. Probably 1/2 that for motion/general shapes, getting a positive ID on something caught on camera, maybe 15-25 feet. Support after purchase: Good luck. 2 weeks to a month for responses for repair (RMA) and a decent wait for the replacement. Not sure how Costco Concierge works - but hopefully it's better than dealing directly with QSee. TL;DR: If it were me I'd skip the QSee unit and go with something else.   But it would be highly custom and tailored to my needs. It would be more costly. And I'd be spending wayyy more storage (with an integrated backup option, mirrored raid, and maybe a NAS)   ULTIMATE answer: If this is a budget issue, the option of a CCTV system is ONLY possible because of this price, and you have a real need - it's better than nothing. Cameras can be upgraded as finances allow/as they break, and the DVR can as well as time and money allows or becomes necessary. You won't go to an IP/Megapixel system easily from this setup, but you likely don't need one. Most people don't.   PS: if you don't have to go wireless for the outbuildings, don't.

Initial thought, having repaired, set up, and expanded a few camera systems at work...   16 cameras are going to chew through 2tb in a hurry if you're recording full resolution at 24fps. How much video do you need to maintain?   What are you monitoring? Do you need remote access to the video? Do you have a secure place to hide the DVR/NVR? Are 16 bullet cameras really the best solution, or would you rather have a range of camera types (bullet, wide angle, 360 dome, etc)?

When you apply online you get a confirmation number for your application(you can apply before taking the course now, afaik), bring that number to class and it's used by your instructor to report your scores to the state. (Becomes your certification number)   I'm not in the know enough to be sure that it is a state requirement... though some instructors may not want to go through the old process if the new online application is as good as everyone's said.   PDF Warning:   Here's the steps to get an HCP as published by TN Dos.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=topKlsSPgJU[/media]   Heh.

What's your budget?

    Looking forward to what you hear from them. Based on my knowledge (from a knife-specific forum and a Benchmade moderator chiming in over there) many of their H&K class knives are made overseas in China and other countries. Some Benchmade H&K knives are made in USA.   The rest: Blue, Black, and Gold are all USA made - afaik.

Things to be aware of:   1. Wine isn't as great, and you have to get it and liquor in package stores (for now, wine should be changing next year, I think).   2. Iced tea is served with sugar, unless you ask otherwise. (LOL!)   3. Water is probably going to be cheaper.   Good luck in your next year, do your research and try to enjoy the move! (that's a big one!)

I've not had a lick of trouble out of my 20" express magnum, paid $200 used, in excellent condition.   that said, I always use 2 3/4" shells, and I just love my old wingmaster much much more (Paid $200 used, in good condition, with magazine extension)   If the price was right, I wouldn't pass on it if I didn't already have one.

I'm crying foul at the clickbait.   I wanted to see something more along the lines of this:   [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky0BA4mowOg[/media]   That said, grats on the pistol! 1911's are fun!

Etched reticle. Best solution I've found for mine (slight, but enough to make a pretty starburst out of daylight visible red dots!)   I use a 1-5x scope, allows me to shoot both eyes open, and gets the benefit of some magnification when i want it.   I've looked through one of the Leupold Prismatic Tactical - was nice, but I can't justify spending another $500 when the scope I have works great.