Handsome Rob

Well, it seems that I am now the owner of the bottom half of an AR. Not really sure exactly how the hell it happened as I've never been a fan of the platform. Heck, my idea of a high capacity, quick shooting SD/HD tactical rifle has always been a lever action loaded up with .44s!   Anyhoo.......   I'm looking at uppers on Gunbroker right now & I think I know what I'm looking for, but I need assurances!  I'm really thinking about a heavy barrel, free float handguard thingy, no open sights & no rails or other spiky bits. It'll be for targets, coyotes & fun shooting more than anything else.   Are there any significant advantages/disadvantages to a longer/shorter barrel? (I'm trying to decide between a 16 & a 24")   I know that a 1:7 twist will be more accurate with heavier bullets than a 1:9, but will it be more accurate enough for me to really notice a difference at 300yds? (I'm no precision shooter & 1" groups at 100 are the exception, not the rule!)   Are there any makes I really need to avoid? I'm looking at spending under $700 for the whole shebang & I've seen 2 uppers that I like the look of, but for all I know they could be utter poo. (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=341451156) (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=341383861)   Right now, I'm leaning towards the 16", but this is based purely on "That looks nice!" rather than anything scientific.   Being an EBR virgin I honestly don't know what anything is worth; the whole ammo/gungrab/hi-cap mag thing pretty much went over my head. Would these 2 uppers seem like reasonable deals?   Thanks for allowing me to display my ignorance! :D

Well hell, we have a mutual friend. Josh is one of my best buddies!   Looks like y'all had a great time. When're you holding your next rendezvous? I'm dying to get over there for a weekend!

Love the Master Chief vs Leonidas battle! :D

I buy all my BP in bulk from http://www.powderinc.com   You could save a bunch in shipping, tax & HAZMAT fees if you drove over the line to Arkansas......

"In honor of the passing of Hugo Chavez, I have had his initials inscribed onto my bathroom taps."   Just saw this on Facebook & about peed myself laughing!

My collection won't be complete until I have a 'Safari' caliber (.458 Lott, .416 Rigby, .375 H&H, .470NE etc...) double rifle. Other than that, I'm happy accumulating lever guns, 'budget' classics, oddballs & my ever growing stable of muzzleloaders.

All over it! :D

Well, Me & The Wife Are Sat In Nash Vegas Airport. Got To Fly Back To The UK& Get Our Visas re-Stamped. Wish Us Luck Folks!

Anyone else vacuum seal a few items? I decided to do this while sealing up some venison last year. I have several Bic lighters, all individually vacuum packed with tinder, also 2 microfiber towels, a pair of wool socks & 2oz of pemmican. I figure that if I accidentally dunk myself & my pack in a river/lake etc... I have a quick & easy way to dry off & warm up, guaranteed.   I've not really thought of putting a BOB together, but I do a bit of backpacking & my kit pretty much lives in my rucksack. These few items are always with me if I'm hiking or hunting in cold weather.

I spent all of last week down in sunny south Florida, chasing pigs around the palmettos, oak hammocks & floodplains of Starvation Slough on the Kissimmee river. I managed to arrow a pig (twice) on the very first day, but unfortunately lost her in the palmettos. I spent the rest of the week hunting in period garb (Leather thigh-leggings, breech cloth, osnaberg shirt, moccasins, etc...) with my longrifle. We never did get back into the hogs, but I came THAT close to wing-shooting a turkey! I have to say, it was a real eye-opener learning to live even for a few days, in this attire. It amazed me how many things we take for granted (The Thermacell being the obvious choice!) Eating nothing but reconstituted jerky, parched corn & whatever I could scrounge up really makes you appreciate granola bars & candy! I did concede to sleeping in a modern tent, but I slept on the floor with nothing but wool blankets. Those old longhunters were obviously a much tougher bunch than me! A week was enough, but I can't wait to do it again!

C'mon guys, he only used the knife to pry the lid open. I'm pretty sure a couple more rubs on the curb & his thumbnail would've worked.

Just saw this on The Muzzleloading Forum & thought it may interest a few here......   http://youtu.be/sbxKbI9Ik4o

    Ummm.... I think you meant to say "I agree with Spots, that to be taken seriousLY you need to use the English language correctly"    :D   Just razzin's all :D

Well, I had to put on an extra sweater to go outside. I almost slipped as I grabbed a beer from the fridge & I think I may have pulled a muscle getting up to turn the heat up to 66º, so to prep for future disasters I think I should really put some non-slip tape on the kitchen floor & possibly buy a less-comfy recliner. I guess I should really leave a spare sweater by every exit point too. The walk to the bedroom closet is a risk I'd rather not have to take in future.

Just So's We're Clear..... I Am NOT James Yeager!

As much as I like the gun (& believe me, I really, really like the gun) my only thought throughout the whole video was 'Dude, you're in short sleeves & shades. Do you REALLY need the gloves? You're just making all the cool strippy-downy features look awkward. And for god's sake.....SMILE! Quit being so serious! Stop using the word 'Utilize' too. USE makes you sound less like a tactitool'

  I'm sorry & I don't mean to be argumentative, but you absolutley, positively could NOT be more wrong.   Arrow spine is EVERYTHING in shooting traditional bows! No one single thing will screw you up more & quicker than arrows that are not suited to your bow.   For a 45# Sage, a .300 spine is ridiculously stiff. Hell, I shoot bows in the 62-70# range & I only shoot .340s & they have 300gn of weight up front to weaken them! I have to leave my arrows full length because of my draw.   I would say that for your 45# bow, a 500 spine left full length, with 100gn inserts & probably a 200gn point would be about perfect. This should give you an overall weight of roughly 550gn Your Wife's 30# bow will need a .600 spine. You'll have to experiment to get the insert weight, point weight & length as I don't have data or experience with poundages that low.   The rule to remember is that you can stiffen an arrow by shortening it, you can soften it by adding point weight. Adding weight doesn't make a huge difference, but cutting a ¼" off a carbon arrow can take it from too weak to too stiff. Go slow, trim 1/8" at a time.

www.tradgang.com for all your traditional archery needs :D All I've ever shot is traditional bows (longbows, recurves & selfbows) I started shooting when I was 6. 32 years later I still love it! As far as bow length & weight; length isn't all that important unless, like me, you have a stupid long drawlength. Pretty much anything from 54" to as long as you'd want to go will handle the average 26-29" draw. Height has very little to do with it. For example, I'm 6' dead with a 72" wingspan & have a drawlength of 31¾" Conversely, my good buddy is 6'6" & has a wingspan of 80" He draws a smidge over 28. Weight is totally subjective. Whatever you do though, start light. Even if you're a really big, strong bastard, a heavy bow (50# +) will hurt you. Shooting a bow with no letoff uses a combination of muscles that you will never use in any other excercise. If you're wanting to hunt, you have almost a full year to build up in weight. I would recommend no more than 40# to start with. Don't buy into the compound hype regarding weight either. 40# is MORE than enough to take any deer in America. One thing I will say for all traditional bows: You absolutely get what you pay for. A brand new $150 bow is, frankly, always going to be crap. Yes, it'll get you started & it'll serve you well for many, many years, but it'll be slow, usually loud (with trad bows, silence is everything!) difficult to tune & not really 'fitted' for you. Samick Sages can be analogized to Mosberg 500s & Remmy 870s. Bottom shelf, no frills, don't really fit anyone well, but will definitely do the job, all day, every day! If you stick with it & as you progress, you'll want to look into custom bows (I guarantee you that!) & that can get a little more spendy (My bows are the single most valuable things I own that I can't live in or drive!) Luckily there is a thriving used market that will accommodate almost any budget. If you're wanting to keep the budget low, you can still get a high-end bow. Look at the older '50s-'70s Bears, Shakespeares, Dartons & Bob Lee bows. All are exceptional, hand built & finished bows & can all be had for under $200. The very worst of these is still lightyears ahead of any Samick in the same price range.

Hitch Hauler.

  Sorry, but it sounds like you think that YOUR 'woman' has issues with her self & her ego. It actually sounds more like she's simply got a problem with the fact that you're being a dick. I'm quite frankly inclined to agree with her.

Dave, jugging is an absolute blast! It's definitely not the 'lazy fishing' that a lot of folk suppose it is, in fact it's very active & can be hugely productive. I ran a set of 16 jugs many times over the summer & it'd be a poor night if I couldn't haul up at least a dozen eater sized cats.   The best thing is that once they're set, you've got a few hours to go bowfishing!   All I've ever used before is chicken liver, but I keep hearing that livebait is more productive. I may just have to invest in a cast net this spring. When we're bowfishing we scare up thousands of shad.

Thanks Dave, I'll be mostly fishing Tim's, Woods & Normandy.  Is there a difference between Skipjack & Shad, or is 'Shad' just a generic term? I Googlied as you suggested, but I also Googlied Shad & got a lot of crossover pictures :(

I'm fairly new to catfish fishing (most of my time on the lakes is spent bowfishing) & I started running a few jugs during the summer.  I'd really like to start targeting cats on a more regular basis, both with jugs & rod & line. Is there an 'off' season & a 'best' season for cats, or is this something I can do year round with a reasonable expectation of success?   Could anyone possibly give me any hints, tips or pointers with baits & tactics etc? I know everyone raves about Skipjacks for bait, but I have no clue what a skipjack is, looks like or how to get hold of any! Every time I see or catch a small 6-12" long silver fish & ask what it is I get told it's a shad. Apparently everything that isn't a Carp, Crappie, Bass, Bluegill or Catfish is a Shad!   I bought a second boat this fall, specifically to run as a cat boat & I'd really like to get it wet!

Good to know, thanks Dol.   Nicky, you have caused irreparable mirth in the Tattoo household! No plant pot is safe :D