You do remember not to trust the Government...

I am getting old and I keep forgetting that the Government is not on my side - that is important, I only have two friends because I trust them, everyone else is suspect and below them is the government which I KNOW is trying to take all my extra for themselves.

I bring this up since I went to shoot at Fort Lewis Range 15 today. Having spent lots of time with my rifles over the past few months I thought it was time to shoot my carry pistol. I grabbed the case and away I went, passing all the bicyclists on their way to Portland from Seattle. When I got to the range I asked for a box of 9mm, and they didn't have any. So your government (of the people, by the people and for the people) doesn't have what it takes to run a good range. They do own sixty percent of General Motors Company, and that could be where all the 9mm is hiding.

Well, it is my fault, not the government's, so I shot what I brought and hit the target with every bullet, fifty percent of them in the black. It has been a bit since I was shooting double action short barreled firearms at twenty yards. I do have rounds in the pistol case: .22 LR, .45 APC, 9mm Luger. I am now placing forty-five and nine millimeter in the ammo box in the Caravan.

Why I ever trusted the government, they have done this to me before but I think they will get better the next time, and it doesn't happen.

Aren't they working on Universal Medical and the Economic Stimulus? Yeah, sure they are.

I learn something everyday... just not like Benny Hill

It was a good wrap of the Library week today, quiet and slow and numbers posting on reports and some numbers still missing. No motorcycle ride today, the rain came back and I want to do some maintenance first. Still a nice day, dropped my wife off and went to looking around the internet - looking for plans for rifle ranges, looking for public rifle ranges and - I learned something. The Federal government gives grants for ranges - public and non-profit may apply. I find in this fine state of Washington, public park rifle ranges, money from the State and the Federal governments, and as badly as the reputation is for Massachusetts they even have public ranges and get and give tax revenues towards their maintenance, and Minnesota. Now I would think that in Illinois the money went into the Mayor's or Governor's pocket, but I don't really know. Well, I will have to stop thinking bad things about politicians and Washington DC for a few minutes today, then back to normal operating mode. The picture is from a story by KOMO4News, in a perfect world she would be a long legged redhead that ignores me, but she sure can shoot.

So where did it go? January, I mean, where?

It is almost over, and I did have a birthday, I did go shooting my rifles, I did write to three current representatives of the fine people of Washington State about my concerns with the lack of government participation in the establishment of public ranges, rifles and ammunition for the militia. Nice thing is that Senator Murray and Congressman Adam Smith did respond - not with any promises of building any ranges nor buying the militia any rifles and ammunition - but that they had heard my views on the 2nd Amendment and what they had done about such issues before them (some were good, more not). A few million more voters writing them might get more attention, if there really are only forty million owners of arms in the United States - at forty-two cents per envelope the United States Post Office would appreciate the letter writing campaign - if they can go to five day delivery. Shucks, the eight year old girl with the pink stocked bolt action single shot should write one - she can shoot, with safety, effect and enthusiasm (it was a family affair - too cool). What was the reason for removing rifle clubs from the school systems? Not enough adult supervision in schools? Anyway, I did finish the month with some fine volunteers helping shooters become more proficient in pushing pellets through paper with precision. It was a good month for safe, sane keeping and bearing arms by People of the United States of America, thank you Founding Fathers. Will continue to bring the remainder of the country up to speed on a citizen's responsibility, as I work on all my personal weaknesses - like weight, exercise and humility.

Sunday, without much Sun...

Slept in well, which make my day start so right, and the dreams are good, the blood pressure just fine. Church is good, stay to help clean up in the kitchen, help the kids make macaroni and cheese (kindergarten sized), then off to the range. Now it is cold, there was snow waiting outside my home but it is melted already, so this isn't the bone chilling cold like Indiana has, do you know what else Indiana has? Miss America, according to Wyatt Earp. Anyway I go out to shoot, trying to make sure I fire a rifle seriously at least once per month, I checked it out I could become a Master Hunter, certified by the State of Washington for my shooting proficiency and answering questions and doing twenty hours of service for Fish and Game somewhere in this state. Twenty hours of hunting feral hogs?

Anyway back to Fort Lewis and Range 15, pay my fee, set up and fire away. One shooter came over to ask if I re-loaded my 30-06, and I had to confess that I hadn't started yet but it was my intention. I didn't mention that my wife has already outlawed re-loading in her home. He asked about my rifle and if I had gotten it through CMP, and I said I had and that it was Correct Grade.
I fired eight rounds and then watched other shooters on the pistol side, where I see the young man (they are all young men) firing a .45, and he stops and come over and shows me his reloads for it. He casts his own ball with lead found around, and reloads at about $17.00 per five hundred rounds. Which is super cool, and he was doing alright with his pistol while I was there.

I check my target mostly low right, paste the holes and change my sights when I get back, but they are loose. My next eight are low left, paste them, change my sights one last time. I should be close. I wonder about American shooters, they seem to always want sitting and a bench to fire from, and I liked the military a bit better. Firing from firing positions (foxholes) gives one a firm start, both for excellent tactics (if you had to choose between cover and concealment - go for the cover) and a supported position. When moving: then standing, sitting, kneeling, squatting and prone positions are better than sitting at a bench. Nothing is perfect in life, we will take what we get, and should practice all those positions, dry fire and live fire. With sling and without, but lots of practice. Well, I fired my last eight rounds, took the target down I am close enough for today and Redmonkey Zombie-paras. If they stand still and don't bounce around, I do need to start that practice, too.

Something made me look up WWII and the cartoon is one of the truest ones from a war zone by Bill Mauldin, who must have been an excellent political cartoonist - Patton didn't like him. But even before I got a chance to go to war I understood a certain reality of it, because I had read his book (Up Front) at my grandfather's home - and my grandfather was a working Peace Activist.

Saint Peter! don't call me for I can't go...

I owe my soul to the Company store. What is it about listening to the good Reverend say: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" that drives me to pay my bills, reconcile my accounts and post my Quicken -- and then know that Tennessee Ernie Ford had me pegged before I was old enough to vote? One fist of iron and the other of steel, if the right one don't get you then the left one will... yeah, sure.

Getting ready for tax time, and clearing the paper clutter, trash day is tomorrow, and although I am sure if I die before I wake - my wife has all my assets and insurances to cover everything I owe, but if I don't die then I am going on loading that number nine coal, forever... about that high toned woman - slipped right by me, didn't notice her, no wonder I am so broken.

Well, it will all be better in the morning, I don't think I am directly paying a 150 million for the party in Washington, DC. I know I am not invited, I am still carrying a weapon or two, and I do have to go to work to pay the bills, taxes and prepare for the worst. No one is bailing me out. No one has read the 2nd Amendment the way I did, so they made all these laws and regulations to infringe upon my Right. Silly people, hold that regulation up in front of you next time someone points a firearm at you - if the Law is several pages thick it might work.

When the rest of the world gets strange, go shooting...

This day is a bit different and I had the time to ride my motorcycle or go shooting or watch football. Too cold to ride, too early in the playoffs to watch football, so I went shooting. I will have to admit that there was snow on the ground, it was cold, but I don't normally move quickly while shooting so the wind chill wasn't.

I started on this target, at twenty-five yards (75 ft.) the kind of target I shot at in Junior High Rifle Club, in the gymnasium. My Stevens is a low wall block, single shot, with a GI sling, if you looked at the picture it is like the center rifle with the sights from the bottom rifle. It is a fine rifle with a minor extractor problem, and no more windage remaining in the rear sight -- one day I will have to get that fixed. (Don't you just know that windage would be a word that Microsoft and Blogger don't understand nor spell correctly?). The first seven rounds were for finding the zero, my sling tension and practice the six steps of the shot. Then after checking the target (walking through the snow) settling down to firing one shot per circle, top left across, down across, down across and bottom left across. I was in rhythm by the last five and called the two drops and missed one in the second shot, wasn't in pattern to call it. In other words, sloppy, and I hang my head in shame - it was easier in the gym on the mat with the shooting jacket and the coach. I wasn't a coffee drinker then either. That is enough in the excuse department.

Then I changed target, going to the 100 yd (reduced for 25 Meter Qualification) - standing with hasty sling, ten rounds and fired a 42 of 50. Changed targets and fired the 200 yd (reduced for 25 Meter Qualification) and fired from the sitting position, 46 of 50. Major struggle, getting into the position finding the Natural Point of Aim, and reloading (it was single shot and broke the shoulder free for each reload), and the pulse surging against gravity (forgot to loosen my belt and lose thirty pounds of stuffing in this turkey). But I was pleased and one good practice with only thirty seven bullets mean I have thirteen to use in warmer weather.

Hope your shooting is going well, this is the New Year and practice (dry fire and live) will make me improve one day. And before I forget, thank you very much for carrying and caring.

Shooting again? where's the football?

I know there is a game today, and the Seahawks are playing the Packers, and I am supposed to want to support the local team, but my dream is the Packers going all the way this year and then Bret retiring at the height of his career. I didn't so I expect I know something of the sad state of not walking off with the laurel around one's crown. So I dropped my wife off to attend a function and I went off to shoot and vent the paper targets. Had lots of fun, wasn't as good as I should be but it is the start of the new shooting year and I will progress. I had to laugh, about the bite on the web of my shooting hand, haven't had that in awhile. Well the game calls, I will clean up two pistols and iron my shirts while I watch and eat lunch. It should be a great game, they practice more than I do and are certainly professional and entirely too serious about today.