This report covers:
- 4th of July
- Denny’s fault
- You write the blog
- Back on Wednesday
- Texas Airgun Show is cancelled
It’s summertime and BB has been through a lot in the past two weeks. First there was a hail storm with 3-inch hailstones that ruined his roof, gutters and window screens. So he had to go through the hassle of an insurance claim, inspection, the work on the roof and paying off the roofer. BB’s truck, Goldie, was also hit, but being a 2006, she almost was totaled for the cost to repair the dents. Fortunately what the same insurance company gave for her repairs was enough to cover the deductible on the house and Goldie says she can live with the dents. Or at least when I asked her she didn’t object.
BB’s air conditioner also decided to conk out in the same two week timeframe, but she is only one year old and the company who installed her responded within a couple hours on the day(s) I called. Yes, she did it twice! Of course I won’t mention that the problem was traced to a clogged air filter on the intake vent. Apparently those filters have to be changed periodically? Who knew?
All this time the temperature here in Texas has been trying to set new records on repeated 100+ degrees F days). That’s 37.78 degrees C. So BB is a worn-out puppy that you guys have to care for. He wants to curl up and take a nap after finishing his kibble.
4th of July
Also, tomorrow is the American Independence day, or as our readers in the UK refer to it, Traitor’s Day. This is one of BB’s four officially sanctioned holidays, and he needs to rest up for it. Happy birthday, USA!
Denny’s fault
Don’t blame BB for this. He was next door having a cup of coffee with his neighbor, Denny, who goes by sawdust on this blog. He suggested it. It’s not BB’s fault that he is easily influenced — especially when it’s something he really wants to do!
You write the blog
In the past month we have had reports on tuning guns, getting rifles to fit so the eyes are always in the right place, shooting offhand and so on. Many of your comments have been mini blogs. So BB is asking you guys to write a blog for him today. Let poor old BB curl up in the corner and snore. If he trusts you he may even let you rub his belly!
Back on Wednesday
BB will be back on Wednesday with a thrilling new tale for you. And who knows — some of it may even be true!
Texas Airgun Show is cancelled
I regret to inform you that the 2023 Texas Airgun Show is cancelled. Here is what the show director, Jeff Cloud said, “Good afternoon everyone, I just wanted to inform you that the 2023 Texas Airgun Show that has been held at the Arlington Sportsman’s Club for the last several years is CANCELED for this year. Thank you very much for attending, supporting, and donating items in the past.”
Jeff Cloud
Texas Airgun Show Director
Well Tom is seems that you have had a first row seat for Climate Change! Welcome to the club. My house was destroyed by a hurricane 5 years ago.
Glad all your issues are fixable. As my mother used to say, “Money does not make you happy, it just calms the nerves…”
Look on the bright side, you had little Canadian Wildfire Smoke and your local electric grid has not gone down. Accentuate the positive!
Happy 4th America,
-Yogi
Time is one of the most precious things to have. Enjoy your small bonus. You have earned much more than it.
B.B. enjoy your two days. I suppose I can suffer the withdrawal symptoms for that time.
I am wondering how everyone State-side might incorporate airguns into their 4th of July festivities. For anyone else, what have you been shooting lately?
I had some marshmallow Peeps left over from the post-Easter clearance sales, so I fashioned a cardboard shooting gallery with little windows for the peeps, and my daughter and I had contests who could shoot the most out of the windows.
BB,
Enjoy your break; you deserve it!
Back in 2004, our old Florida house was hit by 3 hurricanes in a row in the space of a few weeks.
We lost our roof, and had plenty of other damage. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
When we finally settled up with the insurance claim, I had already done much of the repair work myself.
So, my wife said, “We’ve got a bunch of money left over.”
Me: “Do whatever you want with it…fix up your garden area, or put in a pool.”
Her: “How about if I buy you that Harley you’ve been wanting?”
Me: “What?!? Here, twist my arm…yay!”
That’s how I got my bike (not as clean today as in the pic below!).
My friends were all jealous of what a cool wife I have…a Proverbs 31 wife, for sure, definitely a keeper. 🙂
Blessed 4th of July to you,
dave
Brother Dave,
You have a Proverbs 31 wife for sure, you lucky guy! 🙂
BB
For sure, praise the Lord; enjoy your vacation! 🙂
Dave,
LOL! Mrs. RR insisted that we buy the 2006 Night Train that is sitting in the garage at the moment. She also bought me BB’s Webley Service MK II air rifle for me a few Christmases ago. She also keeps me on the “straight and narrow”. She’s a keeper also.
/blog/2019/01/webley-service-mark-ii-part-7/
RidgeRunner, I always thought those Webley Service Mark IIs were just plain cool looking.
Ditto on the Night Train (just went back to see a pic of one from 2006…sweet! =>).
Yes, your wife is a keeper, for sure. 😉
Dave,
Beautiful bike. Always heard green is an unlucky color for motorcycles. But it may only apply to skinny choppers splitting lanes all the time.
Thanks, Bob; I actually planned to get a plain black bike; but my wife said, since she was the one buying it for me, she should get to pick the color; she picked that green (with flecks of blue and gold) which was a new color for Harley that year; I went along with it, because it was the same green as the Schwinn Bicycle I got with the banana seat, high front bars, and 5-speed shifter (on the frame in front of the seat; I was 12 at the time =>).
Yes, green bikes have been considered bad luck; you can see why here:
https://dallashd.com/news-article/32071/6-biker-superstitions
The “gang” I rode with (our church’s motorcycle life group) asked our pastor to bless our bikes before we went on any big rides…I also think the logo I painted on the front helps; I’ve gotten a log of compliments on it, and have not had any accidents with it…”thank You, Jesus!” 🙂
Green bikes were considered bad luck well before WW II. My dear friend Wally told me that having a green bike at a race (here’s one for you) eating peanuts in the pits would lead to fist fights. Wally used to be a factory sponsored board track and cinder track racer for Indian in the 20’s and 30’s. This photo was at a board track in, I think, Springfield, NJ. No, I didn’t race with Wally and I’m not that old. Wally was my fencing coach in college.
BB, with three nasty events affecting you in such a short amount of time, tradition says you should be fine for quite a few years. Don’t just eat any peanuts in a race pit.
Happy 4th to us all.
Fred formerly of the Demokratik Peeples Republik of NJ now Happily in GA
Fred, thanks for the info, and I love that old pic! 🙂
Green was a no no for Indy 500 drivers back than and may still be.
Deck
Ummmmm….
Jim Clark-1965…….
pac
Yes, I thought his car was green. Thinking he was first to do a 360 on main straightaway without missing a beat. He later died at a track in UK I believe.
Deck
“…what have you been shooting lately?”
Roamin Greco,
Well, I could tell you a sad tale.
After BB’s last report on CO2, I decided to try using my Crosman 357 as a “grillin’ gun.” After all, if the “clips” (as Crosman calls them) are loaded ahead of time, you can then shoot the gun without touching any lead, which is cool when you are working around food. So, I loaded up 50 rounds, put a drop of Crosman oil on top of a CO2 cartridge, seated it, started some burgers, threw a can off the deck, then blasted away…not!
The trigger made a click; no pellet came out; safety off…yes; bar up to engage hammer…yes; CO2 comes out with no clip in place…no. I unseated the cartridge, and the CO2 bled out. I thought it might be a bad one, so I tried another with the same result. Some airgun repair guy on youtube warned me: “If you take the sealed gas assembly out of position, your gun may work for a week or two…and then it won’t.”
(Ah, what does he know? A lot apparently.)
In my attempt to put in the new rubber washer for the barrel latch (who hard could that be?), I had everything fall out of the gun; and I put it all back together 8 times (could have used a 3rd hand!) before I got it to work.
And then, “voila!,” she worked great…for a few weeks; now, after sitting for a couple of months (with no gas in the gun and no empty CO2 cartridge in place), she doesn’t work at all.
It’s time to pack her off to Precision Pellet; I’ve sent many a gun there, and Rick always does a great job. 🙂
Long after my wife and I had eaten the burgers for lunch, I went to clean up the grill, and there was that feral can, sitting out on the back lawn, laughing at me!
Can: “Hey, your CO2 revolver can’t shoot, hahaha!”
Me: “Oh yeah? I’ll show you!”
So I went in the house and got my trusty Umarex/NRA/Colt Peacemaker.
48 shots later, the can looked like a swiss cheese…he’s not laughing anymore…but I am! LOL 😉
Blessings & a happy 4th of July to all,
dave
Tom,
Now you have some time to catch up practicing your 10m pistol and offhand rifle shooting.
Siraniko
BB,
Only four holidays? I think you need to renegotiate your contract.
I keep telling him that!
RR
It’s hard to renegotiate a handshake.
BB
Then you need to talk to him again! It will mean more commercial posts, but I can ignore them as I do now.
What will I pull out on the 4th? likely it will be my Stihl Farm Boss. If my luck holds out, next week I will have some landscaping done around RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns. I have to clear out some saplings and trees to make room for replanting my azaleas and rhododendrons when they are moved.
Today, Mrs. RR and I will be talking with the company that is going to be making new cabinets for the kitchen we are doing a total remodel of.
Hey, I have to keep Mrs. RR happy. She enables me to enjoy my airgunning and Harley riding.
I am off all week, so I will likely get in a little shooting time. 😉 I will likely pull out a few of the old gals and dance with them a bit.
My buddy suggested FM pull out the .58 percussion black powder burner and fire it in lieu of fireworks. No minny-in-the-barrel, of course! Just don’t know if feel like dealing with the cleaning.
There is a lot to that.
Seems like my FX Independance needs a rest as well. I may have taken it for granted and failed to properly lube it. I don’t shoot it much. The pump handle will not lift away from the stowed position completely.
Too much air pressure resisting it. Probably leaked back into the pump mechanism and locked it up. It did lose air pressure over night.
Takes all my strength to pull it out all the way and it has a ton of pressure trying to pull it back down. No actual pumping action.
Plan to shoot it empty and see if it relaxes so I can lube it up and start over. Hope I get lucky.
It must be true? “You need to be comfortable to shoot accurately.”
Had my left butt cheek on the kitchen counter and half of my upper body hanging out the window sideways with the rifle held upside down to clear the window so the cheek rest was on my right ear, and I missed?
Nah, I think I just forgot to compensate for the rifle being upside down and switch mil-dot use in the scope accordingly. 🙁 Then again, a mirror might help here. 🙂
Bob you are too funny. 🙂
Ditto what Roamin Greco said, Bob; I needed a good laugh today; thank you! 🙂
Somehow it’s always Denny’s fault! thought a day off was a great idea, although i can tell you BB didn’t drink any beer!
sawdust1,
Of course it’s Denny’s fault! How else is BB going to have fun? 😉
BB
Don’t put up with his guff! Tell him you will pull out his nose hair if he doesn’t behave.
https://youtu.be/fjZGMTF32xs
Here is a short video of a guy shooting a Haenel 33 Senior at 10m offhand. He’s not as pretty as that girl BB likes to tell us about but he shoots a lot of good old airguns pretty well.
B.B.
Should take notes on how he holds his rifle. You need to support your off-hand, elbow, with your side. No chair needed!
-Y
Maybe I can take advantage of Tom’s quiet day to get some input from the group.
Yesterday was a calm day free of forest fire smoke so I spent the morning getting to know my AirArms S510 better. It’s been an echo of BB’s blogs on problems with a poor fitting stock.
The problem is that the scope has to be mounted high enough to clear the magazine and the cheek comb on the walnut stock is too low for my skinny face.
Instead of a solid cheek-weld I have a jaw-weld which isn’t consistent which results in poor eye to scope alignment and groups that string out horizontally. I need about 3/8 inch more vertical adjustment.
I have the lowest possible scope mounts installed for the 30mm 6-24×50 scope. Guess I could try a 1 inch tube scope to lower the optical center a bit.
Esthetically, it’s a beautiful stock but functionality terrible so I see the options as…
– adding a leather pad or a wood shim to build up the height/width.
– cutting off to cheek piece and make it height adjustable.
Cost wise, I can’t see replacing the walnut stock with and adjustable GRS stock though I will talk to my supplier to see if he is amenable to a possible trade.
There are no closet queens at VARACC (Vana’s Airgun Resort and County Club). I bought the S510 because it’s a beautiful tradition airgun that I’ve wanted since I first got into PCPs. I have to turn it into a shooter or find it a new home.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Hank
Try the cheek pad first. Cheap and easy to remove.
-Y
Hank
Beautiful rifle and stock. Play around with cheek pads and stock butt slip on pads. Stuff with handkerchiefs or foam insulation until the fit is right. When you are happy with the fit you can then and only then think about altering that stock which you have the skills to do. Change scope and or scope mount heights as needed.
Happy 4th to you, BB and and all readers, including our UK brothers.
Deck
With that stock’s profile, it’s hard to imagine you are having an issue with the comb being too low, but I have the same issue with a Diana 350 Magnum Springer. The former owner had a dovetail to picatinny adapter rail with droop compensation and then what appears to be medium rings. The scope’s bell is a good 1/2″ above the cylinder. And without a couple of layers of bubble wrap around the stock, you can’t see through the scope. I was looking into a leather lace up cheek pad, but I haven’t found one I like. I may cheap out and get a ballistic nylon one with several inserts so I can adjust the height just to get the gun into operation for testing. Like you, I have to decide if I’m keeping it or not. I haven’t had a chance to call the folks a P.A. to see what alternative mounts I can get for it to bring the scope lower, but I’m sure a cheek pad will be the cheaper, short term alternative to allow for testing and decisions to be made.
Thanks guys!
Right now I’m unfairly questioning the S510’s accuracy in spite of knowing that an inconsistent cheek weld is probably the cause for larger than expected groups.
Good suggestion – I’ll try making a cheek pad from some heavy leather and see how well that works.
It’s the first Monday after Canada Day is a holiday so the gun store is closed. I’ll call tomorrow to see if swapping stocks is an option.
Roamin, I’m as low as I can be with the scope rings – there’s less than 1/8″ clearance between the scope body and the magazine.
In all of the side view pictures the cheek comb looks like it should be high enough but from behind you can see (picture attached) how it curves away to the right. It would probably be OK for someone with bigger cheeks.
Anyway, thanks for the comments!
Happy 4th!
Hank
An airgun made for Marlon Brando in the Godfather. The cheapest solution seems to be a few (dozen) cotton balls in your right cheek.
HA!
Thanks for that in-sight Roamin, I’ve been looking at this all wrong … it’s not the stock, it’s my cheek that needs fixing!
LOL!
Roamin Greco,
Didn’t Brando, in the Godfather stuff his cheeks with cotton for the audition and with a special custom denture for the actual filming?
I think Hank needs a Custom adjustable wooden Cheek Rest. Especially if he ever wants to shoot from the bench as well as different unrested positions.
shootski
Vana2
The song ” You can’t always get what you want!” comes to mind.
1. Single shot tray
2. Single shot loading device, (flip out tray)
3. One of the dozens of cheek riser ‘types’ available. Hard or soft? Fixed or removable? Adjustable?
4. A smaller scope, but you know that.
Not sure what the problem is, Looks? The solutions are unlimited and obvious, but you need to compromise to … “Get what you need!”.
I would go for the flip out tray. But that depends on how you want to use the rifle.
Bob,
Yup, always options. I usually put functionality ahead of esthetics but the S510 is a beautiful traditional design so any mods or add-ons need to look good.
Removing the magazine and mechanism, using a single shot tray and low scope mounts is a possibility. I don’t mind a single shot rifle though I’d prefer to keep it as a repeater.
A flip-out tray for the S510? Will have to check that out. Have one for my .177 Weihrauch HW100 and like it a lot.
Haven’t looked at what cheek risers are available commercially. I’ll do that to see what ideas are out there.
Thanks for the ideas Bob!
Hank!
Go online and look up “lace up cheek pad”. You will find geegobs of possibilities! Amazon has oodles and oodles of them. There are some that use velcro strips to hold them on.
Thanks RR!
Just checked Amazon.ca with interesting results… several cheek pads and lots of real nice bikinis 🙂
Great start to the day!
Happy 4th!
Glad I could be of assistance! Enjoy your “new toy”!
So sorry to hear about your troubles, Tom. Here you are, beset by the trials of Job and the Labors of Hercules. If FM were closer, he’d come over and give you a – small – hand.
Funny thing, had emailed Tom yesterday suggesting he take the 4th off – so he could take a break from the blog. FM believes he should take the rest of the week as well!
Basil,
Thanks for the kind wishes, but I’m tuning RidgeRunner’s Diana 34 rifle now for Wedsday’s report. I sure don’t want anyone to miss that!
BB
I’m sure I don’t either.
Understand. You do it because it is a labor of love and it will likely be the first thing FM reads Wednesday morning.
Happy and Blessed Fourth of July to all, whether or not it is your holiday; alternatively celebrate it as Carpe Diem Day, same sentiment applying.
BB, I have been thinking about you having to get out in the heat and shoot as much as you have to. As you know, I live close by and get the same temperatures as you. I do my shooting from a shaded porch with a box fan beside me and still I don’t enjoy shooting after about 10:00 AM. For you guys not from North Texas, our low temp is usually around 7:00 AM and that has been around 83 degrees most mornings. I get up and walk two miles about that time to beat the higher temps later in the day.
I am really sorry to hear about all your hail damage. We missed baseball sized hail by about 2 miles a couple of weeks ago. I can only imagine all the things that are involved getting the roof, windows, gutters, screens, ac, exc fixed. I hope the insurance is fair with you.
I need to learn what it would take to write a blog. I have a few ideas. If a few of us would write one or two blogs you could put them away for times that you need a break.
David Enoch
/blog/2015/07/how-to-write-a-guest-blog/
Go for it David!
It’s always great to see guest blogs!
Hank
Hey Vana2,
I have an AAS410 which is a near identical rifle, and I have high cheekbones – so very similar issue.
The clearance on mine was more at the magazine and less at the scope bell. I tried several mounts to get the lowest axis and pushed the scope back to get the tube over the magazine instead of over the center bulge.
It’s not perfect – the clearance between the bell and the barrel is so tight that no scope cover fits, and we had to sand and polish the tops of the magazines to get the few thousandths we needed to get them to slide in.
Scope mounts were the cheapest things to experiment with…
regards,
Jane
Hi Jane,
The S410 and S510 are very similar. IIRC, the bolt/lever is the main difference. Think that the 410, 500 and 510 are all based on the original 400 design with “updates” modded on.
The magazine height and lack of a regulator was why I chose the HW100 instead of the AA 500 back when I first was getting into PCPs.
I went with the same approach as you – adjusting the scope height with the rings (24mm down to 18mm down to 14mm). I just installed the 3rd set and it’s still not low enough – by 8-10mm – so I’ve exhausted that idea. I could go with a smaller diameter scope to gain a couple of mm. Think I’d be better off just to fix the problem rather than compromising everything to make it work.
I’ll be trying out a cheek pad. If that works I’ll probably build up the cheek piece with some wood and shape it to suit. A bit of dark wood to match the forearm and grip accents might look nice.
Cheers!
Hank
Hank,
Here is another little help with scope height.
/product/fx-no-limit-scope-mount-30mm-dovetail?a=7561
I have set of these.
/product/sportsmatch-30mm-rings-fully-adjustable-high-11mm-dovetail?a=4353
They are the cat’s meow.
As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
I’m always impressed at how b.b. comes up with great subjects every day.
For you springer guys, LOTS of used big name springers (fwb, Walther…) on sale at an Arizona airgun store…
You had better bring a thick wallet with you if you shop there.
BB,
Not sure if it’s old age that makes life’s problems seem insurmountable or the wisdom acquired from having to deal with them previously?
I walked away from being a body and fender man in San Antonio when I was given a giant Chevy Surburban to repair that was totally destroyed by hail. The roof and hood were high and huge. They refused to total it being kind of new. There were other factors involved. Thinking back, it was painted green also.
You really need to stop replying for a while and kick back and enjoy your … ah … work?
B.B.,
Hope all your troubles are swiftly in the rearview mirror and happily resolved!
You need a few of these for Goldie: https://www.amazon.com/StickerTalk-Fixed-Bandage-Sticker-inches/dp/B084C2BLF7/ref=asc_df_B084C2BLF7/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647175605430&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9572995610561848410&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007526&hvtargid=pla-1954385180151&psc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw44mlBhAQEiwAqP3eVtHrBBSo0M8Eeh9ySDub6a7UyUbjhWqXMdU5AvjFwIOj_TOUw-L_MBoCwr4QAvD_BwE
Goldie might like: It’s just a Battle Scar!
They will help with the Owies.
shootski
https://www.amazon.com/StickerTalk-Battle-Bumper-Sticker-Stickers/dp/B01MXO60RB/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1YHIKLIVEBFEA&keywords=it%27s+just+a+battle+scar&qid=1688471470&sprefix=it%27s+just+a+battle+scar%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-2
Tom and everyone, I truly must apologize for being remiss in my duties.
I have written a few blogs about 90% of the way, and just haven’t carried the ball across the goal line…
Enjoy your days off, and I will send you some things to try to lighten your load for the upcoming months..
Ian..
Ian,
I have been trying to contact you for weeks. Please email with a return address that will accept messages.
BB
Sometimes I envy you married guys having someone to share in doing day to day chores and leaving you time to shoot. Instead of someone disabled and in need of constant attention.
I have a hard time enjoying shooting because it is taking me away from something else that absolutely needs to be done ASAP and will only get worse if I postpone it.
Same with people who have no idea they are usually getting ripped off paying people to fix everything.
I have over three acres of land, a home and garage. 20 cars, a half dozen or more motorcycles and tractors and if you blindfold me, lift me up, spin me around and place me in any square foot of it, I would be looking at something that needs my attention, now! And every single one would require three things to be done prior to starting on it. And … most of it would require me to try and remember where something I need to fix it is hiding.
It’s not always good to get everything you want and be able to maintain and fix it. A Procrastinators curse, especially as you get older. More often I find myself throwing my arms in the air and saying screw it and doing something I enjoy, like relaxing and … reading this Blog!
Bob M,
You have fallen for the belief that “He that dies with the most toys, wins.” You could probably stand to get rid of about nineteen of those cars and quite a few of those motorcycles and tractors.
“Hi, my name is RidgeRunner and I am a procrastinator.”
Being married does have some positives, most especially if she is a Proverbs 31 wife. Mrs. RR is a most positvie influence and aid in my life.
Amen!
FM believes, more so as one gets older, getting rid of “stuff” is liberating and helps keep one sane. Now he will try to follow his own advice and not accumulate too many airguns. Question: what is “too many?” 🙂
FawltyManuel,
When you have an airgun that remains in the closet for a year without you at least fondling it is one too many.
Siraniko
That is a reasonable criteria.
“Texas Airgun Show cancelled”???
Argh! Breaks my heart.
There are so few opportunities to connect with others in airgunning, outside the virtual experience of this blog.
A show is the best. We can handle/learn about a variety of different airguns, both historical and modern. I was really looking forward to the one in Texas. I’ve met some fantastic individuals there, including some of you! I’m grateful for their time and wisdom with an amateur like me.
Here’s hoping for show next year, a Happy 4th, and a well-earned break for BB!
StarboardRower
StarboardRower,
I am not sure where you hang your hat, but there is still an airgun show in North Carolina.
https://www.tmacsairgunservice.com/
I will be there on that Saturday. Some of the others that hang around here will be there also.
RR,
I am in Texas. Enjoying the same heat, hailstorms, and shortage of airgun shows as BB!
Thank you for a heads up on the NC show. I would like to go. If Mrs. StarboardRower agrees and can watch all the little SR’s at home, I will be there. Would enjoy the chance to meet you and others.
I will be on a lookout for a CZ vz.35 that is wanting a new home. Could really use such a specimen for my research on these fine airguns, especially now that i have an official Czechoslovak Army service manual from the 1930’s. If I can get one, I will promise another guest blog for BB.
StarboardRower
FM’s plan is to attend the show Friday and at least some of Saturday – RR says he’ll be there Saturday. All this God willing, of course.
I will be looking for you. I do not know what hat I will be wearing, but I will let you know just before the show.
Someone get this man a red P.A. hat! Ha!
Roamin,
When he is old he shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit him. 😉
BB
;o)
FM will be wearing likely a cap, not a hat. Will describe once cap is decided on. Maybe a FL Gators cap. Will also pick a suitable t-shirt, to-be-determined. Be sure to look down when looking for FM. 😉
Are you saying that FM is vertically challenged?
The short of it is, yes. But that makes him a more difficult target.
FM,
I will look for you!
StarboardRower
Looking forward to that; will be going Friday, and a little on Saturday which is when RR says he can be there.
SR,
I cannot guarantee there will be the CZ you are looking for, but with close to one hundred tables it will take you a good while to look around.
RR,
Well, that’s the fun of it! I will hope for a vz.35. But the real adventure is in talking to people, seeing what they have, etc.
The best finds are the unexpected ones.
StarboardRower
SR,
Tell me about it. Most of the airguns I have bought at the NC show have been unexpected deals. Last year I bought a Beeman 800/Diana 6G that was a safe queen and a fully tricked out Talon SS with a Hawke scope for incredible prices.
B.B. and Readership,
Happy Independence Day to those from he USA!
I was glad to celebrate another one at home and not deployed in some far-flung place as so many of my previous one’s were!
I also hope many of you got to see the Buck Moon; it was a Super Moon. We had some thunderstorms blow through but in between them i launched my kayak into the Chesapeake Bay to get the darkest sky to see it popping in and out of the towering silvery clouds clearly.
What a great thing; this creation of God’s
When you are feeling down and blue sometimes it helps to get out there and just take in what really matters.
If we count our blessings we will typically find that we are far richer than we think.
May you all be blessed,
shootski
Yes, everything I own requires time and money to maintain. It is a hard thing to balance having the right amount of stuff to do what you want to and not having so much.
I find it hard to be honest with myself about what things I am never going to do and letting things go that go along with them. I need to sell a large amount of air cured (amount 30 years) rough sawn oak and some of my wood working equipment. I also need to sell a metal lathe and mill I thought I would use but really just don’t want to learn to use.
David Enoch
For those of you interested:
In July, the Full Moon is called Buck Moon to signify the new antlers that emerge on deer buck’s foreheads around this time. Other Native American tribes call it Salmon Moon, Raspberry Moon, and Thunder Moon.
In Celtic, this Moon was known as the Claiming Moon, Wyrt Moon, Herb Moon, and Mead Moon. The Anglo-Saxons called it the Hay Moon.
Any other names for the July Full Moon from around the world?
I was hoping to have a new optic for shooting and have been researching for well over a year. My wife suggested it could be my birthday and Christmas Gift and provided a very generous budget that she would cover. Last Christmas i almost pulled the trigger for the Swarovski 100mm BDX spotting scope but put the safety back on and kept thinking about my real (wants) and needs. A few days ago i realized that I actually could use a more modern (currently using an ancient purchased on, Diego Garcia, but fantastic Minolta Compact 10×20/5.8°) portable optic for use in the dawn/dusk/night for Bumbi Culls. I found the answer and pulled the trigger. In a few days I hope to have a Vortex Razor UHD 18×56 binocular. They aren’t cheap by a long shot but it leaves a bunch of money in the budget for a new light tripod/monopod, tripod adapter, and maybe even a Steady Mount for off tripod use.
Does anybody have a good experience to share with a harness Steady Mount?
shootski
Today I wanted to shoot for a bit. But, what to use. I looked at a few airguns but nothing hit my fancy. Then I saw a case in the corner and couldn’t remember what was in the case. I pulled it out and it is a Gen 1 .177 Marauder in a walnut bull pup stock. The stock is made in one of the eastern block countries and it is a slick kit. When I pulled it out it put a smile on my face and I had my answer about what to shoot today. It had leaked down but held air. I have a single shot tray in it and a Bushnell Legend scope on it. I started by shooting a 1 1/2” spinner at 40 yards for a bit. I hit a 1/2” spinner less consistently. Then I started trying to hit a large pill bottle at 90 yards. I was hit and miss on the pill bottle but it was fun.
This is my 4th of July shooting report.
David Enoch
David.
Another surprise for me. That stock slipped by me somehow. But I was looking into black metal Chassis conversions. Very professional looking setup for sure.
RidgeRnner,
“He who dies with the most toys wins!”
I wish it was as simple as that. Many things in my life contributed to my current state of affairs.
In short, I threw self-restraint out the window after I had way more money than I needed. I decided I would get anything I want from now on. Now my possessions own me.
I grew up relatively poor in a Brooklyn apartment house and did without a lot of things I wanted. So, at 12 I got a job after school and joined the work force at 16 after graduating. At 40 I received a second paycheck for life. Navy retirement.
Then I worked fulltime for Airborne Express, part time for Evergreen Airline and weekends for Express One Airline, at the same time. For a while anyway. I was single by then and at 62 I retired from ABX with another pension.
I took a college course in Investing and Money Management along the way and things took off. IRA’s, 401k, Stock Market and such. Then Social Security kicked in. So now I’m a Secure, Financially Independant, Debt Free, Homeowner, with no big bills and money to burn.
I am not in competition with anyone for the most toys. I just buy things I want because I can with no problems.
I do have a mess on my hands now from overindulgence. But most people would love to have that problem.
I still live a simple life. Hard to break an old lifestyle and it piles up. I didn’t work on anything unless I felt like it and it creates some ’emergencies’ so to speak. Got old and lazy and keep hurting myself trying to ‘catch up’ now.
I refuse to pay someone for work I can ‘still do’ or throw out something of value when I can fix it.
And the worst thing is … I simply don’t care anymore, especially what other people may think. I consider my life successful and not too many can say that. Not much maters and everything is covered. Except for those damned wildfires. And that’s a big one! I need to … ‘Get Hot’ on that. Did not consider that in my life plan.
Someday, I may selloff and get rid of a lot of stuff but not till I don’t want it anymore. It’s all on standby and in work. At least that’s my official statement. 😉 But I probably should come up with a plan for sure. Living life ‘Off the wall’ got me here and I am running out of time.
Speaking of money.
Ponder this.
1) If you had a million dollars in cash and wanted to purchase a million-dollar home, what would be the best way to do it? Financially speaking, nothing personal.
2) When do you stop paying for the privilege of owning a million-dollar exotic car.
Answers tonight. I did learn some stuff in class.
Answers,
1) Get an affordable mortgage and leave your money in the bank or a better investment.
You will receive interest on that million and at the same time realize an increase in the home’s equity.
You will have ‘two’ million working for you at the same time. The interest earned can assist with the mortgage payment. If you purchase the home in full, with your cash, you lose all that interest income it would earn you and basically give up that million and simply have home equity working for you. This assumes you will overcome the mortgage cost with both working for you.
2) You never stop ‘Paying’ for that car. It will cost you all the interest a million dollars would have made in investments every year you keep it. If you paid for it in cash. Will its value increase enough to compensate? And for how long? Never heard of Compounding Car Value. But what is the value of pleasure of ownership?
There are exceptions, cars and property can go up and down in value like crazy but who can predict that?
Bob M
Not one firecracker or pop in my area, SoCal. Against the law.
Bob M,
Thanks for those answers!
I was thinking along those lines because a house is said to take 20-30 years to have an ROI so might as well use the money by investing it elsewhere to earn interest (hoping that inflation does not run away and eat your investment). And any car’s value will depreciate the moment you take it out of the dealership.
Siraniko
Siraniko
FM found a stash of fireworks he’d forgotten about, so no need to dirty up the .58 1863 Zouave. The “artillery” has been heard and seen for a while in the neighborhood – time for some counter-battery fire, hah!