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OCTOBER 2009 10-30-09: Ears are perking up at the sound of coyote howls, and people are thinking more and more about hunting them. Going over some of the calls with guys, proper guns for coyotes, and techniques for hunting them... Really, the reality of what you are doing is trying to out Predator and Natural Born Predator. The rifle you select is of little importance. Any Centerfire Rifle will do. I don't care what caliber... I've blasted them with everything, and as long as you have the right bullet and don't care about keeping the hide (I don't see why anyone would) than it matters little. A personal favorite is .22-250 and I prefer the 55 grain V-Max loads from Hornady. Any rifle, any caliber... use an expanding bullet in a lighter grain and you'll do great. In light calibers like the .204 or .17 Fireball... roll with the heavier bullets. Scopes: You don't need high magnifications. You need clarity (always clarity) and you need field of view. A 3-9 or a 2-7 is just fine. Trust me. Camo and Scents are the most important. You need to be camo'ed up and you need your gun in camo too. Get some camo tape made for this “Gunflage” or “Bow-flage” works fine. Calls: I like Cat-Nip and Ki-Yi from Primos. But really it doesn't matter which one you get, be it Quaker Boy, Hunter Specialties, Carlton, Skeery, whoever... Just learn how to use it. Get a couple different ones. You need a distress call for prey animals in your area. If you don't have jackrabbits – don't use a jackrabbit distress call. Use one that sounds like something they eat. Okay, now that I've said that... Coyotes are curious critters so break that rule and try a prey animal that they don't normally get. You'll want a coyote howl call, a puppy in distress call... different sounds for different situations. Electronic Calls... ask your local shop what everyone else is buying – and buy something different. Coyotes also look for smells and you'll see them coming in on a call... and they'll play the wind trying to get a scent or to not let their own scent get into the wind to alert the prey. So you've got to play the wind right back. Watch the wind, watch your own human scent. Now put out a scent of something they are going to want to eat... or a scent of another coyote that they want to chase off. Most importantly – Think Like a Predator. And dudes... if you are all dressed up in Scentlock, camoed up, doing everything. Don't light up that cigarette. Don't gas up our truck on the way to the hunt. Don't bring your cell phone. Because it's real easy to bust your own hunt by being stupid. Email: “Hello,I just found your blog about a month ago,and have been reading it daily now. I have a question about your problems with vehicles/transportation. From having read your blog,I gather that you try to be prepared for any eventuality that may arise. My question is;why can't you repair your own vehicle(s)? If someone wants to survive,they will need every skill they can learn. can you make parts for your guns from scratch and repair/rebuild them? Vehicles should be the same for a prepper as a gun,or any other facet of survival,a tool to be learned about,and utilized for the survival of one's family/clan. Not being able to repair your own vehicles could put you and your family at a [severe] dissadvantage......could even cost your lives. I have a rebuilt long block and spare transmision and differential ready for each of my vehicles. Should the need arise, I can have an engine in and running in one long day.” I can do a lot with many vehicles. I've rebuilt engines too, but that was in a shop full of tools. I don't have such a place. If I had a shop full of tools, that would be great. But I don't. Neither do I have the means to fabricate the parts required to facilitate modern automotive repair. I can't build an Engine Management Computer or a new Fuel Air Mixture Sensor. That's why I like my old Chevy truck. Unfortunately I don't have the engine hoists, and the required tools to take care of what is wrong with it... I can't pull it out and tear it down to the bare block. And I'm not too worried. If I'm in a situation where the balloon is up, chaos is abundant, and it's life or death that I get a vehicle – I'm getting a vehicle. All those questions you asked... nice. I'm happy you are a Mechanic. I'm not. I don't do my own Medical Procedures either. I'm not a surgeon. And I don't get emails from Doctors saying I should know how to reconnect torn blood vessels, because it might save my life one day. I don't make my own eyeglasses either. However, yes, I can and have made parts to repair guns, That's so I can boost your car once you fix it. Cheers!
10-29-09:
Okay Horde. I'm chilling
out at Ogre Ranch, when I should be up on the mountain. I can
think of 100 or more things I'd rather be doing... but I'm just
taking a day. Not shooting... Not hunting... Not fishing... Not
doing ANYTHING. Even if I was going to be at the Ranch – I could be
running some loads to the dump, lawn debries, old siding, junk... I
could be doing all kinds of stuff. Instead, I'm on The Couch. Not
just any couch... but The Couch. It's a green microfiber unit I
purchased because I like it... this was when we finalized the house
here and it was ours. So I dumped some cash on this couch. It's
comfy. Feet are up. Laptop on my lap... not bad... not bad... but
I'd rather be OUT. But I can't. Mrs Ogre is out shopping... in the
Pontiac Montana... and I'm here... because my Truck is still in the
shop. This feels uncomfortable that I am here not doing jack. I'm
not even able to work on Silvershot.... Kinda agitated about things.
It's annoying. Even if I wasn't going anywhere... I know I could.
It's the fact that I can't roll even if I wanted to... feels
constricted. Feels anchored. Imprisoned. Since I was 16, I've had
some wheels and the ability to bounce whenever I wanted. And when I
get tied down like this – even if I didn't want to go – I feel
crushed. It's a psychological thing. No wheels is a prison for me.
Check this out: This is Nancy Pelosi's Government. This is Transparency in Government. You have to be invited. You have to be One of Them. The “so called” public unveiling of the Public Option is Closed to The Public. Brilliant. That right there tells me everything I need to know about who are have in office. It tells me that they should not be in office. The Public Unveiling of the Public Option is Closed to the Public. I couldn't make that up if I tried. That is the new way of THE DEMOCRATS. They want to block you and me from their announcement, yet they want to control my health care. I would be comfortable spending the night in Dracula's Castle, than have a Democrat Political Officer hovering over me while I'm under General Anesthesia. Because Dracula would only want some of my blood... the Democrat Political Officer would want all of it. Wait a second. I thought the Cash for Clunkers was about 45 hundred bucks. Yes, this is how the Government runs things... and Barny Frank wants more of it. I pray thanks... Hold on a second... I'm actually getting down on my knees and I'm going to serve one up to the Big Guy... wait a second. Okay, I just offered up a big Thank You that come November 2010 we can pull the lever in a voting booth and vote these Crooks out of office. I just hope that in some way they don't find a way to pass a law that Forbids Republicans from Voting. I have a feeling they will do something to voting laws before then and millions of Conservative Votes go uncounted for some reason or another. 10-28-09: One of The Horde as given me something special. A 1917 Eddystone rifle. (I'll post a picture of it tomorrow) It arrived today, and it's beautiful. Now, he didn't give it to me to keep – here is the twist - he gave it to me with the purpose of giving it to someone who would truly appreciate this fine old rifle. It is missing the metal buttplate, but is otherwise gorgeous. Now, I'm not sure who should get this rifle... I've got a couple people in mind. No, don't ask to buy it or trade it. This will be freely given, with no conditions other than providing it a proper place within a collection, loving it, and appreciating it for what it is. Now, like I said, I think I have a couple guys in mind... I just have to get the vibe as to who would really dig this old piece of history the most. Then I can report back that it found a good home. But first, I need my truck fixed so I can deliver it... because they both live off yonder a spell. Barney Frank said that they are trying as hard as they can to expand Government as much as possible. As much as I dislike Barney Frank... you know what? He's on the right track. We need more Government. With Obama's crew crushing the economy like they are, if we want new job growth, it's going to have to be Government Jobs. You bet. And who else better to work for than The Government? Look how well the .Gov has been doing lately. The Bailout has been awesome... bailing out failing home loans... thank goodness those banks kept the money and none of it went to helping any home owners having hard times. Never mind that the banks have been failing left and right anyways. Look at that Cash For Clunker program. Trying to stimulate a little business for Detroit. Too bad all the cars traded in were Fords and the Cars sold were Toyota Corolla's.... and never mind that everyone that did that is going to be taxed on that... if they got anything at all from the program because they didn't know the vehicle they traded in or purchased qualified. Never mind that the Cash For Clunkers turned out to be a huge scam. Look at the great example of Government Health Care – the Flu Vaccines. Never mind that the .Gov promised X number of vaccines and only delivered on a slight fraction of that number. Never mind that the vaccines have made people sicker and completely obliterated the life of a gorgeous Redskins cheerleader. Never mind all that... we need more .gov healthcare... you bet. Look at how they keep drugs and weapons out of Federal Prisons. Yeah, Barney Frank is right... we need more Government. Oh yeah.. we need to put our heads under a drill press too. It might hurt at first for a little bit, but the end result is the same. Coyote Attack, Young Woman Dead: This goes out to all those that hate Coyote Hunters – A beautiful and talented young woman was hiking in a National Park in Canada. Two coyotes attacked her and killed her. This tells me 3 things. First, I need to kill every coyote I see. Because of this, I'm going to increase my active coyote hunting and not miss an opportunity to do more of it. Coyotes need to fear Humans. Even around here, coyotes are becoming quite bold. I'll sort that out starting as soon as my truck is fixed. Second, we need to be able to carry arms in National Parks and Forests. A lot of people want that banned. Those people are idiots. It's real simple... when you leave your house, you should have a weapon on you. This poor musician girl didn't. She went outdoors, unarmed... she was food to the coyotes, not a threat. It is sad and unfortunate... and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones... I only pray that her death serves as a warning and a reminder that weapons keep us Free and Safe. Third, Canadians need to carry arms just as anyone else does. Just because you live above a certain parallel doesn't mean you are safe from attack from wild animals or other predators. I don't think these coyotes cared that she was Canadian. Yet several Canadians I've met, had the attitude that they would never need something like a handgun – because they were Canadian. The fact is, if this woman had a pistol, a small 9mm such as an M&P Compact... she would still be alive and perhaps even uninjured. Rangefinders: This year two rangefinders really stand out as superior from the rest. These are both higher end RF's, but both have been proven to be absolutely excellent out in the field. First one is the Leupold RX-1000 Compact Rangefinder. Super small and light, but performs beyond all expectations. Then there is the Zeiss Victory PRF, which outperforms even the Swarovski. Those two units are my top choices. They are also both more expensive than others – but it's money well spent. Okay, but what if you can't afford those? Nikon. The 800 and the 1200 series are the way to go. Lesser units for Rifle shooters are a waste of money and effort. Ghillie Suits: I was asked about buying such things. No... you don't buy them. You make them yourself. Look at the Jedi. To become a true Jedi, one would have to build his own Lightsaber. To fullfill your sniper fantasy properly, you have to build your own Ghillie Suit. Now, if you want to become a real Sniper – Enlist in the US Army Infantry or US Marines. So go talk to your local recruiter. I don't know anything about commercial made ghillie suits. The one I really liked that I made, and has become popular in some circles... is the ghillie cape. Rolled high on the back, if needed, pull the string to unroll the cape, then flip of the oversized hood.... the ghillie cape worked as easy as the capes the German snipers used in WWII. Which is where the idea stemmed from. I made one back in 89 and it was at first scoffed at until it was actually put to use and then everyone that saw it agreed it was a fantastic idea. Gun Makers List: I've been adding a bunch of new names to the Gun Manufacturer's List. Emails have been coming in from a few Readers, one in particular I'd like to thank... Clark C. He's been on top of a lot of additions. These contributions make this list the most complete list anywhere. Ride Update: Truck is still waiting autopsy, so I don't know what is going on there. The van, still in the shop being worked on as I type. I was informed by the shop that our Pontiac Montana is not the only one. There are several of them that all have the very same issues... identical. The Montana is a fundamentally flawed vehicle, at it's core... few vehicles have proven to be so completely shitty... We will strive to replace this cursed atrocity as soon as we can. 10-26-09: You know, I can't have a good day without God kicking me square in the balls the next day. My truck self destructed today. I was going to go to the Range on my lunch break to clean up shotgun shell hulls and stuff... truck made some horrible grinding noises while sitting at a red light, so I pulled into the parking lot and that was it... it got real quiet. Wont even crank over. And no... it isn't the starter. I checked that. It's just... sounds like its completely seized. This comes at an especially bad time as I am completely broke. And no – I can't just go get a new one... even if I could afford the monthly payments, which I can't, I don't have the money for the Down Payment. If I had the money for the Down, I could have a new engine put into the Chevy. I am really and completely screwed. I am just glad it happened when it did instead of when it could have... like on the way to the range, or out in the middle of nowhere... instead, my truck is in the front parking lot of my work, under a street light, where cops hang out at night. So it's safe. Safe, but Dead. Honestly, I really don't know what to do. FNH SCAR 16S. We got in three, and we've 1 left. 2499.99. Awesome price for an awesome rifle. I really like the SCAR... I liked it from the first time I saw it, and I still like it. I don't know if I will like the ACR better or not... I'll have to wait to see what the production ACR looks and feels like... but the SCAR is, compared to what's currently on the market – the best thing going. The ACR might win, but right now the SCAR kicks major ass. I think the price we have it at is great. We've seen it much much higher just weeks ago. But still, that much money for a plastic rifle... that's a bit much. The SCAR and other rifles such as this should be about 800 bucks. After all, I could have purchased a new Steyr AUG for 600 bucks retail back when I was an ROTC Cadet. Did building rifles become that much more expensive since then? The price is inflated. And it's not the dealers... our mark up hasn't changed... it's the cost the dealers have to pay. Still. Twenty Five Hundred for the best new rifle out... not too unreasonable. If I had the money... Well, hell... if I had the money I'd fix my bloody truck. But if I had the money and my truck was running – I'd already have the SCAR myself. 10-25-09: Late at Night: The Tactical Shotgun Training on the 24th went extremely well. All the Students did remarkably well. Some of the students were more advanced shooters, while the others were novices. Even the more advanced shooters were less familiar with the shotgun. We had a couple of Mossberg pumps, a Benelli Auto that wore an HK badge, a Saiga 12, and the rest were Remington 870's. So this was a pretty wide spectrum of students and hardware. What I liked the most was that there wasn't any Student that came to the course with a chip on the shoulder, everyone was willing to learn. And from we saw at the start of the course to what we saw when we completed... huge improvements. These guys went from 3 yards to 200 yards with the shotgun and made effective use of the weapon. Starting at 1:00 was convenient as a start time... but that left us not enough time to cover everything. I think the latest we can start is 10:00AM if we want to cover everything. As it was, there was a couple things I had to leave out. But we did cover all the basic fundamentals – the core of it all. That foundation allows us to build on those core skills in the future. I am very happy with the maiden voyage of my Tactical Shotgun course. A new concept I rolled out was well proven in the course... it took a few tries to get it down, but once the concept was grasped, it was used very well. I put another TacStar Side Saddle on a shotgun... Mrs. Ogre's 870. She said she wanted it, as she liked the idea of having it. She's keeping her gun in Cruiser Ready, with 00 Buck in the tube, 00 buck in the side saddle, with a Black Cloud and a couple Slugs – just in case. This is the way I keep my Side Saddle. Her gun remains very lightweight when compared to mine. Her gun has the shorter barrel, a mag tube that holds only 4 (not really a limitation) and a simple bead sight. As was proven in the class, this is all you really need. I like her shotgun a lot... a very good weapon. In my 870, I've got 2 shells of 00 Buck, 2 Slugs, and 2 Black Cloud's. There is a reason for these. The improved Flight Control Wad used in the Black Cloud, along with the hotter, faster loading extends the reach of the shot shell a great deal. Past that, Slugs become the tool of choice. A little variety here keeps the Shotgun as versatile as it gets. Plenty of standard 00 Buck rides along in a dump pouch that has elastic lips to keep shells from spilling during movement. While it's a good pouch... I think I want a bigger one, with a section divider. I want to hold more shells, and I'd like to hold a number of alternative shells as well. I'll look or something suitable for these needs and get back to you guys when I find it. I really have to admit it now... the Remington 870 is trying very hard to be my favorite weapon. Training Impressions: Much like Carbine Training, I do wish I spend more time doing some drills that required more reloading. Unfortunately time and ammunition constriction was the issue. As a result, I admonish all my Shotgun students to practice one simple thing – putting shells into the gun. From the carrier into the feed tube, through the feed port. That's number 1. Number 2 is even easier, but more fundamental... and that is the simple matter of instantly cycling the shotgun after you fire. You fire the shot, then you cycle the action. If the situation calls for something different, then you can change it up later, but you get ready to engage a followup shot if needed or another target if one presents its self. Practice both. Practice regularly. The Next Course will be Announced for January, in AZ. This will be a Two Day Course.... or in reality, two courses in two days. Day 1, Carbine, Day 2, Shotgun... Pay for 1 course and take the course you like or pay for 1 course and you get both if you like. 10-22-09: I was looking hard at the current crop of production 1911's. Taurus, Springfield, Kimber, SIG, Para... Let me give you the run down on my opinions of what's coming out: Taurus: You know... for the money... Taurus has everyone beat. Their actions don't feel so slick as the others... until I hit them with some Slipstream... and then you couldn't tell. The sights, if you like the Heinie Straight 8 sights - awesome... if you don't... change them. Simple. I think they are just fine. No questions lifetime warranty. For the money - they are solid buys. Para: I don't care for the Para's. Sorry. If you like them, great. I am just not a fan. I've seen too many failures in the Paras. Stupid things, like Safeties that don't work.. or that work too well and you can't take them off safe... or safeties that if you put it on and try the trigger - will fire as soon as you flip the safety off... no... I don't care if Todd Jarrett buggers Paras daily... or vice versa... I have no confidence in Para. None. Springfield: They are making some good solid guns... I like them. They need a little more wear in than most - but generally speaking the quality is right up there, the accuracy is right up there, and they have the lifetime warranty... Springfields are full of good things. You can buy a Springfield with Confidence. Kimber: Yes, the QC slipped. And I don't think I like their barrels. Kimber needs get rid of the plastic main spring housing. I don't care what your excuse is about the damned things - people are dropping 1200 bucks on these things, you can at least splash a few bucks on an aluminum unit. Weight difference is nothing. If I can see concentric rings inside the barrel right where you would be cutting the locking grooves in front of the chamber - don't tell me that it's normal. Don't tell me that it doesn't effect accuracy. That's horsepucky... because I can drop in a barrel from a 400 dollar Rock Island and make the gun shoot twice as good - you can't tell me that your barrel isn't fucked up. I'm not kidding... I did that. Shot group sizes SHRUNK. Simple as that. No other 1911 barrels have those marks. Yet sometimes we see those in your barrels. Kimber- You disappoint me. This is why I don't have any of your guns anymore. That's right... I've sold them. Gone. And I'll not even SHOW a Kimber to a customer unless he specifically asks to see it. I'll show Springfields and Taurus and SIGs instead. Hey, last time during an IDPA match, what did I shoot? Oh that's right - SIG. Oh, and I forgot those Tac Custom II's that we got in last year. With the parts... slide stops and safety levers that look like they had been kicked around the shop floor for a month, then swept up and thrown into the parts bins to be used... finish ruined. Not a fluke either - because both brand new guns that came in were the same like that... all ate up. Sure, you replaced them quickly... that was nice... but so much for all your 200 plus points of quality control inspections. What, no one noticed the new pistols that looked like they had been dragged behind a car for a couple miles? You didn't catch that? Small details I guess, huh? Too busy testing those barrels, huh? S&W: Smith is building a very good 1911, but they need to pay attention to the small details. Like contour the front sights in those dove tails so they don't have the square notchy things sticking out. The top of the slide is round, so the dovetails on the sights should be rounded too – everyone else is doing that – how come you can't? Other than that – S&W builds the best feeling Lightweight Commander on the market. Oh, and they are backing their 1911's with a defacto lifetime warranty. They need to work on the frame to slide fits a little better... they tend to have tight spots. They smooth out just fine after some shooting, but they could be smoother out of the box for the money they are charging. SIG: I think they make the best barrels for a production 1911, and I like them a lot... but I think SIG really needs to drop the "SIG LOOK" on the 1911's and make a traditional appearing 1911... for the simple reason of letting SIG Customers find some Effing Holsters that will work for them... that and the complaint is that people just don't like that SIG look on the 1911. They don't. SIG needs to admit that. The last thing, those lanyard attachements on the bottom of the grips... SIG - Seriously... pull your head out. Lanyards are not used on every gun so why put them on every gun - it takes away from the FEEL when the grip has sharp edges right where the meat of the hand gets into it... and for a bonus - you leave sharp edges on it. Asinine that you sent the gun out the door like that. However a few minutes with a nail file and those sharp edges are done and gone. What you have left is a seriously solid, seriously accurate 1911. Reliability needs to be worked in with a couple hundred rounds of break in... and then they are flawless. And feature for feature you are about 50 to 100 bucks less than the Kimber. 100 bucks less? There is the ammo for breaking it in. Dan Wesson: The Bobtail Commander stands out to me as being shockingly good. I think everyone needs to look at the Dan Wesson's to see how it's done. Clean lines. No billboard lettering on the sides... love it. Flawless frame to slide fit. Flawless finish. Awesome quality for the price. Now just do one for me with a Carbon Steel Slide, please. Dan Wesson just needs more options. Favorites: For production 1911's there you go... My #1 Favorite is SIG for the out of the box accuracy. #2 is Springfield, for it's rock solid construction... and then #3 is the Taurus with its super high Value Factor. Now, other guys will throw out some production guns like the STI's and the Rock Rivers and even say Wilson Combat is a production gun now... but they are less common... I don't care for the Rock Islands but they are just fine... But not top level stuff for me. I'm not going to get into custom guns... don't have time. 10-21-09: Tactical Shotgun Training: The class is this Saturday and there is still room for some more students. Due to the shortage of Slugs around here, the Slug Throwing is going to be optional. We are going to bring some Slugs in from SLC, but we don't know how many we will need or how many we can get... so we will have to play it by ear. Glock is coming out with a new version of their pistols... they are calling it the Gen 4. Rumor has it that they are going to be sporting user changeable grip panels. If they make it right, ergonomic for normal human hands, and they do something to the slide to make it actually look cooler than a cinder block... then it would be a tempting pistol. Glock's ruggedness, reliability, and curiously excellent finish makes it one of the best choices for a serious use pistol out there. (Note: I did not say the best – I merely said ONE of the best) The reason I don't have one is the simple matter of them just not fitting me. These plan for the Gen 4 just might resolve that. Who knows. We shall wait and see. I'd have to get my hands on one and fire rounds through it to tell. But I'm not going to hold my breath. However, I've really got to give it to Glock on their marketing. SIG has long been their main rival for Agency Adoptions... and now we've got S&W who's long wanted to take a bite out of the Glock – hence the Sigma – who's nailed a super smash home run. Agencies across the country are snapping up the M&P pistol just like they snagged the Glock when it was new. But they are not really taking a bite out of SIG... the M&P sales are munching on Glock territory here. So Glock has to do something... hence the Gen 4. And that is the moment I realized something. This isn't just a desperate “We've got to do something” move on Glock's part. This is Glock pulling the strings of their loyal cultists... Because everyone out there that already owns a Glock, will want the New Glock.... and at that same time tempt Non-Glock owners to become Glock owners... Does this look like a familiar pattern to you? I've seen this before.... let me Nut-Shell this for you. Glock is handgun equivalent of Apple... and Glock is going all out Mac on this one. So with this in mind – It's going to look different, feel smoother but under all that, it's the same stuff. Which in the case of Mac – that's annoying, but for Glock it's actually a good thing. So with Glock going to sport a different look – I'm betting that it's going to look very cool. Minimalist, more angles, kind of like Cadillac's Edge Styling. It should be pretty good. With this new Glock Gen 4 pull sales off of SIG? Sig's market share is huge. Almost all of Federal Law Enforcement is using SIG, a huge hunk of State and Local boys are using SIG... and SIG has something that Glock or the M&P's don't have. A hammer. A lot of guys, like myself, prefer pistols with hammers. Especially metal framed pistols with hammers. So if Glock wants to bite on SIG as well... this new Generation is going to have to be a big giant Babe Ruth style Home Run Hit. The question is... Can Glock do it? Yes, sir. I think they can. And I think the demand for the New Gen 4 pistols is going to be huge. On the other hand, Glock could end up trying too hard... And the Gen 4 could end up being the next CZ-100 or Colt 2000. That is a possibility. All we know for sure – this is going to be interesting. 10-19-09: Last night's show, AAR, was the best! It was fantastic... we talked 1911's, Slipstream, we had Larry Correia on... it was awesome. We wanted to give Larry the majority of the time – but a previous promised guest stepped up and then that guy from the food company wanted on and he's a paid advertiser so he had to get in... which put Larry at the tail end of the show and not much time at all. Which was unfortunate, because I wanted Larry to talk about a few more things we just never got a chance to hit. See, right there – AAR needs a 3rd Hour. This right here. Oh, and for those who listened, yes, on my hip right now is the SIG GSR 1911 C3 riding in an open topped Ed Brown Custom holster. Can't beat it. The MadOgre.com Domain. Slipped past me here that it was getting due again. Gave it another 3 year renewal. Maybe at the end of this 3 years, I might sell off MadOgre.com and pick another domain and start all over. Bidding starts at $500,000.00 and the line forms to the left. Sorry YouTubers, I can't respond. I'm blocked till November. We took the boys to go see “Where the Wild Things Are.” It was slow, some parts annoying... but overall I think it was good film. However the boys said it was “Disturbing and Emo.” Yeah... they are probably right. Jackass or Moron – You Make The Call! Okay check this shit out. Basin Sports is out of 12 gauge slugs. Mrs. Ogre was going to Wal-Mart... Now, I had heard that they had some slugs. So I asked her to see if they had any, and pick me up some if they did. They had slugs, but not rifled he said to her. She comes home with a box of #8 Shot. Because the guy at the gun counter there either just passed it off to her or he didn't know the difference himself. So the question remains. For me sending my wife to Wal-Mart for ammo.... I'm either a Jackass, or a Moron. Maybe some of both. Oh well. It's 2 ¾ 12 gauge, so we can use it... it's just not what I was hoping to get. No one, anywhere in town, has any Rifled Slugs for the 12 Gauge. None. This is going to play havoc on the shotgun training course coming up this Saturday.
10-18-09:
As much as I love the
1911 handgun design, I have to admit that I have a strange
history of moving to and moving away from it. Like a tide, I come
and go on the 1911's... The pattern is going from the 1911 to a
DA/SA platform. Let's see if I can track my history of Carry Guns:
Larry used to give me a hard time because I would alternate guns so much that I never really developed a subconscious level of familiarity with my weapons. At this time, I can say that I've switched so often so much and in the last 5 years I've done so much shooting with “all of them” that I can honestly say that it doesn't matter what handgun I pick up – I've developed my techniques to the point that I can shoot any handgun just as well. The downside though is that it has taken me years and years to get to this point. The YouTube thing... I think it's for the best that when I am able to – that I delete all the Prairie Dog hunting videos. Not that I want to... but because of the 2010 Election Year – I'll need to. 10-17-09: YouTube has me blocked until Oct 31st because a second person has flagged one of my videos as inappropriate. I'm pretty pissed. I can't find an email address to contact YouTube to ask WHY, or ask Why I'm being flagged but other such hunting videos are not. Especially when mine are no more horrible than any of the others. I'm pissed. Does anyone have YouTube's hidden email address? Seriously. This bullshit has me about ready to delete everything – but that's just what the Liberals would love. So that's what I'm not going to do. I may need to find another YouTube Type service for this stuff. If anyone can find that for me – I'd appreciate it! 10-15-09: This Sunday on Armed American Radio, Mark and I have a lot of stuff to talk about. We're going to talk about the King Of Pistols, the 1911. Some Holster issues we've noticed with the 1911. The stunning good looks of the 1911 and how much of a shame it is to have to conceal it and that Open Carry Laws should be universal – just so we can show off these sexy beats. I got Mark to finally try some Slipstream... You can get his take on that from the man himself. Oh yeah.. and joining us will be this other guy from Utah that wrote a little book you may or may not have heard of... Monster Hunter International... That's right – Larry Correia will be On The Air with us. Larry, Mark, and I... let me tell you guys – this is going to be a FUN show. And I'm not just saying that... This Will Be A Fun Show! You don't want to miss this one. On the AAR site, up at the top, there is a tab that says LISTEN LIIVE, click that tab... There is a link to an Online Stream Source. Nail it. 6PM Mountain Standard Time, 8PM Eastern. Set your iPhones to Remind You to tune in. One last thing... getting that stream to work last week was a PITA... so open the stream early so you get it working and you don't miss anything. Boondock Saints: All Saints Day. It's finally made and coming soon. Can't wait for this! “And shepherds we shall be, For Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee And teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.”And here I thought it was Businessmen. The First Lady has just displayed a very clear picture of her Ignorance of how The Economy works. A long winded and emotional based refusal to acknowledge reality. I find it laughable at first and then remember that she's married to The POTUS with the TOTUS. What's Key to the Economy? People who Need Things buy Things from People who Have Things to sell. And the Government needs to get out of the way and stop gumming up the works. When the Government does things that restrict the Buyers from the Sellers, then the Sellers can't make the Sale to pay employees who are in turn Buyers. See, it rolls like a wheel and the Government keeps shoving sticks into the spokes.
10-13-09:
Paul Howe and XS Sight
Systems have developed a new Rear Sight for the AR/M-16 family of
weapons. It's
called the CSAT Combat Sight, and it's rather clever. This is a
solution for a problem that stems for the Height Over Bore issue
with the AR type weapon. If you've taken my Carbine Course you will
understand what's going on here. The Height Over Bore issue stems
from your line of sight across the weapon's sights is much higher
than the actual bore of the weapon and the line of travel the bullet
follows. This rear sight allows precise shot placement inside of
ranges where the HOB issue would have your rounds impacting as much
as 3 inches below your point of aim – and your intended point of
impact. To compensate for this, at close range, you simply aim 3
inches higher. However this is a base estimate. This CSAT sight
makes that more precise by elevating the muzzle for you instead of
you aiming higher. It looks like this system would be fast and
accurate. I teach a hold over point of aim. MagPul Dynamics teaches
that you aim across the top of the rear sight and use the whole
front sight instead of the post. (I'm not going to give away
Magpul's trade secrets here) however neither method is quite as
precise as Paul Howe's system. If by this point you are still thinking “Who the hell is Paul Howe?” then you need to drop and give me twen... you need to go to the fridge and get a fresh Mt Dew and another slice of cake... because you probably couldn't do twenty pushups anyways. Hold on... phone's ringin... “Yes, this is the Ogre.” “Uh, yes... yes Sir.... I'll order it as soon as possible... No, I'm not questioning... yes... front leaning rest until you get tired... yes... push the earth away... yes, Sir.” Shit. One, Two Three, One. One two three, two. One two three, three....
My brother, back from Iraq has some issues with his car. It wont run and he needs it. He's wanting to sell something. Some body armor. He needs 700 bucks for it. If you are in the market for some Armor, hit him up. Best Show Ever: CASTLE. I catch it on Hulu.com. I don't have TV. The show is remarkable. Brilliant writing, acting, and timing... this is the best show out there. It is my hands down favorite. If you've not caught the show – you should start from the beginning, Season One, Pilot and roll through it all... it is time well spent. Castle is why I look forward to Tuesdays. Rush the NFL: I know I don't talk about it much – but I am a Football Fan. MadOgre.com is not a Sports Blog – it's my Pro-Gun Rant Blog. It's also not a Cheese Blog, but I like fine cheeses so it could be that too... but it isn't. Anyways, I love me some Football and I keep up with what's going on with my favorite teams. Eagles, Packers, Niners, Saints, and the Redskins.
The commissioner of the NFL
has denied Rush Limbaugh... blackballed him... from buying an NFL
Team. I don't know why Rush really wants to buy an NFL Team, but I
do know Rush is a Fan, and he would probably make a great Team
Owner. Because he certainly couldn't do worse than most Team Owners.
This move by the NFL to Block Rush isn't because of anything Rush
has ever said. This was Political. The NFL shouldn't be Political,
but they just made it so. That's disappointing. If the NFL listens to professional racists on the matter of racism – they are idiots. If the NFL didn't talk to Rush about the allegations – they are idiots. If the NFL did talk to Rush about the matter, but chose to believe the professional racists – they are idiots. Idiots they evidently are.... As disturbing as the NFL just became, even more so is the White House's War On Fox. The accusations that Fox is a branch of Republican Party is asinine. They are just not kneeling at the Alter of the DNC like all the other media outlets are. According to non-biased examination during the election 40% of Fox's news reports regarding Obama were Negative. During the same time, the reports on McCain were also 40% negative. Fox says that they are “Fair and Balanced”. Evidently, that is true. If it's one thing that the DNC and their legions of Liberals hate – is someone who is Fair and Balanced. If you are not with them – they hate you. They want you to shut up. They want you to go away. They refuse to admit you into their clubs... And when they get control of the Health Care system, they will probably refuse to admit you into that too. Just for the record, yes... I can still pass the ARMY pushup requirement on the PT Test. The 2 mile run - even with my fucked up legs - yes. The Situps... I'll admit... I'd probably throw up in the attempt. 10-12-09: Happy Birthday WTA! WeTheArmed.com is, tomorrow on Oct 13th, 1 year old. For those that have not checked us out for some time – check us out again. We've got a good group of enthusiasts as members, and I know a lot of MadOgre.com readers signed up, posted a howdy, and then never came back. This is an invitation to come back... the forum has grown, matured, expanded... and I love it. The members there – these are all guys I'd hang out with – and Gals – I consider every member there a Friend and kinda like the old days of TFL – it felt like home. WTA feels like home. We don't take ourselves too seriously, we are not trying to prove anything to anyone... we're just friends talking about the stuff we like. If you want to talk books and movies – cars and trucks – cool. We've got forums there for you. A tech geek that wants to talk PC's and Digital Devices – gotcha covered. But the one thing that we all have in common – we love our Guns and cling to them and use them! So come on back and check out WeTheArmed.com. The other night I had a nightmare of horrifically epic proportions. I woke up with my lungs full of air, my mouth open wide – about to scream out loud and wake the whole house. I was sweating, hard. I couldn't go back to sleep. I don't remember the details – it was one of those “I come home and find my house is a Crime Scene, kinda nightmares. One thing stood out... the impression I was left with. My wife needs a good home defense gun. Not just one of my guns that she can use – but her gun. Her gun that she's trained on. So today I brought home a new Remington 870 Express HD just for her. This is her gun, and Wednesday I'm going to teach her how to run it. She's getting a condensed version of my Tactical Shotgun course. 10-11-09: There is a news report about some serious failures of the M-4 weapon system used by our Forces over in Afghanistan. Read this carefully. There are a lot of critical details in there. This is a subject of a thread at WeTheArmed.com and there is much to discuss. It has been known, well known, that the M4 is a poor performer in desert environments. The Army has wanted a new weapon for awhile anyways. And a new Caliber. There is much debate here. For example, the Contract that the Government had made with HK for the XM-8 rifle system and then pulled the carpet out from under them. The SCAR's selection for SOCOM... the expulsion of the XCR from the SOCOM trials... lots of hot topics going on here. If I was the SecDef – I'd grab the MagPul Masada, chambered in 6.8SPC and roll that out across the board... and change the M249 over to 6.8 as well. Get rid of all the 5.56mm and get them all converted to 6.8. 10-09-09: Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize. This means one thing for certain, and something we've known for some time now. The Nobel Peace Prize is a completely meaningless thing. When Al Gore won the Peace Prize for making a movie about the Weather – we knew that the Peace Prize was meaningless. But at least Al Gore did something for it. At least he made a film. Something tangible if you happen to get the DVD in your hand... there you go. That's at least something. Agree with it or not – and I don't for a second – but at least Al Gore did something to win the Prize. Obama has accomplished Jack Shit. The NPP should be awarded to someone other than The Most Popular Person. I was under the impression that the Nobel Prize committee was a Scientific Body. Well, if that is the case, then they are, like Peter Vinkman from Ghost Busters, poor scientists. I mean, come on... Obama just attacked The Moon. What did the Moon ever do to us? The Browning Hi Power: Much love is given to John M Browning's Masterpiece handgun, the 1911 Government Model. It is constantly being put on the covers of gun magazines and books. However, many Browning Purists wil argue that the Hi Power was his masterpiece. The Hi Power (or HP from now on) shows many refinements. It simplified the auto pistol by removing 4 things that some people say ruin the 1911 for them. First the grip safety. A feature that is regarded as useless by HP fans. Even some competition shooters who like the 1911 will stake or tape down the grip safety. Second, the 1911's swinging link was removed in favor of a simple frame cam affair. The Third item removed was the internal extractor in favor of a simpler, visible, external extractor. Truth is, this was a change that FN made after JMB's passing, not a change Browning himself made... and it was most likely made to simplify production, not to improve function. The last big change is the removal of the barrel bushing. These changes could be argued to be mere over-simplification or they were a real pistol evolution. It's hard to say... because the HP adds a magazine disconnect safety... something that I personally hate with a passion. Yet the HP did add the double stacked magazine for increased capacity. That's a good thing, especially with the 9mm cartridge.
It is important to note that
the HP pretty much became the model that almost all other pistols
followed for an incredibility long time. The mold was only broken by
the Glock pistol. The HP is accurate, easy to use, and comfortable
in the hand like few pistols before or since. When they came out,
they were wildly popular and were used by military and law
enforcement all over the world. In WWII they were used by both sides
in the war in Europe. The British SAS used them almost exclusively
until only recently. They were wonderful handguns when they first
came out... and they still are. Pistols Ever Serious Shooter Should Own:
This the top 5... but there are some important notable handguns that could bump the Must Have list to 10:
I'm really digging Winchester's new Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 cartridge. That's quite the name for a line of ammunition, but it's quite a round. In fact, it's a stupid name. But the Supreme Elite in Winchester-Speak means it's in a black box and has a nickle coated case. The Bonded PDX1 bullet though, that's something to note. This bullet is the evolution of the wicked old Black Talon bullet. Winchester killed the Black Talon because it was too scary for Democrats, so the stopped selling it to the public, but if you were a cop you could still buy it under the name of “Ranger Talon”. And it was good. But now Winchester has improved that line and because it has a name no one can understand and thus not fear it... and it's not Black anymore... civilians can buy it. The are using the same bonding process that basically welds the jacket to the core. No such thing as a case separation with such bonded rounds. Normally you see bonded bullets in upper end rifle ammunition. For handguns, really the only ones doing a bonding was the Speer Gold Dot, but that wasn't even really a Bonded jacket, as it was more of a Plated Jacket. This PDX1 us doing the same Black Talon Reverse Taper, with the bonding, and with the scary Talon claws that we all know and love. The bonding also makes the bullet much more concentric, balanced, and potentially accurate. Stronger too. Hitting bone wont cause the lead core to strip off it's jacket like a Blonde Cougar who's had too much Tequila. The other great thing about the PDX1 is that Winchester actually took the time to study each bullet for each caliber and tune the hollow point cavity for best performance in each caliber. This insures best expansion – controlled expansion with weight retention – regardless of which rounds you fire... 9mm, .40, or .45... they are all going to work. And work well. Winchester may have just made the best pistol bullet... in the world. I didn't know it until this morning... but a shotgun slug out to 200 yards is no problem. 10-04-09: Got an email from our friend Scott: “Here's a good one. Working as an RSO on the range here in Heber today. A guy shows with a Plainfield M2 Carbine. Cost him about 7k. He's got two boxes of wolf .30 carbine and he wants to shoot. All is going well, he made it through about 75-80 rounds before he had a catastrophic failure when a steel case burst. It blew the stock in half, pieces of the stock imbedded in a block of wood we use to set sand bags on on the tables. He picked it up and the back half of the stock literally fell off. The barrel just outside of the receiver split about 3 inches, he may be able to get it rebuilt. NFA early Vietnam era M2 Carbine...$7K NFA tax stamp...$200 Two boxes of Wolf .30 carbine...$20 Blowing up your new class III toy because you were too cheap to buy some good ammo...Priceless. There's a motto here somewhere! - Scott” That's a painful lesson to be sure. I never liked Wolf ammo and I never will. I'll shoot it an AK-47... and I did shoot some in the CZ-527 Carbine. However CZ recommends that you don't. That's why. Wolf ammo can be wildly inconsistent and the steel casings that they use does nothing good for your chamber.
GET OFF OUR LAWN:
I have to tell ya...
this 9.4 Million Acre Land Grab has pushed me over the edge. I
live in the Uintah Basin... we are dealing with the Feds closing off
a ton of trails through the Ashley... through our mountains... that
people here have used for generations... since families here have
used since before there was an Ashley National Forest. And now,
because of some DC Bureaucrat, they can't anymore. Areas where
people used to hunt and camp and fish... no more access. And now,
we've got this 9.4 million acres being stolen from us, by a New York
Democrat. I'm going to run for Utah State Senate and I want to tell
those people, and Washington DC to Get Off Our Lawn.
I can appreciate that people from around the world love to come to
Utah to discover and enjoy what we've always known. But I firmly
believe that we know how to manage our resources better than they
do. This is our home. We'll take care of it. I'm going to make
Take
Back Utah a major part of what I want to accomplish. This is a
serious fight and I'm not seeing anyone that is supposed to
Represent Me doing a damn thing about this. 10-02-09: Armed American Radio: The Growth of the show in incredible. They've picked up the Pacific Northwest with a number of stations around there... and not they just picked up Grand Junction, Colorado and a couple other places. AAR is flat out winning. If you are in a city and AAR is not on the air – Call your local radio station and talk to the Program Director and ask for AAR. Tell them AAR is on the satellites, syndicated, and they can even stream a show off the website. Armed American Radio – Outgunning Gun Talk! I'll be on again on the Oct 11th show. I just talked to Mark and he is fired up. He's always fired up, but this time Mark was totally jazzed. The Uintah Basin, let me tell you, This Is The Place. Super Conservative out here, we like our independence and we value and cherish our Liberty, and now we can listen to a show that is All About That. I'm fired up too! After all the efforting of Obama... After Michelle Obama's PERSONAL SACRIFICE to go to Europe to pimp Chicago... RIO gets the Olympics. That is so freaking awesome! That's just classic. And Drudge's response... “The Ego has Landed” I can't tell ya... that's just awesome. Obama is not the big deal he thinks he is. Now, the person who is a big deal... and I just totally love her... Sarah Palin. Has a book coming out. Some of my Conservative brothers do not like her... but only a few of them. The rest of us love her. She did more for the Republican Party than anyone – ANYONE – else in YEARS. And the GOP threw her under the bus. She was treated unfairly by The Media, The Democrats, and Her Own Party. I tell you what... you Libertarians want to become a real Party? Get Sarah. She draws the crowds like no one else has in decades. She is the only reason McCain got the votes he got outside of Default Republican Party Ticket Voters. Sarah gave the rest of us a Reason to Vote McCain. Sarah Palin is who we need to get behind... why? Because Sarah Palin scares the shit out of the Democrats. She's the person we need to Spear Head the GOP. That, and she's hot as a pistol. The Tactical Shotgun Course on October 24th has been bumped up from 3:00PM to 1:00PM. Reason being... I'm a dumbass. The IDPA group's Shoot is on the 17th, not the 24th, so we don't have to wait for anyone. 1:00 Start Time. This course is going to become the definitive course on the modern tactical shotgun. You are not going to want to miss this. Reschedule your plans, take a day off, call in favors, hitch rides... get out here for this one. Now, I've had people ask me if Mossbergs are okay. Absolutely. I'll be teaching you with an 870 Pump, so most of what I show is 870 based, but translates perfectly with the Mossberg 500 series. There is a couple slight differences between the two, and we will address those. What about Winchester? Same thing. No problem. What about Semi-Autos? Bring them. Beretta 1200's, Remington 11-87's, Mossberg 930's... all good. Saiga's? Yeah, bring the Saiga if that's what you've got, but I wont be dealing a lot with those, but if you bring one, I'll talk about some things for the Saiga to help you out too. Orders for Slipstream Weapon Lube Kits are getting crazy... the stuff has been getting out into people's hands and they've been trying it for themselves. The results have been overwhelming. The only negative marks we have got is in our Labeling and Packaging. Come on, we are a small company just starting out. We've got a Killer Product and we've just started getting this out as fast as we can. So give us a little time... We'll get some killer cool tactical oil bottles as soon as we can. However, for those that have the Lube Kits, with those precision oiler needle tops... Are not those just The Shit? You can put the oil RIGHT where you want it, as much or as little as you want, and you don't waste the stuff. That is awesome. Is that not better than a regular oil bottle? We err on the side of Function over Style. Our bad. Now come on... What's On The Bottle isn't nearly as important as What's In The Bottle... and that's where we Win. Slipstream is freaking awesome. You can quote me on that.
Copyright G H Hill 1999-2012 Graphic Artwork by Martin White
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OGRE TRAINING: Contact me via email for details. Payment can be by either PayPal or with with prior arrangement, cash at the range before the course begins.Next Course: Tactical Carbine 1 and Tactical Shotgun 1 01-??-10: Location and Time and TBD. Carbine Ammo will be 300 rounds of your rifle ammo. Shotgun Ammo will be 100 shells of birdshot, 20 Buckshot, 20 Slugs. Course Fee is $200, a flat rate... you can pick one class or the other, or come to both.
"You make me laugh.
You piss me off. You even make me agree with you. You're a Blog-God!"
- Horde Member “You are the House of the Gun Industry!” - Some Dude
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