SHOT Show 2011

Well we're hoping to go to SHOT show again this year.  Scheduling may be a problem, but I think I have it worked out.  As Newbees to the show last year it was quite overwhelming.

The convention hall (from all accounts) took a degree in cartography to figure out.  The number of exhibitors was mind blowing and the canky staff at the convention yelled at us every time the cheap badge holders got turned around.  We even had one employee of the hotel ask us if we were old enough to be there.  I should have told she missed my age by well over a decade, but I thought better of it.  I don't need to be giving the wrong idea about gun owners.

This year should go much more smoothly.  Having the hind sight we do, there will be a better plan and a more organized treading of the halls.  Also planned is a better report on cool products, old and new, via the blog.  It should be a good year.

-Steven Kipp

Annual Fathers Day Shoot...On the 4th of July

As it turns out our 4 Annual Fathers Day Shoot was held on the 4th of July weekend this go around.  We met up here in Wyoming and we had a blast...literally.  Both Brad and I focused highly on some long range shooting of soda bottles and cans.  We used both the 1L and 2L bottles as well as some orange soda cans. (Orange is easy to see, easy to see explode and cheap)  We used my Savage .308 Win and we were pleasantly surprised at how well we did.  The rifle, as always, never let us down.  I love that rifle, and Brad seems to be after one of the same model.

All targets were between 400 and 450 yards and we were hitting consistently, and were able to hit several with only one shot.  We not only worked on shooting the targets but communicating between the spotter and the shooter.

Both of us found that that as the day wore on, it became more difficult for us to hit the targets.  I think this may be due to fatigue: eye strain and possibly some lapsing into bad form.

Overall the mission was accomplished, we had fun, worked on our skills and converted a good amount of gunpowder into noise.

-Steven Kipp

Prairie Dog Practice

I went out yesterday to practice my skills on some prairie dogs.  It didn't turn out to well for them, with little help from me.  I took out my 308 and wasn't able to hit anything.  We were shooting at anywhere between 100 and 400 yards.  Odd thing was that with a .204 my brother-in-law brought I smoked a couple of them with relative ease.  I have decidied that three things need to be changed:

1) I need to do a better job of holding the rifle still, this was a major problem with the wind and lack of usable natural rests.

2) I need more practice.

3) I need to get a higher quality scope.  The one I have is good but I have reached it's limit when conditions get to be less than optimal.  It is a inexpensive scope so I expected to have this happen.

Of course the kicker is that I now also want a .204 for this type of thing.  It's a fun, flat little rifle and has very little recoil.  It's uses are limited however.  The projectile is too small to hunt any big game with, and in many cases the cartridge has too much power for small game.  For varmint control it is darn near perfect.

-Steven Kipp