airedale

A fine looking rifle in the classic mold, nice wood. Al

The Buckmark rifle is not picky when it comes to ammo, while I would not classify it as a one hole tack driver it is plenty accurate for hunting, it's quick handling and it's 4-1/2 pound weight is the main reason I bought it. Like most 22 LRs it groups best with standard velocity ammo. My favorite 22 LR hunting ammo for Squirrels and plinking are the Winchester DynaPoints, it is standard velocity with a copper coating and a shallow hollow point, all my rifles and pistols group well with it. For bigger stuff like Woodchucks, Coons, Fox and even Coyotes I go with the high powered stuff, CCI Stingers and Velocitors are my favorites out to about 100 yards. This high velocity ammo does not group quite as well but it has more a lot more pop and enough accuracy to hit the kill zone easily on the larger Varmints. Al A well placed CCI Velocitor at 40 yards dropped this guy in his tracks.

It is called "Gun Nut Disease" once contracted it is almost impossible to cure, I have been afflicted by it for well over 50 years and it is worse than ever, I just keep getting nuttier! By the way the Buckmarks are great guns, I have one in the rifle version with the carbon fiber barrel, one of my favorites! Al

I hate to waste a good hide and will try to utilize any varmint kill I make if at all possible if the fur is good. I have several trapper friends that with a quick phone call will gladly take anything I do not want to mess around with as long as the hide is not damaged too bad and worth something. When the fur market is strong I will carry a small pocket skinning gambrel, hang it off a tree branch and skin the animal on the spot, that really lightens the load just carrying the hide when heading back to the truck. Skinning in the field was always done back in my coon hunting days where sometimes you can get a bunch. Only takes a few minutes time once you get the hang of it. Al

I have seen a lot of different ideas for shooting benches, some used folding fiberglass top utility tables and a chair, picnic tables work can well and then there are the purpose built both home made and factory built dedicated shooting benches. I do not care much for the portable stuff, it is made to be light for ease of moving which make them prone to movement, prefer something semi permanent solid and heavy. Like you already found out there are plenty of good plans on the internet and if you are handy with woodworking you can find and build something that will suit you. I built a bench out of treated lumber from plans Outdoor Life gun editor Jim Carmichael came up with a good 20 years ago and it has held up well in my little back lot 100 yard range. Detailed instructions are in a book he wrote called Do It Yourself Gunsmithing which can be bought used on Amazon for just a few bucks. I just refurbished it with a new larger top a couple of years ago and it is still going strong. Build it once right the first time is my motto. Al

This event was judged by three judges. Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield , IL . Frank: “Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge’s table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges(Native Texans) that the chili wouldn’t be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge 3.” Here are the scorecard notes and comments from the event: CHILI # 1 – MIKE’S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI Judge # 1 — A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick. Judge # 2 — Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild. Judge # 3 (Frank) — Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that’s the worst one. These Texans are crazy. CHILI # 2 – AUSTIN ‘S AFTERBURNER CHILI Judge # 1 — Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang. Judge # 2 — Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously. Judge # 3 — Keep this out of the reach of children. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face. CHILI # 3 – FRED ‘S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN Judge # 1 — Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Judge # 2 — A bit salty, good use of peppers. Judge # 3 — Call the EPA. I’ve located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I’m getting shit-faced from all of the beer. CHILI # 4 – BUBBA’S BLACK MAGIC Judge # 1 — Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing. Judge # 2 — Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili. Judge # 3 — I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. woman is starting to look HOT … just like this nuclear waste I’m eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac? CHILI # 5 – LISA’S LEGAL LIP REMOVER Judge # 1 — Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive. Judge # 2 — Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement. Judge # 3 — My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I’m burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them. CHILI # 6 – VERA ‘S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY Judge # 1 — Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers. Judge # 2 — The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb Judge # 3 — My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I’m worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can’t feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone. CHILI # 7 – SUSAN’S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI Judge # 1 — A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers. Judge # 2 — Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably. Judge # 3 — You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn’t feel a thing. I’ve lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they’ll know what killed me. I’ve decided to stop breathing it’s too painful. Screw it; I’m not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I’ll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach. CHILI # 8 – BIG TOM ‘S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI Judge # 1 — The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence. Judge # 2 — This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he’s going to make it. Poor feller, wonder how he’d have reacted to really hot chili? Judge # 3 – No Reply!

Coyotes are pretty easy to kill with a well placed shot, I have killed them with a 22 LR and 17 HMR, 50 pounds would be a big one. What I am getting to is an expanding type bullet for Deer hunting is not needed and they can demolish and ruin a good hide especially if you want to salvage it and make nice usable items. I think if I were to use a 308 I would be looking for ammo with very limited expanding properties, a Barnes solid copper should punch right through a Coyote with minimal hide damage and the same ammo will work great for Deer and other big game hunting. Another option is full metal cased bullets, the military uses them, they kill humans easily and shoot accurately, there would be no problem putting down a Coyote with them. The drawback with full metal jackets is they can under certain conditions ricochet more easily than an expanding type and travel far in open country so one has to be a bit more careful with the terrain on the other side of a target for safety. Al

I will say this I can see that brass frame model chambered in 47-70 rifle in my future. Al

Can not speak for the Mountain Rifle with any personal experience but my Dad had an early one with the wood stock and it was passed down to my brother. They had zero complaints and both took several deer with it. I liked their Mountain rifle a lot and would have purchased one had I not earlier made up a semi custom light sporter from a old Husqvarna in a 280 before the Mountain rifles came out. Like Pygmy I have taken quite a bit of big game with mine and like Pygmy if I was limited to own only one big game rifle it would be my light sporter Husqvarna 280 Remington with the Leupold 2X7 mounted on her. Al

Have a good one and stay light on the cake Al

BB gun, pellet guns, cartridge guns, no matter what a kid is taught to fire first thing on the agenda is everything about safety and having a good backstop no matter what shooting range one uses. That has to be taught and stressed right from the get-go! All guns can be safe if handled with respect and fired properly. Al

The Daisy Avanti is a good starter rifle to learn to shoot with especially in the house. It is a single shot with a receiver sight and it fires BBs very accurately at short range. Al

For serious deer or varmint hunting I like using a good pair of quality binoculars. But when I am small game-bird hunting or even sometimes when fishing I have and use a couple of good quality small monoculars. I carry one in a pocket to have just in case there is something far enough away or up high in a tree that I can not identify with the naked eye. While they do not get used often they have come in handy and did their job several times when needed without having to carry a set of regular binoculars. Al

I have an old Russian SKS military rifle that I have been playing around with and with the cheap ammo that is available for this thing I have been getting to do a lot of shooting and must say this is one fun rifle, totally reliable and reasonably accurate. The thing I could not stand is the garbage standard stock that comes on them, "CHEESY" is the one word that describes it best and it is way too short for me. My SKS what is called a refurb rifle meaning after being in service it was sent back to a Russian armory and any worn parts were replaced and the gun returned to new condition. Bottom line these refurbs no longer have matching serial numbers on all their parts so their collector value is limited and makes them good for personal customization. For me the el cheeso stock had to go, I decided on a Tapco laminated sporter stock based on reviews that it received from folks that tried them. Basically a drop in but there was a bit of minor fitting that had to be done. With the bayonet removed and the new stock on the old SKS looks modern and the stock feels and fits me great. Other than being overly heavy these SKS rifles are a panic. Al

I bought my first bow back in the late 60s, a Bear Super Kodiak recurve which I still have and shoot today. Back then any mechanical release was illegal to hunt with so I learned to shoot with a glove and have continued to do so. I have aso had through the years three different compound bows used a glove with those also. The three compounds have long since been sent down the road. Never really caught the Deer hunting bug with a bow, most of my bow hunting was and is for small game and I especially like bow fishing and shooting carp. Al Here is the old Bear Super Kodiak, just about 50 years old now but it can still lay them in there.

One only has to look at the primitive human cultures that still exist in this world today in wild places to know that hunting is in our genes and we descend from and are natural born predators. Hunting fills a primal urge and need that is still present to varying degrees in humans today. Humans are a lot like the hunting dog breeds they once bred to help them be successful hunters. Remove those breeds from the hunt for a few generations and their desire and ability begins to wane. Some hunting breeds taken over by the pet trade have lost almost all hunting ability and drive. Humans for the most part have suffered the same fate as they became removed from rural lifestyles and more urbanized they do not have to get their hands dirty for their sanitized food sources available at their nearest market. In a nutshell if a person is brought up in a hunting culture they are more apt to be involved, removed from such a culture over time most will quit participating. For me the natural born predator instinct and drive for the hunt still exists strong, a lot of it because of the way I was brought up which provided me opportunity. Al

I am not a big time Coyote hunter so no expert here, I have shot them starting with a 22LR and moving on up to various centerfire varmint calibers on to a 12 Ga with large shot for short range in the woods. Like any other type of hunting it boils down to having a good clear shot and having the firearm, confidence in it and shooting ability to match your hunt situation so you can make a clean kill. I know guys out west that are into the Coyote hunting big time and are serious about their work, they want as little damage to the hides as possible. The firearm of choice with them is something chambered in the 17 Remington. It has plenty of range, you get a small entry hole, massive internal damage with no exit hole = zero pelt damage. Al

I have been around long enough to have had the opportunity to watch the old ABC "American Sportsman" shows hosted by Curt Gowdy. Plain old fashioned hunting using woodsmanship skills, no baited fields, food plots or tree houses-stands or compound bows-crossbows or other fancy equipment. Produced professionally with great guest hunter-fishermen every week, they were well worth watching and and entertaining. In later years the now defunct weekend hunting-fishing show lineups on ESPN Outdoors and TNN were also done right. Also the now gone Outdoor Life network had some pretty good shows, "Hunting With Hank" upland bird hunting show in my opinion was the best hunting show ever produced. The hunting shows they broadcast today are for me not worth watching, all about selling stuff. Al

Al

I had the same problem with my little Marlin 94 44 mag carbine, when the lighting was dim I could not get a good enough sight picture with a receiver sight for a confident shot. I picked up one of those little Leupolds and mounted it. Love the scope, light and compact, big eye relief and wide field of view, about as perfect as I could want for that particular rifle. Go back a few months in this section of the board and there will be a little writeup called early season woods rifle about that scope. Like the scope so much I bought another and am going to mount it on a Marlin 94 357 mag. Al

One of the biggest bonehead wheel and dealing moves I made was getting rid of a pre war S&W 38-44 heavy duty Outdoorsman revolver. It fired 38 special loads similar to the Plus-P loads we have today. It was built on their 44 large frame and the workmanship-fit-finish was as good as I have ever seen on any firearm at any cost. My reasoning back then was why would I want to carry a revolver the same size as my model 29 44 mag that was firing the puny 38spl. "DOPE!!" Al file photo

Republican common sense decency law was not repealed.

After dark will definitely will have the most action, a good powerful varmint light with a red lens cover will hold them there long enough to get a shot, some can be scope mounted which makes sighting nice. Just before dark and at daybreak will also be productive. A setup in the woods where the range is shorter a blind of some sort would work well. Playing the wind is real important for where you setup as the Foxes and Coyotes will circle and come in from down wind so it is easy to be busted. An open field setup at long range works real well as far as the wind goes, you will need good binoculars, camo, a good rest and an accurate rifle to make clean kills. Coyotes like to hang at the treeline edges until almost dark and many times can be spotted for a good shot. As far as calling I wear camo and break my outline usually sitting at the base of a tree. I have had good luck with both mouth calls and electronic types, middle of the winter when the snow is deep and it is cold brings the best results. They are hungry and come in on the run. In the woods because of the ranges I will use a shotgun with shotshells matched for varmints, out in the open I will use a scoped accurate varmint rifle. Back when I did a lot of varmint hunting I would most times have one of my Airedales along, they will many times alert me early to a varmint coming in and sometimes using a shotgun I would get a runner and if needed they will track them down and finish the job. Al

Once the weather turns and stays cold a predator popsicle makes a good draw for most predators. Making one is fairly easy, all you need is a large cheap plastic tub and then fill it with whatever various food scraps you can get your hands on, cheap bag of dog food, road kills, table scraps, whole corn, Deer guts, etc etc. Once the tub is close to being full fill it the rest of the way with water, mix everything well and then leave it out in the cold to freeze into a solid block. Once frozen solid haul it to your stand-blind area and dump it out of the tub, it will come out like a giant ice cube. As long as the weather stays cold it will last for a long time as any predators drawn to it will have their work cut out for them eating it down and it will be too heavy to carry off. Al

Right you are Dan and you can add the other N Frame models 25 model 57 and model 29 to that Cadillac listing, those big revolvers are just beautiful to look at and hold and accurate as any. I once owned a model 29 with the 6 1/2 inch barrel, back then they came with the velvet lined wood presentation case and cleaning kit. I killed a couple of Deer with it and a nice big boar hog in Tennessee. I made a huge mistake trading it toward a Desert Eagle autoloading 44 mag which is a great gun also but in retrospect I should have kept the S&W model 29 and just bought the Desert Eagle outright. Al My old Model 29 and Tenn Hog about 40 yrs ago I think.