airedale

As far as I can tell the only person who knows if this guy was actually going for his gun is now dead, all else is speculation.

Those are not fur friendly bullets, in other words if you are looking to sell the hides you should use a less explosive bullet especially on Fox. In the 22 caliber I like Sierra 52 grain match bullets, they are very hard and do not expand so violently as a varmint bullet. They will do the job very well without blowing huge holes in your hides. Al

One of the great caliber/rifle combos that really fit the "brush gun" terminology. Al

A 270 or 280 would be my choice in a bolt action light weight sporter with a 22 inch barrel. Al

There are rubber liners that can be used where there is leaky soil, it will certainly add to the cost but if one is determined to have a pond it is possible to dig one almost anywhere. Al

What cracks me up is how this Ted Cruz statement was twisted into something about 9/11 when it was nothing of the kind and anyone with a half a brain knows it. It was about the politics of NY City and Cruz was not lying. The mayor and our fearless leader Cuomo want an apology, remember what Cuomo said in and interview just a couple of years ago. "The Republican Party candidates are running against the SAFE Act — it was voted for by moderate Republicans who run the Senate! Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are."

What he said! Al

Nice! Congratulations!

Hevi-Shot is comprised of tungsten alloy (tungsten is an element which is harder than steel/iron), nickel, and iron. Hevi-Shot pellets are very hard and they must be contained within a special non-toxic shotcup. With the above being the case I would not shoot Hevi Shot out of any older shotguns that did not have barrels that were proofed for steel. Al

Quite a bit in the summer, not much in the winter. Al

A Remington 1100 fits the description of what you are looking for. Al

I picked up one of the Ruger 77s in 17 HMR when it first came out and absolutely love it. It has taken Fox, Coyote and yes Squirrels. At closer ranges it can cause some pretty severe damage on body shot Squirrels especially with the VMAX, the heavier hollow point is quite a bit tougher and does not explode so violently. When I take Squirrels I shoot for the head so not to damage to much meat. My Ruger has gilt edged accuracy and with a good rest head shots can be made consistently. Also at this time of the year when there is a little snow on the ground and the trees naked of leaves you can times spot Squirrels a quite a long distance even in denser woods and that is where the 17 HMR can really shine. With that flat trajectory and the accuracy I have taken squirrels at some pretty long distances. When they are out there a good long poke a body shot does not cause anywhere near the damage as one taken at close range does. So while it does cause a bit more damage I will make that trade for a lot more distance and accuracy and Squirrels in my game bag. And last but not least I almost always have a varmint call in my hunting coat pocket and there have been several times when the Squirrel hunting was slow that have brought in both Fox and Coyote in with the call especially late in the season. I prefer to have that Ruger 17 HMR than a 22 LR when things work out. Al The Ruger 17 HMR, one of my dogs and a Fox we took while out hunting Squirrels back a dozen yrs or so.

I researched the Sig 938 when it came out and there were some problems with the first bunch made and a lot of them had to be sent back for modification to stop those FTFs. Since the release of those early guns I am now seeing on the Sig forums and the you tube testers the current gun is pretty much 100%function wise. I made a few mods on mine, I changed the trigger spring for a bit lighter pull and also changed out the plastic trigger and put in a stainless steel one. Like I said mine has not had a failure yet but it is a newer gun. Al

Personally while it is better than nothing I am not a fan of the 380 acp. Today there are several 9mm pistols not a heck of a lot bigger than the 380s and that is the direction I went. I like single actions and went with a Sig 938, small, accurate and so far 100% reliable with everything I have fed it. Al

Years ago there were a bunch of those so called store brands like JC Higgins, Westernfield, Revelation, Ted Williams etc. They are good solid plain Janes that at the time sold at a reasonable price. They were all produced by one of the big companies and rebadged, I think High Standard was a major player in producing many of those store brand firearms. Al

The Browning Citori is a good looking reliable O/U shotgun that has been around for a long time and it has a proven track record. Personal preferences in looks and the way the gun feels in your hands and fits when you shoulder it are also things to consider. If it meets your criteria the Citori will do it's part. Al

Speaking of a 380 acp years ago I watched a hunter attempt to dispatch a wounded but downed Deer that was still quite alive with a broken back. Not wanting to shoot it again with his 12 ga he took out of his pocket a 380 pistol and point blank shot the Deer between the eyes. The bullet actually bounced off the Deer's head, probably the angle was just such that made this happen but I can tell you I was never much a fan of the 380 after witnessing that. Al

Pyramid Air did some testing of the Benjamin 35 cal Bulldog Velocity testing, and here's what they found using an 81-grain JSB pellet. The reservoir was filled to 3,000 psi for this shot string. The ending pressure was 1,900 psi: Shot 1: 897 Shot 2: 908 Shot 3: 903 Shot 4: 892 Shot 5: 882 Shot 6: 876 Shot 7: 864 Shot 8: 848 Shot 9: 833 Shot 10: 817 Nosler make a special 145 gr bullet for this gun, I have not seen exactly what it does ballistics wise but it has to be slower than the above 81 gr pellets. I do know that larger game animals such as hogs have been taken with the Benjamin-Nosler combination.

"And hopefully that $1295 compressor or the $3000 one are not essential accessories" Doc, I have a Benjamin Marauder 25 cal PCP rifle, it is remarkably accurate and I use the Benjamin hand pump to charge it. I can tell you if any amount shooting is done I get one heck of a workout. Once one settles on a load and just use their rifle in the field for hunting the hand pump alone will work just fine. Sitting at the bench and plinking and firing away a few hundred shots will get old in a hurry with the hand pump. The side benefit would be the user would have arms looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in short order. As for power the current 35 cal Benjamin Bulldog has enough power for Deer hunting with proper bullets. The thing is ballistics show it would not even be as powerful as a 9mm or 38 special handgun round. I am sure with the right bullet and shot placement both the 9mm and 38 special will kill a Deer but most hunters would probably not be in favor of using those calibers. There are larger calibers available but I do not know much about them but pumping them up with a hand pump will not be fun. Al

Pygmy I believe that you are pretty much on the mark when you say back in the 50s and 60s and probably even a little earlier the trend when it came to shotguns was leaning toward 5 shot repeating pumps and autoloaders. I know as a young fellow I would not even give a double a second look, I thought they were ugly, clubby and outdated relics compared to a nice new Browning auto five or a Remington 1100. That was util I became educated on the double and found out first hand what a wonderful versatile hunting weapon they could be. I purchased an Ithaca 280 English 20ga (Actually made by SKB) back in the late sixties and it has been my small game hunting partner since. Skyrocketing prices and being a little light in the wallet kept me from getting any high end stuff but over the years I did manage scrape up enough dough to swing a CZ 28ga Ringneck and a like new LC Smith featherweight 12 ga, I just love using and carrying those guns. Al

Here in NY State some of the very best American firearms were produced at one time. Remington Ilion NY the oldest gunmaker is all that is left and for how much longer who knows. Remington also owns the Parker name and produced Parker doubles into the 1940s. The Parkers along with the Winchester model 21 are considered by many as the creme of the American doubles. The also produced a pretty good double of their own. Ithaca gun, Ithaca NY the producers of the famous model 37 pump, the Flues and NID and an entry level Lefever doubles, the Mag 10, the model 51 auto and the single barrel trap. First brand new gun I ever purchased was an Ithaca Deerslayer. Ithaca Classic Doubles Victor NY wonderful and ornate doubles based on the old NID. Lefever Arms Syracuse NY, produced beautiful sidelock doubles. Savage Arms Utica NY, My Dad worked there before, WW2. They produced the famous model 99 lever action rifle and also fine AH Fox doubles and the entry level Stevens B model. Baker Shotguns, Batavia NY produced sidelock doubles such as the Black Beauty and Leader, fine mid priced hunter's shotguns. LC Smith Fulton NY, fine sidelock doubles in many grades were produced there until the late forties along with and entry level boxlock. The Elsie sidelock is one of my favorites. Except for Remington they are all gone now but certainly not forgotten as they were some of Americas best and made right here in NY.

"The Painful Truth" Ain't that the truth! Al

Almost always what you are describing is some sort of problem with the magazine. If it only happening after firing the gun I would suspect that the recoil is causing the magazine to move out of it's correct position inside the gun. Could be something to do with the latch that locks it in place when it is inserted into the rifle. Al

One of my favorite spots to hunt Snowshoe Hare back in the late sixties early seventies. The Town of Steuben was nestled quietly in the center of the State of New York and remained calm and peaceful until the New York State Police set up a command post in the town garage, enlisted the help of U-2's, helicopters and a Military Police Battalion to scour the remote, wooded terrain, looking for bodies. It was unsettling for the locals, usually proud of the community named after Baron Von Steuben, a trained Prussian staff officer, requesting his military expertise to assist our country in the Revolutionary War. Few enjoyed the excitement, others felt violated and invaded. Potato Hill would be forever referred to as "Murder Mountain." Before the year ended three bodies would be discovered in shallow graves and a neighbor would be arrested for murder. The landscape changed forever. This is a true crime story, concluded by a guilty verdict that followed the longest and most expensive trial in the 200 year history of Oneida County. During the four months of trial, 260 prosecution exhibits, 125 defense exhibits, 69 witnesses for the prosecution.

Welcome to the sport of hunting and congratulations. Try some small game hunting too, it can be a lot of fun. Al