airedale

Pretty cool ain't it, I once saw a photo of a woman with a nice Buck she took that was totally black. Having raised all kinds of livestock for many years every now and then I will have some sort of genetic mutation pop up with an odd color or look, it is interesting stuff. Hunting I have shot a couple of Jet Black Woodchucks and may get a crack at a Jet Black Squirrel this season as I have seen at least three different ones while Deer hunting Al

I have some lighted reticle scopes and red dot sights but I am not crazy about using them on any of my serious hunting firearms, always have the fear-phobia of a dead battery or electrical failure at the moment of truth. I have to say they have been totally reliable up to now. My red dot sights are used mostly for target shooting. The one exception is my dedicated coon hunting rifle, it has a Japanese Thompson Center scope with a lighted reticle mounted on it, works great when trying to get a bead on a Coon up in the top of a tree in total darkness, have used it for many years and it has never let me down. Al

When I got started with shooting and hunting rifle scopes were starting to come into their own as reliable sighting options over open sights. The reticles of the day for the most part were just plain crosshairs, either fine or heavy and as time went on the scope companies came up with new and innovative reticle designs and styles. Through the years I owned scopes with many of the new reticles, some pictured below and for the most part they all do their job. For me my favorite remains the duplex style, it is tough to beat for hunting. I also like a dot reticle sized to match what the rifle is being used for. All and all I like to keep things simple with not a lot of clutter in my sight picture for hunting guns. Al

I heard the party of banning is now looking to ban Gortex fabric in NY, it does not biodegrade over time so it is a hazard. Al

Someone is always looking to build a better mouse trap, Beretta is making another attempt to market a straight pull bolt action rifle, one can be yours for around $1600.00. Savage brought one out a few years ago and it seems to have fallen by the wayside, if they were smart they should have reintroduced the Model 99 lever action instead in some modern cartridges like 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08. Will have to see how Beretta's move pans out over the long haul, to each their own, but for me it lacks appeal. Al

Looks like you had a great day Charlie. you are making me jealous. Al

The rubber finger cots do a good job, have never had a problem myself in damp or snowy weather but to be perfectly honest I have never hunted with any of my muzzleloaders in a downpour. Al

I have used both a revolver (Colt Python)and rifles (Marlin 94 & Henry single shot)chambered in 357 mag to hunt and take Deer, my ranges have been around 50 to 100 yards. All ammo was handloaded and my favorite 357 bullet weight is 140 grain either a Speer HP or Hornady XTP. There is a substantial gain in performance when firing a 357 cartridge out of a rifle, a well placed shot out of either revolver or rifle gives good results and a clean kill. Al

It is that time of year for me, "tinker time". Around twenty years ago I purchased a CZ 527 223 at the Syracuse gun show. It is a beautiful rifle that has a great trigger and drives tacks but the one thing that bugged me was it's bolt handle. The design made it impossible to mount a scope low, the handle when lifted and pulled back would hit the rear of the scope, the scope had to be mounted with high rings which worked but had my head off the stock. So I came across an outfit called Glades Armory and they produced an aftermarket handle for the 527 of the tactical design with the length and bend to clear low mounted scopes. I sent for one and changed out the stock handle with their tactical handle and "bingo" problem solved and the 4.5x14 Burris Timberline sits where it belongs. The handle works great but I was up in the air on the look, as time went by I came to really like this tactical style a lot. So much so that I changed out the handles on my two rimfire CZs, a 455 and a 452 even though their bolts cleared the scopes. They are a great option for a CZ owner, I like them better. Al

Back when I worked in the gun buying and selling business one could buy a black powder handgun without a permit. It could be done because of museums and gun collectors that owned these guns never have any intention of loading and firing them, also there was no records of any such weapons being used for holdups or shootings. Actually firing and using one was a whole different matter, if there was any intention of firing the gun or using it for hunting it had to be on a permit, you could not possess the firearm along with caps, balls-bullets and powder. That was then, what we have today I do not know for sure, especially with this Governor we have now. Al

You can field dress a Dinosaur with that knife, I have two of those Woolrich coats and they are my all time favorite pieces of clothing for cold weather. Spent many a day from sun up until sun down in my PA Tux suits hunting snowshoe Hare with Beagles on snow and temps in the teens and always stayed warm and dry. Good luck on your hunt. Al

The fowl are pretty much grown up now with the exception of the Belgian Giant Fighters which take almost 18 months to attain their full size. Took a couple of photos of the morning feeding with the Soay Sheep. Also a photo of "Kevin" my Varmint-Hawk guard, he has done a good around the clock job keeping them away with no problems with aerial or ground varmints. Weather is starting to get pretty cold I will have to put a coat on him.

Have a good one young feller!!

The Red Ryder is a classic for sure, and that Bino harness really work and wears well, I love mine. Al

I have myself purchased muzzleloaders and had them shipped to me with no problem. The exceptions are gun frames that can be interchanged with regular cartridge barrels like the Thompson Center Encores and some CVA muzzleloading rifles. Those have to be purchased the same as a modern firearm through an FFL holder along with the background checks. Al

You will get the usual "ho hum" complacency from most of the hunting community, The "I don't do hunting contests so this law does not effect me." There will be a day coming when these knuckleheads will wake up to what hunting they have in Europe or worse and will have only themselves to blame. It has already taken hold in California. Al

Am I surprised? Not in the least, every single animal rights-anti hunting group is affiliated and embedded in the Democratic party's politics and platform. They are not just looking to end hunting contests, they want to shut down hunting period and are working hard at it every day and successfully chipping away. Al

Good advice wolc, I do not think there is enough emphasis talked about here about the importance of diet and good physical condition. There are many hunters that keel over in the woods every year from lack of taking care of their health. Al

I have been using one of these harnesses for a good long time, I have found them to be the best when it comes to dragging out a Deer on my own even as an old geezer, and they do not cost much. Al

Personally I think the 7mm-08 is a wonderful Deer hunting cartridge and it checks a lot of boxes, I do not have one but all the parameters and the actual hunting use of many hunters point to it as being very effective. I do have experience with 7 mm cartridges, one of my favorite rifles is chambered in 280 Remington, a couple of ticks up in performance over the 7 mm-08. I have killed a bunch of Deer with that rifle and also several Moose. I refrain from using the term the best because there are so many different ways and techniques to hunt it would be hard to actually prove. What may work out to be the best for me might not be so great for a hunter that hunts differently. These days the cartridge-gun choices have never been better, let the good times roll. Al

The Democrats creed "cheat and change the rules in your favor", they make me puke!! Al

Powder Valley has these German large rifle primers in stock, get em while you can. Al

A few weeks back I tried to buy a box of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo for my new rifle, the price was decent, problem was they only had one person trained and qualified to do the ammo background check horse shit, and he was not going to be at work until late in the afternoon. I bought a box somewhere else to get me started, thank goodness I handload. Al