airedale

The "Safe Act" on steroids, this is the plan of attack on how the Democrats plan on getting around the Second Amendment. The NRA has been reporting on these proposed Democrat firearms implementations-regs for a long time, the Dems were once sneaky about it but now they put it right out there for all to see. Hate to sound like a broken record but all one has to do is take a look at what has happened in Democratic controlled California, this stuff has already started there. Bottom line is to make firearm ownership so burdensome with red tape and regulation it will be like trying to get a handgun permit in NY City. Al

I am assuming this statement is some kind of sarcastic joke. Very very few hunters put enough rounds through the barrel of their hunting rifle to cause any significant throat erosion. I own a battery of high velocity varmint rifles that I have shot a lot of ammo through both in developing loads and at varmints. I pulled out my 50 year old 220 Swift (one of the supposedly most notorious barrel burners of all time) awhile back and touched a few off just for old time sake, she still printed groups well under an inch after having shot many many rounds. I dug out one of my favorite books (Book Of The Rifle)written by Jim Carmichel, competitive shooter, gun builder, hunter and Outdoor Life gun editor for many years for some words of wisdom. "I get scores of letters from readers asking how long the barrel will last on their hot new hunting rifle? My standard answer to these inquiries is that if the reader shoots every day of the year year in and year out, he can start worrying about his barrel in about 20 years." A 220 Swift fan himself he stated "I have owned Swifts with tough American barrels which have upwards of 5000 rounds through them with no loss of accuracy." Harvey Donaldson a shooter and wildcat cartridge developer (219 Donaldson Wasp) told Carmichel he owned one of the first Winchester model 70s chambered in the Swift. After 10000 rounds it was still nicely accurate. His secret he said was keeping the barrel clean. Barrels thought to be worn out after a good scrubbing with bore lapping paste can be brought back to life for many more years of accurate shooting. ====================================================== I agree totally with Steve's quote below. "Folks don't get a deer consistently because they don't know how to hunt, can't shoot, don't have patience and many other reasons. None of which have to do with developing loads. " ================================================================================ So say just for laughs so if a hunting rifle did have some throat erosion and it's groups doubled in size from say 1 1/2 inches to 3 inches that is still plenty accurate enough for Deer hunting. I killed a ton of Deer years ago having to hunt with a smooth bore shotgun firing foster slugs that would be doing good to hit a paper plate with at 100 yards.

Last hunting season I was under the weather with the Lyme disease and did not put in much time shooting or hunting. Feeling half way decent this year so I have been able to do some of the things I like. Have been messing around with this Crockett Squirrel rifle quite a bit this Summer and Fall getting some experience under my belt so I thought I would do an update on how things have come along. I have changed out the rear sight for the third time because of the high front fire sight and the multiple loads and different projectiles I have been using caused problems getting me on the money by not having enough adjustment. Had I just stayed with patched round balls there would have been no problem. I really want the little maxi balls talked about earlier in the thread to shoot well because they change the whole character and effectiveness of the rifle. For plinking, targets or Squirrel hunting patched round balls are fun to shoot, reasonably accurate with approximate power equivalent to hi speed 22 lr ammo but woefully inefficient ballistically at longer ranges. The 110 gr Maxi Balls on the other hand turn the rifle into the equivalent of the old 32-20 cartridge, a huge upgrade in both range and killing power. Turns a short range Squirrel rifle into a rifle capable of taking game as large as a Coyote out to 100 yards or so. As mentioned in another thread I was also having ignition problems with the 777 fff using stiffer loads, this powder is harder to ignite and is not recommended for use in sidelocks because of that characteristic. To get around that problem I have found by changing the nipple to a Hot Shot, using magnum Winchester 11 caps along with keeping the loads mild the reliability has been good. Finally got to do some actual Squirrel hunting, picked off a half dozen so far this season and I can say it was not easy, it is not the gun, the accuracy is well within angle of Squirrel group wise on a target. It is my old eyes (I have the start of Cataracts) having a hard time with the open sights drawing down fine on a small target like a Squirrel at longer distances making for a fuzzy sight picture, I have to get close. Game with a bit more size like a Woodchuck or a Fox inside the rifle's range limit would be not so much a problem I think as I can hit those size targets on my range pretty good yet. Anyhow damage is about the same as a regular 22, the slow projectiles do not expand much at all if any on a Squirrel. With Deer coming up I am pumped and hope to do as well with the TC Cherokee. Al

What do we have here? "Catchemoney" Another fake hunter that so far has only trolled in the board's politic forum, time to start canning these trolls!! Al

Mine main concern for prep is to have "ALL" my hunting clothes treated to repel ticks. Al

You did well in my opinion, a classic style bolt action rifle with a walnut stock based on the venerable Howa action. Congrats! Al

Just want to add, check out ebay if interested in a purchase, you can not wear these things out and a good used one will save you a good chunk of change. Like I said there are plenty of you tube videos showing how to use them. Al

The Bullworker is nothing new, these things have been around since I was a kid, they are still here because they work. The are tons of videos online to watch to show how to use these things and you can do a complete body workout if you desire. I got mine years ago just for something to exercise with because I do not have a lot of space, the conditioning for archery was a welcome side benefit. Al

I have mentioned this before, one of the best things to do to stay in bow shooting condition is the old Bullworker exercise device. It is easy to use and a person can duplicate and exercise the muscles required to draw and shoot a bow sitting on their couch. I am an old man almost 72 years old and I can still draw all of my bows with no problem with some set at 70lbs. Now I can not say for sure it will help with rehabing an injury but if used properly will positively condition and strengthen those muscles utilized for drawing a bow. I have mine sitting right here next to my desk and pick it up all the time and just do a few reps, it really works. Al

Hell my mind way made up a long time ago, I did not even bother to watch the circus of a couple of knuckleheads in a pissing match. The mud slinging debates are pretty much what I see right here every day and plenty for my stomach. What I pay attention to is the party conventions, that is where the cat comes out of the bag revealing the party platforms and policy, they give me all the information I need to know of who stands for my way of life, and confirm where my votes are going. Al

While I am not personally familiar with this particular rifle but I do know Tikkas are a quality firearm and usually very accurate with the right ammo. The rifle looks to be a fast handling lightweight sporter made to carry so for me I would stick with the theme of the rifle and go with lightweight mounts and a lightweight compact style scope. For my serious firearms I look for reliability and a company that has been around and has a track record, there are several reputable scope companies out there that make good stuff. For the moderate ranges I mostly have run into Deer hunting here in NY I favor a 2X7 and am especially fond the the Leupolds in that power. 2X7 power and field of view covers a wide range of hunting situations for big game from shorter range woods hunting to dealing with long shots in open country. Never owned one myself but I can see the 6,5 Creedmoor has attained a very good reputation in a relatively short time as both a target cartridge and a fine midsize game cartridge. Good luck to you for what ever route you decide to go and hopefully you will come out of the season with a successful hunting tale to tell. Al

There is nothing like small game to introduce and start a kid on hunting especially Squirrels as they require many of the same basic skills used for Deer hunting which will be useful if interest takes hold. The big difference is in a good Squirrel woods there will be action and less chance of getting bored. Al

Yes they are cheap Chinese items pricewise but they do look great for someone that just wants decoration. Al

I use packed hay bales for a backstop but I also have a heavy rubber cow mat hanging off the back, that will stop anything I have. Al

Now that is a great idea. Al

The kind of reply I expect when having to face the truth, nobody is forcing anyone to read what I post. I will continue to post on this board the way I always have, thank you! Al

Just making pertinent information available Al ============================================================== Anti-Hunting Politician Targets Lead Ammunition in New York Posted on May 6, 2019 New York Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick (D-Greenwich Village) has introduced Assembly Bill 703, which would ban the use of lead ammunition while hunting. The legislation will receive a hearing May 7 in the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. The hearing is to take place at 11 a.m. in room 623 of the Legislative Office Building in Albany. Take Action Today! New York sportsmen and women should contact their state assembly member and ask them to vote NO on AB 703. Members can contact their assembly member by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance’s Legislative Action Center. “The anti-hunting lobby uses many strategies to eliminate hunting,” said Luke Houghton associate director of state services for Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Sometimes they use an outright ban on hunting, as Assembly Member Glick has already proposed this year in New York. But other times, the anti’s use burdensome regulations that drive up the cost of participation. That’s clearly the case with AB 703 since the science doesn’t support a ban on traditional ammunition.” Shaky science that begins with a bias toward lead ammunition has pushed the narrative in headlines and among environmentalists and animal-rights activists that spent ammunition is to blame for the decline of scavengers, notably the California condor. The reality is, none of the science conclusively points to spent ammunition as the source of lead toxicosis. In fact, per the Washington Times, emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act in 2014, which were buried and delayed by the Obama administration, found little change in the levels of lead in condor blood tests, despite a 2007 ban on lead ammunition in California’s condor zone. Other studies extrapolate data of unrelated species and apply it to condors, which is actually noted in the study but is usually absent in news stories and propaganda disseminated by environmentalists and animal-rights organizations. Further, according to the 2017 Annual Population Status released by the Department of Interior, of the 17 wild condor that died, lead toxicosis was the cause for five mortalities. Six deaths included drowning, electrocution and anti-coagulant poisoning. Since 1992, of the 290 condor deaths, only 76 have been confirmed as lead mortalities. Meanwhile, 123 deaths are unknown, with predation and electrocution accounting for another 45 deaths. And, to despite fearmongering by anti-hunting groups about the use of traditional ammunition, multiple studies confirm there is no risk to human health from traditional ammunition. Hunters rely on traditional ammunition because of its affordability and reliability in the field. If sportsmen are forced to buy more expensive ammunition, it will result in fewer hunters in the field because alternative ammo is substantially more expensive. Ironically, a ban on ammunition containing lead components would actually harm wildlife because the resulting decrease in hunter and shooting participation would mean far less funds available for wildlife conservation programs. About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for the diagnosis! Have a good day. Al

If it is shallow of me to do everything I can to preserve the traditions of shooting, hunting, fishing and trapping in it's current state I gladly accept! Al

Thanks, that confirms to me I am doing my job! Have a good day. Al

Again I want to reiterate, all of this lead ammo ban business has already been taking place in Democratic run California. Anyone truly interested in what the effects have been need only do a simple search and go to the California versions of this hunting message board and get the information straight from the people that are dealing with these laws. Al

I understand your frustration, when the truth is exposed and you get caught and have no answer you resort to deflection and name calling! Al

From Europe where they are also trying to ban lead ammo. Where does lead intake in the human body really come from? Based on the available data, the EFSA concluded that the main lead intake contribution “is provided by products based on cereals (16.1%), milk and dairy products (10.4%), non-alcoholic beverages (10.2%), vegetables and their derivatives (8.4%), water (7.0%), alcoholic beverages (6.7%),” adding that “consumption of game meat with high lead concentration does not significantly change the total intake” . Is consumption of game meat with high lead concentration dangerous? According to scientific studies, drinking tap water for a week is just as “poisonous” as eating the most “lead contaminated” food in Europe. Moreover, two Swedish qualified researchers reveal that eating 3 kg of wild boar meat – one of the most “lead contaminated” food in Europe, with a content of 4,7 mg. per kg as a result of the use of lead in ammunition – is “equivalent to the exposure from one week consumption of tap water respecting the lead limits defined by EU Authorities” . Exactly: drinking tap water for a week is just as “poisonous” as eating the most “lead contaminated” food in Europe . We will allow you the pleasure of discovering many other studies and researches on that website telling the truth about lead in ammuniton. By this do we mean that lead is healthy and there's no problem at all? No. We simply affirm that science is one thing, and ideology is another. It's the same difference between a demonstrated risk and a crusade. As we already stated, alternative materials for ammunition look worse than better, while the attempt by the EU Commission and ECHA has the potential to completely stop the use of shotgun ammo in hunting and seriously affect all shooting disciplines as well. And above all, do you really think that after banning lead in ammo, they will stop there? In conclusion, we want to leave you with this quote from the website leadinammunition.com “Although the use of lead in ammunition is already highly regulated and its proper management in hunting and shooting sports minimize possible negative impacts on environment and health, it is very often subject to systematic requests for replacement with alternative materials, especially by non-governmental organizations, national and international political groups, as well as international conventions aimed at protecting the environment and animal species. 'LEAD-FREE' DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN 'PROBLEM-FREE'.”

LEAD AMMO PETITIONS ANTI-HUNTERS PETITION TO BAN LEAD-BASED AMMUNITION Anti-hunting activists, cloaking themselves as conservationists, have been working at the state and federal levels to reduce sport hunting by seeking a ban on the use of lead-based ammunition. Leading the “Get the Lead Out” campaign is the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a radical animal rights group that falsely portrays itself in television ads as a mainstream animal care organization.1 In early June 2014, HSUS, along with eleven other organizations and five alleged hunters, filed a fifty-page petition with the Department of Interior (DOI) requesting that the DOI promulgate a regulation stating: “The use of nontoxic ammunition shall be required when discharging any firearm on any land owned, managed, administered, or otherwise controlled by the National Park Service or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” The petition is available at: http://www.fws.gov/cno/es/CalCondor/PDF_files/HSUS-Petition.pdf. HSUS incorrectly claims that the ban on lead-based ammunition will affect 160 million acres of public land managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Actually, the NPS manages 84.6 million acres while the FWS manages 96.2 million acres (mostly wildlife refuges) for a total of 180.8 million acres or about 7.5% of the national acreage. The other anti-hunting wildlife organizations that signed onto the petition were The Fund for Animals, Defenders of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, the South Florida Wildlife Center, the Chocolay Raptor Center, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, the Northwood Alliance, and the National Wolfwatcher Coalition. The petition is crammed with pseudo-scientific statements, junk science, and citations to studies that showed higher lead levels in consumers of wild game killed by lead ammunition as well as raptors that supposedly feed on gut piles. Yet there is no documented case in this country of a hunter or anyone else dying or becoming ill from eating game killed with traditional ammunition. The Iowa Department of Health has tested blood lead levels of residents for fifteen years; if lead in venison was a serious risk, it would have surfaced by now in the 525,000 youths and adults that have been screened. Although studies by North Dakota and Minnesota found elevated levels of lead in the blood of persons who ate venison killed with traditional ammunition, the North Dakota study also found that “some individuals with substantial wild game consumption may have lower blood lead levels than some other individuals with little or no wild game consumption.” In short, the study was inconclusive for showing that game killed with lead ammunition constituted a public health danger if consumed. Other studies have found hardly any lead content in whole pieces of meat as compared to ground meat. When the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services released the results of its study in 2008 regarding human consumption of venison, it could only conclude that there was an “indeterminate” public health hazard from the harvest of 500,000 deer because elevated blood lead levels had not been confirmed among consumers and the measured lead content in venison varied greatly. But that did not stop the agency from recommending a transition to non-lead (often referred to as “green” or “non-toxic”) ammunition, despite the lack of strong evidence proving a threat to public health. In 2009, the Toxicology and Response Section of the Michigan Department of Community Health could not “conclude whether eating lead-contaminated venison in Michigan could harm people’s health because it is difficult to predict the impact of eating lead-contaminated venison on a child’s blood-lead level without knowing what other lead exposures a child may have.” (Emphasis added) In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in 1989 that “ecause of industrialization, lead is ubiquitous in the human environment.” One study discovered that the average blood level of 14,000 tested Americans was 2.58 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, whereas 10 mcg/dl for children and 25 mcg/dl for adults is considered high. In the North Dakota study of persons who consumed game killed with lead-based ammunition, no one tested higher than 10 mcg/dl and the average was 1.27 mcg/dl, according to the CDC. It is not too much of a stretch to interpret the Michigan study as suggesting that elevated lead levels in condors and bald eagles might not be solely caused by ingesting bullet fragments or lead shot, if any. To support their emotional case, anti-hunting organizations invariably showcase a photo of a prostrate bald eagle, with rumpled feathers, allegedly dying of lead poisoning. Then they claim that the iconic birds’ survival is severely impacted by lead-based ammunition. Yet the FWS has stated that breeding pairs increased by 724% between 1981 and 2006. Moreover, bald eagles are no longer listed as an endangered species. Scientists who have argued for banning lead-based ammunition have merely assumed, not proved, that elevated lead levels in raptors were caused by ingesting bullet fragments and lead shot from dead game. After all, lead is a natural part of the environment. Thirty-three hunting, shooting, and conservation organizations subsequently addressed a letter to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell on July 23, 2014, that stated several points repeated in this paper. The letter concluded by calling the HSUS petition “quite simply an attempt to drive hunters, and subsequently recreational target shooters, off of Federal public lands. It is unnecessary, has no basis in sound science and should be rejected by the Department.” Make no mistake, HSUS’s main goal is not to protect wildlife but rather to end hunting. Twenty-four years ago, HSUS president and CEO Wayne Pacelle, while director of the Fund for Animals (with which HSUS later merged), declared, “We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States. We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state.” (Full Cry Magazine, Oct. 10, 1990). The regulations sought by HSUS would actually reduce wildlife and their habitats through the loss of license fees, and 11% excise taxes on firearms and ammunition (which have so far raised over $7 billion in support of wildlife conservation since enactment of the “Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937) because many hunters cannot afford the non-toxic ammunition. According to HSUS’s playbook entitled “The HSUS Lead-Free Campaign: A Strategic Offensive to End Suffering and Destruction Caused by Lead Ammunition,” the organization has “intentionally chosen to concentrate first on banning the use of all lead ammunition for hunting in California and pursuing a ban on federal lands owned by the Department of Interior in order to build momentum for the campaign and to spur change within the various ammunition manufacturers and state wildlife agencies.” The HSUS petition did not arise from concerns about public health safety or wildlife health. Its genesis resides deeply in the HSUS goal to eliminate hunting. In 2007, with the use of flimsy studies, HSUS persuaded the California Legislature to pass the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act that requires use of non-lead rifle and pistol ammunition when hunting big game in areas used by the California condor in southern and central parts of the state. In 2013, the legislature amended the Act to phase out all lead ammunition by 2019 for hunting any wildlife in California. The draconian ban has never been supported by any scientific evidence showing that the levels of lead found in condors or dead bald eagles resulted from ingesting lead bullet fragments or shot contained in gut piles. Gun rights and hunting groups have attacked the California law as an effort to ban hunting. They have been vindicated by the revelation that FWS’s California condor recovery coordinator, John McCamman, withheld release of the agency’s 18-page report, “California Condor Recovery Program, Project Update and 2011 and 2012 Lead Exposure Report” until after the legislature passed the final version of the bill on September 10, 2013. The report showed that there had been little change in the condors’ blood levels despite the 2007 ban on use of lead ammunition in condor areas. Trying to salvage the Obama administration’s lack of transparency, an FWS spokesman, Scott Flaherty, said, “It’s a scientific fact that lead poisoning is a leading cause of death in condors.” While that may be true, a plethora of California condor studies have not established as a scientific fact that the source of the birds’ lead poisoning is traditional ammunition. As shown below, the HSUS petition is not the first attempt of anti-hunting groups to severely restrict hunting by making common types of ammunition unavailable and requiring hunters to buy expensive alternatives, a situation that would force many hunters to forego hunting altogether. Indeed, surveys by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that 36% of California hunters stated that a ban on traditional ammunition would cause them to stop hunting or hunt less because of the increased cost of alternative ammunition, thereby causing a loss of jobs and state and local tax revenue. There is also no alternative ammunition available for about half of the calibers used by hunters. In March 2012, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and other groups filed a 107-page petition with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate lead bullets and shot used in hunting and shooting sports (target, trap, and skeet shooting) as well as fishing sinkers under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which, the CBD well knew, exempts ammunition. A few weeks later, without bothering to print its response in the Federal Register, the EPA rejected the petition because it was substantially similar to another CBD petition filed in August 2010 that the EPA had quickly denied for lack of jurisdiction. When the CBD challenged the EPA in court, the judge mainly dismissed the appeal because the U.S. Supreme Court, in City of Arlington, Texas v. Federal Communications Commission, had held in May 2013 that courts should give an agency broad deference to determine its jurisdictional authority. Although the EPA has not decided whether to deny the 2012 petition’s request to ban lead fishing sinkers, it denied a similar petition in November 2010. Less than a month ago, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission rejected, by a 5-1 vote, a petition by an anti-hunting activist and part-time raptor rehabilitator to ban use of non-toxic ammunition by hunters. The petition based its arguments on the raptors admitted in the past year to a facility run by the Birds of Prey Foundation. It offered no evidence of collateral damage to the state’s wildlife populations caused by using traditional ammunition and, of course, underestimated the effect of such a ban on access to affordable ammunition. The majority of the petition signers were non-residents. The HSUS petition, relying on emotional arguments and sketchy studies, is a backdoor attempt to persuade the Department of Interior to indirectly curtail hunting on public lands. While various state agency studies have found elevated levels of lead in persons who consume game killed with traditional ammunition, no state or federal agency, including the CDC, has documented a single case of illness or death linked to lead poisoning caused by eating such meat. If the petition is granted, it is only a matter of time before the HSUS petitions for the same restriction on all 500,000,000 acres of land (one-fifth of U.S. surface land) managed by the DOI. It would heavily impact Nevada because the BLM manages almost 48 million acres in this state, or about 68% of the total acreage. HSUS is in this fight for the long term. So should be hunters and the real conservationists. * * * * * * * * * * The DOI was scheduled to take action on the HSUS petition by November 1 but, as yet, no decision has been reached. If you want to protect your hunting heritage and rights: (1) call the Department of Interior at (202) 208-3100; (2) e-mail the DOI at [email protected]; or (3) mail Secretary Sally Jewell, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240, and ask the DOI to deny the HSUS petition. 1 HSUS staff and state directors attend state wildlife agency meetings and, HSUS claims, serve on state boards and commissions. It is an effective organization, having won 30 of its 42 ballot initiative campaigns. HSUS has enormous, mostly liquid, financial resources of over $200 million. Yet less than one percent of its budget is donated to local pet shelters, far less than it funnels into its pension plan. Still, a majority of Americans believe that HSUS is a pet shelter umbrella group that contributes most of its money to local organizations that care for dogs and cats. With so much money available, HSUS cannot be outspent but it can be defeated, as shown most recently in its unsuccessful campaign to effectively end bear hunts in Maine by bankrolling (with $2,500,000) a ballot initiative that, if passed, would have outlawed the use of dogs, traps, or bait.

Congratulations, I have spent a lifetime around Hounds and they hold a special place for me. I have owned and hunted several Coonhound breeds and never had the pleasure owning a Redbone but had the next best thing as one of my hunting partners ran Redbones. I also have on DVD one of my favorite movies "Where The Red Fern Grows" a movie that features Redbones. I have believe female Coonhounds have one of the most loving and sweetest personalities of and breed of dog and I am sure your pup will bring you many years of happiness. I recommend getting some good obedience training and a secure area when she runs loose as the one thing there is about Hounds is they like to follow their nose and it can take them to parts unknown. Al