That sent chills up my spine.

But I tend to read between the lines. ; )

4i's          
Siloam Springs, AR, USA - Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 00:55:16 (ZULU)

There are 80 MILLION gun owners in America.

Someone should read between THOSE lines.  :0

chuck Hunt          
Spring Branch, Tejas, USA - Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 02:50:49 (ZULU)

Fabrique National.

Thinking about a FNAR in 308. Anybody handled or own one?

Gary Kaney          
Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 12:59:35 (ZULU)

Chuck Hunt          
Spring Branch, Texas, USA - Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 22:00:59 (ZULU)

Checks and balances.  What a fantastic concept.

Les          
USA - Friday, January 27, 2012, at 01:46:58 (ZULU)

I put a scope on one for a buddy last month and sighted it in at 100 yards.  It's a heavy dude; but it shoots well.  It was only a 4x scope so I couldn't very well shoot any small groups.  As one guy said "It's a Browning BAR(not the full auto variety) on steroids.

Cheers,

Doc

Doc Holloway          
The muddy Ozark boonies, MO, USA - Friday, January 27, 2012, at 02:42:16 (ZULU)

Where/who are all these strict constitutionalists?  Right now Wall Street has both the Democrats and the Republicans in its pocket.

Gerry          
Newberg, OR, USA - Friday, January 27, 2012, at 03:46:20 (ZULU)

   I have two friends who each have FNARs both heavy barrelled.  I have to agree with Doc...they are very heavy.  My friends bought them at the same time and one shoots fairly well feeding it Black Hills match ammo  while the other only likes handloads (both shoot  175's).  Local gunshow had an overrun batch of them (that was the dealer's story) for about a grand.  A couple of years ago I picked up a DPMS LR .308 with a heavy stainless fluted barrel (24 inch) and a flat top for about $700 new from Kiseler's Police Supply in Indiana and I'm pretty happy with it.  The FNARs definitely feel very front heavy and shooting offhand felt a little weird.

Gerry          
Newberg, OR, USA - Friday, January 27, 2012, at 04:09:05 (ZULU)

Obviously, the answer is Ron Paul. Although as we've already seen by the Iowa caucus, the republicrat party is far too corrupt to allow the peasants to know the truth!

Interesting that Paul has received contributions from active military so far that is over double that of all other candidates COMBINED.

But that makes sense I guess.... they'd want someone who honorably wore the uniform and served his country - like romn-a-bamma (ahem!)

Say it loud, say it proud, none of us are Keynesians now!

Bravo          
Friday, January 27, 2012, at 20:05:49 (ZULU)

Yote          
Friday, January 27, 2012, at 22:08:13 (ZULU)

I've always said " Never say your sorry, it shows weakness"

Romney.

I'd like to sit down in a high stakes poker game with him. He difinately does not have a good poker face.

His staff helped draw up Obammer Care. He raised taxes by some 400% on firearms in his state. I fact Freedom Arms will not sale to his state becuase of the ridiculous testing requirments that he imposed.

Gary Kaney          
Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 12:24:25 (ZULU)

Vax/VMS/Fortran/C/DCL -- Geeze I do feel old - but @ least not alone anymore. I have alot of time with all those.  Current world is Linux/Shell scripts/Networks/Power/Cooling etc.  Heck - I still have a Vax/VMS workstation here @ the farm :)

Onward to 2012... I'm thinking for a start in Nov 2012- how about anyone but Obama - how's that!  

Time to hit the 'archive' button on this site and trim off the stuff back to Oct 2011.

Take care, God bless, Keep prayin' for the USofA!

Ken

Ken Hunter          
Northern VA, Near DC, USofA By Golly!! - Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 14:01:11 (ZULU)

Kat Girl          
Sunday, January 29, 2012, at 02:40:36 (ZULU)

Where you been hidin ?

Gary Kaney          
Sunday, January 29, 2012, at 10:59:22 (ZULU)

Still here.  I had a slightly difficult half year last year and wasn't shooting as much as I would like to have.  Starting again and trying to regain some skills which got rusty.  I did have a chance to take another adv. tac shotgun course and will be doing a couple of two day adv carbine courses in the near future. :)  I guess I've been lurking kinda

Kat Girl          
Monday, January 30, 2012, at 20:38:23 (ZULU)

http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/Snipers-Rule-1-22-2012.asp

Snipers Rule

by James Dunnigan

January 22, 2012

In the last decade, American soldiers and marines have greatly increased their use of snipers. This can be seen from the fact that the American sniper with the most kills ever, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, had 160 confirmed kills (and 95 unconfirmed). Most of these were achieved during four tours in Iraq. The previous record holder, with 109 confirmed kills, was Vietnam era soldier Adelbert Waldron.

Chris Kyle set his record in part because of the more aggressive use of snipers in the last decade. In that time, because of Iraq and Afghanistan, infantry tactics have changed considerably. This has largely gone unnoticed back home, unless you happen to know an old soldier or marine that remembers the old style of shooting. Put simply, the emphasis is on a lot fewer bullets fired and much more accurate shooting. Elite forces, like the Special Forces and SEALs, have always operated this way. But that's because they had the skill, and opportunity to train frequently, to make it work. The army and marines have found that their troops can fight the same way with the help of some new weapons, equipment, and tactics, plus lots of combat experience and specialized training. This includes the use of new shooting simulators, which allows troops to fire a lot of virtual bullets in a realistic setting, without all the hassle and expense of going to a firing range.

One thing that helped, and that was developing for two decades, was the greater use of snipers. Currently, about ten percent of American infantry are trained and equipped as snipers. Commanders have found that filling the battlefield with two man (spotter and shooter) sniper teams not only provides more intelligence, but also a lot of precision firepower. Snipers are better at finding the enemy, and killing them with a minimum of noise and fuss. New rifle sights (both day and night types) have made all infantry capable of accurate, single shot, fire. With the emphasis on keeping civilian casualties down, and the tendency of the enemy to use civilians as human shields, lots of snipers, or infantrymen who can take an accurate shot at typical battle ranges (under 100 meters), are the best way to win without killing a lot of civilians.

New sniper equipment has made a big difference. During the last decade the U.S. Army has issued several new sniper rifles. The M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper System) was delivered to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan four years ago. This weapon is not a big technological breakthrough. It is based on the older AR-10 rifle. The U.S. Navy had already been buying a similar weapon, the SR25 since the early 1990s. The SR25 was also known as the Mk11 Sniper Rifle System (SRS). These new semi-automatic sniper rifles are 7.62mm weapons based on the M-16 design elements. The basis for the M-16 was the AR-15, and a 7.62mm version of that weapon was called the AR-10. About half the parts in the SR25 are interchangeable with those in the M-16.

The Stoner sniper rifle achieved its high accuracy partly by using a 20 inch heavy floating barrel. The "floating" means that the barrel is attached only to the main body of the rifle to reduce resonance (which throws off accuracy). The M110 weighs 7.9 kg (17.3 pounds) in combat, and about 32 kg (70 pounds) with all components of the system. The M110 can use a ten or twenty round magazine. The 1.03 meter (40.5 inch) long rifle can have a 15 cm (six inch) tube attached to the barrel, which reduces the noise and flash made when the rifle fires, and largely eliminates nearby dust rising into the air, which often gives away the sniper's position. In the last few years, snipers have had the use of more powerful rounds (like the .338 Lapua Magnum and the .300 Magnum) and ever more useful accessories. Several sniper rifle models were modified to handle the longer range rounds.

Previously, many snipers have had success using tuned up M-14s (from the 1960s) as sniper rifles. While semi-automatic and rugged, the M14 wasn't designed to be a sniper rifle. The AR-10 was a better model for a semi-automatic sniper rifle, since it is inherently more reliable and accurate. As far back as World War II it was known that there were many situations where a semi-automatic sniper rifle would come in handy. But it's taken over half a century to solve the reliability and accuracy problems.

The M110 has largely replaced the bolt-action M24, and provided commanders with much more effective snipers. That increase in numbers (of snipers) and their effectiveness, has changed the look (less random fire from U.S. troops) and feel (the U.S. troops appear more in control) of the battlefield. It's also easier to spot the enemy. He's usually the guy firing on automatic. The fellows firing one shot at a time are the Americans, and they are usually the last ones standing.

rod regier          
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 01:13:58 (ZULU)

Doing a quick touch-and-go.  I'm glad to see youse gristly, cranky farts still above ground and kicking despite the Big C and the March of Time.  You get more prayers than you know -- God Bless You and your families.

I've sold my dependable Swarovski Laser Guide and moved on to the Vectronix Terrapin (the Pocket Laser Range Finder-05).  It is a true point-and-click that will range to around 2500 Meters (farther in good conditions) at half the cost of the older PLRF-10 (a wonderful piece of gear -- I coveted Kevin Mussack's and the one I got to borrow from work).  I can hit what I aim at to around 2 klicks, but I really need the laser or Google Earth to confirm my ranging at extreme ranges.

I finally got detachable box magazine bottom metal (welcome to 1999) for my 700V and promptly bought 5-shot AI mags and 10-shot Alpha mags.  Again, nice stuff.

I invested in a Redding UltraMag press and it has made .338 Lapua sizing a whole lot more pleasant.  The Giraud trimmer is the best thing for metallic cartridge reloading since the home reloading press.  Two RCBS Chargemasters have have speeded up .338 Lapua assembly line powder charging.

250 and 300-grain .338 Lapua Scenars and Match Kings will bend a 3/8" thick AR500 E-type at 500 Meters.  

Can anyone give recommendations on an affordable (not "Cheap"), capable, weather-proof hand-held PDA that can take Patagonia Load Base or JBM ballistic software?  I usually print out tables from the (free) JBM Ballistic before heading out to the desert to shoot.  I figure I should try to get a rig I can take with me.

The next investments will be a Kestrel 4500 and a Schmidt-Bender after putting on a new roof and truck bed (damn those low and narrow SHOT Show parking garages).

sinister          
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 05:25:08 (ZULU)

Picked up a FN SPR this past weekend that is set up for an Atlas Bipod.  I see the are a little pricey IF you can find one. Anyone have any dealings with these?

Gary Kaney          
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 12:29:43 (ZULU)

Yote          
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 14:00:48 (ZULU)

rod regier          
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 17:01:27 (ZULU)

Gary- Personally I'm not too fond of the Atlas. They are a "nicer" than the Harris, but don't seem as solid when in position IMO. I know others that disagree and shoot well with them so it's a personal preference I guess. I still like the plain old Harris swivel 6"-9" (BRMS) with a KMW Podloc.

MarcS          
South S.F. bay area, CA, - Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 21:22:23 (ZULU)

It's not intuitive, takes fine motor movement to deploy or fold, and the  locks for extending and collapsing can get sand, dust, or snow in them to prevent proper use.

sinister          
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 21:26:19 (ZULU)

Kat Girl          
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 22:21:57 (ZULU)

Pleasantly surprised me that they would book him.

$20K bounty on snipers by the other side...

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

http://www.amazon.com/American-Sniper-Autobiography-Military-History/dp/0062082353

Blurb:

"He is the deadliest American sniper ever, called “the devil” by the enemies he hunted and “the legend” by his Navy SEAL brothers . . .

From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan (“the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.

A native Texan who learned to shoot on childhood hunting trips with his father, Kyle was a champion saddle-bronc rider prior to joining the Navy. After 9/11, he was thrust onto the front lines of the War on Terror, and soon found his calling as a world-class sniper who performed best under fire. He recorded a personal-record 2,100-yard kill shot outside Baghdad; in Fallujah, Kyle braved heavy fire to rescue a group of Marines trapped on a street; in Ramadi, he stared down insurgents with his pistol in close combat. Kyle talks honestly about the pain of war—of twice being shot and experiencing the tragic deaths of two close friends.

American Sniper also honors Kyles fellow warriors, who raised hell on and off the battlefield. And in moving first-person accounts throughout, Kyles wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their marriage and children, as well as on Chris.

Adrenaline-charged and deeply personal, American Sniper is a thrilling eyewitness account of war that only one man could tell."

rod regier          
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 06:03:31 (ZULU)

Gary Kaney          
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 11:28:28 (ZULU)

Yote          
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 15:18:26 (ZULU)

http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/2012/01/were-looking-for-few-good-people.html

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

We're Looking for a Few Good People...

...for an episode of SHOOTING GALLERY filming the last week of February (27 Feb-1 March) in Texas.

Basically, you'll be teamed up with 2 other individuals (2 men; 1 woman per team) and given a barrage of training from 2 legends in the world of Special Forces...then the 2 teams will face off...the remaining team will then run a simulation against yet another legend in the Special Ops world.

You will probably "die!!!"

But you will have the adventure of a lifetime!

We'll have details on what you need to provide us on DRTV later today...

rod regier          
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 16:58:52 (ZULU)

Does seem like America's rural farm areas seem to produce a lot of the scout snipers and sharpshooters of the past. Probably due to the fact that young men from these areas have several years of practice on those who were taken from Urban youngsters.  Sgt. York, Murphy and Hatchcock just to name a few. Ed Kugar is an exception but it stands to reason that 6 weeks of Basic and even 6 months of Sniper training may not produce a shooter the quality of America's farm boys. Even Annie Oakley seems to bare this out just to keep this thought simple. When I was less than 10 years old it wasn't uncommon for me to shoot a running cotton tail rabbit or a 300 yard Jack. Hell, I thought everyone did it.  Throwing cotton bolls in the air on my way to get the cows for evening milking and watching them explode with my 22 shorts from my Marlin Mountie. I guess I thought everyone did that. Most of my school buddies could. Shooting ducks on the fly with our .22's was a Saturday venture because we couldn't afford shot shells. We spent many a Sat afternoon lying on our back shooting Hawks soaring overhead.  Nothing magic about it just didn't know we couldn't. I'm always amused at Hollywood cause the Hero is always Ex-service Beret of something. Not that a lot of us didn't train and shoot better after we made it to the range but those early years of conditioning made a difference. I hunt with someone occassionaly that will caution me not to shoot because he's moving. I usually don't shoot and laugh a little under my breath. Just my 2 cents.

Before someone nails me.... I'm not against training or instruction but somewhere sometime the first guy had to learn it on his own. M

Yote          
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 17:07:50 (ZULU)

Yote          
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 22:28:31 (ZULU)

no issues.

It's a pretty fair bet that someone who grew up in a rural environment with a rifle in their hands has the opportunity to be a more proficient marksman than someone who lacks such opportunities.  Natural talent will only get you so far, repetition of the right skills will advance you further.  I would suspect that a lot of the people recruited into today's services have had little to no exposure to the principles of marksmenship (formally or informally) before they joined.  That's probably why some of the more proficient snipers come from a background of field shooting and woodcraft.

You had an interesting childhood, Yote.

rod regier          
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Thursday, February 2, 2012, at 16:46:41 (ZULU)

Rod and Yote:  I just heard an interview with a Scout/Sniper instructor where he was saying that generally the country boys were better behind the trigger and were better woodsmen than the kids from the city, but the ones from the city got really good at the ballistics part of the course and any technical info or gear.  Interesting and makes sense.

btw - when I was little, because I wanted to shoot doves in our neighborhood but wasn't supposed to, I learned to hide deep in a room facing the back yard.  Take off the screen and open the window only a crack so the pellet or CB cap wouldn't be as loud outside :)  me in 6th grade.  It's a sure sign of a twisted mind huh?

Kat Girl          
Thursday, February 2, 2012, at 20:28:37 (ZULU)

Dats cool.

Roger that Rod.

Yote went a lectronic Yote call. Made by Primos. Nice little critter getter called "Alpha Dog". Nice n' loud for this desert country. I was having next to no success lately and thought I'd just try one. Not much luck but it sounds real good.

Allows me to set it away from the hide and remote. Since we lost most of our cover out here it should work. Not too many dogs I suspect hound hunters got most of them due to the low cover. Not many cattle/calves lost lately

Yote          
Thursday, February 2, 2012, at 21:53:46 (ZULU)

Kat Girl          
Friday, February 3, 2012, at 23:32:00 (ZULU)