steve1

......................................................................... Reloading may be difficult for an auto. If the case doesn't meet a minimum size it is likely to jam up. Many people won't shoot reloads in an automatic for that reason alone. I used to neck size only for my bolt action rifles. The case will fit the chamber better that way. It will work fine for a time or two. Eventually the case will get too long to even close your bolt on. I full length resize all my brass now. I hate having to force my bolt closed. I don't want it to happen when I'm hunting. Most people who compete in bench rest competition neck resize only. I've never drilled my flash holes to a uniform size. This can make a difference though. Weighing your cases, as John mentioned, is a good trick for tight groups. Some people say there is a difference in primer brands. Mine all seem to shoot about the same though. Maybe I need to test this more closely. Consistensy is the key. It can sure take a long time to load a box of shells if you do all this. I'm a control freak on some of this. It pays off in tight groups and super accuracy. But then again how much accuracy do you really need for hunting? A rifle that groups two inches at a 100 yds is probably plenty good enough. Most of my hunting rifles with the right reload will shoot under 3/4 of an inch at that range. A long shot is where accuracy pays off.... For 1,000 yard competition this is important. I'd like to try that some day....

..................................................................... There's some really nice custom rifles out there, that shoot really well. Kimber is one of my favorites. It's also unreal the price you have to pay now days for a custom rifle. You can customize a rifle yourself, and end up with a gun that shoots just as well. It may not be quite as pretty though. Some off the shelf rifles shoot better than others. Remington and Savage are two good ones. I have a feather-weight Winchester which also shoots extremely well. Some guns you can customize all you want and they still won't shoot worth a darn. You need a good barrel and action to start with. I usually end up buying a Remington rifle and then doing quite a bit of work to it. When I was a kid you could buy a Remington 700 BDL for around $135. I'm not sure why they cost so much now. Most of them are very accurate right out of the box. I float the barrel down to where the chamber area, about the width of a thick piece of paper. On a slim barrel I might experiment with a shim under the fore-end of the stock. Mine shoot better that way. For an average barrel, I'll leave the whole thing free-floating. Glass bedding the action area can make a big difference. I usually use a kit from Brownelle. I used to adjust my own triggers. I usually send them off now. This can be tricky, and I really didn't know what I was doing. You really need a light crisp trigger for accuracy. Too light can be dangerous. Putting a good scope on your rifle can make a big difference. I usually put a Leupold II on. Leupold III are even better, but they cost a lot more. There are many other good quality scopes. You usually get what you pay for. Don't waste money on a cheap scope. Handloading is a key ingredient. Most rifles shoot best with a particular load. Or you can experiment with a variety of factory loads. I usually start out light, watching for pressure signs. Usually one load will shoot better than the others. You need to be very scientific on this. Use a good bench rest with sandbags. I usually test loads at 100 yards firing fives shot groups. There are many tricks to getting the right load. Seating the bullet at just the right depth from the lands is a big trick for accuracy. You can't get that with factory ammo. Seat a bullet too far out and you won't be able to close your bolt. Or you can end up with a bullet stuck in your chamber. Not a good situation for hunting. When everything comes together, all this is worth it. It's rewarding to end up with a rifle you can drive tacks with. You could write a book on all this, and I know this is oversimplifying things. This is basically what I do. There's lot's of people who know more about this than I do. I'm still learning how to accurize a rifle....

The M-14 is a good weapon. I never could figure out why anyone would want to shoot it on full auto though. I'd heard that the muzzle had a tendency to rise up, so I really leaned into into it. (This is the one and only time I tried it on full auto.) The third or fourth round were pointing well into the sky, because their was no way to keep the barrel from rising up. We had synthetic stocks on these, and they were somewhat lighter than the standard wood stocks. Your first shot was on the money, and the rest might have killed some ducks in the sky, but that would be about it. Using full auto seemed like a waste of ammo to me. There was no way to control it. To tell you the truth I enjoyed firing an M-1 Garand more than the M-14. I'd hate to pack a garand around all day, but they were nice to shoot. They were heavy enough, not to kick too bad. I liked the balance of them, and most were very accurate. I'd also take a military peep over buck horn sights any day. Again that's my opinion....

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Those pictures bring back a lot of memories. One of the big problems with RW, back in the day, was the exit. Usually they were really strung out. You might be last out, and then barely be able to see the star building, way down there. And that might be on a four way attempt. Every jump you got great swooping practice, but often times messed up when you got there....

reply] That was something that occured to me ... altho' kind of the inverse in lieu of the discussion on rapid cooling w/water or other method. What alloys (?) are most gun barrels made of? To what temps do they get during firing ... and, speculatively, would multiple, rapid cooling cycles induce micro-fractures? (Or is the adiabatic cooling during normal use a greater change in temperature?) VR/Marg ........................................................................ I've wondered about that myself. I've only read one article on that. Most people don't do that when shooting off a bench. It didn't help my group sizes, so I'd say...using a wet towel might be a better plan. I read another story of an old elephant hunter in Africa. The government was very unstable. Some people burned his house down with his rifles inside. He dug what was left of them out of the ashes. He said the temper in the steel was not affected by the heat of that fire. He restocked them and put them back into use. I don't know if they were truly unaffected by that heat, but that was the story he wrote. If that is true, a little water on a barrel that is a tad hot, probably wouldn't hurt. But to tell you the truth, I'd like to learn more about this myself....

I can only imagine how hard it is to shoot iron sights at 1,000 yards. It would take a bionic eye to line things up right for every shot. Your front bead undoubtedly covers up an awful lot at that range. I'd want to put a scope on with fine crosshairs to really test your rifle and ammo at that range. But then again, if you are shooting competitively that would put you in a different class. Putting a wet towel over the barrel sounds like a good trick. I read somewhere, where one guy poured water down his bore to cool it, when it heated up. I really hate waiting around between shots for my barrel to cool. I figured I'd give it a try. After every couple shots, I'd get up and spill some water into the chamber to cool things down. Yes, it was messy. And guess what, my groups were getting bigger. I think the big problem with all that is that once my rifle is nestled in it's sand bags, I don't like to move things even a bit, until that group is done. I want everything the same with every shot. I'm sure you know all this already, John. I glass bed all my hunting rifles. It can make a big difference. Brownell's has a good kit for that. You really need to follow the directions though, or you can have an action permanently stuck in your stock. The M-14 is a good weapon. I'd never been around one until phase 1 of S.F. training. I slept with mine for over a month at camp McKall, back in 1970. Every night it went into my sleeping bag with me. One way of getting kicked out of that training was to lose your weapon, or have it taken.....

In the military we trained with a British FN, a little. We were told they were a good weapon. That's about all I know....

The farthest target I've ever shot at is about half the distance you are shooting, John. So, what do I know. Barrel temperature is important though. I've never got good accuaracy out of a hot barrel. I usually fire a shot or two to get it warmed up and then let it cool down between shots after that. The wet towel, might be worth trying. Some barrels are kind of finicky if they get dirty. I wouldn't expect problems unless you are firing thirty rounds or more. I've never experimented with Sierra bullets much. The most accurate I've tried is Nosler Ballistic Tip. They are similiar to a hollow pt. You don't want to hit much bone with them because they are so fragile, so they aren't the best for hunting. I also shoot Hornady Hollow Pt. Match bullets in my 22-250. They are super accurate. I need to get out and do some more experimenting. I'd like to try some Barnes X bullets. I'm getting really rusty, and some of my rifles are getting dusty from sitting in the closet....

I'm not really sure what a FN FAL is. Is it similiar to a British F.N.? Whatever the weapon, I'd say it is shooting very well. I know many bolt action rifles that can't group much better than two or three inches at 100 yds. I wouldn't expect this kind of accuracy out of just any automatic rifle. It's good you are experimenting with five shot groups. Many people shoot three shot groups, and their tight group might be luck. A five shot group that is tight, takes an accurate weapon, the proper ammo, and skill by the shooter. I sometimes shoot four shot groups, just because I get tired of waiting for my barrel to cool down....

There's a lot to horse training. I learn something new every day. I'll admit I sure don't know it all. Many people are going to mules for riding and packing. They have a calmer disposition than a horse. I like a horses personality more though. Other people are using draft cross horses. They too are bred for their calm disposition. I've seen a lot of horses that might not ever be good in the mountains, because they are just too high strung. I owned a Clydesdale once. What a calm animal! I'd get him all tangled up, when I skidded logs with him. He'd just stand there and wait for me to get him out of that mess. At lunch time, he'd stick his big ole head in the truck and beg for part of your sandwich. We even packed him in the mountains some. I sure hated to sell him. He was like part of the family.....

My first three hundred jumps were in the little red log books. My scribbling was so tiny that it may not post very well....

QuoteHorses are quite skittish in general about most things; it is their nature. Just being ridden, without guns blazing, takes a good amount of training. Even well-trained horses often retain certain skittishes. reply] ................................................................... It's easy to forget how dangerous horses are. Even a well broke horse can do you in, in the right circumstances. I've known a couple experienced riders who've had a horse roll on them, killing them. My wifes cousin was kicked in the chest by a bronc and it killed him. There are probably zillions of people who have been injured messing with horses. They may not be quite as dangerous as skydiving, but I've heard they injure more people than motorcycles.....

When we were kids we used to laugh at all the cowboys who were chasing someone and firing right over a horses head. Even then we knew that a horse would be deaf in short order if you tried that. Ever get your head too close to a pistol or rifle muzzle when it goes off? Normally your ears will ring for hours after. But you could train a horse to be shot off of, if you pointed the muzzle away from it's head. Starting off with a 22 and working up to a bigger gun might be smart. Most people I know Wouldn't shoot off the back of one, but it has been done. A rodeo buddy of mine shot a nice bull elk from the back of his horse. He fired once, and his horse didn't do much. It's hard to hunt off horse back though. I had a nice bull standing in the trail once. I got off my horse, pulled my rifle out of the scabbard, and by then the elk was gone. I often thought I should have shot off that horses back. Another time three bear were running up the side of the mountain next to us. An old sow and two yearling cubs. I jumped off my horse, and fired three times hitting the big sow. Then I had to go catch my saddle and pack horse that went galloping a half mile back down the trail. They wouldn't have stopped then but my Dad had two horses they missed. Yes, this sort of thing will usually scare your horses....

Like most honest gun owners, I wonder how long we'll have that freedom in the U.S. It seems like every day there is a new shooting in the papers. I know this is a constitutional right, but how long will it be until the only gun you can own, might be a pop gun. In Washington D.C. they already have laws like that. I don't think that even the NRA is going to be able to stop what is coming. The way I see it, the real problem is over-population. The more people there are, the more nut cases you have shooting people. The more people congesting an area, the less freedom a society has. Look at the freedoms people had when our country first started. If you wanted to go dump your garbage in the river it was probably okay, because there wasn't enough garbage to do much harm. Look at the number of laws back then compared to now. A huge difference. With more people come a truck load of new restrictions. And then there are those who believe our growing population is not a problem. So, my opinion is, How long will it be until we lose our right to own a gun legally? I think it's coming. I'd like to hear your ideas on this?....

1969-75, S.F. weapons sargent. I was in a National Guard unit in Montana most of that time. Spent about a year at Polk, Benning, and Bragg in training. The next five years were pretty much of a joke with my Guard unit....

The media should report what happened. They should not report the shooters name, background, motives, pictures, writings, etc. This just further 'glorifies' this kind behaviour to others in the same position. I am not saying that the gorvernment should have no say in this...government censorship of the media is a very very slippery slope. A self imposed blackout by all the major media outlets is what is needed. Reporting this kind of information should be considered harmful and discouraged, not a good scoop or exclusive information. ............................................................ I agree...This is a big part of the problem. How many other nut cases are thinking of doing the exact same thing. Glorify what they do in the media, and the problem is likely to get worse! Suicide is often copied by others if enough attention and glory is heaped upon the one who did it. The same goes for murder....

.............................................. Those were the days. The Golden Knights and Jerry Bird were on top. I wish I'd saved all those old Parachutist mags. Even poor college students could afford to jump back then. I ordered a new para-commander and super pro harness and container out of a Parachutist Magazine in 1973. I too will enjoy this web site....

What scares me is that probably most of the people leading our country believe in devils, miracles, angels, and supreme beings who can do magic. I just hope they are thinking rationally the next time they decide to go to war with another country....

- every single teacher has a freedom to choose how they teach; as long as the teaching includes the stuff from national and city curriculum. reply] ..................................................................... In America, teachers no longer have that freedom. For reading and math, you we have scripted lessons. If you vary from the script, even a little, you can be brought in on the carpet in front of an administrator. It doesn't matter if your entire class just doesn't get what you are teaching, you must follow the script. You can't slow down to give them the help they need or do something different. If your class already understands their lesson well, you must follow the script. You can't move ahead, even though that is what should be done. If you have a better idea on how to teach something, you can't use that. The script knows best. If the script asks you to teach something that doesn't even make sense...that is too bad. You still are mandated to follow it. If the script asks you to do something you are totally uncomfortable doing, you had better do it. The script might ask you to suddenly sing and dance around the room. If that is what the script says, you must do that or face reprimand. This is what "No Child Left Behind" is doing in your school today. I wonder why Robots aren't used rather than teachers. When I was teaching, you had a couple of formal evaluations a year. Since I am part of a failing school, we might be evaluated every other day. And guess who is paying for all this micro-management? The plan in our school now, is to hire a specialist to come in and teach us how to teach to the test. If we can pass a test, we can get some of these Idiots off our backs. Aren't you glad you're not a teacher?....

Testing is something that has been done forever. I'm not saying it is all bad. It is important to find out how an individual student is doing, as well as how the school is doing. But why do we need more and more tests? Kids are being pulled away from their studies for days at a time to take still another national test. The latest fad is to test kids more often, and somehow that will make a difference. It's kind of like a farmer weighing his cows more and more often. As if somehow that will produce greater weight gain. I really can't see the purpose in it. Testing will pin point schools or students who are failing. But it would be nice if politicians could look at those results and then come up with a plan that would help. Dumping all the blame on educators is ridiculous. Yet, that is what is being done. How is firing capable teachers and administrators going to help? Sure they can get someone else. Maybe they could hire someone who knows how to do a better job of cheating on the tests. Maybe a principal could encourage all his staff to cheat. (That is often done in schools today.) Then everyone will be happy, including the politicians. Everything will look great on paper. The only one being left out of this loop would be the poor student who still has plenty of problems. There are educators and schools that need improvement, but the problem goes far beyond that. If you had a medical problem, would you go to a carpenter to find out what to do? Schools in America are having problems. So, why do we turn to politicians to decide what to do. Wouldn't it be smarter to ask a group of professional educators what they think, and maybe listen to their ideas. It seems that politicians are listening to other politician (wind bags) and then drafting crazy ideas into law.... Thanks for listening...Just my 2 cents worth...

Probably the greatest influence on a student is the home he or she comes out of. If it is unstable, dysfunctional, abusive, neglectful, etc., those kids almost never do well in school. I work in a public school like that Many of our students have severe brain damage because their mother chose to use alcohol and drugs before they were born. Some are traumatized beyond believe on a regular basis. And guess what? Most all of these kids are doing poorly in school. You could send them to a private school, and the result wouldn't be any different. If the public schools are doing well in Finland, that says a lot about the average family there. I'd bet, parents are doing a better job of raising their kids there, than average parents in America. Sure the structure of the school makes a difference too, but there are bigger factors to consider than just looking at the school system. Isn't it time that some of the short sighted politicians, in America, start looking at what the problem really is? Passing legislation like "No Child Left Behind" sounds wonderful, but the fact remains that it isn't helping. In some cases it is making the problem worse Many educators are getting out of the profession because teaching is now filled with so much Bull Shit! They are being micro-managed on a regular basis. Kids are not getting what they really need much of the time, because there is so much pressure and time being spent studying for the damn national tests. It doesn't matter if your students have brain damage, or if they are emotionally scarred, or if they came out of an impoverished environment with little help, support, or stimulation. They have to perform as well as other students in America or the staff in your school can lose their job. Or your school will be shamed, by publishing your test scores in the media for all to see. Did you know that teaching ranks as 2nd most stressful job anywhere. Then add on all the "No Child Left Behind" crap. Then try teaching in a middle school at a tough school. Damn! How to teachers deal with all that. I'm really glad I'm a counselor and don't have to teach anymore. I couldn't do it. And what should be done to correct this mess. Cracking down on abusive, dead beat parents, would be a good start. I call Social Services every week in cases dealing with abuse and neglect, and little is done. The courts here are almost worthless. I work on an Indian Reservation in a remote area. Maybe the situation is better in other parts of America, but I wonder about that too. Inner city schools aren't doing much better. In many cases, things are worse there. I think one solution would be in teaching parenting classes in schools. The next generation of parents may not have a clue how to be a functional parent, when their time comes to raise a kid. This problem goes from one generation to the next, and the problem is getting worse. At any rate, thanks for listening to me vent!....

Long...22 ammo, is shorter than 22 long rifle. The case is shorter. I'd bet your rifle is made for 22 long rifle only. When we were kids we'd occasionally shoot 22 long or even 22 shorts. They won't feed properly in many actions though. There is also less powder in a 22 long than a 22 long rifle. This might mean less pressure to blow the action all the way back, in order to feed another round.... My 10-22 is very reliable. It might jam though, when it is very dirty or if it is way below zero. If the rifle is new, it probably isn't dirty, but it could be. Use some solvent on a rag to clean things up. A drop or two of oil may help too, as long as it isn't too cold of a climate. Oil can freeze up. It also collects dirt. But it can help an automatic quit jamming (in some cases). 10-22's usually don't jam though. They perform pretty well when dirty. So, I'd look at your ammo or magazine. If all else fails have a gun smith look at it. Some are better than others though. I've taken guns to be fixed, paid a good chunk of change, and the problem still exists. So find a good gun smith.

The woman in the news article is undoubtedly a bit off. But she does have a point. What direction are we headed on Planet Earth? It doesn't look too rosy to me. Huge problems, that we are faced with daily, are simply the cause of overpopulation. Yet there are still those who think it's okay to have huge families. There are still churches advocating no birth control. None of that makes sense to me! We could all cut back on things, in an effort to save our resources. There's no doubt most of us consume a hell of a lot in America. But that won't help much if our population keeps climbing. I don't want the government telling me how many kids I can have. But if people aren't smart enough to do it on their own, maybe that is what will happen next..... Or we can wait for for starvation, disease, and war to bring our population down....I suspect this is what will probably happen. I'd sure like to think we were smart enough to change that. I'm sure an opinionated, depressing, old bastard, aren't I. But I don't think I'm too far off on all this...

I'm getting to where I really enjoy horses. I'm breaking a two year old right now. I'd could always use some more advice. I'd like to raise some mules also. They make super pack animals. They just don't have the same personality of a horse though...