steve1

Well said! Having the right weapon can be critical, but so can being aware of a threat, and having a plan in your head. You must also have the courage and determination to implement that plan, if needed. Colonel Grossman was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his book "On Killing". Most of his book discusses the origins of violence in America. If you haven't already read it, I'd recommend it. Grossman is a Psychologist, and former Army Ranger. He once taught at West Point. According to Grossman, people can be categorized into three groups. Either Wolves, Sheep, or Sheep Dogs. The wolves are the bad guys. People who prey on others. They may be socio-paths, or nut cases who have no remorse when they kill you or hurt your family. Let's face it, we live in dangerous times. The situation is not getting better. The sheep are those who think the world is a safe, wonderful place, filled with good people. They deny that there are evil doers in the world, those who might want to take your life, or hurt you bad. The sheep have rose colored glasses on. They do not like anyone who has a weapon and is willing to use it (for even defensive purposes). They feel there are no need for weapons. After all the government will keep you safe. It is easier to stay in this state of denial than take the time and effort to look at the real dangers in the world. Then their are the sheep dogs. The military and law enforcement are examples of sheep dogs. Since they have teeth and are prepared to use them, they are not trusted by the sheep. Yet the role of sheep dogs is to keep the sheep safe. They would give up their lives in protection of the sheep. Much of the public is becoming increasingly aware that we live in a world filled with dangerous people in it. They are not willing to become victims. They are not satisfied to remain a sheep. They buy weapons, because they are thinking people, and they want to be able to protect themselves and their families if threatened. They know that law enforcement or the government is not always there when you need them for help. Wouldn't it be awful if your family needed help, and you were unprepared.... So, the question is, what are you? I think America needs more sheep dogs.

Buying pistols is a lot like eating potatoe chips. It's hard to be satisfied with just one. There's a lot of people on here who know a lot about guns. I've got a lot of valuable info. from them. I have a Glock 26 that I like a lot. The more I shoot it the more I love it. It's a bit big to conceal, and I often don't pack it around for that reason. I picked up a little .380 Ruger LCP a while back. I love that pistol too. It fits in a back pocket, similiar to a wallet. You forget it is there. It's very accurate and easy to shoot....I know this is a mouse gun, but I'd bet, it's big enough to save your bacon, in most scenarios. I'm thinking about buying a Sig. in 45 caliber next. It's big enough to kill an elk or a bear, if the bullet is placed right. I'm thinking of packing it in the back country. Maybe a revolver would be better for that. I already have a couple of those. I might add, that I recently bought a book, that I would recommend. It's called "The Modern Day Gunslinger". It's probably no substitute for training, but it would help a lot. It's written by a former Navy Seal. It's not a book, just for beginners. Experienced gun owners would learn a lot from it too. Forty years ago, I was weapons specialist on an A-team. We trained with lots of weapons....Everything from sub-machine guns to 4 deuce mortars. I don't remember ever picking up a pistol though. We shot some shot out 45's in infantry training, but that was about it. I know I have a lot to learn when it comes to combat shooting with a pistol. Thanks to all that have given me help with this!

] The issue isn't that you are poisoning the pheasants that you shoot. It isn't lead poisoning that kills them, you know. It's that Condors eat carrion that has lead pellets in it, and the lead accumulates because it isn't expelled from their system. Neither do they spit out the lead pellets like you do. I think the issue is that many people think that lead is an evil thing, and that it is causing trouble everywhere. I've never seen a California Condor in Montana. I don't think they migrate here. Lead can cause problems with waterfoul. That is why hunters can's use lead for ducks and geese in Montana. So, my point is that lead bullets and shot are not causing problems in most states. It is being monitored carefully by Fish and Game professionals who care about the future of wildlife.

I thought I'd try to lighten things up a little here. I really don't want to get into a pissing contest with anyone, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents worth. We shoot lead bullets and shot all the time in Montana. It isn't really causing much of problem here, and most people don't worry about it. I've been told that steel shot doesn't shoot near as well as lead, and is hard on your gun. Every pheasant hunter I know shoots lead on pheasants. It's still legal. For water-foul you can't shoot lead....that's the law. I've experimented somewhat with copper bullets in my big game rifles. They are expensive. Some shoot very well. Some people are starting to worry about eating a big game animal that has been shot with lead bullets. I've done that for years. I don't know of anyone who's suffered any ill effects from it. Some times you spit out a piece of bone or lead. If you butcher carefully, that won't happen. When we were kids we'd eat pheasants and ducks. We'd spit out lead shot all the time. When I fish, I still bite my lead sinkers with my teeth. Maybe I need to rethink all that. So, far I can still think pretty well....but there are those times when I can't remember what the 1st point is on a twenty way. I wonder if that means anything?

A couple guys in our club had one shots. It was my understanding that if you jerked the covers down, it would cut you away. The thought of that scared me. Yep, I'm a "Wuss". I was happy and safe with my shot and a halfs. I used to put my arms out, and try to sit up, to soften opening shock. My para-commander often had slammer openings. One day I had a really fast, hard opening. My arm tore the cover open on my shot and a half, on the right side. I kept thinking....man I'm glad I didn't have one shots! That would have cut one side away. I looked up to people who jumped pig rigs with one shots. They were brave soles in my book.

I called my daughter last night. We discussed the malfunctions on my Glock. I told her about what can happen by limp wristing an automatic. She said that made perfect sense. She said she was trying different techniques to try and shoot more accurately. She said that she was not holding the pistol firmly at all. So, that had to be the reason for the stove-pipes. Thanks for your help! I learn a lot from you guys.

I remember a friend that fell like a ton of bricks. He had never been pinned. I was determined to give him his first hookup. I slammed into him like a freight train, face first, but I did catch him. Of course it was all his fault.....I couldn't face the fact that I came in way too hot. At any rate my nose bled all the way to the ground. I got blood all over the reserve I borrowed from B.J. Worth. I don't think B.J. was too tickled with me. I don't remember anyone getting nocked out, but it was close at times. No wonder there weren't any old jumpers back then....

^^^^^ THIS! Skydiving in the 1970-80's was much more expensive. Jumps in 1977 were $1/ 1000 plus a $2.5 usually 7500'. so $10. That was 35 years ago which would put the price today at $35.00 A used P.C. was $400-$500 so $1600 today USED. . I guess I disagree with this. In 73 I bought a new para-commander which was state of the art then. The price was very close to $300 for that. For jumps we paid $3.50 to eight grand, out of a Cessna. Some jumps in other places were cheaper than that. A jump from a twin beech or DC-3 was about twice the price of a Cessna jump. Around $7.50 in 73. A first jump course was $50. which included about a full day of training and your first jump. Even a starving college kid, could afford to jump then. I really think that the cost of jumping is keeping a lot of young people on the ground, in today's world.

I got my SCR and SCS on the same weekend in about 73 or so. I sent in all the info. to Bill Newell but I forgot to send the money with it. A couple of weeks later I openned the letter saying that I had forgotten to send the cash.....but both my SCS and SCR patch were in that envelope. I don't know if I've ever been prouder of anything. I wore both those patchs for years after, on my jump suit. I later sent the money to Bill. It was nice of him to send everything without getting the cash first.... Later in life I wrote Bill a letter talking about a big star we built back in the day. He wrote back and said that he always enjoyed talking with old jumpers. Our Sport will miss him. I wish I could have met him in person. He had a big heart.

I went out shooting with my daughter over the weekend. My little .380 shot malfunction free. I really enjoy shooting that little gun. My Glock shot malfunction free. My daughter had a couple of malfunctions with it. At first I thought it might be getting a little dirty. I've ran a couple hundred rounds through it, since buying it. I think she may have had a couple stove pipe malfunctions. She cleared it before I could check. I'm wondering if she may be limp wristing the gun, and possibly that caused the stove pipes. It was cheap Winchester FMJ ammo. It works well when I shoot it. Any thoughts on this?

You'd probably end up shooting somebody dressed up as Big Foot. I thought that would make a great joke to dress up like that....then I figured that also would be a great way to get killed. Here on the Rez people talk about seeing and smelling Big Foot. Goat Man is also seen here. He's supposed to be half man half goat.

29 years is a long time, but you'd be surprised how you never forget many things....like how to fall stable. I quit for twenty years before coming back. My first jump I fell base for a five way. Everything went perfect. The gear and skills are way advanced from what they were, but it's still the same great sport. Welcome back! That reminds me, I need to get back in the air. I haven't jumped in about three years....That's a long enough break.

I'm surprised that this is the first fatal attack by a bear in that park. There are Grizzlies up the Kazoo there...

That would probably fit down one pant leg if you had really baggy pants. Think of the fire-power you could deliver with a weapon like that.

I thought I might add, that I found a good way to pack my Glock 26. I bought a cross draw holster from Bianchi. It's the sky cop model. I like the idea of having the muzzle pointing away from me. It seems handier to draw...to me, particularly from a seated position. A conventional draw, from you right hip, might be faster, but I like this better.

When I was just starting int the sport (in the 70's), I read Parachutist from cover to cover. There was picture after picture of this tough looking Army sargent named Thacker in almost every issue. I found out later that he was a Green Beret, Golden knight, etc. etc. I figured that someday, I'd like to meet him. I'm sorry for everyone's loss.

The 50's were way before my time. I do remember RW in the mid 70's. The formations we built then were puny by todays standards. I remember my first three way like it was yesterday. These two guys came flying in out of nowhere and grabbed onto me. That was the first time I'd seen anyone in freefall and it blew my mind. I was hooked. All I could think about was skydiving and jumping again. I worked all summer to buy a new rig. A new red para-commander and super-pro main container. This was state of the art back then. My hero's were people like Gene Paul Thacker. He was in nearly every parachutist you'd read. Of course there was the great Jerry Bird. He was building world record "Stars" with twenty some people. One of my instructors was B.J. Worth, but that was long before he got famous. We'd jump twin beeches and DC-3's. Some formations were hard to see if you were out late. You learned to track down quickly or miss out on the fun. Most anyone could afford to jump back in the day. You didn't have to be rich. The training and gear was easily affordable. Nobody had automatic openners. Over the years you lost friends who burned in. That was no fun at all. Being young and tough was an asset. Landing a round on a windy day weeded out the less hardy. I think there might have been a greater since of comradery and respect then. The old salts helped the new jumpers learn. Most weren't too good to jump or hang out with newbies. The new gear and skills people have now, would put us all to shame, back then....but to tell you the truth, I think jumping back then, may have been more fun!

I learn from you guys about pistols. A friend of mine bought one of these for his wife. He liked it so well, that I figured I'd buy one too. Most all the reviews on them were positive, that I looked at. It's very easy to conceal. It feels like a wallet in your back pocket. My Glock was kind of on the fat side. I figure a gun won't do you much good if it's left at home when you need it. I haven't shot a lot of really small pistols. Most are very inaccurate and kick too much. I know a .380 is a puny cartridge, but it would be a lot better than nothing. The sights are very small, but I was impressed with how accurate it was. The recoil wasn't bad at all....I kind of wished I had this pistol in 9mm. The wife even enjoyed shooting it. I loaded it up with some cheap FMJ Winchester ammo. Everything was going great....and then it jammed. The case was stuck in the chamber. Finally the ejector grabbed on and pulled it out of the chamber. A few clips later, I let the wife shoot it. She pulled the slide back....but it wouldn't fire. Upon inspection I found the slide was not fully locked forward. I wonder if she only partially pulled the slide back before letting it go. So, just when I was starting to really love this little pistol, I'm still wondering about how reliable it is. I thought I'd try some different ammo. I'm wondering if some autos take a while to break in. What do you think of this gun?

Gee Whiz Pat, you've done a lot of cut-aways! We used to practice a far amount on a suspended harness with shot and a half's. I never had any trouble with them releasing. We used two shots when static line jumping in the army. The ones they had forty years ago looked a little different than the ones in the pictures. I knew some jumpers, in the early 70's, who had one shot capewells. I was wondering what you thought of them?

Congratulations Bill. It took a lot of fortitude to do that...."You're the Man!"

I agree that guns can be useful last resort home defense weapons. So what are the first resort weapons? Harsh language and a cell phone? Real estate - put as much of it as possible between you and trouble. If you are alive to hear someone calling you a coward as you put distance between you and them, you are doing something right. Any time you have to resort to force of arms of any description, you are already in pretty deep kimchee. If there are three of them and you dispatch two before they kill you, do you win? If you put yourself and/or your family at risk in order to duplicate some Hollywood scenario, you have not thought things through. An armed conflict is a crapshoot, and it is ill-advised to bet the ranch on a single pass - regardless of how well you think you have the dice loaded in your favor. Two of the primary rules of combat are: A) Know when to get out of Dodge. And B) Know HOW to get out of Dodge. If you respond to a perceived threat by withdrawing and calling the Cavalry, your odds are about as good as they get. Making split-second life-or-death decisions within seconds of being awakened is an scenario you want to avoid. The cell phone is great for calling in reinforcements once you have reached safety. Whether the problem is an intentional home invasion, a drunk coming "home" to the wrong address or an unexpected family member, you are much better off getting clear and having a trusted LEO sort things out (as a homeowner where I live, one gets the benefit of the doubt - that is hardly universal). If you EVER have to pull the trigger in an armed conflict, trust me, your life will change irrevocably, so I advise doing everything possible to exercise every other available option first. BSBD, Well said Winsor! Winsor

My first big game rifle was a Winchester 94 in 30/30. It was short and made a good saddle gun. I shot my first deer with one when I was 12. A couple years later I bought a bolt action in 30/06. I never looked back after that. This new rifle was a vast improvement for big game. I'd hate to try stopping a charging brown bear with an ought six. There are much heavier, and better rifles for that. For most big game hunting in Alaska, and old 30/06 would work fine. It has a shorter barrel and moderate recoil, and less noise, when compared to the big magnums. You can buy ammo about anywhere. Granted it would be very light, when hunting big bears, but I'd bet you could kill a big brownie easy enough if you had 220 grain bullets, and used good shot placement. I killed a bull moose once in Montana, with my old 30/06. I was using 150 grain Nosler partition bullets. 180 grain would have penetrated better. The bull was looking at me from about 100 yards. I knelt down and hit it high in the chest. The bull went down like it had been pole-axed. The bullet may have hit the front of the spine. At any rate, after I fired, my rifle recoiled, and the bull was gone. I walked over there, and could smell this big moose. Then I looked down and saw this big black animal about the size of a small horse. They are much bigger than an elk. It was stone dead. If you are hunting caribou, you don't need a big magnum. Again a 30/06 would work fine for that. A buddy of mine was a bush pilot in Alaska. He did stop a charging grizzly with his 338. He used that rifle for everything. If you can shoot a big magnum well, that might be a good gun for you. I just don't shoot a big rifle as well as a smaller one. Another friend is a fishing guide in Alaska. I asked him what gun he hunts with up there. I expected him to say a 338 or something big. I couldn't believe his reply. He said 25/06. He even hunts moose with it. That gun seems way to puny for that, but I suppose it could be done, if you load the right bullet, and have exact bullet placement. Exact bullet placement isn't always possible when you are hunting. Jack O'connor shot a couple of different grizzlies with a lowly 270. He's the kind of hunter who could pull it off. He said he shot through both sides of those bear. I think we can all agree that a 270 isn't big enough to hunt Griz with. I'm a firm believer in using a big enough gun. I'd say that a 30/06 would be very marginal on big bear but would work fine on smaller species. Loading the right bullet is critical. You want a bullet that will hold together, penetrate deeply while expanding enough to blow a big hole,,, but heavily constructed so it won't blow up on bone. There are a lot of good bullets on the market these days. If you use that 44 magnum on charging Grizzly or Brown Bear, you might want to save the last bullet for yourself. There's lots of better guns for hunting Alaska. Just my two cents worth...

That may be an old joke, but I never heard it till now. I got a good chuckle out of it. My concealed carry permit arrived in the mail recently. I also own about 15 other guns. I guess that makes me a coward in the eyes of most gun-o-phobes. To tell you the truth I don't really give a rip!

I really admire what you are doing. I went into education thirty some years ago, with plans of teaching in Alaska. So far I never made it up there to work in a school, but I have made several trips up there to hunt, fish, and enjoy that great state. I'd recommend a bigger gun. A 338 magnum is really popular up there. Most of them kick like a mule though. I'd take a 30/06 if you were to pick one gun. It's a light gun for big Grizzlies, but it would probably work (with heavy bullets) for even big bear. A 180 grain bullet would work fine for everything from caribou to moose. Bush villages can be scary. Hide your guns or lock them up well, so noone can steal them. I wish you luck!

I'll be thinking of you, on Aug. 5, Think it through Bill. If you can pull it off, that would be great. Getting all busted up, wouldn't be worth it. You've already proven that you've got more guts than any of us. It might be good to stay on the ground, if it doesn't feel right.....Best of luck!