1994 Flash Back NRA Advertisement in the February Issue of North American Whitetail Magazine

I came across an autographed North American Whitetail magazine with a photo on the front cover of Milo Hanson's world whitetail deer. The record whitetail was taken on November 23, 1993 in Saskatchewan. His trophy exceeded the previous record held by James Jordan. Jordon's buck scored 206 1/8 pts and the Hanson buck green scored around 213 to 214.

Milo was at the Sportsman Show in Syracuse, NY in Feb 1994 and I obtained an autographed magazine with his photo on the front and got to talk with him for a couple of minutes. Milo took the buck with a fatal shot from his .308 Winchester around 11:AM on 11/23/1993.




I had not looked at the magazine in years and for some reason this morning picked it up and read the article again. This being an election year I found something else interesting in the 4 page NRA ad in the center of the magazine copy.

One BLURB on page 4 of the ad, reads as follows:

DON'T COUNT ON THE CLINTONS,

The Clinton Administration has already cut federal prison funding by $550 million dollars in FAVOR OF (Community Placement) and "Criminal rehabilitation programs." Meanwhile, they're supporting nationwide gun bans as "Health Care Reform" plus a NEW 25% "Sin Tax" on lawful purchasers like you to pay the hospital tab for big-city criminals, gunshot victims. Only law abiding gun owners can save their lawful gun rights by joining the NRA now"

On the same page of the NRA 4 page glossy ad are several common sense alternatives to the Clinton's  plans to punish the good guys for the bad guys crime and protect the 2nd amendment right .
to bear arms.

Looking back at politics 22 years reminds me that the more things change, "The More They Stay The Same".

We need to be diligent, get informed, stay informed and VOTE. 2016 may be the most important year in the history of the country to VOTE.

God Bless,

Dan

The Shot Fired Heard Round The World

I realize I am dating myself here, however I went to school when they actually taught reading, writing and arithmetic and HISTORY. I thought after a long hiatus from my blog, I would begin to write again.

I just happen to have been watching "The Patriot" on TV this afternoon starring Mel Gibson. It is one of my favorite movies of all times and brings out the Patriot in all of us.

I thought it was a good time during this years election process and including the recent death of one of our constitution's staunchest defenders (Supreme Court Juice, Anthony Scalio), to PAUSE and go back think about why our founding father's would NOT ratify the constitution without the 2nd Amendment.

God Bless You and God Bless America,

Dan

Here it is:

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Here is the Concord Hymn written by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

The Revolution Begins

The clash began on April 19, 1775 when more about 700 British soldiers were given what they thought were secret orders to destroy colonial military supplies in Concord, Massachusetts. Fortunately, thanks to a rather elaborate colonial intelligence network, led by theSons of Liberty, the Patriots were aware that their supplies were at risk, and were able to move them to different locations long before the British began to move. Also, thanks to the daring rides of a few brave men, the colonial militia knew that an engagement with the British Army was imminent.

The first shots were fired just after dawn in Lexington, Massachusetts the morning of the 19th, the "Shot Heard Round the World." The colonial militia, a band of 500 men, were outnumbered and initially forced to retreat. The British army was able to press forward to Concord, where they searched for the supplies, only to come up empty handed.

While the British were searching, the American militia was able to reform, and they met the enemy at the North Bridge in Concord, and they were successful this time in driving the British back. As more American reinforcements arrived, they forced the British army south to Boston, and the militias blockaded the narrow land accesses to Charlestown and Boston, starting the Siege of Boston.

The American War for Independence was now in full swing.

Hand drawn depiction of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston, by J. DeCosta July 29, 1775.

Ruger 10/22 At The Range After Installing Ruger BX Drop In Trigger Assembly

For a long time now, I have wanted to improve the trigger on my Ruger 10/22. Up until fairly recently this meant either shipping it off for custom work or spending upwards of $200 or more for a Timney trigger assembly etc.

I decided to go with the Ruger BX drop in replacement trigger assembly after reading about it and watching the 5 minute video. One of my son's purchased mine from E. Arthur Brown Co. as a Father's Day present to me. I believe it topped out around $75 or $80 shipped to my door.

The trigger pull on the original Ruger 10/22 rifle bought many years ago was atrocious. I had trigger work in some fashion done on all my centerfire rifles including two lever action Marlin's. A gun smith solved that dilemma with installing Wild West Happy Triggers in the .35 Rem and the Mdl 1895 45-70. Again as memory serves, both guns were update for under $100 each approximately.

I also own a Savage Weather Warrior in .308 that came from the factory with the Accu-trigger and no need to do anything additional with that set up. I also have an older Ruger Mark II stainless in .270 Win that had trigger work done and has been a pleasure  to shoot since then. The .270 turned in a two shot 1/4" group center to center at 100 yards approximately 1.5 inches high with Federal 150 grain Power Shoks. I have it sighted in for woods and farm fields encountered where I hunt in NY where 200 yards shots are RARE.

Back to the 10/22, after watching the 5 minute video twice, I did the installation myself including cleaning parts of the Ruger that had not seen daylight in a while in under 15 minutes.

I am totally impressed and pleased with the BX assembly, the video and written instructions and the incredible difference between the original factory 10/22 trigger and the drop in BX assembly. With the original gun which has sent numerous rounds downrange over the years, I was always fighting the trigger and although I got decent groups, I knew it could do better. I do not own a trigger gauge, however the BX is reputed to be around 2.5 lbs which is a big improvement over the factory trigger.

Here are some photos: From Left to right, the first one is a 5 shot group at 50 yards, measuring 1 7/16" including one flyer. . Center of  group is 1.5" high.

2nd group center is a 10 shot group at 100 measured yards. Group is 3 and 5/16" center to center and is 3.5" low with a dead on hold.

 Last one is a 5 shot group at exactly 25 yards. Center to center is 5/8" and  1" high.

 Ammo used was Winchester 38 grain plated HP ammo.

The wind was moderate and mostly blowing left to right which probably accounts for some drifting at the 100 yard mark. I am sure if I spent more money on customizing, with a new crowned bull barrel, and other goodies, I could tighten these groups. Years ago I killed quite a few woodchucks out to 75 yards or so even with the old trigger. Out to 100 yards with the new BX trigger, I could make decent hits on anything I would want to shoot at with a .22 rimfire while holding dead on out to 75 and around 3 inches high at 100. I owned a Sako .222 back in 1968 after getting discharged from the U.S. Navy and that was predominantly my woodchuck gun for many years. I also took quite a few with the Ruger 10/22 and a Marlin bolt action .22 Mag.

Dan

NYS Bear Harvest Includes Two in Madison County

Thought I would post a news worthy article on 2014 black bear harvest in NYS. Two were taken in Madison county this year and one of them within a mile of where I grew up and normally hunt whitetails.

Dan

http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2015/04/2014_state_bear_hunting_report_reflect_record_take_in_southern_zone.html

Excerpt:

2014 state bear hunting report reflects 'record take,' but few in CNY

Clark Cannel, 44, of Gouverneur, N.Y. shot this bear this fall while deer hunting in Madison County. He was hunting in the Tioghnioga State Wildlife Management Area. The bear was a male and weighed around 300 pounds. (Submitted photo)

PrintEmail

By David Figura | dfigura@syracuse.com 
Follow on Twitter
on April 13, 2015 at 4:27 PM, updated April 14, 2015 at 9:26 AM

0

Reddit

While the state Department of Environmental Conservation expanded the areas where bear could be legally hunted to all Upstate counties last fall, few were harvested in Central New York.
Nevertheless, bear hunters across the state harvested a total of 1,628 bears and in the process set a record for the Southern Zone -- due primarily to increased numbers taken in the Catskill/Western Hudson Valley areas, the DEC reported.
No bears were taken in Onondaga, Cayuga, Oswego or Cortland counties. Two were killed in Madison County.
"With bear hunting areas expanded throughout upstate New York and a special early bear season in portion of the Catskills and western Hudson Valley, hunters had unprecedented opportunity to pursue black bears this year," said Commissioner Joe Martens. "These were intentional management actions designed to limit bear population growth broadly and reduce the population in southeastern New York.
The DEC's statewide final tally showed 518 bear taken in the Northern Zone and 1,628 in the Southern Zone. Totals in 2013 were 380 in the Northern Zone and 1,358 in the Southern.

The record harvest in the Southern Zone was strongly influenced by the special early bear season, which ran from Sept. 6-21 in parts of the Catskills and western Hudson Valley. A total of 337 bears were taken during that new season. Bear were also hunted during the regular bow hunting, regular firearms and muzzleloader seasons across the state.

No bears were taken in Onondaga, Cayuga, Oswego or Cortland counties.

In the Southern Zone, bear hunting was expanded to include Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 4A, 4B, 4J, 5R, 6P, 6R, 7A, 7F, 7H, 7J, 8A, 8F, 9A and 9F to keep bear populations from growing and expanding into those areas. Hunters took a total of 15 bears from those new areas - however, none were taken in those WMUs in Region 7.
Bears were taken in Region 7 in areas that were previously open to bear hunting (7M, 7P, 7R and 7S). According to the DEC report, bears were taken in Broome County (29), Tioga (8), Chenango County (5), Tompkins County (3) and Madison County (2).
In nearby Oneida County, which is in Region 6, a total of 33 bear were taken by hunters.
The biggest bear of the season (646 pounds, dressed weight) was taken in the town of Wells in Hamilton County.
Another notable number was the bear harvest density in WMUs 3C and 3K (mostly portions of Sullivan and Ulster counties in the Catskills), where one bear was taken per 3.1 square miles. Statewide, hunters harvested 1 bear per 29 square miles.
The final totals per hunting season were: early season in Catskills/Western Hudson areas (628); bow (331), muzzleloader (58) and regular firearms (611).
A complete summary of the 2014 bear harvest with results and maps by county, town and WMU is available on the DEC website.