The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. Organizations such as the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation and National Association of Gun Rights may be better known to the average hunter and shooter, but none are more important to the fight for your Second Amendment rights. The NSSF has been a staunch supporter and has worked tirelessly to protect your rights.
Target panic is more than a problem it’s a disease. It can strike anytime, anywhere and anyone. If you haven’t been bit the target panic bug yet, your time is coming. Perhaps that last statement is a bit of an overstatement, but you get the idea of the seriousness. The good news is target panic is not only curable it’s preventable.
The weather hadn’t cooperated for the first couple of days, but my southern guide, Jeff, had a few tricks to turn the tide. We headed to a secret spot, a stand of planted pines, and Jeff started talkin’ turkey. Before long, we could hear gobblers headed our way. The pines did not offer much cover and we did not have a choice because the toms were reluctant to come out. We started putting the sneak on the birds to close the distance. After that, we were relying on our camo to tip the scales in our favor. A short time later, I spotted two toms coming through the trees.
Coyotes are ripe year round. They can devastate local livestock and wildlife during calving season. Calves and fawn are easy prey for a coyote. Just as the deer or elk rut is prime season, late February through early March is the coyote breeding season and the best time to thin the pack.
The weather should just be getting ripe for bowfishing. Never tried it before? Who cares? You get to shoot fish! When bowfishing, the action can be fast and for most shots you will be snap shooting, not aiming. Do not think of a rifle and scope but more of throwing a football. When throwing a football, you just look at the target and let it rip. You’ll want to do the same when bowfishing. When you see your target, pull back and let string go—grip it and rip it style!
A quick trip to the rifle range will show the popularity of shooting offhand. There will likely be a few shots, but the vast majority prefers a platform—bench rest, sandbags or a bipod. All that works great… for the range and zeroing your sights, but does it relate to your shooting goals?
However, just because it’s good for the ecosystem may not be enough of a reason to go on a fish-shooting spree. I still want to get the most from what Mother Nature has provided. From my extremely limited experience, carp does not make great table fare. I have heard of a few recipes and certain ethnicities that claim carp makes for great eats, but I think I will stick to tuna and venison.
Given the growing popularity of archery, the powers above me have decided that Cheaper Than Dirt needed to start giving it the proper attention it deserves. In fact, I was beaming and swollen with pride when my boss assigned me this task. The prepared “prepper” spirit that is becoming more in vogue and infiltrating the psyche of everyday Americans, archery is a natural fit. Beyond being a ton of fun and a great way to spend a Saturday (or any other day of the week), it is the ultimate survival skill. Why? For the most part, you can reshoot the bullets—both for practice and under more dire circumstances.
Ok, a bit of a disclaimer. Glock unveiled its 30S today, and I was at the front of the line with every intention of putting it through its paces.
Practicing with a handgun will not make you a better shooter or better prepared in a self-defense situation. Training with a handgun gun will. It may be a matter of semantics, but going to the range and pulling the trigger does little more than reinforce habits—good or bad and most likely more bad than good. Training involves a well thought out plan and addresses your ability to develop or improve specific skills. In the process, you will develop the muscle memory necessary to perform the action as a subconscious act.