Not a tacticool bolt action sniper rifle, in case the tree of Liberty needs watering, or the zombies finally rise, or you get to go to Africa and stalk a Cape Bussaflo?
Yeah, when I started this blog that was a possibility. Fighting with a rifle. I was younger, I remembered my 30s, and injuries had yet to really catch up to me. It wasn't doable, in reality, really, but it was feasible.
As for traipsing about Africa in short khaki pants, knees are scratched, and making a ton and a quarter of wild mean cattle angry with me armed with only a .308? Madness.
Anyway, what was feasible once is much less feasible now. I don't like lying on the ground because it entails sometime in the relatively near future I will have to get back up again. If forced to throw a punch my punching arm is as week as an asthmatic 12 year old boy now. Thanks neuropathy. And I am way too fat. I was too fat 10 years ago. I was too fat training to be a Naval Aviator 25+ years ago.
At my peak of ability I could do 7 pullups. That was age 27.
AR15s are much more attractive to me now. They are lighter. But I am not going on a patrol with one with this body. Not and be much more than a burden to the people I am with. I stopped smoking not because I wanted to, but because I was done with it dragging me down and had to.
And thank goodness someone invented the pistol. I can LOOK as formidable (well almost) as I did when I was 27, but with a pistol I am much more dangerous as I was back then, full of beans and vinegar.
So, in the decision between tactical neato sniper rifle and lever action hunting rifle... I might as well go hunting rifle.
Never in a million years thought I'd find myself here up in the sticks Out West without much in the way of high-power and tactical stuff, but I've been shooting Cowboy Action with a couple of .44-40 Vaqueros and a Brazilian Model '92 in the same caliber - and switched to a Winchester '73 because there's just less resistance in the action, and it only needs to be strong enough for that cartridge. I've seen older-than-me farts in their 70's running these guns so much faster than I can, making the steel klang. Good Zombie gun anyhow.
ReplyDeleteNothing beats a good lever action for a multipurpose rifle. Lightweight. Quick handling. Scoped, unscoped. Doesn’t matter.
ReplyDeleteThe only place around me that stocks lever guns has Henry repeating rifles. Are they any good?
ReplyDeleteBottleneck cartridges are not legal for hunting in Ohio, so they stock them in everything from .357 to .45-70 government (which is crazy-expensive ammo.)
Bottleneck Cartridges are not legal for hunting in Ohio?
ReplyDeleteNo .35 Remington? .30-30? .270? .30-06? Was this decision made with the humane treatment of the deer of Ohio in mind?
The main problem with the Henry rifles for Cowboy action is the loading method, that tube - otherwise they are very accurate and recoil is diminished whether in .357 or .44Magnum, and .44Special is definitely within reach.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the aura of the lever guns. Mmm, the old west, the hunter taking on a grizzly with one and of course the same thing you sad - being a fat old fart with too many aches and pains (as am I) so why go tacticool.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Glenn B