For a couple years I've been writing and erasing the same article. I start out with different approaches every time, and I have plenty of knowledge on the subject, after all I've pored over countless rifle specifications, owned a bunch of awesome rifles, and handled and fired many more than I've owned.. So why I can't I write an article about the 'perfect' rifle? Is it because it doesn't exist? Am I just not capable of pushing out a dissertation about the adult version of the little kid's dream from 'Christmas Story'? Well, I am capable. I just know that the article would be in 52 parts, cover every possible rifle action type, caliber, game to be hunted, conditions expected to encounter, and last but not least (heck, maybe not even last) aesthetics.
It might seem easy to just tell you about one of my rifles that is pretty close to perfect. But that would be cheating. After all, it's still not perfect! It has most of the qualities admittedly, but I'm not settled on it as perfect...maybe that's the issue. I've never actually owned an example of the 'perfect' rifle! Maybe I need to build the perfect rifle-it for sure doesn't exist over the counter. Then again I just can't afford to build it! There are rifles that are extremely close to perfect-the Kimber Montana, the earlier version of the Remington 700Ti are two that come to mind quickly. But those each lack one thing that I think should exist on a rifle-iron sights. Yep, uglier'n a mud fence on a sleek, lightweight rifle but necessary if you should take a tumble and bang the scope on a rock. Yet, people do fall and hit their scopes regularly, and if it's a good scope, a lot of times it keeps zero. But what if it didn't? What if it rained the whole time? Dust storm? Animals not closer than 400yd? Or maybe you get lucky and your quarry pops up at 50yd-yes, it happens regularly!
Oh the endless details and inconsequential increments that make up the perfect rifle... What makes it worse is my perfect most certainly wouldn't be yours! I guess I'll go to Cabela's and do more research! After all, it IS my birthday today!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Feeling a bit 'sheepish'!
Yep, sheepish. Not about my new venture working for myself, though it is a little daunting at times, and uncertainty rules in this world, but that's not it. I'm already practically bald, so it's not about being afraid of how I look in public! No, it's about having wanted to hunt a certain type of animal for years and deciding now that I'm going to make it happen! So the game is Barbary Sheep, commonly known in the USA as Aoudad Rams. You already knew this would be about hunting! Right? As if there were any other topic?
Barbary Sheep were introduced into the US early last century. They have adapted well and while their range is pretty limited, they have filled their habitat niche quite nicely. That habitat happens to be some of the most rugged, wooly, and steep country a person can hunt in! Of course, pretty much all wild sheep live in conditions that make most people not want to bother with them. Another advantage for sheep is that they have extremely sharp vision, and if they spot you, even at a few hundred yards, they tend to take off. So tough conditions, terrible terrain, extremely wary critters...hell I'm IN!!
So now it's just a matter of getting money saved up. It ain't cheap to hunt sheep! Hmm..that sounds like a good slogan. I probably should copywright it for future use! I do have a pretty low cost plan but it will depend on whether hunters back out if I can get to hunt or not. A long drive, most likely camping as close to the check station as possible, in the cold. A good way to start! If all that falls through, I already have an outfitter picked out for a guided trip. I first met this guy when he was around 11 or 12. Funny how the world is so small at times. He's got a place in west Texas that has not only aoudad, but javelina and various predators that are available to hunt. Getting a javelina would probably be a ton of fun too, but I'll have to decide which way I want to hunt them. They seem to be more fun if you can sneak in close. Oh well, anything that doesn't have horns and a bunch of hair growing down it's legs like chaps is going to be second fiddle when the trip finally does happen!
All I need to do is sell more landscaping work and decorative concrete jobs! Who's first?
Barbary Sheep were introduced into the US early last century. They have adapted well and while their range is pretty limited, they have filled their habitat niche quite nicely. That habitat happens to be some of the most rugged, wooly, and steep country a person can hunt in! Of course, pretty much all wild sheep live in conditions that make most people not want to bother with them. Another advantage for sheep is that they have extremely sharp vision, and if they spot you, even at a few hundred yards, they tend to take off. So tough conditions, terrible terrain, extremely wary critters...hell I'm IN!!
So now it's just a matter of getting money saved up. It ain't cheap to hunt sheep! Hmm..that sounds like a good slogan. I probably should copywright it for future use! I do have a pretty low cost plan but it will depend on whether hunters back out if I can get to hunt or not. A long drive, most likely camping as close to the check station as possible, in the cold. A good way to start! If all that falls through, I already have an outfitter picked out for a guided trip. I first met this guy when he was around 11 or 12. Funny how the world is so small at times. He's got a place in west Texas that has not only aoudad, but javelina and various predators that are available to hunt. Getting a javelina would probably be a ton of fun too, but I'll have to decide which way I want to hunt them. They seem to be more fun if you can sneak in close. Oh well, anything that doesn't have horns and a bunch of hair growing down it's legs like chaps is going to be second fiddle when the trip finally does happen!
All I need to do is sell more landscaping work and decorative concrete jobs! Who's first?
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