The World's Most Versatile Rifle

Good article by Mike Bane on the black rifle. Maybe the NRA BoD needs to read it?

They're accurate, they're customizable and they're fun to shoot. Why you're going to see more AR-style rifles in the woods this fall.

Truck Accident Kills 72 in India's North

Wow. That just makes me sikh.

California takes the lead

Anyone surprised that Kalifornia has taken the lead (again) in anti gun legislation?

California would be the first state to require that every semiautomatic handgun cartridge be stamped with an identifying mark if the governor signs a bill that has now cleared both chambers of the Legislature.

Yeah, that won't make every existing semi-auto pistol in California against the law and it won't make any pistols equipped with this insanity too expensive for ordinary Joes to own. And, just to show you the insantity, and the stupidity, of the whackos in Kalifornia, someone, anyone, please tell me how you can tell the difference between a cartridge meant to be fired out of an auto loader and one fired from a revolver. Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

The measure would require that, starting in 2010, every semiautomatic handgun sold in California would have to automatically "microstamp" each bullet cartridge in two locations as it is fired. The microscopic stamping would identify the gun's make, model and serial number.

I gaurantee you if this bill passes it will not be long before semi-auto rifles and shotguns will be required to have the same "microstamp" ability.

In addition to pricing new pistols out of the market for most of us, it will also make handloading just about impossible. Sounds like the microstamp would be imprinted on the primer. Wonder how much those little jewels will cost and if they will even be made available to the general public.

And are you surprised that this bill is also being considered on the Federal level?

A federal bill, modeled on California's, is being considered by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles.

Senator Kennedy. He's my hero.

Yeah, right.

Thrown off plane for outfit deemed too skimpy

Follow up: VIDEO - watch it.

Um, yeah - the skirt's pretty short. But at least she's wearing white panties, and not going clamando!

The Elite: Lanny Bassham

Lanny has got to be one of the greatest "can do" authors out there. For the shooting world, his mental managment system works miracles.

I can't recommend his principles enough. Stop by and tell him hi, you'll find it's worth the visit, and you don't have to be a shooter. If you compete, his system works.

95% of all winning is accomplished by only 5% of the participants. We call this group the elite. Why and how are they able to win so often? Is it because they are just talented or in the right place at the right time? What about opportunity? What role does wealth play in winning?

I've interviewed hundreds of the elite and I do not find an abundance of either natural ability or wealth to be a common denominator. You would think that expensive sports like shotgun and 300m free rifle would have more rich-kids at the top of the ranks and that just doesn't seem to be true. Many of our champions were trained by the military which is open to all. To be certain we have some wealthy in our ranks but do not think that your pocketbook is always the limiting factor to success. I can name more elite shooters coming from modest incomes than from wealth ones. Talent is a short term advantage and is soon overcome by hard work.

Common traits of the elite are abundant desire, an expectation to win, discipline, willingness to work hard, a belief that they can and will attain elite status no matter the obstacles and an almost religious calling to the sport. We can debate whether these traits are ones we are born with or ones we acquire. I think it might be a little bit of both along with a dash of fate thrown in. Just as soon as you think that someone has no chance to win because of no natural ability or financial status they somehow seem to win anyway.

I am certain of one thing. Winning belongs to those who think about the process of winning, who just cannot stand not to be among the elite and are ready to take action today to make it happen. This year I hope you find yourself among those on the winner's road. It is surely a narrower way but worth the trip.

The Next Zumbo

Watch this:



Now, read this:

Recently, some misunderstandings have arisen about a news interview in which I participated a few years ago. After recently watching a tape of that interview, I understand the sincere concerns of many people, including dear friends of mine. And I am pleased and eager to clear up any confusion about my long held belief in the sanctity of the Second Amendment.

In the interview, when asked about my views of “assault weapons,” I was talking about true assault weapons – fully automatic firearms. I was not speaking, in any way, about semiautomatic rifles. While the media may not understand this critical distinction, I take it very seriously. But, as a result, I understand how some people may mistakenly take my comments to mean that I support a ban on civilian ownership of semiautomatic firearms. Nothing could be further from the truth. And, unfortunately, the interview was cut short before I could fully explain my thoughts and beliefs.

In fact, I am a proud owner of such rifles, as are millions of law-abiding Americans. And many Americans also enjoy owning fully automatic firearms, after being cleared by a background check and meeting the rigorous regulations to own such firearms. And these millions of lawful gun owners have every right – and a Second Amendment right – to own them.

As a hunter, I take great pride in my marksmanship. Every hunter should practice to be skilled to take prey with a single shot, if possible. That represents ethical, humane, skilled hunting. In the interview several years ago, I spoke about this aspect of hunting and my belief that no hunter should take the field and rely upon high capacity magazines to take their prey.

But that comment should never be mistaken as support for the outright banning of any ammunition magazines. In fact, such bans have been pursued over the years by state legislatures and the United States Congress and these magazine bans have always proven to be abject failures.

Let me be very clear. As a retired Texas Ranger, during 36 years of law enforcement service, I was sworn to uphold the United States Constitution. As a longtime hunter and shooter, an NRA Board Member, and as an American – I believe the Second Amendment is a sacred right of all law-abiding Americans and, as I stated in the interview in question, I believe it is the Second Amendment that ensures all of our other rights handed down by our Founding Fathers.

I have actively opposed gun bans and ammunition and magazine bans in the past, and I will continue to actively oppose such anti-gun schemes in the future.

I appreciate my friends who have brought this misunderstanding to light, for it has provided me an opportunity to alleviate any doubts about my strong support for the NRA and our Second Amendment freedom.

Do you feel like you misunderstood what he said?

In my opinion, it was pretty damn clear. This fellow, on the NRA Board, shows disdain for civilian ownership of "assault weapons", unless they are limited to 5 rounds. Unfortunately, his disdain is typical of many law enforcement officers. Not all, grant you, but a lot. His disdain of the evil assault weapon is also very typical of the attitude that hunters take towards anyone else who owns a gun.

Let's be clear:

The 2nd Ammendment was not written to protect the ability of the state to own firearms. It was not written to protect hunting rights. The 2nd Ammendment is there to protect me and you from an oppressive government. Period. End of Story.

For the record, this interview was done in 2005. Why it's making the rounds on the internets now is anyone's guess, but it is. And this jackass needs to be booted off the NRA Board. Also for the record, it's bullshit like this that explains why I'm no longer a member of the NRA.

Amazing truck crash photos spark Web debate

Holy caramba. This is pretty crazy.

Investigators estimated that the truck was traveling about 75 mph when it crashed through a concrete barricade separating the road from a roughly 200-foot precipice running alongside State Route 59.

What happened next has been described on Internet messages boards as "impossible," "crazy" and "insane." One Web site ran the photos under the headline, "I bet this guy will be in church Sunday!"

So stunning are the photos on the myth-buster sites that many people posting comments allege the pictures have been altered with Adobe Photoshop.

Not so, say the local police.

Check out the pics:


Yes, they're real pictures.

Southwest fashion police set no-fly zone

Speaking of strange flying rituals, WTF is up with this? For your edification, the picture here is of the outfit in question.

Southwest explained its treatment of Ebbert in a letter to her mother, saying it could remove any passenger “whose clothing is lewd, obscene or patently offensive” to ensure the comfort of children and “adults with heightened sensitivities.”

What Quaker/Puritan/Shiite accused this woman of dressing obscenely or offensively? Apparently, it's "Keith," the SWA fashion homo:

After the plane filled, and the flight attendants began their safety spiel, Ebbert was asked to step off the plane by a customer service supervisor, identified by the airline only as “Keith.”

They walked out onto the jet bridge, where Keith told Ebbert her clothing was inappropriate and asked her to change. She explained she was flying to Tucson for only a few hours and had brought no luggage.
“I asked him what part of my outfit was offensive,” she said. “The shirt? The skirt? And he said, 'The whole thing.' ”

"Keith" came up with a suggestion:

Keith asked her to go home, change and take a later flight. She refused, citing her appointment. The plane was ready to leave, so Keith relented. He had her pull up her tank top a bit, pull down her skirt a bit, and return to her seat.

Ebbert says several flight attendants overheard the conversation and, after an embarrassing walk down the aisle, she took her seat and spread a blanket over her lap. She kept her composure until the plane landed, when she called her mother and broke down.

She took a photo of herself with her cell phone so her mother could see her clothes. That's when mom became livid.

"Keith," you didn't just make her mama mad, you pretty much just stepped into a huge, steaming pile of caca with every red-blooded American male in this country. I can only assume you're not counted in that number, you great big Nancy.

Don't let the men of America find out who you are, pal.

'bout damn time!

Run Fred Run!!!

You did WHAT?

How'd you like to be the poor schmuck who has to fill out the paperwork on this one?

B-52 bomber mistakenly loaded with five nuclear warheads flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D, to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, resulting in an Air Force-wide investigation, according to three officers who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the incident.

Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

Wow. Remind me never to fly to Nepal. Call me crazy, but I'd feel better with a little duct tape and baling wire.

Terlingua World Championship

No, not the chili one, the golf one.

It happens the same weekend as the chili cookoff, but Ranger Bob's Tom Skipper Memorial Terlingua World Golf Championship Golf Shoot-Out has become one of the most popular events of that weekend. Check out his site, and if you're going to be there the first weekend in November, you better get your entries in now.

As one of the original Dirty Dozen, I can attest to the fun and insanity to be had there.

Google Earth’s Hidden Surprise: A Flight Simulator

Not that anyone I know would do this sort of thing at work...