Good afternoon Montanan, MT_Sourdough, dpe, Southpaw, Forster, Atlaw, pab1, newstart2k, Skunk, kitchawan kid, lurker, CJ, Bilmac,thxmrgarand, Syncerus, Mcwoodduck, Brennemanj83, Old Shooter,TY22, Canon6, burntmuch, Grimjim, CJ, Bilmac, rparsons934 wis_sharpshooter, BBF and Blue Duck.
61 degrees with clear blue skies here in Cut Bank right now. This is the second day of this heat wave...another day like this and might have to shake the moth balls out of my short sleeve shirts.
Yesterday was one of those day when nothing could go right. Every project I started yesterday got all screwed up, when neighbor RV Park Mike showed up is was real easy for me to suggest we go hit the gopher patch.
Well screw ups didn't stop then. When we got to the gopher patch, I found out I had left my Martini back at the house. DARN! Yes that what I said...darn, or words to the effect.
All I had in the truck too shoot was my .223 Remington 700 VLS and my 10-22. The 700 has a 12X Leupold on it and really is to much gun for 25 yard gopher shooting. Recoil carries your sightr5 picture off target and you can't tell if you hit or missed at that short range. I carry it gopher hunting for big game like badgers and rockchucks.
The 10-22 has been inot been shot in the past 6 years and I had it in the truck to resight it. With nothing else to shoot , I put a target out and tried the 10-22. After being in storage all those years and moved from one side of the country and back again, the scope was still dead on. I did not need to make any adjustments. What a surprise.
The 10-22 has an old Midway Bull barrel and Fajen laminated stock and a Tasco 4x16 Mag IV scope and bog stock internals, 8 lb trigger pull and all. Talk about culture shock compared to the crisp 3 lb trigger pull of my Martini. Took me a few rounds to adjust to that.
We spent 5 hours busting gophers and had a pretty good day. I still managed in spite of the 10-22's horrendous trigger pull to get a double and a 146 yard long ranger.
RV Mike was using his CZ 204 Ruger and launched gophers right and left. His best shot was his triple header...no not a triple, a triple header. It wasn't a long shoot, 43 yards on the range finder, But Mike caught three babies in a row and with his one shot, three head shots...a "triple Header".
The day did turned out to be alright inspite of its lousy start.
This morning to make amends to the lovely wife for taking off yesterday I mowed the the yard and finished putting in the frame for a raised bed garden. Now I need 16 cu. ft. of dirt to fill the frame and then I can plant my spinach and her beets.
Everyone have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and remember those Vet's who sacrificed their lives and time to make this country what it is.
Semper fi!!!
