As a new hunter I have learned ALOT from Phil just going out with him, well enough that I was able to find on my own (and trust me, I am NOT experienced at all)…well worth the watch if you are into archery or hunting for deer…it is well worth the effort to go out and scout before hunting to be more successful. Knowing animal behavior, habitat, etc. will provide for you and yours for years to come. Enjoy and be sure to subscribe to VaCreepinOutdoors on Youtube.
Archive for September, 2013
Just thought for fun these videos would be interesting:
I absolutely refused to look into the hole…I mean, leave sleeping animals lay right? But this past weekend we ran into a family out in Chick in Virginia and had one sit there and look around the tree at us totally unconcerned…as someone learning to hunt I am getting an education for sure. Habit is interesting…
This next one, well, it speaks for itself 🙂
Reminds me of my Mossin hahaha, except my Mossin fires and then refuses to eject sometimes 🙂
Its always disappointing when you buy something and it doesn’t work correctly…such it was with the 10 round magazine I bought for my Savage .17HMR. Originally it just came with one 5 round magazine, which is okay, but one is none so I had purchased a second 5 round magazine for it always. I was aware that they made 10 round magazines but truly saw no need to get one until after Sandyhook occurred and there was a lot of talk of limiting ‘high capacity’ magazines…so off I went to the local corner outdoors store and picked up a 10 round magazine…yeah, first off, I learned real fast that Savage makes a couple of different .17’s a Mach 2 and then the HMR…so wrong magazine. I finally found the correct one for my .17HMR on eBay, ordered it after going into sticker shock and never really have had a chance to use it until today (the rifle was sighted in using my 5 round magazines as I didn’t yet have the 10 round one). But today, I took my kids up to learn how to use the rifle and get some practice in myself and lo and behold…the 10 round magazine, manufactured by Savage went in HARD and getting it out…hahaha dynamite was being thought of but it finally came out with a lot of tugging and pulling. CRAP!!! Magazine NO GOOD…so off to the internet I go and what I found out was zilch regarding the way the magazine came and went into the rifle, I found a lot of information regarding .17HMR magazine not feeding correctly, but nothing about the magazine itself going in hard and not wanting to come out.
HMM…after watching people on YouTube ‘fix’ feeding issues (ding ding ding a light went off, I had one 5 round magazine that was hard to feed but did and I fixed that issue pronto) I got the bright idea that if you can fix the feeding issue then surely using similar techniques you can fix the magazine slide rails the same way…sanding!!! Taking a little off at time. Now everybody had a metal file or a sanding block or some sort of other ‘sanding tape’ to smooth out the burrs and sharp edges that caused feeding issues on the magazines but I have NONE of these and was impatient to make this work…surviving shtf mom light bulb time…emery board!!!
Yeah, that low tech thing that every woman used to have for her nails. Just a piece of cardboard with fine grit sandpaper on either side…ha! Got that…never really use them myself (fingers nails are not really conducive to gardening nor using a firearm) but I have them for a ‘trade/barter’ item along with some of the metal fingernail files and the boards used to shape fake nails too (these work wonders on split nails btw). So out came the good old emery board and remember the rule that less is more when working with a firearm (can’t replace what you take away but you can always take away more if need be) I went to work on the magazines.
First up, the 5 round magazine that fed hard…Super easy on the ‘lip’ of the magazine where it was sharp and rough (burrs) over which the bullet goes into the chamber…file going down one way only and then back and forth and within in minutes everything was smooth to the touch…blew out the dust and put 5 rounds in, kept the safety on and then cycled the 5 bullets through…PERFECT and SMOOTH for the first time!!
Having gained confidence with this success (remember, all I used was that low tech old fashion finger nail file) I went to work on the 10 round magazine, specifically the rails. Working slowly I did the inside edges on both rails, then went under the rails and finally sanded down the top of the rails. Tried it, still tight…back to more work…did this several times until it still went in a bit tight but came out more easily…still need to spend more time working on it but the magazine now ‘works’ correctly…still too tight for my taste, but at least it goes in smoothly now and comes out without much effort.
I just wanted to share my experience with you just in case you have personally run into these problems with the Savage .17HMR of the bullets not feeding correctly and/or the bolt working hard (look for the burrs and sharp edge where the bullet comes up, out and over into the chamber on the magazine) or having a hard time with getting the magazine in and out. This is an easy fix for these issues and costs next to nothing, dollar stores, drug stores, almost everywhere sells emery boards…typically $1 for twelve of them.
Just remember, easy does it, a little at a time and you can always take off more but can’t put it back…
ISD…okay…just what is that you ask? I is for improvised, S is Storage and D is for Device…Improvised Storage Device…yeah, okay, okay, I will admit that older son #2 came up with it and he is an admitted warfare nut and everything is put or translated into militaristic terms if you communicate with him. But hey, an ISD sounds lot better than ‘repurposed’ or ‘recycled’ doesn’t it?
So what is an ISD exactly…well, see the picture below for a few ideas…
Of course the wonderful, multi-purpose 2 liter soda bottle. I use these to store rice, flour type products, popcorn, salt, sugar and other liquids (not water though as they are too thin as I have found out for long term use/storage). Gatorade bottles are great too for storing rice, flour, liquids and BEANS very easily. (Anyone who has tried to get beans into a 2 liter soda bottle knows what a pain in the rear that is let alone get them OUT and I am not into self torture food storage). How about those lunch meat containers? Put them into the dishwasher and guess what? Instant free storage. Old salad dressing bottles are great for making your own salad dressings, storing ‘homemade’ liquid soap or, if you are like me and buy in bulk, putting that liquid into a manageable container. I save and reuse the spice bottles too, again, great for breaking down from bulk purchase to manageable and you can use them to make and store your own toilet/tub scrub. One gallon water jugs that have been used? Either refill them and put outside for use as grey water (flushing toilets, watering plants, etc.) or refill with some other liquid purpose (recently I made bug killer from concentrate and used a one gallon jug to store extra in). I saved the empty laundry detergent containers to refill and reuse with my own laundry detergent and make gallons of bug killer from concentrate. Cottage cheese containers, sour cream containers? Yeah, those things that we constantly throw away…perfect for storing non-food items in such as nails, screws, thread, crayons, you name it…if it fits, it stores. Big vinegar containers I reuse to make large amounts of cleaners using vinegar. And, I will admit to reusing those zip lock bags too, a simple scrub and air dry and you get more than one use out of them. I save and reuse anything that is a ‘container’. I have a couple of totes with clean empty containers in them ‘just in case’. You never know…Any one with more ideas? Please do share your reuse ideas for ISD’s…improvised storage devices.
Ask me why I like Springfield firearms…yes, I know they are expensive compared to other firearms but in my opinion, you get what you pay for, even used.
But just this weekend I had an ‘interesting’ experience with a Springfield XD 9 sub-compact 3” barrel 9mm. I had purchased this used from someone local in my area, almost brand new (only 200 rounds put through it) with all original equipment. Looked good, lightweight, the only catch it seemed to me once I got it was that the magazines would not easily go in, had to ‘slam’ or should I say use a tad bit of force to get them to lock in place. No biggie, have had other handguns that did the same thing…I even got lucky and found that rare extra high capacity magazine up at the local sporting goods store (hehehehe..paid pre-Sandyhook price for it) so I am thinking I am good to go…one standard 13 round magazine and 2 high capacity…ammunition not a problem since I was smart enough to ‘stock’ up a few rounds and got lucky there too at the local store…a load of 9mm target rounds had come in…great…good to go…
So my boyfriend and I go out Sunday to put my new ‘toy’ through its paces and see what it does…a little kick, not too bad for a 3” barrel, easy to sight in with…shoots accurately at 20 yards so far (that’s all we did) and did really well with reloads too…put about 50 or so rounds through it…so now for the fun part…had to go get my kids up north, so I took my Springfield with me (yes, I carry concealed)…no biggie there either, however, when I got home late last night (Sunday) and I did my usual routine of taking the magazine out…well, something else came out with it…an EAR PLUG!!! Yep, and definitely not mine (I use orange ones this one was tan and well, lets say someone didn’t clean the wax out of their ears lately).
Seriously, out came an ear plug with the magazine when I took out it out…No wonder the magazine wouldn’t go in easily!!! Duh…but who woulda thought…no issues firing it, fed the rounds quickly and without a hitch…racked correctly… Even with an EAR PLUG in the magazine area it still worked like a charm, just like it was supposed to do…I am willing to bet that a Ruger or Glock would have jammed or misfired. Did learn one other thing…when you buy used, take it apart and clean it first! Maybe I would have found that ear plug jammed up in there, maybe not and at this point it doesn’t matter, but man, really? An ear plug in the magazine slot??? Oh well, this is a story I will tell forever I think…and btw, the magazine now goes in smooth as butter with a dead silent click.
I think I will trust this little firepower to keep me safe up close….wouldn’t you? In a SHTF situation you never know what will happen and now I absolutely trust my Springfield to work properly even when an ear plug is stuffed in it. A little dirt? nawww…not a problem!
Ask me why I like my Springfields…can your gun do that?
survivingshtfmom 
Starbucks, Guns and ‘Respectful’ Request Not to Bring In
I am going to start off by saying this: This is my OPINION and my OPINION only…take it for what it is…
Starbucks is now ‘respectfully’ requesting that gun owners do not carry their firearms into their stores after a letter from citizens in Newtown, Connecticut sent a letter to Starbucks requesting an outright ban…REALLY??? Not that I am party to the liberal mindedness of Starbucks and I do realize that private property (ie store owners) can outright ‘ban’ firearms on their property, (such as the AMC movie theaters do…make a connection there??? And lets think about the other ‘no gun zones’ too where bad things have happened). I would question the reasoning behind their motive of ‘respectfully’ requesting that no ‘guns’ come into their stores, after all, a lot of ‘meetups’ occur in Starbucks where gun owners openly carry their firearms into the store, sit down and drink their coffee…and NOT ONCE HAS ANYTHING BAD HAPPENED. Geeze…have you ever heard of the saying ‘when seconds count the police are only minutes away’?
Really Starbucks? Now you are openly telling those who would seek to harm others or rob you, that your stores are ‘gun free’ (respectfully of course). Ever wonder why 7-11’s and other convenience stores openly courted police officers to come and get coffee??
In the risk assessment arena that now places you up there on soft targets. I used to enjoy a cup of joe once in a while from Starbucks inspite of their liberal socialist views, but this is my fare thee well parting…I am not going to be a sitting duck. Politics are one thing, but safety is another and no cup of coffee is worth my life being put in jeopardy.