A Short Walk - unspoiled.

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Picher

Picher

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Winter's over and time to visit the blueberry fields down back. I drove the old pick-up down the old dirt road until the lower area was a bit too mushy, so picked-up my .17 CZ and walked a few hundred yards to my old sitting bench at the edge of our son's big blueberry field. I like being down there, because I never know what I'll see for critters...though this time, there weren't any that were visible.

As I sat there, I thought about the coyotes I nailed last year with the .17 HMR rifle I carried this trip. No live targets this time. There were many boulders in the field, some small and some huge. I potted a few lichen spots on some and it felt good to get a little practice. I also had some 1" orange sticker-targets, so on the way back, attached one to a sapling as I walked back toward the truck and took a few shots at it from about a hundred feet or so, hitting it a couple of times. It was just such a nice day to be out and about down there for the first time this spring.

Hope you folks are getting some walk-about time!
 
I took a short walk after a half hour drive. Had to take my 58 Remington to the doctor. I broke the loaf g lever screw a while ago this is the first chance I've had to get it fixed.
 
NorthBorder said:
If your avatar is you I can picture you driving down there in an old truck and sitting on a bench or log, just ruminating. As for the .17 HMR I would expect something a little more ancient. Glad you had a good day.
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I'm ancient enough, so don't need old really old guns. My CZ also "owns" a .22 WMR barrel, but hasn't seen it since the .17 HMR one came home with me. The 15 boxes of WMR ammo in the basement kinda miss that barrel, but I really love the .17 HMR and haven't been inclined to swap barrels. Maybe I'll have to go back to the WMR if an ammo drought catches me. It was the barrel on the CZ when I bought the "like-new" used rifle at the Kittery Trading Post.
 
NorthBorder said:
If your avatar is you I can picture you driving down there in an old truck and sitting on a bench or log, just ruminating. As for the .17 HMR I would expect something a little more ancient. Glad you had a good day.
Click to expand...

I'm old, but not DEAD. I like guns that shoot accurately and easily, guns that don't take a week to load and two weeks to clean (exaggeration, but I like modern guns and cartridges). I've never owned a black-powder gun and never fired one, but like seeing others enjoying the activity. I like shooting, but don't especially like cleaning guns until after getting back from the range.

My rifle calibers/cartridges are: .22LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, .223 Rem (bolt rifles), .243 Win, .270 Win.
Handgun: .22LR, 9mm, .38/.357, .45 ACP
Shotgun: 20, 12 Gauges

I handload for all the above centerfire cartridges except 9mm auto...tapered cases (no carbide dies avail) P.I.T.A. .
 
Your fortunate to live in a state where such activities are possible. Being from the very small state south of you such activities would surely ruffle some ones feathers.
For three decades I spent three to four weeks a year up there hunting or camping. Working for Ma Bell a transfer was possible but I’d think of those winters and decide not. I was fond of Dover/FoxCroft and the Sebec lake region.
 
whughett said:
Your fortunate to live in a state where such activities are possible. Being from the very small state south of you such activities would surely ruffle someone's feathers.
For three decades I spent three to four weeks a year up there hunting or camping. Working for Ma Bell a transfer was possible but I’d think of those winters and decide not. I was fond of Dover/FoxCroft and the Sebec lake region.
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---
I was fortunate to work for ME-DOT Engineering and the ME Bureau of Parks and Lands with a short "5 year stint" with Economic and Comm. Development. Those jobs allowed/demanded that I travel extensively, both in-state and to a few places across the country and the North Maine Woods. Many of the people I worked with, or met on various projects were really great and I dare say that I visited nearly every town in the state and several rivers and dams in the North Maine Woods. My State employment spanned a full 46 years and a few summers before retirement.

We had a big family and I found myself installing swimming pools and doing part-time gun repairs...even a stint as Reserve cop and (volunteer) Firearms Instructor for the Waterville, ME PD.

My son and I have travelled extensively for bird and moose hunting in the North Maine Woods and I managed to shoot a huge bull moose up there a few years ago. It was nice to be hunting with my son and grandson, shooting my accurized Rem 700 CDL .270 Win stainless (photo) and handloads. The moose weighed 900+ pounds and I used one shot at about 240+ yards, while sitting on my folding stool. The moose never stopped walking across the road, so had to mount the rifle and shoot quickly before it disappeared in the woods. IMG_1011.JPG
 
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As a “flat lander” from RI I enjoyed ever visit to the Pine Tree State. Maine was our destination of choice for many summer vacation and fall hunting trips.
One year my oldest son and I in a 1978 Jeep Wagoner entered a logging road in Monson and hours later exited in Greenville. No GPS in the late 70’s and my Topo map didn’t show many logging roads. I took high way 6 back to Dover/FoxCroft. :(
 
Where I grew up, I could shoot my Daisy Pump BB gun in the back yard and LOVED to shoot quart soda bottles on top of the 55 gallon "burn barrel's" loose top. I'd fill my Daisy Pump magazine, then, starting at the top, would chip it down 'til there was just the base, then tip the pieces into the barrel and set up another bottle. I also liked throwing the empty (Red) Winchester BB tubes on the graveled parking area and shooting at them from the hip in "faux" machine gun style from about 10 feet to about 20 or so.

I shot a few targets, just to make sure where it was shooting, but not for score or groups, but the smooth barrel was pretty accurate out to 25 feet or so.
 
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Great story, kinda peaceful. I need to make a bench to make my walks more enjoyable.
 
I built a swing and a table from rough cut lumber. I hung it overlooking our little river, and the bottomland on the other side. It is a good place to ponder solutions or read some passages from The Good Book while waiting on a coyote or deer or turkey to wander close.
I took a nice buck from the swing, and also watched a big bobcat soak some sunshine on the opposite bank.
20201129_152837.jpg 20201129_150912.jpg
Sometimes I bring a little cough medicine along so I don't.....you know.....spook any game.
 
I'm glad you had a nice day, Picher. It's so dry here I think most all the critters have starved to death. I haven't seen a jackrabbit or cottontail in several months. In fact the only thing I see are a few blue quail that come in for the grain I put out for them. No fox, no coyotes, pretty much nothing. Even our native birds are scarce. We had less than 6 inches of moisture last year and so far .43 inches is it for this year. We do have an abundance of wind and dust and that's it.
 
NorthBorder said:
If your avatar is you I can picture you driving down there in an old truck and sitting on a bench or log, just ruminating. As for the .17 HMR I would expect something a little more ancient. Glad you had a good day.
Click to expand...
 
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Picher said:
I'm ancient enough, so don't need old really old guns. My CZ also "owns" a .22 WMR barrel, but hasn't seen it since the .17 HMR one came home with me. The 15 boxes of WMR ammo in the basement kinda miss that barrel, but I really love the .17 HMR and haven't been inclined to swap barrels. Maybe I'll have to go back to the WMR if an ammo drought catches me. It was the barrel on the CZ when I bought the "like-new" used rifle at the Kittery Trading Post.
Click to expand...

I could have used the Win model 60 .22 LR, but the iron sights need to be sighted-in, after a grandson used it for gallery shooting with a globe front sight and replacing it with the original front. I hadn't sighted it in with the old sight yet.

BTW, This rifle had a loose bolt handle when I got it, but I degreased the joint, added Loctite Stud and Bearing Mount liquid and peened the metal around it. That was about 15 years ago and it hasn't loosened since!! Great Rifle!!! BTW, the small target aperture has been removed and I shoot it wide open and with a front bead.

I have a 5-shot magazine for it, but am using a single-shot adaptor I got with a 52 Win target rifle many years ago.

upload_2021-4-13_22-21-17.png
 
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Barnfixer said:
Great story, kinda peaceful. I need to make a bench to make my walks more enjoyable.
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Crazy how things work out. I wrote yesterday about getting a bench and today on the way to work I spotted a cedar A-frame type swing in a yard with a sign “ free swing”. It’s placed across the pond from the shooting range. Can’t wait for a walk with the dogs and to park my butt in the swing. I would of never picked up the swing if I hadn’t read these posts, Thanks to All!
 
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Armored farmer said:
I built a swing and a table from rough cut lumber. I hung it overlooking our little river, and the bottomland on the other side. It is a good place to ponder solutions or read some passages from The Good Book while waiting on a coyote or deer or turkey to wander close.
I took a nice buck from the swing, and also watched a big bobcat soak some sunshine on the opposite bank.
View attachment 991742 View attachment 991743
Sometimes I bring a little cough medicine along so I don't.....you know.....spook any game.
Click to expand...
I've given up alcohol, not that it was my idea, but am feeling okay about it. I never handled guns after taking a drink.
 
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Picher said:
I've given up alcohol, not that it was my idea, but am feeling okay about it. I never handled guns after taking a drink.
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I greatly respect and admire your decision to give up alcohol. It would certainly be for the best for us all. I greatly admire president Trump for the example he set also.
I have given up tobacco (very hard), and have seriously considered giving up drinking too...I have to maintain a CDL for my semis, I have to be careful with my ccp and I'm a volunteer fireman basically on-call 24-7
 
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Barnfixer said:
Great story, kinda peaceful. I need to make a bench to make my walks more enjoyable.
Click to expand...
The sitting bench is cast concrete, bought as a place to sit behind the house, looking over the valley and hills beyond. Over about 5 years, the top corroded, especially on one end, so we loaded what was left of the top and the two "legs" on my son's tractor/loaded, dropping it off at the edge of the field and reassembling it, overlooking the 10+ acre field.

Last year, I was sitting on the bench when a coyote awoke from his nap about 50 yards away. I shot it with my .17 HMR and stood up to finish it off...did so, then another 'yote stood up about 100 yards away. I shot quickly and hit it, but it ran directly away at full speed. I fired again when it cleared some boulders at about 130 yards and it went down...dead. I was really impressed with the .17 after that and have taken a few more critters with it.

Anyway, that, and because it's great to plink with, is why it gets carried on walkabouts more than any other of my rifles.
 
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