Sunday, May 23, 2010

Back to basics.

When I started this blog, it was with the intention of sharing my getting back into Rifle shooting after a few years Hiatus.(don't ask, long story.)

Well, It kinda turned into a political rant fest, documentation of other things, etc. Very rarely mentioning rifles.


Not for long.


Next weekend, I will be retiring to my dads land for a couple of days. We tend to go out shooting there pretty frequently and I know that I will be opening up the case on the PSL for a couple hundred rounds of fun. I will remember to bring the camera this time. My only beef with where we shoot is the range. It is longer than anything I can afford locally(440yds) but it still doesn't allow the PSL to achieve her full potential.(600+meters) Even so, shooting over 100 yards is challenging. Especially when you are shooting across a small valley at another ridgeline. It is rather hard to gauge the windage until you have taken a couple of shots since you can't see the wind mid-path.

Just for a preview, the targets this coming weekend are red balloons inflated to about 8" dia. At 300 yards, they barely cover the front post on iron sights.(my prefered method of shooting. Not much for scopes though I see the advantages. Both methods have pro's and con's but I still prefer Iron out to 500 yards.) The advantage of Balloons: Reactive target that disappears when hit. Being 8" across, they represent a good kill shot in most larger game (among other large targets.) The only downside, if you are close and hit a rock or something, they can burst so there is sometimes lively discussion of "I hit it!"," NO ya didn't, I saw the dirt kick up low right, adjust your sights or quit dragging wood!" LOL I am sure you can see it in your head.(and have probably had one or two of those conversations yourself.)
(quick note: I did a post a couple of months ago about adding a rear aperture sight to the PSL. This will be the first time I get to use it at more than 100 yards. )
I will also be taking the 1911 and a Nerf football for reaction/sight shooting. The Nerf doesn't last too long but its fun as hell to try and 'double tap it' (and for the safety conscious, yes we have a good backstop for that fun.) I will probably take the Marlin 60, if only for good trigger practice but after the PSL, the marlin tends to be something less than spectacular.

I will post more as the week goes by, I just felt like spreading the good vibes I get when I am headed 'home' for a weekend.

8 comments:

Shy Wolf said...

Actually and seriously, I'd like to hear the story. Aside from it being a good entry into the "why this blog".
But at least you know WHY you started a blog, regardless that it meandered from your original intent.
If not for my GF, I'd not have thought of a blog. She shamed me into it with really no idea why I was doing it other than to please her. (You may be aware how well we try to please the women in our lives! LOL)
Speaking of shaming me into things... I'm gonna be dedicating a blog to you and China pretty soon. :X
And, yes, I also prefer open sights, but with my eyes, a scope is about the only option left for accuracy, though I've been working on that with vitamins and exercises for eyeball muscles.
Have a fun time with Dad- wish mine was still alive to shoot with. (I've been told by family he was very good- and this from people who I consider VERY good with firearms.)
Shy III

Diogenes said...

Oh yes, Trying to keep the missus happy is a full time job in some cases.(flying solo for now and trying to keep it that way for awhile though it sucks)
There will be an large post on the visit next weekend. Not just shooting but showing the lay of the land that I am going to be building on. Its not much but with my dads land and that of the rest of the family, I think it will be a good location to get away from the rat race, permanently. Not whole lot of opportunities to 'hook up' since I am probably related to 50% of the town in some way but that doesn't scare me off. There are other towns near at hand that will provide for that need when it arises.

As for shooting with my dad and knowing that yours is gone, That is one of the reasons I made the decision to make the move there. He is going on 70 this coming month and while healthy as a mule, our family stays that way up to that time then fade quick. I don't want to be in another state when that happens. Who knows how long he has and I really don't care, I will spend as much time with him as I can since we lost so much to me running around the world 'discovering myself'. More on that in a different post.

I feel honored to hear that you are going to do a post on China and myself. Curious to see what you have to say.(but I can be patient.)

Mayberry said...

Sounds like fun! Enjoy...

chinasyndrome said...

Hey Bro.That sounds great.Luckily my Dad still here,and we get to shoot once in a while usually with one of my sons so its always cool.It was sounding like ya needed a fun break.Do let me know how PSL does at long range.My range is shorter.

China
III

Diogenes said...

Thanks Mayberry, BTW, great looking Veggies! Kudos.

China: I wish my daughter were more into the shooting sports, right now she is more the full time mom so hasn't the time for it like we used to. She is more of a handgunner than a riflewoman though. I have shot the PSL there before and with the stockscope it did very well. At the time, I only had the leafblade sight on it so didn't use that(can't stand leaf sights) Now with the rear aperture, which did quite well at the 100 yard range, I am curious to see if I can duplicate the performance at longer shots. My eyes aren't what they used to be but not as bad as some.(little note; Aperture sights can be tuned to your eyes to focus the front sight without optics on. My particular 'diopter' is .085+/_ .005" depending on site radius. That was found through trial and error so I haven't any tricks up my sleeves to share.)

Grumpyunk said...

My PSL should arrive this week. After shooting my brothers a few weeks ago I had to get one.

Archangelboy said...

Sorry for being the FNG, but I'm seriously interested in your post about putting an aperture rear sight on your PSL (as I own one) but I'm clearly too incompetent to find the search feature on your blog sight. How do I find said search feature and/or can you post a link to the aforementioned blog post? Many thanks!!

Diogenes said...

Thanks for stopping by Archangel. Here is a link to that post. http://diogenesoftherifle.blogspot.com/2010/03/smell-of-rifle-smoke-in-morning.html
This is something I fabricated myself after viewing a similar product from Techsights.
http://www.tech-sights.com/

They make great rear APs for many different rifles but not the PSL perse. You would have to modify the reciever cover for the PSL if you wanted to use their product. (and Yes, I had some conversations with them on it and if they get enough people asking they are going to come up with something.) I have their sights on my SKS and my Marlin 60 and have to say, great product.

Good luck with yours. I could do a full post on what I did but it was a combination of Sand casting, machine work and redneck ingenuity(and a calculator but we don't talk about the geeky stuff here. LOL)