Saturday, October 25, 2014

Hunting Season - A Glorious Time



When the nights start to cool, the days grow short and that smell of Autumn is in the air. Two things occur to me, the second is here comes Winter, my least favorite season. The first, however is way more uplifting, time to hunt.

Whatever part of this great United States hunters live in, it is a glorious time of year. It brings back memories of my past with my Grampa's and my Dad. We were not a family known for hunting, but back when I was about ten, I wanted to hunt. The closest of my two Grampa's told me that if I wanted to hunt, first I would have to take a hunters safety course. Then he would take me hunting.

I did and true to his word, Grampa let me use his 410 shotgun, he used his favorite gun, a J.C Higgins Side by Side, Double Barrel 12 gauge Scattergun ( A real working man's gun, double barrels to my Grampa's generation* where an everything gun, a tool no different from their other tools. They used them for hunting sometimes to put the only meat they could get on the table and for home, farm and land protection.) {* Americas greatest generation, as you probably know, were the Americans who went through The Great Depression & WW2 and came out victorious }.

Our first hunting expedition was squirrel hunting. Grampa loved to eat squirrel. He taught me everything I needed to know, the kindest way to ALWAYS ASK to hunt someones land, how to safely check if an electric fence was on, how to move and/or wait quietly and even when to make noise to spook an animal on purpose. That trip to some may have only been just a squirrel hunt, but to me, it was as good as an African Safari. I loved it.

Probably millions of American boys across the this great country started out like this and it is a grand tradition. One generation passing onto another a right of passage, a sport enjoyed by so many for so long, it is probably very hard to know when it began.

You may see pictures of this gun in many of my blogs, it isn't even the one Grampa owned, but I got all the info on the one that my Grampa owned from my cousin who rightfully has it now, and I went on a hunt of my own to find the exact same model. It wasn't easy, being a 1959-1960 model, but I finally found one and this gun still means more to me than all my others.



1959 - 1960 J.C. Higgins Model 101.540 side by side double barrel 12 gauge Shotgun, made 
by Steven's, basically a Steven's 311, for Sears, Roebuck and Company.


Wisconsin is one of the greatest deer hunting states and that was my goal, to deer hunt some day. In Wisconsin during deer season when I was a kid, schools, factories, offices and even some towns were almost devoid of men and boys. The term Deer Widow applied for roughly 7 days. Now, it is even better, because a lot of the woman and young ladies go too. It's great.



Hunting and fishing can be a fantastic way for fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives or any mix of family to spend time together. In today's world where families are spending less time at the dinner table together and more time separated by electronics, Quality time spent together outdoors in the wilderness is priceless for a child. Like the sign above says, kids are not going to remember the first time that they watch television, but they most surely will remember the first time they went hunting or fishing with their dad or their mom, Grampa or Gramma. That's the kind of thing that makes a lifelong memories and teaches lifelong skills to your children. Skills that they will go on to pass on to their children. After all, the example we set as parents, is probably the way our kids are going to parent their children. 

In today's world, in so many places where crime, drugs, peer pressure and other bad influences seem to have such a big influence on young people, it's just as important, if not more important than ever for us as parents to set a good example. And the best way to set an example is to spend time with kids. I believe that kids learn by what they see their parents doing and the time their parents spend with them.

Love him or hate him, Ted Nugent's saying about if we spend time hunting with our kids, will spend less time hunting for them, Just makes good sense. If they're spending time with us and learning things from us, then that's less time they're going to spend learning things from undesirable people. 


God's beautiful nature is awesome. I love to spend time in in the woods, fields or by a body of water just soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of the wild. That time is refreshing for the soul, energizing and great at putting things back into perspective. I also believe that those things are just as important, maybe more important, than the hunt. Those sights and sounds are what keep many people spending more and more time hunting, fishing, hiking, etc.


This is not a real deer, but a man can dream. Most hunters dream of a deer like this.


My favorite deer rifle, my Remington 700 CDL Classic Deluxe 30-06.

Fall after fall, men, women, sons, daughters and Granchildren hit the woods with dreams of that trophy buck (be it deer, elk, moose, stag or antelope), huge pheasant, beautiful ducks, wild boar, bear or whatever there favorites are becoming a reality. Armed with rifle, bow, handgun or muzzleloader, they go out to provide food for their families and maybe a trophy for the wall.

Some people go hunting with the bare essentials, some with all the high tech, expensive equipment they can haul. However, regardless of what they take to the fields, woods, prairies, mountains or swamps, the good ones go with a gladness in their heart to get back to nature. To experience that great, God engraved feeling of the hunter, gatherer instinct. That man vs nature adventure that appeals to all hunters.




Statistic show that in the last 10 years there has been a dramatic rise in the sale of hunting licenses, firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies. Believe it or not, studies also show that a vast majority of the people causing that rise are women, who in the past considered hunting to be a man's world. Well it's not just for men anymore and I say " Welcome to the woods and waters ladies".

This could be for many reasons. Some of which are that people are tired of buying meat in the grocery store that is injected with steroids, growth hormones and who knows what else. All of which are extremely unhealthy for all of us. The only way we can be pretty much guarantee to get fresh meat, is to hunt or fish for our own.

It's a get back to nature viewpoint that can't be denied. The hunting license sales throughout the country show that is true. The amount of Young women seen in gunshops and hunting, fishing and camping supply stores proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.


The manufacturing of ladies pink or purple camo items such as hunting clothing and supplies made in women's sizes and to fit women's bodies also prove it. If these companies weren't selling these items, they wouldn't be making them. Plus, just about anywhere you go, you can see women actually wearing these items. Pink and purple camo isn't just a fashion statement you can actually wear it hunting. There are some animals that will pick the pink or purple out in an instant, But there are also other animals that can't see it at all, because they see pink or purple as the color gray.


Here is an example of the type of very popular Pink Camo being put out by Mossy Oak and Realtree.


There is also a type a camouflage made by a company called Muddy Girl, that incorporates pink and purple with their camouflage pattern. This causes an even larger break up in the color pattern which makes it harder for animals to see the person wearing it. Not only is this type a camo being used for clothing and hunting accessories but also on the rifles and shotguns themselves.

This is a Remington 870 shotgun in pink camouflage.


Here is a picture of a young lady with a rifle coated with a Muddy Girl camouflage and she is completely clothed in the pink and purple camouflage made by Muddy Girl.


It's a great thing to see the sport of hunting spreading throughout a vast majority of people from different lifestyles. Starting already this year, and continuing throughout the rest of the hunting season, hunters will be setting up their tree stands, ground blinds, duck blinds and and walking through the woods, fields, marshes and all over the hunting territory. Depending on where they're from, these these hunters will face extreme cold, mosquitoes, in some places heat, in others frost biting temps and love every minute of it because they love the great outdoors, God's beautiful nature, and the thrill of the hunt.













Saturday, October 18, 2014

Cowboy Buck's Review on Dam Road Gun Shop

COWBOY BUCK DAM ROAD GUN SHOP REVIEW


DAM ROAD GUN SHOP REVIEW




The best gun shop in Wisconsin is tucked away out in the country not far from the small town of Delavan, Wi. Delavan is the picture of small town America, a picturesque little town with awesome family owned restaurants and other business'. The kind of places where you can get to know the owners and staff, eat a meal that you actually get full on, see families and groups of friends visiting. It reminds me of a northern Wisconsin town or what my home town used to be. 

Just a few miles out of town is Dam Road Gun Shop. The first time I went there I thought it was to small too have much, but then I stepped inside and was shocked by all the shooting, hunting, reloading equipment and more that I saw. Most of all, I saw a lot of guns and I don't mean the usual overstock of the moments "In Gun" that bring out everyone that wants to be with the in crowd. What I mean is that I saw a very wide variety of guns, from antiques and really good used guns to the most expensive Sig Sauers and everything in between.

Please don't let the small building fool you, there are over 5,000 guns on the property. If you don't see what you want, ask, because chances are they have it and Mike Palenski (the owner) will know just where it is. Also, ammo like crazy, even during the ammo shortage. If your a newbie and wouldn't know a musket from an AK, just ask, Mike and and his son Tom or other staff members like Dale and Steve, they will be happy to explain and answer any question. They DON'T talk down to you like your an idiot (we've all been in to many gun shops like that), but Dam Road isn't that way. They have spent many an hour explaining scopes, black powder guns and numerous other things with me.




 Remington 700 CDL Classic Deluxe 30-06 Rifle 




A Beautiful Leather and Deer Hair Rifle Strap
for my Remington 700 CDL Classic Deluxe 30-06
both bought at Dam Road Gun Shop


They even carry a very wide array of SASS, Cowboy Action Shooting and Re-enactment Guns and ammo. Mike is into SASS shooting. There is a very impressive selection of hunting rifles, scopes, ammo and gear. I just got a beautiful Remington 700 CDL Classic Deluxe 30-06 Lefty with Leupold scope and a beautiful leather sling for this up-coming deer season as well as ammo.



This is a collage of my deer hunting set up, 
everything in the photo, except the Buck Knife, 
came from Dam Road Gun Shop

It is all very cool for a gun shop to have such a wide selection of firearms, but as we all know that doesn't do much good if the prices are too high for you to buy them. That is not the case at Dam Road though. Mike's prices are not only below the MSRP, but well below any gun shop I've ever been in. I've bought many guns from them and not one time did I ever feel I paid too much. As a matter of fact, I always feel that I have gotten a great price. I've never dickered over a price, 1- because they are fair prices and 2- because I know that if there is anything wrong with the gun, Mike will make it right. 

One incident with Dam Road that I will never forget was the time I had decided to buy a Smith and Wesson 500 Magnum, so I started reading everything I could find about the gun as I usually do before buying any gun. As I was studying, I had decided on the 4 inch barrel version and saw on the Smith & Wesson website that a Special Limited Big Rock Edition with a grizzly bear head on the frame and bear paws on the cylinder. When I saw that revolver, I knew I had to have it, so I started checking around the web only to find out that the big wheel gun was out of stock everywhere. I called S&W and they didn't know when or if Big Rock would be ordering anymore to be made or not. Frustrated, I started calling a ton of big time gun shops, but no luck. Keep in mind that I had never asked Dam Road about any limited edition firearms up to this point. After deciding that the bear edition wasn't to be had, I called Tom, Mike's son, and asked if they had any 4 inch barrel 500 Mags in stock and he said they did, so I headed on up. When I get there Tom opens the bright green case and lo and behold there sits my new Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum Big Rock Grizzly Edition. I smiled so big that Tom asked me what was up. So I told him the story and he started laughing. Needless to say, I was happier than a coon in a campground.


The 500 Mag on the counter Dam Road



Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum
Big Rock Grizzly Edition


Another example is when I decided I wanted to buy a 1911, I researched and decided that I wanted a Remington 1911 R1. I called Mike and he said he had a Commemorative Edition brand new. I was really surprised that he had one. 

In 2011 Remington started making 1911 pistols again, they made them during World War 1, along with Singer Sewing Machine Company, Remington Rand Typewriter Company among others. The 1911 was a Colt pistol, but due to the amount needed during WW1 and WW2, Colt couldn't meet the demands by themselves. Therefore Colt sub-contracted 1911 pistol production to other companies to help Colt supply the United States Military with the side arm. During the two World Wars roughly 1,968,533 1911 Pistols were produced by Colt, Remington and other United States Companies. A staggering amount. No wonder Colt didn't have the facilities to produce them all.

Remington hadn't made a 1911 model pistol since WW1, but in 2011 on the 100th birthday of John Browning's greatest invention, Remington announced that they were going to start making them in several different models, two of which would be Commemorative Editions. There is the edition like mine with special engraving, Commemorative 1911 - 2011 engraving, match grade barrel, special grips, Special 1911 utility tool, Certificate of Authenticity and more. All contained in a Special Limited Edition Package. The other was basically the same, but with real gold inlays.

Both of these Commemorative Editions were believed to be completely sold out years ago. However this summer, 2014, Mike still had a new, unused, unopened one. So I jumped at the opportunity and asked Mike if he would hold it for me, which he did, and I told him I would be right up to buy it. I was and still am, one very happy man. The Remington 1911 R1 is the best, most accurate pistol I have ever shot or owned.







REMINGTON 1911 R1 CENTENNIAL .45 ACP
The best and most accurate pistol I have ever shot.

They also offer gunsmith services and Mike does a great job. I had him work on a 1959-1960 J.C. Higgens Model 101-540 12 gauge, side by side, double barrel shotgun sold by Sears, Roebuck and Company at their stores. (Just like the one my Grampa owned, I've even nicknamed that cherished gun Grampa) Mike did an awesome job for a very inexpensive price. Scope mounting, bore sighting are also available.




My Grampa shotgon is my 1959-1960 J.C. Higgens Sears, Robuck and Co. Model 101-5401 12 gauge, 
Double Barrel, Side by Side Shotgun

( These were a Stevens Model 311 made by Stevens Firearm Co. for Sears )


In closing Dam Road Gun Shop is one of those American places where you can go to shot the bull with the guys, swap stories or information. All the while shopping, confident that your getting good prices on quality firearms, ammo and equipment. Along with advice or guidance that you can count on.

I am changing my rating system to 1 to 7 shells, 7 being the being the best.

I am giving Dam Road Gun Shop a 7 Shell Rating




         





Monday, September 1, 2014

Review of the Henry Repeating Rifle .44 Magnum Big Boy


Henry Repeating Arms Co.

Henry Lever Action .44 Magnum/ .44 Special Rifle



HENRY REPEATING RIFLE -
.44 MAGNUM/.44 SPECIAL LEVER ACTION RIFLE

"The rifle that won The Civil War and The Wild WEST"

            

HENRY REPEATING ARMS, .44 MAGNUM, .44 SPECIAL LEVER ACTION RIFLE



In 1860, Benjamin Tyler Henry invented the Henry Repeating Rifle for The New Haven Arms Company, later to become The Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The Henry Rifle was the first truly dependable lever action repeating rifle and could hold 16 rounds of sixteen rounds of .44 caliber rim-fire ammunition cartridges that could be fired at 28 rounds per minute. That rate of fire was astonishing in 1860, when most soldiers were shooting black powder musket, which had to be reloaded after each shot. Reloading a musket is a slow process, with most solders only being able able to fire 3 rounds per minute.


Benjamin Tyler Henry


An antique Henry Rifle advertisement

The above information, tells of how revolutionary The Henry was in it's day. With this new gun, B.T. Henry went to president Abraham Lincoln with one of his rifles, and presented him with a gold plated Henry rifle, that now is in The Smithsonian Institute. Lincoln loved the rifle, being an accomplished shooter, really admired the rifle. Lincoln wanted to order many of the Henry rifles for the Union troops, but do to interference from the men in charge of equipment for the Union Army. (Yes, the was a lot of the political red tape then too). Abe was only able to order 3,140 of the rifles.


President Abraham Lincoln's Henry Rifle

The original Henry rifles shot the Henry Cartridge, the first fully contained copper or brass cartridge. They were .44 caliber and completely self contained, one piece cartridges, making them way easier to load than a cap & ball gun. Plus they were water proof, so people didn't have to worry about keeping black powder dry.

                               

A .44 Henry Cartridge found on a Civil War battle site.


The only problem with the original Henry was that there was no wood under the barrel, so when the barrel got hot, the men would have to let it cool. The advantages so far outweighed the that one disadvantage though, that when The Union soldiers would reenlist, a lot of them would spend their reenlistment bonus on buying a Henry rifle and ammo for it. That purchase gave them 28 shots a minute as apposed to 3 with a musket, therefore giving them a better chance of getting back home alive and well.



The Henry Repeating Rifle was not the only repeating rifle at the time though. There was also the Spencer Repeating Rifle, which was also invented in 1860. The Spencer held seven rounds in a tube in the buttstock, it shot fast, but had to be reloaded more often because of only holding seven rounds per tube. The Henry's tube, which was mounted under the barrel held 15 rounds, therefore it didn't need to be reloaded as often.
The Spencer held a .56 caliber bullet, but had terrible ballistics. The Henry having a .44 Caliber, which is a pistol caliber, had more power per shot, however didn't shoot as far as the Spencer.

Spencer Repeating Rifle


                                                           Spencer Repeating Rifle diagram

When the Confederate soldiers first encountered both rifles, they were stunned. Many Rebs thought that the amount and speed of ammo being shot meant they were up against a troop of soldiers, when in truth it may have just been a few scouts or snipers. The Confederates did get their hands on some of the rifles from fallen Union soldiers, they went on to call The Henry Rifle, " That darn Yankee rifle that they load on Sunday and shoot all week." People have said that The Henry was the first Military Assault Rifle.

Reports of The Henry Rifle have been well documented in Civil War history. The 71st Infantry of Illinois was the most known and maybe only whole troop to carry Henry Rifles. An account of that came from Major William Ludlow’s account of the Battle of Allatoona Pass. “What saved us that day was the fact that we had a number of Henry rifles” wrote Major Ludlow. “This company of 16 shooters sprang to the parapet and poured out such a multiplied, rapid and deadly fire, that no men could stand in front of it and no serious effort was made thereafter to take the fort by assault.”


71st Infantry Illinois with their Henry Rifles

When the Reb's did get ahold of a Henry or Spencer, it didn't do them much good once the ammo with it was gone, because both the rifles were made in and for the North. That meant that after the Confederate soldiers shot up that ammo, they couldn't get any more.

Both companies ended up being bought by Winchester shortly after the Civil War. The Spencer stopped being made, but The Henry was given a side loading port a fore end stock and became the Winchester 1866. Ammo for the Spencer was made into the early 1900's, but ammo for The Henry was made until The Great Depression hit America.

The Henry Repeating Lever Action Rifle wasn't made in America again until The Henry Repeating Arms Co. opened in 1996, They now have two plants, one in Bayonne, New Jersey and one in Rice lake, Wisconsin. The new version of The Henry is true to it's Civil War namesake, except it has an improved closed loading tube, wood fore end and, since the original 44 Henry ammo isn't made anymore, it comes in a wide variety of caliber options. The closest and most powerful being the .44 Magnum / .44 Special Big Boy Version. The Big Boy in .45 long Colt is also very popular among Cowboy and Single Action Shooters.

The most commonly seen Henry is The Golden Boy, which is a .22 caliber version. Henry a present has roughly 17 rifles available plus a lot of special limited edition rifles commemorating Abe Lincoln, The Boy Scouts, one for all the US Military branches and many more.

I bought my Henry Lever Action Big Boy in .44 Magnum, which will also shoot .44 Special, after wanting one for a very long time. It is after all, a real Cowboy Rifle. Holding it at gun shop was great, holding and firing it after I bought my own was awesome.







The first thing that I noticed and have a lot of people agree with, is that The Henry is a beautiful piece of gun art. You won't find burrs or blemishes, scrapes or scratches on a newly unboxed Henry. The machining, polishing, blueing and woodworking are incredible. The brass receiver, barrel lop and butt-end are stunningly beautiful and shined to a mirror finish. The wood is American Walnut. All of the fits, joints and finishes are great. Pictures of the Henry really don't do it justice, you have to see and hold a Henry to really appreciate it. The next fun step is shooting it. 

I went to the range and shot 44 Magnum and 44 Special ammo I've also shot new and reloaded ammo and it cycles through my Henry perfectly. I did fire one once that didn't eject well when shot at a very fast rate of speed, but I have shot 7 or 8 of them and only seen that one have that trouble. It isn't anything I would worry about. The lever action cocking, ejecting and reloading the chamber are smoother than butter. The Henry is a heavy gun which helps with the .44 Magnum recoil. The kick is no more than any quality deer rifle. There is no need for a rubber butt plate.

The semi-buckhorn sights are easy to use and were very accurate right our of the box. The octagon barrel is awesome and helps keep the barrel cool. The loading tube is simple to use, just depress and turn the cap, pull out the spring fed magazine, insert the ammo, re-insert the (inner tube and cap) magazine, turn to lock it into place and your ready to go. And the shooting is FUN.

The Henry makes me feel nostalgic, like I should be a Texas Ranger with Gus McCrae and Capt. Call in Lonesome Dove fighting bandits or Comanche's. That is another thing about the Henry, it is mentioned as a main rifle in many Western novels and movies. Some are Lonesome Dove, True Grit, Django Unchaned, Cowboys and Aliens, Silverado among many more. How can any Western movie or novel lover not get excited by reading (epic novel) or seeing (movie or TV series) Call and Gus carrying those beatiful Henry rifles. With description like " The roar of Call's big Henry" or watching Robert Duvall using his horse as  a breast works and fighting those Kiowa's and buffalo hunters to save Laurena.








The cost of a Henry Big Boy in the big bore calibers is very reasonable at $750 or $450 for the Henry Golden Boy in .22 caliber. The special edition rifles such as the Lincoln Edition or Deluxe models are more, but they are collectors items and are still not excessively priced. 







Plus your getting a 100 % American made rifle. The president and owner of Henry rifles Anthony Imperato is a company owner that can be really be reached. I have never tried, but I have heard and read of many who have. He can be reached and (I've heard you get a response from the president himself at;

 http://www.henryrifles.com/contact-henry-repeating/contact-anthony-imperato/

Henry just announced that they will be making an exact reproduction of the original Henry rifle in America for the first time in roughly 150 years.


Also Henry announced that the Wisconsin plant will begin making 30-30 & 45-70 rifles and they are now shipping to gun shops.


Other great things about the Henry are;
1- You can send in your very own rifle and have the brass receiver engraved.

2- All Henry Lever Action Rifles come with the normal lever size, but for $50 you order a large loop lever.

3- All Henry Lever Action Rifles can be used by right or left handed shooters. I am left eye dominant, so I shoot rifles left handed. It comes in handy when I don't have to worry about finding a left handed rifle.


I am going to end this review a bit differently, usually I give a star rating and explanation with each subject. I have however went into greater detail on this review, so I am going to give the Henry 5 star rating.

***** Stars perfect rating for my Henry Lever Action .44 Magnum/.44 Special by Henry Repeating Arms