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Sure, not that it is all that much, but it is the most I have done in quite some time. I drove in to town and stopped at my bank. I pulled out a bit from each account and have enough to do anything I might need to do should a bank holiday fall on my month, whichever one it might fall on. I will just keep the money in with my collected coins and call it a rainy day fund. I will add a bit to it over the months, more like every other month, and if all works out with no needs, I may convert it to junk silver. Of course silver is creeping up. Just as gold is. Just as food is.
I then grabbed a couple boxes of .45 ammo. Oddly, ammo is not creeping up. Then I called and picked up my shooting pal and headed for the range... free range... one of them. With my lever action and .22 pistol, I slung small lead through small bores until I had finished off 150 rounds. My pistol was beginning to balk and the rifle had gotten heavy, so I just watched as my friend polished off the last of his 9 mm ammunition. You know, for a guy with cataracts and in his mid 60's... Let us just say you would not want to become a threat to him. I am far better with the rifle than I am the .22 pistol, though I am quite good with the .45 considering the limitations of that pistol. The .22 pistol though just beats me up. The .45 has a natural feel and aim. I am as one with it as you can get for a standard stock pistol. I just cannot get that with the Ruger .22. I think the barrel is a bit end heavy, the grip is a bit slim, and it feels more like a dowsing device than a pistol. I might have to consider figuring out how to bulk up the grip, though giving it a natural and solid grip too.
After the shooting we stopped at Wal-Mart. I grabbed milk, some specialty Italian dried meats (small pack, a rare and wonderful treat), brots and more brots and one more (great mixer with beans and rice), and salt. Lots and lots of salt. I bought 3 or 4 regular table salt tubes, a kosher and pickling box of salts, and called it good. That covers my short term salt needs. Pickling salt you ask? Well, you do not need to can to produce refrigerator pickled items, and it is good for a number of odd recipes. I do have 2 x 5 pounds of sugar in stock, if that is rarely used. In a SHTF scenario, and in spite of diabetes (or because of it, if you know my so-called diabetes as I do), sugar will be a good thing since other treats may simply not be available.
I then went to dinner. That Mexican restaurant I have spoken of received another visit. I love that place. For $8 to $12 you can get a large meal, add a bit for tea, tax, and tip, and you are out little other than a full belly. Which, actually, I still have. I need to eat out once in a while. Treats are not always sweet. Then, back to one more store. I was sure, by now, my water softener would be low on salt, so I grabbed 8 bags. I had 7 at home, but figured I would be using 2 to 4 when I checked. They just happened to be on sale (I do buy Mortinson, not being snobbish, just it is better). It was cheaper than the cheapo anyway, at $3.49 or so per bag, versus $4.89 or so. I also grabbed some milk, three gallons. One shifted wrong in the back seat and fell out. The little fur sisters and me have been consuming the half of it I did save. Bah!
It is bed time, probably a little beyond. Anyway, just an update. Good night Glen and Bessie Hyde, Jim Thompson, and William Morgan.
I should be stocking more .22 LR and .410 birdshot. Those two guns I use the most for dealing with varmints, and would probably be the most common guns I'd use for hunting small game. I still don't have a proper deer/elk hunting rifle and would probably use .12 ga slugs (or my AK clone in a pinch). It wouldn't hurt to have more military calibers too, but I figure the need there is limited by my life expectancy in a real bad blowup. And I can't bring myself to return to recreational shooting just yet. The severe shortages from Obama's election still has me a bit traumatized.
ReplyDeleteRe: salt, that is a commonly overlooked deep storage item both for personal use and trading. Common table salt can be had for 55 cents a pound when it is on sale, and could be worth many many times that in a medium to long-term supply line disruption.
A dowser, LOL! Sounds like a productive day.
ReplyDeleteYep, guns are a bit of a problem. Beyond Obama, having moved from a may to a shall issue state, and going from having a permit to buy handguns at will and just about getting my conceal carry permit to not being able to even buy a rifle? Utah has some SERIOUS problems. UTAH IS NOT SHALL ISSUE. IT COULD NOT BE, CONSIDERING IOWA ISSUED WITHOUT BEING SHALL ISSUE. Yeah, a bit peeved.
ReplyDeleteOn my wish list, I would like to get a 30-06, simply because that is a popular round locally so ammo would be easy to scare up (if locals stock much anymore). It is not the best of battle rifles or hunting rifles, it would do is all. Plus, I could get an old but serviceable rifle inexpensively. Still, in this category, I would prefer a .308 (or better the military version). I hate .223, though easily available and cheap for ammo AND firearm, worth what you pay (not good). It is a terrible battle rifle and hunting caliber. So, that is not even on a last place on my wish list. (I think they are being pushed because they are seen by police as safer or by military wannabes?) I also consider a .357 (better hunting backup) and a 9 mm or smaller .357 for use by a woman/family using .38 caliber. Easier carry, offering decent back-up as wheel guns, and the ability to fire two different common rounds make the .357/.38 a huge plus.
As for shooting, I am mostly simply stocking up on .45 and shooting .22. Since the .22 pistol is so finicky, it does improve my .45 handling when I do shoot it. I still shoot the .45 occasionally, but the price of ammo and my felt need to still be stocking that keeps me from too much shooting. I feel the need for more .22, .45, and AK ammo. Slugs would be a lot cheaper than 00 buck, and mixed with shot would be okay for self defense and hunting. I like 00, but the price is extreme. Any other rifles and ammo are... on a list.
Opus #6,
ReplyDeleteHeh! I had been teasing, but hearing it pointed out again... I ought to see if I can get a special dispensation to use the thing on my property for a day or two to... find water! Darned skinny shaky thing, I really think it might work.
And, yep, it was a good day. My guess is women, if they could watch men being boys, would have a ball. And rightly so. Old, middle-aged, young adult, or boy... males are a funny lot, more so if taken objectively though while leaving 50 cent words at home. Bah!