NRA Hunting Policy

I would like to thank Darren Lasorte, Manager of Hunting Policy NRAILA, for taking the time to meet with the 2ABlogBash group during the Phoenix convention. Anyone who is familiar with me knows that I like to hunt as well as the shooting sports. I am one of the crossover people. It is good to see that NRAILA is making the effort to reach out to the hunting community to get the hunters educated on why they should be a part of the NRA.

A variety of topics were covered that were quite interesting. Let's start off with one that can get some of the archery crowd listening (this includes me). There is a push by NRA Hunting for crossbows to be allowed during archery season. The reasoning is that it allows older and younger hunters that are not capable of handling the required poundage bow to participate in archery season. The rules in Arizona show that the crossbow is allowed during the general (center fire) hunting season for some large game such as elk, deer, and javelina. It is not shown as being allowed in bear and antelope season. It appears to be allowed for most small game. There is an easy to use chart in the AZ Game & Fish regulations for allowable weapons. I am not sure what I think about this one. I am looking at a new bow that has about an 80% letoff as it gets more difficult to participate as I get older. I like the idea from this standpoint. Archery deer is one of the few "over the counter" tags that can be purchased. I would expect that if there was a large surge in archery deer tags purchased that the hunts would become by drawing only the next year. This is already a topic now. I have always viewed the deer archery hunt as my last chance to go out as it is becoming harder to get drawn in general deer season. I expect that G&F would combine the general/archery draw at that time and make it about as likely as getting drawn for elk in this state. It is worth discussing but results will/should vary by state.

HSUS has managed to confuse many people as to what they really are. In my opinion, they are a political organization that is very anti-hunting and have nothing to do with the animal shelter down the street. There a many people who mistake this agency to the shelter down the street and make donations to it. The HSUS donation are way up and the actual Humane Society donation are way down much to the dismay of the local shelters. HSUS is as anti-hunting as they come. This is not my opinion as it is clearly stated on their policy page. Don't be fooled into donating to this group. I wonder how Rush Limbaugh is going to wiggle his way out of his endorsement. HSUS: Fools, and Limbaugh, rush in

Another interesting topic was the discussion of shotgun slug only deer hunting in certain areas. I know that the lower part of the lower peninsula of Michigan is this way in that center fire rifle is not allow due to population density. There is a concern that the rifle bullet will travel further than a shotgun slug. This is true if the weapon is fired in the air. I don't know about you but I haven't seen any deer flying by recently that would require this type of aerial shooting. If you claim to have seen such, I would suggest that you put the gun away and lay off the Christmas punch. Seriously, there have been tests done that indicate that when fired on the level or a slightly downward angle that the slug is more likely to ricochet and travel further than the rifle bullet which tends to fragment on impact. Interesting.

We spent some time discussing Right to Hunt State Amendments and reasons for their necessity. I think most can be explained better on the NRA site.
NRA-ILA Hunting Fact Card is worth taking a look at for a quick reference sheet.

NOT ONE RED CENT FOR RINO SELLOUTS!

"The NRSC sided with an establishment candidate, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, in a Senate primary against young conservative leader, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Republicans across the country were outraged by this action, which is only the latest betrayal of grassroots conservatives by the out-of-touch GOP elite in Washington."

I haven't donated to a political party in a long time as I feel that none of them represent my beliefs. Note the quote below the title bar. Good article, go read it.

Shooting gloves

I visited the GripSwell Ergonomic Shooting Gloves booth at the NRA Convention a couple of times. The first time I was just looking over the gloves with little hope that anything would fit. The XXL pair actually fit well. I went back Sunday morning to pick a pair of the GS-33 Pistol Palm Swell in natural white. I am really not fond of black gloves in the Tucson sun. The natural white in that size were gone so I ordered a set of these on the website.

The people at the NRA Convention booth were very friendly and helpful.

We will see how these perform in a match and with full tilt 44 Mag loads for a review post.

Bloggers I Met at the NRA Convention

I would like to thank all the bloggers at the NRA convention for a kind reception. It was nice to see everyone was very friendly to one of the new guys.

I believe that this is a fairly complete list of the bloggers I met. I did not do a perfect job of getting everyone's name but there is always another time.

• The AnarchAngel
• Another Gun Blog
• Atomic Nerds
• Ballistic Deanimation
• Bitchin’ in the Kitchen
• The Breda Fallacy
• Cowboy Blob’s Saloon and Shootin Gallery
• Days of our Trailers
• Exurban League
• Great Satan, Inc.
• Handgun Podcast
• Michael Bane Blog
• N.U.G.U.N. Blog
• One Sensible Progressive
• Found: One Troll
• Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Association
• SandCastle Scrolls
• The Smallest Minority
• SnarkyBytes
• Snowflakes in Hell
• The Ten Ring
• Traction Control
• The Unforgiving Minute
• Void Where Prohibited
• The Volokh Conspiracy

More NRA Convention

I only got one decent photo at the Friday night happy hour sponsored by Michael Bane. Kevin (Smallest Minority) was speaking with Michael long enough for me to fumble around and snap one off. Thanks to Michael for the happy hour.


The Sharps rifle is certainly a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I would love to have one and I am not going buffalo hunting. I think that the only buffalo hunting now is on ranches. I have no desire to drive out in a vehicle with the rancher to have him pick the one I am supposed to shoot. This is not my cup of tea. Elk hunting would be more my style.



Is it really pretty in pink? I would say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. All these traditionally feminine colors really do appeal to my wife. I wonder if I should have her Colt Government 380 refinished. I wonder how pink grips (if you could find them), a nickel frame and pink slide would look. I do not seem to see anything colorful in the way of grips for this model. Maybe a pearl grip, black frame and purple slide would be best.


Another picture of Mr. Bane at a book signing (Trail Safe) in front of the Tactical Solutions booth.

Have Tactical set you up with a nice Raptor stock for your wife or daughter. I know - more purple.









The Bowtech display might seem unusual at a gun show but I find it more closely related than, shall we say, jewelry. I like to archery hunt so stopped and chatted. They actually have a bow that I am interested in as they are one of the few that make a 32" draw bow. With most manufacturers, you are lucky to get to a 31" draw. I need a 32" even with a release as I actually use 33" arrows. Keep in mind that I am 6'7" tall and actually do have need for the longer draw length. No, I am not going to use an overdraw for hunting. There is just something inherently wrong with having a broadhead behind the riser. Being primeval, I don't adapt well to new toys. It has only been a couple of years since I started using a release. Prior to that I was strickly a glove shooter.
Who can name all three singing pro-gun spoofs?








OK - who did we PO to end up at this table at the Banquet?








Crimson Trace gave us a presentation and then brought us to their booth prior to the floor opening up to the general public. There was a gift certificate donated that we had a drawing for a set of grips. Very generous of them. I was also impressed with their involvement in HAVA (Honored American Veterans Afield) .
"As the number of injured men and women returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan grew, members of the firearms industry initiated a non-profit partnership called HAVA to aid disabled soldiers as they transition to their lives back in the United States. The ultimate goal is to increase their confidence and hope for the future by reconnecting with their love of the outdoors and the American traditions of hunting and firearms. Each HAVA veteran is a national hero that has earned our respect and support through valorous service in defense of our way of life.

Please join us in assisting the thousands of courageous soldiers that these photos represent in regaining their optimism for a promising tomorrow."
They deserve our support. Hat tip to Crimson Trace and the other manufacturers involved.

I was surprised to get to handle the TAPCO stock for the Yugo SKS. I had assumed (you know what that does) that the stock would be too short as every adjustable I had handled up to this point was way too short. Nice job. I think I found my next mod to the Yugo SKS. The only question now is whether to leave the grenade launcher on of replace with a muzzle brake. The launcher does have a certain attitude about it.

NRA Convention & Masonry - Not an Odd Couple

Wow - what a weekend. I had a very enjoyable 1st time experience with the convention, 2A Blog Bash, and meeting people. I think that most gun bloggers might be surprised at the percentage of Masons that are gun owners and 2nd Amendment supporters. The Masonic organizations are typically a conservative group highly opposed to tyranny of any sort. You will find quite a few law officers and military personnel involved in the organization. I was pleasantly surprised by people noticing the square and compasses belt buckle I was wearing and greeting me with the common phrase of, "Hello brother". I did not keep accurate track but I would venture about 7 or 8 people greeted me and struck up conversations. That would indicate that there many, many more in the crowds.

One young man manning the "sausage grinder" booth immediately stood up and introduced himself as a newly initiated Entered Apprentice. I took about five seconds to impart my knowledge on the topic - JK. We spoke at some length about Masonry in general. I apologize that I forgot the manufacturer's name of the equipment but did get literature and will correct the oversight later by posting up the name and link.
Correction - the company is Thunderbird who makes a fine line of food and bakery service machinery.

Now for some Masonic information:

From American Masonic History - What Are America's True Roots?

"Some of the greatest names of the American Revolution were Masons: Ethan Alien, Edmund Burke, John Claypoole, William Daws, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, John Paul Jones, Robert Livingston, Paul Revere, Colonel Benjamin Tupper, and George Washington. Of the 56 signers of The Declaration of Independence, eight were known Masons and seven others exhibited strong evidence of Masonic membership. Of the forty signers of the Constitution, nine were known Masons, 13 exhibited evidence of Masonic membership, and six more later became Masons.

"There were many other Masonic influences in early American history: (1) Lafayette, the French liaison to the Colonies, without whose aid the war could not have been won, was a Freemason; (2) the majority of the commanders of the Continental Army were Freemasons and members of "Army Lodges"; (3) most of George Washington's generals were Freemasons; the Boston Tea Party was planned at the Green Dragon Tavern, also known as the "Freemasons' Arms" and "the Headquarters of the Revolution"; (4) George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States by Robert Livingston, Grand Master of New York's Masonic lodge, and the Bible on which he took his oath was from his own Masonic lodge; and (5) the Cornerstone of the Capital Building was laid by the Grand Lodge of Maryland." (2)

There are quite a few book on the founders and Freemasonry. You might even find some of them an interesting read.

NRA Convention

Woohoo! Made it to the convention this afternoon. I am having a great time meeting bloggers and roaming the display floor. Hat tip to Bitter for getting this setup so we have media passes. We had happy hour at Majerle's Sports Grill hosted by Michael Bane (Down Range). Thank you Mr. Bane. Also present were Insight and Tactical Solutions handing out t-shirts and ball caps. Very nice. NRA Media Relations popped in and I am sure that I have missed some other manufacturers. What a great bunch of people. I will post up everyone I met later as it is past my bedtime and I am fading fast.



The Bison Bull is my kind of revolver, large caliber and large.














I need to show my wife the purple (her favorite color) finish on some of the pistols but I need to be prepared to purchase it on the spot.

President's "Adopt a Detainee" Program

I know this old (2002) but I need to put it up as it is still a current events topic today.

President's "Adopt a Detainee" Program...

Thank you for your recent whiney-assed letter criticizing the treatment of the Taliban and El Quieda detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay. As part of the Administration's Liberal Retraining Program, you'll be pleased to learn that the Administration has decided to place one detainee under your exclusive care. Your detainee is scheduled to be delivered to your personal residence on Monday. The detainee is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you strongly recommended in your letter of admonishment.

It will be necessary that you hire your own caretakers. We will also conduct weekly inspections, of course, to assure that your detainee is actually being cared for in the manner you personally prescribed.

His meal requirements are simple, but we strongly suggest using menus that do not require utensils. While he does bite, the rabies test was negative, although he does have a bad case of body lice that we haven't completely remedied.

Although he is sociopathic and very psychotic, we do welcome your promised efforts to overcome that "attitudinal problem" with your promised counseling and home schooling.

He's extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or light bulb. We do not suggest that you ask him to demonstrate these proficiencies at your next bridge party. He also has the ability to make a variety of lethal bombs from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, notwithstanding that it may conflict with your moral values or disrupt your maid's daily routine.

Please heed the large orange notice attached to your detainee's cage. "Does not play well with others.

Your detainee generally bathes quarterly, with the change of seasons, assuming that it rains, and washes his clothes simultaneously. That should help with your water bill.

Be assured, your detainee absolutely loves pets of all kinds, but is especially fond of cats and dogs. He prefers them roasted.

You take good care of our detainee now.

25-year police veteran to Toledo residents: "Buy guns. Invest in precious metals: lead, gun power and brass."

"For the past several weeks, the Toledo Blade has been reporting on a severe budget short-fall that the City of Toledo has spent itself into.

After weeks of back-and-forth debate between Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, Toledo city council, and unions representing police and firefighters' unions, the Finkbeiner administration has announced plans to issue layoff notices to as many as 350 city employees. While not yet being specific as to who will be laid off, Councilman Frank ­Szollosi has introduced legislation that would eliminating the jobs of 151 police officers, 100 firefighters, and 90 nonsafety personnel."

I post this one up as Toledo is close to my birth town. I am sure that this comment went over like a lead balloon with some of the anti-gun bunch there.

When I was a wee lad, we would go to the big town for items that could not be purchased locally. We thought that Toledo was huge! Temperance, at that time, had one gas station, a drug store, a small general store with a fountain, post office, small grocery, and three churches. No alcohol was sold and there were no bars.

I remember going to downtown Toledo around Christmas time to go to Tiedtke's Department Store as they had everything anyone could ever want. It seemed that way anyways. We couldn't afford much but window shopping was an event in itself. The toy department went on forever - couldn't afford that either. Have you ever stood in front of a window watching a chicken grilling on the spit? We thought it was a good time just to watch it turn but if you wanted chicken you could just wait until you got home and go catch the one pointed out to you.

Going back today to Toledo is a bit different. Tiedtke's is long gone and downtown is really nasty. You can't roam the streets anymore. The decrease of police officers is really going to be bad news in this town.

Governor Brian Schweitzer (D), signs revolutionary new gun law in Montana

I would say that Montana has thrown down the gauntlet. What this boils down to is:

• Guns andammo made, sold and used in Montana does not require any federal forms.
• Silencers made in Montana and sold in Montana would be fully legal and not registered.
• There would be no firearm registration, serial numbers, criminal records check, waiting periods or paperwork required.

Moving to Montana soon.
(wasn't that a song?)

City Council Proposed Tax Increases Get Blasted

"The Tucson City Council proposed a myriad of tax increases, including a 2% tax on renters, increased utility, garbage, and water fees, a doubling of the hotel bed tax, and others.

The first of three public hearings on the issue was held on April 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center with May 5 and June 2 being the next hearings.

The Tucson Tea Party, Arizona Multi-Housing Association, as well as the Tucson Realtors’ Association encouraged their members to attend a rally beginning at 4:30 p.m. and wear red to protest the City Council’s proposed tax increases.

More than 1000 people turned out for the rally, with at least 2/3 of them wearing red, and 120 turned in cards to speak to the council. "

The Tucson Tea Party site may be worth keeping an eye on as they seem to be very active in tracking local government actions.

Arizona bill would bar gun bans for parked vehicles

"A Democratic leader opposing the bill said overturning employers' weapons bans could set the stage for deadly workplace violence."

Same old hue and cry with no facts to back it up. I wonder which Democratic leader uttered nonsense this time.

The one's that go "postal" don't worry about these little technicalities anyways.

Busy Weekend

The Scottish Rite Reunion was held on Friday and Saturday. This is when the degrees for the new people are put on. I work in the Property Department which means that I move stage and floor furniture/props around for a couple days. Fun but tiring.

So to rest up......I went to the York Rite installation of officers on Sunday.
I am the tall, handsome guy on the end. Well...one out two isn't bad! I like being involved in the Masonic organizations. My wife seems tolerate my activities pretty well and even seems to enjoy herself at many of the functions. Bless her soul. I am involved in the Blue Lodge (Sr. Deacon), Chapter (EHP), Council (PIM & Steward), Commandery (Generalissamo), Scottish Rite (32 Deg KCCH), and last but not least I joined the Shrine. I do not think that there is much in the way of further light in Masonry in the Shrine but there is fun and one can help raise money for the children's hospitals. Thank heavens that most of the organizations only meet once a month with a few events in between. Otherwise it would be difficult for other important things like family, shooting, hunting, fishing, shooting, archery, and blogging about stuff! did I say shooting twice? Good, I like shooting.

See all you folks at the 2A Bash!