THE CROSSBEAMS OF MY WORLD have been buckling lately, and as is my custom in such situations, I've been spending a lot of time in the woods. It's too early for fishing and too late for hunting, so I've been after sheds. This has given me time to think about a persistent problem in my life—the great number of people and things that don't live up to my expectations. At any given moment, I could name dozens of examples.
Whether you target bass or walleyes, trout or stripers and more, these are lures that actually work. Some selections are lures your granddad fished. Others are so new you might not have seen them yet. In all cases, though, you'll find a lure that catches fish, specified right down to size and color, along with just what to do when you're on the water.
Not all babies are beautiful, not all dogs are smart, and not all used rifles are good buys. But some of them are terrific bargains because shooters and hunters are as nuts as any other hobbyists and constantly trade firearms.
If you are looking to buy used guns, the first thing you need to know is that they fit into one of six categories, depending on their condition:
[POOR] The gun is pitted and rusted, may not be in working order, and may not be safe to shoot. Forget it.
I CAN EASILY measure a rifle's worth in cold mechanical terms, but not so the lever action. Let me put it this way: Can you picture John Wayne with anything but a lever gun? It's easier to imagine Roy Rogers accompanying himself on the harp, or the Lone Ranger yelling "Hi-yo, Titanium." The lever action isn't just a type of rifle; it's part of our American culture.
When T-Shirts Kill Alan Newsom, a 13-year-old student at Jack Jouett Middle School in Charlottesville, Virginia, was threatened with expulsion for wearing a T-shirt that read NRA SHOOTING SPORTS CAMP. The clothing violated the school's dress code, which prohibits "messages related to weapons." Newsom's family sued the Albemarle County School Board. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided in Newsom's favor, pointing out that under the school's policy, students could not display the Great Seal of Virginia, which features a spear and a sword. But perhaps the administrators are on to something: Guns don't kill people; T-shirts kill people. --DAVID E. PETZAL
As an overprotective modern parent who gets nervous when my kids ride bicycles to a friend's house, I would not teach my children to hunt if I thought it were dangerous. Better they have a gun in their hands, than, say, a skateboard. Hunting and shooting have low accident rates precisely because we place so much emphasis on gun safety. Although hunting should be fun, teaching kids to be safe shooters doesn't call for much sense of humor. Treat the topic seriously, and children will respond to the gravity in your voice.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 1: DEMYSTIFY GUNS
Young boys, especially, find guns fascinating. Keeping guns forbidden and mysterious only increases their allure. Let your kids handle your guns with your permission and under your supervision. Show them how to check whether the chamber and magazine are empty. Let them point the gun in a safe direction. Teach them now that the only time they are ever to touch a trigger is when they want the gun to go off.
Take them to the gun club, where they will see targets smashed to bits. Show them the bloody holes your guns put into the animals you bring home. A friend likes to impress new shooters with the power of firearms by shooting a cantaloupe at 10 paces with a 12-gauge. The distinction between real and toy guns will be as clear as the difference between real and toy cars.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 2: GIVE THEM A BB GUN
Owning a BB gun can teach children good safety habits or bad ones. Kids of my generation roamed the woods with Red Ryders and no parental supervision. There's a better way. Give a child a BB gun a year or so before he or she is ready to start shooting .22s and 20-gauges. Store it with your guns and make a point of treating it like a real gun—which it is. Let your young hunter bring it along, unloaded, on short hunts with you. Insist that he carry it with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Pack a few BBs along for some safe target shooting at the end of the day.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 3: SPEND TIME AT THE RANGE
The more often you take your children shooting, the more practiced they'll become in handling guns safely. At the range, insist that muzzles point up, down, or downrange—always. Keep control of the ammunition yourself, and dole out shells one at a time. Kids will be scrupulously careful about muzzle control until they fire a shot. In the excitement of hearing the gun go off, they will turn to you, swinging the gun, or drop it down so it points at their toes. If the gun is empty, it's a teachable moment, not a potential tragedy. Insist on eye and ear protection, and emphasize its importance by always wearing it yourself.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 4: PICK FIRST HUNTS CAREFULLY
Your first real hunts should be for squirrels, waterfowl, deer, turkeys, or doves, sedentary hunts where the game comes to you. Leave your own gun at home. Sit right with your hunter, whispering advice and giving the go-ahead to take the safety off and shoot. Save upland hunting for last. It requires walking with a loaded gun for long periods as well as split-second shoot-or-don't-shoot decisions.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 5: LEAD BY EXAMPLE
You're trying to instill lifelong safety habits, and nothing you say speaks as loudly as your own actions when you and your child hunt together. Handle your own guns with extra emphasis on safety. While we're at it, boats, ATVs, tree stands, and motor vehicles can be just as deadly as guns if used carelessly. Your young hunter will learn all about them by watching you.
I defonatly think parents should be teach ther kids gun safty and how to shoot its tradichon and plane comen sice thay should start out slow with a bb gun or some thing but thay should learn
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Bill Heavey: Shed Hunting and Divorce18
THE CROSSBEAMS OF MY WORLD have been buckling lately, and as is my custom in such situations, I've been spending a lot of time in the woods. It's too early for fishing and too late for hunting, so I've been after sheds. This has given me time to think about a persistent problem in my life—the great number of people and things that don't live up to my expectations. At any given moment, I could name dozens of examples.
i love shed hunting
The 50 Greatest Lures of All Time63
Whether you target bass or walleyes, trout or stripers and more, these are lures that actually work. Some selections are lures your granddad fished. Others are so new you might not have seen them yet. In all cases, though, you'll find a lure that catches fish, specified right down to size and color, along with just what to do when you're on the water.
in my apinion the sketter pop frog by rapala is the best bass lure ever made
Live from the SHOT Show: Booth Babes 200953
carmela is my favrit of them all
The Ten Best Used Deer Guns (and How to Buy Them)13
Not all babies are beautiful, not all dogs are smart, and not all used rifles are good buys. But some of them are terrific bargains because shooters and hunters are as nuts as any other hobbyists and constantly trade firearms.
If you are looking to buy used guns, the first thing you need to know is that they fit into one of six categories, depending on their condition:
[POOR] The gun is pitted and rusted, may not be in working order, and may not be safe to shoot. Forget it.
unless its for colection purpases i dont buy guns that i think havent been well taken care of
The Six Best Lever Action Rifles (and When to Use Them)36
I CAN EASILY measure a rifle's worth in cold mechanical terms, but not so the lever action. Let me put it this way: Can you picture John Wayne with anything but a lever gun? It's easier to imagine Roy Rogers accompanying himself on the harp, or the Lone Ranger yelling "Hi-yo, Titanium." The lever action isn't just a type of rifle; it's part of our American culture.
the win m94 still is and will always be my favoret
Live from the SHOT Show: Booth Babes 200953
shes got my vote
Petzal's Picks: The Best New Rifles for '0929
I like rifles that r acurate right out of the box becals i dont haft to use that much ammo to make shure ther on target
Seven Primitive Survival Shelters That Could Save Your Life11
I think every outdoorsman should have some basic know how to buld a shelter just in case u never know when u could get lost or stranded
NRA T-Shirt vs. High School Dress Code8
When T-Shirts Kill Alan Newsom, a 13-year-old student at Jack Jouett Middle School in Charlottesville, Virginia, was threatened with expulsion for wearing a T-shirt that read NRA SHOOTING SPORTS CAMP. The clothing violated the school's dress code, which prohibits "messages related to weapons." Newsom's family sued the Albemarle County School Board. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided in Newsom's favor, pointing out that under the school's policy, students could not display the Great Seal of Virginia, which features a spear and a sword. But perhaps the administrators are on to something: Guns don't kill people; T-shirts kill people. --DAVID E. PETZAL
i agree with the courts schools should not harass a child for promoting the nra or safe and responsable use of fire arms
How to Teach Your Child Gun Safety6
As an overprotective modern parent who gets nervous when my kids ride bicycles to a friend's house, I would not teach my children to hunt if I thought it were dangerous. Better they have a gun in their hands, than, say, a skateboard. Hunting and shooting have low accident rates precisely because we place so much emphasis on gun safety. Although hunting should be fun, teaching kids to be safe shooters doesn't call for much sense of humor. Treat the topic seriously, and children will respond to the gravity in your voice.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 1: DEMYSTIFY GUNS
Young boys, especially, find guns fascinating. Keeping guns forbidden and mysterious only increases their allure. Let your kids handle your guns with your permission and under your supervision. Show them how to check whether the chamber and magazine are empty. Let them point the gun in a safe direction. Teach them now that the only time they are ever to touch a trigger is when they want the gun to go off.
Take them to the gun club, where they will see targets smashed to bits. Show them the bloody holes your guns put into the animals you bring home. A friend likes to impress new shooters with the power of firearms by shooting a cantaloupe at 10 paces with a 12-gauge. The distinction between real and toy guns will be as clear as the difference between real and toy cars.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 2: GIVE THEM A BB GUN
Owning a BB gun can teach children good safety habits or bad ones. Kids of my generation roamed the woods with Red Ryders and no parental supervision. There's a better way. Give a child a BB gun a year or so before he or she is ready to start shooting .22s and 20-gauges. Store it with your guns and make a point of treating it like a real gun—which it is. Let your young hunter bring it along, unloaded, on short hunts with you. Insist that he carry it with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Pack a few BBs along for some safe target shooting at the end of the day.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 3: SPEND TIME AT THE RANGE
The more often you take your children shooting, the more practiced they'll become in handling guns safely. At the range, insist that muzzles point up, down, or downrange—always. Keep control of the ammunition yourself, and dole out shells one at a time. Kids will be scrupulously careful about muzzle control until they fire a shot. In the excitement of hearing the gun go off, they will turn to you, swinging the gun, or drop it down so it points at their toes. If the gun is empty, it's a teachable moment, not a potential tragedy. Insist on eye and ear protection, and emphasize its importance by always wearing it yourself.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 4: PICK FIRST HUNTS CAREFULLY
Your first real hunts should be for squirrels, waterfowl, deer, turkeys, or doves, sedentary hunts where the game comes to you. Leave your own gun at home. Sit right with your hunter, whispering advice and giving the go-ahead to take the safety off and shoot. Save upland hunting for last. It requires walking with a loaded gun for long periods as well as split-second shoot-or-don't-shoot decisions.
ASSIGNMENT NO. 5: LEAD BY EXAMPLE
You're trying to instill lifelong safety habits, and nothing you say speaks as loudly as your own actions when you and your child hunt together. Handle your own guns with extra emphasis on safety. While we're at it, boats, ATVs, tree stands, and motor vehicles can be just as deadly as guns if used carelessly. Your young hunter will learn all about them by watching you.
I defonatly think parents should be teach ther kids gun safty and how to shoot its tradichon and plane comen sice thay should start out slow with a bb gun or some thing but thay should learn
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