Column

From the perspective of a soldier, there are not that many things that are actually always with you in the field. Boots, rifle, and rucksack are the obvious top three. If your boots are your ride, then your rucksack is most certainly your house. It holds your lifelines of food, water, and radios. It has all your scant comforts, like dry socks, and a sleeping bag if you are living large that day. But it can also help you make an otherwise unattainable shot.

As far as tools go for your rifle, a bipod is very important. If you have never used one, it is an absolute game changer. Yes, I realize lots of animals got shot before we had them. Lots of animals were harvested using an atlatl as well, but I don’t see them often on store shelves.

When asked why he chose to kill Carter, Lewis answered simply, “She was a rich broker. Because she was just a woman who worked alone — a rich broker.”

This notion applies in a myriad of self-defense matters, not the least of which is if you carry a concealed handgun, you’ll have to decide whether to carry a backup gun.

I got the New York blues. After years down in Kentucky, I’m in the process of moving back to Upstate New York.

The 6.5 Creedmor isn’t a new round, it was introduced in 2008 by Hornady. But this will be remembered as the year it began its dominance in the market place. In reference to .308, I think the words of Winston Churchill say it best. “This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, this is just perhaps the end of the beginning.”

Nobody wants to hear about the hard work involved with learning to shoot, but that is what is required.

Since its introduction in 2007, Hornady has continued to hit the sweet spot among long-range shooters with the 6.5 Creedmoor. A modification of the .30 TC and ultimately an offspring of the .308 Win., the 6.5 Creedmoor is effective because it capably seats bullets with high sectional density and ballistic coefficients, which are remarkably adept at producing flat trajectories and handling the wind. The 6.5 is also popular among competition shooters because it successfully houses these long, sleek bullets in a case that still fits in standard AR-10-style magazines and short-action bolt guns. As a result, the cartridge has been popular in competition and among game hunters.

I live across the street from an elementary school. Needless to say, transporting a rifle from my house to the car can be an especially sensitive process.

Travelling with a rifle makes discretion even more difficult. I don’t like leaving my firearms in a hotel parking lot, but lugging a gun case across the lobby isn’t ideal, either. The Second Amendment protects my right to carry a gun when I travel, but I’d rather not have to deal with the over-eager bell boy who decides to call the police.