Introductions, lots of new folks here nowadays

[Dave King]

I thought it might be time for another go-around of introductions. We have a lot of new members and I'm getting curious.


I'll start:

Dave King
retired U. S. Navy but still working.
I'm 51 y/o but that'll change next year, I'm grey haired and somewhat grumpy. I like food and don't care too much for hard manual labor work. I'm a computer geek by trade and have a few quirks (occupational requirement).

I like to shoot long range, both target and hunting. My hunting limit is 650 yards on big game animals but varmints are not so lucky.

I've been married right at 31 years (yes, all to the same woman) and have two grown children. My son is in the U. S. Army and my daughter works for the federal government (civil service).

I mainly shoot 308 Winchester in "tactical" style rifles, I like the durability of the rifles built for hard use. I have a few other "odd" rifles around, a 375 H&H "The Monkey Blaster" (named by Ian McMurchy) and my latest (mis)adventure is a 416 Rigby perhaps to be labeled "The Retina Detacher".

I mainly hunt whitetail deer and have been known to hunt black bear, moose ("eater of twigs") and elk (wapati).

I do some reloading but mainly shoot Federal Gold Medal Match ammo through my 308's. I do reload for the 416 Rigby, at $120 USD per factory 20 it's a lot less expensive to reload for it.

 

[jsali]

The names John in case no one guessed it (I used to go by the name Jaeger476 on this forum but I forgot the password and couldn't manage to get the new one working). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I am married with one daughter, I live and work in Northern Alberta currently as a safety officer on the construction industry.

I am 29 years old with a short military background. I used to compete and train others in traditional archery and long range marksmanship. Haven't done much training of others lately, as I barely have enough time to improve on my own skills.

I like to shoot long range tactical style rifles, handguns, the ever popular .22 caliber pea shooters. I enjoy handloading for precision rifles (I find handloading for handguns self defeating, I just can't justify spending 8 hours reloading for five minutes of shooting).

My 300 mag is currently at the gunsmith undergoing a complete upgrade from one end to the other (will provide pics and details when it comes back).

Once huntin' season comes around you can't keep me out of the bush. I hunt whitetail, mulie, moose, bear, elk... and anything else I can get a tag for.

I have to say that I have learned things from this forum that I would have never learned in a hundred years of personal research. I hope one day I can meet some of the fellas who post here as I am a big fan of their "work" ;

Thanks to everyone who has helped me in the past, I only hope I can return the favor one day.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

My name is Charlie and my screen name of "Varmint Hunter" may be a little misleading. I hunt all year round and varmints are only part of my quarry. I hunt upland birds, waterfowl, biggame, varmints, and even fish varmints on occassion.

I've run the gambit from being a dedicated shotgunner, to developing my skills with handguns (conventional and exotic), and on to precision rifle where I currently expend most of my energy. I'm also an avid bowhunter and have taken many trophy whitetails and a good bear with the bow.

I serve as a supervising officer in the Conservation Department and have spent the last 25 years protecting our environment and its natural resources. As a NYS certified instructor in Hunter Education, Bowhunter Education & Safe Boating, I spend quite a bit of time teaching. Over the years, many of my students have proven to be accomplished hunters.

I am an Endowment member of the NRA and a sustaining member in six other shooting and/or hunting related organizations. The only salvation of our great shooting heritage is the organization of its participants. I'm trying to do my part.

I have a very tolerant wife and two daughters. I don't know a single married person that spends half the time shooting & hunting that I do and is still married. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I must say that I really enjoy being a looongrange "Varmint Hunter". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob S.]

My name is bob. I grew up in Idaho but I live and work in SW Montana right up against the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness. Idaho borders me to the south and west.

I have done everything from serving in the navy to working at a nuclear power plant to packing and guiding for several outfitters. I currently work on a 20,000 acre ranch and do some horse shoeing on the side.

I'm a bowhunter/handgun hunter/rifle hunter/anything hunter and don't buy much meat.

I got the long range bug bad and am going to look Ric Horst up one of these days for some tutoring. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Most of my guns are bone stock and I currently have a couple of projects planned/in progress for getting better accuracy - money is the only limiting factor /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I've got the same wife I had 19 yrs ago and two kids in high school - man how time flies.

Whew! I guess I got a little long winded talking about my favorite subject. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[3sixbits]

3sixbits= 375 in case someone never heard the jingle. The name is Al. I have been guilty of being a gun nut for the entire memory of my 56 years. I have been lucky to have spent this life of mine following all disciplines of the shooting sports. Unfortunately I've lost much of the vision in my shooting eye and had to give up my first love of benchrest shooting. Oh well, that has left me to hunting, for however long the Good Lord leaves me. I have been hunting all my life and find that I never tire of it, I hunt each time as if it will be my last and savory every moment. My favorite pass time is giving kids there first .22rf rifle and teaching them how to use them. For the past 35 years I have found this giving back to be a wonderful experience. I would encourage each of you to give it a try, the returns are wonderful! I've been married to the boss for the past 30 years and I might add she has a vary fine gun collection from all the birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. I had to give up giving her fishing gear some years ago do to her complaints. Do to changing health conditions I'm now limited to using no more gun than my .375H&H's, which is not to bad as I think of them as the best all around ctg. ever made! Well enough of this, I sure enjoy this web-site as there is a lot of fine folks that stop by from time to time. I found it to be my first stop after checking e-mail, each day. So I will like to thank the fine folks that work so hard to keep it a fine place to meet and swap ideas.

 

[Ballistic64]

Hello,my name's Joe.Picked/appointed the name ballistic64 because my wife (of 4 yrs.,yes,I was almost a terminal bachelor)says Im always flying off the handle and 64' for the time I entered the world.Of my 41 yrs.,Ive been turning wrenches as a heavy equip.field mechanic for the last 21 of them.
Like you Dave,I dont enjoy manual labor like I used to,but I'll do just about anything to stay outdoors while I work.
I started hunting as soon as I legally could (with father,who I dont think cared all that much for hunting as much as he cared about turning his two sons onto it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif).
Have always loved shooting sports,be it bowhunting,gun hunting,target shooting,plinking.Have recently taken a severe interest in long range shooting/hunting.Most hunting shots have for me have been 400 yds and under.
In the past couple months have taken the big dive and started investment of building (or having built,I should say)my first real long range gun.Decided on the 338 LM.
Have 4 boys and 1 girl (16yrs old and absolutely no interest in hunting/shooting.Believe me,Ive tried).My oldest boy will just start hunting this fall.
Most of my hunting has been in the SD region and one AZ archery elk hunt with a buddy that lives in Chino (awesome hunt,by the way).Im just getting my wife into hunting and have been trying to take very slow with her as she gets frustrated easily.
Severe varmint calling junky,although thats toned back since married.
Came across this forum somewhat by accident and havent missed a day of reading it since.Great forum and great people,what more could you want? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Coyboy]

My name is Jim. I picked up coyboy in CO on an elk hunt. My friend was waiting in the truck after dark, and I jogged in from about a mile out. After that he claimed I was half coyote, I don't know what the big deal was, we were only at 12,800 feet.

I'm pushing 35 and have been hunting since I was 14. No one in my imediate familly hunted, so I kind of learned from reading magazines in school, and some help from neigbors were I grew up. I've been a plumber for the last 12 years. Unfortunatly, I'm a workaholic, do alot of side jobs, but saving for a custom rig. Other than my wife and baby girl, My first passion is hunting and the second is gardening. The gardening is my stress reliver after working all day. I can come home and work more. I've been reloading for about 10 years and do most of my load tweaking in the winter months. I live on 80 acres of open land so finding time to shoot is relativly easy.

I started visiting this site last summer, and dove in this past fall. I put my harris bipod on my gun, printed a drop chart, and put it on the stock of my rem 300wm. This helped me make a one shot kill on a buck at 423 yards last fall my longest whitetail ever.

I love hunting in the mountains, I usually spend a week in CO. Last fall I spent 2 weeks, had a high country mulie tag. Then bowhunted elk for a week.
I'm also a coyote junky, usually take a trip to ND and NE every winter. I do some minor tweaking to my guns, trigger work, float and bed, ect. Definatly need to get started on a dedicated long range tack driver. Thinking heavy barreled 300wm.

This is a great site with great people.

 

[arthurj]

Hey guys, my name is Arthur but I go by "Al." I'm turning 23 in June. I live in Birmingham, AL, Im in college at UAB, should be graduating this year, but I did not have the best discipline my first 2 years of school so I am a few years behind. Finally I figured out it was time to buckle down and start studying. I am just working after class every day at a garden center, doing their "crap work." I've been reading this site for about a year and a half. I've got the bug for it too. I usually read it for about an hour a day,lots to learn. I love all kinds of hunting and fishing but due to a lack a places to hunt I only get to dear hunt a few times a year. Places to shoot long, are pretty limited too but I try to shoot at least at 500 once a week. I own a sendero 7 ultra, and just bought a vsf 308. Both stock. I bought the ultra mag without researching enough, looked solely at ballistics and didn't consider that it would kick the hell out of me, so I just bought the 308. Great site and I appreciate all of the help I get, I hope someday I will be able to give some knowledge back to this community.

 

[giannis]

Hi guys my name is John and i dont think you want to know my last name, it will be hard to read /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
34 years old, married and have a beautiful little girl 14 months old.
I was born & lived in Greece for 21 years, been here in S.C. since & i love it{always miss greece but i try to visit every 2 or 3 years.}
My english is not very good but i am working on it?
Me and my brother own two restaurants {Olympian greek & italian restaurant} and this kind of business does not give me too much free time to hunt & shoot as much as i want to.
I love to hunt, shoot, handload, & fish only when there is nothing to hunt.
I was told about this place LRH about a year ago and been reading since then,i didnt register until about a month ago, and i am glad i did.My hunting buddy {TOM}that told me about it, he is still not registered...come on man what are you waiting for? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.
Well thats enough i said about me it only took me about 45 minutes to type all this i will see you later AND THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT INFO ADMINISTRATORS AND THE REST OF YOU
JOHN THE [GREEK].

 

[royinidaho]

Well, let's see here. Pretty obvious that my name is Roy. I'm the ripe old age of 62, and that's a **** young 62. What other idiot would at that age get himself a 375 H&H in Ruger #1 and think he got a nice chuck rifle. BTW, I flat love the thing.

Like a couple of people above, I was in the Navy, one of Rickover's little boys. Retired after 5 yrs 9 months and 23 days. Those are number's I'll never forget.

The Navy screwed me on everything else so when I learned that one of the places that could send me next was Idaho. (Grew up in PA). I figured what the hey, and "put in" for it so I could say that I at least got one thing I asked for. Got here and thought I'd died and went to heaven. Been here ever since, that was 1966, except for 7 yrs in Louisiana.

Got to Idaho and had to have a 270 cause that's what O'Connor said. Cecil Dodge, at the Pocatello Gun Shop puta Douglas BBL on my Mauser action and I've been shooting that rifle ever since. Its accounted for many mule deer and one moose. I'm still trying to get that elk.

Found this board last year and decided to learn about extending the range. Right at that precise moment the bbl went to pot. Got a 27" Lilja stuck on it. Now I'm up to 650 yds on water filled milk jugs. The stresses of life go away when that jug comes apart. Good exercise too, its a 1000 yd walk to set the target and a 1000 yd walk to pick up the trash.

BTw, there must be good water here. Raised 7 children and have 6 grand children with at least 1 more on the way.

Besides the 375 I got a 338 Win to go with the last year's elk tag. Still have that **** tag.

There's a fella north of me a few hundred miles that has me about hooked on one of those "reach out and touch" rifles. One of these days...

Its a good board, great admin, and a general all around good group of folks.

 

[Eaglet]

My name is Javier Moncada, 50 y/o, been maried for 26 years, have three sons, 25, 20,13. The reason my screen name is Eaglet is because <font color="blue"> God compares himself to an Eagle and if He is my father then I'm an Eaglet. Eagles only feed on fresh kill, unlike buzzards.</font>
Born in Nicaragua Central America and became a USA citizen many years ago. NRA life time member! Worked about 12 years mostly surveying in road construction for NDOT = Nevada Dept of Tranportation. Presently I'm pastoring a small congregation and do casual Work as English-Spanish interpretor for a local Hospital. My first love is God's Word. By nature I want to help people.
I have at home a 308 Ruger heavy barrel very accurate, 2 243's Rugers, 30-06 Remington, Howa 300 Winch. Mag., my best is my Remington 300 RUM with which I dream up long range shooting. Shotguns, pistols etc. Have been reloading off and on for 33 years but some times I feel like I know nothing. Went elk hunting to Idaho last year; we seen no Elk but got sorrounded by 8 wolves, my son and I.
Still in the search for my fist Elk this year we already applied for Colorado. Have been using the Internet for too many years and never liked forums. This is the first one that I remember being a member of and really enjoy it. Many folks don't understand how I can enjoy production tactical shooting being a minister, but I do! in spite of being 335 lbs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lead lobber]

hey everybody,

my name is gary and I "TEMPORARILY" live in utah. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Born and raised in N. CA this place is definitely different?!?!?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif There is great shooting and hunting here and that makes it bearable. The name lead lobber comes from my trials with my new gun, a 6mm ackley. It is personal now. I will make this gun shoot or die trying!!!!!!!!!!! I am pretty new to long range shooting, but I am totally hooked!!! I really appreciate all the help I have recieved from some of the "old hands" here on the forum. I really appreciate the gunsmiths input as well. They are genuinely helping here and not selling anything. Kirby has gone above and beyond to help me and that says alot about him. He will get my business!! Always looking for shooting buddies in this "NO FUN ZONE" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[zupatun]

Hi all,

My name is Matt, 37 and I'm currently living in Virginia near D.C. I do research primarily for the military trying to make semiconductors for radar systems to "reach out and touch them" a lot farther than they do now. I grew up in Michigan, went to school in Ohio and even got stationed in Ohio flying a desk for the Air Force for a few years. I'm a divorced father of two who won't move to Pennsylvania for my job because I believe kids still need two parents (she left me--her loss). I drive about 800 miles a week but I get three days to work in DC every other week so I get the kids about half the time (My boy is 14 and little girl is 8). University benefits are great (free tuition in 4 years) but I don't know if I want to be commuting for much longer. Great girlfriend who will probably be the next Mrs. Matt in the next year or so.

I'm pretty new to this forum and LR hunting. I hunted with my Dad as a kid and teenager but with football and physics in college I got out of the habit. I mostly use a Bear Alaskan compound (old but a great bow) and longbow from my Dad (I prefer the longbow). I just got my first rifle (Tikka Varmint in 308) and haven't really touched a rifle since I was 18. My grandpa started me out on his S&amp;W .357 magnum and Browning semi-auto 20-guage. I never got to shoot rifles a lot as a kid because my Dad would sell his stuff when he needed cash (he always kept the bows though). When I got divorced I decided to start back to some of the things I loved before I got married so I regularly go snowboarding, ride my motorcycle (12K miles a year) and have been improving my shooting skills and go hunting again.

I started out looking for a forum on hunting and rifles in general, but you guys just kinda sucked me in. I'm learning as I go and learn a whole lot. I also have a couple friends who are eager to get me back in the woods too. Also, as luck would have it, my Dad started hunting (after taking a break for ten years)again too. Looking to put a good number of rounds through the rifle this Spring and Summer as one of my buddies has about 600 yards of real-estate at his Dad's place we use as a range (he's drooling over a .50cal right now as we speak) which is a good start.

Anyhow, I get every other weekend to myself so I try to keep busy--and I figured out how to carry the rifle on my bike so I plan on going to a shoot or two this summer as well. Looks pretty silly, but it does the job. I have a friend who has the same setup in NC for his tactical rig.

Thanks in advance,

Matt

 

[Okiehunter]

Hello gentlemen, my name is Bret, I have been married to the same 'understanding' woman for coming up on 26 years. Have 2 sons, 16 &amp; 19. They both hunt and shoot but the oldest is much more dedicated. I have hunted since I was 5-6 yrs old. Bowhunting is my passion, have gone to Colorado for 2 wks for the past 24 yrs. to persue mule deer but hunted elk last year and killed a 5x5 bull. Planning on black bear this fall. Love to hunt coyotes and feral hogs which are becoming a real problem to farmers and rancher here in OK. Just found this site about a month ago but can tell it's a great one. I have been on and around Savageshooters forum for sometime. I love Savage rifles because I have the capability to change barrels, triggers, etc. to them myself. Have three at present + various other handguns, shotguns,etc. and plan on more. Like the saying, you can't have to much fun, you can't get to many guns. I appreciate this forum and information that I have gained. I applaude the 'keepers' and appreciate their time and efforts. Good shootin' to all.