Very useful tool ...

[MontanaRifleman]

I've been following this thread from the beginning, and I thought about chiming in a couple of times, but I have decided the correct time is now.

I'm relatively new to this forum, as are a lot of other people. Some are like me and have been shooting their whole lives. Some are just getting started after the liberals' and Obummer's attack on guns. These new folks are trying to learn, and as they are just getting started, they may think that 300 yards is a long shot, and it probably is for them.

One thing that is great about all of it is the renewed interest in firearms and hunting.

Being a new member of the forum myself, I have also gotten somewhat frustrated with the redundancy of some of the threads, but the interest of new folks, and what they bring to the table as far as numbers of people on the right side of the fight is exciting to me. The forums would get pretty boring after a while if older topics were not rehashed occasionally.

Just my $.02, and a little more optimistic viewpoint. I have been shooting a lot lately as well

You guys can keep your wine. I'm a Scotch man

I'm sure it probably comes off as condescending to say that guys wanting to "know what rifle for hunting a max distance of 300 yds", should go elsewhere to get that info. It's not intended to be. It's just that this is a specialized site and there are a lot of other sites that can provide the "standard" hunting knowledge. Those threads do detract from the purpose of this site which is specialized for long range.

And I'm OK with a topic getting rehashed once in in awhile, but some stuff can very easyly be searched out if folks know how to do it.

Maybe Len could open another miscellaneous or whatever sub-forum.

I know I personally would like to see stuff that pertains to long range shooting and hunting in those forums dedicated to it.

And as far as getting boring, I would like to see members posting their experiences, rifles pics, hunting pics, etc, more. We have a lot of silent members which I think is unfortunate. Loved that high country log range deer thread!

 

[SidecarFlip]

Well, not exactly 100% long range. There is a smoke pole (muzzleloader) section and a bow section and handgun section and a photography section so, not all 'long range' stuff. Broz has his own forum and everything there is longrange. I'm not so I go lurk, thats it. Most everything I need is here and the discussions are usually pretty animated.

Personally speaking, I think a totally long range forum is a dead end street because a large part of us don't live west of the Old Muddy and though we hunt out there, it's infrequently.

 

[jkupper]

I'm sure it probably comes off as condescending to say that guys wanting to "know what rifle for hunting a max distance of 300 yds", should go elsewhere to get that info. It's not intended to be. It's just that this is a specialized site and there are a lot of other sites that can provide the "standard" hunting knowledge. Those threads do detract from the purpose of this site which is specialized for long range.

And I'm OK with a topic getting rehashed once in in awhile, but some stuff can very easyly be searched out if folks know how to do it.

Maybe Len could open another miscellaneous or whatever sub-forum.

I know I personally would like to see stuff that pertains to long range shooting and hunting in those forums dedicated to it.

And as far as getting boring, I would like to see members posting their experiences, rifles pics, hunting pics, etc, more. We have a lot of silent members which I think is unfortunate. Loved that high country log range deer thread!

I don't want you to feel like I believe you, or anyone else, was coming off as condescending. I was just trying to provide a different angle to look at everything from.

Maybe a "short to mid-range hunting" area for some of the threads would help out.

I also agree, and love to read about other people's hunting and shooting experiences. I would love to see more of those posts as well.



Sidecar - you don't come off as an a'hole in my eyes at all. I have learned quite a bit by reading your posts, especially some of the muzzle loader threads. I also agree with you, and I hope that many of the new shooters and hunters are joining the NRA, as well as writing their senators and congressmen.

I am really enjoying this thread too guys. It is one of the more interesting topics right now...

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Broz has his own forum and everything there is longrange.

Actually, I believe that is Shawn's forum. Broz is an administrator.

Personally speaking, I think a totally long range forum is a dead end street because a large part of us don't live west of the Old Muddy and though we hunt out there, it's infrequently.

Well it isn't very lively there that's for sure. Could be a dead end, time will tell. Hopefully it picks up.

Yeah, I grew up on the other side of the Big Muddy and started my hunting there. I understand that long shots for most are near impossible to get. Seems like a lot of the members from the East are more competition shooters but they make a good contribution to this forum.

I don't mind the other sub forums at all and if Len wanted to put in another forum for other than long range shooting, I wouldn't mind a bit. It's just that when I click into the Long Range Hunting forum, that's what I want to see and read, not about a guy who bought a bow instead of a rifle and not about someone looking for a 300 yard shooting stick.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I don't want you to feel like I believe you, or anyone else, was coming off as condescending. I was just trying to provide a different angle to look at everything from.

Maybe a "short to mid-range hunting" area for some of the threads would help out.

I also agree, and love to read about other people's hunting and shooting experiences. I would love to see more of those posts as well.

Oh, I didn't think you felt that way but I'm guessing some probably would so I thought I would try to make my position clear.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I really like playing with the mechanics of firearms, not so much the reloading (not that I don't do a lot because I do), I have 7 hungry for ammunition guys and one gal to load for besides myself so that keeps me pretty busy. Like the ML's. I cant resist playing with them. Besides, here where I live, a centerfire rifle for hunting is a no-no. ML's, pistols, shotguns and bows. At least you can have optics. I don't think I could shoot 50 yards with open sights, even with glasses on. I don't see that good anymore, must be age or something.....

I've gotten to where I have them (the guys) do the 'grunt work', the brass sizing, cleaning and case prep. I do the loads and bullet seating and they box or bag them up so it's not too bad. 2 guys do a bunch of shooting at paper and the rest shoot for the freezer or the wall. All calibers from 17's to 338's and 9's to 44mags. That way I have time for fiddling with guns out in the big man cave.

You might want to read my review on here of the WFT trimmer. I replaced the Redding last month (sold it to a poster on here).

My 'laborers' were complaining of sore palms (not from that..lol) and they and me were having issues holding case lengths across various calibers in quantity and I did some searching and found the Giraud and the WFT. Both share the same principle where the cutter is actually an end mill and the case feeds into the cutter supported by a chambered (in the applicable cartridge group) insert.

You can easily crank out a trimmed case every 6 seconds and across the numbers, we hold +-0.003, something I/we could not do with the Redding without fiddling.

I'm looking at machining a steel/delrin insert for meplat trimming with the WFT, I like to fiddle and I have the tools...

Besides this forum (and all the enjoyable interaction and some not so enjoyable), I like the Hunt'in Fool magazine that Carters Hunting Service puts out every month. I've been a paid member for a while now and I find it invaluable for hunting out west and it has great stories too. Actually, everyone in our group is a member. Bunch of older farts trying to stay young.....lol

I sure enjoy reading all the great adventures on here and Hunt'in Fool. I probably won't be able to hunt much longer or at least high country hunt, my age is against me as well as some other issues but I really enjoy reading about others adventures and experiences. Thats what makes a forum like this great, besides having good people to interact with.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I believe a "not-so Long Range Hunting" sub-forum would be interesting. However, keeping the ducks from waddling off in all directions is another matter. Len could add the sub-forum easily but, how do you keep that content in that forum?

As mark said, bow hunting & <300yd shooting do not belong in the Long Range Hunting/Shooting forum & unfortunately, nobody is cleaning that up. Those topics are just as valid but they belong somewhere else.

What worries me is, if all of the more seasoned members take the mindset I have (I'm a bit of a pessimist) we will lose the knowledge base & content that brought LRH to fruition. In all honesty, when I open a sub-forum I play in & see what we are all seeing, I move on; I don't post or contribute in any way. I understand my thought process is far from optimal but I'm starting to feel a bit of justification as well.

I do understand that long range for dude-A is not the same for guy-B & that is fine, we have places for everything. For me it's how diluted & somewhat unorganized this forum is getting. When I say unorganized i'm not talking about Len or Andy or anything they do here. I'm talking about topic-A being placed in forum-B & staying there.

I believe we are at a member base to where Len needs some help herding these cats. I try hard not to get sideways with the new guys but i'm not always successful. I was one of them too, but I patiently waited & read until I could contribute something of worth....



BTW- i'm a Canadian Whiskey guy. Pendleton all the way.


t

 

[Outlaw6.0]

.... & to further my point, I made it from General Discussion to Equipment Discussion where I came across a 6-post newb selling his NF rings....

Is reading comprehension that freaking difficult?!


t

 

[SidecarFlip]

Great thing about V-Bulletin is the ability to add (or subtract) sub forums with a keystroke

This site really works pretty well with self moderation, most of the time and I believe the biggest issue is members never bother to read the users agreement, which leads to questionable content and misplaced posts.

If it were my forum I would curtail the wanted and for sale ads to only allowing members with a post count above say, 500, to post for sale or wanted. I see lots of for sale items especially, with posters with a post count less than 10, sometimes way less, like 1 or 2.

Those people aren't here to contribute anything and probably have no intention of ever being on forum except to sell something. That does nothing for the forum as a whole. Craigslist would be a better utilization and less clutter here, in my view.

I'm a member of the 'hide' though I have never posted anything, I'm not tacticool..lol, but I don't believe you can post for sale on that site (maybe you can, not really sure), anyway, there should be an imposed threshold for access to the wanted and for sale sub forums (thinking out loud).

If I lived 'out west', long range would be feasible, every day but as it is, it isn't (for me) except when I go hunting out west.

if you were to limit this site entirely to long range shooting/hunting, it would start loosing membership, it's too narrow of a focus for a self supporting website with public access. I've seen that occur on other forums and they aren't around anymore.

I believe Lens' goal initially was make the forum as wide based as possible to cultivatre membership and activity but it could stand some fine tuning, I think.

One thing that people don't understand (or maybe comprehend) is that nothing Internet related is free. Len is paying for the license to run the software, he's paying for the IT services, he's paying for the web space, you don't own anything on the web, you rent it. I'm sure this site covers it's expenses and then some (though paid advertisers), one reason I have no issue reporting commercial advertising, there is no free ride in the cyber world. Never has been. The only thing thats free here is the ability to post as an individual.

Like all the ads on here (and the dreaded full screen JD ad as well), they are whats referred to as 'click through advertising- and the forum owner gets so much monetarily for each click through. It all defrays the cost of operations.

This isn't a not for profit venture after all.

I used to drink Capt'n Morgan but it gives me a headache.

 

[SidecarFlip]

............What worries me is, if all of the more seasoned members take the mindset I have (I'm a bit of a pessimist) we will lose the knowledge base & content that brought LRH to fruition. In all honesty, when I open a sub-forum I play in & see what we are all seeing, I move on; I don't post or contribute in any way. I understand my thought process is far from optimal but I'm starting to feel a bit of justification as well...........

I believe we are already seeing that to some extent. It's a 'changing of the guard' sort of and I'm not at all sure it's good.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I've long supported a minimum post count for selling as the "hide" does (i'm a member there too). It used to be 100 posts & your posts were scrutinized, 100 posts that consist of +1 or nice rifle & ye ole' ban hammer came crashing down. Frank's rules aren't all that bad & for the most part his mods do a good job of weeding the "junk" from the sub-forums. I have less than 1/3 the posts there as I do here due to the focus on tatical shooting.... Since the move to their new format the selling rules are in limbo as most of their membership lost part or all of their post count.

'Flip, I beileve self moderation work pretty well, if the poster is capable of pulling their right finger from their left nostril to do so


t

 

[SidecarFlip]

Removal of the digit from an orfice is tough for some I guess.

Probably because they don't want their brain to run out on the floor.........

Problem is, it's not up to anyone on the forum what occurs far as format is concerned. Thats all Len and Andy. All we can do is ride along and wait and see. I believe they have their hands full with their retail outlet. Getting a store organized and profitable is a daunting task.

They are in a venue with lots of really big players that can easily afford to undercut the pricing of a small potatoes retailer.

Going from an online store (like Len has on this site) to a physical store is a quantum leap and in some ways a high risk undertaking because of the arena they are in.

Time will tell on that I guess.

I just hope that the time is alloted to this site as well as the store.

I look at the LL Bean scenario. Back when I was young, it was LL Bean. They sold about everything I needed for fly fishing and backpacking and hunting clothes and along came Cabelas, literally from nowhere (but slick marketing) and basically buried LL Bean. Gander Mountain and Bass Pro both share Cabelas marketing tactics. It's a pretty sound model but it decimates the little player. The wife got an LL bean catalog the other day. With the exception of their signature Maine Hunting Boots, there was nothing in the catalog that remotely resembled the LL Bean of 40 years ago. Thats sad.

Back then, you bought all your firearms at the LGS or hardware store and most times you ordered what you wanted because it wasn't in stock (sort of like componants are now).

Even Wallyworld has a good selection of guns now and hunting gee gaw.

The pie only slices so many ways.

BTW, this is a great thread. Glad Feenix initiated it.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I understand & agree that there are a few more things on their mind & higher on their priority list. I hope their retail outlet is a smashing success (thank god it's so far away... i'd go broke).

I applaud Len for his recent undertakings... it takes some serious backbone & willpower to handle, much less take-on, all of his recent adventures.

They're busy, I get it. Which brings my call for help back to the surface, IF we could boon-doggle a couple of our more levelheaded & active senior members into moderating for us, I personally would be pleased. Those of us (just like the guys in this thread) are more than capable of self moderation however, we can all see that our single digit posters are not.

Have you guys ever commented on the "XXX Give-Away!" threads?! I made it through 4 or 5 pages before I found a guy with a post count over 20......



t

 

[SidecarFlip]

I could be wrong about this but I believe the 'give away threads' encompass more than just this forum. I think it's a multi-forum contest sponsored by the respective manufacturer, again, I may be all wet.

I usually enter if it's something I could use but won't buy because I'm too cheap or don't have the money (I am retired, sort of). Some things I don't want like the shooting bench. I have a fantastic shooting bench that was once a student's desk in a public high school. It even has gum stuck underneath.

I've never won anything in my entire life. My wife won a flat screen Sony in a raffle last year. I watch it regularly (when she lets me). I doubt I'll ever 'win' anything. It's not in the cards for me.

You have to be careful how much you bite off versus what you can efficiently do and maintain. I just hope Len & company isn't taking too big of a bite.

I'm thinking that the retail store thing is for the kids and not the old man (he is a little older than I am so I can say that........ Besides, he wants to go hunting and take pictures and hunts and excursions don't run hand in hand with operating a store with regular hours and days of operation.

We are about equidistant from Len and I'd consider driving to Oshkosh just for a pair of Kennetrecks. I have a hard to fit foot and I want a pair but I'm not playing UPS tag for a pair that fits. I have Meindl's that fit well but it took some serious fit time at Cabelas, various pairs of socks and a good salesperson. I'm not ever going to get a pair unless it's first hand. That alone could cause me to drive to Oshkosh through the dreaded Land of Lincoln and Chicago.

Like walking across a bed of hot coals for a glass of Jim Beam........

You have Scheels, I don't.