Ohio River Flathead Catfish

Ohio River Flathead Catfish 10-20-09

On a recent trip for just a few hours of catfishing a long time friend of mine John Butler, hooked this fantastic big flathead... John was using Sufix 20 pound test, Mustad Extra Fine wire 8/0 demon circle hook and Okuma Coronado 50 spining reel.

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I would like to let everyone know that Team member and good friend, "Cleveland" Pete passed away in his home on Friday 10/16/09... Please say a prayer for his family...


Many fishing trips with Pete, many memories and good times... Pete, Rest in peace my friend... You will be missed...

Trap Shooting… Have you tried it?

Trap Shooting… Have you tried it?
by gunner

One of my favorite types of shooting is Trap. I started sporadically shooting trap in 1983. Then in 1987 I stopped hunting all together and Trap shooting quickly filled the void for my love of shooting. I have loaded thousands of shells and shot thousands of shells. I walked away from hunting because it was just not for me anymore. I had gotten a little older and my taste for hunting just up and left. But my taste for shooting was still as strong as ever if not more.

So trap shooting became a normal part of my life. I started going every other weekend instead of a few times a year. Bought a different loader and went at it. My biggest problem was since I had only went a few times a year, I really did not practice as much as I should have and picked up some bad / wrong shooting habits. With that I had to FORGET everything I had done for those 4 years prior and start new.

The best way to do that is get a buddy that has been trap shooting for years and have them watch and evaluate you as you shoot. Also you can get a video camera and tripod and film yourself. Later watch the tape and SEE what you are doing wrong. Then practice the right way, even in front of a full size mirror. SAFETY NOTE : MAKE SURE THE SHOTGUN IS UNLOADED CHECK THEN CHECK AGAIN!

At this point you can get advice from an experienced shooter and or instructional tapes. Write down the proper ways and compare to what you are doing. Make notes of the correct way and PRACTICE it the correct way. It will be difficult to do, as we all know old habits are hard to break, but it will improve your score better than you ever imagined.

I now have a few ribbons and trophies that I won 1st and 2nd place in events. It took a while and you get worse BEFORE you get better. Just don’t give up when you start to get the lower scores. It is worth the time an effort put into it. The right way to place the butt stock into your chest/shoulder. The way you grip the front of the shotgun. The way you stand, I turn at the waist, not with the knees.

There is so much more involved in trap shooting then just grabbing a shotgun and shooting the clay targets. But I think that if you love to shoot but do not want to hunt, this is one way to feed the need for shooting. Plus you get to meet many people that love the sport. Maybe even join a club and most have special events throughout the year. Kid camps, Holiday club parties, local carnivals etc… It could open a whole new world up for you.

And I repeat…. Any of my articles that I talk about the handling of guns, PLEASE SAFETY FIRST. If you are not sure about a gun you own or want to buy, ASK questions, take someone with you that IS knowledgeable about firearms. SIGN up for a safety class or two… When it comes to firearms and your life or the life of anyone… There are no dumb questions. Never point a loaded gun at anyone, NEVER have ammo and your gun together where & while you are cleaning or working or practicing with it. And ALWAYS check to see if the firearm is unloaded before you start to do anything to it. Safety is the best thing you can know when it comes to firearms, and you can never know enough about it… PRACTICE SAFETY along with anything else you practice.

Any type of shooting is fun, and SAFETY is part of it……..

See you on the range….
gunner

Practice at the range

Practice at the range
by gunner

Other than classes and practice in front of the mirror for stance and grip, quality time is needed on the range. Indoor or outdoor range, bottom line is YOU need to shoot and practice! All the studying in the world from a book can not replace actual shooting time on the range. Both are needed, learning from the class book & actual shooting.

Planning a trip to the range is easy. Have your range bag, portable target. Targets can be at an outdoor range, paper on a frame, cardboard mounted on wood or even clay targets for trap shooting. Every outdoor range I have been at will NOT let you bring in the metal spinning targets. To many people there to get hurt with those.

I take around 250 rounds per pistol with me. And I take a 9mm, 45acp, and .357 with me when I go. Most times I do not get all shot off but it is nice to know you have that many if needed.

The pistol I plan on using for home defense is the pistol I shoot most. I practice everything from gripping, loading, stance etc… Even kneeling and shooting. (Make sure the range officer says it is ok to shoot from that position) But I like to shoot the others just so I remember the different feel of each one.

My range bag includes:

Spotting Scope
Range Finder
Ammo
Hammer (For pounding the target in the ground)
Staple gun
Extra paper targets
Quick cleaning kit
Oil
Scope cleaning cloth
Shooting gloves (Sometimes I use these)
Basic weapon tools
Shooting pad
Duct Tape
Glasses with different color lens
Ear plugs & headset
Small wire brushes
Speed loaders
Mag loader tool

These are the things that I take with me. Now the pistols are carried in a separate case and they remain open action and unloaded in the locked case. A few range officers will ask to see in the case before you enter the range.

The range will have a list of rules posted, READ it and LIVE them! Breaking them can get you thrown off the range or worse get you shot or somebody else shot.

Please take time to go shooting, but be careful…
gunner

Article from a good friend of mine on CC holsters

A WORD ON CONCEALMENT HOLSTERS
By Jim Stouffer
Someone in every class asks, "Where can I buy a good holster?" There are several things to consider when purchasing a holster for concealed carry purposes. First things first. The old saying that 'you get what you pay for' certainly applies here. I realize that it may be difficult to plunk down upwards of $75-$100 for a holster. Relax, there are lots of good quality holsters on the market for less than $50.00. By saying, 'you get what you pay for' I mean to say stay away from those nylon all purpose one size fits all things you can buy for under $20.00 They are unfit for concealed carry purposes. Just ask anyone who has a box full of holsters they have accumulated through trial and error. I suppose nylon holsters have a purpose, the only thing I can think of is you can hang you handgun in them at the range so you don't have to lay it on the ground!
Four cardinal rules for purchasing a holster:
Rule #1 is.......the trigger must not be exposed while the gun is holstered. (For obvious reasons I hope)
Rule #2 is .........your gun MUST fit the holster. Your gun must fit snugly in a holster made for your particular gun. A good rule of thumb is WHEN you turn you holster upside down you gun doesn't fall out.
Rule #3 is ........ The holster must be of such style and quality that it doesn't 'print' under your concealed carry garments. That's why we call it 'concealed' carry.
Rule #4 is ........ Your belt is just as important as your choice of holsters. It needs to be STIFF. ....made for concealed carry. They aren’t cheap. Price range is from $39.95 to over $100.00.

This is where the work comes in to play or is it that the play comes into work? You need to shop around. There are several things to consider when it comes to concealment of a gun/holster. The first thing is this..... What works for me may not necessarily work for you. Everyone's body shape is different. Certain holsters lend themselves to thin folks while others lend themselves to more robust types (like me). There are open top holsters, thumb break holsters, inside the waist band holsters, behind the back holsters, ankle holsters, shoulder holsters, concealed carry purses, fanny pack holsters and a few more.

My suggestion is to pay attention in class, observe the various types, their pros and cons, visit a local gun show, go to a gun shop etc. If you are serious about concealed carry you will study the options, ask questions, try different types then settle on the one you want to invest in. Even at that, over time, like most of the instructors you will have a box full of them! Play or work?.......depends on your attitude.

A word on belts. A limp sagging belt will allow the holster to sag away from your body and thus affect the conceal ability of your rig. You are better off with as wide a belt that your belt loops can handle. Most concealed carry belts are double thickness leather and some of the better ones are reinforced with a plastic, nylon or steel insert. Well worth the expense if you are serious about concealed carry.

There are two companies that have seen fit to donate holsters to us for demonstration purposes. They are both top quality top notch companies. I highly recommend their products. They are USGALCO and DON HUME holsters. You can purchase their products from reputable gun shops and at the gun shows or directly from their web sites. For your connivance here are their web addresses:
Galco Gun Leather A great place to purchase all of your gun leather needs.
Don Hume Leather Good quality leather products to satisfy you concealed carry needs.