Buckshot
05-19-2007, 03:54 AM
............With my attending the Cast Boolit shoot in Winnemucca having been shot down, I still had the time off. I called Ron, and old shooting buddy and one of the original Burrito Invitational shooters. In fact I think he named it. He'd gotten fed up with California and with both his kids in college he sold out and moved to Prescott, AZ.
He'd bought a lot there several years ago for a pittance and plans on building a house on it in the next 3-4 years. I thought we might be able to get in some prairie dog shooting up around Seligman, AZ and in talking to Deputy Al he signed on to the idea. Alas and alack, the Game and Fish Dept in AZ has prairie dog shooting limited to a season. It opens June 15th so that was out.
However Ron and his wife are great people and I was determined to drive over anyway, and Deputy Al came along too. Heck we could have a Burrito Shoot in Prescott, and it would even be on the right day, Tuesday! I swung by Al's on the way out Monday and picked him and his shootin' arns up and we set sail. We had beautifull weather in the mid 80's. We took my '94 Taurus and I'm proud to report it delivered it's usual 30 mpg it gets on trips, with the cruise set on 75 mph.
Since Prescott is about midway between I-10 and I-40 we turned off I-10 just east of Quartzite on AZ-60. Prescott is about a mile or more in elevation so we were steadily climbing. Then onto AZ-71 for awile and then AZ-89 where it really got serious about mountain climbing. Deputy Al said that 89 was laid out as an excersize to see how many flat and straight sections could be avoided. Stopped at Yarnell Summit on top of the Superstision Mountains and got gas. Had 302 miles on the trip clock and it took 10 gallons even. Didn't have any time to go look for the Lost Dutchman gold mine though :-).
We were up in the high Chapparal country so the Junipers and Pin Oaks began sharing space with the increasing number of Pines. Mostly cattle ranches and I doubt it's changed much since the early 1880's. Passed through a few small neat little towns tucked back in against the mountain here and there. There was lots of volcanic activity way back when as there are basalt cliffs, plus ash and lava flows are common. The California desert is also full of this stuff, but here there were trees to camaflage it a bit.
Arrived at Ron's about 4. Dumped our junk then settled on the patio to BS a bit and have a few beers. We all decided Mexican food sounded good so we headed downtown to Whiskey Row, and a hole in the wall Mexican joint. Tuesday we fooled around a bit then headed to the Prescott Rifle and Pistol range which was JUST outside town. Shot the Burrito Match (10 rnds cast lead at 50 yards, iron sights, standing, for score) I won :-) Ron took my $3 winnings and stapled then to one of the rafters overhead 8-).
We decided to BBQ that night. Since we were busy drinking beer and talking guns and solving the world's problems, Jeannie went to the store. She came back with 4 big ole Ribeyes, baking taters, real butter, sour cream and corn on the cob. We pigged! The evenings were great with a gentle breeze, so it was perfect patio weather until bedtime.
Wednesday Ron took us around town to show us his lot and some other stuff so we played tourist for awile. Then we decided to take a tour of all the gunshops around town. Naturally Allen and I couldn't buy any guns so that made it a mild form of torture for us.
I can't remember everything I'd have liked to bought but some neat ones was a really nice Spanish Mauser 7x57 with a superb bore, crest and really nice wood, $139. Then there was a neat old M1905 S&W in 32-20 for $289, and a Colt Army DA in 38 LC for the same money. Both with maybe 90% blue. There was a 1903A1 for $685 and a couple very nice and well done Krag sporters for $250 & $275, One had the no D&T Redfield on it and I asked about buying just the sight. The guy thought I was a kook I suppose.
Then there was a L.C. Smith 12 ga double, full and mod. Nice wood and in darn good shape. It had been used but well taken care of. The bores looked like chrome. Engraving on the back action locks was still sharp and crisp. While the case colors were mostly faded, you could tell it had been. It was $650 because it had a ventilated rubber buttpad. I would have restored that dude.
Last stop was J&G Sales. They have a nice big showroom with lots of rifles and handguns. They had quite a few Winchester M70's up on one wall. I was more interested in the used stuff they had and there was a Remington 581 22RF marked $139, and a Norinco JW-15 (CZ copy) for $129. Tons of shotguns, too. Allen said it was really neat to walk in and see all the AR's and other stuff us folks in the People's Republik of Kalifornia can't have. I was in imminent siezure so we had to leave.
Had dinner that night down on Wiskey Row in the Palace Saloon. It's been there since the 1880's and is EXACTLY the same now as then, except it has electric lights now. I even had a beer from the Prescott Micro brewery called 'Palace Red' and it was actually pretty good. Some of the new beers are too hoppy and bitter for me. The Palace Red was tasty and very smooth at the same time. I'll still slug down a couple Milwaukee's Best after mowing the lawn though!
We left later then planned Thursday as we just didn't want to leave. The drive home was uneventfull and Allen makes a great traveling companion. Stopped in Quartzite for gas then drove straight on home. Wish you all could have come along.
.................Buckshot
He'd bought a lot there several years ago for a pittance and plans on building a house on it in the next 3-4 years. I thought we might be able to get in some prairie dog shooting up around Seligman, AZ and in talking to Deputy Al he signed on to the idea. Alas and alack, the Game and Fish Dept in AZ has prairie dog shooting limited to a season. It opens June 15th so that was out.
However Ron and his wife are great people and I was determined to drive over anyway, and Deputy Al came along too. Heck we could have a Burrito Shoot in Prescott, and it would even be on the right day, Tuesday! I swung by Al's on the way out Monday and picked him and his shootin' arns up and we set sail. We had beautifull weather in the mid 80's. We took my '94 Taurus and I'm proud to report it delivered it's usual 30 mpg it gets on trips, with the cruise set on 75 mph.
Since Prescott is about midway between I-10 and I-40 we turned off I-10 just east of Quartzite on AZ-60. Prescott is about a mile or more in elevation so we were steadily climbing. Then onto AZ-71 for awile and then AZ-89 where it really got serious about mountain climbing. Deputy Al said that 89 was laid out as an excersize to see how many flat and straight sections could be avoided. Stopped at Yarnell Summit on top of the Superstision Mountains and got gas. Had 302 miles on the trip clock and it took 10 gallons even. Didn't have any time to go look for the Lost Dutchman gold mine though :-).
We were up in the high Chapparal country so the Junipers and Pin Oaks began sharing space with the increasing number of Pines. Mostly cattle ranches and I doubt it's changed much since the early 1880's. Passed through a few small neat little towns tucked back in against the mountain here and there. There was lots of volcanic activity way back when as there are basalt cliffs, plus ash and lava flows are common. The California desert is also full of this stuff, but here there were trees to camaflage it a bit.
Arrived at Ron's about 4. Dumped our junk then settled on the patio to BS a bit and have a few beers. We all decided Mexican food sounded good so we headed downtown to Whiskey Row, and a hole in the wall Mexican joint. Tuesday we fooled around a bit then headed to the Prescott Rifle and Pistol range which was JUST outside town. Shot the Burrito Match (10 rnds cast lead at 50 yards, iron sights, standing, for score) I won :-) Ron took my $3 winnings and stapled then to one of the rafters overhead 8-).
We decided to BBQ that night. Since we were busy drinking beer and talking guns and solving the world's problems, Jeannie went to the store. She came back with 4 big ole Ribeyes, baking taters, real butter, sour cream and corn on the cob. We pigged! The evenings were great with a gentle breeze, so it was perfect patio weather until bedtime.
Wednesday Ron took us around town to show us his lot and some other stuff so we played tourist for awile. Then we decided to take a tour of all the gunshops around town. Naturally Allen and I couldn't buy any guns so that made it a mild form of torture for us.
I can't remember everything I'd have liked to bought but some neat ones was a really nice Spanish Mauser 7x57 with a superb bore, crest and really nice wood, $139. Then there was a neat old M1905 S&W in 32-20 for $289, and a Colt Army DA in 38 LC for the same money. Both with maybe 90% blue. There was a 1903A1 for $685 and a couple very nice and well done Krag sporters for $250 & $275, One had the no D&T Redfield on it and I asked about buying just the sight. The guy thought I was a kook I suppose.
Then there was a L.C. Smith 12 ga double, full and mod. Nice wood and in darn good shape. It had been used but well taken care of. The bores looked like chrome. Engraving on the back action locks was still sharp and crisp. While the case colors were mostly faded, you could tell it had been. It was $650 because it had a ventilated rubber buttpad. I would have restored that dude.
Last stop was J&G Sales. They have a nice big showroom with lots of rifles and handguns. They had quite a few Winchester M70's up on one wall. I was more interested in the used stuff they had and there was a Remington 581 22RF marked $139, and a Norinco JW-15 (CZ copy) for $129. Tons of shotguns, too. Allen said it was really neat to walk in and see all the AR's and other stuff us folks in the People's Republik of Kalifornia can't have. I was in imminent siezure so we had to leave.
Had dinner that night down on Wiskey Row in the Palace Saloon. It's been there since the 1880's and is EXACTLY the same now as then, except it has electric lights now. I even had a beer from the Prescott Micro brewery called 'Palace Red' and it was actually pretty good. Some of the new beers are too hoppy and bitter for me. The Palace Red was tasty and very smooth at the same time. I'll still slug down a couple Milwaukee's Best after mowing the lawn though!
We left later then planned Thursday as we just didn't want to leave. The drive home was uneventfull and Allen makes a great traveling companion. Stopped in Quartzite for gas then drove straight on home. Wish you all could have come along.
.................Buckshot