Why am I disappointed?

[Mike Venturino]

.44 Man is right. I only shoot BPCR Silhouette nowadays and a more fun loving crowd can't be found. Our crowd ranges from school janitors to doctors. Every month I drive 240 miles to Missoula (in warm weather) to shoot our 2 day match. There's a campground right at the range and we all sit around Friday and Saturday after the match having fun until dark. There are also other matches in the month here in Montana but Missoula gets the most attendance.

A new shooter shows up and one of the master class guys is apt to take him under his wing and get him going in the right direction. We have had new guys start winning matches in their first season or two that way.

If you can't stand joshing during a match you shouldn't show up at a BPCR Silhouette event. If you can't take cutting up you ought not to attend a BPCR Silhouette match, especially if Montanans are there.

And since ONLY lead alloy bullets without gas checks are allowed (swaged or cast - 99.9% are cast) you guys would find it interesting. The close targets are chickens at 200 meters. Sounds easy? They are offhand only. Rams at 500 meters are from cross sticks and require 2 MOA rifle and load accuracy at THE WORST.

As for buying a win? I've had my butt whipped soundly many times by somebody shooting one of the Pedersoli rifles.

My right shoulder is pounded to mush from a lifetime of shooting rifles - over 100,000 rounds through BPCRs in 28 years. I have to take pain pills to sleep after a match but I won't miss one if its at all possible.

MLV

[Char-Gar]

Gun Writers/Editors get lots of mail picking over what they wrote. They get tired of it and sometimes they become terse in their responses. I try not to write them, but I have on several occasions and I always regret doing it. Folks need encouragment in life as there are enough detractors and critics to go around. Those folks are never in short supply.

On the few time I have written, the response varied from polite to down right nasty. Only on one occasion did a writer fess up he had gotton it wrong. That was Jim Wilson.

One of Jim's first articles was about the early Texas Rangers and their use of Colt revolvers against the Comanche. He got the battle of Plum Creek and "Hays Big Fight" mixed up. It is easy to do if you don't go back and check your facts. He admitted he was working on memory and his memory failed him, and he would never put anything in print again that he did not check and double check. He never made any historical errors again. He is a good guy and an excellent writer. We stilll stay in touch from time to time.

I was in a profession where critical folks lined up to play gotcha with great regularity. I try not to do that to anyone else. I have on a few times, but it would have been better for me to just keep my big mouth shut.

I have also bashed some writers on the internet, and that I REALLY regret. Too soon old, too late smart! Living in a gold fish bowl is not fun, and I need to remember that and "Do unto others as I would want them to do unto me".

[Mike Venturino]

Chargar: You're so right. We all make mistakes at one time or the other. Here's a couple of instances. Once I wrote that the Civil War ended in April 1861. Of course I knew that it started in April 1861 and Lee surrendered to Grant on APRIL 9, 1965. It was a simple brain fart that my fingers typed one thing and my eyes and brain saw another. A reader sent me an e-mail about it and I said, "Yes, I made a mistake and am fully aware of it and being fairly up on Civil War history I know the proper dates." He wouldn't let go and actually debated the definition of "mistake." After several e-mails I finally got rude and he went away.

More recently I wrote about the Korean War and my memory reversed the numbers of two regiments. A reader who was there wrote a nice note pointing that out so I had the magazine print his letter, my very polite response and my thanks for his service in that awful conflict.

That's the difference in attitudes that some readers get from the very same writer.

[semtav]

Of course I knew that it started in April 1861 and Lee surrendered to Grant on APRIL 9, 1965.

And to think, I could have been there to watch that

[Mike Venturino]

Great example of just what I mean!

MLV

[Char-Gar]

Mike... As you know the last battle of the War for Southern Independence (sorry, I am an unreconstructed Confederate) took place East of Brownsville, Texas near where the Rio Grande River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It is known as the battle of Palmitto Ranch and was a running fight for several miles. The Confederates under J.S. "Rip" Ford kicked Yankee butt big time. They ran the Blue Bellies all way back to the water, where they got in their boats and rowed like crazy to Brazos Island where they were safe. Many, tried to swim the Rio Grande to Mexico to escape, and the Rebs had jolly good target practice killing them by the score in the water.

Anyway, the range where I shoot is located on that battleground. Still pretty rugged and filled with rattlesnakes, coyotes, wild hogs, deer, bobcats Nilgi and the like. Two weeks ago they had a three gun shoot and Jerry Miculek showed up. That poor guy, just knew he had fallen off the end of the world. Mexico is just fifty yards the other side of the fartherest berm.

Take care..BTW I don't often read American Handgunner but picked up a copy yesterday at the grocery store checkout counter. I didn't know you published in that mag. Being a fan of the Browning Hi-Power I really like your article. Good work. Adelante con animo!!

[Leftoverdj]

I solved the problem. I quit reading gun magazines and I quit shooting matches. These days I shoot in my back yard or I drive over to the range on a workday when it is near empty. Have more fun and avoid a lot of annoying people that way.

[HollandNut]

There's been some dipute over the last battle , one is Texas , one is near Columbus Ga and one is elsewhere , forget right off ..

Lee didnt surrender , Grant jus stole his sword and Lee was too much the gentleman to steal it back ..

So thats why the war is still going on ..

Actually it was/is The War Between the Americans and Yankees

[Char-Gar]

Lee did in fact surrender, but he lived to regret it. He later wrote he would have fought to the last drop of blood, had he know the South would have been subject to such a harsh and punitive military occupation the north called "reconstruction". It was not reconstruction, but the systematic destruction of the souther economy, culture and values.

The war did not end with Lee surrender. John Bell Hood needed some more time to surrender the Army of Tennessee and Jeff Davis played hide and seek with them for a while.

The Confederate troops stationed at Ft. Brown, knew of Lee's surrender, but as far as they were concerned the war was not over until General Walker of the Depatment of Texas said it was over. The Yanks felt no need to wait and many got a bloody grave for their impatience.

[TAWILDCATT]

I think if Lincoln had lived,the south would not have been subjected to the reconstruction.that was the democrates revenge on the south.each side has their own take on the war.as it is now I dont know of any one in the north that cares one way or another.I have a confederate battle flag.{new]and it to me, is a historic item.I married a atlantic/memphis girl.and one of my ancesters married a charleston girl in 1876.he and his brother were in the 54 mass at ft wagner,the brother was killed and he badly wounded.The war interests me as does the swamp fox.
by the way Mike I to have arty ritis.I have used DMSO.and you probably have damage to your wrist bones,from the recoil.I dont have big boomers,I am not into pain.I do have a ruger 45 colt I load for.I am going to cut back on the charge,as 9.5 of unique is more than I want.Its alright in the trapper.

[Char-Gar]

TAWILDCATT --- YOu are 100% correct that had Lincoln lived there would have been no punative occupatioIn of the South. He wanted nothing of such a plan. Andrew Johnson who became President upon Lincoln's death was putty in the hands of the politicans who wanted their pound of flesh from the South and also wanted to pick over her bones. The South was laid bare and drained of every ounce of her blood and treasure by the Carpet Baggers. It was a hard and bitter time.

I known the folks in the North don't give a good %^*&N% #&@* but many in the South do. The effect of this period lasted for generations and is responsible for the hard feeling the South held toward the north. In fact the last of the punishment laws was not repealed until the early 1950's. (tariff's on good from the South).

I am no fan of Lincoln because of his playing fast and loose with the Constitution, but as you correctly stated, his death was a blow for the South.

My GGrandfather served with the 21 st. Texas Cavalary. Another GGGrandfather served with the 11 th. Texas Cavalry and yet another with the 10th Texas Infantry. He died in Catoosa Springs Georga in 1863.

Quite a number of collateral ancestors served with Lee including one Confederate General (Winfield Scott Featerston). In all of my resarch I have yet to find one ancestor of any kind who served in the Northern army. My family when cut bleeds grey!

Like many old shooters my hearing is shot, my shooting shoulder is mush, my shooting hand is full of arthritis and the tendons in my elbow are torn. Gee.. ain't this shooting hard recoiling guns fun?

[Bret4207]

Well, this northerner takes and interest. My ancestors fought for the Union and at least one lost an arm because of it and faimly history talks of work with the Underground Railroad. While I have no great love for Lincolns brazen abuse of power, I also have no intentions of ever paying reparations for something my family fought against.

BTW- Judging by the way things are today the South retained her heritage just fine. It's the New England area that lost it heritage to the city people, and mores the shame.

[StarMetal]

Well I was born in Pa just a few miles above the Mason Dixon Line, so I reckon that makes me a Yankee. My grand parents came over to this country in the very early 1900's so I owe nobody any reparations especially the Negroes. Now with that said I live in the South and knowing what I know I'd fought for the South. I've never cared much for the North or it's people. Like they say down South here they are rude and disrespectful. According to the history books the South killed more of the Union soldiers so in my book they won, but got screwed in the end. Lee also said had he thought of the idea of freeing the slave to fight for the South he would have done it. The Union beat him to the idea.

Joe

[Wayne Smith]

[QUOTE=Chargar;736056]TAWILDCATT --- Andrew Johnson who became President upon Lincoln's death was putty in the hands of the politicans who wanted their pound of flesh from the South and also wanted to pick over her bones. QUOTE]

Just a note, Chargar. I wouldn't call being impeached "being putty in their hands". It wasn't quite that simple.

[mpmarty]

My family settled Kentucky in or around 1820. We actually had family on both sides in uniform.

[stephen perry]

I bought these for $50 from my buds dead brother collection for $50 American. I also have my second set of each about 150 total. Another bud is going to sell me Handloader No. 1 for $10 and a lunch.

The first of each sold for 75 cents Handloader start in May -June 1966 Rifle starting in 1967. As most I enjoyed the authors then I stopped buying a couple years ago when it became obvious Handloader/Rifle is no better than Shooting Times which I enjoy more. Todays shooting environment is filled with technocrats both Amateurs and Professional. Most with nothing new some distorting the Laws of Physics.

Wished it tweren't so but shore nuff is. MRD. SAR.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[DevilDog83]

Yep. We stay in close touch, except I seldom hear from him during hunting season. He was out here a few weeks back and we had dinner.

Hey Mike,
I know you appreciate the round guns as well as all your cool WW2 stuff. I just finished some work on cutting down some .41 Mag brass to what I call .41 "SS" (short special). Very mild and very accurate. If you get snowed in and want to try something new, get back to me and I'll share my results that I have so far, thanks for all you do for our sport and regards from North Carolina, John

[Char-Gar]

Wayne.. IIRC Andrew Johnson resisted reconstruction for a time which was being pushed by "The Radical Republicans" Edwin Stanton a member of his Cabinet was a mole for The Radical Republicans and Johnson removed him. There was a Civil War law called the Tenure of Office Act which said the President could not remove a Cabinet Secretary without permission of Congress. This act was unconstutional so Johnson canned Stanton. Congress put Stanton back and Johnson canned him again.

There were 11 articles of impeachment against Johnson with the principal one being he violated the Tenure of Office Act. Although he was not convicted, Johnson saw he could not ever win a term of office on his own, so he folded his tent, steped aside and the Radical Republicans began Reconstruction in 1867 and it lasted ten brutal years.

Bret... I don' want to start an acramonious thread on the subject, which is easy to do, but the so called Civil War was not about slavery. It was about the preservation of the Union and the economic fallout of that happening. There were two or three slave states that stayed in the Union and slavery was legal in the District of Columbia. I won't go into the indenture practice which was rampant in the North and was defacto slavery even thought it did not carry that name.

When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation he only freed the slaves in the "fighting South". He did not free the slaves in the North or in those areas of the South that were controled by the Yankee Army. The principal notion was to creat havock in the South and give unify the North around the war, which had grown very unpopular.

The Civil War was triggered by the election of Lincoln. He was elected without a single Electoral vote from the South. The South realized it had no voice in it's own goverment and like freedom loving men everywhere decided it was better to break away and live under a goverment of their own choosing rather than stay in the Union and live as vassels to the Northern politicians.

Slavery was then and is now a moral evil and it had strong opposition in the South including Robert E. Lee. Lee was a Virginian and his loyalty of Virginia was stronger than his loyalty to the Union. My ancestors were Texans and their loyalty was to their friends, neighbors and family in Texas. They fought not to keep slaves for less than ten percent of Southerns owned slaves, rather they fought to be free and because an invading army was marching down the road in their direction.

Folks like your ancestors who fought for the North have nothing to be ashamed of for they were American patriots. The men who wore the grey and followed Lee also have nothing to be ashamed of for they were American patriots as well.

The great suffering on behalf of the North and South was the product of greedy politicans and their quest for power, wealth and influence. That was the way of it in 1861 and is still the way of it in 2009. There was no great moral carusade behind that war, just proganda that persuaded good men there was a reason for them to walk into a hail of musket balls, cannon shot and steel.

Nobody ever wanted to die to line the pockets of their political leaders. Men of all ages have played hide the ball from their people, and then sent them out to die under false pretenses. Those false pretenses often get written into history books and become accepted as fact over time.

I honor all good men, North and South, who loved their country and shed their blood in the cause of freedom. The whole thing is a crying damn shame!!!

[Bret4207]

No argument Chargar, just saying that some of us do take an interest.

As for the men on both sides- I freely admit to crying like a little girl when I watched Picketts Charge in "Gettysburg", and also when the old Rebel Soldier tells his grandson in "Rough Riders", "They ain't Yankees son, those are Americans..." God bless them all and lets pray our nation never sees anything like that again.

[44man]

Has anything changed? Obama was not voted in by the people either, just the heavily populated areas with the most on the dole from our tax dollars and the high crime areas.
With those in Congress and the POTUS, we are on the road to ruin and maybe another civil war.
I am a northener from Ohio but have held all of the great fighting men from both sides in high regard and will forever be ashamed of what the government and all involved did to the American Indians.
I HATE POLITICIANS and the fact that they do not listen to the people that put them in office. We have no government "For the people, by the people."
I wish the South would have won!
I pray the mid term elections toss all the creeps out of office.