Naphtali
09-17-2018, 12:04 PM
As I type, I am in a brace for [healing] a seven-vertebrae spinal fusion. To report I cannot handle any recoil from a long gun is an understatement. I am hosting my caregiver, her sister, and her sister's two dogs. Three days ago I was awakened at 3:42 AM by a nearly hysterical caregiver insisting that there was a bear in the backyard. I ignored her until substantial noise convinced me to take a look. Walking on the back porch was ill advised. A large black bear had destroyed my trash-garbage container, destroyed several five-gallon screw top storage containers, none of which contained food, then decided to visit me on the porch. I waddled indoors, loaded a 12 gauge with 00 buck, and called the county sheriff's department to inform them that if the bear scratched again on my back door, I would shoot it. The bear obviously overheard me and went to my across-the-meadow neighbor's.
Last night, many dogs barking, extremely severe gunshots followed by a scream of victory. Up the street, one black bear was killed. Unfortunately, Seeley Lake had one grizzly and seven other black bears in town to have leisurely dining experiences. Now I have two hysterical people telling me to load firearms. I looked for my elk loads for my 45-70. I located four boxes of 325-grain Hornady FTX 45-70 handloads for deer. Shooting something that can "shoot back" with this ammunition a tabletop range is a superior method to get badly injured - bullets will not penetrate yet will act like a grenade surface wound. I returned it to the safe. While I loaded the 12 gauge with 00 buck ammunition, confidence in that being a satisfactory method of dealing with that grizzly bear that was roaming the town was not high. My shooting the shotgun frightened me because I would surely rebreak something that was held together with blocks of steel and screws. So I loaded a Freedom Arms 97 45 Colt with my elk loads - 300-grain Saeco SWC-GCs at about 1200 fps and tried to calm two people. I gave the shotgun to my caregiver - chamber empty, magazine full - with instructions to do nothing unless I told her to do it. . . . It was a very long night with my replying to, "What was that?" and similar nonsensical questions from the two people who seemed to be badgering me as though a tag team. There will be similar night watches for the net several days. I am doing my best to not think about the deafness that will occur if I must shoot those 45 Colt loads. But the two-foot flame will be impressive in pitch black.
Fun at the old ball park?
Last night, many dogs barking, extremely severe gunshots followed by a scream of victory. Up the street, one black bear was killed. Unfortunately, Seeley Lake had one grizzly and seven other black bears in town to have leisurely dining experiences. Now I have two hysterical people telling me to load firearms. I looked for my elk loads for my 45-70. I located four boxes of 325-grain Hornady FTX 45-70 handloads for deer. Shooting something that can "shoot back" with this ammunition a tabletop range is a superior method to get badly injured - bullets will not penetrate yet will act like a grenade surface wound. I returned it to the safe. While I loaded the 12 gauge with 00 buck ammunition, confidence in that being a satisfactory method of dealing with that grizzly bear that was roaming the town was not high. My shooting the shotgun frightened me because I would surely rebreak something that was held together with blocks of steel and screws. So I loaded a Freedom Arms 97 45 Colt with my elk loads - 300-grain Saeco SWC-GCs at about 1200 fps and tried to calm two people. I gave the shotgun to my caregiver - chamber empty, magazine full - with instructions to do nothing unless I told her to do it. . . . It was a very long night with my replying to, "What was that?" and similar nonsensical questions from the two people who seemed to be badgering me as though a tag team. There will be similar night watches for the net several days. I am doing my best to not think about the deafness that will occur if I must shoot those 45 Colt loads. But the two-foot flame will be impressive in pitch black.
Fun at the old ball park?