Month: May 2010

Having second thoughts…

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

So I bought that Wilson 6.8 SPC upper. I zeroed it and loved the performance. Then I took it on a harvest/hunt and it didn’t perform, but I think THAT was due to something else (e.g. the scope got knocked out of whack).

Since then, I haven’t shot it. Mostly because I haven’t had time.

But I also haven’t shot it because, since that harvest, I’ve wondered if it was really a worthwhile purchase for me.

Yes, I love what 6.8 SPC brings to the table. There’s a lot of awesome stuff about it, it’s a purpose-designed caliber, and it’s a caliber I’d love to see succeed. I mean, if the military went 6.8 SPC whole-hog over 5.56×45, that’d be HUGE!  But what can 6.8 SPC do that .308 Win can’t do, apart from weight/capacity of the round? In all areas of ballistics, the .308 Win beats the 6.8 SPC. The big thing with 6.8 is it has almost .308 ballistics and performance (note: almost) but the round is lighter and smaller thus can fit into 5.56/.223 AR-15/M-4/M-16 form rifles and you can carry more “rounds per ounce” than .308/7.62×51. Plus of course you can use AR-15 “stuff” (lowers, grips, stocks, rails, triggers, etc.). That’s a great selling point, don’t get me wrong… but for my needs and purposes, do I really need it?

Maybe I was just too enamored with the round and had an itch to scratch — blinded by lust, you could say. I know what the pivotal moment was for me that got me rethinking *my* use of 6.8: hitting that water buffalo clean with 168 grains of .30 caliber Barnes Triple Shock at 2500 fps… DRT. I can still see the whole bullet impact on that buffalo plain as day in my head — it’s quite a testimonial. Could the 6.8 have done that? I don’t know. Probably, but it says to me that the .308 certainly does the job on bigger critters (duh!); I know my guide that day was skeptical if the light (tho admittedly fast) .277″ bullet would work. And what with .308/7.62×51 being so standard and so popular, and with 6.8 still being a (growing) niche… with my desire to not have massive caliber-spread… well… it makes me wonder if I should keep the 6.8 upper or not. I always wanted to standardize my library on well-founded calibers, and 6.8 deviated from that standard. But I also admit, while 6.8 SPC is nowhere near the standardized caliber as 9mm, 5.56×45, or 7.62×51, it’s certainly growing in popularity and is far from totally obscure.

The reason I got the 6.8 was for the kids, for hunting. 6.8 is certainly sufficient for anything here in Texas. But you know what I did? I didn’t let the kids try the .308 rifle first. I know they cannot handle my .308 bolt action, it’s just too long and thus “front-heavy” for them (we’ve tried it, dry at home). But if we’re sitting in a blind, is that going to matter that much? I should see how well they can handle the .308 on a bench… I betcha they can, especially given how awesome the recoil pad is on that rifle. Or of course, I could get a compact rifle in .308 for a lot less than the 6.8 upper cost me… and then I wouldn’t have to have 2 sets of ammo. Of course, the same argument could be made the other way: we both carry 6.8’s into the field and thus share ammo.

So, I’m doing some serious reconsideration and thinking about selling my 6.8 upper. Not decided on it yet, but thinking about it. Feel free to convince me to keep it, or to sell it. 🙂  I guess the questions are: what purpose does it serve (for me)? is it a unique purpose, or does it provide redundancy? What event would make it the rifle I’d grab over all other choices?

M-4’s don’t cut it (but we knew that)

/ hsoi

ABC reports how the M-4 doesn’t cut it in Afghanistan.

Old news to gun folk, but it’s nice to see the mainstream media picking it up.

For those that don’t know, the 5.56x45mm round fired by the M-4/M-16 just doesn’t have effective stopping power past 300 meters. Out in Afghanistan, it’s hills and mountains… you may be engaging out to 600-800 meters. So that’s why things like the M-14’s are getting pulled out of the closet and more M-110’s are being deployed.

One thing alluded to in the article:

A possible compromise would be an interim-caliber round combining the best characteristics of the 5.56mm and 7.62mm cartridges, Tamilio said.

Well, isn’t this what the 6.8 Remington SPC was developed for?!?!

Must be nice

/ hsoi

Billionaire ends up on the no-fly list. Has no problem getting removed.

Boy… must be nice to be so rich and have such strong political ties.

Of course, we still have to wonder how he got on the list in the first place.

Due process?

Gosh, don’t you feel safe now?

On The Road (again… well, after next time I can say “again”)

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Just returned from another run. Same 1.5 mile route. Did it in about 13-14 minutes this time. I’m just using the clock on the wall, no stopwatch, thus the rough time. A little faster than last time, probably because I made the effort this time that whatever pace I started at I had to stay at. I would usually start off strong then fade back just a wee as I settled in; didn’t want that this time. What kept me going was the mental determination, and also remembering to really pick my leg up when I brought it forward — work those hip flexors!

Mentally I did find myself not wanting to do this run. I didn’t want to go out but forced myself. Half-way through I wanted to stop, but might as well finish because stopping now won’t get me home. Don’t know if it was just the feeling of the day or if it’s a greater signal. No matter. Like I said, I’ll just take running as it comes (or goes).

Also, I almost fell a couple of times.

I used to get irritated at joggers that would run on the road when there was a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them. Use the sidewalk, that’s what it’s there for, and it’s safer for everyone! But now I see why. The sidewalks are in all manner of unpassable state, especially when you’re travelling at a higher rate of speed. Sure, when I’m walking (my usual way of using the sidewalks) it’s no problem to avoid the cracks, the uneven pavement, all the crap growing in from the sides, the trees hanging down so low you have to limbo to get under them. But when running? It’s much harder to negotiate all that stuff, especially when running and you’re getting tired. I just kept all my Kuk Sool “nak bup” (falling principle) training in my head: just tuck and shoulder roll. I was on the sidewalk most of today, and debate if I’ll use the road. In general, I can see it, but a few years ago City of Austin resurfaced the neighborhood roads and there’s still lots of loose gravel all around (it’s a crappy way to resurface, but saves the city a lot of money *sigh*), and loose gravel isn’t much better underfoot.

Gotta jog a mile (and a half) in another man’s shoes….

Tactical Pants Comparison

/ hsoi / 13 Comments

I think I found this via Uncle.

The Ultimate Guide to Tactical Pants.

I know, it sounds silly, but it’s actually a pretty good resource. Some months ago I was wanting cargo pants. I’m more of a blue jeans kind of guy, but there are things about jeans that just aren’t working for me any more. Cargo pants are good. But, much of your mass-produced cargo pants just don’t fill the bill. So, buying “purpose-built” pants are good.

Everyone tells me to just get a set of 5.11 pants and be done with it. Well, with GT Distributors here in town, I got to try on a bunch of 5.11 pants. They just don’t work for me. Something about how the pants are cut, something about how I’m built, they just don’t go together. Try as I might, 5.11’s just do not work for me. 😦   So I struggled to find something that would. LA Police Gear make their own, and I tried a pair of that… waste of money. Just lesser quality, and didn’t fit well either. EOTAC was going to be the next on my list to try, when something came into my inbox. It was a mailer from the NRA advertising their merchandise store and they had a set of Tru-Spec 24/7. Why not, tried a pair.

Man, they are awesome. They fit me well. Not too loose, but not skin-tight. I can move, no restricting, no binding. Lots of pockets and cargo area. The 5.11’s are full of pockets but the pockets aren’t that flexible or roomy, but the Tru-Spec are great. The side-leg pockets even expand a bit so you can really fit stuff in there. That’s great for carrying stuff but it also creates a downside of making you look a little “too tactical”, if you will. They just don’t blend in with your surroundings like normal pants, but it’s not a huge ordeal.

Anyway, that Ultimate Guide is a great overview of all that’s out there. While I like the Tru-Spec, I’m still wanting to try some others. EOTAC is still on my list as was Blackhawk, and the Guide lists a few others I had never heard of.

Of course, the Texas summer is in its way and what I really need are shorts. I’ve got tons of cargo shorts and most all of them just can’t fit the bill. Oddly, one set of 5.11 shorts works great (tho a couple of others do not, even tho they’re the same style and size… go figure).  I really need to order a set of the Tru-Spec shorts and see how they work out.

Policy FAIL

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

So a 7th grade girl does the right thing: she says no to drugs.

She gets suspended anyway.

The girl did not bring the prescription drug to her Jeffersonville, IN school, nor did she take it, but she admits that she touched it and in Greater Clark County Schools that is drug possession.

[…]

“She was talking to another girl and me about [these pills she had] and she put one in my hand and I was like, ‘I don’t want this,’ so I put it back in the bag and I went to gym class,” said Rachael.

[…]

But just saying no didn’t end the trouble for Rachael. During the next period, an assistant principal came and took Rachael out of class. It turned out the girl who originally had the pills and a few other students got caught. That’s when the assistant principal gave Rachael a decision.

“We’re suspending you for five days because it was in your hand,” said Rachael.

You’ve got to be kidding me. She touched it. She didn’t ask to touch it. The other girl put the pill in her hand, she said “no” and put the pill back. Good for Rachael!

And for that, she get suspended.

So, exactly what message are these school officials trying to send?

According to Greater Clark County Schools district policy, even a touch equals drug possession and a one week suspension.

“The fact of the matter is, there were drugs on school campus and it was handled, so there was a violation of our policy,” said Martin Bell, COO of Greater Clark County Schools.

Ah. The message is we’re a bunch of unthinking drones and will hide behind “policy”. No one of course takes responsibility for making this policy, and no one stands up against poor policies. Furthermore, no one has the ability to apply a little “critical thinking” (I thought they still taught that in public government schools, I could be wrong) and realize this is poor policy and poorer enforcement of the policy? Wither education. Wither respect for and trust in (by children) adults, administrators, policy makers.

District officials say if they’re not strict about drug policies no one will take them seriously.

Yeah, and if you act like a bunch of unthinking jackasses, no one will take you seriously either.

Van Halen covering Rainbow, 1976

/ hsoi

Wow. This is cool.

It’s Van Halen circa 1976 covering Rainbow’s “Man On The Silver Mountain”. From the posting:

“As a tribute to the late, great, Ronnie James Dio (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, RAINBOW, ELF), the Van Halen News Desk has dusted off an old recording from our archives. It’s VAN HALEN covering the early RAINBOW classic ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’! This recording is from VAN HALEN’s club days…1976, to be exact.

“This is a totally UNCIRCULATED SOUNDBOARD recording, never before heard by anyone. It’s never been in any trader’s circles or in any collector’s hands. (Some bootleg collectors do have a live version of VAN HALEN covering ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’, but this is a new recording, from a different performance entirely. This version sounds much better than the version that people have heard). The picture below is from ’76, too. Enjoy!”

(h/t blabbermouth)

Amazing home remedies

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Someone sent this to me. I thought it was funny. 🙂

  1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.
  2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.
  3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.
  4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.
  5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU’LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.
  6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE – WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN’T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN’T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.
  7. IF YOU CAN’T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU’VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

#2 was especially funny. There’s much truth to #6.