If There Were Such Things
Jan. 25th, 2018 08:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thisnewdayTonight, I finally ordered the airgun gear that I'm gonna use in the target range that I'm setting up in my basement. I had asked my daughter to look through the rifles I'd selected because she's gonna be shooting with me, as we did when she was a kid, and I wanted her to be comfortable with whatever I chose.
We had agreed on elimination of the most expensive model and also the one requiring the most cocking effort, at 40 pounds. They're all nitro-piston, break-barrel rifles, meaning that the barrel is "hinged" about halfway down its length to compress the piston which powers each shot and gives access to the chamber where the pellet is loaded.
We also agreed that the remaining choices were substantially equal, with various trade-offs between models. So I finally chose the one requiring the least cocking effort to assure that she, and any of the grandkids who wanted to participate, would be comfortable using it.
My final choice was the Benjamin Trail NP-2 in .22 caliber with 3-9x30 scope and synthetic stock. I also chose a lockable case, which will be stored in a locked closet, a steel target box/pellet catcher (which is actually designed to stop .22 rimfire rifle bullets, 3 pairs of safety glasses, scope mounting and zeroing and 20-round test-firing services from PyramydAir, and 300 rounds of JSB match-grade pellets.
Yesterday, we decided where to site and how to orient the range, and I picked up a cheapo carpet at Home Depot to serve as backing behind the target box. I had previously cleared the area and re-organized and stored the contents so that what I now have left to do is to hang the carpet and build a bench for seating and a stand for the target box. In addition, I'll probably be putting up some additional lighting over the target area.
It's kind of funny how I've migrated back to a number of things that I'd loved doing, earlier in my life, but had put aside for various reasons. And I'm finding that, the more I get into these things, the happier I am and the more grateful I am to have these opportunities now.
I guess my wish, if there were such things, would be for all of us to have that chance. And, beyond that, that we might have someone in our lives to do them with...
LPK
Dreamwidth
1.25.2018
We had agreed on elimination of the most expensive model and also the one requiring the most cocking effort, at 40 pounds. They're all nitro-piston, break-barrel rifles, meaning that the barrel is "hinged" about halfway down its length to compress the piston which powers each shot and gives access to the chamber where the pellet is loaded.
We also agreed that the remaining choices were substantially equal, with various trade-offs between models. So I finally chose the one requiring the least cocking effort to assure that she, and any of the grandkids who wanted to participate, would be comfortable using it.
My final choice was the Benjamin Trail NP-2 in .22 caliber with 3-9x30 scope and synthetic stock. I also chose a lockable case, which will be stored in a locked closet, a steel target box/pellet catcher (which is actually designed to stop .22 rimfire rifle bullets, 3 pairs of safety glasses, scope mounting and zeroing and 20-round test-firing services from PyramydAir, and 300 rounds of JSB match-grade pellets.
Yesterday, we decided where to site and how to orient the range, and I picked up a cheapo carpet at Home Depot to serve as backing behind the target box. I had previously cleared the area and re-organized and stored the contents so that what I now have left to do is to hang the carpet and build a bench for seating and a stand for the target box. In addition, I'll probably be putting up some additional lighting over the target area.
It's kind of funny how I've migrated back to a number of things that I'd loved doing, earlier in my life, but had put aside for various reasons. And I'm finding that, the more I get into these things, the happier I am and the more grateful I am to have these opportunities now.
I guess my wish, if there were such things, would be for all of us to have that chance. And, beyond that, that we might have someone in our lives to do them with...
LPK
Dreamwidth
1.25.2018
no subject
Date: 2018-01-27 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-27 05:37 pm (UTC)Also, my oldest daughter is rumored to be coming back for a visit this summer--with the 4 kids--and because both mom and dad are enthusiasts, I'm guessing the kids will probably be interested too. Lots of supervision required with that, though.
Sorry to hear that your unsteadiness interferes now. I'm sort of waiting to see if the shoe drops on that for me as well because my dad and his mother had some sort of disorder in their later years that caused a very pronounced tremor, body-wide. It's already affected my sister, who is 4 years younger than me and a singer, and so I'm gonna "get in my shots" while I can...
PS--Almost forgot to tell you, Jason is overnighting here tonight because his mom is going to the casino for her birthday. Which means I've gotta do some cleaning now although that doesn't make much sense because we're talking about a less-than-tidy 14-year-old-kid, lol...
no subject
Date: 2018-01-27 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-28 03:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-28 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-29 12:51 am (UTC)While I can understand the need to be fiscally responsible, even conservative at times, including protection of the rare budget surplus, I find it unconscionable that kids are being deprived in this way of such a vital program.
Is there any chance that a public referendum could be held to override this poorly-rendered decision?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-29 10:44 pm (UTC)The city has such a process and it was used successfully to allow folks to have backyard chickens. Maybe the County does as well.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-30 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-02-01 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-02-01 03:32 am (UTC)