Well, we have recovered from our early season storm. We were without main power for 40 hours, which is not as bad as some others. Today I purchased 2 new rifles, and ammunition tests will follow when I have time. I lost my swap partner at work, so my time in the TOC is limited. Major construction on Club Cannibal starts tomorrow @ 8:30 am, with the first of the materials delivered today. I have a new caliber to feed, .300 Win Mag. With 180 grain Nosler tipped rounds, it should retain over 800 ft/lbs of force at 1000 yards! At the very least, it should ensure penatration through most things at normal engagement distances. Most reports on the caliber comment on the stout percieved recoil, but testing will occur prior to the fitting of a muzzle brake. I find it interesting that all 3 longarms purchased this year are from Remington, but the value for performance criteria cannot be beat. The second rifle is a .22 LR with a bizarre chamelon paint on the stock. Both rifles are fitted with a 3x9 power scope boresighted from the factory. My gun snob companions may sneer at my choices, but Team Cannibal is about real world perfomance and utility, not magazine fantasies. To emphasize this point, I present the following-

Rules of Gunfighting
You may someday need to apply one or more of these
The absolute First Rule of a Gunfight, in Mark Moritz' brilliantly enunciated aphorism, is "Have a gun!" The rest will supplement that first rule....
1. Have a gun.
a. Preferably, have at least two guns.
b. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
a. "Why did you shoot only once? There's no additional paperwork for shooting someone twice!" -- Firearms Instructor P.O.J.D., MOS debriefing after a shooting.
b. Bring ammo.
i. The right ammo.
ii. Lots of it.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.
5. Proximity negates skill. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun... and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun. Use a gun that works every time. "All skill is in vain when an Angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket."
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
a. "If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly."
This is the law:
· The purpose of fighting is to win.
· There is no possible victory in defense.
· The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.
· The final weapon is the brain.
· All else is supplemental.
- John Steinbeck

12. Have a plan.
a. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
13. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.(Consequences of not enough of the above.)
14. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect your own flank.
15. Don't drop your guard.
16. Always perform a tactical reload and then threat scan 360 degrees.
17. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.)
18. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
19. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
20. Be polite. Be professional. But... have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
21. Be courteous to everyone. Friendly to no one.
22. Your number one option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
23. Do not attend a gun fight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a "4."
a. Nothing handheld is a reliable stopper.
24. Carry the same gun in the same place all the time.

Here we sit at 3am

Here we sit at 3am in the dark. It has snowed so hard and long that the trees are self destructing. Pictures to follow later.

testing the phone

testing the phone

Tigger clocking the tree of shame.

The obligatory picture of Clif on a cliff! Tsk tsk, such a scofflaw.

A breif respite in the Smoky Mountains National Park with Tigger delving into the Tankbag of Holding. Moto-truth #62 "a helmet cannot fall off of the ground"

Deals Gap trip 2006 v1. I plan on sharing more pix, but here is a start. Someone should have told this cat that he is NOT Nicky Hayden, and if you back it in, you should try to complete the corner.

Well, my monthlong vacation is winding down. We have opened two ranges on the farm, and have spent two good days shooting. Mr. Goob created some nice art, and D.H. sported some nice trap gear. We discovered that dropping a case of clay birds off the GIZMO at speed breaks fewer than you think. I rediscovered some truths over the last few days of practice:

1. .22 subsonic LR is really quiet, and will still make art out of stainless rounds @ 40 m.

2. .44 short barrel revolvers are not a nice thing to do to people you like

3. Grandpa guns are fun too.

4. H&K P7s are very accurate at 15 yards

5. Walther PPK/S are very inaccurate at 15 yards

6. Revolvers are fun

7. Carbon fiber looks good on a carbine

8.Bowling pins are the best pistol targets ever

9. exploding targets are really loud

10. Stainless guns get dirty too

11. Ammunition is heavy in large quantities

12. The best way to break in a new 870 is to combat load and fire 25 rounds in 40 seconds

13. Especially if Clif is pulling the trigger

14. B 27s with 12 in the x ring are better no trespassing signs than the yellow ones I was using

15. when the Angel arrives, genuflecting his weapon cases is not inappropriate

16. Cidiots should respect landowner rights during range days

17. I love the fact that there were 3 distinct range days being conducted within earshot of ours

18. Range 2 is inaudible at the house, regardless of caliber

19. Clay birds are easier to kill after they land

20. my friends have good range habits

I think audible commands should be practiced after the commence fire order is given. Mine is "Konichi-wa, bitches"