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As the title says, it's up to you to provide content for this post, either in the comments or on your own blog if you feel so inclined (in which case, please ping this entry with a big fat trackback to let me know. Or drop me an email if you believe trackbacks to be worse of a Devil's scheme than President Shrub's Evil Damninistration)Here's the pitch: my birthday is coming up, and since I'm hitting a new landmark in the History of Me — a two numbers figure with a zero at the end — I'm working out various ways to mark the event.
In the "it's now or never: live the instant" Department, I'm considering either taking a jump out of a perfectly working airplane, or a ride in a Lamborghini Murcielago — behind the wheel, and on a race track of course.
While that should fulfill my need for adrenalin, I'm also looking for something that will last longer, and I feel like offering me a boomstick to mark the occasion for the years to come — assuming the chute will open properly.
So here's where I put you to work: I'd like suggestions.
Guidelines as follow:
- I'm more of a rifleman than a pistolero, so let's leave handguns aside.
- It doesn't have to be a luxurious, expensive boomstick with gold and engravings all over the place. I'm a simple guy with simple needs(1), not one of Saddam Hussein's degenerate sons. Good rifle, at a good price for good value is what I'm looking for.
- Closely related to the previous point: I'm looking for a rifle that I will actually use, not just place on display in the living room. By "use", I mean (mostly) hunting big game by all sorts of weather (in a forest, and frequently thick and thorny underbrush environment). Usually at close range.
- Big game means adapted caliber. It doesn't have to be magnum all the way (as 1. Most European big game is not too big and 2. Size is not everything, I believe in bullet placement) but .22 is definitely a bit small and a bit slow.
- Rifles, not shotguns. Have enough shotguns, thank you.
- I like wood as much as composite. I like bolt as much as lever action. And semi-auto. Okay, I have just a slight preference for bolts.
Oh and if you don't know jack about guns, I'm thinking of having a few words engraved on my Rifle of the New Decade. Any idea?
Comments
Comments thread (90)
2611 - Gozer the Carpathian
Gozer the Carpathian
Howdy Frogman! I find it fitting my first post would be about guns. :)
Well how about something a bit odd for your arsenal? I personally want one of these but as Carbines like this are illegal in California I'm SOL. I'm talking abaout the Cx4 Storm from Beretta. www.berettausa.com/product/rifles/series_page.cfm
It's an odd duck to be sure, but I think it's different enough from everything else you have to deserve a look. :D
Oh, and jump out of the Airplane. I think that'd be more memorable.
2612 - the dissident frogman
the dissident frogman France
Hey Gozer,
Fitting it is indeed, and welcome aboard.
The Beretta carbine is interesting - I'm just not sure about bringing it along on a wild boar hunt. Also the guys I hunt with are rather old fashioned, and if I come around with such a futuristic looking weapon, they'll probably shoot me to boot. Still, thanks for the advice.
Oh, and you have some great stuff at gozer.com .
2613 - SisterToldjah
SisterToldjah
Ok ... I shall put the party hats away for now, then - I will bring them back out when you give the word :)
Now, who here can bake a good cake? We'll need someone who can bake one big enough to fit all those candles on it ... (yeah, like I should be talking about that, when I'm only a few years away from it myself! LOL) ;)
2614 - hurricane567
hurricane567
Levers? Pumps? BOLT ACTION? Heh, go for the gusto, what's legal in France?
http://www.auto-ordnance.com/
2615 - tinga-tinga
tinga-tinga
Had my eye on a Marlin Guide gun for a while, lever-action. Just window-shopping. A story diversion: an Alaskan missionary pilot said his plane is like his pick-up truck - two seats in the front and all the junk in the back. In case of forced landings, they are REQUIRED to carry firearms (does that make you feel all warm and fluffy inside to hear that?) But, he had a problem - his plane is always too stuffed to manage even a rifle in there. He was given a lot of hand gun advice, so he took one out and landed himself on a little grizzly-infested island, with a friend for backup - armed back-up. They didn't have to wait long. They were charged. He shook his head and said, the only reason that bear went down - twenty feet from him was that his 5th shot was lucky and severed the spine. That was the story for the bear skin he was displaying. Now, drat, I can't remember what handgun he did settle on. His website mentioned he had to shoot a moose that burst thru his living room window, and some predator animal that chased his dog thru the front door and into the house as he was TRYING to have his morning coffee. SO, my suggestion is you forget the parachutes and go to Alaska and ask this colorful fellow which handgun he prefers to pack for bush piloting to dump off missionaries into remote wilderness indigenous Indian churches.
2616 - tinga-tinga
tinga-tinga
Yikes! All that and I forgot to say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
And many more!
2617 - bonmotdot
bonmotdot
Oh, happy birthday, FrenchFroggy!!! Yeeeehah! (From deep in the heart of Texas.)
Here, let me give you a kiss. The French way, no? Kiss on right cheek. Kiss on left cheek. Kiss on right cheek again. Did I do that right?
And for your birthday present: [url=http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/22Rifle/Golden39A.aspx]http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/22Rifle/Golden39A.aspx[/url]
I PROMISE you that this will bring down a 400-lb Russian boar. Money back guarantee. And if you are a bad shot, which I doubt, I can send you a stuffed Russian boar head that you can hang on YOUR wall.
2618 - bonmotdot
bonmotdot
Oh, I forgot...
You need to inscribe on the rifle... "The only way you'll take this away is if you pry it out of my cold, dead hands."
2619 - B-52 GUNNER
B-52 GUNNER
Hello,
This being my first post I would like to let you know that I thought Cartridge vs. Bullet was quite funny and I e-mailed the youtube link to all my friends.
I'm fond of lever actions and feel that since Winchester is no more and what ever Winchester rifles that are out there are going to be expensive the next best thing is a Uberti 1873.
www.uberti.com/firearms/1873Rifle.tpl
As for an inscription it would have to be "Shooty, No Shooty"
Happy Birthday!
Scot
2620 - Grimmy
Grimmy Where I'm at.
7mm rem mag is a very good, all round choice.
The cartriges tend to be more generally avaialable than other power loads. There is a nice mix of factory loads available in different bullet weights for either long range shoots or closer ranged bush hunting. The trajectory is nice and flat for longer range shoots with lighter weight bullets, and has enough power to punch through any large game with the heavier bullet weights.
The bullet is also not so large that it tears up game unnecessarily.
Remington 700 is the rifle of choice, imho. You can also get multiple stocks for the rifle. A composite for cold/wet weather hunts and wood for good weather/ looks.
The 7mm rem mag works very well for game from the boar/deer range and up through the elk/moose/bear levels.