I’ve been lurking this board for several years and I found it so entertaining that I feel obligated to pay my $14.95 and sign up as a member. I want to say thanks to all who contribute here for the entertainment, diversions, information, etc.
I would like to make some observations as a long time lurker. This board is probably the most diverse board of those that I’ve visited. It does have a slight liberal leaning, but the most liberal (or perhaps most vocal) seem to be sincere.
One of the cool things about this community is that occasionally someone will post the point of view from outside the USA and it makes me realize how American-centric (yes, it’s a made-up word) we view everything.
It little about me: I’m a gun-totin, pickup driving, motorcycle riding redneck from East Texas. However, I’m blessed (or cursed) with a tendency to see most issues from the other fellow’s point of view. This often leads to confusion because when I try to see things from all sides, I find I’m going around in circles. I usually resolve this by applying my favorite verse from the bible that I seldom hear applied: “Judge you not, that you be not judged.”
I’m employed as a software engineer. I try hard to not let my job define me, but I fear that I often fall short of that goal. I’m living in the city now because of the job. That’s something I said I would never do when I was younger and more idealistic. There’s a lesson for you younger Doper’s. Don’t say you’ll never do something; you’ll end up doing it nearly every time. That one is straight from my father. I remember thinking “yeah right” when he told it to me. But, lo, these many years later damned if he wasn’t right.
Enough mundane, pointless stuff. If I tell all of my stories now, I won’t have any for later.
Oh, where do I leave the goat? Can we barbeque it after we sacrifice it?
Welcome, Tully. I’m three months here myself, after a long time lurk. Here’s one of my tips on boardiquette: you’re supposed to bold other Doper’s names when you address them in a text.
You’re also supposed to apologize when you nitpick spelling and grammar, apparently…
We could use more Texas (and other-locales) rednecks. Glad to have you. Sorry about the city living.
I used to work with a guy who had married his third cousin without knowing that she was related to him (small town!), who had a house that had only recently got paved road up right to the door. When the old boss retired, and the new guy fired us all, and I got a job in Washington DC, I offered to find him one too. He said, “Gabriela, don’t think I’m ungrateful, but I break out in hives when I cross the Beltway.”
He had a PhD in forensic anthropology, incidentally. Published really good work.
Welcome, Tully Mars and beleatedly to gabriela, from one o’ them furriners! This place is wonderful for hearing from people with a different view than one’s own.
We have a small welcoming banquet for you. Please come this way.
Hardly. I have a '99 Virago 1100 that I bought about a year ago. I had wanted to learn to ride for years, but I feared spending money on something that would be parked in the garage more days than not. Someone at work was moving and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse on the Virago. I should have bought one years ago. I’ve ridden it to work almost every day since. It almost makes going to work fun and it darn sure makes the ride home better. Even on days when its >100 degrees and I get stuck in traffic on the north loop.
I have a variety that I’ve acquired and inherited over the years. Another bit of advice that my father gave me when I moved to the city: don’t keep you gun too handy, there are too many people there that will tempt you to use it.
He was right.
I bought a Ruger Redhawk .44 right after high school and I usually have it when I’m in the boonies. It’s too big, too heavy, and makes too much noise but I’m comfortable with it and it’s very accurate. I’ve loaded some lighter loads for it that are easier on the ears. However, I find myself carrying the 10/22 more and more. It’s short enough to sling across the back and stay out of the way. I do worry about it stopping power; the feral hogs are becoming a problem back home and one is paying regular visits to a hay field.
Well, if feral pigs are a problem, then you can’t go past a .303 calibre Lee-Enfield… fast bolt, 10 shot mag, and a bayonet if the porker gets too close for comfort! The 7.62x51 NATO Ishapore 2A1 is an even better bet if you’re concerned about ammo price.
I should mention that I’m biased in this respect, and also live in Australia where self-loading longarms are effectively illegal, though…
Lane spltting is not legal in Texas. Concealed carry permits are (can you say ‘road-rage’).
To make matters worse, TXDOT decided a few years ago to do something about the cross-over head-on accidents. While this is generally a good thing, it resulted in concrete barriers on the edge of the pavement. So, now there is no shoulder on the left side. On the right side, there is usually the victims of the fender bender that is causing the traffic jam. To aggravate things, some of the local PDs and FDs are concerned for their safety and block an extra lane with the fire trucks. So, when this happens, you just accept that it’s your day in the barrel and wait it out.
Welcome, Tully. Skip the .303 and go straight to the .308. I’ve used mine for pig-hunting more than once. Bricklee Arms built it off of a Mauser 98 action. Sweet piece. But I too seem to use the 10/22 more than anything else, if only to kill rogue beer cans.
I’ve got relatives and friends all over East Texas and know the territory well, but I won’t hold that against you.
I have the solution: a 30-'06 Springfield action with a tungsten carbide barrel (from a water-cooled BMG) bedded into a homemade Monte Carlo stock (yes I’m bragging). I just don’t know what time of day they’re coming into the field. I’m only there on occasional weekends and I seldom have the time to do an all day sit-down to wait for them.
I heard though the grapevine that black bears are migrating back into East Texas from points east. If it’s true, that may be the best long-term solution to balance the hog population. But, I remember some of the old-timers talking about the problem with the bears is that they learn quickly that the little pink pigs in the pen are much easier to catch and taste better than the big, black, hairy ones.
