just an aside...

[dave imas]

i remember standing there on the firing line at a national championship...  i think William was spotting for me.  Hey William.  Actually, William wasn't spotting for me.  He was coaching me.  For those of you that understand rifle silhouette is completely a team sport, you understand what I mean.  For those of you that don't yet grasp that concept, well...  that is another discussion entirely.  let me just say that a good coach, when weighted against all the other components that go into an excellent performance at a large match... is atleast, if not more, important than any other consideration.   but as i said, that is another discussion, well worthy of the time, but will be had another day.  not at all the purpose for this rambling...  

like i said before i so rudely interrupted myself...  

i was standing there on the firing line with 55 or so other shooters...  Ridgway I think...  55 shooters, 55 coaches, a bucketful of score keepers, a metric assload of worthless line judges (again, another discussion) and spectators galore...  so there i was...  the man said listo...  i'm looking at 10 highpower turkeys...  i look up and down the firing line and think...

"there is not a single solitary woman on this entire firing line!"

an accurate but obvious conclusion at the time...  my next thought was that if i continue to shoot this damn game i am going to die alone.

so...  to my point....  boys, if you don't want to live and die a lonely and pathetic life, find your woman before you get to involved with silhouette.  you probably aren't going to find her on the firing line.  for you happy and healthy genetic mutants that found your mate at a rifle match.  i am so happy freaking happy for you i could choke.  really.

a great and wondrous new year to you all.

dave

[Arizona Jake]

Dave:

Too late for most of us! :cry:

I will limit my comments to that, since I have a strong desire to keep breathing...

[Donna]

Hello Guy's,

I love rifle and pistol silhouette shooting and I'm single too. I see all these guys that are married and the other guys that have girlfriends but no other girls anywhere around. I ask where their girls are and they say they don’t like guns!! Guys, if your girls don’t like guns, what are you doing with them? If you like your guns and she doesn’t then you either give up your guns or you give up her.

Donna

[Arizona Jake]

Hi, Donna:

Good point. My wife has a handgun and knows how to use it, but has no interest in hunting or the shooting sports, just like I have no interest in gymnastics and ballet, which are the activities she likes.

However, I am getting both my daughters involved in shooting. I got them into silhouettes about 3 years ago, but silhouette shooting is almost non-existing in Wisconsin. We will move back to Arizona someday, where they can pick it up again. In the mean time, I try to take them out shooting as much as possible, when it's not so cold or windy. :cb2:

[stsbuyer]

Well guys just guess I'm lucky my wife travels with me to the matches and never complains when I spend money on my guns. She loves to go to the big matches and has made friends with most of the other wife’s that do come. Have her and my daughter a gun ready and hope some day that they both will shoot silhouette with me. I have shot silhouette of some kind for the last 25 yrs and can say that some of my best friends were meet will shooting. Wish all of you the best of luck in the coming new year, shoot center. Paul

[nomad]

Weeeeeeeeeel,

Started out 'teaching' Sandy to shoot the air rifle.
Now she's AAA in smallbore and air rifle. Still AA in hunter -- but she hasn't touched her hunter since last year at the TX state match so I've got to get her back on track with that one.
Can't seem to get her interested in highpower -- she shot one A class hunter score to get classified but doesn't like the noise.
Figured I ought to marry her (Cathy W. had already turned me down!) and now she's decided that she has the right to critique MY shooting just because she can outshoot me! :eek:   Added to that, we need two of everything: two smallbores, two hunter smallbores, etc, etc.  :cry:
Be careful what you wish for...
 

[tedfl]

Reminds me:

"My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher."
- Socrates (470-399 B.C.)

[CB]

Hang in there gentlemen, after 20+ years of marital HELL with home life a-kin to an evening in Beruit, the Lord saw fit to resurrect us both from the dead and bring a peace into the marriage. Side benefit--she now shoots rimfire at our local Sil matches and shot her first HP Sil National match last year at Ridgway.
 Moral of the story: don't give up hope, like the miner who stopped digging three feet short of the largest vein of gold ever discovered (by someone else).
  Good shooting to you all in '04

[greer]

Dave,
 I know this is off the topic but I heard that you shot a Sako finnfire with a 24" Lilja barrel and I was wondering what it weighed scope and all. Thanks.  greer

[PAndy]

My wife shoots a little and hunts a little, but does not have a particular interest in guns so I usually go without her.  I go shopping sometimes, but don't have a particular interest in the outlet mall, so she usually goes without me.  

Life is good and we get along fine.

[davei]

Hey Greer,

I don't exactly know what it weighs but I will find out this weekend when it gets teched at the Conard Cup.  I shoot a Sightron 6x24 which is a pretty heavy scope and I may be switching my trigger out to use the one of my Sako TRG.  They are interchangeable triggers.  Only real difference is that the TRG trigger has a steel housing instead of aluminum.  I think it adds just a tad over an ounce.  Will let you know what the scale says.
dave

[greer]

Dave,
  Thanks for the response.  I have been shooting a Cooper 57, and on a whim bought a Sako Finnfire at the Jacksonville Regional Champ. last month. My wife owned a Finnfire a few years ago ( yes, I am one of the lucky few who has a wife that shoots) and I remember liking the action with it's short throw bolt and flush magazine. The rifle has put me in an odd situation. With SK Pistol Match Special it shoots better than any rifle that I have owned, easily grouping an inch or under at 100 meters. The problem is that the little 22" barrel just doesn't hold as steady as the 24" heavier contour sporters that I'm used to. I routed out the forearm and poured it full of lead and it still feels a little barrel light. I was wondering what length your barrel is and what are the shoulder and muzzle dimensions. I was thinking a 24" barrel about .675 at the muzzle would be about right although I doubt I will gain any accuracy regardless of what brand I get. . One option is to just make myself get used to the lighter barrel but I would love to have both the accuracy and a little more weight out front. Well, I guess if this is my biggest problem I'm pretty lucky. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks. Doug Greer

[Steel killer]

Doug I told you that rifle shot well! I just bought a mercury recoil reducer
That is sized to be inletted into the forearm. It was about 40  bucks.
It weights 11 oz or so. Got it from brownells It might work better than the lead and help follow through at same time. Setting up the stock with the longest L.O.P. will help move the weight forward. I did not like the way the finfire stock felt at the pistol grip area. If you can get it to work with a shorter barrel you will be better of, less barrel time = smaller off hand groups. I have a 2 oz jewel trigger for the finefire if you need one.

J.D.

[powding]

Doug,
Did you shoulder my Finnfire this weekend?  The Lilja does add about 8 ozs more forward weight than the factory barrel.  There is one for sale over at rimfirecentral.

Steel,
Sent you a PM about the Jewell in case Doug is not interested.

powding

[davei]

24" lilja barrel with the Sundberg taper.  is the way to go.  don't worry about the difference in barrel time between a 22" and 24".  chasing mice nuts.  the weight further out slowing down the movement and allowing a better hold is what you are looking for.  i shot with the factory barrel at first.  very accurate but too quick.  the lilja fixed that.

dave

[greer]

Steel Killer, you were right. The rifle shoots great. I actually did well with it during practice last week shooting a 35 which is a personal best but at the North Carolina State match the rifle just felt a little light when match nerves got added into the mix.  I don't suppose I need a super light trigger as I always shoot the same rifle in both classes.

Dave, what is the muzzle diameter of your 24" Lilja?  I have a take off barrel from a 40-X that I'm going to turn down and fit to the Sako. Even if it doesn't shoot it will be good practice on the lathe.  Thanks. greer