Zardoz,

Great advice!

Also good movie!

Thanks Craig!

No scope.

For my own personal use especially for .22 I don't want to worry about dinging a scope. (grab and go) Would be very interested in your opinion of the pro's of a scope if you don't mind sharing.

Cameron

IanPorter,

Thanks for the input. Yes .454 Casull. Alaskan is my preference. As mentioned earlier .454 isn’t extremely common but .45 hopefully would be.

What are “moon clips”?

I agree a .308/30-06 is preferable. However I really like the idea of interchangeable revolver and rifle rounds. I have not done much research on .454 rifles what is your opinion of Model 94 or 336. Additionally I would guess .45 would also fire in .454 chambered rifle Yes? No? Please educate me if you don’t mind and have the time.

Many thanks in advance.

Cameron

Telescopic sights are a nice option for hunting and scouting. Cheap sights are not terribly handy, telescopic of otherwise. I've used Leupold telescopic sights in some of the most rugged conditions I care to encounter, and they've remained as functional as the firearm they were mounted to, despite dings, abrasions, impacts and the ravages of adverse atmospheres. I am a more efficient and proficient shooter using telescopic sights than without.

Iron sights are not obsolete, even at long range. I believe it requires greater skill and experience to be as proficient with iron sights as with telescopic sights, but then again I've always been an advocate of practice. At the range I have no trouble shooting out the 1" bullseye with a few magazines of 22 lr in my Ruger 10/22, once I've settled into the groove and got acquainted with my sight picture. That is really what telescopic sights facilitate is the sight picture. It isn't about the maginification so much as the precision and the focal parity of the sights with the target. I can probably shoot my hunting rifle more accurately offhand with my sight set at 4 power magnification than at 9 power, for a number or biomechanical reasons.

The majority of service firearms aren't going to be equipped with telescopic sights, and that's another very good reason to practice shooting with open sights more. On a rifle a modern telescopic sight is not significantly encumbering, so my preference would be to use it if I have it, but on a pistol, there are times when telescopic sights would be debtrimental to bringing the arm to bear on target expeditiously. A hunting pistol can benefit from the addition of a telescopic sight in the intended application, but for use as a self defense weapon, it is likely already marginal to begin with.

Judging from the brass left at the range and from what is available at the
small nearby drugstore, here is what is most commonly available for ammo in order of quantity found.
If you reload, this is a good list for what is available for free pickups
too. (of course not the rimfires)

22 long rifle
12 gauge shotshell
9mm pistol
30-06
223
38 and 357 pistol
30-30
308
various 40 and up caliber pistol

There used to be lots of 7.62x39, (though non reloadable)but no more, don't know why.

Get a bolt action 30-06 with scope and learn to reload both jacketed
and cast bullets. Then you can make your own bullets if needed and also
load down to quieter, lighter loads when needed. There is load data for
most any powder made from bullseye pistol powder to the slowest
magnum powders. And 308 caliber has the largest selection of bullet
types.

My understanding is Venezuela ordered millions of rounds of 7.62x39 from Russia, drying up the supply of cheap, surplus rounds for export to USA. Most mail-order places were out of it for a year or more. I could only find it at gun shows. It's just starting to show up again at on-line stores.

-Blast

I was also told the Iraq army and police force ordered large amounts and that helped in making it “hard” to find. I know my local Cabelas was out for a few months, and when they did get it in the price was higher.

There's still a lot of 7.62x39. It is still inexpensive, just not cheap. The domestic stuff is about 0.50 per round for JSP(Remington, etc), the Russian stuff is still $150 for 1000 rounds of FMJ or JHP. That's still not bad.

Good for deer or SHTF <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Cameron,

I am now in my 50s and I have to wear bifocals or progressive lenses. For me, I can see the target better with a scope. At the distance small game is normally taken, a scope is not needed.

When I was in the Army, it was obvious that as it gets dark the iron sights get close to invisible. A scope will make the target easier to see, as the light fades. However, the cross-hairs also start to disappear as it gets dark. Glowing cross-hairs and a white or tritium front sight could be a wonderful thing.

Only hits count.

Accuracy comes from a good barrel, trigger and sights. Focus on the front sight/cross-hairs and concentrate on the trigger. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />