Would you believe that I am actually a PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER.?

Actually, our various institutions and documents of state are part of a continuous process dating from the Magna Carta. Winston Churchill himself pointed this out in THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLES. I wouldn't call a english rugby club unarmed either ;O)

K,<br><br>No. Or at least not a PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. as I tend to think of them.<br><br>Andy

Im of the opinion that most people in our country are quite moderate in thier views, but there are only two girls in town. I choose the one that supports labor since I am not a rich industrialist. Despite the whacko's.<br>Im dropping off this subject before I get on my soapbox and get the whole world ticked off.

K,<br><br>I wasn't trying to make a judgement. I have, over time, flip-flopped back and forth between the Rebublicans and the Democrats, always choosing whichever I felt to be the least of two evils at that time. Not too long ago, however, I decided that neither party was worth wasting my time at the polls, so I became a LIbertarian. Aside from the fact I will probably never vote during a primary around here, and will probably never vote for a winner, I'm pretty happy with that decision. At least now I can vote with a clean conscience. <br><br>None of this, BTW, should be taken to mean that I have a poor opinion of anyone who chooses to vote for one of the "sisters." <br><br>Take care,<br><br>Andy

"Aside from the fact I will probably never vote during a primary around here, and will probably never vote for a winner, I'm pretty happy with that decision. At least now I can vote with a clean conscience. "<br><br>And because you voted, you have a legitimate right to complain. My wife and I pound the people we know who wont vote or write thier officials, but are always complaining. My elected officials probably hate me. I bug them often.

hmmm....I said I would drop it.

Finally got a pellet trap for the basement- looking forward to staying in practice over the winter, for once.<br><br>>>Not as many makers of the really good ones as there were 20 years ago, but there are plenty to choose from and there are more calibers available than there have ben since eary in the last century.<<<br><br>Since I have my doubts aboiut the ergo/safety aspects of side-cockers, and I insist on "iron" sights at least as a fallback, from my investigations a year or so back I had more or less resigned myself to the idea of eventually ending up with a Beeman R9 (like everyone else). However, I was startled just yesterday to run across the specs for the RWS/Diana 350. Wow. Around 1k fps in .22, or 21-22 fp. , nice lines (not just pretty, but a stock that you can acutally line up on iron sights with) and not too heavy. Unless I find some negative info, it's going on the wish list.<br><br>I don't know how it is in the rest of the country, but around here, .177 and .22 pellets can be had at Wally World and the like, while .20 and .25 are only available mail order or from a very few select gun shops. <br><br>Not that it's hard to stock up on a pellet you like, but you can't cast your own like black powder ammo, and they seem to actually cost more than plinker-grade .22lr. Extra availabily can't hurt, and .22 at these velocities should be plenty for pot-hunting should it ever come up.

I was recently looking over the new (to me) models in the RWS line as well and was similarly impressed.<br><br>I agree with your take on the pellets... and yet, I usually get "the good stuff" anyway. Some of the local gun shops stock a pretty fair assortment and I sometimes purchase that way.<br><br>OTOH, talk about an orphan caliber - I've been using that Sheridan 5mm since the 60s and it takes a unique sole-source heavy-weight pellet... I'm sure I could use other .20 caliber pellets, but the one it's designed for is all I use in it. So far... I've been able to purchase those locally.<br><br>Now that you've got your trap you should be set. In my opinion, regular practice with air rifles really helps improve one's shooting ability with firearms. Will you be able to shoot outside at varying ranges as well?

There are quite a number of .20/5mm pellets available now, and a number of them are pretty heavy- I'm sure something else would do if that particular type became scarce.<br><br>>>Will you be able to shoot outside at varying ranges as well?<<<br><br>In that respect I am very fortunate- I do shoot powder-powered pieces as well, and I'm a long-time member of a national conservation club that sponsors shooting ranges (hint, hint)... so not only do I have available ranges within 15 minutes or so of home, but the local chapter is something of a focal point for airgunning. They have outdoor ranges devoted just to airguns (10m to Field Target), and weekly evening indoor 10m practice. <br><br>That having been said, it can still be difficult to find time to go, especially in periods (like now) when I'm working long hours and have a long commute. What with packing up, it would probably take me 30 minutes from decision to get there, and longer to get everything stowed again. By contrast, I can be shooting in the basement in 30 seconds.<br><br>Besides, as out of practice as I am, I'm embarrassed to shoot in public. ;-)<br><br>That's part of the reason that I'm not rushing out immediately to buy a 21 FPE air rifle- it's too much for the basement, and the indoor practice, just because of it's availability, stands to benefit my shooting far more than the outdoor.<br><br>I need to work on a better backdrop and better lighting, but that's not much of a problem. I have an extremely heavy (as in, barely bendable) WWII-era canvas tarp for the former, and Home Depot for the latter.<br><br>I'm aware of the tricks using duct seal putty for a silent trap, but I'd rather save the lead for later re-use in black powder shooting.<br><br>