   |
||||
 |
||||
|
||||
|
At
the May 2004 Great Western Conference in Three Forks, Montana, I was
introduced to this target by Gary Marbut, President of the Montana State
Action Target kindly provided me with one of my own, which I will feature in all my future classes. The tree has mounts for 6 swinging steel plates. Set up for man on-man dueling, place 3 on the left and 3 on the right. The object is to knock all your side's plates over to your opponent's side, as he is trying to do the same. So, even though your begin with 3 plates, but will have to knock over many times that before you totally clear your side. Evenly balanced opponents will have to reload, and maybe even clear a malfunction along the way! (I did, when a dud round forced me into a Tap-Rack Bang, slowing me up just enough for Gary to win one round.) It's very dynamic, personal, and exciting stuff—the crowd loves it. If
you are not intimately aware of your front sight, you won't get the
hits under such time and pressure. The rifle plates will swing about
by pistol fire, but only The
rifle plates are holding up very nicely. The mast, however, is not hardened
and is collecting some gouges (none of them mine of course!)
Soon, I will fill This target is so damn much fun that I now pack it in my truck as standard cargo. For the mast I bought a length of 8" sewer ABS pipe and end caps. Easy in, easy out. While I have sets of plates for rifles and pistols, I only carry the rifle plates. They nicely fit in a surplus grenade can, with room for dedicated wrenches and gloves. I can set the tree up in about 5 minutes and tear down in 4. In
October I took my tree to the Jeff Cooper Theodore Roosevelt Reunion
at the fantastic NRA Whittington Center outside of Raton, New Mexico.
Set at 100yds, An
unforeseen bit of fun was in resetting the tree 3 right/3 left by rifle
fire—a "task" I quickly assigned to myself as the range
officer. (At pistol ranges, I made the loser run up and reset—which
seemed fair.) The
black targets are a bit of a The tree is great even for beginners without an opponent, because of the instant hit gratification. And, by acquiring successive targets (and thus sight pictures), novices will learn much more quickly than on paper. The design is superb, the materials up to the task, and the workmanship excellent. (Such can also be said for their Pepper Poppers, available in full and 3⁄4 size, both for handguns and rifles. I like the reduced sizes to replicate farther distanced targets on a short range.) I can't recommend the Action Target Dueling Tree highly enough. They are not inexpensive, but little worth having in life is. Go in on one with some shooting buddies, and hone your skills against each other. It'll be the best $295 you ever spent. And the most fun.
And tell 'em Boston sent you. Boston
T. Party [ back to top ] |
||||
|
I was invited back to co-instruct another rifle course on an Army base. This class was for the .50BMG Barrett M82A1. Half the students were going to the "sandbox" (i.e., Iraq) this year, but had no experience with a shoulder-fired .50BMG. I fully realize that the Iraq war and occupa- tion is controversial, and I am personally somewhat conflicted over such myself. I don't believe that it is all about democracy, or national security, or oil—but likely some mixture of them all. Discerning precisely such is impossible at this point. We are there, and the sooner the mission is over the sooner our people can come home. The better training they have, the safer they will be. Regardless of my qualms with the war and occupation, my fellow Americans are currently serving in harm's way, and any training they receive to help them defend themselves more effectively cannot be a bad thing. So, it was with this mindset that I contributed to the class, and will continue to do so if invited. As with the previous class I taught in, nearly every soldier bought at least one of my books (usually Boston's Gun Bible, and Molôn Labé!), so they will have much libertarian food for thought. I expect that my books will remind them of our heritage of Liberty, and the importance of defending the Bill of Rights. Accompanying me was a good friend and combat vet (air and ground) who has lots of time behind .50s and Barretts in particular. Including his gun, there were a total of four in the class (two Barretts, an AR50, and a .50 upper on an AR). Our first day was spent shooting Iron Maidens (steel silhouettes) from 350-1200m at a slight declination in a valley with variable winds. Issued ammo was Lake City ball (2003 mfg.) with a mild steel core (vs. the tungsten carbide penetrator of the AP and API rounds). This ammo is now 2 MOA accurate, and capable of anti-personnel work at up to 1200m (though the .50 is more of an anti- materiel round). One female soldier who stopped by from base security was invited to try a few shots. Her last one was a neck hit on an Iron Maiden at 1200m! In my teaching experience, I've found that ladies (especially the redheads!) are often superb rifle shots after patient instruction. Long range practice proved to all that wind will buck even a projectile weighing 1/10th of a pound! The second day we moved to another range with derelict APCs and armored cars where we shot a very interesting drill. An Iron Maiden was placed in the driver's seat of a Peacekeeper armored car--distance 400m. He was presumed to be driving such full of explosives, and our job was to take him out, quickly! Each two-man team (gunner, spotter) had their turn to get a fast headshot. Very challenging! My buddy and I were stymied by the fact that his Barrett simply hated the issue FMJ. It threw that ammo in a 4-5MOA spread, making hits very difficult. I got several hits all around the A-pillar and windshield frame before I finally put one one the Bad Guy's cheek. The spotter in such a drill has a dynamic job. Since there is no time for scope knob twiddling, the spotter must call out holds. For example, if the round struck at 7 o'clock from center of target (i.e., the driver's nose) and 12" out, the spotter would call the corrective, "Hold 1 o'clock, 12 inches!" The shooter would then use that to hold on a new point of aim, and fire again. This would be repeated until he got his hit. (NOTE: When zeroing, the spotter would simply call point of impact, and recommend scope changes. During a fight, there's no such time. He must walk the shooter into a hit.) After turning that armored car into Swiss cheese with FMJ, we each fired in battery a round of API on command. Uuuuuugly... Then, my buddy showed us all what a round of phosphorous "blue tip" (circa 1944) looked like. (Have 100rds of such for each .50!) Our day's final exercise was to demonstrate that what is cover for a 7.62 battle rifle is merely concealment for a .50BMG. A cinder block can act as cover for one or two rounds of 7.62x51 (i.e., .308), but is demolished instantly by a round a .50BMG. I let all fire my personal FAL several times on steel, convincing them of the value of a 7.62 rifle vs. a 5.56 carbine. Since FALs are quite common in Iraq, this tiny bit of weapon familiarity may come in handy. Some gun notes: The Barrett is a 3-4MOA system designed for anti-materiel work. With its 10rd box mags, it can deliver lots of firepower on thin- skinned vehicles and aircraft at distance in a hurry. Not a great sniper system, though. The AR50 is a very good value for such an accurate rifle. A great first .50 for most. An even better value for those on a real budget is a .50 upper for an AR15 lower. The screw-in bolt is slow (2-3x shots/minute), but the gun is at least 2MOA accurate. And, since the upper is not a receiver, no FFL form is required. Order by mail or buy at a gun show. Several companies are producing these; I will probably test a few over the next year. Retail is $1200-1900. Maximum value and privacy. A couple of websites to get you started: www.50bmg.net and www.safetyharborfirearms.com Some optics notes: All sorts represented there, such as the Nightforce, the Leupold M4, and the Tasco Super Sniper. All performed well in class. Although the Tasco held up and took adjustment well, the jury is still out on its long-term stamina. When in doubt, go Leupold or Nightforce. They've proven themselves as the best .50BMG scopes. And don't skimp on the rings! Go forged steel, such as Smith Ent. Camo BDU notes: The Army soldiers wore their woodland camo BDUS. I tried my new USMC green digitals. What an improvement over woodland! They really do work. Once, when I was fetching my rucksack underneath a tree, my buddy lost sight of me just 30yds away and had to call out for me. The green digitals blended right in the background, and this experienced combat vet didn't see me. He immediately bought two sets (green and desert). I'm currently dumping all my woodland camo for USMC green digital. Ponchos, boonie hats, field jackets, vests, Camelbaks, etc. I've yet to test the desert digital, but I'd bet it's similarly effective. Summary: The troopers were all great guys and very dedicated. I didn't sense a statist in the lot. It was a privilege for me to offer what I could, and I wish them all a speedy return from duty. [ back to top ]
THE
FREE STATE WYOMING MAILING LIST PRESIDENT RONALD WILSON REAGAN 1911-2004 As I watched the casket of President Ronald Reagan being carried up the Capitol steps to a hushed rotunda of family, friends, and admirers, a sudden wave of anguish crashed over me. I did not realize until then, weeping, how much I loved that man--my President. His electoral landslide in 1980 was especially poignant for me. I listened to the stunning results over car radio during a fresh business adventure. A new life was beginning for me, and for America. What an incalculable relief. The nightmare of the Carter years was over. No longer would America be dragged through the dirt abroad, nor hemorrhage at home from rampant inflation and dismal unemployment. (The prime rate of 21.5% seems like science-fiction today.) Just as Clinton spawned the militia movement of the 1990s, Carter spawned the survival movement of the late 1970s. (Will we ever stop electing governors from the Deep South?) Jimmy Carter was not unre-elected, he was regurgitated--and immediately we all began to feel better. President Reagan spoke of a "shining city on a hill." It was precisely what America needed so desperately to hear. And it worked. Somehow, we knew that his inauguration would be the turning point, that the worst was past us. Having served as a boyhood lifeguard who plucked 77 drowning souls from a watery grave, President Reagan was providentially on the national scene to save a drowning country at the last moment. His "clean hatred" for the organized barbarism of international Communism, his stark courage in correctly calling the USSR the "evil empire" was the long overdue reply to the spilled blood of 40 million victims since 1917. When asked his opinion of the Berlin Wall, Reagan replied, "It's as ugly as the idea behind it." Nobody but Ronald Reagan could have so perfectly encapsulated Lenin's legacy of terror. Presidents Roosevelt through Carter could have challenged that despicable den of thieves and hangmen, but never summoned the will to do so. President Reagan, who believed in belief, stepped up to that 75 year-wide abyss between what is said and what is done--and crossed over--bringing down Marx's rotting shack. "Mr. Gorbachev! Tear down this wall!" Today, thanks to Reagan, chunks of the Berlin Wall reside on a million bookcase shelves around the world. Today, thanks to him, the fear of a radioactive umbrella is something only schoolchildren read about in history books, and even then they don't quite believe it. Ronnie's greatest reward was his wife, Nancy. Her love and loyalty, her magnificent dignity in the face of her husband's decline and death was a worthy tribute for a gentle, noble and decent man who lived by this creed: "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give." I am living through my ninth President, but I have had none other than Ronald Reagan. And I doubt that I ever will. We buried more than a man. It was a funeral procession for, in more ways than we know, our very nation--an America we shall never see again. Much has been written about the "long good-bye" of an Alzheimer's victim. The lively twinkle of the eyes is replaced by glittering fear, increasing to helpless panic as the afflicted senses himself slipping away into a cruel, relentless fog. I fear that America herself is today suffering a similar "long good-bye" of moral and spiritual Alzheimer's Disease. The death of President Ronald Reagan may prove to be an omen for our nation. Today, in my country's eyes, I see the glittering fear. Tomorrow, I believe that I will witness the helpless panic. Now that President Reagan is gone, we need him more than we did even in 1980. However, if we are ever again providentially given another lifeguard, will we have the sense to allow our rescue? Or will we drown that lifeguard with ourselves? We may have buried something more than a man. We may have buried America. And, in the first wisps of that cruel, relentless fog, we somehow know it. Thank you, my President. May you eternally rest in peace. Boston
T. Party [ back to top ] |
||||
|
If you were sick-and-tired of our old, stale website, just think how we felt! Finding reliable and skilled people in any industry is difficult, and we had an especially hard time finding a new webmaster we liked and could rely upon. Recently Boston met "Lady Liberty" who is well-known on the Internet, and she's now Javelin's webmaster. She is easy to deal with and, as you can see, does great work. Contact her for your proofing, typesetting, web and graphic design needs! We will have a continually updated site with many new tips, ideas, and thoughts from Boston T. Party. Maybe even a 'blog, too. [ back to top ] |
||||
|
BOSTON'S APRIL-MAY 2004 FREE STATE WYOMING ROAD TRIP It was a busy and productive 6 weeks! I spoke at three state LP conventions (UT, WY, CO) and the Wyoming State Shooting Association, taught two gun classes and was a guest instructor at a third. Also, I spent 3 weeks in Wyoming - much of which was in Crook County in the northeast corner, my choice for the initial county of Free State Wyoming. There I met many locals who were very receptive to the upcoming wave of libertarian gunowners! My visit definitely has paved the way for us to begin moving to Crook Co. with strong local support. (More on that in the near weeks ahead.) I met the county's business tycoon who owns the local sawmill and 19,000 acres. Hearing that I was a shooter, he invited me to his ranch to take out some prairie dogs ("lawn poodles"). This was a welcome diversion, and I spent a great day in the grass with my truck's Marlin .22LR. UTAH LP CONVENTION Even though I am unabashedly for a Wyoming migration, I was graciously invited to speak in Utah in the company of gubernatorial candidate Sheriff Richard Mack. Mack gave a rousing address following a video overview of his life and work, which includes co-authoring with Randy Weaver "Vicki, Sam, and America: How The Government Killed All Three" (ISBN 1-57636-152-7; $20). Utah would be in very fine hands with Governor Mack, and I wish his campaign every success! I gave a brief, informal talk on my novel Molôn Labé! and the Free State Wyoming, which was well received. My Utah host and his friends then took me outside of SLC about 40 miles to a country property for a day of shooting battle rifles. We all had a great time, and they vowed to move to Wyoming by next year. Utah's loss will be Crook County's gain! HANDGUN/BATTLE RIFLE CLINIC (LOGAN, MONTANA) These two days of classes were held just before the GWCII, and 6 people signed up for each. Quality of students and their gear was very high, and the instruction moved very rapidly. At the end of each day, these novices had acquired very solid skills in safety and gunhandling! Teaching these road clinics is always a favorite part of my travels, and I thank my students for their dedication. (Two of them had driven over 1,000 miles to attend!) Thanks to Gary Marbut of the MSSA, we enjoyed the use of the superb range in Logan. GRAND WESTERN CONFERENCE II (3 FORKS, MONTANA) This was the second confab of western free staters, dominated by Montana folks. Although Idaho folks were welcome, not one attended. I was one of two headlined speakers. J.J. Johnson was the other, but he did not show up, and we never heard from him why not. With J.J. not there, I had to fill up a couple of extra speaking slots. (If I was nearly empty of things to talk about, the audience didn't seem to know.) I spoke about the Free State Wyoming, on the actual bearing of arms, and about the realistic future of American liberty. A real surprise was to meet several young Canadians there, and unabashed gun nuts! While I suspected that things were pretty bad up there, I really had no idea. These poor guys were in Montana heaven! Packing a .45 into the hotel bar, taking your drink out in a "to-go" cup, and living as free men had my new young friends in a continuous state of wide-eyed rapture. They are now actively relocating their businesses down here, and I welcome such new Americans to the West! Although the conference was heavily laden with Montanans, most of the attendees gathered in "Wyoming corner" to discuss the Free State Wyoming, and what it would take for each of them to move and thrive there. Two dozen or so folks (from as far away as OK, TX, and IL) each pledged their intention to move to Wyoming, beginning this year! Personalities and professions of all types were present, from electricians to teachers to nurses to programmers to roofers. Even an author/publisher. By just those present, we could have a viable working local economy. When I mentioned this, it was a heady realization for all. The conference formalized its Vision, Mission, and Goals:
The GWCII was held in a fabulous historic hotel, the Sacajewa (built in 1910). The staff were superb, and never batted an eye at all our sidearms and earnest discussion. There seemed to be a litany of Montana Highway Patrol cruising through town, and come to find out that the local cops had heard that the "Montana Militia" had arrived. Groan. Three Forks is a very pleasant small town, and a real highlight was the annual drive of mustang horses down Main Street. But for the cars present, it could have been 90 years ago! All of us there had a great time. Drinking beer and smoking cigars in rocking chairs on the hotel portico quickly became a favorite pastime of my gang. I can't wait for such convivial and normal times with my friends up in Wyoming! I thank my fellow Wyomingites Dave Dawson (Casper) and Dennis Brossman (Lander) for attending and bolstering the Wyoming contingent. Finally, I thank Quincy OrHai for inviting and hosting me, and Mike Fellows of the Montana LP for paying my way. Gary Marbut and Don Doig were also great local help for the Monday Fun Shoot. If Montana did not have nearly twice the people of Wyoming, it would be a toss up for a western free state. Nonetheless, there are many exciting things going on in Montana, and their RKBA crowd is very active and effective. If Wyoming somehow isn't for you, do check out Montana. Being our FSW neighbor is the next best thing. FUN SHOOT AFTER THE GWCII Monday following was a great day of competitive shooting. Many folks stayed over long enough to enjoy at least a morning at the fine Logan Gun Range. The Canadians wouldn't have missed it for the world! I lent them a "Homeland Security" FAL and a .308 bolt gun so they could participate. Everyone got involved, including the novices. My students from the previous week shone in particular, impressing the rest with the value of good training. Gary Marbut brought along his innovative steel "dueling tree" targets, which made man-on-man events fun and exciting. In the handgun shoot-off, it came down to Gary and me. Gary is an accomplished IPSC shooter who favors the Glock. While I usually carry a Glock, I used my Ed Brown 1911 Bobcat during the event (and from a new holster). Although Gary had edged me out during the rifle shoot, he was surprised that I solidly won the handgun shoot. He won one round due to an ammo malfunction in my 1911, but I took the rest. My students were very proud, and I was glad not to let them down! Although I often differ in technique and gear from IPSC shooters, good training and lots of practice are the key to performance. We all had a great day and learned a lot. I thank Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, for donating a full day of his time for such a wonderful event! Even if you don't live in Montana, you should (as I did) join the MSSA for just $25. They have made great inroads for gunowners and hunters in Montana, work that should be duplicated elsewhere. One
fascinating idea (which I had independently thought of for Molôn
Labé!) they WYOMING STATE SHOOTING ASSOCIATION "Free State Wyoming is our last chance to retain and even to expand what liberties we have left." - Mark Spungin, President of the WSSA, April 2004 I spoke there in 2002 with the debut of the revised Boston's Gun Bible, and was again invited to their annual meeting. Attendance was excellent, filling the room to the walls. I spoke about my Free State Wyoming, which heartened all present with the prospect of thousands of libertarian gunowners converging on their state. The Q&A was especially interesting and covered much ground. The annual raffle prize is a CMP M1 Garand. This year was a very nice WW2 Winchester, won by a very happy and "I can't believe this!" fellow. My thanks to Mark and Beverly Spungin (Prez and VP) of the WSSA for having me to Casper for this meeting, which is always a favorite of mine! Thanks also to Sec/Treasurer Roger Sebesta for his small favor. I will soon pony up for a Lifetime Membership of the WSSA. If you are bound for Wyoming, please join the WSSA for $15: WSSA, 625 Sweetwater St.. Lander, Wyoming 82520 WYOMING LP CONVENTION It was my great fortune that the WYLP convention was also in Casper, and on the same Saturday! So, I broke early from the WSSA meeting and drove 600yds to the Radison at the invitation of Chairman Dave Dawson. There I gave a short talk on Free State Wyoming to the local brethren. I think the FSW infused some new hope in those Wyoming libertarians. For me, I was pleased that the conference had a high percentage of younger attendees - always a good sign. I look forward to helping the WYLP grow by leaps and bounds through the FSW migration. My Wyoming work done for the trip, I stopped at a liquor store for cooler beer, bought a sandwich, and headed down to Colorado. It was a wistful feeling leaving Wyoming, my soon-to-be new home state. GUEST SNIPER INSTRUCTOR AT A U.S. ARMY BASE What a hoot this was! Some military snipers due for Iraq were attending a Phase II class, and I had been invited to join them as guest instructor. Although the military uses the Remington 700 with a Leupold M3, my contribution was to familiarize them with the superb Shepherd 310-P2 scope and its 18" ranging circles. Such a scope was far different from their Mil-Dot reticles. My distance ranging of 20" Iron Maidens was the equal of their own, although windage holds out to 800m was difficult for us all. My Savage Tactical .308 was also unfamiliar to them, though it shot about as tightly as their M24s. Issued ammo was the 173gr M118, about 1.5MOA stuff. On that same range, we shot an iron-sighted M16 at 600m steel. I rang it 10 for 10, impressing me with the inherent accuracy of the carbine - even though energy at that distance is only about 300 foot/pounds. I do hope that the new 6.8mm GPC (nearly identical to my ".264 Boston" of 1998) will become the new cartridge of the realm. Our men in the field need something for war better than a varmit round. Our overnight exercise was to engage a "General" between 0600-0615 when he was known to enjoy his morning coffee outside on a wooden deck. The independent sniper teams were let loose at 2000 hours the night before. My team made a wide berth around the building and bivvied about 800m away. The night was somewhat cold and windy, with a bit of rain, though we had constructed a comfy hooch with poncho liners and GoreTex sleeping bags. (I slept well enough, allegedly, to have snored.) We awoke at 0400, packed up, and began our stalk to a sniper hide within 400m of the deck. By 0545 we were in place to take our shot (blanks had been issued). At 0602 a man appeared on deck. He did not seem to be wearing the grey sweatshirt described in the briefing, but the colors at dawn were very washed out so it was difficult to be sure. The man gazed out in the distance for less than a minute, then began to walk back inside. I led him a body's length at that 400m, but still was unsure that he was the "General." Our team leader, however, believed he was and hissed, "Take him!" The three of us squeezed off in ragged unison. My shot call was a hit just a few feet before he reached the door. However, we were the only team to have engaged. About 8 minutes later, another man appeared - the right one. The other teams took him out. (We had "shot" the General's driver.) A great lesson in target recognition... Also, I was pleased to have wrung out my gear. Unless you actually test your stuff in the field, you DO NOT know how it will work! Found out for sure! Various required gear: Camelbak 100oz Mule, binocs or spotting scope with MilDots, night vision goggles, camo veil, unscented baby wipes in ZipLocs, field knife, extra socks, gloves, worn-in boots, comfy ruck, paracord. We also had a 200m offhand M16 competition. When I won with 8 hits in 10 at 15.5 seconds, the fellows were keen to hear my thoughts on technique learned at Gunsite and Thunder Ranch. One afternoon we practiced artillery fire-control missions, calling for HE by 6-digit map grids - a task often required by sniper teams in the field. Here, I was all student, and found the exercise fascinating. The final morning was spent shooting a bolt .50BMG at Iron Maidens from 400 1200m. It was the first time for most of them on a .50, and I'd bet that many will be soon buying their own! (By the way, this nation has had a history of civilian invention and development of firearms, and the past several years of .50BMG target rifles have been a real boon to the military. That will be lost if .50s are ever declared NFA34 stuff. On a similar note, riflery is an art taught by fathers to young sons, not a commodity to be issued in boot camp to 18 year olds.) We concluded the weekend in fine form with a steak BBQ. I brought good beer and cigars for all, a real hit. Everyone had a joke or two. Great guys, and we're lucky to have them in uniform! My thanks to the fantastic NCOs who put on such a fine weekend! I had a keen time and made several new readers and friends. COLORADO LP CONVENTION Though an election year with lots of LP biz and voting, I had been invited to speak on a two-man panel with Jim Reyes of the Free State Project. This had caused some consternation with the FSP. Finally they would have to defend their choice of NH before a live audience against their greatest competition. Given the 6 month animus between the FSP and my Free State Wyoming, I came loaded for bear. Their rep Jim Reyes shook my hand with trepidation, but was relieved when I told him that it was my preference we behaved as gentlemen. A young man in his 20s, Jim was respectful and polite. (If the FSP Board had been made up of similar quality folks since October, relations between East and West would have been cordial!) He maintained that the FSP is not against the FSW or other free state competition (ah, naïveté!). While he defended the FSP with sincerity and competence, his talk was greatly undermined by the revelation that he had never actually been to New Hampshire! Yes, the state looks good on paper in many ways, but it is absolutely teeming with people. The southern part (where the FSP seems to be concentrating for the Boston, Mass. job market) has 1,000,000. What are 20,000 FSPers going to accomplish there? I concluded my remarks with the admonition that any free stater should actually visit both states and then decide. Too bad more FSPers hadn't done that before the vote last year. I had toured New England in 1999 for the first time, and fell in love with area. However, those states are over 200 years old and taken. There is simply no room for a mass migration to NH. No room to become a Rifleman. Maine or Vermont would have had more room, and even they are too populated for our purposes. There's Internet research, and then there's real-world research. Given that a free state effort involves our very lives, go put your feet on the ground before you decide which state is better. I thank Elizabeth Johnson for inviting me to the convention, which was fun and well run! The costume party banquet was especially cute. Since I did not have a costume, I'd considered showing up in my USMC digital camo fatigues, bloused combat boots, boonie hat, and .45 - until I realized that Vibram soles make for poor dancing. Oh, well... If you've never been to a state LP convention, go sometime. Even if the party business doesn't interest you, you will at least meet like-minded people while supporting the cause. What better weekend can you have? FINAL REMARKS This was the longest business road trip I'd ever done, at 6 weeks and over 4,000 miles. I slept on friends' sofas, in hotels, and on the ground. I ate fine meals, as well as MREs. I did a lot of shooting, teaching and learning much. I even met a very fine lady of great chemistry and commonality (who is now undoubtedly pondering that dictum, "Be careful what you ask for, as you may one day surely get it"). Although I can afford to finance such trips through Colorado book sales, I prefer that sufficient funds come through on the road - and they did. So, I want to thank all those readers, new and old, for supporting my mission by buying books from me in person. Most gratifyingly, I have the Free State Wyoming up and running with dozens of people moving to Crook County beginning this year. By fall 2005 there should be 100+ there. (Right now, the FSP can claim only 26 have moved to NH, and without geo-concentration.) 100 libertarian gunowners will begin to have an effect within a county of 2,600 voters (a 3.8% block). For example, Idaho Boundary County Attorney Denise Woodbury lost her re-election bid by just 8 votes. Her replacement arrogantly dropped all charges against FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi. All because of just 8 votes. Keep visiting the Free State Wyoming page to learn of upcoming exciting developments! Summer is here, so why not take a drive out to Crook County, Wyoming and discover for yourself this jewel of the West. Pine trees and water, but at only 3,900 feet! Good weather and growing seasons. Lots of tourist traffic. Within 90 minutes of regional airports. Two golf courses. Friendly, independent locals. And lots of prairie dogs. I am moving to Crook County, Wyoming! See you there! Boston
T. Party [ back to top ] |
||||
|
Boston was invited back to the Colorado Libertarian Party Convention, this time in Colorado Springs. As the luncheon speaker, he further elaborated on the unique advantages of a free state, using the example of separation of school and state. As a test, he asked the audience who would be willing to move to Wyoming as part of a libertarian immigration within five years. More than 90% present raised their hand. Another
great speaking event was at the Freedom
Summit in the Phoenix area, [ back to top ] |
||||
|
Boston was honored to be a featured speaker at the 2002 Colorado Libertarian Party Convention in Leadville, Colorado. There he gave his first public talk on his upcoming novel Molôn Labé! , which was very well received. The revised Boston's Gun Bible won the "Freedom Book of the Month" award in August 2002 from www.free-market.net! This is quite an honor for us, and we thank reviewer Sunni Maravillosa for choosing BGB. In the fall of 2002, Boston attended his favorite annual martial arts/shooting competition, a quietly renowned 3-day camping event in the mountains. Competitions included survival skills, hand-to-hand knife fighting with training knives, live steel knife fighting against a moving 24" block of 4x4 (vertically suspended by bungie cords in eye bolts, and radically moved in all directions by a second party--hence you were fighting with an "opponent" and using live steel, which made for a very realistic and knuckle-busting fight!), skeet shooting, handgun, battle rifle, and precision rifle. Boston handily took 2nd Place (1999/2nd; 2000/tied for 3rd), winning a $1000 custom 10" fighting knife with razor sharp false edge. He very nearly won the 1st Place $3000 18" sword, and will train even harder to do so next time. Other competitors included West Coast martial artists, a world-renowned Filipino stick fighting master, an Air Force sniper team (one member of which won the very challenging precision rifle event), and a US Secret Service Agent (who narrowly missed being killed in the 9/11 attack on the WTC). A very interesting group of men who made for great competition and superb company! Boston looks forward to this event every year, as there's nothing quite like it--and the prizes are specifically-made superb custom knives. Boston's current three trophies are some of his most prized treasures. And he really wants that sword... [ back to top ] |
||||
|
Brownells picked up the revised Boston's Gun Bible in 2002. They are the best gun parts/accessories catalog company around. A family-owned business since the 1939, Brownells has impeccable selection and service. If you want a model for how a mail-order company should be run, this is it. Their catalog also serves as a fine reference work, with weights, materials, and dimensions of all their items. Great tech support, too. Thunder
Ranch (Hill Country of Texas) picked up the revised Boston's
Gun Bible in January 2003. Available in their ProShop, and possibly
by mail-order. Thunder Ranch is the gun school I've the most experience
with, and their training and facilities are top-notch. If you've been
planning on making the "pilgrimage" to Thunder Ranch, do so
this year! At a stroke of the pen, President Bush could easily declare
such gun training to be "paramilitary" (or whatever) and outlaw
civilians from attendance. No kidding. So, even though a 5-day course
is –
with
ammo, travel, lodging, food, etc. –
about
a $2,000 experience, what you get for [ back to top ] |
||||
|
Boston's Gun Bible was revised in April 2002 with 10 new chapters and over 200 pages of new material. It is a much more comprehensive and useful than was the 2000 edition. Same retail price of $28.00 + $6 s&h. Molôn Labé! (Boston's first novel) is now available. The price is $24 + $6 s&h. It's a real barnburner of a book, with lots of action and much to think about. [ back to top ] |
||||
JAVELIN
PRESS
|
||||
This
site is optimized for Firefox 1.5 or better.
|
||||
Shooting
Association. Gary put on a most fun Monday of shooting for us, and his
dueling tree target was a real hoot. It takes a lot for me to get excited
about something new in shooting.
within 25yds. (9mm doesn't move them well, but .40 and .45 do.) Hence,
it's not really necessary to spring for a set of pistol plates unless
that's your primary use of the tree.
challenge
with iron sights at 100yds, but my Smith Enterprise .308 M1 Garand (and
my raptor eyesight) were fortunately up to it.
