John, some of your recent posts have mirrored my own realizations with shorty ARs. I have two 10.5s that have worn RDS and have become my favorite ARs of my herd. I have 2 carbines with 1-4x scopes and the capability of the optics is so much better here in the sticks than a RDS…so I ordered 2 Bushnell Elite 1-8.5x for the two 10.5s. I think they’ll be perfect now with such easy handling and the added utility of the LPVOs. Just thought I’d echo your thoughts, 10.5s with LPVOs are where it’s at. I’ve got my 14.5” as my go-to gun, solely because it goes in the truck with me when I leave the farm, and if I do get pulled over, it’s a lot less of a headache to deal with local cops and deputies over a 14.5” with a pinned and welded FH, than it is a 10.5” “pistol.” My preference for all-around really has become the 10.5 with a 1-6/8x on it. It’s just super handy, and while shots past 200 yards are not common here, by any stretch, there are straight aways on roads and in town that exceed that. I also know—personally—of at least two dozen dudes who have achieved first-shot kills at (verified) ranges between 600 and 800 meters, with 10.5” guns. Loading them with MK262 or a similar load will aid in lethality at longer ranges as well. That having been said, I wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable, assuming the shot was justified, taking a shot at 500 yards with M855. I know for a fact, I can hit a chest size area at that distance, out of a 10.5” even with a red dot, and even if it doesn’t kill him, it’s damned sure going to ruin his week. ——————————– When I visited South Africa our group visited the ranch home of the Afrikaner gameskeeper on the farm and when we drove up in the bakke a pair of very large domestic geese greeted the truck like web footed klaxons. The two wealthy conservatards in the group wondered out loud why in the hell a guy would keep those things around and when I mentioned that they were for warnings of farm attacks I could see the look on their faces that all but said “Lee Greenwood is not a ‘racist’ and neither am I so what is this farm attacks thing you speak of?” I offended the shit out of a college kid today. My “leaving the gym” shirt was a Rhodesian Army “Be A Man Among Men” t-shirt. He got snippety about it, then got huffy when I pointed out that like 80% of the Rhodie Army was black. Was Rhodesia racist, institutionally? Fuck yes. Does that mean I can’t appreciate the Rhodesian Army’s contributions to special operations without being a racist? Fuck you. Also, geese are the bees’ knees for security alarms. Unfortunately, in my experience, they’re also complete assholes to young children and dogs. I like both my children and my dogs, far more than I like geese. ——————————- For lighting, you want perimeter lights glaring outward, leaving your inside-the-perimeter area dark. If you turn them on, those on the outside are visible, you on the dark inside are not illuminated and are obscured by the glare. Uhm….I know? On the other hand, in an urban environment, if you live in a high-trust neighborhood, there’s a lot to be said for having the house illuminated too, so neighbors can see if someone is hanging out in the shrubbery that ought not be… ———————————- I can attest to the superiority of the white gas colemans. I am still using the one dad bought when I was 6 (I’m 69). The only thing that has been replaced, twice, is the leather pump seal. They are easy enough to make from some veg tan hide. That’s bad ass! Mine aren’t anywhere near that old. ———————————- 500 PAYING SUBSCRIBERS AND A MILITARY RETIREMENT?? HELL YA! NO WONDER YOU CAN AFFORD TO BURN 100,000 ROUNDS OF AMMO A YEAR!! GOOD FOR YOU SIR Uhm….I’m gonna guess you’re new around here. I got out after 10 years, and I do NOT have a military pension, nor do I collect VA disability, despite being more than eligible…. As for 500 paying subscribers? Well, if you provide good enough content, apparently people are willing to pay for it. It’s not like I’m holding a gun to their heads…. I can shoot as much as I do because I work my ass off, and I prioritize the importance of being able to protect my family and clan. Additionally, I don’t have satellite television. I have a prepaid cell phone that costs $100/month, for both my wife and myself. We grow a lot of our own food, including meat. I drive 20+ year old trucks that I paid cash, at below book prices for. I do a lot of bartering, and I do a lot of side work. I don’t drink, except ceremonially at holidays, and then it’s homemade mead, so it’s almost free. I don’t use drugs, other than chewing Copenhagen. I eat basically one meal a day. I built my house by hand, myself—and with help from the clan—so I don’t have a huge mortgage payment. I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words of free content, over the last decade on this blog. I’ve written and published five books that people are willing to pay for (even when I was a dipshit and got the shipping all kinds of fucked up). I write this blog still, occasionally, and the Patreon content, in my copious free time, by taking a day each week away from my family… We home school our kids, so they’re not quite as inundated with mercantile commercial marketing, demanding the latest, newest shit. So….yeah, shooting 10K a year is not incredibly hard for me….but that’s because I work my ass off and prioritize it. Continue reading...
