Hiram
Super member
LH has been dying to do some hiking. Problem is much of the Sierra is still snowpacked. In fact, the summit just had snow night before last. Other problem is, LH does not consider desert hiking to be "hiking". Not proper hiking.
Anyway, absolutely beautiful day so she relented and agreed we could take a lunch and hit the hills. Before that, though, I needed to pick something up. I had previously seen a like-new Marlin model 60 in a local gun store. It was about $200 and I had made up my mind to grab it. Not only did I snatch that up (background check took a whopping three minutes), LH, digging through a fresh pile of random stuff found a surplus Swiss military backpack from 1968. LH does not do impulse buys. LH, though, is disgusted with our modern Walmart, Temu throw away ways and has a real soft spot for legacy gear. Stuff that was built to last forever. She bought the backpack. It had a geologist's business card in it and the owner of the store said the guy was a retired prospector and had used the bag to carry his stuff all over the desert.
Out to the desert.
LH smacking rocks, cans, clay pigeons and what not with the Mini-14. As promised, I put it into a common Ruger Mini stock, preferring not to F-up the gorgeous wood (by Ruger standards) it originally came in.
The Model 60. Fantastic rifle. Give me a 60 over a 10/22 every time! The thing just shot great. Several hundred rounds and never missed a beat. I was hitting clay pigeons, standing unsupported, at 50 yards. The occasional miss was all me. LH loved it and shot it well. Sidebar: note LH changed out her muffs. Now she wears electronic ones. Still pink. I also wear electronic ones. LH likes that because I can hear her talk... She talks a lot and it is, apparently, important that I hear it all.
We did the desert shoot around. LH with the Marlin, me with the Mini. Lots of fun picking out targets for each other. That's LH's new backpack. It wasn't really that full. Had a blanket in there. We like to take a lay round, read and nap break.
Ran into a small group of speed goats, AKA pronghorn antelope. They were about 100 yards out in this photo. It was a buck with his harem of five. When I put it that way to LH, she muttered something about "sluts".
Yellow flowers all up the hill. Spring in the desert.
My off duty desert duty belt. Unlike my regular at work duty belt. Believe it or not, in the ammo pouch I have a mylar blanket, fire kit, folding knife, water purifying tablets, cordage, a little flashlight and a first aid kit. The belt has all of Dave Canterbury's 5 C's covered. The water bottle nests in a cup and holds 16 ounces. The knife is a Kephart. The revolver is a S&W Governor. It shoots .410 shotgun shells, .45 Colt and, with moon clips, .45 ACP. Gimmicky... but sort of cool. A .45 caliber shotgun revolver... thing. I was shooting .410 out of it and asked LH if she wanted to take a shot. She did. Bang! and she yelled "OW F***!" She handed it back with one of those cutting glances that indicates she was extremely displeasured by the experience and I was to blame. I barely contained my smirk.
I got sunburned as hell. Luckily for me, I saw my dermatologist just last week. If she saw me with a sunburn, she'd about kill me. Skin cancer is a real danger in these parts for those of northern European extraction. My petite Asian dermo will tolerate no sunburns. Every time I see that chick, out comes the scalpel.
Fun day. We had a tough hike and now LH finally agrees that desert hiking is real hiking. She is also a fan of "shooting around". That slim, light Model 60 is just the thing for it.
Anyway, absolutely beautiful day so she relented and agreed we could take a lunch and hit the hills. Before that, though, I needed to pick something up. I had previously seen a like-new Marlin model 60 in a local gun store. It was about $200 and I had made up my mind to grab it. Not only did I snatch that up (background check took a whopping three minutes), LH, digging through a fresh pile of random stuff found a surplus Swiss military backpack from 1968. LH does not do impulse buys. LH, though, is disgusted with our modern Walmart, Temu throw away ways and has a real soft spot for legacy gear. Stuff that was built to last forever. She bought the backpack. It had a geologist's business card in it and the owner of the store said the guy was a retired prospector and had used the bag to carry his stuff all over the desert.
Out to the desert.
LH smacking rocks, cans, clay pigeons and what not with the Mini-14. As promised, I put it into a common Ruger Mini stock, preferring not to F-up the gorgeous wood (by Ruger standards) it originally came in.
The Model 60. Fantastic rifle. Give me a 60 over a 10/22 every time! The thing just shot great. Several hundred rounds and never missed a beat. I was hitting clay pigeons, standing unsupported, at 50 yards. The occasional miss was all me. LH loved it and shot it well. Sidebar: note LH changed out her muffs. Now she wears electronic ones. Still pink. I also wear electronic ones. LH likes that because I can hear her talk... She talks a lot and it is, apparently, important that I hear it all.
We did the desert shoot around. LH with the Marlin, me with the Mini. Lots of fun picking out targets for each other. That's LH's new backpack. It wasn't really that full. Had a blanket in there. We like to take a lay round, read and nap break.
Ran into a small group of speed goats, AKA pronghorn antelope. They were about 100 yards out in this photo. It was a buck with his harem of five. When I put it that way to LH, she muttered something about "sluts".
Yellow flowers all up the hill. Spring in the desert.
My off duty desert duty belt. Unlike my regular at work duty belt. Believe it or not, in the ammo pouch I have a mylar blanket, fire kit, folding knife, water purifying tablets, cordage, a little flashlight and a first aid kit. The belt has all of Dave Canterbury's 5 C's covered. The water bottle nests in a cup and holds 16 ounces. The knife is a Kephart. The revolver is a S&W Governor. It shoots .410 shotgun shells, .45 Colt and, with moon clips, .45 ACP. Gimmicky... but sort of cool. A .45 caliber shotgun revolver... thing. I was shooting .410 out of it and asked LH if she wanted to take a shot. She did. Bang! and she yelled "OW F***!" She handed it back with one of those cutting glances that indicates she was extremely displeasured by the experience and I was to blame. I barely contained my smirk.
I got sunburned as hell. Luckily for me, I saw my dermatologist just last week. If she saw me with a sunburn, she'd about kill me. Skin cancer is a real danger in these parts for those of northern European extraction. My petite Asian dermo will tolerate no sunburns. Every time I see that chick, out comes the scalpel.
Fun day. We had a tough hike and now LH finally agrees that desert hiking is real hiking. She is also a fan of "shooting around". That slim, light Model 60 is just the thing for it.
