Thursday, May 2, 2013

Gun Shopping

As fallout from the Appleseed, I have gone from not actually needing anything gun-related to needing a whole bunch of stuff.

Firstly I have concluded that while it is possible to get your riflemans patch with a tube-fed gun, for me the extra effort is too much, so I need a mag-fed .22. I decided on a Marlin 795 and since I have gift certificates and such for Bass Pro, that's where it's coming from.

Problem: Not in stock. I am assured it can be had Before Too Long and so I'm awaiting the phone call to come pick it up.

Possible related item: No one can tell me how many mags the Marlin comes with. To be safe I've ordered 2 Promag 25 round mags. These will become illegal in Colorado July 1 so I hope I get them in my hands before then. The reviews suggest that they work well but are hard to load. They are also out of stock everywhere except from Promag where they also have the highest price. I'm awaiting delivery.

Next I discovered that the oversized UTG scope I was using on the Remington will not hold zero. I can put 10 rounds or so in one small ragged hole, then I find I'm making another small ragged hole about an inch away from the first one. So I need a new scope. I decided on a Tasco 3-9 x 32 from Wal-Mart which had good ratings.

Problem: Not in stock, but deliverable within a week to a store near me. I'm awaiting the phone call to come pick it up.

Bottom line is that for the price of a Ruger 10/22, I can have a rifle, spare mags, and a scope. We'll see how this works out.

Now that I've become familiar with bad scopes, I realize that the Hi Point is not the 6 MOA gun I thought it was, but I do have a 4x32 Chinese-made scope that will deliver 4-6 MOA on any gun it's attached to. I'll put the irons back on and get to that later.

6 comments:

David aka True Blue Sam said...

You have me wondering now what my .45 Hi-Point will do. I will shoot a few groups and let you know. I just had a very bad experience with a Simmons red dot scope, and it might work now if the Loctite holds.

I went to an Appleseed event last fall, and my developing cataracts really don't get along with iron sights; even the really good ones that Appleseed promotes. I am setting up a new 10/22 for Appleseed, but I am using a Bushnell red dot, and it seems to work well for me. The trigger kit from Midway arrived today, and I have the 1 1/4" sling swivels installed. I will post some photos from my next shooting session.

Anonymous said...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzUb2_sWorE
Marlin 795: "The 4.5 lb .22 Sharpshooter" by Nutnfancy


and the 70PSS (same rifle as the 795 with a take-down barrel)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=32FgaIb66bM
Marlin Papoose .22: "Top Survival Rifle" by Nutnfancy

Billll said...

Deteriorating eyesight is definitely a problem. While I was researching low-buck scopes I found that scope aficionados seem to think that "cheap" starts somewhere between $200 and $250.

Scopes getting the nod for general robustness included the Simmons as well as the Tasco and CenterPoint brands from Wal Mart.

As to red dots, I have a Barska that likewise self disassembled. Like you I have hopes for Loctite although it might be worth noting that the dot size is in the 4-5 minute range which would put all the hits behind it.

The Hi Point has a fairly brisk recoil so if the scope doesn't disassemble itself on that then it passes the Billll test for strength.

The Bubba test is that if while setting down my beer, I knock my rifle off the platform of my deer stand and it drops 25 ft to the gravel road below, will the scope still hold zero? Extra points if the rifle does not discharge.

Billll said...

Annon: Yes, and thanks for the links.

jed said...

I sometimes ponder getting another .22 rifle. The old Stevens tube-fed job is not bad, but fails, as you mention, in the tactical reload department. I have pondered a Rem 597.

I have also pondered putting a peep on the back of the SKS, for Appleseed purposes. However, that's a rather moot point at the moment. But my thinking is that if I practice with the speed clips, reloads might be OK.

If I ever to get to an Appleseed, I'll have to check whether my Whelan slings qualify under their definition.

Billll said...

Pictures of the Whelen suggest it will qualify just fins.

The Remington weighs a tad more than the Marlin which is good, and has self-ejecting mags which is also good. Having to use 2 hands to get your mag out is definitely a handicap at an Appleseed.