BikerRN

Given the recent correspondence I have had regarding some of my post on this forum I figure it is time to explain myself before I say adios. Those of you that say I don't care about the homes and property in the path of our recent fires are 100% correct. I don't care about your property, houses, memories, or wishes and desires. They impact me not a whit. What I do care about is your ability to breath, your heart to beat, and your arms and hands to work, as well as your legs to stand you up and allow you to walk. I've been homeless, and lived out of my vehicle for a time. In that time I dreamed of having nicer things and a better situation. I was fortunate, in that I found that I've come to the conclusion that all the stuff I own, while I enjoy and like it, is just stuff. It may make my life easier, but it's still just stuff. Having lost almost everything, and then getting nicer stuff later has taught me that it doesn't really mean a whole lot. As long as I can work, I can get stuff if I want. When I am unable to work, what's the point of living I ask myself. With the exception of a few people on this forum, most have responded with the usual sophomoric high school chest thumping behavior that I left behind a long time ago. I have offered what little I can to people by means of a PM, but have either been rebuffed or called names. At no time, in any of my post, have I called anyone a name, or responded in kind. That says something to the quality of the people here I think, or at least the ones I'm referring to. If someone wants help from me all they have to do is ask. The worst I can say is, “No”, but you just might be surprised at how often I say yes. I do not ask anything of someone else that I would not be willing to do for them if the situation were reversed. Now as to the present fires, and the Dude and R/C fires, I say “Burn Baby Burn”. My wife and I were looking at maybe moving to the White Mountain area, but upon a visit there last year saw the tinderbox conditions and said “No Thanks”. Through your fault, my fault, the federal government's fault, or nobody's fault at all, those that live in the White Mountains live in a tinderbox. I am of the opinion that if you live there you must accept that as a consequence. Realize I'm not placing blame here, just stating what I view as a fact. One of the first things my wife, having experienced the Ash Wednesday Fires, you can Google it, looks at is the fire conditions. Many of you, from what I saw, fail to do that or to make proper cutbacks and dirt lanes on your personal property in the event of a fire. That is your choice, but you have to suffer those consequences. Now, when it comes time to rebuild, I am more than willing to dig post holes, build fence, raise a barn or house if I am asked. I will not feel sorry for you for losing your stuff but I am willing to help you rebuild. All one has to do is ask. I am willing to help just about anyone, but they have to put forth the effort. I don't expect an octogenarian to put forth the same effort as a twenty-something year old, but I do expect some effort to be put forth. I guess the difference is, I have lost all my stuff in the past so I realize it's true worth. I have my hands, heart, and lungs, that means I can get more stuff if it comes to that. Life is precious to me, mine and my loved ones most so. The other things are at differing degrees of inconsequential. As long as nobody is killed or injured in these fires, that is called a good day in my book. Now with that I will leave this forum and you can continue with your chest thumping high school locker room antics. Biker

Your $0.02 is worth more than that, as opposed to those that wail and gnash their teeth like a bunch of old women, which from what I see is most of this forum. Adios. Biker

I think the Rodeo Chedeski Fire is going to look like a Sunday Picnic Wienie Roast by the time this Wallow Fire is through. Biker

Dang! I just cooked up a fresh batch of popcorn.

I too hope we see BBQ'ed Wolf on the menu.

I'd be fine with that, if you stay the heck out of my desert. Also, since it's YOUR forest none of my tax dollars should go to managing it. Let you, and those that live there, be responsible for how those forest are managed but don't come crying to me for money when you screw up. If you want to charge an "access fee" for when I come up there, fine. I'd gladly pay that, but I'll bet you can't get enough money to manage a turnip truck by that method. However, since it's YOUR forest, it's not my problem. Now before anyone reads this and thinks I'm some tree hugging bunny loving granola eating ferret, I actually support logging and ranching on public lands, and want to see it increased. The problem is, too many people think the forest is their personal property, when it fact it belongs to all of us. I'm willing to give it all to you, but with stipulations, as I noted above. Biker

OK, I'll be more blunt: If you choose to live in a forest, you have to deal with the dangers that are there. That means fire, even human caused ones, are a risk you must endure. Tough. Suck it up and move on. If you lose your home, I hope you have a good insurance policy. At no place in my post did I say that I wanted logging stopped, and in fact encourage logging as it is a good way to manage our forest resources. Due to years of the feral government doing a crappy job, which is common for anything federal as far as I'm concerned, you that live there get to deal with what the feral government has sown. Personally I won't shed a tear if all of Alpine burns. While it would be devastating, to those that live there, it would also be a good thing as far as I'm concerned. Not because it would displace the people that live there, but because it would go a long way to restoring the balance that we have upset. That balance could've been maintained by controlled burning and logging over the past twenty years, but that is not an option now. I wish it was. Now I realize that my post may offend some members here. I'm in hopes that the smarter members will take the time to reflect on the words and reach the meaning I'm trying to convey. For some of you I realize that will be impossible. Biker

Howdy folks. While I would certainly sympathise, to a degree, with anyone that lost property because of this fire I'm of the opinion that we should just let it burn as long as no lives are threatened. Towns and buildings can be rebuilt, but people cannot be replaced. We have had over sixty years of aggressive fire suppresion, and this is what it gets us. Fire, from my limited knowlwdge base, is a good thing that is natural. Before the west was settled fires happened, and areas expirienced renewed plant growth. It was a naturally occuring thing that we have inhibited for far too long in my opinion. Living in a forest, or on a grassland for that matter, means one has to accept the challenges that nature provides. Fire is one of those challenges. It shouldn't be suppresed, but rather homes should be rebuilt after nature takes it's course. Sorry if that seems harsh, but it's how I feel. Biker

I was wondering what was in the water?

I'll add some more to this subject, since it's so near and dear to my heart, and I have time to spare today. As I said earlier, I shoot longarms left handed. Due to some phyical issues I am unable to close my left eye, and when I try to shoot right eyed it becomes a big mess. What I'm going to try to do in the next couple of weeks is move a scope further forward and use my left eye while shooting right handed. I've spent the morning getting the right eye relief on a rifle to do this. I can shoot my M4 right handed with a forward mounted Red Dot, but I have to tilt the rifle to let my left eye see the dot. It looks unorthodox, but it does work. For this expirment I'll have to make sure I crank my neck the same way each shot, as I'm turning my head to the right against the stock, thus putting my left eye closer to the scope. Again, it looks unorthodox, but if it works I'll let you know. I got the idea from a friend of mine. His son, due to a hand situation is also cross dominant, but is unable to shoot from his dominant eye side. Thus he turns his head. The young man can shoot, and very well I might add. Being that I'm right handed naturally, but left eye dominant, this thread has prompted me to expirment a little. I'll post back in a week or two with my results. Biker

https://www.reliabletent.com/ A friend has one and has no complaints. Biker

Great topic, and one I'm not sure we can reach a definative answer for that will accomodate all shooters. I myself am right handed/left eye dominant. With a Red Dot I tilt my AR to the left, and can shoot right handed, but my accuracy is best when shooting left handed. Shotguns, I stick to left, with both eyes open. Handguns, that's a whole 'nother ball game. I shoot with either hand, but have slightly tighter groups shooting right handed, plus it works better for me from a weapon retention standpoint to shoot right handed. Also, my transition from rifle to handgun is faster shooting the longarm left and the handgun right. I mention all these things because each task will have a different set of criteria and needs. For longarms I would advise going with the dominant eye side. For speed, and what I euphamistcally call, Minute of Felon, go with the dominant hand. I shoot longarms 90% left handed. On a bolt action I find myself as fast as a right handed shooter shooting a right handed bolt with the added advantage that my left hand never leaves it's firing position. The task becomes one of combining the dominant eye with the not so dominant hand. If you think about it for a second you may see that using your dominant hand to manipulate the bolt, with the cross dominant eye and non-dominant hand operating the trigger, to be a very beneficial set-up, and is one of a few reasons why I don't recommend left handed bolt actions for left handed shooters. By using the right hand to manipulate the bolt, and keeping the rifle on the left shoulder, you can have the best of both worlds in my opinion. That's my $0.02. Biker

Thank you all. I'm looking forward to giving it a shot, pun intended. Biker

Howdy all. I got what may appear to be a dumb question, but figured I'd ask it anyway. I'm contemplating the purchase of a .375, either H&H or Ruger, and was wondering about a muzzle break. Do they really work? I can shoot my .308 all day long at the bench, but fear the .375 may be more than I can handle. I'm wanting something that can reach out to 500 Yards or so for elk and moose size game, but would also be capable of asiatic buffalo in Australia. The .375 is the smallest I can use there for that animal. Between my .223 and .308 I figure I've got the other stuff covered and I'm looking to build a 3 Gun Battery. My big fear is biting off too much gun. I don't intend to bench shoot with it all day, but I do need to shoot it enough to zero it. I've also considered going with a .300 Win Mag and a .375, making it a 4 Gun Battery. The .300 would be for elk, bear, and moose here in CONUS. So, do muzzle brakes work, or do I just need to get used to loosening the fillings in my teeth? If they do work, what can I relate them to? For example, let's say a muzzle brake on a .338 Win Mag makes it feel like you're shooting a 22-250. Thanks in advance for all your help. Biker

Nice story. I still have pictures of me, in a scrapbook, of when I caught my first fish. It was a catfish from a small lake in Iowa with one of my Uncles and Cousins. My wife salvaged them from my Mother, and I'm glad she did. My unsolicited advice would be to start a scrapbook of things like this that she can have when she gets older. Biker