Is Shooting a Dieing Hobby?

[ballistic64]

I agree,Lynn.The divide and conquer stragety has been put to use over and over.The Clinton assualt weapon bill was a classic example.The media coinphrased the name "assualt weapon" over and over to the public until it became accepted that any gun with somewhat of a military look or could use a hi-cap magazine was an assualt weapon.This divided gun owners on one level-Do I or other people really need that kind of fire power?,never mind that the FBI statistics show that homicide has steadily declined for years.The one fact that the media would never show the uninformed public.)
So here we have a division of gun owners.Those hardlined against the assault bill and those....well maybe not so much for it,but those that dont necessarily think its such a bad thing.And of course there will always be the type of gun owner with the mind set of...."What the hell would you ever need that gun for? You cant hunt with it!

Then came the second division,the one the gun control advocates were hoping for.The division of the NRA's own members.The senseable gun owner immediately sees this bill for what it is...another restriction of his rights.His rights are being eroded all in the supposed name of "Crime Control".,I dont know about anyone else,but I hate to see my rights go down the toilet because a country full of lawyers are able to convince the judicial and legislative systems that the criminals rights are more important than the general publics)
The uninformed gun owner,or maybe the type 3 in the first list) questions the NRA's decision to fight this bill and decides the media is right....the NRA is a bunch of nutcases hell bent on creating havoc in the country.Of course this wasnt true and anyone with a little sense and the ability to read could look at the statistics available at the time and see right through the crime bill.Of course it had plenty of camoflauge.....more police on the street to make us safer from ourselves,and higher taxes) and the handgun waiting period because everyone knew there was a line of criminals at all the local gun shops or an enraged boyfriend/husband at every other house on the block just waiting to do in half the female
poulation of the country.

The divide and conquer tactic isnt only used by gun control advocates.Its also used by animal right activists and others.But the biggest user of this tactic is right there on your television every day and night just chomping at the bit to help these groups out anyway they can.
Their easiest prey is the lazy,complacent,content,uninformed, dont give a sh*t about anything American citizen.So as you know the feeding is good.

 

[mikecr]

I do agree with you Lynn. But I think a big hammer is comin our way.

So how do our kids come to reason that we NEED firearms? Hunting -no,
Target -no,
Self defense -maybe,
To keep our government in check -well, it's the basis of our rights,

And I might add, the biggest THREAT to our gov't.

 

[jimm]

I'm not suggesting anythings wrong with 50cals, or any other toys. What I'm saying is that normal, everyday folks, would not naturally see them as rational possessions. They would have to be convinced of it...And good luck.

Drop the tailgate and slide one out in public. Ask each passerby what they think about shooting enthusiasts having and shooting these. You'll get between "There ain't no reason for anyone to have guns like that", and "Cool.. Can you shoot through walls with it?"
Neither is good for us.

These guns can too easily be touted as a threat, and fear sells like candy. What other guns will fall victom to their banning? Well, all kinds of 'longe range weapons' fit the profile.
It's just as crazy an 'assault weapons' ban. Right? I lost my Benelli to that one.

I think sometimes it's appropriate to throw the pack a bone.
To give the public a little confidence in us as reasonable and self controlling. And I think the NRA should publicly distance itself from 50+cals to do just that.
If NRA led a proposed a ban on them, they might gain ownership of it, and actually foster public support! Has that ever happened?
I'm as pro-gun as anyone. But I've been around long enough to see our direction. Popular or not.

Mike , jeeeminee !! " throw the pack a bone " !!!

That is my bone you are suggesting throwing!! and I am here to tell you that if you give a quarter moa they will take a mile .

There is only one solution and that is to go on the offense . Even if that is being done that will result in a stalemate which is by far better than " throwing a dog a bone " !!

Folks , if you go the way he suggests it is not only over, it will be over very quickly !!
Mike , I don't know you , and I certainly do not bear any ill will towards you . I must , however , speak against the stance you took and hope that you reconsider .

Stand together or fall separately , don't be deceived , as there can be no retreat.

God bless you all , my apologies for the rant , Jim B.

 

[USAPatriot]

For 50's...the first time I saw one fired I got wood. Maybe it's just me.

As for the gun hobby overall, my eyes tell me that it's as popular as ever. I suppose the best way to weed out the 'observations' and claims of people that would try and deceive us is to look at sales figures. Sales of firearms, sales of accessories, sales of ammo.

Throwing the pack a bone is self-defeating to say the least. Who really believes that the pack would be satisfied with a single bone? First it's a .50 BMG. Then maybe the Whisper. Pretty soon the pack is eyeballing your old .45/70 and especially those evil .338 LM's that reach as far as a BMG. .300 Win Mag. Hells bells I could be poppin lib'rals at a kilometer with my 6BR so THAT would have to go too, eventually. A bone? Not even a crumb.

For me, the hobby will die when I do, not a minute before. -Rod-

 

[usngunner]

Gentlemen,

So that you know where I am coming from, I have been a Hunter and Shooter my entire life. I'm retired military, and a life member of the NRA.

I cannot believe that I hear a shooter on a shooting site recommending that we should "throw the pack a bone". WTFO!

If we do not all stand together, whether or not you care about shooting that style rifle, pistol, match, course of fire, what ever, we are done and can stick a fork in our butts.

What if the dems decide that "sniper" rifles are evil and should be banned. Say good bye to every bolt action rifle made, especially any highly accurate custom rig. "What?! 20 rounds in a 3 inch circle at 600 yards?! Why would anyone want do that, he must be practicing to kill somebody! We had better ban those too!"

What if they decide that a shotgun slug is a "destructive device"?

Guys, this is not a fine line, it is a freeway in the sand, and we had better make sure that we are all vigilant in our monitoring of it, or we will all be road kill.

In my humble opinion of course.

 

[mikecr]

"What if the dems decide that "sniper" rifles are evil and should be banned. Say good bye to every bolt action rifle made, especially any highly accurate custom rig. "What?! 20 rounds in a 3 inch circle at 600 yards?! Why would anyone want do that, he must be practicing to kill somebody! We had better ban those too!"

This is exactly what I'm saying.
Would you prefer a 50cal ban, or "Sniper rifle" ban including them?
Hard to define them seperately, and the gun control lobby knows it. Do you think 50cals WON'T be banned eventually anyway?
C'mon

 

[Rustystud]

The Bottom line is shooting and hunting has declined in the last 100 years and the decline has excellerated in the last 40 years.

We as shooters have allowed the good aspects of recreational shooting be over shaddowed by the bad aspects of guns.

The liberal media and our liberal educators have made the "gun and hunting" out to be a bad thing.

Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people.

Common sense needs to be restored, when I grew up the highschools had shooting teams, now it is a felony to have a gun on school property.

If the schools taught, swimming, gun safety, hunter education, eccology, basic first aide and CPR, basic woodshop, basic auto mechanics, and home ecconomics, and ethics we would have a much safer and better informed populous.

Rustystud

 

[harvey13118]

WOW! I am a little more opmistic. I am concerned about this past election especially in New York. Some real anti gun hard liners. The national "blue dog democrats" give me some hope.

Now to stir the pot er bucket. I see diverse groups of Americans wanting guns for self defense. This is a reason to be opmistic. Pink Pistols is one.,I was looking for guns for my granddaughter) Maybe San Francisco does have some hope, there are many more. Other groups are also politically connected. Me thinks the far out extremists have seen their day and the movement is becomming more moderate. New Orleans woke up a lot of folks.

I do not want to give one 1-iotta of an inch. I am an honorable law abiding American. Served 20+ years US Army and any law abiding American should be able to buy what they want. If they use it the wrong way they should be ready to pay the penalty.

I sure whould not want to see the big muscle cars gone because no one needs one of them to drive to work. Just what good is a car that will burn 150 feet of rubber and go 150 MPH? As others said this is how it starts.

Harvey

 

[JER]

"What if the dems decide that "sniper" rifles are evil and should be banned. Say good bye to every bolt action rifle made, especially any highly accurate custom rig. "What?! 20 rounds in a 3 inch circle at 600 yards?! Why would anyone want do that, he must be practicing to kill somebody! We had better ban those too!"

This is exactly what I'm saying.
Would you prefer a 50cal ban, or "Sniper rifle" ban including them?
Hard to define them seperately, and the gun control lobby knows it. Do you think 50cals WON'T be banned eventually anyway?
C'mon

Anyone who advocates sacrificing one group of shooter/gun owners to throw the socialists "a bone" is an enemy of the Second Amendment.

I think you need to look up the word "Quisling".

 

[USAPatriot]

We have rights and we should not voluntarily give any of them up.

Arms and the right to bear them are memorialized in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution and no distinction is made in the Constitution between differing types or calibers. It is not for us to prove our legitimate use of any given weapon, rather it is for them to prove the illegitimate use in a court of law. Exactly how many crimes have been perpetrated with a .50 BMG in the US? Have any of us been convicted of doing so? Then this should not even be an issue.
That some people with an agenda should try and make this an issue and stigmatize law-abiding citizens who just happen to be fond of very large and powerful weapons is beyond shameful for we have done nothing wrong. That others would give in to their tactics in some misguided notion that we can keep the wolves at bay by feeding them is even more shameful, for wolves can lift their noses to the wind and catch the scent of the food in our pantries. The wolves, when finished with the meal we provided, will covet that food and come for it. It therefore makes sense to drive the wolves away and not allow them a taste of what they seek.

Though they will occasionally try, if we give them nothing they will expect nothing. If we give them defeat, they will expect defeat. And if we give them guns...make no bones about it. -Rod-

 

[JamesnTN]

Off topic but a thought.

automobiles has killed more people than firearms have being used in a crime or accidental discharge, So in that do we ban automobiles?

No....... Why?????? Auto makers is big business and the loss of jobs.... Next oil companies Bigger business and more job losses.......
Money talks folks and these big businesses that even our ploiticians have investments in will not stand behind shutting them down..... How many Politicians do we have that own or have stock in a firearm manufacturer or is a member of a organization such as the NRA?

 

[jimm]

"What if the dems decide that "sniper" rifles are evil and should be banned. Say good bye to every bolt action rifle made, especially any highly accurate custom rig. "What?! 20 rounds in a 3 inch circle at 600 yards?! Why would anyone want do that, he must be practicing to kill somebody! We had better ban those too!"

This is exactly what I'm saying.
Would you prefer a 50cal ban, or "Sniper rifle" ban including them?
Hard to define them seperately, and the gun control lobby knows it. Do you think 50cals WON'T be banned eventually anyway?
C'mon

Anyone who advocates sacrificing one group of shooter/gun owners to throw the socialists "a bone" is an enemy of the Second Amendment.

I think you need to look up the word "Quisling".

I don't know where to start , I am totally blown away by the stance of the starter of this thread . Is this the way it happens ? Calm , yet willing to give up anything or should I say someone else's anything ?

Mike you have not responded to my post and that is understandable as you do not have a leg to stand on . What is good for you may not be the thing that others in this sport like yet you are willing to " give a dog a bone " course it is not the bone you like so that is good !!!!?>????



Your stance is exactly what will end it all the sooner .

This is about as bad as it gets within the ranks . I , I am at a loss for words short of the easily voiced and spelled expletives that would save a ton of typing as far as showing my emotion but would no doubt alienate those that may be persuaded to hold the line against such weak and foolish ideas of pacification.

At this point I am so blown away byn this / these thought that I cannot imagine what to say . Someone more willing to make an ass of them self ................. never mind, I am willing !!

Sit in your lofty towers of thought and espouse your drivel if you will and one day you will wake up to a world that does not tolerate your toys or the use of them .

On the other hand , perhaps those that speak such foolishnes here are not what they purport themselves to be be !! Agents of the other camp can and have waited long to spread seeds of discord and dissension .

I am unable to comprehend the thought6 that the least bit of this is enternained here without being summarily booted

Jim Brown

 

[steveyrock]

We keep them all, to give up even one is putting a chink in the armor of the second amendment.Once they have us divided they got us beat.WE GIVE THEM NOTHING.

I don't care who shoots what,just keep shooting and promote it to others.

and to you 50 cal lovers,if it ever comes to a civil war in this country over gun control I would be mighty glad to have a few of you guy's in my camp.

 

[USAPatriot]

On the other hand , perhaps those that speak such foolishnes here are not what they purport themselves to be be !! Agents of the other camp can and have waited long to spread seeds of discord and dissension. I am unable to comprehend the thought6 that the least bit of this is enternained here without being summarily booted

Jim Brown

I have to say, I was thinking the exact same thing.

As for being booted, such things don't bother me. Those that know me, JB for one, know I will say exactly what I think if provoked. I've always been a big believer in truth. One should speak plainly and truthfully and not beat around the bush, but always proportional to the circumstances. But I trust this conversation won't devolve to that point. -Rod-