Haven't been on(or even checked) the ice yet. I don't think we're there yet. Kids ball games amongst other things taking my time. I need to get my priorities straightened out!

 

I haven't checked either...

We have a 3 acre neighborhood pond in our backyard and it is making all kinds of stress relief noises for sure as it is making ice!!!

BTW...have you shot any .44 special wad cutter ammo thru your Ruger as a cheaper alternative for practice for the kids?

And have you found using a cleaning snake as easier on these types of guns versus the traditional rod/brush/solvent method?...I've never had a "rifle" per say...always shotguns where the barrel comes off the receiver...so I'm learning here a bit myself...to fully clean the lever action requires the breech bolt being taken off (not too hard) and that allows breech access to run the brush thru (the preferred way)...whereas a snake can be pulled from chamber thru the barrel...I've actually never used a snake before though...thoughts???

Joe.

 

Haven't shot any Specials through it yet.

This is my first big rifle too, but I think the snake would work good.......but I gots meez a bolt that comes out EASY and QUICK, so not an issue I've thought of.hehehe......oooohhh I can feel the bantering harassment coming....


seriously though, everybody I've talked to that has used a snake has said it's the only way to go! I have one for a shotgun and have used it a few times and seems to work good.

 

Yeah...I hear ya on the bolt versus bolt in my lever action...

To disassemble the lever action completely to access the breech is fairly straight forward but does require a screwdriver to remove the lever and then the bolt slips right out...but not as easy as the 12 gauge though by just pulling the barrel!!!

So yeah...that is one of the pros/cons we both missed on the bolt versus lever.

Also as I think about it a bit...manipulating the hammer on the lever will take a little getting used to for her...but it has a hammer block as a safety so even if she messes up as long as the hammer block is engaged...it cannot fire.

Since I'm scoping the rifle I'll need to install the hammer offset spur so you can easily manipulate the hammer with the scope on the rifle...the spur is provided by Marlin.

The only thing that isn't provided is the scope base and rings and the sling.

I really am torn between the two guns to be quite honest...but the way I look at it if my daughter abandons me after a few years and no longer wants to hunt at least dad has a cool deer gun to shoot...I mean I could have gotten her a much less expensive single shot H&R chambered in 44 mag or even an 870 youth gun chambered in 20 gauge but what would I do with either of those...the 44 lever action to me is just such a cool gun asthetically that is. Functionally...I think the Ruger wins there from a field functionality with the stainless and composite construction.

I think I will pick up a box of 50 rounds of the 44 special to shoot though first...it will kick less in both the shoulder and wallet!

Thanks again for the great discussion!

 

......and thank you Joe, great chat!

 

Good evening Indiana.

What a week already! Working my tail off, 27 hours in two days not they way I wanted to start the new year!

 

So...

I get home late tonight from work...not quite as bad as Chris...but close...

The wife says "there's a light on in the Mini Cooper and the manual says it is the brake sensor"

The Cooper has a low brake pad sensor...which is good.

I changed the front pads earlier this year and now the rears apparently need changed...this is the FIRST car I have ever owned where the rears didn't wear TWICE as long as the fronts!

So I call Autozone since I do NOT have a rear caliper compression/twist tool...I always use the C-clamp method on the front calipers but the rear ones need this special tool...

So Autozone "rents" you the tool for a deposit and when you bring the tool back they refund you your whole deposit...so they basically lend it to you for free...so I will pick up the Duralast Gold pads tomorrow and I know what I'm doing Saturday morning now!...always something...right!

Oh yeah...I'm not re-installing the rear pad wear sensor...I'll simply clip it, short the wires, reset the dash board light and forget it!...I figure IF we still have this car in another ~60K miles...the front sensor will go off and I'll replace both front and rear pads at that time!!!

Joe.

 

Hey Joe, just an FYI: I purchased a universal tool for those types of calipers, it looks like a cube that goes on the end of a 3/8" extension and was cheap ( less than 10 bucks ). If my old memory serves me correct I purchased from Advanced Auto or Auto Zone, just leave in tool box and will need another time on your vehicle or your kids cars ( maybe not driving yet ) and yeah I have used the tool loner program many of times!

 

Good morning Indiana.


Off and running!

 

Good Morning Indiana!

Have a great day!

 

Good morning Chris and Steve and everyone else!!!

Chris...I hear ya on the universal tool...I will watch for one of those...for this job though I think I'm going to just go with the "free" tool from Autozone...but THANKS for the tip...I had never seen one of those before!!!

Joe.

 

Good morning FTE people!
Have a wonderful day!

 

Howdy all, and a good late mornin'!!


Hey Joe, lets talk glass, I don't know much about scopes, and maybe you can enlighten me........I put a Leupold on our Ruger with the Alumina flip up covers and they work great!!! The Loopy has a very nice glass.......but I've not had many, so I don't have very many to compare to.

 

Ben,

I have never been a huge fan of high $$$ optics.

I've killed well over 30 deer in my life and many of my early ones were with my Ithaca 12ga with a bead sight shooting 000 and 00 buckshot back in NJ!!!

When I did put my first scope on my 870 I went with a Tasco 1 x 3.5 - 20mm which I still shoot with today...I prefer the lower magnification optics and larger field of view. Mostly because I am a cross eye dominate person...meaning I am right handed but my left eye is dominant. Thus I MUST close my left eye when I sight my gun or I will NEVER hit what I am shooting at. Closing one eye really reduces depth perception and field of view thus I like the low power large field of view my 1x scope gives me.

I have shot many a deer with that Tasco and about the only thing I don't like about it is the 20mm size of the optics...it doesn't gather much light at all.

So...I'm looking at a Bushnell Dusk and Dawn (Banner series?) 1x4 - 32mm for the new Marlin...I haven't 100% decided on it yet...but I'm leaning heavy to that scope...

For the .22 rifle...I'm not sure...maybe just a 4x fixed for that one for target shooting...we'll see...

Joe.

 

Good evening Indiana.