ReadDude

The Readington FOP ran a fund raiser 3-D Archery event in August. I think that is about as close as you'll get in NJ!

show up, do a field instruction on firearm safety and game retreival. then go to the range and demonstrate that you are capable of shooting a .22LR without hurting yourself or anyone else. finally take the test and pass it with i think a 70% grade. if you are going to do rifle, do shotgun as well, nothing additional except shooting a shotgun as well and taking additional questions about shotguns. if you are proficient with a bow, do it too. but that has an actual proficiency requirement, you need to hit a pie plate at 15 yards, 3 out 5 times. all three will only take an extra hour or so vs. just rifle, and you never have to come back in the future.

Darn, I am a church going guy so Sunday mornings are out. If you ever do something later in the day, I can make it for sure!

What are the hours you guys meet?

This is what I shot: I found a description on the Midway Site (not where I bought it tough, it was purchased at a store out of state months ago) http://www.midwayusa.com/product/391400/aguila-superextra-ammunition-22-long-rifle-40-grain-lead-round-nose-box-of-500-10-boxes-of-50 I am pretty darn sure is the same as the non-Target grade.

I shot some of the commercially sold versions of the target ammo and it was pretty nice. Seemed similar to wolf target but the wax/lubrication didn't melt like on the Wolf and it was a hot 90 degree day! I only shot one box of 50 rounds in my MP15-22, but seemed pretty accurate and did cycle my semi-auto.

I came across a 1997 Pathfinder with 130K on it. Let's just say no one every touched the coolant on that vehicle. Without a complete new set of freeze-plugs, radiator, clamps, etc. that car was shot. I didn't have the time, patience or skill to fix that one. Even then, I am not sure it was fully recoverable.

someone had to say it :-)

That is kind of what I was thinking. It seems like the horse is already out of the barn. I bought the 4runner with 90K miles on it, so I don't actually know what they put in it, but it was dealer serviced. From my experience they don't seem to do synthetics very often unless it is called for in the owner's manual (and it is not for that vintage Toyotas of any type.) I have noticed that a lot of the "high mileage" oils are often synthetic blends. That would seem to reduce the likelihood gasket leaks. That high mileage stuff is usually about as expensive as full synthetics. All this talk of fluids made me check on the other items in the owner's manual. The only state to change coolant at 100K miles or 10 years! Nothing else but oil changes are specified!

Cool, I will have to check him out on Saturday if time permits!

I just got started too, but going with the inventory I have so starting with the Maxi-balls. I will probably try patched balls at some point. I am kinda getting hooked on the paraphernalia of black powder and muzzle-loading. I like to tinker, and this appears to be a tinkerer's game. Similar vein to reloading but easier to get started.

Seems like a lot of believers here! If I can sum up the responses so far, they are largely in favor of using synthetics, but the primary value is extended oil life between changes. Switching late in life does not appear to have as much value with sludge as compared to full-life usage. I'll probably continue with the synthetics as insurance since I want this car to last another 75K miles.

I am shooting maxi-balls with Pyrodex. I am probably going to mold my own bullets since its look pretty hard to find .54 caliber commercially. My acquisition included about 30 bullets and a mold too! I would be interested in the Pyrodex!

I may take you up on that one of these days. Hunting is my priority right now. Bow, and trying to get ready for my first Muzzleloader season in NOV/DEC! I've only got one in the freezer so far, so I've got some work to do :-)

So, I know there is a thread going in the AR forum about synthetic oil (Mobil 1) for guns, but I have a question about its original intent. Is it really worth the $3+/quart premium over conventional oil? I have a 2007 Toyota 4runner V8 with 110,000 miles. So I guess I am asking, do you think it is worth an extra $20 every time I get an oil change (the V8 is 6 quarts). I am pretty faithful at the doing changes at a regular manufacturer recommended 5,000 miles. The sales guy at the car place clearly loves it (and the additional revenue).

I may be up Simon Peter way this weekend, will check if so. Thanks. I really picked a bad year to get into reloading AND Black Powder!

where can I find any regular #11 percussion caps? I just came into 20 year old T/C New Englander and trying to get setup. Are there any good locations in Central/North Jersey to buy caps and/or Pyrodex?

Generally, major legal issues arise if you desire to meet NJ legal requirements. try to figure out how to meet the travel exemption requirements when you are not the land owner. Not impossible, but major limitations and concerns.

The nearly permanent $5 shipping and occasional free shipping offer makes the Club Card worth it. The cash back is about the same as most other Visa cards. I try to run $10K a year through the card so I get 3% back on Cabelas purchases. I order a lot of clothes and hunting stuff so i make pretty regular orders. With the free shipping, I string out orders, and add one box of whatever ammo they are selling that day so I can get more ammo over time! Not a good way to build up a reserve of .22LR ammo, but it does help keep the stash from disappearing :-) I find that with $5 or free shipping and no sales tax, the prices at Cabelas on non-Ammo usually beats Midway and Amazon who I do most of my comparison pricing against.

I second that. I didn't take the Pistol Basics class until 5 years after buying my first pistol (I had been comfortable with rifles and shotguns for most of my life). My wife wanted to get more comfortable with handguns, so we signed up for a "together" day at the class. I have to say, the shooting fundamentals part of the class was worth it alone for me. But the course also teaches safety, gun maintenance, ammo identification, etc. all in a very concise manner that can only make a new shooter more comfortable and confident and SAFE. The book is a good reference to have around long-term as well for newbies. I often re-read the shooting fundamentals chapter when my accuracy falls apart. Handgun shooting is more like golf than a lot of folks would believe until they try it!

Airguns are bringing out a number of teenagers that haven't hunted before. My son is excited about squirrel/rabbit/woodchuck. He has assisted me with Deer retrieval for years, but feels he is not "ready" for taking a deer. He thinks he wants to start small. So the airgun option was a big hit for him! BTW, at least 2 of his 15 year old friends are in nearly the same place. All are signing up this fall.

Thanks! My teenager son is all excited about air gun hunting! He is signed up for the 20th of October in Clinton. Ironically, We were out at Clinton WMA sighting in an airgun with said son and noticed a posting that said the range would be closed on OCT 20th, but I knew it is not yet posted on the NJ FW site as of yesterday! you saved the day! PS: to those prospective air gunners out there, I have a Avanti 853 (CMP surplus) target air gun that we love and it is "whisper quiet" without any suppression technology, but it is not sufficient for small game hunting. I just purchased a Umarex Ruger .177 Magnum (high velocity) spring air gun for the hunting purpose. It is a nice accurate and powerful gun. Be forewarned, it is NOT a quiet gun! No need to worry about those noise suppression rulings. But it will get the attention of all the ears around you human and 4-footed alike.

I was passing through stopped in MD at the Arundel Mills Bass Pro Shop on Saturday. Maryland's new gun laws kick in in October and there are permitting issues and a transition issue I understand. I was looking for powder, but to do that I needed to get a ticket to wait for a sales person at the gun counter. I picked up number 112, at noon, the currently serving number was 62! I talked to an employee, he told me don't even wait, they'll never get to you this afternoon! He figured 45 minutes per sale and they only had 10 sales people! The sales guy said it has been like that 7 days a week open to close for a month already! In other words, Bass Pro Shops had guns, but way too many buyers! I never did find out if there was actually any powder in stock. I feel for the folks in MD, they are getting a strong taste of NJ lawmaking. I hope there is a backlash. BTW, they did have lots of air guns for easy sales out in the racks. Of course, 75% are considered assault weapons in NJ...

Thanks for info on this whole exchange, My son has gotten all excited about doing some pest control and wants to get his hunting license and all the hoops (I have been nudging him for a while) When I saw this whole thread today, I got angry about the fact that even 15 year olds get caught in the web of NJ gun insanity. I am heading to Maryland this weekend and plan on stopping at Bass Pro Shop to look at their selection of air guns. I had been looking at the Ruger Airhawk and Airhawk Elite as well as the Winchester 1100/1250. Sounds like they are okay. I know that Bass seems to have the more expensive Benjamin's as well. I will look at them too, but stay away from the ones with "suppressors" RD

That trigger is definitely a thing to get used to. I have to say, though, after about 100 rounds down range, I actually came to love it. Smooth it is not, but consistency and a clear surprise break it has in spades.