Colorado Recall - Lesson Learned

My Kinda Guy

My buddy was dirt biking in Granby, Colorado and happened upon this Ford, Econoline Pickup in the staging area. Check the stickers..the fraternity of dudes that fly NRA, Ducks Unlimited and Dead stickers is a very small one. My kinda guy. Sweet ride also.

Stetson - The Open Road - My New Lid

My father's Uncle Trifono Kochiovelos (TDK) was a pivotal figure in my youth and sense of style. He was a Pueblo, CO Sheriff, sheep rancher and 'real man' before the term existed. He raised my father and three siblings. He had a roll top desk. So did I.  I inherited his Winchester 1873, two Colt, Army Special .38's and a love of his Stetson, The Open Road. Unfortunately, I didn't get the hat. I got one now. He was not alone in appreciating an iconic piece of men's haberdashery.

4X  "Silver Belly"

"Ike"

Jimmy Stewart

LBJ & LadyBird

Eli Cash

Good Enough for King Leonidas..Good Enough for Me

"Come and Take"

Big Bore Bush Pistol #3

Well, after about #30 rounds and three trips to the gunsmith I finally came to the conclusion that the EOTech 512 is not the right sight for the Ruger .480 SRH. I exhausted bases and extra drill taps and each time the sight and base came off. I reckon' the sight is just too heavy for the kick. So off to blogs I went and what I found was that many big bore handgun hunters are opting for the Ultradot 30. Coupled with Rugers 30mm rings...Here we go again.

Ultradot 30 Red Dot

Big Bore Bush Pistol #2

So the Ruger is all ready to roll. I had to send back the Weigand base and slap on one made by B-square that could accommodate the EOTech 512. Got her mounted up and took it to the range to paper it after having bore sighted with my neighbor. 25 yards, dead on at the indoor range. This weekend I will hit the outdoor one and see what I can do at 50+. I might have to mill out another slot in the base to move the sight back for aesthetics..other than that this Bush Pig is ready for Afrique.

Pistol Clinic

I have worn a concealed weapon for about 10 years now and will continue to do so until some lib jerk with a big PR budget takes it away. Until then I will exercise my right and be prepared to use it if need be. My carry is S&W 340 PD. Its a compact, light wheel gun that packs a punch and hides well but is not the easiest to put on target.

Last month at a SCI dinner and auction I won a three day essential pistol class donated by the guy's at Gunsmoke, arguably one of the most talked about firearms shops in the US with the recent explosion of interest in their new tv show American Guns. The class is based on the legendary Colonel "Jeff" Cooper's combat mindset and involves a healthy dose of safety and a gluttonous portion of technique, theory and brass.

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Heir to Gunsmoke

500 Rounds Required

I can't say enough about the experience and my confidence in putting three bullets into a target with the sole purpose of destroying the threat. My foundation is now in place and it only gets more accurate from here. Highly recommend.

Ruger .480 - Big Bore Bush Pistol

Years ago I purchased a Ruger .480 Super Redhawk with the aim (no pun) of taking a Colorado cougar as my entry into the world of handgun hunting. Never got around to it. This year I decided to get off my ass and get the Ruger ready for a month in the bush. This entails upgrades on the grip, sight, loads and holster.

Pistol sights are a necessity for handgun hunting, especially with a bruiser like the .480 on any critter past 30 yards. I reached out to a buddy and fellow celebrity hunter Byron South of Coming to the Call for some advice. I got more than just that. Days later a package showed up from his friends at L3 EOTech, arguably the best holographic weapon sights maker in the world. This camo, 512 dandy was in the box. Thanks Byron. 

The Ruger .480 comes with a set of nice scope rings which is a bonus but going the red dot route had me searching for the proper base. After scouring the blogs and reaching out to some folks I opted for  Weigand Combat Handguns, 1 piece weaver style base. The kick on this bad boy is substantial and the base needs to be rock solid.

As for the grip, the factory ones are nice looking but after a few rounds, los manos start taking a beating. I chose the Hogue Tamer Grip as it too has a bevvy of testimonials in the handgun hunter world.

The only thing remaining is a new holster since my Galco Kodiak is not designed to accommodate a scope. I am going with the Alaska Sportsman Chest Holster. Though not as beautiful as the Galco leather products this unit will work nicely with the new set up and is also a great deal lighter.

For the loads, I am taking the Hornady 325 grain HP/XTP softs which should be perfect if I can manage  getting a leopard on bait. For the solids my buddy Pete is whipping up some custom 355 grain whoppers which should do the trick on plains game. Mozambique 2012 should prove to be an interesting safari and a great way to enter the world of handgun hunting. I'm stoked.

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