Issue #3 OF 2001


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…..and here it is already, time for ye olde newsletter #3 of 2001. Oh how the summer does go. Our hopes are that you’re reading this in August. To the uninitiated, we will inform you that this is our newsletter published 4 to 5 times yearly and sent to our customers. It includes information on a variety of sporting subjects done both in a serious as well as not so serious tone. And away we go!

…….New Gun News…updates on what is hot, not , here, and not here yet. Ruger 480s are here on a regular basis. Browning 410 pumps and the Winchester Lever 410s are still somewhere in another dimension. The Taurus Titanium series are all pretty much on hand. Browning X over unders are few but far between. Did the world REALLY need the two more Mags from Remington? In any case, a 300 rem ulta short mag and a 7mm rem ultra short mag are on the way. Meanwhile the 300 Winchester Short Mag is here and rather well received. It comes in a Browning A Bolt and Winchester Model 70. The Browning Straight pull bolt 3006 Acera is here, and it’s kind of neat. You big 50 aficionados who have put off buying, would be well served to consider it now. Huge price incentives. And if thou needeth an extra shotgun barrel, this will be a much better year for that. Winchester Over Unders are FINALLY here. The new Browning Fusion Auto is here and durned neat!! Ruger has a new synthetic stock for its rifles and if you didn’t like the skeleton look of the old you will love the new. A stainless 45-70 Guide gun from Marlin. And dozens more.

……Hours ….and hours: we are open 69 hours a week year round except for the holiday things. That comes from our 9 to 9 weekdays and 9 to 5 on Saturdays. Our web site is open 24/7. Wow, does that guy work cheap.

…..The Great American Ducks Unlimited Show in Oshkosh,,,,,, we will be there at the show with some incredible steel and centerfire ammo deals. We will have these in effect a couple of days afterwards in the store subject to availability. We have never done this before, and we want to do it right, but look for us at the GIANT PMC TRAILER. AND, Come see us after this Giant show for some really reasonably priced demo firearms on sale!!!! We might have 10, we might have 50 guns REALLY PRICED!!

(we are rearranging our departments in this flyer. To keep you and us guessing and from getting bored)

…….Federal and State Rules and Regs…. As of this writing, there is nothing going on of immediate note. While I could claim that we are in an era of unprecedented stability, that’s not exactly the case. But in fact, the laws we must adhere to in order to buy or sell a long gun remain the same. The ‘Feds" are running their ship pretty well. And the State Justice Department People continue to be very pleasant and efficient to deal with. Keep in mind that it is the efforts of all of us that keep our rights intact . and that we will use to segue into the

…..Hunters Safety Plug….. and these programs can be credited with safe, responsible, and positive results. The image of the sportsperson (and the sport) is enhanced by the conduct these programs promote. And, AND, as people of all ages go through Hunters Safety, they experience greater success. And when you experience success at something, you enjoy it more..

…..Archery…a.k.a…Bowhuntin…. by now all the major networks have covered our new indoor archery range. Matt and Katie have taken their satellite rig back to NYC. And we are still enthralled with the lineup of bows this year. High Country is a nice addition to Browning, PSE and Reflex round out the mix our setup time is getting pretty darned good. Still time for you to involve your life in Bowhunting.

….lets touch upon Gunsmithing….. these days we are busy all year round, but we still have those 4 to 5 months that are really busy in the fall. And along with this comes many many many firearms needing some sort of work done on them. I would like to tell you here and now that we are better prepared for the coming frenzy than ever before. We have two really great guys, Dick and Al, who do really nice work on a timely basis. This is both convenient for you as well as a big deal in letting us run smoothly.

….zzzeee booot department… just keeps marching on. We just got our load of Georgia Boots in and this company has outdone itself in evolving their footwear. And Browning too has taken their boots and made them even more suited to their tasks. And I use the plural tasks here because 10 of you fine folks may ask these boots to do 13 different jobs. And when one pair of boots is asked to accomplish these tasks, it IS a challenge. But the Browning as well as Georgia Boots meet that rather well. Come see!! Heck, come buy!!! Only available in pairs.

…..Fall Calendar….

Sept 1 – Dove Opens
Sept4- Early Goose opens
Sept 10-Appl for Bobc.,Ottr.,Fshr
Sept 15 –Squirrel Opens
Sept 15-Grouse open A & B
Sept 15-Cottontail North
Sept15- Early Bow Deer
Sept15- Crow Opens
Oct ? Duck-opens at noon
Oct?- Goose
Oct13- Turkey
Oct 20 –Grouse open Zone C
Oct20- Noon Pheasant opens
Oct20- Coon opens residents
Oct20- Fox North
Oct25-28 T Zone opens
Oct27- Fox South
Nov16- Gun Deer License close
Nov17- Gun Deer Opens
Nov26- Muzzleloader opens
Dec10- Spring Turkey app due
Note- check your law books to confirm all these-

…Some Special ‘deals’…

if you buy a Browning Pump 3 and a half inch shotgun, you get a $75 rebate from the factory, good till the end of the year…. Or you can get a Leather jacket and a Cool hat from Winchester if you buy their 12 ga 3.5 SX2 shotgun..

Last but not least is another Nikon Jacket if you buy any Nikon Buckmaster scope or Laser 800. And do not forget our special demo sale after the Ducks show in Oshkosh.

….a word about warranty cards.. talking to the Ruger rep, he said only about 1 out of 10 people send in their warranty cards. Even less in some places. One thing the warranty card DOES do is inform the company of who you are and what you want and are looking for. One thing the warranty card DOES NOT do is help the government keep track of you and your firearms. So if that is bothering you, do not let it. A related reminder here, when you purchase a new long gun or handgun, and go thru the ‘check’, the government does not know what gun your buying, only that you are lawfully entitled to buy.

…..and a Gun Club Plug…. No bucky, I aint talking bout the horse you ride out there on the nights you shoot. Seriously, we all have different degrees of involvement in shooting. But as stated here on previous occasions, it is the gun clubs that provide the backbone for shooting sports especially in semi populated or urban areas. And as fall comes, many people are dusting off the irons and making sure they can still endanger the broad side of a barn. And the most frequent question we hear (besides how late are we open, ((9pm)) ) is, where can I shoot.?? You, me , WE have got to take care of our gun clubs in order to ensure their survival. And these clubs can’t just survive, they have to thrive in order to have a great future, not just be there tomorrow. For you, me and the generations to follow.

…..Black Powder…. Is proving to be kind of fun again this year. And frankly you are responsible for this. You Black Powder Shooters are in it for the fun. And we are seeing a revival of interest in ye olde 45 caliber rifles. You are looking at velocity and energy and all that that implies. Knight 45 cal at 2600 fps. And there are some great guns and accessories available . And the nature of the beast makes for some very accurate firearms.

….ye olde fishin hole… continues to flourish, cant believe how much stuff we ran thru this season. On the other hand this is a sport where there is always a season going on. Plus, its quiet, peaceful, relaxing, fun, rewarding, and on and on. Could almost be made to sound like a religion.

…..Optics…. we think things are just fine, our scopes are terrific and so trouble free. News on that front are the Laser Rangefinders getting smaller and with more features. Nikon has some higher powered new scopes that already have received rave reviews. Leopold is closing out its Vari II scopes in preparation for new models in 2002. Red Dot scopes continue to be really great for reliability. Some great buys in One Inch scopes for 22s. Good time to upgrade that if needed. And Nikon has another program in effect now whereby you purchase a Buckmaster Scope or 800 Laser and get a swanky Jacket.

…..Pricing Policy…..small thing but you’ll like this. We have huge numbers of firearms coming and going all the time. To the point that getting the numbers into the records and logged and all that have kept us from properly pricing everything. BUT, now we have a system by which we have every single gun priced with the actual selling price on it. Big clear numbers. And priced rather low if we do say so .

…..Gun Safes…. Another 10 tons of these have come and gone this year. Probably more than that if we counted that sort of thing. Browning continues to come up with a safe line that has something to fit everyone’s need. New this year, in addition to the Fire Rating, is a system by which safes are rated according to how theft proof they are. Ours do rather well. Stop by for more information.

…Crow Huntin… is it really the last pure sport left in America?? Only the shadow knows. Remember that Turkey Loads may just be applicable here.(and chokes)

…. Sportswear….someday we will come up with a term other that sportswear for the assortment of tough and functional and fun stuff we have. For now please know that we have hundreds of coats jackets shirts vests tees pants bibs overalls shells caps hats gloves kerchiefs belts and on and on. Here! On Sale! For Sale!

…Things we didn’t buy this year because, well you draw your own conclusions…

…. Camouflage chalk for your turkey call…boots with specially camouflaged bottoms… camouflaged shoe laces (6$ a pair)

…..more tech tips.. keep in mind when hunting with rifle or pistol, that bigger isn’t always better. A lighter bullet can go faster than a heavier one. And energy, also known as hitting power, is a direct result of the combination of velocity and weight. And the lighter bullet flies flatter.

….and remember the old carpenters adage about measuring twice, cutting once? No matter how long you’ve been reloading, remember to always check your powder, both weight of load, and which powder you have. Ab12.19

..Reloading……there are two kinds of reloading, shotshell and centerfire. Shotshell loading saves a lot of money and gives you the chance to make a more custom product. Essentially giving you more load options. C’Mon in any time and ask about this.

Centerfire reloading should be divided into two segments. Handgun loading gives you big savings on lots of calibers. While rifle reloading saves you lots and lots of money and gives you a far more accurate shell that can be more ‘custom tailored ‘ to your wants and needs. We have the answers for you here as well. There is a different mindset required for each of these pursuits. Again we suggest stopping in and we can explain and demonstrate these arcane methods of alchemy.

…DNR License Machine….

Works, really well. I am not claiming we’re in love with this computerized monstrosity. But it has worked 98% of the time this year and this is nice. Patron Licenses remain the deal of the day if your just going to do half the stuff it allows you to do. And remember husband wife fisher people, you don’t have to get your licenses at the same time. And mid September will bring more deer tags based on availability.

….ye olde used gun list….

To wit, to follow, lots of them and there are lots of nice ones here again. Read carefully and call with any questions. But remember that they do go fast this time of year. –we DO NOT run a museum here.

….Website…… if you have visited it, we hope you like it. If not, ‘stop in’ and see if it’s ok. It’s starting to look real good and we are even having fun with it. Dan is the man here and has really made this thing dance.

www.billssport.com

………….Variety of Guns and Ammunition…….. one of the things that appeals to us is our variety of guns and ammunitions. These are here to meet YOUR needs. We have in stock at any one time, 700 different guns total stock 1100. We carry ammunition in 110+ calibers/gauges and when bullet weights etc. are factored in there are over 600 different types in stock. And we do this 12 months a year. Compare this to those stores carrying 11 different guns and 27 different shells, for 8 weeks a year.

….the Frenzy of Fall…… as we continue to get busier and busier, it is a concern of ours that we must be able to provide you with good and fast service. Please know that we are doing many things to make sure we have what you need , when you need it, and get it done fast. No parking meters. There are 10 of us here working hard at working together to make things rock and roll here. So don’t worry about a car or two out front. We can handle it. And we are always darned happy to see you grace our humble establishment.

….Final Shots…..

and that’s just about it from here in the shadow of the water tower. On the edge of the great marshes. We want to thank you again for your past patronage and look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future.

Thanks very much

From all of us on the hill
Ken, Paul, Dan, Old Dick,
Kathy, Al, Andy, Diane, Joe, Young Dick, Will


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