Issue #4 OF 2001


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...This one will be a tougher one to do than others, for not only are we in the midst of a hectic time of the year with all the hunting seasons, (our phone took over a hundred and forty calls last week one day.) But the world we all live in went askew in September and has stayed in that direction.  We will get into that one later.  For now lets just touch upon the 'departments' here on ye olde hill.

New Gun News
...the first of December is sort of the 'press time' for news of new releases and earth shaking developments.  And since this is being typed right before that, we are sunk.  So here are a couple of thoughts.  Gun and scope and accessory companies are a bit like fashion designers.  They come up with stuff that they think you will buy.  We look at each years lineup and see stuff we think is weirder than weird, and yet it flies off the shelf.  Then we see an item that we think is perfection perfected, and it can't be given away.  A rule to remember: If a company discontinues and item, it is because it did not sell.  And sometimes a great product stops selling because of another product, either from the same company or a competitor.  

Black Powder World
...We still have a lot of hunting with smoke poles this year.  And powder pellets continue to be a neat way to go.  But Real Black Powder is still the hottest item.  Finally got Clear Shot Powder to go with Clean Shot Powder.  Confused?  We get that way too.  Unusual thing this season was the happiness brought to people's hearts with the 45 caliber rifles.  Velocity is an incredible equalizer.

Christmas On The Hill
...We don't hang the stockings on the chimney round here, that's where the extra barrels go.  But we do have a vast plethora of great stocking stuffers as well as other stuff that won't fit into a stocking.  And if you call up asking what caliber that plethora's come in, well, you will worry us!

But we will have some especially great bargains in the following specific and not so specific areas: to wit...Got a passel of over and under shotguns, a batch of Browning Semi Auto Center-fire Rifles, a herd of chamois shirts in sizes to 5x.  And a slew of camo stuff to cover anything.  We did sell out of the blaze orange thongs what with the opening weekend of deerhuntin weather and all.  We will have great ammo buys in a couple of calibers and darn good ammo buys in anything else we have.  With this much said we will say no more in this department.

Inventory Time and What We Are Doing About it to Benefit You
...(and make our job easier)  On December 31 we will close at 5pm and find our New year Celebrations wherever.  Bills will be closed on the 1st, and 2nd of January and we will reopen at 1:00 on Thursday the 3rd.  During that time we will be doing inventory.  Always fun.  Anyway, from the time you're reading this missive, till aforesaid Dec. 31, we will be having some great buys thought the store.  Bullets 26cal and above.  Any firearm in the joint.  Primers, odds ends and miscellaneous.  Stop in and see if you can find anything that will thrill you.

Sportswear
...Mentioned before are some of the great chamois and camo bargains to be had.  We also have gotten early shipments of a lot of spring shooting attire.  Keep warm dry and ever so fashionable with the BillsHillWear.

Over-Unders
...Well, shouldn't you just know it.  Just when we cut our gauge election down to 4 when we sold the 24, then all of a sudden we open up a box and there are a couple of 16 gauge superposed from Browning.  So, to the point, we have about 75 over-unders here from about 8 different makers.  Each one has two barrels and two firing pins, and priced from $200 up to $2500.  More coming every day.  And ALL priced to back up our most strongly felt slogan "we don't run no gosh durned museum here."

Fishing Hole
...if the winter doldrums strike you, go ice fishin to cope with the world.  We have "growed" our fishing department more and more and this now included a batch of stuff for getting fish through the hardened water.

Optics
...What's news here will be tentative news for next year.  Leopold is in the wings with the reported replacement for the Vari X 2.  Only the shadow knows as of this minute.  And the 400 Rangefinder from Nikon may be incredible but is awfully difficult to find.  Next year it will be in better supply.  Redfield scopes make their debut this year and were well liked.  The sleeper of the year was Doctor Scopes.  This is one of those 100-year-old German Companies, once  a part of Zeiss, that makes great glass but here in the colonies is unheard of.  Speaking of Zeiss, we got 1 out of every 4 of these that we ordered this year.  In the spotting scope world, Winchester/Vanguard was our find of the year for quality and value.

Bowhunting/Archery
...News here is that you can expect a huge change in Browning bows this year.  I mean some major changes taking a great product line and making it even better  And if you get the winter doldrums with ice fishing not being quite the antidote, well than bucky there is always our 3 lane indoor range for your thrills and spills.

Tech Tips
...By the time you're reading this, deer season will be past.  Here are some thoughts to make your iron run better.  Clean your gun regularly, but make sure when you are done that you remove all of the cleaning fluids.  Hoppes and other solvents will build up in your gun and can cause malfunction.  And Oil, Oil can be your friend as well as your foe.  Put enough on to make the gun protected, as well as lubed.  But not too much.  Oil can and does act as a magnet for the burned powder and other groovy things.  Things that can and will cause malfunction.  Keep the oil away from o rings.  Sights and scopes.  A quarter inch error at 25 yards is an inch at 100.

Knifes/Cutlery
...Along with the following "light" sections, this is a new entry into ye olde letter.  We have worked at putting in a broad selection of huntng, skinning, filletin, and hookin knifes.  This come from everywhere.  And for fun we have a couple of claymores for no real reason at all.  Remember this is supposed to be fun.  Right??

Scientific Lights
...Can't just call it the flashlight department.  These things have xenon bulbs.  Ergonomic switches, designer bodies, and re-rated candlepower.  We even have a remote control for one of them.  And that's the one I am going to talk about at length.  It is the shining light of all shining lights.  It is a shining light that has a magnetic base, which sticks to the top of the outside of your car or truck.  It plugs into the cigarette lighter.  And it swivels 370 degrees around and all the way up or down.  And it does it with you all snuggly and warm inside using the remote (cordless) control.  And it has two speeds.  So for spotting UFOs in Dundee, or Deer in Woods outside Waupun.

These are just the ticket for fun and they will keep your honey's hands warm.

Armory Guns
...Is an unpredictable area.  And suddenly we had FN/FAL's neat from Brazil and then there were none and now there are some from the US.  And we just have to wait and see what this winters crop of rare and outlandish finds are.  We'll keep the Cosmoline off for you.

Hunter's Safety
...We all get so much of our news form the papers.  And what we should really be paying attention to in some cases, are statistics.  If you look at the statistics for hunting, not Headlines, we'll find that firearm related gun accidents are down a whole lot.  And continuing down.  Yes campers, we have safer hunters out there, and more and more every graduating class.  And I think that the good habits of these newbies may even rub off on the more mature of us.  And of course the unsung heroes of this include not only the hunters using their new and great skills, but the men and women who rather devotedly run the Hunter Safety Programs.  Thanks for everybody to all of you.

Gunsmithing
...We were able to keep up for the most of the season thanks to the dedicated efforts of Dick and Al.  We are happy to report that we have gotten this down to something of a science, but keep in mind please that this department is constantly trying to get even better.  The more we can offer you, the better the quality we can offer.

Gun Safes
...Still the proverbial weighty subject.  W are finally due in our overdue load of Safes just in time for the Holiday Season.  These are in 9/18, 14/28, and 30/45 gun sizes.  The reason for the ambiguity in the numbers above is that most are the duo models; with shelves you can remove for greater capacity.  Most are fire rated.  Various colors and finishes.  (Incidentally, Browning dropped their white painted safe and apparently no one missed it, to may people were accidentally storing milk and cheese in em.)

Boot World
...The hit of the season seems to be the monster boot turned civilized.  Yes, the Georgia 2000 gram with the removable ice studs but in a lower boot that was a little easier to wear.  For overall year round use the Browning Cordura Featherweight is incredibly comfortable.  And the LaCrosse Ascent is still a grand 11 month boot.  Of course we have another 10 models that may more closely meet your needs.  This includes one of the best selections you will find of GOOD Women's boots.

Crow News
...And to add to the socially redeeming aspects of crow hunting...they attract bad mosquitoes.  Jan 18 marks the start of the next season.  Have you got your snow camo togs?  Practicing your calls?  Patterned the perfect load?  Remember, this is the last pure sport left in America!

Used Guns
...We have the list here in ye olde newsletter, and it's a little bit lean in several areas because they are still moving out in proverbial droves.  But keep in mind that we keep on getting great items in and out every day.

Website
...is www.billssport.com and we continue to evolve this thing.  For those of you who hang around the computer, this web site is good for a couple of things.  Once, you can get this newsletter on it.  Two, you can find our used guns listed.  Three, we have a lot of links to different companies and organizations that have information that should be of further interest  to you.  And we have been told that our "hurmour on the hill" page is worthy of note.

Parting Shots
...All of us run into individuals that get pretty histrionic about life.  It seems as thought the events of the last several months have pulled us away from that direction.  As sportsmen and women and kids, we have to take responsibility for our own actions.  We listen to our peers who saw the same Buck or faced the same target range conditions, and we feel their pain or joy in whatever the experience brought them.  Being a thousand miles from the events of September we aren't equipped to grasp the horror our fellow citizens faced.  But we can and do try.  For the lower end of Manhattan is us, just as the passengers on the plane are us.  At this time we are seeing some traces of an internal effort to trivialize the attack on us.  And we will not allow that to happen.  Movie stars and politicians and non-celebrity people who commit blatant wrongs, then look God and us in the eye and say they didn't do it have confused our lives.  And they did.  And the Judge or the Jury or the System buys this poppycock.  And brother, that ain't  a gonna happen here.  And perhaps the world will stop buying that stuff throughout our society.

I remember an old Doonesbury strip where the punch line was: "Guilty, that's guilty guilty guilty!

DNR License Machine
...Know in the past as the machine from hell and other adjectives has been just a joy to deal with for the last 6 months.  Everything worked, no real problems.  Rates are still the same.  And practically everybody got their permits that they wanted.

And Thanks Once Again
...For what has once again turned out to be a really busy year.  And we continue to try and run things more efficiently.  Please accept our wishes for a great Holiday season and good winter.  Thanks for your patronage from the folks here on ye olde hill.  C'mon by this winter and watch the icicles form on ye old water tower.  Try the new stop and go light out by the highway.  And may all our hearts be with the victims of the madness.  And our prayers with the men and women who have faced and are facing the evil before us.

Thanks
Ken, Paul, Dan, Richard, Dick, Joe, Al, Kathy, Andy, and Diane.  And Harvey the Mush Rat.


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