Issue #1 OF 2004

Happy newsletter number One of 2004.....  This year has started out with a host of New Guns and scopes and calibers and a batch of other things. At this point, prices have stayed very stable compared to last year. And actually for about 3 years prices have remained fairly stable, with price rises that were rather isolated. But, due to whatever reasons, it is rumored that prices on anything imported will be going up in May or June.  We will all have to keep an eye on this. We will now try and touch on all the news……

 

NEW GUNS AND STUFF ……..  Yes we covered many things last ‘issue’, but there is more. We have now seen the new Browning Cynergy over/under and we have one here for you to check out. Browning has done some ingenious engineering here. And kept it simple. Come see! Para Ordnance, maker of some great semi auto center fire guns, has revamped their line a whole lot. Some very nice ultra small, medium and large 45 and 40 pistols. Look for these at our special spring sale mentioned elsewhere. Remington will have those 28 and 410 gauge semi autos soon we all hope. And we have gotten some of the Marlin Rimfires with their new trigger in them. These are a huge improvement. Winchester has tweaked their line of rifles and made the Model 70 better. Nice to see some really positive evolution.  And Taurus has come out with a revolver in the 500 S&W caliber. Of course no news flash would be complete without a new camo pattern coming along. Well cowgirls and cowboys, there are TWO. Advantage 3D has a new brother called 4D. And Mossy Oak break up is now NEW Mossy Oak breakup. Wow, now we all gotta go out and get new coordinated underwear. Decisions Decisions. Remember when all you had to do was pick up a roll of camo whatever tape and just stick it on for a couple of weeks? Its tough being artistically correct these days. Not to mention politically correct.

Rifle Pistol Calibers……..  So Bucky, are you feeling like you’re in another dimension cause you hear of some rifle or pistol in a caliber you never heard of?  Don’t feel like a stranger in a strange land, because of this. It is true, there are a ton of new calibers you didn’t even know you (or we) needed out there. This ‘issue’ will be devoted to listing a  bunch of calibers from the youngest to the oldest. And believe me this won’t be a complete list. But the idea is to list the caliber and the year it was first commercially introduced. 

      In the past 10 years we have seen just a slew of new chamberings. Not all of them are going to survive. But there are no bold stamps there. We will have to see which ones survive.  So here goes, maybe a trip down nostalgia lane for some.

2004	204 Ruger
2004	25WSSM
2004	25NAA
2004	45 Glock
2003	17HMR
2003	223 WSSM
2003	243 WSSM
2003	7mm RUSM
2003	500 S & W
2002	270 WSM
2002	7mm WSM
2002	300 RUSM
2001	300 WSM
2001	338 RUM
2001	375 RUM
2001	480Ruger
2000	7mm RUM
1999	300 RUM
1998	454 Casull
1997	260 Rem
1991	50 AE
1987	40 S & W
1984	7-30 Waters
1983	10 MM
1980	7mm-08
1979	7mmSTW
1971	17 Rem
1969	25-06 Rem
1967	22-250 Rem
1966	6.5 Rem Mag
1964	41 Rem Mag
1964	225 Win
1963	6mm Rem
1963	300 Win Mg
1962	7mm Rem Mg
1958	222 Rem
1958	264 Win Mg
1958	222 Rem Mg
1957	280 Rem
1955	243 Win
1955	44 Rem Mg
1955	244 Rem
1955	7mm Wthrb Mg
1937	219 Zipper
1935	357 Mag
1935	220 Swft
1934	257 Roberts
1929	38 Super
1925	300 H & H
1925	270 Win
1920	22 Hornet
1911	45 ACP
1907	44 Special
1906	30-06
1902	38 Special
1894	6.5 x 55 Swede
1892	7mm Maus

     There are a number of calibers ‘unlisted’ here. Sorry if I missed your favorite.

and in the ‘. 17”column...    Here is a segment that just gets fuller and fuller. Besides about 25 firearms in .17 cal rimfire, we have .17 scopes and this year a new .17 cal 20 grain bullet. Improvement is triggers in many guns. I mean it is so easy for these companies to make a .17. All they have to have is an existing 22 mag of some sort and just put on a barrel with a skinnier hole. And we all have fun. Looking this year for another drop in ammo prices.

Our April 10^th Sale Day… Saturday..  Will be on April 10^th this year. Wow, we will have some great factory reps here to answer your questions and they will have specials on a host of products. At this time we this includes, Nikon, Taurus, PMC Ammunitions, Verona Shotguns,and ParaOrdnance Handguns. Also great prices on Savage, Benelli, Browning, and Ruger. We will further have in store specials on many many items. We will have prices clearly marked and a handout sheet with specials noted. And there will be many! These prices will be in effect the Thursday and Friday before the 10^th and the Monday, Tuesday after. The factory gurus will only be here on Saturday. Stop in, have fun, buy sumthin and save.

Black Powder Shootin......  First off, a recap of powders available to you: 1- Real black powder in 6 degrees of coarseness of granulation. Pyrodex in both granulated as well as pellet form. Triple 7 in both granulated and pellet form. American Pioneer in both granulated and stick form. Got it? And for guns we have a new inline from Knight, which is pretty nice to clean. Traditions and CVA also have some great new guns to shoot as well as clean.  Seems as though that’s the direction that black powder inline guns are taking. The easier to clean, fewer steps, the better. Hornady has come out with a new Sabot that has a stem on the base to put your pellets on. This is one of those simple things, so obvious, and is a sheer stroke of genius. Power Belt bullets continue to load so easily. The big question is what kind of Wisconsin Black powder gun season will we be having.

DNR License and more…….  Oh my, the DNR has issued new license machines. We will just pray they work better than the first time they did this. Actually, we have run a few tags so far and the machines are much faster and more efficient than ever. Plus if you wish to change any height, weight or address details it is a snap. We will cover the rate changes next paragraph………………..  

Our Used Gun List……… is following. Please keep in mind that this is about 3 weeks old by the time you are reading it. And the turnover is really fast on used guns. But we try and keep it as up to date as we can. Our web site carries the same list but is updated a little more often.                                                 

Hunting License News..  We just installed the new license machines. And at the same time we rec’d the 2004 fee schedule. And here are the changes we will all be seeing this year: Small Game went from 14$ to 16$. Fishing from 14$ to 17$. Not too serious at all. Deer Gun and Archery each remained at 20$. Most all the app and stamp fees stayed the same. The only real big change was Patrons going from 110 $ to 140$. Sportsmans went from 43$ to 45$. While the most outstanding change was Patrons, remember that you get over 200$ of license value with this tag. And recall also that the Patron License was designed to essentially allow you to contribute to the DNR. And frankly the DNR does a huge amount of positive stuff with this money.

Coyote and Fox Folk......  A little early at the time this newsletter is being banged out to tell how folks did this winter. Don’t think we will ever run out of coyotes. It will be interesting to hear how the 17 is faring in this pursuit. Otherwise the primary tool is still Buckshot and 223.

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And what is going on with CONCEALED CARRY? …..   By now almost everyone knows that this did not pass the Wisconsin Legislature. The issue is down but not out. This can and will be brought up a year from now. The exact same proposal will not be next years offering. It will be changed to some degree. Please keep in mind that your support of all the positive legislators will be necessary. Remember also that what happens in the elections of the next 12 months is also going to be a factor.

To recap what this is all about. The State of Wisconsin is one of about a half dozen (States) that do not have any kind of rights for citizens to carry a concealed weapon. And that this ‘right’ is available only to upstanding citizens who have passed careful scrutiny as well as have undergone lengthy training. These rights are carefully spelled out and there are numerous restrictions regarding how, where, and when you may do this. Finally, in every State where this is in effect, there has been a substantial drop in crime, and no problems have occurred.

Did We mention our Saturday April 10^th annual sale day????? Lots of stuff on sale especially to make you happy! See us and save!! Factory reps, factory demo models, and loads of other goodies. Layaway available at no extra charge. Cash Check or Charge.

Internet....  We have a website. Give us a visit, Have fun! http://www.BillsSport.com Or e-mail us at   customer_service@billssport.com .

Optics...To include scopes- binocs- spotting scopes - and range finding units...  Lots happening here. Vanguard/Winchester Spotting Scopes were nice before, but they were water resistant. Now they are waterproof.  Leopold has revamped their scope line and used a different coating on the lenses. While 95 % is regarded as incredible light transmission, Leopold has hit 97 or 98% on the Vari X III 2.5x8. Keep in mind that percent is hit only at 2.5 and 3 power. Nikon has also changed the coating of their lenses on all their scopes. Monarchs hit 95, Buckmasters hit 92 and the Pro Staff line hits 89 and 90. This light transmission is not readily apparent to the naked eye by the way. And what the coating thing means I can’t even explain. It’s even tougher for this feeble mind to grasp than parallax. But it is there. All in all, every scope from every company is built far better than 5, 15, or 25 years ago.

 

Reloading............  News from last fall was that Hodgdon Powder Company had acquired IMR, IMR is the maker of the IMR rifle powders, as will as 700X etc. All those powders will remain the same as you have known. No changes to worry about. As we have stated before, this is a good thing simply because Hodgdon is as great and committed company as it is. In similar ‘news’. Hodgdon is making some sample packs of powders in groupings for large bores rifles, small bore rifles, target shotguns etc. We are trying to get these in for you who want to experiment a bit. Lot more cost effective than springing for a pound of something you ultimately dislike after only a couple of loads.                       One other  new thing to note is primer size for large bore pistol casings. More and more companies are making lead free ammunition for indoor use. Winchester, for one, is making 45 ACP with a lead free primer. BUT, instead of using a large pistol primer, they are using a small pistol primer that is lead free. They don’t recommend reloading this casing.   In new stuff news, RCBS is making the Grand Shotshell Loader in a Mini- Grand Press. Meanwhile, MEC just keeps on making a great array of presses that fulfill your every need really well at very economical prices. And they are to be commended for the incredible service they offer all the time.          And back to center fire stuff, we sell Hornady. Sierra, Speer, Nosler, Barnes, and Combined Technology bullets. And we are in the process of adding Berger Bullets to the mix. A small company making a really great quality bullet for target and varmint.   And in related news, Lyman Corp, an old old name in reloading, seems to be making an increased commitment to this ‘pastime’. Actually they never left. RCBS is still covering lots of bases. And Forster Products, long known as Forster Apelt, still manages to produce some of the greatest case care tools to be found.

A piece of Huckees mind... The Rev is on a literary hiatus this month. But he wants his loyal readers to know that he is thinking of you. Too much work at the Gun Club!!

Gun Safes..........  Believe it or not there is some news here. I mean how can you reinvent a big heavy steel box?? Well here is what Browning is offering starting soon this year. They took their 14/28 duo interior and cut the inside pattern a little differently. They made it a 12/18/ 30 varying capacity safe. Stop in for a picture which is worth a 1000 of my muddled words.  And Browning also came out with a “Safe Topper”. It fastens to the top of your safe, is about 12 inches high. Matches the width and length and finish. Is designed to hold handguns and small items. Another really simple stroke of genius. 

DNR Calendar………           
March 31,  2003 Licenses expire   
April 4,    Daylight Savings Begins 
April 12,  Conserv. Congress Hearings 
April 14,  Turkey Period A opens 
April 15,  Purch Deadline Bear Class A 
April 25,  Early Trout Closes 
May 1,    General Fishing Opens 
May 1,    Bass South- Musky So of 10 
May 22,  Musky North of 10 opens 
June 5,    Free Fishing Day 
June 6,    Free Fish  and Free Park Day 
June 19,  Bass North Opens

Knives........  Browning, Ruko. Scrade, Uncle Henry and many more. As stated previously, seems like a bunch of straight knives are making a comeback. 

Oh, and by the way, on Saturday April 10^th we will be having our special annual spring sale day with some great factory reps from a number of customers. With some special pricing on tons and tons of mechandise. Guns, Ammunition and lots of accessories. C’mon down!!!!

Crow Hunting.....  The only pure sport left in America? It is such a feeling of personal triumph when you outsmart one or more of these critters. Got a crow/tofu recipe available if anyone wants it. (If’n you do try it let us know?) (( I didn’t say we had tried it.))

 

Boots..... Shoes...Hip Boots ..  Will get the bad news out of the way first. It seems as though the heavily insulated walking boots, the 1600 and 2000 gram boots are becoming a thing of the past. For whatever reasons, these are being dropped by the makers. The good news is that 1000 gram and below boots are being refined and improved. So look for some nice new boots and hikers this year. And if you want some heavier boots in walkers, the pickings are a little slim in some sizes. Or you will have to go to the heavier felt packs, which have been around since time immemorial.

 

Hunters Safety...... Can probably take credit for a couple of big things. First and foremost is the increased safety people have been experiencing in the field and at ranges. Second thing is the people who are not single sport hunters but cover a whole slew of hunting/shooting sports. And one more time we have to offer kudos to those selfless men and women who teach hunters safety. They offer concern and enthusiasm to their classes that seems to rub off.

 

 

Gun Clubs...  We have assembled a list of places to shoot. Stop in and pick up this sheet. Which we will continue to ‘fine tune’. And again we maintain that a gun club membership is one of the last great bargains available. Looking at this list. There are a dozen different clubs of which you could join 5 for a total of less than a hundred bucks. And that is both a heck of a deal. Plus, support for these organizations ensures the future for us as well as the generations to follow. Who ya gonna trust to ensure your place to shoot? The gubbermint?? 

Tech Tips..... Topic of the day is velocity of the projectile versus weight of the projectile. Group and Pattern Tightness. In the case of rifles and pistols, (centerfire), generally speaking the closest groups are achieved at the higher velocities. But in Shotgunning, pattern holes or irregularities generally show up when pushing to max velocities.  In the case of shotguns shooting rifled or sabot slugs, it seems as though every firearm is different. All you can do is try two or three different slugs to find the best performing.  And a final centerfire thought. Energy is a result of the combination of the weight of the projectile and the speed of the projectile. A lighter projectile will often ‘outenergy’ a heavier one at first. But then the heavier one loses its energy at a slower rate and its energy passes the lighter. Sort of like the tortoise and the hare.

 

Sportswear Department ...  High style in designer camos. Got a great assortment of turkey vests, hunting coats and  about 10 different models of camo pattern. A whole batch of trap and clay and skeet vests in almost every color and size for right and left handers.

 

 

Last Round....  Remember that this is one of those darned election years. Your choices in whom you support with your vote do make a difference. And most importantly, just voting has a rather huge effect. SO do that. If you don’t vote you really have no right to complain. 

 Thanks again......  For your patronage. We are still having fun and hope you are too. May we all experience success in all our endeavors. Shoot straight, shoot safe. And all the ammunition and component makers want you to shoot often, heck we do too!

Ken. Joe, Olde Richard, Al. Older Dick, Kathy, Dave, and Litl Mikey