Issue #2 OF 2004

Happy newsletter number 2 of 2004.....  Here we have the belated second issue of 2004.  Maybe there was just too much rain to get it done 6 weeks ago. In any case, it’s shaping up to be kind of interesting insofar as new things. And for the most part, it looks like most of the ‘all new models’ will be available.  And golly, the ducks sure got plenty of waterholes to summer in. 

 

New Guns and More…….  First off, Ruger side by sides are supposed to finally start showing up this year. We have already gotten some of the 17HM2 rifles but no ammo as of this writing.  A new product line for us is the UBERTI line of exact reproduction rifles and revolvers. In stock are some late 1800 Single Action Army models that are done so darn well. And Uberti builds quality exact repros of the original Henry Rifle, the 1866 Rifle and Carbine, and the 1873 Rifle. Browning has come up with a pair of winners in the over under lineup. The Cynergy and 525 models are meant to add to the Citori line. And they most certainly do. Ruger continues to enhance its whole product line at every turn. Savage has turned the world on its ear with the new ACCU Trigger available on most of its rifles. The trigger on a rifle is as important as any other part. It really works. Marlin/H&R/NEF continues to make great guns that you can afford. Para Ord has revised its lineup for the benefit of all of us. Will cover the rest next time.

 

Rifle & Pistol Calibers……..   Last ‘issue’ we put a list of rifle/pistol calibers in, in the order they were first commercially introduced. And forgot a big one. So we want to hereby recognize the 308 Winchester as showing up on store shelves in 1952.    And for those of you running a scorecard for new calibers. We will be seeing another new 17-rimfire caliber late this year.  The 17HM2, the 17HMR was a magnum rimfire cartridge made by simply necking down a 22 mag casing and shooting it thru a barrel with a 17 cal bore instead of 22. The new 17HM2 is simply a regular 22 long rifle casing necked down to 17 caliber and used in a 17 cal barrel. The beauty of all this is that ALL that needs to be done to any rimfire rifle is to have a 17 caliber barrel put on it. Everything else is the same. Bolt, carrier, magazines, everything. So expect to see a slew of regular 22 rifles in 17 caliber. And how well does it work you ask? It goes faster and flatter than a 22 LR. Shells cost a little more than long rifles and about 3 bucks less than a box of 17 mags. The 22 long rifle we don’t see as becoming obsolete ever. Too many guns out there and just huge numbers of choices in ammunition.  And heck, they are all fun.

 

 

Our Attempt at a Translation of Deer Hunting Rules for 2004…. Your license comes with a regular deer tag and a Zone T tag. The Zone T tag allows you to take an antlerless deer in a T zone area. But, if you are in a Zone T EOB area,(Earn A Buck), then you must shoot an antlerless deer first, upon registration, you get an earned Buck tag to fill.  A hunter’s choice permit is available for about 25 areas. This is Not an extra deer, it does allow to take a deer of either sex. And then there is the Bonus permit available for the same areas as hunter’s choice. This one allows you buy a $12 permit that gets you an antlerless deer for that specific area. Insofar as the reg’s for the individual parks and special areas,  you’ll have to decipher those yourself.

Some Political Thoughts here..  We may not have a Governor who is a great friend to the Shooter/ Hunter/ Gun Owner, but we think we have a true friend to the Sportsman in the man now running the DNR.

We are amazed at some of the things that many candidates say. And promise. If a laundry soap company made promises like that it would be fined for consumer fraud.

And finally, we think that we here in Wisconsin are very fortunate to have 3 such qualified candidates, with integrity and intelligence, fighting for the opportunity to unseat Senator Feingold. These are political candidates of quality.

Black Powder Shootin......  In guns, the news here is that those firearms with faster access breech plugs are getting more and more popular. Ease of cleaning and total barrel access.   And in the powder realm, Triple 7, is finally becoming ‘better understood’. Triple 7 is Hodgdons alternative to Pyrodex. Designed to be a little cleaner and a little less corrosive, the question most important is “ how does it shoot??? Pretty good if you reduce the charge relative to what you used in Pyrodex by at least 10 percent by volume.  And Black Powder is not going away any time soon. Still in use by Traditional as well as Inline shooters.

 

DNR License and more……. Just a review here. There are new license machines out since spring. Believe it or not they work well. We can even correct spelling and address errors easily. License fees are up a little in certain areas. Deer tag prices did not change at all.   

 

 

Our Used Gun List……… is about 3 weeks old by the time your reading this list.  You can check our website list for more up to date lists. In the fall things seem to change rather quickly.   A final general statement here: this is a darned GOOD year to buy a rifle if you are thinking about it. The prices are lower than normal for either new or used. Some are tough to get but most are readily available.

SPECIAL SALE ITEMS FOR AUGUST THRU SEPTEMBER 15.   

SPECIAL PRICES on all used Guns in stock……  Rifle & Pistol Reloaders, buy a box of bullets and get a 100 primers for 1cent……….  Need a hat or cap or neat T-Shirt?, buy the first one and get the second of equal or lesser price for one half price. …….  All Jackets, Vests, Coats, Pants, Camo and Blaze SALE PRICED. . This is in addition to the usual discount process on virtually everything.

Our April 10^th Sale??….  Remember that one? The one on April 10^th?  It is over, please note the preceeding paragraph. (p.s. – it was great)

 

Coyote and Fox Folk......  you who hunt the big varmints, cannot complain about nobody paying attention to your wants or wildest dreams. From the 17 HMR,  or 204H, or 223, 223 WSM, 22-250, 243, 243 WSM, and on and on. There is something for you to get the job done with and have some fun doing it.

 

.And what is going on with CONCEALED CARRY? …..   Law Enforcement Folk and Retired Law Enforcement Folk should be happy at this time.  A Federal law has been passed allowing these fine people to carry firearms at almost any time in all 50 states. They are subject to many of the same restrictions that ‘civilians’ are.  So perhaps there is hope for the rest of us in the 10 or so States that still don’t have this right/privilege.

Poly Choke LIVES… This old name remembered by most has existed in Michigan for decades. The premise behind the PolyChoke was several folds. You would take your shotgun, cut 3 to 4 inches off the barrel, effectively removing the factory machined in choke, and install the PolyChoke on the end with its adjustable ‘collet’. This would allow you to change chokes at will to adapt to various shooting needs.  This was also used to heal shotguns that had been ‘injured’ by bulged or blown barrel ends. In the olden day, shotgun shells used a lot of paper in the interior construction. This included paper wad columns of 2 or more pieces as well as a paper base wad under the powder. Sometimes these wouldn’t leave the barrel completely upon firing. The next shot thru the gun would find the departing charge meeting momentary resistance and bulging the barrel. Or worse the barrel end would split. So the Poly Choke would put the gun back in effective working order. They were not the prettiest things in the world, but they got the job done. For a few years, long ago, you could buy some model shotguns that actually had this installed new at the factory. A Fond du Lac Man has purchased Poly Choke Company and is making the original PolyChoke. He is also making a PolyChoke Choke tube. Currently available in Invector, Invector Plus, Remington, and Benelli Sizes. Essentially this is a choke tube, with the variable choke added to the end. It extends out past the end of the barrel. And the benefit is that you have a choke tube you can change in the field. We feel that this venerable choke device has certain utility value, but will not replace a dedicated choke tube due to the actual length of the choking part of the tube being a bit shorter. The quality of the pattern is a result of the relative degree of choke, and length over which the choke is reached. Example here is a Turkey Choke Tube, which is much longer. In order to get a good pattern so so tight, it has to be done over a greater length of choke tube. So it’s nice to see Poly Choke rolling along in this area.

 

  As an aside, when you think about the companies and organizations that are located in this area, we have to count our blessings. Think about MEC being down the road. Lee Loaders is down the road just a little bit more. Broughton Barrels is just up the road.  Every single widening of the road has a nice little gun club. You have incredible hunting clubs everywhere. Then there is the greatest Marsh in the world located 5 minutes West of Lomira. And countless other Marshes everywhere you look. Every 15 miles you can find a dedicated and qualified bunch giving great Hunters Safety Classes. We have that little Duck Show going on once a year in Oshkosh.

Ya’all can’t help but have fun somehow somewhere nearby.

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

NON PROFITS…… No, we’re not talking about us.    We are talking about those charity organizations that some of us are contributors to. A group called Charity Navigator tracks many of these and ranks them based on how much of the money collected actually goes to the purpose advertised. In their latest ranking, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation gave us the most bangs for the buck. At the other end, PETA and Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust spent the least on their mission. I find it kind of ironic that those groups with the least legitimate ‘mission’ had the least legitimate spending habits. In other words, they spent all their money from fundraising on more fundraising.  For more information go to: www.CHARITYNAVIGATOR.com

 

Reloading............   You who reload for centerfire should be thrilled with the incredible array of bullet choices as well as powders available. If you can’t find a bullet/powder combination that will work well for you than you must be hunting on Mars.  We now carry Berger Bullets in many calibers and weights, as well as bullets from Hornady, Sierra, Barnes, Nosler, Speer and Combined Technologies. 

Gun Safes..........  Believe it or not, there is something new here that may be of interest to you.  First thing is that as of last week we got in 19 Gun safes in every color and size imaginable. So there is a good chance that if you need one of these, we have exactly what you are looking for.    Second Thing, we have some of the new Safe Toppers. These are Browning invention for those of you who are running out of space in your safe. They are boxes, either in 30-inch width or 40 inch. Gloss or satin finish. Color of green black or burgundy. The length and width of your existing safe and about 15 inches high. They have an electric keypad lock. They are fireproof but not rated. Bolt to the top of your safe to the vent plug.  A huge amount of space. Stop in for more detail.   And the Third Thing, interiors on the 1550-degree safes have a new option.  Using a 30-inch wide safe as an example; these were 14/28-gun capacity. In other words, 14 guns on a side and shelves on the other, and then take the shelves out for another 14 guns, 28 total. NOW, there is a plus interior option, which makes the side only 12 guns plus shelves, BUT, there is a rack on the door inside that holds 7 guns. So you have 12 guns plus shelves plus another 7 guns for 19 with the shelves or 31 total. And accessibili8ty is much much improved. Bad news is that this can’t be retrofitted, and it can only be done on a 1550 degree safe, which is heavier and can deal with the balance change.  We have these in stock for you to look at (or even purchase). Please remember we have 19 new safes in stock at this writing plus 3 that were in stock.

Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival in Oshkosh Wisconsin……… Will be held a week later this year. So the last weekend in August the 27^th, 28th,and 30^th should be circled on your calendar for a whole host of fun and wonderful new things you didn’t know you needed. We will be having special prices on all ammunition in the store at the same time. So stop in on the way up or back. Save room in the truck, or the back of your Yugo, for a spanky new gun safe.

 

FALL Calendar………  
 Aug 10,  Goose-Turkey- Grouse app  
  Aug  31,    Bear Dog Train closes       
 Sept 1,  Early Goose and Dove opens 
  Sept 3,  Early Goose Closes            
 Sept 4,    Hook Line Sturgeon opens   
 Sept 7,   Early Goose Reopens           
 Sept 8, Bear without Dogs Opens     
 Sept 10, deadline Bobcat, Fishr, Otr app 
  Sept 15, Bear all methods opens       
  Sept. 15, Early Goose Closes            
  Sept 18,  Archery Deer Opens           
 Sept  18, Squirrel Opens                  
 Sept  25, Woodcock opens (tentative)  
 Sept. 29, Spring Turkey apps avail    
 Oct. 6, Bear with Dog only opens        
 Oct. 9, Fall  Turkey Opens       
 Oct 11, Special Monday sale        
 Oct.12, Bear Hunting Closes          
 Oct. 16, Noon- Pheasant Opens       
 Oct. 16, Bobwhite & Sharptail open noon 
  Oct.28, Zone T/EarnaBuck opens  
 Oct.30, Mourning Dove Closes  
 Oct.30, Youth Deer Hunt antlerless     
 Oct. 31, Zone T/earna abuck closes 
  Oct. 31, Last day Sturgeon License     
 Nov.7, Sharptail and Turkey Close     
 Nov. 8, Woodcock Closes                   
  Nov. 18,  Archery Deer Closes           
 Nov. 20, Deer Gun Opens 

 

Knives........  At one point we thought that soon no matter what knife you wanted, you would have to get in a folder of some sort.  Well relax; there has been a resurgence of good straight knives available. And some great new steel. We love selling camo knives cause we know your going to be losing these left and right... 

Crow Hunting.....  The only pure sport left in America. If fancy new high tech products are any indication, well then crow huntin is gittin some respect. Motorized and motion decoys are now available. Who’d a thunk it. Crow hunting opens September 18.

 

 

Boots..... Shoes...Hip Boots ..  Kind of a big change this year in that the 1200 gram and over insulated boots seem to have gone away. Lots of 1000-gram choices (and less). Indications from the boot companies are that the heavier boots just didn’t have enough interest. Still, a 1000 gram boot is very good in cold.

   We do have about 40 pairs of last years boots in different styles and sizes that are marked down HUGELY. Be kind to your tootsies and save big bucks.

 

Hunters Safety...... These outstanding classes are put on throughout the year all over the state. They are totally free to all adult and youth participants. The State of Wisconsin reimburses each sponsoring group up to 5 dollars per student. When you figure the time involved, and the materials provided, this is one heck of a bargain. Most sponsor groups do not apply for the money because they fund it themselves. Those who teach, get themselves certified at their own expense and are not paid for their work. They do it for the love of the future of hunting and shooting sports. And the youth of today are the future.

It is tough sometimes to find a class, because lately it seems the classes are filled immediately. If you are looking for a class, go to the DNR website for a listing of class dates and places. There are Internet classes available that take 3 to 6 hours of time at home, and then a day in the ‘field’, for completion.

In the meantime, tip your hat to those dedicated men and women who get the job done for our future.

 Gun Clubs...  What’s the best thing you can do for your gun club? Help! Like almost every organization in the world, these gun clubs have a few men and women doing the brunt of the tasks needed to make it all work. Lots of us don’t have the time to give regularly. But those who put in week after week of time to run stuff, can use a little break. Like Hunter safety people, these folk don’t get paid. So volunteer for a weekend or a day to cover the load a bit. Gun Clubs are for today as well as for the future. And having been able this hear to squeeze in a night a week fairly regularly at one of these places, they sure are fun places with some nice people.

Tech Tips.....  The only thing we’re going to mention in this today is the following. Check your shotguns, rifles, handguns, and sights now. Right now. Make sure everything is clean, in one piece, and functioning as it should. If its NOT, well then clean it or fix it. Or bring it in now so we can square it for you.  There, that’s enough nagging.

 

Last Round....  Remember that this is an election year. Who we have in political office is a direct result of who you vote for. The ball is in our court.

 Thanks again......  For your  patronage and smiling faces. We (and hopefully you), are having a fun and busy year again and hope we all have a good fall.  Sincerely

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