Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

My friend Brad at Challenge Targets is giving away one of his neatest targets, a stake clanger. As the picture below shows, it’s very simple and robust. Takes about a minute to assemble, and only a few seconds to install at the range.

When hit, it wavers for a while, providing visual feedback along with the loud clang. Great for extended range rifle practice. Here’s how it looks when in use:

Enter to win.

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Peter Grant’s new book Take the Star Road is now available at Amazon. I read it when it was being edited and re-read it again when making the cover design. I recommend it, especially if you like the style of early Heinlein. The book is far more about people and culture than it is about future technologies, which is how it should be. 1984 would have been less interesting if Orwell described the specification and maintenance details of the telly screen in greater detail. Much of the plot came from the author’s extensive adventures in rough and scary parts of the world.

Posted this as a reply to someone else on Facebook a few months ago, and promptly lost it. Putting it here now to try and not lose it again.

The moon gazes down at me from behind a veil of clouds,
Half-sly, half-shy,
enticing me to the road. The wind agrees.
"Come, follow, seek," an elusive call
that might be song or perfume or caress
or something subtler. I don't know.
I want to stretch wings wide, create
a silhouette across the moon,
and just go. It's not my feet that itch
to take a step, it's my fingers, it's my skin,
it's the hair across my cheek, it's the eyes
that I can't keep down.
If we are children of the stars, mayhap that urge
for the empty spaces lives in us always.
The scents and warmth and light and noise of others
anchor us here,
but we do not forget that solitude, and it
can be glory.

Did you notice that the comic posted yesterday was labeled, "400"? In the webcomics community we call that a "BRN" (aka a "big round number" for you non-webcomics types). BRNs are the perfect time to celebrate your favorite webcomic by calling all of your friends on the telephone or sending them a cake with a file baked inside and frosting that spells out, "hey if you ever escape you should check out www.tinyghosts.com because it is an awesome thing and I'm not just telling you this because someone has me locked up in a basement and is threatening me with a cleaver."

So yeah, anyway, can you believe that we've been making this comic for 400 weeks without ever missing a single week? I can't even count to 400.

www.tinyghosts.com

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Let’s say you are using a 1-6x scope set to 6x when you suddenly need to make a precise shot much closer. One way to do that is to turn the rifle 45* (or some lesser angle if you have an appropriate mount) and use a red dot or backup iron sights.

Just like this. Also works if the main optic gets damaged.

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

The pair was watching the graduation ceremony at Vanderbilt Law School. The man’s niece — little girl’s mother —  got her diploma.

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

This boy, at the show with his grandfather, was excited about an aftermarket stock for his 10-22 that was a perfect fit.

The girl, at Savage Arms booth with her mother and older sister, was trying out a Stevens 512 over/under 12ga shotgun.

The next generation was very much in evidence, and acquitted themselves very well.

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

No muzzle rise even while the bolt is still moving forward to chamber the next round.

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

And a sweet 58, too.