Publicola

The Smallest Minority has an offer for anyone in the Tucson, Arizona area: if you're unfamiliar with firearms, he'll take you to the range, provide the guns & ammo & teach you the basics.

Kim duToit & the Mrs. have a similar offer for those in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.

Who am I to buck blogging convention?

So if you're in or around Denver Colorado & have no experience with a firearm or would just like to learn more, then e-mail me at publicola_rd@yahoo.com . I'll supply the arms & ammo & what knowledge I have. I will qualify this offer though: I am adequate with a pistol but not exceptional. So do not be surprised if you're shooting better than I am in a short amount of time. I like pistol shooting - don't get me wrong - but my real love is riflery.

I will also tell you that much to my shame I do not currently possess a .22 LR pistol or rifle. So if you wish to use a firearm so chambered you'll have to supply your own.

I'll also show you what I can with any firearm you have, but if my inventory lacks something you desire & yours does as well I do know of a few indoor ranges that rent pistols. That I'm afraid will be a cost that you incur, but I'll still pick up the range fees & the ammo as well as the eye & ear protection.

& on a more limited basis I will extend this offer to anyone in the Pueblo or Colorado Springs area as am in & around those places every now & then.

Finally I will start posting a series of tips for the novice firearms enthusiast as well as what limited info I have on the finer points of marksmanship. I don't think it would take too much prodding to get other bloggers to do this as well, especially since a few of them do it now. I'll link to any I come across & store them in a seperate archive for easy access.

So hopefully in the not too distant future we'll have a good quantity of info for shooters of all skill levels.

But thanks to Kim du Toit, The Smallest Minority & a guy named Fred who sells M-14 stocks in Shotgun News ads as an excuse to use half of said ad to explain how to become riflemen as well as as explaining why they should. If ya'll ain't familiar with Fred go out & find a copy of the Shotgun News. You'll see his ad somewhere in the front half. It takes up two full pages. The first page he displays his wares. From seeing his ad you'd think he probably has all the characteristics of a small town used car salesman who loves his work. & you'd probably be right. But when you see the next page you realize this guy is spending just as much cash to try to convince people to learn how to shoot as he is in promoting his business.