Hello from Virginia

[YODERCAMP]

Hello Everyone

I am a new member and having recently joined the forum, it gives me great pleasure to be in the company of like minded breathren

I was born and raised in Mumbai, India and have traveled around quite a bit around the world. Now I am based out of Virginia, near the Washington DC metro area

Always fascinated and interested by firearms, I knew there were quite many Indians out there but were hard to come by since the days of the British colonialism most of our previous generations uptill now have been brainwashed to believe that gun ownership is a un-necessary right. It is a oxy moron because there was a CNN report a while back which gave India as having the second largest ownership of firearms, dont know if they had counted registered ones or un-registered ones, the count was 42 million for India, 40 million for China and 850 million for USA. Given the population it might be true to that number

Anyways fast forward, I do enjoy a pretty good collection now and pursue Duck and Deer Hunting every year, followed up the occasional weekends to the trap and skeet range, which I call Shotgun therapy

Having spent a significant amount of of time, effort and money, I have now become proficient with Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns, Reloading and Hunter education courses, all of which were courtesy of a group called the NRA

Recently purchased a mint Lee Enfield 303 which was in an awesome condition, thus completing one of my long wishes as I own both the Royal Enfield Bullet (the motorcycle) and now the Lee Enfied SMLE carbine, dated 1954, but the bayonet has marking from 1907

Anyways keep shooting because from what I learnt it is a perishable skill

....Best
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson

[Vikram]

Hello Yodercamp.


Welcome to IFG. Nice to read your introduction. Do post photos of your collection and share your experiences.


Best-
Vikram

[YODERCAMP]

This is my newest gun to the collection, Enfield 303.....the marking are all over the place, which makes it even more special....

the Bayonet has a stamp GRI - Latin means George Rex Imperitam, meaning the emperor of India 1907 (I think thats when the SOB was around), I am still researching the time of this stamp. Preliminary research tells me 1907, but cannot be sure. The other stamp is RFI - Rifle Factory Ishapore, this gunpowder and ammunitions factory has been in existence in eastern India since 1793 but this looks like a post independence mark. And since the rifle has no wear, it was mostly a drill rifle or collectors item...Who knows where it has been and what it has seen

Thinking about taking it Deer hunting as I brought quite a few reloaded soft point 130 grain 303 rounds

My personal favorite is my Winchester Model 70 chambered in 30 0 6....one shot one kill, humane and clean killshot with a clean entry and exit wound. Most North American game are fair hunts with this caliber

I have read a lot of stories that the 303 was used to hunting in all continents as many British were trophy collectors from water buffallo, Rhino, Hippo to Elephants in India and Africa

Lets see, the only crapshot is hiking through the woods in 2 feet deep snow for hours at a time, and the Enfield is heavy, actually like carrying a kitchen sink. But lets see, two days and ample red meat should give the body enough protein to come through and change its ways

[YODERCAMP]

Vikram

I just saw that you are based out of Tiblisi Georgia...how goes in that part of the country

Except the russian influence, shooting and hunting must be good with the surplus Russian guns and ammo lying around in eastern europe

I wanted to hike to Noah Ark's (the mountain) couple of years back but I heard that it was closed of after Germans kept leading expeditions to it, and I think there were a few accidents too

Let me know....looks like a good place to hunt mountain goats or maybe wolves.

Best
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson

[Ganesh TT]

Dear Bro Yoder

Welcome to IFG...Virginia...Land of free firearms

[YODERCAMP]

Yes you got that right, it is the land of the free firearms, without the literal meaning

No permit and license ... Irony of the law is one needs a permit to conceal carry but open carry is as open as it can get

[ckkalyan]

Welcome to IFG YODERCAMP!

Thanks for sharing the image of you Lee Enfield 303; great to know that you are an Enfield Bullet fan as well. Nice introduction; I am sure you will find kindered spirits here on the forum.

Post often with plenty of photos and you will be guaranteed some great friendships, across continents.

[Prabhath]

Welcome aboard.

[YODERCAMP]

Thank you for the welcome everyone

It is Thanksgiving time and the best time of the year to cut out the middle man

Well let me explain the reasons for my excitement, it is because this time of the year is the official start of Rifle Season for Deer Hunting in most of the US including the East Coast with all of its wonderful liberals

The mountains of Pennsylvania will have more guns during the opening day of Thanksgiving than the entire US National Guard Inventory.....Happy Days

Now the middle man part.....this is where you can get the meat directly from the source and not the grocery store/ butcher, hence the middle man reference

I have a difficult decision, to take my "new" Enfield 303 circa 1907 to 1954 which I haven't got time to test fire or zero IN after I procured it a month back or my trusty old Winchester Model 70 (aka Rifleman Rifle in the history books)..and that makes it difficult to plan for the day.

Attached is a picture from a few years back of my Win 70 parked in the flanks, while my friends were driving the deer across the range, kind of like smoking them out and getting them running.

It was a good day....I saw 4 square inches of a deer in the brush from 400 yards and after positive id of target and assessing what is beyond it, the 180 grain bullet did its job. Always safety first, bad hunters give all hunters a bad rap

Cheers
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson