Fireworks with IFGian's in Michael IL, USA

[xl_target]

Here is Kalyan sahib with Mark's 1911.


(photo from Baljit's camera)

This is a Colt's made in 1941 or 1942.
Deep blue with gold accents. Beautiful piece!

[Baljit]

Yes indeed XL it is beautiful piece. i wish if i can have that. now i am working on Day 2 as soon as i resize those pictures i will post here.


Baljit

[Baljit]

Day 2
22 September 2012
As all of you guy's know the XL's story about next day . I like to add these pictures with his and CK's story.

Next morning all of us signed Canadian flag for Mark and his family.

These are the cabin where we stay at night time.


Inside the cabin.where you guy's can see our bed.

We are on our way to Cabelas.


Here we are waiting for the ferry.Haji and his family and XL in the back.

Bottom picture from Haji's camera

We are going to take this ferry for river crossing.

All of us on the ferry.


view from the farry.

Ferry from the other side of the river.


We are on the highway.




We are in the restaurant for lunch.


Main entrance door.







Those are real fish (Koi) swimming around the Elk's legs.



Here when we are on the way back to Mark's place but we have to wait for the farry.

View from the farry.





Xl take care the business at Mark's place.


Amit and his Mom,dad making a dinner and his son in the back.

Mark also helping out in the kitchen.

I don't know what's Mr.CK doing here.

Amit enjoying him self with crown Royal.

Later on CK join him. haha

Now is my turn.

Later on everybody join us.


After the dinner we all sites together and have a long chat.









OK, Guy's ,this is what we did on our second day.Now i am working on Day 3 pictuers keep in mind i have to resize those pictures before i post it and i am going to post those pictures for you guy's tomorrow.meantime enjoy these pictures

Enjoy
Baljit

to be continue...............

[Sakobav]

Nice going amigos ferry crossing now thats something thanks for posting Baljit

Cheers

[captrakshitsharma]

Hey any pics of gun porn at at cabelas ?

[xl_target]

Unmindful of my "Deliverance" inspired uneasiness, here is Kalyan sahib relaxing and enjoying some downtime at his "very beautiful spot" by the moribund ferry terminal. It's a good thing we didn't hear any Banjo music there or my blood pressure would have climbed up for sure.


(photo from Baljit's camera)

[winnie_the_pooh]

Thanks for sharing details of the trip and posting these photographs..... and to Mark for his hospitality which made all this possible.

[xl_target]

Sunday:
We woke up early Sunday morning to a steady series of bangs and thumps. Not quite sure what was going on and gingerly stepping outside, we noticed that the Black Walnut trees around our "basha" are dropping walnuts all over the roof and courtyard. The walnuts as we know them are actually the seed in a fruit, some of which are a little bit smaller than a cricket ball. When the fruit bursts on impact or rots away, one cam see the familar walnut shell inside. One falling on your head from a tree is going to hurt. While the effect would probably comical to the others, I had no intention to playing Wile E Coyote and getting beaned by those projectiles. Shoulda brought my hard hat .

It was another gorgeous day and another cup of spiced tea went down the hatch. Amit's mom really helped us wake up properly every morning. It was much appreciated. This day we planned to do some shooting. Mark's friend, John, who we met on Saturday night came over again with some of his firearms. I had brought along a 9mm, a .40 S&W and a .22 LR pistol. I also brought along one of my Ruger 10/22 rifles. I needn't have bothered as Mark had made available more than enough firepower for an army, including a corps of artillery, as you will see. . I would have brought more but I was a little nervous bringing them into Illinois. It is the last state in the Union without carry permits and they have rather strict gun laws still. You need a Firearms Owners ID card just to own firearms. I was nervous for no reason as Mark's area is definitely firearms friendly.

We repaired to a little meadow behind our "basha" and found that Mark had setup up about a fifty yard range against a grassy berm. We laid out some of the firearms on the table, set up targets and commenced taking turns shooting the guns. At first we were going to keep score but that idea soon fell by the wayside as there were more than a few things that went bang and not enough time.

Baljit was pretty close to a professional pistol shooter till his back went out, so there was no lack of individual coaching. People pay good money for instruction like this . Baljit spent a lot of time imparting his wisdom to us and especially to John and Mark's younger son. I must say it was a joy to watch Baljit demonstrating trigger control by rapid firing one of the pistols. That smoothness and rapidity come from long hours of practice and dedication. It is quite interesting to watch the spent cartridge cases seemingly start to hit the ground just as the magazine goes dry.

Mark also pulled out one of his Remington 700 rifles chambered for a wildcat cartridge (20-223). It is a cartridge capable of 4000 fps apparently. It was loud but had practically no recoil. While we weren't seriously shooting for groups, it did group quite well.
We also got to shoot his pretty Colt's 1911 in .45 ACP.

I'll let CK, Baljit and Amit take up the tale from here and give you their impressions.

[ckkalyan]

Wow - very nice, the images are really good, they sort of convey the enthusiasm and excitement that the participants brought along with them. Thanks Baljit for working on the photos and posting them. Many thanks as well for your support and encouragement before, during and since the trip - as always!

The Colt 45, 1911 Blue/Black and Gold finish is truly a thing of beauty, it must be one of Marks prized possessions! You can see from my grin in the picture that I was totally thrilled; shooting it of course, was definitely the icing on the cake!

Brainwave here; how about if Baljit works on and posts all the pictures while xl_target Ji and I do the writing bit; that is a pretty good game plan, me thinks! What say?

XL - thanks for that clip from 'Deliverance' I dont think I have watched that movie, I surely intend to watch it though, what with the locale, river, guns, Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds et al....very close!

We did not really shoot many pictures of the gun goodies in Cabela as we figured there was already another in depth post by XL with tons of images. From my limited experience with two outlets all I can say is that all Cabela's follow the same retail format and are about the same.

It is gratifying that all of you like the write ups and images.

More to come - Cheers!

[ckkalyan]

Lovely script there XL-Ji - thank you.

Sun 23 September

Our agenda was quite simple; have no agenda – go with the flow! After all we were all on a break so we played by ear and did things as they suited us – we did not watch the clock – much; just had fun! XL has described the day of shooting very well. To add on a little bit :-

List of guns used seen:

Marks collection (seen so far – I am sure he has plenty more tucked away somewhere on his rambling property):

Muzzle Loaders: 50 Cal, Long Guns, including one that employs electronic ignition with fluted barrel in satin nickel finish. And Pistols (chrome plated, brass finish)
Remington 223 Scoped, Rifle
Colt 1911 .45 Blue/Black & Gold
Weapons of a bygone era: Mortar, Cannon (caliber = slightly larger than a ‘D’ Size Battery!?!)

xl_target:
Sig Sauer 1911 in 22 Cal
CZ 75 in 40 Cal
CZ 75 in 9 mm and
Ruger Rifle, Scoped 10/22

Guns brought by John:
Ruger 10/22 (25 Mag Cap) and
Glock 9MM

Ammo Used: Let it suffice to say that, when we were done, on the green meadow, on that fine Sunday there was ‘more brass than grass’!

Other Equipment that XL brought along with him: Spinner Target (22 capable), Target Backboards, Yellow, Metal, Clanger Plates 06; Disposable ear plugs. And a whole bunch of other assorted equipment and supplies in the cavernous trunk of his car which we did not have a chance to explore.

Transportation:

XL - Dodge Intrepid 2.7 L, Metallic Grey, 95K Miles (I forget the year model); equipped with Inverter; Ms. Tom-Tom Navigator; HP Tablet;

Mark: An assortment of cars – but the one that stuck in our minds was his old Suzuki Samurai Truck, Camo Paint (exactly the same as the Indian Maruti Gypsy). More on this vehicle later and the part it played in the fun as the day advanced.

More in the pipeline....

[captrakshitsharma]

Love the intrepid , drove a 1999 one along with a honda del sol extensively in Florida for the better part of my 5 yrs in the land of the free....

[TC]

Guys, the pics are just great... but want more...



TC

PS : Whats in that black box Kalyan is flaunting at Cabela's ? Looks like a scope

[Vikram]

I am immensely enjoying the vicarious trip you are treating us to,gentlemen. Please keep it coming.



Best-
Vikram

[prashantsingh]

I just love the trophies which these guys (Cabela's) put up . What fantastic specimens and so beautifully preserved!!

[xl_target]

Love the intrepid , drove a 1999 one along with a honda del sol extensively in Florida for the better part of my 5 yrs in the land of the free....

Great platform Capt, I wish they hadn't stopped making them. Seems to be a Chrysler issue. Every time they get a car that sells like hot cakes, they change the model. Just like the Neon, which they were never able to keep up with demand... so they changed the model. . I believe that the Intrepid chassis is used on the Chrysler 300 now.

Anyway, I just wanted to make a small correction to CK's post. The car has 195,000 miles on it (not 95,000). It still runs like a top. If you stomp on the gas, it will still sit up and make you take notice. It gets its best gas mileage at about 75 mph. I averaged 31.8 mpg on the freeway on this trip. Apart from wear items like brakes and tires and regular oil changes, I have never had to replace anything on this car. It has been hit three times when parked and since it has so many miles on it, I took the money rather than fix it (and bought a gun instead). Since it is paid for, I'm gonna run it till it doesn't run anymore .

XL - thanks for that clip from 'Deliverance' I dont think I have watched that movie, I surely intend to watch it though, what with the locale, river, guns, Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds et al....very close!

CK, the movie is actually better than the trailer would suggest. Unlike many of today's offerings where the trailer looks so good but the movie sucks. Once you watch Deliverance (and "Southern Comfort"), every time you hear a backwoods accent and/or banjo music; your subconscious will perk up and put a cautionary finger on the adrenal gland's trigger, ready to give you a shot if you need it. Every city boy's nightmare.