Thoughts about hunting and antique firearms

This is a long blog post about antique firearms and hunting and outdoors stuff.  If you're not interested in any of this, it might not be your jam.

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I haven't hunted in over 10 years.  Fishing has been more of a hobby for a long time, but I kind of want to get back into the woods.  

Seasonal depression kicks my productivity in the teeth every year and I'm always on the lookout for ways to mitigate that.  Everyone who follows me here knows that around this time of year, my chapter releases slow to a crawl.  (sorry everyone!  I'm still working!)  

So I've been thinking about rabbit hunting, but for me, the emphasis would be more on getting out in the woods than actually harvesting game.

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***Quick note about hunting:  I know even the idea of hunting bothers a lot of people, and I get it.  However, humans have really messed up the world's ecosystem.  We have basically killed off most of the natural predators of prey critters, so without hunting, some prey animals reproduce so much they starve themselves as a group, or destroy the ecosystem even further.

And we won't even talk about how we've screwed things up by introducing new, invasive species.  Wild pigs are basically tearing up the southern US and just keep multiplying.  Lionfish are taking over reefs in Florida.

A lot of folks aren't aware that harvesting wild game is like a million times more ethical and less ugly than a lot of modern farming, too.  While I don't get all weepy about where my meat comes from, I think callous disregard for life is gross.  I do believe that a lot of people shy away from the realities of where their food comes from so they don't have to deal with it or form opinions about it.

I believe that hunting is important as humans for us to connect with our collective past,  and it's a responsibility we have as a species for having messed up our world.  Hunters also tend to be very conscientious about game animals, and regularly relay important information to scientists.

But while I'll always defend hunting, being a carnivore is not part of my self identity the way it seems to be for some folks.  I'm not a, "MMM BACON!" guy.  If there were ever a substitute for meat that was as healthy, easy, and cost-effective, I'd be all for it.  Lab-grown meat fascinates me.

Believe it or not, I have nothing against a Vegan or vegetarian lifestyles.  In fact, I've tried vegetarianism and it was too expensive, time-consuming, and not very satisfying.  Since I don't have a strong moral issue with meat in general, it wasn't for me.  My personal compromise now is to stick to chicken and fish most of the time, which is not only healthier for me, but most chickens I've met have truly been stupid and dirty birds.

...but I digress.
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The very first rifle I ever owned (and still do) is an antique Winchester (mfg 1949-ish) .270.

I love antiques.  I love the unique, handmade feel, I love the history, and I love a glimpse into the past to when people tended to be less materialistic and had a few, quality tools that they took care of.  I know this sentiment is ironic as a collector, that I find solace in this sort of stuff...but I do.  

Some of you may remember a post I made a while back on Facebook (in my reader group) about a 10/22 build of mine.  So while I have .22lr firearms that are ideal for rabbit hunting...they're too good. lol  

My 10/22 is almost bottle cap accurate at 100 yards.  It feels almost like cheating, at least to me.  Granted, I was on a rifle marksmanship team in the Army, so I got a /lot/ of government-funded training.

Anyway, if there is ever another Great Depression and I'm struggling for food to put on the table, I'd go hunting with one of my newfangled, ultra-modern rifles, no doubt.  But for just an excuse to get out in the woods? I think I might be more inclined to do so if I had a bit of old world steel.  

With all of this in mind...I've been thinking about getting a 1950's era Colt Woodsman, maybe an engraved piece so I can have like...an OFFICIAL BLAISE CORVIN PISTOL that looks like a unique weapon from Fallout 3.

The picture is of a couple very fancy, very expensive pair of Colt Woodsman Match Targets that are beautiful, but probably outside my budget.

The Match Target variation of the Colt Woodsman debuted in 1938.

Antique target pistols can still hang with ultra modern stuff like the Volquartsen Scorpion.
The Colt Woodsman, Smith&Wesson Model 41, High Standard Supermatic--all of these sorts of antique target pistols are super accurate, and I'm pretty good with them.  But it's still a world of difference between shooting something like a target pistol vs. a modern 10/22 with a trigger job and an excellent scope.  

Lol... I want Thumper to have a chance, and I kind of also want an excuse not to take a shot...if that makes any sense.  

The irony is that if I ever go deer hunting again, I'll absolutely be taking my antique rifle because old world Winchesters are still really, really excellent, and mine is no exception.
I also have a /lot/ of practice shooting that rifle, and if I ever take a shot at Bambi, I want it to be quick and ethical.   Honestly, I don't really like how deer tastes, so I don't ever see myself going deer hunting again in my life, but that rifle could be used for alligator too.

And folks, alligator is delicious.

Thinking about all of this more, I enjoy  both modern tacticool firearms, and also the old world, beautiful antiques.  I used to be a huge fan of the Steampunk aesthetic until it became as mainstream and lame as neon green "ZOMBIE!" stuff.

Some of my musings about antique firearms recently came about because my brother-in-law asked me to fix his antique (1962) Hi Standard Supermatic, a very cool .22 target pistol.

Whew, that was a lot.  Now that I've finished my second cup of coffee after waking up for the day, it's almost time to get back to work.  I really want to finish another chapter of Delvers LLC 5 today.

This was a long post, I know, and I know not all of you are going to care about firearms at all, but I'm passionate about this stuff and I wanted to share.  I feel like nowadays, a bunch of people aren't really exposed to antique weapons collecting culture, which is not only found in the US.  Most of the sword enthusiasts I've learned the most from have been English, in fact.  Some of them have /very/ impressive collections of antique weapons of war.  

Humbling stuff.

Anyway, do any of you have any antique firearms or other pieces of history that you geek out about?