Posted on 09/17/2012 6:52:35 AM PDT by the scotsman
I even built a couple of 110% scale plywood “M-16s” (painted black) to use as fake weapons on the ocean. At 100 yards, you would hit the dirt when seeing one in profile at port arms. At 500 yards, bino range, you would think, “No good reason to get any closer.” On the ocean today as on the plains two centuries ago, few will survive a rifle bullet. Why get close enough to find out how good the other guy is at riflery? It’s a bit different on the ocean, since you cannot get a steady rest. The best shooting position is sitting, cross-legged, offhand. The boat moves no matter what, so a rest is out of the question. A 5.56 or 7.62 semi-auto is great, because you see your splashes, and get into a rhthym: splash-correct-bang-splash-correct-bang and walk your shots to the target. (Balloons, usually. They stick to the water by surface tension, and do not “tumbleweed.”) YOu can hit a balloon at 500 yards, ususally, if you are willing to blow a magazine on it. In normal swells, you are sailing along at about 5 knots, and after 100 yards, the balloon “hides” on the back sides of swells half the time. Each time it reemerges into view, it’s another 50 or so yards further away. Great training and fun. For defense, the name of the game is “don’t be snuck up on.” Only once was I shadowed by a very suspicious trawler that matched me turn for turn. I was solo between Panama and Hawaii, and I made an extra fake crewman, and put out my fake rifles as well as my real one, and kept changing hats and trying to look like more people. I don’t know if the rifles changed their minds, but they didn’t get any closer than about 800 yards, after trailing me and turning after me for about a half hour. For sure, the key is “don’t let them get close.” I would send warning splashes at them after about 500 yards. At 400 yards, I would put splashes all over the front of their bow. Nobody wants to get shot. Somali pirates come in close, knowing that 95% of Euro yachties are unarmed. When they have met armed yachties, it has gotten sporty in the Red Sea etc, with some wins and losses for both sides. Google “Gandolf pirates shotgun Red Sea.” Quite a battle.
I give up ... what are you talking about? All civilizations? The United States? Really my comment about Germany is based on how many children they're having... it's below replacement...
For how long? 15 minutes was all I could take.
Yeah, I’m just a racist white guy from Europe and Dances with Wolves called us out. dammit. Nothing gets by you.
Obviously, you are a racist in that case.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.