Thread: Stuff We Leave Behind.

This also has been churning away in the back of my mind for awhile now. Still haven’t come up with a satisfactory solution yet. Maybe more feedback from members will clarify a few things.

Gonna be selling SOME of my .22s shortly, Mrs Finnwolf and I only really need one each (ok, two for me!), one son already has one and the others are overseas and not interested.

Greetings All,
Further to what @Thar has said above about rifles with sentimental value we need to remember that it is sentimental value to us that may not transfer to our descendants. A number 4 Lee Enfield .303 in my safe is a good example. It was owned by a friend who left us suddenly. I have the rifle plus his Lee Loader, cases and projectiles, all of which I still use. I think of him whenever I load for or use the rifle but my son and firearm heir never met him so the rifle has no sentimental value to him. Other of my rifles will and these are the ones he should keep. Something for us all to think about.
Regards Grandpamac.

Case in point: My 303 that I used for 30 years. Was my fathers and a good gun for most of that time. I gave it to a young fellow with only peripheral interest in hunting and to him its a basic reliable first rifle but if he ever takes it up seriously he'll soon replace it. I was getting a new rifle and asked myself "Would I rather keep the SMLE for a backup rifle or the Sako 85 ?"

I'm wondering how do you leave behind what little knowledge you've built up. Pity to waste it.

Write a book ? Pretty good if it ever sells. But of course once the first printing is gone, it might only be available from libraries and then the single copy will end up in a keen reader's home bookshelf.

Magazine articles ? Great for a month then gone. Different from scientific journals that are carefully curated and still available decades later.

Online forum posts ? Again, great for a few years even if diluted with ignorant or knowledgeable comments. But forums come and go. A lot was lost on the NZ Airgun forum when it failed. My beautifully illustrated pieces on the old forum rely on me paying monthly to keep the photos hosted in a bucket (will stop that soon).

Personal / commercial web site ? Again, hard to maintain after you're dead. I wonder if online e books might persist for a while.

Teaching new shooters / hunters ? Some of my mate's handloading and hunting knowledge lives on in me. I remember what I still use and forget or revise a lot of it too.

This thread is balm to my soul, was just looking at the whole U vs R war thread and some of the drivel on there, and seeing this normal, informed, helpful string of info reminds me why I love this forum.

I need to get on to labelling stuff as I hit the grand old age 40 in a couple of months
But in all seriousness this is a good reminder to talk to Dad about what he wants done with his gear... except for his exceptionally nice Mauser 7mm Rem Mag, he gave that to Uncle Bob years ago, right??

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Harumph, it only gets worse, items get heavier, vision less crystal clear and all those bomb-ups without hearing protection (eh?) bites you in the bum (ears).

Were you in the Aussie Army by any chance? The last time i heard that 'bomb-up' expression i was at Kapooka doing basic training back in '96!

bomb up has been kiwi slang for ever and a decade....bombups on goats or deer was the norm and the old SMLE sure got a heck of a lot of use for that purpose....