rabbit03
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2005
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A short story about a very good friend of mine who passed away last year.
His name was James 'Rusty' Collier, a great man dedicated father, brother to all, and a proud American/Texan. Rusty and I arrived in Freer roughly about the same time in 92. Rusty was a Deputy Sherrif and I was working for the government trying to keep the dyke plugged at the border. One day I was sighting in my ol' Hawken want-to-be at the range when Rusty drove up. He asked me what I was doing and I told him that I was sighting my rifle (.45) in and getting ready for the State Shoot in Brady, Texas. Well Rusty was himself an accomplished shooter having been shooting competition with pistol,rifle and he was also a hunter and reloader. So he was no stranger to shooting but he had never shot a blackpowder rifle before. Well I had shot a semi circle at 50yds with the .45 and asked him if he would like to take a shot. Well I loaded it for him and told him the hold on those particular sights I had on the rifle and he commenced to put a hole right in the middle of my group. Well that was the beginning of what was to be many years of enjoyment for him and I shooting the black powder.
It wasn't too long after that year that Rusty and I headed for Brady to the State shoot, it was his first time to attend. Oh before I forget to tell it, Rusty ended up buying that rifle that he shot that day and went on to have many more black powder rifles,pistols, and even shotguns than I ever had. Heck I still just have one gun!
We arrived at Brady sometime toward the late evening about an hour before sundown. Ol' Rusty was eager to say the least and he probably would have loaded and shot right then and there if he could, I mean he was anxious to get started. Well as we drove up and parked Rusty kind of gandered around and remarked about the old folks there at the shoot. What he actually said was "Hey Urban, we gonna shoot against all these old fogies?" To which I replied yep, thinking nothing more of it at the time. Well the next day after he and I had been shooting all morning, Rusty came over to where I was shooting and got my attention. Again I quote, "He Urban, remember what I said about all those old fogies yesterday, then S O B's can shoot". I almost died laughing right there cause it hit me as to what he had been thinking about the evening before. He obviously had been thinking much as I had on my first trip to Brady that this is gonna be fun kicking these folks but. Well just like I had experienced, now Rusty had too, he got his but handed to him by folks that could have been his great uncle or grandpa.
So that is just one small exerpt from the times Rusty and I had together over the years. I miss him dearly and know he is smiling down at this right now,
rabbit03
His name was James 'Rusty' Collier, a great man dedicated father, brother to all, and a proud American/Texan. Rusty and I arrived in Freer roughly about the same time in 92. Rusty was a Deputy Sherrif and I was working for the government trying to keep the dyke plugged at the border. One day I was sighting in my ol' Hawken want-to-be at the range when Rusty drove up. He asked me what I was doing and I told him that I was sighting my rifle (.45) in and getting ready for the State Shoot in Brady, Texas. Well Rusty was himself an accomplished shooter having been shooting competition with pistol,rifle and he was also a hunter and reloader. So he was no stranger to shooting but he had never shot a blackpowder rifle before. Well I had shot a semi circle at 50yds with the .45 and asked him if he would like to take a shot. Well I loaded it for him and told him the hold on those particular sights I had on the rifle and he commenced to put a hole right in the middle of my group. Well that was the beginning of what was to be many years of enjoyment for him and I shooting the black powder.
It wasn't too long after that year that Rusty and I headed for Brady to the State shoot, it was his first time to attend. Oh before I forget to tell it, Rusty ended up buying that rifle that he shot that day and went on to have many more black powder rifles,pistols, and even shotguns than I ever had. Heck I still just have one gun!
We arrived at Brady sometime toward the late evening about an hour before sundown. Ol' Rusty was eager to say the least and he probably would have loaded and shot right then and there if he could, I mean he was anxious to get started. Well as we drove up and parked Rusty kind of gandered around and remarked about the old folks there at the shoot. What he actually said was "Hey Urban, we gonna shoot against all these old fogies?" To which I replied yep, thinking nothing more of it at the time. Well the next day after he and I had been shooting all morning, Rusty came over to where I was shooting and got my attention. Again I quote, "He Urban, remember what I said about all those old fogies yesterday, then S O B's can shoot". I almost died laughing right there cause it hit me as to what he had been thinking about the evening before. He obviously had been thinking much as I had on my first trip to Brady that this is gonna be fun kicking these folks but. Well just like I had experienced, now Rusty had too, he got his but handed to him by folks that could have been his great uncle or grandpa.
So that is just one small exerpt from the times Rusty and I had together over the years. I miss him dearly and know he is smiling down at this right now,
rabbit03
