Being Molded into Perfection

Last spring I became the proud owner of a top-of-the-line semi-automatic shotgun. I have always owned pump shotguns, and they have been extremely reliable, but being able to own a gun like this has been an awesome experience...well, almost. See, the second time I shot it was the day that I tagged out during spring turkey season, and although I harvested the bird, the spent 3.5" magnum shell hung in the action rather than ejecting as expected. I attributed the hang to shooting the bird off-hand and not having the butt seated firmly on my shoulder to allow for the inertia system to work properly. I cycled several boxes of low-powered shells through it last summer while shooting skeet, and didn't experience anymore hangs. I figured the initial hang was a freak occurrence and all was well. Deer season was the next opportunity to break out the semi-auto. Unfortunately, I experienced several 'random' hangs of spent 3.5" magnum shells during the season, but ended with a series of clean cycles and assumed, once again, that I had worked out whatever internal kinks existed. Following deer season, a full disassembly and cleaning was done in hopes of further guaranteeing no additional kinks in the system. I used it again this past weekend while crow hunting, and everything worked smoothly. Later that morning, though, while patterning another magnum turkey load through it, I experienced yet another hang. My overall thought is that a firearm of this value and which features precision components like it does ought to operate error-free out of the box and be a perfect piece of machinery. Needless to say, I am frustrated with continually thinking that the gun is finally working properly, only to once again experience an error during operation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Romans 7:15 (NASB)
For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

What a Difference a Week Can Make

It has been a frustrating week for me in the turkey woods. That may strike you as odd, as last time I wrote about how unbelievable the gobbling and activity was all around us, and I was just assuming that was a sign that the action was picking up. However, having ventured out three different mornings this past week, let me assure you that the action did not pick up at all; in fact, it came to a screeching halt. It has been difficult to even hear a gobbler this week, much less have one gobble long enough to get anywhere remotely close to it. The gobblers have gone from fired up, to henned up, to all messed up in just a few short days!

Matthew 21:9 (NASB)
The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”

Matthew 27:22-23 (NASB)
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”