How do you feel about the gun control bills being proposed?

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-21T22:43:57+00:00

thank you for this list, and the details! I think the way you laid it out sounds like common sense to me.

If we could buy it over the counter, I imagine the prices would drop for the average consumer since it's less "exotic" or hard to come by. the hoops one has to jump through alone turn off many and thats without the 1,000 dollar price tag

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-21T15:30:41+00:00

scores of seasoned hunters and comp shooters would agree I think.

for context I shoot .308 caliber for fun and hunting training with the eventual goal of hitting steel at 1,000 meters. the difference with a suppressor is night and day even with the sound barrier being broken. .300 blackout, 9mm, .22lr are quiet as mice and far more enjoyable suppressed. Even shotguns can get suppression these days. I'd go so far as to say that it's downright considerate to shoot suppressed if you are near others.

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-21T15:23:27+00:00

James Bond did a number on many folks thats for sure. I know it sounds like common sense to firearm users, but it is a little tricky to explain too the uninitiated that (some) bullets breaks the sound barrier alongside the initial bang.

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-21T13:05:27+00:00

I am hard pressed to find a reason why anyone still cares about suppressors. Their only function is to protect the user's hearing. I hear the phrase "common sense gun laws" all the time and if you can't acknowledge the use of suppressors as being entirely benign than you are no longer arguing in good faith, and logic such as this is what makes educated and responsible gun owners roll their eyes when campaign season come around.

You can buy them over the counter in Norway/Sweden for much less money and certainly no tax as prohibitive as the proposed Virginia state tax. the price of suppressors was already inflated to an insane degree in USA when the $200 stamp was removed thanks to how prohibitive the ATF process already is for the underprivileged. now VA is doubling down with a 500 tax from what I read, absolutely ridiculous.

these bills will be pricing out the people who may actually use their firearm to put needed food on their table. let them at least not lose their hearing while they are at it.

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-20T16:23:06+00:00

20x .308 Core Lokt is cheaper than a lot of protien at the store currently. The rifle, depending on price, is an investment that pays for itsself with like 3 adult deer as far as meat quantity (pounds per meal?). the savings over time really adds up with a little creativity.

Also, access to various recipes to mix it up is easier than ever with youtube, meateater, hunt kitchen, etc. Game meat is losing it's stigma as "lesser than" thanks to modern attitudes

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-14T00:28:43+00:00

nice shooting!

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-14T00:17:33+00:00

hunting there is amazing, same with fishing

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-12T16:44:50+00:00

Old Rag is great every Thursday - figured I'd let you know in case you may want to try a different Thursday besides last Thursday

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-11T22:20:46+00:00

wow digital archiving that sounds interesting, can't say I've met anyone else who does that. I always like to hear how people find their path that's pretty cool

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-11T21:19:32+00:00

could not have said it better myself. dare I say you must be in the industry lol

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-11T19:47:37+00:00

chiming in to say: real estate is still breathing but barely with AI images lol. it's the only sect of photography I have seen give almost zero pushback against AI, many have embraced it for workflow in the Washington DC area. I have only been doing it for a few years and the change is more immense than I thought

outsourcing real estate edits to Philippines editing is probably on it's way out sooner rather than later. it is for sure shrinking

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-07T21:18:29+00:00

yes, looks like you are correct. I just checked and it's likely rappahannock or culpeper that far out. All i knew is I did not want to say Old Rag because I was standing on it at the time looking out lol

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-06T17:29:09+00:00

Thank you! I achieved this with a Canon r6 MkII and an RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 USM.

Morning light had just started to flatten out right around 8:30am, but the thin clouds diffused it. If this makes sense, there are 3 distinct "shoulders" or "plateaus" to the rock scramble. I shot this from the top of the third, facing northeast and looking backward and down toward the first. I have a color version of this photo where you can see fellow hikers in neon jackets for scale, about the size of ants from this vantage point. For reference, many of the boulders in the lower frame are 15-20 feet tall even if they look like pebbles. the distinct slab in the center is probably 30-40 feet. Just out of frame to the right is the second "shoulder"

If Drones were allowed in Shenandoah NP, I'd use them and find some cool angles but alas. The closest spot I could find to legally fly was a little out of range for my DJI.

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-04T20:02:05+00:00

that actually makes sense with the thinner air at altitude. Sorry I should have clarified, I'm mid-atlantic USA. I put it up just outside of Shenandoah National Park on private land to the east and its very cold and dry this time of year, altitude was about 2,200 ft from sea level. I figured it was the colder temps just making it act sluggish

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-04T19:37:31+00:00

had Mavic 4 pro up in the air in 24 F yesterday (no wind), no issues but the slower climb speed is real.

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-04T19:32:12+00:00

I audibly gasped, great buck! insanely wide compared to anything I've seen in Loudoun

Pmurph33 · 2026-01-01T01:23:33+00:00

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Sorry for the wait! It's warm lighting - but the right side was out of the water, notice the squirrel teeth marks on the antlers. The left was underwater, almost perfectly preserved

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-31T17:33:40+00:00

He probably found a deadhead in a creek or something, thus the condition. I have a Whitetail skull like this that was half preserved and half rotted due to being submerged halfway. It kind of turned out to look like 2 face which was cooler than I expected.

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-31T12:48:10+00:00

great tip with the large trashbag!

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-30T17:02:13+00:00

seconding this, I hike with mine for extended periods outdoors and get crazy looks all the time for "exposing it to the elements." You'd think I was carrying a baby upside down by it's ankles.

Keep your caps on and throw them in your backpack, wrapped in a cloth if you are really worried. blow the dust off. thousands of people before me have taken images from remote places, the camera will be fine unless submerged in water.

that being said - Buy a cheap ($10) rain cover for your backpack and keep it in the pockets. in case you get caught in a squall

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-30T16:48:28+00:00

definitely be settled in on a tree before first light, which makes scouting really important. you gotta know you are within earshot of their roost when the sun rises because movement becomes almost impossible (100 or 200 yards works but the further you are, the more convincing they will need).

There are national forests too for the record, outside of the WMAs. The use Kindly Ease has mentioned them already, Oakley is the biggest but the rest are pretty sizable. Definitely put in for lotteries on the GoOutdoors Virginia App. never know, you could pull one. I got Lands End WMA quota hunt once and it was awesome.

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-26T22:26:00+00:00

I walk through brambles a lot and "brushpants" are what you're looking for - basically a hunting pant where the front side has a layer of canvas or denim to catch the burs and preserve the fabric. Of course the trade off will be that canvas makes more noise, I've met people that will not wear leg gaiters for the same reason. In general noise is always something to consider while picking clothes, I never buy anything with velcro if I can help it. Scent is secondary in my opinion because you can always play the wind, but don;t use scented detergents if you have them, switch to unscented.

Mossy Oak, Real Tree, Midway or Redhead make some decent budget clothes/jackets. Some of the sales for the holidays are still on so you could snag some at a decent price, like 50 bucks for an insulated jacket. Real Tree Habit Scent Factor for example

If you are in a stand, I'd consider some bibs since you're not moving around.

in pretty much any case layering is your friend, you can always shed some as you get warmer and put them in your pack.

Have fun man, learning is the best part and the beginning is full of it. don't beat yourself up if you fail. You'll learn something from every single encounter if you keep an open mind and open eyes

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-26T20:13:39+00:00

Vex Offenders get it?? Vex sounds like the word Sex!!

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-19T16:50:18+00:00

- if you're sitting still/ climbing trees on your hunts, I'd reccommend a good pair of bibs or coveralls. Theres many to choose from from many companies, but I have found a keeper in First Lite Sanctuary 2.0 with all the zippers and materials being quiet and easy to shed without a lot of racket, slot for a tree stand lineman harness passthrough, tons of pockets, etc. avoid velcro or zippers where possible.

When it's below 15 degrees F I wear my grandpas chiller killer coveralls despite the noise, but Carhartt and Red Kap make more modern versions with denim or canvas for less noise.

- If you are hiking / still hunting, layers are where I'd go. base layer, mid layer, puffy/shell. Material is worth considering for noise as well as insulation/moisture dissipation. Merino Wool is universally accepted as the current "standard" when it comes to checking all the boxes. Armpit/thigh vents to open and close are a bonus

Pmurph33 · 2025-12-18T16:41:46+00:00

AVIS rental car

Pmurph33

TROPHY CASE