AFTER THE RAIN. Birds and broods were out in full force following the rains which swept over the state, dropping anywhere from .25 to 1 inch.  Under clearing skies and light winds, the evening provided a chance to catch up with wildlife, but the day gave plenty of time for firearms lore, which we touch on in today’s Three Things.

(Featured Photo: A hen pheasant and four chicks dry out in an alfalfa field north of Bismarck. Simonson Photo)

DAILY CONDITIONS:

WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast):
Today: Thu 8/3 – Cool but dry. Hi 74, Lo 51, Winds N @ 9
Tomorrow:  Fri 8/4 – More of the same. 73, Lo 50, Winds N @ 11

SOLUNAR (Bismarck Times):
Sunrise: 6:27AM Sunset: 9:11PM
Moonrise: 6:17PM Moonset: 2:55AM
Overhead: 10:59PM Underfoot: 10:35AM
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (84% Full)

EDGE HOUR.    5:45-6:45PM.    Take your supper on the lake and hit the water this evening for your best shot at a bite, following the recent cold front.  Conditions will be tough and you’ll need every minute of the Edge Hour for some help.  Go deeper, go slower, go clearer.

DAY RATING:

THREE THINGS.

GAUGE IT.  The term gauge comes from an English diameter measurement system, whereby the number in the gauge represents the number of lead spherical balls in a pound that would fit in the barrel of a shotgun.  For example, a 12 gauge barrel would fit a sphere of lead weighing 1/12 pound.  A 16 guage, a lead ball of 1/16 pound and so on.  It gets pretty complicated beyond that.

GOING BACK TO CAL.  Similarly, caliber is the internal measurement of a rifle barrel, measured in hundredths of an inch. A basic understanding only scratches the surface of the multitude of options available to firearms enthusiasts, and a lot has happened since the first .56-caliber rifle was created in the late 1800s.

INSUFFICIENT MEMORY.  If you’re not tapped out yet on all these technical shooting terms, Dram (a play on computer terms, right hunting/tech nerds?) is also a measurement of volume, particularly in the amount of gunpowder in a shotgun shell, or the equivalent of that volume of powder.

So much to learn, so little time.

Stay Sharp.