I still haven't spent my roughly $200 bucks on the .22 I was going to buy a few weeks back. I told myself I would buy myself some ammunition first, because owning a gun without ammunition is, well, pointless. I've been to several Walmarts and a few outdoors shops like DIcks, with no luck -- unless of course I want to come right when they get more ammo in.

.22s are a lot of fun. I've shot one a couple of times and would be great to take up to the Adirondacks for target practice. Also good for shooting squirrels and rabbits. But if I have pay an arm and a leg to get ammo and wait in lines early in the morning, it's just stupid.

I also was looking at getting a shotgun this fall. A shotgun is a totally different tool, for hunting different things. In many ways a shotgun is more versatile, even though shot is more expensive and the range is much less. But with a shotgun shell, you can hit a much wider target, which is good for a moving animal, assuming you don't mind picking all the shot out.

I think I will probably end up picking up a shotgun this week or next, and taking it up to some place fairly remote in the Adirondacks to practice. The local Walmart has almost all the gauges and types of shot in stock, including plain old bird shot. And you can just pick it up off the shelf and take it to cash register just like any other grocery item. Hand gun ammo, yes is behind lock and key, but not shotgun shells at Wally World.