Hunting 101 Class 3 -- Wednesday Period 7

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

When the students entered, they saw John sitting at his desk and two tables set out at the front of the room. One holds the sign in sheet and a pile of handouts. The other holds a number of curious items.

John waited until all his students had filed in and taken their seats.

"So last week you faced your first senario with a ghost. Nobody managed to get themselves killed and everyone eventually managed to take out the ghost." He leaned back on his desk. "Unfortunately, a number of you also managed to take out the house. Two things it's good to remember: don't burn down a house while you're still in it. And ghosts can turn incorporeal at will. You can't set them on fire."

John pushed away from his desk and went over to a side table where a number of items were laid out. "There are however a few things that you can use when fighting a ghost that actually do more harm to them than to you. Iron temporarily disrupts a ghost's energy. Anything you can find that's iron -- some crowbars, fireplace pokers, cast iron frying pans -- " John had examples of each of these and held them up in turn, "can be used as a weapon against a spirit." He smiled wryly. "And it won't burn down the house."

He the frying pan down and moved down the table where he picked up a salt shaker. "Salt is probably one of the most versatile weapons a hunter can have. Salt circles can be used for protection against not only ghosts but demons and some other evil entities." He put the shaker down and picked up a small crystal. "Salt can also be used offensively and rock salt such as this is the easiest to handle. It disrupts a ghost's energy much the same way iron does. Rock salt pieces like this or some larger, can be thrown, either by hand or using a weapon such as a sling shot." He moved down the table a little bit more to where there was a pile of much smaller crystals. "Smaller crystals such as these can be useful as well, when packed into shotgun shells." He picked up such a cartridge also sitting on the table. "You've heard of buckshot?" John grinned. "Well this is ghostshot.

"And it's not something you can just buy from any sporting goods store. You have to make it yourself." John handwavily demonstrated how to load shotgun cartridges with rock salt, explaining how as he went. When he was done he headed back over to his desk. "All the information we've discussed is covered in the handout you took at the beginning of class, including a list of steps in how to reload shotgun shells. Feel free to come up and examine everything, and try your hand at making rocksalt cartridges. Also I'd like to know how much experience and how comfortable each of you is with firearms, so I can set up balanced groups for next week's practical."



[OOC: wait for OCD is up, have at it :)]

Comments

Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

Tell John your experience with guns.

Re: Firearm experience

[forgottenpants]

"I'm the fastest draw west of the Colorado . . . circa 1894. I have experience with all manner of firearms from my own temporal period, includin' rifles, shot guns, six-shooters, and yes, even those little girly guns that only hold one bullet."

Re: Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John smiled faintly. "How's your aim?"

Re: Firearm experience

[likethegun]

Sam couldn't resist faking a worried look. "I'm not really comfortable with guns," he said. "They kind of freak me out, with the loud noise and the recoil and all."

Re: Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Now you tell me," John deadpanned.

Re: Firearm experience

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"Um...Parker showed me how to use a hand gun, but I'm not too good. I am a fair shot with a cross bow, cross bolt, or anything like that."

Re: Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"That will definitely come in handy against some of the things we'll be covering in future classes," John told her. "And you can get iron bolts that will work against ghosts." He smiled. "I'll see if I can add it to next week's choice of supplies."

Re: Firearm experience

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

Conner bit his lip. "I've never used a projectile firearm. Just a, um . . . laser blaster."

Which was also a sword. But he wasn't mentioning that part.

Re: Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John frowned slightly. "I expect that there's some essential differences between the two, in recoil if nothing else. You should probably at least try out guns on the firing range before carrying one into a potentially dangerous situation."

Re: Firearm experience

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Lots," Pip said. "Pistols, revolvers, shotguns, sub-machine guns, assault rifles and normal rifles. Sniping isn't easy for me without a good spotter with me. I've learned to compensate pretty well, but certain distances are troublesome for me because of my lack of depth perception."

Re: Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Generally, I try to stick to the more basic when it comes to weapons against ghosts. You want to go for accuracy, not strafing an entire room," John said. "And generally, if you're shooting at a ghost, it's because it's pretty much on top of you so there's not much call for sniping. You should do just fine."

Re: Firearm experience

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"If it's firearm, I've probably used it. My aim isn't what it used to be, but I can still shoot straight."

Re: Firearm experience

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Why isn't you aim what it used to be?" John asked curiously.

Re: Firearm experience

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Weapons class at the Academy mostly dealt with laser blasters," Bridge admits. "But basic training with projectile weapons was required as well."

Re: Firearm experience

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"I've been around handguns since I was fairly young. Bit less experience with rifles and shotguns," Seely shrugged. "I tend to hit what I aim for."

Re: Firearm experience

[demonbelthazor]

"I fired one in one of my workshops last summer," Bel said with a shrug. "Never had much need of one."

Re: Firearm experience

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Uh, not much," John admits. "I used a gun during my first year here and I've been hunting with my dad a few times. I can handle a gun but they're not my favorite thing in the world."

Re: Firearm experience

[sensitivejim.livejournal.com]

"A few shooting lessons, hunting with my dad," too many paintball wars with his brother, "That's about it."

Re: Firearm experience

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Dean taught me how to shoot a handgun during the summer, and we tried out other firearms in one of the workshops, but I'm pretty much a complete beginner," Peter said with a shrug. "I can hit pretty much anything with an arrow though."

Re: Firearm experience

[sensethevisions]

"I have limited experience with guns."

Re: Firearm experience

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"Standard Marine Corps weapons training," Alec said, giving John a little salute.

Re: Firearm experience

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Dean taught me how to shoot a handgun," Dawn said, coloring slightly, "but it was only once. I've never used a shotgun, and would really prefer not to use a gun if I don't have to--one of my friends was killed by one."

Then, in a rush, "but I'm pretty good with a crossbow and a regular bow and arrow and I took archery over the summer."

Re: Firearm experience

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"I don't have much practical firearm experience," Walter said. "Most of what I know is from the theoretical or construction side of things rather than from using them."

Re: Firearm experience

[notawitch.livejournal.com]

Will looked a little embarrassed.

"Um, I have no gun experience at all. They weren't really a big thing where I come from, so you'd need usually a reason to bother to learn how to use them at all. I have a friend who's Dad is a police officer, so I've seen them used, but that's it."

Re: Firearm experience

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"I've only used a gun once on the shooting range. I'm not a fan of them," Peter said.