Against the Grain Read Online Free PDF Page A

The length was the perfect balance of weight and handling while still maintaining the velocities needed to optimize the large caliber bullet that would pass through it. The action was smoothed and polished, and the upgraded trigger was set just right, not too heavy, not too light. It was maybe not as rugged as a FAL or HK, and not as accurate as a traditional bolt action rifle, but it also weighed considerably less than most other “battle rifles” and would shoot “minute of man” as well as anything could in a bad situation.
    “You shot it yet?” I jokingly asked Breanne.
    Part of living in the days we now lived in meant everyone at the Ranch had learned to shoot, and Breanne especially had flourished compared to some of the others. She had shown a natural gift for not just being accurate, but being able to engage her mind and really put a gun to use. She could quickly work out solutions to difficult shots at distance and close in, and she shot with confidence at multiple targets. She didn’t have the long term experience of handling weapons, and maybe didn’t know the finer attributes and manipulations of various types of firearms, but she was a talented and competent shooter.  
    Breanne, like most of the others, had not fired a single round from the time she was a young teenager until just a few months ago. Early on in their lives their dad David had taught all his kids the basics with an old bolt action .22, and then later on with his hunting rifle. Under my renewed tutelage, the others didn’t exactly learn precision marksmanship, more like practical, good enough shooting, but Breanne had taken to it all. I figured it must have given her something to focus on when everything else in the world was so out of focus. Whatever it was, it was clear that she was a natural and she seemed to enjoy being good at it too.
    “I put it to my shoulder and tried the trigger a few times, seems nice, but I don’t really know how to use the scope that well,” she told me.  
    “Neither do I,” I said looking it over and running the bolt a few times. “I always was decent enough with irons and had good enough eyesight that I didn’t need a scope,” I finger quoted, “but this should let me get quicker and more precise shots in at longer ranges. Once I get it broken in and learn to shoot it, I’ll get you behind it and see what you think.”
    “That thing is going to be loud as hell isn’t it?” Breanne asked.
    “It doesn’t have to be," I unscrewed the flash hider on the end of the barrel. “There should be a suppressor in that bag with the mags and extra parts… but yes, it’s still going to be pretty loud. I just hope the impact doesn’t change too much with the suppressor on it.”
    Actually I really hoped that with the suppressor fitted to the front end of the gun, that it wasn’t going to make it feel completely unbalanced.
    “Clint said he had sighted it in on his little range and there was no big difference,” Breanne supplied.
    “Awesome, I’ll have to hit him up on the CB tonight.”
    “Does that mean you’re staying here tonight… with your new friend?” she added.  
    I had an open invitation to stay in the spare bedroom of the main house, and I did stay the night every once in a while, but this was one of those times I thought the small tent in my pack may be a better option.
    “I don’t think I’ll take up space in the house tonight... but I’ll probably be around somewhere close by,” I replied. “And hey about her, she needed some help and I was in the right place. It’s good of you guys to take her in, even if it’s just temporarily.”  
    “It’s the right thing to do,” She said, not being too specific.  
    With that , I handed the Saiga back to her and picked up my AK74. I really, really wanted to carry the new gun with me to go see Nick, but it was unproven to me as of yet, and the magazines in my pack were full of 5.45, not 308.

Chapter 4
     
    “Hey, you have some beer