Handsome Rob

Did it contain all this stuff? A LITTLE GUN HISTORY In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control.. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1..5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated ------------------------------ Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.. ------------------------------ Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated ------------------------------ Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ----------------------------- Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million. I keep getting chan EMails with these 'statistics'

Jumped a nice doe from her bed at Owl Hollow this afternoon, popped a cap at her, but had my first failure with the GPR Patch was too wet & it contaminated the powder with lube, I reckon. Highlight of the afternoon......I was sat on the floor, under a small tree & had 2 squirrels fightin over which one got to sit on my foot! I also had a little grey fox come within 8 feet & take a poo. Poor little bastard nearly turned inside out when he got into my scent stream!

I have 2 diamond stones that I've been using for the past 15 or 16 years. One is a medium grit, no-name stome bought from a flea market, the other is a super-fine DMT flat stone (NOT the one with the diamond shaped holes) Every knife I've ever made & sold has been sharpened on these 2 stones, freehand. I would never let a knife leave the shop unless I could cleanly shave with it. Learning to sharpen freehand is a pretty handy thing to know. That said, I've been using one of these for the past year, on my own knives, with absolutely spectacular results! KME Precision Knife Sharpening System (Works for many broadheads too) It's far better than the Lansky/Gatco type, fixed angle sharpeners. The reason being that once you've 'locked in' your sharpening angle (which is infinitely adjustable from 17 to 30 degrees) the stone stays at that angle with no chanceof it shifting. If anyone would like to try out the KME, I'll happily mail it to you for a 1 week trial

Cheese & Crackers That had to have been pretty scary!

As a casual observer to this thread, with pretty much nothing constructive to add, could I please suggest everyone go bck & read Adam's posts. A few of you seem to have either misunderstood, or, misinterpreted what Adam has posted. 1. Derringer guy is not an employee at the restaurant 2. Adam & his buddies are regulars there & are known to the staff 3. Derringer guy was a patron of (and stranger to) the restaurant 4. Adam & his buddies complied with the request to quieten down 5. Unless you've had a gun drawn on you, you don't really know how you'd react, training or no training Adam stated that he never really felt threatened & therefore had no reason to draw & yes, while his friend may be in for Captain Retard of the Year award, I applaud him for not further escalating the situation & possibly getting someone killed.

Here's a look at the English version of the Ghost chilli, the Dorset Naga.......

Here's a quick looksee at what you're getting into...... Please bear in mind that this dude eats chillis for a LIVING!

't ain't a proper Tennessee chilli without possum, coon or both.

Guy walks upto a hotdog stand.... "Whaddaya want?" "I'd like a Bhuddist dog please" "What's a 'Bhuddist dog?" "Make me one with everything" Sorry.

Sorry chief! I didn't mean to preach to the choir! You may also wanna check out www.muzzleloadingforum.com

Gunbroker is your friend. Lots of caplock frontstuffers for sale there. I can highly recommend the Lyman GPR in .54 I find it shoulders & balances much nicer than any of the TC rifles. The .50 is nice, but a little muzzle-heavy. The .54 balances much nicer + it has a lot more whompability. Big medicine on anything smaller than a grizz You can buy real black powder from Bass Pro too. You'll need to ask at the gun desk for it (It's not allowed to be on display) It's much, much better in sidelocks than Pyrodex, 777 etc... Buy yourself a pound of FF & FFF, you'll find that your rifle will definately prefer one over the other. Get to the range & do plenty of load work too. Patch thickness & powder volume makes a hell of a difference in your accuracy (for example here's a couple of my targets, just to show what a difference a few grains can make......) If you buy new, you'll need to get at least 100 shots down the barrel before your accuracy really starts to pick up. They take a lot of breaking in. Don't worry about your load combo until then.

Anyone hunt deer with .243? What's your preferred factory load? I'm looking at 2 different bullet weights, one for varmints (55gn) one for deer (95 or 100gn) Would I be better doing this, or can I get away with a 'midde ground' bullet weight of around 75gn to do it all?

Not funny until he mixes the dressing & now I can barely see for laughing!!!

Tee hee hee.......

I took my first rifle deer with a little .357 Rossi last year. 100 yard shot with a hollowpoint. I couldn't tell you the bullet manufacturer or weight as it was from a batch of handloads I got with the rifle. I can tell you that it was a pretty light load, certainly not up to factory load pressures. The deer didn't take a single step. Pretty devastating round from a rile barrel!

I drove upto Big Timber via Livingston. The little guy on the right in the picture of the 3 of us, is the ranch manager/caretaker of the Brokaw ranch. I spent 4 days living in Tom Brokaw's guest house (Name drop, name drop ) Unfortunately, Tom & Meredith were in California at the time, mediating the Governatorial debate. I drove up through Jackson & into Yellowstone. I got to see Old Faithful do it's thing (something I've wanted to see since I was a little kid) & experienced the 'town Elk' in Mammoth (possibly THE coolest thing ever!) I came the longer way back, via Cody, to visit the Bridger museum & visit another good friend. It was a hell of a road trip (4000 miles + in 14 days) but worth ever mile & drop of diesel. I got to see & visit places I've been reading about in Western novels for 30+ years. I'll be back next fall to see a little more of Yellowstone & top up the freezer with more 'lope meat (BEST burgers EVER!!!)

.....Whompability & the .54 roundball Before I post this, I'll apologise due to the lack of pictoral evidence. I rarely carry a camera at the best of times & crawling around Wyoming in a ghillie suit, whilst carrying a 9lb .54 Lyman Great Plains Rifle + all the accoutrements is not condusive to lugging photography clobber around. Anyway, to the crux.... I just returned from 10 spectacular days in Wyoming & Montana. The reason for the trip wasn't really hunting, but I had a couple of Doe/Fawn Antelope tags in my pocket, just on the offchance. After visiting with some very good old friends & a few days of sightseeing I managed to slope off for a day's stalking. Man, hunting whitetail down here has really spoiled me Hunting the Western Praries at the foot of the Rockies is TOUGH! 12" tall sagebrush as the only cover, unpredictable winds, animals with good eyesight, I tell you, it ain't no walk in the park! I soon figured out that the only way to get within my comfortable range (50yds) of a group of antelope is in a ghillie suit, on my belly. It seems that I could walk upright to about 150yds of every group, as long as the wind was right, but inside of that they weren't hanging around to figure out what I wanted. I made 3 failed stalks on different groups before I figured that out. The fourth stalk went a lot better! I had seen a herd of 17 animals about 800yds from my hilltop & stalked upto 75yds. 17 sets of eyes were suddenly turned my way & I had nowhere left to go. I made a decision to take the last doe in the herd (the biggest) from my present, prone position. I've done plenty of shooting with my muzzleloader at 100yds+ & I know that I'm pretty much going to hit what I aim at, at that range. I'll admit I'm a LOT more comfortable at 50, but I figured that 75yds was no great shakes from a prone, rested position with little wind. I waited for a full broadside position & placed the foresight directly on the back of her shoulder, set the trigger & touched off.....click.....crap (must get a new nipple ) I recocked the hammer, re-set the trigger, whispered a hurried prayer & touched off the 90gn FFG charge. The .530 roundball flew to the exact spot I'd aimed for & dropped the doe on the spot! Joy of joys, oh happy day! My first game with my GPR. I got up to walk across the hill & claim my prize when I noticed a second 'lope, just over the brow of the low ridge my target had been standing on. She didn't look well, not well at all. I hurriedly re-loaded with thoughts of filling my second tag. I got the rifle mounted & ready to shoot when she toppled over. Figuring something was seriously wrong I decided to investigate & was utterly amazed to find her dead, right there with 2 broken front shoulders. Yep, you got it, I managed a twofer. The second animal was bedded directly behind the one I'd shot at, hidden out of my sight in the sagebrush. The roundball passed straight through the first, without hitting heavy bone & continued on straight through the second! Three things I learned from this; 1. Carry a freaking camera! 2. Be very, very aware of what's behind my target. 3. Respect the Roundball. Sabots & pointy bullets are for girls. If anyone's at all interested, I can take a photo of the inside of my new chest freezer...... There's over 100# of really nicely butchered meat in there (minus the roast that's in the smoker) Here's a few 'mood' pics.....

Well, thanks to Gregg, I've got myself fixed up with a really nice condition K6 Weaver (well, I will have once I get him a check mailed off)

Yes I am and no, unfortunately I haven't I sold all my stuff before I moved here & haven't got back to building yet :(

Well, it looks like I've not only managed to settle on a caiber, I've found the right rifle too! I've just been and dropped a few bucks on a nice condition, used Ruger M77 (Mk1, red butt-pad) in .243 Next thing I need to decide on is a scope. I've always used variable power scopes, but to be honest apart from on the range, I rarely alter the magnification. I don't have a huge amount of cash left over to go top of the range, I'm realistically looking for a scope in the sub-$150 price bracket & I'm thinking that a fixed power (6x) scope may allow me to get a little more for my money. I know I'm not going to get a Leupold, but I may be able to find a nice, used Redfield or a lower-end Nikon. Also, this being an older rifle, it has a very classy gloss blue finish & I'd like the scope to match (rather than being Matte Black) Does anyone here use & fixed power? Do you wish you'd bought a variable? Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm going half blind looking at Cheaper than Dirt/Midway/Midsouth etc... Oh, I'm open to offers if anyone has a suitable scope going spare

Thanks for the help & advice guys. After due consideration, I've decided to go with the .243 option. I can get lightweight bullets for varminting & heavyweights for deer & bigger stuff. I was never really comfortable with the idea of the .22 bore-size for deer, although I know it's possible. The .243 WIN seems like a much better alrounder, at the expense of a few more cents per bang.

Thanks y'all! The shot was about 50yds, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a 100 yarder at all. I read a lot of info online & (more importantly) spoke to a lot of folks about the li'l .22 WMR round. Everyone told me that it was fine out to about 125 yards with Remington 40gn Softpoints (NOT hollowpoints!) The little 30gn Hornady Balistic Tip gives you another 25-30 yards effective range, but it's a lot more wind sensitive. The one thing everyone's opinion had in common, when talking about these little rimmy rounds, is that shot placement is absolutely vital & to be prepared for a quick follow up shot, if needed. I'm under no illusion at all, a small centrefire round (.22 Hornet, .222, .22-250, .204, .223 etc...) would be preferable, but as long as you're prepared to ONLY take high percentage shots, the WMR will get the job done.

While I've been away in the Wyoming, The Wife's been hving no end of trouble with coyotes. The dadgum things came onto our front porch & made off with a female turkey on the first night. (prompting a very frantic, panicky phone call from The Wife & detailed instructions on how to load a Remigton 870 from me. Incedentally, have you ever tried to describe, without handsignals, loading a pumpy to someone who'snever, ever handled a firearm. Not easy. Not easy at all!) The second night they were back & made off with 2 guinnea fowl. (Prompting a second panicky call fom The Wife & a stern telling off for being 'too scared' to use the 870 from me) Anyhow, roll on a few days & I'm back to put paid to these thieving 5hits (after butchering 2 antelope Thank You Wyoming!) I called up a good friend of mine, who knows a lot more about his stuff than me & begged a lend of his Foxpro caller. Man, them things are a LOT nicer than squeeking against the back of your hand! I set up in our back field at 7:15 am, just as the sun was starting to really get up. Me in my old faithfull Ghillie suit, the caller set out at about 75yds & facing in the direction I thought seemed most likely. I hit the button on the Coyote Locator call & let it cycle through a couple of sequences.....nada. Okay then, let's see what sounds inviting....Chicken In Distress oughtta work. I ran the call for about 10 minutes, scanning the open cow pasture behind my property & sure enough, I see the cows start out towards me in a big hurry. Just behind them I catch a glimpse of a very dark, very large 'yote coming straight in to the call. Here we go..... He locks up at about 125 yds, in the cow field. Dammit, just a little closer. I hit the call again & he starts back towards me, ducks under the fence & stands facing me at dead on 70 yards. DAMN! there's 12 cows standing all around behind him, too risky for a shot. 5 seconds later & he's hauling tail back to the woods with out stopping to give me another chance. Oh well, that's hunting. I figured I'd move a little & give it another try, not really expecting a second chance. We have a little pond in the same field, about 200yds from where I initially set, the field sloping off behind it into the woods. It's only a small area, maybe 100yds long, 50 wide with trees on 3 sides & a bushy berm on the 4th, backing onto the pond. I threw the call out right into the middle of the glade & set myself up at the bottom of the berm, concealed by the low (& spiky) bushes. Once more, the Distressed Chicken is given it's chance to perform......20 seconds of skwarking, clucking & screaming later & there's a small coyote staring straight at the call. Stone me that was fast! I hurriedly shoulder the little Marlin, throw a mil-dot on the back of her shoulder & squeeze off a round.......Where'd she go? What'd I do wrong? How the H-E double-hockey-sticks did I miss? Oh, hang on, I didn't! She dropped right there, deader than virginity. The little 30gn Hornady .22 MAG round worked exactly as advertised, leaving a teeny, tiny entrance hole & an exit wound I could poke 2 fingers into I dragged her back to the house for a few pics & skinned her out for tanning. She has a beautiful red/grey coat, very full & soft & it should look great slung over the back of my chair! Now, if I can just get her boyfriend to come in.......

Okay, I'm in the market for a bolt action, centerfire .22 I'm wanting it for target shooting/fun at the range, varmint hunting (out to 300yds) & possibly even deer hunting, The options I'm considering are .22-250, .222, .223 or possibly a .204 Ruger (Not for deer) I'm leaning heavily towards either a Savage or Remington 700. I know that there's no 'perfect, do it all rifle' but I'm wanting the nearest thing I can get. I already have a .22 WMR, so the big rimmy can be discounted. I don't want a round that's going to vaporise a coyote either (which is my main concern with the .223 Anyone got any experiences?) I have various rifles of different calibers which are great for either deer & target, but not varmint; varmint & target but not deer; or target but not deer or varmint. I'd like to whittle my safe down a little & standardise my ammo buying, if possible too. Which would you choose & why?

I'll be chasing antelope all around Wyoming, as long as m' truck gets me there!