Post by oddshooter on Apr 5, 2017 11:26:50 GMT -5
David and Dick,
I think you guys know you're singing to the choir.
Yes, I could not agree more about shooting and not getting lost in side pursuits. In the past several years, I solo'd out in the AZ desert canyons during the winter for about a week at a time. I had a monthly trip that kept me sane. I took 20 shooting irons, mostly long barreled wheelguns (38spl, 357mag, 357max, 44spl, 44mag, 45colt, 45acp, 22). I set up my paper test targets at 25 yards and my steel gongs and bells out at 100, 125, 150 yards. I chrono every shot. I read the gun, the brass, the target, and the group for data and it all gets entered into the spreadsheet log. I make 5 different powder weights for each powder/boolit combo. Each of the 5 weights gets 18 rounds made and marked. I only shoot 6 for group and velocity. I try to keep the remaining 12 rounds as a sample of each recipe.
I then go to the next powder or to the next boolit and start over. I think I have about a 100 samples of 12 on the shelf. These are great to have when I change to the next sixgun for testing. I have also filled 10 divided plastic cases from Home Depot with my reloads that I need to test. It will take about 4 days to shoot them all. The 44mag we have been discussing (light boolit, shot fast) is in that group.
This winter I had nothing but failures trying to get to the backcountry. I planned 4 different trips that were cancelled because of weather. We had the wettest winter in 20 years and canyon country is not where you want to be in flash floods (however, the desert flowers are beautiful). We get floods on a continual basis during winters like this. I've had several life threatening flash flood adventures already.
I can do longer shoot at ranges. I know what great, fun shooting is and ranges are not it.
Put that with senior day care, family, commitments, medical visits, and scheduling conflicts; your priorities are lost in the shuffle.
So I have spent 4 months bottled up with only reloading and gunsmithing as a release. I looked back at my reloading/shooting logs and found several pistolas that needed a little TLC. This EL Dorado 44mag was such an example. Even my lady has said, "you need to go backcountry, get the hell out of here". Next Wednesday is my current target for getting out. Yesssssssss !!!
So I really want to thank all those on this forum for all the winter posts and comments. It has kept me semi - sane in a totally insane world.
Prescut
I think you guys know you're singing to the choir.
Yes, I could not agree more about shooting and not getting lost in side pursuits. In the past several years, I solo'd out in the AZ desert canyons during the winter for about a week at a time. I had a monthly trip that kept me sane. I took 20 shooting irons, mostly long barreled wheelguns (38spl, 357mag, 357max, 44spl, 44mag, 45colt, 45acp, 22). I set up my paper test targets at 25 yards and my steel gongs and bells out at 100, 125, 150 yards. I chrono every shot. I read the gun, the brass, the target, and the group for data and it all gets entered into the spreadsheet log. I make 5 different powder weights for each powder/boolit combo. Each of the 5 weights gets 18 rounds made and marked. I only shoot 6 for group and velocity. I try to keep the remaining 12 rounds as a sample of each recipe.
I then go to the next powder or to the next boolit and start over. I think I have about a 100 samples of 12 on the shelf. These are great to have when I change to the next sixgun for testing. I have also filled 10 divided plastic cases from Home Depot with my reloads that I need to test. It will take about 4 days to shoot them all. The 44mag we have been discussing (light boolit, shot fast) is in that group.
This winter I had nothing but failures trying to get to the backcountry. I planned 4 different trips that were cancelled because of weather. We had the wettest winter in 20 years and canyon country is not where you want to be in flash floods (however, the desert flowers are beautiful). We get floods on a continual basis during winters like this. I've had several life threatening flash flood adventures already.
I can do longer shoot at ranges. I know what great, fun shooting is and ranges are not it.
Put that with senior day care, family, commitments, medical visits, and scheduling conflicts; your priorities are lost in the shuffle.
So I have spent 4 months bottled up with only reloading and gunsmithing as a release. I looked back at my reloading/shooting logs and found several pistolas that needed a little TLC. This EL Dorado 44mag was such an example. Even my lady has said, "you need to go backcountry, get the hell out of here". Next Wednesday is my current target for getting out. Yesssssssss !!!
So I really want to thank all those on this forum for all the winter posts and comments. It has kept me semi - sane in a totally insane world.
Prescut