Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Jun 4, 2013 10:51:06 GMT -5
Beautiful revolver. Fantastic shooting (open sights!!).
Lee, the revolvers that you and your dad put together are simply amazing. Precise. Powerful. And no bells and whistles. That's perfection if you ask me.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Jun 4, 2013 10:19:54 GMT -5
Whoa, really? How fantastic! Thanks Sixshot, for both the bullets and the lesson.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Jun 2, 2013 18:28:55 GMT -5
I read the first reply and realized I probably shouldn't be reading replies if I'm going to play fair, so I skipped down to here. Being a kid from the Northwoods, I really haven't clue, but here's my best shot:
The first option is to wait. As the hours wane, downdrafts will begin to move into the canyon from up above. This will help conceal movement as one makes their way up toward the bedded (I assume their bedded) bucks. The trick here is that you've got to wait and then there's a good chance you'll spook them during your stalk, because you'll be going straight in. But the second option isn't any easier.
In option two you've got to move. Now. Get around the end of the canyon, into the neighboring canyon, and come down over the top to shoot your quarry from above. Here time is working against you, because you've got to make it the distance before the downdrafts begin, as they will pull your scent down to the deer from up above if you can't get into position before the day starts to cool.
Considering the limitations of my personal firearms, it's a tough call to decide which I'd try (shot distance must be 100yds or less) and there are a lot of other variables to consider. Is there enough cover to make a good stalk from the bottom? How far is it to get to them from over the top? How have I physically been handling the elevation/terrain/weather and which challenge do I feel up for right now? Honestly, I'd have to have boots on the ground before I could actually choose, but there's the two options as I see `em.
I'm probably all wet, but thanks for the karma anyway, Sixshot. Good stuff.
best, Rod
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on May 30, 2013 21:13:22 GMT -5
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on May 29, 2013 22:59:34 GMT -5
The bullet is a 400gr WLN plain-base from Montana Bullet Works. This year I'm working on casting my own. They will be plain-base as well.
I have the 7.5 inch (8.25 inch) barrel on mine, but I've got plans to send it to Jack Huntington for his grip extension and I'll probably have him chop a couple inches off the barrel as well. My other guns are 6-inchers and that length just feels a lot better in my hands.
And yes, it's scoped. My father gave me his old Leupold M8-2x and I wanted to honor him by taking a deer with it. I'll probably use it for one more season, but am sorely tempted to just switch to open sights. I've always liked things that are simple and small. And that big BFR with a scope ain't disappearin' on my hip any time soon.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on May 29, 2013 22:04:08 GMT -5
I am a freshman shooter and my only big-bore is a 475BFR. Here's my take:
When I first started this little journey I owned two revolvers, a 22LR and a Super Redhawk in .454C. As you noted, shooting the 454 isn't a lot of fun. My SRH had some nagging issues which I didn't really want to struggle with, so after a short while I let it go. A BFR in .475 Linebaugh took its place. I had heard so many guys say how tractable the cartridge is and how easy it is to download that I was convinced that if it came down to it I could just stoke the thing full of Trailboss, keep my shots under 50 yards, and I'd be good-to-go.
I ran tests with Trailboss, Unique and HS-6. Everything shot well. I ended up using a load with HS-6 behind a 400gr cast bullet, a combo which probably hit a whopping 1025fps at the muzzle. I would have pushed it a bit faster, but had trouble with a work-related back/shoulder injury right before deer season and decided that the sissy load would be plenty.
Opening day I sat in a tree for nearly 10 hours without seeing a thing. Then a nice 9-point trotted right in to me. I stopped him with a cough and placed the sights at the base of his neck. At the shot he spun and trotted off. I couldn't believe I missed!
He stopped behind a screen of brush (of course) and as I tried to decide if I should take a shot through that thick spot he just folded. Never twitched. Never moved. That pussycat load was plenty indeed. In through the base of the neck. Out through the base of the rib-cage. Everything in between was shredded.
First deer ever.
The gun itself is crazy accurate. Even with my limited shooting experience I can place a cylinder full inside 4 inches at 100yds. off the bench (although many days it's still closer to 5 inches). My best group to date is 3 shots just under .85 inches. It's loud and it kicks, but with middling loads it's very manageable. I try to limit my shooting to less than 30-40 rounds per session, lest I find a bit of flinching starts to creep in. I wear gloves - cheap $7 leather work gloves from True Value - not because of shooting pain, but because I hunt with gloves on and I want to be consistent. I've never run it full-steam and after the .454 Casull, I'm not sure I want to.
And from my hunting experience, I'm not sure I'll ever need to.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Apr 24, 2013 19:04:25 GMT -5
My guess is Powder Valley. I just looked and they've still got 296 and a few others. No primers that I could see though. -Rod
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Apr 9, 2013 22:50:40 GMT -5
Working my way through another 14-hour day. Got a little break so I thought I'd touch base. First, thank you for all your responses. I'm not sure buying a second gun is the answer to the imperfections in the first and to me the BFR certainly has the build and accuracy traits that make it a worthy model to receive further refinement. As to the lack of packability, it seems the examples shown prove otherwise. This seems to be a good starting point to me. With the addition of Huntington's grip extension and removal of the barrel billboard, I'd be content. But then I run across something like boxhead's BFR that got the Huntington-Stroh double-whammy and my eyes get all criss-crossy I love the Weigand barrel band front sight. Heck, I love the whole thing. This is the one that really got me dreaming. And bigbores' just makes me sick I just keep staring at the scalloped loading gate and the leading edge of the top strap, which seems to have been rounded off. Add to the that reworked trigger guard and I can just feel my wallet shrinking. So many choices. And such a nice platform to start with. My personal BFR hasn't given me a single problem and is far more accurate than I can shoot. All I'm looking to do is improve on what already is a great revolver. Looks like I need to give Jack a call, eh. Thanks again, gents. -Rod
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Apr 7, 2013 22:12:43 GMT -5
Fantastic book! Just pulled mine out this afternoon for a bit of reference work. I need to keep it out of sight around my house as our five-year-old son continually requests it as his bedtime book (I kid you not!).
My wife is not amused.
-Rod
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Apr 7, 2013 21:44:47 GMT -5
Not that such a bunch of enablers needs any more encouragement, but I've got a gun and it needs some work. Not a full custom or anything like that - oh no, don't get any crazy ideas now! Easy boy! Just a little massaging here and there. Just a little something to make it right... for me. The truth is, I've got no idea how much all the crazy stuff I've got floating around in my head would actually cost. So I thought I'd ask here. I don't need exact prices, just ballpark. Really, how many pairs of shoes is my wife going to get to buy? I've got a BFR in 475L with the 7.5-inch barrel. I ran it last season with a 2x Leupold and enjoyed it immensely, but really feel I want to head toward something more practical/packable. I can tell you without hesitation that this will be my main hunting iron for a long, long time and I want it set up right. So, a couple things absolutely need to happen right off the bat. It needs to go to Huntington for grip work. The barrel needs to get chopped and it also needs an action/trigger job. In my dreams the barrel gets shortened to 5.5-inches and gets a banded front sight/Bowen target rear. If not that, then at least it needs a barrel chop and a new front sight. I don't love the finish on the gun as is, but I don't hate it either. I've had thoughts of Metalife, but maybe there's something more practical over the long haul. Dunno. Out of all that, I do know how much the grip extension from Huntington is going to cost. And the cost of a Bowen rear sight. But the rest is up in the air. I really have no idea... As an aside, maybe it's not polite to ask such things in open conversation. If so, I apologize. If someone would just go ahead an post as such, that would be fine. I'm just a quiet kid with a lot to learn (one of the reasons my post count is so low). best, Rod
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Nov 13, 2012 0:52:04 GMT -5
As long as you don't overwork the brass, it is a non issue. If you can take all 5 fired cases from a cylinder full and seat them in any of the other chambers, there is no reason to fully size your cases. Play with the distance you screw your sizer die in so it sizes the case far enough below the base of the seated boolit to give good tension, but not to the point that it sizes all the way to the case head. Thanks tek, will do.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Nov 12, 2012 22:48:57 GMT -5
Thanks gents, that's what I was hoping to hear. The only info I could seem to find in my reloading manuals gives one the impression that such a case is a sign of an imminent catastrophe.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Nov 12, 2012 22:00:30 GMT -5
BFR
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Nov 12, 2012 21:53:33 GMT -5
Prepping some 2x fired Starline brass for my 475L this morning and I noticed a slight bulge about a quarter-inch ahead of the case head, about right where the straight wall portion of the case starts. It measures about +0.003 in the "bulge" area.
Is this normal?
Loads are 14gr HS-6 behind a 400gr WLN. Measurements were taken with a caliper, which is not ideal, but it's what I've got.
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Odin
.327 Meteor
Posts: 978
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Post by Odin on Oct 22, 2012 21:58:35 GMT -5
The birth of my son brought me to the wheelguns.
I had been away from the hunting fields over 20 years when he was born. And almost instantly I knew I had to get my boots back on the ground. Where else could I teach him all the things my father taught me about life, but in the woods?
So I studied up on all manner of hunting. The lack of a nearby range made the long guns impractical and a local ordinance banning archery in town made bow hunting almost impossible. Smokepoles? Fuggedaboutit!!!
That left the sixguns.
There's an indoor range 12 minutes from my house. So I scraped up enough to buy a BFR and a little 22LR, got a membership at the range, and now I'm in my own little paradise.
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