New mould for 44 mag

Due to encouragement by the much missed John Livingston, I decided to have a try at casting.  Others were using cast bullets for Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette (CLA) so why not try something new for my Marlin 30-30 Cowboy.  I started with a single cavity Ideal/Lyman mould from eBay, a 31141.  I had read that the new Lymans tended to drop a skinny bullet and I had already learned a .309 would not cut it.  Needless to say I found a old die and a .311 sizer makes bullets that out shoot copper jacketed factory loads.

Since I had such success with a .30 cal bullet why would anything be different with a .44?  I trolled for a while on eBay looking for an old 429215.  Hard to find and when they did silly $$$ won the mould.  I got a two cavity mould of Lyman era.  And, I later learned it has seen some cycles! 

When it arrived it had two bullets in the cavities and no rust.  Some form of lube which smelled familiar.  Marvel Mystery oil is what it was!  First session at a buddies shop yield mostly junk!  The mould would not close all the way and we were not able to get the bullets to "fill out".  Hummm. 

Bullets from a 2 cavity Lyman 429215

I took the pot home and waited for another day.  Last night I first cleaned the mould with mineral spirits as suggested to get all that old oil out of there.  Soap and water with a tooth brush.  Dry on wood stove.  Lead and water DO NOT MIX!  Then onto the handles.  I saw that the outside hole had a burr and decided to take a very very fine file and ensure the face is flat.  This, coupled with knocking the pin in just enough to the blocks would not move when held together.  POOF!  The two halfs now mate perfectly and it drops nice bullets.

I struggled with temp management a bit and found the mould got too hot at the base but good temp on the nose.  Click picture for close up.  I will have a wet rag setup next session.  Can you believe that gas checks are $.03 each plus S&H?  I am optimistic I might be able to skip the gas check given the low pressures being used.

Approaching the target

While in Texas I had some discussion about how folks approach the target.  I shared my approach and it was kindly suggested my method was sub optimal. My approach has been to move up from the bottom of the animal.  For chickens, I come up from the bottom and POA is the leg, POI is the body.  Pigs, ditto but POA is the hole in between the legs.  I commented that I often struggle to get the dot to "move up" and it seems to stay glued right below the animal.  Once I do move it up it appears to move around more than it was below.  And, sometimes when I do break on the animal, if my follow through fails me, I will often overshoot the animal.  Think think think! 

Here is one person's advice.  By starting at the bottom and moving up, I am fighting gravity and therefore I am using muscles, never a good thing when shooting off hand.  Instead, start at the top and settle in through either letting air out and/or relaxing muscles.  This may be a better approach than trying to muscle the dot up to the animal.  I tried during the match but found it "unpracticed" relative to my "come up" approach.  Still, it is something I am going to try.  I also did some searching to see if this has already been exhaustively covered by someone else. I read a Tubb article that covers it a bit but it provides yet another approach.  Grist for the mill. YMMV.

When did the shot break?? It's called 1,000 dry fires per month.

I have always been in awe of the relative lack of movement when Bill Motl executes a shot.  I decided to capture this lack of movement using video using my point and shoot.  Nothing HD about it but it tells the same story. I should have put the camera on a tripod as I think I was moving more than Bill was.  Watch the firing pin and notice how little the gun moves when the pin on the back of the bolt moves forward.

Guess that is why he can shoot a 38 and my BEST score all weekend was a 28!  Practice, Practice, Practice!  He likely dry fires 800 shells per week every week, every month of the year.  And yes, that is a Weaver T36 on an Anschutz 54 action in a MacMillan stock which is his "heavy" or Standard gun.

Pics of the Bayou Rifle Gun Club Silhouette range

Some folks were asking about the range.  In NH, we shoot animals off of rails with dirt/sand berms.  Two clubs have permanant stands and one club must put up and take down the stands for every match.  A major effort each month!  In the TX/LA area it is fairly common to shoot on targets with a steel backstop.  Green or black with white animals.  NH shoots black animals on light colored sand as a point of interest, or non interest as the case may be.

Backstops are helpful because it helps you judge the miss.  Backstops at Bayou were particularly useful because there is expanded steel beneath the rails to catch the animal making it easy to reset.  They have another range for the cowboy.  One range for 1/5th and one range for cowboy.  Got to like that setup!

Results for the Hunter gun, day two.

I will try to write more.  Here are the shots of the score boards.

(updated)   Click on it once, then again to get full sized image.  My take away is that for the first time ever, I shot better for the last 121 to 160 shots at a big match than I ever have.  I usually slide down the scoreboard due to lack of sharp focus and rest.  So I guess that means the first 120 shots were just warm up.  Expense warm up but I am not discouraged!

What keeps the sport alive.

We had some good fun with the local 4H BB gun club.  For those who are not aware, there is a very serious BB shooting program using a Daisy 499B.  We had a Senior/Junior guts match at the end and fun was had by all.  The 4H team also spent both days setting animals and they are fast. 

We have four relays shooting on 4 of the 6 available positions.  56 total competitors on day one which was a 80 shot standard gun.  40 shots in the am.  A wonderful lunch put on by Brenda and Bill Motl and then it continued after lunch with no practice between the matches.  I think it worked quite well.  It also means if you can only make one day you can still compete in the Texas State SB Championship.  Sunday is the Hunter gun.  It is hard to tell but I would say 60% of the shooters shoot the same gun.  I was surprised to see the number of traditional standard guns on the line.  One animal left for everyone and then we wait for the shoot offs.

Day one, Standard gun results.

Well, I would like to say I rose to the challenge but I dd not.  I could make a bunch of excuses like wind, exhaustion, heat, but I won't.  I managed a meager 24 in the am and the wind picked up and I tanked to a 22.  Still, 6 pigs is a disgrace in this game.  And, others did just fine, like a 38/40 against my 22/40.  It is called practice, practice, practice which I have not made the time to do.  A good wake up call.

Why I like shooting squadded!

One of the long debates in NH has been around squading or just letting people shoot whenever they are ready.  I much prefer squaded shooting for many reasons.  First, it allows the match directors to shoot. Second, it is difficult to improve your skills without a spotter helping you confirm your break.  Many top shooters credit their spotter for their success.  I can honestly tell you Nomad has on more than one occasion helped me put more X's than O'x on my score card by helping me analyze what was happening down range vs. what I was seeing when I broke the shot and make the needed adjustments.

I told Bill Motl I was lamenting the fact that neither Nomad nor Mark were able to join me at the TX SB Championship.  I figure I had better start now on excuses.  Bill would have nothing of it and said he would find me an experienced Texas style spotter to help me through the match and sent me her picture.

Thanks Bill!

DIY gun stock tips and inspiration

As if I do not have enough going on right now I have a dream to improve my skills at working on my shooting equipment.  Metal or wood.  Messing around with my toy lathe and learning what it can and can't do.  Getting all the parts and pieces together.  In my searching the web for ideas and inspiration I found a fellow shooter's website who has taken on a number of projects which I thought others might find interesting.  Check it out.  I have to give Rick three thumbs up if I could.  I simply sent a good job note to him and before I know it we're discussing the issue of how to and when to commit to the action screw holes on a stock blank.  He updated his website just based on my question with some good info.  I think I am going to make a guide for my NS522 and see if I can finish my plywood Pharr copy.

Great fun getting caught up!

Toto, we're not in NH anymore

Well, it is 2:10 am my time and we are just wrapping up a long jaw jacking session solving all of the problems of the world and remembering past times when things were easier and fuel was $.99/gal.  If gas had not been so affordable back in 2002, I'm not sure I would have ventured to so many matches when I lived in Dallas.

Thanks to Bill and Brenda for hosting me.  Brenda was not able to join us for dinner but Bill and I had a wonderful TexMex meal at the renowned Pappasito's.  Yum!  They just don't have these in New Hampshire.

Phew, glad I weighed my ammo!

Cold NH see ya!

First, a big thanks to Bob P. who kindly and somewhat last minute drove me to the airport to save 6 days of parking! That sure helps!  Got to airport about 12:15 and everything was going normal.  The agent even knew I had a firearm and was helpful about it.  As it was open and I was filling out the form she asked me to take all my ammo out and weigh it on the adjacent scale.  All 18 boxes of it.  That was a first!  I advised her is was under 11 lbs but that made no difference.  So, I weighed it and there was 8 lbs.  Repack, lock and hang around in the event TSA might have any questions.  After 15 minutes I headed up to the flight.  That was that.  Sure glad it was 11 lbs.  I thought it was 7 lbs but to write this blog I double checked and found it to be 11 lbs  8 lbs of ammo should be more than enough.  There are only 160 competitive shots after all.  900 rounds should be more than enough!

Step 1, the equipment

Blaze ready to go

Traveling with a firearm.  It is not that bad if you go with a full understanding of the FAA and airline laws.  Domestically at least, the FAA has an umbrella law but the Airline or captain of the vessel has last say on what will or won't go on the plane.  SWA allows 11 lbs of ammo in its original packaging. I swear is used to be 7. Firearm must be in a locked in a suitable but not approved case. 

I have had two tangles.  One their fault, one mine.  First, many think that the gun and the ammo cannot travel in the same case.  Well, review the airline rules and if you with, have them with you.  SWA clearly states ammo and gun can travel together.  One time I was forced to pull ammo from gun case and put it in my suitcase which then went over the 70 lbs.  Some stressful repacking in front of all the world was not fun but I got it sorted.  20 minutes later the agent came up to me and acknowledged I was correct and appreciated my cooperation.

Last year I won 2500 rounds of ammo.  As such I rolled the dice and packed it in hopes of no one enforcing the 11 lb rule.  NOT!  Had to pull all my ammo out and weigh it and we cut a deal.  I tossed out some cheap stuff and she let me go.  Lesson learned, don't cheat too much.  TSA blew the whistle after I was checked in but differed the issue to the airline.  The airline then had to do their job.  I don't hold it against them.

In this picture you see 19 boxes or 750 rounds which is 7lbs 5 oz. Insurance, you just take your chances I guess.  I think the max per "fare paying passenger" is $3,300 and I am traveling on a FF coupon.  I suspect there are options.  This particular case is a very strong Cabella's aluminum shotgun case I was given by a friend after a company dove hunt.  Best dove hunt ever! Fits in rental cars more easily than a beautiful Pelican 1750, the best case on the market.  Just no one has given me one yet!

Snow snow go away

Monday morning, maple sugar shack across street

As you may have heard, NH got yet more snow.  Sigh. I talked with folks in Texas and they say bring some with you, it is almost 90F.  Phew.  Not sure the last time I have been in temps above 70F let alone 90F.

Time to start packing.  Kids off to school.  Liz left at six to take my Mom to funeral in RI.  Crazy day and it is only 8 am.  More later.

NH Silhouette Schedule 2011 and then some.

Here is a link to the schedule for NH Silhouette matches which includes three clubs.  Purgatory Falls Fish and Game (PFFG).  Pioneer Sportsman Inc, (PSI) and Pemigewasset Valley Fish and Game Club (PEMI).  This will get updated and I collect my links.

NH Schedule
(Mont Vernon, Dunbarton, Holderness)

NY Schedule
Albany, NY (Hendrick Hudson Fish & Game) Schedule (150 miles from Manchester, NH)

Staten Island, NY Schedule   (270 miles from Manchester, NH)

PA Schedule
Factoryville, PA (Scranton Area, 350 miles from Manchester, NH)

Nationals.
Ridgeway, PA  August 7 to 13th.

Dots, size of dots, what am I blabbering about they ask?

Quick post, questions beginning to flow in.  Holding drill.  I mentioned I use a "Avery 7/8" dot" and then something about a "bingo marker".  Ok, ok.  First, the best true silhouette targets are HERE.  Thanks Sam!  But, if you don't have access to a nice laser printer or just don't care to print targets, use dots.  Why?  Well, for me it is based on what I learned about a holding drill.  I had the pleasure of getting some coaching from Troy Lawton, a Silhouette National Champion.  He told me to take the bolt out of the gun and work on squeezing the trigger and releasing the trigger and repeat while keeping the sight picture on a "dot".  Or circle.  See his article HERE and learn about another tip on how to improve your hold.  The concept is you train your muscles to stay on target as you cycle the trigger back and forth as well as tighten up your hold.  A poor man's SCATT! 

As Lanny Bassham says.  "Luck is where preparation and practice come together".  Every shooter should read his book, With Winning In Mind.

Photo test and musings about my misbehaving 39A

Marlin 39A firing pin strikes.  Off rim, dull or weak spring?

This is more of a picture test and a test of my skills to manage the various tools that are available to me on Blogger.  I was advised I could 'upgrade' my account to a new and improved tool set.  So, like the typical lemming, I clicked OK.  Well that was stupid!  Now things are different and I have to re-learn various aspects of managing the appearance of my posts.  I am sure there is much more I can do to make them look better but for now, with all 16 folks that have viewed it, this will have to do.  

This picture was just an old one from when I was trying to figure out why my 39A was having issues with "ignition".  I would get fairly constant "bangs" but at times I would get what I would call either a delayed bang or soft bang.  Work on the CHRONY (thanks JB) told me it was not ammo dependent which was my first thought.  CCI Mini Mags to my surprise shot great.  I took the old girl apart and gave her a deep clean which was needed.  This did not solve it.  For some reason I got pulled in the direction of the "sharpness" of the strike and the location of the strike which is not on the RIM.  As with any of my blog's pictures, double click on the picture and they will blow up to full size to see the detail.  In this post you need to.  The left shells were from my 1710, the center and right set are from my 39A, CCI and Federal.

I have a new pin but have not fitted it yet.  Then some other sage from TX asked if I had inspected the SPRING!  Why that was never on my radar I do not know.  Think!  Distractions, distractions!  The 39A is a safe queen until I sort it all out and that is just not high on the list at this point.  It should be!  I have more chance to shoot it than a short action Remington 700! 

SCAT vs SCATT

I was accused of using some potty vocab.  For a moment I wondered if I had a senior moment!  Phew.  It all comes back to me now.  I am shocked to hear folks actual are reading this stuff, even my old 2009 stuff.  Alas only one follower...sniff sniff.

Ah, the wild world of electronic trainers!  Where do I begin?  Well, first, SCATT is a high tech training device that captures and shows you your EXACT movement as you acquire a center shot, the execution or "break" of that "center" shot and then follow through after the break.  It is pretty amazing to watch a computer capture your exact faults in order to help develop a better technique.  The hitch, they are EXPENSIVE!  To learn more about the options, SCATT, RIKA, etc have a look at PILKGUNS.  His Hitch Hikers's guide to better shooting is very good material.  Read his two write ups about electronic trainers and then soak up his other good stuff depending on your interest level.

Since this is my blog I guess I am allowed to muse a bit. I find it interesting how so many shooters, myself included, will spend $$$$ on guns, scopes, stocks and ammo even though we can only shoot one gun.  Sure, the list price of a SCATT is $1,300.  And the list price of a Leupold FX-3 25x scope from Midway is $650. My point, these are list prices for NEW stuff and my second point is, why not invest in a RIKA or SCATT to improve shooting vs. that next "must have" gun that could just sit in the safe after the initial thrill of acquisition?  No ammo, no gas to range and REAL feedback!  Plus, I bet a group of 2 or 3 shooters could share or even rent out such a device.  Pistol and Rifle types would even get along for once!  What strikes me as funny is how I have become distracted with collecting and learning about guns vs learning how to shoot guns.  Both are equally challenging.  I suspect one is more fun than the other.  When in Rome...

Prius and long trips for those big matches

A fellow shooter asked me about the Prius and how can I carry everything for those big matches. The Prius is odd. People think it is a small car but it is not. It is quite roomy and if there are only 2 passengers there is PLENTY of room. That is a 53 inch CONTICO full size case and two soft cases, tripod, boots, and there was zero "packing" required.


The question is are you ready to carry 2,000 rounds of High Power for each gun. SB, HP, 8 guns and how much ammo? Weight is the issue. But we drove back from DC with 5 passengers and LUGGAGE! It was snug to say the least but it worked just fine and still got 54 mpg.

Snow.....March 19th....Texas March 26th.

Biathlon anyone? Yup, this is what we are looking at when we walk out to the silhouette range at Pioneer. Had to knock the snow down in front of the chicken stands so we could see the whole target.

Mud Season....dang it!

Well, Mark joined me in the first trip to the local range in 2011. Yes, we still have plenty of snow. 12" in some places and nice old gooey mud under the firing line shelter. I guess snow is a good thing as the range is not yet a pond. Maybe in a few weeks.

We trudged from the parking lot with our gear and it was only 36F and blowing. I think we only spent a hour shooting as it was just not that fun with cold wind, boots stuck in muck.  And the wind! Good practice for Texas but I could use a few more degrees on the mercury. But, darn few hits and 24x and wind is a problem! I found I was snatching at the trigger which does little to deliver a good shot. SQUEEZE and just work on that hold if you can. I shoot at 7/8" dots from Avery found at Staples.  Or a bingo marker but those are too small for me after no real practice.

The picture you ask? Of course the one time I wish my magazine well was too tight which is usually is, it just fell right into the mud when I pushed the release forward. Argh! Thank goodness I had an extra. A small project to work on shortly.

One tip I will pass on is how to get the most out of this type of practice. First, although some find it boring, paper is the best thing to practice on because you SEE your exact POI vs where it broke. Seeing an animal fall is fun but who knows where you REALLY hit it. And, misses are always by 1/64th when on steel ;). Paper helps bring out the truth! The new tip is to shoot once and then just cycle the bolt and dry fire to see your follow through. Just pop the bolt up and then back down and take a second shot. Some even take 1 live shot to every 5 dry fires. Saves ammo and helps you see what you are doing.