[leftieD]

Woke the GTO up from its winter nap last week when it hit 82 deg's. Missed out on the Friday afternoon trap shoot taking the wife to the medical center for a followup shot the day after her bi-weekly chemo. Spent part of the weekend in the basement working on my shop and doing a little bit of reloading. I've got about 5 cases of shells made up for sporting clays season and some light weight 7/8 oz trap shells too.

 

[leftieD]

Went trap shooting on Friday. Shot some experimental loads I made up out of some of the 500 NOS clear Cheddite primed hulls given to me. The "brass" on them was tarnished and the plastic is a bit dull so I know they were old hulls. So I tried using up some PT1210 wads that I purchased some time back, when BPI was out of PT1205's, hoping at the time to figure out how to make up some 7/8 oz shells from these 1 oz wads. Didn't work out. Then BPI discontinued the complete PT line of wads and so these things need to get used up. Figured I'd load up a few and test the freebie hulls and so I loaded a few of the clear Cheddites with the full 1 oz the wad was designed for and added a couple/three to my vest to try out. Don't know if I misread the load data or if the old primers are off, but every one of them sounded like a poof when shot.

Shot some of the same wads in Remington Game Club hulls were they are 7/8 oz loads and do work quite well (with new primers) and smoke birds from the 16 yd line. Best part of the day was the large box full of picked up once fired Gun Club hulls from policing the field when we were done. I also got a few Federal Red White and Blue top gun hulls that I might save for trading material when I get enough for someone that loads them.

 

[leftieD]

Went trap shooting on Friday. Shot some experimental loads I made up out of some of the 500 NOS clear Cheddite primed hulls given to me. The "brass" on them was tarnished and the plastic is a bit dull so I know they were old hulls. So I tried using up some PT1210 wads that I purchased some time back, when BPI was out of PT1205's, hoping at the time to figure out how to make up some 7/8 oz shells from these 1 oz wads. Didn't work out. Then BPI discontinued the complete PT line of wads and so these things need to get used up. Figured I'd load up a few and test the freebie hulls and so I loaded a few of the clear Cheddites with the full 1 oz the wad was designed for and added a couple/three to my vest to try out. Don't know if I misread the load data or if the old primers are off, but every one of them sounded like a poof when shot.

Shot some of the same wads in Remington Game Club hulls were they are 7/8 oz loads and do work quite well (with new primers) and smoke birds from the 16 yd line. Best part of the day was the large box full of picked up once fired Gun Club hulls from policing the field when we were done. I also got a few Federal Red White and Blue top gun hulls that I might save for trading material when I get enough for someone that loads them.

Sounds like your Cheddite hulls were straight wall and your Remington hulls were tapered. The straight wall hulls need a larger diameter base on the wad to properly seal and prevent powder migration past the wad. I got in a hurry one evening and loaded some 20 ga Windjammer wads in some 16 ga hulls to shoot skeet with the next morning. Big time "POOF" on all those shells although I did break a few clays while salvaging the hulls.

The PT series of wads are for SW hulls, but BPI had a few listings using them in STS or AAHS hulls. In the Cheddite hulls they are more like 1 1/8 wads and I wanted to try to put some undershot filler to reduce the shot volume. Didn't work out too well.

 

[leftieD]

I posted photos of my 12 gauge Antonio Gil SxS in the Spanish forum:

viewtopic.php?f=126&t=436833

 

[leftieD]

Oh, you must also know "Yes Dear"!!! :lol: :lol:

 

[leftieD]

When trap singles shooting yesterday after getting a call that our Friday get together at the gun club was moved up a day due to rain predicted for today. Shot 50 more shells through the '08 DeHaan SGR O/U with one light strike on a new Federal pink shell was the only problem. Shell went off the second time and all 50 shots were out of the lower barrel. I've not kept a running total of shells through the gun, but it has to be in the many thousands. Wind was whipping in strong gusts, but my scores didn't suffer from it, just from my usual lack of concentration. Got all the far left birds from station 1 (hardest for a lefty), but missed straight away's from station 3 etc etc. Argh!

Note: the Huglu DeHaan has never been repaired, but will get a rest as soon as I get my Verona forearm back from being repaired. The DeHaan will get the wood stripped and refinished in oil vs. the POS poly finish. 2008 was the year of crappy poly finish on SGr's and mine has chipped and can be peeled off with a fingernail in places. Time to give it a new finish.

The Verona forearm wood is held to the forend metal by 2 small screws in the rear radius of the iron. The heads popped off both screws and so need to be replaced. Over hardened or just a dumb design? Upon each firing the gun wants to go back toward your shoulder and your hand is holding the wood. Wood wants to stay in place and that putting the recoil onto these two screws each firing. Former factory gunsmith wants to put a 3rd screw in the front of the iron and add a metal reinforcing "button" in the wood up there that this screw passes through. I think this will be in the middle of the checkering on the wood and could look out of place. We'll see when it comes back from the gunsmith in NV. Either that or I need to purchase a batch of spare replacement screws for the existing locations.

Good news of the day was coming home with more once fired Gun Club hulls from the guys that don't reload but do shoot Remington GC's.

 

[leftieD]

Didn't do a blasted thing yesterday, might not do as much today, but will add to the post count telling everyone about it. :lol: :lol:

 

[leftieD]

Truth be told I did load up a case of 12 gauge shells in the past few days. Plus sent a joke off to 2Few.

 

[leftieD]

Shooting clays tomorrow, but nothing today.

 

[leftieD]

Shot a round of sporting clays yesterday and if the rain holds off I hope to shoot some trap today.

 

[leftieD]

Got invited to shoot at a private club today. Took my Huglu to a club with a sporting clays course, two polo fields (with powerhouse to heat in the winter) and a grass landing strip all on 6,000 acres. Kept looking around for Donald T. to drive by. Wow!

 

[leftieD]

Got my Ebay purchased 12 ga MEC Sizemaster set up and loading 1 oz, 1200 fps loads for my AYA 117 sidelock. Hooked up, tested and set up my shrub bed irrigation system for the summer. Pouring a concrete pad around my kennel freeze proof faucet this afternoon. Shooting trap league this evening. Retirement is overrated unless it's bird season.

Got to love those Sizemasters, I've got one in 12 ga and a 2nd one in 16 ga. Before you get too far along squeeze any old MEC bottles that came with it and see if they're brittle. Better cracking in your hand empty than when loaded with shot/powder. The "optional" bottle support should be standard IMHO too. Also get yourself a red plastic baffle (not the metal one!) for under the powder bottle and remove the rubber washer so the baffle rides directly on the charge bar. Less powder escapes that way.

Retirement? What's that? I think I want to go back to work!

 

[leftieD]

Was my 69th birthday yesterday and I celebrated by shooting a round of sporting clays at Mid-Hudson. We got carried away and ended up shooting about 140 shots. Plus I scored a bunch of once fired Remington Gun Club hulls bin diving at some of the stations. If I wasn't holding the other guys up I think I could have picked up a few hundred more.

Next year I'll be a life member at my gun club and no more dues!

 

[leftieD]

When I needed power I went nuclear, didn't mess with the small stuff!

USS California equipped with two D2G reactors. I'd tell you the power ratings, but then I'd have to kill ya! :wink: Let's just say that it was in measured in megawatts, lots of megawatts and wikipedia has it wrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D2G_reactor

 

[leftieD]

Happy Birthday Leftie!

Small world - today is my 69th. Got treated to lunch by my best golfing buddies

Happy birthday right back at you!

 

[leftieD]

I couldn't get the Dickinson combo I was wanting, so had to satisfy another want of mine. I've been intrigued by the A H Fox guns ever since I read a review of all the American made doubles by Dunlap in his "Gunsmithing" book. Based on the repair rate he's seen in his and other shops, he rated the A H Fox at the top of the heap. Reading posts about Fox's online, the comments have always been positive, and they are exceptionally light for an American double gun, rivaling the finest British bird guns in that department. I've been looking for several years, but double triggers and 3" drop at the heel just don't work for me. I finally found a gun I think I can work with, and closed the deal this week. It was made in 1932, but has pretty good dimension, factory Kautsky single trigger and 16 ga choked IC/Mod to boot. Link to auction site below:

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/562200358

Very nice, and the POW stock that you like too! Our long lost friend (2Few) would have a few comments too if we could ever get him out of the kitchen and back on the forum.

 

[leftieD]

I shot a round of sporting clays on Wednesday, didn't have a good day, but the course was interesting even if I sucked at it. Head wasn't into it, I guess.

Shot trap yesterday and did well on my first round dropped 3. Thought it was a good warm up and on my second I was doing great until station #4, which should have been one of the easiest since I'm a lefty, and I guess I got thinking which is never a good thing. I cleared all the station 1 and station 2 birds and dropped one on #3, then #4 @#%%, cleared all of #5 birds. I was shooting my 7/8 oz reloads, but that wasn't the problem 'cause I smoked the ones I hit. Didn't have time for a 3rd round since a good size group was there.

 

[leftieD]

Our American Legion post conducted a flag retirement ceremony yesterday (Flag Day) with the help from the local boy scouts, cub scouts and Venture Crew.

 

[leftieD]

Shot 3 rounds of trap singles at the local gun club. Two with my DeHaan O/U and one with my A. Gil Alhambra SxS that is the gun in my avatar. I forgot my leather forearm cover for the SxS and after 25 shots my right hand was suffering from very hot barrels.

 

[leftieD]

Bought a new car.