Sorry for the huge pictures. I figured out how to post them from my photobucket account but it's too late to try to resize them. Ya'll get the idea I think.
I have the wife working on getting either some swede leather strips or I might go with a thick felt strip. If I don't have anything by match time, I'll just use one of my leather gloves in the crotch... (NOT Micheal Jackson style)
Those are some fine cross sticks Grumpy! I think that they will serve you well. They look like they have a large range of adjustment for various shooting positions. Well done.
Still looking for a small stool. Harbor Freight has a nice strong metal folding stool that looks nice but would rather go with a stout wooden stool if I can find one. Might make one, depends on available time.
Mostly a Shiloh #1 in .45-90, w/30" hvy bbl. 80 gn(weight)Goex 3F powder, Starline case that has been annealed. CCI.br2 primer. .060 fiber opw and a Paul Jones 540gn Creedmoor bullet, cast from 30:1 alloy. I shoot this bullet 'as-cast'. I pan lube using DGL. The case's are lightly F/L resized and I run .001-.0015 neck tension. Average MV is 1354fps & E.S. for 10 rounds is 8 fps or less. This load hits like Thor's hammer ;) Also have a Shiloh Hartford model with a 34" hvy bbl in .45-70 Use 65 gns of Goex 3F, all else is the same. Ave MV is 1220 fps. Both rifles have MVA Buffalo Soule rear sights and MVA #113 on the front. Both rifles are LASERS- It's just the 'nut' on the 'pedal' that has issues =)) LG
Yes it does and It looks to have the second hole already drilled and tapped for the sight base. I just need to complete the Reloading Room so I can have the construction part of things out of the way. Then I can save up for accessories for my HI-Wall instead of for my dry wall. I am getting there though!
I am back in action, well untested yet, in the reloading room. There are several details but the mechanics are in place. Still need to mount my Forster Case Trimmer. It's a good thing too, as I need to load up .44s before next month's match.
Well, the reloading room is completed with the exception of a few minor details. The book cases and the loading desk are finished and in place. I need to mount my Forster Case Trimmer but that is easy. I need to load for the July match so everything will be getting a shake down run real soon. I hope to be able to enlist the help of Montana Jewel's middle son, at some point in the future, to take some pictures that I can share with you guys but he is pretty busy right now.
The Del Rio Ammo works is up and running! I loaded four hundred rounds, for my .44s, yesterday. Everything worked out good and the room was a pleasure to work in. Put up a couple of C.M. Russell sketches in there as well. Now it's time to get onto the sights for my Hi-Wall.
Tried to load up some BP shotshells last night. I couldn't find my empties!!!! All I could find were the few I shot last month!
I tore up the shop looking for my stash of well over 200 nice empty shells and burned up the best part of 2 hours.
I finally gave up and went to put the few I had away for later... I put them (in a coffee can) on top of an old ammo box marked "casting supplies". Hmmm.
Yup, opened the ammo box and it was chock full of my empties. No time left so I'll get to it tonight probably.
Just my brain farts. I've been known to lose something then go buy it's replacement only to "put it away" and fine the original where I was going to put the new one.
I'm going to try and stay late tonight and see what I can do about that bullet mold that needs fixing. I got a few of the chips from drilling out but I can't see either a drill bit, or anything else, from the end you drilled from. The mold blocks are definitely soft so I will be going in from the other side. Stay tuned.
Well, I have good news! I was able to get that damnable screw out! I had to go in from the opposite side of the block and found the tip of an easy-out and a goodly piece of a small drill bit. Once I was able to see these from the other side, I drove them out with a pin punch, allowing me to drill the rest of the screw out. Your big problem was the mold blocks being much softer than the screw. That makes it much more important to drill through the exact center of the screw than when the screw is the softer of the two. When the screw is the hard thing, the drill wants to walk off and penetrate the block, which is exactly what happened here. That left the first half of the hole badly damaged. So bad in fact the even opening it up for a heli-coil didn't clean it up enough to make it usable, so I ended up heli-coiling the second, newly made, half of the hole's length. I then trimmed a longer screw to length so that it is pretty flush with the top of the block. That way you wont be casting bullets and short, lead screws. I changed out the other screw as well, and turned their head diameters so that they would fit in the existing counterbores. This way, they are both the same style even if they can't be the same length. Their threads are very lightly coated with anti-seize to help keep them from becoming "soldered" in their holes. If the screw broke while you were trying to remove it, it could be that it was, in fact, soldered in its hole. Might be a lesson there. Maybe to loosen the screws while the mold is hot. I am not a bullet caster so I don't know if this is a rule of thumb or not. I will bring it to the July match.
The screw broke while I was using the mold. I had poured the cast, the lead "froze" and I opened the block and one half felt "wobbly" I turned it over to look at it and the top of the screw fell out and then that half of the block fell off the handles. Never had it happen before, hopefully never again.
I'm a bit late updating my Mold fix but here it is; Met up with Doc at the July match and he handed me a mold that should be as good as new. I haven't used it yet but hope to soon enough. Pictures would be a waste as it looks just like it did before only has a recessed screw now showing under the sprue cutter.
Doc wouldn't take my money for the job, but he said he wouldn't turn down a couple margaritas next time we find ourselves at the 'ol watering hole! You betcha Doc, Thanks.
Thanks for the kind words guys, it makes me feel good. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself! I hope we get to shoot more long range matches so that you can use that puppy. I finally got to order a nice set of sights for my 1885 High Wall. Once they arrive, I can begin the mounting process. More to come.
I went with the Kelley sights. I got their Long Range, Soule Sight, their Standard, Spirit Level Front Sight, and their Large Hadley Eye Cup. I got all of it from Buffalo Arms Company and, while I was shopping there, I ordered all of the, Lyman 17 type, front sight inserts that they offered, twenty eight in all. You can check them out at Buffalo Arms website, www.buffaloarms.com or you can go to Kelley's website, www.kelleysights.com. I have received them and am very satisfied so far. They are gorgeous with color case hardened finish and silicon bronze knobs for things like the windage adjustment knobs and the spirit level retention knobs. Go to one of the websites and check them out.
Kelley makes some of the very best BPCR sights out there! Do make sure the rear tang sight is 'plum' and square with the bubble centered. Not uncommon to shim one side or the other of the tang's base to do this. A surface plate and a dial indicator on a height gauge would work well here. You center the bubble and run the indicator on the tang sight staff. You want it as close to "0" left or right travel as you can get(this is where the shims come in). You wouldn't by chance know where you could find such tools, do you? :D You need to play 'hookie' soon from work and come up to D/M so we can get a no-wind zero for this set-up. LG
Just took a look... WOW! very nice Doc. I bet you are just itchin' to try it out! You gonna bring it out this month?
A bit out of my reach for now but I'm very happy for you.
On my El Cheepo sight, I too a file to the bottom of the base and took a little bit off one side to help level it out. It's inexpensive enough that if I mess it up I won't mind so much. I'm anxious to get mine out soon.
Yeah, they are really nice! I hope to get some time to work on installing them this weekend, but you know how that goes. I have a plan to get the front sight exactly in the center of the barrel and I know about the shimming to get the rear sight plum on the rifle. I certainly can't take it to work and put it on the surface plate, those days are gone forever I fear. I will figure something out. I can't wait to see what the High Wall looks like with the sights in place! It is going to be beautiful!
Just get the front sight close to center. We will move it as needed for a 'no-wind-zero' setting. I set my no wind zero at 300 yds distance. The trick is get a 'no-wind' day in Acton-LOL Neither of my Sharps front sights are 'dead' center. Far more important to make sure the rear sight is 'plum & square' so the sight will track properly as you raise it for yardage. If the sight is not 'square' it will induce windage changes when you adjust for distance. You'll still have to deal with the bullets 'spin-drift'. Really want to see some pictures when you get'em on. LG
Well, I trial mounted the sights and they are going to look great! The front is on and I started with it exactly in the center of the barrel flats. One problem with it is that none of the Lyman brand front sight inserts seem to fit. All of the Lee Shaver inserts that I bought fit just fine but the Lymans seem to be just a tiny bit large on the O.D. That cuts me down to only twenty choices of front sight insert. I mounted the Large Hadley Eye Cup but I am disappointed with the brass washer that fits between it and the sight base. To raise or lower the sight, one loosens the eye cup then adds elevation, then tightens the eye cup to lock in the adjustment. That little brass washer is a P.O.S.! I will be making one that actually has parallel sides and a chamfer to make room for the radius at the base of the threaded eye cup stem. I will also make it of a thickness that clocks the eye cup aperture adjustment disk to a position that I can access easily. The main mounting screw is about .060 too long and is in need of a proper trim. I will be doing that as well. Once these little items are done, I can get to actually mounting these beauties.
Doc. The MVA come with a polyurethane washer. It should be a #10 washer. Have some spares if you want one. Sanded my washers so the Hadley disc is at the 12 o'clock position when tight. I have found the best front aperture to be the 'lollipop' type. Have you seen these-- http://www.buffaloarms.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=160916&CAT=4083
Thanks Lumpy, I appreciate the offer. Let me make a brass one and if it works out, I will use it. If not, I will ask you for one of your poly washers. I believe that I will be aiming for a 10-11 o'clock position as this seems to feel right to me. It will also allow for seating and wear before it reaches the 12 o'clock position. I purchased the exact set that you pointed out in your linky, at Buffalo Arms. These are the ones that won't fit. The Lee Shaver inserts seem to fit fine however. Check out these-- http://www.buffaloarms.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=274253&CAT=4083 and these-- http://www.buffaloarms.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=156893&CAT=4083. My links don't turn blue like yours do so I am probably doing it wrong. Damnable computers!
Well, I have the screw trimmed and I made the end look just like the factory did it. It is nicely radiused and polished, then I colored the tip of the screw, with the welding torch, so that it looked like the color case hardening that it started with. This should allow me to get the rear sight mounted well enough to test for "windage sweep" during the addition of elevation. I need to make up some shims for under the rear sight so that I can adjust the sweep out during my initial tests. Next up though is a washer. Maybe I will make one out of Brass and one out of black Delrin. More to come.
Good deal. Sounds like you get'n closer to that 'sick-day' you'll be need'n for test fire. Do you have access to a small bubble level you can hang off the side of the rear staff? I use the Starrett #134 for this. http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/1-Precision-Measuring-Tools/11-Precision-Hand-Tools/1117-Machinsts-Levels/111701-Levels/134 You want the staff to be 'plum' to the front sight's bubble. I make my shims from steel shim stock and start with .002 and go up in .002 increments. I buy old feeler gauges at garage sales etc. for the shim material.
Yes I did, $4 each for two plus $11 shipping and they were the wrong ones. Too large.
I went to few hardware stores near my work and found two gun screws (black) that are torx head but will work well enough. It's an out of production sight, it's cheap and I'd rather bitch and moan about it to the wife until she gives in and lets me put something else on it.
I'm sure I'll at least be able to hit the ground at distance with it.
No issue, but I do have a complete, brand new set of Lyman #17A, Front Sight Inserts, for sale! If anybody needs a set, just let me know. I am going to make a couple of Delrin washers for the rear sight eye cup, in case the brass ones leave unsightly marks. I have also been considering using that anti corrosion paper, like what bearings and such come wrapped in, as the shim stock for the rear sight. That way, I can stack as many pieces as I need to achieve a good plum, no windage sweep with elevation, then trim the paper right to the sight base with an Ex-Acto knife for a good clean installation.
I do NOT recommend paper at all, for shim stock. It will break down, and will not hold up at all. Do you have access to either steel or brass shim stock in .002, .004 & .006 thickness? LG
No, sorry, no updates to give. I have been super busy at work and with Wendy's back giving her so much trouble, I just haven't had any time to commit to this. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to things soon. I hope to see you Sunday. Bring bucks for the auction.
I've been fighting off a cold for 2 weeks. I'm hoping to drag the trailer up Saturday and stay overnight. We'll see how I feel when I wake up Saturday morning...
Yeah, I felt like death on a soggy cracker for sure. Still do today. I've barely managed to drag my butt to work this week. Quieter at work than at home so I rest better here LOL.
Hi guys! I hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas and rang in the New Year with a substantial splash of some good Whiskey! Those of you that didn't make it, sure missed a fun match followed by a great Christmas party! The way things shook out for me, what with family visiting and all, I finally got the opportunity to shoot my Hi-Wall on December 30th. I had already loaded fifty rounds of 45-70 with Montana Precision Swaging's 480 grain Schmittzers over 26 grains of Hodgdon's H4198 powder, so I got up early and loaded the truck to head out for the range. I went to A Place To Shoot for this outing as it gave me the opportunity to visit with my good friend Tom Watt at the same time. I started my shooting at 50 yards just to make sure that I was on paper, and began by selecting a front sight aperture that gave me a small band of the white target paper between the black of the bull and that of the aperture itself. I then scrolled through all of the various peep hole sizes on my Hadley eye cup to find the hole size that gave me the best focus of the sights and of the target at the same time. I fired five shots and all were on the paper and my elevation was good, but my shots were kind of all over the place with a definite bias to the left. I then realized that a part of the problem was me not using the spirit level in the front sight, (forgot all about that little rascal) so remembering that, I decided to move out to 100 yards to get a no windage zero. After selecting a new front insert and rear peep size, I fired a second group of five rounds got me a good cluster and the chronograph was showing an average velocity of 1100fps. All hits were a good six inches left so I began to drift the front sight to bring it in to center. A few more five round groups found me hitting the bull regularly with maybe just a bit of right hand bias, so I drifted the front sight back in the other direction just a smidge. I then went down range and put up a new target. I put it with the bull being right at the bottom of the 24" by 36" cardboard that I was using. I then fired ten rounds, adding five minutes of elevation after each round until my shots climbed off of the top edge of the cardboard. This drew a line of hits that showed me whether or not I had the rear sight plumb on the rifle. I was very pleased to find, that in about thirty inches of elevation, I was showing less than one inch of windage, to the right. The .012" of shims that I put under the left side of the rear sight base, upon installation, using the micro plumb bob that I had made, had gotten me very close to a vertical string of hits at 100 yards. With only five rounds left it was time to return the rear sight elevation to the 100 yard setting and fire an actual group for accuracy. That group was just slightly right of center, still a bit of adjustment to do there, but it was a good one, measuring less than two inches with four of the five holes touching and one flier. Now it is down to some fine tuning of the sights and the load, and a whole lot of tuning to my technique, at which time I will be ready to move out to 101 yards!
GREAT NEWS-- Let me know when you want to play 'sic' for a day and come up to DM. 1100fps is a bit slo---add some powder. What's the bbl length?? If anything-You want the elevation test at 100yds to drift just a bit to the left(from the lowest setting)to compensate for 'spin-drift' caused buy the right hand twist of the rifling. LG
Thanks Lumpy, it is great news anytime I can make it to the range! I agree, 1100fps is a bit slow, but I intend to step it up toward 1250fps. Maybe I will load the next batch with 28 grains and see what I get with that. I gave the front sight one more whack, to move the point of impact left, once I got home and was cleaning things up. It will definitely take a bit more tweaking, but I am in the neighborhood! I have the Uberti 1885 Deluxe Rifle which gets you a pistol grip stock and the thirty two inch barrel. Time to think about shooting sticks!