Footnote Z: .22 caliber pellet holdings

.22 caliber pellet holdings in Akbar's Armory.

Like .177 caliber, I have a great supply of .22 pellets and calibers close to .22 that I inherited from my airgun afficiando dad. 

Webley Special, tin of 500 + tin of 250                                                             = 750 rounds
German made pellets, 4 tins of 500 each                                                           = 2000 rounds
Laetane (6.3 mm !?) tin of 500                                                                          = 500 rounds
H & N Rumkugeln, approx 200                                                                         = 200 rounds
H & N Diabolo, approx 50                                                                                 = 50 rounds
Champion, 3 tins of 250                                                                                     = 750 rounds
H & N Diabolo, 2 tins of 200                                                                             = 400 rounds
Silver Jet,                                                                                                            = 250 rounds
Copperhead                                                                                                         = 175 rounds
Webley Special Waisted                                                                                      = 500 rounds
Champion (25-cal !?) tin of 350 and 250                                                            = 600 rounds
Bimoco-Nese-Spitz                                                                                             = 50 rounds
Odd lots mix (could contain any of the above)                                                   = 1000 rounds

                                           Total Supply   = 7225 rounds

again, probably more than I can shoot.  The .25 calibres are like balls or large BB's.

Footnote Y: All Time Best Smallbore 50-yd groups, Open Sights

All Time Best Smallbore 50-yd groups with open sights


1.3"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
1.6"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
1.7"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
1.7"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
1.9"  Jul  2013, Winchester Mod 52, Thunderbolt LR
2.0"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
2.0"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
2.3"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
2.3"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
2.4"  Jul 2013, Winchester Mod 52, Thunderbolt LR
2.4"  Jun 2o013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
2.5"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
2.5"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
2.8"  Jul 2013, Winchester Mod 52, Thunderbolt LR
2.9"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
3.0"  Jul 2013, Winchester Mod 52, Thunderbolt LR
3.0"  Jul 2013, Winchester Mod 52, Thunderbolt LR
3.0"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR
3.4"  Jun 2013, Cooey Light, Thunderbolt LR
3.5"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
3.6"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
3.7"  Jul 2013, Winchester Mod 52, Thunderbolt LR
3.7"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
3.8"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
3.8"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
3.9"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
4.5"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
4.8"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
4.9"  Jun 2013, Cooey Light, Thunderbolt LR
5.2"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 82, Federal LR
5.7"  May 2013, Springfield Mod 15, Federal LR
7.1"  Jun 2013, Cooey Dark, Federal LR

Footnote X: All Time Best Air Pistol Groups @ Ten Meters

Akbar's All Time Best Air Pistol Groups @ Ten Meters! as of 2013


1.0 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy H/Point
1.0 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
1.4 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Pointed
1.4 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy H/Point
1.4 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
1.4 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy H/Point
1.5 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Pointed
1.6 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
1.6 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
1.7 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy H/Point
1.9 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Pointed
1.9 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy H/Point
2.0 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
2.0 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
2.2 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy Pointed
2.2 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy H/Point
2.2 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Pointed
2.5 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Pointed
2.6 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy H/Point
2.6 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy Diabolo
2.8 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy Diabolo
2.8 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy Diabolo
2.8 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy H/Point
2.9 inch, May 2013, Hammerli, Daisy H/Point
3.8 inch, May 2013, Walther, Daisy Diabolo

Ammunition for 9-mm Parabellum

9-mm Luger ammo has been almost impossible to find since the president and the democrats made their big move for gun control.  Obuma accounts for doubling NRA membership and absolute record ammunition and firearm sales every year since he was first elected, and it doesn't look to stop.  People are loading up, there are survivalists appearing, and all kinds of crazy stuff.  Anyway, Recob's had a stack, but limited sales to 4 boxes, so I purchased 4 for $ 14.99 each, which isn't really a bad price compared to what you'll find out there IF you can even find any.  I want to shoot my pistol at the range this summer, and now I've got 4 boxes I can burn off if I feel like it.  Added to the 12 that I got with purchase of the gun, years ago, I feel I can go to the indoor range when my friends want to, and shoot some groups, get some practice. 

Footnote W: 2013 Summer Trap Scores

Footnote W:  2013 Summer Trap Scores Summary

                                                        Distance
                    16-yd     17-yd     18-yd     19-yd     20-yd     21-yd     22-yd     23-yd     24-yd     25-yd

                     13                          13
                     11                                         7
                     18                          12
                     8, 16
                     11                                                       6
                     20                                                      16
                     23                                                                                                  11
                     18                          20
                     18
                     13*                                                                   10*
                     23                                                                     14
                     16*,15*
                     20                                                                                  11
                     17, 19
                     17                                                                     14
                     21                                                                                  17
                     17                                                     17
                     21



all 12-gauge except * means 16-gauge

Level 2 Fishing: Perch Lake, Sparta, WI

Level 2 Fishing Outing -- Perch Lake, Sparta, WI

I got a call from a friend, Anna, on the road asking to meet for a couple hours of fishing and visiting so we chose the dam emptying Perch Lake in Sparta.  It was an opportunity for me to grab my Browning 510 open-faced spin-reel and give it a test, which went well.  The trip was made Level 2 right away by a huge carp or sucker leaping out of the water in the middle of the lake, but other than that, we were not there at a good time for panfish or perch to bite.  No hits on little French spinners, little daredevils, etc. Or crappie tidbits on little hooks.  We were just fooling around, not too serious at all.  Just fun.

Browning 510 Graphite Reel

Browning 510 Graphite Reel

This is a lightweight open-face spinreel that I picked up already mounted on the glo-tip Rhino rod. It didn't even need any repair.  I probably paid $3 or $4 for the pair, unlikely that I would have gone five at a junk store.  I brought it out of the garage to go to Perch Lake, above and below the dam, with a friend, Anna.  No problems at all with casting or operation, maybe could use a little lubricating. The line was on it and is reasonably tough, and remembers the shape of the bale so once in a while gets caught on the handle or anything else nearby. Not too bad, though, it is serviceable for the junky little fishing expeditions I am accustomed to. 

Level 2 Fishing - Lake Monona

Level 2 Fishing outing -- Lake Monona

Took the Zebco Mercury/PowerRod and sat on a little kayak/canoe dock at the edge of the park that is just north of the inlet of Starkweather Creek into Lake Monona, for an hour and a half.  I call it a level 2 day because indeed fish jumped out on the lake, but I got no strikes on my spoons, Mister Twisters, French spinners, and little plastic fish.  In the late 60's, Otis Redding's plane crashed into Lake Monona, killing the Blues singer.  I was a bit melancholy to think that here I was, actually sittin' on the dock of the bay near that place, like in his famous song.  I was in Madison, at a friend's house a couple blocks away shortly after it happened, and he was in possession of a piece of fuselage from the plane that had Otis painted on it.  I am told that this item is now on display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. 

Zebco Mercury w/Bass Pro Shops PowerRod

Zebco Mercury Reel mounted on Bass Pro Shops PowerRod

A fishing rod 'n reel are dangerous, game-getting weapons as well as firearms and bows! I have a penchant for cheap ones, though...this one is particularly pretty for a Zebco, a brand which has been around forever and which always makes the cheapest stuff.  I love the looks of this one, though, and the bonus was that I picked it and the rod up for about 2-dollars apiece because the reel needed repair. It was not too difficult to take it apart and repair a plastic spindle which had a metal reinforcer to hold a gear. Super glue took care of that. A good cleaning and lubrication of all the moving parts and we were good to go.

My tackle is also a huge mishmash of inherited lures and various junk, which I try to lose every time I go out, usually to no avail.

Beretta 92FS Semi-auto 9-mm Pistol

Beretta 92FS 9-mm Semi-automatic Pistol

I have a special place in my heart for this pistol, since I bought it several years ago from a guy who went to cop-school but decided he didn't want to be in law enforcement after all.  He sold it to me with 2 extra clips and 450 rounds of ammunition for like 300-bucks and the only shooting it ever did was on the range at cop-school!  In addition I bought it from him within the city limits of Madison, WI at a time when pistols were illegal to possess within the city limits and, of course, I never had to register it--I gave him the money and he gave me the gun, the case, the clips, and the ammo.  It was wonderful.  To top it all off, the referral to the sale came from the county sheriff of my county of residence at the time.  Now that's our 2nd amendment at work!!

I have shot it some, but took it to the indoor range with a couple teammates after trap shooting, and shot half a box up.  I tend to shoot a little low with this gun for some reason, but it improved after I changed my sight picture some and concentrated on less flinching.  I love the gun and I love the history of it, so the liberals will never get it from me.  ha ha. 

Taurus PT-140 .40 cal pistol

Taurus PT-140 .40 cal semi-automatic pistol

After shooting my 9-mm and my teammate's .44 magnum at the indoor range, I took a few shots with a Taurus that he brought along.  This little auto-loader was fun to shoot, and fit my hand real well.  I think it would make a very excellent concealed-carry weapon.  I was surprised to find my first shot in the bullseye of my target!  I usually flinch some and have to really will myself to calm down and squeeze the trigger of a handgun slowly, but this little devil really put me at ease.  Good hand fit, good trigger pull, I like it a lot.  I have been shooting rifles and shotguns so much, it was a great change of pace to spend time at the indoor pistol range, and I've got to do it some more. 

Ruger .44 Magnum Super Redhawk revolver

Ruger .44 Magnum Super Redhawk revolver

This was very fun to shoot!  A couple of my teammates and I went over to the indoor pistol range after shooting the trap league and tried out some armament.  After shooting my Berretta 9 mm, I shot my teammate's Super Redhawk with scope just like this one.  It had a surprisingly good grip feel; I thought it would be flying right out of my hand, but I was able to control it quite easily.  The scope was really, really neat and the trigger pull was quite natural; I would say easier to keep the flinching down than on my 9 mm. 
It happened to be a very hot and humid day and it was somewhat hot in the indoor facility as well, which made for tricky handling just like it did on the trap range.  All in all, though, it was very exhilarating to shoot this pistol. Wish I had one. Maybe I'll do something about that!

1928 Lee Enfield .303 calibre rifle Mark III

1928 Lee Enfield .303 Short Magazine III rifle

 

I have shot the Mark I and Mark II so why not take out the Mark III.  It was fun, for sure, and loud!  I shot two groups but could only find 2 holes in the paper for them.  It is shooting a little down and to the left, so I adjusted my sight picture and squeezed off the third group very, very carefully, and managed to get them within 5.5 inches.  That's OK, but, like the other high power rifles, I need to work them up a little with more than careless introductory shooting.  I still have my go-to hunting rifles to shoot. 

Winchester Model 52 Bull-barrel .22 cal target rifle

Winchester .22 caliber Model 52 Bull-barrel target rifle

 

What a smooth trigger!  I am just blown away by it.  I shot seven groups of five and it was just so smooth!  This gun is so perfect!  Of all my guns, this one is probably my prize possission.  I inherited it from my dad and he had a penchant for fine things.  Mostly German air-rifles, but some firearms as well and this one is the greatest!  There is hardly any doubt that I will not find a smallbore rifle that can beat this gun.

Six of the 5-shot groups were scorable and came in as follows, the best being good for 5th place so far, but this gun is a contender when I sight it in and sandbag it later.

 

2.4"   2.8"  1.9"

3.0"  3.0"  3.7"

Mossberg Model 190 Bolt-action 16-gauge Shotgun

Mossberg Model 190 Bolt-action 16-gauge Shotgun

I purchased this shotgun a few years ago at an "antique" store for around $125 because I just couldn't resist it.  I have to confess that at this time I have yet to shoot it.  But it is a nice looking shotgun with an adjustable choke on the end of the barrel.  I have bought a couple of guns at these so-called "antique" or combination antique-general merchandise-flea market kinds of places but in recent years, one can hardly find even a BB gun at them!  The politically correct crowd must have them cowed with their anti-gun message. Perhaps they are afraid of someone having a shooting accident, or commiting a crime with them and then coming back at the seller.  Whatever.  Nonetheless that is how I got hold of this one, and I am determined that I am going to shoot it in the very near future!

The very near future took a little while. I brought it to Maidson to get a round in, but didn't get around to it, although I brought it to the league range for a back-up a few times.  I took it to Portage to shoot with my friend there and even though my 870 locked up, I went to grab the Mossberg and darn if I didn't pull the bolt out, it jumped all the way out and I couldn't get it back in! I was frazzled and borrowed my friend's gun instead.

Today, however, two of my teammates wanted to go and shoot on a Sunday and I took it down and was careful not to work the bolt hard enough to make it jump. The gun shot two boxes of factory shells just fine, although I only got a 13 and a handicapped 10 at 21-yds.  I was satisfied for a first outing.  I'm certainly not afraid to use it for a back-up now.  The external choke is a bit unnerving for covering clays; but it was an ungodly hot day and I was just happy to shoot successfully.

I shot two more boxes with a friend in Portage and did a little bit better, hitting 16 and 15.  On the first round, I broke the first and last five, but somehow managed to get only six in the middle three stations!  Oh boy!  The gun is a hit at the trap range, though, because bolt-action shotguns are not seen much. 

Bennelli Supernova Tactical finish 12-Ga Shotgun

Bennelli 12-GA Supernova (tactical finish)

One of my friends had visited Florida this past winter and brought his son-in-law's Supernova to shoot while there and I didn't take the opportunity to shoot it the few times we were able to go. Back in Wisconsin, he had to return the gun but had liked it so much that he bought a new one for himself. I went up to Portage to shoot with him, having been rained out the last time I tried, and unfortunately my 870 locked up on me (I have isolated the problem to the hammer/trigger assembly and am taking it to a gunsmith).  I had brought a 16-Ga back-up and darned if the bolt didn't come out and wouldn't go back in.  I was quite disappointed in it all, but my friend handed me the Bennelli to do a round. I was flustered, but took it to the line and shot 18 with it.  Except for a couple of fantastic times, I don't usually shoot better than 18 so I was satisfied.  The gun was balanced well and felt nice and light, a good pointer for a field gun.  It was a great pleasure to shoot it. The action was pretty much identical to the 870, although it seemed a wee bit larger and maybe an inch longer than mine.  All in all it was a good day because I got a chance, finally, to shoot this gun.

Diana Model 6 Air Pistol, .177 caliber

Diana Model 6 Recoilless .177 caliber Air Pistol

 

Another wonderfully made German gun inherited from my dad.  Mine has the gray plastic grips and I know from the past that it is a real tack-driver and a thrill to shoot.  However, it suffers from the same worn-out seals that my Diana Rifle does and will have to be repaired as well.  I am waiting for a slack time in which to try and carry off one of these projects.  I intend to do the rifle first because I have a downloaded complete manual of the task.  The pistol may be identically built even though the seals are different in size.  We will see, we will see.

Springfield 87A Tube-feed semi-auto .22 cal rifle

Springfield 87A .22-calibre semi-auto rifle--tube feed

 

I tried to shoot this rifle, which I got from an old lumberjack friend, on two occasions this summer with the same result: The firing pin clicks but does not fire the shell.  I have to regard it as "down" and will have to take it apart to investigate, I am afraid.  It is a tube feed for LR only in that mode.  Will get around to this task when I get a little time for it.  Meanwhile there are several other .22's in the armory to sight in and evaluate.

Karabiner Model 1931 .308 Straight-pull

Karabiner Model 1931 (K31) Swiss Straight-Pull Rifle

 

Quite some time ago, I had some amateur radio equipment which an old guy a few miles away desired to have and I traded it for this rifle.  Oddly enough it had a sniper-scope, or what qualified for one in it's day on it, but he wanted to keep that scope, so I had the gun fitted with a peep-sight much like the one pictured here.  I don't really like a peep sight. It is difficult centering that front pin in the big aperature and then on the target, but it is what it is. 

Mine has been bored to .308 and, unlike some of my guns, I have shot this one some.  I have even killed a few whitetailed deer with it on the farm. It is particularly useful from a high tree up on the ridgetop that I used to love to sit in, but it was a very difficult climb, both to the ridgetop and then up the tree. 

I brought it out on the 100-yard range and put five rounds through it before I could find a hole in the target to go by.  It turns out that it was shooting high, over the target altogether.  I had almost given up when, aiming very low, I got one in that I could see and, so, I popped two more in and at least got a group to measure, although it is a very primitive one...I'm sure the rifle can do better.  Now, at least, I've identified the problem and can devote some time to it when I get a chance. 

I was able to score an 11.7-inch group, which was nothing to brag about, but I will shoot this gun again.

Cooey Model 82 .22 caliber Rifle

Cooey Model 82 Rifle .22 caliber Rifle (light stock)

 

Having shot the dark stock Cooey Canadian, I decided to shoot the light one as well, and what a surprise was in store for me!  While the previous model stuck out the best group so far, the light model was fraught with problems!  First of all, I had a real difficult time getting a legal 5-shot group!  My first effort gave a nice 4-shot group with the fifth nowhere to be found!  Then I tried a couple more and got one marginal one only by including the tape that held on an adjacent target.  In addition to that, the gun had bolt issues...sometimes when I ejected a casing, the bolt would jump the restraints and come right out the back of the action!  This happened several times unless I gently operated the mechanism.  Oh boy! 

I finally put up a larger target and did manage to get a couple more groups to at least get this gun on the charts.  It may be an ammunition issue, because I shot a box of Thunderbolt LR.  We'll see how that goes down the road.

The two groups that I was able to score were:

4.9-inches

3.4-inches

 

The best one was good for 14th place of shooting so far.

Remington Model 870 Express 12-ga shotgun

Remington Model 870 Express    12-Gauge Shotgun

I had an impromptu opportunity to shoot another Remington 870 than my own Wingmaster when, probably due to accumulation of grit and wax from my shabby reloads, my gun refused to shoot on the 3rd station of a trap round after my having broken the first ten birds!  I was in the zone and shooting factory shells, but the firing pin failed to set over 3 different shells and I dejectedly turned and walked back to the rear.  As I got there, someone waiting for the next squad offered me the use of his over and under. One of his teammates then offered me his 870 Express, which I took, because the 870 was what I had been shooting.  I walked back to the firing line and missed my next shot, but managed to get in the zone and break the second.  Then the scorer had me shoot 3 to catch up, 2 of which I broke.  I finished with 20, which is a personal best for me by two birds!  My team moved to the 20-yard mark on the handicap round and I broke 16, another all-time best, my previous attempt at that distance netting me only 6!  Other than my gun going down, it was a very, very successful night, and I was happy to buy a beer for the loaner after his round was over.  The gun felt just a wee bit more massive than my own in the stock, but not by much.  It was great.

Savage Model 842 30-30 Rifle

The 30-30 is a nice caliber rifle, although I do not happen to own one (yet).  My friend who came for the weekend brought his Savage, an old-timer, to sight in.  I love old-timers.  Bolt action with the magazine missing because he had loaned it to a brother-in-law, we shot a few groups with it.  After he felt fairly comfortable with it, I endeavored to shoot a very careful 3-shot group, which turned out to be low and under the target!  It was raining hard by then and we gave up rather than have me change my sight picture and try another one.  The gun shot very nicely, although it is old, rugged, and a little beat up. 

The weather stayed bad and we didn't get another chance to go out back with it, but we had as much fun as we could, and I derived pleasure from handling and shooting this old-timer. 

Remington Model 742 Woodmaster

It was sprinkling and there was little to do, but a friend arrived in the driveway for a weekend visit to the farm with two rifles in the trunk to sight in.  He is not an avid hunter or shooter but killed an antelope with this rifle 7 or 8 years ago when we made a very, very fun hunting trip to Wyoming.  In remembering the antelope, he said he was aiming for the pocket and hit it a bit low and to the right.

Of course, when we put up a target at 100-yards, and I shot a group of three with the cross hairs right on the bull, it produced a 4.1-inch group low and to the right, but on the paper.  Of course we couldn't leave well enough alone and we moved the cross hairs up 4 clicks and left 4 clicks.  The next shot hit in the same place!  So we moved it up 9 and left 9 and a shot went high and to the left by about an equal amount.  We figured we had overdone it, so we backed off half of that on each parameter and I shot another 3-shot group, thinking this is going to be great!  They all sailed over the target, leading us to suspect the scope!  One nicked the paper hig and pretty much center.  We gave it up because the rain was coming down harder and harder, but still are not sure about that scope!  I would love to have taken the scope off and shot it with open sights, but it was not my gun to do it with; maybe another time! 

I just love these old guns, though.  This one is a Woodsmaster.  My 870 shotgun is known as a Wingmaster.  He had taken this one to a gun shop and the guy told him that this model tends to wear from the bullet striking the breech on entry...that it is a design flaw thing.  That may be true, but it loaded and shot and ejected just fine.  I loved it.

Cooey Model 82 .22 caliber Rifle (Dark stock)

Cooey Model 82  Rifle .22 caliber  (Dark stock)

 

The Cooey Canadian rifle has a rich history and a great deal of information available.  I have two of them in .22 cal that I inherited from my father.  I refinished both of them and one turned out a little darker than the other and I refer to this one as the Cooey Dark. 

It was time to shake down another .22 cal rifle, so I took the Dark out and put up some rabbit targets and a couple small sighter charts at 50-yd.  The gun shot well and I realized that the common sight picture left a pretty nice group, but low, off the paper.  I changed my sight picture so that I covered the target with the front bead, bisected by the rear notch, and this seemed to do quite well.  In fact, I was very pleased with a couple of the groups, particularly after I got rid of the shooting glasses, which were fogging up on me. 

 

I obtained 8 groups I could measure, after shooting up a box:

 

1.7 "     7.1 "     3.0 "

2.4 "     1.6 "     1.3 "

1.7 "

2.9 "

The gun now temporarily owns the top four groups that I have shot.

 

The 1.3-inch group was very satisfying but one shouldn't be surprised.  These guns were commissioned by the Canadian government for training rifles, and the stocks go right out to the bitter end, so they are engineered to be good guns.  Why would you train your soldiers with inaccurate rifles?  Anyhow, it was a lot of fun shooting it.

Lee Enfield .303 cal MK2 (F) rifle

Lee Enfield .303 calibre MK2 (F) rifle

 

I had so much fun a couple weeks ago shooting my friend's Enfield Mark I that I decided to put my Mark II through the paces.  I bought this rifle some time ago at a resale or antique store in the good old days when they were not afraid to sell firearms.  It's a beauty but I have to admit that I have never shot it!  That is unacceptable, so I brought it out, set up the target at 100-yds and the telescope on the shooting deck, and shot three 3-shot groups.  The gun has a large circular rear aperature and the front sight between two bars.  I shot the first group trying to center the front sight in the circle and the pattern was high and to the right but a very respectable 4.8-arc seconds, tying the best I have done so far this year.  For the second group, I rested the front sight on the bottom center of the circle and at the bottom edge of the target.  One hit the paper and two went under!  For the third group, I rested the front bead on the bottom of the circle and dead center.  I shot a fantastic 3.6 arc-second group in the central area of the target and was very happy.  This gun has a good barrel, I think!  Lots of fun!

Footnote V: Walther LP 53 (aka LP58) air pistol exploded view

Springfield Model 82 .22 Rifle

Springfield Model 82 .22 Rifle

 

This was my grandfather's .22 on my father's side.  I have both my grandfather's and father's (Model 15).  This particular one was given to me by my paternal grandmother, which is quite an honor because I not only am not the oldest cousin on that side of the family, but there are a slew of them which were quite close to my grandmother.  I did not see her all that often, as when my parents divorced, the dad side tended in those days to bow out. 

Anyway, I got it out of the safe for a shakedown box of bullets and had some fun on a sunny day after a rainy night.  I was able to keep seven 5-shot groups on the paper and of those three were quite satisfactory all things considered.  I was using those old macked-up Sears targets which are a little hard to see 50-yds away.  I scored the following group sizes:

2.0"     2.3"     2.5"

3.8"

4.5"     4.8"

5.2"

 

The gun seemed to be sighted in a bit high, so I took a deeper bead the second time through and that brought it down.  Next step, of course, clean it up and have a much, much more serious day and see if the groups can be tightened up.

Footnote U: Ammunition for .22 calibre

5/9/13 I purchased four boxes of .22 shorts for $ 3.99 a box just on a whim because I have a ton of .22 ammo in the armory, but plan to deplete some.  Also, for some strange reason, people are hoarding .22 ammo like crazy.  I guess many more people have .22 guns and the ammo is relatively cheap. 

Fortunately I have a pretty good supply of .22 calibre, particularly long rifle, which is what the automatics like my High Standard feed.  I took stock:

CCI Blazer   LR                                         2 bricks of 500                       = 1000 rounds
                                                                   425 rounds in boxes               = 425

CCI Mini Mags LR                                    4 cases of 100                        = 400

Thunderbolt                                                1 brick of 500                        = 500
                                                                    575 rounds in boxes               = 575

Federal Spitfire                                                                                          = 60

Remington "golden bullet" shorts               4 boxes                                  = 200

Federal LR                                                                                                 = 100

Winchester Wildcat LR                                                                             = 150

Remington .22 HV shorts                                                                          = 50

Remington .22 target shorts                                                                       = 50

odd lots laying around                                                                                = 25

super short shorts                                                                                        = 90

TOTAL                                      3625  rounds           

Footnote T Ammunition supply for .303 British

Ammunition Supply for .303 British

I went through the Armory and tabulated my supply of .303 British, which proved to be a considerable supply, not in any need of topping off.

3 Boxes Remington 180-grain soft point + 21 more rounds                   = 81 rounds
2 Boxes UMC 174-grain metal case                                                       = 40
1 Box Federal 180-grain soft point                                                          = 20
    Winchester 180-grain soft point                                                          = 9

                            TOTAL                                                                        150 rounds

Winchester Model 94 Octogon Barrel 30-30

Winchester Model 94 Octogon Barrel 30-30

When we had a 100-yd session on the farm, my friend was most interested in sighting in his Winchester 1894 Octogon .30-.30 lever action, tube-feed rifle.  It is a real beauty.  The Model 94 is famous but this one is OLD!  We cleaned the bore and lubed all the moving parts before taking it out back.

He first shot a group of 3 and hit the 8-ring with one, signalling hopefulness for a good day.  This shot was only 2 minutes high and 2 minutes left!  He wasn't able to post a 3-shot group with all three hitting the target, and neither could I!  He hit one 8 minutes high and 3 to the right and another 8 minutes high and 5 to the right, but on different groups.  I tried a 3 shot group carefully aiming at the lower left corner, thinking the gun was shooting high and to the right, and none of mine hit the paper! 

I am sure that he wants to try and group this gun later in the summer, because it is his deer gun for brush areas, being shorter barrelled.  If he does, we will probably start at 50-yds and see just what the heck is going on, before moving it out with some sight adjustments.  It was real fun shooting a 30-cal lever action.  30-30 means, of course, .30 caliber and 30-grains of powder.  Don't know if that latter number is adhered to anymore with modern powders, of course, but it sure is a fun gun to shoot.

Lee-Enfield Mark I .303 British

Lee-Enfield Mark I .303 British

I got an opportunity to delve into my friend's collection of old "rustbuckets" and talked him into bringing two specimens over to my 100-yd range on the farm.  We started by dragging out my two Lee-Enfields and comparing.  His is a Mark I, mine are a Mark II and a Mark III and it was a real thrill to look at them all three sitting on the dining room table before we got to work.

First, a good brass brush dipped in solvent, through the bore.  Then a good spraying of Rem oil to loosten up the moving parts and clean up the bolt and firing mechanism.  We then wiped her down and put a patch through the bore and took her out back to the range, all set up for 100-yds complete with telescope.  He did not care to shoot it but was more interested in sighting in his other rifle, so I put a three shot group out there.  I managed to keep it within 7.1" and the ring score for the three shots was 20 points.  It recoiled like a mule and we felt this to be an adequate result for a shakedown shooting.  I tried another 3-shot group at the end of our session, and managed to put two only 2-inches low and 2 inches to the left AND 6 inches high and 2 inches to the left.  The third shot did not hit the paper. I don't know if I flinched or what, but it is most likely that it was the shooter and not the gun. 

I am not sure as to whether he is interested in sandbagging this gun and trying to shoot tighter groups in the future, but that certainly would be the next stage.  I have two of my own to do, so we will see what the future brings.  So many guns and so  little time.

It was really fun shooting this piece of history and I only wish it was part of my armory so that I would have all three. 

Springfield Model 15 .22 Rifle

Springfield Model 15  .22 caliber Rifle

 

This .22 Caliber rifle belonged to my actual father and was likely his first gun for just plinking and learning about firearms in his day.  It is pretty well-kept and was given to me by my grandmother on my mother's side.  How she came to possess it I do not know, but it is likely that he had it on the farm around the time of his divorce from my mother and it just got left there.  My other grandmother gave me his dad's .22 so I have them both.

I set up some 50-yd small bore targets and shot up a box of Federal LR that was in the armory.  I didn't make a project yet of doing any sight adjustments.  I am a believer that until you demonstrate that a gun is shooting acceptable groups there is no point in making fine adjustments as long as you are hitting the paper.

I only missed the paper once so I have nine groups I can score.  From tightest to widest they were as follows:

2.0     2.3     2.5

3.5     3.6     3.7     3.8     3.9

5.7

 

all in inches + tenths of an inch.

 

Looking at actual scores from the targets, the following:

38     36     32     31     30

23     22

19     10

 

We will see how the Model 15 compares to my other .22 cal rifles before deciding which one to really work up first.  This is just a shakedown run.  Lots of fun, though, on a beautiful day.

Level 2 Turkey Hunt

Level 2 Turkey Hunt

 

The toughest part of a morning hunt is just dragging yourself out of bed at 5:00 a.m.  It's a heck of a lot easier to do it in mid-May than late November, though, and once I got the boots and camo jacket on it was just a 5-minute walk through the timothy and orchard grass to tuck myself in just above the fenceline on the field going up toward the spring.  I had seen 3 of them strutting across right there a week or so ago at 6 a.m.  I settled myself in among some little pines and enjoyed the caucophony of birdcalls.  A rufus-crested towhee alighted on a fence post just twenty feet away and serenaded me for a while.  I got real comfortable and dozed a little.  After an hour, maybe an hour and a half, a coyote bounded out of the edge of the orchard and was zip-zapping right toward me.  I figured for a close encounter, but then he amazingly stopped, circled a little bit and returned the route he had come.  I sat amazed that he could possibly have picked me up because I was absolutely still.  Then I saw why...he hadn't picked me up at all.  Two deer, possibly the same two I watched last night in the draw, came creeping out, tails straight and very, very alert.  They crossed right to where he had been and slowly melted away into the old orchard, stalking very carefully.  I rested some more and was dozing in and out when a turkey glided in from the woods on a low trajectory and landed in the grass down in front of me.  It sat very still for five minutes, then started moving around, very alert!  I could not help but see the similarities of behavior with cormorants, the head looking left, then right, then left again.  My hunt was suddenly promoted to level 2, but it was a hen and I would not shoot it.  I played around slightly with how much motion I could get away with and the bird strutted around, standing very still for periods of time, then sneaking back and forth.  It seemed to be waiting, and I was hoping that it was for some toms to appear, but to no avail.  After about twenty minutes of teasing me, it sneaked into the draw.  I waited another half hour, then returned, very happy with the day's excitement.  I am one notch farther along on this learning curve, and it was fun.

Level I Turkey Hunt

Level I Turkey Hunt

Got out on Friday afternoon/evening to the draw below the sleeping spot.  Sat myself in there for a delicious nap which was interrupted by a little red squirrel crawling on me.  I dozed in and out on this beautiful day with the M-66 Ithaca in my lap.  Later on, I heard a snapping sound, followed by another a few minutes later and knew something was afoot.  Finally I turned my body 45-degrees and put up a huge buck that was standing nearly behind me.  He leaped into the air in a dazzling show of surprise and panic and bounded zig-zagging through the popples while I laughed quietly.  He was just SMOKED!  Snorting and alerting the entire woods all the way to the spring.  That was a real treat.
About 30-minutes later, a big doe and her yearling appeared from the open field on the hill into the edge of the woods on the north side of the draw and slowly made their way down toward the clear field at the bottom, probably crossing into the pines.
Saw no turkeys, although, just before sunset I thought I heard a tom sound off up the hill and pretty far away, so they are roosting way up in there somewhere. 

Walther LP Model 58 Air Pistol .177 caliber

Walther .177 Caliber Air Pistol, Model 58

 

The Walther is an inheritance from my dad, who loved airguns, particularly German ones of highest quality!  The bluing on this one is getting a little weak on the barrel side, but otherwise it cocks and seals great.  I brought it to Madison and decided to give it the same workout with the Daisy ammo of three types that I did the Hammerli.  When I got set up; no rear sight!  Just the mount and the elevator dial, which I then proceeded to use for a rear sight for the purpose of making the same shot over and over and finding out what kind of groups this pistol will shoot.  It shot very low and I had to adjust my visual picture to accommodate.  I did get 9 groups that I could measure, however, with slightly different results from the Hammerli.  The tightest group I could produce was 1.7" with the hollow-points. The next was a 2.2" with the pointed, hunting ammo, and third best was the diabolo shape with a couple of 2.8" groups.  The diabolo did produce a 4-shot group within an inch and a half, but the fifth shot was off the paper, so sadly, I could not in good conscience score it.

 

Pointy          Diabolo          Hollow-point

 

2.2          2.8          1.7 

4.2          2.8          2.2

4.8          3.8          2.8

 

The hollow-point style clearly produced the winner in all three starts and I'll have to mount a rear sight on this gun, sight it in, and return to this task and see if that is truly the case.  Nonetheless I was pleased that there weren't any mechanical or seal issues.  For now, I'll move on to another pistol.  

 

 

 

Footnote S: YouTube breakdown and reassembly of Remington 7400

Breakdown and assembly of Remington 7400

youtube.com/watch?v=bvml8dV8Cq8

Footnote R: Exploded Diagram Remington 7400

Exploded Diagram of Remington 7400

Footnote Q: .177 cal ammunition holdings

.177 caliber ammunition stock in Akbar's Armory

I have a good many rounds of pellet ammunition, probably more than I can shoot.  Much of it was inherited from my dad who was a pellet rifle and pistol afficiando.  Since I just ran an experiment on some Daisy ammo that I picked up at WalMart, with the Hammerli pistol, I dug out my storage case and made a list of what is available to shoot at caliber .177

Diabolo-Kugeln Match, two cans of 500 and 8 tins of 100 each, packed in foam = 1800 rounds
Meister-Kugeln, 3 tins of 100                                                                               = 300 rounds
Bimoco-Diabolo,                                                                                                   =750 rounds
Minuteman (UK)                                                                                                   =500 rounds
Daisy (3-style packs)                                                                                             = 450 rounds
                                                    Total = 3800 rounds

CO2 cannisters, short                  Total = 17 cannisters

The first three are German manufacture and probably cannot be obtained any longer. I think I could reduce my supply down to about 2000 rounds before worrying about restocking any, but it is tempting when either bargains or something new come along.  It is very fun to test different shapes of pellets and compare the tightness of the groups they produce.  It is a way of competing against myself and having different guns compete against one another.

Remington 7400 Semi Auto Rifle, Caliber 30.06

Remington 7400 Semi-Auto 30.06 Rifle

 

I got this rifle from a friend, traded a Kawasaki 400 motorcycle for it, in essence, but the nature of the relationship is that I would return the rifle if asked.  It is a complicated issue, not in need of discourse here.  The rifle is a recoil-operated automatic but is missing the clip.  I took it on the back 40 and shot at a sighter chart marked off in arc-seconds at 100 yards (inches) and shot three 3-shot groups as carefully as I could from a rest. 

 

Group #1 was 150-grain

The group was 8.3 arc-minutes wide at 100 yds

Center of the group was 5.6 arc-minutes off the bull

4 arc-minutes to the left

3.5 arc-minutes low

 

I did not change the scope adjustment for the subsequent two groups

 

Group #2 was 150-grain

The group was 4.8 arc-minutes wide

5 arc-minutes low

3.8 arc-minutes left

 

Group #3 was 180-grain

The group was 7.5 arc-minutes wide

Left/Right was dead on

4.7 arc-minutes low

 

These are figures for the Center of each group

Footnote P: Ammunition for 30.06

5/9/13 I purchased a box of 30.06 shells, 180 grain for $ 19.89 at Farm & Fleet in Baraboo. I have quite a stock of 30.06 but want to do some 3-shot groups with several rifles, so I will be depleting some.

In the course of doing some shooting @ 100-yds with 30.06, I shot up 6 150-grain and 3 180-grain studying some 3-shot groups.

My supply of 30.06 Springfield is:

          150-grain         3 boxes + 11 rounds

          180-grain         2 boxes + 19 rounds

           130 rounds in all.  I plan to accumulate another new box when I notice a good price or when I
                  begin to think about shooting some more groups with a different rifle.

         

Footnote O: 12-Gauge reloading session and prices

12-Gauge shotshell Reloading Session

I stopped at Recob's in Baraboo, WI, which is the most reasonable place I am aware of so far for reloading supplies.

I bought the following:
     W209 Winchester primers @ $ 14.09
     25 lbs of #8 shot @                    40.99
     4 lbs of Green Dot powder @    63.59
     500 Dr XL green wads @            8.99

I also purchased a 1 oz shot bar for my MEC reloader to drop down from 1 1/8 for trap shells. That set me back only $ 14.09

Took it all to the farm and had a reloading and Jack Daniels & Coke session.

Calculating cost per shell, I figure the following:
     Powder $ 63.59 / 1552  = .04    per shell
     Shot $ 40.99 / 400  = .10  per shell
     Primers $ 14.09 / 1000  = .01  per shell
     Wads $ 8.99  /  500  =  .02  per shell

     Total    =   .17  per shell X 25  =  $ 4.25  per box.  That's pretty good considering that trap loads are running about seven dollars per box now in most stores. 

I was able to load 14 boxes of AA's, which are the best and four more boxes of other hulls that I had lying around before I ran out of my shot.  I had some adjustment problems with the crimp which turned out mostly to be the pre-crimp.  I may have had varying size hulls later on; it was very frustrating and I made some really ugly rounds and had to jettison some as well.  I even sealed the holes on some with candle wax.  I would say that it was a pretty amateurish production, but the AA's mostly came out with good crimps.  I will have a pretty low standard set for next time.  In fact I can hardly heft a box out of the whole lot that doesn't have BB's rattling around in it. That worries me.  Next time will be a 2-stage process. I will knock out and replace all the primers in one session, which is very tiring.  Then I will have a much more careful loading session where I can attend to the fine adjustments on the cam and make sure all of my crimps are proper.  It didn't help that I loaded about 2/3 throwing ounce-and-an-eighth shot and the rest with 1 ounce bar that I bought. I had to use up wads.  I also used up 50 wads that were marginal for the recipe and loaded soft.  That won't be necessary next time.

It is a good time to take stock of 12-ga ammunition in the armory:

Trap Loads South = 12 boxes
Trap Loads North = 25 boxes
#8 Game loads      = 1 box
#7 1/2 Game loads= 2 boxes +5
#6 Upland Game   = 3 boxes
#8 3" target            = 4 boxes
#2 Steel shot          = 10 shells
#7 3" Turkey          = 7 shells
Slugs                       = 64

Footnote N: Pellet Comparison Using Hammerli .177 Pistol

.177 Pellet Comparison at 10-meters Using Hammerli .177 CO2 Pistol

I shot some 5-pellet groups at 10-meters indoors using the Hammerli:

Daisy makes a round box of .177 ammo which is divided into 3 compartments, pointed, hollow-point, and the flat-head diabolo shape.  The Hammerli shot high and to the right, but I was concerned only with tightness of groups at this point and did not alter the sights.  I was able to get at least five groups from each pellet shape before running out of CO2 after roughly 135 to 140 shots. 

          Pointed          Hollow-point          Diabolo

          1.4"                1.0"                         1.0"
          1.5                  1.4                           1.4
          1.9                  1.4                           1.6
          2.2                   1.9                          1.6
          2.5                   2.6                          2.0
                                  2.9                          2.0
                                                                 2.6

It is obvious that the Diabolo shape was somewhat more accurate for two reasons: 1) I was able to keep more 5-shot groups on the paper with that shape, the hollow-point running second, and the pointed, hunting type round third.  2) assigning points for best group in each column for only the five best groups of each type round, Diabolo earns 14 of 15 possible points; Dented earns 12, and the pointed round earns 6.  This result is consistent with the common opinion among good shooters that the diabolo shape is optimal.