[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

One double - double was for my wife.  We split the fries.  She dislikes soft drinks.  We were hungry.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

I eat at an In and Out when there is one nearby.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

I shot the 5-stand course this morning by myself.  It was easy.  I shot at about 70% without first seeing the birds.  A group of cowboy shooters came by and asked me to join them.  I did and shot for about a hour.  A woman was shooting her backup, main match shotgun that started opening after the first shot.  She now knows she lacks a backup shotgun for the main match.

[Unique available at Mid south]

On 2/25/2024 at 6:31 PM, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

I have been looking for load data for Unique and can find none.  In my Lyman load manual, no mention of Unique any where's.  Suggestions welcomed.   

There are probably more loads published for Unique than any other smokeless powder.  It was introduced before WWI giving us decades of load development.  Go to alliantpowder.com.  Select the products tab then select handgun.   Select Unique and then select view all Unique recipes.

 

I load 357 mag and 44 mag with Unique and also some rifle gallery loads.  In a pinch it is good for shotgun shells and any handgun cartridge I shoot (excluding rimfire of course) 

[Gun breakdown or malfunction on the line]

14 hours ago, Hoss said:

I once watched a guy remove side plates from a 73 to clear a jam. Was on stage 7 of 10 stage match. He really wanted clean match. His time was like 300 seconds. While he was safe with gun, it was too long. 
as I recall, shooter made it thru that stage, but wound up with a miss and a P on next stage. 

This shooter probably needs to buy a screw knife and learn how to use it quickly.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

Fire & Ice scores are up.  Doc B (pictured in this thread) won Ladies Frontier Cartridge by 103 seconds.

 

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

After a stop at Wild West Mercantile we stopped by a local produce store for fresh local produce and citrus.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

I bought some wads and powder from the reloading area.  LPPs were priced OK but not small pistol primers.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

The was a hunting section on the second floor oriented to archers.  This decoy might keep cats out of my vegetable garden.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

Monday the clay ranges were closed so more shopping.  First was a 38 mile drive to Scheels in Chandler, a two floor sporting goods Mecca with the first floor stocked with pricey sneakers and sportswear.  They had a large indoor salt water aquarium and a Ferris wheel.

[EOT what posse are u on ?]

19 - we shoot at 11 AM.  Time for breakfast and then shoot.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

4 minutes ago, Go West said:

Primer prices at Bruno's? 

Not posted on the shelves.  I did not buy any so I don’t have this information.  If EOT vendors sell out Bruno’s is an option to stock up.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

I purchased Tell Sackett’s inventory of US-made shotgun primers.  The W209s are for a shooting buddy back home.

 

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

This poor cactus at Ben Avery needs a Viagra treatment.

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

Cowtown celebrated its 40th annual match with Barb Wire (pictured) leading her club.  The match was simple and enjoyable with very little wind.  I struggled to get good stage times shooting BP but managed to place 2nd in FC.

 

 

 

 

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

Sunrise over the Clays Range.  We left early to shoot Fire and Ice at nearby Cowtown.

 

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

The next shopping trip was for Russian food at Yasha’s.  After the Soviet breakup many ethnic Russians from the desert Soviet republics settled in Phoenix.

 

[Canby & Barium @ EOT]

We took two days to pull our TT to the Ben Avery Clay Center Campground.  Travel weather was good - no dust storms.  I am camped near a SASS member from Montana.  We hope to shoot wobble trap and 5-stand in our spare time.

 

First shopping trip was to Bruno’s.  The store was well- stocked.  Note the row of 8-lb powder jugs along the floor.  There was no Trail Boss or Clays (no surprise) and very limited amounts of Alliant products.  There were lots of Remington large pistol primers and Federal small pistol primers.

 

[SASS RV Wagon train questions]

Fifty weeks on the road sounds like work and not fun to me.  My wife and I travel to major matches but never are gone from home more than a third of any one month.  RVs are fragile beasts and need frequent repair.  Much is easy and can be done inexpensively at home.  I also need to restock with ammo and need time in my reloading room to assemble ammo.  Medical care is easier to get from a single location.

 

Both Texas and California have numerous SASS clubs.  The cost of living is clearly lower in Texas.  Transporting firearms is easier in Texas.

 

Knott Hardly Dunn and Shamrock Sadie are another shooting couple you will see frequently at matches.

[Wanted to say 'HOWDY' to everyone and introduce myself ---from Arizona]

Next Saturday would be a good day to watch CAS.  Hang out with CS’s posse if you can.  You will learn more by watching than reading this Wire.

[Howdy! Introduction and Question]

I have visited the Damascus Range but not shot there.  Looks like a good place to shoot.  Many of us started with Stoeger shotguns.  They are serviceable shotguns for CAS.  My backup shotgun for EOT next week is a Stoeger.  GJ is right, your trap loads are legal but too stout for CAS.  Load 3/4 or 7/8 oz of your 7 1/2 shot to as low a velocity as you can get.  Less than 1,000 fps would be ideal.  Otherwise buy low noise, low recoil AAs.  Recoil is undesirable in CAS.

 

There are many matches within a day’s drive of MD.  I recommend shooting nearby state and regional matches.  Land Run in OKC would be fun when you are ready.

[EOT 2024 Weather]

On 2/18/2024 at 9:38 AM, Yul Lose said:

Safe travels.

Arrived safety Thursday PM.  No dust storms this trip.  There were two traffic accidents on Phoenix freeways but that is normal.  Trailer was set before sundown.  I’m looking forward to busting some clays and shooting Fire and Ice before EOT.  

[XL 650 “old faithful” broke]

I keep an old single stage press on my loading bench for odd jobs like loading small lots of rifle ammo.  It serves as a backup for times when a part is on order for one of my Dillons.  The single stage press is slow but doesn't have a primer feed that can jam or an indexing mechanism that can break.  Still, I repair the Dillons as soon as I have time.  In my location Dillon repair parts arrive within three days of placing an order.

[Armscor Hammer Gun? Anyone Try One]

1 hour ago, Chantry said:

Armscor/Rock Island has a good reputation as a gun maker, their 1911's are pretty good.  I've seen the shotgun and even fired a couple of rounds.  The owner really likes the gun and uses it for skeet.  The forend is a little different, it's not quite a splinter forend and not quite a beaver tail forend, kind of splits the difference and is a bit more "squarish" and there is enough there so it can be used for black powder. I think probably as good or better than anything coming out of Russia or Brazil, but not quite as good as the Turkish built CZ shotguns.  Like all of the above shotguns, it's not going to be "race ready" out of the box.  Like any gun at it's price point the fit and finish isn't going to be as good as a $1000+ shotgun.

How heavy is the gun?  How does it compare to a Pedersoli or a TTN?

[S&B Primer pockets]

5 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

S & B brass = The bane of reloaders. I throw them away with EXTREME PREDUDICE. 

 They won't prime on my 650 so I used to hand prime them carefully.  Primers were a little damaged but they all went bang.  When one popped when I was hand priming I decided to stop loading them and just toss them in my scrap brass bucket.  I don't mind getting them.  They have scrap value just like the Amerc brass.