Saturday, Jerry and his Son Chris came up. Jim also came up. We all had a great breakfast which Kelly cooked for us (thanks again babe!) ... and we went to the range.

We set up our usual "Base Camp" in about 30 minutes. It's quite alot of "stuff" for us to be able to properly shoot.



How do you like Mahogany now? This gun is about 5-6 years old now. Jim's Ranger Delta 45. Lookin' fine!



Jerry's Prairie III 32 caliber. Looking great as always.

Jerry and Jim took pics yesterday. This is all I took. I was dealing with the Tundra 87. It wasn't "really" ready for the range. I pushed it a bit - to do some function firing. We had an issue with a batch of slugs cast from misrepresented lead. It had enough of something in it (probably Tungsten Carbide from the density ). Soft lead slugs from this mold, just fit tightly. These were like trying to load 25 caliber slugs into a 22.

I went back to the shop, and completed a sizing die for the slug. Sized them all - but they were still too hard. I have to deal with that issue.

Then, my scope rings weren't right. And, I couldn't get the scope mounted right.

By the time I'd fiddled with these things, I'd sheared the bolt O rings. (Need a different size/composition). So ... it was a troublesome day of fooling with trivia for me. But - there was a ton of lead sent downrange.

We came home, and had a grilled steak dinner! THAT's the way to shoot.

The other guys will have to pick up here.

Best,
Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2009 05:06PM by barnespneumatic.

Wow! The Ranger looks gorgeous! I love the look of the Mahogany wood.

Can't wait to hear more infos on the .87 Justice and Tundra.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2009 09:02PM by peter-n.

The Prarie also looks awesome. You fortunate guys have all the nice guns to play with he..he..

Hello Peter,

Glad you like the Ranger there. It was a great gun. I made that and took it to one of the Standing Stone Festivals. It's been really trouble free, and is amazingly accurate.

The 87's have alot of room to work inside. I can set them up for various power brackets. The base models are set for about 650 fpe. The extra 5" of barrel length on this one will use all the air more effectively. It will also make it a bit more quiet. It might gain some fpe - but mainly it is to make the gun smoother to fire, and allow the cocking cycle to be a bit softer (because the gun has more barrel to use to make it's target power range).

Of course, everyone would like something like a 50 BMG in a base model. Not the way it works.

There are other packages. And, there have been a couple of monster magnum versions on the books for years. I don't talk about them all the time, as it just turns into a race for more and more and more. When their time is here, they will be fun to discuss. It's a matter of balancing the whole ledger of guns I make.

Gary

Looks like you guys had a great time!

Jerry, I lightened up your picture so we could get a better look.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2009 08:34PM by Bigbore.

Lon,
I'm disappointed, I figured you'd have photoshopped in the anodizing of your choice!

Yeah ... I just noticed the red "blob" there. Clever.

Hey Jerry ... where did you file all those pics of Lon's manufactured custoim lathe parts? Also ... I can't find any of his shooting posts. Maybe they're in with the Barnes customer shooting range posts? Oh wait ... there AREN'T any Barnes customer shooting range posts! Only posts from the other side of the world. Of course ... if Neil is shooting on the other side, nobody can shoot on THIS side of the globe. They'd be upside down!!!

Gary

STILL PICS. STILL PICS. We WANT more STILL pics.

Hey Jerry and Jim,

I know you're processing feature length movies and 50 mega pixel raw data files. But ... have a heart ... drop in a couple of the simple stills.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2009 12:17AM by barnespneumatic.

Gary,

I have no heart and I have no stills. Really, I didn't take any still shots the whole day. I think Jim has some but I can't get to those...

I did take a few movies: I'll start with a couple of Jim's Delta.

That's a Shrike hitting the jug at 50 yards. This was pretty easy pickin's for the Delta which Jim used to pound targets out to 175 yards all day long in rapid fire!


The hammer weight was at about 35 yards or so but well off to the side from Jim's shooting position. I was a little surprised that with the angled shot and the light Shrike slug; the heavy hammer made two full rotations. Note that you can see the slug in both these vids and it is dark. That's no illusion, Jim was shooting dark colored slugs custom made by one of the days shooters, Chris.


Chris is my second oldest son and he came shooting with us to see what all the fuss was about. He got to do some long range shooting, see Gary at work in the shop, and shoot the Grizzly. A pretty good day! Between the cocking of the big bore guns and recoil from the Grizzly, he has a bruise on his shoulder to remember the day by.




Take another look at the video just above if you didn't see what the slug did after passing through the jug. That's a 550gr slug that center punched a milk jug full of water and then continued off into the woods with great speed. For perspective, the target board is exactly 50 yards out and the wood coyote is exactly 100 yards out.


This is Chris hitting a steel critter 100 yards out. The funny thing about this video is that it took three takes to get the clip. It was no problem for Chris to hit the target but it was one heck of a problem to get him to shoot at the right one! On the first attempt I thought he understood what I wanted him to shoot but when I started filming and he shot, I heard a clang of steel getting hit but saw no action on the camera. He had shot the target at 110 yards instead... Next try, same result only it was a target at about 95 yards I think. Finally, with all the wrong targets down, we got the shot! I think Chris was just enjoying shooting the monster gun!

Visitors showed up.

That's right; we're shooting loud guns, we have a generator running, lead is bouncing around and deer decide to drop by...apparently they are well versed in the hunting seasons.

Gary got a few shots in too.

That jug was about 125 yards out.


Check out the recoil and the muzzle "flash" of the Grizzly.

Pay close attention to this one!

This was Gary having some fun. Jim is always loading multiple balls in the muzzle loading Alpine when he has it out. Personally, well, it drives me nuts but to each his own. Anyhow, the topic came up along with an ammo shortage and Jim expressing doubt about the breech loading Grizzly being able to pull it off... Next thing you know, Gary has loaded three 418gr slugs into the Grizzly and I have to video it... That's 1254gr of lead going down range and the target actually got hit!

Gary,

Every hunter knows that if you don't want deer disturbing your shoot you need to dress in camo and shoot from a well hidden blind.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2009 05:15AM by Bigbore.

What can I say, great guns, great set-up ( it looked like you guys were going to camp out for a few days!) and great videos Jerry! And the grizzly was there, and we got to see it, kind of...Gary, show us more Grizzly, show us more Grizzly....
Anyhow, looked like a great day at the range
Regards
Neil

Ah nutz! I forgot. You DID get a sneak of the Grizzly ... didn't you? Ohhhhh .... YOU are SNEAKY!!!!! hahahah.

Yeah - I'll have to get some pics. It is an amazing gun.

Gary

Jerry,

Wow ... no stills! Hey - just because I took your truck (and your camera) and went back to the shop to finish that sizing die ...

Videos are neat. I really like the one of Chris shooting with the slow mo edits. Neat muzzle wash stuff in that one and the one featuring the wash.

Thanks ... good job.

Gary

Yeah Lon!

I'm Waaaaaayyyy too quiet .... and don't shoot enough! That must be the problem!!!!

Saturday ... we saw deer all day. On the way in ... and a few different times during the afternoon. I watched on go across the horizon like a Cheetah. Amazing.

Gary

Sorry I didn't get any 87 pics in. I was fighting details all day. However; by way of a story, at the end of the day (after replacing the bolt O rings with yet another set of the incorrect size rings found in a tool box), I started just shooting it with the scope off. Looking down the barrel and using the split in the front barrel band as a front sight. It was pretty easy to hit the base of a previously knocked over steel groundhog at 50 yards. And, I skinned the paint of the spinner about 4 times - just missing a nice strike which would probably still be spinning if I'd have hit it! haha.

I'll get some pics, as soon as I get the details sorted.

Dory's 87 Justice has to go to the field. I have to make a mold and cast some soft lead slugs. Do that while pushing everything else toward the door. Kelly and I did bookwork all day yesterday. Lovely. It gets done as fast as it can. The work is the work. I try to work "longer" ... can't work any faster, or things break.

Gary

you can acutally see the slug(s) just before they hit the target. Wonder if its one, or 3 all lined up....

Yeah - It was pretty amazing, cause it got there right NOW. And, the recoil was significant. The Grizzly really dug deep to put that mass of lead out there. Quite a "Smack Down!"



Gary

That was exceptional

Well, of course most of things shown here are exceptional, but that was sort of extraordinary... Sorry, I'm running out of words


Great day you had



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2009 10:48AM by sepeteus.

Pics shortly guys. I had a great time as well.

-- Jim

Great videos! I like the Grizzly look, and it's cool to watch the recoil and a cloud of smoke...I mean air vapor coming out of the barrel. good job guys!!



PS. Gary, I want the Grizzly REAL bad, sign me up for one, and I'll be happy to be your slave for the rest of my life he...he...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2009 07:42PM by peter-n.

Gary!! You finally have an opportunity to get an assistant at the right price! Jump on it!

Can anyone explain ....

I wanted to watch the movies again. Most of the just turned black ... and nothing happened.

I was just typing along here ... ... and I heard a gun fire!!!!! Scared me to death! Guess a movie finally loaded. Maybe there was just a terrible "hang time" on them. However; the couple of times this evening that I checked ... they just went black and never loaded (so far as I could tell).

Hummm

Gary

Sorry for the delay everyone. Here are some additonal shots and commentary from Saturday.



That's a lot of stuff! And it has to be packed and unpacked in the right order, too, or else it won't fit. I am however quite suprised at how quickly we're able to set up and break down now that we have the War Wagon, especially when it comes to leaving Gary's place for the range.



We're mostly set up at this point. Chris is standing next to a garden cart full of steel targets and holding a couple cans of spray paint used to cover up hits. Gary and Jerry are fixing one of our two canopies which both provide shade and cut down on glare for the shooters.



Gary made this heavy-duty steel bullet trap. Looks like Jery is about to wheel it out to 50 yards. It's great to use it to check your zero, shoot groups @ 50, etc. I understand the Grizzly broke a few of the welds on it.



Setting up in the War Wagon. Each shooter has his own 4500psi tank, and three of the four rigs are regulated.



Let's shoot! Targets are placed, power is running from the generator for our fans, and the guns are set.



Chris is ready with the Woodsman 62 smoothbore.



Gary brought the Tundra Magnum 87 for field testing, but unfortunately it wasn't quite ready. Love that stock!



Check out the bore on this beast.



The convenience store where we stop on the way to the range for supplies had a sale on Coke. I see an alternate career path for these guys if their respective jobs don't work out. Check out that label placement -- perfectly aligned with the camera!



Jerry and I shot from the outside benches. Nice view of a couple very precise Barnes bench rifles. The five foot whips and right angle Foster fittings on our regulated Airhog setups let us get the tanks off the bench and out of the way.



The view from my shooting position. Targets are from 175 yards (top of the hill) all the way back to 35 yards or so. The bullet trap with the white cardstock and the orange handtruck are at 50 yards. Gary is placing the pendulum. He's about to walk by a close-in target for getting the Tundra on paper @ 20 yards or so.



It was hot! View from top of the hill. I think this little groundhog was initially was 160 yards . . . we later moved him and another target out to 172-175 yards, which is about the maximum in this field.



Jerry found one of the center "hubcaps from my Shrike slugs that flew about 5 yards forward from its impact with the target and stuck straight up and down in the ground on edge, like a coin you'd drop from the top of a skyscraper. You find all kinds of cool and weird stuff out in the target field.



Last view from the top of the hill. I really enjoy shooting here . . . beautiful scenery. When it's not too hazy like it is this time of year, from the top of the hill you can look the other way and see the mountains to the west.

Thanks guys for another great day of shooting, as usual! (And of course, thanks Kelly for the great eats!)

-- Jim

Hi Jim,

Great pics. Thanks for the post. I enjoyed seeing them all. Although ... your lens created the illusion that I'm old and fat. Ya might want to look into a filter or something .....

Loved the Coke placement pic. Got a good chuckle there.

My new Viton O rings came in today for the Tundra 87's (and Justice 87's) bolt seals. They will be perfect. All in having the right part for the application. I forgot (not having delivered a Justice for some time) that I needed to "stretch" number 114 O rings onto the bolt ... instead of using number 115 O rings (which the strict math calls for). And ... the Viton rings are harder and prevent shearing. We'll see in the next field testing.

Great post - thanks. Glad you enjoyed the day. It was fun.

Gary

Jim,

Great pictures. Guess, you'll have to start telling Gary when your taking pictures so he can suck it up.

Does the same guy own the land on the other side of the road? Looks like you could get longer ranges after the beans and corn are in. Dory

Nice pics, Jim Almost had the feeling I was there! Missed out on the good eats though....
Cheers
Neil

What do you mean ... suck it up!??? I thought we were all agreed that Jim needs a camera filter to compensate for the apparant distortion of his current rig.

That road is a public road - and traffic, horses, hikers, ATVs, etc., go thru there unannounced. What we have is what we get. And, we have to be mindful of the top of the hill, as there are people that ride horses around the area. So, we're mindful.

Hey - besides ... 175 yards with an airgun still doesn't suit you? Guess you'll insist we just keep moving back and back, until we miss 9 out of 10 times? And then ... everybody will want to know "What's wrong??? Ya see ... it's the tyranny of escalation. As soon as you perfect something ... that's not good enough anymore. That's why I don't tell you everything.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2009 06:24PM by barnespneumatic.

Yeah, that's why I didn't mention that it took me a shot to figure out the holdover at 165 yards and then kill the target with the Grizzly!

I guess holdover has a little bit to do, with what the zero range is. Which I'm guessing is 100yds. With the mil dot scopes are you putting the zero range more toward the top to help with the hold over. I haven't got that far yet. Dory

The Grizzly is zeroed at 100, but I believe everything else is zeroed at 50. It took me a little while to figure out the holdover with the Delta, but after that it was fairly consistent out to 165+.

-- Jim

To show how easy it is, and dispell the notion that you have to shoot into the clouds and loft the bullet .... the Grizzly is zeroed to hit about 4" high at 100 yards. You know how most reticles have a heavy + and then either a very fine + or mildots and a fine + ..... well ... without changing a thing ... if you just put the bottom of that top thick post on any target at 50 yards, it turns to atoms.

That's with the scope set to 16X, so you still have plenty of magnification. Just shows you ... there's no fooling around dialing in elevation. The target is plainly in view. If you'd look at the barrel of the gun, and it looks dead flat.

It's just simply a non-issue. One that's cleared up by getting out into the field.

Gary

So which scope are using on the Grizzly?

So now, that you mentioned it. Take a inclinometer along next time. Dory

Dory,

Don't forget now ... that Barnes rifle you have shoots too. Some of these little projects you outline for us would make great field projects for you. Think of the fun you could have gathering data.

Gary

I can't wait! Dory takes inclinometer data and posts the pictures! Thanks in advance!

Being one who takes video and pics of all my outdoors adventures...i do love you guys' post. Great video and great shooting. Please submit more for MY viewing pleasure....LOL

Hey ... you're welcome Cedric. Can I freshen your drink? Fluff your pillow? Any requests?

We've enjoyed your posts and vids too. Thanks for taking the time to post.


Gary

I have been saving up for a chronograph instead. Dory

You got it Ced!

This post is definitely making me wanna do some LONG range sniping with the Dragon Slayer

great pics, guys!

I like that Tundra Magnum stock as well - I think it would make a fabulous stock for a bullpup...especially in figured mahogany

just checking to see if Gary is reading carefully - hehe


on another note, i am coralling and packing up some burrs for you!!!

Sounds like fun was had by all, despite the heat. Thanks for posting!