[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

It's Christmas Day. Somebody get up and have coffee with me and talk blackpowder and hunting. (If the children don't already have you occupied!)....

[dwave]

I would, but you have me on ignore.

For the other people. My brother and I went on a casting spree. He uses a .58 to go hunting, so he was casting Minie balls. I have a Frontier rifle in .45. I was casting the 200 gr. REAL bullets from Lee. They work pretty well in that gun. That is what I use, but so far I have not got to hit a deer with one. My brother hit a deer with that Minie last year and all I have to say is wow. Huge hole on the other side!

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

You're not on ignore. Man you came off of that months ago. Hope you find this post. Dwave, you're alright man. I have read your posts ever since I found this site..a .45 a good caliber for a rifle, especially in open country, and 200 grains is way way plenty for a deer sized animal. (to me anyway) I usually shoot 180 grains and it does a good job..

[dwave]

Hey GoTC, I sent you a message a bit back, but maybe it didn't reach you because I was still on ignore. I sent it to say sorry for the things I said to you. I was having a bad day, but that doesn't give me the right.

Anyways, on a positive note, I have my coffee too! You going out this year?

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Hell, Dwave, don't worry about that. Everybody feel's bad now and then. I just went and checked my 'ignore' list. There is no one on there at all. Bigbadgun used to send me messages all the time and hardly any of them would ever get through. The system seem's to work a little better nowadays than it did back then. Even the THR picture machine seem's to work pretty good nowadays...That moderator 4x50 Gary is a good man. He's helped me out on here before..

[dwave]

Yeah, the site is working pretty good. I remember before they switched to the new server it would take forever and a day to post something! Sometimes it would get posted multiple times. I started a thread once and my post dissapeared, but I was still listed in the #1 spot, just nothing there.

[dwave]

Anyways, getting back on topic (So we don't get the thread locked :)) Will you be hunting this year? I have been casting REAL bullets getting ready. My brother and I bought 50 pounds of pure lead. We use a turkey fryer to melt the lead in a cast iron pot. Its pretty relaxing. We sit beside the pot and cast bullets and chat.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Yeah!! I remember a few days like that! Never lost a post though, but even today I will type something and read it real good to make sure it's correct and then when I post it there will be all kind's of errors in the spelling of words!!. No, I probably won't. I have lot's of meat and it's cold up here with deep snow drifts and whatnot. (not as young as I used to be). I'll probably just hang around pretty close to the heater. Oh, I will still shoot now and then, just out here in the 'yard' so to speak, then come back inside and clean the gun while I drink coffee..

[BullRunBear]

GOTC,

Good morning and Merry Christmas! (Sounds of perculator in background.) Can't help with hunting talk but never get tired of BP conversation.

My wife and got BP gifts for ourselves and they arrived a couple of days ago. Cabelas was, maybe still is, having a sale on Pietta 1851 brass frame C&B revolvers in 44 caliber. I'm not concerned about their historical correctness and the brass frame doesn't worry me since I tend to load lightly for target work. But that Colt grip is comfortable for both of us. 99 bucks with the online coupon, so I figured it was worth the risk. Cabelas is also including a wooden display case at no cost. (The cases are backordered.)

I'll tell ya, these guns are much better than I thought they would be, The finish is even, the grips are well fitted and decent figured walnut and the rifling is smooth and bright with no chatter marks. They cycle smoothly and lock up tight. I heard Pietta had improved their products compared to years ago. If these 2 revolvers are examples, that is true. They feel as good as my Uberti 1860 Army and that is high praise.

Between a record snow storm last week and an ice storm today I won't be getting to the range any time soon. But the range reports I've seen have all been very positive. Here's hoping.

Regards, Jeff

[dwave]

Have you ever tried Firefox web browser? I like it because it has a built in spell checker. Great for the forums because I can't spell! It underlines misspelled words in red, then all you have to do is right click the misspelled word, then a list shows up with a selection of words it thinks you wanted. Just click on the one and it will replace it. I use that function all the time!

[dwave]

Hey BullRunBear, Pietta does make some pretty good guns now. I had a target 1858 that was phenomenal! Great accuracy, and nice adjustable sights. I think their quality control has gone up. For $99 it sounds like a good deal.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Good Morning BullRunBear. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours. Yeah, Cabela still has a sale on lot's of stuff, I don't know what all..,..

[alemonkey]

Morning all,

Snowed in here in Lincoln. I had planned to make it up to my dad's farm in the north part of the state this weekend to do some black powder deer hunting, but it doesn't look like that's going to pan out. I'm probably going to go deer-less this year.

On a happier note I got a $50 gift card to Cabela's for my birthday the other day, which will be a nice chunk towards this scope for my 38-55 Martini-Henry project:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0071793217176a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Product_liberal&QueryText=malcolm&sort=all&Go.y=8&_D:hasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=24&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1


http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_217176_imageset_01?$main-Small$

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Dwave, no, I'vd never tried the Firefox. I use Yahoo and there is alway's something coming up about 'Try the New Firefox Today!' but I have never downloaded it..

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

AleMonkey, Good Morning. Yeah, lot's of blowing snow up here to. I'm not really that far from you anyway. I'm not getting out in that mess. To tell the truth, I think my breakfast this morning will be fried baloney and scrambled eggs!....,

[alemonkey]

Sounds good...the wife is making sausage and eggs for breakfast burritos as I sit here. I'm looking forward to spending the day with the wife and kid, but I have cabin fever pretty bad. I really want to be out in that stand freezing my butt off. I have to redeem myself for the shot I missed a few weeks ago.

[dwave]

I live in SE Ohio, right now it is raining here. I was hoping to get to the range today, but it doesn't look like the sky will let me.

[bigbadgun]

Merry Christmas everybody I have been doing some smelting of the lead LOL I also use a turkey frier and the little melt pot from Lee. Works great. On a good day I can pour a couple hundred of each caliber. And not even think about it. I too am getting ready to do some hunting here as soon as the holidays are over and I can take a day or 2 off of work.
I really need to replenish the hog meat shelf in the freezer. I use a .50 Hawken round ball
and I always carry my WALKER when I am hunting.

[dwave]

The turkey cooker works pretty well! I don't have a melt pot, we just use an old cast iron pot. I don't cast RBs, just conicals. I want to get a .45 minie ball mold to try out in my Pedersoli rifle, but money is a bit tight right now so that is on the back burner.

GoTC, firefox is the only browser I use. I have been using it now for years. Sometimes I have run across compatibility issues with some websites, but they have been clearing up and it is rare when I find one now.

[toolslinger]

Good morning GOTC and all y'all. Merry Christmas. I have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to shoot or hunt but I did make holsters for 2 1860s recently. I'll post pics later. Breakfast is ready gotta go.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Don't know what happened here. Just keep scrolling on down..GOTC..











































































Yeah, sausage and eggs are good. I might break down and make a few biscuits to go with the baloney. Alemonkey, the shot you missed, don't worry about it. Put it out of your mind. You can hit dead on every shot for the next 20 years but you will never catch up to the shot you missed. It's just gone. I do understand about wanting to get outside and do something though....

[TomADC]

Merry Christmas all, we are off to mass in a few, can't wait to get back, have kids, grandkids and our great granddaughter stopping by..

[bigbadgun]

Dwave its the same thing as using an old cast iron pot cept it is a steel pot not one of those new fangled plug in pots just one that sits on the fire and melts away.
GotC you really need to stop talkin bout then biscuits lol makin me hungry and I might need to get up and cook dang it.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Bigbadgun, Good morning sir! Yes, always have your Walker close by! One never know's when a rogue bull elephant might come charging through! How are your REAL rounds working out for you? Good I hope. I know you were really wanting to get to the range and run your tests..GOTC..

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Good Morning Toolslinger. Hope you and yours are having a good Christmas. Any snow where you are? Maybe just a little bit of ice cold wind?....(!!)

[BullRunBear]

Hey everybody,

Yeah, I think those revolvers were a heck of a deal.

Since we aren't going out today or tomorrow, I'm going to put on some Christmas music and check over all the BP guns before they go in the new safe. Oil the outsides, make sure the flints are sharp and check the locks for proper lubrication, that kind of thing. Some people call this maintenance but it's closer to fondling. :rolleyes:

The supply of roundball is up to snuff but I might load up some BP 45 Colt cartridges. I use them in a new model Vaquero. Mild recoil, accurate to at least 25 yards, and just plain fun to shoot. It's so comfortable that I've started using it as a way to introduce newcomers to centerfire revolvers. The Model 10 with wadcutters serves for double action training.

Jeff

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Mr. Tom ADC, ya'll enjoy MASS sir, and enjoy your family. "The night cometh when no man can work"....

[4v50 Gary]

Merry Christmas one and all.

Alemonkey - what diameter is the scope body?

[alemonkey]

I use a modified turkey fryer too. Actually it's my beer brewing setup. I have 2 175,000 BTU turkey fryer burners. It melts lead pretty fast, I only turn it up maybe 1/4 of the way while I'm melting and then keep the valve just barely cracked after that to maintain temperature.

I need to get out and do some casting too. I'm all out of round balls for my 1851, and I go through a lot of 45-70 bullets during the summer when we have our BPCR match at the range. It seems like I'm always scrambling to cast up 50-60 the day before a match...

[alemonkey]

Gary, it's a 3/4 inch body. They make 3 models, a 17" 3x and 6x models that are 18" and 30" long. I like the looks of the long scope more but the 17" and 18" use standard Unertl type scope blocks so I can always upgrade later.

[bigbadgun]

GotC I still havent had a chance to get to the range with those REAL bullets my wife has had me busy with toys for tots and then I got volunteered at the church to help give out toys and what not so I have had no range time in a while. Starting to get an itchy trigger finger.

[dwave]

Wow, I didn't figure the turkey fryer was that popular for bullet casting! I still need to get a .45 colt mold in .454. My .45 has the old sized barrel. I load mine with BP (777 too). Very fun using the old powders.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

I might mess around and go to 'Yahoo services' and download Firefox. I'll probably never know it's there unless I have to use it for something....

[alemonkey]

Talk about thread drift....

The only drawback I've heard of with turkey fryers is that they can get hot enough to vaporize the lead and release lead fumes. But as long as you're smart about it you'll be fine. The flames do help keep you warm in a cold garage though...

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Bigbadgun, YA'LL WORK WITH TOYS FOR TOTS?? Hey, I do every year and have for years. I couldn't go out this year so I sent the Marine recruiter some money and told him to go shopping..He did!!..I don't know what all he got 'cause I didn't have much money to give him. I notice that lot's of people on here are starting to talk about the REAL rounds and equipment for producing them. I hope you get to the range pretty quick. I tell you, I am still waiting for a report to see if they work out good for you. Hope so..GOTC....

[dwave]

Hey Alemonkey, we do ours outside. Also we don't kick up the heat to the max. We heat it up enough that it casts good bullets, not wrinkled.

GoTC you can also get it @ www.firefox.com

[alemonkey]

That's what I do too, except in a very drafty garage. I couldn't bring myself to pay more for a dedicated melting pot when I had everything I needed already, just had to go to Goodwill and buy a cheap cast iron pot for $5. My wife says I'm a cheapskate, I say I'm frugal.

[dwave]

My wife says I'm a cheapskate, I say I'm frugal.

I'll agree 100%, I am frugal! I don't really have the money to drop on an electric melter right now anyways. The propane costs me $13 for 20 pounds right now and lasts a while.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Yeah, I just signed back on here for a littlw while to see what all was going on. When I sign out of this site I'm going to download Firefox. I'vd done brought it up and read about it. Thanks Dwave....

[DoubleDeuce 1]

Good afternoon GOC. By the time I read this post you guys were probably already through your first pot of coffee along with the bacon and eggs. So, a late good morning to you. I currently am having a cup of today's coffee in a clean cup.:cool:

Merry Christmas to all

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Thank you Double Deuce 1.. I'm just now reading your post! I have had 2 pots of coffee (working on my third. 12 cup pot to!) and I had fried baloney, scrambled eggs and a chunk of garlic bread. It all went together pretty good! Merry Christmas to you and yours and a Happy New Year. GOTC....

[theotherwaldo]

Merry Christmas!

Now that I have the power back on I can finally have a cup of coffee.
Don't know why it went off - it's been warm and still all day. Even mowed the lawn and did some yard work.

Wish I lived in a state where you could hunt without spending megabucks on a lease. I've got three muzzle-loaders that need to be blooded.

A lease would cost more than all three guns put together!

[toolslinger]

Sorry I took so long to answer. Right after breakfast we went about 300 miles south. It actually did snow in Dallas the day before Christmas. We ,therefore ,saw about 30 wrecks on the way down to the hill country.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Well, it sure as hell isn't warm or still up here this morning. I'm sitting in the middle of 35.10 acres I'd sure like to unload onto some poor unsuspecting fool. Get a little money up front, change the papers over and let them finish paying for it. I'll go to Alabama and shoot rabbits and deer when they get in my sister's garden. Just stretch out and soak up the sun like a big lizard while being very careful to try and keep the sweat from getting on my Walker or '58 or whatever I might be using at the time!!...(!!)....