Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR It's too Danged cold to go out (about 15 degrees)...

So, I thought I'd just around here to see what kinda trouble I could start....

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Wassa matter Joe, your frizzen frozen? Or is it frozen to your mitten? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

"GOTTA-GO", waters depleted... need BEER to filler-up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

When I was about 12 we had neighbors that had a boxer bitch...usta sit under my BR window and bark at the moon. One night about 2 AM it starts up, look out the window and she's sitting on about 6" of snow all lit up by a full moon, nary a cloud in sight! 'Twas about 10* that night, had a picture of tap water...soaked her good and proper thru the open window. The neighbors were aghast at the racket she made so they'd let her inside, and quite puzzled how all the ice got all over her. I slept like a rock for the balance of the night... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Never cared much for boxers anyway.

Last weekend, the deer season opened back up here in Iowa. Score: One dead, three injured (that's for hunters). Temp this morning was -16f, still air temp, not wind chill. Another record breaker for temp coming up in the morning. No wonder I don't hunt here anymore.

I did get my 1000 yd swinger hung up last week and we do shoot from a heated shack but I think the bullet would freeze about half way down the range. Probably have to wait for a Jan thaw now.

TL

-41 here...

My Gawd, does Black even burn at those temperatures? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Let's just say when you bring in a jug from the snowbank outside, it's wise to warm it up a bit before taking a slug.....

14* here, on the Mex. border, this AM.......... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Think that the tomato season is over.

GTC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Yeah,
I cut my shooting off about 40 deg.- won't have that till next weekend it looks like. Damn Greg, I thought you were a balmy 60+- maybe it's time to go shoot airguns at the one of the All-inclusives in Cancun for a week!
I guess that I do have that nice wood that I got from George at Treebone to put on that little .22 RB - told myself at the time, that it would make a good cold weather project <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> There is also that Geo Metro engine sitting on the bench that I am converting to an airplane engine to do <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> - Really want to go make smoke though! Just gots to get the mind right for winter I guess <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />.....Dennis

Plugged in the heated floor mat ( Northern Tool) this AM....got one for the kennel, and the JRT loves it.

I like mine too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />, put it in front of the lathe.

GTC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We are going on 17-18 straight days below freezing, apparently the area record is 45 days straight...

Just discovered something of interest that may be of help to others. I have a (believe it is called) class-A gas/propane heater. The kind that has outside intake and exhaust of PVC pipe... The steady freeze/frost with no daytime heat thaw was causing an ice build-up from condensation in the intake. This was causing the air flow sensor to 'shut down' the system and go into an error/fault warning. (about 50% restriction)
Never happened in past 6 years because temperature variations day-to-day allowed for the ice build up to go away.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> (who says you don't learn something new every day?

I've had 40 rnds of carefully crafted 45-70's ready for about 2 weeks so's that I could do some long range accuracy testing between ww's and 20-1, but alas it seems if the temperature rises above about 15 then the wind speed either has to meet or exceed the temp numbers. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> With the exception of it snowing or foggy so that the maximum sight distance would be somewhere around 132yds. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Feel not like the 'Lone Ranger' <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I glanced at the weather channel and it looks like everywhere but Arzirona is having the same problem.
Good thing is long range forecast looks pretty good, so maybe when the chief petty lil occifer and his brood get here, whilst granma is gettin her grubby finger prints all over the new grandevil, me an him and the duece can slip out during chores and raise some cane with prairie dogs , coyotes and hopefully the 686 yd bathtub. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Don,

Grandevil.........good one. I got 4 now and one coming up (out) 28 Dec. Now ain't that some [bleep]! Being able to plan out exactly when to have your babies but that's typical today.

TL

Yep just pick the day , everybody goes in has a big time, more like a party. Don't know if its better than a wild ass race to the hospital in the middle of the night or not. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Deck the halls with balls of folly, or some such........

26.5*F here, and will droop to 20*, right at sunup, at 1100 this day, will convene with hardcore rifle loonies at Sierra Vista range, and try not to collapse into a hopeless fit of mirth as they try to get some precision accuracy work done in a cold, high desert gale.......................Me?, I'm gonna lashup a " Big Swede", barreled action on the Ford Tailgate, and blast 10 350grain Condomized slugs down its "extra heavy" Badger...............that chore out of the way, will get the hell out of Dodge.
If this stupid cold, " Killer Storm" bit is gettin' any of you down, don't hesitate to bail, and get the heck down here to thaw a bit.........I'm sure that we can accomodate as many refugee rifle loonies as the situation warrants.........our gales are quite a bit warmer than yours at this time, and I'll pray that they'll break before calving.

Thanks , Joe, for sending that jewell of a reamer.

Work safe, GTC

Looking at this next storm coming through California, I think I will join that volunteer team to go down & look for Natalee <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
Pretty hard to get any trigger time in these days- got a case of new Express on the way I want to try out- will report when I get some down range with it.
Greg- Almost done with that restocking project on the .22 RB- used a nice curly walnut that isn't too fancy. ..Dennis

Greg the thought of visiting that range in the balmy temperature sounds good. The one thing that might make my ontorage and unwelcome guest is the 180 non shooters that need daily attention. They really don't have very good range manners, don't care nothin about firing lines, target backstops and the like.
Just how much grass you got on that range anyway? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Had mixed feelings about yesterdays 'Santa Claus shoot', we'd had really cold wind , for days.........The Lord loves shooters, by 10:00 we were shedding jackets, and had a great day.

Here's a view, Camera due West.........that's the Huachuca range on the horizon.

Cheers, gtc <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Well shucks you don't have anymore snow than we do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />Grass is a bit greener tho. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Ranch, that sorta dark, greenish benchline , visible to the West(just above my hat)...........That's the drop of into the San Pedro River valley. It's a BLM "Riparian Area". Illegal immigration byway, and Hippy Enviro-whacko paradise. There's a good stand of hard grass down there, all along the bottoms. Good feed.

We can ease the fence down, and turn the 180 member ruminating social club in ( that's what our local county tax assessor does, HE can get away with that)................

Assuming that we didn't wind up in Leavenworth, the only real problem I see is that they'd be mooing in Spanish, on the drive back.

Work safe, stay warm, GTC

Sounds like its a touch cold in the U.S at present, never seen snow myself. I'm from very sunny Queensland (South-West), its been the exact opposite here, for the last 3 weeks my weather station has not recorded a maximum day temp of below 38.5C, maximum of 40.3C on Christmas day. Most of the towns and cities around my area have severe water restrictions in place also, so can't even turn on the sprinkler and sit under it. Hasn't made my crops look too good either, were off to a good start a few months ago, lots of rain, then it stopped and got hot.
Nearly too hot to even shoot, especially black, seems to foul much worse in the heat.
Some snow right now would sound OK, although I imagine it brings its own set of problems. Hang in there guys!
500J

500, somone was telling me that salts in the groundwater were quite a problem , in parts of Aus.

This include your district, or are you just in a drought?

Can tell you in all honesty that groundwater levels in my district are a political football rolled on dog$hit.

I've got my own sounder, Pro-grade, but somehow mine always records more water in a hole, than those who now wish to meter, and tax private wells.

I'm not gonna get real whiny, I've been blessed with a good artesian well.

Up where Ranch lurks, with his beasts, there's been a major subsidence, and that looks like an honest drought.

What say you on this Ranch?

None of that " dry" humor either. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

GTC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Greg
Outside of streams that don't run anymore, spings that are just dry holes, and wells that have went from a static level of 20 ft to mucky goo in the bottom , I don't know if a person could document any subsidence. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
As to dry humor, this last year we got almost normal precip. Only it all came in May and June.
The state climatologist put out a press release that they're pretty sure the worst of the drought is over, so I'm betting we find out what dry really is this next year. 03 and 04 there was less moisture than the worst years of the 30's.

Crossfire and Ranch,
I'm fairly lucky with my own irrigation bore, it still pumps quite well (at the moment, shouldn't speak too soon) Water is good enough to drink, it's 330 feet down to the bottom of the hole, through basalt, so seems to be filtered OK.
I work full time as an agronomist for a vegetable seed company here in Oz, as well as having my own place, most of the growing regions in the Southern part of Queensland are in real trouble with water, the last good flush in the creeks was back in 1996, so groundwater is very depleted. Lots of farmers can't use the little water they have, yes it has gone very salty in places. Added up my rainfall for 2005, got 21 inches, about 11-12 inches short of the average.
I would say if it doesn't rain here properly in the next 6-12 months, vegetable farmers in some areas will be a thing of the past, their farms will only grow houses then, as Brisbane just gets bigger.
On the plus side, it gives me a bit more time to shoot, been reading most of the forum topics, but must admit, I've taken a shine to the BPCR and the lever action ones, good information without the crap. Keep it coming, I can use all the info I can get.
500J

Greg,

Yes salinity is a major problem here in parts of Australia. I think it is possibly the greatest environmental tragedy the modern world has seen. With the over clearing of land, the water table has risen and bought the salt with it. Salt accumulates on and near the surface. There are many, many millions of acres salt affected along with many rivers and streams. There are streams and dams once fresh that are now saltier than the ocean and.

I live in a farming / ranching area with a 42� rainfall. 15 years ago, there were no visible salinity signs. A neighbour of mine built a dam for livestock water approx 10 years ago. It is now too salty for stock to drink from. Springs around the area are showing signs of salt crystals on the outer damp edges. I now see this on my ranch. A very large dam was built in my valley, to supply water to the city. It was built over a smaller older dam. Each year workers I had talked to, use to drain 2-3 meters of water of the dam in Autumn, ready for our winter rains. This was to remove the salty water which sits at the bottom. On building the new dam and my fight against it and all the restrictions it has brought to my land, I asked the govt � �what are you doing about the increase in salinity here and it affects on water supplies�. They totally denied any problem existed! Nothing was to impede they new dam!!!

Some statistics I have on hand from the worst affected states:

State areas salt affected
------------1982--------------1999
WA------- 652 000 ac ------4 457 684 ac
SA--------135 905 ac---------993 342 ac
Vic---------222 390 ac--------345 940 ac
NSW--------------------------432 425 ac

The potential area vulnerable if no action taken

WA [My home state] 15 095 339 acs
NSW 12 355 000 acs

Farmers/Ranchers and Govt are taking action, but in many, many cases the fight is well and truly lost. Tho the Govt is providing assistance to the worse affected areas, It will be of no surprise that many farmers and ranchers are doing a most of it out of their own pocket� Until you see the devastation 1st hand, it is hard to get a real picture of the magnitude!

Cheers,

Cam�

Ranch � hi ya Don, good to see you again�

500 Jeffrey � greetings from a fellow Aussie

Howdy Cam. Sorry to hear about you guys down under and all the water problems.
Did you get your supply store up and running?

Hi Don,

Thankfully all is not too bad for me on the salinity front. It is just showing its face and I doubt will reach a crippling state as we are near surrounded by national parks and tree plantations [help keeping the water table lower/using the ground water]. Tho you can`t let your guard down, the soils here are fairly fragile and I monitor it closely. However I don`t plan on ranching in this district for too many more years to come...

Yes, I have the business trading. Website is online but needs finishing. I am mainly dealing direct with the mining and agricultural industries at present. As most of the products I have been importing are for winter wear, March is about when the bulk of the orders will come in - all going well. Other than that, I got out of the live export cattle industry and just working my cows and still doing a little contract stud cattle work for others, with our bull sales and shows comming up soon. Enough to keep me busy.

Hope the seasons improve for you and your Sharps is treating you well...

cheers,

Cam.......

Cam that ol Italian junker treats me quite well, I might even break down and put a (choke) vernier sight on it one of these days, but it shoots so darn well with the ladder sights, I hate to change anything.
I always have trouble trying to adjust to the fact you guys are havint summer while we're in the dead of winter, and when it starts to green up here you guys are freezing. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yes the seasons are sure opposite. We are suppose to be very dry and very hot right now. However nature has other ideas. We have only had 2 or 3 days over 100f, mostly it has been mild. Rain which should be virtually non existant now is comming almost weekly. I just got back from breaking bulls for friends of mine, 3 hours north of here. They got 2" rain and the daughters ranch 45 mins drive North east got 4 1/2 inches over night. It got worse as you went north, so the daughters 4-6 foot wide creek flooded to approx 500 yards wide. They are trapped on the ranch, with the only way out by Bike or horse for now. 8'x4'x4' foot sqaure bales of straw were floating around the paddocks like drift wood. Funny thing is down at my ranch we got 4 mm of rain - next to nothing. Today is warmer but damn humid!

What sort of Vernier sight you considering? Sure is a vast selection out there. My knowlege on them ain`t great. However for hunting and target the Hoke sounds interesting.

In a moment of impulse, I got hold of a Computer game called "Gun". It is about a guy making his way after a band of killers during the old west. You shoot Buffalo, Indians, bad buys, round up cattle and more. Shooting Colts, S&W, Volcanic pistols, Winchester lever rifle and shotgun, Sharps and Rolling blocks. It has kept me entertained on a wet day or two here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Maybe the thing for a cold winters night with a glass or two of burbon...

Cam...