Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A Quandry

I have one and would be interested in feedback.

Having evolved to a notable state of Looneyism I have, as many of you know, undertaken a few projects slightly outside the box, and find myself in a curious circumstance. My shotguns shoot proper patterns with the shot of choice, and the rifles in my collection shoot quite well. Translated, that means they are boring me, not because of mediocrity, but because there is no place left to go with them. I have a few handguns and they will, on demand, shoot minute of jerk. So, what's next? I draw a blank. I load the scatterguns, rifles and pistols, cast bullets and even load a .45 caplock pistol with rice now and then for the purpose of eradicating pesky lizards. Yes, I use a wad and Lord Black. I shoot straight black and sometimes duplex loads in the Quigley rifles and they all shoot quite well.

Of late I have been considering the use of small capacity cases to shoot .30 cal round balls. Something like the .32 S&W or .32 Short Colt for example.

I'm bored and need suggestions. You have any pet projects, goals, innovations and such that bear consideration?

I switched to shooting right handed with iron sights... Some guys say that using scopes is cheating.. There's always ways to change things up. Try switching over to your weak side for a while:








I've been shooting AR's for a couple years now, so that also changed things up a bit..

That be some good shooting there, and I will be the first to admit that irons are getting to be a challenge as the years pass. That said, they are not a high hurdle yet. I'm weird enough that I don't have much use for high magnification glass though I have a few guns so equipped. Muzzle loader slug guns mostly. I also shoot a bit with 3 MOA red dots, just dinking around with oddball objectives. For example, I had Steve Brooks make a mould awhile back for my 77/44, a 320 grain thing intended for subsonic applications.



And of course my pig poker has a red dot also. Here's 25 yards w/elbow rest


My .45 flintlock, offhand at 50 with irons bores me blind.


Sittin' on the 100 yard butt with the .250-3000 is an exercise in tedium


My Marlin 94 has a tang sight. The info on the picture is incorrect....it was the first 2 shots.


Good grief, boredom reigns...not even offhand cures it.




The old RSB? Another yawn...


I need help....a challenge if you will.


Obviously this was not enough...

How about a long bow?

shooting cedars....

Make a longbow of hickory and shafts of cane or bamboo. Nature's carbon arrows. I am building a bow with the youngest Grandson.
We have a bit to go yet but he is interested in graduation things. I will let him have his time. He was cheated this year by the China croop. As all grads were. I have to steer him toward the finish line and then to make our own arrows. He hasn't been dinging me to go deer hunting. Yet. Be Well DD, Rustyzipper.

How about a .22 caliber muzzle loader? Little tiny patched round balls and a couple grains of Holy Black?

I've been messing with breech seating .22 bullets in single shots. Soft 1:30 bullets, Lyman 225438, breech seated .030" ahead of a case charged with a pinch of Bullseye and sealed with a thin card of floral foam. Accuracy: good but not up to Eley Tenex grade. Yet. There in lies the challenge: tweaking/improving until match grade accuracy is achieved (or the supply of empty primed .22 LR cases dries up). Practical? Nope. Fun? Yep.

Gave up on long bows when I was about 7 years old. Shot one straight up...started to run but it nailed on the back of my left heel. Ya, I was a stunt shooter way back then. And that was a little too exciting.

You need to get some of that RRC CF brass for your .22s gnoahhh. Course then you gotta convert your RF bolt to CF.

I may not be looney enough to start patching .22 round balls for a ML yet. But I’m thinking.....🤪

Hmmmm. My Ballard #3 .22 target rifle has a #2 breech block with convertible rf/cf firing pin....

I surely didn’t know such genius was lurking out there. A convertible Ballard...I’m smiling here.

Very nice. I can see where that can be a problem. I was thinking maybe you could try jackrabbit hunting with your cap and ball revolver. That is a kick in the pants

Yea, If you like to compete, or just shoot for the fun of it, try a PRS match. Shot my first last wkend, and tho i`m 77 and WAS a HM in hi-power, this new sport is a challenge, and I made it through the course with out passing out!
I bet you have a rifle or two you could use.

This sit at a bench and off hand slow fire stuff does ware on ya.

The PRS match might be worth a smile or 3.....Hmmmmm

We ain’t got no jack bunnies here in Floriduh. Mebbe cap’n ball on the pigs? -pondering-

There's some interesting stuff in airguns these days, mostly PCP. Calibers up to .50. I'm going to install a steel breech and rail on a Crosman 2240 CO2 pistol, maybe tonight if my nap doesn't run too long. Less than $150 invested, total. Gonna mount a red dot or maybe a See-All and a laser. Hip-shooting with a laser is fun.

I have 200 .30/.22 sabots sitting around waiting their turn too, for about 10 years now. Back in the day, the idea most had was to use them to turn your .30/06 into a .220 Swift ala Remington Accelerators. My notion is to create loads for pot--shooting rabbits, or maybe even turkeys. Got some Speer 46gr HPs with that in mind.

I think you need to hang with Terry Wieland at that auction house he's been going to lately. He's picked up some nice vintage project guns. Seems to keep him busy working on making cases, casting bullets, sourcing period correct sights, period correct restoration of the rifles/shotguns. Check out recent columns in Shooting Times. Not my cup of tea, but very interesting none the less.

I have a friend with a .45 cal airgun made by Airforce. Gave him some .400 gr .45-70 bullets and it was surprisingly accurate....and LOUD. Might as well have been shooting the .45-70.

3 shots at 20 yd, 2 at 50

You're gonna get me in trouble with Mrs. Dan. And she is a very good shot.

Here's a different way to go. Buy some bulk Remington and Winchester bullets in different calibres and show the world how well they can shoot.

You could try pulling 17HMR bullets, casting for same, and paper-patching them.........................