Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR Bill Bagwell Eulogies

Sheet! sounds like i need to fire the lead pot back up! ; ]

What the heck, same powder charge of 85 grains FFg GOEX + 5 grains of 4759, half of each batch in each of two rifles,
but scope-sighted for these old eyes so as to better tell what is going on.
That will do for starters, plenty of bullets for now, thank you Sir Jerry.
I'll also paper-patch some of my AM 44-530P in air-cooled WW to tag along with same powder charge.

Original Sharps .45 2 7/8” at 100 yds
https://youtu.be/Z1wl4rhm4tA

Original Sharps .45 2 7/8” at 700 yds
https://youtu.be/aPnhXPvQmQ4

That'll work, whatever it takes, keep on keeping on Sir Ron, reminds me of an aging old bow hunting buddy, he called one day and said, well, i guess you wont be archery hunting with me anymore, i says, why? he says, well, because of my shoulder i had to buy a new crossbow today, i said you dont have it over here yet??, come on, we got to get you zeroed!

i'll be there soon enough; ]

UH-OH LOL, many Thanks Pacecars, i appreciate it Sir.

Good job pacecars AND gunner 500.
Copper penny front and about 4 seconds to hear and see the very loud smack on the gong. HD.

Thanks Sir Ron and Pacecars, i held near 8 feet into that guesstimated 10-12 mph variable full value East wind, firing Dew North, i knew Saint Bagwell was looking down and smiling, was thinking about him when the trigger broke, i didn't want to disappoint.

At first I thought you were gonna shoot the trailer! I figure that big ol hunk of lead should stop it

LOL, i need to sell that damn thing, hey, that's another trip to Africa sitting there gathering dust, alas, the calves sure like going under there and getting out of the summer sun ; ]

Man that Big 50 of yours sure is nice Pacecars, saw that video too.

It is a hoot to shoot with those big bullets!

I would still love to have an original though

I really do regret not taking Bill up on his offer to go shoot at his range. He said he would have me hitting his long range targets with my barrel sights in no time. That is a heck of a guy that would invite you to his home for shooting and dinner even though he only knew you from some posts and talking on the phone for a few hours

Hope to see you standing over a buffalo or big buck deer with that rifle someday Pacecars, the originals are big fun too, you wouldn't have ever forgotten a weekend spent at Bagwells, cutting patches, casting bullets, loading ammo, talking shop and soaking up info like a sun baked sponge, then shooting at his 500 yard range, all the while enjoying gourmet meals prepared by his lovely Wife.

It doesn't get any better.

Circa 1976 to 1984:







Last image above, left to right, 3 bladesmiths, Don Hastings, Bill Bagwell , Bill Moran, and a Dean of Students at Texarkana College B. R. Hughes.
Four founders of American Bladesmith Society in 1976, if I read this correctly:

http://www.americanbladesmith.com/index.php?section=pages&id=117

B. R. Hughes wrote that and was referred to as another "Bill" in a quotation spoken by Bill Moran.
That would mean three Bills and a Don, above.

Hey, I am not blind yet !
I can get a 20/10 correction with spectacles, that is on the target though not the iron sights, however.
Dang those trifocals !
Speaking of which, how 'bout that Metford guy using a 10X scope on his .451-bore/ 52-guage Gibbs-Metford muzzleloader at 2000-yard targets circa 1865 !



With that contraption, Bill Metford might have been able to compete with Bill Bagwell's copper penny.

Yes, I mean William Ellis Metford, another "Bill."

LOL, cool bit of history there Sir Ron, speaking of copper pennies, i file cut one out and made a sight for it after Saint Bagwell left us, don't have the tools he uses to make them, but have witnessed him making several for my other rifles, the original front sight blade on the old rifle had became loose, i didn't want to lose it, and was certainly not going to peen the sight base tighter, so, wheat pennies being a bit thicker, i got my files out.

Did i happen to mention knife filing a sight blade out will make your finger tips sore? no shop vise, no grabbing with pliers, found a crack in the top of my casting table that held the penny good on one end while i hung onto the other running the files.

I'll keep the original blade along with the near worn through forearm.

Nice old pics of Saint Bagwell and his knife Buds Sir Ron, i'll send you a couple for posting that would blow the Titanic out of the water ; ]

Gunner500 could you post a pic of the Bagwell penny sight, would love to see one!

Saddlering, i'd have to take a pic of the one i cut and send to Sir Ron for posting, then could also send one the master Saint Bagwell made for me, do you want to see both?

gunner500 forwarded:

L to R:
Bob Furusho, Japanese Samurai Family of WWII Veterans, a collector of many of Bill Bagwell's knives,
Carlos Hathcock, "White Feather," holding a Bagwell knife,
Bill Bagwell.
"Three old buddies meeting at a show."



Bill Bagwell presenting Delta Force Commander Col. Charlie Beckwith with his very own Bowie at Charlie's home: