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Who’s at Ennis today ?

Not me. Got one of their barrels on a Savage 99

I was.

Good event. Met some good folks, a couple of campfire folks.

Purchased N160 and N165 for $40/lb

Ate some great chili - Shilen cooked 40 pounds of beef to make chili.

David, who fitted your barrel?

It was a good event and so was the 🌶️ chili . Picked up a barrel for a customer and sold a bunch of stuff nice laid back event.

I was there. Had a good time. Saw GW, Butch and some others. I spent too much but I wanted to spend more. Saw lots of good stuff at good prices. Wish I could’ve met more campfire friends. There’s always next year. God Willing.

Wish I had been there.

Do any of you set up a table to peddle?

Next year around this time I should be in that area. Based on the description it looks like anyone can just show up and sell stuff even day of. I might enjoy putting some nods and thermals and such out.

I didn’t set up a table. I carried around a rifle hoping to sell it, but no luck.

I don’t think any registration was needed. Just show up. Bring your own table.

They do ask all attendees to RSVP via email so they know how much lunch to provide (very good chili).

I would estimate that there were about 50 people with tables.

Very casual. Park close to the building entrance and set up behind the rear bumper of your car. A limited number of sellers were able to set up inside the plant first come, first served? There was as much visiting as there was serious buying.

Almost no “black guns”. Ammo. Rifles, pistols, and shotguns. A few old military guns. Fair amount of reloading components. Gun parts. A few scopes. I think everything was used (guns & scopes), except reloading components. A couple of folks brought their dogs with them. Very friendly crowd. No one appeared to be a regular business, just folks who like guns.

Comfortable temperature. Most folks were wearing long sleeves. A few wearing shorts. Pretty windy.

There was access to toilets inside the plant.

Yes you are welcome to sell. You contact Shilen and you can drive your Pickup up next to the shop. There are two or three alleyways of people selling stuff. Some people are set up on tables in the shop. This year was pretty windy. Some of the sellers had their canopies blown around a bit but it went well. It’s a half day affair much like a flea market. Of course nobody can control the weather. Most years it’s good. I met lots of good people from other states.

One fellow had a Springfield M2 22 training rifle for sale. I’d love to have bought that and if I was younger with better eyes I would have. I used to hunt with one our neighbor brought back from France where he was stationed in WWII when I was a kid. It was his camp gun. He was a cook in the army.
AB were you the guy with the paper in the barrel for sale or trade? A couple of guys were carrying rifles for sale. One nice fellow had a newish looking REM. M7 7-08 he wanted to rebarrel to 6BR for his wife to hunt with. I tried to encourage him to get a Howa in 6ARC or 6.5 Grendel. That was a nice unused looking rifle to redo.

It's a bit of a drive from Boerne but I should just book a room and make the trip. Maybe next year.

Good to know thank you. That is the appeal of it to me as I’ve been told by people who’ve been into this stuff longer than me there used to be a lot of that, but it has mostly died out. All the stuff I’ve been to had been much more formal. People who do this for a living setting up in convention centers and that type of thing.

I’d like to see what amounts to a flea market focused on guns with non-FFLs selling out of their personal stash.

That wasn’t me. I saw the guy you were talking about. I had a scoped Marlin 336 .30-30. I was carrying it in my hand, didn’t have a sling attached.

My bad. Wish we’d have met. Maby next year.

^^^ 👍👍

Definitely meet next year.
Would love to meet all the Texas-based CF brethren

With no beans for you purists.

I was there, setup adjacent to Butch’s table. G.W. was outside adjacent to SakoHunter264. He was the one whose canopy took flight.

I took nothing but powder. Sold $1000 worth.

A tip for those who need a room, this is the same weekend of an event taking place at Texas Motor Speedway. Rooms can be tough to acquire nearer the swap meet date.

IIRC this was my fourth year to go.

First two years Sakohunter264 and I set up inside. Last two years we set up in the 3-4 acre grassy lot adjacent the south side of the building. We load up a couple folding tables and a bunch of rifles, pistols, ammo, brass, knives, scopes powder and anything that might get the attention of the different rifle/gun loonies that are in attendance.

If there are dealers there, they are in the minority. In talking to folks, this is the only time they go to a sale/swap meet. Myself, I do not go to gun-shows and have only set-up to sell at one other gun show other than the Shilen Swap Meet. Its fun to see guys/gals that you've not seen in a year.

Our typical modus operandi is to get there on Friday afternoon, check into our rooms, maybe take a short siesta or run by Shilen to say hi' and see if there are any early deals to score. The folks at Shilen are like family and it is super laid back. Typically they have a fish fry on Friday evening for folks setting up. Previously, about 6 pm we headed into Ennis for Mexican food. Last year there were 10 or so of us at dinner. I did not make it this year but 4 others did.

If you do decide to go be sure an make hotel reservations as there is a car show the same weekend and rooms can be scarce in town. Otherwise its 12 to 17 miles to the nearest other abodes.

We set up about 7 AM and folks start drifiting by shortly thereafter. I'm usually packed and ready to roll by noon, but it usually takes me another hour or so to say my goodbyes.


Good to meet Adventure Bound. Got to talk Rainshot, Butch Lambert, Reloder28, Sakohunter 264 and his bud Tim and numerous others that I've made their acquaintance over the last few years.


Anywho, what is a thread without pix (pix or it didn't happen).

I had not planned to buy anything. However Sakohunter264 luv's to spend my money. I knew it would cost me when he button-hooked me and said I had to follow him........

I have S X S doubles in 10 ga. thru 28 ga., but not in .410 gauge



Well, at least not till yesterday.



Sweet SKB 200HR, .410 with 5 screw in chokes










EdM, you should make it next year. Not near the time or cash commitment of the 24hr Hoot n' Shoot.

Stickfight, would certainly enjoy making your acquaintence. Sell a few things and it will pay for your trip.

So thanks to Butch Lambert and the folks at Shilen for a great time.

Best,

GWB

I did add jalepeno's and cheese.

ya,

GWB