Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Only on Ebay .....

Well, it's been four years now, since my hunting partner Bert took my sage advice and removed the bolt from his favorite deer-whackin tool (a 1960's era Weatherby, in .270 Wby) ... and hid it somewhere in his house/shop ... where no boogler (sic) would ever be able find it. Only bad-news was ... he couldn't remember where he hid it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />.

Over the past few years, I have loaned him 7mm Rem mags and .300 Win/Wby mags for several hunts. so he wouldn't have drag his .338 Win mag along and puch a really-beeeg hole in some unsuspecting mule deer. In the mean time, we have searched high and low at our homes, inquired at gun shops, gun shows, within the Weatherby collectors association etc, with no joy.

So I was truly amazed the other day ... when I "espied" a blued Weatherby Mark-5 magnum bolt, for sale (auction) on Ebay. I conspired with that jack-off-all-trades (aka: Spike) and we formulated a game plan for slipping in the right-bid at the right time ... and when the auction closed, we had stolen it .... for $44 + shipping.

When it shows up, we'll verify fit/headspace and Bert could "finally" be back in business. I'm already sizing some new Norma brass and moly coating some 140 grain Barnes-TSX's for it's inagural debut. The rifle was only a 1.5" 3-shot rifle at best before, so it will be interesting to see if the TSX's help improve its marginal accuracy.

Will be even more interesting, if the serial numbers match .... or the seller is somehow related to Bert's wife <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

.... Silver Bullet

"Ketchup ... IS a vegetable"

Once again patience and cunning pay off! Or was it cunning that got you into this fix in the first place? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Makes you wonder where the guy on ebay hid the rifle so no one would steal his bolt? I bet he was doing the same thing you guys were doing- looking all over the house to find that rifle he hid years ago and couldn't find again. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />- Bob

LMAO at the idea of some guy tearing his house apart, looking for a rifle !

I figure that with my luck .. the day after it arrives ... Bert's lovely wife will walk into his reloading room and say .... "Honey ... I found this wrapped in a towel downstairs ... it looks like something off of a rifle .. is it yours ?" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

S.B.

If you dine with the Devil .... bring a long Fork ...

I can't believe anyone would seperate the bolt from their rifle and then hide it. I couldn't find my azz if it wasn't attached to me. Last year I went up into the attic and found a new hard sided rifle case I could not even remember buying. The bad luck was it didn't contain a new rifle I forgot I'd bought too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Oh yeah, I searched for two days looking for a pistol I put away where no child could get at it. As you get older, you best quit hiding schit that's important.

PDS,

If you feel bad, I feel worse. About 5 years ago, I put up a Model 60 S&W in my basement. I have looked high and low and no luck as yet. If I don't find it soon, I am going to have to turn it in as stolen. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

the9.3Guy

Reminds me of the time I lost the bottom metal to one of Silver Bullets' rifles in my vault. Took me an hour to find it. Real embarassing, as the Silver One was sitting on a stool in the shop wondering what type of fool could misplace a gun part in a 8ft x 8ft walk in vault.

I don't have to hide things in order to lose them, that is why I own a dozen hammers....set one down and it dissapears. I buy two screw drivers so I will still have one when I get home. I once lost a Savage 99, couldn't find it for a year then remembered i gave it to a friends kid. The very worst thing I lose is an inexpensive little item...."TEFLON TAPE" for every minor plumbing repair I have to go to town and buy a new roll. I always find a roll around the reservation some time later. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Bullwnkl.

So far, knock wood, I haven't managed to lose a firearm permanently. I occasionally come across one that I didn't remember I had. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

My dad lost a Colt Frontier Six Shooter for seven years. Only found it when Mom wanted a new medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom. He knew where the old holster was but couldn't find the pistol. Swore up and down that the exterminator had stolen it.

Winky, I have solved the problem with disappearing tools. You pitch them up in the air and they never come down. At least I believe that's what happens to mine.

BCR

It is amazing what you can find on the internet especially on ebay if you keep your eye open long enough.

I would not be surprised if that bolt has the same serial number. The wife trying to make a guy stop hunting but in my case that would backfire like hell cause I would just HAVE to go buy another guy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> And of course that would have been my favorit one so I would need a really cool custom to replace it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Ever waked up the wife at 4:00 am the last day of hunting season with the noise from your hacksaw cuz you couldn't find the keys to your gun lock? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

They were in my boot, where I had hidden them. But I did go hunting!

I spent an hour one opening day looking for the shotgun I had already loaded in the truck <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Boy do I know that feeling. I have three sharpening sets somewhere around the shop/house. One I know is still sealed in plastic. I also will come across guns I forgot I had. Was in the safe last weekend pulling out the Red Label (dove season you know) and found a new BH .41RemMag that I had taken in to settle a debt that I forgot I had and two cases of 28g Win AA that I forgot my boy had picked up for me for Father's Day. I was just out to Wal-Mart and fell into an unbelievable deal on 28g AA and .410 AA and purchased all they had at the "manager's special price of less than $3.00 a box. I can�t keep a shovel. Buy them and they go to shovel heaven in real quick order.

I have been known to wonder around looking for a screw driver
that was in my back pocket, and a jag that was on the end of my cleaning rod! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
How about a shell holder that is already in the press? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Catnthehat

I thought my Garmin GPS went to the "boyfriend" of the girl my wife picked to watch our house when we were on vacation. Once I cleaned my safe out, I was relieved to find that he'd put it back (along with my headlamp).... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Keep em coming, I'm loving this. If only I had enough gear to lose?....I only have a dozen rolls of teflon tape.

The latest thing was a box of .380 ammo, that lost itself for about 6 months. This within hours of bringing it home...
Tools are something else. I KNOW my son-in-laws get my tools! Just haven't been able to catch them yet.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, the blued Weatherby bolt arrived yesterday from New Mexico and "Spike" smuggled it to me last night. I cleaned it, looked for cracked lugs, ... then tried it in two of the Weatherby Mark-5's that I had handy in the reloading-dungeon and it seemed to fit fine.

This morning, Bert brought out his bolt-less rifle (.270 Wby) and we carefully slid it home .... she fit nicely and cams over with just the right amount of tension. The safety engages (neutralizing the trigger) and releases smoothly, allowing the trigger to be pulled. We gave it the "AFP" (Blaine) dance on the recoil-pad test and she passed. We blued the backside of the 9 locking-lugs and cycled the bolt a few times, then examined the pattern. There is good contact on 7 of the 9 lugs.

We chambered one of the rounds fired in the rifle before the bolt started appearing on milk cartons. She fit fine. The only question was, if the headspace (base to the shoulder) was overly long. I had a fired case with a really long base to shoulder (probably fired in a Remingtion <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) so we meausured the shoulder on this loooong case, with an RCBS precision mic and resized it slowly (by adjusting the sizing die down) and test fitting the case back into the rifle. We were amazed when we discovered that the chamber (with this alien bolt) was within .001" of the fired brass from the rifle (with the original bolt).

Also tried a few feeds from the magazine of dummy rounds and all was well there too. I think we have a winner ! (Thanks for your Ebay help Spike)

... Silver Bullet

"If ya only got a $10 head ... buy a $10 helmet." .... Evil Kneivel