Patrick Sweeney

Wimp. I run the egg all winter long. Of course, if I neglect putting the cover over it, and the freeze seals the lid down, it is an interesting few minutes to get it unthawed.

I'm not sure I'd want to be trying 200's for a Minor load. At the really slow speeds, with the long bearing surface, you're just asking to get one stuck in the bore. If by "Minor" you are willing to settle for 150PF, maybe. But I wouldn't be all that happy at going under 750 fps. Lead 200's, maybe, but jacketed is asking for it.

We installed a geothermal system a year ago, and man it is the coolest. Heating is a fraction of the cost of gas, and cooling, well, we never had cooling until a few years ago, and then we got a room air conditioner for one room. The geothermal keeps the whole house cool in summer, for less electricity than the room a/c did for one room. The backyard was a disaster area, what with the drilling and trenching, but grass grows. It's a big investment, $15-20K, but for year-round comfort at mere dollars a month, it will pay off.

When it comes to monopods, the first thing I look for is height. At 6'4", most of them make me crouch to use them. If it can't get the eyepiece up high enough, it isn't much use. A 200-500 Tamron? Nice, but I've gotten the "L" disease, and that means no more sub-$1K lenses.

86mm? What kind of monster are you polarizing? And that would be a normal price. I just paid $60 for a mere 72mm polarizing filter.

I would not be assured with he comment "Don't worry, they'll spit you out as soon as they figure out you're not a dino happy meal." The toothmarks would require more than a band-aid. they're 85 million years back. the killer asteroid won't show up for 20 million years.

I realize that it has been a short while, but I wanted to bring you guys up to speed on a few things that happened. As you might know, Mike Carmoney couldn't make it (last minute emergency) and Matt Griffin stepped in. And how. He ended up arriving the first day of the match, and had to make up those stages. He had to use match ammo, which for us was Geco 230 JRN, with a PF in the 185 region. (Been there, done that, it is no fun.) Plus, to get it to go off, even with the heaviest spring he had in his main gun, he had to hand-seat the primers. All that, and he still places 3rd. But wait, it gets better. My cherished 25-2 loses timing. I trash a stage finding this out, and in pulling it apart to install a heavier cylinder stop spring, I find that the trigger pin has broken off of the frame. Of course I have no spare, Murphy's law would not permit it. I borrow Matt's backup gun, and find that left-handed grips are not a big deal. We finished the match, and at the time it looked like Matt was 4th. At the awards ceremony (with the "air conditioning" system dialed up to "swelter") we find Matt is 3rd, and we won the Team event. With the next World Shoot in Florida, I'm not looking forward to the melee that Team selections will be, but I can tell all of you; if you ever get a chance to shoot with Jerry, Matt and Cliff, do not turn it down. And Mike is right in there, too. Revolver shooters are the best of the best.

This is an evergreen topic, you'll find lots of threads on it. Me, I get tested annually, and my numbers have never been higher than 8.

Just got back from the World Shoot, on Rhodes. There I am, in the rental Ford Focus, making the turn from the coastal highway to the side road to the range. i do all my due diligence; I signal, slow down (only to 45-50) and make a proper right-angle turn. As I'm zipping around, just short of drifting, I see a smaller car pass me on the inside. As he zooms off, my wife says "You are not going to pass him. That was our second trip to Greece, and at the end of the first, she was more than ready to go home. "You're driving like a local." she said.

'83? You're a young'n.

No discussion/debate in hate rants, guys.

I'm cited in a medical article where an MRI snatched a handgun out of someones hand. And back in 2002, when I had a suspected kidney stone, I was so immobilized by pain the nurses had to strip me and man-handle (woman-handle?) me into the machine. Trust me, it wasn't nearly as fun as it might sound.

I watched it on a flight, and I think not being able to hear it was actually a good thing. Very interesting CGI setpieces, with a truly incomprehensible "story" linking them together. Rent it for $1, fas-forward through anything not CGI, and you'll have fun.

OK, does anyone know someone who is an absolute guru of the history? Dates of manufacture, issued units, etc? I've got someone who needs some info, more info than I have, so who do you know?

If he's happy with the roles, and the money, then good for him. If not, he needs to get a new agent or business manager, who will figure a way to re-boot his image. If he wants to do action, but get better roles, he has to really put the heat on.

I loved the billboard someone put up on I-94; "Liar, liar, vest on fire."

My wife discovered it, and once we looked at one, we bought a BGE. If you're thinking of going Big Green, get the next size up from what you might think you need. The first thing we cooked as a standing rib roast that had been "lost" in the freezer for a year. It was delicious. I just did a whole chicken yesterday. Steaks are a cinch: fire up the charcoal, and leave the airflow vents wide open. When the thermometer passes 600 degrees, throw the steaks on. Close the lid for two minutes but leave the vents open. Then flip them, and give it another two minutes. Then, close the vents and let the steaks heat-soak for two minutes more. Six minutes from steaks on to steaks off, medium rare, seared, juicy and tasty. Or, if you want to smoke stuff, fire it up and adjust the vents (airflow) to any temp between 200 and 300. then throw on soaked woodchips, toss on your whatever, and let it run for a few hours. Or as long as you want. As I said earlier, I don't do gas, and it is BGE or nothing for me. I'll even grill in the middle of winter.

Mine was an M11, with an A5 as backup. Did you know, that if you reload your own buckshot, and use Winchester AA hulls, that the rimes will sometimes come off? Did you know that an A5 will almost (but not quite) chamber the next round, even with the old hull still in the chamber? After that, it was S&B buckshot for me.

The lifter is two pieces, the one you push out of the way when you load is the hinged part. On the older guns, with the one-piece lifter, you always had to use the side button to unlock the lifter to load. So, you're all set.

Oh, and for those who have to have some gun content; there isn't any, but dwell on this; When the Blitz came to London, King George refused to leave. he also packed a nickel-plated Sten gun around in his limo, just in case. They have the gun on display at the Imperial War Museum. Nickel-plated, including magazines, in a fitted wooden case, suitable for a gentleman.

The Browning two-piece lifter is essential if you're going to run an A5 or M11 in 3-gun. The standard loading requires that you press the latch button to load. The two-piece lifter (2P) doesn't, you just thumb them in, and the lifter loads. here's the good part; you don't need a bigger charging handle. With a 2P, when the gun runs dry, it locks open. You just stuff a shell in as you normally would, and the lifter takes it, then feeds it into the receiver, chambers it, and closes the bolt. Rounds in the tube, or empty, you load the same way, and the gun automatically chambers it when needed. Ideally, it is a drop-in set. you disassembly your A5 (you'll need a whole toolbox full of fitted screwdrivers0 and install the 2P in place of the 1P. in some guns, the 1P lifter spring was too short to properly reach the 2p lifter leg. If so, you'll be down until you can get that spring. Also ideally, the Browning 2p lifter fits the M11.

A two-head setup? That's what I've done for twenty years. Tumble clean,sort out crimped brass (later work) then lube and start; head #1: Sizing die and Dillon trim die with trimmer. the first sizing die does most fo the work, the Dillon die does just enough so the case is centered and can't vibrate. Then tumble clean, and into second head. head #2; sizing die, backed off enough so it doesn't size (no lube, remember?)but the decapping pin punches out any tumbling media, and the stem re-irons eny dented necks from cleaning. Then, normal powder drop, bullet seat and crimp dies. The crimped cases get decapped, sized and trimmed, then set aside for a slow day/weekend when I can swage the primer pockets.

I just got back from teaching an LEO patrol Rifle class, and had an officer bend his charging handle. So, get steel if you plan to abuse your rifle.

I remember those stages. the one with the re-shoot, the wooden platform got muddy and rain-slick. many of us shot with cleats on back then, and hitting the platform in its muddy/wet state, you risked skating right off the edge. The one with the camo cover was evil for us tall shooters. i had to shoot teh targets, aiming in-between the stars I was seeing, from whacking my head on the cross bar.

I don't want to sound patronizing, but as much as she wants to shoot the Open gun with Major loads, letting her dive in too fast (and not just women but anyone) can lead to bad habits. If you think she might bristle at being "held back" explain (and truthfully) that Open guns are touchy beasts, and you have to "sneak up" on a Major load.