Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com

blackhawk44

Two things come to mind. First you said the terrain will be open and rocky. That indicates that the .270 will have to be favored, likely with a 140-150gr premium bullet. Second, you didn't say whether this is a once every year or two type opportunity or if its more likely a once every 10 years or so...

blackhawk44

With the pressures involved, the .327 would likely be problematic at best. Only Rossi, with their .454 experience, could even consider it.

blackhawk44

Why mess with the subs? Several subs are more corrosive and offer tougher cleanup than true black. With the window cleaner/vinegar solutions and the proper lubes, BP cleanup is about as simple as smokeless.

blackhawk44

I am down to three BLR's at the moment and have played with a number of others over the years. Most, if not all, BLR's seem to have their chambers cut toward the minimum, but I have never once had to resort to small base dies for handloading for any of them. Should your gunsmith have access to a bor...

blackhawk44

With all due respect, for me, your calculations do not compute (pretty common for me). After 44 years of handloading I do know that with IMR 4198 you worry about pressures (and their very rapid increase) rather than load density. With the limited capacity of the .35, the sensitivity of 4198 and the ...

blackhawk44

Armi, regarding your .44 WCF, stay with the 200's. They have been the standard from the beginning. 240gr bullets run up pressure too quickly in the WCF while leaving velocity low. For a WCF heavy bullet load, about 215 to 220gr bullets are about tops. When it comes to bullet diameter, the majority o...

blackhawk44

I had a (Star) Firearms International model D (the pre-Colt Mustang) and never had a problem. It was minute of soda can at 10-12 yards.

blackhawk44

Don't forget, even with a hard bullet, the bevel base designs can be a leading problem, particularly if less than bore diameter.

blackhawk44

A few years ago, a couple of boys with a flashlight and a single shot 12ga. killed one in Elmendorf, just out of San Antonio toward Floresville, that had been bothering their chicken coop. On various hunting concerns over the years, we used to see cougars regularly around Tilden, Uvalde and the Big ...

blackhawk44

Wm and Rusty both need to check the Browning site. Its true, they are listing the .223 once again. My old steel framed piece is from the early 1980's and is one of my most fun pieces. Of course, the new ones are built on the aluminum action which could make them even handier. Enjoy.

blackhawk44

With a cheap 3x9 (busted my big scope in a fall), I can stay inside an honest 1.25" with several factory 55gr loads. Handloads can do a bit better. What the hey...its not a heavy varminter.

blackhawk44

BLR-.223,.22-250, .243 or .257 Roberts. Always thought a .260 Remington BLR would be about right.

blackhawk44

Back to the BLR... The 1 in 12" twist will be just fine with bullets up to about 60 grains. 45 to 55gr bullets are where this barrel likes to play. The commonly seen 62gr "service" type loads could definitely be questionable. Anything heavier would most likely be a waste of bullet and...

blackhawk44

According to the Browning site for the BLR, the .223 has a 1 in 12" twist.

blackhawk44

Another vote for the Browing. No rebounding hammer, no sliding "safety".

blackhawk44

Instead of a full length Hornet, I would imagine that this S&W is likely chambered for the .224 Harvey Kay Chuk, Jr., a shortened, standard Hornet. The standard Kay Chuk (non-Jr.) was a shortened K-Hornet. The shortened Harvey cartidges were created just for the shorter K frame S&W, since th...

blackhawk44

Remember Malamute's account was from the cavalry. Anyone who ever saddled a horse will know how often the stirrup slides and falls off while you're trying to cinch the girth. Now imagine you were wearing a single action in a hip holster with a live round under the hammer when that stirrup comes flyi...

blackhawk44

Found my Browning '95 rifle nine years ago. Mine's '06. Added sling and Marble/XS sights. My 165gr handloads only clock 2640fps, but group in 2.25 inches at 200 yards. So far the longest game shot has only been 235 yards, but for the country that we hunt that's no big deal. For this one, I'm pretty ...

blackhawk44

At one time, I had the yearning to convert a '92 and never had the chance even though I already had a Ruger Hawkeye. The Hawkeye remains a mediocre grouper with factory ammo. Muzzleblast can be a bit tiresome. I passed over a couple of Marlin 62's and their sloppy chambers. A good many seem to have ...

blackhawk44

Don't think that AZ is the only bastion. A friend and I got to watch one northwest of Uvalde, Texas for about ten minutes one afternoon in 1974. It was a pothole where we had seen several cougars in the past. I had a pretty good view through a K6 Weaver at about 75 yards and came very close to commi...

blackhawk44

Model 8, they had the straight grip, crescent buttplate and the schnabel forend. The 81's had the rounded forend and pistol grips and shotgun style buttplate. Had a Mdl 8 in .35 for several years when I was a kid. It was my first centerfire rifle.

blackhawk44

Mechanically, Uberti has been building long guns for over 40 years and is well proven as to design and fit, the latest incarnation of Chiappa for 4 or 5 years. One for Uberti. Reports of warranty service on Chiappa have not been consistantly glowing. Another for Uberti. Exterior finish seems to go t...

blackhawk44

It would likely appear a bit awkward, but I have believed for some time that the BLR's with recoil any heavier than the .358 should have a buttstock that is wider than standard and taller from heel to toe. They need something akin to the stocks that factories put on other magnum and dangerous game r...

blackhawk44

They also make the BLR in .300 and .325 WSM. Those might outrun a .338 Federal, not to mention any .308 or .338 Marlin round.

blackhawk44

I well understand. I bought my .308 BLR used in 1974. Mine has a little more blue than geobru's, but not much. Mounted a 4X Leupold the week I bought it and haven't touched it since. Once in a while, I'll play with my BLRs in .223 and .257 or my '06 1895, but when there is no time to play and you ne...

blackhawk44

My oldest BLR was bought used 35 years ago. This .308 has never failed to feed or fire. It is fed carefully sized handloads and has probably seen less than 20 rounds of factory loads in its life. I can say the same for my .223 and .257.

blackhawk44

I always wanted the Shultz & Larsen M60 rear locking bolt in 7x61 Sharpe & Hart. Almost as slick as a Krag.

blackhawk44

I have a couple to us in a Contender carbine .223 barrel. The .22 LR works fine, very usable. The .22 mag accuracy is near useless. Your best bets are either a good .22 sidearm or squib loads for the rifle.

blackhawk44

Have had my Navy Yellow Boy .38Sp for something over 30 years and it is not for sale. Jackrabbit gun deluxe. Fabulous fun. Didn't know you could wear it out. The .38 is plenty of power for small game and being restricted to lower pressures, neither the .4WCF or .45 are going to be great powerhouses....

blackhawk44

GET ONE and enjoy! I've had my .38 Yellow Boy for over thirty years and it is an absolute delight. Handsome, handy, slick and accurate and its a small game gun deluxe. They're cheap to feed if you're a handloader and the unconverted will even give you brass. Fun? Soft report, no recoil, cans jump hi...

blackhawk44

Any barrel markings?

blackhawk44

I vote no on a takedown. For me, too much worry about zero each takedown. One hundred yard zero may be OK, but what about 200 and beyond? Also there could be the remotest chance of developing future looseness. Who knows? I'm sure some takedowns work fine, but why take a chance when the rifle is so s...

blackhawk44

Always thought that there were only two loads, 7.5gr of Unique under a 429421 and 4.5gr of Bullseye under a 240gr Speer swaged lead. I kinda like .44 specials as long as they're shooters, such as... S&W m 1950 Target 6.5" S&W m 24-2 4" S&W m 24-3 3" Colt Bisley 7.5" (...

blackhawk44

One other thing, don't let friends (?) tease you about the .308 being a warmed up .30-30. Those of us that have a chronograph found out long ago that very few factory .30-06 loads clock any faster than most good .308 loads, with the same weight bullet. A good fixed 4X scope will do everything you ne...

blackhawk44

As stated above, check local regulations. In the few states that I am familiar with, cap and ball handguns are strictly forbidden for deer hunting. Should such an endeavor be legal in your state, I believe that deer hunting ranges should be measured in feet, not yards. I have used a ROA for over 30 ...

blackhawk44

Probably the best article on the .35 Winchester in recent years was by Ken Waters in his classic, Pet Loads. Check with riflemagazine.com for reprints. You'll find the .35's power and utility to fall about halfway between the .35 Remington and the .358 Winchester, which means that it deserves respec...

blackhawk44

The problem at 300 yards is not whether the cartridge is a .260, 7-08, .284 or .308. If your rifle is properly sighted, it simply comes down to the operator and his ability. The cartridges will all do their job. Azzhandler, be careful there. The .284 is a short twin to the .280 Remington and no more...

blackhawk44

Sold my .404 a couple of years ago. For now I'm down to a couple of .58 front stuffers, a 24" .444 Marlin, a Pedersoli .45-70 roller, a Browning 1886 full rifle and a .458 Winchester Grand African. A boy I work with likes to use 2400fps, 350gr loads in his .458 Mauser for deer. That seems a bit...

blackhawk44

Back to Barbarossa, buy it. An indestructable, reliable rifle in a great caliber, what's not to like? It will also take you and your hunting back to another time, something we should all do on occasion. I will never forget the Remington Model 8 in .35 that my uncle had me practice with for a couple ...

blackhawk44

Spent a couple of afternoons going through a couple of cases of ammo with a gorgeous commercial Thompson years ago. After learning to control the trigger to illicit three round bursts, it is amazing how accurate they can be. Out to 75 yards or so, a three pound coffee can is committing suicide by la...

blackhawk44

For the last nine years, the solution for my Browning 95 has been an XS white stripe front blade. For me it works as well as glow sights but being a square blade its far easier to hold elevation and windage.

blackhawk44

Hey Onegood, with careful case forming I don't believe you should have to "fireform". Your case sizing technique could also well be the cause of your cases being a little "sticky" to eject with full loads. Having experienced the same problem in other levers, such as Sav 99s and B...

blackhawk44

I guess Ruger had to prove that they could match the Mikkenger Grizzly.

blackhawk44

In your third gen, those loads should be fine. In the handgun, you might like the Unique loads. The 2400 loads should be OK for pressure, but don't forget your ear protection.

blackhawk44

As KirkD pointed out, with cast bullets especially, there are no varmints on your list that are even going to seriously slow those bullets down as they pass through. Bullet mass alone is a major contributor. Of the available options in .45-70, 300 grain HPs at 18-1900 fps are probably the best choic...

blackhawk44

Back to the Jags for a minute. Be sure to check local regulations. I haven't checked in years, but in the mid '70's, busting jags in Texas was a major no-no. I came within a hair's breadth of committing the big one at a waterhole until I spotted the movement of another hunter in the edge of the scop...

blackhawk44

After hand tightening, a couple of taps with a brass rod and hammer to drive it back toward the action seems to put enough stress on the split ring to lock it in place, at least that has been my experience since I mounted mine eight years ago. My '95 is my primary user and not a safe queen. Front ba...

blackhawk44

I put an XS white stripe ramped blade on my Browning 1895 and that pretty well took care of the twilight issue. I can stay out within five to ten minutes of the boys with scopes. The only thing that I've seen work on that pitch darkness problem was some red lights mounted on the feeder legs with a r...

blackhawk44

Just from my experience, I have no use for lined holsters, especially split roughout. With a little age and use the liners have a tendency to stretch and loosen actually making insertion and drawing much more of an effort, certainly nothing you would bet your life on. Since I am always out in dusty ...

blackhawk44

Mine wears a Williams 5D.

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