SmallCaliberCentral

Despite the cloudy skies and a chance of rain I went out to the desert after finishing up a job early this AM. I managed to scratch down thirteen in two and half hours. Funny thing was that I saw some small squirrels today. Usually this time of the season I only see the bigger males. Sure was good to hammer about half of them with the 32vm and see the pieces falling. Rest were taken with the .22 long rifle. Sunday they say we will have some sun and 70 degrees. Will be going again if that happens. Sure was nice to be pulling the trigger on something besides my air rifle.

WP, sounds like great fun Hope you get the good weather this weekend. We are still waiting here in Oregon to get a crack at Skippy Having a hard time waiting so if you get a chance post pics. Rick does a fine job of posting pics but I've been in most of then lately and don't you know it but his darn camera adds 50 pounds!! Good shooting, Gary

WP: Rock on buddy! More rain on the way for us, and coming your way too. Good to hear you were able to get out for a taste today, we're quivering with anticipation as Gary noted. I'm laying in bed going to sleep every night now envisioning Skippy coming down in pieces...... pant, pant.....

About my camera: So THAT'S the problem! And I just thought I was the one getting fat! Dang import camera.....I'll gonna trash it and get another one, 'cause I KNOW I ain't that fat! I knew it had to be something else besides eating goodies on the couch watching moves in the evenings......

Okay, you want fat? Here's fat. Amazing that we don't think of ourselves as 'chubby', but those camera's don't lie....except for mine that is.....



Feel better now Gary? (Sako 204 on the bench dealing death from afar to militant Skippies)

Hey WHISTLEPIG,
Wow, are we envious over this direction. Haven't gotten the call from the ranch yet, so guess we have to wait a little longer. As RiO pointed out, it snowed like crazy for an hour or so this morning.
SUCKS !

Where did you go, south of Gowen Field? Or are there any places left to shoot out that direction?
As for the camera adding pounds, I think that is indemic in all cameras. But I was wondering why RiO has a big sun shade over him while all the rest of the guys are roughing it out in the open?
Always like to leave a post with a rhetorical question.
Rgds, Gerry

Gerry, I go a bit more south from there toward Bruneu. They have built a lot of houses down around Kuna-Mora Rd. There is a huge development proposed for the area just east of the Black’s Creek Rifle Range, which I bet will be the end of that place.
I hear you on the weather. I could see the rain coming from the west over the Owyhees as I was getting ready to leave. Rained yeaterday afternoon and last night, cloudy again this am.
I know these squirrel pictures get old but here is the first fatality of the season. Taken with the .22. The first part of my cruise where I shoot is 50 to 75 yard stuff. I have some good 100 to 300 yard areas about 2 miles in with a lot of rock outcroppings where I can set up with the 204. What I have noticed the last 2 years is a lot of residual cheat grass. It may be difficult to see in a lot of areas which were more open in the past.

Looks at peace, don't you think?

FOG! My elk hunting buddy calls it the gray B**** (don't believe I can say the female dog word on the forum). The fog plus the mud plus the cold I guess put the scurvy little rascals down again. Prediction is better for tomorrow, but most of the day will be spent pushing cows onto steeper, less muddy (?????) ground. My bride is griping about the starlings showing up and leaving deposits, so I have some job security.

I was planning on setting up a roadblock/toll road between Rick and the rats this weekend; maybe later!!!

Whistlepig, that is some provocative porn picture you posted. HOpe to contribute soon.

Rick, your rifle doesn't look to fat in your picture. What are you talking about?

I killed Skippy on thursday with my HMR. There were actually a couple out.And we had one or two nice days out here this week. Can't wait for spring.
P.S sagerat where in S.E oregon are you?

Gerry: That sunshade is from lessons learned. See the seared face? That was from the day before. I take sunscreen every time, but once I bail out of the truck, set up benches and rifles, and Skippy appears, all that goes through my pea brain is shoot, shoot, shoot.....what sunscreen? Then I get in trouble from wifey when I get home.

Sage Rat: Toll road eh? Ok, as long as it works both ways....I know where you buy your powder, primers and bullets, buddy! As for fat; Yeah, Marty, it's a heavy barrel......so's the shooter. Dang cameras.

WHISTLEPIG
Nice photo....definitely at peace with the world .
Just got back from the range. Looks like the weather is improving but still a bit breezy. Supposed to be 71 deg tomorrow. So, you know where we're headed .
I shot some Nosler 34 FBHP's through the 700 VLS this morning. By the way, I bought these at the Nosler Pro Shop yesterday; $90/1000. And, they are the one and the same as the Midway "Dogtown" bullets. Jury is still out as I've ony tried two different powders, H4895 and Re-10x. The first group of the day with 27.3 grs H4895 was 0.218" for 5 shots @ 100 yds. After that they opened up a bit, but all groups with both H4895 and Re-10x hovered between 0.6" and 0.8" except for that first group. Not quite sure what to make of this, guess I will have to think about it. I'm going to try some IMR4198 and H322 next. Maybe they don't like to be launched quite so fast? I do know that these bullets are short and fat with a hugh hole up front. My cartridge OAL was only 2.265" which still didn't leave too much of the bullet in the case neck. If I seat them the same as a 39 BK (measured to the ogive, cartridge OAL of 2.290") the cartridge OAL for the Nosler 34 is only 2.20".
Well, enough of this as I've got to get loading for tomorrow. There are sage rats out there that need attending to.
Rgds, Gerry

Gerry, Good luck tomorrow. My stuff is ready to go also. Nice and warm here today so desert is probably dried out. Hope for sun and light winds! The good time of year is at hand.

Verminater2,
I'm just east of the Reservation on the Silvies.

Gwglave,
Hope you have good roads where you're going. Otherwise, you may be eating sage rats until things dry out!!!