Author Topic: Montana Cannon Shoot!!! (Read 2272 times)

Double D · « **on:** November 12, 2007, 04:23:16 PM »

Things have been a bit hectic this week. We made the decison this week to retire March 1st. There are a bunch off loose ends to tie up, had to get letters sent out notifing those who need notifed. The Siege of Ladysmith Historic rifle shoot is next weekend so this weekend was final sight in and ammo making weekend. Paper work to do to bring back 6 rifles. Arrange for the dogs to shipped home. Then the big surprise in response to one of my notificactions. A job very lucrative job offer and a very kind job referral. Wasn't expecting that. Had to respond to the lucrative offer fast...said no. Great money, good use of my skills,in Iraq. The job referral well that sounds great, part-time case by case as a Compliance Analyst Consultant. I can live with that, but it means don't send the white shirt and ties to Goodwill.

So if I have been a bit slow in getting to things I said I would, please for give me.

Tonight I have to write a letter to some folks in Montana to start negotiations on the property we want to buy...it will have the rifle an cannon range for the Montana Cannon shoot...might even be able to do a test run summer 2008.

I am a bit afraid of retirement. Sure there is the concern of living on a retirement income. For the past few years the friends around me have all been retired. They are always very busy. They are always on the go doing something. Never any relaxation. But I can deal with that. No the real worry is a bit closer to home...the wife. I made the comment, what am I going to do with myself. Her response, " if you need something to do, I have a list." The look in here eyes was frightening.

So I guess for my own well being I better get to planning cannon shoot 2009!

GGaskill · « **Reply #1 on:** November 12, 2007, 08:25:18 PM »

My own observations of retirees is that the ones with lots to do have long retirements, the ones who start drinking beer and watching TV all day die off pretty quickly. Be happy you'll have plenty to do.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2007, 07:09:20 AM »

This bit of news brings up visions of the "HULK" and the "Jolly Green Giant". Our condition, not yours. Yes, that's right, we are GREEN with envy!! Bravo, we sure wish you and your family well. George is certainly correct in his observations, but we just don't see you joining the rocking chair crowd anytime soon. If you need some help making or setting-up targets next summer, let us know. After all, well, we will be almost..........neighbors.

Congratulations!

Mike and Tracy

Tropico · « **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2007, 12:50:43 PM »

Quote

it will have the rifle an cannon range for the Montana Cannon shoot

That is OUTSTANDING ! I think we are all envious. I wish you were in our neighbor hood., and another thing I wish.,is I am wishing you well and many years of success in your future.

lance · « **Reply #4 on:** November 13, 2007, 02:36:38 PM »

If one does not want to commit suicide, always have something to do.---Voltaire

I guess i could always find ya a Bible verse or two if ya want. Who knows how things will work out with re-tirement............ but ya have friends! wishing you the best and may God guide you in all your decisions.............. I'd like to think that i'll be able to make the 2009 Montana GBO Shoot,something to plan on anyway!!!!

Don Krag · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2007, 05:17:26 PM »

Cool, have fun with retirement!

Hmmm...if I drive to Montana in 2009, I can swing by North TX and do a bit of shooting in the desert plains, then stop by Mike and Tracy's with some BBQ and do some rifling and shooting, then all head up to Montana for a few days, then do it all in reverse. Sounds good to me.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 14, 2007, 01:05:17 AM »

Quote from: Double D on November 12, 2007, 04:23:16 PM

Things have been a bit hectic this week. We made the decison this week to retire March 1st. ...

I was wondering if that wasn't in the plans. Retiring not-on-the-end-of-the-year has income limiting implications with social security for the first year, but you've probably taken that into consideration.

Knowing you, you will find no end of responsibilities to assume, that's good.

Montanna? Hmmmmmmm.

Double D · « **Reply #7 on:** November 14, 2007, 03:52:34 AM »

Don't social security for a couple of years yet. I get some sort of offset ...income limiting implies some sort of additional income...that means a job. i'm retiring, no job.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #8 on:** November 14, 2007, 07:20:34 AM »

Lance, Tim, No need to worry about Double D at all. He is a man with a plan, a man with goals to accomplish. And, what's just as important, he's the type of person to go out there and Do IT. Mike and I know he will succeed; we are absolutely confidant in that belief. The guy we really worry about is the African spear salesman who filled all of his orders completely and promptly over the years. What will he do now? How will he feed his family? His biggest customer is suddenly leaving Africa. Will he have to begin the long trek west to Kimberly and the mines or perhaps north to Limpopo and the Venetia? We worry about the spear vendor.

Don, You are welcome anytime. We promise a 50 cent tour at the very least. Bring some Texas BBQ; you will get the DELUXE TOUR!!

Regards,

Tracy and Mike

Double D · « **Reply #9 on:** November 14, 2007, 08:30:09 AM »

Actually the spear salesman passed away last March, no source for spears, no need to stick around...Mike would have loved that line.

I have been rethinking some of my retirement activities. Take the rocking chair---, I might do that, don't you think one of Tropico Swivels would look good on it?

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #10 on:** November 14, 2007, 04:24:21 PM »

Cannons compliment almost any decor, from ships to seacoast forts to government buildings to public parks, from private estates to humble porches. Why not rocking chairs too? If you could learn to reduce the prairie dog population a bit with your swivel gun while rocking, well you might possibly be able to out-shoot the pirate, himself.

Think about THAT!

Mike and Tracy

Double D · « **Reply #11 on:** November 14, 2007, 04:27:32 PM »

No PD's in that area, but we do have Belding ground squirrels--gophers! I have shot at them and they are always gone after every shot!

lance · « **Reply #12 on:** November 14, 2007, 04:48:02 PM »

O.K........ here's the plan, i was born in Texas, spent a few summers growing up at my grandpa's in Colorado. never been to Montana.........so if i show up at Mike and Tracy's at the same time Don shows up with the BBQ, recon ya guys will let me follow ya to Montana. that's after we eat the BBQ and do some shooting

Blaster · « **Reply #13 on:** November 15, 2007, 04:20:24 AM »

Quote from: Double D on November 14, 2007, 04:27:32 PM

No PD's in that area, but we do have Belding ground squirrels--gophers! I have shot at them and they are always gone after every shot!

"GONE", like gone back down the hole or gone from a bullet causing them to explode?

Double D · « **Reply #14 on:** November 15, 2007, 04:28:42 AM »

Well after the smoke cleared they we gone, so I must have hit them, don't you think

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #15 on:** November 15, 2007, 09:03:29 AM »

Blaster, You're sounding a little like a parent who quizzes his teenage daughter about the details of her recent date. Vague generalities are the very best you can expect! I know, because I've been there.

Quote from: Double D on November 14, 2007, 04:27:32 PM

No PD's in that area, but we do have Belding ground squirrels--gophers! I have shot at them and they are always gone after every shot!

DD, We know EXACTLY what you mean! Back in the good 'ole days, late 70s, Mike, Oklahoma Dave and I would go out to "harvest" PDs. Dave was an artist with his .257 Roberts and Mike was deadly with his Rem 6mm, but only Tracy dragged a cannon out to the PD field. Actually, it was a .45-70 Rem. Rolling Block with a heavy barrel. It weighed 17 lbs. total. If I doped the wind correctly, the dog AND the top of the burrow would BOTH disappear in an explosion of chunky, dry clay fragments and a cloud of dust. I shot 560 gr., big banana bullets from that cannon and when they hit, the dog, as you say, was just gone, so I must have hit him, don't you think?

Lance, Sounds like a good plan to us!! You won't be seeing any real fancy woodworking equipment, but I think we do a pretty fair job with what we have. The rifling machine should be interesting though and maybe we can drag out that deep hole wood drilling bit and fixture we made to bore STRAIGHT, 1.5" Dia., 34" long holes in white oak. Looking forward to giving you the complete, DELUXE tour. Don will have already paid for it, so you may as well take advantage! Drag Tim along if you possibly can. We would sure like to see him too.

Regards,

Mike and Tracy

Tropico · « **Reply #16 on:** November 15, 2007, 06:42:20 PM »

Grapeshot

= Pirate ., we wouldnt want to tear up the Prize (the yard) ., just clear the deck .

Double D · « **Reply #17 on:** November 18, 2007, 05:31:15 AM »

Should we do this Cannon shoot, late stayers and early arrivers would be well equipped if they brought a scoped sighted .22 Lr and 500 rounds of ammo per day of late staying or early arriving. Couple hundred rounds of .22 Center fire for the rock chucks would be helpful also.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #18 on:** November 18, 2007, 04:05:14 PM »

Quote from: Double D on November 18, 2007, 05:31:15 AM

Should we do this Cannon shoot, late stayers and early arrivers would be well equipped if they brought a scoped sighted .22 Lr and 500 rounds of ammo per day of late staying or early arriving. Couple hundred rounds of .22 Center fire for the rock chucks would be helpful also.

WHAT a DREAM!

Terry C. · « **Reply #19 on:** November 18, 2007, 04:22:08 PM »

Quote from: Double D on November 18, 2007, 05:31:15 AM

Couple hundred rounds of .22 Center fire for the rock chucks would be helpful also.

Here you go...

Double D · « **Reply #20 on:** November 18, 2007, 04:40:00 PM »

Well actually I exaggerated a bit you probabbly won't get more that 5 or 10 shoots at the chucks at ranges of 200 to 300 yards. We can get closer sometimes but that ain't fun...I just hope those are SP's and FMJ's Terry. Those Montana Rock Chucks will walk away to fight another day with FMJ's. Most of the newer AR's have the accuracy potential. I like to get my 17 poundr .219 Donaldson Wasp Pug gun out for this work.

The 500 rounds of .22lr is optimistic, you will get tired long before you get them shot up.

For the cannon shoot I will have to build some targets. Some steel silhouettes of various objects. I considered getting some targets from these guys http://www.tannerite.com/

I also thought about building a 9 hole golf course for you golf ball shooters.

Boy I sure hope we can get the piece of property we are after.

Don Krag · « **Reply #21 on:** November 18, 2007, 05:31:54 PM »

Is there any white meat on a ground squirrel? I'll bring the BBQ sauce just in case.

...and a case of 500 rounds of .223 JHP.

Terry C. · « **Reply #22 on:** November 18, 2007, 05:45:46 PM »

The photo was meant as a joke, that's ten 20-round mags of FMJ for my vintage Mini-14. It's not exactly a long-range varmint shooter.

At 200-300 yards, I'd probably have better luck with the cannon.

Double D · « **Reply #23 on:** November 18, 2007, 07:07:38 PM »

I thought those were something other than AR Mag's. Almost all first year gopher shooters bring stuff like that...the following year they show up with a 1 inch fluted barrel on a blueprinted action 22-250 AI with a 36x Scope and a tricked out10-22 with banana clips. The third year they show up with a Martini 1215 or Remington 581 with 6x or 8x scopes and start doing so me serious gopher shooting!!

Now it would be interesting to tru M&T's gun on a three hundred yard rock chuck. I would conceded them the barrel if they did it.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #24 on:** November 18, 2007, 07:44:39 PM »

I bet you would concede the barrel. That would be quite a shot, DD. Does it have to be a direct hit or does a thrown gravel hit count? What is truly amazing to me is that I found another person with respect for the plain Jane 581. That was my third re-stock job in gunsmithing school! I love that gun; it is incredibly accurate and looks pretty good with a steel trigger guard and butt plate and a french walnut stock AND a little bit of Ralph Bone engraving on it! Mike just called to say he was loading baskets full of .223 cartridges. I could hear the old Dillon press going full tilt. Oh my; I believe you have created monstrous expectations in that boy!! As for the cannon, we'll see if it's up to the challenge. We can shoot a few of Lance's pie plates for practice.

Regards,

Tracy and Mike

Double D · « **Reply #25 on:** November 18, 2007, 09:08:42 PM »

My 581 is straight stock out of the box and was the accuracy standard I measured all other .22's against until I got my Martini 1215. I used to have a bunch of 580 series guns. Never liked the 582 tube feeds. I only have a 580 and 581 now. I tossed the 581 magazine in the drawer and put the single shot adapter in. From 1997 to 2002 the 581 fired over 5,000 rounds a year. It has never had the bore cleaned and only got pulled out of the stock once a year.

In order to concede the barrel you will have to hit the rock chuck, shrapnel won't count.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #26 on:** November 19, 2007, 12:19:05 PM »

My favorites are the Remington 510P-511-512-513T and the Winchester 52D.

lance · « **Reply #27 on:** November 19, 2007, 03:07:10 PM »

I have some long range rifles, also have courage to hold a pie plate at 100yds but not 300yds. Have even more courage to say that i'll skip this shoot, i'm not into killing animals just for the heck of it. With that said, all but one of my long range rifles are modern smokeless. that leaves the black powder Whitworth..........how about modern vs antique, what say gentlemen, trash can lids at 1000yds? recon there will be any time to shoot cannons and mortars at this Montana thing?

Double D · « **Reply #28 on:** November 19, 2007, 04:47:30 PM »

Yes we will shoot cannons and mortars and gophers for pest controle, like you kill mice in the garage. No killing anything for the heck of it.

lance · « **Reply #29 on:** November 20, 2007, 08:24:34 AM »

I don't even kill mice, but the cats around here sure do! it's o.k. Double D, i just don't attend certain shoots, no hard feelings,Lance