airedale

Happy Birthday to my favorite "Ball Buster"

Ran across a couple of more old Newfoundland memories. Al

This year has not been the greatest for Squirrels or Deer in my area. I hunted yesterday and did not see a single Squirrel. Now that the Deer hunting is over and getting just a bit of snow on the ground I will be hunting with one of my Airedales which should increase my success a bit. It is all about finding their food source and around my place it has always been Beechnuts, "Beech tree stands", and Acorns, Oak tree stands. Also white pine groves can be decent for Squirrels as they like the pine nuts in the cones. My hunting area was devastated by the Gypsy Moth Caterpillars, the trees I listed happen to be the caterpiller's favorites so mast crops are slim and far between. Standing cornfields on forest edges have always been a hot spot for me. Al

In my opinion it is never too late to learn how to handload ammunition, it can be got into fairly reasonable price wise, and for the most part you can put up the ammo you need that may even be better than store bought. Al

Some of the Boys on my Airedale board sent me some hog hunting pics, I got to do it in Tennessee many moons ago and it is a blast. With dogs involved the hard part is getting a clear shot on caught or bayed up hogs. These guys will get in there with the dogs while they hang on to the ears and get hold of the back legs and will hog tie them up. Sometimes they will not immediately kill, they have holding pens and keep the hogs in them, they will feed and fatten up the hogs for a few weeks which they say makes for much better eating. Al

Wolc what is your advice to someone like me that actually loves eating Chicken? Al

You can do a search on ebay or google and find vendors that sell everything you would need for muzzleloaders. For Deer Hunting I would lean toward finding a bullets to use over patched balls. For smaller game and plinking patched balls are a blast and cheap. TC maxi Balls would be a good stating point. Al

Your TC Hawken has a barrel with a medium twist designed to fire both patched ball and Maxi Balls accurately. As long as your barrel is in good condition a bit of experimentation with different patch thicknesses, powder charges and bullets I would be sure you will find something that performs. I have several sidelocks that I like messing around with, the top rifle is a bunch of accumulated parts I purchased on ebay. TC Hawken stock and lock with a stainless Green Mountain Barrel, it has a twist made for shooting bullets. The middle rifle is a TC Cherokee I picked up at a gun show, it was one of the toughest nuts for me to crack ever, the only thing that shoots well out of it is TC Maxi Balls The bottom rifle is put together from a kit my boys got me for my birthday years ago. You have done a good job refurbing yours, it look great. Much of the fun is working up an accurate load, congrats and good luck. Al

Congratulations, I am a sidelock fan myself and a 45 cal fan. Weight wise the second biggest Deer I have ever taken was a Doe outside of Norwich NY about 35 years ago, a real Moose. I did not actually put her on a scale but I will say she made my Dad and Brother's two decent eight point bucks taken the same day look small laying beside them. On the drag out all the hair on the side that was on the ground rubbed off to completely bare skin, never had the happen before or since. Al

A fall day a few years ago from my front porch. Al

It is one of the smartest moves you will ever make, looks like you have a good start with your equipment. Remember most manufacturers reloading equipment is interchangeable with everyone else, I have odds and ends from just about everybody on my loading bench. Also you can save money buying used equipment off ebay as it is almost impossible to wear this stuff out. Good luck and if you have any questions someone here will help you along. Al

You are real beauty pal, you should talk, you have had several reincarnations on this board yourself quitting after hissy fits and if I remember correctly taking a cheap shot at me. pretty easy to read between the lines with you. Al

After seeing TenXTimmy's post about his wife"s first Buck (a beauty I might add) and that 270 CZ Mannlicher, I reminded myself that I needed to break in on game the little CZ 22 rifle with a Mannlicher stock on some game. I did a bit of a write up on it back last summer when I bought it and she lays them in there pretty good. So today before I did my chores here at "Green Acres" I got myself in the woods early for a quick Squirrel hunt. Windy here today and the Squirrels were sitting tight, did some still hunting and finally spotted a Squirrel half way up a big pine about forty yards away, an easy shot was made but that was it for the day as I had work to do. I like eating Squirrel a ot and after I get a couple of more I will probably make a stew. This is my most favorite time of the year as small game hunting will be in full swing for me, it is all about action and actually getting to use my equipment for more that one anti climatic shot that I feel when deer hunting. I like pulling the trigger.

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Yes getting caught in all our lying makes us Democrats look bad, shut everthing down so we do not get in any trouble. If we keep squawking and trashing the politics section maybe we can get our wish!! Wokeness at it's best!!!!!!!!!!!!! Al

As long as you match your bullets to the game you are hunting and put it where it is supposed to go today's modern bullets do their job well. As for accuracy you have to try them out as one rifle will shoot groups in the same hole and out of a different rifle groups the same ammo may open up to the point they would be unacceptable. On a side note I received an ammo survey from the DEC, I am here to tell you they are looking to follow California's suit in banning traditional lead ammunition which has totally devastated sport hunting and shooting in that state. Do not take my word for it, if you think ammo is hard to come by now take a look at the California hunting and shooting forums to see what has happened there. They will be going to their old tactics of posssible lead poisoning from traditional ammo which is total bunk if your meat is taken care of properly. Any lead found in humans is most certainly caused by old paint or lead in plumbing, not from eating a deer. This is hocus pocus back door gun control. Al

There you go with your cheap shot name calling, if anything needs to be rid of on this board it is you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Al

I feel the same way, I want to know who my friends are. Al

Exactly, That has been the "libtard-woke" game plan.

Some years ago I picked up a used Savage 24 combo gun and had the barrels done by Gander Mountain when they were in business, I am very pleased with the results. It looks good and I feel protection from weather is far better than traditional blue. So far it has been holding up very well. Al

Not half the volumes of those who do not have interest in the politics that are ruining this country!!!!!!!!!!! Al

Don't have a clue about chuckles as I take my own advice and stay out of places I am not interested in. Al

I will; say it one more time it is the board owner who decides the format and content, the politics section has been here ever since I joined along with about 30 other sub forums most of which I do not read at all. If you do not like politics stay out of the politics forum it is that easy. What I am seeing here is typical woke cancel culture horseshit, I don't like the message so it has to go. Al

Maybe it is my old eyes but I think I am seeing a mask on the face and rings on the long tail. Al

Looks like a big old Boar Coon to me. Al