Bernie P.

Power Belts were among the first bullets I tried.While pushing them down the bore was a breeze I was concerned they might move off the powder some if the gun got bumped somehow.I also got much better accuracy with a few different sabot bullets all of which cost far less.IMO-they're just not worth bothering with.

I've never had a problem with feathers.I use this stuff- http://www.kustomkingarchery.com/Waterproofing-Powder/productinfo/9201/ I also just put a plastic bag over them sometimes.Thing is folks overlook the fact that vanes are also affected by the weather.When temps drop they stiffen and get more flexible in hot weather.Truth is vanes have more drawbacks in the long run.Feathers always shoot the same.

TC Omega .50 with Leupold VX-II 1-4 in Leupold QD base/rings.

As far as patch lubes go I found moose milk worked great in the GPR.I used a 50/50 mix of Ballistol and water.I soaked the patches and let them dry before using.The smell of Ballistol is something else but it's great stuff with many uses.

Actually the book is from Lyman and covers all aspects of ML's.Sam' the author.Good luck!

Get yourself a copy of Sam Fadalla's book.

When I first got into ML's I bought the (then) new TC Black Diamond/starter kit.I did the "seasoning" thing right off.Huge mistake!I would have got tighter groups had I thrown the bullets at the target.I gave the gun a thorough cleaning,ran a patch with Rem oil through and my accuracy improved dramatically.I wouldn't use it in any ML shooting PRB's,conicals or sabots.Accuracy wasn't as bad when I tried it in my Lyman GPR but there are better options.I used what was left on the plug threads on the BD and cap nipple threads on the GPR.For that it was OK but the white Teflon tape is much better here.

I love the big ole cloud'o smoke !

Try to find an area that borders a dump.Lots of crows hang there.

I just talked with Ian at Lillie's Agway and archery shop.They're having an open house this Saturday with lots of specials,factory reps,etc.If you can make it I'd urge you to do so.A true Pro shop in all regards.Here's all the info- http://www.bowguru.com/bownanza-open-house-i-18.html

Bingo!

I go for them now and then.I call mostly.Some folks use an owl decoy as they don't get along with each other.

I also use the Quickie Quiver.I have a few extra brackets one of which is on a dogleg shaped piece of leather I use as a side quiver.I only put it on the bow for hauling it up/down from the tree stands.

I'm shooting the Bowtech General.About all I like about shooting compounds is long range target practice.Otherwise they don't do much for me.My favorite bow to shoot be it hunting,stump,or target by far is my custom Scorpion longbow made by M.R. Hamilton.I dearly love it!!!

Other than target shooting from a bench or open country long range varmint shooting I see no reason for anything over 9x.My highest is a 2.5-8.Even on my varmint rifle I only have a 2-7.In my area the cover is so thick they would be more of a hindrance than helpful.

In my area the buck/doe ratio is way out of whack.I see lots of does but the bucks are much harder to come by.ML pretty much guarantees I'll have some venison in the freezer plus it's nice to have one in the bag to take the pressure off some.

I prefer loose for 3 reasons.First I get better accuracy and second it cost's far less than the pellets.Third reason is I thought I might get away with not having to clean the gun as often by simply pulling the breech plug but the pellets crumbled some when I sat the bullet so that killed that idea.Now I just leave the gun outside overnight to prevent any moisture problems.

Doc I'm just getting into it myself.Here's a few of the ones I visit= http://www.predatormastersforums.com/index.shtml http://www.predatortalk.com/content/ http://www.varmintal.com/ Lots of good folks/info!

It's in Paul Brunner' book Treestand Hunting.I think it was to show that no matter how high you go the scent soon drifts down to ground level.

I think I still have one made by Tasco I never got around to using.I'll see if I can find it if you want to buy it.

You can use any of the Pyrodex subs or real BP.I prefer FF granulation myself.My Omega shoots best with Select,T-7 and Goex.There are some subs that do not require cleaning to prevent the barrel from rusting but the ones I tried sucked.Might shoot good one day but not the next.Shelf life was non-existent.Your best bet is to try whatever is available in your area and see which your gun prefers.It can make quite a difference in accuracy.Same goes for the powder charge and bullets.

At present there's not much activity in any of the forums but if the site catches on it might be worth it.I visit a few sites that are primarily varmint/predator oriented and they have separate forums for each.Time will tell I guess.

I always attach the rope to the tree before stepping on the stand and after I'm back on the steps when getting down.I clear away any rocks/branches on the ground I might hit should I fall before I begin putting in the steps.I doubt it will help much but it's worth the slight effort.

I saw a pic of a smoke bomb set off 20' up in a tree stand in the middle of a field.The smoke dispersed big time within 40 yds of the stand.

The smoke goes where your own scent has been going all along.I seriously doubt it makes a difference however the movement involved certainly could regardless of where the deer are relative to your position/wind direction.