Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com

samsi

I usually go shooting on Stooper Bowl Sunday, it's the one day a year I'm virtually guaranteed to have the desert to myself.

samsi

That is most certainly a young EK, with his .280 DuBiel Magnum. He wasn't always an old man.

Elmer wasn't yet 30 years old when the American Rifleman started printing his articles.

samsi

Looks good. I just finished The Rediscovered Country by Stewart Edward White, basically his journal of a 3 month ramble around then German East Africa just prior to WW1. One of the high points was his solo hunt of what turned out to be 4 lions. He used, alternately, a Springfield Sporter and a .405 ...

samsi

My personal favorite - A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a female police officer, also a blonde. The cop asked to see the blonde’s driver’s license. She dug through her purse and was getting progressively more agitated. “Remind me, what doe...

samsi

Walt wrote: ↑Fri Jan 30, 2026 2:00 pm Heck, if you think Oklahoma highways are bad, it's obvious you've never been to New Mexico.

Quoted for truth.

Every time I cross back into Arizona from NM it feels like the car instantly got new tires and shocks.

samsi

I wouldn't fret it much, I've spent more than that on a set of grips. In fact, being a fan of Maximum Farm Engineering I may have just dressed the hole with a Swiss file and pressed on.

samsi

I once clocked it from a 16" R92, it's been a while but I recall it was running around 1450 fps.

samsi

I found a YouTube channel that had a bunch of good titles as audiobooks, I couldn't make it through the first one because of all the mispronunciations by the AI narrator.

Overall I doubt the AI thing is going to be good for anyone.

samsi

When I was a kid the Holiday gas station stores had their own line of ammo, made by CIL/Dominion. I shot a ton of the .22, pretty sure it was loaded with Unique. Thinking back, the first time I ever fired a center-fire rifle it was with CIL.308 from a Winchester 100. There was a box of CIL 220 gr '0...

samsi

We're just in the western edge of it. Gray, drizzly and 40-ish outside - enough to make me cancel today's range trip. I'm thinking loaded baked potatoes with taco meat for dinner, going foraging for snacks in a bit.

Everyone stay safe.

samsi

Drawdown wrote: ↑Fri Jan 23, 2026 11:06 am Im sure you'll enjoy it! Im for sure going to order "Wilderness of Denali" by Charles Sheldon. I think i got that title correct.

That's the one I was trying to remember, thanks! Was mistaken about him being a doctor, memory is getting faulty...

samsi

Thanks for the review, and the book suggestions from others. About 25 years ago I started reading a book about hunting Alaska in the '30's, it was a library book that I returned before I finished. I don't remember the title but I think the guy was a doctor, does that sound familiar to anyone? North ...

samsi

Scott, no worries, I'm legitimately curious about the issue. I was considering a 632UC myself and missed out on the only one that's shown up locally, but then saw the write-up on Revolverguy about the issues experienced with a recent production gun. Sadly both S&W and Ruger seem to be having pro...

samsi

I checked Tim's website, there's no warning against using it in J frames. (The only mention of issues were with a Taurus revolver). I do remember that Brian Pearce refrained from using some loads in the J that were worked up in the Single Six when he did a Pet Loads article but don't recall the exac...

samsi

Now I'm curious, do you have a 32mag Single Six to try them in?

samsi

On the bright side I give your review an A+, with the caveat that I'm an unwashed heathen who buys roasted peanuts from Walmart.

samsi

I found that 10x50 binoculars worked better than the spotting scope when that comet passed by, the big lens picked up too much ambient light and washed it out.

The spotting scope worked well the last time Saturn was really close (Sept '24?), could easily see the rings.

samsi

Good sign, hoping for more positive developments.

samsi

RIHMFIRE wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 11:22 am (Snip)
During muzzy and rifle season all i saw were turkeys and does and 1 spike
and during hog season all I saw were deer.

That's how it usually works for me also, on one elk hunt I ended up within rock throwing distance of an antelope herd - in the forest no less.

samsi

OH! I thought you were getting ready to jump out of an airplane. :wink: I did too! That or some kind of bug out bag type thing. I had a jump start pack around 2005-07, never used it, went bad and I never replaced it. With all the advances in battery technology I imagine there are some great units o...

samsi

Matt's Bullets has a couple of 45 hollow points listed, one more or less standard weight and one heavier. As Jim said, I wouldn't look for hardness much over 15 bhn. There are folks casting softer hollow points and powder coating, that seems to work well. I would look for a hollow point version of t...

samsi

I also prefer the 170 in 30-30 (I've always felt that they're a bit more accurate) and 150's in 308, but 165's in the '06.

Humans are fickle creatures.

samsi

My 94 has a large bead and full buckhorn so close in I use it like a red dot, but anything requiring a fine bead the target is perched on top of the bead. Fine bead is a relative term for me these days as well, I'm not the young Marine with the 500m target in crisp focus stop the equally sharp front...

samsi

I adjust sights relatively often since I tend to have a light and heavy load for most guns, or in the case of the 45 convertible, ACP vs Colt. The problem arises when I don't reset for my field load before putting it away, or don't recall what load I shot last. Never had that problem with the Vaquer...

samsi

Never seen the insides before, thanks. There's far less steel in that lock-up than I would've expected.

samsi

Very nice!

samsi

A fellow here had one with a rifled 12 gauge barrel and a red dot. He was loading those big heel base slugs in it, 700 gr or so IIRC. I shot it a couple times. It was accurate and recoil, while stout, was nothing like a Level 3 45-70 from a No.1. I admit that those made my eyes water a bit, even whe...

samsi

It's been in the works for some time - decades of media gaslighting and conditioning has brought this on us. I was first taken aback upon encountering it back in the late 80's and it's far more widespread now. I've known a few guys (3) over the last 20 years or so that had good luck with Russian bri...

samsi

Ed Harris has written extensively (and positively) on the 32 Auto, it's worth the time to search out his posts over on Cast Boolits. The point that's applicable to the discussion here is that European 32 ammo is loaded to higher pressures than domestic fodder. You might find a good load without havi...

samsi

I hadn't considered it, but that would be an advantage of the fixed barrel 32's and 380's. Many of the current bug guns are locked breech and can be pushed out of battery.

samsi

I fixed the sight issue on the Vaquero by having the sights modified, flat-faced front sight and opened up the rear sight notch. Copied the width dimensions for both from the Novak's on my 1911. Mill/sight work was by Jake at Accuracy Speaks back when I lived in Mesa. If I was to do it today I'd use...

samsi

I've had a half dozen Blackhawks but only one Vaquero, prefer the adjustable sights purely because I like to tinker with loads.

I would like a New Vaquero (or Uberti) in 45 since I've got an unused Threepersons holster for a SAA.

samsi

There was a nice XTR with a Leupold rimfire scope at a shop here, think they were asking $1200. I was tempted but already have a plain vanilla '76 9422M with a K4. Told a coworker about it and he ran down on break and snatched it up the same day. Being an enabler is nearly as good as buying for your...

samsi

I watched the ISS go over a few years back. After thinking that a couple passing satellites may have been it, it was very obvious when it came over - much larger, brighter and lower than all the other clutter. When conditions are right I can see the Starlink launches from Vandenberg but generally fo...

samsi

Had been getting AH since the 80's although my last few renewals had been at their fire sale prices so I wasn't really concerned with a refund.

There's a thread on the Ruger forum where they were discussing it and some guys did get refunds.

samsi

AmBraCol wrote: ↑Sat Jan 10, 2026 9:42 am
Scott Tschirhart wrote: ↑Thu Jan 08, 2026 9:51 pm Here’s something else

https://youtube.com/shorts/Ji7Rtsau4XU? ... 6yLc-gyDOV

There's another one that left big boots to fill...

Yep, in addition to being an amazing shooter he seems to have had quite a sense of humor. A range day with Munden would've been memorable.

samsi

It's mentioned near the end of this Taffin article, guess I should have said that I read it vs heard it -

https://americanhandgunner.com/our-expe ... -gunology/

samsi

We all know that John was a dyed in the wool revolver guy, but I heard that he "discovered" the 1911 towards the end of his life. Does anyone know what he loaded his with? I'm not shopping for a load as much as I'm curious what a guy like John would feed Old Slabsides.

samsi

I use the latest (6th?) Lyman Cast Bullet manual a lot and with Hodgdon powders being the main ones available these days, their online load data is awful handy. I just noticed recently that there's a link on the Hodgdon site where you can request specific data but haven't tried it out for myself. Se...

samsi

When you mentioned 400k miles I guessed it was a Toyota. A friend of mine had a Corolla he got in the 80's that was still going strong when he passed away in 2012. I would still see it around town with some kid driving it until recently.

Glad you're okay.

samsi

Thanks Scott, that'll work. I've got one of the Lipsey's mid-frame 45 Flattops and was thinking that might be a good load for it. I know it's not weak, but being on the smaller frame I didn't want to do something stupid and strain it.

samsi

Thanks Walt. I've heard good things about the Linebaugh 231 load, just haven't gotten around to trying it.

I've also been using a lot of Titegroup for the last year or two because it's been so readily available, but only in 9mm and 38 Spl so far. Time to branch out a bit I guess.

samsi

I agree with Doc, the Rossi in 454 would be the simplest route to getting something that will safely digest your heavy Redhawk load. I'm no expert on 73's but I believe that they withstand 357 and not heavy 45 mainly due to the fact that case head thrust of the 357 is only about 30% of that of the 4...

samsi

I guess I am behind on the times, having not bought any powder in a long time. I still have a fair amount of Unique. Are they not making it, anymore? Unique is supposedly still in production, although limited and with sporadic availability along with all of Alliant's canister powders. Military sale...

samsi

A question for anyone who knows, any idea of the pressure of Linebaugh's 8 gr W231 load? Was looking at it over the weekend but couldn't find any pressure reference. It's over standard, just wondering how much. (Answered my own question on the 7.5 Titegroup load, it was in a Brian Pearce 2011 articl...

samsi

Congrats on the old-school cool .22, I have a thing for the old target 22's and military trainers myself.

samsi

I was 24 or 25 when I got my first 44, but didn't start reloading for another 10 years. The first decade I shot Federal 240 jacketed almost exclusively and I don't think Federal left much performance on the table. When I got my first 45 Colt I remember being underwhelmed with the legendary 18.5/2400...

samsi

I had my 45 Redhawk out on the 31st, shot a bunch of the MO Bullet 325 WFN's over HS6 and H110. I learned 2 things - it needs to be firelapped a bit more, and I need an extra length firing pin from Bowen. It only fires 50% of the time DA with WLP's.

samsi

Agree about Tank, I enjoy the things he writes about but getting through an article isn't usually smooth sailing.

It was said that Elmer would include a line of commas and periods at the bottom of his submissions, to be placed where needed by the editor.

samsi

Although Bob Munden was recognized mainly for his SAA work, he was also known to use the support hand finger on trigger technique with a 1911. There may be some video out there still. One of my shooting partners who was a very large human, and also a powerlifter, could bump fire an entire magazine f...

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