Hi from California!

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  • Last Post 01 February 2012
Sonny Edmonds posted this 26 January 2012

Hi All. Long time reloader/handloader, short time caster. (6 months) I'm a two gun Son-of-a-gun. I'm now down to two calibers of my interest, 30-06 and 45 ACP. (Oh, and 22LR. Everybody loves a 22!) I cast for both, 2 varieties for each. I began reloading with my Dad as a child. It has been an on and off passion for 50 years. (I'll be 62 in March) I love to play around with different loads, but have my “Pet” loads of course.

I'm retired. So I have a LOT of time to play in my shop. I'm retired. So of course I have more time than money. /images/emoticons/134.gif (The imbalance is staggering!) :P

I've been a Grandpa since I was 35. And Grandson #5, Grandchild #10, was born in November. I like to fish as well as shoot. Mostly I like to Bench rest shoot high power. But also bang the gong with the 45. on metallic targets. I don't take anything too seriously, but I do get seriously focused on my projects.

What else? Well, I've been on the web since the bulletin board days, and before Al Gore invented the Internet. :wtf: I use to have to grind out pages with HTML code. I like interacting with folks. But often they take me the wrong way. I'll call a spade a spade, and where I come from Coke was a soft drink. And a hoe was for cuttin weeds in the garden. Life's been tough, and life's been sweet. But that's life. I've done my share of huntin. But anymore paper and steel targets are my fun.

I see a few familiar faces here. Folks I like and respect. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Whew! That's a lot for a two fingered, hunt and pecker typist... Hit send....

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tturner53 posted this 26 January 2012

Hi Sonny, welcome aboard from another Californian. What gun ya shootin' the '06 in? Playing with cast bullets can become a habit, I know. If you can stick to two cartridges you are a strong man and will be dangerous too. For a good time join the CBA and try some postal matches. Lots of fun and fills in some time, keep you out of trouble.

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onondaga posted this 26 January 2012

I like it better here Sonny! Welcome and nice to hear from you again.

My latest project with my grandson involves cast 00 buckshot and a lot of aluminum work.  I made a shouldered bullpup slingshot. The safety is finally made and adjusted. That was very exciting. Cocking mechanism and trigger release is built in and the double band pull is 45 pounds! It is shooting well but I am drawing up for  mounting a red dot sight. This bullpup is for squirrel and power/accuracy looks good to 20 yards.

The new Lee buckshot mold is working fine for me and I have cast over 25 pounds of 00 buckshot from free soft range scrap with a smooth start. That mold sure needs to be well warmed to get it started like all the six bangers....nothing new on that.

Gary

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 26 January 2012

Hi again Gary! And you to tturner53. If the North Highlands is the same as I know, my eldest Sis lived there for a number of years back in the mid 1970's.

I shoot a Winchester Model 70 from the early side of 1964. It's been a fine rifle and fed me and my family for many years when I lived in Wyoming. I bought 300 of my favorite bullets for my reloading and decided I wanted to shoot way more than going that way. So I took to casting again.

Gary, What the heck is a shouldered bull-pup slingshot? Sounds like it could be a good survivalist tool. If the buckshot ran lean there could be river pebbels or gravel or even nuts from hardware. Got any links? Sounds like a great Grandpa and Me project! And casting your own ammo sounds great as well. I've always set my mold acrossed my furnace as it is heating up to get it hot. My 6-banger for 45 ACP likes to be run hot as well. The bullets drop in my bucket with a Chuuuuuuuu..... (I like to water drop) Are you air cooling, or water dropping the shot strings?

Thanks Guys!

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onondaga posted this 27 January 2012

Sonny,

 I air cool the shot strings as I am not concerned with hardness for the shot as slingshot ammo. It is from range scrap and checks at 7.4 BHN.

Here is a link to the video my grandson showed me about the Bullpup Slingshot. This was all I had to design from and mine has a bit more finesse than the one in the video and is made from all new aluminum stock. Link:

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This has been a great gramp/ grandson project and he really helped with the design ideas a lot . I designed a safety that blocks the sear after a couple “incidents” in my apartment .

Gary

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 27 January 2012

That is very cool! :D Yeah, I could see where you could get some small game with that. Shah-WHACK! I really liked how it cocks. And the release is cool as well. And yeah, soft lead would probably really lolly-pallosa anything it smacks into. Ever chronograph it? It looks plenty lethal.

Off topic, I got a small cross bow for carp dartin off the pontoon boat and put a red dot site on it. They are nice. And not too expensive. Only problem is the refraction of the water bending light. But that's bow fishin, one has to figure out the refraction. (And not stick the bolts so bad you can't retrieve them in the brush in the mud. :X )

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onondaga posted this 27 January 2012

Sonny,

The distance from the butt plate on left to trigger in-front of wooden handle is 14 inches. The sling is at less than half cock to photo, the cocking bar goes all the way to an overall length of 29 inches at 45 pounds pull. Hope you can figure how it works and spot that important safety!

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codarnall posted this 27 January 2012

From the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia that is definitely a fire arm. Likely illegal to manufacture with out licenses. Silent too! Could not carry around in public. Charlie

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 27 January 2012

Probably right about that, Charlie. Still, I bet David would drop his sling in a heartbeat for a shooter like that! What a Goliath whacker!

Wowzer, double-double bands! I bet that would penetrate a regular windshield. It would at least make somebody duck and cover. LOL! Looks like a lot of fun. Is the Grandson able to cock it? (If not, he'll grow into it.)

Well, the anti-biotics are kickin in, it's 60 degrees, and I'm burnin daylight. Off to the shop. B)

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onondaga posted this 27 January 2012

Sonny, My grandson Colin can cock it fine. You put the nose end down and push the bow holding clamp down, it ratchets along because the long bar it slides on is made from a carpenter's bar clamp.

The bullpup is far from silent! It is noticeably louder than my 22 cal. pellet rifle. That was disappointing, I had hoped it would be a lot quieter. One of the purposes of building this thing was to have something quiet to shoot at squirrels while deer hunting with regular firearms. It should have a sling and a red dot sight on it before Turkey season in May and we will use it for the unprotected chipmunks then.

Welcome again, Sonny!

Gary

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shastaboat posted this 28 January 2012

Sonny, You need to buy some more firearms. Californica needs the tax money...

Because I said so!

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 29 January 2012

Now Brent, I'm finally down to a manageable load to bug out with, or to bug in with. I gave firearms to the kids and they squandered them. Not doing that again. Once bitten, twice shy. ;)

Gary, Yeah, a carpenters clamp! Helps a youngster if there is an Oop's during cocking the long bands. Ratcheting loading mechanism for charging the bands. Great idea! Sorry to hear it was louder than you had hoped for. But I still think it is a great project!

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shastaboat posted this 29 January 2012

Gee my kids will have to wait until I kick the bucket, but they have already told me what ones they want. I think my kids, 31 and 24 years sleep with theirs.

Because I said so!

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delmarskid1 posted this 30 January 2012

At the high point of cross bow times they had what was called a stone bow. It used a parallel bow string with a pouch at the back for the stone. I always thought that I wanted one but I could never quite figure out how the pouch closed to hold the stone. The thing that you have built is indeed impressive. I keep a “wrist rocket” on my bench for stray cats and boredom. On another note 5/16” brake line makes a dandy blow gun.

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codarnall posted this 30 January 2012

http://www.salisburypost.com/News/010411-Lane-Punch-has-several-potential-buyers-qcd

The link is just of another US company 50 years old that bit the dust.

People want to buy American ? Won't pay the prices! Web sez they're in business, 800 number etc. I went to another metal supplier vice mcmaster-carr. local etc but they're out of business.

We're in a fine fix.

Charlie

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 31 January 2012

We're living in an obamanation. Oh, my bad. I meant abomination.

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JeffinNZ posted this 01 February 2012

Ah ha. I see you found us over here. Good to see.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 01 February 2012

Thank You Jeff! Yeah, you can run, but you can't hide. Ve haf our vays of findink you! :shock:

Much nicer here! :D

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