Back In Black

[Pigslayer]

I've been an avid hunter & shooter all of my life. I'm 59 now. Two years ago I was in a terrible auto accident & broke my neck, my sternum, two ribs & knocked four teeth out. It took away my dignity, my self respect & my self worth for a long time. It made me realize how insignifigant I was. The trauma was unbelievable! All of my body functions were off line for a long time. Nothing mattered anymore. But somehow I knew I had to start doing the things I used to love to do, and keep doing them until I loved to do them again. It has only been recently that I rediscovered my casting & reloading equipment out in my shop. It is only recently that I found this forum. I'm starting to have fun again! Thank You All!
Pat Reynolds:bigsmyl2:

[trooperdan]

Welcome back Pigslayer!

[Harter66]

Welcome back! Always happy to see a body back in the game.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Welcome Pigslayer. Ya gotta be tough to come out of all of that. Good to see you out of the dark and into the sunshine!

[hiram1]

just keep going and try to overcome and you will

[hardcase54]

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

[DLCTEX]

Hang in there brother caster. Casting is good therapy. When things get to weighing on me I take to my casting bench.

[Recluse]

Hang in there brother caster. Casting is good therapy. When things get to weighing on me I take to my casting bench.

Ain't that the truth.

My reloading shop is my refuge where I can shut out the rest of the world.

:coffee:

[Wayne Smith]

Pat, are you able to shoot what you cast? Welcome to the forum and, when you get desperate in the evening you might look in chat and join the real madness!

[gray wolf]

Considering the alternative you not only did the right thing--
you took the action that required you do go above and beyond what the average person would do. That took guts and a will that said ---
(" I will not give up in the face of this insurmountable task" ) " I will rise the victor "
My hat's off to you, May you cast and blast for a long time to come.

[linotype]

Welcome back!
Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join us.
Always an interesting place to hang out. :smile:

[bobthenailer]

Shooting /reloading / casting and talking / reading about such is a big part of my spare time , and has been so for about 40 years with no regrets except i wish i could do more !
If you ever decide to get back into shooting pistol ? theres a excellent club in Fredrick MD by the name of Monacacy pistol club ! They have a web sight , my BIL has been shooting there for about 25 years and is a past president and board member, i shoot there every time i go down to visite , on the weekends they usually have informal matches with all skill levels attending , almost every sat and sunday during the good weather spring through fall season.
at least ck them out on the web to see what they have to offer !

" happynes is knee deep in brass "
Bob

[Blacksmith]

bobthenailer

I shot at Monacacy Pistol Club many years ago nice club and my son learned to shoot in their junior program, he now has almost grown childern. Thanks for stiring the memories.

Blacksmith

[Pigslayer]

Pat, are you able to shoot what you cast? Welcome to the forum and, when you get desperate in the evening you might look in chat and join the real madness!

Oh yea. I couldn't shoot for the first year. It's been two years now. I'm off to the range tomorrow.

[trooperdan]

Bobthenailer and Blacksmith, back in the 70's I shot with the Berwyn MD club, is that near where you guys are talking about?

The Berwyn club had a distinguished person, John Pepper, inventor of the pepper popper and also a distingushed rifle shooter.

[canyon-ghost]

Oh yea. I couldn't shoot for the first year. It's been two years now. I'm off to the range tomorrow.

Bravo! My physical therapist told me not to stop casting or reloading when I had a plate put in my left arm. I just came out of the reloading room, doing 44 magnum and 44 Special nowdays. You know, those Rugers have nice dimensions on the 44 Special Flattop that us old guys can target shoot with!

Good Luck to you, bud.

[plmitch]

Welcome back!

[chambers]

First of all your alive and welcome back, start small and work in managable task( small baby steps then start walking), welcome back again!

[Pigslayer]

Thanks to all for your support. It's been such a long haul. I'm in pain every day but I carry it OK. Take Aleve on a regular basis & it helps a lot. Narcotics just make me lethargic & I hate that. I thank God that I came trough it without any paralysis. It was a hangman's fracture at
C2 . . . pretty bad. Had one of the best surgeons in the four state area (VA,MD,WV & PA).
Tomorrow I shoot the 7mm Rem. Mag. for the first time in two years. Shooting a 162gr SPBT with 59gr. 4831 behind it. Pretty lethal I'd say. Getting ready to shoot my 130gr. cast in it. Still researching a starting load for that. I have about 300 rounds of .45 Long Colt waiting to go down range.

You know, a long time ago, in a time so very distant now, I remember the F.O. saying, "Give me twelve rounds for effect . . . HE Quick. Then we'd send them 4.2" mortars down range.

[MtGun44]

Doing anything that you want to, and which takes some effort, is good for you. I have been
busted up myself a number of times, always looking for something that I can do during
the healing up period. Activity is good for the mind and body and when you are depressed
about inability, finding things that you CAN do are very helpful, in both ways.

Welcome - enjoy. Pick out a pet topic and put up a post on it, either tell us about some
interesting development, or ask about something that has you baffled. Probably somebody
here knows about it.

Bill

[Pigslayer]

Shooting /reloading / casting and talking / reading about such is a big part of my spare time , and has been so for about 40 years with no regrets except i wish i could do more !
If you ever decide to get back into shooting pistol ? theres a excellent club in Fredrick MD by the name of Monacacy pistol club ! They have a web sight , my BIL has been shooting there for about 25 years and is a past president and board member, i shoot there every time i go down to visite , on the weekends they usually have informal matches with all skill levels attending , almost every sat and sunday during the good weather spring through fall season.
at least ck them out on the web to see what they have to offer !

" happynes is knee deep in brass "
Bob

I recently joined the North American Rod & Gun Club in Hagerstown. We have a 100 yd range, a pistol range, a competition pistol range, a very big pond to fish for bass, cornfields to hunt doves & deer stands to muzzleloader hunt. 200 acres total. We have a big hall that serves great food and plenty of raffles of all kinds. I have a place to go Oh yea, we have a skeet range too..:p

[Blacksmith]

TrooperDan
Berwyn Rod and Gun is located east of the DC beltway between Washington DC and Annapolis MD. The Monocacy Pistol Club is northwest of DC right next to Frederic MD. Another shooting place is the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore where a number of clubs share a range complex just west of Baltimore MD. Google any of the names for more information.

Blacksmith

[casterofboolits]

Keep on doing what you like. It's good physial and mental therapy.

I had a stroke that affected my left side 20 years ago and I was back shooting IPSC, casting and reloading within six months.

Just had another stroke in August, same side, and am doing home therapy and am to the point I can walk around the house without using a cane or walker. Have been down the basement stairs, with supervision, several times to my loading room. My physical therapist is a shooter intrested in starting to reload for his 45. Not quite up to going down the stairs by my self, but I'm working on it.

Good luck and keep at it.

[Pigslayer]

You guys are great!

[CLAYPOOL]

Mr. Pigslayer look for the "UP" side to this. Here's one: You have lote of spare time to look for wheel weight's, etc...Visit with the "Boys" that work there and B.S. them about your accdent and let them feel sorry for you by loading buckets and boxes of goodies...Just a thought...

[Pigslayer]

The power tools sang once again today. It's the first I heard my surface planer in over four years. Besides my working in the Petroleum Industry for years I'm also an accomplished cabinet maker. My second love next to shooting. I started remodeling my little ramshakle house about 10 years ago. I had one room to go, the living room, when I had my accident. My world stopped for a long time. The room sat, gutted for over two years.
But as strength & stamina returned I wired, insulated & drywalled the living room, and finally got it painted. I had a bunch of Spanish Cedar in the rough left over down in the basement that I had made my kitchen cabinets out of. Pretty wood but the dust is nasty . . . high degree of Tannic Acid, like redwood or mahogany. A mask is necessary. It was a nice day here in MD so I set my surface planer up outside & took it all down to 3/4" thick. It took a while since it was at 1 1/8" thick & better. I'm sure the neighbors were cussing 'cause surface planers make a racket, even when the knives are sharp. With the neighbors in mind I worked through it as quickly as possible. I'm using it to make valances to put over the living room windows. Spanish Cedar is a reddish cinnamon color and looks really nice when clear coated with shellac. Yep, shellac. Natural & easy to use. Leaves a hard finish & dosen't yellow like a urethane. Every time I smell it I am reminded of wood shop in high school.
Now don't get me wrong, my place is no showplace. It's rustic & comfortable and best of all it's a mancave. I share my little cottage with my Shetland Sheepdog named "Chopper" & my crazy Siamese Cat named "Pooker".
I brewed up another batch of Lyman #2 this morning then put the dog in the truck & went to Lowe's to buy a gallon of paint. After that my dog & I went to McDonald's & munched on hamburgers. Chopper loved that. The Siamese gave me hell when I got back for leaving him alone. After that I planed my lumber & then went to the corner store (been there for longer than I've been alive) & had the owner cut me some thick pork chops. Got some real "Amish" butter while I was there. He keeps the produce out front even in the winter. Never seems to bother it. Got some nice sweet potatoes, onions & white potatoes. Got home & put things away, fed the animals & grabbed a cold beer and now here I set. It's been a good day.

[Jason30-30]

Keep Your Head Up... Welcome Back

[crabo]

Show us some pictures of your remodel.

[GP100man]

Endeavor to Pressaveer !!!

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/imagesCALLV5O4.jpg

[1Shirt]

Just hang in there guy! Like an old Col. that I used to work for said "ya can only eat an elephant-----one bite at a time".
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Pigslayer]

Thank all of you for your wonderful support! It has been a great New Year's weekend. I've had three days off work & worked on finishing my remodeling every day. I've gotten so much done and everything looks great! One wall in the living room is done cedar in T&G planking & I'll hang my flintlocks there stradled by a Black Russian Boar on one side & a 8 point, 140 Boone & Crocket whitetail on the other! Wow! I'm a happy camper!

[Pigslayer]

My living room now smells of Aromatic & Spanish Cedar. When I get home from work it hits me in the face upon opening the front door. Love that smell! With tax returns new carpet will be installed & my "mancave" finally finished!:drinks:

[cajun shooter]

Pigslayer, I have for the past 10 years been hit by several serious health problems as you have. I went for almost 5 years that I could not cast or shoot. So I fully understand where you are coming from.
I finally found a doctor who wanted to help and within a year I was back doing the things I enjoyed so much.
I casted even when I was unable to shoot. It is a relaxing hobby by it's self.
I'm so happy that you are taking it on and doing it regardless of how you may feel at times. That's the spirit and I'll back you 100%. Best of luck to you sir!!

[Pigslayer]

cajun shooter,
Thanks for your response. It's really good when someone can relate . . . & does. It's harrowing to be bogged down like that & sometimes it seems like all hope & vast spans of time are lost. I went to the Dr's today & everything looks good. They have finally found a BP medicine that works & WON'T make me black out behind the wheel! Better yet, it is dirt cheap to buy. Lisinopril is one that I can never take again. I take Lorsartan now. My BP was high but not skyrocketing . . . 150/90. It's now about 128/78.
I never would have believed that a BP medicine would cause me to black out while driving. I hit that rock wall head on at 65MPH! Broke my damn neck! Well, it's over now and two years have passed. I'm alive, well and no paralysis . . . and I get to shoot the bull with guys like you. Thanks.