Boerrancher
02-04-2012, 08:24 PM
It was the typical late winter morning, rainy and wet and I was bummed out because life had happened, and this month was going to be one of those where there was too much month at the end of the money. I had given up on the idea that I would be able to afford a Crockett rifle. My best friend from the time I was little, who is also my hunting, fishing and shooting buddy dropped by to day. He had been pestering me for years, every since I got out of the Hospital from my Afghan tour, that he wanted to get me something to show his appreciation. I had always put him off telling him I didn't want or need anything. This has gone off and on for 4 years.
I was sitting in my easy chair enjoying a cup of tea and watching soccer on the tele, and there was a knock on the door. The wife was in the kitchen and went to the door. As she opened the door she yelled across the house at me, "Joe, Chris is here." I look up and he is carrying a box in.
"What's in the box?" I ask as he hands it to me and sits down. The wife asks if he wants a cup of coffee or tea, and he tells her he has to get going as he has a load of rock he has to deliver.
"What's in the box," I ask again?
"Your birthday present. I thought I would get it to you early. That way you can start using it. The weather is going to be nice tomorrow and Monday. Now open the damn thing so I can get going I am already running late" he said with a sly smile.
It was in a brown box with packing tape on the ends. I dig my pocket knife out of my pocket and go to cutting the seams. When I open the box I notice a second box with the Traditions logo on it, and there is two small boxes with Hornady logo on them.
"You didn't. I told you to never get me anything expensive. Thank you, but I can't accept this." I told him.
He just smiled and said, "Yeah you can. You do all kinds of things for me, and won't accept anything in return. I know you have been wanting something like this since we were kids. I called a week a go and you weren't home so I ask Julie what you have been wanting for your birthday, spare no expense. She told me you wanted one of these, so I ordered it, along with a couple boxes of balls, a patch worm and ball puller. It all should be there."
I didn't know what to say except, "thank you", as I dug out the jigs and opened the rifle box. I knew the Crockett rifles looked nice, but wow! It is hard to tell what they actually look like from a thumbnail photo on a laptop screen. As I was sliding out of the plastic sleeve, Chris got up from where he was seated. "Aren't you going to stick around for a bit," I ask?
"I told you I was running late when I gave you the box," he shouted over his shoulder as he headed toward the door. I sat there for a moment still stupefied as I heard his dump truck roar to life and head down the drive way. I looked at the wife, and before I could say anything she said, "He did ask a while back, but I had no idea."
So what do you do with a new gun? Shoot it of course. I first decided that I needed to clean it up a bit, all of the excess oil and such. So I pulled the nipple and dried it out. Then I went to run a patch down the bore. I didin't have a patch jag to fit the ram rod so I went to my my good cleaning kit and bingo, a nice well fitting plastic patch jag. I pushed the patch down and went to pull it back out. "snap" and my cleaning rod came out with out the jag.
Great... What to do now? I grab my ram rod and threaded on my patch worm, "rats" it won't reach the patch. So I thought about it for awhile. Ended up pulling the nipple and pouring some powder in the barrel through the nipple hole. I went outside put a cap on it and pulled the trigger, after doing this a couple of times, the patch and broken jag flew out and into the yard.
Then it was time to play. I loaded 20 grains of Goex 3fg on a spit patch PRB and took aim at my son's pop up squirrel about 25 yards away, and missed. I missed a bunch more times until I realized that I was putting to much pressure on the powder. I started just gently seating the ball on the powder and bingo. After knocking the little sucker down a half a dozen times, I called it quits. I don't know what kind of group I will be able to shoot with it at 25 yards, but I should be able to do in a few bushy tails with it.
What a way to turn an other wise gloomy day in to a great one. I am sure I will either get a visit from Chris in the next couple of days, if he is busy he will call. He is not as into the Holy Black as I am, but there is still hope.
Best wishes,
Joe
I was sitting in my easy chair enjoying a cup of tea and watching soccer on the tele, and there was a knock on the door. The wife was in the kitchen and went to the door. As she opened the door she yelled across the house at me, "Joe, Chris is here." I look up and he is carrying a box in.
"What's in the box?" I ask as he hands it to me and sits down. The wife asks if he wants a cup of coffee or tea, and he tells her he has to get going as he has a load of rock he has to deliver.
"What's in the box," I ask again?
"Your birthday present. I thought I would get it to you early. That way you can start using it. The weather is going to be nice tomorrow and Monday. Now open the damn thing so I can get going I am already running late" he said with a sly smile.
It was in a brown box with packing tape on the ends. I dig my pocket knife out of my pocket and go to cutting the seams. When I open the box I notice a second box with the Traditions logo on it, and there is two small boxes with Hornady logo on them.
"You didn't. I told you to never get me anything expensive. Thank you, but I can't accept this." I told him.
He just smiled and said, "Yeah you can. You do all kinds of things for me, and won't accept anything in return. I know you have been wanting something like this since we were kids. I called a week a go and you weren't home so I ask Julie what you have been wanting for your birthday, spare no expense. She told me you wanted one of these, so I ordered it, along with a couple boxes of balls, a patch worm and ball puller. It all should be there."
I didn't know what to say except, "thank you", as I dug out the jigs and opened the rifle box. I knew the Crockett rifles looked nice, but wow! It is hard to tell what they actually look like from a thumbnail photo on a laptop screen. As I was sliding out of the plastic sleeve, Chris got up from where he was seated. "Aren't you going to stick around for a bit," I ask?
"I told you I was running late when I gave you the box," he shouted over his shoulder as he headed toward the door. I sat there for a moment still stupefied as I heard his dump truck roar to life and head down the drive way. I looked at the wife, and before I could say anything she said, "He did ask a while back, but I had no idea."
So what do you do with a new gun? Shoot it of course. I first decided that I needed to clean it up a bit, all of the excess oil and such. So I pulled the nipple and dried it out. Then I went to run a patch down the bore. I didin't have a patch jag to fit the ram rod so I went to my my good cleaning kit and bingo, a nice well fitting plastic patch jag. I pushed the patch down and went to pull it back out. "snap" and my cleaning rod came out with out the jag.
Great... What to do now? I grab my ram rod and threaded on my patch worm, "rats" it won't reach the patch. So I thought about it for awhile. Ended up pulling the nipple and pouring some powder in the barrel through the nipple hole. I went outside put a cap on it and pulled the trigger, after doing this a couple of times, the patch and broken jag flew out and into the yard.
Then it was time to play. I loaded 20 grains of Goex 3fg on a spit patch PRB and took aim at my son's pop up squirrel about 25 yards away, and missed. I missed a bunch more times until I realized that I was putting to much pressure on the powder. I started just gently seating the ball on the powder and bingo. After knocking the little sucker down a half a dozen times, I called it quits. I don't know what kind of group I will be able to shoot with it at 25 yards, but I should be able to do in a few bushy tails with it.
What a way to turn an other wise gloomy day in to a great one. I am sure I will either get a visit from Chris in the next couple of days, if he is busy he will call. He is not as into the Holy Black as I am, but there is still hope.
Best wishes,
Joe