41 mag, and hornets (real ones)...

[mattw]

So, this year was another good year for hornets... both of these nests are stuck to my machine shed. Fortunately they chose doors that I do not open to nest on the tracks.

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We have spent the last couple of months shooting, mowing and working with out a single sting... that ended Sunday afternoon. Last winter, I missed a deer with my 41 mag and it really honked me off. It was last day of the season and I was mad enough that I put my pistol away until this summer. I had acquired a few new 41 moulds and wanted to try them out, could not hit the broad side of a barn with my deer gun, my other 41's worked fine. Turns out the rear rail lock screw had worked loose, she now works again. It is an old half lug 657 5.5" beast. When I got it the throats were not matching and were to tight, the bore had a choke at the threads and the trigger was horrible. My gunsmith fixed the throats and the trigger and added a ball crane lock for me and I fire lapped the tight spot out of the bore. It is a wonderful shooter and will always be in my stable. I shoot from nice and slow to holy crap loads in this gun with weights from 185 grains to 250 grains. Still my favorite is the Saeco 411 with 2400 guiding it down range.
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Years ago, working with a commercial reloader, we would get in 100 pound drums of H110 Data powder. This powder is 12% faster than H110! The win... less flash and more burnt in a pistol length barrel also an increase velocity. Over the years, I acquired about 80 pounds of the stuff and I am so glad that I did!

Here is what hornets do not like... the shockwave coming off a full power 41 mag caused a cloud of them to exit (50 or 60) and head my way. Only got stung once on the top of the head, I did kill the offender!

200 grain Lyman 410610 HP, the cavity is .4 inches deep! I send the down range at about 1375 fps and they are accurate. My eyes really stink and accurate for me is 2 inches at 35 yards standing off hand now. But I can still hit my 100 yard tie plate 4 or 5 times per cylinder full.
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[lightman]

I'm glad you were only stung once. You were very lucky. They can be pretty mean when they are disturbed. I have a few nest that I have captured over the years that are hanging in the deer club house.

[Wayne Smith]

I'd be spraying those and saving the paper - maybe buy a muzzle loading shotgun!

[dverna]

Wait for nightfall and a cool day. Spray until nest is soaked.

For yellow jackets, I put out cat food with a product called Onslaught mixed in. They sell bait stations too:

https://www.domyown.com/alpine-yellow-jacket-bait-station-kit-with-onslaught-p-1268.html

I have dramatically reduced the number of nests with that product.

[DougGuy]

Jeez you are feeding them some high on the hog stuff dverna! Onslaught is EXPENSIVE! For yellow jackets just pour some gasoline in the nest or some of this expanding foam they sell just for yellow jackets.

[mattw]

I will wait until they freeze out and open the doors to knock them down.

[Txcowboy52]

You must be one helluva shot, to hit the offender with that .41 !! lol Never had any run in with hornets, killed lots of yellow jackets with Dawn dish washing soap and hot water.

[dverna]

Jeez you are feeding them some high on the hog stuff dverna! Onslaught is EXPENSIVE! For yellow jackets just pour some gasoline in the nest or some of this expanding foam they sell just for yellow jackets.

It lasts a very long time. One jug should last about 5 years. I like it because I do not need to expose myself to the little ********. I do not react well to stings so cost is secondary. I would gladly pay double the cost. When I got mine, it was less than $40 delivered but that was three years ago.

I tried the Dawn method and I must have Dawn resistant buggers. BTW, break cleaner works too but no way I will get that close again!!!!

I would rather face a pissed off black bear than a nest of pissed off hornets.

[RKJ]

The little buggers were building a nest at the door of the range outhouse this summer. It's a small nest but there were about a dozen that I could see on it. The caretaker (Dept of Conservation range) finally got it last week. They didn't bother me so I didn't bother them.

[rbuck351]

So, how did you shoot the nest without shooting your shed?

[Hogtamer]

I once poured a cup of gas in a jacket hole on a sandy hill my young boys and I ran into building a deer stand years ago. Stood off and tossed a lighted pine cone at he hole....whump! Sounded like a bomb went of BEHIND us! Didn't think about an exit hole in the sandy ground.

[mattw]

So, how did you shoot the nest without shooting your shed?

I did not shoot the nest. I fired 1 shot on target and they all came out. I squished the one that stung me. They have tolerated everything up to the full house magnum rounds. I have moved 50 feet away to do the rest of my shooting and they come out in a cloud each time a magnum is fired and they are not happy. There seems to be an invisible wall that they will not pass at about 35 to 40 feet.

I will wait for a couple of freezes and open both doors and knock the nests down. Would not dare do it now. I have thought about 410 rock salt loads to disperse them, but does not sound safe to me.

[MaryB]

Remove shot frma shtgun shell, load ito shotgun, stick as close to the nest hole as you can get and pull trigger. The shock wave from the muzzle will kill most of them and blow the nest apart...

[DougGuy]

When I was in high school I went to a military academy. We had a barn with horses and plenty of woods to ride in. Anytime we saw a yellow jacket we would find the nest, bring a few guys and a shovel, and 3-4 cans of bug spray. The trick is to walk right up to the nest and put the shovel handle down the hole, then a couple guys stomp the ground around the shovel to piss 'em all off, then get those bug spray cans aimed right at the hole only about 6" away then you pull the shovel out and start spraying all at once. The very angry yellow jackets fly out of the hole in a thick maddened solid stream, but none make it more than about a foot out of the nest. Then we would spray down the hole and dig it up with the shovel, spraying the few stragglers as necessary. Never got stung, and if you've ever been on horseback and one stings the horse holy **** you better be glued to the saddle but good.

[rbuck351]

I have had fun with the ground nests. I hold my whirling dervish (weed eater) directly over the hole and stomp the ground. They come pouring out and are shredded by the string. You have to keep the whirling string close to the ground. Gas and a match works very well but is not as much fun.

[gwpercle]

41 Magnum boolit mould

NOE 413-215-WC(413432) www.noebulletmoulds.com

If you like accurate target & mid range cast boolit loads in the 41 ... check out this one .

The model 58 in my avatar just loves this one ... one ragged hole groups and shoot's to the fixed sights perfectly , dead on ... it's a big keeper !
Gary

[osteodoc08]

I’ve got a nest just like that on the wave of my house I’m waiting for a cold morning to knock it down. It’s 20’ up so hard to get to or get away from real quick.

That’s a nice shooter you’ve got there

[mattw]

I’ve got a nest just like that on the wave of my house I’m waiting for a cold morning to knock it down. It’s 20’ up so hard to get to or get away from real quick.

That’s a nice shooter you’ve got there

Thanks, it is my favorite 657 hands down. I have longer and shorter, but none feel that good. Although, the 3" 657 is a hoot to shoot. My shooting ability has really fallen off in the last 7 or so years. Horribly nearsighted and I have glaucoma. But, I still enjoy shooting wheel guns off hand, but have had to lower my expectations.

[monadnock#5]

All types of hornets are much more aggressive in the fall and much more likely to swarm en mass. A number of times I have poured a cup of gas into the entrance hole of ground nesting hornets, long after dark, and walked away. The fumes alone will completely kill off the whole nest.