Frustrating day today. Headed out to go practice with the 5 gun and two sixguns, also brought along the 375 Ruger, just because. Well as I gate within a half mile of where I shoot, there is a moron shooting down the forest road (even though it is more desert than not), towards where I shoot from, with targets set up just off the road. I figured, after I roll by, he will pack up his stuff and move to another location, boy was I wrong. As I was setting up to shoot (I shoot into a wide valley away from the road, well above so I can see across the whole valley), was glassing to ensure there were no cows, or people in the area, when I hear the whine of a ricocheting bullet whining off into space, then the boom of his rifle. I leaned on my horn, no effect, fired a couple 44s into a prickly pear, no effect, I should have packed it in, but at that point, I worried about driving back into oncoming fire. Needless to say, couldn't hit crapola with the 454, marginally better with the heavy 45 Colt, the 44 with 305s and a healthy dose of H110 is like a laser beam, all around cheapest setup I own, between the gun, the brass, and the Lee bullet mold, go figure. The 375 shoots lights out, an absolute hammer. I can say, where none of the pistol rounds will fully penetrate an old Juniper trunk, the 375 blows right through leaving a golf ball sized exit with the Hornaday DGX 300gr bullet at 2550. I think next weekend I will go to the county shooting range and try my loads that were working (except today, and except for the new bullets), and I will load the 45 Colt with some of the new heavyweights. I can report the 340gr HPs expand, and hold together pretty darn good. I think I put too many heavy loads through the guns today, noticed towrds the end I was pulling shots anticipating the recoil, which was surprisingly not bad, even with 350s at 1400fps. I think next weekend i will bring the Flattop 45 along for some recoil relief, I also think it will be money well spent to send the FA in for a trigger job.

Few years ago the F/A trigger job cost me $100.00. They would only go down to 3 pounds. I was visiting the father-in-law in Jackson Wy. and was able to take a nice 45 min drive down to Freedom and drop it off and pick it up the next day. I called several weeks ahead and the very nice lady made room for me on the gunsmiths schedual. Have a friend who can do a great action job on a Ruger but only did one on a F/A and he will not touch one again. Said you need three hands to work on one.

Art

Next year, after Christmas is paid off, I will pack it up and send it off. In the mean time I will continue to strive for improvement. Going to try some new grips on the SBH, it and the Bisley are really putting a hurting on the heel of my palm, the FA has the most recoil friendly grip I've tried, well except maybe my old Super Redhawk in 454, it was fairly good.