58 Caliber Heads-Up

[BrownBear]

Just thought I'd pass along that Track of the Wolf just got in a supply of 1" x 32" Green Mountain 58 caliber drop-in barrels for the TC Hawken or Renegade 54 cal at $189.99. Those have been off the market for most of the last three years and demand is really high.

I'll admit that I'm a 58 cal nut, but I can't think of a better all-around rifle caliber for Alaska. Even though I already have four 58 caliber rifles, I'm going to pick up one of these. Just too good to pass up!

[Smitty of the North]

Just thought I'd pass along that Track of the Wolf just got in a supply of 1" x 32" Green Mountain 58 caliber drop-in barrels for the TC Hawken or Renegade 54 cal at $189.99. Those have been off the market for most of the last three years and demand is really high.

I'll admit that I'm a 58 cal nut, but I can't think of a better all-around rifle caliber for Alaska. Even though I already have four 58 caliber rifles, I'm going to pick up one of these. Just too good to pass up!

You have got me thinkin BB, Watch out:

Is it faster to change barrels than to reload a fired one?

If it is, maybe you oughta get TWO extry barrels. (That's 3 shots as fast as you can change barrels.)

It's probably ILLEGAL though. Most innovative ideas are.

Smitty of the North

[BrownBear]

Mmmmm. I like the way your mind works, or at least I recognize the pattern from my own footsteps. But I never considered this angle.

I get it would be somewhere near a tossup at the range, but I'd be hard pressed to do it in the field where it's easy to drop parts, especially the wedge key. Keeping the spare barrel (s) handy might involve something like a quiver, and two would add up to the weight of a whole spare rifle, if not a little more.

Using a loading block, horn and measure I can manage something like 3 shots a minute without a lot of strain, and if using speed loader tubes, it's pretty easy to do 4 shots a minute. I doubt I could do a barrel change in less than 15 seconds, and the speed loaders are a lot lighter and handier.

BTW- Track of the Wolf is out of the 58 cal barrels again, hopefully just for the time being. They sure seemed to go fast, but the same thing happened a couple of months ago when they got in another lot of 10. I pressed their Notify Me link, so I got an email from them when this last batch arrives. And of course I let it slip on by. I'm busy with another one right now, but now that the 58's are out, I wish I had gone ahead and picked one up.

[elmerkeithclone]

Back in the 80's I often went afield with two muzzleloaders. The one I carried which varied and there was usually a White Mountain Carbine slung across my back. When I was sitting in a brush pile I usually had one in my paws and the other laying across my lap or real close by. I did this for several years and never ever had to grab gun number two to finish the job.

I now carry a couple of home made speed loaders with a patched round ball in one end a dose of powder on top of that and then a plastic cap to seal the end. I carry a capper on a lanyard around my neck! I only pack one gun now and most of the time it's that same 50 cal White Mountain Carbine. This fall I might use one like the one I sent you, Smitty. I have some inlines too but they kill the nastolgia part that makes hunting with a front stuffer cool!

[Smitty of the North]

BB:
I was just kidding. MOSTLY.

With a 58, you probably don't even need a Nother Shot.

EKC:
I HATE Inlines.

Except of course, the ones on paper targets. I like to blow holes in'em.

Way back in olden days if the Trapper carried a pistol in his belt, a Smoothbore slung on his back, and a Rifle in his hands, he could account for maybe 3, indians before resorting to his Tomahawk.



You know guys:

The problem I have, or I might have, in the field is this.....

I have so much other stuff in my shooting bag that I can't grab the patches, balls, capper, etc. things that I need to load another round quickly.

The other stuff equals things like Nipple Wrench, Extra Nipple, Cleaning jags, etc., screw puller, Pin puller, extra nipples, extra caps, cleaning patches, screwdrivers, extra clean out screw, extra parts, to name some of it.

I put it all in a leather bag, that I can remove, to get it out of the way, so I can fish out what I need to load with.

I'm always trying to find ways to have it all easily available, using that kind of system. I've got the measure and a leather capper, hanging on my powder horn, and my short starter on the shoulder strap, with the capper, and Nipple cleaner on thongs. I hang my patches on a string that goes through them, so I can pull one off at a time.

I have shot a match or two working only out of the bag.

Of course, I also have a little shoulder bag with speed loaders and a minimum of other things that I would use for hunting.

If you got any ideas of how to simplify the process, feel free to run them by me, for my consideration.

Thanks
Smitty of the North

[BrownBear]

I hear what you're saying about managing "stuff."

My solution has been to simplify, simplify, simplify. Along the way my bags have been getting smaller and I'm putting less in them. I think I found happiness this year with a 6"x7" bag that has one main compartment with small flap compartments on the front and back. The main compartment is gussetted and welted, and just big enough for my closed fist to slip in and out freely. Nothing but shooting supplies goes in the main compartment.

If I'm using a loading block, that's all that's in there. If I'm using speedloaders, they're in there instead. If I'm using loose balls and a strip of patching, that's it. My leather capper, short starter and my patch knife have sheaths on the straps of the bag. I don't recall if you can see them in the photos I'm attaching, but my horn has short straps on it that buckle into the main bag strap, too. Sounds complicated, but it's not.

The little flat pocket on the back holds cleaning patches. The gussetted front pocket holds a little leather wallet that's my cleaning kit, including the nipple pick. I usually have a few loose balls, a small roll of patching and a tiny tin of lube in there.

I'm attaching some mediocre photos of my own version, but here is the slightly larger commercial version that started my thinking. Flick through the three views to see smaller pockets on the front and back.

Woops. Looks like I can only add two photos. The first is a front view with the flap down, and the second has the flap lifted so you can see the entrance to the main pocket and the little front pocket. I'll tag on one more post with the third photo in that.

[BrownBear]

Here's the back view, showing that small flat pocket for patches and such.

BTW- I make bags and horns for each of my rifle calibers. I get too cornfoosed shifting multiple calibers back and forth from the same bag when I change from one rifle to another. It's cut down on the stuff carried and not needed, as well as the stuff forgotten at home. Of course, I'm always looking for an excuse to make another bag and horn, too!

[Smitty of the North]

OK, BB:
I guess, I gotta get me a system like yours.

THAT, is the best bag I've seen. Especially the design.

I can use the same bag for all my rifles, as they are all 50 cal. and are otherwise similar.

I have a bag for my SS ML pistol too. I have a bag flask for the powder.

Thanks for the ideas.