Potpourri...

Ruger 10/22 Update:

I talked to Volquartsen this afternoon about a problem I had last Friday before the match. It was the first time I'd taken it to the range since installing their HP trigger group parts kit I got from Midway USA. The safety wouldn't engage, the over travel screw was very loose and tightening up on it's own with every pull of the trigger and most importantly of all, I was getting light strikes every time; none of which were hard enough to actually set off the round. I was, and continue to get extraction issues, but I'm thinking maybe that is because I am using subsonic ammo. Anyway, I was able to get my rifle back into service by swapping out the new hammer and hammer spring with the factory parts. I shot the practice this way and the match the next day with the factory hammer and spring which I'm sure affected my trigger pull. To Volquartsen's credit, they are going to send me a new sear, hammer and hammer spring in exchange for my current parts. The tech I spoke to said that they have made some changes to these parts and have eliminated the problems I am having. With luck the parts should be here within the week.

I have a bi-pod on my 10/22 now! It's a Rockmount (Harris clone). Unfortunately I didn't have the cash to get it before the match, but I have one now and we'll see what effect it has the next time I get up to the range.

In other related news, I am considering a switch to a 1200 fps round instead of the current 1080 fps cartridge I am currently using. My hope is that if the bullets stays supersonic for the entire trip I'll be less affected by the wind and air turbulence.

Etc...

At the Washougal, WA gun show, the same day as the match, I managed to sell my Ruger Vaquero for some much needed cash. I hated getting rid of it, but I hardly ever shot it and it was painful to shoot, not to mention the costs of feeding a .44 Magnum. I reloaded for it, but still it was expensive.

I picked up 75 rounds of 7.62x54R for $18 at the show also (this stuff is getting hard to find), and an old Herters Powder scale for $5. The brass beam on the scale was so tarnished I couldn't read the scale markings on it. When I got it home I disassembled it and with some cotton balls and Brasso I managed to get the beam shining like gold. Using my check weights I tested it out and found it's only reading .2 gn's low with 50 gn's of weight in the pan. Not bad for a powder scale as old as this one appears to be. It does seem to take forever to settle down though. In contrast, my RCBS 5-0-5 scale reads .1 gn low with the same amount of weight. Accurate enough I say.

Oh, did I mention the joker with an incomplete Lee Progressive 1000 reloading press? He wanted $100 dollars for it and wouldn't budge past $80. For $149 shipped, I can have a brand new press in .38/.357 from Natches Shooters Supply. I offered him $50 and he and his buddy thought that was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. Seriously folks, if I am going to have to buy crap to make something work, and the new price for the same item is the same or less than I would be spending, I'd have to be an idiot to buy the incomplete, used item. I told him no thanks and walked away.

Oh, a few posts ago I bemoaned the price of ammo? Well, today I went to Bi-mart and found the same 525 round Federal bulk box of .22lr for $10.99. Either they have better connections or something... The UMC 250 round box of 9mm was $3 more than it was months ago at $47.99, so not as bad as Sportsman's Warehouse as far as ammo goes. If you're in the Pacific Northwest area and you have a Bi-mart next to you, go check out their ammo prices. They also have regular specials too, keep an eye out for those.

Well, that's pretty much it for now. Oh, if you get a chance, go check out The People of the Gun and join the tribe! :-)