It's The Season

 It's the season for parties and gatherings.

Years ago, when Belle and I bought this house, it became immediately apparent that it wasn't a place for large gatherings.  We love to entertain, so I promised her that some day I'd build her a place to entertain. We did that, building a big multi-use shop with a huge kitchen.  Basically a 2000 square foot gathering place, with tables and chairs and lots of kitchen space.  It's not fancy, but it is convenient.

And, we use it a lot.  Tomorrow, her siblings are gathering.  A small group, as things go, we expect a dozen folks.  Every Sunday, we host a noon meal for family and friends.  Normally, 10-12 people.  Next Saturday, our club awards banquet.  That'll be two dozen or more.  That banquet will turn the corner into Christmas, and who knows what foolishness we might get into.

It's a busy season.  One that brings great joy and satisfaction.

Judge orders new election in Caddo sheriff's race

The crap-storm in Caddo parish continues apace where in a sheriff election, it came down to one vote.  A retired judge was appointed to hear the case, and he ruled that while we know that eleven (11) votes were cast illegibly, it is impossible to know who benefited from those votes.  So, he has ordered a new election.  A do-over.  

The unofficial winner has until Friday to file an appeal.

Questions

 Some questions in comments.

KurtP asks:

Do people even play Cribbage anymore?

One of the YouTube channels I watch is Smarter Every Day.  This guy got to take a ride on a US submarine, and he reported that among other things, sailors play a great deal of cribbage. 

Paul asks:

How do you feel about partnering with an ammo sponsor?

I've done that in the past, and I'd feel great about it. My email address is in the About Me section in the right sidebar. 

Gunboat Diplomacy.

 It seems that there is a place in the South China Sea, a small reef that only has elevation at low tide, a place called Second Thomas Shoal, that is claimed by the Philippines, who has run a retired US Navy ship aground  and stationed a small contingent on board to bolster their claim. 

China also claims this spot, and has been harassing supply runs to the Philipine contingent.  The US Navy recently paid a visit to their brethren on the reef, I'm sure to swap supplies, tell sea stories, and play cribbage.

China took offense, saying that the US Navy has illegally intruded into its territorial water. Yeah, right.

Something New

 In the liquor story yesterday, I found something new to me, and decided to try a bottle.  J.T. Meleck rice whiskey.  Louisiana whiskey. Why the hell not?  The label says it is aged six years and comes in at 96 proof.  So, it isn't watered to the floor.

Opening the bottle and trying a neat dram, it reminds me, more than anything, of Spey-side Scotch. A mild medicinal note, with earthy undertones. It has a mild sweetness but is not fruity. This isn't some wierd bourbobn.  It's decidedly differently. Not bad, just different.

Expelled

 In a floor vote today, the US House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos (R-NY).

Wow~  That is historic.

From what I've read, Santos had a corruption problem.  Now he is free to focus on his criminal defense.

New Toolbox: Unboxing, and Assembling with the Coolest Wrench!

So, my buddy Jay formed a company long ago.  He's a retired helicopter mechanic and he started making tools to make his job easier. His efforts turned into a full-time gig, and his son is running the company now.  Helicopter Work Aids. They ship world-wide and make a lot of very specialty tools for the aviation trades.

My son Barrett is doing YouTube, and he had some tools commissioned. Jay calls them push-pull wrenches, and Barrett highlights them in the video below. Skip ahead to the 9:00 mark when these wrenches come into play.

If you are in the aviation trades, and you need tools, give Helicopter Work Aids a glance.

Buying Propane

 I heat the shop with propane, and use it for the griddle and the smoker, so I have a number of bottles.  Six, to be precise.  When I get four empties, I load them in the truck and get them filled.  $23.99 for a standard 20 lb bottle, and that's about the cheapest around here.

Today, I took four bottles, and the guy who was filling the tanks told me that he had trouble with one of them.  It wouldn't accept propane.  Go figure, must be something wrong in the valve.

All the Dollar Stores around here have Blue Rhino cages out front, so the next time I go to the Dollar Store, I'll swap that bottle out.  Blue Rhino might be a bit more expensive, but they sure make bottle maintenance easy.

Swapping Scopes

 When I bought the Clackamore Mauser last week, I knew that new glass was in the plan. When I bought it, I immediately saw the most el-cheapo set of Weaver rings that I had ever seen.  Those had to go.  The scope was marked Marlin, and I'm pretty sure that Marlin never made scopes.  Probably some Philippine glass that originally came in bubble plastic. Not fitting for a proper deer rifle.

On Sunday, looking for a tang sight and globe sight for a Sharps that I've passed along to my son-in-law, I happened upon some old scope rings in my catch-all drawers.  Bingo.

This morning, I took that Philippine glass off the Mauser, I also took off those old rings and installed a much better set.  So, the Mauser has nicer rings now. After Christmas, Ill buy a scope that suites the rifle. Something with a reputable brand on it.

But, looking closer at the cheap scope, I realized that it wasn't horrible, just cheap. Suitable for a .22 that would knock around in the squirrel woods. Then, I remembered that 10/22 I bought last month. So, I dragged out the box, found the scope base that Ruger included, and mounted that scope in another set of rings I had found in that drawer.

That doesn't look too terribly bad, and if the scope will hold zero, I've scoped the Ruger for exactly no dollars.  I don't care if the scope is repeatable. I'm going to zero it at 25 yards and Loctite the turret caps on it.  As long as it holds that zero, it will stay on the rifle.

The Frugal Outdoorsman would be proud.

W.D.M. Bell

 If you love reading about the old African hunters, one that you surely know is W.D.M. "Karamojo" Bell, who hunted Africa at the turn of the 20th century. He preferred light calibers for his elephants, mainly the .303 British and the 7mm Mauser.

Yeah, the 7mm Mauser.

He also shot smaller calibers for his meat hunting.

On one occasion in West Africa in the midst of a famine he killed a herd of 23 forest buffalo using a .22 Savage Hi-Power rifle with lung shots.

The forest buffalo is a separate species, but still weighs 500-700 pounds. Bell was knocking them over with today's equivalent of a .223 Remington.

Just damn.

Confessions

 Reader and old friend, Joe, sent me a link to an article he thought I might enjoy.  It's a review of cartridges' since the Civil War, and a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm going to link it here so that I can savor it later.  Like a good brandy, it deserves to be sipped.

A teaser:

What if I told you more white-tailed deer have been taken with an 1894 30-30 Winchester than all the other sundry deer hunting cartridges combined? What if I told you that you could hunt worldwide with a battery of only three rifles, a 22 Long Rifle from 1887, a 7 millimeter Mauser from 1892 and a 375 H&H Magnum Express from 1912?

It's an interesting read, and shows that we haven't really had any great new developments in  cartridge design in nearly a hundred years.

Termite came by this morning and swapped some 6.5x55 ammo for my homemade chimichangas and Belle's Alabama Sweet Bread recipe.  It was a good swap. 

Recount in Caddo

 It seems that Caddo Parish, LA (Shreveport) is having a bit of drama over the recent Sheriffs race.  It came down to one Democrat and one Republican, and after all the dust had settled, it seems that only one vote separates the two candidates.

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State website.

One vote.  And, of course, there are allegations that some folks voted twice, and that one of the local graveyards has a polling problem. The recount is being conducted today, but this one will be settled in the courts. It seems that less than 30% of the elegible voters bothered to go to the polls.  

Every vote counts.

Questions, questions.

 A commenter on the Mauser post below, sheds some light.

Standard chambering for Argentine Mauser was 7.65x53.

I don't doubt that a bit.  When I acquired that old Mauser in the mid-80s there was no internet, and information was limited.  It was sold to me as an Argentine, but the barrel was marked 7mm Mauser, so that's what I shot in it.  Remington green box as I remember. 

It cocked on closing, which makes it a 93?  My ignorance on Mauser models is here on complete display.

The question becomes: Will the Mauser I have now shoot well enough to pass along?  I won't know that until I've gone through it, acquired some better glass, and bought some ammunition.  Luckily, good ammo is available from Lapua and Norma, so that shouldn't be an issue. Right now, it's a project rifle and I'll tinker with it as a the muse strikes me.

I haven't had a project rifle since 2011.  I'll enjoy the exploration.

Divestiture

 I've sold two rifles in my lifetime and regretted selling both of them.  One, an Argentine Mauser in 7x57 that I couldn't make shoot.  I couldn't keep that rifle on a 4x8 sheet of plywood at 50 yards.  The second, a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08 that shot like a laser beam out to 300 yards. I lost those rifles in the aftermath of a divorce and regretted losing them more than I regretted losing the woman.

When I was writing for The Frugal Outdoorsman, I bought a few rifles. I'm a sucker for an oddball or an antique.  If it goes BOOM, it intrigues me. And over the years I've passed them along.  Mainly to family.  Each of my sons have rifles that I bought, and used, and played with.  Levers, bolts, and single shots, I've passed them along.  Each of my grandsons has a rifle I played with.  Except the youngest one, who is coming of age.

In 1997, Remington introduced the 260 Remington, a standardized 6.5-08, that has seen some limited success. It uses a 1:9 twist, which stabilizes 140 grain bullets. My sister-in-law shoots one and she picks her shots. She shoots deer in the neck, she doesn't like to track deer.

In 2007, Hornady introduced the 6.5 Creedmoor, a very successful long range hunting cartridge.  It has proven itself both on the target range and on the game fields. It was introduced with a 1:8 twist to take advantage of those lovely sleek bullets.  No one can argue that the 6.5 Creedmoor has been less than a stellar success.

So, the 6.5 bullet is proving itself in these newer cartridges, but lots of people forget about the European grandfather.  In 1894, Sweden adopted the new, high speed, 6.5z55 cartridge. It is standardized with a 1:866 twist, which should allow those sleek 140 bullets. Its speed is limited by old metallurgy, but those published recipes are within 100 fps of the newer Creedmoor.  It has a long reputation as a game cartridge in Europe, even taking moose.

All that having been said, yesterday I walked into my local gun shop and saw a weird Mauser in 6.5x55.  The barrel is marked Sporting Arms, Clackamore, OR  6.5x55.

I started Googling and found a thread on The Firing Line.  Evidently, these are Turk mausers that were imported in the 60s or 70s.  But, it's a Mauser 98, which is a known item.  Various firms have been making them for 120 years.  It has the absolute cheapest rings and scope that can be put on a rifle, so those will go away.  We'll get some good glass and some good rings, and see how it shoots.

If it can put the bullets on the plate, it may become the youngest grandkid's gun.  If it can't, I have a project Mauser.  I've always wanted another one in 7x57.

Recap

 Thanksgiving is done, and we're cleaning up the detritus.  We fed, by my count, 24 souls yesterday, from the ages of toddler to 80.  It was a grand group of family and friends.  Turkey, ham, dressings, casserole, dinner rolls, cakes and pies galore.  It was a feast suitable for and American family.

That's Belle, behind the serving table.  It's not full yet, but I took that picture during a lull when we were waiting for the rolls to come out of the oven.

Today, I get to clean up the turkey carcass for a gumbo on Sunday, and we'll eat leftovers for lunch.  There is a little dressing left that Belle has dibs on, and I'm thinking about a big ham and cheese omelet.

This officially opens the holiday season. We'll have three more big feeds here before Christmas.  This is exactly why I build this shop.

Thanksgiving

 The turkey is smoked, sliced and in serving pans with stock to keep it from drying out.  The ham is in the roaster. Belle issued her operations order last week, and all the daughters-in-law know which sides to bring. The reception area is prepped and there is a lull in the assembly area. In a few hours, family and friends will start arriving.

It's Thanksgiving morning, a holiday where Americans pause to give thanks for the blessings of a benevolent creator.  I am thankful for a God that loves me, a wife who loves me, and the family that surrounds me.  For friend I cherish.  I continue to believe that we live in the greatest nation ever conceived by man, in the most exciting era in the history of our species.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Chili Recipe

 Juvat asked about my chili recipe.  Ain't nothing to it.

Ingredients:  2 lbs ground beef, 2 lbs ground venison. One medium onion, chopped. Chili powder,  tomato juice (about a quart).  2 cans red kidney beans.

Prep.  In a dutch oven, combine beef and venison, and fry until brown.  Add the chopped onion and saute. Drain the meat and onion mixture.  Return it to the pot.  Add the tomato juice, slowly to desired thickness. Add beans if desired.  Add chili powder, stirring and tasting to your desired heat level.  One tablespoon of sugar will reduce the acid in the tomato juice. Simmer for a half hour to blend the flavors

Serve wtih crackers, or corn chips, or sour cream, or cheese.  Or all those things.  Bon apetit.

Operational Pause

So, I see that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a prisoner swap and an operational pause.  The last I heard, it was four days, but we'll see how that plays out.

The DIF has been keeping up a fairly energetic tempo, and I'm sure that a pause will help the warfighters, even if it causes more headache for the logistics tail. In four days, they can move a lot of ammunition and supplies into the forward areas.

Of course, Hamas can too, and that might play into the IDF plans.  More targets, closer. It will be interesting to see what comes from this.

In the meantime, Belle and I are into heavy prep for the gathering tomorrow.  There will be plenty of food, and plenty of family, and that is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Deer Chili

After the rain last night, the weather turned and Belle took out some ground venison.  With cool weather, she wants deer chili.  I never make other suggestions when she wants deer chili.

 We ain't Texican, and we put beans in our chili.  Not too many, but some.  In a few minutes, we'll brak out the saltine crackers.

Rain

 It's thunder-bumping and flat-rocking out there.  Lots of rain, lots of thunder, and several tornado watches.  It's going to be okay.  The dog is scared of the weather, but I'm watching it with interest.  We're finally getting measureable aainfall.  That is a good thing.

I smoke two small turkeys today before the weather hit.  They're in the fridge and I'll cut them up and get them ready for the Thanksgiving meal.  I'll do that tomorrow, then boil the carcasses for stock.

I heard a rumor that a local gun store has a Mauser in 6.5X55.  When I'm out running errands tomorrow, I may have to stop in and take a look.