Greetings to all. Saw a post suggesting that newbies sign in. So, having just joined the forum, thought I should say hello. I like most kinds of shooting but right now am casting boolits for a foray into cast boolit benchrest using my old 308 Sportco. Not too far along on this and have lots to learn I'm sure... Have just cast softnose rounds for my 06 (not easy) but testing hasn't been done because our ranges have been closed due to fires. Also started working up loads a bit earlier for a couple of old 12 bores I have and got to do some testing before woods were shut down...Lee Drive Key Slug and Cast 00 buck. Shooting 1 1/2 inch (3 shot) groups, or maybe a bit better, with my slugs at 25 meters, but 00 groups are terrible past 10 meters. Does anyone know why pure lead is recommended for cast slugs and buck? I don't see how using wheel weights could hurt anything and they would cast a little harder than pure lead. Finally have loaded condom rounds for my '06. Probably have to use them for deer. Don't think the testing will be finished with the softnose cast in time. Cheated a bit this year and raised a steer for meat. Probably means I'll see all sorts of game things being what they are... Cheers! Fred

Fred, welcome, and nice to meet our Canadian neighbors.

Hi, Fred:
Welcome aboard. I can alway use more Canadian company.

Yup, September's here. The leaves are turning, the geese are flying, first frost last night, harvest is just about over and the sportscast is 50% hockey. :rolleyes:

Bye
Jack

First frost? Good grief, I think we finally dropped below 90F in central Texas....

Hi Jack, Hi Mike, Gee Whiz frost already in Saskatewan! I'll bet those big whitetail bucks are starting to get funny feelings. It has been a strange year here! Someone said mother nature was giving us a tune-up. One forest fire went 35 km to the south of us and the other got within 10 km to the north. The fire to the north contributed a 6 inch piece of charred branch to my field among the ash and other small bits. They figured that fire to the north covered 30 km or so in 10 to 12 minutes once it got going. Conditions were ideal for fires; strong winds, lots of fuel, extreme heat and no rain for several months. When you were in the woods it felt like you were walking inside a bomb. Hunting season was put off due to forest closure. About a week ago it rained which took the pressure off. Now we have temperatures down in the 5 - 7 degree C range, but no frost yet. Doesn't seem like there has been any fall at all.

Hi, Gents:
Those forest fires must be scary! I've seen a few bad grass and stubble fires, but nothing that can kill you.

Heavy snowfall warnings are out for southern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan this morning and it was 90°F here last week. Winter's coming on. Of course, that's the Chinook belt, and it will be back to shorts and t-shirt weather next week, most likely.
http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/warnings/warnings_e.html

Bye
Jack

Envy you guys - sorta!

We've been posting in the 100-110F range for so long, I can't remember the last cool spell. Supposed to be 106F today and the rest of this week. That's desert living for ya. The mountains have been getting good rains, though, and that helps the fire problem. Now, they're worried about all the ground cover being burnt off from last year's big fires, the debris washing off and plugging up the water courses and erosion setting in on the bare ground. Said the filters at the dams holding the drinking water supply are straining (pun!) to keep all the crap out of the turbines. Costing milllions right now to replace the turbine blades.

Kdub I can understand how someone going through your kind of temperatures might feel our weather is not particularly unusual. But in some ways there are differences. For one thing we aren't used to operating this way because we usually get some precip and we're heavily forested. To give some idea of the enormity of what has happened. The count of fires that had to be reacted to was over 2000, more than a month ago. We lost around 220 homes in one town up here because of one fire. In another town we lost about 12 or 15 as well as the mill. The only reason more weren't lost is because the men stayed behind to fight by spraying the houses. I was told they came out at the last possible minute through a solid wall of flame that had surrounded the town. The winds blew unceasingly at times and bombers and helicopters worked continuously diving long hours through turbulence and poor visibility. The pilots were rating each other on their drops. We lost one. I watched one town evacuated while the bombers and copters were trying, successfully it turns out, to contain the fires on the cliffs behind it. Without being too emotional about it, I believe there were many unsung heroes, both on the fire lines and in the planes and copters. We owe them big time! The fires are reasonably well contained now, but there are still men working out there. According to my neighbours who are still up there, parts of the fire behind Chase, in the area where I live, has gone underground, and may be around next spring. Thankfully my wife and I weren't evacuated and nothing got to our farm except the smoke and ash. So it goes... It could have been different. Fred