Okay, i think i've got it now. (TN-first build content)

[WadePatton]

Thanks to information/inspiration found here and from John Anderson of Tullahoma as well as a few books and some (one) other site this web, I've about finalized my ideas for the completing of my Big Bore (respective to TN rifles).  I was going to call it my Elk Rifle, but double-check the regs and confirm that 36 is legal for Elk (and Boar and Bear) in TN.  I love it.  So really it's a Deer rifle, but then what about when I have a 40 and 45 RTG (ready to go).  Shucks.  This is hard.

I caught myself whacking on it with a 1/4" chisel today.  Why?  Because I finally decided where the lines should be (off lock panel/breech) and happened to have a 1/4" chisel in the truck because me and the pups were out in the woods cooling our minds*.

*Not listening to three dozen fighting cocks or the brrpbrrpbrrp of atv's.  (I'm selling out and moving to woods ASAP)

The buttstock and wrist need attention as well, but with better tooling (than was available in the pickup truck today).

And I took a chainsaw file to the buttplate, which had somehow someway outgrown the buttstock.  Probably in a hurry of some sort.  Hurries should be avoided except for L/D situations.  

I scraped the finish off the cheekpiece just the other night to remind me to quit shootin' and start fixin' and build some more rifles.

This new steady work job thing has been greatly inspiring.  

I have to carry the narrowness of the comb and butt further forward into the wrist as well as rework the tops of the panels/bbl/breech transition.  The forestock to nose is a small as she can get (thanks to some rookie mistakes), but I may pour a cap onto it now.  Also going to replace the toe, put an uvula on it just for Beanism's sake.  

Oh and definitely GOT to decorate the muzzle.  Nearly did that today but didn't have a circular symmetry aid handy.  

And there's a screw, maybe two to replace.  Pins to trim.

Noticed that the fore-end is a bit "not snug" today.  Should I move my pin holes, or let it ride if it shoots?

It does appear to shoot, but I'm no where near done working up loads.  Front site is about right now though, and looks so MUCH better.

Also I re-"thumbed" the muzzle as with extremely tight loading, I could see where two lands had seriously stressed the material.  Was fine loaded below 80 with previous combo, but am now loading heavier patch and very slightly smaller ball (cast vs. bought).  

Anybody catch any of that?  Comment or not.  I ramble aloud!  

thanks.  


 

[pbigham]

 Sounds like your having a good time. Enjoy reading your ramblings, but are you sure a 36 cal. black powder rifle is legal in Tenn for Elk , Bear and Hogs?

[WadePatton]

Sounds like your having a good time. Enjoy reading your ramblings, but are you sure a 36 cal. black powder rifle is legal in Tenn for Elk , Bear and Hogs?

Possi

Tive.

I've triple double checked.  Oh wait,

see for yourself:


from: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/huntweapons.html



I do like "having the option", as we are over-regulated i general, but do recognize the limitations of bitty bores.  

Someone said it had to to with those plastic-thingy guns, but I don't know anything about those things. Not studying them either.  

[Ryan McNabb]

Interesting...40 used to be the minimum for deer in TN.  It's not like .36 won't kill a deer if you hit him right.  I guess now I can go elk hunting with my Navy Colt.

[Acer Saccharum]

I thought PA had a higher M/L cal requirement for deer, like .45, if I remember correctly.

Some folks hunt deer with a .22, and are darned good at it. It's all about shot placement and velocity with these little pellets.

I would use my .54, because that's what I have.

[WadePatton]

I thought PA had a higher M/L cal requirement for deer, like .45, if I remember correctly.

Some folks hunt deer with a .22, and are darned good at it. It's all about shot placement and velocity with these little pellets.

I would use my .54, because that's what I have.

Every state sets its own regs (non-migratory).  We are not PA. 

TN is issuing 4 elk tags this year.  A buddy put in for the drawing.  I offered him my 54. 

He has a 50, but it's of the John Moses design 

He smokes that wacky powder...


For re-clarifications, the above snippet of Regulations is of Tennessee.


Your state/province (if different) will have the ones for you.   

[Hawken62_flint]

As Wade said, seems like all states have a different take on what caliber to make legal for big game.  In West Virginia, .40 caliber used to be the minimum for deer and bear, but it seems some years ago, that a friend of the Governor had a custom built .38 caliber rifle and in order for him to legally use it the law was changed and now it is legal to hunt with a .38 and larger caliber muzzleloader.  Funny how those things work (that is if the story is correct).

[Pete G.]

Tennessee can use a smaller caliber because they always shoot downhill.

[Long Ears]

You guys must have tame elk. You poke a slow hole that small high thru both lungs with these Rocky Mountain bulls you'll be tracking him for three days and 4 watersheds. Bigger is always better the biggest caliber is just right, especially with a round ball. Good luck with that 36 cal.

[WadePatton]

You guys must have tame elk. You poke a slow hole that small high thru both lungs with these Rocky Mountain bulls you'll be tracking him for three days and 4 watersheds. Bigger is always better the biggest caliber is just right, especially with a round ball. Good luck with that 36 cal.

What we have is 6 elk tags for 40,000 acres.  Nobody is going to hunt with gunpowder and a ball.

This is the 6th season they've given tags.  The one at auction is over $7500 now (2 days left).  (Agency benefit auction)

22 Hornet is legal too.  Most hunters know better, and I'm one who'd rather make the choice myself than have it made for me.

I haven't kept up with the "harvest" yet.  Might be interesting.  They do have some trophy bulls in the mix.

now lessgo Fishin!

[J Henry]

  Some of the problems come to light when the "hunter" see just how big the game animal is!!!! Elk on the TV/magazine sure look some different up close and breathing...They might get a better Idea is they go to a farm and compare a big game animal to a horse/cow or the real thing at a game farm.Here in Maine there is a Game  Park ,injured animals rehab that can not be returned to the wild, amazing how big a Moose is when it is 10 feet away,6' at the shoulders and 1000 lbs means alot more!
     Some of the regulations change as the Politicians making up the rules get more educated and the equipment we use improves.. With the size of an Elk we owe it to the animal to hunt responsible and humanly,go big is better ,,to a point..
  If the hunter is able to get in close and can shoot ,Powder and Ball will do the job,however I can see and understand why they would not take a chance of being out gunned or the distance being to great..Wouldn't it be fine to take one with P/B now that would be the cats meow...your name would be spoken in camps all up and down the mountain..Be many tankards raise to you.
  Good hunting either way..

[WadePatton]

 Some of the problems come to light when the "hunter" see just how big the game animal is!!!! Elk on the TV/magazine sure look some different up close and breathing...They might get a better Idea is they go to a farm and compare a big game animal to a horse/cow or the real thing at a game farm.Here in Maine there is a Game  Park ,injured animals rehab that can not be returned to the wild, amazing how big a Moose is when it is 10 feet away,6' at the shoulders and 1000 lbs means alot more!
     Some of the regulations change as the Politicians making up the rules get more educated and the equipment we use improves.. With the size of an Elk we owe it to the animal to hunt responsible and humanly,go big is better ,,to a point..
  If the hunter is able to get in close and can shoot ,Powder and Ball will do the job,however I can see and understand why they would not take a chance of being out gunned or the distance being to great..Wouldn't it be fine to take one with P/B now that would be the cats meow...your name would be spoken in camps all up and down the mountain..Be many tankards raise to you.
  Good hunting either way..

I don't exactly follow what your point is.  No one who knows anything about Elk is speaking of pursuing them with a small ball.  I've seen them in person, I've friends who regularly bow-hunt them (in CO-where they have a million more Elk than TN.)

Laws and Regulations are often stupid.  I only bring it up because of the ridiculousness of the concept.  But that I am quite comfortable with being left alone to choose exactly how big a ball I would use if I were to hunt Elk.  I trust that anyone who can reasonably wear the label "Sportsman" knows how to manage his gun, shoot accurately, and what gear for which game, and also the printed rules that he may be held accountable to.  

My 230-grain ball is adequate for Elk at modest ranges, but I didn't win the bid for the tag.  $9,788 was the top bid, and I could likely get to the Rockies and chase them for change like that.  

I do commend TN for bringing them back.  I recall clearly when Wild Turkeys were non-existent (see 'em every day now) and Whitetails weren't a nuisance (2/3's of the state can now take 3 does per day every day of each deer season-to give an idea).  Coyotes and Armadillos were rare here in recent years too.  Not anymore.  They did fail with the Red Stag introduction and pulled the plug on it.  And to be fair the Coyotes and Armadillos re-introduced their own selfs
 


Now I gotta get back to finalizing that first rifle.  Have another stock lined up for my next build-a tandem build.  When i get the shop cleaned up a little.  Getting another paycheck tomorrow.  Man those things are HANDY!

If we ain't going to talk about gun building maybe the mods should pitch this thread to the hunting section. 
  

[WadePatton]

Thanks to information/inspiration found here and from John Anderson of Tullahoma as well as a few books and some (one) other site this web, I've about finalized my ideas for the completing of my Big Bore (respective to TN rifles).  I was going to call it my Elk Rifle, but double-check the regs and confirm that 36 is legal for Elk (and Boar and Bear) in TN. I love it.  So really it's a Deer rifle, but then what about when I have a 40 and 45 RTG (ready to go).  Shucks.  This is hard.

I caught myself whacking on it with a 1/4" chisel today.  Why?  Because I finally decided where the lines should be (off lock panel/breech) and happened to have a 1/4" chisel in the truck because me and the pups were out in the woods cooling our minds*.

*Not listening to three dozen fighting cocks or the brrpbrrpbrrp of atv's.  (I'm selling out and moving to woods ASAP)

The buttstock and wrist need attention as well, but with better tooling (than was available in the pickup truck today).

And I took a chainsaw file to the buttplate, which had somehow someway outgrown the buttstock.  Probably in a hurry of some sort.  Hurries should be avoided except for L/D situations.  

I scraped the finish off the cheekpiece just the other night to remind me to quit shootin' and start fixin' and build some more rifles.

This new steady work job thing has been greatly inspiring.  

I have to carry the narrowness of the comb and butt further forward into the wrist as well as rework the tops of the panels/bbl/breech transition.  The forestock to nose is a small as she can get (thanks to some rookie mistakes), but I may pour a cap onto it now.  Also going to replace the toe, put an uvula on it just for Beanism's sake.  

Oh and definitely GOT to decorate the muzzle.  Nearly did that today but didn't have a circular symmetry aid handy.  

And there's a screw, maybe two to replace.  Pins to trim.

Noticed that the fore-end is a bit "not snug" today.  Should I move my pin holes, or let it ride if it shoots?

It does appear to shoot, but I'm no where near done working up loads.  Front site is about right now though, and looks so MUCH better.

Also I re-"thumbed" the muzzle as with extremely tight loading, I could see where two lands had seriously stressed the material.  Was fine loaded below 80 with previous combo, but am now loading heavier patch and very slightly smaller ball (cast vs. bought).  

Anybody catch any of that?  Comment or not.  I ramble aloud!  

thanks.  


 

I quote me because this ain't about Elk.

Going to pour a nosecap too.  Something chevronish.