# Getting Ready for Sunday ;- )



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Having friends over to help me clean the house, major stuff to get this place back in shape.

Will be packing up some slings and putting them away also, I have slingshots everywhere.

After cleaning we will go to a early dinner and then it is the sheet and blanket show for me, I really want to head out and do some shooting early Sunday. I very well may use more 3/8" steel than I normally do. I will bring the chronograph too just to check on speeds ?

I'm hoping the weather cools down a bit and there are some signs of life ;- ) I really want to hit a starling to see how the 3/8" steel ball does. Wish my new screen lens glasses were here, that will probably be another 7 days or so from China ?

wll


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Do keep us posted on how you make out ...

Cheers .... Charles


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I have not shot in about 5 days, and I'm jonesing so bad, I'm tempted to go out in the front yard tonight and fling some 1/2" steel at the street lights ;- )

I'm fighting the urge ... the only thing that is stopping me is the taking away of my slingshot by the authorities and the possibility of jail time ...... not necessarily in that order ;- )

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

**!!!!!!!!!!**

Well they are starting to clean the place up, all the undergrowth has/is being picked up and dumped and the trash has been picked up (a very good thing) All the old wood piles are stacked up and looking like to be put in big trash containers. The water tower has been cleaned up along with all the area around the house.

Don't know what this means, we will see, here is a pic I took very late this afternoon. You can see the big blue dump container and it is attached to a huge hauler.

In back of the house is a bobcat ... so they are working this in earnest.









I will be going out again tomorrow.

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Well there was not a living thing in sight ... I think this area is a goner. I need to explore south of where I live, in a more mountainous area, but it is a little further out.

I think by next week this place will be pretty clean ... don't know if the buildings will still be there. They may keep them up for rebuilding, I don't know.

Did a little chrono testing and speeds were about 20fps off of what it is when in the 80's ... it was 74deg

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

wll said:


> Well there was not a living thing in sight ... I think this area is a goner. I need to explore south of where I live, in a more mountainous area, but it is a little further out.
> 
> I think by next week this place will be pretty clean ... don't know if the buildings will still be there. They may keep them up for rebuilding, I don't know.
> 
> ...


Went back out and it was in the middle 80's and speed was up to par, it had picked up that ~20fps....temp plays a big part in elastic speed that's for sure ! Still not up to 1842 on a warm day, but still better than single tubes That I have tested.

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

They knocked down the old water tower and all windows are all boarded up.

Talked to the guys that were working on it and the city took the lean off because they cleaned it up. They will knock the houses down late in October they said. The land is owned by an investment group who was sold a bill of goods because the airport was supposed to expand and it did not.

I asked how much land and he said about 60 acres, when I asked him if he knew the price, he said they lost so much money they are waiting for Jesus to return before they would sell it !

Well it looks like I may have this area to shoot in for a while ; - )

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Was out today and spent a good deal of time out there, It was in the low 70's so it was bearable ;- ) had a couple of starling shots but missed them both, shots were within a foot of them, but no cigar ....... man alive they are skittish as heck !

Took a shot at an old wooded 8" x 8" sign, and hit it, but it seemed like it took a while for the 5/8" marble to get there, and it did not seem like it hit with a lot of power ... so I paced it off .... yea, no wonder it took a little while to get there ... it was 67 LONG paces !!! That means the 5/8" marble is going maybe 90fps at that range and has about 1 fpe when it hits. Shooting in the desert, you can really get fooled by the distance, it is just flat land with a few tumble weeds and sage.

I'll be heading out in another hour or so to give it another try, we will see. I'm going to bring my rangefinder so scope out some of my shots now that the place is cleaned up and I have new places to shoot from.

wll


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Well, in spite of the lack of game, it still sounds like a fun and safe place to shoot.

Cheers .... Charles


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Charles said:


> Well, in spite of the lack of game, it still sounds like a fun and safe place to shoot.
> 
> Cheers .... Charles


Ya I did, went out again a bit ago just for the fun of "letting a few rip" - just spent time looking and walking around. I have about another 2 hours before I give it a go again. It should be cooling off a bit so we will see.

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Just got back from a couple more hours out there ... I had three shots that were more than close, two of the shots I saw heading for direct breast hits and then the starlings jumped the ammo, (both birds did loop d loops and twisted and turned to get away) those shots were at 33 and 36 yds according to my rangefinder. My last shot just flew over the top of the starlings head (29yds) ... man alive that was close ....I'm talking 2 inches close !

I had one shot that was way off and I can't figure that one out... it was about a 20 yds shot and the shot was about a foot high and a foot to the left ?

First two shots were with 3/8" steel and shot into the heavily leaved trees, the third was with a 5/8" marble because it was against the skyline and the 3/8 steel is just to small for me to see going out against the light background.

As I was waiting for stuff to appear, I had two owls circle me, way cool along with Ravens ... it was a pretty active late afternoon for the big birds for sure !

I'll be out again tomorrow at the crack of dawn ;- ) Still wanting to smack a starling with a good chest shot and 3/8" steel ! I'm using looped 3/16od tube with a -7" static length tube and a 36+ draw. (I'm starting to set my tubes just under 7 Inches now (6 3/4ish) to try to keep my elongation in the 525-550% area !

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Went out after work (about 4pm) and the wind was howling and the sky's were darkening up. Walked around and saw a couple of fat starlings but they took off as soon as they saw me. Had a 62 yrd shot with a 3/8" steel ball and I actually thought at first I got em ..... I first saw him as he flew past me and landed on the ground under a scrub, I took the shot and it looked very good, but I did not see him get hit, lying on the ground/see movement or hear the sound of a hit. I actually think I hit the dirt that he was right next to as I heard nothing after the shot.

I did get a few practice shots off at 46yds (rangefinder) at a abandon nest in the old oak tree.... the 3/8" steel just zipped right through the nest of twigs and such...being so small. (it is a big raven's nest).

Had some other practice shots and I was on, all my shots were well withing my comfort zone. The wind got a hold of one 5/8" marble at about 35yds and pushed it off target (I watched it as it moved from on target to the left about two feet or more .... yes the wind was howling !

There is nothing like being outdoors with the wind and the dark rain clouds overhead and smell of rain about to happen ..... got to love it to the max ;- )

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

*Oh Fudge ;- (*

The wind is going pretty good and I don't think it is a sling shot kind of afternoon. I was looking forward to touching a few off but we got about a 20+ mph wind going on with some added gusts so I think today is out.

Looks like a good day to go in the garage and find my old small binoculars for bird spotting .....

Later duds and dudettes ;- )

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

wll said:


> *Oh Fudge ;- (*
> 
> The wind is going pretty good and I don't think it is a slingshot kind of afternoon. I was looking forward to touching a few off but we got about a 20+ mph wind going on with some added gusts so I think today is out.
> 
> ...


*Well ........ Fudge-O-Rama !!!!!*

I have two pair of heavy Pentax Bino's, One HUGE pair of Leitz Duovids, A large Bushnell zoom, all to big. I have a small Pentax 8x25... but I can't find any of them ........So I bought a Vortex 10x36 Monopod. Big enough to see what I want, yet does not load me down. Looks like the perfect tool for finding starlings in the trees ;- )

Here is the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vortex-Optics-Sheltered-Wings-Solo-10X36-Monocular-S136-Water-Fog-Proof/121544173461?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33490%26meid%3D5f091413313e4ee49f2685845b5cf562%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dlo%26sd%3D201411468305

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Another fun filled late afternoon of firing 3/8" steel deep into the bowel of the California desert.

Did some stump shooting and those 3/8" steel were flying darn quick, as were the 5/8" marbles. I have been making a more conscience effort to make sure my tubes are lined up under the target, and my sighting eye is directly over the tubes and in line with the target .... when this happens ------ I'm there !

Had some incredible close shots, one of which went between the legs of a big fat starling ... this has happened before : - (

Saw three owls circling and had two HUGE ravens flying around also. Had an HUGE owl come out of the old oak tree as I approached, man alive that owl was big. That is one very impressive bird, they are very cool.

I'll be at it tomorrow ...... just checked and my 10x36 Vortex monocular is in San Bernardino on its way to me ... I may get it tomorrow ... that would be awesome :- )

wll


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

It's all good ...

Cheers ... Charles


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

wll said:


> wll said:
> 
> 
> > *Oh Fudge ;- (*
> ...


Well the monocular came in and ..... it is just OK ... I would NOT recommend it .. the optics are not super bright and i had thoughts of returning it. On top of that I called customer service (they were very, very nice and helpful) and mentioned that the carrying case was not as pictured and did not have a belt loop .... which is a very big deal. She is sending out one no charge. She said they received their last shipment from china with this bag and it was a major surprise to them ... very poor on China's part.

I have heard very, very good things about Vortex, but this is getting me thinking about their quality control ?

Just to keep you guys posted !

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Went out tonight to try the monocular and it was not quite as bad as I thought, not great but do-able and OK for my use, helped me find a few starlings located in the leaves.

Well the scum was at it last night and ripped the door off the building after it has been boarded up.. took pics and sending them to the contractor tomorrow here is one pic.









wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

DP


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