Yes it was a remarkable event - best conditions I've seen in a Queens. As Rod implied, ballistics didn't matter much at any stage. Great effort from Geoff Willis.
After not shooting a Queens since last October, I really enjoyed getting back into it. I had the opportunity to debut a couple of new toys and have finally got some photos.
The first is a new 4 groove Bartlein for the Shehane. Its 34" long, has a 7" long 1.25" reinforce for the clamp, then about 17" straight 1.1" then it opens out to nearly 1.5" for the muzzle weight. The theory (from the NQ boys) is this will produce wider tuning nodes. Ladder testing confirmed that. I tried it at 800m in the leadup with 180VLDs then again at the last 15 shot 800m of the Queens using 180 hybrids. In short, the VLD load was disappointing, but the hybrid load very good with a 90.10. Its early days but looks promising.
And the Van Cave had its first Queens also. With 400Nm of torque and a decent light and bullbar, both roos and caravans become less of a problem!
Still a bit to do inside. Here's the reloading end.
And here is the business end
With luck it'll be completed in time for Canberra.
Queens Debut of New Toys
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Re: NSW Queens
Hi Alan,
You must sleep standing up, or are you like Chuck Norris(or Rod D) who never sleeps just waits.
You must sleep standing up, or are you like Chuck Norris(or Rod D) who never sleeps just waits.
We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training. Archilochos 680-645 BC
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Re: NSW Queens
Tim N wrote:Hi Alan,
You must sleep standing up, or are you like Chuck Norris(or Rod D) who never sleeps just waits.
Tim,
The bedroom is upstairs (above the dining area) .
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Re: NSW Queens
Alan, I am impressed with the musket. Did you refine the positive compensation by moving it for and aft in the block? That's what I used to do. Its certainly going to reduce muzzle waggle from slow burning powders and refine harmonics with the muzzle enlargement. Also looks like that muzzle would stop your hand slipping off and dropping the rifle, while standing it on its butt getting up from the mound. Great creative thinking for older boys. David.
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Re: NSW Queens
Alan- is that a custom profile you ordered or did you just get a massive 1.5 inch blank and have someone here profile it?
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Re: NSW Queens
David,
If I wanted to tune the barrel mechanically then I would've gone for an adjustable tuner. The idea is to leave it at the same position in the block and take advantage of the longer nodes with ladder testing with variable charge weights.
Brad,
I just sent the profile specs to Craig McGowan, and had the barrel in about 12 weeks. With the next one I may vary things a little e.g. shorter reinforce, and put the extra weigh into a longer middle section.
If I wanted to tune the barrel mechanically then I would've gone for an adjustable tuner. The idea is to leave it at the same position in the block and take advantage of the longer nodes with ladder testing with variable charge weights.
Brad,
I just sent the profile specs to Craig McGowan, and had the barrel in about 12 weeks. With the next one I may vary things a little e.g. shorter reinforce, and put the extra weigh into a longer middle section.
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Re: NSW Queens
Alan,
Very impressed with the mobile man cave.
Could you give us a close up of your barrel vice and it's fitting to the tow ball ?
Very fancy wiring there on the LED light bar !
What is its cruising speed ? Plenty of power ? Have you been game to weigh it, fully loaded ?
Tony
Very impressed with the mobile man cave.
Could you give us a close up of your barrel vice and it's fitting to the tow ball ?
Very fancy wiring there on the LED light bar !
What is its cruising speed ? Plenty of power ? Have you been game to weigh it, fully loaded ?
Tony
Extreme accuracy and precision shooting at long range can be a very addictive pastime.
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Re: NSW Queens
Alan,
Wow! Looks like you are really putting a lot of thought into the important things after retirement! Well done!
Steve.
Wow! Looks like you are really putting a lot of thought into the important things after retirement! Well done!
Steve.
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Re: NSW Queens
Footsore wrote:Alan,
Wow! Looks like you are really putting a lot of thought into the important things after retirement! Well done!
Steve.
I had a look through Alan's man van and it really was a well planned, well thought out bit of kit. It is definitely an F Open shooters van. A place for everything and everything in its place.
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Re: NSW Queens
ecomeat wrote:Alan,
Very impressed with the mobile man cave.
Could you give us a close up of your barrel vice and it's fitting to the tow ball ?
Very fancy wiring there on the LED light bar !
What is its cruising speed ? Plenty of power ? Have you been game to weigh it, fully loaded ?
Tony
Tony,
This vise can be made without any machining or welding, although I did get the vise bolt heads tacked to the underside of the bottom plate. The top and bottom plates are mild steel, the 3 jaws (2 bottom and one top) are 10mm aluminium each fixed with small bolts tapped into the aluminium. The checker plate step is independent. To get all of these bolted on to the towbar, I bought a long shank towball (105mm shank) to get through the step, but a standard 60mm shank would suffice without the step.
There's a story to the light bar. I took it to an experienced auto-electrician to get wired and he said no worries, I can do that right now. When I picked it up he said, one small problem he couldn't find an easy way through the bulkhead for the switch to be inside the cab, so the switch is under the bonnet! Fortunately he didn't charge much, so I had a think about it and decided there must be a switch in the cab. Ebay to the rescue : I bought a little remote control 12V switch for $15 plus postage - stuck the little controller on the dash and it works like a charm! The external cabling has a connector and allows the light bar to be taken off quickly by undoing a couple of wingnuts. I only intend to have the bar attached when in roo country at night. Apparently thieving of these is common, and also if a man in blue decides that its mounting position is illegal in his state (not very clear laws at present), I just apologise and take it off.
Regarding performance of the vehicle, I would happily cruise it at the limit on those 130kph signed roads up north, and read a European road test describing cruising at 180 on the Autobahns with a high roof model. I was concerned about how the cruise control would work with a manual, but shouldn't have been. It just keeps going at 100kph in 5th gear up the steepest hills without dropping out.
I do have it loaded up. The plywood alone weighs about 250Kg, and with about 100L of various fluids (water diesel etc), heavy appliances (microwave, fridge etc), generator, extra battery, several heavy barrels, heavy sandbag, T7 press, projectiles etc. etc. I estimate a "payload" of about 700Kg (licensed to carry 1000Kg). But as I said, no problem with power. One thing that I have to improve on is securing the load. I had a few learning experiences this trip where things moved around and some things fell off shelves, so will be putting some thought into that before the next big trip.
But its a much better way of doing things than with the little Subaru and large tent. Arriving and leaving the range is so much quicker without having to setup and dismantle, and on the way there and back everything is easily accessible, and not trapped underneath a huge pile of gear. So I'm convinced that the concept is a good one.
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Re: Queens Debut of New Toys
Alan, your barrel vice looks like it might also offer a great solution to the frustrating problem of Craig and Tony's straight barrels
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Re: Queens Debut of New Toys
Good clear photo, but still not sure of what gets altered. Do you leave the whole assembly together, pull the solid safety pin and remove it altogether (tow ball, vice and step) for traveling ......and when you "get there"...,,slide the 50mm x 50mm bar back in so you have a step and a barrel vice ready ?
Or do you undo the ball and dismantle the whole thing for traveling, so you are rolling down the highway with a conventional tow ball on the rear ?
Denis,
I use a Redback aluminium barrel vise, and with two bolts (only) to tighten my Torque wrench says it won't hold past about 80 ft/lbs.......which means I don't/can't run at the 120ft/lbs recommended by Messrs Williada, Paroz and Hill. So I have got a good excuse to run at the 25-30 ft/lbs that I use all of the time
Or do you undo the ball and dismantle the whole thing for traveling, so you are rolling down the highway with a conventional tow ball on the rear ?
Denis,
I use a Redback aluminium barrel vise, and with two bolts (only) to tighten my Torque wrench says it won't hold past about 80 ft/lbs.......which means I don't/can't run at the 120ft/lbs recommended by Messrs Williada, Paroz and Hill. So I have got a good excuse to run at the 25-30 ft/lbs that I use all of the time
Extreme accuracy and precision shooting at long range can be a very addictive pastime.
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Re: Queens Debut of New Toys
Tony,
When travelling, I just loosen the towball, swing the vise around against the bumper, then retighten the ball. This allows the towball to be used with the vise remaining. Another reason for swinging it out of the way is that the ultrasonic sensors for detecting reversing hazards also pick up the vise if it is left pointing straight back!
Alan
When travelling, I just loosen the towball, swing the vise around against the bumper, then retighten the ball. This allows the towball to be used with the vise remaining. Another reason for swinging it out of the way is that the ultrasonic sensors for detecting reversing hazards also pick up the vise if it is left pointing straight back!
Alan
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