Well, That Was A First!

   / Well, That Was A First! #21  
I know the feeling; reading this story makes me recall an incident I had 46 years
ago as a young greenhorn living in the Alaskan wilderness.

I stepped out of my cabin door one morning; the temp was about 30 or 40 below, can't remember exactly.
Not 20 feet from the cabin were fresh wolf tracks; I mean really fresh.
Quietly as I could, I went back in, got dressed and got my Win. 70, 30-06.
Didn't really think I would spot one, but I thought I would try since I was broke, and at that time, there was a
$50 bounty and a sure $100 for the hide.

Went only about a hundred yards when I spotted a small clearing about 50 yards away.
Small voice in my head said train rifle on clearing and wait a while.
Wasn't long that I saw a black wolf lope across the clearing, but I didn't have time to take a shot.
Again the voice said keep the scope on the clearing.
Amazingly, the wolf backtracked and actually stopped in the clearing, looking around.
I put the crosshairs on him and squeezed the trigger; nothing, not even a click.

Didn't take long to realize what happened.
Snow had fell onto the bolt, melted, ran onto the firing pin, then refroze.

So, there I was trying to warm up the bolt with my hand to loosen the firing pin, while,
for some reason, that black wolf continued to hang around in that clearing.

Then suddenly I heard a soft sound to my left and what do I see but
a huge brown head of another wolf peering at me from behind a spruce not 30 feet away.

We stared at each other for about 3 seconds, then it quietly went back into the bush.
The black wolf was still in the clearing and with my hand still on the bolt, suddenly, BOOM, the rifle fired.

After the noise of the rifle died down, I could hear both wolves running off.
I was rather sick from realizing how foolish I was not to have left my rifle on the outside wall
of the cabin. You can be sure that is where it stayed from then on !

Yours is not the first one of these types of stories I have heard. I have never had that happen to me, but then again, I have never been to Alaska either. We just don't have those kind of problems down here in SW Missouri. I have also heard that folks up north, clean their guns and then run them dry without any oil to gum up either.
 
   / Well, That Was A First! #22  
Interesting thread. Sorry to hear you lost so many trees and your wooden tree stands. If you're looking to replace those stands, here is how I build mine. They are stable, comfortable, inexpensive, and durable (use treated lumber). The angle iron bracket is simple, and "grows" into the tree after a year or so. Here are pics and the plans.
 

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   / Well, That Was A First! #23  
Interesting thread. Sorry to hear you lost so many trees and your wooden tree stands. If you're looking to replace those stands, here is how I build mine. They are stable, comfortable, inexpensive, and durable (use treated lumber). The angle iron bracket is simple, and "grows" into the tree after a year or so. Here are pics and the plans.

I saved those to my hard drive... hope you don't mind..
 
   / Well, That Was A First!
  • Thread Starter
#24  
Very nice, thanks. :thumbsup: One thing I started doing some years back is when attaching the ladder to the seating portion, I plan for the sides of the ladder to stick up about a foot above the seat. Then I have a nice hand hold to use when turning to sit down. I'll make some new one's this spring to put up.
 
   / Well, That Was A First! #25  
View attachment 454458
Interesting thread. Sorry to hear you lost so many trees and your wooden tree stands. If you're looking to replace those stands, here is how I build mine. They are stable, comfortable, inexpensive, and durable (use treated lumber). The angle iron bracket is simple, and "grows" into the tree after a year or so. Here are pics and the plans.

I used to use a chain around the tree, and then cinch up with a long 3/8" hook that went through the top angle iron piece. Now I just screw an eyebolt into the tree, and hook into that with the 3/8' hook. I also found that a 10' or 12' ladder is high enough.
 

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   / Well, That Was A First!
  • Thread Starter
#26  
That's a work of art ! :thumbsup:
 
   / Well, That Was A First! #28  
Firing pin indentation looks a little light to me.

Compare it with a fired shell from the same rifle.

* * * * * *

I hade that happen once with my Browning Lever Rifle. I had put it away at the end of the previous season and lubed it with WD-40. I was hog hunting and the dogs flushed one which ran straight at me and I pulled the trigger when it was about 6 feet away. thought it would crumple at my feet. Total shock when the rifle went "click".

What happened was that the WD-40 had turned very gummy and frozen the firing pin. Quickly realized that there was no bayonet lug on the rifle and had to jam the muzzle into the pigs mouth to avoid being bitten. The next show fired just fine and I got the pig,but it was an adventure.

No more WD-40 for me.
 
   / Well, That Was A First! #29  
Yep, no way is that a good hit. Compare to others that did fire from that rifle to determine if this was a high primer, or it was the rifle's fault.. Hit that one again and it will likely fire.
 
   / Well, That Was A First! #30  
I agree, light hit.

If it was a hand load, I'd say primer not seated fully, and fp seated it
 

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