The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: 4/19/09

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Range Reviews: Quaker Boy Typhoon Turkey Call

.Osceola Image Credit: CL Evans

Florida Osceola Turkey

Quaker Boy Typhoon Turkey Call

Turkey calls are probably the reason most people take up turkey hunting. Holding a well crafted piece of wood or slate and making credible turkey sounds is so satisfying, that it just follows that you must hunt. Probably the same reason folks take up flyfishing: because of the handcrafted flies.

I've been wanting to pursue turkey for quite a while, and this year I'm going to practice and perfect my technique.

I have an appropriate 12 gauge, a single shot H&R that is more than adequate. All I need to do with it is pattern it a different ranges with different loads. I have an accurate Ruger 22 Hornet which is capable of taking a turkey at extended ranges. The plan will be to take one at long range, say 50 to 75 yards with the Hornet, and one at shotgun range with the H&R. By the way, Florida allows the use of any legal method for the taking of turkey including handgun, bow, crossbow, and muzzleloader. A generous limit of two per season is also allowed, so you could conceivably take an Oseola turkey in the south and an Eastern up north.

I have plenty of cammo, including a gillie suit made from a burlap bag with more burlap to make it full and gilliesque. I look like a lump of leaf litter or a palmetto stand when a wear it.

The Curved Lid Typhoon from Quaker Boy Game Calls.

Lastly I have a very nice box call from Quaker Boy Game Calls, the Typhoon. Made to withstand the elements, the Typhoon works equally well wet or dry, a very important consideration in Florida. The Typhoon never needs to be sanded or chalked because of the proprietary coating used on the body and paddle. The proprietary coating is what gives the call its weather resistance, or better said, the coating allows it to make its music! An occasion scuffing of the surfaces with a Maroon Scotch-Brite Pad is all you need to do for maintenance.

The body has a concave curve, while the cover has a slight convex curve. This increases the "sweet spot" by 100%, in effect doubling the area where all the yelping and cutting comes from. The friction of the wood top against the wood body creates the sound and through proper design the Typhoon vibrates at the right tonal range to duplicate the sounds you need to score that turkey.

The box is well crafted. The angles are sharp, and the sanding was pretty good too. The print on the paddle, though inconsequential to the calls sounds, is well done. That tells me that their quality control is on the ball.

Using it is simple, mastering it is where the fun is.

When yelping, if you are right handed, you hold the call in the palm of your left hand. Grasp the paddle with the right and slide the paddle across the edge of the box call with from the outside in.

Clucking is similar to yelping. The motion is the same but quicker and shorter.

If you need to whine, drag the paddle across the top of the box call in a steady, slow motion.

The cutting sounds are made by holding the box vertically, and using a sharp rapid motion of the wrist, strike the edge of the box call with the paddle several times in quick succession.

Well, that's the theory. I don't know if turkeys screech, but I know I can do that really well. I've picked up the clucking and yelping; at least I can make credible sounds. I can't seem to get the gobbling though. I really need to do that since I live in a subdivision and the sound of Tom turkey gobbling will cause more than one person to scratch their head in wonder!

Quaker Boy Game Calls
5455 Webster Road
Orchard Park, NY 14127
1-800-544-1600
orders@quakerboy.com

Curved Lid Typhoon
MSRP: $28.99
Street: $19.99

Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch™
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

Though he spends most of his time writing and keeping the world safe for democracy, Albert was actually a student of biology. Really. But after a stint as a lab tech performing repetitious and mind-numbing processes that a trained capuchin monkey could do better, he never returned to the field. Rather he became a bartender. As he once said, "Hell, I was feeding mice all sorts of concoctions. At the club I did the same thing; except I got paid a lot better, and the rats where bigger." He has followed the science of QDM for many years, and fancies himself an aficionado. If you have any questions, or just want to get more information, reach him via TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)MSN(dot)com.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Project "X": Building Blakes Pirogue Pt VI

Building a Homemade Pirogue
Part VI: Attaching the Internal Chines

Making a pirogue without plans isn't very difficult at all. Not knowing what you are doing though, makes it so much more interesting.

I keep on thinking of improvements I could make to the next pirogue or punt boat we build; ideas of things we should have done, or things that we thought of on the fly. We will incorporate those ideas into the series as "Lessons Learned." And when we build the next homemade pirogue, johnboat, or punt, we will include them as part of the tutorial.

Attaching the chines turned out to be the most difficult part to figure out. The chines are the strips of wood that intersect the where the hull and the floor meet. It gives you something solid to glue, nail, and screw the floor to. In hindsight, Blake and I figured out a much better way to do it. The suggestion is near the end as a "Lesson Learned."

The 1X2 pieces of pine that I had bought just didn't seem flexible enough to take a curve. When Blake and I tried to glue them in we found that the plywood was certainly more flexible than the 1X2.

UHG! Too straight!

It was so bad that the plywood actually folded at one of the ribs. You can see it right at the bottom of the photo.

At that point we tried to put a couple of spreaders between the chines. That helped a little but didn't resolve the problem. The hull was still not very fair.

Finally in a lucky moment, we hit upon the idea of trying to force the folded plywood back in line. We bridged the rib on the outside of the hull with a short piece of 1X2 and added a clamp to either end.

You can never have too many clamps!

We found that depending on the point of clamping, and how much you tightened it down, you could vary the amount of curve you put in the chines!

After that it was pretty easy. We glued up one side, lightly clamped it, and glued up the other side. Then we adjusted and tightened the clamps.

The hull is looking pretty fair now!

By now I was out of clamps so the ends will have to be done after this glue up dries.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the floor meets the hull at an angle. Leave enough wood over the bottom edge so that you can plane it flat when the time comes to attach the floor.

The chine has to stick up a little to be trimmed later.

Lessons Learned: On the next boat we build, we are going to attach the chines first. We'll glue them and screw them in right off the bat. The ribs can then be notched out to accommodate the chines. This will result in a far more sturdy set of chines and ribs. Not only that, but the plywood would not have any spots where the leverage and torquing might might fold it as was the case in this version.

Ok, so far so good, we don't have much more to go. Blake and I will add the rest of the chine strips in next, level the tops even with the hull using a hand plane, and try to cut out the bottom.

Making a homemade pirogue is well within the capabilities of anyone with a modest set of tools. I would recommend it as a great family project, or an older kids project. The materials don't need to be top of the line, and a good bit of it can be scrounged up.

Follow the rest of the Pirogue building series!

Building a Pirogue Part I: Getting Started
Building a Pirogue Part II: Butt the Plywood
Building a Pirogue Part III: Measuring Up
Building a Pirogue Part IV: Cutting and Building the Ribs
Building a Pirogue Part V: Attaching the Ribs
Building a Pirogue Part VI: Attaching the Internal Chines
Building a Pirogue Part VII: Attaching the Bottom and Finishing Up

Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Assembling the Ruger 10/22

Our final installment of disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the Ruger 10/22 will be, obviously, assembling the Ruger 10/22.

Basically it is the reverse of disassembly, but there are a couple of small things to keep in mind, things that might give you a little trouble.

Let's start by reinstalling the barrel.

Insert Barrel

Align the barrel's V-block notch with the receiver's and position the V-block in place.

Put V block in place.

Draw down the V-block screws individually, and then tighten them a little at time until both are tight.

Install V block screws.

The Ruger 10/22 does not need a great amount of lubrication. Use good quality lube like Machine Gunners Lube from Sprinco, and put it were it is needed. The guide rod and spring, and the spots where the bolt rides in the receiver are important.

Lubricate action sparingly.

Install the guide rod and charging handle. Don't forget to give it a drop or two of lube.

Install guide rod and charging handle.

Guide rod and charging handle in place.

Get the bolt, and put the back end in first.

Insert bolt in rear of action

Tilt it forward and draw the charging handle back. The bolt will drop onto the charging handle.

Charging handle retracted.

Most of the time the bolt will not drop into place without considerable jiggling and cajoling! It is not a terrible thing, but you would think that it would just drop in. It doesn't. Just be patient and jiggle it, just a little bit. If that doesn't do it, try to wiggle it, just a little bit.

Bolt in place

Put the bolt stop in place, and don't forget it can slip out while you're doing something else so keep it in mind.

Insert bolt stop.

Now slip on the trigger group. I like to pull the hammer back for installation.

Insert trigger group with hammer back.

Drop in the trigger group pins, again keeping in mind that they'll slip right out again if you're not paying attention.

Insert trigger group pins.

Now before you try to install the action in the stock, make sure you set the safety at the midpoint between safe and fire.

Safety in midpoint position.

Not much left to do now. Slide the action in place.

Insert action into stock.

And tighten the action hold down screw.

Tighten action screw.

That's it my friends! Your Ruger 10/22 is cleaned and oiled, and checked for any problems or worn out parts. You did clean the rotary magazine didn't you? Well go load it up and have a turn at the range.

Don't forget we also have done a Ruger 10/22 Rotary Magazine tutorial! Please check it out at:

Disassembling, Cleaning, and Reassembling the Ruger 10/22 Rotary Magazine.

Follow the rest of the maintenance series on the Ruger 10/22:

Disassemble the Ruger 10/22
Clean the Ruger 10/22
Assemble the Ruger 10/22

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Precision Bowhunting: A Chronicles' Book Review

Recently I was fortunate enough to win a signed edition of Precision Bowhunting by John and Chris Eberhart, a father and son team from Michigan. So I've decided that this year I would focus a little (actually a lot) more on whitetail deer hunting than my usual hog hunting. It will also allow me the opportunity to delve more intimately with the "suburban hunting" phenomenon that is the norm in so many built up areas.

Packed with practical advice, John and Chris' Precision Bowhunting covers a year round approach to scouting, finding, and hunting the whitetail. They explain what you should be doing right now, what to prepare for, and what to expect month to month, season by season.

There are no gimmicks or tricks, just a studious application of hard work and perseverance. Hunting pressured or public land is what most of us must contend with, and that is what is covered in Precision Bowhunting.

Precision Bowhunting covers not only where you need to be, but also where you shouldn't. The Eberharts warn you of common mistakes made by both experienced and amateur bowhunters. Scent control, scouting tactics, and stand selection receive serious consideration and suggestions. Both John and Chris seem very sincere in their writing and discussions. That alone, sets the apart from many other writers in the field.

If you are new to bowhunting whitetails, or an old hat trying to up his game, you couldn't pick a better book. I learned more about scouting whitetails from this book than I have in reading everything else over the last forty years.

Be warned. It is not a "how to" book, that you can read right before season opener. It is, as the cover says, "A Year-Round Approach to Taking Mature Whitetails."

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...

Monday, April 20, 2009

Florida Felons Report: Killing a Tortoise

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)

Just about in my own backyard.

"On Saturday, April 4, Theodore Cuyler Jr., (DOB 02/13/67) of 6707 Carovel Ave., North Port, loaded "Speedy," as the Gopher Tortoise was locally known, into his van - over the loud objections of residents on Calera Street."

The sorry piece of human refuse, thought he could get away with stealing and killing an endangered tortoise, but he didn't count on the determined and combined efforts of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Bob O'Horo and North Port police officers Shawn Rice and Mike Laden.

"Wading through the maggot-filled trash, officers found gopher tortoise parts, consisting of skin, feet and claws, which indicated that at least one gopher tortoise had been dismembered."

They proceeded to arrest Cuyler and the case is now in the hands of the state courts.

"Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species, because their deep burrows are important to the survival of more than 130 other species that call Southwest Florida home. Gopher tortoises are listed by the state as a threatened species. Intentionally killing a threatened species is punishable as a third-degree felony, with a fine of up to $5,000 and/or five years in prison."

The full report can be found here at: North Port man arrested for killing imperiled gopher tortoise.

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles Top Ten

A jovial SBW, congratulating me.

Well, with 200 posts under my belt, I thought it would be interesting to see which are the top ten posts on The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles as voted by you, my faithful readers.

I have to be honest my friends, I was a little surprised with the results. See for yourself!

Patiently waiting...

Number 10:
The Ethical Question: Hunt or Shoot

"If you don't desire to participate in a particular form of hunting, or if you disapprove of a certain practice, then you are well within your rights to discuss it with others. But to discredit it or make claims that you cannot substantiate, that is wrong. We have enough opponents without making more of them within our own ranks."

Number 9:
The Range Reviews: TriSquare eXRS TSX Radio

"I think this is a great value for the money. Clear communications, rugged, programmable, private, and once again reasonably priced."

Number 8:
Boar Hunting: Rifle Calibers Part II

"577 Nitro Express rolls off the tongue with fluidity and grace, whereas 280 Remington doesn't."

Number 7:
The Range Reviews: CMMG Immortal Mags

"CMMG is yet another American company striving hard to produce quality merchandise for the American people."

Number 6:
Hog Hunting Rifles Part I

"The young man had sidled himself up the counter. He turned to me and asked, “What do you consider a good boar hunting rifle?”"

45 LC with 325gr LBTs

Number 5:
The Range Reviews: YHM Black Diamond SpecterUpper

"The machining is exceptional, clean and crisp with no burrs or hooks. Assembly was done by someone who cares, not a mark, scratch, or ding anywhere. The rifle upper had a definite lean, aggressive look to it with the rails, flattop, and jagged flash hider."

Number 4:
Game Reserves and High Fence Hunting

"Claim the privilege of hunting according to the dictates of your own conscience, and allow all hunters the same privilege; let them practice how, where, or what they may."

Number 3:
The Range Reviews: The 416 Ruger and Hawkeye Alaskan

"So when you are in the market for a Dangerous Game Rifle that is rugged, controllable, weather resistant, and accurate, look no further than the Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan."

Number 2:
Boar Hunting: Rifle Calibers Part I

Robert Ruark said "Use Enough Gun." Peter Capstick said, "Use enough gun, but not more than you can handle." To which I add, "Use enough gun, but not more than you can handle, and make sure you can shoot it."

SBW: This is his number One! He's a bit cheeky, and occasionally boorish, but then again, he is a Colonial.
Mrs H: Oh my! He is good isn't he!

Number 1:
Disassembling, Cleaning and Assembling the Ruger Rotary Magazine.

"Among the skills you should have, being able to disassemble, clean, and reassemble your Ruger 10/22 magazine is important."

I was really surprised that the Ruger Magazine Tutorial really rocketed to first place over other articles that have been on the blog for a couple of years now. And who would have known that reviews would be so popular?

I was very pleased to find that the articles, Boar Hunting: Rifle Calibers Part I and Boar Hunting: Rifle Calibers Part II were so well received. That was a serious effort, and one that I am pretty proud of.

On another note, I've hit the magical 5000 unique views per month milestone! I want to thank all of you that stop by regularly, and all of the new folks that are now regular readers of the Chronicles. I hope to have even more informative, controversial, enlightening, and fun articles for everyone to enjoy!

Now let me get cracking on the next 800 posts!

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Darn Tough Vermont Awarded Army Contract

Click on the picture for a larger image.

As many of you know, I love Darn Tough Vermont socks. Not only are they the best darn sock out there, but they are made right here in the United States of America in Northfield, Vermont. Northfield is the very town that I started my university career at, home to Norwich University and the Norwich University Corp of Cadets!

Recently Darn Tough Vermont Socks was awarded an $8.5 million contract to provide their Merino wool boot sock to the Army as part of the Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble known as the FREE Clothing System. Not something you would wear to local charity ball, but a new and integral part of a multi-layer insulating system that is easily adaptable to a variety of mission profiles.

Sales Manger Roland Beliveau states that, “The announcement of this award represents the culmination of several years of hard work and many manufacturers coming together to develop and provide the U.S. Army with a high performance safe clothing system. We are excited to know that soldiers around the world will be more comfortable wearing our Vermont made socks.”

In support of the contract, Darn Tough Vermont and the Cabot Hosiery Mill will knit and provide the U.S. Army with their 100% U.S. sourced and manufactured Merino wool boot socks.

If you want to know what a good US made product is, go to my evaluation of Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks.

"If our All Weather Performance Socks aren't the most comfortable and durable socks you've ever owned, return them for your money back."

Ric Cabot

With a guarantee like that, it is no small wonder that Cabot Hosiery Mills and Darn Tough Vermont are making a place for themselves in the annals of American manufacturing history.

Do yourself a favor, save up a few dollars and order yourself a pair. Do that every so often until you have a drawer full of them to cover you while you work, play, and hunt. You won't be disappointed!

I should know.
I wear them exclusively.

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...

Cleaning the Ruger 10/22

Part II: Cleaning a Ruger 10/22

In our last post, Disassembling the Ruger 10/22, we field stripped the Ruger 10/22 to all of its component parts. In this post we are going to clean the Ruger 10/22 and look at some of the components more carefully.

Now that you have the rifle disassembled, it is a good time to check over all the components for damage or wear.

I noticed that the back of the bolt, where it strikes the bolt stop, has wear. After several thousand rounds, it was bound to have a few wear spots.

Back side of the bolt.

I'm sure it is normal but I decided to order a buffer from Buffer Technologies. (For more on Buffer Technologies see The Range Reviews: Tactical; 1911 Buffers) It should be here in a few days, and we will install and field test right here at the Chronicles.

Give the bolt a good scrubbing; use plenty of Hoppes #9 to cut through all the dirt and wax. A bronze brush is very handy for loosening the accumulated grime. An old bore brush on a pistol cleaning rod works great. Bend the end a bit to help you get into the tight corners and gaps.

My old standby, Hoppe's #9.

Scrubbing the bolt clean.

Getting the small spots.

Don't forget to clean around the extractor and firing pin. Misfeeds can be caused by accumulated deposits on and around the extractor. A lot of powder residue and cartridge wax gets into the little nooks and crannies and gum up the works. As I mentioned earlier, use an old bore brush and bend it slightly.

Brush the bolt face well.

Check the firing pin too.

Let's turn our attention to the action. Inspect it inside and out for any obvious signs of damage.

Now give it a good cleaning. Use a rag and plenty of Hoppe's, and follow up with a brush. Finally wipe it clean and look it over again to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Bent brush at work in the action.

The trigger group should get a wipe down. Detail stripping of the trigger group is not usually necessary, but I will cover that in a future post.

Wiping down the trigger group.

The bolt handle, spring, and guide, should also be thoroughly cleaned and inspected.

Don't forget to clean the spring and guide rod too.

The barrel should also be cleaned now that it has been removed from the action. Remember, 22 rimfire barrels should be cleaned every 5000 rounds or so. More 22s have been worn out through the improper use of the cleaning rod, than have been shot out!

Clean from the breech only! Run a wet patch down the bore and let it sit while you do other things. When you're ready, run another wet patch through removing the majority of the gunk. Now wet your brush and carefully run through the bore, several times. You know the drill. Lather, rinse, repeat, until the patch comes out clean.

Wipe down the stock, and now you are ready to put it together. We will cover that in the next post in the Ruger 10/22 series.

Don't forget we also have done a Ruger 10/22 Rotary Magazine tutorial! Please check it out at:

Disassembling, Cleaning, and Reassembling the Ruger 10/22 Rotary Magazine.