Checking the current status.

[Tom Kat]

I check the pulse here every 4-6 months.
Riveting conversation and lots of lively debate. You guys have really diversified the audience and expanded the scope and focus of the site.
Awesome!

[glide]

Are you the guy that said he was going to quit posting? If so, guess it didn't work out. If I'm mistaken, please accept my apologies.

[Rick in Oregon]

Are you the guy that said he was going to quit posting? If so, guess it didn't work out. If I'm mistaken, please accept my apologies.

Yup, the same guy. Got his panties in a twist when confronted with way off topic posts, pouted and went to his safe space, but just can't resist lurking in the shadows as he's done ever since he said "bye". Sort of like a tick that just clings and won't go. From his past posts, he's more interested in chain saws than varmint rifles, so no loss to anyone here.

As he's back bashing the site and denigrating members, it appears he's got nowhere else to go but has the same attitude as before. Chances are he'll be lurking again to see how we've diversified and expanded the site focus....sounds like he's into DEI.

[glide]

As I'm sure that you know Rick, you have quite the way with words!! English major or a writer? Anyway, I am fond of your posts!

[Bill K]

Humm.

[skipper]

[Bill K]

The old site is sure QUIET and slow now days.

[Rick in Oregon]

The old site is sure QUIET and slow now days.

Bill, do you suppose that may be because of a forum title that expresses only one particular caliber? I would assume shooters having interest in other small caliber varmint cartridges just pass this site by and don't come in "to visit".

With the owner MIA and not making these or any decisions, we can only guess how much longer the site will stay up and running.

Another reason might be that the caliber is now just over 20 years old, and not a "newest, greatest" offering in the plethora of varmint calibers. Don't really know, we just know what we see. What I do know, is that with the upcoming varmint season coming up soon, I'll be taking at least one 204R rifle with me in my "rat battery".

[Bill K]

[attachment=0]Valkyrie and chucks.jpg[/attachment

Rick: Title may have some bearing, however over the years I have been here, we often mention other small calibers, from the 14 up to about the .224s, so if some lurk around they should see that and go ahead a jump in.
But for some reason, I think many just do not. I really don't know if changing the site title would make a difference or not, but it might be something Skipper might consider and maybe give it a shot.

I know I, like you and other take more than one small caliber/cartridge on our shoots and I always seem to have one of my 204's among them.

And maybe, as you mention it and even other small calibers that pop up i.e. 20vt, 17fb and so forth are just getting up in years and some visiting the site are looking the newest and so call greatest cartridge coming out.

I just wish others would chime in more and possible it will pick up in a month or so, when we start getting out in the spring, the pivots and areas for some fun with our little critters when they start popping out of the ground and rocks. I guess time will tell. I know I am sure itching to do so.

[MTPaul]

Fellow Forum Aficionados: Speaking for myself, I know my forum activity tends to diminish during the colder, snowy months of the year (at least here in SW MT), not because I am any less interested in the discourse found here, but because I am engaged in other activities that tend to occupy more of my time, not the least of which is keeping up with the ever-increasing snowfall. For example, another 8" fell today and another 6-10" are in the forecast. There might be some merit to somehow broadening the website title itself in order to capture a wider audience (14 to 224s as Bill K mentions) while retaining several subcategories of interest, eg. 204R. Which calibers deserve a category I'll leave as an open question for debate.

Speaking of other calibers, I am currently in the process of assembling an Anschutz 1517 D HB chambered in 17HMR to be used once the Richardson's Ground Squirrels start to emerge in mid to late March. Once the build is complete, I'll post a few "victory" pictures of the rifle in action.

Till then I'll just have to harken back to warmer times spent with my Cooper 204R in the Big Horn Mtns of WY.

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[Bill K]

I think we all do about the same when the snow if lying. I know I do, every winter up here on my mountain. Shooting does slow down, but I still visit site/s and post some photos and comments, as a few others do.
I also play with a couple 17HMR's, fun for the shorter ranges and do a super job on various varmints, for me anyway. Just a fun cartridge.

As for snow, my normal winters, for the most part. But I am prepped for it, with the old jeep/plow and snowblower and some shovel work, even at 86 yrs of age.

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[Rick in Oregon]

Speaking of other calibers, I am currently in the process of assembling an Anschutz 1517 D HB chambered in 17HMR to be used once the Richardson's Ground Squirrels start to emerge in mid to late March. Once the build is complete, I'll post a few "victory" pictures of the rifle in action.

Till then I'll just have to harken back to warmer times spent with my Cooper 204R in the Big Horn Mtns of WY.

Well Paul and Bill, I'll have to agree about the winter doldrums. Only a fresh 3" here on the high desert this time around, but like both of you, more is on the way. We're all a couple of months away from any serious rodent shooting. But the wait is always worth it!

Paul, you got my attention with the mention of your latest project rifle; Anschutz 1517 D HB, as I'm also fielding one of my own after selling my CZ 452 Varmint HB 17HMR. Mine has been in the field for ground squirrels and rock chucks here, and even after nine years, I'm still impressed with the accuracy of the Annie.

For rock chucks here, it's head shots only to prevent crawl-off's using the 17gr Hornady Varmint Express loads. The caliber is perfect for some of the small ranches I shoot here for the lack of noise and the ricochet factor. Mine is scoped with a Leupold VX2 4-12X with their LR reticle that has two dots on the vertical crosswire for elevation correction. Seems like a worthy combination to me, not so much for the chucks.



I try to keep my head-shooting of chucks to 150 - 175 yards with the 17HMR to make sure they're anchored. Not a worry with my 20VT or 221 'Furball', as any body hit is fatal.



One of my favorite chuck hide areas at a small ranch near home. A morning cruise through the sage and junipers with the Annie is a "good morning".



After a morning chuck hunt, I sometimes get my Nikon DSLR with a 300mm lens out of the truck and 'shoot' some chucks that were lucky that day and were in the rocks when I had my Annie in hand. This particular chuck is still in the rocks, probably now considering coming out for the sunshine soon to be had.



So Paul, be sure to show that 1517 D HB once she's field-ready this year. A friend in CA has one and he loves his too. But like you, my Cooper M21 MTV will be on my bench in the outback once the squirrels are out in force. But today, it's getting out the snow shovel again.....

[MTPaul]

Bill: WOW! You take the prize for the largest amount of snow in your back yard - at least as of today. And tackling the job of snow removal at the ripe age of 86 no less - you deserve a hearty WELL DONE! I can only hope I am equally up to the same task once I reach octogenarian status.

The one thing I've learned about snow removal in parts of the country that regularly measures snow depth in feet and not in inches is this - horsepower and hydraulics can be your best friend! Not that I haven't put in considerable time on the business end of a snow shovel in years past - I have. But my snow removal evolution is as follows - snow scoops and shovels, blade equipped JD lawn tractors, blade equipped Polaris ATV and now a blade equipped Polaris Ranger side by side. The bonus with the Ranger is that has a fully enclosed and heated cab equipped with six cup holders! Many a time I have had to stop my snow removal task in order to refill my coffee cup and to take a restroom break - a consequence of not quite having the bladder capacity of years past.

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Plus, an additional added bonus is being able to use the same Ranger during numerous camping trips to the mountains to gain access to trout fishing streams and to areas where rock chucks tend to frequent. Of course, bringing along the occasional adult beverage to savor the magnificent scenery.

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[Bill K]

I also limit and take it very easy when I need to use the shovel now days. Can not use it like I did a few years back. So the plow and a new Honda, track snowblower are the main pieces of equipment I use 98 % of the time any more.

And as for photos, Rick takes some super one's and like the ones he does post are really nice and enjoyable to look over.

Now some of you others on the site and lurkers, let's see some of yours and a few comments.

[Jim White]

Wow Bill, you definitely go all out when it comes to snow removal but seeing the quantity of it you get, I'd do the same even though I'm several years younger. If i recall, you really got snow-dumped on pretty heavy a year or so back. For me, my snow removal equipment consist of a $10 snow shovel from Coast-To-Coast Hardware from years ago. I had to use it yesterday, not much snow but just enough with the cold weather to make walking down the steps treacherous.

No new hardware for me to report but last weekend my youngest son and I took a trek down to Brookings OR to drop off a hunting rifle to PACNOR to get a new barrel. I imagine this spring or summer time frame I'll be making another trip down to retrieve it and get it ready for a fall deer hunting trip. A nice drive, especially along the Smith River once inside of CA and there are signs of fires from a few years back [sure changes the landscape].