[snakebit]

Many thanks to all ya'll who tried to help me re: the reloads that wouldn't chamber. Now for an explanation. I built an opening in the loft of my shop to ambush crows and sometimes I might leave my rifle up there for days. As I was sitting here still trying to figure out what could be wrong, measuring my reloads according to the Nosler guide, and chambering same reloads in another Swift, my grandson asked "Papa, isn't that the same gun that the dirt-dobbers filled the barrel with spiders up in the loft?" Only then did I remember what had happened. I've got a habit of opening the bolt and checking for obstructions in the barrel, which I did that day when I retrieved the Swift from the loft. It's amazing how much they stuffed in there in what I thought was a short time. Busy bees! Anyway I cleaned the bore but I didn't do a very good job on the chamber. A thorough cleaning--problem solved!! I hope maybe somebody might learn something from my foolishness. As you've probably heard before-"there's no fool like an OLD fool". Thanks to God for a grandson with an open mind and a YOUNG mind, and thanks to this board for all the wonderful knowledge. Even tho I seldom post anything but problems, I read it almost every day. Again, many thanks. DN

 

[CliffinSouthLa]

It Is Often Very Funny...

...how us experts overlook the most obvious questions. I am glad something so easy solved your problems. -Cliff-

 

[Bear]

The question begs....

What gun do you use to whack Mud-dauber- varmints???!!!

 

[RareBear]

I sure am glad you weren't able to pull the trigger with mud in the barrel.

 

[Doug Roberts]

Good question

What gun do you use to whack Mud-dauber- varmints???!!!

A buddy actually shoots bee-varmints on his front porch with 22 shotshells in an old revolver! Makes for interesting "hunting". Wish I could do it here in the "burbs". Maybe a smooth bore 10/22 with a red dot sight!

Merry Christmas

 

[Kentucky Fisherman]

Thanks for the follow-up

I hope maybe somebody might learn something from my foolishness.

I've learned tons from others' mistakes recounted here and I'm sure glad they're willing to risk a little teasing in order to keep someone else from screwing up. When reading your story, I just realized that I recently helped my dad set up a 10/22 to shoot CB caps at woodpeckers who are drilling the wood siding of his house. He keeps that rifle sitting barrel up in a closet. It's a perfect situation for a bug to crawl in there and create a little blockage. I'm gonna suggest that he do something like maybe slip a rubber balloon or a piece of tape over that open barrel when he puts the gun away.

Thanks!

 

[T.D.C.]

I use a badmiton racquet for the borer bumble bees. ( in the city). Sometimes they are quicker than you think. and sometimes not.

 

[Hu]

cost me a ride

Overlooking the obvious and dirt daubers cost me a ride years ago. A man had a sprint car with no engine, I had an engine and was driving late models pretty fair. The first week I put the engine in the car, neither of us had a set of injectors so I jerked the carburetor off of my late model and hot lapped pretty good in practice on a track when we made arrangements with the owner to sneak out and play.

I still didn't have injectors come the weekend and time to race but I had a bigger carb and some custom recipe race gas that I had tipped a nitro jug over a bit. I wasn't into chrome but the sprint car owner was so although I favor separate lines to each fuel bowl I used a big bore chrome dual fuel line that had been hanging on my wall for years, still in the shrink wrap and pasteboard package that I had torn open, looked at the line, and stuck it back into.

Unloaded the car at the track and push started it since they don't run starters or flywheels to save weight. No transmission either, just an in/out box. Well . . . make that tried to push start it. The car popped and farted and wouldn't start so after pushing it several laps around the track we slunk back into the pits. Double checked timing and the usual culprits and tried twice more with the same results. This was a very bare bones set of pits. Basically no lighting and a recent innovation was an "L" shaped piece of tin that people could duck behind to take a leak without people in the stands seeing them when it was still daylight. Tearing into the engine had to wait until I got back to the shop.

As soon as I pulled the fuel line the culprit was revealed. Dirt daubers had gotten into it although I thought it repackaged too tight for that to happen, and they weren't a big problem in my shop anyway. I got a call Tuesday to pull my engine out of the car and bring it back. No amount of talking could persuade the embarrassed owner to try again.

Hu

 

[ThJudg]

Mice are varmints too.......................

A few years ago, I had my bass boat stored in my barn, and over the winter mice built nests in the carburetors. In the Spring, I went fishing and needless to say, I didn't get very far. It had to have a new powerhead which didn't come cheap. After that, I just covered up the boat and parked it out behind the house, and I never had a problem again. I still take the cover off and check the carbs in the Spring though.

ThJudg (Roger)