Taming the Beast (or how I learned to handle dynamite)

   

      Just before our departure last fall I purchased another new firearm.  I got the Ruger Redhawk in 44 Spl/Mag in the Talo Collectors Version.  www.taloinc.com/ruger-firearms This weapon is stainless,  has a 5.5" barrel, and comes with fiber optic sights.  The 44 magnum has a tough reputation, this I won't deny, but I always wanted to add one to my collection.  The Redhawk was easily my choice.  Ruger makes a fine weapon.  My Blackhawk in 45 Long Colt has been trustworthy on several deer, bear, and wild boar hunts.  You can load these guns UP, they are made of strong steel and are nearly always recommended by ammo manufacturers capable of their strongest +P loads.  

      It wasn't until Deer Camp in Oklahoma that I first got to pull the trigger on this beauty.  Any 44 mag weapon will also chamber 44 Special, a much more comfortable, controllable load.  I began my work with these.  I was only able to shoot off hand at 20-25 yards using HSM 240 grain hard cast SWC Cowboy loads.  $32 for 50 rounds.  These were a bit smoky, but the accuracy was good without much leading.  The trigger pull is a stiff 7 pounds; it could be less.  That's a lot of force to deal with before the shot goes off.  I have never been a fan of the stock factory grips and although the wood on this is very nice, I didn't care for the feel.  Soon after I replaced these with Pachmyar Rubber Decelerator Grips.  These grips outfit my Blackhawk 45 LC as well.

       I was very happy with my selection of 'plinking loads', 44 Special HSM 240 grain SWC.  Good accuracy, decent price, and no noticeable leading right out of the box.  Later while visiting our grandson in Duncan, OK I was able to work on some more loads at Murf's Gun Range.  Controlled conditions with the ability to shoot over a sandbagged bench rest.  

      I verified my earlier accuracy, but this time with MagTech 240 grain SWC.  These were not 'hard cast'.  They were very accurate, but they leaded my barrel and cylinder face quite a bit.  I did finish up with 3 rounds of my 44 mag load; Hornady 44 Magnum 300 grain JHP XTP.  An accurate load with a substantial increase in recoil.   

       I was not quite satisfied that this would be my final choice for such a heavy duty load.  I researched even more on my own, talked to different friends with experience including one with bear experience in the Yukon and Alaska.  Although I don't plan on such experiences, I wanted to shoot the most powerful load with which I was comfortable.  This would be mostly for hog and black bear hunting.  I was a bit surprised that this would still include 'Hard Cast' lead bullets.  I should define that 'hard cast' bullets are those made with the hardest possible tin/lead content % so as to provide good penetration on game while not significantly leading the gun barrel.  I have always been a Copper Jacketed Hollow Point user.  I quickly learned that the larger hard cast lead flat nose bullets with a gas check provide up to 3 feet of penetration on the largest game, including bears at the hotter loads.  Elmer Keith, lawman and rancher in Nebraska proved that these lead loads can and will outperform jacketed loads where big game is concerned.  We never stop learning.  My next step in testing led me to either the HSM 305 grain hsmammunition.com/bear-load/ or the Buffalo Bore 305 grain www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=48, both hard cast SWC flat nose bullets.  My only concern was performance vs. RECOIL?  

       It took me a bit to locate this ammo in stores.  I did find the HSM loads at Cabela's in Buda, TX.  This is a HUGE store.  Even though these are lead wadcutter style they are not cheap;  $59 for 50 rounds.  HSM has been producing quality ammo in Stevensville, MT for over 50 years.  

      I want to keep the gun sighted for the 44 Special Wadcutter loads, but just wanted to make sure these are on the paper.  They would only be used at around 15-20 yards hopefully.  My first 3 shots were pretty much WOW, this is quite a handful of dynamite.  I moved to 15 yards and was able to keep my control and the groups reasonable; only a bit lower than my sites.  1260 fps and 1175 foot pounds of energy.  I'll take it.  Again, the heavy trigger pull is a factor.

44 Mag HMS 305 Hard cast SWC 

My last addition is the Diamond D Leather Guides Choice chest holster system.

  

Diamond D Custom Leather Guides Choice

      Primary carry with the 44 Special 240 grain SWC or woods carry for big critters with the 44 Mag Keith 305 LFN gas check loads.  Both are hard cast loads.  These will do it all.  In the future I may be looking into a custom trigger job and perhaps even Mag-na-porting.  

"I would stay away from hollow point ammo and go with something with a BUNCH of penetration such as hard cast +P FN lead"

Elmer Keith

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi

Venison Manicotti......be all you can be, Bambi

      Another example of why wild game should be treated no differently than regular meat when it comes to most type of cuisine.  This recipe uses ground venison so there is no marinade needed and only the amount or type of seasoning you desire.  This is fairly simple to make, even in the RV.  The most cumbersome part for me is stuffing the manicotti, so I let Barb do it.

4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 pound ground venison or chopped steak (your choice)
salt and pepper to taste
1 container part skim Ricotta Cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or any other blend of your choice)
3 cups marinara
1 box of manicotti shells


       Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3- 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and combine with venison. Season with salt and pepper.  In another bowl, combine ricotta and half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Add Italian seasoning. Combine cheese mixture with meat mixture and stir to blend.  At times this can be a bit dry.  You can add a bit of olive oil and stir to mix if you like to find better consistency.

Simmering Venison 

Mixed venison mozz, parmesan, ricotta, garlic, green onions, and herbs oh my!

       Cook manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 minutes. When cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer manicotti to a bowl filled and rinse with cold water.  Coat a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Spread half of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the . Spoon meat and cheese mixture into cooled manicotti tubes and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Spoon remaining sauce over and top with remaining cheeses.  I am light with the marinara as Barb's stomach can't handle too much, but you can add as much according to your tastes.  Top with shredded mozzarella.

Stuffing Shells

Ready for the oven

        Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven until heated throughout and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving (this allows mixture to set up)

Bon Apetite'

       This is a wonderful fall or winter dish that easily melds the flavors of whitetail venison and still maintains Italian flavors.  Venison can be adapted to so many different recipes that I seldom adhere to the traditional 'wrap it in bacon and fry it' mentality.  Sometimes the less tender cuts need to marinated.  This is not one of them.  Enjoy with garden salad.

"First we eat, then we do everything else"  

MFK Fisher  

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi

A Swing Through Lost Wages and Points Northwest

The view coming in on Hwy 93

      We stopped in Las Vegas for 5 days to visit my cousin Bobby and his wife who recently retired and moved west from New Jersey.  We had planned to set up camp at Nellis AFB Fam Camp, but they were full so we sashayed on down to Sam's Club RV Park on the south side of the strip.  Much pricier than we like to spend at $51 per night, but Barb could use the welcome amenities after 11 days off the grid.  Very nice sites, but only about 8 feet between units with sliders out.  We stayed a week.  We would also fit in some RV repair as our "RV Super Lite" model broke a couple of window latches.  Looked really good duct taped till we got here.  I also hoped to pick up a some more 'Freedom Fries' as LV has several very good stores for this.  On a brighter note, Barb was in Sam's Town Casino an hour after we arrived; marital therapy.

Sam's Town RV Park Las Vegas

Sam's Town RV Park Las Vegas

      If you've not been to Las Vegas recently it's so very hard to imagine how much it has grown.  The entire valley grows exponentially each year.  What was once a gaming destination has become a mega metropolitan area with all that it entails.  My cousin Bobby dedicated his life to over 20 years in the US Air Force both enlisted and commissioned and then another entire career with FAA and Raytheon.  Like many of us, after retirement they made the decision to move to a more dry, less snowy western climate.  It has been many years since we saw each other.  A good man.  He also turned me on to a really dependable RV mobile repairman that got us all fixed up.   I also spent a day out near Boulder City hiking trails looking for Desert Bighorn Sheep.  The operative word here is looking; I found only a good night's sleep later on.  

Cousin Bobby and Marjorie

Cousins Rich & Bobby

      I prepared Venison Quesadillas, Hidden Valley Ranch Crockpot Pork Steaks,, Squid w/Linguine, the very last of our Reindeer Steaks, and Rockfish during this stop on our trip.

Linguine w/Calamari, Italian Sausage & Vodka Sauce 

Venison Quesadillas

Hidden Valley Ranch Crockpot Pork Steaks

Reindeer Paronkaristys

       We had a good visit here.  It had been several years since our last foray to Sin City.  Barb finished down a bit at the One Armed Banking Units, and I got the RV fixed for some more long road miles.  I was able to find 3 boxes of the 'Freedom Fries' I wanted.  We stayed through the Super Bowl and then headed north.  1250 miles in a little over week.  Not a bad trip, but when towing we take our time with days off in between sometimes if we like the area or just need a break from the road. We made stops in Bakersfield, Stockton, Weed, and finally Salem, OR.  We would have loved to go thru Reno, but this is February and Mother Nature offers no quarter when it comes to the mountains. The first day was slow, but sure with terrible winds that not only kicked up plenty of dust, but moved us around a bit as well.  Once we reached Bakersfield it was just another long ass, boring drive on I-5.  We did stay at RV Parks as California Wal Marts DO NOT allow overnight boondocking. Day 2 included more plains and the San Fernando Valley agriculture scene.  Day 3 finished off the valley and we began our trip through the Sierras.  We spent Day 3 in Weed, CA with a wonderful view of Mt. Shasta.  We took a day off here.  Did some laundry and finished up the insurance/tax paperwork for the Texas property.  Hope to close next week while at my sister's in Oregon.  Diesel was always well over $3.50 a gallon, including $4.59 in Barstow, CA.  We average 13.3 for the 1250 miles.

Hwy 58 in the Mojave Desert enroute to Bakersfield
5 hours across the Mojave our first day out, including $4.59 diesel! 

Day 2 Stockton, CA

Weed, CA with view of Mt. Shasta in the background

     We finished up our northward sojourn at Polk County Fairgrounds in Salem, OR.  We stayed here last summer.  A nice open fairgrounds type camping area with full hookups for $25.  We'll be here about a week to visit Mom and hopefully closing on our Texas property before once again stalking the Wild Pacific Razor Clam in Washington.  

"The next best thing to being clever is being able to quote someone who is" 

Mary Pettibone Poole

WiFi courtesy of Good Sam RV Park Las Vegas and Friendly RV Park Weed CA