Queens Debut of New Toys

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AlanF
Posts: 7494
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:22 pm
Location: Maffra, Vic

Queens Debut of New Toys

#1 Postby AlanF » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:31 pm

Yes it was a remarkable event - best conditions I've seen in a Queens. As Rod implied, ballistics didn't matter much at any stage. Great effort from Geoff Willis.

After not shooting a Queens since last October, I really enjoyed getting back into it. I had the opportunity to debut a couple of new toys and have finally got some photos.

The first is a new 4 groove Bartlein for the Shehane. Its 34" long, has a 7" long 1.25" reinforce for the clamp, then about 17" straight 1.1" then it opens out to nearly 1.5" for the muzzle weight. The theory (from the NQ boys) is this will produce wider tuning nodes. Ladder testing confirmed that. I tried it at 800m in the leadup with 180VLDs then again at the last 15 shot 800m of the Queens using 180 hybrids. In short, the VLD load was disappointing, but the hybrid load very good with a 90.10. Its early days but looks promising.
Image

Image

And the Van Cave had its first Queens also. With 400Nm of torque and a decent light and bullbar, both roos and caravans become less of a problem!

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Still a bit to do inside. Here's the reloading end.

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And here is the business end

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With luck it'll be completed in time for Canberra.

Tim N
Posts: 1335
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:18 pm
Location: Branxton NSW

Re: NSW Queens

#2 Postby Tim N » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:45 pm

Hi Alan,
You must sleep standing up, or are you like Chuck Norris(or Rod D) who never sleeps just waits.
We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training. Archilochos 680-645 BC

AlanF
Posts: 7494
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:22 pm
Location: Maffra, Vic

Re: NSW Queens

#3 Postby AlanF » Mon Sep 14, 2015 2:09 pm

Tim N wrote:Hi Alan,
You must sleep standing up, or are you like Chuck Norris(or Rod D) who never sleeps just waits.

Tim,

The bedroom is upstairs (above the dining area) :D .

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: NSW Queens

#4 Postby williada » Mon Sep 14, 2015 3:16 pm

Alan, I am impressed with the musket. Did you refine the positive compensation by moving it for and aft in the block? That's what I used to do. Its certainly going to reduce muzzle waggle from slow burning powders and refine harmonics with the muzzle enlargement. Also looks like that muzzle would stop your hand slipping off and dropping the rifle, while standing it on its butt getting up from the mound. Great creative thinking for older boys. =D> David.

Brad Y
Posts: 2181
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:21 pm

Re: NSW Queens

#5 Postby Brad Y » Mon Sep 14, 2015 4:31 pm

Alan- is that a custom profile you ordered or did you just get a massive 1.5 inch blank and have someone here profile it?

AlanF
Posts: 7494
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:22 pm
Location: Maffra, Vic

Re: NSW Queens

#6 Postby AlanF » Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:13 pm

David,

If I wanted to tune the barrel mechanically then I would've gone for an adjustable tuner. The idea is to leave it at the same position in the block and take advantage of the longer nodes with ladder testing with variable charge weights.

Brad,

I just sent the profile specs to Craig McGowan, and had the barrel in about 12 weeks. With the next one I may vary things a little e.g. shorter reinforce, and put the extra weigh into a longer middle section.

Chopper
Posts: 1016
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:04 pm
Location: Albury

Re: NSW Queens

#7 Postby Chopper » Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:30 pm

Love the Van, ps that barrel can be rechambered each end :lol: Chop

ecomeat
Posts: 1137
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:07 pm
Location: Pimpama QLD

Re: NSW Queens

#8 Postby ecomeat » Mon Sep 14, 2015 7:02 pm

Alan,
Very impressed with the mobile man cave.
Could you give us a close up of your barrel vice and it's fitting to the tow ball ?
Very fancy wiring there on the LED light bar !
What is its cruising speed ? Plenty of power ? Have you been game to weigh it, fully loaded ?
Tony
Extreme accuracy and precision shooting at long range can be a very addictive pastime.

Steve N
Posts: 459
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 8:16 pm
Location: Gippsland Victoria.

Re: NSW Queens

#9 Postby Steve N » Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:17 pm

Alan,
Wow! Looks like you are really putting a lot of thought into the important things after retirement! Well done!
Steve.

RDavies
Posts: 2318
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:23 pm
Location: Singleton NSW

Re: NSW Queens

#10 Postby RDavies » Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:03 pm

Footsore wrote:Alan,
Wow! Looks like you are really putting a lot of thought into the important things after retirement! Well done!
Steve.

I had a look through Alan's man van and it really was a well planned, well thought out bit of kit. It is definitely an F Open shooters van. A place for everything and everything in its place.

AlanF
Posts: 7494
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:22 pm
Location: Maffra, Vic

Re: NSW Queens

#11 Postby AlanF » Tue Sep 15, 2015 12:54 pm

ecomeat wrote:Alan,
Very impressed with the mobile man cave.
Could you give us a close up of your barrel vice and it's fitting to the tow ball ?
Very fancy wiring there on the LED light bar !
What is its cruising speed ? Plenty of power ? Have you been game to weigh it, fully loaded ?
Tony

Tony,
This vise can be made without any machining or welding, although I did get the vise bolt heads tacked to the underside of the bottom plate. The top and bottom plates are mild steel, the 3 jaws (2 bottom and one top) are 10mm aluminium each fixed with small bolts tapped into the aluminium. The checker plate step is independent. To get all of these bolted on to the towbar, I bought a long shank towball (105mm shank) to get through the step, but a standard 60mm shank would suffice without the step.

Image

There's a story to the light bar. I took it to an experienced auto-electrician to get wired and he said no worries, I can do that right now. When I picked it up he said, one small problem he couldn't find an easy way through the bulkhead for the switch to be inside the cab, so the switch is under the bonnet! Fortunately he didn't charge much, so I had a think about it and decided there must be a switch in the cab. Ebay to the rescue : I bought a little remote control 12V switch for $15 plus postage - stuck the little controller on the dash and it works like a charm! The external cabling has a connector and allows the light bar to be taken off quickly by undoing a couple of wingnuts. I only intend to have the bar attached when in roo country at night. Apparently thieving of these is common, and also if a man in blue decides that its mounting position is illegal in his state (not very clear laws at present), I just apologise and take it off.

Regarding performance of the vehicle, I would happily cruise it at the limit on those 130kph signed roads up north, and read a European road test describing cruising at 180 on the Autobahns with a high roof model. I was concerned about how the cruise control would work with a manual, but shouldn't have been. It just keeps going at 100kph in 5th gear up the steepest hills without dropping out.

I do have it loaded up. The plywood alone weighs about 250Kg, and with about 100L of various fluids (water diesel etc), heavy appliances (microwave, fridge etc), generator, extra battery, several heavy barrels, heavy sandbag, T7 press, projectiles etc. etc. I estimate a "payload" of about 700Kg (licensed to carry 1000Kg). But as I said, no problem with power. One thing that I have to improve on is securing the load. I had a few learning experiences this trip where things moved around and some things fell off shelves, so will be putting some thought into that before the next big trip.

But its a much better way of doing things than with the little Subaru and large tent. Arriving and leaving the range is so much quicker without having to setup and dismantle, and on the way there and back everything is easily accessible, and not trapped underneath a huge pile of gear. So I'm convinced that the concept is a good one.

DenisA
Posts: 1526
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:00 pm
Location: Sunshine Coast, QLD

Re: Queens Debut of New Toys

#12 Postby DenisA » Tue Sep 15, 2015 1:16 pm

Alan, your barrel vice looks like it might also offer a great solution to the frustrating problem of Craig and Tony's straight barrels \:D/

ecomeat
Posts: 1137
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:07 pm
Location: Pimpama QLD

Re: Queens Debut of New Toys

#13 Postby ecomeat » Tue Sep 15, 2015 1:30 pm

Good clear photo, but still not sure of what gets altered. Do you leave the whole assembly together, pull the solid safety pin and remove it altogether (tow ball, vice and step) for traveling ......and when you "get there"...,,slide the 50mm x 50mm bar back in so you have a step and a barrel vice ready ?
Or do you undo the ball and dismantle the whole thing for traveling, so you are rolling down the highway with a conventional tow ball on the rear ? :?:

Denis,
I use a Redback aluminium barrel vise, and with two bolts (only) to tighten my Torque wrench says it won't hold past about 80 ft/lbs.......which means I don't/can't run at the 120ft/lbs recommended by Messrs Williada, Paroz and Hill. So I have got a good excuse to run at the 25-30 ft/lbs that I use all of the time :mrgreen:
Extreme accuracy and precision shooting at long range can be a very addictive pastime.

AlanF
Posts: 7494
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:22 pm
Location: Maffra, Vic

Re: Queens Debut of New Toys

#14 Postby AlanF » Tue Sep 15, 2015 2:09 pm

Tony,

When travelling, I just loosen the towball, swing the vise around against the bumper, then retighten the ball. This allows the towball to be used with the vise remaining. Another reason for swinging it out of the way is that the ultrasonic sensors for detecting reversing hazards also pick up the vise if it is left pointing straight back!

Alan


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