First XP came home and now my El Dorado
Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:24 pm
I started shooting IHMSA in 1980 and was immediately hooked. Shot mostly Production with a 10" 30-30 and killer loads my buddy worked up. Soon got into reloading tamed the loads down and added a Super 14 30-30 for my first U-gun. At the end of 1981 I just had to have an XP (like everyone else) and bought a Fireball and sent it to Barry Brown in PA to convert to 7TCU. Paid the "outrageous" sum of $235 for an action job, bead blasted Shilen 7TCU barrel and even a Brown Precision stock. Sure wish we had those prices today!!! Anyway, shot that gun for several years and got the bug for a Wichita 7 IHMSA so sold the XP to a local MD for his wife. Of course like many of us, I immediately regretted selling that XP. His wife had the gun painted purple so from then on the XP was known as the "Grape". As the years went on I tried many times to buy that gun back. About a month ago I got a call from my friend telling me he and his wife were not ever going to shoot silhouettes again and asked if I wanted the Grape. As luck would have it, I had just sold a rifle and had the extra cash in hand. I now have my very first XP back in my hands. The purple stock had some boo-boos so I am repainting it back to my original flat black color, at least for now. I don't know if any other shooters had this same chance to get back one of their original guns but I feel like I have stepped back into 1982 again. I have regretted selling other guns too but this one is extra special since I was the one that had it built. Now to build some loads and eventually use CBs again.
Update 2017/2018
Back in 1992 I had an El Dorado 10 1/2" 357 Super Mag revolver made by the folks in Chimney Rock, NC. Shot it for several years but it didn't like cast bullets so I ended up selling it to a local shooter. Well last year he agreed to sell it back to me so I now have TWO guns that I had years ago. I did not even shoot the El Dorado last year but have great expectations for 2018. Now if I could just see as good as I did back in 1992 I might be able to hit the same number of targets. The hightlight with the El Dorado was in 1993 when I shot it in revolver on Saturday and shot a 38. Rang two rams using 180 grain bullets. Went home that night and loaded some 180s again for the first three animals then 200s for the rams. Shot the gun in Production on Sunday and got a 40. I don't expect to do that well again but will be fun trying. I have never shot those good scores since in Revolver or Production.
Getting old guns back makes me at least feel younger!!!!!
Update 2017/2018
Back in 1992 I had an El Dorado 10 1/2" 357 Super Mag revolver made by the folks in Chimney Rock, NC. Shot it for several years but it didn't like cast bullets so I ended up selling it to a local shooter. Well last year he agreed to sell it back to me so I now have TWO guns that I had years ago. I did not even shoot the El Dorado last year but have great expectations for 2018. Now if I could just see as good as I did back in 1992 I might be able to hit the same number of targets. The hightlight with the El Dorado was in 1993 when I shot it in revolver on Saturday and shot a 38. Rang two rams using 180 grain bullets. Went home that night and loaded some 180s again for the first three animals then 200s for the rams. Shot the gun in Production on Sunday and got a 40. I don't expect to do that well again but will be fun trying. I have never shot those good scores since in Revolver or Production.
Getting old guns back makes me at least feel younger!!!!!
