COFA: Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America

[Rich Coyle]

Brothers and heathens,

After posting an answer to Mike about the recoil of a .454, I decided to go one step further and tell why I had the KEEPER brake EDMed into the barrel. Before I ordered the Freedom Arms toy, I called the company. You see I wanted a custom Freedom Arms. I "needed" a 10" barrel with no sights. The pleasant lady informed me,
"We do make a 10" model, but we don't make any without sights."
"Would you say your revolvers are the Weatherby of the revolver world?"
"Why, when you put it that way, yes."
"Well, have you ever seen a Weatherby with sights?"
"No. It looks like we can make one. We will discount the cost of installing sights," she happily informed.

The 7-.300 Weatherby was my hunting caliber for many years, so I was used to some recoil. A friend wanted me to work up a load for his unfired .340 Weatherby. I normally measure the belt before and after shooting a round. I do this until I get a max of .001" expansion of the belt. I walked outside, pointed the unscoped .340 at the ground and fired. Talk about shock!! That nice rounded bolt knob was INSIDE the webbing of my hand! I called Ron.
"Can I send this off to KEEPER and get it tamed?"
"What's that?" he asked.
After I informed him, he agreed to pay for it. He was already afraid of it anyway. When it arrived, the recoil with 210 grainers at 3,212 feep per second was similar to a .30-06. What a relief.

The plan for the .454 was a scopped 10" toy. IF the recoil was intolerable, it would get the KEEPER treatmen. This would mean I still had 8" of effective brrel length. At first, I handled the recoil just fine. Then one day a guy at work said,
"I would like to shoot that gun of yours sometime."
"How 'bout ringt now?" I asked. It was lunch time and there was a place to shoot no more than half mile from where we were. I guess you can guess my Field Grade was in the pick up.
"What should I shoot at?" he quiered.
"How's that big oak over there about fifty yards? Do you think you could hit it?"
"Let's see." With that he stuck the gun out at arms length and fired. Immediately he handed me the gun.
"Do you want to shoot it again?" I asked.
"Forget it."

I got into my best Andy Oakley stance with my left foot way out infront and my left elbow against my chest and the Cassul pistol grip resting on the fat part of my palm of the left hand. This put the scope about 9" from my forehead. The thought that flooded my mind was, target aquisition and trigger control.
"What are you gonna shot at?" he wanted to know.
"You see that little 2" square of with wood showing through the bark where you just hit?" I asked.
"Yea."
"I'm gonna put one right in the middle of that square." Just before I lost consciousness, I saw the square get bigger. It was like when you see a boxer get hit and starts to fall and recovers almost instantly. I caught myself about half way down. My shooting companion, intent on the target, didn't realize what happened at first and exclaimed,
"Did you hit that?!" Then he turned to me. I didn't know there was a purple welt on my forhead about like if you cut an egg in two and shoved half of it under the skin. He began laugh. Would I laugh at someone like that? You bet. Men are such barbarians.

Normally I tightened up the muscles of my right forearm like a body builder during competition. Therefore there was usually no problem. About a week later I was sorta casually competeing with the Cassul and...you guessed it. I may be the guy with the 44" chest and the size 4 hat, but I anit stupid. It was in the mail the next day.

The recoil was so improoved, it is hard to explain; like on the order of 50% or more. Even with the KEEPER it is still way more than some .44 mag user can handle. I sent it to Freedom Arms. Instead of writing a letter, someone called and wanted to know what the brake is called and where I got it. They offered the MagnaPort. The guy on the phone could not beleive how much better the KEEPER is than theirs.

I hope I have this next paragraph correct. Alas, KEEPER was sued by MagnaPort for patten infringment and that, as they say, is that. Apparently MagnaPort invented the concept of EDM use in brakes. Too bad they don't copy KEEPER.
_________________
Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

Apostle Paul says, "The things I write are the Lord's commands."

[Mike Brooks]

wow..Rich this was great, how was the sound of the gun going off, was it louder? Nearly had my left hearing lost for ever when someone shot off a 416 with a muzzel break next to my ear..ufda!
_________________
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not into your own understanding, Proverbs 3:5

[Rich Coyle]

Mike,

Prior to the porting, I fired the .454 only once without hearing protection. And that was because I had only one ear plug. I put it in the ear closest to the gun. The pain, yes shocking pain, was excrusiating. I past on a very nice four point blacktail deer because I forgot to get my hearing protection one time. It was no more than ten yards away. The pain was too vivid memory. Even twenty years later it rings a little.

I use Action Ears all the time whether I am handgun or rifle hunting. In fact I would use them even if I went bow hunting. They amplify the sounds of the woods and turn off when sounds get to eighty-five D.b's. I have compared them with other hunting ears and often thank the Lord I purchased such a good one.

Iwill post a fun story at the general forum about using them to recover a deer.
_________________
Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

Apostle Paul says, "The things I write are the Lord's commands."

[Mike Brooks]

Great story rich about ear plugs, I use them all the time, but not when hunting, maybe I should
_________________
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not into your own understanding, Proverbs 3:5

[Mike Brooks]

Rich, what would you do to a 44 Mag? How could you fix it up for elk hunting, maybe for bear as well..
_________________
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not into your own understanding, Proverbs 3:5