Rdnck is a serious deer killer!

[Conan_568]

Rdnk.
These hunting trips do wonders for a man's spirit.
To hunt in the footsteps of the pioneers with a Sharps, and your own handmade bullets and knives just makes it more special.
Getting your quarry is the icing on the cake.
I'm both envious, and happy for you.
So now I'm planning my next hunt, and forging a new ladder damascus skinner to take as well.
I think a blade along the lines of the bottom knife will work, but I don't know because I sold it years ago

I know this link was posted here, but it makes for an interesting read, and it makes sense to me.
When I saw the way my Sharps flattened my buffalo I knew these rifles, and ammo are pretty efficient at putting game down.

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/comm.asp

My skinner design.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Very nice lookig knives!

[ironramrod]

Conan,

Wowee, those aren't just knives; they are an art form! I've seen several damascus blades, but none as stunning as the 2 in your picture. Very nicely done; my compliments. I make my own belt knives as well, but mine are just the plain old "pit run" carbon steel Green River blades from Track of the Wolf to which I attach my own handles.

It would be fun to own something like your damascus blade knives, but I would be scared spitless that I would leave it laying in some pasture after gutting a deer or antelope. Then I would be lucky to find it in April, when the snow melted.

Regards

Ironramrod
_________________
CEO Subarctic chapter
Sodbuster division
FES

[Omaha Poke]

Conan, I have several very nice custom made knives, and my favorite is the Skinner made for me by the Late Great Harry Morseth. The design is similar to the skinner you show in your pictures. I really like the looks of your damascus skinner, and if you would be so kind as to PM me or e-mail me with a price quote for one, I would greatly appreciate it. Very nice looking work indeed Randy

[cam0063]

Conan,

2 lovely knives you have there... I have a Damascus skinner very similar to the lower knife in your pic. Only real difference is the handle on mine is the spike of an antler. I love Damascus blades and have a couple here. One made from Motorcyle Chain and another from Car timing chain... Next will be a semi traditional/custom Bowie. There are a few Damascus knife makers here Down Under and it is nice to see this old art form still practised today. Just hope we don`t end up having to have these licensed or confiscated as a threat to society [as our Gunz]. The police been clamping down on the public carry of pocket knives in some parts However nice to see fine edgeware like yours Excellent!

cheers,

Cam.........

[Conan_568]

Jeez I guess I better not post knife pics on any but a new thread.
I was just thinking on a skinner for my next hunt, and I thought that that old one I made might be a good design..
I had no intention of turning this into a knife thread.
Thank you all for the compliments though.

[Lee Stone]

I have seen pictures of some other knives Conan has made. In my opinion he is a marvelous artist and I really admire his work.

[Kelley O. Roos]

Another Guy that makes Damasus knifes is Steve Brookes, very nice knives.

Kelley O.

[Omaha Poke]

Kelley, I haven't seen any of Steve's knives, but I sure am fond of the type of skinner that Conan has pictured here. I am still using the Cascade Skinner that Harry Morseth made for me over 42 years ago. A very similar type skinner, but Conan has a bit more belley to his. I really like that long upturned sweep to a skinner. Randy

[Scott Tschirhart]

Conan,

The interesting part of those links was the velocity/penetration discussion that Randy gives. Randy Garrett says:

Very interestingly, if one takes the Hornady 500-grain .458 diameter solid bullet and compares the penetration that results from impact speeds varying from about 1500-fps to 2500-fps, one finds that the higher impact speeds produce the least penetration. When driven to about 1500-fps (as the 45-70 will do) one finds that such solids produce nearly 6-feet of penetration in wet newspapers. When the same bullet is driven to about 2100-fps (as is characteristic of the 458 Winchester Magnum) one finds that the penetration is reduced to about 4 to 4 and 1/2 feet. When one tests the same bullet at 2300-2400 fps (as is characteristic of the 458 Lott) one finds that the penetration comes up nearly 20% short of that produced by the 458 Winchester. And when one tests the same bullet at the blistering speeds characteristic of the mighty 460 Weatherby Magnum, one finds that the penetration achieved is the most shallow produced by the various 458s.

What is apparent from testing is that penetration stops increasing at impact speeds above about 1250-1300 fps. When the impact speeds significantly surpass about 1600-fps, there is a very definite and measurable decrease in penetration depth. This raises some interesting issues regarding the relationship between kinetic energy generation and impact-effect. Although higher velocity projectiles always generate more kinetic energy they clearly do not produce deeper penetration, and when the velocities reach the levels common to today's magnums, the increases in velocity result in significantly reduced penetration. Simply stated, the faster they strike the faster they stop. If the builders of the various 458 Magnum calibers would simply advocate driving the heaviest bullets their calibers can push to about 1500-1600 fps, the super-powerful magnums would produce penetration depth unobtainable with 500-grain solid bullets at any speed. A 650-700 grain 458 solid at 1550-fps from the magnum 458s would produce penetration that would clearly redefine the 458 Magnums. However such an increase in bullet weight would require faster twist barrels and would certainly bring howls of protest from those who purchased 458 Magnums previously, since those guns would require rebarreling in order to accommodate the heavier bullets. As a consequence of this, I don't think any of us should hold our breaths waiting for that kind of change to occur.

Fortunately for all of us who love the 45-70, it can be considered to be the deepest penetrating of the various 458 calibers. This is not due to any particular inherent superiority, but due to the 45-70s "inability" to achieve the kinds of speeds with heavy bullets that leads to decreases in penetration. The reasons why high impact speeds reduce penetration are not well understood. However, anyone who takes the time to run comparative penetration tests will find that those of us who pack a good 45-70 with heavy bullets need not take a back seat to any other 458 caliber, especially when the game is heavy and the penetration requirements are great.

[Conan_568]

Scott

There is another website where they shoot various firearms at what they call, "The box of truth."
They come to similar conclusions there.
A 45-70 shot right through the box, a water jug, and a cinder block.
They never recovered the bullet, and the writer closes with this statement.
" Don't get into a gun fight with a buffalo hunter, there ain't no such thing as cover."
Here's the link.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot4.htm

[Lee Stone]

Hmmmph. Wish he had been using real gunpowder in that Shiloh.

[Leatherstocking]

Scott,
I would love to see good hard data on your conclusions. Not because I disagree but rather because I have found that premise to be true in my own experience. I hope the same will be true when I finally buy a 50-90!

Doug

[Scott Tschirhart]

Leatherstocking,

It is really an extrapolation from observations at various seminars that we have conducted with large bore pistols. Sometimes these pistols will outpenetrate some rifles which have much greater power.

For example, I hunt with a .500 Linebaugh pistol that John made for me a number of years ago. I have killed a number of deer and hogs with it and with a 400-435gr LFN bullet at 800fps it will penetrate over 30 inches of packed wet paper. A .270 or .30-06, which is demonstratively more powerful, will generally not give that much penetration and will not penetrate in a straight line. The .500 will stay in a straight line.

Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago when I shot a red stag with this gun.

http://www.sixshootercommunity.com/arti ... _stag.html


ScottT

[Scott Tschirhart]

Here is a compilation of data and links to more data that we have collected in these tests:

http://www.handloads.com/misc/Linebaugh ... sp?Order=5

As you can see, the results are quite repeatable and they seem to favor heavy bullets at moderate velocities.

Shape of the bullet nose is another variable as is the alloy used to make the bullet, but you might see some things here that are interesting.