Login

Wolfe Publishing Group
    Menu
    The Black Powder Cartridge News Spring 2024

    The Black Powder Cartridge News Spring 2024

    Volume: | Back to issue

    Subscribe Nowor login
    Subscribe Now

    Product Reviews

    Wyoming Armory Casehardening / Cat’s Shooting Sticks

    column By: Steve Garbe / Mike Nesbitt | April, 24

    Wyoming Armory – Casehardening

    High Wall action bone charcoal casehardened at Wyoming Armory.
    High Wall action bone charcoal casehardened at Wyoming Armory.
    We started a new rifle project a while ago and at its heart was one of the fine High Wall 1885 single shot actions from Montana Vintage Arms. After woodwork and barreling were completed, it was time to think about final finishing. As I prefer browned rather than blued barrels that process would be done in my own shop, but the action needed to be finished. Casehardening was in order and so the action was delivered to Wyoming Armory in Cody, Wyoming, for one of their excellent bone charcoal casehardening jobs. I have had numerous firearms casehardened by Keith Kilby and Josh Wittick at the Armory, and I have never been disappointed in their work or their turn-around time. After a very short wait, I had the action back in my hands and it is a beauty. Not only are the colors great, but there was no warping or distortion to the action at all; it went back into the stock inlet perfectly.

    I had polished the action to 400-grit before sending it off, as this is the degree of finish Josh had recommended for colors that were more matte. The Armory will also do final striking and polishing on a per-hour basis if the customer is not comfortable doing it himself. The price for bone charcoal casehardening a typical single shot action is $250.  

    Another piece of good news concerning Wyoming Armory is that Mark and Erin Douglas of Cinnabar Gunworks, LLC, in Paisley, Oregon have recently purchased Wyoming Armory and are bringing their combined interest in antique firearms to the table. This is very positive development, as the Douglas’ have big plans for the Armory including barrel re-lining, complete gunsmithing/restoration services and an expanded inventory of ready-to-deliver firearms. Mark has done quite a few YouTube videos on the Cinnabar operation and Wyoming Armory as well; if you have the technology, I highly recommend watching these, as they are very entertaining and informative.

    To get more information on Wyoming Armory services, visit their website at WyomingArmory.com or phone: 307-527-4570. No matter if your interest lies in vintage Old West firearms or precision modern bolt-action rifles, there will be something at the Armory to give you the “I Wants.” If you happen to be in Cody, Wyoming, swing by the shop at 553 14th Street, Cody, and you’ll see some of the best gunsmithing that’s being done today on all types of firearms.

    Cat's Shooting Sticks

    The spikes or the blades are just one of the options with Cat’s Shooting Sticks.
    The spikes or the blades are just one of the options with Cat’s Shooting Sticks.

    For several years, the cross-sticks I use the most are a set of Cat’s Buffalo Sticks, with the spikes on the ends for securing them to the ground. Personally, I prefer the spikes to the blades but those blades are good too, perhaps better than the spikes if being used in clay or sod.

    For the gravellier areas, I find the spikes easier to pound down and they hold well.

    “Buffalo Sticks” have the leather strip while the other has the leather sleeves.
    “Buffalo Sticks” have the leather strip while the other has the leather sleeves.
    However, the blades or the spikes are only one of the features about Cat’s Shooting Sticks. A more important feature is how they’re adjustable for height. This means you don’t need to re-set the sticks each time you need to change the elevation, perhaps when changing targets or even modifying your shooting position. So, let me tell you more about these shooting sticks.

    Both sets are made of one-inch by two-inch oak, hand-crafted, and they are both 48 inches long, which makes them designed for shooting from the sitting position and they are long enough for me to use while seated on my low shooting stool.

    We would say that one of these sets of sticks is a bit more deluxe than the other, but both sets are truly excellent and I’ll explain why.

    Mike’s old set of Cat’s Buffalo Sticks.
    Mike’s old set of Cat’s Buffalo Sticks.
    The Buffalo Sticks have 3⁄8-inch leather strips glued to the sides of the sticks so the rifle’s barrel is not resting directly on the wood. My old set has plastic knobs on the pivot or adjustment bolt but now those have been updated to wooden knobs. It took me only one trip to the range where I did some shooting across the set of Buffalo Sticks to really like them. Elevation adjustment can be made without leaving your shooting position, the shooter can just lean forward, loosen the pivot a little, adjust the pivot bolt up or down as needed, and re-tighten it. Presto! The change in height is done as simple as that.

    I was using the Spiked Sticks in hard, gravelly ground, tapping the sticks down with light blows of a hatchet. The sticks stayed put, very firmly, and my shooting went very well. The Buffalo Sticks are priced at $88 plus shipping.

    The more deluxe sticks with the pinned steel blades were also tried, in an area where the ground was a grassy sod. There the sticks were simply pushed into the ground and yet they remained very sturdy. These deluxe sticks also have sliding leather “sleeves” that offer greater padding and better protection for the finish on the rifle’s barrel. This set of sticks also features wooden oak knobs on the pivot bolt. The “Pinned Steel Blade Sticks” are priced at $95 plus shipping. I used this set of sticks while shooting in a silhouette match.

    On the firing line at Quigley using Cat’s Buffalo Sticks.
    On the firing line at Quigley using Cat’s Buffalo Sticks.
    Cat’s Shooting Sticks is also a great place to get cross-sticks for prone shooting, as well as for bench shooting. Those, along with the sticks made for the sitting/kneeling position are their most popular products. They also offer several different items and all are handcrafted for shooters by shooters, most of which are manufactured right in their home workshop. Everything is ready for immediate delivery except the shooting stools which are made when ordered. Custom orders are welcome and if one wishes something unique, they’re always open for suggestions. As an example, those sliding leather sleeves are available separately.

    Contact information for Cat’s Shooting Sticks, 1020 S. 4375 W., Cedar City, Utah 84720. Ph: 435-590-7983 or cat1870cas@yahoo.com. Visit their website to see their entire line at CatShootingSticks.com. Orders are welcome at any time of the day, seven days a week. Visa or Mastercard are accepted, as well as mail orders.

    Previous Article:Beeswax As Bullet Lube
    Next Article:The Wyoming Schuetzen Union’s “Center Shot”
    Wolfe Publishing Group