Thanks for the kind words fellas.
Pappy, you did not have the advantage of learning from guys like yourself. If I can develop half of the skills you have forgotten I will be fortunate.
The finish was 2 coats of minwax early american oil based stain. Double coated minwax spar urathane. It took alot longer to cure than the instructions said, so I wasn't that happy with that but it all turned out allright. I think I will try alcohol based next time. When you are being patient and trying to perfect the tiller and everything else and you finally get it done and want to finish it out, it sure sucks having to wait so long to make your next move when all you really want to do is go shoot it. The pictures make it seem alot brighter than it really is. The darkness of the wood and the grain contrast makes for a really nice natural camo. I intend for this one to spend some time in the woods and the whiteness of the hickory was too reflective for that, the darker brown is just right and gives it an older well used look.
Pat B. It sure seems to shoot fast. I may have to take it down to gander mountain and shoot it thru their chrono and see how it does. I took the 44# osage I have been shooting down there a few months back and it was 143fps. I am certainly no expert by any means but I'm gonna take an uneducated guess and predict that is is 165. We shall see, I know that from 30yds the osage had about better than a foot of drop. This one does'nt drop much at all from that distance, just a little. . I am excited to get out and shoot it today. I will let ya all know how that goes. Danny