SPORTS
Blue Mountain Eagle
B10
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
TO REBUILD OR TO REPLACE?
S
ome guns, like cars, are
simply classics, and clas-
sics never go out of style.
A few years back, my favorite rifle
(christened long ago as “Old Reli-
able”) was at a fork in the road.
The barrel was not giving any sort
of consistent, acceptable accuracy.
Extensive research and precision
equipment revealed that the bar-
rel was toast. It was time to make
a decision.
When your favorite fires-
tick is suddenly throwing wild
groups, regardless of the loads
you feed it, it could be symptom-
atic of a ruined barrel. Now before
you get a speeding ticket mak-
ing your way to the gunsmith, a
proper diagnosis is key. My barrel
was inspected with a borescope,
a digital camera on the end of a
small rod which when inserted
into a rifle’s barrel can reveal any
micro imperfections or problems
on your computer screen. These
“problems” can vary in origin and
severity.
Dale Valade
Not all accu-
racy problems
stem from a
burnt out barrel.
Improper bedding
or poor cleaning
practices are often
to blame, neither
of which require a
new barrel.
Poorly crafted or inconsis-
tent ammunition is also frequent.
Some rifles can be impudently
picky about what bullets they will
or will not shoot well. Wooden
stocks swell or shrink in moist or
artificial climates, scopes wear out
and break. Many are the poten-
tial candidates causing accuracy
issues in our rifles.
An improper diagnosis of
issues can lead to unnecessary
treatments of the same. In medi-
cal terms, one would not undergo
a heart transplant if the issue
was merely an ingrown toenail.
Once proper diagnostics indi-
cate a bad barrel, there really are
Contributed photo
Columnist Dale Valade sights in his rebuilt .30-06 rifle in the spring of
2016.
only two options, to rebuild or to
replace. Such was my decision
to make at the aforementioned
fork. A quick perusal of new fire-
arms proved dissatisfactory and
quickly led me to look into a new
barrel. What can I say, I love clas-
sics. The newer guns just don’t
have the aesthetic appeal that clas-
sic rifles such as the Winchester
Model 70 holds for me. After
making a call to my gunsmith I
learned that the cost of rebarrel-
ling was roughly the same price
as a replacement firearm of equal
brand value. Without hesitation, I
pulled the trigger. Pun very much
intended. After several weeks, Old
Reliable was back at it again, bet-
ter than ever. Quality takes time.
You’ll have to be patient while
your gunsmith works his magic.
Boys
Baseball
Continued from Page B1
Continued from Page B1
these guys had an incredible
season,” he said.
He said it was hard for
the seniors to end their high
school career with the loss,
but added they had a great
year for Grant Union.
“Their leadership and
contribution to our program
will definitely be missed,”
he said.
Sharp said the future is
bright for his team, with
some depth developed
and all of their pitchers
returning.
“I was very proud of the
boys that they kept compet-
Grant Union hit the gas
in the bottom of the second
inning.
The Prospectors tied the
score when Langum sin-
gled and Mason Morris dou-
bled, sending his teammate
home. Peyton Neault, Logan
McCluskey and Jacob
Vaughan also doubled in the
inning to gain a 5-2 lead,
McCluskey with 2 RBIs.
The Honkers had two
runners on base in the fourth.
Then Tristan Morris struck
a batter out, and another
Honker was out at first.
Lakeview had the bases
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union/Prairie City Prospector first baseman Roen
Langum catches for an out in the second-round playoff
game against the Lakeview Honkers.
ing,” he said. “They could
have easily given up, but
they didn’t. They battled
until the end. They repre-
sented our community very
well.”
He added, “They know
that our chances for next
year look very good. I
know I’m already look-
ing forward to next
season.”
When going the rebuild route, you
can be certain you aren’t getting
a lemon, and you can have it built
for any caliber that your action is
compatible with.
Obviously not everyone will
choose to rebuild but rather to
replace when the time comes.
Whatever your budget, there are
options. Many of my friends like
the new cartridges, the look of car-
bon barrels, chassis stocks, obtuse
bolt handles and muzzle breaks.
Reinventions of the wheel abound
with technology improving by the
year. Some of the newer designs
are very basic and practical while
others are much more complex.
Anything that gets us out shooting
is a good thing. Whatever might
be your taste, there is something
out there for you.
Enjoy our articles? Please write
to shootingthebreezebme@gmail.
com!
Dale Valade is a local coun-
try gent with a deep love for hand-
loading, hunting and shooting.
loaded when Mason Morris
made the grab for the final
out of the inning.
Sharp said Mason “went
all out” for the sinking line
drive.
“That, right there, might
have been the difference in
the game,” Sharp said. “If
he misses that ball, it gets by
him, that’s three runs. That
was a heck of a play by a
freshman kid ... an incredi-
ble catch.”
Grant Union made steady
gains with one run in the
third and the fourth.
Prospector
Russell
Hodge, ninth in the lineup,
hit a double in the sixth
inning and scored a run off
of Tristan Morris’ double to
bring up the 8-4 lead.
Tristan Morris is Grant
WHAT ARE YOUR
Girls
MUST-HAVE CHANNELS?
Continued from Page B1
Union’s leadoff hitter, and
Sharp said he’s been a pleas-
ant surprise as pitcher.
“He
came
halfway
through the season and said
he’d like to pitch,” Sharp
said. He noted the junior had
previously injured his wrist
and wasn’t sure if he’d gain
mobility back.
“We got him in the bull
pen,” the coach said. “It was
just like — holy cow, he can
pitch.”
He said his team plays
with a lot of confidence,
and though they were down
early in the game against
Lakeview, they didn’t let it
rattle them.
“They just stay focused,
they stay positive, and they
just keep grinding away,” he
said.
baseman Marissa Smith
caught a foul ball for an
out in the third inning, and
forced several runners out at
first base.
“We had a really great
season, and even though
it didn’t end the way we
wanted it to, I wouldn’t trade
this team for the world,”
Smith said. “I’m very proud
of every single one of them.”
Williams said, although
they didn’t reach their ulti-
mate goal of winning state,
he’s still proud of his team.
“My girls have never
given up, they never gave up
that game, they kept trying,”
Williams said. “They’ve had
a great career. ... They’re
awesome.”
He said his seniors
Strong, Smith, Wright,
McKrola and Girvin “can-
not be replaced.”
“They’ve left a legacy
with the other girls that I
hope just continues to get
passed down of how to be
a leader, how to lead your
team, how to be human and
have good character, and
they’ve done a good job,”
Williams said.
DP HOME ENTERTAINMENT • 137 E MAIN ST., JOHN DAY • 541-575-1637
unable to score any runs,
senior Prospector Hailie
Wright had two hits, includ-
ing a double in the third
inning. She singled in the
fifth, advancing to third base
while senior Madi McKrola
was at bat and drew a walk.
Tiler Voigt, a junior, singled
in the fourth.
McKrola was walked
twice, and Wright and junior
Taylor Allen were also
walked.
North Douglas scored
on some of Grant Union’s
errors, including a couple
runs in the seventh when an
overthrown ball landed out
of play.
“Part of what got us into
trouble at the end was trying
too hard,” Williams said.
On the defensive side,
Grant Union’s three out-
fielders — Allen at left field,
center fielder junior Baylee
Combs and right fielder Kori
Jo Girvin — caught fly balls
for outs.
Grant Union senior first
Hero
Grant Union/Prairie City Prospector Macy Strong pitches the
Wednesday, May 22, game against the Lost River Raiders in
the second-round state playoff game in John Day.
$59.99
America’s Top 120 Plus
$69.99
America’s Top 200
$79.99
America’s Top 250
$89.99
122515
America’s Top 120
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
-a JJerson adniired for courage,
achievenzents ancl noble qualities
Softball
Everyday, we salute the heroes of our Armed Forces past and
present for their courage and dedication to our country.
Keith J. Thomas, MD, FACS
Board-Certified General Surgeon
Blue Mountain Hospital• 541-575-1311
Continued from Page B1
as somewhat of a surprise to
Williams.
“We didn’t do every-
thing wrong obviously, but
we made some mistakes that
we don’t generally make,”
he said.
“I think we were just
really jacked up,” he said.
“We’ve been playing for this
forever.”
He added, “When you’re
playing No. 1 vs. 16 and
you get to the fourth inning
and you’re 0-0 you start to
tighten up and get really
nervous.”
The fourth inning made
the difference in the game as
well as Macy Strong’s pitch-
ing, he said.
“We got some big hits
from the bottom of the
lineup, and it was huge,” he
said. “We’re excited to get
away from here with a win.”