JohnfromUK
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Posts posted by JohnfromUK
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4 minutes ago, Smokersmith said:
Normally flu 'goes away' over the summer … does anyone know if were likely to get some respite through this?
From what I have read, it is thought likely, but no one knows for certain. Part of the reason is said to be that people spend more time in the fresh air and less cooped up in enclosed spaces.
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22 minutes ago, RockySpears said:
Either it is not "just the Flu" and they are justified in their actions, but this means they know it is more than "just the Flu" and are not telling us this.
Or ...
They just want more control over our lives while the crashing economies, which was coming anyway, happens.
Society reacts in strange ways to new 'unknown' threats.
Flu is a nasty illness - it makes most people quite ill for a week or two - and takes a long time to fully recover. A some don't recover - and it is actually quite a large figure, but mostly those with other underlying conditions who are least able to fight the nasty illness of flu. But we as a world society have grown to accept flu. Yes - we take precautions and vaccinate in the richer societies - I myself get vaccinated voluntarily every year and pay to have a vaccination because I don't underestimate flu.
Lots of people also die from alcohol, smoking etc., but again we are used to those risks and understand them (or think we do).
This new virus is unknown - hence the risks are unknown and the stock markets are 'spooked', the countries are taking quite tough measures to contain it. If we believe what we are told, China is having success in this area. Wuhan is a city of 11 million people. There have been about 85,000 cases in China, mostly in Wuhan. That is about 1% of the Wuhan population. Tim Cook of Apple says that supplies from China are getting back to 'normal' as the Chinese get things under control.
It has the capability to spread widely because modern society is very mobile. I find it worrying that it has spread to Africa where care is less developed, but that was pretty much inevitable given the close ties between Africa and China.
Maybe it will end up like Spanish Flu 100 years ago and kill a huge number of people, but no one can say with certainty. One day - someting like that will happen - and this could be that day ........ but no one knows.
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9 minutes ago, Jaymo said:
Those who say they have flu, have a cold!!!
Those who have flu, can’t, as you literally cannot comprehend anything except life as you lay there aching so much that you cannot move.....
The real 'flu put me in bed for over a week on each occasion - and I am someone who has never had more than 2 days in bed for anything else (including operations under general anaesthetic and a suspected heart attack). Colds might make me have an early night.
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3 minutes ago, Retsdon said:
How many times have you had the flu yourself?
In my life (I'm near enough 63) - I have had proper 'flu probably twice. Having said that - I have had a vaccination probably 15 to 20 years over my life including continuously over the last 5 or so years.
I have however had many what I consider to be a bad cold - but some people call 'flu. It is a question to which you will get a variety of answers because the perception of "flu" differs so much.
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20 minutes ago, henry d said:
The problem with those figures is that cancer, diabetes, heart disease etc are not transmitted from person to person, this virus is.
That is of course true, but flu (which has had its figures quoted earlier in the thread) is similarly transmitted. I think the key thing at present (and it may not remain that way) is that in thre big picture of mortality, corona virus barely figures.
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In perspective (copied from post elsewhere, but no reason to doubt it)
One of the worst days so far for Coronavirus was the 10th of February. On that day, 108 persons in CHINA died of Coronavirus.
BUT, on the same day
26,283 people died of Cancer
24,641 people died of Heart Disease
4,300 people died of Diabetes
and on that day, Suicide, unfortunately, took more lives than the virus did, by 28 times.
Moreover, Mosquitoes kill 2,740 people every day, HUMANS kill 1,300 fellow humans every day and Snakes kill 137 people every day. -
7 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:
I am on a fixed tarrif!
My tariff is fixed; it is the amount of gas that I use that varies dramatically - and I pay a fixed 3.xyz pence per KWhr. I only put xyz because I can't remember those figures without looking up! In cold weather, the boiler working hard can (in theory) eat its way through 42 KWhrs per hour, so it gets expensive quickly. In practice it cuts back automatically once things warm up a bit and radiators begin to shut down.
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2 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:
Oh I used to do it that way, but when you get to at least double of the amount you pay for both fuels in credit at this time of year I would rather have the money back in my account.
The issue for me is that the gas varies so greatly according to the weather. Although it hasn't happened to date, I can see gas could cost over £150, maybe even £200 in a winter month with hard weather, but virtually nothing (under £10) in the summer, - so it does help me to have a fixed 'average' payment to make. Currently (mid February) I have a small debit balance with them - which is fine as we are well through winter, although so far it has been a relatively mild winter.
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I pay a fixed monthly amount. When it is about right I enter the winter in credit, pass through 'balance' probably in January into debit, then from about mid - late April onwards the debit starts to come down again when the heating is turned off.
The actual variation is in the gas used for heating (I pay gas and electricity together). Electricity averages about 10-11 KWhrs a day (£1.50 ish) and doesn't vary much through the seasons, but gas is as low as 5 KWhr in the summer (15p) , and probably nudging towards 200 KWhr a day (£6) on a cold windy winter day when I have visitors (visitors need more heat than I do apparently).
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2 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:
hello, i was interested to see the cost of home load lead shot compared to steel, quite a difference in price but i would say the shot cups would cost more?
As a non home loader, I can't comment because I don't know the pricing. I suppose it depends on;
- The raw material (e.g. degradable plastic, mouldable fibre or whatever) cost and availability
- The volumes made - if it is just a 'part' already made for factory loaders - this may (should) hepp
- How they choose to price it - which will depend on what competition there is I suspect.
If only one supply is made specially for home loaders and not just a 'diversion' of a design made for factory loading - I guess it may be expensive. If on the other hand some plastic supplier in China or somewhere moulds billions for all of the main cartridge suppliers and does say 'bags of 1000' for home loaders as a sideline, it may be very competitive.
Like I say, I don't understand the market (or the marketing) that may apply
6 minutes ago, wymberley said:
Just one point - a small gap is still a big gap to anyone affected by it.
I'm taking a positive view - maybe in 4 years and 6 months time - I may be panicking ........ but not yet.
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4 minutes ago, Old farrier said:
The problem is to comply with a voluntary ban you must have the means to do it
the product is not available to comply
For many of us - it won't be at 'day 1', but at some stage over the next 5 years - I think that many peoples needs for a suitable ready loaded cartridge will be met - and I will try them then ....... and take it from there. I can't really comment on home load materials because I'm not a home loader, so don't really know the market - but like so many things - if there is a market there, someone is likely to fill it.
IF at the end of 5 years (and I think it is highly unlikely) there are big gaps where no suitable cartridge is available - I will be lobbying the organisations for delay/suspension/alternatives, and lobbying the cartridge makers for getting their act together to meet the need.
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47 minutes ago, hod said:
🤣 just as well you added the last bit... everyone was reaching for their keyboards!
Even Diane Abbott could have got close of that was the answer!
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3 minutes ago, mick miller said:
It isn't a problem? Really?
It is a well known 'problem' - and well understood - because it is neither 'new' or starting with the present 5 year plan.
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2 minutes ago, mick miller said:
after ingesting steel shot game.
It isn't a new problem. Steel shot has been used for some 'edible' game such as wildfowl for some considerable time - and is widely used elsewhere in the world.
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7 minutes ago, Smokersmith said:
It’s a 5 year heads up.
This /\
I have to admit ...... the way this came out - initially by rumour, then public announcement before anything to paying members seemed 'insensitive' and in a way, still does. However, it is difficult to see how other ways could have been done without lots of upsets along the lines of the organisations 'not consulting', or 'consulting then ignoring' and the like.
None of us like change, especially when the mitigations aren't clear, and some of our treasured possessions and valued activities are involved. However, a lead ban has been on the cards for some time - via the EU. Banning is how the EU operates, whether it is high powered vacuum cleaners, chlorine washed chicken, lead shot. That is how their core 'single market' is underpinned. They are a big heavily regulated organisation that basically doesn't have to listen to its public.
Realistically - we were always going to have to conform, whether in or out of the EU. Likewise with plastic, though the technical and implementation aspects were easier with lead (fibre wads and collect/recycle spent cases).
So, the cartridge industry has 5 years to come up with sensibly priced alternatives in steel/iron (or whatever) and wad/case materials. The manufacturer(s) who get this right should gain market share.
Personally I won't be cancelling any organisation membership, rushing to sell off my 'non lead' guns, or any other knee jerk reaction. I'm going to continue 'as now' and see what suitable products emerge over the 5 year period - and give those that look promising a fair trial.
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1 minute ago, oowee said:
Its so much more than just the lead. Single use plastics from wads to cases. It cant be right to claim to love the countryside and at the same time despoil it with waste.
I admit to guilt on the lead front.
However I have not used a plastic wad from choice for many years on clays or game. I say 'from choice' because I suspect I may have used the occasional one with my very occasional non toxic cartridge I have used. I ALWAYS collect cases and don't quite know if they actually get recycled or not (I don't reload). For some years I used paper cases, but really gave up due to the large price premium. I can't recall ever having trouble with them swelling, but perhaps I was lucky.
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So far - in the UK, 13 people have been infected. 8 have made a full recovery. 5 are still 'ill'. No one has died. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
If I was a statistician, I think I would say that in the UK your chances of dying from it are very low indeed. In the same period (roughly February) no doubt about half a dozen will have won the lottery, a about 10-15 will have died in road accidents.
I suspect it will get much bigger here, and that there will be deaths, but at present it looks like they will be low. Ordinary flu kills anything from 600 to 12,000 to 13,000 in the 2008-9 flu season - which was a bad one. https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/influenza-flu
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15 minutes ago, Vince Green said:
That's the danger with volunteering I am told
I think that is true of a lot of places. I had intended to volunteer at a local National Trust property. Two people I know volunteer there and both quite enjoy it - but both have also mentioned the 'politics'. The reason I didn't is simply that I have more than enough to do in my own house/garden!
One thing that does interest a lot of people (especially those who aren't perhaps keen on DIY, carpentry etc.) in retirement is tracing family history and compiling a family tree. Mine was done by an ancestor up to his 'lifetime' (1930 ish) and I have brought it up to date and added some photos of the places my ancestors lived.
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20 minutes ago, enfieldspares said:
Steel is in fact soft (as much as iron can be "soft") soft iron. Damascus steel barrels are softer iron. The shot column as it passes up the bore of the gun is compressed by the walls of the barrel.When soft iron shot meets softer iron damascus steel barrels have a guess which on the two will win the tussle? It's why pressures that might split conventional steel barrels that we use today often merely bulge old damascus barrels.
My understanding is that the wads used with steel (agreed strictly iron) entirely prevents contact with the barrels (unlike lead, where contact is allowed and is normal with fibre wads), so I'm not sure that there is an issue. I intend to take a gunmaker's advice as and when suitable length cased cartridges become available.
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4 minutes ago, panoma1 said:
I am pretty sure that most sound guns (even with Damascus barrels) in good condition, would be fine to use with most appropriate, commercially loaded cartridges, provided the bores were protected from damage from hard non toxic shot!
That is my feeling as well, but I will talk to my gunmaker friend to see if there is something I'm not aware of.
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1 minute ago, Penelope said:
Bismuth is just too expensive for anything where a few shots may be had.
Agreed, but steel in 2 1/2" isn't currently available, but I believe will be. It may prove to be a bit limited in range though? I'm going to wait, then try some.
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13 minutes ago, Penelope said:
The uncertainty regarding suitable and cost effective ammunition has scuppered that plan.
You are right in that there is 'uncertainty'. However, I believe it will be resolved by 2 1/2" compatible ammunition. How effective that ammunition (and what it will cost) will be remains to be seen, but my guess is that for 'normal' style shooting, it will be at the very least adequate.
I believe bismuth is currently available in 2 1/2, but hard to find a local supplier, but (for me anyway) prohibitively expensive. I keep a box of bismuth in 2 3/4" (which is widely available locally though still expensive) and use it in an AyA where I have to use non toxic (very rarely for me).
1 minute ago, Blackpowder said:I am a bit sad that my investment with damascus barrels has been rendered worthless but in the meantime will continue to enjoy its perfect balance and superb handling.
I am not sure what the issue is with Damascus. IF the shot is contained within a wad (as I believe it must be for steel) I can't see there being a problem. I intend to discuss this with my gunmaker friend next time I see him. My Damascus barrels are in nitro and passed the same proof test as steel barrels. If there is no contact with the shot, I'm not sure where the 'risk' lies? I do wonder if it is just a "not to be used in twist or Damascus barrels" warning on the box - which is printed on most ammunition anyway.
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1 minute ago, Walker570 said:
The Chinese did grasp the nettle once and restricted birth rates. The rest of the world should do the same. THAT would reduce pollution quicker than anything
+1;
Overpopulation is putting pressure on the planet in SO MANY ways. Off topic for here, but gradually reducing population would ease a lot of pressures
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14 minutes ago, Vince Green said:
Even in 1918/19 the virus spread around the world like a wildfire. Scientists still cant work out how it broke out apparently spontaniously in far flung corners. So what chance do we stand today?
Yes, I have heard that.
Lead ban & BASC
in General Shooting Matters
Posted
An interesting response.