tonykharper
Well-known member
The Georgia Shaker has the most colorful and tragic history of any rifle I know.
This story has been told before but it is worth repeating. If I have some of the details wrong or I've overlooked something please post your remarks here.
When Bill Calfee built Georgia Shaker for Emery Smith it was a master piece. Emery took it down to Florida and immediately set a state IR 50/50 record with it.
But as many new owners do they think there is more to be had. Emery with help from friends took the rifle down to the "Barn" in North Carolina and proceeded to tune it.
The tuning didn't help, as a matter of fact Emery lost all confidence in the rifle.
Emery called Calfee and told him he thought the barrel went bad.
Calfee replaced the barrel but that didn't help. Still didn't shoot as Emery thought it should.
Emery enlisted the help of another well known gunsmith who looked at the gun and claimed the ignition was the problem.
So here is where the story gets extreme. They took a Flash Turbo pin around spring (PAS) actioned rifle and converted it to a spring around pin (SAP) ignition action.
This was no small undertaking. It was very hard to do. Not to mention so very very stupid. There is a lesson to be learned here.
Guys will go to the end of the earth to make a benchrest rifle to shoot, and these guys did.
But it was all in vane it just wouldn't shoot. This once highly prized, one of seven in the world, Calfee Spec rifles was ruined.
The rifle disappeared for a long time until William Casey bought it. He had Richard Gorham use other Turbo parts to put it back to PAS ignition. But for whatever reason Casey never shot the rifle much.
Casey has recently sent the Shaker to Jeff Patterson for a make over.
Jeff has fit a taper lapped Shilen Octagon barrel, repainted the stock and installed bumpers. The rifle looks amazing.
The first groups out of this rifle are just as amazing.
I think we are about to hear a lot more about this Georgia Shaker rifle.
Note: William Casey is the owner of Chickenfoot rifle range. When you are at Chickenfoot take a look at the Shaker it's worth a glance.
The lesson I mentioned is simply this. When you receive a new build shoot it enough to really know it. There is a learning curve with every rifle. Find good ammo for it. Don't be too quick to start fixing things.
TKH
This story has been told before but it is worth repeating. If I have some of the details wrong or I've overlooked something please post your remarks here.
When Bill Calfee built Georgia Shaker for Emery Smith it was a master piece. Emery took it down to Florida and immediately set a state IR 50/50 record with it.
But as many new owners do they think there is more to be had. Emery with help from friends took the rifle down to the "Barn" in North Carolina and proceeded to tune it.
The tuning didn't help, as a matter of fact Emery lost all confidence in the rifle.
Emery called Calfee and told him he thought the barrel went bad.
Calfee replaced the barrel but that didn't help. Still didn't shoot as Emery thought it should.
Emery enlisted the help of another well known gunsmith who looked at the gun and claimed the ignition was the problem.
So here is where the story gets extreme. They took a Flash Turbo pin around spring (PAS) actioned rifle and converted it to a spring around pin (SAP) ignition action.
This was no small undertaking. It was very hard to do. Not to mention so very very stupid. There is a lesson to be learned here.
Guys will go to the end of the earth to make a benchrest rifle to shoot, and these guys did.
But it was all in vane it just wouldn't shoot. This once highly prized, one of seven in the world, Calfee Spec rifles was ruined.
The rifle disappeared for a long time until William Casey bought it. He had Richard Gorham use other Turbo parts to put it back to PAS ignition. But for whatever reason Casey never shot the rifle much.
Casey has recently sent the Shaker to Jeff Patterson for a make over.
Jeff has fit a taper lapped Shilen Octagon barrel, repainted the stock and installed bumpers. The rifle looks amazing.
The first groups out of this rifle are just as amazing.
I think we are about to hear a lot more about this Georgia Shaker rifle.
Note: William Casey is the owner of Chickenfoot rifle range. When you are at Chickenfoot take a look at the Shaker it's worth a glance.
The lesson I mentioned is simply this. When you receive a new build shoot it enough to really know it. There is a learning curve with every rifle. Find good ammo for it. Don't be too quick to start fixing things.
TKH