Search Results for: grain mill

Using the Grain You Have Stored, by Naomi M.

…grain, but a basic rule of thumb is that a ratio of 1 part legume to 3 parts grain gives a well-balanced source of amino acids.  This is why it is recommended to store 100 lbs. beans for every 400 lbs. grain.  Rice and beans is a good protein meal, as is a peanut butter sandwich, or beans and bread. Whole grains vs. “polished” grains             A typical kernel of grain consists of a tiny part called the germ, which is where the new life is stored.  The germ is rich in vitamins and oils.  Wheat germ is a popular topping for health food types.  I remember the first time I heard of it, as a teenager:  “No, thanks!  I don’t want any germs on my food!”              Most of the kernel is composed of the endosperm, which is a chunk of carbohydrate designed to feed the growing plant until…


Inexpensive Expanding 7.62×39 Ammunition, by Tunnel Rabbit

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…with hog and deer hunters because it works reliably. However, velocity is only just 2,177 fps out of 16” barrels as measured during ballistic gelatin test (1). It could be that expansion might be greater, and initiated earlier, and be more effective at extended ranges using the 124-grain version, as it has a muzzle velocity closer to 2,400 fps, or about 150 to 200 fps faster. However, the trajectory is similar out to about 200 to 300 yards, as the 154-grain bullet has a higher ballistic coefficient and retains energy, whereas the lighter and faster 124-grain sheds velocity sooner. The 154-grain, or the 124-grain AK-47 bullets also tends not to be deflected by brush as much, as compared to 5.56 that will typically tend to deflect and tumble. As a rule, the heavier and slower the bullet, the less deflection occurs. Therefore the 154 grain would be my choice for…


Mid-Scale Grain Gardening in Alaska- Part 2, By Alaskan Gardeners

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…harvesting crew). What I wanted was something in-between the minimum and the commercial operation. Plot Size I was seeking a grain plot size and the necessary equipment sufficient to, with a large safety margin, produce enough grain for one or more families every year. My grain garden has been about 15,000 plus square feet (roughly ⅓ acre). Normally, this area will produce enough grain each year to provide us with several years of consumption. This mid-scale grain gardening requires more mechanical equipment than the minimum, but it provides the advantages of much larger grain production and a large reduction in physical labor and time per unit of grain harvested, as compared to the minimum. Using additional land and labor, these mid-scale techniques and equipment can be easily scaled up to produce sufficient grain to support the needs of ten or more families each year. (I have more about this later.)…


Sensible Long Range Cartridges, by Tunnel Rabbit

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…collect rust and dust. So I am attempting to drum up so interest. Yet the .30-06 is in the common caliber category. They out perform .308 by 150 to 250 fps at lower pressures. Lower pressure means, lower temperatures, and longer barrel life. With in 500 yards with well known loads, the difference is not much, but the heavy 200 grain will buck the wind like the 6.5 140 grain. And with hand loads, it will actually outperform even the 6.5 Creedmoor. With modern powders, the .30-06 is a light magnum with flat trajectories that is meaningful and comparable to .270 Winchester. For defensive work, this means range assessment is less of a problem. A battle field zero can be at 350 meters instead of 300 for the 7.62 NATO, when using my load of 63 grains in military brass of Superformance with a 150 grain at 3,080 fps. Hodgen…


The $100 Homestead Grain Winnower – Part 2, by PapaP

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…adaptations to the plans produced a working unit. Tweaks and Modifications One tweak that I made was to offset the grain inlet (component A) to the right in relationship to the blower assembly. This ensures that the person adding the grain to the winnower is not positioned directly over the blower. This makes it easier to add the uncleaned grain. Again, I’m glad I didn’t cement the components together so that I could make this adjustment. A second modification is to add a 1 foot piece of plastic rain gutter under the grain outlet to allow the grain to flow into a receptacle to the side of the winnower. Following the initial tests of the surrogate grain/shredded paper mix I made another modification. I added a 3″ long piece of 3″ diameter PVC pipe to the grain outlet at the bottom of the winnower (component E) and attached a 3″…


Mid-Scale Grain Gardening in Alaska- Part 4, By Alaskan Gardeners

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D Thomforde As a child in Minnesota I lived on a farm and in the early 1940’s I remember binders cutting grain, shocking the grain, groups of 25 or so farmers using a massive fixed threshing machine going from one farm to the next and hauling the bundles of grain from the fields to the machine and pitching them into the machine, a complex interaction of ownership of resources and cooperation between the farmers. The grain was placed in massive bins and most was fed to the animals on the farm. Then the use of combine came into our area and 5 years later, by about 1950, there were no more threshing machines in our area and each farmer either worked alone or hired it done, and then often sold the grain rather then using it on the farm, and the interrelationship between the farmers disappeared. Grain harvesting interactions that…


Choosing a Practical Antique Rifle – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

…SE, By Chuck Hawks. Chuck Hawk’s favorite cartridge was the 6.5×55. Here is his description: “The 6.5×55 is a forgiving, well balanced cartridge and practically any medium-slow burning rifle powder will prove suitable. Among the powders tested that provided top accuracy for Nosler technicians were VARGET (with 100 grain bullets), AA-3100 (with 120 grain bullets), IMR 4350 (with 125 grain bullets), and RL-22 (with 140 grain bullets). The Speer Reloading Manual No. 13 shows that their 120 grain spitzer bullet (BC .433) can be driven to a MV of 2650 fps with 45.0 grains of IMR 4831 powder, and 2886 fps with 49.0 grains of the same powder. The Speer 140 grain spitzer (BC .496) can be driven to a MV of 2449 fps by 44.0 grains of RL22 powder, and 2671 fps by 48.0 grains of RL22. Speer recommends the 120 grain bullet for antelope and the smaller deer,…


Food and Sundries Storage – Pt. 3, by Pete Thorsen

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…If you live in farming country, then you have very likely seen grain bins. Huge grain bins store an unbelievable amount of very edible grain. These bins are found near highways for ease of trucking or near railroad tracks for the same reason of shipping. Grain elevators store large amounts also, and those are common in towns and cities. Corn, oats, soybeans, and wheat are the common grains found in those bins. In most cases to use the grain best, you would need a grain mill. Or you could rub the grain between two rocks to make meal or flour. Or sprout the grain and eat the sprouts. When food is gone farmers will still very likely have grain still stored in those bins on their farms and that grain could be purchased or bartered for from those farmers. In truly desperate times grain bins in remote locations could be…


Scot’s Product Review: Winchester Ammunition

…something of a gold standard for accuracy in rifles with the right barrel, which means having a 1:9 or faster twist rate. Dabbling further, past 500 yards, shooters began trying 77 grain and heavier bullets with excellent results. The 77’s, however, are the heaviest that they have been able to get to work in AR magazines. Heavier ones are simply too long to fit, so they are used for hand fed single shots in slow fire or in bolt guns with longer magazines. The Winchester Match 69 grain load uses the storied Sierra MatchKing bullet, while the 77 grain one uses the well regarded Nosler Custom Competition bullet. The 77 grain load appears to have the primers sealed with lacquer, while the 69 grain does not. The primers on both appear to have a slight circular crimp applied but nothing like the heavily-staked crimp found on most military ammo. That…


How to Winnow, De-Hull, and Clean Your Own Home-Grown Grains, by Notutopia

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I thought I’d share some of the options available on de-hulling grain, for others, who are embarking on raising their own plot or field of grains and then plan to long term store their harvests. This information is also relevant to processing many varieties of grains, seeds and hulled legumes. Processing Overview There are several separate steps to the processing of grains to get them ready for storage, if, they are to be utilized for human consumption and not just for replanting as field seed. These steps include:  Harvesting or cutting the grain stalks, upright stacking the cut stalks and tying them in drying bundles and allowing them to field dry for several weeks, then de-heading the grain from the stalks by threshing, then winnowing the grain from the chaff, de-hulling the grain, and winnowing or cleaning  again to rid away the hulls, and then, storing the grain. If you…


Choosing a Practical Antique Rifle – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

…than .30 caliber bullets of the same weight. A 175-grain 7mm bullet shot at 7×57 velocities is roughly the equivalent of a 200-grain .30 caliber bullet shot from a .30-06, in terms of both velocity and sectional density. but of course the 200-grain bullet is more destructive because it is larger and puts more energy on the target. 7mm Mauser does usually recoil with more force than 6.5×55 when bullets heavier than 140 grains are used. It is however a better all-purpose game-getter. To keep chamber pressure below 46,000CUP and to produce a flat trajectory on par with the U.S. Army’s 7.62NATO match load or M80 ball, then we should use a 140-grain bullet. Good powders for this round are H4831, and H4350, but the most accurate powder that produces the highest velocity at a modest pressure is Varget. As a maximum load, use 40.5 grains of Varget under a…


Mid-Scale Grain Gardening in Alaska- Part 1, By Alaskan Gardeners

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…become a clean grain and hull-less, like wheat. After two years of trials, I concluded that the growing season was too short for rye to mature. Eventual Success with Hull-less Barley and Hull-less Oats Even with eventual success in growing hull-less barley and hull-less oats, the equipment for mid-scale grain harvesting (mid-scale is defined below) for retail purchase did not exist. I had to fabricate my own solutions. Much of what I learned was via the Internet, and I feel indebted. Aided by ideas from others, I have been able to assemble a relatively low-cost integrated system of solutions to grain harvesting in Alaska, or anywhere that grain will grow. The primary justification for this article is to share this information. It is “pay back” time, a time for me to share my experience with “others”, as there were previously “others” who shared their knowledge for me to utilize. Considering…


Pat’s Product Review: Glock 27 .40 S&W Pistol

…180-grain JHP and their 180 grain FMJ loadings.   I enjoyed the Black Hills 180-grain FMJ remanufactured load the most – the recoil wasn’t bad at all. I have to beg Black Hills for some more of this loading. It is a great range and target load. The 140-grain Barnes Tac-XP all-copper hollow point was a pleasant load, too – and would make an outstanding street load for self-defense, I’m really sold on the Barnes all-copper hollow points – they expand nicely and penetrate deeply. The Buffalo Bore 155-grain and 180-grain JHP +P loads had about the same felt-recoil in my opinion. And, for quite some time, I carried their 155-grain JHP load in various .40 S&W chambered handguns. The Buffalo Bore 140-grain and 125-grain standard pressure loads, with the Barnes Tac-XP all-copper bullets really got my attention in the little Glock 27. They seemed hotter, and had more recoil…


6.5 Creedmoor for Survival? by John McAdams

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…bullet weights in the 95-160 grain range, with 120, 140, and 143 grain bullets being the most common. Finally, most .308 Winchester factory loads use bullets in the 110-180 grain range. 150 grain, 165 grain, 168 grain, and 180 grain bullets are the most popular for that cartridge. The 55 grain, 62 grain, and 77 grain .224” bullets have sectional densities of .157, .177, and .219 respectively. The .308 Winchester typically shoots bullets with a slightly higher sectional density. 150 grain, 168 grain, and 180 grain .308” bullets have sectional densities of .226, .253, and .271 respectively. Compare those figures to 120 grain, 140 grain, and 143 grain .264” bullets with sectional densities .246, .287, and .293 respectively. As you can see, the .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor both have a pretty sizeable advantage over the .223 Remington in this area, but the 6.5 Creedmoor has a slight edge over…


Pat’s Product Review: Family Grain Mill

…cracked wheat, etc.   She also found some tricks that make 100% whole wheat bread lighter. 1. Run the grain through the mill twice for a finer, lighter flour. 2. To minimize gluten with the same effect for light bread, shake whole wheat flour through a wire mesh strainer and even dump in the bran or coarser pieces that don’t sift through.  It does NOT work if you sift through a crank sifter. (for whatever reason this works -I can’t explain.  I tried it and got nice light bread.) 3. Knead bread for 20-30 minutes.   There are various options you can add to your Family Grain Mill. However, the basic mill starts at only $139.95 with free shipping – making it one of the least expensive grain mills on the market. However, I highly recommend adding some options to your grain mill. If you have any questions, contact the Internet…