yup, yellow jackets, no doubt! Best thing to do is fight the impulse to run or swat at them. I find the best thing to do is to stand perfectly still. Doesn't work for some hornets, but bumble bees, yellow jackets and wasps will not attack if you stand still. They might buzz you real close and if you swing at one, you are toast.

Sometimes you gotta shove that rod down the bore and whack the crap out of it, but some ways of doing it are smarter than others. First thing to do is to take the action out of the stock and strip the scope off. Pull the bolt and put it aside. Then you pour some penetrating oil down the bore and set it upright in the corner for a few days. At this point, I'll venture a gentle tap with the rod, and half the time you get lucky and it pops out.

Rod takes some mention, too. You want it as close to bore diameter as you can get it, polished, edges rounded, countersunk at the business end, and only about two inches sticking out the muzzle.

If it doesn't pop out, the next thing to do is to pull one of the cartridges like the one stuck. If it has less than a full case charge, you're sitting pretty. Clamp the barrelled action in a padded vise and sandbag the action. Slide your rod down the bore and wrap a piece of tape around the rod about an inch from the muzzle. Then tap. Gentle and persistent does it. You are moving the bullet back into the case and you can tell by your tape how much you moved it. There is no great danger until the bullet is against the powder, which is why you checked the other cartridge.

Once you've got the bullet moved back. It's time for more pentrating oil and another session in the corner. Get that powder oil soaked and it's harmless. Just in case, it goes back into the padded vise, the sand bags get stacked around and over the action, and THEN you pound the rod.

I never had one blow and I've done more than several. If it does blow, it'll blow out the case head because that has much less resistance than the long steel rod and the hammer driving it. I ain't gonna be in front of the muzzle, nohow.

Sometimes you have to do stuff that looks stupid, but you can do it as intelligently as possible.

Find an Herb store and get some Echinacia(sp) extract. After getting stung, put a couple of drops on the sting, then take a dropper full under your tongue. Maybe apply another couple of drops on the sting later. It should dissapear rather quickly, 15-20min? This stuff works great. It comes from a flower(echinacia) root, and is extracted with alchohol. If you can't find any locally, try www.herb-store.com

Thanks Glenn,

I've got some Echinacia capsules, but no extract. I ve go to try it.

Can't believe my arm's still swelling.

Someone told me one time if you put DSMO on the sting when it happens, it neutralizes the poisons- snakes too.

Anyone heard of that? I can't get it in freakin' Kommy Kalifornia though..

marlin:

If your arm is still swelling, better get to a doctor - you could be developing an allergic reaction, from which future stings can get you into SERIOUS trouble! If you DO have a true allergic response, the doctor can prescribe an emergency kit which you should always keep with you in case of future stings. I don't want to be alarmist, but this can be very dangerous.

floodgate

Well I meant the swelling hasn't gone down yet. They sting area swelled to like the size of a 1/4" thick biscuit.

I think if I was having a alergic reation, I would be ill in some kind of way, but I feel fine. They just itch like a mosqutio bite.

I would hate to get attacked by a bunch of them, then you would be in trouble, cause it hurt and burned pretty bad there for most of the day.

Bastreeds got me walking back from my 50 yarder.

THanks for the concern.