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I just took my first shots with a test build of Bill Hays' Altoids Hunter. I used 5mm Baltic Birch - not a recommended material by the designer - but I wanted it thin, and wasn't ready to commit to aluminum or micarta.
I wanted it thin so I could get the pressure as far away from the base joint of my thumb as possible. Arthritis has started to flare up there, and at ECST this year it shut me down for a day until the advil finally got things under control.
Good news is that today, the thumb is only mildly tender. The new normal. Bad news is, I'll have to have another flare-up before I know if this build is a shooter I can use when it really hurts. I'm optimistic. I can use my index finger to "guide" pressure away from my thumb somewhat.
More good news is that even in thin ply, this is a great little shooter! I banded it up with my usual SS black tapered ½-¼ inch cut 14 inches long for a butterfly draw. I was on target quickly and consistently. And the light bands help keep the pressure on the light side. The ply shows no flex.
Now, I said, "little shooter." But it does not feel small. Whether it turns out to help my shooting during an arthritis flare-up or not, I think this one is going into regular rotation. I plan to hit it with some rattle-can paint as soon as I can talk myself into taking the bands off. There is probably a micarta build in the near future for me, and maybe a 10mm ply build after that because I think that thickness would be more comfortable for normal shooting.
I used the template Bill posted several years ago. He has built several variation, including my favorite, the Micro Hammer, that you can see on his Pocket Predator website gallery.

I wanted it thin so I could get the pressure as far away from the base joint of my thumb as possible. Arthritis has started to flare up there, and at ECST this year it shut me down for a day until the advil finally got things under control.
Good news is that today, the thumb is only mildly tender. The new normal. Bad news is, I'll have to have another flare-up before I know if this build is a shooter I can use when it really hurts. I'm optimistic. I can use my index finger to "guide" pressure away from my thumb somewhat.
More good news is that even in thin ply, this is a great little shooter! I banded it up with my usual SS black tapered ½-¼ inch cut 14 inches long for a butterfly draw. I was on target quickly and consistently. And the light bands help keep the pressure on the light side. The ply shows no flex.

Now, I said, "little shooter." But it does not feel small. Whether it turns out to help my shooting during an arthritis flare-up or not, I think this one is going into regular rotation. I plan to hit it with some rattle-can paint as soon as I can talk myself into taking the bands off. There is probably a micarta build in the near future for me, and maybe a 10mm ply build after that because I think that thickness would be more comfortable for normal shooting.
I used the template Bill posted several years ago. He has built several variation, including my favorite, the Micro Hammer, that you can see on his Pocket Predator website gallery.
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