HOW NOT TO DIE :
1ST ANNUAL SURVIVAL GUIDE!
RAW STEEL
NITRIC
ACID
HOW TO HUNT THE
The Art Of Longrifles GUN REVIEWS ALSO INSIDE
MODERN COPS Changing Tactics
Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV Chiappa’s X-Caliber Survival Rifle
CHAMPIONS Of The Precision Rifle Series
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A MERIC A N
SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 4 // ISSUE 2 // October 2015 PUBLISHER
James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Dick Openshaw GENERAL MANAGER
John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Andy Walgamott
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
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OCT. 10th & 11th, 2015
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ON THE COVER Nathan Blauch, an avid longrifle builder, attended the 2015 Kentucky rifle-building seminar with Herschel House, founder of the Woodbury School Of Gun Making, just off the banks of the Green River in Woodbury, Ky. (JOE PUCCIARELLI JR)
MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
CONTENTS
VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 2 • OCTOber 2015
CLASS IS IN SESSION!
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The enthusiasts and educators of primitive rifle building hail from lands far and wide. Join mastercraftsmen in the heart of Kentucky as they forge their art and ensure these skills never die. (JOE PUCCIARELLI JR.)
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How Not To Die You may think Tom Claycomb III sits in a bunker, rifle in hand, waiting for the next apocalyptic winter to set in, but we say he’s just prepared. He’s shares a few lessons on what not to do when trying to survive the outdoors.
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Beginner’s Guide To Prepping Outdoor expert John Woods lays out the plan for what you need to start the fledgling steps into your continued existence on Planet Earth.
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Urban Survival Everyone and their uncle wants to know about how to survive the next
zomb-tastrophe and to heck with the dangers of the reality-based world we tread in day in and day out. Not Tatiana Whitlock. She shares how to build the best, most streamlined EDC kit that’ll get you ready for handling anything!
hunt the West this year, but not for Scott Haugen – opportunity is the more like it! By using tactics and hunting in places you might not have considered, expect to fill your freezer this barren season. 155
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Your First Black Powder Hunt Before you take that first shot, sit down, take a load (pun intended) off and listen to words of wisdom from a muzzleloader of many moons.
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ROADHUNTER: Hunting The Drought The word “drought” may conjure up visions of woe if you’re planning to
Range Day! What happens when a gun magazine takes their staff out for an outing at the range? Lots of grinning! The Renton Fish and Game Club outside Seattle hosted American Shooting Journal’s day at the range and we had, er, a blast! Check out the photos of our ladies and gents on the line, and all the guns we got to shoot!
AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2015 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
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CONTENTS
72
Also inside 29 30 49 51 56
59 111 121 137 141 149
GUN REVIEW: Chiappa’s X-Caliber survival rifle Advertorial: Seychelle filtered waterbottle Product Review: Ready America GUN REVIEW: Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV Survival tips from the pros - Sleeping, bags, quilts and pads - Necessary bivouacking gear War Story: Special patrol in Vietnam Product Review: See All Open Sight Product Review: Black Hole Weaponry Product Review: Life Straw Reloading: Progressive vs. single presses The story behind the FloJak Earth Straw
DEPARTMENTS 17 19 21 23 25 98
Editor’s Note Correspondence Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar Top Shooters: Reader pics A Salute To America’s Armed Forces
BEHIND THE BADGE
Fighting crime while holding the hand of the autistic, Laurie Reyes (right) of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department tirelessly changes the hearts, minds and sounds of her community, setting a precedent for law enforcement everywhere. (LAURIE REYES) (STICKMAN)
MADE IN N THE E USA FEATURED D COMPANY: YH HM
Yankee Hill Machine is a third-generation, family-run Massachusetts business designing and manufacturing quality firearms, firearms accessories and sound suppressors. The YHM team proudly delivers on the tagline "Exceeding Expectations" during every step of the product development process and throughout every contact with customers. We have the top-of-the-line manufacturing capabilities but have never lost the family touch that our customers have come to expect, maintaining the principles upon which the company was built: Quality, Engineering, Performance and Value. Quality: YHM's Assurance Program that conforms to strict Military Standards. Our facilities include the most modern inspection equipment and our staff is trained in the latest up to date quality procedures, including Statistical Process Control. Engineering: We have a team of engineers who in addition to being highly trained, are firearms enthusiasts. Their education coupled with their innate knowledge of our products meet to bring about a skillfully engineered product line with the end user's needs in mind. Performance: YHM prides itself on consistently providing the customer with the highest quality products and on time deliveries. Our facilities allow us to keep up with production to meet customer needs. If a product is on our website, it is available for sale and shipping: no backorders, no hassles. Value: The manufacturing process of each YHM product is extremely efficient because they are designed and produced in-house. The cost-savings in the production process is passed along to our customers who can expect quality products at fair prices. Our workforce is comprised of Americans, taking pride in producing quality products, for Americans. Yankee Hill Machine: Exceeding Expectations.TM Learn more about YHM and our product line at: www.yhm.net.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
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ome people feel accomplished when five o’clock rolls around and they have not perished. For others, it may be the success of braving the elements for a week camping or hunting in the wild outdoors and not succumbing to the elements, bears or spiders. Some fight wars in far-off lands surrounded by 42 shades of tan, and rate their success on having lived through each meal amongst the barrage of rockets, while still others, after having answered 911 calls all day, feel they’ve survived by simply making it home safely. I cannot seem to make it through the day without being barraged with hundreds of Nerf projectiles fired by my workmates, but manage to survive using my ninja skills. Whichever category you fall into, as humans, we all have some very basic survival needs. Which brings me to ... WELCOME TO THE SURVIVAL GUIDE! In this issue we have focused our sights (gun-magazine pun intended) on what it takes to be prepared, think ahead and survive whether you are camping, lost in the woods, a snowpacolypse has come, or worse, a tornado, hurricane or EMP blast from space has rendered every electronic device moot. Simply
stated, this is all about how not to die! So, cozy up in your bunker and learn what it takes to make a difference for you and your family when you need it most. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE, and how appropriate – as if it were on purpose – we are featuring the annual Kentucky Rifle Building Seminar, where people go to learn the mastercraftsman trade of building a rifle from bare wood and steel, using handmade tools, fire, anvils, sweat and determination Executive editor Danielle Breteau coupled with finesse and attention to detail. Meet the teachers, who should have (ICHIRO NAGATA) been born 300 years ago, and Nathan Blauch, a Kentucky rifle builder, who is featured on our cover – and a descendant of Grizzly Adams, I’m certain. NEXT MONTH is our Veterans issue, in which we salute the men and women of the Armed Forces. No matter what branch of the military – yes, including the Coast Guard, Chris Costa – the American Shooting Journal salutes you everyday!
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CORRESPONDENCE
POP QUIZ WINNER! This month the American Shooting Journal popped a quiz on our Facebook page, asking readers: What is this gun?
Screenshot of our pop quiz on Facebook.
This gun is a French Lefaucheux 20-round, double-barreled, pinďŹ re revolver designed by Casimir Lefaucheux. It featured two barrels in an over-and-under format, and it used a 7.65mm pin-ďŹ re caliber, which was also designed by Lefaucheux in 1823. This gun was known to have been used during the Civil War. The winner of our pop quiz is:
John Clancy of Newark, Delaware Also, we have to give a special mention to Danyon Joseph Loader who also gave the correct answer, if only a few minutes too late. John Clancy received a goody bag with treasures from CRKT, Browning, and Specialized Safety Products. BONUS! americanshootingjournal.com 19
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
Bradley Allen LRH Division Winner
COMPETITION C A L E N D A R
Jim See shooting for Surgeon Rifles at the 2015 Precision Rifle Match in Arizona. (JIM SEE)
Oct 3 - 4 Northwest Precision Steel Challenge Finale St. John, Wash. Rock Lake Rifle Range
Oct 16 - 18
Oct 17 - 18
Oct 23 - 25
2015 Precision Bushnell “GAP Grind” Finger, Tenn. K&M Shooting Complex
Steel City Precision Match Hoover, Ala. Brock’s Gap Training Center
2015 Team Safari Match Logan, N.M. Blue Steel Ranch
Oct 3 - 4
Oct 10 - 11
Oct 13 - 18
Georgia State Championship Gainesville, Ga. Chicopee Woods Center
PA State Championship Centre Hall, Pa. Grange Equestrian Park
Tony Lama World Championship Amarillo, Texas Tri-State Expo & Fairgrounds
Oct 4
Oct 9 - 10
Oct 17
CC 3-Gun Series Match Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi Pistol & Rifle Club
3-Gun Remington Nationals Tulsa, Okla. USA Shooting Academy
GTR 3-GUN Match Series Gainesville, Fla. Gainesville Target Range
Oct 2 - 4
Oct 16 - 18
Oct 25
Ohio State International Trap Championship Harrison, Ohio Fairfield Sportsmen’s Association
ACUI Lower Midwest Championships San Antonio, Texas San Antonio Gun Club
2015 MSU Air Rifle And Pistol Lansing, Mich. Demmer Center
Oct 3 - 4
Oct 8 - 11
Oct 17 - 25
BIG BLAST - Claythorne Fall Festival Columbus, Kan. Claythorne Lodge
BIG BLAST - Harvest Moon Classic Lakewood Ranch, Fla. Ancient Oak Gun Club
National Sporting Clay Championships San Antonio, Texas National Shooting Complex
Oct 3 - 5
OCT 12 - 20
Oct 17 - 18
Boy Scout Camporee Friendship, Ind. NMLRA Walter Cline Range
National Championships Friendship, Ind. Walter Cline Range
Miami Long-Range Knockdown Silhouette Friendship, Ind. Walter Cline Range
Sept 25 - Oct 2
Oct 29 - Nov 1
2015 World Skeet Championships San Antonio, Texas National Shooting Complex
Top 100 - 38th Octoberfest St. Augustine, Fla. St. Augustine Rod & Gun Club
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY
PRIMER
GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R
Oct 2 - 4
A 1938 Party Leader Walther PPK with belt and holster. These would have been issued to Nazi political leaders before and during World War II. The grip is the most expensive part of this pistol. (LEGACY COLLECTIBLES)
Lincoln County Gunshow Moscow Mills, Mo. Tri-County Sports Center Philadelphia Gunshow Oaks, Pa. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center The Nation’s Gunshow Chantilly, Va. Dulles Expo Center
Oct 3 - 4 Tanner Gunshow Pueblo, Colo. Colorado State Fairgrounds Midwest Gunshow Mayfield, Ky. Graves County Fairgrounds RK Gunshow Farmington, Mo. Civic Center Showmasters Gun And Knife Show Fairmont, Va. National Guard Armory
Austin Highway Gunshow San Antonio, Texas Austin Highway Event Center
Washington Arms Collectors Gunshow Monroe, Wash. Evergreen State Fairgrounds
Oct 16 - 18
Oct 24 - 25
Oct 10
Militia Armaments Gunshow Hannibal, Mo. The Armory
Prospectors Sertoma Gunshow Colorado Springs, Colo. Colorado Springs Event Center
Kansas Gunshow Paola, Kan. American Legion
Collectors West Gunshow Portland, Ore. Portland Expo Center
Crossroads Of The West Las Vegas, Nev. Cashman Center
Oct 10 - 11
Cowboy Hall Of Fame Fort Worth, Texas Historic Stockyards
Shoals Gun And Knife Show Muscle Shoals, Ala. North Alabama State Fairgrounds
Oct 17 - 18
Roadrunner Gunshow Tucson, Ariz. Tucson Sabbar Shrine
SCI Gunshow Walla Walla, Wash. Walla Walla County Fairgrounds
Crossroads Of The West San Francisco, Calif. The Cow Palace Great American Gun And Knife Show Stuart, Fla. Martin County Fairgrounds
SCAC Gunshow Greenville, S.C. TD Convention Center
NGA Gunshow Varnell, Ga. City of Varnell Gym
Dan’s Five Star Gunshow Fort Worth, Texas Texas Motor Speedway
RK Gunshow Joplin, Mo. Holiday Inn Conference Center
Tier 1 Gunshow Mesquite, Texas Rodeo Convention Center
Big Town Gunshow Mesquite, Texas Big Town Event Center
NGA Gunshow Clarksville, Ga. Habersham County Fairgrounds Appalachian Gunshow Upper Marlboro, Md. Showplace Arena C&E Gunshow Winston-Salem, N.C. LJVM Coliseum Complex
To have your event highlighted here send us an email at Dani@AmericanShootingJournal.com.
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PRIMER
TOP SHOOTERS 1.
Judith Caton shootin’ the breeze with pop Jon Caton. (ROBERT CAMPBELL)
2.
Adam Thomas broke the long-standing 40-second barrier at this year’s Scholastic Pistol Program High School Nationals in Sparta, Ill. (JAMES COFFEY)
3.
Jake Overstreet shot as the “number 4 man” on the recordsetting Scholastic Pistol Program’s Team Gotta rimfire team in 2015. (JAMES COFFEY)
4.
Larry Case loves mentoring the next generation in Beckley, W.Va. (LARRY CASE)
5.
Rod Vetter of Illinois shooting FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse, or the international version of sporting clays) at the 2015 NSCA US Open Championship, at Northbrook Sports Club in Grayslake, Ill. (DANA FARRELL)
6.
Providing backup, Larry Case helps his partner fine tune his aim on a Remington 870, 20-gauge shotgun in Beckley, W.Va. (LARRY CASE)
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PRIMER
TOP SHOOTERS 7.
Jack Ellis takes aim with his Marlin .22 rifle with a Bushnell Red Dot scope. (LARRY CASE)
8.
Jeremy Buskirk of Michigan rocks the 5-stand at the 2015 Michigan State Sporting Clays Championships with his 12-gauge Beretta 391 on. (DANA FARRELL) Living the primitive life, Mike Nesbitt fires off his .54-caliber Leman flintlock, nicknamed Tacky Too, at a rendezvous in Montana.
9.
(DAN BOURNE)
10.
Nicole Macioroski, out of Crawfordsville, Ore., grinning after singlehandedly winning the West with her .22-caliber revolver. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)
11.
12. 13. 14.
Troy Rodakowski playing hide and seek behind his custom MOA long-range 7mm WSM topped with a Nightforce scope on his family’s farm near Junction City, Ore. You know we can see you, Troy! (TROY RODAKOWSKI) Stand aside as competitive shooter Piper Hattox takes aim with a Ruger 22/45 Lite complete with full Tandemkross customization and a C-More sight. (OLEG VOLK) Keri Wright demonstrates elegance in motion with ISSC SPA toggle lock .22 rifle and Primary Arms rimfire BDC scope. (OLEG VOLK) Luke Hasse sporting the awesome custom Saiga 12-gauge shotgun with 12-round Pro-mag drum magazine. (OLEG VOLK)
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gun reviews
ONE LIFE, ONE GUN
Chiappa’s X-Caliber Redefines The Survival Gun REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANK JARDIM The Chiappa X-Caliber Survival gun has a 12-gauge barrel on top and .22LR barrel on the bottom. With the included inserts, this gun can accommodate .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W, .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44 Special/.44 Magnum, .45 ACP, .410 gauge/.45 Colt, and 20-gauge shotgun.
C
onsider a scenario where you are indefinitely cut off from the security and comfort of civilization and have to survive on your own, living off the land and protecting yourself from man and beast. If you could take one gun, what would it be? If you said your Remington 700 in .270 Roberts, you may not last long. It’s great for large game, but will make a mess out of small animals. As much as it will cause AR-15 enthusiasts to collapse in fits of apoplexy, a 5.56mm NATO rifle is not going to get you very far either, but at least the ammo is a lot more common. Your 12-gauge shotgun seems like it would be a good choice because, with the right shells, you can protect yourself as well as hunt a wide range of animals. The problem with the 12-gauge is that the ammunition is so big and heavy, you can’t carry much of it. On the other side of the spectrum a .22 rifle would keep your belly full of squirrels, and 1,000 rounds of ammo would require the same space as 35 shotgun shells. The downside is you won’t be shooting any birds on the wing with a .22, and its value as a defensive round is pretty low if you run into anything unfriendly.
THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE was on the right track to the perfect survival gun when they fielded the M6 in the 1950s. It was a 3¾-pound, over-and-under double-barreled weapon, chambered in .22 Hornet on the top and .410 shotgun below. The exposed and unsupported barrels were only 14 inches long, and the gun folded in half to a compact 15-inch overall length. Ammunition was stored in the skeletonized sheet metal buttstock. With the M6, a downed pilot had the means to hunt small game. For all its merits, though, the original had a few flaws. Its barrels and sight radius were very short and the sights were fixed. It had no guard over its unusual wrist-mounted lever trigger, and it was chambered in American sporting calibers, so once the aircrew used up their ammo, there was little chance of obtaining more in hostile foreign territory. CHIAPPA FIREARMS has created their own interpretation of the military M6 rifle and shotgun called the X-Caliber. It’s more versatile, practical and safer than the original. They built their gun with an 18½-inch, 12-gauge barrel on top and a .22 long rifle on the bottom. The caliber selection alone is americanshootingjournal.com 29
gun reviews The 8-inch inserts allow the shooter up to 12 different potential calibers. Due to their short length, this is not a precision firearm, but will definitely get the job done at closer ranges.
enough to give this gun a serious advantage over all other survival-type guns on the market, but Chiappa took it a step further and created a compact subcaliber insert kit that allows the weapon to shoot a total of 12 different calibers. The steel inserts are 8 inches long and fitted with an O-ring
TE RA T ! A FL PING 5 .9 IP $9 SH
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to hold them in the chamber. They are stored and carried in a well-designed belt pouch to protect them. The eight subcaliber inserts, in their case, weigh 4½ pounds. Having a set of inserts greatly increases your ability to survive because you can now use a wide range of cartridges. The inserts are not going to produce rifle velocities or precision accuracy, due to their length, but they will deliver good practical accuracy at short ranges. Chiappa could have made full-length inserts, but they would be clumsy and ill-suited to a life on the move in uncivilized places. This gun is designed for mobility, to carry on your back with the bare necessities of survival as you stay a few steps ahead of trouble. This is your bug-out bag gun. THE X-CALIBER has a lot of other features worthy of note. It has a fiber-optic front sight for high visibility in low-light conditions, coupled with a rear sight adjustable for windage
Š2015 Olin Corporation
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gun reviews and elevation. It uses dual triggers instead of the old M6’s selector knob, and has a robust combination trigger guard/cocking lever/action latch. Three 3-inch sections of nonmetallic Picatinny quad rails are screwed to the top and sides of the receiver, and there is an easy-to-manipulate sliding safety switch on top of the stock wrist. There are attachment points for a sling on the front sight and in the side of the buttstock frame. To handle heavy recoil, Chiappa The foam-padded stock offers slots for storing five .22 LR rounds, two 12-gauge cartridges and a cleaning kit.
reinforced their stock with polypropylene foam; that’s the stiff, dense foam used inside plastic car bumpers. In addition, Chiappa included a small metal pick in the event a cartridge case gets stuck. There are two things missing from this kit that I would personally add, and those are a simple loop-cleaning patch head to thread into the pull through and some kind of torx bit screwdriver for tightening the gun’s many screws that might be susceptible to loosening under recoil. This gun weighs only 6 pounds and the recoil from a .44 magnum, 20- or 12-gauge round is stiff and especially unpleasant from the bench. These calibers had a tendency to shake the sight elevation slide down, so make sure to check your rear-sight position between shots to ensure it’s where you want it. The stock has a rectangular shape and it seemed difficult to find a comfortable place to rest my cheek. I finally settled on lining up my right eye with the second .22-cartridge hole in the stock, so I could get a consistent cheek weld. Practically speaking, if
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
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gun reviews you find yourself in a Robinson Crusoe scenario, you will probably pad the buttstock to your tastes with a scrap of T-shirt and some salvaged airplane seat-cushion foam.
it was the most accurate! As usual, ammo matters, and you should try different brands to see which shoots best in each insert. The locally remanufactured .380ACP, 95-grain JHP from Awesome Ammunition shot the best in this caliber. It gave me groups averaging 111/16 inches at 969 fps. That’s bad news for raccoons and opossums.
AT 25 YARDS, THE ACCURACY of the X-Caliber was more than satisfactory for survival hunting. Shooting Winchester .22LR, 36-grain copper-plated hollow points, I managed This survival gun folds down to under 20 inches, five-shot groups averaging 1ͣ inches at 1,270 feet making it a perfect backpack gun when on the move. ͣ per second. The smallest group was inch and the largest 1½ inches. Using Winchester AA 12-gauge 2¾, 1ͣ ounces, No. 7½ shot, I was able to break clay birds. When I patterned it on paper, again at 25 yards, I found it would put an average of 195 pellets (55 percent) in the 21-inch circle and 88 pellets (24 percent) in the 30-inch circle for a total percentage of 283 pellet hits (77 percent) at that range. That’s not bad for a short-barreled cylinder bore. I wouldn’t try to shoot ducks with it, but grouse, pheasant and rabbits will be on the menu. I MADE SURE THE CHAMBER was clean and oiled the inserts lightly before inserting them. Some dropped right in; others needed a little palm rap to seat them. When I shook the gun, I could hear the .380ACP insert shift slightly in the bore, but it turned out that
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
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gun reviews Nine millimeter is one of the most common calibers in the world, so I tested a number of brands. The best was Black Hills 115-grain, JHP, which averaged 1¼-inch groups and a zippy 1,363 fps. Winchester white box 115-grain JHP shot 1¾inch groups at 1,115 fps. You could use either of these rounds defensively. I tested .44 Magnum to see if I could get suitable accuracy for hunting deer or wild pig. Black Hills 240-grain JHP shot the most accurate grouping of 3ͣ inches at 1,325 fps. The velocity was very consistent, and the groups could have been better. The recoil, working my cheek over like a boxer, was pretty harsh. OVERALL, THE POINTS OF IMPACT for the various calibers were pretty close and easily brought to the point of aim by adjusting the elevation slide up or down. The beauty of this little gun is in its compactness and versatility. Without a doubt, you could feed and protect yourself with this weapon. It is a single shot, so you need to pick your battles carefully! MSRP on the X-Caliber and
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Chiappa states that the extra barrel inserts may be used in other breakopen, 12-gauge guns with 2¾-inch chambers, provided they will fully close on the insert.
its subcaliber adapter set is about $750, but a quick internet search found it selling for a low as $600. ASJ Editor’s note: For additional information take a look at ChiappaFirearms.com.
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G
etting started in your prepping adventure can be difficult. With so much to do and so many things to store away, where do you start? What I suggest to my customers and clients is to start with the most basic, life-sustaining item – water. Consider, if you will, a scenario where the power is out and has been for more than a day. You drive to the local store to get bottled water, but all of the shelves are bare. Where are you going to get water for yourself and your family? This is going to get serious fast. Water is life, and being able to use a water source, whether it’s in the form of a puddle, a stream, or the toilet reservoir will allow you to keep going and survive. If you’ve already stored some water, let’s say in five-gallon water jugs, that’s great, but what if you have to leave your home for a safer place? You might need something easier to carry, as well as the ability to filter – you never know where you might go. Portability is a chief concern in a survival scenario, and the environment is always fluid and changing. There are a lot of water filters on the market, and they come in several forms, everything from whole-house filtration systems to countertop pitchers and portable bottles. Some filter out more harmful pollutants than others. When deciding which is best, I tell my clients to get the best they can afford, and preferably something transportable. Ideally, you would want a system that offers a filter in a BPA-free portable bottle, and removes all four areas of contamination and radiation. Watch for:
DRINK ALONE
Because You Never Want The Company Of Parasites In Your Water
AESTHETICS: Offensive taste, odor, chlorine and silt; MICROBIOLOGICAL: Pathogens such as cryptosporidium, Giardia, E-coli and others that can make you sick; CHEMICAL: Industrial and volatile organic compounds. DISSOLVED SOLIDS: Anything that has broken down in the water, which you can no longer identify. That would be a lot for one filter to handle! While that’s true, there is a filter that will. It’s a patented design created by a company called Seychelle. Their Extreme filter does all of that, and it’s the only one on the market that does. My clients and I swear by them. So there ya’ go. You can get started with your own prepping, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Water is life, and if you have healthy water, you’ve already won half the survival battle. For more information or if you want to order your own Seychelle portable filtration bottle, visit libertyfiltration.com. Editor’s note: Kent Grabau is the owner of Liberty Gear, a website with specialty products from night-vision goggles to tactical boots. You can check them out at libertygearstore.com.
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
HUNT
TO LIVE, NOT TO DIE Pearls Of Survival Wisdom, One Story At A Time |
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM CLAYCOMB III
T
here are a lot of ways to die in the outdoors. Some are more glorious than others, but at the end of the day, you’re still dead. But let’s discuss some ways to stay alive. Ninety percent of the time when I get into trouble it’s my own fault, so we’ll also talk about ways to prevent trouble in the first place. Sure, if we just sit at home in the basement and wear an army helmet, we might never get hurt, but what kind of life is that? When I was young I used to rodeo, so I’ve had my share of bad stompings, horns in the head, kicks and so forth. So let’s live wild but try to stay alive at the same time. I’m not an expert on survival, but I have stayed alive this long, and have plenty of stories to share so you don’t have to suffer too.
THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO DIE OUTSIDE; SOME MORE GLORIOUS THAN OTHERS
It’s smart to use a filtered straw such as a Life Straw or Aquamira when drinking out of backcountry streams and rivers. Contracting Giardia, an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite, is not fun and completely debilitating americanshootingjournal.com 41
DRIVING • Since people usually use a vehicle to get to their hunting or hiking destinations, you might want a vehicle survival kit in there. I recommend carrying the following items: Water Food Blanket or warm jackets Handyman jack - Stable and easy to use. Shovel - Good for digging out stuck wheels. Ax and chain saw - For the trees that have fallen across the road, both in front and behind you. Length of chain Jumper cables - Not just for your vehicle, but for others who may not have them. Plug-in air pump - One that uses a carlighter attachment. Two spare tires - I have had as many as three flats in three days. Basic hand tools - Screwdrivers, multitool, hammer and saw. Extra vehicle key - Yep! Duct tape - Because you can fix anything with it. Tarp - Great for making a lean-to shelter, or
and ribs. It’s smart to have someone with you. Another pearl of wisdom when riding: Do not ride with your rifle strapped over your shoulder, or it’ll break your collar bone if you flip. Believe me. The worse part about riding quads is that you often plan to simply go on a little jaunt but end up 10 to 15 miles from camp. If you break down, you can die. Nearly every summer someone gets lost in the Owyhees, a sprawling 9-millionacre area located in the remote expanses of Idaho, Oregon
Four-wheelers are great, but they can bounce and flip over in the blink of an eye. If they land on you you’ll be crushed, but this is also the case on even paved roads. The tires grab excessively, creating the potential for a flip. When my four-wheeler flipped over, I was lucky to only have hurt my hip, shoulder and ribs. The same force that bent the back rack of this quad, also landed on me.
and Nevada, and sometimes they aren’t found for days.
ON FOOT • Most people recommend carrying a medical kit, but I know that if I have a large one I’m not going to carry it. It’s a killer scrambling up and down mountains while elk hunting, so learn to load lightly. • Always, always throw on your pack if you step out of the truck. I have often You can see where the front bumper of my quad got scraped when it speared the ground exited my vehicle, stepped over a hill, as it flipped. spotted game and taken off after it. Six hours later I couldn’t find my truck, so now I carry a few basic items in my personal pack:
to help block the wind. Fire starter supplies Old fan belts and hoses - These are just what you need when the one you have goes bad, and you know they will fit.
• A lot of people use four-wheelers, or quads, so let’s cover those. Who hasn’t flipped a four-wheeler? It’s usually in bad country, and if you’re hurt you’ll have a hard time flipping it back. When I flipped mine, I was pancaked! Luckily my buddy was five minutes behind me or I would have never been able to right it with my newly injured shoulder, hip 42
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
An old pair of glasses - If I fall down a mountain and lose my glasses, I’d never be able to see to get out. Filtered straw - Life Straw or Aquamira make great portable filters and save you from packing water. An extra compass - In case you lose your primary. Fire-starter gear - I really like Lightning Strike. Lighters - You can break them and pour the gas over damp wood. Trioxane bar - Heating fuel.
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Waterproof matches Poncho - For warmth. Whistle - Fox 40 whistles are great to have and make sure your partners have them too. Adhesive wrap - Great for cuts, sprains and blisters.
CLOTHING • Cotton kills! If cotton gets wet, you’ll freeze. Wear silk or polypropylene as a base layer, but watch out around fires, as it might melt. • I only buy coats with hoods because otherwise snow or rain will blow down my back. Also, I try to only buy rip-stop clothing. During If you are ever stuck in the wilderness, a stable a backpacking trip my pants were handyman jack will lift shredded by the time I made it out of the your vehicle, allowing you to put limbs or wilderness. rocks under the wheels. • I always wear a hat or cap. If a This will create traction so you can drive out. It blizzard blows in or it’s raining, I’ll is also prudent to carry throw my jacket hood over my head, a chainsaw in case a tree has fallen across and my cap bill sticks out and protects your path, or worse, my face and glasses. behind you. • Wear good hiking socks. I can’t tell you how much better your feet will feel if you wear quality footwear. They cushion your feet and wick away moisture – the key to happy feet.
SAFETY
Duct tape - AMK makes some sturdy stuff in case your boot sole falls off. I’ve had river sandals fall apart three times and a set of boots melt at a fire. Antibiotic ointment Old CDs - To use for signaling, or as my daughter suggested, dangle a few on a string when sitting still so you can be seen.
FOOT CARE
• It’s best to have someone go with you in case you have trouble, but if no one can, at least leave a flight plan. I often hunt, fish and backpack alone. That’s not too smart, but just because no one else goes doesn’t mean that I’m going to miss out on the fun. I often move camp a few times until I can find the elk. If at all possible, leave a map of the general area where you will be and your expected return date and time with someone. One year my brother was coming to visit so I went out two weeks early to scout. I started in one area and ended up 35 miles away. Luckily at the last minute my 87-year-old buddy Roy Snethen went with me. I ended up getting hung up on a cliff and had to be pulled back up. I would have died if Snethen hadn’t been with me. • Try to get back to camp with at least a little bit of food and water. If you use it all while trekking and get stuck, you’ll be in trouble.
• During a trip into the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness area in central Idaho, I hiked in, hunted all week and hiked out. By the time I got back to the trailhead I had the worst blisters. I could not have walked • If you get lost and cold, stuff your clothes with dry leaves for insulation. another mile. From then on I have • Learn how to build a snow cave in case you need it – the Inuit know snow’s a great insulator always carried Adventure Medical • Dry wet clothes fast with dry dirt or dust. Kit’s moleskin. The moment you feel • Carry extra rounds of ammo for signaling, or use the powder inside to make a fire. a blister coming, tape it up.
SURVIVAL ODDITIES TO CONSIDER
• If you’re lost, stop before dark and gather wood to make a fire and shelter. • Whatever you do, never give up. Make up your mind that you’re going to survive.
• Never wear a new pair of boots hunting. Wear them around town, to the store and to church. You need to break them in first or they will ruin you – even good boots. Try to only buy quality boots like Irish Setters or Kenetrek. 44
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
MEDICAL Sometimes medical conditions pop up. Once, while fishing in southwest Colorado, I got really sick. By the time I made it
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100 miles to the nearest mountain hospital in Del Norte my appendix had burst. I thought I was going to die. If possible, try to get to a real hospital. This was a hospital and rest home. The on-duty doctor traveled during the summer, relieving other doctors for vacation. He told me that I had a stomach ache and to go back to camp. I knew I was about to die and wasn’t leaving. He walked out of the room and the nurse who had never uttered a word, said, “I’m just a stupid nurse, but I’ve been here for 20 years and it’s your appendix.” The doctor walked back in and she never said another word. Wherever Among all of the ways to die, venomous snake are yet another.
LOOK UP In high-wind conditions, try not to be under trees, especially in your tent. I was in my bear blind under a huge yellow pine and the wind came in. Some fair-sized limbs started falling all around me. Also watch out when there’s a heavy wet snow. A blizzard blew in while I was trying to get back to camp. I heard a gunshot, and suddenly a huge buck almost ran me over. After a few minutes, a stranger stumbled into my camp. Then the story came out. Due to the wind and wet snow, the trees had started whipping around and snapped. That’s what I thought had been a gun
THE COUNTRY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT I HAD A STOMACH ACHE – I KNEW I WAS ABOUT TO DIE shot. The branch came down and nearly drilled the stranger, and almost hit the buck that was hidden just 15 feet from him. Late wet spring snows are dangerous too. They can be heavy and weigh down limbs.
SNAKES
you are out there, Ms. Nurse, thank you for your advice.
LIGHTNING • Take it seriously! Once we hired a guide to pack us into the high country in Colorado. A storm hit and he was trying to get us out when his horse was hit by lightning while he was on it. • There are many places, such as the high country in Colorado, where most of the trees are gnarly and not very tall. Some of that is due to the high number of lightning strikes. • Once I was fishing and a storm was about to hit, but the fish were biting, so I stayed. Did I mention that I was not too bright? Suddenly, I noticed that my line was floating 10 feet above the water. I waved my graphite rod and it zinged like a Star Wars light saber. When you find yourself in these conditions, get low. A ditch, culvert or any deep impression in the earth is a good immediate solution. • One more lightning story. Once, I was fishing and a storm blew in – different storm, different fishing place – but this time I jumped in the truck and waited it out. As I sat there, lightning hit a tree right in front of the truck. It looked like a wrecking ball had swung through and shattered the limbs. 46
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
A lot of folks who don’t live around snakes or are threatened by them each day may not realize the danger they present. When I was little, my dog Dixie was bitten in the flank by a copperhead. After that she killed every snake she saw. They can still bite and react even when cut in half, so watch it! Around the same time, I once saw a 4-foot cottonmouth swimming across a pond, so I threw a Floating Rapala over him and set the hook. It got mad and came after me. This snake probably weighed 30 pounds. I was on a 1.5-foot bank and everytime he tried to strike me, I’d push my rod out and he’d fall back into the water. Luckily I had a little .25 automatic. When cottonmouths get big, they get mean and sour, even when not hooked. I wish I had some magic advice on how not to get bitten, but I don’t. Just be aware of what is around you and try not provoke it.
KIDS Nothing is scarier than losing a kid in the mountains. You know what horrors await them – wolves, cougars or just freezing to death at night. Make them wear a good whistle and a little pack with a windbreaker in it. You’d never forgive yourself if your kid died, so fight the fight up front. Well, we’re out of room but not yet out of ways to die, so be careful out there! ASJ Editor’s note: For more on outdoor survival skills, check out Tom Claycomb’s new book Survival Tips For The Outdoorsman on Amazon Kindle.
americanshootingjournal.com 47
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Product FEATURE
URBAN SURVIVAL Ready America’s Outdoor Survival Kit For Two REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN OLIVER
I
’ve been thinking about putting together a dedicated survival kit for my car. Like most people, I have a number of items strewn about the trunk of my vehicle that have gathered there either by design or default. Most of these are vehicle-specific, like tools and puncture-repair kits, but outside of a travel blanket and possibly a bottle of water, I don’t have anything survival related. You may think that because you live and travel in a city that you’re never far from help, so you may not see the need for a survival kit. A few years ago, there was a snowstorm, now referred to as the “Snowpocalypse,” that managed to gridlock Atlanta by midafternoon. Thousands of people were stuck in their vehicles on the highways, and many resolved to wait it out and kept their cars running to stay warm. The vast majority of them were unprepared for such an event and were trapped for up to 14 hours. Some people who ran out of fuel had to deal with temperatures that dropped below freezing, forcing them to abandon their vehicles just to find food and shelter – in a major metropolitan city! Many would have had a much easier time if they only had some basic provisions like snacks, water, warmth and power. This is why I started my search for a kit that I could have in my car at all times. My wife will say my middle name is Procrastination, The perfect, right now, 72-hour, emergency pack for your car. but I like to take my time and do research before I decide on something. Considering the snowpacolypse was a couple years ago, I’ve done some studying. This brought me to the Ready America’s website. I chose their Deluxe Outdoor Survival Kit (the two-person version, although they come in single versions as well) that lists for $129.99. For the most part the kit is fairly comprehensive, packaged in a handy backpack and has enough food and water, among other items, to support two people for the first 72 hours of an emergency. One of my favorite gear items is the Emergency Power Station, which includes a four-function, hand-crank charger. This device is a flashlight, AM/FM radio, cell phone charger and a siren, all powered manually – no plugs needed. Among other items, there is a multitool, which is always a useful item for all sorts of things; foil blankets, knit caps and rain ponchos that will help to stave off hypothermia; a med kit
that will help with minor cuts and abrasions; duct tape; cord; and matches and lightsticks, to name a few. If you’re anticipating a total breakdown of society and services, you’ll want something a bit more robust, but the backpack, tools and soft goods are designed for light use, and that is reflected in the very affordable price of the kit. I did not try the food packets, so I cannot comment on those. Something about having had too many similar meals in military keep me from trying them unless I absolutely have to, but keep in mind these are for survival and probably not for a gourmet critic; but then again, saltine crackers taste great when you’re really hungry. All in all, I believe the kit is a good value for the money and would make a thoughtful gift for spouses or for kids heading off to college. The company does offer a number of different survival and emergency options, and you can check them out at ReadyAmerica.com. ASJ For a kit that covers the primary and immediate needs of an unplanned emergency, Ready America has done a good job putting together thoughtful packages like their Outdoor Survival Kit.
Among food, water, medical and warmth needs, this pack also contains a fourfunction Emergency Power Station that has a light, AM/FM radio, cell phone charger and siren, all powered manually.
americanshootingjournal.com 49
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gun reviews
ROCKIN’ THE REPTILES Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV Derringer
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM CLAYCOMB III While fishing, a watersnake swam within a foot of me. This is why I carry the Snake Slayer IV. It can readily be used as a great concealed-carry gun too.
I
’ve never classified a gun as a fun gun to shoot, but that’s how I would describe the doublebarreled Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV derringer. Bond makes a variety of calibers and styles, but I decided to go with the IV due to the longer 4¼-inch barrel,
which I had hoped would be a bit more accurate, have less recoil and tighter groups. The Snake Slayer IV can handle .45 Long Colts and 2¾- and 3-inch .410s. I guess it was really designed as a concealed-carry gun, but I wanted to use it against snakes americanshootingjournal.com 51
gun reviews while fishing. It would also be good for shooting big halibut before you boat them. A .410 will do the job nicely and not ricochet. Every time my daughter Kolby and I go fishing in Oregon, we see rattlesnakes. One year I heard her scream – a snake had jumped in the boat with us. On another trip on a river in Idaho, I saw six rattlesnakes and one of those floated right by me. That would have caused panic if it had tried to crawl up on the driest thing around, which was my head! While in town, I originally thought to carry my Slayer with .45 Long Colts, but then I tested the new Winchester PDX-1 shells. Wow, they’re bad – in a good way! They have four discs and 16 BBs. They would stop a bad guy in his tracks. I shot various loads through the gun, and the first time I used the PDX-1 it made my jaw drop. It was noticeably devastating. The first rattle out of the box with
The first time I shot the Snake Slayer IV, my daughter Kolby joined me. Just as I set up a target, a ground squirrel ran out. I had a 2¾ ounce No.6 shot chambered and killed it at 20 feet.
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
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gun reviews a .45 Long Colt, I managed a 2½-inch group at 10 and 15 feet using Hornady’s 185-grain Critical Defense ammo. That would be more than enough to stop a bad guy – that’s a big bullet! But, like I said before, my main use for this gun would be to shoot snakes, and after shooting a .410 with No. 6 shot, I found that it had a wicked pattern, so I’m pretty confident it would work as a selfprotection load as well. When I took my Slayer out for some extensive shooting, I managed a 4-inch group at 15 feet, but I’m not renowned for being a great pistol shot. I then shot groups of two out of the same barrel and managed 2-inch groups, so there is a little variation between barrels, as you would imagine. Not a big factor, though, because it’s a short-range weapon. I need to point out that the gun is diverse because you can interchange 20 different barrels, or 25 different calibers with one base unit. That has
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to make these one of the most versatile guns on the market. It is a heavy, nice-looking and well-made duty pistol designed to last for generations. I also love that it has an equally nice and heavy-duty leather holster that is form-fitted with a latch to hold the gun securely. Bond Arms has transformed the lowly derringer into a linebacker. ASJ
The Snake Slayer IV can interchange 20 barrels for a range of 25 different calibers. (BOND ARMS)
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TIPS FROM THE BIVY HUNTING GADGETS When you’re headed into the backcountry, you can only carry so much gear. Make sure you have the essentials.
Lay out your gear and mentally walk through your trip and daily routine. What are you missing?
BIVY TIPS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM CLAYCOMB III
F
or bivy hunting, which can be defined simply as hike-and-camp wherever you are, you have and carry everything you need at all times. There are a million gadgets that can make your life easier, as well as keep you alive. Here are just a few of the things to think about when bivy hunting or hiking. I’ll save tents, backpacks and other items for another time.
COOKING
FIRST AID
Great to use when wood is wet. BOY SCOUT MESS KIT Good for cooking and as a container. PLASTIC BACKPACKING SILVERWARE Much lighter than metal. DEFLATABLE WATER BOTTLE Easier to carry. FILTERED WATER BOTTLES AND STRAWS Water is heavy, so use natural sources. HAND SANITIZER PREMADE PACK MEALS TO EAT
Items such as moleskin, duct tape and bandages should be considered, and they also work great for a variety of other unforseen uses. ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT Even the smallest cuts should be treated to thwart infection from dirty and wet conditions. SURVIVAL BOOK Caveman’s Companion is filled with all sorts of tips and tricks for living outside. COMPACT DISC These are great as a signalling device.
JETBOIL FLASH STOVE
FIRE GEAR
WATERPROOF MATCHES FIRE STARTER The perfect solution when you have nothing else to use. LIGHTERS Break over wet wood to stoke a fire. FUEL BARS Used for heating food rations.
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MEDICAL KIT
OTHER GEAR KNIVES
Preferably heavy duty. MOTION LIGHT Portable lights that sense movement and turn on. Think safety. MOSQUITO REPELLANT
HIKING SOCKS
Socks designed to keep your feet dry. SPARE GLASSES HEADLAMPS Great for hands-free work. STRING OR PARACORD PONCHO Easy on and off, and covers your pack. COMPASS AND MAP Carrying them and knowing how to use them are two different things. Make sure you are skilled in reading a map and using a compass. Technology does not always work. WHISTLE OR EXTREME NOISEMAKER GUN OIL AND PATCHES If you are hunting, caring for your equipment in wet weather will make all the difference. SCOPE LENS CLOTH That is just about everything in my pack. I hope this helps you gather your own gear for braving the outof-doors. ASJ
PROS
SLEEPING BAGS/QUILTS BAGS/QUILTS TIPS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TROY TAYSOM
BAGS
The shape of the bag determines weight, warmth, packability and comfort. There are three main types:
bag is a poor choice. A rectangular bag is also not as warm, in general, as a mummy or semirectangular bag.
FILLER
• Mummy • Semirectangular • Rectangular
The filler inside sleeping bags comes in a variety of options:
THE MUMMY
PROS: Designed for warmth, light weight and to pack easily. CONS: Restricts movement due to the design. SEMIRECTANGULAR
PROS: Warm, usually lightweight and pack easily. The semirectangular foot area provides more room inside the bag, allowing freedom to move around. CONS: These bags do not compress, nor are as lightweight as the mummy bag. RECTANGULAR LAR
PROS: These bags have all the room in the world, and are often more affordable affordabl than mummy and sem semirectangular bags. If I you are car or trailer traile camping, a rectangular bag is a recta great grea way to go. CONS: CO These bags are a heavy. If you have to carry your gear for any distance, then this Roomier but heavier too, a consideration for backpackers.
• Down • Synthetic • Cotton DOWN
PROS: The lightest and warmest of all fillers, and some are rated to withstand minus 40 degrees Farenheit. CONS: When wet, down has the same insulating value as toilet paper, it is often the most expensive and requires more maintenance. SYNTHETIC
PROS: Insulates best when wet, and is often lightweight. This is also hypoallergenic. CONS: Not usually as warm as down, but if warmth is your primary concern, down is probably the better option. COTTON
PROS: Least expensive option. CONS: Very heavy to carry and has poor insulation if wet.
QUILTS
Sleeping quilts have been around for some time now. These aren’t your grandmothers’ quilts, but a variant.
The quilt works on the premise that when a person lays in a sleeping bag, they smash the insulation, thus rendering it useless. So, a quilt looks just like the one you might have at home with an additional foot box, a place to put your feet to keep them warm. Quilts are often used by hammock campers.
Mummy bags are really good for warmth, but pretty constricting.
PROS: They pack well and are usually very warm and lightweight. Can be readily handmade. CONS: You will need a sleeping pad and separate blanket with this option. Quilts designed for camping are only made by a handful of companies and are expensive.
TEMPERATURE RATINGS
All of these items are rated by temperature. That rating, or temperature, will be listed on the bag, and represents the lowest temperature that an average person who is wearing long underwear, a hat and using a sleeping pad 1 inch thick can survive in. You should choose a bag based on the coldest temperature you expect to experience. ASJ
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WAR STORY FROM VIETNAM SPECIAL PATROL STORY BY JOHN KEITH ROBERTS
D
uring my second month “in-country,” the lieutenant who had forgiven me for my foot problem and never mentioned a court martial again, did grab me for a special detail one nice
sunny day. Let me just describe something for you here. When running our daily squad patrol we would take breaks if and when the time was right, to rest and be prepared for what troubles might be around the next corner. During these 10- to 15-minute breaks, almost everyone in the squad would grab a quick nap, because we never had time for real sleep at night. That is, everyone but me would get that little daily naptime. I would always end up standing guard and then have to wake them for the continuation of the patrol. Usually during the day, when things were quiet and another squad was on patrol, I would get a little time to catch a few winks. I happened to be in the middle of one of those nice little naps when, that day, the lieutenant yelled for me. For some reason a second lieutenant had flown in on the morning supply chopper and had been talking to our lieutenant and platoon sergeant. We didn’t know what he was there for and couldn’t care less, as long as it didn’t concern us. In this case, it happened to concern me. He was a booby-trap specialist and he wanted to go out in the bush and play for awhile, but he needed someone with him for security. He was already starting out of the perimeter alone by the time I neared the lieutenant. The lieutenant told me to get my fighting gear and cover the specialist while he did his work. I had my camouflage shorts on but wasn’t wearing a shirt, as it was a nice warm day. (Someone had given me the shorts – they were the only pair in the squad.) I grabbed my bush hat, put my boots on quickly, and ran down the mountain to catch up with the second lieutenant. Oh, I did take along my rifle, bandolier of ammunition, one canteen of water and a couple of hand grenades, just in case. It was a rude awakening from my nap, but I owe the privilege of this patrol to a booby-trap course I took in Da Nang. That class was still paying off dividends, like this special detail. Other than the fact that it wasn’t safe to be out in the bush in small groups of two (me with my M-16 and the lieutenant carrying only his government-issue .45 automatic), the detail wasn’t all that bad.
After a couple of months in Vietnam, you had almost forgotten how to carry on an intelligent conversation with someone who wasn’t pulling rank on you or who you weren’t trying to put up a front for. The afternoon was, for the most part, an interesting experience that I would completely take for granted today in the real world. Other than me having to cover all the positions around us looking for ambushes as we scurried down the mountain, it was more like a stroll through a park for the exercise. I don’t know how long he had been doing that kind of work, but he didn’t seem worried about the enemy, nor was he bone-tired or sick like the rest of us. I’d have to guess he was having a pretty good time, but since he showed no sign of fear, I sometimes wonder if he survived the war. He didn’t act like an officer, and he wanted to talk the whole time we moved down the mountain (something we tried not to do on most patrols). He asked about my family back home, where I lived, and what plans I had after Vietnam. (Didn’t he know, there was no “After Vietnam”?) Once we got to the bottom of the mountain, he started looking for trails to booby trap. I tried to pay attention to what he was doing, but now that he was down to serious business, I was back to my thoughts of “They’re out there somewhere, they’re watching us and they’re going to shoot us.” His booby traps consisted of several Claymore mines with trip wires instead of the usual “hell boxes” for detonators. They were set up at an intersection of two trails that seemed heavily used, and I presumed the word was passed to our forces not to use those trails. After he had placed all of his booby traps, he turned and strolled back up the mountain as casually as before, with me tagging along for company. It had been a considerable amount of afternoon exercise, but I wasn’t all that exhausted from the extra patrol and kind of enjoyed the experience. As we returned to friendly ground he thanked me, and I dropped off and headed back to my position. The second lieutenant hung around with our platoon commander the rest of the day, then caught the morning supply helicopter back to wherever he came from. ASJ Editor’s note: This is an adapted except from the book At The President’s Request by John Keith Roberts. Next issue, in honor of Veterans Day, we’ll have more war stories. americanshootingjournal.com 59
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HOW TO DO FIRST STEPS TO PREPPING
Many preppers are building “bug-out” cabins as a secondary safety shelter.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN WOODS
D
o you recall how you became interested in prepping? Was it a personal experience from a localized disaster that you were not prepared for, or perhaps watching a catastrophic event on television? Maybe you fear the economic crisis in Greece or exodus of thousands of people from troubled countries who might reach the shores of America? Maybe it was triggered by a stock market shutdown due to a computer glitch? Whatever the reason or motivation that started you into prepping, the good news is these are all issues you are
thinking about. You might be eager to carry this concern forward to the next logical phase. Here are some initial planning steps to get you pointed in the right direction. ESTABLISH A KNOWLEDGE BASE If you wanted to learn how to change the oil in your car, shoot a gun or know how to do yoga, what would you do first? You might buy a book on the subject, look up information on the Internet, watch a YouTube video or possibly sign up for a class to learn how-to, firsthand. These are all reasonable approaches, but the core americanshootingjournal.com 61
element here is to learn. This is the first step with prepping, too. It can be accomplished in a host of ways, including tasks as simple as visiting the local library or bookstore. Maybe it would help to seek out a few survivalist Internet sites like Alloutdoor.com or SurvivalCache.com. These sources can open many doors to education and planning. Knowing what to do first, then second and so forth is crucial, because with prepping you really cannot afford to make too many mistakes. Also know that prepping is a lifelong learning process.
John Cockrell is a self-proclaimed prepper and survivalist. He drilled his own water well in order to become further selfsufficient.
DEVELOP AN ONGOING PLAN Get a big notebook! In this prepping journal you will want to start jotting down copious thoughts, ideas, concepts, basic planning lists, evaluation of gear or prepping assets, to-buy gear lists, and a rudimentary budget to carry it all out over time. While prepping is an expedient
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activity, hopefully the disaster won’t happen tomorrow. Unfortunately, it might be next week. Start by asking yourself basic questions that relate to your situation: What kinds of problems are you likely to encounter? Will you bug in or out, meaning will you stay put in your fortress or take off? If you leave home, where will you go, and what will you need to take with you? These kinds of thoughts help to get the mental juices flowing and face the realities of prepping. In your journal start with topic or headline pages. These might include: (1) bug-in and/or bug-out plans; (2) supplies; (3) transportation routes; (4) water and food resources; (5) medical issues and first-aid supplies; (6) self-defense; (7) family security; (8) weapons, ammo and supplies; (9) clothing; (10) hardware and tools; (11) vehicle readiness; and (12) skill attainment and execution. As you can imagine, these lists can become endless the more you
Behind this wood-splitting operation, note John Cockrell’s garden and metal building constructed as a bug-out hide.
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consider the possibilities. learning and keep planning.
Keep
LEARN AND EARN SKILLS You may be an experienced outdoors person or have completed Delta Force training in the Army, which certainly would have provided some background skills, but more than likely you’re an accountant, an elementary school teacher or mechanic at the local garage. You need to assess the skills you possess and those of your team, which can include family, friends or likeminded individuals. Everyone has a role. This will help you determine what other skills you need to acquire. Can you shoot firearms and reload them without blinking? Can you put up a tent in a windstorm or light a campfire in a downpour? Can you pry open a can of beans without a can opener? Do you know how to set a broken bone or sew up a deep laceration? Can you find your campsite in the pitch dark? What
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happens when the power and water goes off at home? Just think of the scenarios you might face during a severe event like a tornado, forest fire or widespread economic collapse. Begin to seek out local sources for skills training. Look at potential courses taught at local community colleges, or outdoors groups. Look on bulletin boards at supplier stores to see if related events are scheduled. You will likely be surprised at all of the prepper activities going on right in your own hometown. Avail yourself to as many of these training opportunities as you can. Send one person, then execute trainthe-trainer. GEAR UP Now comes the fun part. What stuff do you need to prep? First, look at what you already have. Undoubtedly you will find a ton of stuff suitable for a bug-out or stay-home plan. This could include kitchen utensils, sleeping bags or blankets, camping
gear (tents, stoves, lanterns, etc.), a hunting shotgun or rifle, backpacks or tote bags, extra sets of suitable clothing, shoes and boots. Don’t discard or discount anything. An extra bicycle could be used to pedal around your bug-out camp. Those plastic storage boxes can This is a typical bug-out bag that is well-stocked with supplies for the first 48 hours of an emergency. Every prepper should build one. be used to collect emergency gear for a grab and something you can accomplish go. Pack up some extra personal overnight. You have to take small hygiene products, first-aid supplies, bites, but chew thoroughly. Practice hardware, garden tools, make up a with your gear ahead of time. Forever mechanics tool box, save that old add to your journal pages, revise battery-powered radio, those sports them and replan accordingly. Study, binoculars and fold-out chairs. Any plan, learn, train and execute are all of these kinds of things can be used the means to becoming a proficient to set up a bug-out camp elsewhere. prepper. It all starts with that Prepping is a process, and not first step. ASJ
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Officer Laurie Reyes of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.
BEHIND THE BADGE
HEARTS & MINDS, SIGHTS & SOUNDS
How Officer Laurie Reyes Has Made Her County Safer For Those With Autism STORY BY TROY TAYSOM • PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURIE REYES
GLOSSARY OF TERMS Autism Spectrum - Autism is not a single disorder, but a spectrum of closely related disorders with a shared core of symptoms. Every individual on the autism spectrum has problems to some degree with social skills, empathy, communication and flexible behavior. Intellectual Development Disability - A disability characterized by limitations with intellectual functioning and difficulties with a variety of everyday social and practical skills.
P
olice officers deal with a variety of people and problems daily. Some of the problems are self-inflicted, others are the result of genetics and some simply have unknown origins.
Misidentifying a problem is an all too common occurrence
in law enforcement. A person approached by officers may suffer from mental illness, a genetic disorder like autism or even a disease like Alzheimer’s, which renders them incapable of following simple commands. These types of encounters have had really bad outcomes in the past. An officer may mistake a person with autism for a noncompliant individual, or a person with mental illness for a drug abuser. What many people don’t realize is that these individuals are less than capable of following commands because of their disorder, not because they are defiant or high. This shift in thinking is saving lives, careers and creating a cohesive bond between cops and citizens. Laurie Reyes of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) in Maryland, is the leading advocate for this paradigm shift. To understand Reyes one must first be able to comprehend selflessness, dogged determination and unconditional love. If these concepts don’t register, then stop reading, because you will never understand her. If, however, you know what it’s like to fight uphill battles, deal with heartache without quitting and love those who are misunderstood and ostracized, then you will love Reyes and her story. SINCE THE AGE OF FIVE, Reyes knew she wanted to be a cop and nothing less would do. She loved everything about cops; the cars, the lights, etc. And helping those in need was programmed into her DNA. She never wavered from her goal of becoming an officer, and after completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland, Reyes was
hired by the MCPD. Reyes spent seven years in the patrol division before being assigned to special operations. Her job with within this department was to oversee Project Lifesaver. Project Lifesaver is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose stated purpose is “(t)o provide timely responses to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related conditions or disorders.” Officer Reyes has been working to integrate this project into the MCPD for the past 10 years. The program provides tracking bracelets for adults and children who are predisposed to wander or elope, due to cognitive disorders. The bracelets are trackable by air up to a couple miles away. While a wonderful tool for caregivers and police, the bracelets don’t address perhaps the most serious issue and that is an officer’s interaction with people suffering from a cognitive disorder. COGNITIVE DISORDERS are not mental illnesses. The autism spectrum, while it affects the brain, is not a mental illness like depression, anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder. Because of this officers need to understand how to identify and, more importantly, approach and interact with a someone who has autism. This is where Reyes comes in. Reyes has worked tirelessly to create a program that teaches officers to recognize autism and understand the intricacies of interacting with these people. The normal procedures for dealing with a citizen will not work with a person with autism. In fact, standard practices could potentially escalate a situation. This can be confusing not only to the citizen, but for the officer as well. Fortunately, Reyes has spent countless hours studying and learning about autism, and its potential effects and
americanshootingjournal.com 73
BEHIND THE BADGE manifestations. Speaking with her, I found that she is well versed in the subject and its unique challenges. My wife works in special education and I have learned a great deal from her about those who suffer from cognitive disorders especially autism, and she helped me put together questions for this interview. It was extremely helpful to have an assistant who helped me understand Reyes’s answers. CHILDREN WITH AUTISM have what Jake Edwards, a young man with autism – more about him in a moment – calls his “super powers.” These powers tend to be heightened senses, especially hearing and touch. Many autistic people are sensitive to loud noises such as music, crying babies, yelling and sudden loud sounds. These can trigger the child to act out in an attempt to stop the noise, and at times the actions can be violent. They are also very sensitive to touch, both being touched and needed something to hold. Simply touching a child with autism may also lead them to be violent, but on the other hand, they can be calmed when given an item such as soft toy, a string of beads or a textured ball to hold. This need for holding or touching an object is called sensory. Reyes understands all of these issues and has started training the officers of the MCPD to approach situations in a different manner. She wants the officers to think, “Could this be autism? Would a bag of skittles work better than going hands on?” Give simple commands, in a calm voice, and allow the person time to process what is being asked. At no time, however, is officer safety to be compromised, but children with autism respond differently, and this difference must be accounted for. It isn’t just the police that Reyes works with; she is also involved with the parents and primary caregivers, and helps them get identity bracelets (different from the tracking bracelets), which help officers immediately identify a person
Officer Laurie Reyes with husband Tarik
BEAT STORY: BATHROOM BREAK STORY BY DANIELLE BRETEAU
When I was a cop, I spent some time working with an undercover unit that handled all sorts of cases, including prostitution rings, gang violence, drug manufacturing and movement, Internet child pornography, etc. I was never good at the reverse prostitution stings because I have always been a very healthy-looking girl, so it never really worked. I even had a gentleman drive by only to stop and hand me a McDonald’s sandwich, and then drIve away. I still do not know what to think about that gesture, especially since we had previously caught him on numerous occasions for soliciting other ladies. Our unit would be called on to handle problems throughout the county that could not be handled by a patrol officer in their full uniform or marked cars. One season, we received a slew of complaints from people visiting the public parks and beaches. The complaints stated that people were using the public bathrooms, located inside parks, to meet up and have affairs. These incidents were homosexual in nature and it was not uncommon for participants to be caught by unsuspecting children, who were just trying to pee, in an indecent manner. It turned out that the bathroom escapades were being conducted by people who didn’t even know each other before meeting up. The unstated rule was that if you pulled into the park, backed your car into a parking spot near the bathroom and simply waited, someone else would do the same. This meant that you wanted to “hook up.” These folks would eventually both end up in the bathroom together. While it is not illegal to have flings, it is to present yourself in a lewd and lascivious manner in a public place. The undercover unit was asked if they could come up with a plan to help thwart this ever-growing problem. The plan, as it were, was to set up on a public restroom with a decoy participant, played by a deputy on the unit. That deputy would be wired up for sound, and the rest of the team would be listening from about 200 yards away behind a sand dune. The idea was that our 74
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
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BEHIND THE BADGE with autism. With the help of their parents, children are encouraged to approach police officers in public and show them their bracelet. Reyes has also had bright yellow T-shirts made that she gives to caregivers and parents. These shirts identify the child as having autism and says, “If I’m alone call
THIS JOB has given Reyes some of the highest highs and lowest lows that one can experience in police work. She told me of a young man whom she had worked with when he lived in Montgomery County. The boy had autism and was nonverbal. The conditions he lived in were deplorable. Reyes lost contact with him when he moved to a neighboring county, but some months later officers from the MCPD found him. They identified his bracelet, called Reyes and said, “Hey, we have one of your kids down here.” The scene was
Jake Edwards, who has autism, giving his speech during the MCPD’s Autism Night Out.
911.” It also has the MCPD badge on the back with the same admonishment. These shirts have helped dozens of children who eloped and were later found by citizens. They are only given to the children that are prone to eloping, are nonverbal and a danger to themselves. Many of them are resistant to wearing the bracelet because of their sensory issues.
Chief J. Thomas Manger, Officer Reyes, Jake Edwards and Jake’s mom Jenn Lynn celebrate Jake’s public speech.
horrific; the young boy was carrying a bedpost to which he was chained and locked. He had somehow broken the bedpost away from the rest of the bed and walked several miles back to Montgomery County. Reyes told me, “This crushed me to the core.” I could
decoy would use the bathroom, and if approached and subjected to lewd and lascivious behavior, the decoy would verbalize a code phrase. In this case it was “Boy, I wish my friends were here.” This would let the backup team know that a law had been broken and that they should go into the bathroom to make an arrest. That is how it was supposed to go. The decoy went into the bathroom and was quickly followed by another man who had been sitting in the parking lot. The outside team could hear a quick exchange of pleasantries such as “Hey, how are you?” and “Great weather today, isn’t it?” Within a minute, the decoy was heard saying things like “No, thank you … what? No, not interested, but thank you ... what are you doing? Please don’t pull on my clothes!” The outside team had been listening very intently, knowing that they would need to quickly jump and run just as soon as they were heard the code phrase. It was a very serious and pensive moment. Then, there it was and in a surprisingly calm voice: “Boy, I wish my friends were here.” What happened next surprised everyone. They were listening and ready to go; however, just as soon as the signal was given, the outside team instantly burst into laughter. Not just a giggle, but a full seizure of laughter. The kind where your stomach hurts, and you can no longer function or breath. No one could move. They were rolling around in the sand churning with laughter, completely unable to react. What didn’t help was the bathroom guest must have been getting pretty anxious because by the sounds coming through the microphone, he must have been pulling on the decoy’s clothing and pants. This made the backup team’s laughter even worse and crippled any possible assistance they could have provided. By the time the team was able to assist, the decoy’s wire had been ripped off, but the team was close enough at this point to hear the perpetrator saying “Well, they aren’t, so it will just have to be you.” It took the entire team to grab that guy and hold him while the laughter subsided, much to the dismay of the decoy, who looked completely disheveled and was mumbling all kinds of obscenities under his breath. True story! Author’s note: I found the best part of being in law enforcement was that nothing goes right, as planned or expected. When you look at a cop, know that they are human too, have a sense of humor and just want to safely go home to their family. To them, anyone can be a potential threat as most threats come from unexpected corners. Be patient, calm and respectful and they will do the same. 76
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
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BEHIND THE BADGE Jake’s vibrant personality, along with his indominatable spirit, makes him the perfect person to represent those with autism. Reyes’ plan is for Jake to speak directly to recruits in the police academy, giving them a chance to speak and deal with a person who has autism in a safe, controlled environment. Education is really the key when it comes to understanding these people.
Officer Reyes designed T-shirts and bracelets for people and children with autism so they can be readily identified.
hear the sadness and anger in her voice as she relayed the story. She still keeps and shows officers the dog leash and padlock used to hold him, but she says, “Jake Edwards makes it all worth it.” Who is Jake Edwards? According to her, “Jake will change the world.” JAKE IS A YOUNG MAN with autism. He is a vocal, self-advocate who was recently named the ambassador for Autism Night Out in Montgomery County. At this year’s event Jake gave a speech in front of a crowd of hundreds of people. The speech, which can be found on YouTube, was moving. So moving, in fact, that it brought 38-year law enforcement veteran Chief J. Thomas Manger of the MCPD, to tears. Very
WHEN REYES ARRIVED, THE SCENE WAS HORRIFIC; THIS YOUNG BOY WAS CARRYING A BEDPOST TO WHICH HE WAS CHAINED AND LOCKED. few in attendance had a dry eye when Jake was finished speaking. Do yourself a favor and watch the speech – you’ll be a better person for it. 78
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
REYES WILL BE THE first to tell you that she does not, and could not, do this alone. Caregivers, like Jake’s mother, Jenn Lynn, are Reyes’s number one supporters. She is also supported by her colleagues like, Officer Tara Wimmer and Paula Aulestia, an amazing volunteer who works closely with Officer Jason Huggins, a search and rescue unit coordinator, as well as all of the officers that belong to this specialized group. Officer Reyes was quick to point out that her husband Tarik and their sons have been supportive of her career in law enforcement too, especially her work with Project Lifesaver. Her parents, Roger and Dee Nelson, actively support Autism Night Out, passing out pizza and greeting everyone with their infectious smiles. The approach: get everyone involved and the kids become the winners. SIMPLY PUT, Reyes’s job is to save lives. She works assiduously to make sure that all officers’ interactions with people who have intellectual developmental disabilities are safe and nonviolent. Thirty years ago people with autism were hidden away and forgotten by society; today they are living productive lives. This dramatic turn of events would not be possible without people like Reyes and all of the dedicated, loyal caregivers and educators who work with these children and adults on a daily basis. Chief Manger of the MCPD told me, “Officers like Laurie Reyes are the heart and soul of our police department. Her work in the community has made us better at what we do. Among everything she has done, putting on the police department’s Autism Night Out event is amazing, and one of my favorite nights of the year!”
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BEHIND THE BADGE Laurie Reyes’ parents Roger and Dee Nelson during an Autism Night Out event.
It’s not just the chief who admires Reyes. Jenn Lynn said, “Officer Reyes means a future for our children. I’m less scared about my child’s independence, knowing Officer Reyes is leading our county and the country in autism education for all officers. Her heart is gold, and her
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BY THE NUMBERS BY DANIELLE BRETEAU
The first year flamethrowers were used in battle, at the Battle of Verdun, where the Germans used the Flammenwerferapparate (flame projector apparatus) against the French.
The number of flying clays shot within one hour – at night – by Dave Miller of CZ-USA on May 16, 2015, at the Heartland Trap and Wobble Skeet range in Harrisonville, Mo.
The year The Way Of The Gun movie was produced. The brothel where the final shootout scene was filmed is the same location where the final shootout scene from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) was filmed.
The pounds of force from the Gatling gun of an A-10 Warthog warplane. This is slightly more than the output of one of its two TF34 engines.
The number of safety operations that are disengaged when a Glock trigger is pulled.
The price of the VO Falcon edition rifles, which are all handmade by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson and his son, gunsmith Ulf Olsson. This rifle uses a patented takedown system that allows the person to use several different calibers for the same rifle. This is known to be the world’s most expensive rifle.
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The time it took Ernie Hill of Litchfield Park, Ariz., to access and fire his revolver with a successful hit to the target.
The caliber of the Czar muzzleloading cannon, which weighs 42 tons, has a 17.5-foot-long barrel and is known by the Guinness Book Of World Records to be the largest premodern howitzer.
The century gunpowder was invented by the Chinese.
The amount of dollars spent by the United States on its entire military program in 2013. Second place was held by China, which spent $188 billion that same year.
The total dollar value of firearms stolen in the state of Virginia in 2006.
The number of pistols used by one man who attempted to assassinate President Andrew Jackson. Both pistols misfired and Jackson proceeded to beat the man to near death with his cane.
The percentage of background checks, a mandatory requirement for purchasing a firearm in the US, that were denied between 1994 and 2009.
The Beretta 418 was originally used by James Bond until a fan of the novels (as well as a small-arms expert) told Ian Fleming, the author who created the James Bond series, that it was a lady’s gun. Fleming wrote a scene in Dr. No to detail the exchange and give Bond his now famous Walther PPK.
The number of cylinders in the Lefaucheux pinfire revolver. americanshootingjournal.com 85
A purpose-built EDC kit and the proper skill set can make the difference between having the confidence to carry every day or leaving the gun at home.
Transforming Your Purse Into A Covert Life-saving Kit STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TATIANA WHITLOCK
M
ore often than not I encounter women who have their concealed-carry permit yet leave their gun at home. During the first six months after receiving my permit I did too. Just like so many, I was almost more fearful of being underprepared to bring the gun than I was about my own safety. I had the gun, holster, belt and more than a few hours spent down range, but had no idea how to transition from the range to carrying every day. What was missing? The tools and the knowledge to address the moments before, during and after the critical seconds
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when shots are fired. I had never heard of an EDC (everyday carry) kit until the desire to be fully prepared brought me back to the store to accessorize appropriately. For many women, having an understanding of what key tools and skills are essential to avoid, survive and thrive past a deadly-force encounter makes the difference in living the concealed-carry lifestyle. Selecting the essential items for your EDC kit is about choosing purpose-specific, quality, functional items that give you as much advantage in a fight as possible. Tools that
help you avoid or evade an attack are a good place to start. LIGHT & SIGHT Without proper vision you are compromising your situational awareness and therefore giving your potential attacker a significant advantage. Simply put, what you can’t see can hurt you. This goes for dark places as well as extremely bright ones. A carefully chosen handheld light source and polarized glasses allow you the most visibility and the greatest opportunity to avoid a potential attack. Selecting a light from the hundreds on the market can be a bit overwhelming. Choose a quality metal light that fits comfortably in your hand and in a coat pocket. How bright does it need to be? The highest lumen output you can afford is the best option to go with. The goal is to simulate highnoon daylight in the darkest of places so you can avoid a problem as far away from it as possible. A handheld light with an aggressive crenulated bezel can also serve as a less-lethal striking tool if things get up close and personal. Sunglasses are an every day item we take for granted. You probably already carry a pair with you, or at least have a pair in your car. Sunglasses maintain your ability to comfortably see your surroundings and prevent limited vision caused by squinting. I wear Rudy Project Rydon glasses. They are stylish, kid-proof, have flexible lenses, are polarized and very comfortable. LIFE-SAVING OPPORTUNITIES Hopefully, you will never have to use your concealed-carry pistol to defend your life. You realize that bad things can happen, and you have chosen to be prepared if they do. Carrying concealed means you have taken responsibility for your own safety regardless of the crime statistics in your hometown. Why then would you carry an extra magazine if the odds are you wouldn’t even have use your gun? For the very same reason you carry in the first place: you’d rather have your gun and not need it than need it and not have it. I would rather have a spare magazine, especially when carrying a subcompact with limited ammo capacity, than need those additional life-saving rounds and not have them. Whether to stop multiple attackers, if you’re a poor shot under stress or possibly suffer a nasty malfunction, that extra magazine could mean the difference between having a functional gun or a fist full of useless metal in the fight of your life.
PROBLEM SOLVERS A few simple tools at your fingertips allow you the empowering ability to solve your own problems without having to ask for help from a stranger. A knife that is legal in your state and a multitool are essential EDC items. The knife has a utilitarian function, as well as a last-resort fighting option if you have some training to accompany it. The multitool is arguably the most overlooked piece of EDC kit you can carry. You can “MacGyver” minor mechanical issues on your own, fix kids toys no matter where you are, and be every Boy Scout’s hero. The best part is they come in all sizes, from as small as a tube of chapstick to the size of your palm, so finding one that fits your needs
(Above left) Creating a system that allows your tools to be in the same place each time you need them, no matter what purse, pack or bag you use, will allow you to develop the muscle memory of placement when you need it most. (Right) I always carry an extra magazine. If I am going to carry concealed, then I am going carry the extra rounds necessary to ensure a safe outcome.
is a Google search away. The MultiTasker multitool is a gun-specific design, yet versatile enough for every-day use. Carrying this mini toolbox helps eliminate the opportunity for someone to see you as easy prey for a minor fix. The big “no-kidding” item in your kit is your cell phone. Beware the trap of “phone focus” in public spaces that eliminates your situational awareness and gives an attacker the ultimate advantage of surprise. The phone is your means of letting family know where you are with a quick text and is your lifeline to law enforcement and emergency medical care. Strategically, it needs to be located somewhere in your purse or on your person that you can access quickly, and preferably with your non-firing hand. Knowing that your phone will likely be taken into evidence when the police arrive, have your attorney’s business card in your wallet. This card can be handed over to the authorities without jeopardizing the investigation if you haven’t committed your lawyer’s number to memory. SURVIVE AND THRIVE What happens after shots have been fired and you are no longer in danger? Your immediate action is to conduct a self check and make sure you aren’t critically hurt. A wound to an artery can be fatal if not treated appropriately and quickly. Having the tools and skills to render aid for different types of injuries is absolutely critical to carrying concealed.
The time it takes from sustaining the injury, making the 911 call and police rendering the scene safe for EMTs to come find you, can be as little as a few minutes or as long as a few hours. Having a med kit on you and the ability to keep blood in the body no longer makes you seem paranoid. Dark Angel Medical offers the Pocket D.A.R.K. Mini that has everything you need in a small compact package. Whether the injury is yours, a stranger’s or loved ones, you are the first one on scene and it is up to you to take action, stay in the fight and Keeping my tools readily available allows me the ability to act quickly and decisively.
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stay alive until the professionals arrive. Just like your phone, the med kit should be staged in your bag or on your person in a place you can get to quickly and easily. Invest in the training to know how to use the life-saving materials in your med kit. The good news is you don’t have to be a Harvard med grad to learn how to apply a tourniquet or a rocket scientist to know how to identify a wound. SET UP FOR SUCCESS Blending the gun and all of its supporting gear into a daily routine discretely, seamlessly and effortlessly is empowering. Unlike our male counterparts, most women don’t wear baggy cargo pants with ample pocket space to hide a pile of gear. We do carry purses, pocketbooks, backpacks and clutches almost every day, however. Just like your gun, you need to access these tools quickly. Combining the Raven Concealment Moduloader Pocket Shield with a Blueforce Gear double pistol mag pouch, for example, makes an efficient and modular carrier. Fill the pockets or clip-on items so that they are in the same place every time. Position the kit in an outer pocket that you can get to quickly without having to unbuckle or unzip if possible. Not only does this setup keep your tools at your fingertips, it is easy to move from one bag to the next. Changing out your day bag for an evening bag no longer means having to leave key EDC items at home. Strategically invest in quality equipment and functional tools. Ultimately, the concealed-carry lifestyle goes beyond the retail investment and requires an ongoing commitment to learn and train. Sure, there are other items that can be incorporated into this kit such as pepper spray and tasers, and there are both on- and off-body carry options in addition to your pocketbook setup. It’s all in the training. In the moments before, during and after the gun is drawn there are only a few pieces of kit you will be reaching for or wishing you had. ASJ
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The American Shooting Journal and Tannerite salute all members of the Armed Forces who have served, fought and currently fight to protect our nation’s freedoms.
Mix It. Shake It. Shoot It. IMAGE BY NICK SETTING Nick is a community college student who sidelines as a photographer, and clearly has incredible talent. He is passionate about long-range shooting and our military heroes. This image, titled “Remembrance,” is a tribute to service members who have passed away. Nick lives in Bremerton, Wash., and according to him, does the best he can with his old Canon and broken lens. We think his work is pretty awesome! You can see more of Nick’s work on Facebook at Ordnance Locker or on Instagram at Ordnancelocker. His email address is nsetting@ix.net.com.
the
ART LONGRIFLE of
BUILDING School Dedicated To Preserving Tradition
People from all over travel to Kentucky for instruction on how to handcraft longries from masters of the trade.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANK JARDIM
nowledge is a fleeting thing if steps aren’t taken to preserve it. Whether it’s building the pyramids or a family recipe, if knowledge isn’t passed on to subsequent generations, it is eventually forgotten and lost. Thirtyfour years ago, the passionate desire to preserve the 18th century gunmaking techniques, by which American longrifles were handcrafted, led to the creation of an extraordinary training seminar by Professor Terry Leeper, Ph.D., of Western Kentucky University (WKU) and master gunmakers Wallace Gusler and Jon Bivins. Three years later the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) began cosponsoring the seminar and it remains the premier resource for serious subject-matter students. While classes are technically challenging, the instructional team has years of experience at meeting both the basic and most advanced skill levels of the participants. It is serious scholarly instruction in the true master-andapprentice style.
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PRIOR TO EVERY SEMINAR, the instructors assemble a study collection of original and contemporary blackpowder firearms (frequently valued in excess of a million dollars) for participants to examine and learn from hands-on investigation and observation. A glance over the five-volume Journal of Historical Armsmaking Technology that grew out of the early seminars indicates the depth of knowledge available for the asking. If you want to learn how every part of a firearm was made over 200 years ago, how to make the tools and dies required and what materials were used, there are instructors at the seminar who know. Every year several of the best contemporary artisans/ artists who specialize in making guns and related accoutrements in the manner they were made over two centuries ago, gather and spend nine to 10 days passing on that knowledge for the 50 to 70 students who attend. Professor Leeper believes the success of the seminar stems from their focus from the very start in 1981 on getting world-class instructors. This year the House brothers – Herschel, Frank and John – along with Ron Scott, Mark
Nathan “Bucky” Blauch, featured on the cover, created this .36-caliber Woodbury school rifle with a 42-inch swamped barrel. The overall length comes in at 58 inches and it weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The stock was carved from a blank piece of wood, and finished with nitric acid and Tru-Oil. This creation is a tribute to the 1830s/1840s, respectively. (JOE PUCCIARELLI JR)
Silver, Jim Kibler, Jack Brooks and Lally House taught nine different courses. In the past, Wallace Gusler, John Bivins, Lynton McKenzie, Monte Mardarino, Lewis Sanchez, David Wagner, Ron Ehlert, Jim Chambers, George Suiter, Jay Close and Gary Brumfield have all led classes. THE COURSES ARE INTENSE and the days commonly run 10 hours. All but one of the courses are taught in the WKU industrial arts shops used for technical education labs on the Bowling Green, Ky., campus. The only exception is the Southern rifle-building class taught americanshootingjournal.com 101
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í˘ľ by the House brothers in the famous Woodbury School of iron-mounted gun-making in Woodbury, Ky., where they have several coal forges set up for students to learn and practice hand-forging iron parts. The seminar is organized around three-, six- and nineday classes, the longest generally focusing on the building of a complete ďŹ rearm. Nobody can take it all in during one seminar, which is why many students opt to return again and again. In the nine-day courses, the prerequisite parts (lock, stock and barrel) are usually brought to class either by the student or instructor. From a practical standpoint, there isn’t enough time to make every small part in class, so trigger guards, patch boxes, buttplates, nose caps, thimbles and the like are usually provided too. This allows the students to focus their limited class time on shaping the stock correctly (referred to as its architecture), proper placement, inletting and ďŹ tting of the various parts, and then ďŹ nishing and decorating the wood and metal. HERSCHEL HOUSE was involved with the seminar from 102
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í˘ś the start, and he and his brothers are the only instructors who teach the iron-mounted gun-making techniques prevalent in the mid- to late 18th century of the central South. The Houses set up three coal forges where students heat iron bars and hammer them into the raw shapes from which they will ďŹ le out their own buttplates, trigger guards, lock plates and related stock furniture. The atmosphere during the House course is like stepping back in time. The workshops are tucked into the forest and two structures that the students use are historic log cabins. I watched a dozen students beating iron bars into shape on the anvil, rasping out the ďŹ rst stages of their stock architecture, roughly grinding their newly formed iron parts to shape on an ancient bench grinder powered by a 90-year-old, single-cylinder engine, forge-welding their trigger-guard parts together, ďŹ ne-ďŹ ling the details of their metal stock furniture, and then locating and inletting them into their stocks. While this was going on other students were making knives, petting the many dogs that lounge around the area and ďŹ ring ries at targets in the woods. Throughout the day, the House brothers circulated
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ě?ˆ continuously among the students, answering questions, demonstrating techniques, and providing guidance. To promote discussion and the exchange of knowledge, students and instructors ate their meals together on site either outside or inside one of the original log cabins. One student was living there during the entire seminar in the same cabin’s loft. MASTER GUNMAKER Jack Brooks of Englewood, Colo., brought 40 years of experience to lead a nineday course in stocking a Revolutionary War (circa 1775) Christian Springs-style longrie. Brooks has extensively researched and documented the original weapon, which is heavier, plainer and more robust than the Golden Age longries of the postwar period. Students had to order the lock, stock blank and barrel in advance of the class while Brooks supplied them with reproduction rough castings of the trigger guard and buttplate, as well as patterns and photographs of the original historic rie. In this challenging course the student’s form and inlet the massive rough-cut stock blank, ďŹ le the parts to shape, and ultimately ďŹ t them
1. Master gunsmith Frank House (left) evaluates the progress of Steve Minning (right) as he ďŹ les to shape a sideplate he forged. 2. Colonial Williamsburg armorer and seminar student Justin Chapman forms a sheet-brass ramrod ferrule under the guidance of master gunsmith Jim Kibler in the Western Kentucky University industrial arts labs. 3. Student Randy Martis makes and lays out patterns on sheet-brass for stock furniture. 4. Inside the log cabin workshop, students (left to right) Jim Hawkins, Tom Stroup and John Rothermel handcraft each piece in the primitive environment of the Woodbury School. 5. Master gunsmith Herschel House (left) discussing the art of decorative incised-line carving with student Nathan Blauch. 6. At Western Kentucky University, students (left to right) James Carriere, Colin Green and George Karavalos use ďŹ les, chisels, scrapers and sandpaper to turn blanks of wood into sleek replicas of a Revolutionary War-era longrie stocks. 7. The instruction is hands on. Student Tom Greco watches Frank House’s technique of roughing out the stock’s architecture with a ďŹ le. 8. Before student Mike Butcher (right) tries his hand at forging a trigger guard, master gunsmith John House (left) demonstrates the technique. 9.Seminar regular Joe Valentin expertly ďŹ ts parts into his Europeanstyle fowler project. 10. Ron Scott, master gunsmith, and past president of the Contemporary Longrie Association, teaches his course on the university campus. 11. Master gunsmith Mark Silver helps students develop the wire inlay and incised line-and-relief carving skills commonly used by 18th century gunsmiths to decorate their gun stocks. 12. Master gunsmith Jack Brooks holding a Revolutionary War-style longrie he built, and uses to demonstrate in his course.
Primitive longrifle building is a passion for tradition, history, craftsmanship and art.
to the stock. Not every student will complete the project during the seminar. The objective is to complete the most difficult parts of the project under instructor guidance and finish the fine details at home. Brooks became interested in building long rifles as a college student in 1971. After graduation he worked as a chemist for the Environmental Protection Agency. His fascination with the American Revolution and the artistic elements of gun-making increased over the years but the pivotal moment came in 1976 when he was offered $1,200 to build a rifle for the bicentennial. He jumped at the opportunity and never stopped building. RON SCOTT, a long-time instructor at the seminar, believes its merit comes from more than just the exchange between teacher and student. The interplay between students is of great value because they learn from each other. Scott shared his gunsmithing expertise on European firearms in his course, designing and building a 1770s’ period fowler or rifle in the Parisian Rocco Art style. He conveys to students the architecture of the different schools of European gunmakers who worked within a rigid guild system, as well as the technical details of how they executed their work. 104
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At the conclusion of the course, students know what the Old World masters made and how they made it. Scott provides the parts needed for the projects, including replicas of the highly decorative cast parts. He uses silicon molds to capture every detail of the original investment cast parts. These are ambitious projects! JOE VALENTIN, a retired dentist from Marlette, Mich., has been a regular seminar participant since 1983. The artistic quality of historic guns appealed to him and drew him away from his previous hobby of target shooting with black powder rifles. He taught himself the decorative arts of engraving and gold-leaf application, and used these skills to finish last year’s seminar project, an ornate German holster pistol. Before the gold could be applied, the raised edges of the design were undercut and the flat surfaces covered with tiny “teeth” formed by gently tapping a pointy metal punch with a mallet, first in one direction and then another. This creates an array of mechanical connections so the back of the soft gold foil can adhere to it when it is hammered against them with a wooden punch. AT 40 YEARS OLD, instructor Jim Kibler is one the youngest professional full-time longrifle gunsmiths, and
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Hand-carved relief that adorned both European and American guns.
Inlays can be created by using brass or silver wire.
an alumni of the seminar. He built his first longrifle in his late teens before college and didn’t build another for 10 years because he was too busy working as an engineer for the automotive industry. Longing to make a move towards gunsmithing as a vocation rather than a hobby, he took the loss of his job during the recent economic recession as a sign to do it. He taught a three-day course on the drawing and design principles for carving and engraving longrifles and a six-day course on the fabrication of rifle-stock furniture in sheet brass that covered patch boxes, inlays, thimbles and stock nose capes. I watched him expertly hammer out a nose cap from a cut brass blank in minutes, stretching and compressing the metal in a die of his own making to make a perfectly formed part. One of Kibler’s students is Justin Chapman, the military programmer for Colonial Williamsburg, a historic
city, whose job includes the building and repair of the reproduction weapons used by historical interpreters. He comes to the seminars for professional development and has built 10 rifles in last three years. MASTER BUILDER Mark Silver who made a career making custom sporting rifles before shifting to longrifles, also taught two classes. In a three-day course, his students learned their choice of American- or European-style silverand brass-wire decorative stock inlay techniques, beginning with the making of the specialized tools and ending with the final finishing. Silver’s six-day course focused on both incised line and relief carving that commonly adorned both American and European guns. LALLY HOUSE, renowned authority and practitioner of
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the nearly lost Native American art of porcupine-quill and moose-hair embroidery, taught back-to-back classes for beginning and advanced students. They learned every step of the process, short of catching their own porcupines and moose. Instruction focused on traditional designs, materials and dying techniques to maintain the authenticity of the art form. Tom Greco attended the Woodbury School iron-mounted gun-making seminar and felt he learned more in two weeks with the House brothers than he had in 25 years on his own. During my interviews with seminar participants, I found this type of high praise for the instructors common. YOU MAY BE ASKING yourself, “What would such and experience cost me?” The three-, six- and nineday classes cost $360, $720 and $1,080, respectively, plus the cost of class materials. That’s no more than a cheap AR-15. If you want to learn how to build longrifles, there is no better way to do it than under the guidance of accomplished instructors. At least 30 former seminar students have gone on to build rifles of such fine quality they were deemed worthy to include in the traveling Minneapolis Institute of Arts exhibition in 2003. Another five former students now build longrifles full time. Today, most seminar participants are middle-aged or older, with the time and money to devote to studying the complex and interdisciplinary art of building longrifles. Professor Leeper along with Herschel House and many other aging masters expressed to me the need to get younger people involved in the seminars to carry on the tradition for another generation. They encourage men and women with passion and talent to make themselves known, as a lack of financial resources will not be an obstacle to a dedicated student. ASJ Author’s note: For more information on the 2016 seminar, contact Professor Terry Leeper at Terry.Leeper@wku.edu. 108
American Shooting Journal // October 2015
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Product REVIEW
SEEING IS BELIEVING REVIEW BY TROY TAYSOM
The sight is designed to be used on pistols, rifles, shotguns, black powder rifles and even crossbows. See All mounts to a Picatinny rail, is extremely durable and can withstand getting wet or knocked around without suffering adverse effects. A plus for any sight! It took me a while to get the feel for how the (SEEALLOPENSIGHTS) sight worked and to become comfortable picking recently worked with the See All Open Sight. up the sight picture, but once I did I realized how This sight is, by far, the most unique I have nicely it operated because the eye confusion between the ever used. It is a nonmagnifying sight that front and rear sight and the target was eliminated, making uses natural light to create a bright green the process very smooth. background with a black pyramid. The pyramid becomes This is a great sight for shooters who have vision trouble the front sight and the tip of the pyramid is visually placed or simply prefer a bigger picture. This would also work directly underneath the target. Since it uses natural light, well as a secondary offset sight for competitive shooters or night use becomes problematic as one would expect, but hunters as a close-range option. then again, no batteries required – nice!
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BLACK POWDER
STEP 1: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS Before Your First Black Powder Hunt STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE NESBITT unting with muzzleloaders is popular enough that most states have special or separate seasons for hunters using them. The rules for those seasons vary, so if you are setting up a hunt, even near home, do a little homework to see which guns, calibers, sights and styles of ignition are favored during those times. In my home state of Washington, the ignition must be exposed, which means using an in-line rifle. Rifles with enclosed percussion nipples and caps are not allowed! Also, Washington does not allow scopes on muzzleloaders when used during the muzzleloading seasons. Scoped muzzleloaders can only be used during modern rifle seasons because they are using modern sights. Washington also has a minimum bore size of .40 caliber for deer and .50 caliber for elk. My personal choices for muzzleloaders and smoothbores are the old-looking percussions and flintlocks that follow traditional styling. Others may favor the newer in-line rifles,
H
which are often shorter and lighter, as well as easier to carry. I won’t argue with that. What I will say is whichever style of rifle or smoothbore you prefer, do a few things to get that gun ready before heading out on the hunt, even before sighting it in. I’m going to be very basic about this because one year, during a muzzleloading season, we saw a new hunter beside his car trying to load a brand-new in-line rifle. The box that the gun came in was on the hood of the car, and his friends were trying to help by reading the printed instructions out loud. I don’t know how things went for that group, but in my opinion, that wasn’t the best way to start. BEFORE TAKING THAT FIRST SHOT, you should be well equipped with all of the extras you will need. Yes, powder, patches and balls or elongated bullets, plus flints or percussion caps fall into that basket, but that’s simply the ammunition, and those things are usually, I hope, already established. Some things that are often not considered are cleaning patches, black-powder solvents, and a cleaning rod or jag for the ramrod. While those things are often not given the priority they deserve, they are actually the things that are needed first. The reason is that almost any new rifle will come with oils in the barrel and in the breech of the gun.
Muzzleloaders are often put away loaded, so if you purchase a used model, make sure to check it thoroughly. A close-up of a 1769 Short Land Pattern Brown Bess Musket. (TRACKOFTHEWOLF.COM)
americanshootingjournal.com 113
BLACK POWDER This should be wiped out before anything else! Yes, those oils will probably be burned out with the first few shots – that is, if the gun will fire. But the oil in the breech area can completely block the flash channel – that important link between the spark of ignition and the main powder charge. If the flash channel is blocked the gun will not fire. A very easy way to clear the flash channel on a percussion is to simply snap a cap or two, but be sure your gun isn’t loaded before doing so. This can be especially true if you have purchased a used muzzleloader. They are often put away while still loaded. Sounds elementary, but most accidents are. It is a good idea to snap the first cap while aiming the rifle in a safe direction. Then snap a second cap with the gun’s muzzle close to the ground so you can watch for movement
in the blades of grass, or even just in the dust as the blast of the cap comes through the barrel. Seeing something move near the gun’s muzzle is a good indication that the flash channel is clear. On a flintlock you clear the short flash channel with a flash-hole pick. I often do that both before and after the gun is loaded. Just poke the pick through the hole and after the gun is loaded you should feel powder grains moving or crumbling as you push the pick through. With that done you know the spark from the flash pan can reach the main powder charge. In fact, do that with a flintlock any time you think it is a good idea. In addition to wiping out the bore, swab it with a good black-powder lubricant, such as Wonder Lube. That will help break in the new barrel. You should use a natural oil
If you are considering taking up black-powder shooting, you should understand how to properly care for and prep your gun before the first outing. (TRACKOFTHEWOLF.COM)
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BLACK POWDER rather than a petroleum product, in my opinion. NOW YOU SHOULD BE READY to sight in your rifle. Many of the custom-made muzzleloading rifles come with rear sights which are not yet notched. Cutting the notch is left to the buyer. The reason is that each shooter prefers a different size or even style of notch. If each shooter cuts their own notch, everyone ends up satisfied. Cutting the notch isn’t a problem, and it is certainly a small job. I prefer a narrow V-style notch and cut in it with a small knife file. While the shape and width of the sighting notch is up to each shooter, the way it is cut into the rear sight is worthy of a little discussion. I almost always cut those notches from the back of the sight with the file at an angle so the notch will be deepest at the front. When the eye looks through the notch, you will only want to see the silhouette of the sight. With those things done you are all ready to head to the shooting range and make sure your rifle is sighted in with the bullets and powder charges you will hunt with. YOU MIGHT ASK ME if I had done all of those things before getting my first deer with a muzzleloading rifle. Well, yes, I did. It was a fine whitetail buck taken at 125 yards on a cold snowy November afternoon, using a .54-caliber
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Hawken-style rifle loaded with 120 grains of FFg under the patched round ball. The .526-inch ball simply tore all of the “plumbing” from the top of the heart. Let me add that I had already been shooting for a couple of years at monthly matches and rendezvous. I will also say that I had some very good teachers, members of the Cascade Mountain Men, a muzzleloading club that is still flourishing and more than ready to accept more new members. You can visit them at cascademountainmen.com. FOR THOSE THINKING about getting a muzzleloading rifle, I will quickly recommend the Lyman Great Plains Rifle. The Lyman GPR is one of the most authentic muzzleloaders on the market and it comes in either .50 or .54 caliber, with a flintlock or percussion ignition, and is available in a rightor left-handed model. I know a lot of shooters who use the Lyman GPR and they perform very well. Now, if you take these steps before taking that first shot, you’ll be off to a good start. That good start, of course, is the real beginning and foundation for a successful hunt. ASJ Editor’s note: For more information about the Lyman Great Plains Rifle, visit Lyman’s web site at lymanproducts.com.
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Product REVIEW
CRANK UP THE VOLUME ON AR HUNTING The New .30BHW Round That Sizzles
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE WORKMAN
D
eveloped for the AR platform, a new cartridge that launches a .30-caliber bullet out of a barrel cut with Caudle threeland polygonal rifling just might be poised to grab the attention of predator and hunters of midsize game, and that’s going to be no small feat. Enter the .30BHW (for Black Hole Weaponry), an Oregon-based outfit that builds aftermarket barrels for AR-style rifles. A couple of range visits with an upper, ammunition and chronograph should be enough to convince anybody that this isn’t just another goofy idea to From left to right, the new .30BHW with the give the semiauto crowd something else to .30-30 Winchester and .300 Savage, two Here’s a .30BHW (left) with a .223 talk about. established cartridges with which the new Remington. Notice that the .30-caliber load round is comparable. has more powder capacity. The round was developed by Ritch Johnson, a member of the BHW pro-staff and Utah resident, who told the American Shooting Journal stretch of the imagination to suggest that a good marksman that his goal was to work up a .30-caliber round for plugging using a rifle chambered in .30BHW could neck-shoot elk, coyotes. He got that and then some, as there is now interest caribou and other game all day long. That was the goal all from Southwest hog hunters, and there’s also plenty of along, to have an AR equivalent of the .30-30. horsepower in this round to clobber a deer, antelope and Based on the 6.8 Remington SPC case, which provides other similar-sized game. more powder capacity than a necked-out .223 Remington Over my Chrony Alpha, the 125-grain Sierra Pro Hunter case, which is the parent case for the .300AAC Blackout, the SPT clocked an average of 2,554 feet per second, out of their .30BHW is “for all intents and purposes,” said Johnson, a 16-inch barrel, putting it between the .30-30 Winchester and “rimless .30 Herrett,” a popular wildcat handgun round. .300 Savage, both legendary deer and black bear cartridges. There’s more to it than that, of course, but Johnson revealed People have also killed elk with both rounds, and it’s no that the cartridge can be reloaded using .30 Herrett dies. This is a round for people who like to tinker at the loading The .30BHW round is being manufactured by Tactical Ammunition, but bench, and who are also looking to get the most out of the this round can also be handloaded using .30 Herrett dies. AR platform. The .30BHW has a 30-degree shoulder and short neck allowing for more powder, and Johnson said that during the development phase, he experimented with all kinds of propellants. Even bullet selection took some experimentation. A 125-grain bullet moving along at more than 2,500 fps is proven poison for deer-sized game. Look at such stalwarts as the .243 Winchester and .257 Roberts, both of which use lighter projectiles, and their track records. I’ve anchored deer with the .257 and 100-grain bullets. According to Black Hole’s John Perez, the .30BHW allows americanshootingjournal.com 121
PRODUCT REVIEW
Black Hole Weaponry is an impressive barrel-manufacturing company that has stepped in and created the .30BHW round for their 6.8SPC barrel. A powerful combination.
the home gunsmith to mount the barrel on an upper set up for the 6.8SPC, but not change the buffer. It’s a little snappier than the .223/5.56mm, of course, but hardly unmanageable. My son, Josh, traveled to the range for a shooting session. He assembled a .223 as a project a couple of years ago, so he understands the platform, including recoil and function. His assessment was simple: you need a buffer for the 6.8SPC round to really dampen recoil, but otherwise, this new caliber is good to go. He certainly couldn’t complain about the accuracy, and neither can anyone else.
Black Hole had assembled a complete upper including a Leupold scope. Black Hole just makes the barrels out of 416R stainless with the three-landpolygonal rifling developed by Carl Caudle. This takes a bit of getting used to for anyone who grew up with traditional six-land-and-groove rifling. One might think it doesn’t have enough bearing surface contact to assure accuracy, but that’s definitely wrong. Caudle polygonal rifling consists of three small ridges. That’s it. And it works! After making sure the rifle was zeroed, which took maybe a half-dozen rounds, we started banging away at targets at 50 and 100 yards. It shoots flat and tight, and to prove it I started shooting at broken chunks of orange clay targets somebody had set up on a 100-yard berm. Even when the rounds missed, it was by so small a margin as to be negligible if shooting at live game. No ’yote, hog or buck is going to know the difference if a bullet strikes 1/16 inch above, below or to one side or the other of where the crosshairs are settled, and neither are you. We’re talking MOA accuracy, and that’s really what counts. On my second range visit, I fired a dozen rounds off-hand at a 200-yard gong and heard the telltale flat “smack” with every shot. The gong I was shooting is about the same size as a deer at the shoulders. Translation: notched tag and venison
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in the freezer. Perez said Black Hole presently offers barrels in lengths of 16, 18 and 20 inches. Out of a 20-inch barrel, the cartridge is capable of delivering 2,800 fps, so since our test barrel was the 16-incher, I’m certainly satisfied with the muzzle velocity. Tactical Ammunition in St. Helens, Ore., is producing the ammunition, and judging from the performance over my chronograph, these loads are very consistent with less than 40 fps difference in any of the rounds. All of this said, the .30BHW could easily fill the need for a tactical or defensive application, although that’s Dave Workman zeroing Black Hole Weaponry’s aftermarket AR-15 barrel not actually why it was developed. Not having been able chambered in 6.8SPC, using their new .30BHW sizzler round. to try it out to longer ranges of, say, 350 to 500 yards, receiver. All that remains then is to install the gas system, a it’s my guess that with the proper scope adjustment, handguard of one’s choice and mount the assembled upper a coyote is toast. It should also find a niche in 3-Gun on a lower. Bingo, you’ve got a rifle. A standard metal 6.8SPC competition, and there’s a subsonic round for people who magazine will work with this new cartridge, and Black Hole like to use suppressors. provided one for this test. As mentioned earlier, the round could have a sterling The .30BHW is no longer just an experimental cartridge. future against Southwest wild hogs. These are tough critters, Over 2,200 rounds were fired between pro-staff members but they’re not bulletproof, and they certainly can’t outrun Ritch Johnson and Greg Lamb and BHW founder Carl this cartridge. In addition to the 125-grain Sierra, my guess is Caudle. Based on my experience at the range, this round is that the similar 125-grain Speer TNT, or Hornady 130-grain ready for prime time. SP could deliver. Johnson also said he’s been experimenting For the handloader, data will be available on the with 125-grain Barnes bullets with good results, but he’s not Black Hole forum page via the company’s website at a fan of using polymer-tipped projectiles in an AR. blackholeweaponry.com. ASJ Black Hole barrels are built to install into the AR
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t’s game time. By now you have fall hunting plans and know where you’ll be going. But don’t stop there. Prior to hitting the road, check the conditions in the area you’ll be hunting and pack accordingly, especially this year. The dry, hot summer experienced throughout much the West will, no doubt, impact hunting in many states. Mind you, this doesn’t mean hunters will be less successful; rather, those plans may have to shift to fit changes encountered in the animals being targeted. In my nearly 40 years of hunting the West, there’s been a number of hot spells. One thing I’ve concluded is that animals will do what they have to in order to survive. They don’t just curl up somewhere and die; they move, change food sources, find shade, drop in elevation, restrict movements and more. It’s up to each hunter to do the research on their preferred area and the species pursued, then adjust their plans accordingly. One of the biggest factors impacting game this year will be lack of food in traditional areas, usually at higher elevations. Excessive heat caused many fruits, grasses and browse to dry up several weeks ahead of time. When edible sources dry up, animals move. Some of these shifts in movement can resemble a late winter migration, where animals vacate normal fall-feeding areas, traveling great distances in search of food. Typical movements find animals dropping in elevation, seeking moisture in draws and amid shaded ravines. Many animals may stay on the north side of ridges until moisture and cloudy days bring forage to life on south-facing slopes, normally occupied this time of year. While water – rivers, creeks, ponds, springs – drives big game animals, many get ample moisture from the vegetation they eat. This year may be different. If these moisture-rich foods are dry, animals will be forced to seek water. Conduct some research and locate water sources to figure out how to access them.
I
HOW TO HUNT THE DROUGHT Monitor wild fires. Some of the most overlooked habitats to hunt are fresh burns, especially where logging practices have been curtailed. Once a burn moves through and the slightest moisture appears, grasses will begin to green up. Elk and deer often congregate in these areas, not only to feed, but to roll in the ash to delouse. Hot summer and fall conditions allowed many biting bugs to flourish, putting physical stress on big game, the hosts of these insects.
Be prepared to cover ground with your eyes this hunting season. This will save energy, allow you to observe game from a safe distance, and decrease the likelihood of getting busted by shifting thermals and making excessive noise.
Call regional fish and wildlife authorities and ask what the conditions have been like in the area you’ll be hunting. Keep up to date on weather fronts, knowing that one night’s drop in temperature can spur animal movement this time of year. americanshootingjournal.com 129
ROAD HUNTER If animals have moved from your traditional hunting grounds – or aren’t where you expected them to be – get ready to move. The mobile hunter will be the most successful. Be willing and ready to spend the entire day, or week, afield. It may be necessary to spike camp out for a night or two to find animals. Because you’ll be covering ground, make sure your boots are broken-in and are exactly what is needed for your specific hunt. What worked last year may not be the best choice this year. Also, check for wear and tear. Rub spots may indicate it’s time for new boots. Nothing ruins a hunt faster than sore feet. Be in shape, carry food, water and other essential gear. If warm conditions continue, and you’re hunting near water, don’t forget a ThermaCell bug repellent unit. This unit is powered by a butane cartridge that lasts up to 12 hours, heating a patch that emits a smell which offends mosquitos, no-see-ums and black flies. The patch lasts up to four hours, and works great in camp and on the trail. Layered clothing, starting with a base layer of moisturemoving material, will allow you to hunt in comfort and cover more ground. A light rain shell may be a better choice than heavy, bulky rain gear. Quality optics, both binos and a spotting scopes, will allow you to cover ground with your eyes, not your feet, saving valuable time. Tripod shooting sticks are also a good idea. The top two reasons I see people fail to fill tags are not being in shape and not shooting accurately. I carry Bog Pod’s Red Legged Devil, a sturdy stick that allows me to shoot from multiple positions,
Intense heat can cause food sources to change, meaning hunters may need to go in search of where big game has relocated. (Above) Author Scott Haugen took this Western whitetail amid hot, dry conditions. Knowing where to find big game in dry situations can be far different than places they normally occupy this time of year, when moisture and food prevail.
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which is perfect in the West’s inevitably uneven landscapes. The Bog Pod also doubles as a reliable walking stick. If hunting at high elevations, don’t limit your thinking to hot and dry. It’s nothing to be hunting in 70-degree temperatures one day, then in 30 degrees and snow the next. On these hunts more gear will be required. Boots should have a waterproof liner and outsoles that will perform on dry and wet ground. Wind-cutting outwear is also a must, be it heavy and insulated for sitting, or a thin shell for hunting on the move. A stocking cap will help retain body heat, as most heat escapes through our heads. Disposable hand warmers are nice for those cold mornings and chilly nights. I love ThermaCell’s Heated Insoles, especially the ProFlex model. It features a removable battery that can be charged on a USB port, whether from a solar panel, camp generator or compact Never Ded Cell power source. The battery is padded, which allows for comfortable hiking and runs on ThermaCell’s wireless remote e-control. Thin gloves are nice, but insulated gloves may be
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ROAD HUNTER HYDRATE: DRINK UP! Staying hydrated on any hunt is important, but this fall could be even more critical. If you’re covering a lot of ground, you’ll need to drink more water than normal. A great solution is to implement a hydration pack with a drinking straw that attaches to a shoulder strap, and is easy to access by mouth. With this setup, you’ll be amazed how quickly you go through a quart or two of water, something you may not normally consume in an entire day if carrying a bottle stuffed away in the pack. Also, a filtration system that allows you to take advantage of any water you come across, like a LifeStraw, is a great idea. Plan your hunts around water rationing, if need be. Water will prevent headaches and muscle cramping, help maintain energy and keep your mind positive, all of which are important parts of the hunt. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel and what you can achieve.-SH
necessary. I’ve spent many October days at over 8,000 feet, where morning temperatures start in the teens and climb into the 60s by midday. Don’t let the dry conditions of fall cast a spell on your hunt. The animals are out there; you just have to do the research to locate them, then gear-up accordingly to do what’s necessary to fill your tag. ASJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s top-selling book, Trophy Blacktails: The Science Of The Hunt, visit scotthaugen.com.
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Product REVIEW
FROM BOILING WATER TO LIFESTRAW How Not To Die From Dysentery REVIEW BY FRANK JARDIM
Getting water directly from nature can be life threatening if you do not know what is upstream from your source. (LIFESTRAW)
a
human being can survive for weeks without food, but a lack of water will cause serious health problems in as little as three days. Without water, you would probably die of dehydration within a week. In hot weather a man can easily lose a gallon and a half of sweat each day, so your survival depends on an adequate supply of potable water. Potable is the key word here. Drinking contaminated water can kill you too. It won’t kill you as fast as not having any water, but take it from a person who has had amoebic dysentery, it makes it hard to do other things you need to survive in the backcountry. IN ANCIENT TIMES, people simply strained their water to filter out the gross impurities and then boiled it to render it safe to drink. This process still works quite well today, but it is only slightly less labor intensive now than it was a thousand years ago. Boiling isn’t a good solution if you need to be on the go, like a military patrol in enemy territory or a hiker trying to traverse the wilderness. If you are on the move, you need to use the water you find, and it won’t all be ice-cold, free-
flowing mountain streams. I drank from those myself 30 years ago with no ill effects, but the facts are you can never be sure what’s upstream, and it doesn’t take much to make you sick. BY THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, the disinfecting properties of chlorine compounds were well known. Simple household bleach kills bacteria, fungi and viruses in a matter of minutes with a lot less work than boiling. A soldier only needed a canteen capful to purify a quart canteen of water. During WWI, the chlorine compound Halazone was first used to disinfect water, and by WWII a more efficient tablet was issued for emergency field use. Fifty tiny
LifeStraw strains out nearly all dangerous biological contaminants down to 0.2 microns in size, which includes 99.9 percent of the bacteria, protozoa, cysts and parasites that will make people sick. (LIFESTRAW)
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PRODUCT REVIEW purification. In 2005 the LifeStraw family of water filters was introduced using this technology to mechanically strain out nearly all dangerous biological contaminants down to 0.2 microns in size, which includes 99.9 percent of the bacteria, protozoa, cysts and parasites that will make you sick. Rather than carry clean water in the field, you carry the small LifeStraw filter and safely drink from Whether you are hunting, hiking or hiding from the Zombie apocalypse in your bathtub (FRANK JARDIM - inset), and flowing water, lakes, need to drink from whatever source available, this lightweight device can be the difference between life, being severely sick or death. (LIFESTRAW ) stagnant animal troughs, toilets or virtually any other water source that isn’t otherwise dangerously chemically tablets, with a two-year shelf life, fit into a bottle about the contaminated. It won’t take salt out of seawater or dissolved size of your thumb. Two tablets purified a quart canteen in nitrates out of agricultural runoff, however. about seven minutes. They remained in military use through You use it like a straw, and as long as you are careful not the Vietnam era, though were officially replaced in 1952 by to contaminate the mouthpiece, it offers similar or greater an iodine-based disinfecting tablet. effectiveness to any of the chemical alternatives, in much less time, and with an indefinite shelf life. The smallest THE EARLY CHLORINE-BASED methods all left the water tasting personal LifeStraw like chlorine, but the real problem was that their effectiveness filter is only 1 inch by 9 diminished in cold or hot climates. Iodine-based Globaline inches, weighs 2 ounces seemed like a better solution. It dissolved in less than a minute, and cleans 1,000 liters had a broader temperature range and only one tablet per quart of water. I see this canteen was needed. Unfortunately, variations in water pH technology as the most affected its efficiency at killing biological contaminants, and it economical and efficient wasn’t as powerful as chlorine. personal field waterEventually, military disinfection doctrine doubled the dose purification system to and lengthened the treatment time to 35 minutes. That yielded date. safe water but it tasted so bad that soldiers weren’t inclined to Though they have drink it. Neither Halazone or Globaline did anything to clear yet to be adopted the water of sediment or turbidity. by the military, they In 1990, the military returned to a chlorine-based water are in use worldwide disinfecting system when it adopted Chlor-Floc, an offwhere humanitarian the-shelf commercial product still issued today. Chlor-Floc organizations have disinfects and clears really turbid water by chemically distributed them to help bonding with the contaminants (flocculation), causing them to people without access to precipitate in the bottom of the canteen as sediment. The water clean water. ASJ tastes better, but the process takes 11 to 19 minutes, requires the canteen be kept still and the water must be strained twice before drinking. That’s fine if you are sitting in bivouac, but not Editor’s note: so great if you are on patrol. Shelf life is about three years. You can learn more Chlor-Floc is a well-known water purifier, about LifeStraw’s but it takes a long time to activate and innovative products at THE DEVELOPMENT of super-fine, hollow-fiber-membrane requires the water to be still in order to work. Not good for water on the go. buylifestraw.com filters in recent years revolutionized personal water (FRANK JARDIM)
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GET ON THE RIGHT ‘STAGE’ Is A Single Or A Progressive Handloading Press Right For You? STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB SHELL
or the person who handloads or reloads as a hobby, there are predominantly two styles of presses for “rolling” your own: single-stage and progressive models. Like everything else, there is a broad selection for either, but the question most new people ask is, “Which type I should buy?” Let’s look at both systems and examine the pros and cons of each.
F
SINGLE-STAGE PRESSES The benefit of using a single-stage press is that you can only load one round at a time. Some may feel this is a hinderance, but the benefits are numerous. • When I teach handloading, it is much easier to work with students on this press because there is only one action happening at a time. This allows them to fully appreciate the process, step by step. Handloading can be a very precise project, so it is important to have all of your attention focused on the task at hand. With a student or someone new
This is a basic single-stage loading setup for the hobbyist handloader.
to the skill, this is especially true. • Sizing the case is generally a simple operation. If and when something goes wrong while using a single-stage, it is much easier to detect a problem. This saves a lot of time, cases and money. • Priming a case can be accomplished in several ways, but I generally use the “set-up” (a tool head complete with accompanying dies, powder measure and bar) provided with the press. I am a big believer in using feel during all of the reloading steps, as this can frequently pick up a problem that may be missed by sight. A single-stage press allows for this manual inspection. • These presses are perfect for the hobbiest or loader who enjoys making small batches of specialty rounds, and choosing a light aluminum-frame press should suffice. It is both inexpensive and small, so it won’t take up much room. If you want to do large handgun or rifle cases, then these presses might not be suitable because they lack the leverage
Single-stage presses, like this RCBS, are great for people who like to tinker with odd calibers. americanshootingjournal.com 141
RELOADING and powders. If you load uncommon calibers, the single-stage is the only way to go. PROGESSIVE PRESS Progressive presses can load several rounds at a time, but are generally considered better for the experienced reloader who makes several hundred rounds per week. Unlike a single-stage loader, a I have found that the Dillon progressive progressive press has There are presses just for loading shotgun ammunition, like this presses are really good and can load between many functions occurring Mec 600 JR shotgun press. 300 and 500 rounds per hour. at the same time, hence to size them, and over a period of time the small frame would more things to monitor that could go wrong. • You can load about eight to 10 cartridges on a progressive give out. for every one you load on a single-stage. Once you get There is, however, a good selection of cast-iron presses, acquainted with it you can expect to make somewhere and the larger ones are more suitable for rifle cases. A between three and 500 rounds per hour, depending on your quality press will cost a bit more, but will last much longer ability and quality of brass. and in the long run is a good investment. • My type of small-batch reloading entails a lot of different • It is generally accepted that if you load under 250 rounds loads, since I do a lot of experimenting with various bullets per week, you do not need a progressive press.
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RELOADING • Most progressives have a shell plate (the plate that actually stabilizes the cases for loading), but they are not made in odd sizes, although I imagine one could be fabricated. Such activity would not be practical on a standard progressive, therefore a single-stage is more flexible than a progressive in this regard. The only downside is the lack of speed when producing ammo. • If you have some basic experience, then loading, set-up and operation are straight forward. However, it takes some time and experience to truly master a progressive, so be patient with yourself and the machine. • If you want to load several different calibers, ideally you would purchase a set-up for each one. Something to note: you will need a shell plate for each. • Because progressives are more of an investment, you may want to try them out before choosing one. There may be a store in your area that offers set-ups you can test in-house. I’ve used a Dillon 550 and a Star, so I can pass on my experience with those. A 550 with one setup will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $500, and with that you are ready to run one caliber. You would also need a scale to set up your powder charge. You can load rifle rounds on a Dillon 550 with the right equipment, and assuming you have some experience rolling your own, it is fairly easy to operate. A lesser-known machine is the Star, although it has
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been around for years. I had one for 30 years and I used it to load .38 Special – it never broke! They just do not wear out. They are more expensive and not as flexible, but they do last forever. There are other good progressives available, such as the Hornady, RCBS, and Lyman models. However, I do not have experience with those, so I prefer not to comment on their features. On the other side of the spectrum, there are machines capable of loading ammo at a rate of over 3,000 rounds per hour. Since they cost thousands of dollars, a hobbyist probably won’t be purchasing one of these, but watching those in operation is something to see. Good luck with this hobby. I know you will The author’s 30-year-old Star reloading press. Still works perfectly and never love it as much as I do, so have fun shopping. ASJ breaks, he says.
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The FloJak Earth Straw is just that – a straw you put into the earth (your well), which allows you to access water manually.
The Inside Scoop About EarthStraw STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CORKY BAKER
So many of our basic needs rely on power, but what happens when the electricity goes out for any number of reasons? How can you get the most important resource you need – water?
T
he devastation crept in under the cover of darkness. My then-18-year-old son and I quietly knew something bad was happening. All night long, our sleep was interrupted by startling sounds, the likes of which I had never heard before. The noise outside intensified because the air was still, quiet and very, very cold, even more so after the loss of power eliminated the constant drone of ordinary sounds we never think about until they stop. Neither of us got up. It was too cold to crawl from beneath the covers, and too dark to see. We didn’t communicate – we both just listened – all night long. I knew the forecast had called for a frigid winter storm, but the usual sounds of howling wind and sleet against the metal roof never happened. Instead we heard loud cracks as frozen branches snapped like rifle fire, crashing to the hard ground where they exploded like mortars. The noise was stunning! Our place, the man cave as we called it, was where we stayed to be near our manufacturing business in the Arkansas hills. It was nestled in the edge of the woods. As the night wore on, the popping limbs and falling trees enveloped our sanctuary. Frozen branches leaned onto the roof, scratching like icy fingers and probing for a way in. It
sounded like an attack. It sounded like a war zone. By dawn, the war had given way to the aftermath. A large pine tree had fallen onto the house, and the white noise of utter silence seemed as though there was nothing left to
ADVANCED MENTAL PREPARATION ISN’T THE SAME AS THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE break. Utterly surreal. I have since learned that when conditions are perfect, winter rain can collect and freeze instantly on power lines, branches and twigs. Sometimes the weight of this accumulated ice is far greater than the strength of the tree itself, so the branches droop and ultimately snap. Mighty root balls were torn from the frozen earth as unsteady trees toppled like dominoes under the weight of a cruel, icy net, which was cast over the entire region. This phenomena occurs when the moisture-laden atmosphere is unusually warm, producing rain rather than snow or ice. The droplets cool as they fall, and then they americanshootingjournal.com 149
The Baker family are renowned for their innovative tendencies and have created some very clever devices such as the EarthStraw. (Left to right) Corky, Chris, Abby, Jonathan, Anna, Andy, Miles and Caitlin.
flash-freeze in heavy layers on everything if the temperature at the surface is 32 degrees Farenheit or below. One hundred and fifty miles away, Chris, my wife of many years, and four of our six children were part of the very same winter storm system. They were trapped on our rural farm without electricity for 14 days. It took 10 days just to reach them. Even though we were prepared, during that time we had to be resourceful. The porch became our refrigerator, we collected rain for fresh water and used the unfrozen water below the ice in our pool to flush the toilets. A large fireplace and a good supply of wood provided both warmth and a place to cook. Using a coat-hanger frame wrapped in foil and mounted to the front of a backup gas wall heater, we made an improvised oven that baked one of the best German chocolate cakes I’ve ever had. Not pretty, but very tasty. So some problems we faced were solved, but others not so much. The storm was indeed a harsh schoolmaster. It was a fresh reminder that advanced mental preparation isn’t the same as the actual experience. One of its gifts was the reality of how much water we needed and just how valuable it quickly becomes. My family survived primarily on bottled water, and we realized that actual consumption was much higher than anticipated. We needed a better plan. Those who know me and my business partner Andy, who is also my son, know that we are serial entrepreneurs. We can’t help ourselves. Whenever life throws a curve, we get busy trying to invent a commercially viable solution that can straighten the trajectory. We needed to come up with a better way to ensure an abundant and affordable supply of drinkable water for our family and critters. This ultimately led to a creation that now provides a water solution for thousands of families when power is lost, for whatever reason. Like millions of other plots of ground in the United States, our farm had a well. Yes, I said millions! There are 15.9 million water wells in the country, but a typical handwell pump system costs $3,500 – far too expensive for most Americans. We knew there had to be a better way, so we gathered the team and decided to see if we could develop an affordable, reliable, American-made hand well-pump system for a quarter of the cost. Our objective was to create a narrow-profile pump, which could coexist with the electric pump already in the well, and operate 150
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independently. That is exactly what we did. We had everything we needed: manufacturing and engineering skills, facilities, product-design knowledge and marketing competencies. Plus, we had first-hand knowledge of the gap between supply and demand. We made the decision and the investment to fill the gap. In under a year, with a pile of failures behind us, we finally created FloJak. This device has since provided peace of mind and an affordable pump systems to thousands of families who are now much better prepared for an extended power loss than we were. Since the beginning, we have tried to identify new needs and new opportunities. This has led to several product innovations such as hand pumps, which can produce pressurized running water in a home for flushing or filling a sink, and the EarthStraw, the world’s first and only hand well pump in a coil. This narrowbodied, lightweight system is designed to be either permanent or portable, and can be installed in minutes by one person with very little knowledge of wells or plumbing. A 100foot system weighs 22 pounds, will roll up and can easily fit into the trunk of a car. Water wells dot EarthStraw’s complete kit is designed the map at a rate of to be transportable. The shipping and storing carton measures 36 inches by 36 four every mile, on inches. A 100-foot system, for example, average, according to weighs only 22 pounds. a geological survey. Every one of them is a potential tap into the aquifer, an underground ocean of cool, clean water. Water that is abundant, free and filtered naturally by the earth just as God intended. All we need is a way to get it. In retrospect, I can find ways to be grateful for that ice storm. Healthy people don’t usually run around looking for hardship and inconvenience, and to be honest we don’t have to, it will find us eventually. I can’t say that I laid in bed that cold night several years ago, pencil in hand, waiting for the idea of FloJak or EarthStraw, but as a business guy and inventor, I was able to glean something that can now benefit others. Hard conditions are a willing teacher, inconvenience begs for innovation, necessity really is the mother of invention and, where there’s a well, there’s a way! ASJ Editor’s note: To learn more about FloJak or EarthStraw check out FloJak.com.
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The Renton Fish and Game Club outside Seattle provided an arsenal of firearms to include pistols, shotguns and tactical rifles for the American Shooting Journal group’s day at the range.
THIS MAG’S
American Shooting Journal Goes To The Range
LOADED WITH SHOOTERS! STORY BY DANIELLE BRETEAU • PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN OLIVER
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o what does a shooting magazine do when the boss says, “Let’s do something fun!” Well, they go to the range, of course. Silly question! Before we dive into the details of this outing, I feel compelled to introduce our readers to the ASJ team. Our graphic designers, sales staff, office aficionados, editors and IT folk come from all walks of life, backgrounds and experience. And contrary to what you might think, not everyone amongst us is a shooter – and some had never handled a firearm before simply from never having had the opportunity. Others, on the other hand, are competitive marksmen, hunters, former law enforcement and military veterans. Regardless of everyone’s level, the day was met with great anticipation, even if it was more anxiety and fear of the unknown, by some. This had all the ingredients of a great day. So there we were, at the Renton Fish and Game Club in Renton, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, and Jack said, “Hold my beer – watch this!” No, no no … that was a different story and a different place. The RFGC is a private club on a sprawling 40-acre wildlife preserve, and nestled within the trees of this paradise are well over 40 pistol, rifle, shotgun and action-bay ranges, as well as trap and skeet fields. The club holds a number of events throughout the year to include cowboy-action shooting, Junior Olympics, scholastic clays, suppressor shoots – the list goes on. The range is beautiful, low key, professional and simply just feels like home where everyone is family. When our group arrived, we were met by a cadre of instructors hailing from all disciplines of the industry. Some of these guys had long forgotten more than we, collectively, will ever know about shooting and firearms, while others were young-buck tactical trainers with military-like precision. All were clearly capable, personable, gentle with the beginners and very knowledgeable. We knew our group was in good hands. We had reached out to the club a couple months prior and explained what we had wanted to do. After the initial layout of ideas, how the day should go, the various level of shooters, etc., Jay Burleson and Randy Hill, the ringleaders, or rangemasters, however you want to read that, held their hands up and said, “We’ve got it. Leave it to us to take care of the details.” Having just met these two characters, who appeared to have a perpetual glint in their eye of worldly backgrounds, not to mention a gushing warmth and teasing sense of humor, I knew it would be fun and safe if nothing else. That is exactly what they created. On range day, not only did our group arrive to an arsenal of shotguns, pistols and rifles set up on three different ranges, but we later learned that the easily over 35 firearms there for our use were all personally owned by instructors who are happy to share their collections. The idea was to give our group as much hands-on experience with the widest array possible. This would be exciting and empowering for the beginners, and equally as fun for more proficient shooters who may never have tried their hand at a black powder pistol or a semiauto shotgun, or even an AR-15, as was the case for a few of our hunters. There was something for everyone. Each range was manned by instructors who taught, helped,
General manager John Rusnak handled any work-related frustrations he might have been having with this shotgun.
When our group first arrived, everyone was quite serious and well behaved. This did not last for long with rangemaster Randy Hill at the helm. An excellent instructor and host, Randy knows how to keep guests engaged and entertained without compromising safety.
Rangemaster Jay Burleson not only helped organize the logistics of the day, but also worked with each shooter on the shotgun range to help them perfect their grip.
Liz draws a bead on a target on the shotgun range.
The mag’s executive editor Danielle Breteau with her former law-enforcement partner John Parow, who was visting from Florida.
The graphics ladies of American Shooting Journal! Well, not all of them – the grinning cheshire cat, second from the left, infiltrated the group. From left to right, Sonja Kells, production manager, Katie Higgins, sales manager, and Liz Weikum and Sam Rockwell, graphic designers.
Magazine staffers patiently wait their turns at the pistol range, one of three they used at the Renton Fish and Game Club’s beautiful facility. Parow, who in addition to being an officer is a firearms instructor, helped mentor the group, though we might add, he did not win the final competition. What the heck, John?!?
Sales queen Mamie Griffin rocked the pistol course for most of the day.
Katie Sauro edits some targets – all of them!
Mike Smith from sales worked with black powder firearms, which were closer to his own era. americanshootingjournal.com 157
WINNER’ CIRCLE
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informed, maintained excellent safety and entertained – yes, I said P Garn entertained, Kenn lace edy (S the stories ales) Liz W were fantastic P l a c e eicku m (Gr – and this aphic s) allowed each Place Mike Smith student the (Sales ) ability to walk from one range to the next to try whatever they liked, and to stay and work with any system at will. Our group of about 12 never had a dull moment, nor waited more than a couple minutes for any firearm. Needless to say, the rangemasters at RFGC were extremely well organized, handled our group with the utmost respect and made the day highly positive. This is exactly what you want when working with people who have never handled a firearm or might be a bit timid. Grins and guns were all I could see among our team. The range offers gear, such as eye and ear protection for those who do not have their own. However, the folks at Sport Ear and Specialized Safety Products wanted our group to have the best of the best. We were outfitted with Sport Ear’s XT4 electronic hearing protection. If you have never used electronically enhanced ear protection, you don’t know what you are missing. Sport Ear has amazing products at a very affordable price. Specialized Safety Products provides a wide array of highly effective, comfortable safety glasses for all types of needs to include anti-fog, rubber nose bands and any color you can imagine. Comfort and style all in one! For the grand finale, we had a knockdown competition targeting five steel plates. This pitted one shooter against another to lay down their set faster. Whoever finished first won that round! The winner moved on until the final round. Did I mention that anyone could choose any firearm they wanted? This was amusing because I think we had an AR-15 against a black powder pistol at one point, and why not? By the end of the day, everyone was wonderfully tired, and I cannot even begin to count the number of rounds thrown downrange, but I can say that we have some seriously hidden shooting talent in the graphics and sales departments. Look out, 3-Gun! The American Shooting Journal sends out a warm thank you to the Renton Fish and Game Club and all of the instructors who made this day unforgettable: Jay Burleson, Randy Hill, LaMarr Hood, Gary Young, Jim Goodnow, Sean Wade and Arrun Ouch. I think we have found our new range and made many new friends! Oh, I almost forgot: Thank you for not making us clean any of the guns! ASJ
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Complete with matching nail polish and stylish cap, Liz might not have been very truthful when she mentioned having never shot a gun. We call foul – this girl can shoot!
Sales rep Steve Joseph (left) had a great day while Sam (center) never stopped grinning. Katie (right) fires off a few rounds from her air rifle.
Instructor Jim Goodnow watches Sam carefully handle a shotgun for the first time, and like a champ. All her targets were destroyed.
The Katies model Specialized Safety Products’ shooting glasses, and great dental hygiene.
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015
Editor’s Note: You can visit RFCG at RFGC.org.
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American Shooting Journal // October 2015