Am 12 17 web

2018 SPORTSMAN CALENDAR INSIDE!

FALKOR

FLIES HIGH Montana AR Maker Targets New Markets

High-Caliber Chardonnay Winter Wingshooting Wonderland Praise for Partridge Xmas Gifts for Waterfowlers

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ALSO INSIDE

Blackpowder: Lighter Loads Deer Opener − Minnesota Style

Amm nition Wine Ammunition Aims To Please

Check Out Our Holiday Gift Guide!

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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American Shooting Journal // October 2017

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A MERIC A N

Warren Custom Outdoor Since 1998 • All Products Made In The USA

SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 7 // Issue 3 // December 2017

One Hole Sights g • Relieve Eye Strain • Shoot More Accurately Without The Weight & Bulk Of A Scope

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Dick Openshaw

GENERAL MANAGER

John Rusnak

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mag Spark

Andy Walgamott

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ads@americanshootingjournal.com

ON THE COVER Melinda Sonju, cofounder of Falkor Defense, holds the Montana companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest AR-platform riďŹ&#x201A;e, the Petra in .300 Win Mag. (FALKOR)

Website: AmericanShootingJournal.com Facebook: Facebook.com/AmericanShootingJournal Twitter: @AmericanShootingJournal

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 â&#x20AC;˘ Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 â&#x20AC;˘ Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd â&#x20AC;˘ Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 â&#x20AC;˘ (800) 332-1736 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com â&#x20AC;˘ www.media-inc.com

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American Shooting Journal // October 2017

Stability and Accuracy thordsencustoms.com

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Picatinny Buffer Tube Adapter Our new Picatinny Buffer Tube Adapter is a great addition to your Sig MPX, Sig MCX, Sig P556XI, Rock River PDS, or any other pistol that utilizes a rear vertical picatinny rail. It gives a shooter the ability to add a cheek rest for greater stability or a stock for SBR conversions (federal tax stamp required).

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CONTENTS FEATURES

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 3 • August 2017

43

FLYING HIGH

(FALKOR DEFENSE)

From humble beginnings under a different name, Melinda and Jason Sonju’s Falkor Defense has become one of the top success stories in the AR industry, with sights set on becoming its gold standard.

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PRAISE FOR GREY PARTRIDGE Underappreciated Hungarian partridge still provide upland bird hunting excitement for the few who chase them across the Northern Plains and Inland Northwest, and writer Dan Magneson has a few decades of experience doing just that.

Grab your scattergun and head out with him for Huns!

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ROAD HUNTER: CHRISTMAS PRESENT IDEAS FOR WATERFOWL HUNTERS Our man in the marsh, Scott Haugen, offers up a variety of holiday gift ideas that the duck and goose hunters in your life are sure to love.

139 BLACK POWDER: SHORT AND SWEET Short-range loads and “collar buttons” can be a lot of fun, both at target practice and when you’re on the hunt for small game. Mike Nesbitt takes us on a stroll through history and on a “trail-walk” with his trusty .50-70 Sharps.

THE DEER OPENER – MINNESOTA STYLE Idaho’s no slouch when it comes to deer hunting, but Boise’s Tom Claycomb discovered a whole ’nother level last month when he took in the legendary Minnesota Deer Hunters Association’s annual Governor’s banquet and season opener in the North Woods.

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 © 2017 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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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

CHALLENGER // 550 AND 750 3820 Harrison Ave. Centralia, WA 98531 (360) 736-6340 // www.powershopcentralia.com

CONTENTS

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WINES OF HIGH CALIBER

Ammunition Wines, the brainchild of business partners Andy Wahl and Bill Kerr, aims to celebrate the outdoor lifestyle from the heart of Northern California’s wine country.

Also Inside 30 35 131 153 161 166

Christmas Gift Guide SHOT Show Golden Ticket Reload Your Supplies: Gift ideas for reloaders Company Spotlight: Nowlin Arms Company Spotlight: Match Grade Machine Company Spotlight: UniqueTek

DEPARTMENTS 21 25 29 39

Editor’s Note Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar Industry News: Rare gun auctions; Cimarron replica 1851 Navy revolver

G N I D L BUI

(CHRIS COCOLES)

ET B A

C A R TE

N TIO

Come see us at SHOT Show booth #1928!

IT U S I V Find Us On Facebook!

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

E N I L N SO

(402) 782-2884 www.BighornArms.com

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE hen I was six years old, my father – a California Highway Patrolman by profession – received a requested transfer to the Lake Tahoe area.

For a kid born in Los Angeles and raised in the hot and dry Sacramento Valley, the prospect of a winter in the Sierra Mountains was a dream come true. I had already spent a good deal of time in and around Lake Tahoe, as my grandparents often hosted our summer vacations in their South Shore cabin a few blocks from the lake. But I had never been there when there was snow on the ground and you could see your breath. I loved the mountains, and I knew I would love them even more in the winter.

My dad purchased a lot on the north shore, just outside of Tahoe City, and he and my mom worked with an architect to design a mountain house. Our lot backed to open hills, which eventually gave way to the Tahoe National Forest.

Because Dad knew the local rangers, they had a mutually beneficial deal where he would remove fallen trees with his trusty chainsaw. The house had a huge front deck that ran the length of the foundation, and we spent much of the fall stacking our free firewood beneath it. A wood door

W

beside the stone fireplace led into the garage, making fuel transportation even easier for my older brother and me.

I’ll never forget that first snowfall. My mom had to drag me back indoors shortly after dark before my fingers froze off. I thawed them out holding a mug of hot chocolate as I stared out the front picture window at the falling snow, anxiously awaiting my first white Christmas.

Mom and Dad sold that house and returned to the valley a few years later, but my love of Tahoe lives on. My grandparent’s cabin at South Shore is now our family’s, and my wife and I are making plans for our own family to head up there in late December for yet another white Christmas.

From my family and that of American Shooting Journal, we hope you and your loved ones can celebrate the holidays in your favorite way. We’ll see you in 2018! -Craig Hodgkins

Website: AmericanShootingJournal.com Facebook: Facebook.com/AmericanShootingJournal Twitter: @AmericanShootingJournal

FIREARM LAWS FOR BUSINESSES & THEIR CUSTOMERS

Volume 1: Federal Infringements • Introductory Principles and Explanations • What is Being Regulated?

• Juveniles and Prohibited Persons • Locations Where Firearms Are Prohibited • Transportation of Firearms • Firearm Transfers by Unlicensed Persons • Licensees: Authority, Restrictions and Requirements • Transfer Process and Background Checks • Recordkeeping and Inspections • General Licensing Requirements • Licensed Firearms Dealers • Arms Export Act of 1976 (Importers, Exporters, and Manufacturers) • Licensed Firearms Importers • Licensed Firearms Manufacturers • Licensed Firearms Collectors • Firearms Serialization and Markings (Manufacturers and Importers) • Law Enforcement Officers • Gun Shows and Events • Exemptions to the Gun Control Act • NFA Firearms: Machine Guns, Short-Barreled Rifles/ Shotguns, Suppressors, Destructive Devices • Firearm Seizure and Forfeiture • Criminal Conduct and Enhanced Penalties • Miscellaneous Provisions

ED UPDAT 2017

Volume 2: Texas Infringements • Introduction, Definitions & Prohibited Weapons • Juveniles and Prohibited Persons • Prohibited Places • Hunting and Target Shooting • Firearm Transfers • Concealed and Open Carry • Firearm Crimes, Seizures, & Self-Defense • Establishing a Firearms Business • Firearms Businesses Requirements and Protections • Shooting Ranges • Cer tified Texas License to Carr y Instructors • Law Enforcement • Private Security • Institutions of Higher Education • Notice Requirements and Related Firearms Laws for Non-Firearms Businesses and Entities

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

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Custom Guns

“Black Widow” 2017 is the 30th anniversary of our popular Black Widow and calls for a very special revolver. This is the 30th Anniversary Black Widow, built in the caliber you choose.

“Night Stalker” The Night Stalker is one of our most popular custom 1911s.

Custom from the ground up, this beauty shoots as good as it looks.

And can be built on your gun or ours.

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

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C&E Gun Shows

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

NEWS

FROM RARE TO REPLICA

From one-of-a-kind firearms at auction to affordable replicas, these pistols are classics in their own way.

COMPILED BY THE EDITORS

E

ach fall, two firearms auction companies, James D. Julia, Inc., and Poulin Auctions, conduct back-to-back firearms auctions in Fairfield, Maine, and the results have been featured here previously. This year, the Julia fall auction generated more than $15.1 million in sales, and combined with approximately $3.2 million produced at the Poulin auction, the entire gross pushed to more than $18.3 million.

Julia’s regularly sells more highend, rare and valuable Confederate and Civil War arms than any other auction house extant today, and this recent auction featured three wellknown collections.

One of the true rarities in the

The finest known example of an extremely rare Cofer Percussion Confederate Revolver, serial number 11, with holster, as offered at the recent James D. Julia auction.

auction, and among the most coveted revolvers in Confederate collecting, is the brass-framed percussion revolver made in Portsmouth, Virginia

by Thomas W. Cofer. This auction included Cofer revolver serial number 11, which is by far the finest example known. Estimated at $100,000 to

$150,000, it sold for $103,500.

Also, a cased pair of doublebarreled flintlock carriage pistols with spring-loaded bayonets by Isaac Blissett in superb condition landed an auction world-record price for such at $63,250 against an estimate of $27,500 to $35,000.

C

imarron Firearms, recognized as a leader in quality and authenticity in Old West replica firearms, is proud to make available the legendary 1851 Navy cap-andball six-shooter replica, known as the “Percussion Peacemaker.” Originally introduced in 1850, the .36-caliber revolver was highly prized by stalwart individuals during the great Western migration, including the gold rush of ’49, and was carried by both sides during the Civil War. Other famous and infamous 1851 Navy owners included John Wesley Hardin, a Texas outlaw known to have shot a man for snoring, the James Younger Gang and “Wild Bill” Hickok. No other line of six-guns sold more than a quarter million units in less than a quarter

Cimarron Firearms Company’s replica “Percussion Peacemaker”, the 1851 Navy Laser Engraved.

century than the 1851 Navy did, linking it forever with the Wild West.

Cimarron’s replica 1851 Navy revolver brings back all the lore and mystique with beautiful laser engraving on a case-hardened old silver frame with a standard blue finish and one-

piece fine-diamond-checkered walnut grip. The percussion-style six-shooter is available in .44 or .36 caliber with a 7½-inch octagon barrel for an MSRP of just $422.50.

For more from Cimarron, visit cimarron-firearms.com. americanshootingjournal.com 39

RIFLE GALLERY

Centurion Arms - CM4 Calibers: Multi or 5.56mm Barrel length: 10.5 to 16.1 inches Overall length: Variable Weight: Variable Magazine capacity: 10, 20, 30 and 40 Stock: Composite MSRP: $1,500

Layke Tactical - LT10 Caliber: Barrel length: Overall length: Weight: Magazine capacity: Stock: MSRP:

.308/7.62x51mm 18 inches 36 to 39 inches 8.4 pounds 5 to 25+1 Composite $1,599 to $2,000

Anderson MFG - AM15 Patriot Caliber: 5.56mm/.223 Barrel length: 16 inches Overall length: 32.5 inches, 36.125 inches extended Weight: 7.7 pounds Magazine capacity: 30 Stock: Magpul six-position butt stock MSRP: $1,600

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Jones Arms - Kronos 9mm Calibers: 5.56mm, 6.5 Grendel, .300 AAC Blackout, .458 SOCOM, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmor, 9mm mm Barrel length: 16 to 24 inches Weight: 6 to 10 pounds Magazine capacity: 10 to 60 rounds Stock: Any stock available MSRP: $899 to $1,950

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Delphi Tactical - DP-15 Silverbow Calibers: 5.56mm, .300 Blackout kout Barrel length: 16 inches Overall length: Variable Weight: Variable Magazine capacity: 30 Stock: MFT Battlelink Minimalist imalist MSRP: $1,484.99

R&S Precision - AR15 Caliber: Barrel length: Overall length: Magazine capacity: Stock: MSRP:

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American Shooting Journal // October 2017

FLYING HIGH

Montana-based Falkor Defense principal and cofounder Melinda Sonju, a skilled and dedicated hunter, gets behind the barrel of the company’s Omega 6.5 Creedmoor AMBI AR with the Dracos StraightJacket Barrel System. (FALKOR)

From its humble beginnings under a different name, Falkor Defense has grown to become one of the top success stories in the industry.

STORY BY CRAIG HODGKINS PHOTOS BY FALKOR

I

t isn’t often that you can draw a straight line from a company that creates and builds top-of-the-line

AR-platform rifles to a memorable children’s fantasy adventure film from the mid-1980s, but that is exactly the case for Falkor Defense.

In 2014, as part of an overall rebranding strategy, the company

intentionally chose the moniker of the luckdragon in Neverending Story to put above the doors of their Kalispell, Montana, headquarters.

But fanciful flight is nothing new for the company, which traces americanshootingjournal.com 43

Falkor manufactures a growing number of popular AR-platform rifles, including the Omega in 6.5 Creedmore. (FALKOR)

its manufacturing lineage to the aerospace industry and which was known as SI Defense until the name change. Falkor, by any name, is the brainchild of cofounders and current company principals Melinda and Jason Sonju. Both are experienced hunters and shooters who value legacy, mythology, and a good story.

“Because we have a lot of characters that work at Falkor,” Melinda has said, “when we have a

44

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

new gun come out, we place valued names on it; things that mean something to us. Like the Petra (the company’s current top AR), it’s the rock, it’s solid.” For those who may not have been paying attention in Sunday school or Catechism class, or in college during Geology 101, petra is the Latin word for rock.

“A lot of our naming of our rifles and our platforms is steeped in mythology and things that we feel

reflect the process that was involved,” said John Bartolo, the company’s director of business development and marketing. “We spend a lot of time on names.”

This appetite for naming and storytelling is not a one-time thing.

Melinda and Jason continue to form a memorable brand via a series of products that mirror what they’re passionate about, and that is crafting best-of-the-best rifles and rifle

americanshootingjournal.com 45

systems. They’ve also developed a knack for creating market-pleasing high-end products, and the Petra (see above), for one example, embodies every aspect of that.

“The Petra is a .300 Win Mag AR-platform rifle that spares no expense,” Bartolo told me recently. “It has nothing but the best features, the best controls, the best barrel, the best of everything that you could put into a hunting and precision rifle gas gun.”

That’s a whole lots of “bests,” but the Petra’s popularity among informed consumers and hard-toplease reviewers and critics seems to confirm it. In fact, the company was presented with the Gun Collective’s “Best Brand” award at the 2017 SHOT Show.

In the company’s SI Defense days, it became known for manufacturing quality AR parts and then graduating to quality rifles. Even the earliest ARs had mirrored, ambidextrous controls. Products have always had flared magwells, and all of the other extras that you look for in a rifle

Falkor extensively field tests every product to ensure that each is ready for the marketplace. Their latest AR, the Petra, currently enjoys a reputation as solid as what its name means in Latin, rock. (FALKOR)

system. Today, that constant drive for quality continues in every new rifle and platform.

“What Falkor really wanted to do

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before us, and we have tremendous respect for the innovation and things we’re trying to do going forward. We want to give customers what they’re looking for in all phases of shooting and shooting sports, including the hunting market, the precision market, and – it’s hard for me to say without divulging too much of what we’re working on – but eventually we see ourselves getting into a lot of spaces.”

ONE OF THOSE NEW SPACES has already been breached with the addition of the company’s Dracos barrels.

Previous iterations of Falkor rifles wore Proof Research barrels, among others, so why make their own?

“They wanted to have the best barrel system,” Bartolo explained, “not just for precision and for marksmanship, but for heat mitigation. For suppression and suppressed rifle systems, it’s incredibly important to the military and law enforcement communities, and heat mitigation is at the forefront of a lot of those quests to produce the

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By reducing heat and controlling the pressure wave throughout the barrel, the company believes it will be able to dramatically extend the life of the barrel and oďŹ&#x20AC;er an industryďŹ rst lifetime warranty and guarantee on the barrel. Falkor claims that their Dracos StraightJacket barrel is the most advanced lightweight composite barrel in the world, and that through innovation and science, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delivering a technology with one purpose in mind: unparalleled accuracy and barrel life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody makes an accurate barrel,â&#x20AC;? added Bartolo, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but can you mitigate heat properly? Can you displace heat so that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to shoot longer, shoot for more time, put more rounds downrange accurately over a period of time? So thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of thought thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going into these developments and segues in the marketplace.â&#x20AC;?

The addition of the Dracos barrel has opened up new product development horizons for Falkor. (FALKOR)

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always been to become a sort of “gold standard” in the industry, kind of like Kleenex is to tissues.

“We’ve seen that before,” shared Bartolo, “we’ve seen it with Surgeon.

Like, ‘I don’t own a bolt-action, I own a Surgeon.’ One of the biggest, crowning achievements of the brand and of the company (would be) to have that brand recognition, and to have that association with being the gold standard of gas rifle systems.

“There’s a lot of great rifles out there,” he said. “You might pay more, but we want to give you everything made in Montana, made in the United States right on our factory floor. Everything is made in that building. Made right in Montana. It’s very important to Falkor (to be) able to produce products continuously in this great country. That’s something near and dear to Jason and Melinda’s heart. We’re not shuttling products from overseas. We’re not slapping together different components from all over the country. We’re producing everything here in-country.”

52

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

Falkor currently has approximately 65 employees, from machinists and marketers to those who work in the sales office.

Looking toward 2018 and beyond, Falkor plans to continue to develop its core products, but also to delve into more standardized military and law enforcement weaponry developed specific to those channels, and catering to that specific market.

“The military isn’t going to go out and buy a $6,000 Petra,” noted Bartolo, “so one of the things we’re going to be doing in 2018 is, while continuing to innovate in the civilian marketplace, we want to develop products that military and law enforcement can utilize and get them at that appropriate price standard.”

But whether it is for the current consumer market or for new channels, innovation will always be at the core and the forefront of the company and its business development.

“It’s really important to know that Falkor Defense and Dracos want to continue to innovate and continue

to bring exciting products to the marketplace,” said Bartolo. “It’s hard to get into without giving too much away, but we will be, without question, in 2018, going into three different platforms that we have not set foot in yet.”

FALKOR’S LEADERSHIP KNOWS that part of building a brand is building the story around that brand, and that sometimes you need to let the market tell your story for you.

“The story of Falkor has always been about producing the best, most innovative products the market has seen, and that’s at the core,” said Bartolo. “We’re making sure we’re listening to the market, because listening to the players is always important.”

“We definitely recognize that it’s very difficult to supplant (top companies such as) the Colts, Smith & Wesson, HK, SIG Sauer, and Ruger,” he noted, “but at the same time, we think the marketplace wants something new, exciting

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and innovative. We’ve seen very prosperous times the last 30 years with those types of brands, and we’ve seen them do a lot. But we haven’t seen a company come on the scene and really innovate and change the game and develop platforms under one umbrella, under one name, that really has transcended.”

“When you think ‘I want to train, I want to run, I want to hit the gym,’ you think of Nike, you think of Under Armour. We want to be one of those brands that, when you think of precision, accuracy, a civilian platform, a military platform, you think of us. That’s why we take much time in development, why we’re very particular about our SKUs. We’re very particular about clothing we roll out.

We do make mistakes, but we try to get them absolutely correct (before they get to market). There’s not a platform or a rifle that we’ve rolled out that we’ve said, ‘We really didn’t get that one right,’ so that’s why it takes some time. 2017 was about doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work and a lot of

The northwest corner of the Treasure State, where Falkor Defense is based, is something of a hotbed for firearms manufacturing. Others operations in the area include Skinner Sights, Montana Rifle Company, several barrel makers and more. (FALKOR)

development stuff, and 2018 is going to be about rolling these products out.”

Falkor’s stated mission is “to continually exceed the expectations of the consumer by delivering firearms technology that is relevant and value added without jeopardizing quality and reliability.”

With their current rate of success and dedication to quality, perhaps the company’s eventual adaptation as the gold standard of a highly competitive industry will become a never-ending story of its own.

To learn more about Falkor Defense, visit falkordefense.com.

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americanshootingjournal.com 54

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

HOLSTERS

HOLSTERS

58

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

HUNTing

While largely overlooked by upland bird hunters these days, Hungarian, or gray, partridge still provide wingshooting opportunities from the Northern Great Plains to the inland Pacific Northwest, where Tacoma’s Al Schultz bagged this one several seasons back.

(ARCHIVE PHOTO)

PRAISE FOR GRAY PARTRIDGE

Underappreciated Huns still provide upland bird hunting excitement for the few who chase them.

BY DAN MAGNESON

Y

ou’ve hunted all day for the Hungarian partridges you know just have to be somewhere in this general area. After all, you’ve seen them in good numbers after sunrise and before sunset along the adjoining gravel roads, and you’ve seen them hunkered down amongst the snowdrifts in the winter. So they’ve got to be here.

You’ve already spent this otherwise

splendid afternoon hunting every area that looks the least bit birdy but to no avail. What gives?

Nearing dusk, you throw in the towel and take a shortcut back to your car, cutting across a fall-plowed field, the bared earth virtually devoid of any vegetative cover. When you are out in about the middle of it, a large covey of Huns bursts simultaneously skyward, those characteristic rust-colored tail feathers fanned and flared outward, filling the air with the fast and flapping fury of wingbeats, and excitedly

uttering in machine gun-like unison those rick!-rick!-rick! calls.

They quickly maneuver to turn the ceaseless wind to their tails and transform into blurs. And just like that, in not much more than a blink of the eye, they’ve already disappeared again.

Welcome to the challenging world of hunting – or should I say, trying to hunt? – the seemingly inexplicable gray partridge, feathered lightning whose swift, strong and sure flight makes them the cheetah of our upland gamebirds. americanshootingjournal.com 59

HUNTing I ONCE HAD a friend who remarked “Pheasants are where you find them.” I knew what he meant, but that statement is far more accurately attributed to the Hun, which – due in large part to their very minimal need for cover – are the least predictable gamebird we have in terms of figuring out just where they are apt to be.

As a passionate upland gamebird enthusiast and an ardent hunter, I just live for the thunderous bedlam of these covey rises, accompanied by those vocalizations that sound to my ears somewhat like squealing, but which at the same time are not unmusical, having even a melodious quality about them. The Hun has the most exciting flush of all gamebirds.

Formally known as the gray partridge, Perdix perdix, this Eurasian bird was imported from various countries in its European range.

The country of Hungary was chief among them, and thus the common

60

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

Huns are most likely to be found on or near large wheat operations, but author Dan Magneson says they can also be found on public land as well. He says he’s seen the most around Heppner, Condon and Pendleton in Oregon, and foothills towns on the north side of Washington’s Blue Mountains.

(DAN MAGNESON)

nicknames of “Hun” or less commonly “Hunkie” came into widespread use, reflecting the ultimate origin of so many of these birds. They are on the

smaller end of being a medium-sized gamebird, being usually a little over a foot long in length, and a little over three-quarters of a pound in weight.

americanshootingjournal.com 61

HUNTing Like virtually everyone else, I’m awestruck by the eye-popping iridescent and vivid coloration of drake wood ducks and rooster pheasants. But there is room in my heart for other birds with more understated beauty. The drake pintail is a personal favorite. The pointed polar-white streak extending up the sides of their brown necks, the fine gray herringbone suit, and the neatly accented “windows” of slate blue on the sides of their otherwise black upper bills combine to give them a subtle and highly attractive beauty.

So it is with the Hun, though they are perhaps even more conservatively feathered, all demurely done up in those flatter, more muted pastel earth tones that are so handsomely overlain with the chocolate-chestnut horseshoe shape emblazoned upon their breasts and also arranged in a dramatically barred pattern down their sides.

My favorite physical description

62

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

of the Hun is taken from Discover The Outdoors (dto.com): “… The male is mostly gray with a distinct ‘U’ shaped, rust colored, brand on its lower breast. It’s (sic) face and throat is tinged with burnished orange and the breast is stamped with minute bits of a darker gray. At the demarcation of upper abdomen to belly, the feathers lighten to almost white and pale beige. The upper back is an almost non-discernable blend of brown, gray and white, shifting to mottled dark brown wings. The male partridge’s tail is a dark, chestnut-brown. Female Hungarian partridges are similar …”

Little wonder that the plumage of the Hun is so highly prized by anglers who tie their own fishing flies!

The feathers of the “shoulder” area of the folded wings near the body is where you go to definitely determine the sex of a Hun. Males have only a blond mark along the central shaft of the feather, whereas the females have

this exact same mark, but also with the addition of blond crossbars at right angles to the central shaft; this pattern on the female bird represents the socalled “Cross of Lorraine.”

But there are Hun stories out there just as colorful as a rooster pheasant.

I read of one describing a World War I soldier in Central Europe, who was crawling about one night in no man’s land between two entrenched and opposing armies. He accidentally placed his hand right smack dab in the middle of a snoozing covey of a dozen Huns. In that split second before he came to his senses, he’d thought he had set off a landmine and was on his way toward the Pearly Gates. I myself recall driving down a seldom-used North Dakota gravel road one night well after dark when a covey of Huns that had roosted right in the center of it flushed through the headlights.

On a heart-warming holiday note, one man notes how the lyric “and a

americanshootingjournal.com 63

HUNTing partridge in a pear tree” from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas reminds him of Christmas mornings of his childhood. He and his siblings, at his father’s behest, carried a bucket of grain just far enough away from their prairie farmhouse that the partridges felt secure. They would then retreat back into the house and tiptoe to the window to watch the Huns come down to enjoy their very own Christmas presents.

THE STORY OF how Huns came to North America begins with the unregulated overhunting and destruction of historic habitat that decimated so many of our native upland gamebird species.

Faced with these steep declines and eager to find a replacement species, Americans naturally turned to the Old World gamebirds already familiar to so many immigrants.

Like the bobwhite quail, Huns are sociable and gregarious birds, coalescing into a basic and cooperative

“Probably no other American upland gamebird rubs shoulders with so many fellow species across such a wide range – and wide range of varying habitats,” writes Magneson of Huns. Whether you’re hunting pheasants, prairie grouse, chukar or topknots, you “have an excellent chance of stumbling across some.” (WYATT WITTKOP, BLM)

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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HUNTing social unit termed a covey, which in turn is largely comprised of birds related to one another. They feed together, keep watch for and sound a warning indicating the presence of predators. They also often sleep overnight in a rosette, or ring, in which all the tails are pressed inward, their bodies hugged against the birds on both sides, and all heads and thus eyes facing outward and covering a 360-degree field of view. And just as with a covey of bobwhites, if a covey of Huns is ever scattered apart, they will employ a unique call with which to reunite themselves again.

These imports reached their pinnacle from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, abruptly ceasing in 1914 concurrent with the start of World War I. Numerous entities stocked Huns: various state game agencies, private hunting clubs and even independently by wealthy and well-heeled individuals. Those

66

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

releases along the Atlantic seaboard were generally failures, but as one progressed west – and especially westnorthwest and northwest – the birds began to take hold. Not surprisingly, this occurred in areas similar to the Huns’ native environment, and at similar latitudes, with annual precipitation between 1 and 2 feet, and grasses that are often no more than knee-high and the distance between standing stems rather sparsely spaced.

The stunning success of introducing ringneck pheasant into Oregon’s Willamette Valley by Judge Owen Denny is a well-known story, but less well-known is the story of particular Canadian attempts at stocking the Hun in the early 1900s.

Like a droplet of oil falling onto the surface of water or a lit match tossed into gasoline vapor, these birds explosively stormed across the prairie at a rate calculated at 28 miles per year, enduring for a full 400

miles, spilling over into the adjacent northern U.S. states along the border and augmenting their own attempts at stocking Huns.

Further leveraged by the penetration of the railroads ever deeper into the northern prairie, it may well have represented the most successful attempt at stocking an introduced gamebird anywhere in the world – ever.

In the state of North Dakota alone, it was estimated that by the early 1940s the Hun population had already reached its all-time peak of 8 to 10 million birds.

Today, the grain belt of the northern Great Plains and the semiarid sagesteppe of the Columbia Plateau and the northern Great Basin high desert remain Huns’ biggest stronghold in the US. Being a fishery biologist, it isn’t lost on me that good Hun range east of the Rocky Mountains coincides with good northern pike range, and in the Northwest it coincides with the farther upstream reaches of historically good

americanshootingjournal.com 67

HUNTing salmon range. And all of it is jackrabbit country, to boot.

One can be hunting the sparsely vegetated and peopled prairie and high desert habitats for pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, chukar partridge and California quail and still have an excellent chance of stumbling across some Huns as well.

Indeed, probably no other American upland gamebird rubs shoulders with so many fellow species across such a wide range – and wide range of varying habitats.

But like a buckeye tree, they usually are never particularly thick anywhere, and so mostly represent “targets of opportunity” for the wingshooting public, taken incidentally while primarily hunting the aforementioned more popular species. Relatively few hunters specifically key in on Huns.

Yet if you were going to pursue Huns specifically, what are their

seasonal patterns of habitat use along with their related behaviors, and how might one adapt their hunting strategy to better boost their odds of success?

IN THE SAGEBRUSH country of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and the far northern portions of Nevada and Utah, where irrigated agriculture is more the rule, look for Huns in areas adjacent to stubble fields of wheat, rye, barley and other small grain crops. Much of the time this will be along the steeper foothills next to the flatter cultivated farm fields. Mostly grassy cover interspersed with dots of occasional sagebrush is ideal, and don’t forget to check the grassy heads of basins and especially the deeply sunshielded and sometimes surprisingly moist creases between hills, particularly in the very warm days of the early season. The Huns can find cooler shade among the broader leafed shrubbery, and the damp conditions are conducive

for attracting insects and also for growing succulent shoots and tender grass tips; Huns are partial to a meal of fresh salad greens, no matter the season.

I like best the places where the border along the sagebrush and wheat stubble fields really weaves and wanders a lot, where the wheat is surrounded on three sides by sagebrush and grass, or conversely those lone, long fingers of sagebrush and grass protruding far, far into the wheat stubble.

Keep an eye peeled for the places the Huns take dust baths, and the odd loose feather or two confirms that. And look for piles of droppings indicating where they have roosted; the individual droppings are pointed at one end and broad at the other, looking like a miniature green sugar cone with a scoop of white vanilla ice cream.

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the other barrel choked modified with a size 6 load should do a fine job in most instances.

Insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and ants will continue to be taken by Huns, but the carbohydrates and lipids found in grains have by now begun progressively making up more and more of the diet as overnight freezing temperatures cause the insects to die off for the year.

But there are those coveys of Huns that live out their entire lives never once feeding on cultivated, domesticated cereal grains from farm fields. In the Sawtooth National Forest south-southeast of Twin Falls, Idaho, I used to hunt mule deer in a rather pristine, broad valley that was, as best I recall, either entirely ungrazed by cattle or else only very lightly grazed. I probably put up more coveys of Huns down there more often than anywhere else I’ve ever been, and they were miles and miles from the nearest agricultural areas. They were absolutely thriving out there in that desolate country. So don’t ignore those vast public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management; ground adjacent to big reservoirs and managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicemanaged national wildlife refuges that are open to hunting.

There are often steep hills associated with these wilder areas, and the birds usually flush downhill and then hook off one direction or the other towards the end of their flight.

I don’t think it is a deliberate and diabolical attempt on their part to better elude your finding them again; instead, I think they are just trying to reduce their air speed in order to make a soft and easy landing. Don’t be too surprised if they subsequently start to slowly work their way up another hill. You can use the rough terrain to plot a quiet and more concealed approach, and if you have a partner, one hunter can start working downhill from above them while the other starts working up the hill from a point just below where they originally landed. Watch especially any stragglers that flush late behind the main body of the covey; these birds often cut corners and take shortcuts to catch up, giving you a better idea of where they’ve landed if the flight of the main covey has been obscured by an obstacle.

But I’ll tell you, when it comes to pursuing opportunities to make multiple flushes in steeper country, don’t be surprised if the Huns wear you out before you’ve worn them out.

AS AUTUMN GROWS long in the tooth, Huns will have wised up considerably, becoming in many cases ultrawary and hyperalert. It is about now they begin to start flushing so wildly, far out of shotgun range, and start showing you just how well they can twist and turn on a dime once in flight.

Oddly enough, Huns do tend to generally hold well for a pointing dog – provided it doesn’t press them too closely.

The ideal Hun dog is one with the endurance of the Energizer Bunny, and that casts to and fro across the field very widely, 70

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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HUNTing

The author has a special place in his heart for the imported partridge he’s chased around the West for decades. “The Hun reminds me of Jan Brady and the pheasant of the pretty and popular Marcia Brady of The Brady Bunch, that television show where, as Jan points out, everything is always “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!”

(DAN MAGNESON)

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but is solid as a statue when it goes on point, allowing you plenty of time to get there. But don’t dilly-dally with these now-skittish Huns! Hunt the dog into the wind, and don’t be afraid to experiment if need be: Circling far out to the side and around the covey, then coming in directly at the dog, sometimes perplexes the Huns just long enough for a decent shot at them. A hawk whistle may help freeze running birds in their tracks; to imitate a hawk, some hunters will go so far as to tie a dark helium balloon to their belts in hopes it helps to pin the Huns down into place.

I’d stick with all size 6 loads in this part of the season, and consider moving up to a 12-gauge shotgun. You never know for sure what Huns might decide to do on a given day, whether to flush nice and close or way out there beyond gun range. But I think I’d lean more toward a modified or full choke, though, as it is more likely to be the latter case.

I WENT TO college in Bottineau, North Dakota, which is located in the far northern (and central) part of the state.

A blizzard would be howling and winddriven snow would be coming in thin, powdery waves across the ground, the mercury standing at far below zero.

Yet the Huns would be out scurrying around and feeding right in the midst of it, so impervious that they seemed imbued with immunity to bitter cold.

For such a small bird, the winter survival skills of the Hun border on the incredible; they are absolutely unfazed by the same ferocious blizzards that can lay waste to an entire population of pheasants. Their habit of forming a warm roosting ring is part of it: With snow lingering on the ground, one author spoke of repeatedly finding different overnight roosts used by the same covey of nine Huns. They had always very consistently packed into an area smaller than what a single pheasant

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HUNTing takes up. But unlike either pheasants or bobwhite quail, if conditions get bad enough, then the Huns will use the blanket of snow itself as insulating cover, readily burrowing down into it to escape especially severe and otherwise deadly conditions.

The wind may whip up some big snowdrifts, but other areas are commonly kept largely snow-free by the very same winds, which gives the Huns a place to forage for food. But if there is a fairly uniform and persisting cover of snow of four inches or more, the Huns will start to utilize woody cover, as Aldo Leopold noted in 1931: “Hungarians come nearer being able to get along without cover than pheasants or quail, but during snow they do require some heavy grass, weeds, or standing corn.”

Out here, it’s going to be shrubs such as snowberry, hawthorn, chokecherry and buffaloberry. Mimicking fox hunters is a viable option, whereupon

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you don white coveralls and wrap your gun in white tape. You might consider packing binoculars tucked down inside your coveralls to keep them from fogging up or flopping against your chest. Neither food nor length of daylight is as plentiful now, so looking even out into the very middle of fields such as wheat stubble becomes more worthwhile, as the Huns are now generally spending a greater proportion of the daylight hours feeding. One thing that will help you after a new snow is that now there are fresh Hun tracks with which to betray their presence.

Scanning far ahead will help you plot an ambush; if you don’t see the Huns actively moving about, then look for “dirt clods” sitting out there and protruding up from the snow.

Also don’t forget the effects of the wind chill factor. Look for Huns to escape the cold winds by locating themselves on the lee sides of hills, steep and sheer protective creek banks,

and also man-made structures such as abandoned farmstead buildings as well as lone grain bins and machine sheds.

If such areas also receive warming rays of sunshine and the thinner areas of snow melts off, to boot, so much the better. The wind can work to your benefit by better masking your approach, but bear in mind that the now-nervous Huns will compensate by relying on their vision just that much more when conditions diminish the effectiveness of their sense of hearing.

As in all seasons, if there is a spring or seep where sprouts continue to grow from the unfrozen mud, they are worth checking out for Huns.

I definitely would go with a 12-gauge shotgun in the winter, and preferably one with a PolyChoke, as you again never quite know at just what range at they will choose to flush on any given day. I usually like a more tightly choked barrel with a size 6 shell in the chamber, and I follow that up with size 5 shells

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TO SUM UP, coupled with topography, the direction, angle and intensity of the sun along with prevailing weather and wind patterns combine to create a seasonally changing mosaic of different plant species and ultimately plant communities of varying density. This in turn provides Huns a home range in which they can capitalize upon the best opportunities for the continued survival and perpetuation of their own kind.

For you to be a consistently successful hunter of these birds, you’ll need to develop the ability to discern these differences and how they interact. That in turn will get you pointed in the proper direction and better narrow things down to just where the Huns are likely to be found on any given day during the changing seasons.

And all of this is alluring to a hunter, or should be, creating a charismatic aura and enticing you to try to take apart and figure out just what makes these birds tick.

The upside to learning in this big outdoor classroom is the generally grand and glorious scenery, the stunningly spectacular sunrises and sunsets in this otherwise-austere landscape, the wild and sometimes surreal cloud formations, the weird and grotesque rock formations, the sego lily and Indian paintbrush, that old corral with those giant and golden cottonwoods, and all the solitude to be found in the American Outback that is Hungarian partridge country.

It’s a classroom in which you will never become bored. Best of luck during this hunting season and in all in your future Hun endeavors!

Editor’s note: Dan Magneson is a supervising fishery biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Quilcene National Fish Hatchery in upper Hood Canal in Washington State. He wrote this tribute to gray partridge for this year’s National Hunting and Fishing Day.

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

LaykeTactical.com SHOT Show Booth #408

CREATING ‘WINES OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER’ Outdoorsmen-vintners aim to please hunters, shooters and market with their varietals.

BY CHRIS COCOLES

A

ndy Wahl and Bill Kerr wanted to tell a story. Not with words, but with wine.

They hail from two places that couldn’t be any different from each other, their families believing in completely different ideologies. But what Wahl, 32, and Kerr, 37, had in common was a bonafide love for and connection with the outdoors. So what better way to start a business and tell their stories than through the wine they hoped to sell to sportsmen and -women across the country.

So here’s a story within the story from 2014 that would become Wahl’s and Kerr’s California-based company with the nontraditional name – at least relatively speaking for the historically buttoned-up wine industry – Ammunition (ammunitionwine.com).

“This guy in (Austin) Texas, where we kicked off this brand, calls me and says, ‘Are you guys in Texas yet?’

I said, ‘No. We launched just two weeks ago.’ And he said, ‘I live in the country with my wine and my guns. I have to get Ammunition.’ It turns out he’s an ex-Marine,” recalls Wahl, who was thrilled the man offered to buy a case of red wine, with plans to keep some for himself and give others to coworkers, family and friends. Wahl was happy to oblige.

“He said, ‘Well, hell, throw in a few business cards and I’ll give it the old college try’” to see if anyone else is interested. “He picked up three accounts – restaurants in his city based off of him bringing in wine that he bought from us and giving them our business card. Because he had a personal connection with the

Bill Kerr (left) and Andy Wahl grew up in Nebraska and California respectively, with very little in common except a love for the outdoors.

They’ve teamed up to create a wine brand, Ammunition, that features vintage Remingtonstyle logos on some lines. (CHRIS COCOLES)

wine. He said, ‘This wine was made for me.’ And it was. That’s the story we wanted to tell.”

Fast forward about three years, and Ammunition – “Wines of the Highest Caliber” – has evolved into a still-growing company in the Golden State’s Sonoma Valley (the facility escaped damage during the recent devastating fires), every bit the americanshootingjournal.com 81

world-class locale for vintners as the neighboring (and more celebrated Napa Valley). With five major varietals, Ammunition went from 150 cases sold in fall 2014, to 2,000 the following year, to 6,000 in 2016.

It’s that kind of uptick that’s made this venture quite satisfying for two newbies to winemaking who weren’t sure what to expect.

“We’re looking at about 15,000 (cases) this year,” Wahl forecasts.

Sharing the same market with Sonoma County wine giants like Kendall-Jackson, Sebastiani, Alexander Valley and others, Ammunition doesn’t aspire to be the biggest dog on the block. But as it’s now available in almost 40 states, hunters, shooters, anglers, adrenaline seekers and those who appreciate fine wine at a good price point are becoming more and more happy to buy into the messages about family, the outdoors and the memories Wahl and Kerr share.

“If we tell great stories about our childhood, our upbringing and how

Whether it’s catching tuna off Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, netting trout while fly fishing near Park City, Utah, or rock climbing in New Zealand, Wahl is most at peace in the outdoors. (ANDY WAHL)

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AMMUNITION’S MAGAZINE OF WINES VARIETAL “The Equalizer” red blend (merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon) ABOUT “Medium to full-bodied with a fruit-forward character …

Its nose has plenty of blackberry, black cherry, baking spice and vanilla notes that are both intense yet elegant.”

WILD GAME TO PAIR WITH Most big game. Also, skirt steak, carne asada and blackened or spicy dishes.

VARIETAL Chardonnay ABOUT “Light golden in

that is enjoyable now, but will continue to improve for several years.”

WILD GAME TO PAIR WITH

Wild turkey, and just about everything else, including aged cheeses.

VARIETAL Badgerhound zinfandel

color, this medium-bodied Chardonnay is vibrant and fresh with a creamy texture from the barrel fermentation. Baked apples and pears with a hint of citrus dominate the palate.”

ABOUT “The 2015 vintage presents appealing aromas of crushed

Salmon, ducks, upland birds. A great choice with chicken.

VARIETAL Cabernet sauvignon ABOUT “Ripe bright cherries and complex tannins highlight this

VARIETAL Pinot noir ABOUT “Sweet plum and cherry flavors with subtle oak tones

medium- to full-bodied wine. Long mouth feel through the midpalate and pops with cherries and hints of spice.”

WILD GAME TO PAIR WITH Venison. Any red meat is delicious with this wine.

raspberries and blackberries framed by vanilla and cigar box notes. This wine shows sweet concentrated fruit in the mouth with plenty of oak, tannins and acidity to balance the ripeness.”

WILD GAME TO PAIR WITH Wild pig. The zin matches wonderfully with classic barbecue.

WILD GAME TO PAIR WITH

that are wrapped [in] smooth silky tannins make this a wine

it matters to us, other people will see something in themselves in that brand,” Kerr says during an interview

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

at their warehouse in Sonoma. “And if we make the wine kick ass, they’ll keep coming back.”

IT’S A LONG WAY between Hastings, Nebraska, and Santa Rosa, California. Google Maps says

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it’s 1,543 miles, and it feels even further considering Bill Kerr’s and Andy Wahl’s backstories. Kerr is a proud Nebraskan who grew up in a conservative household that worshipped Cornhusker football (how the University of Nebraska fares on fall Saturdays is the state’s beating heart) and hunting. Kerr joined family and friends on countless hunts in America’s Heartland and beyond.

Hastings (population, 24,000) is located in southcentral Nebraska, and his family owned a hunting lodge

Unlike his friend and business partner, shooting and hunting were a big part of Kerr’s life growing up in Hastings, Nebraska.

“My fondest memories of being a kid were when my dad taught me to shoot a .22, which was a rite of passage.” (BILL KERR)

to the south in Red Cloud, not far from the Kansas border.

“I grew up in a family of outdoorsmen; my dad’s a competitive trap shooter. My fondest memories of being a kid were when my dad taught me to shoot a .22, which was the rite of passage,” Kerr says. “A lot of bird hunting – pheasant, turkey.

Whitetail deer hunting is huge.”

He and his dad, who spends part of his time in Tucson, Arizona, once shared a memorable hunting adventure in Africa. Arduous tracking for a zebra finally hit paydirt, though the animal made its way into a pond before falling in 5 feet of water.

And then came a moment of equal parts excitement and fear that only outdoorsmen can relate to.

“Everything that you hit in Africa can run. The PH, my dad and me wandered into the water, and we were to going to pull that zebra out,” he says. “And there’s a 4-meterlong croc sitting across the way just hanging out. As we’re about

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hip deep, that thing goes under the water. And I’m like, ‘Done!’

Ultimately we got back in there and pulled that zebra out. So I had to do the leap of faith.”

Over in the San Francisco Bay Area north of the Golden Gate, Andy Wahl grew up the son of a firefighter who left Southern California to be close to the redwoods and settled in with the family in a pastoral setting in the Sonoma County seat of Santa Rosa. Wahl’s childhood, while still connected to the outdoors, was every bit not the experience of his future friend and business cofounder.

“The complete opposite of my family,” Kerr says.

His dad’s schedule at the firehouse meant a series of days on and then up to a week at a time off, which meant fishing and camping getaways to Bodega Bay, Point Reyes, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. (He proposed to his wife Sarah, who handles the company’s marketing, during a fishing trip to Cabo.) But hunting?

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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“My parents were always, no guns. My mom and dad were kind of hippie parents from Southern California who wanted to get into that open space. My dad had a big wooly beard,” Wahl recalls.

The Wahls lived in a gorgeous rural setting (the area around their home was a favorite go-to filming location for director Alfred Hitchcock). So there was plenty of room for Andy and his brothers to get their hands dirty and play, though Andy would have to sneak in some opportunities to shoot a gun at a young age.

“We became (Boy) Scouts and went to Cimarron, New Mexico, where we learned about fly fishing and how to shoot muskets,” he says.

“So here I had my parents tell me I couldn’t shoot guns and I’d purposely fail my shotgun merit badge every year so I could just take it again and shoot some more. And I never got the merit badge.”

Still, Wahl didn’t get his first hunting license until three years ago.

“I was the only one who went that

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route. But we all grew up fishing.”

And drinking wine. Sort of.

“I grew up tasting wine but usually being the designated driver for my brothers and my mom. ‘You’re 16 and got your license? Guess what? You’re driving us around to the wineries.’ It was so interesting to me when I’m 16 and not drinking and perceiving how people engage in a winery atmosphere.”

But after studying business at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and working as an accountant, little did he know that he and a Cornhusker would eventually create their own harvest.

LIKE HIS FUTURE PARTNER, Bill Kerr studied business, but he had a knack for graphic design and moved to San Francisco to make a living at it. Kerr still works with companies to help them create or redesign logos and labels, including wine and spirits companies. But when a mutual friend introduced him to Wahl, they both decided to invest into something totally new together.

“I happened to be back having

Badgerhound is one of the guys’ favorite labels. This zinfandel features a caricature of Alfie, Kerr’s dachshund. (CHRIS COCOLES)

americanshootingjournal.com 89

dinner with my dad and some friends and we’re sitting around a table.

He’s ordering the wine at the table at a steakhouse and looking at the wine list, and I can see that nothing’s kind of resonating with him and sticking,” Kerr says. “And I realized really quickly that, My god, nobody’s making a legitimately premium wine brand with this guy in mind.”

When they began talking seriously about making wine, Wahl, a history buff, was already pondering telling stories that would be reflected in the product. He first pitched a former U.S. presidents’ theme. Wahl suggested a George Washingtoninspired cherry- and cola-flavored cabernet to honor the legend of the tree-chopping story.

But they also realized their shared love for Mother Nature and the role it had on shaping their childhood.

“If you’re in Oklahoma or Kansas, why do you buy a (specific) wine?

What’s your tiebreaker? Why do you buy wine? Is it 100 percent price? Is it because there’s a story related to it?

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

And I want to tell a story,” says Wahl, who along with Kerr knew they needed to strike the right chords with the label that would adorn the bottle. “Bill showed me some initial designs that he had for over a year. And I’m thinking that this is perfect. We actually took the first wine that we wanted to do and made the concept of what we wanted to do was a picture – just of the label and the design. And we went back to his home state, Nebraska, and said this is what we’re thinking about doing.

And the distributor said, ‘This is gold.’”

Ammunition’s main concept logo features not a gun-toting hunter but a majestic bald eagle clutching a cluster of wine grapes (a colleague of Kerr’s designed it).

“You don’t see camouflage all over our packaging. It’s based after vintage Remington advertising, which had a classic American strength to it,” Kerr says.

And there are signature touches on some of their other primary varietals. Badgerhound, a crisp zinfandel, is named for the English

translation of the German word dachshund, the “weiner dog” breed of which Kerr and his wife own two, Alfie and Winnie. Alfie was the model for the canine logo, brandishing a wine bottle in one paw, a stick in the other.

“I was watching a mobster movie marathon one weekend and there was a Godfather saga showing (an extended version of the first two films shown together),” Kerr says.

“There’s a scene where Michael Corleone is hiding in Italy and the car pulls up with the two henchmen behind it. He’s got a stick and a bottle of wine. That’s how we drew my dog.

He’s protecting the barrel.”

Then there’s Trollop, a chardonnay. Like Badgerhound, there’s a story to tell with this wine dating back to Kerr’s Nebraska home. “(Trollop) is an antiquated word for a salacious woman,” Kerr says. “My grandmother actually called someone that when I was a kid; she was like 4-foot-10 German grandmother in Nebraska. I asked my mom,

americanshootingjournal.com 91

‘What’s trollop?’ And my mom’s like, ‘Nothing.’ Women love that brand, because it’s saying something a little saucy. But we’ve modeled it after the saloon girls of the Old West.”

WINE CUSTOMERS HAVE NO shortage of options when perusing the wine aisle at Costco or the neighborhood grocery store. The Ammunition guys’ target – get it! – audience is outdoorsmen and -women. So why not pair some of their wines with wild game and fish (see sidebar)?

Generally, the market test for most vintners is how the wine will pair with beef, lamb or chicken, but Wahl and Kerr wanted to go a step further.

One of their most most versatile wines is the Equalizer, a red blend that is a natural fit with your average beef fillet seared on the grill. But hunters and anglers will have a better idea of what game pairs with which Ammunition varietal.

Early in the process of creating the wine (using grapes from various local vineyards), one of Kerr’s buddies

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Kerr (right) says this about the evolution of he and Wahl’s company: “The big thing is it recognizes people like hunters and outdoorsmen. That’s a big part of it. We can make an ultra-premium wine and people will appreciate that we made it for them.” (CHRIS COCOLES)

americanshootingjournal.com 93

brought him some backstrap from a deer harvested in Michigan. After the venison was cooked up in the smoker, they washed it down with a test bottle of what would become Equalizer red blend.

“I think the greatest timing with this is that it’s kind of a hipster revolution, and you look at the chefs, it’s the farm-to-table revolution,” Wahl says. “And a lot of people don’t realize that it’s either an arrow or a gun that’s actually taking that and putting it into the chef ’s hands and then cutting it up. A lot of our wines are pretty versatile.”

And getting more and more popular. Wahl and Kerr made their first batches late in 2014.

“We lost money on every bottle we sold for the first vintage,” Kerr recalls. Wahl adds, “I’m no quitter, but there was a point where I was like, ‘We need to close this thing down.’ In every business there’s a point where you’re thinking, ‘What the @#$% were we thinking? This is not smart for us from a finance

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standpoint and our home lives.’”

“And then, probably the beginning of 2015, my whole strategy was, ‘Let’s go to these states where we’re going to be wanted: Texas and Arizona.’ That’s where I wanted to go. And I ended up connecting with these sales guys across the country saying, ‘Hey, you don’t have to hire a national sales rep, but I live here in North Carolina and can get you distribution.’ And that’s where I thought I’ve got feet on the ground.

And then it went boom, boom, boom, and within eight months we had opened up 15 states. Holy crap.”

Ammunition’s wines are reasonably priced (most bottles go for $23, and the company’s wine club program can also provide some great deals). Their growth has made it clear this is a business that should continue for a while. They’d like to eventually open a “saloonstyle” tasting room where wine and whiskey can be sampled “in kind of a cigar bar atmosphere,” Wahl says.

Kerr knew something was up while visiting his parents in Arizona.

At dinner, he saw and ordered a bottle of Ammunition from the wine list. When he told the server he was part of the team responsible for the wine, she replied, “Get out of here.”

In 2015 when he really wasn’t sure if the concept was sustainable for the long haul, Wahl was pouring wine for a potential distributor and guests in Huntsville, Alabama. An ex-general who lived in the area was impressed and told him, “You’ve got something I’ve never seen before and you guys are sitting on a gold mine here.”

Gold, silver or bronze, it’s all about finding a niche with potential customers who can relate.

“I love wine, I love drinking wine and I love telling stories,” Wahl says.

“So I just want to keep on doing that, moving onto the next vintages and keep on growing it.”

Editor’s note: For more, go to ammunitionwine.com and follow on Instagram (@ammunitionwines) and Twitter (@ammunitionwine). Like at facebook.com/ammunitionwines.

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

ROAD HUNTER

XMAS IDEAS FOR â&#x20AC;&#x2122;FOWLERS Our man in the marsh has a variety of holiday gifts that the duck, goose hunters in your life will love.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

T

he Christmas season is just about here, marking an extended time for family and fun. Over the next couple months, duck and goose hunters will be hitting the road, traveling throughout our great country,

What might Santa have in his sack for waterfowlers this Christmas?

Dave Smith Decoys are considered by many to offer the most life-like realism. Here, dozens of decoys are being secured to a cart with a couple LoopRopes, one of the most handy, universal tools out there.

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ROAD HUNTER Author Scott Haugen’s waterfowl setup of choice is Weatherby’s inertiaoperated Element, firing payloads of Browning’s BXD steel shot.

making new memories.

Over the past year I’ve been fortunate to hunt many great waterfowling destinations. A long road trip to Saskatchewan last spring for snow geese was more than worth the effort. Chasing prized black brant in Cold Bay, Alaska, then again in Eureka, California, was an adventure I’ll never forget. There were many more trips for geese, as well as ducks of the puddle, diving and sea varieties.

During my journeys I hunted in temperatures ranging from single digits to the mid-70s. On every hunt, having the proper gear to fit the conditions was key to comfort and success. Here’s a rundown of my favorite waterfowling paraphernalia, gear that’s worth considering for yourself, or treating a loved one to this Christmas.

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

and load combination over the past year has been Weatherby’s Element – their Waterfowler model decked out in Max-5 camo – shooting Browning’s new BXD Waterfowl payloads.

The Element features an inertiadriven action that’s smooth, fast and reliable. Its lightweight construction allows for quick, precise swings and leads, and a fiber optic front bead enhances target acquisition. The 28-inch barrel, fit with the factory long-range steel choke, consistently busts birds out to 50 yards, including big geese.

I’ve tested many loads in the last 24 months. While Black Cloud and Hevi-Shot performed very well time and again, it was Browning’s new BXD Waterfowl loads that most impressed me, and what I kept going back to. The unique wad and specialized pellet design of the BXD loads, and the fact they’re moving

at 1,450 feet per second, sees them continually blowing through birds at 50 yards, even further on those all important follow-up shots.

MORE STATES ARE RESTRICTING the use of motorized waterfowl decoys, so here are three decoys that I’ve been pleased with, all of which have performed great for me in a range of conditions and regions. I’ll continue using them this winter.

Revolution Waterfowl has taken wind-aided decoys to another level.

The realistic design, quality paint details and ease of wing movement make them my wind-drive decoy of choice; I was so impressed with the drake decoy, I purchased a hen decoy, too.

Sealed stainless steel ball bearings, laser-cut aluminum wings that spin in winds less than 5 miles per hour, and the fact it works in

americanshootingjournal.com 101

ROAD HUNTER a range of conditions makes the Revolution Waterfowl decoy worth the investment. Last season I had over 3 inches of ice form on both wings, and they still spun perfectly in a slight breeze.

When it comes to pull-string decoys, the Decoy Dancer is one you’ll find me using. If the wind lays down, or you simply want to compliment the action of the Revolution decoy, enter this single duck decoy on a jerk cord. It adds movement to any spread, any time.

When it comes to moving floating decoys, be it ducks or geese, give Motion Ducks a try. There are two spreader systems to choose from, the standard four-decoy or the Ultimate Spreader System, which holds seven decoys. Both systems do a great job of creating random, yet relaxed and natural swimming motions, which

birds love.

Hands down, the best standing goose decoys I’ve ever used, or seen, are those created by Dave Smith. DSD goose decoys feature feather texturing unlike anything else out there, and the individually hand-painted details of each decoy makes for a lifelike spread when placed in the field.

Both the DSD honker and cackler decoys are effective. Pricey, yes, but they’ll last for years if properly taken care of, and their lifelike realism has allowed me to go to smaller, more realistic-looking spreads that geese love.

On the duck side, Cabela’s new Northern Flight Full Body Mallard II Decoys have caught my attention, as well as the attention of ducks.

Carved to real-life perfection, the oversized design and beautiful paintwork equates to high visibility

In states that don’t allow motorized decoys, there are several wind-aided and pull-cord options available to help draw birds within shooting range.

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from a distance, and under less than ideal weather conditions. A mix of feeder heads adds realism to the spread, and sound-dampening ring bases maximize their movement in the wind.

WHEN ON HUNTS WHERE high-volume shooting takes place, picking up casings can be time consuming, and as we get older, harder on the back.

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by Motion Duck. Whether they’re floating on the surface, submerged, or stomped into the mud, the strong magnetic force of the Shell Grabber will allow you to pick up those casings. Folded, the Shell Grabber is only 9 inches long, easily fitting into a pack or pocket; extended it will reach nearly 30 inches. The strong magnet is capable of holding over 20 casings at once.

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ROAD HUNTER When waterfowl hunting, having the right gear and staying comfortable throughout the changing conditions of the long season are both important. Here, the author’s father, Jerry Haugen, is pleased with this mixed bag limit, taken last season.

When it comes to strapping decoys to your cart, quit messing with rope and bungee cords. Instead, try the LoopRope. One of the most ingenious inventions I’ve ever used, be it hunting, fishing or camping, is the LoopRope, and its applicability in waterfowl hunting is far and wide.

The LoopRope is designed with a series of fixed loops, thereby offering multiple securing points. Each loop stretches to a certain point, then firmly holds, which makes them safe and secure. Some of my decoy loads used to require half a dozen bungees to secure, but now I can do it with two 5-foot-long LoopRopes. There’s no limit to what this unique tool can do, and I consider it one of the most 104

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

MORE INFORMATION To learn more about the author’s product picks, visit these websites: Weatherby Element Shotgun: weatherby.com/elementtm-waterfowler-max-5 Browning BXD Waterfowl Loads: browningammo.com Revolution Waterfowl: revolutionwaterfowl.com Decoy Dancer: decoydancer.com Motion Ducks: motionducks.com Dave Smith Decoys: davesmithdecoys.com Cabela’s Northern Flight II Duck Decoys: cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Northern-FlightFull-Body-Mallard-II-Decoys Motion Ducks Shell Grabber: motionducks.com/collections/accessories/products/ magnetic-shell-grabber LoopRope: looprope.com Atlasware Bottles: atlaswarenw.com ThermaCell Heated Insoles: heat.thermacell.com Heat Factory: heatfactory.com Duck, Duck, Goose cookbook: amazon.com/Duck-Goose-Ultimate-Cooking-Waterfowl Cooking Game Birds cookbook: tiffanyhaugen.com/cookbooks-2/cooking-game-birds

americanshootingjournal.com 105

ROAD HUNTER versatile inventions to ever hit the outdoor world.

Keeping drinks hot on those cold days in the blind can be a challenge and the best bottle I’ve found for doing this is the one created by Atlasware. Designed by some of the same people who masterminded the Space Shuttle, this doublewalled, stainless steel bottle is vacuum insulated. It’s very durable, puncture resistant, and there is no chemical leeching. I’ve used it in well-below-freezing temperatures, and it kept my coffee hot all day.

Atlasware bottles surpass even what the manufacturer claims they are capable of doing, which is why it’s the best of the best.

While on the subject of staying warm, keeping the hands and feet warm while on the hunt can be challenging. For the feet, try ThermaCell’s Heated Insoles. These can be trimmed to fit inside your

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

The Shell Grabber, one of those tools that, once you have it, makes simple chores even easier.

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boots or wader sock, and can be run with a hand-held remote or a bluetooth. The ProFlex Heated Insoles are my personal favorite, reaching 100 degrees on the medium setting, 111 degrees on high. Insoles recharge in four hours using a wall charger or any USB port, and charges last up to five hours of constant use on the medium setting. To conserve battery life, turn them off when walking and generating heat, or once warm. Extra batteries can be purchased and inserted into the sole, if in the field all day.

For keeping the hands and body warm, air-activated warmers made

by Heat Factory are hard to beat.

Heat Factory products have been around since 1980, and the packs work great on their own or when inserted into their specialized gloves, headwear, footwear, body wraps and other accessories.

WHEN IT COMES TO COOKING your waterfowl, check out Hank Shaw’s popular and thoroughly crafted book, Duck, Duck, Goose. Shaw explores the intricacies of breaking down and cooking waterfowl multiple ways, and has numerous, creative recipes.

If looking for a more basic waterfowl cookbook, turn to Tiffany Haugen’s Cooking Game Birds.

Tiffany, my lovely bride of 27 years, worked on this cookbook for six years, personally creating and perfecting each recipe. Our family lives on wild game, birds and fish, and with over 150 unique, easy-tofollow recipes, this is one every duck and goose hunter should have.

There you have it, my Christmas wish list for all fellow waterfowl hunters. Tis the season to hit the road, going hunting and shopping!

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is host of The Hunt, on Netflix. Signed copies of his many hunting, fishing and cookbooks can be found at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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THE DEER OPENER – MINNESOTA STYLE

Bri Stacklie, event and publication coordinator for the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, works the registration station during the organization’s 2017 Minnesota Governor’s Deer Opener celebration.

Big banquet, governor’s speech, radio interviews and a trip to deer camp show Idaho man the Land of 10,000 Lakes is serious about its hunting!

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TOM CLAYCOMB

I

became acquainted with Bri Stacklie, event and publication coordinator for the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, through writing articles for the organization’s magazine. So when she invited me – a proud resident of Idaho – to attend the 2017 Minnesota Governor’s Deer Opener, I quickly agreed. It is MDHA’s biggest event each year, and as I’d also always heard about the

legendary deer camps of the North Star State, I was excited to have a chance to experience them too.

The event took place in Grand Rapids, which is about three hours north of the Twin Cities, and kicked off on a Thursday afternoon. I landed at the airport in nearby Hibbing and zipped over to check into the Timberlake Lodge, where the festivities were held.

That first afternoon, the MDHA had a huge tent set up in the parking

lot, inside of which were a variety of stations and booths. There was a rack-scoring station, a MDHA booth and many others to visit. Cabela’s is one of the event’s big sponsors, and they had provided an archery range for youth.

One booth offered a seminar that sounded particularly interesting to me: a demo by Bill Hesselgrave on how to bone out deer. I’m into knives, boning out game, processing game and making my own sausage, americanshootingjournal.com 115

so I thought I’d attend.

Hesselgrave has a unique way of boning deer. He boned one out and left the whole side intact minus the bones. He then removed each cut from the boned side.

At the same time that the tent activities were occurring, various experts were holding seminars inside the lodge. Everyone finished up by 6 p.m. to get ready for the big banquet.

Unlike many other banquets, this one actually served a great prime rib dinner and a dessert to die for.

The evening featured several interesting speakers, and each one began their talk with a short testimony about their fond memories of growing up as part of their family deer camp.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton gave a talk that was somewhat humorous. “I’m not a deer hunter,” he sheepishly admitted, “so I didn’t grow up in deer camp like the rest of you. But still, being a politician, I’m smart enough to know that any organization with 500,000

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Two young people made for some interesting greeters at the MDHA’s annual deer season kickoff.

members, I need to show up!”

While we all may laugh, it goes to show that we sportsmen do have a powerful presence, so if you’re not an NRA member, join.

The evening ended with a raffle for which companies such as Smith

Consumer Products and others had donated items.

MDHA WAS OFFICIALLY FOUNDED in 1980, and, as you can imagine, is very active and instrumental in preserving and setting the pace for successful

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The youth archery station hosted by Cabela’s was a big attraction.

deer hunting in the state. They have roughly 475,000 members in many local chapters. It quickly became apparent to me that they cater to the state’s youth and include them in

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many of their activities.

The next morning, breakfast was served at 5, and there was a nearby room designated for radio stations to interview writers (myself

included), game wardens and others. Mike Kurre with the state Department of Natural Resources had me lined up for five stations, so I was busy all morning.

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All of the interviewers had been raised in deer camp, and that fact alone added an element of intimate interest to the interviews. I was surprised at the number of outdoor radio stations that Minnesota has.

One of my interviewers told me that he airs from 5 to 6 a.m. when his listeners are en route to their hunting/fishing spots. Good timing.

A couple of the interviews were recorded but most were conducted live. A common question asked of me was, How did a guy from Idaho end up at the event, and What did I think about it all? The latter was a hard question to answer. I’d woken up at 2:30 a.m. trying to think how I was going to put into words an adequate description of a Minnesta deer camp for this article. I started to say that they had a cult-like following, but I didn’t want to give it a negative connotation. Besides, after spending a couple of days with the people at the event, I’d have to say that members of cults are probably not nearly this fervent! They have an

The banquet room was packed during dinner, which featured stories from deer camp and a speech by Minnesota’s governor.

amateur following compared to these MDHA guys.

I said the only way I could describe it is that it is like a family Thanksgiving gathering/hunting camp/vacation/storytelling marathon all rolled up in one. Sorry, that’s the best description I could come up with on short notice.

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for this portion of the event. He was hunting with his old-time partner Roger Grosslein, and Javier Serna, the assistant editor of Minnesota Outdoor News. We stayed in a beautiful little cabin that Ed had built. I arrived at noon, right as Ed was throwing something together to eat. We ate a quick lunch and then Roger took me to check out the blind that I’d be hunting in and showed me his. There were a few inches of snow and tracks everywhere.

We got back to camp and built a roaring fire while Ed barbecued chicken for dinner. We sat up shooting the bull for a while, just as you would expect a bunch of outdoor writers to do, and then hit the sack. The next morning we got up and headed to our blinds. Due to the expected rain and snow, I had to take a rifle that could handle it, so I took my Mossberg Patriot topped off with a Leupold 4-12x40 scope. It was zeroed in with Nosler Trophy Grade 250-grain partition bullets.

We headed back to camp at 10:30, ate breakfast, did dishes and returned

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A table setting and some event swag at the banquet.

to our blinds for the remainder of the cold and snowy day. We were amidst thick brush, and with the snow built up on tree limbs, it was tough to see

very far. Still, we had a great hunt.

As is the custom of the sun, it sank over the horizon at dusk, and we headed back to the cabin for a

americanshootingjournal.com 123

The radio interviews were lively, and the media room was buzzing.

At one point, there were upwards of ten radio stations conducting interviews all at once.

time of fellowship and dinner. The camp has the custom of listening to a radio program that I’d never heard of called “Green Cheese.” We had a relaxing evening listening to it,

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then I had to jump up early the next morning to drive to Hibbing for the flight back to my hometown of Boise.

Overall, it was a great trip and terrific event. I met a lot of down-

to-earth deer hunters, enjoyed the 2017 Minnesota Governor’s Deer Opener banquet, and was finally able to experience a real Minnesota deer camp.

americanshootingjournal.com 125

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RE loading

RELOADING YOUR SUPPLY

With the festive season now upon us, don’t feel shy about asking Santa and others to pile a few reloading supplies under the tree – even if they are for you.

COMPILED BY THE EDITORS PHOTOS BY MANUFACTURERS

C

hristmas is a season of giving, but that also applies to the other people in your life, so don’t forget to add plenty of reloading supplies to your personal

“want list.” Maybe you’re the sort of person who is always described as the “person who has everything.”

But if you are a reloading enthusiast, your supply of “everything” will swiftly dwindle the more you keep at it, and it will need to be restocked every once in a while.

There are several top companies

that manufacture the components needed to “roll your own,” but this month, we’ve partnered with our good friends at Alliant Powder, Speer Bullets and RCBS to offer up a visual guide of some great products, perfect for leaving around the house as a gentle reminder of what you require for your favorite hobby.

ALLIANT POWDER For more than 125 years Alliant Powder has produced some of America’s most popular smokeless powders.

For more information and load data, visit alliantpowder.com.

Alliant Powder's versatile Herco powder (left) is formulated for magnum loads and comes in three canister sizes: 1, 4 and 8 pounds. Power Pistol (middle) is designed for semiauto handgun loads. And Power Pro Varmint (right) is a spherical powder that offers superior velocity. MSRP for most 1-pound cannisters is usually around $30. americanshootingjournal.com 131

AMMO/RELOADING RCBS RCBS is a leading provider of quality reloading equipment and precision shooting products. For more information or to view the complete line of RCBS products, please visit rcbs.com.

The Summit Short Handle Press (right) from RCBS retails for around $200.

The company's Chargemaster Combo (middle) eliminates the need to calibrate the dispenser to the type of powder being dispensed. MSRP is $299. If you are new to the practice, RCBS's Precisioneered Handloading DVD (bottom) will answer most of your questions. MSRP is around $10.

americanshootingjournal.com 133

RELOADING SPEER Headquartered in Lewiston, Idaho, Speer has a longstanding reputation for making some of the world’s finest bullets, and in 1996 became one of the first U.S. ammunition manufacturers to achieve ISO 9001 certification for quality. The company manufactures a variety of bullets and cartridges for law enforcement, reloading and sporting applications.

For more information, see speer-ammo.com.

At left is Speer’s Grand Slam .30-caliber rifle bullets, while the company's TNT rifle bullets (right) are designed specifically for varmint hunting.

You need multiple reloading manuals close at hand. This one from Speer Bullets is a great start, as are other fine manuals from Lyman, Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, Lee Precision and many more. MSRP for these manuals is generally $30.

Speer’s Gold Dot Jacket Hollow Points (top) come in a variety of grains and calibers, while their Deep Curl hunting bullets (bottom) come in 400 (top) and 270 grains.

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American Shooting Journal // December 2017

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BLACK POWDER Author Mike Nesbitt is pleased with his five-shot group with round-ball loads at 25 yards.

SHORT AND SWEET

Short-range loads and ‘collar buttons’ can be a lot of fun, both at target practice and when you’re on the hunt for small game.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

I

n 2014, Lyman reintroduced molds for their #457130 bullets, commonly known as “collar buttons.”

This strange and very unique-looking

bullet weighs only 145 grains when cast and it was designed to weigh the same as a .457-inch round ball. The original purpose for this bullet was to give our troopers some good shooting practice during inclement weather because they’d shoot their .45-70s with

this bullet loaded over only 5 grains of loose black powder. And with that light of a load, they’d do their shooting right inside the barracks!

My thoughts on such short-range loads include the possible taking of small game while on a big game hunt.

For instance, if I were on a five-day hunt, I’d want to take at least five shortrange loads that could be used at a rate of one per day. Those would be for the americanshootingjournal.com 139

BLACK POWDER A new Lyman mold for the collar button bullets, with bullets in front.

incidental grouse or rabbit that might be encountered while hunting other game, and the short-range loads could do their part adding to the camp menu.

My friend Jerry Mayo was thinking along the same lines, and he tailored some of the collar button loads for his .45-70 from C. Sharps Arms with a 30-inch barrel. Rather than using the 5-grain powder charge, Jerry upped the dose of powder to 10 grains and used Olde Eynsford 2F. The collar buttons were sized to .457 inch and lubed with Big Sky Lube, and then they were ready for some shooting.

MEANWHILE, I WAS BUSY TRYING to do something similar for my .50-70. My .50-70s were simply loaded with a single .512-inch round ball. Those round balls were loaded into the mouths of each case after the brass was charged with 10 grains of the Olde Eynsford 2F, and then slightly crimped in the middle of the ball at its full diameter.

Considerations about those loads certainly include the air space between 140

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

AMMO/RELOADING

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This is a good cross reference of the bullets we offer. We have about 144 set of molds with new molds coming. Sixteen employees working 10 hr. a day shifts 4 days a week with 12 casters, 7 auto lubers, and 12 VWDU OXEHUV JDV FKHFNLQJ HYHU\ GD\ :H KDYH EXOOHWV PDGH ZLWK ¿YH GLIferent alloys that we order in 40,000 - 60,000 lbs at a time a mixed per our set alloys. Prices subject to change without notice.

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BLACK POWDER the loose powder and the bullet, which is never really desirable. In muzzleloading rifles, that can result in a bulged barrel. But in these cartridges we can relax just a little bit because of two factors. One is the very light load itself, and the other factor is the brass cartridge case. If a real surge in pressure occurred, at least a part of the force would be expended in expanding the brass case to the chamber walls.

Rather than simply shooting them up, we decided to give these loadings some formal testing. Five of them were fired at a paper target posted at just 25 yards, and those five shots were fired across a chronograph so we could gather info on speed and accuracy at the same time. Out of Jerry’s 30-inchbarreled .45-70 Sharps, the collar buttons with the 10 grains of OE 2F sailed across the chronograph at an average of 645 feet per second. Jerry put all five of his shots in a nice tight cluster in the 10 and 9 rings of the

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AMMO/RELOADING

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BLACK POWDER

This is Mike’s 26-inch-barreled Sharps in .5070 caliber, a handy rifle.

target, just a touch left of center. That is very good, and showed a lot of small game potential. In fact, thoughts of rabbits and grouse immediately came to our minds.

My .50-70 loads with the round balls were fired out of my ’74 C. Sharps Arms Hartford with a 26-inch barrel. Those sailed across the chronograph at only 475 fps, but they also printed rather well on the target at 25 yards. In my string of just five shots, there was one slow and

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slugging round, which was clocked at just 432 fps. On my target there is one shot that was able to sneak out of the black, hitting low at 6 o’clock. We can’t be sure, because the shots were not “spotted” when fired, but I must guess that the low hit was the same round that had the lowest velocity. Overall, the .50-70 performed quite well.

OUR NEXT STEP WAS TO each take just five rounds of these light loads and

proceed down a “trail-walk” that featured metal silhouettes hanging alongside the trail. This trail-walk is mainly for muzzleloaders firing round balls, for either competition or just for fun, and our light loads actually offered far less in velocity and range, so those targets certainly were not damaged. Shooting at those trail-side gongs was a real ball! And it was a very interesting way to get some offhand practice with our Sharps rifles.

americanshootingjournal.com 145

BLACK POWDER Jerry and I made an agreement when we started down the trail – we’d pick targets we could hit and that we would not miss with any shots. That agreement was kept very well and rather easily.

One target that seemed outstanding to me was a pistol target, a small rabbit mounted to a coil spring. It demanded a good hold and a careful trigger squeeze, but we both hit it. That was a 20-yard shot, through the timber, so to speak Another target that deserves mention was the “cougar head” because it was probably our longest shot along the trail, about 30 yards. It was actually far enough away that we could “hear” the difference in speed between our loads, with the .45-70 collar button “getting there” much quicker than the .50-70’s round ball. Even so, we both made good hits.

Our shooting along the trail more or less proves the practical value of these light loads, even while their

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Jerry Mayo stands beside the “cougar head” target on the trail.

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And it would not be out of order to use them on small game while on a big game hunt. Carrying one or two of these loads while on a more serious outing could add both memories and excitement to the hunt, as well as contribute something to fry or roast over the campfire.

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FINDING A NEW MOLD to make the .45-caliber collar buttons is not hard. Just order one from Lyman for #457130. To contact Lyman directly, perhaps to request their catalog, write to them at: Lyman Products Corporation, 475 Smith Street, Middletown, CT 06457. You can also visit Lymanproducts.com.

Shooting the .50-70 with the round ball over just 10 grains of OE 2F powder was very much like shooting the .45-70 with the collar button bullet. The fact that the round ball had no lubrication didn’t seem to “slow it down” at all. The biggest difference was that the .50-70 was a bit dirtier than the .45-70 after the shooting was done.

Getting a round ball mold to make .512-inch round balls really isn’t that hard either, but more than likely not as popular as getting the collar button mold. The best source for a .512-inch round ball mold is one of the muzzleloading supply houses; Dixie Gun Works (dixiegunworks. com) comes to mind. Another maker of “bag molds” (round ball molds that go right into the shooting bag) is Larry Callahan, and I do recommend his products. You can find them at bagmolds.com.

Short-range bullets have always appealed to me, probably because I’m just a rabbit hunter at heart. But those short-range bullets and loads give a big-bore black powder cartridge rifle a whole new character, as well as a widely expanded range of use. On top of that, shooting the short-range bullets is simply a lot of fun.

americanshootingjournal.com 149

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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT POTLIGHT

NOWLIN KNOWS

The Oklahoma-based company continues to produce high-quality 1911s and shooting competition champions.

The Nowlin Match Master is available in blue or stainless (shown) finish, and in calibers .45 ACP, 9mm, .38 Super and .40 S&W. Team Nowlin remains active on the handgun competition circuit.

COMPILED BY THE EDITORS IMAGES BY NOWLIN ARMS, INC.

A

rmed with a passion to design and build the best 1911 Auto parts around, John Nowlin, Sr., founded Nowlin Arms, Inc. in 1982. The familyowned and -operated business owes

its early success to this passion, and to an active involvement in competitive shooting. Utilizing the company’s own custom pistols during competitions, the Nowlin family garnered attention from other top shooters, who then clamored for Nowlin products of their own. In fact, their line of 1911 Auto parts, gunsmithing tools and fixtures

created more shooting champions than any custom shop in the 1990s.

Today, Nowlin, Sr.’s oldest daughter, Angela Reagan, runs the company.

She carries on her father’s legacy by continuing to produce high-quality products – and shooting champions.

When asked what sets Nowlin Arms products apart from the americanshootingjournal.com 153

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT competition, Reagan says, “The quality and reliability of our products. Our barrels have set world records and established a worldwide reputation as the best. We have a proven record of manufacturing parts that stand out as superb, as recognized by many experts in the industry.”

Indeed, the FBI has specified Nowlin barrels for their SWAT team 1911s, and the U.S. Marine Corps used their barrels and other parts in the MEU-SOC 1911s in service with elite units.

ANOTHER FACTOR THAT SETS the company apart is their ECM (electro cathode machined) rifling process, pioneered

by Nowlin, Sr. With this method, a cationic mandrel tool, with twist and groove depth preground into the tool, is inserted into the barrel, which has been gun drilled and honed to a mirror finish of 8 RMS. The cationic ECM tool permits metal in the barrel

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to be removed electronically to the exact shape, with exacting tolerance, providing a precise barrel groove, land and bore geometry that is burr and stress free.

The ultrasmooth finish produced by ECM gives less resistance on the bullet and a tighter seal between bullet and the barrel bore. This results in greater velocity and higher accuracy.

It’s no wonder Nowlin products are used by competitive shooters: “Because they win!” says Reagan.

“They are accurate and reliable and have passed the test of time.”

Constantly innovating, Nowlin Arms has a number of new products on the market, including the Match Master Pistol, which is now back in production, and the Titan.

Of the Titan, Reagan says, “Frames and slides are the foundation to a superb pistol. We have designed these components to our specifications. Critical areas

The Nowlin Match Master in the blue finish.

such as the hammer and sear pin holes have been drilled to exacting points to ensure proper alignment of hammer and sear engagement of all action parts. A crisp, clean trigger pull is a guarantee. Our unique ECM rifled barrel is the final and best added feature, which enables the Titan to achieve accuracy that will be unparalleled in other factory guns.”

Visit nowlinarms.com for more.

americanshootingjournal.com 155

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MODEL 4

The Guncrafter Industries Model 4 in 50 GI is the perfect platform for hunting, or getting the most out of your handloads.

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MAGNA T5 4.25 COMMANDER COMPACT

This semiauto in .45 ACP has an overall length of 7.25 inches, weighs 22 to 25 ounces, and features a magazine capacity of eight plus one. The frame is made of forged billet ZK60A-T5 magnesium, and the handgun wears a UA custom ceramic coat.

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The Fusion Freedom Series is a high-quality 1911, the frame, slide and barrel of which are made from bar stock. It also features real wood grips and is priced at an incredible $795.00 MSRP.

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Get superb accuracy (under an inch at 25 yards) and dependability from the Titan Model 1911. Fitted to perfection, it features a 5-inch slide, holds eight rounds and is chambered in .45 ACP. Many upgrades are available.

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PRECISION BUILT GUN BARRELS

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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

TIGHT TOLERANCES

The design and machining team at Match Grade Machine combines skill and pride to create high-quality, compliant products.

Utah’s Match Grade Machine does amazing machining and detail work on barrels for pistols and rifles. (MGM)

COMPILED BY THE EDITORS PHOTOS BY MGM

atch Grade Machine is located in Hurricane, Utah, and although it’s a relatively new company, the machinists on their team have a combined 30 years in the business of building Thompson/Center Encore and Contender, Savage Pre-Fits and Remington/Age barrels.

The folks at MGM take pride in every product they make, and use only high-quality machines and tools. They strongly believe that products cannot be compliant if made with inferior equipment. Each machinist uses great care, patience and diligence during the turning and contouring processes to help ensure concentricity to the

M

bore. That is the reason why their barrels are turned on high-quality, manual-engine lathes.

Machining a concentric barrel is critical when it comes to chambering.

Producing an out-of-round barrel will result in an oversized chamber.

Once the lathe work has been completed, the barrels move to a Lagun knee mill to be finished. It’s critical to have a machine with the ability to hold tolerances. For example, customers can imagine what it would be like to have scope base holes that were drilled .005 inch off center. Even with such a small slip like that, it will tilt the scope severely.

But the team at MGM guarantees all machine work to be dead on so that things like that won’t happen.

Unlike some barrel makers, Match Grade Machine products are built

entirely in-house using a Fadal VMC 15 machining center. The under-lug, extractors and locking bolts must fit perfectly in order to achieve a consistent and solid lockup on the frame. Through the use of solid aircraft-grade steel to machine these parts, their machinists have achieved solid lockup on each frame, and are able to be diligent in the process of making adjustments as needed by building all parts in-house.

This allows a tighter tolerance for all MGM products as opposed to sending the work out of house.

If you are interested in a top-ofthe-line, high-quality upgrade for your rifle or pistol, visit MGM online at matchgrademachine.com. MGM will be glad to build you a custom barrel.

You’ll be glad you did! americanshootingjournal.com 161

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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Custom AR-15 M4 5.56 NATO Barreled Upper See us on page 121

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DRD TACTICAL .308 build kit See us on page 46

NIGHTFORCE OPTICS LAYKE TACTICAL LT-10 lower receiver See us on page 80

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ATACR 4-16x50 riï¬&#x201A;escope See us on page 118

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JL J L BI BILLET B IL LL LET Matched Skeletor billet set See us on p page g 71

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7.5-inch KeyMod pistol/SBR upper See us on page 107

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Titanium cans See us on page 128

16-inch, 7.62x39mm match-grade fluted AR-15 barrel See us on page 120 americanshootingjournal.com 163

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GUN VAULT on Fox Hill

www.gun-vault.com 207.834.6470 gunvault1@fairpoint.net americanshootingjournal.com 165

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

FILLING UNIQUE NEEDS

For UniqueTek, an Arizona-based company offering products for shooting sports and reloading, consumer requests have become the mother of multiple inventions.

UniqueTek’s many products include the 2X Powder Hopper Tube (left), and two devices for holding bullets during reloading: the Bullet Bin and Bin-Dam.

COMPILED BY THE EDITORS PHOTOS BY UNIQUETEK

A

s with some other companies in the outdoor industry, UniqueTek was born out of the frustrations of a shooter unable to locate certain products designed specifically for their needs. After owning a Dillon XL 650 reloading press for many years, Lee Love wanted a micrometer powder bar, but he couldn’t find one anywhere at any price. So he designed his own. It took him three years before he perfected his design and located a shop to manufacture the parts.

The product, which Love dubbed the Micrometer Powder Bar Kit (an enhancement for the powder 166

American Shooting Journal // December 2017

bar adjustment screw on the Dillon Precision powder measure), was ready by 2003, and UniqueTek was born.

Since then, the company has added other press enhancement products (the company website currently lists more than 30 Dillon enhancement products alone), as well as items for other aspects of shooting and reloading.

Other popular products to grow out of found needs are a D-Lead, a hand soap highly effective at removing lead and other heavy metals encountered when reloading and shooting, and the company’s Premium Firearms Cleaner, a highly efficient solventbased cleaner for all firearms. Being virtually odorless and nontoxic, it is safe to use indoors where ventilation may be poor. Since it contains no

aromatic solvents, it won’t swell rubber or plastics.

In 2009, UniqueTek completed a move into a larger office in Chandler, Arizona. The new location included expanded room for business offices, manufacturing and space for new product research and development.

UniqueTek now has more than a dozen product categories including AR-15 tools and accessories, firearm cleaners, lubes and tools, optics cleaners and anti-fog, shooting/ training aids and safety equipment, and cowboy action shooting products, to name a few.

For more information, or to virtually browse through a myriad of useful and interesting products, visit uniquetek.com.

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