American Shooting Journal // December 2021

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

28

VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 3

MEET CUSTOM HANDGUN MAKER GARY REEDER

How did a self-described “jeans, T-shirt and ball cap guy” go from being a DJ to a gunsmith with 70 different custom handgun and rifle lines and nearly as many wildcat cartridges – not to mention experience a few death-defying moments along the way? Frank Jardim chats with a very busy Gary Reeder over his lunch break.

MORE FEATURES

(GARY REEDER)

23 TWICE AS NICE

A year ago Austin Orgain took the Precision Rifle Series’ Open Division points championship, but came up just short in the Pro Series Finale. We caught up with Orgain after he faced 200-plus “elite, highly skilled shooters” last month in a bid to take both season-ending titles.

45 BULLET BULLETIN: WALT BERGER AND HIS LIFETIME QUEST FOR ACCURACY

Last September’s passage of Walt Berger has Phil Massaro remembering the bulletmaker’s life and times, as well as his projectiles, which stand as a testament to Berger’s own adage, “If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

63 SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING: LESSONS FROM BLACK HAWK DOWN, PART II

Paul Pawela offers more perspectives on translating lessons of combat into civilian safety tips, as viewed through Mark Bowden’s famous book on the Battle of Mogadishu.

71 LAW ENFORCEMENT SPOTLIGHT: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL TURNS DEADLY FOR OFFICER

Nick Perna honors Deputy Matthew Locke, a Tennessee father and Afghanistan War veteran who was killed while responding to a domestic violence incident, “some of the most dangerous calls that officers respond to.”

73 SUPPRESSING WEST VIRGINIA’S PLENTIFUL PREDATOR POPULATION

With their SilencerCo suppressors, AR-15s, night optics and calls, Connor Boothe and cousin Tyler Samms help keep the Mountain State’s game-gobbling and farm-raiding coyotes and foxes a little more in check. Our Larry Case rides along with the lads for a little cold-weather songdog shooting and to get their thoughts on the predator-popping equipment they run.

83 ROADHUNTER: HO HO HO! FIELD-TESTED AND SANTA-APPROVED HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Wondering what to get the waterfowler in your life? Our expert Scott Haugen shares what shotgun, goose and duck loads, call, blind, wader and thermos picks you might put under the tree for hunters, and he’s got some stocking stuffer ideas for their faithful four-legged companions too!

103 BLACK POWDER: WHAT’S IN THE MUZZLELOADER’S POUCH?

“It’s far better to be properly equipped with the things you might need right there in your pouch” than not. So counsels our resident black powder cartridge enthusiast Mike Nesbitt, who also shares how flintlock and percussion shooters pack their pouches differently.

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 © 2021 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.