American Shooting Journal - December 2023 by Media Index Publishing Group

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SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 13 // Issue 3 // December 2023

PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Walgamott OFFICE MANAGER / COPY EDITOR Katie Aumann LEAD CONTRIBUTOR Frank Jardim CONTRIBUTORS Katie Aumann, Brittany Boddington, Larry Case, Scott Haugen, Phil Massaro, Mike Nesbitt, Paul Pawela, Nick Perna SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Grant Cunningham, Guy Ricciardulli, Zachary Wheeler DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker WEBMASTER / INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@americanshootingjournal.com

ON THE COVER Contributor Phil Massaro, tracker Proud Ndlovu and professional hunter Brian van Blerk with a Cape buffalo taken with a Peregrine BushMaster in Zimbabwe’s Chirisa Block. The South African monometal expanding bullets are the subject of a story this issue by Massaro. (MASSARO MEDIA GROUP)

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

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12 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 3

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

BULLET BULLETIN: MASTERING EXPANDING MONOMETALS

South Africa’s Peregrine Bullets may have had the critters of the Kalahari in mind when it came up with the PlainsMaster and BushMaster, but given the push for nonlead bullets in the US, our professor of projectiles Phil Massaro shares a performance evaluation and how these copper loads would fit in just fine in North America.

(MASSARO MEDIA GROUP)

FEATURES 39

BLACK POWDER: HUNTERS TAKE AIM WITH THE LEGENDARY SHARPS Old-style rifles and black powder loads have taken a lot of game over the years, as our Mike Nesbitt can attest, and they will continue to do so. Mike details a few of the memorable animals he and his buddies have harvested with Sharps.

SCATTERGUN ALLEY: IN PRAISE OF SHOTGUNS OVER THE AGES Larry Case takes a look at the history of scatterguns, their use for self-defense and some of today’s top options for bird hunting.

ROAD HUNTER: HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR HUNTERS Kinda like a certain someone who makes his rounds this time of year, Scott Haugen’s a busy guy who hunts and fishes around the country. As he does so, he puts a lot of outdoor gear to the test. Haugen offers up the boots, jackets, waterfowl decoys, coolers and more that would make great presents under the tree!

SHE HUNTS: AMANDA’S GRAND SPRING Amanda Potter found herself on the road a lot this past spring as she attempted to bag all four primary American turkey species – the grand slam – in a single season, a quest she looked to bring home at Brittany Boddington’s She Hunts Skills Camp in Texas. How did she fare?

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME How did Bobbie Weiner go from makeup school student to the Department of Defense’s top supplier of camo face paint? Katie Aumann tells her amazing success story!

LAW ENFORCEMENT SPOTLIGHT: MADE OF METTLE Sergeant Andrew Snyder and Officers Freddy Martinez and Madison Douglass had a choice when they responded to a burning duplex: Wait for firefighters to arrive to extricate a family on the second floor, or take action asap. Nick Perna shares the Indiana cops’ Medal of Valor-winning heroics.

SELF-DEFENSE: REALISTIC SELF-DEFENSE LESSONS AT ARM’S LENGTH If there’s one facet of self-defense training that Paul Pawela is passionate about, it’s realism. With that in mind, he shares how knife-fighting tactics should be integrated into your handgun skills for close-quarter confrontations.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. 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 © 2023 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.

americanshootingjournal.com 15

CONTENTS ALSO INSIDE 94

GUN REVIEW: SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 1911 DS PRODIGY Nick Perna takes a look at the specs for this newer, more affordable 9mm from the near 50-year-old company that gave us the civilian version of the M14 rifle, and puts the handgun to the test at the range.

DEPARTMENTS 19 23 101 103

Gun Show Calendar Competition Calendar Holster Gallery Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Guide

103

(NICK PERNA)

americanshootingjournal.com 17

18 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

Arizona Gun Shows

December 9-10 January 13-14 January 20-21 February 17-18

Casa Grande, Ariz. San Tan Valley, Ariz. Quartzsite, Ariz. Globe, Ariz.

Pinal Fairgrounds & Event Center Big Tin Cotton Gin Main Event Showplace Gila County Fairgrounds

C&E Gun Shows

December 9-10 December 9-10 December 9-10 December 16-17 December 16-17 December 16-17 December 30-31 December 30-31

Hamilton, Ohio Harrisburg, Pa. Winston-Salem, N.C. Dayton, Ohio Raleigh, N.C. Salem, Va. Hickory, N.C. Columbus, Ohio

Butler County Fairgrounds PA Farm Show Complex Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Montgomery County Event Center NC State Fairgrounds Salem Civic Center Hickory Metro Convention Center Westland Mall

Crossroads Of The West Gun Shows

December 9-10 January 6-7 January 13-14

Las Vegas, Nev. San Bernardino, Calif. Mesa, Ariz.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway National Orange Show Grounds Centennial Hall

Florida Gun Shows

December 9-10 December 16-17 January 6-7 January 13-14

Fort Myers, Fla. Palmetto, Fla. Miami, Fla. Orlando, Fla.

Lee County Civic Center Bradenton Convention Center Miami-Dade Fairgrounds Central Florida Fair Grounds

G&S Promotions

December 9-10 December 16-17 January 6-7 January 20-21 January 27-28 February 3-4 February 10-11 February 16-18 February 24-25

Conway, Ark. Shawnee, Okla. Carthage, Texas Mountain Home, Ariz. Conway, Ark. Shawnee, Okla. Henderson, Texas Nacogdoches, Texas Hot Springs, Ark.

Conway Expo Fairgrounds Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center Carthage Civic Center Baxter County Fairgrounds Conway Expo Fairgrounds Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center Rusk County Expo Center Nacogdoches County Exposition Center Garland County Fairgrounds

GunTVShows.com

December 16-17 January 6-7 February 3-4 February 17-18

Tucson, Ariz. Glendale, Ariz. Fountain Hills, Ariz. Tucson, Ariz.

Tucson Expo Glendale Civic Center Fountain Hills Community Center Tucson Expo Center

Hernando Sportsman’s Club

January 27-28

Brooksville, Fla.

Hernando Sportsman’s Club Range

arizonagunshows.com

cegunshows.com

crossroadsgunshows.com

floridagunshows.com

gunshowtrader.com

guntvshows.com

hernandosportsmansclub.com

To have your event highlighted here, send an email to kaumann@media-inc.com. americanshootingjournal.com 19

GUNSHOW

C A L E N D A R

RK Shows

December 9-10 December 9-10 December 16-17 December 16-17 December 22-23 December 22-23 December 30-31 December 30-31

Springfield, Mo. Ashland, Ky. Atlanta, Ga. Kansas City, Mo. Hopkinsville, Ky. Joplin, Mo. Murfreesboro, Tenn. Topeka, Kan.

Ozark Empire Fairgrounds El Hasa Temple Atlanta Expo Center KCI Expo Center Western Kentucky State Fairgrounds VFW Post 534 Mid-TN Expo Center Stormont Vail Events Center

Real Texas Gun Shows

December 16-17 January 6-7 January 27-28

Belton, Texas Taylor, Texas Port Arthur, Texas

Bell County Expo Center Williamson County Expo Center Bowers Civic Center

Tanner Gun Shows

December 15-17 December 29-31 January 12-14

Aurora, Colo. Denver, Colo. Colorado Springs, Colo.

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds Crowne Plaza Norris Penrose Event Center

Wes Knodel Gun Shows

December 9-10 December 16-17 January 13-14

Redmond, Ore. Centralia, Wash. Centralia, Wash.

Deschutes County Expo Center Southwest Washington Fairgrounds Southwest Washington Fairgrounds

rkshows.com

therealtexasgunshow.com

tannergunshow.com

wesknodelgunshows.com

20 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

PRIMER

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

usashooting.org

December 11-13 Rifle Trials Part 2 & Paralympic Trials Part 1 Colorado Springs, Colo.

January 5-7 Air Gun Olympic Trials Part 3 Anniston, Ala.

January 26-28 Florida State USPSA Championship Clearwater, Fla.

February 15-18 Gulf Coast Championship Eagle Lake, Texas

December 17 Tinsel & Triggers New River, Ariz.

December 29-31 Warmer Winter Pastures Shootout Green Cove Springs, Fla.

January 13 Pistols in Pahrump Pahrump, Nev.

December 7-10 2023 Sheepdog CCP Championship Valdosta, Ga.

December 18 Lowcountry Shooters IDPA Match Charleston, S.C.

December 23 Caliber IDPA Monthly Match Waukegan, Ill.

December 5-7 Pistol Trials Part 2 & Paralympic Trials Part 1 Colorado Springs, Colo. December 8-10 2023 Winter Air Gun Championship Colorado Springs, Colo.

uspsa.org

gssfonline.com

cmsaevents.com

idpa.com

December 8-10 North Florida Section Championship New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

December 2-3 “Remember the Alamo” Ballistic Challenge Atascosa, Texas

To have your event highlighted here, send an email to kaumann@media-inc.com. americanshootingjournal.com 23

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

BULLET BULLETIN

The Peregrine BushMaster, a monometal expanding bullet from South Africa.

MASTERING EXPANDING MONOMETALS South Africa’s Peregrine Bullets ‘would make a fantastic all-around load for North American game.’ STORY BY PHIL MASSARO • PHOTOS BY MASSARO MEDIA GROUP

rawling through the Mozambican forest – where the ground is covered with thorny plants that love to cut your knees and legs – we got to within 50 yards of the buffalo herd. The bull, distinctly larger than his harem of cows and calves, decided to lie down on our side of the herd, still presenting a shot, albeit a much more difficult one. Leveling the

sights of the Heym double rifle on the bull’s vital organs, I broke the right trigger, sending a 400-grain Peregrine BushMaster on its way to having the distinction of taking the first head of African game with the new Model 89B. It was my first buffalo taken with a double rifle, and my first game animal taken with a Peregrine bullet, though it would not be my last for either. The original Peregrine design was the brainchild of Adriaan Rall and the late Louis Nel, who decades ago set out to make the best monolithic bullet

available. Mr. Nel passed away before the design came to fruition, but Rall refused to give up on the idea. Teaming up with Corno van Rooyen – who has extensive experience in designing artillery projectiles – the pair launched Peregrine Bullets in 2009 with the release of their excellent lead-free softpoint bullet. It is a unique design, with the original VRG3 BushMaster variant being a pure copper hollowpoint with a flat meplat and a boattail; the hollowpoint cavity is capped with americanshootingjournal.com 25

BULLET BULLETIN With a flat meplat and a bronze cap over a hollow cavity, the Peregrine BushMaster will impart its energy quickly and effectively.

The author recovered these .470 Nitro Express bullets from a trio of Cape buffalo bulls in Zimbabwe; note the radial expansion.

a small brass plunger, leaving an air pocket behind the plunger. The PlainsMaster is a spitzer boattail with a brass nose and is designed to optimize trajectory at longer ranges. It utilizes a similar air pocket to the BushMaster. The principal – and it works like a charm – is that because air is difficult to compress, upon impact the plunger pushes rearward on the air cavity and drives the sidewalls of the projectile outward. The result is a true copper

mushroom, with the ogive of the bullet expanding radially and causing all sorts of damage to the vital organs. The weight retention of both of these bullets is well into the 90-percent range. These projectiles were created in a highly uniform manner – weighing them would reveal a consistent weight within 0.2 grain of the advertised weight – and I’ve seen more than a few big bore rifles print sub-¾-MOA groups at 100 yards, with common cartridges between

Author Phil Massaro, tracker Proud Ndlovu and professional hunter Brian van Blerk with a Cape buffalo taken with a Peregrine BushMaster in Zimbabwe’s Chirisa Block.

26 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

6.5mm and .30 caliber printing less than that. The Peregrine line is available in component form only, so they will have to be handloaded. Though it may seem strange to see a boattail on a flat-base bullet, Peregrine indicated that it was more the ease of seating into the case than anything else. It makes sense, as it will likely distort the case neck less, resulting in better concentricity and possibly increased accuracy. And even

BULLET BULLETIN

The blueprint of a Peregrine PlainsMaster; note the hollow cavity under the bronze tip.

though you may be hunting animals as large as a Cape buffalo, accurate ammunition is always better. I’ve loaded the BushMaster bullet in the .450-400 3-inch NE, the .404 Jeffery, the .416 Rigby and my .470 NE to take animals ranging in size from warthog,

reedbuck and kudu up to a number of Cape buffalo bulls in both Mozambique and Zimbabwe, with a couple of oneshot kills. The PlainsMaster proved to be hell on whitetail deer, helping my 6.5-284 Norma and .308 Winchester fill the freezer with venison.

The Peregrine BushMaster (left) has a flat meplat and boattail, while the PlainsMaster has a spitzer profile.

28 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

The classic conformation of the Peregrine BushMaster, with high weight retention and at least twice-caliber diameter.

IF YOU’RE GETTING the feeling that I’m a big fan of Peregrine’s hunting bullets, you’re not wrong. With both wonderful accuracy potential and devastating terminal performance, both the BushMaster and PlainsMaster bullets give the hunter a whole lot to

BULLET BULLETIN The author’s .318 Westley Richards is well served by the 200- and 225-grain Peregrine BushMasters.

The 200-grain .330-inch-diameter Peregrine BushMaster for the .318 Westley Richards gave subMOA accuracy.

be happy about. If there were to be any complaints, it’d be the difficulty of obtaining a South African bullet here in the United States, and perhaps the copper fouling associated with a pure copper bullet. Both have been rectified. Not all lead-free monometals are created equally, and I’ve had many different experiences with the varying makes and models over the last quarter-century. Some of the early models on the market not only would foul the living daylights out of the bore, but also would not open reliably. To tackle the first problem, an ammonia-based solvent would need to be employed, and that stuff can damage the bore if left in too long, and absolutely tear up a copper bore brush. Eventually bands were cut into the bullet shanks to relieve pressures and to reduce bearing surface and, accordingly, the amount of copper fouling left in the bore. Looking at the Peregrine models, all but one of their models have numerous bands cut into the shank of the bullet. And though the fouling associated with these bullets was never overwhelming, Peregrine has changed the metallurgic A cutaway illustration of the Peregrine PlainsMaster, highlighting the hollow cavity and bronze tip. The pure copper design has been changed to a tougher gilding metal.

Massaro’s favorite use of the Peregrine BushMaster – a 400-grain variant loaded in the .404 Jeffery, with his Heym Express rifle.

30 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

BULLET BULLETIN formula from a pure copper design to a gilding metal, which will reduce fouling in the bore, yet is still soft enough to reliably expand upon impact. Regarding that concept, I’ve had a number of shots with other brands of lead-free bullets simply whistle through an animal as if it were a full metal jacket, or nonexpanding “solid” projectile. In most instances the animal

was recovered, but upon examination of the wound channel, it was clear that the bullet expansion was minimal at best. That phenomenon turned me away from this style of bullet a couple decades ago, and it can still happen with the most popular brand and model of copper bullet. A polymer tip seems to help with expansion, but among the expanding monometal designs, I find that the

Peregrine “compressed air” concept delivers the most consistent results. I REACHED OUT to J.D. Els, Peregrine’s marketing manager, for the official word on the revisions to the bullet line. He had the following to say: “In 2017 existing technology was reevaluated and improved as a result of our team’s rich skill set, and a more scientific approach to bullet optimization and testing. Our goal was clear: to create a next-generation bullet by combining the strengths of past and present bullets (cup-and-core as well as monometal construction).” According to Els, this led to three major enhancements: • Bullet material: “We transitioned from pure copper to our proprietary gilding metal. This change reduced barrel friction, increased velocities and minimized copper buildup.” • Bullet impact deployment: “Better expansion was achieved through design changes to the cavity, resulting in increased mushroom size over the full impact velocity spectrum. Controlled expansion from lower impact velocities (1,500 feet per second BushMaster/ 1,600 fps PlainsMaster) through to high velocity (2,800-plus fps) was achieved. In short, we set ourselves a goal to lower the minimum impact velocity to initiate expansion without overexpansion or fragmentation at high velocity impacts.”

The classic .416 Rigby is made even better when loaded with the BushMaster monometal softpoint.

32 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

BULLET BULLETIN • Bullet aerodynamics: “We meticulously optimized the bullet nose, shank and boattail to reduce drag during flight, resulting in improved ballistic coefficient values. The PlainsMaster bullets (VLR4) saw the most significant improvement.” “These changes allowed us to offer a bullet that is robust enough to penetrate the toughest African animals yet soft enough to expand in soft flesh at low impact velocities,” summarized Els. “The enhanced flight performance, especially in the PlainsMaster range, pushed the effective hunting range to distances previously unattainable with monolithic bullets.”

This three-shot group from the .416 Rigby with 400-grain BushMasters engenders all sorts of confidence.

GRABBING SOME OF the new bullets, I loaded up some ammo in a few of my favorite cartridges and headed to the range. Included in the mix was the .300 Holland & Holland Magnum loaded with 167-grain PlainsMasters, my .318 Westley

Dave deMoulpied used the 400-grain BushMasters in his .416 Rigby to take this good kudu bull on safari in Zimbabwe.

34 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

Richards with 225-grain BushMasters, the .375 H&H Magnum with 300-grain BushMasters, and my beloved .470 Nitro Express topped with 500-grain BushMasters. My .300 H&H has shown a definite preference for longer bullets – in a cupand-core it likes 200-grain bullets – but there is something in the makeup of the 167-grain PlainsMaster that made the rifle happy, as a stout load of Alliant’s Reloder 23 gave me three-shot groups measuring just over ¾-MOA at 100 yards, cruising at just under 3,000 fps. This would make a fantastic all-around load for North American game, as well as African plains game species and leopard. The .318 Westley Richards is not known as a particularly finicky cartridge to load for – I’ve loaded and used bullets from the 205-grain Hornady InterLock to the excellent 250-grain Woodleigh Weldcore – but to have a 225-grain leadfree option is fantastic. With a load of

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49.0 grains of IMR 4166 in cases formed from cut-down .30-06 brass, I got 1-inch groups at a muzzle velocity of 2,570 fps. I wouldn’t hesitate to hunt any and all North American game – including grizzly and coastal brown bear – as well as any of the African species smaller than Cape buffalo, hippopotamus, rhinoceros and elephant. The .375 H&H Magnum is undoubtedly the king of the do-all cartridges, and a 300-grain Peregrine BushMaster only makes it better. Reaching for my long-proven load of IMR 4350 in this cartridge, the Legendary Arms Works rifle put three of those excellent projectiles in just under 1-MOA at the 100-yard target board. At a muzzle velocity of 2,510 fps, there are few applications of an expanding softpoint bullet that couldn’t be handled with this combination, especially at ranges inside of 250 yards. The flat meplat delivers an immediate energy transfer, and the construction of the bullet ensures that all of the 4,000-plus foot-pounds of energy will be utilized. I’d have no problem using the 300-grain BushMaster as my go-to softpoint in the .375 H&H. Loading for a double rifle is a bit of a challenge, as you are targeting the same velocity that the rifle was regulated with. My Heym Model 89B 470 NE was regulated with Hornady ammunition, delivering a 500-grain bullet at 2,150 fps. Using Alliant’s Reloder 15 under a Kynoch wad to keep the powder column properly compressed, the Peregrine 500-grain BushMasters gave 2,145 fps, and a right-and-left combination would print 5/8 inch apart at my 50-yard target. Pair this excellent softpoint with one of the Peregrine brass or copper solids, and you’ve got the capability to take any game animal with four feet and a heartbeat. If you’re interested in trying the Peregrine line, the US importer is Discreet Ballistics (discreetballistics .com) and I highly recommend you try them. They have become one of my favorites, and have often been along on some of my greatest adventures.  36 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

BLACK POWDER

Author Mike Nesbitt dropped this mule deer buck with a paper-patched bullet in 1983.

HUNTERS TAKE AIM WITH THE LEGENDARY SHARPS

Old-style rifles and black powder loads have taken a lot of game over the years, and will continue to do so. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

hen it comes to shooting Sharps rifles, there are a few things to remember. First, get in the habit of putting the hammer at half-cock before opening the action or dropping the block. That’s important after firing because it allows the firing pin to retract. If the hammer is all the way

down, it holds the firing pin forward, protruding into the fired primer, and it can be bent or broken when the block is lowered. It is best to just get into the habit of setting the hammer at half-cock before you open the action, whether the rifle has

been fired or has an empty chamber. Preparing the ammunition must also be given some attention, especially if the shooter is not already “seasoned” in shooting with black powder. Be very sure to use a good black powder bullet lube, and use enough of it. Bullet lubes that are not designed or intended for use with black americanshootingjournal.com 39

BLACK POWDER powder will not keep the fouling soft, and accuracy will be lost within just a couple of shots. Good black powder lubes include SPG and BPC (Black Powder Cartridge), which is available from C. Sharps Arms. Other black powder lubes include DGL (Damn Good Lube) and Vigilante. I won’t try to name them all, but I will emphasize again: use only a black powder bullet lube. The lube’s real purpose is to prepare the bore by leaving the fouling soft for the next shot. And I did mention to use enough of it. Some bullets these days have small or shallow lube grooves and they won’t hold enough lube. Perhaps only experience will tell, but you can see if your bullets or loads include enough lube by looking at the rifle’s muzzle. A “lube star” should be seen at the muzzle after firing, even with just one or two shots. That lube star will be formed by a slight excess of bullet lube and for black powder shooting, too much is just fine. The lube star should be seen after shooting ammunition that’s been prepared for hunting or target shooting, either grease-groove bullets or paper-patched. For paperpatched loads, the lube – in the form of a “grease cookie” – goes beneath the bullet. Some paper-patched ammunition is loaded without lube and in those instances, such as at the Creedmoor matches, the rifle’s barrel needs to be cleaned between shots. Cleaning after shooting with black powder loads is not difficult at

The “lube star” at the muzzle shows that enough lube was used.

40 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

Mike Venturino with his six-point elk, taken in ’82 with a .50-90. (MIKE VENTURINO)

all, especially after the rifle has been shot and cleaned perhaps a couple of times. Then the barrel can basically be cleaned with just two patches, with a black powder solvent applied to them. That, of course, is another advantage of using a black powder bullet lube. And after the bore of the rifle is cleaned, it can be wiped with oils, which will prepare the rifle for either storage or the next trip to the shooting range. WITH THE RIFLE and ammunition now ready for shooting, let’s talk about some good shots. While we really can’t expect to get a “stand” anymore, where a large number of buffalo could be harvested from one position, there is still a lot of hunting being done with

today’s Sharps rifles. That includes buffalo hunting, which is primarily done on buffalo ranches. This isn’t quite like the buffalo hunting of old, but it is buffalo hunting. Today’s Sharps shooters often use their newly built rifles with paper-patched loads, which duplicate the loads of the old buffalo hunters, when they go in search of a bison for the robe, the meat, the trophy, and the adventure of the hunt. And that is certainly an adventure. Two of my hunts with my Sharps rifles have left me with outstanding memories. The first one was on a deer hunt in Colorado back in 1983. My rifle was a custom job by C. Sharps Arms (using actions from Shiloh Sharps at that time) in .45-70 caliber

americanshootingjournal.com 41

BLACK POWDER

Dick Savage with the bull buffalo he took with his .50-70-caliber Sharps. (DICK SAVAGE)

with a standard weight half-round barrel, 30 inches long. The loads I used duplicated the old .45-75-420 loading using black powder and paper-patched bullets. As I walked along the bottom of a logging setting, where the fallen logs still remained, I saw a worthy buck watching me from the top of that same setting. He was about 150 yards away. I could not take a sitting position because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to see over the logs. So I took my shot offhand and that is the longest offhand shot I’ve ever made at game with iron sights. It was a good shot; I watched as the bullet struck the deer and he rolled toward me as he fell. I had held high on his chest, but not any higher, to compensate for the distance because my rifle was sighted in for 100 yards. The bullet had gone just about where I had aimed and it clipped the bottom 42 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

of his spine. That crippled the deer and he was mine. About 10 years later, I used that same rifle with the same loadings to take my biggest black bear. That was on a hunt in northern British Columbia and the bear was coming toward me in the timber. This gave me a rather close shot and the paper-patched bullet was centered in his chest. At the shot, the bear (which we named “Mr. Lucky” because my partner Les Miller and I had seen him three days earlier, when he gave us the slip) stumbled but recovered and began to climb a big tree. With the opportunity for another shot, a second paper-patched bullet was sent to his chest and just seconds later he fell to the ground. My two shots had hit within 2 inches of each other and both bullets had gone all the way through. The .45-75-420 Sharps loads had certainly done their job.

A WELL-KNOWN SHARPS shooter who was just getting his start in the early 1980s is Mike Venturino. He got his Shiloh Model 1874 in .50-70 caliber, but then had the chamber reamed to take the .50-90 cartridge, the Sharps Big .50. That made a rather lightweight rifle for a .50-90 and Mike certainly got a kick out of it, with the bruises to show for it, he admits. Mike used that .50-90 to bag a six-point bull elk on a hunt in the Rockies in 1982 and there was no doubt that the Big .50 could handle the job, especially since that cartridge was designed for buffalo hunting. I agree with Mike when he says, “If the Sharps bug bites, it lasts a lifetime.” As I said, buffalo hunting still goes on today, although generally at hunting ranches on a guided pay-to-hunt basis. A friend of mine who has done that several times is Dick Savage and I’ll tell you about just one of his successful

BLACK POWDER hunts. This took place in the Sandhills of Nebraska, and Dick was using a rifle custom-built for him by C. Sharps Arms, a heavy-barreled Model ’74 Hartford in .50-70 caliber. He made a SAVAGE) one-shot kill at about 125 yards. Dick was also using paper-patched bullets, as most of the 1870s buffalo hunters did, and his bullets were on the heavy side for a .50-70, at 540 grains. Dick used that heavy bullet for the accuracy it gave. Today’s .50-caliber rifles generally have faster rates of twist than what was used in the old rifles. The bullet was used with full 70-grain powder charges and seated well out of the case, as many paper-patched bullets are. Dick’s shooting leaves very little to be desired, as shown with the eight-shot group (pictured) he shot with his scoped Sharps at 150 yards. Savage put together this eightshot group at 150 yards with his .50-70. (DICK

Savage’s .50-70 load with the 540-grain bullet. (DICK SAVAGE)

44 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

THOSE ARE JUST a few examples of the fine shooting and good hunting that can be done with the old-style Sharps rifles with black powder loads. There are more stories to be told, for sure, just like there are more hunts to come. And the legendary Sharps rifles, fed with black powder ammunition, will still be taking game. ★

americanshootingjournal.com 45

46 American Shooting Journal // November 2023

SCATTERGUN ALLEY

IN PRAISE OF SHOTGUNS OVER THE AGES

A look at the history of scatterguns, their use for self-defense and some of today’s top options for bird hunting. STORY AND PHOTOS BY LARRY CASE

like shotguns. For those of you who may have read some of my musings in these pages, that should be apparent. I mean, what is not to like? I will go ahead and lay down the gauntlet here and say the shotgun is the most useful, versatile firearm with the ability to deliver more firepower than any other handheld weapon currently available. Now let’s be clear: I have nothing against rifles. Like many of you out there, I have several. For the applications that rifles (and handguns) are meant for, they are great. I am just making the case that for all-around versatility and usefulness, the shotgun reigns supreme.

Remington 870 and Winchester SXP shotguns, with Federal Premium slugs.

THE ADVENT OF the flintlock shotgun in the 17th century made possible the concept of shooting upland birds and waterfowl while in flight. Before the flintlock there were matchlock shotguns, which had a fuse that was lit and then the gun was held on target until it went boom. This made hitting flying targets nearly impossible. In what would be considered heresy to today’s duck and other waterfowl hunters, upland birds, ducks and geese were shot on the ground or sitting on the water. For a time, all of these muzzleloader guns could have been considered

shotguns, as they were all smoothbore and could be loaded with either solid ball projectiles or multiple pellets, or both. This combination of buckshot and solid ball (known as “buck and ball”) proved to be deadly on wild game, and for combat when the American colonists began to mix it up with the English army. As time went by, “fowling pieces” became lighter, shorter, and easier to handle and swing on flying birds. The English gun companies (Purdey, Holland & Holland and Westley Richards, to name a few) quickly grabbed most of the market for this type of gun and began to make many of these guns with double barrels. Now the hunter could get in two shots at birds, even though the shotguns had exposed hammers. Time marched on and the 18th century saw great strides in improvement of the shotgun. From the 18th and going into the 19th century, a flood of new additions came to the shotgun world. A clever Frenchman by the name of Casimir Lefaucheux gave us the pinfire gun, which worked by means of a shell that had a primer pin that stuck out of the shell, and this allowed the hammers on the gun to hit this pin and fire the weapon. Pinfire guns were breech-loaded and this really changed the landscape of the shotgun world. The coming of age of the hammerless guns (double-barreled shotguns with internal hammers) brought on many more changes for the scattergun. In americanshootingjournal.com 47

SCATTERGUN ALLEY the late 1800s, the gun-creating genius known as John Moses Browning brought us the first successful pump shotgun, the Winchester Model 1897. This was followed by several Browning-devised classics like the Model 31 Remington (the 31 was C.F. Loomis’s gun but he worked off of a Browning patent, the Model 17), the Model 12 Winchester and the Browning Auto 5. All of these were great guns and each had their own following of upland and waterfowl hunters, but everything changed in the early 1950s when Remington delivered the Model 870 pump shotgun. Manufactured with quicker, easier and cheaper methods, the 870 soon became the darling of many hunters for ducks, deer and pheasants. Many of you out there still have an 870 in the gun case that was carried by Dad or Granddad. I would suggest you take this gun for a walk in the woods or duck marsh at least once a year. The Remington 870 has sold over 11 million shotguns and the new 870, the Fieldmaster, is being produced by RemArms, which is now making Remington firearms. It should be noted that the Mossberg 500 shotgun, which has so many variants that I could not begin to name them, has always been a close competitor of the 870 and this competition has fueled many debates at the gun counter, barbershop and hunting camp. God bless America!

A .69-caliber “fowler” rifle and a muzzleloader shotgun harken back to the origins of scatterguns.

48 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

ONCE UPON A time, I attended the Shotgun 260 course at Gunsite Academy in Arizona. While there I met one Sam Naramore, who happens to be employed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Sam is an avid shooter and former marine who has long been involved in training his fellow DNR colleagues, as well as workers in the Bureau of Land Management, United States Geological Survey, state Department of Fish and Game, and others who work in the wilderness of Alaska. The training consists of learning how to deal with bears. Alaska has a lot of bears, both grizzlies and black bears, which, believe it or not, are often

SCATTERGUN ALLEY

State and federal employees who work in the wilderness of Alaska undergo shotgun training. Most used the Remington 870 shotgun and a Ruger .454 revolver.

Sam Naramore of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources protects a worksite from a loitering bear.

50 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

involved in attacks on humans. I attended one of these classes near Anchorage a few years ago led by Sam and longtime bear defense trainer Steve Nelson. This training is firearms-based and the thing I noticed right away is that these guys and girls are big on shotguns. It may be a Remington 870 (most popular) or a Mossberg 500 or 590, but the 12-gauge pump shotgun is the weapon of choice for most Alaskans venturing into the bush. They like big rifles, too, in calibers like the .375 H&H or Ruger, or the .45-70, but the 12-gauge pump loaded with slugs is the most popular. Why is that? Simple: versatility and firepower. We live in some strange times. While I personally don’t believe in anything like the zombie apocalypse, the past few years have seen incidents of rioting and unrest that many of us thought we would never see in the United States

SCATTERGUN ALLEY

RemArms 870 Fieldmaster.

of America. This is not a preface for another article on shotguns for home defense (although I am certainly an advocate for that); rather, it is to say that if everything goes south in your neighborhood, a shotgun is one of the things that you want to have handy. In simple terms, no other weapon can do as many jobs as a plain ol’ pump shotgun. The Alaskans I met like that the 12-gauge can deliver massive firepower in the form of 1-ounce slugs, and with an extended magazine that could be up to 10 rounds. A shortbarreled, extended-magazine pump gun is handy and easy to manage in tight areas like heavy brush. In terms of versatility, the shotgun gets high marks. It serves as maybe the ultimate bear and large predator (two- and four-legged) deterrent, but 52 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

because the shotgun can use different types of ammo, it also has several other applications. If you are in the bush and need the shotgun for defense from large predators, the shotgun slug will probably be your choice. In a wilderness situation where you need to hunt small game to survive, anything from shot size No. 4 to 7½ will serve you well. Another plus for the shotgun is that even in remote areas and when other ammo may be hard to find, you can usually get 12-gauge shotgun shells. YOU MAY NOT be going to the Alaskan wilderness anytime soon, and you may not think that the fabric of society will come apart in your neighborhood shortly, but for either situation you need a good shotgun. Anything from a single-shot inexpensive model to

a short-barreled coach gun to an expensive semiauto waterfowl shotgun can work, but for all-around versatility and affordability, a standard 12-gauge pump gun is hard to beat. You may not have to look any further than the Remington (RemArms) 870 or the Mossberg 500, but there are other options to consider. RemArms 870 Fieldmaster: Think of the new Fieldmaster as being between the old Express model and the 870 Wingmaster, with its lovely deep bluing on the metal and glossy finish on the wood. This shotgun certainly looks good; the stock and forearm are dark walnut, the fit and finish of the wood to the metal receiver are excellent, and the old-style fleur-de-lis checkering is a nice touch. (When have you seen nice walnut on a shotgun priced at $600 or less?)

SCATTERGUN ALLEY

The Mossberg 500 Field/Security model.

RemArms definitely improved the finish on this shotgun from that of the old Express model. The metal workings are also improved with a smoothing process on the two action bars and the internal parts in the action. The Fieldmaster has an improved recoil pad that helps, but the 870 is a pump shotgun and you are going to have some felt recoil on heavy loads. The receiver is drilled and tapped for an optic for the turkey guys, there are swivel studs for a sling, and the Fieldmaster ships with a full, modified and improved cylinder choke. RemArms also put a clever turnkey mechanism on the magazine cap for easy access to the magazine spring. If you have been wanting a new 870, I would not be afraid of buying the new Fieldmaster. MSRP: $600 (as always, you will find it for less if you shop around); remarms.com. Mossberg 500: As noted earlier, a close second after the 870 in total sales (Mossberg claims over 12 million sold) with a solid loyal following for pump guns is the Mossberg 500 and its many variants. The 500 was presented by Mossberg in 1961 mainly as a shotgun for hunters and was soon adopted by the military, which led to the conception of the model 590. The 500 may be the epitome of the solidly built, affordable, everything-from-ducks-to-deer shotgun. I know Mossberg 500 owners who have utilized it for everything from shooting ducks and geese to using it for a wading

staff and boat paddle. A good option here may be the 500 Field/Security model, which includes a 28-inch vent rib barrel that will be fine for everything from ducks and geese to pheasants, bunnies and squirrels. Also included is an 18½-inch Security barrel for closequarters work on things that go bump in the night. MSRP: $557; mossberg.com. Retay GPS-XL Pump Shotgun: Since the glory days of the Remington model 31, the 870, and the Winchester Model 12, the action on pump guns has not changed much in close to 100 years. Now it has, and to an old shotgun guy like me, that is quite remarkable. The Retay GPS-XL (Geometric Pump System) is a design that offers two primary advantages. The first is a reduction in the amount of travel when cycling the action and the second is reduced drag and virtually no scratching to the magazine tube from working the action. These advantages were achieved due to the innovative GPS-XL “floating forend design,” which does away with the typical interior forend tube that rides around the magazine tube inside the forend. Instead, the forearm itself is crafted with integral self-centering geometric cones that reduce friction and keep the double guided forend centered as it slides along the length of the magazine tube. If you are a pump gun guy, this is a big deal. Less drag and less travel

means the gun can be fired faster. Here is another consideration: Did you ever shake a pump shotgun and it rattles like a load of 00 buckshot in a tin box? A Retay GPS-XL will not do that. The barrel on the GPS-XL is topped with an 8mm flat hunting rib and tipped with a TruGlo fiber optic sight. The GPS-XL will come standard with three interchangeable MaraPro chokes in full, modified and cylinder constrictions. This shotgun has a traditional stationary bolt head and sturdy dual opposing bolt latches. The magazine tube is configured for 4+1 2¾-inch shells or 3+1 3½-inch shells. The GPS-XL is also offered in a GPS Hunting and Security Combo set with a 28-inch vent rib barrel and a 18½-inch barrel. MSRP: Field Black model: $499; RealTree Max7 and Mossy Oak Bottomland models: $599; Hunting and Security Combo: $549; retayusa.com.  Editor’s note: Larry Case has been a devoted outdoorsman since he was a child. He will admit to an addiction to turkey hunting (spring and fall), but refuses any treatment. He enjoys the company of gobblers and cur dogs that are loud and people who speak the truth softly. Case served 36 years as a game warden in West Virginia and retired with the rank of district captain. You can check out his podcast and other stories at gunsandcornbred.com.

The Retay GPS-XL. GPS stands for Geometric Pump System.

54 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

ROAD HUNTER

LaCrosse’s Ursa is a fantastic, high-performance boot that will tackle a wide range of big game hunting needs around the world. Author Scott Haugen has logged over 70 miles in them and is very pleased with their comfort and durability.

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR HUNTERS

From boots to jackets, waterfowl decoys to coolers, these field-tested products would make great presents. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

spent many days on the road this year hunting and testing gear. Some gear I didn’t like; some I loved. These are items I personally put to the test and they might just make the perfect Christmas gift, either for yourself or

someone else. Here’s what I liked, why I liked it, and why I intend to keep using it. Happy holidays and good hunting! LACROSSE URSA MS BOOTS Over the past seven months, I’ve logged more than 70 miles in LaCrosse’s new Ursa MS boots. I think the Ursas are the best technical hunting boots LaCrosse has ever

created. Light, durable and ergonomic, the Ursa is more like wearing hightop sneakers than hiking boots. The comfort and ankle support of the Ursas are impressive and the sleek soles ensure you’re not kicking rocks or protruding roots. Quiet on hard, dry ground, sturdy all the time but not stiff and cumbersome, and waterproof and resilient in all the different terrain americanshootingjournal.com 57

ROAD HUNTER

Durable and built to perform, Pelican’s Elite 70-quart cooler impressed the author. It comes in a range of color options.

and conditions I wore them in, the Ursas are boots every serious hunter will want to consider. MSRP: $300; lacrossefootwear.com. MEINDL COMFORT FIT EXTREME BOOTS I’ve worn Meindl boots on more big game hunts around the world than any other boot. They’re tough, comfortable, durable, lightweight and they last. For hunters heading into rugged, rocky terrain, Meindl’s Comfort Fit Extreme boot weighs only 4.25 pounds per pair and is waterproofed with Gore-Tex lining. Soft foam pads and advanced foam panels securely wrap around the feet for a comfortable, customlike fit. Comfort Fit fleece-covered cork footbeds conform to your soles, cushioning and cradling the feet for impressive support. Waxed, full-grain nubuck leather uppers form durable, 58 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

flexible shells with full rubber rands wrapping around the boots for extreme protection from wear. At 11 inches high, the Comfort Fit Extreme Hunting Boots provide maximum ankle support on the steepest of inclines, while Vibram’s Multigrip outsoles keep you moving with confidence. MSRP: $400; meindlusa.com. SITKA INTERCEPT PANTS & HOODIES I first wore Sitka’s new Intercept pant and hoody when running trail cameras and instantly fell in love with them. It took me 11 hours to set over 30 cameras that day and I was on my elbows and knees a lot. Since then I’ve worn the Intercept line when scouting for deer and elk, hunting bear and pronghorn, training dogs, and on early-season bird hunts in multiple Western states. The padded knees and elbows of the

Intercept attire are a game changer, making rough situations comfortable with no more aches, pains or tender knees and elbows at the end of the day. The bonded merino wool blend lining manages moisture and is quiet, and a tough nylon face makes the clothing resilient in the driest, rockiest ground you can crawl on. I’ll be honest, the Intercept top and bottom are so comfortable that I find myself wearing them around the house all too often; they’re a luxury I appreciate. MSRP: pants: $280; hoody: $249; sitkagear.com. CHÊNE GEAR WADERS & JACKETS In addition to two new colors for their waders, Chêne also released two new jackets last season. Chêne’s waders feature four-layer nylon, which is waterproof, breathable and more abrasion-resistant than polyester. The

americanshootingjournal.com 59

ROAD HUNTER EVA boot midsole means all-day comfort and durability, with an adjustable strap for optimum comfort and fit, and fleecelined hand-warming pockets that keep you warm. I’ve spent over 100 days in these waders, from Alaska to Mexico and many places in between. I love them! Limited lifetime warranty. Chêne’s Hydro-Lok Shell is an outer shell that provides a complete waterproof

system, yet is breathable, to keep you dry and windproof in the elements. Two vertical chest pockets, two high handwarmer pockets, two lower zippered cargo pockets, adjustable neoprene cuffs, polar-fleece-lined neck, adjustable hood and body-mapped design make for a comfortable fit. The Chêne Over & Under Jacket, designed to be worn inside waders,

allows for higher level of breathability below the chest and increased warmth with wind resistance above the chest and on arms. Features include two high hand-warmer pockets, vertical zippered chest pocket, two lower body handwarmer pockets, slim forearms and bodymapped fit. This is quality gear worth every penny. MSRP: waders: $1,099; shell: $380; jacket: $300; chenegear.com. PELICAN COOLERS I first used the Pelican 14-quart Personal Cooler on dog training sessions and big game scouting trips last summer. I was so pleased with its ability to keep things cold and frozen, I stepped up to their 70-quart Elite cooler. I’m glad I did. Now both coolers serve specific needs while I’m hunting and camping. The Elite is one of the best-performing big coolers I’ve ever used, be it on extended hunts, weekend outings or defrosting freezers at home. The latch and seal systems are user-friendly and I love the nonskid feet. With rugged handles and a durable design built for protection and performance, I’ll be getting more Pelican coolers in the future. MSRP: 14-quart: $120; 70-quart: $350; pelican.com. SLAYER RANGER DUCK CALLS I instantly fell in love with Slayer Calls’ The Ranger, a double-reed call that’s easy to run, offers excellent sound control and gets the attention of ducks. The Ranger can handle a lot of air, which is ideal for getting ducks to look on those windy, stormy days in the wide-open spaces and on big water. MSRP: $135; slayercalls.com.

Haugen with a limit of honkers taken in Alberta over a spread of the new Big Al’s Lesser Canada Goose Silhouettes. The line of decoys is the author’s top choice when it comes to hunting over silhouettes.

60 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

BIG AL’S SILHOUETTE DECOYS Going on three seasons now, nothing has impacted my duck hunting success more than silhouette decoys. They’ve increased my mobility, allowed for quick adjustments due to changing wind conditions and bird reactions, and have been a game changer in increasing spread size on competitive public lands. Big Al’s

ROAD HUNTER

Haugen has used a lot of knives over the past 47 years of big game hunting, and he ranks the Montana Knife Company Speedgoat among the best of the best.

line of mallard, pintail and wigeon silhouettes are regulars in my spreads. Last September, I hunted over their new Lesser Canada Goose Silhouettes and Super Specks in Canada. I was impressed with the results, as we filled multiple limits each day. In the Pacific Northwest, I hunted over Big Al’s brand-new Cack Pack, which were great by themselves all fall, and did the job in the late season when combined with full-body cackler decoys. Made in the USA with high-quality material that retains excellent color and detail. MSRP: starting at $65/dozen; bigalsdecoys.com. BENCHMADE FLYWAY KNIVES I once helped design knives for a prominent knife company. Benchmade isn’t the company and the Flyway isn’t the knife, but I wish it was! The Flyway instantly exceeded my expectations. It’s sleek, streamlined and easy to handle and control even with bloody, greasy hands. The blade style is perfect for articulating cuts around the keel, shoulders, leg joints and thighs. Strong, lightweight and sharp, I’ve used it on hundreds of birds, including ptarmigan, grouse and waterfowl, and have not had to sharpen it one time. When I travel on bird hunts, this knife is in my bag! MSRP: $200; benchmade.com. 62 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

MONTANA KNIFE CO. SPEEDGOAT KNIVES The Speedgoat is light, durable and fits the needs of any hunter. Skinning bears, caping elk, boning out deer, cleaning birds and fish, even cutting rope – this knife does it all. And it only weighs 1.7 ounces! It’s fast, dependable, keeps a great edge and is one of the most versatile knives I’ve used. MSRP: $225; montanaknifecompany.com. ENGEL HD20 HEAVY-DUTY SOFT-SIDED COOLER BAGS I was instantly impressed with Engel’s soft-sided cooler bag. The welded seams, durable zippers, strategic straps and multiple lashing points caught my attention before I even used it. Then I put some frozen meat in it, carried it on a plane, got delayed, and 45 hours later opened the bag to find everything still frozen rock-solid. Since then, this has become my go-to soft-sided cooler, not only for keeping things frozen but for toting drinks packed in ice. It features closed-cell foam insulation, which prevents air from passing through and optimizes the thermal range of the cooler, while the seams hold in water. It’s efficient and rugged, and I like the price point. MSRP: $180; engelcoolers.com. 5.11 CLOTHES & TRAVEL BAGS I’m finicky when it comes to function-

al clothing that performs to my high standards. Last fall I wore an array of 5.11 Tactical clothes, from base layers to ripstop pants, insulated jackets to softshell pants, and they all impressed me. My wife Tiffany used their specialized women’s clothing while biking over 400 miles and hiking another 150 last summer in Europe, and she loved their fit and performance day in and day out. The 5.11 lines of luggage and backpacks are also tops in durability, space and functionality. Don’t let the tactical name fool you – these are quality clothes that are comfortable for travel, hunting, fishing, camping and more. Info: 511tactical.com. YETI LOADOUT GOBOX GEAR CASES I first used Yeti’s LoadOut GoBox 15 Gear Case when duck hunting on rainy days. Not only were my shells, gloves, lunch and camera gear bone-dry, but they packed nice and stayed protected. I then upsized to the GoBox 60 and had the same good results. Waterproof, dustproof and tough, I did have some issues with the handles on the 60, but took them apart, cleaned and reinstalled them, and they work fine. I’ve used the LoadOuts in boats, ATVs and trucks and I’ll keep using them. Available in three sizes. MSRP: starting at $125; yeti.com.

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ROAD HUNTER WILEY X DETECTION GLASSES These are the most ingenious eye protection glasses I’ve worn. The frame – wait, there is no frame – means a 100-percent field of view and the five lenses offer unmatched clarity in any lighting situation. The lenses are fast and easy to switch out; I often change them multiple times a day on hunts to meet continual lighting changes and shifts in habitat location. They’re strong, scratch-resistant – which I learned when I dropped them on some rocks while chukar hunting – and are so comfortable you’ll forget you have them on. I used them on multiple hunts and now they’re my go-to glasses for yard work, home projects, woodcutting and more. MSRP: $210; wileyx.com. 

Lightweight, comfortable, a full field of view and so easy to quickly change out lenses: those are just some of the features Haugen loves about Wiley X’s Detection Glasses.

64 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen’s line of hunting and fishing books and DVDs make great stocking stuffers and can be ordered at scotthaugen.com.

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Earlier this year, hunter Amanda Potter completed the turkey grand slam, traveling throughout the US to accomplish her goal. The first species she took was the Merriam’s in Mesa, Colorado. (JOHN GREEN)

she HUNTs

AMANDA’S GRAND SPRING

Turkey hunter wraps up her quest for four different US species while participating in She Hunts Skills Camp. STORY BY BRITTANY BODDINGTON

ith Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, I thought I would share a fun story about turkey hunting with you this month. We at She Hunts Skills Camp had the distinct honor of sharing a hunter’s quest for the fourth and final spring gobbler to complete her grand slam – bagging each of the four main turkey species in the United States – earlier this year. This marks the first time a She Hunts alumni has taken part of her slam in camp and it was a very exciting hunt to be part of! I thought the story would be best coming from the hunter directly, so below is my interview with the one and only Amanda Potter.

Brittany Boddington Let’s start from the beginning. When did you start hunting? Amanda Potter It was 2003 and I was in the Army and had recently gotten married and wanted to hunt with my husband, so I took my hunter safety course. My first hunt was for doves in September later that year. I have since hunted big game and really developed an excitement for pig hunting. I have been fortunate to hunt in multiple states and a few different countries over the years. BB What made you decide to take on the turkey slam? AP I have enjoyed turkey hunting for a number of years and we really enjoy traveling to hunt and fish. I purchased a Florida turkey hunt at a local Rocky

Next up for Potter was an Osceola turkey in Chiefland, Florida. At one point, she had to chase curious cows away from her blind, but she got her tom on the second day of the hunt. (WALT ISENHOUR/ LONE STAR OUTFITTERS)

Mountain Elk Foundation banquet in 2022 and had it scheduled for spring of 2023, not long before my She Hunts Skills Camp was scheduled. My husband suggested I complete a grand slam and then we realized I could do it in a single season, which is even more of a rare feat.

BB How much preparation did you do prior to the first hunt? AP Having hunted turkey before, I didn’t do any extensive preparation prior to these hunts. I already had my shotgun and my first turkey in the slam was within an hour of where I live. I hunt for upland game birds and dove each year americanshootingjournal.com 67

SHE HUNTS A few days later in Dixon, Missouri, Potter shot an eastern gobbler on another two-day hunt. (CHRIS POTTER)

and that helps me to remain effective with my shotgun. Part of my overall preparation was researching where each species lives and where I would need to travel in order to complete the slam. During my hunts I learned quite a bit about each species of turkey and how they differ in behaviors. BB Tell us about each turkey and how the hunt went on each one. AP My first hunt was on April 8 near Mesa, Colorado, for the Merriam’s. We were able to gain permission on private land and the landowner was excited to help me start my slam. I sat in a blind with my husband, who is a better turkey caller than I am. We saw some hens come in at first, followed shortly by the gobbler I was fortunate enough to harvest within a fairly short amount of time. It was spring in Colorado and there was still snow on the ground. My second hunt was on April 13 and 14 in Chiefland, Florida, for the Osceola 68 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

and it was much longer than the first hunt. My husband and I sat in a blind from 5 a.m. until around lunchtime, only seeing a few jakes, so we moved to another blind in hopes of seeing a tom (as I was hoping to complete my slam by harvesting all toms). We sat in the next blind until after sundown, seeing only one hen the entire time. The next day we decided to split up and sit in different blinds because my husband was hoping to shoot a turkey as well and we figured we might have better odds sitting in different places. We heard turkeys gobbling when the outfitter dropped me off in my blind and it certainly gave me high hopes of being successful. This was the first time I hunted turkeys alone and while we planned to hunt different areas, we failed to plan some important logistics, like making sure I had one of the turkey calls. I listened to at least one tom, possibly two, gobbling for about an hour and a half, when it stopped abruptly. They had

been fairly close, but never came close enough for me to see. Wondering why the gobbling stopped, I looked around my blind to see that a herd of cows had walked toward my blind. There were a couple of cows so curious they were putting their noses in the window of my blind and sniffing. I had to get out and chase off the herd twice in hopes that a gobbler would come into my decoys. I wasn’t excited to do it because there was a very large bull in the herd, but he was one of the first to run off when I did so. I am sure I looked very odd wearing camouflage and running toward them waving my arms while shouting at them. They ran a little ways away and then slowly grazed out of the area. I hadn’t heard any gobbling for a couple of hours, so I removed my binocular pouch, since I was going to be picked up soon in order to move to another spot for the afternoon hunt. Just then, I saw a tom running towards my decoys. Not wanting to ruin my opportunity, I quickly texted the guide to wait. I picked up my shotgun and watched him run toward the hen decoy. He stopped and looked at it and immediately started running away in what seemed to be a zigzag pattern. I waited until he ran sideways just enough for me to get a good headshot and I took it. We were able to find a great photo location with palm fronds for a photo of my Florida Osceola. My third hunt was on April 18 and 19 in Dixon, Missouri, for my eastern on a piece of property we had purchased in hopes of harvesting deer and turkey on. My husband and I set up a decoy spread and sat against trees from before dawn until 1 p.m. – in Missouri you can only hunt turkey until 1 p.m. The first day we called and finally had one tom with a hen slowly work their way around a field headed our way. At one point, the tom responded to our calls and closed the distance quickly as he ran straight toward us gobbling like crazy. Getting closer to us, he slowed and waited for the hen to catch up before making his way closer. They were still not on our property yet but were very close, and I

SHE HUNTS

Potter capped off her grand slam with this Rio Grande, shot at RecordBuck Ranch in Texas during a She Hunts Skills Camp. (JEFF COPELAND/RECORDBUCK RANCH)

70 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

wanted to make sure that he didn’t see me when I brought my gun up to shoot. I waited until he walked behind a tree right on the property line and moved my gun while I was out of his sight, but it caught on my binocular case and then the hen busted me. She gave an alarm call and when the tom came out from behind the tree, he ran and flew away before I could get a shot. We sat in the same spot the next morning, as we felt that was a good location that we knew turkeys walked through. We had only been there about an hour or so when we heard a gobbler respond to our calling. I am certain it wasn’t the same turkey, but it did come from the same area as the tom on the previous day. I was wearing my binoculars on this day as well, but had made sure to unhook the right side of my binoculars to ensure it didn’t inhibit another shot. After what seemed like an eternity, the bird made his way across an open field, into our decoy spread, and success! My fourth hunt was on April 21 for the Rio Grande at the RecordBuck Ranch during my first She Hunts Skills Camp. It was the second afternoon at the ranch when my guide Jeff and I went to sit in a blind near a feeder to watch for turkeys. Jeff was calling when we heard a tom coming toward us. He made his way slowly toward us until we could see him following a hen. He skirted just outside of range when we heard another tom coming from the same direction they had come from. We were watching for that next tom to come into sight when Jeff saw a tom walking right by our blind on the opposite side. He started running away from us in the direction of the tom with the hen and we were worried he would quickly be too far for me to take a shot. Jeff made a call that stopped the turkey just long enough for me to take my shot. As soon as I shot and the turkey fell to the ground, Jeff ran and grabbed him; he was worried that if my shot hadn’t been good enough, he could get up and run away. He didn’t get up and run, and I had just harvested the fourth turkey in

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SHE HUNTS my grand slam! Jeff and I drove around for a bit looking for the perfect spot to take a photo with my turkey. Jeff was great; not only did he know how to take a great photo, he was excitedly looking for a flowering cactus with me so my photo would show beautiful Texas foliage in the background. BB What was it like to finish off your slam at She Hunts? AP I really enjoyed completing my slam at She Hunts. I think the best part of it was the excitement and support from all the other ladies in camp, and guys too; Craig (Boddington) and Brad (Jannenga) were very happy about my accomplishment as well. I was excited, but I wonder if my new friends may have been even more excited for me to shoot my turkey and complete my grand slam. What a great atmosphere to hunt in; I can’t wait for my next She Hunts camp! Many of the ladies were hunting for their animal at the same

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time, but the first thing they asked when they saw me was, “Did you get your turkey?” and they wanted to see photos. BB What advice would you give hunters looking to complete their grand slam like you did? AP If you enjoy turkey hunting and have considered completing a slam, go for it! It is so much fun and it is a really cool accomplishment and I am so glad I did it. I would like to complete my world slam next; I am particularly excited about hunting the ocellated turkey. Do your research to make sure you are familiar with the area you are hunting and that you are going with a reputable outfitter/guide service. Make sure you can shoot in whatever you are planning to wear so you don’t mess up a shot the way I did in Missouri. WE WERE SO proud of Amanda and her accomplishment, and it was a treat to be able to celebrate with her in camp!

I speak for all of us at She Hunts when I say we can’t wait to hear about her world slam and all the incredible experiences that will come with it!  Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a former outdoor television host and journalist with 15 years’ experience hosting shows about various hunting adventures around the globe. She has hunted on six continents and collected just under 100 species. With her father Craig’s help, Brittany discovered a love for the great outdoors and has become a passionate hunter and conservationist. She has learned through experience that the best way to preserve our hunting heritage is to teach the next generation of hunters about our way of life, which is why she developed the She Hunts Skills Camp. Brittany and her husband Brad Jannenga live in Phoenix, Arizona, where they raise beef cattle with their family. Follow Brittany’s adventures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Face paint entrepreneur Bobbie Weiner poses with a Black Hawk helicopter crew at Fort Cavazos, formerly known as Fort Hood.

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME How Bobbie Weiner turned a midlife career change into a booming business serving the military, hunters, and more. STORY BY KATIE AUMANN PHOTOS BY BOBBIE WEINER ENTERPRISES

fter her 10-year marriage ended in sudden divorce, Bobbie Weiner enrolled in makeup school on a whim. At 44 years old, she was starting her life completely over, but the decision to embark on a career in special effects makeup would be the twist of fate that enabled her to launch multiple companies and even become the number one supplier of camo face paint to the military. So how did Weiner go from makeup school student to business maven? It’s an interesting story, and it all started on the set of the blockbuster film Titanic, just a few years after graduating from school. “While working on the film Titanic, I would do the frozen makeup for Leonardo Dicaprio’s stunt doubles and americanshootingjournal.com 75

Weiner has been featured in Millionaire Blueprints magazine, as well as wrote a book about her life, the title of which references a nickname given her on the set of a horror film. Bloody Mary is also the name of her company that supplies Hollywood with special effects makeup.

one of them was going to a Charger football game in San Diego,” Weiner recalls. “He asked me for makeup in the team’s colors. I gave him blue and bright yellow makeup and some sponges. When he came back to work on Monday, I asked him how the game was. He was so excited. He told me that he and his buddies were on TV and people asked him where he got the makeup.” This conversation gave Weiner the idea to start her first company, Sports Fan Face Paint. “I took my idea to UCLA and met with the buyer, who immediately ordered two gross of my kits I presented to him,” she says. “He also said I should do a college show that was coming up in three weeks. He made a call and got me a booth. No one had ever made team-specific colors before. I sold to 46 colleges at the show.” SHORTLY AFTER THAT, Weiner did a television appearance to promote her work on Titanic. She was being interviewed by a morning show in San Diego and was demonstrating 76 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

how she made the floating actors look frozen. While doing so, Weiner explained that the actors wore her makeup for up to six hours at a time and it never came off. Unbeknownst to Weiner, her interview had piqued the interest of someone who would again influence the trajectory of her career. “Someone from Camp Pendleton was watching that morning while getting ready for work,” she says. “It caught his attention and he called the station. He gave them his telephone number and said to have me call him when I was off the air. I called him as soon as I was free and he said that he needed a new camo face paint for his soldiers.” The next morning, Weiner drove to the base and met with him and six other salespeople. “He happened to be the manager of the department that handed out the face paint,” she

recalls. “He also was the buyer for that department. He placed an order with me and gave me four months to develop a new face paint for his base.” “By that afternoon I received three more calls from various bases around the country,” continues Weiner. “The word went out that some makeup artist was going to make a new camo face paint. One of the calls was also from another base in San Diego and I met with them the following day. The manager of the store at the base told me he wanted the same face paint that Camp Pendleton ordered. He also told me about a huge convention in Dallas, Texas, happening in five weeks. He said I had to do the convention. He made a call and got me a booth.” Weiner recalls that she was so afraid that no one would come to her booth that she hired someone with a popcorn machine in order to draw in passersby. “The poor man was covered in camo face paint and we finally had to let him go with his machine since I needed the room in the booth,” she says. Weiner’s worries proved unfounded, as she had a line of people waiting to meet her and sample her products that she dubbed Camouflage Face Paint. THIS DALLAS EVENT, held in February of 1997, was a huge boon for Weiner and her fledgling company. “I found out at that convention what I needed to do business with the Department of Defense, and little did I know that all of the divisions of the military wanted my new Camo Face Paint for our soldiers,” she says. The DOD now recognizes Weiner as their top supplier of camo face paint to the military. “The business has grown quite a bit in 27 years,” says Weiner. “I started my business in a garage in San Diego with one employee – me. Today I have 259 people working for me in a 40,000-square-foot factory.” She continues, “I make everything in the USA and I am in control of

Major customers of Weiner’s include the Department of Defense and hunters. With production fully in the US, the company offers a quick turnaround when the military comes calling for samples to match new uniforms.

making the face paint, compacts, and I also own and have my own injection molds to make my compacts for the face paint. I think this is what sets me apart from any of my competition. When different branches need something new to match the

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uniforms, they like that I can turn over a sample in 24 hours and not have to go outside of the USA for samples, etc. My turnover is quick and for all of the requests that come in, they know that I am always stocked and ready and can deliver within 48 hours or less.” Another major customer of Camouflage Face Paint is the hunting

community. Weiner supplies the same high-quality camo face paint to hunters in the blind as she does military personnel on the battlefield. And the dedication to her craft shows in the various makeup compacts, tubes and sticks she creates to match any hunting scenario. In fact, Weiner says, she just made a new three-color compact that was recently featured in a magazine. “I ask what people want,” she explains. “I talk to my customers and love to meet them in person at shows … I have a great reputation and work

hard for my customers to make sure they are taken care of. Each customer is as important as the next. New and old! The best thing I could have done was to make everything here in the USA. I think that is why it has grown to where it is today.” WEINER HAS CERTAINLY experienced adversity throughout her career, especially as a woman dealing in highly male-dominated industries. “In the beginning when I started the business of making Camo Face Paint, a lot of people were shocked when they came to my booth and found out that ‘Bobbie’ was a girl, not a man,” she remembers. “Some kept walking and others stayed to meet me and talk.” But her resilience has paid off. In addition to the multiple businesses she runs – the Bobbie Weiner Enterprises umbrella is comprised of Camouflage Face Paint, Sports Fan Face Paint and Bloody Mary (special effects makeup) – Weiner does speaking engagements and has published an autobiography entitled I Can Do This: The Bloody Mary Story. Weiner hopes that her story can inspire others, men and women alike, who might find themselves in the same position that she did at 44 years old, as she opines, “It is never too late to start over.” ★ Editor’s note: To reach Bobbie Weiner and Camouflage Face Paint, email bw@bobbieweiner.com, call 305-893-5650 or visit camofacepaint.com.

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L.E. SPOTLIGHT

MADE OF METTLE

Three quick-thinking cops save family trapped on second floor of burning duplex, earn Medal of Valor. STORY BY NICK PERNA • PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANKFORT POLICE DEPARTMENT

s a police officer, when I’m on duty, I know I don’t have the luxury of driving by a critical incident without doing something. Failure to act is no excuse for not jumping in and helping out. This puts police officers in difficult predicaments at times. You can’t train for, nor can you be prepared for, every possible event you may have to react and respond to. As a cop I’ve responded to plane crashes, medical emergencies way beyond my scope of training, and hundreds of other types of events that they never taught me how to handle in the police academy or anywhere else. One type of event that officers often respond to are fire emergencies. I’ve written in the past about officers responding to these types of calls. I can attest to the fact that in my own career I’ve had next to no training in this area, and I know this to be the case for most cops, yet we respond to these calls on a fairly regular basis. And failure to act is not an option. The fine men and women of the Frankfort, Indiana, Police Department proved this to be the case on a call earlier this year.

ON APRIL 3, Officer Freddy Martinez, Officer Madison Douglass and Sergeant Andrew Snyder were the first to respond to the scene of an early morning housefire in the town they serve northwest of Indianapolis. The six occupants of the duplex were in immediate peril. One family

Sergeant Andrew Snyder, Officer Freddy Martinez and Officer Madison Douglass (from left to right) received the Medal of Valor for their quick thinking and bravery when they responded to a housefire and rescued its occupants, including a baby girl.

was trapped on the second floor of the duplex, as heavy smoke and flames were coming out of the front door. The trapped occupants also indicated that their infant was having difficulty breathing. The resourceful officers located a ladder close to the home and were able to use the ladder to access a secondstory window. The first one out was the infant, a baby girl, while the rest of the family was able to exit the window and traverse down the ladder and to safety. The other occupants of the duplex were evacuated without incident. The Frankfort Police Department released bodycam footage of the rescue, which can be watched at vimeo .com/814445281. The officers are very humble regarding their heroic actions that day,

claiming that the odds of finding an accessible ladder close to the building allowing a rescue was the reason for the successful outcome of this frightening ordeal. All three officers were nominated for and received the Medal of Valor. They received this honor because they acted – because that’s what cops do. ★ Editor’s note: Author Nick Perna is a sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in Northern California. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also has a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a frequent contributor to multiple print and online forums on topics related to law enforcement, firearms, tactics and veterans. americanshootingjournal.com 83

Self-Defense TRAINING

In a simulated attack, master knife instructor Tom Sotis (right) deflects his assailant’s hand and takes aim at his face to neutralize the threat.

REALISTIC SELF-DEFENSE LESSONS AT ARM’S LENGTH

How knife-fighting tactics can be integrated into your handgun skills for close-quarter confrontations.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAUL PAWELA

r. Alexis Artwohl, a Ph.D. expert in the top physiopsychological aspects of violent encounters, states that the rules for self-defense are win, win, and win. Why three? Because people using deadly force to defend themselves will face three

survival challenges: physical, legal and psychological. Physical is number one because the next two won’t matter if the defender doesn’t physically survive. Does anyone want to dispute Dr. Artwohl’s statement? Now let’s look at some FBI statistics on law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. Most encounters follow a pattern, as summarized here:

• The average distance for a police gunfight was from within arm’s reach to 12 feet. • There was approximately 2.5 seconds per encounter. • Police officers now carrying semiautomatic pistols fired seven to nine rounds. • More than 40 percent of the encounters involved more than one gunman. americanshootingjournal.com 85

SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING

Different examples of Sotis defending against a knife attacker with his firearm.

• Two out of three situations occurred at night or in reduced light. Interesting fact: For the armed citizen, those statistics are almost identical. To illustrate that first point, in his book Handgun Combatives, author, retired police officer and international firearms expert Dave Spaulding explains that 80 to 85 percent of law enforcement shootings occur within 20 feet, and of that 80 percent, some 55 to 60 percent occur within 5 to 6 feet, almost arm’s length distances. This trend has been known in the law enforcement firearms training community for a long time, and Spaulding points out that most firearms training and instruction still occur at 7, 10 and 15 yards. Sidenote: What is the general distance at which most shooting schools train their students? The vast majority are the same distances as law enforcement distances. The question is, why? As we already know, a large percentage of lethal encounters occur within 5 to 6 feet, or arm’s length. (Once again, the law enforcement statistic is almost the same for armed citizens.) THERE ARE MANY answers to this question, but I believe the best answer is summed up by Ralph Mroz, a parttime police officer and a full-time trainer. In his book Defensive Shooting for Real-Life Encounters: A Critical Look at Current Training Methods, he states, “Few students are ready for force-on-force encounters. Their skills just aren’t there yet, or they don’t possess the other attributes in a fight: fitness, strength, speed (of body movement), empty hand skills (most real encounters occur within touching distance) and plain fighting spirit.” In a close-quarter life-and-death fight for the armed citizen, how many concealed carry weapon, or CCW, trainers offer any type of close-quarter training other than standard range qualification drills? As a firearms CCW carrier, have you ever had

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americanshootingjournal.com 87

SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING

Knife trainers are highly skilled at manipulating their opponents’ bodies. Here Sotis shows a variety of options for using his firearm as an impact weapon or offensive firing weapon.

documented training where you discussed the following? • How do you defend against a gun or knife attack at contact distance while at the same time drawing your firearm and firing a concealed carry weapon at point-blank range? • What do you do at close-contact range if your primary weapon fails for any reason? Do you carry backup weapons (another gun or even a knife)? • Should it fail to fire, do you know

how to use the firearm as an impact weapon? • At close-contact distances, have you ever been given instruction to shoot anything but the center-of-mass shots? Have you ever been taught contact headshots? These are overall concerns that are still not addressed to this day, leaving a lot of doubt, which could lead to hesitation, injury or possibly death for the CCW permit holder. With violent encounters involving ordinary citizens

Someone who knows how to choke out a person can do so in 10 seconds or less, but training in the use of pocket folding knives can counter that hold in seconds.

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occurring every day, these questions must be addressed for personal safety, but frankly, the training community is failing citizens miserably in this area. I’M SURE YOU, the reader, are asking what the solution is. Back to Dr. Artwohl. Her answer – like many other influential trainers in the community – is training, training and more training, and the more realistic, the better. (I refer you to my article defining realistic self-defense in American

SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING

Defending against multiple attackers.

Shooting Journal, July 2022.) In my humble opinion, who has the best answer to close-quarters fighting in a one-on-one fight, or even a two-on-one fight? Knife-fighting experts, hands down! I have had the distinguished honor to train with more than 50 of the best knife trainers in the world, and I am honored to have been rated one of the top knife instructors in the country myself. Over the years I have trained with icons like Dan Inosanto, Leo Gaje Jr. and Gary O’Neal, to name a few. All three men are legends in the field. I recently had the absolute honor of hosting and training with another renowned master knife instructor, Tom Sotis. Sotis is hailed as this generation’s most prolific instructor in knife fighting. He has taught over 1,200 seminars in 25 countries. With Sotis’s incredible martial arts background, he has trained many of 90 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

the most elite special operations and intelligence agencies in the free world. Since the training included both gun and knife training, Sotis explained that much of his martial arts is the same, no matter if the techniques are performed empty-handed or with a weapon. Master knife trainers are well known for the fluidity of their footwork. They are able to both evade and attack inside or outside of the body or at different angles of the attacker, with options to block, trap or counterstrike with empty hands, impact weapons (this could be the CCW permit carrier’s own weapon) or edged weapons. Keep in mind that deadly-force encounters within arm’s reach go equally well for both the attacker and the defender, so the CCW permit holder needs to end this situation as fast as possible. Sotis is an excellent instructor

who emphasizes all of the above – and then some. His reputation is already established in the circles of the federal elite, so why on Earth would a police trainer not want to benefit from his knowledge, training and experience? I could go on and on, but I will just mention that Sotis has several books out, including The Way of Tactics: A Manifesto of Invincibility, which should be required reading for warriors, executives and athletes. BACK TO THE point about CCW permit holders’ options in an extremely closequarter deadly-force confrontation. I would ask the reader to study the photos in this article and ask yourself, what would you do in these situations if your life was on the line? Let’s fall back on Ralph Mroz’s book, which reminds us of this: “Remember, the Shooting Range is flat, open, unobstructed, well-lit, safe,

americanshootingjournal.com 91

SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING unidirectional, stress-free, and clear of distractions. The street, or wherever else you’ll have to fight, is not. Range targets are flat, static, facing head-on, are quiet, non-personal, and nonthreatening. The person trying to kill you isn’t. So obviously, range training, no matter how practical or tactical, is not real-world training. This is not a hypothesis or an opinion. It is a plain fact. You can shoot high-speed lowdrag drills all day against paper or steel targets, and not touch the reality of a genuine encounter.” I am proud to call Dave Spaulding, Ralph Mroz and Tom Sotis my friends and I recommend their books. And that’s my two cents! ★

Author Paul Pawela defends himself against Sotis during a training session.

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Editor’s note: To reach Tom Sotis, email him at sotis@amok.global. Author Paul Pawela is a nationally recognized firearms and self-defense expert. For his realistic self-defense training, see assaultcountertactics.com.

R P S D 1 1 19

D L E I F G N RI

Introduced in 2022 and based off the M1911A1 platform, the Springfield Armory DS Prodigy is optics-ready and has a solid Picatinny rail for mounting lights or lasers. It comes with 17and 20-round double-stack magazines.

S ’ Y R O M R A

Y G I D O PR

gun review

A look at the specs and field-test results for this newer, more affordable 9mm handgun. STORY AND PHOTOS BY NICK PERNA

mitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Last month I wrote about the Staccato series of 9mm handguns. These “2011s” (a modernized version of the venerable M1911A1 series) are the “it” guns on the market today for serious shooters wanting a reliable, accurate platform. It was inevitable that the other firearm manufacturers would realize that there

is a market for similar guns. Enter Springfield Armory. The company has been in business for almost 50 years making quality firearms and is most famous for its M1A series, the civilianized version of the M14 rifle. The company’s other signature firearm is the Springfield XD handgun. In a market flooded with polymer handguns, the XD has carved out a niche with

sport shooters and law enforcement folks alike. Springfield Armory also entered the AR market a few years back with the Saint, an excellent carbine that, like the XD, has distinguished itself as a platform that has to compete with the multitude of AR manufacturers. THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY gun that resembles the Staccato is the 1911 americanshootingjournal.com 95

gun review DS Prodigy. Introduced in 2022, the Prodigy is a sturdy gun based off the M1911A1 platform. Like the Staccato, it is 9mm, with a double-stack magazine that gives the shooter 17+1 rounds with one in the chamber. The company also makes a 20+1 magazine. These guns are optics-ready and have a solid Picatinny rail for mounting lights or lasers. Other features include an extended ambidextrous thumb safety. This is a must-have on a M1911A1 platform, as the handgun is carried “cocked and locked.” As a left-handed shooter, I appreciate the ambidextrous aspect. It has a skeletonized trigger, which is a nice, aesthetic touch. The gun is sealed in black cerakote, a tough finish that protects guns, and the grips are made of black polymer. The slide

has forward slide serrations for presschecking the gun. The Prodigy comes out of the box with an excellent sighting system. The front sight is a green, fiber optic dot. The rear is a U-notch sight. Some manufacturers don’t equip their guns from the factory with good sighting systems (hint: there’s a gun company that rhymes with “Rock” that does this), so it’s nice to see this. If you mount an optic on it, you may want to consider changing to suppressor sights since they are easier to co-witness with an RMR. The barrel is offered in two lengths, 4.25 and 5 inches. Both are match-grade bull barrels made from forged stainless steel and feature an 11-degree crown at the business end. This is important. One of the main factors that can

The Prodigy offers quick, consistent shots and a recoil that is less than some lighter, polymer guns on the market.

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affect gun performance is a properly maintained crown. If the crown gets scratched or dented in some way, it will adversely affect how the bullet exits the barrel. A recessed crown helps protect the end of the barrel from damage. It’s a good feature to have, especially with a gun that is going to be carried routinely and could take some abuse. Springfield’s base model Prodigy has an MSRP of $1,499, a price that includes one 17-round magazine and a 20-round magazine. Their top-end model, the AOS, comes with a Hex Dragonfly RMR and goes for $1,699. Considering that there is only a $200 difference for a gun that includes an optic is a pretty good deal. For comparison, the Staccato base model goes for over $2,500. The one negative I’ll point out is the cost of magazines. Prodigy magazines go for $60 each. That’s pretty close to the price of a Staccato mag, which costs $69. This may be an area that Springfield Armory wants to address. That being said, you get what you pay for. Good magazines are an integral part of a well-functioning firearm, so you don’t want to skimp on that. With

The grips are a little thicker than a standard M1911A1, but not too big to be uncomfortable. The grips also have a light stippling. americanshootingjournal.com 97

gun review time, I expect that there will be aftermarket magazines available.

With an MSRP of $1,499, the DS Prodigy is a “solid performer at a comparably more affordable price” than another handgun that author Nick Perna recently reviewed.

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I RECENTLY HAD the opportunity to put the Prodigy through its paces. The handgun I used had a Holosun optic mounted on it. This allowed for quick, accurate shots. I also turned the optic off and used the issued sights. The iron sight also worked well. Trigger pull is around 4.5 pounds. I’m a firm believer in the fact that smoothness and consistency are the most important factors in trigger dynamics. Trigger weight is obviously an issue, but 4.5 pounds is a good weight, especially for a M1911A1 platform being carried cocked and locked. Trigger reset was quick, an important feature for a situation requiring followup shots. I was able to get off quick, consistent shots. The recoil was less than some lighter polymer guns on the market. A 9mm round in a frame designed for a .45-caliber round is a good combination for recoil mitigation. The Prodigy weighs in at a solid 2 pounds, 4 ounces. The grips are a little thicker than a standard M1911A1, but not too big to be uncomfortable. The grips also have a light stippling. The trigger guard is beveled, and the rest of the gun is dehorned for a smooth feel. The magazine release is on the left side of the trigger guard and, to my knowledge, not interchangeable. The magazines clear the mag well quickly. I found magazine changes to be quick. The slide release isn’t ambidextrous either. This is typical of most 1911s. Assembly and disassembly is pretty much the same as any M1911A1-type gun. For younger users who have become accustomed to more modern designs that are a breeze to take apart, the M1911A1 might seem a little daunting at first. But, with a little practice, it becomes second nature. It comes with a hex wrench to aid in takedown. If you’re looking for a solid performer at a comparably more affordable price point, check out the Prodigy. Visit springfield-armory.com for more. 

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CONCEALED CARRY

GALLERY MERNICKLE HOLSTERS

If your cowboy gun is what you shoot the most, why not make it your daily carry? Mernickle Holsters’ PS06SA is made of the highest grade Hermann Oak leather. This holster can be carried in the strong-side position or a crossdraw. Holsters are hand-molded to your model of gun to ensure a perfect fit every time.

www.mernickleholsters.com

KINETIC CONCEALMENT

A Tennessee-based holster manufacturer makes outside-the-waistband holsters for both the Hi-Point YC9 Yeet Cannon and the Hi-Point JXP 10mm. They also make holsters for over 300 other firearms. Kinetic Concealment believes that all gun owners should have access to quality carry holsters. The OWB holsters are $49.95 and are available on their website.

www.kineticconcealment.com

TAP RACK HOLSTERS

Tap Rack Holsters IWB offers function and form with safety and comfort as two principles in their line of handmade holsters. They mold to your specifications for a correct fit. No buckets here. Holsters feature adjustable retention, a 550 corded loop for securing to a belt or belt loop, semiclosed bottom that can be left open for threaded barrels on request, different body shield heights in low, medium and high upon request, and nonbinding smooth edges with no sharp points in their designs for comfort. Different colors and patterns available upon request.

TRIPLE K MANUFACTURING Crossdraw Holster is designed for gun owners who prefer a dedicated crossdraw-style carry. The opentop design allows for easy draw and features an adjustable tension screw that ensures proper gun retention. Made in the USA with premium vegetabletanned leather and heavy nylon stitching. MSRP: $53.

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Black Hills Ammunition

black-hills.com The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) from Black Hills Ammunition pushes modern 6.5 high-BC projectiles another 250 feet per second faster than the 6.5 Creedmoor and with comparable accuracy. Ballistics with these calibers were similar, but the 6.5 PRC has advantages over all of them. For Black Hills’ first loading, they chose to load this cartridge with the Hornady 143-grain ELD-X.

V-Line Industries

vlineind.com V-Line’s next-gen Tactical Weapons Locker XD now includes enhancements the tactical crowd requested over the last year. New features include a MOLLE panel board on the lid and heavy-duty lock cover for the Simplex mechanical lock. Designed for law enforcement, security agencies, public safety and firearm enthusiasts concerned about securing their firearms, the Tactical Weapons Locker XD is constructed of a rigid 14-gauge steel lid and a 16-gauge steel body. The Locker has two key locks on the corners and a dependable Simplex mechanical lock for quick access. A foam pad on the bottom of the case protects your firearms/gear along with quick-release nylon straps. The Tactical Weapons Locker XD fits between the wheel wells on most SUVs, pickup trucks and trunks of vehicles with adequate space to accommodate it. Optional long gun mounting brackets designed specifically for the V-Line-designed MOLLE panel can be purchased on V-Line’s website.

Knives of Alaska

knivesofalaska.com The slim drop-point Alpha Wolf coupled with the Cub is specially designed for hunters who need excellent field-dressing capabilities with almost no weight. This set is super light (9.9 ounces) and perfect for hunters who hunt the mountaintops, where every ounce matters.

Holiday Gift Guide

AlumaGrips

alumagrips.com The Desert Eagle grips from AlumaGrips have undergone a redesign with improvements that are second to none. First, almost 1/8 inch was removed from the thickness of each grip, then the radius on the back edge of the grip was enlarged to reduce the overall circumference. Finally, AlumaGrips eliminated the need for two screws, as well as the plastic insert that traditionally is needed for mounting the grips. Excellence in design and function, that is the goal of AlumaGrips. americanshootingjournal.com 103

Holiday Gift Guide

Zermatt Arms, Inc.

zermattarms.com Manufacturer of custom firearm components with a focus on precision long-range shooting.

Hi-Point Firearms

hi-pointfirearms.com The YC9 is the next generation of Hi-Point Firearms C9. It is loaded with features such as Glock-compatible front sights, front and rear cocking serrations, opticready, 1913 rail, grip safety, new grip design, and the YC9 comes with a 10-round magazine standard.

Collar Clinic

collarclinic.com Track and train your pack with the Garmin Alpha TT25 dog collar. This universally sized collar fits large and small breeds and is slim and durable. Using a compatible handheld (sold separately), track and send training commands up to 9 miles with up to 68 hours of battery life.

Diversified Innovative Products

diproductsinc.com The folks at DIP Inc. are not content with the cheap plastic parts that many firearms companies produce to cut production costs for rimfire firearms. DIP makes drop-in metal replacement parts and accessories that are both high quality and affordable. All products are made in the USA. DIP manufactures parts for the following brands: CZ, Marlin, Savage, Ruger, Remington, Tikka, Steyr, S&W, Howa, Marlin, Sako, Anschutz, Henry and others.

Vault Pro USA

vaultprousa.com The Handgun Pro II standard features include: • American-made handgun safe – factory direct. • Superior-strength handgun safe. • 10-, 7- or 3-gauge steel body models. • S&G D-Drive digital lock. • Auto easy-open system with gas shock. • Military-grade PE foam insert. • Holds two handguns plus magazines and ammunition. • Bolt-down capability. 104 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

Exquisiteknives.com

exquisiteknives.com Exquisiteknives.com has been offering some of the finest custom knives for over 20 years, including this knife by Lloyd Hale. Dave Ellis, American bladesmith mastersmith (retired), has been a knife collector for most of his life. His worldwide clientele includes many celebrities as well as everyday knife users. Being a collector, dealer and maker, Mr. Ellis has a well-rounded education and many of the top makers are close friends.

Redding Reloading Equipment

redding-reloading.com Redding engineers have developed a unique concentricity gauge, which uses the science of ergonomic design to improve overall precision and ease of use. The single-point contact-bearing surfaces are placed at an angle and made of hardened stainless steel, creating an ergonomic positioning of the case and improving the ease of motion turning the case by making the action far more natural. The new Slant Bed Concentricity Gauge features a large and easy-to-read dial indicator that quickly mounts in a factory-aligned base dead-on the centerline of the case.

Michlitch Co.

spokanespice.com Shopping for a unique, useful gift has never been easier. The Michlitch Co. has five options of spice gift boxes to choose from. Each box contains a locally produced sauce and three bottles of their own blends. Prices range from $25 to $30.

High Adventure Ranch

highadventureranch.com Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, High Adventure Ranch offers all of the excitement of Western big game hunting. Be prepared for a fair chase hunt! With over 3 square miles of prime natural habitat, the ranch provides challenges to even the most seasoned hunter, but their experienced guides and “No Game, No Pay” policy practically ensure that you won’t go home empty-handed. While the whitetail, elk, wild boar and red stag hunts are most popular, hunters from around the world have visited the ranch, hunting everything from American bison, black buck and fallow deer to Spanish goats and African game. High Adventure Ranch guarantees memories of an unparalleled hunting experience that will bring you back again and again.

October Country Muzzleloading

octobercountry.com Back in 1977 when the company was in its infancy, October Country Muzzleloading was a hunting bag. One product. Today, the northern Idaho-based outfit offers a complete and thorough line of muzzleloaders and muzzleloading accessories, including ramrods, Pushing Daisies patches, Blue Thunder solvent, Bumblin’ Bear Grease, quality leather shooting bags, powder horns and hand-forged shooting tools. All are exceptional quality goods for the hunter, shooter, collector and history reenactor enthusiast. October Country products are made in the USA, and are designed and manufactured for muzzleloading, cowboy action and black powder cartridge shooters. americanshootingjournal.com 105

Holiday Gift Guide

Luth-AR

luth-ar.com The AR Armorer Wrench from Luth-AR is a versatile and indispensable companion for every firearm enthusiast. Made from 8620 steel with a nitride finish, at 11.75 inches it combines durability with functionality to deliver unparalleled performance. Weighing 1.29 pounds, this wrench effortlessly handles a range of tasks, including barrel nut installation and removal, castle nut tightening, flash hider installation, and more.

Camo Face Paint, Inc.

Evolution Gun Works

egwguns.com Enhance your Henry Homesteader with the durable, versatile Picatinny rail from Evolution Gun Works. Ideal for mounting any optics or attachments and it’s a one-piece aluminum build. It preserves iron sight use, is easy to install, and includes necessary hardware. Customize your carbine experience; order today from EGW’s website.

Davis Tent

davistent.com The sleeping bag cover from Davis Tent is a great way to protect your sleeping bag and add a little warmth. You can even sleep under the stars on a starry night! Roll your sleeping bag, pillow and sleeping pad up and it’s a perfect bedroll to keep all your sleeping gear organized. 106 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

camofacepaint.com The new three-color Combat compact features olive green, brown and black. Highest quality ingredients, four-year shelf life, odorless, 20plus applications, washes off with soap and water, hypoallergenic and no animal products. Check out the above website for more camo compacts and tubes. Booth #20401 at SHOT Show.

Rick Young Outdoors

rickyoungoutdoors.com RYO has been turning heads for several years with cool ideas that accomplish more while packing less. • New for 2024 is the short 15-inch Prone Stix, weighing less than 3 ounces and a priceless tool for that belly-crawl shot. • The larger Steady Stix creates a binocular rest, which steadies your glasses while standing or sitting. • Rotate the heads to open your shooting lane for a balanced rifle, shotgun, pistol or even a crossbow in the sitting position. • The internal shock cord is very robust for long-term use. • All the rubber is made from UV-resistant materials. • The aluminum tubes are the best aircraft material available (7075) with heavy wall construction. • The Stix triples down as a walking support staff and comfortably fits in the palm of your hand. • The sheath is short and light with the added clip that stays on your belt, utilizing the patented “Ripoff Clip” design. • The Steady Stix weighs in at 8 ounces and is made in the USA. For more, see the website or youtube.com/watch?v=MXKxUduAW5g.w.

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Holiday Gift Guide

TactaLoad

tactaload.com TactaLoad is a new company providing quality aftermarket accessories. The FLASH-5 is a unique shotgun stock incorporating an internal magazine that offers the shooter instant access to five additional rounds of ammunition. The FLASH-5 protects your spare ammunition and feeds them out the bottom of the stock fast!

WMD Guns

wmdguns.com Give the gift of long life! The proprietary NiB-X nickelboron-coating process from WMD Guns extends firearm life by permanently defending against wear, abrasion, rust and corrosion. So this year, give NiB-X-coated parts – they just might be the longest-lasting gifts you ever give! (And check out WMD’s Beast NiB-X AR rifles/pistols.)

Bullard Leather

bullardleather.com The Bodyguard Holster is perfect and comfortable for easy concealment with an untucked shirt. Handmade in Texas from premium Hermann Oak Leather, this pancake holster is made standard with a sweat shield and fully covers to the end of the barrel with an open muzzle. Double stitched to provide stability, the holster’s 25-degree forward cant fits snug up against the body, providing effortless reholstering. Holsters are molded and boned specifically to the gun for that “snap” fit. Made to be worn in the 4 to 5 o’clock position just above your back pocket, the belt-carry design facilitates retention from your belt, without requiring an additional tension mechanism. The above holster is in brown shark with thumb break snap. 108 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

Gentry Custom LLC

gentrycustom.com New quiet muzzle brakes with suppressor-length threads. Available in ½x28 or 5/8 x24 threads, straight or custom contours. Call Gentry Custom today at 406-388-4867 or visit their web store at the above address.

Dead Foot Arms

deadfootarms.com The SCW 2.5 kit is by far the most compact PDW-style stock or brace that the industry has ever seen. While compact, it is very versatile with a collapsed length of 2.5 inches, button-free deployment, and six length-of-pull settings.

Custom Boat Trailers Reliable Quality Service & Craftsmanship For Over 50 Years!

• NMMA Certiﬁed • All Steel Weld Frame, Fenders & Bunks • 2 YEAR WARRANTY

343 Thain Rd., Lewiston, Idaho • www.gateway-materials.com • 208-743-0720 americanshootingjournal.com 109

Holiday Gift Guide

True Blue Gun Lubricant

truebluegunlube.com Gun oil: True Blue’s proven technology provides long-term smooth performance. Does not create carbon like other brands. It loves the heat and cold with a -35-degree pour point. Gun grease: Silky smooth and stays viscous in use and storage. Eliminates carbon bonding in choke tubes. Keeps buffer springs silky smooth and has a -30-degree pour point. Gun cleaner: Safe on all parts of a firearm. Does not smell. Effectively breaks down carbon. The Urban Dictionary definition of “True Blue” is: “The real thing, no b.s.!” Tested, proven, trusted. To purchase, visit shop.mylifeatspeed.com. For free shipping, use discount code betrueblue2023.

Triple K Mfg. Co.

triplek.com A traditional across-the-body bandolier-style rig with modern upgrades to accommodate both scoped and unscoped large-frame handguns. This versatile holster is fully adjustable for torso size and includes a removable #607 cartridge holder available in multiple calibers. Havana brown; plain finish. MSRP: $219.

Rocco Handmade

roccohandmade.com Handmade cutlery, tools and leather goods. Carefully crafted in Michigan.

The Buffalo Wool Co.

thebuffalowoolco.com The owners of Buffalo Wool Co. have been raising American bison for almost 40 years. They’ve spent the last 15 years developing a supply chain in the USA that brings together bison ranchers, small independent mills and local manufacturers. They believe that by working together, they can preserve America’s national mammal: the American plains bison.

Robbins Custom Cases

robbinscustomcases.com Available in high-quality nylon, vinyl or leather (on special orders) with a plush, padded interior. Plain cases are customizable with embroidered nylon or embossed vinyl. Variety of sizes to fit your needs.

UMAi Dry

umaidry.com UMAi Dry brings together the best of old-world artisan meat traditions with sophisticated modern technology, making it easy for you to craft authentic dry-aged steak, charcuterie and salumi in the comfort of your own kitchen fridge. 110 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

l. ur

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Holiday Gift Guide

Northern Precision

npcustombullets.com New .228 bullet for the Model 99 Savage made from 6mm jackets in custom weights from 50 to 80 grains in spitzer. These can also be made in bonded core for a better game bullet. Northern Precision has been making custom bullets since 1988 one at a time. Like other calibers, they saw a need for .228 bullets in standard and custom weights. These are made in boxes of 50 for $50 nonbonded and $35 for 25 in bonded core. Time to take out the high-power and enjoy it. To order call 315-955-8679 or check out the above website.

Warlander Enterprises

warlanderenterprises.com Small-batch, heirloom-quality knives and leather goods made with premium materials. One hundred percent handcrafted in Georgia.

Buktek Products

thetacbox.com Be ready. Keep your pistol and gear in reach with the TacBox. Your fastest access to a firearm is when your gun is mounted in the same location and position every time. The TacBox is easy to mount in multiple positions and holds your gear securely, but at the ready. For use in vehicles, home office, gunsafes, etc.

The 1911 Guy Custom Grips

the1911guygrips.com Specializing in custom grips for 1911 models, made to order featuring semiprecious materials. Visit the above website to view their gallery and for more information. 112 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

Willie’s Distillery

williesdistillery.com A small-batch distillery located on Main Street in picturesque Ennis, Montana, on the banks of the fabled Madison River, Willie’s mission is to make world-class spirits for world-class individuals. They use fresh mountain water straight from the source, and acquire their grains and ingredients from small Montana farms and growers ranging from a local apiary to the barley fields of the Montana Hi-Line. Each bottle is handled and filled with care.

THE PREMIER SPORTING GOODS STORE ON PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND FOR ALL YOUR FISHING, HUNTING, AND CAMPING NEEDS! KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE, WHEN AND HOW!

Holiday Gift Guide

Flylabel

flylabel.com The Case 1973 7 Dot Classic Reddish Brown Cattle Bone 6347 PU Serpentine Stockman pocketknife has beautiful glazed polished clip/spey point/punch stainless steel blades with “for flesh only” etched on the spey point. Clip/punch open to 8 5/8 inches long, closes to 3 7/8 inches and weighs 2.8 ounces. There is no box with this knife.

God’A Grip

Trulock Choke Tubes

trulockchokes.com Check out the Pinhoti turkey choke lineup from Trulock Chokes. Developed in collaboration with Dave Owens of the Pinhoti Project, Trulock's Pinhoti chokes are designed to give optimal patterns with any lead or TSS turkey loads. Available in 12and 20-gauge for most major brands, ported or nonported, in two different constrictions. A tighter constriction for extremely tight, dense patterns with TSS, and a more open constriction for lead or TSS with a more forgiving pattern at any range. All are backed by Trulock's lifetime warranty and 60-day satisfaction guarantee. 114 American Shooting Journal // December 2023

godagrip.com God’A Grip Cheek Pads and Grips provide a custom fit for any individual’s hand and shooting style. Their self-customizing gun grips enhance comfort and increase reliability, while the molded finger grooves allow for consistent hand placement for more accurate shots. Made and field-tested by hunters – for hunters.

The Grip Guy

gripguy3.com The finest handmade custom grips for your firearms. Made in Texas.

Dara Holsters

daraholsters.com A cross-platform modular gear adapter that closes the gap in the holster industry by connecting your favorite holster to your preferred attachment system.