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A MERIC A N
SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 9 // Issue 5 // February 2020 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Walgamott OFFICE MANAGER / COPY EDITOR Katie Aumann LEAD CONTRIBUTOR Frank Jardim CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Paula Alford, Jim Dickson, Scott Haugen, Phil Massaro, Mike Nesbitt, Paul Pawela SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNERS Celina Martin, Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker WEBMASTER / INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
With big limits, late goose hunts can produce big paydays, as our Scott Haugen found with a limit of 10 Aleutian cacklers he took in northern California. Haugen advises that shooting preserves are another option for hunting birds in midwinter. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Website: AmericanShootingJournal.com Facebook: Facebook.com/AmericanShootingJournal Twitter: @AmShootingJourn
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americanshootingjournal.com 11
CONTENTS
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5
FEATURES
ROAD HUNTER: TOP BETS FOR LAST-GASP BIRDS
35
Hunting season is fast winding down, but there are a few lastminute opportunities to be had. Scott Haugen details late hunts that help control goose damage on agricultural lands, as well as why to take Rover out to an upland bird preserve.
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BULLET BULLETIN: GOOD OL’ DEER BULLETS Deer are our most popular game species, and the choice of the proper bullet will make your hunt more successful. Phil Massaro shares some thoughts on the best ones for the job. SALUTE TO GUNS: M96 MAUSER ‘A JEWEL AMONG RIFLES’ It’s not often that jewels can be described as affordable, but that’s just what a military surplus M96 Swedish Mauser offers. Jim Dickson has an appreciation for this Scandinavian-made rifle that’s stood the test of time. BLACK POWDER: SHOOTING THE NEW MODEL 1877 SHARPS Our Mike Nesbitt and a friend got hold of C. Sharps Arms’ new Model 1877 in .44-70, and found that the excellent craftsmanship that went into making the rifle turns up in its shooting as well. WHAT MAKES YOU MISS SHOTS AND HOW TO CORRECT THEM Muzzle blast. Recoil. Gun weight. Balance. Handling. Steadiness. These “virtually ignored factors” are among the top reasons you miss shots, but Jim Dickson also knows how to correct for them. AN AR PISTOL FOR – AND BY – THOSE AT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR Benghazi hero Dave “Boon” Benton and Alex Ferrer of Veritas introduced a new AR pistol, the “Askari” – which translates as “soldier” and “spear of god” – at the Orlando International SWAT Round-Up late last year and our Paul Pawela has the details.
(SCOTT HAUGEN)
AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2020 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
CONTENTS
105
NEW ONLINE COURSE
FOR FEMALE GUN OWNERS With the motto “educate, equip, empower,” Carrie Lightfoot has made a name for herself with The Well Armed Woman website, and now she’s launched a new course called “Women & Guns: The Basics” for those who are new to firearms.
ALSO INSIDE 99
INSIDE VIRGINIA’S SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY MOVEMENT With most of Virginia’s counties and many of its independent cities already signed up, hundreds of gun rights advocates attempted to get the Lynchburg City Council on board too. Dr. Paula Alford was there on the front lines last month and reports back on what she saw.
DEPARTMENTS (WELL ARMED WOMAN)
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
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Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar
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Henry’s Cup 2 Rosenberg, Texas
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February 22-23
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Northern Florida Regional Classic VII Tallahassee, Fla. Benton Gun Club GSSF Challenge V Bauxite, Ark.
Nevada State Championship Las Vegas, Nev. Leap Year Shoot Pendelton, S.C.
February 19-22
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February 7-8
February 8
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Indoor Winter Classic New Castle, Pa.
South Florida Defensive Challenge Homestead, Fla. Rollin’ on the River Championship Valdosta, Ga.
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY
ROAD HUNTER
TOP BETS FOR LAST-GASP BIRDS
Late hunts can help control goose damage on aglands, keep dogs sharp at pheasant preserves. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN
h
unkered down in the popup blind, I could see the funnel of geese getting closer. When John ordered us to take ’em, I didn’t hesitate. Soon I was admiring my 10-bird limit of Aleutian Canada geese in northern California.
Aleutian cacklers could top the list of the best-eating geese out there, and having them drop into the decoys in big numbers this time of year is an experience all waterfowlers would enjoy. americanshootingjournal.com 25
ROAD HUNTER Upland bird preserves offer extended hunting opportunities and are a great way to get your gun dog some extra experience, while chasing some fun, unique quarry.
Three days later, I was back home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, putting the smackdown on big Canada geese. The following week, I was east of the Cascade Mountains, enjoying some fine upland bird hunting action with my dogs. Bird seasons are coming to a close throughout the West, but they’re not over yet. Here are a few hunting options to consider. ALEUTIAN CACKLERS My hunt for Aleutian cacklers took place in California’s Humboldt County. I was with John Corbett, who is the lead guide at Pacific Outfitters (pacificoutfitters.com, 707-496-1662) and one of the most passionate bird hunters I’ve been around. During the general fall season Aleutian cacklers are scattered, with some good public land hunting opportunities, but this spring hunt is different. Now, these geese are almost exclusively on private land, and the late season usually runs February 17 through March 10. Getting private land access is difficult, especially now, as the geese are concentrated on so few properties. As the Aleutian cacklers begin their journey north, they stop in the cattle pastures surrounding Eureka, California. Here, they gorge themselves on freshly sprouting grass. That’s why this late-season hunt occurs. You put 10,000 geese in one field and they’ll mow down the grass in a few hours. “This is a depredation hunt, as the cattle ranchers want the birds gone, and hunting is the best way to do that,” notes Corbett. We set out over 20 dozen cackler decoys, most of which were handpainted to fool these birds, which receive a lot of hunting pressure over the course of the season. The spreads are big and tightly set. The weather this time of year is warm, but can be wet. Waders are a good idea, along with a quality rain jacket. Very little calling is done on this goose hunt, as the extensive decoy spread does most of the work.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
ROAD HUNTER
The slightest movement or out-ofplace decoy can flare wary geese, so pay attention to detail. Decoying flocks vary from five to 500, which is something special to witness. VALLEY HONKERS Another great late-season goose hunt can be found in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This, too, is like a depredation hunt, as 28
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
Want to keep your dog in hunting shape? Check out a shooting preserve near you. Many are open through the month of March.
flock into fields by the thousands. A common practice is for hunters to take a week off work, fill the back of their truck with decoys, and drive Interstate 5 and Highway 99, looking for flocks of geese working fields. From there, hunters will knock on doors and ask permission to set up and hunt. Because the birds hop from field to field, where you hunt can change from day to day, even from morning to evening. If you can find water in the form of ponds and flooded fields, these can be great places to focus on. Being mobile is the key to success on this hunt. Some quality full-body decoys help, as the local honkers are smart and have been pressured since September. A layout blind is nice to have, but be sure and brush it in with the natural habitat. Hunting off fencelines, which offer cover, can also be effective. Hunters will need to purchase an additional $2 permit to hunt geese in this part of Oregon, what’s called the Northwest Permit Zone. You’ll also need to get on the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife website (dfw.state .or.us) and take a goose identification test, meant to protect weak numbers of dusky geese that are mixed in with other, stronger subspecies of Canadas. Study materials are provided, and the test is taken online. It takes about 10 days to get the permit once you’ve passed the test, so plan ahead. If you passed the goose test in Washington, Oregon will honor it with proof of having passed it. With generous limits, lots of birds working the valley, and hundreds of square miles to hunt, this could be just what you’re looking for.
these big birds feast on the sprouting spring crops; the Willamette Valley is the grass seed capital of the world. While public land hunting locations exist, most of the birds are congregating on private land. It’s not hard finding a place to hunt, though, as farmers want the birds gone. Not only are greater Canada geese causing problems, but cacklers can
UPLAND PRESERVES If searching for an opportunity to extend your upland bird season, there are plenty of options throughout much of the West. In many states, hunting on bird preserves continues through March, meaning there’s still a lot of fun to be had with your gun dog. Hunting on bird preserves isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve never given them
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ROAD HUNTER With a 10-bird-per-day limit, author Scott Haugen got plenty of action during a February hunt in northern California for Aleutian cacklers.
a chance, maybe now is the time. What they do offer are lots of birds – usually ringneck pheasants, chukar and quail – great-eating meat, multiple opportunities for your dog to track, point and retrieve, and more shooting than you might encounter all season long. I live 30 minutes from where ringneck pheasants were introduced into the wild
within the continental United States, and today you can’t find a bird. In the 1970s and early ’80s, it was easy to go out and get a limit before or after school. Now, for myself and the thousands of other upland bird hunters in the valley, preserves are a good option – the only option, really. When seeking a preserve on which to
FIND YOUR SPRING TOM, NOW
If looking for another birdy activity to get you through the end of winter, start scouting for your spring turkey. By late February, most turkeys throughout the West have begun courting. Toms, though still in age-specific bachelor flocks, will be strutting, gobbling, and seeking hens. Trail cameras are a great way to learn about the progression of the turkey rut, as is physically getting afield with quality optics. Take notes as to the number of toms you’re seeing, and where. When the big winter flocks of hens break up, toms will disperse and follow. Knowing where they end up is key to filling a spring tag. Now is also a good time to seek permission to hunt private land, as turkeys can number into the hundreds, and may have been causing trouble all winter long. Get a jumpstart now, and you’ll be prepared come time for that spring turkey opener.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
hunt, ask about cover and bird numbers. Preserves with several acres of prime bird habitat, and better yet, a mix of habitat and multiple fields to hunt, generally have wily birds. These will get your dog the most realistic, best hunting experience. Following a big group of hunters and going late in the season can also be beneficial, as many of the birds that escape are living free and have wised up, making for a challenge for your dog. Chukars are often available to hunt on preserves, making for challenging shooting. If you’re not physically able to hunt chukars in their rugged, free-range habitat, pursuing them on a preserve may be worth a try. Bobwhite quail also thrive on some preserves, creating even more shooting opportunities. One March, I took my dog Echo to a great preserve and we came away with plenty of ringnecks, chukar and
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ROAD HUNTER bobwhite quail. She even picked up a dandy whitetail shed and a couple muley sheds. Due to the prime habitat bird preserves offer, an array of wildlife, from birds to big game, can thrive and perpetuate. These lands are a prime example of how hunters are stewards of conservation and wildlife management efforts. Preserves provide extended hunting opportunities we’d otherwise never realize, and offer excellent table fare for all to enjoy. With bird season winding down, don’t overlook some of the prime opportunities that still exist. Once you get out there, you’ll be glad you did.
There are some great late-season honker hunting opportunities in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, as shown here by Haugen’s wife, Tiffany.
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book, Western Turkey Hunting: Strategies For All Levels, visit scotthaugen .com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
BULLET BULLETIN
Deer are our most popular game species, and the choice of the proper bullet will make your hunt more successful.
GOOD OL’ DEER BULLETS
There are almost as many choices these days as there are whitetails, but these options stand out. STORY BY PHIL MASSARO • PHOTOS BY MASSARO MEDIA GROUP
hile I’d readily agree that Sus scrofa – also known as the wild boar, feral hog, Russian razorback and a plethora of other names – may be the world’s most popular game animal, here in North America the whitetail deer reigns supreme. At the turn of the 20th century,
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the deer season here in my home state of New York was all but shut down, reeling from the excesses of the late 19th century, when overhunting and loss of habitat – mainly due to deforestation – had a major effect on the populations. If the 19th century saw the worst era for game populations, certainly the 20th century bore witness to the greatest
comebacks ever recorded. By the last decade of the century, when I was seriously hunting deer, the numbers of deer and quality of the herds were the best in living memory. Entire books and careers have been dedicated to choosing the best deer rifle, cartridge and bullet, so please don’t expect this article to be the be-all-
americanshootingjournal.com 35
BULLET BULLETIN A 140-grain Hornady InterLock from a .275 Rigby put this south Texas whitetail down quickly.
InterLock bullets expand quickly, yet still penetrate well to reach the vitals.
and-end-all on the topic, but rather an insight as to what constitutes a good deer bullet, based on your cartridge, hunting environment and the deer species you are pursuing. A whitetail in Saskatchewan is not a whitetail in Florida, and the two certainly don’t put the same requirements on a bullet. Our grandfathers and greatgrandfathers made meat with a standard cup-and-core bullet; that is, a bullet comprised of a lead core and a drawn copper jacket. If that bullet is of suitable diameter and sectional density, and the impact velocities aren’t off the chart, grandpa’s bullet will kill a deer in 2020 just as well as it did in 1920. THAT DOESN’T EXACTLY mean that any old bullet is going to have the best results. Deer are tough – pound for pound – and can certainly soak up the lead when the shot isn’t properly placed, but you don’t necessarily need a cannon to put a buck on the pole. Cartridges between 6mm and .30 caliber are usually considered the deer classics, though .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, .38-55 Winchester and .45-70 Government fans all feel strongly about their choices for deer season. Whatever your choice, think about what type and weight of bullet will best serve your needs. For example, a .308 Winchester with 150-grain bullet (even a cup-and-core) makes a good combination for deer, but put that same bullet in a .300 Winchester Magnum and you may have a problem, whether 36
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
bullet bulletin
A 165-grain Nosler Partition from a .308 Winchester put this Catskill Mountain buck down cleanly. The author used his Savage 6.5-284 Norma with a 140-grain cup-and-core bullet to take this Hudson Valley whitetail.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
it’s poor penetration or an excess of blood-shot meat. For the faster magnum cartridge, a good bonded-core 150-grain bullet or heavier 180-grain cup-and-core design would much better serve. Those who enjoy using .22-caliber centerfires for their deer hunting should also give considerable thought to their choice of hunting bullet. I’ve seen deer taken cleanly with .223 Remingtons and .22-250s, and I've also seen deer lost – with what looked like a properly placed shot – when the wrong bullet was employed. I like a premium bullet of at least 60 grains in both of these cartridges (though the twist rate of the .22-250 will preclude the use of anything much heavier than 60 grains) and in fact, my two favorite loads for these cartridges happen to come from Federal. The
americanshootingjournal.com 39
BULLET BULLETIN This Rigby Highland Stalker – an heirloom-quality rifle – is chambered in .275 Rigby, and with the 140-grain InterLock load from Hornady, it will take any deer, anywhere.
R
N
62-grain Trophy Bonded Tip load in the .223 Remington is serious deer medicine, and the 60-grain Nosler Partition load in the .22-250 Remington is equally effective. Overall, in those calibers between 6mm and .308, I tend to prefer a bullet with a sectional density of .250 and upward, such as 100-grain 6mms, 110- to 115-grain .25s, 120-grain 6.5s, 130-grain .270s, 140-grain 7mms and 165-grain .30s, though there are exceptions to every rule. These weights apply to the traditional cup-and-core designs, and at standard velocities; should you prefer the higher velocities the magnum-class cartridges provide, a monometal copper alloy bullet or bonded-core design will save you some headaches. GETTING DEEPER INTO bullet design, you’ll find that the rules so many of us adhere 40
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
• •
This Texas seven-pointer dropped to one shot from a .243 Winchester with 85-grain Federal Trophy Copper bullets.
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Cousin to whitetails, this mule deer was taken on the South Dakota prairie with a 6.5 Creedmoor and a 143-grain ELD-X bullet loaded by Black Hills Ammo. The buck didn’t go more than 20 paces.
The Federal 140-grain Nosler AccuBond load in 7mm-08 Remington sorted out this Catskill Mountain buck, after a 3-foot snowstorm. The bonded-core bullet took the buck quickly and cleanly.
to (including those laid out by yours truly) are based on the traditional drawn cup and copper jacket design. The Sierra GameKing and ProHunter, the Hornady InterLock, the Winchester PowerPoint and the Remington CoreLokt all remain sound designs, but if overstressed, you’ll see jacket/core separation, especially in the boattail bullets. Now, modern designs are striving for the highest ballistic coefficient values, and while that surely aids in the longrange game, it can hinder the terminal performance. Chemically bonding the core to the jacket is a definite means of keeping things together during the terminal phase, as is using the Barnes TTSX/Hornady GMX/Nosler E-Tip formula of using a homogenous alloy with a polymer tip to initiate expansion. That allows a high BC bullet to give the 42
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
terminal results we all desire. If your distances are on the short side – and many would agree that the majority of deer are taken inside of 200 yards – a flat-base, semispitzer or round-nose bullet will pose no handicap. I personally like the way the roundnose bullets impart their energy; you can almost see the animal shudder on impact, and they have demonstrated better structural integrity, holding together even when the shoulder bones are struck. Deer – unlike elk, caribou or moose – are highly susceptible to hydraulic shock, and rapid energy transfer can be used to good effect. Bullets like the Nosler Ballistic Tip, Speer HotCor, Norma TipStrike and Hornady SST are famed for their quick energy transfer, yet need to be of decent sectional density to
get the job done from any angle. For example, years ago I used 125-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets in my .308 Winchester; they flew well and they got the job done, but man, they made a mess. The bullet was too light for caliber, and as the New York woods present shots averaging 50 yards or so, the impact velocity was too high, even from the mild .308 Winchester. Increase the bullet weight to slow things down, or make that light bullet a monometal, and the situation would improve. LOOK AT THE classic .30-30 Winchester formula: a 150-grain bullet at 2,400 feet per second or a 170-grain bullet at 2,200 fps. Both have a stellar reputation in the woods, and while the round-nose bullet isn’t the most efficient design, and the guns in which that old girl is usually
americanshootingjournal.com 43
bullet bulletin The Hornady SST is a polymer-tipped cup-and-core design that will impart its energy quickly.
The Sierra GameKing was one of the first bullets loaded in Federal’s Premium line, and remains an excellent deer bullet. They are seriously accurate, and strong enough to get the job done on any deer.
The author likes the Nosler AccuBond and its bonded core when the velocities are high, or when the bullet weight is on the lower end of the spectrum. It’s accurate and strong, and perfect for deer at any angle.
The Nosler Ballistic Tip – a cup-andcore boattail with a polymer tip – is a great choice for deer and is of sufficient sectional density.
chambered aren’t the best choice for 200-yard shots, the bullets rarely fail at those velocities. On the other side of the coin, the “super premium” bullets like the Swift A-Frame are probably a bit too tough to give their optimum performance on deer, unless we’re talking about the smaller calibers, with lighter bullet weights. A 180-grain Swift A-Frame in my .300 Winchester is a great choice for moose, bear and larger species of African plains game, but a softer bullet, offering a bit more expansion, will be a better choice for deer. Some of my favorite deer combinations over the years have been a 143-grain Hornady ELD-X in my 6.5-284 Norma; the 140-grain Nosler AccuBond in the 7mm-08 Remington (used in the Catskills where black bear are also on the menu); 140-grain Hornady InterLock in the .275 Rigby/7x57 Mauser; 165-grain Sierra GameKing in the .308 Winchester; 165-grain Federal Fusion in the .30-06 Springfield; and 180-grain Hornady round-nose InterLock in the .300 Winchester Magnum (again, used 44
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
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ZER
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bullet bulletin The 165-grain Sierra hollowpoint GameKing, handloaded in the .308 Winchester, is one of the author’s go-to deer combinations. Dozens of New York bucks have fallen to this load.
where bears are also in season). All of those combinations result in a balance of quick, clean kills, good penetration/ expansion, and minimal meat damage when taking heart/lung shots, even at
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SALUTE To GUNS
‘A JEWEL AMONG RIFLES’
Why to consider adding a military surplus M96 Swedish Mauser to your collection. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM DICKSON
lways considered a jewel among the many fine Mauser rifles made, the Swedish M96 is a real treasure. This gun has the same action as the M94 carbine that preceded it. I was delighted when Hunter’s Lodge sent me a M1896 Swedish Mauser made by Carl Gustafs for review. These super accurate rifles still see much target competition in Europe today. The M94 and M96 guns feature some significant advances over the M93 and M95 Mausers. The internal guide rib, which runs along the left locking lug raceway on the M93 series, was replaced with a 2½-inchlong guide rib that is part of the bolt body and moves through a slot in the top of the bolt bridge. When the bolt is moved forward and locked, the rib rotates to its spot beneath the rear of the extractor. The M96 also has two holes on either side of the extractor collar to vent gas from a pierced primer or ruptured cartridge case and a thumb cutout to further direct the gas away from the shooter’s eyes. This thumb cutout is often mistakenly
A
David Jones caught in full recoil firing the Swedish M96 Mauser.
americanshootingjournal.com 51
Right and left side views of the Swedish M96 Mauser.
assumed to be there just to facilitate stripper clip loading. It is a vital safety feature and personally I don’t want a modern Mauser action that doesn’t have it. Modern commercial versions of the M98 action typically omit this critical feature, putting their customers at increased risk. The change recognizable at a glance was the upturn with the grooves on top added to the cocking piece, enabling the striker to be safely lowered or handcocked to have another try at a misfire. The cocking piece first appeared on the Norwegian Krag rifle and was carried over to America on first the U.S. Krag rifle and later the M1903 Springfield. The Swedes obviously appreciated the idea of their nextdoor neighbor and incorporated it into their gun. Ammunition quality worldwide did not reach today’s standards until the 1920s, so this feature saw considerable use. The M96 Swedish Mauser’s safety withdraws the firing pin away from the primer when it is put in the vertical midway position so that a blow to the back of the cocking piece cannot fire a chambered cartridge, yet the safety can now be removed much faster. Centuries of dealing with wolves and bears in the thick Swedish forests had taught the Swedes the importance of getting a weapon in action fast. Really fast. There is a cleaning rod under the barrel and the bayonet lug has a hole 52
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for attaching a monopod for more accurate shooting. The factory and date of manufacture are stamped on the receiver, along with the Swedish coat of arms. The bolt handle sticks straight out on this model. Mauser produced 45,000 Swedish Mausers at their Oberndorf factory and the Swedes produced them under license at the Carl Gustafs and Husqvarna factories. They were still making them in 1943. IN RECENT YEARS, many were converted to 7.62 NATO by Carl Gustafs and Norma for target shooting. These guns were known as CG63 Competition/Target Rifles and they remain very popular for that today. Those acquired by the Swedish Army were called Gevar 7 and later models were the CG73, CG74 and CG80. Husqvarna made sporting rifles on the M94 carbine action in 6.5x55, 8mm Mauser, 9.3x57 (286-grain bullet at 2,070 feet per second), and the powerful 9.3x62 Mauser. The 9.3x62 shoots a .365-inch-diameter 286-grain bullet at 2,360 fps. Compare this to the .375 H&H Magnum, which shoots a .375-inch-diameter bullet of 300 grains at 2,500 fps, and you see that the vaunted .375 H&H Magnum is only .01 inch greater diameter, 14 grains heavier, and 140 fps faster than the 9.3x62. Only a ballistics lab can tell the difference. The game sure can’t.
So much for armchair experts who claim any pre-M98 Mauser action rifles are unsafe for 7.62 NATO. Many African professional hunters preferred the 9.3x62 to the .375 H&H because it would work in a standard length action and had consistent bullet performance, unlike the .375 H&H Magnum, which has had many bullet jacket failures even in recent years, no thanks to poor bullets at various times. The 9.3x62 is considered the best caliber possible for Swedish moose hunting and Husqvarna’s M94 action guns in this caliber have always been very popular for moose hunting in Sweden. Husqvarna also made rifles on the M94 action in caliber .220 Swift, .270, .30-06, and any other caliber requested by the customer. Husqvarna rifles built on the M94 action have a perfect safety record and are highly prized by knowledgeable Swedish hunters today. In more recent years, Husqvarna also made rifles on the 98 Mauser action but these are not under discussion here. WHEN IT COMES to valuing quality and precision workmanship, no country surpasses Sweden. They expect things to last far longer than other countries do. The actions are made to Best Quality bolt-action standards and over the years British gunmakers built many custom Best Quality rifles on
SALUTE TO GUNS Top view of the rifle.
these actions in whatever caliber their customer desired. The famed Swedish steel came to the forefront in the Swedish-made Mausers. Dolf Goldsmith, famous author of the books on the Maxim, Vickers and Browning machineguns, machinegun authority and Class 3 machinegun dealer, once had three 6.5 Swedish Mauser barrels converted by a machinist to Vickers machinegun barrels in caliber 6.5 Dutch, as he had bought a large quantity of that ammo cheap. This was Germanmade steel-cased ammo made for the Dutch Schwartzlose machinegun and marked “FUR MG.” It was superbly accurate and Dolf was getting 4-inch groups at 100 yards fired full auto from the Vickers machinegun. Even in a watercooled gun, the maximum life of a machinegun barrel is 15,000 rounds,
but after 15,000 rounds out of each of the three barrels, the Swedish barrels were still good and the accuracy was the same. It still shot the same 4-inch groups that it did in the beginning. Dolf says these barrels never seem to wear out. Having known Dolf and his love of shooting for years, I can tell you that if anyone can wear out a gun barrel quick, it is Dolf. Swedish steel is carefully refined from some of the purest ore on Earth. The lack of the usual amount of microscopic slag inclusions, where microscopic cracks start in steel, seems to be the reason for this long life. The same quality steel and the high standards of workmanship have kept these guns going strong into the 21st century. The careful Swedish maintenance is well apparent in most examples.
A close-up of the action shows the notch that diverts gas from a pierced primer or ruptured cartridge case away from your eyes. Modern commercial bolt-actions leave this vital safety feature off to their customers’ peril. Stocking the 4-bore requires a massive block of wood chosen for great strength as well as beauty.
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THE SPECIFICATIONS OF the M1896 Swedish Mauser Rifle are as follows: Weight: 9.06 pounds; Overall length: 49.5 inches; Barrel length: 29.1 inches; Sights: Front sight is an inverted V. Rear sight is a U-notch leaf graduated from 300 to 600 meters when down and 700 to 2,000 meters when up; Length of pull: 13¾ inches The muzzle was threaded on this gun for a blank firing attachment designed to shred the wooden bullets in the blanks, since these had been found to not always break up on their own. I had 220 rounds to fire through the Swedish beauty, consisting of: • 20 rounds of Norma 158-grain
americanshootingjournal.com 55
SALUTE TO GUNS The spring catch holding the front barrel band.
Oryx SP, which grouped in 1 inch at 100 yards; • 60 rounds of Federal 140-grain SP, which grouped in 1 inch at 100 yards; • 60 rounds of Federal American Eagle 156-grain FMJ, which grouped in 1 inch at 100 yards; and • 80 rounds of Prvi Partizan 139-grain SP BT from TR&Z USA Trading Corp., which grouped in 1 inch at 100 yards. I set out a target at 100 yards and began firing. Trigger pull was flawless and the gun hung steady and was easy to hit with. These long-barreled military rifles are exceptionally steady. It was quick handling and fast on target. Not many guns really are to this degree. Firing it was pure pleasure. I just wished I had more ammunition. It is important to leave these rifles in their military configuration. It would not have held
Bottom view of the rifle.
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... to the workbench.
as steady or been as easy to hit with if it had been butchered by so-called “sporterizing,” and the addition of a narrow, unyielding rubber recoil pad on a “sporter stock” would have changed a gun without felt recoil into one with a kick. The finger groove on each side of the stock was a big help. Those turn-of-the-century rifle designers really knew what they were doing. It’s a pity these grooves went out of style because they really are a help to accurate shooting. THE GOOD LORD was with me that day and I managed to get the first two shots fired offhand with Prvi Partizan ammo into 1 inch at 100 yards. I stopped there because I know from experience that the heavy, long barrel that hung so steady for the first two shots would start to work against me after that and each succeeding shot would double the previous group size.
Trying to find the right place to hold off on aiming at 100 yards with sights set for a minimum of 300 meters meant that getting the groups in the black was too much to ask. The different trajectory of each different type of ammo tested didn’t help that either. I truly hate sights that don’t start at 100 yards. There are scope mounts available for this rifle that require no drilling, tapping, or permanent alteration of the gun. That would be the easiest solution to the problem. I was able to get two separate two-shot groups of 1 and 11/8 inches with Norma 6.5x55 Oryx 156-grain ammo. These were also fired offhand at 100 yards. After this, fatigue set in and I was unable to duplicate these groups. Over the next couple of days, I still could not repeat the results of that miraculous day and had to resort to a bench rest to get 1-inch groups out of the two types of Federal ammunition tested.
SALUTE TO GUNS The ladder rear sight begins at 300 meters, making precise use of the sights at 100 meters impossible.
Most rifles are not capable of the accuracy of this Swedish M96. I believe it would have shot even tighter groups had I been capable of doing better. This was not even a new rifle with a pristine bore. It had some roughness in the bore and had seen long service since it was made in 1898. If you want to learn to hit well shooting offhand, you must train the muscles to be steady. I have a semiauto G3 with a scout scope and it weighs 12 pounds with a loaded 20shot magazine. Every day I practice holding it on target until I can’t hold it steady anymore. You cannot let up on this daily practice, no matter how big and strong you are. I don’t understand people wanting to do all their shooting off a bench rest. There
has never been a bench rest available anywhere I needed to make a shot. Since I always seem to end up having to shoot offhand and shoot fast, that is the way I practice. The Swedish 6.5x55 cartridge has a superb reputation for accuracy and has always been a proven performer in the hunting field. The Swedes even use this caliber for moose in their country. I regard it as the best of all the 6.5-caliber cartridges, bar none.
AFTER FIRING, THE gun was cleaned with an M1 Garand M10 cleaning rod from Hunters Lodge with an extra section added for the longer barrel length. For those of you who are missing the tip of your cleaning rod, just go to Otis Smart Gun Care and give them the thread size of your cleaning rod. They can sell you a new brass tip. I put three rods dating back to World War I in service again thanks to them. All my U.S. Army cleaning rods were 8/32
Top view of the beautifully crafted action.
A view of the action open. “It operates as slick as glass,” says author Jim Dickson.
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americanshootingjournal.com 59
SALUTE TO GUNS
Husqvarna-made rifles offer their M94 action in any caliber desired. The 9.3x62, a .375 H&H Magnum equivalent, was one of the standard calibers and the favorite of many Swedish moose hunters.
thread size. The rifle was cleaned and lubed with an oil used on it in Sweden since the early 1900s, German Ballistol oil. This oil was developed for the German Army in 1904 as the one oil for all of a soldier’s equipment, whether it be steel, wood or leather. It forms an emulsion with water and as long as it is at least 5 percent Ballistol, the water will evaporate off without rusting the metal. A mixture of 10 percent Ballistol
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and 90 percent water is used as a bore cleaner for corrosive primers because the salt in corrosive primers is only soluble in water. A mixture of 30 percent Ballistol and 70 percent kerosene makes an arctic gun oil that will work in the coldest arctic conditions. Some of the Swedes will insist that they invented cold, but the Norwegians and the Finns dispute this claim. The wood was dry on this gun so I finished it with Birchwood Casey oil
finish. As always, I was well pleased with the results. The Swedish 6.5 Mauser is a jewel among rifles and because it is a surplus military weapon, the price is very affordable. Otherwise the standard of quality would put the price of this gun out of reach of most people. It certainly makes all the current factory production rifles look cheap by comparison. If you really appreciate quality weapons, you owe it to yourself to get one of these fine rifles. ď‚Ť
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BLACK POWDER
SHOOTING THE NEW MODEL 1877 SHARPS 'To condense my comments just a bit, shooting with this ... simply felt good.'
A close-up of the action of the C. Sharps Arms Model 1877 tested by author Mike Nesbitt and a friend, along with .44-70 paper-patch loads.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT
I
n my personal opinion, few guns look as exquisite as the Sharps Model 1877 custom target rifles. While I’m speaking primarily about the 1877s made by C. Sharps Arms, I’ll include the original ’77s made by the old Sharps company too, even though I’ve never seen one. Those originals are rare; only 98 of them were made, according to Frank
Sellers’ book, Sharps Firearms. And, relying on Sellers again, Sharps called this model their 1877 Long Range rifle, designed with Creedmoor 1,000-yard competition in mind. To be used in the Creedmoor competition, rifles had to fall within some strict rules for weight and other features. The rifles could not weigh more than 10 pounds. When using the Model 1874 Sharps in such competition, the barrels of those rifles had to be fairly light in order to meet the 10-pound limitation. That’s why
the Model 1877 action was developed, making it as light as possible so heavier barrels could be used. When we consider the rifle’s weight alone, 10 pounds was rather light, especially for the long-range black powder calibers, such as the .44-90 Sharps. (The .44-caliber cartridges were very popular for long-range target work prior to 1876.) Also, those Creedmoor rifles could not have set triggers. There was also a restriction on the weight of the trigger pull. It was stated that the
americanshootingjournal.com 67
BLACK POWDER This rifle has plenty of added options, from the sights to the French Grey receiver.
rifle’s trigger pull could not be lighter than 4 pounds. AMONG THE REPRODUCTIONS of the Model 1877 Sharps being made today, the rifles from C. Sharps Arms are easily the most authentic. C. Sharps Arms will, if directed to do so, make a completely authentic Model 1877 for a customer, with the barrel contoured to meet the 10-pound rule. And they will build it in the caliber requested by the customer, which is likely the .45-70 in most cases. In fact, all of the original Model 1877 Sharps Long Range rifles were made with either the .45-2.4-inch or .45-2.6-inch chamberings. Today we refer to those as the .45-90 and the .45100 Sharps rounds, but back then both of those target rounds were loaded with 100 grains of powder under their heavy 550-grain paper-patched bullets. The rifle I did my shooting with, and based this report on, was chambered for the .44-70, which is simply the standard .45-70 “necked down” to accept the .446-inchdiameter bullets. The .44-70 is somewhat of a black powder wildcat, although it is rather similar to the old .44-70 Maynard. This is one of my favorite black powder cartridges and I’ve mentioned it before. So, shooting this new Model 1877 Sharps chambered for the .44-70 was almost like doing the shooting with an old friend. And, actually, I did do my shooting with an old friend because Allen 68
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
Cunniff was with me. When I learned that I’d be doing some shooting with the Model 1877, I couldn’t keep him away. We were both highly impressed with this rifle. LOADS USED FOR the test shooting were loaded with 60.0 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F powder under a 405-grain bullet cast from a Brooks mould, sized to .446-inch diameter and lubed with BPC bullet lube from C. Sharps Arms. Those are not heavy loads but they do perform well. The shooting was going to be done at just 100 yards, mainly to
The long-range tang sight, like the old originals, is not adjustable for windage.
get a good feel for the rifle. You might say we were doing some short-range shooting with short-range loads to test a long-range rifle and that is pretty much the way it went. Some loads with paper-patched bullets were also tried, but the targets pictured elsewhere in this article were shot with the grease-groove bullets from the Brooks mould. This rifle, with its heavy 30-inch round barrel in .44 caliber, which also has the “Rigby flat” ahead of the receiver, weighs just a hair under 11 pounds, as registered by an old postal scale. This rifle, being a .44 caliber in addition to having a barrel just a bit fatter than the old ones, wouldn’t make the cut, weight-wise, for the old matches at Creedmoor but that’s OK with me. The extra pound of weight simply added to the gun’s shooting comfort. Of course, shooting the Model 1877 with the .44-70 loads I described was very comfortable. Those were not necessarily longrange loadings and the rifle’s recoil was hardly noticeable, especially with the generous shotgun butt that this design has. The loads were not the only thing that contributed to shooting comfort; the nice pistol grip also added “to the touch,” as well as the single trigger, which is wider than the standard triggers on the Model 1874 rifles. To condense my comments just a bit, shooting with this Model 1877 simply felt good. There are some differences between
americanshootingjournal.com 69
BLACK POWDER bullet to go. In other words, if you want to move the point of impact to the right, move the front sight to the left.
Windage adjustments are made with the front sight.
shooting this rifle and shooting with a Model 1874, mainly in their accessories. This Model 1877 was equipped with an authentically styled long-range tang sight that has adjustments for elevation only. Windage adjustments are made with the front sight. That isn’t hard to get used to, and for our shooting we more or less zeroed the
The “Rigby flat” is the short raised section of the barrel’s top ahead of the receiver.
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front sight for windage and then didn’t find any reason to make any further adjustments. One thing to remember is that when adjusting the front sight for windage, you move the sight in the opposite direction that you want the
OUR SHOOTING WITH this Model 1877 in .44-70 caliber was limited to 100 yards and that’s almost not fair to the gun. These were designed for shooting at longer ranges but we just didn’t have a long-range facility available for shooting at over 200 yards, so we simply stayed at 100 yards, enjoying some friendly competition as we took turns with the rifle. Allen shot a good group with five rounds that scored a 48 out of 50. Then I gave it a try and my target scored a 47, although the group on my target was just slightly tighter, as well as a bit higher, than Allen’s. Maybe that shows how we’re somewhat evenly matched, although Allen will contest that remark. Now, about prices. The standard price for the Model 1877 Target rifle begins at $2,590. The standard version has a 30-inch tapered octagon barrel, a single trigger, and it is drilled and tapped on the tang for the 1877-style tang sight. These are stocked with straight-grained American walnut with a pistol grip and a black checkered butt plate. The forearm has a schnabel tip. The receiver group, which includes the
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BLACK POWDER Allen Cunniff fires a shot with the 1877 from the bench.
lock plate and trigger guard, is color casehardened and the barrels are blued. That’s the basic 1877 Target Rifle, but options are available. The gun we were shooting has several options, which included the round barrel with the Rigby flat and the long-range front and rear sights. The checkering and the presentation-grade wood for the stocks were also extra options. Like any rifle from C. Sharps Arms, you include what you want on it when you order it. These new versions of the old Sharps Model 1877 rifles are 100-percent American-made, built by craftsmen at the C. Sharps Arms shop in Big Timber, Montana. They are hand-fitted and hand-finished, and they really show it. A lot of individual attention is given to each rifle and that shows in the shooting too. For more information, contact C. Sharps Arms at (406) 932-4353 or visit csharpsarms.com. Cunniff’s (left) and Nesbitt’s (right) 100-yard targets.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
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MUZZLE BLAST, RECOIL, GUN WEIGHT, BALANCE, HANDLING AND STEADINESS Or, the virtually ignored factors that make you miss and how to correct for them.
A .500 Nitro Express by J. Roberts & Son (Gunmakers) Ltd. in England. This is one of the best of the best when it comes to handling qualities, as noted in the article. (J. ROBERTS AND SON)
STORY BY JIM DICKSON
I
n America, if a gun feels good and is easy to hit with, the standard pat answer is that it has “good balance.” But that’s only part of the equation and using it as a pat answer is like picking one number and saying it is the correct answer to every mathematical equation. That just don’t cut it. Most people let the manufacturers tell them what they want. But often the manufacturer is concerned with their profit margin more than the fine points of gun responsiveness in the hand and the ease of hitting with it. Indeed, this subject is rarely pursued very far. The result is that many people have guns that are not well suited to them and cause them to miss more than they should. There are several virtually ignored factors that can explain misses, and we will explore them here. MUZZLE BLAST Muzzle blast is as big a factor in flinching as recoil is. It is much more
serious than recoil, as it can quickly produce permanent hearing loss. Handgun cartridges like the .454 Casul have a decibel level so high that both ear plugs and earmuffs together cannot guarantee you will not have permanent hearing loss. Imagine shooting one without any hearing protection, as you would be doing if you were carrying one and suddenly had to fire it. Many African guides will not let their clients use a ported Weatherby Magnum because one shot from these rifles has produced permanent hearing loss in the hunter, as well as guides and trackers standing nearby. While supersonic velocities that add a sonic boom to the muzzle blast are fine in rifles, they are hell in handguns where anything over 1,100 feet per second adds far too much noise. The old high-velocity .32-20 loads (not the mild cowboy action loads of today) were among the first big offenders. There is an old saying that every .3220 revolver has been dropped once, when the owner first fired it and then
grabbed his ears in pain. That’s why the Kimball .30 carbine auto pistol and the Ruger single-actions chambered for the .30 carbine never caught on. It hurts your ears too bad to shoot them. They should have taken note that this was the reason the Army developed, then quickly abandoned, a .30 carbine pistol in World War II. No one could stand firing it. I have known men to quit shooting .44 Magnum handguns and other overly loud guns simply because of the excessive noise. There is a limit to what you can take and still shoot straight. Those who say it doesn’t bother them all seem to have hearing loss. That’s too high a price to pay. If you flinch from the noise, there is good reason. Decibel level should be a consideration in your purchase. Muzzle brakes divert gas and noise back at you, reducing felt recoil while destroying hearing. It’s better to be kicked than deafened. Silencers do not remove all the noise from your gun any more than your car muffler americanshootingjournal.com 75
The classic London Best Quality sidelock game gun. A side-by-side Purdey. (PURDEY)
eliminates all the noise from your car, but they do bring it down a lot. I still wear hearing protection when shooting a silenced gun, which should tell you just how much noise remains. Silencers are also the most efficient muzzle brakes possible, as the powder gases are expending all their energy pushing forward against the silencer’s baffles instead of simply being diverted back towards your ears like a conventional muzzle brake does. Silencers should be totally unrestricted as hearing protectors. As long as they are on the NFA list, along with machineguns and cannons, many people will be afraid to own or use one out of fear of overzealous law enforcement agents spotting them and harassing or even killing them. Few can afford the $200 transfer tax or are willing to jump through the hoops the government requires for their ownership. RECOIL AND WEIGHT Recoil is another factor that causes flinching and therefore misses. To begin with, no one ever seems to teach people how to handle it, and then some guns are really fierce kickers. To shoot a gun with heavy recoil, like a big elephant gun, you should lean into the gun so it can push you 76
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straight upright instead of backwards, which can result in you falling. Women in particular are prone to balance a heavy rifle by leaning backwards so the weight is better centered over their body for more comfort. When you are straight up or leaning back a bit, don’t be surprised when a .577 3-inch Nitro Express shoves you off balance and you find yourself sitting on the ground. Leaning into the gun is only part of handling that much recoil. Hold the gun tightly without being so tight you shake, for a big 4-gauge rifle is capable of leaping out of your hands when gripped normally and fired. Bring the buttplate firmly into your shoulder so it does not work up momentum before it impacts you, but not so firmly that the muscle is compressed. You want to have some give left for when the recoil comes. Now relax the rest of your body and let it shove you upright. Roll with the punch and do not fight it and you will be fine. Brace against a .577 Nitro Express or a 4-gauge and it can injure you, no matter how big and strong you are. These techniques are useful on all smaller calibers and will enable you to handle recoil properly. Gun design factors immensely into recoil. Military rifles like the M1903 Springfield and the 98K Mauser have
broad recoil-absorbing buttplates so the soldier can shoot 100 rounds a day without flinching. Sporting rifles are as slaves to style as a fashion-minded woman, as evidenced by their slim stocks. The narrow, hard, rubber recoil pads put on these guns as a solution to the increased recoil are virtually useless. A wide Sorbothane pad works well, though. A M1903 Springfield weighs 8¼ pounds, but many men, in mindless imitation of factory sporting rifles, cut the wood down, reducing the weight and unleashing the recoil. Bad idea. Gun weight is a major factor in recoil. A 15-pound .577 Nitro Express is not bad to shoot. A 14-pound one is still tolerable. At 13 pounds, it kicks hard. Below that, I don’t want to fire it. Some years ago I saw an ad for a 7-pound .500 Nitro Express for sale with a box of 19 cartridges. Next month it was for sale again with a new address and 18 rounds. This repeated every month with only one round fired each time. Finally someone bought it and shipped it to a gunmaker to add lead fore and aft until it got up to a shootable weight. No man familiar with that caliber would have ever fired it at 7 pounds. Not all stocks are well designed for recoil and no one set of stock measurements can fit everyone. The
One of the steadiest rifles ever made, the Thompson M1927A1 semiauto carbine. (AUTO ORDNANCE)
U.S. military settled on short stocks, figuring the tall men could adapt. The 13-inch length of pull used on American military rifles resulted in some men getting the cocking piece of the Springfield’s bolt in their eye when they had to work the bolt fast. In the British gun trade, where gunstocks are fitted to 1/16 inch in all directions, the only time a 13-inch length of pull has been used was for short women under 5 feet tall. I am 6-foot-2 and need a 15 9/16-inch length of pull. A gun fitting with a try gun that is adjustable in every possible direction is standard for customers of Best Quality doubles in the British Isles. A properly fitted gunstock drastically reduces recoil, while ensuring that the gun is accurately pointing exactly where you are looking when the gun is cheeked. It’s worth a trip there just to have that done. You then can get your guns restocked or altered to your measurements. This is important because a stock that does not fit you will make you miss either high, low, or to one side or another because that’s where the gun is wanting to point. Scopes can figure into the equation, as scopes on rifles with heavy recoil can produce the famed “Weatherby eyebrow,” when the recoil drives the scope into the shooter, making a cookie-cutter scar around his eye. Now there’s a quick way to get a flinch! Some of the best and most experienced shooters have fallen prey to this infamous injury, also known as scope bite. The solution is the forwardmounted Scout Scope. A 2¾-power Scout Scope will shoot just as accurately as the largest magnification conventional scope out to 300 yards, and you have no business shooting 78
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game past that range under normal circumstances. Indeed, 200 yards is a reasonable limit for the hunter. After all, it’s called “hunting,” not “longrange sniping.” You are supposed to be a good enough hunter to get close to your quarry. Personally, I don’t get the thrill of shooting something that is a tiny speck in the distance that I do in shooting something that is up close and personal. BALANCE Balance is a variable factor, as all men do not need the same balance point. Basically, the balance point should be between the hands, where both hands work equally to lift the gun. A bit of muzzle heaviness for rifles can be desirable. The problem is that not all men lift equally with both hands, so the balance point varies with the individual. You can also have two guns with the exact same balance point, yet one will feel like a fence post in the hands and one will come alive in your hands. Leverage plays a role here, among other things. Weight further out feels heavier than it is, although it has no effect on the balance point. This is why the barrels are swamped on Best Quality shotguns. Grip size and position are important. The smaller the grip, the lighter the gun feels, because the tighter your hand is closed, the stronger the grip. Thus a small grip is taking less effort to use and that makes the gun feel lighter. Grasping the barrels of a side-byside double makes your pointing four times as accurate as holding a beavertail forend. Laying the thumb alongside those barrels is a guaranteed way to ensure master eye dominance. That
will not work on an over-and-under, where nothing can prevent the other eye from seeing the great mass of both barrels, while the master eye sees only a narrow rib. The other eye may fight for dominance in this situation and in the odd times it wins, you miss to one side. The deep grip and the wind resistance of the over-and-under’s barrels help defeat liveliness in that design. Remember that the O/U was the first double developed, but it was quickly abandoned in favor of the vastly superior side-by-side configuration, which achieves its highest form in the Best Quality game guns of the British Isles. The O/U is an aberration that caught on because it is in style. A successful marketing campaign worked well, as most shooters are as fashionconscious as a well-dressed woman and just as quick to give in to peer pressure to conform to the rest of the pack. The supposedly big advantage of a single sighting plane on the O/U is all the expert shotgunner should need to recognize a con. You point a shotgun. You are not supposed to even see the barrels, let alone sight down them. You don’t aim it like a rifle. Unfortunately in America, a nation of riflemen, this sounded right to too many suckers. So they end up not hitting as many birds as the older generation did with their old side-by-side guns. A fitted side-by-side game gun is so much a part of you that man and gun are one at the moment of firing in a mystical zen-like experience that is the highest thrill in the shooting sports. When they say a Best Quality game gun feels lively, they mean it feels alive in your hands with a will to hit the target all on its own. It is the only design that enables you to hit every time.
The M1 carbine is another candidate for the title of the steadiest rifle. Inland Mfg. makes a fine one to the latest Mil-Specs. (INLAND MFG.)
Game guns are usually fitted with straight grip stocks, as these point better. Some have a half-pistol grip stock known as a Prince of Wales grip. You can make the 90-degree straight-up overhead shot commonly encountered on driven grouse shoots with either of these, but it is difficult, if not impossible, with a full pistolgrip stock, so you rarely see full pistolgrip stocks on game guns. HANDLING AND STEADINESS For ease of handling on fast-moving birds, game guns are made as light as possible. The accepted limit is 96 times the weight of the shot charge thrown, as any less produces severe recoil. That means a 6-pound gun for a 1-ounce shot load. Game guns usually run 6 to 7 pounds. They are almost always 12-gauge because the British carry their shells loose in a shell bag and a smaller-gauge shell that could fall through the chamber and lodge in the forcing cone could be missed in the hurried loading when shooting driven game. A proper shell loaded on top of it then produces a blow-up. This happened to General Franco in Spain when his loader didn’t realize a smallergauge shell was in the shell bag and the result was a blown-up barrel on a fine Purdey shotgun. For safety reasons, it is just better to only have 12-gauge shells there and the best way to ensure that is to not have a gun in a smaller gauge. The twin pistol grips of the Thompson submachinegun combine with a 15-inch length of pull on the stock, perfect balance and leverage, and heavy weight to produce a remarkably steady gun – possibly the steadiest of all time. You can’t improve on this one, but you sure 80
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could put those twin pistol grips on other designs to good effect. They enable the hands and body to brace the gun in a most natural way that is extremely effective for both accurate pointing and steadiness. The current semiauto M1927A1 Thompson made by Auto Ordnance has a legal-length 16-inch barrel that doesn’t hurt its steadiness a bit. It is an extremely efficient hunting and protection rifle. Steadiness is to be desired at all costs in a rifle if you are going to shoot well with it. Remember that offhand shooting is often the only shooting available in the field. African hunting rifles are often found to be on the heavy side, not only for recoil mitigation but also because it is difficult to impossible to hold a light rifle steady after running after game in the African heat. Anything less than 10 pounds was proving troublesome in these conditions, which proved common in Africa. Double rifles are traditionally very steady once they reach this weight and that is no wonder, considering the fact that they are the rifle version of the Best Quality game guns. Even among them, some stand out. I was particularly impressed with the .500 Nitro Express double rifles made by the Best Quality gunmaker Paul Roberts of J. Roberts & Son in England. Paul’s response at the time was, “After 27 African safaris, I think I should know what a double rifle should feel like.” Well, he certainly does. A long barrel can be of great help for offhand shooting, as its leverage gives the steadiness of more weight without you having to lug that weight around with you. On two separate occasions I have been able to get the first two
shots in an inch offhand at 100 yards with a long-barreled M1873 Trapdoor Springfield and with a long-barreled M96 Swedish Mauser using the issue iron sights. After two shots, the weight that had been working in my favor then began to work against me and fatigue started opening up the groups. Now, if I could just shoot that well everyday. This is a good time to point out that the inverted V front sight is far, far superior to the blade front sight favored by the U.S. military. It is easier to pick up in low light and does not need front sight hoods or wings to protect it. It is just as accurate as the blade for fine shooting. General Thompson knew this when he put a big rugged hollow ground one on his Thompson submachinegun. The worst thing you can have on a rifle is a light barrel. I will never forget the time I was shooting out the X ring of the target with my Stoeger .22 Luger. A friend handed me an AR-7 survival rifle. These have a bare barrel of minimum length and it stows in the plastic stock. I could barely stay on the paper with that thing. The light barrel just would not settle down and be still. Later I learned to hold it in the crook of my left arm to fire it, but I still hit better with the pistol. There is one exception to the rules and that is the little M1 carbine, which in my book has earned the title of steadiest gun. It’s not its balance, as adding a bayonet doesn’t change the steadiness. Bill Ruger copied its length, weight, balance point, length of pull, drop at heel and comb when he made his great semiauto .44 Magnum carbine and its 10/22 companion gun in .22 LR, and they are no steadier than other guns their size.
The perils of a 13-inch length of pull on a bolt-action rifle. The cocking piece of the Springfield rifle has been known to hit soldiers in the eye as they worked the bolt in the heat of battle. A 15-inch or longer length of pull would have been much better. (JIM DICKSON)
We may not know exactly what they accidentally hit on in the M1 carbine that makes it so steady, but the fact is, it just is! Its handling properties are superb and it takes to instinct shooting like a duck takes to water. No wonder it is the weapon with the most hits on enemy soldiers for the
As seen at
number of rounds fired of any weapon ever issued by the U.S. military before or since. It also is the perfect small game rifle, killing cleanly without ruining a lot of meat, yet it still is capable of taking big game. Inland Manufacturing makes a splendid example of the M1 carbine today.
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Finally, you may find a particular gun that just suits you best. I know one English Best Quality gunmaker who hunted with another make of shotgun of good but not Best Quality, simply because he never missed with it. That’s the best reason of all to choose a gun.
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americanshootingjournal.com 85
Dave “Boon” Benton’s AR pistol, the Askari, debuted at the Orlando SWAT Round-Up.
AN AR PISTOL FOR – AND BY – THOSE AT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR Benghazi hero Dave ‘Boon’ Benton unveils his ‘Askari’ at the Orlando International SWAT Round-Up.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAUL PAWELA
T
he Alamo is one of the most celebrated feats of bravery in American history. For 13 days in 1836, a small band of rebels (reports say 160 to 180 men) defending an old Spanish mission called the Alamo held out against a vastly superior-sized fighting force of an estimated 4,000. That bloody siege came to an end on the morning of March 6 when Mexican General Santa Anna’s soldiers attacked and killed the entire Alamo garrison. The story of the Alamo quickly enshrined the event in its place of importance in history and made
people like William B. Travis, James Bowie and David Crockett largerthan-life American folk heroes. To stand on the hallowed grounds of the Alamo, the spirits call out for remembrance in both patriotism and heroism. One can almost hear the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Travis, commander of the Alamo, as he penned the final letter of his life: “To the people of Texas and all Americans in the world – fellow citizens and compatriots – I am besieged, by a thousand or more Mexicans under Santa Anna – I have
sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise be put to the sword, if the fort is taken – I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat. I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch – The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four americanshootingjournal.com 87
Benton also unveiled his signature knife at the SWAT Round-Up.
thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his honor and that of his country – victory or death!” That is what makes America great, the fighting spirit and resolve of its warriors who live the creed Lt. Col. Travis spoke of. MANY YEARS LATER on September 11, 2012, another group of rough In Arabic and in Swahili, Askari means “soldier.” In Old Norse, it means the "spear of God."
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and tough, true-grit Americans found themselves fighting against overwhelming odds, this time overseas in Benghazi, one of the most dangerous places on the planet. The story has been well documented and was excellently featured in the February 2016 American Shooting Journal article “The Hell That Was Benghazi,” by Frank Jardim, about the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. Just as the men of The Alamo have become household names, so too have
the men of Benghazi, including Mark “Oz” Geist, Kris “Tanto” Paronto, John “Tig” Tiegen, and Dave “Boon” Benton. Boon, who prefers anonymity to fame, is a former Marine Corps sergeant and a former SWAT team police officer. In the Marines, he was a member of a Maritime Special Purpose Force and special operations capable. As the book 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi states, he is a man of many specialties, from close-quarters battle to long-distance sniping and everything in between. For over a decade he was also a highly valued personal protection specialist for the CIA. In the industry, Boon is well known and well documented for his heroism under fire. I was honored to receive training from him and Tanto, and I was even more honored to write about the two and the tactical lessons they imparted to me in a July 2018 American Shooting Journal article. AS TIME HAS passed, I have gotten to personally know Boon better. I have traveled with him, broken bread with
Alex Ferrer, owner of Veritas Tactical, Dave “Boon” Benton and Deputy Sheriff Marla Coveland, Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Range Master.
him, lived under the same roof as him and trained classes with him, and I can attest he is the real deal 24/7. You may be thinking that I am just idolworshiping the man. The truth of the matter is that all my life I have been blessed to be surrounded by warriors; my dad was a World War II fourcombat-jump paratrooper wounded at the Battle of the Bulge and a charter featured in the movie A Bridge Too Far, as he was on that bridge. I am constantly mentored by larger-thanlife good friends such as Ranger Hall of Famers Gary O’Neal and Max Mullen, and Danny McKnight, who
Boon shoots his Askari pistol.
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commanded ground forces during the Battle of Mogadishu and was portrayed by Tom Sizemore in Black Hawk Down. Then there are all my ex-Delta and Seal Team 6 mentors. Benton is a unique man, a quiet man, very much a philosopher of life. He is a family man, a lover of his country and God. A man who will fight to the death if need be, but trust me, it would be no easy task to kill him, as it has been tried many times before. On weapons, tactics, combatives and overall survival skills, there are very few people I listen to more closely than Boon.
TOGETHER WITH ALEX Ferrer, the CEO and owner of Veritas and a custom rifle builder, Boon has come up with a new design for the AR pistol he has dubbed the Askari. The Askari, which conceals well in an average backpack, is a 5.56 AR pistol platform with 7075 T6 forged aluminum upper and lower ambidextrous bolt catch and release. It also features a 7.5-inch 1:7-twist SEP match barrel with a 4150V-grade Mil-Spec B 1159E chrome moly (CrMo V) and black nitride finishNiB barrel extension. The pistol-length gas system with Geissele .750-inch low-profile gas block comes complete with a 7-inch Geissele MK 14 Rail System, Geissele airborne charging handle and Geissele carbine buffer and 42 wire carbine buffer spring. Other accoutrements to be found on the Askari include an AAC Flash Hider, WMD Nib M16 BCG, Radian 45-degree ambidextrous safety, Law Tactical folding adapter SB SBA3 Pistol brace, VZ Grips AR Grips, rail panels and hand stop, and Magpul Pro back and front flip-up sights complete with Magpul Trigger guard. Also included in the package is an Askari laser-engraved 30-round magazine, Askari name and logo laserengraved on the receiver and hard case, along with a personal autographed picture from Boon himself.
THE ASKARI LOGO’S history has deeprooted meaning to Boon. In Arabic and in Swahili, Askari means “soldier.” In Old Norse, it means the “spear of God.” The triangle symbolizes the diverse mission profile of direct action with the tenants of close-quarter battle (speed, surprise and violence of action), as well as the PPS operators’ mission statement (deter, detect and defend). The Latin phrase Invenimus tibi translates to “we found you,” which means you are safe because we are protecting you. The stars are deeply personal, as they pay tribute to fallen brothers of Boon’s who were lost in three different actions in three different geographical operating areas. The spear pays homage to those who are always deployed forward and operating beyond the tip of the spear. SO WHAT IS so special about the Askari? For one, it was tested and vetted by another famous Marine war hero and firearms instructor extraordinaire, Israel Matos, one of the famed individuals featured in Paronto’s new book The Patriot’s Creed. With the Askari, Matos was able to hit targets out to 250 yards with a 1¾-inch grouping using a standard 55-grain .223-caliber bullet. That is outstanding coming from a 7-inch barrel. The Askari was well vetted at last November’s Orlando International SWAT Round-Up, where the gun performed so well that another article is warranted on it in the future. Second, Davy Crockett’s rifle ol’ Betsy was just as beautiful as it was lethal; fully functional with deadly good looks. The Askari fits the same bill and profile – beautiful and lethal. Third, the gun was built and designed by an American hero, thus making the Askari, like Crockett’s Betsy, part of American history – and rightfully so!
Boon on the range.
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Editor's note: For more information on Dave “Boon” Benton’s training, go to threatmanagementsolutions.com. For more on the Askari and Veritas Tactical, go to veritastactical.com.
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LIVE FREE OR DIE TRYING
American Shooting Journal // February 2020
INSIDE VIRGINIA’S 2A SANCTUARY MOVEMENT With most of the commonwealth’s counties and many independent cities joining it, gun advocates attempted to get Lynchburg on board.
Hundreds of gun rights advocates gather prior to the start of a midJanuary meeting of the Lynchburg, Virginia, City Council. They were asking officials to designate the town as a Second Amendment sanctuary, like other jurisdictions in the state have become.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY DR. PAULA ALFORD
G
un-grabbing politicians in the Commonwealth of Virginia have created a backlash of statewide public outcry. With a series of proposed anti-gun bills, Democratic politicians are trying to take away lawabiding citizens’ Second Amendment right and leave many without protection from criminals. As such, many law-abiding gun owners have reached out to their
local principalities to declare their location a Second Amendment sanctuary. These gun owners are using their First Amendment right of freedom of speech to voice their views about the Second to their local principalities, and send a message to Richmond, the state capitol. Most of the Commonwealth of Virginia officials have adopted a form of Second Amendment sanctuary status.
As of January 17, 2020, according to Wikipedia, “91 out of 95 counties; 15 out of 38 cities; and 33 towns” in Virginia have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary status. ON JANUARY 14, I attended the Lynchburg, Virginia, City Council hearing at E.C. Glass High School auditorium. Over 1,000 attended the hearing, and some stood in line for americanshootingjournal.com 99
Lynchburg City Council members face an audience overwhelmingly in favor of joining the gun sanctuary movement, according to author Dr. Paula Alford, who attended the meeting. So many people were expected to attend and speak at the public hearing ahead of the council’s vote that it was held in a high school auditorium to accommodate everyone.
hours before the doors opened at 6 p.m. I am a law-abiding citizen who votes, yet I had never attended any political rally or hearing before this event. However, that is changing. The meeting was an eye-opening evening that lasted until 2 a.m. the next day. The hearing was to allow constituents from the City of Lynchburg to voice their views. There were 120 individuals signed up to speak; some were from other areas of Virginia but wanted to speak up for the Second Amendment sanctuary status. There were comments from both sides, but the majority who spoke were in favor of the Second Amendment sanctuary status. Those who spoke in favor of the sanctuary status came from all walks of life. Some were attorneys, doctors, pastors, individuals who live in high-crime-rate areas of Lynchburg, women who had been threatened or assaulted, women of all ages who do not want to be victims of crimes, and men of all ages and backgrounds who want to keep their constitutional rights and to protect others. One Virginia House Representative and one sheriff were also among the speakers. We heard from several individuals who had immigrated 100
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from other countries, such as Russia, Poland and Sri Lanka, who expressed their deep concern that politicians are trying to take protection away from law-abiding citizens. At the hearing, several people who spoke had escaped California’s tyranny on gun control. They researched Virginia’s laws before moving across the country so that they could be free lawabiding gun owners once more. The common theme from the individuals who had moved from California to Virginia was that if the anti-gun bills proposed in the state legislature were to pass into law, like those approved by California lawmakers had, it would be the beginning of the end of legal gun ownership in Virginia. They expressed that this is what happened in California; little by little, their rights as law-abiding gun owners were stripped away. Another common theme was the use of the word “tyranny” by individuals. Tyranny, according to Dictionary.com, means “cruel and oppressive government or rule,” “a nation under cruel and oppressive government,” or “cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.” Many also spoke of how Hitler’s regime took power over Germans
and confiscated guns and took away their ability to speak out against tyranny. Many reminded the city council and gave a history lesson of why we became a nation and declared independence from England in the 1700s. Individuals also spoke about how some laws created by Democrat politicians were to oppress individuals based on their race, and the inability to own firearms under Jim Crow laws. Many pro-gun individuals referred to the United States Constitution’s Second Amendment, as well as Virginia’s Constitution Bill of Rights Article 1, section 13, which plainly states, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” In addition, many spoke passionately – reminded, you might say – that elected officials swear by oath to uphold both the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions. If they are supposed to uphold the constitution, many elected officials in the Commonwealth are not doing their job, nor is Governor Ralph Northam. Comments made by City of Lynchburg constituents against proposed unconstitutional anti-gun bills have resonated throughout Virginia. BASED ON ALL the orange stickers that people were wearing and which stated
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“Guns Save Lives,” it appeared that 98 to 99 percent of the constituents who attended the city council hearing were pro-gun. Of the few constituents who were opposed to the Second Amendment sanctuary, their argument was mainly that if the city council voted in favor of it, that it was not legal since local principalities do not govern state laws. Some individuals stated this concern should be addressed in Richmond, not on a local level. However, there were a few that spoke out against guns. Based on her comments, one individual who spoke did not know that Virginia already had background checks, and law-abiding gun owners had to fill out paperwork to purchase a firearm. In her comments, she stated, “What’s wrong with universal background checks?” Most of the people spoke in unison, “We have background checks.” She
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Over 1,000 were present in the auditorium and with 120 signed up to speak, the meeting lasted into the wee hours of the next day, though was ultimately unsatisfactory for gun advocates after the council voted 5-2 not to become a Second Amendment sanctuary city. Yet for Alford, the vote “helped shed light on those politicians who did not support their constituents and whom they may want to vote out in the next election.”
acted like background checks was a brand-new idea. In her comments, she clung to every word that Gov. Northam stated, such as “commonsense gun laws.” However, based on her comments, I suspect she had not read any of the proposed bills, nor was she familiar with current laws that are in place. While I believe she thought she was well informed, she was repeating verbatim what the news reported. In the end, while the members of the city council “listened” to their constituents, five of them did not “hear” the majority of the people who spoke. Specific city council members had their minds made up before going into the meeting since they had their “well rehearsed” statements already written. Two members voted “yes” to adopt the Second Amendment status,
while the other five voted against it. However, this Lynchburg City Council hearing helped shed light on those politicians who did not support their constituents and whom they may want to vote out in the next election. Two who voted against the Second Amendment sanctuary are up for reelection in 2020. The backlash of outrageous proposed anti-gun bills is at the forefront for many Virginians. It should also be a warning for every individual in every state in the union of such tyranny. To be continued ... Editor’s note: Dr. Paula Alford is a professor of business and the owner of Alford Designs Limited, LLC (paulaalford.com) in Lynchburg, Va.
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American Shooting Journal // February 2020
NEW ONLINE COURSE FOR FEMALE GUN OWNERS The Well Armed Woman launches 'Women & Guns: The Basics.'
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he struggle of bouncing from website to website, article to article, and video to video and not knowing if the information is accurate or trustworthy is over for new female gun owners. The Well Armed Woman’s online course “Women & Guns: The Basics” is the only resource that brings all the information the new female gun owner needs to begin life as a gun owner. “Starting your journey as a new female gun owner is intimidating, overwhelming, and can be downright scary. I have been there and remember all of these feelings well. Now, women can learn the basics and get their questions answered in the comfort of their own home and at their own pace,” shares Carrie Lightfoot, founder of The Well Armed Woman. In this seven-part online course, Lightfoot, an NRA-certified and United States Concealed Carry Association-certified instructor, teaches women the basics of gun ownership, the laws surrounding gun ownership and use, firearms safety, shooting fundamentals, concealed carry and more. “This course isn’t meant to replace the invaluable experience and learning that takes place in live training with a qualified instructor. It is meant to create a comfortable, nonintimidating place to enter gun ownership and learn the basics. My goal is for women to gain the confidence and knowledge they need to walk into any gun store or range comfortably and confidently,” Lightfoot continues. The course has a cost of $49.99. Students also have the opportunity
Carrie Lightfoot, an NRA certified handgun instructor, founded the website TheWellArmedWoman.com, which aims to “educate, equip, empower.” (WELL ARMED WOMAN)
to ask Lightfoot questions as they work their way through the course. Additionally, a downloadable study guide is provided.
Editor’s note: Learn more about “Women & Guns: The Basics” by visiting thewellarmedwoman.com/blog/womenguns-the-basics-an-online-course. americanshootingjournal.com 105
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