American Shooting Journal - March 2021 by Media Index Publishing Group

1,500 lbs 12:1 Cow Mini Hoist

Like having 6 guys in your pack. Only quieter. 20 ounces 30 cubic in.

Ancient Technology Modern Materials

Build it Right Build it Once Build it Here

www.PocketOx.com

More than a building...it’s a solution!

Manufactured in Sandy, Oregon

PRE-ENGINEERED STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES COST COMPETITIVE MAINTENANCE FRIENDLY

503.668.7211 | Toll-free: 855.668.7211 | www.wsbnw.com

A MERIC A N

SHOOTING JOURNAL

Volume 10 // Issue 6 // March 2021

PUBLISHER James R. Baker

WEBMASTER / INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines

GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak

INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Walgamott

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@americanshootingjournal.com

OFFICE MANAGER / COPY EDITOR Katie Aumann

ON THE COVER

LEAD CONTRIBUTOR Frank Jardim

Scott Haugen called in this spring gobbler to decoys two seasons ago while hunting in the foothills of western Oregon’s Cascade Range following more than a month of scouting the tom. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

CONTRIBUTORS Jim Dickson, Scott Haugen, Phil Massaro, Mike Nesbitt, Paul Pawela, Nick Perna SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold

DG Gentry Custom, LLC ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith

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

DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168

C U S TPRODUCTION OBaker M ASSISTANT GUN MAKER Kelly

(206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

D G

QUIET MUZZLE BRAKES! We offer 5/8x24 threads Gentry Custom, LLC

c u s t om g u n wo r k

QUIET MUZZLE BRAKES We offer 5/8x24 and many other threads

Visit our online store:

GentryCustom.com (406) 388-GUNS

Where Call us for guns are notCustom a Gun Work! hobby, BUT A Way Of Life...

3-POSITION SAFETIES For Mauser, Remington & CZ

DEALER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

GENTRYCUSTOM.COM • (406) 388-GUNS 12

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

CONTENTS

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 6

BULLET BULLETIN: UNLEADED, PLEASE … With lead-free projectiles here to stay, Phil Massaro spotlights eight great all-copper bullet lines for hunting everything from Mozambican reedbuck to Texas whitetail to Cape buffalo.

(PHIL MASSARO)

MORE FEATURES 30

SUPPRESSORS: LESS ‘BANG’ FOR YOUR BUCK With high interest in “cans” and plenty of manufacturers to choose from these days, Nick Perna takes a look at seven of the best units on the market for AR-type rifles.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SPOTLIGHT: OFFICER MIKHAIL VENIKOV After serving three tours as an Army Ranger, Police Officer Mikhail Venikov now focuses on keeping his California city safe and making the world a much better place for fellow military veterans. Nick Perna has a profile.

SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING: MARKSMANSHIP VS. POINT INDEX SHOOTING TRAINING METHODS The debate may rage among gun aficionados on how to train beginners on the finer points of shooting a handgun, but in his new column Paul Pawela argues why the point index method is the way to go.

ROADHUNTER: 10 TOP TIPS FOR TAGGING A TOM OR TWO (OR THREE!) Scott Haugen has been hunting turkeys throughout the West for over 30 years and with the spring season firing up soon, he shares 10 of his top tips for bagging gobblers.

COYOTES: THE SMALLEST DANGEROUS GAME “Hunting coyotes is much more than mere sport,” writes Jim Dickson, who has suffered the depredations of the wild dogs and worries about their impact on game – as well as their increasingly nervy behavior around humans. He shares tips and tactics for taking these tricksters.

BLACK POWDER: A SPECIAL .50-70 MATCH When Mike Nesbitt’s club held an informal match recently, it highlighted a great way to get started in black powder cartridge rifle shooting and competitions. Join the Black River Buffalo Runners on the firing line and around the prize table as Mike recounts some mighty fine doin’s.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2021 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

YOUR MUST-STOP BEFORE HUNTING & FISHING ON PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, ALASKA KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE, WHEN AND HOW!

CONTENTS

FEATURED COMPANY SPOTLIGHT: A TREAT FOR YOUR TRIGGER FINGER AND MORE Elftmann Tactical not only has drop-in triggers for AR-15s and AR-10s, but also select Remington and Savage rifle lines, plus safeties and aluminum stocks now.

Company SpotlightS Underwood Ammunition: Xtreme Series offers shooters of all kinds bullets with big impact 93 Western Range Camps: ‘Fully customizable state-of-theart RVs and camps’ for the public, drovers alike 105 Woodman’s Pal: Swiss engineering, Pennsylvania pride go into ‘all-in-one land management tool’ 53

DEPARTMENTS 23 27 (ELFTMANN TACTICAL)

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar

westernshootingjournal.com 19

PRIMER

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

March 5-7

March 12-14

March 11-13

April 10

HCSSC Spring Trap PTO Kerrville, Texas usashooting.org

2021 Central Florida Junior Olympic Rifle Qualifier Bartow, Fla.

March 25-28

2021 Roadrunner Shootout Clovis, Calif.

March 26-28 uspsa.org

April 8-11

2021 USPSA Area 6 Championship Salisbury, N.C.

April 23-25

Sugar Cane Classic Donaldsonville, La.

April 30-May 2

April 9-11

Dragons CupChampionships Odessa, Texas

2021 South Carolina Section Championship Belton, S.C.

March 6-7

March 20-21

April 10-11

March 12-14

March 20-21

April 10-11

River Bend Ballistic Challenge IX Dawsonville (Canton), Ga.

Northern California Glock Challenge XIII Yolo, Calif. Emerald Coast Glock Classic II Holt, Fla.

Glock West Coast Challenge VI Azusa, Calif. Table Rock Challenge IX Morganton, N.C.

April 17-18

Gem State Classic VII Boise, Idaho

Delaware State GSSF Challenge VI Bridgeville, Del.

March 5-7

March 28

March 20

April 10-17

March 5-6

March 27

April 16-17

March 26-27

April 9-11

April 30-May 1

Nevada State Championship Las Vegas, Nev. Western South Central Regional Shoot Abilene, Texas

Gulf Coast Regional Championship Eagle Lake, Texas idpa.com

Team Shooting Stars April 2021 PTO Carrollton, Texas

Sandy Ford Olympic Pistol Streator, Ill.

March 13-14

cmsaevents.com

April 17-18

Ozarks Classic 2021 Billings, Mo.

Ouachita Regional Challenge XI Monroe, La.

gssfonline.com

HCSSC Spring Skeet PTO Kerrville, Texas

Coastal Carolina Challenge Bolivia, N.C.

The Ultimate Gunfight Doswell, Va.

April 23-24

Southeastern Regional Championship Perry, Ga.

National Championship Tunica, Miss.

2021 Texas Femme Fatale IDPA Championship Whitewright, Texas 2021 VA Indoor Regional Chesapeake, Va.

2021 Arkansas IDPA State Championship Perryville, Ark. 2021 Maryland State Match Lexington Park, Md.

Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states have prescribed, and rapidly changing developments at press time, it is highly advisable to check ahead on the status of individual events via the links in the above organizers’ websites. americanshootingjournal.com 23

MORE THE MAN, THAN THE GUN.

ver hear the saying, “You couldn’t hit a bull in the butt with a bow-fiddle.” How fast can you swing a bow-fiddle? Are you chasing the bull? Or is the bull chasing you? People forget time frames with fast action in front of them, making for shorter moments to hit the bull. I learned in the military that it’s 95 percent boredom, punctuated by moments of “stark terror.” It is the transitions that are the hard part. Just like shooting a gun. Pistols are fastest, but rifles are more exacting in timing and procedure of humans’ decisions. Ballistics is physics. Half of your math is time. Everybody forgets the last part, and we’ve been lied to for 100 years how to shoot guns. Dumbing it down, forgetting science or just doing “what you feel” doesn’t work. Improving scales of resolutions of your technical info and applied discipline is all on you – the human. Clint Eastwood said, “You have to know your limitations.” Your human tactile thresholds are 0.6-pound pressure, 0.020 inch and 0.44-second reaction time. Typically, too slow and late. Think like faster camera shutter speed. The drag race “tree” lights are .4 or .5 second to green, and holeshot times are

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

2 to 5 milliseconds – fast. Think that last second in milliseconds to the coincidence decision moment. Buzz to fire. You should see the moment in your eye, and bang. Safety – on until ready to fire – is procedural conditional logic; you won’t hit the target if you don’t consistently repeat the procedure. At Gettysburg, carbines were found with eight to 10 balls in the barrels unfired. When you pull the trigger, either dry-fire or a live round of ammunition, what are you practicing? The gun’s performance? Or your shooting skills and proficiency? Your visual acuity and motion cues? Your muscle and nerve memory (nerve speed 112 meters/second)? Precision Rifle Series and National Rifle League add situational pressures as well as stage time and round limits. Hunting dangerous game brings stress into your environment. Accidental or negligent discharge is on the human. The gun can’t do anything without you – the human. I think that extreme long range shooting is the new frontier of resolution and accuracy. With ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 yards for shouldered rifles in current class of ammunition, accuracy resolutions below .001 degree are capable

from mechanical/chemical energy and mathematics refinements. Better “headspace and timing” show exponential improvement in performances with every gun; better equipment makes it easier. Choose the components that provide the best bang for you on the gun. First are scopes, for eye sight-line (information input device). Then triggers – for the human decision output device/timer. The action in view is not linear in time; watch for the changes of motions. “Wait for it.” Fire! On the “Y” of way – boom! The round leaves the gun in 2 milliseconds, 2,750 feet per second, 4 seconds flight time to a mile. If you pick the wrong coincidence decision moment to fire, the round occurs on the target not in time (typically late).

920-921-9641 huberconcepts.com

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

C&E Gun Shows

March 6-7

Sharonville, Ohio

Sharonville Convention Center

March 13-14

Hickory, N.C.

Hickory Metro Convention Center

March 20-21

Columbus, Ohio

Westland Mall

March 20-21

Raleigh, N.C.

NC State Fairgrounds

March 27-28

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio Expo Center

March 12-13

Farmington, Utah

County Fairgrounds

March 13-14

Queen Creek, Ariz.

Sports Complex

March 20-21

Orlando, Fla.

Central Florida Fairgrounds

March 27-28

Palmetto, Fla.

Bradenton Convention Center

March 5-6

Spirit Lake, Iowa

Dickinson County Expo Center

March 6-7

Wichita, Kan.

Century II Expo Hall

March 6-7

Springfield, Mo.

Ozark Empire Fairgrounds

March 13-14

Brandenburg, Ky.

Meade County Farm Bureau Building

March 13-14

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Mid-TN Expo Center

March 20-21

Kingsport, Tenn.

MeadowView Convention Center

March 20-21

Grovetown, Ga.

Columbia County Exhibition Center

March 27-28

Kansas City, Mo.

KCI Expo Center

Real Texas Gun Shows

March 6-7

Taylor, Texas

Williamson County Expo Center

therealtexasgunshow.com

March 20-21

Gonzales, Texas

J.B. Wells Expo Center

cegunshows.com

Crossroads Of The West Gun Shows crossroadsgunshows.com

Florida Gun Shows

floridagunshows.com

RK Shows rkshows.com

Tanner Gun Shows tannergunshow.com

All shows cancelled until further notice

Wes Knodel Gun Shows

No March shows

wesknodelgunshows.com Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states prescribed, and rapidly changing developments at press time, it is highly advisable to check ahead on the status of individual gun shows via the links in the above organizers’ websites. To have your event highlighted here, send an email to kaumann@media-inc.com.

americanshootingjournal.com 27

RANGESTORE.NET

teel Target Paint is a huge supporter of Steel Challenge, USPSA, IPSC, IDPA, Precision Rifle, 3-Gun, Rimfire Challenge, and everywhere that steel targets are being used. It has been formulated specifically for painting steel targets and is made in the USA by shooters, for shooters. Steel Target Paint is superior in every way to the “all-purpose” spray paint found in hardware stores, due to its high resin content and high-flow spray nozzle. “One Shot Covers the Spot,” so one 16-ounce spray can goes a long way! Sign up now for our Auto Re-Order Program to get 5 percent off plus free ground shipping at www.rangestore.net.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Surefire SOCOM556 Mini 2. (SHUTTERSTOCK)

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

SUPPRESSORS: LESS ‘BANG' FOR YOUR BUCK With high interest in 'cans' and plenty of manufacturers to pick from these days, here's a look at seven of the best units for AR-type rifles. STORY BY NICK PERNA

uppressors, or “cans,” are becoming a common accessory on the firearms of professionals and sport shooters. Once viewed as an assassin’s tool used by mobsters and spies, they are now used routinely by military, law enforcement and others. They are not “silencers,” as they used to be referred to. They decrease the decibel level, but they cannot silence a firearm. There are many advantages to

running a suppressor on your long gun. In the tactical realm, they allow operators to run their guns without hearing protection. This allows for ease of communication amongst operators. Bear in mind that ear protection is still a good idea, especially with rifles and when firing rounds traveling at supersonic speeds. Suppressors allow for more accurate, consistent shots through noise and, to a certain extent, recoil mitigation. Good suppressors don’t usually cause americanshootingjournal.com 31

a big difference in shot placement when compared to shooting the same firearm without a can. There are minimal differences in round velocity with a decrease of about 1 to 3 percent in round speed. In general, they make guns more enjoyable to shoot. THERE ARE A few disadvantages worth mentioning. Some suppressors can cause more buildup of carbon and other debris inside of a weapon, so more cleaning may be required. There is also a safety concern anytime you attach an item to the end of a barrel. That being said, a good quality suppressor paired with a properly adapted bore – one with threads or specially designed flash suppressor – generally mitigates those issues. For any number of reasons, steer clear of homemade jobs. The potential for a catastrophic malfunction when a high-velocity round strikes an internal part of a poorly made can is a distinct possibility. Besides, it’s illegal. Suppressors get hot; really hot! The internet is full of videos of red-hot cans burning brightly after sustained fire. Care must be taken to avoid contacting them after shooting. There are suppressor sleeves available that are made out of burn-resistant materials that can help as well.

Surefire SOCOM556 Mini 2.

One other drawback of note for non-military/non-law enforcement folks is what’s involved in purchasing one. Some states don’t allow them, and in the ones that do, paperwork needs to be filed with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to own one. Turnaround times for processing the paperwork is six to nine months and a $200 tax stamp has to be purchased. This was the price set by the government in 1934 to try to make “silencers” out of reach for most folks. Nowadays, it’s still money no one wants to part with, but it’s comparatively a lot less painful. Despite all that, a suppressor can reduce the decibel level of a firearm by 25 to 40 decibels, which is significant. The noise level varies depending on the type of suppressor used, type of firearm and type of ammo, especially if subsonic rounds can be used. In some instances, a subsonic round may not have enough energy to cycle the action of a semiautomatic or fully automatic weapon. Like suppressors, though, there have been great advancements in the development and production of subsonic ammo to

mitigate this and firearms can be modified to handle these lighter loads. THE MARKET IS currently flooded with suppressor manufacturers. For consumers, this means there are a lot of good cans to choose from. This also means there are suppressors available in just about every price range. The weapons of choice for suppressors are AR-15s and their fullauto cousin, the M4. There is a great selection of cans available for 5.56 AR, as well as those chambered in .308 and other calibers. Here is a look at some of the best suppressors for AR-type rifles. SUREFIRE SOCOM556 MINI 2 Surefire is a mainstay in the suppressor business. They supply many of the cans used by the US military and law enforcement. As the name implies, it’s in use by SOCOM, the Special Operations Command. The Mini is compact at 5 inches and weighs under a pound. They can be had for around $1,000, so it’s a little pricey but worth the money. It works with the Surefire SOCOM 3 flash hider, which also allows other Surefire cans to be mounted to it and works well as a flash hider on its own. I’ve used Surefire brand suppressors extensively and have found them to be excellent, durable products. SILENCERCO SPECWAR 556 The Specwar model features a fastattach mounting system, which means it can be removed and attached in seconds. They use a proprietary manufacturing technique referred to as True Bore that ensures precise bore alignment,

(SUREFIRE)

SilencerCo Specwar 556. (SILENCERCO)

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Griffin Armament Paladin 5. (GRIFFIN ARMAMENT)

which means minimal point of impact shift. In other words, the rounds will hit in pretty much the same place, regardless of whether the can is mounted or not. It brings the noise level down to around 133 decibels. You can pick one up for about $650. O.S.S. SUPPRESSORS HELIX 5.56 IFM6 The IFM6 is a good suppressor that can be used with multiple weapons when used with the STS muzzle brake. It is a threaded system with the can being threaded onto the muzzle brake. This makes a good choice for the owner who wants to run it on multiple platforms. The company guarantees the suppressor won’t come loose during fire. It is 8 inches long, weighs in at 23 ounces and will bring the noise level down to 132 decibels. Cost: $1,199. GRIFFIN ARMAMENT PALADIN 5 The Paladin 5 is lightweight at 12.5

Dead Air Sandman-S. (DEAD AIR SILENCERS)

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

ounces. It uses titanium components to help keep the weight down. Size-wise it is just over 6 inches, making it pretty compact. Sound levels are around 131 decibels. It includes a tapermount minimalist muzzle brake for mounting, armorer’s wrench, tool kit and pouch for $850. This is one of the lowest priced cans out there. DEAD AIR SANDMAN-S Enter the Sandman. The Sandman-S is a fully-auto-rated can that weighs 17.7 ounces and is 6.8 inches in length. It’s built to take a beating and is considered to be one of the toughest cans out there. There are no barrel length restrictions when pairing it with a rifle. Cost: $850.

OSS Helix 5.56 IFM6. (OSS)

SIG SAUER SRD556 The SRD556 is different from aforementioned models since it requires a threaded barrel to mount to. This results in a lower cost ($650) since no specific muzzle brake has to be mounted. As an added bonus, when permanently attached to an AR barrel, it counts towards the legal definition of the overall length of the barrel. Overall length is 6.4 inches with a weight of 14.5 ounces. SILENT LEGION MULTI-CALIBER This suppressor can easily be converted to work with 5.56/.223, .300 Blackout, .308, .300 Win Mag and 6.8 SPC. It MSRPs at $1,379, but given that it will work with multiple calibers, it is like getting multiple cans for one price. That

Introducing the Dragoon QD 350 Titanium Rifle Suppressor from TiON Inc. TiON Inc is proud to introduce the revolutionary Dragoon QD 350 suppressor utilizing Total Breakdown Technology (TBT) and our Gas Indexing Technology (GIT) [U.S. Patent 9,410,761]. GIT allows the rotational orientation of baffles in a given stack providing optimum sound reduction capabilities for the 9mm pistol caliber shot from a rifle. Top rated sound reduction is achieved in the primary .350 Legend and 9mm calibers and very good performance in .300 Blackout. As a bonus the suppressor will achieve good hearing safe performance on .223/5.56mm and .308 Winchester bolt action rifles. In a market where heavy, welded, non-serviceable designs are the norm; the Dragoon distinguishes itself with an all Titanium takedown design. The TiON design with TBT allows the user to remove, clean and service ALL Components. The Dragoon QD 350 suppressor is machined from solid Titanium Bar Stock eliminating any weld failure points creating an extremely durable and light weight suppressor that can be serviced down to the piece parts. Our Quick Disconnect design allows for one handed 2 second mounting/removal and achieves total repeatability of shot group. This QD design and smallest suppressor diameter in the industry facilitates sliding under many metal firearm forends with short barrels for fast attachment without the need to have a removable forend section. Seven QD mounts and flash hider/mounts are available in 13.5X1LHM, 1/2X28, 5/8X24 and 9/16X24 threads. All our mounts are Titanium adding to the unsurpassed light weight of the suppressor.

DRAGOON .350 QD TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Caliber:

Optimized for Rifles & Pistols with Braces chambered in 9mm and .350 Legend. Secondarily, it performs very well with .22LR, .300 Blackout. Bonus, Hearing safe on bolt action 5.56mm & .308Win rifles.

Finish:

Black, FDE Cerakote and Clear Cerakote Gunmetal Finish

Length:

8.0 inches

Diameter: 1.375 inches Weight:

12.2 oz. Sound Pressure Level (Mil-Std 1474D Test @ 1 meter) 9mm 147gr Winchester Train & Defend 16” BBL 121dB .350 Legend 255gr Winchester Subsonic 16” BBL 133dB .300 Blackout 220gr Remington Subsonic 16” BBL 130dB

Material: 6AL-4V Annealed Titanium QD Spring – Stainless Compression Bushing - Brass MSRP: $1285.00 Additional Mounts MSRP: $125.00 to $160.00

www.tioninc.com Call: (717) 227-9060 suppressors@tioninc.com

also includes two flash hider mounts for 5.56 and .308. It is 7.5 inches long and weighs 16 ounces. THERE ARE MANY good suppressor options out there today and there has never been a better time to buy one. As with all things fun in the firearms world, I recommend buying one sooner rather than later. You never know what is going to end up on the government’s “naughty list.”  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 issues.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Silent Legion Multi-caliber. (SILENT LEGION SUPPRESSORS)

Sig Sauer SRD556. (SIG SAUER)

FEATURED COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

TREAT YOUR TRIGGER FINGER

AR-15 drop-in trigger is available for multiple shooting applications, including 3-gun and service.

Elftmann Tactical not only has drop-in triggers for AR-15s and AR-10s, but also select Remington, Savage rifle lines, plus safeties, aluminum stocks. PHOTOS BY ELFTMANN TACTICAL

elmed by the duo of Art Elftmann and Art Elftmann, Sr., Arizona-based Elftmann Tactical’s high-performance drop-in triggers for the AR-15 and AR10 have taken the industry by storm. With a design unlike any other on the market, ELF triggers feature aerospace-grade sealed bearings – making for an incredibly smooth and fast trigger pull – and adjustability without the need for special tools or removal of the trigger from the lower receiver. Other features include a drop safety, full ¼-inch-width disconnector and a modular design.

The AR-15 drop-in trigger is available for multiple shooting applications, including 3-gun (built for winning competitions) and service (built for law enforcement and military duty), but any AR enthusiast, shooter or hunter will appreciate the amazingly short takeup, glass-rod crisp break and next to zero overtravel that the trigger offers. Elftmann Tactical has also introduced ELF Precision Rifle Triggers for the Remington 700 and Savage 110. With the incredible feel and crisp break that ELF triggers are known for, as

ELF 700 SE precision rifle trigger.

americanshootingjournal.com 39

FEATURED COMPANY SPOTLIGHT well as the proprietary aerospacegrade sealed bearings, this is the pinnacle of drop-in trigger systems for precision rifles. In addition to their lineup of drop-in triggers, Elftmann Tactical has several other innovative parts and accessories on offer, including the AR15/AR-10 Ambidextrous Speed Safety. With no rotation necessary and no shifting of the shooter’s hand needed, the Ambidextrous Speed Safety is the fastest safety selector to engage and disengage on the market. Also available from Elftmann Tactical is the Ultralight Aluminum Stock, which at 5.2 ounces is the lightest all-metal adjustable stock produced today. All Elftmann Tactical products are manufactured in the US and are backed with a lifetime guarantee.  Editor’s note: For more information, visit elftactical.com.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

ELF Savage 110 SE precision rifle trigger.

AR-15/AR-10 ambidextrous speed safety.

ELF ultralight aluminum stock.

L.E. SPOTLIGHT

LAW ENFORCEMENT HERO: MIKHAIL VENIKOV After serving three tours as an Army Ranger, police officer keeps his California city safe, makes the world a better place for vets. STORY BY NICK PERNA PHOTOS BY MIKHAIL VENIKOV

t first glance, Mikhail Venikov looks like he could be an extra Cobra Kai bad guy in a Karate Kid movie. He does have an extensive background in mixed martial arts and is an MMA competitor, but that’s where the similarities end. In reality, Venikov is an exceptionally nice guy, a police officer and a military veteran who is a champion for the rights of his fellow vets. Venikov runs a non-profit charity, Ranger Road, that assists veterans during the difficult transition from military to civilian life and beyond. Venikov himself was an Army Ranger with three combat tours under his belt. He also competed in and won the 2006 Best Ranger Competition. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Best Ranger is a 72-hour “suck fest” designed to test the best Special Operations folks in the US military in highly demanding physical and mental challenges. Few are chosen to compete, even less complete it, and only two Rangers, working on the same team, win it each year. After completing his enlistment, Venikov attended the Sacramento Sheriff’s Police Academy. He is currently a police officer with the city of San Mateo, California. He is on their Special Weapons and Tactics,

Officer Mikhail Venikov, a policeman in the San Francisco Bay Area, interacts with happy youngsters.

or SWAT, Team and has worked as a detective in units dealing with gang members and drug dealers. AS THE FOUNDER of Ranger Road, Venikov assists transitioning veterans by hosting events where they can get together and do fun things. And by fun things, I mean skydiving, scuba diving, hunting, MMA and boxing, just to name a few. They have teamed with the Professional Fighter’s League to host the Cage Side Warriors program, in which vets get to attend actual MMA events. Ranger Road members get to

train in MMA and boxing with Team Alpha Male, a professional fight camp in Sacramento. Members can also get certified as open-water scuba divers, and can do single or tandem skydiving jumps. Ranger Road Skydiving program manager Alejandro Jauregui is a disabled veteran and former 82nd Airborne paratrooper. Despite being a double amputee, Jauregui is an avid skydiver, trains in MMA and competes in Spartan Race events. Ranger Road also participates in Spartan Races through their Operation Gut Check, and through americanshootingjournal.com 43

L.E. SPOTLIGHT Ranger Road Motors, vets get to experience driving race cars. Another program, Operation Rustic Healing, allows members to participate in outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. Operation Rustic Healing program manager Kyle Sayre is another disabled veteran; he lost one of his legs while serving in Iraq. MANY OF THE members who benefit from Ranger Road are veterans who have experienced PTSD from trauma endured in combat while defending our country. Others, like Jauregui and Sayre, have suffered physical injuries while in the service. Still more are dealing with trying to adjust to civilian life after their time in the service. Less than 7 percent of Americans have served their country in the armed forces. Even fewer have experienced physical and mental trauma related to combat and other experiences. Ranger Road provides veterans with a support system and a chance to engage with other likeminded folks who represent such a small minority of this country’s

After three combat tours, Venikov returned home and attended the Sacramento Sheriff’s Police Academy.

Venikov (at left) after winning the 2006 Best Ranger Competition, which author Nick Perna describes as a 72-hour “suck fest” that tests the country’s best Special Operations soldiers.

population. Ranger Road capitalizes on giving veterans the chance to participate in the same kind of exciting events they may have been involved in during their time in the service. MIKHAIL VENIKOV SERVED his country in combat as an Army Ranger, keeps his

Ranger Road members get to train in MMA and boxing with Team Alpha Male, a professional fight camp in Sacramento.

Venikov and the Ranger Road crew doing scuba, skydiving and endurance marathons.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

community safe as a California police officer and makes the world a better place for those who have given all they have for their country, America’s veterans. For more information, go to rangerroad.org. They are always looking for volunteers and donations are appreciated. 

Operation Rustic Healing allows members to participate in outdoor activities like hunting and fishing.

Custom Guns

“LONGSLIDE HUNTER” GARY REEDER CUSTOM GUNS is proud to announce the continuance of our very popular LONGSLIDE HUNTER. This beauty is built on our own frame and slide from the ground up. It is finished in a satin Black Chromex and is built the way you want it. It is chambered in the caliber of your choosing, 10mm or 45 ACP plus you get to pick the serial number. You can also have your name engraved on it at no extra charge. It has your choice of burl walnut grips or any of the exotic woods. It has a full action job and is super slick and accurate. The gun is full custom and built the way you like and guaranteed accurate. We have been building full custom 1911s since 1987 and this is one of the nicest yet. The LONGSLIDE HUNTER - $1995 • 10 to 12 month delivery in most cases.

Hand Built For Hardcore Use (559) 478-5475 www.taprackholsters.com

Tap Rack Holsters is a leading provider of premium American-made gun holsters and knife sheaths. Our products are the result of 40 plus years of combined experience in the military and law enforcement field using American made materials. Every Tap Rack holster and sheath is handcrafted using extreme care, precision and built to last because we’re dedicated to providing premium quality products our customers can rely on.

a PREMIUM QUALITY a FULLY FUNCTIONAL a LIFETIME WARRANTY a CUSTOM BUILDS a BUILT FOR EXTREME USE a MADE IN AMERICA a BUILT WITH AMERICAN MATERIALS AND PARTS a MADE BY AMERICANS AND VETERANS

Self-Defense TRAINING

MARKSMANSHIP VS. POINT INDEX SHOOTING TRAINING METHODS Which is best for the beginner? STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAUL PAWELA

he debate rages among gun aficionados on how to train beginners on the fine points of shooting a handgun. Some trainers start out with the fundamentals of marksmanship: 1) Steady hold; 2) Proper breathing; 3) Focus on the front sight; 4) Practice rear sight alignment; and 5) Gently squeeze (don’t jerk) the trigger. Others favor starting with the “point index” shooting training method: 1) Crush grip on the gun; 2) Center line the body and index the firearm straight to eye-level as you’re pointing a finger looking over the sights, not looking through them; 3) Shoulder and pelvis are slightly bent in a good fighting stance with the arms extended and locked out; 4) When shooting begins, never regrip the gun or lower to see where your hits are. Shoot three to four groups at whatever distance (no longer than 30 feet) before verifying the target. So, who is right? Actually, they both are. But the problem is that marksmanship advocates often fail to inform new shooters that this methodology takes thousands of repetitions to create the muscle memory to perfect (and with today’s current ammo shortage, good luck with that). Point index shooting, on the other hand, takes three to five minutes to become proficient for personal defense purposes. Marksmanship focuses on target

Author Paul Pawela teaches the one-handed point index shooting method while guest instructing at the Chinese Karate Federation’s annual event. A SIRT Training Gun was used for instruction.

shooting, while point index shooting emphasizes shooting for self-defense, which greatly differs from poking holes into targets. TARGET VS. TACTICAL SHOOTING Personally, I favor point index shooting if we’re talking handguns because it was designed for up-close self-defense situations. Time and again, we find what works well for target shooting bears little resemblance to a tactical

shooting situation. One of my first shooting instructors/ mentors was retired Command Sergeant Major Eric Haney (he was an activeduty master sergeant when I trained with him and I was a sergeant). He was one of the original members of Delta Force and the author of Inside Delta Force, the book that inspired the popular television show The Unit. To quote Haney from his book: “Pistols are a trade-off, trading range americanshootingjournal.com 49

SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING

Pawela, here posing as a bad guy with a knife, argues that marksmanship training takes “a significant amount of practice to fully master,” a big ask in a time of bullet shortages, while point index shooting is all about just “getting multiple hits rapidly on target.”

and accuracy for portability and concealability. … Most shooting is based on methods used in target shooting – staring at the front sight. Close range gun fighting is a world away from target shooting.” Consider that in the majority of citizen-involved self-defense shootings, most conflicts occur within arm’s reach, with the longest distance being about 30 feet or the length of two cars (the car is the number one location for assaults on citizens). However, many people waste bullets and time trying to hone skills with handguns at absurd distances from 25 to 100 yards. Spend time training for what is probable, not possible. Under stress in a fight or flight situation, the body will instinctively crouch and subconsciously push away from the danger by creating distance. If armed, you will automatically crouch and extend your arms, placing them at eye-level. So why not practice this method even before you begin the basic marksmanship techniques? It will 50

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

create confidence, which leads to practical experience. Historically, the fundamentals of marksmanship originated with rifle shooting. The theory was that if armed with a rifle, one has distance, and if there is distance, there is time: time to focus on breathing, time to get proper front sight/rear sight alignment, time to slowly squeeze the trigger. These are all the things one needs to do to become a competitive shooter or a distinguished marksman. Unfortunately, this training is commonplace for handguns as well, and it takes a significant amount of practice to fully master. In the process, new shooters often develop “target fixation” and are frustrated by the inability to constantly hit the bull’s-eye. EASY-TO-MASTER METHOD The point index shooting method I prefer is the same, whether you are shooting two-handed or one-handed, in the case of a person holding onto a loved one or dealing with an injured

hand during the course of a deadly encounter. In fact, I am so confident of this method that I often bet my students a steak dinner that I can have them shooting proficiently in five minutes or less; in the last 12 years, I have taught over 6,000 people this method and have not had to buy one dinner! I care far less about grouping targets than I do about getting multiple hits rapidly on target because at the end of the day, we are concerned with stopping the threat. That means to shoot as many rounds as needed. When a person can put their rounds inside the number 10 target ring, that gives us confidence. Marksmanship can come later. A handgun is a self-preservation tool used at close distances; gunfighting is a world away from target shooting. If you’re a new shooter, why not train for the worst-case scenario first? That’s just my two cents.  Editor’s note: Paul Pawela is a nationally recognized firearms and self-defense expert.

The Xtreme Defender is based on the popular Xtreme Penetrator product line. The XD ammunition has an optimized nose flute, total weight, and velocity to achieve a penetration depth up to 18 inches* with a permanent wound cavity (PWC) that is just simply enormous; no other expanding hollowpoint comes close to achieving anywhere near this diameter and volume. Not only is the PWC over 100% larger than any other expanding bullet, expansion is achieved despite being shot through barriers. The solid copper body ensures that wallboard, sheet metal, and automotive glass will have no effect on the PWC.

5730 Bottom Rd. Sparta, Illinois 62286

*Falling within FBI guidelines This round offers: A permanent Wound Cavity (PWC) that is 2 times greater than any expanding bullet reduced recoil. CNC machined from solid copper to overcome barriers to penetration Radial flutes that force the hydraulic energy inward to build pressure Minimal surface area to increase the force at the point of contact and sharp cutting edges that defeat barriers.

Call us: (618) 965-2109 www.underwoodammo.com

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

PENETRATING THE MARKET Underwood Ammunition’s Xtreme Series offers shooters of all kinds bullets with big impact. PHOTOS BY UNDERWOOD AMMUNITION

nderwood Ammunition is a family-owned business started by Kevin Underwood in Charleston, West Virginia. A lifelong shooting enthusiast, Underwood began reloading in his spare time. Quickly, a small reloading press turned into an entire loading operation, including presses and stations set up for over 60 calibers and counting. With a rapidly growing business, Underwood Ammo relocated and built a brand-new facility in Sparta, Illinois. Now, the company offers a vast array of handgun and rifle ammo for selfdefense, target shooting and hunting purposes. But the most sought-after products in their lineup are those in the Xtreme Series – Xtreme Penetrator, Xtreme Defender and Xtreme Hunter – thanks to the incredible amount of permanent wound cavity they achieve. “Lehigh Defense’s design, combined with our trademark power and precision, makes for some serious hunting and defensive ammunition,” explains Sande Wasson, the company’s office manager. “The radial flutes of the Penetrator force the hydraulic energy inward and then as the energy is restricted, it accelerates outward creating high pressure spikes, damaging surrounding tissue. Kind of similar to sticking your thumb over a garden hose.” The Xtreme Defender has an optimized nose flute, total weight, and velocity to achieve a penetration depth up to 18 inches with a permanent wound cavity, or PWC, that is just simply enormous; no other expanding

Underwood Ammunition’s bullet lines include the Xtreme Defender, Xtreme Hunter and Xtreme Penetrator.

hollowpoint comes close to achieving anywhere near this diameter and volume. Not only is the PWC over 100 percent larger than any other expanding bullet, but expansion is achieved despite being shot through barriers. The solid copper body ensures that wallboard, sheet metal and automotive glass will have no effect on the PWC. The Xtreme Penetrator, meanwhile, has a penetration depth of over 18 inches, making it a much more appropriate choice for woods use. The Xtreme Hunter is a hybrid of the Defender and Penetrator, utilizing a Defender’s nose geometry to provide excellent wounding and deep penetration at the same time. The solid copper body ensures that thick hide,

bone, and any other barrier will have minimal effect on the PWC. All of Underwood Ammunition’s products are manufactured with absolute care during the loading process to ensure consistent quality. Each round is individually sight-inspected before being packaged. “At Underwood, we are proud to be known for loading our products to their full potential with a drive to make the best ammunition on the market,” says Wasson. “Underwood Ammo is rooted in a love for everything shooting and that is carried into every product we make.”  Editor’s note: For more information, visit underwoodammo.com. americanshootingjournal.com 53

AILER R T L E V A R T R U O Y GET A R T P U P O P R O , S TRAILER

TWO GREAT LOCATION

Our 20th Year 12414 Meridian E Puyallup, WA 253-435-7751

southhillr

NEW DESTINATION TRAILER 2021 FOREST RIVER SALEM GRAND VILLA 42FLDL

WA’s #1 RV Dealer

ABLE D N A P X E , S R E L U A , TOY H S L E E H W H T IF F , S ILER RING. P S R O F E IM T IN S TRAILER

ATIONS TO SERVE YOU

r u O g n i t a r b e l Ce ! m l e Y n i r a e Y t 1s 1500 W Yelm Ave Yelm, WA 360-960-8141

hillrv.com

NEW DESTINATION TRAILER 2021 FOREST RIVER SALEM GRAND VILLA 42DL

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

BULLET BULLETIN

A lineup of varying brands of copper monometal projectiles, suitable for use on game from coyotes and foxes all the way to buffalo and elephant.

UNLEADED, PLEASE …

With lead-free projectiles here to stay, these are eight great all-copper bullets for hunting, shooting. STORY BY PHIL MASSARO • PHOTOS BY MASSARO MEDIA GROUP

might be dating myself, but I am old enough to remember when unleaded gas was an option over regular (leaded) gasoline. Lead often gets a bad rap, due to its toxicity to people when exposed to high levels. However, the malleability of lead makes it an excellent choice for projectiles, especially during the centuries when firearms underwent radical developments. The simple muzzleloader, firing a

patched round ball, could be well fed with a bullet mold and a healthy supply of lead. Our earliest projectiles for what we consider modern cartridges were either pure lead or some sort of lead alloy, hardened a bit to resist premature deformation. To this day, the majority of our rifle and handgun projectiles are comprised of a lead core surrounded by a jacket of copper, and lead shot remains a popular choice for most anything other than waterfowl. As

I stated, lead can be toxic, and it was in the mid-1980s that lead shot was first banned for use on waterfowl. Leaded gas, lead paint; right on down the line, lead gets more and more removed from our everyday lives. But it wasn’t always a bad thing. Lead’s beneficial use in handgun and rifle projectiles is undeniable, however it does have certain limitations. It can be too malleable – as John Nosler found out in the 1940s when his bullets came americanshootingjournal.com 57

BULLET BULLETIN The Barnes TTSX (with blue polymer tip) and Barnes TSX are tough bullets, suitable for nearly all hunting situations.

apart on the shoulder of a bull moose – and for decades, bullet manufacturers have been engineering different designs to come up with the best balance of expansion and penetration. It was Randy Brooks, then-owner of Barnes Bullets, who had the idea of removing the lead core altogether and using just copper for his projectile to avoid jacket/core separation, all the way back in 1979. By 1986 his idea had

The Nosler Ballistic Tip, a typical cup-and-core design that uses a copper jacket and lead core.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

come to fruition when he took the first head of big game with his lead-free X bullet. That Alaskan brown bear fell to a 270-grain Barnes X from his .375 H&H Magnum, and began a whole new facet of the ammunition industry. Fast forward to 2013, and you’ll see California pass a bill prohibiting the use of all lead ammunition for hunting on public and private land, supposedly in an effort to remove the risk of

The Barnes TSX copper alloy monometal bullet; note the lack of a lead core.

condors and other scavengers being poisoned by lead bullet fragments or shot in gut piles. I’m not here to debate the validity of those studies or the merits of the subsequent laws, but to show the effects on the bullet industry, and that is to say that the lead-free projectiles are here to stay. And, while Barnes remains a leader in the copper bullet industry, they are not the only player in the game. In fact, just about every major player in the bullet manufacturing industry has one sort of lead-free monometal bullet or another. Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics of the copper bullets, what makes them tick, and I’ll highlight a few of my favorite designs. THE COPPER CONUNDRUM Copper, by nature, is less dense than lead, so when comparing a lead-core bullet to a copper bullet – of the same shape, weight and diameter – the copper bullet will always be longer. This does a

BULLET BULLETIN

Author Phil Massaro with a Texas whitetail taken cleanly with Federal Trophy Copper 90-grain .243 Winchester ammo.

couple of different things: It changes the center of gravity and it usually requires the bullet to take up more space within the case. In those cases where the volume is already a bit compromised – like the .308 Winchester, 7mm08 Remington and .350 Remington Magnum – the heavier copper bullet

can pose an issue, as it will eat up a considerable amount of space. In the instance that a lead-core bullet is at or near the edge of stable flight, many times a copper bullet of the same shape and weight will not be stable. For example, the 6.5mms will assuredly stabilize a 140-grain cup-and-core bullet

The Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid is just about the perfect medicine for dangerous game, and works equally well on lighter game.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

with the standard 1-in-8-inch or 1-in9-inch twist rates, but not a 140-grain copper bullet; the length is just too much to stabilize. This will pose an issue with the target crowd, who rely on that combination of bullet weight and conformation to retain every last bit of velocity for a flat trajectory. For the hunting crowd, who require the proper terminal performance to ensure a quick, humane kill, the copper bullets really shine. Generally speaking, they are very tough – sometimes too tough – and will definitely reach the vital organs. Copper is not only lighter than lead, but is less malleable. Hence the reason it has been so successful as a jacket material: It is just soft enough to be engraved by the rifling in the steel barrel, yet is hard enough not to “smear” down the barrel like soft lead will.

• •

REVOLUTIONARY NEW 2-PIECE NAS3 CASE TECHNOLOGY: 50% LIGHTER THAN BRASS Nickel-Plated Aluminum Base

High Tensile Nickel-Alloy Cylinder

• Less wear on ejector pin • Can be color coded for ID/branding

• • • •

2 x pressure rating (over 70k PSI) Higher tensile strength and elasticity Corrosion resistant Reloadable using S3 Reload dies

WWW.SHELLSHOCKTECH.COM

5.56 MM

UNLOADED CASES AVAILABLE FROM SHELL SHOCK TECHNOLOGIES. 9MM CASES G AVAILABLE NOW, OTHER CALIBERS IN M COMING SOON. SEE WEBSITE O FOR MANUFACTURERS OF LOADED AMMO

SOON...

BULLET BULLETIN The secret to the best copper hunting bullets is to get them to expand properly and reliably. Brooks went through several designs with his hollowpoint Barnes X until he got what he was after; some of the earliest designs didn’t expand and acted much like a solid, whistling through at caliber dimension. With the TSX, TTSX and LRX, that is no

longer the case. Most copper bullets will feature either a hollowpoint or a polymer tip inserted into a hollow cavity to get the bullet to expand. There are a few exceptions to that rule, namely the Peregrine Bushmaster and PlainsMaster, the North Fork Cup Solid and the Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid. Additionally, most copper monometals

will feature multiple grooves cut in the shank of the bullet to reduce the amount of bearing surface, in order to minimize the amount of copper fouling. The original Barnes X had no grooves and fouling was an issue. I spent a considerable amount of time using an ammonia-based bore cleaner and a nylon brush, scrubbing copper fouling out of the bore of my favorite rifles. For the handloaders, you’ll often find that the copper monometals will perform best with powders on the faster end of the spectrum; I suspect the lesser amount of bearing surface creates a more even pressure with the faster powders. And, for reasons I cannot explain, I’ve had great success with copper bullets and ball powders. FAVORITE DESIGNS The following copper bullet designs are some of my favorites. The Barnes TSX, TTSX and LRX. The Barnes bullets are among the best you could ask for, and they’ve never let me down in the field. I’ve either used them personally or loaded them for friends and clients in cartridges from .243 Winchester up to the .505 Gibbs. They are accurate, hit hard and kill quickly. For hunting at longer ranges, the TTSX and LRX – with the polymer tip – offer a bit flatter trajectory and will retain a bit more energy. Retained weight is usually in the 90-plus-percent range, if you Hornady’s GMX, shown here in 6mm, 80 grains. Though a bit lighter than normal deer hunting bullets, the stout construction will ensure the vitals are reached.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

X, in ns. bit al ng ut ill als d.

americanshootingjournal.com 63

BULLET BULLETIN Massaro with a Mozambican reedbuck ram taken with the Heym SR30 HPPR (High Performance Precision Rifle) in .300 Winchester Magnum and Barnes LRX bullets.

recover a bullet at all, as pass-throughs are very common. The Hornady GMX. Hornady’s GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) features their signature red polymer tip and has been a great bullet. I’ve loaded this in the .300 Savage for a California pig hunter, as well as in the .30-338 wildcat and the 9.3x62 Mauser; all the hunters were more than pleased. The Federal Trophy Copper. Federal’s monometal is a tough, accurate and dependable bullet. I’ve used it in the .243 Winchester to put a big Texas whitetail down in its tracks, quite literally, and I’ve seen it bring a vintage .300 Holland & Holland to life. This polymer-tipped boattail is loaded in Federal’s Trophy Copper line, in cartridges from .270 WSM, 7mm WSM and .300 WSM to the 6.5 Creedmoor, .30-06 Springfield and .300 Winchester Magnum, to the .280 Ackley Improved. The Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid. Hailing from Australia, Federal’s Trophy Copper load – shown here in the excellent .300 Holland & Holland Magnum, 180 grains – is a formidable bullet that delivers both great accuracy and terminal ballistics.

Handloading the .416 Ruger, using 400-grain Barnes TSX bullets; this particular load printed three-shot groups measuring .68 MOA.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

americanshootingjournal.com 65

BULLET BULLETIN The author’s Heym Express by Martini in .404 Jeffery shoots the 400-grain Woodleigh Hydro into sub-MOA groups, and is one of his favorite bullets for dangerous game.

Cutting Edge Bullets Raptor hollowpoints, loaded in the classic .416 Rigby.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Just in case anyone thought the monometal bullets in the big safari guns weren’t accurate, here is an example of what the .505 Gibbs can do with the 525-grain Woodleigh Hydro Solids.

The Cutting Edge Bullets Safari Raptor; these are designed to have the ogive break into small blades for trauma upon impact, while the base gives deep penetration, staying at caliber dimension.

Woodleigh has long embraced classic bullet designs, modeled after centuryold designs, for vintage rifles. On the opposite end of the spectrum, their Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid is a radical design, using a small dish at the nose of the bullet to create a cavitation bubble ahead of the bullet. This both destroys blood-rich tissue in a 6- to 8-inch radius around the bullet’s path, and clears a pathway for the bullet. That dish expands ever so slightly, and if I were forced to choose just one bullet for all game animals, including hippo, buffalo and

elephant, it would be this design. I took a huge Zimbabwean bull elephant with a 400-grain Hydro from my .404 Jeffery; the penetration and trauma from two body shots was very impressive. The Cutting Edge Raptor. Here’s another very unique design, with the ogive of the bullet designed to break into small blades to cause massive trauma for the first 6 inches or so, while the base of the bullet stays at caliber dimension for deep penetration. They are accurate, and their terminal performance on thin-

21st Century Shooter/Reloader Precision Products

Hybrid-X Shooting Rest Introducing the new Hybrid-X Shooting Rest

√ Hybrid between a joystick & a traditional “wheel” rest

√ Ease of Control

√ Smooth operation

√ Easily self align the rifle and rear bag

Key Features • Windage range is more than you would ever need • Elevation is not lost from shot to shot even if the control stick is let go • Total weight is 28 lbs • Weight of the rifle is not a factor for the ease of controls because of the ball screws/bearing blocks in the post • Designed, machined and built in the USA

ENTER FBOOK10 AND RECEIVE 10% OFF ORDER

260-273-9909 www.21stcenturyshooting.com

BULLET BULLETIN

South Africa’s Peregrine Bullets – shown here are the flatnose BushMasters and the spitzer PlainsMasters – are a unique design that are fantastic in the hunting fields.

skinned game species is amazing. The Peregrine BushMaster and PlainsMaster. Peregrine Bullets – from the Republic of South Africa – makes a unique monometal bullet that relies on the compression of air to guarantee expansion. Using a

copper bullet with a hollow cavity that is capped with a bronze cap or plunger (depending on model), the bullet’s ogive is driven outward, radially, from the axis of travel. You see, the air in that cavity under cap isn’t easily compressed,

This Cape buffalo bull was taken with the 500-grain Peregrine BushMaster from a .470 NE Heym double rifle.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Three 500-grain Peregrine BushMaster bullets recovered from a pair of Zimbabwean Cape buffalo, taken with the author’s Heym 89B double in .470 NE.

and the copper walls of the bullet will blow outward upon impact, giving excellent expansion, and the long copper base ensures deep penetration. I’ve killed four Cape buffalo with this bullet, and it’s become one of my favorites. 

americanshootingjournal.com 69

ROAD HUNTER

Author Scott Haugen has been hunting turkeys throughout the West for over 30 years and credits much of his success to preseason scouting and preparation. He called this lone tom into a pair of Dave Smith Decoys, his favorite faux gobblers to use.

10 TOP TIPS FOR TAGGING A TOM OR TWO

Expert shares three decades’ worth of turkey hunting wisdom for chasing gobblers in the West. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

ocused on a full-strut decoy 25 yards in front of my blind, the approaching tom had no idea I was near. When his bright red, white and blue head stood at attention, he never knew what hit him. It was my third and final Oregon tom that spring, and while the mature tom came in as I’d hoped, the hunt – and the season – was far from simple. A lot of preseason scouting and

preparation went into making my hunts a success, a theme I’ve grown accustomed to in my more than 30 years of hunting these grand birds. Combined with a month of hunting to fill three tags, my two months of preseason scouting is what ultimately paid off. While I learn something on each hunt, there are certain details I pay attention to year after year. For me,

it’s attention to detail that makes the difference, and it all starts well before the season commences. Here are 10 tips I’ve relied on to help fill spring turkey tags throughout the West, and they can help you, too. 1. START SCOUTING The time to scout for turkeys is now, not a few days before the season. If cold conditions linger, birds may still americanshootingjournal.com 73

ROAD HUNTER

A lot happens to turkey flock dynamics during the course of a season, and the closer a hunter can keep track of birds, the better the odds of filling a tag. It all starts with preseason scouting.

be in winter flocks, making it easier to locate and keep track of bachelor groups. Search for flocks of hens and young, together and bachelor flocks of toms. Toms gather in age-class flocks in winter, separating as the turkey breeding season nears. If turkeys are scattered, locate as many different birds as you can, both toms and hens. Hens will be gravitating to breeding and nesting locales, while toms will split up and follow hens, establishing strutting grounds. Mark every bird you find on a map, as these will be places you’ll want to return to in coming weeks. When scouting, in addition to live birds, look for sign such as loose turkey feathers, tracks and droppings. Utilizing binoculars and a spotting scope will greatly increase the number of turkeys you find and is a great way to observe their behavior from a distance so as not to alert them. 2. TRAIL CAMERAS One of the best scouting tools for locating and patterning turkeys is a trail camera. The more trail cameras 74

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

you can set out, the more you’ll learn. Turkeys are very habitual, and situating cameras along trails, forest edges and in fields will reveal exactly how many birds are around and what time of day they are moving. Keep trail cameras active all season long, as birds will continue moving in and out of areas. Set the cameras to video mode, and the information you’ll learn will help you in seasons to come. My trail camera of choice for the West’s range of conditions is Stealth Cam’s DS4K, as the HD version captures amazing detail and sound. The turkey sounds and behaviors captured on this camera are the best I’ve seen, and greatly help you learn what’s happening in the turkey woods. 3. GEAR ORGANIZATION The more you hunt turkeys, the more gear you’ll acquire, and the more gear you have, the more important it is to stay organized. Be sure clothes, boots and rain gear are all in operating order. Opening day of the season may find you hunting in snow and subfreezing temperatures, while late-season hunts

can find the mercury hitting the 80-degree mark. Make sure you have comfortable clothes and footwear to meet your needs and stand up to the West’s changing spring conditions. Be sure all of your turkey calls are in good shape and any accessories are ready to go. From first aid gear to knee pads, fire starter to an extra facemask, make certain you have all you’ll need for your upcoming hunts. 4. THE TURKEY VEST Also, make sure your turkey vest fits snuggly. One of the biggest mistakes hunters make is buying a turkey vest that’s too large, which results in tangles and hangups during the most inopportune times of the hunt. Turkey vests have a lot of pockets and compartments, so make sure you know what’s in each, and be confident that you can find key items in a pinch. Having a turkey vest with an attached seat pad is ideal. Out West you might set up in rocks, on roots of big trees or in wet grass, and having a cushion keeps you comfortable and less likely to fidget when a bird is in

ROAD HUNTER view. You might find yourself pinned down for hours by slow-to-approach toms, and being comfortable can make the difference when it comes to sitting still and filling a tag. 5. CALLS While it only takes a few basic sounds to bring a turkey within shooting range, the more realistic those sounds are, the better your chances of attracting a wise tom. The best way to achieve precise turkey sounds is through practice, and making sure your calls are in good shape is the place to start. Make certain no reeds in diaphragm calls are split, and that there are no oils or residue on the surface of friction calls that may inhibit their ability to produce quality sounds. Practice making authentic-sounding yelps and clucks

and you’ll greatly increase the odds of success. You don’t have to be a master caller to fool a turkey; you just need to know what sounds to make, when. 6. ASSUME SUCCESS Turkey hunting can be physically and mentally taxing throughout the West. Big country, scattered birds and rugged terrain make turkey hunting in this part of the country challenging. Be in shape and your chances of success greatly rise. No matter how many hours a day – or days a season – you hunt, always expect success. The moment you let your guard down is when an opportunity could present itself, and you don’t want to miss it. The mental game of turkey hunting out West should never be underestimated; think

of it like big game hunting, and you’re on the right track. 7. TURKEY DECOYS With years of turkey hunting under your belt comes a collection of turkey decoys. If you can get only one decoy, a feeding hen or upright is tough to beat. These hen decoys can attract toms all season long. Just be sure to position them where approaching toms can see them from afar. If wanting to invest in a second decoy, consider a strutting tom. While this decoy can work wonders in the latter half of the season, it can also pull in aggressive toms all season long. I’ve had my best success with Dave Smith Decoys. These turkey decoys are not cheap, but they’ll last for years and their lifelike postures and paint jobs

Glassing plays a big part of turkey hunting throughout the West, both during the season and on preseason scouting missions.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

The question is... Do you want to hunt ducks or be a duck hunter?

Natural Wonderduck Water Motion Decoys

The paddle in the back give the illusion of decoy feet paddling! Comes with rear mounted motors that run on two D-cell batteries, for up to 25 hours or more. Optional timer available. Orange weedless paddling feet and foot attachments, easy access for battery holder, waterproof switch and floatation insert. (Not to be used with wings)

To order or for more information – wonderduck.com 1-800-876-1697

ROAD HUNTER Ground blinds offer a big advantage to turkey hunters. Make sure you know the parameters of the blind and get comfortable with it before the season starts. Haugen relied on hen calls and a full-strut tom decoy to pull this big tom from the timber.

have fooled more toms than any decoy I’ve used. 8. GROUND BLINDS Ground blinds are a wonderful tool for the simple reason they offer a 360-degree field of view. If you’re a bowhunter, nothing will increase your chances of getting a clean shot more than hunting from a popup ground blind. If you’re a shotgun hunter, blinds allow you to move and work calls, stretch and stay comfortable for hours. Get a comfy, quiet stool and make sure the forest floor is cleared of potentially noisy debris before starting a calling sequence. You don’t want to accidentally drag your boots across 78

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

dry leaves or snap a twig at the most inopportune time. Practice setting up, sitting in and shooting from your blind before you head afield, so there are no surprises when it’s game time. 9. TURKEY LOADS Turkey shotgun loads are way ahead of where they were a decade ago. Whatever brand gun and choke you use, make sure the loads you hunt with achieve their designed pattern. The only way to decipher this is through patterning your gun and studying its point of impact. Two seasons ago, I shot toms with Federal’s 3rd Degree (a mix of size 5, 6 and 7 shot), their TSS in size 7 shot,

and Browning’s TSS in size 7 and 9 shot. I shoot a Weatherby SA-459 with an extra-full choke, and it’s topped with Trijicon’s MRO. For me, every load performed flawlessly in extensive pattern tests, as well as on hunts. Patterning should be done well before the season so you know exactly how loads perform. 10. FINAL PREP Before the hunt, try on all your gear, including the turkey vest. Make sure boots fit with the socks you intend to wear, that base layers aren’t too confining, and that your turkey vest is efficiently loaded and fits properly. Be sure the vest isn’t too loose and

Custom Rifle Actions www.defiancemachine.com 406-756-2727 TEACHING YOU THE SKILLS TO SUCCESSFULLY HUNT AND/OR SURVIVE IN THE WILD. Hands-on and in the field courses for men, women and children. Become a better outdoors person. Learn the essentials of: Modern Day Survival • Navigation Skills • Scouting Classes • Archery Hunting Skills and Techniques • Big Game Strategies For All Weapons • Shooting Techniques and Much More.

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL School for Hunters and Guides

ROAD HUNTER key pieces of gear can be accessed while walking, standing or sitting. If bowhunting, practice shooting with all your gear on from various positions inside a ground blind; if hunting with a shotgun, shoulder your gun in multiple positions and swing in both directions to make sure there’s no binding or catching on clothing. Consider using shooting sticks with your shotgun, as this will greatly decrease movement and increase your ability for precise target acquisition. The time to begin your spring turkey season is now, by scouting and preparing every piece of gear. Scout all season long, for what you learn each time you’re out there won’t just yield immediate rewards; it will help increase your chances of success for seasons to come. 

Once the season starts, hunters want to concentrate on filling tags, and that’s where preparation comes in. This hunter is in perfect position, with a big tom focused on a hen decoy.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is author of the popular book, Turkey Hunting The West: Strategies For All Levels. Order your signed copy at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

TOUGH • DURABLE • LIGHT Easy Loader, Deuce & EZ-XL Models

• • • •

Easy Loader & Deuce accommodate • 2 dogs up to 65 lbs each EZ-XL accommodates 2 dogs over • 65 lbs each Made from High Density • Polyethylene with UV protection Easy Loader fits most full size pickups, SUVs & large UTVs

Deuce fits smaller pickups, SUVs & UTVs EZ-XL is for larger breed dogs & full size vehicles Vents, cold weather door covers, insulated covers & custom kennel pads available

Introducing the EASY XL. For large breed dogs. EASY-LOADER Dog Kennels

w. e as

yloaderkennel

s.co

Bartlesville, OK • 800-853-2655

Call 800-853-2655 Check out our website for new accessories www.easyloaderkennels.com

COYOTES:

THE SMALLEST DANGEROUS GAME A threat to game animals, livestock and pets alike, these predators have spread across the continent, even into the suburbs and cities, making hunting them ‘more than a mere sport.’ STORY BY JIM DICKSON

ontrary to what many think, the coyote is actually a type of wolf, and while the smaller wild North American canid may not send chills down spines the way its bigger cousins do, don’t try to tell that to the families of 3-year-old Kelly Keen of Glendale, California, or 19-year-old Taylor Mitchell of Nova Scotia, Canada. Coyotes killed Kelly and Taylor in 1981 and 2009. If that doesn’t qualify coyotes as dangerous game, I don’t know what will. Wise parents no longer leave babies and small children unattended outdoors for even a moment where coyotes are present. I remain convinced that coyotes are responsible for at least some of the missing children in areas where they abound. Most people consider the coyote primarily a threat to pets and livestock. They have yanked pets off leashes and come in pet doors to kill pets inside the home. As for livestock, farmers have found them hanging onto cattle trying to bring them down. While that may be a bit unusual, they are murder on smaller livestock. I once had chickens and ducks running loose on my farm enjoying the barnyard life. No more. The coyotes put a stop to

“Hunting coyotes is much more than mere sport,” writes author Jim Dickson, who has suffered their depredations on his farm and worries about the predator’s impact on deer and game bird populations, as well as increasingly nervy behavior around humans. (TOM KOERNER/USFWS) americanshootingjournal.com 83

the classic barnyard scene of poultry, goats, sheep, etc., grazing without worry. Now they have to be shut up to keep them safe. Coyotes will even jump in a pig pen and be out again with a piglet in their mouth before the fat old sow can get up to challenge them. Watching your livestock going about their business is one of the classic joys of farm living, but coyotes have shut that down everywhere they occur. HUNTING COYOTES IS a difficult game, as they are smart and learn fast. Farmers watching over their livestock have a good chance to kill them if they stay out of sight. Nothing draws a coyote in like poultry and other small farm animals. Don’t expect a farmer to turn his stock loose to act as a lure for an outsider, though. That’s his livelihood and not to be risked for someone else’s sport. Killing coyotes is dead-serious business for the farmer. You can see how serious a matter

it is to them when you encounter a shepherd dressed in white lying down with his flock at night so that he can raise up and shoot the coyotes when they come after his sheep. That’s certainly not my idea of the way to spend my nights. Still, when the sheep are your livelihood, you do what you have to do, even if that means lying down on the cold wet ground among the sheep instead of in a nice warm bed with your wife. Coyotes can be successfully stalked, but this is hard because of the well-developed nose, ears and eyes of these canines. You have to be working upwind and make any noises you produce sound like indigenous game, while making sure you see the coyotes before they see you. That’s a tall order but it can be done. Tracking is a big part of stalking them and a 15- to 45-pound coyote isn’t disturbing the ground and the underbrush all that much in most cases. At a height of just 2 feet at the

A coyote prowls a Western landscape. The species has expanded its range in all directions from the core of the continent over the past 300 years, especially to the eastern United States and Canada. (RYAN HAGERTY/USFWS)

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

shoulder, he can hide behind any bit of brush between you and him with maddening efficiency, making seeing him before he sees you even harder. Again, this is a job for experts. Remember that coyote tracks are more oval and compact than a domestic dog’s and the claw marks are less prominent than a dog’s. Once you catch sight of them, you have to be sure it is a coyote and not your neighbor’s dog. There are three identifying features to look for. The tail is bushy like a fox, unlike a dog’s. The nose is long, narrow and pointy for sticking down holes to get at its prey. The ears are sharp and pointed and never droop over like some dogs’ do, but some other dogs have sharp pointy ears as well, so be careful. YOU PROBABLY WILL have little time to shoot before they see you, and since they are pack animals, a semiauto rifle is a necessity if you are going to get more than one of them. The .30-caliber

AlfordDesignsLimited@gmail.com | www.Etsy.com/shop/AlfordDesignsLTD | www.PaulaAlford.com |

434-386-7854

Leather Conceal Carry Bags, Purses & Earrings

A great gift for her! Shop for a variety of pieces online at our Etsy shop or on our Website! *

HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA Contact us directly for wholesale pricing.

Free USPS first class shipping on orders $35 or more anywhere in the U.S.

WE CAN CUSTOMIZE BAGS AND ORDERS WITH OR WITHOUT HOLSTERS PO Box 3273, Lynchburg, VA 24503

americanshootingjournal.com 85

Along with game animals, livestock and pets, coyotes prey on rodents. Here one prepares to pounce for a mouse under the snow. (LORI IVERSON/USFWS)

M1 carbine and the various 5.56 and 7.62x39 assault rifles really come into their own here. You need to be able to shoot fast and accurately. The vital circle in the chest is only about 6 inches. One of the finest guns for this quick offhand shooting is the Auto Ordnance M1927A1 semiauto version of the Thompson submachinegun. Its .45 ACP cartridge bucks brush better than the other calibers mentioned, and it is one of the steadiest, bestpointing and easiest-to-hit-with rifles ever made. It is a splendid but often overlooked hunting rifle, and that’s a shame. If you should run into a herd of wild hogs at close range during your hunt, you will be very glad you chose this gun. Wild hogs don’t always run from you; sometimes they run at you. They also can get big. Really big. Wild dog packs are another thing that you can encounter and these can be very dangerous. Not all livestock damage is done by coyotes. Georgia had a serious problem with wild dogs back in the 1960s and every time the game wardens got together, they were swapping stories about how they had shot a pack that was attacking them. 86

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

The Louisiana red wolf is a cross between a timber wolf and a coyote. There was a case of the red wolves killing and eating an old woman and the horse she was riding back in the frontier days. The coydog is a cross between a coyote and a domestic dog. They can be larger and more dangerous than the pure coyote and their numbers are increasing. Obviously, they can blur the identification lines between coyote and dog as they are a mix. The old farmer’s rule of thumb is, “If it’s after your farm animals, shoot it!” Farmers kill a lot of coyotes with pistols that ride on their hips as they are plowing and doing other work around the farm. When a coyote runs out, they do a fast draw and fire. Never underestimate the ability of a good pistolero. Country folk like me can shoot every day if they like and practice makes perfect. These are often fast shots and a lot of men carry single-actions in Hollywood-style quick-draw holsters to be ready for the coyote. I have also known men to use these when hunting wild hogs with dogs. They are sufficiently popular

that a leather crafting shop near me does regular business in them. When a coyote presents a target opportunity, there is no time to go back to the house and get a rifle, so pistol-packers account for a lot of coyotes. LIKE OTHER WOLVES, coyotes have a large territory and make a big circle covering it all. They can be here one day and gone the next, often not returning for several days. Just when all the animals think they are safe – wham! They’re back! At all times there are three types of coyotes on the landscape: territorial adults, this year’s pups, and adolescents looking to establish their own territory. Coyotes breed around Valentine’s Day, February 14, and the pups are born 63 days later around Income Tax Day. This is the time when coyotes pose the most danger to pets and livestock, as they are hunting day and night trying to keep those pups fed. Calling coyotes in with electronic calls is very successful and can be done from one location while you cover everything from a tree stand. When hunting on the ground, I use Burnham

Brothers coyote howls and rabbit calls to draw them in. Camouflage is important, as is sitting as still as a turkey hunter. Pick a spot along game trails and hunt especially hard early in the morning and late in the evening. Coyotes are omnivorous and will not turn their nose up at carrion. If you have a cow that has died or even a gut pile from butchering livestock or a deer, it will draw them like flies. Get in a tree stand overlooking this bait and wait. They will be there as sure as vultures. A tree stand is best here because they can come from all directions and you don’t want to be blocking the way by sitting on the ground. Anytime you take a vehicle to a hunting area, make sure you have a driver to drop you off and then keep going. Once you park that vehicle, the coyotes will take note and head for parts unknown. If you have no driver, make sure you park at least a quarter mile from where you intend to start hunting. And never forget that these are canines, so you must hunt into the wind. Once they get your scent, they are gone. They also don’t like lights. Most of them have learned to associate flashlights with hunters. Coyotes are largely nocturnal, avoiding people in the daytime yet even coming up on porches at night. The use of night vision and thermal vision sights has been crucial in impacting their numbers. Legal registered suppressors are often important for hunting at night, as farmers have to get up early and don’t like being woken up by gunshots or anything else for that matter. COYOTES REPRODUCE UNBELIEVABLY fast. You have to kill 90 percent of the population to even make a noticeable dent in the numbers of coyotes. They will then spill into that area from the surrounding areas as fast as water flowing into a swamped boat. East of the Mississippi River, coyotes are an invasive species and they have a dramatic effect on the local wildlife population. They can catch most of the deer fawns, as well as most of the young of the game birds and other wildlife. Their presence is always marked with a dramatic reduction in the game animals and birds in any area they invade. The coyote is an incredibly destructive invasive species and most definitely not a game animal to be conserved or given a sporting chance. East of the Mississippi, it is a newcomer thanks to the bridges over the river and some fox hunting clubs that brought them in to have something for their hounds to chase. Their natural predators, the timber wolf and the mountain lion, are virtually extinct here, so they just eat and make more coyotes. Bringing back wolves would be a case of the cure being worse than the disease, but bringing back the lion would help. Having been around mountain lions a lot many years ago, I am all for them. Hunting coyotes is much more than just mere sport. You are protecting your pets, your livestock, the game animals you hunt and your children. That’s about as important a bit of work as you can find. 

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply, Inc. Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply is your one-stop trapping supply headquarters, featuring one of the largest inventories in the U.S. We are factory direct distributors on all brands of traps and equipment which allows us to offer competitive prices. Give us a try. Our fast, friendly service will keep you coming back. Over 50 Years Of Service To The Trap & Fur Industry

Request A Catalog Or Place An Order By Phone, Mail Or On Our Website If you get in the area, visit our store!

We are the new home of “Trappers Hide Tanning Formula” in the bright orange bottle. Retail & dealer inquiries are welcome.

P.O. Box 408, Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 • (507) 451-7607 trapper@nwtrappers.com • www.nwtrappers.com 92

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Among the high-quality range and sheep camps, sheep wagons, commissaries, teardrops, goose necks and toy haulers that Western Range Camps makes is The Giant, the central Utah-based company’s largest customizable RV.

WHOLE NEW BREED OF RANGE ANIMAL Western Range Camps has roots building sheepherder shelters, but these days offers ‘fully customizable state-of-the-art RVs and camps’ to the public and drovers alike. PHOTOS BY WESTERN RANGE CAMPS

hat began as a sheep company building shelters for their herders has evolved over the past two decades into a full-service operation offering fully customizable state-of-theart RVs and camps. Here is the story of Western Range Camps. In 2003, when Mickel Brothers Sheep Company of Utah needed more camps for their herders, they took it upon themselves to build their own. “They also thought about it and realized how practical these camps could be for the general public if they added in a few of the RV amenities,” explains Heidi Anderson of Western Range Camps. “Sheep camps normally were smaller and did not have bathrooms or running water. Mickel

started Timberline Range Camps and began building camps for the general public about that time.” Anderson began working for the company in 2010, and she and her husband purchased it shortly

thereafter, rebranding themselves as Western Range Camps. “We have a couple of the original workers still working here and still associate a lot with Mickel Brothers,” she says. “We still build many of the

The Toy Hauler/Cargo Trailer features 16 feet of living space and room to fit a side-by-side ATV. americanshootingjournal.com 93

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

A look inside Western Range Camps’ RV shows a comfy bed, dining table, bench, sink, oven and more.

camps used by sheep herders, but we have continued to advance the build process, and design and construct camps that work great for the general public and hunters specifically.” Western Range Camps offers a wide variety of camps and RVs for the outdoor enthusiast, each with its own unique amenities. The Heritage, for example, is great for families since it features pull-out trundle beds and roomy accommodations. The Zion is smaller and lighter for the sportsman who wants to visit those hard-to-reach, out-of-the-way places. Anderson says the Survivalist model is becoming their most popular floor plan because it can sleep the most people. But one of the most remarkable aspects of Western Range Camps is their ability to customize their camps to suit the unique requirements of each customer. “We can change out the size, width, color scheme and floor plan to meet the customer’s individual needs,” says Anderson. “We have staff that will sit 94

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

down with our customers, either in person, over the phone or by email, and design the floor plan right with the customer. We build from the ground up and do almost the entire camp in-house. We use the most quality and durable material we have available and work tirelessly to get the customer a camp that will last their lifetime and beyond.” No matter how you want to customize your camp, or what add-ons you want to include, all Western Range Camps begin with a solid foundation to ensure you stay warm and dry while braving the elements. “Our walls are about 2 inches thick and our floor is about 6 inches thick,” explains Anderson. “We build our frame with steel tubing and have great ground clearance. We build the rest of the camp out of 1/2- and 3/4-inch plywood that will hold up well as the camp bounces around on those bumpy mountain roads. We build the first layer of our floor with sheet metal so rodents and water cannot get in, and the rest of the camp is wrapped with aluminum

and as watertight as we can get it. With the rounded roof to help repel rain and snow, it is a camp that can go anywhere and hold up very good over time.” Western Range Camps continues to evolve its product line, recently introducing gooseneck camps and toy haulers. “It’s the same durable materials and construction as in our camps, but with the flexibility of carrying your toys inside. We have the same flexibility for changing out the floor plan, size and options. It just gives our customers other options while still having great construction and insulation.” Though they are a small company of just six employees, the team at Western Range Camps strives to give their customers the personal attention that you don’t usually get with purchasing an RV. “We listen to our customers and try to build just what they want,” says Anderson. “We have developed friendships with our customers and have some that call in monthly to check in and let us know how they are doing. Our customers are our friends and we try to do everything we can before and after a sale to help them out.”  Editor’s note: For more information, visit wrcamps.com.

“We can change out the size, width, color scheme and floor plan to meet the customer’s individual needs,” says the company’s Heidi Anderson. Here’s the kitchen of the Toy Hauler/Cargo Trailer.

and ” hen

Quality Handmade Holsters, Knife Sheaths, & Accessories

Crafted by: Ryan & Kay Grizzle

706-265-0118 • ryan@rgrizzleleather.com

www.rgrizzleleather.com americanshootingjournal.com 95

BLACK POWDER

Shooting a black powder .50-70 match is just like the old times.

A SPECIAL .50-70 MATCH

Club's informal black powder cartridge matches a good way to get started in BPCR shooting, competition. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

t should be no secret that the .50-70 is one of my favorite black powder cartridges. Reasons for this can certainly include its history, being our country’s first centerfire military cartridge, along with its fine performance as well as the interesting variety of single-shot rifles that were made for it. I’m not alone in having such admiration for the old .50-70; there

are actually a bunch of us with these feelings. So it should be no surprise that our club, the Black River Buffalo Runners (part of the Capitol City Rifle & Pistol Club near Olympia, Washington), annually holds a special .50-70 match. This started just three years ago and for that debut, we had only three shooters show up with .50-70-caliber rifles. There were more shooters than that, of course, because other black powder cartridge rifles are also invited. However, those shooters using other

calibers do follow the .50-70 shooters to the prize table. The idea grew and at our second .50-70 match, we enjoyed having six shooters trying for top score, and that was while using only four rifles. Top score was shot by Jerry Mayo, who was shooting my .50-70 rolling block. Second place was taken by “Doc” Ritter, who was shooting his dad’s rolling block. I took third place and “Loco Jeff” Ritter took fourth, while using the rifles that had already placed first and second. The two other shooters, Allen americanshootingjournal.com 97

Black POWDER Author Mike Nesbitt’s “little” .50-70 by C. Sharps Arms with a 26-inch barrel.

The .50-70 cartridge with grease groove bullet, like the old Army load.

Cunniff and Bob DeLisle, both used their .50-70 Sharps rifles. Like Brownie Nash of the Great Basin Sharp Shooters says, “Never lend your rifle to another shooter in a match; the borrower will always outshoot you.” FOR OUR THIRD year, the .50-70 match ballooned up to 10 shooters, all using their “Big .50s” in friendly competition. (Yes, a Big .50 should really be a .50-90, but the .50-70s were also often referred to as such by the buffalo hunters.) That was an excellent lineup and the firing line was loaded with four rifles from C. Sharps Arms, three Remington rolling blocks, two old Springfield trapdoors and one ’74 Shiloh Sharps. In addition to that, we had one shooter, Wes Davis, using his C. Sharps Arms ’74 rifle in .45-70 caliber. Seeing our .50-70 match grow is rewarding and that all adds to the fun. Our course of fire is rather simple, using just two targets. Both are bull’seyes, one at 100 yards and the other at 200 yards. Ten shots are fired at each target, fired from the sitting position while resting the heavy rifles over Jerry Mayo’s new .50-70, a custom Remington rolling block.

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

cross-sticks. While the targets are simple, each shooter has habits that can add variety to the match. For instance, shooting black powder cartridges generally requires some kind of fouling control. Several shooters wipe the bore between shots and that is especially true for shooting paper-patched bullets with no lube disc under the bullet. (That lube keeps the fouling soft for the following shot.) Others, like me, use lubricated grooved bullets and use a blow tube between shots to keep the fouling soft. Both ways work quite well. One more point to make about our course of fire is that we have no time limit; our matches aren’t timed. The loads used can have a lot of variety too, even though we are primarily talking about just one cartridge, the .50-70. Last year I shot

this match using paper-patched bullets. This year my shooting was done with grooved bullets, cast from Accurate Molds’ No. 52-450L2. That’s a 450-grain bullet very similar to Lyman’s No. 515141, but with larger grease grooves to hold more lubricant. For fuel in my loads, 65 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F powder goes under the bullets, and between the bullet and the powder there was a .030-inch fiber “veggie” wad from John Walters, “the tin-wad man.” I’ve found that to be a good allaround load for my .50-70s. ALLEN CUNNIFF, MY Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match shooting partner, used a 555-grain paper-patched bullet, also from an Accurate mold, over 69 grains of Swiss 2F powder in his .50-70 with the 30-inch barrel. That’s a good-performing load, for sure,

americanshootingjournal.com 99

Black POWDER

Here’s some of the gang: (standing) Curt Lokovsek, “Loco” Jeff Ritter, Tom Witt, Jerry Mayo, Wes Davis, Bob DeLisle and Phil Wiebe; (kneeling) Mike Nesbitt and Allen Cunniff.

and Allen was our top shooter in this match, shooting the high scores at both 100 and 200 yards. Phil Wiebe was shooting the same paper-patched bullets out of his new Shiloh Business Rifle in .50-70, but Phil hasn’t “talked to” that rifle enough yet to get better scores; it’s too new. Bob DeLisle also used paper-patched bullets, cast from an older Ballard mold. Bob’s sight settings were off for 200 yards and he sent three bullets over the target, then clipped the edge of the paper with his fourth shot. After a proper sight adjustment, Bob put five of his next six shots into the 10-ring, getting 59-3X with those well-aimed shots. Several of our shooters do their own spotting, checking their hits with a 100

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

spotting scope between shots. I favor shooting with a partner who spots for me while I shoot, then I spot for them while they shoot. This year I again teamed up with Jerry Mayo, and Tom Witt joined us. Tom and I shot while Jerry spotted both of our targets, then one of us would spot for Jerry. Tom was shooting another of my .50-70 rifles (while his is being made). He used my heavy Sharps with the 32-inch barrel. That is actually my most accurate .50-70 and I’m simply lucky that he didn’t outshoot me with it again. (In a previous Old West Centerfires match, Tom did outshoot me by two points.) One other shooter used a borrowed rifle; Curt Lokovsek

borrowed Loco Jeff’s heavy .50-70 rolling block. Curt outshot Loco Jeff by eight points and Jeff says that will never happen again. Jerry was shooting his fine new .50-70 rolling block that was recently rebuilt by C. Sharps Arms with a custom barrel by Jim Carpenter. Jerry needs to “talk to” his rifle a little more too, but his shooting with that gun keeps getting better. See the sidebar for the full list of scores. At our matches all shooters receive awards, usually shootingrelated products provided by C. Sharps Arms and several others, as well as the club. (I won some buffalo hotdogs!) The top shooters are simply called to the prize table first, but there is always

• October Country bought Doc. James Davis’s Collection of black powder revolvers from Claremore, Oklahoma. All revolvers are unfired and most come with original box. Doctor James had an extensive collection of reproduction revolvers (Pietta, Uberti, A. Sam Marco, Witloe etc.) Visit www.octobercountry.com to see this collection. • Many of the revolvers come with accessory kits and display cases. A lot of the revolvers have low serial numbers, consecutive matching serial numbers and some are one of a kind rare collectibles. • October Country is one of the leading manufacturers of muzzleloading suppliers in the United States. We have a little something for everyone at discount prices.

We at October Country are thankful to our Loyal Customers for the last 42 years. We are looking forward to continuing to provide our quality products to our distributors and valued customers.

6275 N. GOVERNMENT WAY • DALTON GARDENS, ID 83815 208-762-4903 • october2country@gmail.com • www.octobercountry.com

Black POWDER

Nesbitt and DeLisle congratulate each other on their first place tie in the after-match.

.50-70 MATCH RESULTS

PLACE/NAME RIFLE/CARTRIDGE 1st Allen Cunniff 1874 C. Sharps .50-70 2nd Mike Nesbitt 1874 C. Sharps .50-70 3rd Tom Witt 1874 C. Sharps .50-70 4th Curt Lokovsek Remington Rolling Block .50-70 5th “Loco” Jeff Ritter Remington Rolling Block .50-70 6th Jerry Mayo Remington Rolling Block .50-70 7th Bob DeLisle 1874 C. Sharps .50-70 8th Phil Wiebe 1874 Shiloh Sharps .50-70 9th Jeff “Doc” Ritter Springfield Trapdoor .50-70 10th Tom Herman Springfield Trapdoor .50-70 SPECIAL .45-70 CLASS 1st Wes Davis 1874 C. Sharps .45-70

100-YARD 88 82-2X 75 82-3X 74 69 79 50 37 36

200-YARD TOTAL 95-X 183-X 86-X 168-3X 90 165 77 159-3X 77 151 73 142 59-3X 138-3X 77-X 127-X 68 105 36 72

AFTER-MATCH RESULTS PLACE/NAME T-1st Mike Nesbitt T-1st Bob DeLisle T-3rd Tom Witt T-3rd Allen Cunniff 5th Phil Wiebe 6th Jerry Mayo 7th Dan Johnson

102

CARTRIDGE .44-40 .32-20 .44-40 .44-40 .44-40 .44-40 .44-40

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

50-YARD 5 hits 5 4 4 3 3 1

163

100-YARD TOTAL 5 hits 10 5 10 5 9 5 9 4 7 3 6 3 4

plenty for everybody. To add a little more fun to this match, we had a short after-match using our lever-action “camp guns” for 10 more shots. We shot five shots each at a “bucket” at 50 yards, offhand, and another five shots at an octagon gong placed at 100 yards, sitting. Seven shooters joined in this fun. Bob tied with me for first place, so we split the pot rather than continuing to shoot until one of us missed. See sidebar for these scores too. Shooting in an informal black powder cartridge match like this is a very good way to get started in BPCR (black powder cartridge rifle) shooting. We’ve had a number of spectators who just came to watch and are now shooting with us. Maybe it’s the “boom” of the Big .50s that helps to bring them back again. 

GUN CARE

All In One Step No product on the market works like PrOlix and we’ve guaranteed it for 34 Years! DRY LUBRICANT • • • • • • •

Improves accuracy Prevents jamming Won’t flash off Will not freeze Non-hazardous Reduces fouling Won’t harm wood, primers, old guns, or stain clothing! • Bio preferred by USDA • Non-petroleum

Goes on wet, cleans, bonds, turns DRY!

Our Dealers offer the BEST and that’s PrOlix®

ProChemCo LLC GUN-OIL / GREASE REPLACER

801-569-2763 800-248-LUBE (5823) www.prolixlubricant.com

American Derringer The Tradition of the Past with the Quality of the Present

The Legendary M-1 .45 Colt/.410

We now make the M-1 in .327 Federal!

CUSTOM MADE

104

M-4 Alaskan

LM4 Semmerling

Lady Derringer

The Best Little Shooting Iron To Ride Out Of Texas

We now make the .41 long colt

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

127 North Lacy Drive, Waco, TX 76705-4640 Call: 254-799-9111 // Fax: 254-799-7935 amderringer@aol.com // amderringer.com

HANDMADE FIREARMS

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

With roots all the way back to 1941 and a history that includes tours of duty in several wars, the Woodman’s Pal today is manufactured by Skyline Toolworks LLC.

SWISS ENGINEERING, PENNSYLVANIA PRIDE GO INTO ‘VERSATILE TOOL’

Woodman’s Pal is an ‘all-in-one land management tool’ for anyone who needs to clear brush and more. PHOTOS BY SKYLINE TOOLWORKS LLC

he Woodman’s Pal has a long and storied history dating back to 1941, when Frederick Ehrsam, a Swiss national who settled in Pennsylvania, brought it to market. Ehrsam, an experienced engineer, artist and woodsman, had recognized the need for an “all-in-one” land management tool – one that would work on everything from clearing

brush and blazing trails to trimming and pruning trees. With its lightweight, balanced and compact design, the Woodman’s Pal soon gained popularity with agriculture, horticulture and land management professionals alike. Although the product was initially designed for civilian use, the Woodman’s Pal also got the attention of the US military. It was procured for the US Army Signal Corps and eventually

became standard-issue as a combat and survival tool for GIs in the Pacific Theater. By the end of the Korean War, over 250,000 units had been procured. During the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, the Woodman’s Pal was primarily issued as a survival tool for pilots. The quality and effectiveness of the Woodman’s Pal spans decades and generations. Indeed, that is why Pennsylvania-based and family-run americanshootingjournal.com 105

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

The tool features a .110-inch-thick spring steel blade, Amish-handcrafted wood handle and a premium leather sheath.

company Skyline Toolworks LLC – which also boasts products such as the immensely popular Clipdraw – bought the trademark in 1995. “We did not want to see a product

106

American Shooting Journal // March 2021

we’ve loved simply disappear,” their website explains. “That is why we have chosen to bring the Woodman’s Pal back to market and make some improvements along the way.”

Craftsmen start with .110-inch-thick 1074/1075 spring steel blades and forge them in fire to 1,500 degrees. The blades are then given a protective powder coating and hand-sharpened to perfection. Amish-handcrafted wood handles and premium leather sheaths complete the look of this must-have tool. “We guarantee you will be happy with the Woodman’s Pal, from the blade, handle and sheath to reprints of manuals provided to GIs during World War II and Lansky sharpening stone,” says the website. “The box itself has been upgraded to make a great gift and unboxing experience for everyone.” The Woodman’s Pal comes with a lifetime warranty, so the versatile tool will not only serve you well for many, many years to come, but it will also become a cherished family heirloom.  Editor’s note: For more information, visit woodmanspal.com.

American Shooting Journal - March 2021

Articles inside

BLACK POWDER: A SPECIAL .50-70 MATCH

SUPPRESSORS: LESS ‘BANG’ FOR YOUR BUCK

ROADHUNTER: 10 TOP TIPS FOR TAGGING A TOM OR TWO (OR THREE