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A MERIC A N
SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 9 // Issue 7 // April 2020 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Walgamott OFFICE MANAGER / COPY EDITOR Katie Aumann LEAD CONTRIBUTOR Frank Jardim CONTRIBUTORS Jim Dickson, Scott Haugen, Phil Massaro, Mike Nesbitt, Nick Perna SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker WEBMASTER / INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@americanshootingjournal.com
ON THE COVER Hunters, shooters and other rifle users are always looking for the latest and greatest in scopes, and Kansas-based Athlon Optics, a relatively new company, has plenty on offer – with a pretty nice product warranty to boot. (ATHLON OPTICS)
Website: AmericanShootingJournal.com Facebook: Facebook.com/AmericanShootingJournal Twitter: @AmShootingJourn
MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
americanshootingjournal.com 13
CONTENTS
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 7
FEATURES
48
SCOPING OUT ATHLON’S OPTICS
Hunters, shooters and other rifle users are always looking for the latest and greatest in scopes, and Athlon Optics, a relative newcomer to the market, has plenty of options with innovative, rugged features for topping all kinds of rifles, plus a strong warranty. Our Jim Dickson takes a gander through the Kansas-based company’s glass.
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HELICOPTER HOG HUNTING ADVENTURE “Weapons hot! Engage!” When northern California cop and hunter Nick Perna hit the big 5-0, he had one thing in mind: taking to the air to take out invasive feral pigs. Jump aboard the chopper with Nick as he and his wife team up to fulfill his bucket list dream in the skies over Texas!
67
BULLET BULLETIN: THE BONDED-CORE EXPERIENCE “Yes, the other designs can work and work well,” allows our Phil Massaro on the gamut of bullet compositions, “but I rely on bonded-core bullets quite often.” Find out why he trusts these projectiles for tough big game so much.
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ROAD HUNTER: WHAT SPRING TURKEY HUNTERS SHOULD ALSO KNOW Calls, camouflage and shotgun chokes aside, there’s a whole ’nother aspect to successfully harvesting a gobbler you may have overlooked: their biology. Take a seat, class, as turkey tutor Scott Haugen details the birds’ natural defenses – “After all, the more we know about the biology of the game we pursue, the more efficient we’ll be in the field.”
(ATHLON OPTICS) AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2020 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
CONTENTS
101
BLACK POWDER:
TESTING RICE’S NEW FLINTLOCK
The new flintlock mechanism from the Rice brothers has some impressive features that make for “faster and more positive ignition,” reports our black powder enthusiast Mike Nesbitt, who was also impressed with its narrow, deep priming pan. Check out his results from the range!
DEPARTMENTS 21 25
(MIKE NESBITT)
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar
PRIMER
COMPETITION C A L E N D A R
April 4
April 18
April 10-12
April 18
April 17-18
April 23-26
April 23-25
April 24-25
Cedar Hill Jr. Gun Club PTO – cancelled Blackfoot, Idaho usashooting.org
Utah Monthly PTO Salt Lake City, Utah
CMP Monthly Match – cancelled Anniston, Ala.
Florida Section Championship New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
uspsa.org
CMP Monthly Match – cancelled Camp Perry, Ohio
Low Country Battle at the Beach Tabor City, N.C.
Golden Bullet Championship Sloughhouse, Calif. Texas State Open Championship Rosenberg, Texas
April dates postponed or cancelled gssfonline.com
April 13-14
CMSA of Tennessee – cancelled Tunica, Miss. cmsaevents.com
idpa.com
April 25-26
Western South Central Regional Shoot Graham, Texas
April 15-18
CMSA Jeffers National Championship – cancelled Tunica, Miss.
April 4
April 24-25
April 19
April 25
Minot IDPA Match Minot, N.D. Hancock County Tier 1 Match Weirton, W.V.
Georgia State Championship Fleming, Ga. Razorback Shootout Perryville, Ark.
Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states are prescribing 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 21
PRS RESOURCE GUIDE Pro Bolt Gun Series April 4 April 18 April 24 May 2 May 15 May 15 May 23 May 30
MPA Spring Shootout Rockland Precision Spring Rifle Classic 2020 Alabama Precision Rifle Challenge 2020 Buckeye Classic Federal Premium New Mexico Field Match - By CHPWS Parma Precision Rifle Rumble K&M Kahles Precision Rifle Competition (AG Qualifier) NorCal Invitational
Blakely, Georgia Kennerdell, Pennsylvania Carbon Hill, Alabama Kimbolton, Ohio Logan, New Mexico Parma, Idaho Finger, Tennessee Sloughhouse, California
Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states are prescribing and rapidly changing developments at press time, it is highly advisable to check ahead on the status of individual events via the link in the organizer’s website below.
For more information visit www.precisionrifleseries.com
PARTS, ACCESSORIES & GEAR
See us on page 23
americanshootingjournal.com 23
THE REAL TEXAS
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
PRIMER
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R
C&E Gun Shows cegunshows.com
April 4-5
Fayetteville, N.C.
Cancelled
April 18-19
Sharonville, Ohio
Cancelled
April 25-26
Springfield, Ohio
Clark County Fairgrounds
Crossroads Of The West Gun Shows
April dates postponed
crossroadsgunshows.com
Florida Gun Shows floridagunshows.com
RK Shows rkshows.com
April 4-5
Fort Meyers, Fla.
Lee Civic Center
April 18-19
Tampa, Fla.
Florida State Fairgrounds
April 25-26
Miami, Fla.
Fair Expo Center
April 4-5
Clarkesville, Ga.
Habersham County Fairgrounds
April 18-19
Wichita, Kan.
Century II Expo Hall
April 25-26
Knoxville, Tenn.
Knoxville Expo Center
Real Texas Gun Shows
All 2020 shows cancelled until further notice
therealtexasgunshow.com
Tanner Gun Shows
April dates postponed
tannergunshow.com
Wes Knodel Gun Shows
wesknodelgunshows.com
April dates cancelled
Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states are prescribing and rapidly changing developments at press time, it is highly advisable to check ahead on the status of individual gun shows. Here are links to the above organizers’ websites: C&E Gun Shows: cegunshows.com Florida Gun Shows: floridagunshows.com Real Texas Gun Shows: therealtexasgunshow.com Wes Knodel Gun Shows: wesknodelgunshows.com
Crossroads of the West Gun Shows: crossroadsgunshows.com RK Shows: rkshows.com Tanner Gun Shows: tannergunshow.com
To have your event highlighted here, send an email to kaumann@media-inc.com.
americanshootingjournal.com 25
The Inspirational Speaker You Need Twenty-one year Air Force Veteran Scott W.F. Aubin has seen things that most of us never will. His story is compelling, his spirit unconquerable. PTSD made life impossible, he has prevailed. Now a suicide prevention speaker nationwide, he serves our country by sharing his story, traveling with his Service Dog, Dash. He tried to take his life; those who know him are grateful that it was Knot Today. ‘…so wonderful and has a fantastic speech, you must hear him!’ --Angela Shelton, Film Director, Author ‘It was incredible how he is so real and able to tell his story…what an amazing person…’ ‘ Powerful. Inspiring...An amazing message...riveting, compelling, informative’ --New York State Children’s Alliance “Scott, it was an incredible presentation and brought the group to a more poignant and deeper level.” --Program Director, HomewardBoundAdirondack.org In order to reach even more of our Heroes & Guardians, Scott is acquiring 501c3 status. His organization, also called ‘Knot Today,’ was created to Reach, Support & Transport Veterans & Responders to approved Programs that assist in Suicide Prevention. A majority of his proceeds will go to ServiceDogProject.org For more information & availability, please email him directly.
ScottandDash@gmail.com www.ScottAubin.com
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Western Shooting Journal // December 2019
westernshootingjournal.com 27
HELICOPTER
HOG HUNTING A hunter and his wife take to the air to help eradicate invasive feral pigs, fulfill bucket list dream. STORY AND PHOTOS BY NICK PERNA
I
t had been on my bucket list for a long time. I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of cool things from helicopters. I’ve parachuted out of them, rappelled out of them, and have even been in a low-speed crashlanding in one (no injuries, but we ran like hell!). But the one thing I hadn’t done, and had always wanted to, was shoot from a helicopter. Lean out the door with a rifle and engage some targets! So, when I had the opportunity to do this in conjunction with one of my favorite hobbies, hunting, I jumped at the opportunity. My wife made it all possible for my 50th birthday, the perfect time for a middle-aged man to satisfy one of the items on his “bucket list.” A couple of shout-outs first. We’re members of Wilderness Unlimited (wildernessunlimited.com), a members-only club that gives members access to some of the best hunting and fishing in California and Oregon. They also team up with companies that offer the same opportunities in other states and countries. Through WU, we hooked up with Serge Engurasoff of Urge 2 Hunt (urge2hunt.com). Serge works with Wilderness Unlimited but also coordinates trips through outside vendors. Serge set us up with two firms in Texas that would make this trip possible. First, lodging. We booked with
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
Author Nick Perna and his wife strapped in and ready for their airborne feral pig hunt in Texas this past winter.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
americanshootingjournal.com 29
The Pernas and their family stayed at the 10-2-4 Ranch outside Commerce, Texas, northeast of Dallas.
10-2-4 Ranch (1024ranch.com) in Commerce, a small town about an hour and a half northeast of Dallas. The 10-2-4 Ranch is a first-class act. They have over 11,000 acres of property available for hunting. They
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
have what you’d expect in Texas, like deer and fowl, but they also offer exotic hunts for game imported from Africa and elsewhere. The 11,000-square-foot ranch house is awesome! With eight large
rooms, it is big enough to host a lot of hunters. We made this a family trip, so we rented two guest rooms, each with a private bath and two double beds. The ranch has great WiFi and an enormous pond (stocked, of course, with largemouth bass) just a short walk from the great room. Along with hunting and guides, the ranch also offers first-class cuisine. We had three incredible meals every day, served by Sue, the on-site chef. The food was plentiful and outstanding. Each meal was served in a large dining room adjacent to the great room. At night we’d relax in either the spacious great room with the enormous gas fireplace or take a short walk up the hill to Rosie’s Cantina. Rosie’s is basically a bar, with a fridge, but it is BYOB. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to drive too far to find a six-pack of Lone Star.) Ranch guests can shoot pool, play shuffleboard, mess around with the jukebox or blast your own playlist via Bluetooth speakers. With no cover charge, and
no closing time, it’s a fun addition to an already great establishment.
AS GREAT AS the 10-2-4 Ranch is,
I didn’t travel 1,500 miles to play shuffleboard or teach my kids how to play pool (although we did have some great family fun). I came to hunt. Specifically, I came to hunt pigs from helicopters. Texas, like a lot of states, is overrun with feral pigs. These formerly domesticated beasts tear up crops and threaten native wildlife. According to the USDA, there are over 5 million feral swine in at least 39 states. It is estimated that they cause over $1.5 billion in damage annually. In many states, including Texas, you don’t need to purchase expensive tags to hunt feral hogs. Even in a restrictive state like California, you can hunt as many as you want (no limit) during a year-long season (tags are required, though). Other states have similar depredation types of permits, as the feral hog issue is not unique to Texas
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
The BYOB “bar” at the 10-2-4 Ranch, Rosie’s Cantina, offers family-friendly entertainment like pool and shuffleboard, along with a jukebox.
or California. Texas makes it easy for out-ofstate residents to hunt. Temporary hunting permits can be purchased online and are mailed to you. The state also provides you with your license number online, in the event you don’t have the physical tag in your possession. Barring that option, they can also be purchased at any Walmart. We were able to purchase a nonresident five-day special hunting license for under $50. Serge at Urge 2 Hunt coordinated the hunting trip too. He set us up with Chris Hitt of Sky Hunter Outfitters (sky-hunters.com). Chris is a former US Army Cavalry scout pilot and native Texan. He owns and operates his own helicopter hog hunting business and flies the same helicopters he flew in the service, Bell 206 Kiowas. A word to prospective aerial pig hunters. There are numerous firms in Texas that offer airborne pig hunting, but few have experienced military pilots flying full-size helicopters.
Kiowas are reliable air frames with proven safety records. A lot of things can go wrong with helicopters, so why take chances?
THE ONE THING we can’t control is the weather. We planned our trip far in advance for mid-February. We thought our four-day itinerary would provide us plenty of blade time, a night hunt, along with some sightseeing and fishing at the ranch. Unfortunately, it started raining the day we arrived and didn’t let up until the day we planned to leave. This was not your normal winter drizzle either. Rather, it was a storm of biblical proportions, a Texas-sized rain that caused roads to flood over. The rain and the wind were brutal – not only for fishing. Poor weather conditions meant no flying. No flying time meant no chance of hunting from a helicopter. As one rainy day bled into the next, my epic hunting trip seemed less and less likely to happen. Finally, on the last day of our trip,
BERETTA CX4 STORM
the weather cleared enough for us to go airborne. We met Chris at the “airport” – basically, a hangar large enough to house a few aircraft and a small, dirt air strip. It reminded me of some clandestine “Air America” airfields used to resupply guerillas in Central America. Chris provided everything. We were geared up with AR-15s (with red dot optics) and unlimited .223 ammo. Our rifles were equipped with GoPro cameras, and additional cameras were mounted on the helicopter Shooters are seated to the left side of the aircraft. My wife occupied the front left seat, Chris manned the controls to her right and I sat in the rear seat. There were no doors on the aircraft so that my wife and I could engage targets. Shooting at moving targets from a helicopter is, to a certain extent, counterintuitive. As the pigs run from you, you don’t lead them, you shoot behind them. A word of caution to any future heliborne bovine hunters: Bundle up;
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
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it gets cold – really cold. It was about 40 degrees on the ground the morning of our hunt. The temperature dropped another 10 to 15 degrees once we were airborne. Add wind chill when flying
at high altitudes at high speeds (and no doors) and it gets downright frosty.
ONCE AIRBORNE, WE test-fired our weapons and confirmed the zero.
The Pernas’ guide Chris Hitt of Sky Hunter Outfitters flies Bell 206 Kiowas, the same helicopters he piloted in the US Army Calvary.
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
Chris advised us in our preflight training that, for best results, we needed to stand on the skids and lean out as far as the safety straps would allow us. During the test-fire he
D
The aircraft is used to force pigs out of scrub brush and into the open.
“encouraged” us to do this by banking the helicopter hard on the left side. There I was, standing on the skid, buzzing through the air, cranking off rounds … I felt like a Vietnamera door gunner, wishing the “Flight of the Valkyries” was blaring in the background. Get some! Chris has permission from most of the surrounding landowners to hunt feral hogs on their properties. Most are farmers or ranchers who want to rid themselves of these destructive beasts. We flew about 10 minutes from the hangar and began searching for targets (pigs). The land has a lot of scrub brush and wooded areas 38
American Shooting Journal // April 2020
adjacent to open fields. Apparently the feral hogs like the scrub, and winter is the best time to hunt, as the leaves in the trees do not interfere with your bird’s-eye view. After about a half an hour of flying, we finally located a herd of about 12 pigs near some trees in a field. Chris used his bird to corral them from the scrub brush into an open area. That’s when we leaned out, stepped onto the skids, and opened fire. I spotted a big boar break away from the pack and locked onto it. I unleashed about a dozen rounds in his direction. A few of my rounds hit home, knocking him over. My wife
engaged another group of three, but they quickly disappeared into the wood line. These pigs move fast! The boar I hit lay wounded in the field. Despite the fact that they are considered vermin, wild pigs are still God’s creatures and don’t deserve to suffer. Chris banked hard in the pig’s direction and came to hover about 20 feet away, less than 5 feet off the ground. “Make sure you finish it fast!” he said over the intercom. “It’s a boar; it might try to charge the helicopter!” I fired a couple more rounds, the final one hitting it at the base of the skull, killing it. We left the boar as it lay,
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Weapons hot! Engage! “Shooting at moving targets from a helicopter is ... counterintuitive,” the author writes. “As the pigs run from you, you don’t lead them, you shoot behind them.”
food for coyotes and other scavengers, which includes other pigs. (Feral hogs can be cannibalistic, in case you needed another reason to shoot one.) So, mission complete. What’s next on my bucket list? Underwater knife fighting school? Running with bulls? Give me some more Texas heli-hog hunting, please!
End result of the Pernas’ helicopter hunt: one less destructive feral hog in Texas.
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
Editor’s note: Author Nick Perna is a sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in northern California. He has spent much of his career as a gang and narcotics investigator. He is a member of a multijurisdictional SWAT team since 2001 and is currently a team leader. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He 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 issues related to veterans.
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American Shooting Journal // March 2020
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Argos BTR Gen 2 series riflescopes are available in 1-8x24mm, 6-24x50mm, 8-34x56mm and 10-40x56mm.
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
SCOPING OUT ATHLON’S OPTICS A relative newcomer to the hunting and shooting market, this Kansas-based company has plenty of scope options with innovative, rugged features for topping all kinds of rifles, plus a strong warranty. STORY BY JIM DICKSON • PHOTOS BY ATHLON OPTICS
A
thlon Optics is a relatively new manufacturer of riflescopes that has a lot to offer today’s shooters. The Kansas-based company, which opened its doors in 2014, has as fine a warranty as you could ask for: a lifetime warranty on the scope itself, regardless of whether you are the original purchaser or not. They mean it, too. One man had a scope fall out of a saddle scabbard and get ruined. Another had a spotting scope he was using fall over the edge of a mountain and crack its lens. Both were repaired or replaced without question at no charge, despite the fact that no scope is going to take falling down a mountain and landing on rocks. These are rugged scopes made of one piece of aircraft aluminum that has been annealed to remove any stresses that could cause it to warp. They are argon purged so they will never fog, and they are waterproof to a depth of 1 meter for one hour, so you don’t have to worry about the rain getting in them. americanshootingjournal.com 49
Neos series riflescopes are available in 3-9x40mm, 4-12x40mm and 6-18x50mm.
All scopes can be purchased with the option of an illuminated reticle. This is vitally important at dawn and dusk when game is moving about and having enough light to see your crosshairs is an issue. Athlon has two very useful and unique reticle designs. One features an illuminated horseshoe over the crosshairs for fast target acquisition and the other is a triangular reticle similar to the old iron inverted V front sight. They refer to this as a Christmas tree reticle. Athlon scopes have a large
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adjustment range of 85-110 MOA or 22 mil-32 mil range adjustment. There is a left side objective focus for
Various reticle styles are available for different scopes, including illuminated half circle and “Christmas tree� designs.
parallax that can be adjusted down to 10 yards. This is very important for those using these scopes in airgun or .22 matches because most scopes adjust parallax down to only 50 yards.
THESE SCOPES COVER a wide price range beginning with the 3-9X and 4-12X Neos, which run $89 to $129 depending on options, and the 3-12X, 4-16X, and 6-24X Talos, which run $129 to $199. These have the normal capped turrets, lenses are fully coated, tubes nitrogen purged, safe for recoil up to .300 Winchester Magnum, and have the option of an illuminated reticle. It should be pointed out that there are few hunting scenarios that could not be easily handled with a 3-9X Neos with an illuminated reticle. These are second focal plane scopes, where the reticle is mounted behind the magnification. This is no handicap except when using mildots, as the reticle will change size at different magnification, disrupting the
americanshootingjournal.com 51
Ares BTR Gen2 HD series riflescopes are available in 2.5-15x50mm and 4.5-27x50mm.
accuracy of the mil-dots. For all other uses it poses no problems. The entry-level first focal plane scope is the Talos BTR 4-14X at $299. This is a fine scope for those who want a mil-dot reticle. Now we come to the premium scopes: the Argos BTR Gen 2 6-20X and 8-24X priced at $399 to $429; the Helos BTR 6-24X and 8-34X priced at $399 to $599; the Midas TAC 4-16X and 6-24X and 5-25X priced at $529 to $669; the Midas BTR Gen 2 2.515X and 4.5-27X priced at $529 to $589; the Ares BTR Gen 2 2.5-15X and 4.5-27X priced at $799 to $849; the Ares ETR 4.5-30X priced at $1,199; and the 4.5-29X Cronus BTR priced at $1,799. These are all first focal plane scopes with the reticle in front of the magnification, so if you are using a reticle with mil-dots, they stay accurate at all magnification powers. 52
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Ares ETR UHD series riflescopes are available in 4.5-30x56mm and 4.5-30x56mm.
Cronus BTR UHD series riflescopes are available in 1-6x24mm and in 4.5-29x56mm in two different finishes, matte black and brown.
Talos BTR series riflescopes are available in 1-4x24mm and 4-14x44mm.
Midas HMR HD series riflescopes are available in 2.5-15x50mm. Argos BTR Gen 2 1-8x24mm.
Midas BTR Gen 2 HD series riflescopes are available in 1-6x24mm and 4.5-27x50mm.
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Cronus BTR 1-6x24mm.
americanshootingjournal.com 55
Helos BTR series riflescopes are available in 1-4.5x24mm, 6-24x50mm and 8-34x56mm.
Hunters, shooters and other rifle users are always looking for the latest and greatest in scopes, and Kansas-based Athlon Optics, a relatively new company, has plenty on offer – with a pretty nice product warranty to boot.
Athlon has riflescopes for short, mid- and long range hunting applications.
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These scopes are all rated for 1000 G recoil, or .50-caliber Browning Machinegun round rated. That’s not that common with scopes. These have a wide band coating on the lenses for maximum light transmission, as well as a special hard coating for scratch protection that is also hydrophobic so that rain will not prevent you from seeing through your scope. This can be a big issue in rain-sodden areas like parts of Alaska where iron sights have traditionally been preferred over scopes because it always seems to be raining. While everyone knows that a lens tissue is what you are supposed to use to clean lenses, in the real world you don’t always have lens tissue when you have to clean the lens. The coatings on these scopes protect you when Kleenex or cloth must be used. The Midas and Ares lines have stainless steel turrets, which are more durable than aluminum and give a more audible click.
AN IMPORTANT FEATURE of these scopes for .50-caliber BMG and .338 Lapua shooters is that they come back to zero at 100 yards perfectly after moving the zero to 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 yards. The same number of clicks will bring them back to 100yard zero. Not all scopes will do this. There is also the True Precision Zero Stop. Once set at 100 yards zero, take out the turret knob and set the zero stop locking plate. Now put the turret knob back with the zero mark centered. You can now dial up and dial back down until it stops and you will be on target again at 100 yards. You don’t have to count clicks or remember how many you dialed up. Under the stress and fatigue of
combat or hunting, this is a very big thing. An exception is the Helos BTR. When you push the knob in, it locks in place. Pull it out to unlock it and adjust. This prevents any bumps or Midas TAC HD series riflescopes are available in 4-16x44mm, 5-25x56mm (with a 34mm tube) and 6-24x50mm.
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scrapes changing things without your knowledge. While a newcomer to the riflescope manufacturing field, I believe that Athlon Optics will soon be a major
player, as it offers innovative features and high quality at low prices.  Editor’s note: For more information, visit athlonoptics.com.
ATHLON OPTICS The Argos BTR Gen 2 1-8x24 is a reliable close-range scope with the ability to engage midrange targets, something no one should be without. The Argos BTR Gen 2 1-8x24 features the glass-etched illuminated ATSR5 reticle, providing quick target acquisition at close range and holdovers out to 600 yards. See us on page 51
CDNN SPORTS AR-15 low-profile flip-up 45-degree sight set See us on page 16-17
ARMASPEC The Armaspec Rifter Linear Muzzle Brake with blast shield greatly reduces felt recoil and directs the gasses as well as sound forward, away from the shooter. The Rifter minimizes the blast pattern, which is especially helpful when in close proximity to others or in the prone position. MSRP $159.99 with blast shield. Patents pending. See us on page 60
LUTH-AR- MBA-5 BUTTSTOCK The Luth-AR MBA-5 Buttstock is the latest in the MBA Series of buttstocks. It’s designed as an affordable, lightweight, adjustable carbine buttstock with a paddle-style adjustment lever, allowing for rapid positioning. The wide, flared cheek rest provides a comfortable cheek weld, and the integrated Picatinny rail allows for attaching a mono-pod or other accessories. The MBA-5 is designed to fit either Mil-Spec or commercial carbine buffer tubes and includes an industry-exclusive anti-rattle clamp. The MBA-5 is Grovtec Quick Detach sling cup-ready. Paired with Luth-AR’s Chubby Grip and Palm Handguard, the new MBA-5 is just the right choice for your AR. See us on page 59 VELOCITY TRIGGERS 3-pound curved trigger See us on page 20
Parts & Accessories americanshootingjournal.com 61
VELOCITY PRECISION Like all Velocity Precision products, their Recoilless Bolt Carrier is designed with accuracy and performance in mind. The unique, patent-pending design is stronger than other low-mass bolt carriers and is one of the lightest bolt carriers on the market. It will significantly reduce your rifle’s recoil impulse and muzzle rise for faster follow-up shots, and its Nano Diamond Nickel coating makes it extremely wear-resistant, easy to clean and uncompromisingly durable. This unique coating creates a very slick surface, which reduces the probability of failures due to a lack of lubrication, reduces typical wear and tear on expensive parts and truly makes shooting your AR-15 much more fun. Learn more at VelocityTriggers.com. See us on page 20
ZERMATT ARMS The Origin action from Zermatt Arms is a modestly priced precision bolt action. Incorporating a floating and interchangeable bolt head with controlled round feed and mechanical ejection as well as toolless bolt disassembly, the Origin action is perfect for the at-home tinkerer and the competition shooter alike. At $825, the Origin is an affordable option for any level of precision shooter. CAMO FACE PAINT INC. The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes Bobbie Weiner as their No. 1 supplier of camo face paint for all branches of the military. Bobbie also supplies camo face paint to the hunting industry. Three-, four- and five-color compacts include unbreakable mirrors, and camo tubes in a variety of colors for all terrains. Odorless, nontoxic, hypoallergenic, nonglare, washes off with soap and water, and has a four-year shelf life. Made in the USA!
LUTH-AR Palm handguard See us on page 59
SEAL 1 SKIT-R/P Gun Cleaning Kit – All Rifle and Pistol See us on page 100
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Parts & Accessories
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
BULLET BULLETIN
The .300 Winchester Magnum performs very well with bondedcore bullets like the Norma Oryx and the Nosler AccuBond.
THE BONDED-CORE EXPERIENCE
When the game gets tough, this type of hunting bullet can make all the difference. STORY BY PHIL MASSARO • PHOTOS BY MASSARO MEDIA GROUP
he zebra stallion stood with his younger compatriot, feeding straight away from us but not covering much ground. My professional hunter Brian van Blerk had spread the sticks what
T
seemed like a lifetime ago, and I stood poised, with the .318 Westley Richards in position, as the pair used the only tree in sight as a buffer between us. When the stallion finally turned to the right, the 250-grain Woodleigh
Weldcore impacted precisely where it was aimed: on the triangle of stripes located on the shoulder, superimposed over the vital organs. He staggered, on wobbly legs, for maybe 15 yards, before going down for one last time. americanshootingjournal.com 67
bullet bulletin A Zambian Cape buffalo neatly dispatched with a 400-grain Swift A-Frame from the .416 Remington Magnum.
The bullet had taken out the heart and lungs, breaking the offside shoulder, and sailing off into the Zimbabwean bushveld. Later that week, the same rifle would send another Weldcore into the rear of an ancient kudu bull; this one would be recovered, resting against the inside of the breastbone. Such is the performance of a good bondedcore bullet. THE LEAD PROJECTILES of the late 19th century worked fine at the velocities capable of being generated by the cartridges of the era. When the smokeless powders ramped up velocities to over 2,200 feet per second, the lead projectiles simply couldn’t handle the heat, and would smear lead throughout the barrel instead of engaging the rifling. The result was wild inaccuracy, and a nightmare of a cleaning job. Swiss Colonel Eduard Rubin solved the issue with the invention of the jacketed bullet. A copper jacket – harder than the bullet’s lead core, yet soft enough to be engraved by the 68
American Shooting Journal // April 2020
barrel’s rifling – would provide a means of holding up against the increased velocity, as well as help hold the bullet together during the terminal phase. For us hunters, the guidelines, cartridge and caliber minimums, and proper bullet weight advice we have all taken for granted over the last century
weren’t yet in place; as a matter of fact, they were being defined. The classic arguments between Elmer Keith and Jack O’Connor regarding velocity versus bullet weight, the opinions of Walter D.M. “Karamojo” Bell about the importance of shot placement versus bullet diameter and weight, and the writings of bullet hounds like John “Pondoro” Taylor hadn’t happened yet, and hunters around the globe were slowly figuring out what worked and what didn’t. And, until the 1950s, those opinions were based on two bullet designs: the cupand-core expanding softpoint, and the nonexpanding full metal jacket, or solid. John Nosler experienced the frustrations of bullet failure when the bullets of his .300 Holland & Holland were coming apart on the shoulder of a bull moose. The cup-and-core-bullet design didn’t please John, and he set out to build a better mousetrap. His design was the Nosler Partition, a bullet still relied upon today; though his design remains fantastic, more importantly (in my opinion) he fired the starting gun for the premium bullet race. We have many premium bullet designs: lead-free monometal, bullets
The classic .318 Westley Richards, loaded with 250-grain Woodleigh Weldcore bullets. The excellent sectional density and high retained weight of the bonded core work perfectly.
bullet bulletin A Hartmann’s mountain zebra taken with Jamy Traut in Namibia, with a .300 Holland & Holland Magnum and 180-grain Trophy Bonded Tip.
with partitions in the middle, polymertipped cup-and-cores with thick jackets, and bonded cores. I am a fan of those bonded-core designs, especially for larger and thick-skinned game. The 350-grain Woodleigh Weldcore in .375 H&H Magnum in Norma’s African PH line.
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THE CONCEPT IS equally genius and simple, as so many of the best things in life are: the copper jacket is chemically bonded to the lead core, preventing the two components from separating upon impact. This results in a bullet that will expand reliably and penetrate deeply in order to give a quick kill. Yes, the other designs can work and work well (quite obviously), but I rely on bonded-core bullets quite often. They come in many different conformations, and many different bullet companies offer a quality bonded-core design. The Woodleigh Weldcore that took the zebra and kudu is a round-nosed bullet, designed to match the profile of the Kynoch bullets that were so popular across Africa, yet with the copper jacket bonded to the lead core, the performance is assuredly enhanced. The Nosler AccuBond – a polymer-tipped boattail design – offers the benefits of a sleek design usually more closely associated with match bullets, yet has the structural
The Woodleigh Weldcore, shown in cross section, unfired and upset. The tapering jacket and bonded core work perfectly.
The Woodleigh Weldcore 250-grain bullet for the .318 Westley Richards is plenty long, and the bonded-core design ensures good penetration.
americanshootingjournal.com 71
bullet bulletin
The Federal Premium 140-grain 7mm-08 Remington load is a perfect choice for the author’s Tikka T3X Lite rifle for the mountains.
The Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw has a small lead core at the front, bonded to the thick copper jacket.
Federal’s Trophy Bonded Tip is a strong, accurate and dependable design. It has become one of the author’s favorite hunting bullets.
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integrity to handle high-impact velocities, while soft enough up front to reliably expand at longer ranges. I love the Federal 140-grain AccuBond load in the 7mm-08 Remington for deer and black bear in my Tikka T3X Lite. The Swift A-Frame is a strong bullet with a partition, yet the front core is bonded to the jacket. This is one of the best softpoints for dangerous game and larger species, and I’ve taken game from Cape buffalo down to steenbok with it. The retained weight is going to be in the 90-pluspercent range, and the expanded A-Frame has a unique look, with a bulge just behind the partition. Federal has a lineup of bonded-core bullets, which can cover quite a bit of ground. The classic Trophy Bonded Bear Claw is a flat-base spitzer, with a small lead core in the front bonded to the long copper shank at the back, and is perfect for dangerous game at moderate ranges. The Trophy Bonded Tip is a polymer-tipped boattail, with a decent ballistic coefficient figure,
The classic recovered shape of the Swift A-Frame, with the bulge just behind the partition. The front core is bonded to the thick jacket.
giving a respectable trajectory and wind deflection values, and still maintaining the high weight retention the bonded-core bullets are known for. The most recent addition to the family – Federal’s Terminal Ascent – is a sleek, long-range bullet. It retains some of the same characteristics as
bullet bulletin the Bear Claw and the Trophy Bonded Tip, in that there is a short lead core bonded to a long copper shank, but this is designed for reliable performance out to over 1,000 yards. I don’t hunt at anywhere near that range, but it sure is nice to know that this bullet is both seriously accurate and terminally sound. These bullets all keep their weight forward, which will result in straight-line penetration; I also have had a very hard time recovering any of these bullets, as their penetration is excellent and often results in a pass-through. The Swift Scirocco II is another fantastic bonded-core bullet, with a thick copper jacket for controlled expansion, and a black polymer tip to maintain BC value. This bullet has proved wonderfully effective on bear, moose, elk and more, at ranges from upclose-and-personal to across the canyon, and gives excellent accuracy. That thick, tapering jacket aids in the high weight retention associated with this bullet.
Federal’s new Terminal Ascent, a bonded-core polymer tip bullet designed for long-range hunting, though it works at any range.
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American Shooting Journal // April 2020
If you’re looking for AR replacement parts or other tactical gear, Pickett’s Mill Armory is your one-stop online gun shop. Whether you just need a new bolt carrier to install independently or an entire in-house, custom-built upper receiver, we offer all types of AR parts for sale from the best brands out there today.
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bullet bulletin The Norma Oryx – shown here in a .375-inch 300-grain pill – is a wonderful all-around bullet.
Norma’s Oryx – a vastly underrated bullet – uses the bonding process on the rear portion of the jacket in order to allow the front end to expand like the standard cup-and-core. It is an excellent choice for elk, moose and bear, as the rear of the bullet will stay together while the expansion of the nose section, often over twice caliber dimension, absolutely destroys vital tissue. My Savage 6.5-284
The Norma Bondstrike is designed for deep penetration and reliable expansion, while giving great accuracy and trajectory.
Norma absolutely loves the 156-grain Oryx load from Norma; that bullet/ rifle combination flattens deer. It would be a great all-around bullet in the .375 H&H at 300 grains, capable of taking Cape buffalo, yet perfect for plains game as well. Norma’s Bondstrike bullet is a sleek, accurate, bonded-core bullet, Want to use your .375 H&H to reach out and touch someone? Look at the 260-grain Nosler AccuBond; it makes a very flat-shooting bullet in that old cartridge.
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Bullet BULLETIN designed for flat trajectories, good wind deflection values, and high retained weight. I used this excellent bullet to take a good aoudad ram in west Texas, and was impressed by the performance. Hornady’s excellent DGX – standing for Dangerous Game eXpanding – which proved so accurate in so many rifles, has been updated to bond the core to the jacket. The reports from the field of the original design being a bit too frangible took root, and Hornady listened to their clients and professional hunters. The new design, the Hornady DGX Bonded, is getting excellent reports from the African game fields. If you like the fast magnum cartridges, or you choose to use a lighter-weight bullet in a standard cartridge, a bonded-core bullet is a great choice. I love to hunt deer with my .300 Winchester Magnum – the possibility of seeing a black bear is considerable – but with standard cup-
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The dangerous game cartridge that became the benchmark: the .450 NE 3¼-inch. It is made even better with the Hornady DGX Bonded bullet.
Bullet BULLETIN Hornady’s DGX Bonded bullet is loaded across the range of their safari cartridges, and for those who don’t handload their ammunition, makes a great choice.
and-core bullets, the meat damage on a deer was terrible. I switched to the Swift Scirocco II, and the meat damage was significantly reduced. And if I’m traveling far from home, I prefer to hedge my bets with a bonded-core bullet because if the only shot presented is at a less-thandesirable angle, I can trust the bullet to penetrate. Give some of these a try in your rifle, and you may see the results you’ve been after.
The Hornady DGX Bonded shown in cross section and upset. Note the thick copper jacket.
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americanshootingjournal.com 81
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.
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Triple K Mfg.’s #314 Insider Holster is a sleek inside-the-waistband holster made to fit most small-, mediumand large-frame autos and short-barrel revolvers. Designed for comfort and concealment. Features premium vegetable-tanned leather and heavy nylon stitching. MSRP $62. Made in USA.
Introducing the Defender Holster made specially for revolvers. This new design fully covers all barrel lengths and features up to six bullet loops in your choice of caliber, a sweat shield and open muzzle. Made to be worn in the 2 to 3 o’clock position with a 10-degree forward cant for easy holstering. MSRP: $110.
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EZR SPORT
EZR Sport’s grips and gauntlets are perfect for your concealed carry needs. The gauntlets protect skin and fabrics from abrasive stock grips while providing superior comfort and control.
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CLIPDRAW
Everyday carry made simple. Comfortable and discreet concealed carry without a holster. American-made and fits for all handguns.
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americanshootingjournal.com 83
STICKY HOLSTERS
The Belly Band and Guard Her Belt are modular bands that secure a Sticky Holster and handgun around the hips/torso or thigh. Both bands have two small accessory pouches for a spare magazine or knife, and the Belly Band has two large accessory pouches for a phone, wallet or other items.
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KIRKPATRICK LEATHER
The K-400 Detective Carry holster is a favorite among plainclothes police. Its open-muzzle design reduces the size of the holster and allows the wearer to carry pistols of different barrel lengths. The shoulder straps are thin enough for concealing with light cover, yet very durable. The wide design of the harness distributes the weight of the firearm, reducing fatigue during extended use. Other features include molded sight rail; soft, durable leather straps; double stitching at stress points; gun-specific hand molding; and thumb break design. MSRP: $140. www.kirkpatrickleather.com
TAP RACK HOLSTERS
Tap Rack Holsters IWB offers function and form with safety and comfort as two principles in their line of handmade holsters. They mold to your specifications for a correct fit. No buckets here. Holsters feature adjustable retention, a 550 corded loop for securing to a belt or belt loop, semiclosed bottom that can be left open for threaded barrels on request, different body shield heights in low, medium and high upon request, and nonbinding smooth edges with no sharp points in their designs for comfort. Different colors and patterns available upon request.
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DARA HOLSTERS
Dara Holsters’ patented Curved Clip is designed to mimic the curve of the waistline, offering 100-percent clip-to-belt contact while carrying, keeping the gun and holster close to the body at all times. Concealed carry has never been so easy.
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GRIPS GALLERY
EZR SPORT Shockwave Gauntlets fit on all “shockwave-style” grips, with no movement or rotation of any kind when installed properly. The gauntlets will not tear during installation, do not rotate, will not lift or peel off – and can be removed if so desired with no damage to the original grips! www.ezrsport.com
HOGUE INC. Hogue’s Beavertail HandAll Grip Sleeves feature models specifically designed for today’s polymer-framed handguns. They engage with the textures and contours of the firearm frame to stay firmly in place over the lifespan of the grip. Six colors available. www.hogueinc.com
americanshootingjournal.com 87
ROAD HUNTER
WHAT SPRING TURKEY HUNTERS SHOULD ALSO KNOW Calls, camo and shotgun chokes aside, there’s a whole ’nother aspect to successfully harvesting a gobbler you may have overlooked: their biology. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN
G
et the gun ready and don’t move,” I whispered to my buddy, who was sitting next to me at the base of a fat fir tree. A big tom had emerged from the conifers 250 yards out and was headed across a meadow in our direction. It took more than 15 minutes for the bird to get within range, and just as I was giving the green light to shoot, the tom stacked his feathers and ran right at us. At 8 yards, the tom stopped, stood erect, turned circles and tilted his head in search of the seductive hen. “Now!” I muttered, and the gun roared. “That was cool!” was my partner’s first response. “Man, these birds are dumb,” was his next comment. It was his first turkey hunt. He was referring to how close the bird came, yet complained about having to sit motionless for so long. When I explained how a turkey’s eyesight works, my buddy came away with a more thorough understanding of, and appreciation for, turkey hunting.
“
MONOCULAR VISION A turkey’s eyesight is equivalent to looking through powerful binoculars,
The spurs of an ocellated turkey are the most impressive in the gobbler world.
With eyes on the sides of its head, a turkey’s field of view encompasses 300 degrees, explaining why hunters must be stone-still when birds approach. americanshootingjournal.com 89
ROAD HUNTER
Knowing the nesting, hatching and overall lifecycle of the wild turkey is important to understanding how to more successfully hunt them.
which explains why we sat so still when the bird approached. They also see the world in monocular vision, which reveals why the bird came so close. Turkeys have some of the best and worst eyes in the woods. It’s believed turkeys see in color, but these birds are unique in that their eyes are widely spaced on the side of their head, accounting for their struggle with depth perception. Turkeys scramble to decipher all objects directly in front of them, even the size of objects. This is because they can’t simultaneously focus with both eyes, explaining why the hunter who sits stone-still will often encounter turkeys walking to within spitting distance. A turkey’s continual bobbing, dipping, twisting and turning action of the head allows them to view objects from two different angles. This movement lets them clearly see the object with both eyes – independently 90
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from one another – and determine not only the distance to the object, but whether it’s a potential threat. Turkeys have excellent monocular vision. This, combined with the fact that they can see in a 300-degree arc without moving their head, gives them a commanding view of their surroundings. This is why hunters need to be as still as possible when birds are approaching, even from a great distance. The nervous nature of turkeys sets hunters on edge. Don’t perceive turkeys’ high-strung disposition as busting you. Just because they look at you doesn’t mean they know what you are. Stay still, control your breathing, don’t even blink, and the bird won’t spook. HEARING ABILITIES A turkey’s ears are set on the sides of its head. They have no outer ear to funnel sounds, so can detect noise coming from all directions. This is
another reason they constantly move their head, to pinpoint sounds. A turkey’s hearing is so acute, it’s nothing to have them respond to a call from mind-boggling distances. I’ve had numerous hunts in mountainous terrain out West where toms were spotted on distant ridges, well over 1,000 yards away, and they replied to my calls. Often you can’t hear them respond due to the distance of separation, only watch them gobble through binoculars or a spotting scope. Twice I’ve had birds travel more than a mile to come to my calls, and killed both birds. Both toms traveled through timber, crossed creeks and jumped fences; that’s how driven they were. The key to bringing in a finicky tom often lies in finding the right pitch and frequency of your calls. This is why I, and many avid turkey hunters out West, carry multiple calls. “I carry a couple box calls, four
ROAD HUNTER slates and over 20 strikers,” shares Jody Smith, one of the West’s top turkey guides (jodysmithguideservice. com). “We’re hunting birds every day of our six-week season, and I often have to change sounds to find what birds like from one day to the next.” He focuses on hitting high pitches. “I don’t really care what a call sounds like to me; I let the birds tell me if they like it or not,” Smith continues. “They really like high pitches most of the time. When a bird is hung up or won’t respond to calls, I go through all my slates and strikers to find the ones that hit the high notes, and that usually
fires ’em up. If they lose interest in a call, I’ll find another high-pitched sound they like, and keep working ’em.” If clean, high-pitched sounds from a slate don’t work, try high-pitched, raspy clucks and yelps on a box call. In many cases, change is good, especially when it comes to finding what sounds a finicky tom likes. LIFECYCLE The lifecycle of the wild turkey is similar across the country. Most spring turkey seasons are meant to start after the peak of the breeding season, to
Due to the shape of a turkey’s skull and the position of the eyes, these birds have monocular vision. Though their vision is very powerful, they have trouble deciphering the location and size of objects directly in front of them.
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ensure hens get bred. During a single mating session with a tom, up to 50 eggs are capable of developing inside the hen. When her body says it’s time to start laying, the hen will build a nest and lay one egg every 24 to 32 hours. The average size of a clutch is 11 to 12 eggs and the hen waits until the final egg is laid prior to sitting. Around 28 days after incubation began, the eggs will hatch. Turkey chicks are precocious, leaving the nest 12 to 24 hours after hatching. The first week is critical to a turkey’s survival. The sperm that is deposited in a hen is viable for
ROAD HUNTER
When a tom pauses and starts turning and twisting its head, don’t panic. All it’s trying to do is key-in on the sounds that brought him there.
more than 30 days. This means that if a hen loses a clutch within a month of initially mating, she can re-nest without having to breed. Not only does this explain why midseason hunting can be good, as hens don’t need to breed to renest, but it also raises some misconceptions. Upon seeing a newly hatched brood of turkeys in late August or September, many people believe it’s the hen’s second or third clutch. Hens do not raise more than one brood in a single nesting season, so don’t think this means your hunting area will be loaded with birds next year. While jakes can breed at one year of age, most don’t because they have to battle mature toms. But if jakes are willing to travel – and they are known to cover long distances – they will 94
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successfully mate. Many transplanting efforts have centered around jakes that are willing to move and breed with hens. Most old toms are homebodies, and the older the tom, the less they tend to move during breeding season. This is why hens are programmed to go to the strutting grounds of toms during breeding season. Hens will travel long distances to find a tom and seek a secluded nesting site. In some Western states, hens have been known to travel more than 15 miles to nest from where they were bred. This is why hunters in these areas find hens and jakes at surprisingly high, secluded elevations. Though some hens may travel many miles to nest in seclusion, they will often return to where they were bred to raise their brood. Some hens,
however, nest within a quarter of a mile of where they were bred, while others travel back to the same exact breeding, nesting and brooding sites year after year. Once a hen finds an optimal nesting location, she may use it for life, as long as the habitat and surroundings don’t change. Learn a hen’s breeding pattern and you may find more toms. As summer progresses, hens and their developing young will join with others. By fall, it’s not uncommon to see three or more hens with all their young of the year. At the same time, mature toms form bachelor flocks, often of like age groups. Given the rigors encountered throughout its life, a tom averages two to three years of age, but can live up to five or slightly older under ideal circumstances. Hens
ROAD HUNTER Author Scott Haugen has been hunting turkeys for over 30 years, and is pleased with this highelevation tom taken in Washington. A former science teacher with a background in biology, Haugen ranks understanding animal behavior as topping the list when it comes to building hunting skills.
can live up to six or seven years, but that’s considered very old. Depending on the habitat, weather conditions and lifestyle of the birds, winter turkey flocks can number in excess of 200 birds. This is one of the best times to not only hunt turkeys in states that allow it, but to also find places to hunt in the spring. By being familiar with the behavior and lifecycle of wild turkeys, hunters can gain a more thorough understanding of their quarry. After all, the more we know about the biology of the game we pursue, the more efficient we’ll be in the field. The end result is more tags filled. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, Western Turkey Hunting: Strategies For All Levels, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
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BLACK POWDER
TESTING RICE'S NEW FLINTLOCK
The new lock mechanism from Rice, here ready to spark, has friction-reducing features that make for “faster and more positive ignition,” according to author Mike Nesbitt.
Mechanism's short-action lock and narrow, deep priming pan impress black powder shooter. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT
T
he new Rice flintlock is patterned after the work of Henry Nock and represents locks made after 1790. Flintlock mechanisms were entering their advanced stage about then and the best locks of the time
incorporated several friction-reducing features. Reducing friction translates into quicker lock time, as well as faster and more positive ignition. On this new Rice lock, those friction-reducing features are present and they include a roller on the frizzen spring and a stirrup on the mainspring, so no moving parts must “rub” one another. The new lock also features a
rather lightweight cock and it has a short throw, which contributes further to faster lock action. One rather unique feature found internally in this new lock is the fly, which prevents the sear from entering the half-cock notch when the hammer is moving forward. The fly is usually mounted on the side of the tumbler, but on this lock it is located in the center
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BLACK POWDER
The new lock was built into this Leman-styled TVM .50-caliber rifle
of the tumbler. Being center-mounted, the fly contacts the sear evenly and uniformly, rather than bearing on the side. This feature, which was found on some of the original Nock locks, will hopefully reduce the chance of breakage of the sear. MY OWN INTRODUCTION to the new Rice flintlock came in the form of a telephone call from Matt Avance, the top man at Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. TVM is the main distributor for the new Rice locks and Matt was making sure that I knew all about it.
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We had talked for more than a few minutes when Matt asked me if I would be interested in building a rifle around this new lock so it could be given a good and proper field test. As many of you know, my favorite of the TVM rifles is the Leman, and after some discussion with Allen Cunniff, my building partner, that’s just what we decided to get. We decided on a .50-caliber Leman with a 1-inch-wide barrel that was 34 inches long. A 34-inch barrel is not a TVM standard, but they happened to have one on hand, a Rice barrel in fact. For this rifle we didn’t add
any options from TVM, but we did get some parts from Track of the Wolf, which were used to personalize the rifle, as well as to make it more authentic (or “Lemanistic”). Those parts included the Leman nose cap and a trigger guard, plus some nickel silver escutcheons and the brass Leman cap box. Homemade sights were also added to this rifle before it was completed. We began on this builder’s kit almost as soon as it arrived, with Allen doing most of the work. I had volunteered to do certain jobs involved with the assembly of the
BLACK POWDER rifle, but each time I talked with Allen about when to do my share of the task, he’d tell me it was already done. One specific duty that he did save for me was the artificial striping, which I was very pleased to do. Shortly after the striping was done, using dark brown leather dye from Lincoln Shoe Polish, and the protective finish was applied, this rifle was ready for shooting. Sighting-in followed along very quickly with a loading that Allen selected and has stayed with because there’s been no reason to change it. That load used 60 grains of GOEX 3Fg powder under a .490-inch swaged ball wrapped in a .015-inch lubed patch. A snappy load, for sure. For shooting at gongs along a trailwalk at various distances, this almost flat-shooting load requires nothing more than a dead-on hold for good hits. NOW, ABOUT THIS new Rice flintlock. It was designed with speed in mind
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and to help achieve that, this is a short-action lock. That simply means the cock (or hammer) has a shorter distance to travel before the flint engages the frizzen. I can’t tell you how fast the cock moves, but let me assure you, it’s quick. Usually I like to put the flints in the cock with the bevel up, keeping the “cutting edge” of the flint low. With most locks, that seems to be the most advantageous way to have the flints. That really isn’t the shooter’s choice, however, because the real choice-maker is the lock. This lock speaks loud and clear; it wants the flints installed with the bevel down, putting the cutting edge at the top. If the flint is installed with the bevel up, the cutting edge will contact the frizzen rather low, which allows only a short “scrape” on the frizzen’s face. That will make sparks, but not as many or as good as when the flint is installed bevel down. With
the cutting edge higher, a lot more “scrape” is available, producing more and better sparks. Allen commented about this and I had to try it for myself, but I must agree, put the flints in with the bevel down to get the best performance. One feature that I really like about the new Rice flintlock is the shape of the priming pan. It’s rather long and narrow. Picture a musket’s pan, which is generally wide and perhaps shallow. The reason for that is so the musket’s priming will be ignited by any spark that gets dropped into it from the likewise large cock and frizzen. The military guns needed to be that way so they would fire under all sorts of circumstances. But the finer made locks, as found on nice fowlers or deluxe pistols, had priming pans that were narrow and deeper. The narrow, deeper pans concentrate the priming powder, as well as the flash from the priming, which results in faster
BLACK POWDER ignition. To use that narrow and deep pan effectively, the lock must have the geometry needed to produce the hot sparks and aim those sparks into the priming. The new Rice lock does that very well and the narrow pan becomes a fine ingredient toward better shooting with quick ignition. FOR SHOOTING, WE went to our favorite range, where we set a target out at
Allen Cunniff fires a shot with 60 grains of powder under the ball.
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just 25 yards because that was the distance used for initially sighting-in this new rifle. Allen fired a five-shot group, which is simply outstanding. We could plainly see the group without going forward from the firing line. All five shots were touching in the small black bull’s-eye on the yellow target. Measuring that group across its widest point showed just 1¼ inches and if we subtract one
bullet diameter, or ½ inch, to get a center-to-center group measurement, we’ll call that a ¾-inch group. Yes, that was done at only 25 yards, but we had to start somewhere, and that still shows excellent consistency in everything, including the ignition, the load, the barrel, and most certainly the sight picture. Then it was my turn to take some shots, first at a paper target posted
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BLACK POWDER at 25 yards and then at some hanging gongs 100 yards away. Let me admit that my shooting at the gongs was my best – I never missed. I didn’t miss the paper target either, but then Allen took over again and fired a dandy three-shot group offhand at another paper target and his group beat mine. Actually, Allen’s three-shot group that he fired offhand was almost as tight as the five-shot group he fired from the bench. TO GET ONE of these new locks, get in contact with Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. While these locks are being produced by the Rice brothers, TVM is the exclusive distributor for them and the locks are priced at $225 each, plus the necessary shipping. Visit tvmnatchez.com or call (601) 445-5482. Just ask for the Rice flintlock, they’ll know what you’re talking about.
Cunniff fired five shots in a ¾-inch group, an excellent performance.
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