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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

A MERIC A N

SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 4 // ISSUE 1 // September 2015 PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Dick Openshaw GENERAL MANAGER

John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andy Walgamott EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Danielle Breteau LEAD CONTRIBUTOR

Frank Jardim CONTRIBUTORS

Andrew Bartlett, Jason Brooks, Robert Campbell, Tom Claycomb III, Dave Goetzinger, Scott Haugen, Steve Joseph, Mike Nesbitt, Pascal Pierme, Kirstie Pike, Troy Rodakowski, Troy Taysom, Oleg Volk, John Woods SALES MANAGER

Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS

Sonjia Kells, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum, Sable Talley PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING

Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Lois Sanborn INBOUND MARKETING

Jon Hines CIRCULATION MANAGER

Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION

Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford, Barry Johnston ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

ads@americanshootingjournal.com INTERN AND EDITOR’S GOPHER

Erica Deshaies

ON THE COVER Writer and hunter Troy Rodakowski with his chocolate Lab Sage. Rodakowski holds a limit of northern pintail and teal harvested in western Oregon’s Willamette Valley. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (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 // September 2015

VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 1 • september 2015

CONTENTS THE DOOM OF BOOM!

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SilencerCo is not just a giant in suppressor manufacturing – the folks behind the company are making changes in the industry that are sure to update federal laws, become household standards and – most importantly – calm that ringing in your ears!

(SILENCERCO)

features 27

Time Capsule: Lost Shotgun Of The Third Reich?

Step back in time to the eve of World War II as we follow the path of an unusually marked Krieghoff Drilling from the Berchtesgaden to Illinois – was this Hitler’s shotgun?

96

The Making Of A Huntress Many people might think having kids means forgoing hunting trips and hardcore outdoor activities – not these folks! Meet Washington state’s Hurst girls as well as Universal Huntress Television production manager Chantelle Kapp.

103 Prehunting Season Prep Find yourself checking the weather more often lately? Maybe you’ve been making room in the freezer?

Does your right index finger itch?

It’s all telling you hunting season’s here, and you’ll want to consider these keys before heading afield!

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Wanna Go Hunt? There’s An App ...

Even the world of hunting isn’t free from the advances of technology, and thank goodness! If you are hunting in the West, want a bird’s-eye view and in-depth details on a hunting unit, look no further. GoHUNT will make you feel like you have a Terminator-like grid of knowledge.

125

Getting Pup Ready For Season We love them and sometimes lose them, but the joy of having these furry partners by our side makes for the best of memories. Check out some tricks and tips to getting your gun dog on top of their game as we head into fall’s bird seasons.

133

ROADHUNTER: The 7-deer Year Who knew there were this many subspecies of deer to hunt?! Scott Haugen shares his epic season, as well as best spots to find each kind of whitetail, muley and blacktail.

139

BLACK POWDER: The Freedom Of .50 Calibers And Beyond The hunting regulation pamphlet might brand black powder weapons as “primitive,” but in today’s modern world, there’s almost no better way to open gates and get permission to hunt than toting a muzzleloader. With these short-range weapons, you’re sure to be stoking your freezer while riflemen chance it, our Mike Nesbitt argues.

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Optics 101: Choosing And Using Binoculars, Spotting Scopes With a lifetime of experience in the mountains, as well as numerous big game seminars under his belt, our hunting expert Tom Claycomb III shares what he’s learned about picking the right glass and how to use it when pursuing deer and elk.

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 © 2015 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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CONTENTS Also inside 33 37 43 49 53 69 71 73 111 146

Range Profile: The Boondocks Training Academy of Mississippi GUN REVIEW: Volquartsen .22LR Magnum GUN REVIEW: Chiappa’s Little Badger GUN REVIEW: Magnum Lite .22 WMR Product Review: Pyramyd Air S&W 586 Q&A With Weaponeye’s Inventor Product Feature: Zero Bravo Product Review: Unimag Minimizing Hunting Pack Clutter Cracking Gun Safes

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(FRANK JARDIM)

DEPARTMENTS 17 19 21 23 25 46

Editor’s Note Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar Correspondence: Photo Winner Top Shots: Reader Pics Salute To America’s Military

TINY MARVELS

Some people look at the firearms industry under a microscope – literally!

Meet the mastercraftsmen who strive to build the tiniest replica guns possible. With the patience of fine jewelers, and a world where size really does matter, prepare to be just a wee bit inspired.

(STICKMAN)

MADE IN THE E USA A FEATURED COM MPANY: N8 2 TA ACTICAL N82 TACTICAL, INC. Our story began in the summer of 2009. There was a phone conversation that eventually turned toward the subject of all the concealed-carry holsters we had tried, and how none of them provided enough comfort to be worn all day, every day. This fact was frustrating since you never know when you may need your firearm, and it is essential to have it readily available.

We both had ideas on how to make concealed carry comfortable. If the holster manufacturers would just develop a design that provided complete isolation from every part of the handgun; if the materials were pliable; if there was a moisture barrier to protect the firearm itself, these things would make the perfect holster we were looking for.

At some point during the conversation – somewhat jokingly – it was mentioned that we should just make our own, and so we started experimenting with different designs and materials. We bought a sewing machine, took sewing lessons, and before long we had made holsters for ourselves that were truly unlike anything else available. Although these prototypes weren’t pretty to look at, they were extremely comfortable, as well as functional, to wear during our daily routines – we even forgot we were wearing them! Friends and family started asking for holsters of their own, and it became apparent that we were on to something. Nate Squared Tactical was born!

We would be failing to tell the whole story if we didn’t mention the ongoing support of our wives, without whom we would not have made it this far. Above all, we thank God and give him the glory for blessing our business!

Nate Beard & Nate Johnson N82 Tactical, Inc. Cofounders 14

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

www.n82tactical.com

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

EDITOR’S NOTE lost animal doesn’t do anyone any good. unting is a deeply rooted instinct for many Be sure that when you take that shot, people, and can be categorized as sustenance, your mind is clear, your gun is zeroed and survival, tradition and conservation, to your aim is true. The American Shooting name a few. Real hunters appreciate all of Journal will be with you (true … you get it these treasured aspects and work hard to maintain them. ... anyone?).

Unfortunately, we share our prized hunting grounds with Among our featured stories – and one people who do not respect the rules, such as poachers, of my favorites – we put a microscope and I feel strongly about having them strung up, drawn on the master craftsmen who make the and quartered in public. Something about the punishment tiniest of firearms. How small can a realfitting the crime appeals to me, but I digress. life, bullet-firing gun be? You may be We have pulled together some great preseason hunting surprised to learn that you can fit them tips this issue, including how to lighten your day pack and American Shooting between your thumb and index finger. adjusting to warmer-than-expected weather during the Journal editor These creations and the jeweler’s patience Danielle Breteau current Western drought. We also focus on great optics (ICHIRO NAGATA) needed to manufacture these amazing (get it, focus … optics?) and how to choose, maintain and miniatures is truly awe inspiring. use the best glass for your style of hunting, and for added We also detail the people behind SilencerCo and their motivation, Scott Haugen shares his epic seven-deer year. vision for the future. If you know of No matter what critter you plan to someone in the shooting industry who hunt this year, most of all, be safe and DID YOU KNOW? you feel is exceptional, email me at respectful. Not just of other hunters, Sept. 19th is National Dani@AmericanShootingJournal.com private lands and laws, but of the ³6JCPM # 2QNKEG 1H¿EGT´ FC[ and tell me all about them. animals themselves. A wounded and

h

americanshootingjournal.com 17

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

Bradley Allen LRH Division Winner

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

Brandon Hembree troopers on during the Precision Rifle Series SilencerCo Quiet Riot match in Utah. (JACE LEROY)

Sept 5 - 6 PRS Season Championship Bakersfield, Calif.

Private ranch

Sept 26 Remington Great Americans Shoot Rosharon, Texas Providence Plantation

Sept 11 - 13 S P Pyramyd Air Cup New Philadelphia, Ohio N Tusco Rifle Club T

Sept 5 - 6

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Sept 19 - 20

State Triple 6-Stage Shoot Bismarck, N.D. Flying D Arena

Montana Championship Kalispell, Mont.

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Stagecoach Outriders Pittsfield, Pa. Warren County Fairgrounds

Sept 3 - 6

Sept 10 - 13

Sept 25 - 27

Top 100 Oregon Championships Grants Pass, Ore. JCSA Trap & Skeet Club

US Open Skeet Championship Rush, N.Y. Rochester Brooks Gun Club

Mini-World Skeet Championships San Antonio, Texas National Shooting Complex

Sept 5

Sept 6

Sept 19

Club Shoot Ephrata, Wash.

Boyd Mordhorst Memorial Range

Club Shoot Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi Pistol & Rifle Club

Club Shoot Whipple, Ohio Magnum, Get Your Shot On

Sept 19 - 23

Sept 19 - 26

Sept 21 - 26

National Police Shooting Championships Albuquerque, N.M. Shooting Range Park

Women’s Wilderness Escape Raton, N.M. NRA Whittington Center

National Silhouette Championships Raton, N.M. NRA Whittington Center

Sept 5 - 6

Sept 18 - 20

2015 KrieghoffHaldeman Cup Dalmatia, Pa. Keystone Shooting Park

Sept 20

TTSC Warm-Up Bunker Trap Tucson, Ariz.

Tuscon Trap and Skeet Club

International Pistol Matches Oklahoma City, Okla.

Oklahoma City Gun Club

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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©2015 Olin Corporation

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

What’s more “cutting edge” than the razor sharp tusks on a wild boar?

The bone-breaking technology built into the Razor Boar XT™ line by Winchester. Offered in popular rifle calibers from .223 to .308 Win., and also available in .44 Mag, the Razor Boar XT™ line has what you need to bring down the biggest and baddest boars.

CORRESPONDENCE

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER! Drum roll, please!!

The winner, or shall we say, winners of our photo contest are: David Whitt and his 11-year-old granddaughter KyLeigh Teague from Camp Verde, Ariz. This duo has been shooting together for over four years and are still going strong. According to David, KyLeigh is a “darn good shot!”

David is carrying a 9mm Browning Hi-Power and a Winchester 1873 .350 Magnum.

Kyleigh is carrying a Cimarron single-action .357 magnum and a Henry .22.

The American Shooting Journal thanks David and KyLeigh for sending in this great photo with awesome smiles. Keep your eyes open for a nice package coming your way with products from Browning, CRKT Knives and shooting glasses from Specialized Safety Products. You two make a great team!

Danielle Breteau Executive Editor

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

PRIMER

TOP SHOTS 1.

Mike Nesbitt just after taking a shot with his .44-90 Sharps at the 2015 Quigley shoot.

2.

US Army Specialist (ret.) Jose Martinez, a triple amputee after stepping on a 60-pound IED in Afghanistan, gets a feel for his new hand cannon, an S&W 460 XVR revolver presented to him by the Veteran Sportsman’s Alliance, an organization dedicated to giving our wounded soldiers the best in sportsman experiences.

3.

Jesse Redell uses a tree trunk and branch to steady for a shot during a Precision Rifle Series competition.

4.

DJ Petrou, top Tennessee-based 3-Gun competitor and organizer, aims an ICE-designed ultralight produced by MAG Tactical with an Aimpoint T1 and a Unimag.

5.

Travis Redell, owner of RBros Rifles, takes that perfect long-range shot and deftly reloads the next round.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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FOUND TREASURE OF WWII A “Potentially” Lost Shotgun Of The Reich

STORY BY ANDREW BARTLETT • PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS JOINER

owards the end of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, the soldiers of the 506th Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne, are sent to Hitler’s “Eagles Nest” retreat in the Bavarian Alps. There, Nazi leaders had a getaway resort where they could enjoy an opulent lifestyle away from the public eye. As depicted in the miniseries, this is where the real boys of the 101st found a treasure trove of war souvenirs, and this is where the story of our shotgun – engraved with the initials A.H. – begins.

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THE SHOTGUN This style of shotgun, known as a Drilling, is uniquely German. The engraved Krieghoff Neptune variation combines a double-barrel, 12-gauge shotgun with an 8x57 JR-caliber rifle barrel. The gun metal is ornate, featuring high-relief engravings depicting woodlands with deer. The serial number, 15450, indicates that the gun was made in 1931 and then sent to a master engraver to embellish the gun to its current condition. The bottom of the trigger guard is where the initials are located.

1934 - 1935 Heinrich Krieghoff was in Sewanee, Germany, where he demonstrated a gasoperated rifle to Adolph Hitler, Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess and Paul von Hindenberg, possibly to gain favor for a military contract, which he received the following year to produce 10,000 Luger pistols. It is believed that Krieghoff offered Neptune Drillings to Göring and Hitler at this time. We do know that Göring, a German politician, military leader and leading member of the Nazi Party, owned a Kreighoff Drilling, which has been documented in books and period photos, and has his initials, H.G., engraved in the same location – bottom of the trigger guard – and in a similar style as the A.H. Neptune.

This Krieghoff Neptune Drilling sports the serial number 15450, indicating that the gun was made in 1931. It was later sent to a master engraver for the final extraordinary finish.

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TIME capsule 1945 In May, the US Army’s 506th Parachute Regiment raided Hitler’s Berchtesgaden retreat in the Bavarian mountains and a soldier reportedly took the Drilling as a souvenir. The 506th is one of only a few units in the US Army to be transferred to the Pacific theater (also depicted in Band of Brothers). Due to weight restrictions while traveling, the paratrooper could not take the shotgun home with him, so he sold the souvenir to 1st Lieutenant Robert J. Lucas, who managed the mess hall and bakery, for $5.

Lucas took the gun home with him and settled in central Illinois sometime after the war.

His wife reported that the shotgun was kept under their bed for 50 years, and they never discussed its significance with anyone.

1990s After Lucas’s death, his family began researching the gun’s history, discovering that the weapon may have belonged to Hitler.

1994 Randall Gibson, author of the book The Krieghoff Parabellum, collector and gun enthusiast, examined the Drilling and told the family that the gun “very likely” was given to Hitler as a gift in 1934.

2005 The family put the Drilling up for auction with Mid-West Gun Exchange and sold it to a private collector.

2014 The A.H. Krieghoff Drilling was sold to Legacy Collectibles in a private transaction.

This Krieghoff Neptune variation combines a double-barrel, 12-gauge shotgun with an 8x57 JR-caliber rifle barrel. In the stock, there was a special compartment created to hold extra shells under an engraved and felted cover.

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ANALYSIS There are no documents to prove that this Drilling was presented to Hitler at the demonstration, or while he was touring the Krieghoff factory in 1934. All Krieghoff company documents were destroyed before the Allied armies took over the factory in 1945.

The only documentation of a similar gun, that was given to Göring, comes from period photographs of him with the gun.

While Göring, an avid hunter, was photographed several times with his Krieghoff Drilling, there are no photos of Hitler with a

americanshootingjournal.com 29

Time Capsule gun. This does not disprove the validity of this A.H. Drilling.

Hitler was seldom photographed with any gun because he reportedly was a vegetarian and was opposed to hunting.

We do know that Krieghoff was in the presence of Hitler on numerous occassions, which would have given him many opportunities to offer a gift.

SPECULATIVE This Krieghoff Drilling variation is slightly shorter than standard shotguns, perhaps due to Hitler’s smaller stature if it was, indeed, made for him.

The similarities of both the H.G. and A.H. Drillings, the time frame, the documented origin of the A.H., and multiple meetings between Krieghoff and Hitler lead one to believe it is highly possible. The additional fact that this gun has A.H. inscribed in the same spot as the H.G. on Göring’s gun led one expert to declare that it’s very likely this is indeed Hitler’s shotgun. ASJ Editor’s note: Legacy Collectibles is the nation’s leading provider of authentic and historical firearms. For more information on this Drilling and all the supporting documentation, you can visit them at legacy-collectibles.com.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

Y

The engraved initials “A.H.” offer another potential clue that this Krieghoff Drilling was made and presented to Adolf Hitler.

americanshootingjournal.com 31

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RANGE SPOTLIGHT

SERIOUS SHOOTIN’ HERE Mississippi’s Boondocks Firearms Training Academy STORY BY JOHN WOODS • PHOTOGRAPHS BY NIC BARNES

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ake-up calls come in a variety of ways. For Kim Condon it was the incident in Aurora, Colo., where a gunman donned a gas mask and proceeded to shoot 82 people in a movie theater, killing 12 of them.

“This tragic event transformed my thought process on guns from being used recreationally into something more educational and beneficial to our community and state,” says Condon, owner of the recently opened Boondocks Firearms Training Academy in Raymond, Miss., west of the state capital, Jackson.

“This incident could have happened right here where I live. I could have been sitting in that theatre, unaware, unarmed and unprepared. I decided that my current status needed to change,” noted Condon, who developed a strong need to be prepared and always ready to defend herself in case scenarios such as this ever played out again.

(Top) The Boondocks Firearms Training Academy lodge now open in Raymond, Miss., is rustic yet spacious and clean – and maybe a great place to lie to fellow shooters about the amazing shot no one was around to see. (Above) Among other amenities, Boondocks offers modern target systems and highly manicured ranges.

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RANGE SPOTLIGHT

(Above) Kim Condon, owner and cofounder of the Boondocks range, took her personal safety serious enough to build a gun range where they train all levels of shooters and are an official chapter of The Well Armed Woman, a nationwide association. (Left) The instructors at Boondocks are selectively chosen to represent the Boondocks mission. The classes are small by design to ensure quality instruction.

Condon professed, “I feel it is important to do whatever you need to make yourself feel safe. We do all kinds of things every day to keep ourselves safe, like locking the house, or wearing a seat belt in the car. For me, I chose a firearm for protection because I know for certain that if I am ever in harm’s way, the best equalizer will be a firearm and my proficiency with it.”

Accordingly, Condon set out to take on the responsibility of getting trained to use a firearm in the safest manner possible. She and her husband and business partner, Mark Condon, headed off to the Gunsite Academy in Arizona for a comprehensive firearms curriculum.

This is where she learned to not be afraid of guns. Since that initial class, Condon has returned to Gunsite three times for additional defensiveshooting courses. You might think that this would be enough for any person, but not for Condon. She immediately set out to convince her husband that they needed to create a state-of-the-art shooting facility right in Mississippi. They already owned property, which proved ideal for the Boondocks FTA. Now, it is reality!

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

shooting, not just a gun range open to the public,” Condon explained. In fact, Boondocks is not an open-to-thepublic range; it is only used for classes that teach firearms safety, as well as advanced training in concealed carry and other self-defense courses. There is an excellent indoor multimedia training classroom, a pro shop and multiple outdoor ranges to accommodate a host of shooting courses.

“High on my personal list was to provide self-defense gun training for women. We are very female friendly and formed a local chapter from The Well Armed Woman, a nationwide program dedicated to the education and product develoment for women and guns. This has become very popular. Our goal is to educate, equip and empower the female gun owner.

Our instructors work one on one with clients and fit their needs and talents with the proper tools. The range offers a number of different firearm rentals, so choosing the ideal match is even easier” Condon is empowered. It might have taken a tragic event to send the wake-up call, but she answered it. Now she is definitely all-in toward paying it forward to others. You can visit them online at boondocksfta.com. ASJ

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gun reviews

AND IN THE FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION ...

The Volquartsen UltraLite .22

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLEG VOLK

he original function of the basic Ruger 10-22 was reliable shooting with passable accuracy. Over time more specialized models appeared, such as heavy-barreled target versions for utmost accuracy, and lightweight take-down designs for portability.

Gunmaker Scott Volquartsen’s genius was to find a way to combine light weight with high accuracy. His UltraLite .22 is a featherweight even by rimfire standards, with the barreled action massing under 2.5 pounds, and the lightest of the stocks adding less than a pound to that. The lighter weight is mainly attributed to the materials used for the barrel: a carbon-fiber tube with a thin steel liner.

T

CARBON FIBER has been used in the aerospace industry since the 1970s. Light, strong and distinctive looking, it has more recently become the prestigious and coveted component of fast cars, super-light bicycles, portable but rigid camera tripods and last, but not least, competition rifles. Thermal expansion of carbon-fiber parts is half steel and a third aluminum. That’s a great plus for all carbonfiber constructions, but presents additional challenges to mixed-metal and composite designs.

The same challenges are, of course, present whenever any two materials are mixed in an area subject to intense heat.

More importantly for the shooters, carbon fiber conducts heat half as quickly as steel and nearly ten times slower than aluminum, protecting the shooter’s hands from burns.

Wood insulates even better, but a much greater thickness is required for the same strength. The insulating quality of the material is terrific for hunters who don’t subject their barrels to intense heat. This is also true for rimfire shooters whose guns burn miniscule amounts of powder with each shot.

ON THE DOWN SIDE, carbon-fiber composites are expensive, and machining them uses up drill bits fast! That’s partly the reason why the Volquartsen UltraLite lists for $1,100. The other is the adjustable 2-pound trigger which, by itself, sells for $260. The fit and finish of this gun is far ahead of the standard 10-22, which the UltraLite shares an overall design with, but the details are much finer. The muzzle, for example, may be threaded for a sound suppressor or for Volquartsen’s well-designed muzzle brakes. Since the 22LR has little recoil, much of the brake function is to divert the noise of the report away from the shooter. Other options include extended magazine releases, numerous hard-anodized colors, a variety of stocks, and either a Picatinny rail or threaded holes for direct mounting of the industry-standard C-More red-dot sight. All said and done, one of these rifles will cost from $1,400 to $2,000. What kind of performance would you get

Jordanne Calvin demonstrates the light weight and balance of the Volquartsen carbon-fiber-barrel-based .22. The UltraLite is an excellent option for competitors and hunters alike, especially those using larger, heavier long-range scopes.

americanshootingjournal.com 37

gun reviews for that much money? n with Practical accuracy is often unachievable even se pulling mechanically accurate lightweight rifles because p, highly the trigger would disturb the aim. With the crisp, adjustable triggers of the UltraLite, the entire potential otential th good of the precision barrel proved easy to realize with ammunition. With bulk loss-leader cartridges, groups were as huge as 2 inches at 25 yards. The CCI Mini mags shot slightly better than 1-inch groups at 25. Eley Match atch grouped pretty much on top of each other, with 2/3-inch groups at 50 yards! It pays to put premium ammunition into nto this y is the rigid premium gun. The other contributor to accuracy laminate thumbhole stock, which locks the rifle securely to the shooter’s hold.

THE EMPHASIS ON WEIGHT becomes important in two wo venues: fire steel hunting and competition. Meant mainly for rimfire challenge and similar fast-paced disciplines, the UltraLite swings quickly and easily. The greatest benefit accrues ccrues to kids and smaller-statured women. With Blackhawk wk Axiom’s collapsible stock and a red-dot sight, the UltraLite te used by eight-year-old competitive marksman Alexis Nicole is still under 3.5 pounds, and fits her tiny frame perfectly.

When she grows up, the same stock extended will ll still fit her. For now, variable length means the ability to o fine tune

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

Eight-year-old competitive marksman Alexis Nicole sporting her Volquartsen UltraLite weighing in at just under 3.5 pounds.

americanshootingjournal.com 39

gun reviews the length of pull for standing, sitting or prone positions.

Without the carbon-fiber barrel, she would have had to use a thin, sportier-weight steel barrel, get less accuracy and still struggle with more weight up front.

Lightweight rifles also give an advantage to hunters who

use bigger scopes and sound suppressors. Even with a hefty varmint scope and a rimfire silencer, the resulting rig is portable and not excessively front-heavy. Placing the same accessories onto a bull barrel 10-22 would have resulted in a barely portable rifle that would also be difficult to steady offhand. Ruger’s own target model weighs more than twice as much! Could a big, strong male wrestle this rifle along? Sure. But it would be less fun for him, and next to impossible for the bantam-sized rifle operators like Alexis. Since weight and balance are critical for teen and preteen competitors, the extra cost is hardly optional. Without the investment of this specialized tool, the next generation of competitive shooters would have to wait a couple of years before starting out. ASJ

Without the advent of technology and lightweight options like Volquartsen’s UltraLite, the next generation of competitive shooters would possibly have to wait a few more years before starting out.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

gun reviews

THIS .22 DOESN’T KNOW IT’S SMALL Chiappa’s Little Badger Survival And Starter Rifle

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANK JARDIM

The Chiappa Little Badger weighs less than 3 pounds and has an overall expanded length of 31 inches.

The Little Badger is rugged and mechanically simple, just as any perfect survival rifle should be.

W

hen I first encountered the Chiappa Little Badger single-shot, I pegged it as a survival rifle. It comes in basic black, either in 22LR or 22WMR, both of which are fine for small game.

With an overall length of 31 inches, it is already small, but it also folds over and onto itself, creating an extremely compact triangle about 16.5 inches tall and 8 inches across the base. It weighs less than 3 pounds, making it only slightly heavier than large center-fire pistols.

THE LITTLE BADGER’S overall design principal is minimalistic.

The Chiappa engineers gave the little gun everything it needs but resisted the temptation to load it down with things it didn’t.

For example, it has no foregrip other than four 4-inch pieces of Picatinny tactical rail attached to the flats of the barrel shroud. They form a good gripping surface and give the shooter a place to mount a 4X scope and perhaps a tactical light for hunting nocturnal creatures, like raccoons and opossums. If you mount a scope, the factory offers a horizontal bar you can attach to the grooved thumb portion of the hammer that lets you cock it from either side of the scope. Also, there is no safety other than a half-cock notch on the hammer. A survival rifle should be rugged, and mechanically simple. The Little Badger fits the bill.

The factory sights are M1 Carbine-style fixed front with an adjustable rear. The large knob allows for precise click adjustments for windage, and elevation is adjusted using a sliding rear aperture that has six different positions, four of which are numbered, but this slide can easily be pushed out of place if you aren’t careful. The sights, like the rail, ammunition holder and buttplate, are made of plastic, which didn’t appeal to me, but this is not an expensive rifle with an MSRP of $225, and they worked fine. My only concern is that

they might not prove durable enough for long-term field use.

Then again, my testing was not destructive and these parts might prove fully adequate. The rifle’s receiver, barrel shroud and trigger guard are made of hard zinc alloy. The hammer, trigger, action-release lever, extractor, all the screws and pins, barrel and wire buttstock are made of steel.

The wire buttstock was surprisingly comfortable, and its length and comb height can be adjusted to a limited degree by loosening the screws that hold the left and right sides of the receiver, pulling the upper and lower legs of the stock in or out, and then retightening. I found that my eye naturally lined up with the sights, so I didn’t change a thing.

DURING ACCURACY TESTING, I shot from a sandbag rest at 25 yards. To get shots on my point of aim, I set the elevation slide to “2.” My best results came from Winchester 22LR, 36-grain, copper-plated hollow points, which turned out an average group size of 1.42 inches and an average velocity of 1,199 feet per second, measured 12 feet from the muzzle.

A close second was the Federal Lightning 22LR 40-grain, solid lead bullet, which turned out groups averaging 1.54 inches and an average velocity of 1,204 fps. I experimented by plinking with a mixed bag of loose ammo that I had accumulated over the years and found that the rifle seemed to shoot quite well overall. I started to feel as though I couldn’t miss with it, which I credit to an excellent trigger.

This is a survival rifle with a target rifle’s trigger. It breaks crisply at just under 5 pounds. Tin cans, milk jug caps, americanshootingjournal.com 43

gun reviews (Left) The Little Badger has an exposed hammer and is a breakopen-action single-shot with a robust ejector that can lift the spent case halfway out of the chamber. The action is unlocked by pulling back on the finger lever in front of the trigger guard and bending the muzzle down at the hinge.

(Right) The barrel comes handily threaded at a half inch by 28 threads per inch for a suppressor.

broken PEZ dispensers and squirrels, beware! There is a new sheriff in town and it is a Little Badger.

I had a lot of fun shooting this rifle. In the process of evaluating it, I concluded that this is a great rifle to teach youngsters to shoot with. Its small scale and light weight made it easy for them to hold. It is a single shot, which takes a lot of the is-that-magazineempty anxiety out of the instructional process. Using the round ammo holder in the stock, young students feel they have responsibility for their rounds, and allows you to visually keep track of it so no one ends up having unauthorized ammo for show-and-tell back at school.

We all know these days that that will lead to expulsion from school for the student, and potential life imprisonment for you.

IN MANY RESPECTS, this rifle is a reincarnation of the old Quackenbush and other youth bicycle rifles. Inexpensive, small, light, collapsible for easy transport and intended for fun wherever a kid’s (or grown-up’s) feet might pedal them, this type of rifle was very popular around 1900. The Little Badger even comes with its own light nylon backpack carrying case, adorned with a Little Badger head.

The Chiappa Little Badger is a kidsized gun that any boy or girl could easily learn to shoot with, and then keep for the rest of their lives. ASJ Author’s note: You can get more information on this and other Chiappa products at Chiappafirearms.com

A practical feature on this Chiappa is the 12-cartridge holder built into the buttstock. The simple friction-fit slots hold the rounds steady, but is not so tight that the bullets couldn’t be knocked loose if you dropped the rifle on a hard surface or went thrashing through the brush.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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gun reviews

LIGHT IS THE NEW COOL The Magnum Lite 22WMR

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLEG VOLK

T

into the forend. The Magnum Lite uses neither, and the mechanism is more simply described as blowback with a gas pressure regulator. According to the manual, it keeps the pressure curve consistent for reliable and safe cycling. The manual sternly warns about using ammunition under 30 grains. My best guess is that the pressure curve spikes sooner in the cycle, leading to ejection failures and possibly blown-out brass.

THE HEART OF THE MAGNUM LITE is the graphite-wrapped barrel, which is 19 inches long and tipped with a stainless-steel cap. While the extra 3 inches over the minimum non-NFA (National Firearms Act of 1934) length gives no more than a 100-feet-per-second advantage with some loads and none at all with others, it does reduce the muzzle blast a bit and moves it further away from the shooter.

THE OPTIC THAT I installed for testing is the Nightforce 3.5-15x, with an adjustable parallax. Off-hand shots

were done with it set to minimum magnification, and supported set to medium. The top setting is reserved for use with a bipod or a sandbag. Given the small size of rodent targets and the relatively modest kill zones for 22WMR on larger creatures, the higher magnification comes in handy. The glass is quite heavy, almost 2

I

he creation of an accurate .22 Magnum autoloader has long been plagued by cycling challenges caused by the cartridge shape and construction. The long, skinny case has a lot of surface area and resists extraction. Extracting it while the gas pressure is high runs the risk of blowing out the thin case head typical of rimfire ammunition. Balancing these conflicting requirements was a huge technical challenge to overcome – until the Magnum Lite.

Magnum Research calls the action “gas-assisted blowback,” but it is not. Gas assistance uses a muzzle booster to move the whole barrel (as on a Maxim machine gun), or diverts a small amount of gas that is tapped off just in front of the chamber and uses it to move a piston impinging on the bolt. The gas is then diffused and vented

The Magnum Lite 22WMR, complete with a thick graphitewrapped barrel and integral Picatinny rail machined onto the receiver, is under 4.5 pounds. Between the ergonomically sculpted thumbhole stock and light, crisp trigger, the Magnum Lite is quite accurate off hand.

americanshootingjournal.com 49

gun reviews

Since 22WMR chamber pressures vary from minimal, with the Winchester Dynapoint, to high, with defense ammunition meant for shorter barrels, the Magnum Lite vents into a diffuser block, which in turn lets the excess gas into the stock.

pounds counting the rings, which is why the weight saved by the use of a graphite-fiber barrel is so helpful.

WHILE NO AMMUNITION maker markets 22WMR-match ammunition, it’s been my impression that the consistency of most US loads is quite good.

Further, .22 Magnum bullets have a longer bearing area than heeled 22LR bullets, therefore have the potential for decent accuracy. The old standby, CCI Maxi Mags make a ½-inch (Above) The rail is elevated enough to permit scopes group at 25 yards, and the Gold Dots with objectives up to 50mm – quite useful for varmint closer to a third of an inch. With hunting. (Right) The rifle uses a rotary magazine common to the discontinued Ruger 22WMR model. the high initial velocity, they don’t Each cartridge is contained between two pawls and thus go transonic until they’ve reach 150 protected from interference by the rims of other rounds.

With the heavy return spring, an oversized bolt handle yards or more, and give consistent comes in handy. accuracy for at least that distance.

Given the mechanical and ergonomic capability for excellent accuracy, this Magnum Research design has amply deserved its popularity. I only wish for one upgrade – a muzzle threaded for a sound suppressor. That option exists on the 22LR model but not on the 22WMR. ASJ 50

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

Product REVIEW

AIR PLINKER EXTRAORDINAIRE Pyramyd Air’s S&W Model 586 Pellet Gun STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY PASCAL PIERME

was looking for a gun. Not a real gun, but something I could use for target practice in my house or studio, and safely develop gunhandling skills. I am not a shooter by trade or hobby, but I wanted my new interest to look and feel just like a real gun. I also wanted it to provide some back pressure or a bit of recoil.

While perusing Pyramyd Air’s website, which is filled with all sorts of air gun options for any gun enthusiast, from pistols for plinking all the way up to .50-caliber air hunting rifles, I settled my sights on the S&W Model 586 revolver with a 6-inch barrel. It’s a bit of a cowboy gun to me, but the simplicity appealed to my senses. When I received my package in the mail – no FFL processing is a nice benefit – the revolver came in a solid box, just like a real gun, with proper foam padding and inserts for all the components. When I picked it up, I was pleasantly surprised to feel that the weight gave it a genuine feel. The gun did not come with an orange tip, as I had somehow expected that all non-real guns had them, but this made it look even more authentic. I later learned that orange tips are only found on airsoft guns that fire plastic BBs. Pellet guns and steel BB guns do not have this.

My new Model 586 came with two 10-round pellet clips, a CO2 cartridge, although I purchased several CO2 cases when I bought the gun, and an extra front sight.

The grip is made of hard rubber, so it felt strong and nice in my hand. I could actually put pressure on it without slipping like you might find if it were made of plastic. After

I

The S&W Model 586 looks and feels just like a real gun. The model I reviewed was the 6-inch barrel version.

reading the instructions – and thank goodness I did – I found that the CO2 cartridges that power the gun are located inside the grip. There are specific steps to take when replacing the cartridge, such as having to put one side of the grip on first before the other and in a certain manner. It was easy to understand once I read the directions. There is a tensioning screw that keeps everything solidly in place, which is good.

AFTER I LOADED my CO2 cartridge and pellets, I started firing onto a target that I made. If you are using this gun inside, you will definitely need a hollow target or one that has some depth or density to literally trap the rounds as they hit. The ricochet factor is pretty impressive, so eyewear is recommended for anyone in the area. The target that I

(Left) My Model 586 Pellet gun came in a case that was well padded with proper cutouts for all the extras. (Middle) The CO2 cartridges are loaded into the grip by unscrewing a tensioning screw. (Right) After about 75 or so rounds, the air pressure to propel the round was no longer sufficient and started to cause a jam between the barrel and the clip. Knowing when this lag is likely to begin is key to avoiding this common problem with air guns. americanshootingjournal.com 53

PRODUCT REVIEW

THE CARTRIDGES that I had lasted for about 50 to 70 rounds,

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

CO2 cartridges are very convenient and allow you to take your gun anywhere unlike a compressor-required model. Check to see where you can recycle these CO2 cartridges because many recycling places simply won’t take them.

At 25 feet, using one hand, I managed almost 5 MOA.

¯

built measures 24 by 24 inches and is about 2 inches thick. I used cardboard for the fascia and on the front stuck Shoot*N*C targets, which are great because of their reactive colors, plus you can just keep sticking them on top of each other. If you want At 12 feet, using one hand, I was able to buy a trap target, to almost achieve 2 MOA. Pyramyd Air has those too. I would recommend the Leapers UTG Accushot Pellet & BB Trap to avoid all the trouble I went through.

The accuracy was pretty impressive and at an initial 12foot range, I was achieving about 1 minute of angle shooting single handedly, and about 5 MOA at 25 feet. As for the pellets, they are powerful enough to penetrate the target and front cardboard. Don’t think that just because this is an air gun that there isn’t enough power. You would be mistaken.

which I thought was pretty fair. The one thing I noticed was that once I started getting to the end of a CO2 cartridge and tried to continue shooting, the pellets started to jam in between the clip and barrel.

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PRODUCT REVIEW gun firing and the pellet penetrating the target, this was my signal to replace the cartridge. Once I did that, no more jams.

If I have one negative thing to say, it would be about the cartridges, and this is not a negative on anything but the industry overall. I am a big recycler but I have no idea what to do with the spent CO2 capsules. It would be nice to have guidance on how to dispose of them instead of simply throwing them away. My research has shown that most places, like recycling bins and scrap-metal yards, simply won’t take them. That is a shame.

The trap target I created was made using a wooden crate and a piece of cardboard over the front. I padded the interior with foam and this made a great and safe target system to use inside my home.

This was simply from lack of force to propel them through, but something to note. Instead of counting all my rounds, I found that when I started to hear a little bit of a lag between the

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

OVERALL, I LOVE THIS GUN. I love the realistic feel, the grip, the power. Even if it is not a real gun, it did exactly what I wanted it to do. Couple this with excellent customer service and you have a winner. When I called Pyramyd Air, I spoke to Tyler Patner who not only took the time to break everything down for me, but also sent me links to all sorts of air guns that fit my requests. Patner explained the benefits of each, what I would need because I wouldn’t have known what to get, the differences between a CO2 cartridge gun and a compressor pressurized gun – there are differences and you should not assume you know what you want without talking to them.

Overall, it was a really great experience. Bravo! ASJ Editor’s note: If you want a plinker or high-quality air gun, visit Pyramyd Air at pyramydair.com or call (888) 262-4867.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

SIZE MATTERS

The World Of Miniature Firearms STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANK JARDIM

M

iniatures hold a fascination for everyone. Perhaps it is something rooted in the happy memories of our childhood toys. As we mature and grow in sophistication we begin to appreciate the huge amount of skill required to make things small. The craftsmen who create miniature firearms and ammunition do it for the challenge and the artistic satisfaction. Only a handful of master miniature makers have ever been able to make a living doing it. For most hobby builders, there is virtually no financial incentive. This work is labor intensive and generally each piece is unique.

SINCE MEDIEVAL TIMES, journeyman artisans have made miniature weapons as demonstrations of mastery in their trades. Miniatures were also made as easily transportable sales samples. The majority, then as now, were created as art objects for personal enjoyment and for wealthy patrons.

In 1973 the Miniature Arms Society (MAS) was established to bring builders, collectors and enthusiasts together in the tiniest niche of the arms collecting hobby. Based in the United States, the club has about 300 members worldwide.

They share a common appreciation for artistry and fine craftsmanship. The art is not solely in the decoration of the

miniatures, though some are magnificently embellished with engraving, stock carving and precious metal inlays just like real firearms. A large part of the artistic achievement is in the technical mastery needed to recreate a full-sized object in

(Top) One-fifth scale Mac-10 by an unknown maker. (Above) This pair of fully operable 1851 Colt Navy revolvers are one-eighth scale in a fitted case with tools made by the renowned and late miniature firearms maker George Jones. Each pistol measures slightly more than 1¾ inches. americanshootingjournal.com 59

At 92 years old, David Kucer is still considered one of the best in the tiny-firearm industry.

miniature. You don’t need to be an artist to join MAS; you just need to like miniature arms. Neophyte collectors and builders will find wide and enthusiastic support from fellow members.

Every year since its founding, club members exhibit examples of their best pieces at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits.

The miniature arms hobby is as broad in historical scope and variety as the arms industry itself and includes everything from bows and edged weapons to artillery. Firearms make up the largest portion of the hobby and span muzzleloaders to machine guns, with Colt revolvers and Winchester leveraction rifles being the most popular.

Some makers produce scale live ammunition with which to fire their tiny guns. Miniatures are not considered firearms unless they are chambered in a commonly available cartridge, like .22 Short, for example. Miniature cartridge-powder charges and bullet weights are scaled back to match the size of the weapon, which sometimes results in velocities that are too low for accurate fire despite the efforts of builders to cut precisely scaled rifling into their barrels. Many miniatures are nonfiring.

SOME MAKERS WORK TRADITIONALLY, you might say even primitively, measuring and scaling with mechanical instruments and using tiny hand-made tools. Others use sophisticated computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines to cut each piece and 3D printers to make molds for casting parts. Between these two poles there are a lot of little manual lathes and tabletop milling machines tucked into garages and basements where talented amateur and professional machinists test their skills making these little weapons.

Each miniature gun project requires careful hand finishing. The parts must be fitted and polished, and all the subtle surface details recreated, including any markings and decoration if desired, before they are hardened and given their final surface touch. A great deal of the 60

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

work needs to be done under magnification. Consider how small the decorative engraving on a one-eighth scale pistol would be and you will understand why working under a microscope is necessary.

Scales vary widely. The most popular among collectors are those in one-third and one-fourth scale, which can retain complete functionality and sometimes even fire custommade miniature live ammunition. Miniatures that fire conventional ammunition, usually half scale, are treated as pistols under federal and state law.

As the scale shrinks below one-quarter, it becomes increasingly difficult to fashion moving parts and some function is often lost. Certainly full functionality is possible in the smaller scales, but that kind of tiny precision work can get as physically delicate as a watch movement and very expensive. MAS member, director, and advanced collector Ted Campbell Sr. explained, “The smaller the scale gets, the greater the skill required to build it.” That’s why one of the favorites in his collection, which hovers around 60 pieces, is an amazing one-eighth scale brace of 1851 Colt Navy revolvers in a fitted case with tools made by the late George Jones, a renowned miniature firearms maker. Each fully operable pistol measures only slightly more than 1¾ inches.

Also among Campbell’s favorites are two machine-gun miniatures. His tiny one-fifth scale MAC-10 machine pistol was superbly recreated by an unknown maker. It lacked only the logo and markings, which Campbell had engraved

by Roger Sampson, a known master engraver. It is not

(Top) David Kucer’s Mauser Broomhandle. (Middle) David Kucer’s C1911 Cutaway. (Bottom) David Kucer’s Fist Pistol. A fist pistol has no barrel. The cylinder acts as a barrel, and it is extremely compact and concealable, but good only at very close range. It was possibly used for close combat while boarding enemy ships, or self protection from ruffians on the mean streets of 19th century London.

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uncommon for builders to collaborate on projects.

Campbell’s miniature World War II British Sten MK2 submachine gun made by Leon Crotett of Switzerland actually fires in full-auto mode. However, since it uses a completely unique and custom-made miniature cartridge, it is not subject to the National Firearms Act (NFA) regulations that a genuine 9mm Sten would be.

ONE SIGNIFICANT ASPECT of the miniature arms hobby centers is on pinfire guns. These popular novelty pieces have been in production continuously since the late 19th century and include replicas of period weapons, as well as unique designs.

They were handmade as well as mass-produced examples.

Unlike other miniatures, all pinfire guns are intended to fire blanks, live ammunition or sometimes both. Their tiny cartridge cases are straight cylinders, sealed on one end, from which a miniscule pin protrudes. When the miniature gun’s hammer strikes, it drives the pin into a primer within the case to ignite the main powder charge. Loaded with a lead bullet about the size of a number 9 shotgun pellet, the popular 2mm pinfire round is about .078 inches wide and less than a quarter inch long. They are about as loud as cap guns, and were never really considered serious defensive weapons. A Victorian-era gentleman might use one as a fob at the end his watch chain to delight children.

Collecting miniatures rather than real guns will not save you money in the long run, but it will at least save you space.

Quality of workmanship is the single most important factor in establishing value, followed by relative rarity. The closest thing to productionmade miniatures are those produced by Miniart in Russia (now out of business) and Aldo Uberti S.p.A.,

(Top) Tools made by Bob McGinnis. (Middle) Mini Emerson. (Bottom) First gun: One-third scale .22-caliber Emerson tip-down, single-shot pistol with a brass frame, steel barrel and walnut grips.

Only 2¼ inches long, it took 130 hours to create.

Second gun: One-half scale .44-caliber Model 1200 percussion Derringer with a brass frame and barrel and walnut grips. At 23/16 inches long, it took 60 hours to create. Third gun: One-half scale .22-caliber Remington vest-pocket Derringer with steel frame and walnut grips. At 2¼ inches long, it took 100 hours to create. Fourth gun: Thomas Virgil freestyle Derringer that fires 2mm pinfire blanks. At 2 7/8 inches long, it took 120 hours to create.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

Bob McGinnis is renowned for mini detailed tools and firearms.

famous for their full-sized replicas of 18th century Colts, in Italy. Though they are of excellent quality and workmanship, they are also in relative abundance compared to the work of master craftsman David Kucer of Montreal, Canada, Fred Crissman of Pennsylvania or the late Tom Weston of Mexico City, Mexico. For example, a one-third scale 1873 single-action Army Colt revolver made by David Kucer will sell for $4,500 when one can be found. The same model in 47-percent scale made by Uberti retails for only around $650 and can be bought just about any time.

The value of any miniature is enhanced by the appropriate accoutrements. Examples include fitted French cases with their numerous compartments, bullet molds, powder flasks, holsters, slings, silencers, cartridges and even manuals.

The making of a miniature gun requires broad talents.

Virtually every part of it must be fabricated from scratch. You don’t necessarily need to be a gunsmith, but the gunsmith’s skilled hands and affinity for the mechanical are prerequisites for making a gun of any kind. Many miniatures past and present have been created with just hand tools. To sculpt, checker, decoratively carve grips and stocks and build fitted cases, woodworking is required. Those fitted cases were always equipped with locks so you might find yourself becoming a locksmith along the way.

MANY NOVICE BUILDERS start with Derringers because of their mechanical simplicity. A Remington single-shot, vestpocket Derringer was MAS member Bob McGinnis first successful project, and it took him 100 hours of work to complete.

Since then he’s made a literal handful of Derringers and wants to move on to more advanced projects like a Remington rolling-block rifle. Though McGinnis started building the traditional way, he is not your typical miniature builder. He

began working in the tool and die metal work is done on his one-third trade in 1959 and spent 25 years in his scale custom vertical mill and a own shop building precision-injection pantograph-engraving machine he molds for the plastics modified to cut parts industry before into three dimensions. retiring and passing A pantograph is used the business to his to accurately trace son. He didn’t know the shapes of parts there were miniature while simultaneously gun makers until scaling them.

1989 when he read an In his 60-year career article in Gun Digest. he’s made 80 different He joined MAS in Dr. John Cooper’s one-quarter miniature gun projects 1993, and through scale .44 Flat centerfire live totaling over 400 pieces, is actually .11 its members gained cartridge that most of them built after caliber and made for his 1873 access to a huge Winchester quarter-scale rifle.

1970 when he went into body of invaluable business for himself. By institutional knowledge and building 1975 he was building miniature guns experience. Reflecting on his 22 years full time and was eventually joined by in MAS, he told me, “I had the pleasure his son, Zavie, who works by his side and good fortune to learn from some every day. Customers expect to wait of the finest craftsmen in the world, a year between creations, as his work and hope someday I can pass on is of such extraordinary excellence it what I learned to younger craftsmen has been exhibited in seven museums, and artisans so they can carry on this including the Royal Ontario Museum, wonderful art and hobby.” the Royal Armouries of H.M. at the Tower of London, and most recently

BY CONTRAST, 92-year-old David the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. Kucer knew he wanted to make miniature guns since childhood. He YOU CAN SEE some of the work of first saw them as part of a traveling David and Zavie Kucer and many show while on a family trip to New other builders at the NRA Annual York City in 1935. Coming from a Meetings in Louisville, Ky., next year family of metal workers and having or at the Craftsmanship Museum in access to tools in his father’s shop, he Carlsbad, Calif., where over 50 pieces made his first admittedly primitive are on loan from various makers and mini when he was 12, with a barrel MAS collectors. MAS publishes the fabricated from a piece of a quarterMiniature Arms Journal quarterly inch bar stock he scrounged in a for members and offers several junkyard. That first project showed publications for sale, including two him that he lacked both the right

by MAS journal editor Bob Urso: The tools and sufficient skill. By the Tiniest Guns and The Odd & Curious early 1950s he had both. His interest Guns, Knives and Drawings of Herschel in miniature firearms was forced Kopp. The former is a detailed catalog to lie dormant while he finished of historic pinfire guns and the latter high school, worked in the family is a wealth of information for new business and served his country in builders. MAS American dues are the Canadian Army as an armament $45 the first year and $35 annually for artificer from 1942 to 1946. renewal and include a subscription to His first satisfying miniature gun the magazine, as well as access to the was a one-quarter scale M1911, like clubs extensive collection of plans for the one he carried throughout the aspiring builders. ASJ war. During the process of building Author’s note: You can visit MAS at this first piece, he designed and miniaturearms.org or the Craftsmanship built each tool, which he continues Museum at craftsmanshipmuseum.com. to use to this day. The bulk of the 64

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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IN THE

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A Chat With The Makers Of Weaponeye

INTERVIEW BY STEVE JOSEPH • PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL BENSAYAN

he American Shooting Journal reached out to Michael Bensayan, the inventor of Weaponeye, a device mounted to the front of a handgun that records exceptional video and sound. This device has been touted to be exactly what law enforcement needs to show the whole story during times of intense stress and critical life-decision-making situations.

T

American Shooting Journal What is Weaponeye?

Michael Bensayan Weaponeye is a compact, under-barrel attachment for pistols that contains an HD camera, laser sight and flashlight. It is currently made for specific Glock handguns, but we plan to expand Weaponeye to other models and brands.

AMSJ How did you come up with this idea?

MB I watched several court cases involving cops and firearms. Many of these cases were not very clear, and the outcome was catastrophic for people and the community involved. Some of these proceedings triggered riots that cost taxpayers a fortune in damages, and sometimes worse: the deaths of loved ones. Those situations might have been avoided if someone simply had a camera and recorded what really happened. After some thought, I decided to put the camera onto a gun.

AMSJ Who are some of the companies or people using Weaponeye now?

MB We have several international law-enforcement agencies to include the Dominican Republic, Brazil and the Bahamas, and closer to home, security officers, business owners and many US citizens.

AMSJ How are you received at gun shows?

MB We’re a respected brand and are considered a pioneer in the eyes of today’s gun enthusiasts. Both vendors and the public often visit our booths just to hear the benefits and features of the Weaponeye unit. Our video display at shows depicts the Weaponeye in action, as well as the camera

feed. There are always people intrigued and watching.

AMSJ What kind of feedback have you received?

MB Most people immediately remark on the superb quality of the video and audio. They also feel that the position of the camera is perfect because it is on the front of the gun, cannot be covered or pointed away from the subject.

Weaponeye will always be recording towards the target.

We currently have an extensive waiting list for future Weaponeye models that will be made for other gun and rifle models.

I am constantly being told, “Finally! Something has been created to protect responsible gun owners and law enforcement.”

Many have said that if law enforcement carried a Weaponeye, many cities could have avoided riots and saved millions of tax dollars by showing what really happened. ASJ Editor’s note: If you are interested in Weaponeye or want to know more about them, you can visit weaponeye.com. americanshootingjournal.com 69

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Product REVIEW

HOW TO GET A THREE IN ONE The Unimag – A Magazine For All Your Needs REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLEG VOLK

Y

W

ith the proliferation of AR-15s and STANAG-compatible rifles, many of us end up having to keep numerous incompatible magazines on hand. For example, 6.8mm SPC and .338 Spectre require one type, .223 Remington, .300 Blackout and .458 SOCOM another, and 7.62x39 yet a third. Keeping them straight is one concern, and changing over chest-rig pouches from mostly straight .223 to curved 7.62x39 is more annoying. The cost of getting numerous magazines for every caliber isn’t trivial, either.

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Unimag solves this problem by using a stainless-steel body that’s shaped much like a regular GI magazine with a clever articulated follower that automatically adjusts to the shape of the cartridge column. It worked well for me in a variety of AR-15s, ARAK 21, TAR 21, RDB and MAD 556s (a roller-lock rifle with a very fast cycle).

The magazine body is treated with a slick anti-corrosive finish on the inside and Y a textured finish on the outside. This design should be of a special interest to 458 SOCOM users, as it holds a dozen large-bore rounds instead of the usual 10 that fit in a conventional GI magazine. For more information on the Unimag, you can visit them at rosszhengengineering.com. ASJ

UNIMAG MAGAZINE CAPACITY .223 Remington, .300 Blackout – 30 5.45x39 Russian – 29 6.8 SPC/.338 Spectre – 26 7.62x39 Russian – 25 6.5 Grendel – 24 .458 SOCOM – 12

americanshootingjournal.com 73

GEAR UP í˘˛

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Cool Products For Fall Shooting C

an you feel it – that cool in the morning? Fall is coming, and that means days at the range won’t be so blistering hot. Are you ready to head back to the line? Check out these latest products to keep you on top of your game.

í˘ą liberty suppressorS Nicknamed the “Swiss Army Knife of cans,â€? Liberty Suppressors’ MysticX is rated for over 53 different calibers. Imagine a can that will ďŹ t your Glock 19, HK USP 9mm, AR-15 and more. Liberty Suppressors offers a full line of silencers from .22LR all the way up to .300 Remington Ultra Mag.

í˘˛ stedi-stock The Stedi-Stock is the only device that provides stability for all of your optical equipment. Similar to a rie stock, Stedi-Stock provides incredible balance for your spotting scope, taking that once-in-a-lifetime photo, making professional videos without the bounce, or ranging animals accurately. This is the perfect solution for both novice and professional shooters.

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Tactical Dan offers The Prospect Elite, another winning style from the Smith collection with high-impact lenses and frame materials. The Prospect Elite is an all-day, everyday style for the modern outdoor warrior. Tactical p Dan can also add prescription lenses to this frame for your comfort and enjoyment.

The Pentagon 10-round Ultimag magazine coupler by Fab Defense allows shooters to attach ďŹ ve 10-round AR-15 Ultimag magazines together and carry 50 rounds in the hat restrict rie. It is perfect for states that s. standard-capacity magazines. urable The Ultimag features a durable on, polymer and steel construction, and even includes the couplerr with ďŹ ve AR-15 Ultimag R10 magazines.

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í˘ľ Doc Holliday’s guns The A-Team Arms AR-15 rie is built around their uniquely designed and patented lowers that are milled from 7075 aluminum. Every A-Team rie features a stainless-steel 1:7-twist barrel and is available in a variety of Cerakote colors. Call Doc Holiday’s Guns at (541) 471-0040.

í˘ś E.a.r., Inc. HearDefenders-DF is the ďŹ rst and only product to offer two levels of hearing protection exibility, and can be hooked into radio communications.

HearDefenders-DF are speciďŹ cally designed to help the user hear critical sounds, including speech, while ďŹ ltering out loud or harmful impact noises.

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í˘ˇ Delta Bravo Tactical This American-made, convertible two-point to one-point bungee with transition-loc pull tabs, allows for quick adjustments. Featuring an HK snap hook on 1Âź-inch webbing with Duraex side-release to release adapter buckles, this is the only sling you’ll need.

The AR500 Body Armor is manufactured using level III lab-certiďŹ ed NIJ-STD-0101.06 material and is made in the USA. These plates are the ultimate in worry-free protection, durability and reliability. They are sprayed with an anti-spalling protective coating to help mitigate spall, bullet fragmentation and impact force.

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The LazerBrite is unlike any other light on the market, and is the ďŹ rst of itss kind in a modular, multifunction light ight system.

Complete with an LED ashlight hlight for signaling, marking and personal onal lighting, this system is available in six colors as well as infrared. Trusted by the he US military, LazerBrite is patented and nd made in the USA.

Durability and accessibility are keys for our tactical holster and its sleek wrap-around style with top-grade Kydex that holds up to any use. This holster offers an adjustable rretention that allows for a personalized ďŹ t and draw that shooters desire. The top-of-the-line sh the line molded belt clip is also adjustable from 15 to 45 degrees.

With our lifetime guaranteee and this th durable design, you will forever have your “shado “shadow� intact.

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The new Lotus For Ladies concealed-carry harness is omen. The cut of the designed especially for women. harness contours to a woman’s man’s shape and is made with thinner-than-1-inch webbing ing for seamless comfort. Thiss fully adjustable holster comes with a 3-inch elastic rear insert to create a comfortable ďŹ t.

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The RMJ Tactical Goto knife has a die-forged 80CrV3steel blade and a Spartan helmet-embossed handle with the Greek words Molon labe, meaning, come and take them! With a 6-inch overall length the Goto is the perfect companion knife for everyday carry, as well as classy and discrete self-defense.

From NEO Tactical Gear comes the iconic Punisher logo with the American ag background. The Punisher is widely recognized in the comic book world, but has since been adopted by the US Military, where skull imagery has long been a tradition. This is the modern-day Punisher patch with Old Glory in the background.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

씊 Bishop Ammunition

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Bishop Ammunition Manufacturing understands that your time behind a firearm is a hard-earned reward to your dedication. Specializing in .41 Mag, .44 Mag and .45-caliber ammunition, we strive to make you a more effective hunter and shooter.

One hundred percentt US veteran, female owned, our motto is “Do right,” which is exactly how we conduct our business.

Designed for use with firearms that endure high-round counts, EWL works like a liquid grease and has extreme-wear properties. EWL never gums up, it prevents carbon fouling buildup and lasts five times longer than any other lubricant. Shoot more rounds with fast and easy cleanup.

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The Condor Solveig is our discreet assault pack. Sporting the new airflow system for additional comfort, its beavertail design is made to cover the MOLLE panel and provide additional storage space. The drag handle is reinforced with Hypalon for an easier grip and durability, and the internal compartmentalization allows you to carry everything you could need.

With its sleeker low-profile design, the Solveig will help you undergo any operation without notice.

ffers an Jumping Target’s Dueling Tree offers engineered cantilevered mechanism nism that ddles swing ensures the AR-500 shielded paddles to the opposite side and won’t get stuck behind the mount. The modular design provides the flexibility to mountt 2.5-, 3.5- or n your caliber 4.75-inch paddles, depending on lapsible so of choice, as well as makes it collapsible that you can easily pack it in your ur vehicle for a day out shooting.

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TACTICAL DAN

Tactical Dan Eyewear is the leading provider of ballistic products as well as prescription and non-prescription safety eyewear. We handcraft every prescription in our own lab, and our experience and knowledge of eyewear is unmatched.

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We specialize in custom-made lenses for each individuals needs, and cater to the sports minded who play and work hard including military, outdoor sports enthusiasts, shooters and industrial workers. We also provide SCUBA prescription lenses customized to your diving mask.

The products and materials Tactical Dan uses meets the ANSI Z87.1-2003 standard for high impact and can be filled with safety prescriptions. The frames are made of durable, impact-rated material and provide on-the-job safety styled in a frame you’ll want to wear on the weekend.

Our uncompromised workmanship, along with our personal touch in customer service, is what sets us apart from any eyecare providers. Prescriptions can be filled directly through Tactical Dan. Visit us at tacticaldan.com or call us at 1(208) 731-4929.

americanshootingjournal.com 77

SilencerCo, known for their sound suppressors, started a campaign called Fight The Noise to change federal laws governing the sale of the products, like the one at right. (SILENCERCO)

QUIETRIOT

SILENCERCO AIMS TO UPEND THOUGHTS ON SUPPRESSORS STORY BY TROY TAYSOM

G

uns have been around in one form or another for 800 years. Much has changed, but the firearms industry cannot be accused of being on the leading edge of technology. The 1911 handgun is still widely used and adored, as is the AR-15. The 1911 by its name alone tells you that it has passed the century mark, and the AR-15 is more than 50 years old. These are just two examples of the antiquated technology employed by most firearms industry manufacturers; but not all of them.

THE BEGINNING

What happens when a newcomer to the industry combines tradition with cutting-edge technology and 21st-century company culture? Magic. Welcome to the universe that Josh Waldron and Jonathon Shults have created in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. Two less likely candidates to start a firearms company have never come together before.

Waldron was a professional photographer by trade. He spent years on assignments for publications like Newsweek, Outdoor Life and Forbes. Feeling maxed out as a photographer, Waldron wanted to do something challenging, but fun. “If you’re going to work, do something that you love; otherwise, what’s the point of being on this earth?” Waldron said during our interview. He grew up in northern Utah County, Utah, where shooting sports are popular and places to shoot and hunt are abundant.

Shults, Waldron’s partner and lifelong friend, was a music producer and sound engineer before they joined forces to revolutionize the suppressor industry. He too, grew up in northern Utah County.

What brings two artists into the world of manufacturing and firearms? Customer service, or more accurately the lack thereof. Waldron told me, “Shults and I have always loved shooting and we started buying suppressors in our early twenties. We were often disappointed in the quality, as well as the customer service. It was horrible.” Not only did these two dislike poor customer service, they also felt that the suppressor industry was archaic and inept. The market was ripe for a revolution, and Waldron and Shults were poised to lead it.

BUILDING THE TEAM

Describing the diversity of SilencerCo’s team is much like describing the taste of sugar; one must experience it first hand in order to truly grasp the concept.

The team is an eclectic group: beards, tattoos, bright red hair and piercings are just a few of the things one will see when walking the floor. What is immediately apparent from the moment one steps into the workspace is excitement, fun and creativity. These are exactly the things that are generally lacking in a firearms manufacturing facility.

The team members come from across the country and all walks of life. While I visited their 72,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, I met this group. Many are prior military representing all branches of service, but there are also ferriers, blacksmiths, graffiti artists, gun armorers, painters, photographers, graphic artists, videographers, editors and engineers. They do not fit any kind of traditional mold other than they love what they do and are creative thinkers. The SilencerCo atmosphere is more like a software firm than a firearms company. If you are looking for crusty old men talking about the good ol’ days, you’ve come to the wrong place.

The director of product, Willie Booras, is a twenty-something with the most vibrant, almost iridescent, red hair I’ve ever seen. She (yes, she) is from a small town in Wyoming and studied industrial design at Georgia Tech before coming to Utah.

traditional gun channels. On his website you’ll find videos of Aoki, a music phenom who double majored at U.C. Santa Barbara in Women’s Studies and Sociology; Travis Browne, an MMA fighter in the UFC’s heavyweight division; and Cam Zink, an insane, professional mountain-bike rider who apparently fears nothing. These three have nothing in common except that they all love shooting firearms, sporting suppressors from SilencerCo, and value their hearing.

What makes Waldron and the SilencerCo team think that this kind of marketing will work? Waldron stated it very simply: “If you want to control a market, you use known industry insiders in your marketing, but if you want to create a new market, you use other industry insiders.” Waldron and his team of fanatics have created an entirely new market, which is where shooters from all areas of the industry come to buy the highest quality and most reliable suppressors made by the most innovative company in the firearms industry, where excellent customer service is the minimum and exceeding customer expectation is mandatory.

She is a fun, smart, no-nonsense lady who gets things done.

Not only does she oversee all of SilencerCo’s products from start to finish, she is also in charge of large-scale events, as well as branding and public relations. A testament to her abilities can be found in SilencerCo’s award for best booth at the 2015 SHOT Show.

SilencerCo’s CFO, Josh Mercer, has an unusual background.

Before becoming a financial wizard Mercer earned his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, followed by a Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis in finance.

I also met Ellie, a beautiful, fair-haired golden retriever that comes to work with Booras, and another dog named Izzie, a blue healer, that kept a close eye on me during my tour of the facility, making sure that I, too, was well behaved.

All employees are encouraged to bring their dogs to work.

The customer service team is the number one department at the company. SilencerCo came to be because of poor customer service, so they make sure this area is the best of the best. They warranty all of their products for life and will, according to them, “even fix stupid, once.” They told me about a customer who had used the incorrect thread adapter to install his suppressor on a handgun. This ruined the baffles as well as the threads on his barrel. They fixed not only the suppressor, but the threads on his barrel at no cost – once.

THE FACES OF SILENCERCO

Firearms companies tend to use known gun celebrities in their ads and on their websites. SilencerCo headed in another direction. Waldron uses personalities outside of the (Top) Jonathon Shults, a sound engineer, and Josh Waldron, a professional photographer, founded SilencerCo. (Right) Product director Willie Booras plays with Ellie the golden retriever. (SILENCERCO)

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

ALWAYS ON THE MOVE

Times haven’t always been this good, though. In the beginning there were many weeks when Waldron had no idea how he was going to even make payroll, and it was two and half years before he actually took a paycheck home. Waldron and Shults had trouble finding people to loan them money to grow the business, and when they did find a lender, they were forced to endure loan-shark-level interest rates.

While Waldron no longer worries about making payroll, he isn’t sitting in his office admiring his successes either.

Everyday Waldron worries about his company and strives towards perpetual innovation. When a company stands still they are actually moving backwards. Complacency breeds laziness, which can ruin companies. There is no laziness or complacency at this company, and this applies to the CEO, president, machinists, office staff and everyone else in the SilencerCo family.

For a company to be highly successful and creative they must espouse a company philosophy. SilencerCo takes this seriously; so seriously, in fact, they have a vice president of culture.

The VP of culture focuses on recruiting and retaining the best and brightest talent available. This atmosphere is vital when creativity is essential.

Creators and innovators must think outside of

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A mural inside the SilencerCo factory created by graffiti artist Gerry Swanson depicts the company’s Fight The Noise campaign. (TROY TAYSOM)

the proverbial box in order to be successful. Once inside a box, creativity is stifled and innovation suffocated.

While the worries of being a new company have, for the most part, passed, new worries have taken their place. The biggest is production. Waldron and his crew are so good at what they do and are providing such a superior product that they are operating at full capacity — all the time.

While this may sound like a highlight, operating this way leaves a company vulnerable to disaster if a machine or an employee goes down.

Wait times are another issue that must be addressed when a manufacturer is operating at full capacity. Most consumers will happily wait for quality, but not forever.

SilencerCo is vertically integrated, meaning that you only rely on outside companies for raw material. In the manufacturing world this is the holy grail. Quality and precision are in the hands of their talented machinists, allowing the company to avoid issues of correcting outside quality-control mistakes.

Not only do they control manufacturing from start to finish, all of the advertising, PR, photographs, videos, editing and anything else they need is handled in house.

occupied; they have also started a campaign aimed at getting the archaic and invasive National Firearms Act changed to reflect the 21st century. Many may think that the 1934 NFA was passed in an attempt to thwart gangland mobsters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Moran from getting silencers and concealable and automatic weapons, but in truth it was designed to thwart poaching and to keep hunters from quieting their firearms to shoot under the radar.

Flash forward to the 21st century and the law still stands, as does the tax stamp required to own silencers. The misconception is, of course, that a silencer (or suppressor, depending on who you ask) only reduces the noise level to a tolerable and safe decibel. It does not render a firearm completely silent. The ammunition someone is shooting (supersonic, or subsonic) will determine how quiet a gun’s report will be.

A supersonic round will still crack and a subsonic round will be much quieter.

With these issues in mind Waldron started the Fight The Noise campaign. This effort focuses on hearing loss in the shooting-sports world. The number one medical claim for veterans today is tinnitus, a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears. This problem alone costs close to $2 billion in medical bills annually.

Guns by their very nature are loud, but that doesn’t mean the shooter should be subjected to punishing noise during target practice, hunting, serving in the military or working as a cop. The United States is falling behind the rest of the industrialized world in our treatment of suppressors. In Denmark, Finland, and Germany only a firearms license is required to own a suppressor. In Poland, Ukraine and Norway, suppressors aren’t regulated at all. Many European countries, including France, encourage the use of silencers simply to fight noise pollution.

MANY EUROPEANS COUNTRIES ENCOURAGE THE USE OF SILENCERS SIMPLY TO FIGHT NOISE POLLUTION.

CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE

It’s not just innovation, creativity and operating at full capacity that have Waldron and the SilencerCo crew 82

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Fight The Noise is pushing back and not accepting status quo as an answer.

The webpage is clear on their goals: “Fight the Noise is a movement to regain our voice. To exercise our right to protect our hearing and silence the sound. To be responsible gun owners and be treated as such. We want law-abiding citizens to have the ability to purchase and own silencers without being subjected to excessive wait times, paperwork, and taxes. We are the silent majority, and it is our time to be heard. We are

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asked to take a picture of themselves with a piece of tape over their mouths. The tape says Fight The Noise. There are pictures of kids, mothers, grandmothers, businessmen, cops and soldiers. There are also a fair number of celebrities who have joined the fight, including Jep Robertson of Duck Dynasty.

All races and walks of life are represented in the campaign lending an aura of unity amongst a diverse following.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

your friends. We are your coworkers. We are the suppressed.”

With this campaign, Waldron and crew hope to educate the general public, making them aware that: 1) silencers are legal; 2) you shouldn’t have to pay an extra tax and wait months for the ATF to act just to own a silencer; 3) and guns don’t have to be loud.

The campaign is clever in its simplicity. Supporters are

Steve Jobs spoke of people like Waldron and his SilencerCo mates when he said: “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently, and not fond of rules. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things, they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

If you think that SilencerCo will stay in their lane, you have a big surprise coming. I’ve been sworn to secrecy about what’s next for them, but I can tell you that they are poised to make waves in other parts of the industry in the very near future. Love ’em or hate ’em, you can’t ignore ’em. They are here to stay and are ready to change the way business is done in a good ol’ boy industry. ASJ

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GENERATION HUNTRESS

COMES OF AGE Raising Girls For The Ranks Of Hunting

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON BROOKS

I

f you are a hunter and think that merchandisers and marketers are getting girly lately, you would be right. In recent years the fastest growing demographic of hunters are actually huntresses – women who head afield to put food on the table. This is no surprise to myself or those in my hunting camp. We have known for years that there would be a trend towards more women chasing game. Fifteen years ago my hunting partner, Chad Hurst, called one day to announced the birth of he and his wife’s first child, Brittany.

Right away I began to look for camo clothes, lightweight guns, hunting packs and anything else that would fit a tiny girl. But even then most of what I found were Barbie fishing poles, pink camo hats and few odds and ends. Years later, when Brittany and Hurst’s second daughter, Marissa, decided to take a hunter-safety course, we went back to the sporting goods store and found entire sections devoted to the needs of the huntress.

With a national movement to stop eating hormoneinfused meat, chemically modified foods and an alarming rise in various cancers as a whole, those who enjoy the outdoors

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are turning more to wild game as a staple in their diets. An article published by National Geographic in April 2013 and titled “More Women Give Hunting A Shot” revealed that from 2006 to 2011 the number of female hunters grew by 25 percent and made up 11 percent of the 13.7 million hunters in the US. That might not seem like much, but the overall age of hunters is increasing and total numbers of hunters is decreasing. As our nation moves into the age of technology, an upward trend in camo-clad ladies is something that all hunters need to notice. Most people who market hunting already have.

ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR television shows on The Sportsman Channel is Universal Huntress Television. This is a show dedicated to the female hunter, emphasizing women’s skill sets to harvest game. The production manager, Chantelle Kapp, is involved with the show along with her husband, Emanuel Kapp, the show’s executive producer.

I caught up with Chantelle a few weeks ago and asked how she contributes to the forefront of women in hunting. It turns out that she was born into the outdoors much like my friends’ daughters Brittany and Marissa. Chantelle told me,

“I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Limpopo province of South Africa and my friends and I would camp, fish and hike over weekends, exploring the bushveld (a subtropical woodland) and its surroundings.”

After her youth she traveled and earned a bachelors in education that led her to a school in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. She told me, “It warmed my heart to see how much the schools and families relied on the local hunting lodged for food, supplies and support. I knew I wanted to be

involved in a community and industry where helping your fellow man and conservation was more important than the stock market.”

When I asked if there was any one person who influenced her life, she explained, “My husband, Emanuel encouraged me to learn and explore the outdoor industry as much as I possibly could. He always stands by my side and offers advice or support. Through him and our adventures I’ve learned more about conservation, how a community can help to improve it,

“I’VE ALWAYS FELT THAT IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING YOU’RE HALF WAY THERE.”

(Above) Brittany Hurst glassing. (Below left) Chad Hurst has been raising his girls to become huntresses with the help of their uncle Kyle Hurst. From left to right, Kyle Hurst, Marissa Hurst, Chad Hurst and Brittany Hurst. (Below right) Marissa, Brittany and Kyle pose with a north-central Washington mule deer taken with a Savage Model 110 chambered in .30-06.

americanshootingjournal.com 97

how to look at the world through a lens and capture unique moments and, most importantly, how to build relationships with fellow enthusiasts and combine efforts.”

It is through the building of relationships that Chantelle met Jen Adams and Norissa Harman from Girls with Guns Clothing (see the July 2014 issue of the Western Shooting Journal for an in-depth story on Jen and Norissa) who make hunting attire for women. In 2013 they joined forces and began Universal Huntress Television. The show is more than the typical adventure of a television personality in a treestand waiting for a buck to walk by so they can make a few grunts and

notch their tag while explaining how sitting at a prescouted, preplaced, bait-attracted stand brought in the big buck. The show addresses hunting as a way of life and highlights regions of the world, many in Africa, where hunting isn’t a hobby but a way to feed entire towns. The show’s motto is “The future of Universal Huntress is in the hands of creative, free-spirited professionals, who share a passion for their 2nd amendment rights and fair-chase hunting.”

For the female who is thinking of taking up hunting or one who already likes to head into the mountains in pursuit of game, it’s shows like this that express how much women belong in the hunting world.

BE AN OUTSIDE-ER Since 1998, Washington Outdoor Women, an education outreach program from the Washington Wildlife Federation, has been teaching outdoor skills to girls and women. “WOW is a program dedicated to teaching the traditional outdoor skills of fishing, hunting and shooting.

Through these and other wilderness skills, women and girls learn to enjoy and respect the outdoors, thereby becoming responsible stewards of our state’s natural resources.” At WOW, female instructors instill confidence, and as they put it, a can-do attitude while teaching the necessary skills to be successful afield. To find out more about WOW you can visit them at washingtonoutdoorwomen.org.

Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife also offers a program for new hunters through their outdoor skills course. This state-sponsored program offers workshops that, according to them, “Teach Oregonians how to fish, hunt, view wildlife and enjoy outdoor related recreational activities.” They also provide the equipment and hands-on instruction. To find out more you can visit them at dfw.state.or.us/education/outdoor_skills. -JB

GETTING STARTED IN HUNTING can be difficult if you don’t have someone like Emanuel or Hurst who support and teach their families.

Chantelle said, “I’ve always felt that if you want to do something, you’re halfway there.” She knew she was on the verge of a new adventure when she found herself wanting to learn to hunt. “As in any sport you have to learn first in order to achieve. Try joining a class or asking someone with knowledge and experience to help

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(Above and right) Chantelle Kapp was born in South Africa and says that much of the hunting is a survival necessity in many of the provinces. She is also the production manager of a TV show on The Sportsman Channel called Universal Huntress Television, dedicated to the female hunter.

you. Don’t let inexperience or shyness stop you from such an amazing sport.”

Chantelle is what Theodore Roosevelt would have defined as a hunter, which is much more than just someone who kills game. “All hunters should be nature lovers,” Roosevelt included in the preface of his book The Wilderness Hunter, and went on to say, “In hunting, the finding and killing of game is after all but a part of the whole. The free, self-reliant,

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adventurous life, with its rugged and stalwart democracy; the wild surroundings, the grand beauty of the scenery, the chance to study the ways and habits of the woodland creatures – all these unite to give to the career of the wilderness hunter its peculiar charm.”

Thanks to women like Chantelle, younger generations are learning that a huntress is just as much of a hunter as Roosevelt ever was. ASJ

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PRESEASON PREP Getting Ready For Opening Day STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TROY RODAKOWSKI

Getting prepared for hunting season can take a lot of effort and research, but if you stay on top of your fitness level, the weather conditions, land closures and updates, you will find yourself far ahead of the game when the opening bell rings.

ith one of the driest years on record, the Pacific Northwest is looking at potentially some of the toughest hunting conditions in decades.

Fire restrictions and private land closures coupled with access restrictions to federal and state lands may make it tougher than ever for hunters to fill their freezers this season. I don’t mean to be Mr. Negative, but I have personally never seen things quite so tough in my lifetime.

What is going on? It’s simple: times are changing. First of all, the weather has thrown a major monkey wrench into where and how we will hunt this season. State agencies throughout the Northwest have declared 2015 “the worst drought on record and 98 percent of Washington is included.”

Virtually, every county throughout the region will qualify for some relief funds solely due to weather. “Weather patterns in the region show a strengthening El Niño with warmer water and weather,” said Nick Bond from the office of Washington State Climatologist. This is not great news for many outdoor enthusiasts and will make for tough times ahead.

With that being said, there are still a few bright spots. Brian Wolfer, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist from Springfield, Ore., says, “With no snow cover, there was plenty of winter forage and the south-facing slopes greened up early. This was good for the elk, but it made our herdamericanshootingjournal.com 103

composition surveys difficult. The elk should have entered this spring in good condition.”

Wolfer made sure to point out that a prolonged drought could be a different story and would more than likely start to impact populations.

In the Pacific Northwest, you may find that your traditional hunting locations are not available due to the current drought and fire restrictions. Having to explore other areas or venture further into the wilderness for the same level of opportunity might be on the menu this season.

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This will be a key ingredient for success this year, and if you haven’t figured out where you might want to hunt, you better start doing some research.

It is possible that many locations will have restrictions due to severe fire danger. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting hotter, drier weather for the Pacific Northwest – and California as well – during the weeks leading up to hunting season. But it’s the weather; anything can happen, as we all know.

“We measured several inches of rain in late May, which resulted in very good forage conditions across the district,” says biologist Craig Foster in Lakeview, Ore. “Now with

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Sage loves to go on hunts and rewards her owner when he doesn’t miss a shot.

things turning hotter earlier, grasses and forbs will dry and forage quality will drop. If the hot weather persists, I expect to see the few elk we have start using higher elevations or northern slopes to beat the heat and find the best feed. Usually when it’s really hot they spend most of the day bedded and feed early in the morning or late in the evening. This isn’t very different from any other summer, but the amount of time laying around in the shade increases with hotter weather. No matter where you are in the country, 106

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

the weather patterns have shifted and we must adapt accordingly.”

When it comes to preparing yourself for hunting, make sure that you hit the range several times with your rifle, muzzleloader and archery equipment. If you can’t be in the woods scouting, you might as well get into top shooting form and practice.

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differently in relation to temperature and elevation. Acclimate yourself accordingly with your weapon of choice. You might be asking, what does he mean? Every hunting situation produces its own unique set of variables. Practice on windy days, in low-light conditions or in the early morning when it’s cool and foggy.

You will find that your confidence level rises when presented with reallife hunting scenarios. The game of success is at least 75 percent mental.

Visit some archery 3-D shoots, trainto-hunt challenges, long-range rifle or local competitions to hone your skills.

There is a pretty good chance that you will have to hike and hunt farther from road systems and trails to find your prize this year.

Big game species will frequent the cooler slopes of mountain ridges as they seek out secluded creek drainages with water sources. Find the water in late September and October and you will have increased your odds of success. Many of these locations can be found a ridge or two over from high-traffic areas. Another option for overcoming some of the restrictions this year would be to get into the backcountry. These hunts are difficult and require even more physical excertion and effort. All the more reason to be in the best physical condition.

Eating healthy is very important, and drinking plenty of water along with a balanced vitamin intake can greatly help you hike that extra mile.

I like to use Muscle Milk and MTN OPS vitamin and energy supplements during the season. While it is never too late to start a healthy fitness regime, it makes even more sense to stay in shape throughout the year.

So what does this all mean? It means that the places we are familiar with and have hunted in the past may not be accessible this season or even available at all. Making alternative plans and knowing the restrictions in 108

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

place for your area is top priority. This may be the year you book a guided trip on private lands where access is allowed. Believe me, it is tough to spend the extra money on a hunting trip, but this year, more than ever before, I am more than willing to throw some greenbacks at Mother Nature. If she’s going to throw me a curve ball, I’m going to take my best

swing at what she is offering. ASJ Author’s note: For updates on current land restrictions here are some links: US Forest Service fs.fed.us Bureau of Land Management blm.gov/wo/st/en National Interagency Fire Center gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc

Many hunters may have to pack out this fall. While this can be a lot of extra work, it is one of the most rewarding forms of hunting, and will require a certain level physical fitness.

These longer treks may be necessary due to warmer weather.

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TIPS

FROM A

HUNTING PRO What’s In Your Day Pack?

STORY BY KIRSTIE PIKE

unting season is fast approaching, or maybe not fast enough. There are many different schools of thought on how to pack your day pack for hunting season, and I personally prefer the minimalist approach. Less is more. I do not believe that there is a need to pack 50 pounds of unnecessary weight on my back, so my goal is to pack as light and as smart as possible. For the overpackers out there, answer this question: When was the last time you used even a quarter of the gear you packed each day? 1992? I thought so!

H

WATER If you are in a water-rich environment, why pack water around? It weighs a ton. I prefer a Lifestraw, which weighs almost nothing and filters 99.99 percent of the impurities from water. I just drink from a stream if I need water. This way I can hydrate all day if necessary and I’m not weighed down. But I fully realize there are many areas that do not have flowing water, and if that is the case, I fully encourage the use of any type of water-bladder system. Most hunting packs have an integrated water bladder, or at the very least, a system that can be used with one. It’s just a matter of finding the pack you prefer.

FOOD Think this through. If you are hunting in the West and are going to really exert yourself, you will need nutritional support. My recommendation is to condense your food and ensure the best possible protein and carb loads for your physical requirements. I pack a handful of protein bars, string cheese and hardboiled eggs. I also take a small bag of nuts, a couple of Power Blocks for extra energy Pike’s pack demonstrates the minimalist approach by only taking what has been strategically chosen for that day.

and a few instant coffee packs to fuel my caffeine demon. All of this takes literally no space and weighs ounces. If you are working out of a blind or are doing a more stationary hunt, your physical requirements are less and you can pack accordingly.

SIDEARM If I am bowhunting Kirstie Pike is a Colorado resident and an avid hunter. Some would even say she catapulted or packing into the women’s hunting fashion by creating the high country on industry’s leading clothing line dedicated to huntresses. horseback, I always pack a pistol with an extra magazine in the event I have to put an animal down. If I am rifle hunting, the sidearm, in my opinion, is unnecessary.

KNIFE Whatever your preference, and they have multiple uses.

WET WIPES You can use your imagination here. Throw a handful in a plastic bag and you’re good to go! Literally and figuratively.

HUNTING NECESSITIES Bring additional ammunition, but don’t go crazy. You most likely don’t need to tote boxes of ammo with you each day. Personally, I tend to pack additional rounds in the pockets of my pants for easy access. Game calls should also be readily accessible.

SUNSCREEN I will pack the smallest tube known to mankind with minimal fragrance. I also pack a tube of scent-free lip balm with sunscreen.

OPTICS A high-quality range finder is a must in all hunting situations. I recommend any product that effectively compensates for uphill and downhill ranging. Additionally, binoculars are as important as your weapon. Highquality glass is a game changer. While it may be spendy, I recommend Swarovski products, but there are many products out there with great quality at lower pricepoints.

Also, binoculars should not be kept in your pack. Keep them somewhere where they can readily accessed.

CLOTHING I am a huge proponent of layering, and I will limit what americanshootingjournal.com 111

I carry in the field. I prefer a merino-wool base layer. I often opt towards vests for core warming and will choose a jacket based on the temperatures and conditions. If it is cold, I bring a packable down jacket. If it is not, I will bring a lightweight jacket with windstopping capabilities. If rain gear is necessary, pack the lightest option you have. There is absolutely no need to pack three jackets. Choose the most functional gear for your body type, climate and geography.

I will typically have my jacket secured on the outside of my pack or on my saddle. I will not pack a jacket into my day pack; it wastes space and can become a huge nuisance.

FIRE STARTERS A lighter and some lightweight fire-starting product like Wetfire, a type of tinder, is perfect. I like this because you can light it in the rain. I keep these items in a plastic bag and squirrel them away in that one random and illogical pocket that is in every backpack.

MINIMALIST FIRST AID KIT You can pack a prefabricated kit or make your own, but think of weight and space. I prefer a SAM splint, Ace wrap, needle and dental floss for emergency sutures, medical tape, gauze pads and iodine tablets to make a disinfectant. Bend the SAM splint and pack supplies in the splint then wrap it all with the Ace wrap. This takes less room and the contents stay secure. I have seen some first aid kits that are loaded. While there is nothing wrong with preparation, you can make due with the supplies I’ve listed for most injuries.

SPACE BLANKET Not a bad idea in case you get stranded or weather becomes severe. You can use it as a blanket or a shelter, and it folds up into a tiny weightless packet.

ROPE OR CORDING I recommend packing a small roll of lightweight nylon cord.

You can “Macgyver” just about anything with this.

GLOVES Depending on the temperatures, I will pack either lightweight merino-wool gloves or, if it is cold, I will bring a heavier, insulated, waterproof pair. Not both.

LICENSE My tip? Carry all of your licenses, all states and all game at all times. I keep mine in a plastic bag inside an internal pocket of my pack. This way, no matter where I go, I never forget them. This works great for me because I use the same pack for hunting and fishing.

FISHING LINE AND HOOKS You never know!

And that is it. All of this gear has minimal weight and covers most of your needs. Again, consider that what I have described here is for a day pack. Proper planning and packing can truly reduce your energy expenditure when it is needed most! ASJ Editor’s note: Kirstie Pike is the CEO of Prois Hunting & Field Apparel for Women.

Along with her hunting partner Thaddeus and trusted steeds Hava and Blue Eyes, Kirstie Pike poses in the West Elk Wilderness, on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies, with a harvest of ptarmigan while sporting a Weatherby 20-gauge shotgun.

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TERMINATOR-LIKE KNOWLEDGE THE APP FOR STRATEGIC HUNTERS

President and founder of GoHUNT, Lorenzo Sartini harvested this beautiful bull elk in Utah. (LORENZO SARTINI)

STORY BY TROY TAYSOM

W

hat happens when technology and a centuries’ old tradition are synergized? Pure awesomeness. Last February I was walking the exhibit hall at the Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City when I passed a booth packed with people of all ages. I was content to keep walking, but was approached by an attractive young lady, Ashton Hall, who wanted to demonstrate her company’s product. How could I say no?

Hall showed me a website called GoHUNT.com that helped hunters plan their hunting trips in the West. My strong technical background told me that this site was being run by people who knew what they were doing. It is easy to navigate and beautiful to look at. The owner, Lorenzo Sartini, was busy showing his website to potential customers, so I

GoHUNT offers an immense amount of real-time information to hunters in the West.

vowed to get in contact with him to find out more about his vision for the company and the man behind the idea.

I caught up with Sartini and his COO Chris Porter by americanshootingjournal.com 115

phone after the show.

From field to table, the GoHUNT team are at home in both arenas. (GOHUNT)

SARTINI WAS BORN and raised in Las Vegas, and his family owns one of the largest private gaming companies in Nevada.

Watching his father start their company from scratch gave Sartini the bug to start GoHUNT. Sartini grew up hunting and fishing, and always had a love for the outdoors. When it came time for him to go to college he chose the University of Montana.

Going to UofM gave him the chance to fish and hunt nearly every day, either before or after class. His time there strengthened his love of all things outdoors.

Sartini graduated with a BA of science in marketing and returned home to work with his family in the gaming business.

Like all great entrepreneurs, working for someone else, even family, isn’t OK. He needed to be on his own, doing his own thing. Eventually Sartini met Porter, a technology genius and

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an all-around good guy, and the two became friends. When Sartini decided to go on his own he took Porter with him.

Porter is a southern California kid with no background in the outdoors. He had never hunted in his life when Sartini hired him; however, what Porter lacked in hunting skills he made up for in technical savvy. Porter also graduated with a BA of Science in Marketing from Arizona State University.

americanshootingjournal.com 117

Sartini understood that for this company to succeed he couldn’t hire people like himself. He needed people with unique skill sets, different than his and Porter’s. Their first hire was Andrew Bacca, another Las Vegas native and wizard behind the magic that is GoHUNT. After Bacca, team members were slowly hired as they ramped up. Slow is the key word here.

Ninety-five percent of all start-ups fail because they grow too quickly, creating a strain on cash.

THE MANAGEMENT TEAM at GoHUNT realized that for this idea to work they needed to provide something to the hunting community that had never been experienced before. GoHUNT does this in spades. The idea behind the site is simple: provide detailed information on every hunt in every Western state and every geographic area within the state. Here is some of the information for each hunt area: Snapshot: An overview of the area.

Buzz: Some quick facts of the area.

Terrain: What hunters can expect.

Vegetation: The flora and fauna of the area.

Access: How to get there, what to use and what you will need to gain access.

Camping and lodging: The nearest locations.

Historical temperatures: Interactive programs.

Historical precipitation: Interactive programs.

Species within this unit: Among information such as

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highlighting a hunting area and the species most likely found there, this section also lists other game one might encounter, as well as the success rate by weapon type, such as rifle, archery, muzzleloader, etc., for each harvestable species.

WHILE THE IDEA IS SIMPLE, the execution is not. For this to work they needed to provide accurate, reliable and up-to-date information. This company would get killed (no pun intended) if they provided bogus information to hunters, especially since their business model is a subscription-based service.

It takes months of nonstop work just to get one state into the database. When a state comes online, it comes with all of the units (areas) within the state to include all of the information listed above and private land information as well. This information comes from hunters who have experience in each unit. Once the hunters are found, GoHUNT puts them through a vetting process to ensure that they are the real deal. This process takes time and patience, two things that most start-ups don’t have. Sartini and his team have had the discipline needed to go through this process successfully.

Currently, seven of the 14 Western states on their site – Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming – are live, with Montana expected to go live this month.

The goal is to have all 14 states up and running by the end of 2015.

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poaching. Real hunters abhor poaching and are usually Lorenzo Sartini and the best resource for catching those who commit the Chris Porter, creators of GoHUNT.com. (GOHUNT) crimes. State wildlife agencies realize this and work closely with GoHUNT to spread the word when a poaching problem is discovered.

The company encourages employees to get involved in personal conservation, and many of them pick up trash in the community, as well as in the wilderness when they are out camping and hunting.

GoHUNT has 10 employees, five of whom are hunters. The other five are getting introduced to the sport by Sartini. Porter, who had never hunted before, now gets excited to hunt mule deer throughout the West. Employees are encouraged to wear camouflage to work on Fridays, although that has been easier for some than for others. That young lady who helped me at the included hunting permits, custom rifles, boots and other expo, Ashton Hall (an aspiring writer), is now happy to wear hunting items. Each subscriber is automatically entered for camo after a lifetime of thinking it be a fashion faux pas. the monthly drawings.

Every week GoHUNT has #TeamTuesdays. The company During my interview I asked Sartini about his vision for the has lunch delivered and shop talk is not allowed. Team future. He said, “Getting all 14 Western states up and running building activities like this are a veritable trademark of highand adding even more content. I want to add an in-depth and tech companies. The crew also takes one to two trips per year strategic draw-odds calculator for tag draws.” to build a strong company culture. Sartini believes a company Sartini and Porter are focused on continuing to make culture needs to be cultivated, not just allowed to form. each visitor’s experience unique and memorable, but The site itself was officially launched in 2013 and is more importantly, they want each subscriber’s hunt to be a seeing dramatic growth. A subscription to the site is $149 successful one. ASJ a year, and there is a monthly giveaway. Past contests have

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HUNTing

When working with a young puppy, you mold them into something they were bred to do, and in order for them to succeed, it will take an immense amount of your time and patience.

PAWING FOR THE

HUNT

GGun-dog Prep

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TROY RODAKOWSKI ST

W

orking dogs can be found in many shapes, sizes, colors and temperaments. I remember the first bird that my old German shorthaired pointer found in the tall grass many seasons back. I felt like a proud papa watching him lock up tight on that Hungarian partridge. After 14 years of companionship, hunting and adventure, I lost my buddy to old age.

As I look back on all the memories with my pooch, tears still well up in my eyes as those good times flood to the surface. That was four years ago, the day I had to put my best buddy and hunting companion to sleep.

I have now embarked (no pun intended) on a new journey with a brand new gun-dog pup. He is a relative of my old pal and in many ways reminds me of him when he was little, including all the chewing, biting, puppy messes and training that will one day, hopefully, lead to a full-fledged hunting partner.

Working dogs, as we like to call them, live for two things: 1) you; 2) the hunt or the specific job they are trained to do. Long hours of work and training pay dividends in developing the perfect companion, and this of course does not come without sacrifice from other activities.

GUN DOGS I have hunted with several breeds including Labradors, vizslas, pudelpointers, Weimaraners, shorthairs, spaniels, beagles and many

I’ve always been partial to pointing dogs. I like a good shorthair that enjoys getting wet and will also hunt waterfowl. This is obviously something you have to teach them at a very young age as they tend to shy away from swimming and sprinklers.

americanshootingjournal.com 125

HUNTing more. They all have their own excellent attributes, which makes them special and a fit for our personalities as owners. With the upland and waterfowl seasons quickly approaching we prepare our gear, and, most importantly, we prepare our four-legged companions with training and exercise. Frequent outings into the field are a must with the flame of the coming seasons burning strong. Smells of autumn wafting on the breeze invigorate the senses.

Many folks like to take their dogs to game-bird farms or ranches as a warm-up, and I think this is an excellent idea that can be very insightful when planning for a successful year. Some wildlife ranches open around the middle of August and offer great shooting and training.

Hunt and retriever clubs also offer field-trial events throughout the year to keep your dog tuned and in good physical condition. Many times they even offer trial grading towards hunt championships and classifications.

These are both important aspects in one’s routine to have better success during the season. “Getting a pup and even a seasoned dog off to a good start or refreshing their memory is important,” says George Dern, owner of the DK Wildlife Ranch in Crawfordsville, Ore. Having a companion and good hunting partner is all many of us desire to be satisfied and feel accomplished

FIELD DOGS ARE PUT AT RISK EACH TIME THEY GO OUT

Labs are great dogs and I’ve had the pleasure to hunt with them on several occasions. They love the water and are well-mannered waterfowl dogs that can handle some cold, snowy and rainy conditions. I have also seen a few do really well hunting upland birds, which was mighty impressive.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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HUNTing with our canines. Once again, I have chosen to take on the challenge of training a puppy and watching him grow and succeed, much like a proud parent watches their child transform into adulthood.

STARTING OVER As I go through the chewing, biting, puking, pooping and endless energy of the puppy stage, I look to the future of a partner to share memories with and sometimes wonder if I was somewhat crazy to take on the challenge once again. I remind myself of what is to come and how much I will miss my buddy being small and pretty darn cute. Dern recently reminded me, “Start your pup off slow and get them excited about birds and feathers. That excitement will build as they mature.” With fall approaching many of us are looking forward to the morning we grab our guns, gear and pooch to chase game birds.

A seasoned dog can sense the change in the seasons, and they do not want to miss a chance to please us. In fact, I have even seen that look after missing a bird. You know the one! The one that says, “Hey, I did my job, obeyed, found the birds and listened to your commands. Now why did you miss again?” Well, because I need more practice on the trap and skeet range, little buddy. As a master I hate to disappoint, and I have found that my shooting skills are not always up to par. Regardless, our furry friends keep doing their job no matter how often we might miss the target.

being sprayed by a skunk, or worse, bitten by a snake, field dogs are put at risk each time they go out. Some dogs have even lost their lives doing what they love and were trained to do.

“We lost a dog in one of our ponds after he had an apparent heart attack following a routine retrieve,” Dern shared. It is heartbreaking but a reality we deal with as sportsman and dog owners. I know a few hunters who have lost good hounds to mountain lions, bears and the environment. It is a risk we take and reality we live with as the owners of working dogs. Accidents happen, especially in the wild.

Regardless of the breed or dog you have and are proud to call your hunting companion, we all share a similar bond as dog owners. “They are more than just pets and hunting dogs; they are a huge part of our lives, and for many of us it’s more than just a desire; it’s a necessity to have that relationship,” says Gary Lewis, author of Hunting Oregon. It’s tough and rewarding work, but worth a lifetime of love and companionship. As we watch our companions grow old, and unable to do what they love, they are just happy being by our side to share time with us. Remember, as you watch that point or retrieve with your best friend this season, make sure you are there for them so together you can keep doing what you love. Good luck and happy hunting. ASJ

THE REALITY With any job, there is always a chance of injury, and with hunting dogs it is no different. From small scratches to broken bones, pulled muscles to

Our four-legged hunting companions learn and are bred to be equally as eager as we are for hunting opportunites. This Lab patiently awaits shooting light over the marsh.

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ROAD HUNTER

ONE YEAR, SEVEN DEER Recalling My Best Season Ever

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

t began as a vision that, on paper, looked good.

Some of the deer tags I held going into the season were highly prized; others were picked up over the counter. Once hunting season opened, I knew this was my best chance to secure a North American deer slam in a single season, something I heard had never been done.

I

WHEN PLANS WERE FINALIZED to hunt a Columbian whitetail, a rare Northwest deer species, in my home state of Oregon, I knew it would likely be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This was my first hunt of the season, and I wanted a good buck.

Three days into the hunt, a short stalk found me in a perfect place waiting for a nice buck to move my way. Finally, as the deer slithered through tall grass, a shot opportunity opened up. When the 4x4 buckled, a lifetime dream came true.

LATER IN OCTOBER, I was in the northwest corner of South Dakota bowhunting mule deer. On Halloween morning, the

(Above) Scott Haugen considers his Sonoran Coues whitetail deer the toughest tag he had to fill during his banner season, and couldn’t have been more pleased with this great buck. (Below) Deer hunting takes us into some of North America’s most breathtaking country.

americanshootingjournal.com 133

ROAD HUNTER mercury registered 9 degrees. As soon as the sun started to shine on the claylike mud, a lone buck worked its way up against a cut bank and bedded. Two hours later I was within 17 yards of him. The shot hit the mark and the 29-inch, four-point went only a short distance.

A FEW DAYS LATER I was back in my home state, hunting Columbian blacktails on a special draw tag. Unfortunately, I only had a couple days and on day two, I had my four-year-old son, Kazden, by my side. More than anything he wanted to skin a deer with his new knife. I’ve been fortunate to take a number of record-book blacktails, so I told Kazden that the ďŹ rst legal buck we saw, we’d take. It was only a spike, but Kazden got to be a part of the whole hunt and even skinned the entire deer by himself, which made it the most gratifying hunt of the season.

PRIOR TO THANKSGIVING I was on the road to Idaho in search of western whitetails.

Working the rugged ridges in the Clearwater region, I saw a good buck atop a shale slide. Given the buck’s position there was no way of inching closer. At 340 yards, the bullet found its mark dropping the 5x5 buck.

EARLY IN DECEMBER I was on Kodiak Island, chasing Sitka blacktails. While setting up to rattle everything felt good. The synthetic bag blasted high-pitched sounds into the heavy air and a buck responded. When it ďŹ rst emerged from the thick brush I knew it was big, but when it turned sideways I saw it was a great buck.

A perfect 4x4 with eye guards, his heavy and dark rack commanded my attention as he moved through the gently falling snow. When he turned broadside I stopped him with a mouth grunt and the .300 Winchester Magnum

DEER DESTINATIONS 1. Sonora Double - MEXICO Known for big mule deer, Sonora also has solid numbers of Coues whitetails. They’re not as big as bucks to the north, but if you’re looking to double-up with a muley, this is a good option.

Hunting is by spot and stalk, and at ground is covered by driving in high-rack trucks.

2. Mule Deer Options - NORTHWEST (Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Oregon) Colorado is kicking out some monster muleys, but many are on private lands or require a lot of points to draw. Wyoming, Montana, Washington and Idaho offer multiple options with overthe-counter tags in some regions. Oregon and Southwest states that produce big bucks also require tags to be drawn.

3. Western Whitetails - IDAHO Idaho is tops when talking big Western whitetails and lots of them. The northern half of the state has loads of bucks, as do neighboring Montana and Wyoming. Eastern Washington and northeast Oregon are also producing great whitetails each year.

4. Columbian Double - OREGON Columbian whitetails and Columbian blacktails can both be hunted in Oregon’s Umpqua River Valley (but not at the same time), near the town of Roseburg. Whitetail tags are on a draw or landowner preference ticket, while blacktail tags can be acquired over the counter.

5. Sitka Blacktails - ALASKA Kodiak Island is tops when talking Sitka blacktails. Being dropped at spike camp is an option, as is hiring a transporter who will shuttle you around by boat. I like the latter, so new ground can be covered each day.-SH í˘´

í˘ł í˘˛

OPTICS FOR WESTERN DEER HUNTS No matter where in the West you choose to hunt deer, getting the most out of your ur optics will save valued time. Covering ground with your eyes, not your feet, will also so save energy. tting Personally, I like a 10x42 binocular with a built-in range ďŹ nder, along with a spotting scope. What power spotting scope you choose depends on where you’ll be hunting,, weight of the scope and how your eyes handle looking through it for extended periods. ods.

Typically a scope in the 45x or 60x range will suffice.-SH

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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ROAD HUNTER roared. The record-class buck was a true Sitka blacktail of a lifetime.

JANUARY FOUND ME IN MEXICO, hunting Sonora for prized Coues whitetail deer.

The conditions were tough as a recordsetting, two-week cold spell put bucks in the brush. The rut was also delayed and over the course of a few days, I only saw one. Just as I got set to shoot, the buck bolted. My guide, Jeremy Toman, and I pushed on and found the buck standing next to a doe. Soon the shot was on its way, hitting the mark. Approaching the downed deer, he turned out to be even bigger than I thought.

A COUPLE DAYS LATER a hunt for desert mule deer in Sonora was underway. A

Haugen’s desert mule deer, taken in Sonora, marked the last buck that fell in his season of a lifetime.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

pair of battling muleys caught our eyes.

We could see one was pushing 30 inches wide, but he had some broken tines. The buck he fought, however, was high and heavy, and as he cleared, I let him have it.

AT SEASON’S ONSET, attaining a singleseason deer slam seemed a stretch. But by taking it one hunt at a time, I was fortunate to experience a dream season.

Simply having the opportunity to spend time in some of North America’s greatest deer habitat is all I really asked for; everything else was just a bonus. ASJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s book, Trophy Blacktails: The Science Of The Hunt, you can visit his website at scotthaugen.com.

americanshootingjournal.com 137

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Advantages Of Hunting With Muzzleloaders

elieve it or not, there are some real advantages to hunting with muzzleloading rifles and smoothbores. Those advantages are not found in the ballistics or the rapidity of follow-up shots; the real advantages are found in making a good shot from the beginning and knowing that the hunter will be reticent to take a shot until a good hit can be expected.

Those can be real advantages.

There are more areas open to hunting this way as well.

I’m making this statement in a very general sense, but many areas, sometime entire states, are closed to hunting with highpowered rifles. Areas like that are usually open to shotguns, loaded with either buckshot or slugs, and often those same areas are open to muzzleloading rifles. Let’s face it: We can’t have a good and successful hunt without a place to do so.

More than a few years ago I enjoyed hunting in Iowa, and at that time the farms, if not the entire state, were closed to shooting with high-powered rifles. That was fine with me:

B

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE NESBITT

I was a dedicated muzzleloader shooter and hunter at the time. I hunted with John Hambleton from Iowa Trophy Hunting; Hambleton has since passed away, but his son Todd is still running the show, if you ever want to go.

The Hambletons cater to archers and hunters with muzzleloaders for deer, and when I was their guest I carried my .50-caliber flintlock Hawken made many years ago by Ozark Mountain Arms. That particular gun builder left the market in the early 1980s, but anyone who has a rifle by them would agree that those were very fine rifles. I loaded a powder charge with 80 grains of FFFg powder by GOEX underneath a patched .490-inch round ball. With that charge and that ball load my rifle was more than ready to make some venison.

It was pretty chilly, well below freezing and often below zero. What I thought about more than the cold was that in such weather there is hardly any moisture in the air. This made my flintlock more than ready to go. Getting good americanshootingjournal.com 139

BLACK POWDER JAMISON’S NEW .40-70 SHARPS STRAIGHT BRASS Loaded .40-70 cartridges with paper-patched bullets shown with a Sharps rifle.

Headstamp on the new .40-70 Sharps Straight brass.

After what black-powder-cartridge-rifle shooters felt was a long wait, the new brass for the .40-70 Sharps Straight is now available from Jamison, a division of Captech International. One reason it seemed to take so long was because the .40-70 SS case is somewhat unique. It can be made from some other cases, such as the .405 Winchester or the .30-40 Krag, but many shooters, including me, prefer to use brass that is properly headstamped for the rifle. The new brass from Jamison most certainly is.

These new cases are 2½ inches long and have a rim thickness of .070 of an inch, which might be on the thick side for certain rifles, but it’s a simple task for a gunsmith to correct.

The new brass was first tried with a 370-grain bullet loaded over 65 grains of GOEX’s Olde Eynsford 1½ F black powder.

That amount of powder will practically fill the case and no drop tube was used. Then the fire-formed cases were reloaded with the same powder charge, but under a 330-grain, paper-patched bullet. That duplicated the old factory load, and some serious thoughts are forming about using it with the Sharps rifle for deer hunting.

Even though this cartridge is named the .40-70 SS, it was most commonly loaded with a 65-grain powder charge. It was introduced by Sharps in 1876 as a replacement to the .40-70 Sharps Bottleneck and became the standard midrange cartridge in 1878. It’s a fine sporting cartridge and black-powder-cartridge shooters are very pleased that new and correctly marked brass is available for it again. You can visit them at captechintl.com. -MN

ignition with a flintlock on that hunt was never a problem.

The day my tag was filled, Hambleton had taken me to a specific spot and told me, “Stand right there.” He added, “Don’t move around.” With those instructions, he left. I found out a short time later that Hambleton doubled back and went to the bottom of a wooded ravine where he knew several deer were sheltering from the wind. I hadn’t waited very long when about 60 whitetail came storming out of there and galloped right past me, not more than 30 yards away. This was my best chance and I knew it. While the deer were going by, most of them about 30 yards away, I looked for a good buck. As more deer approached I saw the buck I wanted, not a big one, not what we’d call trophy sized, but a nice meat buck. Right as that buck passed me by just a little bit my flintlock fired instantly, which sent the .50-caliber round ball all the way through its chest, getting both the heart and the lungs.

Of course, we didn’t know that right away. The deer kept going and I’ll admit that I lost sight of him while I reloaded.

But blood began to show on the trail and soon that blood led us to the dead buck. Hambleton complimented me on my

shooting and I had to compliment him on his guiding.

Don’t take my story as any kind of guideline about the legality of using a muzzleloading rifle in other shotgunonly areas. Each and every hunting area can have its own definitions about which guns can be used, so be sure to check.

Another way that muzzleloaders can offer an advantage is when on private property. We must all ask permission when seeking to hunt on another mans land, and if the landowner understands that you will be hunting with a muzzleloader or perhaps a bow and arrow, they may be more prone to allowing it. The reason is because with just one shot, and what we generally accept as a short-effective range, the hunter will usually be more careful, which means less wounded game.

Your first successful hunt with a muzzleloader will change you as a hunter and it will be a day never to forget.

A friend of mine named “Big Foot” Folty was rather new to muzzleloading when he bought a Leman-style rifle made

by Matt Avance from Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. Big Foot’s Leman was a .54-caliber flintlock nicely stocked in curly maple with brass furniture; a gorgeous rifle that any

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BLACK POWDER of them, however, paused just before gun enthusiast would be proud disappearing about 80 yards away to own. His backyard borders and turned broadside while looking on a cattle ranch and the ranch back. That was just what Big Foot owner allows him to hunt there. wanted and the shot was made.

Big Foot doesn’t take that It was a good shot, but even so, Big permission lightly, and most Foot reloaded before even thinking certainly does not abuse it. He about approaching the deer. When he once offered to take me on a made his way to the deer, she wasn’t hunt, but I too would have had to quite dead, so a second shot put a ask for permission. definite finish to the hunt. That first One morning late in the deer with a muzzleloader was all his. season when does were legal, Then it was time for some knifeBig Foot loaded his Leman work. Ol’ Big Foot got a little careless with 90 grains of GOEX FFg and sliced his left thumb rather well. powder under a patched In the photo of him with his rifle .54-caliber round ball, and left and the doe, his thumb is clearly on a hunt. With a final check of bandaged. Ever since then we’ve his flintlock’s priming, he was Though it came at the cost of a cut thumb, “Big Foot” Folty grins with his first deer taken with a flintlock. referred to that late season as the keeping an eye on a frequently thumb-cutting moon. ASJ traveled deer trail, on which the deer would be returning to cover after feeding. He was experienced at deer hunting, although this would be his Author’s note: The Hambletons own Iowa Trophy Hunting first deer with a muzzleloader. and P.S. Manufacturing. You can check out their website at Luck was on his side: he saw two does approaching, psmfgco.com. For excellent muzzleloaders, visit TVM at but something gave him away and the pair retreated. One tennesseevalleymuzzleloading.com.

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SAFE CRACKING IS HOW SECURE IS YOUR HANDGUN? STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE GOETZINGER

N

ot long ago, I was in the market for a small handgun safe. After visiting a local gun shop and bringing home my new gun safe, I took it out of its box, and wondered if I’d spent too much. Up close, the device looked insubstantial. A nagging suspicion motivated me to go online, where I quickly discovered research by Marc Tobias and Tobias Bluzmanis of Investigative Law Offices and

Tobias and Bluzmanis found that the safe in question could be vibrated open. Lifting it by one side several inches from a floor and dropping it was all that was needed.

Their investigation then broadened into an examination of other safes by that manufacturer, as well as safes made by others. According to their research, none of the safes they examined proved secure. Tobias wrote a piece for Forbes magazine on their findings, and posted video of their examinations on his YouTube channel. He also filed a classaction lawsuit against the company in 2012, prompting them to settle out of court. Tobias and Bluzmanis are now examining their latest product designs and are considering

It required very little effort to compromise several models of gun safes.

California DOJ gun-safe certification guidelines only test the security value by dropping the safe from a height of 101 centimeters with a firearm inside.

Security Laboratories. Their work confirmed my suspicion about the safe. It could be broken into easily.

filing another lawsuit.

Among the safes Tobias and Bluzmanis compromised was my safe. The product was still for sale, unchanged, as of 2015. The salesman who sold it to me claimed ignorance about the product being defective and processed my return without objection. Several days later, I purchased a more secure safe by Fort Knox, by which time I was convinced that someone needed to do follow-up research on handgun safes. I decided to do it myself. I went to Cabela’s and selected a couple more products, then I set up an iPhone at home to record my examinations.

Neither safe posed any challenge to my attempts to break in. With video on my iPhone, I went to a different retailer and negotiated a low price on another safe to break into. In the end, I broke into seven safes. The skills needed to accomplish this were no different than the skills I developed in childhood taking my toys apart. Indeed, I started thinking of these devices as cheaply made, massproduced toys for gun owners.

TOBIAS AND BLUZMANIS, who specialize in evaluating security systems, did an analysis of handgun safes in 2012.

Their investigation began with a product called the Strong Box. About 200 of these had been issued to personnel of the Clark County Sheriff ’s Office in Vancouver, Wash., after the 10-year-old daughter of a Clark County deputy was accidently shot and killed by her brother who had managed to get a hold of his father’s department-issued handgun. The Sheriff ’s Office instituted a policy that all department-issued weapons must be secured in gun safes.

Thus the Strong Boxes, which were issued to personnel between 2003 and 2004.

In 2010, however, the three-year-old son of Detective Ed Owens died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the boy’s sister was able to remove a handgun from their father’s department-issued Strong Box.

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TOO EASY

Tobias initially, though the company has since stopped communicating, according to Tobias.

DESIGN PROBLEMS WITH THESE SAFES fell into two main categories. They nearly all had keypads set into rubber or plastic fittings that could be pried or peeled up, exposing holes into the interior of the locking mechanisms.

At the very least, there would be one hole allowing a cable to connect the keypad with the mechanism inside. These holes were easily exploited. Another shared characteristic was that none of the interior components of the locking mechanisms were arranged in ways to thwart probing with wires. If I couldn’t directly access a concealed reset button or a latch release, I could poke a solenoid with a paperclip

GUN OWNERS NEED to understand that there are simple latch boxes being marketed to them as safes, and a series of governmental oversights in the United States have created an environment conducive to marketing these products.

Four of the products I tested for this article are advertised as being approved by California’s Department of Justice (DOJ), meaning they meet California’s DOJ Regulatory Gun Safe Standards. The fact is cited on the manufacturer websites and on the boxes the safes come packaged in.

Some of the websites even sport official-looking seals to draw attention to the California DOJ approval, though California has no official seal to designate this.

To get California DOJ approval for a handgun safe, a manufacturer submits four of a given model to be tested by a certified FSD (firearms safety device) laboratory

Some safes were readily accessed by using a common household item such as a paper clip.

And some safes simply required gentle coaxing while others could be accessed through the selenoid behind the front panel.

or pull out wiring to actuate a locking mechanism from the outside. Finally, all the safes shared the characteristic of cheap construction, such as loose hinges, ill-fitted joints and extraneous holes.

“Manufacturers couldn’t care less,” Tobias says, “nor do they have any expertise in gun-safe design. It is all about money. That obviously trumps the safety and security of the consumer.” In April of 2012, Tobias contacted the vice president of marketing for a notable safe company and offered to go to Chicago and brief the engineering team on the design problems he and his colleague uncovered.

They were uninterested in his input. A spokesman for Walmart was equally uninterested in hearing from Tobias about his concerns regarding the products they sold. Kent Kelsey, the general counsel for Cabela’s, was willing to talk with

that has been vetted by the DOJ. The safe manufacturer must provide the name, model number and description of the device, including the product’s intended use, and a description of how to operate the product safely. It also needs to designate the type, make or model of firearm(s) the device is designed for. The safe must meet California’s gun-safe standards, which is easy to do.

TESTING PROCEDURES ARE outlined in California’s Penal Code, Chapter 6, Section 4095. All tests are intended

THE GUN OWNER MARKET IS RIFE WITH GADGETS, GEAR AND TOY HANDGUN SAFES. to replicate forces exerted through the use of common household tools, like screwdrivers and paperclips, for

americanshootingjournal.com 147

approximately 10 minutes. In addition to describing the conditions under which tests are performed (at temperatures between 16 and 27 degrees Celsius, with a primed case installed in a locked firearm, etc.), the statute describes a long series of tests to be performed on gunlocks.

Only subsection (e) of the statute describes tests for what it calls lock-boxtype devices that can completely contain and enclose a firearm. They’re dropped on a concrete slab from a height of 101 centimeters, or just over 3 feet, with the locking mechanism facing up, and with the locking mechanism facing down.

Following these examinations, the lab submits testing results to California’s DOJ, which performs no additional tests. Upon approval, the device is listed on California’s Roster The California Department of Justice does not have an official emblem for safes they have tested of Approved Firearms Safety Devices. or deemed safe by their standards, so companies create their own versions to give their products The manufacturer is then free to cite a more official appearance. These are some examples. the approval on product packaging complete with official-looking seal.

One problem with this process, which Tobias has of covert entry or mechanical bypass techniques. Another commented on in his writing, is that California’s DOJ glaring problem is that certified FSD laboratories are set up Regulatory Gun Safe Standards do not address methods to test gunlocks, not safes. The tests performed on locks

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are done to specific purpose (for example, manipulating cylinders to determine how resistant they are to picking); the dropping of so-called lock-box-type devices is done to no specific purpose. A device is simply deemed to have failed the dropping test if it is disabled, if the firearm is made functional or if the firearm discharges the primed case during the test.

Obviously, the word disabled could mean anything, including that a lock box is rendered inaccessible by being stuck closed, in which case security is no longer an issue.

Furthermore, a modern centerfire handgun won’t discharge when dropped from a height of over 1 meter, so dropping a lockbox with a centerfire handgun inside tells an examiner nothing. All of which is to say that California’s Penal Code, Chapter 6, Section 4095, is inadequate to address safes, and is outdated by over two decades.

TO COMPLICATE MATTERS for the consumer, manufacturers of portable handgun cases often claim their devices meet Transportation Security Administration airline guidelines. Yet the Firearms and Ammunition guidelines, established by the TSA, makes no mention of covert entry. According to their guidelines, “Locked cases that can be pulled open with little effort cannot be brought aboard the aircraft.” The phrase “pulled open with little effort” is the only language in the guidelines that might be construed to address unauthorized entry, forced or otherwise. Since TSA does not endorse products

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(or services, or entities), responsibility is left to the manufacturers to decide, or to make the claim, that their products are TSA compliant.

California’s DOJ Gun Safe Standards and TSA’s Firearms and Ammunition guidelines are easy enough to satisfy that, for manufacturers of cheap safes, they’ve become inadvertent marketing ploys. That manufacturers of these products know nothing about security doesn’t prevent them from seeking California DOJ approval, or from invoking TSA Firearms and Ammunition guidelines if they think they can get away with it. Who can deny the incentive? The gun owner market is a specialty market rife with gadgets and gear, and toy handgun safes are good money.

One can argue the semantics of what constitutes a “lock box” or a “safe,” but that won’t change the situation.

Toy safes are being foisted on gun owners, people who’ve taken upon themselves the responsibility of owning firearms. Any effort to take that responsibility seriously by securing a gun in a device like the ones I tested would be undermined by the device itself. This means the gun owner who is looking for a small handgun safe has few choices. Fort Knox and V-Line make handgun safes with pushbutton mechanical locks. These are sturdy and have few of the weaknesses I found in other safes, but they could be better, as can anything.

The gun owner market is still waiting for the handgun safe that gun owners deserve. ASJ

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SELECTING THE BEST OPTICS STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM CLAYCOMB III

e can all boast life lessons that have taught us certain principles. For me, the optics lesson happened years ago. Ed Sweet, the host of Kid Outdoors, and I would take a lot of kids bear hunting. I’d write articles about the hunts and he’d film them for his show. On one of our first hunts we saw 10 bears in two afternoons. Only once did I spot the bear before anyone else. That’s because my partners had good glass. I had an average pair of binoculars and have realized over the years that I had been missing a lot of game. I started a quest to learn more.

Unfortunately, the old saying “you get what you pay for” is never so true as it is in the optics world. When you buy a set, get the best that you can afford and you’ll never be sorry. I’ve heard a lot of people cuss bad optics, but I’ve never seen anyone regret buying good ones.

I thought I knew most of the optic companies out there and had tested products for at least half of them, but then I attended my first SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor and Trade) Show years ago. Wow, was I shocked. I bet there were 50 to 75 optic companies on display.

W

If you hunt long-range areas with just a set of binoculars, you might be surprised at what you don’t see. To see elk on far-off ridges you’re going to have to have a spotting scope.

So, who’s the best? What makes one better than another?

They all look clear and crisp in the store, don’t they? So how can you tell which one to buy, and why spend $2,000 on a pair of binoculars when you can buy a pair for $99? Why would you buy a spotting scope instead of just using your binoculars or the scope on your rifle? Well, let’s try to get our sights around these questions.

I teach a lot of glassing for big-game seminars, have been sponsored by a lot of optic companies over the years and I still don’t claim to know it all, but here are some of the things I have learned.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? On an 8x42, the 8 signifies the power or magnification. The second number, 42, is the objective size. You preferably want your objective size to be four times the power. If it is less than four times, it won’t let in enough light for lowlight conditions like dawn or dusk. The problem is, the higher the objective, the heavier the weight. Therein lies our dilemma.

If you’re a sedentary hunter, buy a 10x50, but if you’re hiking all day, buy a 10x42. I used to recommend 8x42. americanshootingjournal.com 155

My thinking was that when you’re huďŹƒng and puďŹƒng up a mountain and throw up anything larger than an 8x, you wouldn’t be stable enough to focus. Years ago, however, I realized how much game I was missing, so I now carry a 10x.

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WHAT AM I DOING? Basically, there are three main options: compact, semicompact and full size. You need to determine your application.

Where I live, we often scramble up and down mountains all day; this is why I carry a semicompact version. A full-sized binocular would be too heavy, and I know that I would never carry them. On the other hand, if you live in Texas and hunt out of a blind, then by all means get the larger set.

Now the tough choice: What brand should you buy? There are several good choices on the market. I’m sponsored by Leica and they have top-notch optics.

Leupold and Bushnell also oer models that meet dierent budgets, and both oer decent

We used a Leupold Gold Ring spotting scope while hunting in the high country.

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binoculars. After a hard day of scrambling up and down it would feel like my neck had been dislocated by all the bouncing around. This is when I discovered Butler Creek elastic straps. They fit like a bra – not that I’ve ever worn a bra – and hold the binoculars against my chest. A lot of people make straps that are similar, but back in the day Butler Creek owned the market.

SPOTTING SCOPES Now let’s cover spotting scopes. Why buy a spotting scope?

Why not just use your binoculars? Because you’ll miss a ton of game. What size should you buy? Because of weight, I choose to carry a 35x, which is sufficient for me here in Idaho. If you’re sheep hunting in Alaska, you may want a 60x. You will need to determine where and how you hunt before making your decision.

HOW TO GLASS When I glass, I do what is known as “zoning” – no, not fall asleep. I’ll climb to the top of a high ridge and set up.

I start viewing towards one end of the mountain and glass across horizontally, then drop down 50 yards and go back.

I will do this until I get to the visual bottom. Try to avoid randomly looking around. Have a system or you’ll miss game and never even know it.

Animals feed in and out of cover, so wait a few minutes and repeat glassing. If you glass an area long enough, you’ll

grow accustomed to odd-shaped rocks and stumps, and notice when something new appears that wasn’t there before. As the sun moves, shadows may cause things to look different throughout the day too.

One good thing about using a spotting scope is if you see something, you can back away from the optic and let your partner look through. How many times have you seen an elk across a mountain and it’s taken five minutes for your buddy to see it too? Problem solved!

Which is best? A straight or a 45-degree angled optic?

Over the years I’ve started favoring an angled neck. To me it’s a little more user friendly and causes less muscle stress throughout the day.

At the end of a hard day of glassing your eyes are going to be strained. You’ll go to bed feeling like you’re seasick or worse, hallucinating. I know everyone is on a budget, but as an old buddy used to say, “On this purchase, don’t leave any change in your pocket.”

MOUNTED SCOPES AND COVERS Let’s move onto scopes. For fast shots you’ll want a 3x to 9x. They use smaller powers so they can pick up game fast.

For hunting out West, you’ll want more magnification for the longer shots you’ll take.

I love the idea of a scope cover because the last time I hunted deer in Nebraska during a blizzard, I found a deer, threw up my rifle, looked through the scope and it was full

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of snow. Needless to say, I missed.

I’ve tested numerous scope covers over the years and every single one has managed to get hung up on a limb and disappeared. This also goes for the covers on my binoculars. Maybe it is just me.

Protecting your optics should be highly important, no matter how you get into the backcountry. Try to make sure your scope or binocs are either encased or in a position where they will not get banged around.

This will help keep your optics focused and true.

COST CONSIDERATIONS Some people will tell you to spend more on the scope than you do your rifle. This is somewhat true, I feel. I have a stainless-steel Remington 700 .338 Winchester Magnum. The scope is a Leupold VXIII 4.5x to 14x, so it’s half again as expensive as the rifle. This must mean that I somewhat agree with this concept.

OPTIC CARE AND CLEANING It goes without saying, baby them! I don’t strap my rifle on my four-wheeler and go bouncing around. I baby my scope and consequently it stays on tight. It is also not a good idea to leave optics in the blistering sun either.

To properly clean them, Hamilton Boykin at Leica told me to hold them upside down, blow off any loose dust

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and then pour water on the lens to rinse off. Then with a soft, wet lens rag, wipe them clean in swooping motions.

Don’t wipe in a circular motion or you will grind in sand particulates. Spitting on the lenses and wiping them off with your dusty shirt tail doesn’t cut it either.

Try a good optic once and you’ll never go back. ASJ

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lights

*Flash

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rately

Sepe

TH E PASSION TO OUT PE RFORM ExtremeBeam Weapon Mounts MSRP: $39.95 • Available in a Straight Mount or 45˚ Off-Set Mount • Fits Any Picatinny or Weaver Rail • Standard 1” Size • Easy Mount

Contact Us: 877-579-7878 info@extremebeam.com • www.ExtremeBeam.com 162

American Shooting Journal // September 2015

Product FEATURE FENIX TK16 TAC LIGHT HT www.fenix-store.com om The new 1,000-lumen lumen Fenix TK16 sets the new standard rd for a tactical flashlight. The tical tail switch offers simple onedual-tactical fingerr operation and instant access to strobe and d momentary-on functions. See ad page 162.

TACTICAL LIGHTING SOLUTIONS www.lazerbrite.com The LazerBrite is unlike any other light on the market, and is the first of its kind in a modular, multifunction light system. Complete with an LED flashlight for signaling and marking, it also works great as a lantern with its glowsticklike function. The LazerBrite comes in six colors, as well as infrared, and is trusted by the US military. It’s patented and made in the USA. See ad page 162.

EXTREMEBEAM TAC24 SERIES www.extremebeam.com w.extremebeam.com The TAC24 AC24 SWAT features a 235-lumen LE LED et in a si bulb that projects up to 1,300 feet single ty mode. Machined ined from om solid s high-intensity bar.50-c 0-caliberr BMG B rat stock aluminum, it is .50-caliber rated, b bod allow for easy weapon we and its 1-inch-wide body allows ble is the three-mode mounting. Also available (high, low and hyperflash) TAC24 SR3.

See ad page 70 & 162.

MF TACTICAL PRO TANGO U2 EX www.monsterflashlight.com

DELTA BRAVO RAVO EAGLE TAC G25C2 www.deltabravotactical.com ravotactical.com

The Pro Tango U2 EX is a high-end tactical LED flashlight with an 1,100-lumen Cree U2 LED with up to 12 hours of run time. Lightweight, 9 inches long, constructed of militarygrade anodized aircraft aluminum and watertight, it’s the perfect everyday-carry flashlight. Extra options include p rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, AC/DC charger, holster, color filters, gun mount and remote switch. ASJ readers, use promo code ASJ2015SIX for a 6 percent discount.

See ad page 162..

The newly updated dated EagleTac G25C2 MKII XM XM-L U2 is mens and is powered by y rated at 1,030 lumens your choice of two, three or four CR123A batteries or one to two 18650 Li-ion batteries. The extenders allo allow for this freedom.

With an illumination distance of 310 yards, this weaponmountable light is excellent for varmint hunting! l

See ad page 51. americanshootingjournal.com 163

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Product FEATURE

NEW COMPANY, GREAT ETHICS hortly after getting married, my wife Crystal and I sat around our dining room table in our perfectly normal house eating a perfectly normal dinner. It was just another day in our normal lives. As we sat there, we discussed what we really wanted out of life and what we wanted to do with it. Sure, I could pursue a career in pharmacy or management, as I had experience in both, and we could have probably had a vacation or two a year, maybe retire a little early, and that would be that. Great, right?

Eh … no. We kept thinking that there just has to be more to life than that – where’s the purpose?

We wondered about how many companies there were in the United States and what they do with their income; we thought about the companies we worked for. We both worked every day and the only thing that changed was the CEO’s bank account. The employees seemed to have no purpose or drive, and every day was filled with fellow employees saying the same thing: “There just has to be more.”

That’s when we started dreaming.

What if we built a company that was specifically dedicated to changing the way business was done? Over the next three years we plotted and planned, and decided that we wanted to build a company where the employees would leave work every day knowing they made a difference in someone’s life, where they would feel they had purpose and meaning. We wanted a company that would hopefully change the way standard businesses operate.

We combined Crystal’s love of the outdoors with my love of everything shooting, and built an all-inclusive

S

DeBusk Arms started in 2014 and offers over 46,000 items for shooting, tactical and outdoor enthusiasts. They are also a registered FFL. (DAVID DEBUSK)

product website where outdoorsmen and -women could find great firearms, gear and accessories in one place – but there was a catch! We would only partner with vendors who passed our stringent list of ethical and supportive requirements. These companies not only had to be either efficient nonprofit organizations and/or dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our veterans across the country.

We even researched the money trail to make sure these vendors were ethical and true to their word. We simply wanted to be sure that we were working with people who had the same values.

DeBusk Arms launched in October 2014 and is a fully registered FFL dealer. Our selection spans more than 46,000 items you need for your favorite shooting, tactical or outdoor activities. No matter what you find, you are supporting our nation’s heroes.

David and Crystal DeBusk own and operate Debusk Arms, a company dedicated to partnering with only the most ethical products and manufacturers who generously supports veterans.

We are still a small company, and we love to show our appreciation for the people who put their lives on the line every day so we can keep the freedoms we hold so dear. Most companies occassionally hold a special event to support our soldiers, but we do this all year long. Take a minute to visit us at debuskarms.com and you will become a customer for life. americanshootingjournal.com 165

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