http://www.huntingnut.com/ HuntingNut en-us Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:29:30 GMT 1440 CPG-Nuke Dragonfly HuntingNut News http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html http://www.huntingnut.com/images/logo.gif http://www.huntingnut.com/ http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=76 Two that got way, one due to their diligence one due to nerves. We were hunting caribou in Alaska southwest of Bethel. The river road was very bust that morning with shoppers and hunters all traveling before the sun was above the horizon. Because of our geographic position on the planet the sun comes up more in the north than the east. Traveling down river heading south the sun came up over my right shoulder. About 40 miles outside of town we saw one caribou about 1000 yards out. Caribou usually travel in groups. Not wanting to drop the dime as it were we waited until the other hunters kept moving. ( knowing there had to be other caribou there ) We waited and waited but only one caribou was to be seen. Planning our stalk the wind was in our favor. We traveled about a mile ahead and layed in wait for the "unsuspecting" prey to walk in to my sights. Plan A did not work. Plan B was to approach using the frozen sloughs, and staying out of sight. It was during this phase we notices all the wolf tracks. A lone caribou on the tundra with all there wolf tracks he had to be one very cautious critter. Either by sent or motion the jig was up. Time for plan C. Get back to the snow-go travel to the east a long way and loop around behind him. 10 miles and we started to head back north. Just off a big lake we stop to glass for caribou and see something small coming across the ice behind us. I'm thinking what is following us. Way to small to be a bear? Forgetting all about the caribou we watch and wait. The lopping gait is not familiar it doesn't move left or right just straight ahead coming toward us. The wind is out of the east, and beasty is coming from the south. At what must be 100 yards we recognize what it is a real live wolverine. Following us ! I didn't want to shoot it. I suppose I could have I just didn't want to. So it comes closer. Finally we let it know where we were by moving. Nothing, no reaction what so ever! The wolverine changed direction somewhat but gave no indication it cared or was concerned we were there. After passing us we watched with amazement as it went into a willow thicket. Being curious we followed up until the snow got to knee level. Wolverine tracks were everywhere. Mr. or Mrs. wolverine had themselves a den in that mess. So there it was in one day, two critters no shooting. One so scared it was darn near paranoid, the other so darn confident it lead us to it's home. The yupiks said the wolverine was following us looking for a gut pile. Knowing we were "gusicks" it had no fear of us. It got me to thinking who was hunting who? Longwalker Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:29:30 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=75 If this buck was 420 yards away, could you take this shot with confidence? This article describes how a hunter can use a duplex reticle and a variable power scope to compensate for bullet trajectory at longer ranges, or commonly referred to as bullet drop compensation (BDC). I was motivated to start this project when I began looking for a scope that provided BDC capability to mount on my newly acquired .270 Winchester. I looked at scopes from Burris, Cabella’s, Leupold, Nikon, and multiple scopes with Mil-Dot Reticles (see Article: Scopes with BDC Reticles for Centerfire Rifles). In the process of finding a new scope, I came to the realization that the variable power scopes with duplex reticles on my existing rifles were, in fact, precision measuring instruments that could be used for BDC to extend the range at which I can accurately shoot and even provide a range estimation. By using the space from the tip of thicker reticle post to the center crosshairs at different power settings, a hunter can provide BDC at longer ranges. Example, if the duplex reticle on your 3-9x scope measures 4 inches from the tip of the lower post to the crosshairs on 9x power at 100 yards, then it provides 16 inches of drop compensation at 400 yards. On 8x, it would compensate for 18 inches and on 7x, 20.6 inches, at that same distance. The illustration below should help you visualize the use of a duplex reticle in this manner. Depending on the caliber and bullet you are hunting with, you should be able to adjust your scope’s magnification to compensate precisely for your bullet drop at a known range. In my case, I have a Simmons 4-12x MAG 44 on a .243 and a Leupold VX-II 3-9x on a .308, both zero’d in at 200 yards, resulting in a bullet drop at 400 yards of 26.1” and 21.7”, respectively. The advantage of using your existing variable scope with duplex reticle is you can extend the effective range and achieve longer range accuracy with your current set-up without having to purchase a scope with BDC capability. The main disadvantage of using a duplex reticle for BDC is that, the longer the range to your intended target, the lower the magnification setting you will have to use to achieve the correct BDC. As an example, the bullet drop of my .308 at 500 yards is 44.5”. This would require a power setting of 4x to achieve the correct BDC, negating the benefit of having higher magnification at longer distance, albeit, you are still as good as a low-power, fixed magnification scope and better off than iron sights. Still, I thought this method of BDC was worth investigating so I headed to the range with my .243 and .308 to see how my variable power scopes stacked up to a Bushnell 6500 2.5-16x with a Mil-Dot Reticle that now sits atop my .270 Win. Why did I choose a Mil-Dot vs Burris’s B-PlexTM, Cabella’s Rangefinder, Nikon’s BDC Reticle, or Leupold’s Boone & CrockettTM? As much as I researched what I thought the best BDC reticle was for my application, it turned out that the scope’s overall characteristics were more important to me. I wanted a low power of 3x or less to not restrict my field-of-view at closer ranges because I sometimes hunt in brush. With my aging eyes, I needed a magnification of 12x or greater to effectively see if a deer has spike antlers, count points, and estimate antler size, even at 100-150 yards as my state has antler size restrictions in some counties, as well as special antlerless deer and spike buck seasons. Eye relief was also important to me. Thus, I decided what scope I wanted first then accepted the BDC reticle that was available for it. I thought I could learn to shoot with any of the BDC reticles offered by the various manufactures. All BDC reticles require some amount of shooter compensation because when you hunt, the game doesn’t stop at hundred yard increments. Also, a BDC reticle may not perfectly match the trajectory of your rifle thus “tuning” is required either by adjusting the magnification, hold-over, or using non-standard ranges for each BDC tic. Example, with flat-based bullets, the shooter may have to adjust their scope to 7¼ power to get the BDC reticle to be on at 300 yards. With boat-tail bullets in the same caliber, the scope may have to be set on 8½ magnification. In both cases, the BDC reticle will be on at 100 and 300 yards but could be off as much as 4 or more inches at the other marks. Or the shooter can use the scope’s high power and determine that tics represent 285 yards, 375 yards, etc. for their rifle. There is no substitute for practice! It doesn’t matter what scope or rifle you have, if you take away anything from this article, let it be there is no substitute for practice if you plan on shooting outside of 100 to 200 yards, BCD reticle or not. Every aspect of your shooting becomes more critical as the range to your target increases. You should also consider using boat-tail bullets when shooting at longer ranges. They are less affected by the wind and have the advantage of flatter trajectory, higher velocity, and more kinetic energy on impact. Even though most of the discussion in this article will focus on using a duplex reticle for bullet drop compensation, you may find some of this information useful if your scope has a BDC reticle because shooter adjustments or compensations are still required to “tune” your BDC scope for your rifle’s performance. If you want to skip the details for now and jump to how effectively a Duplex Reticle can be used at longer ranges, skip ahead to the picture of the deer target with three rifles. This is where the conclusion section starts and includes a hunting strategy on how to keep things simple. Then, if your interest remains, come back and read the rest of this article to understand the details and how to prepare your rifle and scope combination for longer range hunting. Details are important when shooting long range. Otherwise, read on. Below are the steps I took to prepare for hunting and shooting large game at longer ranges with my rifles. ? Used a 100-yard range and a target with 1-inch squares to measure the distance from the crosshairs down to the tip of the thick post at the highest power. I then verified these measurements at longer known ranges to ensure accuracy. An alternate way that may work better for you is to secure your gun or scope (by its ring mount) in a vice, set the scope at its highest power, and view a reference/aim point and then count the clicks it takes to move the tip of the lower post up to the reference/aim point the crosshairs were set on. If the number of clicks is not consistent each time you check it, adjust the scope to half of the full power setting, e.g., 4.5x on a 9x sope, and count the clicks again. The count should be double what it was at max power. I usually reference an object that is about 100 yards away to eliminate parallax errors but you don’t have to know the exact range. Just move your eye around and if the crosshairs stay on your reference point you have minimized the possibility of a measurement error due to parallax. If the crosshairs move off the point of reference when your eye moves, select a different reference point farther away until the crosshairs don’t move relative to your reference point. This is the beauty of this method – you are really measuring minute of angle (MOA) so knowing the range to the reference point is not important. You then need to determine the value of your scope’s click, usually 0.25 inches or 0.5 inches at 100 yards. If you have a Burris scope, this information is listed on their website. Burris Scope Specs ? Determined the accuracy, or group size, for each of my rifles at 100 yards. When a rifle can shoot 2-inch groups at 100 yards, that’s adequate for most hunting situations. However, 2-inches at 100 yards can turn into 6 inches of bullet spread at 300 yards and 8 inches at 400 before you even account for other error contributors. My rifles typically shoots 3-shot groups an inch or less when I make sure their barrels are not copper fouled. Only my new Tikka .270 Win can shoot this accurately with factory ammunition. The .243 and .308 benefit from hand-loaded ammo customized for each rifle. Having enough accuracy to ensure a clean kill at longer ranges is critical. Thus, being able to shot groups an inch or under at 100 yards, which is the equivalent of 1 minute of angle (MOA) or better, is my go/no-go criteria for shooting at ranges beyond 300 yards. One MOA equals 1” at 100 yards, 2” at 200 yards, 3” at 300, 4” at 400, etc. ? Next, I set-up ballistic tables for each of my rifles. You can purchase ballistic software or use one of the many ballistic programs available on the web. HuntingNut’s Point Blank allows you to load an application and keep it on your computer. A simple and easy web-based ballistic program is available at http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx. To use these ballistic applications you need to know your bullet’s muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient (BC). You can find the BCs for your bullet at the manufacture’s website (see below). I didn’t have access to a chronograph to determine velocity so I sighted my rifles in at 100 yards then shot groups at 250 yards or greater without holdover and measured the bullet drop. I then varied the velocity in the ballistic program until I achieve the amount of bullet drop measured at the yardage I shot. The bullet drop for the .243 at 250 yards averaged 8.6 inches equating to a muzzle velocity of 2650 feet per second (fps). The .308 drop averaged 7.0 inches equating to 2960 fps, and the .270 dropped 4.1 inches equating to 3450 fps. If you have factory ammo and are unsure of the BC of your bullets, you can derive BC with the following technique. Input the manufacturer’s advertised velocity at the muzzle into the ballistic calculator, then vary the BC until the velocity at a longer range matches, i.e., 500 yards. You can then use this derived BC to determine your rifle’s performance with your specific muzzle velocity. Every rifle will shoot a bullet at a velocity different than the advertised factory velocity. At longer ranges, this difference is important if you want to be accurate. Bullet Manufacturers: Barnes, Berger, Lapua, Nosler, Speer, Sierra Factory Data (must derive BC): Federal, Remington (no data available), Winchester ? Using the duplex reticle measurements and ballistic tables created specific for each rifle, I generated reference cards detailing range, hold-over, scope magnification for BDC, and windage. You can download a zip’d Excel spreadsheet at the post below that will allow you to create a ballistic reference card for your specific rifle including ranging estimates based on using your scope’s duplex reticle and power setting by filling the post-to-crosshairs with the big game’s chest. I have a few examples on different tabs including one for .30-30. A method to extend your hunting range with a duplex reticle Reference data used during this project for Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) and windage. ? You also have to know the distance to your target or the big game you are about to shoot at. On the rifle range, range to target is easy and pre-determined. In a hunting situation, this might not be so easy. During scouting, you can use a GPS unit to determine range to know objects from where you plan to shoot. A hunter can also use a laser range finder which is likely to be the most accurate and quickest method. If none of these are available to you, range estimating can be accomplished with Cabela’s and Leupold BDC reticles, a Mil-Dot reticle, or your duplex reticle. Most range estimation for deer size targets assumes a chest depth of 18 inches (bottom of the chest to the top of the back). Deer in warmer Southern states usually don’t grow this big and can have a chest height as small as 12 inches. We already have discussed that a 3-9x scope with 4 inches between the crosshairs and the tip of the duplex post at 100 yards will measure 18 inches at 400 yards on 8x. For a large size deer that makes the range estimate 400 yards. BTW, the Simmons 4-12x measured 3.5 inches from the post to crosshairs at 100 yards and can provide a range estimate on a deer with an 18-inch chest depth out to 520 yards. You can see there is the potential for range estimating errors if the assumed chest depth is incorrect. Thus, the advantages of a reliable laser range finder. A shooter can appreciate the importance of accurate ranging if one looks at the shot window at different ranges, i.e., how far your range estimate can be in error and still hit your intended target close to your point of aim. Allowing for up to 4 inches of bullet impact error assuming an 8-inch kill zone, the shot window for my .308 is ±30 yards at 350 yards (target must be between 320 to 380 yards to hit close to where you aim), ±25 yards at 400, ±15 yards at 500, and ±10 yards at 600 yards. ? Finally, I sighted in my rifles for 100 yards and practiced BDC at 300 yards using the tip of the lower post of the duplex reticle. It worked well with 3-shot group sizes varying from 2 to 2¾ inches (less than 1 MOA). I couldn’t have done any better with the crosshairs. With this preparation accomplished, I was ready to start shooting at longer range. Finding a range facility to shoot beyond 300 yards took a full Internet search and many phone calls. I did find a few within a 2-hr drive, all of which required memberships. So I joined a range, planned a day off from work, and fired 3-shot groups at 420 and 550 yards from a bench using sand bags at a full-size target of a deer (Southern size). Here is what I learned and my results. 1. You really can dial a scope in to 6½ power or even 6¾. If you adjust your magnification this precisely, you will get more precise hits. 2. The deer target didn’t give a precise aim point like a typical paper target and I found that I was unsure if I was picking the same aim point on the 2nd and 3rd shots particularly because I was trying to offset for the wind. This along with gusting wind conditions made groups a bit wider than I expected. 3. There wasn’t enough magnification for me to feel comfortable shooting at 550 yards, at least not without addition practice. With my .308, I had to use 3¼x at 550 yards. Based on this experience, I feel 450 yards using at least 5x magnification is my long-range comfort level using BDC with a duplex reticle. 4. My .243 load was reduced to lower recoil for my young son to shoot. It didn’t have a trajectory flat enough for the 4-12x Simmons to compensate for bullet drop beyond 500 yards. Nor does it have the kinetic energy to effectively harvest a deer much beyond 300 yards depending on the size of the animal. Just because you can place shots on paper accurately at longer distances doesn’t mean your rifle has the kinetic energy for a clean kill at those ranges. Longer range shots are not as precise as those closer in making kinetic energy that much more important. Recommendations vary, but once your bullet drops below 900 to 1000 ft/lbs of energy, the deer you plan to harvest should be on the small size. 5. The longer the range, the more wind becomes a factor. Gravity is a constant and you can consistently compensate for bullet drop. Wind, however, is variable and can quickly become the single most critical factor in making an effective shot at long range. Wind compensation is a developed skill that only comes with practice. A 5 mph crosswind component, affects the .308 bullet a ½ inch at 100 yards and around 1½ inches at 200. This starts to grow significantly at 300 yards where wind drift for a 5 mph crosswind component is over 4 inches. At 420 yards its 8½ inches, and at 550 yards its 16 inches. A 5 mph breeze isn’t much and some people wouldn’t notice. These numbers double if it’s a 10 mph crosswind. The wind on range day was 20 mph from behind with gusts. You can tell from the first shots I did with the .308 that I didn’t correctly estimate the 6 mph crosswind component in that tail wind. Once I knew that, the .243 and .270 shots were on target at that range. A tip for making sight corrections, I only make scope azimuth (L-R) adjustments at 100 yards or less because of how much affect even a light wind has on bullet placement at longer ranges. Elevation adjustments can be made in windy conditions as wind has little affect on bullet drop. Rifles used in this BDC project were a .243 w/ Simmons 4-12x, .308 w/ Leupold 3-9x, and .270 w/ Bushnell 2.5-16x Mil-Dot, left to right. Target was at 420 yards. The .308 grouping was shot first with insufficient wind compensation. Wind becomes a predominate factor at longer ranges. Conclusions: Using the tip of the duplex reticle’s thicker lower post and changing scope power for BDC provided accurate shot placement at longer ranges. At 550 yards, the magnification had to be reduced below what I felt comfortable for aim point placement. The 4-12x did not have an advantage over the 3-9x with respect to using a duplex reticle for BDC. Using the .308 as an example, both scopes will start providing precise BDC around 350 yards and run out of compensation after 550 yards, providing a 200-yard window for BDC compensation. For shots between 200 and 350 yards or the distance from your zero-range to where your scope’s full power setting intersects your bullet’s trajectory, the shooter must hold over. However, because we now know the measurement of the gap between the crosshairs and lower post, our holdover can be more precise. In a hunting situation when I had the time to adjust magnification, I would use this method for BDC with a duplex reticle. If time was of the essence, however, I would keep things simple and use a constant magnification setting that provided 18 inches of compensation at a range near what I considered my maximum. This would allow me to make a quick range estimate to ensure the big game was within my maximum range criteria, then hold over for a shot as appropriate for the range. For my .243, I would choose 300 yards as my maximum effective range and set my scope on 7x. With my .308, I would use 400 yards as max effective range with the scope set on 8x, then use a ¼ down from the crosshairs for holdover at 250 yards, 2/3 for 300, ¾ for 325, the post for 350 to 375, and hold 4” high at 400. Essentially, I have established two zero ranges for my .308, e.g., the crosshairs are set for 200 yards and the tip of the post for 375 yards at 8x magnification, an 18-inch trajectory drop. If you consider this strategy a bit closer, this set-up compliments BCD hold-over and is quite elegant. With my .308 set on 8x, if the chest of the deer reaches from the tip of the lower post to the tip of the top post, the target is 200 yards away, the zero-range I’m using for my .308. Thus the tip of the top post to the crosshairs is a range estimation scale from 200 to 400 yards. If you divide this top section into thirds, you have your range estimate without touching your magnification ring, e.g., 1/3 down from the top tip is 250 yards, 2/3 down is 300 yards, and half-way from there to the crosshairs is 350 yards (see the pictures below). If the deer’s chest doesn’t reach the crosshairs then the deer is beyond my maximum effective range. These are numbers I can remember without looking at a reference card and will accurately extend the precision shooting range of my current rifles. Back to the opening question, do I have the confidence to take a shot at 420 yards? It depends. As good as these shots may look, my first shot, the one that counts, would not have been accurate enough at 420 yards for a clean kill because I did not compensate correctly for the wind. At 550 yards, none of my shots hit the chest area because of addition wind compensation errors caused by changing winds and the fact that wind error doubles from 420 to 550 yards. Next time you read an article about a hunter that made a clean kill out to 400-plus yards, you better believe that hunter had practiced enough to become one with their rifle and one with the environment if there was any wind. My next purchase will most likely be a laser range finder and a wind meter or some tal***** powder to help gauge the wind. Then I need plenty of practice before I become a precision long range shooter and have confidence in my abilities to hunt big game at extended ranges. There is no substitute for practice! Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:42:59 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=74 If this buck was 420 yards away, could you take this shot with confidence? This article describes how a hunter can use a duplex reticle and a variable power scope to compensate for bullet trajectory at longer ranges, or commonly referred to as bullet drop compensation (BDC). I was motivated to start this project when I began looking for a scope that provided BDC capability to mount on my newly acquired .270 Winchester. I looked at scopes from Burris, Cabella’s, Leupold, Nikon, and multiple scopes with Mil-Dot Reticles (see Article: Scopes with BDC Reticles for Centerfire Rifles). In the process of finding a new scope, I came to the realization that the variable power scopes with duplex reticles on my existing rifles were, in fact, precision measuring instruments that could be used for BDC to extend the range at which I can accurately shoot and even provide a range estimation. By using the space from the tip of thicker reticle post to the center crosshairs at different power settings, a hunter can provide BDC at longer ranges. Example, if the duplex reticle on your 3-9x scope measures 4 inches from the tip of the lower post to the crosshairs on 9x power at 100 yards, then it provides 16 inches of drop compensation at 400 yards. On 8x, it would compensate for 18 inches and on 7x, 20.6 inches, at that same distance. The illustration below should help you visualize the use of a duplex reticle in this manner. Depending on the caliber and bullet you are hunting with, you should be able to adjust your scope’s magnification to compensate precisely for your bullet drop at a known range. In my case, I have a Simmons 4-12x MAG 44 on a .243 and a Leupold VX-II 3-9x on a .308, both zero’d in at 200 yards, resulting in a bullet drop at 400 yards of 26.1” and 21.7”, respectively. The advantage of using your existing variable scope with duplex reticle is you can extend the effective range and achieve longer range accuracy with your current set-up without having to purchase a scope with BDC capability. The main disadvantage of using a duplex reticle for BDC is that, the longer the range to your intended target, the lower the magnification setting you will have to use to achieve the correct BDC. As an example, the bullet drop of my .308 at 500 yards is 44.5”. This would require a power setting of 4x to achieve the correct BDC, negating the benefit of having higher magnification at longer distance, albeit, you are still as good as a low-power, fixed magnification scope and better off than iron sights. Still, I thought this method of BDC was worth investigating so I headed to the range with my .243 and .308 to see how my variable power scopes stacked up to a Bushnell 6500 2.5-16x with a Mil-Dot Reticle that now sits atop my .270 Win. Why did I choose a Mil-Dot vs Burris’s B-PlexTM, Cabella’s Rangefinder, Nikon’s BDC Reticle, or Leupold’s Boone & CrockettTM? As much as I researched what I thought the best BDC reticle was for my application, it turned out that the scope’s overall characteristics were more important to me. I wanted a low power of 3x or less to not restrict my field-of-view at closer ranges because I sometimes hunt in brush. With my aging eyes, I needed a magnification of 12x or greater to effectively see if a deer has spike antlers, count points, and estimate antler size, even at 100-150 yards as my state has antler size restrictions in some counties, as well as special antlerless deer and spike buck seasons. Eye relief was also important to me. Thus, I decided what scope I wanted first then accepted the BDC reticle that was available for it. I thought I could learn to shoot with any of the BDC reticles offered by the various manufactures. All BDC reticles require some amount of shooter compensation because when you hunt, the game doesn’t stop at hundred yard increments. Also, a BDC reticle may not perfectly match the trajectory of your rifle thus “tuning” is required either by adjusting the magnification, hold-over, or using non-standard ranges for each BDC tic. Example, with flat-based bullets, the shooter may have to adjust their scope to 7¼ power to get the BDC reticle to be on at 300 yards. With boat-tail bullets in the same caliber, the scope may have to be set on 8½ magnification. In both cases, the BDC reticle will be on at 100 and 300 yards but could be off as much as 4 or more inches at the other marks. Or the shooter can use the scope’s high power and determine that tics represent 285 yards, 375 yards, etc. for their rifle. There is no substitute for practice! It doesn’t matter what scope or rifle you have, if you take away anything from this article, let it be there is no substitute for practice if you plan on shooting outside of 100 to 200 yards, BCD reticle or not. Every aspect of your shooting becomes more critical as the range to your target increases. You should also consider using boat-tail bullets when shooting at longer ranges. They are less affected by the wind and have the advantage of flatter trajectory, higher velocity, and more kinetic energy on impact. Even though most of the discussion in this article will focus on using a duplex reticle for bullet drop compensation, you may find some of this information useful if your scope has a BDC reticle because shooter adjustments or compensations are still required to “tune” your BDC scope for your rifle’s performance. If you want to skip the details for now and jump to how effectively a Duplex Reticle can be used at longer ranges, skip ahead to the picture of the deer target with three rifles. This is where the conclusion section starts and includes a hunting strategy on how to keep things simple. Then, if your interest remains, come back and read the rest of this article to understand the details and how to prepare your rifle and scope combination for longer range hunting. Details are important when shooting long range. Otherwise, read on. Below are the steps I took to prepare for hunting and shooting large game at longer ranges with my rifles. ? Used a 100-yard range and a target with 1-inch squares to measure the distance from the crosshairs down to the tip of the thick post at the highest power. I then verified these measurements at longer known ranges to ensure accuracy. An alternate way that may work better for you is to secure your gun or scope (by its ring mount) in a vice, set the scope at its highest power, and view a reference/aim point and then count the clicks it takes to move the tip of the lower post up to the reference/aim point the crosshairs were set on. If the number of clicks is not consistent each time you check it, adjust the scope to half of the full power setting, e.g., 4.5x on a 9x sope, and count the clicks again. The count should be double what it was at max power. I usually reference an object that is about 100 yards away to eliminate parallax errors but you don’t have to know the exact range. Just move your eye around and if the crosshairs stay on your reference point you have minimized the possibility of a measurement error due to parallax. If the crosshairs move off the point of reference when your eye moves, select a different reference point farther away until the crosshairs don’t move relative to your reference point. This is the beauty of this method – you are really measuring minute of angle (MOA) so knowing the range to the reference point is not important. You then need to determine the value of your scope’s click, usually 0.25 inches or 0.5 inches at 100 yards. If you have a Burris scope, this information is listed on their website. Burris Scope Specs ? Determined the accuracy, or group size, for each of my rifles at 100 yards. When a rifle can shoot 2-inch groups at 100 yards, that’s adequate for most hunting situations. However, 2-inches at 100 yards can turn into 6 inches of bullet spread at 300 yards and 8 inches at 400 before you even account for other error contributors. My rifles typically shoots 3-shot groups an inch or less when I make sure their barrels are not copper fouled. Only my new Tikka .270 Win can shoot this accurately with factory ammunition. The .243 and .308 benefit from hand-loaded ammo customized for each rifle. Having enough accuracy to ensure a clean kill at longer ranges is critical. Thus, being able to shot groups an inch or under at 100 yards, which is the equivalent of 1 minute of angle (MOA) or better, is my go/no-go criteria for shooting at ranges beyond 300 yards. One MOA equals 1” at 100 yards, 2” at 200 yards, 3” at 300, 4” at 400, etc. ? Next, I set-up ballistic tables for each of my rifles. You can purchase ballistic software or use one of the many ballistic programs available on the web. HuntingNut’s Point Blank allows you to load an application and keep it on your computer. A simple and easy web-based ballistic program is available at http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx. To use these ballistic applications you need to know your bullet’s muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient (BC). You can find the BCs for your bullet at the manufacture’s website (see below). I didn’t have access to a chronograph to determine velocity so I sighted my rifles in at 100 yards then shot groups at 250 yards or greater without holdover and measured the bullet drop. I then varied the velocity in the ballistic program until I achieve the amount of bullet drop measured at the yardage I shot. The bullet drop for the .243 at 250 yards averaged 8.6 inches equating to a muzzle velocity of 2650 feet per second (fps). The .308 drop averaged 7.0 inches equating to 2960 fps, and the .270 dropped 4.1 inches equating to 3450 fps. If you have factory ammo and are unsure of the BC of your bullets, you can derive BC with the following technique. Input the manufacturer’s advertised velocity at the muzzle into the ballistic calculator, then vary the BC until the velocity at a longer range matches, i.e., 500 yards. You can then use this derived BC to determine your rifle’s performance with your specific muzzle velocity. Every rifle will shoot a bullet at a velocity different than the advertised factory velocity. At longer ranges, this difference is important if you want to be accurate. Bullet Manufacturers: Barnes, Berger, Lapua, Nosler, Speer, Sierra Factory Data (must derive BC): Federal, Remington (no data available), Winchester ? Using the duplex reticle measurements and ballistic tables created specific for each rifle, I generated reference cards detailing range, hold-over, scope magnification for BDC, and windage. You can download a zip’d Excel spreadsheet at the post below that will allow you to create a ballistic reference card for your specific rifle including ranging estimates based on using your scope’s duplex reticle and power setting by filling the post-to-crosshairs with the big game’s chest. I have a few examples on different tabs including one for .30-30. A method to extend your hunting range with a duplex reticle Reference data used during this project for Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) and windage. ? You also have to know the distance to your target or the big game you are about to shoot at. On the rifle range, range to target is easy and pre-determined. In a hunting situation, this might not be so easy. During scouting, you can use a GPS unit to determine range to know objects from where you plan to shoot. A hunter can also use a laser range finder which is likely to be the most accurate and quickest method. If none of these are available to you, range estimating can be accomplished with Cabela’s and Leupold BDC reticles, a Mil-Dot reticle, or your duplex reticle. Most range estimation for deer size targets assumes a chest depth of 18 inches (bottom of the chest to the top of the back). Deer in warmer Southern states usually don’t grow this big and can have a chest height as small as 12 inches. We already have discussed that a 3-9x scope with 4 inches between the crosshairs and the tip of the duplex post at 100 yards will measure 18 inches at 400 yards on 8x. For a large size deer that makes the range estimate 400 yards. BTW, the Simmons 4-12x measured 3.5 inches from the post to crosshairs at 100 yards and can provide a range estimate on a deer with an 18-inch chest depth out to 520 yards. You can see there is the potential for range estimating errors if the assumed chest depth is incorrect. Thus, the advantages of a reliable laser range finder. A shooter can appreciate the importance of accurate ranging if one looks at the shot window at different ranges, i.e., how far your range estimate can be in error and still hit your intended target close to your point of aim. Allowing for up to 4 inches of bullet impact error assuming an 8-inch kill zone, the shot window for my .308 is ±30 yards at 350 yards (target must be between 320 to 380 yards to hit close to where you aim), ±25 yards at 400, ±15 yards at 500, and ±10 yards at 600 yards. ? Finally, I sighted in my rifles for 100 yards and practiced BDC at 300 yards using the tip of the lower post of the duplex reticle. It worked well with 3-shot group sizes varying from 2 to 2¾ inches (less than 1 MOA). I couldn’t have done any better with the crosshairs. With this preparation accomplished, I was ready to start shooting at longer range. Finding a range facility to shoot beyond 300 yards took a full Internet search and many phone calls. I did find a few within a 2-hr drive, all of which required memberships. So I joined a range, planned a day off from work, and fired 3-shot groups at 420 and 550 yards from a bench using sand bags at a full-size target of a deer (Southern size). Here is what I learned and my results. 1. You really can dial a scope in to 6½ power or even 6¾. If you adjust your magnification this precisely, you will get more precise hits. 2. The deer target didn’t give a precise aim point like a typical paper target and I found that I was unsure if I was picking the same aim point on the 2nd and 3rd shots particularly because I was trying to offset for the wind. This along with gusting wind conditions made groups a bit wider than I expected. 3. There wasn’t enough magnification for me to feel comfortable shooting at 550 yards, at least not without addition practice. With my .308, I had to use 3¼x at 550 yards. Based on this experience, I feel 450 yards using at least 5x magnification is my long-range comfort level using BDC with a duplex reticle. 4. My .243 load was reduced to lower recoil for my young son to shoot. It didn’t have a trajectory flat enough for the 4-12x Simmons to compensate for bullet drop beyond 500 yards. Nor does it have the kinetic energy to effectively harvest a deer much beyond 300 yards depending on the size of the animal. Just because you can place shots on paper accurately at longer distances doesn’t mean your rifle has the kinetic energy for a clean kill at those ranges. Longer range shots are not as precise as those closer in making kinetic energy that much more important. Recommendations vary, but once your bullet drops below 900 to 1000 ft/lbs of energy, the deer you plan to harvest should be on the small size. 5. The longer the range, the more wind becomes a factor. Gravity is a constant and you can consistently compensate for bullet drop. Wind, however, is variable and can quickly become the single most critical factor in making an effective shot at long range. Wind compensation is a developed skill that only comes with practice. A 5 mph crosswind component, affects the .308 bullet a ½ inch at 100 yards and around 1½ inches at 200. This starts to grow significantly at 300 yards where wind drift for a 5 mph crosswind component is over 4 inches. At 420 yards its 8½ inches, and at 550 yards its 16 inches. A 5 mph breeze isn’t much and some people wouldn’t notice. These numbers double if it’s a 10 mph crosswind. The wind on range day was 20 mph from behind with gusts. You can tell from the first shots I did with the .308 that I didn’t correctly estimate the 6 mph crosswind component in that tail wind. Once I knew that, the .243 and .270 shots were on target at that range. A tip for making sight corrections, I only make scope azimuth (L-R) adjustments at 100 yards or less because of how much affect even a light wind has on bullet placement at longer ranges. Elevation adjustments can be made in windy conditions as wind has little affect on bullet drop. Rifles used in this BDC project were a .243 w/ Simmons 4-12x, .308 w/ Leupold 3-9x, and .270 w/ Bushnell 2.5-16x Mil-Dot, left to right. Target was at 420 yards. The .308 grouping was shot first with insufficient wind compensation. Wind becomes a predominate factor at longer ranges. Conclusions: Using the tip of the duplex reticle’s thicker lower post and changing scope power for BDC provided accurate shot placement at longer ranges. At 550 yards, the magnification had to be reduced below what I felt comfortable for aim point placement. The 4-12x did not have an advantage over the 3-9x with respect to using a duplex reticle for BDC. Using the .308 as an example, both scopes will start providing precise BDC around 350 yards and run out of compensation after 550 yards, providing a 200-yard window for BDC compensation. For shots between 200 and 350 yards or the distance from your zero-range to where your scope’s full power setting intersects your bullet’s trajectory, the shooter must hold over. However, because we now know the measurement of the gap between the crosshairs and lower post, our holdover can be more precise. In a hunting situation when I had the time to adjust magnification, I would use this method for BDC with a duplex reticle. If time was of the essence, however, I would keep things simple and use a constant magnification setting that provided 18 inches of compensation at a range near what I considered my maximum. This would allow me to make a quick range estimate to ensure the big game was within my maximum range criteria, then hold over for a shot as appropriate for the range. For my .243, I would choose 300 yards as my maximum effective range and set my scope on 7x. With my .308, I would use 400 yards as max effective range with the scope set on 8x, then use a ¼ down from the crosshairs for holdover at 250 yards, 2/3 for 300, ¾ for 325, the post for 350 to 375, and hold 4” high at 400. Essentially, I have established two zero ranges for my .308, e.g., the crosshairs are set for 200 yards and the tip of the post for 375 yards at 8x magnification, an 18-inch trajectory drop. If you consider this strategy a bit closer, this set-up compliments BCD hold-over and is quite elegant. With my .308 set on 8x, if the chest of the deer reaches from the tip of the lower post to the tip of the top post, the target is 200 yards away, the zero-range I’m using for my .308. Thus the tip of the top post to the crosshairs is a range estimation scale from 200 to 400 yards. If you divide this top section into thirds, you have your range estimate without touching your magnification ring, e.g., 1/3 down from the top tip is 250 yards, 2/3 down is 300 yards, and half-way from there to the crosshairs is 350 yards (see the pictures below). If the deer’s chest doesn’t reach the crosshairs then the deer is beyond my maximum effective range. These are numbers I can remember without looking at a reference card and will accurately extend the precision shooting range of my current rifles. Back to the opening question, do I have the confidence to take a shot at 420 yards? It depends. As good as these shots may look, my first shot, the one that counts, would not have been accurate enough at 420 yards for a clean kill because I did not compensate correctly for the wind. At 550 yards, none of my shots hit the chest area because of addition wind compensation errors caused by changing winds and the fact that wind error doubles from 420 to 550 yards. Next time you read an article about a hunter that made a clean kill out to 400-plus yards, you better believe that hunter had practiced enough to become one with their rifle and one with the environment if there was any wind. My next purchase will most likely be a laser range finder and a wind meter or some tal***** powder to help gauge the wind. Then I need plenty of practice before I become a precision long range shooter and have confidence in my abilities to hunt big game at extended ranges. There is no substitute for practice! Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:41:05 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=73 In the process of researching a new scope selection, I investigated the bullet drop compensation (BDC) reticles I found in scopes that I could afford to purchase. I saw no clear choice for my application. Each manufacturer’s BDC set-ups had advantages and disadvantages. Here is an overview of the different reticles I looked at. __________________________ Burris has a Ballistic Plex and a Ballistic Mil-Dot Reticle. They both have similar BDC tics on the lower portion of the reticle but the latter gives you the advantages of Mil-Dots on the upper and horizontal cross-hairs. The Ballistic Mil-Dot is only offered on higher power scopes, 4-16X and above and 14x is used for the BDC reference. There is no wind compensation integrated with the Burris reticles. The Ballistic Plex crosshairs are designed for a 100-yard zero for standard calibers and 200 yards for flatter shooting calibers. The Ballistic Mil-Dot crosshairs are designed for a 100-yard zero and intended for flat shooting calibers. Burris has a wealth of information on their website but it is hard to find. Try the web address below to download Burris’ BDC files. With a Ballistic PlexTM and 100-yard zero, my .308 would be 2 to 3 inches high beyond 300 yards. Using a 200-yard zero, the ballistic match had even more disparity between this BDC reticle and my .308 rifle’s trajectory. Burris BDC Reticles __________________________ DOA Bushnell has introduced a BDC reticle called DOA, Dead On Accurate. It is designed to be sighted in at 100 yards with aiming references out to 600 yards and is referenced to the scope’s maximum power setting except for their 4.5-30x scopes which are referenced to 20x. Heat mirage affects could be an issue on hot days with the 2.5-16x and 4.5-30x models. Scope power can only be decreased to tune to your ballistics if your rifle doesn’t shoot as flat as Bushnell’s BDC settings except for the 4.5-30x models. The DOA reticle is unique in that it provides range estimating by references 18” or 24” wide marks to the ears tips of a whitetail or mule deer, respectfully. Deer in Southern States typically have an ear tip to ear tip spread of around 13 inches. To get the DOA’s range estimating technique to work, you have to be looking at a large deer and get the deer to look in your direction. This isn’t the case for other BDC reticles that provide range estimates based on the height of a deer’s chest cavity. The best application of these spread marks is to reference antler size when the deer is at a known range. The DOA crosshair reference points use a 1 MOA filled-in circle, 4 times the size of a typical crosshair. There is no wind compensation designed into this scope other than what you can derive from the 9” and 12” reference marks each side of the vertical crosshair. Using a 100-yard zero with my .308 rifle’s trajectory and magnification set at 13.5x for the 2.5-16x scope, the ballistic impacts were on at 200 and 300 yards, an inch high at 400, then much higher at longer ranges by 4 to 10 inches. I found this to be the case with other calibers using boat-tail bullets. The only close ballistic matches I found to this reticle at longer ranges were with flat-based bullets, e.g., Remington’s .243 100gr Core-Lokt and Federal’s.270 130gr Soft Point, .270 150gr Soft Point Round Nose, or .30-06 150gr Soft Points. These are not bullets I would use for long range hunting. Bushnell DOA Reticle __________________________ Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Rangefinder BDC scopes have the quickest range estimation to shot down-range that you can find. You don’t have to twist any knobs, take your eyes off your target, or take your rifle off your shoulder to read a dial. The reticle grows and shrinks with magnification, like a European-style scope, so range estimation and BDC work at any magnification setting. This means there is no capability to change magnification to tune the BDC reticle for your rifles performance. The advantage of this set-up is simplicity, e.g., you don’t have to remember to set a magnification to get the correct BDC or worry that it might get bumped off your setting. There are no thick posts to help with low-light situations. The scope is intended for a 200 yard zero with 8 inches of trajectory drop at 300 yards, 23 inches at 400, and 44 inches at 500, typical of .30-06-like performance with boat-tail bullets. The only tuning you can do to match your rifle’s performance is to sight your rifle in slightly high or low at 200 yards to better fit the trajectory drop marks at longer ranges. You can also do simple windage estimation because the centerline circles allow you to project a 9-inch cone either side of the center crosshair at any range. If this BDC reticle closely matches your rifle’s performance, like it did my .308 and the .30-06 factory ammo I checked, it is a good option to consider. __________________________ Cabela’s new EXT Reticle was recently introduced on their Pine Ridge and Alpha Series scopes. Unlike Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Rangefinder (above), it is intended to be sighted in at 100 yards. You can also tune the EXT Reticle to your rifles trajectory by lowering magnification if your rifle doesn’t shoot as flat as the EXT Reticle’s ballistic compensation or increasing magnification if your rifle does shoot a flatter trajectory (up to 20%). On their Alpha Series 3-12x scope, the EXT Reticle is referenced to 10x for rifles with .30-06 or similar performance. The directions do not provide any MOA values so I set the scope up in a vise, viewed a point target at about 100 yards to eliminate parallax, and used the elevation turret to click off the distance between BDC marks. The ballistic drop for each BDC reference at 10x measured as follows; 200 yard-tic, 3”/1.5 MOA; 300, 11.3”/3.75; 400, 25”/6.25; and 500 yard, 46”/9.25 MOA. Again, increasing magnification above 10x reduces these values proportionally and reducing the power setting increases these values proportionally. Horizontal BDC crosshairs are 3 MOA wide at 10x except for the wider 300 yard reference which is 8 MOA. This equates to 24 inches wide, 12 inches either side of the crosshair at 300 yards at 10x. For my .308 with the 3-12x scope, the ballistic match was right on at all ranges with the magnification set at 9x. I verified this with shots at 100 and 300 yards. Based on factory data, 9x was also a good power setting for.30-06 ammo with 150 gr boat-tails. My .270 Win with 150 gr Berger VLD bullets had a good ballistic match with the power set at 10.8x. This scope provides an affordable and effective BDC solution. __________________________ Nikon’s BDC reticle uses a series of circles for aim points sized to be 2 inches at 100 yards or 2 MOA, i.e., 4 inches at 200 yards, 6 inches at 300 yards, etc. There is no wind compensation integrated with their BDC reticle. The reticle is designed for a 100-yard zero for standard calibers and 200 yards for flatter shooting calibers. The top and bottom of the aiming circles can be used for intermediate ranges. With a 100 yard zero, if you rifle shoots flatter than the reticle’s trajectory compensation, then you can either compensate for point of impact being high or sight in for 200 yards and turn down the magnification to tune the scope to your rifle’s trajectory curve. As an example with my .308, the downrange impacts would be 1 to 2½ inches high with 100 yard zero (this would be considered adequate for most hunting situations). I could sight in for 200 yards and get a good trajectory match with a 3-9x scope set on 7.6x magnification. If I want to shoot at 9x with a 200-yard zero, I would have to define specific ranges for each circle. Example, the first 1st circle would be on target at 285 yards, the 2nd circle would be on at 375 yards, etc. Nikon BDC Reticle __________________________ Leupold has a capable set-up with range estimation and wind compensation available on their VX-III scopes. Range estimation is accomplished by adjusting magnification until the animal’s chest fills the crosshairs up to the tip of the top thick post then reading the range in hundreds of yards on the other side of the power ring. Range estimation assumes an 18-inch chest depth. Wind compensation on their Boone & Crockett Reticle is for a 10 mph crosswind component. Depending on the performance of your rifle, zero ranges are designed to be 200 or 300 yards with some calibers requiring a lower power setting for accurate trajectory matching which is marked by a small triangle at 8x on their 3.5-10x and 11.2x on their 4.5-14x scopes. You can fine tune the BDC reticle to your rifles performance by adjusting the magnification to provide proportionally more or less bullet drop. In the case of my .308 and their 3.5-10x scope with a 200 yard zero, the BDC reticle would be tuned with the scope set on 8.8 magnification. Specific reticle details regarding calipers, bullet velocities, and MOA of reticle markings can be downloaded from the Leupold’s website, file name “Leupold Ballistics Reticle Supplement” (see link below). The Leupold VX-III scopes have less range of magnification than other manufactures, e.g., 3.5-10x vs 3-12x, 4.5-14x vs 4-16x. Leupold’s 4.5-14x is nice at the higher power settings but if you read the specification, their 4.5 is really a 5x magnification (4.9x). Leupold B&C Reticle __________________________ EBX Weaver is entering the market with a BDC reticle (Fall 2009). Their EBX reticle is offered on their Super SlamTM scopes which have a 5:1 magnification capability, e.g., 2-10x, 3-15x, and 4-20x. The EBX provides wind compensation for a 10 mph crosswind component. You should be able to fine tune the EBX reticle to your rifles performance by adjusting the magnification to provide proportionally more bullet drop if your rifle doesn’t shoot as flat as Weaver’s BDC. Preliminary plans are to reference the EBX reticle at full power. If your rifle shoots flatter you will have to use different ranges, e.g., .270 Win 110gr bullets would be 200 yards, 330, 455, and 570 yards (use link below for your specific caliber). In the case of my .308 and their 3-15x scope with a 200 yard zero, the BDC reticle would be tuned with the scope set on 13.5x magnification. If Weaver goes into production with the EBX reticle referenced to full power, then there is the possibility heat mirage affects could be an issue on hot days with the 3-15x and 4-20x models. If Weaver references the EBX reticle on these two models to a power setting less than 15x and 20x, then these models will have the capability to be tuned to for flatter shooting rifles. Weaver EBX Reticle __________________________ The Mil-Dot reticle has a center crosshair with dots spaced one milli-radian apart, the equivalent of 3.6 MOA or 3.6 inches at 100 yards. The dots are typically 0.2 mils in diameter. A Mil-Dot scope can do it all; range estimation, BDC, and windage. However, it takes some calculation and memorization of what range each mil-dot represents. Some shooters affix a ballistic reference card to their rifle stock. Range estimates for a deer or antelope sized target, assuming an 18-inch chest, are 5 mils for a deer at 100 yards, 2.5 mils for 200 yards, 1.7 for 300, 1.25 for 400, and 1.0 mil for 500 yards. Military sniper scopes of the recent past have been 10x which has become a standard reference for many variable power Mil-Dot scopes but not all. Thus, check to make sure what magnification power the Mil-Dot reticle is reference to. Some manufacturers will use the scopes maximum power. You can search the web and find abundant information on how to use a Mil-Dot scope. Mil Dot Reticle Website 1 Mil Dot Reticle Website 2 __________________________ There is an aspect of BDC reticles that I didn’t realize before I bought my Mil-Dot scope. You can usually reduce magnification to provide increase trajectory drop, but if your rifle shoots flatter, there is typically not an option to increase magnification to reduce trajectory drop because most of the BDC settings are already designed for a scope’s highest power settings. Your option is to sight in at a longer range like 200 or 300 yards and or learn to compensate for your bullets impacts being high at each range tic. As it turns out, a Mil-Dot reticle is best for my application because my .270 Winchester load, using Barnes’ 110 gr TTSX copper banded bullets with their higher velocity, shoots flatter than the BDC reticles I considered. The only BDC scope that would have come close to matching my rifles performance was the Burris Ballistic Mil-DotTM but at the longer ranges my impacts were still high. If you rifle is a flat shooter, I would suggest doing some homework to see how well the BDC scope you intend on buying can be matched to your rifle’s performance. This may also be important with standard calibers because each BDC reticle is different. I've posted the the zip'd Excel file in a separate post where you can also add your experience with BDC Reticles. Scopes with BDC Reticles for Centerfire Rifles This file will allow you to compare trajectories to the different BDC reticles and determine what magnification setting best tunes to your rifle’s performance. If you fine tune a BDC to your rifle’s performance by reducing the scopes magnification, you will most likely need to mark that power setting in some manner as a reference. The examples of BDC tuning to my .308 in the paragraphs above were done referencing ballistic trajectory tables and the fore mentioned Excel spreadsheet. In all cases, verification of your rifle’s performance needs to be accomplished with shots downrange. Remember, there is no substitute for practice!!! Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:53:07 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=72 Ruger #1 Accuracy by Ed Harmon First a notification: Ruger takes the position that any modification to their guns voids their warranty. They also consider hand loads a no-no. If you return a gun for work that has been modified they may just return it without work being performed and charge you shipping, so be aware and consider the potential consequences before you modify your Ruger firearm. Forearm The #1 and the #3 Rifles, upon examination, are obviously designed to have the forearm separated from the barrel otherwise the forearm would be screwed to the barrel, like a Martini or Martini Cadet. The two actions are the same without the levers and both will take the same barrels. Why are the barrels not free floated from contact with the wood of the forearm at the factory? Forget the hype, it is purely economic. To get the correct clearance under the barrel and along each side of the barrel, takes time and time is money in manufacturing. Ok, we start by removing the forearm from the rifle. You can, if you wish, try the O ring trick by buying a couple of O rings at the hardware store to fit the shank of the forend screw. Before any modification, put one O ring at a time between the hangar and the wood. This sometimes will work. Otherwise we continue. If you are familiar with glass bedding a rifle to start with, you relieve the wood to provide an even line down both sides of the barrel; a barrel channel rasp helps to make this job quick and easy. If you have not done a glass bed for a barrel channel before, put the forearm back in place, run a pencil down the wood, alongside the barrel and cut the wood back to the pencil line using a barrel channel rasp. Go slow; it is difficult to stick wood back on. Use a fine cut flat wood rasp or a course flat steel file to straighten the lines if needed. Then use a sanding block to finish. You will need one layer of Duct Tape on each side for clearance. Stick a layer of duct tape on the barrel lengthwise and when the forearm fits back on the barrel just a bit snugly, you are about right. Once you get the sides cut you can start on the bottom, where the hanger makes contact. With an oil burner, soot up the hangar and barrel, pressing the forearm into place. With the barrel channel rasp remove all marks in the barrel channel. Then go back to the hanger contact area and with a motor tool and small carbide router bit, remove the marks or the contact points made by the hanger. You only need to rough up three points because the will need to be extended or built up in any case. In the attached photos an arrow points to the three places that require glass. All you need do is rough the surface of the wood so the glass will stick, without peeling or flaking off. Put two layers of duct tape only along the bottom of the barrel then coat the metal and the tape with Johnson’s Paste Wax, two coats, making very sure to get all metal surfaces well coated. The metal is ready for the glass bedding process. Now put a dab of glass, mixed per the instructions, onto the places as indicated. I use Popsicle sticks to place the glass into the recessed areas of a stock. The photo gives you an idea about the amount of glass you need which is not a lot. Place the back of the forearm into the receiver and then bring the front of the forearm up and into the mount position. Screw the forearm screw in until it is just snug, but do not over tighten. Make sure to coat the screw with wax. Leave enough glass to set the wood out but not enough to get the forearm *****ed out of square, just look at the top of the barrel and the top of the forend, you can see when these two appear to be parallel. After the glass is setup you can dress the interior with the motor tool on the sides of the bearing surface, just do not touch the top surface where the hangar makes contact. Remove the duct tape from the barrel. If you have done everything correctly the fore end will mount firmly and allow a dollar bill to be inserted and moved back all the way to the receiver. Put two coats of stock finish on the raw wood surface to seal it and you are done with the forend. Barrel Rib The next item to address (step 2) is the barrel rib. This is where the rear sight mounts and the scope rings mount. Again remove the fore end and scope rings if any. Before you do anything else, with the rib in place, firmly mounted, check the rear of the rib to make sure there is clearance between the rear of the rib and the front of the receiver. Then remove the screws holding the rib onto the barrel; the rib will not fall off, because it is held in place by two vertical solid steel pins that go through the rib into the top of the barrel. With the buttstock held firmly in your weak hand, strike the barrel just in front of the rib with a mallet (not a hammer); repeat until the rib separates from the barrel slightly. With a plastic or wood wedge, pry the rib up and off of the barrel. A screwdriver can be used, but it must be used with great care and very gently, least you scratch the barrel. If the pins come out of the barrel and stay in the rib, use a vice grip or a vice to remove the pins, grasping the bottom and pull out with a twisting motion. If the pins stay in the barrel, remove them with vice grips. If the pins refuse to budge from the barrel, cut them off near flush with a cut off wheel on a motor tool. Then dress the pins down flush, with a fine file, being very careful not to remove bluing outside the area covered by the rib. If you saw that there was no clearance between the rear of the rib and the front of the receiver you must create the clearance. With rib off the barrel, remove metal from the vertical surface at the rear of the rib (keeping it as square as possible) for clearance at the receiver. When finished getting the clearance desired, about a notepaper thickness or .003, blue the cut with a dab of cold blue, then oil the surface to stop the process or this area will rust. Once the pins are removed or they are cut off, clean the screws and the screw holes in the barrel with acetone or another degreaser. Then put the rib back in place, it should shift or slide freely if you have properly dressed any pins that were cut off. Now remove the rib. Then coat each screw shank with blue locktite and put a drop of locktite in each screw hole, Return the rib and screw each screw down until it is snug, but not to tight. “Not tight” is very important, the rib must allow the barrel to vibrate and also the rib must hold the sights or scope true. A good description of this is finger tight using a screwdriver, but not crush tight. Let the locktite set up. Return the forend to the rifle and after the locktite has set, mount your scope. Try to move the scope. If the scope moves, and you can see that it is the rib moving, the rib is too loose. Take the rib off and remount the rib again, making the screws a little tighter, with fresh locktite. Make very sure you still have clearance between the rib and receiver when you mount the rib. General information about a #1 A. Removing the buttstock is just like removing a shotgun buttstock, it has a pull bolt in the butt, under the recoil pad. B. The extractor in a #1 can be replaced to convert any #1 to any other cartridge offered. You can buy extractors from Ruger. C. Any #1 barrel will fit any #1 rifle. It just has to be properly headspaced and possibly have a reamer run into the chamber once the barrel is properly headspaced and aligned. This does not mean all barrels will headspace in any rifle, only that all barrels will screw into all receivers, the must be *****d and rarely will a barrel from one gun just thread up properly, on another receiver. D. Once you remove the buttstock the rest of the innards of a #1 are pretty simple and very accessible. That is why after market replacement parts, like triggers, hammers and firing pins are sold to the public. E. #1 Barrels, forearms and buttstocks will fit on a #3 action. The lever on the #3 must be replaced or cut to make the transition to what I call a #13. I have a #3, 22 Hornet that I converted to a 7mm Rem Mag #13 in such a fashion. F. Today when I acquire a #1 or #3 I perform the accuracy modifications when I hit the door and the rifle never sees daylight again until it is fixed. If the rifle is used, I also de-lead / de-copper the barrel. G. The acceptable accuracy for a #1, by the factory standards, if 4 inches at 100 yards. I have seen this stated in writing from Ruger to customers. Most #1 or #3 rifles will shoot 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards. H. Many shooters believe the #1 or #3 barrels are inferior and will remove a brand new barrel to rebarrel the action. The result is some pretty inexpensive alternative chambering floating around. Example, I have purchased a new #1 barrel for as little as $36. I have yet to find a #1 that will not shoot under an inch once the barrel is cleaned, free floated and the rib relieved as described. Photos: http://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=0 #1 Forend Barrel Clarence http://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=3 #1 Forend with hanger glass points marked 1 http://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=2 #1 Forend with hanger glass points marked 2 http://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=4 #1 Barrel with Pin placements marked http://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=1 #1 Rib & Receiver with point for clearance marked Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:45:38 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=70 There are two philosophies regarding recoil springs. The first has to do with physics and reliability. If the recoil spring is too strong the ejected cases will be thrown forward. If the recoil spring is too light the ejected cases will be thrown aft. When the recoil spring is correct the cases will be ejected to the side of the gun. This gives maximum ejection reliability. It also gives maximum feeding reliability. If the recoil spring is too light the slide goes fully aft, but the spring isn’t strong enough to get the slide up to speed before the slide engages the next round. The slow speed also produces a prolonged feed cycle, that gives the cartridge maximum time to tip down before it hits the feed ramp, which lower the probability of a successful feed. After the round contacts the ramp the spring is too weak to reliably push the nose of the cartridge up the feed ramp and into the chamber. If the recoil spring is too strong the slide does not go fully aft, and while the spring is strong, the slide travel before the slide engages the next round in the magazine is too short to develop the slide velocity needed for reliable feeding, so again the feeding cycle is slow to start with, leading to a higher probability of the nose of the cartridge tipping down, leading to a lower probability of a successful feed. With the correct recoil spring the slide goes aft and the spring is strong enough to get the slide up to full speed before engaging the next round, and it is strong enough to push the nose of the cartridge up the feed ramp and into the chamber. This give optimum feeding reliability. The second has to do with shootability. If the recoil spring is weak, the feeding of the next round is weak, and the slide velocity as the gun goes into battery is slow, so the gun muzzle doesn’t tip down as the slide stops in battery. Lots of shooters believe this improves shot to shot time and accuracy, because they perceive gun motion is less between shots. But, that is because the slide cycle is slowed considerably, and the cycling force are lower and spread out, but the gun doesn’t get back into battery until just before pulling the trigger for the next shot. With the correct spring the cycle time is only 50 milliseconds so the gun is back in battery a tenth of a second before the next shot. The shooter’s perception is the gun is jerking around more, but the truth is the gun is back into battery quicker, and the reloading cycle is reliable and consistent, so the shooter eventually learns, with practice, to predictably put the second shot where the first shot went. Using a lighter spring introduces a more variable reloading cycle, because the reliability is lower, so the shooter’s brain is never sure exactly how the gun is going to be behaving prior to the following shot, which leads to problems with predictable second shot placement. Cheers, Vince Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:47:32 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=69 Widow Maker Ed Harmon Whitetail hunting in New Hampshire was a ritual for me. I would get together with my buddies from High School and we would all plan our first day of vacation to coincide with the first day of deer season. Bob had an uncle who owned a three-bedroom house on a lake in the western part of the state. We called the house on the lake “the camp.” The camp had one of those old, large, black, table model radios with a big lit horizontal indicator for its AM, FM and Short Wave dials. There was no TV or other entertainment, except what we ourselves made. In the back right of the house was a kitchen and in the front right, without a door or wall separation was the living room. In the living room stood a big potbelly wood burning stove for heat. On the left side of the building were three bedrooms with doors directly off the living room and kitchen, without a hallway. Every year we would get eight guys together and all go up to “the camp” for a week of daytime deer hunting and nighttime card playing, story telling and libation. Going to the camp was the social event of the year for most of us. This hunting week was something we looked forward to, all year long. There were two guys in our group that did not hunt at all. However, those two fellows still could not wait to go to “the camp.” Going to camp started when we were all in High School together and continued after we returned from military service during the Vietnam War. Three of us, Bob, Charlie and I had gone into the Army under the Buddy Program. To give you an idea about how important the camp was to us, the day Kennedy was shot we left for the camp for a weeklong stay, it was the first week of deer season. So yes I know where I was when Kenned was shot, I was on my way to the camp… In the fall of 1969, the afternoon before deer hunting season opened, we all left for camp, just as we had many times in prior years. The unusual part of this trip was that snow was predicted for that night. Most people think it snows in New Hampshire all of the time, but in truth, snow for the opening day of deer season is pretty rare. We as a group were excited about the prospect of getting up in the morning to find a fresh new blanket of snow. Tracking deer after such a snowfall would be easy and we all pretty much thought we could count on a good opening day’s hunt. Our group hunted deer using two methods, one method was stalking combined with still-hunting. The other method involved using drivers or driving an area with a line of hunters moving through the woods towards blockers at the other end of the area. The blockers usually stood on a dirt road or along a power line. I preferred stalking and still hunting and would usually go off alone in the morning, to hunt one of the nearby mountain areas. When we got up in this opening day morning, well before daylight, Berry was already cooking breakfast. Berry was one of the two that never hunted; he stayed at the camp as our cook. Berry drank an awful lot and usually was too hung over to go anywhere. But, he was a good guy, under the influence or sober, and he could cook with the best chefs around. He also had a big 8-point buck to his credit. The prior year he had gone to the spring to fetch a bucket of water for the kitchen and walked up on a big 8 point that was drinking at the spring. When we big white hunters arrived back at the camp that night, after a fruitless day of wandering all over hill and dale, there hung a big magnificent buck and Berry was passed out from celebrating. This morning though, I went through the kitchen and opened the back door and looked out into the ink black morning. There in the patch of light, cast through the open doorway I saw bare ground, no snow, not one bit of snow had fallen. I thought to myself; “Well this is going to be a normal hunt looks like, no snow, just cold, damp and windy.” After we ate breakfast, we split up and headed off to our agreed hunting areas. I drove my car to a dim logging road on the southeast side of my day’s pick of mountains. Not a high mountain, more like a big hill to folks that are used to the Rockies. No problem at all, drove right to my spot, no other hunters around, etc. By the time I parked the car, I could see small snow flakes in the headlights, just blowing in the wind. It had just started spitting snow. Those first flakes looked like little specks of white ash in the headlights. I thought to myself, great, now it starts snowing. When I got out of the car I noticed the wind had picked up. I had my heavy wool, hunting jacket on and knew that the jacket would shed sleet or snow without a problem. I got my 6.5x06 Mauser out of it’s case, checked the 2x power Bushnell scope to make sure it was clear and free of obstruction and pulled 5 rounds out of my pocket. Once the rifle was loaded and slung over my shoulder I was off on my 3-mile walk. It was just before full daylight, with the first rays of light starting to brighten the eastern sky under the snow clouds. This was going to be a beautiful day in the woods. I headed up the dim logging road, a short ways, to a trail intersection. The trail off to the right went around the mountain to the mountain’s northwest side. That trail led to an area that had a large grove of beechnut trees. Within the beechnut grove were several big trees that had been blown down over the years. The beechnuts provided good feed for the deer and the downed trees gave them shelter and cover. That area of nut trees was my destination this morning. Off, up the right trail I went. The further I walked, the larger and wetter the snowflakes became. About a quarter of the way to my destination, I decided to cut across the top of the mountain to the other side, in order to save time. I knew I had to go through an area that was populated by huge spruce trees but that should be no problem this morning. I had seen the trees in the past but had not gone through that spruce forest before, preferring to skirt the area. Some of those spruce trees were 6 feet in diameter and almost 80 feet tall. But, the underbrush was almost nonexistent under those big trees where the ground was covered by spruce needles, so the walking would be quick and very quiet, once I got to that area. When I reached the top of the mountain I came out of the lea of the mountain itself. I was deep into the spruce forest and the wind was blowing pretty hard. The snowfall had become very heavy. The snowfall was so heavy that I could not see 20 feet in any direction. The snowfall was approaching white out conditions and was now more a blizzard than a snowfall. I noticed the snow was about a foot deep on the sides of the trees. This was not looking good, the snow was so wet and heavy it was sticking to everything. All of a sudden I heard a near by high power rifle shot and froze where I stood, looking around, trying to figure out where the shot had come from. Then I heard thunder, off in the distance. I thought to myself, damn that is strange, a thunderstorm in a snowstorm. Hey, wait just a minute, it does not lightning in a snowstorm. That was when I heard the second rifle shot, “BOOM-CRACK’ then I heard the whistling, it was the same sound that air rushing sound an artillery projectile makes as it goes overhead. I felt my skin get real tight and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I had spent three years as an artillery forward observer; I knew what I was hearing, something big going through the air over me. Then the explosion came; it was about 25 yards away by the sound of it. Then the next rifle shot, and I froze dead still. I was instantly stone cold in my tracks, mind racing… The memories flooded back, I recalled, in a flash, a short story I once read about a snowstorm in the north woods, I took a deep breath. Oh, my God, it isn’t rifles or artillery; the tops of the giant spruce trees are breaking out and falling. I was in the middle of a spruce forest, in a blizzard, during the most dreaded natural event of the north woods, the arrival of the deadly and legendary Widow Maker. I am now standing there, stark still, looking, straining to see anything beyond the white wall all around me, I cannot see anything up or around, and the tops of trees are falling and they are starting to fall faster and faster. I started to move out between the trees. Then I heard a real loud rifle shot and froze, I could tell it was not right over me by the sound it made while falling, it hit about 20 feet away, just on the edge of my visible world. The jagged trunk was over a foot in diameter. When this several ton monster hit the ground it threw sticks, rocks, broken limbs and snow in all directions. It covered me with debris. I noticed it hit very close to the base of the tree it had come from. It is hard to describe the feeling that goes through you when disaster is all around and you cannot see or tell the direction of the next stroke. It was time to get the hell out of Dodge and get away from this place. Off in the edge of my vision I could see a lighter area that I figured to be a small clearing. I moved forwards and on, out into the little clearing and got as far away from any tree as I could. Then I turned back towards what I thought was the direction of the southeastern slope. It was at that point that I found that I had left my compass in the car. I tried to go back down the mountain. However, I could not tell whether I was going down, up or around the mountain. My original tracks had disappeared in the blizzard conditions. With such limited visibility the ravines on a mountain’s side can fool you. I knew that south of my destination; around the mountain, was a large alder marsh in a big hollow, near the top of the mountain. So I started out in what I hoped was the direction of the marsh. I knew the marsh had no big trees in it. Now, all around me, the spruce forest sounded like a full-fledged firefight, rifles firing followed by explosions interlaced and continuous sounds of debris falling and ricocheting off trees. This peaceful little piece of Evangeline had turned into a white hell in just minutes. It was about that time that a big spruce top boomed-cracked and fell hitting the ground about 10 feet away, just missing me. I had a chunk of broken limb about 4 inched in diameter and 6 foot long go whistling past my head, whirling madly, and then I was blasted by a combination of flying snow, bark, dirt and rocks. Whew, that was close, real close. I spotted another light spot in the snow wall, another small clearing, and made for it. By this time I had traveled a good ways and thought I was over the top of the mountain heading south, down the back slope towards the marsh. As long as the wind had not changed direction, I was on the right track. Now the snow was knee-deep. Keep going, keep going, quickly, do not panic, I kept telling myself. A little ways more and I came to the edge of the marsh, it was full of water covered by ice and full of small alder trees. I stopped for a second, until the next rifle shot, and then off into the 2-foot deep ice covered; freezing water I went, out into the marsh, away from the big spruce trees. Spruce trees surrounded the alder marsh. I stood out in the middle of the marsh listening to the war in the forest. I stood there until the noise slacked off and the wind died down some. Just how long I standing in the icy water, I really do not know. Once the war slackened to a shot now and then on through the marsh I went and out the other side. By that time, I could no longer feel my knees or feet; my legs below my knees were like two clubs. I was headed down the south side of the mountain towards the direction of the car or at worst the dirt road that went around the base of the mountain. I had been walking for about an hour when I stopped for a moment, it was then I heard a noise, far off and very faint, it sounded like a horn. I heard it again and realized it was a car horn, very far away and down the mountain. It struck me, like a flash, “that is my car horn.” To this day I have no idea why or how I recognized that horn. I started toward the horn. Now I knew exactly where I was and how far my car was from where I stood. I started out for the car through a narrow band of small spruce and out into some hardwood trees on the other side. I could see about 50 yards now and did not see any of the big hardwood trees down. A little farther on and I came to the same trail I had started out on in the morning. When I arrived at the car, there stood Bob with a concerned look that flashed into a big grin when he saw me. Bob was driving back to the camp. He was thinking he would be the last one back, when he just happened to look up a logging road as he drove past. It was the logging road I was parked on. Bob thought he saw the rear of my car in the snow. He stopped, backed up, parked, and walked in to find my car and no me. He was blowing my horn, to let me know where my car was, just in case I was lost in the blizzard. Bob and I returned to the camp to find our group all safe and sound, drinks in hand, sitting around the potbelly stove. That day in 1969, 11 hunters were lost on the first day of deer season in New Hampshire during the blizzard of 69. I am just lucky I was not number 12. [align=center][b] Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:49:12 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=68 Paper cartridges for muzzle loaders When I started doing Civil War reenactments in 1981 the first thing I learned was to make paper cartridges for my reproduction 1853 Enfield. Over time I experimented some and found a method that has worked well for me. “Rolling” a live cartridge is slightly different than making up a blank one so I’ll explain both methods. My tools for rolling paper cartridges consist of a brass tube with a plastic funnel glued into one end and wooden dowel that will slide inside the brass tube. For a .58 or .69 caliber cartridge I use a 0.5” diameter brass tube. I want the cartridge to fit inside the muzzle for easy pouring. For a smaller cartridge I’d use a smaller tube, maybe a 0.375” diameter tube for a .45 caliber. An easy way to cut the paper is suggested, I use an X-Acto cutting board. The original Civil War paper cartridges consisted of five parts: the bullet, the powder, a paper powder tube, a paper wrapper and a piece of thread to tie off the end of the cartridge. The powder tube was made of a heavy paper; card stock seems to work well. The wrapper needs to be sturdy enough to endure moderate handling but weak enough to be easily torn using the teeth. Newsprint paper works well. You might have to do some experimenting to determine what size to cut your paper for the powder tube. You want the tube to hold your powder charge with just a little room to spare. For the 60 grain charge (by volume) used in the .58 caliber I found that a 2” by 2.5” rectangle would work. I marked my brass tube with a permanent marker 1.5” from the end so I’d have a powder tube that tall. The standard wrapper for the .58 caliber cartridge is a trapezoid shape with base measuring 4.33”, the short side measuring 3.0” and the long side measuring 5.25”. The long side runs the length of the cartridge and the pointed end will be the part you tie off. I again marked my brass tube 4” from the end to show the correct position for the wrapper. Now to get to rolling… Place the piece of card stock for the powder tube in position on the brass tube and roll it around the brass. Fold the seam across the opening of the brass and then fold the rest of the paper in to close the end. Use the wooden dowel to push down through the brass to help secure this fold. Position the bullet at the closed end of the powder tube and wrap them both with the outer wrapper. Twist the exposed end to conform to the shape of the nose of the bullet. You can stand this on the funnel end of the brass tube while you tie the pointed end off with a piece of strong thread. Invert the brass tube and pour your pre-measured powder charge into the cartridge through the funnel. Slide the cartridge off of the brass tube, nose down of course! Flatten the wrapper tube from the end to just above the powder tube. Fold this flat across the mouth of the powder tube and then up the side of the cartridge. Some like to fold this tail in half lengthwise, or even into thirds, to provide a better grip for your teeth when opening it. For a blank cartridge I dispense with the powder tube, and obviously the bullet! I cut a 4” square of newsprint and wrap it around the brass tube, leaving about 0.5” hanging off the end. Fold this as you do with the powder tube to close the end. Dump the pre-measured powder into the funnel. For .58 caliber blanks I use 30 grains of powder, all you need is the bang and some smoke. For .69 caliber I have to step up to 50 grains to get reliable ignition. Apparently the smaller charge can lie beneath the path of the spark in the larger bore. Slide the cartridge off of the tube and fold the tail as before, a little above the level of the powder. Note that the cartridge paper is discarded and NEVER placed in the bore for reenactments! To use the cartridge you hold it in the right hand with the bullet down. Grip the cartridge so you control the powder tube and push the tail up for easy access. Grip the tail in your teeth and tear it off, exposing the open end of the powder tube. Spit the tail out, unless you like chewing newsprint. Dump the powder into the muzzle of the gun. Break or tear the wrapper again to remove the powder tube. This can sometimes be done by striking the muzzle with the tube, right behind the base of the bullet. You should now have just the wrapped bullet in your hand. Squeeze the bullet out of the wrapper into the muzzle, discard the rest of the wrapper and ram it home. A really accomplished shooter is said to be able to fire three rounds per minute. Really makes you appreciate metallic cartridges, doesn’t it! Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:26:10 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=67 Ed Harmon I have tried to restore the photos to the original article, after the host site killed the photo album. Editing the original article has proven to be a problem so here is a supplemental article with the location of the photos, if they do not come up by themselves, you can copy and past to your browser. Model 96 Swede Right Side of Action Close These are the modifications to the bolt as mentioned. Note the removal of the *****ing knob at the rear of the bolt, the new scope safety, flat bolt handle, shaped knob and the angle that the bolt is swept back. The Timney trigger has been shortened and the tip rounded. In the photo you can also see that the rounded ridge behind the stripper clip opeaning has been removed. The bolt body has been polished to 500 grit and jewled or engine turned. The extractor has been blued but should be left polished as it will scratch when the bolt is worked. Model 96 Swede Left Rear Action This photo shows the taper cut made to the tang and the fit to the wood. This taper cut prevents the sear from gouging the wood as the bolt is worked. The photo also shows the flush cut firing pin extension, removal of *****ing knob and the scope safety installed. Model 96 Swede Muzzle This is the modified muzzle of the 6.5x55 The photo shows my favorite type of crown as turned on a lathe. This is the recessed target crown with the exterior edges broken or rounded and the bore cut left sharp and clean. Mdl 96 Swede in 6.5x55 built about 1995 Note this photo shows the original Mauser barrel tapered from the first step, near the chamber, to the muzzle. The sights have been removed as have the steps in the barrel, save the very first step. Mdl 96 Swede Trigger Guard & Bolt Handle This is the treatment that can be applied to the trigger guard to make a more plesant apperance. The bolt handle is bent and swept. The knob is shaped and drilled. The triggerguard has aprox .250 removed from each side and the connection at the flat is tapered. 6.5x55 Swede w/ Misquete Stock Left side This is a highly modified Swedish Mauser. In addition to my normal modifications as outlined in my article, this action has been made smaller by reducing the magazine height by one round, then the sides of the stock and buttstock have been thinned to create a sevite little 4 shot rifle. The barrel is original with the steps removed and cut to 20 inches. The stock is screwbean misquete with an English walnut tip. The rifle shoots sub .5 inch groups with the Hornady 140. Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:50:48 GMT http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=66 Argentina Bird Hunt 08 Ed Harmon We left for Argentina on July 18, 2008 and returned to Pensacola on July 26, 2008. During the 8 days we were gone, the group of four hunters shot 21,500 twenty gauge shells, stayed at a first quality, top shelf lodge and ate the very best food served anywhere in Argentina, to include even their finest restaurants, in the largest cities. My Son had returned from his latest tour in Iraq and this was his "welcome home" hunt. This is the story of one trip to Argentina. I have been many times on the plane ride to and from Argentina but this was the first trip to hunt with the firm of Maers & Goldman. To say it was a memorable trip is an understatement. The foundation for the 2008 trip started in 2002 when I was invited to go with a bunch of Mississippi “Good Ole Boys” to Argentina to hunt doves at La Paloma. The Mississippi bunch turned out to include one large farm owner, ranked in the top ten in the nation in size, a former NFL linebacker for San Francisco, two PhDs retired as administrators from the MS Fish and Game and a couple of timber company owners. Our trip was great as far as I was concerned. While on this hunt I watched the lodge/out*****r manager and how hard he worked day and night to put us on birds. I grew to be a friend of Ariel Goldman, the then manager at La Paloma. Over the years since my first trip, Ariel had left La Paloma and had formed his own outfitting company with another professional hunter, Junior Maers. Junior was the former manager of a famous out*****r’s operation. The new, Ariel & Junior combination, came to my attention during a conversation with Bobby Lynch about hunting in Argentina. Bobby told me he had just been hunting with Ariel and the birds were down in numbers compared to previous hunts but Ariel worked hard and Bobby’s group had a good trip. Bobby also told me he had eaten the very best food he had ever eaten anywhere, at Ariel and Junior’s lodge. Now Bobby hunts across the pond at least 3 times a year and is a strong food critic. A great food review by Bobby was, by itself, worth looking into. I expected one thing, what I got was not expected. This will be explored in greater detail later in the story. We flew from Pensacola to Dallas then on the Santiago, Chile and finally on to Cordoba, Argentina. This has become our choice of routes primarily because of American Airlines and the ability to check our bags, including guns, in Pensacola and pick the bags up in Cordoba. For the return the guns are examined again in Santiago for some reason. But we are not stuck with the airport change that occurs in BuanosAries, with the international airport on one side of the city and the in-country airport on the other side of the city. We also do not get the plane tickets/boarding pass just to Santiago coming and going that we have had with Delta in the past. Upon arrival Ariel Goldman and a crew of baggage handlers met us. Everything was gathered up, we went through customs and gun check without a hitch and in less than 1 hour our group with guns and luggage was on the road to Arroyito by van. Arroyito is a small town that has grown to a small city of 45,000 souls about 1-½ hours drive east of Cordoba. Cordoba is today the third largest city in Argentina with a population of just over one million. The lodge where we were to stay is located about 7 miles outside of Arroyito. July in Florida is very hot; we stepped off the plane in Argentina in the dead of winter. July in Argentina is the same as January in the US. For the new hunter to Argentina, just hope it does not rain while you are there. Argentina has few paved roads. Paved roads are reserved mostly for cities and major arteries connecting the cities. All of the other roads are dirt roads with a clay base. We call such clay around here 6-inch clay. You start to walk and within two or three steps you are 6 inches taller. Of course most of the vehicles in use by out*****rs are 4 wheel drive and for a very good reason. But do not expect too much in the way of a soft ride or shocks, the vehicles mostly are set-up for hard work so soft is not in the picture. During the van ride Ariel brought us up to date on the local situation regarding the birds. It turns out that one of the major roosts in all of Argentina, near Arroyito, was destroyed by a hailstorm, with hail the size of tennis balls killing millions of birds while destroying their nests. Two years later there was a flood that covered the crops for over a week, starving many of the remaining birds. The result of the two epochs was that most of the birds that remained relocated to secondary roosts. Primarily due to good harvests this year and last year, the birds have started to return to the major roost in substantial numbers and the shooting has picked up in direct proportion. The shooting was not up to the level of 10 years ago on this trip. However, the shooting was still very good even for Argentina. The birds have plenty of grain to eat so the future looks very bright. This is great news for all bird hunters, everywhere. My favorite guns once again proved themselves in heavy shooting. The Browning OU guns functioned without a single bobble as did the 686 Beretta OU that was along. The two Beretta 391 guns went right down the line day after day without a problem. Our group also had a shooter that took a Perazzi 20ga and an RBL SxS 20ga both of which functioned without a hitch. The only problem I saw was with the one 20ga SBE Benelli that made the trip. The gun functioned without a hitch. However, the shooter learned more than he ever wanted to know about the “Benelli thumb” (a very sore thumb caused by shoving thousands of 20ga shells into the magazine). The Benelli magazine catch is excessively strong and requires considerable effort to overcome the spring tension. Suddenly the shells’ rim will slip by the catch and the thumb then jams into the tube after the shell. Ouch! That is exactly why my Benelli Cordoba 20ga found a new home before the trip. The same company makes Beretta and Benelli. The end of the magazine catch on a Beretta 391 has a hinge with a light spring functioning the hinge. The hinge makes the loading of the 391 almost effortless. Are you listening Benelli designers? The entire catch / stop on a Benelli is the spring. Replace the Benelli catch with a Beretta style catch and you have a shooter friendly, super gun. The Benelli Cordoba was designed for high volume dove shooting, according to Benelli. Yeah, yeah, sure it was, as long as a bird boy is loading the Benelli for you. Our group had two new hunters and two old hands. The new hunters included my son J on his first Argentina bird hunt and Billy, our oldest hunter at 72 years young. Billy and J had a ball. They hunted Perdiez on the first day and then went back in the afternoon of the 3rd day to hunt Perdiez again. All in all they bagged about 20 Perdiez. The Perdiez is a large quail like bird, hunted with dogs in fields just like quail. Billy loves to hunt with dogs and owns three pointers in the US. This was J’s first outing with dogs and he had a great time watching the dogs work in the fields. Billy hunted with his 686 Beretta and J carried one of my 20ga Beretta 391 Sporting Gold guns, with a 24-inch barrel. The 24-inch barrel is a real plus for upland, off the ground, type birds. The gun handles very quickly and is deadly. On the morning of the 3rd day we awoke to 27-degree temperatures and wind. When we went to the field we had several flocks of pigeons fly by or over us. My son J got the opportunity to shoot a Picazuro, the largest pigeon in South America. I was two blinds down from him so when I looked around and he and his bird boy were sprinting across the field after a critter on the ground, I thought it was one of the big Argentina hares he was after. He had shot a huge hare the day before, which had got away from him. He swore that night at dinner that another hare, if seen, would not escape. Of course no one harassed him too much about loosing that big bunny rabbit, shot at about 20 feet! J When we took a break from shooting, up walks the bird boy carrying the big Picazuro pigeon that she had chased down after J shot it the second time while it was running across the field. J had knocked it down with the first shot and the bird boy immediately ran to pick it up, the big pigeon is prized by the bird boys as “good eats.” Just before the bird boy got to it, the Picazuro jumped up and took off running out across the field with the bird boy in trail, pointing at the bird and yelling: “shoot, shoot.” J then followed with gun at high port, sprinting after the bird and bird boy for all he was worth. It was quite entertaining to watch this all unfold. I promised to tell about the food. This is a story in itself and a story well worth telling. When we arrived at the lodge, on the first day, late in the afternoon, we were tired and wore out, we really did not know what to expect. We went to our buildings and to our rooms to set up our clothes and take a hot shower after the 24-hour non stop travel. The rooms were outstanding, very modern with large bathrooms, big showers and 110 Volt wall receptacles in addition to the 220 South American/European standard receptacles. As always, when the bath is done and you are dressed in clean duds it is time to head over to the main lodge for refreshments and a snack or two. In short order we had ice in a glass and a platter of wonderful cheese and Argentina’s sausage on the table. We were introduced to the lodge’s chef, Mr. Oscar Kahan. “Never trust a skinny chef” did not apply to Oscar, as he is a thin chef only by stomach stapling. Oscar loves to cook and to eat. In the lodge was a photo of President Ronald Regan with Oscar taken in the White House. Upon inquiry it was told that Oscar was a member of the White House staff and a White House chef for one year. When he left the White House, Oscar went to cook for Emperor Hirihito of Japan and upon leaving Japan, Oscar traveled around the world while he cooked for 42 heads of state or their families, in their personal or official residence. Oscar is one of 78 graduates of the French Cordon Bleu School alive today and the only LCB, Paris whom is a native of Argentina. He is also a “graduate” of the full 24-month apprenticeship at the world famous Pastry Store in Paris. He is a published author, with two international cookbooks to his credit. The food prepared by Oscar was simply amazing. On the evening of the 3rd day we were treated, thanks to the shooting of J and Billy, to Perdiez in crêpes with a white wine reduction sauce by Oscar. The meal was a diamond amongst the jewels prepared by Oscar each day and night. By the way, I do love good food and good drink and good service, this was some of the best food I have ever experienced anywhere and I have been to some pretty fancy restaurants, in fancy places, in the US and abroad. I lived in Palm Beach for 13 years. Palm Beach is well known and rightfully so for its lavish lifestyle and first class restaurants. The afternoon of the 3rd day while J and Billy were off gathering our dinner, Rob and I were taken over to a field near a roost that Ariel and Junior lease on an exclusive basis. Thankfully Ariel is the kind of hunter and man that does not feel it proper to invade a roost. Staying out of the roost allows the doves a place of sanctuary. Rob and I had a very nice all-day shoot in the two to three hours of the afternoon, getting into a sizzling hot gun style shoot. The barrels of my 525 Browning 20ga OU gun got so hot that the barrels were sizzling the oil and the wood of the forearm was smoking. We as a group had a wonderful day, all in all. On the 4th day we were back to the first place we shot, just moved down the fence rows a ways. The birds flew pretty high and everyone saw their percentages of birds shot to shells fired go down. However, we were getting in all of the shooting and different types of shooting, that we wanted. The evening was another fine meal by Oscar. On the 5th day we went to the field nearby the other smaller roost where Rob and I had shot on the afternoon of the third day. Shooting was fast and furious all day. By sundown we ran out of shells, we had literally shot all of the 20ga shells contained in the magazine at the lodge. It was tough for the out*****rs, on this trip everyone brought only 20ga guns and the out*****rs had no idea how fast a OU gun could be reloaded and fired until they watched a couple of our old hands working their OU guns. The out*****rs were amazed at the shooting that was done and the fact that my son J was shooting using his bird boy to load two guns and barely beat out Rob who was using and loading his OU gun, for speed and the number of rounds shot over the entire trip. That evening we were treated to a very fine dinner of Argentine beef filets and sausages served with pasta and vegetables. We did our annual toast to the trip with the out*****r and lodge staff participating and then retired for the evening. In the morning we awoke to a nice breakfast, settled our accounts and left for a touring trip of Cordoba and on to the airport. Our host had a special treat for us, a stop at his favorite restaurant, a 125-year-old establishment in the center of Cordoba with a very interesting cellar. The cellar is full of fine wines and has a buffet line of snacks to try before eating the main course. The snacks included some very fine cheeses and Argentine dried ham. The ham was very similar to Italian pruschetto. This was a very elegant restaurant with great service. Unfortunately it was while eating a French pastry desert, after the meal of Capretto (grilled baby goat) that I fractured a molar. We were just 20 minutes from arriving at the airport. Breaking the tooth was no fault of the restaurant or our host, but it made the next 3 days a trial for me. Our trip back to the home was pretty uneventful and we slipped back into the US and through customs early the next morning, after our 8-hour flight from Santiago, Chile to Dallas. This is a good place to mention the economy in Argentina; it is a roller coaster like most South American economies. Ariel & Junior were paying $7 US for a box of shells with talk of $10 to $12 within a short time. I asked about farmland around Cordoba and was told that it was currently selling for $7,000 US per hectare (2.3 acres). With a current average income of around $1,200 per month, the people, as always, must struggle to make ends meet. Unfortunately the governments see the hunters as a grand opportunity to gather the golden eggs. Paraguay went nuts with fees, shell taxes and use taxes, so this year, I am told, all of the out*****rs (100%) left Paraguay. Argentina may be next. If you are thinking of a trip, it is a good time to reserve a 3 to 5 day hunt, before the prices get out of hand. The current inflation rate is 30 to 45% annually. The Out*****rs web site is: http://www.maers-goldman.com Photos of the trip: Main Lodge Building on Left & Rooms building on right [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=7[/img] Ariel Goldman Out*****r-Guide & Professional Hunter [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=6[/img] Bill Sanders & Rob Womack end 2nd day [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=5[/img] Billy Shooting 4th Day [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=3[/img] Ed Shooting 4th Day [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=2[/img] J in blind 4th Day [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=4[/img] Chef Oscar Kahan with Ronald Regan at White House [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=0[/img] J firing the last round on the last day, shell in the air, he got the bird [img]http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=10942&pos=1[/img] Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:53:03 GMT