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Where and with What?

Fri, 10/10/2014 - 14:29
Deer season is fast approaching, it may even be open in some states, and soon hunters will be arguing about the best cartridge to use and the best spot on a deer to shoot at. This has been the way it has been for a long time and undoubtedly the argument will continue, fueled by whiskey, beer and campfires, for a long time. We can settle it all right here and now because the Internet is full of gun and hunting experts and many of them live on Facebook. So, let us see what you have to say.  

Whippersnappers and Old Farts

Thu, 10/09/2014 - 12:45
My attention was recently directed to a blog post over at Gun Nuts Media, written by Caleb Giddings. I was late coming to this party because I was in Texas killing things. It seems that Caleb managed to hurt the feelings of several old gun writers. I like Caleb Giddings and I know that he does not let his short stint on the Top Shot television show define him. I also know he can shoot and has worked tirelessly for the NRA. I like those things about him and I like that he can write provocative stuff that make folks question the norm. What I like most about Caleb is his passion for guns. Not writing, but guns. I know a number of folks in this industry who are making a good living with half his passion. That does not mean Caleb is beyond making a mistake. Hell, none of us are. But, I remember when I was young and made mistakes I was fortunate enough that someone who saw my passion stepped up and said, “Son, you screwed the pooch with that one.” (We’ve all, at one time or another, climbed on a horse that should have never seen a saddle.) So, instead of telling Caleb what a douche bag he is, publicly assaulting his credibility and questioning his motives, I’m just going to tell him where he went wrong. And, I’m doing it publically because several folks evoked my name while calling Caleb out. (In a way they called me out for being...

The Fence

Thu, 10/09/2014 - 09:32
    Yesterday a big box showed up and inside it was a shoulder mount of a kudu from my 2013 African safari. It reminded me of a story… The kudu has been described as the grey ghost of Africa. It is one of the most sought after big game trophies in the world. I was on my fifth African safari before I ever looked through a riflescope at a kudu bull. I had seven to choose from. But, there was a problem. Some say fences have no place in hunting and look down upon those who hunt behind them, arguing it’s not fair chase. I’ve hunted behind high fences in South Africa that encircled more than 25,000 acres and I’ve hunted behind zoo-like fenced compounds in the United States not much larger than a feedlot. I prefer pursuits not confined by fences, but that’s not always possible. It was the last day of a seven-day hunt and I was with Geoffrey Wayland of Fort Richmond Safaris. They Wayland property encompasses about 60,000 acres. Half is behind an eight-foot high fence and half is behind a three-foot fence that is a working sheep and cattle farm. Just south of Fort Richmond is the Orange River and kudu bulls were moving up from this river – in and around the Wayland’s property – looking for love and affection. Geoffrey and I were spending the evening, looking for a bull, which was looking for a one-night...

More on Remington’s R25 GII

Wed, 10/08/2014 - 19:14
As a follow up to the post about the Death of the AR 10, here is some more information and images. Partly because you might be interested and partly because I really like this rifle. Ahead of the Remington annual seminar, which will be held in my home state of West Virginia this weekend, I managed to sneak out some information and a field-test on a new rifle. I’m sure the folks at Remington will be a little upset that I leaked their news but for 2015 Remington will be launching a GII version of the R 25. This is the GII AR technology pioneered by DPMS last year. Yes, they are sister companies so its not a real leak or a surprise;. dude, this was a no brainer and bound to happen.   The GII is a essentially a modified AR 15. It has a mag well that will accept magazines for cartridges sized like the .308 Winchester. It also has a new monolithic bolt carrier that is as immune to bad things as Obama is to scandals. And, the new bolt has dual extractors and a new unbreakable extractor. Yes, that’s what they say, “unbreakable.” We shall see. It also does not have an extractor spring. So how does this unbreakable extractor work without an extractor spring? Magic. No, not really. What DPMS found was that a mysterious elastomer ball/button (I call it a “little rubber thingy”) used in place of the extractor spring was just as...

Kyle Lamb talks about hunting with the AR

Mon, 10/06/2014 - 15:41
I’ve just returned from Texas where I was on a hunt with Mellon Creek Outfitters. We were culling deer and we culled a lot of deer which was donated to a local church. Hunting with me was Kyle Lamb. Sergeant Major Kyle E. Lamb (retired), spent more than 21 years with the United States Army, more than 15 years of which were with the U.S. Army Special Operations. He has conducted combat operations in numerous theatres of operation, including Mogadishu, Somalia (Black Hawk Down Incident), and has served numerous tours in Iraq. He is the author of “Green Eyes and Black Rifles: The Warriors Guide to the Combat Carbine.” He is also much in demand as a law enforcement trainer and owns and operates Viking Tactics. He’s an American, a hero and most of the time a generally good guy. And, he never, never ever misses when he shoots. I got to talk to Kyle extensively during the three day hunt and in this video he shares some of his thoughts on hunting with the evil AR. Kyle said if the Devil was a hunter he would use a AR. I can’t agree, I think the Devil carries an AK and probably a Luger but what do I know. Kyle and I both write for the new and improved Guns & Ammo magazine. Check it out, you can find some of Kyle’s stories and wisdom – based on actual experience – in those pages.

Empty Cases welcomes Doubletap Ammo as a sponsor

Mon, 10/06/2014 - 15:08
I’ve been using Doubletap ammo for a good while. Their story is an interesting one. Mike McNett started Doubletap Ammuntion in his garage in 2002 for the specific purpose of offering hard to find 10mm AUTO loads. Now, I’m not a 10 mm AUTO guy but I often want hard to find loads. Mike’s customers liked his 10mm loads so well they began to ask for Doubletap ammo for other cartridges. And, that’s how Doubletap became an ammo company that is driven by its customers. You see, many of the loads Doubeltap catalogs were inspired by customer request. A few years ago while at Gunsite I mentioned to McNett that a 160 grain TAC-XP load for the .45 ACP at about 1050 fps would be perfect. A few weeks latter he sent me some samples and now that load is available direct from Doubletap. It’s called, you guessed it, the MANN load. But Doubletap is a bit more than that. Today Doubletap operates out of an 18,000 square foot facility with a full ballistics laboratory and 22 employees. Unbelievably, they offer more than 460 different loads for 74 different cartridges. And, some of those loads are off the beaten path and hard to find from other manufacturers. Being a .32 H&R Magnum / .327 Federal fan, I especially like the loads they offer for these two cartridges. In fact, just last week while hunting in Texas...

Diamond ring or riflescope?

Sat, 10/04/2014 - 13:12
If you have to ask yourself that question you might have a problem. I’ve hunted across North America, in Germany and South Africa with the Trijicon AccuPoint riflescope. It has what I feel are all the features necessary for big game hunting out to any maximum practical range. And surprisingly, I prefer the post reticle. I used an AccuPoint with that reticle to make one of the best shots I’ve ever made on an animal and right at last light. For the last three days I’ve been Hunting with Melon Creek Outfitters near Corpus Christi, Texas. They have an excellent cull buck hunt for three grand where you can take three cull bucks, three doe and maybe a hog for three grand. Cull bucks here can be eight points as wide as 20 inches. For all three days I’ve used Trijicon optics. The first morning I used an AccuPoint but I then switched to the Trijicon VCOG. The VCOG is a 1-6X optic purpose built for rugged tactical application. A trajectory compensating reticle is available for either 5.56 or 7.62 and the reticle is in the first focal plane so the reticle will provide ballistic correction at any magnification. The reticle is also illuminated with a standard AA battery. The VCOG also has an integral thumb screw mount and is perfectly suited to the AR platform. At 23 ounces the VCOG is a bit heavy but battlefield...

Death of the AR 10

Fri, 10/03/2014 - 13:25
The AR 10 is cool because it shoots a more powerful cartridge than the AR 15. The 30 Remington AR was supposed to equalize the AR 15 with the AR 10 and practically speaking, from an on game performance, it did. Problem was the cartridge was never properly supported by Remington or any other manufacturer. The good news is that with the DPMS GII the AR 10 is, well, kinda dead. The GII uses a monolithic bolt carrier that is dimensionally identical – externally – to the bolt used in the AR 15.  It has two ejectors and a modified extractor that does not use a spring that can break. Dimensionally, the difference between the AR 15 and the GII is the bolt which has to be larger for the 308 cartridge and the mag well for the same reason. Yesterday I used a DPMS GII and the Remington version which is called the GII R25 to take six deer and a hog at ranges between 70 and 240 yards. Both rifles weigh about 7.5 pounds. Add a pound for the Trijicon optics we have been using and you have a rifle that weighs about the same as an R15 in 30 Remington AR but chambered for a cartridge everyone supports. (The 308 is great!) I like the Remington GII version a little better for hunting due to the stock design, which includes a SuperCell recoil pad and a unique carbon fiber handguard. (I’m sure now that I’ve said that a...

The 327 Federal is not a deer cartridge.

Thu, 10/02/2014 - 10:37
But, it works just fine.  I’m on a cull shoot at the fabulous Mellon Creek Outfitters near Corpus Christi, Texas. I’m supposed to be using a DPMS Gen II in 308 with a Trijicon Accupoint and Remington hard whacking Hog Hammer ammo and I am; I put down a young buck at about 200 yards and a doe at about 240. But then, this big doe walked out at about 30 yards. The Ruger 327 Single Seven was on my hip. So, I put a 115 grain hard cast slug through both lungs. (Thats a factory load from Doubletap Ammunition by the way.) She ran about 60 yards and that was that Don’t tell this to all those who think you have to use big guns for deer. They’ll say something like, “It will work with good shot placement.” Um, I think that applies to all cartridges…At least fired from hand held platforms.

Is the .308 the Perfect North American Big Game Cartridge?

Tue, 09/30/2014 - 11:41
Yes it is. In fact, it is the perfect – all over the world – big game cartridge. Go ahead and start throwing rocks but before you do read THIS over at Petersen’s Hunting and maybe even THIS here on Empty Cases. It is easy to sit around the campfire pontificating, with a whiskey on one hand and an opinion in the other. Its another thing entirely to comment on a subject with which you have actual field experience. In the end – as far as killing is concerned – your shooting and the bullet will matter morse than what’s printed on the head-stamp. However, with regard to enjoying the hunt, those numbers and letters engraved on the end of the cartridge can mean a great deal. The .308 Winchester is far from the top of my favorite cartridge list but that does not mean it is not the best, most practical solution. Just as a side note, if you have anything to say about the .30-06, don’t bother, I don’t want to hear it and nobody else should care. Who in their right mind would hunt with a .30-06 when they could use a .308?

35 Caliber Rifle Cartridges – Where did they go?

Mon, 09/29/2014 - 14:24
Interestingly, there was not that many to start with. First there was the .35 Remington introduced in 1906 for the Remington Model 8 Autoloader. The Model 8 became extinct but the .35 Remington found a home in Marlin’s model 336. Yes, it still lives there but is sadly overlooked. I’ve killed a lot of deer with the .35 Remington and my improved version I selfishly named the .35 SuperMann. Like the .25-06, .270 Winchester and .280 Remington, the .35 Whelen was a rendition on the .30-06. It was devised in 1922 before all the others. It is still relatively ignored even though, with the right bullet, it is suitable for anything walking. It will beat down a whitetail and I’ve used it in a Forbes Rifle in Africa on kudu, wildebeest and zebra. Never needed a follow-up shot on anything. Then there was the 1955 .358 Winchester, which was the .308 Winchester necked up to .35 caliber. It was very popular for s short time and while it married nicely with the Savage 99 lever action it never really captured the imagination of hunters who thought of it as just a bear cartridge. That’s what I used mine for in Montana. Not to be outdone, Remington introduced the .350 Remington Magnum in 1955 as well. It was chambered in their Model 600 bolt action but it is dying a slow torturous death. You can buy a brand new one in Remington’s Model Seven,...

Deer Rifle Needs a Name

Thu, 09/25/2014 - 15:03
Today my gunsmith, Jerry Dove from Dove’s Custom Guns, dropped by the house with a rifle he has just finished working on. It is a pre-safety Marlin 336 in .35 Remington with a short barrel, XS Lever Rail and sights. It also has new Marlin wood and a sexy chocolate Cerakote finish. We shot a few factory loads and some handloads into itty bitty groups at 50 yards and then, after the builder left, I attached a Burris 2.75X Scout Scope and proceeded to whack a 5 inch steel plate at about 90 yards while shooting off-hand. At 34 inches and about six pounds this rifle is as sweet ripe strawberries for a woods hunter. I’ll be conducting a full review of this rifle for one of the GUNS Magazine Special Editions and, if I can find a way, it will likely be in the woods with me this fall. There is just something about a lever action .35 Remington, especially one as compact and easy handling as this one. But, this rifle needs a name and I’m asking for your help. Here are some options and feel free to suggest your own.

Empty Cases welcomes Ballistol as our newest sponsor

Thu, 09/25/2014 - 13:35
There are literally hundreds of lubricants, cleaners and preservatives you can use on guns, tools and machinery. Few if any have the history of Ballistol, which was developed at the turn of the century by two chemists for the German Imperial Army. They wanted a multipurpose oil for cleaning and maintaining metallic gun parts that would also protect wooden stocks and the leather gear of a soldier.  In 1904, Dr. Helmut Klever succeeded in producing the special compound, which he named “Ballistol” from the words “ballistic” and “oleum”, the Latin word for “oil.” Since then rugged outdoorsmen have learned there are thousands of other uses for Ballistol. I first used it to clean blackpowder muzzleloading rifles. Blackpowder residue is very corrosive and hard to remove but can’t hold up to Ballistol which will sweep it right away and then protect the steel. Some folks will tell you that Ballistol has a distinctive oder and some don’t like the smell. Never really bothered me because, I thought it just smelled like I knew what I was doing. We will keep you posted on how we most often use Ballistol and the new uses we find for it. In the mean time, visit the Ballistol web site and thank them for helping sponsor Empty Cases.  

The Nine if Fine – That’s what I’ve been saying!

Wed, 09/24/2014 - 11:05
The apparent move of law enforcement back to the 9mm will not stop the defensive handgun cartridge debate. In fact, I’m confident in saying that nothing will. Though I have no way of validating the authenticity of the report cited  at the LooseRounds blog, it makes perfect sense to me, I wonder why it took them so long to figure it out. Here are some high points of the report: Most of what is “common knowledge” with ammunition and its effects on the human target are rooted in myth and folklore. (Well, yeah. The same applies to hunting cartridges and ammunition too.) There is little to no noticeable difference in the wound tracks between premium line law Auto enforcement projectiles from 9mm Luger through the .45 Auto. (This is because ammo manufacturers make ammo to meet the FBI performance standards as close as possible in every caliber.) One should never debate on a gun make or caliber alone. The projectile is what wounds and ultimately this is where the debate/discussion should focus. (Yep, its all about the bullet.) Studies of “stopping power” are irrelevant because no one has ever been able to define how much power, force, or kinetic energy, in and of itself, is required to effectively stop a violent and determined adversary quickly, and even the largest of handgun calibers are not capable of delivering such force...

Lever Guns, Riflescopes and Cowboys

Mon, 09/22/2014 - 16:04
Ashley Emerson, the man who conceived XS Big Dot sights and the XS aperture iron sight system for rifles once told me, “You’ll go to hell if you put a scope on a lever gun.” That’s a bold statement and while I don’t agree with it, it is not without merit. The lever action rifle or more precisely the lever action carbine is a fast handling, quick to shoulder long gun that carries like a dream. It is butt heavy and this makes it a snap to get on target fast. Put a riflescope on a lever action and you diminish these qualities. Yes, I know, for 99.9% of all rifle shooting/hunting a riflescope of some sort is superior in precision and speed to open sights of any type. Finn Aagaard proved this axiom years ago and try as I might, I cannot disprove it. Regardless, it’s sort of like putting a camper top on a Chevrolet El Camino; it just ant right. And, it’s hard to firmly connect with your cowboy dreams with several hundred dollars of high tech optical glass screwed to your Wild West timepiece. But does a lever gun offer any real connection to the iconic West-winning cowboy? Sure it does. Several years ago I told an executive at Marlin, who did not understand this, “We all have a little cowboy in us.” Apparently the man had no cowboy in him at all because shortly there after he was let go. Should you scope a lever gun? Sure, if that...

A Tactical Vacation for Two

Sat, 09/20/2014 - 09:54
  Last year I worked with Crimson Trace and Gunsite Academy to establish what may be the first laser integrated week long firearms training course centered around the Defensive Handgun. With the help of Gunsite instructors Dave Starin and Chris Weare Crimson Trace laser grips were integrated into every aspect of the world renown and standard setting Gunsite 250 Pistol Course. The best part about this course is that you get all of the instruction associated with the 250 Pistol class and the additional training on the application of lasers as they relate to the defensive handgun. Now for the cool part; Crimson Trace is giving away attendance at this week long course for two people for free. Click HERE to enter the sweepstakes and start thinking about who you want to take with you. In fact, get them to register too, to double your chances to win. And, get this, if you win your air fare, ground transportation, lodging and course related fees are included. Opportunities to win a gun related prize potentially worth $ 5000.00 do not come round every day. Here is your chance to take part in the Gunsite experience!   Registration closes on 1 October 2014.

New Ammunition for the .30 AR (Remington’s Step Child)

Fri, 09/19/2014 - 14:41
Since I am one of the few shooters who truly appreciate the .30 Remington AR and very likely the only gun writer, I guess you could say this has become sort of the unofficial home for the cartridge. As it is, I’ve not worked much with it for about a year. This is partly due to the fact that I’d tried all the factory loads for it and worked up what I consider all of the perfect handloads. But, deer season is almost here and late last year I received a new factory load from Remington for the .30 Remington AR out of their Hog Hammer line. (All Hog Hammer loads utilize Barnes Triple Shock bullets.) I took the afternoon off and decided to check the zero on both of my .30 Remington ARs in preparation for the upcoming season and gave the new Hog Hammer load a try in both rifles. Wow! Remington got this one right for sure. Out of the R 15, equipped with a 1-5X Leupold, velocities for the 125 gain bullet were right at 2950 fps and three shots grouped into .88 inches. In the words of Shrek, “That’ll do Donkey.” Out of my featherweight New Ultra Light Arms .30 Remington AR the first three shots went into a similar group so I fired two more shots. Through the spotting scope that five shot group looked like it measured about an inch so I kept shooting. I ended up with a 10 shot group that measured less than two inches with one flyer. As...

Deer Rifles – New and Old

Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:11
In West Virginia deer season is about two months away. It is time to begin preparations. Maybe you should consider a new deer rifle. There is feeling that comes with a new deer rifle that is kind of like that new girlfriend experience you had back in high school. And, a new rifle does not have to be one that is brand new off the rack; it could just be new to you, like that girlfriend was. I’ve been shooting a new lever action rifle from Henry for the past week. It’s chambered of the .45-70 cartridge and is a sweet handling thumper. (An upcoming review can be found in NRA’s American Hunter Magazine.) I thought about writing a check and hunting with that rifle this fall but I already have a Marlin .45-70. Used it to take my African buffalo. I could deer hunt with that instead. Of course I have a new Steyr Scour Rifle in the safe and I’ve been shooting it a lot lately. I can shoot it very well too. Maybe that is the “new” rifle I should deer hunt with. Then again, as practical as the .308 Winchester is for all North American big game, I sort of enjoy new cartridge experiences more than new rifle experiences. For that reason I’m anxious to try the .24-45 Sharps I put together on a Mossberg MVP that I call the CUR out on whitetails. Bat used it in African on several critters but I loaded up some 117 grain round nose bullets...

Hard Work = Ammunition

Tue, 09/16/2014 - 13:26
We were all sitting around having lunch. The chore at hand was jacking up a house and Grandpa as usual had assembled his offspring and their offspring to do the hard labor. Grandpa, as always, was the facilitator; the man what made things happen. Two corners of the house were perilously perched on railroad jacks. Some hogs had worked their way up underneath the house and that bothered Grandpa. “You kids get under there and run them hogs out before the house falls and kills one of them.” We did and at that time I didn’t think anything about what he had said. After all, Grandpa was always worried about the stock. Looking back it seems a bit weird he was worried about the house falling on the hogs and not us. Later on Grandpa sold some property but in the deal the new owner agreed to let him tear down the building that was on the land. Grandpa knew there were a lot of good building materials there. Again, he assembled his crew and my job that summer was pulling and straightening nails. Yeah, that’s right. I took a clam hammer and pulled every nail out of every board that was used to build that building. Then, I took that same hammer and straightened every nail I had pulled. I thought it was stupid but this was at a time when a Lowes or hardware store was not on every corner or open on Sunday. And you know what? No matter the...

Top Seven Deer Hunter Sins

Sat, 09/13/2014 - 17:45
It’s here. Deer season that is. Well, maybe its not there, where you are, actually its not here either. But it’s close enough to say its almost here and almost is a good thing because you are a deer hunting sinner and its time to change your ways. Here are the top seven deer hunting sins. Sin One: Walking through the woods with your rifle slung over your shoulder. If you have never been walking through the woods with your rifle slung on your shoulder and had a big buck step out in front of you or jump from the bushes, you’re not a real deer hunter yet. (Of course you could be one of those TV type hunters who have little rainproof boxes to hunt from.) It happens. Happens all the time. If you are going to deer hunt, deer hunt. If you’re going to take a nature walk, leave the deer rifle at home and take a camera or a cute girl. Sin Two: Not using binoculars. Yeah I know, you got two good eyes, hunt in the woods and have a high powered scope; you don’t think you need binoculars because you always see all the deer that come by when you’re hunting. Well, how do you know you’re seeing them all? In Texas, Montana, Main and Virginia, binoculars help us all see better and if you’re not hunting with them, you’re not seeing all the deer you can. Course, you could be sleeping on stand, which means your chair is too comfortable or that...

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