Empty Cases

Turkey hunting is stupid. I know, some of you have already picked up rocks to throw my way; you may have even loaded your Mossberg 500 with three-inch magnums and jumped in your truck to drive to West Virginia. But wait; let me explain. You get up before the crow has taken his morning leak. Then, you drive for miles out into the country. Just as the sun is starting to pink-up the morning sky, you get out a long tube and blow into it trying to sound like an owl. What you really sound like is a cow with digestion problems. Then, nothing happens. You walk about a mile, blow into your fake owl / cow call again and then you hear a turkey gobble back where you parked the truck. The sun is almost up so you run. Yes, you run like your headed to home plate – like Forest Gump, back to almost where your truck is parked. Then you throw out some plastic birds that look like depressed, meth head turkeys. next, you put your back against a tree and pull a mask down over your face because you think that the turkey you’re hunting knows the turkey hunting expert you are. Now, it gets even more stupid. You put a piece of rubber in your mouth and start blowing; trying to make a sound like a lovesick hen. The really talented turkey callers move their head in a turkey like motion. They even put their hand up to their face so it is apparent

From the time I was knee high to my grandfather I can remember him saying, “You gotta hold a fine bead.” Of course he was talking about shooting and shooting was something that was a matter of pride to him and just about every other West Virginian I met. Well, at least back in the day. One thing I’ve learned since those days tromping along at my grandfather’s heels is that his advice of “holding a fine bead” applies to just about everything  else in life too. But, this is not about the other things in life, it is about shooting. I remember when Dad used to tell me about going to Basic Training. He said when the drill instructor found out he was from West Virginia he remarked, “Well, at least we won’t have to teach you to shoot.” Apparently, not much changed between the time Dad was at Fort Knox and when I went there some 30 years later. The drill sergeants said the same thing to me. The West Virginia University Rifle team is made up of 11 shooters. Granted, only two are from West Virginia, but that pride in trigger pulling is something the school has adopted. And, it something that the other team members from Missouri, Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and even as far away as Poland, Germany, Estonia and Slovenia have embraced as well. You might also find it interes

Why 88? Probably because the greatest lever action of all time was made by Savage and used 99 for the model number. I owned an 88 myself once; I’d learned it was a cousin to my Dad’s model 100 Winchester. I toyed with the 88 for a while, figured out how far to turn the forward stock screw to make it shoot little groups and then traded it for a Remington model 7 MS from the custom shop. That model 7 helped me take one of my best bucks but, looking back, I kinda wish I’d been carrying the 88 that day. Adam Heggenstaller over at NRA’s American Hunter talks about a scope on his 88 but I think the rifle is best suited to an aperture sight. I never could get comfortable sticking my neck far enough forward to see through a scope on an 88 or a 100. Yeah, the 88 is drilled and tapped for a scope but so is a Marlin lever action. That don’t mean you have to put one on it. My 88 story is not near as good as Adam’s You can read his HERE. If this nostalgic Grandpa infused tale inspires you to go out and find an 88, or if you’re just a die hard Dale Jr. fan, I’d suggest you look for the Pre-64 version. Its easy to spot, it will have checking instead of a basket weave pattern. Just don’t expect to get it cheap; some folks think they should be collected and not fired. Shame on them folks!

This morning I was looking back over some work I’d completed 10 years ago. Sometimes I have to research my own work because my brain is old and cannot remember things. While doing so, I stumbled on this story I wrote and it might be of interest to some. (This is about as deep as my shotgun writing gets and maybe it won’t waist your time like some stupid list.) Small patches of fog drifted just above the treetops like lost spirits. The morning was cool and overcast and the world seemed dim. Robert stepped from the car and picked up his coffee he had ignored during the drive. The coffee was cold.  He poured it out and tossed the cup into the car. Taking the hunting vest from the back seat he slid it on; 16 gauge shot-shells ratted in the pockets. It had the aroma of must but there was another smell, one he remembered. Pulling the shotgun from the well-worn case he noticed rust on the receiver at the balance point. That bothered him. Like it would make it go away, he covered the rust with his hand and started toward the old gate that framed a new high-tech plastic posted sign. His keys were still in the ignition. On the old haul road, just past the gate, a wide hollow opened to the left and into the rising sun. Covered by a canopy of giant hardwoods a trickle of a creek meandered down the draw. The path was there, just

Lists seem to be the way to drive traffic to a blog. Top 10 this and top 10 that; I guess folks like lists because when they see their thing on the list it makes them feel good and when they see there thing not on the list it gives them something to whine about. And, as you all know, feeling good and whining are the top two things humans like to do. So, in order to drive thousands of readers to my blog, I’ve made a list. Increasing traffic is the only reason I’ve made this list because who could possible care which guns I’ll never own? 5. A shotgun. Yeah, really, a shotgun. I don’t like shotguns and I don’t do anything that requires a shotgun. There are two shotguns in my house. My son has a Remington 11-87 20 gauge and I have my dad’s old Winchester model 12. (Keeping my dad’s shotgun is not the same as owning a shotgun.) I tend to agree with the great Hawkeye, aka Natty Bumppo when it comes to shotguns. He said, “but if there is a law at all, it should be to keep people from the use of smooth-bores. A body never knows where his lead will fly, when he pulls the trigger of one of them uncertain fire-arms.” 4. The DoubleTap thingamabob. This is a two-shot derringer type handgun chambered for .45 ACP. It weighs 12 ounces and is almost six inches long and four inches tall. Remington&#

Today I was talking to a friend about hand loading rifle ammunition and the topic of accuracy came up. Accurate ammunition is usually very straight or concentric ammunition meaning; the case neck and the bullet, when it is loaded into the case, are parallel with the centerline of the case. Start a bullet down a barrel straight and it will generally come out and fly straight. Course, trigger pulling matters too but we can all shoot great from a bench – or we at least like to think we are Walt Berger! Checking the concentricity of your brass before you load a bullet into it is the smart thing to do. (Ever seen an archer look down their arrow? Guess what they are doing!) You can do this with the RCBS Case Master.  Just position the case so the ball tip rests on the case neck near the case mouth.  First check the concentricity of fired brass. This will tell you if the chamber in your rifle is cut straight. If you are seeing a neck run-out of more than .003 in fired brass, you have a rifle problem. If fired brass shows little or no run-out, size five cases and check the run-out of each case. If it’s over or varies more than .003, you have a problem with your sizing die and it’s likely the expander ball that’s causing it. Remove the expander rod and ball from the die and run those same five cases back through the sizing die. Odd

Short of a date with a beautiful woman with a great personality, there is nothing like going to the range with exceptional gear. Today I spent most of the morning testing a new rifle stock from SISK rifles and a new riflescope from Nightforce. Both impressed me. The S.T.A.R. rifle / rifle stock from Sisk is designed so that it can be adjusted to any shooter no matter their size or position. The concept is so revolutionary that instead of giving Sisk a patent, they granted him a book of patents. Not only is the stock adjustable for the user, it can also be configured to best suit the mission. It even has a mount to attach your suppressor to when it is not attached to the barrel. (I get to take credit for that idea.) If you are a die-hard tactical long range shooter and are looking for a highly adjustable and versatile rifle stock, you need to check out the S.T.A.R. The new Nightforce riflescope was just as impressive but coming from Nightforce who would expect less. It is their new SHV 4-14X 56mm scope and it it also much more affordable than other Nightforce scopes. It weighs 27 ounces and is less than 15 inch along. Eye relief is between 3.1 and 3.5 inches and the reticle is in the 2nd focal plane. The adjustments on this scope were as precise as any I’ve turned. They delivered as close to 0.25 MOA per click as I could co

Hunters might want to check out a new BLOG called Field Test. Its part of NRA’s American Hunter magazine and is being put together by Adam Heggenstaller. Adam used to be my editor at NRA’s Shooting Illustrated magazine but now he is plying his craft at American Hunter. (This means he is mostly traveling all over the world to hunt and play with cool and interesting gear.) Adam is also a straight up guy and you’ll only get the straight dope from him. His post on the Trijicon Accupoint scope is a perfect example. For hunters, I think it is one of the best scopes you can buy. Had I not had one in Africa last spring, while hunting with Fort Richmond Safaris, I would have never shot my last day, last hour, last minute kudu. It was one of my best hunts ever and I’ve got Trijicon to thank for it.

Here is a teaser trailer for a movie that has a unique concept. Obviously, science fiction, but imagine the impact these guys could have had on history. You can read more about the project HERE and if it is something that interests you, make a donation. Donation compensation packages area available from $ 5 to $ 10,000, where you can become an Associate Producer. I am a little shocked and somewhat heart broken that the director has yet to call me to play the Josey Wales like, Confederate guerrilla solider part. (Could it be that he has not seen my serious look?) I guess he’s afraid that if they did they would have to double their production costs. But surely, having me in the film would be just the draw he needs to excite investors and pull in the women viewers. Ahh, maybe not. Folks keep me out of videos for a reason. I’m gonna throw some cash their way and maybe that will help me at least score part as one of the dead or wounded.