Category: Shooting

Mr. Completely has a follow up on his first ammo post that’s worth reading. I have to agree about Remington Bulk ammo bring pretty bad. I still have a lot of that stuff, and it’s my reserve supply in case I can’t get decent .22LR ammo.

I would have thought an ammo factory would look more industrial, and less like a really fancy version of a reloading bench. If one can make large quantities of ammo in one’s garage, how do they ever expect bans on guns and ammunition to work?

Chris Byrne looks at a new book by Brian Litz, who is the chief ballistician for Berger Bullets, as well as National Palma Champion. Sounds interesting. I might have to get a copy.

This reflects my experience. Shooting Silhouette, recovering from a misfire is not all that costly, but if speed is your game, it can be really costly. I’ve found that CCI .22LR ammo, or .22LR ammo that is Eley primed, even if it’s the cheap Mexican ammo, is very reliable in terms of going bang when you pull the trigger. But as Mr. C. points out:

What ammo do I recommend, you ask? Since what I am writing here may be read some time in the future, and since manufacturer’s specifications, tolerances, and quality control, or lack thereof, may change, I hesitate to either recommend or condemn any particular brand. Ammo that really sucks right now may be the best out there in a couple of years. I will go so far as to say that one state famous for their spuds also produces some very fine rimfire ammunition! If you see me at a match I’ll be glad to tell you what I’m using, but for now, I can only suggest trying different brands and see what works for you.

I’ve had very good luck with CCI overall, but I’ve been using a lot of Mexican Aguila .22LR because it’s more available, shoots decently enough, and costs less (depending on when and where you look). I’ve also used Eley Sport, which is made by Aguila, but which I don’t find offers any advantage over the Aguila branded ammo. If you can afford Eley Tenex, it’s hard to beat for accuracy, but most people can’t afford to shoot it unless they are a top competitor in a sport where accuracy is prime.

If you’re shooting any volume, I have to agree with Mr. C that it’s hard to find too much wrong with CCI’s products these days. I’ve bought .22LR ammo from Remington and Federal that haven’t worked nearly as well, and still have a bunch I haven’t shot just because it’s not reliable in my .22 semi-autos. Usually one of my first bits of advice, if someone is having problems in a .22LR semi auto is “Have you tried another brand of ammunition, and does it have the same problems?” Anything chambered in .22LR is going to be a lot more sensitive to ammo brand than other firearms.

A group of local enthusiasts of squash artillery are going to try to find out when they attempt a world record. These things are generally really big air guns. They are making their attempt in Utah, in hopes of taking advantage of the thinner atmosphere at elevation to get better distance. I guess that’s what they have to do now, is go for elevation, since at 700mph, you’re pushing the sound barrier. I can’t imagine pumpkins would survive intact because of the supersonic shockwave.

Gun Pundit points out that it’s continuing to drop. I would point out to the Brady Campaign that this is almost entirely a result of educational effort by gun owners to other gun owners, and did not require their usual prescription of government mandates. Instructors, Match Directors, Range Safety Officers, and various other opinion leaders in shooting have been beating people over the head with Jeff Cooper’s four rules for years, and it’s working. The shooting industry these days also provides lots of options to keep firearms ready for self-defense, but safe from small hands. Also all done without government mandates.

This is a success story that involves shooters taking responsibility for the health of their community, and it’s worked. Perhaps if gun control groups are really interested in lowering death counts, rather than trying to take away our rights, they could work with us to create other such voluntary culture shifting paradigms? I wouldn’t count on it.

Dave Markowitz is reporting on Langhorne Rod and Gun Club’s Annual Zombie Shoot. Any club that can put on a fun, popular and safe event, while charging 75 dollars and still having to turn people away is doing something right. Last winter I shot a few of the practical rifle matches at Langhorne, and thought they were pretty fun. I even took third place in their three gun match. This winter, while my club isn’t doing much outside, I might have to go back.

Via the Outdoor Press Room, it looks like gun clubs in Massachusetts are doing what they can to resist Governor Patrick’s plan to effectively shut them down. It’s for our own good, according to Governor Patrick:

He said the new rules are not a response to the Westfield accident per se, but a comprehensive package to create a safer environment for those who use guns.

Who asked you? I’ve never felt unsafe at any of our local clubs. I imagine it’s the same way in Massachusetts. This is the typical motus operandi of the gun control movement. Take something that sounds completely reasonable to your average non-knowing person, which is that clubs don’t have a whole lot of money, typically, and regularly hold public events as part of their mission to promote the shooting sports. I mean, who could possibly object to having a police detail at your local smallbore match?

SayUncle lists thirteen types of people one can expect to encounter at the range. I’ve definitely seen most of them. Not sure which one would fit for me. I hardly show up at the range for casual practice anymore.

He took first place in Frontier Cartridge Duelist at the New Jersey State match for the Single Action Shooting Society. For those not into Cowboy Action, Frontier Cartridge Duelist is a single action pistol, being shot one handed, with a black powder load. Looks something like this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUGIQKCtv2Y[/youtube]

At first, I thought the gun the dude was shooting was a semi-auto, because the shots were so damned fast. I could barely see him working the lever.