About Ed Hale

I am an avid hunter with rifle and Bow and have been hunting for more than 50 years. I have taken big game such as whitetail deer, red deer, elk, Moose and African Plains game such as Kudu, Gemsbok, Springbok, Blesbok, and Impala and wrote an ebook entitled African Safari -Rifle and Bow and Arrow on how to prepare for a first safari. Ed is a serious cartridge reloader and ballistics student. He has earned two degrees in science and has written hundreds of outdoor article on hunting with both bow and rifle.

Under the Christmas Tree – A Leupold Rifle Scope

Tell your loved ones now, that you want a better rifle scope for next season. Tell her or him you want an American Made and Engineered Leupold scope. Why? They are an investment for life of the finest, most rugged and dependable optics on the planet with a Lifetime Warranty.

If you are not a long range hunter or shooter you can perhaps get away with less expensive second class scopes in the 150.00 dollar range but remember that at some point “what you have is gonna be what you hunt big game with” spending thousands of dollars at some future point. Here is the question you should ask yourself: Do I want to risk a $7000.00 hunt on a $150.00 scope (begins with N) with average light gathering and rubber gasket nitrogen filled whatever that can lose nitrogen and produce internal moisture? Well, on a local deer hunt, I discovered that! Glad I was not on a western hunt…

I used my Leupold scopes in Africa on 2 rifles and was I so glad I did.

Optical Clarity, ability to dial your scope accurately are essential for longer ranges. But most importantly your scope will not fog in cold weather and handle the recoil. I had a lesser expensive scope that was great in summer, but out on a cold day, it fogged up and I could not see the deer. Was I upset! I guess you could say that! Lesson learned.

I am a Leupold Scope fan and advocate at least a VX-III Series Scope a world class contender in optics. You get what you pay for here Diamond Coat Glass, Argon Crypton gas.

VX-3i 3.5-10 x40mm for an MSRP of $519.00. https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-3i-3-5-10x40mm

If you can invest more the VX-6 is my champion in 3 -18 x 44mm. From 3 to 18 magnification in just a twist of the dial. And the VX-6 7-42 56mm far below.

Below according to Leupold’s website;

“Diamond Coat 2™ – Exterior lens surfaces are treated with DiamondCoat 2™, an ion-assist lens coating, for higher light transmission and the greatest level of abrasion resistance we’ve ever offered. DiamondCoat 2™ has the additional advantage of assisting in light transmission, for greater brightness, clarity and contrast, and will prove its worth in the wildest places on earth.

Twilight Max Light Management System

“Light management means delivering usable light to your eye and forming a crisp, high contrasting image. Lens coatings are applied that maximize light transmission in blue and red, and balancing colors to develop the highest possible contrast. Glare is controlled with special mechanical structures. This means you can see antler tines in dark shadows long after the competition has gone home.”

Twin Bias Spring Erector System

“The twin bias spring exerts up to 30 percent more holding force on the erector, virtually eliminating erector system backlash and stress on the vital internal workings of the scope, for longer life.”

For heavy recoiling rifles like my 338 Winchester magnum and my 375 Ruger the twin bias erector system was just the ticket to strengthen the erector system and greatly improve field reliability giving me the utmost confidence.

For Long Range Competition or Hunting you can step up to the VX-6 all the way up to the 7 – 42 x 56mm. Its as long as my keyboard below and sports a 34mm tube.

One twist and go from 7x to 42x , Holy Mackerel! Put that on your bull at 600 yards! We shoot this in Long Range Competition and are mightily impressed and will shoot it in all our competitive shoots. It is for someone who needs the best and most power, most light gathering possible.

Invest in American Made Leupold Scopes, Rangefinders, Spotting scopes too!

 

 

 

New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine New High’s

Shooting and Hunting Friends,

Great News! New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine is surging in readership has grown World Wide to over 50,000 readers each year and is on track to exceed 90,000 readers with its current surge of 250 readers a day. I wish to thank all of my readers for following us.

One of my great finds of this past few years is the 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridge for both target and big game hunting and for the exceptional rifle quality of Ruger, Savage, Thompson Center, and Smith & Wesson shown here in testing.

The best rifle hunting bullets are made by Nosler. Such as the partition, AccuBond® and AccuBond Long Range and the gilding copper E-Tip®. We like Hornady too, especially their Precision Hunter™ Cartridges with the ELD-X bullets with Heat Shield™ tip.

Further that the best US made optics are Leupold Rifle Scopes and optical products. I swear by the Leupold name and highly recommend them as a life long investment for both hunting and target.  The VX-6 3-18 is by far the finest scope I have ever owned and has the best clarity, adjustability, durability and lifetime guarantee out there.

As we approach the years end we look forward to larger things to come for New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine.

If you wish to advertise with us, please send email to erhale@comcast.net we will be glad to discuss options with you.

Cheers! Good Hunting!

Ed Hale – Editor-in-Chief/Owner

Felt Recoil: A progression of purchases for the would-be deer and elk hunter. Enter the 6.5 Creedmoor

There are a number of questions to ask yourself as you make a rifle purchase, invariably felt recoil is a significant factor among many others. For young and female hunters and shooters, if it ain’t fun to shoot, the desire will wane in a few outings. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a real all around big game cartridge and is low in recoil and fun to shoot!

Historically, the BB gun and Pellet Rifle begin the progression and have no felt recoil, are fun to shoot, and take small game like squirrels.

Next is the .22 Long Rifle with very little recoil and fun to shoot and can take game up to Coyote.

The .223 is next and geared more for target and varmint/coyote and home defense and has a felt recoil of well under 10 ft-lbs making it easy and fun to shoot. Under strict circumstances it can be used on deer, but I do not recommend it as a deer rifle cartridge.

The .243/6mm is what I call a great starter first deer cartridge as its felt recoil with an 80 grain bullet is very tolerable, fun to shoot and accurate. You can shoot up to 110 grain bullets with a bit more felt recoil and kill deer out to 300 yards. The problem is that the purchase is another in a stepping stone effect toward a real big game rifle.

In 30 caliber a great starter rifle is the 30-30 for close hunting here in the Northeast under 100 yards as it has a low felt recoil but later gathers dust in my closet for more power. I do not consider the 30-30 a real all around big game rifle.

Enter the 6.5 Creedmoor, an outstanding target rifle and what I believe is a real big game hunting rifle cartridge with a low felt recoil of just over 10-12 ft-lbs. Shooting this rifle standing, a 12 to 14 yr old kid can shoot it and handle the low recoil and make a very fine long term Big Game investment and be used in the off season as a tack driving target rifle and varmint cartridge.

Handloading makes the 6.5 a best investment as you can load down to .243 like recoil and work up.

Next is the .270 Winchester which is a very fine hunting cartridge. But if you already own a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, you don’t need a .270 as the 6.5 replicates it already out to over 500 yards with a 140 grain bullet on deer and elk. Now if you already own a .270 and handload your ammo, then you will never purchase a 6.5 Creedmoor unless you are also a target shooter like me in the off season. The Creedmoor will shoot ultra tight groups that you can rarely shoot with the .270 Winchester and do it with much less recoil. The 6.5 Creedmoor in today’s hunting rifles can shoot holes in holes.

In any rifle you can add a new state-of-the-art recoil pad and cut 50% of the felt recoil. I highly advise that! Accuracy improves dramatically when shooters are comfortable with the felt recoil. In closing, I highly recommend the 6.5 Creedmoor in your favorite rifle for any hunter at ages 12 and over especially if you hand load. And I am a Nosler AccuBond and E-Tip fan too as they stay together in game.

Good Hunting!

© 2017

Smith & Wesson Announces New M&P Shield® M2.0™ Pistol Series

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:
Matt Spafford, Smith & Wesson Corp.

1-844-772-5159

media@smith-wesson.com

 

Smith & Wesson Announces New M&P Shield® M2.0 Pistol Series

The M&P M2.0 Family Just Got Slim…and Bright

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., (October 16, 2017) – Smith & Wesson Corp. today announced the launch of its new M&P Shield M2.0 pistol series, including the M&P Shield M2.0 pistol with Integrated Crimson Trace® Laser. Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, the M&P Shield M2.0 pistol family builds upon the popular M&P M2.0 platform, delivering professional-grade features and proven performance in a slim, lightweight, and easy-to-carry profile that incorporates the enhanced M2.0 feature set.

James Debney, President, and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corporation said, “When we launched the M&P Shield pistol, it quickly became the pistol of choice in the concealed carry market.  Having recently shipped our 2-millionth M&P Shield pistol we are now excited to build upon its success by introducing our newest Shield in the popular M&P M2.0 series of products.  As personal protection continues to be a leading driver for consumers purchasing a handgun, the M&P Shield M2.0 pistol and M&P Shield M2.0 pistol with Integrated Crimson Trace Laser both provide an all-in-one package for those looking for an everyday carry firearm.”

The M&P Shield M2.0 pistol builds upon the success of the best-selling M&P Shield pistol line through notable enhancements, including the M&P M2.0 crisp trigger with lighter trigger pull, a tactile and audible trigger reset, and aggressive grip texture for enhanced control.  Those familiar with the M&P Shield product line will recognize the familiar, slim profile and 18-degree grip angle for a natural point of aim.  Available with or without a manual thumb safety, the M&P Shield M2.0 pistol series features a 3.1” barrel in both 9mm and .40 S&W, is available with both white dot sights or tritium night sights, and ships with one standard and one extended grip magazine.

The M&P Shield M2.0 pistol is also available with Integrated Crimson Trace Laser, providing consumers with an out-of-the-box concealed carry solution that features two laser modes and ambidextrous laser activation for user confidence and reliable performance day or night.

The new M&P Shield M2.0 pistol carries an MSRP of $479, or an MSRP of $579 including tritium night sights.

The new M&P Shield M2.0 pistol with Integrated Crimson Trace Laser carries an MSRP of $499.

For more information about the M&P Shield M2.0 family of pistols, including spec sheets and images, please click here.

For more information on Smith & Wesson products, please visit www.smith-wesson.com

About Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson Corp. is a provider of quality firearms for personal protection, target shooting and hunting in the global consumer and professional markets. Smith & Wesson is world famous for its handguns and long guns sold under the Smith & Wesson®, Performance Center®, M&P®, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech® brands.  Through its Manufacturing Services Division, Smith & Wesson Corp. also provides forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services to a wide variety of consumer goods companies. For more information on Smith & Wesson, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com.

Rifle Recoil, Accuracy and the 6.5 Creedmoor for Big Game Hunters

It is axiomatic that most can shoot with more accuracy with a .22 LR Rifle than with a larger center fire bullet. The fundamental reason is lack of recoil or kick as some may say.

Many folks recommend the .243 Winchester (6mm) as a good rifle caliber for a young deer hunter. And for good reason, it has low recoil in the 8 to 11 ft-lb class that many women and young shooters can easily handle.

But what if I could raise the caliber to 6.5 and still shoot in the 10 to 11 ft-lb class and really be able to pack a wallop at long range and have even deeper penetration ensuring game going down faster.

The 6.5 Creedmoor does just that and with great accuracy! I am a big fan as you can tell from all of my articles!

At right is a 6.5 Creedmoor next to a 30-06 cartridge. Big difference!!  All said and done, the 6.5 Creedmoor built rifle can be lighter and easily handled in the field making it even more popular for all day or all week hunting and handling. Who doesn’t like that!

I have tested several rifles here in New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine with the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge and find that many rifle brands are extremely cost effective from say the $400 to 600 dollar range for a new rifle such as Ruger, Thompson Center, Weatherby and Savage to name a few. And all of those I tested were MOA or better in accuracy.  I mean really, that is just fantastic. If you hand load the 6.5 you are in for a treat, at the bench and at the target range it shoots holes in holes bringing a smile to  my face every time. As a varmint rifle it is in the process of making new permanent friends for Coyote and Woodchuck/Prairie Dog hunters too.

I hope to shoot the 6.5 Creedmoor soon in a Weatherby Rifle I am due to test. Look for it soon!

© 2017

The WHITETAIL RUT IS ON!!

Each year I wait to hear those words but the hunters like me are in RUT too. They are out buying equipment, ammo, arrows, broadheads, scent killers and soaps a sure sign the hunters are in full rut. On the deer side, the first does are coming or near coming into estrous.

The bucks are going bonkers in anticipation!

Years back I found a spot where a young buck was working a deer trail scraping his small antlers on small saplings. I placed a scrape with multiple scents and never saw any deer use that trail again.

Less is often better.

I could have made a mock scrape and put just one drop of scent in it. Trust me the deer can smell it!

One of the things that I sometimes forget to take into account is that the doe’s are on the look out for potential mates too and walk leaving her inter-digital gland scent saying who she is. She can be spooked out too and leave the area taking the buck with her.

You gotta find where the deer are my friends. I have been out scouting and found very little recent deer activity except in one spot where a very big buck track was seen on the edge of a clover field. Big tracks are very rare to belong to a doe.

I am guessing the doe’s are feeding there at night and the buck is on the lookout for an estrous doe. This is a place I have been before so I know.

WATCH THAT WIND!!!!!!

This is a place to study especially early morning and at dusk.  Got to get into the woods and intersect them without giving yourself away with too much human scent. Yea watch the wind and thermals on hillsides for morning updrafts and afternoon down drafts. If you are caught in a morning updraft thermal say at 7AM, that buck above is gonna smell you. Best to be in place always before light for a morning hunt. And in place by 2 pm or so for an afternoon hunt.

Still hunt when there are lots of other hunters! They bump deer!

Don’t over hunt a spot!

More….

© 2017

 

Muzzleloader Season for Whitetails : T/C Encore Pro Hunter Rifle with Muzzleloader barrel

tc-pro-hunter

Here in New Hampshire Muzzleloader season is almost upon us and it is tough to just get to see deer in my sights. I want the gun to go boom on the first shot! The T/C Encore does that with a flair. I wrote a series of articles on this rifle last year. see below. Check it out! Enjoy!

My  T/C Encore Pro Hunter Rifle can swap to a Muzzleloader barrel. And last year I used a 30-06 barrel on a Russian Boar hunt. Read it below.

http://www.nhrifleman.com/?s=skinner&submit=Search

I swapped back to the muzzleloader barrel for the coming whitetail hunt here in New Hampshire beginning October 28.

Use your favorite bullet. See history of articles below on this TC Encore.

http://www.nhrifleman.com/?s=TC+Encore&submit=Search

Good Hunting!

© 2017

TC Venture in 6.5 Creedmoor – Out of the Box at 100 yards

First three shots from this brand spanking new TC Venture right out of the box, for a 3 shot group below using Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X in 6.5 Creedmoor measure 7/16 inch at 100 yds. Wow! And I know that I can do better for grouping  all from a gun that is advertised as MOA accurate. This is Sub-MOA Accurate. Wow! What is Weathershield™? See video below that says “way better than stainless steel” !!!

https://youtu.be/WrGs3O1WWdc

Spec’s from T/C website:

My first target at 100 yards with a 4.2 lb trigger that can be adjusted 3.5 to 5 lbs.

My bench setup below with very crisp and clear Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36mm. Nice!!

This rifle has a synthetic clip that holds 3 shots and can be easily removed from the rifle in a snow or wet rain filled cold day where your body shivers. I would order a spare clip and have on hand. The bolt opens and closed a bit more snug than some bolts, but many will find that an advantage. I like the weaver bases already mounted.

The safety is a two position on/off lever at the top rear of the bolt.

Overall I give this rifle an A+ “out of the box” for price and quality for a USA product.

It has posts for a sling and is easy to carry. With a MSRP of $578 how can you go wrong.

More soon…

© 2017

 

 

 

 

Thirteen Original Colonies – French and Indian Warfare Tactics gave birth to the wide use of the Pennsylvania Rifle for a new kind of warfare.

In my research on the Pennsylvania/Kentucky Rifle, (America’s first Sniper Rifle) I learned that Continental Congress leaders learned warfare tactics by Native Indians et. al. during the French and Indian war of 1756 also known in Europe as the Seven Years War.

http://www.history.com/topics/seven-years-war/videos/what-was-the-french-and-indian-war

 

“SEE WEBSITE BELOW :

“Riflemen played an important role in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, wars characterized by irregular combat in woodland battlefields. By the eve of the latter conflict, several patriot leaders believed that American woodsmen armed with Pennsylvania Rifles could easily defeat stodgy, musket-wielding redcoats. In 1775 George Washington recruited rifle companies as the core of his new Continental Army. The Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment and units from southern colonies answered the call.”

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-333

The British had the 13 colonies and wanted expand north and west. The French had Canadian land in Quebec and wanted to expand south and west. It was the native Indians of different tribes that aided both sides in battle.

It was George Washington who learned battle tactics during this time frame.

http://www.history.com/topics/seven-years-war/videos/george-washingtons-early-years

And in New Hampshire, General John Stark learned his new colonial battle tactics under the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment led by Colonel Nathaniel Meserve under British leadership in the French and Indian War as well.

Accordingly, the British won the French and Indian war and concluded with the Treaty of Paris but because Britain’s Secretary of State William Pitt who managed the money, borrowed heavily to win. Accordingly the British taxed the colonist’s too heavily for it and resulted in rebellion. Thus making British leadership and its military unwelcome in the colonies and itching for a Revolution to kick the British and its King George driven monarchy out.

Meanwhile, the German trained, Pennsylvania gunsmiths such as Jacob Dickert, were busy making the Pennsylvania Rifle many know as the Kentucky Rifle (to settle Kentucky) with grooves (called rifling) in the barrel to spin the bullet. Thus making that rifle a superb long range rifle, out to 300 yards, in the hands of a marksman, hunter or soldier. General Washington created Rifle Regiments…and Brigadier General Daniel Morgan

A master of the Pennsylvania Rifle and one the most brilliant battlefield tacticians of the Revolution and trusted by General Washington.

And today we get to honor those men and reenact with that Rifle and Hunt with it.