Author Archives: Ed Hale

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.

1760 style – Pennsylvania Long Rifle- Build Status

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If you have stayed in touch with my writing, I purchased a custom build kit from Jim Chambers (http://www.flintlocks.com/rifles.htm) for a Lancaster Pennsylvania Flintlock Rifle nearly identical to Jacob Dickert’s Rifles who made them for the American Revolution’s Sharp Shooters and for Over Mountain Men.

Rifle Kits Include All This

I am into the build process by 26 hours and have been very happy with my progress without any real errors to speak of thus far. Only 75 more hours to go! I now own 150 dollars worth of carving chisels and a very large 80 dollar vise. I am happy that I purchased them as they made cutting and shaping the wood much easier. The barrel is now mounted, the butt plate is cut in and the lock is being fitted to the already mortised area and needs fitting.

A video provided is helping immeasurably.  I have fitted the 44 inch Swamp Barrel (fat on the ends and thinner in the middle) to the stock using a chisel and files. The barrel tang shape was filed into a spade shape and mortised into the stock and tapped and threaded to the trigger plate.

This all sounds easy but it was not. The lock mortise was shaped for me but had to be hand fitted to the flintlock mechanism and took hours of making minor chisel cuts for fear of barging ahead and making a major blunder.

Patience is the key and an ability to work with hand tools.

I will show pictures at some point. It is all too raw at this stage.

So far so good! Very satisfying thus far!

Good Shooting!

 

 

 

Testing Begins Soon On The Gold Ring Leupold VX-6 7- 42 x 56mm Scope

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OMG, This Leupold Scope, created in part by competitive long range shooters, is worth more than any of the hunting rifles I own and designed specifically for long range such as F-Class Competition with ultra precision.

MSRP is $2700 but I have seen it advertised for just under $2000. Is it worth the price?

At NH Rifleman Magazine we are serious about testing it.

If you are serious about winning Long Range Competitive Rifle shoots, this is one may likely bear your attention.

https://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/scopes/competition-riflescopes/vx-6-7-42x56mm-34mm-side-focus-target/

A superior scope is an investment in winning. A simple fact of Competition, that superior equipment and attention to detail is essential. The VX-6 product line is based on the Zoom ratio of 6 to 1. A turn of the dial takes you on an optical ride from 7 power and zooms you to 42 power magnification in just a twist.

Its 56mm Objective lens allows mega amounts of light inside and it is transmitted by its very large 34mm tube for maximum image quality.

It has shipped from Leupold yesterday and should be here soon.

Look for more on this scope soon…

Good Shooting!

Nosler 6.5 Creedmoor Reduced Drag Factor (RDF) Match Grade 140 grain from a Ruger American Predator Hunting Rifle – Initial Test by Ed Hale

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First let me say that the bullets reload very easily as do most boat tail bullets. The left bullet is the 6.5 Creedmoor. See my previous article on the same subject.

I pulled up the Nosler 140 grain bullet table at https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/65-creedmoor/ and found that 36 grains of RL-15 powder shot really well at 100 yards despite a right to left crosswind of up to 10-12 mph. I tried some IMR 4895 and grouped at 1.5 inches. Good group for Deer hunting not Competition!

I tried to shoot in wind lulls as much as I could. Below are 6 shots using RL-15 in a row about  2 minutes apart per shot with no concern for barrel heating/cooling.

 

The right group above was my aiming point where 4 rounds squeezed into a half inch and the left 2 shots were likely the result of wind drift to the left but similar height. Bullet speed was likely just shy of 2600 fps out a 22 inch barrel. The load data chart was based on a 24 inch barrel with a muzzle speed predicted at 2635 fps. I was using a Leupold VX-3 variable at max of 8 power. The Ruger AccuTrigger is set at 3 pounds and is very crisp. I would have like a bit more powerful scope but the results are very impressive from a $400 hunting rifle that shoots hunting bullets very well too. I have another 2 rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor coming. One for hunting and the other for Competition. But you will have to wait for them to arrive, I can’t say just yet. We will use Nosler RDF bullets exclusively in the competition rifle.

Good Shooting!

© 2017

 

 

 

 

Nosler Reduced Drag Factor Match Bullet Testing Soon

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RDF the Highest BC in Competition Shooting

Shortly here at New Hampshire Rifleman we will be testing Nosler’s Reduced Drag Factor (RDF) Match bullets at New Hampshire’s Nashua Fish and Game High Power Matches at 300 and 600 yards. The RDF bullet has the highest ultra high Ballistic Coefficients.

Nosler says: THE FLATTEST SHOOTING MATCH BULLET ON THE MARKET

The bullet on the left is the 6.5mm 140grain RDF Hollow Point Boattail with a G1 of .658. G7 of .330 ($32/100) and the 175 grain .308 bullet with a G1 of .536 and a G7 of .270. ($35/100) Wow!!

https://www.nosler.com/rdf-bullet/

Says Nosler:

“Nosler’s RDF line was designed from the ground up to provide exceptionally high BCs, which create the flattest trajectory and least wind drift possible. The keys to the RDF’s outstanding performance are Nosler’s meticulously optimized compound ogive and long, drag reducing boattail, which make handloading a snap and create an incredibly sleek form factor.  RDF bullets also have the smallest, most consistent meplats of any hollow point match bullet line, so there is no need to point or trim tips.

Highest B.C.’s, smallest meplat, tighter groups – Nosler RDF. ”

So as the Testing and Matches get under way we will see what these bullets can do. Look for lots more soon!

Good Shooting! GET THE POINT!

© 2017

 

 

 

Lancaster Pennsylvania Rifle Kit – A Diamond in the Rough by Ed Hale

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Ed’s 50 Cal Flintlock Build. Note the Tiger Maple stock.

Some of us know the rifle as the Kentucky Rifle built in Lancaster Pennsylvania and surrounding towns by German Immigrants like Jacob Dickert for those mountain men aiming to settle Kentucky.  The rifled barrel is 44 inches long, made famous by David Crockett and Daniel Boone. It is the first long range rifle with rifling in its bore to accurize and spin a bullet fast enough to stabilize it in flight. The rifle was made for hunting! In the right hands it was an essential part of winning battles in the American Revolution and our first sniper rifle seen here in the Battle of Saratoga at a range of 250 to 300 yards.

It was a proven performer for mountain men hunting game before its service in the American Revolution and a thing of beauty and balance when carved and shot.

I don’t have a forge and foundry nor a lot of exquisite Tiger maple, but there are, I have discovered, a dedicated group of folks who are craftsmen at forging the authentic locks,  stocks, and rifled barrels for this flintlock rifle. The rifle, as I said, is basically a diamond in the rough.

A high end craft kit can run from say $900 and up. I have pulled the ticket on my bucket list to make one of these at the higher end out of the finest curly maple. My kit from Jim Chambers cost is $1200. Crazy Huh! I have to be out of my mind! Right? Maybe so, we shall see. http://www.flintlocks.com/

It has not arrived and will not for a few weeks. Some of my skills are there already. I have made queen pencil post bed out of solid cherry from scratch and did the mortise and tenon by hand with a chisel and I have made several self-bows of Osage and Hickory so I have the basic shaping skills except for wood carving, and brass inlay.

My first job is to inspect and verify the parts are correct as ordered. Second is to realize that the build of this rifle will take around 100 hours or so and to plan lots of time alone in my workshop.

I have a video coming and will purchase another video soon. One of the best books to purchase they tell me is entitled “The Gunsmith of Grenville County” by Peter A. Alexander. I received it yesterday and am very pleased with it.

A well built flintlock of highest quality can be worth thousands of dollars. I just want one made by yours truly. I will report back when I receive and inspect my purchase. If all is in order I will proceed and when finished, I will hunt with it and display it on occasion along with the powder horn and pouch I will also create.

Good Shooting! Good Hunting!

 

 

 

Pennsylvania Long Rifles- Nostalgia You Can Hunt With by Ed Hale

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Today while we are all going crazy for the next best and greatest rifle to enter the marketplace, there is a quiet following hearkening back to the grace and lines of the Pennsylvania Long Rifle and a resurgent interest in both hunting with them and proudly displaying them as works of art. The word “Rifle” refers to the lands and grooves placed in the barrel to impart spin and stability to the bullet. It was the frontier rifleman that was a key part of the Revolution but could not be the crack shots they were without the inventive engineering of those Pennsylvania German immigrant gunsmiths who understood the physics behind stable bullet flight and repeat accuracy. Armed with hand tools and improvised lathes these craftsmen created a rifle of precision and beauty. The most common calibers were 45 and 50 cal and shot round ball with precision.

There were  several Pennsylvania Rifle-makers and one of the best was Jacob Dickert my research tells me.

I am no expert here just a lover of fine craftsmanship and  history when I see it.

Jacob Dickert’s Pennsylvania  long rifle making was prolific enough as to arm frontiersmen in the American Revolution with many Dickert Long Rifles. It is news to me that he was a Military Contractor to the Continental Army making his famous Dickert Rifle.

A thing of great beauty, isn’t it, but a weapon that could kill out to 250 or more yards in the hands of a crack shot Frontiersman and Continental Army soldier.

From the website: http://www.customflintlock.com/dickert_history.php

Quote:

“Its nickname was “Kentucky long rifle” and was carried by the “Over Mountain Men,” who most every member of this little army was equipped with a Deckard rifle, a tomahawk, and a scalping knife, in which they were experts. Giving good account of themselves at the battle at King’s Mountain, North Carolina, in which backwoods hunters defeated Major Ferguson’s professional British soldiers. This being a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. Most of these men came mounted and armed with their Deckard rifles and no bayonets. This rifle was to play a significant role in many upcoming battles. The Dickert/Deckard rifle was also used in defense against the Mexican infantry who surprised the outnumbered Texans in a pre-dawn assault against the Alamo fortress walls in 1836 and one is on display in the Long Barracks Museum in San Antonio. It is said that Colonel David Crockett used a Deckard rifle in combat at the battle of the Alamo.” Unquote.

These rifles were great for hunting game like deer and bear as well as making a great squirrel gun. More to come…

Good Shooting! Good Hunting!

 

 

 

 

 

What is all the Hubbub in Variable Riflescope Choice – First or Second Focal Plane

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Up to just recently, you and I have heard little about this. Why? Because the choice in hunting scopes has always been made by the manufacturer as second focal plane in the rear of the scope after the erector lens’ where the reticle (crosshairs) does not magnify or shrink with the image as you turn the magnification dial, only the target enlarges.

See Images and website below by looking for images of first vs second focal plane.

http://www.bing.com/images

Second Focal Plane works to the advantage of many hunters that are shooting small targets such as distant prairie dogs or exacting long range bullseyes at known distances in competition like F- Class because the crosshairs do not thicken and cover the bullseye center.

The downside is that the reticle crosshair hash marks in Mils or MOA lose their true meaning unless set at a specific power setting but for F-Class or game that has been ranged with a rangefinder, who cares, we know the distance.

If the reticle (crosshair) is put in the front of the scope ahead of the erector magnification lens system, called first or front focal plane, the lens will magnify/enlarge the crosshairs as the magnification dial is turned and the hash marks are accurate at any power in Mils or MOA. The benefit in holdover on a target with unknown distances can be seen in that way as your mil/MOA marks are accurate like in a moving shooter situation and unknown distances such as tactical situations. Below is a great discussion by Leupold at GunTalk.TV.

Hope that helps! From a scenario such as a long range hunter with a laser rangefinder or F- Class then shooting Second Focal Plane makes sense. If you shoot tactical and unknown distances and need the hash-mark to be accurate and don’t care if your crosshair gets larger then shoot First Focal Plane.

Good Shooting!

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5×284 -Updated

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Both rounds are amazingly accurate. In studying those who shoot 1000 yds in Competition they say that the 6.5×284 (6.5 Super) will beat the 6.5 Creedmoor hands down in speed. Speed is needed to improve crosswind bullseyes. The downside is that the 6.5×284 is a hotter bullet and will burn barrels at a much faster rate than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Not a huge downside if you have the funds for new barrels. Some research finds that Rich DeSimone, holder of the world record 1.564 inch 5 shot group at 1000 yards, says- he gave some opinion and tips. More in the Accurate Shooter article below.

  1. “Opinion – Rich suggests use moly-coated bullets to reduce friction and longer barrel life.”
  2. “Invest in a Hawkeye bore scope to ensure a really clean barrel and that you understand the throat condition.” says DeSimone
  3. Rich reloads and does his own machining.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/gunweek050/

The upside is that at 1000 yards those that compete say the 6.5×284 is a winner.

Recoil and hunting – The 6.5 Creedmoor is easy on the shoulder, easy on barrels and can kill anything the 6.5×284 can at reasonable ranges.

Below is a chuckhawkes article comparison by Elevation of the 2 cartridges.

http://chuckhawks.com/compared_65-284_65creedmoor_F-Class.htm

Winning 1000 yd competitions requires that you can purchase and have a ready back up barrel.

Where the 6.5 Creedmoor shines is mid range like 600 yards, barrels live longer, less recoil, less powder.

From a Hunting standpoint the 6.5×284 delivers more energy at longer ranges but will always be a CXP3 round like the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Accordingly, if I was a 1000 yd Competitor choosing between the two cartridges, I would choose the 6.5x 284 and have a back up barrel. If a mid range competitor use the 6.5 Creedmoor. For hunting either will do the job but the Creedmoor has less recoil thus accuracy is often better due to less recoil.

Good Shooting!

 

The .270 Winchester vs the 6.5 Creedmoor- by Ed Hale

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Rifle manufacturers over the years knew that there were few calibers that can perform at the mild recoil/increased accuracy level of the .270 Winchester for hunting with 130 grain bullets (reduced recoil). It was Jack O’Connor that made the .270 Winchester as famous as it is but it was time in the hands of a broad spectrum of hunters that continuously prove that.

The .270 Winchester is not a target rifle cartridge as it has more recoil than the 6mm/243. Its parent case is the 30-06 Springfield designed for the WW I battlefield and the .270 Winchester was designed for hunting, from varmint to big game which delivers high energy at long range.

But the new kid on the block is the 6.5 Creedmoor can deliver high energy too and is a CXP3 cartridge (Controlled eXpantion Performance) like the .270 Winchester and capable of killing up to and including moose size game with excellent shot placement due to low recoil.

For my son Jason, I took the .270 to Africa years ago and he shot my hand loaded 150 grain Nosler Partition in the Ruger M77 rifle… all one shot kills on CXP2 class game but had potential to kill CXP3 like Kudu.

I keep mentioning the CXP nomenclature as I am trying to imbed/educate it in hunter lexicon as it aids in hunting cartridge classification.

I believe the 6.5 Creedmoor will likely never supersede the .270 Winchester as a hunting cartridge but future “new rifle sales” for accuracy and long range hunting at the 500 yard level will likely go to the 6.5 Creedmoor for the target shooter and their great extremely low drag bullets that hold their energy equal to the .270 at long range.

I believe the competitive target shooting market is driving sales and innovation of the 6.5 Creedmoor cross-use bullets such as Hornady’s 143 grain ELD-X Match grade Hunting Bullet and Nosler’s 129 grain long range AccuBond hunting bullet. But manufacturers are increasing catching on the hunting rifle sales in 6.5 Creedmoor to a younger and recoil sensitive hunter market.

If the 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is made available at the local sporting store as is currently, it will increase in popularity but the .270 Winchester ammo and existing rifles will always be there. The .270 Winchester is like comfort food, it satisfies the nostalgia in many older men hunters but the rifle buyers are younger and women are increasingly in the market for a new all around hunting rifle.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is rapidly earning a new well deserved place in the hunting community! Cheers!

Good Hunting!

© 2017