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.

New Glock 20 Gen 5 Repaired And Tested – UPDATE

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As my readers know, I purchased this new 10mm Glock 20 Gen 5 from Kittery Trading Post about 6 weeks ago. I intend to use it as my back up for bear hunting over bait.

 The Gen 5 supposedly has a trigger spring enhancement, enabling a smoother trigger and improved trigger reset. But I did not find it very smooth. 

After 40 rounds or so it stopped cycling, after the first trigger pull, the trigger did not reset. 

I shot it with 180g, 200g, and 220g FMJ’s. It didn’t like the 220g and it stopped cycling. Then I could not shoot the 180 or 200g bullets after the first trigger pull.

Accordingly, the pistol was sent back to Glock.

I received it back in a month, and tested it with 180g, 200g and 220g at 10 yards with 5 rounds each of the three bullet weights. All rounds cycled as they should and the trigger pull seemed much smoother. See the 10 yard 5 shot bench groups below.

The 200g ammo I used on the target above was FMJ CCI Blaser’s with aircraft-grade aluminum cases. They cycled well and were cost effective at $29 for 50 rounds vs Brass cases at $40 for 50 rounds. I bought more of these as I may not reload them. Speed is 1050 fps=489 ft-lb

The 220g hard cast coated ammo was Underwood High Performance 1200fps. They certainly kicked more but grouped very well. Cost $30 for 20 rounds. Velocity 1200 fps=700 ft-lb

The 180g hard cast was made by UMC/Remington and recoil was similar to the 200g CCI Blaser’s. Cost $41 per 50 rounds. Velocity 1150 fps= 528 ft-lb.

Note: My 45ACP shoots 230g Blazers at 830fps=351 ft-lbs. Not a great bear back up. But +P Underwood ammo can shoot 255g at 925fps=484 ft-lb. 

The 10mm beats even the +P 45 ammo and 10mm Glock has a 15 round clip

 

UPDATE 25 March 2024

I adjusted the rear sight slightly to move groups to the right from the same 10 yard distance, see below.

Upper left bench groups are 180g Remington UMC loads and 5 tight shots in center are terrific and power is 528 ft-lbs. Lower left 2 shot 220g are great but very expensive and are heavy in recoil. Lower right group is Blazer 200g just left by an inch but not as much energy as the UMC 180g.  So far the 220g seem best with delivered energy but 180g have less recoil. I need to shoot with both speed and accuracy, thus more practice is needed.

End of update

 

The cost effectiveness of the 10mm Glock 20 Gen 5 makes it very attractive as a hunter or hiker/camper side arm for dangerous predators.  Just practice!

Good Hunting!

 

 

New Ruger American Rifles- Gen II – Can You Say Wow!

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Can you say Wow!

The Ruger American Next Generation II is here!!

New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine has tested the Ruger American Rifle Generation 1  in 6.5 Creedmoor. It shot sub-MOA out of the box. I expect no less from these gems!

The New Ruger American Next Generation II rifles has best-of-the-best attributes a hunter could ask for at an affordable price. Just $729 and made in the USA!

My wife says “Wow, Cut-it-Out, Seriously?” Yes!!

Models are in Standard, Ranch, and Predator and come in 3 “Splatter Finish” colors.

And all of the best calibers and cartridges you can imagine.

Check Them Out at the website below!

https://www.ruger.com/products/americanRifleGenII/overview.html?n=bolt

Below is the Predator Model. I will ask Ruger to test one for my readers.

Get yours now!

 

 

Unarmed in Todays Woods… You Are Prey!

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On the East Coast there are Coyotes and Bobcats. Both have attacked deer, pets and children.

Out west, cougars/lions attack unarmed cyclists. 

They say it is rare, but with growing unregulated populations, is it rare?

If your attacked, it’s not rare is it!

See the lion attack below. 

https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/general/new-details-emerge-in-gruesome-lion-attack-on-cyclists

If you walk in today’s New Hampshire woods with family and kids, I’d carry a sidearm! Bobcats attack the face and neck in less than a second biting the windpipe.

However, biologists want folks to take note that these attacks are rare.

Again, if your attacked, it’s not rare, is it.

I believe Turkey hunters calling are at risk, thinking they are turkeys. Two years ago my turkey hunting friend was attacked in Fremont, NH. May is turkey season.

If you are attacked, don’t run…defend yourself. Predator’s like to attack from behind.

Hunt and Hike Smart.

Be Prepared!

 

 

 

 

When are New Hampshire Bobcat Numbers Too High?

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New Hampshire Fish and Game has banned Bobcats hunting/trapping for many years. 

In May 2024 bobcat numbers are expected to explode.

NHFG says current Bobcat numbers in NH are around 1400 and may be upwards of 2000 in New Hampshire.

I believe Rockingham county is seeing a surge and these bobcats are regularly seen on-the-prowl in daylight.

And Rockingham is where we humans raise our kids and have our pets.

These supposedly cute bobcats kill young adult deer and fawns and turkeys in May and June. And compete with human’s hunting turkey and deer. 

But, just like coyotes have done in New Hampshire and all along the east coast. the bobcat and its young becomes entrenched, and surplus prey species such as deer, rabbits and squirrels subside, accordingly the bobcats will turn to pets and children just like coyotes have done.

I support a controlled hunting and trapping season for bobcats! Just like Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine have done.

Be aware when turkey hunting in May that bobcats will come to your turkey call and may likely attack thinking you are a turkey.

If attacked, hunters should defend themselves.

New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine predicts pet and human attacks will surface as bobcat numbers remain protected.

 Be Predator Aware! And tell Fish and Game to stop protecting bobcats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New 7mm PRC and 7mm Rem Mag: Both Are Great!

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Now is the time to buy a 7mm PRC Rifle if you desire one. Getting excited about a new cartridge and rifle is certainly fun. There are now several manufacturers making the 7mm PRC rifle.

In addition, for reloaders, there are dies, brass and powders ready to reload. Missing still, are large rifle magnum primers, but, if you load for other magnums, then you have some magnum primers in your gun safe.

The upsides of the PRC are long range 1000yd Plus accuracy, reloadability, bullet stability at 1:8 twist and target bullets in 190 to 195g such as the Hornady A-Tip Match.

The PRC with rifles of 1:8 twist are capable of delivering off-the-shelf 175g ammo for big game hunting at muzzle velocities of 3000 fps.

The 7mm Rem Magnum 175g off-the-shelf loads in rifles with 1:10 twist are just a bit slower with muzzle velocities of 2850 fps and where cartridge cases are belted for head spacing.

Both cartridges are very accurate for hunting purposes at ranges out to 600 plus yards. But the PRC begins to dominate thereafter with 190g target bullets. 

If you hand load for either target or hunting you can customize loads for your rifle with both the 7mm PRC and 7mm Rem Mag.

Some believe the 7mm bench mark for big game hunting such as moose and elk is 3000fps at the muzzle with the 175g bullet.

With some experimentation, my hand loaded 7mm Rem Mag does the 175g 3000 fps trick in my 1:10 twist Browning Speed and is super accurate with the right powder.  

Trust me, your big game animal won’t know the difference.

The largest advantage of the PRC is for long range target with 190g bullets where the headspace is off the shoulder of the cartridge and tolerances are much tighter. 

So be happy, both the 7mm PRC and 7mm Rem Mag are great cartridges and can coexist for hunting decades to come.

Shooting a wide variety of bullet weights though, the 7mm Rem Mag is said to be more versatile for accuracy due to the slower twist rate. An example, would be shooting 120g to 175g bullets for a variety of game, will on average shoot more accurately. 

Happy 7mm Hunting!

 

 

 

Red Dot sight Too Low On Your AR Platform? Update New Sight too.

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UPDATE

My old Red Dot  Adjustments no longer work. Replaced with a Feyachi Reflex $42 dollars. 

Below is the original article

I took my AR-15 out to the range and swapped out my leupold rifle scope for my red dot scope for hunting coyotes near dusk. I always had to tuck my head and cheek low to see the red dot.

It’s an older model red dot, but it works fine. I found a picatinny riser rail that raises the scope ideally.  Below is my $12 dollar, Feyachi Picatinny Riser Mount, 0.75″/0.83″/0.95″ High, 5 Slots Riser Mount for Red Dot Sight.

I am not into paying big bucks for a new scope right now. Cost of the riser was $12 on line. My kind of fix! Yes, you can spend hundreds.on a new optic. 

Good Hunting!

 

Best in Class -Hunting Rifle Fixes for Recoil and Triggers

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I learned years ago, to fix problems I encountered with my hunting rifles for my African Safari. 

My first fix was to get rid of the hard recoil pads. Enough of beating up my shoulder. Two of the best state-of-the-art pads to reduce felt recoil are SIms SVL® Recoil pads below

and Pachmayr Decelerator® Pads.

You can also purchase these pads as temporary slip-on’s Below.

Both reduce felt recoil up to 50% by absorbing the instant hard kick and giving you a softened kick over milliseconds of time in soft calibrated rubber.  In addition, these pads often add recoil structure to the rubber to reduce barrel rise. Smart hunter’s get it! And there are more brands you can check out online. 

Triggers

If you are experiencing trigger creep or a heavy trigger, your accuracy will suffer. There are often better triggers you can purchase.

I am a Timney Trigger fan.

And many triggers are drop-in types that take little effort to install. Timneys are adjustable and crisp. Below is a Timney for a Remington 700.

https://timneytriggers.com/hunting-triggers/

Impact Remington 700 Trigger

Fixing recoil and triggers will increase your accuracy so much that you will essentially have a customized and super accurate rifle. Really!

Good Hunting!

 

Swapping a Picatinny Rail Mounted Scope To Another Rifle? Update for Test

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Todays rifle scopes can easily cost more than the rifle you put it on. A good rifle today costs less than $1000 dollars, where some rifle scopes can cost upwards of $2000 dollars. 

So I often swap out my favorite best-in-class Leupold VX -6 scope from rifle to rifle. 

 

I am setting up one of of my Ruger rifles with a  picatinny rail to make it easier to borrow a scope from another of my rifles already set up with a picatinny rail.

Below is the Weigand Combat Scope Mount Compatible with Ruger M77 and MKII Long Action 20 MOA – Black

The Weigand aircraft aluminum rail does have some limitations. It is not recommended for super heavy recoiling rifles. The determining calculation from the manufacturer says to multiply bullet weight in grains times the expected muzzle velocity. If the calculation exceeds 700,000 then don’t use it to mount your scope on that rifle.

Example: I will mount the rail on my .375 Ruger shooting Nosler 260g AccuBonds at a muzzle velocity of 2625 fps. Thus 260g x 2625fps = 682,500.  Based on this calculation, I’m good. Next is to test it out at the range. 

My Ruger Hawkeye M77 in .375 Ruger shoots most all my hand loaded bullets extremely well, often sub-moa. Luckily, I do have some 260g AB in my cupboard.

Range Test – Below is the finished Picatinny mount and Leupold  scope after 3 bench rest shots of Nosler 260g AB at 2625 fps.

I checked threaded mounting screws which had thread lock  242 blue applied. Every screw checked for torque. All perfect.

Muzzle energy is 3977 ft-lbs and 3419 ft-lbs at 75 yards to my bear bait site.

Below the 3 shots. First shot at 50 yds after the swap was 2 1/2 inches low and 2 inches right. I adjusted and hit 9 o’clock in the dead center bull. I adjusted a bit much and hit 1 inch right in bullseye. I will shoot again at 75 yards and make final tweaks. 

Accordingly, the swap worked well and I can swap back to my 7mm Rem Mag with very little effort. 

Good Hunting!

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Glock 20 G5 10mm First Shot Impressions – Update to send back.

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Update: My 220g bear loads kick hard. And are hanging up. Many suggest a 24lb recoil spring or trigger spring.  May stay with 180g – 200g hard cast for bear backup. Stay tuned. Gen 4 and Gen 5 recoil springs hard to get. Gun no longer shoots 180g after 1st shot. Bought at KTP who will look at it and send back to Glock if needed. Yes, I’m disappointed. 

I just shot these 10 yard 180g Blaser groups below,  at my local range, for the first time with my new 10mm Glock for bear hunt backup. They will penetrate deeper than my 45ACP. Check your states laws on hunting with a hand gun vs carrying for protection. If hunting for deer in New Hampshire, with a handgun, current rules say no more than 6 shots in your pistol. 

Middle and Low right groups are 10mm 180g Blazers. Low left are 200g bear loads. Upper right is a single 180g shot. The trigger takes getting used to. You have to squeeze the trigger more to make it break. Not as hard though as a double action. It is a smooth firm pull. There is no quote “safety”, just the firm pull of the trigger.  I added new tritium sights for shooting in darkness on my bear hunt.

Recoil was perhaps a tad heavier than my 45ACP. Getting used to the trigger was perhaps the most difference.

I purchased more 200g Blazers and 220g hard cast lead bear loads to practice with this spring and summer. But I will likely need a stronger recoil spring with 220g… they kick and with a standard recoil spring they hung up. 

Getting more than one accurate shot off is key in choosing the 10mm if ever charged by a bear or a big game animal intent on attacking you. In fact, with practice you can perhaps get 3 to 4 accurate head shots in a charge. Then follow up with 11 or 12 more shots at 1200fps with each delivering 700 ft-lbs of penetrating energy to the heavily boned bear skull below. 

 

 

Hunt Safe! Be Prepared!

 

 

10mm Glock 20 Essentials for Bear Hunting Backup

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 The use of a handgun to ward off a bear attack is proven. It is not uncommon for aggressive bears to climb up your bowhunting tree stand with you in it or perhaps follow you back to your truck at night or a wounded bear attacks during recovery. 

Below, find an article with documented incidents where handguns were 98% effective on all bear species black, brown, grizzly and polar. 

Handgun Defenses Against Bear Attacks – 170 Documented Incidents, 98% Effective

Unfortunately, my new 10mm Glock 20 has set of daylight sights which makes the Glock defense use in dim light or darkness difficult at best.  I swapped them out for cost effective Tritium sights so I can see them in darkness.

I purchased a simple set of TRUGLO tritium sights for around $55 bucks. Not a bad price. Take the top slide off, remove the spring and barrel to get to the front sight nut and prep to remove the rear sight. 

 

You will need to purchase a tool for the front sight nut. 

and at least a push tool or bench vise and a wood or brass punch as in the video above. 

Next, is a holster for my Glock. 

I need instant access for a possible aggressive bear attack, thus I purchased a heat molded chest holster called the Kenai from Gunfighters, Inc. Cost $160.00

firearm

The first time the holster gripped the pistol, hearing a click,  I wasn’t able to pull it out without using great force. The Kenai literature instructed to carefully use a heat gun on the click/grip area.  Luckily, I had a heat gun. It worked.  Now, after heat adjusting, I can readily pull the pistol yet keep it secure.

Some folks find that a chest held binocular case can interfere with the draw of the pistol.  However, the holster can be adjusted to allow fast access. Below is  my Vortex Bino’s case with my Glock 20.  The bino case is huge, perhaps too big to wear. The pistol draw needs both hands. One hand to hold the holster base, while my right hand draws the pistol.

I will holster and practice drawing and shooting it with my binoculars on and off. If I’m on a bear stand in a tree, I will likely not wear the bino case. 

Below this video pitts the 10mm against the 44 magnum. 

A few year back I also did a 44 mag video below. In that fishing scenario, the 44 mag already drawn on an approaching bear, worked for the first shot but the recoil raised the pistol losing fractions of seconds to get back on target. 

Good Hunting!