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.

Gun Storage Safety – Update See Al’s Gun and Reel

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Ed Hale

Today responsible firearms owners have a locked Safe to store guns and/or a lockable case where gun access is possible by key or finger print ID and lockable doors that prevent access to children yet when there is an intruder access is possible quickly. I was just up to Al’s Gun and Reel Shop in Derry, NH and very soon they will have Hornady’s RAPiD™ Safe for Pistols (in stock). A great answer to security, safety and access using biometrics. This unit will retail for (Al has not set a price yet) check it out at Al’s in around 1 week. You can reach his shop at 603-432-2708. Tell Al I sent you!

a rapid safe

Also see these reviews on line at http://www.bestbiometricgunsafes.com/review-gunvault-speedvault-svb500-biometric-safe

Gun Safes for Pistols

Gun Safes for Long Rifles

BUT THAT IS NOT ALL!

WE MUST TRAIN OUR CHILDREN WHEN A GUN IS FOUND!

Stop! Don’t Touch! Leave the area! Tell an adult!.

This is the Eddie Eagle training video below for kids.

NRA Eddie Eagle Video

Why Vote for New Hampshire’s Bob Smith for Senate?

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Ed Hale

March 4, 2014 -- Bob Smith Announces Senate Campaign

Friends,

Please take a moment to visit Senator Bob Smiths Website:

http://bobsmithforussenate.com/

First and foremost Senator Bob Smith is a Vietnam Era Veteran. He believes in the Constitution and the Second Amendment that our Founding Fathers created and been steadfast to it during his whole life.

I spent a better part of an hour with the Senator and he is a Ronald Reagan kind of leader. Both the Senator and I are big fans of Reagan and his ability to lead. I found that the Senator communicated with me at my level. I felt quite disarmed and comfortable to speak with him. He is an honest and sincere man as ever and he speaks his mind as Reagan did! I am supporting Bob Smith for Senate and have tickets to the Rochester Concert at the fairgrounds on August 29th. If you email me we can make arrangements to get tickets to you for $20 each. My email is erhale@comcast.net , title it Concert Tickets.

Ed Hale

Bob’s Website says under Veterans and Military

Duty, Honor, Sacrifice, Patriotism, Respect, Love, Admiration

“These are the words that come to mind when I think of American Veterans. My father gave his life in the service of this country during World War II, and my brother and I both served in Vietnam. I understand acutely the sacrifices made by men and women of our armed forces, and their families, every day.”

Illegal Immigration

Illegal Immigration Threatens Our Country, Communities, And Way Of Life

ObamaCare

WE WERE NOT TOLD THE TRUTH BY OUR LEADERS

National Security

“Our country must be able to decisively respond to threats from terrorists and hostile regimes that are now, or will soon be, nuclear powers. America must remain a world leader and role model of economic and political freedom.Those seeking to gain prestige or international standing by misrepresenting our actions and beliefs, through state-sponsored terrorism, or by openly hostile gestures, must be met with fierce resistance, not bowed to.

Let me quote my friend former Speaker Newt Gingrich, “I am a hawk, but I’m a tight hawk.” Maintaining our technological superiority has enabled us to keep relatively low force levels without excessive risks. The economic component of our National Security Strategy is equally indispensable to the military component. The Executive Branch, the Congress and industry must be partners with the services in building force capabilities that are the bridge between our current and future forces. When I chaired the Acquisition Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I worked very hard with my colleagues to be sure that we did not squander the “seed corn” of future weapons that we would need to defend our nation and to provide for our troops.”

These are but a few quotes that are from his Website, Please go there NOW!

Gun Owners of America Endorse NH Senator Bob Smith

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Ed Hale

Smith on 2nd Amendment

If GO America endorses him that is good enough for me!

bob smith concert1

Senator Brown isn’t getting the Live Free or Die stuff! Bob Smith has always got it! See below. I spent a good part of an hour with Senator Smith and he gets it BIG TIME on the Second Amendment.

WHAT PART OF THE LANGUAGE DON’T LIBERALS UNDERSTAND! Here is his Campaign Hat! This one is mine and personally signed by Bob!

Smith Hat

Now how do we win! See and hear the Senator in Rochester, NH and have a great time

bob smith concert

Senator Bob Smith Surging on Brown? – New Hampshire Senate

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Ed Hale

Second Amendment: I asked the National Rifle Association in an email today if they intend to endorse NH Senate Candidates for the September primary. They said that they will provide endorsements and grades about 2 weeks before the primary in order to take all information into account on www.nrapvf.org when you provide your NRA Member ID.

Gun owners of America have endorsed Senator Smith over Brown

Both former Senator Smith and Brown are neck and neck 10 to 12 points behind Shaheen. The fact that Senator Brown has avoided solidifying his Second Amendment position by deferring to his Campaign Chair on Second Amendment issues tells me that he is not being candid with voters.

The fact that Brown is widely endorsed by NH Republicans is perhaps because mainstream Republicans believe he can beat Senator Shaheen more so than any candidate but not because of his Second Amendment stance which still appears clear as mud.

Senator Bob Smith on the other hand appears to be surging. His Campaign is taking over the Rochester NH fairgrounds on August 29th for a huge gala Freedom Concert. Smith’s NRA credentials have been rock solid for years and his website says that in black and white. His candidacy surge means that he is going full tilt and money is arriving. Back a month ago he was looking mighty weak but today? What a difference! See Below!

http://bobsmithforussenate.com/

The .308 and 7mm08 vs 30-06 and .270 – Updated

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Ed Hale

Ok, so you don’t have lots of spare cash like me and you reload. A .308 Winchester or it’s necked down cousin the 7mm08 is a highly efficient cartridge to own for hunting or target. Many of us have opted for their larger bretheren the 30-06 and the necked down version in .270 Winchester. Most did this in their younger days like me and shot a box of 20 rounds with a poor recoil pad. That night and the next day your shoulder was not only bruised but in pain. And when it came time to reload them you brain was calling you names including “stupid” among others. Today with the advent of recoil pads like SVL- Simms Vibration Laboratory and Pachmayr Decelerator the recoil is largely cut by 50% so the only factor that adds to the reason to own a .308 Winchester is efficiency, cost of powder and a shorter bolt throw. The power is there, and plenty of it for hunting big game. Today a pound of Powder is around 30 dollars. A further argument for ownership is accuracy. As cartridges go a full cartridge is, in general, more accurate than a less full one. Lets examine a .308 round with a Hornady 150 grain head using Reloader 15 Powder. It uses 45.4 grains to push the bullet to 2700 fps out of a 22 inch barrel. In order to get the same velocity out of the 30-06 you must use 48.1 grains of powder in a longer barrel too 23.5 inches making it more likely that you will need 48.5 grains or so for the same barrel length. There are 7000 grains per pound thus with the .308 you can load 10 more Cartridges for the same velocity and the accuracy is potentially better and the bolt throw is faster and shorter than the 30-06. What about big game? Well for deer and black bear the .308/7mm08 is fabulous and has a shorter range on Moose but the 30-06 and .270 Winchester steps in as a better selection for Moose providing 300-400 fps more than the .308/7mm08 Winchester option out to 100-150 yards but so what, how often are you going to hunt Moose and African game unless you just love the fat side of medium bore as I do. All said and done, the 308 became the cartridge of choice for our Military in WW II, you can shoot faster per second and pack nearly as much energy as the 06. The M1A rifle in .308 is still highly popular at 1000 yards with open sights as a national match course cartridge. I give the .308 and 7mm08 a way thumbs up for hand loaders. The .308 and 7mm08 are at home with African Plains game short of the Big Five but most take the step up to 30-06 and 300 Win for reasons of safety and to have Enough Gun. I used .338 Win Mag and .270 Winchester as a two gun combo in Africa with my son Jason. I did not need the .338 Win Mag for Dangerous situations. Had I taken a lesser firearm than the .338 then Murphy’s Law would have put me in an untenable situation. The most important thing to remember is that shot placement is everything. © 2014

Ruger American .243 Winchester : Power + Accuracy = Wow

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Ed Hale

Many are aware that I like the Ruger American in .243 Winchester as I tested it and bought it a few years back. See my article on Rifle Tests. I shot it out of the box with Nosler 90g E-Tip deer loads and they shot sub-MOA at 100 yards and retails for under $400 dollars.

Since then I have toyed with 55 grain heads from Nosler and shot MOA groups at velocities in the 3500 fps class making it an outstanding Coyote rifle. But I also wanted a deer rifle with which the 90 grain e-Tip, as great as it is, wasn’t the only bullet that I could shoot. I was aware that with 100 grain heads and a 1 in 10 twist rate is a not so great combo for bullet stability e.g., that bullets could be unstable and even keyhole on the paper. I am here to tell you that I shot several 100 grain bullets with Speer’s Spitzer Boat Tail and every shot was true. I pushed the round with AA 3100 powder and RL 19 and they both shot well at 2500 fps which I think is slow yet adequate for deer out to 150 yards. I pushed the round today to nearly 2700 fps and the cartridge and standard CCI 200 primer did the job in stride and with room to spare. So I will look for the limits on this bullet, powder and rifle combination. Every rifle slightly different, even in the same model. But while I was at it, loading the Speer at 41 grains of AA 3100, I shot a 3 shot group at 50 yards that was basically touching each other. I just shot not knowing the group size and I was pleasantly surprised. See below. One thing you have to remember well is that this rifle cost less than 400 dollars and shoots like a $2000 rifle.

If I were target shooting for score at 600 yards in F class Competition this would be my load. For deer hunting you want power, reach, accuracy to a minute of angle at 100 yards, penetration and mushrooming this combo makes it harder to find that perfect load. But I found one none the less.

This load is perfect out to 200 yards which is most of the shooting on the east coast that most will do unless you are bean field hunting in the Carolina’s, then you will need a big power and accuracy too maybe out to 400 – 600 yards. I hope to write next month about the Nosler 26 as my Nosler friends are trying to get me a rifle and ammo to test.

375 Ruger Load Tests

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Ed Hale

Today I tested the .375 Ruger M77 Hawkeye African with three totally different loads and two completely different bullets of shape and grain weight yet at 50 yards they all hit the same spot within an inch from one another. This speaks to the unbelievably enormous versatility of this cartridge. A member friend Andy at my club observed and verified the shot groups.

The lower bullet at 5 o’clock was a Speer 235 grain spitzer round nose bullet chrono’d at 2122 fps shooting a load of SR 4759.

I used the Hornady book for 375 H&H and slowly over time worked up my own loads starting very low, all the time inspecting the case and primer for signs of over-pressure. This reduced load I intend to use as a deer/bear load out to 100 yards delivering 1800 ft-lbs of energy. Recoil is similar to a muzzle loader. Use of software such as QuickLOAD is also highly valuable but expect to pay $150 for it. If you are a real wildcat load developer this, I hear, is a great tool. This software, I believe, does not have SR 4759 listed for load development.

The higher bullet hole at 1 o’clock was the same Speer 235 grain but traveling at 2430 fps with a starter load of IMR 4895. I extrapolated this too from the Speer Manual from the 375 H & H tables. This reduced load I intend to use as my 200 yard shoot anything load for Moose, Deer or Bear developing 3100 ft-lbs at the Muzzle. Do your homework and be safe. Recoil is very manageable in a standing hunting situation equivalent to shooting a 30-06 with 180 grain heads.

And finally the almost 12 o’clock load which was a 260 grain Nosler AccuBond® Spitzer crono’d at a whopping 2738 fps that has killed a 750 lb Moose and a 850 lb Bison to date. This load was taken directly from the Nosler Reloading Manual using RL-15 Powder.

The Accubond, left. This load develops 4350 ft-lbs at the Muzzle and an deliver 2400 ft lbs at 375 yards to drop a Bull anything with good shot placement and fantastic penetration/mushrooming of this Nosler AccuBond. At right in the above photo is the 300 grain monolithic solid for Elephant.

This load is intended for Moose, Brown Bear and large African game. It is fine for Cape Buffalo, the Cats, Nile Croc’s, Hippo’s and plains game and is used to take Elephant, though a larger bore is recommended for close shots at a a testy tusker.

Standing, this round is easily tolerable with a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad and a t-shirt.

At the bench which is where I was to shoot this I had a Decelerator Pad and a strap on shoulder pad and it shot fine with the resultant recoil spread out making it an easy shot.

I have been shooting this .375 Ruger in the M77 Ruger African since around 2008/2009 and I just love it so much for its looks, its accuracy, versatility and it’s ability to pack a whallop when you need it. The Cartridge brass has been reloaded many times and has paid for itself many times over. This is still classified as a medium caliber. I am no youngster these days but I shoot this rifle just as if I were one, and you can too. If this article gets you interested as it did a shooter from Texas last month then let me know. This round is known for less destruction of surrounding edible meat then the ultra fast calibers. If you are a hand loader this caliber is simply a blast to shoot! Pun intended!

Will the .223 Kill Deer?

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Ed Hale

Yes. Under circumstances that have a measure of control the .223 is adequate for deer that are lung/heart area shot with some bullet weights and barrel twist rates so that the bullet is traveling at a minimum of 1800 to 2000 fps to mushroom and deliver 1000 ft-lbs at impact, a guideline that has been used by many. Using the Matunas Optimal Game Weight Formula (OGW) formula V³x W² x 1.5 x 10 ‾¹² where a (60 g)² bullet traveling at (3100 fps)³ has an OGW of 160 pounds at the Muzzle but at 100 yards the deer size is closer to 125 pounds.

For those folks that are shooting AR models in .223 you may want a slower twist rate barrel to shoot heavier bullets like the 60 grain with a higher Sectional Density. I prefer a caliber with a higher Sectional Density where the bullet weight and diameter have been documented more clearly as adequate in kill charts.

The above data is not a rule, it is a guide and is subjective.

If you want to hunt with your AR for deer just know that shot placement is even more critical. The .223 is not recommended by me for big deer as in Northeast Whitetail above 150 pounds which is the norm for a small Northeast Buck. I would choose a 6 MM/.243 caliber or larger if given the option before using a .223. But that is just me…

NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen wants to destroy the Second Amendment

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Ed Hale

As a refresher, it is vital that we Citizens of New Hampshire be aware that Senator Shaheen has voted to cede your Second Amendment rights under the Constitution to be controled by the United Nations.

She has tried to destroy these Constitutional words in the Bill of Rights;

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. – See more at: http://constitution.laws.com/2nd-amendment#sthash.zSpFzcXJ.dpuf

The horror of it is evident when you realize that the Senate vote was only four (count em’) four majority votes short of passing.

I began this article writing about the corruption in government and when Government becomes lawless, choosing to enforce only those laws they deem important to the government even though the other laws are, under the Constitution, supposed to be equally enforced. Back in April of last year you recall Shaheen’s vote to destroy the Second Amendment? Here is a refresher!

http://www.nhforliberty.com/nh-senator-jeanne-shaheen-votes-to-hand-2nd-amendment-rights-over-to-un/

Quote

NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen Votes to Hand 2nd Amendment Rights Over to UN

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Keith DeSantis

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced an amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2014 to help protect and preserve the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

Amendment 139, which upholds Second Amendment rights and prevents the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, passed 53-46.

New Hampshire Senator, Jeanne Shaheen was one of the 46 US Senators that swore and oath to uphold the Constitution, yet voted to hand our 2^nd amendment rights over to a gang of unelected bureaucrats calling themselves the United Nations.

Although the amendment passed, it’s nothing more than symbolic victory as the votes on the Senate Budget amendments are non-binding. The budget has no chance of passing.

Here are all 46 US Senators that favored ceding your Constitutional rights over to the United Nations:

Baldwin (D-WI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Coons (D-DE)
Cowan (D-MA)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hirono (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaine (D-VA)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

This entry was posted in Gun Rights and tagged Jean Shaheen, un, united nations. Bookmark the permalink.

Perhaps when the President finds a way to place more leftist activist Supreme court judges on the Supreme Court and gets them to agree that the Second Amendment’s meaning is no longer necessary is another way to do the same thing. Democrats like those above are certainly working on circumventing the Constitution and the distruction of the Second Amendment.

Truly, I believe that Democrat Party initiatives are aimed to move us in the direction of a truly socialist state where laws are chosen outside of the three branches of government such as those by this President are grounds for movement toward a lawless government. Having recognized this, the People should act accordingly. The Democratic Party in large part above wants to destroy your ability to keep and bear arms and is in direct conflict with the intent of the Second Amendment and with Constitutional Government.

Stipulations of the 2nd Amendment:

Quote from Constitution.laws.com

“The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right of the individual to keep and bear firearms.

The right to arm oneself is viewed as a personal liberty to deter undemocratic or oppressive governing bodies from forming and to repel impending invasions. Furthermore, the right to bear arms was instituted within the Bill of Rights to suppress insurrection, participate and uphold the law, enable the citizens of the United States to organize a militia, and to facilitate the natural right to self-defense.

The Second Amendment was developed as a result of the tyrannous rule of the British parliament. Colonists were often oppressed and forced to pay unjust taxes at the hand of the unruly parliament. As a result, the American people yearned for an Amendment that would guarantee them the right to bear arms and protect themselves against similar situations. The Second Amendment was drafted to provide for the common defense and the general welfare of the United States through the ability to raise and support militias. – See more at: http://constitution.laws.com/2nd-amendment#sthash.zSpFzcXJ.dpuf

End Quote

Future Hunter On the Cover

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Ed Hale

My grandson Christian wearing my safari hat stands beside my SCI Gold Medal Kudu. A future hunter and conservationist. Yes a Kudu is a very large and beautiful animal, taken at 150 yards with a .338 Winchester Magnum and Nosler 250 grain Partition bullets.

November 2024

Author Archives: Ed Hale