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.

Lady Smith Revolver and Ruger LCP for Women

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Ed Hale

There are many choices out there today for women who are interested in Self Defense weapons. I have just spent time with a woman firearms sales representative who shoots regularly herself and asked what is her best recommendation today in Women’s Self Defense pistols. She was forthright in asking, is she going to carry? Yes was the answer. When is she going to carry was the next question, all the time or when she goes out with friends on late night gatherings. I would guess when she is out late, I said. In that case she recommended the Ruger LCP Centerfire Pistol below in .380 caliber.

I noticed that the grip was very short when I held it but it was so small and light that you could hide it most anywhere. Women carrying in a purse, or in a internal -waistband holster. Out with friends, it is best to carry it on your person verses a handbag the sales woman said. If your hand bag is stolen you have no back up. Recoil increases because the gun is so light but not overly so. It works just by pulling the trigger. Point and shoot is all you need to know. Suggested Retail Cost: $300 to $375. They offer a small pinky grip extension for those with larger hands. Here is a demonstration below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrE371hU8m4

Go on youtube and look for other demo’s. Practice makes perfect at close range of say 7 feet. What I have observed is that those that practice with it on youtube are too far away from the target. Some women like it some don’t when it is shot but carrying is very easy.

Training with this pistol for 200 rounds and you will love this gun. Men like it very much too as it makes a fine pocket pistol.

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The “Lady Smith” is a fine all around 38 snubnose revolver that has 6 shots and no hammer to get in the way. It takes 6 rounds in the cylinder. A point and shoot firearm at close range. Larger than the Ruger LCP but not by alot. My saleswomen friend likes the Lady Smith too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M34sCIEt6Y

This a very good handling conceal carry gun and a great home revolver.

Both guns need to be shot regularly to maintain proficiency. Bullet stopping power is fine for both of these guns. Whichever is most comfortable to carry and shoot well should be the best. This will vary from woman to woman.

Call you local indoor range like Manchester Firing Line http://www.gunsnh.com/ to see if they have models that you can shoot to see if you like them.

Or go to Chester Rod and Gun in Chester NH this Saturday 9 to 4pm and Sunday 10 am to 3 pm are open to the public to shoot Smith and Wesson guns like the Lady Smith and talk to Smith Representatives to try it out.

Good Shooting! Be Safe!©

Serious Long Range Hunting and Target Dope

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Ed Hale

In preparing to discuss Long Range Target and Game Shooting, NH Rifleman began to research what is out there for information. On game hunting it is always a critical axiom that you are capable of a clean kill at the ranges that you shoot.

At all distances it is important to be aware of delivered energy to a game animal such as deer (empirical data estimates 1000 ft-lbs minimum for deer, 1500 ft-lbs for elk and 2500 ft lbs for Moose).

Other official sources suggest to include a minimum bullet speed as well upon contact due to the need for the bullet to mushroom(data on mushrooming debatably suggest to be in the vicinity of say 1800 to 2000 fps (2000 fps being ideal speed to fully mushroom a lead bullet).

A .243 Winchester 90 grain spitzer designed for deer hunting can ethically kill a deer at just over 300 yards. My M77 Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger with 260 grain heads can kill a Moose easily at 200 yards with the above criteria. A 30-06 can do it with a 180 grain at 100 yards though longer shots are regularly taken successfully. According to “The Target Book of North American Big Game” Middleton and Moran” the Cartridges you are commonly familiar with, limit deer and elk shots beyond 650 yards because of where the intersection of energy and bullet mushrooming occur best. If you minimize the mushroom aspect then shots can be taken much farther- Campfire fodder. After that, target shooting takes over pretty much.

In target shooting it is all about the accuracy of the cartridge and bullet ballistic coefficient shape, diameter of the bullet, boat-tail style, ability to buck wind drift with the least recoil to shoot lots of bullets.

Long Range Ballistic Applications beyond 300 yards:

All that being said; There are many Apps for Long Range Ballistic solutions so you may want to do some independent investigation if the desire to learn about the effects of Coriolis Force, Spin Drift, Ballistic Coefficient calculations based on real time drop data, reloading considerations, Wind Drift, Atmospheric Conditions and Altitude on shooting well beyond 300 yards. Did you know that a bullet traveling west, you have to aim higher because of earth spin and lower if shooting east? Me either.

Below is a review already written for this BulletFlight App (M) for Military use that can be used on an IPhone, IPad and other hand held devices that you can take to the range. It is a very top of the line tool for long range application for $30 bucks. There are less expensive versions as well. See your I-tunes web for other brands as well.

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/22012/knights-armament-bulletflight-m-app/

another article

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2944/how-does-the-earths-rotation-affect-the-path-of-a-bullet

A great book many say! I have not yet read it but will soon.

http://store.appliedballisticsllc.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ABFLRS2nd

Armed with skill and practice the target shooter or hunter can make shots on game and targets farther than he thought with the right tools, and practice.

Long Range Shooting excellence takes study, patience, a calm nerve, and lots of Practice.

NRA Keynote Address – Life Changing

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Ed Hale

This was more than an address to the 2013 NRA Convention by Glen Beck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WXDTFJEiyg

The 2013 Keynote address was about a place for Guns in our Society that went beyond, included Man, Responsibility, God, and, Freedom.

And for Americans to Stand and Fight for what we believe about the value of the Constitution of the United States and the need to Keep and Bear Arms to protect our families and our way of life.

Please Click the link and watch. I think you will receive a gift today if you listen in the entirety. It is long but worth it. Perhaps one of the best speeches of Becks Career.

Ed Hale – Editor

A New Rifle and Scope?

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Ed Hale

So you have a new Leupold VX-1 nice choice. You mounted it on a new rifle 30-06 Springfield, on your favorite Rifle Manufacturer like Savage, Ruger, Remington, Winchester, Kimber, TC and many more.

For discussion sake say you have purchased over the counter Winchester ammo with Nosler 150 grain E-Tips for your hunt. A polymer tipped solid gilding copper bullet that flairs into a mushroom with petals.

Note: gilding copper leaves very little residue in the barrel unlike other soft copper bullets.

Lets go to the range and bore sight your rifle and scope at 25 yards. After that we want to shoot it at 100 yards to fine tune your shot placement and shoot for group.

And finally we want to determine your Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR) with this Cartridge. If you are not familiar with this term let me explain. MPBR was developed so that the hunter can hit a kill zone of 6 inches from zero yards to a point where the bullet still falls in the six inch kill circle often well past past 200 yards.

But first things first lets get you sighted in.

(Muzzle velocity of the 150 grain E-Tip is 2900 fps is written right on the box. This combo is great for short or long range as the e-Tip will stay together as it flairs. It has an SD (Sectional Density) of .226 and is best for deer, black bear and elk according to many experts. It is great for large New England deer in the 200 lb plus class.)

Sighting in – Without spending a dime on bore sighting tools you can take the bolt out of your new rifle and do what is called bore sighting and you won’t have to use up your expensive ammo. If you like some aid in gadgets the Leupold Magnetic Bore Sighter is a great tool. Check it out on the web.

We will need a firm steady front and rear rest. Sand bag rests are great and cheap. My best front rest is a Caldwell for 39 bucks and a sand bag rear rest that cradles the stock.

Place your target that has a one inch grid pattern on it such as a Champion Redfield Sight in Target at a distance of 25 yards.

Place your rifle on sand bags that hold the rifle with out you touching it. You can use bench rest leather or fabric sand bags or purchase a rest like the Caldwell as I said.

Look down the bore where the bolt was, and place the bore in the bullseye of a target. keeping the rifle still adjust the scope left right up down so that the scope matches the bore image. You may have to get your rifle in focus by turning the rear focus ocular bell see your Leupold scope manual.

At 25 yards with a scope that has 1/4″ clicks for 100 yards, it will take 4 clicks to move your crosshair 1/4 inch at 25 yards and one click to move it 1/4 inch at 100 yards. If you are 2 inches left visually (no shooting yet) at 25 yards then you will need to move the scope right. How many 1/4 inches are there in 2 inches? There are 8 therefore multiply 8 x 4 = 32 clicks. It will take 32 clicks to get the scope on the target bull.

Now take a shot. The fore-stock should be in the front rest and not the barrel.

The shot is one inch high and one inch left. Make the same adjustments with the 25 yard formula which is what?

For the one inch high shot you will need to come down 4 x 4 =16 clicks. The same 16 clicks to come right. Yes that is alot of clicks but because you are shooting so close it takes that many to move the point of aim.

Take a shot. Chances are you are smack dab in the x-ring. and you only took 2 shots to get there.

Now place your target at 100 yards.

Take a shot with the scope adjusted to 9 power for better visibility of the bullseye.

Ok you are 3 inches high and one inch to the left. You are almost done. Lets bring the scope down so you are in the bullseye. How many clicks? 12 is correct. And to the right you move windage 4 clicks. Now before I shoot for groups, I will tap a scope lightly with my knuckles like knocking on a door or tap it with a small rubber mallet to set the windage and elevation adjustments firmly into position.

Load a round put the safety on and take it off safe when you are ready to shoot taking 3 shots.

Shoot so that the sand bags do all the work of holding the cross hairs on target so all you need to do is keep the rifle firmly into your shoulder (need a good recoil pad) take a breath and let it out half way. Hold your breath and squeeze the trigger. Wait 2 minutes or more between shots. Great Group! 3/4 inch at 100 yards! Nice shooting. Shoot another group and average them.

For the hunt you may want to know Maximum Point Blank Range for your 150 grain e-Tip traveling at 2900 fps. The 150 grain has drag Ballistic Coefficient of .469. This is a very good BC. Now go to the Hornady Ballistic Calculator in the header of this website and enter the speed of the bullet and the BC. Choose 550 yards for farthest shot at 50 yard increments. It is a hot day so I chose 80 degrees with a 10 mph wind. I zeroed the rifle at 200 yards.

As you can see the bullet drops to 2.8 inches below center at 250 yards. Close enough to 3 inches low to call this your MPBR. In other words you are in the kill zone of a big game animal out to 250 yards by holding the cross-hairs dead on in the heart lung area. Wow! Just be aware that the bullet drifted 4 inches at 250 yards with the 10 mph wind so you should compensate or limit your shot to no farther than 200 yards. The wind was the limiting factor here.

Now practice without a bench rest from standing, kneeling, using a tree to brace your rifle, a backpack as a brace and you will learn your best killing distance. Learn to shoot with a bolt rifle by working the bolt between shots. Get back on target and shoot again. Practice that a lot so you can just do it at will. You will know when you are getting good! Good Hunting! ©

Stopping Power and Accuracy – Campfire Fodder

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Ed Hale

Great stuff to talk about after dinner at the campfire. What your skill level is, the game you are hunting, the distances you expect to see and shoot at game play a part in what cartridge and bullet you use to hunt with and kill game.

It has been my experience and those of millions of veteran hunters that accurate bullet placement is the beginning discussion of stopping power. Accordingly, without good bullet placement in a vital area the discussion simply evaporates into the smoke rising from the campfire. First things first, shoot accurately!

Having said that it is important to understand the elements of Terminal Ballistics when discussing big game such as large northern whitetail deer, bear, bison,and moose. If a bullet has sufficient energy to damage vital organs it will kill cleanly, some cartridges do this better than others. I believe it is better to err on a moderately larger rifle cartridge if you can shoot it accurately especially if you are a hand-loader.

Cartridges that are adequate in stopping power for deer abound. I believe the 6 mm/ .243 is an excellent starting place as long as bullet construction and weight are designed for deer where the shot is broadside and distances are known. Clean kills for this caliber are well documented to 300 yards with a 90 to 105 grain bullet and recoil is very low. Those who are veterans and can handle recoil better may prefer a cartridge that has more power/kinetic energy and bullet weight such as the .308 Winchester, 7mm08, .270 Winchester, and the 30-06 Springfield. Most of these do well in the 120 grain to 180 grain weights. Jack O’Connor created worldwide fame of the .270 Winchester with a 130 grain bullet because it had moderate recoil and packed tremendous downrange energy but Jack hunted mostly out west where trees and branches were not in the way. Still the .270 Winchester and the 30-06 corner the market for most adult hunters. Those of us that hunt in brushy areas may want a heavier bullet that deflects less in brush such as the 35 Remington,444 Marlin or .375 Winchester for quick examples. The .338-06 and .338 Marlin are great for hunting game in brush too but can reach out when needed. Of Course if you hand-load you can make some big bore rifles shoot slower or faster as there are loads and bullet combo’s that can achieve this, like my .375 Ruger which replicates the .375 Winchester and the old 38-55 Winchester when hand loaded for deer and bear. At full power the .375 Ruger shines for Bison and Moose. There are time when hunters may want more stopping power for the game they are hunting because either the game is potentially dangerous at close quarters or of such size that they want to anchor the animal right there or both. I anchored this 800 lb small Bison with one shot from my M77 Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger with a single 260 grain Nosler AccuBond traveling at 2600 fps.

The bullet entered the last rib and drove forward through the chest cavity wrecking the heart and lungs and exited the far shoulder. The bull collapsed in just a few steps. Stopping Power is a nice ally in that situation as there was ample hydro-static shock and penetration.

Where “stopping power” by definition seems to have derived its roots is the effect of “hydro-static shock” effect on blood and tissue, so fast and severe that it can rupture tissue far away. It is not just speed of the projectile that produces the effect of “Stopping the animal in its tracks” it is a combination of speed and penetration that does it. Penetration has a lot to do with bullet speed and weight, its cross sectional area, shape and momentum.

A bullet that travels faster than the speed of sound for example carries with it a bow wave as it travels.

Bow shock wave image from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_bow_shockwave

I believe that this wave may be responsible to a large degree for hydro-static shock that can damage tissue and organs not near the wound channel. In some cases via hydraulic effects in arteries this wave can induce shock as far away as the brain especially if speed is sufficient with penetration. The shock wave in general disrupts tissue to such a degree as to turn it to a jelly like mass. The liver can be an organ that is inedible if it encounters hydro-static shock as it has happened to me.

The cross sectional area and shape of the bullet face and bullet weight known as Sectional Density (SD) contribute to penetration and momentum that continue to provide damage to vital organs

From Wikipedia:

“Sectional density is the ratio of an object’s mass to its cross-sectional area. It conveys how well an object’s mass is distributed (by its shape) to overcome resistance. For illustration, a needle can penetrate a target medium with less force than a coin of the same mass.

Sectional density is often used in gun ballistics where sectional density is the ratio of a projectile weight, to its diameter. Sectional density is important to understand when selecting a cartridge bullet combo.”

Here is more on its value from Chuck Hawkes http://www.chuckhawks.com/sd.htm

To find the SD of your rifle bullets: http://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/density.htm?

I found the SD for the 90 grain .243’s I am testing to be very adequate for deer.

Further there is discussion of the Controlled eXpansion (CXP) Performance Rating System developed by Winchester is here. http://www.chuckhawks.com/cxp.htm

Bullet Construction can be Lead, Copper sheathed spitzer and round nose, Partition/A-frame, solid gilding metal that can flare like the Barnes and Nosler E-Tips. Note: a round nose bullet or flat point must use more energy up front to enter the skin and tissue and provide more of this shock wave value at entry.

As an example all Dangerous Game bullets are round nosed or flat-point of sufficient SD and mass that it is like getting hit with a fast moving barn door instead of a knife blade.

Further that if we assume that a higher SD bullet that grows in diameter (mushrooms) as it penetrates tissue, providing a larger wound channel.

If you skipped the Chuck Hawkes articles go back and read them. There is a lot of Campfire Fodder there. Good Hunting!©

Buying new 22 Long Rifle Ammo- and shooting the old stuff

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Ed Hale

When you can get some; The 22 Long Rifle Cartridge is perhaps the most popular rifle ammo in America today and it is in short supply at your retailer as I have written before.But is the old stuff you and I store at home for years just as good? Read on!

If you are just target shooting then standard velocity is just fine at around 1050 fps in a bolt action rifle. In a semi-auto you will lose some of the velocity as the gas ejects the spent round and a new one is chambered. Today sub-sonic 22 LR are great to have for pests in the back yard but they will not eject in a semi-auto. I have seen these recently on shelves along with CCI 22 short ammo so the stock is coming.

My Marlin rifle loses perhaps 50 or so FPS from published velocities. My father always kept a good supply over the years and I followed suit. Dad has passed away but his legacy lives. Dad bought it when it was on sale for 3 or 4 dollars per 100 rounds.

If stored correctly in a dry safe and secure location, this ammo is likely just as good as when it was made. Since I have access to a chronograph, I decided to check out the velocities of some major brands that have been kept for 10 years or less in the family ammo can. Most brands that say High Velocity are typically 1200 or so FPS for a 40 grain round nose. Since I hunt with them I want a faster bullet like the High Velocity type.

The first 5 shot batch I tested were Remington HV that have been around for 10 years since my Dad had them. The average velocity was 1123 the spread was 56 fps. One round dropped to 1043 fps and pulled the average down.

The second 5 shot batch of Winchester Super X HV 40 grain heads I shot was as old as above. The average velocity was 1130 with the spread at 58 fps.

The third 5 shot batch was CCI Mini-Mags with 40 grain heads and were the same age. The average velocity was 1177 with a spread of 38 fps

The fourth 5 shot batch was newer 1-year-old Federal 38 grain Hollow Point. The came out at around 1180 fps with a spread of 30 fps.

The total variation was less than 30 fps.

I have some older stingers but honestly the packaging was so good that they look brand new, bright and shiny.

If age of 10 or so years has caused a degradation, at all, it is appears minimal in my small sample.

This is a very small sample study for sure but the data trend is goods. It is important to get bullets that are plated to some degree as they are resistant to oxidation.

So when the shortage is over and it will be, then over time stock up so you don’t get caught in the same situation. I ran into a fellow today that has built stock of 22 LR ammo of 10,000 rounds but is holding them like gold bullion. Personally for the average occasional shooter buy a brick of 500 rounds and when it is 1/2 gone buy another brick. It is important to buy what shoots well in your guns so don’t rush out a buy irrationally. Test what works best in your pistols and rifles. Patience is the key! Happy shooting and Hunting! ©

Hunting Cartridges for New Deer Hunters

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Ed Hale

Photo from Wikipedia Rifle Cartridges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartridge_Sample_2.jpg:

“Various Cartridges Left to Right:

1) .17 HM2; 2) .17 HMR; 3) .22LR; 4) .22 WMR; 5) .17 SMc; 6) 5mm/35 SM4; 7) .22 Hornet; 8) .223 Remington; 9) .223 WSSM; 10) .243 Winchester; 11) .243 Winchester Improved (Ackley); 12) .25-06; 13) .270 Winchester; 14) .308 Winchester; 15) .30-06 Springfield; 16) .45-70 Govt; 17) .50-90 Sharps”

This list is missing many cartridges but an example nonetheless.

I grew up as a youth in a household that made summer shooting in the back yard a priority mostly with a .22 caliber rifle, a single shot with open sights. We grew up fast and jumped to the 30-30 Marlin which has moderate recoil and also to the old lever action 38-55 with a metal buttplate. These are not in the list above but we learned to shoot them well at 50 yards or less.

These rifles were a significant jump from the .22 caliber but a given because that was what was in Dad’s gun cabinet. These were not bad choices at all as recoil was not overwhelming and accuracy was just fine with open sights out to 50 yards. Better accuracy if we had a tree nearby to brace the rifle. The key here for the dad finding a new or existing rifle for a son, daughter or wife for that matter to shoot where:

The rifle is light enough to carry in the deer woods and fits the shooter. The length of pull for youth is around 12 inches and adults a bit over 13 inches on average.
The recoil is manageable to prevent flinching
The cartridge and bullet have enough energy with a well structured bullet to cleanly kill a northern whitetail deer.

The ubiquitous 30-30 Winchester in a lever action is one of the best northern deer cartridges as its recoil is low and good for close hunting to 150 yards but is not a varmint rifle for long range. It will put out the lights of a Coyote in a hurry though. A fine choice.

The .308 Winchester has similar recoil and has much more versatility in a bolt action rifle and when hand loaded it has the versatility that makes this cartridge shine. An excellent choice for a 12 year old with state of the art recoil pad. I would also strongly consider the 7mm-08 which is a necked down .308 Winchester to shoot 7mm bullets and if hand loaded can be shot with bullets and less recoil but later can be pushed up to 175 grain bullets and hunt Elk as the .308 can do. Hornady makes a Customlite™ Cartridge with a 120 grain SST® for a reduced load http://www.hornady.com/store/7mm-08-Rem-120-gr-SST-customlite/

I have written here about the .243 Winchester recently in NH Rifleman in particular because it’s recoil is very low. In fact, recoil is lower than the above cartridges. When coupled with a 90 to 100 grain bullet the .243 Winchester can kill a deer or antelope out to 300 yards with a 90 to 100 grain bullet.

See this 10 yr old drop a nice buck with the .243 Winchester. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEQufGzShVc

The .243 Winchester is a 6mm bullet and is also a great target cartridge, great for varmint and predator and deer alike. And when the twist rate of the barrel is equal to or faster than 1:10 twist where the heavier 90 to 100 grain bullets are used, it is deadly on deer The 243 Winchester or the similar shooting 6mm Remington is a great all around cartridge for any shooter young or old.

A good bullet for deer in .243 Winchester is a bullet and jacket that has been bonded together, or a partition type bullet such as the Nosler or the newer all gilding copper bullets that I have tested here such as the Nosler E-Tip. I think the E-Tip is an ideal bullet because it flares, and stays together maintaining most of its original weight.

For larger calibers such as 30 caliber and higher, the Partition and AccuBond made by Nosler are fantastic as they expand and stay together driving the bullet in and through the vitals.

Next above the .243 is the 257 Roberts, a fine light recoiling cartridge that make the jump to big game easily like the .308 Winchester but not as popular today. Today there are reduced loads that can be purchased for youth hunting too.

Other bullet manufacturers abound such as Hornady, Sierra,Speer, Barnes and more. What about the 30-06 and .270 Winchester for youth?

There is no set rule here you see. The problem becomes complicated when the shooter dislikes the recoil and fears the kick. Once that has happened you have a shooter with a flinch and it takes time to get the flinch to go away with proper training. It takes away from the hunt too.

It is best, with say a 10 to 12 year old to be a keen observer of recoil issues and alway train them with a state of the art recoil pads such as the Pachmayr Decelerator or the Sim’s Limbsaver. They come in slip on varieties too. You may have to shorten the stock to fit the younger shooter too. Bottom line is to train with ample recoil protection. Out in the field the shooter that pulls the trigger often did not feel the recoil when a deer is in their sights as adrenaline is pumping into their body.

The Bushmaster BA 50 at a 150 yard Range – With Video Updated

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Ed Hale

The Bushmaster BA 50 was a visitor to my local club yesterday. I was asked ” Would you like to shoot it?” Well you don’t have to ask twice. Just so happened that I had my Nikon camera and I-Phone for video.

According to Wikipedia: “The Bushmaster BA50 is a bolt action, magazine fed rifle designed to shoot the .50 BMG cartridge. It has a 22 (carbine)or 30 inch, match grade Lothar Walther free-floating barrel with a 1 in 15 inch twist rate (standard for the .50 BMG cartridge). The rifle weighs 30 pounds (without a magazine or ammunition) and has a muzzle brake to help tame the recoil.Bushmaster literature says that the rifle recoils like a .243 Winchester. The barrel has a MIL-STD-1913 rail (Weaver style) for mounting a rifle scope.

The BA50 was the original design of Cobb Manufacturing. Bushmaster purchased the design and upgraded it and released it as the Bushmaster BA50.

Bushmaster states that the rifle is capable of shooting 1 MOA with M33 ball ammunition, indicating that accuracy can be improved with match grade ammunition.”

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So lets shoot it!

Erin, a club friend had his Bushmaster along. He shoots it in my NH Rifleman video below.

Luckily I was far away from the horrendous muzzle blast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqfFsoKC-aQ

Next, I get to shoot this baby! Can you say FUN!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCGcvaanYHc

The bullets are in the 650 to 750 grain range and can deliver over 13000 ft-lbs of energy at the Muzzle.

There are more than 2000 shooters across the USA that are registered participants in 50 BMG competitions according to my Hornady Manual. Hornady produces the 750 grain A-MAX® bullet for handloading to deliver 2700 to 2800 fps at the muzzle. This bullet when put into the Hornady ballistics calculator is an eye opener if you use the advanced setting where you can select the drag function G1 drag is for a standard bullet that does not maximize bullet shape for long distance such as a spitzer without a boat tail. The 750 grain A-Max utilizes its length and boat tail specifically for LR shooting so the G7 drag function is used. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_ballistics for more on G1 vs G7 Function. The Ballistic Coefficient for this bullet is 1.050. Wow! Most bullets in the 30 cal family never exceed .600 BC and more normally at the .400 BC. So here is the Hornady chart for this round using the G7 Drag function to 1800 yards it still has 2000 fps and 7148 ft-lbs energy. If you sight this in for 1000 yards the bullet only raises up 62 inches at 600 yards but after the 1000 yards the bullet drop correction is 23.1 MOA or 92 inches in nearly a mile, 5100 ft of travel. Wind drift at 10 mph is 55 inches. At MOA the bullet can hit a target 180 inches across. and if you take wind drift into account add 55 to 180 and you get 235 inches or almost 20 feet. You would need a rifle that shoots 1/2 moa to cut the 180 in half. Of course we took altitude, temp and pressure into consideration too if you have a walking weather station. The variables are significant at that distance. A shooter needs to see where the shot went to correct for the second or third shot. That is why a spotter is used in target shooting as well as military.

In contrast the venerable 30-06 Springfield considered a great long-range rifle shoots a 165 grain bullet at nearly the same speed.

The 50 BMG has definitely got some whump!

This round when shot in a bolt or semi-auto is legal to own and shoot. The cost of this gun is around $5000 or so without the scope so not alot of folks are running to buy them. At about 6-7 dollars a shot you can go through some serious money in a hurry. For example: 10 shots is 60-70 dollars. Out west on the plains this round and rifle are at home at over 1000 yards. If you get a chance to try one, give it a go!! ©

600 Yards at Nashua F&G with the Savage 10/110 Predator in .243 Winchester

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Ed Hale

The 600 yard Rifle Range at Nashua Fish and Game was the place to be yesterday. The day began bright and sunny with little wind and the temperature was in the 60’s, ideal for long range shooting.

While setting up the Savage 10/110 Predator in .243 Winchester , I photographed some of the custom target shooting rifles (Below) that were too heavy to handle. Note the white strip above the barrel is a heat diffuser to reduce scope distortion. This rifle is likely shooting 6mm (.243) or .308 ammo. The Scope is set up for ultra long range beyond 25x. I think the shooter said this scope can crank to 50x if he wanted it.

The camo rifle below had no scope just a sophisticated peep and front site.

Back to my story, I had just proven some loads a few days before for the Nosler 90 grain e-tips using an accurate starting load of IMR 4350 using CCI Benchrest Primers.

The new Savage 10/110 .243 Winchester shot sub-moa groups of around 3/4 inch with a trigger pull of 2lbs 2 oz. I could likely do better if I fussed with the powder or seat depth of the bullet but this was satisfactory at the get-go. Below is the Savage 10/110 Predator.

I switched out the Nikon Coyote Special scope with circle reticles to the Leupold VX-1 I was testing. The Leupold had the crosshairs I needed for such a long distance. So in the rainy downpour yesterday I got the scope and rifle to bullseye the Nosler’s at 100 yards.

Being such a stickler for details, I did not want to go the 600 yard range and guess at how many clicks up on the Leupold to get me to 600 yards so I calculated it. Here is how I did it. Using the Hornady Ballistic Calculator in my web header above, I entered the caliber, speed of the bullet from the Nosler loading book and the ballistic coefficient for that bullet, in this case I chose the G1 drag function is for a standard bullet shape. I could have chosen the G7 Drag Function for a Long range boat tail but didn’t know enough about these functions to mess around. I chose the range to 600 yards in the Calculator and hit the Calculate button. Reading the resulting upclicks for 600 yards it read 14.9 MOA (Minute of Angle). To calculate the upclicks multiply that number times 4 for a scope with 1/4 inch MOA per click at 100 yards, the answer was 55 clicks up. I knew it was not perfect because I was not able to Chronograph the bullet speed but the data in the Nosler manual was good enough to get me on paper and in the black. I shot the first one at about 15 inches high and adjusted the scope down 5 clicks after 5 shots and that put me in the 10 ring where I was happy to just shoot for group. I watched the flags for when to shoot between small gusts of wind and was pleased to place all but one in the 10 ring and 2 in the x-ring. The group of 7 shots is estimated to be less than 6 inches vertically. That is excellent making the group sub- Minute of Angle. Note: A five mph wind can blow the bullet sideways 10 inches at 600 yards. The combination of the Savage Rifle , Leupold Scope, bullet, powder was a good match RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.

After the shoot, I went back to my club range and cranked the Leupold dial back down 50 clicks and shot a 3/4 inch group in the 100 yard bullseye. The Leupold VX-1 is a fine scope indeed for a hunting scope and proved itself today. The LR Long Range Reticle is explained below (it is a bit pixelated sorry) but at 600 yard they were too short for my use and would have to be proven in with each load. I believe you need access to a range that allows you to experiment with loads to get the Reticle to work properly at long distances. My club rifle range is only 150 yards.

This rifle is a top long distance rifle. I would take this out west for antelope at 300 yards with the load I was shooting or 400 yards (1000 ft lbs) with the Nosler Custom Factory Loads for the 90 grain e-tip that drive the bullet to 3200 fps. Expansion on game is ideal!!

Prep for Safari – Dedication to the Bow

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Ed Hale

As many of my close hunting friends know, I am a Bowman as much as a Rifleman. I have spent many years shooting a recurve and longbow in my youth but was never better than average with them despite winning Traditional Trophies with them. When I picked up the Compound Bow my skill level skyrocketed. It was not uncommon for me to regularly win 3D shoot trophies as you can see above my workbench.

In my Book African Safari – Rifle and Bow and Arrow I was able to cleanly kill a Gemsbok and Red Hartebeest a culmination of my shooting skill and patience in a blind. Of the two I am most pleased with the Gemsbok. I was shooting a High Country Sniper Bow back then set at 74 pounds. I had to set it lower to hunt with. I competed with it set at 82 pounds. The reason I lowered the poundage was because the roll-over of the cams at 82 pounds was too jerky with too much movement. At 74 pounds the rollover was controlled. Both kills were full penetration and exit making tracking a no brainer. If you get a chance to check out my e-book in the header above, you won’t be disappointed.

I love rifles just a much as my bow and have dedicated time to Rifles,Pistols and the Second Amendment especially in these times where the leftists in our government want to take those rights away. I enjoy hunting and shooting my pistols and rifles and will work support them forever.

November 2024

Author Archives: Ed Hale