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.

The No Spin Zone – Effects of Twist Rate on your Bullet

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220px-Marlin_35_rem_2

Above is a photo of the micro-groove twist rate of this 35 Marlin barrel.

First and foremost bullets that do not spin or that do not spin fast enough have no long-range accuracy. Accuracy is a relative term. If you are happy with your bullets accuracy at the distances you shoot, then all is well in the world.

On the other hand, lets say you want to elk hunt out west so you work up a load for your pet .338 Winchester Magnum shooting 250 grain bullets and you can’t get a one inch group out of any load. In fact your best load is 2 inches. Using the 6 inch rule of thumb for a kill zone that would restrict you to a 300 yard shot. True? Yes. But first let us understand why your rifle shoots the 2 inch groups with the 250 grain bullet no matter what you do with powder, bullet seating depth, bullet manufacture etc.

The fundamental question is:

Do you understand what bullet twist rates are doing to the bullets you want to shoot?

I did not for years.

What is the twist rate of your rifles? Don’t know? The truth is most of us don’t know what the twist rate is for the rifle you shoot. For those of us who are experimenters and want to understand what and why, this article is for you!

My reloading manuals talk little about twist rates and resultant effects perhaps because they are trying to sell you bullets and powder.

For years I just accepted the twist rates and tried to reload bullets and use powders to maximize or tighten my groups. In some cases, no matter what I did the groups would not shrink. Enter Sir Alfred George Greenhill.

From Wikipedia; In 1879, Greenhill developed a rule of thumb for calculating the optimal twist rate for lead-core bullets. This shortcut uses the bullet’s length, needing no allowances for weight or nose shape.[3] Greenhill applied this theory to account for the steadiness of flight conferred upon an elongated projectile by rifling.

If I can calculate twist rate for a given bullet then I can match those bullets to my rifles twist rate.Or get another barrel to shoot the bullets I want.

If you are not sure of your rifles twist rate you can measure it with a cleaning rod and the distance it takes to rotate one full turn. You can do this by placing a tight fitting patch and rod in the muzzle end, making sure the rod spins as the patch is pushed is key here. Before pushing, take a marker and place a mark on the rod near the handle. As you push the rod the mark will begin to rotate. When the mark has made one full rotation stop and place a mark on the rod where it enters the barrel. Remove the rod and measure the distance to the patch, say ten inches. This means that your barrels twist rate is 1 in 10 inches and is displayed as 1:10 twist rate.

Armed with this knowledge in hand you can use Sir Alfred George Greenhills formula to determine what twist rate is needed to shoot the bullets YOU want to shoot.

A classic case in point is the shooter that owns an AR-15 and his groups get worse as he goes above 55 grains to either shoot long distance or hunt larger game. Finally the 70 or 80 grain bullet spin so slow as to key hole in the target.

The shooter knows the twist rate is 1:12 and finds out by using the Greenhill Formula what twist rate is needed to shoot an 80 grain bullet for his .223. 

Twist = \frac{C D^2}{L} \times \sqrt{\frac{SG}{10.9}}

 

where:

  • C = 150 (use 180 for muzzle velocities higher than 2,800 f/s)
  • D = bullet’s diameter in inches
  • L = bullet’s length in inches
  • SG = bullet’s specific gravity (10.9 for lead-core bullets, which cancels out the second half of the equation)

To make it easy on ourselves click on the red Greenhill Formula above and enter the data for an 80 grain bullet length, diameter and velocity. Lets enter 1.17 for bullet length, .223 for diameter and 2900 fps for speed and hit enter. Twist rate recommended is 1:8 twist

From the website for the Greenhill formula we enter the data.

A Calculator for Barrel Twist Rate

inputs outputs
bullet length  in twist  in
bullet diameter  in
muzzle velocity  fps errors
bullet SG
bullet SG values: 
11.3  lead   
 8.9  copper 
 8.5  brass  
 7.8  steel

So that is why there are AR 15 barrels for sale at 1:8 twist.

Now you know! Me too, it was a learning experience. I hope this was helpful to New Hampshire Rifleman readers!  Shoot straight and have fun. Ed ©

 

TC Dimension in .243 Winchester Review – Out of the Box

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Out of the Box, this TC Dimension is a cool looking rifle.

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TC_dimension_howitworks

 

The TC Dimension uses a system of LOC™, Locking Optimized Components, that allows the interchange of four caliber families. Innovative engineering genius? You Bet! The barrel, bolt and magazine are all marked with an LOC™ letter.


Dimension Caliber Families:
A – .204 Ruger, .223 Rem
B – .22-250 Rem*, .243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, .308 Win
C – .270 Win, .30-06 Sprg
D – 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag
LOC stocks, receivers, bridge scope mounts and hand tools can be
used with any Series A, B, C and D components

 

Specifications:

Weight        7 lbs

Stock          Composite

Barrel          22 inches Floating

Twist Rate  1-10 inches

Pull Length 12.5 – 13.5 inches

Mag Cap    3 rounds

OAL           41 3/4 inches

Check out TC’s Video Introduction: http://dimensionrifle.tcarms.com/all-dimension-rifle-videos/#skating-down-the-mississippi-river-red-bull-mississippi-grind-2

As I said earlier in a post that you can switch barrels easily from .204 Ruger all the way up to 300 Win Mag. In putting the bolt in the rifle it is not as easy as it looks because the high cheek of the stock interferes with the bolt installation. In fact there is a small cavity in the stock to allow the bolt to move into it. But once the bolt is in, all is well. The bolt lift to open the chamber is very short making it fast for a follow-up shot.   The .243 barrel looks to be so small that it floats high above the stock. I did find the stock comb shape to aid in my view through the Leupold VX-1 scope which mounted easily to the provided Weaver Base. The adjustable trigger measured 4 lbs 5 oz pull weight out of the box.

Online research revealed that the .243 barrel with a 1-10 twist rate tends to shoot lighter bullets well and that heavy bullets such as the 90 grain and heavier to (I don’t consider 90 grains heavy) can become unstable as they are not spinning fast enough.  I handloaded 55 grain Nosler Ballistic tip below that came out of the TC .243 barrel screaming at around 3700 fps and shot a sub-moa group at 100 yards out of the box. Nosler bullets are simply the best in class! http://www.nosler.com/Bullets/Ballistic-Tip-Varmint.aspx

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The Leupold Scope was set at 9x and adjusted for focal point at 100 yards. It was a terrific companion for the TC Dimension Rifle. The Leupold VX- 1 Scope retails for around $220 dollars and is worth every penny.

From the website below: There’s much to tell about our new VX®-1, but here’s how the story ends: No other scope in its class comes even close the the quality, performance, and value of VX-1. With our revolutionary Quantum Optical System, with lead-free glass and Multicoat 4 lens coatings, the result is up to 92% total light transmission, and a sight picture that is incredibly bright, clear and razor sharp. Better have one atop your favorite rifle.

vx1

http://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/scopes/vx-1-riflescopes/

My TC Dimension test rifle is a B designation which allows me to change barrels to 22-250, 243, 7mm-08 and 308 at any time without the need to change the bolt or other parts. If I want to change to a C designation for the .270 and 30-06 then the bolt,magazine and barrel must be changed/purchased. Retail cost of the Dimension is less than $600 dollars. Barrels are $200 each. If you want to move out of your LOC letter then you must buy the new bolt for $140 and magazine for around $27 dollars as long as they are in stock.

SUMMARY:

In summary the rifle flexibility as a shooting platform and accuracy is fantastic when joined with Nosler and Leupold Products. I did find that shooting heavier bullets reduced the accuracy thus I would say that this 243 barrel with 1-10 twist rates is not a great all around barrel for deer but great for coyotes and varmints.  The 308 and 7mm-08 barrel for $200 each adds serious flexibility to the rifle and is better with heavier bullets. The 7mm-08 is perhaps more ideal for all around varmint/deer use than perhaps the .308 or the .243 Winchester and can use lighter bullets for use by recoil sensitive folks such as children and first time hunters. 243 calibers with twist rates below 1-10 such as 1-9.25 provide increased stability for bullets in the 90 to 105 grain and work well on deer and mid-size game. My rating 1-10 is a 9. A real buy for those who want flexibility and accuracy all the time every time. A 9 out of 10 is terrific in my book. ©

Big Jake

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turkey best small density image

As strands of light reached earth at sunrise, I stroked the box call at first light of opening day. The quiet morning woods were interrupted by distant Tom’s announcing their presence.

The sky was getting more blue by the minute and the weather was exceptionally clear and calm. Big pine trees surrounded me, in a small Red Oak Flat of land.

Earlier, all was well with the world as my hunting friend and I made our way into the woods of a large NH farm where we were friends of the family.  We separated  and gave distance between ourselves. My friend was new to Turkey hunting but considered himself as one who could call them in as he did with the Turkey’s in his backyard calling them every few minutes incessantly. Bringing my New England Accent to bear, I thought, it was good my friend was way, way over they’ah!

I think that Toms like the quieter ones!

I may be wrong but the Tom coming to my periodic calls seems to like my soft purrs and clucks just fine.  I could see his head and a partial of his display dance at that distance. It was a thrill to see him. Come closer, I said by softly clucking… and purred… and putted on my call like a whisper in the woods. Immediately he gobbled back in response.  All of a sudden In parade fashion three Jake Gobbler’s ran in front of the Tom as if to say… me first boys!  I was sitting with my back to a tree in Turkey hunting fashion in full camo and face mask.  The Jakes (all the same size with 3/1/2 inch beards)  were excited as all get out and standing just a few feet or so from each other and coming at me like a dog coming to a dinner bell.

They finally separated so I could squeeze the trigger on my 12 gauge 870 Remington Pump with a full choke goose barrel. I was waiting for the one that gave the best kill presentation. Yes! I wanted the mature Tom , I thought momentarily, but did not have the vacation time to spend in getting him to shotgun range.

With the head of one of the the Jakes in my sight, a sure thing,  I squeezed the trigger, and sent number 4’s at him like a buzz saw.  All the pellets struck his head and neck with such force that  he was knocked over by the dense blast. Lights Out! Wings still flapping from nerves for a moment or two. The other Jakes did not leave at first they walked around the downed Jake trying to figure out what happened but finally melted into the tree line. My hunting partner came over to see and gave a congratulatory hand shake and took pictures as I tagged the bird.

I had to wait for the local check in station in Chester, NH to open.  At 14 pounds with nary a pellet in his body he will be a tasty addition to the dinner table. I skinned him, salted his gut cavity and place him in the freezer. I will likely bake him as I did the last one with Thin sliced tart granny smith apples and Hickory smoked bacon covering his body as his new found skin. Wow! Thank God for Hunting in New England!! ©

 

 

Pistol Self Defense – Best Practices

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The best practice for home defense with a Semi-Automatic Pistol (my Kimber 1911 45 ACP) is to become a  member of a Club with either Action Shooting or IDPA International Defensive Pistol Association. I have advanced from a wanna be Home Protector to someone who has much greater confidence in caring for my family with the help from my Club; Chester Rod and Gun, in Chester NH. It is not an easy task to become skilled at home or self defense with a Pistol and is a work in progress. It is fun too. Look at the previous posts I have written on the subject.  I will begin weekly shoots that move me up the Curve. We shoot 75 to 100 rounds at each shoot using IDPA rules that include a holster that can be on your side in a conceal mode or exposed with a jacket that keeps your pistol hidden .We do not just stand and shoot, we move and engage the target/threats and the targets move too. This is the most realistic endeavor you are likely to encounter except the real thing.  More next week. Confidence in your skills and Safety is key. Give it a try, you will be glad you did. Ed

T/C Dimension Rifle in .243 Winchester Arrives at State Line Guns

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tc dimension

This rifle was debuted at the 2012 Shot show with a lot of flash!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg4GEfdx0N4

It is a stylish rifle with overtones of some European Designs.  The fact that you can switch barrels on this rifle from a .204 Ruger up to a .300 WIn Mag makes this rifle very special indeed.

 

Look for an “Out of the Box” report on this rifle soon and check out my friends at State Line Guns Ammo and Archery In Plaistow, NH that are my FFL dealer friends for this Rifle.

 

Should New Hampshire Rifleman push for a 1000 Yard Rifle Range?

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Yes is the answer! My interest in 1000 yard/meter ranges is to broaden the long-range skills of New Hampshire Rifleman by making this range accessible to the public via sportsmen. The nearest 1000 meter/yard Rifle Ranges are in New York State and Pennsylvania. Today’s rifle manufacturing technology has improved barrel and stock quality technology to such a degree that many new rifles today are capable of off the shelf sub-minute-of Angle groups. That being said a rifle that shoots a 1/2 inch group at 100 yards can group 5 inches at 1000 yards. My Ruger rifle is capable of 1/2 inch groups, the Savage Model 110 I am testing is capable of 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards as are many other rifles today. My sons, Savage Model 110 in .308 can shoot 1/4 inch groups at 100 yards consecutively off a bench rest.  But we will never realize the proven capability of these rifles, and the many bullets and ballistic profiles/coefficients, scopes and rangfinders unless New Hampshire shooters go out of state or pay a private company to shoot on their property.

It is sportsmen and their children that provide the early life marksmen skills that cleanly kill deer, turkey, bear, moose, ducks geese for the dining table such as those animals brought to the table by World War I hero Sergeant Alvin C. York. As a hunter his skills were honed out of a necessity to feed the family.

It later came in handy when he was drafted into WW I. It was the hunters skills and those of 1775 Minute Men Militia’s that saved America in all of the Wars undertaken by the USA since its birth. A place to practice is needed!!

Pemi- Valley Tried to get 1000 yard range approved.

The folks at Pemi-Valley tried to get a 1000 yard range approved and it fell short in town a few years back. I think a renewed effort should get underway with the support of organizations such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Rifle Association. Further that NH Clubs should consider financially supporting such an endeavor for both sportsmen and shooters and to exercise our ability under the Second Amendment to Keep and Bear Arms. What good is keeping a bearing arms if you can only shoot/practice at 100 yards or so?

Why have a 1000 range is like asking why have a 300 or 600 yard range?  A 1000 yard range offers an ability to provide long-range skills to shooters, hunters and marksmen. Ballistics and ranging skills among New Hampshire shooters and hunters is lacking, I suggest due to insufficient long-range public facilities.

I believe that Pemi-Valley has the best chance to get a 1000 meter/yard range approved.

What stands in the way? Those that think guns are bad stand in the way.  Do you really want to let them win that argument?  In 2012 Rick Olson Jr. wrote an article

The Anti-Gun Cadre Levels Its Sights On Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club

Here is the link to that article: http://granitegrok.com/blog/2012/02/the-anti-gun-cadre-levels-its-sights-on-pemigewasset-valley-fish-game-club

I have emailed a few folks that were working on the Range but it is still in Limbo.

Shooting sports are undergoing great resurgence. Lets get this or another 1000 range built and staff it with trained Range Officers and Skilled Shooters.

Talk it up Folks or let the Left take over your God given rights! I will talk with Pemi- Valley and report back.

 

Chester NH Rod and Gun Members soon to begin Action Shooting

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Chester Rod and Gun members have been training this winter using Airsoft Pistols and International Defensive Pistol Association rules that I recently wrote about.

I think Airsoft training is a must!!

In the coming weeks we move to the real thing and shoot with real pistols and real bullets where we are timed in our ability to safely shoot at targets that simulate a home defense situation. This is, for me, a very welcome progression in my ability to protect my family as a staunch proponent of the Second Amendment and out right to keep and bear arms.

The key here is safety and we have excellent Range Safety Officers that are qualified to lead us in this endeavor. Their job is largely Safety and Pistol Handling under “very strict rules”.

This past week we were tested on the IDPA rules and have passed to the next phase. Shooting! Even if I did not progress further than several weekly shoots. I believe the effort is important for all those that seek some serious home defense training and great fun along the way.

Ammunition is the key to this Action Shooting and favors those that can afford the Ammo, can get Ammo or reload your own ammo. Weekly shoots will consume at between 50 to 100 rounds or more of 9mm,10mm 40 cal, 45ACP. It is anticipated to include .22 pistols of approved types if ammunition remains in short supply.

This coming weekend members qualify for their Action Badge by shooting a cardboard silhouette target from 30 feet and must strike it with 7 out of 10 rounds fired. No timing will take place. This is to assure that those that wish to participate can keep bullets within the confines of the target area safely. I will be shooting my Kimber 45 ACP and my very reliable and accurate reloads. We shall see how good I shoot them!

Here are some shoots to view from You Tube. Great fun too!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=P94t2RPSx0Q&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=4oCaO0B2c_M&feature=endscreen

 

Senator Ayotte; S 649 (Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013)

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Friends,

Send a thank you to Senator Ayotte for her recent votes against S. 649’s attack on the Second Amendment, guns and magazines and instead focuses on the real issues of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. See her voting record here; http://www.ayotte.senate.gov/voting_record/

I have searched the web for info on her position on the NRA School Shield Program and have yet to find any. If you have not seen Asa Hutchinson on this program go here. http://www.nraschoolshield.com/

 

New Hampshire: Shurtleff Criminal Protection Bill Scheduled for Senate Committee Hearing in Concord on Tuesday

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NRA-ILA Alerts – Go to NRA.org for more info. Call and email your NH Judiciary Committee Below. Do it Now!!

Here is the New Hampshire NRA-ILA ALERT

On Tuesday, April 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 135. Introduced by state Representative Stephen Shurtleff (D- Merrimack 11), HB 135 will render law-abiding citizens defenseless victims by removing consequences for criminal activity. The New Hampshire House of Representatives already undermined your inherent right to self-defense by passing the Shurtleff Criminal Protection Bill by a 189-184 vote on March 27.

HB 135 would repeal important self-defense provisions enacted in 2011, making the following changes to New Hampshire’s current self-defense laws:

  1. Eliminates the provision that allows a person to use deadly force anywhere he or she has a legal right to be. This limits an individual’s ability to defend themselves or a third party from assault to their own place of residence.
  2. Amends the definition of non-deadly force by removing the provision that specifies the act of producing or displaying a weapon is considered non-deadly force. Thus, drawing or exhibiting your firearm to intimidate a perpetrator could be considered deadly force.
  3. Repeals the provision granting civil immunity for the use of force in certain circumstances. The elimination of this provision removes legal protections for law-abiding citizens acting in self-defense.

Given the alarming passage of this legislation in the state House, it is critical that you contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee TODAY and let them know that HB 135 is a big step in the wrong direction for New Hampshire, and will put you and your loved ones at risk. Ask committee members whether they plan to vote for the rights of law-abiding citizens or criminals.

Senate Judiciary Committee:

Senator Sharon Carson, Chairman (R-14)
(603)271-1403
sharon.carson@leg.state.nh.us

Senator Bette Lasky, Vice Chairman (D-13)
(603)271-4151
bette.lasky@leg.state.nh.us

Senator David Boutin (R-16)
(603)271-3092
dboutin1465@comcast.net

Senator Sam Cataldo (R-6)
(603)271-4063
casac@worldpath.net

Senator Donna Soucy (D-18)
(603)271-4151
donna.soucy@leg.state.nh.us

IDPA – Great Shooting Fun and Training with Airsoft Pistols prior to an IDPA event

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The International Defensive Pistol Association Competition is here in New Hampshire. So what is all the hubbub about? Well, speaking for myself, I have owned a pistol, rifle and shotgun most of my life and took them to the local range to increase my shooting skills for hunting, shooting for fun, and for self-defense. The problem was that there were few clubs that had the know-how to help me build self-defense shooting skills and have fun doing it.

Enter IDPA!

From Wikipedia:

“The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, USA that has created a shooting sport based on defensive pistol techniques, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated “real world” self-defense scenarios. Shooters competing in defensive pistol events are required to use practical handguns and holsters that are deemed suitable for self-defense use.

How Cool is that!

This winter my nephew invited me to shoot one of his Airsoft Pistols indoors in training for live fire IDPA competition this spring. I am having a blast!! Pun Intended!

I have been practicing for IDPA Competition using Airsoft pistols that shoot plastic BB’s in the same scenario’s that you may find yourself in trying to defend yourself and family against intruders. Safety is paramount! Training and practice are necessary to build these home defense skill sets and all the while having great fun shooting your pistols at stationary and moving targets. A YouTube Airsoft primer is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7urnK5LTQQ

Range Commands are necessary for control of the shooting sequence and are initiated by  NRA qualified Range Safety Officers(RSO). As an example: Shooter to the Line Command -The shooter walks up to the Line with the Range Safety Officer. The RSO says;

LOAD AND MAKE READY -The shooter loads his/her firearm, racks the slide or closes the cylinder, applies the safety or decocks then holsters the firearm.

COURSE OF FIRE – Course of fire is explained to the shooter and how many shots to take.

So you can see that you must be able to follow instructions and Commands in order to participate whether in Airsoft or real live fire. Again Safety is Paramount.

In this type of training the shooter will be placed in situations where the bad guys don’t shoot back but you must demonstrate the use of cover such as a wall or barrier. Use prescribed techniques for drawing your firearm, extending it, keeping your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to shoot. There is a lot to this!! But you will learn confidence over time and speed comes with practice. I am a novice at it and have yet to compete but I am having great fun with friends doing the Airsoft training. Bring the wife and Teens too. Better than the TV for sure!

IDPA shoot Video’s – http://www.ccidpa.org/videos/ccidpa-demo.html

SHOOTER READY? More on this great shooting Fun is coming!!! Ed