Trigger Time

After a long break, I was able to get out for a little trigger time a couple weekends back.  It was nice to see some decent groups after being away from the range for so long.  It was a nice day with no wind...looks like I need to adjust the scope 1/2 inch the left.  This was all shot at 50 yards.

Shooting mat on a budget

I had been looking at the shooting mats offered online, but no way was I going to pay $80 to get one.  Instead I found a camo moving blanket on EBay for $20.  It is 72x80 inches, doubled over it's pretty soft.  Does the trick, and multi-tasks as a moving blanket!

Something to think about

According to the US Census, the US Population for April 1, 2010 was 308,745,538 people (that is men, women, children, elderly, everyone).  The NRA states the number of gun owners in the US is 80,000,000 people. 

Therefore:

25.9% of the people in the US are gun owners.

1 in 4 people own a firearm.  These people by and large are responsible gun owners.  They spend money on firearms and related items; thus supporting the people who are in the business of providing those items...this is good for the economy.  They stand up to protect their family and neighbors, and if the need arises, their country.  I will do so myself, should the need arise.


Those who wish to ban guns need to remember these points:

*Making firearms illegal will not disarm criminals.  Marijuana is still available in every city of this country, and it's illegal.
*Murder is illegal, yet people still kill.
*Banning firearms will result in: a loss of US jobs (a blow which should never be willingly brought upon a people), and a loss in the ability for people to defend themselves and their family.
*When 1 in 4 people own a firearm, surely this is something that is important to many people, if your not one of them, fine, but don't tell other people how to live.

Improving Accuracy - The 1/2 second after you pull the trigger analysis

I ride motorcycles, and something I say a lot, is that I'm not capable of using that machine to it's fullest potential.  Every time I ride, is a learning experience, and I do get better year over year.  I see this is the case with my rifles as well.  Before I purchased my first rifle, I figured shooting single hole groups would be a breeze.  Little did I know, that in reality, there are so many factors that go into precision shooting, that I would become obsessed with the one thing I thought would be so easy.  We are misguided by TV and movies into thinking shooting is easy and accurate.

I suspect a lot of people try to downplay their role in shooting accurately, especially when I hear things like "it's cheap ammo, it's the wind, that [insert firearm in question] is for hunting not target shooting, or it's a cheap rifle."  I'd be willing to argue that for the vast majority of us, it is in fact our technique that is the cause of our lack of precision.

On my last outing to the range, I focused on body positioning, and it's effects.  Just a simple change to the location of my elbow on the bench had an effect on my groups.  Something I have neglected to pay attention to (and I suspect most of us do the same), is to examine how our rifle has moved AFTER the shot has been fired.  Is the rifle always moving the same way?  I think this analysis is the key to improving our groupings.

I noticed that placing my elbow further outward on the bench resulted in less sideways motion of the rifle after the shot.  I believe that this change in position allowed the rifle to move more directly rearward, as opposed to being pivoted to the side, as my arm/elbow acted as a lever.

I often hear people blaming stray shots to the right (I am right handed) as being a trigger control issue (ie jerking the trigger), but I know in my case this is not the cause.  I'm extremely careful to use pressure to gently squeeze the trigger back, and during dry firing, my rifle does not move a peep during this process.  Examining the effect of recoil (even the small recoil of the 22LR) I began to see how my arm pivoting at the elbow would absolutely cause the movement in the barrel that cause these 'off to the right' shots.  I feel like I learned something very important this last time out to the range.

I'd like to thank Germán Salazar over at 'The Rifleman's Journal' for his advice recently.  http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/  His advice prompted me to examine my body and it's effect on the rifle, beyond the trigger control and controlled breathing techniques.

Sons of Guns

If you haven't checked out 'Sons of Guns' on the Discovery Channel, I highly recommend it!  It's enjoyable, the people on the show have an interesting set of personalities, and there is plenty of shooting! 

I'm particularly happy with the success this show has been having.  It's nice to see shooting and firearms portrayed in a positive light, and given the popularity of the show, it's encouraging that the general public has taken an interest.  Perhaps this will bring more understanding, and even positive interest from the non-gun community.

9pm July 13th (Wednesday) is the first episode of the new season, check it out!

Operation "Fast and Furious" - our response as outraged citizens

Please read this information provided by the NRA.  https://www.nra.org/fireholder/Background.aspx

Also, if you are not a member of the NRA, or if you know someone who believes in our 2nd amendment rights, but is not an NRA member, please join!  http://membership.nrahq.org/

The NRA fights for our rights every day, and I support their efforts through my membership, and by spreading the word about responsible gun ownership!

I also think it's important to keep in mind that the media loves bad news, and gun related violence makes for big headlines. However, they don't report on the good news...all of the situations where responsible gun owners were able to defend themselves, instead of becoming victims / injured victims / dead victims.  Every month I read in American Rifleman stories about people who are alive today because of the legal guns they had to defend themselves.

The .308 Winchester kicks like a mule

So anticipating what amounts to someone kicking me in the shoulder every time I pull the trigger, shooting the .308 Winchester gets me down....cause it makes me look like a bad shot.  :(

(This is a composite of 3 separate days of shooting the 308, the shots in yellow are from today...easily a dead dear...but nowhere near competition shooting)

The funny thing is (and probably quite revealing), back during the winter, my 308 groups were substantially better...probably due to all the padding I had with the winter jacket, and sweater.

Time to man up, and shoot that bad boy until I'm not skittish about pulling the trigger...and maybe I'll start shooting the 308 like I do the 17.


Now my shooting with the 17HMR....pretty good today.

At 100 yards, 4 of the 5 shots in this group were smaller than my thumbnail....I can't argue with that.  Even this group was pretty good...

Another new target

Sometimes 4 targets per page isn't enough...so here are 9!  Enjoy!

The target may be downloaded in PDF form from here: TargetV4d.pdf

Don't shoot me, but I want an AK47

There is a guy at the range who shoots an AK47 all the time, and the more I see and hear that rifle, the more I like it.  I like the wood, and I like the way the front end of the rifle looks.  It's growing on me...time to save up some pennies....

17HMR Shooting and Split Cases

I spent some extended time at the range yesterday with the Savage 17HMR.  It was nice to have some extra time to chat with the other guys at the range, and to take my time working on aim and breathing. This was my best group of the day (50 yards 5 rounds, white circle is 1" across):

 I also noticed while picking up my brass, that I had quite a few split where the case necks-down.  Being a bolt action rifle I'm not worried about it, but if I had a semiauto it would be concerning. 8 rounds out of 50 had split, with this one being the worst.

I did some searching online about this issue, and this was the response one individual had received from Hornady (the ammo I use) "The 17 HMR cases may crack because of the annealing process when they are made. The annealing process is what makes the material brittle or flexible depending on the length of time and degree of the process. This is a precise procedure with any other case that can be reloaded, as we want the case to be hard enough to do the job but soft enough to stand up to several reloads. The 17 HMR case is dispensable and can not be reloaded, therefore the annealing procedure isn't quite as strict as with other cases. When the case cracks, it's because the neck was annealed a little harder than it needed to be, making it more brittle. This does not affect the accuracy or performance of the ammunition. Normally, the fired case will eject the same as any other, and unless they are picked up later, the shooter may never even know they had a case with a split neck. We would prefer that none of the cases split, (and the majority of them don't), but it seems redundant to spend the time and money on perfecting the case when it isn't practical or necessary. Our lab has evaluated cases with cracked necks, and the powder is fine, the case necks are just more brittle."

AR15 range time (testing the extended stock length)

The extra 1.25 inches of length fixed my eye relief problem with the scope, and today's shooting was quite good...for me. (See this post regarding the stock length http://ar15shooter.blogspot.com/2011/06/additional-eye-relief.html )  Shooting was at 50 Yards with a front rest.  Overall it was an enjoyable time out...and more relaxing than usual, thanks to the tighter groups.

Offhand, sitting, and bench rest shooting

It is interesting how my vertical accuracy improves as I move from offhand (red) => sitting (yellow / legs crossed with elbows rested on my legs) => bench rest (green / front sandbag).  10 rounds were fired in each position.  This is with my Savage Mk II 22LR bolt action rifle.

As for the horizontal skew in my bench rest shooting, I think this is due to the way my sand bag grips the rifle...it is an 'H' shaped rest, and if there is torque against the rifle, I think it causes movement when I fire the rifle...I am going to try a tube type sand bag that doesn't grip the rifle from the sides, and see if that improves things.

(Follow up 6/18/2011...turns out the sandbag isn't the issue, it's me!  Once I place the rifle in the sandbag, I need to rock the rifle left and right a few times to settle things to center...once I do that, the horizontal skew tightens right up!  I tried using a block of wood with a towel on it to rest the rifle, and I'm far less steady and accurate than I am with the 'H' bag rest.)

Additional Eye Relief

With the DNZ scope mount, I found I was having to pull my head back a bit to get the proper eye relief for the scope, even thought I have it mounted as far forward as I can.  I extended the length of the stock (which is fixed thanks to ass-backwards laws in NY state) giving an additional 1.25 inches of eye relief.

I had to drill and tap a new 1/4 20 hole in the bottom of the buffer tube which was an easy job.  Slide the stock back on, bolt her up, and presto...nice comfortable eye relief!

And NY must *surely* be happy that the gun is longer, and.....therefore harder to hide under my t-shirt??  Senseless.

Great issue this month at the Rifleman's Journal

Lot's of good info this month, check it out!
http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/

This guy is really smart, I spend a lot of time reading what he has to say.

Trigger time with Dad

I was able to visit my father this past weekend, and we shot up a fair amount of paper and cans.  It was very enjoyable!

This also gave me time to compare the Timney trigger to the stock trigger, as well as look over differences between his Bushmaster and my DTI.

The Timney trigger is fabulous...much lighter and very clean breaking!  I did notice that the hammer spring is considerably lighter than the stock hammer spring, and found that interesting, but there haven't been issues with failure to fire, so this shouldn't be a concern.  Once I have the chance to save up for the Geissele SSA-E trigger, I'll be able to compare them to each other.  Without a doubt, the Timney is a huge step forward over the stock trigger.

One interesting difference I noticed between dad's Bushmaster AR (VA legal), and mine (NY legal), was the length of the buffer tube.  The buffer and springs were identical, however my tube was much longer...looking inside I noticed an aluminum spacer in the back of the tube, which made the internal length idential to the Bushmaster.  I'm suspecting that to meet NY laws for overall length of the rifle, the tube has the spacer in it to prevent shortening of the rifle by simply moving and re-pinning the stock along the tube.  This spacer results in a much heavier lower on my rifle compared to dad's.

Why the AR-15 shouldn't be your only rifle (explanations for your wife)

I love the AR-15, and everyone who loves guns should have at least one, but this shouldn't be the only type of rifle you own.  I say this for a few reasons.


#1 Purpose

There are a lot of things we use our rifles for outside of shooting paper for fun, with  hunting, teaching, and self defense coming to mind. 

Shooting paper - Well, any one of my rifles are fun for that, so let's move on to hunting. 

Hunting - I've been squirrel hunting, and would like to go deer hunting next season, and the AR-15 is not the appropriate rifle for either of those cases.  Squirrel is far too small to be using the .223, and deer too large.  In these cases I would choose the 22LR, and the .308 respectively.  The 22LR has a more appropriate ballistic behaviour (I'll speak on this later), and carries good energy for squirrel hunting, and it's also quiet enough that your not going to make your ears ring every time you fire.  With deer, the .308 packs enough energy to drop a deer, but if used on a squirrel...well, you may not have much left...and the .308 is too loud...I wouldn't want to fire mine without earplugs.

There are also some legal considerations as to caliber, number of rounds in the clip, etc, but I'm no expert on this, so do your research before you take your AR out hunting.

Teaching - For someone new to firearms, I prefer the 22LR...it's cheap, it doesn't kick (so not intimidating to new shooters), it's not loud, it has a quick up and down ballistic curve (in relation to range), and wind has a noticeable effect on the bullet.  These are all good things to drill home the lessons of ballistics.

Self Defense - In this case, I'd take anything loaded, but...if I had a choice, my AR-15 would be the first thing I pick up.  Being semiautomatic is my #1 reason....it's going to give me the best chance of being alive at the end.


#2 Ballistics

From a ballistic standpoint, each caliber has it's own characteristics.  This chart compares the rounds which I like to fire.

As you can see, depending on your range to the target, and the size of the vitals for the target, each caliber starts to show it's particular advantages.  The 22LR is within the vital zone for squirrel from 10 yards to 60 yards, for this type of hunting this should make for an easy shot in the usual hunting range.  If I were picking off groundhog or some other varmint out to 100+ yards, the 17HMR would be a better choice...the bullet flies flatter, and carries more energy than the 22LR (out to 200 yards anyway).  For deer hunting, the .308 stays well within the vitals, even when zeroed for 220 yards.


#3 Cost to shoot

The cost of shooting is a definite consideration.  If you want to go out and shoot all day, the 22LR just can't be beat...a block of 525 rounds can be had for $20 around here, after 100~150 rounds, I've had my fun, and haven't spent all that much money.  The 17HMR isn't too terribly expensive at $13 for 50 rounds, moving up to the .223, I've been paying $40 for 100 rounds, and for the .308 prices are about $24 for 20 rounds!  Breaking this down to cost per shot....

Caliber      Price Each
22LR         $0.04
17HMR        $0.26
.223 Rem     $0.39
.308 Win     $1.20

You could fire 30 rounds of 22LR for the cost of a single round of .308!

I hope you've enjoyed my insight, and maybe this will help you make your point to the wife next time you are on the market for a new rifle.

Shooting with Iron Sights - thoughts on speed

I tried switching between scoped and iron sights my last time out, here are the results:

100 yards with iron sights, group marked in orange (I was doing a lot of different things with the same target)...

100 yards with the scope (at 100 yards, I should be 0.5" high with my current zero at 225 yards)...

50 yards, green and yellow groups (upper left and bottom right) are with the scope (at 50 yards, I should be 1.1" low with my current zero at 225 yards), orange groups (top right and lower left) are with irons...ignore the blue ones, some settings were off on my sights for that one.

I'm beginning to understand why our boys in the military use the irons.  I love scopes, but I have to say, if I were in a defensive situation, I'd rather have the irons.  I can definitely see a huge speed advantage with the iron's...target acquisition is substantially quicker, and tiny movements are far less distracting.  I'll have to give one of the non magnified sighting systems a try down the road.

Shooting on Mother's Day (With Mom)

This year Mom requested that we spend Mother's Day at the range.  Awesome!

Target V2c and V3c

I have refined the targets, and am happy with how they look down range.  I also have a link now so you may download and print these yourself.

Target V2c has circles for what I consider 'vitals' in squirrel, coyote, and deer.  Boxes are for defensive practice with good (solid), fair (dashed), and the entire page as acceptable.
Get it here ===> Target V2c

Target V3c is a quad version of the center of the target.

Get it here ===>  Target V3c

I have been printing these with a color laser printer (Fedex Office), and they look great!

Feel free to download and use these, I just ask that you keep my website address on them.  (I'd love feedback as to how these work for you too!)

Zeroing a Scope - 2 Methods

I have used two methods for zeroing scopes on rifles.  The MOA Method is great for a single person, while the Full Benchrest Method is a two person procedure that requires a solid benchrest.

Both methods benefit from boresighting the rifle...but you can always use a large piece of cardboard (so you can see where your bullets hit, if it's way off) to get a quick rough in.

Remember this point: The direction of adjustment on the scope is labeled for adjusting the point of impact, so when you turn the adjustment to the right, your bullet's point of impact will move to the right (the crosshairs will actually move to the left).


MOA Method:

With this method, we calculate the number of clicks to bring the point of impact into alignment with the point of aim.  After firing a group measure the distance from the point of aim, to the center of the group.  Knowing that at 100 yards 1 MOA is equal to 1.047 inches (which we round to 1 inch for simplicity), we can calculate the number of clicks to adjust the scope.  Should we be zeroing at 50 yards, then 1 MOA is only 0.5 inch, and at 200 yards, 1 MOA is equal to 2 inches.  Most scopes adjust in 1/4 MOA increments, or 4 clicks per 1 MOA.  The following list will help when calculating clicks:

   1/4 MOA @ 25 yards = 0.0625 inches
   1/4 MOA @ 50 yards = 0.125 inches
   1/4 MOA @ 100 yards = 0.25 inch
   1/4 MOA @ 200 yards = 0.5 inches

For example, we have a group that hits 1 1/4 inches right and 2 3/4 inches low at 50 yards.  The following would be the number of clicks to adjust:

   left clicks = 1.25 / .125 = 10 clicks
   up clicks = 2.75 / .125 = 22 clicks


Full Benchrest Method:

With this method, no math is required, but you need a helper and a good solid bench rest that will hold the rifle very steady while adjusting the scope.  Fire a group at your target, once you have that, place your crosshairs on the center of the target and hold the rifle in the rest VERY steady and solid.  This places the barrel in the same orientation as it was when firing the previous group.  Now have your helper adjust the scope, remembering to move the adjustment in the OPPOSITE direction than what is labeled (see 'Remember this point' above).  Without moving the rifle keep turning the adjustments until the crosshairs are in the center of your group...your point of aim will then match your point of impact.

Zeroing Iron Sights using the RIBZ Method

RIBZ = Revised Improved Battlesight Zero

For zeroing my rifle with the iron sights, I use the RIBZ method found on the AR15.com website.  This method allows for setting the rear sight for 50 and 100 yard ranges, as well as the typical 300-800 meter ranges.  (Remember to adjust the front sight post for zeroing the elevation, and the rear sight dial for adjusting for range only.)

When using the detachable carry handle as I am, you must double the number of clicks in this procedure (the elevation ring is adjustable from 300-600 meters).

Here is the procedure on the AR15.com website:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=18&t=328143

For my setup (detachable carry handle with 3/6 elevation wheel) the following settings apply:
3/6 -4 clicks for 50 yards
3/6 -6 clicks for 100 yards
3/6 for 300 meters
4 for 400 meters
5 for 500 meters
3/6 for 600 meters

When it comes to what settings to use for self defense...I always leave the sight set to the 50 yard setting, this will keep me within -3 to +1.5 inches from muzzle to 280 yards.  This way, there will be no thinking about sight settings in a stressful situation.

Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!

I hope the fires are brutally hot in hell, Bin Laden!

We must remember after this victory, that just because the #1 asshole is dead, doesn't mean the job is finished. I'll gladly help arrange your departure from this world if you want to tread on the United States!

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of 9/11, and my thanks are to the brave soldiers who fight for our freedom every day!

God Bless the United States of America!

Shooting in the Wind

Today's range time gave me some practice in windy conditions.  There was a fairly consistent medium+ wind coming from 10 o'clock occasionally swinging to 8 o'clock, and I was shooting at targets placed at 100 and 200 yards with the Savage 17HMR using Hornady 17GR ballistic tip bullets.

At 17 grains the 17HMR round is pushed pretty easily by the wind...I noticed it at 100 yards (where I typically shoot)....but out at 200 yards the effect was definitely apparent.  Some poking around online showed a 15" drift at 200 yards from a 10MPH wind.  Pretty substantial!  This little round is great for experiencing wind effect...a great training aid!  {The .223 round I use in the AR-15 would only drift about 3 inches at 200 yards in a 10MPH wind.}

This is100 yards...(the unlabeled shots are my initial group, followed by orange, then 12 clicks left for yellow, and then 8 clicks to the right (resulting in 4 clicks left from my initial) for the final group in green)...

This is 200 yards...(initial shots are in orange (3 of which are out of frame), followed by the yellow at 12 clicks left, and green 12 clicks low)...

As for elevation at 200 yards, I botched up the mental math, and added 12 clicks down, when I should have gone for 6...I would have been spot on in elevation had I made the correct adjustment.  Good fun none the less!

The net result required 12 clicks left at 200 yards, and 4 clicks left at 100 yards to correct for the wind (the wind conditions change beyond 100 yards at my shooting range as the treeline stops at about 70 yards).

17HMR Lunch Break

I managed to hit the range for lunch today, and put 30 rounds of 17HMR down range.  Definately a good way to clear your mind, and remind yourself that more practice is definately in order.  I really need to work on my breathing, and patience.

I was shooting with a light 3 o'clock wind at 100 yards using a bolt action Savage 93R17 - 17HMR topped with a Nikon ProStaff 3-9x scope set at 9x.

This was my first 20 rounds, with my best two '5 shot' groups highlighted (there were some slight 1-2 click adjustments in windage on the scope between groups)...

And my final 10 rounds (with 1 click up added to the scope before shooting), with each 5 shot group marked...

I must get more practice....I'd like to be shooting tighter groups than this.  But overall a rewarding break from life.

BCMGunfighter Charging Handle

The BCMGunfighter Mod4 charging handle arrived the other day, and my first reaction seeing it was 'wow'.  The machining and finish is top notch...without a doubt, a very well made accessory!

This should be standard equipment on every AR-15!  I had been using the typical two finger/dominant hand method to rake the charging handle on my AR...a slow clumsy operation.  Now it is a quick easy movement, without having to remove the rifle from my shoulder, or my hand from fire control.  Excellent product!

I purchased the medium handle Mod4 unit, and it's just the right size.

It is available from Bravo Company USA here...
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-GUNFIGHTER-Charging-Handle-GFH-Mod-4-p/bcm%20gfh%20mod%204%20556.htm


For those who are curious...BCM is short for Bravo Company Manufacturing.

Great firearm statements

God made man, Samuel Colt made them equal.

Don't retreat, reload!

Gun control means using both hands.

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

You can take them from my cold dead hands.


and my favorite...


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.

The NRA, our rights, and a new hobby

I believe every decent American should have the right to own firearms. I was raised in a home with firearms (which I rarely saw, but knew were there), and with all of the attention lately on gun control, I felt compelled to become a member of the NRA.  To me, this is a good way to support our 2nd amendment rights, and a way to stand up for what I believe is right. 

I became a member of the NRA in November 2010...I didn't own a firearm.

Until this point, I wasn't particularly interested in firearms.  It wasn't uncommon for me to say things such as "I'm not a big fan of recoil".  I've even been to family events where skeet shooting was enjoyed, but I kept to toying with the potato cannon instead.

Still, I felt compelled to do more.  Joining the NRA seemed like a great way to fund the fight for our rights...but I wanted stand up through action as well.  I started looking for a small calibre rifle...eventually settling on a 17HMR.

I recruited family members and friends to show me the ropes, I was hooked!  What fun I had been missing!  And I learned that shooting well is much tougher than it seems in theory.  This new hobby is now a major part of my life, I now own many guns, and I've become a big fan of recoil!

The irony in all of this is...the attack on our 2nd amendment rights, and my desire to stand up...drove me to become a gun owning American...surely not what the gun-grabbers wanted.

Please, if your not a member of the NRA, join today.

https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp 

If your not a gun owner, consider it.  If you are one or both of the above, find someone new to introduce to this wonderful hobby!

I'm a gun owner.

I'm a member of the NRA.

I'm proud to be an American!

Advice from a Marine

Not just any Marine, this one is my best friend, and he shared with me what had been drilled into him over and over again...and it's worth repeating over and over again....

• Always treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
• Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
• Never point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to destroy.
• Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

Also, a personal favorie that I see from time to time...

• The most important firearm safety is your brain!

Relaxation Time at the Range

I spend a lot of time during the week looking forward to my range time on the weekends.  I managed to get out twice this weekend, which is very unusual for me.  It's been busy lately with the spring weather, but I've been able to get a bench, and touch off 50-60 rounds a day.

Here is the view down range...my targets are on the 50 yard board...you can also see the 25, 100 and 200 yard boards.

And here is my setup...

It was nice to get out and clear my mind.

Thumb Screws Loose

I guess part of blogging is sharing errors that you've made, as well as all the fun you've had.  As I was at the range today, it seemed that I was chasing the crosshairs trying to get a good zero.  I kept checking the torque on the screw that holds my scope to the carry handle, but didn't check the two thumb screws that hold the carry handle to the upper receiver.  Under recoil, the entire handle and scope would slide, and surely affected the point of aim.

Lesson of the day...tighten the thumb screws REALLY TIGHT!

All things considered, I still shot some nice groups once I was done chasing the 'zero' around (I remembered my sandbag front rest today).  My final shots are highlighted in yellow...

Target V2

I finally made it to the range with the new target I designed...things that seem good in theory are much different in practice, since at 50 yards, when I wasn't looking through the scope, I couldn't see a thing!  So, here is an updated version that should do the trick (hopefully!)...

As for my performance today...it was all right, but I have a long way to go to.  The shots in green are the last 5 shots of the day, fired seated and resting on both elbows (I called the one above center as high when I fired it).  The red ones are my 'off hand' attempts...all at 50 yards. 

I'm definitely a better shot when I have my sandbag rest with me...but practice will help.  I can definitely see the need for an aftermarket trigger too...I spend a lot of my time adding pressure to the trigger waiting for it to break.

Please see my update here => http://ar15shooter.blogspot.com/2011/05/target-v2c-and-v3c.html

Happy Birthday to the Model 1911

The Model 1911 pistol is an icon...the state gun of Utah...and a favorite of both my best man, and my father.  As with my other favorite firearms, the AR-15, and the Remington 700, the 1911 has seen use in our armed forces.  One day, I will own one.

Here is a nice writeup on the history of the 1911:  http://www.m1911.org/full_history.htm

Talking Point: Bolt Carrier Group

A couple of small points regarding cleaning the bolt carrier group.  I see some people who recommend removing the extractor and gas rings on the bolt with every cleaning.  I don't recommend this...the potential damage to the retaining pin of the extractor or to the gas rings is high.  The retaining pin in my opinion isn't designed to be removed frequently and could start to fit loose if removed too often.  As for the gas rings, they have to be flexed quite a bit to remove them, and could be ruined.  For cleaning these area's, I just saturate them with Hoppe's 9 and it does a great job...sometimes a little compressed air helps to move the junk out.

Proper lubrication of the bolt carrier group is essential to long life of the AR.  I've circled the areas in red where I apply a liberal amount of oil.  The bolt carrier rides on the 4 ridges that run along the front sides, I add a generous amount of oil here, and also along the side of the bolt key.  Coat the entire cam pin with oil.  On the bolt itself I add a couple drops of oil to the gas rings, and to the ridge in the middle and work it all the way around for even coverage (the bolt should slide smoothly once inside the bolt carrier).  I place a light coat of oil to the face of the bolt, the retaining pin, and the shaft of the charging handle.  As for the firing pin, that just needs a very light coat of oil on it.

Remember, keep the bolt carrier group well oiled and it will keep your gun happy!

An excellent blog on precision shooting

I stumbled across this blog last night, and spent a couple hours reading the excellent posts.  Check it out...

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/

Gun Rights, Mexico and Libya

I am troubled by our government trying to take away our 2nd amendment rights using the 'flood of US guns into Mexico' as one possible method to start our disarming...
http://www.nraila.org/legislation/read.aspx?id=4632

and then they turn around and consider giving guns to 'rebels' in Libya?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12902450


Libya BOMBED Pan-Am flight 103.  Gaddafi didn't put the bomb on that plane personally...it was an action by people of Libya.  Now we want to arm the 'good rebels' to overthrow Gaddafi?  We didn't take him out ourselves in 1988, or 1989...etc....  Instead, we are going to arm these people....willingly???

Am I missing something??  Is this OK because Libya isn't on our border? 

The US needs to STOP PUNISHING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, and THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT WHO THEY WILLINGLY HAND WEAPONS TO OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTRY.

Target

I have been looking for a target that fits my needs, but nothing was exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to make one.  The circles are sized to what I feel are the 'vitals' size for small game, coyote, and deer.  I have also placed a couple of boxes for defensive practice...the inner which I consider 'good hits' and the outter as 'acceptable'.  Tick marks are at 1" intervals.  (I can email the PDF on request.)

Please see my update here => http://ar15shooter.blogspot.com/2011/04/target-v2.html

Sight height to muzzle considerations

The sight height in relation to the muzzle will alter the impact point of a bullet in relation to the point of aim at distances away from the zero point. A high sight line does not however decrease precision, you just need to understand the effect of sight height to muzzle distance.

Remember that bullets fly in an arc as they move from the muzzle to target, which means that at a given distance, your bullet will impact at a different point than your point of aim. The bullet will pass the point of aim at 2 points, once as it passes the sight line heading up (your initial zero crossing), and then again as the bullet drops after apogee (your zero sighting distance). This can be seen in the following chart.

Consider an AR-15 with iron sights and a carry handle mounted scope. The iron sight sits 2.65 inches above the center of the bore, and the scope sits 3.65 inches above the center of the bore. The point of impact using a 55grain bullet, zeroed at 225 yards for both scope and iron sight, compared to the point of aim is given on this chart: You will notice that when using the scope, the bullet 'starts' at -3.65 inches below the sight line. This is an inch lower than the sight line used with the iron sights. When you zero both sights at the same distance, what you have in effect done is set your rifle to fire at a slightly higher angle for the scope (when mounted higher than the iron sights). The bullet still hits at the same point at 225 yards, but will take a slightly different path to get there.

Cleaning Kits

I've tried a few different systems for cleaning my rifles, and in my opinion there is only one worth spending $ on....the Otis Technology system.


http://www.otisgun.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=A143AFCDD3F7420D971E1FCE78ACEFD7

Why I love this kit...

It's super compact, your always cleaning from chamber to muzzle (so your not pushing junk towards your trigger group), the kit works with all of my various caliber rifles, and it works really good!


After finding this kit, an article ran in the newspaper about the company that makes these things...I was happy to see that buying this product supports an Upstate NY company!
http://www.syracuse.com/progress/index.ssf/2011/02/otis_technology.html