Sighting in with Marble's Peep Sight

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Thank You Veterans!

10-25-09 Range Report - First shoot with the H001T Henry Lever Octagon - Frontier Model 22

How about giving hunters priority at state ranges for two months a year?

The state DEP begins taking calls to book weekend time at the state ranges at 8:30 each Monday morning. A few minutes past I ritually begin dialing the state from work. The line is usually busy, and as was the case today, it remained so until 10am. When I finally got through, I was told that the range I shoot at was already booked solid next Saturday and Sunday! A year ago I used to be able to call on Thursday and I'd often be able to book a table. Not any more, thanks to President Obama. It reminds me of the night when Johnny Carson, host of 'The Tonight Show', jokingly started a rumor that we should prepare for an upcoming toilet paper shortage. Within a day store shelves around the country were empty. The same is true of the firearm industry today.

The election of a radical left-wing president and a congress with a strong anti-gun record has resulted in shelves emptied of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies. New shooters have joined our sport due to fears that if they don't get their guns now, they may never have the opportunity to do so, and many have suddenly taking seriously their Second Amendment right and possible need to bear arms. Rising prices have caused shooters to stockpile ammo, and the increasing number of shooters have created shortages. New ammo restrictions including California's recently passed fingerprinting requirement just throws more fuel on the fire. Gun and ammo manufacturers are working 24/7 and still cannot keep up with the demand. Many companies are retooling to expand their capabilities... and all these shooters are flooding to the few ranges that are available in the state.

The increasing difficulty of landing a range spot has brought the following issue to mind. The original intended us of the state ranges was to give hunters a safe place to sight in their firearms. As you likely know, many if not most shooters at the range are handgun shooters (including myself much of the year). In my opinion hunters that require time to sight in their rifles and hunting handguns still should have a priority status at the ranges just prior to, and at the start of hunting season. If not, you are inevitably going to find people target practicing in the WMAs and endangering people's lives. How about we give hunters a break in September and October? Require that for those two months a valid hunting license must be presented to reserve a table. I believe that with the current number of shooters, this is something that is needed and a policy that is workable. Some of you are likely thinking that hunters could use a private range such as Blue Trail for sighting in, but as I've stated in the past, 2-3 hours of expensive range time, ammo and targets could run around a hundred bucks, and not everyone can financially handle that during these tough economic times. More than one hunter I've come across in the field this Fall was out there because he was out of work.

Until such a rule is enacted, hunters can still 'walk in' and know that someone will likely be nice enough to share their table with them.

"Reading your blog makes me realize how lucky I have here in Michigan. I have never ever had a problem getting on a range to shoot when I want to. A few of them do get crowded just before the opening of gun deer season but even then you can still find some place to shoot." ~Tim

Hello out there!.....

As of 1/1/2010 the BRShootingJournal has 109,000 hits, yet I have very little idea who's out there reading it. It would be encouraging to hear from you. Most of the pages now have COMMENTS turned on, so please drop me a line and let me know you're out there, where you're from and what you're up to. I moderate all comments so if you're writing to tell me to burn in hell for being a hunter, I assure you it won't get posted. If you're a normal person it could take a day to appear. If you have a photo you'd like me to consider posting, please mail it to brshooting@sbcglobal.net. I'd enjoy posting a photo of you with your firearm and/or the small game you've harvested with it. If you're shooting 44mag or SKS, I'd like to see what you're taking as well. Photos from the range would be cool if you're shooting an SKS or a Henry. Thanks for checking in, and don't forget to read and post comments! ~Bob

7 hours of blast'n at Dirk's range today

First I'd like to thank our buddy Dirk Files for opening his excellent range facility to Bill and I, as well as giving us the opportunity to shoot some really fun firearms. Note that more movies and photos of today's shoot can be found on the Wheelgun Journal and the NAA Mini-Master pages (now or during the week).

We met Dirk at the range at 8:30 and shot until around 3:30. It turned into a hot one with temperatures going into the 90's with high humidity. The morning started out on the handgun range, where we shot my NAA Mini-Master and Dirk's NAA Mini 22LR. I found that tiny mini 22 very manageable, though I had no idea where the bullets were going. This isn't a target gun, but rather a belly gun meant to fire at point blank range. Next we shot my S&W 38 Special with Crimson Trace LaserGrips and Dirk's Stainless 6" S&W 357 Magnum. Dirk brought me some wadcutter reloads that he made up and they shot better than the $1+ per round +P ammo I brought. My groups with the lasergrips were a couple inches at I guess it was around 25 ft. The 357 Magnum was an older revolver that Dirk purchased used, and the weight of the gun nicely absorbed a majority to the recoil, especially since we were shooting 38 Special rounds through it. That's a revolver that I would love to have for home defense, loaded with some hot .357 Magnum hollow point ammo. I also shot the 9x18 East German Makarov pistol (somewhat like a 9mm) that Dirk brought.

Range rules state that we could shoot 22 rimfire rifles in this area, so next we pulled out Bill's excellent Marlin lever action rifle, my Ruger 10/22 with TechSights installed, Dirk's US 22 LR Training Rifle, followed by his really cool A-3 flat top .223 with a Ciener 22LR conversion kit. Details on the performance of the various firearms will be posted on related pages.

We then moved to the 200 yard rifle range where I got to have fun shooting an M1 Garand. It was a blast to shoot and the recoil was surprisingly manageable. This was my first time handling an M1 because I was issues an M16 in the service. If I had the choice of being hit with an M1 or an M16, I'd choose the M16.

Next we shot Dirk's A-3 Flat Top with the 22LR conversion kit removed, firing .223 rounds followed by an A-1 .223, very similar to my old Colt AR which I purchased in the early 70's. Man, did that bring back memories.

We could have shot longer, but by the time we quit we were all a hot, hungry and tired. It was one of those days that's really fun to have every range season. Again, thanks to Dirk for supplying his firearms and the ammo we shot through his guns, as well as access to the range.

I'm toasted after this long day and I still have camera's to download, guns to clean, photos to post and stuff to get ready for work tomorrow. I'll post more over the week, and don't forget to check the other pages that I posted material on.

Shooting a 357 Magnum and a 38 Special

This Monday Bill and I shot at our buddy Dirk's range for 7 hrs, shooting everything from a NAA 22LR-Mini to an M1 Garand. We had a blast, and Dirk brought a bunch of toys for us to try out. Being the Wheelgun Journal, this page will focus on just the revolvers. Check out Monday's post on the 2009 Range Report page for a more extensive story with video clips and photos. Also check out my NAA Mini-Master page for movies and stories involving the fun we had shooting Dirk's girlfriend's NAA 22LR-Mini and my Mini-Master 22 Mag. revolver.

The movie above starts out with Dirk, then myself shooting a stainless 6" S&W .357 magnum loaded with .38 Special wadcutters. That's followed by me shooting a S&W .38 Airweight with Crimson Trace laser grips. Once again I was very please with the results, but this time I had no problem what-so-ever seeing the laser dot on the target. The 6" S&W was so much bigger and heavier than my 2" that the recoil felt like a .22 magnum in comparison. It was a real pleasure to shoot and I personally would really like a revolver like this for home defense. Once again, check out my other posts for more info on this week's shoot.

A possible answer to a long unanswered question

For years I've noticed that when I change ammo, powder, loads or bullets, the change not only effects the elevation of the bullet on the target, but also the windage (left to right of the bulls eye). In other words, if I am shooting a Hornady 210 grain bullet which is sighted in, and switch to a 265 grain, the bullets not only hit the target consistently high or low of the bulls eye, they also consistently form a group (let's say) to the upper right. How is that possible? I've asked many people this question, even people very knowledgeableof reloading, and I have yet to receive an answer. In fact, I had a difficult time even explaining the problem to some people. Logic would tell me (and them) that a heavier bullet might hit lower, with some of the rounds possibly hitting 2" to the left of center, another 2" to the right, etc. Not all 2" low and to the right. The rifle barrel didn't bend and my windage sight adjustment hasn't changed. So how is this possible?

When I was at the beach last weekend I brought a couple new shooting magazines to read and scare those around me. One of the articles touched on this situation somewhere within the story. Each load creates a frequency or a vibration similar to a whip within your barrel. That whip will throw your bullet in a consistent direction, and there lies the reason why all bullets might form a tight group 5" to the right of the X-Ring. That was a factor that my logic hadn't taken into consideration, since we tend to think of straight barrels shooting projectiles in straight lines like a laser bore sighter. I guess that's one reason why lasers only get us on paper and we can't depend on them for a final sight adjustment.

"...Different weight bullets accelerate at different speeds, and that changes a barrel's vibrational pattern. This also explains why a different loads can impact to the right or left of the previous one, as well as higher or lower. The thinner the barrel, the whippier it is and the more pronounced these effects are likely to be..." RifleShooter Sept/Oct 09 Pg 56

There's a lot more in the article, "All About Ballistics".

Here's a link Dirk Files just sent me on barrel harmonics: http://www.rifle-accuracy.com/harmonics.htm It gets a bit technical if you want to get deeper into the subject. Thanks Dirk.

Winchester's Ballistic Calculator is Awesome!

You absolutely have to try out Winchester's awesome new Ballistic Calculator! If you go to this page: http://www.winchester.com/ballistics/# you can download a free application called 'Silverlight'. I work on an iMac, and when I clicked the Silverlight button, the site automatically readied a download to match my system (an app for a Mac?! Unheard of.). I dropped the icon in my 'Applications' folder and when I clicked the 'Launch Ballistics Calculator' button on Winchester's web page, a new window opened launching the new application. A very cool screen appears (see my screen shot), you select a Winchester cartridge, put in some basic range info, click SHOOT and watch the application draw the trajectory of your bullet. You also see a close-up of your target so you can see where you hit. You can program up to 5 cartridge types and when you click SHOOT or change a 'Condition', all rounds reshoot, each trajectory mapped in a different color, so you can easily compare which round functions best for a specific application. I programed the calculator to view Winchester's two 44 magnum rounds and a 7.62 x 39 so I could compare it with another round I am familiar with (for the SKS). You are going to love this. I just wish someone had a reloading calculator like this, where powder, powder load, and bullet weight could be dialed in. Now that would REALLY be cool! Enjoy.

Testing 44 magnum ammo loaded with the Lee single stage press

FIRST TIME FIRING AMMO LOADED WITH LEE SINGLE STAGE PRESS

Last week I set up the Lee Single Stage Press (50th Anniversary Edition) and ran off about 50 rounds, experimenting with such things as the amount of crimp and which die to apply the crimp with. I also ran all of my existing rounds through the crimp and post-resizing die and was very interested to see the results.

I fired 100 rounds today through my Henry Big Boy 44 magnum lever rifle, and every round fired flawlessly. I began by setting my target out at 50 yards, and then moving it out to 100.

I began by shooting cartridges created on the single stage press loaded with Sierra 210 grain bullets. The elevation varied a bit from rounds to round, but windage was right on the money. The target looks like the bullets were stacked. Also note that there was minimal or no gas leakage. That's very different from what I was getting using the Classic Lee Loader where the crimp was applied with a hammer.

Next I shot at 50 yards with rounds loaded with Speer 200 grain bullets. My shoulder immediately told me that these rounds were hotter than the previous load. The targets proved it because the bullets landed a few inches high. As was true in the past, the Speer didn't shoot all that well, and the groups were spread out all over the target.

I then switched to my Hornady 265 grain bullet and it shot very much like the Sierra. I think this Hornady round shoots the best of the three through my Henry, but 265 grain bullets are more expensive than 210 and in my opinion it's not worth the difference. Also, 265 is a bit much for coyotes and 210 should do the job nicely. Did you hear that someone was attacked by a coyote in Connecticut today?

FROM THE TARGET AT 100 YARDS

I then moved the target out to 100 yards, raised the rear sight 2 clicks and shot at the target using the Hornady load. As was true in the past, the rounds hit about 8" high, so I aimed a few rings below the red and I started whacking the bullseye. I was very pleased with the results, and if I wasn't hitting the bullseye with every round I blame my eyes and the size of my front sight. The way the rifle was shooting today, I have total confidence that I can nail a coyote out to 100 yards without a problem.

I ended my shoot by bringing my target in and shooting the NAA Mini-Max 22 revolver. I screwed down the rear sight as far as it would go and hammered it a bit to the left, and I began getting groups that were a couple of inches. I had to aim a bit low because my sights were set as low as possible. I'm guessing the gun should shoot accurately at 30-50 yards as is. I was very happy with my results today, and next weekend I'll do some studies of the groups I'm getting.

That's it for this week. I hope you're getting out to shoot. Finally, one news item you should be aware of and take action on. New Jersey just passed a one gun a month bill, WHICH HAS NO PREVISIONS FOR GUNSHOPS! In other words, a dealer will only be able to purchase one handgun a month to put on their shelf, basically putting all gunshops out of business. If you live in Jersey you need to take action NOW!

Cylinder & Slide Universal Dunk-Kit

I shot 3 revolvers at the range this morning, which usually means that the next couple of hours is dedicated to scrubbing my handguns clean. This week I picked up a 3/4 gal. bucket of Cylinder & Slide's 'Dunk-Kit' gun cleaner and this should provide the perfect test of the product.

The first step is to remove the grips and any plastic or wood parts. Be careful if you have nickle plating because this product will get under the plating and lift it if the gun soaks too long. There shouldn't be a problem if you use the product on a rag and don't soak it. Dunk-Kit looks and feels something like a thin blue oil with a smell that is much more pleasant than the other cleaners I've been using.

I keep my parts together in a safe place or I'm sure to loose a grip screw.

Next dip your guns into the cleaner and let them soak for about 10 minutes. It's recommended that you don't soak a firearm for over an hour. I think the problem is more with lead sludge that could have settled to the bottom of well used solution. You can reuse this for a year by pouring the liquid into another container from time to time and wiping out the sediment that's at the bottom of the bucket. That's why they recommend that we wear gloves. Since this solution is new and clean, I didn't bother.

Once the guns have soaked for about 10 minutes, go over your gun as you usually would with a wire brush...

...and brush out your cylinders and barrel. Return the gun to the solution for another 5 minutes or so. While the gun is submerged, squeeze the trigger 20 times to cycle the gun and loosen up any caked up grime that collected in the action.

Finally, pull the guns out of the solution and let them drip dry or blow them dry if you have a compressor or canned air. I put a few nails in my shelf and it's perfect to have the dripped off solution return to the bucket. The product is a lubricant as well as a cleaner, so just wipe them dry. I also ran a patch through the barrels and cylinders because I don't want lubricant migrating into my cartridges. I found the bucket cover difficult to reseal, but Bill Laughridge at 'Cylinder & Slide' informed me that the solution evaporates very slowly, so you only need to lay the cover over the top of the bucket. No need to seal it.

Having only been able to give my guns sponge baths for all these months, it must feel good to finally get a deep cleaning in a tub. Now where's that rubber ducky?

For more information, check out an article on my 2009 Range Report. You'll find links to their web site which includes a link to a few excellent demonstration movies. Once you clean your handguns with 'Dunk-Kit', you'll never clean your guns without it.

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/index.html

Product Test: Cylinder & Slide Universal Dunk-Kit

A few years ago I was shooting SKS rifles at the range every week, followed by a couple hours of intense gun cleaning. Yugos don't have chromed barrels, so it was important to clean the barrels thoroughly, especially when using milsurp ammo. If you go to the top of my 2007 Range Report page, you'll see a Yugo assembly movie I made a assist new Yugo owners. After disassembly, I religiously cleaned every part before reassembling the rifle until next weekend's shoot (That's something the military drilled into me). My method of cleaning the gas valves, springs, trigger assembly and the rest was to pour a large expensive bottle of cleaning solvent in a pan, then soak and scrub the parts clean. The problem was that the solvent only sat about a half inch deep in the pan, and that solvent cost me around $9. Last weekend I ran into a similar problem when cleaning my revolvers. I hate scrubbing all 5 or 6 cylinders clean, then scrubbing the guns themselves. It's like cleaning a dozen guns. I thought back to my SKS days and considered soaking the guns prior to scrubbing them. The problem was that the solvent is very expensive and it's a mess pouring solvent into trays and sloshing it around to get halfway decent coverage.

That evening I was flipping through a magazine and came across a product I had never seen, though I hear it's been around for 30 years. It's made by 'Cylinder & Slide, Inc.' and the product name is 'Universal Dunk-Kit'. It's basically a bucket of solvent that comes in sizes from 3/4 gal to 4 gallon. They advertise that you drop the guns or parts in the container and let it soak, just as I had been doing, but with the ability to submerge the parts. I can now drop my revolvers right into the container and let them soak for 10 minutes, then brush it clean, re-dip and let it drip dry. Instructions say to check the chambers for lead prior to soaking and pre-clean them if necessary. You should also cycle the action 20 times while in the solvent to loosen any junk that's built up in the action. The solvent is said to be good up to a year. From what I've read it's the container that's good for a year. The solvent will last longer, but it won't do you any good if the container splits and the solvent pours on the floor. Seems like we should be able to just transfer the solvent into another solvent-proof container.

Prior to cleaning you'll need to remove grips and any wood, rubber, ivory or plastic parts before dipping, though it's new formula will not damage polymer parts. Since my revolvers are stainless steel or aluminum, there shouldn't be a problem. It also isn't supposed to remove the painted dots on your sights. Don't submerge nickle parts long because the solvent will get under the finish and lift it off your gun. They claim it's safe to use if you clean the nickle as you would with any solvent, then wipe it off. The solvent contains a lubricant so the internal parts won't require oiling. I'm looking forward to bringing my nasty blackened handguns home from the range next weekend and dropping them into the bucket. I'll let you know how it works Sunday evening.

If you go to this page, you can watch 3 really informative movies demonstrating how to clean your guns in Dunk-Kit. CLICK HERE

CLICK PHOTO TO SEE MY STEP BY STEP DEMONSTRATION

6-20-09 Crimson Trace LaserGrips Report from the range

Last weekend my son Jamie and I shot the S&W .38 snubby at the range for the first time and zeroed in the Crimson Trace Laser Grips. When I return home from the range, the first thing I always do is to clean my firearms, or take an nap, then clean my firearms. Instructions say that before cleaning the 38, the grips must first be removed. That only requires the removal of 2 screws, but I did have some concern whether I'd still be on target after the re-install.

Today I used Remington 38 Special ammo instead of the wad-cutters I used most of the time last weekend. I was amazed that one of my first shots landed a round in the red. Since it was noon and sunny, it wasn't easy to see the red dot. Even so, I did manage to land every round on these rather small targets. In fact, very often I'd land 2 or 3 shots in a row almost into the same hole!

There were instances where looking through the iron sights, I expected to see the red dot but didn't. To acquire the dot, I had to swing the revolver around until I caught sight of it. The problem wasn't that the dot wasn't bright enough, but rather that the red dot appeared to be so far out of alignment with the iron sights that I couldn't find it! More than once I thought the laser was knocked out of alignment by the recoil, only to discover that when the dot was placed on the red and the iron sights were ignored, I hit the target every time. That explains why I couldn't hit the target if my life depended on it when targeting with the iron sights. I could have been shooting as much as a foot or more off! After firing 50 rounds, I put the gun in its case and went onto sighting in the Mini-Master.

Last night I discovered what an excellent training tool the laser appears to be. If I dry fire the gun double action with laser on, I can easily see where I'm directing the barrel. My plan is to start spending time in my basement dry firing with aluminum bullets in the cylinder. The next thing I need to look into is a trigger job because the pull is so stiff that it's easy too get off target, especially when multiple rounds need to be fired quickly.

Crimson Trace Laser Grips have proven to be all that I had hoped and more. The only thing that continues to need work is the trigger and myself, but I don't think Crimson Trace can help in those areas.

By the way, there's currently a deal going on at the Glastonbury Range where a bunch of guys are pooling together to get a group discount on Pro-Ears. I've been using Pro-Ears for a good two years and as far as I'm concerned, they're the best. I think the Range Officers can give you additional info and a product sheet. Visit my Products page for info on my Pro-Ears.

6-20-09 Range Report - Henry 17HMR Golden Boy

Only the group in the center belongs to the Golden Boy

Installing Crimson Trace LaserGrips on a J-Frame S&W 38 Airweight

My wife called me at work this afternoon (because I asked her to) and informed my that my Crimson Trace LaserGrips had arrived. She said a very small box arrived and was wondering if that was it. I told her "Yes", and for the rest of the afternoon my mind was at home opening that box.

When I got home and picked up the box, she wasn't exaggerating. It shipped in a 7" x 9" x 3" box that was so light it appeared to be empty. I opened it and packed in peanuts was a beautiful back box that looked like it held a fine piece of jewelery. Enclosed in the box were the tiny J-frame grips, a beautiful black storage bag with a logo printed on it, a small bag of parts (including batteries) and the manual. Now it was time to swap out the grips.

The first step is to remove the single screw that attaches the existing grips.

Once removed, I wiped down any oil that was trapped under the grips.

 Next, snap the two batteries into the LaserGrips. The + side faces up with the other side against the grip. Slide the battery into the flat part first and it slips in easily. I had to shine my tiny bore light on the battery compartment to read those microscopic words printed into the rubber.

Next snap down the grips and thread in two small screws. Note that they are different sizes so read the instructions to get it right.

The grips come with two warning sticks that I wasn't sure I wanted to install. I ended up putting them on and they ended up being a nice finishing touch. Reminds me of my old jet model days. The finished product is really slick. I had a choice between the grips I installed and an over sized set. I'm glad I went with the smaller version because they're the same size as the stock grips and don't stick up out of my holsters. I don't own this weapon for fun shooting, so I prefer to keep it small and concealable.

The laser is factory set at 50', but when I turned it on I discovered that it's pointing about 6" to the left. Either the fixed sights are off (very possible) or the laser needs adjustment. For that the package comes with two tiny, almost thread-like hex wrenches. At least I guess that's what they are. They're so small I can't make out the shape of the ends. They go into two tiny holes in the grip, which rotates tiny screws which move the laser. The instruction says that one turn is the most they should need adjustment.

The grips also come with 2 tiny Q-Tips for cleaning the lens. Before the revolver is cleaned, the grips must be removed to keep them clean and dry. Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be ordering more screws? They'll be easy to drop and loose, so be careful when disassembling.

Sunday I'll be trying them out at the range. The laser is very bright, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to see it in direct sun. I'll be sighting in at close range, so I'm hoping I'll be able to see the dot on my target. My LaserLite boresighter came with little reflector targets that amazingly bounce the laser back so it can be brightly see even at 50 yards, so I'll get one out if necessary. Tomorrow I'll point the laser outside in sunlight to see if I can see the dot. Lasers are really designed for low light target acquisition.

One thing I've already noticed is that I no longer have the need to stretch my arms out to aim the handgun. In fact, it easily points with the gun pulled into the chest, which is a fast way to acquire the target and a way to keep an attacker from laying a hand on my gun. I have a feeling this is going to fix all the targeting problems I've had with the small revolver and I'm really looking forward to doing tests with and without the laser on. This is going to be fun. Check back early next week for the results.

Crimson Trace LASERGRIPS

Honor the fallen at the range this weekend

Exercise your Second Amendment right and give our fallen military heroes a 21 gun salute at the range this Memorial Day weekend. They laid down their life to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. What better way to honor their memory?

Save that brass!

SATURDAY 5/23/09

The weather started out a bit iffy, but it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. By noon the jackets came off and the sun was out. One thing very noticeable on the range today were the small number of center-fire rifles. I don't remember seeing anyone other than myself shooting out to 100 yards. Most had their targets set at less than 50, shooting handguns and 22s. I'm sure the high ammo prices and its unavailability has a lot to do with it. I was also happy to see quite a few women shooting. The range is usually loaded with AR's, but today I only saw one. .223 ammo has become very difficult to find as well as expensive, so I'm guessing that people are sitting on what they have.

The Ruger 17HMR Single Six
I shot the Ruger at 25 yards and again have mixed feelings. I loaded and shot 6 rounds and the group was the size of a dime. The next time I load it and tried to repeat the process, my groups were either all over the target or tight and off to the side somewhere. I've gotten to the point were I feel like putting the gun away after shooting a tight group for fear that the next group will stink. So far I've not been able to build any confidence in my ability to hunt with the gun. This is ridiculous for a 17HMR. I regret the fact that I sold my brother's old Single Six and had to cough up another $200 to buy the 17. At least the 22LR/22Mag was cheap to shoot and I could shoot all kinds of ammo; from 22 shorts to the hyper velocity stuff. The 17 magnum is limited to a single caliber and 50 rounds set me back $12-15 instead of $5 or less. Accuracy isn't all that great either. The sights on the SingleSix are like trying to perform bypass surgery with boxing gloves on. Ruger should limit these sights to belly guns and start putting very precise sights on this revolver. I'm sure I'll be changing them out over the summer if I can find something better, as well as experimenting with different ammo. I believe the CCI ammo I've been using is partially responsible for the gun's inconsistency, but in the past ballistic tips didn't shoot much better.

Note: My buddy Dirk suggested that it could be a heat problem. That's very possible since the first 6 rounds are right on the money. If that's true, the SingleSix is still a good hunting gun because you'll rarely shoot more than a couple rounds at any target. But if this is the problem, it stinks as a range gun.

The Henry Big Boy 44 magnum rifle
The Henry 22magnum was dead nuts at 50 yards, and I was creating groups smaller than a quarter with the Sierra 210 bullet. At 100 yards, I clicked the rear sight up 2 notches and was on target again. In fact I was amazed at some of the groups I was getting. After shooting 40 rounds of the Sierras, I decided to shoot 70 rounds of mixed ammo I had in a box I labeled 'plinking ammo'. I was very surprised to discover that no matter what I shot, everything seemed to hit basically the same place on the target. That's a relief, since I won't have to worry as much about the gunshop running out of a specific bullet or powder that I'm sighted in for. Everything I loaded so far is shooting decently.

One very minor problem I had with the rifle was that the screw what holds in the lever backed out about 1/2". Good thing I spotted it or the lever might have fallen off while I was shooting. A few twists of the screwdriver fixed it. Another issue I'm having is adjusting the rear sight elevation. The screw is difficult to get at and it's so small and tight that I'm afraid I'll strip it. Once again, the solution may be replacing the rear sight. At 100 yards I was consistently shooting about 6" high, and a minor rear sight correction would have eliminated the problem. Until I can break that sight adjustment loose, I'll be aiming 6" low at 100 yards and right on at 50. Other than that, I had no problems with the Henry what-so-ever. My reloaded ammo fed perfectly; not a single round hung up, and every reloaded round fired off without a hitch. This rifle shoots like a small cannon with recoil similar to an SKS. I could shoot it all day without feeling my shoulder. It really is fun a shoot.

The range officers today were Fran (top) and Billy (bottom), and I took their photos and let them know that I would be posting them. Fran told me that they may be pulling together a group shot. That would be really nice to have since so many of the same guys are there week after week and year after year. I showed my Navy colors today by wearing my Naval Station Adak AK hat and the guy to my left was all decked out in Army garb. Endless thanks to our fallen vets who made it possible for us to have wonderful days like this in a free country. Enjoy the rest of the weekend but keep in mind the human cost.

First shoot at Glastonbury

TOP: Hornady BOTTOM: Sierra
(with a very nice Hornady group on the upper right target)

The Glastonbury state range opened last weekend, but I was so sick with allergies that I didn't leave the house. Allergies were never an issue until last year, when a sudden loss of hearing turned out to be the result of newly developed allergies. Even the hearing specialist who ran the tests thought that I blew out my left ear shooting. I was amazed during the summer when the hearing suddenly returned. The strange thing is that this year, my wife and son have developed severe allergies as well. The reason I'm bringing this up is that I never miss opening day, but this year I didn't get to the range until the sencond weekend that it was open. A couple big changes is that Billy is now a range officer, and you can no longer shoot without a pistol permit, hunters safety training card or an active military ID. I think that's a great idea because in my opinion there were too many times when people were shooting with questionable training and firearm handling skills. This may force them to get the training that they should have.

My shooting slot was from noon to 2pm, but I decided to show up at about 10:30 just in case. I was surprised to discover that there were a few no-shows so tables were available. I quickly set up and brought out my Henry 44 magnum and the S&W 38 revolver. Shooting directly to my right was Roger, the guy who gave me bags of reloaded 38 ammo last year which he reloaded back in the 70's. I'm still shooting that ammo, and I brought some with me today. The range officers today were Fran, Tye and Billy. I told Roger that watching him show up week after week with coffee cans full of reloaded ammo got me thinking about reloading last year. He was glad to see that I had started reloading, and offered to answer any questions that I ever have. It's nice to have guys who really know what they're doing around.

A pan of the shooting benches at Glastonbury Range

Today I shot about 150 rounds of 44 magnum. I brought 2 loads: one with a Hornady 265 gr bullet and another with 210 gr Sierra bullet. Both were loaded with Accurate #9 powder. When I went to set up, I realized that I left my large chipping targets in the vehicle that I left at home, so I was only able to shoot at 50 yards. Shooting at 100 yards with small targets would be too frustrating. I set up my targets at 50 yards and began shooting the Hornady. I had to adjust my rear sights since they were last set to hit at 100 yards. I set the sight to the lowest position and after 3 shots, was puzzled why I wasn't on paper. I then located the bullet holes, which were grouped low. I moved the sight one click up and the next round hit the X ring. My sights are adjusted so that when I totally block out the target with the front sight, I'm right on. After shooting 18 rounds, I switched to another target and loaded the Sierra's. I was shooting a few inches high and consistently to the right. I put a wooden dowel on the rear sight and gave it a few light taps with a small hammer and was right on. I next switched to Hornady and my groups were low and to the left. OK.

"...why do bullets always veer off in the same direction...?"

Here's my question: I could understand if the bullets were flying 3" off target in all directions, but why do they always veer off in the same direction; high and to the right for example? The only thing I could relate this to was a golf hook or slice; when your ball always slices to the right, shot after shot. Maybe it has to do with the bullet length and spin, slicing the bullet in the same direction consistently. Maybe the thing to do is to choose the bullet that hooks or slices less, because the problem will increase with distance. If you know another explanation, please let me know.

After shooting about 150 rounds I've come to the conclusion that the Sierra bullets give me tighter groups than the Hornady or the Speers I shot a few weeks back. They are also lighter, making them better for coyote and lower in price. My conclusion is that I love this rifle. I have never shot anything more fun to shoot. Just enough recoil to make it fun but not uncomfortable. I could shoot this Henry all day and my shoulder wouldn't be any the worse for it. The rifle is relatively short and the balance is perfect. On the other hand, I wish I could say the same of my S&W Airweight 38 Special. To tell you the truth, I can't hit the broad side of a barn with it, even from a sitting position. Once in a while I'll land a great shot, but more often than not I can't even find my bullet holes as 50 yards. Being so small and short with a stiff trigger pull, I find the revolver very difficult to control, especially when shooting double action. All too often new shooters and women buy these guns because someone in the gun shop tells them that it's a great popular carry gun. Let me set them straight; it's an EXPERT carry gun and not for beginners. On top of the control issue, it's a bear to shoot with +P ammo. The recoil is uncomfortable to say the least. Maybe some day I'll get better shooting this revolver and begin to like it. I do like revolvers, so maybe the solution would have been to buy a barrel 2-4 inches longer. Then there's the concealment issue. I guess it comes down to the fact that if you carry a small concealed carry gun, don't expect to have much fun shooting it. There's obviously a trade-off.

So I had a great time today and it's time to get back to the reloading bench. Next weekend I'll be bringing the 17HMR SingleSix.