The Gun Nuts

Why Shorter Rifle Barrels May Be Better

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:27:18 -0500

by David E. Petzal

A couple of generations ago, before there was a chronograph lurking under every loading bench, gun makers used barrels of sensible lengths. If you got a .30/06 or a .270, most likely you got a 22-inch barrel. If you bought a magnum, it was probably 24 inches. Over the years, however, barrels have been getting longer, possibly because manufacturers are afraid their guns/ammo won’t deliver advertised velocities.

I’ve never feared shorter barrels. They are handier to use, weigh less, and often are more accurate than the longer ones. And as a rule, you lose very little velocity when you lop off some steel.

As proof of this, ace Texas rifle maker Charley Sisk recently published an experiment where he barreled six rifles with 27-inch tubes and chronographed them, cutting each one back an inch at a time. Space doesn’t allow me to list all the figures, but I can give you the totals.

Eddie Bauer Releases New Line of Hunting, Shooting Apparel

Online Editors — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:41 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

When I was a kid growing up in the frigid upper Midwest, the arrival of a box from Eddie Bauer containing a new down jacket was a big event. It meant you were going to stay warm that winter. Back then, Eddie Bauer gear was the real thing, worn by cold weather hunters and serious mountaineers. Eddie Bauer himself took out a patent on a quilted down jacket in 1940.

We had Bauer down everything: jackets, snow bibs, slippers, even gloves. Unfortunately in the 70s and 80s, new owners General Mills and Speigel took the brand away from its outdoor roots and into the malls, making “Eddie Bauer” synonymous with boring casual clothes and Ford Expedition interiors for soccer moms.

A pleasant surprise at SHOT Show was the news that Eddie Bauer is back. After introducing a line of technical mountain climbing clothes a couple of years ago and outfitting an expedition to Everest, Bauer returns to the hunting and shooting market this year with a full line of clothing. Some of the pieces are pleasingly retro, others are highly technical. All of them have been designed by people who actually hunt and shoot.

Jack O'Connor's Legendary No.2 Rifle

Online Editors — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:08:59 -0500

by David E. Petzal

In 1959, Jack O’Connor bought a Winchester Model 70 .270 Featherweight in a hardware store in Lewiston, Idaho. He had bought his first Winchester .270, a Model 54, in 1925, and in the ensuing years had made the cartridge synonymous with his name. He already had several .270s, but as we all understand, one or two of anything is never enough.

The new gun—O’Connor called this the No. 2 rifle--turned out to be very accurate (MOA or just under, which in 1959 was sensational), and so O’Connor took it to his favorite custom gunsmith, Al Biesen, of Spokane, to give it a level of elegance befitting its performance. Biesen completed the work in 1960. Biesen was not only a first-rate craftsman, but had a very good feel for ergonomics. All his stocks had a very slim pistol grip that belled toward the bottom, and they have a very distinctive feel. You can mount a Biesen rifle blindfolded and pick it out of a bunch of rifles.

The .50 Cal AR-15 Muzzleloader From CMMG

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:02:44 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

The AR 15 continues to prove its versatility in all kinds of ways – even ways that leave you scratching your head and asking “why?” For instance, I heard about the AR 15 muzzleloader upper at SHOT and looked in vain for it, finally concluding that it was a Mythical Creature and not a real AR accessory. Since then, I have found these two videos that prove its existence.

And, to give the people at CMMG Inc. credit, the .50 upper is cleverly designed. As you see in the video, the magazine holds extra pellets and bullets for handy reloading, and the gun will handle a three-pellet (150 gr.) load of pyrodex.

Turkey Hunting: How Danger Helps Keep You Safe

Sarah Smith — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:13:09 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

My post about the Haint gobble call made me think about turkey hunting safety. When I started turkey hunting back in the 80s it had the reputation for being very dangerous since it is an activity where you hide in the woods and make sounds like a turkey while others are doing the same. While you would think the use of gobble calls and strutter decoys might increase the danger, I’m not sure they do. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, turkey hunting keeps getting safer. Accidents occurred at a rate of 8.1 per 100,000 participants in 1992 and had fallen to 2.95 per 100,000 by 2005.

I think turkey hunting is safe precisely because we know it’s dangerous and act accordingly. Hunters tend to be on their guard and most follow the rules of turkey hunting safety that have been drilled into our heads: don’t wear red, white and blue, be sure of your target, sit against a tree wider than your shoulders, and so on.

Korean War M1 Rifles Might be Sold as Souvenirs

Online Editors — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:41 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

According to this story, a large number of Korean War surplus M1s may be on their way to the U.S. to be sold to Korean War veterans and their families as souvenirs this summer -- in time for the 62nd anniversary of the Korean War.

This immediately reminded me of my late father-in-law who fought in Korea. He spent eight years in the Marine Corps and to hear him tell it, he spent most of his hours in those eight years cleaning his rifle. He used to say that when he was in the Marines, he dreamed of the day he got out so he could buy an M1, leave it in the backyard, pee on it every day and watch it rust. I don’t think he was serious. He was very fond of the M1 (the M14, not so much) and proud of Marine Corps marksmanship in general.

At any rate, if this deal goes through, the rifles will be for sale this summer.

Randolph Engineering: How to Choose the Right Tint for Shooting Glasses

Online Editors — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:47:59 -0500

Randolph Engineering has a variety of tints for its shooting glasses. Learn how to choose the right lenses for your next hunt or shooting competition and check out the company's new HD lenses.

Trijicon TARS: A Powerful Scope for Long-Range Shooters

Online Editors — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:07:31 -0500

Trijicon's Tactical Advanced RifleScope is a power optic that can be used for a variety of applications, especially big game hunting and long-range target shooting.

Dimensions by Jeromy Holmes: One of a Kind Rifle Paint Jobs

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:45:04 -0500

So you have your rifle. There are many like it but this is your own. Now add a paint job by artist Jeromy Holmes and you can ensure no rifle will ever look the same as yours. And his work is not just for looks, it's functional beauty.

Olympic Medalist Kim Rhode on Prep for London Games

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:40:43 -0500

Kim Rhode will be competing in the Olympic Skeet event in 2012, where she hopes to break an Olympic record by winning five medals in five different Olympic Games. She talks with Phil Bourjaily about her practice routine and prep work leading up to the London games.