The Tactical Side of Things From SHOT Show 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:59:02 -0500

Beginner's Guide: Rifle Shooting 101

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:39:01 -0400

Behind The Scenes at the Colorado State Campionship Biathlon Finals

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:50:42 -0500

Booth Babe Round-Up

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:28:00 -0400

There's a lot more to look at than just guns at the annual SHOT Show. Here are all our favorite "Booth Babe" photos from the last few years.

Petzal's Picks: The Best New Rifles for '09

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:01:27 -0500

Petzal's Picks: The Most Interesting Rifles at the 2008 SHOT Show

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Beards, Booth Babes, and Other Neck-Snapping Sights from the 2008 SHOT Show Floor

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

This year's SHOT Show set new records for number of attendees, exhibits, floor space, and real he-men wearing tactical packs, but it was tragically lacking in booth babes. Our intrepid photographer shot the only good ones we found and then was forced to include beards, backpacks, and other stuff just to pad out the section. <p>Feel free to skip them. There were a number of booth babes who were, to be brutally honest, not babes. In fact, some of them looked like Bill Heavey with a bra.

An Illustrated Guide to Making the 10 Toughest Shots on Deer

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 05:00:00 -0500

The Seven Best Days to Hunt Deer This Season

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:00:00 -0400

Group Therapy

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 05:30:00 -0400

Were this the best of all possible worlds, we would fire three rifle shots at a target, peer downrange, and see three holes clustered within the area of a dime at precisely the right place. But this is not the best of all possible worlds, in that it has a place for chiggers, bad cholesterol, rabies, abdominal fat, leprosy, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). And in this vale of sorrow, we often look at our targets and see horror, chaos, and disorder. (It occurs to me that I am being unfair to leprosy. If so, I apologize to Mycobacteria leprae everywhere.)

In any event, we know that something is wrong, but what? Rather than burst into tears, you should regard this as a heart-to-heart talk with your rifle, which, if you can speak its language, will tell you what ails it.

Complete Breakdown. Problem: Your shots are all over the place and you can't get a group to save your life. There are several causes. First is a ruptured scope. The way to test this is to put a different scope on your gun and see if it groups better. Second is loose bedding screws on the rifle. Check to see if they're tight. Third is loose ring or base screws. Sometimes, one particular bullet weight will give results this bad. If this is the case, it's usually because the barrel's rifling twist is wrong for that bullet weight.

Consistent Flyer. Problem: Your ammo is almost, but not quite, right for your gun. Usually this shows up as two holes close together and the third one off to the side by an inch or two. At 100 yards, this is not a problem, but at farther distances you'll have trouble. It's caused by bullets traveling just above or below the optimum speed for that barrel, causing it to vibrate inconsistently. Handloaders can cure it by raising or lowering the powder charge. Non-handloaders will have to try different ammunition.

Inconsistent Flyer. Problem: Most of the time you get good groups, but sometimes you have one shot go astray, and sometimes all three go where they're not supposed to. Most likely you're flinching, and if you don't think you can flinch from a benchrest, think again. You can buy a Lead Sled Shooting Rest ($125; 800-243-3220; midwayusa.com), which virtually eliminates felt recoil, or put a soft gun case or sandbag between your shoulder and the butt. If it were me, I'd get a less punishing rifle.

Rising Group. Problem: your groups are okay, but they keep moving up on the target, sometimes straight up, sometimes up and left or right. This is caused by an overheated barrel. When a tube gets too hot, it warps slightly, sending bullets errantly, and the heat waves rising from it give you a distorted view of the target, sort of like shooting through a swimming pool. The cure is easy: Let your barrel cool down. I start each group with a cold barrel and never let it get beyond lukewarm.

Stringing. Problem: groups string vertically or horizontally. First, check the barrel bedding. Most barrels today are free-floating-there should be no contact from 11/2 inches forward of the receiver right out to the end. If there is, take the gun in for a rebedding job. Horizontal grouping can be caused by wind at the target that you don't feel at the bench. Vertical groups can be caused by the fore-end jumping on too hard a surface.

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