The Black Rifle

The Future of this Blog

2022-03-22T11:54:00.001-06:00

When I first started blogging I wrote a mixture of posts on outdoor activities from hiking, fishing, photography and geocaching to shooting, hunting and gunsmithing posts. I noticed that there was very different engagement from the readers that came for some of the hiking posts, to those that would read the firearms or hunting related posts. I decided to split this blog, leaving the generic outdoor topics at www.rmadventure.com and migrating the firearms and hunting related posts here, http://theblackrifle.blogspot.com/

This second blog did okay, but hasn't received as much traffic as the original blog seems to. Over the last couple years I have found that I don't have a lot of time to write and post content, so I am torn as to which site I will post content to. My interests lay in the middle, with a variety of outdoor pursuits that don't just focus on firearms or hiking/backpacking. Those subjects can attract very different crowds, which are not always very positive towards each other.

I don't consider myself a survivalist or prepper, but I would say that the totality of my interests and hobbies probably align more with that community or group that any other specific personality. For example, I started to get into Ham radio as a way to have a communication option when I am backpack hunting elk in wilderness areas that have zero cell phone reception and very few other people around. Those pursuits have encouraged me to get more into bicycling as a way to improve cardiovascular fitness, try Summits On the Air (SOTA), as a way to mix hiking and Ham radio and pursuing long range precision rifle competitions to increase the range I am comfortable taking a shot in a hunting scenario.

I have also noticed over the last couple years that many of the visits to the original site and the sign-ups to my e-mail list are more spam related than actual individual readers that engage in the content. I'm still interested in writing at least occasional content, but have decided that I want to merge this site and www.rmadventure.com back together to more accurately reflect my own personal interests and to make it easier to find the time to write without splitting interest between different sites.

If you are reading this and/or receiving this through the e-mail notifications and don't want to stick around, no hard feelings. If you are interested in staying subscribed and continuing to read the articles that I write, please let me know what you want to see more of. I have thought of a variety of topics, from hiking, backpacking, fishing, hunting, shooting, long range precision competition, radio communications and more that I have dabbled in over the last few years.

I have several ideas of posts that I will write over the next few weeks and months, but I will also start bringing some of the posts from the Black Rifle blog over to the main site so that more of the content is together in one place. I will also look at the formatting of the site and will try to start updating it and maybe even move away from the basic Blogger formats that are so consistently used throughout the internet.

Let me know what you want to see and I will try to start generating more content that matches the interest of the readers of this site.

Christensen Arms MPR Extractor Replacement

2021-12-04T15:11:00.002-07:00

If you've seen my post on the Christensen Arms MPR you know that I really like this rifle. In fact I recently bought a second one in 6.5 PRC to increase my options for hunting larger game, such as Elk. The one issue that I had with the rifle was an occasional failure to extract. The problem wouldn't occur on every magazine or range trip. But, if the conditions were dusty or less than ideal it would often occur more frequently. In a couple competitions I shot down at the NRA Whittington Center I would run into a couple failures to extract over the course of a 60 round match.

I dealt with the problem for longer than I should have, but after hearing great things about Christensen Arms' customer service I finally decided to give them a call. When I reached them they said that they thought that the issue was likely a weak extractor or extractor spring. They gave me the choice of either sending the rifle back to them to swap out the parts, or if I was comfortable with swapping them out myself they would just send me the parts. An extractor swap is pretty simple so I asked for the parts so I wouldn't have to be without the gun.

Once I had the parts in hand it was a pretty simple process to knock out the pin, swap the extractor and spring and pin them back in place. If you have installed or replaced an AR-15 extractor it will be very similar. With the new extractor in place I cycled some live and fired rounds, just to see if it seemed okay. The fired rounds were to see if the expanded cases would cause any issues.

With the dry fire test done I took the rifle to the range and tried it out. With that range trip and several more behind me I have not noticed any additional issues with extraction. I have several hundred more rounds through it now with zero extraction issues and continue to be very happy with the rifle. I bought both of the rifles through Sportsman's Warehouse. I was able to buy the 6.5 PRC during a sale, but haven't received any compensation from Christensen Arms or Sportsman's Warehouse for these posts or videos. I simply enjoy shooting this rifle and have found them in stock frequently at my local Sportsman's.

Do you have a Modern Precision Rifle, or any other Christensen Arms rifle? Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

MyMedic My FAK Large and National Preparedness Month

2021-09-22T18:40:00.003-06:00

September is National Preparedness month and a great time to take a look at what preparedness means to you. You don't have to be a prepper to want to make sure that you are ready for possible emergencies that you or your family may face. From major national disasters, to a car accident on the way to work, to power outages due to a storm, there are many events that are easier to endure with a little prior planning.

Be prepared with the MyMedic FAK Large kit.

Depending on where you live, time of year, etc, there can be be a variety of potential emergencies that you could face. One of the most basic pieces of equipment common to almost any emergency situation is have a quality first aid kit. This can vary in size and complexity based on your own training, type of emergency you expect to face and the amount of time it would take emergency responders to reach you. A first aid kit could be a few band aids and simple supplies or a large and complicated kit.

I only have some basic medical training including first aid, CPR, tourniquet and AED, so I won't be recommending specific kits or supplies for your use. It is important that you look at your specific situation and come up with an idea of what you would need in your own kit. I live in a rural part of Colorado, but commute to the Denver area for work. I also try to spend a fair amount of time in the backcountry hiking, hunting and backpacking. Many of these areas don't have cell phone service and my only options for communicating are Ham radio, or potentially a satellite messenger.

Most of the first aid kits that I have used have been pretty simple kits that fit in a backpack and allow me to treat minor injuries. I've been putting the kits together myself and largely guessing on what I think should go in them. Recently I got a chance to check out a MyMedic kit that they sent me to try out. MyMedic has a variety of kits from the fairly small and compact Solo to the My FAK Large that they sent me. Before I go further, I did get the kit for free, they did not require me to say anything specific about it. Also, the links that I am using are affiliate links, so if you use them to make a purchase I will get a small cut, but it doesn't change what you pay. They also gave me the code "Adventure20" for my readers and views to save 20% off their orders.

To see what the My FAK Large kit contains, take a look at the video below:

As I mention in the video, this kit is large enough that you aren't going to be taking it in a backpack when weight is a concern, but it is great for throwing in a vehicle and being prepared for all sorts of emergencies.

I have been looking into additional medical training, specifically courses like wilderness first aid and classes designed to teach you how to be prepared as you wait for responders in areas where that response may be delayed.

Remember, use the code "adventure20" for 20% off your order.

What is your level of training and how do you set up your first aid kit? Let me know in the comment section below.

Work Sharp Field Sharpener Review- Can I give up my replaceable blade knife?

2021-02-20T00:00:00.002-07:00

Several years ago I made the decision to switch from a traditional fixed blade knife to a replaceable blade Outdoor Edge knife for hunting. I was tired of the hide and de-boning process dulling the knife I was using and then not getting the knife back to razor sharp with the small, packable sharpeners I tried. With a replaceable blade knife you can just pop in a new blade and be back to work in seconds.

I do still appreciate the feel and strength of a good, fixed blade knife however and have been wanting to level up my field sharpening skills to prevent the sharpener from limiting my options in the field. Recently, through Expert Voice, Work Sharp sent me a Field Sharpener to review. They requested that I make an honest review and didn't ask for anything specifically in the review. Simply, that I test it out and be honest. While it was a little too late to take it out hunting for the year, I wanted to share some thoughts after using it on a little over a dozen knives, from fixed blade, to kitchen knives to a variety of pocket knives.

Features:

This sharpener is about 4.6 ounces and 6.75" long. It isn't the smallest sharpener out there, but the weight, size and balance makes it relatively small, but not so small that it is difficult to use. It offers five options for getting your blade sharp, it has a course diamond, fine diamond, two ceramic grits and a built in leather strop for getting your blade truly honed. It also has angle guides built into the frame, a small ceramic rod for serrated edges, a broadhead wrench, a hook sharpener and some storage space for the instructions or other small items.

Again, for the size and weight, this sharpener does have a lot of options.

In use:

So how well does it actually work? I started out with my EDC knife. A SpyderCO Manix 2 knife that I like to keep sharp. I knew I didn't really need to use the diamond surfaces on it, so I just used the ceramic rod, starting with the coarse and then the fine. Then I used the leather strop, which I don't think I have ever used with this knife. The result was a razor sharp straight edge that would bite into my fingernail or slice through a sheet of paper without an issue. I found the angle guides easy to use and the sharpener worked great with either holding on to it, or placing it on a table. The edges of the guides have almost a hard rubber feel and do a great job of keeping the sharpener from moving around when it is on the table.

As I continued to get used to the the angle and sharpening methods available on the Field Sharpener I worked my way through a handful of pocket knives that are generally kept fairly sharp. I was pleased with each of them as just a couple minutes with the ceramic and the leather strop brought knife after knife to a level of sharpness beyond what I normally get them to.

A variety of knives I sharpened with the Work Sharp Field Sharpener.

One of my next tests was an older, cheap paratrooper knife that I have had since I was a teenager (just left of the sharpener in the photo above). It was a cheap knife that I bought at an Army surplus store and I never really have bothered to sharpen it to a point that it was razor sharp. It was more of a novelty knife and something that I have never really bothered to carry or use. This one was going to take all of the available options and I started with the coarse diamond plate.

After running it through both of the diamond plates, then the ceramic and the strop, I found I had sharpened the knife beyond anything it had ever seen before. Now, it wasn't quite razor sharp, due to a large difference in the blades original angle and the 20 degree angle that the Field Sharpener guides you to, I didn't quite work at it long enough to re-shape the blade. I do think I could have achieved a sharper blade, but for the cheap knife I got it to where I was content and moved on to other knives.

What I like:

I really like the size of this sharpener. It is small enough to make it easy to throw in a backpack and carry, but large enough that I can sharpen kitchen knives or fixed blade knives. It seems to be a good balance.

Using fine ceramic rod of the Work Sharp Field Sharpener.

I also like the 5 grit options. While you don't always need the diamond grit, especially when you just need to touch up a blade, I like having the options to go from dull to sharp, touch up a sharp blade and everything in between. I think this really gives you the ability to address any sharpening need that you would have in the field. The leather strop even helps to bring that final razor edge, a step I often wouldn't take with a pocket knife.

For the weight and size of the sharpener it will be finding it's way in my backpack when I'm hunting and if not in the backpack, at least in my vehicle or camper when I go camping.

What I don't like:

There isn't much that I dislike about the sharpener. The only real complaint that I have is the ability to sharpen serrated edges. It does have a small ceramic rod that will allow you to sharpen relatively large serrations, but if you have a knife with narrow serrations, even the smaller ceramic rod is a little large to get down into it. That's were I will probably continue to use the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker with the triangle stones to get into the smaller serrations.

Final Impression:

I like the weight and size enough that on a hunting trip, even if I am backpacking in, I will add this to my pack to make sure that I can keep my knife sharp. For a shorter day trip, or a simple backpacking trip I probably won't bother with carrying it. The sharpener is also a good size for using it around the house. Although something a little more substantial would be nice for sharpening a full drawer of kitchen knives or tools, it works well enough that I will break it out to sharpen a couple kitchen knives, or the occasional tool or pair of scissors.

For now this sharpener will take the place of my Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker for most of my sharpening needs. I will likely still break out the Sharpmaker for finer serrations, such as some of my pocket knives and kitchen knives with fine serrations. For most other sharpening needs I will be using the field sharpener.

This sharpener should meet most of your needs for a lightweight sharpener with a lot of options. You may have to look elsewhere if you are needing ultra-lightweight, or need a more substantial bench top setup, but for most average uses, you should be pretty well set with the Work Sharp Field Sharpener.

Vortex SPARC Solar Unboxing

2021-02-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up the new Vortex SPARC Solar red dot sight to try out. I have been looking for a red dot to put on a PTR 9KT that I just bought and like the quality and warranty from Vortex. When they dropped the new solar version of the SPARC I decided I would give it a try. I really liked the solar panel supplementing the battery life, the shake to wake feature and the fact that it came with both the AR height lower 1/3 mount and a low mount. I will try it out on the AR and the MP5K clone and provide some updates at that time. For now check out the unboxing video below:

If you have any questions about the sight, let me know if the comments below. I will try to make additional videos about the sight and answer any questions that come up.

I bought the Vortex SPARC from Eurooptic here: https://bit.ly/3aoCneK

I bought the PTR 9KT from Rainier Arms, but stock has been spotty: https://bit.ly/3a8z6QI

These are affiliate links, if you use them they don't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this page and the AdventureColorado YouTube page.

My Favorite Hunting Rifle- The Christensen Arms MPR

2020-10-25T20:10:00.002-06:00

Last year I bought a new rifle to serve as a mix between a hunting rifle and a match rifle. After getting used to AR-15 rifle ergonomics and bolt action rifles with chassis, I wanted something similar for a hunting rifle. At the same time, it was important for me to be able to shoot with a suppressor while hunting or at the range. In order to keep the weight down in a precision rifle that can support a suppressor, I knew that a carbon fiber barrel would be helpful. After a lot of research on different rifles that were available or options for building my own, I decided to give the Christensen Arms Modern Precision Rifle, or MPR a chance. This is a chassis style rifle with Christensen Arm's proprietary carbon fiber barrel, their own Remington 700 clone action and a Christensen Arms chassis made with aluminum and carbon fiber. Check out the full review below:

In the above review I had some issues with extraction and talk about Christensen Arms sending me a replacement extractor and spring. I have replaced both and continued to use it, even taking an Antelope with the rifle in really dusty, dirty conditions. So far I haven't had any more issues with extraction or ejection. Check out the video on that below:

I bought my Christensen Arms MPR from Sportsman's Warehouse. Use this link to check the rifle out: https://bit.ly/2Hz281x

This site does use affiliate links. They don't cost anything for you, but if you click on the links it helps fund these gun projects and allows me to create more videos and written content.

5 Free Tips for Improving Your Long Range Shooting

2020-04-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again, the weather is cold, if you live in northern latitudes the ranges will have snow. I still get to the range throughout the winter, but I tend to make fewer trips and shoot less during each trip. That got me thinking recently about dry fire practice and some other ways that I could spend my time to continue to improve my long range shooting while at home. This led to the following video that gives 5 tips on improving your long range shooting for free. These tips explore the mental and physical preparations that help you to build a solid foundation before starting live fire exercises.

These tips can be especially useful during times like this, when COVID-19 has a number of public ranges closed or limited. One of the ranges I typically use is in a county that is limiting traffic coming in and out that isn't directly related to their local residents.

Let me know what your suggestions are for practicing and keeping your skills sharp when you can't get out to the range.

Vortex PST Gen II Review

2020-01-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

In the world of long range precision shooting there is a huge divide between the equipment that can get you started and what the "pros" are using. No matter your budget, you can find plenty of options to spend your money on. I recently had to decide what scope to put on a Christensen Arms MPR in 6.5 Creedmoor that would split time between hunting and competition shooting. Although the rifle could have handled a higher end scope, I was looking at options around $1,000 and wanted something that would have exposed turrets, good glass and a magnification range appropriate for the 6.5 Creedmoor.

I own an older Leupold MK IV that spent years on a Remington 700 in 308, which I rebarreled into 260 Remington. I also have a Bushnell DMR II on a Ruger PrecisionRifle. Both those scopes work well, but I wasn't quite happy enough with them to buy another. I've also had the opportunity try out scopes from other shooters and competitors from Nightforce, Premier, IOR, Steiner, Vortex and more. Ultimately, I decided that the Vortex PST Gen II in 3-15x in MRAD was the scope for me. Let's take a look at the scope and some of the things I like, and what could be improved on.

The Vortex PST II series uses a 30mm tube and as the name suggests, is the second generation of their PST series. The scopes feature a first focal plane reticle to keep your reticle subtensions accurate no matter the magnification setting you are using. I mounted the scope using Vortex' precision rifle rings without an issue.

I've competed with the 4.5-14 power Leupold MK IV for several years now and find that the mid-range magnification is actually a great balance of speed and magnification. I frequently see shooters with 5-25x scopes using the maximum zoom, only to zoom out while transitioning between targets. Once they acquire the target they zoom back in to the maximum magnification, wasting precious time. I've found with the 14-15x maximum power I have no issues engaging the typical steel targets found at matches at distances out to 1000 yards. I also rarely have to zoom out to find the next target. I also wanted the wider 3x option for hunting. The areas I tend to hunt in Colorado have a lot of dark timber and I am frequently moving through or along areas with limited visibility. It is extremely helpful to have a wider field of view for closer shots. In fact, I harvested a mule deer doe this year with this rifle at about 20 yards.

The turrets provide 10 Mils of adjustment per revolution and have audible, tactile clicks. The markings on the turrets are also easy to read. On the left side of the scope is a parallax adjustment knob with a secondary knob for the illuminated reticle. Since Colorado doesn't allow for electronics in the scope for hunting I have left the battery out of the scope and haven't tested out the illumination. The elevation turret has a rock solid zero stop that takes just a little effort to set initially. I found that if you follow the directions as you sight the scope in it is very easy to properly set the zero stop. I set mine so that I can dial .2 MILs below the zero to allow for some available adjustment if I ever need to re-zero with a different bullet or load.

One disadvantage of using a scope with exposed turrets for hunting is the possibility of accidently moving the turrets while moving around. I competed in the Vortex Extreme match this year using this set up. The match was 10 shooting stations spread out over a 9 mile hike. As we hiked between shooting stations I would fold the stock of the MPR and put the rifle in my backpack. On the second shooting station I missed the first two targets by hitting far to the left. The wind was blowing left to the right, so I was initially confused on how I could have held so far off on my wind call. I finally looked over at the windage knob and realized that I had apparently bumped the knob and dialed almost two full mils of left windage. Fortunately with a clear zero mark I was able to put it back on zero and get rounds on the next couple targets.

For the parallax adjustments, I find that the marked ranges are very close for me. Typically, what is printed on the cap won't be exactly right for everyone and you will have to make sure you properly adjust the parallax for the distance that you are shooting at.

The PST II 3-15x has a 50mm objective lens and lets in a lot of light, which I'll talk more about on the optics portion. It comes with a lens shade that you can screw on to limit the amount of flare that is coming in if you are shooting towards the sun. You can also install the sunshade to provide a stand off between the glass and the end of the scope, helping to protect your glass from bumps and scratches.

Now for the glass, what exactly do you get in the $1,000 scope price range? In my opinion, the Vortex glass is noticeably better than the scopes I keep comparing it to above. I think it is sharper, brighter and has less chromatic aberration that either the older Leupold that I have, or the Bushnell DMR II. I also think that at 15x it has a wider field of view than the DMR at 15x or the Leupold at 14x. Are there scopes with better glass, yes. And typically to get the better glass you will be spending more money.

How do you decide if the glass is good enough? This is a hard questions to answer and is going to be different for different shooters. Obviously, the type of shooting you do, the distances, your budget and personal preferences can all affect what you need out of a scope. For PRS style competitions, I believe that the PST Gen II series of scopes will give you enough resolution and scope features that you would never need to upgrade your scope due to it limiting your ability to compete. Now you may choose to upgrade, or feel like you should once you have more experience and get to try out some higher end scopes, but I doubt you would ever reach a point where the PST Gen II series could not accomplish what you need it to.

There is a lot to be said about getting equipment that works well and can get you out and shooting quicker. If you can buy a Vortex PST series scope and spend the extra money on ammo and match fees you will end up shooting better in the long run than a shooter that buys the highest end scope possible, but then only gets out and puts a few rounds through their gun a couple times a year. I have frequently noticed at matches that some of the top shooters at local matches may have older or more basic gear, yet due to their many years of experience and thousands of rounds down range, they have developed skills in wind reading that you can match with a new scope.

My next scope purchase will be in the Vortex Razor line (after starting this post I found a great deal on an original Vortex Razor, so expect another review on that scope). I would not have any hesitation picking up another PST Gen II and have been recommending the scope to a number of shooters that are looking to get further into long distance shooting, but don't have the budget for spending over $1,000.00.

Check out my video review posted above and let me know your thoughts on the Vortex PST Gen II in 3-15x in the comment section below.

Dead Air Ghost-M Unboxing

2020-01-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

In my last post, SilencerCO Hybrid Unboxing, I opened up a multi-caliber, rifle rated suppressor in 45 caliber. This time I take a look at the Dead Air Ghost-M, which is a pistol rated 45 caliber modular suppressor. In stark contrast to the Hybrid, the Dead Air Ghost-M can not only be disassembled for cleaning, the front 1/3 of the suppressor can be removed to make for an even shorter and lighter package.

I purchased the two suppressors about a week apart in 2018 and waited for about a year for the tax stamps to be approved. The Hybrid is touted as a multi-caliber suppressor that can handle just about anything you can throw at it, from handgun cartridges, to 45-70 and 338 Lapua Magnum. The cost of that versatility is a suppressor that has a weight consistent with other rifle cans and can't be disassembled for cleaning.

The Ghost-M on the other hand is only rated for pistol calibers, which allows it to be made with lighter materials and with the ability to fully disassemble it for cleaning. I can also be adapted to a shorter configuration for when you want less weight, or more portability, but sound suppression isn't as important.

For now I have only started with an unboxing and a couple rounds fired through each to test them out. Stay tuned to the blog and to the YouTube channel for more videos on the two suppressors in action and compared to each other.

SilencerCO Hybrid Unboxing

2019-11-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

After nearly a year of waiting for the tax stamp to be approved, I was finally able to pick up my SilencerCO Hybrid from the dealer. Now there is a lot I can do with this suppressor, but I am still stocking up on some of the attachments to use it with a wide variety of hosts. For now, take a look at the unboxing video here:

Since this is rated for 45/70 and 338 Lapua, I can wait to try it out on my 450 Bushmaster AR-15. In the video above you can see it mounted to a 9mm AR pistol that I build as well. This can is going to be a lot of fun, stay tuned for more videos as I pick up mounting accessories and try it out over the next few months. If you have any specific questions or suggestions, let me know in the comments below. SilencerCO Hybrid accessories on Brownells

Christensen Arms MPR Initial Impressions

2019-08-22T18:36:00.002-06:00

Which rifle should I take hunting? Over the years I have often asked myself the question of which rifle is the best fit for each hunting trip. While I have always hunted in Colorado, I have gone between base camp style elk hunting to backpack elk hunting, late season deer or searching antelope from a truck. I have tried to balance gun weight, cartridge and accuracy at distance.

Over the last couple years I have been thinking of the old saying "beware of the man with one rifle, because he probably knows how to use it." In that vein I have been looking for a rifle that would be lightweight, accurate and have a stiff enough barrel to support a suppressor. I will write more down the road about what considerations went through my mind and how I came to the conclusion that I did.

For now, I will share the initial impressions of my decision, the Christensen Arms MPR:

I have a little over 200 rounds through it and competed in the Vortex Extreme Challenge this month. I have another match scheduled in a couple weeks and plan on taking this rifle hunting for elk, deer and

antelope this coming fall.

Christensen Arms MPR at Cabelas: http://bit.ly/34wSORf
Vortex PST II 3-15x at Brownells: http://bit.ly/2EWXKoj

So far I am really enjoying this rifle and I'm looking forward to putting more rounds through it and really getting to know the rifle. Will it fulfill the roles of hunting, long range shooting and competition that I am hoping it will? Only time will tell.

Take a look at the video and let me know what questions you have that I can answer about this interesting carbon fiber rifle.

Bushnell DMR II- Install

2018-02-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

Recently I purchased a Bushnell DMR II and mounted it on my Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. I have had this rifle sitting around with a cheap Leupold 3-9x scope. It was nice to finally mount an appropriate scope for this style long range rifle. I will post more as I get a chance to take it out to longer ranges, but check out the first couple videos I posted about opening up the scope, getting it mounted and the sighting it in and setting the zero stop:

Unboxing video:

Mounting the Bushnell DMR II:

Sighting in the scope and setting the Revlimiter:

Bushnell DMR II at Brownells: http://bit.ly/364gWMu
Ruger Precision Rifle at Cabelas: http://bit.ly/2t4DoXo
Ruger Precisino Rimfire at Cabelas: http://bit.ly/2F0hze8

Thanks for watching!

Recent Shooting Videos

2018-01-20T11:49:00.002-07:00

I have not had a lot of time recently to type up posts, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy shooting. I figured I would at least take some time to share some of the most recent videos that I have posted to YouTube. If you aren't following me on YouTube, make sure you check the channel out. Most of my efforts are put towards the videos, even though I would like to get around to writing more.

Check out the Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/AdventureColorado

Here are some of my most recent shooting projects:

Testing POI Shift Spectre II 22 LR

Bushnell DMR and Ruger Precision Rifle Sight In

Bushnell DMR II Mounting and Features

Bushnell DMR II 3.5-21x Unboxing

Rainier Ballistics 180 Wedge Patterns Like A Shotgun

How To Choose Binoculars That Fit Your Needs

Smith and Wesson Shield

Ruger 22/45 Lite Review

2017-11-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Sturm, Ruger and Company was founded in 1949 and started producing the “Standard” 22 Long Rifle pistol. It mixed influences of the Colt Woodsman and German Luger pistols into what would become a widely popular semi-auto .22 LR pistol. Over the years, they modified and improved the design to include the MKI, MKII and the current MKIII variants.

Although the pistol has remained popular, there have been a number of end users that wanted a pistol with a grip frame angle more similar to the classic 1911. The standard Ruger MK I, II, IIIs also have a the magazine release on the bottom of the frame. In order to appeal to a wider market, Ruger introduced the 22/45 version. This includes a more vertical grip angle and a magazine release by the trigger guard, which can be depressed using the thumb.

The standard 22/45 came with a polymer lower receiver and a steel upper receiver. The lightweight polymer lower reduces the weight of the pistol compared to the previous models. Taking this design change even further are the “Lite” series pistols that include a lighter weight aluminum upper receiver around a steel barrel insert. This lowers the weight even more. The Lite models also come with threaded barrels for use with a compensator or sound suppressor.

Factory Specifications:

Caliber:	22 LR
Capacity:	10
Material:	Aluminum
Height:	5.50"
Grip Frame:	Zytel® Polymer
Front Sight:	Fixed
Rear Sight:	Adjustable
Barrel:	Threaded
Twist:	1:16" RH
Grooves:	6

Searching for a 22 LR suppressor Host:

Ruger’s 22 LR pistols are known for their reliability, durability and accuracy. They make a great target pistol, useful for low cost marksmanship practice at the range. With proper care and maintenance, the Ruger design should provide many years of service.

One of the main reasons I chose the light model was for the factory threaded barrel. Since the upper receiver and barrel are serialized, it is the part of the pistol that the ATF considers the pistol. This means in order to buy a replacement upper, like those offered by Tactical Solutions, it would have to be transferred through a FFL. I decided it would be easier to buy a factory threaded barrel than to spend most of the same money on an upper, only to be left with a pistol and a half.

I ordered a Silencerco Spectre II and decided that during the waiting process for ATF I would pick up a 22/45 Lite as a host. I already owned an older Mark II. Looking at the factory specs, I expected the 22/45 Lite with Spectre II on it to be lighter than the Mark II was by itself. I was looking forward to this setup for throwing in a backpack when I go backpacking and hunting. It allows me to harvest small game without disturbing the Elk in the area.

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My Ruger 22/45 Lite Pros and Cons:

Let’s start with the Pros:

Lightweight- One of the reasons I went with the Lite model was the total weight. My original pistol was a Mark II version with a standard 4” barrel. The weight of the pistol by itself was about 35 ounces. According to the Ruger website, the 22/45 Lite weighs about 22.7 ounces. Add on a Spectre II suppressor at 6.8 ounces and you have a suppressed package that weighs less than than the lightest steel version.

Threaded from factory- The thin barrel of the standard Mark II I owned was likely too thin to thread. It also had a front sight from the factory that would have to be moved. Due to the design, as mentioned above, I couldn’t just swap barrels either. I would have to change the entire upper, which is the serialized part.

Common parts- The Ruger 22 pistol in various forms has been around for so long that there are plenty of factory parts available. Local sporting goods stores often carry the magazines and the big online vendors carry pretty much any replacement part that you could want.

Aftermarket availability- In addition to plenty of factory parts, there is a healthy aftermarket for the Ruger line of pistols. From trigger upgrades, to grips, sights, you could spend several times the initial cost of the pistol on various upgrades.

Accurate- While there are certainly higher end rimfire pistols on the market, the Ruger pistols are well known for their accuracy. I’m not a competitive rimfire shooter, but the 22/45 Lite is more than adequate for me to practice my handgun skills, or to take small game animals with.

Tall adjustable sights- Rimfire suppressors are generally considerably smaller than centerfire pistol cans. That is a positive in that they don’t interfere with sights as much. The Ruger sights are plenty tall enough to clear the majority of suppressors and are adjustable, which is especially convenient if you notice any point of impact shift when adding a suppressor.

22 Long Rifle Ammo- Rimfire ammo has been difficult to lately, which has led to many of us shooting far less than we would like to. Even so, when you can find 22 Long Rifle ammo it is still considerable cheaper than even 9mm ammo. I found with the short barrel on the 22/45 that even the majority of bulk pack ammo is subsonic.

While I really enjoy this pistol, here are some of the cons that I have found shooting it for awhile:

Heavy trigger- While the factory trigger on the 22/45 was not horrible, it still wasn’t ideal for accuracy, especially with 22 Long Rifle Ammo. This isn’t a combat or self defense pistol, it’s a target pistol. The Volquartsen trigger upgrade definitely increases the enjoyability of shooting this pistol.

Magazine disconnect- This is a feature that I have never really liked in any gun. I don’t really know who thought of this as a safety feature, but it isn’t needed on a target pistol. With this being a range gun and hunting pistol, I don’t really have the need to fire it without a magazine seated. However, the real problem with the magazine disconnect in this gun is the fact that it actually interferes with seating and ejecting the magazine correctly. Since I removed the magazine disconnect I have noticed that the magazines are more likely to fully seat and will now drop free when the magazine release is depressed. You should basically just plan on removing this as soon as possible.

Limited to 10 rounds- 22 ammo is inexpensive, lightweight and physically small, yet the vast majority of 22 pistols have a limit of 10 rounds in the magazine. I can load 15-17 rounds of 9mm in most of the factory handguns, yet only 10 rounds of 22. This isn’t only an issue with the 22/45, but I would really like to see higher capacity magazines for the 22 pistols on the market.

Magazine design- One of the reasons I like the 22/45 over the original Mark II pistol that I had is the 1911 grip angle and magazine release. The thing that is odd to me though, is that the 22/45 magazines appear to be the same magazine that the Mark II uses, but with a different buttplate. I’m sure it makes sense for Ruger to re-use part of the magazine, but it makes it necessary to insert the magazine at more of an angle than you would on a 1911. Also the long buttplate that is used makes te magazines more awkward than necessary.

Top three suggested modifications:

So if you pick up a Ruger 22/45 Lite, here are the three main modifications that I would suggest.

#1- Trigger- First off I would suggest upgrading the trigger. This gun is meant for target shooting, plinking, and possibly small game hunting. There is no reason to have a heavy trigger on this gun. In fact, this gun becomes much more fun to shoot as soon as you put a better trigger on it. Not only will a good trigger improve the trigger pull, but a quality adjustable trigger like a Volquartsen will allow you to set the take-up and overtravel to the exact feel that you want. Along with the trigger, I suggest improving the sear, as mentioned in #3 below to improve the overall feel and trigger pull.

#2- Magazine Disconnect- I would consider the magazine disconnect more of a personal preference, but it is definitely a welcome addition. I found that in my pistol, the disconnect would sometimes interfere with seating the magazines. There would be times that I felt like I fully seated the magazine, but the way the disconnect would engage the magazine, it was not quite fully seated and could be removed by pulling on the magazine. The physical pressure of the disconnect also would prevent the magazine from dropping free when the magazine release was depressed.

Another added advantage is the fact that the disassembly procedure requires hammer to be in the fired position. With the disconnect in place it requires that a magazine be inserted and the trigger pulled. Without the disconnect, there is no need to insert and remove magazines during the disassembly or assembly process.

#3- Sear- Although I listed this as #3, it is closely related to the trigger replacement. The sear specifically affects the pull weight of the trigger and how “smooth” the draw weight feels. When combined with a good trigger, the sear helps to create a smooth pull and crisp “break” of the trigger.

Although I think of these three modifications as the “top three” there are a number of additional modifications that can be done. There are improved hammers, hand grips, sights, red dots and a plethora of other improvements that can be made if you feel like it.

Do you own a Ruger 22/45 Lite? What are your thoughts on the pistol? Do you prefer a different 22 LR suppressor host? Let me know in the comment section below:

Ruger Precision Rifle Bolt Shroud Recall

2017-10-25T08:40:00.000-06:00

If you own a Ruger Precision Rifle, you have probably already heard of the bolt shroud recall. The recall addresses a potential issue with the the rifle not firing correctly, or firing upon manipulation of the bolt. It is simple to go to the website, Ruger.com/RPRSafety, enter your serial number and check to see if your rifle is affected by the recall. If it is, you can fill out the form online and request a replacement. There is no need to send your original shroud back, Ruger will just mail out the replacement.

In the video below I talk about the recall and identify that my rifle has an affected serial number:

I don't have a lot of rounds through my rifle at this point, but so far I have not had any issues with it firing properly. I decided to request the new bold shroud just for peace of mind. I have had people respond either in the comments or directly to the video I posted about their rifles. So far, no one that I have talked to is actually having any issues. They have all requested the bolt shroud though, just in case.

In the video below I get the replacement in the mail and show the differences between the old and new shrouds and install it on the bolt:

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I was disappointed that the replacement shroud fits looser than the original. Manipulating the bolt doesn't seem to feel any different, so I doubt it will affect the function or aesthetics of the rifle.

Have you had any issues with the original bolt shroud? Did you request the replacement? Let me know in the comments below.

Shooting The Ruger Precision Rifle Gen 2

2017-06-06T08:35:00.002-06:00

A couple months ago I picked up a Gen 2 Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor as a gun to get my wife and kids shooting long range. They have joined me several times for shooting long range matches and have taken shots at steel targets. So far, due to having only one rifle set up for long range competition, they haven't been able to participate in a match.

Enter the Ruger Precision Rifle. While it isn't the only decent factory offering these days, my wife really liked the fit and I liked the ease of working on and modifying the rifle by using AR-15 tools and techniques. Check out my initial unboxing and info post here: Ruger Precision Rifle Gen 2 Unboxing

After several months I am still trying to decide on a scope, but I added a basic Leupold scope to it to at least shoot a few rounds from it. I still need to spend some more time with the rifle and add a proper scope to stretch it out. In the mean time, check out the unboxing of the RPR Gen 2 and the first range session below:

Let me know what you think about the Ruger Precision Rifle in the comment section below. How is yours shooting? What modifications have you made or plan to make?

Ruger Precision Rifle Gen 2 Unboxing

2017-04-24T07:55:00.001-06:00

Getting into precision rifle shooting can seem a little daunting at first. If you go to a local match, or look on the internet, many of the shooters are using custom rifles, or high-end factory guns like the Accuracy International rifles. On top of that, add a high quality scope that could cost $2,000-$4,000. Up until the last couple years, there weren't a lot of lower cost factory actions that would work well, without at least some modification. While a new shooter could buy a gun at a big box store, most of the available rifles would need to add a detachable magazine system, a better stock and most likely a threaded barrel. Additionally, most of the major manufacturers would only make the "tactical" rifles in 308 Winchester or 223 Remington, meaning that the new rifle would need a new barrel to compete with the 6.5mm and 6mm rifles frequently used in competition.

Enter The Ruger Precision Rifle

I own several Ruger firearms, a 10/22, a model 77 Mark II, 22/45 Lite pistol and a Mini-14. While I think of them as decent quality rifles, I have never really thought of them as cutting edge tactical. Back when I bought the Mini-14, it was nearly impossible to find high capacity magazines. That was partly because of the '93 Assault Weapons Ban, but even after the ban sunsetted, it seemed that Ruger was really only interested in selling magazines with more than a 10 round capacity to Law Enforcement.

Then came the Ruger Precision Rifle. While I certainly understand the arguments about how "precision" this rifle is, I do believe that they helped to light a fire in the gun industry to start paying attention to what the consumers are looking for.

The Ruger Precision Rifle offered the average shooter a rifle that came with a fully adjustable stock, 60 degree bolt throw, built in 20 MOA scope rail, interchangeable box magazines (compatible with more than one type of magazine), a free float handguard compatible with AR-15 rifles, a threaded barrel that can be replaced by a user familiar with replacing an AR-15 barrel and a grip/safety design very familiar to AR shooters. The rifle, which is more expensive than a basic hunting style rifle, needs very little to no modification to allow a shooter to go out and compete in a long range match, or just get in to long distance shooting. Even those RPR owners that weren't entirely satisfied with the rifle as it came from the factory were able to add a different butt-stock, grip, handguard and barrel and still spend less total money than another shooter buying a custom rifle.

Generation 2:

Despite the Ruger Precision Rifle selling well enough that few gun stores seem to be able to keep them in stock, Ruger still introduced an updated version of the rifle, most notably replacing the original handguard and plastic bolt extension and adding a muzzle brake.

They also dropped the 243 Winchester offering to take advantage of the fact that Hornady announced they would be producing 6mm Creedmoor loaded ammunition. With the rifle available in 308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor, a newer shooter can buy a rifle in a caliber that will immediately allow them to be on a similar ballistic playing field to the professional shooters. (Obviously learning to shoot like a pro will still take time, effort and rounds down range.)

Magazine Options:

One of the things that I really like about the RPR is the option to use multiple types of magazines. As I mentioned about the lack of quality of off-the-rack rifles above, many of the manufacturers used to offer, or still offer, rifles that use a proprietary magazine system that may be expensive, hard to find and limited in capacity.

The reigning king of the precision rifle magazine in the competition world seems to be the Accuracy International AICS pattern magazines. While they are not inexpensive, they are known for being durable and reliable. Magpul recently released a polymer version of the AICS magazine that costs around $40, about half of a metal AI magazine. The RPR will accept the AICS magazines, but also accept DPMS pattern AR-308 magazines, which if we look at the Magpul options again, cost around $20-$25 and come in sizes from 5 rounds for hunting to 25 rounds. The RPR will even reportedly take some M-14 magazines, giving the shooter multiple options for feeding the rifle.

A Gun To Learn With:

One of the main reasons that I was drawn to this gun was as a training platform for my wife and kids. My wife and 14 year old daughter have gone with me to several of the local matches. They have both expressed interest in shooting the matches, but my current Remington 700 set-up doesn't fit either one of them well. They can get behind the gun and shoot okay from a prone position, but any other movement becomes difficult and they have difficulty getting behind the scope.

With the adjustability of the RPR stock, it will be easy to adjust the rifle for my wife and/or daughter and I can switch back and forth between the two of them. We will see if there is an affective way to place witness marks to make repeat adjustments easier.

Ideally they will be able to put in some practice and eventually be comfortable using the Ruger Precision Rifle to try out some of the local matches.

A Changing Gun Industry:

Whether or not you are a fan of the Ruger Precision Rifle, I think it is important to note what the rifle has done in the gun industry. Ruger was one of the first major companies to offer a rifle that was designed for the current long range precision rifle market. They created a gun that could be used as-is, but still had a lot of upgrade options.

Since the RPR was introduced, there has been a lot of manufacturers coming out with rifles that accept AICS magazines, shoot the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge, have adjustable chassis systems and come threaded and ready to install a brake or suppressor. It is nice to see more rifles geared towards the Precision Rifle Series type competitions that don't require a lot of alterations before they can be used.

What are your thoughts on the Ruger Precision Rifle? Let me know in the comment section below.

TRASOL Ballistic App From DesertTech

2017-03-03T15:18:00.005-07:00

Recently I started playing around with the TRASOL app from DesertTech for calculating DOPE in long range shooting. Now, if you've been reading my recent long range shooting posts, you will be familiar with the fact that I typically use data cards that are based on Density Altitude and printed out ahead of time. While this system works well for me, I have been wanting to find an app that would allow me to make corrections on the spot if necessary, or help me to gather and test my initial DOPE when working up a new load.

After going through the app store, looking at a number of the options available and doing some researching online, I decided that for the money, I would try out the TRASOL app from DesertTech. It is a newer ballistic calculator and cheaper than some of the other popular options, I've read a lot of positive reviews about it from Snipers Hide and some of the local Colorado shooters that have experimented with it. I decided to purchase the app for iTunes for use on an iPhone and iPad mini. DesertTech later reached out to me and offered me a code to download the app on Android as well. Most of this review will be directed to the iTunes version, as that is primarily what I will be using the app on.

TRASOL can use your location to
import atmospheric data.

Now, according to DesertTech's website: https://deserttech.com/trasol.php
"TRASOL WAS DEVELOPED for precision shooters who desire first round hit accuracy to 1500 meters and beyond. By developing new ballistic algorithms that reshape predictive flight curves to align with Doppler radar data, TRASOL provides the most accurate predictions available."

If you aren't familiar with DesertTech, they make some very interesting bullpup precision rifles. I haven't had an opportunity to try one myself, but I have seen several in use at local precision rifle matches and at the Battle of Breakneck PRS match in Nebraska. I would love to be able to set up one rifle in 260 Rem as a competition rifle, then switch barrels and bolts to 338 Lapua for ELR shooting, or 22-250 for shorter range practice.

Now on to the App:

After downloading TRASOL, it asks you if you want to allow the app to access your location. This will allow your phone to import atmospheric data for the calculations. While this is not as accurate as using a hand-held device like a Kestrel, it will still be beneficial for shooters that don't have access to the equipment to measure it for themselves.

The next option is to create or sign into a Desert Tech account. While this is not required, it will allow you to backup your data so that you can access your DOPE from multiple devices, or recover it in the event of losing your device. The log in that is created works on the Desert Tech website for online orders, warranty claims, etc.

Garbage in, Garbage Out:

I'm not the most technically savy person, but a programming saying that has become popular, is: "garbage in, garbage out." This absolutely applies to the entry of basic information in a ballistics app. It doesn't matter if a ballistic calculator is able to perfectly predict the flight of your bullet, if you do not enter the correct information to begin with, you will not get an accurate shooting solution.

As we start to fill out the basic information for our rifle, load and atmospherics, you want to get accurate information. This means as much as possible use actual measurements and not just guesses.

To start with, choose the basic measurement formats that you want to use for the app. Whether you are used to measuring and calculating distances in yards or meters, make sure that the app matches what you use:

Check the basic readings that the app will use.

The next step is to save a gun profile. You can save multiple profiles for use with different guns and different loads. In the picture below and on the left, you see how the required fields will start out red. This shows you that it is important to fill in each field correctly. If you are using factory ammunition, a little bit of Internet research will typically reveal the bullet weight and ballistic coefficient if you don't already know it. As far as velocity, it is important to measure this amount yourself. I will talk about truing your DOPE a little later, but it is important to start with an accurate number.

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The sight height, click value and twist rate will all depend on your rifle. It is easy to measure the sight height from the centerline of the bore to the centerline of the scope. You can get the click value and twist rate from the manufactures of your scope and barrel respectively.

For the zero range I would suggest sighting in for 100 yards, unless you are shooting at Extended Long Range distances. 100 yard ranges are much more common, making it easier to check your zero. There is also less impact on your point of impact at 100 yards due to changes in altitude or weather than with a longer range zero.

Once you enter the basic information for your rifle and load combination, make sure you save it for later use. You can save multiple loads or firearms if you choose. The load listed above is my current competition load for the 260 Remington. I also used TRASOL to calculate the DOPE for a load with Hornady's ELD-X bullet for hunting. I used the data on an Antelope hunt this year, I successfully filled the doe tag, but ultimately only ended up taking a 100 yard shot, negating the need for detailed drop data.

Taking The Shot:

With your load saved, it is time to enter the specific information for the shot. The first thing is to enter the atmospheric data for your current location and weather. One thing I really like about the TRASOL app is that it is designed to work with Density Altitude. I recently wrote a post that explains What is Density Altitude? I like to use Density Altitude when possible because it takes all of the other weather and altitude variables and creates a single equivalent number to make it easy to calculate. If you don't have the ability to calculate Density Altitude on your own, the app can use your phone to calculate it for your area.

In the ballistics tab below you can see that it also allows you to enter the range to target, wind information, target movement information, slope, Coriolis, cant and Cold Bore shift. The more information that you can provide, the more accurate the calculations are. At the top of the screen you can see the quick display for the range that you selected. It shows that for 675 yards, my adjustment would be 13.5 MOA up and a 10 MPH wind at 90 degrees would require 2.8 MOA of adjustment.

The information bar at the top of the screen is convenient if you are about to make a single shot at a specific distance, or if you are going to make multiple shots at a single distance, but what if you want to engage targets at multiple distances? If you click "Table" at the top right of the screen you will get a drop chart as pictured below:

I find the ballistic table much more convenient for the type of shooting that I tend to do. If you are checking your DOPE at multiple distances or shooting a match stage that requires engagement at multiple distances, it is easy to generate the table, then add the correct adjustments to your wrist coach, notepad, or whatever you are using. The total distance and intervals between yardages are based on what you told the app to calculate in the bottom of the settings page shown towards the top. This allows you to calculate as precisely and or as far as necessary. For the typical local matches that I shoot, I rarely need to go more that about 1200 yards. If you are taking your 338 Lapua Magnum out to ELR distances, the app will still work just as well for you.

Sighting In For Hunting

The photos above show the calculations I got from entering the information that I was already using for my match load. I was previously using DOPE cards based on Density Altitude and I was pleased that the drops calculated by TRASOL seemed to match up with the cards that I was already using. I decided to that to really test it, I needed to develop a new load.

I drew my first Antelope tag for 2016. It was just for a doe, but I figured that my match rifle in 260 Remington was a good match for possible long range shots in the prairie. I picked up some of the new Hornady ELD-X bullets to try out in my rifle. I shot at a local 100 range to get a basic zero established and to get some velocity readings.
The next weekend I went out to another range that had steel targets out to 1000 yards. I wasn't planning on shooting at an Antelope at those distances, but I still wanted to see how the bullets and app would perform at long distances. Unfortunately, when I got to the range, I found out that some of the steel was no longer up and the longest shot would be about 575 yards. This was plenty for hunting purposes, but means I wasn't able to test the app the way I wanted to.

I started off by entering the information I had for my load and using a Kestrel to get my Density Altitude for the location that I was shooting. I then confirmed my zero at 100 yards and started reaching out to the longer steel targets.

I had to make some small adjustments (see Truing your DOPE below:), but was quickly hitting prairie dog targets out to the full 575 yard length. When I confirmed my DOPE with my previous load I had to take copious notes, then return home and use a web-based ballistic calculator to true my data with what I saw in the field. With TRASOL I was able to make adjustments as I went and then save the end product, ready to use in the field.

HUD Display

One of the more unique features is the Heads Up Display (HUD) that the TRASOL app offers. I haven't seen this on any of the other apps that I have tried out. It can take the location and atmospheric data that your phone provides and display an overlay on an image from your phone's camera. This allows you to actually point your phone at the target and get a firing solution based on the direction that your phone is pointed. This includes the angle of fire and azimuth for the direction that you are shooting.

Now, your phone can't calculate wind and distances on it's own, but the app uses a pretty interesting system of sliding to adjust the wind angle, wind speed and distance. It can also calculate angles based on the orientation of the phone. Once you've entered the wind and distance info, the top right corner (see above) displays your elevation adjustment, wind hold and lead. There is also a provision for recording photos and video of the display.

While I don't see a lot of use for this in a competition setting, I could see setting this up and using it while working up a load. You could even attach it to a spotting scope with the appropriate adapter and record the DOPE that you use, and the resulting shots, whether they hit or miss. It could be a way to have a visual data book.

Truing Your DOPE

So what exactly is truing your DOPE? For a number of reasons, the information that you gather and enter in the ballistic calculator may not be exactly correct. Remember the garbage in, garbage out above? The ballistic coefficient that is provided by a lot of manufacturers can be off, typically over-estimated to look better. The velocity that you collected could be off, especially if you use the manufacturer's number from factory ammo. It can also be off depending on the quality of the chronograph you use, or the distance in front of the muzzle.

The way to overcome those small errors is to take the initial information that you gathered and shoot it at multiple distances, preferably all the way to the longest distance that you want to shoot to. You then record the actual amount of adjustment that you needed compared to what the app says you should have used. You can then start adjusting the ballistic coefficient or velocity in small increments until you get a ballistic table that matches the actual adjustments that you made.

When I sighted in my new hunting load, TRASOL was very close to where I needed to be, but even with a very high quality ballistic app, the time spending truing the data is never misspent.

Not All Perfect

So what would I change about the app? Although I was please overall with the performance and format of TRASOL, there were a few bugs or things that I would like to see done differently.

The biggest issue I had early on was the app crashing as I was trying to input my data for the first time. I would enter info for my equipment, saving after every couple fields that I entered. Almost every time that I saved, the app would crash. I don't know if it was specific to saving after only changing a field or two, but this was with an iPhone 7+ that was only a week old at the time. I did notice that after I got the initial info saved and added new loads and rifles I haven't seen the app crash since. I don't know if the bugs were fixed in an update, or if it was something to do with saving the initial data. Either way it was very frustrating at first.

Next, I would like to see a provision for truing DOPE. As I talked about above, even though the ballistic calculator seems to be very accurate, depending on the quality of input information, there is almost always a need to tweak the data. Some apps out there have the ability to directly input the tested, correct drop for specific ranges, then it calculates the correct drop. While I was able to do it by changing BC or velocity to get the right numbers, it would be nice to have a truing feature.

I am surprised there is no option to enter specific atmospheric data. Now, don't get me wrong, as mentioned above I really like using Density Altitude. I think that is the best method overall, but I know that there are still a lot of shooters that don't have the ability to measure DA. It would be nice to see an option to enter actual barometric pressure, altitude, temp, humidity, etc to calculate drop.

I may be the only person that would use this feature, but I would like to see the ability to use a mix and match of MIL and MOA for elevation and windage. I have an older scope that has a MIL reticle and MOA adjustments. On my DOPE cards I calculated elevation as MOA to dial, but calculate windage based on MIL so that I can hold off using the reticle. I'm sure there isn't a huge market for it, but it would be nice to be able to use that, at least until I update my scope. I wrote a more detailed post about it: Shooting with MOA Turrets and a MIL Reticle.

Silencerco Omega Durability Update- 2500 Rounds Fired

2017-01-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love shooting with a suppressor, but the current laws and the ATF don't exactly make it easy to just go out and pick one up. By the time you research which can you want to buy, make the purchase, wait for the paperwork to go through and finally pick it up, months have gone by. With the time, effort and expense that goes into buying a suppressor, I commonly see questions on the forums about the durability of a given suppressor, whether or not to clean it, etc.

When I picked up my Silencerco Omega in November of 2015, I thought it would be interesting to photograph the internals of the can, (at least what I could see), to keep a simple log of how many rounds I fired and what happened. I wasn't exactly expecting to see a lot of wear, but wanted to have a good idea what was happening. I made a log book for the suppressor and started recording the caliber and number of rounds fired. The photos, and ultimately video, that I took evolved over time, but hopefully the following video gives you an idea of what the suppressor looks like through the first 2500 rounds. This is all centerfire ammo, though about 200 rounds of it was powder coated lead. I did a video on that with this post. I have not cleaned the internals at all.

The Omega has spent a good portion of it's life on my 308 Remington, which was later rebarreled to 260 Remington. It has also seen 300 Blackout (almost exclusively subsonic), 6.8 SPC and, of course, 223/556. I haven't exactly handled the suppressor with kids gloves, but haven't done repetitive mag dumps either. Most of the precision rifle shooting is pretty slow, although some of the competitive courses of fire are around 5-10 rounds in as little as 30-45 seconds. This gets the can hot to the touch, but there is typically plenty of time for it to cool down. Also, currently all of these rifles have a 16" or longer barrel. The wear that I am experiencing may be different for those of you that use shorter barrels or have a heavier firing schedule.

When I purchased the Omega, I wanted a fairly lightweight suppressor that would work well for hunting, but I also liked the fact that it was rated for limited full-auto use. That means that the typical semi-auto use that would subject it to shouldn't be a problem. There are lighter cans on the market and there are cans that are built like tanks to handle heavier full-auto firing schedules. For me, the Omega seemed to have the best compromise for my use. If you would like to see a more extensive review from a year of use, let me know in the comments below.

I realize that 2500 rounds is not an exhaustive test, but I figured that it was a good point to show, especially since it represents just over a year of shooting. While I know there are many shooters out there that fire way more rounds through a suppressor over the course of a year, I know there are also a lot of shooters that will only put a few hundred rounds through at a time. I will continue to log the rounds and document the interior of the suppressor. Maybe it will take another year, maybe less. I do know that I won't be wearing it out any time soon.

Silencerco Omega Lead Powdercoat Test

2017-01-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Prior to picking up my Silencerco Omega suppressor I was shooting 300 Whisper (the predecessor to 300 Blackout). At the time, very few manufacturers were selling components specific to the Whisper. I decided to try out a Lee 309-230 lead mold to cast my own bullets. I figured that the subsonic velocities of the Whisper with heavy bullets would be easy on the lead. With range scrap lead, I would be able to load the ammo for much cheaper than any of the available jacketed bullets.

I was able to develop a load for lead bullets coated with Lee Liquid Alox and one for powder coated lead. The leading was not bad with either load and they were a favorite for plinking, although not as accurate in my tested loads as jacketed bullets.

Once I picked up the Silencerco Omega, I bought a KAK Industries 300 Blackout barrel for about what it would have cost me to thread the 300 Whisper barrel. I, of course. thought that it would be nice to shoot the cheaper lead bullets through the suppressor, but wondered how much lead buildup there would be in a sealed can. I reached out to Silencerco customer service and they did not recommend shooting powder coated bullets through the Omega, stating that there would be too much lead buildup in the can.

Being the curious type, I decided to conduct my own test. I didn't have a lot of 300 Blackout brass sitting around, but I was able to load up 200 powder coated rounds to try. I figured that would give at least an idea if there was any appreciable build up, or if there would be scraps of powder coat building up.

*Silencerco did not recommend shooting powder coated bullets through the Omega. The following is for informational purposes only.

Recovered 300 Blackout lead powder coated bullets.

Overall, there did not appear to be a lot of lead build up to me. I noticed more of what appeared to be unburned powder than build up. I don't think I will shoot a lot of powder coated lead through the suppressor, but I won't be afraid to shoot some now and then. One of the most important things that I noticed was that there was no noticeable pieces of the powder coat. I was a little worried that the areas that contacted the rifling would wear off the coating and that would come loose in the suppressor. As you can see in the photos to the right, the coating was removed from the base of the bullet, but I did not find any of it left behind in the can.

One thought that I had was that if you were really wanting to shoot lead through the 300 Blackout and wanted to regularly suppress it (isn't that a large part of the reason to shoot Blackout?), it would probably be ideal to choose a pistol caliber suppressor rated for Blackout that can be disassembled for cleaning, or find a 30 caliber rifle suppressor that is designed to be user-serviceable.

Do you shoot lead bullets through an Omega or through the Blackout? Or do you powder coat your lead? Let me know in the comments below:

Answering Your Questions on YouTube

2016-12-22T15:25:00.001-07:00

Want to know more about the 9mm AR-15 pistol that I have featured in some of my posts and videos? How about some more info on the rifle I am using in precision rifle competitions?

In the video below I answer some of those questions that have been asked on YouTube.

Do you have more questions? Ask them here or on my YouTube channel and I will do my best to answer all of them.

Thanks for watching!

What Is Density Altitude?

2016-12-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

In this post I want to talk a little about using Density Altitude for calculating ballistic drop when shooting long range targets. If you've read some of my previous posts about long range shooting, you'll notice that I generate drop charts based on 1000 foot Density Altitude intervals and use those for my shooting adjustments. I don't actually calculate the drops for each individual shot or shooting station. So let's start here:

What is Density Altitude?

Checking DOPE at the NRA Whittington Center
Notice the Kestrel for checking Density Altitude

So what exactly is Density Altitude? First off, here is the definition according to Wikipedia:

Density altitude is the altitude relative to the standard atmosphere conditions (ISA) at which the air density would be equal to the indicated air density at the place of observation. In other words, density altitude is air density given as a height above mean sea level.

So what does that mean in basic terms? There are several factors that affect how dense the air around you is. The two biggest factors are your altitude above sea level and the temperature. The higher in altitude and the higher the temperature, the lower the pressure.

When you fire a bullet, the ballistic coefficient of that bullet is a representation of how much drag the bullet has as it pushes through the air. The more dense the air, the more drag there will be. Conversely, if the air is less dense, there will be less resistance. So a bullet fired at 1000 yards at sea level on a cold day will need more scope adjustment to hit the target than one fired at 10,000 feet of elevation and 90 degree temperatures.

What Density Altitude does is simplify those numbers down to one equivalent reading. It takes into account the temperature, altitude (based on barometric pressure), and humidity, etc, and gives you a number that takes all of it into account. It was originally used by pilots to be able to calculate the lift that they would generate for a certain airport altitude and weather conditions.

How do I calculate Density Altitude?

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/epz/?n=wxcalc_densityaltitude

There is an easy and a long way to calculate Density Altitude. Obviously you can use the formula to calculate Density Altitude as long as you know each of the required inputs for the formula. The official NOAA Density altitude calculator can be found at the NOAA site, link under the picture to the left:

In order to use the calculator, you will need to input your temperature, station pressure (not corrected for altitude), and dew point. It will then calculate the station pressure for you in feet or meters. I have used this method a number of times to calculate the Density Altitude after shooting, based on my log. I have also used it in locations were I have cellular service. Unfortunately, unless you have a weather meter, you may not have correct information. Most of the time the weather updates that you get to your phone may not be exactly accurate to your location, depending on how far the weather station is from your shooting position.

Some shooting log books have a simple chart that gives you a graph of altitudes and temperatures and lets you look up an approximate DA for your altitude at a given temperature. While these may not be quite as accurate, they will still get you very close to the right number.

The easier method is to use a weather meter, such as the Kestrel, that calculates Density Altitude directly. After asking other shooters for the DA for months, I finally broke down and ordered a Kestrel from Amazon. I didn't order the fancy ballistic model, but ordered the newer 5000 model with Bluetooth link.

The Kestrel 5000 is currently the lowest end model that they offer that still provides you with Density Altitude. You can still obtain readings for wind speed, temperature, dew point, barometer, station pressure, etc, but you can also output a DA number specifically. This made it much easier in the match I shot at the NRA Whittington Center. I simply checked the DA at the beginning of the day and a couple times throughout the day and I was able to make sure that I was shooting the correct DA card throughout the match. This helped me to stay on target, even though I was shooting a match at an elevation several thousand feet lower than where I initially checked the DOPE on my rifle.

Why use Density Altitude?

So why would you want to use Density Altitude when shooting? The answer is simplicity. While there a lot of great ballistic programs and phone apps, it is not always convenient or appropriate to rely on an electronic device to generate your shooting drop. When I first developed a load for my 260 Remington, I trued the drop information out to 1000 yards and printed up cards for DA in 1000 foot increments. I used those cards in April at the Battle of Breakneck when it was cold and snowing, took the same cards to the NRA Whittington Center and have shot several of the local Cheyenne Mountain Precision Rifle matches using those same cards. As long as I can get the Density Altitude reading from my Kestrel, or earlier on by asking another shooter, I have been accurate in 30 degree to 90 degree weather and at various elevations.

While I am certainly not discounting the convenience of being able to pull up ballistic drop to the exact conditions you are shooting, or being able to true the data throughout a day of shooting, using a phone before every stage at a match may not be practical. During the Battle of Breakneck, the constant rain, wind and snow made it difficult for the guys that wanted to use their phones. A few were using waterproof cases, but I also saw guys with their phones in Ziploc bags or trying to use their body to shield the phone from the weather.

This can also be very beneficial for hunters. While I wouldn't shoot as far at an animal as I do at a steel target, the Density Altitude of where I hunt can vary several thousand feet during a day. Where I live and hunt in Colorado, it is possible to change 2,000-3,000 feet of elevation during the course of a day. The morning may also be 10-15 degrees, but warm up to 50-60 degrees during the afternoon. By printing out a DA chart for the distances you are willing to take an ethical shot on an animal, you can laminate it or attach it to your stock and know at a glance what your drop will be for the current conditions.

So do you use Density Altitude measurements for shooting, or do you calculate all of your drops using a ballistic app or program? I am interested in hearing your thoughts below:

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Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor Brass- The Best Round for Long Range Competition?

2016-11-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Lapua cartridge brass is considered some of the highest quality available for the reloader. If the brass is available for the round in choice, most serious competitors will seek out the Lapua brand. Many of those shooters cite superior consistency, uniformity and brass life as reasons to shoot the Lapua brand. One of the 6mm Dasher shooters that I know has reported over 20 firings on Lapua 6mm BR brass that was converted to the Dasher wildcat.

Lapua just announced 6.5 Creedmoor Brass.

Introduced by Hornady in 2007, the 6.5 Creedmoor has become a very popular cartridge for long range shooting and hunting. Hornady sought the input of long range competitors and set out to design a round that could be chambered in a short action rifle, use high Ballistic Coefficient 6.5mm bullets in a standard length magazine, cost no more than good match 308 Win ammo and was made with components that the handloader could easily duplicate. In fact, the early ammo from Hornady was printed with the load recipe right on the box, allowing reloaders to exactly duplicate the factory load with their once fired brass.

One of the biggest complaints about the Creedmoor that I have heard to date is the lack of quality brass. There have been mixed reviews about the factory Hornady brass. Some shooters have reported only being able to get four to five reloadings out of the brass. Even though it costs less to initially purchase, the decreased case life may actually bring the long term brass cost closer in line to higher quality brass. More recently, as the cartridge continues to become more popular, more companies have started to step up and make brass. Nosler and Norma currently offer brass, I have heard mixed reviews on whether these offerings are worth the extra investment, but have not tried them myself.

Enter Lapua:

For several months now I have seen online forums talking about how Lapua should start offering a 6.5 Creedmoor option. Many shooters speculated that they would sell more Creedmoor brass than 260 Remington or 6.5x47 Lapua. Others argued that it wasn't in their best interest to introduce brass that competed so directly with others that they already manufacture.

While scanning through my e-mail recently I noticed one from Lapua announcing that they will in fact be offering a 6.5 Creedmoor brass option in the first quarter of 2017. The brass is said to use a small rifle primer similar to the 6.5x47. I haven't seen a projected price yet, but I definitely think this is good news for 6.5 Creedmoor shooters.

Now shooters of the Creedmoor will not only have the option to buy lower cost factory match ammo, but high quality brass. The Hornady factory ammo has been getting excellent reviews for accuracy and can often be found for less than match 308 ammo costs. This gives a shooter that isn't set up to reload, or just doesn't want to take the time, the ability to buy ammo at a reasonable price. They can then save the once fired casings to reload, or recoup some of their cost by selling the brass to someone else that can use it.

Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor Brass, lower price, but shorter case life.

For the more experienced reloader, or those that are wanting to graduate beyond the Hornady ammo and brass, they can now choose to use high quality Lapua brass.

The 260 and 6.5x47 will still have their following, but I think the availability of Lapua brass for the Creedmoor will make the round even more popular.

The 6.5mm cartridges have been dominating long range competition in the last few years. The three top choice are typically the 6.5 Creedmoor, 260 Remington and the 6.5x47 Lapua. Each of these cartridges have advantages and disadvantages, but performance wise, they are very similar and all offer superior ballistics to the typical 308 Win loads.

The 260 Remington has been around the longest, but has not been a real popular cartridge, having mostly a moderate following of hunters. It was one of the cartridges that shooters first turned to when exploring the 6.5mm family of bullets. Initially, cheap Remington brass held the 260 back, but some shooters were converting Lapua 308 or 243 Winchester brass. Of the three most popular rounds it offers the most case capacity, allowing for slightly faster bullets speeds, but at the cost of increased length. Many rifles cannot handle high B.C. bullets loaded long and still fit in standard magazines. With Lapua brass, this is still a viable long range cartridge, in fact that is what I am using in my match gun as of this writing. I have met several competitors that switched to the 260 before the others were available and have felt like there has been no reason to change.

Lapua brass from Midwayusa.

The 6.5x47 Lapua was originally designed as an accurate, low recoil round for 300 Meter competition. It was designed to use a small rifle primer, thought to increase consistency. It has the smallest case capacity of the three mentioned here, but with high quality Lapua brass, some shooters are reporting that they can load the ammo to higher pressures, allowing for velocities that approach the 260, while still maintaining case life. Many of the shooters that I have met that choose the 6.5x47 say that it has an intrinsic accuracy that is hard to beat.

I won't get too in depth into all of the advantages of the 6.5mm cartridges in this post, but the high B.C. of these bullets provide a flatter shooting trajectory and less wind drift than a 308. In fact, the trajectory of these cartridges are very similar to that of the 300 Winchester Magnum, while using substantially less powder and with less recoil. The 300 Win Mag would have the upper hand when it comes to energy down range, so hunters may not want to discount the round. But, for target shooting, the reduced recoil allows shooters to spot their hits and misses more easily and will lead to less shooter fatigue when firing 100+ rounds in a match.

What are your thoughts about Lapua brass for the 6.5 Creedmoor? Will you be more likely to choose the Creedmoor, or stick with it? Let me know in the comment section below:

Powder Coating Lead Bullets The Fast And Easy Way

2016-11-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

Tired of getting lead fouling in your barrels when shooting cast bullets? Let's talk about a quick and easy way to powder coat your cast lead bullets. All this takes is a little time, a toaster or standard oven and some powder coat. What you will have is a protective coating over the bullet to reduce or stop leading in most barrels. Plus, it can give your bullets a unique look.

First off, if you are casting your own bullets, I would highly suggest that you slug the barrel and match the bullet molds and bullet diameter with the actual diameter of your barrel. There can be some variation in actual barrel specs and what the molds drop, so leading problems can also be attributed to bullets that aren't sized properly for the barrel they are shot through. Even with powder coating, you want to use properly sized bullets!

What do you need?

Now, what exactly do you need to powder coat? It is pretty simple.

1. You need some lead bullets to start, either cast them yourself, or buy them ready to go.
2. Then you will need some powder coat. Since we are doing this quick and easy, you can use the cheap red powder coat that Harbor Freight sells.
3. A Tupperware type container to mix the bullets and powder coat.
4. An oven or toaster oven to heat the powder coat (Hopefully not the oven you cook your meals in!)

Coat the bullets.

Pour a handful of bullets into the Tupperware container and add the powder coat. You typically do not need a lot of the powder coat, but if you add more than you need it will stay in the container and you can just use it on the next batch.

With the powder and bullets in the container, close the lid tightly and agitate it for a couple minutes. You can check on the progress after a minute. You want to make sure that the powder coats the bullets evenly. The longer you shake, the better the coating that you will get.

One the bullets are coated, I like to lay them out on a fine screen prior to putting them in the oven. This allows the loose powder to drop free. You can collect the excess powder and return it to the Tupperware container for the next batch.

With the bullets coated and put on a screen or pan, it's time to bake them. I like to use an old toaster that I had laying around. It can't fit as many bullets as a time as the kitchen oven will, but I don't use the toaster for food anymore, so I don't have to worry about any kind of food contamination.

With the oven pre-heated to 400 degrees, I cook the bullets for about 10 minutes. You can play a little with the temperature and time, but this is a pretty good starting point. One thing that is worth noting, many of the cheaper toaster ovens can have very inaccurate temperature settings. It is definitely worth double checking the actual temperature, compared to the rating on the dial.

After baking the bullets, let them air dry until they are cool to the touch. The last thing to do before loading the bullets is to check the diameter. Depending on the diameter of the bullet mold and the consistency of the coating, it is typically a good idea to run the bullets through a sizing die to make sure that you have a consistent size for each of the bullets.

Once that is done, load up the bullets and shoot them!

I've noticed that the powder coated bullets tend to smoke less than those that I coat with Lee Liquid Alox. I still often shoot Alox coated bullets through my 45 ACP pistols, but I really like the powder coat for shooting lead bullets in the 300 Blackout or 300 Whisper. It makes for a very cheap plinking load!

Let me know your thoughts on powder coating in the comment section below. Do you shake the bullets, or do you prefer to powder coat using a spray gun for better coverage?

Cheyenne Mountain Precision Rifle Match- August 2016

2016-10-17T07:02:00.000-06:00

A couple months ago I shared a video of the Cheyenne Precision Rifle match that occurs the fourth Saturday of every month at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. You can view that post and the video from a match in February 2016 here: Cheyenne Mountain Precision Match Report.

Starting in August of this year, the match director, Ryan, got some help from some other shooters looking to build a match designed more like a Precision Rifle Series (PRS) match. The goal was to have a higher round count, more shooting stages, and additional shooting positions and challenges to help those shooters that are trying to prepare for the larger multi-day matches.

While a couple of the targets didn't arrive on time, they were still able to put together a great match. Below is a video of me shooting the match, as well as a few shots of my brother shooting (it was his first shooting match ever).

Here are the stage descriptions that were used for the match:

Stage 1

Double Tap

Shooter will start prone magazine in bolt back. Upon engage command shooter will engage targets 1 thru 5 in order with 2 shot per target for 1 point per impact

10 rounds

10 points possible
Time 2:00
Stage 2

Dog town

Shooter will start prone magazine in bolt back. Upon engage command shooter will engage targets 1 thru 5 in order. Shooter must hit each target to move to the next. Each target is worth 2 points

10 rounds

10 points possible

Time 2:00

Stage 3

TYL

Shooter will start prone magazine in bolt back. Upon engage command shooter will engage the TYL (test your limits rack) from big plate to small. The shooter must hit the first plate to move on. If the shooter misses he must go back to the beginning and reengage previously hit targets for 0 points to move on.

10 rounds

10 points possible

Time 2:00
TYL Rack 340 yards

Stage 4

Ladder

Shooter will start port of arms (mag in bolt back muzzle down) facing the ladder. Upon engage command the shooter will engage the near target from one of the rungs, then the far target. Then the shooter must move to an unused rung and repeat starting with the near target. Each impact is worth 1 point.

10 rounds

10 points possible
Time 3:00
Stage 5

Roof top

Shooter will start port of arms (mag in bolt back muzzle down) to the side of the roof top. Upon engage command the shooter will engage the target with 3 shots from the left side (both feet on the ground) 4 shots center (both feet on the roof) and 3 shots right side (both feet on the ground). Each impact is worth 1 point.

10 rounds

10 points possible
Time 3:00

Stage 6

Barricade Wall
Shooter will start port of arms (mag in bolt back muzzle down) facing the wall. Upon engage command the shooter will engage the target with two rounds, then change positions. Shooter cannot repeat a position and may only shoot two rounds from each position. Each impact is worth 1 point.
10 rounds
10 points possible
Time 3:00

I had a lot of fun at this match and definitely like the changes that were made. The new format makes the match feel more like a "big match." It should definitely help polish the skills of the shooters that are looking to prepare for the PRS matches.

What do you look for in a local rifle match? Do you look for high round counts and difficult positions? Or do you prefer shooting more traditional positions and difficult targets? Let me know in the comments below.