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Boisterous Appendix Carriers Are The Vegans Of The Concealed Carry World

May 8, 2019 By Josh Leave a Comment

This is my good friend Terry, who is not the the subject of this article. This is just a pic I had on hand.

Nothing against veganism if that’s your thing–but I like meat and have zero plans to stop eating it.

In the same vein, I won’t disagree that Appendix carry is a legit method of carrying your gun, if it works for you. But, for me, it doesn’t work.

And, to really put a fine point on how I feel, boisterous appendix carriers are like the vegans of the concealed carry world–always trying to force their way of life on you as if it’s the ONLY way.

It’s not the only way, and it doesn’t work for everybody. To some degree, I wish I could carry appendix simply because of how fast the draw can be.

Another benefit of carrying in the appendix position is that it’s really hard for a thief to steal your gun, as we have heard of some stealing in the 3 – 5 o’clock positions.

But, here’s the thing: It won’t work for everyone and I’m living proof of that.

I’ve lost count of how many appendix carry holsters I’ve tried to this point, and not one of them worked well enough for me to use. Ever.

And, if there is one thing that rubs me the wrong way it’s when I hear folks tell me that the only reason why I don’t carry this way is because I assume I can’t because I’m a “bigger guy” and not on facts like actually trying these holsters out.

They assume, wrongly, that I haven’t tried to make it work.

I have.

AIWB doesn’t work for me even though I’ve bought and received countless appendix holsters to test out with no luck. Before I move on, let’s get some background information.

How to appendix carry:

Carrying in the appendix position is nothing more than locating your firearm IWB (inside the waistband) between the 12-1 o’clock position if you’re a righty, or the 11-12 o’clock position if you’re a lefty (called AIWB, or appendix inside the waistband).

Some folks also do cross draw, but that’s not the topic of this discussion.

Some concealed carriers can make it as far out as 2 or 10, but that’s rare because the front of the hip bone really starts to come into play here.

There are a few main benefits as discussed a moment ago, not the least of these is concealment factor for most people. Of course, this is holster dependent, and the wrong holster could break your concealment factor.

What comes to mind here, is something like this:

The caption for this picture is hilarious and reads:

Is it a baby or a gun? Either way, we’re naming it Gaston. The AIWB took up the author’s entire abdomen. (Photo: Jacki Billings)

Now, I know this lady from when I worked for guns.com and can say that she doesn’t usually look pregnant. The holster that she’s wearing just happens to be a real turd for the appendix position.

Does this mean she doesn’t carry in this position? If I remember correctly, this is her preferred method, only in a holster that works for her body type.

Hopefully that answered the question of how to appendix carry if you didn’t know. Let’s move on.

Common problems carrying in the appendix position:

It is my goal with this article to shut the vegan appendix guys and gals up for the last time with what I’m about to say. If I sound pissed, it’s likely because I am because someone just told me that I haven’t tried enough holsters.

I’m not sure what these people think I’m made of, but I can assure you it’s not money. Anyway …

Hear me, it isn’t just about body size or the size of my stomach. There is so much more that goes into carrying appropriately in the appendix position that no amount of losing weight will even help me because it goes beyond the size of my stomach.

Listen, I’m 300 pounds, but I haven’t always been this weight. When I got out of the Marines I was about 240 and I was in much better shape.

I still struggled even though my belly was smaller. Why? Because of my physiology. More than the size of my stomach, is where my waistline sits. More than where my waistline sits is where my body bends and contorts.

We are ALL made differently. Don’t assume I can do something because you can, even if you are a bigger dude.

My body is nothing like the 300 pound dude I may be standing next to in line at the grocery store. He may be able to appendix carry just fine, simply because his 300 pounds is shaped and maneuvers differently with a different waistline than mine does.

I’m sitting here right now, typing this up in agony to remind myself of why I don’t carry this way in one of my best appendix holsters. Let me repeat that, this is the one that works the best for me and is designed to be worn in this method.

And, it sucks.

Oh, and I’ve tried double digits worth of holsters in this position and they all suck for me. So my thoughts on why I can’t appendix carry is based on personal facts, not assumptions.

I even set out on a journey to design and sell my own holster that worked in the appendix position for people like me with bends in their body the same way without success.

I approached people who make plastic holsters for a living, telling them what I needed and one guy laughed as he told me it couldn’t be done.

Concealed Carry Adjustment:

To me, whenever you have to adjust your gun when you’re carrying it, it’s a dead giveaway that there’s a gun there. I carry concealed, so my goal is for the gun to remain hidden.

appendix inside the waistband — Here’s Travis carrying appendix, also not the subject of this article

When I sit down carrying appendix, I have to physically move my stomach not because it’s something I want to do, but because it’s something I have to do.

Why? Because when your body is feeling pain, your natural response is to limit that pain as much as possible. It’s physiology, again.

Can I train myself to not reach down to my stomach and force myself to not make that adjustment?

Of course I can, but why would I want to remain in a state of pain when there are other ways that work better FOR ME?

Here’s the thing: If I’m not comfortable I’m not going to carry my gun. If I’m not going to carry my gun, what’s the point?

Just Stop:

It is possible that you don’t know what’s best for me any more than I know what’s best for you. I’m not going to force my way of thinking on you, nor should anyone try to force their way of thinking on me.

If I want to carry a gun in any method, just as long as I’m doing so safely and can get to that gun to save my life, that’s all that matters. And hey, when the crap hits the fan, just be thankful that we’re in the same room together.

Stop being the vegans of the concealed carry world. You do your thing, and let everyone else do theirs.

Rant over.

How to Buy Your First Handgun: Buyer’s Guide

May 7, 2019 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Recently wandering around on a Facebook group I belong to, I saw someone ask the question: How do I buy my first handgun.”

I actually have some insight into that, since I too, had to buy my first handgun one day long ago. More than that, though, I’ve actually gone to the gun shop with a few people to help them pick out guns, and have been in earshot of some very bad advice given by gun shop employees.

Here’s the deal, the gun shop is out to make money. Yeah, they’ll help you as much as they can, but their goal in life is to stay in business. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with that–just as long as you know that’s the case.

What this means, is that if they’ve got an abundance of one type of gun, say Glock 19, they’re going to try to talk you into a Glock 19 regardless of whether you want one of them or not. That’s just the way it is.

In a perfect world, you should have done some research up to this point to find out which guns are right for you, personally. This research will include the following —

What is your gun’s primary use
What is your price range
Going to the store to “feel” different guns in hand
What kind of features will it have

Let’s take a look at each of these bullet points, in turn.

What is the gun’s primary use

If your goal is to conceal carry your new gun, that’ll play out a little differently than it would, say, if you were just looking for something to target practice with.

If you just went out and got your permit and that’s why you’re here, you have plenty of options to choose from.

Things that you need to be aware of, is size VS capacity. Meaning, are you looking for the ultimate in concealability? If so, it may come at the cost of higher capacity.

This isn’t as true as it once was, considering that some guns, like the SIG P365 have a capacity of a much bigger gun in such a small package. Still, the largest 365 magazine holds 12 rounds of ammo.

No slouch by any stretch, but I have midsize guns that I can conceal on my body that hold 16 rounds. If we’re going at it from a capacity-only standpoint, the 16 round gun that I can still conceal is the best bet.

To start, I believe that it’s better to learn how to shoot a handgun that’s a bit bigger in terms of grip size. The reason why I say that, is because it offers you more to hold on to when you’re learning how to handle the recoil.

Because of this, I’d say that you would want a Glock 19-sized gun. It’s something that offers you up great capacity along with giving you the controllability of having a larger grip to hold on to. Other guns in this size category are the FN 509 Midsize, the SIG Sauer P320, and the S&W M&P9 2.0.

If you’re looking for something smaller than that that will conceal on your body way better than a full size handgun will, there are also plenty of options for this, as well.

Some of the best out there are the SIG P365, the Glock 43, S&W Shield.

Of course, there are plenty of other options that offer up great performance, like those guns from Walther and others. For a full list of what I consider to be the best 9mm handguns, push on that link. It gives an in depth resource, that shows revolvers, 1911s, striker/polymer guns, etc.

What is your price range

Don’t let anyone tell you that you must spend at least $400 to get a decent gun. That’s just not the case. There are plenty of firearms on the market that cost less than that and are good to go in terms of reliability and performance.

Take the Mossberg MC1SC for example. This new to market concealed carry gun can be found for under $350 and is a great little piece.

Know what your price is, and then realize that you will spend more than that so you may need to lower your price a bit. What do I mean?

I mean you can’t just stop at the gun itself. Here’s the deal — You have to actually shoot your new gun to become proficient with it. This means you have to buy ammunition for it to shoot it. You will also need a holster, cleaning gear, a case if it doesn’t come with one, targets, and that’s just the stuff you need to get going.

At some point, you should seriously consider taking a class beyond your initial class you needed to get your permit/license if your state requires it.

Because, believe it or not, there is more to carrying concealed than just shooting at a static, non-moving paper or steel target.

So, back to the gun and the price of the other stuff, you have to budget in for the other goodies you need to get going. You won’t just need one box of ammo. Because, as you’ll soon find out, you’ll make the realization that you can burn through a box of ammo in 20 minutes.

In addition to your target ammo, which I recommend at least 150 rounds to help you break in and get used to shooting the gun, you also need about 60 hollow points for self-defense carry–if that’s the purpose of the gun. See above for more information.

Why do you need 60 hollow points if your magazines (or cylinders) only hold a fraction of that ammo?

Because, you need to shoot that ammo through your gun at the range, too, silly.

Why? Because it’s all about performance. It’s all about self-defense. It’s all about saving your life should the need arise, and you need to make sure your chosen self-defense ammo works in your gun.

I have a friend who carried a small pocket pistol around chambered in .380 ACP. Those little guns can be finicky with the ammo they like, and this one was no different.

He was told the LIE that you buy two different kinds of ammo. One of them is for self-defense, the other is for target/range practice.

One day he tried to shoot his hollow points because he was told that he should cycle his ammo every so often. After carrying the same ammo for over a year, he found out that it shot the first round and failed to feed on the second.

Working in Philly, can you imagine having to use your gun only to have it malfunction because you were too cheap to shoot your hollow point ammo?

I, personally, don’t carry a gun unless I have 200 rounds through it with both target and my chosen self-defense ammo (combined) to make sure it works.

Go to the store

One of the last things you’d ever want to do is buy a gun without at least getting it in your hands first. Buying a gun online and having it shipped to your FFL for the transfer is something that’s totally fine. But, and this is huge, you need to get your hands on that gun before you buy.

This means you need to go to the gun store and feel each gun on your researched list.

Ideally, you can rent the gun out to put some rounds downrange for a while, getting a feel for it and taking note of what you do/don’t like about each one.

Things you need to pay attention to, is can you rack the slide to chamber a round? Is the gun easy to take apart (ask a sales rep for help, don’t just take them apart)? How does the trigger feel? Can you reach the magazine release and slide stop?

These are all things you need to be aware of before you buy a gun.

I’ve bought guns in the past that I should not have bought because I couldn’t hit the magazine release right. I have big, oddly shaped hands and I struggled with this for many years before I decided that I’d just buy a new gun with an easier to reach release.

Not having to re-adjust my grip after dropping the mag saves me time on getting back to target after the re-load.

It’s worth trying them all out. Try out each one on your pre-researched list in your price range.

And, don’t let anyone talk you into a specific gun. Remember above when I said that the guys at the gun store have one goal which is to make money?

That’s true, and they may try to sell you something they have right then and there, whether it’s a good fit for you or not. Not all gun store employees do this, but I’ve seen it enough times that I feel I should point it out.

What features will it have

When I say features, I’m talking about safeties, size, sights, trigger feel, etc. These are all things that can be either changed by buying aftermarket parts, or a different gun altogether.

Here’s my deal, I have never bought a gun and modified it if it was for something like concealed carry. If my life depends on something, why chance it? That’s my outlook, and I recommend you do the same.

I know guys who will buy a Glock 19 and upgrade the trigger, sights, stipple the grip, compensate the barrel, etc., when they should have been buying ammo to learn how to actually shoot.

So now, these guys have an expensive paperweight because they have no idea what they’re doing, and a trigger job gone wrong could cost you your life in a negligent discharge.

It happens way more often than it should.

Buy a gun, keep it the way it is, meaning buy it the way you want it, and then learn how to shoot it. Just like adding a supercharger to your Camaro won’t make you faster if you can’t drive, all the upgrades in the world won’t make you a better shooter if you can’t actually shoot.

My point is to buy your gun the way you want it because you’ve already gone to the gun store/gun range to try it out. You should know what you like at this point because you’ve done your research.

The gun manufacturers already have the gun worked out. They built it. I, personally, trust them more than I do myself to know what belongs on that gun.

Conclusion

Is there anything I’ve missed when it comes to buying a new gun? If so, let us know in the comments below.

What is Rifle Barrel Free Bore

March 18, 2019 By GunnersDen 1 Comment

Rifle Barrel Free-Bore: What Is Free Bore:

Free bore (aka: leade) is just that, it is the area ahead of the bullet ogive (throat) in a rifle barrel to which there is no rifling lands, once the cartridge is fired the bullet travels freely in the barrel until the bullets ogive contacts the lands of the rifling, hence free bore. The leade angle is the angle cut by a chambering reamer on the very end of the rifling lands. This allows the bullet to begin its engraving into the lands on a relatively gentle angle.

All centerfire rifles have a free-bore area and handloaders can take advantage of this with prudent reloading skills.

Why Add More Free Bore:

The case for free boring is made this way, if you have a bullet seated deeply in a rifle cartridge case, the bullet is actually decreasing case capacity which in turn lowers the over all velocity of that particular bullet and cartridge case loading.

By adding more free bore, the bullet is then able to be seated out further, increasing the case capacity which in turns allows you to add more powder to the case and thus an increase in velocity, usually quite a substantial increase in velocity at that.
Also See: (Bullet Seating).

How Much Can It Help:

Usually increases are substantial to the point of standard calibers will be within reach of magnum velocities and magnum cartridges really get to actually earn the name magnum.

Actual Example:

A 26″ barreled 300 Winchester magnum firing a factory 180 grain bullet chronographed 2,950 feet per second, after free boring allowing that same bullet to be seated all the way out to where the base of the bullet is even with the bottom of the case neck and more powder added to equal same pressure level as factory levels, the round chronographed at 3,250 feet per second.

Important Points To Consider Before Free Boring:

To gain the full potential of adding more free bore to your rifle there are several issues that you must consider before the process.

1. You must handload your own ammunition.
2. Do you want to limit bullet weights in this rifle for optimum accuracy.
3. Will the magazine box in this rifle have to be altered to handle the longer ammo.
4. Will the increase in velocity that you gain in this process substantiate all the above.

Commercial Version:

All custom Weatherby rifle cartridge chamberings should be free-bored, rifles manufactured by Weatherby for Weatherby cartridges are free-bored, as this is how they achieved higher velocities years ago. Clymer reamers carry a full line of throating reamers.

This job best left to a qualified gunsmith.

Learn about rifle scopes, here.

Scope Mounting: How to Mount a Rifle Scope

March 17, 2019 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Remington 700 in .308 with custom shortened barrel. Photo: Terry Nelson

Rifle Scope Mounting:

How to mount a rifle scope —

We will start from scratch here. A brand new remington 700 bolt action rifle, two piece windage adjustable scope bases, scope rings and a Leupold 3-9 scope–a fairly common hunting rig. Now let’s mount the scope on the rifle the right way to achieve the rifle’s full accuracy potential.

If you follow this rifle-scope mounting procedure exactly it will be impossible to cant the rifle scope therefore adding the potential for better rifle accuracy.

1. Mount the rifle in a padded vise as far away from a wall opposing the muzzle end of the rifle, the farther away the better.

2. Attach the scope mount base to the rifle securely.

3. Now take a level and lay it on the base horizontal to the rifle bore. Level the rig out in the vise and lock it down.
(See Image Below)

4. Attach the scope rings, make sure the scope will lay down into the rings without them moving when you go to tighten the scope into the rings.

5. Now take the scope and put it between 2 v blocks and spin the scope watching the crosshairs for wobble, adjust the scope to insure there is no wobble in the crosshairs, this is critical to your long range rifle accuracy.

6. Check to make sure that your rig is still level in the vise and then set the scope in the rings.

7. On the opposing wall away from the rifle muzzle draw a vertical and horizontal line, again using a level to insure that the line is plumb vertically and level horizontally. It should look like a plus sign.
(See Image Below)

8. Remove the bolt from the rifle, looking through the rifle’s bore, center the plus sign in it. If you can’t remove the bolt use a laser chamber bore sight only.

9. Do not use the windage screws on the scope for this procedure. Align the vertical post in the scope with the vertical line on the wall using only the windage screws on the scope base and tighten down the scope rings, make sure that all stay level and plumb vertically and horizontally.

10. If you have done everything correctly, you have just mounted the scope to all the exact tolerances that have been machined into all the scope mount components. Everything is to its true and exact mechanical center point. Your rifle’s scope is now properly mounted and is range ready for an Accurate Sight-In.

Measuring Mounted Rifle Scope Height:

A good stainless steel 6″ dial caliper will deliver unfailing .001″ accuracy for checking outside and height measurements and is the precise tool needed for this job.

Note: This works for almost all rifles regardless of action type.

Step 1. Measure the rifle barrel diameter where it attaches to the rifles action under the scope and divide it in half.

Step 2. Measure the scope diameter directly over-top of where you got barrel diameter measurement and divide it in half.

Step 3. Measure the distance from the top of the rifle barrel to the bottom of the scope on the rifle where you measured both diameters.

Step 4. Add the numbers in steps 1-3 — Step 1. + Step 2. + Step 3. = Step 5.

Step 5. The answer is rifle bore centerline to scope centerline distance or “Scope Mount Height.”

How to, And What Distance Should Be Used to pattern a Shotgun?

March 12, 2019 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Choke is very roughly determined by shotgun manufacturers for all standard bore 10 gauge, 12 gauge, 16 gauge and 20 gauge shotguns by their pattern or the amount of shot they deliver within a 30″ diameter circle at 40 yards.

Perhaps one of the most critical parts of shooting an imparticular load of shot out of your your shotgun at a patterning board is the fact you will also know its exact point of impact with your imparticular sight picture. You can have an excellent shot pattern but if it is not where your aiming then its not worth very much from a hunters or shooters perspective. Shot patterns are only part of the overall performance of a shotgun when shot patterning.

To properly pattern test a shotgun, an exact aiming point is needed for pattern testing a shotgun and there are three very distinctive points of aim for the shotgun. I can not express this enough as this is so critical, you need that pattern exactly where you are aiming your shotgun. The very idea of patterning a shotgun is to make better use of a usable shot pattern and a usable shot pattern is where you are aiming your shotgun for the shot impact zone, on center and on target.

To correctly aim your shotgun you also have to understand that a shotgun has a sight on it, the same as any firearm, front sight is the bead at the top front of your shotgun barrel. The back sight is the top center of either a flat rib or grooved rear receiver of the shotgun. Correct sighting will show that the bottom of the bead front sight just touching the flat area of the receiver or rib, anymore than this either way and you will shoot high or low. The top of the bead is the center of the shot impact point.

Various older fixed choke shotguns and some newer ones may have a variation in hitting higher or lower than point of aim, this is common, as the shotgun may have been set up by the manufacturer for a specific purpose at a different yardage.

How Choke Is Determined By Patterning:

Choke is roughly determined for all shotguns by the amount or percentage of shot it delivers within a 30″ circle at 40 yards.
Cylinder bore will deliver 40 percent of its shot load within a 30 inch circle at 40 yards.
Improved cylinder choke will deliver 50 percent of its shot load within a 30 inch circle at 40 yards.
Modified choke will deliver 60 percent of its shot load within a 30 inch circle at 40 yards.
Full choke will deliver 70 percent of its shot load within a 30 inch circle at 40 yards.

Portable Patterning Board Set-Up:

1. You will have to make a patterning board that is portable as most shooters use public ranges and some ranges will have patterning boards for shotgunners most will not. Making an easel type patterning board is fast, easy and effective.

Building Easel Type Patterning Board, How To:

First, purchase 1 = 4’x8’x1/2″ plywood.
Second, purchase 2 sets of hinges, 4 hinges total.
Third, purchase 32 = 1/2″ wood screws for hinges.
Fourth, purchase short piece of rope around 3′ length.
Construction, cut plywood in half so that you have 2 = 4’x4′ pieces, attach hinges to your two halves of plywood so that your easel will fold flat for transportation, while its folded flat, drill a hole through both halves center and bottom of easel, run rope through the holes, tie a knot on one end of the rope, slowly open easel until your satisfied with its stability, tie another knot so that the easel opens the same every time, you are now done and ready for pattern testing.

Making Patterning Board Targets:

For a more accurate sight picture place a large plus sign centered on your patterning paper for your aiming point, also mark target top as top for analyzing later with correct target orientation.

How To Pattern Test:

3. Place your patterning board and patterning target set-up at the distance you intend to pattern your shotgun, be sure that your down-range area is clear and safe to shoot. Wear ear and eye protection while shooting.

4. Go to your shooting position, load your shotgun with one shell at a time as you will need to shoot at least 3 different targets for pattern average and you don’t want to be down range with live ammo in your shotgun back at your shooting station.

5. Line up your sights correctly and fire one accurate round. Clear your spent shotshell cartridge case, leave your gun action open and go down range and remove your target and put up a new fresh target. Repeat this procedure for at least three rounds of ammo.

If you are going to try several brands of ammo or different shotshell pellet loads, fire three rounds of each, after each three clean the barrel to remove any plastic fouling that may be in your barrel and choke so you have a good control test of each variation.

6. After you have completed your range session its time now to analyze the results, using a piece of string, a ruler and a pencil draw a 30″ circle around the densest part of the pattern on each target. Orient all the targets as they were shot, this should be easy as when you made your targets you marked all of them as to top earlier.

Analysis:

1. For point of impact results, compare the center of the plus sign you had placed on target earlier with the actual center of the pattern you shot. Determine the differences in elevation and windage. Now you know where your shotgun is putting all that shot after it leaves the barrel, very good thing to know.
A. If there is a difference in elevation that is not to surprising, as all shot does drop over distance, this is common though, as the shotgun may have been set up by the manufacturer for a specific yardage.
B. For shot impact zones that show some slight variation in windage, left or right impacts, shot can be moved by strong winds, especially crosswinds. If this was not the case you can have slight variations in windage impacts, if it is very much you may want to consider taking your shotgun to a gunsmith for a professional analysis.

2. For pattern percentage results or choke proofing, count all the pellet holes inside your 30 inch circle. Now you need to know how many shot pellets were in the shotshell you used, try here first.
Simply cut open one of the shells you have left and count the pellets.

Divide the pellet hits in your 30 inch circle by the total pellets in the shotshell that you were using and this gives you your pattern percentage for the choke you used. Do this with all your targets add the aggregate for overall average.

Choke Determination:

Idealistically, we are looking for shot and choke combinations that produce the following results when patterning.

Extra full choke delivers a 30 inch, 70% pattern at 45 yards.
Full choke delivers a 30 inch, 70% pattern at 40 yards.
Modified choke delivers a 30 inch, 70% pattern at 35 yards.
Improved cylinder choke delivers a 30 inch, 70% pattern at 30 yards.
Cylinder bore delivers a 30 inch, 70% pattern at 25 yards.

Shot Pattern Analysis:

Cylinder bore = 40 percent.
Improved cylinder choke = 50 percent.
Modified choke = 60 percent.
Full choke = 70 percent.

While this tells what choke you have, the really big question of, how efficient is the choke and is there a problem inside of the barrel, remains.

Using A Lockhart Pattern Gauge:

Our first 30 inch circular gauge seen below can be made from a piece of Plexiglass that is 30 inches x 30 inches square. This will give you your choke rating and to help identify problems within the barrel and choke, just simply lay the gauge on your already shot pattern targets for analysis.

Determining The Choke:

In a 30 inch diameter circle there are 706.50 square inches of area that needs filled evenly with a small amount of shot, by breaking this area down into 2 even areas we find that inside that 30″ diameter circle is another circle that is 21.21″ in diameter both having equal area at 353.25 square inches each.

This means if you were using a 1 1/8 ounce load of #6 lead shot which has approximately 253 pellets or pieces of shot, to shoot a true 100% full choke pattern it would deliver 175 pellets spaced out at one piece of shot every 4.037 square inches.

Full Choke:

1 1/8 ounce load of #6 lead shot = 253 pellets, 70% = 175 pellets, 4.037 square inches, (4.037 sq. in. = 2.009 in. x 2.009 in). Make A Score Card For Lockhart Pattern Gauge:

Just count the shot pellets in each numbered and lettered section of the gauge and enter that number of shot on score sheet.

Column-1	.	Column-2	.	.
1-A	+	1-C	=	?
2-A	+	2-C	=	?
3-A	+	3-C	=	?
4-A	+	4-C	=	?
1-B	+	1-D	=	?
2-B	+	2-D	=	?
3-B	+	3-D	=	?
4-B	+	4-D	=	?
?	+	?	=	Choke

The Analysis:

Column 1 represents the core of the pattern its area is 353.25 square inches.

Column 2 represents the outer ring of our 30 inch diameter circle its area is 353.25 square inches.

Example: Column 1 (100) + Column 2 (75) = total number of shot within the 30 inch diameter circle. 175 total = Full Choke

Assigning A Percentage Value To Each Piece Of Shot:

175 pieces of shot = 100 % of the pattern so each piece of shot is assigned a value of .57 %.
Column 1 = 100 pieces of shot x .57 = 57%.
Column 2 = 75 pieces of shot x .57 = 43%
In this example our full choke has a 57/43 rating.

Identifying Bore And Choke Defects:

Make another score card for Lockhart Pattern Gauge and count the shot pellets in each numbered and lettered section of the gauge and enter that number of shot on score sheet.

1-A + 1-C	=	?	?	=	1-B + 1-D
2-A + 2-C	=	?	?	=	2-B + 2-D
3-A + 3-C	=	?	?	=	3-B + 3-D
4-A + 4-C	=	?	?	=	4-B + 4-D

If you look at the pattern gauge you will notice that each pie shaped piece is numbered and lettered to reference opposing sections of the shotgun barrel. The reason for this is for each defect in the barrel, it will affect that same area on the pattern and the opposing side of the pattern.

Example: We’ll say that the numbers are fairly even in sector 2, 3 and 4 but in sector 1-A and 1-C the shot count is a lot higher and in sector 1-B and 1-D the shot count is a lot lower. The reason why this happens is because somewhere in the barrel or choke there is a defect that disrupted the shot from one side to the other such as a dent or rust cavity and even new barrels will show where something has been attached to the barrel using heat and causing ripples in the barrel such as ribs and barrel lugs.

Choke Overall Effectiveness:

The below gauge is made to indicate the overall performance of the choke remember we are working with a 30 inch diameter circle or pattern of which the area is 706.50 square inches.

These gauges are made to each shot size, load size and choke configuration, the one below is for our full choke 1 1/8 ounce load of number 6 shot, each square area is 4.037 square inches or 2.009 inches x 2.009 inches.

Once again we are dealing with 175 pieces of shot so our percentage value is .57% for each square area, by simply laying this gauge over the pattern paper you count all the square areas that have no shot in them and multiply by .57%, subtract that number from 100% and this gives you your overall choke effectiveness.

Example:

We’ll say that there are 40 empty spaces, multiply 40 x .57 = 22.8 %, subtract 22.8 from 100 = 77.2 % effective.

The Final Analysis:

Our final analysis for this example is, we have a full choke pattern that is 77.2 % effective. Pattern density is 57 % inner half x 43 % outer half of the total square area of a 30 inch diameter pattern.

Pattern density would be little weak for turkey hunting, and for pheasant and upland use, it is to unbalanced with 50% x 50% as our goal for ideal.

This method was developed by Kim Lockhart, the former owner of this website, before he passed away.

How to Make Gunpowder [Blackpowder] For Your Muzzle Loader

March 7, 2019 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

How to Make High Quality Black Powder:

Mixing proportions by weight are 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Potassium nitrate, sulfur, and carbon react together to form nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases, these expanding gases provide the propelling action for projectiles.

Did you know that brown charcoal makes the best black powder and that you can buy books on how to make your own high quality black powder propellant with easy to do step by step instructions.
The Do-It-Yourself Gunpowder Cookbook.

Charcoal:

Charcoal is the fuel used in the making of black powder, it’s portion of the mix is 15% by weight. To make a good black powder you have to use a good charcoal. There are differences in wood types and charring temperatures to produce good charcoal.

Charcoal / Wood Selection:

Below you will see a list of wood types, these are listed numerically as to the quality of black powder they will produce when charred properly.

(1) Willow
(2) Birch
(3) Fir
(4) Oak
(5) Beech
(6) Ash

Note: All the above wood types listed, when charred properly and then used as a fuel for black powder will produce an excellent quality black powder.

Charcoal / Charring Time:

The charring time has little influence on the carbon concentration of charcoal.

Charcoal / Charring Temperature:

The charring temperature is very important to the carbon concentration of charcoal. For black powder purposes wood should not be charred at more than 800°F. Charred at higher temperatures it looses flammability. Charcoals like those used for barbecuing are not suitable for making black powder.

Most of the charcoals that are used for the making of black powder are charred at 750 °F. Brown charcoal, looks brownish in color is charred between 500°F and 700°F, it’s very flammable and excellent for making black powder.

How To Make Charcoal:

Charcoal is made by charring wood in the absence of air. To make a high quality charcoal you need to do the following;

Wood Preparation:

(1) use only well dried young branches,
(2) approximately 2 inches in diameter,
(3) remove all of the bark.

Wood Container:

Just about any pot with a tight fitting lid can be used.

Heat Source:

There are more scientific ways of doing this but this will work quite well. Build a moderate fire outside.

Charring Process:

Fill your pot with pieces of wood, close the pot with the lid and put it on your fire. Soon afterward you will see smoke and wood gases escaping from under the lid which catch fire and burn with a yellow flame. Keep your fire going and turn your pot occasionally so the wood pieces are equally heated. As soon as the flame of the wood gases escaping your pot quit burning, take the pot from the fire and let it cool without opening the lid. Once cool enough to handle easily, you should now have charcoal.

All About Rifle Reloading Bullets

January 10, 2019 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Centerfire Rifle Cartridge Reloading Bullet Selection:

Rifle bullets have to form a seal with the rifle’s bore. If a strong seal is not achieved, expanding gasses from the ignited powder charge leaks past the bullet, thereby reducing efficiency and accuracy. The bullet must also engage the rifling without excessively fouling the rifle’s bore, and without damaging the bullet, which will also reduce accuracy.

The leade angle is the angle cut by a chambering reamer on the very end of the rifling lands. This allows the bullet to begin its engraving into the lands on a relatively gentle angle.

Rifle bullet caliber is the outside diameter of a bullet that fits the maximum inside diameter of a rifles rifled bore in the rifling grooves, expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction.

–.17″ – .20″ – .22″ – .24″ – .25″ – .26″ – .27″
–.28″ – .30″ – .31″ – .32″ – .33″ – .35″ – .37″
–.41″ – .43″ – .45″ & .51″

Here is an in depth Rifle Ballistics Chart for all mentioned calibers.

The interaction between rifle bullet and rifled bore are termed as internal ballistics. The action of the bullet once leaving the rifle barrel is usually referred to as external ballistics.

Bullet Sectional Density:

Bullet sectional density is a mathematical factor expressing the relationship between the weight of the bullet and its cross-sectional area. Sectional density describes a bullet’s length as to its diameter, the higher the number, the longer the bullet. Generally speaking, longer bullet’s of a given diameter (high S.D.) will penetrate deeper than will shorter bullet’s of the same given diameter (low S.D.).

Bullet Ballistic Coefficient:

A ballistic coefficient is the measure of a bullet’s relative ability to overcome air resistance. Each bullet is assigned a numerical value expressing this efficiency. Ballistic coefficient calculations combine both bullet shape and sectional density factors. Higher B.C.s mean flatter trajectories and higher retained energy down-range.

Rifle Cartridge Bullet Reloading:

Today, bullet selection is excellent for reloaders who have or train with a wide diverse rifle shooting battery, varmint rifles, sporting rifles, tactical rifles, big game rifles and target rifles each of which require top notch accuracy and superb bullet performance.

Bullet Selection:

1. Bullet selection determined by rifling twist rate for proper bullet spin. A good rule of thumb is that the heavier and longer a bullet is, the faster the twist rate needs to be to stabilize the bullet in flight, therefore a lighter shorter bullet needs a slower twist rate to give proper bullet spin for correct flight.

2. Bullet selection determined by bullet construction. Today, bullet manufacturers to stay on top of what the shooting public wants, offer bullets with different construction for different uses. A good example of this is the Hornady bullet line up which offers their V-MAX for varmints, SST for deer and larger game animals and the A-MAX for target work all of which are very accurate with high ballistic coeffecients.

Bullet Precision:

How does anyone really know how precise a bullet is? Well short of x-raying the bullet or using a juenke machine you don’t, but you can sort out most bad bullets by weighing them on a very accurate scale.

While bullet manufacturers are very close today of creating perfect precise bullets the occasional bad bullet can be sorted out. Many reloaders still overlook the reloading value of using scales for their accuracy and ease of use for bullet sorting.

When weighing bullets separate them in increments of 1/10 of a grain. The reason for doing this is that the bullets components when assembled can create slight air pockets or antimony differences depending on the bullets construction which will change the bullets overall weight.

Bullet Seating Depth:

Bullet seating depth has a great impact on rifle accuracy, which directly affects maximum cartridge overall length. The bullet seating depth for each individual rifle free-bore area and bullet varies and should be set accordingly.

NOTE; Caution: Do not use this procedure for rifles chambered for weatherby cartridges as these rifles have extremely long throats or free-bore cut into the rifles bore.

Step 1. Insert a bullet into the neck of a unprimed resized case. Do not fully seat the bullet but seat it deep enough that it is gripped fully by the cartridge neck.

Step 2. Using a black magic marker or dykem steel layout blue, color the entire bullet.

Step 3. Insert the case and bullet into the chamber of the firearm and gently start to close the action. Stop as soon as you feel resistance.

Step 4. Remove the cartridge from the chamber, now look at the bullet, it should have well defined marks where the bullet contacted the rifling in the barrel.

Step 5. Continue seating the bullet deeper and chambering the cartridge until you only feel a slight amount of resistance when the bolt is closed completely. There should only be marks left on the bullet from the lands of the barrel.

Step 6. Now take another resized casing and with your bullet seating die set, repeat seating another bullet in the cartridge case to verify that this is your maximum cartridge overall length.

(NOTE) Never start working up a load with a bullet set against the lands in the barrel as this will sky rocket your load pressures.

Step 7. Shorten your cartridge maximum length by .06250″ or 1/16″ this is where you want to start to tune your load for seating depth.

(NOTE) Best overall accuracy, velocity, pressure uniformity and overall bullet performance will usually be obtained with most bullets seated from the barrels lands between .062″ – .005″.

Checking Accuracy:

Once you have loaded a round of ammunition for your rifle there is one final step that you can take that helps eliminate fliers before you go to the rifle range and that is checking bullet run-out.

Bullet Run-Out:

Checking bullet run-out is nothing more than gauging the accuracy of the bullets alignment with the cartridge case. It is this one simple task that can make or break 1 inch groups or tiny 1 hole groups.

Learn more about bullet run-out here.

RCBS CaseMaster® Gauging Tool:

This tool is simplistic in design and easy to use and a must for diagnosing cartridge problems that are not readily seen by the human eye. How the complete cartridge fits in the chamber and throat of the rifle barrel directly affects accuracy. The RCBS CaseMaster® Gauging Tool, measures case neck concentricity, case neck thickness, case length and bullet runout.

Have any interest in rimfire rifle ballistics?

Gun Dealer’s License

November 18, 2018 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Zoning: The first step in applying for a federal firearms license is you should check your location to see if there are any zoning laws that apply to your new gun business.

Federal Firearms License Type: The second step is you must determine the type of federal firearms license that will fit your gun business model or profile.

Type 01: DEALER in firearms other than destructive devices. (includes: rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, gunsmith activities, and National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons.) 18 U.S.C 923(a)(3)(B)
Fee: $200.00 for the first three (3) years. $90.00 on renewal.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 02: PAWNBROKER in firearms other than destructive devices. (includes: rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, gunsmith activities, and National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons.) 18 U.S.C 923(a)(3)(B)
Fee: $200.00 for the first three (3) years. $90.00 on renewal.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 03: COLLECTOR OF CURIOS AND RELICS. (pertains exclusively to firearms classified as curios and relics, and it’s purpose is to facilitate a personal collection. It is NOT a license to buy and sell curios and relics. 18 U.S.C 923(b)
Fee: $30.00 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 CR (5310.16)

Type 06: MANUFACTURER OF AMMUNITION FOR FIREARMS other than ammunition for destructive devices or armor piercing ammunition. 18 U.S.C 923(a)(1)(C)
Fee: $30.00 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 07: MANUFACTURER OF FIREARMS other than destructive devices. 18 U.S.C 923(a)(1)(B)
Fee: $150 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 08: IMPORTER OF FIREARMS other than destructive devices or AMMUNITION FOR FIREARMS other than destructive devices, or ammunition other than armor piercing ammunition.
NOTE: Importers of handguns and rifles MUST register with ATF under the provisions of the Arms Export Control Act. Contact the Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch at (202) 927-8320 for further information on registration. 18 U.S.C 923(a)(2)(B)
Fee: $150.00 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 09: DEALER IN DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES. 18 U.S.C 923(a)(3)(A)
Fee: $3,000.00 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 10: MANUFACTURER OF DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AMMUNITION FOR DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES OR ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION. 18 U.S.C 923(a)(1)(A)
Fee: $3,000.00 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

Type 11: IMPORTER OF DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AMMUNITION FOR DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES OR ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION. 18 U.S.C 923(a)(2)(A)
Fee: $3,000.00 for three (3) years.
Application: ATF Form 7 (5310.12)

License Application: The above forms may be obtained from the Firearms and Explosives Licensing Center in Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 417-2750, or your local ATF office.

How does one get a license: Submit above ATF Form 7, Application for License, or ATF Form 7CR, Application for License (Collector of Curios or Relics), with the appropriate fee in accordance with the instructions on the form.
[18 U.S.C. 923, 27 CFR 178.44]

License Renewal: Renewal application’s are automatically mailed to you 60 days prior to your license expiring.
If you do not receive your renewal 30 days before your license expires, call the National Licensing Center in Atlanta, GA. Phone; 404-679-5040 to have one mailed to you.

Visit the ATF’s website for more and updated information.

Shotgun Bore Polishing

May 20, 2018 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Shotgun Bore Burnishing:

Actual gains in pattern density, evenness and point of impact consistency can be had cheaply by simply burnishing the shotguns bore, chamber and forcing cone. This applies to all shotgun bores other than chromed bores, all shotgun bores are polished but not burnished, burnishing removes all the scratches from shotgun bores left by polishing with abrasives.

This is very consistent and your first line of defense in greatly reducing moisture trapped in the bore of the shotgun which then starts the process of rust formation in the barrel.

Shotgun bore burnishing actually closes the pores in the gun metal and leaves the metal surface very slick, it will make almost any shotgun more consistent in patterning and point of impact.

Shotgun bore burnishing reduces substantially plastic fouling left in shotgun bores from plastic wads, which in turn reduces pattern consistency.

Burnishing is really simple to do, but, it is very time consuming, when done properly, it can be very rewarding in benefit of increased pattern density and consistency.

To Burnish A Shotgun Bore All You Need Is:

1. A 3/8″ or larger dowel rod the length of the shotgun barrel.

2. An electric drill.

3. 0000 steel wool.

Note: Steel wool coarser than 000 may actually scratch the bore.

How To Burnish:

1. Take the dowel rod and make a few nicks in the end that you will run through the bore just enough to grab the steel wool.

2. Wind the steel wool around the dowel rod like a q-tip just enough so that it will pass through the bore of barrel while being spun by the drill.

3. Next just chuck the rod in the drill and start burnishing.

4. Run the whole rod back and forth the entire bore for about an hour.

Note: The barrel will heat up during this process, so, care should be taken here.

Tip: If the shotguns bore is rough from rust, a little shot of wd-40 on the steel wool will help in removing it.

Result: I have used this method on all my shotguns and results are always the same, extremely bright bores and consistent shooters.

Shotgun Barrel Back Boring

Shotgun barrel back-boring is nothing more than the machining process of reaming or boring a shotgun barrel to a larger interior diameter.

This is usually done by a very knowledgeable gunsmith in the efforts to save a rusted shotgun barrel and usually is done as a few thousandths of an inch clean up pass through the barrel.

The barrel is then usually polished and burnished inside, restoring the barrels interior back to a usable state of condition do to boring. A back-bored shotgun barrel simply means that the bore has been altered to a larger inside diameter.

Back-boring of any particular gauge, does; beyond any doubt, add to more wider center mass and will help reduce the length of shot strings in shotguns and when done within reason it does not decrease the velocity of the shotshell load.

The reason that it does not decrease the velocity is, today’s plastic wads will expand a great deal to seal the bore of the shotgun and not allow gas to escape around the wad. No gas leak, no velocity lost.

As you open up the bore of a shotgun it takes less choke constriction to still get the same pattern as one with a standard bore. This is a big bonus to all that love to shoot trap and other sporting clay games because this puts more pellets into the center mass of the shot-string and over-all shortens the shot string reducing the time frame from first pellet strike to the last.

Choke constriction is measured in thousands of an inch plus or minus from the bore diameter to a designated choke size such as 12 gauge bore .729 full choke= .035″ constriction, modified choke – .019″ constriction or improved cylinder choke = .009″ constriction. Open up the bore then you open up the choke for the same choke result on a fixed choke shotgun.

If you do decide to do this. Make sure you send your barrel to someone that is experienced with this procedure and their level of finish work is excellent. This is by no means an easy process to get right. See diagram below for other issues to consider.

Read our in depth shotgun guide, next.

How to Sight In A Rifle

March 11, 2018 By GunnersDen Leave a Comment

Rifle Sights And Bullet Trajectory:

1. This first thing to know when sighting in a rifle is that all rifle sighting systems give you a point of aim on any target.
2. The second thing to know when sighting in a rifle is that all rifle sighting systems compensate bullet drop.
3. The third thing to know when sighting in a rifle is that a bullet constantly drops once leaving the rifle barrel, the arc that it drops in is the bullet trajectory.

Rifle Sight-In Procedure:

Step 1: Place your target at exactly 50 yards down-range, (quality rangefinders) offer a good quick reference if in doubt about distance from target, be sure that your down-range area is clear and safe to shoot. Wear ear and eye protection while shooting. Always use a target that you can clearly see with your sight system, preferably with 1″ graduation grid marks.

Step 2: Go to your shooting position, load your rifle with one shell at a time as you will need to shoot at least 3 rounds of ammunition for a group to assure everything is accurate and tight on the rifle. Line up your sights correctly and fire one accurate round. Clear your spent rifle cartridge case and wait approximately 1 minute to cool the rifle barrel. Repeat this procedure for three rounds of ammo.

Step 3: Make an exact measurement from the center of your group to the center of your target and make your windage and elevation adjustments accordingly, if you need to go left or right and you have windage adjustable scope bases, use the windage screws on the base, rule of thumb for windage adjustment, if your bullet impact is to the left side of target center loosen the right rear windage screw on the base and tighten the windage screw on the left rear side of the base.

Step 4: Fire three more rounds to confirm your setting, if all is well and you have centered your group move on to step 5. If you are not satisfied with the accuracy of your ammunition at this point go no further until you have the groups you are happy with.

Step 5: You have now established a 50 yard reference zero point, next you have to do bullet trajectory plotting to see if this zero point is what you want for a true rifle zero. Bullet trajectory plotting is nothing more than shooting at targets at various distances and recording the bullets impact at those distances.
Hunting Rifle Sight-In:
External Ballistics:
External ballistics pertains to bullet velocity, energy and trajectory down-range. Bullet trajectory is the flight path of the bullet relative to some known and fixed points.Bullet Trajectory And Sighting Plane:
1. Point blank range when sighting in a rifle is the first point at which the line of sight intersects with the bullets path in the bullet’ s trajectory.
2. Mid-range rise when sighting in a rifle is the highest point in the bullets trajectory between the point blank range and true zero.
3. True zero when sighting in a rifle is the second point at which the line of sight intersects with the bullets path in the bullets trajectory.
4. Maximum point blank range when sighting in a rifle is the height of the mid-range rise and the bullet drop beyond true zero, both are equal in measure.