Letter Re: Loading Your Own Ammunition

Dear Editor, I have some comments to follow up on the letter from Kent from Illinois. I specifically left out mentioning match primers, salvaging brass with swaged primer pockets, etc., as this article was on the basics, barely touching upon a few advanced techniques. As to touching the primers: My handloads suffered from maddening duds occasionally, until I tracked down the cause. An old timer told me about skin oils and primers. I, being a young know-it-all, could not find this old timer’s story mentioned anywhere (this was way before broad public use of the Internet), so I set off …


Economics and Investing:

Several readers mentioned this: Computer Glitch Blamed For Nationwide EBT System Shutdown On Saturday. The food handout computer system came back up late Saturday evening, but just imagine this happening in all 50 States and in all of the Territories for more than a week. When some people vote with their feet, it gets noticed: Billionaire Branson Leaves UK for Caribbean Tax Haven Items from The Economatrix: Nothing Left To Financially Lose: Biggest Drop In Confidence Since Lehman Brothers And Why Some Are Unmoved By Government Shutdown. Unemployment Claims Surge, Partly Due To Shutdown Lew: Benefits at risk without rise in …


Odds ‘n Sods:

There are some tasks here at the Rawles Ranch that are mundane but remarkably satisfying. For me, one of these is burning tree limb slash piles, which I do nearly every fall and spring. I usually try to position the piles over buried stumps, in the hope of burning up a stump in the process. But accomplishing that usually requires adding more wood and days of subsequent fire tending. (Depending on the size of the stump.) I’ve found that this process is a great excuse to burn up a few pieces of bucked firewood that have such thoroughly twisted grain …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Being Prepared, Even On A Routine Mission, by J.W.

One day, last year, I found myself in a pretty serious situation that tested my nerves and my luck. It happened on the C&O canal in Maryland. The canal runs 184.5 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland. Living just across the Potomac in McLean, Virginia, I made it my custom to ride my mountain bike on the canal every chance I got. It was and still is my favorite ride of all time. I would enter the trail at the 12.6 mile mark across the street from the Old Angler’s Inn near Carderock, Maryland. where there was ample parking …


Economics and Investing:

Jim Grant: America’s default on its debt is inevitable National Pravda Radio (NPR) recently produced an infographic showing Everyone The U.S. Government Owes Money To, In One Graph. Laughably, it shows the 2.1 Trillion owed to the Federal Reserve shaded in blue as debt held by “Federal Government.” I have a news flash for them: The Federal Reserve is no more “Federal” than Federal Express. It is a private banking cartel that was given a monopoly when it was created a century ago. So for Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson to suggest the Fed “cancel” its Treasury debt (as he recently …


Odds ‘n Sods:

California Governor Jerry Brown Vetoes Seven Gun Control Bills, Signs Seven Others. (Californians have until July of 2014 to get every 11+ round magazine “rebuild kit” that they own out of California, or face charges. There is no grandfather clause. This confusing legislation–part of which was dependent on enactment of another law that was not signed by Brown–is discussed at length at a CalGuns forum.)    o o o Just two days remaining! Until October 15th, the SurvivalBlog 2005-2012 Archive DVD is sale priced at just $11.99.    o o o Emily Miller: Smoking gun exposed- D.C. police chief covers …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Delivered to Safety, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

I have delivered my sheep to safety, and you may soon be called on to do the same. Almost five years ago we started our own little flock of Katahdin sheep in order to be able to raise our own healthy, drug-free organic meat. Through the years we had 23 lambs, two rams, and many tough times (lambing in winter) as well as hilarious, joyful times (lambs frolicking and snuggling). We had read that in large flocks sheep have a mob mentality, but we discovered that one-on-one sheep had their own personalities and were much more complex than we ever …


Letter Re: Woodstove Chimney-Mounted Ovens

JWR, I don’t know about the Baker’s Salute Oven (that another reader asked about), but there is a man in Springville, Utah that makes a similar one that can be mounted on a wood burning stove or on a expedition tent stove.  They are much less expensive as he makes them from repurposed propane cylinders and they are called Grover Chimney Ovens.   They cost $205 instead of $539 like the Bake’s Salute Oven but they are not as large inside.   They are a double-walled oven, so the heated gases from the chimney stack surround the oven itself.  I am not …


Economics and Investing:

The Dread Pirate’s Cash Stash is Still Safe U.S., Switzerland Export Largest Ever Amounts Of Gold To Hong Kong And Investors Should Take Note G.G. suggested this piece: What’s happening in the Treasury bill market today should terrify you Items from The Economatrix: The “D.” Word, again: Boehner says U.S. on path to default if Obama won’t negotiate Governments Will Start Panicking As Chaos & Crisis Accelerates Peter Schiff Warns Yellen’s Nomination Means Any QE Taper Expectations Are “Delusional” Obama Offers Two Choices: Unconditional Surrender Or Default


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jan S. forwarded novelist Matt Bracken’s mention of a upcoming fit of generosity: “‘I’m going to put each of my Enemies trilogy novels into the Amazon Kindle free download deal, starting with Enemies Foreign And Domestic next Monday, October 14. Then Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista on Monday the 21st, and Foreign Enemies And Traitors on October 28th.” For anyone who has not yet read Matt’s novels, I highly recommend them! Jan S. notes: “You can download the Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac free to your computer, even if you don’t have a Kindle reader.” Mark your calendars, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry, Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide, Take not thy thunder from us, But take away our pride. From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen, From all the easy speeches That comfort cruel men, From sale and profanation Of honor, and the sword, From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord! Tie in a living tether The prince and priest and thrall, Bind all our lives together, Smite us and …