Category: Contest

A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 6, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) The AKM Rifle If the rifleman is not well trained or is in no way mechanically inclined, this my favorite rifle that I know very well and will use exclusively in extreme cold weather. It is a rifle I can recommend to any one who would not be able to maintain the AR-15 rifle or any rifle. It is representative of the Cold War weapons and mentality. Again, the military spends about a week to train new recruits about how to maintain the AR-15 platform. The AKM (a modernized, stamped receiver AK-47) …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4.) Barrel Length and Effectiveness The M4 Carbine with military 14.5-inch barrels and civilian 16-inch barrels were practical for the kind of police action tactics used in the Middle East where troops regularly deployed out of vehicles and in an environment where clearing buildings was necessary. And so their gear and weapons evolved to better suit those tactics. They did however discover that when in the open in the deserts of Iraq or shooting across canyons in Afghanistan their carbines were woefully inadequate. I will justify this opinion further and later in this article. The 20-inch barrel …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3.) Suggested Low-Cost Replacement Parts Here are some suggested low-cost spares/replacement parts, available from Palmetto Stae Armory  (PSA): PSA Classic Lower Parts Kit, FDE PSA AR-15 Bolt Carrier Group 5.56 Full-Auto Nitride MPI – 516446953 $69.99 Everything but the lower receiver and parts associated with the lower half that includes the butt stock: PSA AR-15 Upper 5.56 16″ Carbine-Lgth 1:7 M4 Nitride MOE w/ Rear MBUS, BCG, & Charging Handle, $319.99 This might be the lowest-cost way to acquire all the replacement parts without buying an entire rifle. This blemished build kit has everything except the lower …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) Slings Bottom line, a sling is a necessary part of the rifle. But it should be detachable, to suit particular situations. For those on a budget, Com-Bloc rifle sling will suffice. These are inexpensive, ruggedly built, and with the right swivels work on just about any rifle. If you can do better, then please do. But when building up an arsenal I would economize where possible so that the budget can buy more spare magazines, replacement parts, and ammo. Gucci is nice, but it saps precious funds away from more important items we might be willing …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) PM and the AR-15 Rifle: Failure is the Best Teacher As I’ve mentioned in a previous SurvivalBlog article, the first five ARs that I ever fired all failed. All five were in what appeared to be like new condition. Four of them failed due to a lack of lubrication. The fifth one was a new rifle that had yet to be test-fired. It turns out it was a home build that was sold through an FFL, a local retail store as if it was a factory build, yet the parts used were sub-standard and the builder …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

In this six-part article, I’ll be covering a few of the areas concerning the AR-15 that are often overlooked and do not receive enough attention. This is an attempt to bring some considerations to the attention of new shooters before it is too late to correct an oversight. While this article is decidedly AR-15 rifle-centric, there will be other rifle platforms and alternative ammunition types mentioned. Please be advised that I am not a trained professional and I have no formal weapons training or formal education of any kind and have never been in the military. I speak only as …


Chelation After a Nuclear Event, by S.F.

Editor’s Introductory Note: For those who are not familiar, there is this general background, from the Infogalactic Wiki: Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that involves the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. Chelation therapy has a long history of use in clinical toxicology[1] and remains in use for some very specific medical treatments, although it is administered under very careful medical supervision due to various inherent risks.[2] Chelation therapy must be administered with care as it has a number of possible side effects, including death.[3] In response to increasing use of chelation therapy as …


Preparedness Logistics – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

Labels, Markers, and Tags I purchased a label maker to help mark our shelves, totes and other containers.  I am sure we have all run into a situation where we could not read some else’s handwriting that was scribbled on a piece of duct tape that over the years faded. Printed labels avoid this.  I can pick different color labels and sizes of labels as well.  So, for totes I use larger labels but when I label a drawer on a “parts” organizer I use very small labels.   I also use the label maker to identify what food is in our buckets, how much …


Preparedness Logistics – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

The science and practice of logistics is often defined as getting the right stuff, in the right quantity, to the right place at the right time.  For those who are preparedness-minded, logistics takes on additional nuances.  Unlike those in business and industry, where orders for goods drives the logistics process, Preppers are preparing for threats that have no pre-determined date, have many unknown impacts including time to recovery (if ever), and spatial impact.  Whereas a car manufacturer, who has an order for 100 cars knows they need 400 tires (not including the little donut spare).  Preppers have no idea how much of a …


Some Emergency Animal Care Experiences, by Hollyberry

Let me start out right away by saying I have absolutely no veterinarian training or any training in animal first aid. I am just an average person who lives miles from the nearest vet and has had many animals….dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, and fowl. I have had many health or injury issues to attend to over the decades and this is just what worked for my husband and I and hopefully you will never need any of this information! I also want to state that I have not received any money or discounts for recommending a product. If you own …


Thoughts on Camp of the Saints, by SaraSue

The following are my thoughts on the novel Camp of the Saints. It was written by Jean Raspail, and published in 1973: I recently read the English translation of Camp of the Saints. It was horrifying, but a good study in how people act and respond in terrifying situations. I wonder if this book is banned for being “racist” in a lot of places or in people’s minds. It addresses that concept. Its main theme, in my mind, is the hypocrisy of the church, of those who want to “save humanity”, of the do-gooders, etc., and then, how they react …


Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 6, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) In the ballistic charts that follow, the best zero for each type of ammunition is determined and we can see how much to our advantage it is to determine the actual trajectory of the ammunition and find the zero that makes the best use of it’s flat trajectory. I used the JBM ballistics calculator and the manufacturers data to find out what the true maximum point black range is when using a 24 inch barrel. The following data (and much more) can also be found at the highly-recommended  JBM Ballistic Calculator website. …


Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4.) More on the 6.5 Creedmoor In its development, many aspects of the 6.5 Creedmoor were combined to produce a very accurate cartridge. The 6.5×55 barrel twist rate is 7.8:1 and the twist rate for most 6.5CM rifles during its introduction was 8:1. This is ideal for the heavier 140 to 160 grain 6.5mm projectiles that give both of these 6.5 cartridges very desirable ballistic properties and fine accuracy. The long bearing surface of heavy-for-caliber bullets impart stability inside the barrel and outside the barrel as yaw rates are lower and the bullet settles down and could …


Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3.) 7×57 Mauser Here is one good 7×57 Mauser load: Federal Power-Shok Jacketed Soft Point 175 Grain 7mm Mauser.  It has a muzzle velocity of 2,390 fps. 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser My preferred roundnose 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser load uses a Hornady 160 grain RN at 2,400 fps. Round nosed bullets are falling into disuse. I was only able to find one manufacturer offering loaded 6.5×55 round nosed soft point ammunition and it was at an excessively high price. Reloaders have either Hornady or Sierra RN bullets to choose from. I have plenty in stock. Brace for sticker shock …


Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) Two .30 Caliber Big Game Hunting Loads My bolt action rifles are in two separate groups, precision rifles, and hunting rifles. All of my 6.5mm rifles are precision rifles capable of extreme long-range shooting. They will be handled with care and not bumped around while hunting. They are too valuable because of what they can do. Of course, the ammunition they use can also be used on deer out to 300 yards, and elk in a pinch with well-placed shots inside of 200 yards, yet they are not suitable for bear and elk when the angle …