Category: Target Shooting & Marksmanship

Rock River Arms LAR-BT3 in 6.5 Creedmoor, by Thomas Christianson

The Rock River Arms LAR-BT3 in 6.5 Creedmoor provides an accurate, well-crafted, and robust firearm with moderate recoil and a generous magazine capacity chambered for a versatile and highly effective cartridge. If you are looking for a semi-automatic rifle with more power than one chambered in 5.56 NATO, less recoil than one chambered in .308 Winchester, and a magazine capacity greater than 10 rounds, the LAR-BT3 in 6.5 Creedmoor might just hit the sweet spot for you.


Benelli Nova Pump Shotgun in 20 Gauge, by Thomas Christianson

The Benelli Nova and Supernova series of pump shotguns utilize steel-reinforced polymer receivers. This makes the guns strong, durable, and weather-resistant. Polymer-framed handguns are as common as flags on the Fourth of July. Polymer-framed shotguns are much less common. After testing the Benelli Nova Pump Shotgun in 20 Gauge, I am surprised that this is the case. I was highly impressed with its balance, fit and finish, and silky smooth operation. I am surprised that the Nova has not carved out a commanding share of the shotgun market since its introduction in the mid-1990s in the way that Glock has …


Prepper Group Training: Indigenous Guerrilla Teams – Part 2, by Bulldog

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) The Challenge To understand why I feel we are lacking in our preparation of these men and women, let us look at only one necessary skill set, team radio communications. Certainly we could agree that it represents one of the key core elements critically necessary to prepper and survivalist groups. Yet, in most cases it is overlooked or minimized by group leadership. Instead, we relegate programming to the “commo guy” and hope that after stuff hits the fan (SHTF), group members will somehow magically demonstrate more interest. Please understand that I am …


Prepper Group Training: Indigenous Guerrilla Teams – Part 1, by Bulldog

I would like to begin my topic by examining two concepts. I feel both ideas illustrate the hearts and souls of many men and women within today’s prepper and survivalist communities. The first one is an analogy. Its origins have most been often attributed to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Lt. Col. Grossman’s premise was that all people can be placed into one of three groups; “sheep, sheepdogs, or wolves.”


A Response to a Question on .45 LC in .410, by Tunnel Rabbit

If, in desperate times we need to take risks that would in normal times be unacceptable and possibly extra legal with the extraordinary circumstances.  Examining the limits of the risks that we would consider to be acceptable would be an individual’s judgment call.  Some of the contents of one of my recent articles is predicated on the situation when and where we might be faced with in a future dystopian world where we would be forced to hunt in order to supplement our limited food source to avoid starvation.  Some of the methods involving firearms are not now, or should …


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 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 …


G9 Defense 9mm EHP Ammo, by Thomas Christianson

G9 Defense 9mm External Hollow Point (EHP) Personal Defense Ammo offers a powerful self-defense round in a standard pressure loading (1480 FPS), or in a more powerful +P loading (1520 FPS). The flutes on the outside of the solid copper bullet create cavitation in liquids and soft tissue, thus transferring energy laterally upon impact. They do not create cavitation in solids, thus allowing the bullet to effectively penetrate barriers like drywall, glass, or sheet metal with minimal deflection or projectile deformation. At the time of this writing a 20-round box of either load cost $36.99 from www.g9defense.com . That is …


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 …