Category: Target Shooting & Marksmanship

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 …


Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) Every year I see lots of hunters hunting from their vehicles. This is more like drive-by shooting than hunting. Most modern hunters are seasonal hunters who mostly shoot off-hand and are lousy shots. Haste makes waste. It is best to use a rest or shooting stick if possible, and it helps to use a cartridge that is perhaps more than needed to help compensate for a poorly placed shot. I would rather risk losing meat than risk losing the entire animal. Standard “cup and core” soft point ammunition is plenty for deer, yet some cartridges could …


Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

I hope that this article will serve as a starting point for novice hunters who should continue to seek more on the topic. Even after decades as a hunter, I continue to learn more. Hunting will be a serious business in the near future. So I will do my best to present tried and true practices and advice, and attempt to describe what I believe hunting conditions and practices might be during the coming bad times. If we are hunting to survive, then losing a game would be unacceptable and perhaps tragic. High-quality protein during a famine or lean times …


Building a Versatile AR, by Bulldog

Living the prepper lifestyle for many decades has fas its perks…well, sort of! It typically means there are mounds of extra supplies, boxes of spare parts, jars of both home and commercially canned foods, dry-canned foods, buckets of grain and beans in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, and shelving anywhere it can possibly be built. Yeah, I’ve probably left out a few things, but you get the idea. It also generally means you are often versed and proficient in tasks the average person has never even considered. This of course can be a hindrance when you and your wife are …


Learning How To Be a Marksman – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) Precision shooting is the pursuit of the ability to hit small targets at long ranges with one shot. As hits count and misses do not, given the battlefield level of accuracy that most rifles and shooters are capable of, limiting our range to 300 yards is realistic and practical. Training at 400 yards and then shooting at 300 yards will make the shooter work harder and better ensure that they can hit the first time, every time at closer ranges. Do not let the enemy get closer than 300 yards. At 200 …


Learning How To Be a Marksman – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) Understanding Ballistic Coefficients As a rule of thumb, projectiles with a ballistic coefficient (BC) of 0.400 or less and velocities of less than 2,750 fps (such as 77 grain .223 bullets out of 20″ AR barrel) will have a much more difficult time striking targets past 600 yards when compared to projectiles with greater ballistic coefficients and the same or higher velocities. The larger diameter projectiles with heavy for caliber bullets used in other cartridges beginning with 6mm ARC, or .243 Winchester can have higher ballistic coefficients and the same or greater velocities. Therefore they are …


Learning How To Be a Marksman – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) The Killing Power of Firearms: More is Better The 20 gauge or 12 gauge shotgun and semi-auto handgun is a good combination for close-quarters combat or with home defense distances of 35 yards or less. If using Federal Flight Control buckshot, the maximum effective distance can be 50 yards. A modified to full choke can also extend the range of the shotgun. A shotgun loaded with buckshot shells can stop the fight instantaneously. If you hit somewhere in the torso, it would be lights out and they will drop like a sack of potatoes, dead before …


Learning How To Be a Marksman – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

I taught myself to shoot at an early age on my Grandma’s farm. I do not understand how or why, or if it was natural or instinctive. As I look back, I simply cannot imagine how I knew what do to. I did not have a father or older male relative to teach me. The same thing happens when I am engaged in carpentry or similar work today. Often it is better to simply stop thinking and just do it, and it just happens. It is scary to see how this manifests itself as I see the project come together …


Ballistics, Rifle Marksmanship and Why They Matter – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article. Handloading to Getting Top Performance from Classic Rifles For the same reasons that the military has developed high-performance ammunition, I’ve worked hard to find this load in a common cartridge that is the .30-06 and 6.5×55 for my personal rifles.  It is competitive or superior at mid range to extreme long ranges out to 1,200 yards with .300 Winchester Magnum commercial hunting loads, because the bullets used have extremely high ballistic coefficients.  Like the .300 Win Mag, 7mm Magnum, .30-06, and others in this class, they are good all-around cartridges for any …


Ballistics, Rifle Marksmanship and Why They Matter – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introduction I would argue that if Donald Trump’s would-be-assassin on July 13, 2024 had used a bullet with a higher ballistic coefficient, or if the wind had changed, regardless of the cartridge actually used, then Trump would have been killed or gravely injured.  How is it that Trump turned his head just before the bullet passed by?  This attempt on Trump’s life is a clear indication of the lateness of the hour.  Only by an act of God do we have more time to prepare.  Like many other SurvivalBlog readers, I was an admirer of the late Bob Griswold who …


Letter Re: Prepping and Squaring Away Rifles

Reader M.M. sent this letter, in response to the two-part article titled Prepping and Squaring Away Rifles, by Tunnel Rabbit: I would like to add my opinion to the recent article by Tunnel Rabbit (TR): I do not know how anyone [in the U.S.] can live on $5,000 per year. I understand that the purpose of the article was for an example of “getting by” on low income. He is making the best quality equipment he can on a low budget which shows that it can be accomplished. Let’s start with the AR rifle design. It is not perfect but …


Prepping and Squaring Away Rifles – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

I am not writing much for SurvivalBlog these days, since I am busy preparing for the worst. This is fortunately my lifestyle, and I am constantly prepping. Currently, I’ve been working squaring away three old Mauser rifles for long-range work. They all need scopes and I had to wait until I could afford to get that done. I am an aging man with many physical limitations. My income is less than $5,000 per year. I receive no regular check from any source and so I am forced to operate under austere conditions and a super tight budget. If I cannot …


OGRE Enviroclean FA Gun Cleaner, by Thomas Christianson

OGRE Manufacturing Enviroclean FA is an effective, versatile, low-odor gun cleaning solvent. It is made in the USA, and competitively priced at the time of this writing at $10 for a 4-ounce bottle from www.ogremfg.com (by way of comparison, a 4-ounce bottle of Break Free CLP was priced at $11.99 from safariland.com ). If you plan to use a lot of Enviroclean FA, you can get a whole gallon for $90. The low level of odor that Enviroclean FA produces while it is being used to clean firearms at the kitchen table is valuable for helping to preserve the domestic …


Warrior Poet Rifle 1 — A Course Review, by N.C.

I have previously written a review of the Warrior Poet Society streaming service. And, after much deliberation I bought the expensive (to me) in-person training for “Rifle 1”. What follows is my experience, some suggestions and lessons I learned. The Too Long; Didn’t Read (TL;DR) Summary Warrior Poet training is excellent value for your money. I have zero regrets paying the money, Scottish genes notwithstanding. It has already made me a better shooter and set me on a path to get even better. I’ve seen other casual shooters changed for the better after trying Warrior Poet training. I hope to …


Designing a 7.62×39 Handload, by Tunnel Rabbit

At this moment I am anticipating the arrival of an antique Mauser rifle that has been fitted with a new barrel chambered in 7.62×39. By the grace of God, I was able to obtain an antique custom rifle in the ubiquitous 7.62×39 from Elk Creek Company. This will be a scoped rifle that might use the same ammunition that I already stock for my semi-automatic rifles that use 7.62×39 ammunition with bullet diameters of .310 inches. An Expectant Father Waits for the Arrival As I wait for it to arrive via UPS, I am writing this article and thinking ahead …