Category: Target Shooting & Marksmanship

AR-15 Setup and Maintenance – Part 2, by John Smith

(Continued from Part 1.) Ammunition For Your Rifle Ammunition selection is an important topic to discuss. M193 55gr  5.56mm NATO ammunition was the early military-issue ammunition. Back then, M16 rifles had 20” barrels and the 55gr bullet did devastating damage yawing and tumbling after the initial impact. However, after the 20” barrel was retired for the 14.5-inch M4 barrel, the effectiveness of the 55gr M193 decreased. This was due to the decreased muzzle velocity from a much shorter barrel on the newer variants of the M16. I have no problem with using 55gr ammo. However, I would suggest using at …


AR-15 Setup and Maintenance – Part 1, by John Smith

The AR-15 family of guns has become “America’s Rifle” over the period of almost 60 years. Over time, the rifle has seen many changes and refinements. Now that there are so many choices, prospective buyers and users could use some determining what choices are best for them. This article has four sections covering: rifle configurations/parts selection, ammunition, rifle accessories, and rifle cleaning/maintenance. Hopefully, you will find some of the information below helpful. Rifle configurations and Parts selection The first thing to decide is whether you want to build or buy a rifle. If you are on a strict budget, definitely …


Building a Dedicated .22 Small Game Rifle – Part 2, by Steve A.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) The stock: I chose a gray Magpul Hunter X-22 stock because it is a full-sized stock and I have used one before. I did not want a folding stock. The stock has an adjustable length of pull, a nice butt pad, and an optional higher cheek riser. The grip is somewhat vertical which works very well to position the trigger finger properly on the trigger, which helps practical accuracy. This stock is fairly sleek, with not much to snag on. The bottom of the fore-end is flat to better stabilize the rifle …


Building a Dedicated .22 Small Game Rifle – Part 1, by Steve A.

I have been looking for a dedicated .22 Long Rifle (LR) small game rifle built along the lines of a target rifle. If I ever have to feed myself using a .22 rifle I want one that is heavier than normal for stability, is significantly more accurate than most factory rifles, has good optics and a good trigger, is easier to clean and maintain, can be cleaned from the chamber end of the barrel, fits my adult size well, takes a detachable magazine, has a conventional stock, and will always work. It must have practical accuracy as well as mechanical …


Basic Handgun Proficiently Training – Part 2, by Steve A.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) When you practice you need to use the firearm, holster, belt, and clothing that you will use when you are carrying a firearm. This will vary with the weather. Use exactly the firearm holster positioning you will use in the real world. Cover the firearm with an outer garment such as a coat or shirt as you will be wearing when carrying. Ear and eye protection are mandatory at the range. You may wish to include a baseball-type hat to better protect the eyes from things like hot brass during ejection. Unless …


Basic Handgun Proficiently Training – Part 1, by Steve A.

After much thought and research you have decided to carry a concealed handgun. You are of sound mind and have met all the legal requirements to carry a concealed handgun and understand the risks and potential liability. You have some exposure to informal shooting but no structured training. Your decision to shoot or not shoot is a binding decision. The aftermath of even a justified shooting will include at minimum dealing with the police, your lawyer, and almost always a grand jury. There is much more to this decision on many levels. And never forget that you are responsible for …


Howell Arms Conversion Cylinder, by Thomas Christianson

I recently received a Howell Arms .45 Colt Conversion Cylinder for my Pietta M1858 cap and ball revolver. The conversion cylinder allows me to fire .45 Colt cartridges (also commonly but erroneously known as .45 Long Colt) through the revolver. After some fitting, it works extremely well, and is a lot of fun to shoot. The Backstory I have previously written a review in SurvivalBlog about the Pietta M1858 cap and ball revolver that I acquired from Elk Creek Company. Shooting a cap and ball revolver is a lot of fun, but loading one is somewhat time-consuming and cumbersome. A …


Pietta M1858 .44 Remington Replica, by Thomas Christianson

Last summer, I tested a Pietta Blackpowder M1858 .44 Remington replica that I acquired from the Elk Creek Company. It was fun to shoot, interesting from a historical perspective, and is not classed as a “firearm” under Federal law. If there were a long-term technological setback, it would be easier to manufacture ammo for this replica than it would be for my more modern firearms. Although shooting cap and ball revolvers is fun, loading them is a somewhat time-consuming process. It is easy to understand why most people select cartridge handguns over cap and ball revolvers if they have the …


Get The Training, and Keep Training!

One thing that I’ve stressed in SurvivalBlog over the years is the importance of training. Reading and research by themselves are great, but they are no substitute for practical hands-on training. Last year, one of my personal resolutions was to get refresher training, in several areas. In December, my family attended a one-evening CPR class. And in January we all took a two-day Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course. The latter was fairly intense training with plenty of hands-on outdoor practical exercises. For me, these classes served as a reminder that most skills are perishable.  It also reminded me that some …


My Approach to a Semi-Auto Scout Rifle – Part 2, by Swampfox

(Continued from Part 1.  This concludes the article.) Before the Test – Make Your Own Ballistics Gel For ballistics testing at home, there are several options. At the time of my Mini-14 tests, I did not have any ClearBallistics gel or other commercial choices. If you want to do this a lot, perhaps buying a kit would be a good investment. I was short of time, so I whipped up some Knox gelatin. It is easy to do, but it takes a little time and patience. If you are going to be doing a lot of testing, you will need …


Thoughts on a General Purpose AR-15 Rifle – Part 2, by Steve A.

(Continued from Part 1.  This concludes the article.) The mid-length and rifle length gas systems are known for operating the action more smoothly when compared to the carbine length system. The mid length gas system increases for the carbine length barrel. The longer gas tube gives a longer bolt carrier dwell time in the rifle, which lets all the moving pieces work a little more slowly and less violently but still quickly and energetically enough to let the bolt carrier move back fully and allow the bolt to strip the next round off of the magazine reliably. The entire recoil …


Thoughts on a General Purpose AR-15 Rifle – Part 1, by Steve A.

You are a safe and responsible firearms owner. After much research on the web and discussion with friends and family, you have made the decision to purchase or build up a general service AR15 style 5.56/.223 caliber rifle and accept the responsibility of doing so. You have a reasonable budget in mind. Now what? You can certainly go buy a complete factory rifle and do very well with it. However, particularly if you plan to use the rifle for a lot of different uses you may well wish to order it bult to your specifications or build it yourself. By …


Crosman P1377 Air Pistol, by Thomas Christianson

In April of 2022, due to continued high ammo prices, I decided to try out the Crosman P1377 Air Pistol as a training tool. It has a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $72.30. The one I purchased online cost just $49.99, with free shipping. Pleasant Memories I have fond memories of the Crosman 760 air rifle that introduced me to shooting. I shot more BBs and pellets through that rifle than I can count. I enjoyed target shooting in the basement of my parent’s home with just two pumps, or hunting birds, squirrels, and even possum in the woods and fields …


Springfield Armory Ronin 1911 10mm, by Pat Cascio

I requested a sample of the new Springfield Armory Ronin 1911 in 10mm as soon as I heard about it. Still, I had to sit and wait for my sample – this gun, in this caliber, is in great demand! Back in 1988, I owned the only 1911-pattern pistol chambered in 10mm at that time. I ended up selling it, because we just moved back to Oregon, and my wife wasn’t yet working as a teacher and I was on disability from an auto accident – collecting a whopping $125 per week. I thought I’d never own another 10mm in …


No Ammo, No Primers, No Problem! – Part 4, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 3.) 20 Gauge Shotgun Shells and Black Powder Safety Note: When loading black powder shotgun shells, there must be no empty space inside the shell, and the powder should be compressed slightly (about 1/16 inches, or about 2mm). You may need to use a wadding or other “filler” inside the shell, so that there’s no empty space below the crimp. Six 20 gauge shotshells were primed with recharged shotgun primers. Note: The primers were recharged WITHOUT black powder in the primer bodies, and no tissue paper was used to close the flash holes. I measured out 7/8 …