Odds ‘n Sods:

House Homeland Chair Warns of Terror Attacks at Disney, Oscars, the Mall of America… – Sent in by T.A.

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Disturbing news for those planning on having children: Scientists push for new wave of eugenics with genome testing for all newborns While there may be good reasons for knowing this information, I can think of a stream of ways that it will be abused if it exists. – Sent in by D.S.

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An interesting idea for a survival kit was sent in by reader M.T. PACE lid. Be prepared for whatever life throws your way. While it is still in the “kickstarter” phase, it has promise to be a useful way to carry a few essentials. If you have your water bottle, you have your kit.

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The EU response to the increased violence the Muslim refugees are presenting? Make more victims! EU Gun Control: After Terrorism And Sex Assaults, European Union Cracks Down On Firearms Ownership – G.G.

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Reader RBS sent in this link to an NPR article on A Hardier Honeybee That Fights Back By Biting Back. These bees are selectively bred to bite the legs off of parasitic mites.

Notes for Tuesday – January 12, 2016

On January 12, 1888, the “Schoolchildren’s Blizzard” killed 235 people, many of whom were children on their way home from school, across the Northwest Plains region of the United States. The storm came with no warning and some accounts say that the temperature fell nearly 100 degrees in just 24 hours. There were many instances of teachers keeping or rescuing children who would have been caught in the storm while walking home.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 62 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw Code Red 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knifemaker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 62 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

What’s For Dinner?- Part 3, by J.R.

Powdered Milk/Dairy

Ah, powdered milk. It’s probably the ugly stepchild of the food storage world, the last item people want to put in their food storage because it’s the last thing they want to drink. We’re going to change that. First off, let’s discuss the various needs, the bare bones essentials. Children, up to about age ten or twelve years, and pregnant and nursing women need 75 pounds of powdered milk per year to satisfy the nutritional demands of their growing bodies. Teens and adults can make do with 20 pounds of dry milk per year. This reduced amount is what is used in baking and cooking. There is no allowance for drinking or pouring on cereal. Let’s face it, most of us have had the questionable blessing of drinking powdered milk at some point in our lives. We just don’t want to contemplate going there. We know Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine but making powdered milk palatable… well, that may require more faith than we have. (But have faith! Read on.) When you learn how to improve the flavor, you may wish to increase the amounts you store.

Powdered milk must be kept as cool as possible (without freezing) at all times. Even brief exposure to high temperatures will render it unpalatable. In addition, it must be kept completely dark as any light at all will also degrade nutritional value and taste quickly. (So do not store it in plastic buckets as I did when I was starting out. That was an expensive lesson to learn.) However, when it is stored properly, powdered milk has a shelf life of up to twenty years.

Milk

Now there are many options in powdered milk storage. All the major long-term storage providers have their own powdered milk lines for sale. When I taught a class on using powdered milk in the food storage plan, the class had the opportunity to taste test samples from several different companies. There was no consensus for first place. The taste testers favored the rather expensive options from either Emergency Essentials or Grandma’s Country Cupboard or Provident Living, but just barely over what was universal consensus for second place. What was the second choice option, which everyone agreed they could happily drink on a long-term basis? Powdered milk from the LDS Home Storage Center.

It is not just powdered milk mixed according to the directions and chilled well. (The chilling is important for all powdered milks.) To one quart of reconstituted milk, add ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or some prefer almond extract) and ½ to 1 teaspoon of sugar, and mix very well. Life is good again.

The LDS Home Storage Center has the best prices on powdered milk.

Once you have acquired the minimums for your basic storage of powdered milk, you may want to consider supplementing your supply with additional dry milk or other long-term storage milk products in some of the following ways.

We are milk drinkers in this family, so I have doubled the minimum storage amount suggestions for all the adults—just to cover being able to drink milk with our meals.

Yogurt

Yogurt can easily be made from powdered milk. You do not need any special equipment. A crockpot, thermos, cooler, or oven that can be set at low temperatures will suffice. You do need a starter, whether it is commercially prepared yogurt (with live cultures), homemade yogurt, or a freeze-dried starter. Directions are all over the ‘net; here is one suggestion included with the links at the end of the article. Note that the longer the incubation period, the tarter and the firmer the yogurt.

Milk Drinks

Milk drinks (powdered milk alternatives) available from some long-term storage companies should be carefully researched before purchase. While everything we have tried has tasted quite good, taste appears to come at the expense of good nutrition. Saturated fats are added and important vitamins are removed. Buyer beware.

Hot Cocoa Mix

One of the best values on the market, in terms of quality and price, is available through the LDS Home Storage Center.

Shelf Stable Milk and Whipping Cream

Shelf stable milk and whipping cream are available from a variety of sources. In my area, I go to Trader Joe’s. These items have a shorter shelf life, usually about six months. Still, it is nice to have whipping cream on hand.

Sour Cream

Freeze-dried sour cream does not reconstitute well for using fresh. This product only works well in baking.

Media Crema

Media crema is found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. It is a sort of whipping cream substitute, though it does not whip up. We’ve used it to make ice cream and other desserts.

Dry Milk With Fats

There are powdered milk options that are nonfat. Nido is a whole milk powder found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. It has a short shelf life. Milkman contains 1/2% milkfat and is found with the other dry or canned milk options in the grocery store. It also has a short shelf life but not as short as Nido.

So now that we have covered the food storage basics for one year, how much food is this really? In my classes, I measured each item into bowls and placed them in the front of the class. I can’t do that here, so I will try to create a visual for you. Doing the math (and allowing for a year to be 360 days instead of 365 for ease in calculation), we have 13.3 ounces of grain for List A (17.7 ounces for List B), 2.6 ounces of beans, 2.6 ounces of sugar, 0.8 ounces of oil, 0.4 ounces of salt, and 3.3 ounces of dry milk for List A (0.8 ounces for List B). Having the ounces isn’t as illustrative, so let’s convert everything to standard U.S. baking and cooking measurements. That will be 1¾ cups of wheat for List A (2¼ cups for List B), 1/3 cup of dry beans, 3½ tablespoons of sugar, 1¼ teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 2/3 cup of powdered milk for List A (3 tablespoons for List B).

Of course, the grains and beans will expand with cooking. However, you are still dividing this into three meals. In addition, consider how much variety this provides to your diet. What can you really do with these basics? Do you really want to be eating just these few basics every single day? If you still think these minimums will work for you and your family, I highly encourage you to measure out these amounts and eat only this for a day or two. I guarantee you will re-think your position. It’s far better to do this re-thinking now rather than when TEOTWAWKI hits.

Moreover, remember that these amounts provide 2,000 calories per day. Men, pregnant and nursing women, and teens need more. Other adult women and young children need less. How happy are your working men and teen sons going to be on 2,000 calories per day? How healthy will babies be if their mothers don’t have quite enough food?

Furthermore, flavor fatigue will happen with this minimum. Many individuals think people will eat if they are hungry, but that is just not the case for some groups, especially young children and the elderly. That’s a historical fact. And it will only add to stress, both mental and real physical stress, in an already very stressful time, not only for those who are refusing to eat but also for those of us on whom they depend for support.

Finally, don’t deceive yourself into thinking you need to lose weight. While that may be true, weight loss is going to happen anyway when TEOTWAWKI hits. We don’t need to stress the body out more.

EXPANDED STORAGE

Now that you have hopefully been convinced of the need to expand your family’s variety of storage, let’s begin with the understanding that the items listed below do NOT replace any of the basics listed above. The fruits, vegetables, meats, baking essentials, and other items will add some calories, nutrients, and variety to the diet, all of which will be very much needed when we are stressed and working and exercising a whole lot more.

Baking Essentials

Yeast

Instant active dry yeast is recommended at 1 pound per person per year. Yeast is needed to make yeast breads (as opposed to quick breads). Bread is the staff of life. It’s great for sandwiches and very nice to have with soups and stews, and it will also keep for about a week without refrigeration. Yeast has a two to three year shelf life, as long as it is kept cool and dry. Store it in your refrigerator or freezer, if possible.

Wheat Gluten

Vital wheat gluten flour added to bread dough helps the dough rise better and have a lighter texture after baking. Now that I have been baking bread for several years and I have finally reached a point where I have consistently great results, I probably won’t purchase any more gluten flour. But as a beginner bread maker, I found gluten to be a tremendous help. Substitute one tablespoon of wheat gluten flour per cup of wheat flour.

Dough Conditioner

Dough conditioner is used in addition to wheat gluten flour to improve the texture of whole wheat bread. You can purchase it in stores or online, or you can make your own. The individual ingredients all serve a particular function in improving the texture of your bread. Don’t worry if you don’t have one or two of the ingredients. Dough conditioner is like money—some is good, more is better.

A batch of dough conditioner can be made with the following ingredients and instructions:

  • 1 cup lecithin,
  • 1 cup whey powder,
  • 1 tablespoon diastatic malt powder [I can never find this, so I don’t include it],
  • 1 tablespoon citric acid,
  • 1 tablespoon pectin,
  • 1 tablespoon ginger.

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Add 1 tablespoon of dough conditioner per loaf of bread. Again, this is an aid for beginning bread bakers. Once you gain experience with how to make a perfect loaf of bread, you won’t need the conditioner.

Powdered Eggs

We raise our own chickens here, but powdered eggs will always have a place in our pantry for a few reasons. Egg production decreases or stops completely when the hens go into a molt or in the middle of winter, so it’s good to have powdered eggs for a replacement. Powdered eggs are also handy for making your own mixes of convenience foods. Bear in mind that powdered eggs do not come from free range chickens. They are a very pale yellow and have an almost grayish cast to them. Scrambled eggs made from powdered eggs really are not visually appealing. We use about one #10 can per year as a supplement to our hens. If I didn’t have chickens, I would plan on six cans per year for my family of seven. Powdered eggs need to be stored in a very cool, dry place. An unopened can has a shelf life of three years. Each #10 can from Honeyville Grain contain about 156 eggs (13 dozen).

Baking Soda

Baking soda is essential in helping doughs and batters rise for a wide variety of baked goods, including cookies, cakes, quick breads, muffins, pancakes, et cetera. If properly stored in an airtight container, baking soda can have an indefinite shelf life. The key here is properly. Baking soda absorbs odors and moisture, and it does so very readily through the cardboard packaging it comes in. Baking soda that is currently being used should be kept in an airtight container in the pantry. Baking soda that is being stored and rotated should be in an airtight bucket. To test whether your baking soda will still do its job of raising doughs and batters, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to a tablespoon or so of vinegar in a bowl. If the mixture bubbles vigorously, the baking soda is still good. Baking soda also has numerous applications in both personal care and household cleaning, and we actually store more baking soda for cleaning than for baking, about three pounds total per person per year.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is another essential ingredient for helping doughs and batters rise, especially for cakes, quick breads, and muffins. Baking powder increases the volume and lightens the texture. Even when properly stored, baking powder has a maximum shelf life of 12 to 18 months. However, you can make your own very easily. The individual ingredients of baking powder have a much longer shelf life separately than they do when they are mixed. To make your DIY baking powder, mix ¼ teaspoon baking soda with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. The resulting ¾ teaspoon will substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking powder. If you are not using this mixture immediately in your recipe, also mix in ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch. The cornstarch will absorb moisture in the air and prevent the baking soda and cream of tartar from reacting too quickly. Because baking powder has a short shelf life, I only keep a few cans on hand.

Cream of Tartar

The only thing I use cream of tartar for is making my own baking powder. I store one pound for my family of seven per year.

Vanilla Extract

Some of the vanilla extract (pure vanilla extract, not imitation) we store is for baking treats, but most of it is for improving the taste of powdered milk. A 16-ounce bottle contains 192 ½ teaspoons (½ teaspoon is the amount added per quart to improve the taste of powdered milk), so that converts to 48 gallons of milk. In my observation, the amounts of milk consumed vary widely, so you’ll need to perform your own calculations for your family. Also, remember that pure vanilla is high in alcohol. You may need to keep it safely locked away.

Cocoa

So how often do you want to have hot cocoa, or chocolate cake, or brownies? Baking cocoa has an indefinite shelf life, just as long as you keep it cool and dry.

Pectin

Are you going to be making any jam with wild berries or with fruit you have growing on your property? If so, store one box of pectin per batch of jam you plan to make. If not, one or two boxes will be sufficient for making your own dough conditioner. Pomona pectin (available in some grocery stores and on Amazon) allows you to make no sugar, low sugar, and full sugar jams and jellies without having to purchase different kinds of pectin. Each package comes with full instructions.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is used in some canning to increase acidity and in cheese-making. It’s also used in making your own dough conditioner. One pound should be plenty for your family.

Yogurt Starter

When TEOTWAWKI happens, it will probably be when I don’t have any fresh, plain yogurt on hand for making my own yogurt. And even if I did have it on hand, eventually accidents will happen and a batch may become contaminated or something goes wrong. So it is a good idea to have some freeze-dried yogurt starter in your pantry. You can find them in your local health food store or on Amazon. And in case you are wondering, yogurt made from powdered milk has no trace of the off taste of powdered milk in it.

Letter Re: Algorithms

Sirs,

I was particularly interested in your 1/9/16 link to an article regarding The risks — and benefits — of letting algorithms judge us. Algorithms are convenient tools and are more ubiquitous in society than you might think. Those maddening automated telephone answering scripts that lead you through a labyrinth of options that do not address what you are calling about are an excellent example. Many businesses and healthcare venues (or providers) regularly use algorithms to help them maintain a minimum standard of service. That is fine, if you are satisfied with a minimum standard of service.

I tried, at the healthcare system I retired from, to allow deviation from algorithms for valid reasons without employees fearing adverse consequences. My reason was my calculation that, even if the algorithms used were “perfect” and were fully complied with, there would be 30 patients per day who would not be best served by them. In health care, this can have adverse, if not catastrophic, consequences.

What constitutes a “perfect” algorithm? Obviously, one hopes to use this tool to address the vast majority of issues/demands/needs of the target population. The algorithm will work best for those who inhabit the fattest part of the bell shaped curve of that population and will still be useful for those to either side, all the way out to the asymptotes (the narrow tails of the graph). What about those IN the asymptotes? By definition this will be 2.5% of the population at either end of the bell shaped curve. That is 5% of the population, or one in twenty.

Returning to my telephone answering example, I must be the mutant who is among that 5% most of the time. There are two other explanations. First, the algorithm they are using is far from perfect. Second, they are limiting options to guide behavior (as noted in the article above which stimulated my discussion). If an algorithm is nothing more than a series of “If _____, then_____” directions for the user, one can easily see that there can be an insufficient number and type of “If, then” branches in the algorithm, or the “thens” recommended can be faulty or manipulated to achieve a desired result. If the desired result is noble, great. If not, then not so great.

Think about this when you use the apps in your smartphone and ask yourself if they know all the facts pertinent to your situation before completely and blindly following them. While most of the apps we use will not lead us astray, I have seen numerous instances in the medical field where blind reliance on algorithms led to an unwanted result. It might be an excuse for some to say that they followed the algorithm to the letter to achieve a minimum standard, but again, should you be satisfied with a minimum standard? If the algorithm said the bridge should be sound if you load it with cars, but you then add a truck and it falls down, is that acceptable?

If I have a point, I guess it is that you should take responsibility for your actions and their consequences rather than blaming an algorithm if things go wrong. They are just tools. My attempts at carpentry are not pitiful because of my tools, they are dismal because I am inept at carpentry and should either avoid it at all cost or learn to do it right. Until I do so, I recommend not sitting on any chairs I craft. Remember this and do not accept excuses from businesses or government who rely completely on algorithms, whether their intentions are good or ill. Remember what the road to hell is paved with. – K

News From The American Redoubt:

Here is some food for thought, when considering retreat locales: Five Maps Showing the Extreme Variance in U.S. Population Distribution. Note that The American Redoubt has some of the least populous counties.

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U.S. Government to Cull Hundreds of Yellowstone Bison This Winter – Sent in by T.J.

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RBS sent in this article containing some odd photographs of a rare defect: Idaho Fish and Game mystified by rare, deformed mountain lion

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The Californication of Washington continues. Here is yet ANOTHER reason for the Citizens of eastern Washington to seek partition! – JWR

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2 Texas billionaires bought up 38,000 acres of Idaho land – D.S.

Economics and Investing:

“Unprecedented Demand” – US Mint Sells Nearly As Much Gold On First Day Of 2016 As All Of January 2015 – G.G.

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Shipping Said to Have Ceased… Is the Worldwide Economy Grinding to a Halt? – B.B.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

More Trouble Ahead for US Oil Industry (Houston Chronicle) Excerpt: “The tentacles of the energy sector run deeper in the US economy than most understand…”

Why Sugar, Once a Big Business in Hawaii, is Disappearing (Christian Science Monitor) Excerpt: “The company hopes to shield itself from the vulnerability of a single crop market by pursuing a ‘diversified agricultural model’…”

International News

As Canada’s Economic Engine Stalls, Can Other Industries Pick Up the Slack? (The Globe and Mail) Excerpt: “Since the Great Recession, Canada has relied on two key elements to keep its economy humming: oil and real estate. But after a rough start to 2016 that dealt fresh blows to the beleaguered energy segment, the big question is whether other industries can power the Canadian economy through an extended resource slump – and whether debt-laden Canadian consumers can still be counted on to be part of the solution.”

Saudi Aramco: Sale of the Century? (The Economist) Excerpt: ““THE amounts of oil are incredible, and I have to rub my eyes frequently and say like the farmer: ‘There ain’t no such beast.’” So wrote an American oilman in the Persian Gulf a few years after the discovery in 1938 of a gusher of oil from Saudi Arabia’s Well Number Seven, 4,727 feet (1,440 metres) below the desert floor.”

Timeline: How the Global Economy Played Out in 2015(Visual Capitalist) Excerpt: “It’s hard to say where markets will turn in 2016, but for now it will continue to be much of the same volatility until the picture becomes clearer.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

5 Traits of Fulfilled People (Dave Ramsey) Excerpt: “They’re those people who are always cheerful and smiling. They’re the ones who rarely complain, and everything they touch seems to turn to gold. They’re successful yet humble, influential yet compassionate. And the thing is, that’s who they really are! What you see is what you get, in public or behind closed doors.”

9 Ways Plain Mennonites Save Money (Just Plain Marie) Excerpt from Marie’s “About Page”: “I am supposed to say here that ‘I know not everyone can do this …’ but that would be a lot of hogwash. If this is what you want to do, you can do it.”

How to Save More Money: Rethink Your Spending (Clark Howard) Excerpt: “The wonderful thing about personal finance is that it’s really quite simple.”

Odds ‘n Sods:

The latest from Wranglerstar (one of our favorite vloggers: Best Everyday Carry Gear 2016)

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Reader C.S. sent in this link to a review of some inexpensive/cheap “mop wick” diesel stoves. Part of the article is a video that shows how to re-wick them and their operation. Prepping 101: Cooking With Diesel – Mop Wick Kerosene Stoves Explained

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From Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large: Point source failure – One major highway and only one bridge connecting the nation. Ontario’s Nipigon River bridge fails, severing Trans-Canada Highway

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After Ebola, two other tropical diseases pose new threats – new medical world threats named and assessed. Food for thought: consider the effect of upcoming Olympics as a “means of dissemination”. – D.S.

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Forget fingerprints, Wi-Fi ROUTERS could soon help police solve crimes. Sent in by B.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Property rights are not the rights of property; they are the rights of humans with regard to property. They are a particular kind of human right.” – David Friedman

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Ruger SR-556 Takedown

I’m a fan of the AR-15 type of rifles. I always have been. So, when some gun makers started coming out with AR-15s that had a gas piston, instead of the direct gas impingement system, I tested several of them. I think we could have a debate all week long as to the merits of the gas piston system versus the direct gas impingement system and we couldn’t change one another’s minds. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the direct gas impingement system, other than your AR really gets dirty, in short order. Yes, I’m aware there were problems with the first M-16s (military select-fire versions of the semiauto AR-15) when they were first shipped to Vietnam. However, there was stupid thinking on the part of someone who said the guns didn’t need to be cleaned very often and no cleaning kits were even supplied. Plus, there was a problem with the gun powder used in the ammo of the first M-16s. Once these problems were corrected, the M-16 ran fine, so long as you kept them halfway cleaned and lubed, just like any other gun.

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A couple of years ago, Ruger came out with their first version of a gas piston AR type of rifle, called the Ruger SR-556, and it was an immediate hit with gun owners. I did an article on the SR-556 for SurvivalBlog.com and was very favorably impressed with my sample. Ruger had a hard time keeping up with demand. The Ruger gas piston system is proprietary to their guns. You can’t interchange parts with any other gas piston AR, and this seems to be typical of gas piston ARs, no matter who makes them.

I do like the way the SR-556 gas piston adjustments can be made with a simple .223/5.56 round. Simply slide the bullet end into the adjustment knob and turn it from one setting to another. Ruger ships their SR-556 rifles with the setting on the “2” position. Quite honestly, the gun ran fine, no matter what ammo I ran through it or how dirty it got. Still, I played around with the different adjustments from the “0” position to the “3” position. You can find all this information in my previous SR-556 article on SurvivalBlog.com

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Today, we’re taking a close look at the Ruger SR-556 Takedown version. Ruger did a bang-up job on it. A few specs are in order first. The SR-556 comes with a newer style butt stock that is still adjustable, but I like the shape and feel of the new butt stock a lot better than the older version. There’s nothing wrong with the older version, but the newer one is better in my opinion; it’s stronger, to be sure. The SR-556 Takedown has folding “iron” sights in the front and rear. They are actually made of steel not iron, but for whatever reason we always call them “iron” sights. Go figure. Plus, the sights are readily adjustable without any problems. The barrel is 16.1 inches long, just like the original with a 1:9 right hand twist. The finish is manganese phosphate/hard coat anodized, and the gun weighs in at 7.6 lbs. You can read all the specs on the Ruger website. I hate boring our readers with too many specs when they can read about it themselves.

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Where we have a drastic change is with the barrel assembly. The Takedown SR-556 comes set-up with the standard .223/5.56 barrel. However, you can swap out the barrel with one chambered in .300 AAC Blackout. Yes, you read that right! Just by changing barrels, you can change calibers; no other changes are required. You use the same bolt and bolt carrier, and you can technically use the same magazines. However, with the .300 AAC Blackout conversion barrel, Ruger sends you two magazines that are marked .300 Blackout. I, however, have one of the first conversion set-ups and my magazines weren’t marked with the .300 Blackout on them.

So, how easy is it to change from one caliber to another? Actually, it’s VERY easy. Simply slide the locking bar on the end of the fore arm, twist and pull the barrel out, and reverse the order to put in the new barrel. It’s just that quick and simple. Now, the .300 AAC Blackout barrel doesn’t come with the gun; this is ordered separately, but I’m hoping that, and I mentioned it to Ruger, maybe they could offer the SR-556 with the .300 AAC Blackout barrel installed, instead of the .223/5/56 barrel. Those of us who already have enough ARs in .223/5.56 might want this gun just in .300 AAC Blackout. Or, we might want the Ruger AR-556 in .300 AAC Blackout instead of .223/5.56. It’s something to think about here, Ruger.

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The takedown feature on this gun provides repeatable accuracy. I removed both barrels several times, numerous times for that matter, and the bullet point of impact didn’t change at all. Of course, when you change from one caliber to another, the point of impact changes; the .300 Blackout shoots heavier .30 caliber bullets. For my testing, I didn’t change the sight adjustments at all. I just let the different calibers group where they did. I was testing for accuracy, not setting up the sights for different points of impact.

I also wanted to mention the new Ruger Elite 452 AR trigger they are installing on the Takedown. It is a two-stage trigger that is smooth; yet it has a crisp release that is 4.5 lbs. I hope Ruger starts installing this in all their AR-style rifles. It is a great trigger pull, to be sure. Again, for all the specs on the Takedown, go to Ruger’s website.

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The SR-556 Takedown does come in a nice black ballistic nylon backpack, with the rifle in the takedown set-up. People wouldn’t know you were carrying a rifle in this backpack. Just remove the Velcro Ruger patch on the back of the backpack and you’re good to go. It only takes a minute or two to reassemble the rifle. It’s a nice way to pack a gun in the trunk of your car, or if out hiking no one would know you had a rifle in that backpack. The pack is very well-made, too. It’s super nice!

I had the SR-556 Takedown for a month, before the .300 Blackout conversion barrel arrived, so I had more than a few shooting sessions. Of course, it all took place during the hottest part of our summer and I don’t tolerate heat, especially in the upper 90s and 100 range. I took copious notes, because my testing was spread out over the course of a month.

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From Black Hills Ammunition, I had their .223 Rem in 55-gr FMJ, 55-gr Soft Point, 60-gr Soft Point, 62-gr Barnes TSX and their 68-gr Heavy Match Hollow Point. In 5.56mm, I had their 69-gr Open Tip Match. I also received some new 5.56mm ammo from Ruger after my initial testing, and that was their new 69-gr Sierra TMK and their 70-gr Hornady GMX loads. So, it was back to the range for more testing, when I thought I was all done shooting. What a hard job, but someone has to do it– the sacrifices I make. LOL

There were zero malfunctions with any of the Black Hills ammo, and all shot great using open sights. I was only shooting at 50 yards this time, and I was getting groups less than two inches using a rest over the hood of my pick-up truck. The 60-gr Soft Point load gave me a one-inch group, so long as I did my part, and I did this several times. A smart writer knows when to quit; you quit when you’re at your best. After that, your groups start to open-up and you get frustrated that you can’t keep on getting those little groups all day long.

Now, here’s something of interest; the 5.56mm 69-gr Open Tip Match load was also giving me groups close to the one-inch mark, so long as I was on my game. However, when I received the 5.56mm 69-gr Sierra TMK and 70-gr Hornady GMX loads, the SR-556 Takedown’s 1:9 barrel twist just didn’t like them at all. The groups were all over the place. Now, this isn’t the fault of the gun or the ammo; it’s the barrel twist. On the Ruger AR-556 rifles, the barrels have a 1:8 barrel twist, and I had no problems with these newest 5.56mm rounds. What I found really interesting is that the 69-gr Open Tip Match 5.56mm load shot fine, but the same 69-gr weight bullet with the Sierra TMK load wouldn’t group. So, you should always test any ammo you plan on using, first of all to make sure it functions and secondly for accuracy.

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When it comes to barrel twists in ARs, it just depends on the particular rifle and the bullet weights you are using. Many ARs with a barrel twist of 1:9 won’t shoot anything with any sort of accuracy over 62-grs; some will, and some just won’t. It depends on the gun itself and the ammo you are using. If you want to shoot heavy .223 or 5.56 bullets, you should go with a 1:7 inch barrel twist. Who knows, maybe Ruger will offer conversion kits for these Takedown rifles with different barrel twists. Still, I found it a little bit strange that this gun would shoot and group the 69-gr Open Tip Match round, but the 69-gr Sierra TMK round wouldn’t group. One would assume (and we shouldn’t do that should we?) that the bullets are the same weight, so they should shoot about the same, right? Nope!

Black Hills sent me some of their .300 Whisper 125-gr Open Tip Match ammo. I actually received the ammo several weeks before I got the Takedown .300 AAC Blackout barrel conversion. Now, to be sure, you can shoot .300 Whisper through a rifle chambered in .300 AAC Blackout, however, the reverse isn’t always true. You really shouldn’t shoot .300 AAC Blackout in a rifle chambered in .300 Whisper. They are “that” close to being the same ammo, but there is a silly millimeter difference in the specs of the rounds. I know some people don’t have any problems shooting .300 AAC Blackout in a rifle chambered in .300 Whisper, so proceed with caution. Black Hills also manufactures a 220-gr subsonic .300 Whisper round, but it won’t function the action, if you don’t have a suppressor on the end of the barrel, so I didn’t request any of the heavier .300 Whisper ammo from them for my testing.

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Some months back, I received a Ruger Mini-14 in .300 AAC Blackout, and I’m here to tell you I simply fell in love with this round. It is actually a bit more potent than the 7.62X39 round that is used in the AK-47. Again, the only ammo I had in to shoot in the Ruger Mini-14 in .300 AAC Blackout was the Black Hills .300 Whisper 125-gr OTM round, and it shot great. There is just “something” about the .300 AAC Blackout/.300 Whisper that draws me to it; it’s nothing I can really put my finger on though, strange! The round is super accurate, and it can be used for hunting medium-sized game, and I understand it is great on wild pigs, too.

Once the .300 AAC Blackout barrel was installed on the SR-556 Takedown, I ran out to the range and used the Black Hills .300 Whisper, 125-gr Open Tip Match ammo. Once again, my shooting was done only at 50 yards because of weather conditions– extreme fire danger. I had zero problems keeping all those rounds under one inch. The gun can shoot, and the ammo was second to none. Then again, I expect nothing less from Black Hills Ammunition. I was more than a little impressed with the .300 Whisper ammo in the Takedown. I have since begged Jeff Hoffman, who co-owns Black Hills Ammunition with his lovely wife, Kristi, for some more of their .300 Whisper ammo, just for killing rocks and paper. They happily sent me a good supply for further shooting.

I have zero complaints about the Ruger SR-556 Takedown that I can think of. As I suggested to Ruger, I’d like to see if offered along with their AR-556 in .300 AAC Blackout to start with, and if a person wants to swap out that .300 barrel in the Takedown version for one in .223/5.56 they can. If Ruger offered their AR-556 in .300 Blackout, I’d buy one in an instant. I have no complaints with my Ruger Mini-14 in .300 Blackout, but still I’d buy their AR-556 in .300 Blackout if it was offered.

The .300 AAC Blackout is rapidly gaining acceptance for a round that can outperform the .223/5.56, especially when more power is needed at longer distances. The .300 Blackout will outperform the .223/5.56 out past 450 yards and hit harder and hit with a .30 caliber bullet instead of the lighter .222/5.56 will, and I didn’t even mention recoil. I honestly didn’t notice much more recoil between the .223/5.56 rounds and the .300 Whisper rounds I fired. I guess there was a bit more recoil with the bigger rounds, but I honestly didn’t notice it during my firing.

One of the benefits with the .300 AAC Blackout round is that it fits into AR-sized guns. There’s no changing out the bolt/bolt carrier, just a different barrel, and you can use the same magazines if you want. Ruger, on the side of caution, sends two magazines with the .300 Blackout conversion with the mags clearly marked as to .300 Blackout. Of course, as mentioned, mine didn’t have any markings. Then again, it was one of the first .300 Blackout conversion kits shipped.

Full retail on the Ruger SR-556 Takedown is $2,049.00. To be sure, it is spendy, but there are many other piston-driven AR-style rifles in only .223 or only in .300 Blackout that are a lot more money. Ruger has always offered blue collar prices on their guns. While I’ll readily admit that this is a lot money, the gun is worth it, especially when you consider that you can change calibers in a minute with the conversion kit, and it sells for under $500, too. I’m keeping my sample, and now I have to find a way to pay for it. Maybe I’ll declare it as a Christmas present to myself. How much can the wife complain? I always tell her that, “I just need one more gun…” and it’s still as true today as it was when I first told her that, many years ago. Check out the Ruger SR-556 Takedown at your dealer, if you can find one. They are still in short supply, due to great demand.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Amish White Bread, by C.P.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups warm tap water (Let your wrist tell you the temp. It needs to be like a very warm baby bottle.)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon dry yeast
  • 2/3 cup sugar or less, depending on how sweet you want your bread
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 5-6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl to proof yeast, add water, yeast, and 1 tsp of the sugar. Let sit 10 minutes while mixing dry ingredients.
  2. Add 5 to 5 1/2 cups of the flour to mixer bowl.
  3. Add sugar, salt. Mix lightly, then add the oil and water.
  4. After yeast has proofed, add it to the dry ingredients.
  5. Mix with a dough hook on 3-4 speed for 8 minutes (by hand knead for 10 minutes) Add more flour if dough is too sticky a little at a time.
  6. Put in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, then set aside in a warm spot to rise for 45-60 minutes, until double in size. I like to use my oven that was turned on to 400 degrees for about 4 minutes then turned off.
  7. Punch down dough, then divide in half, squeeze dough well and roll into shapes of loaves.
  8. Place in two greased loaf pans and let rise 30-45 minutes.
  9. Turn oven on to 325 degrees, put pans in and bake for 35-40 minutes.
  10. Remove from oven and turn out loaves. Thump on bottom. Hollow sound means they are done.
  11. Cool on rack. Serve warm with butter.

Makes two loaves.

Notes:

  • You can also use less sugar if desired. Replace sugar with honey, but will need a little more flour.
  • Replace white all-purpose flour with bread flour or fresh ground whole white wheat, but it will take longer to rise.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Law Enforcement Officers

Everyone should get a copy of a book titled, The Third Alternative: Christian Self Government, written by Bill Burtness, A Christian with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.

The book illustrates that when individuals operate in conduct based on moral relativism (everyone does right in their own eyes), that a large band of law enforcement is needed to keep boundaries or order within society. With that liberal creed, and with so many truths circulating – the LAW automatically becomes alive and with brut force to align everyone. However, the author insightfully points out that when individuals emulate God’s law, there is no need to have law enforcement in such force because now everyone is emulating one truth, one adherence to a common code of conduct. That is, the highest class of law abiding citizen– emulating God’s love for one another. He illustrates in great detail that is how Heaven is governed, through God’s love on human hearts, and there is no law enforcement in Heaven. – X-liberal

Economics and Investing:

A sobering, yet mind-blowing visualization of the world’s money: All of the World’s Money and Markets in One Visualization – Sent in by V.M.

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U.S. Silver Production Drops Significantly Again In October… Has Peak Silver Arrived?

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

When the Salsa Stops (The Economist) Excerpt: “PUERTO RICO’S creditors have plenty to complain about, but they can’t claim they weren’t warned. Last June Alejandro García Padilla, the governor of America’s Caribbean outpost, announced that its $72 billion public debt was “unpayable”, and that a “unilateral and unplanned non-payment of obligations” loomed.”

News Flash from the December Jobs Report: The US Economy is Dead in the Water (Contra Corner) Excerpt: “That’s right. We are not talking tin foil hats here. It is plain as day that the BLS’ seasonal adjustments are a completely stupid waste of time. During the winter season especially, it might as well just use a random numbers generator.”

Deficit Rises to $212B (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “The deficit has fallen from more than $1 trillion in the wake of the financial crisis to successive lows in recent years. It is expected to begin growing again, however, in fiscal 2017, according to the CBO’s projections.”

How Much Did Obama Hawaii Trip Cost You? (Judicial Watch) Spoiler Alert: $8,098,060.33 Excerpt: “It is nice to know that Obama’s “tradition” of Christmas vacations in Hawaii comes courtesy of overburdened taxpayers.”

International News

When $3T Isn’t Enough (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “The paradox that China finds itself in is that as it devalues the currency in what it hopes is a controlled fashion, the FX outflows soar, forcing the PBOC to intervene and slow down the devaluation, leading to a self-defeating process in which China not only devalues far slower than it hopes, but results in an accelerated depletion of reserves…”

China’s Largest Bank Buys Huge 1,500-Tonne Gold Vault in London (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “China’s largest bank is buying the lease on Deutsche Bank’s huge London gold and silver vault, enlarging its footprint in the city’s bullion market…”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

37 Things You Should Keep in Your Car (Brad’s Deals) Excerpt: “With winter in full force, now is a good time to get your car in order. Would you have what you needed if your car broke down? Or if you were stranded somewhere? Check out our list of things you should have in your car – then knock on wood that you never need to use them.”

Time Warner Cable Warns 320,000 Customers Their Data May Have Been Stolen (Clark Howard) Excerpt: “If you’re a customer of Time Warner Cable, you might want to change your email password – and also check your financial statements for any potential fraudulent activity.”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader B.B. sent in this link. We have been discussing the danger of computer algorithms determining everything about you from your credit worthiness to how “good” a citizen you are, now comes the “threat” score: The new way police are surveilling you: Calculating your threat ‘score’ This should be yet one more wake-up-call for those who are active on social media. Data mining of information that you just “throw out there” is big business.

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Continuing the ongoing bluster coming out of North Korea is a video of a ‘new’ submarine-launched missile test. There is some considerable question about the validity of this video, but the fact that they are actively working on a delivery system for their nukes is most disturbing.

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SurvivalBlog reader D.S. sent in this link on how to use ice to survive. Survive With Ice.

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Wondering why you should carry? Woman raped by five men in New York City park. How different would this have turned out if the father had been carrying and had known how to use it? – Sent in by GJM

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Texas armed standoff ends after 15 years