Can You Buy a Budget Sniping Rifle That Is Effective?, by B.F.

2

There are many definitions of what sniping is. A google search results in 242,000 hits. What one writer calls sniping, another may call precision marksmanship, counter-sniping, or just plain shooting. For the purpose of this article, we will look at rifles capable of acceptable accuracy and sufficient stopping power at distances beyond those of a typical 5.56 or 7.62×39 modern sporting rifle. I’ll compare several budget rifles to a couple that are quite a bit more expensive. Shooting will be done at both 100 and 550 yards, both cold barrel and warm barrel.

Honestly, I am not convinced that a prepper will engage much in sniping. I know there are scenarios with armed roving bands of bad guys laying waste to the countryside and others where survivalists band together to overthrow an unjust post-apocalypse government and their Quislings; however, I am not sure I believe those scenarios are the most likely ones to prepare for, maybe after all your other preps are in place but not as a high priority.

I am a self-professed gun nut as well as a bargain hunter; that’s a bad combination. I have accumulated too many guns and am in the process of getting rid of some of the excess. However, I figured before I do I’d satisfy myself about the accuracy of the lower end guns. When I began getting interested in guns and shooting back in the 1960s, minute of angle (MOA) accuracy– approximately one inch at 100 yards– was uncommon. It was something that you could only expect on expensive custom guns or on guns that were finely tuned. Today, if a gun (even an inexpensive one) doesn’t shoot MOA out of the box, many consider it a “junker”. Even low end Steven’s bolt actions, retailing for well under $300 with scope, shoot MOA.

The budget guns I will be using and the price I paid for them is as follows:

  • Remington 700 BDL 7mm Magnum- Walmart $250 (clearance)
  • Remington 700 BDL .243 Winchester- Walmart $245 (clearance)
  • Remington 770 .308 Winchester- Gun Show $155 (used)
  • Remington 710 30-06- Gun Show $200 (used)
  • Ishapore 2a .308 Winchester- Pawn Shop $125 (sporterized)
  • Remington 742 Gamemaster 30-06- Gun Broker $225 (used)

For comparison purposes, I’ll use the following higher end guns. I’m not going to list the price, in case my wife might read this. These follow:

  • Remington 700 .308 custom, blueprinted with 16 ¼ inch bull barrel and folding stock 10x scope
  • State Arms Rebel custom 50 BMG 20x scope
  • Custom Springfield 1903 heavy barrel target rifle 30-06 (target sights)

The budget guns will all use a Nikon, Burris, or Leupold mid-price variable power scopes, and I’ll use Hornady Precision Hunter factory ammunition for all the guns except the 50 BMG, which will use Hornady A-max match. I am sure that I could try quite a few different types of factory or hand-loaded ammunition to find the ammunition that each rifle prefers, but finding the best load for all of these could take months, and that is not the focus of this article.

I have seen a number of references to something like the Remington 710 or 770 in .300 Win Mag as being a starter or budget sniper’s rifle for preppers. If you already have one, fine. Maybe I’ll pick one up sometime to see how they perform but given my experience with the 300 Win Mag (I have had several over the years) it has too much recoil for a casual shooter, and I don’t think a scenario where preppers will engage targets beyond 1000 yards (where the cartridge has an advantage over the .308 and the 30-06) is at all likely. Barrel life, muzzle blast, and ammunition availability are also concerns.

I have read a quote that “anyone can be a sniper once”. I am not sure where I read it, but the focus of the article was that shooting someone in cold blood when you can see their face in the scope and watch their movement is something anyone can do one time; it is the second time that people have trouble with. To give you more to think about when it comes to what it takes to be a sniper, please read the excellent article by P.A, a Marine Corps scout sniper section leader, on SurvivalBlog.

Before we get to the numbers, let’s talk a bit about sniping. The verb “to snipe” has been attributed to British soldiers in India in the 1770s, who used it to describe snipe hunters, the snipe being a small fast bird that was a hard target to hit. The actual use of the term “sniper” came into use in the 1820s. This is something to remember when you read historical novels talking about “snipers” in the revolutionary war or before. It’s not to say that sniping didn’t take place before that time; it’s just that it was not called sniping.

There is a famous quote attributed to Union Major General John Sedgwick who was berating his soldiers during the battle of Spotsylvania Court House for dodging bullets from Confederate sharpshooters by saying “They can’t hit an elephant at this distance.” Shortly after that, he was proved wrong when he was shot in the head at a distance of 500 yards by a Confederate sniper using a British Whitworth target rifle. (Obviously, I can’t personally attest to this; however, enough reliable sources exist that I believe it to be true.)

Let’s compare police and military sniping to highlight the differences. For in depth reading about snipers, I would strongly suggest The Ultimate Sniper by Maj John Plaster.

Police sniping/counter sniping

Police snipers are employed to kill a bad guy. They do this at ranges they are certain of a kill without danger to bystanders. Although there are famous (or infamous) examples where innocent bystanders are hit, I will not get into that. A study conducted by The American Snipers Association analyzed 219 engagements over the span of 20 years. It found that the average range of a police sniper shot was fifty one yards, with the longest shot being 187 yards and the shortest being less than five yards. If you think about it, the flight time of a bullet at 100 yards is one tenth of a second. Add to that another tenth of a second (minimum) between the time a sniper makes the decision to shoot and the actual shot, and you realize that the target or an innocent bystander can move a significant distance in that time. Someone at a normal walking speed of about three miles per hour moves about five and a half inches in a tenth of a second. This can make a positive shot into a miss (or a hit of an innocent bystander). At longer distances, such as 500 yards, the flight time approaches half a second. It makes you wonder whether police snipers at large public gatherings such as football games, political rallies, and demonstrations would actually shoot someone who was a threat, or if they are only there for security theater purposes.

Military Sniping Snipers are force multipliers. A military sniper is as interested in killing their target as they are in neutralizing them. As a Combat Engineer, I went through the transition from M14 anti-personnel mines to the M25 Elsie mine. Both are intended to freeze enemy troops in place and to injure a soldier, requiring two other soldiers to carry the wounded and one to provide medical treatment, although the shaped charge in the M25 does prove to be fatal more often than not after the casualty is evacuated. Likewise, the military sniper does not always care about a kill shot. He takes out command and control targets and concentrates on torso shots, not the head shots you always see in the movies. The military sniper operates as a member of a team, with the shooter and spotter trading roles to extend their effectiveness time. They often provide overwatch and security for other operations (at least in the typical MOUT operations we see today in the Middle East).

Military Designated Marksman

The Designated Marksman, unlike a sniper, operates as a part of a squad. His or her role is to engage individual targets at longer ranges (up to 800 meters) than the infantry squad is equipped or trained to do. Typically the DM will have a rifle in .308 (7.62×51) caliber and will have additional training in quick, precise shooting. The DM role came about because of the real world experience with the 5.56mm round lacking effectiveness beyond 300 meters, especially when fired from the shorter 14.5-inch barrel of the M4 carbine.

DIP Sniper

I guess a final sniper role is the DIP (Die In Place) sniper. This is a sniper who works to pin down or distract an enemy force to allow for the escape or movement of the remainder of the force. Please see JWRs novel Patriots for a very good fictional account of a prepper who makes this choice. You can also read another account in JWRs Expatriates about a sniper who is able to draw a patrol away from its intended course.

The Rifle Test

Back to the test. I wanted to test cold bore consistency, since that is probably the most likely scenario for a shoot and scoot sniper situation.

To test cold bore accuracy, I set up a separate target for each rifle at 100 yards. I fired one round, then went to the next rifle, and fired it. By the time I got done with one round from each of the nine rifles, the first one had cooled, and it was ready for the next shot. The shooting was done first thing in the morning, to avoid wind. Three rounds were fired from each rifle.

The results at 100 yards were:

  • Remington 700 BDL 7mm Magnum- 7.5 inches
  • Remington 700 BDL .243 Winchester- 1.25 inches
  • Remington 770 .308 Winchester- .90 inches
  • Remington 710 30-06- 2.25 inches
  • Ishapore 2a .308 Winchester- 3.5 inches
  • Remington 742 Gamemaster 30-06- 3.25 inches
  • Remington 700 .308 custom- .35 inches
  • State Arms Rebel custom 50- BMG- .75 inches
  • Custom Springfield 1903 heavy barrel target 30-06- .55 inches

Now, from these results, you can see that the custom guns have a definite advantage, although the Remington 770 did pretty well. You can also see that there is something wrong with the 7mm magnum. I checked the mounts and rings, changed the scopes, and still got bad results. Well, that gun was bought as a project gun anyway, so I am not worried, but this poor accuracy is unusual for a Remington 700 with less than 20 rounds fired.

Next, I drove out to the 550 yard berm and set up some more targets, again following the same procedure with one target per rifle. I had some leftover 1000 yard target centers; that gave me a large enough bullseye for the scopes with the lower magnification.

The results at this range were as follows:

  • Remington 700 BDL 7mm Magnum Could not stay on target- dropped from test
  • Remington 700 BDL .243 Winchester- 7.0 inches
  • Remington 770 .308 Winchester- .4.25 inches
  • Remington 710 30-06- 8.75 inches
  • Ishapore 2a .308 Winchester- 12.5 inches
  • Remington 742 Gamemaster 30-06- 9.25 inches
  • Remington 700 .308 custom- 2.75 inches
  • State Arms Rebel custom 50 BMG- 3.0 inches
  • Custom Springfield 1903 heavy barrel target- 2.25 inches

A couple of years ago, I did have a chance to shoot at 1000 yards during a vacation with my son at the NRAs Whittington Center outside of Raton, New Mexico. I had a few of these guns with me. I don’t recall the ammunition used, except for the two Remington .308s, which used Black Hills 168 grain HPBT match.

The results at 1000 yards were the following:

  • Remington 770 .308 Winchester, 24 inches
  • Remington 700 .308 custom, 18.75 inches (the short barrel really hurt its long range performance)
  • State Arms Rebel custom 50 BMG 20x scope, 8.25 inches
  • Custom Springfield 1903 heavy barrel target 30-06, 11.50 inches

So what conclusions can we draw from this exercise? First, it is not necessary to spend big dollars on custom or high end sniper rifles to have a gun that will make an adequate sniper rifle. With the exception of the Remington 7mm magnum, they were all accurate enough for a torso shot at 550 yards.

Second, 1000 yards is a long way off, even with expensive guns shot in the still air just after sun rise, as the groups open up quite a bit. A 1000 yard shot is probably not practical for most of us, especially in a life or death situation.

Finally, real sniping is about much more than just being able to put a round on paper from a bench. If you look at the curriculum at any of the military sniper schools, shooting is a small part of what is being taught. While it may not be a bad idea for you to own and practice with an accurate high powered rifle, true sniping capability will take more time than most of us have to invest in learning that skill.

Two Letters Re: Keep Your Bicycle Running in Tough Times, by S.H.

HJL,

The most remarkable product I ever used to save a bike tire is MXBON 105 instant industrial glue <http://www.mxbon105.com/category_s/1818.htm>. A few years ago, riding home from work at night, I missed a sharp-edged object on the road, but my front tire did not. There was an immediate 3/4″ cut across the tread, including through reinforcing fabric! After a few bad words, a couple of miles walking, two bus rides, I was home, where I removed and patched the tube, removed the tire, applied MXBON 105 to the cut, pushed the open “wound” shut for a few seconds, sanded the hardened excess glue inside the tire to smooth it, and the tire was repaired. The remounted the tire and tube, inflated to between 60 and 80 psi, have been holding pressure ever since, over some of the most poorly-maintained roads I’ve seen, though I’ve since upgraded my headlight. – AMN

o o o

James,

A good article except a real pepper would invest in solid tubes or better solid tires. I have these on my wife’s 26 inch and will get them for mine soon. At $60 a tire, it’s worth it, as flats are a past memory. This is the website.

HJL Responds: During a TEOTWAWKI event, I might be able to put up with solid tubes, but the weight added makes it a lot more work to ride. A standard, in states where puncture vine (aka goat heads) are common, is “Slime”. Even in high pressure tires (120 psi) the Slime will seal lots of small holes. You must carry a pump with you, as the rotation of the tire is critical to the sealing function and a tire that is stationary for a couple of hours will leak. I have literally seen a tire with thousands of punctures still operate with Slime.

Economics and Investing:

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Bitcoin Or Gold: Did The Alleged Bitcoin Creator Just Settle Once And For All What Is More Valuable?

David Stockman: December 16, 2015—–When The End Of The Bubble Begins

What Benefits To Savers? Banks Rush To Hike Prime Rate To 3.50%, Forget To Increase Deposit Rate

Items from Professor Preponomics:

U.S. News

All eyes are on the FED…

Fed’s Historic Liftoff and Everything After: Decision Day Guide(Bloomberg Business) “Economists and traders expect the first interest rate increase since 2006, marking the beginning of the end for the unprecedented era of easy monetary policy. The move would come at a time when a commodity slump is causing the market for high-yield bonds to gyrate, sending tremors through financial conditions indexes and spreading unease across trading desks.”

The Fed is about the Close a Momentous Chapter in Monetary Policy History (Business Insider) Why now? “…the Fed would rather avoid a situation where it has to play catch-up and tighten financial conditions too quickly in the future than take the risk of not having enough runway to lower rates later.”

Tomorrow will be a Watershed Moment for Markets (Contra Corner) But the Fed may already be solidly positioned between the rock and the hard place… “The Fed has dithered and equivocated itself right into an impossible corner. When it raises interest rates — even by 25 basis points — tomorrow, it will begin tightening right in the teeth of the next recession. The economic downturn is already gathering force throughout the world. And, in my judgment, it will hit American shores next year or shortly thereafter.”

How the Fed Rate Hike Could Affect Housing, Autos (USA Today) In the winners’ circle? Among the few rate hike winners will be the nation’s banks– specifically with regard to rates on credit cards and home equity loans.

Wall Street Risks Edging Higher, Government Warns (Washington Examiner) Will an increase in rates curb risky investment decisions as investors reach for yield? It’s an interesting question, but seems unlikely given the risk taking evidence of the past.

International News

Coming Federal Reserve Interest Rate Hike Looms Over Global Markets (Telegraph) Will the rate hike decision hold? Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid says: “If the next recession comes in the next couple of years, it’s hard to imagine rates being high enough that the Fed will be able to avoid returning to zero again with risks that a fourth round of quantitative easing will be needed.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

How Borrowers Can Prepare for Rising Interest Rates (Wall Street Journal)

Odds ‘n Sods:

From the Desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor At Large: Would you trust your life to a company that can’t get its calibers straight? .22mm short?

o o o

Reader A.L. sent in this link as an outstanding response to the question about “peacful Muslims”
HJL Adds: This is a somewhat dated link but an excellent one nonetheless and worth repeating. I recently heard a podcast on Forward Observer Magazine that also gives some good reasoning. The short of it? “Islam” apparently means “submission” as in submission to Allah. If you’re going to be submissive to Allah, you need to find out what Allah’s will is. You do that by reading the Qu’ran and in its pages you learn that Islam is indeed a religion of peace. Peace that is obtained by vanquishing all of your enemies. Allah’s will is that Islam becomes not just the dominate political system but the only one. In other words it instructs “convert or die”. And we not only allow refugees of this political system masquerading as a religion into our borders, but we allow the U.N. (UNHCR) to decide who gets to come? We have truly lost our collective minds!

o o o

Reader T.Z. recommended this link on A short course in counter-terror theory. It’s a different perspective but good points.

o o o

Team led by Middle Eastern Woman Caught Surveilling U.S. Facility on Mexican Border. How many more have they missed?! – Sent in by W.C.

o o o

Several readers wrote in about the link to Firbrotext Nightwalker suits. It does appear to be available to the general public: Fibrotex Online (currently on sale)
There is also another product that may augment the Nightwalker for static locations: MVT Shield.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“I shall exert every faculty I possess in aiding to prevent the Constitution from being nullified, destroyed, or impaired; and even though I should see it fail, I will still, with a voice feeble, perhaps, but earnest as ever issued from human lips, and with extinguish, call on the people to come to its rescue.” – Daniel Webster

Notes for Wednesday – December 16, 2015

December 16th, 1928, was the birthday of Philip K. Dick, who died March 2, 1982. He penned a remarkable number of sci-fi novels and novellas that have been adapted into movies, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Screamers, Impostor, Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Next, and The Adjustment Bureau. Though he had a troubled personal life (with drug use and several failed marriages), his captivating books certainly had a knack for envisioning potential futures.

o o o

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 pmags 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 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 61 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.

Normalcy Bias, by KR in TN

Most people I know enjoy a little adventure. While it may not be sky diving, even the more reserved, quiet spirits appreciate a change of pace. Some get their kicks from visiting the mouse at his Magic Kingdom, while others get it from a morning in the tree stand or an afternoon under the hood. Regardless of what they do, folks like to break up the monotony of the daily grind. Doing the same ole’ same ole’ gets old, but the day to day life we live is what we’ve come to expect. Yesterday was the same as the day before it, so we expect today to be the same as yesterday and tomorrow to be the same as today. For the most part, that is exactly what will happen. In fact, what does happen when our routine is disrupted? We can get thrown off fairly easily.

What is it?

Fortunately, we normally face very few truly serious situations in our lives, and most disruptions are minor inconveniences. Car accidents happen, but relatively few are fatal; fires happen but are comparatively rare. When these tragedies do strike, we often come through them with a few bumps and occasionally smelling like smoke but with little true damage. “Those things” only happen to others– sometimes people we know– but almost never to us. This leads to what we refer to as “normalcy bias”, which is the inability to recognize the possibility or the potential severity of a disaster.

Here’s one small scale example of normalcy bias: the power is out, but you still flip light switches as you enter a room, even while you carry a flashlight or candle. You know the power isn’t working, but habit and normalcy bias prevents you from fully grasping the situation and consequences you face and making necessary adjustments. This is the same reason you open the refrigerator door numerous times and let out cold air, even when you know the power outage means it’s not running and won’t stay cold during the blackout. We’re conditioned to them working, and we assume they’ll be back soon.

While light switches and refrigerator doors are relatively minor issues, the problem with normalcy bias is that it can be absolutely deadly. Normalcy bias will kill, because it camouflages danger, allowing those threats to sneak up and bite when least expected. We’re caught flatfooted, failing to act on the signs of danger, since the expectation is that things will work out. After all, they always have, haven’t they? Rather than getting out in front of the approaching calamity and ahead of the curve, the boom falls and knocks us on our can. We can still adapt and overcome, but at that point we’re already behind the eight ball.

Consider how these situations and normalcy bias complicates your decision making. Your neighbor feels under the weather, which is perfectly understandable considering it’s been a cold, wet fall. However, is it a common cold or another case of the latest highly-contagious illness sweeping the country? The Dow opens low and quickly falls lower. Is the drop in stock prices a minor correction, or is the bottom falling out of the economy? We can’t jump at demons hidden in every shadow, but we also can’t sit back on our heels. But normalcy bias interferes with many people’s thought process and convinces them that things are fine (or will be again soon enough).

Many times it’s not ”us” that struggle with normalcy bias. We see the possibility and signs, which is why we prepare. Often it’s our spouse or children who wrestle with believing that things could drastically change for the long term, or at least long enough to completely change our way of life. This further complicates our critical thinking. When the people we care about most are telling us that everything is fine and there’s nothing to worry about, we not only have to combat our own normalcy bias, we have to contend with our loved ones’ desire to believe that all is well with the world. Deciding when to bug out is even more difficult when the very people we’re planning to care for don’t want to go along with our plans. By their reasoning, everything has turned out alright thus far, why assume the worst this time? And how many of us can blame them? We’ve seen a myriad of scenarios come to nothing, despite the undoubtable certainty that they could have easily gone the other way. So, there it is, the seed of normalcy bias, waiting to lull us to sleep at the worst possible opportunity, when we need to be most awake.

How do you overcome normalcy bias?

In the EMS world we call it “maintaining a high index of suspicion”. Just because things look relatively calm now, we keep our head up and eyes open when dealing with our patients, because we know that stable situations fall apart quickly and the sooner we recognize that slide the faster we can react, treat the patient, and get back ahead of the curve. It’s no different in the world of preps. You have to have your head on a swivel for what’s coming down the pike.

That high index of suspicion comes from being well informed and studied on the potential for problems as well as the signs and symptoms of those problems. Situational awareness was drilled into all of us in Marine Corps aircrew training. Knowing what was going on around us, and having a practiced plan for when things went wrong, was critical to our mission accomplishment. I have yet to meet a prepper who doesn’t follow the news. We look to our sources for intel and scuttlebutt to connect the dots and show us what’s going on behind the scenes. Our desire for information also accounts for the importance we give to comms and the regard we hold for radio operators. Ham operators are more than just hobbyists; they’re the backbone of our communication network and the source for gathering and dispersing ground level intel.

There’s a significant difference between situational awareness and paranoia we need to keep in mind. Situational awareness is keeping your ears open. Paranoia is believing everything you hear. Working at a retail store selling emergency preparedness supplies, I have opportunity to talk shop with many different folks with many different perspectives as well as theories. The truth is that we all come at prepping from different angles and may take a different tact on both what preparedness means or what we’re preparing for. However, despite our differing levels and subjects of concern, we all agree that we need to prepare. The bottom line is that regardless of your thirst for intel, you will never truly understand what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s not to dismiss anyone’s effort to peer behind the curtain, but a little perspective here is crucial. As my boss is fond of saying, “I’d rather be drinking a cup of coffee from a well-stocked, safe position while watching mushroom clouds in the distance with absolutely no idea what’s going on than be lying dead in a ditch knowing exactly what was happening.”

There’s another place where normalcy bias bites us. Normalcy bias leads us to assume that others are like us, think like us, act and react like us, and see the world through our lens. They don’t. No one has seen what you’ve seen or experienced what you’ve experienced. No one can ever share your unique perspective, no matter how like-minded they may be. It takes time to develop a group norm that supersedes the individual normative. However, these individual differences are essential to the group, adding perspective. The ability to see issues from other angles is absolutely indispensable, which is one of the great benefits from working together with people who may be like-minded but are not simply clones mimicking your own thoughts and opinions.

Whether friends or family, the people you surround yourself with all have their perspectives and world views. Where they differ from your own, there’s the possibility of conflict. It’s easy to lock onto the differences, focus on the places where unity is thin, and pick people apart. Most groups will implode from personality strife at the point those differences become central. The wise group is the one that learns to listen to these different voices and formulate a comprehensive plan that incorporates individual skills and talents and implements strong communication, as well as some oversight and accountability. This allows everyone to contribute to the betterment of the group, valuing others’ perspective and the differing opinions that come with them, while also providing a structure that keeps everyone moving in the same direction, not to mention adding a layer of insulation against the bite of normalcy bias.

It’s impossible to completely prepare for every contingency, but with good planning we can stay well ahead of the curve. Some days that’s the best we can get, and we have to pray that’s enough. Whether you’re working alone or with a group, a new prepper or experienced old timer, keeping strong situational awareness and a high index of suspicion will guard against falling prey to the sting of normalcy bias.

Letter: Good Idea for BOB Water

Hugh,

I thought I’d seen it all. Well, at my age I have seen most of it, but it’s not often I see a prep idea I haven’t seen before AND that makes this much sense.

hosebibwohandle

Access to water is one of the very top preps. Many places you will see an outside water faucet (aka hose bib or sillcock). But the owner has removed the handle so only he can use it. It’s a deep hole and very difficult to manipulate without the proper handle or tool, which is by design. Enter the 4-way Sillcock Key.

It’s $8.50 from Amazon. Your local hardware store carries them in plumbing tools. I got mine locally for $6.50. Yeah, if you carry a set of socket wrenches with you, this is redundant, but the Key is a small, inexpensive, sturdy, convenient hack. I now keep one in every vehicle and one in my bugout bag. It’s the best, inexpensive idea I’ve found in a while, and a cheap Christmas gift for a prepper pal too.

MORAL: You can ALWAYS teach an ‘ol dog new tricks! – J.N.

Economics and Investing:

Big Banks Caught Using Credit Default Swaps To Destroy Nations

o o o

Silver: Until Paper Currencies Stop Losing Value

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

U.S. News

Janet Yellen: An Orthodox Economist in Unorthodox Times (Reuters) Commentary: Brief, easily readable, a good overview as we approach the coming announcement with the Federal Reserve’s decision regarding a rate hike. This article revisits the idea that old models may no longer work to evaluate current conditions and the uncertain environment in which decisions will be made.

Fannie and Freddie’s Propoganda War (Wall Street Journal)

Bubble Watch: No Down Payment Jumbo Mortgage Makes Comback (Mises Institute) Commentary: This is a BIG WHOOPS waiting to happen… Article Excerpt: “San Francisco’s real estate market is widely regarded as being in a bubble, boosted by the money flowing into the tech industry. The tech industry, of course, is also regarded as being in its own bubble, brought about by the massive amounts of money poured into the financial system by the Federal Reserve in response to the 2008 financial crisis.”

International News

The Global Economic Cost of Terrorism is Now at It’s Highest Since 9/11 (Bloomberg) Article Quote: “In 2014, acts of terror cost the world $52.9 billion— roughly the size of Bulgaria’s entire annual gross domestic product…”

How Much Money Goes to Fighting and Funding Isis? (Market Watch) Spoiler Alert: Most of their revenue stream comes from oil with an estimated annual revenue stream of $500M from this source alone.

The World’s “Hot” Money (Visual Capitalist) Commentary: This type of activity should sound all kinds of security alarms. Article Quote: “Trade misinvoicing is a form of trade-based money laundering made possible by the fact that trading partners write their own trade documents, or arrange to have the documents prepared in a third country (typically a tax haven), a method known as re-invoicing.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

6 Steps to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early (Clark Howard) Article Quote: “It’s a question personal finance experts have been debating for years. Some say it makes financial sense to invest that money in the stock market, while others say you won’t ever regret being 100% debt free.” Commentary: People who believe in prepared living will most certainly go with never regretting being 100% debt free!

Odds ‘n Sods:

For readers who’d like to get a glimpse of what the terrain, weather, and people are like in the Ilemi Triangle (the main locale of my latest novel, Land of Promise), I recommend a YouTube video narrated by a C-130 Hercules pilot who was based out of Lokichoggio, Kenya: A Postcard From Loki. – JWR

o o o

This video clip from Homeland pretty well sums up just how extremely devoted the jihadis are to setting up an Islamic Caliphate: Quinn from Homeland Understands the Problem – JWR

o o o

For those following the Infrared camoflauge technology, SurvivalBlog reader M.R. sent in this link to a lightweight thermal concealment system. We’re not sure if it is available to the general public or not.

o o o

Here is some real survival skill – Prehistoric weapon used by Missouri hunter to bag huge whitetail. In the words of C.H. who sent this link: “I’m not worthy!”

o o o

ICE Brags About Catching 0.0002% of Criminal Aliens – If ICE apprehended 39 criminal aliens in 5 days, that clocks in at about 7.8 aliens per day. If the agency continued this torrid pace day after day after day, it would take them almost 63 years to apprehend all 179,000 of the criminal aliens we have on our streets today. – P.M.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” – George Washington

Notes for Tuesday – December 15, 2015

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. (The Bill of Rights became law on this day in 1791, following ratification by the state of Virginia.) We encourage our American readers to gather publicly and read the Bill of Rights aloud.

The 15th of December, 1923, was the birth day of Uziel “Uzi” Gal (born Gotthard Glas). According to Wikipedia, he was “…born in Weimar, Germany. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 he moved first to England and later, in 1936, to Kibbutz Yagur in the British Mandate of Palestine where he changed his name to Uziel Gal. In 1943, he was arrested for illegally carrying a gun and sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was pardoned and released in 1946, serving less than half of his sentence.” He is, of course, remembered as the inventor of the famous Uzi submachine gun and the short-lived Ruger MP9 (an improvement to the Uzi). Uzi Gal is not to be confused with Israel Galili, the chief weapons designer for Israeli Military Industries (IMI), who along with Yaacov Lior designed the Galil improvement to the AK-47.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 61 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 pmags 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 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 $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  6. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  7. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  8. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. 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 61 ends on November 30th, 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.

How To Title Retreat Property, An Overlooked Item in Your Planning, by John in the Ozarks

I have spent the last eight years building and stocking my full-time retreat. Our family has had a terrific timing putting this together. One thing has happened beyond our control. The area we are located in has grown substantially. Our population has increased substantially, and we have also been slotted to receive Syrian refugees. I have come to the realization that It is simply going to be too hard to depend on this location as my only retreat. So after due diligence and the help of Survival Realty, I have purchased a secondary retreat in a totally different region of the U.S. I decided on a property that was extremely remote and was already built. I really didn’t have the time or fortitude to start all over. It makes you really feel for those who must completely start over due to a disaster. After I found the property and we agreed on a price and set a date to close, I realized something that I totally overlooked on my first property, which was how to title the property correctly. This is extremely important and probably greatly overlooked by most people.

First of all, what is property title? Wikipedia defines property title as:

In property law, a title is a bundle of rights in a piece of property in which a party may own either a legal interest or equitable interest. The rights in the bundle may be separated and held by different parties. It may also refer to a formal document, such as a deed, that serves as evidence of ownership. Conveyance of the document may be required in order to transfer ownership in the property to another person. Title is distinct from possession, a right that often accompanies ownership but is not necessarily sufficient to prove it. In many cases, both possession and title may be transferred independently of each other. For real property, land registration and recording provide public notice of ownership information.

Why does it matter how you title your property? Traditionally, when you buy a piece of property, you have a closing. This is the sit down meeting where everyone attends, contracts are signed, and money is exchanged. Then this transaction gets recorded at the county level. For example, John and Jane Doe buy a farm; after the transaction is complete it gets recorded that John and Jane Doe purchased 45 acres at such and such address for a certain sum of money. Since it is recorded, it has now become public record. This is important for many reasons. This can be detrimental to John and Jane Doe. Think of all the work and time you have put in your property, the purchase, the improvements you have made only to have them taken away due to a variety of different reasons, which follow:

Lawsuits– This is probably the most common risk right now. Let’s say you are involved in a car crash or medical malpractice situation or any other litigation. When the person who is suing you goes to an attorney, the first thing the attorney does is pull your records from the state you reside. They are looking for any property you own, perhaps what you paid, maybe what you owe, and if you are worth suing. If you look like you have nothing, the chances you will get sued drop dramatically, The adage holds true that “you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip”.

Taxes- As confusing as the tax code is and who is interpreting it or enforcing it at any given time, we are all in danger of having liens placed on our property. However, if they can’t find the property to place a lean on, you have partially neutralized this threat.

Nosiness- For lack of a better term, nosiness can be a problem, too. We live in an extremely transparent time. There are people who have tons of time on their hands and Internet access to dig into people’s personal affairs. If someone has the slightest inkling you are a survivalist, they might be able to pinpoint your retreat and either show up uninvited WTSHTF, or even beat you there, or tell someone your weaknesses. Either way, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about these things?

Nelson Rockefeller summed it up best: “The secret to success is to own nothing but control everything.”

So now that I have your attention on why this is important, what is the solution? In a sense how do you own property but not let the world know it? After looking at several possibilities I have found that the best option for me is the LLC, or Limited Liability Corporation. An LLC allows the corporation to own the property, however you own the LLC. When someone searches the property, it shows up under the corporate name rather than yours. The only person that will show up is the registered agent, and this is who you appoint, generally the attorney or accountant who set up the LLC. Anonymity is not the only thing the LLC offers. They also provide the members of the LLC protection from the liability that can arise from owning property, hence the name. That is why LLC’s are so popular for owning rental property and can also provide another level of security. When people see that a corporation owns a farm, they will assume that it is a money-making venture and not a “tin foil hat wearing doomsday” homestead. A couple of additional things I would like to point out for survival retreat scenario if you choose to use an LLC include:

  • Place only one property under one LLC name, I know this sounds ridiculous but let me an offer an example of why you should do this. Let’s say you own a couple pieces of real estate and decide to put them under one LLC. You need a roof repaired and the person doing the repairs gets hurt and sues you. Under this circumstance all properties titled under the LLC are vulnerable to this lawsuit.
  • Where you file the LLC can add another layer of anonymity. You don’t have to the file the LLC in the state where the property is located or where you reside. I would actually advise you not to, since corporations are filed at the state level and very few records are shared state to state. I understand that New Mexico LLC’s provide the most privacy, so this is the one I would recommend.
  • It also is imperative you pay all your taxes and utilities out of the LLC checking account, or if you don’t want to open a checking account under the corporate name, pay everything with money orders. Do not get lazy and pay out of your personal account. Make it as hard as possible to track it back to you.
  • Also, do not name the LLC with your name in it. This is a very common mistake. Be creative and have fun with it. Schumer Independence Foundation LLC perhaps.

In closing, here are a couple of things I would like to add. An LLC option is what was best for my situation. Some people would recommend a land trust. Land trusts, like LLCs, have many benefits, more so in the anonymity department, but they have many draw backs as well. In fact some states do not allow land trusts, so do your homework. In some states, the homesteading laws are so broad you may not have to do anything to protect yourself, except simply having the property titled in your name. Talk to your accountant and attorney about different options. Title companies are also a great resource, as they are very familiar with state laws. They can probably put you in touch with an attorney who is very fluent in these manners. You can have an attorney or accountant file the corporation for you. There are also a number of Internet websites who can do this for you. It generally runs around $350.

The point of this article is to get you thinking about an item that had slipped by my preparedness list. Even if you already own your retreat, it is not too late to change the titling of your property. In some states, it costs a little more to do an LLC over a land trust after you already own the property, due to the collection of tax stamps.

It is also very easy to say to yourself, none of this stuff matters if something big happens. It won’t matter how my property is titled when the lights go out. At this point in time, the lights are on and there is a danger lurking outside the walls of your retreat. The plundering horde you should be most concerned about right now is either a group of lawyers or the tax man. They come armed with pens and papers that are just as dangerous to your liberty as a band of thieves with rifles. Consider the LLC as a shield or armor to prevent these thieves from taking what is rightfully yours. I think it should be noted that when a business incorporates as an LLC, it is considered hiding behind a corporate shield. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

How you title your property is similar to the reason we buy insurance for our house. We aren’t buying the insurance thinking our house will burn. We buy insurance in case our house does burn. So consider carefully how you title your property. It might be the most important thing you ever do to keep your retreat safe.

Letter: Federal Watch Lists

Good afternoon Hugh/JWR,

With the recent fervor arising over federal lists (airline travel, passport revocations, gun purchases, et cetera), I thought I would share a short story with the readership…

I am a professional pilot for a U.S. airline. I began flying in the 1980’s and have been feeding my family with my airman certificate for thirty years. Obviously, pilots are subject to rigorous background checks (more so since 9/11), but screening was in place in the 80’s when I began flying. In 2008 I received a letter from the Airport Police Office that has jurisdiction at the airport I fly out of (a major U.S. airport with major airline service), advising me that I had 14 days to appear in person at Airport Security and bring proof of both my identity and my U.S. citizenship, or my airport credentials would be revoked!

I called Airport Security, made an appointment, and dutifully appeared (in my Captain’s Uniform, nonetheless) with both originals and color copies of my U.S. birth certificate, State Driver’s License, State ID Card, State CHL, FAA Airman Certificate, FAA Medical Certificate, FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate, US Passport, FBI Criminal History Records Certification, Airline Employee Credentials, and my Airport Security Badge that their office had issued five years earlier (and renewed annually since then), which gives me access to the “secured” portion of the airport.

I asked to speak with the supervisor on duty and asked the supervisor how is it possible, with 30 years of flying history and all of the vetting I have been through over the years, that your office doesn’t know that I am a U.S. citizen? He had no answer, other than to say there must have been a mix-up on a DHS watch list somewhere.

Governor Malloy (of Connecticut) may think it is “Just Good Sense” to prevent anyone on the TSA no-fly list from buying a firearm, but when our government won’t tell the people who they are watching and why they are being watched, I think he is leading his state into dangerous waters. By threatening to revoke my airport credentials because I was possibly on “a list somewhere”, I was presumably guilty of “something” worth denying me my livelihood, and I haven’t had so much as a traffic ticket in over 20 years. The no-fly list was never designed to be used in this manner. – Captain B.