The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” –  Colossians 2: 4-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 18, 2021

The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 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.

Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 1, by The Novice

A couple of years ago, I submitted an article to SurvivalBlog for the non-fiction writing contest. I wrote the article because I had a story to tell. I thought that SurvivalBlog readers might find it interesting or entertaining. I had so much fun writing that first article, that I just kept on writing more. Over the course of the following months I submitted a half dozen or so additional articles. Then, in June of 2020, something wonderful happened: I won third place in the writing contest. Among other great prizes was a transferable $100 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company. The credit was good toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. I was pretty excited. I was not quite ready to make a purchase, but I checked Elk Creek inventory regularly to keep track of what was available.

The Covid gun-buying panic made things discouraging for a while. The antiques I was most interested in were snapped up quickly, and most of the ones that remained were priced beyond my reach.

I continued to write regularly for SurvivalBlog. I was having so much fun writing that I just could not stop. There were all kinds of interesting things I wanted to try out and then write about.

In the course of the following months, I won honorable mention in the writing contest a number of times. At first, the prize for honorable mention was an Amazon gift card. After Amazon got involved in dirty political tricks, the prize for honorable mention became a purchase credit from Elk Creek Company. In February of 2021, I won a $50 purchase credit. Then in April and June, I won additional $100 purchase credits. Suddenly I was starting to accumulate some substantial purchasing power.

About that same time, the worst of the Covid gun-buying panic began to recede. Inventory at Elk Creek Company began to grow and to include more options in the price range in which I was most interested. First, I noticed a dandy Brazilian M1894 short rifle converted to 6.5x55mm Mauser for about $650. Then a couple of Chilean Contract Loewe Mauser M1895 short rifles came into stock at about $450 dollars each. And finally, a nice sporterized Oviedo Mauser M1893 short rifle was also added, for about $450. The combination of historic interest, less restrictive regulations, and practical usefulness made pre-1899 shooting grade cartridge gun antiques particularly attractive to me.

Finally, in August of 2021, I won another $100 purchase credit, for a total of $450 in purchase credits. I was at the point where I could make a purchase, and pay the bulk of the price with purchase credits.

I decided to go with the sporterized Oviedo M1893 Mauser. The original sights on M1895 rifles were set to a minimum of 300 meters. I was hoping that the sporterized sights on the M1893 would allow me to zero for 100 yards.

When I placed my order with Elk Creek Company, I was expecting to pay extra for shipping and insurance. JWR generously covered these additional expenses as well. I greatly appreciate his kindness.

Pre-1899 Antique Guns

As JWR notes in his excellent post, The Pre-1899 Antique Gun FAQ, “any firearm with a frame or receiver that [was] actually made before Jan. 1, 1899 is legally ‘antique’ and not considered a ‘firearm’ under Federal law.” Although State and local laws may vary, “No FFL is required to buy or sell antiques across state lines.” Thus they are legally able to be shipped by the US Postal Service across state lines directly to your doorstep.

A Historically Significant Rifle

I was especially interested in an M1893 Spanish Mauser because of its significant historical interest and influence.

On July 1, 1889, American forces, including Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, captured the San Juan Heights from Spanish forces in the bloodiest and most famous battle of the Spanish-American War.Continue reading“Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 1, by The Novice”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I had another quiet week here, helping an ailing elderly relative. I’d appreciate your prayers. The past two weeks have been very difficult. With the deteriorating health of my relative, I’ve been on bedside duty almost around the clock.

With the assistance of my sister, who came for an afternoon and an evening to relieve me, I was able to get away for a few hours. I needed this time for a face-to-face group meeting with some consulting client families that are involved in a group venture. That went well.

I am so thankful that Lily is able to manage the ranch in my absence. She is such a blessing to me!

Now, over to her…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.

Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.” – 2 Samuel 5: 1-10 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 17, 2021

Today, September 17th, we celebrate Constitution Day in the United States.

This is also Paratus Day, for those who are preparedness-minded.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 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.

Escape Southern California – Part 2, by Eastern Sierra Sage

(Continued from part 1. This concludes the article.)

Regions:

California is a wonderland, because it has many diverse areas. I classify this state as having eight different diverse areas. (“Where I’m from, is where it’s at”!)

“SoCal”
1) Southern California littorals: This includes San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County.

2) The “Inland Empire” Kern County San Bernardino County, Riverside and Imperial Counties. Please Note: Most Californians would not classify Kern County as the inland Empire. I do because it is in-fact, Inland, separated by a coastal Mountain range and is largely desert like.

3) The Industrial Farm Counties, Tulare, Kings, San Benito, Fresno Counties.

4) Inyo, Mono and Alpine Counties. “The East Sierra”.

“NorCal”

5) Northern California (aka “NorCal” but only called that by Southern Californians)

(Urban) Littorals: Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara Counties.

6) Northern California (Undeveloped) Littorals: Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte.

7) Northern California inland (Traverse) Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama Shasta, Siskiyou (I refer to these Counties as “Traverse” because these Counties have two massively important thoroughfares the I-5 and California 99, Both are “Lifeblood arteries” of local, state, regional and international commerce. I also realize that compared to say, Orange County, These Counties are lightly populated, however, the people who run these counties are wise to not overdevelop these places.

8) Post-coastal-Mountain/Forrest region: El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc Counties. (Note: As I write this article, I would stress to the reader that this area was nearly destroyed by the Dixie fire, and the Caldor Fire. My Son is part of the efforts to fight the Caldor Fire. On Labor Day he informed my wife and I that there were vast swaths of forest that have 6-8 inches of ash on the ground, according to him, the area is a total loss.)Continue reading“Escape Southern California – Part 2, by Eastern Sierra Sage”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at nascent Digital Yuan sovereign cryptocurrency. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Silver and gold both dropped by about 4% on Thursday (September 16, 2021), in a kneejerk reaction to news of a 0.7% rise in U.S. retail sales.  It seems that some silver investors haven’t thought through the impact of the recent spike in Dollar inflation. (The dollar figure of sales increased in part because prices increased.) Once they do realize this, then the metals will bounce back. But for now, this is a good buying opportunity, to add to your silver stack. Presently, you can buy a $1,000 face value bag of pre-1965 circulated (“junk”) 90% silver coins for just 20 times face value.

o  o  o

Gold likely to make new highs by end of 2022, says Equitymaster’s Vijay Bhambwani.

o  o  o

Arkadiusz Sieroń: Eurozone Impact On Gold: The ECB And The Phantom Taper.

Economy & Finance:

Top 10 Economic Predictions for the Next 10 Years.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Proposed EV Tax Credits = Braindead Economic Policy +Last Thing the Booming EV Industry & EV-Hungry Consumers Need.

o  o  o

News from England: Nearly one in five shoppers has been refused cash sale.

o  o  o

A “Rare Disconnect” Between Prices And Fundamentals Emerges In Latest Fund Manager Survey.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 16, 2021

September 16th is the birthday of “Mad Jack” Churchill (1906-1996), who was a true eccentric. He went to war in WWII armed with a broadsword and a longbow. (The latter was successfully used to dispatch several German soldiers.) He later became a devoted surfer. What a guy.

—

Don’t forget the upcoming Paratus Day.  Give the gift of Preparedness.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 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.

Escape Southern California – Part 1, by Eastern Sierra Sage

Covid-19 continues to plague us. Wildfires have destroyed Millions of Acres of beautiful forests and natural areas. The earthquakes in the East Sierra have been numerous and very unsettling. The Political situation in the “Peoples Republic” has become increasingly more radicalized to the left and somewhat comical, as I write this, the gubernatorial recall of Gavin Newsom is one week away.

For the purpose of this article, I will orient the reader to the unique qualities that this state has to offer, as well as its unique detriments t. Most people who are familiar with California refer to it as either Southern California or Northern California, this limits California in its polarizing scope. California is Culture, plain and simple, and yet there are many cultures in California.

SITUATION = Human Terrain = Culture

Most of the communities and people who live in my region, the East Sierra, view Sacramento politicians as the enemy. They generally view everyone from Southern California as “candy-a**es”, People from the Bay Area as “Pinkos” and have a certain simpatico for the other, less developed areas of California, except for the Marijuana triangle, who are viewed as “Cannabis Cartel” or even just as “Hippies” In California, you are either a native or a transplant.

I am a transplant from a large suburban city in the Midwest. Whenever I speak, Californians (and some transplants) automatically comment on my unmistakable regional accent. This speech pattern identifies me as an outsider. This is a fact that I am proud of!

When Californians poke fun at my accent I do a quick drill, I ask them “what is the white liquid” they put into their cereal in the morning. The answer I get is this: “Melk”. My response: “Wrong, Valley Girl it’s, MILK!” This often produces one or two typical responses: laughter and the ice is broken. Or, obscene gestures, ugly four-lettered words, or a few times, a violent physical encounter, (see the following paragraph) Jeepers Creepers! so sensitive, those “Valley Girls”.Continue reading“Escape Southern California – Part 1, by Eastern Sierra Sage”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we focus on the intentional gaps created in the Border Wall/

The Biden Era: Intentional Gaps Created in Border Wall

Photos: Huge Sections Of The Border Wall Have Been Removed On Places Where The Drug Route Passes.

White House: US ‘Not Adequately Prepared’ for Future Pandemics

This one comes to us from SurvivalBlog reader C.B.: White House warns US ‘not adequately prepared’ to handle future pandemics without new strategy. JWR’s Comment: You may have noticed that the Statist response to any challenge or perceived risk is invariably: More government intervention, more government control, more government regulations, and a larger government budget with either higher taxes, or more government debt.

State Dept. Won’t Approve Private Afghanistan Evacuation Flights

Amy sent us this: State Dept. Won’t ‘Provide an Approval’ for Private Evacuation Flights from Afghanistan.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 15, 2021

On this day in 1944, the U.S. 1st Marine Division landed on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Within one week of the invasion, the Marines lost 4,000 men. By the time it was all over, that number would surpass 9,000. The Japanese lost more than 13,000 men. Flamethrowers and bombs finally subdued the island for the Americans, but it all proved pointless. MacArthur invaded the Philippines without need of Army or Marine protection from either Peleliu or Morotai. The pictured Japanese bunker still stands as mute testimony to the fierce fighting.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 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.

Flatten The Curve for Hunting Deer – Part 2, by Behind The Counter

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

The topics that I’ll deal with in Part 2 include:
• The size, shape, location, and contents of a deer’s vital zone,
• Legal, ethical, and practical considerations using your defense rifle for hunting,
• Other caliber options available for your AR-15 platform including .300 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, .224 Valkyrie, .22 Nosler, .350 Legend, and the new kid on the block 6mm ARC.

Let’s begin by understanding where to aim.

HOW BIG IS A DEER’S VITAL ZONE?

Well, it depends. A deer’s vital zone area is easy to visualize. Draw a horizontal line splitting the deer’s body. Draw a vertical line straight up the back of a deer’s front leg. The intersection is the center of the vital zone. This is where the lungs and all the major arteries and veins come together with the heart in the lower portion. For a small doe, the vital area is a circle 5” to 8” in diameter, and on a large buck, the circle might be as large as 10” to 11”. If you aim at the center of that circle, your shot should still be fatal 4” high or low on a small doe and 5” high or low on a big buck.

Berger Bullets, a premium bullet manufacturer offers free downloadable vital zone targets. Designed to print on standard size paper, these targets are a great way to lock in the visual image of your target as you practice. Using one of the images on the Berger target, I super-imposed the dotted red lines below – splitting the body in the middle and coming straight up the back of the front legs. The three irregular shapes on the target show the location of the vital zone. Where the two red lines cross is your aiming point. The Berger target will aid in visualization, but aiming at the unmarked center of a paper plate also works well. My personal preferences are an 8” round steel gong made from 3/8” thick AR500 steel and a similar 4” gong hanging from the same cross bar. Start at 100 yards on the 8” target. (The image is from atlastargetworks.com. After warming up and getting relaxed, put all your attention on the 4” steel target. Then, move the target set further away and continue to practice. Aim small.

A successful shot may not drop your quarry in its tracks. In fact, expect that it may take 10 seconds for death to occur, and a leaping deer will travel a fair distance in that short time. Depending on the actual shot placement, it may take a minute or more for the deer to bleed out. Sometimes, you do everything according to the book, but at the last second, the deer looks up or smells your scent or hears a twig snap or sees the white flag from another deer. A single step in that fraction of a second could cause your shot to be several inches off dead center. Maybe you got “buck fever” and jerked the shot a little. Perhaps at the very last fraction of a second, you flinched. If you have consistently practiced to hit the center of the vital zone, these last minute “gotchas” will probably not cause a complete miss. It just means more work to track the wounded deer.

MPBR also works for wind conditions up to 10 to 15 mph even at 90 degrees to your point of aim at ranges below 200 yards. Like bullet drop, the effect of wind drift increases dramatically with distance. It is also important to look for natural indications of wind speed and direction such as trees or grass near your target. The wind pattern might be quite different from where you are located. Depending on field conditions, you may need to adjust as much as the full size of the vital zone to compensate for the wind. Remember that your reference point is always the center of the vital zone. Once you have done all the basic work sighting in your rifle, practice some in windy conditions. That could be the real world on your hunt.

PERSONAL DEFENSE RIFLE AS A VIABLE CHOICE

Assuming a 22-caliber centerfire cartridge is legal in your state, your personal defense weapon may be an excellent choice as your deer hunting rifle. Some states like Wyoming also specify an expanding bullet design and/or a 60 gr minimum weight. Two of the three gun stores closest to my shop had multiple choices for hunting loads in .223 Rem on the shelf. The third had only a few boxes of 55 gr FMJ rounds in 5.56. Your local conditions may leave no choice but the internet.

More to the point, is .223 / 5.56 an ethical choice? That depends on two key factors. Are you capable of consistently hitting a 4” steel gong at 100 yards from a variety of field positions? Yes, and we move to the next question. Whether your AR-15 is chambered for 5.56 or has a .223 Rem chamber, can your rifle and you put a 3-shot group on target with a maximum spread of 4” at 100 yards using factory .223 ammo? Yes? Keep practicing and enjoy your hunt!

If the answer is a qualified “Maybe…” or just plain “No.”, it may be time to do some detective work. Diagnosing the problem is something we have done for a number of customers. Sometimes the rifle needs a little help, for example a smoother and lighter trigger or clearer optics or just a more rigid scope mount. Sometimes the shooter needs to have someone coach with breathing, trigger squeeze, a more natural rifle fit, or better eye relief for the scope. Over the years, we have developed a routine process that works most of the time to get much tighter groups. That could be a topic for another article.Continue reading“Flatten The Curve for Hunting Deer – Part 2, by Behind The Counter”