Range Report: Browning BAR Mk3 in .243 – Part 1, by The Novice

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For many years, my go-to deer rifle has been a venerable Remington Model 742 in .30-06 that I inherited from my father. Over the course of time, I became a little venerable myself. As I aged, the old 742 began to kick a lot harder than it used to. Some would say that this is due to global warming, but I have a different theory. In any case, during my last extended range session with the 742, my shoulder got pretty sore. It hurt so much that I dreaded pulling the trigger, and eventually cut the range session short. I ached all the way home, and when I took off my shirt, I found out why. There was extensive bruising on my shoulder.

I was surprised. I heat my home with wood, and split many cords of wood each year by hand. I expected that the muscle mass preserved by that exercise would do an adequate job of absorbing the recoil from a .30-06. I guess that old muscle just doesn’t absorb recoil as well as young muscle.

Based upon this experience, I began to look for a kinder and gentler deer cartridge. I considered options like .30-30, 7.62×39, and 6.5 Creedmoor. I researched the various rifles available in each cartridge, and read reviews about their performance.

The .243 Winchester

After much deliberation, I decided to take a closer look at the .243 Winchester. It has a reputation as a flat-shooting, light-recoiling round capable of taking whitetail deer out to 300 yards.

The .243 Winchester cartridge was developed from a necked down .308 Winchester cartridge case, and was introduced as a target/varmint round by Winchester in 1955. With lighter bullets (85 grains or less), it is excellent for smaller game like prairie dogs, ground hogs, and coyotes. With heavier bullets (90 grains or more), it is suitable for larger game like hogs, antelope. and deer.

The Browning BAR Mk 3

As I began looking at rifles chambered in .243, I became most interested in the Browning BAR Mk3. My Father’s Browning A5 Magnum had always impressed me as a work of art as well as a highly functional firearm. I really like semiautomatics, because if a follow up shot is necessary, I want to focus on the shot and not on operating the action. Plus the gas-operated action of the BAR Mk3 moderates recoil even further.Continue reading“Range Report: Browning BAR Mk3 in .243 – Part 1, by The Novice”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on elk relocation. (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

Much earlier in the year than usual… Photos: Snow blankets the Inland Northwest

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Live Local Inland Northwest launches directory, online marketplace for area businesses

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Inland northwest job opportunities.

Idaho

Idaho Fish and Game traps and relocates elk in Elmore County. The article’s lede:

“The Idaho Fish & Game moved 16 elk out of Elmore County because the herd is too large, and the elk are damaging agriculture in the region.

This week the Idaho Fish & Game set up a trap and attempted to corral elk cows and calves into a pen using a helicopter and a crew riding on motorcycles and ATV’s.

The goal was to remove 70 elk from the heard near Little Camas, but this mission proved difficult, and the Idaho Fish & Game herded up 16 elk.”

o  o  o

Legislators consider ways to increase Idaho air travel

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This listing at Black Rifle Real Estate caught my eye: 1169 Rocky Draw Road, Troy, Montana. It is a well-situated 20-acre property, with a pond.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 26, 2020

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October 26th is the anniversary of the death of American-born RLI Trooper Joseph Patrick Byrne, in Rhodesia, in 1978.

Edward Wilson Very (born October 26, 1847, died March 1, 1910) was an American naval officer who adopted and popularized a single-shot breech-loading flare pistol that fired flares that bear his name.

—

The big Pre-Election Sale at Elk Creek Company will end in just eight days. Consider this: Pre-1899 guns are the last bastion of firearms ownership privacy, since they are entirely outside of Federal jurisdiction. These are guns that you can buy and that you can later give your children or grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or whoever, across state lines, with no paperwork whatsoever. Most of our guns are both collectible and practical shooters. Who knows what will happen to the availability of all guns and ammunition, if Joe Biden is elected? The current rush of sales will probably turn into absolute panic buying. So, don’t hesitate. Order soon!

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Today, another review by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Kershaw 7350 Claw Automatic, by Pat Cascio

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As a rule, I’m not a big fan of little knives – I’ve found, that for my needs, a require a bigger folding knife for my everyday use. However, this isn’t a hard-fast rule – there are some small folding knives that I like. My oldest daughter, when she was only about 3 or 4 years of age, gave me a very small folding knife, that I still have and use every now and then, the blade is only about an inch long, and on the opposite side of the handle is a file blade – that has been used so many times, I don’t think it can even be used as a nail file – still, I love the knife. I’ve said this before, but I’ll repeat it, I like a folding knife, with a blade that is between 3 and 4 inches in length, and a blade that is 3.75-inches seems to fit me perfectly. So, when it comes to small bladed knives, it has to offer something special for me to use it.

I know some locales have restrictions on the length of a folding knife blade, and for that matter, a length restriction on fixed blade knives if you are carrying one. I think something like an arbitrary blade length doesn’t have much to do with the usefulness of a knife when it comes to self-defense, or everyday use, either. With my martial arts background, and as a knife designer myself, I know the damage that a short blade knife can do to an attacker.

They Call it the Claw

Kershaw Knives introduced a new member in their “Launch” line-up for folders – they are all automatic opening folding knives, and with each new model they come out with, I just fall in love with another after another. However, I was determined to not like the Launch 10 – not because I didn’t like the design, I did. I just didn’t much care for the very short 1.9-inch long blade. Around the Kershaw plant, this little knife earned the nickname of “The Claw” because it kind of resembles a claw on a bird or perhaps a dinosaur’s toe nail. Whatever the case may be, The Claw is what it is called, and not the Model 7350. The hawkbill-style blade is probably why it is called The Claw because of the angular planes on both sides of the blade, as well as on the handle itself. It appears to be a very difficult blade design to manufacture, but I like it.Continue reading“Kershaw 7350 Claw Automatic, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Onions

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The following recipe for Stuffed Onions is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book will be one of the many bonus items included in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This special 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021. The 14th Edition sold out quickly, so place a reminder in your calendar, if you want one.

Ingredients
  • 6 medium to large onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped ham or chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 cup soft bread-crums
  • Fine dry bread-crums
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fat
Directions
  1. Remove a slice from the top of each onion and parboil the onions until almost tender.
  2. Drain and remove the centers, making six little cups.
  3. Chop the onion that was scooped out and combine with it the ham and soft crums.
  4. Add seasoning and refill the onion cups.
  5. Place them in a baking-dish, cover with crums, add the milk, and bake uniil tender.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 the unfolding San Francisco Real Estate Collapse. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

U.S. Mint Silver Eagle Sales Forecasted To Triple This Quarter

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Hub Moolman: Gold and Crypto: Is This How Charts Look Before A Monetary Collapse?

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Metals Equal Discipline: The Bull Case For Gold And Silver (Au & Ag)

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Food Shortages Hit China: There Is “Not…Enough Fresh Food To Go Around”

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And by way of reader H.L., another from Tyler: The Fed is Going to Create the Mother Of All Bubbles

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At Wolf Street: Synchrony Financial Disclosed Radical Work-from-Home Plan, Layoffs, and “Office Footprint” Reduction

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And here is another posted by Wold Richter: Sorting through the Data Chaos in Unemployment Claims: Week 31 of U.S. Labor Market Collapse

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AmEx issues dismal outlook on business travel spending as profit slumps

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Everybody who is paying attention knows that the left will gut the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. Actually, not gut it but just eliminate it completely. In their own words, they are coming to take your guns. Beto O’Rourke, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris — everybody knows that they want to disarm their subjects.” – Ted Nugent – October, 2020

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 25, 2020

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Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925.   She was the UK’s first female Prime Minister.  She died in 2013.

This is also the birthday of explorer and pilot Admiral Richard Byrd (1888–1957). His autobiography titled Alone is a must-read.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. 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!

Round 91 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 Make Wooden Mason Jar Crates – Part 2, by St. Funogas

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

Second Jig – Drill-Press Jig 

If you have a pneumatic stapler, which greatly speeds up many nailing tasks, you can skip this section. Once you have the first slats cut, you’ll need to drill guide holes for the 4d nails using a 3/16” drill bit. If you try to nail without a pilot hole, not only will many of the slats split, but it’ll slow down your nailing time considerably. This is where jig number two comes in.

Drill Press Jig
Photo 10. Drill Press Jig

As seen in Photos 10A  and 10B (inset), this jig positions stacks of five slats so you can quickly drill the nail hole in each end without having to mark the spot first. It attaches to the deck of any drill press and the wooden “L” holds the stack in just the right position while you drill five holes at once. You then spin the stack around and drill holes in the opposite end.

 

The simplest way to make and use this jig is to cut out the base, attach the right-angle “L” made from 2 x 4 scraps, and then use clamps to fasten the jig to the drill press in the precise spot. Using a slat pre-marked with the hole position will help you line up the drill bit with the jig before clamping everything down tight. In addition to my regular drill press, I have a small $59 drill press dedicated to this task alone, so I have the jig permanently attached to the drill press plate with bolts.

After you drill the first slat, test out one of the 4d nails to be sure the fit is correct. Once your slats are cut and the nail holes drilled, you are now ready to cut the end boards for the crate.Continue reading“How to Make Wooden Mason Jar Crates – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” – 1 Peter 3: 8-22 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 24, 2020

October 24th is the anniversary of the firing squad execution of Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling, in 1945. His ignominious place in history was to have his surname become a noun. “Quisling” is now a moniker synonymous with treason and alliance with an invading army.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. 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!

Round 91 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 Make Wooden Mason Jar Crates – Part 1, by St. Funogas

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If you’re an average prepper, you no doubt have enough mason jars to sink a small yacht if they were all filled with pickles and tomato sauce and snuck aboard. And if you’ve done a lot of canning, you’ve probably thought there has to be a better way to manage all the jars than those cardboard boxes they come in. I’ve found that homemade wooden crates work great for me and may work for you as well.

What I really like about these crates is that you can store empties in them as well as full jars, then stack the crates so you can use valuable shelf space for other things.

The Basics

If you don’t have a woodshop or a table saw, fear not, you can probably find someone who will cut these pieces out for you for a small fee, then you can nail them together at home. While these are easy to make with my Grizzly cabinetmaker’s table saw and a drill press, they can also be made with a hand drill and the $95 reconditioned portable table saw I bought at Home Depot a few years back.

Mason Jar Crate
Photo 1. Mason Jar Crate

I make four kinds of crates: half-pint, pint, quart, and half-gallon (the moonshine crate). For this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process of making a crate for a dozen quart-sized jars. At the end of the article, the dimensions will be listed so you can construct all 6 types and sizes of crates. I’ll show you how to make handles in the ends for easy carrying, but if you lack the tools, or have to hire someone to cut these out for you, and/or you’re trying to keep this on the tightest budget possible, you can get by without handles. (See the top center crate in the lede photo.)Continue reading“How to Make Wooden Mason Jar Crates – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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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. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week I was very busy writing, taking antique gun orders for my sideline Elk Creek Company biz, and doing radio interviews. I also did a podcast interview with the host of Radio Free Redoubt.  And I took a day to meet with a “fairly local” consulting client–just one mountain range away.

To help out a friend, I slightly drew down my inventory of ammo and magazines from JASBORR. So I’ve been spending time online, looking for replacements. I’ve been shocked at how much prices have accelerated. 500-round bricks of .22 Long Rifle are now ranging between $75 and $85 each! And the going rate for 5.56mm NATO ball is about 80 cents a round, while 7.62mm NATO ball is hovering in the vicinity of a buck a round.  Yikes!

I usually drain the water system in our guest cabin in late October, each year. But this year, with lots of out-of-town family staying over here at Thanksgiving, I’m delaying that until the 1st of December.  So that means leaving the electric wall heater on a low setting, to keep the pipes from freezing, between now and then. Thankfully, here in the Inland Northwest, electricity is still fairly inexpensive.

The “Pre-Election” sale that we’re running at Elk Creek Company is generating lots of orders. I keep hearing the same thing from customers: “I’m hedging my bets.” With no sure victor in the upcoming Presidential election, I can’t blame folks for wanting to buy a few guns that are entirely outside of Federal jurisdiction.

Deer and elk season will be opening soon, so I’ll be facing a scheduling dilemma: Booking radio and podcast interviews to promote my new book versus my desire to be out in the woods — to top off our chest freezers. The result? I’ll probably reduce the number of interviews. After all, a man has to have his priorities!

And now, time for Lily’s section:

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”