Trigger control has always been a critical issue in developing extreme rifle accuracy. This can be improved with a remote control trigger release, where the shooter’s hands don’t directly touch the rifle. Crafting some form of trigger release is quite rudimentary and the cost is low.
by Norman E. Johnson
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The folks at Lucky Gunner Labs compiled a thorough round of ballistics testing into an informative, nicely written and illustrated article available for free at their website.
From the article:
Looking at all of this data, it’s tempting to try to sift through the numbers and determine once and for all which load is The One Bullet To Rule Them All. If that kind of data analysis gets you excited, then go for it. If, on the other hand, you just want to find a decent load for your carry gun, you probably don’t need to go through all of that trouble. To the contrary, we did all of this work on these tests so you don’t have to obsess over the ballistic performance aspect of your carry ammo.
If the self-defense load you use is listed here, and you’re not confident in the results you’re seeing, just pick another one that performed at a level you’re more comfortable with. But keep in mind, even though the gelatin tests can tell us a lot, there’s plenty of things they don’t tell us. Ballistics testing doesn’t tell us anything about the felt recoil of a load. We also haven’t addressed accuracy or muzzle flash (which can be an issue in low light). And maybe most important of all, no gelatin test can tell you if a given load will run reliably in your own self-defense pistol. This is all stuff you’ll have to test on your own at the range with your gun.
Once you find a load that works, whatever you decide, try to keep all of this in perspective. Choice of caliber and bullet are not the most important aspects of successful self-defense. Awareness, proper mindset, marksmanship, and discernment of when to use your firearm are generally far more critical to your survival than choice of gear. Having said that, knowing your carry ammo works not only provides peace of mind, there’s a chance that choosing a solid defensive load could be the one factor that tips the scales in your favor in a fight for your life.
While I’m much more interested in the training aspects of the equation for the reasons stated in this article, it is good to have this sort of information available as a useful data point when making equipment decisions. Lucky for us, Lucky Gunner did the hard work and we can benefit from the results. Thanks!
Full details are here:
http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/
For a while now there has been a lot of talk about how ineffective the 5.56 service round is. It’s all over the internet gun boards and the popular slick newsstand gun magazines. Time and time again we are all told how the 5.56 is a 200-yard gun, or if you’re using a carbine, you’re stuck with a 50-yard gun. Everyone knows this, it’s just plain common sense! The problem is, it’s not really true. A whole lot of people sound off about something they really don’t know much about and have zero experience with. This amused me for a few years, then as more and more time passed it really started to bug me to the point of aggravation. A certain type will always repeat the same inaccurate info and we all know that. The problem is that it causes those in military service to lose confidence in their service weapon and what it can do. Confidence in your tools is an important thing, if you believe in and know for a fact what your rifle can do, you shoot it better.
Most serious followers of the AR15 platform know about the MK12 rifles and have read stories about 500 to 800-yard kills and how effective it has been in the GWOT. A few are at least vaguely familiar with High Power service rifle matches. But they assume any AR15 type rifle that can be used for these ranges is by necessity some super customized and specialized weapon. Obviously there is truth in that. To shoot a winning score at Camp Perry you have to have some specialized rifle work done and use special ammo. When these accomplishments are brought up in discussion, they are shot down by the people who “know better” because they are not the same guns issued out to troops or normal civilian users for self protection. And so it goes on and on, that the AR15 is a 200-yard gun.
It is not. It will do more than most believe, and it will do it with military-issue ammo.
Options to stay sharp in the off season.
by Joe Carlos
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On the American frontier, every gun tells a story. From the greatest western writers of the 21st century, the story of the Winchester 1887. It’s a repeater. It’s a shotgun. A boy with a borrowed badge. An Indian lawman with a new kind of firearm. And an outlaw gang that wants these pilgrims dead.
With over 35 million books in print, William W. Johnstone is among of the bestselling western writers in the world. In November 2015, America’s most popular bestselling western writers present Winchester 1887, the second in a new series starring the historical and iconic Winchester guns.
Following February 2015’s release of Winchester 1886, every novel in this series follows the trail of a different gun, each with its own story to tell. Fans of westerns and American history alike know well the crucial role that firearms played in the taming of the American frontier. Fittingly, Winchesters are the staple of Johnstone’s books.
In Winchester 1887, young James Mann came from Texas to find his missing uncle in the lawless Indian Territory. Then the boy’s father came after him. Now they’ve earned the wrath of the vicious McCoy-Maxwell gang, who are about to pull off their most savage attack. But the Manns of Texas have a secret weapon: Deputy Marshal Jackson Sixpersons. While repeating rifles are spreading across the frontier, Sixpersons carries an oddity: a 12-gauge, lever-action Winchester shotgun.
New York Times and USA Today bestseller William W. Johnston. has written over 300 books. He’s an author whose writing abilities span a wide range of genres, most notably Western and suspense.
J.A. Johnstone debuted as a solo author with The Loner. J.A. works in collaboration with William W. Johnstone
