Advantages of Handloading

By Glen Wunderlich

Funny thing about this extraordinary winter weather:  it’s just not funny anymore!  I realize, Mother (as in Nature), that I had asked for you to “bring it on.”  Certainly, it’s all my fault, but enough already.  I’ve learned my lesson.  Next time I submit a request for a dose of bitterness, I’ll be sure to add an all-important caveat:  and end point!

So, what’s a hunter to do?  Simple.  Prepare for better days.  And, to me that means cranking out some custom, handloaded ammo.

If ever there has been rationale for the do-it-yourselfer to get in the game, it’s now.  The ammo shortage may have eased up a bit, but a quick check with one of my favorite suppliers, www.MidwayUSA.com, shows little improvement in availability.  And, those prices for loaded ammo have gone through the roof, if you can find what you want, that is.

For example, one box of factory .22 Hornet ammunition will set you back over a dollar per round.  And, that’s for stuff I’ve never even tried.  If it wouldn’t be able to perform to expectations, I’d be out over $50.  There’s nothing special about the components in this caliber that make the ammo more expensive than others; it’s merely supply and demand.  In fact, the tiny bit of powder and small bullets make this a textbook candidate to handload. Read more

Ammunition, Hunting

Nebraska Senator Threatens to Shut Down Legislature Over Mountain Lion Hunt

GW:  Another liberal who doesn’t get it…

Just two weeks into Nebraska’s inaugural Mountain Lion hunting season, a bill has been introduced to stop the hunt.

The bill, LB 671 sponsored by Senator Ernie Chambers (D-Omaha), would ban mountain lion hunting, threatening not only livestock but public safety also.  Senator Chambers has also announced his intentions to oppose every proposal of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission until the mountain lion season is abolished.

In 1995, Nebraska added mountain lions to the state’s game list in order to protect the steadily growing population.   Over the past 20 years, the population levels have risen enough to sustain a limited harvest using a controlled quota system.  In 2013, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission established its first ever mountain lion season which commenced this month. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Youth rabbit hunt a new tradition for DNR, conservation groups

What started out as an experiment has turned into a tradition. The youth rabbit hunt at the Belding Sportsmen’s Club, near the Flat River State Game Area – now in its third year – attracted 45 youngsters last Saturday for a morning of stomping brush piles, following beagles and tromping through the snow.

 

young hunter shooting with mentor“We’re getting great participation from everyone,” said club president John Burns, “club members, parents and youngsters.”

 

The idea for the youth hunt sprung from John Niewoonder, the Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist at Flat River, who had been on a campaign to improve the small game habitat by building brush piles for “rabbitat” at the area. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Smith & Wesson® Addresses California Microstamping Legislation

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 23, 2014) — Smith & Wesson Corp. announced today that although it continually seeks ways to refine and improve its firearms so that consumers have access to the best possible products, the State of California is making that impossible when it comes to California residents.

 
Under California’s “Unsafe Handgun Act,” any new semi-automatic pistol introduced into that state must comply with microstamping laws.  In addition, California asserts that anything other than a cosmetic change to a handgun already on the California Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale, including performance enhancements and other improvements, requires it to be removed from the roster and retested. For semi-automatic pistols, this means it must comply with the microstamping requirements, as well.

 
Smith & Wesson does not and will not include microstamping in its firearms.  A number of studies have indicated that microstamping is unreliable, serves no safety purpose, is cost prohibitive and, most importantly, is not proven to aid in preventing or solving crimes.  The microstamping mandate and the company’s unwillingness to adopt this so-called technology will result in a diminishing number of Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistols available for purchase by California residents. Read more

Ammunition, Firearms, Gun Control, Self Defense

QDMA to Convene First-Ever Whitetail Summit to Address Declining Deer Herds and Other Threats

GW:  It had to happen.  What goes up must come down.  But, what are the answers to land development, diseases, predators, etc?  Time to find out…

Declining deer herds and other threats to North America’s deer-hunting heritage will be the focus of the first-ever North American Whitetail Summit being convened by QDMA, March 3-6, at Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, Missouri.

“Whitetail numbers are down throughout much of their range due to many factors including EHD, predators, and even over-harvest,” said QDMA CEO and wildlife biologist Brian Murphy.  “In some areas, herds are below what the habitat can support and what provides a quality hunting experience. This is a serious issue with significant long-term implications for the future of deer hunting.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting

Brownells Launches Extensive Line of Emergency & Survival Gear

GW:  In this round of Arctic vortex assaults, being prepared isn’t just for whacky preppers anymore…

Brownells, a trusted and widely-recognized name in the firearms industry for 75 years, has expanded its product offerings to include Emergency & Survival Gear. The more than 1,000 lifesaving and sustaining products range from those that can help people deal with the smallest of life’s unexpected events, like treating minor injuries, to surviving larger scale disasters including tornadoes, floods, wildfires and blackouts. Read more

General

Safari Club International and Hunters Helping the African Lion

GW:  Another example of how hunting helps…

Tucson, AZ – From the outside looking in, a non-hunter might find it hard to comprehend. What needs to be understood is that hunters have a deep care and passion for the animals they pursue to ensure that a healthy population of that resource remains.

Hunters commit a large amount of resources and time to help promote species of game to sustainable levels to be able to pursue them for hunting.

The impact of hunters on the African lion has become a hot button issue, to say the least, over the past few years. What should be a discussion based on science has turned into an emotionally charged topic. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Merkel Announces RX Helix Explorer

GW: At least a man can dream…

BESSEMER, Ala. (Jan. 22, 2014)-Having cast aside the century-old design of conventional bolt-action rifles in favor of its revolutionary straight-pull RX Helix that cycles faster than any other manually operated centerfire rifle, Merkel has taken the platform a step further with the introduction of the RX Helix Explorer, complete with a synthetic stock.
The RX Helix Explorer is a straight-pull design that retains all the strength and safety of a rotary bolt head with seven locking lugs as well as a fully enclosed, hard-anodized-aluminum action housing. The linear motion of the bolt handle is transmitted to the bolt head in a two-to-one ratio by way of an innovative transmission gearing system within the action, providing for smooth and fast cycling without the rotational or tipping movement found on other straight-pull bolt-action rifles. Read more

Firearms, Hunting
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