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2017

SWEET-IE SUCCESS! Top 10 Hunts For You & Your Sweetheart

History’s Hawken F Favored dR Rifle ifl Of Th The Mountain Men

NRA SHOW UPDATE Visit Us At Booth #402!

URUGUAY GETAWAY Below the Border Bird Bonanza!

ALSO INSIDE:

Uzi, Thompson Competitions Norma Oryx Bullets

GUN REVIEWS:

Benelli Montefeltro Shotgun g Ruger American Pistol Compact

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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V Z W E A P O N Samericanshootingjournal.com OLUTIONS.COM 9

A MERIC A N

SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 6 // Issue 5 // February 2017 PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Dick Openshaw

GENERAL MANAGER

John Rusnak

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andy Walgamott EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Craig Hodgkins

LEAD CONTRIBUTOR

Brad Fitzpatrick CONTRIBUTORS

Scott Haugen, Phil Massaro, Mike Nesbitt, Rob Reed, Troy Rodakowski

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ON THE COVER Tiffany Haugen sports a big smile after a successful day of hunting feral pigs with her sweetie, husband Scott Haugen. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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CONTENTS

52

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 5 • FEBRUARY 2017

SUCCESS WITH YOUR SWEETIE

SCOTT HAUGEN

What do the horns on Tiffany Haugen’s waterbuck remind you of? That’s right, V for Valentine’s Day, and if (ahem) you’re still shopping for your sweetheart, Scott Haugen has 10 great couples hunts to check out!

FEATURES 35

With the introduction of the American Pistol Compact, Ruger’s line of patently patriotic firearms expands and shrinks at the same time.

Our Brad Fitzpatrick puts the semiauto through its paces.

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namesake rifles continue to make a big bang.

GUN REVIEW: RUGER’S PATRIOTIC PISTOL

HAWKING THE HAWKEN In the 1820s, Samuel Hawken joined his brother Jacob to help build rifles at his St. Louis shop. Writer Mike Nesbitt details how today, nearly 200 years later, their

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URUGUAY GETAWAY Troy Rodakowski had long dreamed of a bird-hunting trip to South America. Follow him down to Uruguay to find out how his plans finally turned into a reality, and if the whole adventure ended up as a dream come true.

105 COMPETITION: SUBGUNS ARE FUN GUNS Tag alongside writer Rob Reed as he goes full-auto at his first-ever submachine

gun competition. The learning curve is steep, but worthwhile for those who’ve legally acquired Uzis, Thompsons and other SMGs.

153 THE BULLET BULLETIN: ONE SHOT SOLUTION The Norma Oryx is designed to provide a perfect blend of expansion and penetration, and is available in calibers both popular and rare, and for critters widely hunted and once-in-a-lifetime trophies. Join our professor of projectiles Phil Massoro for a deep dive on this bullet.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2016 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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CONTENTS ALSO INSIDE 139 COMPETITION: A muzzleloading Christmas tradition 165 BLACK POWDER: Goin’ slow with the .45-70 – why this old caliber is great for getting into black powder cartridges 173 COMPANY SPOTLIGHT: Bighorn Arms, where the actions are

121 THE FULL MONTE

DEPARTMENTS 17 21 23 27 27

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Editor’s Note Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits details Industry News – New products from Vortex Optics, Primos Hunting and Gilboa top our monthly list

American Shooting Journal // February 2017

GUN REVIEW: Benelli’s Montefeltro has gone from European novelty to the world’s most respected upland shotgun. Brad Fitzpatrick travels to Argentina to learn how the company’s inertia-driven system became a game changer.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE

D

ay one of the 2017 SHOT Show was heralded with a flurry of emailed press releases and event announcements that hit my inbox with a vengeance in the wee hours that morning last month. Meanwhile, in the crowded hallways of the Sands Convention Center, the clock finally struck 8:30, and the impatient pitterpatter of more than 100,000 feet became a thundering roar as dozens of double doors flew wide to admit more than 60,000 of my closest Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade industry friends to the showroom floor.

Yes, the American Shooting

Journal was there at the down beat, holding the fort in booth 408, spinning our oversized wheel on the hour, handing out prizes and distributing copies of our expanded January issue to what we hope will become regular readers.

Each year, SHOT Show fills the Las Vegas venue with a vast array of the latest guns, gear and swag, as well as services ranging from helicopter hunting adventures to the latest handgun training techniques.

It really is a can’t-miss event for those of us in the industry, and even though it can be a madhouse, it’s our madhouse, and it’s also the best place to connect with company representatives and other members

of the industry media. What we see and learn here will help fill our print and virtual pages for the next six to nine months and beyond.

It is perhaps the one time a year where what happens in Vegas is broadcast loud and clear to everyone interested in the outdoor industry.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank Team Taurus captain Jessie Duff, the subject of our January cover story, for taking time out of her busy, heavily sponsored show schedule to visit our booth on the outskirts of the show to meet, greet and sign copies of our magazine for all of the guests who stopped by to say hello.

–Craig Hodgkins

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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Presented By:

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

A competitor shoots an Uzi at a Michigan Subgun Match. (ROB REED)

February 10-11 PRS Points Race Match Bushnell Brawl Kingsville, Texas

February 16-19 2017 Florida Open Pistol Shooting Championship Frostproof, Fla.

February 18-19 Sweet Home Alabama Glock Challenge V Central Alabama Gun Club Montgomery, Ala.

February 25-26 Northern Florida Regional Classic IV Talon Range Orlando, Fla.

February 10 Chesapeake Cup Sanner’s Lake Sportsman Club Lexington Park, Md.

February 23 Smith & Wesson Indoor Nat’l Championship / Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center Springfield, Mass.

February 10-12 Southwest Regionals Horseshoe Park Queen Creek, Ariz.

February 18-19 Saddle Life Florida State Championship L Cross Equestrian Center Lady Lake, Fla. americanshootingjournal.com 21

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

Wade Stuteville of Stuteville Precision shoots in the Precision Rifle Series circuit with a Bartlein 6mm featuring 7.7 twist with 5R rifling. (STUTEVILLE PRECISION)

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February 11-12 February 18-19 February 25-26 February 25-26

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Missouri State Fairgrounds Appalachian Fairgrounds KCI Expo Center Chilhowee Park & Expo Center Cowan Civic Center

Gun Shows of the South

February 18-19 February 25-26

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

NEWS

A PRODUCT PLETHORA

A slew of introductions from Vortex Optics, Primos and Gilboa top a full list of eye-catching items.

COMPILED BY THE EDITOR

The Viper PST riflescope series from Vortex has received a complete makeover for 2017.

T

he product development team at Vortex Optics has been busy, as no fewer than four items recently made their debut prior to the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, including multiple rifle scopes, an HD rangefinder binocular and a holographic weapon sight.

First off the mark is the historically successful Viper PST series from Vortex, which has received a complete revamp for 2017. Upgraded features from top to bottom take its incredible performance and rock-solid tactical features to new heights – and your shooting with it.

Built on 30mm anodized aircraft-grade aluminum tubes, these scopes deliver the features serious tactical shooters demand, at a price that’s sure to please. Exposed laser-etched turrets provide easily read elevation and windage adjustment graduations. Borrowed from the proven Razor HD 5-2X50, the patented RZR Zero stop ensures accurate returns to sight-in zero after dialing temporary elevation correction.

And with the fiber optic turret rotation indicator, shooters can keep track of turns and their turret position with ease.

An Illumination dial is cleanly integrated into the parallax/side-focus adjustment knob for easy access and streamlined performance. It features 10 intensity levels of illumination, with off positions between each setting. Glassetched reticles offer shooters highly functional, intuitive and detailed hold points, yet remain uncluttered for optimal viewing. First focal plane reticles are available in select

NRA MEETINGS ON THE HORIZON They may still be sweeping up from 2017’s first big gun industry show but the next one’s already on the horizon. The 146th Annual Meetings and Exhibits of the National Rifle Association is set for April 27-30 in Atlanta, and it promises to be huge.

Some 80,000 people are expected to attend this year’s edition, which will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center and features “a jam-packed” slate of speakers, events and celebrities, along with more than 800 exhibitors. This year’s

The Razor AMG UH-1 represents a new paradigm in holographic weapon sight technology.

models. Matching MOA or MRAD turrets keep adjustments and hold points consistent. Fast-focus eyepiece adjusts easily and keeps the reticle tack-sharp.

Optically, these scopes deliver a 5X zoom range and impressive image quality. High-quality XD lens elements serve up incredible resolution and color fidelity, resulting in high-definition images. XR fully multicoated lenses increase light transmission for optimum brightness. ArmorTek protects exterior lenses from scratches, oil, and dirt.

A standout model in the series, the ultrasleek 1-6x24 features low-profile capped turrets for streamlined performance, a 6X zoom range and adjustable, daylightbright illuminated center dot.

O-ring seals prevent moisture, dust and debris from penetrating the riflescope for reliable performance in all featured performer is country music singer Hank Williams Jr. a lifetime NRA member, and other don’t-miss events include the National NRA Foundation Banquet fundraiser, NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on political issues to track, and the 11th Annual Women’s Leadership Forum, Luncheon & Auction, linking the fairer sex with the defense of the Second Amendment.

Unlike the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show held last month in Las Vegas, the NRA Show is open to members of the public. For a full list of activities, exhibits, tickets and more, see nraam.org. And while you’re there, come see us at Booth 402!

americanshootingjournal.com 27

NEWS environments. Argon gas purging prevents internal fogging over a wide range of temperatures.

Topping your door kicker or dialing precision long-range shots, there will be a Gen II PST to fit your needs.

DIAMONDBACK RIFLESCOPES from Vortex are also known for legendary performance and extreme durability, and their new model with a tactical twist will be no different. Exposed tactical turrets built for dialing elevation and windage allow shooters to quickly and precisely compensate for bullet drop and wind drift at extended ranges. And when Vortex says precisely, they mean it. These turrets track ultratrue and reliably return to zero every time.

A zero-reset feature lets you reindex the zero reference marks on both turrets after sight-in, while fiber optic rotation indicators integrated into the tops of the turrets provide a highly visible visual key of your turrets position.

Optically impressive, Diamondback Tactical riflescopes boast high-quality fully multicoated lenses for clear views, and low-light performance. Hashmark-based MOA reticles let shooters hold for longer shots when time is of the essence.

One-inch diameter black-anodized tubes keep these scopes lightweight, trim, and low to the bore. Fast focus eyepiece customizes reticle sharpness to the shooter’s eye.

With a range of highly versatile magnification configurations, there’s a Diamondback Tactical riflescope to fit just about any rifle platform, and as with all Vortex optics, scopes from the Diamondback and Viper series are covered with the lifetime, no-fault, transferable, VIP warranty.

THE RAZOR AMG UH-1 represents a new paradigm in holographic weapon sight technology, and uses Vortex Optics’ fusion hologram with quantum-well light control (FHQ) technology.

The result is the first holographic sight to marry the durability, reliability, and energy efficiency of a red dot, with the impressive sight picture, zero-distortion, and comprehensive reticle pattern of a holographic sight.

FHQ technology virtually eliminates stray light emissions for stealth-shooter-signature in low light, prevents eyepiece glare, as well as increases energy efficiency for impressive battery life. The single-fused holographic element is completely inert, has no moving parts and delivers unmatched images, reticle sharpness, definition, and clarity.

The EBR-CQB reticle is clean, yet highly versatile, for optimal target engagement in a wide range of scenarios. All sensitive components are protected in the base of the sight, substantially increasing durability, while eliminating the need for an obstructive secondary shroud.

Precise windage and elevation adjustments track reliably and accurately, and the UH-1 boasts premium, hard-anodized aerospace aluminum and stainless-steel construction for lasting durability in the harshest environments. It runs on a Micro USB rechargeable LFP 123A battery or CR123A battery.

Covered by Vortex’s legendary VIP warranty, the Razor 28

American Shooting Journal // February 2017

AMG UH-1 sets the standard by which dynamic combat sights will be measured. MSRP is $699.99 HIGH-QUALITY OPTICS and long-distance ranging capability come together in Vortex’s all-new Fury HD 10x42 rangefinding binocular. Capable of ranging reflective targets to 1,600 yards with an Vortex’s all-new Fury HD 10x42 ultrafast readout, hunters rangefinding binocular is capable of and shooters can quickly ranging reflective targets to 1,600 yards with an ultrafast readout. get distance data needed to effectively execute shots. Calling out ranges for your hunting or shooting partner while reliably watching for impacts is easy with the Fury HD. Critical visual cues are better observed, (hit, miss, perfect shot, too far back, last location) and mentally cataloged to aid in decision making after the shot.

An illuminated right barrel display can be set to yards or meters. The Fury HD features angle compensated, as well as line of sight modes to match user preference and application, and scan mode gives readings as you pan or track a moving animal.

Right-side controls are simple to use and easily manipulated with a single hand – leaving your other hand free to hold your bow, rifle or other important piece of equipment.

Dialectic fully multicoated prisms and XR fully multicoated HD lenses serve up impressive views from dawn to dusk. Rubber-armored housing provides a solid grip in all weather conditions and extreme durability. Multiposition twist-up eyecups are comfortable and offer customized eye relief. Smooth center focus wheel and left-eye diopter ensure optimal image focus. MSRP is $1599.

Primos calls out to spring turkey hunters with Hensanity, other products

J

ust when you may have thought that all pot calls had begun to sound the same, Primos’ new Hensanity tone-control pot call comes perfected with four controllable sound ports to make it easy to give gobblers an infinite array of fresh, authentic tones and volumes. It gives immeasurable control of clucks, purrs and yelps with an easy-to-control frictionite surface and features an exotic hardwood pot and premium striker.

Primos has also added the Razor Hooks call to the Hook Hunter series. These mouth calls produce incredibly real and unique pitches that even the wisest old tom can’t resist. The Razor Hooks with Bat Cut produces a high pitch and raspy

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Getting there finish with sharp cuts and easy clucks and purrs. Like all Hook Hunters, it is custom designed by combining 100-plus years of experience by passionate, determined turkey hunters with premium-gauge reeds and precision handmade cuts. Primos also launched the 2017 Grand Slam Series Merriam Edition pot and box calls – the final entries in a four-year limited edition collection featuring the four Grand Slam turkey subspecies.

The 2017 editions, available in a box or pot call, feature The Hensanity tone control gorgeous renditions of the pot call is just one of many new hunting products from Merriam’s wild turkey. The industry leader Primos. limited edition series of 1,200 numbered and individually signed calls by founder Will Primos is handcrafted from the finest hardwoods.

Finally, the new Classic Crow is custom-crafted hardwood with built-in back pressure to give greater control for a wider range of authentic sounds. Likewise, the new Classic Owl is cut from hardwood with built-in back pressure. Both are premium laser-cut versions of classic calls that get turkeys talking.

Moving on from auditory products, Primo’s new Rocker Vest is perfect for hunters who want the ultimate in adaptable seating, smart storage and durable construction.

The flip-down lounge seat provides solid, comfortable back support, even without a tree to lean on. Molded pot call and box call pockets keep calls protected and easily accessible.

A waterproof cell phone pocket allows phone use without taking it out. Stay cool and quenched with a handy hydration bladder pocket. And keep everything organized and at the ready with extra pockets for gear, calls and stakes.

The Rocker Vest is available in Mossy Oak Obsession and Realtree Xtra Green. For hunters who want upgraded features in a more traditional flip-down seat, the Gobbler Vest Gen 2 is the perfect confluence of comfortable concealment, smart storage and durable construction. The flip-down seat and updated back pads make sitting and shooting easy and comfortable. Customized and quiet pockets keep everything you need in the field organized and at the ready, including special pockets for four pot calls, mouth calls, decoy stakes, and much more. The Gobbler Vest Gen 2 is available in Mossy Oak Greenleaf and Realtree Xtra Green.

Gilboa Snake: Twice the Firepower

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ith double barrels, side-by-side mil-spec triggers and double magazines, the Gilboa Snake delivers twice the firepower. Operators can traverse between multiple targets and accurately deliver

American Shooting Journal // February 2017

Gilboa’s M43 rifle offers the accuracy of an AR with the bigger punch of an AK.

The new double-barreled Gilboa Snake promises twice the firepower of a standard AR.

two rounds without the delay of cycling or the felt recoil of double taps. The Snake has wider upper and lower receivers to incorporate the two independent firing systems. The two parallel barrels are three centimeters apart when measured from the center of each bore. Caliber is 5.56x45mm.

The Snake also features a hard-anodized upper receiver machined from solid aircraft-aluminum billet (7075-T6).

The lower receiver is made of a military-grade, high-impact composite material. The 16-inch barrels are chrome-lined and have a 1:7 righthand twist, and Breecher muzzle brakes reduce recoil and improve stability. The multirail handguard accepts both Picatinny and KeyMod accessories. Weight without magazines is 9 pounds, 14 ounces, and the length is 34 inches. The Snake utilizes two standard AR magazines, and the double side-by-side mil-spec triggers require no National Firearms Act tax stamp.

Gilboa has also announced the M43 rifle in 7.62 x 39mm.

It provides the familiar feel and accuracy of an AR with a bigger AK punch. This rifle is lightweight, ergonomic, and has all the features you’d expect in an AR. Special attention was given to the design of the angled and beveled magazine well to make inserting the AK magazine easier and smoother.

Like the Snake, the M43 also features a hard-anodized upper receiver machined from solid aircraft-aluminum billet (7075-T6), but on the M43, the lower receiver is made from the same material. The barrel has a 1:10 twist, and a Breecher muzzle brake reduces recoil and improves stability. The superslim multirail handguard accepts both Picatinny and KeyMod accessories. Weight without magazines is 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and – with a six-position collapsible stock – the length is 29.7 inches extended and 26.5 inches collapsed.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

gun review

PATRIOTIC PISTOL

With the introduction of the American Pistol Compact, Ruger’s line of patently patriotic firearms expands and shrinks at the same time. STORY AND PHOTOS BY BRAD FITZPATRICK The Ruger American Pistol Compact is an excellent addition to the company’s patriotic line of U.S.-built handguns and rifles.

B

ill Ruger would have turned 100 years old in 2016, and even though he is gone I believe that he would have been quite impressed with the innovative firearm designs that continue to appear on pages of his namesake company’s annual catalog. Unlike Colt, Smith & Wesson, Remington and Winchester, which were all operating in the 1800s, the Ruger brand is relatively new. But in just over 60 years, Ruger guns have earned a spot near the top of all American gun manufacturers. In firearms manufacturing terms that’s a meteoric rise, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing.

The American Compact enters the most competitive arena in gundom, and is the most recent combatant in the fierce battle for carry-gun supremacy. And while Glock may have brought life to the polymer frame/striker-fire gun category, they are hardly the only game in town anymore.

Virtually every major handgun manufacturer has some sort of gun that fits this mold, and more are coming.

For the past few years, Ruger has launched several products under the American name (which is fitting, since these guns are made in the U.S.), most recently adding the American Pistol to round out their patriotically themed americanshootingjournal.com 35

gun review

The pistol is a polymer-framed, striker-fired semiauto, and is available in 9mm (shown here) and .45.

The author tested the model version with an ambidextrous manual safety.

rimfire and centerfire rifle families. The Ruger American is a polymer-framed, striker-fired semiauto available in 9mm and .45. It offers many of the same features you’ll find on competing guns, such as interchangeable grips, a bladed trigger, and an accessory rail tucked under the gun’s muzzle.

The price is one that any hard-working American can afford: $579 MSRP, with lower prices around for bargain shoppers.

The standard American has a 4.2-inch barrel in 9mm and a 4.5-inch pipe in .45. With a full magazine, the 9mm version offers an impressive 17+1-round capacity, and while the gun is great fun at the range, it’s a bit big to break into the main channel of the concealed carry market. But Ruger was one step ahead, planning (and now offering) a compact version of the American semiauto pistol.

It’s not as though Ruger needed another compact gun, truthfully. This is, after all, the brand that brought us the LCP and LCP II, LC380, LC9s, SR9/SR40C, and they also now offer a 1911 Commander as well. But the concealed carry market continues to grow, and having a full portfolio never hurts, so they have added the American Pistol Compact to that mix.

THE 9MM COMPACT VERSION of the American (the full-sized model is called the Duty) sports a 3.55-inch barrel (3.75inch in .45) with a length of just 6.65 inches. Designing a

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

HOLSTERS

gun review The front and rear Novak sights provide good target acquisition, even in dim light or for those with poor eyesight.

The Ruger trigger has a good deal of take-up and breaks at six pounds, but the reset is positive and short, so you can deliver fast follow-ups.

carry gun is always a give and take with regard to overall size; small guns are easy to hide and carry, but they aren’t as comfortable to shoot or as accurate (in most cases) as larger, longer-barreled guns. The American Duty pistol is a very comfortable gun to shoot at the range, with great sights and an excellent trigger that mate well with its grip geometry and control layout. But it’s big; too big for most people to carry.

The Compact, on the other hand, does a great job balancing on that middle ground that makes it just the

right size for everyday concealment. It weighs right around 29 ounces (a little more or less depending upon whether or not you opt for a manual safety) and measures – again depending on your safety option – just under or over an inch and a half wide at the controls. It utilizes a double-stack magazine that gives you 12 shots in 9mm, unless you live some place that forbids that amount of firepower, in which case you’ll be deducted a couple shots.

Concealed carry is indeed a numbers game, and the American Compact has the data required to be a serious

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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gun review player. But to do a proper evaluation on any carry gun, we need to take a close look at all the features and see how they stack up against the competition.

I put about 200 rounds of 9mm ammo through the American Compact I was testing, and although it’s hardly torturing the gun, that many rounds offers plenty of feedback on what this gun will do. I used three different loads for the test – Hornady’s American Gunner with 115-grain XTP bullets, SIG Sauer’s 124-grain Elite Performance V-Crown, and Nosler’s Defense Bonded Performance 124-grain +P load.

It wasn’t any accident that I chose these loads, either, for they’ve all proven to be effective and accurate, and I’d stake my life on any of them.

There are some striker-fired semiauto carry guns that seem to eat anything you feed them, and the Compact is one of them. I fed it magazine after magazine, fired from the bench at 15 yards and from standing and kneeling positions. I did draws, drills, and double-taps, all in an effort to see if this gun runs. And, in fact, it does. It feeds nicely, the magazine is well built and easy to use with springs that function well but don’t exhaust the hands when loading (if your mitts do get tired, there’s a mag loading tool included with the gun, though).

In 205 rounds tested there were 205 proper feeds, proper extractions, and proper ejections. The only inconsistency

The American Compact field strips quickly and easily.

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gun review was that the slide didn’t stay open once, but when you’re talking about roughly 40 magazine changes over the course of the test I don’t consider that an issue. In short, the American Compact will function well with good loads. It isn’t particularly finicky, and it functions well.

I PLACE CONTROL DESIGN AND LAYOUT near the top of my priority list when evaluating a carry gun. Over the course of the last decade, controls on carry guns have been consistently shrinking – in some cases, disappearing altogether – with the idea being that fewer controls are less likely to hang up when drawing and less confusing when shooting. I suppose that there’s some validity to this, but I’ve drawn dozens and dozens of test guns over that same time period and I have yet to have a slide stop or safety hang-up when I was doing my part. What I have had happen – and what seems to happen with some regularity – is that I have tested striker-fired guns with such Lilliputian controls that I have to fuss with a teeny tiny slide stop during a reload.

I offer this lengthy thought to laud praise on the American Compact. I tested the version with an ambidextrous manual safety in large part because a lot of people who carry concealed want a manual safety (if you just rolled your eyes, there’s a version called the Pro Model for you). At its most basic level, the Ruger’s safety operates like

The pistol was on target with a variety of loads, including these Nosler Defense rounds.

that of a 1911 in as much as you press the lever down to fire and elevate it to activate. It’s fairly narrow but easy to find and manipulate, a good combination on a carry gun. There’s no fiddling with a tiny, heavy button – one swipe of the thumb and you’re ready.

The ambidextrous slide stop is fairly small but functional and, like the safety, shouldn’t hang when drawing. The takedown lever remains tucked out of the way on the front of the frame, but it makes disassembly a cinch. A subtle

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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gun review depression and polymer bump keep the shooting hand thumb in place, and just below that you’ll find the triangular magazine release button. If you choose the Pro Model and eliminate the manual safety, it’s a clean but functional control landscape, and even with the safety lever this gun is easy to holster, draw and hide.

Triggers on striker-fired guns range from pretty good to terribly sloppy, and you simply can’t expect the same performance you’ll get from a single action. That being said, the Ruger trigger is on solidly the plus side of striker guns.

There’s a good deal of take-up and the trigger breaks at 6 pounds, but the reset is positive and short, so you can deliver fast follow-ups.

The author tested the gun with Versacarry’s new Commander OWB (shown here) and Quick Slide OWB/IWB holsters.

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THIS GUN IS MEANT TO BE CARRIED, so for eight days the Ruger was my traveling companion just about everywhere I went.

I tested it with Versacarry’s new Commander OWB and Quick Slide OWB/IWB holsters, opting for the Commander when I was wearing a jacket or wasn’t as concerned about concealing the gun and switching to the Quick Slide when I wanted to be sure the gun was out of sight.

The double-stack magazine makes the American Compact slightly wider than the ultrathin single stacks from Ruger and others, but with a maximum width of just 1½ inches with the manual safety this gun isn’t terrible hard

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gun review to conceal, and at 30 ounces it rides well in both holsters without the need for a really heavy belt. It’s also worth noting that the grip angle promotes a positive, high grip when drawing the gun, so it’s easy to be consistent when engaging a target.

There are two options for magazines; one with a flat bottom and another with a finger extension. Measuring 5¼ inches from top to bottom with the finger extension magazine installed, the gun is compact enough that you could easily carry with either mag. In fact, I carried with the finger extension in place the whole time and never had any issues with printing, although it was winter and I wore a light jacket almost everywhere I went. As previously mentioned, Ruger built this gun with specifications that allow it to be carried relatively easily (though it won’t vanish under light clothing like the LCP II), yet it’s fun to shoot at the range.

Sometimes shooting a compact pistol on the range is a real chore; recoil can be excessive when shooting ultralight pistols with narrow grips coupled with hot defensive loads.

The American Compact is much more subdued, feeling (at least with the finger extension magazine, which you’ll probably using at the range anyway) more like a midsized pistol – Ruger’s American Duty or SR9, a Glock 19/17 or Walther PPQ – than a single-stack ultracompact 9mm. The three rounds tested performed well (see chart) and groups

The American Compact feels more like a midsized pistol – Ruger’s American Duty or SR9, a Glock 19/17 or Walther PPQ – than a singlestack ultracompact 9mm.

around 1½ inches were the norm when fired from 15 feet off the bench while using sand bags.

But the real test for this gun was how it handled off the bench, and it performed quite well when delivering double-taps, performing lateral and horizontal movement drills, and when drawing and firing. The trigger, as

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gun review previously mentioned, has a short reset, and that high grip and a relatively low bore axis helps keeps recoil manageable for quick follow-ups. Those Novak sights are a nice touch, too, and even in dim light or with poor eyesight you’ll be able to see the white dots.

The American comes with three easily interchangeable grips, so if you want to change the feel of the gun, it’s easy to do. There’s also a Picatinny rail, so if you want to add a laser or light that won’t be a problem either.

In closing, the Ruger American Compact is a great gun for those who appreciate its simple-to-use design, good trigger and reliable engineering. It’s a crowded and tough market out there, but the American deserves a spot on your short list when comparing 9mm carry guns.

The gun comes with three interchangeable grips (small, medium and large), and there are two options for magazines: one with a flat bottom and another with a finger extension.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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HONEY HUNTS

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, our man afield offers 10 timely treks chosen to provide a happier hunting ground for you and your sweetheart.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Author Scott Haugen and his wife, Tiffany, take in a stunning sunset after having doubled on Merriam’s turkeys in Wyoming. There are some great turkey hunts for couples to enjoy around the country.

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ROAD HUNTER

F

ebruary is here, and with it, excitement and so much to do.

Winter projects are wrapping up, spring is around the corner, and love is in the air. The second month of the year graciously provides us with an entire day to honor our special someone, and if you’re looking for something extraordinary to get your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, consider a hunting adventure you’ll remember forever.

I’m not talking hard-core hunts in foul weather for trophy class animals, where freezing temperatures and extreme terrain prevail. I’m referring to fun hunts to share where game abounds, the weather is mild,

americanshootingjournal.com 53

ROAD HUNTER The Haugens pose with Tiffany’s massive black bear, taken on a spring hunt in Canada. The day after this, Scott connected on a giant cinnamon phase bear, making for one of the more memorable hunts the couple has shared together.

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the action fast-paced, the terrain is easily managed and the days afield not overly long. Of course, you need to set aside time for some relaxed sightseeing and romantic dinners, which may come over a campfire, but if you’re together, it’s just that much more special.

Throughout our 26 years of marriage, living in Alaska and overseas, my wife, Tiffany, and I have been fortunate to hunt many places together. Here’s a list of some of the most memorable hunting experiences we have enjoyed together. I believe you will enjoy them as well.

1. BEAR BOUND Spring is one of the most productive times to hunt black bear in North America. Be it over bait in the states that allow it, or spot-and-stalk-style hunting in the lush, grassy meadows of the Pacific Northwest, there’s no shortage of great bear hunting opportunities.

Idaho allows bear hunting over bait, and color phase bears run high in

americanshootingjournal.com 55

ROAD HUNTER some areas. Sleeping in and hunting the evening hours will make it feel more like a vacation than a hunt. Spotand-stalk hunts can be had in multiple Canadian provinces, too, where bear densities are mind boggling and the terrain is easy to negotiate. Just be sure to bring mosquito repellent.

Bear meat is some of the best eating wild game out there. Get the hide off fast; remove the fat from the muscle and get the meat quickly cooling, and you’ll be enjoying it for months to come.

2. TURKEY TIME There’s nothing quite like being in the spring turkey woods: warm days, wild flowers blooming, birds singing and lovesick toms gobbling like crazy.

Turkeys can be hunted in every state but Alaska.

One epic turkey hunt for you and your sweetheart is in Hawaii, where the birds thrive. Florida is another wonderful option for a couples hunt.

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The Haugens have traveled to many countries, experiencing memorable hunts along the way.

Here, the couple is in Zimbabwe, where Tiffany took her first waterbuck. After the hunt, they toured Victoria Falls.

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ROAD HUNTER Texas, South Dakota and western Oregon are also great places to hunt turkeys, and see some beautiful sights along the way.

Wherever you go, make sure to hit the state or states where multiple tags are available. If you have the time, driving to and hunting different states can be easy to do, and may offer great side attractions in the form of museums, historical points of interest and, of course, restaurants. Don’t overlook fall turkey hunting, which can be exciting, especially with a dog!

3. HOG HEAVEN Ask my wife what her most memorable hunt was, and she’ll likely reply hunting hogs in Florida. Our whole family was along on this unforgettable trip, and atop a monster truck-like swamp buggy, we pounded bacon with ARs, shotguns and rifles. It was a thrilling way to hunt, and an effective way to put a dent in the overpopulation

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Thanks to comfortable weather, easy terrain and lots of animals, pronghorn hunting is considered by many to be the perfect couples hunt. On this adventure, the Haugens were joined by their older son, Braxton.

americanshootingjournal.com 59

ROAD HUNTER of pigs on the land we hunted. It also yielded a couple coolers full of some of our favorite wild game to eat.

Texas has high pig populations, and baiting and spot-and-stalk approaches can be employed there. Sitting in a blind over bait offers a level of addicting anticipation that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

California has great, year-round hunting for wild hogs. Spring and fall are favorite times, as the pigs are actively feeding and the weather is very comfortable. Of course, California swine often resides near vineyards, making it easy to find something to do in the evening together as well.

4. QUACK ATTACK Be it an early-season teal hunt, a midseason outing for local birds or a late-season adventure for migratory fowl, spending time in the duck blind together is relaxing. Of course, the earlier it is in the season, the more

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comfortable the weather will be. Then again, late-season, high-volume hunts in the cold can offer unmatched shooting action that can keep you warm.

With a dozen decoys, a call and some basic gear, getting equipped for hunting waterfowl is easy.

If you don’t have access to good public lands, gaining permission to hunt on private property is much easier than getting the green light to hunt deer or elk. Don’t overlook your goose hunting options either, for these can offer great action around the country, be it for Canadas or snows.

Not only can hogs be hunted many ways, their numbers are high and on the table they’re among the best of the best. Here, Tiffany is all smiles with a hog she took with an AR, one of many pigs her and her husband would take on this trip.

5. PRONGHORN HITS The perfect couples hunt for big game has to be pronghorn. The weather is nice, animals are plentiful, you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to start the day, and if you blow an opportunity on a buck, you’ll soon be commencing a stalk on another.

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ROAD HUNTER pronghorn tags through a lottery system, others have over-the-counter options. Parts of Wyoming offer overthe-counter tags for nonresidents, for both buck and doe, making it the top state for such a hunt. Consider putting a bipod on the rifle, or at the very least, use shooting sticks, and practice out to 300 yards, as shots can be long in this open country of the West. These hunts are big hits among couples and families.

6. VARMINT MASTER Varmint hunting offers high-volume, fast-paced shooting action to couples eager to head afield. Be it prairie dogs in the spring, summer, early fall, or ground squirrels farther West, there is a lot of great shooting to be had.

Prairie dogs occupy many of the Rocky Mountain states and open plains, and the fact they do so much property damage means finding a place to hunt isn’t that difficult. The

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last prairie dog town my wife and I hunted in Montana, stretched for more than 7 miles and was over a mile wide. Needless to say, we experienced a lot of shooting.

In eastern Oregon and northern California, Belding’s ground squirrels abound, and firing more than a thousand rounds per person, per day, is common in some of the alfalfa fields overrun by these varmints.

7. PLEASANT PHEASANT While the season for wild pheasants has come to a close, there are numerous bird preserves that offer outstanding hunting opportunities around the country, even in Alaska.

In most states, preserves are open through March, and reopen again in August or September.

Not only are these highpercentage hunts, but the accommodations can be as fancy as you want to get, which can be

appealing to couples. Then again, you can find affordable operations, allowing more bangs for your bucks in the form of pheasant, chukar, quail and occasionally more exotic species.

8. DOVE LOVE My wife and I gone dove hunting together for nearly two decades. Early in the September season, when the weather is hot, we enjoy floating rivers and hunting birds off gravel bars. Later in the season, we move to fields and travel routes connecting feeding and roosting areas.

While early-season hunts are warm and comfortable, many states have extended their seasons into October, and the shooting for migratory doves in large flocks can be exceptional.

These are some of the best eating birds out there.

9. WHITETAIL QUEST One of the country’s best deer hunts

americanshootingjournal.com 63

to experience with your sweetheart is for whitetails. Blacktail deer hunting is physically demanding, often taking place in wet, brushy country. Mule deer habitat can be rugged and the weather less than hospitable. But when it comes to whitetails, North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most hunted big game animal, the options are many.

Since whitetails occupy so much river bottom and farmland habitats, the terrain is easy to negotiate. They can be hunted from late summer into winter, and with high densities, seeing deer is almost guaranteed and the chances of punching a tag are high.

Whitetails can often be hunted from ground blinds, making it comfortable for both of you when temperatures drop. If looking to put meat in the freezer, there are some good over-thecounter options, and easy-to-draw tags in many states.

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10. ADVENTURES ABROAD Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overlook the joy of traveling abroad to hunt with your loved one.

This is also a great opportunity to combine a hunt with a vacation.

New Zealand is tops when it comes to hunting prized red stag, and more, and the people and the country are simply wonderful. Australia also offers some good deer hunting in its southern and western states.

Africa is a place that offers a lot, both in terms of species to hunt and sites to see. Plains game hunts are affordable, with kudu and gemsbok topping the wish list of many hunters.

This Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, consider giving your spouse a hunt as a way to say â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love you!â&#x20AC;? With this gift youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll both be able to spend time in the ďŹ eld together, and travel through some great parts of North America, even the world. Â?

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: Scott Haugen is a fulltime freelance writer of 20 years.

He recently began a booking service geared to help others enjoy hunting and ďŹ shing adventures around the world. Learn more at scotthaugen.com.

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The author fires one of his many Hawken-style rifles. (JERRY MAYO)

HAWKING THE HAWKEN In the 1820s, Samuel Hawken joined his brother Jacob at his St. Louis shop, and together they made rifles that helped make history.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

W

hen Jacob Hawken first began making his “mountain” rifles, he incorporated features into each gun that were well thought of based on his experience. Hawken wanted his rifles to be the very best available and, therefore, desired by the most people. His

strategy worked, because these days, they are the rifles we remember the most from the early to mid-1800s.

Dan Phariss, a highly regarded gunsmith and black powder historian, may have said it best: “The Hawken, the fully evolved mountain rifle, be it full or half-stock, was the final evolution of the American muzzleloading hunting rifle.” americanshootingjournal.com 69

In my opinion, no other muzzleloading rifle ever surpassed the classic percussion Hawken rifle.

MOUNTAIN MEN NEEDED A RIFLE that was dependable, one that could last a whole year or more in the wilderness.

Generally, it had to function without the possibility of major repairs and need for replacement parts, although trapping brigades sometimes had blacksmiths or gunsmiths traveling with them. But with Hawken, that strength and dependability was built right into their rifles.

For example, muzzleloading rifles were often susceptible to damage with breakage to the stock right at the wrist. To strengthen that area, Hawken rifles and their replicas have the long upper tang, as well as the extended trigger plates. Those two iron or steel pieces reinforced the wrist of the stock at both top and bottom, and screws from the tang go through the stock to anchor the trigger plate.

Unlike many modern modular

The author poses with a Hawken in full period regalia (JERRY MAYO)

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americanshootingjournal.com 71

A Hawken-style rifle and some plunder from the rendezvous era.

Supporting shooters around the world

This S. Hawken-style rifle was made in the early 1970s by Green River Rifle Works.

Gunmaker Dave Dolliver shoots a flintlock Hawken he built for the author in 2002.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

designs, the barrel is the literal backbone of muzzleloading rifles, as it provides the foundational support for all of the other parts and pieces. With that in mind, the Hawken rifles had heavier barrels than most other models. It could be that this was because Hawkens were expected to make more frequent use of heavier loads, but that explanation isn’t as probable as the brothers simply seeking a stronger foundation for their rifles.

The locks and triggers used in the Hawken design were also the finest available at that time, and were another reason that they were the finest shooters in the world.

Finally, the Hawken shop was one of the first to embrace the percussion ignition system, and while many historians believe the Hawken brothers also manufactured flintlocks, none of these have ever been located.

Some believe the role of the Hawken rifle in western history has been exaggerated, or that the Hawken brothers are being given more credit today than they deserve. But

americanshootingjournal.com 73

The percussion Hawken the author uses the most currently is Three Aces. Also built by Dave Dolliver, it is a .54 caliber with a 35-inch barrel.

if nothing else, the Hawken rifles were clearly recognized as being the gun to have if you could afford one. That is not just because they were more expensive than most other rifles at the time, but also because – in the diaries, ledgers and account books of the time – Hawken rifles were frequently the only rifles that were mentioned by name.

For example, in the inventory listings of what the American Fur Company shipped to Fort Union, in what

would become North Dakota, in 1834, a notation indicates “4 rifles, Hawkins.” Another early reference appears in a list of goods taken west by French Canadian trader and fur trapper Etienne Provost in 1829: “2 rifles, Hawkins ($25.00 each).” Those are just two examples (both notations appear in the book Supply and Demand: The Ledgers and Gear of the Western Fur Trade by Olsen and McCloskey).

Other rifles were not generally named to this level of detail,

Three Aces is shown with a group fired offhand at a recent competitive shoot.

The upper rifle is a full-stock Hawken-style big game rifle in .58 caliber, while the lower is a lightweight Hawken designed for use by sportsmen.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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MORE HAWKEN HISTORY, HAWKERS

Although their popularity was not as widespread as their rifle siblings, many Hawken pistols were carried west to the mountains.

but Hawken rifles (and some pistols) always seem to be mentioned by name. In other words, if it wasn’t a Hawken, it was just another rifle.

For comparison, the price of a “trade rifle” (a rifle made for the fur trade, to be sold or traded to trappers, red or white) as made by Henry, Leman, Tryon or others could be purchased for around $12. At more than twice that amount, Hawken rifles were truly expensive guns.

Details like these serve to remind us how respected and desirable the old Hawken rifles were. Those reminders emphasize the fact that Hawken rifles were certainly on the “roll call” at rendezvouses of the period. At today’s, the caplock Hawken is just as much at home on the good list, and much in demand. There just isn’t anything that spells “mountain doin’s” like an authentically made classic Hawken.

If you’d like to learn more about these legendary and historic rifles, or simply want to admire the photographs, I can recommend two books: Hawken Rifles, The Mountain Man’s Choice by John Baird, and the three-volume set Great Gunmakers for the Early West by James Gordon. The Gordon book dedicates more than 40 pages of great color photos of the original Hawken rifles, including the almost new condition Kit Carson model. Also included in the Gordon book are examples of the lightweight Hawken rifles that were made for local sportsmen. Although both books are currently out of print, they are available on the secondary market.

If you are more of a “hands-on” Hawken fan, and want to acquire authentic parts in order to make your own accurate copy of the classic rifle – or even buy a complete kit for building an S. Hawken model – I heartily recommend The Hawken Shop, now located in Oak Harbor, Wash. This is actually the same Hawken Shop business located for decades in St. Louis, but the business was sold (along with much of the original machinery and tooling) and relocated to Washington state in 1990. Their parts are copied from original Hawken rifles, including the side-opening patch box.

There is no better way to get a more authentic Hawken than to get the rifle from The Hawken Shop.

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The author’s father made this half-stock Hawken in the mid-1970s, and nicknamed it “Ol’ Horsefeathers.”

HAWKEN RIFLES EVOLVED OVER TIME, starting with the early J&S Hawkens firearms and ending with the S. Hawken rifles, which continued to be manufactured for nearly 20 years after Jacob Hawken’s 1849 death. The differences between the early and late rifles are primarily minor details, such as the use of a single pin to hold the entry pipe for the ramrod on the S. Hawken rifles in place instead of two as used on the J&S Hawken models. But the truth is that each original Hawken rifle was a unique, handmade creation, with no two being exactly alike.

In my 40-plus-year quest to acquire as much Hawken information and experience as I can, I’ve handled – and admired – several original Hawken rifles. But believe it or not, I have never fired one. All of my shooting with Hawken-style rifles has been accomplished with more recent duplicates of these famous guns, many of which

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

have been very exacting copies and that performed in an amazing fashion.

However, Art Ressel, long-time proprietor of the original Hawken Shop in St. Louis, once showed me six Hawken rifles, all laying on a bed. He let me handle them all I wanted, for as long as I needed, and asked me if I could find the one rifle in that group that was not a real Hawken. Although it took me over an hour – a very treasured hour – I’m proud to say that I finally identified the imposter. What finally gave it away? The reproduction had eight-groove rifling while all of the others had seven grooves in their barrels.

In short, the Hawken rifle was a highly desired and reliable firearm of the iconic mountain men who blazed trails and helped settle the American West, and it deserves its place in the historical saga of that important period in our nation’s growth, expansion and development.

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URUGUAY GETAWAY Off-season Wingshooting, Food, Drink and Fun in South America.

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY TROY RODAKOWSKI

Ensconsed deep in a sorghum seed field, Dan Caudill (with a newly acquired and much-needed shoulder pad) raises his gun and prepares to fire at a flurry of birds under the watchful eye of host Agustin Mailhos. americanshootingjournal.com 83

The author admires the results of his wingshooting in the Rio Negro Department of Uruguay.

L

ike some of life’s most memorable occasions, it happened purely by coincidence. Growing up, I’d heard stories of wingshooters heading to Brazil, Chile, Argentina or Uruguay for spectacular hunting trips, and ever since then, I have always dreamed about a South American bird-hunting trek of my own.

When I’m not hunting, fishing or writing about it, I manage a vegetable seed company, and as luck would have it, the annual industry convention was being held in the Uruguayan coastal city of Punta Del Este. With high hopes, I scheduled a few extra days following the meetings and events to explore and enjoy the land.

Things really began to fall into place when Dan Caudill, a friend and seed industry colleague from Louisville, Ky., who was also attending the convention, approached me about the possibility of getting in some dove and pigeon 84

American Shooting Journal // February 2017

hunting. Dan shared a similar dream of hunting Uruguay, and asked me if I knew anyone who could get us set up.

Fortunately, we were lucky enough to find a guide located in the Rio Negro Department (in Uruguay, a department is a political and geographical designation, similar to states in the U.S.), just a few hundred kilometers northwest of where we would be staying.

THE RIO NEGRO RIVER is one of the most important waterways in Uruguay. Known in English as the Black River, it originates in the Brazilian highlands to the northeast, and flows south and west until it comingles with the Rio Uruguay near the Argentinian border, helping to define the boundary with the Soriano Department to the south. The Rio Negro basin and watershed comprise about 26,900 square miles.

Sorghum is an important feedstock for cattle, but its seed is irresistible to a variety of area birds, bringing them into conflict with farmers.

The river is dammed in multiple locations, creating the Paso del los Toros and the Rincón del Bonete Reservoir, which is also called the Gabriel Terra Reservoir or the Rio Negro Reservoir. With a surface area of about 420 square miles, it is the largest reservoir in Uruguay. This area is perfect for waterfowl and a vast expanse of agricultural productions that hold doves, quail and pigeons by the hundreds of thousands.

After a three-hour drive, we arrived to the hunting grounds at Paso del Puerto, and were greeted with gracious hospitality by Agustin Mailhos and his son Martin at a recently renovated 100-year-old ranch house that now serves as a hunting lodge. The lodge sleeps six to eight people comfortably and has its own kitchen, showers, billiard table and numerous other amenities. The nearby town of Trinidad also has hotels available if the ranch house happens to be booked.

The following day, we were led 86

American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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Gauchos move their cattle along the streets near the town of Trinidad.

to the sorghum seed fields, where farmers battle the destruction from doves, pigeons and parakeets once the crops begin to set seed. We were both provided with beautiful 12-gauge Beretta shotguns and 1,000

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

rounds of ammo. It was difficult for me to imagine shooting all of those shells in a five- to six-hour period, but we knew it would be fun to try. We had barely settled into our comfortable chairs in the sorghum

seed field when, before we knew it, birds were everywhere, moving fast in every direction. Before long, we had matched their rapid pace, and were connecting on doubles as the birds began to pile up.

americanshootingjournal.com 89

Doves, pigeons and parakeets flood into a field of sorghum Sudangrass – a variety that rejuvenates soil – to feed on the seeds.

Agustin also made sure to point out the parakeets that were also heading to the fields. He said they are a big problem for ranchers and property owners, as they are very

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

destructive. It wasn’t long before we figured out that they were pretty darn smart. Those colorful little birds did a very good job at keeping out of range.

DESPITE MY INITIAL CONCERN about an excess of shot shells, I fired a couple hundred rounds before two hours had passed. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten to bring any sort of shooting glove along,

americanshootingjournal.com 91

Parakeets offer a tough hunting challenge because they are extremely wary creatures.

and my finger was paying for my neglect with a nice, ripe blister. Honestly, I had never fired so many rounds in such a short period of time.

Dan had issues of his own, and was standing nearby wincing and complaining about his shoulder. But after learning of our plight, Agustin and Martin quickly provided a shoulder pad to Dan and offered me a pair of gloves.

After shooting a few more boxes, Agustin told us it was time to take a break for a barbecue lunch over an open fire.

The fresh Uruguayan beefsteak, sausage, tomato salad and hot French bread provided by our hosts quickly helped us forget about our aches and pains, as did the very good wine and beer they gave us to wash it all down.

Throughout the leisurely meal, we discussed the area’s agriculture, and how much damage the birds can do to the crops. According to Agustin, a flock of the birds “can destroy an entire 100-hectare [1-square kilometer] field in a couple days.” He also told us that area farmers don’t want to be the last one to harvest their seed because the birds will

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

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all move to the last available field and pick it clean before farmers are able to bring in the crop.

Although we did a good job of putting away all of the fine food, two little Vizsla pups who were yipping around the table legs helped us dispose of the scrap meat and sausage. They were fun to play with and watch run around, and Agustin explained that he would be delivering them to a friend later that day to be trained.

But with more than 9 million doves roosting in and around our hunting area, we were soon ready for some more shooting. Dan’s shoulder was sore and my trigger finger was throbbing, but we didn’t care, as we shot nearly 400 more rounds that afternoon, and finally managed to bag a couple parakeets. At one point in the afternoon, we took a break to tell a few stories and sip on some good bourbon as birds continued to fly. It truly was an amazing experience.

Agustin explained that dove season is year-round, with hunters typically bagging nearly 200 birds per day.

The lodge is a vintage ranch house converted to suit the specific needs of hunters.

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Lunch is served.

None of our meals would have been complete without the accompanyment of some fine Uruguayan wine.

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Other hunting periods include duck season, which runs annually from May 1 through September 15, and quail season, which runs from May 1

through July 31. A combination hunt in this area will run hunters around $800 per person, per day, with guns and ammo extra.

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Uruguayan beef is very affordable and has top-notch flavor, especially when cooked over an open flame.

THIS IS ONE ADVENTURE that everyone who loves to shoot, eat, drink and relax needs to enjoy at least once. The deep, rich culture of Uruguay is very affordable and should be on every wingshooter’s bucket list. In addition to our barbecue feast during the hunt, we managed to enjoy some other excellent steak and seafood dinners with local beef and wine. In my opinion, Uruguayan beef is some of the best I’ve ever eaten, and that includes meat from Argentina, Korea and the United States. Paired with the right vintage wine, the combination will easily satisfy your hunter’s palate.

For more information regarding a trek such as ours or other hunting opportunities in Uruguay, contact Agustin or Martin Mailhos directly at Paso del Puerto (see below). I know that I will be going back very soon for round two, so maybe I’ll see you there.

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COMPETITION

SUBGUNS ARE FUN GUNS

The author sets the learning curve to full auto at his very first submachine gun competition.

A competitor shooting an Uzi in the Optics division at the Michigan Subgun Match.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROB REED

I

t’s the first stage of my first match and I’m nervous.

The range officer asks, “Shooter ready?” and I nod, almost reluctantly. The buzzer sounds and I raise my Uzi submachine gun,

sight in on a plate rack downrange, and trigger a burst. The staccato bark of my gun marks the start of my first-ever subgun competition.

I was at the Michigan subgun match because I wanted to do something with my registered fullauto Uzi more interesting than

“busting dirt” at the local gravel pit. A submachine gun competition sounded like the challenge I needed.

ALTHOUGH I WAS NEW to the sport, the sport itself is not new. Organized submachine gun competitions have been around since at least the 1980s. americanshootingjournal.com 105

COMPETITION Three Uzis and a Thompson (second from the top) on the table at a match. The Uzi is popular due to its availability, reliability, accuracy, and ability to accept accessories.

A lineup of subguns at a competition includes a mix of Uzi SMGs and modified MAC buzzguns.

The events, while never as well known as other “run and gun” sports such as IPSC, have maintained a mix of die-hard supporters and new blood. The basic requirement is for a fullauto-capable gun that fires a pistol-caliber cartridge.

The longest continuously running SMG match in existence is the Knob Creek Range National Subgun Competition held in West Point, Ky., each April and October. The match is part

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COMPETITION of a larger event at the Knob Creek Range that includes a machine gun shoot, huge gun show, and other competitions. Shooters from all over the country compete in what has become the defacto national title match for subgun shooters.

The KCR match has evolved over the years: The early match format featured a single long stage where shooters moved along a predesignated path while engaging targets along the way. Over time the match changed to a more efficient multistage format that allowed match directors to work in different challenges, while also being quicker to reset. The original format still survives as the “Jungle Walk” side match.

The match has also changed to keep up with technology. The advent of “slow fire” kits for the MAC series of SMGs offered advantages to seasoned shooters and also made it easier for new shooters to get into the game

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A shooter advances to engage a target array.

A shooter with a Thompson SMG at a match.

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COMPETITION by making those less expensive guns competitive. These changes are reflected by alterations in course design, rules, and how guns are classified for the match.

THE MATCH FORMAT will seem familiar to anyone who has shot in an IPSC or 3-gun competition. Most matches are multistage with three to five shooting positions in each stage. The targets are a mix of steel, other reactive targets such as bowling pins, and paper targets. Obstacles, barricades, and “no shoot” targets are used to round out the course. The round count can be as low as 150 rounds for a good shooter, and up to over 500 rounds for those of us who miss a lot.

One difference is that most matches require that the gun be fired only in full-auto mode for the whole match. This rewards those shooters with good trigger manipulation skills who can fire short bursts or even single shots on demand. Although this

A close up of an Uzi with the selector in the “A” for auto position.

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COMPETITION is the best way to shoot most targets, the shooter might be instructed that certain target arrays can only be shot with a single long burst. This benefits those who are also good at keeping the gun on target while firing a long burst or even a full mag dump.

Scoring is based on the shooter’s time and modified by penalties for things such as missed targets, insufficient hits on paper targets, lower scoring hits on paper targets, and hits on “no shoot” targets.

Many matches feature scenarios or an overriding theme. One scenario at a recent KCR match required competitors to try to rescue a downed pilot in enemy territory and included a stage with a large helicopter mock-up as a shooting position.

At the KCR match, guns are divided into classes based on their method of operation and sighting system. The classes are Open Bolt/Iron Sights for guns like the Uzi or MAC with stock

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A pair of Uzis at a match. The top gun sports an optic and vertical grip.

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COMPETITION sights, Open Bolt/Optics for those same guns if they mount any type of optical sight, Closed Bolt/Iron Sights for guns like the MP-5 or 9mm M-16 and Closed Bolt/Optics, for those guns when they mount optics.

Other matches may use an older system that divides guns up by date of design (pre- or post-1945), open or closed bolt, sight system (irons or optics), or rate of fire (below or above 900 rounds per minute) or they may use a different classification system altogether.

Safety is paramount at all matches.

Any shooter who has an accidental discharge or breaks the 180-degree rule, pointing the barrel in an unsafe direction, is immediately disqualified.

One special rule commonly used is that shooters are not allowed to backtrack once they have moved even a single step forward. This is to reduce the chance of a shooter tripping while holding a loaded full-auto firearm.

The author fires his Uzi at steel poppers at the Michigan Subgun Match.

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COMPETITION the shooter who hit the most targets (usually all 18) in the fastest time.

Aside from the Jungle Walk, or a really good friend who will loan you his gun, the other way to get started in submachine competition is to jump in with both feet and buy your own gun.

While all the details of how to legally buy a submachine gun are beyond the scope of this article, machine gun ownership is legal in most states, and the required ATF paperwork and procedures are really not that difficult to complete.

The bad news is that the guns arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cheap. That is because private citizens can only own those machine guns that were manufactured and registered with the ATF before May 19, 1986. Since this limits the available supply, the law of supply and demand has kicked in over the past 30-plus years, and prices have steadily risen in that time.

Although the initial expense may shock you, an entry level but still

CONTACTS AND OTHER SMG COMPETITION RESOURCES: The Bullethose (bullethose.com) is run by subgun match enthusiasts and features a competition calendar, links to pages on local matches posted by the host clubs, and a forum for shooters and match organizers.

The Knob Creek Range (knobcreekrange.com) is the host of the twice-yearly Knob Creek Range National Subgun Competition and the Jungle Walk side match, the longest continuously running SMG match around.

The TASK slow ďŹ re conversions are available for the MAC 11/9 and 76/45. Visit cncgunsparts.com/task_slowďŹ re_conversions.

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competitive SMG can be obtained for just a bit more than what it would take to purchase a complete three-gun setup. By the time you add up the costs of a quality AR, optics, an auto-loading shotgun, a handgun, slings, mag pouches, and other gear, you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that far off from the price of a MAC series SMG and a slow ďŹ re conversion kit.

Of course, if you have the cash,

other guns such as the Uzi, MP-5, Sterling, Thompson, etc., are out there and are suitable for competition.

Aside from the gun, all you really need are extra magazines, mag pouches, and lots and lots of ammo! Â?

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: The author wants to thank Paul Winters and Todd L. for their help with this article.

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gun review

The author shooting doves in Argentina with a well-worn Montefeltro. Guns rented by Argentinian dove lodges see more abuse than most any other shotgun, and Montefeltros are one of the handful of weapons you’ll see in regular use here.

THE FULL MONTE Benelli’s Montefeltro has made the journey from

European novelty to the world’s most respected repeating upland shotgun.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BRAD FITZPATRICK

I

n 1911, as John Browning was finalizing his semiautomatic pistol stateside, Teresa Benelli was helping her six sons invest in a small automotive repair shop in Urbino, Italy. The brothers did well with their business and eventually began building motorcycles, selling their bikes in the U.S. through Montgomery Ward catalogs. By 1967, the brand had earned enough capital to allow Giovanni Benelli to design and market semiautomatic shotguns, a byproduct of his love of

hunting. Little did he know that the gun that bore his name would reinvent the shotgun market in much the same way that Browning’s 1911 forever changed pistol design.

Although the name Benelli was stamped on the very first gun to leave the Urbino factory in ’67, the real genius behind the gun was an Italian designer named Bruno Civolani.

Civolani’s system was different than the gas systems that were becoming popular in the States. One of the hallmarks of the Benelli design was that it was so simple and basic that it rarely broke and, as shotgun enthusiasts quickly learned, it required less frequent cleaning and could go hundreds of americanshootingjournal.com 121

gun review thousands of rounds before a failure.

That design was the Inertia Driven System, and it had three basic components: a rotating bolt face, a bolt body and an inertia spring.

As recoil pushes the gun rearward, the bolt stays in place for an instant and the inertia spring compresses, eventually developing enough energy to unlock the bolt face. The bolt body is then forced rearward, extracting and ejecting the spent casing. The recoil spring shoves the bolt back forward and slams the bolt body back into place after picking up the next shell. The final step in the process is for the rotating bolt head to lock into battery for the next shot.

BENELLI WAS ALREADY BIG IN EUROPE before American hunters and shooters started noticing a few of these slim, sleek Italian autoloaders showing up in duck blinds and upland fields. One of those early guns was named the Montefeltro

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The Montefeltro has a reputation for harsh recoil, but it isn’t abusive. The author fired this field gun – which wore a black plastic butt plate – more than 500 times on this day in Argentina, and although his shoulder was sore it wasn’t enough to keep him from heading to the field at first light the following day.

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gun review Waiting on birds in Argentina. The wait was rarely longer than 30 seconds, so this Montefeltro took a beating, and that’s just one day. In addition, it cycled dirty shells and busted hard primers without any issues.

in honor of the Duke of Montefeltro and his family who lived in the region of Urbino. Benelli’s Montefeltro had some similar features to popular American guns at the time, but there were a few obvious differences.

For starters, the forearm was trim and slim, very different than American gas guns that housed pistons and gas systems under the barrel. The Montefeltro was also lighter by as much as a pound, a result of the simplicity of the Inertia Driven System, as well as an intentional design feature – gas guns tend to work better the heavier they are, and inertia guns are quite the opposite. The Benelli was a gun that could easily be carried all day long, and upland hunters liked this.

There were a few other nuances found on the Montefeltro that are different than traditional gas guns.

For one thing, the bolt was much lighter. Whereas it was a chore to pull the bolt rearward on a gas gun,

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gun review the Montefeltro, by contrast, could be racked with a single finger and a slap of the wrist. Another difference – one that I have seen baffle first-time Benelli shooters – is that simply pulling the bolt rearward doesn’t automatically feed a shell from the magazine tube into the chamber.

There’s a very, very good reason for this, though. If you jam a Montefeltro down on the ground, you can actually open the bolt, and if a shell happened to feed during that process, you would be suddenly carrying a shotgun with a chambered shell and not be aware of that fact, which is dangerous. New Benelli shooters have to get used to the idea of depressing the shell release lever and then racking the bolt. It takes some time, but I’m so familiar with my Montefeltro that the order of operations on a traditional gas gun has begun to feel foreign.

The Montefeltro was – and is – a beautiful gun. The curves of its long action, stylized receiver and trim profile were once considered revolutionary, but have now become a blueprint followed by other makers. The rib is quite flat, but the Benelli is so light and well balanced that it is quick to the shoulder and fits a wide range of

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shooters. Wingshooters liked that, and they also liked the Montefeltro’s scant weight. If you are a serious bird hunter – the kind that climbs mountains in search of Huns and chukars, or who wades through alders and grapevines for a shot at a ruffed grouse – that difference in weight makes, well, a difference.

Serious bird hunters began carrying Montes, and soon something else became very apparent about these guns.

This Idaho partridge fell to the Montefeltro with a 1-ounce load of size 6 shot. The Benelli is light enough for allday carry even in this steep country.

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gun review The Montefeltro is available as a combo gun with two satin walnut stocks—perfect for a young shooter who is still growing.

Not all semiauto shotguns are available in left-handed versions, but the Montefeltro is. With so many options with regard to stock design and length, as well as action, it’s little wonder that so many shooters like the Montefeltro.

Since the Inertia Driven System doesn’t rely on gas to be vented through the gun (these gases are pushed out of the barrel for less fouling), these guns could go for thousands of rounds between cleanings and would fire a wide array of loads without the need for modification or adjustment. Want to break a few clays or walk-up a covey of quail or two? You can use light loads without any problem. Want to follow that up with a hunt for hard-flying roosters or large ducks? Fine, your Benelli will eat those loads as well without indigestion.

The basic Montefeltro has an anodized receiver and blued barrel and comes with a very nice satin walnut stock or durable black synthetic, and there’s also a Silver version

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

with AA-grade walnut and a nickel-plated engraved receiver.

The trigger assembly drops out and the trigger guard is big enough that I can easily shoot my gun when wearing rather large leather gloves. Crio choke tubes are included, so named because Benelli cryogenically treats both their barrels and chokes to relieve stress on the steel, smooth surfaces, and, as a result, produce more consistent patterns.

Additionally, the Montefeltro comes in a left-handed version for southpaws and a compact version for anyone with short arms. With so many options and features, it’s little wonder this gun has won over a legion of shooters in the United States and elsewhere.

americanshootingjournal.com 129

gun review THE DOVE FIELDS OF ARGENTINA test a shotgun as brutally as any other place on earth, and among the many lodges that cater to dove hunters, those belonging to the David Denies group are perhaps the finest of all. Denies offers a variety of excursions throughout South America, everything from hunting roaring red stag to fly fishing in some of the world’s most incredible waters to duck hunts with 50-bird limits. But the David Denies brand specializes in dove hunts, and in a land where birds are shot daily by the thousands, I doubt if any outfitter can put you in fields where you will pull the trigger more frequently.

We were hunting Cordoba Lodge, and on our first day in camp we headed to a cutover dove field into which the birds were streaming by the thousands. I doubt that more than 30 seconds passed without a shot opportunity, and since our guns hadn’t arrived yet, we were given the lodge guns. These were, as you might imagine, Benelli Montefeltros. It was the exact same 20-gauge autoloader I carried at home for quail, rabbits, grouse and chukars,

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The Montefeltro accounted for these Kentucky doves on the opening morning of season.

Benelli’s autoloader is certainly one of the most versatile upland guns you can own, perfect for clay shooting, doves, pheasants, rabbits, and more.

americanshootingjournal.com 131

gun review but this Argentinian gun had seen tens of thousands of rounds more than my own Monte.

The gun performed flawlessly, coming quickly to the shoulder and crumpling birds that were passing left-toright, incomers, and doves that presented high overhead shots. As fast as I could shoot we reloaded, and by day’s end we had put better than 500 rounds through the gun – a light afternoon by Argentina standards. At the lodge, over a steak and wine (what else in Argentina?), I asked the lodge owner how many rounds the Benelli had gone through. He squinted, tilted his head to the sky, and did some math.

“Probably … 150,000. A hundred thousand, at least.”

I may never press the trigger on my Monte that many

The synthetic stock version is perfect for anyone who plans to take their gun through the briars or into flooded timber and who doesn’t want to damage that fine walnut stock.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

times, but it’s good to know that the gun can handle that kind of abuse. But that longevity is only one reason that people buy the Montefeltro. The other is that if you hunt hard, it’s one of the best shotgun options you can own.

AMERICA ALSO OFFERS TREMENDOUS wingshooting opportunities on public lands throughout the west. The only caveat is that you’ll have to climb and hike – a lot. In this country, if you’re averaging a bird a mile, that’s pretty spectacular, and the average is probably more like one bird every 5 miles. But for those who love this kind of open range hunting, there’s nothing that can compare.

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The Silver version is truly a magnificent firearm with a nickel-plated receiver and AA-grade walnut. MSRP on this gun runs above $1,700, but the quality of this gun justifies the cost.

americanshootingjournal.com 133

gun review Favorite Loads for the Montefeltro The Montefeltro gobbles up any shell of the correct gauge you feed it, even those grimy Argentinian shells. But here are a few of my favorite loads for my 20-gauge gun: B&P Upland In keeping with the Italian theme, Baschieri & Pellagri shotshells (pictured) are a great complement to the Montefeltro. I use the 20-gauge 2¾-inch nickel-plated load with an ounce of size 6 shot, delivered at 1,350 feet per second, and have found that it patterns well and is quite effective on game. In addition, these shells are affordable.

Federal Top Gun Target Load Seven-eighths of an ounce of 7½ shot delivered at 1,200 feet per second is a great recipe for light birds like doves and 100-round days at the clays course. Recoil is minimal, price is excellent and they never fail to function in my gun.

Browning BXD There are two 3-inch 20-gauge loads available (5 or 6 shot) that push 1¼ ounces of shot at 1,250 feet per second, and there’s a 2¾-inch 1-ounce load of number 5, too. These loads hit hard, and when I know I need to make long shots on tough birds like chukars or pheasants, these loads take care of business.

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gun review MONTEFELTRO SPECIFICATIONS (20 GAUGE, 26-INCH BARREL) Action

Weight

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3 inches

47.5 inches

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setters, introduced me to chukar hunting. The first gun I brought along was a 7½-pound over/under, which was a terrible choice. For one thing, it was too heavy, a real burden when you’re hiking in steep country. For another, I needed that extra shot.

This past year I hunted with Tom again, but I’ve since learned that there are upland guns built for this kind of task and the Montefeltro is one of them. My 20-gauge Monte weighs a hair over 5½ pounds and it carries very well. That’s a good thing, because Tom knows some of the best places to hunt birds in Idaho but you’ll have to walk. We covered a moderate distance on our last hunt, perhaps 5 or 6 miles, and we really had great success, harvesting five Huns and a pair of California quail. The Montefeltro accounted for about half those birds, but my back wasn’t aching when I was finished.

The only strain was from a heavy game bag.

I have carried my Benelli to the field in search of a variety of different upland species across the United States,

and it has never failed me. But before you run out and buy a Montefeltro, there are a few things that you should know.

For starters, gas guns recoil less. I don’t think it’s a lot less, and if you aren’t shooting hundreds of rounds a day, I doubt you would notice. The Montefeltro’s other quirk is that the bolt head must be dropped with enough force to rotate and lock it. Ease it forward and you’ll hear that dreaded “Benelli click.” With a few days’ practice you will quickly learn how to handle the Benelli so that this doesn’t happen, but I still occasionally forget and miss a shot.

Those foibles are minor compared to the Benelli Montefeltro’s many, many strong points. It’s little wonder that this svelte little Italian gun with its ingeniously simple operating system has spawned so many copies, with more and more inertia guns hitting the market each year. But there’s only one Montefeltro, and it’s hard to beat the original.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

COMPETITION

A MUZZLELOADING CHRISTMAS One regional shooting competition took a new approach to the Christmas holiday to raise money for a targeted charity.

Each year, scores of shooting competitions take place across the country and around the world. Some are intensely competitive, and others are held strictly for fun and fellowship. But no matter how hotly contested they are (or aren’t), events such as these can always provide an opportunity to help others in need. Here is a look at one small charity event with a decidedly historical feel that took place in the last month of 2016 in Washington state. – The Editors STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

T

he Paul Bunyan Plainsmen, headquartered near Puyallup, Wash., have put on a very special Christmas muzzleloading match every December for the past several years.

This event is very successful because it’s a lot of fun, and it has a very unique twist to it.

Mike Moran, Washington State Muzzleloaders Association president, was dressed well for this winter shoot. americanshootingjournal.com 139

COMPETITION Being a Christmas shoot, the range had more than a few targets that were seasonally correct, such as a funny Santa Claus and even a Grinch. There were also just a couple of real novelty targets: a frosted marshmallow and a striped candy cane, which had to be hit with the round ball to score. But I can tell you more about the targets as I describe the shooting and how the match was run.

Like many muzzleloading clubs, the Paul Bunyan Plainsmen have their monthly shoots hosted by different members each time. That keeps the matches from becoming too repetitious and it also makes sure the shooters who attend aren’t sure what will happen next. Helen Sick organized this particular match, and all present agreed that she did a good job.

The rifle I took to this match is a .54-caliber flintlock Hawken halfstock, a rifle built for me in 2002

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

(Left) This was the author’s best shot of the match – right between Frosty’s eyes.

(Right) The author used his flintlock Hawken in .54 in the match.

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COMPETITION

The prize table was stacked high with a variety of gift-wrapped shooting prizes.

but hasn’t seen a lot of use for the last 10 years. One reason that I quit using it is that it’s heavy, about 11 pounds, which began to get a bit tough to hold for offhand shooting.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

But recently I’ve been using it again because I’m hoping it will help me keep in better shape.

The shooting began at two paper targets, both posted at 25 yards. These

were a standard single bull’s-eye target that is usually posted at much greater distance, and the “California X,” which is also a target for longer range. Shooting those at just 25 yards

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americanshootingjournal.com 143

COMPETITION didn’t necessarily make them any easier, and since all of the shooters were in the same boat, no one had any real advantage. For me, the bull’seye target was the best place to start because my .54-caliber bullet holes could be easily seen and that was a great help.

For shooting at 25 yards, my standard load for almost any muzzleloading rifle is to use one grain of powder per the caliber. In this case I used approximately 55 grains of powder, Olde Eynsford 2F, in the .54-caliber rifle. Using one grain of powder per the caliber is just a good way to start and often that’s right where my powder charges stay.

Other examples are using 45 grains of powder in a .45 and 50 grains of powder in a .50-caliber rifle. Those are short-range loads and shooting at 25 yards is all I’m referring to right now.

MY PAPER-TARGET SHOOTING wasn’t bad,

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but my shooting partners did outshoot me. That’s OK; that made them good partners. And then we moved to where the marshmallows and candy canes were located. I thought I’d take the lead just a bit when I hit my marshmallow, and my best partner, Bob DeLisle, scored a miss. Let me also point out that these candy targets were posted at just 15 yards. And my delight at hitting the marshmallow was rather short-lived because I missed the candy cane.

Then we posted new paper targets and moved the target frames in to just 15 yards as well. The new paper targets were also novelty in nature and they required just one shot each. The little snowman, for instance, would give a shooter 10 points for a head shot but nothing for a hit elsewhere. My own shot at the snowman was right between the eyes, and was by far my best shot of the match.

Before we knew it, the shooting was

over and our scores were turned in. Of the 30 shooters there, my score put me somewhere in the middle.

Next, we were all gathered into the clubhouse and all shooters were awarded a prize in order by their scores. The shoot prizes were all on a table at the front of the room and the high-scoring shooter, Wayne Miller, who had a very good score, was the first to make a selection. The only catch to this arrangement is that all of the prizes are gift wrapped, so no one is sure of what they’ll be getting.

To further add to the fun, each gift-wrapped prize was opened on the spot so everyone could see what that shooter received. Yes, sometimes those prizes were bonnets, necklaces, or earrings, but I lucked into a widebrimmed black hat.

In addition to the prize awards, there was also a raffle. The raffle prizes were some rather nice items, and each fit in with the muzzleloading

americanshootingjournal.com 145

The frosted marshmallows and candy canes were “seasonal” novelty targets.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

era: Steve Skillman donated a handmade powder horn, there was a very nice small wooden chest, a Dutch oven, a handmade adjustable pistol powder measure, a handmade bow, and other things of remarkable temptation. This added to the fun and more good prizes were distributed to the shooters.

WHAT MADE THIS SHOOT EXTRA SPECIAL and different from most others of this type was that no range fee or entry fee was involved. Instead of a specified entry fee, each shooter paid what they thought the shoot was worth. Then, at the end of the shoot, all of those entry fees and the monies gathered by the sale of the raffle tickets, as well as some outright generous donations from the shooters, was given to the Toys for Tots program of the U.S. Marines Corps Reserves.

With Americans helping their fellow Americans for Christmas, this holiday “doin’s” was even more special.

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THE BULLET BULLETIN

ONE SHOT SOLUTION

The Norma Oryx is designed to provide a perfect blend of expansion and penetration, and is available in calibers both popular and rare. STORY AND PHOTOS BY PHIL MASSARO

In the .375 H&H, the Oryx bullet makes a good choice for truly large game.

T

hree does jogged across the little valley below me, pausing only to look over their shoulders.

It wasn’t long – a matter of seconds – before I heard the telltale grunting.

He wasn’t the biggest buck I’d ever seen, but he had eight points and a big body, and at that stage of the season he was a shooter. Head down, searching side to side, neck swollen, he cruised along giving the does’ scent the utmost attention.

At 90 yards, he stopped and gave me a quarteringtoward shot, and I placed the crosshairs of the 6.5-284 Norma just inside his foreleg, gently breaking the trigger.

At the shot, the buck flipped backward onto his back, legs in

The 180-grain, .30-caliber Oryx, in original form and expanded.

americanshootingjournal.com 153

AMMO REVIEW the air, and stayed in that position. The 156-grain Oryx had taken him through the heart and lungs, and proceeded to exit just behind the offside ribs, killing him instantly.

THE ORYX IS A PREMIUM BULLET, designed for a perfect blend of expansion – to create a large wound channel – and penetration – to ensure that the wound channel reaches the vital organs. Usually designed in a semispitzer profile, the bullet’s copper jacket is engineered to be thinner at the nose, to initiate expansion, yet gets thicker toward the flat base of the bullet.

In addition to getting thicker, the rear portion of the Norma also provides premium-grade, quality brass cartridges, including these for the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, available as factory ammunition (shown) or as component parts.

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Norma loads the Oryx in some rare calibers, such as the .308 Norma magnum.

americanshootingjournal.com westernshootingjournal.com 155

AMMO REVIEW jacket is chemically bonded to the lead core to make sure that things stay together. Chemical bonding, resulting in what we call a “bonded core” bullet, prevents bullet breakup, and slows the expansion process down to allow the bullet to penetrate deeply. It is one of several methods used to resist overexpansion, a problem common to standard cup-and-core bullets at high-impact velocities, and the Norma Oryx does this well.

Being a semispitzer, the Oryx may not possess the high ballistic coefficient (BC) figures that some of the sleek, polymer-tipped hunting bullets may have, but at normal hunting distances that doesn’t pose a huge problem.

Inside of 400 yards, shots can be made with a bullet in this conformation, and the additional terminal performance can make a big difference when it really counts; should tough shoulder bones, thick hide, or gristle plates need to be penetrated, the Oryx will definitely hold together for you.

Norma loads the Oryx in their factory ammunition, in calibers from .224 inches all the way up to .375 inches. The smallest are a good choice for those who wish to use a .22 centerfire on deer and other similar game. The standard big game calibers, say from 6.5mm up to 8mm, can be used with an additional level of confidence, should the shot angle be less than desirable.

The heavier calibers, from .338 inches up to the .375 The .375 300-grain Oryx.

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americanshootingjournal.com westernshootingjournal.com 157

AMMO REVIEW inches, will take full advantage of the Oryx’s stature, as these calibers are often used to pursue the largest animals that can be effectively hunted with a soft-point bullet.

Norma offers the Oryx in mid- to heavyweight projectiles for caliber, at standard muzzle velocities. Retained weight is often high – above 90 percent in most instances – with expansion usually doubling the original diameter.

The American PH line includes the 6.5-284 Norma, with the 156-grain Oryx bullet.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

THE ORYX IS AVAILABLE IN MOST of the popular calibers, such as the .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, .375 Holland & Holland and .300 Winchester Magnum, but also has embraced some of the rarities, like the .308 and .358 Norma Magnums, as well as the Weatherby and Blaser Magnums. Hailing from Sweden, Norma loads many of the metric calibers, like the classic 7x57 Mauser, 9.3x63mm, 8x57 and 9.3x74R, as well as some of those lesser-known calibers here in the States like the 7x64 Brenneke and the 7x65R. Norma also offers the Oryx as a component bullet for the handloader, so for those of you who like to hunt with your own ammunition, the Oryx remains a viable option.

In the field, I like the Oryx for any situation where a difficult shot angle may be the only shot you get, or in an instance where stopping an animal may be necessary.

The Oryx would make a very good choice for a hunter

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The classic .30-06 Springfield is even better when mated with the Oryx.

who wanted to use his or her .270 Winchester for elk; at 150 grains, the heavy-for-caliber bonded core slug will definitely hold together well enough to reach the vitals. I also like the Oryx for many of the African species, as well as for our North American bears. Thinking lion and leopard, as well as eland and wildebeest, the Oryx – in a suitable caliber – will provide enough expansion to shred the vital organs, yet will break those tough shoulder bones that guard the vitals.

I also think that a .338 Winchester Magnum or .375 H&H Magnum, loaded with a heavy-for-caliber Oryx, would make an excellent brown bear combination, and would certainly handle any black bear that ever walked. For a hunter who wants to pursue bears with his standard deer rifle, the Oryx will handle the shoulder bones and put that bear down quickly.

For those who hunt deer with the popular .243 Winchester, the Oryx will surely get the job done, at just about any angle.

Is it accurate? My 6.5-284 Norma will print three of those 156-grain Oryx bullets into ½ MOA groups, as will my .300 Winchester Magnum with 180-grainers. My .375 H&H puts three 300-grain Oryx bullets into exactly 1 inch at 100 yards. For a trio of hunting rifles that will handle most all of the big game scenarios across the globe, that’s more than enough accuracy.

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BLACK POWDER

GOIN’ SLOW

If you are starting out with black powder cartridge shooting, the .45-70 is a great place to begin.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

Two nice .45-70s: the C. Sharps 1874 (top) and the Browning Model 1886 carbine (bottom).

M

ost of what we’ve heard or read about black powder cartridge shooting seems to focus on long-range action. Those stories either include long-range target shooting, especially in “Quigley style” competition, or hunting, such as the tales of the buffalo hunters. While those tales of longrange heroics are often very true, with credits positively earned, black powder cartridges are right at home with shorter range shooting too. Some folks might consider this to be “goin’ slow,” but it really is the best place to start.

IF YOU ARE JUST BEGINNING to get into black powder cartridge shooting or are even just thinking about it, the good old .45-70 is a fine and logical entry point to this type of shooting.

One good reason for that is because there are so many things, including guns and accessories, available for the .45-70 caliber. Ammunition is readily available too, but that’s less of an issue because for black powder shooting we’d be loading our own, for either single shot or repeating rifles.

Black powder loads can certainly be fired in repeating rifles, such as my Browning copy of the old Winchester 1886 saddle-ring carbine with its 22-inch-long barrel. The main difference between the repeaters and most of the single shots is that the single shots – such as the Sharps or the rolling block – actually have no maximum cartridge length.

On the other hand, lever-action rifles have a maximum overall cartridge length, generally just over 2½ inches, so the cartridges can cycle through the actions. Also, the trapdoor single shots might not accept cartridges quite as long as the Sharps or rolling block because their cartridges must be initially loaded at an angle. And those trapdoors and repeaters might actually chamber cartridges that are too long for them to eject if still loaded, so to unload the rifle, those long cartridges will have to be fired.

During the “on duty” days of the .45-70, there were some variations in the loading of the cartridges. The first and the oldest was the .45-70/405,

which was designated as the “rifle load.” Because that powder and bullet combination can be considered quite a blast when fired from a carbine, a “carbine load” using 55 grains of powder under the same 405-grain bullet was also used. The carbine load might sound like it is melted down compared to the standard rifle load, but don’t cut it too short. Carbine loads can stand on their own while offering comfortable shooting.

MAKING THE CARBINE LOAD IS SIMPLE. This can begin with new unfired brass which has been run through the neck expander to accomplish two things: it bells the mouth of the cases just a bit to accept the cast bullets, and it rounds out the mouth of any cases which might have gotten squeezed a bit out of round. Of course, fired brass needs to be treated the same way.

Then the cases are primed and ready for 55 grains of black powder. Once the powder is poured into the case, no compression is required and you can easily seat the lubricated cast bullet down over the powder. americanshootingjournal.com 165

BLACK POWDER The bullets used for these carbine loads were Lyman’s #457124, the old ideal style of grooved bullets that were the standard 405-grain slug for the .45-70. Some of the old-style bullets did have fewer and wider lube grooves, but those don’t show once the bullets are loaded into the cases.

Bullets for carbine loads are seated rather deeply, to ensure that no air space was left in the case above the powder charge and to make the carbine loads instantly identifiable to the shooters. For my loads, the bullets were seated just deep enough so the mouth of the case could be slightly crimped over the top of the forward driving band.

A crimp groove in the bullet is not necessary with black powder loads because the bullet is resting on top of the powder charge. There is very little opportunity for the bullet to be pushed further into the case, even when used in a tubular magazine.

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017

Lyman’s #457124 bullet, the famous “old timer” for carbine loads.

IF THERE WAS EVER A CLASSIC BULLET for the old .45-70, it would have to be the old Lyman/Ideal #457124. I say that for a couple of reasons, but they can be

netted out into just a couple of short statements. First and foremost, it is a very historical design, and Lyman refers to it (in their old Handbook of Cast Bullets, from 1958, the one with an engraved converted Sharps carbine on the cover) as “the regular standard .45-70 Government bullet.”

For our shooting needs these days, this remains a standard bullet, and is useful for any .45-70 rifle or pistol being single shot or repeater. It can be used with carbine loads using 55 grains of powder or with full rifle loads burning 70 grains of powder. This old standard is still an all-around bullet for the .45-70 and it can be used in most other .45-caliber rifle cartridges as well.

The original weight of #457124 was listed at 405 grains. I don’t think any design change has been incorporated over the years but now this bullet is most often listed at 385 grains. That weight difference is simply from the alloy the bullets are made or cast with.

My favorite use for the #457124 is in carbine loads, such as the cartridges pictured above. These are loaded with 55 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F. That is simply a nice load, good for shooting all day without cleaning as long as the bullets are

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Not the tightest group, but a good target shot with carbine loads.

well lubed. When you shoot it all day, this load leaves you with good feeling in your shoulder too. While that is the carbine load, it remains good load for hunting, perhaps for deer-sized game at ranges within 100 yards. It is not a long-range powerhouse, but it doesn’t lack much either. In fact, the above load scoots an average of 1,245 feet per second when shot out of a 30-inch barrel. That’s not bad at all.

If any .45-70 shooters out there don’t have a #457124 mold from Lyman in their gear, their “possibles” are simply incomplete.

Lyman has dropped many molds from their catalog over the years, but thankfully #457124 is still on the list; it’s just too good to ignore. These quality bullet molds are available from almost any handloading supplier, and Lyman lists this one for $90.95 without handles.

I must give plenty of credit to these slow .45-70 carbine loads. My loads for this carbine and my lightweight Sharps rifle as well perform just as I want them to. Carbine loads will actually perform just as well if not better in any of the heavier rifles too. There is nothing wrong with loads that send the bullets out a bit slower than the full charges. They can actually be better if they help us make better hits.

Contact: Lyman Products Corporation Lymanproducts.com

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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

WHERE THE ACTIONS ARE

Bighorn Arms has already made a name for itself with two top precision rifle actions for the Remington 700 footprint, but the best may be yet to come.

STORY BY THE EDITORS PHOTOS BY BIGHORN ARMS

B

ighorn Arms likes to keep things simple. When your goal is to design and manufacture the most important component of the most popular rifle action in the world, it makes sense to do it right the first time before you move on to other product offerings. Up until now, largely because of that singular focus, Bighorn has offered just two rifle actions; the SR2 – for the serious hunting enthusiast – and the TL2 – for the tactical operator looking for a magazine-fed tack driver.

But that’s all about to change.

The Bighorn brand was created by gunsmith A.J. Goddard and originally produced out of his one-man shop in Brighton, Colo. After developing a large – and patient – following for these top-ofthe-line actions, customer orders began to significantly outstrip production.

To help fill demand without reducing quality, Bighorn has significantly increased its production capacity via a new partnership with Zermatt Arms Inc. (ZAI) of Bennet, Neb. According to Bighorn literature, this new partnership was designed to take full advantage of ZAI’s “incredible machining capability with state-ofthe-art equipment and several years of experience within the firearm and aerospace industries.”

But fans of Bighorn TL2 actions (and there are many of them) will be pleased to learn that the company is currently poised to increase their action product output with the addition of a third product, the TL3.

Bighorn’s popular rifle actions, the TL2 (top) and the SR2.

Branded as “the next evolution” in their tactical series, Bighorn states that the new tactical action has been designed to “deliver everything you expect from (the) TL series but with a few added advantages.”

There are several improvements for Bighorn customers to consider. First, the ejection port has been extended .300 inches rearward to prevent cartridges from bouncing back into the action. This change has been made to the TL2 line as well. The bolt stop pin floats in an oval-shaped hold in the bolt stop so that it will never take the shock from stopping the bolt. The new bolt stop exerts pressure on the action body and not the bolt stop pin.

The mechanical ejector allows even the shortest cartridges to be ejected reliably. It also allows the user to decide how far the rounds will be ejected out of the action. With 20 threads per inch

The company’s recent partnership with Zermatt Arms Inc. has greatly increased production capacity.

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company SPOTLIGHT This production run of TL2 actions will soon be on the way to happy and patient customers.

(TPI), owners have the option of running a prefit barrel or having their local gunsmith shoulder up a custom one.

Just like on the TL2, the bolt head floats, allowing for 100 percent lug contact when firing. These are also user swappable, allowing for multiple caliber options. And by moving the rear of the bolt head forward by .100 inches, the company can safely cut the magazine well for AW magazines.

The new firing assembly is now a bayonet style that can easily be removed from the bolt body without the need for tools. Rails are now pinned, and there is no longer a center cut on the rails. Finally, The Bighorn Arms logo has been engraved on the shroud, a design addition that will soon be feartured on the entire line.

The TL3 action (which will be known as the Bighorn Tactical once production is rolling) recently premiered at the 2017 SHOT Show, and the company plans to begin shipping the much-anticipated action to customers in mid-June.

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BIGHORN ACCESSORIES Although Bighorn is rightly known for their actions, the company also produces a few accessories. These include four different bolt knob designs (spiral, diamond, helical diamond and tactical), bolt heads and rails. Bolt heads are currently available for .223, standard and magnum, and with the ejection port on the right or the left (lefties rejoice!). Short and long rails are also available for the SR2 and TR2 with an MOA of 0, 20 or 30. Finally, Bighorn offers a TL2/SR2 ejector repair kit for all calibers. It contains one ejector, two ejector springs and two ejector retaining pins.

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(402) 782-2884 www.BighornArms.com

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American Shooting Journal // February 2017