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WESTERN

MAY & JUNE

SHOOTING JOURNAL

Volume 2 // ISSUE 9 // May 2014 PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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ON THE COVER Michael Rooker is known for his bad guy roles in several Hollywood blockbusters, and most recently a recurring role shooting zombies on the AMC hit TV series, The Walking Dead. He also enjoys shooting and hunting in real life. (AMC)

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

CONTENTS 60

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 9 • MAY 2014

ROOKER OF THE YEAR Hollywood’s rugged rebel Michael Rooker talks about The Walking Dead, shooting zombies and why he flips off the camera in photos. We’ve got the exclusive scoop from this actor who loves to hunt and shoot on why he dislikes directing movies, and what his favorite zombie movie is of all time. (AMC)

Cascade Mountain Men, meets old friends and discovers a unique selection of treasures to choose from.

73

Hollywood’s Toxic Influence On Guns The inaccurate portrayals of firearms in Hollywood movies has unfairly contributed to a stigmatization of them throughout pop culture.

77

Perhaps The Most Versatile Revolver You Will Ever Own Smith & Wesson’s 460XVR, the X-treme Velocity, can be used to hunt a variety of game or to shoot competitively at the range.

85

New POF-USA Puritan Rifle Packs Reliability With Economy Patriot Ordnance Factory believes that everyone should be able to own a piston-driven AR-type rifle, so they developed this entry-level version.

107 Good Times With Guys, Guns, Grub And God Pistol-toting pastors and churches descend upon the NRA’s Whittington Center for two days of shooting, fishing, golfing, all-the-meat-you-can-eat and Bible fellowship.

113

BEYOND THE BADGE: Deadwood: From Lawlessness To Quaint Town How the legendary home of Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane developed into a peaceful historic tourist attraction today.

131

POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Should Those Age 18 to 21 Be Allowed To Purchase Handguns?

Two firearms industry longtimers debate the merits of lowering the minimum age to own handguns to the same age as owning a long gun.

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FEATURES 35

COMPETITIONS: Sporting Clays Hits Bigtime TV New NBC sports show takes aim at being the next Top Shot.

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Twenty-Three Different Pistols And Revolvers…And The Winner Is? Our editor spent a day at her local range comparing various calibers of handguns,

and came away with some strong opinions about which ones were the most accurate, easiest and comfortable to shoot.

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BLACK POWDER: Muzzleloader’s Shopping Extravaganza Join Mike Nesbitt as he takes a walk through the Muzzle Loading Arms and Pioneer Crafts Show put on by the

Navigating The Complex, Confusing eCommerce World Of Guns, Part I of II What sellers need to know to comply with the laws and easily set up sales online.

143

The Shootin’ Schoolgirls Of The Southwest High schoolers form Arizona’s only allfemale high school scholastic shooting sports team, competing in sporting clays, trap, skeet and archery.

WESTERN 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 © 2014 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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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

CONTENTS ALSO INSIDE 87 117 127 151 155

Crimson Trace RailMaster Pro Eliminates Fussy Attachments Guns In Schools: Yay Or Nay? Try Before You Buy At Raahauges’ Shooting Sports Fair Tantalizing Tanto Knives Reloading Shotgun Shells Is Different

DEPARTMENTS 15 17 17 18 21 25 27 31 33

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Editor’s Note News: Spokane, Wash., Gun Owner Cleared In Fatal Shooting Of Car Thief News: Who Is Global Digital Solutions And Why Are They Trying To Buy The U.S.’s Largest Gun Maker?

News: Idaho Implements Law Nullifying Any Future Federal Gun Laws Gun Show Calendar Competition Calendar Reader Snapshots Guns Of Our Fathers: My First Gun, The Bolt-Action Single-Shot .22 Range Spotlight: Arkansas Armory, The Range That Lets You Try Out Their Firearms

Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

The Hunt is On! • Roadhunter: Turkeys, hogs, prairie dogs, squirrels, Jackrabbits and marmots P. 89 • Washington wildfowlin’ at Whiskey Dick Ranch P. 101 • Four ways to hunt bear P. 147

EDITOR’S NOTE

A

lthough 2013 was a great year for gun owners in terms of legislation, this year isn’t looking so good for the Second Amendment. The few states that were able to get gun-control legislation passed last year had some really draconian laws implemented.

One of the most frightening laws was Connecticut’s ban on AR-15s. AR-15 owners who did not register their guns with the state prior to December 31, 2013, are now in violation of the new law, a felony.

It is estimated that 50,000 to 350,000 owners of AR-15s did not register them with the state, making the gun owners all ostensibly felons. I wrote an article about the situation, entitled Molon Labe: Connecticut’s Terrifying Start Of Gun Confiscation, and it received over 33,000

“recommends” from readers (the most I’ve ever received for an article I’ve written), an indication of how serious the problem is. That many people violating the law – and note this is not just a civil violation or even a criminal misdemeanor, but a felony – verges on tyranny and anarchy with that many rebelling. A handful of extremist gun-control legislators should not turn that many Americans into felons.

Is the state of Connecticut going to ignore the 50,000 to 350,000 new felons, or is it going to round them up, going door to door? New York has also passed a similar law, which required gun owners to register their AR-15s by April 15.

In Colorado, some of the legislators responsible for passing draconian guncontrol laws have been recalled. Per-

haps this will happen in Connecticut and New York, so legislators who respect the Second Amendment can replace the gun control extremists and repeal this awful law. WSJ

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

PRIMER NEWS // CALENDARS // READER PHOTOS

NEWS

GUNOWNER ACQUITTED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING CAR THIEF

G

ail Gerlach walked outside his home on March 25, 2013, and saw a man driving off in his SUV. He fired a single shot from his 9mm pistol and killed him with a bullet to the back of his head. Gerlach had left his 1997 Chevrolet Suburban idling with his plumbing tools in it, when 25-year-old Brendon Kaluza-Graham jumped in it and took off.

Gerlach asserts that he thought the thief had a gun, and he was afraid for his wife, who was also in the driveway at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors pressed charges, because the state claimed that he could not have seen clearly through the

In Washington state, the use of deadly force is only permitted when there is a threat of immediate and imminent physical danger. (GAIL GERLACH)

tinted, dirty windows, and the thief was unarmed. Gerlach was being tried on first-degree manslaughter. If convicted, he could have faced up to 10

years in prison. ABC chief legal affairs anchor Dan Abrams said Gerlach would have been charged with murder if there had been more than one shot.

Kaluza-Graham had a criminal history and drug use. He has been arrested before for stealing cars. A toxicology report found that he had methamphetamine in his system when he was shot.

A Facebook page was set up by supporters at Facebook.com/SupportGailGerlach.

On Friday, April 11, a jury acquitted Gerlach, affirming the rights of gun owners to protect themselves.

WHO IS GLOBAL DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AND WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO BUY THE U.S.’S LARGEST GUN MAKER? Global Digital Solutions has no footprint in the firearms industry, yet wants to purchase the Freedom Group for $1 billion, the largest gun and ammunition manufacturer in the U.S. The man behind the company, CEO and founder Richard Sullivan, doesn’t even own a gun. The Freedom Group includes Remington Arms, Bushmaster Firearms, DPMS/Panther Arms,

Marlin, H&R, The Parker Gun, Mountain Khakis, Advanced Armament Corp., Dakota Arms, Para USA and Barnes Bullets.

Cerberus Capital Group, which currently owns Freedom Group, has been looking to sell it ever since the Sandy Hook shooting, due to threats from non-firearms companies to pull out of the company if they don’t dump it.

Sullivan is a tech entrepreneur who says he would like to integrate digital technology with guns, and has a vision for modernizing firearms. He would add chips to firearms that would disable them when held by someone other than the owner. Known as smart guns, many in the firearms industry are wary of this technology.

Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Busiwesternshootingjournal.com 17

PRIMER

NEWS

nessweek interviewed Sullivan, and is not sure what to think. He said after the interview, “Even after talking with him, I can’t tell whether he’s making a real offer for Freedom, engaging in an elaborate publicity stunt, or indulging a flight of fancy. Maybe it’s a combination of all three.”

Remington CEO George Kollitides issued this statement about the proposed purchase: “A small, unknown investment entity publicly announced its desire to acquire the Remington Outdoor Company. If this wasn’t disruptive to our employees and customers, we would not acknowledge the news and recognize it for what it is: a publicity stunt from an agenda-driven group with no credible financing options.”

The website guns.com speculates that if the buyout is successful, there could be a boycott of the company. It remains to be seen whether the buyout, if it does goes through, is beneficial or harmful for the firearms industry.

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

IDAHO IMPLEMENTS LAW NULLIFYING ANY FUTURE FEDERAL GUN LAWS

There was never any doubt that Governor Otter wouldn’t sign S1332. (U.S. CONGRESS)

A new law in Idaho will prohibit “state enforcement of any future federal act

relating to personal firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition.” It passed the Idaho House and Senate unanimously, and was signed into law

by Governor “Butch” Otter (R) in late March. Alaska and Kansas have already passed similar laws, and 12 other states are considering legislation.

The legislation was passed weeks after the ATF raided a firearms company in California, Ares Arms, attempting to gain the names of 5,000 customers who had purchased lower receivers. The ATF claims that the receivers are illegal because they were plastic and did not contain serial numbers. WSJ

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

The guys of Washington Waterfowl Association at the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show in Puyallup, Wash.

2–3 Camp Verde Gun Show, Camp Verde, Ariz.

2–4 Butte Gun Show, Butte, Mont.

Casper Arms Show, Casper, Wyo. Grand Junction Gun Show, Grand Junction, Colo.

Fort Worth, Texas Vancouver Gun & Knife Show, Vancouver, Wash.

WAC Monroe Gun Show, Monroe, Wash.

10 ACSWW Gun Show, Vancouver, Wash.

Annual Sandpoint Gun Show, Sandpoint, Idaho

3–4

10 – 11

Albany Gun & Knife Show, Albany, Ore. Albuquerque Gun & Blade Show, Albuquerque, N.M. Bakersfield Gun Show, Bakersfield, Calif.

Belton Gun Show, Belton, Texas Chickasha Badshot Gun Show, Chickasa, Okla.

Eureka Gun Show, Eureka, Calif.

Houston GRB Gun & Knife Show, Houston, Texas Hunting & Sportsmen’s Gun Show, Loveland, Colo.

Lone Star Antique Arms Convention, Waco, Texas McMann’s Roadrunner Tucson Expo Gun Show, Tucson, Ariz.

Metcalf Oklahoma City Gun Show, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Prospectors Sertoma Colorado Springs Gun Show, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Saxet San Antonio Gun Show, San Antonio, Texas Southern Arizona Gun Show, Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Springfield Gun Show, Springfield, Mo. The Original Fort Worth Gun Show,

Elko Gun Show, Elko, Nev. GGA Burleson Gun Show, Burleson, Texas Prescott Valley Gun Show, Prescott Valley, Ariz.

Yakima Gun Show, Yakima, Wash.

16 – 17 Eagle Valley Gun Show, Eagle, Colo.

16 – 18 Sioux City Gun Show, Sioux City, Iowa

17 – 18 “Original” Rose City Gun Show, Portland, Ore. Altus Gun Show, Altus, Okla.

Big Town Premier Gun Show, Mesquite, Texas Boise Gun Show, Boise, Idaho Centralia Gun Show, Centralia, Wash.

Chico Rod & Gun Club Gun Show, Chico, Calif.

Eugene Gun and Knife Show, Eugene, Ore. Flagstaff Gun Show, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Fremont Gun Show, Fremont, Neb. Helena Gun Show, Helena, Mont.

Oklahoma City Gun Show, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Omak Gun & Knife Show, Okanogan, Wash.

Paso Robles Gun Show, Paso Robles, Calif.

Turlock Gun Show, Turlock, Calif.

Wichita Falls Gun & Knife Show, Wichita Falls, Texas

23 – 25 Fallon Gun Show, Fallon, Nev. Hamilton WCS Gun Show, Hamilton, Mont.

Mount Pleasant Gun Show, Mount Pleasant, Iowa

24 – 25 Colorado Springs Hunting & Sportsmen Gun Show, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Cotulla Gun Show, Cotulla, Texas Fort Worth Lone Star Gun Show, Fort Worth, Texas Kingsland Gun Show, Kingsland, Texas Las Vegas Gun Show, Las Vegas, Nev. Liberty San Antonio Gun Show, San Antonio, Texas McMann’s Roadrunner Tombstone Gun Show, Tombstone, Ariz.

Tulsa Gun & Knife Show, Tulsa, Okla.

25 Oregon Arms Gun Shows, Portland, Ore.

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

1–4 California State Championship Shootout at 5 Dogs Creek (singleaction shooting), Bakersfield, Calif.

Battle of Plum Creek (single-action shooting), Lockhart, Texas

2 The Cowtown Classic (USPSA), Cresson, Texas

2–4 Kansas State Black Powder Championship Siege at Clark’s Creek (single-action shooting), Chapman, Kan. Mo-Kan Border Skirmish (single-action shooting), Higginsville, Mo.

3 2014 Pro Series Event #3 (3-gun), Owasso, Okla.

Oregon Revolver Championship, Shedd, Ore.

3–4 Arizona State Junior Olympic Trap & Skeet Championships, Tucson, Ariz.

Colorado State Junior Olympic Trap & Skeet Championships, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Missouri State Junior Olympic Trap & Skeet Championships, Washington, Mo. 2014 Oregon State Junior Indoor Rifle Championship, Sherwood, Ore. The Best Shoot by a Damn Site 2014 (single-action shooting), Boulder City, Nev.

9 – 11 2014 Ken Pletcher Memorial Skeet Shoot, San Antonio, Texas

10 Missouri State IDPA Championship – BackStoppers Challenge, Barnhart, Mo. Blackhawk War (single-action shooting), Springville, Utah

10 – 11 Caesar Guerini Cup 2014 (trap), Dallas, Texas

Washington State Junior Olympic Trap Championship, Renton, Wash.

Middle of the Road (single-action shooting), Kuna, Idaho

12 – 15 Armed Services Skeet Championship, San Antonio, Texas

14 2014 Area 1 Championship (USPSA), Benton City, Wash.

15 – 17 Defend the Roost (single-action shooting), Ridgecrest, Calif.

16 – 17

Haley Dunn brings years of Olympic-level training in Skeet to the new world of professional sporting clays. She’s one of eight women competing in the 2014 Professional Sporting Clays Association championship series. (LYNNE GREEN)

23 – 25 End of Road (single-action shooting), Twin Falls, Idaho

Texas State Junior Olympic Skeet Championship, Snook, Texas

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7th Annual Northern Arizona Classic (USPSA), Prescott, Ariz.

Comp-Tac’s Republic of Texas State IDPA Championship, Cresson, Texas

Arkansas State IDPA Championship, Centerton, Ark. Iowa State Junior Olympic Trap Championship, Coon Rapids, Iowa Colorado PPP State Championships (air pistol), Colorado Springs, Colo.

Castle Gate Smudge Match (single-action shooting), Price, Utah

17 – 18 May Day Shoot (air pistol), Renton, Wash.

Shoot Out on the Pecos (single-action shooting), Carlsbad, N.M. Alaska State Wild Bunch Championship Shootout at Moose Nugget Flats (single-action shooting), Birchwood, Alaska

21 – 24 2014 35th Anniversary MidwayUSA & NRA Bianchi Cup National Championship (pistol), Columbia, Mo.

22 – 25 Siege at San Juan City (single-action shooting), Montrose, Colo.

Shootout at Three Fingers Saloon (single-action shooting), Santa Margarita, Calif.

24 – 25 CRPA State International 3-P & English Match Champ (rifle), South El Monte, Calif.

Missouri State Junior Olympic Trap Championship, Pacific, Mo. Iowa State Junior Olympic Skeet Championship, Waukee, Iowa Where the Old West Stayed Young (single-action shooting), Craig, Colo.

Second Annual May Mayhem - No Frills/All Fun Shoot (single-action shooting), Marshfield, Mo. The Fast and Furious (single-action shooting), Hutchinson, Kan. Little Big Match (single-action shooting), Littlerock, Wash.

Duel in the Desert (single-action shooting), Tombstone, Ariz.

29 2014 Arkansas Section Handgun Championship, Perryville, Ark. Rocky Mountain 300 (USPSA), Eaton, Colo.

31 Alamo-1st Marine Division Sporting Clays, San Antonio, Texas

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PRIMER

TOP SHOTS Tiffany Cheuvront of the California Rifle and Pistol club shooting a Beretta ARX160 in .22 LR. (CRPA)

Layne Lawless of Arizona holds a combat shotgun with a folding stock on Arizona’s border with Mexico. (LAYNE LAWLESS)

The female staff from California Rifle and Pistol Club at the Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall, Calif. From left to right: Paula Renteria, Morgan McLaughlin, Robin Hicken, and Tiffany Cheuvront. (CRPA)

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PRIMER

READER TOP SHOTS

Five photos of Phyllis Gross from Arizona Female Firearm Competitors, with (l-r clockwise) a Remington .308 rifle, a Remington 1100 12-gauge shotgun, a Colt AR-15 and the rifle, the rifle and the shotgun.

Lance Sherwood of Arizona breaking in his LMT .308.

(LANCE SHERWOOD)

Western Shooting Journal’s SEO genius Jon Hines serving in Bolivia.

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER! Congratulations to Lisa Davis for winning the Readers’ Top Shots contest for April! Each month, the reader who submits the best photo will receive an AmmOMug of their choice from ammomug.com. Submit your best reader photos to us at ralexander@media-inc.com.

You can also submit videos for our website.

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westernshootingjournal.com 29

Guns Of Our FatherS

MY FIRST GUN The Bolt-Action Single-Shot .22 ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY BOB SHELL

The author shot mice at his neighbor’s chicken coops to earn money for ammo as a young boy.

L

ike many youngsters duraddition, my grandmother and a few of for which he gave me a few cents. A .22 ing that period of time, my her friends did a lot of canning of variwas too dangerous in the coops, hence first real gun was a Hamilous fruits and vegetables. Since they the use of the Daisy. Not only did all of ton bolt-action single-shot made jellies, I went around picking that practice keep me occupied, it im.22. In fact, not only did I have to work various berries for them. That included proved my marksmanship, making me the bolt, but I had to cock it each time it currants, gooseberries and wild strawa good shot. When I turned 12 or 13, I was shot. Prior to that, I had a Daisy BB berries. We had a raspberry patch, and was given a bolt-action 12-gauge shotgun which saw much use. Even at the I would pick these berries and get a gun for my birthday. Early on, I found tender age of 11, I was hooked on guns few cents a quart, which went to the that shotgun shells were more expenand shooting. This was during the store to buy a box or two of .22s. sive, but that didn’t deter me from 1950s, and we didn’t have a lot of money Back in those days, we didn’t whine shooting it whenever possible. WSJ to support my shooting habit. We lived about lack of money, but rather figured Editor’s note: Bob Shell is a writer for out in the country, so finding a place to out a way to earn a little if we wanted to international magazines, whose areas shoot wasn’t a problem. My dad liked to shoot. Then as now, I wanted to shoot of expertise are old guns, reloading hunt, so I frequently had an opportunity as much as possible. I just never saw a and various product reviews and simito go with him on various trips. problem with earning my shooting lar topics. He owns a small ammuniGetting the money didn’t turn out money and I learned a few life’s lessons tion business which specializes in to be a major issue, either, as I wasn’t by doing that. With my BB gun, I shot hard-to-get and obsolete ammo. adverse to work. We lived across the mice at my neighbor’s chicken coops highway from a country club, so I would go over there daily and find soda bottles and good golf balls to turn in The Hamilton bolt-action single-shot .22 was the author’s next gun after a BB gun. for a little cash. In westernshootingjournal.com 31

range spotlight

ARKANSAS ARMORY: THE RANGE THAT LETS YOU TRY OUT THEIR FIREARMS

Arkansas Armory is one of the few ranges that are open seven days a week.

T

he family-owned Arkansas Armory, located outside Little Rock, may be the best best range we’ve come across to test shoot firearms seven days a week. It is both a gun store and indoor range. It costs only $15 to shoot all day, and $8 for a second person. For just another $20, guests can shoot all the rental guns available. Those include various .22s, .38 Specials, .357 Magnums, .380 ACPs, .40s, .45s, and 9mms. The 10 for $10 program lets you take 10 shots with one gun; this includes a target, 10 rounds of ammo, and time on the

range to make those shots. Law enforcement and military receive a 10 percent discount.

There are couples/date nights, zombie shoots and the range can be rented out for parties. Children are welcome to shoot, as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult 21 years of age or older. There is a BioCircle Gun Cleaner available to clean your gun after shooting for $10, or $15 for a long gun. The range provides minor work on guns, including installing some sights and bore sighting.

This range is for handguns, shotguns and rifles, and the latter two are

limited to Thursdays and Fridays, in order to limit the loudest noise to those days. Fully automatics are permitted. There are also thousands of guns available for purchase, whether in the store or available to order, including good deals on pre-owned guns.

There is a handgun training course for $40, which is free if you buy a handgun from the armory. The ladies’ concealed carry class is $110.

Arkansas Armory has an extremely active Facebook page, facebook.com /arkansasarmory, and Twitter presence at @arkansasarmory. There are frequent updates listing new firearms in stock.

Due to the accessibility of firearms at this range, it sounds like the perfect place to take someone to try out shooting for the first time. WSJ Editor’s note: Arkansas Armory is located at 7600 Landers Road, Sherwood AR 72007. Range hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Visit them at arkansasarmory.com or call (501) 835-4867 (835-GUNS).

Just $20 to shoot all their rental guns, all day long.

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COMPETITIONS

SPORTING CLAYS HITS BIGTIME TV New NBC Sports Show Takes Aim At Being The Next Top Shot ARTICLE BY ROBIN TAYLOR • PHOTOS BY LYNNE GREEN

J

uly 27 will determine the future of shotgun shooting in the United States. Bold words? Read on.

NBC Sports brings professional shotgun shooting to prime time that night.

We’ve seen successful “shooting shows” on cable, but the Professional Sporting Clays Association (PSCA) series will top all previous shooting coverage (other than the Olympic biathlon). Together, the NBC network will include at least 77 million households that night.

Instead of being the forgotten stepchildren of the Summer Olympics, shotgunners will penetrate American living rooms. NBC is rolling the dice here because shows like Top Shot have done so well. They’re going with sporting clays because it’s the most viewable of all the shotgun sports.

If you’ve not shot sporting clays, it’s wild. Targets come from every possible angle — flying over from behind, bounding straight up, crossing at 70 miles per hour, even rolling along the ground.

Shooters walk along from station to station, shooting shotguns on what looks like a huge field archery course. What could be better for a bird hunter?

As far as TV goes, if clever camera work and good storytelling can make golf interesting to watch, sporting clays should do just fine.

Haley Dunn of Houston, Texas, consistently qualifies for the Olympic team.

HOW WILL IT WORK? “In a nutshell, it’s the 60 top sporting clays shooters in the country — 52 men and eight women,” says PSCA’s Mark Weeks. Each tournament will span a weekend. Pros shoot two 100-shot courses on Saturday, and the top half advance to Sunday. If you “make the cut,” you’re in the money. The mini-

mum payout is $1,000, and the top shooter takes home $15,000. The top four women get $1,000 minimum, with a $5,000 top end.

The second day is geared for TV coverage, pairing each shooter up with one other. Whether the pair turns into a cooperative “team” or tries to psych

each other out depends on the people involved – which makes interesting TV. Each and every event gives away $100,000 total. Taken together with the guaranteed TV time (making one’s sponsors happy), it won’t take many $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000 checks to make a dream of shooting professionally real. westernshootingjournal.com 35

COMPETITIONS

Sporting clays is the most viewable of the shotgun sports.

Spoiler alert: Gebben Miles of Tucson, Ariz., took his first big step down that road April 5-6, winning the $15,000 check for first at the inaugural PSCA shoot. He fended off Brian

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

Hughes of Lewisville, Texas, and Theo Ribbs of Dripping Springs, Texas, in the overall by six targets (out of 300) on what everyone agrees were some of the harder shots – and toughest condi-

tions – they’d seen in a while.

“We threw a lot of tougher targets,” says Weeks, “and it rained on us all day Sunday.” Desirae Edmunds of Houston, Texas, shook off the wet to dominate

COMPETITIONS the ladies’ side of the house, outshooting Diane Sorantino of Cape May, N.J. by a wide margin (18 targets).

AMATEURS TOO If you’re an amateur sporting clays shooter, get on the Internet and find the PSCA schedule. There’s a spot for 150 amateurs at every one. The amateurs start out shooting 100 targets Sunday morning. The top male and female on each course (four total) join the pros that afternoon on the televised portion. The four amateurs compete against each other for separate prizes and the high amateur title. Amateurs can officially qualify for the pro tour by shooting NSCA events, but there’s a moment in the sun available to anyone that shoots well at a PSCA event.

David Bishop laid down an impressive 96 out of 120 targets to win the first amateur title, with top lady Deborah Davis breaking 89. If they keep that up, I’d expect one of those ama-

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teurs to get a life-changing phone call next season from PSCA’s competitor liaison, Haley Dunn.

Dunn’s phone calls have already recalibrated the lives of many. Take a quick look at their list of participants, and you’ll see an absolute who’s who of American shotgunning.

WHAT WILL THE SHOW BE LIKE? As a “shooter,” I’m ten kinds of curious how the show will play out. Shoots have been the stuff of cable TV for years, but if the hosts don’t invest in “telling the story” from multiple angles, they drag (imagine single-camera coverage of pro golf.) On the flip side, big-network biathlon coverage is absolutely huge in Europe, and drew good numbers for NBC as part of the recent Winter Olympic games. NBC took stories on the athletes, blended them with the story of the match, and came out with magnetic TV. Top Shot did something similar, but with a big dose of staged

“reality TV” thrown in.

PSCA will do something that’s not quite either. “We’re doing three-tier programming: competition, in-depth profiles from the athletes … and education about sporting clays and how it works,” says Weeks. “We see this as an opportunity to promote the clay target sports in general.”

PSCA isn’t the only pro tournament knocking on the major broadcasters’ door, but it’s certainly the first to be welcomed in. 3-Gun Nation’s blend of reality TV and major sporting tournaments has transformed 3-gun competition (I covered their season finale in Las Vegas two issues ago). Unfortunately, people who see black rifles as talismans of evil make it difficult for even black rifle advertisers to get network time.

“We’ve already gone through several different television vetting processes, and ended up with NBC Sports. Since it doesn’t have black ri-

COMPETITIONS

Sporting clays is about to become bigtime.

fles or pistols, they’re excited about bringing competition shooting to their network,” confirmed Weeks.

GOIN’ PRO Right now, shooting as a pro isn’t like playing professional ball. A select few

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

can gather enough sponsorships to shoot and travel profitably, but practically everybody has a day job. “With ammo at $90 a flat, and target fees running $50 a round,” says Haley Dunn, “staying competitive takes money.”

Dunn’s been able to qualify for the Olympic development team consistently, and the team supplies 40 cases (“flats”) of ammo to all the team members. Unfortunately, she actually needs about 100 cases to get through the year (that’s 25,000 shells).

Travel is a major expense, and getting sponsors to cover expenses is much harder than getting help with ammo, guns, and gear. PSCA’s initial venues will be centered in Texas, reducing the travel hassle for much of the field.

TEXAS? Texas is to sporting clays what Arizona is to practical pistol – many of the best in the world live here, and the clubs are

amazing. Would-be pros move there just to be part of the scene.

I caught up with Dunn just after she’d moved from Houston to Dallas to be closer to her Gold Medal Shooting Academy HQ – the firm retained to run the PSCA tournaments. “This (PSCA) will change the way people look at shooting professionally,” says Dunn. “We’re really going where no one has gone before.” WSJ Editor’s note: Catch the premier yourself on NBC Sports, starting July 27, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. Details on the shooters, the scores, etc., can be found at psca.com. For more than 20 years, Robin Taylor has covered the shooting sports from the inside, covering events in more than 20 states and two European nations. His firm, Taylor Freelance, LLC, produces pistol magazine extensions, books on shooting and other accessories for competititve shooting at taylorfreelance.com.

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DIFFERENT PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS…AND THE WINNER IS? Comparing The Coolest Handguns ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY RACHEL ALEXANDER

Marcus Carter instructing me on the importance of focusing on the front sight using a 50th Anniversary Commemorative Ruger Mark II.

since 1989. I really got to know him when I heard about a prosecutor who has been on a vendetta against him since 1999. Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge originally was a

The Para-Ordinance P-14. The top model, designated USMC-45, has been customized for the Marines at Sub-Base Bangor, with a high-intensity light system. Inscribed on it is Mors de Contactus, which is Latin for “death on contact.”

I

spent a day at the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club (KRRC) in Washington recently, to try out 23 handguns. It was the most enjoyable shooting excursion I’ve ever had. Marcus Carter, the executive officer, is a firearms instructor who trains firearms instructors, so I had excellent assistance. He

didn’t snap at me or tell me to “put the gun down,” which can be disconcerting when you’re trying your hardest to do everything safely and correctly. Our mutual longtime friend Glen Petroski came along, just like a similar outing at the range we had in 2012, making it a lot of fun.

Marcus has been with the range

These two S&W .38 Specials had interchangeable stocks. I could really tell the difference in kickback between the smaller stocks vs. the larger ones. Note the top gun, the Model 649, has a shrouded hammer so it doesn’t snag on anything when drawing.

westernshootingjournal.com 43

I was surprised how much I liked the .357 on the top with the blued finish and Pachayr grip. It had the smoothest and easiest trigger pull of any gun I’ve ever shot. Below it is another S&W .357 with a factory grip that made a difference in how it felt shooting.

guest instructor on the law at KRRC. He was involved in a high-profile prosecution of a man who used a gun in self-defense. The jury unanimously found the man innocent.

Hauge insisted on lecturing the club’s firearms students about the case. Marcus could tell the students weren’t thrilled, and after Hauge left for the day, Marcus came in and said he would play defense attorney and presented the other side. When he finished, he asked the class if they would have found the gun owner in-

Even though these are much different in size, these are both nine-shot .22s; the High Standard (top), which has nine to ten shots, and the New England Firearms.

nocent, and every single member of the class raised their hand.

After that, Hauge has tried relentlessly to prosecute Marcus, accusing him of modifying a weapon to make it

My favorite gun of them all was this .22 Ruger Mark III 22/45 Lite that was decked out competitively with a high-end dot scope and built partially of aluminum and polymer to make it lighter.

It shot very smoothly and the scope made it much easier to sight. It belonged to John Davidson, a KRRC range officer who kindly let me test it out.

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fully automatic, attempting to get the range shut down, and suing Marcus’s wife in the lawsuit. Marcus has not been represented by an attorney, even though it’s meant numerous trips to

Although these two old-style single-action revolvers look the same size, the top one is a .357 Hawes, and the bottom one is a .22 Colt New Frontier. They were the prettiest guns of the bunch.

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Three progressive variations of the Ruger Standard .22. The top one is the Mark I Target, which is 60 years old and Marcus’s favorite gun because it can shoot more accurately and cheaper than any other gun.

Below it is the Mk II and the Mk III.

court and through the appellate process. Hauge tried to shuffle the case off to neighboring King County, which refused to prosecute him, they realized the case was so poor. Marcus successfully fought off Hauge’s criminal prosecution, but Hauge, after 15 years is still trying to keep his rifle, reportedly saying that “it doesn’t matter

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Common military and law enforcement issue 9mm pistols. The S&W Model 39 is on top, and the 9mm Beretta 92 is below.

The top one of these Glock 34s had a .22 conversion that Marcus swapped out in seconds. As expected, the Glocks were smooth and easy to shoot. I especially appreciate the lightness, not being the strongest person in the world.

what the Supreme Court says, he will never get that gun back.”

The NRA is stepping in and filing an amicus curiae on behalf of the range in the other case. The NRA generally does not get involved in cases unless there is a reasonable chance of winning, so hopefully this longstanding political vendetta will fi-

nally get some exposure.

Back to the range ... Marcus told me that the fastest cycling guns of the 23 were the single-action revolvers. He explained that because they rely on mechanical manipulation, unlike the pistols, you can pull the trigger and fan the hammer separately and not have to wait on gas

Two S&Ws which look the same at first glance, but the top one is a .357 and the lower one is the Model 18, a .22. Both were fun to shoot due to their larger size absorbing much of the kickback.

pressure and springs as with a semiautomatic – hence quicker, ala Bob Mundon, probably the most famous single-action revolver shooter. Marcus told about competing once against Jerry Miculek, the fastest double-action revolver shooter in the world, and who WSJ featured in our last issue. A member of Team Smith & Wesson, Miculek can shoot eight

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

shots in one second, relying on the speed of his trigger finger. He set a world record firing 12 shots with a reload in under three seconds. Obviously, his gun has been optimized in every way possible.

The most important thing I learned after trying out all the varieties of handguns is that you really need to optimize your firearms in order to shoot the best and have the most enjoyable range experience.

That means for me, at a minimum, mounting a scope and tuning the trigger if necessary. It also strongly reinforced my opinion that lighter is better, because your arms get sore quickly, and make sure the gun isn’t too small and has a large enough grip to reduce the felt recoil. The last thing you want to do is take some concealed weapons training class with a small, clumsy gun, and look like you’re not a very good shot next to everyone else.

Next time I will try long guns like AR-15s and shotguns. WSJ

These guns are about the same size, however, the top one is a tiny 9mm and the bottom one is a S&W .22. They are perfect for putting in your pocket, but not enjoyable for regular shooting since the kickback is a bit much on the 9mm, and the sights leave a lot to be desired.

westernshootingjournal.com 49

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

BLACK POWDER

MUZZLELOADER’S SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA Through The Aisles Of The Biggest Black Powder Show West Of The Mississippi ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

Plunder and fixin’s bought at this year’s gun show.

T

he Muzzle Loading Arms and Pioneer Crafts Show put on by the Cascade Mountain Men, held at the

Washington State Fairgrounds near Monroe, Wash., is an annual event that is going very strong after 36 years. It is generally said this muzzleloading gun

show is the largest doin’s of its kind west of the Mississippi, with over 300 traders displaying their guns or goods.

I can’t personally vouch for that, but I westernshootingjournal.com 51

black powder can admit this recent gun show marks my 36th time to attend because I wouldn’t miss it.

There is no easy way to list all of the traders who were there. So, I’m simply going to ask you to join me as I “go shopping” again. Just let me “lead the way” as we go into the show as this will let me talk at least briefly about what I bought. Some of these items are for my annual supply of goods, such as the shooting patches which I really needed.

Joe Williams at The Gun Works’ display.

AS SOON AS WE GET THROUGH THE DOORS to the show, we see the huge display of guns and plunder hauled up from Oregon by Joe and Suzi Williams from The Gun Works. Joe and Suzi are always very busy at this show, so we’ll just pause long enough to shake Joe’s hand and move on. We’ll get back to The Gun Works before we leave.

The next trader I must see is Jim Hayden, the book peddler. I make it a point to buy a book from Jim every time I see him, which is sometimes only once per year. Selling books is Jim’s only business, and he always has a very fine selection. This year, I bought a fairly large paper-bound book

called Famous Firearms Of The Old West, which is about some very specific guns, such as John Brown’s percussion Sharps rifle and Wild Bill Hickok’s Colt 1851 Navy models. This book will give me some good reading, for sure.

Next is another regular stop, to the table and display of River Traders, Dean and Midge Oliver, the makers of the “Canoe” knives. Their knives were featured in my story in the March issue, and another one of those special Bowie knives was there waiting to be bought. I couldn’t make it wait any longer, and it was soon in my haversack. Yes, it is almost a twin to the knife shown in that story, but I just can’t get enough and no two of Dean’s knives are exactly alike,.

THE NEXT STOP IS ANOTHER REGULAR for me, and that’s at the display of October

MONTANA’S MATTHEW QUIGLEY BUFFALO RIFLE MATCH ‘The Biggest Rifle Shooting Event In Eastern Montana Since the Custer Massacre’ Every year in June, the Forsyth The firing line at Quigley 2013. (QUIGLEY MATCH) Rifle and Pistol Club puts on a long rifle competition reminiscent of the style of shooting in the 1990 Western movie about an American rifleman living in the 1870s in Australia, Quigley Down Under. The annual event began in 1991, and has been growing in size every year, with several hundred attending from all over the country and the world. Tom Selleck, who starred as Matthew Quigley in the movie, provides a signed plaque with his photograph to the winners.

Shooting can be difficult if it’s windy, whipping up the dirt and making the faraway targets very difficult to see. Competitors must shoot six shots, ranging enjoy even more of the outdoors and camaderie. from 350 to a whopping 805 yards away. Participants come Cowboy church is held Sunday morning on June 25th at the back year after year, and enjoy shooting with the same teams Quigley headquarters tent. And remember, “Beware of ratover and over again. tlesnakes! No kidding!”

The match will be held on June 24-25, and the cost is only $25. There is no cost for vendors. Most participants camp out Editor’s note: For more information, visit quigleymatch.com, or near the range, with some coming as early as a week prior, to contact Buz Coker at (406) 346-2763 or coker6@rangeweb.net.

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

westernshootingjournal.com 53

black powder Country where, after just a couple of quick glances, a new powder horn, several very black English gun flints, a tub of Bumblin’ Bear Grease, plus some packages of lubricated shooting patches were all added to my haversack. Those patches are now lubed with their special Bumblin’ Bear Grease, and I must give those a good try. October Country makes very excellent powder horns, as well as several brass ramrod fittings. And their Bumblin’ Bear Grease actually has bear grease in it, a most outstanding lubricant for muzzleloading. Be sure to visit their store or their booth anytime you can, or shop with them on line.

And right next to the October Country display was the booth of The Hawken Shop. No, nothing was bought there on this trip, but it was nice to see the percussion Hawken-style rifle my father made which they have on display. Dad built that rifle 36 years ago, when The Hawken Shop first began to

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

A muzzle-loading gunsmith rifles a barrel with a hand-powered rifling machine.

put out their fine kits for the S. Hawken rifle. My dad did the building and I followed along, writing the “instruction book” on how to build that gun. If you are a Hawken fan, The Hawken Shop is a place you must visit, again at the show, in their shop, or online.

Then on the other side of the October Country display was Muzzleloader Builders’ Supply out of Aberdeen,

Idaho, a very impressive outfit. I didn’t buy anything from them on this visit, but I have used their special parts before. One piece which they make is a brass trapdoor toe plate for muzzleloading rifles, and the Kuntz-style .50caliber flintlock that I built last year has one. On my rifle, a “worm” is kept in storage under that trapdoor, and I must admit that the only times I’ve taken that worm out is to show off where it is kept. Look to Muzzleloader Builders’ Supply for parts, all made in the USA! There were other traders I visited just for a little, doing some window shopping but not finding any items for goods that I needed. One of those was Kootenai River Traders, run by Mark Morain and his wife from Montana.

I’ve gotten shirts and other fixin’s from them before, and their goods are always top-notch, more than good enough to make me look for more.

My meanderings took me past sev-

Western Powders, Inc. Western Powders, Inc. has been one of North America’s leading distributors of gun powders since 1972. Located in Miles City, Montana, their current operations evolved from the distribution of Dupont IMR Powders in the 1970s. The business has grown significantly since that time and they now distribute powder for every major brand of firearm propellants.

Having developed a highly efficient distribution network for gun powders, they decided to develop and market their own brand of propellants in 1998 under the “Ramshot” name. To further broaden the operation, the corporation purchased Accurate Arms in 2005 and Montana X-Treme Gun Cleaning Products in 2006. Western Powders’ most recent brand introduction was Blackhorn 209 Muzzleloading Propellant, which has revolutionized the muzzleloading industry since its introduction in 2008.

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

eral good friends, such as at the booth of the Washington Historical Gunmakers’ Guild. Another table I stopped to talk at was with Jason Gatliff, the new owner-publisher of Muzzleloader Magazine. Jason is doing a great job with Muzzleloader and that magazine is now all in color. Then just beyond those booths, there was a display where a rifle barrel was being rifled by hand, with a wooden hand-powered rifling machine. There was really too much to describe, so I hope you can forgive these short glimpses.

While walking up one of the aisles, I came upon a lady who was appraisingly looking over a “serape” type of blanket. It was a very pretty one with a really nice turquoise color. This was at the booth of McLeod’s Trading Post.

The lady would look at the blanket, and then put it down, only to pick it up again. I finally had to ask if she was going to buy it, and she said she would.

That’s when I looked through the stack of these serapes and found a twin to it, which I bought on the spot. My new turquoise serape will be seen in camps and it will also be seen at certain shooting events, especially where a sitting position is used for shooting.

NOW WE’RE GETTING BACK to Joe and Suzi Williams and The Gun Works. They were the people I really needed to see at this show. We had corresponded previously, so they had a box of fixin’s that I needed, all ready and waiting for me. Those fixin’s contained one big jug of their Three Rivers Unlimited Black Powder Solvent and some Bridger’s Best prelubed shooting patches in two thicknesses: .015 inches for my .50s and .020 inches for my .54s and .58s.

Three Rivers Unlimited Black Powder Solvent is made by the folks at The Gun Works, and I use it straight, right out of the bottle for cleaning my black powder guns, muzzleloaders and breechloaders. For one thing, it is very easy to use with the directions right on the back of the bottle. It says, “Shake well before using.” That’s pretty easy to

understand, and a half gallon of this solvent will last me for a couple of years.

The Gun Works also produces the Bridger’s Best shooting patches, and I got enough to last me until next year when I see them at the Cascade Mountain Men’s show again. Their prelubed patches allow me to shoot basically all day without cleaning the bore. I also like their prelubed patches when on the hunt, because the lube won’t dry out if the gun is loaded for any extended period of time. The Bridger’s Best patches are very good, and I do recommend them quite highly.

While visiting with Joe and Suzi at The Gun Works’ huge display, I talked with Joe about maybe getting one of their Northwest guns in a kit. When I asked about specific dimensions for the contour of the barrel Joe said, “We’ll make it any way you want it.” They also make their own barrels, so it’s easy for them to make a claim like that. I think a 20-gauge Northwest gun kit from The Gun Works will be a good project. If it happens, you’ll be hearin’ about it.

That was when it was time for me to leave. I had spent my money, at least most of it, and I had just about all my arms could carry out the door in one trip. This year, the Cascade Mountain Men’s show was a good one and I was certainly able to get everything I had planned on finding, plus a couple more items. No guns were bought, but there were plenty of them available. Maybe next year I’ll find a gun that somehow needs to be in my possibles. Maybe I’ll see you there. WSJ Editor’s note: Mike Nesbitt’s articles about black powder shooting can be found in back issues of certain magazines from nearly 40 years ago, and he’s learned a few things over that span of time. Join him now as newer stories continue in our black powder column.

With Mike, you can talk about black powder cartridge shooting, from paperpatched bullets to the famous “collar button,” and we’ll hit on traditional muzzleloading too. For Mike, shooting begins with black powder.

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

Hollywood’s Rugged Rebel Michael Rooker BY RACHEL ALEXANDER AND CHRIS COCOLES

V

eteran character actor Michael Rooker is long known as a go-to guy in Hollywood for playing it tough and gruff.

Most recently, the 59-year-old Rooker has proven to be a reliable TV star, wreaking havoc on the AMC zombie apocalypse hit The Walking Dead, the most watched drama in basic cable history. He is currently working on a couple of big movies that are about to be released. He plays a major role in Bolden!, a mythical account of the life of Buddy Bolden, the first Cornet King of New Orleans. He stars as a humanoid game hunter alongside Bradley Cooper, Glenn Close, Vin Diesel, Benicio Del Toro and Zoe Saldana in Guardians Of The Galaxy, a futuristic thriller.

When not acting, Rooker’s been seen flipping off cameras everywhere, but there’s an admirable reason for it, and we wanted to get to the bottom of that, plus get Rooker’s take on his passion for firearms and the outdoors.

Rooker grew up not far from his New Orleans-based JFK character in Alabama before moving to Chicago and settling in with his family in L.A., where he continues to stay busy. And if he’s somewhat rough around the edges and prickly in front of the camera, we found this avid gun shooter, bowhunter and outdoorsman approachable, friendly and hilarious (see his comedy chops in the cult hit Mallrats).

“It’s pretty amazing. I enjoy shooting and the shooting sports. I got started way back actually during the filming of Mallrats,” Rooker says. “I also shot guns before that when I was younger back in Alabama.”

“I was a little ahead of the game since I knew how to shoot already. I kept getting these roles where I had to handle weapons. I really got into Tombstone and the armor. It was Western-style, single-shot shooting, and I ended up really enjoying the old style Colt single-action pistols. We went shooting every day; we trained every day to get ready for our scenes. I walked away from the movie after it was over and wanted to continue shooting.”

WESTERN SHOOTING JOURNAL How did you decide to become an actor?

MICHAEL ROOKER I couldn’t figure out anything else I could do. I got

involved with some theater people and enjoyed what they did. I thought, “I could probably do this.” I ended up auditioning for a theater school, got accepted and the rest is history. I enjoyed myself there. It’s still a great school, I go back there every now and then, will do a Q&A with the students.

Actor Michael Rooker starred as Merle Dixon, a survivor of a “zombie apocalypse” on the AMC hit series The Walking Dead.

Rooker is an accomplished movie actor as well whose credits include Mississippi, Sea Of Love, Cliffhanger and The Replacement Killers. (AMC NETWORKS)

WSJ How do you deal with the backlash in Hollywood for being pro-Second Amendment?

MR I haven’t had any backlash at all. This is something that I do and it’s my personal belief and opinion. They do what they want to do and I do what I want to do. I like everybody. There may be people who don’t like my positions; that’s OK. To me it’s not an issue. I debate people in my neighborhood all the time who are very liberal. They tease me and I tease them. They tell me, “I think there’s a little liberal in there somewhere.” Don’t count on it, my friend! There are all sorts of people in this business of Hollywood and acting. I think we’ve learned from early on, that if you’re a professional actor, you don’t tell somebody else what to do. You gotta let people do their own thing. We’re in the creative field; we’re a breed apart. I really don’t worry about it. westernshootingjournal.com 61

When he played reformed cowboy Sherman McMaster and co-starred with Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott and Val Kilmer in Tombstone in 1993, Rooker developed a love for guns.

(MICHAEL ROOKER)

WSJ How did you get to be such a strong Second Amendment proponent?

MR The Second Amendment is the one right that can protect all the others. We started out with this very interesting document, the Constitution, and it’s worked all throughout the years. It’s pretty amazing. I shoot a lot, so I’m sort of

biased. I enjoy shooting and the shooting sports. I got started way back actually during the filming of Tombstone. I also shot guns before that when I was younger back in Alabama. I sort of got away from it when I moved to Chicago. When I started acting, every gig that I’d do, someone from the props department would come up and put a pistol in my hand, and say, “here’s your gun,” whether I was military or police. They wouldn’t give me any instructions. This was back in the early 1980s. We hadn’t had any of those horrific accidents on the set that took place in more recent years. They treated the weapons like they were a prop. I knew a fake gun from a real gun, and they weren’t handing me a fake gun. They’d stay stuff like, “you’ll get your bullets when you get on set.” So I got my fake bullets when I got on set.

I was a little ahead of the game since I knew how to shoot already. I kept getting these roles where I had to handle weapons. I really got into the film Tombstone and the armor. It

THE ZOMBIE KILLER HANDBOOK Frank Jardim, founder of Zombie Shooters United (ZSU) and a regular contributor to Western Shooting Journal, has written a The Zombie Killer Handbook for competitive shooters who want to recreate a little of The Walking Dead as zombie killers themselves. It’s funny and actually makes sense; it is the first book of its genre written by a shooter. It’s also an entertaining piece of horror fiction.

To earn extra points at Zombie Shooters United matches, which are held at Knob Creek Range in West Point, Ky., shooters are encouraged to role play. Cowboy action shooters will know exactly what I’m talking about. The book gives the participants the background to understand the specifics of the zombie apocalypse that ZSU matches are set in. It explains the transformation of Elizabethtown, Ky., to Live E-town and introduces Captain Soo-Z, heroine of the story and the supposed author of the handbook. Her adventures are traced throughout the manual. The book begins with a test for whether you are cut out to be a zombie killer. It goes on to analyze what the best clothing, gear, guns, and transportation are in this post-apocalyptic world. There are a few chapters on the actual fighting and zombie extermination which are recreated in varying forms in the actual shooting matches. The unique thing about ZSU matches, other than the realistic reactive targets, is how the range has various shooting stations

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

was Western-style single-shot shooting, and I ended up really enjoying the old-style Colt single-action pistols. We went shooting every day; we trained every day to get ready for our scenes. I walked away from the movie after it was over wanting to continue shooting.

WSJ What do you consider to be the best zombie movie?

MR Night Of The Living Dead has al-

ways been one of my favorites. It scared the heck out of me when I was younger. I watch all sort of zombie things; I like the goofy comedy ones.

George Romero’s movies are the best.

I’ve done one movie with him. Some other actors and I all play ourselves in a George Romero zombie game, Black Ops Call of the Dead. All of a sudden the thespians become real and they capture George. I had the greatest one-liners ever written.

Gamers really love that kind of stuff.

WSJ What kind of guns do you shoot

set up with scenarios where participants score points based on what conclusions they make as well as the targets they drop.

Besides the pictures, which show you exactly what ZSU matches look like, the best parts of the book are the extra sections. There is a zombie killer code of conduct, which sounds vaguely like a post-apocalyptic Ten Commandments.

There’s a letter with a contract assignment from the mayor of Live E-town, an article on the military and political history of the town, and a town seal drawn in crayons displaying zombie killers in the thick of battle. This book is a must read if you enjoy The Walking Dead or are considering going to a ZSU match. It contains everything you need to know in less than 100 engaging and savagely blood-splattered pages. Girls will like it too.

Editor’s note: The Zombie Killer Handbook is available signed by the author if ordered from his website, zombieshootersunited.com. It is also available on Amazon.

on The Walking Dead?

WSJ What are your favorite guns?

MR Benelli is one of my favorites; I

MR I carry a 1911 and M16 on the show. I have two knives. I shoot whatever is available.

WSJ On the Zombie Survival Crew website, you list several guns that you recommend having during a zombie apocalypse. Can you explain what they are and why you chose them?

MR If I had a choice, it would be something that would be quiet. The H&K 417 chambered 7.62 millimeter is the only rifle in world with the ability to switch from regular fire to silencer on the spot. It’s an automatic weapon. You also gotta have a grenade launcher. The XM320 (Grenade Launcher Module) can be attached to a rifle barrel or used as a stand-alone weapon.

My backup weapon would be a M1911 standard government-issue model, as a sidearm. My second backup would be a Benelli M1, 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun in my pack with double-aught buck and slugs.

have a shotgun and love it. I like my government Model 1911, although those guns are not usually that accurate. My gun is a single stack and a .45. If I were in a competition, then I’d have to shoot a 9mm. That sport is all about speed. I really want to shoot my old classic guns. But everyone warns me, “don’t shoot them, you’ll lose 50 percent of the value the first time you pull the trigger back.”

They’re the most gorgeous guns, especially my single-action Colt .45.

WSJ I hear you take cast mates out shooting to help train them for the role. What’s that like?

MR Whenever somebody needs help, I’m always game to take him or her out. I have a small number of places that I like to shoot. I usually take people to outdoor shooting ranges like Angeles Shooting Range in Los Angeles County, which is only two minutes from my house.

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Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

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WSJ You are always flipping people off, but I understand it’s part of the F Word campaign to stop bullying.

How did you get involved with that?

MR They wanted to change a negative to a positive. They wanted to get a lot of celebrities, actors and high-profile folks in the entertainment business to join in and help these kids that get bullied a lot to understand that they can change that around. They don’t have to be the victim anymore. They can use the image of the finger – the bird – as a metaphor, as something positive to change attitudes towards that gesture.

WSJ Do you have a favorite movie that you’ve been in, anything you’d recommend to watch the most?

MR I just did the greatest character in a long time, Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead. I played him all the way up to the end of the third season which recently ended.

WSJ I’ve seen many of your movies,

and the one thing that strikes me about your acting, which I’ve also heard others say about you, is that you have a powerful presence that can really take over a scene.

MR When I was making JFK, (director) Oliver Stone would put all of us actors in one room and just let us go.

He ended up using many of those scenes, editing around them. He wouldn’t tell everyone how to play a scene. When you’re not given specific directions, then you have to figure out how to play the scene. (Actress) Laurie Metcalf was a genius at this kind of stuff; she wouldn’t even have lines and you’d still want to look at her. Many of my most powerful moments are when I’m not saying anything. I’m just looking or watching.

I’ve been blessed because the editors keep those scenes in. Those moments could easily end up on the cutting room floor.

AMC

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WSJ What do you like to do for fun?

You’ve said you love to go out and

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shoot rifles, pistols and shotguns; and throw knives, hatchets and axes.

MR I’ve always been really good at hitting targets, whether it’s throwing a rock, crab apple or cherry. I have really good hand-eye coordination. I enjoy staying in shape, working out and hiking. I enjoy the outdoors; every now and then I go hunting with friends and relatives. I hunt mostly deer, pig and birds. I like to hunt deer with a bow; I’m an avid bow shooter.

I’ve had a bow for years which is great. I just upgraded all the parts so it’s like brand-new.

WSJ Do you like to fish?

MR Fisherman are probably the geeks

of the sporting world, they are so into fishing. There is nothing else like sitting on a boat or a bank for them; nothing else in the world even comes close. When I see my friends like that, I realize I am no way near where they are. They have a need to fish; it’s something the rest of us don’t understand. They have to fish;

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An avid gun collector, Rooker spends a lot of his time shooting, hunting and fishing.

(MICHAEL ROOKER)

it’s the most important thing in life.

They know every lure and every knot. So here I am, I look like the dorkiest nitwit around them. I love fishing, but I’m not anywhere near these guys. Now I would have a real fisherman with me during the apocalypse so I’d never go hungry.

WSJ You did an ice fishing horror flick, Hypothermia, recently. I’m sure it was awfully cold shooting that. Do

you have any plans to go ice fishing for real?

MR Gosh no. We were really fishing out there and there was nothing; no fish. And we were freezing our butts off. I went ice fishing once in my life and it’s cold, really cold. You’re standing on ice and it’s freezing cold. It was in Wisconsin. I have a friend I grew up with who became an Illinois State Trooper, and if he didn’t have room for his fishing tackle in his vehicle, he would leave his shotgun at home. I would wager you that there are police officers in California who are riding on the highways with fishing equipment in their vehicles. I bet if you took a survey, confidentially, there’s quite a few.

WSJ You had a significant role in JFK, and your character, Bill Broussard, was conflicted about whether or not there was truly was a conspiracy. With the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination just passing last year and your knowledge of guns, do you think

Lee Harvey Oswald and the Carcano rifle he allegedly used could have done the shooting himself?

MR I was there, and it’s a really close shot from that window. Yes, he could have really easily done it. I’m a 50yard shot with my Matthews bow, I’m talking about a 6-inch circle. With a rifle and a scope, it’s child’s play. I was amazed at how close it was; it was scary close.

WSJ You had two memorable parts in

iconic sports movies: Rowdy Burns in Days Of Thunder and Chick Gandil in Eight Men Out. Do you think you could have been a NASCAR driver or baseball player in real life?

MR Indeed, absolutely. In my mind I still think I could. Heck, I could be in the Olympics.

WSJ Where can fans catch you; do you make public appearances besides SHOT Show?

MR I appear at events like Comic-Con and do photo ops and autographs. It’s

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like a big party that lasts three days. I get invited to these things and go and enjoy them. It’s the best way to meet and greet your fan base. I do it online as well. But meeting people in the flesh is the best thing in the world to do; that and shooting guns.

WSJ What projects are you currently involved with, and any future plans you can share? I know you’ve tried your hand at directing at least once, and worked on Guardians of the Galaxy in England.

MR Hopefully I will never direct again.

It was stressful and too much work.

I’m basically a lazy person. I like to work, then go relax and hang out with buddies and friends. Directors work really hard. You’re worried the producers are on your back about what needs to be done and what you missed. Actors are coming to you with acting problems that you have to deal with. I just love doing my job and leaving my work at work.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a Mar-

vel/Disney superhero adventure film, from the Marvel comic series of the same name. I play an alien called Yondu. Yondu is an interplanetary hunter in the future who uses a bow.

The arrows are composed of composed of yaka, a special sound-sensitive metal found only on the planet Centauri IV, that change direction in response to whistling.

WSJ Spending so much time in L.A. now, do you miss your Alabama and Chicago roots, or are you a California guy now?

MR I still miss Chicago and I miss Wisconsin; I lived there for about three years. I grew up in Chicago after I turned 13. I’m very happy with all the things that are happening in Illinois; the laws that have been changed to permit concealed carry.

In Chicago you couldn’t even own a gun for the longest time, kind of ridiculous. I could actually move back to Chicago now because I could legally own my guns. WSJ

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HOLLYWOOD’S TOXIC INFLUENCE ON GUNS Misleading, Inaccurate Portrayals Invade Pop Culture ARTICLE BY CECIL BEAL • PHOTOS BY CANSTOCKPHOTO

S

itting down to write this article, I pondered many things, and before I lose anyone, please do not think I’m a big fan of Hollywood these days. Coming up with an article about guns in Hollywood and pop culture was a fun task because it lets me write about something I love – guns – and something I’m always complaining about … Hollywood. My wife hates it when I chuckle in the middle of a movie gun battle; she knows I’ve just seen something that is not possible. A six-shot revolver shooting 10 times, a shot of a bullet going through the air still sitting in its case. My favorite movie faux pas is when an actor holds something like a Glock sideways – I can’t restrain my amusement. I always say to my wife, “That spent casing is going to hit him right in the face when he fires that!”

We are seeing the emergence of pop culture in other countries throughout Europe, Asia, and South America. It is like a global aware-

ness with no consciousness. Pop culture is mostly defined as many different cultural segments that overlap each other, bringing people together under one cultural urbanism. Some of these include: media culture, image culture, and consumer culture. There are more, of course, but these three are the major segments that make up most of America’s pop culture today.

In my experience and research, I have concluded that in America today, Hollywood and our pop culture are so intertwined that one affects the other. I will bet you a million dollars that more people know about Angelina Jolie’s recent breast surgery and why she did it, than know two honest facts about George Washington other than being our first elected president and that he is on the one dollar bill. Stand on any city street corner and ask

passerbys to name just one true American hero. You will get names like Oprah, Clooney, and Damon before you ever hear Washington, Lincoln, or Kennedy. If they do say JFK, it will only have to do with his womanizing, and very few know who Martin Luther King, Jr., was beyond the fact that we have a holiday named after him. This is all due to what is on TV and in the movies.

The media – Hollywood and TV specifically – make movies and do stories with their tint, and taint ideas and facts. Special effects in Hollywood have become so much a part of the fabric of films that people often forget that they are being entertained and the effects are for enhancement.

That is how we get guns that can shoot more rounds than they

culture. But more often than not in the case of firearms, the public is swayed to believe the unbelievable.

Mark my words, popular culture, starting with individuals, then political groups, and through our media, will – if it has not already – give Hollywood the idea to start writing stories about both Zimmerman and Martin. There will be elements of truth, but it will be tainted by unOne of the worst examples of holding and shooting a gun. This truths, omission of facts .357 is likely to kick back and hit her in the face. (SHUTTERSTOCK) and popular culture can hold. If people would spend one opinions. One influences the other. day at a shooting range, I’m sure they Pop culture and Hollywood feed off would be amazed to find out what each other, and one cannot exist, or at they have perceived as reality isn’t so. least thrive, without the other.

Television news and documenHollywood has forever exaggertaries have agendas that work to ated the use of firearms. The Lone swing public opinion in one direction.

Ranger throwing his bullets out of his Leaving out facts in a news story is to gun while fearlessly riding Silver me as bad as lying. Take the George comes to mind. Or the well-timed Zimmerman/Travon Martin case. shot in a “B” Western that grazes the People think it is more plausible for bad guy just right so he drops his gun.

Mel Gibson to shoot a smiley face in a The difference from then to now is target with a Beretta 92 at over 25 that people knew the reality of guns yards distance than it was for George in those Silver Screen days. Since Zimmerman to grab his pistol from Americans have stopped using guns behind his back when he was fearing as tools, and more as recreational for his life. Thanks to Hollyweird (so items, the awareness of just what they named by Duck Dynasty), people will are has been forgotten. believe the truly impossible, and then Those of us in the gun community pop culture spreads it around as fact. should understand this all too well.

I discovered that pop culture is exWe have been persecuted and blackplained in some academic circles as a listed for many years. It is time to modern folklore. Explaining it in this band together and fight our banishway, one can understand better just ment from the pop culture debate. what it is.

Folklore is, of course, storytelling and basically gossip by word of mouth. Thanks to the Internet, since the 1990s word of mouth has evolved into a global mass media that incorporates traditional news organizations, political groups, and private individuals. The folkloric element of popular culture engages heavily with Shooting a pistol sideways is one way the commercial element; the public to guarantee that the spent shells fly has its own opinions and doesn’t alout the right side and up into your face. (SHUTTERSTOCK) ways embrace every aspect of popular 74

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We can’t win in Hollywood until we win in the popular culture arenas.

You don’t have to be a member of a gun club or the NRA to do this, you just have to stand up for yourself. We all know the kind of people we are, yet we are allowing our identity to be defined by people who are full of narcissism who have never asked us any questions. They don’t want to because they don’t want to be proven wrong; in their minds guns are evil because Spielberg has said so.

Whether you are a hunter, collector, NRA or other club member, or you have one lone .22, or one day you want to own a firearm, we are all in this together. Gun ownership and camaraderie, transcends political ideology and parties. There are no barriers of race, color, or religion. Gun owners as a group are united in freedom, and are the most democratic segments of our American population today; no other groups can say that. It is time for us to be united in our fight against the factions that want us to go away.

Point out to family and friends inaccuracies you see in Hollywood films.

When someone believes news stories you know are wrong, say something.

Tell people that Hollywood stars don’t have to be afraid – they have private armed security. The best point to make is that many of them make their living using guns in their films! Don’t be afraid, we have to fight back, we have to change public opinion and with that, popular culture itself will begin to change. Remember, to see a wrong and to do nothing, is the same as committing that wrong yourself. WSJ

GUN REVIEWS

PERHAPS THE MOST VERSATILE REVOLVER YOU WILL EVER OWN Smith & Wesson’s 460XVR Fires Multiple Caliber Shells ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY NORMAN GRAY

There are many options for decking out a 460 or 500 S&W Magnum for best performance.

W

hether you’re a Smith & Wesson disciple or just a revolver enthusiast, 1852 was a landmark year. It marked the modest beginnings of Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson’s company named the “Volcanic Repeating Arms Company,” of Norwich, Conn.

Under these two men’s direction, the

revolver would undergo changes that would help make it what it is today.

They produced their first lever-action pistol fittingly named the “Volcanic Pistol,” but eventually financial difficulties forced them to sell the company in 1866 to Oliver Winchester. Winchester saw great potential in S&W’s design, and incorporated it into his Winchester

Lever Action Repeating Rifle, establishing the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. In 1856, S&W reestablished their business, and using a patent they owned from 1854, manufactured the first self-contained rimfire cartridge firing revolver in the world.

By 1869, Smith & Wesson had designed a new revolver and was promotwesternshootingjournal.com 77

GUN REVIEWS

Homemade shot loads worked well in the S&W 460XVR and are great for all types of walking and slithering critters. The .460 Magnum’s case offers lots of room for creativity.

ing it by 1870 as the S&W No. 3 American “Single Action,” available in .44 S&W American or .44 Rimfire Henry.

With the American Cavalry and the Russian imperial government as their first customers, success was within their grasp, and the rest falls into the annals of history.

Today, if you are fortunate enough to own the No. 1 (small frame) in .31 cal., in 70 percent or better condition, it would fetch you a whopping $40,000.

As of the Blue Book Of Gun Values by Steve P. Fjestad, there are about 183 pages covering S&W firearms, testament to the company’s 160 years of innovation in firearms manufacturing and design.

Fast forward a century and a half, and the power of the Internet allows you to research your next firearm purchase in your bathrobe. OK, maybe you’re not so tech savvy, so you turn to the pages of your favorite firearms publication or local gun shop. Then maybe you’re an impulse buyer who just has to buy the latest and greatest while others conduct painstaking research before they buy. Whatever type you are, the choices are staggering, and firearms manufacturers want your hard earned-money spent on their products. But if you’re like me, there may be one other category sometimes overlooked that you may fit into, and that’s the versatility buyer.

I know what you’re thinking: “There is no solitary firearm that will do everything!” And you’re right: If there 78

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were, a lot of us writers would be looking for new jobs. Although I’m sure you noticed firearms manufacturers have been starting to hit the versatility market hard with modular designs?

Something I’ve practiced for years is starting to become trendy, and why? If you have a budget for a firearm, let’s say a shotgun, you want one that will allow you to do multiple things, like shoot slugs for deer, ducks and that evening be ready for a 3-gun match or for use in home defense. Making interchangeable parts for that shotgun like the Mossberg FLEX allows you to tackle almost any shooting situation, and that makes perfect sense in today’s economy. This concept allows you to stretch your dollar as far as it can go while still being able to buy a box or two of ammunition.

Now with that idea, wouldn’t that same philosophy make sense in a hunting revolver? The Smith & Wesson 460XVR X-treme Velocity Revolver’s middle name is Versatility – well, in a metaphorical sense, but you get the idea, or you will later. As I stated in the beginning, S&W are the go-to guys when it comes to revolvers in this writer’s humble opinion, and they have hit a home run with the 460XVR revolvers. This one revolver allows you to fire four different calibers, starting with its namesake, the .460 S&W Magnum, followed by the .454 Casull, .45 Colt and the .45 S&W Schofield. The first three you most likely have some experience with or have heard about, and the last has a history all its own, but they’re all .452

L - R .460 Magnum, .454 Casull, .45 Colt and .45 Schofield

(.45) caliber, and this gives you the versatility to hunt a wide range of game.

Smith & Wesson manufactures 12 models of this remarkable X-frame revolver in two calibers, starting with the well-known .500 S&W Magnum, which also fires the .500 Special. This is followed closely by its little brother – little not being the operative word – the .460 S&W Magnum. Seven of the 12 are manufactured in .500 S&W Magnum, and the other five are in .460 S&W Magnum; both offer the revolver hunter different configurations to meet their needs. I have no doubt that if you mention the .500 S&W Magnum in the company of shooters, someone will be aware of or have shot of the S&W .500 Magnum. The wow factor of the .500 S&W Magnum is without question, but the pure hunting prowess of the S&W 460XVR and its many calibers is undisputable. In the end isn’t it the choices we make that defines us?

The S&W 460XVR is in all respects a standard revolver in its façade and operation, be it an extra-large one, with a few added features to make it a hunting thoroughbred. Firing the 460 S&W Magnum with handloads can generate up to 61,000 psi with Sierra’s 300-grain bullet. JSP and 34 grains of Accurate’s No. 9 generates a muzzle velocity of 2,208 fps. To help combat the recoil, Smith & Wesson manufactured a very effective compensator into the 8.38inch barrel, with six ports placed at the muzzle beneath the fiber-optic sight.

Along with these two removable compensators that work in conjunction with these ports, recoil now generates a firm push instead of intense barrel rise like most revolvers.

The 460XVR’s rubber grips are molded with finger grooves to provide you with a tacky, secure grip; anything else could cause you or a bystander injury, so hold firmly. I don’t recommend the 460XVR to new or inexperienced shooters, unless firing the .45 Schofield or .45 Colt; recoil from the .460 or .454 could prove too much to handle.

The 460XVR comes standard with a

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GUN REVIEWS green fiber optic front-sight blade, and I find this a great option if using the revolver without optics. The down side is the carbon from the compensator tends to darken and stain the sight pipe. If you’re using optics, it can be replaced with a supplied gold dot metal-sight blade, making cleaning that area easier.

The front sight is in a spring-loaded foundation, so push back on the sight and the pin removes easily; a padded vise or friend will make this operation go much smoother.

The rear sight is a simple black blade, adjustable for windage and elevation, and the top of the barrel is grooved to reduce glare. The trigger guard is large enough for gloves, with an equally wide trigger for positive finger contact.

The single-action trigger pull is pleasant and breaks at 3.75 pounds. while the double action is smooth draw of around 14.5 pounds. The hammer spur is very generous in size and easy to cock with an aggressive nonslip diamond pattern

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cut into the top of the hammer. Esthetically speaking the revolver is pleasing to the eye, although the size tends to scare and amaze any shooter who holds it, but the size and weight are a boon to the absorption of the recoil that’s generated from the .460 S&W and .454 Casull.

A deciding factor in what type of optics to use with a hunting handgun is ultimately decided by the game you intend to hunt. Longer shots on an elk or buffalo in open terrain is where magnified optics will maximize the .460 Magnum’s long-range potential. Hunting dangerous game such as grizzly or moose in deep cover where you could be charged may make such optics a hazard to your health. Hunting with OEM (original equipment manufactured) iron sights or Leupold’s DeltaPoint Reflex Sight gives you the ability to draw, aim and fire without trying to find a charging bear or moose inside a scope tube. Once you have planned your hunt and equipped the 460XVR

appropriately, your hunt will be more successful and you will not be placed in more danger than necessary.

The Leupold DeltaPoint is an electronic red dot reflex sight that replaces the factory iron sights in minutes. The unit comes with a mount made for the S&W 500 and 460XVR as well as mounts and dovetails for other revolvers, semi-automatics, shotguns and rifles. I highly recommend thread-locking compound to install the specialized mount on the DeltaPoint as recoil will work the screws with every shot. Some of the key features that make this sight state-of-theart is the motion activated on/off feature just move the revolver and the sight comes on and after sitting motionless for five minutes, the sight switches to sleep mode. The (IBC) Intelligent Brightness Control automatically adjust for the light available in the direction of the target. If the light is low it increases the brightness level

GUN REVIEWS of the red dot, and if it’s bright daylight it will adjust accordingly so the dot is clearly visible.

The sight comes with a rubber cover that not only protects the sight, but applying it will put the sight into its lowest power setting preserving the single CR2032 battery life (I advise carrying a spare battery). The sight is also completely waterproof so hunting in the rain or snow will not affect its performance, but it is not recommended that it be submerged as this may result in diminished battery life. If your sight becomes dirty just wash it off with distilled water and dry the sight. The sight is small and light weight with unlimited eye relief and a wide field of view and was designed for the rigors of the field. Since the DeltaPoint employs a 3.5 MOA dot it’s easy to acquire after drawing from a holster, taking only a second to get the dot on target and you keep both eyes open while aiming. I fired 126 full-

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power .460 loads and 152 full-power loads from the other three calibers and not one anomaly. The DeltaPoint Reflex Sight is solid and with all the mounts retails for $564.99.

In order to wring out every bit of the 460XVR’s 200-yard potential a handgun scope with magnification was needed and Leupold’s VX-3 Handgun 2.5-8x32mm with their Dual Dovetail mount (53564) and rings (52313) was a clear choice. Any optics mounted on the 460XVR must survive the pounding magnum recoil would give it. I also wanted the flexibility the 2.5-to-8-power setting would give me to maximize the 460 S&W Magnum hunting ammunition like Buffalo Bore’s new 275-grain Lead Free Barnes XPB, Federal’s 300grain Swift A-Frame and the 200-yard Hornady 200-grain FTX ammunition.

The 460XVR comes predrilled and tapped along the top strap with three holes to mount your optics. Mounting VX-3 Handgun to the base was an easy

process taking only 10 minutes and placing the rings in place with Leupold’s rings wrench made it effortless.

The Leupold VX-3 Handgun 2.58x32mm scope retails for $689.99 I know one thing: I wrote a check for this Smith & Wesson 460XVR and it’s in my safe and I am looking forward to my first hunt with it. I know I’ll remember it for years to come. Or maybe you’re not a hunter and just want to create some thunder at the local range and want the challenge of punching holes at 200 yards. The good thing is you can do all of the above with this versatile revolver and after putting 500-plus rounds from all four calibers through it, I can recommend the S&W 460XVR to anyone who appreciates a powerful revolver. The 460XVR will serve you and your sons and daughters for many years to come and help them create their own hunting memories. Oh, and invest in a good outdoor camera to record the grins! WSJ

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GUN REVIEWS

NEW POF-USA PURITAN RIFLE PACKS RELIABILITY WITH ECONOMY Everyone Should Be Able To Afford A Piston-Driven AR-type Rifle ARTICLE BY RACHEL ALEXANDER • PHOTOS BY POF-USA SPECIFICATIONS

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hose who love piston weapon systems but have never been able to afford such will be excited to hear that POF-USA is offering an affordable new rifle built on this system. In true Patriot fashion, it is called the Puritan. The rifle is an entry-level P15 in 5.56/.223. It features POF’s popular regulated short-stroke gas piston system as well as its new E2 extraction technology.

Due to the downturn in the economy, POF decided to offer a rifle that was both priced economically and combined the state-of-the-art features it’s known for, including a drop-in trigger assembly with crisp 4.5-pound trigger pull, roller-cam pin assembly, enhanced anti-tilt buffer tube, and plated one-

piece bolt and bolt carrier. The founder of the company, Frank DeSomma, strongly believes that everyone should be able to own a short-stroke piston weapon system, so making it affordable was a priority.

Its entry-level optics-ready platform is built with mil-spec aircraft-grade forged aluminum uppers and lowers.

Adding a final appropriate touch, the ejection port displays the words “God Bless America” and the US flag.

MSRP starts at $1499.99. WSJ Editor’s note: POF-USA is an Arizonabased small arms manufacturer known for its revolutionary concepts and radical approaches to engineering used to develop the finest piston-driven ARtype rifles used by civilians and professionals worldwide.

They are a market leader delivering a portfolio of regulated shortstroke gas-piston operating rifles.

• Model: P15 Puritan • Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO (.223 Remington) • Action: Semi-auto short stroke gas-piston system • Weight: 6.7 pounds, empty • Length: 32 to 35.25 inches extended • Finish: Black anodized • Barrel: 16.5-inch nitride heat-treated POF contour barrel • Rifling: 1-to-8-inch twist, ½ x 28 barrel threads • Gas block: Picatinny flattop gas block, bayonet mount and QD sling mount • Furniture: Magpul MOE mid-length polymer handguard • Magpul MOE buttstock • Magpul MOE pistol grip • Muzzle device: A2 flash hider • Trigger: POF single-stage, 4.5-pound drop in match grade trigger with KNS anti-walk pins • Sights: Receiver height railed gas block • Fire control: Ambidextrous safety selector and • Rotating gas plug (normal, suppressed or off modes) • Includes: Magpul PMAG 30round magazine

westernshootingjournal.com 85

I DON’T WANT TO BE INTIMIDATED. I want something simple, and I want something good that won’t break my budget. I tried the 22 TCM VZ on a recommendation and never looked back. The only downside? Finding enough time for the range.

Shooting is in my DNA.

22 TCM VZ Practical. Affordable. Incredibly easy to shoot. Possibly the best gun you can put in the hands of a newbie.

www.ShootingDNA.com

Product REVIEWS

LIGHT UP YOUR PISTOL WITH ONE EASY PIECE Crimson Trace RailMaster Pro Eliminates Fussy Attachments ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY DAVE AYKENS

Any home defense pistol should have a rail for a light or laser.

I

t wasn’t very long ago that a pistol with an accessory rail was considered a novelty; just an extra feature for the high-speed guys, like Special Forces and SWAT teams, who executed dynamic entries in low or no light situations. Now, most people wouldn’t even consider a home-defense pistol that doesn’t have a rail for a light or laser. How many home burglars strike in broad daylight anyway?

Crimson Trace, a company always pushing the design envelope, has introduced the new RailMaster Pro this year, and Western Shooting Journal got one to play with. Crimson Trace has been working for more than two years on the engineering for a reliable, compact light/laser combination. The Crimson Trace RailMasterPro integrates a red or green 5mW class 3R laser and a 100 lumens LED white light. This is all powered by a single CR2 lithium battery!

There are four operating modes: light/laser, laser, light and light/laser

strobe. We would like to see one more mode that operates the light strobe only. You can cycle through the different modes by holding down both activation paddles, simultaneously. In addition, the activation paddles on the side of the Crimson Trace RailMasterPro are stiff. It takes some pressure to activate, and there also isn’t really a tangible click or “switch” feel.

You’ll also notice the aluminum housing, a change from other RailMaster products, which are plastic. We like the ruggedized housing because it adds durability without significant weight. Mounted on a pistol, the Crimson Trace RailMasterPro is better balanced than both the Surefire X300 and Insight M3. There’s a bounus feature as well. We did a little experiment and found that the Crimson Trace RailMasterPro will fit into most holsters manufactured for other rail-mounted weapon lights. Ours was mounted on the Beretta M9A1 and Glock 17, and it fit cleanly in the holsters we had laying

around. Especially nice was the BladeTech holster for the Insight M3X. The Crimson Trace RailMasterPro fit very well with zero hang-ups on the draw.

The Crimson Trace RailMasterPro is also a highly recommended accessory for any AR-platform rifle. The low-profile design, small package and single-switch activation make the Crimson Trace RailMasterPro ideal for CQB operators. Who wouldn’t want to drop several ounces from their rifle, getting rid of tape switches, a light, light mount, laser and laser mount – and replace all of those things with a single, lightweight package?

Overall, the Crimson Trace RailMasterPro is a well-designed product from an industry leader. Crimson Trace has always been known for their excellent customer service, solid construction and most importantly, reliability. The Crimson Trace RailMasterPro retails between $279 for the red to $379 for the green laser. WSJ Editor’s note: David C. Aykens is coowner of Cascadia Tactical OPFOR training services, specialists in forceon-force based field exercises. Drawing on more than two decades of firearms experience as a U.S. Navy veteran, competitive shooter and contractor, he brings a wide variety of experience to the job, including a stint writing military history television documentaries.

He is a member of the Law Enforcement Educators & Trainers Association, National Range Officers Association and a Certified Simunitions Scenario Instructor. westernshootingjournal.com 87

road hunter

WESTERN VARMINT SMORGASBOARD Get Your Turkeys, Hogs, Prairie Dogs, Squirrels, Jackrabbits And Marmots In One Trip ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Kazden Haugen, age 4, started hunting Belding’s ground squirrels in eastern Oregon at a young age. It’s not uncommon for 1,000 rounds or more to be fired from one spot at these pesky varmints, making them the perfect target for hunters of all levels.

O

ur family’s last multi-state spring adventure around the West found us chasing turkeys and hogs in two states, prairie dogs in four states, and squirrels and jackrabbits in two more states. That was six years ago, and this spring we’re planning a five-state varmint hunting escapade.

With spring comes increased varmint hunting action throughout the West. For those hunters willing to hit the

road, you might be amazed at how many shooting opportunities really do exist.

Following is a look at some of the West’s most popular varmint hunting adventures, what to expect and where to go. This time of year, consider taking the family along and making a fun vacation out of it – that’s what we’re doing.

GROUND SQUIRRELS GALORE In terms of high-volume shooting, ground squirrels are where it’s at this

time of year. Among the earliest to emerge is the Belding’s ground squirrel, also known as a sage rat. These 10to 11-inch-long squirrels dominate much of eastern Oregon, southwest Idaho, extreme northwest Utah, northern Nevada and a generous portion of northeastern California. Alfalfa fields are their favored habitat, though they also thrive in grassy areas and places where vegetation is short.

During peak shooting times, burnwesternshootingjournal.com 89

ROAD HUNTER ing through 1,500 rounds a day is not uncommon. As the weeks roll along, look for the action to only improve.

The earlier a hunter can get on these squirrels, the better, before they have safety of cover in tall alfalfa.

The Richardson’s ground squirrel is another hot item for those hunters seeking high-volume shoots this time of year. Richardson’s ground squirrels are present throughout much of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, as well as in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The author’s son, Braxton Haugen, age 7, on his first Montana prairie dog hunt. The West offers many great varmint hunting options this time of year that shouldn’t go overlooked.

PRAIRIE DOG DELIGHT Whenever the sun shines, prairie dogs can often be seen poking out of their holes. March marks the time when local shooters start getting serious about popping these barking excavators, but in May, shooting reaches a fever pitch.

Living in towns numbering into several thousands, these are varmints that ranchers are eager to have hunters assist in controlling. Search for

VARMINT HOT SPOTS

1

BURNS, OREGON

Burns, Ore., is the hub of the world’s best Belding’s ground squirrel hunting. Guides are tying up properties in this area, so land access can be a challenge to find. Keep knocking on doors until you find a willing rancher, or get in touch with Tim Titus of No Off Season guides at no-off-season.com.

Good squirrel shooting as well as jack rabbits and marmots can be found from Burns down to the town of Lakeview and over to Fort Rock, encompassing some of eastern Oregon’s most beautiful land.

2

NORTHEAST WYOMING

From Sheridan, Wyo., to Casper, all the way across to the South Dakota border and up to the Montana state line, excellent prairie dog hunting can be had. With plenty of classic Western towns to visit along the way, this is a fun place to take the family, town hop, shoot and explore. There’s a lot to see and experience here, both in terms of hunting and taking in the local culture.

3

WESTERN MONTANA

Headed east from Lewistown, Mont., down to Broadus and up to Glendive, there is excellent prairie dog hunting in

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this region. I’ve experienced great shooting here in the spring, summer and early fall. With many friendly little towns to explore, and awesome hole-in-the-wall restaurants, this is a fun varmint vacation, Western style.

4

NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA

5

WESTERN NEBRASKA

In the northeast corner of California, through Alturas and down toward Susanville, Belding’s ground squirrel hunting is well known. Farm country dominates the prime hunting habitat, so gain permission prior to shooting on any private ground. Jackrabbits can also found here. Throughout the northern half of California, all the way to the coast, California ground squirrels thrive in dry habitats, offering more great hunting and long-range shooting opportunities.

The western half of Nebraska is noted for solid prairie dog hunting. In particular, the northwestern part of the state, near the Wyoming and South Dakota borders, offers expansive prairie dog towns. As is the case in many places, guides have a good portion of private land tied up, so keep knocking on doors until you find a rancher willing to let you shoot.

ROAD HUNTER

California ground squirrels are a nuisance in many parts of northern California and southwestern Oregon.

volcano-like mounds rising a foot or so above ground, spreading 3 feet or more at the base. Prairie dogs thrive in short grass habitats, often eating their immediate food sources down to the dirt,

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Marmots offer good shooting opportunities throughout parts of the West, and are especially appealing to long-range fans.

making towns easy to locate.

Great prairie dog hunting exists in many states, with Wyoming and Montana being the most famous. Good shooting can also be found in the

Prairie dogs thrive in many Rocky Mountain and Great Plains states. A great roadtrip for hunting in multiple states.

Dakotas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado.

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ROAD HUNTER

A portable bench, sand bags and plenty of guns and ammo go in to making spring varmint hunting out West, something everyone should experience.

jackrabbits around the West. This time of year – and with the heavy snowpack occurring in many habitats

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this past winter – melting snow can force rabbits to congregate in fairly small areas. Rising water levels and

wet snow often obscure food sources, causing jacks to go on the lookout for grub. Where they often end up is

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around farmland habitat, in particular those with alfalfa stacked high, bordered by sagebrush.

When searching for a place to hunt jackrabbits, look for terrain where sage brush growing 2 feet or taller surrounds stockpiled alfalfa bales. Observe the bottom of the haystacks to see if they’ve been eaten around the edges. There may also be propane tanks set up to a cannon-firing mechanism, or large amounts of mesh net spread around the bales – both a sure sign farmers are attempting to keep rabbits out of their feedlots.

Marmots are also popular varmints to pursue in regions throughout the West. Rockchucks, as they’re affectionately known, offer long-range shooting fans great opportunities.

Head into the rocky hills of the Columbia Basin, the Snake River Plain and elsewhere for marmots.

This spring, load up all your varmint guns and hit the road. Make

CABELA’S SHOOTING BAGS

Varmint shooting is a sport of precision.

If going after marmots, you may fire a dozen shots a day from your long-range gun. If targeting prairie dogs, 300 rounds a day is common. When it comes to Belding’s ground squirrels, rifling through 1,000 rounds a day or even more is expected.

Because hunters are largely doing ranchers a favor in helping control overpopulated varmints, you want to make every shot count. Tripod shooting sticks are better than shooting off-hand. Laying prone with a bipod is better yet. In many varmint situations, setting up a sturdy shooting bench and positioning shooting bags provides ultimate accuracy.

Cabela’s offers a complete line of shooting bags, each filled with regrind plastic. Constructed of 600-denier polyester and suede leather channels, the bags allow any size, stature and experience level of shooter to get solidly set before every shot. These bags are also great for sighting in your rifle, a testimony to their stability.

phone calls to local fish and game departments, and knock on ranchers’ doors to help narrow down where to go. What you’ll find is how truly exciting varmint hunting can be, and how much shooting there is to be done. WSJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of his popular big game hunting adventure book Life in the Scope: The West, send $15 (free S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order online at scotthaugen.com.

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HUNT PROFILE

ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANCHES Specializing in non-guided hunts for elk, deer and antelope on premium Colorado private land

Rocky Mountain Ranches

R

ocky Mountain Ranches (RMR) maintains a lowpressure environment for their animals by managing the number of hunters as well as the vehicle access. This is the place for hunters who want private land, limited hunting pressure and peaceful animals. With several ranches ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 acres, you can choose the ranch and terrain that is right for you. Contact RMR to discuss which ranch is right for your group.

Most hunts are available over-thecounter or without a draw. If a draw is required, RMR will handle it for you.

This is not just any non-guided hunt.

Their outfitters will personally take you on a tour of the ranch and spend time with you discussing animal patterns and hunting strategies.

Non-guided hunts provide a more rewarding big game experience and can be offered at a fraction of the price of a fully guided hunt. Many ranches butt right up to high-dollar hunting ranches. Why pay three times more to hunt the other side of the fence? RMR’s niche in the market is to offer prescouted, well-managed private ranches at an affordable price. Why pay for a fully guided hunt when you can hunt

great quality ranches for less?

Choose from archery, black powder or rifle hunts for elk, deer or antelope.

RMR’s success since 1995 has been due to their high client retention and quality properties offered at the lowest possible prices. The majority of their openings are filled each year by repeat clients. Don’t wait to book your hunt.

Contact RMR to discuss which hunt is best. For more information, visit rockymountainhunting.com. RMR is always available to answer your questions at info@rockymountainhunting.com or call (970) 439-1894. westernshootingjournal.com 99

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PHEASANTS OFF-SEASON

YES, YOU CAN BAG IN THE

Washington Wildfowlin’ At Whiskey Dick Ranch ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY CECIL BEAL

T

here I was, on a spectacularly nice March day, about to go pheasant hunting with good friends Rick Arnold, his son Johnny, Glenn Arnold (cousin to Rick and Johnny) and Joe Main. Oh, and of course I can’t forget Toby, the retrieving wonder dog! We were bound for Whiskey Dick Ranch and Game Bird Farm just east of Ellensburg, Wash.

We arrived just after 9 a.m. to sagebrush country. The sun was shining,

and it looked like we were in for a nice dry, brisk day.

We met with Darin and Stacy Dodd, the owners, who showed us around their wonderful ranch. Darin let us take a look at some of the birds we would engage later in the day.

Then we loaded back into our rigs and followed Darin to a several-hundredacre tract of land he owns, not too far from his ranch. We drove in half a mile to a nice, wide sweeping parcel of land covered in green-blue sagebrush.

Darin and Stacy drove the perimeter

Glenn Arnold, Johnny Arnold, Joe Main and Rick Arnold, with Rick’s legendary German wirehaired pointer, Toby.

and released our first eight birds one by one. He would later bring the other eight for us to release ourselves. At this time of the year, when there is virtually no pheasant hunting permitted, the only legal way to engage in this type of of sport is to go to a private club like Darin and Stacy’s.

As we were getting our orange vests and shotguns out, Johnny, age 15, realized a bird hunter’s nightmare; he left his choke tubes at home for his Weatherby 20 gauge, and naturally he

Rick Arnold’s 1900-manufactured Winchester Model 1897 12-gauge, solid-frame brush gun.

looked pretty disappointed. But I had learned long ago it pays to bring an extra gun – in my case several. I had brought my older brother’s late ’70s Mossberg 500 20-gauge along just for such an occasion. Johnny was pretty darn happy that it was a 20 so he had

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his own ammo, but more importantly, he would not have to sit out the day.

Rick brought Toby, his German wirehaired pointer, who would later be bestowed the name of “Wonder Dog” for his tireless pointing, flushing, and retrieving abilities. If it

weren’t for Toby, several of our prey would have been lost for sure. Toby was more than ready to get going as we all were; once on the job, it did not take long for Toby to go on point for our first, surely dead target of the day.

We did not set a designated

shooter; we figured we would see which direction the bird would go, and let whoever was closest take the shot. We all stood at the ready, waiting for that first bird to take flight.

Toby flushed it! The pheasant rose through the sage heading right between the five of us about 50 feet in the air. This bird was dead, how could we miss? I heard shots fired, BAM! BOOM! POW! WHAM! And my own KA-POW! Then a rack of the slides, and two more volleys … The only thing besides the wind and the flapping of the bird making its getaway was I’m sure the chuckling of the other seven pheasants. We stood lobbing obscenities after that bird as he flew 300 yards to safety.

The rest of the day went much better. Rick, Glenn and I had secondary goals besides just bagging a pheasant or two: we had each brought a special gun to use. I brought my 1931-manufactured Winchester Model 1897 12 gauge, with a 30-inch full-choke barrel. Rick brought his

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1900-manufactured Winchester Model 1897 12-gauge, solid-frame brush gun. It has a 26-inch cylinderbore barrel – a very rare ’97. Glenn brought his and Rick’s grandfather’s late 1950’s Winchester Model 37 single-shot 12 gauge, full choke. We each wanted to get at least one bird with our old antique scatterguns.

Rick was the first to score with his ’97. It was an awesome right to left swinging shot at about 20 yards with the pheasant right on top of the sage.

When that old gun barked, that bird crumpled and spun into the brush.

Toby dutifully found it in no time.

After a while it was Glenn with an assist. Glenn fired and tail feathers came floating down, slowed the bird, then Joe nailed it with his Benelli Super Nova twelve.

Then came my chance. We were in two parallel rows, and Joe flushed a huge rooster. Johnny fired and missed. Missing was unusual for Johnny, he was having a phenomenal day shooting a gun he had never shot

before. The rooster came right over Glenn and he missed. I fired but the bird was too close and my pattern hadn’t opened enough. So I racked the slide, swung right, and just when it looked like Mr. Pheasant was on his way to freedom, my ’97 jumped and down he came.

We had so much fun we can’t wait to get back and do it again. The camaraderie of long-time buddies.

Watching Rick and Toby work together as a team. Witnessing Johnny taking those early steps into manhood. And seeing the smiles on Joe and Glenn’s faces as they made amazing shots. It was one of those days we will talk about for years to come.

I would like to thank Darin and Stacy Dodd for running a first-class game-bird farm. Our hunting experience was made that much better by their friendliness and outstanding hospitality. If you want to do some firstrate upland bird hunting check out Whiskey Dick Ranch (whiskeydickranch.com), a wonderful place. WSJ

CUSTOM GUNSTOCKS & GRIPS

GOOD TIMES With Guys, Guns, Grub and

GOD

Pistol-Packing Parishioners Descend Upon NRA Whittington Center

ARTICLE BY RACHEL ALEXANDER • PHOTOS BY KEN BLOUNT MINISTRIES

Each year, Ken Blount Ministries puts on a Two Days of Guns, Grub and God: Be the Man Conference. It’s for guys to get together and talk about God and shoot guns. This year, because the shooting segment was so popular last year, it is being held May 13-14 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M. Alexander Wright, two-time winner of the NFL’s “Fastest Man,” will be the guest speaker. There is also a golf tournament and mountain fishing. The conference is only $99 per person which includes meals. We talked to the conference’s founder, Ken Blount, about the event.

RACHEL ALEXANDER How did you get into shooting?

Do you hunt?

KEN BLOUNT I have shot some, and I’ve been hunting

a few times. I am becoming a little more adept at it. My wife and I are in the process of getting our concealed weapons permits. My wife shot for the first time last summer and loved it. A state pistol champion gave us some instruction. I’ve gone on a European-style pheasant hunt. I’ve also gone quail hunting and deer hunting a couple of times.

My son-in law is a big-time bowhunter of deer.

He gets his deer every year.

RA How did you decide to start Ken Blount Ministries?

KB In the 1980s and early 1990s, I worked in children’s ministry, on a Christian TV show called The Gospel Bill Show. It aired on PBS and CBN twice daily in the morning. It’s still on reruns today. I played an

actor and character, Nicodemus, and I wrote and directed shows. I also wrote and produced kids’ praise and worship songs, and still do today in my ministry. I started Ken Blount Ministries 12 years ago this spring, My wife and I travel around the country and teach our marriage and training material almost every weekend.

RA How did you come up with the idea

of Two Days of Guns, Grub and God? KB We held it for the first time last

year with a local church in Colorado, and also partnered with a church in Amarillo, Texas. About 160 men attended. The conference was mostly Bible teaching and leading. There was a golf tournament and the guys on their own just went out to a gun range and shot. There were some arsenals of guns last year that blew me away, so this year I cannot imagine what the guys are going to bring. I will probably have at least 14 churches participate, which means at least 300 men. We can handle up to 500 men. The NRA Whittington Center houses at least 220. The housing is almost all filled up for this year, but guys can stay nearby at motels.

The NRA's Whittington Center in Raton, N.M., is a guy's dream getaway. (NRA)

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We met a group of 16 coming from Mobile, Ala., who are bringing a .50caliber gun. We’re allowed to shoot anything up to that caliber there. The first day we’ll have three meetings, including breakfast and lunch, then another meeting at night. The next day is free time, where the guys can either shoot guns, go fishing in the mountains, or participate in the golf tournament. Last year, the guys loved the activities so much we made more time for them, we had no meeting the second day until 5 p.m. Dinner is all the meat you can eat. It’s a BBQ, with steak, brisket, sausage, hotdogs, and hamburgers.

RA What is the purpose of the conference? What will men get out of it?

KB We bring men together so they can personally grow in Christ, and get free from issues that hold them back from serving God to the fullest. It’s a fun opportunity to connect with other men. Last year, we had a night where we dealt with issues from their past – maybe not having a father or mother, things like that – and we prayed for them. The conference is to help guys spiritually grow and be the man

they’re supposed to be. That’s why we call it “be a man.” We’ll talk about 1) be the husband, a godly husband, 2) be the father, a godly father, and 3) be the son. The son of God empowers you to do the first two.

RA Do men need to bring their own

guns or can they rent them at the facility?

KB They do need to bring their own firearms and all their own equipment.

Same for fishing equipment and golf clubs.

So there is a cry for men to go back to the dirt. It’s camaraderie.

RA By the time this magazine hits

news stands around May 1st, will there still be room available for men to register?

KB Call (866) 440-7239.

services. They really connect with younger people. Any age group of men will really enjoy this. Meet good Christian men and leaders; there are plenty of pastors coming. One of the greatest things is the vast camaraderie of men. I was totally blown away at the participation, considering all the different denominations.

RA Anything else you think our read-

ers should know?

KB We’ll have a wide age range of

men there, from older men who are wise and experienced to a young praise-and-worship team in all the

Editor’s note: Ken Blount Ministries is based out of Tulsa, Okla., and focuses on Biblical education on marriage, parenting and children. Visit the website at kenblountministries.com.

RA What kind of shooting range activ-

ities do you intend to have?

KB There are various kinds of targets.

It costs $20 per day for a permit, or $30 for two days, which is actually good for a year.

RA Do you think there is something

therapeutic for men shooting guns; how would you describe it?

KB Absolutely. When men were created, they were made from the dirt.

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behind the badge

DEADWOOD: FROM LAWLESSNESS TO QUAINT TOWN Biggest Threat Tiny Police Department Faces Is Meth ARTICLE BY ANDRE’ M. DALL’AU

Sheriff Seth Bullock, who was town sheriff in the late 1800s. (WIKIMEDIA)

Possible location of the original Nuttal & Mann’s saloon where Wild Bill Hickok was killed in 1898, 624 Main Street in Deadwood, S.D. (CYARK.ORG/WIKIMEDIA)

If there ever was another place in history so filled with such a rough-hewn history, it might be found only in the Bible, where the trials and events of Sodom and Gomorrah are relayed. Although the Native American Lakota-Sioux were granted ownership of the Black Hills territory surrounding what became known as the town of Deadwood in the 1868 Treaty of Laramie, white settlers moved into the area in the 1870s. In 1875, a miner named John B. Pearson struck gold in a narrow canyon in the northern Black Hills. This canyon became known as

Deadwood Gulch because of the many dead trees that lined the canyon walls at the time, and the town of Deadwood was established in 1876.

The discovery of gold in and around Deadwood Gulch soon spread, triggering a gold rush with thousands and thousands of prospectors, grubstakes and even city tenderfoots swarming all over the Black Hills. The ultimate result was that the township of Deadwood exploded into a filthy wood-and-canvas collection of buildings inhabited by 5,000 desperate men and women living on the edge of anarchy, where only the strong persisted and the weak perished

at the hands of their fellow whites, Indians or the cruel and unforgiving South Dakota weather.

Over the succeeding years, the local brothels, opium dens and saloons came and went, were built and burned down, and then were rebuilt and burned down again. Deadwood saw the likes of infamous rogues such as Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, saloon keeper Al Swearengen, and brothel keepers Mollie Johnson and Dora DuFran. Even Wyatt Earp lived in Deadwood for a short period of time, but moved on, probably because the area was too much for even him to thrive in or tame. However, by 1877, Deadwood had evolved from crude tents and shanties to wood-and-brick buildings, with a town government that relied on Sheriff Seth Bullock to keep law and order. As the century changed, so did Deadwood, as it moved from a frontier boomtown to a peaceful community focused on profitable mining and tourism. westernshootingjournal.com 113

behind the badge

Deadwood as it looks today. (WIKIMEDIA)

TODAY, DEADWOOD IS JUST A FRACTION of what it was 150 years ago. Several major fires, an experiment with legal gambling, a failed railroad line, an epidemic, and the closing of its last brothel all contributed to Deadwood’s inhabitants drifting away, so the population is now only about 1,200 residents. While the gold rush subsided and was replaced by profitable mining operations, much of Deadwood commerce is now centered on its draw of tourists, who want to see what was once one of the most infamous and roughest Wild West towns. Much of it remains close to what it looked like when Al Swearengen ran roughshod over the outlaws, prostitutes, miners and citizens who all called Deadwood home.

The modern Deadwood Police Department does not face the kind of crimes and criminals Sheriff Bullock did. The department’s patrol section consists of a lieutenant, a sergeant, and a corporal, as well as six full-time and five part-time officers. They responded to 5,128 calls for service last year, with 791 foot patrols that continue to be an outstanding community policing tool, allowing the officers to get out of their patrol vehicles and make positive contacts with residents, visitors and the business community. They made dozens of felony arrests in 2013, mostly for drugs. As seen in many other urban, suburban and even rural communities, Deadwood has noted a disturbing increasing trend of over 400 percent in 114

Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

felony drug arrests from just a year ago.

The arrests made for controlled substances in 2013 were mostly for the possession of methamphetamine, a substance that can be made with easily obtained chemicals and ingredients when combined with a (now-controlled) antihistamine. Making meth is a “best guess” concoction with its potency; contaminants and toxicity vary to the extent that every use carries a real risk of death or permanent brain damage. In 2011, the Deadwood community successfully dealt with the epidemic abuse of synthetic marijuana and stimulants (bath salts), which was eliminated when the local source was located, investigated and prosecuted.

The latest trend indicates that the threat of meth and other illicit narcotic abuse appears to be on the rise, and is a definite threat for users and people who make, transport or even live in close proximity to the illegal meth labs.

The biggest difference between the two biblical cities (at least by legend) and Deadwood was that Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by fire and brimstone, while Deadwood, although consumed by fire at least twice in its history, a food-poisoning breakout in 1883, and a smallpox epidemic, was fated to simply fade away as the West grew calm, the outlaws were winnowed out or became businessmen and women, and the modern age and the rule of law rendered the code of the West obsolete.

I am sure the rough times that bore rough towns like Deadwood and even rougher people like Ed Swearengen will not be missed, but the history of the town and its inhabitants made it all an indelible part of America. For good or for bad, Deadwood is a firm part of our past, and forms more than a few threads of the rich tapestry of this country. WSJ Andre’ Dall’au has a varied medical, industrial and scientific background (holding a Senior Reactor Operator’s license for more than a decade) as well as military experience when he graduated from the University of Miami on a full AFROTC scholarship. In addition, Andre’ was one of the first non-SEAL members on the U.S. Navy UDT SEAL Museum Board of Directors. Andre’ is a contributor to several different publications, magazines and websites mostly as a gun writer, photographer and videographer specializing in military and LE snipers, special ops and training.

(DEADWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT)

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Yay Or Nay? GUNS IN SCHOOLS: Teachers Possibly Next To Be Armed After Pilots ARTICLE BY MARK KNAPP • PHOTOS BY CANSTOCKPHOTO

T

he education community opposes the idea of protecting schools with armed personnel unless the personnel is wearing a uniform. I talked to one principal about the idea of certifying specially trained school personnel – volunteers could include teachers, other school employees or even parents that are willing to meet training, background checks and proficiency standards for being armed in the schools.

She was indignant that I would suggest guns to protect the schools against active shooters. “Guns send the wrong message,” she insisted.

Now, I understand that some people get upset even about uniformed law enforcement in the schools. But the fact is, most school districts cannot afford armed security, and just the cost of insuring volunteers could be exorbitant. Insurance premiums are the reason shipping companies refused to hire armed security – until recently. The insurance companies considered it more cost effective to pay ransom money to Somali pirates than to allow armed personnel on expensive ships loaded with valuable wealth. The fact that sailors were occasionally tortured and killed constituted a negligible cost compared to other actuarial considerations.

But eventually insurance companies adjust to reality, and new standards of care become the reality.

When serious risks become more imminent and industry practices change, it is negligent not to take more serious precautions.

For example, it has become a standard practice to stage active-shooter drills in many schools.

Some teachers in Farmington, Mo., were recently informed that a school safety drill would require them to wear goggles and be shot at with air-soft pellet guns during an active shooter drill to be conducted by the police.

Some of the teachers objected to being shot with air-soft pellet guns.

Four teachers at Farmington High School even contacted the prosecuting attorney’s office after they were handed goggles during the exercise.

An active shooter is defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined area full of people, where there is no pattern nor method to the selection of victims.”

Active shooter protocols were developed after the Columbine massacre of 1999. Police

realized that waiting for a SWAT team to arrive results in much higher body counts. Officers are now trained to go in immediately, with back-up if possible, but not to wait for SWAT teams, which may take more than 30 minutes to arrive.

Using simulated ammunition gives police officers opportunities to gain reality based experience in stopping one or more armed intruders hiding among panic-stricken students and school personnel.

The associate superintendent in Farmington stated that the Missouri

westernshootingjournal.com 117

Only those teachers or staff who felt comfortable being armed need participate.

statute requiring such drills provides teachers the option to declare, “I don’t want to be one of the victims, I think that’s too scary.” Teachers could sign up to work in department meetings and in other professional developmental opportunities. He said there were about 45 members of the staff who did.

“I think what we’re going to see is a need to readdress and reevaluate the statute,” said Todd Fuller, spokesman for the Missouri State Teachers Association. Once the union sees the statute as an issue, there is bound to be some hand wringing. The union likely will express the view that teachers should want legislators to ban guns for safety reasons, not the other way around.

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and still others are evil black rifles with those high-capacity magazines.

Parents are supposed to feel good, however, because the teachers and administrators are dedicated professionals and deplore violence. Many children are not reading well or doing very well in arithmetic, but the government has new programs that will banish illiteracy!

Members of the school board tout global citizenship as an educational strategy. Mom and dad are not sure what global awareness has to do with reading, writing and arithmetic but everyone seems to feel so good about the School Board’s latest fact finding trip to Finland or some country in Africa! The teachers’ union reminds us that our teaching professionals, like our schools, need more money and we should feel good about having our taxes raised to pay for con-

tinued mediocrity.

School shootings are blamed on NRA advocates like Wayne LaPierre and the Republicans in the legislature that capitulate to the “evil” gun lobby.

Maybe those rightwing gun-toting Republicans came up with the idea for teachers to participate in “active shooter” drills? Is now the time?

But it’s time to stop wringing our hands and take action?

After the shootings in Connecticut, a Federal Way, Wash., school superintendent was reported to have said, “I hate this conversation, I hate that it’s a necessary evil. What happened in Newtown is just horrible. And having young children at home, sitting and watching the TV, and seeing those photos with the names being called, with your children in the room, looking at the TV, and looking at you, and you’re fighting back the tears. You’re

so thankful they’re sitting in that living room with you, and you’re not one of those parents. I can’t imagine what

those parents feel like.”

The problem is that the superintendent’s expressions of shock and

Here are the 18 states that, according to NBC News, allow adults to carry loaded weapons onto school grounds with few or minor conditions: • Alabama (which bans possessing a weapon on school grounds only if the carrier has “intent to do bodily harm”) • California (with approval of the superintendent) • Connecticut (with approval of “school officials”) • Hawaii (no specific law) • Idaho (with school trustees’ approval) • Iowa (with “authorization”) • Kentucky (with school board approval) • Massachusetts (with approval of the school board or principal) • Mississippi (with school board approval) • Montana (with school trustees’ permission) • New Hampshire (ban applies only to pupils, not adults) • New Jersey (with approval from the school’s “governing officer”) • New York (with the school’s approval) • Oregon (with school board approval) • Rhode Island (with a state concealed weapons permit) • Texas (with the school’s permission) • Utah (with approval of the “responsible school administrator”) • Wyoming (as long as it’s not concealed)

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sorrow and condolence caused him to become paralyzed when he had a duty to use his lawfully delegated authority to prevent violence in the Federal Way schools.

He went on to state during the January 8, 2013, school board meeting, “But the reality is, if a gunman wants to do what these gunmen want to do, there’s little that anyone can do to stop them. Putting guns in the hands of teachers and principals, who got in this business of educating kids, and not being armed forces … it’s just not a solution, in my mind, and will not be one that comes forward as a recommendation while I’m your superintendent.”

SOME STATES ARE ACTING ON IT

Many states are already enabling teachers and armed volunteers to enhance police protection by being armed at school. There is a need to develop programs that provide tactical training to equip armed citizens in the schools. Such programs already exist at places like Front Sight, the

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Some states already provide authorization for teachers to carry concealed.

Firearms Academy of Seattle, and many other professional shooting academies. All that is lacking is for school boards or legislators to prom-

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ulgate criteria for certifying specially trained personnel. I have found that as soon as we call these individuals volunteers, we lose the war of seman-

tics that is bound to ensue. Many teachers will vehemently choose not to get gun training, but there will be some maintenance personnel, administrators and others that may already be quietly preparing for a time when they are called on to protect their schools. We should probably call them school marshals or special security to emphasize the quality of the training that will be required.

The idea of airline pilots becoming armed resulted in hand wringing about how cabins would become depressurized. Nevertheless, airline pilots can get certified, and now carry weapons in the cockpit. High-seas piracy has become much less profitable by the fact that shipping companies have deployed armed personnel on their ships.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for the teacher’s union to endorse any school marshal program, however.

Washington state provides for school boards to authorize individuals to be armed in the schools, and

there are at least 19 states that should be on the list with many other states about to pass new legislation empowering armed personnel to protect public schools. Federal law recognizes that state legislatures and local school boards retain authority to arm school personnel and others in the schools.

Nevertheless, most school board members are led around by the superintendents they employ, and don’t even realize they can arm any personnel that meet with their approval!

Some state legislators have decided to take away the discretion that many local school boards presently have to leave their schools vulnerable to active shooters. The trend is to send a new message: active shooters will be shot and their deadly murder sprees will be stopped immediately. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, six states recently enacted laws that permit at least one public school employee to carry a weapon on campus. Utah allows teachers to carry concealed weapons.

icans will not sit back and see our children slaughtered. WSJ

If private security is too expensive for schools, the administration can designate select teachers to carry who are trained and willing.

Folks in states like Utah are done wringing their hands and asking why horrible things happen to little children. School boards, legislatures and insurance companies need to pay attention to the fact that Amer-

Editor’s note: This article was first published in Sandpoint PR and includes some additional comments and information. Mark Knapp, a Washington state lawyer practicing in the Spokane and Seattle areas, is a member of the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation and the Washington Arms Collectors. His practice focuses on employment law, firearms and civil rights. He is presently involved in USPSA and 3-gun shooting competitions and is a founder of the Armed Defense Training Association which creates shoot-on-the-move and educational events related to self defense in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Mark also advocates on behalf of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, LLC, a nationwide group of gun owners and attorneys who deal with issues related to use of force. See his website dealing with firearms law at firearmslawyer.net.

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The variety of guns available to shoot at Raahauges Shooting Sports Fair is incredible.

CALIFORNIA’S UNIQUE HANDS-ON GUN SHOW Try Before You Buy At Raahauges Shooting Sports Fair ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM • PHOTO BY RAAHAUGES

F

or the last 30 years, the Raahauges Shooting Enterprises range in southern California has been the site of an extraordinary shooting sports event unique to the industry.

It’s called the Shooting Sports Fair, and it is the only hands-on gun show in the West. This event is again sponsored by the regional sporting goods retail chain Turner’s Outdoorsman, and oriented toward the general public – especially to new and aspiring shooters of all ages and genders. Firearms manufacturing factory representatives will have displays of their products on hand for visitors to try before they buy.

Outside of the annual NRA convention, your average firearm consumer will probably never get a chance to interact with the factory representatives, much less get to test fire their full product line free of charge. The caveat is that you have to pay for your own ammo. You can’t bring ammo in with you either. For safety, only ammo sold on site is used on the firing line.

This gun show is one of the biggest in the world due to its location in the mid-U.S.

Beyond just an opportunity to pitch their wares, the firearms manufacturers in attendance see this event as an opportunity to introduce new people

to the shooting sports. Participants pay an entrance fee of $15, which allows them to attend all three days of the event. Parking costs $5 per car per day. westernshootingjournal.com 127

Visitors can test out large caliber guns for just the price of ammo.

The event takes place on Friday, May 31st, near the town of Corona, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 1st, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, June 2nd, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Last year, 14,000 people attended.

Visitors can expect to have the opportunity to try out products from Beretta, Glock, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, Walther, Savage Arms, Taurus, Legacy Sports, Puma Rifles, Verona Shotguns, Magnum Research, Bushmaster, Marlin, Umarex USA, Heckler & Koch, Escort

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Shotguns, CZ USA, Verona Shotguns, Nikko Sterling, Para, Leupold and Otis. If you find something you like, this event is a great place to buy, because prices will be lower than normal retail show prices.

Though children can shoot under their parent’s supervision, there are other kid-friendly activities, like fishing for catfish in the catch-and-release pond, a dog show, a rock-climbing wall, air-soft and BBgun ranges and an archery range.

Food vendors are on site too.

The range complex itself is extensive. Raahauges is a family-operated business and is considered one of the best ranges in southern California with facilities for pistol, shotgun and rifle. They have an excellent sporting clays course, a steel-target shooting gallery, and a cowboy action course (for their local SASS club). They also rent guns to shooters.

If you know someone who has an interest in the shooting sports and has yet to jump in, the Hands On Shooting Sports Fair is the place to take them. Bring $100 for ammo and try everything from .22 pistols and rifles to a .50-caliber World War II anti-tank rifle and a 19th century Gattling gun. The newbie will get to sample nearly all the hobby has to offer, and best of all, you won’t have to clean any of the guns. WSJ Editor’s note: You can get more information about the event by calling Raahauges Shooting Enterprises at (951) 735-7981 or checking their website at raahauges.com.

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SHOULD THOSE AGE

BE ALLOWED TO

18 TO 21

PURCHASE HANDGUNS? Two Firearms Industry Longtimers Duke It Out PHOTOS BY CANSTOCKPHOTO Most states permit those 18 and older to purchase and own long guns – rifles or shotguns – whereas to own a handgun, one must be 21 or older.

Why the three years difference to own a handgun? You only need to be 16 years old to drive a car, and 18 to vote.

There are compelling arguments on both sides. We allow our men and women in the military to use all kinds of weapons, including fully automatics, at age 18.

On the other hand, there have been fatal shootings involving gun owners between age 18 and 21, many done with handguns, which can be concealed easier than long guns.

Yet there have been fatal shootings involving legal gun owners over the age of 21, and we don’t restrict gun ownership for adults.

Where should the line be drawn?

Two experts in the gun industry who disagree argue the merits.

NO

BY CECIL BEAL

Just to be clear, the context of this article is about the sale of handguns; I am in no way suggesting massive regulation pertaining to handguns be written or lobbied for. As gun owners, we face too much regulation as it is; I am proposing the idea of self-governance and personal responsibility. I am in no way trying to offend, just provoke thoughts and ideas. I do not want to end up like a certain colleague did last year when he overstepped on his ideas for gun control.

It is legal under federal law to sell a westernshootingjournal.com 131

handgun in a private sale to a person under 21. It is not legal for a federally licensed firearms dealer to do so. Just because something is legal does not mean it should be done. Look at the man in Massachusetts who had a high court rule in his favor that it was OK to film up women’s skirts. The law has since been changed, but even before it was, those of us raised in the school of common sense knew that kind of thing was wrong. I believe that while being perfectly legal, selling a handgun to anyone under the age of 21 without some safeguards is unwise.

Here is why: You are awarded certain things upon reaching 18; the right to vote, join the military, buy cigarettes, get married, enter into binding contracts, open your own bank account, get a credit card, just to name a few. The thought behind raising the drinking age to 21 was to keep people under that age from buying minors alcohol. The idea was kids under eighteen were more likely to know someone age 18 to 20 rather

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than someone 21 and over. How well has that worked so far? In my day, I was able at 16 and 17 to find people to buy me alcohol, and they were all over 21! I am not comfortable with the idea that an 18-to-20-year-old can purchase a handgun in a private deal with no requirements being placed on the individual purchasing the gun.

I JUST FEEL THAT THIS is a potential tragedy waiting to happen. A person at 18 is an adult by law, but in many cases is still in high school. Do we want the potential of a mentally ill teenager roaming school grounds, not with a parent’s gun, but his or her own handgun? Look at Newtown, Conn. Adam Lanza was 20; under federal law he would have been able to buy a handgun of his own. We put restrictions on adults aged 18 to 20; they can’t buy alcohol, insurance rates are high, their credit score has to be earned; we just don’t give them everything.

There was a 2005 brain study done by two Dartmouth researchers called “Anatomical Changes in the Emerging Adult Brain.” This study suggests something most everyone over 30 already knows, that humans may reach adulthood at a much later age than what we have set by written law. I know people go into the military before 21 every day, but those young people are in a stern, structured environment, and they are trained by professionals. Also, when those young people go to party off base, they are not allowed to take their assigned weaponry with them.

What I envision is requiring people under the age of 18 to take law enforcement approved safety and knowledge classes before buying any firearm, private or commercial. Most of us who have sold guns privately already ask buyers to show proper identification. Some ask to see a concealed-carry license, or should. Why not have one more piece of identification for those under 21? Washington

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state requires a hunter safety course for all people born after January 1, 1972, before getting hunting licenses; why not require some form of training to purchase a handgun? Then sellers are protected, knowing that the person they are selling to has shown they are responsible. It is a reasonable requirement that will help stop potential disasters.

Editor’s note: Cecil Beal is the owner of 2nd Hand Heaven, LLC, firearms business. He has been involved with guns his entire life, as a shooter, hunter, and gun advocate.

YES

BY BILL STARKS

Both federal and state laws are quite clear that those 18 but not yet 21 may have access to a handgun. We don’t need to convolute the issue with personal feelings and morals. Washington state’s law on this, RCW 9.41.240, was written in 1971 and has stood all

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this time. Why? Because the folks of Washington state have no need to change it. Article 1 Section 24 of our state constitution does not say that the right to self defense only applies to those over 21. You might remember late last year in Spokane when two college students held off a home

invasion at their off-campus housing from a six-time felon? I’m pretty sure the outcome would have been different if one of the students didn’t have a handgun.

Cecil brings up moral issues on upskirt filming. Did you know that back in September 2002, Washington

state also said it was legal to film “up skirts” as long as it was in a public place? The court unanimously decided the voyeurism statute, which prohibits viewing or filming anyone in a place where they would have “a reasonable expectation of privacy,” does not protect people in public. Are we to run background checks on peo-

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ple before they can enter the mall?

Should we now start doing background checks on anyone who owns a camera? What about background checks because their morals differ from ours?

Federal firearms licenses here in Washington have certain guidelines that dealers have to abide by, and are not set up to handle two guys coming into a shop to do a handgun transfer.

Things like bound-book entries and hold requirements on used firearms create issues. In certain cities, a federal-firearms-licensed dealer must enter the firearm into their bound book, hold onto the firearm for 30 days, and submit the serial number to the local police department before a transfer can take place.

We as private citizens have guidelines as well. RCW 9.41.080 states; “No person may deliver a firearm to any person whom he or she has reasonable cause to believe is ineligible under RCW 9.41.040 to possess a firearm. Any person violating this

section is guilty of a class C felony, punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW.” In a private transaction, that means asking for Washington state ID, asking if the individual is allowed to own firearms, asking to see a concealed license (if of age) having the person fill out a bill of sale or the Washington Department of Licensing Pistol Transfer Form. If they say no to any of these requirements, then it becomes a responsibility to you as the seller to say no. If the seller is willing to violate .080, then they already don’t care about the law, or are a felon who can’t own/possess firearms, and won’t necessarily follow any new law put on the books. WSJ Bill Starks is an open carry and gun rights advocate in Washington state and owns the website WashingtonGunRights.com.

He is well versed in Washington gun laws and firearm case law. He is a combat veteran of The U.S. Army, Armored Corps, and believes that we need more criminal control, not more gun control.

HOW ECOMMERCE CHANGED THE GUN WORLD PART I OF 2 The Seller’s Side ARTICLE BY RACHEL ALEXANDER

red flag for sellers.

Depending on the state, most buyers must be 21 or over to purchase a handgun, and 18 or over to purchase a long gun – shotgun or rifle.

ADHERING TO THE LAWS IS CRUCIAL, be-

Gunsamerica.com is a popular online site to buy and sell firearms.

I

t can be tricky figuring out the world of online commerce in order to buy or sell firearms on the Internet. Google Shopping, Craigslist, eBay and Amazon ban the sale of regular firearms, only allowing postings for air soft, BB and similar guns, as well as firearms accessories.

Groupon prohibits firearms companies from posting gun-related deals through its service. Facebook announced in March that it will be scanning for illegal gun sales and shutting them down. Some companies like Etsy, the marketplace known for handmade goods and vintage items, will not even permit the sale of imitation firearms.

Firearms manufacturers must be careful to comply with federal and state laws, such as ensuring they are not selling to someone in a state that

prohibits the sale of firearms, or that requires registration or a background check first. Federally licensed firearms dealers are required to perform background checks on everyone. Unlicensed private dealers are not, and account for about 40 percent of U.S. sales. However, if you are shipping a gun to another state, the gun must be shipped to a federally licensed dealer, per the Gun Control Act of 1968, where the dealer must perform a background check.

Where sellers run into problems is when they sell to buyers who pick up the firearms in person, which doesn’t require a background check. Felons are prohibited from purchasing firearms, and so some have criticized this as the “gun show loophole.” If a buyer indicates they would not pass a background check, this should be a

cause in a few instances, guns purchased illegally online have been linked to criminal activity. Law enforcement has performed stings on many of these online websites, to try and catch them illegally selling a gun.

Many online firearms sites will not ship at all to the handful of states with extremely strict gun control laws.

There may be some hostility from banks toward handling the transactions too. American Spirit Arms, a firearms company located in Arizona, reported in December 2012 that Bank of America was giving it a hard time over its Internet sales.

Armslist.com is one of the biggest websites for buying and selling firearms, sort of a Craigslist for weapons. Gunsamerica.com is almost as popular. Gunbroker.com is an auction site for selling firearms. More than 4,000 websites offer firearms for sale, according to the Department of Justice.

There are companies set up specifically to help firearms companies sell their products online, such as Arms Vault (gunindustrymarketing.com). It provides the infrastructure to set up an online store, or will handle that part of the process for a company. It also provides marketing, including email marketing. The National Firearms Dealer westernshootingjournal.com 139

Armslist.com is considered the “Craigslist” of firearms sales.

Network (buynfdn.com) provides online storefronts for $100 per month, with access to a massive firearms and accessories inventory.

For accepting online payments, companies like Payment Alliance International (gopai.com) and Tasker Payment Gateways (taskerpaymentgateways.com) specifically cater to the firearms industry.

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Looking for a firearms auction? Check out gunbroker.com.

Ammo is even easier to sell and purchase online, since it is not subject to the restrictive requirements applicable to firearms sales. However, some ammo websites will not ship to the most restrictive gun-control states and cities.

Selling firearms online can be very lucrative. However, it is imperative to research the laws thor-

oughly first, or risk severe consequences. Selling firearms is not like selling toys. WSJ Editor’s note: Check out our next issue for Part II, on what buyers need to look for when buying firearms online. For more information on applicable laws, check out nraila.org/gunlaws and atf.gov/publications/firearms.

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THE SHOOTING SCHOOLGIRLS OF THE SOUTHWEST High Schoolers Form All-female Shooting Team ARTICLE BY PHYLLIS GROSS · PHOTOS BY XAVIER HOTSHOTS

T

he Xavier Hotshots are Arizona’s only all-female high school scholastic shooting sports team.

Founded in 2012 by six enthusiastic charter members, the Xavier Hotshots exploded in growth in their second season, and now boast 20 young women participating in trap, skeet and sporting clays, as well as 22 archers. All of the athletes attend Xavier College Preparatory, a rigorous all-female Catholic high school located in Phoenix. The motto at Xavier is “Women of Faith Pursuing Excellence,” and the student athletes truly model the saying in the classroom, in their communities, and now in the world of scholastic shooting sports.

Five members of the Xavier Hotshots participated in Collegiate Clay Target Shotgun Bowl Series –

Sophomore Jennifer Gross (middle) won a first-place medal in skeet, a first-place medal in sporting clays, and a first-place medal for highest overall score. Junior Aeliana Kistner won a thirdplace medal in skeet and a third-place medal for highest overall score. Junior Katie Anton won a third-place medal in sporting clays.

From left to right: Olivia Zanzucchi, Katie Anton, Andi Lopez-Martinez, Aeliana Kistner, Megan Neely, Jessica Tweedly and Katie Armstrong.

sion. Not only did the Xavier Hotshots compete at an outstanding level, but they had the opportunity to meet potential future college coaches and teammates.

Go Xavier Hotshots! WSJ

Eidtor’s note: Phyllis Gross, known as the Harley Glock Gal, started arizonafemalefirearmcompetitors.com a year ago. She recently became an editor of the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association publication Bullet Trap.

The top shot of the Xavier Hotshots, sophomore Jennifer Gross.

Lower West Coast Conference Championships on February 21 to 23. Jennifer Gross, Aeliana Kistner, Katie Anton, Megan Neely and Ksenia Komarnyckyj represented Xavier in this co-ed competition, which included trap, skeet and sporting clays. The Xavier Hotshots placed third overall in the high school divi-

The Xavier Hotshots are armed high school girls you wouldn’t want to cross.

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BEAR HUNTING 101 Four Fun Ways To Hunt Bear

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY TOM CLAYCOMB III

The author’s 12-year-old nephew, Tom Robert Statton, shot this bear. His 16-year-old brother shot a bear on the first day of the five-day hunt.

I

love bear hunting. I’ve written I don’t know how many articles on the topic, and have taught numerous bear hunting seminars. Where I live, bear and turkey hunting are the first hunts of the year after a long winter, and provide a good excuse to get outside. I’m usually out of shape, and the first two weeks kick my tail.

For this article let’s assume that you’ve never bear hunted. There are basically four ways to hunt bears:

BAITING

To bait, you’ll want to put your bait into a metal barrel. Cut a 10-inch hole two-thirds of the way up the barrel.

This allows bears to scoop out food, but not to free feed. The more time they stay at your barrel, the better. It also keeps ravens and wolves from cleaning you out. You will not believe how much bait the ravens can carry off. And you sure don’t want wolves hanging around your bait.

If you ask 30 different bear hunters what is the best bait, you’ll get 30 different answers. In all reality, you will use what is available. Here’s why I say this. If you do it right and have up to six bears coming in every afternoon, they can clean you out. So you’ll be hauling in 50 gallons of bait every two days.

Smaller bait such as chicken nuggets are the best size. Twenty-five years ago, I used a lot of meat, but meat isn’t really the best choice. In the early spring, their stomachs are still a little queasy, and secondly, if you use bigger chunks of meat, they can grab one and run off in the woods to eat it.

I like to hang scent bags and let the thermals carry the scent up and down the mountains. That draws in more

Hounds Baiting Spotting/stalking Buy a bear tag while elk/deer hunting The fourth option is by blind luck, and if you’re hound hunting, you’ve probably got a guide, so since I am only allocated a short space, let’s discuss the second and third options. (Check your state’s laws to ensure what I recommend is legal where you hunt.)

Gradually glassing down a ridge may reveal bears feeding in thick brush.

westernshootingjournal.com 147

A sure sign of bears is turned-up stumps and trees as bears go foraging for grubs.

bears. You don’t just want one bear hitting your bait. You want four to six. That way, they start competing with each other and come in earlier and earlier.

Tink’s makes some cool flavored incense sticks. I like their honeybacon flavored ones.

Tree stands are the ticket, but I always hunt out of a ground blind. In the old days, I’d hunt out of a brush blind, but now I have the Browning Phantom. That way, you can set in a chair and if it sprinkles, you’ll be protected, and it somewhat conceals your scent and movement.

SPOTTING AND STALKING

I could write a book on baiting, but let’s move onto spotting and stalking.

This is an exciting way to hunt. Climb on top of a ridge at sundown and start glassing. I do whole seminars on glassing, but I will give you the abbreviated version. Set up a spotting scope, and glass across the ridge. Drop down 50 yards and glass the other way, repeat148

Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

ing all the way down to the bottom.

Wait a minute and start again. Bears will feed in and out of brush so where there was nothing two minutes ago, suddenly there may be a bear.

You will never regret buying good glass. Buy the best that you can afford. There are numerous optic companies out there, but get one that has a lifetime warranty such as Bushnell or Leupold. If you buy cheap glass, you’ll get headaches.

It goes without saying that glassing works best in areas of high concentrations. We used to take a lot of kids to the TV show Kid Outdoors. Many times after school, we’d see five bears in an afternoon.

They will come out right at bearthirty, so you have to make a fast decision. I see three bears, which one should you stalk? First, is it a decent bear? Next is it rubbed? That’s where good glass comes in. You don’t want to spend your last 30 minutes of daylight stalking a bear, only to get up close and discover that it is rubbed

bad and has a big bald spot.

To sneak up on one, you’ll have to play the wind, use scent covers and come in downwind of them. Hunting in the mountains can be tough. It seems like some days the wind swirls and changes directions every five minutes. But as a general rule, thermals go uphill in the mornings and downhill in the afternoons.

A .30-06 and larger caliber is fine, but use good high-performing ammo.

Cheap ammo will not perform, and it’s no fun tracking wounded bears.

Well, there’s a lot more to cover but we’re out of space. Happy hunting. WSJ Editor’s note: Tom Claycomb III writes for Bass Pro Shop and has outdoor columns in newspapers in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Louisiana. He freelances for numerous other magazines, newspapers and websites. He teaches 60 outdoor seminars each year and is on prostaff for numerous companies. He likes anything related to the outdoors and has works available on Amazon Kindle.

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MILLER PRECISION ARMS Miller Precision Arms (MPA) made a big impact among the tight-knit shooting community Jan. 14-15 at a two-day event preceding SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The invitation-only (media outlet and industry buyer) event offered insiders a unique chance to handle and assess this year’s new firearms for themselves, including the MPA300 Guardian.

“The MPA300 Guardian is my pick for the best rifle at media day,” wrote Steve Johnson on Firearmblog.com.

Other bloggers said MPA’s decision to unveil its revolutionary new precision rifle during Media Day at the Range before SHOT Show was a significant step in building awareness of MPA’s impeccably crafted product.

Another blogger said he could not recall either of MPA’s main competitors using the Shot Show media and buyers days to roll out a new product, a move that focused much of the spotlight on MPA. “MPA coming out to the range day was a very big deal!” proclaimed a writer for Guns Holsters and Gear.

“We definitely relived our field trials at media and buyer days,” said Kevin O’Reilly, marketing director and partner at MPA. “We ran 2,600 rounds through this rifle without a experiencing a failure to feed or failure to eject. We cleaned the carrier group and ran another 1,400 rounds before the horn blew and the range went cold for the day.”

Made from 7075-T651 aircraft-grade aluminum, the MPA300 Guardian is tailored for the serious precision shooter. The MPA300 is designed to weigh the same as the M110 sniper rifle, but yield twice the range — 1,600 yards. The Guardian also comes in a lightened version for the sportsman weighing in at 8.5 pounds.

The MPA300 uses a titanium charging handle and firing pin, and has a dust cover. Only premium barrels from Krieger, Bartlein, and Mike Rock are used, and they are contoured in house using CNC machines. Barrels are chambered using benchrest building techniques, assuring the handcut chamber is perfectly aligned to the bore.

With only a few exceptions, the MPA300 has all AR10 internals making any replacements easily obtainable. Externally, the Guardian is ready to accept virtually all aftermarket .308 buttstocks and forearms.

“The semi-auto AR platform, using a proprietary double-stack magazine, delivers amazing results that should quell most of the concerns any skeptic might have,” said Richard Johnson of GH&G. “Despite a continuous strong debate on the accuracy of semi-auto precision rifles versus traditional bolt action rifles, in my opinion, the MPA300 joins a short list of semi-auto rifles that could go the distance with the best.”

The rifle’s designer said range-day attendees were impressed not only by the gun’s performance, but also the quality of the product.

“Our upper receivers are bored to the tightest tolerances in the industry,” said Brandon Miller, designer and president of Miller Precision Arms. “Our in-house manufacturing, tight tolerances and benchrest techniques allow for unparalleled quality control. I guarantee a five-year, unconditional manufacturer’s, brand new replacement warranty on all of the receiver sets we build.”

“We are talking about a huge stride here for sport hunters. To be able to get on target with large game and get off rapid follow-up strikes with virtually no recoil is a major advantage and far more humane,” said Dean Grommet, SCI member and partner at MPA. Miller Precision Arms is a veteran-owned operation in northwest Montana. For more information, log on to MillerPrecisionArms.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter. westernshootingjournal.com 149

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KNIVES

TANTALIZING TANTOS KNIVES Knives Of The Survivalists ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY KEITH SIPMANN

Robert Nordby with a SCHF12 knife.

S

chrade is stepping it up. If you’re a fan of knives, you’ve undoubtedly heard of, or owned, one of their knives at one point or another.

Schrade, which is now a Taylor Brandowned company, has been manufacturing and distributing knives since the early 1900s. It recently released a new line of interesting black-stonewashed blades for 2014, and I can honestly say that these are some of my favorite entry-level (meaning reasonably priced) blades out on the market.

OK, before we get into the review, some of you may not know exactly what a tanto blade is. “Tactical tanto” is a term that is thrown around a lot online and by knife manufacturers, but what exactly is a tanto blade and what is it used for really? You’ve probably seen them marketed as “survival blades” or “fighting knives,” so what’s the real deal?

Historically, the tanto blade design originated in Japan during the Heian period (between 794 to 1185 A.D.). A tanto is a traditional Japanese short knife, dagger or sword that is usually less than 12 inches in length. The blade’s spine has an upward sweep, and the blade belly follows that sweep.

The edge rises up to create a slashing surface for facing armored opponents.

It was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well.

The blade design that many people refer to today when discussing the tanto was actually designed for the armor-piercing duties of the Samurai.

These knives were called the “yoroidōshi.” Not all tanto knives were designed for this purpose, however.

There are roughly 12 Japanese tanto types, so it’s not accurate to lump all like-styled blades into one category like this. Schrade’s tanto design is not

a traditional tanto design; it’s a modern, American interpretation of the original tanto. OK, enough history and back to the review now.

The SCHF15 is an excellent allaround EDC fixed blade. I’ve been carrying it for the past month now everyday, and it’s really grown on me. I normally carry a folder (SOG Trident) as an EDC/defensive back-up blade, but I have since switched to the F15 fixed blade for testing. It’s not super small (the overall length is 7.875 inches) or super lightweight (the weight is 6 ounces), but in my opinion, it’s the perfect size for EDC and it’s a fixed blade. Like the F12, the F15 comes with a decent Kydex sheath which has good retention to keep the knife in place, making it easy to wear as an EDC blade. Being in Arizona, I prefer Kydex to leather or nylon fabric sheaths, so Schrade scored extra points there in my book. westernshootingjournal.com 151

KNIVES One thing that has bothered many purchasers and reviewers of these knives is the lack of an actual name for these knives. Calling a blade a code like “SCHF12” is a little odd. and makes it harder to market. Spyderco, SOG and other big name brands all “name” their knives; I’d recommend Schrade do that as well if they want people to remember their products.

BLADE Both the F12 and F15 are made from 8CR13MOV steel, which is a Chinese high-end budget steel that is comparable in composition, performance and function to Japanese AUS-8 or 440C steel. The use of this steel keeps the costs low, but still provides a decent quality blade for the price. All in all, 8CR13MOV is a very capable and wellrounded steel that can be sharpened easily, but it will lose that sharp edge faster than a higher-end steel blade would. Other companies like Spyderco and Kershaw also use 8CR13MOV in their blades, mainly in their folders. So far, in my testing, I’ve been very happy with the edges of both knives.

GRIP / HANDLE Both knives come with G10 handles that have machine-textured grooves, providing a very aggressive grip, yet it’s still comfortable enough for light to medium periods of extended use. Bottom line here is, you really have to like aggressive G10-patterned handles, otherwise this may be a deal breaker 152

Western Shooting Journal // May 2014

for you. I personally prefer a very rough, stippled or scalloped surface for better handling of my blades, but others may find it too much. If you plan on using either knife for extended periods of time, you may want to use leather gloves, as eventually your skin will give way to the aggressively textured G10. The F15 has some thick jimping on the back of the blade, but the F12 does not.

PURPOSE AND PRACTICALITY With any tanto, it’s hard to say with certainty what their purpose is. Everyone seems to have a different opinion about them. My take is to use them for self-defense. History shows us they were designed for “battle” or “fighting,” but perhaps modern times have changed and evolved the design a bit to cover more functional areas. Personally, I prefer a tanto blade for EDC, as I carry a knife to serve as a backup to my firearm. It serves in a defensive (or offensive) purpose in my case. Someone who carries a knife for bushcraft may prefer a drop-point or spear-tip design. To each their own.

CONCLUSION AND OVERALL RATING Schrade has really stepped up their game with this new line of tantos. Both the F12 and F15 are great blades overall that can hang with many of the higher-priced knives on the market. I’d recommend either knife to someone who already has higher-end knives, but is afraid to carry them and use them due to their hefty price, etc. These are true working knives, not “sheath queens.” They are made to be used and abused, and they can take the punishment. Either of these Schrade knives will handle whatever you throw at them (within reason, of course) without breaking your piggy bank.

Editor’s note: Keith Sipmann is a veteran of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, firearms enthusiast, gun rights activist, self-defense instructor, conservative political writer and publisher of GearGunsandKnives.com.

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RELOADING

RELOADING SHOTGUN SHELLS IS DIFFERENT Saves Money And It’s Not That Difficult

ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY DANIEL SCOTT

TheHighRoad.org reports the cost of buying ammo for a 12-gauge shotgun as, “200 rounds a week at $22 per 100 = $44 a week = $176 a month = $2,112 a year.”

W

hen it comes to reloading ammunition, most people immediately think of handgun and rifle cartridges. What many don’t realize, including avid shooters and firearm enthusiasts, is that shotgun shells can also be reloaded too. Whether you’re looking to save a few cents per round loading your own shells for sporting

clays, or you’re seeking to develop a specialty load, shotgun-shell reloading could be the answer you’re looking for.

Reloading once-fired shotgun shells isn’t necessarily more difficult than reloading pistol or rifle cartridges, but it is different. To start with, there are three main types of shotgun cartridges: brass, paper, and plastic hulled. Plastic and paper cartridges

may have “high brass” or “low brass,” or the brass may be replaced with zinccoated steel. Additionally, plastic hulls can be a one-piece or multi-piece construction, and have a six- or eightpoint crimp. All of this is in addition to the obvious variations of the length and gauge of the hull.

The process for reloading the shotshell itself is actually not that complex.

Just as you would with a rifle or handgun round, you start by cleaning and inspecting your hulls. If you find any splits or cracks in the plastic, or if the brass has been deformed or caked with dirt, the hull should be discarded. You can clean the hull and the brass using a tumbler and soft media such as corn cob, but this isn’t strictly required.

The process of depriming spent shells is virtually identical to that of a metallic cartridge, and in most cases, you will resize the hull and brass base at the same time. Resizing here isn’t a huge deal the way it is with metallic cartridges, however. The brass base on a shotshell doesn’t expand much at all – zinc-coated steel bases have virtually no expansion, and the plastic hull is flexible enough that crimping will generally force it to the correct shape and size. At this stage in the process, resizing basically opens up the mouth of the hull where it was previously crimped shut.

Most presses have a combination priming and charging station, where a new primer is pressed into place and the powder charge is dropped. At this point, things get a bit different than what a traditional rifle or pistol handloader might be used to. Shotshells require a wad to separate the shot and powder. The wad also serves to take up westernshootingjournal.com 155

RELOADING any extra room in the shotshell, and to protect the barrel from steel shot.

THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS of seating the wad. Most presses use a sleeve that slips over the shell, or some other device that will hold the shell open while guiding the wad into place.

With the wad properly seated, the shot charge is dropped and then the shell is crimped shut. The art of the crimp is something that is easy to learn, but takes a bit of practice to get just right. A good press will have three separate stations for the crimp: one station to start the crimp, a second one to close it, and a third one to finish it and make a nice rounded lip.

Shotshell powders are fast-burning powders, and are usually compatible with pistol loads as well. I use Alliant Red Dot and Blue Dot in most of my handgun-caliber recipes, and try to use the same powders on my shotgun loads just to make the number of dif-

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ferent components I have to keep in stock down to a bare minimum.

Hornady, Lee, and MEC pretty much make up the “big three” when it comes to shotshell presses. My first shotshell press was an old Lyman Easy Loader. Lyman no longer manufactures shotshell presses, and I’m pretty sure this one was older than me when I picked it up. Lee Precision’s Load-All II is probably the closest comparable press manufactured nowadays.

Obviously you’ll spend a bit more on a progressive press, and they take a little longer to set up, but you’ll be able to crank out the shells very quickly afterwards. I personally prefer to have multiple multi-station presses like my Lyman or the Lee Load-All. They’re inexpensive enough that I can keep multiple presses ready to go with each set up for a specific load.

Shooting 2½-inch black-powder shells out of my Remington 1894? I can go right to that press and crank some

out. Do I need 2¾-inch loads that will run reliably in my autoloader? I just go to that press and get to work.

How you choose to set up your own press is, of course, a personal choice. If you shoot your scatterguns often, whether it’s busting clays, hunting waterfowl, or competing in 3-gun matches, loading your own shells may be something you should look into. WSJ Editor’s note: Daniel Scott is an outdoor writer with a background in technical writing, editing, and publishing. When he’s not writing, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and various shooting sports. Daniel is the executive editor of The Colored Lens, a speculative fiction magazine available online and in e-book format.

He blogs about hunting, shooting, and the outdoors at AmongTheLeaves.com.

Daniel makes his home in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife, and two dogs who couldn’t retrieve a bird if their lives depended on it.