Shotgun Ammo Rundown 2013

Shotguns have long been regarded as the most do-all shooting tools available. With a shotgun, a person can shoot a single projectile or a pattern of shot, they can shoot as close as a few yards and out to beyond 100 yards (with a slug), and they can hunt, target shoot and defend themselves. This year’s crop of new loads only improves their applications for whatever you desire.

Hornady Superformance & Heavy Mag

Hornady is making the Superformance shotgun slugs available in 12 and 20 gauge. If you shoot a rifled slug gun you need to give these slugs a try. Using a 250-grain Monoflex slug in 20 gauge or a 300-grain Monoflex slug in 12 gauge, these loads are just what the doctor ordered for deer, black bear or hogs. Also, if varmints are on the menu, the Hornady Heavy Mag Coyote 12-gauge loads will not disappoint the close-range hunter.  (hornady.com)

Kent Cartridge Diamond Shot & 5-Star Penetrator

Kent Cartridge has some great turkey loads in their Diamond Shot and 5-Star Penetrator shells. The Diamond Shot loads are available in 12 and 20 gauge, and the Penetrator loads are available in 12 gauge only, but feature a 50/50 mix of Tungsten Matrix and Diamond Shot. I will be testing the Kent Tungsten Matrix l6 gauge, 11/8-ounce upland load in No. 5s during turkey season this year and have high expectations on its performance. There are many 16-gauge shooters in the country and this is a great load for upland birds; it can be used in your treasured side-by-side guns without worry. (kentgamebore.com)

Kent 10-Point Precision

The Kent 10-Point Precision slugs are a new addition to the Kent line as well, with a hard-hitting 1-ounce slug that launches at a scorching 1,850 fps. This one should satisfy the serious deer or hog hunter. (kentgamebore.com)

Winchester Razorback XT

Winchester has recognized the out-of-control feral hog problem across much of the country and the need of hunters for dedicated shotgun hog loads to deal with the problem. The new Razorback offerings in 12 gauge, with either buckshot or a frangible 1-ounce slug will meet this need. The 12-gauge Razorback XT buckshot load will feature eight buffered 00 buck pellets for hard-hitting, close-range knockdown power. The Razorback XT segmented rifled slug is designed to segment into three equal pieces upon impact for devastating trauma caused by multiple wound channels. It also features an innovative wad stabilizer for pinpoint downrange accuracy up to 125 yards. (winchester.com)

Winchester AA TrAAcker

Winchester also has a new load that may be just the thing for wingshooter training, the AA TrAAcker offering. The secret of AA TrAAcker is in the revolutionary wad. Loaded with 1 1/8 ounces of shot like a standard AA shotshell, the innovative wad design includes longer, notched petals and captures 1/8-ounce of shot, which stabilizes wad spin and ensures that the wad remains in the center of the shot cloud for optimum tracking. The AA TrAAcker load is available in two highly visible colors: orange, for overcast conditions or dark backdrops and black for clear skies or light backdrops. Shotguns have long been regarded as the most do-all shooting tools available. With a shotgun, a person can shoot a single projectile or a pattern of shot, they can shoot as close as a few yards and out to beyond 100 yards (with a slug), and they can hunt, target shoot and defend themselves. This year’s crop of new loads only improves their applications for whatever you desire.

Hornady Superformance & Heavy Mag

Hornady is making the Superformance shotgun slugs available in 12 and 20 gauge. If you shoot a rifled slug gun you need to give these slugs a try. Using a 250-grain Monoflex slug in 20 gauge or a 300-grain Monoflex slug in 12 gauge, these loads are just what the doctor ordered for deer, black bear or hogs. Also, if varmints are on the menu, the Hornady Heavy Mag Coyote 12-gauge loads will not disappoint the close-range hunter.  (hornady.com)

Kent Cartridge Diamond Shot & 5-Star Penetrator

Kent Cartridge has some great turkey loads in their Diamond Shot and 5-Star Penetrator shells. The Diamond Shot loads are available in 12 and 20 gauge, and the Penetrator loads are available in 12 gauge only, but feature a 50/50 mix of Tungsten Matrix and Diamond Shot. I will be testing the Kent Tungsten Matrix l6 gauge, 11/8-ounce upland load in No. 5s during turkey season this year and have high expectations on its performance. There are many 16-gauge shooters in the country and this is a great load for upland birds; it can be used in your treasured side-by-side guns without worry. (kentgamebore.com)

Kent 10-Point Precision

The Kent 10-Point Precision slugs are a new addition to the Kent line as well, with a hard-hitting 1-ounce slug that launches at a scorching 1,850 fps. This one should satisfy the serious deer or hog hunter. (kentgamebore.com)

Winchester Razorback XT

Winchester has recognized the out-of-control feral hog problem across much of the country and the need of hunters for dedicated shotgun hog loads to deal with the problem. The new Razorback offerings in 12 gauge, with either buckshot or a frangible 1-ounce slug will meet this need. The 12-gauge Razorback XT buckshot load will feature eight buffered 00 buck pellets for hard-hitting, close-range knockdown power. The Razorback XT segmented rifled slug is designed to segment into three equal pieces upon impact for devastating trauma caused by multiple wound channels. It also features an innovative wad stabilizer for pinpoint downrange accuracy up to 125 yards. (winchester.com)

Winchester AA TrAAcker

Winchester also has a new load that may be just the thing for wingshooter training, the AA TrAAcker offering. The secret of AA TrAAcker is in the revolutionary wad. Loaded with 1 1/8 ounces of shot like a standard AA shotshell, the innovative wad design includes longer, notched petals and captures 1/8-ounce of shot, which stabilizes wad spin and ensures that the wad remains in the center of the shot cloud for optimum tracking. The AA TrAAcker load is available in two highly visible colors: orange, for overcast conditions or dark backdrops and black for clear skies or light backdrops. (winchester.com)

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Hornady Offering New Twist on Handgun Security

Hornady’s RFID system is meant to overcome this situation, but it also appears to have limits. The bracelet, card or key fob must be on person for the radio frequency ID system to work. Otherwise, it’s back to the old methods.

Utter the name Hornady and what comes to mind?

Well, besides the company’s big red “H” logo, probably bullets, ammunition and reloading supplies. But if the Grand Island, Neb., manufacturer has its way Hornady will become synonymous with another facet of the firearms industry – safes.

The company’s new division – Hornady Security – is slated to release its line at the 2014 SHOT Show. And the company’s first offering is a bit of a break from what has been available on the market to date.

The RAPiD Safe is meant to address the issue of quick firearm retrieval, while keeping a handgun secure the rest of the time. It does so by utilizing radio frequency identification embedded in a bracelet, card or key fob.

One quick swipe over the reader with one of the entry options and the safe springs open, presenting the firearm in a padded sleeve at a drawable angle. The company touts it as the fastest handgun safe retrieval systems on the market.

Presently, most handgun safes utilize mechanical or electronic keypads, biometric readers or keys. Each of the existing methods has its pros and cons. The common perceived drawback for each is the potential to fumble with the entry system when seconds count.

Hornady is one of the first major manufacturers to bring RFID technology to the gun safe market, but there are other companies in the race. Startup The Gun Box announced in October that it would start shipping pre-orders of its RFID safe in December.

The RAPiD Safe also has a number of other entry options, including a keypad and key. It runs off standard household 110V power and includes battery backup. It weighs more than 15 pounds and is constructed of 16-gauge steel. It includes a 1,500-pound rated cable secure.

Innovation has a price tag. The company lists the MSRP on the RAPiD Safe at $276.67. Hornady is also introducing two other handgun safes, of the low-tech variety. The ArmLock Box ($45.91 MSRP) and the TriPoint Lock Box ($40.21 MSRP).

The new technology has the potential to turn some heads. But it’s a wait-and-see game if Hornady Security’s line becomes as popular as the company’s ballistic products.

            

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Used Handguns Enjoying a Thriving Market

Used revolvers and other handguns have jumped up considerably in value. Firearms specialist Scott Lutz said, Colt Diamondbacks are especially popular, fetching anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 apiece, depending on condition and engraving.

Any Smith & Wesson revolver no longer in production is getting Blue Book-plus prices, especially the small- and medium-sized models. Lutz recently watched a Model 19 K Frame in .357 mag, with a 2.5 inch barrel, go for $600, when $400 would have taken the same revolver just two years ago.

The H&R Sportsman, a 9-shot .22 LR caliber revolver, is quite popular at the lower priced end of the collectible’s market. Usually selling for under $400 apiece, even for vintage examples, people are assembling nice collections of these durable and reliable revolvers—without going broke competing with the Smith & Wesson and Colt collectors.

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Eye Popping Custom Guns

The rifle shown here is the first in the new Bolliger Legacy Series of rifles. It is crafted around a Winchester Model 70 Classic left-hand action and features a Krieger cut-rifled barrel with a full-length rib and quarter-rib, front sling swivel, and front sight ramp, all integral to the barrel. It also features extended tangs top and bottom and a Bolliger custom trap grip cap. Bolliger stocked the rifle with a stick of exhibition grade Turkish walnut, adding a custom fleur de lis pattern and checkering at 26 lines per inch. Mike Dubber executed the fabulous engraving. Photo courtesy Eric Gordon

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Learning the Art of the Draw

Choosing to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense is a good start to being prepared for an attack, but simply carrying a gun isn’t enough. You also have to know how to use that gun.

The basics of shooting and marksmanship are quite simple—grip, sights, trigger control and follow through—and can be easily learned. More advanced gun handling skills can be learned through research, or by attending one of the many firearm academies across the country.

While gun handling and accuracy skills are important, if you can’t get the gun out of the holster and into action quickly, you’ll be standing there with a lot of knowledge in your head and nothing in your hand. This makes the draw one of the most important components of proper self-defense. And you must be able to make the draw at any time and from any position.

Understanding Technique

Now before developing your draw, you have to decide how you’re going to carry. Some methods of carry provide easier access, while others impart deeper cover. There is no single correct way to carry a gun and only you can decide the method that works best for your purposes. But regardless of how you carry, you must master the draw for the holster system, or systems, that you choose.

The standard draw consists of four simple motions—the grip, the pull, the rotate and the presentation—that must be conducted in sequence or the entire process disintegrates and problems arise. Everything in the draw begins with the grip.

When you reach for your handgun, you must instantly obtain a shooting grip, with the trigger finger aligned along the frame. If you don’t get a firm grip on your handgun before it exits the holster, the draw can be fumbled and the gun dropped, which won’t do any good and could very well cause a lot of harm. You then pull the gun straight out of the holster before rotating it toward the target—from here, you can fire if the attacker has gotten too close to fully extend the gun. Finally, you present the gun toward the target, allowing the support hand to come up into a two-hand shooting grip as the sights line up.

Developing the Proper Draw

Now the problem with the standard draw is that it is based on carrying a gun in a strong-side holster, and there are as many different ways to carry a gun as there are types of handguns to carry. Fortunately, the draw is basically the same in all cases, with some minor variations.

Developing a proper draw takes time and practice, especially if you carry in multiple ways, as you must always be aware of where your gun is located and the best way to get that gun into action. You must develop the muscle memory for each and every way you carry. This is one of the reasons that many experts recommend carrying the same gun in the same way all the time. It doesn’t matter how good a shot you are if your gun is sitting in your holster.

The choice of carry method can also determine whether you can practice drawing at your local range. While some ranges do not allow draw training at all, others limit it to those methods like strong-side, pocket and ankle where the shooter is not sweeping the muzzle across adjacent areas. Unless you have your own range or shooting area, it’s very difficult to obtain live-fire training with cross draw, shoulder and small-of-back set ups. Availability of training locations should be included when considering how to carry a concealed handgun. Commence Training

Regardless of your carry method, training should always begin with an unloaded handgun. Even if your range allows drawing from a holster, you should still learn the motions through dry practice, which can easily begin at home. It should also begin without a cover garment, even though the final goal is a safe, smooth and fast draw from concealment. Starting with an unloaded gun sans cover garment allows you to learn the proper movements before introducing live fire and more complex motions, such as drawing from under a shirt, jacket or vest.

Always start slow and deliberate, and speed up as the motions blend together naturally. You can even include dropping the hammer on a target (make absolute sure your gun in unloaded) using one of the available laser training cartridges, such as LaserLyte’s LTS Training Cartridges, to get a good idea of your accuracy in a draw type situation.

While dry practice is good— sometimes it is all one can get— live-fire training is the best way to get a true feel for the effectiveness of your draw in a fight. As the gun is now loaded, you should again start slowly, firing one round per draw. As you become more comfortable, add speed and additional shots—two to three rounds—to the mix, before introducing a cover garment.

To reach a gun covered by a jacket or vest, you simply sweep it back with your hand to reveal the gun. You can help this process is by having an object in the pocket that is heavy enough to provide momentum to swing around the gun – a spare magazine or speed loader works well for this. If you’re using a shirt as a cover garment, you can reach under it with one hand to obtain a grip, but many people use their support hand to lift the tail, especially if the shirt is tucked around the gun for better concealment.

Of course, since few people use a single type of garment to conceal a gun, both methods should be practiced. Also, every time you change something in your set up—gun, holster or cover garment— consider unloading the gun and practicing a few draws in a mirror to ingrain the motions in your mind. Using a mirror allows you to view the motions, correct any mistakes and provide a target for lining up the sights.

Be Prepared

Finally, you must remember that an attack can come at any time, not just when you’re standing up and ready. You might be in a car, sitting in a restaurant or kneeling to tie a shoe. You might have to reach across your body with your support hand, kneel behind cover or even draw from the ground. The possible scenarios are almost endless. For this reason, you should implement training that includes difficult draws in a variety of locations. Again, many of these can be practiced at home with an unloaded gun. You can obtain feedback by using a mirror or a partner, who can suggest realistic scenarios that you might not think of yourself.

Now a concealed handgun along with the ability and wherewithal to use it is important. But many attacks end without a shot when a gun appears in the hand of a so-called “victim.” Whether facing a strung-out punk or a seasoned criminal, the first defense remains avoiding the situation, the second is drawing a gun and the last is taking a shot. Your draw is just an important as being able to consistently ping the 10-ring, and in many ways, much more important.

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Barnes Bullets Expanding AAC Blackout Lines

A heavier hitting round, with smoother feeding on an AR platform and superior performance with a suppressor, the 300 AAC Blackout came about in an effort to meet a slew of tactical demands. But it has not taken long for the round to break free from its military and law-enforcement roots.

The AAC Blackout has become all the rage with the general shooting public, who have been quick to grasp the upside of the relatively new .30-caliber round. The popularity of the AAC Blackout even has some manufacturers upping their game to keep up with shooters’ demand.

Barnes Bullets announced it is expanding two of its lines to include heavier .300 AAC Blackout options. The company is launching a 120-grain bullet in both its TAC-TX and its VOR-TX Ammunition and component lines, offering tactical and hunting options in the popular bullet.

Before, one of the nation’s leading lead-free bullet manufacturers only offered an 110-grain bullet in the .300 AAC Blackout. The new products will be made available in February 2014.

Features of the 120 grain TAC-TX include a specially designed profile that ensures flawless magazine-length loading in AR rifles, a boattail base to increase the ballistic coefficient and the proven solid-copper construction. The copper rounds were pioneered by Barnes and ensures consistent terminal performance through barriers and thick skinned game – making it an excellent choice for big game hunting as well as defense initiatives.

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Two Critical Accessories in Building a Defensive AR-15

When it comes to an AR-15 that I plan to use exclusively for defensive reasons, there are really only two items I like to add to the gun: some sort of white light and a sighting device other than iron sights. I don’t have anything against iron sights, but in low light situations, they can come up short. There are a many other extras that can be added to a tactical rifle, and special operators may even need others for a particular mission, but the simple AR with these two necessities is not only all a guy needs, but may prove to be tactically superior to a rifle with a bunch of additional items strapped on.

Choosing Your Sight

As far as a sight is concerned, I like the red-dot types. For my high mileage eyes something like an EOTech, AimPoint or one of the mini-red dots really improves my speed in lining up on target—particularly in low-light situations. Another great option for the defensive rifle is one of the 1.5×5 scopes that can be like a red dot on low power, but also offers some magnification for longer distance shots. Leupold’s MRT is a great choice in this department.

Depending on your intended use, this might even be a better choice, but for most home defensive and close-quarter situations, a red-dot or iron sight will be a better choice. Remember, it’s not outside the scope of operation to make long shots with a red-dot or iron sights, particularly with good eyes and practice so don’t discount these options just because you expect to shoot farther than 50 or 100 yards now and then. My patrol rifle is topped with an unmagnified EOTech and it’s capable of accurate 300-yard connections.

I had an opportunity to try out a medium-sized red dot from Meopta recently—the M-RAD, which proved to be a rugged little unit that can be used on a Picatinny-railed AR without a lot of added weight. It has a heavy hood to protect the optic and the on/off button is on the forward side of the sight for easy manipulation when shouldering the rifle. The same button can be manipulated when the sight is turned on at the shoulder to get the brightness appropriate for conditions. The unit comes with a pocket-sized wallet with all the tools and extra mounting pads to get the correct height for the individual shooter. The battery cap can be removed with a coin, but it’s easier to take off with the provided tool. The sight can be quickly put on and taken off the rifle with a robust clamping lever. The lever also has a spring loaded safety to keep it from coming off during rugged use. This would make swapping it out with a scoped sight easy in the field if the mission dictates.

It was literally a snap to mount it on the SIG 516 Patrol rifle I was shooting, and within seconds, I was on the range sighting it in. The tool wallet has a small screwdriver for adjusting the sight making elevation and windage corrections easy. Within a few shots I was sighted in. On the AR platform, the shot will hit low on close quarter shots because the barrel is a few inches low of the sight. At 100 yards it was dead on.

I ran it through some quick double taps around a barricade and the sight jumped right to the target. In fact, it was easy for me to double tap inch and a half groups. The M-RAD would also be small enough to mount at an angle on a competition gun that bears a scope for close shot versatility.

Light Selection

With sights decided upon, it’s now time to be prepared to precisely evaluate any threat while maintaining the ultimate level of readiness. You cannot evaluate a threat properly if you cannot see it. One of the best advancements that I have seen over the years pointing guns at people in the dark is lighting.

One of the first “modern” lights I owned was a Streamlight rechargeable flashlight. It was big and heavy, but much brighter than its predecessors. Now, almost 30 years later, I still look to Streamlight for my lighting needs. The lights are smaller, brighter and have functions like strobe, which in law enforcement, we were always taught to do manually.

Streamlight’s TLR-1 HL, which I assume stands for high lumens, busts out a whopping 630 lumens of light with a pistol-sized gun light. For close quarters defensive use this light is adequate on the carbine as well as the pistol. On the rifle it doesn’t add much weight or size and will light up, or blind, anyone in the room or area you are searching. It has an easily manipulated on /off switch, which allows the user to set it to momentary, all-on or strobe illumination.

The Streamlight TLR-2 HL boasts the same 630 lumens with a built in laser, which could be an alternate sighting device on your carbine or pistol should the condition dictate. Normally I’m not a fan of lasers, but for no extra weight or convenience, a laser can be waiting for duty should you need to make a shot without a sight picture. I mounted this light with Streamlight’s quick mount on the bottom rail of my AR. It was amazing how well it lit up any room in the house or outside around the house. I could evaluate a person’s hands at 25 yards easily.

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