Do I Need the Super Elk Blaster 2000?

It never fails to to amaze me. You go into a gun store a few months before hunting season, and you will hear it. It, being some idiot behind the counter telling someone that they need the biggest most expensive gun they have in stock to hunt elk. When I hear that I want to turn around and walk out. Most of the time I wait around or slip into their conversation. The employee always seem to get annoyed with me and my two cents. Tough cookies!

My advice is always this: Hunt with the gun you are most comfortable with!

People always say you need a big gun, say a .300,.338, 375. What horse crap!!! While having all that energy can be a good thing, most people I know can't handle the recoil; and it causes them to flinch horribly. This causes a lot of animals to be wounded and suffer the rest of their days.

Personally I would rather take someone elk hunting that has a smaller caliber gun that can put all their shots where they need to, than to have someone that has a big caliber that can't get a decent group.. I know, I know, smaller calibers don't have a lot of energy compared to the big boys.  But all that energy isn't worth a hill of beans if you can't hit the target.

Take my mother for example. She shoots a .308. And she has had no problems dropping elk out to 400 yards. Sure the .308 doesn't have the highest energy level but she can put 5 rounds in a group the size of a dime. It's all about shot placement. Another group of buddies hunt everything with a .243 win. and they have harvested all the big game animals the lower 48 has to offer. Sure they have to get a little bit closer, but that's the fun part. Trying to get as close as you can without the animal knowing you are there.

According to the CPW hunting brochure all you need is rifle cartridge of at least .24 caliber with a bullet weight of at least 85 grs. producing 1000 ft lbs of energy for hunting elk and moose.

So if you have a hard time with recoil don’t fret, just grab your favorite light recoiling hunting rifle and head to the range. Then challenge yourself to see how small of a group you can get. When you can get a small group don’t be afraid to head out to get that elk. Just remember to keep your shots within a reasonable range, and you’ll have no problem filling that freezer.

The New AR

I mentioned in my last post that my best friend and I snuck off to the range last weekend to sight in a recently completed AR.

Being the sole provider for my family and coming off the second lay off in 3 years, I am a bit "gun poor". I actually started building this AR a couple years ago after the first lay off when I picked up a basic Aero Precision Gen 2 stripped lower receiver. If you're not familiar with Aero Precision, they make some very good components for ARs. The Gen 2 lower in particular is nice as it has the addition of an adjustable polymer set screw in the rear of the receiver to help stabilize the upper. It takes the place of an aftermarket accu wedge. 

Accu Wedge

Aero Precision Gen 2 Lower - polymer set screw

Anydigression, the lower was finally completed earlier this year. For those interested in the specs, here is the rundown of the parts selected:

Aero Precision Gen 2 Stripped Lower
CMMG lower parts kit
Magpul MOE FDE pistol grip
Magpul CTR FDE Mil Spec adjustable stock
Aero Precision Mil Spec 6 position buffer tube, buffer, end plate and spring set
CMC 3 lb. single stage flat trigger

Total cost in parts was $383 and change including tax.

A brief word about assembling the parts. It's not hard. There are plenty of  videos out there to help you figure out the process. Anybody can do it. Having said that, it is infinitely easier to do if you have or can borrow the right tools for the job.

So, when I landed my current full time job, I was in the process of thinking it was high time to gather the parts for the upper when I get a call from my best friend. "I got something for you.", he says. Low and behold, it was a complete upper. It's good to have nice friends. He gifted me, as a "congrats on the new job" gift, a SOTA Arms (SOTA stands for State of the Art, BTW) 16 inch, .223 Wylde chambered, 1:7 twist heavy barrel upper with a mid length gas system, a KeyMod forend and a standard A2 birdcage flash hider.

Did I mention I have a really great best friend?

I had a Hawke 3-9x40 AO IR scope on hand for an optic (I may eventually replace that with a red dot...I might not) which we mounted up without too much trouble (a scope mounting level really helps a lot), and it was off to the range to sight in and see what it can do.

Another mini digression about ammo selection. I had some American Eagle 55 grain .223 Jacketed Boat Tail on hand. Best friend had the same in addition to some 68 grain Magtech .223 that he had picked up somewhere. Those familiar with twist rate and bullet weight pairing will recognize that the 55 grain/1:7 twist combo is "not ideal" for maximum accuracy according to the experts.

3 Shots - 1 inch square - 50 yards

Meh. Experts...smeckperts. Those look like they stabilized just fine to me. I didn't have calipers with me to get a precise measurement, but the Mark 1 hairy eyeball guestimates that at roughly 3/4 of an inch at the widest which maths out to 1.5ish MOA at 100 yards. That's with a mediocre shooter and non-match ammo out of a non-match barrel.

I'll take that.

Ruger Precision Rifle

For everyone out there that has wanted to try long range precision shooting but did not want the $4000 plus price tag, Ruger has introduced a new entry level rifle that will allow you get started in long range precision shooting for approximately $2000 (rifle and scope).  Overall price will depend on how expensive of a scope you choose.
MSRP is $1399.  Street price should be a couple hundred dollars less.  Add your favorite scope and you are ready to go.  Ruger has put a lot of features into this rifle.  There isn't much else you should need.
The one feature that strikes me is the full adjustability of the stock.  This allows you to fit the rifle to you.  You are not stuck with whatever the factory makes.  Proper fit goes a long way to helping you shoot better.

http://www.ruger.com/micros/rpr/models.html

I just learned about this rifle and have not had a chance to even handle one at the stores.  I did find a review from the guys at Snipers Hide. (www.snipershide.com)  Snipers Hide gives a good overview of the rifle and it's capabilities.  If they say it is good to go, I would believe them.

Here is a link to the Snipers Hide review of the new Ruger Precision Rifle.
http://www.scout.com/military/snipers-hide/story/1564384-the-ruger-precision-rifle-6-5-cm

If you want to try your hand at long range precision shooting this may be the rifle to start with.



-Mez
07/19/2015

Exploding Soup

Had a good time at my friend's place over Labor Day weekend playing with my new toy: a Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum. My buddy was holding the phone shooting the video and was the unfortunate backstop (or front stop if you will) for several globs of soup. The video is in slow motion, but it did rain soup and can parts for several seconds in real time.

Full review of the Marlin one of these days.

Review: IWI TAVOR (First Impressions)

Review: IWI TAVOR (First Impressions)

Today’s review is a year in the making.  We have wanted to test the TAVOR ever since we saw them at Shot Show 2013.  It has been difficult to obtain one due to high demand and short supply.  But I found the model I wanted at my local dealer and jumped at the opportunity.  Cost was $1790 plus tax.  Approximately $1950 after sales tax and background check fee.

The TAVOR is a bullpup rifle designed by and for the Israeli military.  And has been in service for several years.  The defining feature of a bullpup rifle is the magazine is placed behind the hand grip, instead of in front, giving the rifle an overall shorter length.  Even with a longer barrel, this makes the rifle more compact and easier to maneuver especially in tight space

Comparison with M4 rifle with 14.5 inch barrel

I chose the18 inch model with flat top picatinny rail.  The picatinny rail allows for the mounting of almost any optic you wish.  There is also a 16 inch model available as well.  The rifle is chambered in 5.56 x 45 and will shoot both military 5.56 and commercial .223 Remington ammunition.  The barrel has a twist rate of 1 in 7, which allows this rifle to handle heavier bullets up to 77 grains. 

Overall length is 29 inches and weighs approximately 8 Lbs empty without magazine.   

Further information can be found on the IWI Website. 

The TAVOR comes nicely packaged in its shipping box.  It contains the rifle, a full cleaning kit, 1 magazine, obligatory safety lock and an excellent instruction manual.  And 2 quick release swivels are also included for mounting your preferred sling. 

For my tests I mounted two different optics.  First a Nightforce 1-4 power glass optic (Nightforce NXS 1-4 compact)  Second an Aimpoint model M4S reddot sight. (Aimpoint M4S)  Both were mounted with Larue Tactical quick release mounts. (Larue Tactical)

What I like

-       Compact bullpup design is handy and easy to maneuver. 

-       The rifle shoulders very well and generally balances well once shouldered.  One item to note on the balance.  The rifles balance point is behind the hand grip and naturally balances to the rear and feels a bit awkward in the hand.  But this disappears once the rifle is shouldered.

-       The picatinny rail makes mounting any sight of your choice easy.  Do note the rail is a bit shorter than a standard AR15 rail.  So standard AR15 mounts are short by approximately ¼ inch.  You may need to go to a slightly higher mount for your optic.  You can use a standard mount but will need to scrunch your head down a bit for proper sight alignment.

-       Built in backup iron sights.  No need to buy aftermarket sights.  You have what you need built into the rifle.  They are easy to adjust with the supplied tool.  And the front sight does have a tritium insert. 

-       One unique feature is the position of the bolt release.  It is located behind the magazine well.  This allows the shooter to insert a new magazine and with the thumb release the bolt in one motion before moving back to the firing position.

-       The charging handle is conveniently located on the left hand side for easy access.

-       There is a picatinny rail mounted on the right side for mounting of lights or lasers.

-       The TAVOR can be configured for left hand shooters with the addition of a left hand kit.

-       The TAVOR is also cable of being configured for different calibers.  There will be a conversion kit for 9mm and for the Russian 5.45 x 39 caliber. 

-       It uses standard AR15 magazines.  And we all have a lifetime supply of these by now right?

What I don’t like

-       The trigger is absolutely dreadful on this rifle.  It is north of 8 pounds.  I can’t measure it as I don’t have the tools.  But other websites have reported upwards of 11 pounds.  The trigger is also long, creepy, mushy and crunchy all at the same time.  Honestly, I have fired AK-47’s with better triggers.  Heck I’ll say it.  I have fired Heckler and Koch rifles with better triggers.  (Yeah, I’ll take the heat from the H&K fanbois.  It is still an appropriate analogy)  

     This leads to my next biggest complaint.

-       Accuracy is mediocre.  I think the terrible trigger has a lot to do with this.  Using the Nightforce magnified optic I was able to achieve an adequate 2-3 inch group at 100 yards.  I was also able to hit the 300 yard and 390 yard steel plates very easily.  The 400 and 500 yard plates were a bit more challenging but doable.  With the Aimpoint I only achieved a 4 inch group at 100 yards.  This is dreadful as it is AK-47 territory.  For a $2000 rifle I would expect better.  A cheap no name AR15 generally does 2 inches and better out of the box.

Results with Aimpoint reddot optic.

Conclusion

Overall I like this rifle.  If you are looking for a bullpup rifle, definitely look at the TAVOR.  It is short, handy and maneuvers well.  It is rugged and reliable.  And it is battle proven.  Even with a crappy trigger and mediocre accuracy this rifle does have value and purpose.  It is accurate enough for most jobs.  I think most people get too worked up over accuracy.  Most jobs do not need pin point accuracy.  If you can put your shots into an 8-10 inch circle you are golden.

I think this rifle is best suited for military, law enforcement, self defense and tactical style competitions.  Or defending yourself during the Zombie apocalypse.  Where this rifle does not perform well is where accuracy is of prime consideration such as bullseye competitions.

This is the initial review of the TAVOR rifle.  Do expect further updates in the future as we have more time to work with this rifle and get to know its ins/outs and personality. 

And I am looking to the aftermarket to find a solution to the trigger issue.  As I think a better trigger will help with the accuracy.



By: Michael Mezo
12/08/2013

Gettin' Better

I had the opportunity to spend some quality time at the range yesterday with close friends and family. It was not my day on the rifle range; however, the pistol range was another matter entirely.

The M&P is starting to show signs of adequacy if not actual promise.

That's roughly 30 rounds at 7 yards. The top two shots near the twelve o'clock nine are the bottom of my best friend's test drive mag aimed at the twelve o'clock eight. I own the shot near the six o'clock 9 as a called flyer. I would call tearing up the 10 and x rings more than acceptable.

While the M&P trigger is clearly workable as is, I still don't like it as much as I would like to. As a result, we are rapidly reaching the point at which time I order the Apex kit. Borrowing my cousin's girlfriend's Glock 23 (earlier Gen...probably a post AWB Gen 2 based on the plethora of 10 round mags) for 10 shots didn't help especially when I turned out even better accuracy from the Glock without even thinking about it.

The Ruger 22/45 got a work out as well. Ten shots at the x box on the scoring chart at seven yards with five in one hole measuring about a half inch. I can't be happier with that.

My cousin gave me a turn behind his Mosin-Nagant. Ten rounds of 7.62 x 54R later, and I can happily report that I can hit the broad side of center mass at 50 yards with one. That, and my kidney stones have been pulverized sufficiently while my shoulder remains intact.

In other news, BSA reflex red dots do not work in bright light even on their highest brightness setting and even cheap 1911s are freakishly accurate. Borrowed a Umarex made Regent 1911 belonging to a friend of my cousin's for one mag. Six rounds through the same hole punching out the x at seven yards is hard to argue with.

The weather was beautiful, our energy ran out before our ammo did, and any day at the range beats a day doing anything else.

I'll Be In My Bunk...

Dear Ruger,

I've been a good boy this year. I've taken care of my wife, done the dishes, cooked dinner and changed diapers. If you send me one of these for T&E, I'll be your new best friend.

Sincerely,

Daddy Hawk

P.S. The adjustable stock needs to be upgraded. For a $1995 MSRP, at least spring for a Magpul stock. That, or chop the MSRP by a $100 and give us an A2 stock option. That rifle is too pretty for a cheap, ugly stock.

Initial Review: Ruger 10/22 Deluxe Sporter

Cross posted at Daddy Hawk's Toy Box

Though not a true BUG (buy a gun) Day purchase, I may or may not have recently (within the last couple of months) acquired a new addition to the gun locker at Castle Erickson. More specifically, that acquisition may be a Ruger 10/22 Deluxe Sporter .22LR semi-automatic rifle. It might have been acquired via private sale using cash in a deal arranged through Texas Gun Trader that could have been mutually beneficial to the parties involved while simultaneously and symbolically giving the Federal .Gov the uni-finger booger flinging salute for having the temerity to think that they can infringe upon the God given rights of free people.

I say this tongue and cheek given the current nuttiness Congress is pursuing with respect to gun control. I realize that we have passed the hurdle of DiFi's thinly veiled attempt at registration/confiscation and the Manchin/Toomey backdoor reach around "compromise"; but, if you really think the fight is over, I have some other very attractive proposals to sell you courtesy of the Nigerian scammers who have been stalking my Craigslist ads.

Seriously though, for FTC disclaimer purposes, I received no compensation or consideration whatsoever from any source for the opinions you are about to receive. The FTC can refer to the uni-finger salute referenced above.

Now that that's out of the way, what else can be said about the Ruger 10/22? It's probably the best selling .22 rifle in America if not the world from the humble and robust carbine version to their heavy barreled target version not to mention name brand and home built custom rifles using the 10/22 action. A lot of ink has already been spilled and pixels burned on the 10/22. So, what's a few more pixels?

First off, let's discuss my qualifications to offer up my opinion. I have a keyboard, a brain and an overdeveloped sense of self worth. I shoot guns for fun. I've never won a shooting competition, hunted extensively, been employed by the firearms industry or taken professional level training courses in shooting. In short, I'm your typical recreational shooter with an hair brained idea and an internet connection.

Next, why go for the deluxe sporter version when you can pay less and get the carbine (which is actually the same action, sights and barrel with different stocks) or pay more and get the target version(which has the same action and sling swivels with a heavier barrel, laminated wood stock and no iron sights)? To answer that question, I need to break the rifle apart into its components and discuss my impressions and thought process. Along the way, I will bring in comparisons to the Marlin Model 60, the 10/22 carbine version and a custom 10/22. So, where do we start?

Let's kick this off in earnest by looking at the stock. In the Ruger 10/22 family, you have a range of stocks. The carbine version comes with either a black synthetic or hardwood (Birch or Walnut depending) stock which has a barrel band. The synthetic stock has some checkering in the grip and fore end areas while the hardwood stock has no checkering and a metal butt plate. I have some experience with the hardwood carbine version as my mother has one. The finish of the hardwood is actually quite nice for a "entry level" rifle; however, the lack of checkering and the way my hands sweat in the Texas heat argued against the hardwood carbine version. I further eliminated the synthetic stocked carbine due to the barrel band which I find aesthetically displeasing.

On the other end of the spectrum, the target model uses a black or brown wood laminate stock which also lacks checkering but includes sling swivels already installed. I'm not a huge fan of the look of laminated woods as I prefer the natural grain pattern of the wood. Having said that, I wouldn't mind having one eventually; however, this go round, I really wanted a rifle with iron sights as opposed to being limited to only using an optic.

The takedown version is kinda neat, but suffers the affliction of the barrel band. The compact version is too small for me. The tactical version is too...tactical for me. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against black rifles. My buddy has a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 which is a hoot. I just didn't want one at this point. I wanted a simple, lighter weight, wood stocked rifle with classic lines and some decent checkering that would be accessible to new shooters (thinking ahead to the day when I can introduce M&M to shooting) and not intimidate.

Enter the deluxe sporter. The deluxe sporter has a nice American walnut stock with cut checkering as opposed to pressed checkering. What's the difference? The easiest way to demonstrate the difference is to show you.

Here is the cut checkering on the 10/22 deluxe sporter:

Here is the pressed checkering on the Marlin Model 60:

The cut checkering is crisp and provides me with a very positive grip on the stock even with sweaty paws. By comparison, the pressed checkering on the Marlin is definitely less crisp and grippy which is to be expected since it is effectively the reverse of the Ruger's checkering; but, it is functional in its own way. My personal preference is the cut checkering.

There is one other minor difference in the sporter stock. Namely, length of pull. The sporter has a length of pull of 13.88 inches versus the 13.5 for the carbine, 12.75 for the compact and 13.75 for the target. While that may not seem like a huge variation to some, it is a discernible difference to me with my wingspan. The carbine feels like a Daisy Red Rider in my hands whereas the sporter feels a little more like a "real" rifle. 

So, we've established that I think the sporter stock is pretty and I can get a good grip on it. My exemplar exhibits excellent workmanship with more of a satin stain finish to the wood as opposed to a gloss finish. I like either finish depending on the application, and the satin finish is fine in this instance.

Okay, enough about the stock. To each their own. I like this one.

Let's move on to address the elephant in the room: The Trigger. It is heavier than I would like it to be for sure; however, it is consistent, predictable and relatively smooth for a stock trigger. It is non-adjustable short of the tender, loving mercies of a gunsmith or a Dremel if you are so inclined. For comparison's sake, it feels very similar to the Rock River Arms single stage "mil spec" AR trigger if you've ever messed with one. Maybe a tad lighter on the pull, but the take up is fairly short followed by a heavy pull to get to a crisp break while giving no hint of grittiness (to my touch at least). Once you get used to it, one hole groups are possible at close range (as evidenced by the photos to follow); however, having said that, I definitely want a lighter trigger. I am debating a replacement with Kidd and Clark replacement kits in the leading contender slots.

While I did not have a carbine model on hand for a side by side comparison, I will go out on a limb and say that they are identical. Based on other reviews I've seen, I believe the target model gets a better trigger. Maybe one day I will get to verify that. My buddy has a custom 10/22 with an after market trigger that was very smooth and extremely light by comparison. I did shoot both side by side and going from the heavy sporter trigger to the custom aftermarket trigger was eye opening to say the least. I cooked the first shot off early because I wasn't expecting how light it was. He didn't know which brand it was since he had it built for him by another friend who put in a spare trigger "he had laying around" (must be nice), and there were no marks on the outside to give me a hint. It was a straight instead of curved trigger shoe. That's all I can tell you.

For what it's worth, I think the stock trigger in the Marlin 60 beats the stock trigger in the 10/22 sporter. Personally, I think this is stupid and borderline moronic on Ruger's part. When you shell out extra money for an "upgraded" model that costs at least twice what a competitor's model sells for, you should get a better trigger. I'm just sayin'. One man's opinion. Then again, people like me keep shelling out cash for these things knowing full well we are going to have to tinker with them to make them the way we want them. Who's the stupid one now?

Just to respond to the trolls and haters real quick: if I'd wanted another Marlin Model 60...I would have bought another one (or a model 795 for those like me that prefer the detachable as opposed to tube magazine fed option). There's nothing wrong with Marlin 60s. I have one. I didn't need or want two of them. Besides, the 10/22 satisfies my need to tinker.

Moving on, let's talk about the sights. The front sight is quite nice in my opinion. Gold bead post dove tailed onto the end of the barrel. Don't like gold bead sights? Push it out and insert one of your choice. The rear sight...weeellll.... It's functional...it's cheap...it's no worse than any other rear sight installed by manufacturers these days. It's adjustable for elevation (albeit not easily) but not windage. Drifting the front bead in the dovetail can address windage as necessary. It's on the list of things I'm going to change on this rifle as soon as I can figure out what the best aperture sight option is. Seriously though, the rear sight is perfectly adequate for Sunday plinking and casual target work. Spend enough time with it, and you'd probably be able to get it to bark like a dog and impersonate a feral cat. And you can teach a pig to sing eventually too. It's just not the best use of your time and money.

The good news is that Ruger spends to time and money to drill and tap the receiver for a Weaver mount. The rifle is supposed to come with one. Since I did not obtain mine new, I had to go buy a Leupold Weaver mount which was very reasonably priced at $8.00 at Academy. That means mounting a scope is relatively easy. Which I already did. It works like a charm.

So, a word about accuracy: pretty darn good. During the first range outing, I zeroed the rifle at 25 yards with CCI Stinger ammo (32 grain hollow point smoking along at 1650 feet per second) to get it on paper and function test it. First shot of a rest with a Hawke 3-9 x 40 AO scope was about eight and a half inches low but mostly centered horizontally. After dialing in about 140 clicks on the scope, shots were going where they were supposed to be.

I had five flavors of .22LR ammo in my range bag to play with, and I did what any self respecting gun geek does and started testing to see which one was the most accurate. Now, some people may quibble over whether to clean the barrel between groups to obtain the most accurate results. I had neither the time nor the patience to clean the gun that many times in one range outing. Besides, my philosophy is that a dirty gun is a happy gun and real world accuracy is going to deteriorate as you shoot so it's better to know how it shoots when it's fouled anyways.

Let's a take a look at the groups from worst to best. These are five shot groups, shot from a rest at 25 yards with something like a second or two or however long it took me to get comfortable with the sight picture between each shot.

Winchester Super X 40 grain bullets at 1300 feet per second. I picked up a 100 round box of these at Academy back in February before .22 disappeared from the shelves completely. To say that I am disappointed in their performance is an understatement. Seriously, it didn't group. It patterned. It did worse than Remington and Federal bulk pack ammo, and that's saying something. it may function well in other rifles, but this one consistently shot a 4ish MOA group with this stuff.

Remington Gold Tip bulk pack ammo. These are leftovers from a pack I bought at Walmart or one of the other big boxes ages ago. It's been so long, I don't even have the box anymore as the bullets have been moved into old plastic 100 round boxes. These are probably 40 grain bullets in the 1250 feet per second range based on Remington's website (though they could be 36 grains at 1288 FPS). True to my prior experience with them, my one dud round for the day came from this batch. It had a good, strong primer strike on it but no bang. Just under 4 MOA for this stuff is about all you can expect because of the consistency issues in the ammo.

Federal bulk pack that was old before I inherited it from my grandfather. I have no idea when he bought them, but it is probably from the same lot that I used when he taught me to shoot over 30 years ago. I've never even seen the original packaging for this stuff. So, I am guessing these are Federal Champions in the 40 or 36 grain weight in that 1200 to 1300 FPS sweet spot that most .22 ammo seems to fall within. Again, performance is as one would expect with bulk box bullets.

CCI Stinger 32 grain moving at 1640 FPS. These were my favorites coming into this range trip.  Truth be told, I'm a big fan of CCI rimfire ammo. But for a called flyer due to lack of focus and yanking the trigger, the Stingers would have turned in a one hole group (I actually did get a one hole group with them earlier before I started shooting for groups). I love this stuff, and I can't wait until I find some for sale somewhere soon.

CCI AR Tactical 40 grain round nose at 1200 FPS. This was the surprise of the bunch. CCI markets this stuff as being suitable for the current crop of AR pattern .22 trainers. Whatever. I have no idea what makes this stuff ideal for AR pattern .22s that other 40 grain/1200FPS bullets don't have; but, then again, I'm no marketing genius either. Technically, this is "bulk pack" ammo since it does, in fact, come loose in a box of 375 rounds. Performance though was no comparison to the Remington, Winchester or Federal offerings. It does shoot a 1/2 inch to an inch lower than the Stingers at 25 yards, but that's due to the slower velocity. But who is going to argue with .87 MOA from a mediocre shooter using a new rifle? This is my new favorite plinking round, and I will be buying more as soon as it appears on a shelf near me (or not so near if the shipping cost is reasonable). 

So, what is my overall impression of the 10/22 sporter? Good...borderline excellent. In terms of accuracy, it shot at least as well as my friend's full custom 10/22 though his admittedly has a nicer trigger. It offers some advantages that the Marlin 60 and Marlin 795s do not possess (namely easier scope mounting, better grade stocks, better after market support, etc.). Is it worth twice what the Marlins go for? It depends. For the same money I spent to get the 10/22, I can get a Marlin 795 AND all the tweaks to get it to where I want it to be AND several boxes of ammo (even at current prices). So, from a strictly dollars and cents value proposition, the answer would be no. From an overall aesthetic, quality and feel point of view, I take the Ruger every time. It feels better to me. It feels more solid and rugged to me. It looks better to me.

At the end of the day, that's what's important to me. Your experience may vary.

Tactical Carbine

Yesterday, I finally got to take the class that Jay previewed last fall from Double Tap.

Like him, I was a bit nervous to take the class.  I always get jitters before any training class, but I had very little experience with an AR-15.  Like, less than 100 rounds in the entire time I've been shooting, and even then, that was more of the "hey, wanna try this gun?" kinda shooting.  No formal training, just plinking.

My nerves got a lot worse before they got better.  When Mez and I rolled up, I was a bit intimidated by the guys and their gear.  Did I have the right stuff?  Was I going to make a fool of myself?  You know, the normal pre-training jitters.

Double Tap's instructors, Casey and Mike from the DuraCoating and custom holster company 13 Zulu, are awesome and made me as comfortable as they could.  They've obviously worked together a long time and their class flowed well.  I feel lucky to have benefited from their experience; it's not often that students get to have instructors with real world experience.

I'm not gonna lie, I spent the majority of the morning fumbling around and feeling way out of my depth.  It was not their fault - they are excellent instructors.  I, however, tend to over think everything.  I was getting in my own way.  Once I realized what I was doing (getting in my own way), I was able to relax and things started getting better.  I started being able to manipulate the gun and its controls so much better.  Funny how, when you stop fighting, you can start learning.  I had to trust that I did actually know what I was doing and that they would correct me if I did something wrong.  Much like my students in real-life, I wanted to be perfect the first time.  I wanted to pick it up immediately.

Casey and Mike were super patient with me, even when I got so frustrated with myself that I just stopped, let out a heavy sigh and re-composed myself.  They rocked.

The morning was spent on drills: basic functions of the gun, clearing malfunctions, reloads, scan and assess, etc.  After lunch, the fun started and so did my grinning.  I quit trying to over think what I was doing and just did it.  Amazing how that happens.

The afternoon drills really brought everything together for me and they were fun!  Even the dreaded nine-hole was fun.  I did have a few moments of hesitation at the nine-hole, because the first hole I had to shoot from looked to be too tall, and it almost was.  However, I found that if I stood on my tippy-toes, I could get just enough of a sight picture to get that round off and move to the next hole.  I mistakenly thought that the last three holes on the ground would be easiest, because I had the lack-of-height advantage.  Boy was I wrong.

I came away from the class grinning like a fool and having accomplished my goal of becoming much more comfortable with the AR platform.  I went from being a fumbling fool to feeling competent.  I've got a ton more to learn and a lot of practice, but I feel like they gave me a great start and I'll be taking the class again in June.

Teaser

Finally made it to the range Sunday with a new toy. Quickly figured out what food it REALLY likes:



5 shots on a 3 x 5 index card with a 1 inch target circle from a bench

This group is a tad low as the initial sighting in was done with CCI Stingers which are a 32 grain bullet moving about 400 FPS faster.

More to follow when I get all my photos and thoughts in order.

Kitchen Counter Customizing

The urge to modify physical items from their stock configuration into something that stands out from the rest of the crowd seems to be endemic to the human condition. I mean, for crying out loud, we can’t even leave ROCKS (or the stray Kia Soul) alone without thinking they need to be jazzed up with a few dabs of paint and a name to make them “pets”. While I am not hopelessly addicted to customizing things to the point of absurdity, I am not immune to a desire to express individuality through tailoring objects to my particular taste and personality.

When it comes to firearms, not unlike cars, custom is just a question of how much money you want to spend. Who among us has not gazed upon a finely crafted piece of hardware and mumbled “If only I had the money…” while drooling like a Saint Bernard with a mouthful of Novocain? But, that’s not the point of this post.

I’m talking about customizing on the cheap. And not swapping out the grips panels on the 1911 cheap either. We’re talking loose change from the sofa cheap here.

Our project for the day: color filling the roll marks and stampings on an AR lower (this same process can be used on any firearm roll marks/stampings with the same results).

Total project cost: less than $10 (assuming you didn’t already have the necessary tools in your home)

First, we need some tools. With the exception of a couple of paper towels, everything you will need for this project is pictured right here.

Isopropyl Alcohol (preferably 91%)

Enamel Nail Polish (in the color[s] of your choice)

Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover

Q-tips

Paper towels

Now, for some instructions. For you visual learners, there is a YouTube video out there which was the inspiration for this little project.

One small detour before moving on, this is what the lower looked like at the beginning of the project:

Step one, dip a Q-tip in the alcohol and swab the area to be filled. This removes any oil and residues that might interfere with polish adhesion later.

Step two, once the alcohol has evaporated, take the nail polish, shake it thoroughly, and dab it liberally over the roll mark/stamping to be filled. Don’t worry about coloring inside the lines. This ain’t kindergarten, and we’ll clean up our messes in the next steps.

Step three, before the polish has a chance to dry, blot/wipe excess nail polish from the surface with a clean paper towel.

Step four, using another clean paper towel with some nail polish remover soaked into it, wipe any remaining excess nail polish from the surface around the roll marks/stampings. It may take a couple of passes to get all excess off the surface. You can see in the photos below that there is a little bit of “clouding” left that I need to go back over. I blame bad eyesight and lighting.

Lather, rinse and repeat as necessary until you achieve the results you desire. The roll marks on my AR lower were fairly deep and only took one coat to get a crisp, white fill which I what I was looking for.

Here is the finished product:

It should be noted that Spike's Tactical offers customers the option to have the markings filled for $10 or $30 depending on if you just have one mark filled or all marks filled. But, their lowers are currently on backorder, and adding the color fill adds to the delivery time.

Or, you can do it yourself. Total time start to finish...less than five minutes. You decide.