Proper trigger control when firing an AR-15 can lead to tighter groups.
AR-15 trigger control is an often overlooked aspect of accurate shooting. Noted competition shooter John Paul Gangl takes you through the proper technique to keep your shots on target.
Achieving the highest accuracy from your AR is dependant on trigger control.
“This is where the manual rifle and a self loader part company,” says noted AR competition shooter John Paul Gangl. “It is my experience that few people understand the whole issue of trigger control on a self-loading rifle in relation to safety and accuracy.
“Let’s assume for our discussion that our guns are manual or semi-autos with very refined trigger systems. One method is using the pad of our trigger finger to produce a compressed, surprise break. Using this method on a self-loader with a refined match trigger is a recipe to a ‘finger-bounce’ double and poor accuracy.
“First, place the trigger of the self-loader in the crease of the first knuckle. Squeeze the trigger straight back into the frame until the sear breaks and the hammer falls. Don’t release the trigger but keep a squeeze on it. Hold it in place until the recoil impulse takes place.
“After the impulse settles, allow the trigger to come forward and listen for the click of the resetting sear.”
Practice this technique and it will make you a better shot.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 15, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Tim Abell poses with his freshly harvested gobbler.
Actors who hunt and shoot usually keep quiet about doing so; afraid their careers might take a beating at the hands of an anti-gun, ultra-liberal Hollywood. And then there’s Tim Abell, actor, hunter, former U.S. Army Ranger and host of the popular outdoors television series Federal Premium Ammunition's Grateful Nation. A hunter and shooter since childhood, Abell’s done more than 60 movie and television roles, including playing Frank James in the 2010 movie, American Bandits: Frank and Jesse James, where he shared top billing with Peter Fonda. Abell, 54, is also a firearms history buff, with ancestors who served in World War I and the Civil War. In fact, he has a .32-caliber Moore rimfire revolver that belonged to his great, great grandfather, a sharecropper who served in the Confederate Army’s 49th Virginia Infantry.
How did firearms become a part of your life?
My love of hunting and guns started with my uncle, Bruce King. My dad’s passion was fishing, and I did a lot of that, too, but it was Bruce who took me hunting. He became my mentor in a lot of ways, taught me a lot of woodsmanship skills, and a lot about being a man. He took me whitetail and turkey and raccoon hunting…but I didn’t get to carry a gun until he thought I was ready for it.
Sounds like a great childhood.
My friends and I used to walk down the street with our shotguns over our shoulders. Walk a mile or so down the street to the places we’d hunt. Today, if you tried that? Someone would call the police, get the SWAT Team out. It’s sad, really, how much some things have changed.
What was your first gun?
My very first was a single-barrel H&R shotgun, 12 gauge. My grandfather gave me and my brother each a gun—I must’ve been eight years old or so. When I was 12 years old, I’d saved up enough money and bought a Remington 870 shotgun. I took so many deer with that gun.
Why did you enlist for the Rangers?
My granddad was in the First World War, and I knew about that, saw pictures of him in uniform. As a kid, I read a lot of biographies about people like General Eisenhower. And then I read Robin Moore’s book, The Green Berets. That was it. I wanted to do something like that. When the Army recruiters came to our high school, they said, Learn a trade, work with aircraft, things like that. I told them, No thanks—I want to be a Special Forces guy. At the time, they didn’t have any slots open for Special Forces. The Rangers had openings. So I signed up.
What was your experience like as an Army Ranger?
The training was very difficult, of course. But once I got out of Ranger training and went to my Ranger Battalion? They put us through two weeks of Ranger Indoctrination Program, to weed out the guys who shouldn’t be there. That was probably the hardest thing I ever did. The road marches at the end of it were so difficult and grueling. But we just powered through the pain. Ranger Up!
So after your service….?
I headed to California, wanted to be an actor. Struggled, but learned a lot, got some smaller roles and they eventually led to bigger ones.
But you’re a hunter and a shooter and a veteran—trying to make it in Hollywood?
Has it hurt my career? I know I’ve lost an acting job or two because I love to hunt and shoot and am not shy about it. I had a casting director admit it to me once. He said, “you make me so mad, killing animals.” He made it clear I would’ve had a role on his project if it wasn’t for my hunting. But I listened to John Milius. He’s a friend, as well as a writer and director [Milius’ script credits include Apocalypse Now and Jeremiah Johnson; he’s directed several films including 1973’s Dillinger]. John said, Look, Tim, you have to be who you are. It’s not going to work otherwise.
Is it hard being a pro-Second Amendment advocate in La-La Land?
The hypocrisy of it all gets to me sometimes. Here you have a guy like Jamie Foxx saying, “We need to follow what our President says and get rid of all the guns.” And he’s starring in Django Unchained, one of the most violent films of all time. People don’t see the hypocrisy in all that?
How did Federal Premium Ammunition's Grateful Nation come to you?
Actually, it started years before. The outdoors and hunting show, The Federal Experience, was looking for an actor who liked to hunt and shoot and wasn’t afraid to say it. So I tried out and got the job as host. Later, I was at the NRA Convention and I met up with a wounded veteran who had an idea for a show where we’d take other wounded vets on hunts. It was a great idea, but he couldn’t do it. But Mark DeYoung at ATK (parent company of Federal) and some other people heard this veteran speak and they were really moved by it. I really have to credit Mark DeYoung and ATK. He got behind the idea and the show, and it’s because of their sponsorship that it exists today.
The right trigger can make all the difference in building an accurate AR-15. Here are 12 of the best AR-15 triggers that are certain to help you squeeze the most out of your gun.
Why does a quality trigger improve shooting accuracy?
It’s actually quite simple. A consistent, clean, predictable break allows you to time the movement of the crosshairs on the center of the target to coincide as closely as possible. Next, involuntary muscle movements can be better controlled throughout the duration of a short trigger pull and a fast lock time.
Is adding a quality after-market trigger worth the expense?
I look at it this way: If I’ve spent $1,500 on an AR and $400 to $1,000 on an optic, is spending another $150 to $300 worth cutting group size by 15 to 50 percent? Every time. Here are 12 aftermarket AR-15 triggers that are certain to help you tighten up your groups.
Alexander Arms This trigger is basically a single-stage unit with a bushing-mounted disconnector, which is adjustable for engagement and over travel. The pull weight and disconnector engagement are fixed to ensure durability during hard use and inclement environments. The pull weight allows manipulation of the trigger with gloves while minimizing the possibility of discharging a round unexpectedly in the manner of a target trigger. ($160; alexanderarms.com)
American Trigger AR-15 Gold The AR-15 Gold fire control group is a two-stage unit that has two important features: First, when the safety selector is put in the “safe” position, it retracts the hammer to the disconnect. Second, a very light, short first stage followed by an approximate 3-pound second stage. The trigger cassette comes assembled and ready to install in any mil-spec AR receiver with .154-inch holes and no Colt sear block. ($280; americantrigger.com)
Jard AR Adjustable Single-Stage The Jard two-stage AR fire control unit offers a wide range of trigger pull weights. The lightest, at 1.5 pounds, may be a tad lighter than most want for their rifles. Other weight spring kits allow the pull weight to be set at 2, 3, 4, 4.5 or 5 pounds. This unit differs from other manufacturers’ by the sear engagement adjustment screw. It uses the AR lower receiver’s grip screw hole to thread an Allen screw in place to adjust sear engagement. ($165; jardinc.com)
Jard AR Trigger Module System The trigger I installed was preset from the factory at 2.5 pounds, and installed in less than five minutes. A neat feature of this unit is rubberized tension balls that are located in the bottom of the trigger assembly. They help reduce play between the upper and lower receiver when installed. ($230; jardinc.com)
Geissele Hi-Speed National Match Rifle Trigger
Geissele Hi-Speed National Match Rifle Trigger This fire control unit features a Hi-Speed hammer with 50 percent lock time reduction over standard hammers, and the two-stage trigger is adjustable for overtravel and sear engagement. First stage pull weights range from 1.3-3 pounds, and second stage pull weights range from .5-1.5 pounds ($279; geissele.com)
Geissele Super Semi-Automatic (SSA) Trigger The Geissele SSA trigger assembly exhibits highly precise craftsmanship, precision and finish. Two examples of this fire control unit with different spring tensions were tested. The installation instructions are concise and clear. Lubrication is vital to keeping a trigger functioning properly and this one is no different. ($170; geissele.com)
Timney AR The Timney fire control group that was tested was factory preset at 3 pounds. This is a single-stage trigger with almost no creep. Contrary to my previous statement on adequate lubrication, I had heard that this trigger was sensitive to lubrication, so I installed it dry and tested the feel. It was crisp with about 1/8-inch overtravel. Then I lubricated the sear surfaces with Mobil 28 grease and replaced it for a quick trial. The difference was minimal with a slightly better feel dry ($195; timneytriggers.com)
Timney Skeleton AR Trigger
Timney AR Skeleton This trigger is similar in feel to the previously covered Timney AR fire control unit. I liked the feel of this design, and from a personal standpoint, prefer it to the less expensive Timney AR unit if only for its cool looks and ever-so-slightly crisper feel. ($266; timneytriggers.com)
JP Enterprises EZ Trigger The JP unit tested included the .156 small pin drop-in fire control unit, a speed hammer, oversize antiwalk pins and an adjustable, reversible safety selector. The final pull weight of the JP EZ Trigger is determined primarily by the spring setup and will range from 3 to 5 pounds. Installation instructions, in both written form and via a supplied DVD, are clear and thorough. ($260; jprifles.com)
Chip McCormick Tactical Trigger The Tactical Trigger Group is a completely self-contained, 100-percent drop-in fire control group upgrade for both AR-15 and AR-10 rifles. Building on the original Super Match design, the Tactical Trigger pull is factory preset between 3 1/2 and 4 pounds, and is not user adjustable. It fits all standard mil-spec lower receivers with .154-inch trigger and hammer pin holes. ($240; cmctriggers.com)
Chip McCormick Flat Tactical
Chip McCormick Flat Tactical When a consistent trigger finger position is desired, this unit’s design allows you to index you finger at the bottom of the spur where it turns at 90 degrees. I have a tendency to ride the bottom of an AR trigger to create a consistent hold and squeeze. This trigger’s design makes it easy to feel that your finger is in the correct position every time. ($200; cmctriggers.com)
Wilson Tactical Single-Stage Since my shooting with an AR leans heavily toward hunting I like a single-stage trigger. Wilson Combat’s single-stage Tactical Trigger Unit (TTU) rates high on the list, owing to its ultra-crisp 4-pound let-off. Another positive attribute is that the TTU takes less than two minutes to install, and there’s no user adjustment needed. Just drop it in, set the pins and go shooting. ($270; wilsoncombat.com)
This article originally appeared in the July 15, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
AR-15 outfitted with a SilencerCo Specwar suppressor on its muzzle.
One of the most thrilling aspects of owning an AR, besides shooting it, is dressing it up in a way that eeks out every extra ounce of its performance. Make your badass black gun even badder looking — and performing — with these six accessories.
Light on its toes, the ATI forend is made of Type III anodized, 6061 T6 aluminum and weights only 9.3 ounces.
ATI 15-inch Forend with FS8 Nose Cone & Rails
This versatile, yet super sturdy eight-sided free-float forend is made of Type III anodized, 6061 T6 aluminum and weights only 9.3 ounces. Rails can be mounted at 45 degrees around the circumference of the forend for maximum accessory positioning. Meanwhile, the wicked nose cone anchors into any corner, door jam, fence or surface for improved accuracy and stability. ($160, atigunstocks.com)
From buttpad to pistol grip, the ATI Strikeforce Package will help you keep a firm grip on your AR.
ATI AR-15 Strikeforce Package
This package includes addresses the rear of the rifle with six-position, collapsible buttstock with the Sure-Grip nonslip removable Scorpion Razorback buttpad, ergonomic Sure-Grip textured pistol grip, adjustable (and removable) cheek-rest for better cheek-to-stock weld when aiming, a laser-etched buffer tube and comes equipped with a sling swivel stud and slot for a tactical sling if that’s your preference. ($110; atigunstocks.com)
Crimson Trace Rail Master laser sights will keep your AR spot on!
Crimson Trace Rail Master
Available in red or green laser versions, the Rail Master attaches quickly and easily to any Picatinny rail and boast versions that partner with LED lights to form one compact, easy-to-use unit. Users can choose between five operation modes: light and laser, laser only, light only, laser with strobe light and light in strobe only. Activation is done quickly and easily with a tap-on/tap-off feature. ($149-$269; crimsontrace.com) [Available with discount at gundigestore.com.]
SilencerCo Specwar suppressors keep ARs silent and deadly.
SilencerCo Specwar
A well-made suppressor makes shooting so much more enjoyable without degrading accuracy and if you can cough up the change needed to get your federal permit to own one, they will be worth the money. SilencerCo’s Specwar sound suppressors are available for 5.56 and 7.62 rifles and attach easily via their included Trifecta RS flash hider. The unit attaches and detaches quickly and features a tapered shoulder designed to improve accuracy and repeatability. ($800/5.56 & $900/7.62; silencerco.com)
Aimpoint Micro H-1 keeps your AR sighted in, no matter the circumstances.
Aimpoint Micro H-1
A super versatile sight, the Micro H-1 is also super compact to fit on anything, including AR rifles. The red-dot sight is fully waterproof and features ACET technology for 50,000 hours of constant-on operation, two dot sizes in 2 or 4 MOA, is nonmagnifying and parallax free and attaches using an integral Weaver-style mount. Twelve settings permit use in any lighting situation. ($606; aimpoint.com)
TruGlo Tru-Brite Xtreme Illuminated Rifle Scope gives a lot bang for the buck.
TruGlo Tru-Brite Xtreme Illuminated Rifle Scope
Want a great little 3-9x scope with an easy-to-see illuminated reticle and that won’t break the bank. The Tru-Brite Xtreme boasts a dual-color illuminated reticle that adjusts between red and green in low-light conditions. It can also be used without illumination. Windage and elevation are fingertip adjustable with a zoom at the 9 o’clock position for better ergonomics and quicker adjustment. ($150; truglo.com)
This article appeared in the July 15, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Iron frame Henry Rifle realized a world-record price for a standard 19th century made American rifle at $603,750.
Blue steel proved to be pure gold at a Sept. 13-15 auction in Rock Island, Ill. The three-day event at the Rock Island Auction Company grossed $13.1 million in sales, taking bids from all 50 states and 25 countries. And in the hustle and bustle of the company’s preview hall a handful of firearms stole the show in the 2,700-piece sale.
The two most anticipated firearms were from the renowned Mac McCroskie Winchester collection, the highest grossing lot of the weekend. An iron frame Henry Rifle realized a world-record price for a standard 19th-century made American rifle at $603,750. And a gold plated factory relief Winchester Model 1866, engraved and signed by Conrad F. Ulrich, was equally as sought after, demanding $437,000 for ownership.
Conrad F. Ulrich masterpiece gold plated factory exhibition quality relief engraved and signed Winchester Model 1866 lever action rifle sold for $437,000 at the Rock Island Auction Company's sale.
Winchester turned out to be one of the hottest manufacturers at the auction, accounting for the top three sales. Rounding out the Winchester run was a factory engraved Model 1876 .50 Express Deluxe short rifle, which commanded the princely sum of $230,000.
Samuel Colt's merchandise had its moments in the sun, also demanding some of the weekend's highest prices. An A Company No. 182 Walker revolver – Samuel's first commercially successful revolver as well as his first military contract revolver – was the premium Colt at the sale. The revolver fetched a jaw-dropping $155,250, But it was not the only Colt to bring top dollar. A British proofed Colt Model 1860 Army revolver with matching canteen shoulder stock went out the door at $80,500; A No. 2 Paterson with extra cylinder achieved $46,000; And an exceptional factory “A” engraved Wilbur A. Glahn first generation Colt Single Action Army revolver with ivory grips sold for $40,250.
Gustave Young's 1893 Chicago World's Fair Exposition engraved and gold inlaid Smith & Wesson 44 Double Action Frontier Model Revolver with Nevada gold mining lawmen history which brought $155,250.
Smith & Wesson was not left out in the cold when it came to top-end collectable firearms. Perhaps one of the auction's finest examples of 19th-century craftsmanship was an engraved and gold inlaid Smith & Wesson 44 double action Frontier Model. The revolver was ornamented by famed Colt and Smith & Wesson engraver Gustave Young. The delicate design was enough to command top dollar, but drew an impressive $155,250 due its documented history as a Nevada lawman's gun.
Other notable sales at the auction included a Singer Tool Room/Prototype M1911A1 semi-automatic pistol. The World War II artifact drew a winning bid of $43,125. A top-notch U.S. contract New Haven Arms Co. Henry Rifle rang the bell at an impressive $80,500. And an outstanding presentation Winchester Second Model 1866 carbine with Henry Patent barrel address went out the door for $46,000.
Gun Digestthe Magazine is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. With a subscription to Gun Digest the Magazine, readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews, how-to instructions and Second Amendment issues.
Inside This Issue
Reloading the Versatile .300 Mag.
Tools You Need on Your Reloading Bench
Plugging Away with Lipsey's Ruger Bearcat Shopkeeper
For waterfowlers seeking the ultimate in hard-hitting steel shot, these 3 new high performance steel loads are hard to beat.
Remington Hypersonic
Remington reports that its 12-gauge HyperSonic loads have a muzzle velocity of 1,700 fps. The author’s tests actually revealed they fly a bit faster than that.
The initial problem with increasing the velocity of steel shot has been overcoming the shot charge’s inertia while not exceeding the shotshell’s relatively low pressure limit. Remington ammunition engineers determined if the acceleration resistance of the shot charge and wad could be overcome by gases from a small measure of powder, then once the shot was moving a second heavier amount of powder would substantially increase maximum velocity, while staying within pressure limits. After several attempts, the engineers tried an ignition chamber in the rear of a wad and called it the Xelerator.
“We actually drew the idea on a napkin,” said David Schluckebier, manager of new ammunition product development for Remington. When the primer ignites the powder in the ignition chamber, the powder gases start the wad and shot moving forward. The walls of the chamber are scored in three places so the wall ruptures and allows the flame to then ignite the main powder charge.
Remington states the HyperSonic ignition system fires various 10- and 20-gauge steel loads at 1,600 fps and 12-gauge loads at 1,700 fps. Velocities of 12-gauge loads I recorded were actually slightly faster. The 3-inch load of 1 1/4 oz. of No. 1s had a velocity of 1,789 fps five feet in front of the muzzle of a 28-inch barrel of a Benelli Nova pump. The 3½-inch load of 1 3/8 oz. of BBs had a velocity of 1,731 fps.
Remington loads round zinc-plated steel shot in its HyperSonic loads.
One drawback to launching relatively lightweight steel shot that fast is it flares more due to increased air resistance.
“We took that into consideration,” Schluckebier said, “and designed the shotcup on the Xelerator wad to tighten up patterns by keeping the shot charge together inside the cup a few feet past the muzzle before the shot is released into the air.” That is achieved with thin plastic that connects the shotcup’s four petals and delays them from flaring. When the petals do start to fan out, notches, called Wad Stress Concentrators, at the base of the shotcup increase petal spread to peal the wad away from the shot.
Patterns shot through the Nova with the 3-inch shells firing 1 1/4 oz. of No. 1s kept 74 percent of the pellets in a 30-inch pattern circle at 40 yards fired through full, modified and improved cylinder screw-in chokes. The 3 1/2-inch load of 13/8 oz. of BBs shot 75 percent of its pellets into a pattern circle through an improved cylinder choke, 64 percent shot through a modified choke and 62 percent through a full choke.
Federal Black Cloud
Federal’s High Velocity Black Cloud steel loads fire 1 1/8 oz. of shot at 1,635 fps.
Federal’s Black Cloud FliteStopper (FS) steel shot and FliteControl wad give a new meaning to the term dead duck.
FS steel shot incorporates a belt around the pellets that acts as a cutting edge to enlarge wound channels in birds. The diameter of FS No. 2 steel pellets at their belt measure .17 of an inch in diameter, which is nearly the width of BB pellets. Most Black Cloud loads include 40 percent FS pellets and 60 percent regular steel pellets. Black Cloud Close Range loads contain all FS pellets.
These steel pellets are held in a FliteControl wad with six small petals at the base and three larger petals part way up the wad that open relatively slowly to start backing the wad away from the shot roughly 10 yards from the muzzle. That results in very tight patterns.
Federal’s High Velocity Black Cloud steel loads contain a mix of 40 percent FliteStopper (FS) pellets and 60 percent regular steel pellets. Federal’s Black Cloud Close Range loads contain 100 percent FS pellets.
Before testing the loads on a pattern board, I wondered if the belt on the FS pellets would cause them to flare due to increased air resistance. My tests revealed that wasn’t the case. The FS pellets cut holes in the paper like the tip of a knife (compared to the round holes of the regular steel pellets), and most were within the pattern circle. Black Cloud 12-gauge, 3-inch loads of 1 1/4 oz. of No. 2s shot through full, modified and improved cylinder chokes in a Beretta Model 3901 printed 80 to 83 percent of the load’s pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.
The velocity of Black Cloud loads is pretty fast, too. Ten-gauge loads of 1 5/8 oz. of shot have a velocity of 1,375 fps, 12-gauge 3.5-inch loads of 1 1/2 oz. of shot 1,500 fps and 3-inch 1 1/4 oz. a velocity of 1,450 fps. High Velocity 12-gauge 3-inch loads fire 1 1/8 oz. of shot at 1,635 fps.
Winchester Ammunition Blind Side
Winchester Blind Side steel loads are loaded with six-sided steel pellets.
Shotgun authorities have preached forever that hard, round shot is required for tight patterns. But here comes Winchester saying its six-sided Blind Side Hex Shot patterns tightly, even though the pellets look like little bricks. Winchester achieves those tight patterns with its Diamond Cut Wad that keeps the shot inside a shotcup several feet past the muzzle before three petals near the base of the wad slowly deploy to pull the wad away from the shot.
Patterns tightened up with increased choke constriction when I patterned Winchester’s Elite Blind Side 12-gauge 3-inch load of 1 3/8 oz. of No. 2s. Patterns at 40 yards were 57 percent shot through an improved cylinder, 62 percent from a modified and 75 percent shot through a full choke.
Winchester Hex Shot reportedly hits waterfowl like “high-velocity tumbling bricks, delivering massive wound channels that maximize energy deposit and knock-down shock within the bird.”
Blind Side shells are loaded with slightly heavier amounts of shot than comparable HyperSonic and Black Cloud shells. Still, velocities are quite high at 1,400 fps for 1 1/4 oz. of Hex Shot in 12-gauge 2 3/4-inch shells, 1 3/8 oz. of shot in 3-inch shells and 1 5/8 oz. shot in 3.5-inch shells.
Winchester claims Hex Shot hits waterfowl like “high-velocity tumbling bricks, delivering massive wound channels that maximize energy deposit and knock-down shock within the bird.” My son and his friend took it upon themselves to determine if that was true by shooting the 12-gauge 3-inch load of 1 3/8 oz. of 2s while jump shooting mallards and Canada geese along a big river near our home. Thomas and his friend returned with nine ducks and six geese. They reported shooting out to 35 yards and only a couple of the geese required a follow-up shot to knock them down dead.
Today’s top steel loads for waterfowl count on high velocities and uniquely shaped pellets to efficiently kill waterfowl.
The Best Steel Loads for Ducks?
Thomas and I went duck hunting this past December to further study the situation. We alternated shooting 12-gauge Federal Black Cloud High Velocity 3-inch loads with 1 1/8 oz. of FS No. 4s shot at 1,635 fps, Remington HyperSonic 1 1/8 oz. of No. 2s at 1,700 fps and Winchester Blind Side 1 3/8 oz. of No. 2s at 1,400 fps.
We jump shot a slough and a creek. Thomas passed a couple chances at 50 yards on wild flushing birds because he knows any shot, no matter what its initial velocity or makeup, has fairly well spent itself at that distance. Plus, hitting a duck at that distance is a gamble. Our shots ranged from 20 to 30 yards, with a few at 40. After the shooting was finished and the feathers had settled, all the mallards had been killed with one shot, except one. That greenhead fell with a broken wing and required another shot.
“So which of the three loads shot the best?” I asked my son in my most analytical tone. “Sneak into certain range, pick out one duck from the flock,” Thomas replied, “and all three loads are the best. Every one did its job.”
This article appeared in the February 11, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
10 super-cool custom-modified M14 (M1A) rifles seeing action around the globe.
This photo gallery is excerpted from the article Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Get Upgraded, by Gary Paul Johnston, appearing in the Gun Digest 2014 Annual Book.
Learn the swing through, pull away and maintained lead methods to hit more moving targets with your shotgun. Wingshooting expert Marty Fischer explains how.
The Swing Through Method
Swing Through, Pass Through, Pull Through (all are one and the same). The swing through mehod of shooting is very popular with hunters and those who are self-taught and shoot instinctively. Remember – successful, instinctive shooting comes as a result of good technique. With swing through, the gun is always inserted behind the target. The bird is allowed to pass the line of the muzzle before any move is made. Control of speed of swing and timing are generally far more important to the swing through shooter than any lead picture. Some swing through shooters with good timing and a fast swing see little or no lead on most targets. The trigger is pulled on, or very near the bird as the mounted gun swings past the target.
Wingshooting pull away method.
The Pull Away Method
This is the official CPSA shooting method. With pull away, the gun is mounted directly at the target. This method uses our natural ability to point. Pull away enables a shooter to judge speed, distance and line of the target very effectively. Stance, timing and rhythm of the shot, as with all shooting techniques, are determined by the pre-planned kill zone. After the stock touches the face, the gun is smoothly moved ahead of the target until the correct lead picture is seen and felt. Pull away is excellent for long range shots and can improve shooter timing and consistency on many shots.
The Maintained Lead Method
When using the maintained lead style, the gun is inserted ahead of a bird, it moves at the bird’s pace as the lead picture is found. When the shooter recognizes his insertion as the right picture, he simply moves with the bird and pulls the trigger. It should be noted that keeping the gun moving after the shot is important because the gun and target are traveling at the same speed with this style, and any deviation of the gun speed will affect the lead picture. The more the bird crosses in front of the gun, the better this method will work.
This article is an excerpt from The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning.
Keep your AR from malfunctioning by using this AR-15 checklist. Check these 4 key things in 30 seconds or less and stay in the game.
If you have half a minute, you can confirm that:
1) Hammer and trigger pins are flush to receiver sides and not hanging out. A trigger pin sticking out almost certainly means the hammer spring is improperly installed and is not detenting the trigger pin in place. The result will almost certainly be sporadic or continuous misfires, burst fire, shut-down. A hammer pin sticking out probably just means it was not pushed in far enough. It is detented by the “J” spring, which is simply a length of spring wire that is permanently staked into the hammer. These practically never fail or come loose.
2. Hammer spring is correctly installed with both legs horizontal, spread out against inside wall of receiver, and laying on top of trigger pin properly in that pin’s outboard groove, acting as a detent for same. A hammer spring installed backwards will give a light primer strike causing misfires, and although it may appear to be laying on and detenting the trigger pin, it in fact will not. This will lead to the trigger pin walking out and causing failures to fire, or doubling/burst fire. Hammer springs not installed backwards can still be improperly installed, with legs either under the trigger pin resting on the floor of the receiver, or inboard of the receiver wall and thus not laying in the detention groove of the trigger pin. In either case the above trigger-pin-walking problems will be the eventual result, plus, when the legs are under the trigger pin instead of on top of it, the blow to the firing pin is reduced somewhat as the spring is not as “wound up” as it would be when properly installed.
A malfunction we never saw in the old days. Here, the bolt has broken at the cam pin hole, stopping the rifle.
3. Carrier key is not loose. Simply hold the carrier in one hand and try to wriggle the carrier key with the other. This is almost certainly the number one cause of AR-15 malfunctions. Carrier keys come loose, allowing gas to escape from between the carrier and key. Then there is not enough gas to operated the bolt. The immediate, field expedient fix would be to simply tighten the screws (9/64, and sometimes 1/8, Allen wrench). A better fix would be to remove the screws, clean them and dry them, apply red Loctite, and tighten. Better yet, when time allows, is to do the above and then stake the screws in, displacing carrier key metal over them. This is supposed to be done at the factory but most manufacturers are doing it poorly and some are doing it not at all. Even staked, screws have been known to come loose and although they cannot separate from the carrier key due to the stakes, they will actually turn and lift the key off the carrier. One final bit of insurance after staking and Loctiting can be had by counter-staking the screws, just to the clockwise side of the stakes in the carrier key. This way, if the screw ever did try to turn, the outwardly displaced metal of the screw will hit the inwardly displaced metal of the carrier key, preventing the screw from turning.
4. Firing pin retaining pin (cotter pin) not blocking the firing pin. Simply slap the carrier’s back end into your palm to make sure the firing pin cannot come out. Also, with the bolt pushed into the carrier, you can press the firing pin forward and check that it protrudes from the bolt face. With this check you have checked two things: that the firing pin is free to travel fully forward and that the firing pin tip is present (although I have never, ever heard of one breaking). Note that the firing pin will not protrude if the bolt is extended forward.
What if you missed? The shot is 350 yards, across a small river. Should you risk the shot?
New smart gun technology may be saving hunters from this dilemma as well other common problems. Smart gun technology improves hunter accuracy, safety and allows for remote gun control.
What Is Smart Gun Technology
Similar to what you might expect from a Sci-Fi story, smart gun technology has the ability to identify a gun owner, allowing only that individual to fire the weapon. There's plenty of information on identification technology found in the pdfs on National Shooting Sports Foundation's website.
Other technology, such as smart gun scopes can to turn a novice shooter into a sniper through the same target-locking technology used in fighter jets. Remote control technology is also available for firearms, allowing some features to be managed from all over the world. Remote firing capabilities have been used by some hunters to shoot game from a computer screen, allowing paraplegic sportsmen to partake in hunts.
Smart Gun Safety
In May, 2013, YardArm Technologies announced new safety measures for firearms that would allow a gun’s owner to disengage or engage the safety on their weapon from anywhere in the world. This technology includes real-time alerts to the owner via a smart phone app if somebody is handling the gun while the owner is away.
This extra measure could help keep hunters’ firearms safe while in storage, but hunter’s firearms aren’t the only thing receiving an upgrade with new technology. For decades, hunter safety education courses have taught sportsmen vital safety techniques. Now hunters can receive the same education online, through sites like huntercourse.com.
Though not available in all U.S. states, over 30 states allow hunters to begin their education online, and then require in-person checks upon completion of the course. These post-course reviews vary between states. For instance, in Georgia, hunters educated through huntercourse.com are required to attend a two hour review class with an instructor, and then take the Georgia Hunter Education exam before receiving their certificate.
Smart Gun Scopes
A recently available gun from TrackingPoint can allow an untrained user to consistently hit their target at 1,000 yards or more, according to a report by CNNmoney.com. The ‘supergun’ also includes video recording, so that a hunter can download or even stream to a playback device to review any shooting sequence.
A hunter in the initial situation would simply push a button on the side of his rifle to lock onto the buck, and then the scope goes to work, running an algorithm to adjust the shot for temperature, pressure, spin-drift, and other factors affecting long range shots. All except wind speed, which the hunter still needs to manually adjust for.
With nearly three-quarters of the American adult population requiring some sort of vision correction, if you’re reading this, odds are, you are or will one day be among that crowd. Even people, who have enjoyed perfect eyesight their entire lives, will tend to require reading glasses as they age. With such high numbers of sight-affected individuals out there, there’s no question, good optics are essential for many shooters when it comes to achieving accuracy even at relatively short distances. Put a target out beyond 300 yards, and even for a person with 20/20 vision, making a pinpoint shot at a small target area without the aid of a quality scope becomes tricky. Fortunately, as the desire of shooting enthusiasts and competitors (and of course our law enforcement and military) have wanted the ability to reach out to the maximum performance limits of their rifles, optics companies have kept right up. Following are some top long-range choices that will help you reach right out there regardless of your budget.
Burris Eliminator III 4x-16x-50mm.
Burris Eliminator III 4x-16x-50mm
Features of this sleek laserscope include the X96 reticle designed to range any magnification out to 1,200 yards. Shooters can enter ballistic data straight into the scope, including the ballistic coefficient and can even easily adjust it for wind. ($1,499, www.burrisoptics.com)
Bushnell Elite Tactical 3.5-21×50 Extended Range Riflescope.
Bushnell Elite Tactical 3.5-21x 50mm Extended Range Riflescope
The Extended Range Riflescope (ERS) boasts three reticle options, increased side parallax adjustment range and the new Z-Lok locking elevation turret with .1 mil clicks for rapid target acquisition. It’s compact too at just 13.2 inches long. ($1,950; www.bushnell.com)
Konus M30 10-40×52.
Konus M30 10-40×52
Konus has added this long-range model to its M30 Series of tactical scopes and it features fully multi-coated optics, a 174mm mounting length, 1/10 mil adjustments, a 30mm tube, dual illuminated Mil Dot engraved reticle, turrets that are lockable and resettable to zero, a side parallax wheel and a lockable, fast-focus eyebell. ($750; www.konus.com)
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You've seen gun collections. But probably never one quite like the FBI's gun collection.
If every gun tells a story, the FBI's reference firearms collection could fill a very, very large book. The inventory of more than 7,000 firearms—curated over 80 years—contains just about every make and model, from John Dillinger's Prohibition-era revolver to the modern battlefield's M16, and almost everything in between. Learn more at FBI.
The Smith & Wesson M&P R8 is a modern workhorse that proves revolvers are still competition worthy.
Balanced, accurate and fast, the Smith & Wesson M&P R8 has got game, proving the revolver still has a place in competitive shooting.
My pistol shooting career began in the early days of Metallic Silhouette shooting in the NRA Hunter’s Pistol class. Back then, there was nothing quite like the Smith & Wesson M&P R8.
In those early days, silhouette shooters weren’t using the scoped, specialized pistols they use today; for the most part, we used production revolvers or semi autos. My choice was a 6-in. barreled Model 28. With that gun, I won countless trophies in the local matches and managed to be the second AAA classified Hunter Pistol shooter in North Carolina.
To stay competitive, I eventually switched over to a scoped T/C Contender and somehow, over the years, I let that great old gun slip away. When I picked up the S&W Performance Center M&P R8, my mind instantly went back to that great old Smith that won so many Hunter Pistol trophies for me.
A Modern Workhorse
Like the model 28, the M&P R8 is a workhorse gun, without a shiny, high polish finish. It has the same great adjustable rear sight, the same smooth double- and single-action trigger and the same tough as nails reliability.
The M&P R8 is a little more sophisticated than my old Model 28; in fact, it’s a lot more sophisticated.
It has a state of the art, scandium frame and a shrouded barrel with an under-barrel rail for mounting a laser or a light. The top of the barrel is drilled and tapped for an over the barrel optic mount.
Swinging the massive N frame cylinder out reveals another big improvement, eight chambers instead of the Model 28’s six. The cylinder is also specially recessed to allow using full moon clips that provide super-fast reloads.
Revolver Relevance
In a world of special purpose 1911s and double-stack striker fired pistols, some might think the revolver has been eclipsed. I love semi-auto pistols as much as anyone, and I’m really happy that I can get a double stack 1911, and that the modern striker fired guns are super reliable and have great triggers.
There is one issue, though, that no autoloader can ever get around. All semi-autos use the energy of the previous shot to prepare them to fire the next round. If there’s a bad round, the operator has to perform the task of cycling the gun to get it in condition to shoot again. This is not the case with the revolver.
With a revolver, the operator supplies the energy to bring the next round into position and preload the spring that drives the hammer.
The Smith & Wesson M&P R8 would make a fine service revolver with its eight-shot capacity and weighting only an ounce or so more than the old S&W Model 19.
Proper Trigger Management
Revolvers can have quite functional triggers if properly set up.
The M&P R8 came with a fairly smooth and decently light double-action trigger. There was little backlash and it was easy to prep the trigger and have only a slight movement when the pull fell through and dropped the hammer.
The M&P R8 is not a glamorous revolver. It is a workhorse designed to serve the purpose the purchaser plans for it.
It would make an admirable service revolver with its eight-shot capacity and weighing only an ounce or so more than the old S&W Model 19, which was the Cadillac of service revolvers when every police department depended on wheel guns. It’s a viable choice as a home defense gun with a rail for laser and flashlight.
It would be an admirable hunting sidearm, coming with a top of the barrel scope mount. Smith and Wesson’s N-frame guns have served shooters well since before the late and great Elmer Keith shot the 600-yard deer and they continue to serve us today.
This article appeared in the April 8, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Over-under shotguns are a popular option for competitive shooters and are an excellent choice for wingshooting.
Federal statute tortuously defines a shotgun as “a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.”
Oh. As with pornography, though, every shooter knows what a shotgun is when he sees it, based on its most distinguishing feature, its large, thin-walled, unrifled barrel.
So which is the shotgun of choice?
Double-Gun Delight
If we start with the double gun, we find that the days of the moderately priced, new in the box, American side-by-side (SxS) have long waned. A few years ago, Sturm & Ruger tried to bring out a SxS but ultimately had to abandon the project.
I believe the only easily affordable American-brand SxSs–and probably the only current American SxSs, period–are the Stoeger Uplander, which can be picked up for under $500, and the Mossberg International Silver Reserve II, around $1,000. Beyond that, continental-made SxSs, not to mention English best guns, generally start at mid-four-figure prices, and those for mere boxlocks; move to sidelocks and you will move the decimal point at least one-place to the right.
Wood and engraving certainly contribute to the high cost of good shotguns, but there really isn’t a cheap way of making a truly decent SxS. Besides the expense of building locks and ejectors, one of the major factors that goes into the price of a SxS is regulating the barrels to shoot to the same place.
A quick comparison of the boxlock to the sidelock, by the way, shows that as the names imply, the locks, or firing mechanisms, are on the sides or in the action body itself.
Sidelocks are the Swiss watches of locks, their parts in best guns often hand polished to ridiculous degrees. Boxlocks rarely receive such lavish attention and yet perform admirably, although the sidelock is easier to detach for cleaning and repairing.
Over-and-unders (O/Us) can start at between $600 to a $1,000; and Stoeger and Mossberg are, again, the places to look for American brands in this easily affordable price range. Beyond that, prices for good-quality O/Us rise rather gradually.
Competitive target shooters use O/Us exclusively, except for those who wish to be intentionally eccentric. And unlike SxSs, a pistol grip on an O/U is not, necessarily, an unspeakable practice, as it tends to control the muzzle jump in comparison to the SxS.
The Pump Action
Mention pump shotguns, and the attention turns automatically to the fabled Winchester Model 12, the so-called “perfect repeater.” Introduced by Winchester in 1912 in the post-Browning era, the gun was touted to require the finest materials and manufacturing techniques, which ultimately translated into its mass-production doom.
Pump-actions are among the most versatile options for those in the market for a shotgun, and one of the most cost effective.
The value of the pump is its repeating ability and larger cartridge capacity over break-actions. With an extension tube, a tactical pump gun can carry upward of eight rounds in the magazine, a hunting gun six.
With a pump, a shooter points more directly at the target with his forehand as he works the slide, and so pulls down on it more naturally. Two other recommendations for the pump are its affordability, the Remington 870 starting at $400 retail, and reliability.
Another selling point for the pump is home defense. It is generally less expensive than a handgun, more accurate to point and creates a larger spray of projectiles.
Semi-Auto Seduction
The semi-auto shotgun is operated by two different systems: gas or recoil.
With a recoil action the force of the fired cartridge pushes back against the mass of the shooter and drives open the action, ejects the spent hull, loads another round, and recocks the gun. This is the action Browning used in his A-5, called in his case a “long recoil” action.
The other, more modern self-loading action is the gas-operated model. This action uses the gases of the cartridge’s ignition to operate, usually, a piston and produce the cycle of ejection, reloading and cocking.
Semi-automatic shotguns have two system options, recoil operated and gas operated.
So, which to choose?
In general, the recoil-operated actions recoil more but are easier to maintain. While gas-operate models are, normally, softer shooting but need more attention to cleaning to avoid fouling and jamming.
Well looked after, the gas gun ought to be as reliable in the field as any recoil-operated one, and should be better at absorbing the intense recoil of magnum loads such as those used for waterfowl.
Match the Action to Your Action
As a final rule of thumb, and pure opinion, pick an O/U for target and competitive shooting, and as a reliable upland gun. A pump is excellent for an all-around “beater,” to use an abusive term. A pump will also pull duty as a waterfowl gun in the harshest conditions, but there is little that will stop modern semi-autos, which will also soften the impact of 3- and 3½-inch loads on the hunter. And if you want the height of shotgun elegance and delight in shooting, buy the best SxS you can afford. You won’t regret the decision.
Nosler Defense is some of the newest self-defense ammunition available. The Bonded Performance bullets feature a tapered jacket and lead alloy that assures penetration and expansion.
Gunfights aren’t won just because somebody can clear leather faster or because the sun gets in the bad guy’s eyes. Nor are they won simply with tactics. There is another factor that may be the most important: ammunition. Experienced handgunners and personal protection experts stress that one should never skimp on his or her self-defense ammunition choices when their lives may depend upon a bullet’s ability to stop an attacker.
Nosler
Perhaps the newest entry in this technology race is Nosler, now producing a line of ammunition called Nosler Defense. The inaugural entries include two loads apiece in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The 9mm selections are both loaded to +P levels, one with a 124-grain Bonded Tipped projectile and the other with a Bonded jacketed hollowpoint. The .40 S&W loads both feature 200-grainers, also in the Bonded Tipped and Bonded JHP, and in .45 ACP, both loads are also +P rated and the bullets weigh 230 grains.
Barnes
Another new entry in the defensive ammunition community is TAC-XPD Defense ammunition from Barnes, another renowned bullet maker now expanding into the ammunition market. Every load in the series is topped with the Barnes TAC-XP bullet, and there are offerings in .380 ACP with an 80-grain pill, a 9mm pushing a 115-grain bullet loaded to +P velocity, a .40 S&W featuring a 140-grainer and a .45 ACP, also loaded to the +P level with a 185-grain bullet.
Winchester
Winchester’s PDX1 Defender offers excellent expansion and is available in a number of popular calibers.
Winchester’s PDX1 Defender selection of handgun ammunition delivers the goods in calibers ranging from .380 ACP to .45 Colt, and there are selections in .357 SIG and .357 Magnum. In addition, Winchester’s PDX1 family includes a couple of .410-bore loads for handguns in the Taurus Judge and Smith & Wesson Governor families. There’s a 2 ½-inch round with a trio of copper-plated “Defense Discs” and a dozen copper-plated BBs. At close range, this is a nasty combination, but even more so is the 3-inch round that has four of those discs and 16 plated BB-sized shot.
Remington
Remington came up with a nifty combo package this year for these popular .410 revolvers. It’s the “Ultimate Defense Combo Pack,” and it holds 10 .45 Colt cartridges and 10 2 ½-inch .410 shotshells. Available in either a clam pack or box. The .45 Colt cartridges are loaded with Remington’s superb Golden Saber 230-grain hollowpoints and the .410 shells hold four 000 buckshot pellets. I’ve used Golden Saber ammunition in .45 ACP and .40 S&W over the years in various tests and for the street, and it’s also available in .380 ACP, 9mm, .357 Magnum and .38 Special +P.
Federal
Practice makes perfect, or at least pretty good, and Federal has a combo pack as well featuring 100 rounds of practice ammunition loaded with FMJ bullets and 20 rounds of Premium Personal Defense rounds topped by federal Hydra-Shoks. The bullets in all calibers—9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP—are all the same weight.
A fourth combo pack holds 50 rounds of .45 Colt loaded with 225-grain jacketed soft-points and 20 rounds of 2 ½-inch .410 shells loaded with four 000 buckshot pellets. For home defense, Federal has a round called the Guard Dog, and it’s got a bite. The bullet can fool you because it looks like an FMJ, but it’s skived on the inside of the jacket and it has a polymer front end in the core so when it hits, the jacket opens up on the sides and the bullet actually expands. Guard Dog loads are available in .45 ACP (165 grains), .40 S&W (135 grains) and 9mm (105 grains).
Gold Dot
I’d be remiss without mentioning the line of Gold Dot ammunition from Speer. Available in several calibers for both revolvers and semi-autos, they’re loaded with Gold Dot bullets, which have a good track record for expansion and stopping power. They are the choice of various law enforcement agencies and for good reason: They work. The alloy core is bonded to the jacket, which is designed to expand along “memory lines” that start at the mouth of the hollowpoint cavity where the lead is exposed between sections of the jacket.
CorBon
CorBon has developed ammunition that really cooks, including the .25 NAA and .32 NAA that add a sizzle to the .25- and .32-caliber bullets. The CorBon Self-Defense JHP family has loads ranging from .25 NAA to .357 Magnum. Utilizing these lighter-weight hollowpoints, CorBon produces good velocities and delivers solid downrange energy.
CorBon's high velocity gives the rounds solid downrange energy.
Ditto for the CorBon DPX line of defense ammunition. Utilizing all-copper hollowpoints, these loads are simply awesome. CorBon reports that some bullets recovered from various testing media have expanded 150 to 200 percent of their original diameter while retaining 100 percent of their weight.
What got my attention with DPX is that CorBon loads this stuff for virtually every handgun caliber on the map, from .32 ACP all the way up to .500 S&W, with a variety of bullet weights. You’ll even find a .45 Auto Rim in there for anybody who defends his home with an old 1917 S&W or Colt double-action.
A few years ago, CorBon added the Glaser Safety Slug ammunition to its line. Glasers have become legendary for their concept and performance. These things are devastating, with a bullet design featuring a copper jacket filled with a compressed load of lead shot, either No. 6 or smaller No. 12, topped by a polymer tip that serves a couple of purposes.
It is round, to enable feeding in a semi-auto and to insure penetration, and it also pushes back into the projectile upon impact to open up the jacket and allow that lead shot to do its job,
No matter which ammunition one chooses, if it works, stick with it. Try different brands at the range to see what performs best in your personal defense pistol or revolver. Not all guns perform the same with a particular brand or type of ammunition, which is why there is more than one line from which to choose.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
