A mobile phone is an important part of a family communication plan. Consider how to keep it charged following a disaster. (Image via sxc.hu)
In the wake of tragic events like the recent hurricane disaster in New England, the first question on most minds will be, “Is my family OK?” Having a family communication plan as part of an overall home disaster strategy will hopefully answer that question.
A family communication plan can use a variety of strategies. They can involve phone trees, “text trees,” social media, amateur radio, the Red Cross check-in website SafeandWell.org or some plan to physically meet up after a disaster.
No matter the method, a family communication plan should include these elements.
Get Organized
Make a list of important contact information for all members of the family communication plan. Include work or cell phone numbers, e-mail addresses and what social media sites they frequent (such as Facebook). Don't forget to include locations of day cares and workplaces, as well as the details of the disaster plans for them.
If part of the family communication plan involves physically meeting up, list those locations.
Also worth considering are dates of birth, physical characteristics (height and weight, eye color), medical prescription numbers and insurance information.
This PDF from Ready.gov offers a ready-to-print worksheet if you need help getting started.
Don't Forget Special Circumstances
How will the grandparent who doesn't have a mobile phone get in touch when lines go down? Who is going to make sure that aunt who requires dialysis three times a week receives her treatments? Will someone care for dad's dogs if he's unable to reach them?
Addressing special circumstances like these should be done ahead of time. They're sure to come up as the family communication plan is enacted.
Even the best family communication plans can't anticipate everything. That's why including someone from a good distance away makes sense. If services are down in one area, they might not be in another. An East Coast hurricane isn't going to knock out Seattle.
This extra person is the backup in the family communication plan. This person could help coordinate communications between other family members. Considering how precious mobile phone battery life is post-disaster, this well-charged go-between is essential.
Talk About It
It's one thing to make a family communication plan. It's another to maintain the important information it contains.
To keep the family communication plan updated, talk about it. Remind family that it's there. Quiz each other about its details every time a disaster hits the news.
That way, the family communication plan is fresh in people's minds. When a phone number changes, for example, it'll be second nature to update it in the plan.
Do you have a family communication plan? What strategies are you using to stay in touch post-disaster? Leave a comment below.
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Above: The path of Hurricane Sandy is captured by NASA's GOES-13 weather observation satellite. The weather effects of this hurricane disaster impacted cities as far west as Chicago.
Preppers in New England had their chance to put home disaster plans to use in the wake of Hurricane Sandy this week. While Living Ready spends a good deal of time on preparing ahead of disasters, it's no less important to know what to do after the weather settles down.
Here are tips for what to do after a hurricane disaster or other devastating natural event.
Get to a Smart Phone
Having a mobile phone is good following a hurricane disaster, but a smart phone is even better.
Many people carry smart phones that enable access to the Internet. In 2012, this is the post-hurricane disaster lifeline. Standard mobile phones are also helpful, but it's the Internet access that's just as important as the ability to make calls. The Internet offers weather updates, condition reports and quick communication channels.
If you don't have an operating phone, find someone who does. If this isn't possible, get to wherever a large group of people has gathered. You'll need information just as much as you need food, water and shelter.
Note: In some cases, mobile technology won't be available anywhere. For more on what to do then, click here to read The Day the Cell Phones Died.
Save Battery Power with Social Media
If you don't have the ability to charge your mobile phone, use it sparingly. This is where having a smart phone with Internet access becomes essential.
Using social media, you're able to stay in contact with quick messages that don't require monitoring. You can make a post on your Facebook page, turn off the phone and check the post for replies later. In seconds, you'll have reached more people than you could in several minutes of calling. You also won't waste power listening to voice messages.
Again, if communication by phone becomes impossible after a hurricane disaster, seek out places people have gathered. This keeps you “in the loop” and makes coordinating your next moves clearer.
How to Find Family Members
Hopefully, you already have a family communication plan in place. If you don't anticipate making one, go right now to SafeandWell.org and bookmark it in your browser (better yet, in your smart phone's browser). Tell your family and friends to do the same as part of your post-disaster communication plan.
This website is operated by the Red Cross specifically for letting family and friends know you're OK post-hurricane disaster. Survivors can list themselves as “safe and well.” Others can browse for your listing.
The real benefit of this site is that it's used almost universally post-disaster. Even if you didn't set up a family communication plan pre-disaster, it's the go-to website for finding loved ones. Relief workers and other officials may encourage survivors to list themselves there.
Of course, the site only works if you're able to access it. For finding those not “safe and well,” you'll need to contact area hospitals.
Calling people using a mobile phone is instinctual, but be careful about using battery power.
Returning Home
Just because officials allow residents to return to their homes after a hurricane disaster doesn't mean caution can be thrown to the wind. Watch for down power lines, unusual smells (such as gas), shattered glass underfoot and dead ends on the roads. It's not that you won't do these things anyway, but putting your guard down is the first step to getting hurt.
Finding your home in ruins is a devastating experience. The variables that situation presents won't be covered here, but there are steps to take if your home is no longer liveable.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) runs a shelter locator that works via text message. Text the word SHELTER, followed by your ZIP code, to 43362. (That spells out 4FEMA.) As an example, you'd text SHELTER 54990. Information will be texted to your phone with information about the nearest shelters.
You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS for shelter information.
After contacting your insurance agent, start photographing the damage caused by the hurricane disaster. This can be done on many mobile phones. The sooner the better. You'll need proof to back up your damage claim.
It's important to do this before cleaning up. Depending on the terms of your policy, there may be a difference between “acts of God” (such as a hurricane) and damage created by human hands post-disaster. This could include your own clean-up efforts, looting or some other intentional act.
If you're inspecting damage in low-light conditions, use a battery-powered flashlight. Turn it on before entering a building, just in case there are flammable gases inside that you haven't yet detected. Don't use candles.
Always wear protective clothing and move about with caution. A good idea is to use a walking stick. Test the area in front of you before walking into it. Remember that structural damage in buildings can weaken floors.
Medicine
There isn't a fool-proof solution for those who need refills of prescription drugs. Following the hurricane disasters of 2005 in the southern United States, the website ICERx.org (In Case of Emergency Prescriptions) was founded by a number of medical organizations. The aim was to create a comprehensive prescription database pharmacies could pull from to fill scripts post-disaster.
However, this initiative wasn't sanctioned by the federal government and raised privacy concerns. This writer cannot determine whether ICERx.org is still operational. Its website doesn't appear to be functioning and its phone number does not connect.
Regardless of whether such a program exists, the best way to refill prescriptions is to have your script number on-hand. This code, quickly found on pharmacy-issued container labeling, allows pharmacists to easily find and fill your prescription. Not having this information means filling up could take much longer.
In some cases, pharmacies may issue emergency prescriptions regardless of whether your information can be located. Don't count on it. Have your prescription number with you.
Food & Water
There are many avenues food and water may be made available to you post-disaster. Hopefully, you already have a survival kit that takes care of these needs. Relief agencies may also be distributing these critical resources.
The thing to watch for is tainted food and water. If refrigerated foods reach more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, throw them away. That usually means two hours for meats in the fridge and four hours for most other items. This chart from FoodSafety.gov spells out exactly when food in the fridge is no longer safe to eat.
Water lines can become contaminated post-hurricane disaster. Don't drink out of the tap until you are 100% positive it is potable. If you have to, boil water.
Your Turn: What Post-Hurricane Disaster Tips Can You Offer?
Although they could apply to many natural events, these tips are only a sampling of what to do after a hurricane disaster. What post-hurricane disaster tips can you share? Post them in the comments below or join this discussion on GunForums.com.
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When you go to purchase your first concealed carry handgun, you may find yourself feeling nervous and out of your element at the gun shop. If this sounds familiar, I promise, we’ve all been there and done that. Know that this is where the value of a truly concerned and dedicated professional can shine through, and that would be the gun shop sales person from whom you decide to buy your first gun.
The salesman’s role is to explain to you, in terms you can comprehend and with no condescension, the varieties of handguns available and how they operate. An ethical gun salesperson or firearms instructor wants to see you on a regular basis and keep you as a customer. An ethical professional will also never push you into buying a particular product and should work to keep you, as a first-time buyer, resist being seduced into believing that cute, sleek, shiny, or complicated makes for a better defensive weapon. Rather, a good salesperson will help you make a truly informed choice, and they stay updated on quality products on the market.
I suggest that, when shopping for a defensive handgun, you find a range facility that will let you rent different handguns, as well as offering basic handgun, personal protection, and concealed carry classes taught by qualified, certified instructors. In such a customer-friendly environment, you can best determine which type of handgun will best suit your particular needs.
As you begin to shop, you first need to educate yourself by gathering information about the different handgun types, makes, and models available. Then, compile a list of your objectives based on your own personal attributes and needs, so that you can make an informed and personally appropriate selection. No one handgun is perfect for everyone or every situation.
3. Know the Attributes of Good Carry Gun
Think light and thin, which equates to carrying comfortably. Also, think about how you dress. Will the gun be easy to conceal with your normal, every-day wardrobe? You may want to try before you buy. A customer-friendly gun shop will permit you to hold a handgun you are considering and maybe even try it out in a holster on your hip to see if it is the right type for you to carry.
4. Insist on Reliability
While the above criteria are important, we mustn’t sacrifice reliability and durability in a carry gun. Remember, if you are going to carry your handgun everyday and practice with it, it must hold up!
5. Find a Good Fit
In choosing your carry handgun, you must judge as to whether each option provides a good fit for your hands. Does it point naturally? Is your trigger finger comfortably able to reach the trigger without your having to distort your proper grip? Unless the gun is a point-and-shoot gun, are the sights usable? Can you see the front sight clearly with your corrective lenses on?
Two different Kimber custom shop .45 ACP handguns are shown here, but which one is right for you? The smaller model might be easier to conceal, but it will have more recoil than its bigger brother. If you’re particularly recoil sensitive, opt for the bigger one and experiment with different holsters to discover which one conceals it best.
6. Strive for Manageable Recoil
Is the gun comfortable to shoot? Is the recoil manageable? Seriously, if you can’t answer “Yes” to those questions, you will not shoot it, and you won’t get in the necessary practice time. So, choose wisely. It is better to shoot a 9mm pistol accurately than a .40 S&W or a .45 ACP erratically.
7. Get a Good Trigger
You want a trigger that is neither too heavy of a pull nor too light. Bottom line—does it feel right for you? Can you operate it without getting finger cramps? Conversely, can you feel it when you press it? Too light of a trigger can spell accidental discharge. Can you repeatedly dry fire the gun without making figure eights with the front sight?
8. Seek Reasonable Accuracy
In your hands, the gun needs to be reasonably accurate when you shoot it at 10 yards and closer. Is the gun forgiving of the arc of movement created by your hand tremor? Are you able to place accurate follow-up shots? Bad guys have a nasty habit of not going down after just one shot, so good second-shot recovery is essential.
9. Demand Ease of Operation
Your defensive handgun should be simple and safe to operate. Do you have the hand strength to pull the slide all the way back on a semi-auto pistol to cycle a round into the chamber or to clear the gun? Can you easily operate the slide stop/release lever to lock the slide back? Can your thumb reach and operate the magazine catch to drop the magazine? If you have a revolver, can your thumb easily reach and operate the cylinder release latch? Under stress, whatever fine motor skills you do have tend to fly away.
Ease of operation includes choosing a gun that’s simple to field strip for routine cleaning and maintenance. Choose one that’s difficult, and the end result will be that you won’t maintain it, and then it won’t work when you need it. Keep in mind, too, that, as we age, many of us develop arthritis, which makes it difficult to disassemble and reassemble mechanical devices with many stubborn little parts. For those of us with weaker hands, it is important to choose a gun that does not require Herculean hand strength to disassemble and reassemble.
10. Affordability — Don't Overpay!
Your gun should be affordable to purchase and use. If you’re on a fixed income, you don’t want to have to sell your firstborn grandchild to stay protected! Also, if practice ammunition is too expensive, then you may become reluctant to practice. Choose a handgun in a substantial caliber for which there’s plenty of cheap, quality target ammunition and a good supply of affordable, defensive hollowpoint ammunition—9mm would fit the bill.
Prone in prairie grass, Wayne steadies a heavy-barreled .33 wildcat on a Remington action. The 4.5-14X Leupold is standard GreyBull fare. It has given him saucer-sized groups at 780 yards.
Riflemen crave more hits at greater distance. This hardware surely marches to that beat. Wayne van Zwoll provides long-range shooting tips on the rifles that really reach out there.
His group measured 14 inches by 36, less than a vertical minute of angle at 1,760 yards—a mile! But even 300-grain .338 match bullets drift in wind.
“Three feet. And it was a still day.”
Preston Pritchett began building rifles on his own actions five years ago, in his machine shop near Prague, Oklahoma. Disarmingly modest, he talks with a drawl, engages you with a boyish grin. Pritchett’s specialty is heavy rifles that shoot exceedingly well at long range. Testimonials abound, like this one from a Montana hunter:
Wayne handloaded for the .338 Norma (a shortened .338 Lapua) and a rifle on a Remington 700 action with Krieger barrel, Pacific Tool bolt, and gunsmithing by Freudenberg. It’s a solid long-range outfit.
I’ve been running 155 [-grain] Scenars at 2,980 fps … with a 5-25X Schmidt & Bender PM2 … . I’ve taken 96 coyotes [16 at] over 500 meters. The longest shot [was] 1,120 meters.
That hunter also claimed a “five-shot group at 750 meters that went just under 2½ inches.” These days, high-velocity ammo and powerful optics encourage even casual riflemen to shoot far. F-Class competition for amateurs has joined traditional long-range events like the Palma Match. But what features enable rifles to hit reliably beyond normal hunting ranges? Say, 1,000 yards?
Pritchett shrugs. “A good barrel and a rigid action. We like Krieger barrels cut-rifled 1:11 for .308s, 1:9.35 for the .338 Lapua. We’re particular about crowns.” Short and long actions for Pritchett’s Surgeon rifles are built on site, with CNC tooling and an electrical discharge machine that holds tolerances to half a tenth. That’s half a ten-thousandth of an inch. Eight-inch receivers vary less than three-tenths, end to end.
A magnum receiver weighs 19½ pounds before milling.
“We cut all our actions from bar stock. We thread the barrel shank and mill the action face and lug abutments with the receiver secured in one fixture,” says Pritchett. “Surfaces stay square and true.”
Final machining follows heat-treating to 40 C Rockwell, to eliminate heat warp. Each bolt is machined from 4140 bar stock and tapers slightly to the front to limit play. Nitride treatment of bearing surfaces prevents galling. An Picatinny rail adds 20 minutes of elevation to the short-action, 30 minutes to the long-action. You can zero a Surgeon rifle at distance without running out of clicks or moving the erector tube far from the sight’s optical axis.
Short-action rifles wear the Remington extractor, long-action bolts a claw fitted inside the right-hand lug. “It throws the case out in a low arc to target knobs on scopes,” Pritchett uses Jewell and Remington triggers and McMillan stocks, pillar bedded. Charles Cowden of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol chose a Surgeon rifle with a Schmidt & Bender 5.5-20X Tactical scope on the agency’s sniper course. His groups measured “.2 minute at 400 yards, .4 minute at 500 yards, .3 minute at 600.”
A bullet may have to travel far across Alberta stubble. This hunter took care with his shot and made it good. Cartridges like the .270 and .280 and the 7mm magnums excel here.
Accuracy from Alignment
All Preston Pritchett likes in a long-range rifle shows up in the long-action, 16-pound Remedy he loaned me. Equipped with a two-pound Jewell trigger and a 4.5-14X Leupold LRT scope, this .338 Lapua put my first three factory loaded Hornadys into a .2-inch hole.
“It’s just 100 yards,” shrugged Pritchett.
Indeed. But not all long-range rifles shoot that well up close. “Groups can improve as bullets go to sleep,” says D’Arcy Echols, who builds the most consistently accurate magnum hunting rifles I’ve seen.
In 1996, Echols was turning out four exquisite, walnut-stocked sporters a year from his Utah shop. To produce more affordable rifles, he committed to a mold for a high-end synthetic stock with classic lines.
The GreyBull/Leupold scope dial is machined to your specific load, so you can turn it to a known distance, hold center, and plant a bullet right there. It has 1/3-minute clicks for increased range.
His Legend is a Winchester Model 70 with many refinements: re-machined receiver belly, bolt face, receiver face, recoil lug seats and lugs; lapped locking lugs; new pins in the trigger, ejector, and bolt stop to remove play; reconfigured ramp and rails; stainless five-round magazine box and follower engineered to the cartridge; custom bottom metal; steel scope rings machined to receiver contours and secured with five 8×40 screws.
Echols attributes the performance of his rifles to tight tolerances. “I surface-grind receivers on a mandrel between centers, so each is within half a thousandth of parallel with the bore.” A special gauge ensures perfect bore/chamber alignment. Most Legend rifles weigh around nine pounds with mid-weight, 26-inch Krieger barrels in .300 Weatherby, “though we’ve built some .300 Winchesters.”
Echols lets bullets coast just .125-inch before engaging the lands, a third of the start they’d get in Weatherby rifles. “The throat—that unrifled section of bore in front of the chamber—can be short or long, parallel or funnel-shaped,” he explains. “It allows the bullet shank to protrude from the case without engaging the rifling, and it gives the bullet a running start. Funnel-shaped throats, from blackpowder days, allow more bullet waggle than do parallel throats .0005-inch over bullet diameter.”
The funnel throat for the .300 Winchester Magnum is .3-inch at the rear of full-depth rifling, .315 at the case mouth. A parallel throat that allows the bullet to slide like a piston offers more guidance than does a tapered throat. But because bullet diameters vary, parallel throats must not be too tight.
The closer a bullet’s fit in the throat, the less critical is throat length.
“A long-throated rifle is said to have free-bore, but there’s no dimension that defines that, so the term is really meaningless,” D’Arcy says. “Besides, the most critical factor in accurate shooting at long range is the shooter.”
Texas gunmaker Charlie Sisk agrees.
“Most rifles shoot better than most shooters,” Sisk observes. “You can’t flinch. Also, the rifle must be held exactly the same every time. The striker sets up vibrations as it falls, before the bullet exits. Pressure from the rest and your hands affect those vibrations, as well as barrel alignment as it vibrates during bullet passage!”
For really long shots, the .50 BMG is hard to beat. Here a class of shooters practices with their Barrett .50s at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico. Yes, they rattle the windows.
Among rifle components, Sisk says the barrel matters most. He told me, “I use Kriegers and Liljas. Others are good, too. It’s as important to have all components — barrel, receiver, mount, rings, scope — pointed at the same spot. That’s not as easy to achieve as it sounds. Few factory rifles have trued actions and perfectly aligned barrels with concentric chambers. Scopes and mounts lack the stress-free fit you need for accurate shooting at extreme range. Minor flaws in hardware that don’t show up at 100 yards become visible at 300, astounding at 1,000. Distance magnifies problems.”
Chamber dimensions affect accuracy. To accept all factory ammo, whose dimensions vary, and to allow easy loading under field conditions, chambers in hunting rifles are generous. Their dimensions also hinge on the reamer’s condition.
“A well-used reamer may produce a chamber .012-inch smaller in diameter than one cut with a new reamer,” says Charlie.
Because brass stretches, loose fit doesn’t matter to hunters. But, for tight groups at long range, you’ll want a snug chamber fit. Ammo matters, too.
“I spin bullets to sift out those with variations in jacket thickness,” says Sisk. “Once, after spinning, I measured groups from the best and worst lots. The most uniform bullets printed groups a third as big as the others.” He favors Berger bullets and Sierra MatchKings. “Concentric bullets at uniform velocities deliver the best accuracy. High ballistic coefficients minimize drift.”
Springfield Armory built this rifle, a .308 that delivers tight groups at distance. The “tactical” rifle is gaining popularity, though, for long shots, the bolt-action still rules.
Sisk emphasizes that stiff barrels and actions deliver the best accuracy.
“Long barrels have more flex than short ones of the same diameter. That’s why some very accurate rifles have stubby barrels. I also like relatively sharp rifling twists. Heavy bullets spun fast may give mediocre performance at 100 or 200 yards; they take awhile to stabilize. But, at long range, they shoot flatter and with less wind deflection than light, quick-stepping bullets; groups, measured in minutes of angle, actually improve.”
I met Rick Freudenberg years ago on the Seattle waterfront, near where he builds target rifles that drill tiny groups. His own hunting-weight .30/284 shoots into half a minute.
“I like it because it delivers .30-06 velocity from a more efficient case.”
He’s built .308 rifles for Palma matches, using three-groove Lilja barrels with a 1:13 twist and a 155-grain Palma bullet in front of Varget powder. He also favors the 6.5-284 with Sierra’s 142-grain MatchKing.
“At 3,000 fps, both these loads shoot flat, with tolerable recoil.”
Freudenberg has also used muscle rounds like the .330 Dakota and .338 Lapua. A .300 Dakota on a Kelby action with a McMillan stock is “competitive at 600 to 1,000 yards with 190-grain MatchKings.”
For matches like the Palma, with its iron-sight stages, Freudenberg boosts sight radius with a 31-inch barrel.
“Irons or a scope,” he says, “you need a mirage band (an elastic strap from receiver to muzzle to keep heat waves from distorting the sight picture), for extended fire. I’ve also used a tube from a roll of Christmas wrap on my scope’s objective.”
Freudenberg says many shooters don’t get the reticles square with the action.
“Tilt the scope a bit or cant the rifle, and you won’t see much effect at 100 or 200 yards. But at 1,000, adjustments will move point of impact off-axis, and you won’t be able to shade reliably for wind.”
One thing these accomplished riflesmiths agree on: disciplined practice from field positions is the only way to ensure hits at distance. Holding the rifle still and releasing each shot cleanly will improve results more dramatically than can a rush to new hardware.
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This video shows how to make a sawdust firestarter. If sawdust isn't readily available, substitute another combustible material. A common choice is dryer lint. The process is the same. Put the material into the egg carton sections. Dump wax into the sections. Let cool. Break off the sections and use as needed.
But even if egg cartons and paraffin wax aren't available, dryer lint on its own is one of the best firestarters out there. Considering that most clothes are made of polyester or cotton blends, this off flow of lint particles is a great fire ignition source (when not contained to the catch screen, of course). Best of all, there isn't any prep work.
Simply pull out the catch screen on your dryer machine after running a few loads. Shake the lint into a sealable, waterproof bag. So long as it stays dry, it's ready to go as part of a survival kit or bug-out bag.
Add a few strike-anywhere matches, and you have a ready-made tinder and firestarter kit. This is lightweight and easy to carry with you at all times. Because of lint's abundance, there's no need to worry about running out of the material. At least until things really go south, anyway.
You can increase the volatility of the firestarter lint by packing a 35mm film canister tightly, then carefully saturating it with some white gas or kerosene. Close the container securely, wipe off all spillage and then tightly seal the canister around the cap with duct tape.
Be very careful when you use this method of fire starting in the field. Stay back from the source, as it will flash up quickly.
Skip the wax. Learn how to waterproof matches using nail polish. [Image via sxc.hu]Learning how to waterproof matches correctly is worth the time. Store-bought waterproof matches can be expensive. It's more cost-effective to learn how to waterproof matches and do it yourself, then add the results to your home survival kit or mini outdoors survival kit.
However, don't go reaching for a brick of wax. Here's how to waterproof matches in an unexpected way.
How to Waterproof Matches with Nail Polish
The common perception for waterproofing stick matches is to dip your “strike anywhere” match heads into wax as a preventative to water penetration. Though this method works, there are two reasons this is very difficult to do successfully.
First of all, not many of us want to melt down a candle or a bar of wax for coating a few matches.
Secondly, there is the chance that the wax may become too hot in its liquid stage and ignite the match. In times of crisis it may also be extremely difficult to successfully scrape away the wax in order to ignite the match.
An easier and more practical way to waterproof your “stick matches” is with an application of a heavy coating of clear nail polish over the match head and down the wood stick. Don’t forget to coat the bottom of the matchstick.
Think of it as the same method in which you would waterproofing your deck. Clear nail polish will seal the match head and coat the wood to prevent penetration of any moisture. Clear nail polish applies easily and dries quickly. After allowing time to dry the coated matches can be securely stowed with your survival gear.
No matter where you live, use these cold weather survival tips to stay safe when the mercury drops into your definition of “cold.” Hypothermia is serious. Don't think it can't happen in even moderate climates. (Image via sxc.hu)
One of the most difficult survival situations is a cold weather scenario. Every time you venture into the cold, you are pitting yourself against the elements. Using these cold weather survival tips, proper planning and appropriate equipment, you can overcome the elements of cold.
Note that “cold” depends on your geography. Below-freezing temperatures in northern latitudes are considered mundane, but are seen as extreme cold in southern areas. These cold weather survival tips hold true regardless of location.
Cold Weather Survival Tip #1: Understand How Temperature Affects You
* Cold is a far greater threat to survival than it appears. It decreases your ability to think and weakens your will to do anything except to get warm.
* Cold is an insidious enemy; as it numbs the mind and body, it subdues the will to survive. Cold makes it very easy to forget your ultimate goal–to survive.
* Ocean currents affect cold weather and cause large areas normally included in the temperate zone to fall within the cold regions during winter periods.
* Elevation also has a marked effect on defining cold regions. Cold weather survival depends on recognizing weather patterns at your elevation.
Wet Cold Weather Environments
Wet cold weather conditions exist when the average temperature in a 24-hour period averages at or near 20 to 30° F. Characteristics of this condition are freezing during the colder night hours and thawing during the day.
Even though the temperatures are warmer during this condition, the terrain is usually very sloppy due to slush and mud. Cold weather survival must concentrate on protecting yourself from the wet ground and from freezing rain or wet snow.
Dry Cold Weather Environments
Dry cold weather conditions exist when the average temperature in a 24-hour period remains below 20°F. Even though the temperatures in this condition are much lower than normal, you do not have to contend with the freezing and thawing.
In these conditions, cold weather survival means more layers of inner clothing to protect you from temperatures as low as -30 degrees F. More extremely hazardous conditions exist when high wind and these low temperatures combine.
It is more difficult for you to satisfy your basic water, food, and shelter needs in a cold environment than in a warm environment. Even if you have the basic requirements, you must also have adequate protective clothing and a further dedicated will to survive. The will to survive is as important as the basic needs. There have been incidents when trained and well-equipped individuals have not survived cold weather survival situations because they lacked the will to live. Conversely, these will has sustained individuals less well trained and equipped.
You must not only have enough clothing to protect you from the cold, you must also know how to maximize the warmth you get from it. For example, always keep your head covered.
Cold weather survival often hinges on keeping the head warm. You can lose 40 to 45 percent of body heat from an unprotected head and even more from the unprotected neck, wrist, and ankles. These areas of the body are good radiators of heat and have very little insulating fat. The brain is very susceptible to cold and can stand the least amount of cooling. Because there is much blood circulation in the head, most of which is on the surface, you can lose heat quickly if you do not cover your head.
Cold Weather Survival Tip #2: Remember COLD
There are four basic principles to follow to keep warm for cold weather survival. An easy way to remember these basic principles is to use the word COLD.
C – Keep clothing CLEAN
O – Avoid OVER HEATING
L – Wear clothes LOOSE and in LAYERS.
D – Keep clothing DRY.
* Keep clothing clean. This cold weather survival principle is always important for sanitation and comfort. In winter, it is also important from the standpoint of warmth. Clothes matted with dirt and grease lose much of their insulation value. Heat can escape more easily from the body through the clothing's crushed or filled up air pockets.
* Avoid overheating. When you get too hot, you sweat and your clothing absorbs the moisture. This affects your warmth in two ways: dampness decreases the insulation quality of clothing, and as sweat evaporates, your body cools.
Adjust your clothing for cold weather survival so that you do not sweat. Do this by partially opening your parka or jacket, by removing an inner layer of clothing, by removing heavy outer mittens, or by throwing back your parka hood or changing to lighter headgear. The head and hands act as efficient heat dissipaters when overheated.
* Wear your clothing loose and in layers. Wearing tight clothing and footgear restricts blood circulation and invites cold injury. It also decreases the volume of air trapped between the layers, reducing its insulating value.
When it comes to cold weather survival, several layers of lightweight clothing are better than one equally thick layer of clothing, because the layers have dead-air space between them. The dead-air space provides extra insulation. Also, layers of clothing allow you to take off or add clothing layers to prevent excessive sweating or to increase warmth.
* Keep clothing dry. In cold weather survival situations, your inner layers of clothing can become wet from sweat and your outer layer, if not water repellent; can become wet from snow and frost melted by body heat. Wear water repellent outer clothing, if available. It will shed most of the water collected from melting snow and frost.
* Before entering a heated shelter, brush off the snow and frost. Despite the precautions you take, there will be times when you cannot keep from getting wet. This can become a major problem for cold weather survival. If you are walking out, hang your damp mittens and socks on your backpack to dry. Even in freezing temperatures, the wind and sun will dry your clothing.
* You can also place damp socks or mittens, unfolded, near your body so that your body heat can dry them. In a campsite, hang damp clothing inside the shelter near the top, using drying lines or improvised racks. You may even be able to dry each item by holding it before an open fire. Dry leather items slowly. If no other means are available for drying your boots, put them between your sleeping bag shell and liner. Your body heat will help to dry the leather.
A good quality insulated low temperature rating sleeping bag is one of the most valuable pieces of cold weather survival gear. If it is stuffed with down or even other lofted material insure that it remains dry. If it gets wet, it loses a lot of its insulation value. When it comes to personal protection items like a good cold weather sleeping bag you usually do get what you pay for. Where possible lay down pine boughs or aspen leaves or anything dry and available on the ground that you are sleeping on to insulate you from the conductive cold of the ground.
Cold Weather Survival Tip #3: Make a Survival Kit
Other important cold weather survival items are a knife; waterproof matches in a waterproof container, fire tinder, a durable compass; map; watch; waterproof ground cloth and cover; flashlight; binoculars; dark glasses; fatty emergency foods; food gathering gear; and signaling items.
Remember, a cold weather environment can be extremely harsh on your mind as well as your body. Give a good deal of thought to selecting the right equipment for increasing your chances of survival in the cold. If unsure of an item you have never used, or with any new item test it in an “overnight backyard” environment before venturing further.
It is after all your life and the life of others with you that you are protecting.
The Century AK is built on a US-made milled receiver.
As importers and manufacturers go, Century is one of the biggies, if not the biggest. And even they had headaches to deal with. When they were importing AK kits, they found many out of spec. As a result, they had to either scrap guns, or make replacement parts. Then the big change in interpretation happened.
The government, in its infinite wisdom (one of these days they are going to notice that I’m so snarky, and there will be headaches for me. Until then, too bad!) decided that barrels were not a normal wear item, and a replacement part. Rational? No. We all know that barrels wear. But, as a scheme to make parts kits importation too expensive to be economically viable, it was a smart move and only a tiny bit fascistic.
Once the supply of imported kits that had Commie-made barrel dried up, the parts kits had to have new, American-made barrels. And that sowed the seed of the next step, which Century has taken.
Enter the all American-made AK! That’s right, a rifle where all the parts are made here in the USA. No need to worry about 922(r) compliance, because that only applies to imported rifles.
The Centurion has a railed polymer handguard, a place to mount lights.
The Centurion 39 rifle starts as an eleven-pound block of 4140 steel. It is them machined out on a numerical machining center, computer-controlled and identical to each other. Once the receiver is done, it gets the other parts installed.
The barrel has a Century-designed muzzle brake on it, their V-shaped Chevron brake, to dampen felt recoil. Now, the recoil of the 7.62X39 is not all that oppressive. And at a bit over eight pounds (hey, it is a milled receiver, remember?) the round is not going to push you around. But a brake is better than just a flash hider for a lot of people. If it offends your sensibilities, then you can just swap it out for the flash hider or slant brake of your heart’s desire.
The safety, receiver cover and internal parts are all normal AK parts, and made here in the US. And that wasn’t so hard, since a lot of the internals were already being made here. You see, the incremental steps by the anti-gunners to try and control the AK importation simply made it incrementally possible to begin parts production. The trigger mechanisms are already being made, and have been for a decade. Ditto the gas piston and the furniture.
The furniture is all synthetic, black, and the forearm upper and lower have rails included in the mold that makes them. So you get black synthetic furniture, rails ready to go, and all in an all-US made AK.
Looking at it, the only parts that really took some work were the bolt and carrier, gas tube and the front sight. Pretty much everything else was already being made, including the receivers.
The Centurion 39 is a solid and basic AK-47, and as such is amenable to any level of modification and dolling-up you’d care to subject it to. As long as you keep in mind that AK dimensions and specifications wander all over the place, you’ll be able to fit just about anything you’d want to it to make it the AK you desire. Or, swap out the synthetic furniture and muzzle brake for wood and a slant brake, and have an AK that is a clone of a pre-1950 rifle.
Function? Let’s not be silly here. It is an AK, which means it shot everything I had to feed it, shot to the sights, shot as well as you’d expect surplus ammo to shoot, and it never failed.
Cost? Here you’re going to balk. At $800 or so, it is priced higher than that of the imports. However, if you are going to be serious about “Made in America” you owe yourself to take a look. And the price of the imports won’t stay down forever. One day you’ll wake up, and realize that there are no more “cheap Romy-made AKs” to be had, and if we haven’t built up an American manufacturing base for AKs, then we’re all out of everyone’s favorite blaster.
This article is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Book of The Tactical Rifle.
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. With a subscription to Gun Digest, readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews, how-to instructions and Second Amendment issues.
Everyone knows the Boy Scouts' motto: Be Prepared! But what many don't know is that the Boy Scouts have their own ham radio station, K2BSA — and a radio badge program that scouts can earn by learning and applying emergency radio basics.
They also host The Jamboree on the Air event, the largest scouting event in the world, all operated by amateur radio. In 2011, nearly 750,000 Scouts were involved operating from over 6,000 stations in 150 countries around the globe. It takes place on the third weekend of October annually, October 21-22, 2012 this year.
The 48-hour event gives scouts the opportunity to make contacts with radio operators at long-distance and provides experience in emergency communications. Scouts can also contact the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. From the American Radio Relay League:
On Saturday, October 20 at 1:32 CDT (1832 UTC), the K2BSA/5 operation has a scheduled contact via the ARISS Program with Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, aboard the International Space Station. The contact will be streamed live over the Internet.
In addition to the six K2BSA stations, other National Scouting Organizations will also be on the air for JOTA. “HB9S, the station at the World Scout Bureau in Geneva, Switzerland, has a big operation planned, as does GB2GP at Gilwell Park in London,” Wilson told the ARRL. “Others, such as JA1YSS in Japan, 5Z4KSA in Kenya, VK1BP in Australia and PA6JAM in the Netherlands, might be on the air, too.”
Radio amateurs do not have to be registered to get on the air during JOTA. In addition to the World Scout Frequencies, the BSA has listed a US frequency guide that includes frequencies for 80-6 meters (SSB, CW and PSK31), 2 meters, 70 cm and D-STAR, as well as dedicated IRLP and EchoLink nodes.
To learn more about K2BSA and Jamboree On the Air, Click Here.
* Know the area you're going to hunt. If possible, scout the area before the hunt.
* Leave an itinerary, with someone responsible of exactly where you are going and when you expect to return. Leave a map and draw a circle around your anticipated hunting area.
* Make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition, proper tire inflation and a spare with a jack.
* Carry a shovel, axe; tire chains, jumper cables, sand or grit and a tow chain in your vehicle.
* If you have problems with your vehicle or become snowed in, stay with your vehicle — don't leave it.
While In the Field
* Avoid hunting alone. If you do, make sure others know of your plans.
* Be aware of other hunters, people walking or living or domestic animals in your hunting area.
* Wear or bring proper clothing for the area you hunt, remember weather is unpredictable.
* If not mandatory, wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange on your back, chest and/or head.
Field Dressing Your Animal
* Use a very sharp knife. A sharp knife cuts easier, quicker and with less pressure.
* Always cut away from you — never draw a knife blade towards you. Make sure you can see the cut.
Be Aware of Your Physical Condition
* Know your physical limitations and don't exceed them.
* Be prepared for weather changes by dressing in layers. Dressing in layers allows you to regulate your body temperature by adding or removing clothes as needed.
* Drink plenty of water. You can become dehydrated, even in cold weather.
* Hypothermia (the loss of body temperature) can occur in temperatures as warm as 50 degrees. Be aware of hypothermia signs. The first is stumbling or disorientation. When you cannot pull your thumb into your index finger is another. When you notice any of these signs, or you are shivering, sit down immediately and build a fire to get yourself warm and dry.
* Frostbite. If hunting in cold weather, be aware of frostbite development. White spots on your skin are the first sign. Check your face, nose, ears, feet and hands regularly.
If You Become Lost
* The best wilderness survival tip is to not panic. Sit down and build a fire, even if it isn't cold. A fire is soothing and will help you to relax, focus your mind and help you think clearly. After calming down, try to get your bearings and think your way out of the situation. Do not panic.
* If you think you know the direction you need to travel, use the pad of paper and pencil from your survival kit and leave a note at your location, indicating who you are and the direction you're traveling. If you come across others as you're trying to find your way out, don't be embarrassed to stop them and ask for directions and help.
* If you're unsure about the direction you should travel, stay at your camp and build a shelter before sundown, if possible. Build a smoky fire (which can be spotted from the air) or preferably build three small fires in a triangle (a air recognized distress signal and if you sit in the middle you will be warmer than you will be from one large fire). “You can live without food and water for several days, so do not panic.
Alcohol in Wilderness Survival Situations
* Do not give alcohol to someone who's cold. Rather than warming the person, alcohol will actually make them loose more body heat.
* It's never a good idea to mix alcohol and hunting in the first place. Drinking it in a wilderness survival situation shouldn't even be an option. If you're looking for a portable disinfectant, use pre-packaged alcohol wipes for cleaning wounds.
This is not a full and comprehensive list for wilderness survival preparation. Use your experience and employ a little common sense to expand on these thoughts.
Your Turn: What Survival Items Do You Bring on a Hunt?
What items do you keep with you during a hunt in case wilderness survival becomes a reality? Leave a comment below.
The author states that the .22 Long Rifle is the best cartridge for survival situations. What do you think? Be sure sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the article.
Let me make my case for the .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR) as the ultimate survival choice in terms of rifle cartridges. What does the .22LR have going for it that would make someone even consider it as a survival choice, let alone the best all-round?
.22 LR Weight
Not surprisingly, I was able to find a chart on the Internet that compared the weights of various pistol and rifle – rimfire and centerfire – cartridges in bulk. According to this chart, there are 133.3 Remington 36-grain hollow points in a pound.
Curious, I did a bit of checking on my own using my wife’s postal scale, and found it took 143 rounds – Federal 36-grain copper-plated hollow points – to equal 16 ounces. Digging a bit deeper, I found there to be in that same pound, ten rounds of 3-inch 12-gauge steel #1 shot, 21 rounds of 170-grain 30-30 Winchester, 23 of .243 Winchester in a 90-grain Power Core hollow point format, and 17 of 150-grain pointed soft point .30-06 Springfield.
My point? Though very much concerned with pinpoint accuracy, I am also a believer in the mantra: Peace (or Continued Existence) through Superior Firepower. That said, I would opt for 143 effective though admittedly circumstantially limited cartridges over 17 or 21 or 23 bigger, more powerful rounds.
The bottom line is the .22 LR offers the option to carry an absolutely ridiculous number of rounds easily; the others, not so much.
.22 LR Availability
Click the image to continue reading about survival ammunition. Scott Wagner discusses the benefits of ball ammo.
Even in the most out-of-the-way Mom ‘n Pop grocery, there’s almost a 100 percent chance they’re going to have a box – or several boxes – of some sort of .22LR ammunition lying around.
It’s true, and I can’t argue the fact the same might be said of 12-gauge 2-3/4-inch shotshells, or .30-06 or 30-30 Winchester cartridges; however, we go back to the rounds-per-pound comparison above. Should you have to trade folding money for ammunition, the rimfires are going to be much less expensive, as in $22 per 400 rounds of .22 LR versus $22 per 20 rounds of .30-06.
Apples to oranges? Perhaps, but you get the point here, I’m sure. And going back to availability, if your particular situation involves the End of Days, aka Armageddon, and legal tender isn’t an issue, there’s a better chance you’re going to be able to successfully scrounge .22 LR ammunition anywhere around the country, and to a large extent abroad, than anything other type of ammunition – with the possible exception, before anyone speaks up, of 7.62×39, but now you’re back to 27 rounds per pound.
.22 LR Accuracy
Out to 100 yards, and for some, beyond that, the .22 LR can be a deadly accurate cartridge. And accuracy, of course, has a bearing on ammunition expenditure, a variable that might play a very important role, particularly in a long-term survival situation. Inside 100 yards, you should be able to hit what you are shooting at easily. For more on the .22 LR and accuracy, see the ammo test results to the left on this page.
.22 LR Audio Level
Should audio level, that is how noisy or quiet a firearm is, even be a consideration in terms of a whether or not a firearm is the perfect choice in a survival scenario? I think certainly.
A low-level report from a .22 LR which, again using the Internet, falls roughly between 118 and 134 decibels won’t (1) frighten game nearly as dramatically as might a substantially louder round. The .243 Winchester comes in at approximately 160 decibels.
And again returning to the Armageddon scenario, the softer-sounding .22 LR won’t attract unwanted human attention over great distances, thereby eliminating or decreasing the instances of unfriendly reconnaissance to the sound. As a final note, the .22 LR can be, should the world end, easily quieted using any number of commonly-found household items.
.22 LR Versatility
If it’s a meal you’re in need of, there’s really no cause to look further than a .22 LR. Whether it’s ground squirrel or groundhog rabbit or sitting duck, the .22 LR works. Animals as large as wild hogs or whitetails can be taken cleanly with a .22 LR and proper shot placement.
There are few, if any, reasonably sized life forms, edible or otherwise, that cannot be dispatched with either a 36- or 40-grain bullet launched from a rimfire case. Would I want to go toe-to-toe with a 350-pound black bear armed only with a .22 LR? Or would my first choice for moose be a rimfire? No, but here we’re discussing the acquisition of nourishment, first, and the preservation of life only when evasion and/or avoidance strategies have been tried and deemed unsuccessful.
The reality is, if you shoot a deer in a survival situation, you will need to preserve a lot of meat. If you shoot a rabbit or a squirrel, you eat your meal and move on with your 143 rounds of ammo.
The concept of Boomershoot is simple. First, you shoot a target. Then the target explodes.
From 3-gun competitions to zombie-themed shoots, there's no doubt the popularity of firearms events is on the rise. While some are more competitive than others, Boomershoot in north central Idaho stands out as a strictly social shooting event.
“It's not a competition. People just shoot for fun,” said Joe Huffman, Boomershoot director, in a phone interview.
Boomershoot History
As Boomershoot's founder, Huffman said fun was the mission from the beginning. He attended a dynamite shoot in Blanchard, Idaho, in 1996. Not wanting to wait another year, Huffman said he used his farming background to mix his own explosives.
In October 1998, Huffman invited members of the Microsoft Gun Club and some locals for an explosives shoot. Boomershoot officially opened as a public event the following spring.
Two explosions and the remnants of a third can be seen in this photo from the 2002 Boomershoot event. [Image via Boomershoot.org]
The Event
After an ceremonious opening fireball, Boomershoot runs two portions of shooting.
The high-intensity half has shooters at close-range hitting multiple explosive targets. The other half involves long-range targets set up to 700 yards away.
Ammunition that can maintain at least 1,700 feet per second of velocity at 375 yards and beyond is recommended. That's because the explosive targets aren't all that sensitive.
“It takes a pretty hard hit to detonate,” Huffman said.
The most common firearm used is the .308, according to the Boomershoot website.
There aren't official scores to keep, but there is plenty of good-natured rivalry. Shooters occasionally “poach” each others' targets, Huffman said. It's all in good fun, though.
In keeping with the spirit of the event, Boomershoot sometimes pegs special targets for destruction. A toilet was exploded one year in honor of Dave Barry. The humorist has a notorious dislike of low-flow toilets. Although Barry could not attend the event, Boomershoot organizers still sent him a piece of shattered porcelain.
Safety Concerns
Pieces of flying debris are serious safety concerns. Huffman said Boomershoot organizers clear the area around the explosives before the event. Shooters are far enough away that they aren't threatened by the explosions themselves.
Also keeping shooters safe is the organizers' knowledge of explosives.
“I have a really good crew of about 15 people or so with permission from [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] to handle explosives,” Huffman said.
Having many shooters in one place at one time is another concern.
“The explosions aren't a threat from 375+ yards away, but the guns are. Eye and ear protection is highly recommended,” the Boomershoot website states in its What to Bring section.
Spots Available for 2013 Event
Huffman said spots fill quickly for Boomershoot each year, but there are still some available for 2013. The event will take place April 28, with a rifle clinic the two days prior. Click here for more information.
Learn More About the World of Shooting Events
Three-gun competitions are another type of shooting event enjoyed by many firearms enthusiasts. Dive into this exciting sport with the Complete Guide to 3-Gun Competitions book.
The sport of 3-gun competition falls within the discipline known as “action shooting,” which really is a politically correct term for practical shooting, the sport based on the quest for a higher level of combat shooting. While action shooting has been formally presented in America now for several decades, it has taken various shapes.
Today, action shooting has many forms, most of which traces itself back to the formation of the International Practical Shooting Confederation, or IPSC. Later, the United States Practical Shooting Association was formed as the U.S. domain of IPSC, as IPSC is truly international and branches into many countries around the world. The USPSA remains the strongest region, boasting more than 20,000 members nationwide.
After a stage description read by the range officer, competitors are often given a quick five-minute walk through period to look at the stage. In this photo, Keith Garcia goes over the stage during his walk through during the 2011 Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun.
The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is an offshoot of IPSC-style shooting, formed by shooters unsatisfied with the “gamesmanship” perceived to be prevalent within USPSA matches and rules. IDPA currently claims more than 19,000 members, and its competitions differ from IPSC’s primarily in their rules structure, which establish competitions leaning more towards self-defense or tactical-style shooting, rather than a test of pure shooting skills, as some view the matches of IPSC.
Both USPSA/IPSC and IDPA have been extremely successful in the U.S., but primarily as organizations that promote and sanction pistol competition. Three-gun competition, while influenced by USPSA rules already in place, has developed outside the vacuum of any one governing body, although 3-Gun Nation is quickly becoming the entity that bridges many matches and clubs together.
An event, or match, is a collection of individual courses of fire, commonly called “stages.” During each stage of multiple targets, a competitor, under the direction of a range officer, negotiates that stage—and keep in mind this is an action sport, so there’s lots of moving around from place to place, from one bank of targets to another, and so on—engaging each target as described during the stage briefing given by the range officer before the timer buzzer goes off.
That briefing varies in its instructions, ranging from strictly regimented courses that must be shot in a specific sequence, to free-form design, where the competitor is free to map their own strategy. A stage can have a specific starting area as limited as a small “starting box,” outlined by wood or metal staked into the ground. Stages can also have specific shooting areas, where certain targets must be engaged using particular firearms. Fault lines are also sometimes present, marking the end of the area of movement for a competitor—no shots may be fired outside of a shooting area or forward of a fault line without receiving penalty, which is applied to a shooter’s score in extra time.
After the stage briefing, the squad—a designated number of competitors that rotate through the match shooting each of the stages as a unit—is allowed a walk through period. Often limited to five minutes, competitors get a chance to see each target, walk the stage as they anticipate they’ll run it when it’s their time to shoot—this might include planning out where best to reload, how to approach and shoot over, under, or around a barricade, etc.—and ask any questions of the range officer.
It’s here that a 3-gun competition stage can get a bit complicated and even confusing. At a given match, there are numerous types of targets one might encounter. There are multiple sizes and types of paper targets, with the IPSC-style cardboard torso/head target the most common. (3-Gun Nation recently developed a new bull’s-eye-type paper target that will likely become more common in local club matches.)
Match directors often use various forms of props and constructions to provide interesting target presentations. Knock-over, static steel targets are common in 3-gun competition, such as this piece of steel placed during the 2010 Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun competition.
Steel targets also show up in various forms, ranging from simple knock-over pieces of circular or rectangular steel sitting on top of a target stand, to advanced steel target systems manufactured by MGM Targets and others. Hinged “poppers,” also known as “plate racks” (six or more pieces of circular steel affixed to a target stand), static steel plates affixed to target stands, and reactive steel targets that move when struck are all used.
Auto poppers are popular for rifle stages—here, the popper goes down when hit, then mechanically resets itself without anyone having to go downrange. Most reactive steel targets require a range officer to call “hits” when used in competition. Clay birds are another common target, and they’re usually found in the form of a static target placed on a target stand. Clays are also thrown, as they might be in traditional sporting clays, trap, or skeet clay bird games, on some stages, adding a further degree of difficulty to 3-gun competition.
Gravity moving targets such as a “Texas Star” or “Whirly Gig” will be seen at many 3-gun competitions.
Moving targets offer yet another challenge. Often activated when a popper is knocked down, these limited-exposure targets come in many forms. Usually a paper target, the presentation can be moving from side-to-side, often only partially exposed. It can also turn towards the competitor, and then away again after a moment. There is also an “attack target” which accelerates toward the competitor before disappearing out of view. Limited-exposure targets can be extremely challenging!
Finally, there are the specialty targets—Texas Stars, Spinners, the Propeller Rack—that use gravity and balance to move in various directions. There are many specialty targets, especially the popular ones from MGM Targets, that provide fun and challenging shooting in 3-gun competition.
Ultimately, depending upon the stage description given by the range officer, all of these different types of targets and presentations can be presented for specific or multiple firearms within a given stage—that means 3-gun competition is a thinking man’s game as much as it is one of pure shooting fundamentals and skill.
As with most action shooting sports, 3-gun competition is one that is measured in time. When shooting a stage, the competitor, under the direction of the range officer, will “stage” any firearms (i.e., put them in various places throughout the stage for pickup and use when they get to that portion), and, finally, receive the command to “make ready,” with a specific firearm.
Then, holding a timer that tracks each audible shot, the range officer pushes the timer’s button, a “beep” goes off, and competitor’s rip through stages as fast as their skills allow. At the end of the stage, the raw time it took the shooter to complete the stage is recorded, then any penalties for procedurals or targets missed are applied to form a final stage time, or score. Each stage time is added up, and, as it is with golf, where the fewest strokes win a match, the 3-gun competitor who finishes an event the quickest, penalties included, is the match winner.
Matches themselves vary in size (both competitor number and venue), and form. Major Matches, such as Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun competition, in Arizona, which I’ll cover later in this book, feature 250 or more shooters, utilize a wide array of props and targets, and boast some of the fastest, wide-open types of stages in 3-gun competition. They often consist of short stages confined to three-wall bermed shooting bays, and the targets and scoring system combine to promote extremely fast shooting.
Blue Ridge Mountain 3-gun, conversely, is a Major Match situated in the rolling hills of Kentucky, which provides a tremendously challenging natural terrain course of fire, one that is also very physical. The scoring and target placement penalize inaccuracy, especially with a rifle, so Blue Ridge becomes a very physical, accuracy-oriented test of skills.
At the local level, match stages are most often contained in shooting bays and limited to 100 yards, although some clubs certainly have the ability to hold long-range rifle stages. Fields of competitors can be anywhere between 20 and 100 in a one-day local club match, offering a wide range of shooting experiences. No matter what the size or location of the shoot, scoring formulas, rule structures, target presentations, and match styles can vary wildly in the sport—there is, quite literally, a different face to 3-gun competition nearly everywhere you go. But, this is part of its core, and just one of the many reasons 3-gun competition remains the most exciting discipline in all of shooting.
Keep Reading About 3-Gun Competitions
This article is actually the first chapter from the hit book, Complete Guide to 3-Gun Competitions. It's full of in-depth information on 3-gun competitions. The book is perfect for anyone looking to get into this exciting sport or competitors looking to up their game.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
