Being an avid handloader of shotgun slugs, I was naturally intrigued when I learned earlier this year that Ballistics Products Inc. of Hamel, MN had added a new slug to its lineup of components for handloaders. As soon as I…
A few months ago, I acquired an aftermarket barrel for my Benelli Nova Tactical that was manufactured by Carlson’s of Atwood, Kansas. The barrel is 18.5-inches in length and it arrived with a Carlson’s rifled choke tube installed. Although the…
In a recent post, I wrote that I had recently acquired a Zastava M85 chambered in 7.62x39mm. The rifle, manufactured by Serbia’s Zastava Arms and imported by Century Arms International, is a compact bolt action priced just right for a…
In an earlier article, I wrote about how hunters who, like me, are on a painfully limited budget, can make do with the gear they have on hand and still have a good season afield. In that article, I mentioned…
During a bird hunt last October, I found that a short-barreled shotgun of the type usually relegated to home defense offered a number of advantages when pursuing ruffed grouse in the thick woods of eastern Maine. The short, 18.5-inch barrel…
One of the most tedious and least glamorous parts of the whole hunting, fishing, and shooting game is gear maintenance. Though it can be a lot of work and will typically be the last thing a hunter or angler will…
The acquisition of a new firearm is not regular occurrence for me and such an event typically only takes place after a rare windfall or the liquidation of unneeded and unused personal property. It follows that on those exceedingly rare…
As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, in recent years my weapon of choice for all game large and small has been a smooth bore shotgun of one type or another. Admittedly, one of the reasons for this is financial in…
I have a confession to make. Even though I have been hunting deer for twenty years, I am really, really bad at it. Part of the reason for this is a personality flaw. To me, waking up at dark-thirty a.m.…
In part one of my investigation into the terminal performance potential of the .22 LR, I tested and examined a variety of subsonic loads for the world’s favorite rimfire round. Among the more interesting results yielded from that round of…
In spite of its diminutive size and low energy figures, the ubiquitous .22 Long Rifle has remained one of the most useful cartridges in existence since its introduction in the late nineteenth century. When employed at reasonable distances, the round…
Among the many types of articles featured on this site, some of my favorites to compose are based on terminal performance tests of various kinds of ammunition. Not only do projects of this nature yield visually interesting results, but they…
Among the new and interesting types 12-guage shotgun ammunition to hit the shelves of gun shops and big box retailers in recent years is the Winchester PDX1 12 Defender. This 2-3/4-inch load sports a buffered payload consisting of a…
Five years ago I began hunting deer almost exclusively with 12-gauge shotgun slugs. Although centerfire rifles are legal arms where I live, the woods where I hunted were typically incredibly thick, limiting visibility to 50 yards or less. Any shot…
In a recent article I wrote about the capabilities of a short barreled, home defense or utility shotgun as a close range bird gun. In addition to yielding useful patterns out to about 25 yards at the range, my own…
During a recent stint as an employee at a local gun shop, one of the discussions that began amongst my coworkers during a rare slow day was how well a home defense optimized shotgun would work as an upland game…