This is an edited excerpt from the last 65 pages of The Big Book of Gun Gack III, which contain questions from the members of the website 24hourcampfire.com, where I post answers frequently in the forum “Ask The Gunwriters.” Gun Gack III’s Chapter 20 is an updated version of the magazine article mentioned in Geno’s […]
Due to being a rifle-writer I feel obligated to try all the reloading dies possible, but after decades of this find more Forster full-length rifle dies showing up on my shelves. Why? Because Forster reloading dies make a very quick and easy job of sizing bottle-necked rifle brass straight, so bullets end up heading into […]
Why does it matter? Let’s talk about controlled round feed vs. push feed. Among the more well-known ‘limited production’ bold action rifles are the Montana 1999 and the New Ultra Light Arms. Let’s take a look at these, because in many ways each embodies different sides of what a custom action is all about. […]
Annealing Brass John Barsness The primary reason for annealing rifle brass is preventing case-necks from cracking—and they will, eventually, because firing and resizing cases “work hardens” brass, making the thin necks brittle. Most rifle cases will survive 4-5 firings, and some will last longer, depending on the brand and method of resizing. However, many handloaders […]
From Gun Gack III: Once More into the Breech An excerpt from Chapter 30: “The Least Reliable “Pressure Indicator” In his classic 1947 book Hatcher’s Notebook, recently retired Major General Julian S. Hatcher wrote about his almost 40 years in the U.S. Army involving various aspects of firearms from handguns to artillery. Hatcher had an […]
Enjoy this free chapter from Gun Gack II, on power case trimming. Some shooters believe rifle brass stretches when the neck gets pulled over an expander ball, but experiments with the expander assembly removed have proven this isn’t so. Some shooters also believe brass flows forward during firing, like a glacier, but this doesn’t occur […]
This is a chapter I wrote for Charlie Sisk’s Selecting and Ordering a Custom Rifle book a few years ago, on rifle and shotgun fit for adults. Richard Mann also has a chapter in that book about fit for kids, suggesting that buying a custom rifle for your kids will bring a lot better return […]
Every website is different and, just like you, I get frustrated trying to find stuff. So I thought I’d just make our web site a bit easier to navigate. I’ll add that the most frequently asked question I get is, “What’s in the book?” If that’s your question too, read Tip #3 To find specific […]
I just posted a series of short videos I took while John and I prepped two white-tailed does for the butcher table. The animals have already been field dressed, skinned, and hung in the garage, aging for a few days. Whitetail doe meat is very tender though, of the two deer, one was a yearling […]
One of the downsides of hunting is meat loss due to the bruising and ripping of bullets. The most obvious solution is not to place bullets where they’ll damage a lot of meat, but that’s more complicated than it appears. A brain shot, for instance, kills animals instantly, but wild animals move their heads a […]