Friday, December 30, 2011

Air Pistol Practice Beeman P3


A little air pistol practice, and air rifle practice can make most shooters, better shooters.

All you need is 30 feet and a secure backstop, an air pistol/rifle pellet trap and the right equipment.

I am still using a Beeman P3 Pneumatic, single shot 17 Cal. air pistol.
It is very easy to use and very accurate.

Typical two hand unsupported groups for me group under one inch at 30 feet...and this is no Olympic style pistol....It is a reasonably priced air pistol....with a very light trigger...I estimate the trigger pull to be less than one pound.

It has a safety that must be disengaged manually each time the gun is cocked.

Cocking the gun requires some strength to close the pneumatic pump contained within the pistol's body.

I like pneumatic air guns because there are less moving parts, and you get consistent accuracy. It requires periodic minor maintenance, a little oil...and occasional cleaning.

The best part is that you can hone your shooting skills, stance, and trigger control, at low cost in the comfort of your own home.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag 4 Inch


What is powerful enough to handle a bear, yet small enough to pack in a back pack, and reliable enough to inspire confidence, and accurate enough to get the job done.

Well, I won't go overboard, but the Ruger Redhawk 44 magnum in 4 inch barrel, fits the bill precisely.

It is not light weight, but it is not a pain to carry, if you use a good holster.

It is weighty enough so that you can easily control it under recoil, and a Weaver stance helps, if you are doing multiple shots.

The Ruger trigger is about 2 lbs single action. Good for careful shots within 75 feet.

My experience with this model has impressed upon me the need to practice good trigger control.

As reflected in the picture....a two hand hold can do OK at 75 feet single action.

I have never tried this in the double action mode.

When hiking in the woods, in bear country, you really won't need to worry too much about what may be lurking beyond the next bush. But if something bad comes upon you, this gun will equal the odds.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Range Report - Ruger Vaquero 45 Colt


Cowboy shooting lovers, are real fans of the Ruger Vaquero. Mine is the 4 inch barrel version in 45 Colt. I use Trail Blaser powder, Laser Cast 250 gr bullets and after much experimentation, I filed down the front sight to be dead on at 25 yards with my pet reload....5.8 grains of trail blaser...using the Laser Cast Flat Nose hard cast 250 grain bullet. Trail Blaser powder meters well and fills most of the 45 Colt case which was designed around 1873 for black powder. I love the blue smoke it produces and the smell is OK...compared to other gun powder smoke.

The Ruger Vaquero is a fine, moderately priced domestically produced Cowboy gun. As my results shown on the picture reflect....using a two hand hold standing at 25 yards, most of my rounds are in the black. Very good results for a gun with a simple front post and receiver groove for taking aim.

If you ever wanted to know, in case you didn't know...a six gun...is single action only. You cock the hammer and gently touch the trigger. Around one pound of pressure or less on the trigger will cause the hammer to fall. There is no manual safety...but shooting these guns are pure fun.

The 45 Colt has very manageable recoil when using a two hand hold so with some patience and after doing some sight adjustments (filing the front sight down) you can be happy with the results, once you come up with a load that the gun likes.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Range Report SW 625 45 Auto


For those of you who have wondered how well the 45ACP can do out of a revolver, the SW 625 is the ideal platform to find out.

I have fired 45 ACP and 45 Auto Rim out of this gun, but I prefer to use the 45 Auto Rim...since I can dispense with using moon clips and more easily and naturally load the 45 Auto Rim into the cylinder.

The 45 Auto Rim is the same as the 45 ACP except for the fact that is has a rim to enable head spacing in the standard revolver cylinder.

This particular gun is the more upscale JM variant Jerry Miculek, renowned pistolero helped design this S&W, ...it carries a bead front sight, fully adjustable rear sight, wood grips, grooved trigger, 4 inch barrel and matte stainless steel throughout.

Using a two hand Weaver stance at 25 yards and firing 12 rounds into each bullseye target you can see that the results are very respectable....firing single action.

This is a quality firearm from S&W and is relatively expensive....but considering the value....in terms of reliability, quality, and accuracy...I think it is worth it.