Barnes Bullets........ Tour of the facility and Q. & A.

As many of you know, Barnes Bullets makes some pretty good bullets. From their Varmint Grenades, Multipurpose Green, Copper X-bullets, Original Barnes, Busters and Monolithic Brass Solids, the pretty much have you covered for hunting anything from Mice to Elephants.

I had the chance to tour the Barnes facility and visit with their staff a few weeks ago.  I had few questions prepared to ask them as I toured their facility.  I actually wanted to know the answer to some of these and some were from statements I had heard at gun shows, shooting events or even at the gun counters of sporting goods stores.  Whether these questions made sense to me or not, I had heard them so often that I wanted to hear what Barnes had to say about them.  I also wanted to post their responses for everyone to see, and begin responding to these types of questions in a way that is not just my opinion but backed with knowledge of process and material use.  

Q-1.     Is Barnes Bullets really just an all copper bullet company?    

A-1.     No Barnes makes all kinds of bullet from the Original Barnes with a copper jacket and lead core to non-toxic Multipurpose Green Frangible, Varmint Grenade expansive,  Copper TSX, TTSX and Monolithic Brass solids with a flat meplat or spire point.

Q-2      What do you say to the folktales that Barnes-Copper bullets shred the rifling in your weapon after 300 to 500 rounds? 

A-2      It’s crazy talk!  First of all, the metallurgical quality of the copper used in Barnes copper bullets is 99.95% pure copper. This is basically the same as electrical grade copper (Electrical grade copper is 99.997% pure). With respect to the hardness to steel, this grade of copper is obviously much softer.   In respect to the standard copper jacket on every bullet produced in the last 100 years, Barnes copper is just as soft if not softer than those jackets.  Each one of Barnes Test Barrels fire thousands of Barnes Bullets for performance evaluation (Accuracy and Deformation).  These test barrels would advertise any type of excessive wear, fouling or other problems, but they don’t have any of theses problems.

Q-3      What is the function of the rings along the shaft of a Barnes Copper Bullet? Does it make the bullet hit harder, or cause more damage?

A-3      The function of the rings along the bullet reduces the bearing surface of the bullet, reduces barrel fouling.  This improves accuracy and overall bullet performance.  (Barnes bullets don’t cause more barrel fouling than any other “typical” bullet, they foul the same).

Q-4      Does the construction and materials of Barnes bullets offer any benefit to Magnum Cartridge Hunters?  What about slower velocity cartridges like the 30-30, 444 Marlin or 458 Win?

A-4      Barnes TSX and TTSX Bullets are built to deliver optimum expansion and mass retention at a very wide range of both high and low bullet velocities.  For example they are built to open properly if fired from a .300 RUM that impacts a target at 60 yards or from a 308 Win that impacts at 500 yards.  Each bullet is built for a specific cartridge or group of cartridges.  So whether you are shooting a laser fast 30 caliber or a slow 45 caliber, the bullets are built to perform correctly in each cartridge type and at each range of velocity.

 

Q-5      With a Barnes Copper Bullet, does the ability of the “petals” to curl back provide more controlled, repeatable and predictable expansion when impacting heavy or thick animal tissue and bone?

A-5      We say yes.  Barnes tests and makes sure that the bullets expand or that the petals “peal and curl back” in a controlled and even manner.  This maintains a uniform frontal surface as the bullet penetrates the target.  It also helps keep the bullet in the original line of penetration.

I was already impressed with Barnes bullets performance from my personal experience.  But this visit really impressed me.  I spent several hours visiting and touring the facility while they were producing, firing and evaluating their bullets.  I learned some amazing information about their production processes, their exacting performance requirements, and their very high standards of quality.  Barnes pulls bullets from the production line every 5,000 bullets produced (or about every hour, 65-80 minutes) and tests them for accuracy and performance on their 300 yard indoor range.  Most of us can’t hand load 10 to 15 rounds, fire them and look at what happened in two and a half hours.  But Barnes does this everyday they are producing bullets with each different load, bullet type, and cartridge type. They did this three times in my two hour visit.

Barnes even has “cartridge specific” constraints! That’s right, not just caliber or even caliber and bullet weight requirements, but they have specific requirements for the bullet based on the cartridge they will shoot it from. (They even package the bullets differently for the different cartridges within that caliber group).  For example; .357 caliber bullets. Barnes builds their bullets specifically to be fired from a 380, vs. a 9mm and a 357 magnum. How do you like that?!  

I was privileged to see at least one phase of the production of virtually every bullet that Barnes produces.  I was able to ask a lot of questions to both to the machinists and the folks that work in their labs.  Barnes uses processes that assure proper and uniform jacket thickness, improves the center of mass alignment with the center of form, reduces stress concentrations in bullet structures and keeps actual weight extremely close and consistent to design bullet weight.  When I put everything together that I saw and learned, I was pretty much blown away. 

As I was getting ready to leave I asked Barnes what their thoughts were about competing with everyone else to produce bullets that have higher and higher ballistic coefficients. Barnes replied, “We make bullets that work.  We are always looking for ways to make our product better. Our focus is making a bullet that will perform extremely well in virtually any situation, any condition and at any realistic range of velocity.  If a hunter can make the shot, our bullet will do its job.  Our bullets are built to function in any situation, so their form follows that function.  At the end of the day, you use what works.  Our products functions very well, so we don’t worry too much about changing their form.   

  

I am not a one bullet kind of guy... I think they are all beautiful.  I shoot them all and I have a few different favorites for just about any specific purpose.  Needless to say, I love them all.   But after visiting the Barnes Bullets Facility, if I was looking to start up a long term relationship with one particular bullet, Barnes would be at the top of my list to find a potential fit. 

Be safe and Good Hunting!       Andrew C.

Aimpoint scopes, AMAZING

The AIMPOINT red dot Rifle Scope.  This was one of the most surprising, exciting and literally eye opening products I found at the POMA conference. The Aimpoint scope I used caused a complete change in my attitude towards red dot scopes.  I am definitely going to get one for a test run.  I may even begin using them, we'll see.

Several years ago I used a few different red dot scopes.  To say the least I did not like them.  Most had either poor glass that caused image hazing or clouding, dot glare, inappropriate dot size for distance, eye relief issues, or rapid loss of battery life (rendering the scope useless at any time).  One of these issues is bad enough, but combining two or three... Oh man, bad news!  Even worse was having these issues with goggles that were foggy, slightly scratched or hazy, causing horrific visual distraction and eye fatigue.  Forget it!  Most of the time I either saw the dot or the target, not both.  In addition, the dot was typically to large for shooting any area smaller than a six inch circle at 100 yards.  I'm sure you now understand that I did not like them.

I saw Aimpoint set up at the 100 yard section of the range during the POMA conference.  When I looked through one of their scopes, I was AMAZED!  I stopped and took a picture of what I  saw.  This was a zero magnification scope, so there was no disruption to my field of view.  The dot is easily seen and covers about a 3 inch circle at 100 yards (ask Aimpoint for the exact measure).  The target was a steel silhouette of a buffalo, roughly 30 inches across and 22 inches tall. The scope set up and the size of the red dot was perfect!

I asked if I could send a few rounds down range.  I put three down range, all rounds hitting right where I put the dot.  I then began reloading and pushing rounds down range faster and faster with each fresh stack of 5 rounds. To say the least, I was impressed.  The ability to chamber a round and squeeze as quickly as the two lined up was amazing.  It wasn't as fast as an AR platform, or to use the proper new term, it wasn't as quick as using a Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) but for just picking up a bolt rifle, it was pretty fast.  I did better than 5 rounds down range and on target in 12 seconds.  It was simple, no thinking about the reticle, just acquire and squeeze.  I have to admit, I was smiling ear to ear and laughing. 

I think the folks at Aimpoint saw the opportunity to take me to school.  They asked me if I could shoot with both eyes open, and put the lens cap on the scope.  I laughed a little because the answer was obviously yes, but also that it didn't matter. (I can't see out of my right eye).  I was hesitant to tell them that I have a damaged right eye and was nearly blind in that eye for quite a few years.  But I laughed inside and thought, "What the H*!!".  I will try it out and see what happens, ha ha!  WOW!  For me it was nothing short of a miracle.  It was no huge miracle, but it worked!  Using my right eye, I could barely make out the dark splotch of the buffalo silhouette down range, but I could see it.  And right in the middle of the dark splotch was a crisp red dot.  THE LENS CAP WAS ON!  I had to lift my head and confirm that I was seeing my target correctly.  It was amazing.  I fired several rounds and hit the target just fine.  I was smiling so big, they told me to rip through another 5 rounds.  I wasn't able to shoot as quickly as before, and I missed one shot.  But I hit the target 4 out of 5 times at 100 yards with the lens cap on, using quick shots and looking with my bad eye.  (Pretty much a worse case scenario)  It was Awesome!

After reloading and firing a few more 5 round stacks, with my good eye straining to see the target and my damaged eye not seeing more than the splotches down range, my eyes started to fatigue and I had to stop.  But wow!  What a great test of a superior product!  For dangerous game applications, I have no doubt that this scope could not only prove to be a lifesaver, but provide a decisive edge in confidence and rapid target acquisition.  Additionally, for standard hunting applications, depending on your rifle and cartridge, I think this would be an awesome scope for any distance the keeps your total trajectory at + / - 3 inches.  ( So 200 to 300 yards).

On a personal note, I have not been able to use my injured right eye in shooting or any other activity for years.  It has been difficult for me to deal with, but I have learned to joke about it and disregard it's limitations.  After using that scope, I knew that if I had too, I could still use that eye.  That was a great experience.  It was a little emotional, but I was laughing and smiling so it was all good.

I am definitely going to try and get a hold of another Aimpoint Red Dot Hunting Scope and run it through a few more tests.  Aimpoint told me that I could throw their scopes against the wall or hit it with a piece of wood and it would still work.  My eyes got even bigger and I told them, that is the scope I need.  I am constantly dropping and bumping my optics.  Most can't handle the abuse.  They smiled and said that they have the scope(s) for me....  I am anxious to see just how great these scopes really are! 

POMA Conference

I recently returned from the annual POMA (Professional Outdoor Media Association) conference. It was a great experience.  If anyone has any questions about POMA or how to get involved, please ask me about them or go to their website. http://professionaloutdoormedia.org

When you do, the people you will contact are wonderful.  I can't say it any other way.  These folks truly want you to succeed.  They are friendly and sincere.  You will be amazed and the personal attention you will receive.  The conference was packed with training courses and interactive opportunities that allowed me to ask others how they are approaching common challenges.  I had multiple opportunities to sit down with true leaders of the industry like Pete Brownell, Bill Miller, even Jim Zumbo.  I can't say it enough, the personal attention and the "importance of the individual" was amazing.  I was simply overwhelmed at how someone like me could walk into that conference and walk out feeling rejuvenated, reinvigorated and better equiped in just a few days.

One of the Great things about the conference was the filed day. This gave us an opportunity to use, sample and demonstrate new products at the gun range.  I will start posting reviews of some of the products over the next few days.  I hope you enjoy them.  Please post any questions you might have.

Never a True fan of the 308 Winchester!?

Like many rural Americans, I grew up where the 30-06 Springfield was king.  Any other cartridge was just a "little brother, a wanna-be, an over stuffed pig or just an annoyance". Anyone who hunted with a rifle chambered in anything other than the 30-06 just didn't quite have it figured out. Sound familiar?

As I grew into my teen years, some influential people including My uncle Dave, ( A Marine during Vietnam, A Marine Corps Weapons Instructor, and later a Law Enforcement Officer / Weapons instructor) furthered my indoctrination that the 30-06 was the true battle rifle and the best you'll ever get. 

He repeatedly explained that it (the 30-06 based rifle / M-1) was the true sniper rifle, capable of 1,000 yard kill shots.  You could drag that rifle through the mud, run a rod down the tube and do it again! The only reason the marines ever switched to the 308 Winchester or 7.62x51 NATO was because of the pressure from all those "new hippies in the White House".  "To Hell with the Navy, Army, Air force, and all the other jokers out there! They can do what ever the hell they want!" (Slamming the heal of his hand, while somehow holding a cigarette loosely between his lips.)  "Marines get the job done Dammit!" He would then say.  "I guess we just got tired of all the head-aches and people telling us we just want to be different".   I never asked him what he thought about the M-16 and the the 5.56 NATO.  I knew my ears wouldn't handle the repeated abuse!  I also knew that I couldn't point out that a lot of his family and kin (my cousins, brother, buddies) were joining the Army, Navy and Air force as well as the Marines.

I began shooting more regularly at about 17 years old.  I began shooting different calibers and different case  sizes trying to find the ultimate "kill em all rifle".  It seamed like every third or fourth person I talked to said, "You should try the 308! That's the best performer you can find!"  And as you can guess, my reply was never Okay, I'll do that. I could never think of the 308 as anything other than that ugly wanna-be that's got everyone fooled. Thanks Uncle Dave...

Over the next eight or nine years I continued to resist any notion of developing any affection for the round.  I did use the cartridge in several different rifle platforms and became fairly proficient with it.  But despite this, I never could bring myself to say "Yeah, I like this one".  I began shooting all kinds of cartridges, big ones, fat ones, tall ones, skinny ones, some with large bodies and tiny little heads. (Ha ha!)  But I could never bring myself to say "I think I like that 7.62x51 or 308 Win". I just couldn't do it!

About three and a half years ago I started out on a project.  I wasn't sure where I was going with it, or what was going to happen.  (I never would have guessed that because of this project I would have written a book. And no way-never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed I would learn to really love the 308 Winchester, but it happened!).  I began comparing cartridge performance, versatility, bullet availability, bullet selection, powder efficiency, recoil generation vs. energy produced , standing ballistic data for different environments, overall comfort in shooting, ability to adapt to the cartridge and how proficiently and predictable I could adjust my point of aim, hold over, or doping. I wanted to find the holy grail, and if I couldn't find it, I wanted to find the best all around performing cartridge and rifle that a guy on a budget could shoot. (Never mind the mint I was preparing to spend in finding it.)

So here I am three and a half years later.  I now own a few different rifle platforms chambered in a 308 Winchester and I am even looking for another.  I have not found the "Holy Grail". But what I have found that there are a handful of cartridges out there that fit my search criteria very well. In my opinion they are awesome. And yes the 308 is one of them. 

I still love my 300 Win Mag and my 375 H&H.  I love to get behind anything that chambers the 50 BMG, and I still love light and fast cartridges like the 22-250, 25-06 and others.  Recently I even spent some time on the trigger behind a Remington / Freedom Arms rifle chambered in 338 Lappua, sending rounds One Thousand yards down range. You can guess that I really enjoyed that.  But I have to say, the 308 Winchester has become a cartridge that I enjoy shooting. It has truly become one of the cartridges that I compare all other cartridges against.  One may be faster, or another provide more energy, or just simply smack the crap out of something within the first 300 yards.  But what really matters to me is; can I hit what I am shooting at wherever it is, is there "enough bullet" to kill the animal, and can I afford to practice and build skill with it?  If I can answer yes to those questions, then I know I am in pretty good shape. And most of the time, the 308 Winchester will do all of it for me. 

Be safe, Shoot Well, Defend Better, and do your part! 

Andrew C.

Local NRA Chapter Gun of the year

                                          The 308 Winchester

Versatile, Effective, Efficient, Proven and Deadly are just a few of the words use to describe the 308 Winchester. A quality rifle, strong action and precise tuning will very effectively harness the potential of this excellent cartridge. This combination of a quality rifle and excellent cartridge will help any shooter maximize their shooting capabilities and greatly enhance their overall enjoyment.

The 308 Winchester is a time honored and field proven cartridge. From the battle field to the open plains and rugged mountains, this cartridge has proven its reliability, effectiveness and overall lethality time and time again. With modern loading the 308 Winchester can rival almost any cartridge by combining excellent bullet selection, a wide range of bullet weights, and good bullet velocity, while delivering decisively less recoil, better powder efficiency and increased shot control.

Using roughly 46 grains of powder and bullet weights from 110 to 200 grains, the 308 Winchester can produce an excellent range of energy, velocity and trajectory sufficient for virtually any purpose. It can propel a bullet weighing 125 grains at a velocity of 3,285 ft/sec or a 180 grain bullet at 2,740 ft/sec. These loads produce roughly 3,000 foot pounds (ft-lbs) of muzzle energy. These loads are also capable of delivering over 1,100 ft-lbs of energy at 500 yards when using a 125 grain bullet. When using 150 to 180 grain bullets, the energy on target at 500 yards can increase to over 1,300 ft-lbs.

When looking for a cartridge that is versatile, efficient, and lethal, while encouraging good shot placement, the 308 Winchester is an excellent choice. The 308 Winchester has created a baseline against which all other cartridges can be judged. (See 308 Win Ballistic Data below)

To see how the 308 Winchester compares to other cartridges, or for an in-depth and comprehensive Ballistic Comparison of all factory available ammunition and bullet performance, see the CARTRIDGE COMPARISON GUIDE @ http://www.cartridgecompariosnguide.com/

Bullet Weight 125 Ballistic Coefficient 0.366
	Muzzle	100 yards	200 yards	300 yards	400 yards	500 yards
Velocity (ft/sec)	3285	3002	2732	2484	2243	2021
Energy (ft-lbs)	2994.6	2500.8	2071.2	1712.2	1396.1	1133.4
Trajectory (inches)	-1.5	0.0	-2.3	-9.3	-21.9	-41.1

Bullet Weight 150 Ballistic Coefficient 0.435
	Muzzle	100 yards	200 yards	300 yards	400 yards	500 yards
Velocity (ft/sec)	3000.0	2778.0	2562.0	2358.0	2167.0	1991.1
Energy (ft-lbs)	2997.0	2569.9	2185.8	1851.5	1563.7	1320.0
Trajectory (inches)	-1.5	0.0	-3.1	-11.3	-25.9	-47.8

Bullet Weight 165 Ballistic Coefficient 0.490
	Muzzle	100 yards	200 yards	300 yards	400 yards	500 yards
Velocity (ft/sec)	2880.0	2684.0	2497.0	2316.0	2148.0	1989.0
Energy (ft-lbs)	3038.2	2638.8	2283.9	1964.8	1690.1	1449.1
Trajectory (inches)	-1.5	0.0	-3.5	-12.4	-27.5	-50.1

Bullet Weight 180 Ballistic Coefficient 0.520
	Muzzle	100 yards	200 yards	300 yards	400 yards	500 yards
Velocity (ft/sec)	2705.0	2521.0	2354.0	2193.0	2039.0	1895.0
Energy (ft-lbs)	2923.9	2539.6	2214.3	1921.8	1661.3	1435.0
Trajectory (inches)	-1.5	0.0	-4.2	-14.4	-31.9	-57.6

Bullet Weight 200 Ballistic Coefficient 0.588
	Muzzle	100 yards	200 yards	300 yards	400 yards	500 yards
Velocity (ft/sec)	2400.0	2237.0	2080.0	1929.0	1784.0	1647.0
Energy (ft-lbs)	2557.4	2221.9	1920.9	1652.1	1413.1	1204.4
Trajectory (inches)	-1.5	0.0	-5.3	-18.3	-40.2	-72.7

July! What a month!

So July was a crazy month for me. A lot has happened.  My wedding Anniversary, the 4th of July Celebration, I buried a very good friend, I visited 3 different Military Hospitals, and I put my baby brother back on a plane for Afghanistan.Yeah, lots for just 30 days.

Those were the big events not to mention gun shows, writing articles for a few different hunting magazines and to help in my local NRA chapters fund raising efforts, visiting family, looking for the next awesome gun range, wondering what is going on with this countries confusing political hurricane, and as always, trying to promote my book and help hunters maximize their shooting capabilities.

I am starting an article that deals with trajectory,  energy down range and precision provided by your weapon, and the error introduced by the shooter.  It should be a lot of fun. I hope to get some peoples attention and maybe even ruffle a few feathers with this one.

As always, I am anxious to hear your thoughts, favorite stories or dumbest moments.  If you have questions or quandaries, I would love to provide numbers, ballistic calculations or comparisons that will help you out.

On a different note...., do what you can now to influence others for good. Whether that be in the political arena, your neighborhood or your home.  Do you best, or at least give your best effort to d a good thing.  If you want to eat tomorrow, you better plant your garden today.  Shoot safely, and do your part!


Take care. Andrew C.

In Memory of John R. Hamblin

John,

I miss you man.  I wish you could have stayed.

Father, Husband, Brother, Son and Friend. We will miss you. We will miss you for a long time yet to come. Your passing was sudden, unexpected and tragic. We trust in the Lord that you have found a place of peace and rest.  Our hearts are broken for your wife and baby girl. They most of all will miss you.  We will do our best to help them move forward and be strong. Thank you for your friendship and your ever-present smile. You have touched the hearts of many. Now, with your absence, so many are full of pain.  May you find peace. May you continue to share your great love and great heart in that world where you have gone. We hope to see you again, someday when our work here is done. Good-bye my friend .... Find us a good fishing hole and hold it for us, we hope to see you there.

Golden Spike Buffalo Range - Vintage Bolt Rifle Sniper Compettion

This Shoot was a Great Activity!  The weather was perfect and  the folks had 4 station prepared, each with a different challenge. By perfect weather I mean warm and windy! lol!

The first station had 5 targets arrayed at different positions of unknown sizes and distances. The targets required about 110 degrees of rotation from right to left. So if the wind was at your tail for one or two of the targets it was crossing at 90 degrees for the others. We had a certain firing order and had to complete 15 shots in 2 minutes. This allowed for 8 seconds in between shots, but you had to figure in two reloads in that time as well...

Not many shooters were able to complete all 15 shots in the time required. This station was a blast.

Station number two had 8 targets arrayed over a hillside and the flats below it.  Again the wind was at a slight off angle and it was starting to shift.  There were false targets mixed in with the required 8 targets so you had to stay sharp. Getting out of order was a penalty, hitting a false target was a penalty and if you did either one you wasted a shot. So penalties added up quick. I especially liked this station. You had to move through it quickly to stay on track.  Notice a tall skinny target at the top right. By the end of the day this one had earned a special nick-name by almost everyone at the shoot.  I did not know this one was not timed until after I finished my 14th shot and had one left to go. Ha-ha-ha!  I probably could have made one more hit in my previous 14 if I took my time, but moving through as quickly as you can is half the fun.


The third station appeared to be easy and straight forward, (notice the large silhouette with the white circle over the center of the chest).  However, people still had a hard time getting into the rhythm (notice the dust cloud from a low miss on the first target - top center).  This station had the same unknowns as station #1 and #2 but there was not as wide of an angle to cover the targets.  For some reason it simply  gave people more trouble than you would expect.


Station number four was a hoot.  It was a scenario right out of WWII Europe.  You can read accounts of GI's talking about similar scenarios.  There was a higher value target off in the distance (about 650 -725 yards) . This one required three shots.  Then there were another 11 or 12 targets with a lot of distractions or false targets mixed throughout the range. These targets were arrayed from far right to close left (the last 3 targets were at 11 O-clock, in tall grass and at about 80 yards out) What a great shoot!

After we all finished our 4 stations and spent our 60 rounds we  recognized the top three finishers, had a barbecue, sat around and shot the breeze then opened up the range for some recreational shooting.

The following day was the USAR Sniper match. Roughly translated this was an "any type of sniper rifle" match. The only exclusions were laser sights, range finders and tracer rounds. But the kicker to this match was, your total number of hits counted towards a total score. There was no limit to the number of rounds you could send down range.  So you could cycle through the circuit as many times as possible before time ran out.  GOOD TIMES!  However, I was not able to attend the second days shoot.  I had a previous commitment that created a conflict.  Boo hoo!

It was interesting to watch the divergence in how the shooters performed in this match.  I am not speaking toward novice shooters vs well practiced shooters, professional or military snipers. I am speaking more towards the way in which skilled shooters responded differently to the challenges, thus generating different scores on the cards.  Some could get on the targets quickly and generate a lot of hits. This produced a lot of points. These individuals typically improved their hit ratio as the targets positions were more common or as the targets got closer.  Others would take their time, making excellent off hand adjustments and tag the higher value targets at greater distance, generating more points with fewer shots fired. However, they were not able to get a high number of bullets down range because of the time taken on the longer distance targets. So their overall score was not higher than the other shooters.

This divergence in skill sets became even more prevalent when two of the hosting individuals brought out their "pet distance rifles" and allowed the participants to shoot them at distances from 900 yards out to 1,200 yards.  This was an excellent "leveler to the field".  It was a neat experience to watch each shooter have to quickly adjust to the unfamiliar rifle, cartridge, scope and ballistic performance.  It made me question which method or style I value most... The ability to take multiple rifles and quickly adjust to them making multiple quick-shots that are "good enough", or developing the skills of precision, patients and exactness that (when given the time) will deliver a few exact and repeatable impacts at virtually any distance....Food for thought... Good Hunting wherever life takes you.

North Spring Shooting Range

As promised, I want to talk about the North Springs Shooting Range.  In one word WOW!  I almost don't want anyone to know about this place. But it is so amazing I have to share it.

North Springs Shooting Range is ready for anybody or anything that has to do with shooting.  Bring any weapon you want; Rifle, Handgun, Shotgun or Bow.  I would bet the Range Master would even let you bring a spear or knife if you are that kind of hunter! lol! The folks that run the place are extremely friendly.

This range has a 1,000 yard groomed-range with benches and markers every 100 yards. (They even have golf carts for you to set up your targets!) Next to the 1,000 yard range is a 600 yard range with covered/sheltered benches and radiant heating panels over your head. You can shoot in the middle of winter and stay warm!  Then there is one of several pistol ranges. These three ranges are all right next to each other. You would think that is the whole range. Because that in itself is much better and much more than you can find in most locations.

They have a shotgun-skeet and pigeon range, and several archery ranges with 3-D targets. They even supply the archery targets!  One of the Archery ranges is an archery golf or "walk through" course with 27 different 3-D animal targets set up at varying ranges. They also have a law enforcement training and shooting facility. Then to top it off they have a cowboy action shooting TOWN! It is set up with store fronts and a board walk with steel plate targets, silhouettes and everything!

Did I tell you it is $5 for a day pass?! Insane!

I do have to say, "Pack a Lunch!".  It is a bit of a drive for anyone who doesn't live in Price Utah.  However, I drive 1 hour or even 90 minutes to get to some higher quality ranges.  This one is about 2 & 1/2 hours for me.  But so worth it. 

They have RV hook ups and Camping areas for you to take a break, or pull an over nighter. So if you are thinking about hitting Moab, the Arches, or for any reason you are crossing Southern Utah on Highway 70 or heading through Utah on HW-6 or 191. Take a detour and check this place out! 

This is definitely going on my list of 1-2 day short-vacation spots.  I know I can shoot any firearm I have at any distance I like. Then take a break with an ice cold coke, shoot again, shoot my bow, ride around on my 4 -wheeler or bike, and do it again.  Did I mention that the facility is arrayed over l.5 miles of manicured roads? So there is no crowding, no rough driving, and plenty of space for breathing room and future expansion. Plus, the back drop is Gorgeous!

The Facility Location is 5245 South 8000 West  Price, UT  84501.  The Range Master is Scott Olsen, Office: 435-636-3705

I hope you enjoy your summer! Be safe! Shoot well.  And if you stop by the North Springs Shooting Range, let me know what you think!


Andrew C.

WOW! Lets Get Started

For those of you visiting for the first time, we are so glad you are here!!  We published our first book this March.  It is a Hunting and Ballistics Manual called the CARTRIDGE COMPARISON GUIDE.  We are working hard to get this book out in front of anyone who shoots a gun, is thinking about getting a firearm or starting to shoot.  This book truly has something for everyone (Plus it is a lot of fun).

We have just finished a whirlwind of activity over the last two months.  We were in Columbus Georgia where we did a little work at Fort Benning (We love our Troops). We met some of my personal heroes, Charles Pavlick and Chuck Olsen (and MRS Chuck Olsen). We also attended the NRA Convention in Charlotte NC where we met a lot of VIP folks like Ted Nugent, The Gunny from Mail Call, UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, WEC Champ Mike Brown, NRA Gunsmith Schools, Colleges and Universities (Like the Outdoor Adventure University) that support the second amendment, hunting, our heritage as American Rifleman, and a lot of great people from the industry.

We then began a two part road trip visiting nine (9) states and mixing two shooting events in the middle. We headed across Northern Nevada into California.  We met some great folks in Elko at "Gun World and Archery". We headed onto Reno meeting some good hard working folks with friends of the NRA and the local Sporting Goods Stores.  We drove into the Sacramento Valley, and then south down to Monte Rey (where years ago I spent some of my New Years Holidays).

After landing in Monte Rey, we headed north along the California Coast  (HW 1). That was amazing.  We passed through some of the California Redwoods (will post pics soon), and headed North into Oregon where we met Chuck at "Whole Sale Sports Outdoor Outfitters".  We then headed north up into Washington. We stopped in to visit Joe at the "Joes Outdoors Sport Shop" in Chehalis WA, and then an into Olympia.  We spent a few days at Fort Lewis (Love the Troops!) and headed back through Oregon, and into Idaho.  We put a couple books in front of the folks at Cal Ranch, (Nice people there), and headed back down into Utah.

I managed to get to a Hunting Rifle Match at the Golden Spike Historic Site hosted by Wasatch Shooters and Denny Wilcox. It was a great event, see our website cartridgecomparisonguide.com for shooting event pictures. We then headed back down south to Las Vegas Nevada.  We went to a gun show, and I met up with a college buddy (Trent Goubler), and his wife Rachel (soon to be star Vocal Talent) with their two little kids Annie and Preston.  We met some more great folks at some local gun stores and ranges, as well as some more Friends of the NRA.

We then returned home for some R&R, and then hit the UPOA (Utah Peace Officers Association) shoot hosted in Price Utah at the North Springs Shooting Range. We missed out on most of the shooting events (I fell and dislocated my jaw, so I was functioning at a very low capacity), but Scott Olson who manages the Location gave me a VIP tour of the facility.  All I can say is it is absolutely amazing!  The fact that you can get a day pass for $5 a person and can shoot rifle, pistol, shotgun, and archery blows me away. I will write another page dedicated to describing this range, so watch for it. It is an AMAZING place.

We are now settling in for a few days to catch up, plant some more of our garden, post pictures, write another few articles for Western Hunter Magazine and Hardy Magz, then go to the ViMBAR Sniper match this Saturday.

We look forward to hearing your comments or questions!  Reply here or shoot us an e-mail at andrew@cartridgecomparisonguide.com