Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Shooting Times

REGARDING TERRY WIELAND’S RECENT “GUNSMOKE” COLUMN TITLED “NEW GLASS Reflections,” it’s amazing the new stuff they have out now. I don’t use much of any of it. Pop was a Marine Corps sniper in World War II—always hunted and shot, had me shooting Benchrest in the Nationals when I was 13 years old. I suppose these scopes would be great for a sniper, but in practical use, in a match, is the shooter the winner or the equipment? I have a Smith & Wesson Model 52 that I put a dot sight on. I can crack plates as fast as I can focus, but I get no satisfaction at all. My other Model 52 has just the factory sights, and I feel pretty good when I hit the plates with…

SPRINGFIELD’S M1A WAS INTRODUCED AS A CIVIL- ian-legal version of the M14 battle rifle in 1971, just a decade and a half after the M14 began its brief stint as the U.S. standard-issue service rifle. Initially, M1A rifles were built using surplus M14 parts. Eventually, Springfield Armory began manufacturing new parts specifically for the M1A. Under new ownership, Springfield Amory moved to Geneseo, Illinois, in 1974. M1A receivers were made using a precision investment cast process, rather than the more expensive drop-forging method used to manufacture M14 receivers. Over time, the selector switch cutout, bayonet lug, caliber designation on the receiver, and other small M14-specific features were phased out of M1A production for various reasons. The popularity of Service Rifle competition was in full swing during the final three decades…

HOWA MODEL 1500 RIFLES HAVE BEEN BUILT IN JAPAN since 1979, and in 2001 Legacy Sports International (LSI) of Reno, Nevada, began importing the barreled actions and fitting them with stocks. One of the more exciting additions to a fairly large stable of rifles, shotguns, and handguns is the Model 1500 Superlite introduced in 2022. It has a 20-inch barrel, is rated at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, and it feels only slightly heavier than a pocket full of goose down. If that’s a bit too hefty for you, a new-for-2024 version of the same rifle with a shorter 16.25-inch barrel weighs 4 pounds, 3 ounces. According to the LSI catalog (free for the asking), both versions are available in .243 Winchester (1:10 twist), 6.5 Creedmoor (1:8 twist), 7mm-08 Remington (1:9.5…

THE GEORGE RIVER CARIBOU HERD OF NORTH- ern Quebec, a subject of awe and wonder in the 1980s, is gone. Like a haze of smoke on the horizon, it just dissipated. No real explanation, although accusations have flown back and forth. The human instinct to avoid blame seems stronger than any impulse to reverse the process. For those who weren’t around, which now includes the vast majority of the population, the George River herd was a small group of Barren Ground caribou—estimated at 5,000 animals in 1955—that calved on the Labrador coast, then migrated inland and west to James Bay, before returning to the coast the following spring. For reasons no one has explained, their numbers increased through the 1960s, exploded in the 1970s, reached numbers beyond reliable estimate by…

THE NEW 1911A1 STAKEOUT FROM TISAS, A DIVISION OF SDS IMPORTS, IS chambered for 9mm and .38 Super and features two interchangeable 5.0-inch barrels, a titanium firing pin, an aluminum trigger, an extended beavertail grip safety, and walnut grip panels. The pistol wears an electroless nickel finish and fixed sights. It comes with a stainless-steel 9mm magazine and an Ed Brown stainless-steel .38 Super magazine with nine-round capacities, each. MSRP: $599.99 tisasusa.com XS Sights Fiber-Optic Sights XS Sights’s new fiber-optic sights feature a green insert front sight and a striated rear sight. The front sight is angled to enhance visibility and endurance. These new sights fit Glock Gen 1 through 5 and are compatible with the Glock MOS system. The fiber-optic insert is user replaceable, and the sights come with…

I FREQUENTLY HEAR THE QUESTION, “HOW much velocity do I lose switching to a snubnose revolver?” Sounds simple enough, but it is like asking, “How much water is deep enough?” Velocity loss due to barrel length reduction is a first-order factor. However, we can look at secondary factors that might contribute to the question of how much. I did a data mining expedition into some historical firing data to look at a couple of predictors often cited in addition to barrel length. I chose the .38 Special and the .357 Magnum. They were the only revolver cartridges for which we had Speer data from two barrel lengths. I knew the handload data for the Speer manual were fired from short and long barrels on the same days with the same…

Q. I VERY MUCH ENJOY THE “ASK THE EXPERTS” SECTION AND ALWAYS find something of interest. Recently, I read an article stating .45 ACP brass with small primer pockets should be loaded with an extra grain or so to keep velocity similar to brass with large primer pockets. Would Magnum Small Pistol primers up the velocity? Would Magnum Pistol primers work in rifle brass, like .223 or .30 Carbine? I have a Colt Police Positive in .32-20, and I only load light loads with lead bullets. I guess I should be gentle with this vintage piece of history. What does Lane Pearce think? Adam W. Mackow Milford, NJ A. Fortunately, I asked Joel Sandstrom (Federal’s chief chemist, primers) to comment on this subject. I say “fortunately” because he was the…

HORNADY RECENTLY HELD A SEMINAR WITH industry writers to discuss newly patented bullet design technology. The company’s ballistics staff had conducted myriad tests employing state-of-the-art laboratory equipment to further characterize a bullet’s long-range aerodynamic performance. After expending thousands of hours loading and firing test loads and analyzing the carefully recorded data, Hornady successfully patented the unique physical feature of the improved bullet design. Kicking off the conference, ballistician Jayden Quinlan presented a treatise on “Drag Variability Reduction.” The back-and-forth discussion included the usual factors: muzzle velocity/variation, atmospheric conditions, ballistic coefficient (BC), minimum number of shots for accuracy, etc. Quinlan reminded us that the published BC for any bullet is not an absolute value. He pointed out that the BC varies significantly depending on the physical conditions experienced during the bullet’s…

BECAUSE THIS ISSUE OF SHOOTING TIMES IS OUR ANNUAL BIG- game hunting issue, it’s fitting to remind readers that MyOutdoorTV has a ton of exciting big-game hunting content available. A few fan favorites include MeatEater, Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures, Live 2 Hunt, and Hunt Masters, but there is a bevy of other great shows that chronicle some of the most exciting big-game hunts over the last several seasons. MyOutdoorTV brings together years of thrilling outdoor adventures all in one place. One of my personal favorites is Petersen’s Hunting Adventures TV. Currently, eight seasons are available on MyOutdoorTV, and in these thrilling episodes, hosts Craig Boddington, Kevin Steele, David Draper, and Kali Parmley pursue the most sought-after big-game species throughout the world, ranging from the Colorado Rockies to the dark forests of Hungary.…

SADLY, ANOTHER FRIEND OF SHOOTING TIMES has passed away. This time it is former ST writer Mike “Duke” Venturino. It was my good fortune to work with Mike from 1993 (when he joined the staff as a field editor) until 2006, when he left ST to write for Handloader, Rifle, Guns, and American Handgunner magazines. By that time, he wore the hat of classic arms/shooting editor for ST. When he worked for ST, he was always punctual with his submissions, and better yet, he was deeply enthusiastic about his preferred shooting interests. During those years, his main interests were black-powder cartridge rifles, Cowboy Action Shooting, and military battle rifles. But Mike could cover just about anything to do with shooting. He was an avid handloader, especially using cast bullets, and his…