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Firearm Facts
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- Why Is It Called A “Barrel”?
- What Is A “Minute Of Angle”?
- There Are Three Types Of Ballistics
- What Is A ‘Wildcat’ Cartridge?
- Single, Double, What’s The Difference?
- That 67.5 Gauge Doesn’t Kick Much
- “Dram” Measurement Obsolete
Yet Common - Attractive Doesn’t Mean Efficient
- What Does Ballistic Coefficient Mean?
- Confusing Bullet Terms Not In Dictionary
- Naming Rifle Cartridges
- What Does ‘Caliber’ Mean?
- What Is “Choke” In A Shotgun
Barrel? - Determining Your Choke Size
- Why Do Rifling Twist Rates Differ?
- How Important Is Velocity?
- Sound Wave Effects Ballistics
- Several Factors Effect Wind Drift
- Double-Pull Triggers For Your Protection
- A Fouled Bore Can Boost Pressure
- Shooting Sports In The 21st Century
- What Constitutes “Airline Approved”
Gun Cases? - How Slick Is Teflon – A Sticky Question
- All About Primers
- Why Are Bolt-Actions And Single-Shots
More Accurate? - Sound Barrier And Its Effect On Accuracy
- Pay Close Attention to Powders, Bullet
Styles - Ammunition Not Dangerous In Storage
- Just What Is “Good Wood”?
- How Far Will Shotgun Pellets Travel?
- What Is Skeet Shooting?
- What Is Trapshooting?
- What Is Sporting Clays?
- What Does ‘SAAMI’ Stand For?
- Where Did Sorbothane Come From?
- Tame Recoil And Shoot Better
- High Brass Or Low Mass?
Recorded history is unclear as to when the first firearm was
invented. We know that it was probably a cannon. We also know
that the Chinese developed the first form of gunpowder but
there is no record that they ever used it as a propellant
to shoot anything out of a tube.
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It’s likely that firearms were a European idea, probably
in the early 13th century, using the Chinese idea as a base.
There are records of early cannon barrels being cast, but
in the 1200s and 1300s that was an expensive and slow process
demanding skilled artisans and scarce metal — out of the
question when building enough cannons for warfare.
“Early cannons were fashioned by coopers — barrel makers,”
said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s
Choice gun care products. “The similarity between a cylindrical
cannon and a cylindrical barrel probably suggested coopering
– building a gun from strips of metal bent around a former,
heated and hammered to weld them together, then bound together
with hoops.
“Early cannons were actually metal barrels, which is
probably how they got the name.”
Most of us have heard of rifles that will shoot a “minute
of angle.” But how many of us know what it means or how
the term came about?
“Technically a minute of angle is 1/60th of a degree
or 1.047 inches at 100 yards,” says benchrest marksman
Joe Ventimiglia, president of Venco Inc., makers of Shooter’s
Choice gun care products. “But most people refer to a
minute-of-angle rifle to be one that shoots one-inch groups
– measured center-to-center — at 100 yards.”
“The name still applies if it will shoot two-inch groups
at 200 yards, three inches at 300 yards, and so on.”
Commercial field grade guns will rarely shoot a minute of
angle right out of the box. But a simple tune-up by your gunsmith
– check headspace, the squareness of the bolt face, adjust
the trigger, polish the crown and lap the locking lugs –
can often turn a mediocre new gun into an exceptional shooter.
THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF BALLISTICS:
Today shooters study three types of ballistics: interior,
exterior and terminal.
Interior ballistics comes first – that’s the study of chamber
pressure, velocity and temperature. That starts with primer
ignition and ends with the projectile exiting the barrel.
At that point exterior ballistics takes over -concerning the
flight of the bullet thorugh the air before it hits the target.
Terminal ballistics are the study of that projectile’s performance
after it hits the target until the point when it stops moving.
“Hunters and shooters should be aware of all three types
of ballistics,” says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter’s Choice. “But they are especially
concerned with exterior and terminal ballistics.
“They have to be aware of bullet trajectory and velocity
in order to aim accurately and they must know how the bullet
will react when it hits the target. Shooters are merely ripping
paper but hunters need to know if the bullet will fragment
on impact, which varmint bullets do, or will penetrate and
expand -the characteristics of a good hunting bullet.”
WHAT IS A ‘WILDCAT’ CARTRIDGE?
Winchester, Remington and their predecessors have designed
and developed the majority of the commercial rifle and pistol
calibers available today — but not all of them.
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The remainder of the calibers on the market often started
life as “wildcats” — factory cartridges reformed
or fireformed by enterprising amateur ballisticians into a
different version of itself. The wildcat cartridge is not,
by definition, produced commercially. The primary reason for
its invention and continued existence was to obtain higher
velocity and more striking energy than a conventional cartridge.
“Many very popular commercial cartridges actually started
life as wildcat loadings,” notes shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooters Choice gun care products.
“The .35 Whelen, for example, is a .30-06 case resized
to accept a .357 bullet and the .22-250 is a Savage .250-3000
necked down to .224 caliber.
“In fact, one of the more popular smallbore centerfire
cartridges today, the .243 Winchester, started out as a 6mm
bullet that gun writer Warren Page modified into something
called the .240 Page Super Pooper.”
SINGLE, DOUBLE, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
You’ve undoubtedly heard the terms “single-action”
and “double-action” in reference to handguns and
“single-stage” and “two-stage” when applied
to triggers. But how many of us know what the descriptions
mean?
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“The single-action pistols are very simple early designs
that have since evolved into a quicker, more efficient means
of operating a firearm,” says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “The
single-action revolver is one whose hammer must be manually
cocked for each shot, a single-action autoloading pistol must
be manually cocked for the first shot with subsequent cocking
accomplished by slide motion.
“Most of today’s guns are double-action, which means
they may be fired repeatedly without manually cocking them,
or they can be manually cocked and fired — the latter means
being more accurate because it reduces the weight of the trigger
pull substantially.”
“With a single-stage trigger movement, resistance increases
smoothly in one process until firing results. Two-stage triggers
have a soft ‘take-up’ when pressure is first applied until
it reaches a point where the second stage, or normal trigger
pull, is encountered.”
THAT 67.5 GAUGE DOESN’T KICK MUCH:
Ever wonder what the terms “12 gauge”, “16
gauge” or “20 gauge” referred to?
The system of grading shotgun bore sizes was developed long
ago when a gun’s size was determined by the weight of the
largest lead ball that would fit into the bore.
“If it took 12 of those balls to weigh one pound, you
had a 12-gauge gun,” said Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president
of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “If the ball that
fit the bore was smaller and it took 20 to make a pound, your
gun was a 20-gauge.”
The exception to this is the .410, which is named after its
nominal bore diameter of .410 inches. Had the .410 been named
in the same way as its larger cousins, you could go squirrel
hunting with a 67.5 gauge gun.
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“DRAM” MEASUREMENT OBSOLETE
YET COMMON:
The current labeling system for shotgun shells came into being
years ago when shot shells were still loaded with black powder.
For instance, a box labeled 3 1/4–1 1/8–8 contained shells
loaded with 3 1/4 drams of blackpowder and 1 1/8ths ounce
of No. 8 shot. Blackpowder is now obsolete yet the labeling
process remains.
“Today shotshells are loaded with smokeless powder and
boxes are marked to show what a given charge is equivalent
to in the old blackpowder dram rating,” explains shooting
expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun
care products. “Shooters still use it to evaluate the
effectiveness of a specific load.
“But remember, smokeless powder is measured in grains
and that a very small amount is equal to a much heavier charge
of blackpowder. To load a shell with 3 1/4 drams of smokeless
powder would be catastrophic.”
ATTRACTIVE DOESN’T MEAN EFFICIENT:
“Short” and “fat” are not desirable terms
when referring to humans but it’s a different story when they
are applied to bullets. While there might not be a clear cut
ballistical explanation, it is generally considered that relatively
squatty bullet shapes are more efficient than long, slender
ones.
“If efficiency is measured by how well a particular
cartridge performs compared to how much is loaded into it,
the “short” and “fat” bullets invariably
score better,” said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “Take
the .308 Winchester, for instance. There are much more powerful
30-caliber loads available, like the .300 Winchester Magnum
or the .300 H&H — even the .30-06 is more powerful than
the .308.
“But the .308, which is shorter and fatter than the
others, is by far the most efficient. It can be made to top
3,000 feet per second on as little as 50 grains of power.
But the .300 H&H needs almost 80 grains to develop that
kind of velocity. The bullet configuration and efficiency
of the load make it the most accurate 30-caliber cartridge.”
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WHAT DOES BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT MEAN?
Do terms like “ballistics coefficient” leave you
cold? Think of it as a technical term that’s over your head
and useless to anyone but an expert?
Actually, knowing the ballistics coefficient of specific
bullets can be a real help when making a choice – even if
you don’t know the exact meaning of the term.
“The higher the b.c. the better the velocity retention
and wind-bucking ability of the bullet,” explains shooting
expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice. “A
short, stubby bullet that sheds velocity quickly has a low
b.c. while a long, slender bullet built for long-range shooting
will have a high b.c.”
For example, a .30-caliber, 180-grain Sierra flat-base bullet
has a b.c. of .501 while a slightly less pointed 180-grain
round-nosed Speer bullet has a b.c. of only .288. The trajectory
is far more looping, but that’s unimportant because such a
bullet is designed for relatively close-range and brush-shooting
conditions.
CONFUSING BULLET TERMS NOT IN DICTIONARY:
We talked in the past about intimidating firearms terms such
as ballistic coefficient, sectional density and terminal ballistics.
As consumer grade firearms and loads get more and more sophisticated
we are faced with an increasing number of strange terms in
articles that describe them.
Terms such as “ogive” and “meplat” are
sending readers sprinting to the dictionary (which is probably
of little help) when they show up in descriptions of high
performance bullets. Anyone who doesn’t have access to a firearms
encyclopedia probably won’t find an answer.
“Ogive is the curved area toward the nose of a bullet
extending from the tip to the main cylindrical portion or
bearing surface,” explains shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “Meplat
is the flat or blunt area at the tip of a bullet that is measured
by its diameter.
“The difference in the shape of ogive on various bullets
of the same caliber can make a difference in how deeply the
bullet can be seated and still touch the rifling lands.”
The .30-30 and the .30-06 may well be the two most popular
rifle calibers in American history. But how many shooters
know how the venerable loads got their names?
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Both are .30-caliber bullets. The .30-30 was a 30 WCF (Winchester
Center Fire) that was originally loaded with 30 grains of
smokeless powder just as the .30-40 Krag was a 30-caliber
Army round loaded over 40 grains. Neither load today necessarily
digests the same powder charge weights that these numbers
once signified.
“The .30-06 was a 30-caliber military round that actually
originated in 1903 as a 220-grain bullet,” said champion
shooter Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice. “But
in 1906 it was modified to better handle a more efficient
150-grain bullet and the year of the modification was used
so that people would know the difference. The Army listing
was “ball cartridge, caliber 30, Model of 1906.”
Other rifle and pistol cartridges are generally named for
their diameters, but those numbers aren’t necessarily exact,
either.
The word “caliber” simply refers to the rough diameter
of a rifle or pistol bore measured in divisions of an inch
or in millimeters.
Technically, in the United States and England, a caliber
is 1/100ths of an inch. A 30-caliber bore, therefore, is 30/100ths
of an inch in diameter. A 270-caliber bore measures 27/100ths,
etc. Decimal points are commonly used when referring to calibers
(.30 caliber, .270 caliber), but are technically incorrect.
In all other countries caliber is measured in millimeters.
Some metric measurements are very close to their Anglo counterparts.
Generally speaking you can match the size of a metric caliber
to one measured in inches by multiplying by four. For example
a 6-millimeter bore equates to 24-caliber, which is the American
.243, the 7-millimeter equates to our .280. The Japanese 7.7
matches our 308 but the Russian-Chinese 7.62 is slightly larger
than our 30-caliber when multiplied by 4.
WHAT IS “CHOKE” IN A SHOTGUN
BARREL?
Shotgun barrels originated in the early 16th century and remained
remarkably the same for nearly 300 years. They were basically
straight tubes that produced unpredictable patterns and were
effective for very short range. The only means of extending
the effective range was by adding more shot.
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It wasn’t until the middle of the 1800s that someone found
that a slight constriction at the muzzle tightened the pattern
considerably and increased the shotgunner’s options. The shot
charge was constricted or “choked” as it left the
barrel and the effect is dramatic.
“Through the years gunmakers found that barrels could
only be constricted a maximum of about .040 inch before things
became too crowded and the pattern started to deteriorate,”
says shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia, vice president of
Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “That’s what was
termed full choke. The industry standard for full choke was
that it would put 70 percent of the pellets in its pattern
within a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.
“Today, of course, guns can pattern much denser than
70 percent even though they aren’t necessarily choked any
tighter. Some turkey guns put all of their pellets in the
circle — 100 percent at 40 yards. But that’s more a function
of shotgun shell design. The introduction of plastic shotcups,
harder shot and buffering has so improved shotshells that
old standards no longer apply.”
For years manufacturers have determined shotgun barrel choke
measurements – full, modified and improved cylinder and variations
of those – by what percentage of the shot charge printed in
a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.
But in actuality the degree of choke in a barrel is simply
a measure of constriction from the bore to the muzzle. Since
virtually all interior barrel dimensions are different, often
ranging up to 20 thousandths of an inch gun-to-gun, there
is a better way of determining your choke.
“The choke is determined by the difference between the
diameter of the bore relative to the diameter of the choke,”
says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s
Choice gun care products. “By subtracting the diameter
of the choke from that of the bore you will be able to determine
the amount of constriction (choke) you have regardless of
the roll-stamp on the barrel. That measurement is what really
counts.
“For instance, if you have a choke tube that is cylinder
bore, relative to your 0.728 bore, the choke will be modified
if used in a barrel of 0.742. But if your barrel’s interior
diameter measures 0.732 that same choke tube would represent
cylinder bore.”
WHY DO RIFLING TWIST RATES DIFFER?
When gunmakers first started cutting rotation grooves inside
barrels in the 1500s they did so because the spin that those
grooves imparted on the projectile stabilized it for longer
distances. The phenomenon is called the “gyroscope effect.”
The rifling’s rate of twist in today’s rifles, pistols and
even shotguns is figured in terms of what distance it takes
for the rifling to make a full 360-degree revolution. A 1-in-10
twist rate, for example, would mean that the rifling makes
one complete revolution in 10 inches. If all rifles and pistols
shot accurately with the same rate of twist in the rifling,
it would be very convenient. But the laws of nature grant
us no such favor. Firearms of different calibers and using
different shaped bullets require different rates of twist
in order to achieve gyroscopic stability.
“As a general rule long slender bullets require a faster
spin than do short, fat ones,” said shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products.
“For example a patched round ball, which is short and
fat, fired from a muzzleloader is best stabilized by a 1-in-66
inch rate of twist while a longer, sleeker conical bullet
needs a 1-in-48 or faster twist rate.
“The same effect is seen in centerfires. The long, slender
bullets fired from a 6.5mm rifle likes a rifling rate of about
1-in-7.5 inches while the shorter, fatter .458 Magnum is better
stabilized in a barrel rifled at 1-in-14 and the short .22
rimfire bullet seems to like 1-in-16.”
There are several factors that have an effect on the performance
of a bullet, ball or pellet, but the velocity of the projectile
may well be the most critical factor.
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Velocity affects two critical issues. The faster a projectile
flies the more reliably it expands upon contact and the more
energy it has to dump into the intended target. Without expansion
and energy transfer you’re missing two key elements in the
equation of “stopping power.”
“Some relatively recent military calibers can be used
as a good example of the effect of speed on bullet performance,”
said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s
Choice gun care products. “The round-nosed .45 caliber
hardball used in autoloading pistols during World War II was
a massive caliber but generally passed right through without
expanding because it was so slow.
“In Vietnam the standard rifle caliber was actually
a high-powered .22 — the .223, and despite the small caliber
the high velocity assured good expansion, which made it far
more effective than the lumbering .45.”
SOUND WAVE EFFECTS BALLISTICS:
War time reconnaissance spotters could often determine the
distance to an enemy force by counting the number of seconds
between the time they saw a gun fire and the time they heard
the report. They knew that a five-second lapse meant that
the shooter was more than a mile away.
Sound waves are defined as “progressive longitudinal
vibratory disturbances.” The speed of sound varies slightly
with air temperature, but it’s basically accepted that sound
waves travel at 1,129 feet per second at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Most people have witnessed that delay between sight
and sound and realize that the sound waves travel relatively
slowly,” said shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia, vice
president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “But
not many realize that the actual sound wave can effect the
stability of a bullet in flight.
“Bullets with very poor ballistic coefficients, like
shotgun slugs, lose stability — and of course, accuracy –
when they go sub-sonic. That means when they slow to the point
that they’ve dropped beneath the speed of sound they are actually
buffeted by the sound wave catching up to them from behind.”
SEVERAL FACTORS EFFECT WIND DRIFT:
Generally speaking, a slower velocity, bulky projectile will
be more drastically effected by the wind than a sleek, fast
bullet.
For example, a one-ounce shotgun slug fired at 1,500 fps
at a 100-yard target will be pushed nearly seven inches off-line
by a 10 mph crosswind. That’s just a gentle breeze. By the
same token, a 130-grain .270 bullet fired at the same time
at the same target will move about a half-inch off line under
the same conditions.
“Interestingly, a .22-caliber rimfire bullet and a 12-gauge
shotgun slug — certainly opposite ends of the mass and weight
scale — react to wind the same way, but for totally different
reasons,” said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president
of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “The rimfire bullet’s
extremely small weight combined with its slow velocity make
it very vulnerable to the wind. The slug’s slow velocity and
considerable surface area make it just as vulnerable.”
Regardless of the bullet and firearm, the effect the various
factors have on flight can be corrected by using the age-old
common sense techniques of Kentucky windage (moving the point
of aim off-target to the windward side of the target) and
Arkansas elevation (holding above or below the target, based
on range). But one must know several factors or have sufficient
hands-on experience to efficiently apply these techniques.
Of the many factors mentioned above, only a few have enough
effect to make a considerable difference in drift. Velocity,
bullet aerodynamics (ballistic coefficient), distance traveled
and wind velocity and direction are the factors needed to
compute wind drift.
DOUBLE-PULL TRIGGERS FOR YOUR PROTECTION:
Shotguns and older rifles, particularly those designed with
military applications, have soft trigger pulls that require
that “slack” be taken up before the trigger’s firing
stage is reached. Originally called “double-pull”
triggers, the phenomenon today is commonly called “creep”.
“Triggers are designed that way to make the firearm
more difficult to discharge accidentally,” says firearms
expert Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president of Shooter’s Choice
gun care products. “Pump and autoloader shotguns are
made that way to avoid the gun accidentally being discharged
by recoil. Military rifles were designed for general use,
not necessarily by experts, and required a longer pull to
avoid discharge by mistake or through rough handling of the
rifle.
“Experienced shooters, however, are experts and want
crisp, relatively light triggers so that the pull doesn’t
effect their sight picture while shooting.”
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A FOULED BORE CAN BOOST PRESSURE:
As the bullet enters the rifling and seals off the bore, the
chamber pressure is at or approaching maximum.
Your brass is showing telltale signs of increased chamber
pressure — a potentially disastrous situation. What’s causing
it? Where peak pressure occurs is most dependent upon the
type of powder used. Other factors, however, enter the picture.
“It could be very simple. A badly fouled or leaded barrel
will definitely boost chamber pressure,” said champion
rifleman Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooters Choice gun
care products.
Only after the bore has been cleaned with a quality solvent,
such as Shooter’s Choice MC-7 bore cleaner or Shooter’s Choice
Copper Remover, can it be determined if other factors are
effecting chamber pressure. In a clean gun rifling’s rate
of twist or the amount of freebore (non-rifled area) ahead
of the chamber may also be factors in chamber pressure.
SHOOTING SPORTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY:
With “lead” already a four-letter word to environmentalists
and the increasing support for anti-gun legislation worldwide,
is there a future for shooting sports in the coming century?
The answer is yes, but they probably won’t take the form
they do today. There are several technologies that the Pentagon
is researching that have true potential in the future for
making shooting sports more “neighbor friendly.”
The military is already doing space-age things with lasers
and the end of that research is not yet in sight, but research
on acoustic and vortex devices is most likely to produce new
versions of our shooting sports.
“Depending on the frequency generated, acoustics can
make you sick, dizzy or dead,” says shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products.
“Vortex weaponry expels doughnut-shaped rotating shock
waves at incredible speeds capable of knocking down people,
vehicles, aircraft and weapons.
“Imagine an acoustic shotgun device that could resonate
flying clay birds to pieces — without worry of noise or lead
pollution. And how about a vortex handgun discharging a baby
doughnut that punches perfectly round holes in paper and is
capable of toppling tin cans, steel plates and bowling pins.
Truly safe backyard shooting ranges could be built virtually
anywhere.
“We probably won’t see them in our lifetimes but by
the middle of the next century shooting sports could have
a whole new look.”
WHAT CONSTITUTES “AIRLINE APPROVED”
GUN CASES?
It’s not uncommon to see a gun case or piece of baggage advertised
as being “airline approved”, but just what does
that term mean?
Actually neither individual airlines companies nor the Federal
Aviation Administration technically inspect manufacturers’
products. In fact, the FAA manual pretty much stipulates that
after a piece meets some very general guidelines for the transport
of firearms it is pretty much up to the discretion of the
ticketing agent whether or not a piece can be used to transport
a firearm aboard an airplane.
“The FAA says that to transport a firearm on an airplane
if the firearm is not a shoulder-fired (rifle or shotgun)
the case must be lockable,” said shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products.
“Of course all firearms checked as baggage must be unloaded
and any ammunition must be checked in separate baggage. Other
than that, the ticketing agent must agree that the case is
suitable.
“By the way I know shooters that take the scopes off
their guns before checking the gun cases and bring the scopes
as carry-ons because they are afraid that pressure differences
in baggage compartments will effect the scopes. They shouldn’t
worry; the baggage compartments on all airlines are pressurized
to the same degree as the passenger compartments.”
HOW SLICK IS TEFLON – A STICKY QUESTION:
The use and success of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), widely
referred to as Teflon ™ — has been extraordinary and has
provided technological advancement in many areas.
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Its use, however, in gun care applications or as an automotive
additive, has caused controversy. Surface preparation is crucial
to the effectiveness of PTFE – it must adhere to the surface
if it is to protect. The surface preparation includes an involved
and critical process of vapor degreasing, grit blasting and
a coating with manganese phosphate.
This can be achieved and is very effective in coating pans
and tools. But even then PTFE is not recommended if the treated
surfaces will experience high loading or extreme pressure
conditions – two major factors in firearms use and internal
combustion engines.
“In a case where PTFE is added directly to an existing
oil, there is no surface preparation, which is critical to
the effectiveness of the polymer,” said lubrication engineer/chemist
George Fennell, developer of Shooter’s choice FP-10 Libricant
Elite.
“When PTFE and other solid-film lubricants are used
in their proper manners along with the proper surface preparation
and application, they can be of enormous tribological benefit,”
Fennell said. “When misused or misapplied, they can either
do nothing or become a real detriment to the system, probably
resulting in the latter.”
Virtually all commercial and military loads today use boxer-style
primers, which are much more efficient; and cleaner-burning
than their predecessors, Berdan primers.
“Berdan primers, which feature two flash holes and are
very corrosive, are still used occasionally in Europe and
often find their way to these shores in old military surplus
ammunition,” says shooting expert; Joe Ventimiglia, president
of Shooter’s Choice. “Reloaders should know that: conventional
dies can be ruined attempting to deprime Berdan-primed cases.
Specially designed depriming tools must be used.”
Joe also notes that boxer primers are manufactured in two
different sizes and eight different magnitudes: small pistol,
large pistol, small rifle, large rifle and magnum versions
of each. Magnum primers produce more intense heat, which is
useful in burning larger quantities of powder. Under no circumstances
should one use a magnum primer on a load developed with a
standard primer. Dangerously high pressures may result.
“Several manufacturers also produce “match”
or “benchrest” primers for use in competitive shooting,”
says Ventimiglia, a competitive shooter. “The difference
between these and standard primers is the degree of testing
and quality control used in their manufacturers.”
WHY ARE BOLT-ACTIONS AND SINGLE-SHOTS
MORE ACCURATE?
“There is little doubt that bolt-action and single-shot
rifles and slug guns are inherently more accurate than other
actions. If you don’t believe it, take a look around at a
bench rest shoot – there likely won’t be any other actions
represented there, where margin of victory is often measured
in 1/100ths of an inch.
But why are they more accurate?
“Because in the simple bolt or break-actions guns, everything
that happens when you squeeze the trigger is in a straight
line,” said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president
of Shooter’s Choice. “There is no up-and-down movement
at ignition like there is with an autoloader – which uses
the ignition to blow open the bolt to eject the spent case
and feed the next round into the chamber.”
“Even a pump gun is less accurate than a bolt or single-shot
because of the unavoidable vibration caused by the slide hanging
off of the barrel.”
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SOUND BARRIER AND ITS EFFECT ON ACCURACY:
When a bullet leaves a barrel the initial velocity will have
a considerable bearing on inherent accuracy. While increased
velocity is generally considered to be good, the most prominent
obstacle to accuracy is the sonic barrier.
“At sea level, in dry 65-degree air, the speed of sound
is reached at 1,089 feet per second,” says shooting expert
Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products.
“When test pilots originally got close to the sound barrier,
they had trouble keeping the aircraft flying straight. After
passing the barrier, steering ability returned.
“The same thing happens to bullets in that velocity
range. Bullets that greatly exceed the speed of sound are
quite accurate as long as their velocity decay does not bring
them into transonic range before impact. That explains why
the former standard .308 round was accurate out to 800 yards.
After that its velocity dropped into the transonic range and
it was not unusual to find the bullet going end over end.”
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO POWDERS, BULLET
STYLES:
Handloaders know that powders, when stored under proper conditions,
can last a very long time. But powders that have been exposed
to moisture, heat, high humidity, sustained vibration, solvents
or other contaminents can deteriorate dangerously.
“If powders are compromised in storage, it can lead
to a change in burning rate, ease of ignition or other characteristics,”
says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s
Choice gun care products. “Handloaders are also aware
that bullets of different diameters, styles, weights and materials
should never be mixed.
“Even bullets of the same nominal diameter and weight
are not safely interchangeable for reloading purposes.”
AMMUNITION NOT DANGEROUS IN STORAGE:
Despite what you’ve seen in the movies, stocks of firearm
ammunition will not mass explode. According to the Sporting
Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) if a
single cartridge or shotshell in a carton or case is caused
to fire, it will not cause other or adjacent cartridges or
shotshells to explode in a sympathetic or simultaneous manner.
Firearm ammunition is simply not an overly sensitive item.
Ammunition will not explode due to shock or excessive vibration
and, if somehow discharged in the open without the support
provided by a firearm’s chamber or other close confinement,
it does so very inefficiently.
“If a cartridge explodes outside the chamber, the projectile
or debris particles from the case or hull have an extremely
limited velocity and range,” says Frank Ventimiglia,
vice-president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “The
only debris likely to be flung far are pieces of the primer
cap, which may be propelled a short range – usually under
50 feet.
“In fact, firefighters should know that ammunition involved
in fire does not ‘go off’ or propel debris at a velocity sufficient
to penetrate garments and protective gear that they wear.”
The concept of “good wood” is in danger of getting
lost in today’s age of synthetic gunstocks, and that’s a shame.
Wooden stocks offer a strength and beauty that one will never
find in composites. To have the very best strength and aesthetic
characteristics for a shotgun or rifle buttstock, the grain
in the wood should run lengthwise from the head of the stock
through the hand or grip area.
“On inexpensive stocks the grain continues without any
particular features, except the dark and light lines of the
wood,” says firearms expert Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president
of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “Higher-grade
stocks have varying degrees of fancy grain, such as feathering,
and the direction in which that grain runs is critical.
“The vast majority of good quality wooden stocks are
made of American black walnut while high-dollar custom stock
makers may go for French or Circassian walnut, which has a
harder composition and deeper detail.”
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HOW FAR WILL SHOTGUN PELLETS TRAVEL?
Getting sprayed with no. 8 pellets from 100 yards away in
a dove field is an inconvenience while a hail of No. 4s from
that distance can be more than uncomfortable. Just what is
the maximum range of shotgun pellets fired from a conventional
shotgun?
“Pellets from 12-gauge target loads fired at flying
target will likely fall to the ground inside of 200 yards,”
says shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president of
Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “Larger shot used
for hunting will probably carry about 100 yards farther.
“Don’t confuse maximum range with effective range, however.
The maximum effective range of hunting-sized lead shot – that
is the range at which it patterns sufficiently and still carries
lethal energy — is about 65 yards while the maximum effective
range of steel shot is about 50 yards.”
WHAT IS SKEET SHOOTING?
It’s a little known fact that complaints from a neighbor in
1926 changed skeet shooting to the format that is followed
today.
Charles Davies of Andover, Massachusetts, is credited with
devising the original game of “Shooting Around the Clock”
in which one trap was used and shooters moved around it in
a circle. When a neighbor complained about direction of the
shooting, Davies cut the circle in half and added a second
trap opposite the first, which he eventually raised to add
variety.
“The National Sportsman magazine promoted the game but
by 1926 it lacked a good name and the magazine ran a contest
to get it a name,” says shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia,
vice-president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “The
$100 first prize went to a woman who submitted the name ‘skeet’
which is a Scandanavian term for ‘shoot.’ ”
An American skeet field has eight shooting positions, seven
of which are arranged in a half-circle facing the line between
the two traps. The eighth is directly between the traps. The
left-hand house is elevated much higher than the right.
At each station contestants shoot one target from each house.
On stations No. 1, 2, 6 and 7 they also shoot at targets released
simultaneously from the two houses. Twenty-five targets is
considered a round. Unlike trapshooting, which is essentially
a 12-gauge game, skeet is contested in 12-, 20-, 28- and .410-gauge
and doubles.
How did trapshooting get its name? The game, which originated
in England, started with live pigeons as targets. The pigeons
were trapped under top hats and flew when the hats were tipped
by a string operated by the “puller”.
As the game grew, box traps replaced the top hats and glass
balls filled with feathers or soot replaced the pigeons. Eventually
brightly colored, easy-to-throw clay disks became the targets.
“Trapshooters use moderate to tightly choked 12-gauge
guns with raised barrel ribs to make them shoot high, since
the targets are rising,” says shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia,
vice-president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products. “All
of the targets are going away from the shooter at a longer
distance than most skeet or sporting clays targets.”
Five shooting positions are aligned parallel 16 yards behind
the game’s single trap position. The traphead moves constantly
side-to-side, releasing birds at random angles at the shooter’s
command. Each shooter fires a single shot in rotation until
five shots have been achieved, at which time the contestants
move to the next station.
The handicap version of the game is the same as 16-yard trap
except that the contestants stand at varying distances from
the trap house, based on their ability, as determined by previous
scores. Handicap stances range from 20 to 27 yards. There
is also a game of doubles, which is contested at 16 yards
when two targets fly simultaneously.
Sporting clays is a relatively new clay target game that is
said to combine skeet, trap and golf and is considered the
shooting game closest to actual bird hunting.
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Courses are laid out according to the terrain available with
the clay targets thrown at angles similar to what a bird would
do when flushed. In addition to crossing targets and straight-aways
there are also ground-hugging “rabbits” and vertical-vaulting
“teal” targets.
The locations of the shooting stations and the selection
of the targets is largely dependent on the terrain and features
of the course. Shooters commonly shoot a single target, then
one or two pairs – either true or “report” pairs,
where the second target is not thrown until the gun’s report
on the first. Both 50- and 100-bird courses are common and
12-gauge guns with interchangeable choke tube systems are
the most popular.
Another variation is called 5-stand clays in which shooters
fire from five positions at various targets familiar from
regular courses. Skeet fields are often converted to five-stand
set-ups with the addition of three or four more strategically
placed traps.
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute
(SAAMI) is the body that establishes standards for everything
pertaining to firearms and ammunition in the United States.
“The standards set by SAAMI include chamber and bore
dimensions, maximum acceptable service pressures, proof-load
pressures and items like that,” says shooting expert
Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun care products.
“It’s an industry-funded organization that functions
like a national proof house in other countries. The only difference
is that SAAMI does not test firearms as foreign proof houses
do. In America that responsibility is left to the manufacturer.”
WHERE DID SORBOTHANE COME FROM?
One of the best energy-absorbing materials available today
- and thus a popular choice in the manufacture of firearms
recoil pads, is Sorbothane.
Sorbothane is a lightweight synthetic material filled with
tiny air pockets, each of which is able to collapse individually
or en masse to cushion the surface to which it is applied
from an outside energy force. It was originally designed and
used to protect military fighter pilots from the severe impact
with the cockpit rim when ejecting from flying aircraft.
When Sir Isaac Newton noted that for every action there is
an equal and opposite reaction, he could have used firearms
recoil as a classic example. Recoil is the rearward and upward
movement of a firearm as it is discharged and reacts to the
force of the explosion and charge running out the barrel.
“While gun weight is a major factor in recoil, a gun
that fits the shooter well and a stock shaped to direct the
force downward, away from the shooter’s face and into the
shoulder will definitely reduce the felt recoil,” says
shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice
gun care products. “Autoloading guns are designed to
spread out the effects of recoil, making it seem less. Things
like muzzle brakes, recoil pads and weights added to the buttstock
or forearm also serve to lesson recoil.”
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HIGH BRASS OR LOW BRASS?
Seemingly forever we’ve referred to more powerful or magnum
shotgun shells as “high brass” and less-powerful
target or bird loads as “low brass”. A taller brass
cup was needed on heavier loads to handle the heavier explosive
reaction.
“The concept of high brass and low brass was accurate
back when shotgun shells were loaded with blackpowder and
even in the early days of smokeless powder,” says shooting
expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter’s Choice gun
care products.
“But today the height of the brass is entirely a matter
of style or manufacturing logistics – it makes no difference
how much powder or lead is in the hull. ”
Poison Control Center: