Squeege

I hadn't thought about it before but another great source of information about home defense and personal carry as well as lots of general hunting and shooting information can be found at Guns and Shooting Online. There is an extensive free area that has a lot of "must read" stuff in it. chuckhawks.com will get you there.

 

Thanks tencubed[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Now I have plenty of reading to absorb ....

I went to a sportsman's warehouse over the weekend. I liked the look of the Bushnell Trophy 1x28 site, but will wait and do more research. It doesn't mount with the Rings that came with the rifle. The rings that come with the Bushnell don't fit the rifle either[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

Sometimes it's a bit tricky to find bases and mounts that will match up and have the scope at the height you want. Have you looked at a peep sight for the rifle? I find, even with my eyes, that a peep is very good for close in work. Like 100 yards and less. Few years ago most of my hunting rifles had peep sights but anymore I really need the glass if the ranges are getting out there a bit.

 

I have to disagree with my esteemed colleagues about using birdshot as a self defense load. It is a common refrain heard by even respected firearms instructors but it flies in the face of everything we've learned from 40+ years of wound ballistics research and the supposed safety factor is marginal.

Birdshot is not lethal enough to be used in a defensive situation. It doesn't incapacitate quickly enough. It does not penetrate deep enough or produce a large enough wound channel or cause enough organ damage. Birdshot just does not have the sectional density to get deep enough to cause enough damage to critical body organs. It will cause massive tissue damage but not the type of damage that it needs to.

What does seem to be the best blend of performance without over penetration is #1 buckshot. That is backed up with tests in ordnance gelatin and from wound ballistics research from those credible researchers like Fackler and MacPhearson.

As for shotguns indoors, they are hideously loud. So are rifles. So are handguns for that matter. You'll lose some hearing if you shoot inside especially long guns. Also measure inside your house. Take those measurements to the range with birdshot and your defensive loads and start shooting paper. You will most likely find that in most cases inside your house your "scatter gun" - isn't. It is shooting like a big awkward handgun launching one big lump of shot. Even with it down to legal length and shooting the longest conceivable shot inside your home you will probably be surprised how tiny that spread is. Something to to take into consideration.

Next take that shotgun and move through your house. Try to move around corners with it. Try to clear a room. Try to get to your children's room from your bedroom. See how difficult it is to maneuver that long awkward shotgun even if it is at the shortest legal barrel length and equipped with pistol grips(aren't those a gas to shoot by the way? Everyone needs one of those).

My point is that it is very easy for an assailant to grab the muzzle of a shotgun and wrestle it away from you indoors. A person has to be very aware of that.

Just some food for thought.

Nice to see good knowledgeable guys on here helping each other out.

 

Captain, I have first hand knowledge about bird shot. I was to a hospital to give blood to a cousin of mine that had taken a load of 12 gauge bird shot,number 8ths in the stomach at close range,10 or so yds....he lost his pancreas but lived to tell about....many stories around here about shot gun survival. When I was over seas, we used buck shot(number one) for our trench guns.That is a lethal load.

 

I just bought a Meopta rifle scope, and will install it on a Ruger No.1 that I had custom built. 50X10X3 30 MM rings...Let you know how it works out..

 

i found that the bushnell elite scope are by far the clearest scopes for the money. i got a 3x9x40 browning scope for $164.00 on e-bay. it is made on the 3200 elite but it has fully coated lens compared to the 3200 multi coated witch makes it about like the 4200 just does not have the rain guard. i looked throught a vIII leupold a nikon and a zest and the browing was the clearest to me. the browning is not being made anymore but you can still find them the 4200 has a 3x9x40 around $200.00 go to www.swfa.com

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: boss400

i found that the bushnell elite scope are by far the clearest scopes for the money. i got a 3x9x40 browning scope for $164.00 on e-bay. it is made on the 3200 elite but it has fully coated lens compared to the 3200 multi coated witch makes it about like the 4200 just does not have the rain guard. i looked throught a vIII leupold a nikon and a zest and the browing was the clearest to me. the browning is not being made anymore but you can still find them the 4200 has a 3x9x40 around $200.00 go to www.swfa.com</end quote></div>


I agree 100%. I have 3 3200 Elite's and 2 4200 Elites, along with 3 pair of Elite binoc's. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!

 

Might also check out a scout scope. It isn't so much a high magnification device as much as it is a very good iron sight. Usually 2x, mounts far down the barrel so it isn't in your face. About halfway between a rifle scope and a pistol scope. The idea is - keep both eyes open, so you have good peripheral vision, and in the center of your vision is this 2x circle with cross hairs.

I have one on a Henry Big Boy in .44 mag, and it works very well. You still have the quick handling of a short levergun, just a lot better sighting. Leupold turns out their M8 scope in scout configuration, or you can save some money and find an old Redfield Frontier - usually one or two on ebay in the $80-90 range.

 

I have a set of fiber optic sight on my "bear defense shotgun" not that you would have time to actually aim the thing. The front one is Blue the rear is Yellow. It is the old Yellow and Blue make Green trick. All I know is after taking it to the range and shooting it You can easily tell when its lined up. IT would easily work at ranges out to 100yds.

I prefer 12ga. 00-buck and a slug both 3inch. Haven't had to use it and hopefully never will.

SJ