Firearms and Shooting

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Ryan Nafe
For the record, my system of using one gun that will work at least acceptably well for everything isn’t necessarily meant to be prescriptive, I mainly use that system because I don’t have the time and money required to get proficient with several different guns. I enjoy using and studying lots of different guns, I find them interesting to deal with, it’s just not practical for me to do it right now. Maybe when I’m older and have more time and money I’ll have more, but right now it’s just not practical.

It's an expensive hobby. There's really no need for more than one good gun though. My goal right now is to narrow down what I have.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

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me2
I just meant that it would be frustrating to put in daily practice with my pistols and see definite improvement only to learn or try a different pistol that I shoot better because of different fit, grip, balance, etc.

Ok I gotchya now. Yeah that’s kinda what happened with the G27. I was immediately shooting it as well or better than anything else I had spent lots of time on. And now with occasional live practice and lots of dry firing and drawing, I’m better with it than anything else. By a lot.

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Chum
It's an expensive hobby. There's really no need for more than one good gun though. My goal right now is to narrow down what I have.

Really the only thing I would consider buying at the moment is a Smith 629 with the 6” barrel. A dedicated hunting revolver. Otherwise I really don’t need anything new. It’s not like I can drag my gun safe through the woods after the apocalypse.

I’m currently looking for a bolt action rifle and a longish range pistol. The Savage 110 Tactical is high in the list though there are other options to meet my requirements (left hand, 308 Winchester, 10 round capacity). I’m leaning toward a 686 with a 6” barrel but we’ll see what’s available when the funds come. Looking to go to 100 yards or so with a pistol. This pistol will preferably have adjustable sights, be chambered in a reloadable cartridge, and available in conventional revolver or semiautomatic action. A T/C Encore/Contender in 30-30 is a distant second. I have the dies for 30-30 if that becomes an option but preference for more conventional actions and handgun calibers ranks higher.

Had my first competition a couple weeks ago. I did not do well. It was silhouette rimfire with peep sights at 50 yards. The smallest targets were about 2” tall chicken silhouettes, which I missed during both rounds, but hit on a 3rd round of non-regulation shooting. I’ll probably try again in April. I’d switch to the scoped category, but that’s at 100 yards and the smallest target is 3/4”

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me2
I’m currently looking for a bolt action rifle and a longish range pistol. The Savage 110 Tactical is high in the list though there are other options to meet my requirements (left hand, 308 Winchester, 10 round capacity). I’m leaning toward a 686 with a 6” barrel but we’ll see what’s available when the funds come. Looking to go to 100 yards or so with a pistol. This pistol will preferably have adjustable sights, be chambered in a reloadable cartridge, and available in conventional revolver or semiautomatic action. A T/C Encore/Contender in 30-30 is a distant second. I have the dies for 30-30 if that becomes an option but preference for more conventional actions and handgun calibers ranks higher.

I have been looking a lot at the FK BRNO PSD lately. Tough to beat for a long range pistol. Four caliber options on one gun... 9mm, 40s&w, 10mm and the 7.5fk. I was thinking of getting it because I don't own a 40s&w or a 10mm. The 7.5fk is a powerful round. It's designed to have a lot of energy out to 100-150 yard range. It is considerably more powerful than the 10mm, but the FK BRNO PSD absorbs the recoil well. Honest Outlaw says the recoil of the 7.5fk feels less than shooting 45acp out of his Wilson Combat 1911. He was shooting the lighter grain weight version of the ammo I think. The heavier loads must kick harder... probably in the hot 357mag range.

A Ruger Blackhawk with a scope in 357mag or 44mag is another good choice for a long range handgun. These single actions are well known to be very accurate. My 44mag Super Blackhawk is the most accurate handgun I own... better to say it is the handgun I'm the most accurate with. I don't know if the DA Redhawk shares the accuracy of the Blackhawk.

If you are considering a 686, why not move up to a 627 and get 8 rounds of 357mag? The 627 has become the go to gun for revolver competitions. The 627 vcomp is probably my second most accurate handgun, and it is my fastest gun on steels. Hitting 6" targets at 50 yards with regular sights is pretty easy with this gun.

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me2
Had my first competition a couple weeks ago. I did not do well. It was silhouette rimfire with peep sights at 50 yards. The smallest targets were about 2” tall chicken silhouettes, which I missed during both rounds, but hit on a 3rd round of non-regulation shooting. I’ll probably try again in April. I’d switch to the scoped category, but that’s at 100 yards and the smallest target is 3/4”

That's awesome! What is the name of the competition? Was it an NRA event?


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

The main reason for the 686 is availability. I’ve not see a 627 in a store around here yet. The other is price. I can afford the 686 but over $1000 is a bit too high.

The competition wasn’t NRA. It was at a local club. There were about a dozen shooters. The high score for my event was 27 out of 30 for 2 rounds through 15 targets. I only got 13. My spotter got 15.

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Chum
Hitting 6" targets at 50 yards with regular sights is pretty easy with this gun.

That kind of stuff is why I still have some desire for a revolver or possibly a 1911 in 10mm or .45 Super. Crisp single-action triggers in the 2-4 pound range really make a difference with either longer shots or very small targets like squirrels. I’m comfortable with shooting a deer with the G27 out to 20 or 30 yards but for anything further away it would be far better to have something with a much better trigger.

For anyone interested I found primers in-store for the first time since last summer. I found powder for only the second time in the same time frame.

I am almost done with my MAK-90 build. I am just waiting for my folding FAL/Galil type stock from CNC Warrior. I ordered it 5 weeks ago. When I got the rifle in 1996. I bought a Choate Draganov style stock for it and that is how it stayed until this year. I added a Hogue 4-way rail foregrip, Bravo Company Gunfighter Short Vertical Grip, Ultimak rail, and Holosun HS403R site, and MagPul P-Mag. When the CNC Warrior folding stock comes, I have a Hogue Pistol Grip to put on, and that's it. Done. And forget 922(r), they can arrest me.

"I am still discussing issues of steels and performance at this stage." -- Cliff Stamp, May his memory be a blessing
"Life is GOOD", -- Stefan_Wolf, May His Memory Be A Blessing
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Anyone cast their own bullets? I have been researching it and it doesn’t seem too difficult. I’m mostly interested in the reduction in powder so I can shoot more. The charge drops from ~35 grains to about 10 to 15 for 30-30. If I can find scrap lead for cheap, so much the better. My 30-30 has a new peep sight I want to break in.

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jasonstone20
I am almost done with my MAK-90 build. I am just waiting for my folding FAL/Galil type stock from CNC Warrior. I ordered it 5 weeks ago. When I got the rifle in 1996. I bought a Choate Draganov style stock for it and that is how it stayed until this year. I added a Hogue 4-way rail foregrip, Bravo Company Gunfighter Short Vertical Grip, Ultimak rail, and Holosun HS403R site, and MagPul P-Mag. When the CNC Warrior folding stock comes, I have a Hogue Pistol Grip to put on, and that's it. Done. And forget 922(r), they can arrest me.

That sounds crazy. Please post pics.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

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Ryan Nafe

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Chum
Hitting 6" targets at 50 yards with regular sights is pretty easy with this gun.

That kind of stuff is why I still have some desire for a revolver or possibly a 1911 in 10mm or .45 Super. Crisp single-action triggers in the 2-4 pound range really make a difference with either longer shots or very small targets like squirrels. I’m comfortable with shooting a deer with the G27 out to 20 or 30 yards but for anything further away it would be far better to have something with a much better trigger.

Yeah, the further out you shoot the more noticeable a good trigger is. Single action on the 627 is basically perfect. Although if you are doing the bench rest thing out to greater distances an even lighter trigger would be better, but I'm not really into bench rest shooting.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

I finally got my AK build finished:


"I am still discussing issues of steels and performance at this stage." -- Cliff Stamp, May his memory be a blessing
"Life is GOOD", -- Stefan_Wolf, May His Memory Be A Blessing
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Nice

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jasonstone20
I finally got my AK build finished:

That looks a lot better than the description you gave it. I was imagining all sorts of bulky shit sprouting off of the AK. That looks really nice.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

Cool stuff, Jason. Looks like a nice setup, I like the AK platform a lot.

I’ve got a new wheelgun on the way. A S&W 629 from the Performance Center. I just really missed having a revolver, especially for home-defense since they can be left loaded and ready without worrying about spring compression in the automatics. I might see if the local dealer can find me a lever action in .44 also.

Thanks everyone.

This is what it looked like before:

When I got it:
[www.gunsamerica.com]

With the Choate stock, and how it stayed for 20 years:
[www.kenarnoldcsa.com]

"I am still discussing issues of steels and performance at this stage." -- Cliff Stamp, May his memory be a blessing
"Life is GOOD", -- Stefan_Wolf, May His Memory Be A Blessing
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Ryan Nafe
I’ve got a new wheelgun on the way. A S&W 629 from the Performance Center. I just really missed having a revolver, especially for home-defense since they can be left loaded and ready without worrying about spring compression in the automatics. I might see if the local dealer can find me a lever action in .44 also.

That is a beast of a handgun. Congrats.

I have a Winchester 44mag Carbine. I love it. Small, lightweight, accurate, doesn't kick hard. As an added bonus 44mag tends to hit peak fps out of a 16" barrel.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

Ryan, what do you plan to load your 629 with?


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

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Chum
Ryan, what do you plan to load your 629 with?

Being that I got the 2.625” barrel snubbie, and that I intend to use it for home defense and concealed carry, I picked up a large amount of 180 grain XTP’s from a couple different retailers. My uncle and I will be cooking-up some handloads for it with those 180 grain XTP’s.

I’m thinking that with full-power magnum loads the muzzle velocity will likely top out at around 1,350 FPS, but I’m probably gonna try to keep it around 1,250 just for the sake of a balance between power/speed and controllable rapid-fire. This will basically provide .45 Auto +P+ (.45 Super) 1911 power from a gun that’s actually not much larger than my G27 .40 cal. while also being a bit lighter than a full-size 1911.

The 180 grain JHP is very effective for defense and for hunting varmints and small deer, and we’ll probably make a load for bear protection that’s moving a non-expanding bullet at a mild 1,000 FPS. But mainly I’m focused on an effective defensive load with those XTP’s.

I’ve got a nice OWB leather holster for it and I’ll be using speed strips for reloads.

Small gun, big boom.

That is a fantastic looking revolver. It looks like a pit bull in a three piece suit. Tough and classic.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

Yeah Chum, it’s a handsome piece for sure. It’s the only gun I’ve ever paid more than MSRP for, but after the initial inspection I think it’s worth it for the following reasons:



- The overall size is only marginally larger than my G27 but it offers quite a lot more bullet weight if I want it, factory 240 grain ammo will be moving as fast as typical 155 grain .40’s from the G27. And a defensive load of 180 grain XTP’s will be going several hundred FPS faster than even a full-size .40 cal pistol can launch them. Even though the barrel is only 2.625” long.

- They (the Performance Center) added a ball-detent system on the crane, so the lockup is significantly stronger and more consistent than a standard 629.

- The double-action pull is easily the lightest and smoothest I’ve felt, which is very important for a defensive gun. Significantly better than the typical ~12lb. pull of a Smith. Even with a rather soft and weak one-handed hold, I can pull the trigger with no discernible movement of the sights.

- The barrel/cylinder gap is quite small. I haven’t checked it with feeler gauges yet but I’d guess it’s right at 0.002” or 0.003”, which is basically optimal. Any smaller and you run the risk of the cylinder binding when carbon builds up, any bigger and you just lose velocity and gain blast and debris.

- A fine bead-blast finish. Not a huge deal, but it does make it a little more business-like than a more polished finish.





I’m likely going to change out the grips for something that’s just a little bit longer, enough room for 3 fingers, because I suspect that it’s current ones will be quite uncomfortable and difficult to control with the .44 Mag recoil.

I’m also going to have to pick up a very heavy-duty belt for it. The ~40 ounce weight combined with a high-ride OWB holster is just too much for my current selection of gun belts. Either a double-layer horsehide belt or a steel-reinforced one will have to be purchased. I’d prefer horsehide, but we’ll see. Either one would likely work, especially if I get a 1.75” wide horsehide belt.

I just received my order of 9mm Lehigh Xtreme Defense bullets. Any opinions on them? I found them for a good price so I figured I’d try them. Lehigh provides load data for the powder I’m using.

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me2
I just received my order of 9mm Lehigh Xtreme Defense bullets. Any opinions on them? I found them for a good price so I figured I’d try them. Lehigh provides load data for the powder I’m using.

Never tried them, but I'm interested to hear your take on them.


Chumgeyser on Youtube
E-nep throwing Brotherhood. Charter Member

I have a fair amount of test loads to do over the next couple of weeks. These are definitely on the list. I figure they’re unique enough that they’ll take about half the box to do the initial testing. If they work well they’re more available than some other kinds, so getting more won’t be terribly difficult, but might take a few tries.

I think they’re likely to be more effective than a standard FMJ, wider wounds, but not more effective than a standard JHP. They’ll be interesting to work with, either way. Is the base hollow or solid?

I decided on some new grips for the .44 snubbie:










Now I can actually get a full grip on it, even with gloves on. They’re still more compact than square-butt target grips though, they’re only about 0.500” longer than the stock boot grips. Just long enough for all three fingers, gloves or no gloves. Should be much more comfortable and controllable to fire.

They’re G10 from VZ Grips. Not exactly a classic or traditional material, but I think it fits here. This is a pretty modern-looking revolver. And being that they’re G10, they’re about as durable as it gets.

I wanted them in plain black color, but those were out of stock, so this grey/black color was the only option. They look better than I thought they would though, I like ‘em.

Best I can tell they are solid. They claim a comparable permanent wound channel, but I don’t have any way to test that. I wanted to try them to see if they’re a little more accurate than the Hornady XTP I’ve been loading for defensive purposes. The 147 gr XTPs are pretty good. The 115s are less so.

Those look like fine grips. I’ve always like the way G10 or Micarta look when done that way. For that piece I’d definitely want as much to get hold of as I could find.

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me2
Best I can tell they are solid. They claim a comparable permanent wound channel, but I don’t have any way to test that. I wanted to try them to see if they’re a little more accurate than the Hornady XTP I’ve been loading for defensive purposes. The 147 gr XTPs are pretty good. The 115s are less so.

The 147 grain XTP is an interesting bullet, I think it’s the only handgun bullet I’ve seen that has a boattail. I think part of the reason the 115’s are less accurate is probably due to the shorter bearing surface on the bullet. They’re easier to get a little tilted in the case during seating, they’re easier to have enter the bore a little tilted or off-center, etc. This can happen with all sorts of cartridges, not just the 9mm. I’m likely to see a similar effect with the 180 grain .44 Mag loads, it’s just such a short bullet.

One thing about those LD Penetrators is that I wouldn’t be surprised if they created slightly more thorough and consistent shattering of bones than a normal FMJ or JHP. Just a guess, I could be wrong, but it seems plausible.

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me2
Those look like fine grips. I’ve always like the way G10 or Micarta look when done that way. For that piece I’d definitely want as much to get hold of as I could find.

I’m pretty happy with how they look and feel, it’s a massive improvement over the goofy grips it came with. I’ll be doing load development and initial test-firing this weekend, barring any kind of massive rainstorm or something. So we’ll see.

One other thing to note, it’s not gonna be here until next week but I found a Miami Vice style leather shoulder holster for this revolver. It’s made by a company in Turkey called Masc Holsters. Very reasonable price, generally good to great feedback from customers, and it’s not a style of holster I’ve tried before. They’re one of the very few companies I found that actually offers holsters specifically for that gun.

We’ll see how I like it when it comes in, I like the idea of it though. The gun and two full speed loaders, all in one rig, just grab it and you’re ready for action. Concealment won’t be a thing without at least my denim jacket over it, but I think at the very least it’ll be an excellent choice for outdoor stuff. Hunting, doing work on the hunting property, fishing, camping, etc. It’d be a decent carry system for driving, too, much easier to get to while seated than something on my waist. And no need for a heavy gun belt.