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Now it's possible to have your own ballistic laboratory right at your home range. For many years I have been troubled by the nagging suspicion that being a gun writer […]

Opinions on terminal ballistics for defensive handguns are as varied as sentiments toward Britney Spears. The reality is that the complexity of the issue is much deeper than what meets [...]

Ballistics Data Shot Pellet Pellet Muzzle Shell payload material size count velocity 3 in. / 1 1/4 oz. Steel No. 2 158 1,450 3 in. / 1 oz. Steel No. [...]

What do these 16-inch guns have in common with your .308? A lot. When it comes to knockdown power, the 16-inch guns on the Iowa Class battleships are in a [...]

The article offers suggestions and techniques for handling handguns and discusses the ballistics required in each instance. Topics discussed include need for pointing and shooting at the target, impact of hitting in the central nervous system to ensure immediate collapse, and views of gun writer Finn Aagaard on need for penetration during shooting.

The article evaluates several ballistics software that can calculate shots including Delta V from Lex Talus Corp., Coldbore from Patagonia Ballistics, and Applied Ballistics from Applied Ballistics LLC.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How much flatter is a .22-250 than the .243? If you go to Winchester's website, you can plug in your cartridges of choice and get a visual comparison […]

The article offers tips for shooting in the dark.

The article discusses the science behind modern cartridge design including the .300 WSM, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, and the .224 Valkyrie. The author talks about its design and features and the design characteristics of long-standing traditional cartridges. Topics include impact of design on the projectile performance, bullet aerodynamics, and accuracy standards of design.

Provides information on ballistic coefficient of bullets. Brief history of ballistics; Steps in determining the ballistic coefficient of a bullet; Example of a bullet with good expansion characteristics.

As the chart below shows, these rifles shoot flatter and hit harder than pistol-caliber straight-wall cartridges. As long as you keep your shots to a reasonable distance, the .450 Bush- master provides plenty of wallop for really big animals such as elk, but like the other straight-wall .44/.45 rifle cartridges, it produces significant recoil. Rifle cartridges for hunting public land must have a minimum bullet diameter of .357 inch, and a case that measures no less than 1.16 inches and no greater than 1.8 inches. [Extracted from the article]

In Stephen Hunter's latest book, Game of Snipers, his iconic character is summoned to save the day once again. When I interviewed Hunter - you can find that Q&A at outdoorlife.com/ GOS - I wasn't surprised to learn that he had purchased an Accuracy International rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor for "research" purposes. His trigger time and expertise with that rifle are reflected in the book. [Extracted from the article]

Focuses on the use of the point-blank zero (PBZ) ballistic trick in hunting. Information on the point-blank range of a cartridge; Use of a pipe to describe PBZ; Significance of PBZ to hunters who want to cleanly kill game.

The article offers tips for handling pistol. Taking a strong grip on pistol and leaning with weight slightly forward is a good thing. The natural orientation of a handgun when the shooter is using a two-handed grip is straight up and down. Either in competition or in a defensive situation, one will shoot faster and more accurately by canting the pistol to the outside about 20 degrees.

The article offers a guide to placing a bet on a cartridge race. Though dedicated, or proprietary, cartridges may offer some profit or ego satisfaction for their owner/developers, do not bet on any of them becoming the next ballistic sensation. Unlike ordinary do-it-yourself wildcats, proprietary rounds are cloaked in semi-respectability, usually, but not always, by dint of being head-stamped with their proprietary name. Meanwhile, the most successful dangerous-game cartridge of modern times is the .458 Winchester Magnum.

The article offers tips for Steel Challenge shooting. Centerfire shooters start with the gun holstered and their wrists held above their shoulders. Black sights work well for those with young eyes, but a brightly contrasting front sight color can leap out and confirm an on-target sight picture on the white plates.

The article presents questions and answers related to firearm shooting including the use of gel-like blocks to test the ballistics of bullets and loads in guns and the suitability of 110-gr.BTHP bullet from Hornady for deer hunting.

The article offers insights from readers on microstamping as a way of controlling gun and identifying ballistics in the U.S. One reader stated that there must be more than 50 guns in their evidence locker in which the numbers have been changed and questions whether those are taken by law-abiding citizens. One person shares that they have shown them the facts and they reject them. Another reader believes that the only way to change their minds is to have law-abiding citizens save their children.

The article focuses on using a chamber flag in recreational shooting.

Byline: Jim Carmichel When we line up our sights on a big-game animal, we're confronted with three distinct problems that we must solve in mere moments. First, there's the ever […]

The article offers brief information on the Velocitip Ballistic System from Full Flight Technology.

This section offers news briefs related to guns in the U.S. A ballistics study, authorized and funded by the Pennsylvania legislature, has determined that slug-shooting shotguns are no safer for deer hunting than centerfire rifles or muzzleloading firearms. It has been 25 years since the Kennesaw, Georgia, city fathers approved a controversial ordinance requiring residents to own firearms and know how to use them.

The performance specifications used to describe most shooting equipment is easy to grasp. With rifles, we have trigger weight and length of pull. On scopes, we talk about magnification and [...]

Presents updates on gun-related issues in the U.S. as of May 2005. Failure of the ballistic fingerprinting system of Maryland according to a report by the Maryland Police Department; Decision of New Mexico House of Representative Doug Quelland to pull out a bill to protect people certified to carry concealed firearms from prosecution; Arrest of anti-gun activist Annette Stevens after police allegedly discovered a handgun and illegal drugs in her home.

The company has correctly read the market, understanding that precision shooters require extremely tactile turrets tuned to reticles with abundant references, but that hunters want a second-plane reticle and a modest magnification range. The MOA hash reticle in the second focal plane is serviceable on its own, but to milk all the capability out of the basic reticle, either order a free custom turret or use Nikon's excellent SpotOn online ballistics calculator to establish holdover at any magnification for your specific load. This is evidenced by the excellent first-plane reticle: the MSR2, or Multipurpose Sniper Reticle, with a bonus reticle in the image plane that's used to range distant targets. Meopta has dedicated precision-rifle reticles in the offing, including a milling reticle with abundant holdover and hold-off references. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents tips on how to improve gun shooting skills and win gun competitions. They include taking methodical approach, achieving mental focus, rapidly shifting from one gun to the other, ensuring that guns work smoothly and reliably, and taking into account ammunition power when selecting pistols.

ONE OF THE MOST OVERUSED--AND certainly misused--words in the gun business is 'match.' Match-grade guns, match-grade barrels, match-grade ammo--does the word 'match' actually mean anything? The answer is, yes ... [...]

The article discusses how to determine ammo power requirements imposed upon pistols in gun competitions. The Power Factor (PF) is used to determine the relative power of the load employed. It is computed by multiplying the bullet weight by the velocity and dividing that figure by 1,000. Any figure between 125 and 164.9 is a minor caliber, while 165 and over is a major caliber. Minor and major calibers are allowed in all divisions, with the exception of IDPA CDP.

Features the .233 Winchester Super Short Magnum bullet used for hunting. Advantage of the .223 with other .22/250 by 170 feet-per-second bullets; Details of bullets with plastic tips; Result of using polymer-tipped bullets.

The article evaluates several rangefinders for shooting which include the Leupold RX-FullDraw2, the 7X viewfinder from Leica Camera AG, and the Sig Sauer Kilo2400ABS.

It looks like we made something of a mistake. When I say "we" I don't mean only OUTDOOR LIFE but just about every outdoor magazine and shooting journal and all […]

The article explains the root cause of sometimes poor performance of .458 Winchester Magnum in Africa. In late 1950s there were rumors about the Winchester's failure to stop big games in Africa. Some amateur ballistics theorists speculated that the problem with the .458 Magnum was that its case did not hold enough powder. A letter to the editor in a 2004 issue of "Precision Shooting" magazine related a discovery of quality problems with Winchester's ammunition production line.

The article features a Thompson/Center Pro Hunter rifle fitted with a Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum Katahdin barrel, in addition to providing its specifications including recoiling,bullet.

The article evaluates several shooting cartridges for hunters including the 6.5 Remington Magnum from Remington; the .17 Mach 2 cartridge from Hornady; and the .450 Marlin from Marlin.

The article offers information on the handgun hunting that requires hunting skills and time, and presents several hunting products including the VX-3 Handgun 2.5-8x32 from Leupold, the Great Alaskan Shoulder Holster from Galco, and the Bog-Pod TAC-3S Tripod from Bog-Pod. Topics include increase in the number of cartridges for handgun hunting; views of Paul Pluff, director of marketing communications at Smith and Wesson; and working on trigger control to be a good handgunner.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of elk and mule hunting in western Colorado.

Evaluates the Nosler Custom Rifle from Nosler. Ability of the rifle to eliminate the uncertainty of elevation; Background on its custom-loaded ammunition; Performance in shooting.

Focuses on the advantages of the short-magnum cartridges used in hunting. Description of the short-magnum cartridges; Information on the British cartridge, .404 Jeffery Nitro Express; Design and accuracy of short-magnum cartridges.

The article evaluates several watches made specifically for outdoorsmen including the Axio Max Steel from Highgear Inc., Suunto X10 from Suunto Sports, and the Timex Expedition WS4 from Timex Corp.

By Will Brantley The author’s Nebraska mule deer and the new Browning X-Bolt. (WILL BRANTLEY) SIX OF US were huddled around the box of cartridges, studying the ballistics of the [...]

The article discusses how accurate are the green bullets. It states that solid, homogenous bullets would win all the accuracy games and comparisons hands down. To identify the accuracy, it tested Nosler Inc.'s 168-grain 30-caliber E-Tip, which has a profile virtually identical to that of its 165-grain Ballistic Tip. It reveals that Ballistic Tips proved more accurate in each caliber, but it is not enough to support claims that green bullets are insufficiently accurate for hunting big games.

Examines the safety of steel shot as an alternative to lead for waterfowl hunting in the United States. Result of live duck tests on steel shot; Complaints of hunters on steel shot; Problems posed by steel shot ammunition development; Discussion on the physics aspect of the steel-shot problem. INSETS: LEAD VS. NONTOXIC SHOT;Quick Tip.

Feldmann's boat, and finally this flimsy kayak, deliver us to the rocky shore of Greenland and the musk oxen that don't care about our long, circuitous approach. Feldmann, a native Dane who had guided hunts in Lapland for decades, recognized that Greenland's musk oxen could also sustain a sport-hunting economy, and gained permission from the provincial government to guide international hunters, mainly bowhunters. We hunted with Frank Feldmann, whose outfit specializes in both musk oxen and caribou (greenlandoutfitters.com). We opted for double-tough rifles and optics built for mountain hunting and the longish shots that are sometimes required for open-country animals such as caribou and musk ox. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents the author's insights on a myth about hunting a deer. Topics discussed include the importance of bullet energy when it is insufficient to penetrate enough to reach the vital organs of the animal, hitting the central nervous system of the deer, and striving for precision shot placement.

Byline: J.R. Absher Ballistics Study SLUGS NOT SAFER: A ballistics study, authorized and funded by the Pennsylvania legislature, has determined that slug-shooting shotguns are no safer for deer hunting than [...]

Presents a product review of the rifle .260 Remington, which the author claims has the best deer cartridge. Shootability; Ballistics comparisons; Testing a hunting rifle on how a bullet behaves on its way to the target.

Focuses on the debate over blunt-nose bullets versus more streamlined projectiles with pointy profiles. Ballistics testing; Advice to readers on gun-related subjects; Flinching; Twist in rifle barrels; Gun cleaning. INSET: Carmichel honored (`Outdoor Life' shooting editor Jim....