Tested out the NAA PUG today

COMPARISON: (L-R) S&W 38 SP, NAA PUG, NAA MINI-MASTER

Today's trip to the range was focused on field testing the North American Arms PUG. The PUG (shown in the center) is a tiny 22 mag 5 shot revolver with a 1" barrel. All I'm going to say here is that the gun shot much better than I could have ever imagined. I put together a video composed of the clips that I shot this morning and posted it on my NAA page. CLICK HERE to see it. I also took 2 other revolvers with me, but ended up only firing 15 rounds through the 38 and none through the NAA Mini-Master. Cleaning revolvers is a lot of work, and I didn't feel like getting home and having to face cleaning 3, though the Dunk-Kit makes cleaning a lot faster and easier. I was hoping to zero in the Crimson Trace laser on the 38 today, but it was too bright to accurately accomplish that. The laser is still 2-3 inches off, but that's acceptable for the time being for home defense. I'll likely have to tweak it at an indoor range, but the hours there are extremely expensive so I've been putting it off. I've been shooting the NAA Mini-Master a lot over the past month to work out the sight issues, so I decided to put as many rounds through the PUG as I could during the available time. I had one misfire during the first 10 rounds, but the case had a good solid hit so it must have been a bad primer. I ended up shooting two 50 round boxes and that was the only problem round. I'll let you watch the movie clip to get additional information.

Ulta-slow motion. This is amazing!

Hello out there!.....

As of 8/23/09 I have 91,533 hits on this Shooting Journal, yet I have no idea who's out there reading it. It would be encouraging to get an email from you with as little as your name and state, letting me know that you're out there. This info will help me improve the blog, and I assure you I am not collecting email addresses and no one but me will see your letter. I've set up a special email box at brshooting@sbcglobal.net, so please take a minute to say 'Hello'.

Thanks! ~Bob

Shooting a 357 Magnum and a 38 Special

This Monday Bill and I shot at our buddy Dirk's range for 7 hrs, shooting everything from a NAA 22LR-Mini to an M1 Garand. We had a blast, and Dirk brought a bunch of toys for us to try out. Being the Wheelgun Journal, this page will focus on just the revolvers. Check out Monday's post on the 2009 Range Report page for a more extensive story with video clips and photos. Also check out my NAA Mini-Master page for movies and stories involving the fun we had shooting Dirk's girlfriend's NAA 22LR-Mini and my Mini-Master 22 Mag. revolver.

The movie above starts out with Dirk, then myself shooting a stainless 6" S&W 357 magnum loaded with 38 Special wadcutters. That's followed by me shooting a S&W 38 Airweight with Crimson Trace laser grips. Once again I was very please with the results, but this time I had no problem what-so-ever seeing the laser dot on the target. The 6" S&W was so much bigger and heavier than my 2" that the recoil felt like a 22 magnum in comparison. It was a real pleasure to shoot and I personally would really like a revolver like this for home defense.

Once again, check out my other posts for more info on this week's shoot.

Bagged my first chuck with the Single Six

Today must be the hottest, most humid day of the year, but I decided to make the most of it by at least taking one pass through my favorite hunting spot at 10:30. To lighten the load I carried my Ruger 17HMR Single Six instead of the lever rifle. Within the first half hour I spotted a good size chuck, took the shot and bagged it. For the entire story visit my post on the 2009 Hunting page.

Cylinder & Slide Universal Dunk-Kit

I shot 3 revolvers at the range this morning, which usually means that the next couple of hours is dedicated to scrubbing my handguns clean. This week I picked up a 3/4 gal. bucket of Cylinder & Slide's 'Dunk-Kit' gun cleaner and this should provide the perfect test of the product.

The first step is to remove the grips and any plastic or wood parts. Be careful if you have nickle plating because this product will get under the plating and lift it if the gun soaks too long. There shouldn't be a problem if you use the product on a rag and don't soak it. Dunk-Kit looks and feels something like a thin blue oil with a smell that is much more pleasant than the other cleaners I've been using.

I keep my parts together in a safe place or I'm sure to loose a grip screw.

Next dip your guns into the cleaner and let them soak for about 10 minutes. It's recommended that you don't soak a firearm for over an hour. I think the problem is more with lead sludge that could have settled to the bottom of well used solution. You can reuse this for a year by pouring the liquid into another container from time to time and wiping out the sediment that's at the bottom of the bucket. That's why they recommend that we wear gloves. Since this solution is new and clean, I didn't bother.

Once the guns have soaked for about 10 minutes, go over your gun as you usually would with a wire brush...

...and brush out your cylinders and barrel. Return the gun to the solution for another 5 minutes or so. While the gun is submerged, squeeze the trigger 20 times to cycle the gun and loosen up any caked up grime that collected in the action.

Finally, pull the guns out of the solution and let them drip dry or blow them dry if you have a compressor or canned air. I put a few nails in my shelf and it's perfect to have the dripped off solution return to the bucket. The product is a lubricant as well as a cleaner, so just wipe them dry. I also ran a patch through the barrels and cylinders because I don't want lubricant migrating into my cartridges. I found the bucket cover difficult to reseal, but Bill Laughridge at 'Cylinder & Slide' informed me that the solution evaporates very slowly, so you only need to lay the cover over the top of the bucket. No need to seal it.

Having only been able to give my guns sponge baths for all these months, it must feel good to finally get a deep cleaning in a tub. Now where's that rubber ducky?

For more information, check out an article on my 2009 Range Report. You'll find links to their web site which includes a link to a few excellent demonstration movies. Once you clean your handguns with 'Dunk-Kit', you'll never clean your guns without it.

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/index.html

6-20-09 Crimson Trace LaserGrips Report from the range

Last weekend my son Jamie and I shot the S&W 38 snubby at the range for the first time and zeroed in the Crimson Trace Laser Grips. When I return home from the range, the first thing I always do is to clean my firearms, or take an nap, then clean my firearms. Instructions say that before cleaning the 38, the grips must first be removed. That only requires the removal of 2 screws, but I did have some concern whether I'd still be on target after the re-install.

Today I used Remington 38 Special ammo instead of the wad-cutters I used most of the time last weekend. I was amazed that one of my first shots landed a round in the red. Since it was noon and sunny, it wasn't easy to see the red dot. Even so, I did manage to land every round on these rather small targets. In fact, very often I'd land 2 or 3 shots in a row almost into the same hole!

There were instances where looking through the iron sights, I expected to see the red dot but didn't. To acquire the dot, I had to swing the revolver around until I caught sight of it. The problem wasn't that the dot wasn't bright enough, but rather that the red dot appeared to be so far out of alignment with the iron sights that I couldn't find it! More than once I thought the laser was knocked out of alignment by the recoil, only to discover that when the dot was placed on the red and the iron sights were ignored, I hit the target every time. That explains why I couldn't hit the target if my life depended on it when targeting with the iron sights. I could have been shooting as much as a foot or more off! After firing 50 rounds, I put the gun in its case and went onto sighting in the Mini-Master.

Last night I discovered what an excellent training tool the laser appears to be. If I dry fire the gun double action with laser on, I can easily see where I'm directing the barrel. My plan is to start spending time in my basement dry firing with aluminum bullets in the cylinder. The next thing I need to look into is a trigger job because the pull is so stiff that it's easy too get off target, especially when multiple rounds need to be fired quickly.

Crimson Trace Laser Grips have proven to be all that I had hoped and more. The only thing that continues to need work is the trigger and myself, but I don't think Crimson Trace can help in those areas.

I assure you that any holes not on the targets were made by someone else. The holes near the outside edges of the targets were created when I shot double action. This gun has a stiff trigger pull and needs a trigger job. That's my LaserLyte reflective laser target in the upper right.

By the way, there's currently a deal going on at the Glastonbury Range where a bunch of guys are pooling together to get a group discount on Pro-Ears. I've been using Pro-Ears for a good two years and as far as I'm concerned, they're the best. I think the Range Officers can give you additional info and a product sheet. Visit my Products page for info on my Pro-Ears.

It's almost a miracle!

I didn't say 'It's a miracle!" without very good reason. For the entire time I've owned this S&W 38 Special, I haven't been able to hit the broad side of a barn with it. Of course every once in awhile I'd land a round on target, but it's the rare exception and not the rule. This week I installed a set of Crimson Trace Laser Grips and today was my first opportunity to try them out. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to see the red laser dot at near 50 feet in daylight, but was surprised to discover that I could. Today's sun wasn't direct, but if you're adjusting your sights in bright sunlight, I suggest using the reflecting target that comes with many bore sighters. Laser Grips are really designed for low light and interior situations, so to tell you the truth, I didn't expect to see the dot at all because the red dot from my laser bore sighter was invisible in a similar situation.

A close-up of the upper right target in Jamie's movie. Most of the holes off the target where there when we got it... really.

The fixed sights on the 38 are either so far off or just so difficult to align accurately that even when braced against my shooting box from a seated position I couldn't hit a thing. This gun has been nothing but frustration since the day I bought it. Since I couldn't hit the target using the fixed sights, making the laser dot meet the fixed sights wasn't a workable solution to get me on paper. The laser's factory settings didn't work for me either, but after a bit of trial and error, in a short time I was able to nail the target with nearly every round using the laser. You can imagine my surprise when I shot 5 rounds, landing every one in the black. Then handing the gun to my son, he had matching results! We honestly never though the gun was capable of such accuracy . In the movie above Jamie lands 5 rounds out of 5 on the small black target located in the upper right corner.

The next phase is to zero in the laser at an indoor range under low light conditions. The goal will be to reduce the group size down to the X-ring, which I believe will be achievable shooting single action. After that, I'll need to work on my double action technique. A trigger job would really help in that department.

Crimson Trace Laser Grips have proven to be worth every dollar, and my only regret is that I didn't purchase the gun with the grips pre-installed. Don't make the same mistake.

Installing Crimson Trace LaserGrips on a J-Frame S&W 38 Airweight

My wife called me at work this afternoon (because I asked her to) and informed my that my Crimson Trace LaserGrips had arrived. She said a very small box arrived and was wondering if that was it. I told her "Yes", and for the rest of the afternoon my mind was at home opening that box.

When I got home and picked up the box, she wasn't exaggerating. It shipped in a 7" x 9" x 3" box that was so light it appeared to be empty. I opened it and packed in peanuts was a beautiful back box that looked like it held a fine piece of jewelery. Enclosed in the box were the tiny J-frame grips, a beautiful black storage bag with a logo printed on it, a small bag of parts (including batteries) and the manual. Now it was time to swap out the grips.

The first step is to remove the single screw that attaches the existing grips.

Once removed, I wiped down any oil that was trapped under the grips.

Next, snap the two batteries into the LaserGrips. The + side faces up with the other side against the grip. Slide the battery into the flat part first and it slips in easily. I had to shine my tiny bore light on the battery compartment to read those microscopic words printed into the rubber.

Next snap down the grips and thread in two small screws. Note that they are different sizes so read the instructions to get it right.

The grips come with two warning sticks that I wasn't sure I wanted to install. I ended up putting them on and they ended up being a nice finishing touch. Reminds me of my old jet model days. The finished product is really slick. I had a choice between the grips I installed and an over sized set. I'm glad I went with the smaller version because they're the same size as the stock grips and don't stick up out of my holsters. I don't own this weapon for fun shooting, so I prefer to keep it small and concealable.

The laser is factory set at 50', but when I turned it on I discovered that it's pointing about 6" to the left. Either the fixed sights are off (very possible) or the laser needs adjustment. For that the package comes with two tiny, almost thread-like hex wrenches. At least I guess that's what they are. They're so small I can't make out the shape of the ends. They go into two tiny holes in the grip, which rotates tiny screws which move the laser. The instruction says that one turn is the most they should need adjustment.

The grips also come with 2 tiny Q-Tips for cleaning the lens. Before the revolver is cleaned, the grips must be removed to keep them clean and dry. Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be ordering more screws? They'll be easy to drop and loose, so be careful when disassembling.

Sunday I'll be trying them out at the range. The laser is very bright, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to see it in direct sun. I'll be sighting in at close range, so I'm hoping I'll be able to see the dot on my target. My LaserLite boresighter came with little reflector targets that amazingly bounce the laser back so it can be brightly see even at 50 yards, so I'll get one out if necessary. Tomorrow I'll point the laser outside in sunlight to see if I can see the dot. Lasers are really designed for low light target acquisition.

One thing I've already noticed is that I no longer have the need to stretch my arms out to aim the handgun. In fact, it easily points with the gun pulled into the chest, which is a fast way to acquire the target and a way to keep an attacker from laying a hand on my gun. I have a feeling this is going to fix all the targeting problems I've had with the small revolver and I'm really looking forward to doing tests with and without the laser on. This is going to be fun. Check back early next week for the results.

Crimson Trace LASERGRIPS

Coming Soon! The BR NAA Mini-Master Journal

I am really excited about getting the opportunity to shoot this very cool Mini-Master revolver by North American Arms. It has a 4" barrel that is oversize for most handguns in this class. Although I often carry a S&W 38 Special Airweight, I've been looking for something a bit smaller as a backup or to carry when I want to travel lighter. This gun should fill the bill, as well as being a blast to shoot. When I shoot 22mags or 17HMR's through my SingleSix's, it's about as exciting as shooting a 22; there's basically no recoil. I like a gun that bites back, as long as it doesn't hurt to shoot. Heck, if I don't enjoy some recoil, I might as well shoot AirSoft. I also like the impressive blast of a 22 mag fired from a revolver. I'm guessing that this gun will make 22mags fun to shoot again, and I'm looking forward to having Jamie get a crack at it on Father's Day at the range if it arrives on time. Check my new New Mini-Master Journal. This is going to be fun!, and that's what shooting is all about.

Coming Soon! Crimson Trace LaserGrips test on S&W 38 Special

Exciting news! Crimson Trace is sending out a set of laser grips for my S&W Airweight 38 Special. I've been complaining that I can't hit the broad side of a barn with it, and I'm really hoping that these grips do the trick. From everything I've read and seen, I should have originally purchased this handgun with these grips installed. They are a MUST for these small J-frame revolvers. As soon as the grips come in, I'll be shooting photos and video clips from the range, reporting to you the results. Check back in a few weeks to read my report.

Until then, here's a link to the Crimson Trace website for more info on their LG-405.

The SingleSix inconsistency continues

Continued from the 2009 Range Report Page
...I shot the Ruger at 25 yards and again have mixed feelings. I loaded and shot 6 rounds and the group was the size of a dime. The next time I load it and tried to repeat the process, my groups were either all over the target or tight and off to the side somewhere. I've gotten to the point were I feel like putting the gun away after shooting a tight group for fear that the next group will stink. So far I've not been able to build any confidence in my ability to hunt with the gun. This is ridiculous for a 17HMR. I regret the fact that I sold my brother's old Single Six and had to cough up another $200 to buy the 17. At least the 22LR/22Mag was cheap to shoot and I could shoot all kinds of ammo; from 22 shorts to the hyper velocity stuff. The 17 magnum is limited to a single caliber and 50 rounds set me back $12-15 instead of $5 or less. Accuracy isn't all that great either. The sights on the SingleSix are like trying to perform bypass surgery with boxing gloves on. Ruger should limit these sights to belly guns and start putting very precise sights on this revolver. I'm sure I'll be changing them out over the summer if I can find something better, as well as experimenting with different ammo. I believe the CCI ammo I've been using is partially responsible for the gun's inconsistency but in the past ballistic tips didn't shoot much better... MORE

Note: My buddy Dirk suggested that it could be a heat problem. That's very possible since the first 6 rounds are right on the money. If that's true, the SingleSix is still a good hunting gun because you'll rarely shoot more than a couple rounds at any target. But if this is the problem, it stinks as a range gun.

Bagged one with the Single Six

Small game hunting this year has been the pits and squirrel sightings have been virtually nonexistent... until today. This is the first squirrel I've seen in at least a month, and I bagged it with one shot from my SingleSix. Check out the story by clicking HERE.

Lee Loader

Dirk (the guy who bought my 2 SKSs and my SingleSix) was nice enough to give me a Lee Reloading setup for my 38 Special with a scale, a bag of bullets and another of empty casings. I'm not sure what to do with it yet, but over upcoming weeks I'll be studying up on reloading 38 Special cartridges. YouTube is a good resource to actually see someone reloading with this kit (see video above). As I move forward with this I'll set up a reloading page to share with you as I learn in case you're interested in getting started. Once Nobama gets into office, who knows if reloading will become illegal since there's a good chance he will push for microstamping. I think it's a good idea to buy what you need now because in 6 months reloading may become illegal and reloaders will be looked upon as the moonshiners of the Prohibition era. 'Load'm if you Got'm!' Thanks again Dirk.

An easy time setting up and sighting in the SingleSix

MY FINAL GROUP IS CIRCLED IN RED

I'm getting really sick of carrying my heavy scoped Henry rifles through the woods for 4 hours when the norm lately has become seeing nothing. To make life easier, I decided to put the scope back on my 17HMR SingleSix.

REMOVING THE SIGHTS AND INSTALLING THE SCOPE MOUNT
I started by installing the B-Square scope mount after removing the stock front and rear sights. The front sight comes off by removing a single screw. You remove the rear sight by turning the adjustment screw counterclockwise until it totally backs out. Be sure not to loose the two tiny springs that will come loose at the bottom. The sight is hinged and held in place by a tiny pin. If you get a small nail or an ice pick, you can push the pin out and the rear sight will come off. The B-Square rail screws into the two existing screw holes. Note that the two screws have different size heads. The smaller screw goes to the rear and the larger one up front. I noticed that the front rail doesn't lock down tight to the barrel. When the screw is fully tightened, there's about 1/16" of play if you push down on it. The spring of the aluminum keeps the rail solid, and I think the gap absorbs some of the recoil when the gun is fired. If the screw was to fully tighten the rail to the barrel, the rail would have a strange curve which I don't believe is correct.

MOUNTING THE SCOPE AND BORE SIGHTING IT
Once the rail was mounted, I put on my old rings and the cheap BSA scope I bought last year. Everything went on smoothly and quickly, and within half an hour I had the LaserLyte bore laser in the muzzle. I shot the laser from one end of my basement to the other and was surprised that I was only about 5 clicks off. Today I took the revolver to the indoor range to tweak the sighting in process. Note that I do not recommend this BSA scope. The field of view is narrow and the image isn't bright in low light. I bought it because I was able to get it at half price. If you can afford a better scope, don't waste your money on a cheap one because you'll end up getting rid of it and buying a better one anyway. I'm hoping to pick up a sponsor that will donate one, but until then I'll make due.

THE RANGE
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect at the range, since there have been times when I thought I'd be right on and wasn't. This wasn't one of those days. The first 6 shots hit an inch or so high and to the left, but the groups were decent. I was using Hornady ammo, so I thought that was the reason. I adjusted the scope a few clicks and fired 6 more, and I repeated the process a few times until I was satisfied with the results. The groups could be covered by a dime, and I think any shots that weren't right on were the result of my near-sightedness. I bet if the handgun was locked down it would be shooting through the same hole. Most of my shots were between 50 - 75 feet. I then changed to CCI ammo and the results were the same! Just when I think I have something figured out I prove myself wrong. CCI TNT hollow point ammo cost $12 a box. Hornardy with ballistic tips go for $18. I'll stick with CCI which I can buy at WalMart. After shooting around 50 rounds I put the gun away, feeling confident that I could bring down a squirrel with it... if I ever see another one. I then fired 20 rounds through the 38. I was done and off the range in 30 minutes, keeping my range fee down to $17.

Take my advice; NEVER buy a snub nose 38 for a beginner or for a woman thinking it's a nice small starter gun. IT'S NOT. It is very difficult to shoot due to the short barrel and it kicks my ass so hard that it's not much fun to shoot. I've shot some large caliber handguns that didn't kick half as hard as this one, and that's without +P ammo. Before buying this gun I has a Ruger 357 Magnum that had less recoil less than +Ps shot through this gun. You really pay in recoil for the reduced size and weight. S&W has a 22 caliber revolver that's the same size and weight as the 38. If I had the money I'd buy it to get used to handling and shooting the 38. In a self defense situation I've heard that you likely won't even hear the gun fire, never mind feel the recoil. But that isn't true at the range, so a smaller caliber would be nice to train with. That's all for now. Check the hunting page from time to time to see how this setup is working out.

NOTE: You can find the scope mount and the bore sighter on my PRODUCTS page.

Cheyenne Western Holster

Here's my 17HMR Ruger SingleSix in the Cheyenne Western Holster and cartridge belt that Triple-K sent me. Check out the PRODUCTS page for more info.

Sighting in the SingleSix

An clip from a shoot back in October 11th. Check the 2008 Range Page for the full post.

...Next I tried to sight in the Ruger SingleSix 17HMR single action handgun with scope mounted. After the first 6 shots I realized I wasn't even on paper! I can't figure that one out since it wasn't shooting bad when I sighted it in at 75 feet at the indoor range. At the first ceasefire I moved the target to about 30 yards. 6 More shots and still no hits. Very frustrating. I was about to put the revolver away for another day when Fran the Range Officer came by. He offered to spot for me and after about 16 rounds we discovered where it was hitting. It then took about 12 shots to get it on target. The gun is no tack driver, but it holds its own, making groups of 2-3 inches. I don't think that's bad considering I was using the CCI TNT ammo that I pick up at Walmart. It's definitely not the most accurate stuff around, but it's less than $13/box and the hollow points do a number on small game. I felt good when I left that I could take the revolver hunting and feel confident with it. Thanks Fran for the help. When I was done I loaded it and handed it to Fran so he could get to try it. One comment on that BSA scope I trashed in my post last week. The sight picture was crisp and clean today, unlike last weekend when I shot at an indoor range. The conclusion is that it's not a good scope if you plan to shoot in low light situations, but if you're going afternoon chuck hunting in the sun, it should do the job.

Sighted in my scoped SingleSix

Today sighted in the Ruger SingleSix 17HMR with the BSA scope. I guess with scopes you get what you pay for and this scope isn't good (and I don't care what the reviews I've read say). It's dark, the crosshairs are hard to see, it's not really clear at longer ranges and the field of view is narrow. It's not my eyes because I have a Banner Day/Night on the Henry Varmint Express and I've never had a complaint about it. It also isn't thumb adjustable so you have to bring a screwdriver to rotate the adjustments. What's up with that?! I ended up shooting about 100 rounds and my group sizes stayed within a couple of inches with an occasional flier. No misfires out of 2 boxes, which was strange considering how many I had when I first took the gun to the range. It must have been a break-in issue or bad ammo. Once again I used CCI TNT. The revolver really does shoot like a rifle with the scope mounted (though it is touchier and not as solid), and would shoot much better with a good scope. It required a few clicks up and to the left and my results were 'good enough for now'. This indoor range is expensive so I wanted to be out by the end of my hour, so I'll zero in the SingleSix better at the state range in coming weeks.

TAKE NOTE that I had the revolver's trigger guard resting on my wooden shooting rest that my buddy Bill made me last year. The stand had a solidly glued strip of felt on the slightly V- shaped rest area. After the second shot, the felt blew off and went flying into the next shooting station. Don't think you can be careless just because you are shooting a small caliber firearm like 17HMR. It can do a lot of damage if your hands are in the wrong place.

B-Square Scope Mount for Ruger Single Six

A BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN DESIGN

THE INSTALLATION KIT IS SIMPLE: THE SCOPE MOUNT, TWO SCREWS, AN ALLEN WRENCH AND BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

If you read yesterday's post on the 2008 Range Report page, you've read that I shot the Single Six at the range yesterday. The results weren't all that bad, but the stock iron sights just don't cut it with this precision caliber. When you look down the barrel of the gun, it's like putting the bulls eye on a 2x4. It's really impossible to be accurate, and accuracy is essential when small game hunting. A 17HMR demands a sighting system that does the cartridge justice, and that means mounting a scope.

B-Square surprised me today with a package containing their scope mount for the Ruger 17HMR Single Six. This is without a doubt the nicest design I have yet to see in a scope mount for this revolver, and it requires no gunsmithing. It literally took me less than 10 minutes to install, and if you've previously disassembled your rear sight, it will likely only take you five.

FRONT AND REAR SCREWS

As you can see from these photo, the mount runs from the rear of the gun to the muzzle. The dovetail base fits the gun so perfectly that people will think it's part of the gun instead of an add-on. To install the mount, simply remove 2 screws; one holds the front and the other the rear sight. The screws on my Ruger came right out without a bit of force. If you look closely at the rear sight, there's a tiny pin that the sight swivels up and down on. I took an ice pick and it pushed right out. After that the sight simply lifts off. Be careful not to loose the tiny spring and that small pin. I keep a bunch of tiny plastic bags that people store stamps in for such items.

Once the stock sights are removed, the mount simply drops into place. It comes with 2 screws and an Allen wrench. Note that the screws are slightly different in size. The smaller screw goes in the rear hole. Partially screw in both screws, then tighten them up. I added a bit of LockTite to the treads prior to tightening the screws down. That's it! When I first attempted to remove the rear sight, I didn't see that tiny pin, so I took out the manual and looked at the exploded view. There was the pin. If I knew enough to remove it, the installation would have taken 5 minutes. It really couldn't be easier in my opinion.

A PERFECT FIT

I think you'll agree that the photos I took tonight show that the mount looks awesome on this wheelgun. My next step is to shop for a scope. I'm really looking forward to trying this 17HMR out on some squirrels! From what I've read, with a scope attached this revolver shoots like a rifle. Check back for info on mounting the scope, using a LaserLyte bore sighter to get it on paper and the final sighting in at the range.

CHECK MY PRODUCTS PAGE FOR ORDERING INFORMATION

A quick report on the 17HMR

This will be a quick report on my shoot today. Jamie and I hit the range for a couple of hours this afternoon. He sighted in my 10/22 for upcoming squirrel hunting and I sighted in the new Ruger SingleSix in 17HMR. Jamie's target was set at 50 yards, and at that range I rarely hit much of anything shooting double action in a standing position. I  shot 200 rounds through the Ruger and was amazed at the gun's accuracy at 25 yards. When I first bought the Ruger and took it to the range, it was shooting all over the place. One reason was that the stock sights stink (designed more for belly shots than precision 17HMR shooting) and in a dark indoor range, I had difficulty seeing the front sight. With a 6.5" barrel you don't have to be off much to be way off. Today I was consistently hitting a small rifle target that was about the size of a chuck's head. It took me awhile to get there, but by the time I left I felt comfortable taking this gun hunting. I would love to see what it could do if it was locked into position because I have a feeling that any error was due to me. 

First few hours with the 17HMR Ruger SingleSix

As soon as work was over today I rushed to the gun shop to finalized the purchase of my new Ruger SingleSix 17HMR revolver. I sold the 22LR/22Mag version that I bought from my brother earlier this year to one of my friends for what I paid for it. It's a great revolver but since I can't use the magnum cylinder on state land, I wasn't getting the firepower I needed. The 17HMR cartridge is straight shooting and fast, as my Henry 17HMR lever rifle proved this year. When you are shooting through a 6.5" barrel, you need all the velocity you can get out of your cartridge. A 22LR just wasn't cutting it. The 17HMR cartridge has the same velocity at 100 yards and a 22LR does at the muzzle... and my ears are now ringing to prove it. I'll start wearing my ProEars in the field as soon as the temperature cools down a bit.

I drove home as soon as I got my hands on the 17, quickly ran a bore snake through it, stuck my LaserLyte into the barrel and gave it a fast check to verify the sight alignment. It didn't look bad, so I headed out to the field with two hours left till sunset.

THE NEW SINGLE SIX 17HMR NEXT TO MY HENRY 17HMR LEVER ACTION BRASS RECEIVER COVER

On my first lap through the fields I spotted a chuck about 50 yards out. I didn't want to miss my opportunity to take a crack at it so I aimed and fired two rounds from a standing position with nothing to support myself against; a big mistake. I missed both times. Over the next hour I almost stepped on small deer on three occasions, which is always fun to do. When I got home I put the laser in the barrel and this time I really looked at it. I was shooting about 5 clicks of the rear sight screw to the right, which looks to be about about 4" at 25 yards. Who knows? I might have hit it if my sights were on. This chuck was in a new location, which is always a good sign.

The Ruger looks and feels exactly like the one built in the early 70's. I'm amazed that they made so few changes in over 30 years. I believe my 22 model was the first year of Ruger's 'New Model' SingleSixs. I felt right at home with the new single action wheelgun, and I'm looking forward to using it as a primary weapon against the chucks.

Shooting the Ruger SingleSix

Ammo Test

(Continued from the 2008 HUNTING PAGE)
...In the afternoon I hit the indoor range for an hour with the Single Six. I limited myself to the 22 cal. cylinder, and fired at least a couple hundred rounds of various types of ammo; some at 25 ft and others at the far end of the range. This was not a scientific test by any means. I simply kneeled down, braced myself and fired. Here are my observations:

At 25 ft, the subsonic cartridges were the most accurate, with groups within a couple of inches. Both the Aquila Sniper SubSonic and the Remington LR Hollow Point SubSonic had similar groups. Considering the large 60 grain bullet size in the Aquila, that seems to be the way to got for close range small game. I'm sorry to say that these bullets don't feed well though the 10/22. The short cartridge means that the rifle must be manually cycled and the long bullet sometimes distorts in the magazine due to the spring tension. I can shoot basically anything through this single action pistol. It seemed that the faster the bullet, the worse the group at close range. The Aguila SuperExtra hollow point, which is my favorite 22 for my 10/22 didn't shoot as well as the SubSonic at 25 ft, but the groups were acceptable. CCI Quick-Shock Hypervelocity which go for over $5/box of 50 were all over the target. I found the same to be true when shooting them through my 10/22 at the outdoor range last year at 50 yards. They couldn't hold a candle to Aguila SuperExtra, so I won't buy them again. They do have the feature of segmenting into 3 parts upon impact, but if they miss the target, that doesn't help much.

The target was then moved out to about 40 yards. The subsonic cartridges still created decent groups, but the Aguila SuperExtra were a bit tighter. At that distance I'm guessing the penetration of the subsonic cartridges must be way down, so I think the standard hollow point cartridge would be superior. An observation regarding sound; The SubSonics were a bit (not a lot) quieter than the Long Rifle, and there wasn't a muzzle flash. The CCI shorts were much quieter than the SubSonic and surprisingly accurate at 25 ft. The problem that I see is that you rarely know when your shot will be closer than 25 ft, so I'd rather have a cartridge loaded that is a bit more flexible.

I also fired some junk ammo that had been hanging around since last year. It was Winchester LR and since I tossed the box, I don't have the specifics. Maybe it's Super XTRA. You can buy it at Wal-Mart for under $10 for 550 rounds. Don't let the name fool you. The Winchester that manufactures the rifles does not manufacture the ammo. First, the ammo didn't fit well in the chambers. One round had to be tossed because it wouldn't go in, and about half had to be forced into the chambers so the cylinder could be rotated. The accuracy was fair, but considering the problems inherent with hunting with a pistol, it's not worth shooting this stuff. Targets are difficult enough to hit without the ammo working against you. Also, it's slower to reload due to the poor sizing, so I recommend that you don't waste your money on this stuff unless you are just using it for plinking. A better choice would be a 550 box of Remington Golden Bullet, that is also carried by Wal-Mart and Caldor. The Winchesters also didn't shoot well through the Ruger 10/22 because the bullet loosens and often doesn't feed properly from the magazines. The winner to today's shoot was the Aguila SubSonic and its huge 60 grain bullet.

I noticed that the standard LR ammo seemed to shoot a bit low at close range, so tomorrow I'm going to buy a brick of Aguila Supermaximum Hyper Velocity 22LR because these bullets have a flatter trajectory. In other words, they hit at 100 yards at almost the same height as at 25. If I remember my Newton physics correctly, let's say that it took 1 second for a bullet to travel from your muzzle to the target. If you were to stand at your gun and drop a bullet at the same time you fired one, if that bullet dropped let's say 6" over that 1 second period, at 100 yards that bullet would also drop 6". If you could reduce the time it takes for the bullet to reach the target, let's say you cut the time in half to 3 seconds, that bullet dropped at your shooting bench might only drop 3" in 1/2 second, so the drop at 100 yards would also be 3". The faster you can get the bullet to the target, the less the drop (creating a flatter trajectory).

A TRAJECTORY CHART FROM FEDERAL'S WEB SITE

If you've sighted your gun in at 50 yards when the bullet hits 50 yards, you're actually shooting upward enough so that at the top of the trajectory curve, your bullet has dropped enough to hit the target. That means at 25 yards it should be shooting low, at 50 yards, right on, and at 100 yards, much lower since your speed is also now slowing down. A faster bullet will shoot flatter and create less of an arc, so you shouldn't see that much of a difference at various distances.

Here's a link to Federal's ballistics chart page that you'll find valuable.

Shooting at the indoor range

I usually stay away from indoor ranges because I would rather shoot in the fresh air instead of in a noisy enclosed space, but we are getting 3 inches of rain today, which didn't leave me much choice. There is one real benefit to shooting indoors; your target travels on a wire so you don't have to wait for a ceasefire to check it. Just hit the switch and it comes zipping back to you. Very cool.

I took the Single Six and since this was my first time at this range except for my NRA pistol class, I had to read the rules and sign a waver. They also checked my pistol permit and gave me a card so I don't have to do this again for a year. The pistol fired 200 rounds flawlessly. Over that hour period I changed the cylinders twice, first firing 50 22LR rounds, then swapping it out with the 22 mag, firing 50 more followed by 100 rounds of LR. I was shooting Aguila .22 SuperExtra hollow points and CCI TNT 22 Magnum. At close range I was putting the LRs within a 3" circle and with the target set at the far end (see photo), I was hitting for the most part within a 5" circle. The LRs were hitting a bit high and the Magnums a little low. With either caliber I'm now confident enough to take a shot at a coyote, and that was the main reason I went out today; to check the sights and the groups. I was very happy with both.

Got my first revolver!

Today is February 29th and the last day of the regular hunting season until September. After work I shot right to my spot to do a walk through, but today I had on my Ruger Super Single Six with the 22 cal. cylinder installed (it also comes with a 22 mag). It felt very strange walking through the woods with my hands free. I did find that I really don't like the weight around my waist, so I plan to get a shoulder holder ASAP. Tomorrow morning Arne and I meet at 7:30 to have our first coyote hunt of the year. It's now almost 9pm and the snow is beginning to fall hard. By morning we're supposed to have 8". I had the Purchasing Dept. at work order me a white painter's coverall this week to wear over everything tomorrow. It only cost me $6.00, so it will be an interesting experiment to see how well it works. It appears to be waterproof and should serve as a good wind breaker. On the left you'll see a small photo of a hill I walked today that was covered with yote tracks and surrounded by old rock walls. I'll suggest to Arne tomorrow that we set up there. Bill was supposed to go with us but he canceled out due to the snow. I have a Jeep which never gets stuck so I'll be there. There was nothing at all moving in the woods today (as usual at Roraback), and while I was out there I test fired the revolver. I set up a business card at about 25 yards and hit it dead center. It dug into the snow and I fired twice more. Both shots hit the card. Now I feel confident to take it with me tomorrow, even though my primary firearm will be the Ruger 10/22.