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The Forgotten .35 Remington

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In 1895 Winchester shocked the world with the introduction of the Model 1894 in a new cartridge called the .30 Winchester Smokeless. It was later called the .30 WCF, and also known as the .30-30 Winchester. “Thuddy Thuddy” was using the then new Smokeless Powder, hence the original name, and offered wicked fast Velocity for the time. It took the shooting world by storm. It was commonly loaded with 150 grain and 170 grains, and it was used to hunt EVERYTHING in North America and most of the rest of the world. And for the guys hunting things a bit bigger and nastier than White Tails, Elk, and Outlaws… It did have some limitations. Enter Remington with something of an Upgrade to that caliber… The .35 Remington.

Remington loaded a Rimless case with a .35 caliber bullet with weights common in 200 and 220 grain loads, and while just a bit slower, offered more Energy and Momentum on Stubborn Targets. It became rather popular and has been known as a Brush Gun Cartridge, thanks to the heavier bullet’s ability to crash through the brush and still hit the target with enough grunt to put it down. Does a number on Bear Bones too. And remarkably, it does so with a similar ballistic trajectory as the .30-30 out to 300 yards. I’ve only done one hunt with a .35 Remington Marlin 336. But it was a successful hunt that did not require tracking of a wounded animal… It anchored it where it was standing. And that was with a Federal semi-jacketed Soft Point.

Below, we’ll compare the two cartridges in question with the same Hornady loading. The .35 Remington’s muzzle velocity of 2225, versus the .30-30’s of 2400 FPS. Now, this is with Hornady’s wonderful new powders and consistent loadings and high quality control… So these velocities might be a bit quicker than some older loadings… But they are safe to use in any lever action that’s in good condition.

Thirty Five Remington might be a bit old fashioned now, and out of favor with the Trade Publications these days. But for those that have used it, have all done so with great satisfaction when used within it’s envelope. More modern cartridges do surpass it, just as the .350 Legend… And Remington’s own .35 Magnum. But when you have a Winchester 94 or Marlin 336 loaded up with some good .35 Remington ammo… You don’t feel outdated. You feel like a Classic.

Uncategorized, Weapons

.357 SIG isn’t Dead

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The .357 SIG cartridge offers some rather compelling advantages for serious use… particularly in law enforcement, self-defense, and other tactical applications. Here’s why:

1. Superior Ballistic Performance: The .357 SIG delivers outstanding muzzle velocity, typically between 1,350 to 1,450 fps with 125-grain loads, and energy around 500 ft-lbs. Which somewhat mimics the famous (for good reasons) .357 Magnum revolver round, but in a small-framed semi-automatic pistol. This provides excellent stopping power and penetration, critical for effective threat engagement.

2. Flat Trajectory and Accuracy: The high velocity results in a flatter trajectory compared to other handgun rounds like 9mm or .40 S&W, enhancing accuracy at longer ranges (up to 50 yards). This makes it ideal for scenarios where precision is crucial. And with a projectile that gets to the target in a hurry… It makes hitting a moving target so much easier.

3. Barrier Penetration: The .357 SIG performs very well against common barriers, such as windshields, Vehicle Doors, and such… And with a good projectile choice, and can still perform in an acceptable manner on Soft Targets after the barrier is defeated.

4. Getting One: I’m not sure if any gun company is currently producing anything in .357 SIG anymore, one might thing the cartridge is “Dead”. This is untrue. Since the cartridge is based on the .40 S&W, you can convert most any .40 cal pistol to a .357 with a simple barrel swap, and new and used .40s are out there in the wild on gun store shelves just waiting to be picked up. And you’re going to find these lonely pistols rather well discounted. MidwayUSA or Brownells, Inc. or Lone Wolf Distributors will probably have a barrel for that pistol, in .357, and they can mail that directly to your door.

5. Ammo can be found online as well, through reputable dealers, and that too can be shipped directly to your door. So there is no problem finding this stuff. Balance of Power and Capacity: While it carries slightly fewer rounds than 9mm in similar-sized magazines, the .357 SIG offers a better balance of power per shot compared to 9mm and similar capacity to .40 S&W, making it a practical choice for those prioritizing terminal performance over maximum round count.

Drawbacks: Higher recoil and cost are the downsides. However, modern training mitigates recoil management issues, and the cartridge’s performance justifies the cost for users prioritizing effectiveness over economy. It’s more expensive than 9mm to be sure. But that’s due to the Economy of Scale, it is the same as with .45. Fewer people are buying .357 SIG and that means factories are producing less of it. The upshot, in the last 3 Ammo Runs, where people are panic buying and emptying shelves… .357 SIG is one of the last pistol calibers to be snatched up. So you got that going for you.
The other drawback to the .357 SIG is that it is a High Pressure Round. It’s loud. It’s going to hurt your ears. You want to put your Ear Pro with the Gun in your Go Bag or in your Night Stand Safe. It’s unpleasant to shoot. It’s not a FUN cartridge. It’s not one to pass around on Range Day. This is a cartridge to get things done with.

.357 SIG is not Dead. It’s just Underappreciated.

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My Dad passed away.

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Last Week on Tuesday, I watched my father die. My brother Josh was there, as was Dad’s wife, Joyce. We were standing around his bed as the Hospital Staff unplugged his life support. The previous Thursday Morning, he had a massive heart attack and stopped breathing. But they managed to get his heart restarted but he had been without oxygen to his brain for about five minutes. He was in a coma since the heart attack.

We held on to hope that he would recover. That he would wake up. An MRI scan was done and it showed a glimmer of hope, initially… But then a neurologist took a look at it and determined that the damage was severe throughout all of the brain.

We all knew Dad didn’t want to live like this. He had a DNR on file… that the hospital wasn’t aware of initially… And we knew his chances were almost zero, and it turns out to have been exactly zero. We didn’t know what would happen once we pulled the life support… He his body could kick in and he’d live. Or he would expire… Doctors said it could be five minutes or five days… In God’s mercy, it was only about 1 minute. His body gasped for air for awhile and then the gasps came fewer and fewer until it all stopped.

In the very moment of his passing… He smiled. Just before he went slack. I believe it’s because he saw his Father, his Mother, his brother Bruce, and my brother Zach.

I’m grateful for these last few years I had with him… Because we had always had a rocky relationship and I had learned a great deal about him that I didn’t know. This knowledge became an understanding of the reality of things that he had always kept away from me and my brothers. All the pieces came together and the picture it made was one of a man that sacrificed so much for us. For me. I didn’t know how much he loved me until the end. I had no idea. I miss him terribly.

Uncategorized, Weapons

The Misunderstood Scout

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The most misunderstood rifle IN THE WORLD is the Scout Rifle.

Jeff Cooper came up with the concept of a light weight, general purpose rifle, of midrange caliber that’s capable of handling threats and big game and anything else you need a rifle for. Light weight was the most important aspect of the rifle so that you could throw if over your shoulder on the sling and just have it on you. Understand, at the time, Cooper had spent a lifetime in the Marines, Hunting in Africa, and racing Porsches like a Sir. He was a man out of his own time. A throwback to days gone by. But his Scout Rifle concept was actually just as sound then, as it is now.

It’s the rifle you have on you. The rifle that you grab when the horses are spooked and you don’t know what’s out there. It’s the rifle you can defend your homestead with and put meat on the table with. There is nothing about this that is outdated or old fashioned. People get far too hung up on the Long Eye Relief Scope as part of his concept. The purpose of this, was that the rifle could be brought up from a low ready, and get on target in a snap. At the time, there was no a lot of options in the optics world and there was no such thing as the LPVO scope. If Jeff was still with us, his Scout concept would undoubtedly include an LPVO.

I had dinner with Col Cooper, with my wife and Jeff’s daughter was there as others. It was an amazing meal and Jeff sat at the head of the table like the Duke of Awesomeness. Absolutely Majestic with his walking stick with the head of a silver Water Buffalo. At the time, the Steyr was still brand new and we discussed at some length the whole Scout Concept. Jeff liked the Steyr “Schtire” Scout well enough, but he acknowledged the shortcomings of the S.S as produced. He had some other ideas about the Scout and some things he would liked to have seen that Steyr didn’t do.

One thing, Jeff insisted that a Scout Rifle would have a Sling and if it didn’t have one, it wasn’t really a Scout. A Scout could have just iron sights, if the Shooter was sharp-eyed enough and skilled on the use of Irons. The Caliber could handle the problems you were likely to encounter, and he considered .308 to be a good choice. Because that round is good enough, and is readily available where Ammunition is sold. Wildcats miss the whole point entirely, he said. (Summation, not quotation)

There’s one other detail that everyone misses because it wasn’t talked about, but Jeff strongly recommended, Controlled Round Feed. So a Mauser, Winchester, Ruger type action and not something like the Remington 700 which doesn’t have a Controlled Round Feed. All in all, the rifle, with a loaded magazine and optic needs to be 7 Pounds or Less. Less is preferable. As light as you can get. That way you don’t leave it in the truck when it should be on your shoulder. Because that’s what the Scout is all about.

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Doris seems nice

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It’s been some time since I got a Hate Post on MadOgre.com. This one made me laugh. Shame people like this never use their real info when they do this. I’d really like to have a reasonable conversation. But I can just imagine the bright green, half-shaved hair and horn-rimmed glasses… so… Being able to be reasonable on any level is probably not something he can do. This is the only kind of discourse the Letists are only capable of these days.

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Ruger SFAR a .308 AR-15?

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Ruger SFAR .308, topped with the Primary Arms SLx 3x MicroPrism. It’s hard to really wrap your head around just what the SFAR is. It’s an AR-15… It’s the size of an AR-15, and it’s the weight of an AR-15. But it’s not really an AR-15, because it’s chambered in .308. And as everyone knows, that would make this an AR-10. But it’s not an AR-10. At all. It’s a solid two POUNDS lighter than an AR-10. It’s smaller than an AR-10… it’s NOT – at all – an AR-10. So what is this thing? It’s the SFAR. *shrug* it is what it is… A .308 AR-15.

How did Ruger do this? Most all the small parts are all AR-15 parts. The difference is that you have the longer Magwell to fit AR-10 Magazines… Slightly longer receiver. And the BCG is bigger… About halfway between a 15’s BCG and a 10’s… It’s the only real unique parts group.

Even fully loaded, you can feel that the rifle is much lighter, and balances much better than any AR-10. Now, that would normally mean you are going to suffer from ferocious recoil. But thankfully, shooting the SFAR is actually pleasant if you are at an outdoor range. This is thanks to the extremely effective Muzzle Brake. It looks like it’s right off a WWII Hellcat Tank Destroyer… And if you are standing to the side of one being fired – it’s going to feel like that. But to the shooter, it’s just fun.

Everything on the SFAR is selected and designed to be light. The highly skeletonized handguards up front, and the Magpul SL stock at the back. Everything on it feels good, and I feel no need to change anything. The MOE grip even feels great, though it’s not my first choice. I’d rather have the Ergo rubberized grip, but not enough to bother spending the bucks and swapping it out. Anything else would probably just add weight and not add any tangibly better results. To complement the Light Weight and Simple approach to things that this rifle offers, the Optic I selected was the Primary Arms SLx 3x Micro Prism optic. It’s a very solid, compact little scope with a modest 3 Power magnification, etched reticle, with battery power illumination when needed. When I looked through it for the first time, I was highly impressed with the quality that exceeds the price. Think of it like a Compact and Light Weight ACOG for a fraction of the price. I had initially been thinking of doing a LPVO, but to get a good one, the price would have been at least 3 times the price of this one. And it would have added bulk and weight without advantages enough to offset those liabilities.

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Ruger SFAR, a 308 AR-15

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Yeah, I’m the guy that wrote “Why I hate the AR-15” a long long long time ago. I was part of Crusader Weaponry. So I’ve been on both far ends of the spectrum when it comes to AR’s. I’ve been jaded as hell about AR’s since as long as I’ve been shooting them (Enlisted in ’87) and few have impressed me. Even fewer still have actually knocked my socks off.

Then earlier this year, Ruger launches the new SFAR. It’s in .308 but it’s NOT an AR-10. Don’t call it an AR-10. The size and weight is that of an AR-15. The rifle in 16″ form (also available in 20″) weighs in at only 6 pounds, 8 ounces. When I heard about it, I ran down to the Nichol’s Store in Rock Hill, South Carolina to take a look at one in person. They had one in stock and I asked to check it out… The guy handed it to me… and INSTANTLY I knew this was some next level stuff right here. It felt like an AR-15. It handled like an AR-15. But the bigger mag-well showed that, yeah, it really was a .308 rifle.
“Put a fuqqing Bow on it, because I’m taking it.”

It’s the only AR that has truly knocked my socks off. How Ruger made this is truly impressive. The metallurgy and design engineering is fantastic. I didn’t expect to get a rifle that day. I didn’t even know I wanted a rifle that day. Honestly, I think I’d rather have snagged an M1A Springfield… but the SFAR just blindsided me. It impressed me that much. Which hasn’t happened in a decade.

I’ll do a detailed review on the rifle once I get an Optic on it so I can speak to the accuracy. Right now, it’s topped with the Magpul MBUS3 flip-up sights. These are rather new, and have the features of the MBUS PRO’s but are made of plastic. They are a little bulky like the regular MBUSs we all know and love.

I’d rather have gone with the Pros but the LGS only had the Front and not the Rear in stock. They did have the Offset versions of the Pros but maybe I’ll update to those after I get the Optical Gun Sight situation sorted out.

I don’t have any “Good” ammo for it either, just 150gr SP Federal Blue Box stuff, which is fine for any purpose I could have for the rifle here in The South. Out West, I’d want to get some 168 Match type rounds. But even that might be rather ambitious for a 16″ Light Weight AR.

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Scene from “silvershot”

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When you can’t sleep… Write. Here is the scene from SILVERSHOT where our protagonist meets Mohtahe Okohke, aka Plague of Crows. She’s a Skinwalker, which according to Native American Lore in the Ute Tribe, is an evil shaman that haunts them, and causes sickness, death, and terror. Plague of Crows is all of that and more. Take a look:

Sleep must have taken me because I knew I had to be dreaming. I was once again standing in front of the mountain cabin. The snow on the cabin and around the area was completely gone and the ground was barren and muddy. I looked around with a distinct sense of both the familiar and a new strangeness. The once bright glass of the windows was coated in filth, broken, and some had rough boards hammered over the empty frames. Dim light seeped through where there should have been bright, warm light.

I walked up to the door with a couple rabbits that I had shot… good sized fat ones. Or at least they were in previous versions of this dream. I looked down at them they were no longer fat and juicy, but desiccated, with holes through the hide in patches that showed old rot, bones, and maggoty corruption. I dropped the rabbits.

When I pushed open the door, I expected to see the fun looking redhead from the strip. Instead, there was an Indian woman standing here. She was thin, with long, straight, black hair that had black crow feathers tied into some braids. She wore a tan buckskin dress with tribal decorations I’ve not seen around here before.

As she walked over to me, slowly, I realized that I was unable to move. Not even to flinch when she raised her hands and held my face. She had dark eyes and dark lips. She could have been beautiful… but something about her was off, and that made her unattractive. I felt a coldness in her hands. She pulled me down to her and gave me a kiss. Her lips were cold and dry and hard.

For just a moment, her presence felt familiar. Like I had seen her before. But I couldn’t place her. And then I remembered the church building in Dragon and seeing her up on the ridge after I came out of that perverse church building. Suddenly she bit my lip, too hard, too sharp, and the pain snapped me back to the moment and I pulled away from her.

One half of her face was young, almost beautiful but stark and angry. The other half of her face was bare skull, old and dead with no eye in the socket, The teeth on the skull side had a smear of blood that streaked down the bare bone of her chin.

She laughed at me and pushed me away, so hard I was sent half thrown, half stumbling across the room where I collided with the chair.

Darkness started swirling around her, like smoke. It pulled the light out of the single lit oil lamp left in the room and it grew dimmer and dimmer until the flame was barely a spark. The only other light was the orange glow coming from that empty eye socket. The swirling darkness started to fill the room, and I tried to back away from it, tumbling over the chair in front of the fireplace. But there was nowhere to go and the darkness reached me.

When it touched my hand, there was pain as if the fingers in my hand were broken. I looked at my hand and could see it and my arm shriveling and drying up. I could feel it in my boots, then up to my knees. I could feel my very life being pulled out of me, into that vortex of darkness. All I could see now was a pinpoint of orange light, coming from that eye socket, which was getting closer. I didn’t know if it was coming to me, or I was going to it. The very air in the cabin was a howling wind that carried my scream with it.

I was still screaming when I suddenly woke up with my chest aching, breathing hard, and my heart beat thumping like crazy.