Get One: For those who don't own a gun and all the sudden feel the need for one – SHOTGUN. Get a Shotgun. Get one with a shorter length barrel... an 18 inch model... of anything. I don't care what... get one. A 20 gauge will do just fine.

The Truck situation: I'm now in need of a new Mechanic. Oh, my truck is fixed and running fine. However I was charged about a hundred bucks more than the initial quote. Reason being, I took the truck in, told them what was wrong and what I wanted done. They didn't do that, they did something else. Then they told me my tuck was done and ready to go. Turns out, it wasn't. Then they did what I told them to do in the first place that solved the problem. My charge was 100 bucks more than my quote because I paid for their mistake. I've used RW Auto for YEARS. Ron has been a fair and good mechanic. However when Ron isn't there, his son is running the joint and... well... to make a long story short, I know 4 other people who are now not every going to RW Auto again. This isn't just about my truck. My wife's van... all the problems with it stem for one reason... this reason caused the failure of multiple components... I spent thousands fixing something that wasn't the problem. They screwed up my Beloved Sister-In-Law's car. So, I'm now looking for another mechanic. One that could possibly come to the truck rather than have to have it towed to them.

An Update - Slipstream the Troops: The unit that will receive this first Slipstream shipment will be Charlie Company of the 11^th Marine Expeditionary Unit. This is the unit that has been adopted by Armed American Radio. 20 kits will go to Charlie Company. Any kits for the Troops over that number will go to another unit to be decided upon later.

12-09-09:  Last month I treated several different firearms. And by several I mean a couple hundred.... the kicker comes down to two different guns. The S&W M&P15 Viking Tactical... an expensive semi-custom production rifle that was much rougher than an expensive M&P15 should be. It wasn't just gritty... but it was ridiculously gritty. The Slipstream oil I used, at first, didn't really make that big of an improvement. Today, when I picked it up and cycled the action – it felt different... completely different. The gun felt like it had almost zero friction through the action... I felt the resistance in the spring and that was it. This was the single biggest and most drastic Slipstream result I have ever felt. This shocked me... and I've been working with this stuff since we first developed it. I didn't use any grease... I didn't even clean it. I just gave it a rather heavy Slipstream Oil treatment, and cycled the action a few times a couple times a week. I didn't see this one coming.

Now, the other gun was a Taurus PT1911. I know Taurus isn't a favorite of many of my Readers... but the PT1911 is the best handgun they make. They are not the most refined or the smoothest 1911 on the market. They are a bargain basement, entry level 1911. Now, a month later, after treating the pistol with Slipstream oil – it is the slickest pistol in the case. I'm not kidding. I wish you all could feel this pistol... the before and after... even if this after is one month after the treatment. This gun feels so good – I'm tempted to put it on layaway! I'm not kidding... it feels that good.

This shows me one thing... Slipstream isn't Snake Oil. Slipstream isn't a temporary thing that feels good when it's freash and then fades out as it dries. It gets BETTTER the more you use it. This stuff is crazy... the guns just feel like they get slicker and slicker – even just sitting there!

Guys, if you have not tried Slipstream yet – you are missing out. This stuff isn't just a new oil... Slipstream is different. I can tell you... but this is something you have to try yourself. Get some Slipstream... try it out in at least 3 different guns... see what you think. And then feel those guns a week later. Tell me what you think. If you don't like the results – don't even listen to me again about gun lubrication. However if you do like it – Buy another kit. Not for you. But for a Soldier. Okay, hear me out on this.

I want to send 20 kits to a unit overseas. I can't give this stuff away because what we put in Slipstream is expensive as all get out. But that's what makes it so good. I truly believe in this stuff and I know – because I've seen it and experienced it – that Slipstream makes a weapon more reliable. It makes AR-15 and M-16 and M-4 weapons more reliable. That's how we got the name “Slipstream”... from an M-4 test that proved the weapon was more than twice as reliable as the M-4 normally is under the same conditions. After reading the reports of a battle in Afghanistan where our soldier's weapons were failing them – I know that our Slipstream would have made a difference. I know it. So I want to do something... We need donations to do this... we need help. So please, order a kit for yourself... and one more for a Soldier. When we get 20 kits – enough lubricant for a Company. We'll sent that box over to Afghanistan to a Unit of the Army or the US Marines, one of the Front Line units... and this stuff will improve their weapons function and it could save lives.

Are you with me?

12-07-09:  I was asked what to get someone who had “everything” already. Last year the gift of choice was of course, a rifle. The most popular rifle was the AR-15. This year, the popular choice is looking like just about any handgun... but the way to go this time is a new 1911 .45. Who ever the make and model, a 1911 is a classic choice. Barring that, another good option for this year, optics. Take advantage of the 60^th Anniversary Sale from Swarovski and get something truly remarkable... because as soon as this sale ends, the prices go up to the 2010 pricing and you wont see them this low again – ever – putting something that is almost out of reach for many folks – firmly out of reach for more folks. I don't know what they are thinking, but they are changing up many of their products with some nice improvements, but with a related jump in price as well. It's kind of a joke at the gun store that if you want the best, it's Swarovski. Because it's just so flat out true. And no one takes care of their customers better than Swarovski. So that's my pick of the ultimate gift for the man with everything. “He already has a 10x42 EL.” Okay, how about a much smaller and much lighter 10x32 EL that is just awesome... or a 15x56 SLC that you can take instead of a Spotting Scope? Or go all out and get that 80 HD spotter that is just about the single most impressive optical instrument that I've ever seen.
He has all those Swaros... Back to guns then. Guns are a safe choice because you can always have more, even its duplicates of the same thing he already has... another one is just as cool. S&W's iBolt rifles are very cool and low priced now. TC's Icon rifles are impressive and a half. A personal favorite is the Remington 700 XCR. That's a slick rifle that can go anywhere. Great hunting gun for the hard core hunter.
Oh, BTW, Basin Sports has the biggest and best sale going on right now for firearms... the prices are unbelievable. If you can swing through Vernal, Utah and check them out – you will be very happy with what you find. We had people all day going nuts over what we had on sale... they couldn't believe it. I've worked there for four years now and I've never seen this before...

Okay, now I sound like a bloody commercial. I'll stop now.

12-02-09:  Kel-tec has made something very interesting: See, I'm not really fond of the FN Five-seveN pistol, the 5.7 that has been so infamous lately. I just never liked it. The 5.7 cartridge out of the pistol is pretty much a glorified .22 Mag... which means I don't get why everyone gets so worked up about the thing. This however, makes perfect sense, and it has 10 more rounds than the FN, while shooting a round that is much cheaper, and probably even more accurate. And it even looks a bit cooler, too. .22 Mag might not be the most powerful thing out there... but 30 rounds on tap? That's... well, that's a whole new ballgame.

We got in a new tactical shotgun at the store today... a special order for one of our regular customers. A Benelli M4. I've got to give Benelli some credit – they have the best pistol grip on the market. They put the same grip on the Super Nova Tactical, which with that combined with Benelli's excellent ghost ring sight, make that bulky pump action quite tempting. The action on the M4 is smooth, but from the outside you can't see what makes the M4 very formidable. The ARGO gas system. Now, let's add them together... Excellent Grip, Excellent Sights, Excellent Operating System... This is probably the best tactical auto-loading shotgun in the world... however, I have to give pause with the price. You could almost buy 3 Mossberg 930 SPX shotguns for the price of one M4. I'm not questioning that the M4 is better than the 930 SPX... but is it 3 times better? Now, I don't know about you... but the way I see it... the 930 SPX has shown flawless reliability. Another 930 SPX I know has also shown flawless reliability... How can you improve on that? How much more reliable can Reliable get? Sure, there was one I know that didn't run with a certain light load... but after Slipstreaming it and running a slightly heavier load through it – it too has been functionally flawless. I don't know if the M4 would have cycled this light load either... it's a load meant for Over-Unders and Pumps. It was never meant to shoot in an auto. So this was an unfair trial for any auto. (Yet my 930 chewed through a box of it just fine, but only after it was slipstreamed and after firing a ton of shells to really break it in) You know... I don't know... now that I think about it... I'm not sure if the M4 is a better gun than the 930 SPX. I don't know. I'd have to put them to the test. Can the M4 be more reliable than utterly reliable? Or is there something else to compare by? Some other metric to test? Patterning? Easy of use? Capacity? Handling? I hope to try them together one of these days...

11-30-09:  Sunday night, on Armed American Radio: Mark asked Gabe Suarez what he thought of the Blackhawk Serpa holster. Gabe panned it as unsuitable. He had his reasons, and I respect his opinion... Hold on to that thought. Later in the show, Mark asked me about holsters and I didn't have a chance to get back to the Serpa. Let me sort that out right now. For my purposes, normal every day Civilian and Citizen, I really like the Serpa. In fact, during the radio show, I was wearing my SIG P229R .40, loaded with Winchester 165 grain PDX1 hollow points, in a Blackhawk Serpa. What makes the Serpa unique is the clever lock mechanism that latches on to the pistol's trigger guard. When you look inside the holster and examine it, you see that nothing gets near the trigger – just the guard. A catch hooks the inside of the guard while a plastic “spring” pushes the guard against the latch, locking the pistol into place until you push the release button. It holds the pistol in a very safe, and very secure manner. I used to think Blackhawk stuff was second rate, but having used many of their products out here in the harsh climates of Utah... harsh summers with stark dry heat and blowing dust... Winters that are such a deep cold it reminds me of the movie “The Thing”... and I'm out there in it, chasing coyotes for bounty... Blackhawk products have always held up. I don't even have one of the nice Serpas. I have the cheap Sportster version... and I like it a lot. I have another holster for my SIG, similar to this one... the one I got from SIG. It's not a Serpa but apes the lock mechanism. It's thicker in the body, heavier construction, bigger release button... but I like the Serpa better. Now, I know I don't roll around in the dirt and gravel very often... but I do. More than once have I been teaching a training course when I had to get down on the ground to demonstrate different ground fighting techniques... effectively grinding my pistol and holster into the dust and little rocks and big sharp rocks... I'm not nice to my gear. I'll admit that. The Serpa has given me Zero Problems. Well, one slight problem. That paddle back on the Serpa Sporster... it doesn't want to let go. It goes on easy, but getting it back off is a PITA. I don't even use that SIG holster anymore... But I'm going to keep it just in case Gabe cursed my Serpa and something goes wrong with it. Maybe if I was to have someone jump on me while on the ground and try to wrestle the pistol away from me... well... maybe there is something to that then... but I tell you what... you jump on me... that's a Mexican style, hot chilli pepper stabbing.

Another Kydex holster series I really like is G-Code. I know the man behind the Code and consider him a friend even though I've not spoken to him since – when..... SHOT 2002? It's been awhile. Scott makes a damn fine product. His stuff is super tough – but it isn't thick and bulky like some Kydex makers do. His stuff is trim and low profile. Holds the weapon very well and allows for a good draw. His other holsters like the SOC rig and the REAC rig – flat out awesome. I've turned a lot of guys onto G-Code and I've not heard anything back in the negative. Between the Serpas and the G-Codes, in my opinion these are the only two worth spending your money on. I'm not a fan of FOBUS as I've personally seen them fail right in front of me... and by fail, I mean holstered pistol hitting the ground... no, it wasn't a shocker – it was hilarious – but luckily nothing adverse happened and the fellow in question here quickly switched to G-Code. Nothing else has happened with that pistol either or since... however you want to look at it. But back these makers – they are the only two I'd pack my gun in.

Leather – this is where I get all misty-eyed. Good leather is a thing of beauty. I like Bianchi's leather, but not their price. US GALCO makes leather almost just as good – just a hair off Bianchi, but at much better prices for the holster that I like. The Concealable is probably the best rig they make, as are several other models... I prefer the OWB rigs, as I am just not pleased with anything IWB. Regardless of who makes the rig, if you want to pack something IWB, you need pants that are 1 or 2 sizes over-sized. But then try to wear those pants without an IWB rig on and they just feel stupid. I like a good pancake style rig that helps hide the contour of the pistol, while keeping it nice and close to your body... Such as the Galco Combat Master, a personal favorite. The Galco stuff I don't like are the COP and MATRIX style holsters. It seems, with these that Galco is just trying too hard.

So Galco is my #1. Mernickle and Simply Rugged are also two personal favorites. Depending on what gun I'm packing and to where. For modern autos such as 1911's or SIG's... Galco is my first choice.

When it comes to Shoulder Rigs, the answer is simple here. Galco's Miami Classic. This is the best shoulder rig I've ever used and is the only rig worth the the money in my book. I've used different shoulder rigs before and what usually happens is that you buy the rig, wear it a day or two... and then regret spending the money for it. You found you didn't like it. Well, had you spend just a few bucks more and perhaps you would have found something astonishing... a shoulder rig that doesn't suck.  Now, you can spend more money on a shoulder rig, but that doesn't mean you are going to get anythin really any better... for this reason, the Miami Classics are a bargain.

11-28-09:  For every rule, there is an exception: In a previous post, I said that when it comes to stopping power, “Handguns Suck.” And I stand by that statement. However, like any other rule, there is an exception. One of The Horde took me to task about this rule and it's exception:

“You perpetuate the myth that handguns do not have enough stopping power. Borrow a real weapon and put a few 440 grain rounds of 500 S&W Magnum down range. I wouldn't try hitting steel plates unless you just don't like them anymore. - Magnum Okie”

Magnum Okie is absolutely correct here. The .500 S&W Magnum is insidiously powerful, as is the .460 S&W Magnum. And I love the .460... it's awesome in every sense of the word. And I have shot a steel plate with the .460 and it did in fact ruin it. We've also shot steel car wheels and punctured them clear through. The amount of power, accuracy, and control those guns have – incredible. And they are handguns, so Okie is correct. Now there are others with tremendous stopping power that come in the form of the TC Encore and Contender pistols... people have been shooting rifle cartridges from handguns for a very long time.

But we all know that these are not the sorts of handguns that anyone would want to pack with them day in and day out... not unless you were on a trip in Alaska or something.

Mossberg 930SPX. I sold one to a friend out here... as I've said before, mine has been flawless in function. Everything I've shot through it has been reliable. Well, I sold one to a cat out here and his was jamming like a rock band. Every other shot, it just wasn't running. He brought it back. It looked fine, but felt dry and gritty. “Slipstream Time”. So I stripped it down, gave it the full Slipstream treatment, and put it back together again. When I called him back a little later and talked to him... “runs smooth as butter”. Now that is what I like to hear. So basically with a little Slipstream in the gun, it went from being useless to being a real warrior's gun. That's awesome. I've told you guys about Slipstream before... If you've not tried it... man... You are seriously missing out!. Put Slipstream in your gun! Do it!

I'm hard core on the 870... I like the pump action's utter reliability. It's unquestionable. However I am becoming very attached to the 930 SPX. I really am. This is unusual for me. I'm just not an Auto-Shucker guy when it comes to a defensive shotgun. The Defensive Shotgun has got to Go Bang when you pull the trigger. You can't have Light Hammer Strikes. You can't have Failures to Feed. You can't have Failures to Eject. You can't have failures. Period. The gun must Go Bang. Well, guys... The Mossberg 930 SPX does. It has been amazingly reliable. I am becoming quite a fan of it. However, it is not perfect. No shotgun I've tested, so far, is. Mossy 500, 590, 930, Rem 887, 870, Winchester 1300 Defender, Saiga 12, and an FN pump action tactical... every single shotgun has had serious flaws in one way or another. Not functionally. All of these guns are running as the maker intends them to run. I'm talking about the Human Interface with the Gun... not how it works, but how we, the shooters, work the gun. Each one has certain “Character Flaws” that even Die Hard Enthusiasts will agree to. Yes, we can “get used to it” and we can “Man Up” about it – and we all have... for decades. Doesn't make it right. Doesn't mean it can't be done better. Well, guys, guess what. Crusader Weaponry is fixing this.

11-27-09:  Holidays are busy busy... no time to post much... I apologize. I've much to talk about here shortly. Will probably post again Sunday.

Another Email from Scott: “George, Thanks for putting the raffle info on Madogre, but we have a correction. Ticket holders will not need to be present to win! We figured since everyone may not be able to attend the 3 gun on New Year's it would be best if we made it so you didn't need to be present to win. We will write the ticket buyer's name, email and phone number on the tickets, they will be notified of their prize if not present and will need to make arrangements to pick up their winnings at some point. It's all about the Ft. Hood Chaplain's Fund. Just an FYI, the Chaplain's fund is there to help with many things from productive stress relieving activities to helping families to marriage retreats for soldiers who have been deployed for who knows how long at a time...The funds we are able to raise with this raffle will go directly to help those families who were directly affected by the latest terrorist attack on American soil at Ft. Hood on Nov. 5th. It's just a little something we can do to help, but it will mean a great deal to those who we are able to help. Anyhow, thanks a bunch! Scott”

My Pleasure, Scott. Anything I can do to help... this is for a good cause.

Email from our friend Scott: “I missed you at the gun show, probably because I didn't make it down there. I shot the USPSA pistol match that morning at the Parley's range and it was 3pm by the time we left there, so I went home to see my kids instead. Anyway, we're doing a raffle at the UDPL New Year's Day 3 Gun at the Farm. I've got some gear from LaRue that they sent me for the Shooting Industry Masters that FMG did in Hartford last summer, it got lost at the hotel so it wasn't given away at the event. I've got it here, so after talking with LaRue, I was going to use it as prizes for the 3 gun. Realistically, that would somewhat limit who may win the stuff. Instead, we're following LaRue's lead and doing a raffle with 100% of the proceeds will go to the Ft. Hood Chaplain's fund. It has taken on some momentum, so far we've got...

5 LaRue SPR mounts

1 Sparrow .22LR suppressor from SilencerCo, winner pays the tax stamp

1 Bates boots certificate

1 Gould & Goodrich holster certificate

8 different Streamlight lights

1 North American Arms gun (model TBD)

6 GTUL 9/40 mag cleaning tools

2 Action Target Evil Roy Practice Targets

Possibly... Eotech may donate a couple of sights. Camelback may help too. Here's the plan, the first 100 guys who buy a ticket for $5 get a LaRue Dillo Beverage Entry tool (One dillo per person). The first 48 who buy 5 tickets for $20 get a LaRue hat (One hat per person).

Tickets will be sold at the remaining UDPL Matches Nov. 28, Fun Shoot, Dec. 2, Fun Shoot Dec. 15, and Dec. 26 pistol match, then on New Year's day up until ten minutes before the raffle.

There's $2500 worth of stuff listed right now! The drawing will be held at noon during the 3 gun. Tickets must be present to win, we're not arranging to get prizes out to winners. I don't know if anyone out your way would be interested in shooting the 3 gun and possibly winning some cool gear, but the best part is to support Ft. Hood as they are recovering form the terrorist attack they suffered!”

11-25-09:  Rule One: Handle all firearms as if they were loaded. This Just Happened. We had a lady bring in an old 12 gauge Winchester 1300 shotgun for trade. Travis and I both check it, cycled the action. When I looked down into the action, I didn't see any shells in there... the action was cycled probably 20 times. It was filthy, gritty, and foul... it felt like it was full of sand and on top of that it felt too tight. Travis hit it with some gun oil and cycled it a couple more times. Then Marcus cycled it. And then all the sudden – Ker-Chunk! A Live Shell popped onto the shell lifter and there it was. A live round in the gun. What happened evidently was that because the gun was so old and so completely filthy, the feed mechanism was bound up. After a shot of some spray in oil and some working, it became unbound and was then able to feed that unseen shell. This was pretty scary, because there was the hidden potential for an accident. However because everyone followed the 4 Rules, that accident didn't happen. But it could have had we let our guard down. Because we had all thought the gun was unloaded... here we are looking forward to getting off work early... looking forward to the holiday, getting a little lax... but because we practiced the 4 Rules we avoided what could have been a disaster. A gun shop in Colorado not too long ago had an employee working on a gun... shot and killed another employee... it can happen. Firearms are like poisonous snakes... you can handle them safely, but the moment you disrespect them – they can bite you.

Follow the Rules. Always.

THANKSGIVING: I honestly hope all of you have a good Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the family. Enjoy what you have. Because in the blink of an eye it could all be taken away from you... savor it.

11-24-09:  Buffalo and Elk: Last two times I've been to SLC I've eaten Buffalo. First time was with Mark Walters. Roasted Buffalo on the bone. Delicious. No, I mean, seriously delicious... melt in your mouth delicious. It was at the Radisson in downtown, SLC. Then this time was with Joe at a joint called the Bohemian Brewery... and it was nothing so fancy, just a Burger.... A buffalo bacon burger with gorgonzolla cheese (or something like that) on an onion roll. Man, it was drastically delicious. The paddy was thick and juicy.... and believe me guys – I do not say this lightly – it was the most delicious burger I have ever eaten in my life. I have to go back and have another.

So now, between Elk and Buffalo – those are my two favorite meats on the planet. Beef? Beef is what's for dinner? I'll pass... I'll take an Elk steak, chucks of grilled elk on flatbread... or another Buffalo Burger. Man, I'm craving one right now. Anyone coming out from SLC? Bring me a Buffalo Burger!

He BETRAYED this Country! He played on our Fears! Of course I'm talking about Al Gore. Al Gore has made himself a fortune, championing the 7 Billion Dollar a year Global Warming Industry. Now, thanks to discovered emails between the major Global Warming Alarmist Scientists – we now learn that Global Warming is a complete fraud. I would like to see Al Gore charged Criminally, for Fraud. I would also like to see all the GW Related Legislation rolled back. Including, and especially, the Cap and Trade bullshit and new taxes.

Love for the .40: In conversations with the folks at the Gun Counter at work, I've seen a very polarized response to the .40 caliber. People seem to either love it or hate... the middle ground is thin. I'm not going to try to sell you on the .40... but I'm just going to throw down my opinion on the matter. I don't love the .40 like some guys, but I do like it. I see the use of it... giving one greater punch in a 9mm sized grip frame that many find more fitting than a larger .45 grip frame. This was the same goal the .45 Gap tries to reach. However the .45 Gap remains awkward while the .40 has been widely adopted by Law Enforcement across the nation, including at the Federal level. This means, like it or not, the .40 is here to stay. Cost of .40 is higher than 9mm, near the .45 price level... which is not a big deal. However one thing I liked about it, was that when the Obama Gun Rush was at it's peak, 9mm and .45ACP were long gone... we still had .40. We got low, but we never ran out of .40. That's a plus. Wide availability, wide acceptance by groups that depend on handgun performance... that goes to show that the .40 is a valid caliber. While agencies are getting away from 9mm, they are finding a comfortable ground in the .40 caliber. Anecdotal disparaging of any cartridge can be countered with the same in favor of another. We all know a guy that did that with that and it worked great or he did that with that and it failed. Yeah, we all know that guy. Here is what it comes down to... use good quality ammunition and put that bullet on a vector through where it will do the most work. If you do that, you will get results. If you don't do that, you will of course have poor results. Arguing stopping power of handguns is like arguing which is the best flavor of ice cream at Baskin Robbins. All handguns suck at stopping power. If you want true stopping power, you need a 12 gauge.

The FNH Five-seveN pistol: We talked about this pistol on Armed American Radio last week. Reports have it out that Obama is considering banning the 5.7 pistol because – according the the considerable expertise of the AP press – the 5.7 is a Cop Killer. First off, I reject the premise that the 5.7 is a Cop Killer. I do not know of a single case of a Cop being killed by the 5.7 pistol. Even if there has been a case... or even a couple of cases... I would bet that more cops have been killed by choking on Duncan Doughnuts. So we could call them Cop Killing Pastries. But then again I don't know the ins and outs of the sweet bread industry and I'm not even sure if it's a pastry or not... so I hesitate the lay down the accusation. Hesitation that the AP doesn't have when it comes to the 5.7. In spite of the Urban Legend of the 5.7 it's not like shooting a rifle round from a pistol... it's almost exactly like shooting a .22 mag. I don't know about you guys, but I don't see a lot of stories about the .22 Mag being considered the font of all that is dark and deadly by the press. In truth, the 5.7 is pretty much a weak sister by most comparisons when it comes to killing. The lowly .22 Long Rifle has spilled more blood than anything else. Let's not forget that the mass slaying at VA Tech was done with a pair of pistols, neither one a 5.7, but one of them was indeed a little .22LR, a Walther P22 if I remember right. Double the body count of Ft. Hood, yet no one shouted out the demand to ban the .P22. Sure, some called for the complete ban of all handguns, but those people sing the same song with the same monotany of Disney's It's a Small World ride... and if you've ever sat in one of those little boats in the magic kingdom, you just might wish you had a 5.7... because there are a lot more of those damned puppets than you have rounds for in your average .22 pistol. The other thing the AP harped on was that the 5.7 was “Foreign Made”. Come on... that's cheap. The Forign Made Cop Killer... the story is just an exercise in getting the ignorant worked up with a little fear and xenophobia. FNH, the company that makes the 5.7 is in Fredricksberg VA. They have a factory in South Carolina. They are the guys that own Browning and Winchester. They are as much of a US company as any of them. So when you hear people fret about the 5.7... just blow them off as the ignorant fools that they are.

11-22-09:  This weekend was a strange whirlwind. Started out on Friday night where Crusader Weaponry showed up in force at the 5 Monkeys club were one of our Brothers In Arms was playing a Gig. Straight up, “Ruyn” rocks to a shockingly high degree. They've got some serious talent going on and I really enjoyed it. I love Live Music... nothing better than Feeling the music instead of just Hearing it. Corey was awesome... he was so casual about his business of SHREDDING that guitar. It was awesome.

The Gun Show was fun. I've not done the Booth thing before at a Gun Show and it was a learning experience. I had a blast... I had so much fun I didn't want it to end. We talked to so many people, it was fantastic. People would come up and we give their guns or their folding knives a hit of Slipstream... it was fun to watch their faces as they realize that the sales pitch didn't do the product justice. One guy who brought over a Beretta 92 actually said “I don't know how that stuff is going to help – that's a slick gun already.” And he was right... it was a very slick Beretta – they all are. But we Slipstreamed the pistol, cycled it a few times to work it in... and then we handed it back to him. He racked the slide 3 times... and I wish I had video taped this – his eyes got wide and his face told us exactly what he thought – he was impressed. Slipstream just works. Doubting Thomas became a believer. We put Slipstream on all kinds of guns... Bersa, Beretta, Glock, CZ... even a Phoenix Arms .22 and every gun... you could feel the difference... One custom AR builder is now using Slipstream exclusively in all his builds. All of them.

We've made a great deal of headway with Crusader Weaponry... some things I really wish I could talk about... such as a new gun we are going to offer and I can't tell you what it is but we've already christened it the Crusader Warhammer. It is going to rock your socks off... but we will be offering it in April. In just a matter of weeks we will be offering the Crusader Broadsword .308 rifles... Down the road the other Broadswords will come on line but we are starting out with the classic .308 Winchester that never fails. See Photos coming up soon here... very soon... I've been told that “Crusader is just a pipe dream.” Yeah, it's a dream... but one that came true. I this weekend I held the Crusader Broadsword .308 in my hands and it was as real as it gets. We've looked at a lot of other .308 rifles... let me tell you... this is the one. Other guns are fine... but this one is the finest.

Armed American Radio is now three hours and we just finished the first 3 hour broadcast... it was awesome.  Also, some good news... AAR is coming to SLC.

11-17-09:  1,990 Pages: That was the size of the Health Care Bill as it left the House. That was pretty beefy. At 1990 it was said to be too large to read. Now that it's in the Senate, it's ballooned to 2,074 pages. It's amazing. I thought the Senate was supposed to trim things up and slim it down. Guess not. Never underestimate the Democrats ability to find hidden pork. It's like there is bacon slices between every page.

Crusader Security: I can't go into details, but Friday night, Crusader Weaponry's Tactical Training Division is doing security for a special event out in SLC. This should be fun. And it gives me a wicked idea I'll have to think about and measure the downstream.

While on the subject of this weekend... Saturday and Sunday I'll be at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show. Crusader Weaponry has a booth going on and I'll be there putting on my Billy Mays about Slipstream and Tactical Training.

MAD OGRE HERE FOR SLIPSTREAM, THE FUTURISTIC HIGH TECH FIREARM LUBRICATION SYSTEM! PUT IT ON, THE FRICTIONS GONE! ITS THE UBER LUBER! PUT IT ON RAILS, TRIGGERS, HAMMERS, AND BOLTS! IT EVEN GOES WELL ON KNIVES!

That was blatantly stolen from WTA Staffer Outbreak.

While doing this, Joe and I have much to talk about, including the Crusader Conversion Shotguns. These are going to be modified 870 Pump Actions that we can build for you or you can send your gun and have it Converted. The 870 is a great shotgun, but it is not without faults. I've some ideas to correct these faults. However I am not a Gun Smith. As luck would have it, Joe is. I think we can work out the details. Also, Joe needs an 870 of his own so while at the gun show – we will be searching for a used 870 that Joe can tinker with. There will be two versions of the Crusader Conversion Shotguns. One will be short. The Alpha. This is an entry gun. The other, bigger, more shells, decked out... The Omega. Alpha and Omega... not because of the Biblical thing but because the Alpha Dog is the first to Eat... the first through the door. The Omega is the one gun you'll want when TSHTF, end of the world scenario... the gun you'll want for the Apocalypse. The name comes from Charlton Heston's end of humanity film, The Omega Man. Not that he had a shotgun in that movie... but he should have. He should have had a Crusader Omega.

I'm going to have to kick it out of the Gun Show before 3:00PM on Sunday... then haul serious 5.7 Liter V-8 Ass back to Ogre Ranch because I'm also going to be on Armed American Radio's first 3 Hour show. Yes, the show has grown leaps and bounds in a way that few Radio shows ever do... so fast, so far... it's gone from a 1 hour show to a 3 hour show in just a matter of weeks. That's amazing. Mark Walters is a great host. Let me tell you about Mark... this is his first Radio thing. Ever. He's not a Radio Guy – He's a Trucker. He's career was Trucking... but he's really taken to this Radio thing like he was born to it... so maybe he really truly is a Radio Guy. I'll let you be the judge. Listen to the show. If you've never heard it, go to the AAR site, and you can stream the past shows.

11-16-09:  OUTRAGE: I am livid that this Administration has extended Constitutional Protections to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other terrorists and are trying them under a civilian court of law in New York. This is a slap in the face of the people of New York... and it's setting these terrorists up for a Get Out Of Jail Free Card. Here's the deal... with the protection of the US Constitution, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is INNOCENT. He is only alleged to have committed any crime. He is innocent until proven guilty. This means that if he uses in his defense that his confession was under coercion from torture – water-boarding – his confession could be tossed out. Other evidence could be tossed as having been tainted. He could – technically – walk. He could walk because he is, under the constitution, considered innocent. This is an outrage.

I remember how fast the Clinton Administration billed the OK City Bombing by a guy named Timmothy, as a terrorist act. Yet the Ft. Hood attack – “hey now, let's not jump to conclusions.” A conclusion reached by a jump doesn't necessarily mean that it was wrong. So I'm looking at 9-11-01 and I'm thinking “Terrorists”. And I'm thinking this Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is one of the guys behind it.

Nothing good can come of this trail. Nothing.

Technology and my Epic Geekness: I remember as a kid, buying computer magazines because they had programs printed in code in the back. You used to spend hours typing in that code to literally write the program into your PC. If you were lucky, you had a tape drive to save it to. If not, the program was just gone when you turned the computer off. Good old days, eh? Yeah, I didn't have a tape drive for some time. But I do remember one time, recording over a TWISTED SISTER tape to save a small program that did... something... I don't remember for sure but I think it was a Random Number Generator so I could play D&D easier. Yeah, I was a geek.

11-15-09:  I'm done with Top Gear. I've followed Top Gear, the show and the magazine for years. But I can no longer support those arrogant cocks. They've always poked at the US Car Industry and America in general... and it used to be in good humor, or with legitimate criticism that could be taken as constructive. However lately they are no longer friendly pokes, but hateful and spiteful jabs. They've become blatantly anti-American and I'm not going to tolerate it any longer. Years worth of Top Gear Magazines are going to the landfill... No... better yet, because that imbecile Clarkson believes in Global Warming so much – I'm going to burn them to heat Ogre Ranch. Clarkson's hot air is finally going to be put to use in a productive manner.... warming my hairy buttocks. This is really unfortunate because I've enjoyed Top Gear in the past, as long as they just shut up with the America Bashing. I don't have time for that crap anymore.

I've been running a Mossberg 930 SPX semi-auto shotgun as of late. I'm very impressed. The gun patterns well, and shoots with, so far, perfect reliability. As far as a tactical shotgun goes, this is perhaps the best bang for the buck. The ghost ring sight with a fiber optic front, with good adjustments to dial in your slugs, good capacity, and an action that is surprisingly smooth. It was pretty good to begin with, but after the first time I shot it, I had to do something. I stripped it down and treated the whole thing to Slipstream. The result is that I've got a Mossy 930 SPX that is smoother than the FNH SLP shotgun which costs almost twice as much. Now, I'll be honest... I'm not completely sold on the gun here... my hang up is that I'm a die hard 870 fan and I prefer the pump action for a defensive shotgun. With an 870, reliability is unquestionable. With the 930SPX, reliability raises a question in the back of my mind. How reliable is it? So far, very. But at what point does it fail is where my concern is. I've fired many different shells through the SPX and I've yet to find a load that it wont digest. I've yet to make the thing jam unless I purposely made it jam by loading it improperly so I can see how to un-jam it. The Mossberg has truly impressed me so far. I've used other auto-shotguns in the past, but this is the only one that I've personally owned. Again, I'm more comfortable with a Pump Action. But the SPX makes for a great and affordable Auto argument.

President Obama needs to stop it. He shouldn't bow to anyone.

11-12-09:  I didn't say anything about Veterans Day because I didn't know how to articulate my feelings this year... not about Vets, but about America's Treatment of Vets. Our Boys have been ignored, scoffed at, mocked, prosecuted, and then used as a political stooge by this administration. Obama has been unable to make decisions regarding the use of the military while the military is actively engaged in a shooting war.... yet this ignorant juvenile punk of a President has time to go pimp Chicago for the Olympics, go pick up his awarded, yet undeserved, unearned Nobel Peace Prize, go bowling, and do whatever the hell he feels like... and blows off his own Generals, and has members of his administration accuse Former Members of the Military of being Potential Terrorists... and then when we get a real Terrorist Attack on US Troops on a US Base – he has to give his Shout Outs and then tells us not to Jump To Conclusions. Sorry, but my Conclusions have been long time formulated. Mr. President... You've gone “Full Retard”.

The Armed American Radio show on the 22^nd, I believe... is AAR's first Full 3 Hour Broadcast. I'll be On Air, Massad Ayoob will be on air as well... and Mas is a hard act to follow. Let me tell you... Mas has it going on for Radio... he has that deep God-Like Radio Voice, and speaks in such a way that you can not possibly articulate an opposing argument... because Mas Said. That's it. Mas Said. There is no more argument – no more debate – Mas Said. Since Jeff Cooper passed away – we've kinda been looking for the Next Colonel Cooper, the head man in the Gun Industry that speaks with the authority of the Gun Owners Collective Wisdom. Some guys might say Clint Smith... some guys might say whoever... but I think Massad Ayoob takes the crown.
Jeff Cooper was a remarkable man. Love him or hate him, he was unique. He was a true Renaissance Man. He had culture and grace and dignity and refinement that just went far beyond... He reinvented the use of the Hand Gun, he raced sports cars... he lived his life well, and he has been missed... his legacy carries on and I recommend all young men to read his books. Now, Massad doesn't have that broad cultural experience that Cooper had... but Massad has a different attribute set that makes him remarkable in his own right. Few if any are as Educated in the matter of the Use of Force. No one is as studied in the subject of Defense as Mas. From the effective use of the gun as a weapon to the legal ramifications of Self Defense... Mas is the guy to turn to. I hold Mr. Ayoob in high regard. Let's put it this way... I've never skipped one of Massad Ayoob's articles.

There is a horrible Web Comic that I've been following for a very long time and have never linked to. It's rather adult, not for kids at all... but sometimes makes me laugh into my Dr. Pepper till I feel the fiz coming out of my nose. Least I Could Do. If you are easily offended – this will offend you. If you are thick skinned, this will, at some point, offend you to. There is no reason I should be following it. But I do.

11-10-09:  Our friend Marcus Wynne, author and warrior, posted a comment on my Facebook page that rings with ultimate truth that goes back to the age of the Samurai. “The true warrior is motivated first and foremost by love; it's expressed in the willingness to go in harm's way on the behalf of others, and to take the consequences of that choice upon themselves.”

Amen, Marcus. You hit the nail on the head, brother. A warrior must know that beauty of that which he defends. In order to defend it better, he must appreciate it, embrace it. I've always believed that, and I am pleased to see that I am not alone.

BTW, I've read all three of his books and they are excellent. The hit hard, pulling no punches... We look forward to his next one which is awaiting publication.

We've got Slipstream going out to a number of Gun Shops. We are working on a good dealer program for that. We're also working on a newer formula for the oil. The initial oil that I tested was thick. We got the precision needle oilers and needed to thin it a little. Well, the thinner stuff just isn't as good... so we are going back to the thicker profile and are going to use a thicker needle tip to accommodate it. It's important that we get this – just right – because this stuff has to be The Best. Even in the thinner form, it is. It is the best. But we can make it better, and we will. With this stuff going out on the shelves, and with Crusader having a booth at this upcoming Crossroads of the West Gun Show – I'm going to be there, Joe is going to be there... and we are going to be showing this stuff off, testing it out, and selling it. So it's got to be FLAT OUT AWESOME. Oh – it is... and it will be... so mark it on your calendars and get your ticket coupons to get in to that Gun Show. Slipstream is great stuff – and I'm not pushing it because I'm making money on it – I've Not Made One Cent off of Slipstream. I'm being honest here, I've not made a penny from it. I'm pushing it because the stuff WORKS. Dead serious here – Slipstream is the slickest weapon lubricant you can get – or could ever get. Of all the lubricants known to science, this stiff is the slickest. Buy the Kit so you get the Oil and the Grease and use them both in your guns. Some of my guns like just oil... some of my guns like a little grease on the rails... each gun is different. So try it out, find the best combination for your guns and I promise – your guns will never be happier. You can FEEL the difference... and what you feel from cycling the weapon by hand – you will really feel the difference when you shoot. You gun will function better, smoother, and it will be more reliable because of that.

11-08-09:  Frosty's for Firearm Trainers: Let's organize a little drive. You know how you come across these coupons for Free Frosty's from Wendy's? Every time you find a Free Frosty Coupon – Send it to Travis Haley and Chris Costa at Magpul. PO Box 17697, Longmont, Colorado 80308-0697 Better yet, get a whole book of them...  Not for Fries or a Drink... Just Frosty's. Lets see how many we can get over there.

I am deeply disappointed in our Congress. 220 votes For this insane health care bill, 215 votes against. It came down to 5 votes difference. 5. Pretty evenly divided bill. We had 1 Republican who voted for the Health Care Bill. The one Republican that voted for it – how surprised are we that it was that punk from LA riding on the Katrina handouts, playing to the Democrat base, and selling out over a bill he never read. How many of these “Law Makers” actually read the bill? Almost 2 thousand pages of travesty, and probably not a single person in Congress has actually read the thing. We are not going to know the depth of this disaster for months to come. This was Legislative Terrorism. This was Congressional Thuggery. The Democrats ignored Voters and pushed through their Communist Agenda and they need to pay for this. Because America can not pay for this bill. Every time America seems to be gaining ground on the Economy, these Jackholes on Capital Hill kick us back down and do everything they can to crush the American Economy. In return, we should crush them. I've said it before... and it's all the more valid now – but THANK GOD that the mechanism for this is written into the Constitution. We can VOTE these evil thugs out of Washington and we can VOTE to fix this mess. We can and we will. But it takes people to actually get out and VOTE and not bitch and whine about how they don't need to. That's how the system works – we VOTE. We don't need to raise arms or throw molotovs or overturn cars like other countries... we just need to VOTE.

ARM OUR SOLDIERS: The Anti-Gun Crowd is using Ft. Hood as a leverage against Gun Rights. I've had feedback that POLICY states that Soldiers give up certain Rights when they Enlist. And if a Civilian goes on a US Base, they give up some rights too... such as the Second and Fourth... Okay. That's fine, that might be the Policy, but clearly Ft. Hood shows us that nothing good comes from that ignorant Policy. Every Soldier swears an Oath to Protect and Defend... and at Ft. Hood they couldn't defend themselves, let alone us, from just 1 Terrorist. Because they were unarmed. Policy. That stupid Policy cost American Soldiers their lives. Policy... how's that working for you? The way I see it, we give our soldiers the tools by which to stand by their Oaths. EVERY soldier in Uniform and out of Uniform should always have a weapon on them as a symbol of that Oath. Every soldier should have a knife and a gun. They graduate Basic Training, they are given a handgun.... whatever the current issue pistol is... they are issued that handgun, a holster, some spare magazines, and ammo to fill those magazines. They should also be given a full sized fixed bladed knife. They wear the gun on their strong side, knife on their weak side. Every Solider. Every Airman. Every Marine, and Every Sailor. And they are to have those on them at all times – even off base. Because just because a Soldier is off duty – their Oath doesn't go away. Just because they are in the mess hall, their oath doesn't go away. Our soldiers were just as helpless as those high school students at Columbine. Because of Policy.

11-06-09:  I've been offline for a couple of days. Let me clear this out and I know some guys are going to be upset... because I didn't contact them. But I needed to spend some quality time with my brother in SLC, just me and him. Then I had a meeting with Mark Walters of Armed American Radio who flew out from Georgia. Next time I'm out there – I'm bouncing with all my friends, we'll shoot guns, eat good food, and kick it. But this time was dedicated – and too short. My brother, Z, is a good man. Out of the Military and completely on his own now. Graduated College with a major in History and Art. He's a smart guy. Great guy. Needs a job – Any job. He's in SLC... so if you know anyone that needs an Ex-Military College Grad Historian Artist – let me know. We did some stuff and went to see Zombieland. More on that later.
The next day, I dropped him off with our Cousin and they went to see a Rob Zombie concert, and I hooked up with Mark at the Radisson in downtown SLC. He had some business to attend to and then we sat down for some serious discussion over some serious food. The Radisson had some slow roasted buffalo going on that was absolutely amazing. We had a great conversation about the radio show and some other things and got the ball rolling on a new project for me. More on that in the future – a not too distant future either. It's a fast tracked project that I'm pretty damn jazzed about.

Hanging out with Mark was pretty damn cool. Great guy. And if you listen to him on the radio – he's the same guy in person. He's not putting on a persona for the radio show. You are getting the real Mark. If you are not getting Armed American Radio in your area – you can tune into the live stream and listen to it – or you can hit it from iTunes or just off AAR's website. It's good stuff. It really is. This week, I'll be calling in going over some stuff with Mark, Kathy Jackson is calling in and she'll be the guest for the first hour, and then Suzanna Hupp will be on.

Also – if you are not getting Armed American Radio in your area... find out who the Station Manager/Program Director is of your local radio station – and tell them that you want AAR for the full show on Sunday Nights. Then have your friends do the same thing. If they get a bunch of requests for the fastest growing radio show in the country – they'll pick it up and you'll be able to listen live.

Zombieland: Just about the most amusing film I've seen in some time. It's going to go down in history with Shaun of the Dead as one of the top Zombie Comedies. Actually... to be honest. I think it was better than Shaun of the Dead. It was clever, it had some charms, and it was touching to me in one part. Great film. It almost makes you look forward to the Zombie Apocalypse.

Ft. Hood: Threats and plots against Ft. Dix were thwarted. Strike One. Threats and plots against Ft. Bragg were thwarted. Strike Two. Now after those two warnings... and after having this guy under investigation... after all the warning signs this guy was putting out... we miss the obvious and he nails us. How did we drop the ball so bad on this one? First off – when we have Dix and Bragg being targeted, how did we not take threats against US Bases seriously? An Army Base – with our Politically Correct policy that has almost everyone completely unarmed puts the average American Solider on the same footing as a Student of Columbine. With plots against Dix and Bragg – a plot actually getting traction was only a matter of time. What could we do? I'm about to flip out... some of the talk radio bullshit that I've heard – “where was the Armed Response?” Come on. A uniformed armed responder got there in 4 minutes. That's pretty fast considering the size of Ft Hood. But why do Soldiers need to wait for someone else to come save them? They are SOLDIERS for hells sake. We don't need police about Reaction Teams. The policy we need is that EVERY SOLDIER BE ALWAYS ARMED. Armed with the two weapons they are given at their time of Boot Camp Graduation... a good sized Fixed bladed Knife and a Pistol. Those two weapons being required to be on their person at all times as part of their uniform. Regardless of Rank or MOS or Title or any other consideration – if they are a part of the Armed Forces, they wear the Knife and Gun. Do this – and this instance at Ft. Hood would never happen again. When when we learn that we should not wait for tragedy before we allow weapons to protect ourselves with? How come we can not trust our soldiers with weapons in garrison yet we give them all kinds of weapons over there? “You can have that Machinegun – but you can't have it here.” Bullshit.

And what's even worse bullshit... our President. He spend several minutes doing his Shout Out's before the Press Conference about his reaction to the news. That was not the actions of a man who was concerned one little bit about the people at Ft. Hood. I remember when Bush was given the bad news about 9-11-01... he remained calm. Spent two minutes to finish up with the school kids so they were not alarmed, and then went and took care of business. And the Liberals gave Bush hell for that for years. Yet here is Obama, doing some “Shout Out's”, goofing off, and being a Dillweed while we have US Soldiers, on US Soil, on a US Military Base dying. Obama has send us a very clear message. He doesn't give a Damn. He can't make a decision on Afghanistan – our men our dying over there too. And he doesn't give a damn. What does he give a damn about? The Press. Jon Stewart. His Shout Out's. I'm so disgusted by Obama. He should be ashamed of himself... if he had any shame. Obama is a charlatan.

Let me tell you... its so good to have my truck running again... it's like an old friend is back. Without it, it felt like I was missing a leg or something. It's a psychological thing... but I just have to have wheels ready to roll when I need to go. I feel trapped without them.

11-02-09:  The way a pistol feels in the hand is one of the most important aspects of selecting a handgun. The interface between the tool and the user is more important that the name of the maker. Brand isn't an attribute if that brand doesn't fit you. Caliber doesn't matter if because of a poor fit, you can't put that caliber into where it needs to go. One pistol that has surprised me, is the Beretta Vertec. We have a few fake guns in the shop to display some tactical lights. One of those is a Vertec model. It fits my hand amazingly well and points incredibly naturally. It feels good in the hand like few other handguns. One other handgun that feels great, is another Beretta, the Storm. It's one of my favorites. It's also highly under-rated. Too many guys pass over the Storm in favor of other pistols that just don't have the style the Beretta has.

Holster: One holster I picked up recently has surprised me. A Blackhawk Serpa Sportster. 26 bucks. It's a simple plastic paddle type with the Serpa lock system. You know, I like it. It's a solid buy, comfortable, light weight, easy to draw from, easy to holster, locks on the belt very securely, and carries the pistol very well. I got one for my SIG P229, and I'm very pleased with it. Now, the Sportster isn't a great rig... it's far from perfect... but it's a very good one for most purposes outside of Concealment. And it's made in the USA. Its the best 26 bucks you can spend for your handgun. If they have one for your pistol, get one.

I had the chance to shoot a unique rifle today. A Steyr .308 tactical rifle. It's a sweet rifle for the crazy dollars they ask for it... but the fact is... my Savage 10FCP will flat out shoot it. The scope on the Steyr was a S&B Tactical... my Vortex offers just as much clarity and brightness, with better magnification. Looking at that Steyr set up, with the scope... and with my package compared to it... crazy. Now, I liked some things about the Steyr... one, the trigger. The trigger was fantastic. Two, was the magazine. 10 rounds, easy to load, and easy to insert and remove. Also, the folding stock. Most importantly, that magazine. Savage has a good magazine, but you can't top load it, and it only holds 4 rounds. The Savage really needs a better magazine and I suggest they look hard at the Steyr.

11-01-09:  Finally some good news. A local fellow has a 95 Ford Explorer that has a newly rebuild engine. It's four wheel drive. It's in great shape. Mechanically, it's like it's almost brand new. The 95 Explorer already has a great reputation for reliability, and this one being completely redone by one of the best mechanics in the region... looks like this will the perfect option. Monday, this will become Mrs. Ogre's new rig. The Pontiac Montana has a blown head. Again. So all the new parts and everything... I don't even want to think about it. So here is what we are going to do... there is another family out here with a Pontiac Montana that can't afford to fix theirs either. We are going to give the Shop this Montana so they can use all our new parts to get theirs running. Any parts left over, we are going to try to sell to the junk yard. What I would love to do – is take the van out to a secure location – fill it with explosives – and blow it the hell up. I want to do this. This week I'll be contacting county authorities to see about getting a permit for this. Now, the last day we drove this Montana, it was the first day of the year that it snowed here. The road was slick but not too bad because the tires are good. Well, it wasn't too bad until we got into town and for some reason the road was extremely slick. There were four accidents on one stretch. One of them quite bad. I was driving the Van very carefully, and I almost had two accidents when I touched the brakes and had zero effect on speed. I was going slow, but that made no difference. So I dove the van into the shoulder and was able to slow it down in time... so we were fine... but it was close those two times. The Montana is just so heavy and unbalanced... and its not four wheel drive. This made me think. This winter is predicted to be quite nasty. Having the wife driving this Explorer just might prove to be a life saver this Winter.

We still don't know about my Truck.

Bullet reports: I've talked with some individuals who are professional hunting guides and game processors. We've talked bullet effects and placement and what bullets really put the smackdown on the game.

First up, the Federal Fusion. Every report has these rounds doing everything very well. What these rounds are, are simply Federals Mid Grade load. The loading is much like their Premium stuff when it comes to consistency. Very consistent, but instead of using their expensive bullets, they are using a more reasonably priced lead core bullet with a bonded jacket. The lead is pretty soft so the bullet expands very well and with the bonding process, there is no loss of weight. These rounds in every caliber, simply work.

Next is from Winchester. Their new XP3 stuff. It's a copper bullet with a ballistic tip, deep cavity, and a small lead core. This bullet, at least in the 7mm, performs very well. One report has it turning internal organs into jelly. These loads are rather spendy, but when you turn the organs of an elk into jelly at 630 yards... that's impressive. Dropped the elk dead right there.

The most impressive reports are big game nailed with the Berger VLD-Hunting bullets. These are the bullets favored by the Best of the West crew... However, the guy that cuts their Game reported that these rounds have proven to be the the most consistent with excellent penetration... Consensus is that these are the best you can use. If you are reloading, this is the bullet of choice.

The Hornady SST is another top choice, which the shock effect doing horribly nasty things to big game, with internal organs looking like a horror show.

Time and time again, the Barnes Triple Shock has proven to be disappointing. The bullets either do not expand wide enough or they don't expand soon enough. I think Barnes needs to evaluate their cavity geometry.

So let me line this up... 1. Berger VLD-Hunting. 2. Hornady SST. 3. Federal Fusion. 4. Winchester XP3. These are from all reports, the best bullets for hunting big game... and by Big Game I am meaning Elk and Mule Deer. Now, I work the gun counter at the 4^th largest Gun Dealer in Utah... so take this for what it's worth. But its worth noting. We can talk calibers later. No... let's talk calibers now. For the calibers that are dropping the animals the fastest... there are two cartridges that stand out. First one is the .257 Weather Magnum. I've glassed elk and watched the hit... and the Elk don't even take a second step when the bullet hits the vitals. Second, the 7MM Rem Mag... Serious Smack Down. These two cartridges lay them out.

Now, I've heard guys call the 7 Rem Mag the 7MM Crippler, but when pressed it becomes apparent that bullet selection was incorrect for the game hunted. Super heavy Accubonds and other bullets just don't deliver the shock... they instead just stab straight through and exit before they open up. This goes with every popular caliber. To get the best results, you have to pick the right bullet for the job and you have to put that bullet where it's going to strike vitals. Pretty much, vital organs are called vital for a reason.