9 Old Shooting Myths That Too Many Hunters Still Believe

These reader questions and solutions from OL’s former capturing editor appeared within the January 1976 problem of Out of doors Life. Many of those myths persist in the present day, corresponding to utilizing the criminal of your elbow to measure size of pull.

Shotgun Stability

I’ve observed that gun consultants, together with your self, typically point out the “steadiness” of a shotgun. How do you inform if a shotgun is well-balanced? Is there a particular steadiness level? —G.M., Stockton, CA

In present shotgun terminology, “steadiness” can imply various things to totally different shooters, be they consultants or not. After I converse of steadiness, I’m often referring to the gun’s general dealing with qualities.

Within the more-classic sense, particularly when talking of the good English makes, many shotguns are intentionally balanced in order that the shooter’s palms share the burden equally. This makes the gun appear lighter and supposedly permits quicker dealing with. The specified steadiness level is thus halfway between the palms, often virtually precisely on the hinge pin of a double. With a view to obtain correct steadiness, some high quality gun makers bore wooden from the butt, and even, if vital, add weight. Including weight to enhance steadiness can generally really make the shot­ gun really feel lighter, or a minimum of make it deal with quicker.

In recent times many of those conventional ideas of steadiness have been overruled by precise expertise. A primary case is the glass­ barreled Winchester Mannequin 59. It was very butt-heavy due to the light-weight glass-wound barrel, however it proved to be a lightning-fast discipline gun. Likewise, some competitors skeet weapons at the moment are being made intentionally muzzle-heavy in order to easy out the swing and follow-through. Subsequently, once I say a shotgun is well-balanced these days I imply solely that it has easy dealing with traits.

Bullet Drop

You’ve been chosen to settle this $10 wager. Occasion No. 1 maintains that if a gun barrel is totally horizontal, the bullet will begin dropping the moment it leaves the top of the barrel. Occasion No. 2 says that if the barrel is completely horizontal, the spin of the bullet will trigger the bullet to rise above the airplane of the barrel (line of bore) earlier than it begins dropping. Who’s proper? —G.E., Clifton, CO

If a rifle barrel is held with the bore line completely horizontal, the bullet will begin to drop the moment it leaves the muzzle. That is in accordance with a easy legislation of gravity. The one exceptions are attributable to mechanical situations corresponding to uneven crowning on the muzzle, which might create deflection of some type.

There’s, nonetheless, a ballistic phenomenon often known as rotational drift. A bullet spinning to the fitting will drift to the fitting, and one turning to the left will go left. It has solely a slight impact, although. A .30/06 bullet, relying on its weight, will drift astray solely about six inches at 1,000 yards.

Falling Projectiles

I’m 15 years previous and spend each spare minute both capturing or studying about weapons. I’ve by no means learn something about how briskly a bullet goes when it falls. My cousin says {that a} bullet fired straight up comes down as quick because it went up. Doesn’t this imply that it is extremely harmful to fireplace a .22 rifle or perhaps a shotgun straight up at a squirrel? —L.N., Waterloo, IA

It’s true provided that you fireplace in an ideal vacuum, the place there isn’t a atmospheric resistance. In a nor­ mal ambiance the air resistance retains the falling bullet (or shot pellets) from build up a lot gravitational velocity. A 40-grain .22 rimfire slug would hit the bottom at roughly 200 toes per second, and a No. 5 pellet falls even slower. Thus the one pos­ible hazard can be being struck within the eye.

Pump “Malfunction”

My Remington Mannequin 760 Sport­ grasp pump-action rifle in .30 I 06 caliber appears to work completely, besides once I fireplace it from a bench relaxation. After I shoot from a relaxation the motion generally blows open, and on two or three  events the cartridge case has come all the way in which out of the motion. Isn’t that harmful? Ought to I ship the rifle again to the manufacturing unit? —W.M. Springdale, AR

You didn’t say the way you maintain your Mannequin 760 while you shoot from a bench, however I can guess. It is not uncommon for pump-action rifles to open when the forearm is held firmly by the ahead hand whereas the shooter’s elbows are resting on the bench or different stable help.

When the rifle recoils, every thing strikes to the rear directly. However the resistance of the shooter’s shoulder snaps the rifle ahead once more virtually directly, and the remainder of the rifle strikes quicker than the hand holding the fore­ arm. This has the impact of pumping the motion. Generally it occurs even when the forearm is merely resting on a sandbag. This opening is definitely solely regular functioning, and there’s no hazard. If the rifle really “blew” open, you’d realize it for positive.

Penetration

Just lately an archery knowledgeable gave an attention-grabbing demonstration at a gathering of our native rod-and-gun membership. One among his tips was to shoot a looking arrow by way of a reasonably large bag of sand. The arrow didn’t go throughout, however the level got here out the again facet. He then instructed us {that a} .30/06-caliber 180-grain bullet from a rifle wouldn’t shoot by way of the bag of sand. He didn’t reveal however confirmed us an identical bag of sand that he stated had been shot with a .30/06. There was an entrance gap however no exit gap. How is that this potential, or was he pulling our legs? —C.G., Shawnee, KS

He wasn’t. The arrow vs. bullet demonstration is fashionable, and I’m typically requested about it. If the sandbag is massive sufficient, a high-velocity bullet is not going to go fully by way of it. That is due to the energy-transfer issue, during which a lot of the power within the type of velocity is absorbed by the sand and effectively distributed all through its quantity, particularly if the bullet expands or disintegrates. This distribution of power is usually visually obvious if the bag is tightly packed and the material splits and tears.

Generally the sandbag will even explode due to the pressures radiating in all instructions. This is similar shock impact a soft-nose bullet has on animal tissue. Hunters name it knockdown energy. (Editor’s observe: Knockdown power is another myth.)

An much more attention-grabbing and significant experiment is to connect a rifle bullet to the tip of an arrow. The identical bullet that won’t penetrate a bag of sand when fired from a rifle will penetrate it with relative ease when pushed by a bow. Of even better significance, the bullet-tipped arrow could be pushed by way of a sandbag by hand. Penetration could be achieved by minimal power, however as you’d count on, the shock impact can also be at a really low degree.

Inventory Match

Final fall once I was deciding on a brand new side-by-side 20-gauge double for use for grouse and woodcock, the salesperson instructed me how I may discover the make and mannequin that match me finest. He instructed me to carry every gun with butt­plate within the criminal of my elbow and my hand within the regular capturing grip with my finger on the set off. This appears a useful option to test a shot gun for correct trigger-to-buttplate size, however I’d like your opinion. —S.F., Bangor, ME

This previous fable gives a fairly good option to measure the size of your forearm, however that’s about all. The right size of pull for a shotgun inventory is decided by a wide range of elements such because the width or thickness of the shooter’s shoulder, neck size, and arm size. Particular person capturing fashion and sort of capturing (lure, skeet, waterfowl, and so forth) additionally play an vital half in deter­ mining correct inventory size. And there are different very important inventory measurements corresponding to drop at heel and comb, thick­ ness of comb, cast-off, and cast-on. Figuring out the size of pull of a shotgun        by snugging it   into your crooked elbow is like figuring out the fitting waist measurement of a pair of trousers by measuring the size of your legs.

Bullet Spin

As I perceive it, the aim of getting lands and grooves in a rifled barrel is to spin the bullet in order that the gyroscopic impact will make the bullet fly straight and with its level ahead. What I can’t perceive is what good it does to have rifling in muzzleloading barrels used with spherical balls. For the reason that bullets are completely spherical and haven’t any level, what distinction does it make whether or not they spin or not? —G.B., Friendship, IN

If a spherical ball doesn’t spin in any respect, it could construct up irregular air stress forward of it that might trigger it to fly alongside a jerky, irregular path. A great parallel is the baseball pitcher’s non­ turning knuckleball. It has an unpredictable course.

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If a spherical ball rotates round its axis of ahead movement, as attributable to rifling, it’s significantly extra correct than it’s with out the spin. If, alternatively, the rotational spin just isn’t across the axis of ahead movement, the spherical ball could curve in flight, relying on how the rotation impacts the air stress. An instance of this — once more utilizing our baseball pitcher — is the curve ball.

Altering Choke

In accordance with my OUTDOOR LIFE Chook Shooter’s Information, a shotgun barrel with modified choke will put 45 to 60 % of the pellets right into a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. My double­barreled shotgun has “FULL” and “MODIFIED” stamped on the below­facet of the barrels, however each sample about 75 %. What causes this, and the way can I make the modified barrel sample correctly? —N.S., Lewiston, ID

It is not uncommon for shotguns to supply patterns that adjust from their indicated choking. Most mass-pro­duced shotguns have a selected measurement of choke or constriction constructed into the muzzles. This diploma of choking has been discovered to yield a sure common share sample.

Comparatively few mass-produced shotguns are literally patterned by capturing them earlier than they depart the plant. However even when they have been, different variables corresponding to shot measurement, load velocity, and shot-cup design typically trigger sample densities that differ from the indicated or nominal choke. Because of this I all the time stress that shotgunners ought to sample their weapons with the kind of ammunition they intend to make use of. If vital, totally different hundreds or manufacturers could be examined till you get the de­ sired sample. To open up a sample you might additionally strive scatter hundreds manufactured with card wads within the shot, however they’re often out there solely with No. 8 shot.

As a final resort, you might have to show the gun over to a gunsmith, ideally a shotgun specialist, for rechoking, Choke could be eliminated or added.

Biscuit Reducing

I not too long ago had an uncommon expertise with reloads in my Mannequin 700 BDL in .17 caliber. With a load of twenty-two grains of du Pont No. 3031 powder behind a 25-grain Hornady bullet, about half of the fired primers have a small spherical gap. Apparently the opening is the place the firing pin hit. After I dropped the load down to twenty grains of No. 3031, the issue disappeared, however in accordance with my reloading handbook, decreasing the cost value me 500 toes per second in velocity. Have you ever ever had an identical expertise? —W.W., Athens, GA

The situation you describe is named primer perforation or, extra generally, “biscuit reducing”-because of the neatly minimize holes. It could possibly have three or 4 totally different causes, however I’ll lay 10-to-one odds that in your case it’s attributable to the flawed alternative of primers. The little .17-caliber and another high-pressure cartridges are inclined to blow out the small-rifle primer cup the place it has been weakened by the firing pin indent. The 6×47-mm. benchrest cartridge does it pretty typically too.

This may be cured through the use of small­ rifle primers with extra-thick cups made only for this function. One such primer is the No. 7½ Remington, which could be instantly acknowledged by its copper shade. The Omark-CCI Quantity BR-4 additionally has a thick cup, and an identical primer was not too long ago launched by Federal.

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Different causes of primer “biscuit reducing” are tough, misshaped, or chipped firing-pin suggestions, extreme fir­ ing-pin protrusion, a weak striker spring, or a mix of those defects.