Thursday Range Bag V

In this installment of the Thursday Range Bag, I’d like to talk about a cartridge that has flown under the radar of most shooters, but is getting a groundswell of support from hunters and bench-shooters alike. That usually spells cha-ching for the manufacturers.. A friend in the know tells me that this is Weatherby’s best seller now..

The cartridge is the .30-378 magnum. As the name tells us, it is a thirty caliber bullet in a necked down .378 Weatherby magnum case.

Here is a pic for comparison. The .30-378 is on the right, .30-06 in the center, and a 7mm STW on the left

There are reports of extremely long and extremely effective shots on deer and other hill dwellers in the western part of the country. Word has it that hand loaders are putting 110 grain bullets over 120 grains of slow burning powder in that cavernous case, and getting 4000 feet per second muzzle readings. Its also dropping whatever critter it hits instantly out to 800 yards..

There is also a large contingent of bench shooters that have adapted this cartridge in the 1000 yard competitions. If they are getting that kind of velocity with the inherently accurate .30 caliber bullet, I bet that these reports are accurate, pardon the pun.

I have shot a .378 Weatherby Magnum, and for reference, it kicked about like a 7mm ultra mag, or a little more that a .300 ultra mag. Or to say it better, the fillings in my teeth hurt for a day or two after firing either of the above offhand.

So for me, unless I am heading out west, I cannot see me needing this in my safe, but damn, it sure is freaking cool.

In closing this thought, if the throat in any rifle of this caliber has the slightest scratch or machining mark on it, erosion would definitely start early. I’d double check the throat of any rifle I bought in this caliber to ensure that the throat is polished to a mirror shine. I guess that goes for any firearm in the monster magnum family though.

Second and lastly, to get the best out of this round, hand loading is a must, as is a 30 inch barrel. Factory rounds are 165 grains or above, so the little screamers are out of reach if you cannot hand load..

Here is some ballistic info on the cartridge.. The lighter bullets are not mentioned here though..

That is all...

Thursday Range Bag IV

I don't think that I'll get to much of an argument that the shotgun is ultimate home defense weapon. And if you don't agree with it, then well, your wrong...

What can be debated , is brand and configuration. In the very first Range Bag installment, I showed you my set up, and after mentioning it in a different post, I was asked to post a picture of it, and tell a little about it.

I call it my "assault shotgun", because every time I have shown it to someone that doesn't shoot, they have mentioned how mean that it looks.. A couple of liberal wussies probably wet their pants, but I couldn't verify it..



So without further ado, here it is..








It is a Mossberg 500, originally equipped with a cruiser grip, 8 round magazine, and an 18.5 inch barrel with a heat shield. In that configuration, well lets just say, shooting it wasn't fun. The first and last time I shot it with the original cruiser handle, a 3 inch #4 turkey load nearly broke my wrist, and I have pretty strong wrist.

So instead of adding a standard stock to it. I put in an order to Knoxx Industries for one of their recoil absorbing stocks.

This version had the flip down shoulder stock, so it maintained the short profile for close quarters movement. I feel that this is the number 1 feature that my shotgun offers. In halls or closets, you can move with ease, and if you need better long range accuracy, you can deploy the shoulder bar in less that a second.

The recoil absorption is so impressive that you can fire a 3 inch magnum 1 ounce slug, one handed, and barely tell you have shot anything stronger than a .357 revolver.



The only other mods I have done to it is to polish the slide arms and rails. The "slickety slack" of the pump is buttah I tell ya, and can be cycled one handed as well. I do have a drop grip, a la ar15, which completes that upgrades.

So for a total of about 315.00 I have what I consider the best home defense set up that you can buy. If you have anything better, I'd definitely love to hear about it..

Well there you are Jimmy B, my assault shotgun...

Thursday Range Bag III

In last Thursday’s Range Bag, I closed the post with the statement that I was going to make the case for the Glock being the best choice for concealed carry self defense.

To add to that, I say the Glock in its mid and full size .40 SW incarnations is the king.

I am not a 1911 or .45 hater. Both are great IMHO, But neither measure up to the Glock. The 1911 is prettier, a better “date” gun or “Sunday go to meetin” gun, but for reliability, there is no comparison.

Here are the bullet points:

1. The Glock is vastly more reliable

2. A full set of replacement parts is about 60.00 (minus barrel)

3. You don’t need a lot of gunsmithing experience to work on one

4. Making the pistol multi-caliber (9mm or .357SIG) you drop in an 80.00 dollar barrel

5. You can treat it like shit, and it keeps shooting, and shooting, and shooting.

6. .40 SW has superior ballistics, will penetrate deeper, and expand more reliably

Here are the arguments.

1. I have had a 1911 on several occasions. Once a VERY expensive version by a big name 1911 master armorer. If it was ever windy, and there was grit in the air, the 1911’s would become jam masters almost immediately. I have two Glock 22 first generation pistols. The one I carry, I keep as clean as whistle, the other I have NEVER CLEANED in over 5 years of shooting. I have never had 1 failure to fire in either of them. The clean one is more accurate of course, but other than that, there isn’t much difference in them.

2. Self explanatory

3. Also self explanatory, but I can detail strip a Glock, replace any defective part, and have it back together in less that 4 minutes. I have 3 complete parts kits, and I carry one with me everywhere I go.

4. I have a fully supported 9mm drop in barrel. I figure that if TS ever HTF, and I can’t get to my .40 stash, I can find someone with 9mm and be back in business. It takes about 15 seconds to change the barrel.

5. See number 1. Or better yet do a Google search about Glock torture test and see for yourself.

6. I’ve witnessed it. The .40 in 185 grain and 165 grain both penetrate farther than a 230 grain .45. ¾ of an inch, and 1 inch respectively. Bullet upset was noticeably more pronounced in the .40 as well.

So there is my argument. The Glock is ugly, unless you find simplicity and black plastic pretty, but it is virtually unstoppable. Even if it does eventually break, you can be back in business in about 4 minutes, and for less that you spend on a 20 ounce coke in most cases.

In closing, it all about reliability and Glock has no equal, period.

In next Thursdays Range Bag, I’ll introduce you to what I feel is the ultimate home defense weapon…

That is all…

How do you train??

I think it is the responsibility of every CCW license holder to be proficient with their firearm of choice. As such, I go to the range as often as the situation allows to do just that.

As part of that proficiency, I read A LOT about training methods and the results of real world force on force encounters.

Recently, I have read a lot about a quick move laterally being the best tack to take, should you find yourself in a force on force situation. In most articles and books I have read, that a quick 4-6 foot move right or left, out of the line of fire, will make a BG miss over 75% of the time on his first shot. Professionals simulating force on force have stated that this movement was the hardest to overcome when encountered.

So, I have adapted my training to this thinking. I now practice drawing while simultaneously moving a quick “hop” to the right or left, firing off a quick double-tap, move laterally again, a second double-tap, then a final move to cover with a final Mozambique (double-tap center mass – Head shot)

I have to tell you that it is a challenge to keep all 7 shots minute of torso when moving in this fashion. I used to set up scenarios like a pistol competition, moving from station to station while firing. I got pretty damn good at it too. But in hindsight now, I don’t think it would help me a whole lot if I ever encountered a scum bag threatening me and mine. The main objective is to keep ourselves and more importantly, our loved ones alive. I really believe a “move-shoot-move” action will maximize that goal, and would recommend that you look into it too, if your serious about personal and family protection..

Stay tuned for next Thursdays "range bag" installment, when I will convince you that a Glock is the best choice for self defense and concealed carry.

That is all...

Ultimate Home er.. Ship Defense Choice

Mossberg 500 w/ Knoxx Comp stock folder

The blogosphere is litered with post debating what the best home defense weapon is. Opinions are as plentiful as rectums I reccon, so one more shouldn't hurt eh...

Here's mine...

Arrr... Ain't she a beaut..

Right out of the box, she featured 7+1 three inch shells or 8+1 two and three-quarter inch shells. And as a bonus, it came with and EVIL, scarry looking anti finestein heat shield... Arrrrrrrr. It warms me old heart just looking at her. (the gun, not that wench fienstein)


After shooting a regular 2 3/4 inch #8 bird-shot load with the original cruiser handle that came on the Mossy, well lets just say that a call to Knoxx was made the very next day. I also added a pump that had a rail for add on goodies. All total: 225.00 for the NIB Mossburg, 95.00 for the Compstock, and 15.00 for the pump. All tolled, 330.00 for what in my opinion is the best home defense set-up for the money on this here planet. If you got better, I'd love to see it..

Knoxx offers 2 different recoil absorbing assemblies. The Cop stock, and the above pictured comp stock. I chose the comp stock for its compactness. Maneuvering in tight quarters is never a problem with the butt folded up as seen above. But if a long shot is required, the butt can be brought to action in about .5 seconds.

In this configuration, my wife can fire 3 inch magnum buckshot and slugs WITHOUT the need for the butt stock. The recoil absorption is that impressive. As a bonus, the loop of the flipped up butt stock frames a beautiful sight picture when brought up to eye level.

Also, I've heard from a buddy that Big Green (Remington to the uninitiated) has made a deal with Knoxx, and will feature them on several of their Turkey Magnums this year..

Arrrrr. It warms me old heart to see a small company make it big... Sniff Sniff..

Ahem.. Enough blubberin.. If ye wanna protect your ship, home, castle, whatever, you could do a lot worse that this set-up. The fun factor alone is worth the price of admission. The looks on the faces at the range after your have loosed 8 rounds of 3" magnum, in rapid succession, are worth twice the price. Lastly, watching an anti-gunner pee their pants at the sight of this EVIL looking incarnation, but then smiling with glee after firing it is priceless, but that is a post for another day..


That is all...