9x19mm 124gr +P Gold Dot Replica Load

Reloading Disclaimer, Read First

Speer Gold Dot 124gr., plated hollow point bullet
7.8 grains Alliant Blue Dot, seems to be a compressed load
1.12" OAL (factory spec)
any brass
Federal Small Pistol Primer, or Wolf Small Pistol Primer
This load will get you just a shade under 1200fps from a Glock 17, which is really close to the Speer factory load, and Georgia Arms Sheer Power Plus load.
I don't get any noticeable primer flattening. Federal primers flattened a bit (they always do), but Wolf primers come out looking like factory ammo. The Blue Dot gives off a pretty descent fireball, and is pretty loud.

Minor Loads for Competition

Reloading Disclaimer, Read First

9mm Luger
124gr. Zero FMJ, 125gr. Zero JHP, or 124gr. Precision Delta FMJ
4.2 grains Hogdon TiteGroup
1.125-1.145" OAL
Federal Small Pistol Primer, Wolf Small Pistol Primer, or Winchester Small Pistol Primer
Any brass
Gets me about 130PF+ from a Glock 17
Book load goes up to 4.4 grains, so it's pretty safe. I've shot a lot of 115gr bullets, but loading them to minor gets you closer to the max load with TiteGroup.

.45ACP
230gr Remington MC bullet (looks like FMJ to me)
4.3 grains Hogdon TiteGroup
1.165" OAL
Winchester Large Pistol Primer
I have used Remington and Federal brass
Gets me about 132PF+ from a Glock 21
Book load goes up to 5 grains, so you've got a lot of wiggle room.

Desantis Nemesis Pocket Holster Review

I used one of these with the Kel Tec P-3AT that I had for a while. The outside of the holster is rubbery, so the holster stays in place, and stays in the pocket when the pistol is drawn. They are really good holsters for the price.

The Nemesis is a better holster than the Uncle Mike's Pocket holster, but I had a few Uncle Mike's on hand, so I use one of those modified so that it doesn't fold up for my Kahr PM9. Click here for details on the modified Uncle Mike's pocket holster.

There is a new and improved version available now, called the Super Fly, which has polymer inserts to keep it from folding. The Super Fly costs almost twice what the Nemesis does, though.

Scope Adjustment Program for TI Graphing Calculators

I wrote this program for use on a TI-83. I'm not sure if it will work as written on newer models. You input the range, the click values for your scope, and how many inches you need to move the impacts, and it spits out the number of clicks. Works good with high quality scopes, but the click values for cheaper scopes don't always turn out to be exactly what the manufacturer says they are.

Notes are in italics, you do not need to program the notes, and you probably couldn't if you tried. "clrhome" commands are optional, but I think it makes a cleaner running program. If you can manage to add to the program so that it rounds the click adjustment number (B, in this program) to a whole number, I'd like to know how you did it.

clrhome
disp "ENTER RANGE"
disp "IN YARDS"
prompt R
clrhome
disp "CLICK VALUE" These lines determine scope adjustments
disp "4 FOR 1/4" Typical hunting/plinking scopes have 1/4 MOA adjustments
disp "8 FOR 1/8" Target scopes have 1/8 MOA adjustments
prompt C
clrhome
disp "ENTER ADJUSTMENT" If you are off to the left (or right, up or down) by three inches, type "3" then "enter"
disp "IN INCHES"
prompt A
clrhome
(100/R)*C*A->B Push "STO" button next to the "1" button to get "->" arrow
disp B
disp "clicks to adjust"
disp A
disp "inches at"
disp R
disp "yards"

Tasco PDP2 Red Dot Scope

My first experience with a red dot sight was a BSA that I bought for around $30. It really wouldn’t hold a zero, and the dot completely washed out in bright sun. It was okay for indoor pistol ranges, if you could co-witness it with iron sights. Outdoors, or without iron sights, it was a headache.

Although I’ve had a few bad experiences with Tasco/BSA optics, I bought a PDP2 for Ruger Mk.II based on a handful of good reviews. That one worked out well, so I bought two more.

The one that I’ve used the most is mounted on a Glock 17 race gun. Despite being pelted with brass enough that some of the finish has worn off the bottom, is still holds a zero pretty well, as long as the mount and ring screws are kept torqued.

The dot is medium sized at 5MOA. Reasonably good for accuracy, and for speed. A bigger dot would be better for action shooting, but it’s still faster than trying to line up the front sight, rear sight, and target. An 8MOA dot would be better for action shooting.

Brightness settings are good on this scope. I’ve used it in dark indoor pistol ranges, and outside in bright sunlight, without any problems. I had a little trouble with the dot fading away at random times. I accidentally pulled the spring out of the battery compartment cap trying to stretch it out. It still works, and I haven’t had the dot disappear since.

The sight uses 2 357-type batteries, commonly used in lasers and digital calipers. The batteries are available in Wal-Mart stores in 3-packs at a reasonable price, as well as in most drug stores. Although I haven’t kept track of battery life, they will last a dozen or so hours, at least.

With the included sunshade screwed in, the scope can be mounted with a single wide ring, like an Aimpoint. As an added benefit, the sunshade helps keep powder fouling, thrown up and back, off of the objective lens, when mounted on a compensated or ported pistol.

I don't carry a gun. . .

From Syd of the Front Sight Press

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don’t carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry. I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don’t carry a gun because my sex organs are too small. I carry a gun because I want to continue to use those sex organs for the purpose for which they were intended for a good long time to come.

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Link to the article at Front Sight Press. Check out the rest of the site while you're there. There's some good stuff.

Spice Girls Greatest Hits?

Just saw a commercial for the Spice Girls Greatest Hits album. Need I say more?