Ammunition To Go. Com

I ordered my 12 gauge turkey loads late Monday afternoon (4 PM) and they arrived Thursday morning on my porch from www.ammunitiontogo.com

As a person with a disability I appreciate great customer service and they literally delivered! No more driving from store to store trying to buy my favorite ammunition, check them out for yourself. Great selection and great prices.

#ammunitiontogo, #springturkey, #longbeardxr

Ham and Bacon Shoot September 25, 2016

Sunday was the last Ham and Bacon Shoot of 2016 for the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors. It was held at the California Hill Gun Club. We all had a great day and I would like to thank all of the participants and volunteers who came out to make the shoot fantastic.

Although I did not win any of the shoots, I did manage to come in second place a few times. The shotgun, sip n puff trigger and mount, all worked out great to provide a steady shooting platform.

Sip and Puff Trigger

I thought I would get a little practice in using my sip and puff trigger. Unfortunately no pheasants were found in my kitchen.  Hopefully I am hunting pheasants on Saturday. I may not be able to stay out long because of my foot but I am going to give it a try. I look forward to the pheasant hunt at McDonald Sportsmen's Association every year.

Hopefully this trigger makes it easy to fire my shotgun and I can bag at least one pheasant. Good luck to all the hunters who will be participating from the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors.

Big Missouri Turkey

Congratulations Scott Hettinger (C4/5 quadriplegic) on taking this outstanding Missouri gobbler this year. Scott was able to harvest this bird with his Stoeger 12 gauge at 38 yards.  The bird had a 10 3/4'' beard and 1'' spurs.

Coyote Hunting

I had the opportunity to go coyote hunting this week near Bethel Park. The weather was a little bad, windy and at times raining. I was hunting out of my van so fortunately I was not out in the weather.

I was using my Stoeger shotgun with 3 inch Number four turkey loads. The coyotes were not responding to the squealing rabbit call. So we switched over to young coyotes hunting, with excited yelping and barking. Before long we had one howling and answering us. He was about 200 yards out.

The weather turned a little worse and the winds kicked up, so we decided to call it a night. The coyote that was responding would not come in for whatever reason. It was still a fun night, maybe next time I will get a shot.

Patterning your shotgun electronically

Winchester recently came out with a great program that will help you pattern your shotgun electronically. It's an application that lets you fill in information like (gauge, shell size, shot size, distance) and it will replicate the shot.

There is never a substitute for practice and actual range time, but this will give you a realistic starting point. If you would like to see what your particular shot pattern looks like, give it a try by clicking here

Recoil Charts

I have had a few people with disabilities ask me about recoil and how I handle it. I thought it would be a good idea to post a couple of recoil charts so that you could match the right rifle or shotgun load to your ability and adapted setup.

Fortunately the brace I have absorbs a great deal of the recoil from a shotgun or rifle. I receive no impact on my shoulder at all. The front of the weapon does rise up with a shot because I'm unable to hold the weapon. When I shoot my crossbow there is no recoil at all.

The shotguns that I use I limit to two and three-quarter inch shells. I do not shoot 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch magnum loads.  I prefer a .243 rifle or .223, but I do shoot a .270 occasionally. For target shooting I still enjoy the air rifle and the 22 LR.

It's up to every hunter to ensure a quick and clean kill. Able bodied individuals or a para may have the ability to hold a rifle or shotgun, better than myself. Being a c4/c5 quad my weapon sits in a brace. My preferred method of hunting is my crossbow. But when I rifle hunt I do it mostly with a .243 and I have been very fortunate that I have not lost a deer with that rifle.

A well-placed shot will bring down a deer every time and a marginal shot may lead to a lost deer no matter what caliber or broadhead you are using. I posted the chart so that everyone has the right information to make a decision on their own. If you want to use a larger caliber I think that's great, if you prefer something a little lighter that's great too. The important thing is we shoot within our abilities, we owe it to the game we pursue to ensure a ethical clean kill. Shoot straight and good luck in all you do.

Recoil By Caliber

Recoil by Recoil Energy

Stoeger M3000

This is my new Stoeger shotgun, it is a semi automatic 12 gauge. I have not had the opportunity to shoot it yet but I'm looking forward to getting it set up and taking it to the range soon. This shotgun received great reviews and comes with three chokes including a turkey choke.

I had so much fun shooting pheasants and clay pigeons this year I thought getting a semi automatic shotgun would make things easier next year. Loading a pump shotgun in my adapted brace was difficult and I believe this semi auto will allow me to take a follow-up shot if necessary.

I have the same scope on my Mossberg and it works out really well. I plan on mounting the scope on the new Stoeger and getting it patterned while the weather is still nice.  Having a scope on my shotgun really improves my accuracy. I can't wait to take this shotgun to the next ham and bacon shoot sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania wounded  warrior group.

The Sightmark 12 Gauge and .243 Review



 

 

I recently used the Sightmark laser bore sight to pattern my 12 gauge shotgun. I  think it was very easy to use and it worked very well.  The shotgun shell used three batteries and the.243 used two, the batteries were included with each.

 

The left and right was spot on accurate using the sight.  I used the laser sight indoors at my home so the up and down needed tweaking at the range.  If I used the sight at the range in low light conditions I am sure it would have been more accurate.

"The Sightmark Laser Bore Sight provides the most convenient and accurate method for sighting in rifles of all types. Simply chamber the bore sight like a regular bullet and a laser dot will show exactly where the rifle is aiming; it’s easy to sight in any scope without firing a single shot. The Sightmark laser bore sight is available in several calibers and gauges for use with all the most popular rifles and shotguns. "


I plan on using the .243 when I install my new Nikon 3 x 9 x 50 scope later next week. I did try it  out with  my current Bushnell scope and it was easy to use and very accurate. Hopefully it makes installing the new scope easy.

       

Almost Turkey Time

May 3rd is quickly approaching, are you hunting Spring Gobbler in Pa ?  I'm torn between taking my crossbow or my 12 gauge shotgun (3'' turkey loads).  What are your thoughts on archery for turkeys ?

Spring Gobbler Season 2014

I woke up this morning dreaming  about wild turkeys, I can't wait to start sighting in my shotgun and preparing for the 2014 season.

Todays tip is: Start the season off right with a clean shotgun.  Make sure everything is tight and you have fresh batteries in your scope.  If you have shells left over from last year start sighting in with them but don't be afraid to test new shot size and loads. 

Stay tuned for some more upcoming tips that may help you fill your spring turkey tag.

The New Accessible Hunter Gun Mount

Here is the long anticipated ACCESSIBLE HUNTER GUN MOUNT in action.  It is an idea that Ed and I have been working on together for some time. 

He made this model by hand and I am so glad  to have it. As a shooter with a disability, Ed understands the importance of top quality mounts.  We could not buy one so we engineered our own.  It shoots like a dream and is safe to roll around with the muzzle pointed down.

We need to paint this mount and make a few more tweaks to pretty it up, but it is finally here, the perfect gun mount!  Check back soon to follow as we move forward with this mount.

Thanks WPA Wounded Warriors

I Can't Wait For April 27th

I can't wait to catch this bird walking around the first morning !  I have big plans for him after I introduce him to my Mossberg Turkey Thug...  How is your season going?

Turkey Loads

Remington® Premier® Duplex® Copper-Plated Magnum Turkey Loads

 

Remington's Premier Duplex Copper-plated Magnums combine the patterning of No. 6 shot with the heavy-hitting power of 4's in the same shell. The copper-plated lead resists deformation and adds penetration on impact. 10 rounds per box

 

I will be using these shells for the first day of spring turkey season 2013.  What loads do you shoot for spring gobbler?

A Great Hunt

 Davin Fisher, 17, of Montauk, NY was an Accessible Hunter before Boy Scout Troop 136 did a fundraiser to purchase him an Action Trackchair in May 2012. He was born with Spina Bifida, which keeps him in a wheelchair most of the time, but that doesn’t keep him from getting around. He always pushes the boundaries of where his manual chair can go and now where the Action Trackchair WILL GO!!!

He’s been out a few times for deer this season with some sightings but no take downs as of yet. His lottery number came up in the NYS Deer Management Permit lottery, so he’s had some extra time to hunt for his first deer.

On January 12, Davin, his father Bob Fisher and his friend Max Akkala got up before dawn to go duck hunting on Fort Pond in Montauk. They got to their spot and got Davin in his Action Trackchair. With 8 decoys set out off the shoreline and dawn about to break Davin began using his duck calls to lure the birds in.

 

Right away they could see ducks coming into the area and Davin was able to call a few close enough for a shot. They got a Mallard Drake and 3 Hooded Mergansers also known as Sawbills because of their serrated, hooked bills.

 

Later on that day Bob deboned the ducks and made a duck parmesan dish that Davin said “was very good!” but not his first time that way. With only a week left on his NYS DMP he’s hoping to get into the woods a couple more times. When asked if he’s waiting for a big buck for his first deer his response was “I just want a deer!”. Great job on your duck hunt! And good luck bagging your first deer!

 

 

Ham & Bacon Shoot

Yesterday Mark and I went to the W. Pa Wounded Warriors Ham and Bacon shoot.  It was so much fun.  The weather was perfect and its always a good time shooting with friends.

Mark is new to shooting but that didn't stop him from winning some bacon.  Thanks for giving me half by the way...

I'm looking forward to the next shoot already.  California Hill Gun Club (CHGC) is a very nice facility and is a great host for our shoots.  Thanks CHGC !

WPA Wounded Warrior shoot

I thought I would post my index card targets in case you are not familiar with a Ham and Bacon shoot.  These are from the www.wpawoundedwarrior.org  shoot this past Sunday. 

I came close on target number one (closest to the X) but only put 3 bb's in the circle for shoot number two (most bb's in the circle).  I didn't win any ham or bacon but had so much fun supporting a great cause.  Not to bad shooting for 30 yards either...

The Camo is Finished

Adam finished the camo spray paint on the mossberg.  He remounted the scope so its all ready to sight in one day next week.  This gun mount works great for my crossbow but not for the recoil of the gun.

I'm in the process of getting a new gun mount, its at the fabricator now.  I took the top half off a Caldwell lead sled solo and the fabricator locally is making me a post to secure it to my power wheelchair.

Batteries and Scopes

Let's talk about being prepared. First of all, I should say I am Obsessive Compulsive and one of the things I hate most in life is being unprepared. The old saying two is one and one is none, should always be used when you're in the field.

I recently purchased a new truglo red dot scope for spring turkey and I absolutely love it. But like all electronics it uses batteries. If I was able bodied I could simply turn the scope on and off independently when I operate the safety. But being a Hunter with a disability, dexterity and fine motor movement is not my specialty. So I turn the scope on once I am set up and ready to hunt and leave it on.

The scope operates on a three volt lithium battery. The cost to replace the batteries is very minimal and I have several replacements in my backpack. I would hate to miss my spring gobbler because I was fumbling with the Scopes on switch trying to save $1.99.

How do you prepare, what are some of your hunting tips?