No Charges Forthcoming In Shooting of Grizzly

Denali National Park and Preserve officials have concluded that a man who shot and killed a grizzly bear in the park’s backcountry back in May did so in self-defense and will not be charged with any crime. The man and his female companion, both of North Pole, Alaska, told investigators that they were talking to each other while hiking up the Tattler Creek drainage when the bear charged them. The two were about 20-25 feet apart when the man heard a noise in the brush to his right, park officials said Wednesday Read more

The 5 environmental factors that affect accuracy (With Video)

The five (5) “environmental” factors that affect accuracy — Temperature, Humidity, Elevation / Barometric Pressure, Wind, and Light. Keep in mind when we are shooting to put food on the table or other reasons we are not shooting a match where we are trying to put all of the bullets through the same hole. Temperature affects our shooting in several different ways:
It affects the trajectory of the bullet. It affects the temperature of the barrel, It affects the ammunition we use, It affects the performance of the shooter.

A second effect that results from warm or cool outside air temperature relates to how hot your barrel becomes during your relay. On a relatively cool day (50 degrees), the outside air is able to absorb more heat from the barrel at a faster rate than it does when the air temperature is 80 or 90 degrees. This helps to keep the barrel cooler with fewer harmful side effects like “baking” the fouling in the barrel which in turn can result in a significant loss of accuracy. Even on a moderate day (60 degrees) the barrel can become too hot to hold. Heat — especially excess heat — can play havoc with your ammunition. Even if you have taken the proper steps to keep your ammunition cool prior to coming to firing , setting you ammo in the direct sunlight or clambering it in a hot rifle for any length of time can result in an errant flier. I always keep my ammunition out of the direct sun that is why I do not use loop loaders.

Keeping yourself  cool and comfortable is an important element in the overall accuracy equation as well. If you becomes overheated or dehydrated, not only does he or she become uncomfortable, but their physical senses are affected — vision deteriorates as moisture is drawn from the eyes and brain by outside heat, sweat running down the forehead can cause problems seeing the target, high blood pressure results from low water content in the body along with fatigue, weakness, lower back pains, inflammation, headaches, etc… — the list is a long one. Staying fully hydrated is very important for anyone in the heat . Drink lots of  water (no carbonated beverages or even a  little alcohol). Drink often don’t wait until you’re thirsty. By that time you are already dehydrated.

Many shooters believe that humidity (i.e. the amount of moisture in the air) can have a serious impact on accuracy. The theory is that air containing a high degree of moisture must be more dense than dry air. As a result, it must offer more resistance to a bullet in flight than does dry air. The fact of the matter is that the amount of humidity in the air has virtually no effect on bullet accuracy. That’s because a water molecule weighs less than a dry air molecule. Yes — that’s what I said. Moist air is actually less dense than dry air. In fact, when the surrounding air is said to have 100% humidity (i.e. it is holding as much water vapor as it can at its current temperature), it still only contains 4% moisture. Look at the numbers for yourself:

Elevation and barometric pressure can definitely have a significant effect on the accuracy of your load. Why? Because they affect the density of the air, and therefore, the amount of resistance it exerts on the bullet as it travels to the target. Elevation is generally expressed in “feet above sea level”. The performance of a load at sea level is much different than it is when fired at an elevation or altitude of 5,000 feet above sea level.  A bullet fired at a 5,000 foot altitude has a trajectory which is 62.31” inches flatter, 28 feet per second faster, with 54 additional pounds of energy upon impact. That’s why it’s so important for hunters to check their rifles once they arrive in camp when they travel to higher elevations to hunt such big game animals as elk, caribou, bear, and moose.

Many shooters immediately grimace at the thought of having to deal with wind. But it is not that big a deal at 100 yards or less, in fact it is no deal at all. At extreme long range like 1000 yards, it can be a big factor, however  just wait for the gust to stop and take your shot.  Wind is also a good thing when it is steady and predictable. As long as it acts as a constant and not as a variable, we can calculate its effect on the flight of our bullet and make the necessary adjustments to compensate for it accordingly. It’s when the wind is unpredictable, gusting, and erratic that it plays havoc with us. Over the course of 1,000 yards, the wind can actually be blowing in several different directions at the same time. But lets face it most of us do not make shots at this distance except fr fun.

The fifth and final environmental factor that we need to consider when shooting  is Light — or said another way, the quality and amount of light that is illuminating our target. Although a certain amount of light is falling on our target throughout the course of a day’s match, the intensity of the light and its effect on our ability to “see” the target clearly is constantly changing.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven L. Doran All rights reserved under international and Pan-American copyright conventions. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from the author Steven L. Doran.

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Wolves confirmed in Cheboygan County Michigan.

Wildlife experts say there’s evidence wolves are breeding in the northern Lower Peninsula, a century after their extermination.  The U.S. Agriculture Department and Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment said Tuesday they trapped a wolf pup last week in Cheboygan County.  It happened as workers tried to trap and place a radio collar on a wolf. A wolf pack was confirmed in the area earlier this year.  State biologist Jennifer Kleitch says it’s the first evidence of wolf breeding in the Lower Peninsula since people exterminated the predators in the early 20th century.  State agency wildlife division chief Russ Mason says it shows wolves are recovering in their previous habitat and need to be managed. Via AP

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Woman Provokes Bison Attack

The other day two hikers in the Biscuit Basin area of Yellowstone National Park were charged by a bison, and one was head-butted and flipped into the air. Initially, the park’s report sounded as if the bison attacked unprovoked. But this video shows differently.

This is how the park’s release explained the incident:

However, a reporter for CNN tracked down the woman who filmed the “attack,” and filed the following report. In the video it’s easy to see that the two approached way too close to the bison, which was minding it’s own business. And, if you look closely enough at the video, it appears someone threw a stick at the bison and hit it in the flanks.

With this information in hand, it’ll be curious to learn whether park officials decide to cite the two, and whether anyone can finger who threw the stick at the bison. Park regulations require you to stay at least 25 yards — 75 feet — from bison and elk, and at least 100 yards from bears and wolves. And, the park’s website notes, “Those who fail to abide by these requirements not only put themselves in danger, they may also be subject to a citation and fine.”

Fortunately for the couple, they weren’t killed or even seriously injured.

Rangers save 16 from Grand

Grand Teton National Park rangers rescued 16 climbers injured in a lightning storm on the 13,770-foot Grand Teton on Wednesday but had to call off the search for a 17th at dark. Read more

N. Ontario black bear in a pickle (jar)

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