Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

I hadnt planned on taking the CZ out for a spin yesterday, but one of the LMI and I went shooting and he brought along his .308 to try some loads and I figured I'd bring mine along.

Only shot 20 rounds. Heres how it broke down:

Case: Lapua .308
Bullet: Lapua D6 170 gr.
Primer: CCI BR
Rounds were too long for the magazine and were chambered singly.

Group 1 was hitting the very edge of the paper so groups couldnt be measured since some bullets had struck the backer board rather than the paper. However, if I were to guess, Id say it was about 1.5″ or so. Nothing remarkable.

It should be noted all groups, inc. the best group of .600″ , were shot by my LMI buddy and not me. I wanted to let someone else shoot it to see if it made a difference. I think the results pretty much parralel my own shooting experiences with this gun.

Im not done with the IMR powders though. I think a switch to a more premium bullet (Hornady SST or Sierre MK) along with some more tightly manufactured brass (Lapua or Horn. Match) might make a difference. And, of course, someday I'll get the bloody scope I want. (In a sidenote, the GunPimp told me someone came into his shop and pawned the exact scope I want…so if he defaults on it, the GunPimp said he'd make me a deal on it. Love the Pimp.)

Once I find a load I like I'll have to chronograph it and start doing the ballistics to make a range card and cheat sheet for holdovers and such at various ranges. Goal = 1 MOA out to 600 yards.

Saw a lovely Steyr SSG for sale today. Mmmmm…nothing says lovin’ like something made in Austria.
=====
Still running the Mountain House menu through my head. My food storage plan has the FD stuff as a long-term storage option and as a supplement to regular food. However, the big advantage to the FD stuff is that I can take a footlocker full of it, stick under the bunk in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and it’ll still be edible and reasonably healthy in ten years. Personally, for a short-term crisis I’d rather have ‘everyday food’ rather than MRE’s and FD’s…but for something you can put away and forget about, prepare with a minimum of fuss and fuel, and still feel like eating it theyre hard to beat. One weak link in any food storage program is meat..it simply doesnt keep well. And the stuff that does have even a mildly long shelf life (Spam, tuna, Vienna sausage) is to me fairly unappetizing and doesnt lend itself to cooking adventures. The FD meat, on the other hand, is going to be perfect for turning out stew, soups, meat sauces, salads and other dishes that will be prepared exclusively using stored food.
And I get it at a discount. Mmmmm…economy.
=====
Its getting time to put the winter clothing away. Basically, I’ll just remove the module from my bag that contains my gloves, hat, neck gaiter, liners, etc. A very convenient way to keep things handy and still have them secure, out of the way and available for use. I will keep a set of gloves in the bag though just because you never know what the hell the weather is going to do around here and it really doesnt have to get too cold to make bike riding a hand-numbing experience.
=====
Know what I look forward to this summer? Driving out into the sticks and daydreaming about real estate. I know that somewhere in this great and glorious state there is a parcel of land with some water on it, far from the interstate, surrounded by wilderness, and far enough out of the way to be cheap enough that it becomes A Possibility. Just gotta go look.

Which reminds me, if any of you guys see anything on the internet (property listing, ads, auctions, etc) that look like it might be something I’d be interested in, lemme know.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Saw a lovely Steyr SSG for sale today. Mmmmm…nothing says lovin' like something made in Austria.
=====
Still running the Mountain House menu through my head. My food storage plan has the FD stuff as a long-term storage option and as a supplement to regular food. However, the big advantage to the FD stuff is that I can take a footlocker full of it, stick under the bunk in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and it'll still be edible and reasonably healthy in ten years. Personally, for a short-term crisis I'd rather have 'everyday food' rather than MRE's and FD's…but for something you can put away and forget about, prepare with a minimum of fuss and fuel, and still feel like eating it theyre hard to beat. One weak link in any food storage program is meat..it simply doesnt keep well. And the stuff that does have even a mildly long shelf life (Spam, tuna, Vienna sausage) is to me fairly unappetizing and doesnt lend itself to cooking adventures. The FD meat, on the other hand, is going to be perfect for turning out stew, soups, meat sauces, salads and other dishes that will be prepared exclusively using stored food.
And I get it at a discount. Mmmmm…economy.
=====
Its getting time to put the winter clothing away. Basically, I'll just remove the module from my bag that contains my gloves, hat, neck gaiter, liners, etc. A very convenient way to keep things handy and still have them secure, out of the way and available for use. I will keep a set of gloves in the bag though just because you never know what the hell the weather is going to do around here and it really doesnt have to get too cold to make bike riding a hand-numbing experience.
=====
Know what I look forward to this summer? Driving out into the sticks and daydreaming about real estate. I know that somewhere in this great and glorious state there is a parcel of land with some water on it, far from the interstate, surrounded by wilderness, and far enough out of the way to be cheap enough that it becomes A Possibility. Just gotta go look.

Which reminds me, if any of you guys see anything on the internet (property listing, ads, auctions, etc) that look like it might be something I'd be interested in, lemme know.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Non variable background:
Rifle: CZ 550
Caliber: .308
Barrel: 26″ heavy
Optics: Leupold Varix-II 3×9
Stock:H-S Precision Kevlar, barrel floated
Rings: Steel CZ

Todays variables:
Temp: 58 degrees
Weather: overcast, some wind
Distance: 100 yards, shooting seated from bench using ammo box as rest

Load data:
Cases: Rem. once fired, fireformed and neck sized, trimmed to 2.010″
Bullet 1) 30 rounds using Speer 165 gr. BT SP
Bullet 2) 10 rounds using Nosler Ballistic Tip 165 gr.
Powder: 41.5 gr. IMR 4895 run through a Redding BR3 measure
Primer: CCI LR
OAL: 2.807″ with Speer, 2.812″ with Nosler

I measure from the two most distant holes in the paper, inside edge of one to outside edge of the other (which averages to a center-to-center measurement) in fractions. For figuring mathematical averages Im converting them to decimal.

And, just for fun:
Average 4-shot group using Speer: 1.37″
Average 3-shot group using Speer: 0.884″

Average 4-shot group using Nosler: 1.75″
Average 3-shot group using Nosler: 1.0625″

Yes, hardly scientific since the sample groups were different in size, I know….

Some of the horizontal stringing, esp. group #3, came when I shifted my grip and rest.
If youre doing the math, that leaves four rounds unaccounted for. I took two Noslers and two Speers and shot them at the steel tanks at 300 yards. Missed the first two until I recalled that I needed to holdover about a foot..at that point they rang quite nicely.

Im annoyed at the flyers. I thought they were from being the first rounds off the magazine but that wasnt it. Im betting the problem is me. Im going to order upo someLapua brass, some Fed BR primers and some Sierra MK's and see where it goes from there. I also want to try some Varget and and some BLC-2. I think this rifle has good potential, it just needs to be played with. At this point it has about 140 rounds through it. Also need to go through it an make sure all the screws are tight….that horizontal stringing pisses me off.

Ah, it is good to be back in Great Northwest. Empty freeways, guns everywhere, no sales tax and damn near zero crime. (Not to be confused with Zero crime, which is when I do something wrong.)

My trip to Philadelphia did impress upon me one thing….theres a tool that is sorely lacking from my plans and if you live in an urban center I highly recommend it:Wonder Bar …. ’cause sure as god made little green hand grenades, youre gonna need to jimmy a door or two. Of course your average 30″ wrecking bar (“crowbar”) would work even better but its nowhere near as portable.
=====
Feels good to no longer be more than arms reach away from impressive firepower. We of the preparedness bent get tagged as camo-wearing gun nuts alot but sometimes the simple truth is that you need overwhelming firepower if youre going to be happy and safe. Although my hosts in Phildaelphia very kindly offered me the use of the G17 I didnt feel comfortable with that….and it was also the first time Id been in a household that did not have more than one gun for every person in it. Still, in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king and in the  land of the gunless the Ruger 10/22 owner is king. Point: any gun is better than no gun.
=====
Still playing around with the Mountain House info packet. The freeze-drieds are nice for convenience and long-term storage (as well as portability), but they are only a small part of the plan. In additon to the FD stuff, we’ve got hundreds of MRE’s. barrels of rice and wheat, a very lovely supply of canned goods, and then theres the stuff thats in the regular kitchen cabinets. All told, I’d say its at least several months worth…or, it was until the girlfriend moved in…that pretty much cut everythingi n half (well, really closer to 2/3 since she’s small and doesnt eat much.) So, I do need to upgrade and add to the food lockers.I’ve been finding some good stuff lately in the supermarkets…stuff thats packaged well, has long shelf life and isnt too bad. The Idahoan potatoes spring to mind…also some of the Uncle Bens flavored rice dishes as well. And, although I wasnt that thrilled with it, the vaccuum sealed ground beef still needs to be experimented with more. (I am not going through the apocalypse as a vegetarian.)
=====
Took the .308 out for a spin yesterday. There will be a post on that later and will, in fact, be a topic under ‘memories’ dedicated to my experiences with it. In short, I loaded up some ammo and shot four-shot groups. Seemed like everything was within an inch and then *whammo* a flyer. Then again, some groups strung horizontally but I suspect thats because i radically shifted my shooting position for that string. Anyway, Im not as pleased with the .308 CZ as Id like to be..I dont believe the problem is the gun, I know its me and probably also I need to spend alot of time at the loading bench. Sure wouldnt mind getting that IOR scope while Im at it too.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Ah, it is good to be back in Great Northwest. Empty freeways, guns everywhere, no sales tax and damn near zero crime. (Not to be confused with Zero crime, which is when I do something wrong.)

My trip to Philadelphia did impress upon me one thing….theres a tool that is sorely lacking from my plans and if you live in an urban center I highly recommend it:Wonder Bar …. 'cause sure as god made little green hand grenades, youre gonna need to jimmy a door or two. Of course your average 30″ wrecking bar (”crowbar”) would work even better but its nowhere near as portable.
=====
Feels good to no longer be more than arms reach away from impressive firepower. We of the preparedness bent get tagged as camo-wearing gun nuts alot but sometimes the simple truth is that you need overwhelming firepower if youre going to be happy and safe. Although my hosts in Phildaelphia very kindly offered me the use of the G17 I didnt feel comfortable with that….and it was also the first time Id been in a household that did not have more than one gun for every person in it. Still, in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king and in the  land of the gunless the Ruger 10/22 owner is king. Point: any gun is better than no gun.
=====
Still playing around with the Mountain House info packet. The freeze-drieds are nice for convenience and long-term storage (as well as portability), but they are only a small part of the plan. In additon to the FD stuff, we've got hundreds of MRE's. barrels of rice and wheat, a very lovely supply of canned goods, and then theres the stuff thats in the regular kitchen cabinets. All told, I'd say its at least several months worth…or, it was until the girlfriend moved in…that pretty much cut everythingi n half (well, really closer to 2/3 since she's small and doesnt eat much.) So, I do need to upgrade and add to the food lockers.I've been finding some good stuff lately in the supermarkets…stuff thats packaged well, has long shelf life and isnt too bad. The Idahoan potatoes spring to mind…also some of the Uncle Bens flavored rice dishes as well. And, although I wasnt that thrilled with it, the vaccuum sealed ground beef still needs to be experimented with more. (I am not going through the apocalypse as a vegetarian.)
=====
Took the .308 out for a spin yesterday. There will be a post on that later and will, in fact, be a topic under 'memories' dedicated to my experiences with it. In short, I loaded up some ammo and shot four-shot groups. Seemed like everything was within an inch and then *whammo* a flyer. Then again, some groups strung horizontally but I suspect thats because i radically shifted my shooting position for that string. Anyway, Im not as pleased with the .308 CZ as Id like to be..I dont believe the problem is the gun, I know its me and probably also I need to spend alot of time at the loading bench. Sure wouldnt mind getting that IOR scope while Im at it too.

As I mentioned ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/commander_zero/55619.html ) I sent off to the folks at Oregon Freeze Dried (Mountain House) a request for dealer pricing and whatnot and, son of a gun, they sent me their dealer package. Got it today.

So, as I suspected – this stuff is way overpriced at retail. How much? A very nice 50%. MSRP is twice what dealer cost is. Nice margin if you can get it. So, my beloved #10 cans of FD spaghetti with meat sauce that MSRP at $18.20 per can now cost me a mere $9.10. More importantly, freeze dried meat!!! FD beef, normally $45.53/can are $22.77/can. Hmmmm..

I need to email the local LMI’s and let them know so we can start ordering this stuff up by the case. (Six cans/case..must order in case lots.) This way we can split the case lots so I dont wind up with a bunker full of spaghetti instead of the more appetizing variety of foods.

Whats available in the #10 cans, you ask?

30105         Rice & Chicken (Servings 8 – 1 cup)         $20.36                  
30108         Spaghetti with Meat and Sauce ( Serving 10 – 1 cup)         $18.20                
30111         Chicken ala King (Servings 11 – 1 cup)         $32.10                
30113         Vegetable Stew with Beef (Servings 8.5 – 1 cup)         $23.37                
30114         Hearty Stew with Beef (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $29.76                
30119         Beef Stroganoff (Servings 10 -1 cup)         $21.83                
30121         Chili Macaroni with Beef (Servings 10 – 1cup)         $22.50        
30123         Beef Teriyaki with Rice (Servings 11 -1 cup)         $28.27        
30127         Lasagna with Meat & Sauce (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $29.77                
30131         Noodles & Chicken (Servings 16 – 1 cup)         $28.00                
30132         Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $25.13                
30134         Sweet & Sour Pork with Rice (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $33.93                
30135         Turkey Tetrazzini (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $32.68                
30137         Pasta Primavera (Servings 9 – 1 cup)         $28.27                
30138         Oriental-Style Spicy Chicken Veggies (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $30.75                
30143         Seafood Chowder (Servings 17 – 1 cup)         $33.00                
30146         Chicken Stew (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $31.75                
30425         Eggs Scrbld w/ Ham, pre-cooked (Servings 17 – 2/3 cup)         $31.13                
30447         Eggs with Bacon, pre-cooked(Servings 20 – 1/2 cup)         $28.02                
30449         Granola with Blueberries & Milk (Servings 27 – 1/2 cup)         $34.73                
30122         Diced Beef (Servings 15 – 2/3 cup)         $45.53                
30142         Diced Chicken (Servings 14 – 3/4 cup)         $42.35        
30305         Garden Green Peas (Servings 22 – 1/2 cup)         $18.52                
30306         Green Beans (Servings 20 – 1/2 cup)         $20.83                
30308         Corn (Servings 22 – 1/2 cup)         $18.38                
30584         Pilot Crackers (Servings 70 crackers)         $15.22                
30542         Blueberry Cheesecake (Servings 12 – 1/2 cup)         $20.87                
30117         White Rice – Instant         $15.88                
30541         Raspberry Crumble ( Servings 12-1/2 cups)         $20.87        
30158         Mac & Cheese (Servings 8 – 1 cup)         $21.80        

There is a discount on the pouch stuff (including their new vaccuum-sealed pouch which uses less space) but its closer to 40%.

Needless to say, Im going to have to start socking some money away and upgrade my long-term food supply.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

As I mentioned ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/commander_zero/55619.html ) I sent off to the folks at Oregon Freeze Dried (Mountain House) a request for dealer pricing and whatnot and, son of a gun, they sent me their dealer package. Got it today.

So, as I suspected – this stuff is way overpriced at retail. How much? A very nice 50%. MSRP is twice what dealer cost is. Nice margin if you can get it. So, my beloved #10 cans of FD spaghetti with meat sauce that MSRP at $18.20 per can now cost me a mere $9.10. More importantly, freeze dried meat!!! FD beef, normally $45.53/can are $22.77/can. Hmmmm..

I need to email the local LMI's and let them know so we can start ordering this stuff up by the case. (Six cans/case..must order in case lots.) This way we can split the case lots so I dont wind up with a bunker full of spaghetti instead of the more appetizing variety of foods.

Whats available in the #10 cans, you ask?

30105         Rice & Chicken (Servings 8 – 1 cup)         $20.36                  
30108         Spaghetti with Meat and Sauce ( Serving 10 – 1 cup)         $18.20                
30111         Chicken ala King (Servings 11 – 1 cup)         $32.10                
30113         Vegetable Stew with Beef (Servings 8.5 – 1 cup)         $23.37                
30114         Hearty Stew with Beef (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $29.76                
30119         Beef Stroganoff (Servings 10 -1 cup)         $21.83                
30121         Chili Macaroni with Beef (Servings 10 – 1cup)         $22.50        
30123         Beef Teriyaki with Rice (Servings 11 -1 cup)         $28.27        
30127         Lasagna with Meat & Sauce (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $29.77                
30131         Noodles & Chicken (Servings 16 – 1 cup)         $28.00                
30132         Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $25.13                
30134         Sweet & Sour Pork with Rice (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $33.93                
30135         Turkey Tetrazzini (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $32.68                
30137         Pasta Primavera (Servings 9 – 1 cup)         $28.27                
30138         Oriental-Style Spicy Chicken Veggies (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $30.75                
30143         Seafood Chowder (Servings 17 – 1 cup)         $33.00                
30146         Chicken Stew (Servings 10 – 1 cup)         $31.75                
30425         Eggs Scrbld w/ Ham, pre-cooked (Servings 17 – 2/3 cup)         $31.13                
30447         Eggs with Bacon, pre-cooked(Servings 20 – 1/2 cup)         $28.02                
30449         Granola with Blueberries & Milk (Servings 27 – 1/2 cup)         $34.73                
30122         Diced Beef (Servings 15 – 2/3 cup)         $45.53                
30142         Diced Chicken (Servings 14 – 3/4 cup)         $42.35        
30305         Garden Green Peas (Servings 22 – 1/2 cup)         $18.52                
30306         Green Beans (Servings 20 – 1/2 cup)         $20.83                
30308         Corn (Servings 22 – 1/2 cup)         $18.38                
30584         Pilot Crackers (Servings 70 crackers)         $15.22                
30542         Blueberry Cheesecake (Servings 12 – 1/2 cup)         $20.87                
30117         White Rice – Instant         $15.88                
30541         Raspberry Crumble ( Servings 12-1/2 cups)         $20.87        
30158         Mac & Cheese (Servings 8 – 1 cup)         $21.80        

There is a discount on the pouch stuff (including their new vaccuum-sealed pouch which uses less space) but its closer to 40%.

Needless to say, Im going to have to start socking some money away and upgrade my long-term food supply.

smjayman has a post ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/smjayman/266827.html ) about $15 Glock mags if anyone needs to pick up a few extras.

Crossed to survivalist