If is sporting wood over this, then he's not the guy i thought he was:

Took the .308 CZ550 out for a spin. All data is for 100 yards. Temperature of 29 degrees. No wind.

Using:
Speer 165 gr. boattail
Win. WLR primer
R-P brass 2x fired trimmed to 2.010 and neck sized
46.0 gr. BLC2
Overall cartridge length: 2.800″

Four shots: 1.5″ Remove flyer: 1″
Four shots: 1 15/16″
Four shots: 1.6″ – remove flyer: 1″
Four shots: 1 3/4″
Four shots: 1.5″ – remove flyer: 3/4″

BLC2 has a rep for being temperature sensitive. I wanted to try some just to see how it goes.

Next group:
Speer 165 gr. boattail
Rem 9 1/2M primer
R-P brass new trimmed to 2.010 and full length sized
46.0 gr. Varget
Overall cartridge length: 2.800″

Three shots – 1.25″
Three shots – 1.50″
Five shots – 1.75″, discount flyer – four into .75″

The Varget seems to be the way to go. I need to get a premium bullet (Sierrra MK or Lapua, although Im thinknig about trying the Hornady SST) and some much better quality brass (Either Lapua or Horn. match or Norma)

Via :

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1891251,00.html

“Why the middle classes go scavenging in dustbins”

THE Thanksgiving holiday is over and the frenzied Christmas shopping season has begun. This is bonanza time for the tribe of rummaging Americans known as “freegans”.

The anti-capitalist freegans — the name combines “free” and “vegan” — are so appalled by the waste of the consumer society that they try to live on the leftovers, scavenging for food in supermarket dustbins.

While I would say that basing my entire existence on what I scavenge out of the garbage is a bit much but I would be highly suprised if 'loyal readers' have not, on ocasion, seen something that their neighbors put out for the garbagemen and taken it home. Many things that we of the preparedness mind would find usefull of nice-to-have many people find useless after a certain amount of time. Examples – lotsa of time people give away canning jars. My local newspaper carries a 'to give away' section and theres almost always chickens, rabbits, freezers, refrigerators, scrap lumber and that sort of thing. When I see homes being remodelled or repaired I always cruise the alleys behind the place looking for scrap 2×4's and that sort of thing. Matter of fact, the shelves for my ammo cans in the bunker were made entirely from slavaged 2×4's.

I do, however, draw the line at food. Sure, canned food would be ok if the cans are in good shape and their integrity has not been breached. But the rest Id rather not take my chances with. When I lived in NYC I did a short stint as a security guard at a McDonalds in Times Square. One of the jobs was to , at the end of the day, go out to the dumpster and poor bleach over all the contents to keep homeless people from rummaging through it.

Theres no shortage of websites to give 'how to' lessons and 'success stories' from people who have found _____ while dumpster diving. I only bring it up because for some things that you and I might find usefull, its worth checking out. Especially check out your local paper in the classifieds to see if they have a 'to give away' section

Never enough ammo….but getting there…..

Not bad on food though….

Sometimes Im a bit nostalgic about the days of the Cold War…

I remember when I was a kid in public school that there were these blue/pink/white certificates hanging on the wall near the doorway of each classroom. I dont remember what they said but I believe now that they were Civil Defense (CD) occupancy ratings…nope, thats not right. It just came back to me..they were instructions about where the people in that particular room were supposed to go and what the arrangement of alarm bells meant. And, of course, I remember the 'shelter drills' we used to have. Unlike a fire drill, where you left the building, you formed into two lines and sat against the wall in the hallway. The blinds in the classroom would be pulled, maybe to prevent flying glass or something. It never occurred to me as a kid what these drills were meant to warn against. I wonder if they even do them anymore in the NYC public schools.

I also remember the ubiquitous yellow-n-black fallout shelter signs that were on the entrances of many public buildings. Again, something I never gave any thought to. It wasnt until the last few years that I found that wherever those signs were there were also CD supplies as well. I do remember seeing the CD toilet kits at the public schools and I also recall the old green water barrels being used as garbage cans. I also remember my grandfather had a card in his wallet from the CD that explained the 'all clear' and 'alert' sirens…that things probably a minor collectable on eBay these days.

Then, of course, I remember the heyday of the 'survivalist movement' which ran through the very late 70's and into the 80's when it died down only to flare up for a brief moment in 1999. I don't think anyone really believed the Soviets were going to nuke the US but … better safe than sorry, right? Then after Reagan raised the stakes to the point that the Sovs had to fold we found out that the mighty Soviet War Machine wasnt exactly the crimson juggernaut we thought it would be. (Although we certainly got an inkling of that when they invaded  Afghanistan and started the slide into failed imperialism).

Somewhere along the way the idea of the survivalist devolved into the caricature of a gun-toting redneck racist with a bunker full of canned beans and tinfoil hat. Admittedly, the 'movement' itself probably did the most damage with some very vocal people who came off as a little nuts. Later, it seems, alot of these same people turned up in the 'militia movement' which was really the same survivalist movement given a political common cause. Again, the tinfoil hats came out as black helicopters, UN conspiracies and New World Order theories abounded. On the other hand, the Clinton administration made some lovely faux pas that played right into them, esp. the Waco debacle which probably did more to put ATF under the microscope and on the map more than any other thing theyve ever done. The militia movement, which had its highlights with Linda Thompson urging a march on DC to arrest politicians and J.J. Johnson appearing before congress – in camo, petered out as well once Clinton left office although on some levels it never really disappeared…it still exists in a few different forms but its much more low profile.

The Oklahoma City Bombing(s) probably did more to advance the idea of 'those crazy paramilitary survivalist militias' than anything else. (And spawned more conspiracy theories….the most intriguing being that 'John Doe #2″ was Jose Padilla. Conveniently, the only guy in a position to really tell the tale kept his mouth shut and was executed.)The Four Corners 'survivalists' also kinda gave a black eye to the whole notion of survivalism and somewhere in there people, my self included, started calling it 'preparedness'.

Now theres been a swing of the pendulum back towards a certain legitimacy of the preparedness ideal. The  World Trade Center attack made people feel vulnerable and while many decided to move to the boonies or Canada to 'be safe', many others picked up a Brigade Quartermaster catalog and started putting together gear. After Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath you again saw a change in attitudes. Not across the board, mind you…but among people who could rationally think, and not give 'knejerk' responses of “We cant live our  lives in fear' , you saw an attitude of 'Maybe there is something to that whole three-days-food-and-water thing'. Katrina's riotous aftermath, and the fedgovs stunning flatfooted non-response, also showed folks that maybe having an Ak or an 870 isnt such a crazy thing.

So, we went from the burgeoning 'survivalist movement' of the 70's/80's to the 'militia movement' of the 90's, ramped up to the frenzied Y2K craze in 1999, de-escalated into the 'security moms' of the 2001-2005 period and are not not too far from where we were in the 70's/80's – not exactly as 'harmless' or mainstream as then but not as ridiculed or marginalized as in the 90's.

In terms of a 'social movement' this may very well be recognized as the second 'Golden Age' of survivalism. Why? Well, the newer technologies make things like energy production and disaster-resistant buildings far more affordable than previous. The internet singlehandedly has done more to unify (and divide) people on the topic of preparedness/survivalism. We've had several cautionary tales from Katrina, the '92 LA Riots, the northeast blackout, etc, etc, to show that things really can come to a screeching halt. We've had the Clinton administration with its gun bans and Janet Reno's badge-toting thuggery, and the Patriot Act's abominable curtailment of liberty to show us that government is pretty much never the solution to a problem. The result is that more people, more 'normal' people, are coming around to our way of thinking. Certainly the market reflects that…things that we used to ahve to hunt long and hard for like gas masks, NBC filters, MRE's, etc, etc are becoming more commonplace in consumer catalogs.

Where does it go from here? Beats me. On many levels I dont care. Whether it becomes a 'movement' or a 'fad' doesnt matter to me because I'll continue to do the things Ive been doing, not because theyre trendy or popular, but because I believe its the smart thing to do. I think many people feel the same way. I also think that after a while many people who 'jumped on the bandwagon' after the World Trade Center or after Katrina will slide back to being 'non-survivalists' but a few will stick with it and as they do they'll be part of the new 'kinder and gentler' 'saner and subtler' type of survivalist that may make the notion of survivalism/preparedness more well regarded than it  has been for a while.

Crossposted to

You trusted me on the Fabulous Flectar Parkas, right? Okay, trust me again on this piece of winter gear: SAS POLYPROPYLENE SURVIVAL HEADOVER from BQ. I've had one for almost my entire life here in Montana and it is far and away one of the most versatile pieces of winter headwaer you can have. Wear it as earwarmer, hood, neck gaiter, hat, face mask, etc. And cheap. Fold it up and tuck it through your belt and its out of the way until you need it. Seriously good gear and I highly recommend it just as strenuously as I recommended the flectar parka set.

The term 'milsurp' means 'military surplus'. Military surplus items are items that military forces (US and others) have disposed of and wind up on the commercial market. Usually its legit, sometimes its 'grey market' (the soldier who sells off extra MRE's he didnt eat or who takes some M16 magazines to a gun show) , and sometimes its 'black market' (out-and-out stolen items that normally wouldnt find their way to civillians).
For those of the mind to be prepared for whatever disaster is currently brewing off the coast of Florida or making the rounds of the infectious disease wards in China, milsurp offers good bargains without sacrificeing too much in the way of quality. What you do sacrifice is aesthetics….to paraphrase Henry Ford, you can have it in any color you want as long as its olive drab.

The attraction to military surplus gear is that  it was designed for exactly the sorts of things that we're anticipating – situations of disorder, rugged use, and abuse. To this end, military gear is designed with attention to things that interest those of use who are into preparedness – durability, versatility, economy of manufacture, etc, etc.

A commercial product is designed, foremost, to sell. Military gear is designed to work (which either it does or does not depending on who you ask) and fulfill a function. While Columbia sportswear can spend half a million dollars on a new ski parka design the government, by virtue of its deep pockets, can spend $3 million just to design a pair of pants that won;t split in the crotch when you step over a log. Simply put, no commercial enterprise has the resources for research and development like the government does. And, once they spend your hard earned tax money developing a product, they usually order enough of it to drop the per unit cost down to a very attractive price. Don't agree? If you went to, for example, Bushmaster and bought 10 magazines for your AR-15 do you think the price you would pay would be more or less than if you told them you wanted five million of them? That same 'buying power' holds true across the board, $50,000 claw hammers not withstanding.

So, government can spend big bucks on R&D and then buy 'em cheap. Why not take advantage of that?

Most very nice outdoors equipment (tents, GoreTex parkas, etc) isnt available commercially in what we would call 'subdued colors'. NorthFace parkas that are banana yellow, candy apple red or fluorescent green are far more common than one in olive drab. Not so with military surplus…in fact, your color choices usually boil down to either olive drab or camoflage which , happily for us, are the exact colors we're looking for on our gear nine times out of ten.

Foreign military surplus is often a good deal…especially if its a product that normally isnt seen in American milsurp. Some countries produce better quality military gear than others….Russian, Chinese and eastern European gear tends to be a bit cruder, a bit more primitive and a bit less durbable than things from countries like W. Germany (yes, I know its just 'Germany' now but the W. German surplus gear almost always beats the E. german gear), Austria, Switzerland, and more industrially and economically developed countries. Some of the foreign surplus is actually better than the American gear. I'm a tremendous fan of the German 'flectar' parka/liner combos that have been selling for $20 lately. I find them warmer and better designed than the US field jackets.

Where are you better of with surplus than with commercial gear? For stocking vehicles and remote locations, surplus gear is an outstanding choice. If its stolen youre not out alot of money and you can abuse it all you want and not feel twinges of guilt from your pocketbook. Milsurp sleeping bags are outstanding values for keeping in vehicles during winter. Spend another few dollars for a milsurp parka or blanket and you can be ready for winter travel emergencies for not alot of money. Gloves, hats, mittens, socks and other cold weather gear is usually sold by the dozen and store forever.

Ammo cans are a very good example of milsurp gear that almost everyone has. Next time youre at your local sporting goods/camping store check out the price on one of those large plastic 'ammo box'-type storage containers. Theyre usually at least three tiems the cost of your average .50 caliber can and probably not nearly as durable.

For laying in 'extra gear' for unexpected guest or the infrequent unprepared sheeple that you just cant turn away, milsurp is good way to equip them and not break the bank.

What kind of uses can you get out of surplus items? Well, just speaking for myself -
Sleeping bags, parkas, gloves, hats, scarves – I keep these in the truck in the winter in case the weather turns bad enough that pulling over to the side of the road and waiting out the snow becomes the safest option.
Backpacks/carrybags – all sorts of sizes of rucksack are available. They make excellent bags for keeping all your truck gear together, keeping all your emergency gear in one place at work, keeping gun/cleaning gear in one place, etc.
Ammo cans – these things have a million uses in their various sizes.
Parachutes – usually sold with all the lines cut, these are excellent camo covers for gear and make nice overhead cover in the woods. If youre handy with a needle and thread you can make all sorts of camo smocks and gear covers from them.
GI flashlights – the anglehead flashlights are decent as is and can be modified in a number of creative ways to use LED bulbs, different batteries, etc, etc. And cheap enough to have one in every vehicle.
Ammo pouches – lotsa uses and not just for carrying ammo
Blankets – usually non-US milsurp.. Ive gotten some very nice, very large, wool blankets at good prices. Cant have too many.
Canteens – Again, usually a couple bucks each and great for leaving in a vehicle or remote location

The list goes on and on…field telephones, two-strand wire, nylon webbing, area lights, helmets, food trays, silverware, etc, etc.

One downside to milsurp is that, obviously, it 'looks' military. Sometimes you want a low profile and carrying an ALICE pack while wearing your German camo and Italian tanker boots may just bring you a little more attention from the armed goon guarding the entrance to the FEMA site or from some patrolling cops who might think youre part of some 'militia'. There are times when the brightly colored civillian gear has merit, times when it doesnt and theres times where it simply doesnt matter. Its your job to decide when looking like a yuppie backpacker is more advantageous than looking like an unemployed mercenary. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. Additionally, the more predatory element out wandering the streets and roads might think that by virtue of your military gear that youve got some 'neato' stuff that they want…badly. On the other hand, that same militaristic look may also keep the predatory element away, thinking that you might be armed and trained a little better than what theyre prepared to deal with.

Are there better products available commercially that beat the surpus ones for use and quality? Sure. Thats the beauty of the free market. However, if youre going to stick a sleeping bag under the seat of your truck and probably never use it or have it sit there for years until you do, you might want to use the $55 dollar surplus British bag rather than the $225 Wiggy's bag. Both will keep you warm when youre sitting in your truck waiting for a plow or tow, but its alot cheaper to have the milsurp one banging around, getting dirty and maybe even getting a little nicked or torn than if it were the more expensive bag.

Gun shows, pawn shows, Shotgun News, army/navy stores and, of course, eBay are all good sources for surplus gear. If possible, try to find the item you want locally so you can see what its like and then bargain hunt one on the internet. Theres a lot of useful gear out there that may fit into yor plans very nicely for not alot of money…and any money you save is money you can use for more gear.

Interesting theory. Its plausible, Im just not sure its probable. However, the scenario laid out is certainly within the means of even the most basic organization. Hell, any high school class could do it.l
=====

To the media, France is blaming poverty, unemployment, ethnic discrimination, social alienation, and frustrated youngsters for the arson riots in France. Behind closed doors, French intelligence is blaming Iranian, Syrian and Hizballah clandestine agencies operating in France. That's why French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy suddenly ordered Wednesday that foreign nationals implicated in the riots be deported. The French secret service is now convinced that Iranian and Syrian agents, supported by the Hizballah’s extensive covert field networks, are behind the riots. French intelligence dismisses the claim that the woes of a ghettoized immigrant community, religion, poverty or unemployment provided the catalysts for the disorders. There was no apparent religious motivation for the riots. Youths interviewed on the streets by the media declared outright that they have no respect for religion or law. Poverty was not the motivation. The troubles began in suburbs with reasonable living standards, where the government had laid out budgets for kindergartens, schools, libraries, covered sports centers, health services and parks. French intelligence analysts noticed that no TV camera caught a single arsonist in action. From the beginning, they were unable to catch them because many roared into action in small bands of motorcyclists too fast to be picked up on film or by the police. They collected their supplies of petrol bombs from pick-up vans waiting at distribution points prearranged by SMS messages on their cell phones or communicated through Internet blogs. Young people with no money cannot afford pick-up vans, motorcycles, cell phones and computers for accessing the Internet.

The conclusions drawn by French intelligence? 1) The outbreaks were organized by a hand that supplied the equipment, weapons and orders to the arson gangs and planned the attacks down to the last detail including precise timing. The fires followed each other serially to ascertain constant flames through the night in places that were far apart. This created the effect of spontaneity and forced security forces and firefighters to dash up and down the country, always arriving too late to catch the petrol bombers. 2) The riots spread quickly to some 300 towns and smaller locations, which also lent them a semblance of spontaneity. But, except for isolated cases, the modus operandi of the attacks and internal communications was identical and clearly orchestrated. 3 This offensive must have been planned for some time, over months if not two or three years. A countrywide network of hundreds of sleeper cells was in place, all drilled in the same patterns of operation with enough funds to go into action at a signal. None of this is within the capabilities of local gangs. They style of this whole thing suggests that it was ordered and organized by Iran. Intelligence circles note that Iranian clandestine agencies show a distinct preference for striking indirectly through surrogate terrorist groups. They direct their offensives against US targets in Iraq through Sunni Muslim insurgent bands and against the British through local Shiite militias in southern Iraq and Hizballah. Tehran’s mode of operation in France fits this pattern. Read more on this at Debka Net Weekly. (subscription required)