UrbanSurvivalSkills.com received the following comment on the post Urban Survival Firearms - M4-M16 Tactical Lights: ….. “Anonymous said,…… Excellent post on Weapons lights. Thank you. Do you have some suggestions or recommendations on what type of ammunition I should stock for my Bushmaster M-4 carbine? What about the off brand stuff?”
UrbanMan replies: The bad thing about the .223 Remington round or the 5.56x45mm NATO round, which are not identical but virtually interchangeable, is the lack of stopping power when compared to other previous military calibers such as the .30-06 Springfield and the .308 Winchester (7.62c51mm NATO).
The great thing about the .223 Remington round, or the 5.56x45mm NATO round, is the lesser produced recoil and the lighter weight of the ammunition allowing you to carry more. Not to mention much cheaper when purchased over the counter or by mail order.
The really great thing about the .223 Remington round or the 5.56x45mm NATO round is the availability of that cartridge in various bullet weights and configurations to fine tune the applicability to your needs.
The baseline bullet is the 55 grain Full Metal Jacketed bullet loaded into the standard M193 (military designation), most of us just call it the 55 grain FMJ. Probably the cheapest round and also probably your all around cartridge. This bullet will penetrate ¼ inch mild steel.
The newer military cartridge is the 62 grain FMJ, which as a steel core, surrounded by lead then the copper jacket, called the SS109 by NATO or the M855 by the US Military. This cartridge is marked with a green tip. Sometimes it is called the 62 grain steel core penetrator. This is a good load to keep on hand because it penetrates better through harder substances, like shooting through car fenders or front ends to interdict the engine block.
A lot of agencies use a 64 grain lead tip round, sometimes called a PSP or Power Soft Point. This is a common hunting round for a .223 platform.
I don’t like a lead tip, in high heat the lead sloughs going into the chamber and adds to the dirt and function problems, especially with a non-piston gun.
The military snipers and law enforcement precision marksmen, when using a .223 platform, sometimes use the 77 grain Black Hills round. Probably my third choice in a .223 round.
There are many other bullet weights and configurations available including a Frangible round, with a bullet made from compressed metal that disintegrates upon impact but will penetrate bodies. This round is used for close in training on steel targets or operationally on steel structures like ships and oil platforms.
Surplus military red tip, or Tracer rounds, are normally used to mark positions (so your buddies know what you are shooting at). Tracers mark both ways however, letting the bad guys see where you are shooting from. A lot of boys will load 3 to 5 rounds of tracer in their magazines first, so when they see tracer coming out the barrel, they know they need to re-load.
I think you would be well outfitted with the standard 55 grain FMJ and maybe some 62 grain steel core FMJ. Standard American brands such as Remington, Federal or American Eagle, Winchester , etc.,…..maybe even PMC (which is actually South Korean I think) are your best bet. Commercial and Surplus military ammunition are available through places like Cheaper than Dirt – which is my favorite supplier. You should remember that your zero is going to change as you change from bullet configuration. It wouldn’t hurt to try different brands and see what shoots the best in your gun and, very important, what functions the best.
I have no experience with the off the wall brands, marketed under American or English names, such as Grizzly Bear, etc., that originate from the former Warsaw Pact countries. I’ve seen the big price differences and associate that with a performance and reliability difference as well. I could be wrong, but I stick with American manufacturers. I have used Wolf brand ammunition in AKM’s and other weapons chambered for the 7.62x39mm round and have experienced good results and good reliability. However, have not shot any Wolf brand .223 in my M-4’s.
Hope this helps. Stay safe and stay prepping. UrbanMan.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Urban Survival Planning - When the Trucks Stop
UrbanSurvivalSkills.com received Anonymous has left a new comment on your post The Urban Threat – Why the Need for Urban Survival..."I love this site... ....Please consider a segment for the "spouse." As a male, former PSYOP guy, army brat, this come very naturally to me, but getting my wife to buy in has been a process of PSYOP.....drip, drip, drip...article here, emergency there…….Consider the recent Boston water main break, the impact on that….also consider articles like this one...this is an eye opener is used and got 'buy in," as a result."
UrbanMan replies: PSYOPS guy, great point. You can explain to your spouse about the “insurance aspect” of Survival Preparation,….you can prep by yourself in secrecy like the reader who sent me the previous post about a Bug Out rehearsal,……but in the end a constant drip of the “why” is probably your best bet.
When the military plans operations they consider what the enemy is likely to do and what enemy course of action is most dangerous to the friendly mission. This is a good lesson to take into Survival Planning. Consider what can happen, what is likely to happen and what is most dangerous to you and your family’s survival.
The trucking article link you sent me was an excellent “why” article. I am re-producing the highlights below. Everyone should consider reading the full, detailed article which you can access by clicking here. The below article is concerned about a trucking stoppage based on responses to and restrictions following an “incident of national or regional significance” such as a terrorist attack or panademic. Another scenario which could great affect trucking would be an acute shortage of fuel from a major war in the Middle East and subsequent export stoppages from our South American oil imports.
When Trucks Stop, America Stops
The unimpeded flow of trucks is critical to the safety and well-being of all Americans. However, it is entirely possible that well-intended public officials may instinctively halt or severely restrict truck traffic in response to an incident of national or regional significance.
Recent history has shown us the consequences that result from a major disruption in truck travel. Immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, significant truck delays at the Canadian border crossings shut down several auto manufacturing plants in Michigan because
just-in-time parts were not delivered. The economic cost to these companies was enormous. Following Hurricane Katrina, trucks loaded with emergency goods were rerouted, creating lengthy delays in delivering urgently needed supplies to the stricken areas.
Although in the face of an elevated threat level, a terrorist attack, or a pandemic, halting truck traffic may appear to be the best defense, it actually puts citizens at risk. Officials at every level of government must recognize that a decision to halt or severely curb truck traffic following a national or regional emergency will produce unintended health and economic consequences not only for the community they seek to protect, but for the entire nation.
A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage:
The first 24 hours
Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease. Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radio pharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable. Service stations will begin to run out of fuel. Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages. U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.
Within one day
Food shortages will begin to develop. Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps. Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.
Within two to three days
Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic. Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear. ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks. Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas. Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.
Within a week
Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel. Without autos and bus’ many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care. Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.
Within two weeks
The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.
Within four weeks
The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling. As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.
This timeline presents only the primary effects of a freeze on truck travel. Secondary effects must be considered as well, such as inability to maintain telecommunications service, reduced law enforcement, increased crime, increased illness and injury, higher death rates, and likely, civil unrest
UrbanMan replies: PSYOPS guy, great point. You can explain to your spouse about the “insurance aspect” of Survival Preparation,….you can prep by yourself in secrecy like the reader who sent me the previous post about a Bug Out rehearsal,……but in the end a constant drip of the “why” is probably your best bet.
When the military plans operations they consider what the enemy is likely to do and what enemy course of action is most dangerous to the friendly mission. This is a good lesson to take into Survival Planning. Consider what can happen, what is likely to happen and what is most dangerous to you and your family’s survival.
The trucking article link you sent me was an excellent “why” article. I am re-producing the highlights below. Everyone should consider reading the full, detailed article which you can access by clicking here. The below article is concerned about a trucking stoppage based on responses to and restrictions following an “incident of national or regional significance” such as a terrorist attack or panademic. Another scenario which could great affect trucking would be an acute shortage of fuel from a major war in the Middle East and subsequent export stoppages from our South American oil imports.
When Trucks Stop, America Stops
The unimpeded flow of trucks is critical to the safety and well-being of all Americans. However, it is entirely possible that well-intended public officials may instinctively halt or severely restrict truck traffic in response to an incident of national or regional significance.
Recent history has shown us the consequences that result from a major disruption in truck travel. Immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, significant truck delays at the Canadian border crossings shut down several auto manufacturing plants in Michigan because
just-in-time parts were not delivered. The economic cost to these companies was enormous. Following Hurricane Katrina, trucks loaded with emergency goods were rerouted, creating lengthy delays in delivering urgently needed supplies to the stricken areas.
Although in the face of an elevated threat level, a terrorist attack, or a pandemic, halting truck traffic may appear to be the best defense, it actually puts citizens at risk. Officials at every level of government must recognize that a decision to halt or severely curb truck traffic following a national or regional emergency will produce unintended health and economic consequences not only for the community they seek to protect, but for the entire nation.
A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage:
The first 24 hours
Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease. Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radio pharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable. Service stations will begin to run out of fuel. Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages. U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.
Within one day
Food shortages will begin to develop. Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps. Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.
Within two to three days
Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic. Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear. ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks. Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas. Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.
Within a week
Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel. Without autos and bus’ many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care. Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.
Within two weeks
The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.
Within four weeks
The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling. As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.
This timeline presents only the primary effects of a freeze on truck travel. Secondary effects must be considered as well, such as inability to maintain telecommunications service, reduced law enforcement, increased crime, increased illness and injury, higher death rates, and likely, civil unrest
Monday, August 9, 2010
Reader Survival Prep Update
UrbanMan received this e-mail from a reader:
Hey UrbanMan, I just came off of vacation and wanted to drop you a line on what I did to prepare these past four days.
I took my son (16 years old) and daughter (12 years old) to the range. Incidentally, my son is on board with prepping. His sister is not, nor is his mother (my wife). I gave them instruction and had them shoot my Rock River M4, a Ruger 10/22, a Ruger Mk2 .22 LR pistol, my Springfield XD-45, the Remington 12 gauge pump shotgun, and the M-1 carbine.
My daughter did not like the recoil of the Springfield 45. I did not have her shoot the shotgun, but by golly she did well with the other guns. She was placing all her rounds on the man sized target at 20 yards no sweat. I set up a piece of steel about 8 inches by 16 inches at about 80 yards and my daughter was hitting that much more often than she was missing. My son has been shooting .22 LR’s at camp for years, and he did very well. He did not miss the steel target at all with the M-4. This was not only Survival Firearms training but “bonding” time as well. We ate at Applebees afterward, so I enhanced the day at the end, kind of like a reward for my daughter putting up with the boys.
We went for an all day hike, in the 100 degree heat no less. I live about 1.5 miles from State land, so we walked to the state land, then followed the boundary where we ended the hike at the back end of a street that has a tow truck company. Nine miles in all. I taught my kids to build a fire, both with a lighter and with a magnesium fire starter, which had my daughter puzzled since it was so hot! But I thought is was important enough to practice. Then we walked about ¾ of a mile to an Ice Cream place, where I had the wife pick us up after we had some sundaes.
I explained to my son, but not my daughter or wife, that this was a rehearsal if we had to Bug Out from the house and using our vehicle was not an option. The state land gives us some concealment and hopefully lack of people until we get to the Tow Truck yard. Here we could access transportation by hot wiring a vehicle if need be. There is a direct route from here, via a state road, to a small lake where our friends have a cabin.
Me and my son discussed where at this location ext to the tow truck yard where we could hide some food and some other stuff. Burying it is not an option as the ground is way too hard.
The last day of vacation we went down to the local sporting goods store and I bought them each some hiking boots. My son and I have Camel-Baks, so now my daughter wants one and these are the basis for our Bug Out bags.
All in all I think I had a productive vacation weekend accomplishing a short Bug Out rehearsal and some survival firearms training. Thanks for doing your Urban Survival Site. My suggestions would be for some more firearms articles, maybe some reviews and any articles on people who are not used to guns. I haven’t started prepping food storage in earnest yet. I have some extra dry goods in the pantry, maybe about 7 to 10 days worth, but plan on buying food saver and storing some rice, beans, instant potatoes, pasta, powdered milk and such as well as buy some of the cans of dehydrated fruit and other food from Earth Wave Living. I hope to God we never have to do a Bug Out, but feel better with what we have done so far and my next set of plans to better our preparation. God Bless.
P.S. I understand about the information security concept. I am withholding the names and descriptions of some of the locations and my state, so it would be hard for anyone to figure out where I am. You have my e-mail which I hope you will keep confidential.
Hey UrbanMan, I just came off of vacation and wanted to drop you a line on what I did to prepare these past four days.
I took my son (16 years old) and daughter (12 years old) to the range. Incidentally, my son is on board with prepping. His sister is not, nor is his mother (my wife). I gave them instruction and had them shoot my Rock River M4, a Ruger 10/22, a Ruger Mk2 .22 LR pistol, my Springfield XD-45, the Remington 12 gauge pump shotgun, and the M-1 carbine.
My daughter did not like the recoil of the Springfield 45. I did not have her shoot the shotgun, but by golly she did well with the other guns. She was placing all her rounds on the man sized target at 20 yards no sweat. I set up a piece of steel about 8 inches by 16 inches at about 80 yards and my daughter was hitting that much more often than she was missing. My son has been shooting .22 LR’s at camp for years, and he did very well. He did not miss the steel target at all with the M-4. This was not only Survival Firearms training but “bonding” time as well. We ate at Applebees afterward, so I enhanced the day at the end, kind of like a reward for my daughter putting up with the boys.
We went for an all day hike, in the 100 degree heat no less. I live about 1.5 miles from State land, so we walked to the state land, then followed the boundary where we ended the hike at the back end of a street that has a tow truck company. Nine miles in all. I taught my kids to build a fire, both with a lighter and with a magnesium fire starter, which had my daughter puzzled since it was so hot! But I thought is was important enough to practice. Then we walked about ¾ of a mile to an Ice Cream place, where I had the wife pick us up after we had some sundaes.
I explained to my son, but not my daughter or wife, that this was a rehearsal if we had to Bug Out from the house and using our vehicle was not an option. The state land gives us some concealment and hopefully lack of people until we get to the Tow Truck yard. Here we could access transportation by hot wiring a vehicle if need be. There is a direct route from here, via a state road, to a small lake where our friends have a cabin.
Me and my son discussed where at this location ext to the tow truck yard where we could hide some food and some other stuff. Burying it is not an option as the ground is way too hard.
The last day of vacation we went down to the local sporting goods store and I bought them each some hiking boots. My son and I have Camel-Baks, so now my daughter wants one and these are the basis for our Bug Out bags.
All in all I think I had a productive vacation weekend accomplishing a short Bug Out rehearsal and some survival firearms training. Thanks for doing your Urban Survival Site. My suggestions would be for some more firearms articles, maybe some reviews and any articles on people who are not used to guns. I haven’t started prepping food storage in earnest yet. I have some extra dry goods in the pantry, maybe about 7 to 10 days worth, but plan on buying food saver and storing some rice, beans, instant potatoes, pasta, powdered milk and such as well as buy some of the cans of dehydrated fruit and other food from Earth Wave Living. I hope to God we never have to do a Bug Out, but feel better with what we have done so far and my next set of plans to better our preparation. God Bless.
P.S. I understand about the information security concept. I am withholding the names and descriptions of some of the locations and my state, so it would be hard for anyone to figure out where I am. You have my e-mail which I hope you will keep confidential.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Urban Survival Equipment - Mil-Dot Reticle for Observation Devices
UrbanSurvivalSkills.com received the following comment on the post about If Sniper Rifles were Necessary for a Survival Firearms Battery: "Anonymous said...Hey good post, made sense to me. Do you recommend a high magnification binoculars or a a spotting spot and if so what type and why? Does it make sense to get a rifle scope, or binocular or spotting scope with the mil dot setup?"
UrbanMan replies: Mil-dot scopes provide a way for the user to range his target. The basic concept here is the user knows the magnification setting on the scope for which to use the mil-dots as a ranging estimate. The distance between each Mil-dots are one Mil. Each Mil is about 3.5 inches at 100 yards to keep it simple.
Therefore if you were looking through your scope at a 3.5 inch index card, and that card measured from one Mil-Dot to the next (center to center), the distance would be 100 yards....as one mil equals 3.5 inches at 100 yards.
Actually, one mil equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards but I'm rounding down to make it easy for this post, for readers to understand and do the math.
If you were looking at a man sized target, lets say 18 inches from waist to chin and the distance that sight picture (from waist to chin) took up 5 Mil-Dots in your scope, then that distance would be 100 yards....Five mils equals 17.5 inches at 100 yards.
It's just plain math from here on out. That same man sized target, waist to chin, at 200 yards would take up 2.5 mils or the distance of 2 1/2 dots (center to center) in your scope.
So you pretty much have to know the dimensions, either height or width of your target in order to use the Mil-Dot ranging technique. Having said that, I prefer a Mil-Dot reticle in my bolt rifle scopes, however the only one I currently have is a 4.5x14mm Leupold on my Remington LTR.
As far as observation equipment for Urban Survival, having a good pair of binoculars are always handy. I own five binos. Probably won't be buying anymore soon, but you can tell the value I place in them. I have 10x50mm, 8x56mm, 7x50mm, 10x42mm and a small set, 8x24mm. Not counting the quality of lens and the coating, you can divide the magnification (the first number) into the second number (the size of the objective lens) and the higher than number the better light gathering or light transmission capability you'll have.
For instance a 7x50mm gives you a 7.1 factor, whereas the 8x24mm gives you 3.0. The 7x50mm will take in more light and therefore are more usable during periods of lower light (dawn and dusk).
Spotting scopes are generally bigger, more cumbersome but provide higher magnification. When using anything over a 10 power magnification, you will need to use a rest or a tripod as the image will dance around too much. I think that spotting scopes are great for observation at long distance, with variable magnifications usually in the 10 to 60 power range, however I think the Urban Survivalist's first priority would be several pair of decent binoculars.
All the binoculars at this page are good kit and fair priced. I own one set of Steiners and two sets of Leupold, but my cheaper binos (Bushnells) have given me good service.
UrbanMan replies: Mil-dot scopes provide a way for the user to range his target. The basic concept here is the user knows the magnification setting on the scope for which to use the mil-dots as a ranging estimate. The distance between each Mil-dots are one Mil. Each Mil is about 3.5 inches at 100 yards to keep it simple.
Therefore if you were looking through your scope at a 3.5 inch index card, and that card measured from one Mil-Dot to the next (center to center), the distance would be 100 yards....as one mil equals 3.5 inches at 100 yards.
Actually, one mil equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards but I'm rounding down to make it easy for this post, for readers to understand and do the math.
If you were looking at a man sized target, lets say 18 inches from waist to chin and the distance that sight picture (from waist to chin) took up 5 Mil-Dots in your scope, then that distance would be 100 yards....Five mils equals 17.5 inches at 100 yards.
It's just plain math from here on out. That same man sized target, waist to chin, at 200 yards would take up 2.5 mils or the distance of 2 1/2 dots (center to center) in your scope.
So you pretty much have to know the dimensions, either height or width of your target in order to use the Mil-Dot ranging technique. Having said that, I prefer a Mil-Dot reticle in my bolt rifle scopes, however the only one I currently have is a 4.5x14mm Leupold on my Remington LTR.
As far as observation equipment for Urban Survival, having a good pair of binoculars are always handy. I own five binos. Probably won't be buying anymore soon, but you can tell the value I place in them. I have 10x50mm, 8x56mm, 7x50mm, 10x42mm and a small set, 8x24mm. Not counting the quality of lens and the coating, you can divide the magnification (the first number) into the second number (the size of the objective lens) and the higher than number the better light gathering or light transmission capability you'll have.
For instance a 7x50mm gives you a 7.1 factor, whereas the 8x24mm gives you 3.0. The 7x50mm will take in more light and therefore are more usable during periods of lower light (dawn and dusk).
Spotting scopes are generally bigger, more cumbersome but provide higher magnification. When using anything over a 10 power magnification, you will need to use a rest or a tripod as the image will dance around too much. I think that spotting scopes are great for observation at long distance, with variable magnifications usually in the 10 to 60 power range, however I think the Urban Survivalist's first priority would be several pair of decent binoculars.
All the binoculars at this page are good kit and fair priced. I own one set of Steiners and two sets of Leupold, but my cheaper binos (Bushnells) have given me good service.
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