SHTF / Survival at Home: Growing Your Food #4 ( Courgette / Zucchini )

The Courgette Plant or ''Zucchini'' as it is known in other countries from the Americas down to Australasia are a very easy to grow and maintain plant that provides a very reasonable amount of yield for it's grower/s, there are so many different methods to use the ''fruit'' in cooking such as stuffing, frying, stir fry, stews etc. You can even Deliciously Stuff the Flowers with cheese and fry them or just batter fry for a nice crunchy appetizer! They are a Summer Squash ...

Mature Zucchini / Courgette Plant - Back Garden / Survival SHTF

Plants come in different varieties that include Green as well as even Yellow fruit, and also round bell shaped varieties;

Harvested Yellow & Green Courgette Zucchini Fruits - home Grown

Round Varieties Zucchini / Courgette

I have not seen these plants being pre-grown in garden centers, I suppose this is because they are so easy to Germinate at home and take care of! They do not suffer from Aphid Infestations that I have ever seen, the biggest problem is probably *Powdery Mildew which is easily prevented and controlled by another Organic Home Made Recipe we will write on in the future.

What you must Obtain:

• Seeds, preferably try more than one variety! In the South England Climate I feel 3 - 4 Plants is great for a couple with 1 - 2 Kids or even just a couple who eat a healthy amount of Vegetables, if you are a health Nut and make smoothies from vegetables, 3 or More plants may be needed!,
• Glass Jar,
• Small, Medium and Large Pot's or eliminate the need of the Large Pot if going to grow in a Prepared Bed,
• Good Organic compost / mixture (click here for a great Organic Mixture great for most Veg's)
• Natural Water Source (try collect rainwater if it's not Illegal like in some states in the USA!) << Crazy, I know! but True
• Support Sticks / Bamboo Canes may be needed as these plants can sometimes be affected by strong winds and also the fruits get heavy, sometimes sagging the plant

Method:

• Place the required amount of seeds in the glass jar and fill half the jar with water, cover and let sit overnight (about 24 hours),
• Drain water, rinse again, Drain the rinsing water but make sure the seeds are still nice and moist, cover jar mouth and place back into a warm coupboard ,
• Take a look, if the root is coming out you can then place each seed sideways about 2-3cm (1 inch +-) under your compost in their own individual small pots and keep moist, (if no roots seen then rinse again and make sure they are left with some good moisture),
• Keep pots on a warm windowsill or greenhouse & Keep moist!, if it is really hot and you think the pot may be exposed to quite a few hours of direct sunlight you may want to find another area or cover the pot with paper so not all the sun heats the soil too much which could almost effectively kill the seed/s,
• After a few days the first leaves will appear, sigh of relief that now you have a plant which can survive stronger sunlight as long as you keep watering!, keep on windowsill / greenhouse until you have at least 3 or so True ''Leaves'',
• When the plant looks slightly too big for the small pot, it's probably time to move into a medium pot or you could even go directly into the Large Pot if the plant is destined to remain in a pot,
• Once the Plant is at least 30cm (11 Inches) tall and your Area's ''Last Frost Date'' has passed, you can plant outside or in your Pots outside, if you have a greenhouse the plant should do okay at that point even if cold outside at night,
• Start feeding with a good Liquid feed high in Nitrogen, try keep away from chemical fertilisers but The higher nitrogen the better - if you can get 11 - 19% that's great!,
• When the plant is quite mature and producing loads of fruit, move onto a high Potash Fertilizer with now lower Nitrogen (I use  4% Nitrogen 8% Potash Mix),
• Look out for White Substance forming on the leaves, this will be powdery mildew, its not bad but just makes Photosynthesis less possible therefore less fruit yield - search online for the prevention and control, we will be loading an article about this in the future!
• They may be targeted by slugs, Beertraps work well but if you can, try not to use Beertraps as they also kill Beneficial Insects too!
• The Plants have a female flower and male flower, the male is on a long stem and female short thick stem (the stem is the baby courgette / zucchini) after pollen from the male is added to the receptacle of the female, then the flower should die off and the Fruit develops - Bees are natural pollinators and having beneficial flowers and plants in your garden will attract the bees to pollinate your flowers, you can also hand pollinate (Watch below video for hand pollinating)

Harvesting:

You can cut the fruits when about 10-15 cm (3.15 - 5.29 Inches) Long for better taste (better for Steam Cooking / Frying) or 30+ cm (11.3 Inches +) when they are more like a Marrow size, stil great for Frying, Stuffing, Stews, Soups and Smoothies!

Remember,  the more you harvest, the more you are diverting the nutrients from that fruits stem to the other smaller fruits, they will grow quicker and more nutrients will go to more fruit production - ie: The more you pick, the more will grow!

Grilled Zucchini / Courgette

Courgette / Zucchini Soup

Video: 

Shows how Large They can grow and How To Keep the seeds for next year's planting!

Click Link: http://youtu.be/4HdarkxWwz4

DIY How To Prepare a good Organic Nutrient Compost mix for your Vegetable / Fruit Garden INCLUDING Calcium Supplement

Here we have a very basic ORGANIC Nutrient / Compost mix that should provide all of your plants with the minerals, nutrients they require either in their pots or outdoor beds, remember though, it is still recommended to Liquid Feed your plants regularly, but the best you can do for your plants is the Soil, don't be that average Joe who just buys a good compost and expects a Great Yield!

Instructional Video - Includes Equipment / Materials list and so on:

If you have suddenly decided to start Growing Your Own Vegetables and Food / Fruits, whether you are a Prepper or SHTF Concerned Survivalist, or just someone fed up with what they put in our foods such as GMO Crops (Genetically Modified Organisms) << Keep Away from These! Trust Me!, MSG Preservatives etc. You can actually get some of your Veg / Fruit Crops from your local Large Garden Center (pre-grown) as an interim Solution while you obtain *Heirloom Seeds and Germinate them, As you can see in the below Post on Planting Bell Peppers Outdoors, we explain how we obtained a few plants at End Of Season Discount price, these plants actually had medium sized fruits on them, they were bought because we had difficulty Germinating Peppers this year and these were fully grown plants, we didn't need anything else as we already have many different veg's growing well from seed since the beginning of the season.

Planting Peppers out in your Garden from Store Sale (End of Season) SHTF / Survival

Paying attention at your local gardening / department warehouse type stores really pays off for today's Preppers or Survivalists! Here we give a short demonstration (Video - scroll Down) for planting your store bought vegetables into your prepared Garden Patch (these can be kept in pots but you will definitely need to move them into larger ones as the store pots were small to conserve space).

We spotted these plants at the End of the Season and they were reduced in Price! I got 6 plants for .48pence each (.76 US Cents per plant), the best thing was each plant I chose had a medium sized Pepper and a few smaller ones or flowers! I'm not a hot chilli pepper fan, so just bought the Bell Pepper ones

SHTF / Survival / Prepping store Bought Pepper Plants on very discounted price - End OF Season Bargains

As we knew that there is still abundant time before the first frosts as well as the fact that we have access to a Greenhouse, this was a No-Brainer! Should the plants only really bring their medium sized peppers into full form then the rest fail, we will still have not lost money - to buy 6x peppers now in stores the average cost is £3.60, We spent £2.88. Plus we get valuable experience in caring for these plants which will help for next year's planting as they will surely be grown from seed instead.
My local Large Garden Center also sells; Apple, Pear & Peach trees (they also have a deal if you buy two and you can mix varieties), Grape vine, Various berry plants (Raspberry, Strawberry and Gooseberry - possibly more), Herbs, Tomato and regular + Hot Pepper plants, then salads, crops such as Broccoli, Cabbage, Beetroot, Sweet Potato etc.
These are also offered currently on Discount but I grew most of these from seed already and do not need any more, this is excellent for anyone who has suddenly become aware and interested in Prepping or SHTF Survival and need to get some kind of head start! Here you have fruit producing plants which just need a change in container and some daily care, so no need to suddenly planting seeds everywhere and waiting ages for harvest-able fruits / veg's

Video Demonstration:

When Planting Peppers wheather outdoors or in pots / greenhouse etc. Remember to have a proper soil, compost Nutrient mix including a Calcium Enrichment / Additive. This prevents Blossom End Rot, for a video on a simple Nutrient Mix including an Organic Home-Made Calcium Supplement, click here for a quick instruction video:

 http://youtu.be/WoBTjMJLF8Q

Look out here in the future, we will be uploading more instructional videos on How to Grow some vegetables for Emergency Nutrition / Food Source which are ready to eat within Days of Planting the Seeds !!

DIY How To Make deep Pots / Containers for Growing Beets, Carrots, Parsnip etc. SHTF / Survival

Do you have a few old nursery pots lying around the garden or shed? Instead of going out and seeking deep pots for deep rooting veg's like Beetroot, Parsnips and Carrots, do a quick modification, this will save you space too!!

Step by step instructional video on our youtube Channel:

Growing Your Own Food (SHTF / Survival) Thumbnail Page

Click on the Image to then jump to the related Article

Potato Growing at Home SHTF / survival

Tomato Growing at Home SHTF / survival

DIY Pot Modification for Deep Root Veg's

 

Next Update = Courgettes / Zucchinis

Organic DIY Calcium Supplement for Vegetables

Pepper Plants Growing at Home SHTF / survival

SHTF / Survival Growing Your Food At Home #2 ( Tomatoes )

Tomato Plants come in many different varieties from ones that are small and bushy which are perfect for pot growing, Plum / Cherry tomatoes that are great for salads etc., to the Beefsteak varieties which are large bushes suited better for outdoor garden / plot growing & produce big tomatoes.
Either way, Tomato plants produce a lot of fruit which is also easy to preserve (canning) for long term storage (up to 2 years of done correctly) , you can make Tomato Sauce ( Ketchup ), Soups with very ripe tomatoes etc! Tomato plants also have fewer pests than other vegetables and fruits (depending on your country).

Purchase Organic Non-GMO tomato seeds and I would recommend you get 3-4 different varieties, a good pot tomato (Such as the Minibel Variety) would be great to put as an upside down hanging plant (I will post an article on those soon and include the link here) so if you have limited ground space at home you can always drill a few holes and put up a hanging bracket on a good wall which gets loads of sunlight!

You will need:

1. A few packs of different varieties of Organic Non-GMO seeds,
2. Good pack of Compost or potting soil (peat free),
3. Calcium or finely crushed egg shells,
4. Seed tray or reused small yogurt containers etc,
5. 500 ml water bottles cut in half (keep tops and bottoms)
6. Small, Medium and Large Plastic or any material Pots,
7. Water Source,
8. Plant Feed (Preferably tomato feed and get a non chemical one if possible)
9. Watering Can,
10. Bamboo Sticks, Stake  or an actual Support Cage.

Tomato Cages in a Raised Veg Bed

 Steps:

1. Place the desired amount of seeds in a small tub of water and leave overnight (this greatly reduces the germination time),
2. Fill the small containers / seed tray with compost and using a pencil or your finger, make a small hole about 1 - 1.5cm deep - lie seed sideways in hole,
3. Cover with more compost so hole is filled, now water well.
4. Place one of the half cut water bottles so the cut side is resting on the compost and providing a teepee like shelter to the area above the seed (this provides extra warmth and prevents water evaporation),
5. Keep on a warm windowsill and in a few days the seedlings will emerge,
6. Once the seedlings are about 3 - 5cm tall you can transplant them into the prepared small plastic pots or you can actually jump straight into a medium pot if you have an abundance of compost,
7. To transplant just squeeze the sides of the small container / seed tray and there should be no trouble if the compost is nice and moist, you can gently pull the seedling but if you are a beginner I would turn the pot on the side / slightly upside down to let gravity bring it down, now dig a hole big enough to place the seedling with the soil around the roots inside the new pot,
8. Allow to grow and give good sunlight and water,
9. Once you see roots coming out the drainage holes at the bottom of the chosen pots, it is time to move into a larger pot or into the ground space that is prepared (Dig hole and place a hand full of calcium or the 3-5x finely crushed egg shells in the bottom)
10. Cut off the small ''first leaves'' (see small leaves in below plant diagram) and put plant deep enough inside new pot / bed to cover the cut leaves so that the soil level is now sitting an inch below the lower ''true leaves'' (The plant will be okay and it will actually spurt new roots from buried shoot / stem)
11. Before the roots grow too much, it is time now to place the cage, stake or bamboo supports around the plant (these will support the plant and its branches which sag when the fruit gets heavy)
12. Water the plant more regularly if it is in pots (you may need to water twice a day if it's a very hot day for the pot plants) water 1 - 2 times per week if it's in the ground,
13. Feed Once a week with tomato or other vegetable type feed (follow pack instructions)
14. Prune some leaves once in a while when the plant gets bushy, especially the bottom set as they are closer to the soil level and can get diseases from the splashing when watering - these will normally be the first to change colour etc.

Tomato Plant Diagram

Look out for future posts such as: Canning / Preserving your vegetables & Hanging Vegetable Garden / Plants!

Scope Tips #1

Here is some basic yet very important information for beginners, take note and there will be more to come in the future!

Proper use of a Telescopic Sight ( Scope ) with Shadow Elimination

Different Fire Making methods / Bushcraft, Survival & STF

Bushcraft Fire Making SHTF / Survival - Using Bow #1

Bushcraft Fire Making SHTF / Survival - Using Bow #2

Bushcraft Fire Making SHTF / Survival - Fire Plow

Bushcraft Cooking on Fire SHTF / Survival

Bushcraft Fire Making SHTF / Survival - Matches or lighter

Gun Control / 2nd Amendment Rights

2nd Amendment Rights

Ruger 10 / 22 in Israeli Military ( IDF ) Use

In 1987, the Intifada – the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli regime in the Occupied Territories – broke out, and involved mass violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians protestors. As a result, the Israeli security forces needed a weapon with a more potent firepower then the standard riot control metal covered rubber round, but at the same time less lethal then the standard issue 5.56 mm round of the M16/Galil assault rifles. So the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) searched for a 0.22 caliber accurate rifle that will be used to take out the key protest leaders by shooting them in the legs.

Isreili IDF soldier using a Ruger 10/22

The Ruger 10/22, fitted with a X4 day optic, a full length suppressor and a Harris bipod was selected for this role and was due to be issued to all infantry oriented units, including both special and conventional forces. However, as often happens in the shoestring budget IDF, financial problems prevented the weapon’s mass distribution, and it was mainly issued to Special Forces (SF) units. Moreover, instead of using the rifle as a riot control weapon, as originally intended, the Israeli SF deployed the Ruger 10/22 more as a “Hush Puppy” weapon used to silently and effectively eliminate disturbing dogs prior to operations.
In the recent Israeli-Palestinian clashes began in 2000, the Ruger resumes it’s original role as a less lethal riot control weapon. However, it’s usage in this role was rather controversial this time. After several incidents involving the death of Palestinians by the Ruger fire, the IDF conducted a field experiment in the Ruger at the IDF Sniper School in Mitkan Adam under the supervision of the IDF Judge Advocate General (JAG). The test showed that the Ruger was more lethal then thought especially in upper body injuries. Also, since it’s suppressed and was considered less lethal by the troops, the soldiers were much more likely to use the Ruger loosely then intended.

Isreili IDF Soldier with Ruger 10/22 Anti Protest

As a result of this test, the JAG reclassified the Ruger as a lethal weapon. As a lethal weapon, the usage of the Ruger in riot control is much more limited today. In the IDF Center Command it was completely prohibited to use and the IDF South Command it’s deployment was cut down dramatically.

SHTF / Survival at Home: Growing Your Food #1 (Potatoes)

Learning how to be self sufficient in Food Supply is highly important in learning true survival, practicing this at home weather you are an actual Prepper, or just an individual needing to save some money is good training in case of an actual event.

Many people are put off of vegetable or fruit growing due to lack of time (watering and taking care of their plants). Regular watering is really only necessary if you plant mostly in pots as pots dry out far quicker than a vegetable bed / patch, plus with the use of Mulch, you can help retain the moisture in your pots for longer but the truth is, like most of you, I myself was also put off of constant watering and taking care of the plants, until I started growing them, as it is a step by step process you really do become a lot more interested and at some point you start spending loads of time doing the general work on your crops. It became a new interest but for those who are already living the busy life just watering, harvesting and feeding can be done with minimal time as long as you stick to a schedule.

Potatoes

What's Needed: 

1. Large Pot/s or Bucket/s,
2. A few Non GMO Potatoes that are starting to sprout (refer to below picture),
3. Compost, Soil or a 50/50 mixture of both,
4. A Liquid Vegetable plant feed (Preferably non chemical)

I really had no intention on planting potatoes this year but noticed some growth sprouts on one of my potatoes which was due to be turned into mash and quickly remembered my aunt claiming that you can grow from skins - so I decided to do a little internet surfing and confirmed it to be true. 

I then went and sliced the piece off just under the growth in the three places on the potato where the eyes were sprouting (cut off a little more, not right under the spurt / eye).

Survival / SHTF Growing your own food: Potatoes

Let the pieces dry out for about 12 hours, take a large plastic pot and fill it 1/6 with compost or soil or a mixture of both. plant 2 - 3 of them in the bottom and cover with an inch or two of the soil / compost, water regularly and be patient while the root system establishes! If you have a greenhouse it can remain in there until the plant really takes off. When the stems grow you pour enough soil / compost in to cover the bottom of the new stem but make sure to keep the top leaves open (You may cover leaves that are further down the stem) Keep adding soil / compost as the plants grow taller and until the pot / bucket is full! If you are content with the size of the bucket or pot then just wait until the flowers die off and the plants wilt, that is the sign that you can tip the pot and dig out the potatoes.

This can be done in those large 220LTR (55 Gallon) Oil Barrels as shown in the below youtube video:

Liquid feed is important as well, I can recommend using a liquid feed at least once a week on your plants.

Did you know that it is recommended to first initiate a vegetable patch in your garden with potatoes? You grow potatoes in that patch the first year then the next you can plant various different crops, this however is just a recommendation, not a must.

Growing Your Food #2 coming soon ...

UK Handgun Law Repeal ?

There was a recent poll hosted by the Telegraph Newspaper in the United Kingdom and surprisingly the majority voted to repeal the Handgun Ban as detailed in the below article:

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/uk-poll-finds-brits-want-to-repeal-gun-ban/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=May

Latest News on UK Lead Shot Ban

Here we have some new info. regarding the on-going call for a Lead Shot Ban in the United Kingdom as mentioned on our ''UK Law Watch'' Page (click Here)



Lead is under fire as almost never before as the material of choice for anyone who shoots, whether live quarry or targets.
On the face of it, removing lead from shotgun cartridges and rifle bullets might not seem like a bad idea. We have taken lead out of petrol, out of most paints and out of the pipes through which most of us receive our water. There is no doubt that it is a poison and the case against peppering the countryside with lead pellets is, at least so far as some environmental pressure groups are concerned, overwhelming. Alternatives are available.



If a Lead Shot Ban takes place - protests must persist to stop it !



But, the shooting community argues, steps already taken to avoid contamination of sensitive areas and water courses in particular, are sufficient and there is a strong suspicion that those most vociferously pursuing efforts for an outright ban are really seeking to undermine all shooting because it is shooting they disagree with, rather than the use of lead shot.
The Campaign for Lead Shot is supported by all organisations involved with shooting sports and many land managers, including the Country Land and Business Association.
As the briefing notes with the Campaign for Lead Shot's website explain, those who shoot must make sure they are whiter than white if they want to avoid a ban on lead. "There is a concerted campaign to achieve a total ban on lead shot," it reads. "It is directed by powerful organisations with considerable financial and political resources. Although the current government has no desire to ban lead, politicians will be swayed by evidence and public opinion."
The rules, as they stand, are clear. In England the use of lead shot is banned over all foreshore, over specified Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and for the shooting of all ducks and geese, coot and moorhen – wherever they occur – whether on wetland or not.
It is that last point which has caused the most problems since it means those who shoot pheasant and other game must carry non toxic cartridges with them – which are much more costly than cartridges loaded with lead – if they also want to shoot duck. And, this campaign tacitly acknowledges, not everyone does that at the moment.
When the rules were first introduced some guns would drop a couple of bismuth or other non-toxic cartridges into their pockets to be sure that if they were challenged they could show they had both lead and non-lead options to use. Several even included spent cartridges in a pocket so that if they were challenged when they had a duck or goose in the game bag they could claim it was killed with the lead-free alternative. Few, however, bothered to switch from lead to non-toxic shot when a duck flew over.
Many guns broke the rules because they felt they were ridiculous. "What is the difference," one seasoned game shooter told me, "if I shoot a pheasant with my first lead cartridge and a duck with my second? Both birds are flying over the same field and the lead is going to fall in the same place. What makes it okay to shoot a pheasant with lead and not okay to shoot a duck?"
The answer, of course, is that it makes no difference at all. But the rules are the way they are to ensure that everyone who shoots waterfowl – that are primarily found near water – always uses non-toxic shot. And the extent to which those rules have been broken is all too clear from surveys undertaken by both the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Defra.
As the briefing notes for the lead shot campaign makes clear: "When the RSPB purchased shot duck from game dealers in 2002, shortly after legislation was introduced, it found that 70 per cent contained lead shot. A follow up by Defra eight years later showed that 73 per cent of game suppliers still sold duck containing lead.
"In 2010 a report commissioned by Defra revealed that 45 per cent of shooters surveyed did not always comply with the law and a similar percentage of shoot providers failed to make compliance a requirement for guns. That sustained level of illegal shooting is enough to secure a total lead ban."
Guns quote two reasons – price and the need to make clean kills – as the reason to stick with lead. The most effective non-toxic materials can be four or five times the price of lead. Duck hunters have no alternative but pigeon shooters, for example, who might fire off several hundred cartridges in a session, would quickly find their sport unaffordable and pigeon control – vital for crop protection – difficult to maintain.
A box of 25 12-bore cartridges loaded with lead can cost around £6. The same loaded with bismuth or other non-toxic materials, like tungsten, can be over £40. Cheaper materials, like steel, are available and widely used. But because they are less dense than lead they have less energy and, consequently, less killing power. That can result in more birds wounded, and fewer clean kills – a problem that many believe would be magnified if lead were banned for all shooting.
The essence of the campaign to get those who shoot to use non-toxic shot is an acceptance that for waterfowl and over all areas of foreshore and SSSIs it is perfectly justified and must be obeyed. In return for sticking to the law, the shooting groups hope, they will be able to avoid a ban on lead's use for the majority of shooting.
The campaign will be promoted at the CLA Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, which runs from July 19 to July 21.
The campaigners say: " In all other areas of shooting self-regulation works. Think how quickly we crack down on the selfishness or stupidity of others when it comes to safety. We know that breaking the firearms law will lead to harsher regulation.
"Lead is no different. We hold the future in our own hands. Comply with the law, and ensure that others do, and legislation is not an immediate prospect. Flout the law and we could face a ban within the next few years."

( Article from ''thisiscornwall.co.uk'' )

Survival / SHTF ( Bush Skills )

make shift / DIY water purification method

Hi viewers, my apologies - we are experiencing a problem with blogger and are unable to upload pictures at this time so this section will remain ''under construction'' until the problem is resolved.

Bug Out Bag (Survival / SHTF)

Bug Out Bag:



Bug Out Bag with Solar Panel

Ok so we started on the most crazy or extreme of survivalists most common 'contraptions' if we can call it that, it is the B.O.B. or Bug Out Bag ( a backpack packed with essential survival gear to be able to quickly escape your home or residence in a critical situation and survive for a period of between 72 hours and a week or so ) Some people go as far as to create INCH bags ( they love their acronyms don't they? ) INCH meaning I'm Not Coming Home, these are much larger and hold a massive stock of essentials including a good supply of food...

Bug Out Bag ( Multi Pocket / Camo )

 

While built-in solar panels are a nice novelty, the actual backpack is not that sufficient for the purpose as you would be much better off with a multi pocket backpack, would be great for kids who can't survive without their 'smart phones' LOL !



Above and below, we show some examples of the contents of some people's Bug Out Bags, in this section we will advise some essentials which are not commonly seen in peoples 'inventories'



 

List of Items we feel should be in a Bug Out Bag:

• Cable Ties (at least 100),
• Diamond Knife Sharpener,
• Emergency Blankets (foil type),
• Extra AA and /or AAA batteries,
• Night Vision Equipment (Monocular is good enough),
• Soup Sache's, dried food / meat, if you must have tinned food let it be meat in small amounts ie: tuna, spam etc.
• Waterproof Gear,
• A few lighters (spares wrapped in plastic),
• Waterproof / windproof matches,
• General first aid kit with a good supply of disinfectant,
• Survival guide including info. on wild fruits etc,
• Water Disinfectant equipment,
• Spare ammunition for your firearm/s (especially .22LR),
• At least 2 torches with adjustable beams (preferably LED),
• Solar Panel setup for battery recharging etc. (for those expecting a longer stay in the woods),
• Bungee cord and para cord,
• Large knife or machete / Panga,
• Small knife / multi tool ( Swiss Army or Leatherman ),
• Hand Saw (Foldable),
• Super Absorbent Cloth or Shammy Cloth,
• Gaffer Tape,
• International Radio,
• Notebook with tare-out pages,
• Pens, pencils and permanent markers (black),
•  Folding / camping spade,
• Tarpaulin (waterproof material / cover),
• Fishing line, sinkers etc.,
• spare socks, underwear,
• petroleum jelly,
• gloves,
• water flask,
• sleeping bag.



.22 Shooting Challenge by FPS Russia

Sorry viewers it has been a while, we do have 3 recent Penetration Tests to upload to youtube then here so come back soon for those - we have some new Ammo. we tried out !

Here we have a youtube video by FPS Russia, he set a challenge a while ago using a .22 rifle without any sights - it is a timed shoot against 5x metal targets where he challenged other shooters to beat his time:

Interesting challenge to try out someday

Penetration Test # 4 .22LR

So we finally came down to editing & uploading the video of our 4th .22LR Penetration Test ... using Eley Club, we Finally Stopped the rounds so this video is a little more interesting and slightly longer with some still images of the deformed bullets etc.

Eley Club, Round Nosed 40 Grain Bullets, Subsonic at 1085 Feet Per Second advertised Muzzle Velocity - Shot at 25 yards Bench Rest.

All Layers of .22LR Penetration Test Separated & Laid Out

The Four Eley Club .22LR Mushroomed Bullets after Penetration with some Fragments

Two .22LR Penetration Cavities in Tin Metal ( Eley Club Subsonics )

 Next Week we will have something Really Interesting with a New Brand under Review!! Keep an eye out either here or on our Youtube Channel

Voting Poll Result #2

Here we have the second Poll Result, this time it was a multiple choice vote option and well, here it is below with the results;

Reason/s for Shooting Interest Voting / Poll Result

We will start a new poll sometime soon, keep a look out and Remember, there is no registration or anything just click your vote!

.22LR Penetration Test / Ammo Review #3

Here is the 3rd Penetration Test, still going strong with Eley Club, .22LR Subsonic Round Nose - 40grain.
All details in the video! But something new, we recovered a bullet so check the level of deformity in the bullet head...

We already have another video soon ready for uploading, it is shot and Filmed, just need to get off my crack and edit it / upload to Youtube.... so give it a couple days and there should be a new video soon.

.22 Penetration Test - Metal, Front Impact Points

.22 Penetration Test, - Metal, Exit Cavity through 8 Layers of Tin Metal

.22 and other Rimfire Ammunition Shelflife ?

Many manufacturers of ammunition especially .22LR have a time frame or ''Manufacturers Consent'' of 2 years, what they mean by this is that they do not guarantee the efficiency or effectiveness after 2 years but, having said that, you will find many avid shooters and gun owners worldwide who have .22LR ammunition bought in the 1980's that still functions correctly and is still dead accurate as the day they bought it, it all boils down to storage / conditions.

 



Decades old .22LR Ammo

For example, one factor in .22 ammo is that some bullet lubricants "dry out" and flake off. The lead becomes exposed to ambient air and starts to oxidise. Oxidation changes the dimensions of the exposed bullet so that rounds may not chamber. Loss of lubrication causes bore leading and poor accuracy. 

Various Current .22 Ammunition

Recommended Storage:

• Buy as many Ammunition Containers as you need: Available from Army Surplus stores
• Get Silica Gel packs (kept at bottom of container to absorb any moisture in the air once sealed)
• Keep your store in a cool dry area in your home, Not in the Loft (Attic) - better in a basement or in a cupboard in a room which is at the part of the house which gets less sunlight or does not get much heating in Winter
• As always, make sure children or any other persons cannot gain access to your store

General ammunition Containers available at most Army Surplus Stores - SHTF / Prepping

The Secret to a good Ammo Can is in the Rubber Seal - Inspect before purchasing! SHTF / Prepping

Silica Gel - very recommended for your Ammo Container/s - SHTF / Prepping

Doing a thorough search online, I guarantee you will hear stories of  30, 40, 50 and even 60 year old .22 Ammunition functioning well after having been forgotten in crates in peoples basements or garages, I even found somewhere on a forum a few month's ago someone saying they used the old .22LR Black Powder cartridges that were around 100 years old!

Gun Control Never Solved Anything

Here is proof that banning something will never solve any problems, refer to the page in Wikipedia Gun Politics in the United Kingdom, here is a small snippet from the extensive and obviously well researched article:

'' After the 1996 atrocity, legislation was introduced in 1997 to prohibit, with some extremely specialised exemptions, pistols of all calibres and "Small firearms" with a barrel length of less than 30 cm or an overall length of less than 60 cm. Subsequently firearm homicides increased in the UK by 89% over the decade to 2009. ''

Why must we sit back and watch our alternative sports be slowly killed off?, why must we be punished for the wrong doings of a very Very small percentage of the population? Disarming citizens is Not the Solution - it is a Birth / God Given Right to Self Defence, no Government or Authority should ever encroach on that! no matter what the ''overall majority'' says

In Favour or Gun control?

Then you're also in favour of

Assault

Robbery

Rape

Murder

and Genocide ....

It's a package deal !

 

Gun Control China Execution

 

Sexy Tactical Firearm of the Month: GSG-5E

This time around we will be featuring Tactical Rifles for the ''sexy firearm of the Month'' post & Today we have gone all out with this one, German engineering FTW!

The GSG-5 was launched in 2007 by German Sports Guns GmbH, the rifle is similar in design to the HK and some interchangeable parts makes it highly attractive to total gun nuts, further note that parts are also interchangeable from Airsoft variants too!



GSG 5 E .22LR Tactical

^ Myself if I ever got to fondle one >>

Chambered in .22LR, various magazine sizes are said to be available including a 110 round Drum Magazine.
Heckler & Koch has also won a lawsuit against GSG and the end result was that GSG had to stop manufacture of the rifles and had an allowable cut off date of sale of existing manufactured firearms (Until 31 January 2010) Contovercially, the American ATF in the Same Month decided that the previosuly approved Barrel Shroud (which was added to give the look of a real suppressor) was actually a suppressor despite the fact that it was not capable of operating as an actual ''silencer'' and therefore Recalled the Rifles under the National Firearms Act.

GSG-5 L sporting a Red Dot Sight

.22 Long Range Shooting at 500 Yards !!

We just found this cool little video on youtube, they start at 200 Yards and work their way to 500 Yards with a Ruger 10/22 ...

There's just something about Long Range Plinking, oh how most of us in the UK wish we could have the freedom to do this here ....

.22LR Penetration Test ( Video Dissection ) #1

This is the video Dissection of our first .22LR Penetration Test using Eley Club Subsonics, further down in the posts we started doing these penetration tests, this one is the first and the 2nd has been uploaded a couple of days ago with a 3rd coming in another day or two.

If you have been following our Penetration tests, you will have already seen photo documentation of this test further below in the blog archive - here is the video dissection ...

Click Here to jump to the original post of this test which includes photo's etc.

Click Here for our most recently added Penetration Test using different materials.

Rimfire Blog Viewers (Admin Announcement)

Since the very beginning the top 3 spots in Rimfire Blog viewer stats per country was the United Kingdom, followed by the United States in Second place and South Africa in Third.
Soon The US is going to take the top spot and Germany will kick SA into 4th place (for some reason Germany had a massive load of views in one day a couple of weeks ago which brought them into the top 5)

So, a Big Thank's to all our viewers and regular followers - we have also just launched a Youtube Channel and our first video is also in the below post for those interested!

Have a nice weekend ahead! Cheers from the UK

.22LR Penetration Test & Ammo Review # 2

Here it is! Our Second Penetration test using Eley's Club range, these round nosed subsonics are rated at 1085 fps (FYI The latest batch we are shooting are severely over coated with wax)
This time around there is a Youtube Hosted video showing target after the shoot and dissecting through the layers showing various stages of the cavities and penetration below:

To see our First Penetration Test using the same ammunition, Click Here.

There will be many more video tests and reviews coming up so keep an eye out, once the video is up on youtube we will post it here as well.

FPS RUSSIA Raided by 40+ ATF & FBI agents

A couple of days ago, the famous Youtube personality and gun enthusiast Kyle Myers (Old youtube channel FPS Kyle) now known as FPS RUSSIA, had his family property raided in the search for explosives and probably to get a look at his arsenal, despite Tennerite (the explosive he uses in his videos) being legal with the right papers which he does possess!
According to news on the web they left ''empty handed'' - A couple of month's ago Kyles best buddy Keith R. Ratkliff (RIP) was killed apparently execution style, Keith was the Executive Producer of the FPS RUSSIA Youtube Channel which Kyle is the main personality.
This has raised many theories and suspicions especially if you know what is currently happening in the USA now in terms of government crackdowns, new tyrannic laws implemented daily and extreme policing and control.

FPS Russia Youtube Logo

In his youtube channel FPS Russia is a gun lover reviewing various firearms for his viewers (The 3.9 Million Subscribers), not only firearms but even heavy weaponry such as 40mm Bofors Pom Pom guns from WW2 Era, Hellcat Tank Destroyer right through down to the humble .22LR.

All of the firearms he gets access to are legal and he does all of the shooting on his family owned private property in the State of Georgia USA, yes, he is actually a US Citizen just enacting a Russian personality for his show.

FPS Russia destroying a zombie with a Recoiless Rifle

Officially, the ATF regards FPSRussia as a commercial undertaking, because “he [Myers] was using explosives and getting paid for it via YouTube.” If Kyle Myers is doing business in explosives, the ATF believes he should have had obtained a federal explosives manufacturing license needed “to engage in the business of manufacturing explosives for sale, distribution or for their own business,” the ATF spokesperson explained.

No illegal explosives were found and no arrests were made, but considering the unprecedented arsenal stocked at one of the locations, the agents considered confiscating Myers’ weapons. “The idea at one of the locations was to take firearms, but they did not do that,” an ATF spokesperson said, according to Onlineathens.com.

The above video is a ''montage of destruction'' from his FPS RUSSIA channel - only 2+ min's long.

 

 

He also has a humourous side, watch the above video clip - this is probably one of the funniest, FPS Russia gets a friend to pepper spray him like a True Russian before attempting to shoot some informal targets with the Kel Tec Sub 2000 in .40 cal

 

We will be updating when and if any new developments come through, in the meantime ... Don't be Beech, go check out his channel!

 

Our information was obtained from secretsofthefed.com