Hunters have argued forever over which gun is “the best” for whitetail. Here are tips from an expert on how to pick a good deer gun. by Keith Sutton  While visiting a friend’s deer camp recently, I was amazed at the variety of guns being used by the 15 guys who were members of that camp. My hunting companion was shooting the Rifled Deer version of the Browning Gold 12-gauge slug gun. His brother was shooting a Ruger Model 96/44 lever-action in .44 Mag. A father-and-son team went the bolt-action route. One was shooting a Sporter LT version of Winchester’s Model 70 Classic chambered for .270. The other was hunting with a .243 Remington Model Seven SS. There was one guy shooting buckshot in an old Remington 12-gauge double-barrel, and another shooting an ancient military carbine of some sort. In fact, just about every kind of rifle and shotgun you can imagine was being employed by this ragtag band of deer hunters. This started me to thinking: if a new deer hunter had dropped into this camp, hoping to get advice on what kind of gun was best to use for killing a whitetail, the poor guy would undoubtedly have gone away confused and frustrated after hearing all the opinions floating around. Selecting a good all-round deer gun can be a daunting task for sure. Some hunters prefer a super-accurate long-range rifle, but those are typically heavy, with long barrels. If you have to carry one of these guns over long distances in rough terrain, you might wish you’d gone with a lightweight stalking rifle instead. If you go with a lightweight model, however, you usually give up some of the true “tack-driver” accuracy obtainable with a long-range specialist. Also, light rifles are harder to hold steady for accurate shooting.     Lever-action, bolt action or semiauto? The variety of deer guns can confuse the inexperienced. Which is best?     And that’s just one aspect (weight) of one type of gun (rifles). Then there are shotguns to think about, and different action designs, cartridge power and a variety of stocks and barrels to consider. The variations seem endless, and some hunters become frustrated when trying to choose a gun that incorporates all the features they consider necessary in the ultimate deer gun. Aaron Pass, one of the country’s foremost gun experts and shooting writers, says rifles are the way to go if your state gives you the option — pick a shotgun only where legally required or dictated by special safety situations. “In most cases,” Pass notes, “the new specialized slug guns with rifled barrels and sabot slugs are very effective and accurate out to 100 yards or a bit more. Beyond 125 or 150 yards, the steeply dropping trajectories and loss of energy make even these slugs questionable. Traditional Foster-type slugs from smoothbores are rarely accurate beyond 75 yards. Buckshot is unreliable beyond 35 to 40 yards.” So what about actions? Which is best — lever-action, pump, bolt-action or semi-auto? Hunters generally agree that the time-tested bolt-action is considered to be the most inherently accurate. But Pass adds to that line of thinking: “It is also the action type most easily refined to greater accuracy. Levers, pumps and autoloaders are all capable of various degrees of practical hunting accuracy and allow faster follow-up shots. However, if one of these is not as accurate as a shooter desires, there’s not much that can be done about it.” And then we come to caliber. Pass says, “For truly all-around deer hunting (a national standard), a cartridge that shoots a 120- to 150-grain bullet faster than 2,500 fps is adequate out to 200 yards or so. As velocity increases, so does effective range.     Deer can be hunted with any gun legal where they will be taken, including handguns. Test firing a variety of guns at the range can help in narrowing down the selection.     “My personal favorite deer rifle is a Winchester M70, in .270 Win. with a 1.5x-6x Burris scope and a synthetic stock,” he continues. “I don’t shoot at extremely long range and there’s no ‘normal’ deer hunting situation I can imagine that this rig is not capable of handling. That said, there is no inherent magic in any of the above criteria. There are plenty of other combinations that would work just as well.” Whether you want long-range accuracy, a rifle that’s a joy to carry or some other specialization, Pass recommends buying a new rifle in the configuration you desire. “The well-known rifle models — Browning’s A-Bolt, Remington’s 700, Ruger’s 77, Savage’s 110, Weatherby’s Mark V, Winchester’s 70 and others — designate the action design,” he says. “Gun makers attach a wide variety of specialized stocks and barrels to these basic actions to create a variety of specialized rifles. Hunters should check out the manufacturers’ catalogs, or visit a gun shop, and choose a combination of features that achieve the goals of functionality and design.” In the end, finding the ultimate deer gun is largely a matter of personal preferences. Buy a gun you like that’s legal for your hunting area, one you believe will get the job done where you hunt. That’s the first step toward achieving your goal.

The Nevada Assembly has unanimously approved a bill making it easier to buy and sell guns across state lines.   CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — The Nevada Assembly has unanimously approved a bill making it easier to buy and sell guns across state lines. AB217 repeals a section of state law that only allows such sales if the buyer and seller live in states adjacent to Nevada. The bill allows sales of rifles and shotguns between a resident of one state and a federally licensed firearms dealer in another state. Sales must comply with the laws of both states included in the transaction. Nevada's law reflected the 1968 Gun Control Act but did not reflect updates from the Firearms Owners' Protection Act of 1986. Thirty legislators, including members from both parties, co-sponsored the bill. AB217 passed Monday and now heads to the Senate.

Beanbags are fine for the playground but not for a border showdown By Ted Nugent The Washington Times      6:03 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, 2011   Being a Border Patrol agent on our southern border has got to be a very difficult, harrowing job. It is surely an even tougher job when our agents are told to launch “nonlethal” beanbags at armed, illegal intruders. Rule No. 1: Never bring a beanbag to a gunfight. Think of this: With an orgy of high-powered drug-gang violence just across our border that already has claimed roughly 35,000 lives, plus numerous reports of armed, illegal intruders crossing over the border and shooting at our police officers and committing other violent crimes against American citizens, some politically correct bureaucratic idiot directs our Border Patrol agents to launch beanbags at machine-gun-toting, violent invaders. The result of this brain-dead, irresponsible mindset: My fellow Michiganiac, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was shot dead by an armed illegal intruder on Dec. 14 in Arizona. This policy, of course, is lunacy defined. Only a wild-eyed lunatic would force brave, law enforcement officers into dangerous situations without adequate firepower to stop danger in its tracks. These are the same uber-left-wing fools who sputter and scream how our law enforcement agents are “outgunned,” ignorantly blaming failed gun control laws while knowingly sending our warriors into battle with phenomenally inferior firepower. In fact, beanbags have no fire power, unless you are waging war on small kittens. To add insult to the tragic death of Agent Terry,it now appears that certain bureaucrats within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allowed a known gun-running thug, whom they were investigating, to buy and transport the guns into Mexico that were used to kill Agent Terry. Call me crazy, but I thought law enforcers would have learned their lesson by now. It seems like it was just yesterday that the Los Angeles Police Department found itself outgunned by a couple of bank-robbing punks armed with banned, fully automatic AK-47s and wearing body armor. I’m just a guitar player, and I am never outgunned. Being outgunned is a choice, a foolish, suicidal choice, and everyone knows it. It boggles the mind to try to comprehend someone showing up with a nonlethal beanbag gun when it is widely known that human traffickers and drug smugglers and other assorted subhuman debris are often heavily armed. Common sense reels in disbelief. Word has it that logic is now on the endangered species list. I’m well aware some of you on the left have mastered the art of mind-boggling anti-logic and are desperately seeking to find some way to disagree with me. Knowing that you live in the bizzaro world where logic is outlawed, let’s say for argument’s sake that you hear an intruder kicking down your front door in the middle of the night, and you have the choice between a 12-gauge shotgun and a fly swatter at your disposal to protect your family. Which are you going to grab? Only Timothy Leary and Cass Sunstein fans would reach for the fly swatter. All you other liberals would turn into clear-thinking conservatives for at least a minute or so and splatter the intruder all over the living-room wall with your shotgun. Good for you. Stay with me. So now let’s say America is your home, and you have armed bandits routinely coming into your home. Would you show up with a beanbag gun or an M4 rifle with state-of-the-art optics? Case closed. Numbnuts lose again to a tsunami of common sense. The way to stop this insanity before it becomes an even bigger national security problem is to issue a “shoot to kill” policy against all armed invaders. Because I’m actually a docile, peaceful man who doesn’t want to see anyone hurt, I will compromise and agree to a policy of firing one round over the heads of armed intruders. If they do not immediately lay down their weapons and raise their hands in surrender, then shoot them four times, center mass. Problem solved. Armed invaders always must be considered extremely dangerous. Superior firepower is the order of the day, not nonlethal beanbags. Let’s leave the beanbags to kindergarten classes. Tragically, this is what we have come to expect from an administration that will not even refer to Muslim voodoo whackjobs who commit murder and mayhem against Americans while shouting “God Is Great” in Arabic as terrorists. How deep is the denial? Liberalism is clearly a mental disorder and liberals are outgunned. Ted Nugent is an American rock ‘n’ roll, sporting and political activist icon. He is the author of “Ted, White and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto” and “God, Guns & Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Regnery Publishing).

NRA gives Bloomberg snow blow Pot shots at gun-control crusade By BRENDAN SCOTT Post correspondent Last Updated: 7:18 AM, January 26, 2011 Posted: 2:57 AM, January 26, 2011 ALBANY -- That's cold! The National Rifle Association opened both barrels on Mayor Bloomberg yesterday, comparing his efforts to rein in gun violence to the city's botched response to last month's blizzard. A top official for the powerful gun-rights group told a crowd of sportsmen that Bloomberg -- whom he repeatedly derided as "Mayor Blame" -- was attempting to deflect responsibility for local gun crimes, just as he did when the city's unplowed streets left New Yorkers fuming. "He likes to blame everyone else for violent crime in New York City," NRA political director Chuck Cunningham said. "He's also blamed Mother Nature for his recent problems with snow removal. AP TAKING HEAT: Mayor Bloomberg's staunch anti-gun stance has earned him the wrathof the NRA. "He's not after illegal guns," Cunningham continued. "He's after your guns. And that's a real snow job." Bloomberg shrugged off the flurry of attacks from the NRA, which came the same day he criticized President Obama for "[missing] an opportunity" by failing to push for renewed gun-control laws in his State of the Union speech. "New York City has done its part. The NYPD has driven crime down to record lows and New York passed the toughest law in the country for possession of an illegal gun," Bloomberg spokesman Jason Post said. "The problem is not in New York. Ninety percent of the guns recovered from crime scenes in New York come from out of state," he continued. Bloomberg, who has campaigned across the country to tighten restrictions on gun sales, renewed his push after the mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that left six dead, and 13 others -- including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- injured. The mayor also announced that Daniel Hernandez, the congressional intern who gave first aid to the wounded Giffords, and is credited with helping to save her life, has backed his call for federal mandates to screen new gun purchasers before a sale can be made. Ironically, while Cunningham was attacking Bloomberg, he also praised as a "firewall for freedom" the state Senate's newly restored Republican majority -- which counts the billionaire mayor as one of its biggest benefactors. brendan.scott@nypost.com

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Critical safety questions at Remington Arms Two dozen deaths, more than 100 injuries linked to Model 700 rifle By Scott Cohn Correspondent CNBC CNBC updated 10/20/2010 6:31:19 PM ET 2010-10-20T22:31:19 A 10-month investigation by CNBC has found that at least two dozen deaths and more than 100 injuries have been linked to the signature product of an iconic American company. The Remington Model 700-series rifle - with more than 5 million sold - is one of the world’s most popular firearms. Famous for its accuracy, the rifle is now the target of a series of lawsuits claiming that it is unsafe and susceptible to firing without pulling the trigger. Remington insists its rifle is safe and free of any defect, though internal documents obtained by CNBC indicate the company has wrestled with concerns over the gun’s safety for some 60 years. The documents reveal that on at least two occasions, the company considered – and then decided against – a modification of the original trigger design intended to eliminate inadvertent discharges. One of those proposed fixes would have cost Remington 5.5 cents per gun, according to the company’s own calculations. To date, more than 75 lawsuits have been filed against Remington alleging safety problems with its 700-series rifle. The company has consistently stated that the deaths and injuries involving the gun have been the result of improper modifications, poor maintenance or unsafe handling, and it has prevailed in some court cases by arguing that inexperienced users are in denial that they pulled the trigger. CNBC: Remington Under Fire One of those who have suffered devastating consequences as the result of the Remington 700-series rifle is Richard Barber, of Manhattan, Mont. In 2000, Barber said, his 9-year-old son Gus was fatally shot after a day of hunting with his family when a Remington 700 rifle inadvertently discharged. Gus’ mother, Barbara Barber, had been unloading her rifle and later said she was certain her finger was not on the trigger when the gun suddenly fired. Within days of the accident, Barber began hearing about other incidents in which Remington 700s inadvertently went off. “I went to the funeral home and looked Gus right square in the eye and I said, ‘Son, it ends here and now.'" Barber said. "I promised him I would never be bought off and I would never quit until I've effected change." The Barber family sued Remington, and as a result the company agreed in 2002 to modify certain older 700 rifles for a fee of $20. But the settlement stopped short of a full recall, and the basic design of the rifle stayed the same. CNBC found that from the very beginning, the company looked at ways to fix its bolt-action rifle, even contemplating a nationwide recall. But on more than one occasion, Remington decided against a recall. And it turns out that decision is Remington's, and Remington's alone. For most products – cars, toys, food, even BB guns - the government can order a recall. In 2010, for example, the Eagle 5 Rifle crossbow made by Master Cutlery was recalled after regulators found it could fire, without pulling the trigger, when the safety is switched off. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission cannot recall guns. Nor can the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or the Justice Department. Guns hold a special place in American life - and American law, says Dallas attorney Jeffrey Hightower. “Remington polices itself,” he said. “The gun industry polices itself.” A federal law, passed in 1976 and upheld repeatedly in court, specifically bars the government from setting safety standards for guns, because of the Second Amendment. Rich Barber says that’s as it should be. He’s a strong supporter of gun rights and is still an avid shooter. He even sometimes shoots Remingtons. “It is our responsibility as pro-gun individuals to regulate an issue of this nature,” he said. “I am fearful that if the government got involved in this, that they would put such stringent standards on firearms, they'd be so safe, they wouldn't work.” But now, some are trying to force Remington’s hand. The company is battling two proposed class-action suits demanding a nationwide recall. Texas attorney Robert Chaffin, who is not involved in the latest suits, says that is easier said than done. He says fixing the Remington 700 has become far more expensive than years ago and now is estimated to cost $75 to $100 per gun. “So you're talking about a recall campaign that could have cost up to $300 million if it was run to its fullest,” said Chaffin. “Which was actually more than the entire net worth of the company." That cost would complicate the company’s plans to sell its stock to the public. Since 2007, Remington has been owned by the giant investment firm Cerberus, which had quietly begun buying gun companies the year before. In October 2009, Cerberus announced plans to sell stock in a new company called Freedom Group, a collection of gun makers built around Remington. Like Remington and DuPont officials, Cerberus officials declined to be interviewed for this report. The company said it couldn’t talk to us about the Remington 700 this close to the public stock offering. “I don't think anybody wants to go on national TV and lie,” said Barber. “I could say whatever I want. But those documents clearly speak for themselves and they speak volumes about what the company knew, when they knew it, what they did, and what they did not do, and what they continue to do today. It has been ten years since the death of Barber’s son. He occasionally wishes life could be back the way it was. But he knows that can never be.