Here’s a November video bonus for our Daily Bulletin readers. Today we showcase three of the most amazing 3D “cutaway” gun animations ever created. Watch the operations of a pump shotgun, bolt-action rifle, and semi-automatic pistol. The superb cutaway views show details of the firearms’ internal parts, and show how ammunition cycles start to finish. Each of these videos took hundreds of man-hours to create, and each has been watched many millions of times.
Remington 870 Pump-Action Shotgun
This 3D animation shows how a Remington 870 pump-action shotgun works. The animation is superbly done, showing every aspect of the internal operation. Folks, if you have any interest in shotguns you should definitely watch this video start to finish. This shotgun video has received 3.9 million views in just 10 days!
The video’s talented creator, Matt Rittman states: “Cinema 4D was used to create each individual part, as well as animating everything. Substance Painter was used to create the wood stock and fore-end textures. Corona renderer was used for final output of lighting and textures.” See more of Matt’s 3D videos on his popular YouTube Channel.
This 3D animation showing how a Mauser Karabiner 98K (KAR 98K) bolt-action rifle works. The Karabiner 98K is a controlled-feed bolt-action rifle based on the famous Mauser M98 system. Video creator Matt Rittman notes: “Cinema 4D was used to create each individual part, as well as animating everything. Substance Painter was used to create the wood stock texture. Corona renderer was used to render everything. This animation took me over 500 hours to create.” This video has been watched over 21 million times!
Every bolt-action rifle owner should watch this remarkable video. It shows key processes which are common to many actions — Cocking the Bolt, Feeding from magazine, Engagement of Bolt Lugs, Activation of Trigger and Movement of Firing Pin, and Extraction with Ejection. The modeling of the inside of the bolt and fire-control group is excellent. This really is a superb video that will help rifle owners understand what happening inside their guns as the bolt is cycled. See more of Matt’s 3D videos on his popular YouTube Channel.
This 3D animation demonstrates how a modern semi-automatic, double-action-only Glock 19 handgun works. Cinema 4D was used to create each individual part, as well as animating everything. Substance Painter was used to create the main textures. Corona renderer was used to render everything. This animation took me over 500 hours to create. one of the most-watched gun videos ever created, this Glock 19 animation has been viewed over 78.6 MILLION times!
Video Highlights for Glock 19 Pistol
0:00 Intro
0:11 Basic Function
0:39 Case Extraction
0:47 Cartridge Loading
1:02 Trigger Reset
About Matt Rittman, the 3D Animator/Artist These three amazing videos were all created by the gifted computer graphics artist Matt Rittman. On his Matt Rittman YouTube Channel, Matt states: “I’m a 3D Generalist/Motion Designer from Des Moines, Iowa. I have always enjoyed animation and illustrating how things work. I’m especially interested in cars and anything mechanical.
My aim for this channel is to provide easy to understand how-it-works 3D animations. I will occasionally be releasing tutorials centered around Cinema 4D and the different capabilities of the software.”
Many novice hand-loaders believe that neck bushing Inside Diameter (ID) size is the only important factor in neck tension. In fact, many different things will influence the grip on your bullet and its ability to release from the case neck. To learn more about neck tension and “case grip”, take the time to read this article carefully. We bet you’ll gain knowledge that will let you load more accurate ammo, with better ES/SD.
Editor: Guys, this is a VERY important article. You really should read it over carefully, twice. Variations in the force required to release a bullet can significantly affect accuracy and ES/SD. You really need to know how the grip on bullet can be altered by many different factors.
Neck Tension (i.e. Grip on Bullets) Is a Complex Phenomenon
While we certainly have considerable control over neck tension by using tighter or looser bushings (with smaller or bigger Inside Diameters), bushing size is only one factor at work. It’s important to understand the multiple factors that can increase or decrease the resistance to bullet release. Think in terms of overall brass-on-bullet “grip” instead of just bushing size (or the internal neck diameter in non-bushing full-length sizing dies).
Bullet grip is affected by many things, such as:
1. Neck-wall thickness.
2. Amount of bullet bearing surface (shank) in the neck.
3. Surface condition inside of neck (residual carbon can act as a lubricant; ultrasonic cleaning makes necks “grabby”).
4. Length of neck (e.g. 6mmBR neck vs. 6mm Dasher).
5. Whether or not the bullets have an anti-friction coating.
6. The springiness of the brass (which is related to degree of work-hardening; number of firings etc.)
7. The bullet jacket material.
8. The outside diameter of the bullet and whether it has a pressure ridge.
9. Time duration between bullet seating and firing (necks can stiffen with time).
10. How often the brass is annealed.
11. Amount (length) of neck sized (e.g. you can size only half the neck).
12. Interior diameter of bushing, or neck section of non-bushing die. – and there are others…
One needs to understand that bushing size isn’t the beginning and end of neck tension questions, because, even if bushing size is held constant, the amount of bullet “grip” can change dramatically as the condition of your brass changes. Bullet “grip” can also change if you alter your seating depth, and it can even change if you ultrasonically clean your cases.
6-time U.S. National Long-Range Champion John Whidden adds: “Our tests show us that the condition of the necks in regards to lubed or not, carbon inside or not, squeaky clean or not, etc., matter even more than the size of the bushing used. An ultrasonically cleaned or brand new dry case neck make for some quite high seating force.”
In our Shooters’ Forum a reader asked: “How much neck tension should I use?” This prompted a lengthy Forum discussion in which other Forum members recommended a specific number based on their experience, such as .001″, .002″, or .003″. These numbers, as commonly used, correspond to the difference between case-neck OD after sizing and the neck OD of a loaded round, with bullet in place. In other words, the numbers refer to the nominal amount of interference fit (after sizing).
While these commonly-used “tension numbers” (of .001″, .002″ etc.) can be useful as starting points, neck tension is actually a fairly complex subject. The actual amount of “grip” on the bullet is a function of many factors, of which neck-OD reduction during sizing is just one. Understanding these many factors will help you maintain consistent neck tension as your brass “evolves” over the course of multiple reloadings.
Seating Depth Changes Can Increase or Decrease Grip on Bullet
You can do this simple experiment. Seat a boat-tail bullet in your sized neck with .150″ of bearing surface (shank) in the neck. Now remove the bullet with an impact hammer. Next, take another identical bullet and seat it with .300″ of bearing surface in another sized case (same bushing size/same nominal tension). You’ll find the deeper-seated bullet is gripped much harder.
Neck-Wall Thickness is Important Too
I have also found that thinner necks, particularly the very thin necks used by many 6mm PPC benchrest shooters, require more sizing to give equivalent “grip”. Again, do your own experiment. Seat a bullet in a case turned to .008″ neckwall thickness and sized down .003″. Now compare that to a case with .014″ neckwall thickness and sized down .0015″. You may find that the bullet in the thin necks actually pulls out easier, though it supposedly has more “neck tension”, if one were to consider bushing size alone.
In practical terms, because thick necks are less elastic than very thin necks, when you turn necks you may need to run tighter bushings to maintain the same amount of actual grip on the bullets (as compared to no-turn brass). Consequently, I suspect the guys using .0015″ “tension” on no-turn brass may be a lot closer to the guys using .003″ “tension” on turned necks than either group may realize.
Toward a Better Definition of Neck Tension
As a convenient short-cut, we tend to describe neck tension by bushing size alone. When a guy says, “I run .002 neck tension”, that normally means he is using a die/bushing that sizes the necks .002″ smaller than a loaded round. Well we know something about his post-sizing neck OD, but do we really have a reliable idea about how much force is required to release his bullets? Maybe not… This use of the term “neck tension” when we are really only describing the amount of neck diameter reduction with a die/bushing is really kind of incomplete.
My point here is that it is overly simplistic to ask, “should I load with .001 tension or .003?” In reality, an .001″ reduction (after springback) on a thick neck might provide MORE “grip” on a deep-seated bullet than an .003″ reduction on a very thin-walled neck holding a bullet with minimal bearing surface in the neck. Bushing ID is something we can easily measure and verify. We use bushing size as a descriptor of neck tension because it is convenient and because the other important factors are hard to quantify. But those factors shouldn’t be ignored if you want to maintain consistent neck tension for optimal accuracy.
Consistency and accuracy — that’s really what this all about isn’t it? We want to find the best neck tension for accuracy, and then maintain that amount of grip-on-bullet over time. To do that you need to look not only at your bushing size, but also at how your brass has changed (work-hardened) with time, and whether other variables (such as the amount of carbon in the neck) have changed. Ultimately, optimal neck tension must be ascertained experimentally. You have to go out and test empirically to see what works, in YOUR rifle, with YOUR bullets and YOUR brass. And you may have to change the nominal tension setting (i.e. bushing size) as your brass work-hardens or IF YOU CHANGE SEATING DEPTHS.
Remember that bushing size alone does not tell us all we need to know about the neck’s true “holding power” on a bullet, or the energy required for bullet release. True bullet grip is a more complicated phenomenon, one that is affected by numerous factors, some of which are very hard to quantify.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Sportsman’s Warehouse — Early Black Friday Deals
⏺️ » Major discounts on guns, optics, ammo, camping gear
Now through November 5, 2026, check out the big Early Black Friday Sale at Sportsman’s Warehouse. You’ll find great deals on rifles, pistols, shotguns, scopes, spotting scopes, and ammo. In addition there are major discounts on hunter’s camo gear, trail cams, crossbows, and more. The deals featured above are good through 11:59 pm on November 5. Then Deal Drop 2 runs November 6-12.
Natchez — Rimfire and Centerfire Ammo Deals
⏺️ » Great deals on .22 LR, hunting ammo, and pistol ammo
Natchez is offering major discounts on a wide variety of rimfire and centerfire ammo. You can save up to 16% on a wide variety of .22 LR rimfie ammo and save $50-$90 on 1000-ct cases of pistol ammo, such as CCI .45 ACP FMJ. In addition there are huge discounts on centerfire rifle ammo. For example, you can save $100 on a 1000ct case of PMC 5.56×45 X-Tac Ammo.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Tomorrow, November 3, 2026, is the final “mid-term” election day for state and federal political offices. The control of Congress can swing based on the results for contested seats in the House of Representatives. And the small Republican majority in the U.S. Senate could also be challenged.
NSSF urges all gun owners, hunters, recreational target shooters and supporters of the Second Amendment to vote in this important mid-term election. On Election Day, November 3rd, be sure to vote or, alternatively, vote by mail where that is an option. With just 1 day left until Election Day, you should confirm that you are registered and go to a local polling place, or submit your vote-by-mail ballot in accordance with your state voting systems. Remember, every vote counts!
If you sign up with the NSSF’s GunVote.org website you can access state-by-state links to voting protocols and voting locations. Gunvote.org also has information on polling places in many states. But we recommend you also check with your local city and country information centers. With increased vote by mail, many states have fewer voting locations than in years past.
“Second Amendment rights and the rights of hunters and recreational target shooters are on the ballot every election. It is not hyperbole to say this election will matter… for the future of those rights.” said Lawrence Keane, NSSF Senior V.P. and General Counsel.
A Few Thousand Votes Can Make a Difference in Swing States
In 2024, the presidential election was decided in some key states by relatively small margins. Research indicated there are more than 10 million hunters and Second Amendment supporters who remain unregistered to vote ahead of this 2026 mid-term election. Make sure you vote and tell your hunting and range buddies that they need to vote as well. Visit www.GunVote.org for all the information you need to find your polling place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Reports from the 2024 election show millions of American firearm owners are not registered to vote and so cannot vote in local, state, and Federal elections. Unregistered gun owners number more than 515,000+ in Pennsylvania and roughly 370,000 each in Michigan and North Carolina. In addition, Georgia, Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia all have large populations of gun owners who are unregistered.
At long range, small bullet holes are much easier to see “in the white” than in the black center of the normal High Power target. When you’re practicing at long range using a scoped rifle, one way to enhance your ability to see your bullet holes is to print a “negative” version of the regulation bullseye target so that your black center is now white.
How do you create a “negative” of a target image? Many image programs, including the FREE Irfanview software, have a “Negative” function in the pull-down menu. If you don’t see a “Negative” menu option in your program, look for a “substitute colors” option. Many printers also have a “reverse colors” function. If you can’t find a solution with your computer or printer, just take a normal bullseye target to a copy shop, and the staff can easily print you a set of targets with white centers in black fields.
Forum member Watercam has a Pentax PF-80ED spotting scope that allows him to see 6mm bullet holes in the white at 600 yards. However, 6mm holes in the black are only visible out to 400 yards or so. Accordingly, Watercam uses a modified “reversed” black-to-white target for 600-yard practice. Watercam explains: “[Using the Pentax] With my 6mm and limited mirage I see defined, 6mm holes in the white out to 600. In the black, however, I can see bullets holes at about 400. I now use reverse-color targets for training without a pit partner at the 600-yard line.”
The Hi-Viz Solution — Day-Glo Pasters
If you’re not concerned with official scoring rings, you can use an all-white target with a bright, fluorescent target dot in the middle. A 2″- or 3″-diameter stick-on target dot is highly visible at 600 yards. Birchwood Casey Target Spots® assortment #33928 offers neon orange target dots in 1″, 2″, and 3″ diameters.
TARGET TIP — Use Chart Paper
For practice backers for the Day-GLo pasters at long distance, use Flip Chart Paper (aka Easel Pads) marked with graph lines at 1″ intervals. Available either regular or self-stick, one sheet can hold 4-8 pasters and the white paper allows for easy spotting of the holes and quick estimation of group size. Get Flip Chart Paper at Amazon.com, Staples, or Office Depot.
Brits Use White-Field Target for F-Class
In the UK, some ranges are now using a “reverse-style” target with a mostly white area. Laurie Holland says this allows shooters to see shots much more easily. Laurie reports: “Here’s a photo of the 500/600 yard F-Class match target we use in PSSA comps at Diggle Ranges with club members Chris Hull (L) and Terry Mann (R). We now use this target form at all ranges up to 1K for F-Class, and, yes you can often see your hits at 600 yards on the target before the markers pull it. Regards from England — Laurie”.
The 2026 NRA F-Class National Championships commenced last Sunday in Arizona, and today, November 1st, is the Final Day of the Long Range 1000-yard F-Class Championship. With this major competition happening today at the Ben Avery Range outside Phoenix, we thought our readers would appreciate a showcase of two impressive, state-of-the-art F-Open match rifles. The first, shown above, is the .284 RAHM (40° .284 Win Imp) with which Brian Bowling captured the 2019 F-Class Open Division Long Range National Championship. The second rifle belongs to barrel-maker Bryan Blake. Like Bowling’s rifle, Blake’s rig features a low-profile Cerus stock, but with purple highlights. Both rifles have 6-groove, cut-rifled barrels from Blake Barrel & Rifle and both sport Nightforce scopes.
Report from Bryan Blake of Blake Barrel & Rifle
We had been producing gun barrels for about 1.5 years prior to the 2019 NRA Long Range F-Class Nationals. Brian Bowling started shooting our 7mm barrels in May of 2019. Bowling and I are both on the Rutland team, Team Cerus, which has seven members. Bowling and I received the first Cerus XL stocks from Cerus Rifleworks in August of 2018. The stock was a very straight design.
With our barrels, these F-Open rigs can shoot! In 2018, Brian Bowling and I had the only two clean scores for the first match at the 1000-yard team NRA Nationals. In spring of 2019, I worked with Will of Cerus Rifleworks to see if we could come up with a lower center of gravity design to enhance what was already the straightest stock out there. We developed the Cerus XR stock which features stepped metal rails on the fore-end. I cut my XL Cerus stock and designed the rail system attached to the sides of the fore-end. Bowling’s stock (with black rails) was the second XR in the shooting world. On his very first weekend match at 600 yards he shot a 200-20X with the new XR stock and Blake 7mm 1:8.5″-twist barrel. He was using Berger 184gr 7mm bullets.
In 2019, at the NRA F-Class Long-Range Nationals, Brian Bowling won the F-Open National Championship with a strong performance. He finished with a ton of Xs, three points ahead of the second place competitor. Before Brian’s impressive victory, we were told by many top shooters that a 6-groove barrel has never won any F-Class Mational event, and hypothetically never would. Well with Brian Bowling’s excellent shooting and reloading capabilities, we achieved a feat many said couldn’t be done.
Bowling’s Championship-winning rifle features a Bat Model B action in the Cerus XR stock. His Blake barrel is chambered for the .284 RAHM wildcat cartridge. This is a 40-degree (40°) version of the .284 Winchester. The .284 RAHM has a straighter case body compared to the original .284 Win.
We built Bowling’s rifle, doing everything except the final clear finish. We can do that work, but were short on time for the Nationals last year. We are proud of the chambering work we do and the quality of our bedding jobs.
Bryan Blake’s F-Open Rifle — the Purple XR
The Purple XR-stocked gun I shoot was built in August of 2019, right before the 2019 NRA F-Class Nationals. The natural wood is complimented by highlights finished with a bright purple metallic epoxy resin that Will from Cerus dreamed up. For this rifle we mated a BAT 3LL action with Blake barrels (switch-barrel configuration). Up front the fore-end rails are painted purple “plum crazy” to match the purple resin. The purple XR is finished with automotive “high solids” clear-coat, and block-sanded for a smooth, flawless look.
Blake’s Rifle is a Switch Barrel — 7mm and .30 Caliber
This Purple XR was set up to be a switch barrel rig, with both a 7mm BBM and a .30 BBM*. These BBM wildcats are based on shortened and straightened .300 WSM with a 40-degree shoulder. On my purple XR rifle as well as Bowling’s rifle, we employ Nightforce optics and load Berger bullets. These are the only glass and projectiles we use in our rifles.
The Purple XR is extremely accurate. Check out this 2.6″ group, shot at 1000 yards during a club match at the Ben Avery Range in Arizona. Yes, that is 1/4-MOA at 1K! Many folks would be very happy with that group at 600 yards. At 1000 yards it is remarkable. No, the rifle can’t do that every time. But this does demonstrate that the Purple XR is a tack-driver. CLICK HERE to see a 3.9 inch, 15-shot group at 1000 yards on the F-Class target (150-15X).
About Blake Barrel and Rifle — History and Barrel-Making Process
Blake Barrel and Rifle was re-launched in 2018. The business was actually started by my grandfather, Robert Blake, in 1966. In 1969 my grandfather stopped doing gunsmithing and making single-point cut-rifled barrels. He transitioned to doing industrial work, and less work for the public. After all those years he and my father, Dave Blake, kept the barrel-making equipment in storage. They kept the gun-drilling machines in the shop as they used them to drill long, deep holes in anything from aircraft parts to electric motor rotors.
In 2012 we got the diamond single-point, sine-bar rifling machine out of storage, along with the Pratt and Whitney double-spindle reaming machine. We then completely rebuilt and updated the equipment. We modified the gun-drill to be a counter-rotating drilling system. What that means is the drill spins at about 20% of the rotational speed, and the barrel at 80%. The counter-rotation keeps the drill on the center axis of the barrel more precisely than just rotating the barrel, or just rotating the drill. We are able to consistently drill holes in our barrel steel (primarily 416R) that at the end of a 33.25″ blank that is only .005″ off of center axis.
We then ream the barrels to be .0004″ below desired finish bore size. After the reaming process we mandrel-hone the bores to be .0001″ below finish bore size. This process eliminates reamer marks in the barrel bore. Therefore very minimal lapping is needed after rifling to remove any tooling marks. We then rifle the barrel to any twist rate we like. With a fine lap after rifling, the barrel has no tooling marks and all surface metal is flowing in the direction of the twist of the rifling.
* 7mm BBM stands for “Blake Bramley Magnum”. Dan Bramley and I developed that cartridge together in October of 2017. The .30 BBM is the “Blake Barrel Magnum”, which I developed in May of 2018.
Late last week the National Rifle Association unveiled its updated NRA.org website and also upgraded the NRA Mobile App (for Android and Apple/iOS). These were major moves to enhance the NRA’s online presence and better serve members. We have checked out the new NRA.org website and can affirm that it does offer enhanced navigation — allowing better access all the major benefits of NRA membership.
Key Features on the updated NRA.org website home page include:
The updated NRA.org website offers a cleaner, more intuitive hub for training and education resources, event information, legislative alerts, and membership management, with more features rolling out over time. Paired with the free NRA App (available on Google Play and the Apple App Store), members get on-the-go access to daily news and content, digital editions of American Rifleman and American Hunter, a local events and training finder, and the Member Benefits portal. The updated App includes a digital membership card, with Apple Wallet and compatible digital wallet integration coming soon.
NRA Mobile App (Android and Apple/iOS)
“This [website update] is a clear demonstration of our commitment to innovation and progress in defending the Second Amendment and serving our members,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive V.P. and CEO. “We’ve [streamlined] critical information so members can stay informed and engaged[.]”
The NRA.org website and Mobile App make it easier to learn about shooting sports events, and connect with more than 100,000 certified instructors offering firearm safety and education training. The website and apps also showcase the many benefits available to NRA members including health and life insurance, firearms insurance, shooting product discounts, ID theft protection, and travel discounts.
NRA membership also provides exclusive benefits now more accessible through the new platform, including discounts on firearms, optics, accessories, and ammunition; banking and financial services through partners such as PenFed Credit Union; wireless providers like Patriot Mobile; and specialized insurance and protection options for gun owners.
NRA Online Range Locator
Members are encouraged to visit the new NRA.org site, log in to explore benefits and local events, and download the free NRA App. Non-members can join or renew to unlock these advantages while supporting the nation’s leading gun rights organization.
If the battery on your safe’s electronic lock is more than a year old, or if it is not giving you the right voltage, replace it today!
Well it’s November folks — winter is around the corner. This time of year, many of our readers are putting their guns away in a safe for the winter. It’s easy to just tuck the guns away and forget about them. But there’s something you should do before you shut the safe door. If you have a safe with an electronic keypad, you should replace the battery every year as a precautionary measure. Trust us, you don’t want to come back in a few months and find that the keypad memory is kaput, and you’re locked out. That can lead to frustration and an expensive locksmith visit.
NOTE: Some lock systems use more power and you may need to change your batteries TWICE a year. Batteries aren’t that expensive — you may want to replace batteries TWICE a year if you open and close your safes very frequently.
Low Voltage Battery? You May Be Locked Out…
Here’s a true story. I have one safe with a Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G) keypad. A couple years back, in early December, I went to get into the safe. I punched in the correct combination, but all I got was a rapid “beep, beep, beep, beep” after I finished the last combination entry. I tried again to ensure I entered the combination correctly (I did). But again, the locking system responded with multiple rapid beeps indicating something was wrong. And the safe would not open. Now I was worried….
I popped out the battery holder (which slides in from the bottom of the keypad housing on the door). I removed the battery and tested it with a volt-meter. The 12-month-old Duracell 9-volt battery only registered 6.1 volts.
Low voltage was the problem. I went down to the store and got a couple new 9V batteries. I tested the new batteries and both measured 9.4 volts output. I slipped one of the new 9V batteries into the keypad housing, punched in the combination and everything worked OK again. Eureka.
Most electronic locks for safes WILL “remember” the combination for a period of time even when the battery is low (and the keypad’s “brain” should retain the combination when you remove the battery for replacement). However, a dead battery, or extended periods of low voltage can give you problems. Don’t rely on wishful thinking…
Pumpkin Blast event graphic from P2K Sports Range in El Cajon, CA.
Today, October 31st, is Halloween (originally called “All Hallows Eve”). That means it’s pumpkin time. Just how much fun can you have with pumpkins? Watch these seven videos and find out. In the first video, the RatedRR team sends a few orange gourds to pumpkin heaven using Det Cord, C4, and binary explosives. The sequence starting at the 2:00 minute mark in the first video is truly amazing. WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
Oh, and as a bonus for you guys who like ladies who can shoot, we included a fun video with the enthusiastic YouTuber and gun enthusiast Babee Blue. She posted: “Had a leftover Halloween pumpkin and wanted to blow it up using a Ruger .270 Win rifle. Add some Tannerite and it made for quite the fun explosion. Doesn’t everybody blow up their leftover Halloween pumpkins?”
NOTE: For all the videos, if you don’t hear sound, then click the speaker icon.
Watch Pumpkin Blasting with Explosives
In this lead video, the RatedRR team blasts a collection of pumpkins using Det Cord, C4, and binary explosives. The sequence starting at the 2:00 minute mark is jaw-dropping — truly top-tier Hollywood-style colored explosions. WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
Pumpkin Face Carved in 5.5 seconds with Handgun
In six days, on October 31st, we celebrate Halloween (which was originally called All Hallows’ Eve). That means the neighborhood kids will be ringing doorbells as soon as it gets dark. No doubt some of you procrastinators will wait ’til the last minute to set out your Halloween decorations and Jack-O-Lanterns.
Don’t worry, in the video above, our friend, 3-Gun ace Taran Butler, shows how to carve a pumpkin in just about 5.5 seconds, give or take a tenth. Taran performed this feat of speed-carving with his trusty Infinity handgun, chambered in 9mm Major.
Kirsten Carves Pumpkin Face with .22 LR Volquartsen
In this video, the lovely and talented Kirsten Joy Weiss shows off her impressive trick-shot skills. To help celebrate the gouls/goblins holiday, Kirsten “carved” a pumpkin using her semi-auto Volquartsen .22 LR rifle. Kirsten had to send a lot of rimfire rounds into her orange friend.
It turns out that Mr. Pumpkin’s posterior side was better than his front. On inspection, Kirsten saw that the most impressive Jack ‘O Lantern face appeared on the reverse side of her pumpkin. It turns out the little .22-caliber bullets worked better on exit than entry. Those “exit wounds” made a very successful Halloween face.
Babee Blue Blows Up Pumpkins with .270 Win and Tannerite
In this video, the popular Babee Blue uses a rifle to drill pumpkins that were filled with some Tannerite. The result is an impressive blast when Babee puts a .270 Win round into a pumpkin downrange. This is a fun video to watch, and Babee Blue is an enthusiastic pumpkin blaster.
Which Cartridge Best Destroys a Pumpkin
This video is more about pumpkin blasting than pumpkin carving. Hosted on the Garand Thumb YouTube Channel, this engaging video has been watched over 1.7 MILLION times. The shooters try a variety of cartridge types to determine which firearm destroys pumpkins the best? The host explains: “In this very spooky special we will be putting lead to gourd in the most kinetic way possible. Which gun will do the best? Only science can tell us.”
Carving Pumpkin with Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver
Hickok45 Carves Pumpkins with Handguns
To celebrate Halloween, here’s an example of master wheelgun marksmanship. Popular YouTube host Hickok45 skillfully creates a smiling face on a pumpkin using a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver. Hickok45 is using the classic blued, double-action revolver popularized by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. To form the eyes he uses multiple shots then uses a string of shots to form the mouth, reloading his Model 29 along the way. Carving pumpkins with bullets has become a tradition for Hickok45 — every year he puts a face on a pumpkin using a different firearm, typically a pistol, but he’s used other handguns and a couple rifles as well. SEE PUMPKIN Shooting Playlist. Happy Halloween!
In the next video, a pumpkin carved as a Death Star serves as the target for a .50 caliber rifle (looks like a Barrett M82 .50 BMG). As you may guess, the pumpkin Death Star suffers the same fate as the Hollywood version in Star Wars. NOTE: At the 0:42 mark in the video, a graphic displays “30,000 FPS”. That’s the high-speed camera’s frame-per-second rate, NOT the projectile velocity in feet-per-second.
Warning: These demonstrations were carried out on closed ranges by experienced professionals certified to use explosives. Possession of C4 and Det Cord may be a violation of various Federal, State, and local laws. Detonating cord and C4 are classified as high explosives and are regulated by the BATFE. Don’t even think about trying to repeat these stunts on your own.
Among AccurateShooter’s most-visited web pages have been powder relative burn rate reference guides ranking powders from fastest to slowest. Here is the latest version of the Powder Burn Rate Table. Compiled by Hodgdon Powder Co., this Burn Rate Chart displays the relative burn rates of 176 different powders. Shown below is the latest table, released by Hodgdon in July 2024.
You’ll want to download this Powder Burn Rate Chart PDF. This 176-entry comparison table provides vital information for hand-loaders — with tested burn-rates. Note — this invaluable chart is not limited to Hodgdon and IMR propellants. This burn rate chart includes powders from eight major powder-makers: Accurate, Alliant, Hodgdon, IMR, Norma, Ramshot (Western), Vihtavuori, and Winchester.
This chart (July 2024 version) provides useful information for all hand-loaders. When doing load development, and testing one powder versus another, it’s generally wise to choose propellants that share the same relative burn rate, as least for starters.
NOTE: Hodgdon powders are red, IMR powders are yellow, Winchester powders are blue, Accurate powders are gray, and Ramshot powders are orange. Powders from Alliant, Norma, and Vihtavuori appear on the chart with white background. DOWNLOAD Burn Rate Chart HERE as PDF.
Burn Rate Chart from LoadData.com with 197 Powders
The LoadData.com website has released its own burn rate chart, which is even more comprehensive than the official Hodgdon/IMR chart. We recommend starting with the Hodgdon/IMR listings, but if you can’t find a particular powder on the Hodgdon/IMR chart above, then consult the alternative from LoadData.com which lists 197 powders.
We also caution that, with any powder, start conservatively, at the low end of official load recommendations. Be aware that, even within the same burn range a ball powder can behave differently than an extruded powder. And some powders are much more temperature sensitive than others. Among the available powders on the market, some of best in terms of temp stability are the Alliant TS (temp stable) series, and the popular Hodgdon powders, such as H4350, made by ADI in Australia.
These three amazing videos were all created by the gifted computer graphics artist Matt Rittman. On his Matt Rittman YouTube Channel, Matt states: “I’m a 3D Generalist/Motion Designer from Des Moines, Iowa. I have always enjoyed animation and illustrating how things work. I’m especially interested in cars and anything mechanical.
In our 
Neck-Wall Thickness is Important Too
Forum member Watercam has a Pentax PF-80ED spotting scope that allows him to see 6mm bullet holes in the white at 600 yards. However, 6mm holes in the black are only visible out to 400 yards or so. Accordingly, Watercam uses a modified “reversed” black-to-white target for 600-yard practice. Watercam explains: “[Using the Pentax] With my 6mm and limited mirage I see defined, 6mm holes in the white out to 600. In the black, however, I can see bullets holes at about 400. I now use reverse-color targets for training without a pit partner at the 600-yard line.”
Well it’s November folks — winter is around the corner. This time of year, many of our readers are putting their guns away in a safe for the winter. It’s easy to just tuck the guns away and forget about them. But there’s something you should do before you shut the safe door. If you have a safe with an electronic keypad, you should replace the battery every year as a precautionary measure. Trust us, you don’t want to come back in a few months and find that the keypad memory is kaput, and you’re locked out. That can lead to frustration and an expensive locksmith visit.
In six days, on October 31st, we celebrate Halloween (which was originally called All Hallows’ Eve). That means the neighborhood kids will be ringing doorbells as soon as it gets dark. No doubt some of you procrastinators will wait ’til the last minute to set out your Halloween decorations and Jack-O-Lanterns.
Hickok45 Carves Pumpkins with Handguns
