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December 24th, 2021

From the Land of Fjords — Hunting in Norway

Norway Fjord Hunting Skorpen

This time of year, deer and elk hunters throughout the Northern Hemisphere trek into the wilds in search of game. To celebrate the hunting lifestyle, we’re reprising a story from Europe that showcases the beauty of nature that can be experienced on a hunting trip.

Norway Fjord Hunting SkorpenIf you need a break from your hum-drum day at the office, how about taking a virtual vacation to Norway, where you can explore the scenic mountains in the Fjord region?

Forum member Kenneth Skorpen (aka “Sal”) has created a cool video of a deer-hunting trip he took in Norway. He didn’t bag a buck on this trip, but the walk in the Fjordland mountains took Kenneth through some spectacular scenery. (At the 11:25 time mark you’ll see an amazing sunset over the Fjord.) Kenneth did encounter a doe that had fallen down the mountain, and apparently broken its neck (14:35 time mark). The terrain is very steep, and Kenneth observed that: “I feel fortunate to be able to do this, but I also feel very tired in my legs. Did you know that the hares around here have shorter left legs due to the steep hills?”

More Hunting/Shooting Videos from Norway
You can watch more interesting hunting and shooting videos from Norway on Kenneth Skorpen’s Streken Vertebrae YouTube Channel. Here are some links:

And here is another Skorpen video showcasing beautiful Norwegian landscapes. This was filmed during a February rifle testing session with targets at 1100 and 1400 meters. You’ll see some stunning snow-capped scenery here, starting at the 4:30 time mark.

Permalink - Articles, - Videos, Hunting/Varminting No Comments »
September 24th, 2021

Practical Shooting Skills for Hunters — Field Rests

Field rest hunter hunting hunting day stalk stalking rifle resting

Thomas Haugland HuntingTomorrow, September 25, 2021, is National Hunting and Fishing Day. Hunting season is here — and we know many of our readers will soon head to the woods in pursuit of deer, elk, or other game. To make a good shot, it’s wise to rest your rifle when possible. In this video, methods for stabilizing a rifle in the field are demonstrated by Forum member Thomas Haugland, who hails from Norway. Thomas focuses on practical field shooting skills for hunters. Thomas (aka ‘Roe’ on Forum and Sierra645 on YouTube) shows how to verify his zeros from bipod and then he demonstrates improvised field rests from the prone, kneeling, and sitting positions.

Thomas explains: “In this video I focus on basic marksmanship techniques and making ready for this year’s hunt. As a last check before my hunting season, I got to verify everything for one last time. My trajectory is verified again, the practical precision of the rifle is verified. I also practice making do with the best [improvised] rest possible when an opportunity presents itself. After getting knocked in the face by a .338 Lapua Magnum rifle during a previous filming session, I had to go back to basics to stop [flinching]. I include some details from bipod shooting that hopefully some hunters will find useful. Fingers crossed for this years season, good luck!”

How to Stalk Game — Tips from Thomas
If you liked that video, here is another valuable video from Thomas. In this “How to Approach Deer” video, Thomas explains the basics of a successful stalk. If you are headed into deer country this fall, definitely watch this video.

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills 1 Comment »
September 20th, 2021

Wind-Reading Skills for Hunters — Lessons from Haugland

National Hunting Day wind reading Thomas haugland
September 25, 2021 is National Hunting and Fishing Day. Working on your wind reading skills can improve your odds of a successful hunt. Image from NHFDay.org.

Thomas Haugland, a Shooters’ Forum member from Norway, is a long-range target shooter and hunter. He has created an interesting video showing how to gauge wind velocities by watching trees, grass, and other natural vegetation. The video commentary is in English, but the units of wind speed (and distance) are metric. Haugland explains: “This is not a full tutorial, but rather a short heads-up to make you draw the lines between the dots yourself”. Here are some conversions that will help when watching the video:

.5 m/s = 1.1 mph | 1 m/s = 2.2 mph | 2 m/s = 4.5 mph
3 m/s = 6.7 mph | 4 m/s = 8.9 mph | 5 m/s =11.2 mph

How to Gauge Wind Speed and Hold Off Using Reticles

Thomas Haugland long range shooting hunting hunter norway

This field video shows how to observe natural indicators — trees and vegetation — to estimate wind velocity. Then it shows how to calculate hold-offs using the reticle hash-marks. Thomas shoots a fast-cycling Blaser R93 rifle with Norma 6XC ammunition.

More Interesting Videos from Norway
There are many other interesting videos on Haugland’s YouTube Channel, including Game Stalking, Precision Reloading, Shooting Fundamentals and Tips on how to use a Mildot Reticle on a scope with MOA-based clicks.

Permalink - Articles, Hunting/Varminting No Comments »
December 13th, 2020

Sunday GunDay: Thomas Haugland’s .221 Fireball from Norway

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle thomas haugland sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

In our Shooter’s Forum there is a popular thread, Let’s See Those Hunting Rifles. This long-running thread features dozens of interesting hunting rifles of all varieties — from rimfires to big magnums. In that thread we found the focus of today’s story, a .221 Fireball. Now that we are in the thick of winter, with Christmas just two weeks away, we showcase this .221 Rem Fireball rifle from Norway. This rig belong to Thomas Haugland, aka “Roe” on our Forum. An avid backcountry hunter, Thomas also happens to be one of the best gun-content video producers on YouTube — check out Haugland’s THLR.NO YouTube Channel.

We’ll begin with two of Haugland’s remarkable videos — worth watching just for the stunning scenery. Thomas skis through the Norwegian Arctic backcountry, then successfully uses his suppressed, white-camouflaged .221 Fireball rifle to bag a Ptarmigan bird — bringing home a well-earned winter dinner.

NOTE: This is the short preview version. Watch the full hunt in second video.

.221 Fireabell remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

.221 Fireabell remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

.221 Fireabell remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

The 7-minute video below shows the full ski hunt. The Ptarmigans are spotted at 4:30 time mark and Thomas takes the shot at 5:36. Great video — you feel like you are there in Norway’s white wilderness. The images above (including top photo) are pulled from this video.

.221 Fireabell remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

About the .221 Fireball Cartridge
The .221 Remington Fireball cartridge was developed by Remington in 1963 for the XP-100 bolt action pistol. Today the cartridge remains popular with hunters/varminters, both in the original version, and with wildcats such as the .20 Vartarg and .17 Fireball. Lapua started making superb .221 Rem Fireball cartridge brass starting in 2014. However, according to Lapua: “This case is no longer in active production.” But you can definitely still find it — Lapua .221 Fireball brass is in stock now at Grafs.com for $79.99/100. Lapua notes: “Fireball brass has recently seen a dramatic surge in popularity, due in large part to the efforts of wildcatters working with this versatile case. Whether used in its original form, or necked into one of the many cases that it serves as a parent for, the Lapua .221 Fireball brass is a sure winner[.]”

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

Haugland .221 Fireball with New Carbon Stock and Walther Barrel

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

Shown above is Haugland’s same .221 Rem Fireball from the videos, but with a new camo stock and new barrel. (The previous stock was painted white). Originally a Remington 700 Light Varmint, this was rebarreled to .221 Fireball with Lothar Walther 1:12″ barrel. Thomas admits he “Goofed a little on the barrel profile, so it is a tad heavier than I wanted.” The stock is a carbon-fiber Gunwerks ClymR and on top is a Leupold 3-18x44mm MK5 HD with Gunwerks RH1 reticle. Only the action and the trigger is left from the original rifle.

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

With the 1:12″ twist, this rifle is restricted to 55gr maximum bullet weight. Thomas posted: “Shoots well with Vihtavuori N130 and Norma N200 powders, not so good with RL7.” Due to lack of light in far-Northern Norway in winter (see photo above), Roe has not hunted with this rifle much since rebarreling, but as you can see, it’s very accurate — look at that group. Thomas says the gun shoots much better with the new barrel: “With the factory barrel (which I believe was 1:14″-twist) it didn’t shoot better than 1 MOA at 100 yards. Now it approaches half-MOA for three shots (see photo).”

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

And Thomas was successful with this rig as “reborn” with new stock and barrel. Here’s the gun and a Ptarmigan he shot in the Norwegian snow-covered backcountry.

.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

If you like that Gunwerks ClymR carbon stock, here’s a Gunwerks video showcasing the ClymR Rifle System. A complete Gunwerks ClymR rifle with Titanium action and scope is a shocking $9734.99, so we can understand why Thomas went with the stock alone, paired with a older Rem 700 action.


.221 Fireball remington 700 hunting rifle sunday gunday accurateshooter forum

Permalink - Videos, Gear Review, Gunsmithing, Hunting/Varminting, News 2 Comments »
December 1st, 2020

Reading the Wind When Hunting — Smart Advice from Norway

Norway Hunting Snow

Thomas Haugland, a Shooters’ Forum member from Norway, is a long-range target shooter and hunter. He has created an interesting video showing how to gauge wind velocities by watching trees, grass, and other natural vegetation. The video commentary is in English, but the units of wind speed (and distance) are metric. Haugland explains: “This is not a full tutorial, but rather a short heads-up to make you draw the lines between the dots yourself”. Here are some conversions that will help when watching the video:

.5 m/s = 1.1 mph | 1 m/s = 2.2 mph | 2 m/s = 4.5 mph
3 m/s = 6.7 mph | 4 m/s = 8.9 mph | 5 m/s =11.2 mph

How to Gauge Wind Speed and Hold Off Using Reticles

Thomas Haugland long range shooting hunting hunter norway

This field video shows how to observe natural indicators — trees and vegetation — to estimate wind velocity. Then it shows how to calculate hold-offs using the reticle hash-marks. Thomas shoots a fast-cycling Blaser R93 rifle with Norma 6XC ammunition.

More Interesting Videos from Norway
There are many other interesting videos on Haugland’s YouTube Channel, including Game Stalking, Precision Reloading, Shooting Fundamentals and Tips on how to use a Mildot Reticle on a scope with MOA-based clicks.

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills No Comments »
April 5th, 2020

Sunday GunDay: Norway Adventure with .338 Lapua Magnum

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

For our readers who are stuck at home under government orders, we are reprising a video feature about hunting in Norway. For those whose horizons have been limited due to the “shelter at home” response to the Coronavirus pandemic, we offer this getaway to scenic Vesterålen in northern Norway…

This is one of the finest shooting videos we’ve ever seen. Set in the scenic Vesterålen archipelago of northern Norway, this high-quality 15-minute video is part National Geograhic travelog, part ballistics lesson, part gear review. Given the current COVID-19 lockdowns, we wish we had the opportunity to join Ulf Lindroth and Thomas Haugland on their remarkable shooting adventure. This video was originally created for Great Britain’s Fieldsports TV Channel.

This is an outstanding video, recommended for anyone interested in long-range hunting.

Long range shooters Lindroth and Haugland traveled to the Arctic Circle to field test a new .338 LM Blaser R8 (in GRS stock) fitted with a Zeiss Victory V8 4.8-35x60mm scope. (Ammo is Norma-brand .338 Lapua Magnum). The video shows how they confirm the ballistics of the Norma factory ammo in the Blaser R8 rifle system.

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Ulf and Thomas initially test out the system confirming drop at multiple yardages, and then use the rifle for practical accuracy. Ulf says: “If you know your hunting will demand a long shot, and you want to push the limit but still be sure to make the first-shot kill… If you want to do an ethical hunt, if you want to push that limit, you have to do [this kind of testing].”

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Ulf Lindroth (above) observed: “We shot [at 808 meters] observed the misses, clicked our way into the target, and now we have the true drop at that distance… in this air pressure, in this temperature. From there we can start working to find our TRUE trajectory. And when we have THAT… we can get serious about some target shooting.”

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills, Tactical No Comments »
January 14th, 2020

Great Video Series for Hunters and Long Range Shooters

Thomas Haugland long range shooting hunting hunter norway

There an excellent YouTube channel, THLR.NO, that offers videos for long-range hunters and marksmen. The channel’s creator, Thomas Haugland, is a serious, knowledgeable shooter, who takes his rifles out into the field, in all conditions. The THLR.NO channel offers solid advice on scopes, reticles, wind-reading, field positions, and much more. Haugland’s team puts a wide variety of gear through serious field tests — every thing from suppressors to packs to the latest electro-optical hardware. In addition the THLR.NO channel provides good advice on stalking techniques and hunting skills. Here are some recent videos that can help any rifleman.

How to Shoot Better with a Hunting Rifle

This “must-watch” video has great practical advice for hunters. It illustrates proper hand-hold and head position, and shows how to stay steady when breaking the shot. Even competition shooters can learn a few things. One viewer notes: “This was very informative. The footage through the scope showing how one’s position moves the sight alignment was particularly helpful.”

How to Gauge Wind Speed and Hold Off Using Reticles

This field video shows how to observe natural indicators — trees and vegetation — to estimate wind velocity. Then it shows how to calculate hold-offs using the reticle hash-marks. Thomas shoots a fast-cycling Blaser R93 rifle with Norma 6XC ammunition.

Thomas Haugland long range shooting hunting hunter norway

Thomas Haugland long range shooting hunting hunter norway

If you like these three videos, there are hundreds more on the THLR.NO YouTube channel. In addition, there is an excellent long-format video, Longrange Shooting 2, available on DVD or Vimeo on Demand. This impressive outdoors video features Thomas Haugland and Ulf Lindroth. Here is a preview:

Watch Longrange Shooting 2 on Vimeo:

Longrange Shooting 2 from Lindroth & Norin on Vimeo.

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills 1 Comment »
April 9th, 2018

Shooting Skills: Reading the Wind When Hunting

Norway Hunting Snow

Thomas Haugland, a Shooters’ Forum member from Norway, is a long-range target shooter and hunter. He has created an interesting video showing how to gauge wind velocities by watching trees, grass, and other natural vegetation. The video commentary is in English, but the units of wind speed (and distance) are metric. Haugland explains: “This is not a full tutorial, but rather a short heads-up to make you draw the lines between the dots yourself”. Here are some conversions that will help when watching the video:

.5 m/s = 1.1 mph | 1 m/s = 2.2 mph | 2 m/s = 4.5 mph
3 m/s = 6.7 mph | 4 m/s = 8.9 mph | 5 m/s =11.2 mph

More Interesting Videos from Norway
There are many other interesting videos on Haugland’s YouTube Channel, including Game Stalking, Precision Reloading, Shooting Fundamentals and Tips on how to use a Mildot Reticle on a scope with MOA-based clicks.

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills 4 Comments »
August 24th, 2015

.338 Lapua Magnum in Norway — Outstanding 15-minute Video

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

This is one of the finest shooting videos we’ve ever seen. Set in the scenic Fjordland of northern Norway, this high-quality 15-minute video is part Nat Geo travelog, part ballistics lesson, part gear review. We wish we had the opportunity to join Ulf Lindroth and Thomas Haugland on their remarkable shooting adventure. This video was originally created for Great Britain’s Fieldsports TV Channel.

This is an outstanding video, recommended for anyone interested in long-range hunting.

Long range shooters Lindroth and Haugland traveled to the Arctic Circle to field test a new .338 LM Blaser R8 (in GRS stock) fitted with a Zeiss Victory V8 4.8-35x60mm scope. (Ammo is Norma-brand .338 Lapua Magnum). The video shows how they confirm the ballistics of the Norma factory ammo in the Blaser R8 rifle system.

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Ulf and Thomas initially test out the system confirming drop at multiple yardages, and then use the rifle for practical accuracy. Ulf says: “If you know your hunting will demand a long shot, and you want to push the limit but still be sure to make the first-shot kill… If you want to do an ethical hunt, if you want to push that limit, you have to do [this kind of testing].”

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Ulf Lindroth (above) observed: “We shot [at 808 meters] observed the misses, clicked our way into the target, and now we have the true drop at that distance… in this air pressure, in this temperature. From there we can start working to find our TRUE trajectory. And when we have THAT… we can get serious about some target shooting.”

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Norway Fjord .338 Lapua Magnum Norma Blaser R8 Zeiss

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting 5 Comments »
September 7th, 2014

Bipod Shooting and Improvised Rests for Hunters

Thomas Haugland HuntingForum member Thomas Haugland from Norway has produced an excellent video that covers practical field shooting skills for hunters. In his video, Thomas (aka ‘Roe’ on Forum and Sierra645 on YouTube) shows how to verify his zeros from bipod and he demonstrates improvised field rests from the prone, kneeling, and sitting positions.

Thomas explains: “In this video I focus on basic marksmanship techniques and making ready for this year’s hunt. As a last check before my hunting season, I got to verify everything for one last time. My trajectory is verified again, the practical precision of the rifle is verified. I also practice making do with the best [improvised] rest possible when an opportunity presents itself. After getting knocked in the face by a 338LM rifle during a previous filming session, I had to go back to basics to stop [flinching]. I include some details from bipod shooting that hopefully some hunters will find useful. Fingers crossed for this years season, good luck!”

Thomas has produced many other quality videos for his Sierra645 YouTube Channel. On his “Langholdsskyting” YouTube Channel, you’ll find 30 more nicely-made videos (in both English and Norwegian) about hunting and precision shooting.

Spectacular Scenery
Below you’ll find a great video by Thomas that demonstrates up/down angle (incline) shooting. This video features some amazing scenery from Norway along with angle estimation sequences and use of the ACI (Angle-Cosine Indicator). Even without the technical tips, this video is well worth watching just to see the jaw-dropping Norwegian scenery! Yes that’s Thomas standing on the top of the peak in the photo (above right).

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills 1 Comment »