The Greek tale “Odyssey” may be the first recorded mention of hearing protection—although it has nothing to do with firearms. Siren’s songs from a mythical island along the ship’s planned route had already drawn other sailors to certain death, and, as the story goes, the best way for the crew to avoid a similar fate was to fashion earplugs from beeswax. 

Most of us could have used that advice when we were dating in college, although campus beehives are hard to find and painful to raid. The first earplug patent was granted in 1864, according to the Acoustical Society of America, and a version connected by a headband followed in 1884. Military research started before World War I and progressed through World War II, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that a company dabbling in compounds to seal joints discovered the effectiveness of one of its “memory” foams.

Today, jars of foamies grace firing range counters across the globe. That closed-cell construction that conforms to ear canals is extremely effective at dampening potentially damaging noise, and the same is true of the modern polymer take with a valve that opens to allow sound’s entry. However, they make things coffin quiet and can generate pressure inside the ear.

Early Earmuffs

Early experiments in over the ear muffs affixed by a band across the head produced mixed results. Limited in material options, the only reliable mechanism available to seal out potentially damaging sound was for the band to squeeze the ear cups so tightly that faces puckered. The introduction of jet engines hastened research by the military, and water in the padding provided one of the first solutions.

The face cramps ended with modern polymers and foam, and sometime in the early 1980s, companies realized they could stuff electronics into the earpieces that literally shut off when they detected a loud noise. It was cutting-edge analog technology as mysterious as the 8-track and newfangled cassette. Unfortunately, even accomplished contortionists found it impossible to get a solid cheek weld on a rifle, and they acted like tiny little EZ Bake Ovens during hot and humid range sessions.

Modern Hearing Protection for Shooters

Then Walker’s Game Ear came up with an unusual hybrid. A pliable plug goes into the ear to provide protection, but it connects to a piece behind the ear that handled sound processing. The game changer was an instant success and some assumed there was little room for improvement.

They were wrong. In 2000 SportEAR introduced, “…the first in the [ear] canal, full 100-percent digital line,” according to Weston Harris, president of SportEAR and ProSounds. “Digital will process sounds far more accurately at 1 million sounds per second, and beyond,” he explained.

The company’s current digital lineup is frighteningly advanced. “We can fine tune the sound reproduction to give them exactly what they need,” he said. “And it can be reprogrammed along the way the match their personal audiogram.”

There’s another big difference between analog and digital sound processing. Rick Carlson, Customer Service and Product Training Manager for Etymotic, explained, “Protection from steady-state noise is provided by the use of wide-range compression. What this means to the end user is that when a blast occurs, it is still heard, only at a lower level. There is no sense of going off the air.”

Dynamic, tactical training is where that advantage shines. “Spatial orientation is a big deal,” said Harris. “It’s the ability to remain connected to your environment.” Carlson adds, “While it’s important to make sure your ears are adequately protected, you also want to make sure you maintain awareness of your environment.”

What’s next? Harris’ laundry list includes downloadable apps that allow shooters to fine tune and program their hearing protection from their smartphone and even Bluetooth compatibility. We’re not sure someone answering their phone—or that former college flame being able to punch a call through—on the firing line is really such a good idea, but you have to admit streaming heavy metal tunes while you shred silhouettes does have a certain ring.

A lot has changed since this was written. Here’s what the experts told me about the current technology in 2021.

The creation of today’s nail-tough, high-performance tactical lights can really trace its roots back to the invention of the light bulb, or the ability to harness and conduct electrical current, but for modern shooters the journey best begins back in 1927, when Oleg Losev—a soviet inventor—produced the first LED. The concept remained largely ignored for decades, though, with scientists viewing it as an interesting anomaly with no practical use. Some dabbled with the phenomena, although it wasn’t until the early ’60s that an infrared version received a U.S. patent. Red, visible light versions followed, although even by 1968 the purchase price for a single LED was several hundred dollars.

Kel-Lite First in Tactical Lighting Evolution

The same year, far away from those squeaky sterile research labs, Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Donald Keller grew so tired of cheap, stamped-metal flashlights prone to breakage, that he introduced the Kel-Lite. It used the then-traditional incandescent bulb prone to burning out and breaking (problem partly solved later with the addition of halogen gas), but with a body built from 6061-T6 aluminum, in models long enough to hold up to seven D-cell batteries and a wide metal bulb housing, it worked double duty as a baton. The weather- and shock-resistant housing quickly made it the choice of first responders.

Keller left the company in 1972 and continued his design work for Maglite and Brinkmann, among others. About the time of his departure, though, a fledgling firm named Streamlight was hard at work creating a 25 million candlepower “torch” at NASA’s request, one capable of simulating the intensity of the sun in outer space, where there is no atmosphere to diminish intensity. The technology developed in the project soon found its way into the company’s 1 million-candlepower handheld units designed for military and law enforcement professionals.

Then Came Maglite

Significant competition for the two tactical light giants was scarce, until Maglite launched in 1979. Its first offerings were C- and D-celled, aluminum-bodied flashlights designed for first responders, with a twist. Turning the light housing on select models broadened or narrowed its beam.

The same year, Dr. John Matthews, a Cal Tech Phd., filed several patents for laser-aiming devices for firearms, and formed the company Laser Products. More than likely, he never envisioned how the company’s original mission would lead it to become the industry’s leader in lighting. The firm’s name officially changed to the more familiar SureFire in 2001.

Streamlight and Kel-Lite merged in 1983, and Maglite rolled out its first small, personal-sized flashlight the next year. “Terminator” hit movie theaters in 1984, and audience reaction to the handgun-mounted laser on the silver screen (produced by Laser Products) forever cemented the marriage of futuristic, high-end electronics and firearms into popular culture. The same year, LAPD used the company’s lasers on shotguns for security during the Olympics. Riding a wave of positive publicity, the firm developed the first fully integrated weaponlight for a shotgun in 1986, rolled out the Model 310 for 1911s the same year and by 1988 was offering the same tough technology in handheld units, with a tailcap switch.

Then the White LED

Battery sources continued to evolve, as well as the bulbs and their construction, but in 1994, the first blue LED was invented. With the right coatings it could produce white light and in 2003 CREE developed a “high output” blue LED. The cost was down significantly, and the tiny little diodes don’t seem to care about recoil.

The race was on, but the frontrunners were soon accompanied by others in the market. Many have come and gone, but ExtremeBeam, which was founded in 2009 with handheld, LED-driven tactical lights, has a thriving product line today. “We offer a full line of long-range, weapon-mountable flashlights,” said Eric Doi, the company’s director of marketing. “Our line focuses on extreme durability, as all parts are machined from solid bar-stock aluminum and are backed by a limited-lifetime warranty that includes destruction.”

Are there any standards for tactical flashlights today? I asked an expert in the field and his answers were surprising.

Doi has some advice whether you’re considering his company’s product line or another’s, even years from now. “The most important factors buyers should look for are durability, reliability, battery life, brightness and if it is weapon mountable,” he said. “Many tactical lights on the market right now are not made to take the recoil of a firearm.”

Today the power sources, like the CR123, last longer than ever before. Bear in mind, though, improper disposal or using counterfeits can have disastrous consequences. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s a story with aircraft incidents as cited by the FAA.

The tactical lighting evolution, no doubt, will continue. It’s natural selection at its finest when new materials are harnessed to ensure the survival of tactical lights in conditions in which they fail or underperform. We’re pretty certain that’s not what Charles Darwin had in mind, but the firearm enthusiast in him would certainly approve.

Buffalo and its suburbs escaped with few power outages after the area received more than 5 feet of snow in November of 2014, but Mother Nature’s wrath usually ends differently. In February of 2013, 650,000 homes and  businesses lost power after a nor’easter, and millions of homes went dark—some for weeks—after 2012’s Hurricane Sandy.

Losing power to your gun safe’s heating unit for an extended period can drench the contents in rust-causing moisture, regardless of perceived airtightness. Aside from opening the door and microscopic leaks, most high-quality units have a small, removable plug at the back to run an electric heating unit (or wire a light bulb) in which humidity invades. The bulb or element creates a slightly higher temperature, which in turn increases the interior air’s ability to hold water molecules in suspension, and maintains mild gunmetal warmth to prevent condensation.

The approach is effective—until the power goes out. An understanding of the dynamic begins with dew point, the temperature at which water vapor begins to condense. Its value increases with relative humidity and once the temperature of the safe’s contents reach that point in their cooling, “dew” collects on their surfaces. But, metals are efficient thermal conductors, so when a receiver at the bottom of the safe cools faster than the muzzle end atop (heat rises), it drains that warmth from its entire length.

Desiccants to avoid gun safe moisture

A different (or better yet for safe owners, concurrent) method of management is to remove humidity from the air by employing a desiccant. The options available to gun owners today are convenient, inexpensive and I put several to the test.

The exam began with an industrial version called Drierite. According to gun-owning company spokesman Joseph Hammond, “Much of it is used for keeping large liquid storage tanks free of moisture…Bio-diesel and ethanol storage are a growing market for us.” It sounds dangerous, but it is manufactured from gypsum—a naturally occurring mineral.

One ounce of No. 4 mesh (a measure of the material’s pebble size) went into a small, airtight container for 72 hours. Relative humidity dropped consistently to 10 percent—a reduction of roughly 40 points—through five cycles of the test. Water vapor locks into the material, so there is no watery mess. It recharges by baking two hours at 450 degrees. Hammond uses 2 pounds of No. 6 mesh in his gun safe, but warns, “I would not recommend sealing up your ’03 Springfield with 10 pounds of Drierite. The metal would never rust, but I’d say the stock would shrink and probably split pretty quickly.”

The Liberty Safe Mini-Canister has 40-grams of silica gel that turns pink when the moisture needs to be baked out. Cobalt chloride locked in the pebbles does that work and the small unit comes in an oven-safe metal canister. Its results were also extremely consistent, although not industrial grade. It dropped relative humidity into the 20s, even after five recharges (300 degrees for 3 hours).

Eva-Dry makes indicating desiccant canisters that are wireless, but simply plug into a wall outlet for renewing (12 to 15 hours). In identical testing, it was every bit as effective as the Mini-Canister, although the results were more methodical. It took nearly two weeks for the humidity to drop to the same level. An indicator window turns pink when it’s time to recharge and cost. The company co-owner regularly tosses a disposable version in his carry gun’s case when traveling to avoid rust.

The final word in our tests comes from Internet-recommended silica gel kitty litter. Despite an airtight package, it was ineffective (saturated) at first. After baking, humidity dropped with 40 grams of the stinky stuff, but it never reached that of other desiccant levels and effectiveness diminished with each recharging. So if you really want to protect your guns, buy a quality product—unless you have an incontinent cat.

Once upon a time, cell phones only made calls, when you were in a city, and had a signal. The smart phone has changed all that, providing fingertip access to microprocessors, sensors and now, more than ever, firearm enthusiasts in multiple disciplines are discovering there are gun apps for that.   

Here are a few I’ve uncovered.

AmmoSeek

Still have a headache from that prolonged cartridge shortage? There are gun apps for that, sort of. AmmoSeek is a search engine that helps find ammunition, magazines, guns and reloading supplies at the best prices online. You can even filter by caliber, grains, type, brands and save searches to make things faster the next time someone snatches the last box of 5.56 NATO from your fingertips. It’ll remedy the cranial cramp’s cause, but for if another shortage sets in a visit your nearest drug store may be in order. 

 Dry Practice Drill

If you believe practice makes perfect, here’s your gun app for that. Brush up on your stoppage-clearing skills and handgun presentation speed while being timed. Hit the drill button, wait a few seconds for the audible “ready” warning and begin when you hear the start tone. A bell signals when the drill is complete and a “repeat” function allows you to loop over the same drill and improve your time. 

NRA News

Need NRA News on your portable device, including archives from the past five days? There are gun apps for that, but this one is the official version and includes ILA alerts and the NRA Blog. It also includes an NRA Near Me function that plots events, clubs, classes and tournaments close to you. It even allows you to quickly access each division’s Facebook page—I suggest you lurk on the publications page, Shooting Illustrated specifically, to keep up with my latest work, hint, hint. 

Shotgun Scorecard

If clay’s your game, there are gun apps for that. This one’s a digital scorecard for your addiction, and you can compare past rounds to determine which firearm/ammo combo is working best. Scorecards included are five-stand, trap and skeet.  

Strelok. Ballistic Calculator

This ballistic calculator has been around since 2001 and it is one of the most popular for devices today. Nearly every variable can be entered, and a number of reticles are available including Nightforce, Leupold, Burris, Nikon and many more. It’s like having a spotter in your phone, only he won’t stiff you on the bar tab. 

Weaphones Gun Sim

This app’s perfect when your wait is unduly long in the doctor’s office or it’s time to annoy a coworker. It allows you to put an arsenal on your phone and comes in several different flavors, including guns of World War II. Work the action, shoot your shotguns, semi-automatic rifles, pistols and sub-machine guns to your heart’s content, without worry about policing up all the brass once the proctologist is ready to see you.  

Where to Shoot

Looking for a range? The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s app will search its comprehensive directory of shooting ranges in Canada and the United States, and instantly provide the locations of those nearby. If you want a look at a few of the “new breed” of ranges, you might take a look here, too. 

RIP, GunBroker App

Once upon a time, if you were in the market for a new gun, or needed to sell, GunBroker had a gun app for that. It offered access the world’s largest online auction of firearms and accessories using a free app optimized for your phone or tablet. You could search for items, place them on your watch list, bid, buy, and even find an FFL for lawful transfer. Sellers could even set up custom alerts and find out when an item sold. Well, it’s no longer available. We’ll let this page from GunBroker explain.

Photo courtesy of DoD/US Marine Corps

Canadian marksman Robert Furlong told the History Channel he laid his ammunition in the sun before he neutralized a machinegun-carrying Afghan insurgent at 1.5 miles in 2005. He said it was “an old sniper’s trick,” one designed to increase the .50 BMG’s velocity slightly as it left his McMillan TAC-50.

The storyline rivals football’s Immaculate Reception, but most experts agree it’s not the best approach for civilian shooters. “A phrase I commonly utilize is ‘Accuracy is derived from mechanical repeatability,’” said Dan Hanus, former USMC Precision Weapons Section supervisor at Quantico, VA, and current Custom Rifle Production Manager for Bergara. “What this means is if you can make the rifle, ammunition, weather and shooter or shooting device do the exact same thing every time, then the strike of the round will be in the same place every time. A realist knows it is impossible to control all of these variables, but by shooting an accurate rifle, using match ammunition, getting in a solid position, and practicing in all temperatures, a shooter definitely increase his chances of hitting his target.”

“I have seen shifts of impact, particularly in precision rifles,” Greg Jordan, a member of Team ArmaLite, said of the solar-heating effect. “Each occurrence was different, as it depended on the ammo used. I would say that shifts of 1 MOA are not out of the question for some ammo combinations.”

It can also cause stoppages, according to Hornady’s Neal B. Emery. “One thing to note is the composition of the powder itself—specifically if it is a single- or double-base powder,” he said. “Single-base powders contain nitrocellulose, while double-base powders also have nitroglycerin. While the added nitroglycerin can increase energy, it is much more temperature sensitive. Loads that may function fine at 75 degrees may cause your bolt to stick when you travel to Africa and hunt Cape buffalo in 115-degree heat—not a good combination!”

I placed Hornady 55-grain V-Max .223 Rem. loads in the sun to determine how much heating was possible. A cartridge on a black tactical bag in the sun regularly reached nearly 70 degrees higher than ambient temperature—hotter than an identical cartridge left in an enclosed, sunlit vehicle tested simultaneously.

Most of today’s powders minimize temperature-induced pressure fluctuations, though. “It is difficult to generalize about the ballistic response of ammunition at hot and cold temperatures, as each application responds slightly differently,” according to ATK engineer Paul Furrier. “At Federal we are fortunate to have strong relationships with the best propellant manufacturers in the world, so we choose powders for our premium ammunition that moderate the response at extreme temperatures and deliver consistent performance on target. In most applications we are able to keep pressure changes well below 10 percent at hot (+125°F) and cold (-40°F). Velocity change will typically be less than that, since it is generally not a linear response to pressure at extremes.”

Hanus warned that results from heat are unpredictable. One study done by Picatinny Arsenal in the 1930s found as ammunition heat increased, so did velocity. However, a subsequent study he was involved with in 2003 showed different results—thought to be partially a product of improved gunpowder.

Experienced marksmen take steps to avert migrating points-of-impact. “I try to keep my ammo out if direct sunlight when possible,” Jordan said. “I usually keep match ammo in an ammo case inside of another larger case, all of which is kept out of the sun.” Furrier admits he and other shooters at ATK often take advantage of a cooler’s insulating properties, regardless of season. “It makes sense to keep your ammunition supply out of temperature extremes before firing.”

Now that the dog days of summer are behind us, how do you maintain constant cartridge temperature in the winter? “Something our snipers and match shooters used to do is put their ammunition in their breast pocket,” Hanus said. “…[N]o matter how hot or cold it was on the range or in the field, the ammunition was always the same temperature.”

And if you’re ready to buy a new long-distance connection, but haven’t decided on the rifle’s chambering, here is advice from some of the industry’s foremost experts. Once that’s decided, though, here’s more on how to connect with that long-distance target.

Photo courtesy of Frisco Gun Range

Not long ago shooters braved the elements and made long drives to wring out a new gun or practice, but an epoch change is underway. Even the mid-town, the eight-lane indoor range that seemed so evolutionary a decade ago feels like a dinosaur when compared to a new breed of shooting range.

They may share the same DNA, but Nexus Shooting in Davie, FL, is a prime example of the new species. It officially opened on May 13, 2013, and in that short period its atmosphere and technology has already attracted national media attention.

Its website claims it is, “…the most technologically advanced indoor shooting facility in the world.” Zach Snow, manager of Shooting Promotions for the National Shooting Sports Foundation described the facility to Range Report magazine recently as, “…beyond state of the art.”

The indoor range has a total of 40 lanes. Eighteen of them are fully automated paper or reactive steel, but it’s the 22 Nexus lanes that are unique. There, a video screen serves as the target, and shooters use real guns and ammunition. A computer analyzes shot placement, automatically generates scores, calculates group-size averages and relays the information. A digital account creates a record of all your sessions for long-term monitoring of your improvement—or those areas that need work.

A keypad at each lane also allows shooters to change instantly from targets presented, and options include paper, steel, shooting gallery or even defense of the Earth from an asteroid shower. Regardless of preference, a shot-by-shot record of your range time can also arrive by e-mail.

There’s also a state-of-the-art showroom with seventy two 60-inch LCD video displays, more than 400 popular firearms for sale, rentals—just in case you want to take one for a test ride—a VIP lounge with private lanes and classes that range from basic pistol, carbine, carry and even a free youth-firearms program.

A trio of gun enthusiasts own the $15 million range, including Dr. Bernard Hsiao, a physician who started shooting in 2008. He grew concerned about health issues in the indoor range he frequented, and as a result, insisted Nexus Shooting addressed those concerns. Oversized ventilation systems (with a price tag of more than $1 million) that exceed OSHA and EPA standards, generous lighting, an unusual floor design that collects brass and even hospital-grade soap to scrub lead particulates make the entire experience a modern one.

There are several other modern choices in Florida, including 62,000-square-foot Shooters World in Tampa. It has 34 indoor shooting lanes, with seven of them able to stretch rifle distances to 100 yards (and a video monitor at the target provides instant feedback at the bench). Over at Lake Mary, Gander Mountain Academy also has firearms and accessories for sale, as well as live and virtual ranges, and a video simulator puts self-defense enthusiasts to the test.

The trend is spilling out of the Sunshine State, though. Elite Shooting Sports opened in Virginia’s Prince William County in 2014 and the company’s ambitious long-term plans include an expansion to 65,000 square feet. Four separate ranges with 42 lanes are available, including 50- and 100-yard offerings.

A pair of customer lounges, gunsmith, dojo, lockers, gun rental, four classrooms and a café are part of the amenities. However, it’s the simulator and 1,600-square foot, two-level shoot house that attract most of the attention. Elite Shooting Sport’s retail area, which covers 5,600 square feet, offers virtually everything you need, and classes are available for pistol, carry, carbine, rifle and more.

Near Charlotte, NC, Blackstone Shooting Sports opened its 6,000-square-foot retail shop and 27 lanes (up to .50 BMG is allowed) in late 2014. Members of the law enforcement community, first responders and military qualify for special discounts, and the company will offer regular training sessions. It has a member’s lounge, a pair of classrooms and covers 28,000 square feet.

In 2013, Frisco Gun Club in Texas opened with a slightly different business plan. The exterior’s grounds are manicured better than most PGA courses, but inside the 45,000-square-foot building, there’s a gun shop, gunsmith, café (with a special VIP lounge and a real chef) and 40 shooting lanes—including four 100-yard rifle bays. “We designed our club to be different from your typical gun range, more like a high-end department store and country club in look and feel,” said Brandon Johnson vice president of the club’s marketing. “As a result, we have many more female shooters coming in along with entire families spending time together learning safety and proper techniques.”

And if you’re looking for a machine gun experience, here’s another strategically located near Orlando, FL.

And there’s a whole new generation of specialty destinations. If you’re looking for something to add to your bucket list, here’s a few places to consider. The trend doesn’t show any sign of slowing, either, putting traditional ranges on notice—if new shooters keep finding this kind of selection natural, it may be time to evolve.

We have all heard the warnings of spontaneous CR-123 battery combustion, but where can you find a reliable source that actually confirms it happens? The FAA keeps track of battery incidents—most related to cargo—although the passenger and crew experiences provide some valuable lessons for today’s shooter.     

One problem occurred on Aug. 28, 2010, when a FedEx crewmember had the CR-123s installed in his flashlight suffer a thermal runaway that set his bag on fire while waiting for his flight. The report doesn’t list a cause, but rough handling or counterfeit batteries seem most likely as you read on.

A CR-123-powered flashlight used by a flight-crew member to inspect the aircraft dimmed unexplainably on March 18, 2008. He turned it off and put it away. The crew reported hearing sounds like “gunshots” as the tailcap “became projectile,” according to the FAA. One person suffered burns to the hands and fingers while moving the flashlight.

On Valentine’s Day, 2008, flashlight batteries caught fire in an overhead compartment as an International flight was boarding. The FAA report doesn’t confirm the culprit cells were CR-123s, but it does specify a small flashlight.

A flight from Buenos Aires to Miami on March 19, 2007, got particularly exciting when someone in business class dropped a CR-123 from his digital camera. It landed on the seat, arced into the metal frame, set off sparks, smoke and launched a battery fragment into a passenger when it shattered/exploded. The plane arrived safely with four damaged seats and seven members of the flight crew suffering from smoke inhalation.  

On December 14, 2006, a counterfeit CR-123 caught fire after a crewmember had dropped the flashlight from a height of 6 inches. The most dangerous April fool’s joke of 2004 was on a flight attendant who just purchased an inexpensive flashlight overseas. A passenger borrowed and dropped it. It then overheated, began smoking and it took oven mitts to move it to the galley where it was probably used to heat coffee.

Is there a way to tell run time of batteries in your tactical flashlight? An expert explains PLATO ratings seen on today’s best portable lights.

In all honestly, the report linked above indicates laptop, MP3 player, tablet, cell phone, breathing device and even C-cell batteries cause more problems with air travel. But, it’s amazing how dangerous counterfeit CR-123 batteries can be. SureFire has issued a warning that includes a pretty good explanation of the dangers. The firearm industry isn’t the only one affected. Canon has a good collection of counterfeit vs. genuine camera product photos that apply pretty much anytime you’re considering a purchase of electronics gear. Nikon often posts photos of counterfeits that demonstrate how shoddy graphics/lettering is usually a good tipoff you’re about to be ripped on in that purchase.

The TSA requirement that we separate and insulate spare camera batteries seems more reasonable after reading the report—and something we should all consider, even when heading to the range.

I recently had the pleasure of testing and photographing a red Ruger 10/22 Target Lite. Rimfires are always fun, but this one’s bright color had me worried about images.

They turned out great and my grandson is begging me to buy it rather than ship it back to Ruger. He probably sent 200 rounds through the gun without a single hiccup. That’s saying a lot considering he’s only 10 and never stuffed a 10-round, rotary magazine before.

That’s no stoppages, malfunctions or bruised knuckles the entire day. He was so comfortable with the thumbhole stock that we didn’t adjust length of pull, either, which is impressive with his spindly stature.

Amazing Accuracy

I wrote a review for Shooting Illustrated. The accuracy was amazing for a production firearm and—in reality—a little frustrating. Every five-shot group had one round wander significantly. They were random, too. The barrel never got warm, much less hot. I stuck to sub-sonic loads.

User malfunction is the only explanation. If you haven’t tried this new Ruger drop in trigger, you’re missing a real treat.

Red Ruger 10/22 Target Lite Photo Challenge

Red looks great in person and caught the eye of my grandson immediately. I surmise it does the same with customers in sporting goods stores.

My concerns stemmed from the fact that the color has an annoying habit of oversaturating and “vibrating” in photos. If you look at some of the images and video I posted on YouTube, it turns out I didn’t have a thing to worry about. The gun and all its details look great, although I think that gray/black layer did the heavy lifting.

Focus Stacked

A red Ruger 10/22 Target Lite is too good looking to leave things fuzzy and slightly out of focus. So, I focus stacked.

The technique is labor intensive and torturous. You find your exposure, manually focus on the closest point you want tack sharp, then hit the shutter.

Minutely change focus on the next furthest point and take another picture. You can do this by turning the lens or using a fancy contraption akin to a miniature model of a Medieval rack to stretch naughty servants.

Repeat (the shutter that  is, not more torture for the help) until you’ve run out of gun/parts you want in focus. Don’t touch the tripod or breathe heavily during the process. You might have to start over.

The above photo is somewhere around 50 separate ones combined using software. I quit keeping inventory when I ran out of fingers and toes.

I touched on the technique before, and there’s a lot of authoritative writing on the web about photo stacking. If you’re interested do a Google search. Adobe Photoshop gets it done nicely, but there are other programs available as well.

With the Mission First Compensator I used a 100 mm Macro Canon lens. For the red Ruger 10/22 Target Lite I went with my battle-worn 50 mm macro, just because I didn’t want to leave the county to finish the photos.

For those Ruger fans, and there’s a ton of them, here are 3 things you probably didn’t know about Ruger.

This photo approach is very similar to what I used for the FN 15 Combat Tactical FDE P-LOK review.

I think they turned out great, but take a look at my slide show/videos on YouTube and let me know what you think.