The Winter Solstice has finally arrived. Those of us who are gardeners can now look forward to longer days and a Spring planting date.  Patience, folks! — On December 21, 1784, John Jay became acting US Secretary of State. He served in that office from 1789 to 1790. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than …

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(Continued from Part 4.) Temperature Stable Powders I will use temperature stable powder in these rifles so that during summer time temperatures, my previously safe-to-shoot cartridges is not adversely affected by an increase ambient air temperature or while chambered in a hot rifle barrel. H4895, H4831, H4350, and Varget are my top choices. I engineer a wide margin of safety for powders that are not temperature stable and settle on a lesser weight charge. Accuracy can often be found at lower pressures when using lighter projectiles and at higher pressures if using heavier projectiles. Good accuracy for lighter projectiles is …

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …

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“Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast …

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December 20, 1192: On his way home from the Third Crusade, English King Richard the Lionheart (Richard Cœur de Lion) was captured near Vienna by troops of Leopold of Austria. He was released 1194. — On December 20th, 1606, the Virginia Company loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide …

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(Continued from Part 3.) In my opinion, regardless if the chambering is .300 Savage, or .308 Winchester, or .30-06, using a temperature-stable powder at charge that delivers a muzzle velocity of 2,150 fps to propel a .308 150 grain round nosed bullet designed for the .30-30 is the safest practical load I could put together and recommend if the reloader is primarily interested in safety. As an example in the extreme to illustrate that a larger case capacity is more desirable in antique actions. If it were chambered in .30-06, 35 grains of IMR3031 behind a 150-grain round nosed bullet …

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, another look at Equities markets. (See the Equities section.) Precious Metals: On Wednesday (December 18, 2024) “the bell rang” when spot silver dipped down to below $30 per Troy ounce. To restate my position from my recent investing columns: Silver is a bargain, anywhere below $30.50.  So stack it deep! – JWR o  o  o …

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“I happen to be privileged enough to be in on the fact that we have been visited on this planet, and the UFO phenomenon is real.” – Edgar Mitchell

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On December 19, 1732, Benjamin Franklin, under the pseudonym Richard Saunders, began publication of “Poor Richard’s Almanack”. He produced an annual issue for the next 25 years. — December 19, 1972: Apollo 17 — the last of Apollo manned Moon landing series — returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, southeast of Samoa. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model …

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(Continued from Part 2.) Sizing the Brass to the Chamber Assuming we have had a gunsmith evaluate the rifle, we should also fit the case to the chamber by backing out the die a full turn so that the shoulder of the case might be more than 1 to 2 thousandths of an inch longer. This process will compensate for the generous head spacing that exists in military actions coupled with the original military barrel, and remove any remaining and unneeded head space variance out of a re-barreled action. Accuracy might also be improved. The bolt should not close without …

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