The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) recently announced the acceptance of two new rifle cartridges for SAAMI standardization. Since its founding in 1926—at the request of the federal government—the organization has created the industry standards that ensure safety, reliability and interchangeability of firearms, ammunition and components. 8.6 Blackout The 8.6 Blackout—with the SAAMI abbreviated name 8.6 BLK—was introduced by Q, LLC. It was standardized with a 200-grain bullet traveling at a velocity of 2,200 fps and a maximum average pressure of 62,000 psi. The cartridge is based on the 6.5 Creedmoor, with the case shortened and neck widened…

90 years ago, today: The coldest day in North Dakota history. Minus 60 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale was recorded on February 15th, 1936, by a coal miner and volunteer National Weather Service weather observer in Parshall, North Dakota. This remains the lowest temperature ever recorded in the state. Pictured is the Broste Museum in Parshall, North Dakota. February 15th 1809: Birthday of Cyrus Hall McCormick, inventor of a mechanical reaper. Gun developer Richard “Dick” Casull was born on February 15, 1931. Casull passed away on May 6, 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Dick Casull is most famous…

On February 14, 1803, writing the majority opinion text of the landmark Marbury v. Madison case, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall declared that any act of U.S. Congress that conflicts with the Constitution is null and void. — February 14, 1804: Karadjordje led the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire. — And February 14, 1942 was the birthday of the late Prepper/Economist Dr. Gary North. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This…

The concept behind Ruger’s Small-Frame Autoloading (SFAR) rifle was simple: .308 Winchester power in an AR-15-sized package.Many hunters have adopted the AR-15 as a hunting rifle due to its light weight, modularity, and easy maneuverability. Problem is, the .223 Remington cartridge most commonly chambered in these rifles is underpowered for big game. It can tackle deer-sized animals with the right bullet, but most prefer to have a little more horsepower under the hood.The AR-10 platform can be chambered in one of those more energetic cartridges, usually the .308 Winchester. But that platform tends to be bigger and heavier than an…

If you’re reading this, you obviously survived June 13, the only Friday the 13th we’ll see in 2025.But don’t get too cocky. We’ll face three such unlucky Fridays in 2026, the maximum possible in a calendar year, according to TimeAndDate.com, an astronomy website.If you’re like me, you won’t see any of them coming. More likely, your spouse or other loved one will casually mention the day’s arrival during breakfast, much as my wife did back in June. That’s when I predictably responded:“Whenever it’s Friday the 13th, I think of Cuz Strickland.”And then my wife nodded silently, hoping I wouldn’t tell…

That was quick. A Michigan ice fishing season opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, only to close 48 minutes later after the harvest quota was met.The quick season—if you want to call it that—took place on Black Lake, which is situated in Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties, and was for lake sturgeon, a relatively rare, slow-growing fish that first appeared in the fossil record 100 million to 150 million years ago, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).Lake sturgeon population declines were recorded in Michigan and elsewhere throughout the Great Lakes, Mississippi, and Hudson River basins…

00:00:05 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I’m your host, Brent Reeves from coon hunting to trotlining and just in general country living. I want you to stay a while as I share my experiences in life lessons. This Country Life is presented by Case Knives from the store More Studio on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast that airways have to offer. All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I’ve got some stores to share expectations and reality. I’ve been traveling a lot lately and had the great fortune to meet…

00:00:04 Speaker 1: Smell us now, Lady, Welcome to Meet Eater Trivia podcast. Welcome to Meet Eater Radio Live. It’s eleven am Mountain Time at seven pm for our Olympians listening in Italy on Thursday, February twelve, and we’re live from Meat Eater HQ in Bozeman. I’m your host, Spencer, joined today by Seth and Maggie. On today’s show, we’ll interview doctor Zach Graham about some of the world’s rarest crayfish. Then we’ll have a hot tip off about wal tents and duck breasts, followed by an interview with Emily Davis about collaring predators and the Grand Tetons. And finally,…

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(Continued from Part 2.) Water for the Flock For the first several years of raising fowl, I had a 20-gallon rubber water tote in the chicken coop. Every couple of days, I would have to dump all the water out and refill it because the chickens would sit on the edges of the tote and defecate into the water. In the heat of summer, the water would turn green within a day or two, spoiling all the fresh water. I was wasting more water and time than necessary. I began designing a gravity fed water system with a livestock auto-feeder…