I see the Ruger American Thread - I'm starting a new one since this is more a Boy Scout Camp question.
In the BSA we typically single load rifles. We actually can use magazines now (since around 2013) but it's not a widely known fact.
Ruger actually makes a red single round magazine for 10/22 and RA rifles. Has anyone used one of these? How well do they work?
With the ruling that magazines are allowed I would not bother with the extra expense.
Having them may help keep them from growing legs and walking away as who else wants a 1 round magazine.
As a factory Ruger mag I doubt there is any function issues.
I'm an Eagle Scout, and I do love the BSA, and I have worked multiple summers as camp staff, but I have to say that,
while MOST of the merit badge instruction is worthwhile and totally applicable, the rifle marksmanship merit badge is so dinky and watered down that it is a lot less useful than it could be. Perhaps this box mag rule is a first step in a long overdue direction.
I have not tried the 1 round mags. I have used the 5 round mags. They are ten round mags with a pin to stop the rotor after 5 rounds. You can open up your mags, load 1 round and mark where to drill so you can install a pin or nail (nail can be removed).
Quote from: Big John on September 25, 2014, 04:41:57 PM
I'm an Eagle Scout, and I do love the BSA, and I have worked multiple summers as camp staff, but I have to say that,
while MOST of the merit badge instruction is worthwhile and totally applicable, the rifle marksmanship merit badge is so dinky and watered down that it is a lot less useful than it could be. Perhaps this box mag rule is a first step in a long overdue direction.
Completely off topic but it brings back memories. The boys in my troop (and many times my sons) when I was scoutmaster almost always won the marksmanship competition for the week we went to summer camp. I also have a bunch of Camp coffee mugs from winning the scoutmaster shootoff every year as well, that includes beating the camp director. That was all before Appleseed was invented. While I taught those kids to shoot pretty well but I do wish Appleseed had been around back then.
BTW, my rifle of choice when I did that was a single shot German training rifle in .22lr liberated from the Mauser plant in Oberndorf during WWII by an uncle. That thing is a tack driver. The only time I ever dragged it out was to beat that dang camp director every year after our first summer camp.
Quote from: Big John on September 25, 2014, 04:41:57 PM
I'm an Eagle Scout, and I do love the BSA, and I have worked multiple summers as camp staff, but I have to say that,
while MOST of the merit badge instruction is worthwhile and totally applicable, the rifle marksmanship merit badge is so dinky and watered down that it is a lot less useful than it could be. Perhaps this box mag rule is a first step in a long overdue direction.
I totally disagree with your assessment of Rifle Merit Badge. True it's not as hard as the old 'Rifle and Shotgun' they had back in the 80's and before.
I'd say as a beginner program it's superior and maybe far superior. Those that don't know the shooting part of the old 'Rifle and Shotgun' badge used to be done for scores in Prone , standing and either sitting or kneeling. This had a major flaw in it. Equipment. Probably 90% of scouts earned this at summer camp. Summer camp you have more scouts than rifles. So scouts typically didn't get the same rifle relay after relay. Also it was found over the years the typical peep sights would not stand up to the constant zeroing and re-zeroing so they we're allowed to adjust the sights. The result was a lot of "Kentucky Windage' something you're trying to teach them NOT to do.
The current course allows then to concentrate on NPOA, Sight Alignment , Sight Picture , trigger squeeze and follow through . Rifle MB can also be run from the prone and I'll do this outside of camp with older scouts when we have a bit more time.
The our council is expanding the shooting sports program to include an Appleseeds like event where we'll include position shooting just all slow fire although with the new rules we could do timed fire. We'll talk clicks - minutes - inches maybe even demonstrate but probably not adjust sights on all rifles. We'll shoot for scores but use a transparency to overlay and get a 'best score' for the group.