Sheriff Jim Wilson

Traditionally, Americans have determined a man’s home is his castle. It is often considered the place where a person is safest.

Unfortunately, with home invasions, this is not always the case. One merely has to read the news accounts of various home attacks across the country to know a person is not safe from criminal attack simply because he is in his own home. In fact, he may be in worse shape simply because of a false sense of security.

Home invasions are generally premeditated—the criminals have scouted the neighborhood looking for signs of affluence and lack of awareness. Good indicators are new cars in the driveway, expensive-looking clothes on the victims and large, fancy-looking homes. You must understand that criminals will be operating on their definition of affluence, not yours. They are not concerned with how much your job really pays, nor how much debt you incurred in order to have a nice home and late-model car. They are concerned with what looks, to them, like an easy mark that might result in lots of cash, jewelry or other quickly fenced valuable items. I’m not saying you ought to make an effort to look poor, just be aware you might be a target even though you don’t think you qualify.

The first step in dealing with home invasions is being aware of what is going on around you. In numerous cases, criminals have often followed their intended victims on errands and shopping trips to get an idea of the victims’ habits and routines. Be alert if you see a stranger who continues to observe you from afar or for the same car following you on different days and routes. Don’t blow these situations off—contact law enforcement and report it. If you’re being followed in your car, just drive to the closest police station.

Read the rest of the article at Shooting Illustrated.

Far from being antiques, modern single-action revolvers are extremely popular among today’s handgunners. In this day of higher-capacity semi-autos and double-action revolvers, it’s difficult for some to consider the single action as a viable choice for personal defense. But, single-action revolvers were

originally designed as fighting guns and they did an excellent job of taking care of defensive chores for many, many years.

Today, the modern semi-automatic pistol and double-action sixgun have the old single action beat in capacity and speed of reloading. But, center hits stop dangerous attacks, not the amount of ammo your gun carries or how fast you can recharge it. Let’s look at some of the shooters who favor the single action and examine some of the techniques that make the single action a viable choice.

Click here to visit Shooting Illustrated to read the rest of this article.

Among the calibers that came from the military is the 7×57 mm Mauser.

It’s surprising how many of our most useful and reliable cartridges started life in the military. Some that quickly come to mind are the .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .308 Win., .223 Rem., and the glorious .30-’06 Sprg. And right in among those, I also have to add another great performer, the 7×57 mm Mauser. The 7×57 mm, although less popular in this country, is an excellent performer featuring good accuracy and moderate recoil.

Click here to visit American Rifleman to read the entire article.

Jim with an Australian Buffalo.

Our Australian buffalo hunt couldn’t have been more successful. Il Ling and I used the 350 gr. Barnes TSX bullets, in .375 H&H, to take eight head of buffalo and one Australian Wild Ox.

We were hunting with Simon Kyle-Little, of Australian Big Game Safaris, on the Walker River, in Eastern Arnhem Land. This area is all tribal land, some 12 million acres of it, and Simon’s concession is 2 million acres. And, on those 2 million acres, the only fence is the one around the camp garden. Our hunting companions were Dr. Dean Taylor, Vee Miller, and Doug Miller.

Asian buffalo, bantang, and wild ox, were all brought to northern Australia about 1830. At this time, there were forts being established and the idea was that these animals would feed the soldiers. However, a few years later, the forts were abandoned and the various bovine were released to fend for themselves. The animals have run wild ever since.

Il Ling and Simon Kyle-Little with one of her head of buffalo.

Our specific load for the Barnes 350 gr. TSX bullet consisted of Remington cases and enough Ramshot Big Game powder to drive the bullets to 2300fps. This proved to be a very accurate load on paper and very comfortable to shoot. As our hunt proved, there is absolutely no need to drive the 350 gr. TSX bullet any faster. The .375 H&H does not have to pound you to give good results.

During our hunt, we took buffalo at distances from 12 yards to 272 yards (a one-shot kill). The Barnes bullets that we recovered showed good expansion with all of the petals intact. However, as you can imagine, several of our shots gave full penetration and the bullets were not recovered. In these cases, however, the exit wound clearly showed that the bullets had expanded.

The biggest adventure that I had on this hunt was collecting an Australian Wild Ox. These animals are the original short-horned European cattle that have run wild in Australia since the 1830s. They are quite a bit spookier than the Asian buffalo and the big bulls prefer to stay in the really heavy timber, either in the swamps, or along the wooded ridges. Usually, when you see a wild ox, you are looking at his rump and he is leaving. In spookiness, I would compare them to whitetail deer.

In other parts of Australia ranchers will have wild cattle, inside their fenced pastures, and improperly call them wild ox. Nothing could be further from the truth. These are merely scrub cattle of all different colors. The true Australian Wild Ox is red in color and found in only the most remote areas. The SCI recognizes the Wild Ox only when it is red in color and taken in remote areas, specifically not on ranches.

At any rate, I took my Wild Ox in the heaviest brush of the coastal swamp region. When I first saw him, he looked like a red freight train moving across a small opening in the brush. I shot him on the point of the left shoulder at @ 20 yds, and broke that shoulder and leg. As he spun and thrashed, I was able to move in closer and shoot him in the right shoulder at @ 12 yards. Simon came in to about seven yards and spined him with his BRNO .375 (the spine shot was not needed, but we had no way of knowing that at the time). This big bull was every bit of 2,000 pounds and had a massive set of horns. Altogether, a great trophy!

Jim and Simon pose with the elusive Australian Wild Ox.

I can’t recommend Simon Kyle-Little enough. He has been guiding Australian hunts for 28 years. He runs a clean, efficient hunting camp and he knows his game. Based upon the client’s physical condition and desire, Simon can do a spot & stalk hunt or the more strenuous, day-long hunts into heavy brush. Naturally, the heavy brush is where the big bulls are going to be found.

Simon’s wife, Elspeth, is a past master at getting all of the client’s permits and documents in proper order. Two of our hunting companions wrote down the serial numbers of their rifles in the wrong sequence. This usually results in the rifles being confiscated. However, in both cases, Elspeth was able to get the mistake corrected and the guns returned to the hunters in time for their hunts. More importantly, Simon & Elspeth conduct their hunts in a pleasant, honest manner that makes you want to go ahead and book another hunt right away. Check out their web site at www.australianbiggamesafaris.com.au.

My story on this buffalo hunt will appear in the NRA’s American Hunter magazine. I’ll also write up the Wild Ox hunt separately, and you can expect it to appear in another magazine.

See ya down the road…..

In just a couple of days we’ll be off to the Northern Territory of Australia on a buffalo-culling operation.  We’ll be hunting with Simon & Elspeth Kyle-Little (www.australianbiggamesafaris.com) on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory.

I’ll be shooting my Ruger #1, in .375 H&H, with a Leupold 1.5×5 scope.  Il Ling will be shooting her brand new CZ 550, also in .375 H&H.  Thanks to our friend Jason Morton, at CZ USA, for getting that rifle out to her so quickly (www.cz-usa.com).

We’ll both be shooting a new Barnes 350 gr. TSX bullet for the .375.  The bullets are loaded over a suitable load of Ramshot’s Big Game powder, pushing them at a bit over 2300fps.  This new bullet and load are surprisingly accurate and has produced ¾” groups in both of your rifles.  Jessica Brooks tells me that Barnes will put the new 350 TSX and a 350 gr. banded solid in their 2010 Barnes Bullets catalog (www.barnesbullets.com).

Anyway, we are really excited about this hunt.  We’ll have some good friends along to share camp with and it should be all-around great fun.  I’ll be writing the hunt up for American Hunter magazine.  And, of course, will have a full report, with photos, for my web site when I get back.

See ya down the road….

JIM JONES
I first met Jim Jones at an Academy of Western Artists gathering in Ft. Worth, a number of years ago. He sat in, one evening, at a jam session that Kip Calahan and I were enjoying. I quickly learned two things about Jones; one is that he was a pretty darn good hand with a guitar, and the second was that he and I knew a lot of the same songs.  A short time later, I invited him to join me on a number of my concert dates.

Since that time, we’ve had a good deal of fun running up and down the road, playing music, and “spending thousands to make hundreds.” Besides being a good picker, Jones has the sort of laid back attitude that I appreciate. We’ve all worked with musicians who felt they needed some pharmaceutical assistance to get through the evening.  Those kind of folks just aren’t very dependable, nor are they very entertaining. Besides the occasional Cold Beer, to ward off the evening’s chill, Jones and I have kind of outgrown all that other stuff. Life is much simpler and more enjoyable now.

Jim Jones is also a dandy songwriter.  He’s penned a number of songs that have been nominated for awards.  His albums are entertaining, as are his performances.

The coolest thing, however, is that the Academy of Western Artists chose Jim Jones as the 2008 Male Vocalist.  I think it is recognition that is well deserved and has been a long time coming.  Check him out atwww.jimjonesmusic.com.

The main thing, however, that I appreciate about Jim Jones is that he has become a good and true friend of mine.  I enjoy his company.  But…. please don’t tell him that I was bragging on him.

NAPA OPERA HOUSE
This past December, Il Ling gave me a very wonderful birthday gift.  She got us tickets to attend a concert at the Napa Opera House, in Napa, California. The particular concert was a performance by John Sebastian and David Grisman.  Il Ling and I, and a few hundred over-the-hill hippies, thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

I knew Sebastian and Grisman by reputation, but had really never listened to their music. I have to tell you that it was pretty darned cool.  Sebastian thumb-picked his Gibson J-45 in the style of his hero, Mississippi John Hurt. The name of John’s band, The Lovin’ Spoonfulls, even came from one of Hurt’s old blues songs. Grisman, of course, is a past master on the mandolin.  An extremely entertaining evening.

However, the funniest part was the fact that there was some woman, sitting down at the end of our aisle, who sang along with every song in the first portion of the show. You can imagine how it annoyed the rest of us. Well, you can imagine how it surprised the rest of us when, in the second half of the show, Sebastian introduced Marie Muldaur to the stage.  Yep, it was her!  And she’s singing as great as she ever did.

So, whenever you’re out Napa way, be sure to check in at the Napa Opera House and see who they’ve got on the bill.  Actually, you’d better check in and order your tickets online because they sell out well in advance.

TEXAS COWBOY POETRY GATHERING/GRANADA THEATER
This past February, there was a great crowd in Alpine for the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Doris Daley & Dave Stamey headlined the evening shows and all of the sessions were well attended.

In keeping with our habit, for the past couple of years, I booked an evening show on Friday night following the traditional stage show. This year, we were honored to use the newly renovated Granada Theater. Karen Travland has really done a wonderful job of renovating this Alpine landmark.

We billed the event as “Jim Wilson & Friends” and I am pleased that a number of my friends showed up to help entertain the 200-plus folks that were in attendance.  Jim Jones, Dave Stamey, Kip Calahan, Randy Huston, Allen Chapman, Audrey Hankins, Mike Querner, and the Texas Trailhands, all made appearances.  And I’m sure that I’ve left someone out… if so, please forgive me.

It was a great evening and lots of fun. I want to especially thank my good friend Mark Pollock (www.transpecosguitars.com) for helping to organize the event and run the sound. So, you folks should plan to attend the 2010 Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, be sure to leave Friday night open. We’ll be having another “Jim Wilson & Friends” event and I sure hope that you are able to attend.

See ya down the road…..

Well, finally, here is my new web site. I will be updating it on a regular basis and sharing events, thoughts, and ideas, with you. If you have information or questions, you can reach me at jw.44@sbcglobal.net.

WEB SITE
Thanks go to my friend Carlos Vazquez for designing and maintaining this web site. I highly recommend his work and, if you’re needing a web site, or work done on an existing web site, you can contact him at Dichotomy Consulting. I think you’ll be pleased with his service.

WRITING ENDEAVORS
In the spring of 2008, I quit Shooting Times and Intermedia. Almost immediately, I began an association with NRA Publications. I’ve got a regular column (Straight Talk) in Shooting Illustrated, and I do feature articles for Shooting Illustrated, American Rifleman, and American Hunter magazines. In addition to that, you’ll see my articles in the various Wolfe publications, Handloader and Rifle magazines.

Joe Graham, John Zent, and the crew at the NRA, are great folks to work with and I am really enjoying this association. I’ll say the same for Don Polacek, Dave Scovill, and Roberta Scovill, at Wolfe Publishing Company. This change in writing jobs also brings with it the opportunity to do a lot more hunting and writing about hunting. As you can imagine, that just about broke my heart. But, in the words of that Great American John Wayne, “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do!”

TELEVISION WORK
In conjunction with my association with the NRA, I have also increased my television work. You’ll see my regular weekly segment on American Guardian TV on Wednesday nights, on the Outdoor Channel. And I am also featured on the American Rifleman show and the American Hunter show, also on the Outdoor Channel.

In fact, back in March, we had a great aoudad hunt down along the Rio Grande, in the Chinati Mountains of the Texas Big Bend. We filmed it for the American Hunter show and I think you’ll find it pretty exciting. I can tell you this, with the passing years; those mountains seem to be getting steeper. Must be a global warming thing.

So, anyway, welcome to my new web site. I hope that you enjoy it and will visit it often. I’ll do my best to have an update of some kind for you each month. Let me hear from you with your questions, thoughts, and ideas.

See ya down the road……

Sheriff Jim Wilson is the latest addition to the prestigious list of columnists featured monthly in Shooting Illustrated, The Definitive Source for The Modern Shooter. Wilson, arguably one of the most respected gun writers in the industry, has his first installment in the August issue of the magazine.

Wilson served as a Texas police officer in Crockett and Denton counties for nearly 30 years. In 1988 he was elected sheriff of Crockett County, a position he occupied until his retirement in 1996. Since then his byline has appeared in a variety of publications, covering firearms, ammunition, personal protection and much more.

“I can’t think of a better writer to provide accurate information on self-defense, facing down a bad guy or accurately depicting strategies or situations readers may someday encounter,” said Shooting Illustrated Editor in Chief Guy J. Sagi. “His column is named ‘Straight Talk,’ partly because of his style that has garnered such a loyal readership, but also because he will be delivering the truth about self-defense, without all the hype.”

For more information about Shooting Illustrated, visit www.shootingillustrated.com

To read the original news release at The Outdoor Wire, please click here.

My disillusionment with the police riot shotgun came to a head some years ago during the apprehension of a felony suspect. The bad guy was hit with a load of 00 buck. He did not go down. He did not even seem too uncomfortable about the whole affair. And finally, his injuries from the shotgun blast were not very serious. I quickly became very unimpressed with riot guns.

Now, you have to understand that back in those days, our shotguns were part of the equipment that stayed in the squad cars. You had to continually check to see if the gun was loaded or if there were extra shells in the car. And the buckshot loads we were issued were not purchased because they were the most powerful or gave the best patterns. That shotgun ammunition was selected because it was the cheapest ammo the city could buy.

Click here to read the rest of this post at Shooting Times.

Even an experienced law enforcement veteran like the Sheriff can benefit from good defensive firearms training. Here’s what he learned at a recent visit to Gunsite.

Let’s suppose for just a moment that you have recently completed your concealed-carry licensing class. You spent a few hours in a classroom, mainly going over your state’s pertinent laws, and you spent a few more hours on the shooting range, banging away at a rather large target–primarily demonstrating that you could do that without shooting yourself.

Now let’s fast-forward a couple of weeks to a dark, restaurant parking lot, where three armed thugs are intent on taking your money, your car, your lady friend, and your life. Wouldn’t that be a terrible time to realize that you really needed more training in order to adequately protect you and yours? When you think about it, only a fool would try to fly an airplane without first taking lessons. Trying to play the piano without lessons could also be life threatening, depending upon the temperament of your family and neighbors. Fortunately, there is good defensive training available, if the individual will only take advantage of it. And it could save your life–literally.

I have sung the praises of the Gunsite Academy from time to time in the pages of Shooting Times. Located in northern Arizona near the town of Paulden, Gunsite was founded in the mid-1970s by Col. Jeff Cooper, the father of the “Modern Technique of the Pistol.” Owen “Buz” Mills, the current owner, is dedicated to continuing the tradition begun by Col. Cooper and to providing realistic, practical defensive training for military, law enforcement, and honest citizens.

Read the rest of the article at Shooting Times.