When most people think of surviving a nuclear attack, they envision a massive explosion, physical devastation, and the inevitable radiation issues. While these are all important factors, people also need to worry about an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) created the explosion.
The EMP could do just as much if not more long-term devastation than the nuclear explosion, but few people understand what it is and how it works. We’ll examine the facets of an EMP and what you can do to protect your family and yourself from its aftereffects.
If there is a attack on American soil or in the atmosphere, you need to know how to prepare for a nuclear attack.
What Happens During a Nuclear Explosion?
There are two ways a nuclear attack can happen. It can be detonated on the ground or in the upper atmosphere. A ground attack would create a devastating explosion that would obliterate almost everything within a few miles of the explosion.
There would be shockwave created by the explosion that would knock down buildings and almost everything else in it’s past. Once the explosion is over, there is radiation exposure based on wind directions and proximity to the blast site.
The blast also creates an EMP that could knock out all electrical equipment within a certain radius of the blast.
If the detonation happens in the atmosphere, then the primary danger would be radiation fallout and the EMP, which could impact a far greater number of devices.
The EMP could knock out power, cars, telecommunications, the Internet and any other electronic devices within its range.
What is an EMP?
An EMP is an energy burst that can impact turned on electrical devices and power stations. It causes a large pulse of electricity to flow through wiring such as power lines or even cell phones.
They can occur naturally through solar storms or through nuclear explosions. The exact impact the EMP would have on society is unknown as there has not been much testing on the situation.
An EMP attack could cause major short-term and long-term chaos by disrupting power and telecommunications systems throughout the nation.
Due to American’s reliance on electronics, the Internet and automated systems, the impact could include a complete shutdown of the electrical grid and infrastructure leading to years of problems.
How an EMP caused by a nuclear attack would impact the United States depends on where it was detonated and the power of the bomb. There are three distinct pulses created during a nuclear explosion.
The first is a blast of electromagnetic radiation created soon after the explosion. This EMP impacts only a small area. The second emp comes soon after the first and is like electromagnetic lightning, which causes little damage.
When the nuclear explosion pushes against the earth’s magnetic field, it creates an EMP that impacts a large area and is the one commonly associated with causing widespread devastation.
How to Prepare for a Nuclear Attack
Like any major doomsday scenario, survival depends on your preparation. We’ll discuss what can be done about two main concerns: the blast and radiation.
As with any emergency, you must be prepared to survive for several days or even weeks on your own. This includes a supply of food and water, blankets, flashlights and medication and first-aid supplies, etc. This is simply a disaster preparedness kit that you need for all situations.
If you have enough warning to get into your basement or fallout shelter before the explosion, then be prepared for a large boom followed by the shockwave. Depending on your proximity, your home and anything else above ground could be destroyed.
If you can’t get to the basement, then get under a desk or other surface.
Radiation fallout will be considerable near the blast site and decrease the further out it goes. There is still nuclear fallout in the air and will follow the path of winds in the area. This could extend the range of the fallout for many miles and last for many days or weeks.
It’s best to not go outside unless given the all-clear that the radiation has passed. It’s possible to protect yourself from some radiation by taking iodine pills. If you have or are building a fallout shelter, then you’ll need at least 5 inches of steel, two feet of packed earth, three feet of water or 16 inches of brick to protect from radiation.
You’ll also need an air filtration system or oxygen system independent from outside air as it can bring the radiation into the shelter.
How to Prepare for the EMP
Since the EMP impacts electrical equipment, turn off all necessary equipment prior to the blast. It will keep them from shorting out.
The only thing to protect electronics active during the blast is a Faraday cage. It’s a cage constructed of conductive material that blocks electromagnetic fields. It’s the only thing that can protect electronics from an EMP blast.
You can build one yourself or purchase them pre-made. Once the EMP hits, it could be a martial law situation. It could be weeks or months before some semblance of normality appears and not everyone will be as prepared as you.
When the radiation clears and you exit your shelter, you could run into mobs of people seeking food and shelter or sick and injured people suffering from radiation burns. There could be starving animals that attack on-site and other dangers.
It’s important to be able to protect yourself and your family until law and order can be restored.
You Can Survive a Nuclear Attack
Whether the attack is caused by a foreign nation, terrorists or natural events, preppers can survive a nuclear attack and EMP blast. Follow these prepper tips and you’ll be able to protect your family from one of the deadliest threats to mankind.
You'll know how to prepare for a nuclear attack and save the day. If you would like to no more about preparing for disasters frugally, then please explore the rest of our site.
Mastering a skill feels amazing. Expressing basic competency feels pretty good. Getting started, however, tends to feel more grating than great.
You can't become competent, or a master, if you don't take that first step. Learning how to mount a scope represents a crucial step in shooting mastery. Knowing what goes into the mounting process teaches you about the variations in sight to the target.
These days, with modern barrel crafting, accuracy is less an art of working with a gun and learning its peculiarities and more about gear. Learn to calibrate your gear—and your accuracy will improve.
Read on to find out how to mount your scope like a pro, and start hitting that bulls-eye every time!
How to Mount a Scope Simply
When attached properly, a scope enables a shooter (you) to hit a target regularly with confidence.
Achieving a tight grouping takes a few extra steps, and isn't possible with a scope aiming degrees and inches off of your barrel.
Aligning a scope properly is one of the key goals of mounting a rifle scope yourself.
Mounting breaks down into four broad steps: equipment needed, prep, mounting, and calibrating.
Equipment
Be careful in this first stage. The scope you intend to mount comes with instructions and reading those always pays off. Specifically, you need to understand the diameter of your scope to ensure it fits the rings you pick up or that came with your rifle.
In addition to the scope and rings, you need a screwdriver, a cradle or vice, some degreasing agent, and some thread locking compound. A pre-built kit provides all the tools and materials needed for scope mounting.
Additionally, a torque wrench is handy, but not an absolute necessity. Alignment rods also help but can be worked around.
Prep
Prepare your mounting area by attaching your vice/cradle to a solid bench. You want the rifle stabilized and level.
Before putting a rifle into position, make certain it is unloaded. Remove the bolt or firing pin and ensure it's pointed in a safe direction. Wipe down the rail or mounting base and your rings with the degreaser.
Work in a well-lit area that gives you room to move to the side and behind the gun.
Mounting
How to properly mount a scope differs slightly between different scope bases. Picatinny rails and Weaver-style mount bases require different steps.
Rings
Mounting the base of the rings is the only step that changes from one rifle type to another. For a Picatinny, you clamp the ring bases to the rail and tighten the screws to lock. Leave some room in the screw and don't torque them at this stage.
For a Weaver base, the rings screw into the top of the rifle. Again, you want to tighten them but leave yourself room for adjustment.
Dovetail rings screw into the ring base via angular movement instead of a screwdriver. Always use a wooden dowel or alignment rod to twist the rings down, never use your scope as it bends the housing and can affect the optics.
Once your ring's bases are attached you want to test that the scope rests level between the rings. Use alignment rods to confirm the rings won't distort or bind the scope.
When you are comfortable with the positioning, lock down the bases screws with locking compound. Don't worry about the inability to adjust the scope further with the base locked down. There is plenty of room for those adjustments in the rings.
Remove the tops of the rings to set in the scope.
Attach Scope
Place the scope in the cradle of the ring bases. Make sure that the scope is the right way in the bases. The objective and ocular bells should be outside of the rings, not touching either.
You want to position the scope according to three maxims.
First, you want the scope to be as close to the barrel as you can mount it without touching the barrel.
Second, you need the scope to be out of the way of the bolt or other firing levers. Nothing should touch or bump the scope (including your finger between).
Third, the eye relief should rest in front of your face where it is easy to look through but not so close you smack yourself in the face on recoil.
Level Reticle
Look through the scope and adjust the reticle until the vertical and horizontal alignment is precise.
Place a level and an anti-cant indicator on the scope to confirm its level with the rifle.
Tighten it Down
With everything level, attach the ring tops and screw them down until firm. Alternate half turns on the screws all the way around until they are tight. You want even spacing between the ring halves so the alignment is maintained.
Don't use locking compound on the rings. You may need to perform other adjustments or to attach a different scope of the same diameter in the future.
Calibrate and Adjust
With the scope mounted, you still need to do some gross adjustment and fine-tuning before you're done. Use a boresight to make this easier.
The goal here is to make sure the bore and the scope are centerlined. Adjust the axis of the windage turrets until the center of your reticle lines up with a target between 25 and 50 yards.
You want to hit a range and bench test the rifle at 100 yards to zero. A few shots in and a few more twists of the windage turrets will put your reticle on the target.
While not a complete myth, accuracy improvements beyond 200 yards are rare enough that you shouldn't sight for it. Sighting to 100 yards is as accurate as you need, from there it's up to you to know the drop on your ammo and the crosswinds.
Now You Know How to Mount Your Scope
Even if you outsource your scope mounting to a gunsmith, it's still good that you understand how to mount a scope. It will help you get the most out of your shooting experience.
If you found this DIY post useful for your firearms, be sure to share it, and check back for more great articles across a range of topics.
Duck hunting has a long and proud tradition. However, if you're going to try your hand at waterfowl hunting, you need to make sure you have the right duck hunting gear.
It's not always easy to know the essentials that you need to get started as a duck hunter. Check out our list below!
1. Shotgun
It's obvious that you need a shotgun to get started. Many duck hunters claim that you need to purchase a special waterfowl shotgun.
However, any shotgun is fine for beginners. You should probably search for a pump or semi-automatic shotgun rather than a double barrel gun though.
Additionally, you should get a 12-gauge gun. However, for close-range shots, 20 gauge is also suitable. However, if you already own a shotgun, you don't need to buy a new one to get started.
If you are using a hunting rifle instead, don't forget to add the scope to your gun for better accuracy.
2. Hunting Jacket
If you're serious about duck hunting, you need to buy a hunting jacket. This can give you a better chance of getting a decent shot at your target.
Of course, the best hunting jackets are camouflaged according to your surroundings.
This may change from season to season. For example, greens for spring and summer, browns for fall and winter.
You also want to ensure that you have a matching hat and a pair of gloves for the colder temperatures. Ensure the gloves are waterproof for rainy weather too.
3. Waders
If you're planting decoys and collecting targets, you need to wear waders to keep your clothes dry. There's nothing fun about getting soaking wet when duck hunting.
4. Nontoxic Shells
By law, you're only permitted to hunt ducks with non-toxic shells.
You don't necessarily need to buy anything expensive. But, ensure that you're not breaking the rules. Just go for any modern steel shells to be on the safe side.
5. A Bunch of Duck Decoys
You don't always need duck decoys. However, it can significantly help you when you first get started as a hunter.
You don't have to buy too many decoys either. Just a few duck decoys can help you to attract targets.
The best type of duck decoy is a mallard. They're effective for any duck species targets.
6. Duck Calls
You also need a couple of duck calls. You should especially ensure you have a whistle to sound out targets.
It's also handy to own a mallard call. This is the duck call that appeals to almost any duck species.
7. Something to Pass the Time
You need to be patient while you're duck hunting. Anything to pass the time can help you stay motivated during a tough hunt.
Many duck hunters enjoy this vaping collection while they're hiding out. You need to decide what's your distraction to keep you occupied.
Duck Hunting Gear Essentials
Duck hunting can be a great outdoor activity. However, if you don't have the right duck hunting gear, you'll miss out on the fun.
Once you have everything on our essentials list, you're ready to head to the water for an afternoon of waterfowl hunting.
Did you enjoy this article? Read more about outdoor activities such as hunting in our Lifestyle section. You can also share the article with your duck hunting friends on social media.
