All posts by moondog

Tom "Moondog" DelMundo is a former NYC Creative Director.

Discovery Scope Bubble Level

It’s hard to believe, but you can improve your long range accuracy for less than $20 by simply attaching a spirit bubble level to your scope. Discovery Optics makes such an accessory. It’s a spirit level mounted in a metal ring which you can clamp onto your scope tube to you can read the angle and levelness of your scope and rifle setup.

If your scope is not 100% directly above your rifle bore, which can happen as you press your cheek to your stock or simply adjusting your shooting position, or when setting up a hasty shooting position, this can create a slight canted angle either to the right or left of center. This will in turn can make your shot land ever so slightly to the right or left of your aim point. By assuring your scope is level to your bore with a spirit level, you can avoid this simple mistake.

This scope level is made of aircraft grade 6061 aluminum alloy with an easy-to-read bubble bead in the spirit tube. It comes with two ring adapters allowing the bubble level to be mounted on either 1″ (25.4mm), 30mm, or 34mm scope tubes. It is probably the best $20 you’ll spend on your scope set up.

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10% discount code Moondog7075

Amazon https://amzn.to/3D8MfvD

Discovery Optics website https://discoveryopt.com/ 

SHOT2025 Primary Arms HTX-1

Like many Americans, I’ve always been conflicted when buying products made in China because of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). The sad reality is that most red dot optics are made in China. I was surprised to learn that Primary Arms was producing a US-made micro-reflex sight.

I was excited to see it firsthand. It promises to be a very advanced design with one of the lowest bases of any MRD. This one is low enough to use factory iron sights on a MOS cut Glock slide. It is also one of the more expensive MRDs on the market at $650. It will be available on the Primary Arms website later in April

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Primary Arms website https://alnk.to/1C8yIFX

SHOT 2025 Arken Outlier Micro-Action Rifle

At SHOT Show 2025 Outlier Micro-Action rifle won “The Most Innovative Rifle” award. I stopped by the Arken booth to see it. Bobby, one of its principal designers, walked me through the features.

Outlier started with a Mini-Action receiver, which allows for left or right handed loading of cartridges into the chamber, and minimized it even further to a 1″ wide arch that holds the 3-lug bolt to the chassis. This reduces the cost and weight of the rifle by removing unnecessary parts. Moreover, they added their patented Backdraft suppressor barrel which uses the barrel sleeve as the primary dissipation chamber for the suppressor can.

The entire rifle weighs less than 6lbs yet provides the stiffness of a standard rifle system. Perfect for backcountry hunters or military sniper units. My only concern was the possibility of building up heat in the barrel which Benchrest and F/Class shooters avoid but Outlier promises a sub-MOA rifle or your money back.

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Outlier https://www.getoutlier.com/search-products

TMI 250312

Aura https://aura.com/moondog

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NAME THE BRAND CLUE

This brand is the first decentralized digital cryptocurrency

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DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

Crypto
cryptocurrencycrypto-currency, or colloquially, crypto, is a digital currency designed to work through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. As of June 2023, there were more than 25,000 other cryptocurrencies in the marketplace, of which more than 40 had a market capitalization exceeding $1 billion.

Currency Exchange fluctuations https://www.westernunion.com/blog/en/us/what-causes-exchange-rates-to-change/?cust_src=organic_search

CONTESTS

NAME THE BRAND CLUE:

This cryptocurrency was invented in 2008 by an unknown entity or programmer under the pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto[5] It is the most widely traded and held cryptocurrency.

HASHTAG DRAWING #bitcoin

Next Livestream Wed March 19

SHOT 2025 March FX PRS 5-42×56

March Scopes makes some of Japan’s highest-performance competition rifle scopes and true World Beaters. At SHOT Show 2025, they showed off a refinement of their flagship PRS scope and a new concept prototype, the March Tracking Scope.

The PRS has been updated with a PRS-specific reticle and new turrets. A brilliant and practical feature is the writable white-board surface treatment allowing competition shooters to write notes and symbols onto the turrets using pencils or erasable markers. Shooters no longer have to mess around with attaching masking tape to their turrets before each match.

MARCH SCOPES

https://marchscopes.com

CVLife Eagle Blaze 5-25×56 FFP

Before I knew anything about high power scopes, I purchased a CVLife 6-24×50 AOR scope for my AR15 and happily used it at 100 yard targets. It was basic, out-dated, but cheap, and surprisingly reliable. “Walmart” quality is where I’d position their scopes, but recently they’ve attempted to bring themselves up to the level of “Target” or “Sheels”.

The Eagle Blaze is CVLife’s most ambitious attempt to date to put out a true long-range optic. The scope has 5-25x magnification range, a usable first focal plane (FFP) Christmas tree reticle, a zero stop, and using Japanese ED glass. On paper this looks like a legitimate PRS-style scope with an eyebrow raising $299 street price.

To achieve this low price, there must be compromises. The turrets are user resetable with a coin, come with a zero-stop ring lock, and have audible and tactile positive clicks. But they have a flaw. Unless the turret top is insanely cinched down, the turret will turn lose after locking down losing, rendering its push-to-lock feature useless.

In my testing I found that twisting free a “locked” turret does not move the reticle. It essentially makes the turret free floating. You are better off leaving the turret in the up-position at all times, otherwise your numbers will not sync to your zero.

Optically, the ED glass did reduce chromatic aberration. But in low light (in a shaded target cove), the scope lost a lot of detail and contrast. While this is a liability to hunters who need the ability to take game after sunset, the Eagle Blaze is a surprisingly good scope in broad daylight.

CVLife continues to improve the quality and features of their long-range optics line. This scope fumbled the execution but the play was solid. I look forward to a correction and improvement soon.

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EagleBlaze 5-25×56 FFP Rifle Scope: https://bit.ly/3EHVhQG

15% discount code: UNBWS5AV

Amazon https://amzn.to/4kxDxHX

RESOLUTION

Group -1 / Element 3

SPECS

EAGLE BLAZE FFP

Magnification: 5x-25x

Objective: 56mm

Tube: 34mm

FOV: 26.2′-5.24’@100 yds

Eye Relief: 3.6”

Wind Adj: 160 MOA

Elev Adj: 160 MOA

Click Value: 1/4 MOA

Parallax: 30 yrds – Infinity

Length: 14.6″

Weight :32 oz

Fenix SW05R Clip-On EDC

The Fenix SW05R is a compact wearable flashlight with a flat form factor It has a lightweight polymer body, with a magnetic tail, a broad belt clip, and a rotating emitter head. The head can turn over 180º to aim the beams giving the user flexibility in aiming the beams depending on where the flashlight is attached.

The unit is recharged via a USB-C cable and activated by pressing either the grey main button on the back or the red side-button. This flashlight comes in two versions, a red light and UV flashlight. To activate the flashlight, the button must be pressed for over a second, which prevents accidental activation.

The belt clip is a split design. The wider outer section is nearly the width of the flashlight (over 1″) and the thinner center clip is small enough to fit into a pen loop. The flashlight can be clipped onto a hat brim, backpack strap, or pocket.

The maximum beam output is only 150 lumens but its beam has a surprisingly long throw of over 120 ft. While wearing the SW05R, the 150 lumens is ideal for illuminating most objects being manipulated within arm’s reach. The flashlight has a secondary red LED light which is useful for preserving natural night vision, desired by astronomers, naturalists, and night hikers.

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Get 10% off use code: AF-MOONDOG

Fenix https://alnk.to/eDSFSD5

Amazon https://amzn.to/4bcm4Ri

SPECS

SW05R / UV

Max Lumens: 150

Max  Throw: 128 feet (39m)

Max Runtime: 49 hours

Modes: Low, med, high, red, red flash

Lens Material: Polycarbonate

Color Temperature: ~6500K

Size: Length: 2.72” (69mm) 

Width: 1.14” (29mm) 

Height: 0.63” (16mm)

Weight: 1.90 oz. (24g)

Battery: 700mAh battery

Power Input: USB-C

Warranty: Limited Lifetime

RPR Ammo Test: Fiocchi Range Dynamics vs CCI Standard

https://youtu.be/PYx6Z7e28iQ

Founded in 1876 in Lecco, Italy, Fiocchi is one of the oldest ammo brands in the world. Range Dynamics (RD) is their everyday ammo line intended for training and target practice. Their 22LR cartridge is loaded at the Fiocchi USA plant in Ozark, Missouri.

Testing both in my factory Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle (RPR), Range Dynamics zero’d out quite easily. RD grouped quite well, but not as tightly as CCI Standard.

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Discovery Optics LHD

Discovery Optics website use 10% Off code Moondog: https://www.discoveryopt.com/DISCOVERYOPT-LHD-8-32X56SFIR-FFP-Z-optics-Scopes.html

Amazon 10% discount code: Moondog832 https://amzn.to/3Ck6nu2

RESULTS

CCI Standard Velocity V
Avg. Group Size: 1.52″
Average: 1.45 MOA
Mean Radius: .49″ / 0.46 MOA

Fiocchi Range Dynamics
Avg. Group Size: 2.07″
Average: 1.97 MOA
Mean Radius: .76″ /.73 MOA

TMI 250305

Aura https://aura.com/moondog

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NAME THE BRAND CLUE

This major US food company was founded in 1877 in Ravenna, OH. In August 2001, this brand was acquired by PepsiCo for $14 billion.

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WORD OF THE WEEK: LENT

The English word Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word lencten, meaning “spring season“. Lent is the most solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter.

It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of MatthewMark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.

Lent is observed by Roman Catholics by fasting (tradional), abstenence of eating meat on Fridays during this 40 day period. In addition, Catholics choose to a Lenten sacrafice “Give up something for lent”. Examples include, sweets, snacks, entertainment, social-media, and technology.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

Intermitant Fasting research NIH https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2019/12/fast-or-not-fast
In some animals, certain fasting diets seem to protect against diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
Study results

“In mice, we’ve seen that one of the effects of fasting is to kill damaged cells, and then turn on stem cells,” explains Longo. Damaged cells can speed up aging and lead to cancer if they’re not destroyed. When stem cells are turned on, new healthy cells can replace the damaged cells.

Baylor College Dawn to Dusk Fasting https://www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found more evidence that dry fasting (fasting without food or liquid intake) from dawn to dusk can play an important role in overall health. In a new study published in Metabolism Open, researchers found that fasting from dawn to dusk for four weeks has an anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic effect on the proteins in a type of immune cell called a peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC).

Dry Fasting for 7 days Dark Horse Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPMYUyPCTxI

A study found that Holocaust survivors had a 6.5 month longer life expectancy than those who left Poland before the war. 
One study found that Holocaust survivors in Israel lived an average of seven years longer than their non-Holocaust peers. 

CONTESTS

NAME THE BRAND CLUE:

Despite its logo illustration this company has never had any ties with the Religious Society of Friends. The illustration was the trademark brand image to be registered in US in 1877.

HASHTAG DRAWING #Quaker

Next Livestream Wed March 9 (Ev Brady)

SHOT 2025 Monstrum Tactical

Monstrum Tactical makes some of the most underrated budget scopes available. Many cost less than $300. But they are one of the most innovative optics companies in the industrial design of their scopes.

At last year’s SHOT Show they showcased their Archangel concept LPVO which looked like a prop out of Mass Effect or HALO. Due to positive interest and comments to my booth visit video, Monstrum pushed forward with changes to create an affordable producible Archangel 1-6x and 1-10x LPVO for this year’s show.

This year, the concept LPVO was the Terminator, with a crazy large sun shade that makes it look like a prop out of Star Trek. Like the Archangel, if there is enough popular support of this design, Monstrum will create a production model for next year’s show.

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Monstrum Tactical https://monstrumtactical.com/archangel-1-6×24-first-focal-plane-lpvo-series/