Douglas Schumacher

As September 1st is just hours away, I'd like you all to know that its been a lot of fun working on this blog this summer.  No, I'm not leaving or discontinuing the blog.  (More readers would be nice, though.)I might get some of my friends to start authoring here, actually.  Its just that with school taking up 90% of my day, the blog won't get as much action as in August. (37 posts?!?)  Content will get posted, but just not as fast.  I'm aiming for 5 posts a week. Vortex Day, 9/10/111, is quickly approaching.  Nerf's Facebook Page still has the countdown, and I captured a really neat pic of it today.  Can't wait. Also, this blog has been running since May 30th.  3 months!  I'm planning on doing something for the 100th day. Happy Nerfing!

Nerf has posted a new video on their Vortex Launch Party that was in NYC about 2 weeks ago. Foam from Above was there, so click here to see all their posts on it. Happy Nerfing!

                                         I've now placed my order for that Dart Tag Speedload 6 I earned for doing that Nerfmobile stuff for my sister, Alainea.  See that video 9/1/2011.   Walmart has a great price for $10 and free shipping to home.  It should arrive between 9/1/2011 and 9/8/2011.  Reviews (written and video) will come as soon as I can make it.  By then Vortex will be days away!  Wow! Happy Nerfing!

My sister, Alainea, has created something called the Nerfmobile.  Here's a teaser  trailer for the real video, coming 9/1/2011. The video has supposed to have music, but Youtube just keeps processing the AudioSwap.  Its part funny, part showing her work.  She has agreed to buy me a Speedload 6 for all my help, so watch for that review.  I should have both the written and a video. Happy Nerfing!

I'm trying to develop a cheap blaster power test.  Some people have chronographs , but I'm trying something a little more 'old times.'  A marble and a tape measure. So this is how it works.  I shoot the marble with a blaster and I'll try to use the same darts for each blaster. Measure the distance it rolls and there you go.  The marble is just as accurate as my range test , though.  Watch the video for more info. Happy Nerfing!

I've had the " My Amory " page up on my blog for a few weeks, but now I got around to making a video about it. I'm hoping to get a Speedload 6, some of the new Dart Tag darts, a Vortex Proton, and some Vortex discs this month. Happy Nerfing!

I finally got around to doing that range test of all my blasters as I've said before.  The test is not that accurate- but gives you a general idea.  In the future, I'll do multiple shots and averages and the whole 9 yards.  For now, you can watch the tests. I explain how the darts skid.  I tried to shoot all blasters flat and with their specified dart (ie: What Hasbro puts on the box).  Sorry that the video is not better but I'm so tired and busy today that this is all I could do. Happy Nerfing!

Nerf's Facebook Page now has up a countdown to Vortex - less than 14 days.  That's a long wait- get here already!  Also, Nerf's Youtube Channel has a Vortex teaser, the video is almost identical as the Walmart one .  Here it is: Happy Nerfing!

I got back from my vacation 1 AM this morning (broke my fear of flying- yay!) , but now I'm ready to start Nerfing again.  My plan I set was way to ambitious.   We'll see how I'm feeling and how many chores I have to do.  Slow Nerf week- I'll have some posting coming your way in a couple of hours. Happy Nerfing!

JaRu is a little known blaster maker that makes cheap foam toys.  I found this at the dollar store- see what you think about it after the review...  Current Store Box Pros: Cheap ,  Can be modded to shoot darts 50+ feet, looks cool Cons: Shoots 10 feet stock, needs to be modded to be worth anything, can't buy more giant missiles, sticker peels, air leaks, loud, large  In the Box: Rocket Pumper, 1 Giant Missile  Facts: Gun Type:   Single-Shot  Ammo Capacity : 1  missile Ammo compatibility : Giant Missile Range:  "Far" -10 feet (I'll do a video test on this soon.) Editions:  1 + different colors Price:  $5 Other features :(NONE)  Overall Rating:   JaRu's blaster entries always have been terrible and will continue to be.  The Rocket Pumper shoots 10 feet with the missile included and needs to be modded (guide coming soon) to be worth anything.  Don't buy.  Its not even funny! 4.0 darts of of 10 *Questions?  Ask me in the comments belo

I'm taking a short vacation Monday Evening until Friday night to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.  (If you can offer any help to my fear of flying, please do tell me.) My family has a LONG story on the vacation planning from pop-up ads to snowstorm surprises.  If I ever have a huge break on Nerf news, I'll get around to tell it.  Anyway,  I'll have an Internet connection most of the time, even on the plane, to respond to comments and Tweet, but no blogging here unless there is a major Nerf emergency. I have 3 posts scheduled for this week to post automatically: Monday at 9:00 AM CST: JaRu Cyber Strike Rocket Pumper Review Wednesday at 9:00 AM CST: Buzz Bee Hunter Review Friday at 9:00 AM CST: Nerf N-Strike Reflex IX-1 Review Before school starts September 1st, I'll have up the Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Review, the Whiteout Whistler Darts review with comparison to past sonic/whistler darts, and a range test of all my blasters in my new Nerf Shooting Range- plus a

My little sister was watching Big Time Rush , a teen-singing group show, on Nick yesterday and she called me to the TV because they were using Nerf guns.  Of course, I was late but she said she recognized a Nerf and Buzz Bee gun.  So today, I watched it (the show is so annoying) just to see if she was joking, but then they pulled out the blasters and started shooting.  Here's a pic I captured: That's a Barricade RV-10 and other guy had a Buzz Bee Tommy 20. I did some more research on Nerf guns on BTR and found another instance: Some little kids are shooting a Raider CS-35, a Magstrike, and a Buzz Bee Tommy 20. Whenever other shows have blasters, they are usually painted so that they are almost unrecognizable.  Maybe Nick is just to lazy...  Also, I found out the the stars of the show love Nerf guns and play with them all the time.  Happy Nerfing!

 I was bored today, so I set up a Nerf Shooting Range in my basement. The target is on a door about 15 feet away from where it says "Shooting Range" on the floor.  I plan to do Nerf video reviews down here in the future with a better camara and a tripod. :) The second video shows me shooting at the target with a Spectre REV-5 with Buzz Bee darts.  Watch the videos for more info. Happy Nerfing!

I've talked about 3 of the Vortex blasters at Walmart, but now I'm wondering, where's the Proton?   So I contacted Walmart on this matter, and they have no clue about if the Proton will available.  Nothing. Happy Nerfing!

Shopko is a smaller chain retail store with locations around the US.  They do not normally get much Nerf attention, but when I was at my local Shopko I saw every Vortex item have a price tag on the shelf but no boxes.  So, after our "team" got in contact with  Jennifer Lemirande, Sr. Buyer II Toys at Shopko, here's what we learned: 1.  Shopko will have all the Vortex products on 9/10/11. 2. The Vortex blasters will be featured in that weeks circulatory. 3. Pricing- Proton and Vigilion, $20; Praxis, $30; Nitron, $55; Refill Pack, $5  4. When they come out, they should be 20% off (do your own math :-) ) On a side note: Shopko has great costumer service.  They responded to our emails within minutes. Happy Nerfing!

During the heat of a Nerf battle, have you ever had you gun horribly jam? When that happens, try throwing darts. Now some people may not allow you to do this at Nerf wars, but if you can, here's how. Grab the dart with your thumb and middle finders near the tip of the dart.  Then place your pointer/index finger on the hole on the back of the dart.  Lunge forward like you are throwing a baseball and push with your pointer/index finger. With the proper technique, you can hurl darts 40+ feet and with more practice accuracy can  become improved.  For any time your blasters fails, try throwing darts. Happy Nerfing! 

I was at my local Kmart this afternoon searching for Vortex blasters- and I almost found one!  In the middle of the Nerf stuff- I found a little tag on the shelf that said "Nerf Vortex Praxis."  The price was $30 but there were no boxes there.  So close. :-( So, after I got home, I had a little online chat with Kmart.  They said it would be restocked in a couple days possibly with other Vortex blasters.  We'll see. Happy Nerfing!

Kmart.com now has all six of the Nerf Vortex line products on their website !  Right now the Nitron is ready to preorder but the rest say that they are "out of stock" but will arrive shortly.  Some of the products are slightly overpriced, but lower than TRU.  The site indicates that they are available at some Kmart stores, but not mine. This is the first time I've seen the refill pack for sale anywhere.  Also, the picture of the Vigilion is wrong.  It shows a picture of the Proton.  Oh, well.  Mistakes happen. Happy Nerfing!

I don't do much modding myself and much rather like to admire other's work.  I was watching Drac's review on the Max Force Crossbow-65 when I was inspired to make a Nitefinder shoot the same(ish)  way.  This mod is also like a mini Big Bad Bow that shoots darts . So to do this mod, you'll need: Nitefinder Rubberbands (As many as you want) First, make sure the blaster is deprimed.  Then place one end of the rubberbands under the barrel and place the other end around the lip on the front to the priming handle.  Ta-da!  You now have a Nitefinder that shoots 5-10 feet farther.  Combined with other mods, you may be able to really blast away the competition. Note: After long use, there is the potential that this mod can ruin your blaster, like all other mods. *Warning:  Modifying Nerf guns can be dangerous if not done properly.  Never shoot modded blasters or darts at people if you would not want to be hit by it yourself.* Happy Nerfing!

I'm trying to make a logo for my blog because I feel like my blog needs some individuality and identification.  So, I quick made up one prototype for you to look at- it'll need more work but its a start.  More will be to come.  So tell me if you like it or don't- comment below. Happy Nerfing!

Walmart now has two different Nerf promo videos on their site- one for the Whiteout series and one for Vortex line.   Whiteout :  Shows Longstrike, Deploy, and Maverick (Halfway down page) Vortex :  Shows N-Strike vs Vortex (w/blasters) Happy Nerfing!

Hasbrotoyshop.com - Nerf's official place to buy Nerf blasters- now has all the new Vortex blasters available for preorder, but no refills.   They will ship on September 12th.  Prices are as what they should be, not like TRU's.  :-)  I'm still debating either to preorder here or wait until they are in my local stores... Happy Nerfing!

While reading my email today, I came across this week's Walmart e-mail newsletter.  Nerf has a small feature block and Nerf is also called a "hot summer essential."  Awesome! Happy Nerfing!

For many years, different stores have had exclusive Nerf blaster repaints.   Early on, Walmart sold Longshots and Recons in red.  Target used to have the Clear Series with red darts .  Toys R Us has the Sonic Series .  After years of drought, Walmart gets a new exclusive series- Whiteout! This blaster series (aka repaints) has a white base coat with blue, orange, and gray detailing.  These look very cool and earn a spot in a  collectors collection. Walmart currently has the Maverick, Longstrike, and Deploy on their website .  The Nitefinder should be coming soon.   Other Nerfers have spotted Whiteout Whistler and Streamline darts at Walmart.  Thanks Urban Taggers ! Happy Nerfing!

Now kmart.com has the new Nerf Vortex Nirton avalible for preorder.  Price is about the same as Walmart's, but not TRU's and itwould ship 9/10/11.  No other Vortex blasters on yet... Happy Nerfing!

How are everyone doing today!  After a week of away from Nerf, I had 70 Nerf blog posts to read.  Wow!  I've seen that a lot has happened in the Nerf world, and multiple posts should be up in the next 24 hours catching my blog up.  Until then, happy Nerfing!

Nerf N-Strike Spectre REV-5 is a Nerf gun that came out in 2010 in the store exclusive series.  You will only find it at Walmart.  The blaster is seen as an improvement from the good ol' Maverick REV-6 .  Is it?  Find out below.  Front of Box  Pros: Stock and barrel extension attachments, rarely jams, can be fired fast, barrel drops out for easy reloading, stock folds for close range Cons: Only 5 darts, some barrels can be duds, trigger becomes sticky, included barrel extention does nothing, stock is flimsy  In the Box:  Spectre, Folding Stock, Barrel Extention, 5 Whistler Darts Blaster Fully Assembled  Facts: Gun Type:    Revolver  Ammo Capacity : 5 darts Ammo compatibility : Suction (Buzzbee/Airzone and Nerf),  Whistler , Dart Tag, Streamline  Range:   Up to 30 feet (I'll do a test on this soon.)  Editions:  1  Price:  $20 Other features : Barrel rotates on cocking   Overall Rating:  The Spectre REV-5 was a good move by Hasbro.  They improved

Buzz Bee is known for its cheap and unusual foam dart blasters.  Their cheapest one, the Blow Blaster, can be stealthy and pack a small punch.  Is it worth it?  Find out below.  Current Packaging  Pros:  Silent but deadly, no cocking Cons: Can't share, makes weird sound when firing, large for what it needs to be, no modability  In the Box: Blow Blaster, Ammo holder, 6 Buzz Bee Suction Darts  Facts:  Gun Type: Single Shot  Ammo Capacity : 7 darts Ammo compatibility : Suction ( Buzzbee /Airzone and Nerf), Whistler, Dart Tag, Streamline (can have problems) Range:   Up to 25 feet (I'll do a test on this soon.)  Range all depends on user. Editions:  1 Price: $3- $5 Other features : Ammo holder slides on and holds six darts, you can load up to 7 darts into barrel and make a scatter effect  Overall Rating: For the occational stealth attack, save some money and buy a Blow Blaster.   Buzz Bee's cheap blaster entry is a win.  Using as a back-up is recomm

Hello everyone, From Sunday afternoon until Friday evening, I will be away at camp.  Until then, I'll be glad to help you.  I have some posts scheduled throughout the week, as follows: Monday at 9:00 am CST:  Buzz Bee Blow Blaster Review Wednesday at 9:00 am CST: Nerf N-Strike Spectre REV-5 Review Also, check out some of my favorite Nerf blogs to stay up-to-date: Nerf Mods and Reviews Urban Taggers. SgNerf Basic Nerf Foam From Above Happy Nerfing!

On an adventure to find the Vortex blasters today, I saw at a Target the new Dart Tag darts in a 16 dart refill pack for $5.  These are apparently really great darts and so I would get some. Happy Nerfing!

The Reflex IX-1 is a very small but powerful pistol.  Ever wish you could make it feel  beefier and more powerful.  Here's how: Normally, I load my Reflex like this. Instead of pushing the cocking mechinishem back and then forward, just pull it back and let it sit there.  Then pull the trigger and you'll feel a slight jolt.  There's your recoil.  Happy Nerfing!

I've been searching around the Internet for the new Vortex blasters and found them for preorder on Amazon.com.  It took me a while to find them because they do not come up with a "Nerf Vortex" search. Nerf Vortex Proton : $15 Nerf Vortex Vigilion : $22 Nerf Vortex Praxis : $30 Nerf Vortex Nitron : $55 (No Tech Packs or Refill Packs) The Nitron has some reviews on it also.  All blasters will have free shipping if you order $25 worth and will be released on September 1st.  (My first day of school!) If you don't know what the Vortex blasters are, check out Nerf.com's Vortex Site or this post .

As the Gear Up/Vortex codes  for nerfvortex.com are starting to get posted around the Internet, I thought I'd make a nice catalog of codes for others to use. From Maverick, for info on Proton: Xc4T9r (from Drac ) From Barricade, for info on Vigilion: B3pU5e (from Drac ) From Recon, for info on Praxis: w2p95t (from spirttacks23 ) From Raider, for info on Nitron: md8RK3 (from Drac )   I'm sure that there are more codes out there, but this is a start If you want to see exclusive Vortex videos, pics, and info, these are the codes.  If you have a code you want to share, tell me in the comments below.   Have fun! Update: After doing more research, it seems that all the Gear Up codes are the same for each blaster.  Plus, I tried telling people about my list of Vortex codes, but they flaged it as spam.  I just want to help people!  Have a good "Pre-Friday Eve."

Nerf now has their official Vortex site up.  (This is not the Gear-Up one.)  Go there to check out some Vortex info.  While there, I found that Hasbro has six Vortex products releasing.  Here's a recap: Blasters: Proton- A basic single shot pistol , 3 discs, $10 Vigilion- A multi-shot pistol with internal drop-down magazine, 5 discs, $16 Praxis- A pump action rifle with removable stock and 10-disc removable magazine, 10 discs, $25 Nitron- A full auto blaster with electric scope and  20-disc removable magazine, 20 discs, $40 (plus cost of 6 C batteries and 2 AAA batteries) Disc and Clips: Vortex Tech Pack:  An extra 10-disc magazine for the Praxis or Nitron, 10 discs, $8 Vortex Refill Pack: A pack of 10 discs that work in any Vortex blaster, 10 discs, $5 As soon as I can find the Proton, I'll buy it and a refill pack, too.  What Vortex blaster do you want?  Tell me in the comments.  Let's find those guns!

I've had two online chats with Kmart customer service, and for now I know that Kmart will not have the Vortex blasters really soon. (But I could be wrong.). They will most likely come out on 9/10/11. They will sent me an email as soon as it's online, though.

Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 is a relatively new blaster, as it came out last year.  The fastest firing Nerf blaster combines speed and accuracy with ease.  Get your Barricade RV-10 today!  Front of Current Box  Pros: Fast firing (4 darts a second), no cocking, accurate built-in sight, large handle and trigger Cons: Ammo goes fast, flywheels are noisy-so no stealth, needs 3 AAA batteries to fire, occasionally jams  In the Box: Barricade, 10 Whistler Darts, Instructions, Yellow Stock (If you purchased Bonus Edition)  Back of Current Box  Facts: Gun Type: (Motorized) Semi-Auto  Ammo Capacity : 10 darts Ammo compatibility : Suction (Buzzbee/Airzone and Nerf), Whistler , Dart Tag, Streamline (can have problems) Range:   Up to 30 feet (I'll do a test on this soon.)  Editions:  4 (Yellow/Black-Current, Yellow/Black with bonus yellow stock-Current, Transformers-Current, Gear Up-Current) Price: $15-$20 Other features : HugeTactical Rail on top, Strap loop on h

Hello all fellow citizens of Nerf Nation, I've now seen the Vortex blasters and clips on toysrus.com - they are available for preorder but like always are $5 more than other stores. (Go with walmart.com , they have better pricing.) Also, target.com has the pictures, but no descriptions or prices, of the Vortex blasters. As of today, K-Mart has no Vortex info on their site. Watch here for more Nerf News.  If you have found blasters at a local store of yours or have any opinions on the Vortex blasters, tell me in the comments.  Hope you had a great Monday!