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Luke Hartle

10 Top Bolt-Action Rifles For Hunting And More (2024)

For hunting or shooting, these bolt-action rifles are at the top of their game.

The top bolt-action rifles:

Things are getting really complex around here. From precision rifles with micro-adjusting stocks, to a flood of black striker-fired pistol options, to ARs with enough handguard attachment room that it’s quite literally possible to make that gun too heavy to carry — there’s a lot going on in the world of new guns right now.

Don’t break your neck reading too hard between the lines: Each one of those categories has its place, and I enjoy tinkering with all new guns more than most. But with all that happening, the classic bolt-action sporting rifle platform has been all but overlooked. And that’s a shame, because there’s nothing more therapeutic than slow-rolling a buttery bolt and watching a round slide up into a hungry, long-action chamber.

Here’s a nod to those who are not only keeping the sporting bolt-gun heritage alive, but who are making impressive improvements on a platform that was never broken to begin with.

Franchi Momentum

Franchi Momentum bolt-action
Known exclusively for its waterfowl, sporting and upland shotguns, Franchi enters 2018 by not just dipping their toes into the sporting bolt-action world, but by going all in with their Italian influenced Momentum. Leading the momentum of the Momentum (sorry, couldn’t help it), is the stock, which combines raised curves and checkering in the hold areas of frequently used shooting positions.

Let me say it like this: Think about where you put your hands to support the rifle while shooting from prone, or kneeling, or sitting — or while shooting offhand. The Momentum features unique grips in each of these locations.

In addition, the tri-lug bolt is spiral fluted for a rock-solid lockup and features a short 60-degree throw. While I appreciate the convenience of a rotary box magazine, Franchi chose to go with the more classic hinged floorplate mag, which I like. During some shooting of the Momentum prototypes, I had suggested that Franchi etch an elegant “F” on the belly of the floorplate to further distinguish the fine Italian craftsmanship within, but I’ve yet to see that come to fruition. Maybe on a Gen 2 model?

I also appreciate that I could still operate the bolt with the two-position safety engaged, and the single-stage trigger is adjustable from 2-4 pounds and is built to impress — especially on a rifle of this price point.

Other features include a TSA recoil pad; and a cold-hammer-forged, chrome-molybdenum, free-floating threaded barrel. The 6.6-pound Momentum has an impressive offering of calibers and color options right out of the gate.

MSRP: Starts at $799

Mauser M18

Mauser-M18-Savanna-feature


More than 120 years ago, the introduction of the M98 action transformed everything that was known about bolt-action rifle design. While the M18 Mauser isn’t as monumental as the M98 was in its day, the level of quality Mauser has brought to the budget-friendly sporting rifle category is equally as jaw-dropping.

According to Mauser, the goal of the M18 is to return the art of rifle building to its original form — pure, no-frills workmanship — by offering a genuine tool for genuine hunters with a sensational price-to-performance ratio.

Features of the M18 include a three-position safety system that acts directly on the trigger lug, soft grip inlays on the grip and forend, a removable double-row five-shot magazine, cold-hammered barrel and an adjustable direct-action trigger.

Unique to the M18 is what Mauser is calling a “multi-purpose-cap,” which consists of a quickly removable butt pad that opens to allow access to an in-stock storage compartment. The rifle is currently offered with in different configurations and caliber options include .223 Rem., .243 Win., .270 Win., 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .30-06 Spring., 7mm Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag.

MSRP: Starts at $901

Bergara B-14 Ridge

Bolt-Action-Bergara


If you’re seriously shopping for a bolt-action sporting rifle and have yet to look under the hood of a Bergara, your search simply is not complete. New for 2018, the B-14 Ridge features a molded synthetic, glass-fiber reinforced polymer stock, which adds as much strength to the rifle as is does beauty. A SoftTouch coating is then applied to create a soft yet tacky feel for exceptional grip. The Bergara 4140 CrMo steel barrel is finished in matte blue and available in a 22-inch (7.9 pounds) and 24-inch (8.1 pounds) configurations. B-14 Ridge stocks are bedded with integral pillars for stability and enhanced accuracy, and the barrel is threaded to accept muzzle brakes or suppressors.

And, of course, what would a Bergara rifle be without mentioning the Spanish Bergara barrel around which this rifle is built? The action is Bergara’s own B-14 Action, featuring a two-lug bolt with a sliding plate extractor and a “coned” bolt nose and breech to create ultra-smooth feeding and extraction. The Bergara curved trigger comes set at near 3 pounds, and the action is drilled and tapped to fit Remington 700 style rings and bases.

The B-14 Ridge is available in: .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win., .22-250 Rem., 450 Bushmaster, 7mm-08, 6.5 PRC, .30-06 Spring., .270 Win., .300 Win. Mag., 7mm Rem Mag, 300 PRC and 7mm PRC.

MSRP: Starts at $929

Mossberg Patriot LR Hunter

Mossberg Patriot LR Hunter
It’s been a handful of years since Mossberg first unveiled the Patriot, and the family of Patriot rifles has continued to grow each year since. To date, Patriot models include: Hunting, Vortex-scoped combos, Night Train, Youth, and Predator— with stocks available in either walnut or synthetic. For 2020, Mossberg added the Patriot LR Hunter to the lineup.

The entire Patriot line is best known for Mossberg’s LBA (Lightning Bolt Action) Adjustable Trigger, which is adjustable from 2 to 7 pounds and designed to eliminate creep. The Patriot’s button-rifled fluted barrels are free-floated and have a recessed crown, and the spiral-fluted bolt features an ergonomic bolt angle and knurled bolt handle for quick cycling of the action. They’re sweet-looking rifles.

New features on the LR Hunter include its Monte Carlo stock with machined aluminum bedding pillars, a fluted and threaded barrel and an ergonomically shaped stock with grips that are ideal for both benchrest and field shooting. The stock is also polymer-coated to provide a micro-texture surface for an improved grip.

The Patriot LR Hunter is available in either .308 Winchester, .300 Win. Mag., 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC.

MSRP: $847

Savage Impulse

Savage Impulse bolt-action
When most people hear “straight-pull bolt-action”, they think of European rifles. Understandable, as the system was pioneered by Mannlicher and is probably best known for its use in the Swiss K31. Savage was looking to change that perception in 2021 when they introduced the Savage Impulse. An American-designed and made straight-pull rifle, the Savage Impulse utilizes modern manufacturing methods to create a system that’s smoother, faster and at least as accurate existing straight-pull rifles.

The Impulse uses what Savage calls the Hexlock action, which features six ball bearings and corresponding detents as opposed to traditional locking lugs. Because of how this design cleverly takes advantage of leverage, it requires the shooter to use less force to unlock it. The resulting action is incredibly smooth and fast, enabling faster follow-up shots and target acquisition.

Like many Savage bolt-actions, the Impulse features the company’s AccuFit, AccuStock and AccuTrigger systems for enhancing ergonomics and practical accuracy. As a bonus, the bolt handle on the Impulse is easily reversible too, making it a great choice for lefties.

Savage now has seven Impulse models available in a variety of calibers, making them suitable for hunting a wide variety of game as well as for more tactical applications. Pictured is the Hog Hunter Impulse model, available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .30-06 Spring., .300 Win. Mag. and .308 Win.

MSRP: Starts at $1,509

Savage 110 Storm

Bolt-Action-RifleSavage-Storm


For rifle shooters, the Savage 110 is as much a household name as Remington 870 is for shotgunners. The 110 has seen its share of innovation in its 60-year reign, but 2018 perhaps marks the biggest advancements that the 110 has ever experienced.

New for 2018 is the Savage 110 Storm, which features all the tried-and-true guts of the Model 110 action, but with a completely different body centering around the AccuStock. The Savage AccuStock consists of a rigid rail system embedded in the stock that extends through the fore-end of the rifle, engaging the action three-dimensionally along its entire length. But here’s the tangible part: The AccuStock also features five comb risers and four length-of-pull inserts that are included to provide the perfect fit — and it’s all easily interchangeable and locked down by the buttplate screws.

And, with 12 chamberings available, finding a Model 110 Storm to “fit” your needs should be quite simple.

MSRP: $989

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0

Weatherby Backcountry bolt-action
As the name implies, Weatherby designed the Mark V Backcountry 2.0 to be the ultimate backcountry hunting rifle. Built to be rucked long distances deep into rough country without becoming cumbersome, Weatherby utilized many modern materials and construction methods to bring the weight of the Mark V Backcountry 2.0 to be as low as possible.

Space-age materials like carbon fiber and titanium are expensive, however, so the Backcountry 2.0 is available at a few different price points depending on options. If purchasing the most expensive variant, the Backcountry 2.0 can weigh in at less than five pounds, making it ideal for hunting that requires a good amount of trekking. Regardless of the price, each Backcountry 2.0 comes bedded in a carbon fiber Peak 44 Blacktooth stock, still making the rifle much lighter than most similar models on the market.

Because large calibers fired from light rifles aren’t always the most fun to shoot, Weatherby has also included a 3DHEX recoil pad and Accubrake ST with each Backcountry to help ease the pain.

In terms of mechanical accuracy, Weatherby guarantees sub-MOA capabilities out of the Backcountry 2.0, and the included adjustable single-stage TriggerTech trigger should help with practical accuracy as well.

The Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 is available with an impressive 17 different chambering options, ranging from standards like .308 Winchester to powerful Weatherby Magnum cartridges. Some are available in left-hand configurations as well.

MSRP: Starting at $2,699

Kimber Open Range Pro Carbon

Kimber Open Range
Launched in 2020, the Kimber Open Range Pro Carbon series was yet another rifle line to get caught up in the carbon fiber craze. It features an AG Composites carbon fiber stock, a 24-inch PROOF Research carbon fiber-wrapped barrel and a total weight of just over 6 pounds when unloaded.

The Kimber Open Range rifles utilize Mauser-style, controlled-feed actions and feature precision machining in their barrels and chambers. This results in an incredibly consistent lockup and is what enables Kimber to guarantee sub-MOA accuracy out of these guns. The adjustable match-grade trigger should help shooters squeeze every last bit of accuracy out of the design as well.

For hunters or shooters who tend to subject their rifle to the conditions of the great outdoors, the Open Range series features Kimber’s all-weather KimPro finish, and the stock is available in a camouflage pattern as well.

Kimber Open Range Pro Carbon rifles are available in either 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester.

MSRP: $3,301

Springfield Waypoint 2020

Springfield Waypoint bolt-action
Springfield turned some heads in 2020 when they released the Waypoint, the company’s first bolt-action rifle in over 100 years. It uses a Remington 700 action, but a lot has been done to improve upon the design. The bolt has been spirally fluted, polished and then nitrided to reduce friction as much as possible, resulting in what feels like an action that’s much smoother than traditional Remington 700s.

The Waypoint’s barrel is advertised as being capable of .75-MOA accuracy and is threaded 5/8×24 for attaching suppressors, although they ship with an SA Radial muzzle brake attached. The barrel is also available with an optional carbon fiber sleeve.

The stock is made from carbon fiber and includes an adjustable cheek comb, and each rifle includes an adjustable TriggerTech trigger as well. The cherry on top of each Springfield Waypoint is the slick camouflage paint job each receives before shipping, with two different patterns to choose from.

The Springfield Waypoint is available chambered in .308 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC.

Read Also: Springfield Waypoint 2020 Review

MSRP: $2,173

SIG Sauer CROSS

SIG CROSS Bolt-action
Sig shook things up in 2019 when they announced the CROSS. It was the company’s first bolt-action rifle to be released since the 1990s, but being made by Sig wasn’t the only thing unique about it. Sig claims that the CROSS was designed to “meet the demands of both precision long-range shooting and extreme backcountry hunting”, and one look at the gun will tell you that is true. With skeletonized parts throughout and the liberal use of lightweight materials, Sig markets the CROSS as being the “lightest and most portable rifle in its class” due to its sub-6.5-pound weight and folding buttstock.

Portability and a light weight do not a precision rifle make, however, but thankfully, the CROSS is plenty accurate as well. Available in either .308 Winchester or Sig’s .277 FURY with a 16-inch barrel, or in 6.5 Creedmoor with an 18-inch barrel, all CROSS rifles feature a solid, single-piece receiver that is more than capable of producing sub-MOA groups.

Other precision features on the Sig CROSS include its highly adjustable buttstock, 2-stage match trigger and three-lug bolt.

MSRP: $1,779

Editor's Note: Adam Borisenko contributed to this article.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Shooter's Guide 2018 of Gun Digest the Magazine.


Build Your Rifle IQ:


From Geek To Glorious: Upgrading The Ruger American

An at-home DIY rifle makeover that adds some class and capability to the Ruger American bolt-action.

I’m going to throw this out there right away so we can move on: I’ve got nothing against the Ruger American. In fact, just the opposite is true … which is exactly why I chose it specifically for this build.

With a street price of less than $500, the American offers a very utilitarian solution for a shooter who wants a rifle that’s uber-dependable, built around a barreled action that’s capable of producing accuracy that, in all honesty, is jaw-dropping when compared to the price tag accompanying it. I’m talking sub-MOA right out of the box, without too much effort.

Plus, the American lineup is complemented nicely by a couple options for the lefties, who all too often get nothing but short straws at which to grasp when it comes to rifle options.

But, with all that said, the Ruger American ain’t nothin’ to look at.

The good news, however, is that this superficial problem is easily solved—very easily, in fact.

Ruger-American-feature

The Blank Slate

In 2011, Ruger released the American rifle to the masses as a means of supplying a no-frills, budget-friendly solution for riflemen who wanted a reliable workhorse capable of producing acceptable-for-the-money accuracy. In addition to meeting those goals, the American spearheaded the development of an entire class of budget-friendly rifles, followed by the likes of the Savage Axis, the Remington 783, and a few others.

On more than one occasion, I’ve heard this trend dubbed as “the race to the bottom,” no doubt insinuating that these companies started an industry-wide space race of sorts … to see who could build the cheapest rifle possible.

But “cheap” and “inexpensive” are not synonyms, at least not when it comes to rifles. The American might be inexpensive, but it sure ain’t cheap.

Stock-Ruger-American
The Ruger American is like the Chevy Camaro of rifles: Aftermarket parts abound. Plus, the lineup features a couple left-handed options.

The bolt is a no-frills tri-lugger, which resides in a bar-stock receiver to which the hammer-forge barrel also attaches, all wrapped in a blued black-oxide finish nestled into a polymer composite stock. As you might expect, the entire system is fed with a rotary magazine—yes, I’d prefer the beauty and function of a hinged floorplate—but when a box mag is done right, it’s not a problem.

Inexpensive or not, a good field rifle really oughta shoot MOA these days, and I’ve never met any variation of the American that didn’t reach that bar. In fact, I’ve got one chambered in .270 Winchester that will punish a quarter at 200 yards all day long from the bench with 150-grain Hornady InterLoks.

At present, the lineup consists of the Standard, Compact, Magnum, Predator, Ranch and Hunter models to suit a wide variety of needs and tastes … with a couple of left-handed models squeezed in there, as previously mentioned.

The entire rifle is the definition of “utilitarian.”

Beautifying The Bolt

Anyone who tells you that a bolt is fluted to reduce weight is a liar. Yes, the removal of material will obviously reduce weight … in an increment so minuscule that it’s a non-factor. A bolt is fluted because it adds substantial beauty to a rifle, and that’s exactly why I chose to flute the bolt on this build.

Longrifles-Inc-Fluted-Bolt
For $75, the author shipped his bolt to LongRifles Inc, and had it back within a couple weeks.

But bolt fluting isn’t something that can be accomplished with a Dremel tool and a steady hand.

When it comes to aftermarket parts, the Ruger American and the Chevrolet Camaro have a lot in common. There are some pre-fluted replacement bolts available, but because every American already comes with one, it’s made little sense to buy another.

Instead, I shipped my bolt to LongRifles Inc., a small shop out of Sturgis, South Dakota, who sent back a beautifully fluted bolt within a couple weeks, and did so with excellent communication and customer service from the time I shipped it to them, until it was returned to my doorstep.

Ruger-with-fluted-bolt
Even when everything else remains stock, bolt fluting ads so much simple class to a rifle.

Trigger Tune-Up

The factory trigger on a stock American is what Ruger calls their Marksman Adjustable trigger, which features a user adjustability of 3 to 5 pounds and a pretty crisp break. Overall, it’s a good trigger, and what anyone should expect from a utilitarian budget rifle.

But it’s not a great trigger, and a trigger has just as much influence on overall accuracy as do any of the other parts of the system.

Timney Triggers offers a superb replacement for the American that can be swapped out with two roll pins and a bit of delicate spring work to replace the factory safety. The Timney is fully user adjustable, but the folks at Timney know triggers, and they offer factory presets in half-pound increments, from 1.5 to 4 pounds of pull.

Timney-Trigger-2
A good trigger is as important to accuracy as is a good barrel.

I opted for the preset 3-pound factory setting, even though I generally like a hunting trigger to be set a bit lower—closer to 2.5 pounds. The Timney breaks so cleanly that it feels a good bit lighter than a 3-pound pull: But again, it’s completely user-adjustable at home anyway.   

Do Not Skimp On Rings

In true utilitarian form, all members of the American lineup come standard with a one-piece Picatinny scope base. Sure, it would be easy enough (and that’s the point) to find a scope, strap up some rings and hit the range, but to my eye, that bulky Pic rail looks like a pimple on a supermodel. The action is already a bit bulky by design, and that rail doesn’t help the look of the rifle one bit.

To make sure the stock and the bolt fluting popped as much as possible, and to keep the gun looking as sleek as I could, removing that rail was my best option.

Talley-Scope-Rings
Rings that attach directly to a receiver are almost always preferred on a hunting rifle, which eliminates one place where something can come loose.

In its place, I affixed two Talley Ruger American Scope Mounts directly to the top of the receiver. Not only did this tremendously improve the look of rifle, but it allowed the rings to sit even lower to the gun. If there’s ever anything I can do—on any rifle—to get my line-of-sight closer to the bore’s centerline, I’m gonna do it.

Every time.

The Eyes Have It

Sleek. Simple. Beautiful. Are you noticing a trend here? Well, those build-wide adjectives applied to the riflescope—and the reticle—as much as they did the rifle.

As mentioned before, I wanted to make a point with this build to prove that, with a little work, southpaws no longer need to scrape up the crumbs in regard to having a rifle that would allow them to have their cake and eat it, too. But because that buffet is still a bit sparse, this rifle needed to be diverse, hence the .308 chambering.

Ruger-American
Removing the factory Pic rail gives the rifle a much cleaner look, and it allows the scope to sit much closer to the bore.

My all-time favorite configuration to fill those needs is a 2.5-10x, but I ultimately chose a 3.5-10x in Leupold’s VX-3HD for a couple reasons. This model is CDS compatible, with a very simple heavy duplex reticle. That means that the elevation dial can be replaced with a Custom Dial created by Leupold specifically for the load this rifle proves to like best. And when dialing for elevation, the reticle ought to be very, very clean.

Leupold-Scope-rear
Hey, lefties: If you can’t find the rifle of your dreams, built it.

Plus, the 50mm objective lens nestled perfectly into the rings with a minute distance between the bell and the rifle. And, if I might be so vain, I really like how the Gold Ring adds just a bit of bling to the build … and it really makes the wood pop. 

Boastful Beauty

Ah, yes: the wood. I chose everything else in this build based upon the look and feel created by the stock.

Known for their hardwood and laminate stocks, Boyds allows a consumer to select an overwhelming amount of options for their build via the company’s online stock builder. Wood, finish, length-of-pull, recoil pad, forend tip, grip cap, white line spacer, laser engraving, checkering design and styling, and pillar bedding are all in play.

Boyds-Wood-stock
This Boyds stock has everything: exceptional figuring, clean checkering, sharp details and more than a dozen completely customized options, including personalized engraving.

The stock gracing this build is made of Claro XX walnut that’s 50 percent figured on Boyds’ “classic” profile. Because the wood is so highly figured, I wanted to avoid too much shine and opted for the standard finish. I also skipped the white line spacer options because I feared it would compete too much with the grain figuring. I chose the angled black forend tip design because the profile paralleled the front of the fleur-de-leis textured diamond accents.

Boyds-Wood-stock-3

Like the factory Ruger American, Boyds hangs their hat on the very practical, affordable and utilitarian designs of their Spike Camp and adjustable At-One designs. However, for a truly custom option sculpted from a highly figured piece of hardwood, they over-delivered on this one.

For many models, a Boyds stock can be replaced within 5 minutes by popping the action screws and swapping barreled actions. But if there’s one piece of the Ruger American puzzle that’s not user friendly, it’s the integral bedding blocks in which the action rides.

The ProBed 2000 bedding compound that comes with the Boyds stock really isn’t challenging to use, but it can be a mental hurdle. Luckily, a quick video search will provide you with numerous how-to-bed tutorials for the American.

The results? When paired with Federal Premium’s 165-grain Barnes TSX loads, the on-target groups were incredible. I didn’t measure the best group, because it really didn’t matter what the actual number was: Three shots well inside of a half-inch at 100 yards is good enough for me.

Ruger-American-build-specs

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More Hunting Rifles:

Top AR-15 Upgrades From Top To Bottom

AR Upgrade Lead

Fast, easy and inexpensive AR-15 upgrades.

What Are The AR-15 Upgrades On This Rifle:

Have you ever seen a NASCAR driver roll up his sleeves and dive, elbow-deep, under the hood of his machine? Yeah, me neither. Now, I’m confident that every driver has an intricate understanding of what goes on under all those logos while he’s chewing up asphalt at 200 mph, but when parts need swapping and tweaks need tweaking, there’s a guy on the team for that. The driver drives, and the mechanics wrench.

For the most part, gun owners work like this too. The majority of riflemen I know—and I’m referring to people who have multiple gun safes to house all their firearms—do little more to their firearms than pull the bolt to clean the gun. The thought of checking the torque on the action’s screws or pulling the trigger assembly for a clean-and-lube darned near paralyzes them. In their minds, they do the “driving,” and a qualified gunsmith does the “wrenching.”

Now, don’t misunderstand me one bit here: If you’re uncomfortable opening that hood, don’t do it. Tinkering with a firearm is always best left to the trained hand.

A Different ‘Racecar’

But, with that said, the AR is a completely different type of “racecar”—the type that can make even the newest of shooters (or those hardcore shooters who are completely new to the platform)—look like a master mechanic. While I don’t agree with those who refer to the platform as “Legos for gun guys,” the modularity advantage of this statement certainly stands up. And, as a result, it’s possible to change up the body and the handling of the rig without messing around with the “drivetrain.”

Here’s my point: Customizing something to fit your needs and personality is, simply put, fun … whether we’re talking about outfitting a truck or tweaking a firearm. I know a lot of hardcore gun guys—people who own a dozen bolt-action rifles, a half-dozen revolvers, a bunch of 1911s and even a few poly guns—who avoid the AR platform entirely, simply because it’s so different from what they know.

And none of them is wrong: The AR is quite radical by old-school standards. But, in this case, radical equals intuitive, and intuitive equals easy customization.

To prove my point in an effort to inspire you to find that special “this one is mine” Zen, I detailed a part-by-part breakdown of my most recent AR-15 upgrade project. And, to further prove my point about this being so simple that even an AR amateur can do it, I timed a good friend (who owns a bunch of rifles and pistols but has only shot one 20-round mag through an AR) during each phase. He knows guns, but he’s new to ARs.

For the install of each piece, I silently observed while the included instructions were referenced. YouTube was consulted for additional instruction, as needed.

For this article, I’m not going to crawl down the torque-spec rabbit hole. You don’t have to be the head cashier at Bass Pro to know that managed torque is extremely important in every firearm, regardless of platform. For torque specs, hit up the instructions or the website of the manufacturer that made your specific part(s).

All right; enough of that. Let’s get on with it.

Gun

RRA

Make: Rock River Arms
Model: RRAge AR-15 in 5.56 NATO
MSRP: $760
Time: N/A
Notes: N/A
When ARs first entered the consumer market, ground-level guns were quickly replaced by the manufacturers with, “Let’s see what unique features we can slap on this gun to make our black gun different from the rest.” With that came a substantial jump in pricing, and that movement essentially created a forest of niche-based ARs with price tags that alienated many potential new-to-platform shooters.

Today, “budget-friendly” is a market phrase that’s re-infiltrated the lineups from most manufacturers. Finding a sub-$500 AR is very possible: There are some diamonds in the rough, but a cheap car isn’t really “cheap” if you have to replace the transmission within a few thousand miles. Get me?

I chose the Rock River RRAge as the chassis for this AR-15 upgrade project, largely due to the company’s outstanding reputation. As with others in this class (for example, Sig Sauer’s Tread or Springfield’s Saint), the reliability comes stamped with a company name that’s proven its competence.

The RRAge’s furniture wares are as expected from a budget-friendly rifle: an M4-style stock, six-position receiver extension, very basic, A2-style pistol grip and an ejection port cover. A 16-inch barrel with a carbine-length gas system and an RRA single-stage, mil-spec trigger are also included. Absent are a forward assist and a case deflector, but I honestly couldn’t care less (apologies in advance to any traditionalists out there).

Bolt Carrier Group

BCG

Make: Velocity Triggers
Model: Recoil-less Bolt Carrier
MSRP: $299.95
Time: 12 minutes
Notes: Synchronized removal of the bolt carrier group and the charging handle can be a delicate dance. It’s easy, but it’s gotta be just right. The same goes for the re-install of each.

I consider this AR-15 upgrade the biggest novelty buy of this build … but it was so damned easy! Although the low-mass bolt carrier can be purchased separately, this beauty (yes, the nano-diamond nickel coating visually matches my comp and trigger quite well) performs best with the fine-tuning capabilities offered with an adjustable gas block.

In case it isn’t clear, the entire premise behind the low-mass, Recoil-less bolt carrier is designed to do exactly as its name indicates: minimize recoil. Sure, the 5.56 NATO doesn’t produce much to begin with, but with recoil reduction comes a reduction in muzzle rise—which means faster follow-up shots, one after another.

Trigger

Rise Trigger drop in ar-15 upgrade

Make: Rise Armament
Model: RA-434 High-Performance Trigger
MSRP: $169
Time: 14 minutes
Notes: Two pins remove the two-piece mil-spec trigger. Two pins secure the one-piece drop-in.

If you retain a single sentence from this entire article, let it be this one: Replace your mil-spec trigger immediately. Take money out of your child’s college fund to pay for its replacement if you have to, but get it done! It is, without question, the most impactful AR-15 upgrade equation … and, it’s not that expensive. While brand options are many, I elected to go with Rise Armament’s RA-434 because it operates in a sweet spot between speed (not a priority concern for my shooting disciplines) and smoothness (which should be everyone’s priority) from a single-stage function.

Remember what your grandfather told you? “The gun should surprise you when it goes off.” Um, no. I want a trigger that breaks cleanly and consistently so I know exactly when it’s going to release during each and every shot cycle. I got that—at a 3.5-pound break—with the Rise 434. Plus, it comes packaged with anti-walk pins. And, in the name of true vanity, the trigger’s silver color closely matches the bolt carrier and the comp. (Hey, looks matter!)


Get On Target With The AR:


Stock

Stock

Make: Hogue Grips
Model: Rubber Overmolded Collapsible Buttstock
MSRP: $69.95
Time: Under 1 minute
Notes: It’ll take you longer to open the new stock’s packaging than it will for you to make the swap!

Pop the pin, slide the old stock off the rear of the tube. Push the pin on the new stock and slide it on. Don’t even waste your time YouTube-ing this step … you’ll have it done before you find a suitable instructional video.

I chose the Hogue for the AR-15 upgrade project because it markets its stock as being a “beard-safe design,” and anyone that creative and honest can have my money. However, more important than that was the rubber overmolding for a hard and comfortable cheekweld. There’s a bit of a recoil pad, but it’s semi-unnecessary with the light tickle of 5.56 NATO fire.

It’s also worth noting here that not all buffer tubes are created equal (yes, I learned the hard way during my first stock swap a few years back); thus, your stock must fit accordingly. In the sometimes convoluted world of the AR, there’s a “commercial tube” and a “mil-spec” tube. My RRAge has the commercial variant. Simply: The commercial buffer tube has a slightly larger diameter—about 3/100 inch. Whatever genius thought we needed two buffer tube sizes should be kicked. Hard.

Grips

AR-15 upgrade Grip

Make: VZ Weapon Solutions
Model: Recon M-Lok Bundle
MSRP: $129
Time: 5 minutes
Notes: Remove the original grip slowly, and don’t take your eyes off that selector spring. It’s Houdini-like!

Remember when I said that looks matter? A good-looking AR had better have a grip and rail panels that match, and they’d better tie in with the rest of the build as well. But, alas, the form must have a function if I’m spending the money and the time to affix it to my AR.

Like AR manufacturers, the companies that offer AR accessories are thick these days. And, honestly, VZ Grips came out of left field. Like a bee to honey, I was attracted to the availability of a blue pistol grip to match my handguard. However, after a wee bit of digging, I also realized I’d be adding an increased palm swell for better control, as well as textured rail panels for grip indexing and control up front. It’s an excellent upgrade. I also swapped the grips on my 1911 Executive carry gun to match.

I have two words of warning here: First, clear your afternoon schedule before jumping onto the VZ Grips website. It’s like a grown man’s candy store. Second, keep an eye on that darned nomadic selector spring when you pop off the factory grip. It’ll wander off on ya.

Trigger Guard

Trigger Guard

Make: Velocity Triggers
Model: Sentinel Trigger Guard
MSRP: $14.95
Time: Less than 5 minutes
Notes: Pop a roll pin and a detent pin to remove the old guard. Three screws secure the new one.

For me, this AR-15 upgrade is a complete vanity item—for no other reason than to get some more beautiful blue onto this build. It’s very much true that the Sentinel does allow for a bit more finger room inside the guard; and, for some shooting styles, that little bit of room makes a big difference. Me? I just like the color!

Mag Catch Release

Mag Release

Make: Velocity Triggers
Model: VMR Magazine Release
MSRP: $21.95
Time: 6 minutes
Notes: Remove the original by pushing the mag release button in with a punch and unscrewing the mag release on the opposing side. The new one goes on just as easily.

The award for “tiny, but mighty” goes to Velocity’s “extended” mag release button. My mom always said that habits are just cobwebs that become cables. Still, even after countless rounds through an AR, I occasionally struggle to quickly and efficiently find the mag release button on a tactical reload. This little AR-15 upgrade not only matches in color (Velocity’s website lists 10 color options), it also adds just enough real estate for my index finger to find easily.

Handguard

Handguard AR-15 upgrade

Make: Rise Armament
Model: RA-905 M-Lok
MSRP: $229
Time: 22 minutes
Notes: Most handguards will come with a replacement barrel nut, which means that removal of the gas system is mandatory. This isn’t as daunting as it sounds! YouTube is your friend here.

How does one not select a handguard with the color name, “Patriot Blue”? To make sure the function fits the form, the RA-905 is free-floating (as it should be), loaded with M-Lok slots and complete with Picatinny rail mounting options at both the muzzle and breech of the handguard. What I really like about this handguard is the slim profile through the center, which allows my fat mitts great control over the muzzle end of the gun.

Muzzle Device

Compensator

Make: Rise Armament
Model: RA-701 Compensator
MSRP: $109
Time: 3 minutes
Notes: Keep an eye on how the washer references the barrel to avoid putting it on backward.
I know that a stainless steel comp is going to show shooting debris 10 times more than a black one, but when it’s clean … man, does it look sharp! Plus, top porting is designed to mitigate muzzle rise. Most importantly, I wanted the flash hider off my gun.

Unless you’re trying to do something with the rifle that you really shouldn’t be doing anyway, a flash hider does little more than protect the threads (and they make thread caps for that).

The Sum of All Parts

A handful of years ago, there was a movement within the shooting industry to try to relabel the AR as an “MSR” (an acronym for “modern sporting rifle”). The motives were a pure attempt to distance the platform from the “dark shadow” cast by the mainstream media’s interpretation of the tool. The efforts never really took root, and I’m good with that. After all, a rose by any other name is still a rose.

Regardless of its moniker, the AR-15 is, and always has been, “America’s rifle.” And, with a little creativity and about an hour’s worth of very enjoyable work, this one is mine.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

On Safari With The Revolutionary Sig Sauer BDX System

Sig Sauer BDX 5
Technical can be tough. The best optical technology in the hunting world is worthless if it can’t withstand the perils of hunting hard.

Enhancing the experience by mixing tradition with technology, the Sig Sauer BDX system gives you a new way to scope out a hunt.

How Does The Sig Sauer BDX System Operate:

  • Sierra series of riflescopes to serve as the eyes of the system.
  • The riflescope is fed by either a Kilo rangefinder or a Kilo range-finding binocular.
  • The Sig BDX app, with its powerful ballistic calculator, is the brains of the entire system.
  • Once ranged, the system feeds the scope the bullet-drop data, with the correction presented on the reticle.

For those hunters who have never experienced Africa and perhaps haven’t yet been bitten by the allure of making tracks on the Dark Continent, I suspect that there are few things more annoying than listening to someone who has been there drone on and on about how magical the experience can be. I’d guess it’s like being at an already awkward party where everyone is struggling to make small talk and someone breaks out one of those “I guess you had to be there” stories.

There was certainly a time when I, too, couldn’t have cared less about sitting on a plane for countless hours, trekking through the heat to find an animal I didn’t know the name of, all the while hauling special gear that I bought especially for the trip—gear that I might never use again. I liked my Midwestern whitetails and northern black bears, highlighted by an occasional elk hunt.

Raise Your Sig Sauer IQ

And then, I went.

But for the sake of your patience, I’m not going to get into all that emotional, ancestral and historical stuff (at least, not in this article). I am, however, going to order you to go (reread that if you have to, because I meant it) at least once in your life. You owe it to yourself to experience it, and I promise that it will all make sense when you look down at your own boot tracks in the rich, red dust. ‘Nuff said about that.

Batteries and Bushmen

In spring 2018, Sig Electro Optics launched the BDX System at the NRA Annual Meetings. This system aimed to completely revolutionize (and I don’t use that term lightly) how shooters deal with bullet drop. As an acronym for “Ballistic Data Exchange,” the BDX System is a unique partnership comprising the riflescope, rangefinder and your smartphone.

Sig Sauer BDX 6

The Scope: Sig has launched, and continued to expand, the Sierra series of riflescopes to serve as the eyes of the BDX System. They’re not huge, and they’re not clunky. In fact, from the outside, it looks like nearly any other riflescope. And, if you’re the nervous type when it comes to batteries in your aiming devices, the BDX-R1 reticle is not a digital reticle: It’s an illuminated reticle.

So, if you find yourself in a hell-or-high-water situation and everything else has failed, you will have a rifle wearing a riflescope with a good, ol’ plex reticle … and you’ll have to revert to your rifleman skills to employ whatever Kentucky holdover the situation demands.

The Rangefinder: The Sierra riflescope is fed by either a Kilo rangefinder or a Kilo range-finding binocular—again, in multiple configurations of your choosing.

The Smartphone: With the Sig BDX app, your smartphone is the brains of the entire system. As on other ballistic calculators, you enter the ballistic data of your specific setup (always remember: Garbage in, garbage out). I’m not gonna lie to you: The app can be a bit tricky to navigate until you get the hang of it, but once you’ve completed and built your rifle’s profile, the in-field user experience of the BDX system is intuitive … and I’ll go so far as to say, “easy.”

Sig Sauer BDX 7
The Sierra isn’t a digital riflescope: It’s a riflescope with digital enhancements that anchors Sig’s cutting-edge BDX System.

It seems a bit “techy,” doesn’t it? Well, it certainly is; and, at first blush, it felt almost counterintuitive to be considering such a system for pursuit of “nostalgic” African game. I’ve read all the classics by all the top-tier riflemen who took to Africa to put their best skills against the toughest and most unique animals on the planet. While I understand all that sentiment, I bet ol’ O’Connor would’ve soaked up the technology, were it available to him all those years ago.

And here’s the thing for me: When an animal is in the crosshairs and there are a lot of factors to consider—factors that can change very quickly (such as distance, wind and an animal that can suddenly move)—I’ll take all the help I can get each and every time. And I learned very quickly that the BDX System can help clear the mental fog and eliminate cognitive errors when everything is on the line … especially in an environment that’s as unfamiliar as the vast savannas of central South Africa.

Dot-Watching

I’ve hunted countless animals across the majority of the United States and three continents, but my heart was damned near choking me as I watched the herd of gemsbok pick its way through the acacia trees. Paralleling their path, my PH, Thys (a lot of South Africans seem to have strange names!) and I slipped from shadow to shadow, waiting for the herd of 50 or more animals to stop.

It was one of the strangest sights I’ve ever seen: All gemsbok have horns; and, at a distance of 400 yards, each of the animals looked just like the one standing next to it. I can attest that target panic is real, and it’s magnified exponentially when there are more than 50 identical-looking targets.

Sig Sauer BDX 9
The BDX-R1 reticle features the LevelPlex anti-cant system, and of course the BDX windage and elevation dots.

We were searching for a mature bull, and I’m extremely thankful for the short grass in that location, because spotting the underlying appendage was the best way to differentiate the ladies from the gents.

After over an hour, the herd stopped, and we slipped under the shade of an acacia tree. With more than four dozen tails swatting flies and the majority of the 100-plus eyeballs scanning for danger, I waited for a bull to separate from the herd, turn broadside, have no other gemsbok standing behind it in the event of a pass-through shot … and then stand there long enough for me to send a bullet. It felt like playing poker, and the only way I could win the round was to sit and wait for a royal flush to be dealt.

“On the left!” whispered Thys, screaming under his breath to make sure I understood just how urgent the situation was. “That’s a mature bull. Take him quick.”

I shouldered the rifle in time to watch the little, yellow dot in the reticle dance up and down the vertical post and settle a bit below the horizontal crosshair (You know—when you go to the county fair and wait for a funnel cake? Now, think about the lights-on-the-top-of-the-funnel-cake truck. It’s kind of like that).

Through the rangefinder, Thys made the call. “Three hundred and 9 yards.”

“Confir … ” Boom!

Sig Sauer BDX 2
This gemsbok fell to the technological prowess of the BDX System. The trifecta includes a rangefinder or a rangefinding binocular, in addition to the scope and smartphone app.

At the shot, the entire herd hit the gas and leaned on the accelerator. I recovered from the recoil with the hope of seeing a large, gray mass lying in the short grass.

Not so much.

As the herd continued to move, one of the animals slowly began to fall behind and eventually peel off from the rest. It was obvious that the 165-grain bullet from the .300 Win. Mag. had hit hard, and a quick left turn by the animal revealed a hit indicating a perfect hold of elevation. However, I had pulled the shot back too far: Because hindsight is always 20/20, I would’ve abandoned the seated position and gone with a kneeling stance and the sticks. I had the time, and although that might go against conventional thought, I know myself, and I know I’m more steady that way.

Motivated by the overwhelming desire to make this mess end as quickly as possible, we laced up and stormed after the gemsbok. Trying to pick my steps to avoid a face-plant, I just about leveled Thys when he abruptly stopped.

“He’s there; below the one lone tree on the far right.”

I instinctively tossed the rifle on the shooting sticks and shouldered it—again, just in time to see the light run the scale of the vertical post and settle just below the horizontal crosshair.

“Two hundred and 87 yards.”

Breathing heavily, I channeled my frustration from the first shot and delivered the second to the exact millimeter of my intention.

Quick-Shot Solution

As the final day of the hunt neared, I told myself I would be OK with going home without a kudu. I honestly believed that, although I knew it would certainly take some time, and that 15-hour jet ride back to the States was going to be a long one. But as the sun worked toward the final horizon of the hunt, my legs were weighing as heavily as my heart.

Working down the two-track, I reflected on the week as I tried to go step for step with Thys. The pedometer on my smartphone had already logged more than 40 miles, and I wanted a free-range kudu something fierce … even if I couldn’t admit that to myself at the time.

Sig Sauer BDX 1
The cartridge of choice: Sig’s 165-grain all-copper HT Hunting ammunition chambered in the do-nearly-anything .300 Winchester Magnum.

Over the course of those 40 miles, I had developed a bad habit of bumping into Thys when he stopped to glass, most often because I was looking off in some direction in search of a kudu that he hadn’t seen. But when it happened this time, it was because I was staring at my shoes, wrongfully beginning to pout before the hunt was over.

Although he’s just a little fella, I bounced off Thys, only to look up and see him—like a bird dog holding a point that could only be broken by a flush—locked onto something ahead.

“There’s a cow right there in those trees,” he whispered. “And there’s a bull with her, but I can’t see how big he … ”
Without finishing his sentence or taking his eyes off the pair, he whipped up the shooting sticks, and I set the rifle in the yoke in one fluid motion.

“That’s a good bull. Make the shot before he breaks,” Thy advised.

At fewer than 100 yards, Thys didn’t bother to range. I couldn’t see the entire kudu bull, but I could see enough. I found the dot in the center of the crosshairs, found the tiny, little shadow made by the shoulder’s rear crease, and I broke the silence.

As I cycled the rifle, Thys called me off a follow-up shot. He could see what I quickly saw once I again found the running bull in the scope: blood trickling from a little hole as the result of a perfectly placed bullet. And it was a mere few yards before that bullet had completed its mission and anchored the bull.

Parting Shot

As strange as it sounds, Jack O’Connor was the first person I thought of when I rested that rifle on the side of the bull and reached down in admiration. At that moment, it hit me that I was the first human to ever touch that bull—and that I had trekked across Africa’s best vistas to experience it.

As we headed back to camp, I brushed the dust off my rifle and thought about all those footsteps I had stirred up to relocate those dust particles onto the lens of my riflescope. It’s a dumb thing to think about, but that’s where my mind went at the time.

I’d always understood all those words O’Connor had written, but for the first time, I felt them.


Raise Your Sig Sauer IQ:

The article originally appeared in the 2019 Long Range issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

7 Out-Of-Sight Optics For Every Range And Budget (2019)

Ready to get on target? Check out these top optics.

What are the best optics to come out recently:

If you've drawn a live breath in the last 25 years or so, you’re more than cognizant there’s been a revolution in how we aim our guns. Not that iron sights are smoldering on the ash heap of history, but the advancements in optics have — for the most part — relegated them to second fiddle. Rest assured, they're in the bullpen, always warmed up if called into the game, but if you’re shooting to get and stay on target nowadays your eye is behind a piece of glass — close-, mid- and long-range.

Read Also: Top Optics From 2018

Is it for the best? Like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder. A more complex system, certainly there’s an argument they create stomping room for gremlins to creep into your weapons system. But the results of a fully-operational optic, be it a long-range scope for antelope season or an up-close-and-personal red-dot on a self-defense carbine, speak for themselves. They just plain get you on target and keep you there.

Choices abound in aiming solutions, and not everyone is worth your time and hard-earned money. But we’ve got the inside edge on the glass that will get you (and your bullet, of course) where it needs to go. So, without further foofaraw, here are seven out-of-sight optics that will help you drop your next round exactly where it needs to be.

2019 Updates

Crimson Trace CTS-1100 Battlesight

Best Optics Crimson Trace CTS-1100
New for 2019 is Crimson Trace’s new battlesight, the CTS-1100, which offers a fixed 3.5x magnification with an illuminated reticle, complete with holdover that matches most 5.56 rounds out to 500 yards when fired out of a carbine-length barrel. This is a terrific solution for engaging a field of full-sized silhouettes out to standard combat distances or for any hunting for which a large field of view is required. MSRP: $549

BSA AIR 4-12×44 Outlook Air Riflescope

Best Optics Outlook 4-12
Included in the line of BSA air riflescopes is this very versatile 4-12x magnification offering. This scope is built specifically to handle the reverse recoil that tears a normal scope to pieces on the inside. With parallax settings all the way down to 10 yards, this is an ideal setup for close-range pest control, as well as introductory target shooting for new shooters. MSRP: $113.99

RT-S MOD 5 GEN2 6-24X50IR-FFP

Best Optic Mod-5-GEN2-6-24x50IR-Profile
The Mod 5 is Riton’s mid-grade line of optics. The 6-24x option of this line provides precision shooters with everything they need for long-range engagements—and for a price that doesn’t break the bank. This optic includes an illuminated reticle, as well as MOA subtentions that span down the entire length of the reticle, thus allowing for less dialing and faster shots. MSRP: $569

Nikon P-Tactical SuperDot

Best Optic Nikon P-TACTICAL_SUPERDOT
The Nikon P tactical SuperDot has offered shooters a lightning-fast ultra-bright alternative to iron sights. With 10 different brightness settings, a shooter can tailor the 2 MOA dot to best suit their eyes and light conditions. The first two settings are even night vision-compatible for the professional or the late-night hog or coyote hunter.
MSRP: $199.95

Monarch M5 3-12x42SF M BDC

Best Optics Nikon MONARCH_M5_3-12×42
The M5 is built on a robust 30mm tube that gives it enough adjustment to reach out to the long ranges that have become commonplace in today’s hunting scenarios. This new line from Nikon also incorporates its spring-loaded turret cap system for tool-less resets once a shooter has achieved zero. The 4x zoom of the 3-12x magnification range of this optic makes it an ideal whitetail scope with the BDC reticle. MSRP: $499.95

Revic PMR 428

Best Optics Revic PMR 428
The biggest challenge in long-range shooting is knowing what the environment will do to your trajectory. The Revic PMR 428 is a robust, high-quality optic that incorporates a weather station and ballistic calculator to give you an instantaneous fire solution that requires nothing more than a spin of the elevation turret. Built on a 34mm main tube, the Revic allows for adjustment that will exceed what most rifles are capable of. MSRP: $2,850

Sig Sauer Romeo8 Red Dot

Best Optics SIG ROMEO8
The Sig Sauer Romeo8 is the latest evolution of its signature red-dot line. The Romeo8 was designed to meet and exceed the ruggedness requirements of the military, law enforcement and the civilian shooter who is particularly hard on their gear. Sig’s new-for-2019 optic utilizes an interchangeable 2 MOA reticle that can be switched on the fly to four different styles, many of which include ballistic holdovers to accommodate long-range shots. MSRP: $599.99


Scope Out More Optics Info:

  • 8 Revolutionary Reticles For Long-Range Accuracy
  • Buying the Perfect Precision Scope
  • The Best Tactical Red-Dot Performance-to-Price Option?
  • Shifting Winds: SIG BDX Changing Shooting For The Better

Top From 2018

Vortex Crossfire

Vortex-optics
Vortex knows that for close-in work and general shooting tasks, it’s tough to beat a high-quality red-dot when both fast target acquisition and precision count. The Crossfire is designed to be incredibly light, ultra-compact and extremely durable. The sight features a 2-MOA red dot bracketed by a skeletonized housing unit that features 1x magnification — all from a package that weighs a touch over 5 ounces and measures 2.5 inches in length. MSRP: $220 www.vortexoptics.com

Nikon Black FX1000

Nikon-Optic
Engineered to deliver consistently long shots with confident precision, the Nikon Black FX1000 is a 4-16X50mm configuration poised to be a serious contender in the long-range area. The FX1000 integrates Nikon’s long-standing optics reputation into a first-focal-plane system to create sharp images and ergonomic dialing functionality at any magnification and at any distance. Glass-etched tactical reticles are paired with high-speed turrets to quickly create repeatable distance corrections and intuitive holds. In addition, the FX1000 introductions Nikon’s new Black Return-to-Zero integral zero-stop. MSRP: $650 www.nikonsportoptics.com

SIG Electro-Optics Romeo5 and Juliette4

Optics-First-Sig
The Romeo5 compact 1x20mm red-dot provides a 1x aiming solution, ultra-low parallax, unlimited eye-relief and more than 50,000 hours of runtime. The sight also features Sig Electro-Optics’ MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination) technology, which increases battery life by shutting down the system when not in use and instantly activates the system when it senses the slightest vibration or movement. The Juliette4 is a 4x magnifier designed to work as a stand-alone magnification unit or in conjunction with reflex optics. The magnifier can be adjusted for height and has a PowerCam 90-degree mount so it can be quickly flipped to the side as needed. MSRP: $219/Romeo5; $479/Juliette4 www.sigsauer.com

Leupold Mark 5HD

Leupold-Optic
Leupold touts the Mark5HD as up to 20 ounces lighter than other scopes in its class. In addition, exterior lens surfaces are treated with DiamondCoat 2 for high light transmission, solid edge-to-edge clarity and extreme low-light performance. The Mark 5HD features three revolutions of elevation adjustment to keep pace with long-range rifles and ammo, audible click adjustments on the turrets and a high-speed throw lever. Configurations include the 5-25x56mm and 3.6-18X44mm (pictured). MSRP: $2,400 www.leupold.com

Tract TORIC UHD 4-20X50mm

Tract-Optics
The Tract Toric UHD (Ultra-High Definition) 4-20x50mm riflescope features an optical design that promotes maximum light transmission using SCHOTT High Transmission glass, ED lenses and a fully multi-coated lens system. Engineered in the United States and built in Japan, the Toric is designed around a 30mm main tube and, despite being a relatively new brand, has gotten up to speed very quickly in regard to packing in all the bells and whistles serious shooters expect — and even a few features that setting the bar, including a very unique reticle system. They’re definitely worth a look. MSRP: $1,154 www.tractoptics.com

March Optics Genesis ELR

March-Optics
The Genesis was born a few years ago by a team of long-range shooters searching for a scope that could be used to shoot more than 2 miles without external influences. According to March Optics, the Genesis “will extend the accuracy capability of modern rifles without the need for modifications, including inclined rails, adjustable mounts or prism systems.” The Genesis ELR 6-60X56mm features up to 400 MOA of elevation, uses first-focal-plane technology — and the design allows the shooter to always see through the central part of the lens to maximize clarity and definition. Also incorporated is the High Master lens system, utilizing ED lenses with high refractive index glass for high resolution and natural color right to the edge of the image. MSRP: $5,000 www.marchoptics.com

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2018 Shooter's Guide issue and updated from the 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Frank Melloni contributed to this article.

Shifting Winds: SIG BDX Changing Shooting For The Better

Though it sounds complex at first, the Sig BDX system is simply a smartphone, rangefinder and riflescope combination that calculates holdover. The rest is up to you.

How the Sig BDX system is changing shooting:

  • Sig BDX smartphone app programmable for a number of rifles and loads.
  • Kilo rangefinder provides app the ballistic and environment input.
  • Sierra3 rifle scope presents the holdover in an illuminated dot.
  • System calculates real-time and alerts if a new holdover has been calculated.
  • Anti-cant system adjusts to rifle's angle.
  • App alerts shooter if potential shot is out of range.

On May 3 of this year, I entered a conference hall in Dallas on the eve of the 2018 NRA Annual Convention and Meetings under the promise of not disclosing what I was about to see until the embargo was officially lifted at 9 am the following morning — at the open of the show. The curtain lifted, jaws dropped — and I’ve been fielding questions from readers and friends alike ever since.

SIG-BDX-3

Behind that curtain was the new Sig BDX (Ballistic Data Xchange) System, a cutting edge collaboration of rangefinder, riflescope and smartphone that makes holdover calculations so bulletproof that it almost seems unfathomable. I hate the phrase “game changer,” but if ever there was a category-revolutionizing product worthy of that moniker, this very well seems to be it.

Similar products are have been on the market for quite a while now, but each has its drawbacks. The Burris Eliminator is a great rangefinding riflescope, but it does kinda look like you’ve got a couch strapped to your rifle by the time you’re all done. And it’s arguable that no one makes a better rangefinding riflescope than Swarovski, but I could buy a pretty solid winter beater car for about the same cost.

While no product in this category is truly perfect — we are dealing with aiming solutions that involve batteries — the Sig BDX system seems to have the edge in just about every facet of the technology, and that includes price. I say “seems” because, well … this system is that new. Though the introduction was made in early May, product is now just becoming available. And because Sig has designed this beast to be a hunter’s new best friend, you need this information now to properly determine if this is an optical pool into which you want to dip your toe.


More Long-Range Shooting Resources:


Sig is calling the reticle around which this system revolves the “BDX-R1 Digital Ballistic Reticle,” claiming that this entire setup is capable of providing a ballistic solution out to 8000 yards with 1 MOA of accuracy. That’s bold. But — if you’ve used ballistic apps before, you should already know the “garbage in, garbage out” mantra: The information this system provides is only as good as the information you put into it.

So, let’s break this BDX System down, piece by piece, and have an in-depth look at what makes the Sig BDX System tick because it seems pretty intense at first glance. However, although the technology that goes into this system far extends the reach of my cognitive grasp, the user interface is very straight forward, and that’s what matters.

The Brains

Sig-scope

You already own the brains of the BDX System: your smartphone. Through either Google Play or the App Store, down load the “Sig BDX” app for whatever you’re packing, Android or iPhone, and create a profile much like you would on Facebook — except for your rifle: Luke’s Creedmoor, Big John … heck, maybe you’ve got a gun named “Battle Axe” after your wife (may I suggest password protecting your phone?).

The app allows for profile creation to match a handful of your rifles, and it’ll ask you all the basics — caliber, manufacturer, bullet, ballistic model — and even a few intimate details to make sure it knows your gun inside and out. Remember: This is the brain that feeds the entire system the necessary data.

If you’ve previously worked at all with a ballistic app, this is going to be old hat. And once you’re in the field, you can update the Sig BDX app with environmental conditions, including altitude, temperature, wind speed and wind direction. The more you can help BDX, the more BDX can help you in return. Precision is the name of the game here.

Via Bluetooth, exactly like when your phone tells your truck what songs to play through the speakers, the BDX app uses your smartphone to translate all your rifle’s ballistic information (remember what you shared with your app about the Battle Axe?) with the rangefinder.

The Translator

SIG-BDX-5

The Kilo rangefinder is the middle man in this system. It takes your rifle’s ballistic information and the environmental information you input into the app, and it cross-references all that with real-time range readings — and then translates and feeds that info to the riflescope.

At present, there are four Kilos in the BDX system: 1400, 1800, 2200 and 2400 — starting at $299.99. The Kilo2400BDX also features built-in environmental-reading capabilities.

Once your phone and the rangefinder are paired, the Kilo operates exactly as any other rangefinder does: Press a button to get the digital display to wake up and then press away to range to your heart’s desire — it’s talking to your riflescope via Bluetooth the entire time.

The Eyes

SIG-BDX-1

There are currently four Sierra3 riflescopes compatible with the BDX system: 3.5-10x42mm, 4.5-14x44mm, 4.5-14x50mm and 6.5-20x52mm — with prices starting at $599.99.

On the outside, the Sierra3 looks like most any other riflescope — almost. On the magnification adjustment ring, there’s a small blue light that indicates when the rangefinder has locked a range and successfully transmitted that information to the Sierra3.

Everything up to this point — the profile information uploaded to the app, the environmental data, the range provided by the Kilo rangefinder — everything has been a building block to make sure that when you look into the scope and prepare to pull the trigger, the correct holdover dot in the reticle is exactly where it should be. Place the yellow dot where you want the bullet to impact and go to work.

Peace Of Mind

SIG-BDX-10

There’s a lot going on in this system that must fall into the trust category. The beauty of this system is that you’re allowing it to completely calculate your hold point. The scary part of this system is that you’re allowing it to completely calculate your hold point.

When the Sierra3 is searching for data from the rangefinder, the blue indicator light on the magnification ring flashes slowly. When the data had been locked, the blue light glows solid. And because things can happen quickly, the light flashes quickly when there’s new holdover dot update from the rangefinder. Think of it as your riflescope letting you know what it’s thinking through Morse code. There still needs to be trust that everything is going to work and that trust must come through range time, but that little blue indicator light is a nice visual addition to affirm that all the guts are working correctly.

Just A Riflescope

SIG-BDX-7

Minus the blue indicator light (which is not really noticeable then the scope is off), the Sierra3BDX riflescopes look and operate like any other “traditional” riflescope. Each wears HD glass, a 30mm maintube, side-focus parallax adjustments and Sig’s LevelPlex digital anti-cant system. And when the system is shut down, the reticle looks like any other duplex configuration.

Changing Winds

There’s no doubt the entire BDX System is going to rattle a few cages. Sig knows this. And, quite frankly, it took me a bit of thought to settle on the moral conclusion that this entire system is set up to force the shooter to do more work on the front end though data input so that there’s less room for computation errors on the back end — during the shot.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

8 Revolutionary Reticles For Long-Range Accuracy

Some of the ‘busiest’ and ‘cleanest’ precision rifle reticles available today.

Top precision riflescope reticles:

The most accurate precision rifles available are nothing without a riflescope of substantial quality. And such a riflescope is nothing without a reticle capable of helping you deliver a bullet on target from a long, long distance.

Precision Riflescope with Reticle

Why do you suppose it is that precision rifle shooting — or long-range shooting, as some call it — has jumped into popularity so fast? Seriously … think about it. The equipment is often quite expensive, and let’s face it: Finding a shooting range in excess of 600 yards is a major hurdle for most shooters across the United States. Long ranges, by definition, take up a lot of room.

Less than a decade ago ARs were just starting to make an entrance into the mainstream civilian market, and precision rifles were only used by Navy SEAL snipers on movies we all couldn’t get enough of. Very few people had one. And today, though the AR market remains strong, it’s fallen in the shadows of precision shooting. The amount of choices we have as precision rifle shooters — both in regard to gear and training opportunities — is simply amazing.

I could certainly fire-up a mile-long Facebook thread on what exactly is so appealing with precision rifle shooting, because everyone has a varying opinion on why it’s “cool” or, even more so, what gear to be using. And that overflow of opinions would prove exactly my point: customization and versatility.

Like the AR platform, precision rifle shooting offers a nearly unparalleled selection of calibers, cartridges, rifle brands and platforms, optics brands and platforms — right down to more reticle choices than even the most serious long-ranger can keep up with.

A Volume Of Visuals

The selection of reticles available in scopes marketed as “long-range optics” is astounding. It’s damn-near mind boggling. There are so many one-off options out there that it’s nearly enough to scare a shooter back to using open sights.


Zero In On More Optics Knowledge:


 

there’s one thing I’ve learned from taking precision rifle courses and from watching some of the best shooters in the world play the long game, it’s that creating the perfect long-range rifle setup is done by following a precise formula — a formula that each individual shooter gets to make up for themselves. There is no right or wrong answer: just you, your setup … and your training.

Below is a smattering of innovative precision rifle reticles from a sampling of major players in the long-range optics field. All of these manufacturers offer at least a couple of options, and some offer a jaw-dropping number of reticle options. Some are quite complex, and some are very simple. Some pair with first focal plane scopes, and some don’t. Most are designed to be paired with ballistic turrets. Many are MOA configured, and some are mil-rad. Some will fit your preferred shooting style. Some won’t.

Nightforce MOAR Reticle

Nightforce MOAR Reticle

The Nightforce MOAR reticle features a floating center crosshair 2 MOA wide and 2 MOA tall that provides a precise aiming point where it matters most: on smaller targets at longer ranges. In addition, 1-MOA elevation and windage spacings provide for more accurate rangefinding and hold-offs. The MOAR has thicker line subtensions than Nightforce’s traditional reticles, and is marked with 10-, 20- and 30-MOA elevation indicators — and 10- and 20-MOA windage indicators — to help the shooter acquire targets extremely quickly and easily under field conditions.

The MOAR was designed specifically to be more intuitive, easier to see in low-light conditions and more visible against dark backgrounds and in shadows — the three areas that Nightforce believes cause the most visual problems for precision riflemen. www.nightforceoptics.com

Bushnell Deploy MOA Reticle

Bushnell Deploy MOA Reticle

Designed for versatility, the Bushnell Deploy MOA reticle has been designed for hunters, target shooters, shooters of multiple calibers – anyone looking for extreme flexibility in what a riflescope has to offer. The 0.18-MOA thick crosshairs on the Deploy MOA are easy to see without obstructing the target picture, and hashmarks have been strategically placed at every 1 MOA for fast and accurate elevation holdover. The hashmarks below zero are 2 MOA wide to aid in accurate windage holds, which is an excellent yet subtle feature that helps keep the reticle visually clean without sacrificing utility. www.bushnell.com

Vortex Viper XLR Reticle

Vortex Viper XLR Reticle

Designed to maximize long-distance shooting and ranging abilities of a precision rifleman and the rifle of their choosing, the Viper XLR MOA reticle is designed to effectively and quickly determine ranges, holdovers, windage and moving lead corrections. Laser etching on the glass reticle has been crafted with precision and ensures that MOA specifications are kept to the tightest possible tolerances. The design features hashmarks with wind-drift dots and 1 MOA wind reference subtensions, which is ideally suited for long-range shooters dialing for bullet drop or holding drop. In addition, the fine center crosshair subtensions on the XLR MOA reticle were carefully chosen to provide the optimum balance between precision aiming and low-light visibility. www.vortexoptics.com

Leupold Illuminated T-MOA Reticle

Leupold Illuminated T-MOA Reticle

The Leupold Illuminated T-MOA reticle features stadia lines on the horizontal and vertical crosshairs set at 1 MOA for quick bullet drop and windage correction. The crosshair is left open to create a small, clear aperture for increased precision at longer ranges. Sound simple? That’s because it is.

The Illuminated T-MOA is available in the VX-6HD line of scopes, which feature CDS-ZL2 dial locks that can’t be inadvertently rotated off the zero. All Leupold VX-HD riflescopes are CDS capable and include one free Custom Ballistic Dial with purchase. The combination of the CDS-ZL2, Illuminated T-MOA and an electronic reticle level make Leupold a top contender in precision riflescopes. www.leupold.com

Nikon Illuminated X-MOA and X-MRAD Reticles

Nikon Illuminated X-MOA and X-MRAD Reticles

The Nikon Illuminated X-MOA and X-MRAD reticles are paired with the innovative adjustment systems in Nikon’s Black line of riflescopes, and they are glass-etched. The X-MRAD reticle provides any precision shooter with clean and simple — yet highly functional — advanced tools for estimating range, maintaining holdovers or dialing for elevation, and of course compensating for wind. Nikon also highlights the point that one advantage of using tactical-style reticles is that it can be applied to virtually any shooting application, regardless of caliber or ballistic performance. Nikon’s Spot On Ballistic Match Technology further expands the capabilities of the X-MOA and X-MRAD reticles for specific shooting applications, whatever that might be. www.nikonsportoptics.com

SIG Electro-Optics MOA/MRAD DEV-L Reticle

SIG Electro-Optics MOA/MRAD DEV-L Reticle

After announcing the release of the Tango6 5-30x65mm riflescope a few years ago, SIG Electro-Optics has continued to evolve at an industry-leading pace through the introduction of LevelPlex, a digital level that’s six times more accurate that a bubble level that’s designed to remove the accuracy-stealing cant from long-range shooting. To further solidify their place in the precision shooting optics realm, SIG Electro-Optics added the DEV-L ballistic holdover reticle to the Tango6 equation, giving shooters an extensive package of tools all in one riflescope. SIG also offers a SIG Ballistic Turret, SBT Dial, which is free and custom laser engraved to match the shooter’s unique ballistic information and environmental conditions. www.sigsauer.com

Burris SCR MOA Reticle

SCR MOA Reticle

The SCR MOA reticle from Burris is available on several Burris riflescopes in both illuminated and non-illuminated models. The illuminated models extend the engagement of targets in low-light conditions, which are perfectly suited for hunters. In non-illuminated models, the fine details in the reticle are sharp enough for close-in focus — in virtually all lighting conditions — for ultra-precise dissection at even the most distant targets. Other features include: 1-MOA holdover lines; 0.5-MOA and 1-MOA windage hold-off lines for precision; and 0.25-MOA ranging brackets on the crosshairs, at the top, left and right. www.burrisoptics.com

Schmidt and Bender Reticle

Tremor 2 Reticle

The Tremor2 reticle from Schmidt and Bender is designed by Horus Vision and is all about faster shooting — speed and ease, at a distance. According to Horus, the Tremor2 is field-proven to make wind calls easier.

Although the reticle is one of the “busier” reticles available, the Speed Shooting Formula is built directly into the elevation hold of the reticle, further promoting faster shooting. By design, the reticle also allows the shooter to accurately mil targets very quickly using the chevron 1/10-mil marks. Additional specs and features: Refined “chevron” mil markers subtend to 0.1 mils, versatile marker groupings, central dot at crosshair intersection for refined aiming point, open-above-center reticle for clear observation, and the Horus Grid allows shooters to visually place the target on the appropriate horizontal and vertical grid lines to correct for elevation and windage visually without turning knobs or counting clicks. www.schmidtundbender.de/en/

Conclusion

Selecting a reticle is, in my opinion, the most important feature you must consider when considering a riflescope for your precision setup. Choosing a reticle can also be like picking out a puppy: You never really know what you’re getting into until you get it home and play with it for a while.

My best advice is to get some precision rifle training from a reputable instructor who will allow you to shoot a variety of different rifles, optics and of course — reticles. Take this “test drive” to see what works for you before you flop a bunch of cash out for your own gear, and you’re certain to end up a much better precision shooter in the long run.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Storage: Is The SecureIt CradleGrid The Ultimate Solution?

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CradleGrid offers a new way to look at the organized storage of your firearms.

The Advantage CradelGrid and SecureIt Offer:

  • System consists of three components: a grid panel, gun cradles, and a tiered base.
  • Can configure to user needs and firearms.
  • SecureIt also offers under bed and closet secuity systems and gun lockers.

Are you familiar with the archer’s paradox? In short, it’s a phenomenon used to describe the situation of how an arrow leaves a bow and its seemingly inevitable collision with the bow itself in order to hit the target. But upon releasing the string, the arrow of course never does hit the bow. The solution to the paradox: The arrow bends.

CradleGrid-1

If there were such a thing as a shooter’s paradox, it would be the collision every gun owner has when trying to find a solution for secure firearms storage. The solution to the current paradox: The gun owner is forced to bend to cost or immobility of a massive safe — or both.

But it’s 2018. We put a man on the moon in 1969, so why are we still stuck in gun storage purgatory?

Well, we’re not.

Thinking Inside The Box … Er, Safe

Modular gun safes aren’t really anything new, but in this category more than most, you get what you pay for: a cramped tin box that will most likely do the job of keeping your guns secure, but they have little to offer outside of that — especially when it comes to keep your guns organized and safe from one another in the form of in-safe dings and scratches. And most are certainly not user-friendly in terms of assembly and relocation.

CradleGrid-4

But here’s the revolution: CradleGrid.

Working with the Army’s Special Forces, SecureIt developed a pretty sweet system that’s as simple as it is fully customizable. The 

Think of it this way: Everyone is familiar with a pegboard system that many of us use on the back wall of our reloading bench to secure components, or on the garage wall to hang and organize tools. CradleGrid is like a highly-developed rendition of that system, featuring a series of integrated grooves. To those grooves attach a variety of accessories, including multiple variations of handgun mounting options, long guns cradles, variously sized shelves and small parts bins.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a full, walk-in gun room, these CradleGrid panels can be attached directly to the wall and outfitted with any mix-and-match of accessories to secure and display any and every gun configuration you can get your hands on. It’s a fully customizable system.

CradleGrid-2

But because most of us simply don’t have the room for that luxury — myself definitely included there — the CradleGrid is the foundation upon which the entire SecureIt family of gun safes is built.

For under-cabinet and under-bed storage, the Fast Box Models 40 ($289) and 47 ($299) are sleek and concealable … and a vertical kit is also available for those who looking to stand the safe on-end in a closet.

SecureIt also makes a more conventionally sized Agile Model 40 ($499), and the flagship Model 52 ($599). These two safes feature Knockdown Technology, which means they store and ship flat. Assembly can be done by one person in a matter of minutes with just a single wrench, and all assembly components are housed inside to give the safe a clean, sleek look — and more importantly, to be completely inaccessible when locked. A Quad Model ($1,859) is also available, where two Model 52s are attached side-by-side, and two Model 40s are attached on top of those two.

Parting Thoughts

You’ll never hear me say that a huge, heavy, insulated gun safe isn’t worth it — I just don’t think it’s necessary. If you check the fire rating riveted to the inside of your safe’s door, and then research the actual internal heat index of most house fires, it becomes obvious that your guns won’t hold out long until the inside of the safe turns into a microwave. And weight? Well, I paid two guys (yes, they were definitely big guys) to carry my safe from the garage to my basement when I moved. So, on a long weekend vacation for me, two bad dudes could carry it out of there if they were really determined. Likely? Nope. Possible. Yep?

Fast-Box-47

My advice: Don’t over think — or overpay for — secure gun storage.

For more information on CradleGride, please visit SecureIt at: www.secureitgunstorage.com.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Shooter's Guide 2018 of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Hunting Big Country With The Bushnell Forge Scope

The Bushnell Forge optics proves equal to New Zealand's rugged backcountry.

The advantage offered by the Bushnell Forge line:

  • Includes two riflescopes models, binoculars and spottingscope.
  • Scopes available in 2.5-14x, 3-18x and 4.5-27x variable powers.
  • Each has a 50mm objective lens.
  • Side parallax adjustment.
  • Exo Barrier lens coating scratch and fog resistant.
  • Coating also increases light transmission.
  • Depending on model, prices range from $750 to $950.

I had problems keeping up with the little New Zealand goat at first. Known for being exceptionally nimble in some the nastiest terrain on the planet, the sure-footed chamois had covered more than 75 yards before I could get settled prone across my pack. Settling wasn’t easy — it’s a rare challenge to commit full mental attention to making a shot when I couldn’t get my mind off the 200-foot drop less than 5 feet to my right. To further test my mettle, my feet were higher than my head. There I was: Slightly inverted, at the edge of a cliff, trying to settle in for a shot at a tiny target.

The smokin’ new Bushnell Forge rifl escope is packed to the turrets with features, led by a bar-setting new lens coating called “Exo Barrier” and a really innovative — and simple to use — zero stop system.
The smokin’ new Bushnell Forge rifl escope is packed to the turrets with features, led by a bar-setting new lens coating called “Exo Barrier” and a really innovative — and simple to use — zero stop system.

I learned a true appreciation for a throw lever at that exact moment. Every time I’d finally settle in, the chamois had moved just far enough that I’d have to reposition — and there was no way I was repositioning without coming off the gun slightly and keeping an eye on that cliff. This went on for a minute or better, during which I used that throw lever to work back and forth between 3x and 18x at least a half-dozen times.

And to further strain the quickly growing neck cramp, my guide was having a hell of a time trying to figure out if the chamois in my crosshairs was a buck or a doe. They look an awful lot alike, but there is only one way to tell for sure when trying to distinguish between males and females of any mammal species…

So began the search for the, um… accessories, and it was at that moment I gained yet another appreciation for ultra-clear lenses. I had traveled half-way around the world and my hunt had come down to being able to spot a pair of peanuts at 350 yards — and that wasn’t easy.

Though shooting cross-canyon, I had a slightly elevated position and my retina was close to burning a hole through the lenses of the Bushnell Forge. I watch, and waited … and finally confirmed that the chamois was indeed a buck and clicked the safety to fire. That’s when the debate began.

The Forge family currently consists of rifl escopes, binos and spotters. Bushnell also recently released the Nitro and Prime lines.
The Forge family currently consists of rifl escopes, binos and spotters. Bushnell also recently released the Nitro and Prime lines.

“I can see them clear as he walks away. When he turns broadside I’m going to send it. Give me the shoot-to distance.”

“I’m not sure,” he said. I took my head off the rifle and looked at my guide. He was tucked in directly behind me, staring through a pair of $2,500 binoculars of the same magnification as my Bushnell Forge — and he couldn’t see what I needed him to see. “Are you sure?”

I got back on the rifle, worked the throw lever and waited for the buck to leave full broadside and turn away so I could reconfirm.

“I’m 100 percent positive.”

“Your shoot-to distance is 253 yards. When you’re ready.”

I depressed the blade of the AccuTrigger and waited for the buck to turn back broadside, and when he did, I disrupted the silence of that steep mountain face.

As it turns out, even after all the evaluating, making that shot was the easy part.

A Land Like No Other

The folks at Bushnell believed they had developed a massive victory with the birth of the Forge Optics line, and right out of the gate, they were more than willing to put everything they’d built to the test in some of the nastiest terrains on the planet.

The chamois is the ideal animal to pursue for rifl emen looking to test their gear on some of the roughest terrain on the planet.
The chamois is the ideal animal to pursue for rifl emen looking to test their gear on some of the roughest terrain on the planet.

Everything about New Zealand is a paradox. Never have I been to a place where the vistas were so magnificent yet the terrain so relentless and unforgiving. The Lord Of The Rings comments got old quicker than a 15-hour plane ride, but I do get it… there’s no way to describe the vastness of the country. The best any of us could come up with was “epic.”

As a hunter, New Zealand offers game and terrain unique to only this little corner of the world. From chamois to red stag to Himalayan tahr, it simply can’t be replicated like parts of Africa can be “cloned” in Texas. For the shooter, cross-canyon above-the-clouds vistas can make it exceptionally difficult to focus on the target.

And for an optics test — well, the weather and the near vertical terrain were going to make every piece of the gear step up and earn it.

Upon bullet impact, my guide and hunting partner, Jake Edson, watched the chamois tumble at least 1,000 feet before we lost sight of it in another ravine — and there was no indication of it slowing down. I didn’t see that coming. We collected our gear and began searching for a scalable way to navigate down the cliff I was so nervous about toppling off while making the shot.

The road to that chamois was non-existent, as we slipped, scraped and clawed our security out of each step we took. Never in my life have I been to a place where each step had to be strategically calculated in the name of self-preservation. There were times when a single misstep would’ve meant a multi-hundred-foot fall ending in serious manglement or permanent lights out.

In big country, great glass is the difference between truly effective searching with your eyes and burning a whole lot of boot leather to accomplish the same tasks.
In big country, great glass is the difference between truly effective searching with your eyes and burning a whole lot of boot leather to accomplish the same tasks.

It took us nearly 3 hours to locate and get to the buck, and during those 3 hours, gear preservation was not at the forefront of anyone’s mind: personal preservation was. We snapped some pictures, packed up the chamois and made the hike back up the way from which we had come. There simply were no other options.

Back up top, we took water and inspected gear and ourselves. Though no scratches were deep enough to challenge the integrity of the rifle, the stock looked as though it had gotten into a fight with a rabid bobcat.

My Bushnell Forge had no less than a dozen small dings and scratches across its entirety, and Jake’s — well, there was one particular life-saving slide on a rock mogul course that ended with a pretty hefty dent on the end of the objective bell.

With Jake up next the following day and me with a tahr tag burning a hole in my pocket, we hit the rifle range to assess the true damage we had done to the rifle and the Bushnell Forge. I settled in prone from 200 yards, got good and cozy across my daypack, and I tucked two bullets within a half-inch of one another just an inch high of center.

Jake took a few more rounds to settle in, but when he did, it held beautifully. And, quite frankly, expecting a scope to hold zero after getting walloped hard enough to leave a dent is like firing a round and expecting it to never drop. But a scope that can come bouncing back after a blow like that is a true traveling companion in my book.

A Final Look

I beat the crap out of my Bushnell Forge — unintentionally, granted — for the next few days. It turns out that tahr country is no less forgiving than chamois country. Maybe a little less steep but with a whole lot more rocks. And you’ll have to forgive the pun, but my optics and I forged on, no worse for the wear.

Bushnell-Forge-Scope-Rifle

This entire experience taught me a few things. First: You can’t price-profile optics. Don’t think that you have to spend an uncomfortable amount of money to get top-tier performance. Those days are gone. And second: Bushnell is no longer just a “blue-collar” brand. Stigmas are challenging to overcome, but I’ve watched the product lines evolve these past few years, starting with the Engage line and now the Forge Line. They challenged their gear to perform for me on the hunt of a lifetime halfway around the world, and perform it did. 

For more information on the Bushnell Forge line, please visit: www.bushnell.com.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2018 Shooter's Guide issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gear Review: The Blowback Laser Trainer

Finding time to maintain shooting fundamentals can be a challenge, but the Blowback Laser Trainer provides a realistic solution.

Basics about the Blowback Laser Trainer:

  • Laser trainers have evolved a lot recently and can help with basic marksmanship.
  • The Blowback Trainer has a similar weight and feel to a Glock 19.
  • The trigger functions much like a two-stage trigger, with a long take up and clean break.
  • The mag drops out and houses a CO2 cartridge, which is used to simulate recoil.
  • The Blowback Trainer comes with a laser-sensitive target.
  • While no replacement for range time, it serves as a good way to fill training gaps.

I was at my desk on a random Tuesday afternoon in mid-January when it hit me: I hadn’t been to the range for nearly 3 weeks. Granted, that’s not long for some and a very long time for others — and I’ve certainly had longer stints between pulling some triggers at the range — but it bothered me more than usual this time.

blowback-trainer-first - blowback laser trainer

I was in the middle of editing an article about being fully prepared (it’s actually printed in this issue beginning on page 36) as a gun enthusiast who carries concealed. Although it’s near impossible to discuss the concept of “being prepared” or having a defensive strategy without talking about trigger time, the article focuses just as heavily on the other equally important facets of preparation — physical, mental and legal.

On that particular afternoon, that article got me thinking just how difficult it can be to train properly. Really think about that for a moment. If you’re training for a marathon (not that I’d ever recommend that), putting a treadmill in the basement or simply lacing up and hitting the road out front of the house is easily attained. Getting into woodworking? Put a lathe and a table saw in the garage and you can make dust to your heart’s content.

See where I’m going with this? Having chosen a lifestyle dedicated to firearms proficiency, it’s not always easy to practice — in any facet. Unless your backyard is measured in acres instead of feet, the neighbors can get a little jumpy at the sound of gunfire. And for most of us, the ol’ ball and chain would frown at the installation of an indoor range in the basement where the treadmill used to be.

Another editor on the Gun Digest staff and I were participating in some water-cooler-style whining about these and other range withdrawals, and he asked me if I’d spent any time with the Blowback Laser Trainer.

Negative.

The Blowback Solution

Laser-training pistols have evolved dramatically as of recent, and although every product in that category is far from the real thing, you can train and maintain your basic marksmanship principles such as sight alignment and trigger pull quite effectively. And because there’s minimal (if any) muzzle report and no projectiles being launched down range, no down range is needed.

blowback-third - blowback laser trainer

Here’s the problem: You don’t need to be the head cashier at Bass Pro Shops to know that recoil plays a dramatic effect on, well … everything we train around. Yes, you can argue that lack of recoil is exactly why many train with a .22 LR, but that doesn’t solve the range problem. And most laser trainers have no recoil. That’s right — most.

To aid in alleviating range withdrawals, I got my hands on the Blowback Laser Trainer system as recommended. I figured it couldn’t hurt, and it surely had to be less than trying to convince the Mrs. that a basement range was mandatory.

Here’s the skinny:

The Blowback pistol (known formally as the Blowback Laser Trainer) has a similar weight and overall feel to that of a Glock 19, though it’s pretty non-denominational with a metal actuating slide and polymer grip. The muzzle brandishes the bright orange designation of a training gun. The trigger is interesting, in that it functions much like a two-stage trigger with a very long-take-up and then a clean break. It pulls a bit hard, but it is one of the better trigger’s I’ve tickled on a training pistol.

Here’s where things get interesting: The mag drops out and is actually the housing unit for a standard, tubular CO2 cartridge. It’s also home to the battery that powers the laser — but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Upon firing, the Blowback Laser Trainer pistol releases a CO2-powered blowback, cycling the slide like any live-fire semi-auto pistol and simulating felt recoil. Simultaneously, a laser mounted just under the bore is activated, to visually indicate the hit location. It’s pretty damn cool.

The Doorknob Test

For the next few weeks, I snuck around the house (having a home office does have its benefits), assaulting every doorknob and receptacle plate from the basement mechanical room to the upper-level master bedroom closet. I even had time to work in a Labrador hunt or two, though he no-doubt thought I had lost my mind. And, an early delivery by the mailman one morning led to a very random conversation that culminated with me learning that he’s a Sig connoisseur. Who knew?

Confession: I was quite skeptical about the Blowback Laser Trainer system, but then again, I’m skeptical about absolutely everything. But the Blowback surprised me.

Although the recoil isn’t overly significant — I’d put it on parallel with a light 9mm target round — it makes a marked difference in how I trained with that laser pistol versus other stagnant laser pistols without any sort of recoil or report. Upon firing, you receive the audible burst of the CO2 dispersion in addition to the metal racking of the slide functioning during blowback, which brings the entire system that much closer to realism.

The sights are wide and prominent for quick target acquisition, though a little nail polish — my wife’s nail polish; I don’t own any — would go a long way on both the front post and the rear U-notch. It’s a simple home fix, but I would like to see that from the manufacturer.

On average, I was getting 47 trigger pulls from a single CO2 cartridge, which is very reasonable given the amount of inertia it takes to drive the slide. Remember: It’s for the weight and feel of a “real” gun overall, including the slide. CO2 canisters are not hard to come by, and Blowback sells a 20-count box of them on their website for $20.

blowback-trainer-second - blowback laser trainer

The CO2 canisters seat easily into the magazine through the bottom, and they’re installed/removed via a large Allen bolt. The process is a bit slow and I would love to see a Gen2 with a “fast change” option for swapping the CO2 canisters, but this certainly doesn’t detract a bit from the overall effectiveness of the Blowback Laser Trainer system.

Blowback also makes a Laser Trainer Target, which features two target faces that light up and report a “ping” sound when hit, and it features a timed and a standard score mode. It’s a great addition to the Blowback pistol, and it sees daily action on the shelf across the room from my desk … namely whenever I have writer’s block. Still, I prefer slinking around the house and preying on unsuspecting inanimate objects, but that’s just the hunter in me.

Can the Blowback Laser Trainer replace range or simulation time with live ammo? Hell no. And it’s not designed for that. However, it does fill in the gaps between trips to the range rather nicely.

Blowback Laser Trainer Pistol Specs
Height: 5.5 inches
Width: 1.18 inches
Length: 8 inches
Weight: 28.5 ounces
Cost: $450 Laser Trainer / $665 Laser Training System with Target

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2018 Concealed Carry issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gear: Gun Control System Maximizes Gun Storage

The Gun Control System by Madhouse Design will get your guns in order.

How does the Gun Control System get your guns organized?

  • Madhouse Design’s Gun Control System is a customizable storage system.
  • Its rails, swivel bodies and pins are configurable to nearly any application.
  • Constructed with aluminum, stainless steel and rubber overmolds, the system is rugged, yet gentle on guns.
  • The only drawback is the system is non-locking, so it does not secure a gun.

As you’ve likely already noticed, we’ve been referencing our recent Gun Digest reader survey a lot lately, and for good reason — we simply want to give you what you want. Many of the responses we saw were in line with what the Gun Digest team expected. On the other hand, there were some surprises: We knew the average Gun Digest the Magazine reader owns a lot of guns, but as indicated by the survey, y’all have been busy acquiring more than expected. We’re a little surprised — and way more impressed!

Gun-Storage-First - Gun Control System

But with owning a pile of guns comes one significant problem — storage.

An Innovative Option

Boutique gun and shooting accessories companies aren’t hard to find these days — it seems like everyone has an idea and a website that’s going to “dramatically change the way we shoot.” Heard that one recently? Yeah … it’s getting old.

That said, there are a few diamonds in the rough, and we recently discovered Madhouse Design, which seems to be one such diamond. Madhouse offers a handful of unique sighting and optics mounting solutions, but of particular interest is their Gun Control System. What’s so appealing? Your ability to customize their system to your needs.

The Gun Control System allows everyone from single-gun owners to gun collectors to retail shops to mount a single pistol or multiple pistols in an efficient and organized manner that can be fully customized depending on need. The key here is three-part simplicity: a rail, a swivel body and a pin. Think of the system like Lincoln Logs for gun geeks: Build it how you want and need it.

Options For Any Modern Gunner

Single-Pistol Mount

Gun-Storage-Second - Gun Control System
If you need quick access to a gun and can imagine a place to mount it, you ought to be able to get it done with this: Under a desk, on the side of a nightstand, under you bed, in a cabinet, in your truck. And for the collector, the Single-Pistol Mount offers a low-profile means of displaying a single gun of distinction.

Multiple-Pistol Mount

Rail lengths on the Multiple-Pistol Mount are available in 1-, 2- and 4-foot increments. And because the swivel body — well, swivels — you can mount the rails vertically, horizontally or even diagonally if it suits your fancy. Mount it to the ceiling of your gun safe. In a locked display cabinet. You’ll figure it out.

Safe-Door Mount

Gun-Storage-Third - Gun Control System
In your storage solution right now, what’s the biggest waste of space? In all likelihood, it’s the door on your gun safes, right? The double-rail configuration mounts securely from the top of your gun safe door and works with any door width. This system accommodates up to 12 pistols in a versatile and compact manner without taking up valuable safe space.

Built To Your Imagination

Mounting Rails

Gun-Storage-Fifth - Gun Control System
Mounting rails are constructed of 6061 aluminum with a Mil-Spec Picatinny profile for secure mounting of firearms in any position. Four sizes are available for single- and multiple-pistol mounts, or they can be configured as a safe-door mount.

Swivel Bodies

Each swivel body locks securely in 7 positions at 30-degree increments or locks out to “free float” for easy access.

Barrel Pins

Gun-Storage-Sixth - Gun Control System
The pistol mount pin is constructed of 303 stainless-steel with a soft rubber over-mold to protect the muzzle and bore.  Interchangeable pins are available in four sizes: 22 (.22 caliber), 9MM (9mm, .357, .38 calibers), 40 (.40, 10mm calibers) and 45 (.45 caliber).

It’s fairly obvious that this system has one major drawback: it doesn’t lock your guns. However, if you’re needing organized gun storage in a locked compartment such as a gun safe or a retail display, or if you need a place to keep your gun ready while in your truck — or, if you’re in a line of work where you need to mount a gun under your desk that’s pointed at the front door … well, you’ve got a winner here.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Trigger Upgrade — The Fastest Way To Improve Accuracy

The quickest and easiest way to tighten your groups is to improve the trigger in your gun. Without a top-notch trigger, your shooting skills can only take you so far.

Aftermarket replacement triggers fast facts:

  • Pull on a mil-spec trigger is anywhere between 5 and 9 pounds
  • Up to a pound of pull weight fluctuation can be present from shot to shot on mil-spec triggers
  • Mil-spec triggers travel dramatically — while safety is engaged
  • A drop-in trigger can be installed in less than 10 minutes
  • Velocity Trigger cost: $150

You don’t have to be the Head Line Leader of a TSA battalion to know that a poor-quality trigger will rob you of the true shooting potential both you and your rifle are capable of producing — especially in AR-style rifles. And although I might ruffle some feathers, I’ve ran enough A/B accuracy tests on a variety of rifle brands, models and platforms to say that upgrading the trigger is the first thing you should change on any and every AR you own, and it will enhance the performance of your rifle more than any other upgrade you can make.

trigger-fifth

If we break down this concept of spending money to replace a functioning piece of a gun that already comes standard on every single rifle manufactured, it all comes down to performance and price. How much will it help me, and how much will it cost?

The simple answer: a lot more than you think for a lot less than you think.

Allow me to come at this from another way. The key to mastering any shooting discipline is unwavering consistency — consistency in the gun (including optics and ammo), consistency in the shooter and, most importantly, consistency in the interaction between the gun and the shooter.

As a shooter, you could win the Guinness World Record for being the World’s Most Aggressive Flincher, but as long as you flinch exactly the same way every single shot, you’d likely find yourself on par with some of the best shooters in the world, too. That’s the truth. In our world of shooting — again, regardless of discipline — consistency is king.

Mil-Spec Triggers

In all fairness, I must disclose that there are some AR-style rifle manufacturers out there who are doing a good job with their factory triggers, but you’ll find those guns in the upper tier of the price scale. It’s a very easy argument to make for buying a gun in the middle of the price pack, building that AR exactly how you want it, and still saving money that’s equally well spent on ammo or firearms training.

The overwhelming majority of AR manufacturers today are outfitting their rifles with mil-spec triggers. You know this. It’s not good or bad — it just is — and the mil-spec trigger does help keep the final price tag lower than it would otherwise be. But how much do you really know about mil-spec triggers?

  • The mil-spec trigger is the lowest quality trigger that can purchased, but it’s also the cheapest. All components are cast with loose tolerances, and it’s rare that the finished surfaces are smooth.
  • Spec pull is anywhere between 5 and 9 pounds.
  • Up to a pound of pull weight fluctuation can be present from shot to shot, leaving you to always guess when the gun is going to fire.
  • You’ll feel a large amount of gritty creep and an inconsistent pull weight.
  • When the safety is engaged, the trigger can still travel a large amount.
  • With a mil-spec trigger, the trigger travels farther on safe than an after-market drop-in trigger does to fully function.

trigger-third

Have I made my point? A mil-spec trigger on a gun with a good barrel is exactly like buying a high-dollar precision rifle and putting iron sights on it. If you’re banging away at point-blank targets, then you might argue that none of this matters. Maybe. But I would argue that, in that instance, you’d be better served with a handgun anyway. For all other applications, you’ll be much better served with a replacement trigger.

So, as you’re reading this, you ought to be asking yourself, sweet, but assuming you have convinced me to upgrade my trigger, what’s this gonna cost me?

Look, I’ve got kids who keep taking food from my fridge, my bank still expects my mortgage payment every month and I have a chronic condition called trigger finger itchitis that can only be remedied with the smell of freshly fired ammunition. Aftermarket triggers are like ARs: There are some really good ones out there, but I won’t tell you to buy the top-of-the-line model because it’s not always necessary.

But here’s my short answer to your question above: $150.

I am intimately familiar with the triggers both Timney and Geissele are producing, and you’ll never catch me saying a bad word about either simply because they both make great products. However, when it was brought to my attention that Velocity Triggers is making an after-market, modular drop-in trigger of equal quality with a massively slashed price tag, I got curious.

The old adage you get what you pay for often holds true, but on the flip side of that coin, you can find yourself unnecessarily paying for a brand name — not necessarily a superior product — if you’re not careful.

The Trigger Family Business

Tom Vehr owns and operates Velocity Triggers out of Phoenix, Arizona, and when I learned that he builds topnotch triggers for substantially less than his competition, I figured we all deserved to know how — and why.

Trigger-first

In 1981, Tom Vehr’s parents bought Timney Triggers, and for a full year after that purchase, Alan Timney — one of the pillars of aftermarket trigger innovations — mentored Tom on the nuances of building good triggers. And from his parents’ purchase until 1995, Tom ran Timney Triggers.

In 1995, Tom went to work for Knight Rifles, and for the next 13 years he built the tooling and oversaw the manufacturing of more than a half-million triggers for Knight during that company’s glory days when Knight was the standard all other muzzleloaders were measured against.

In 2008, Vehr left Knight Rifles and started his own custom machine shop before opening the doors to Velocity and building it from the ground up.

So why does all this matter? For starters, it’s interesting. I find the stories behind some of the oldest and most innovative brands in our industry to be fascinating. Want a good read? Do some research on the Mossberg or Beretta families.

But more importantly, this information on Tom’s background tells me two very important things in my mission to determine whether I can recommend a Velocity Trigger to you: The man at the helm of Velocity Triggers knows triggers better than most anyone else in gun world, and that gives immediate legitimacy to the Velocity brand.

So, I called Tom Vehr for some real answers:

LH: What inspired you to get into the aftermarket trigger business?
TV: I saw a need for a high-quality trigger, and just as importantly, it needed to be available at a reasonable price. There are no other aftermarket, drop-in triggers available well below $200. I knew I could manufacture a high-quality trigger at a fair price.

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LH: So, Velocity has been around since 2013? Why have I not heard about you before earlier this year?
TV: It always takes time to build a brand. Velocity was started in 2013, and in 2015 I quit taking in outside machining work to focus on Velocity because of growth. In early 2017, we doubled the square footage of our manufacturing facility.

LH: How many triggers can you produce annually?
TV: I will tell you that we have two wire EDMs running 24/7 and we’re not keeping up. The wire EDM is the most precise way to manufacture internal components: — hammer, trigger and disconnect — and that precision matters. We also decided to bring all the manufacturing in-house so we could completely control consistency and maintain the quality of each and every part that goes into a Velocity Trigger. This also eliminates outside vendor costs. If it costs me less to make, then it costs the shooter less to buy.

LH: Generally speaking, when a shooter replaces a mil-spec AR trigger with a Velocity Trigger, what are the first things he or she is going to immediately notice within the first few shots?
TV:

  • Exceptional consistency — consistency is everything
  • There’s no creep and/or take-up
  • The pull is exceptionally smooth
  • Less than a couple ounces of pull deviation from shot to shot
  • Accuracy will improve dramatically; groups will generally be cut in half
  • Complete trigger change from AR to Velocity in 5-7 minutes.

LH: How many different triggers, or models of triggers, does Velocity offer?
TV: Velocity makes a few different triggers, but for ARs we offer both curved and straight models with either a 3-, 4- or 4.5-pound pull. The shape and pull weight is purely personal preference, but 80 percent of the Velocity Triggers that go out the door are curved, 3-pound AR triggers.

LH: After installing a Velocity trigger, what long-term maintenance is required?
TV: Blow it out with air annually with general use, or more often in very dusty conditions. There’s no lube required.

LH: You’ve recently introduced a new trigger. Give me some details on that.
TV: Yup, it’s the MPC: Marksman Performance Choice. The MPC sports a new design in which we moved the trigger forward a half-inch, which allows for quicker trigger engagement and a more ergonomic setup because the shooter’s finger isn’t forced to curl in so far.

Tom is clearly a modest man, and although he didn’t talk much about it, I’d argue that the coolest feature on the MPC is that the trigger shoe is 3/8-inch wide rather than the standard 1/4-inch. Because of an AR’s receiver design, the max width of a drop in trigger assembly is only 1/4-inch. By using a cap screw to simply attach the trigger shoe to the trigger itself after installation, a wide trigger can be achieved.

trigger-second

A quick peruse of the website also indicated that Velocity hangs it’s hat on “Diamond Like Carbon Coating,” so I dug deeper into what DLC is and what it does. In short, DLC is a surface treatment of the engaging area between the trigger and the hammer. Multiple passes with the EDM achieve a super-fine finish that creates a low fractional coefficient on the trigger. No hand-polishing is needed, it never needs lubrication, and it will never rust — and most importantly, it will never wear.

You heard me ranting earlier that consistency is king, and DLC seems to be the new industry standard upon which all others must now abide. In fact, I dug into DLC deep enough to find a testing report where a brand new AR was used. The gun’s barrel needed replacing just after 10,000 rounds. At about 40,000 rounds, the lower needed replacing … and the Velocity trigger showed negligible wear.

I like to lecture for as long as anyone will listen about how a drop-in trigger should be the first enhancement to every single AR they buy — and I haven’t yet heard a counter argument that holds up. But either way, whether you agree with me or not, you will never convince me that a $150 drop-in trigger, that can be installed by a first-timer in less than 10 minutes, is not worth every single penny.

I’d pay twice that amount of money for a trigger half as good — and I have — but I’ll never do it again.

Gun Gear: SIG Sauer LevelPlex Technology

SIG Electro-Optics’ LevelPlex sets new standards in long-range riflescopes.

What makes SIG Sauer's LevelPlex digital anti-cant system a game changer?

  • LevelPlex is an integrated leveling system designed to eliminate the cant to improve accuracy, particularly at long range.
  • The system features two indicators, one on either side of the reticle. These indicators come in the form of yellow arrows, which describe the direction the scope needs to be adjusted to remove the cant.
  • It is six times more accurate than a typical bubble level with a +/- 0.5-degree of accuracy, with a user-selectable option of +/- 1-degree of sensitivity.

Take a minute to think about the cell phone you were holding to your head a decade ago. Did it have a hinge? How about a telescoping antennae? Heck, did it even have a screen?

And now look at the cell phone sitting on your desk, hanging on your hip or resting in your pocket as you read this. Things have definitely changed in the world of cell phones due to technological advancements and consumer demands.

But let’s bring this back to the gun world. Are things really so different here? Think back to the setup you were shooting a decade ago — competition, long-range, hunting, long gun, handgun — the platform doesn’t much matter. Does it look anything like the setup you’re shooting today? The odds are good that it doesn’t, and if it does, you might be missing out.

SIG Sauer LevelPlex - Tango6 - 1With this being the new technology column inside the Gun Digest long-range issue, it’s fitting to dive a bit deeper here and examine the recent technological advancements in a long-range setup. These days, half-MOA groups from rifles that are also capable of delivering consistent hits well past 1,000 yards are not exceptional … they’re expected. And shooters who, a decade ago, considered 600 yards to be long range now test the limits of their setups on 1-mile targets. In the words of Tracy Lawrence, “The only thing that stays the same is that everything changes.” Everything.

So what’s changed? Man has not evolved so dramatically during the past 10 years that new hand/eye coordination techniques have allowed us to suddenly ring steel at previously unreachable distances. We have, however, discovered new manufacturing techniques for building rifles, new tweaks for enhancing the ballistic coefficient of ammunition and improved components for optics that allow us to see farther and aim more precisely than top shooters of a decade ago ever imagined.

In today’s long-range shooting world, there is no keystone. A setup is only as good as the weakest link in the chain, and with thanks given again to the technological advancements in rifles, optics and ammunition, it’s become much easier to make sure the weakest link in your setup is you — and that’s a very good thing.

SIG Sauer LevelPlex Tango6 - 2“Looking” Into The Future
Even the best long-distance rifles out there, those capable of shooting a group measuring a fraction of MOA, are all but worthless without a riflescope of equal — or superior — quality. That’s not the rifle’s shortcoming; it’s the shooter’s … we simply can’t see without them.

So what measures quality in a long-distance riflescope? Superior glass with state-of-the-art technology is obvious, and so are meticulously machined components for precise and accurate windage and elevation adjustment. And given the wide range of people who have recently taken to long-range shooting, a handful of reticle options should also be available. Of course, a rugged design is also necessary to withstand the hard and active use of a modern gunner.

But in my opinion, all those are standard, must-have qualities to establish a baseline. It’s 2017, and anything short of exceptional will not keep pace with the rapidly changing and growing world of long-range shooting and long-range hunting.

A short time ago, SIG’s Electro-Optics division unveiled its LevelPlex technology, which is nothing more than an integrated leveling system designed to eliminate the cant from a long-range shooting setup. I say “nothing more” because the system is amazingly simple to operate even though the technology is refining industry standards.

Think about this: Even with today’s ultra-high-end riflescopes, the reticle is very unlikely to sit perfectly plumb with the turrets. I’ve heard varying statistics, but most sources put the reticle off plumb from the turrets anywhere from 0.1-5 degrees. Think about that — 5 degrees! Even at half that deviance, you’ll miss your target by as much as 2 feet at 1,000 yards for simply assuming that the reticle sits plumb with the scope’s turrets that you used to level the scope to your rifle.

The takeaway here is to remember that accuracy depends on having your reticle plumb to your rifle, not the turrets plumb to the rifle. This same principle also applies to shooter-introduced cant on a riflescope that’s already been mounted plumb to the rifle: A perfectly mounted riflescope is futile if the shooter cants the rifle upon firing. You’ll likely never notice a 3-degree cant at 300 yards, but you can bet the farm that the repercussion will be measured in feet — not inches — as you close in on 1,000 yards.

SIG Sauer LevelPlex Tango6 - 4Here’s how LevelPlex works: When you look through the riflescope, two indicators will be present, one on either side of the reticle. These indicators come in the form of yellow arrows. So, if your rifle is canted to the right, the right “up” arrow/indicator will illuminate, instructing you to raise that side back to level, at which point the illuminator will turn off. Same goes for left cant. It’s literally that simple.

SIG Sauer LevelPlex reticleAccording to SIG, the LevelPlex anti-cant system is 6 times more accurate than a typical bubble level with a +/- 0.5-degree of accuracy, with a user-selectable option of +/- 1-degree of sensitivity. At present, the technology comes in SIG’s Tango6 line, available in 5-30x56mm, 4-24x50mm and 3-18x44mm models with four reticle options — though it’s likely a safe assumption that this technology will spread like wildfire through other SIG riflescopes, including the “tactical hunting” Whiskey5 line.

While LevelPlex is the coolest and arguably most technologically advanced piece of the Tango6 riflescope, SIG has incorporated a pile of other sweet features, including a free SIG Ballistic Turret (SBT) Dial that’s custom-engraved to match your unique ballistics and environmental conditions — and a fully transferrable lifetime guarantee.

Here’s the hitch: Depending upon model specifics, the SIG Electro-Optics Tango6 with LevelPlex will hit you in the pocketbook at a tune of $1,700-$3,200. Now, that said, let me remind you that there’s nothing else on the market like this and, when playing the 1,000-yard game, nothing comes cheap — or easy.

Editor's Note: This “Modern Gunnery” column is an excerpt from the June 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Behind The Scenes: The H&H Precision Story

H&H Precision pairs with the Orias Chassis. The result: A rifle boasting a ¼-MOA guarantee and exceptional diversity.

What does it take to elevate a rifle’s capabilities to an exceptional level of accuracy? High-quality materials fed into top-precision machines operated by heavily experienced technicians? Maybe. But I’d argue that every single firearm brought to market should have all those qualifications.

Complete resource for finding a long-range cartridge.
Master the art of long-range marksmanship with Gun Digest Long-Range Shooting.

I’m not talking about “minute-of-whitetail” accuracy or a gun capable of ringing a 10-inch steel plate at 600 yards. I’m talking about a level of accuracy that was all but inaccessible — barely even fathomable — to civilian shooters a few years ago.

There are a few trends abuzz right now in the shooting world wildly unparalleled in both form and function.

On one hand, you’ve got long-standing, well-respected firearms manufacturers that are kicking out sub-$400 rifles capable of producing consistent sub-MOA groups even when operated by riflemen of moderate skillsets. Think Ruger’s American rifles, the Savage Axis, Mossberg’s Patriot and Remington’s Model 783. And there are others.

For shooters whose version of success is measured in punched big-game tags as much as tightly perforated paper, these guns — and this entire trending category — is a dream come true both in regard to performance and price.

And then there are “the freaks” — a growing fraternity of those who, by definition, create a “very unusual and unexpected event or situation.”

These are the gunsmiths, engineers, machinists and shooters who demand — and are willing to pay for — perfection that’s measured by thousandths of an inch in the shop and by fractions of MOA on the line.

Imagine a precision rifle that can produce ¼-MOA groups. Every shot. From every gun that rolls out of that shop. Yeah, that’s freaky.

H&H Precision Rifles - shootingDefining Precision
Ken Hagen’s passion for the shooting sports bloomed at very young age and took roots with a family that was heavily involved in outdoor activities. From age 2 and beyond, Hagen was never left behind when his family headed afield.

“I can remember standing in the front seat of an old '60s Chevy pickup and watching my grandmother shoot antelope and deer,” said Hagen. “She stretched across the hood in true redneck fashion, wearing hair curlers and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Much like a Labrador retriever with a strong desire to chase and retrieve, I found myself consumed with the passion to hunt and shoot, too.”

Admittedly, Hagen didn’t do well in grade school because of his daydreams about hunting and shooting while in class. Nothing was more important to him than hunting and shooting, and it wasn’t until he lost his hunting privileges due to poor grades that he found the motivation to start paying a bit more attention in class.

“My grandfather had me on a sliding scale when it came to school grades,” added Hagen. “An ‘A' got me in on elk, deer, antelope and small-game hunts. ‘Bs' got me in on deer and antelope. A ‘C' got me in on small game. If I came home with a ‘D,' I lost my rifle and my hunting privileges. And an ‘F' … well, I didn’t dare go there.”

Hagen’s grandfather was also a builder, and at age 8, the pair built Hagen’s first high-power rifle together in his shop — a sporterized Springfield .30-06. The stock was honed from an old block of walnut, which was hand-carved and with jade inlays.
And that’s the proverbial spark that lit the passion of rifle building for Hagen.
 
H&H Precision rifles - handguardFrom Passion To Profession
“Shooting and building rifles have always been my passion,” said Hagen, “but my drive is fueled even further when I can become part of peoples’ experience. It’s not just about building rifles — it’s about being part of something people are proud to own. It’s a privileged honor when people select my products and services.”

Every H&H Precision rifle is built one at a time, from start to finish. Hagen’s attention to detail and devotion to build the best rifle for that customer is solely set aside for that customer, and it’s his one-at-a-time devotion that allows him to do it. With each rifle, Hagen promises himself to build to his best ability and never cut any corners, regardless of timelines and production schedules.

“There are hundreds of custom rifle manufacturers on the market producing exceptional rifles,” added Hagen. “So when a customer picks H&H Precision over the others, I owe it to them to do my best work. I build for special operations groups who’re called to duty when lives are at stake and failure is not an option. I’m not a first-responder or a soldier on the battlefield, but I help serve to protect and defend in other ways.”

Every H&H Precision rifle is tested under video to prove ¼-MOA accuracy with a Target Cam System and two cameras. Each customer gets a video of their rifle shooting the groups.

Not only is that unparalleled proof of Ken’s commitment to perfection, it’s almost as if the customer is standing next to Hagen when he’s testing their rife — every shot and every bullet hole develops on the screen and is captured by that video.

“My philosophy is simple: If a manufacturer never proved a rifle can shoot ¼-MOA, then how can they guarantee it?” said Hagen. “I hear stories of manufacturers who say it but never prove it — and we all know talk is cheap. The H&H Precision slogan is as simple as my business philosophy: ‘We don’t just say it — we prove it!'

“Customer satisfaction is priority No. 1,” added Hagen. “If, for any reason, a customer doesn’t like one of my rifles within a reasonable timeline, I will refund or replace the rifle. I will never stick a customer with a rifle they’re not satisfied with. H&H Precision is the safest bet in town when investing in a high-end rifle.”

Even in the current, highly competitive landscape of precision rifle shooters and builders, Ken Hagen’s intuition and gunsmithing experience is largely unparalleled. He’s also equipped with the latest technologies and machine shop equipment and is backed by years of experience to provide a full service operation.

The circle of people who know Hagen’s top-secret processes of precision gunsmithing is incredibly tiny, but Hagen accredits much of his success — and his ability to guarantee ¼-MOA — on the Orias Chassis.

H&H Precision rifles - chassisOrias Chassis
The Orias Chassis system, developed and built by Killer Innovations and Mega Arms, has quickly evolved into one of the most advanced chassis systems available.

Developed around the patent-pending self-adjusting recoil lug alignment system, the Orias Chassis has a free-floating half-round on the backside of the recoil lug that’s held in place by two small magnets. The half-round is free to rotate to perfectly match the angularity of the recoil lug on the receiver as the wedge clamp in the front of the recoil lug forces back into the half-round.

This proprietary system eliminates any minute angularity differences between the receiver’s recoil lug and the Orias chassis, which can cause serious accuracy problems at long ranges. The configuration of this system also allows for the removal and re-installation of the receiver with a zero point-of-impact shift when torqued to the proper sequence.

The Orias Chassis is cut from a solid block of 7075-T651 aluminum. Although 7075 is nearly twice the cost of 6061 aluminum, it’s roughly 40 percent stronger and notably lighter, creating an incredibly strong yet lightweight platform for precision rifle shooters who appreciate and demand the attention to detail that can set a rifle apart from the crowd.

Weighing 2.1 pounds and topped off in a Mil-Spec Type 3 hard-anodized finish, each Orias Chassis is equipped with a removable rear trunnion that accepts an AR-style buttstock. To complete the customizing attributes of the Orias, a quick-detach accessory rail, located over the barrel, is available as an optional accessory.

H&H Precision rifles - partingThe Bottom Line
“The Orias Chassis gives H&H Precision rifles an incredibly unique, maneuverable, light and highly functioning feel,” said Hagen. “The palm swell provides the feel of a competition rifle, while the forend creates the feel of a lightweight, quick-handling hunting rifle. A rifle is only as good as its weakest link, and nothing else on the market comes close to performing like the Orias Chassis.”

Essentially, with decades of gunsmithing experience from Hagen and hundreds of hours of machining work to perfect the Orias Chassis, comes perfection through time. Hunters, competitive shooters, long-range marksmen, military personnel or law enforcement snipers — there’s a bit of each of these shooting disciplines crafted into each H&H Precision rifle.

Rare is the rifle capable of delivering such incredible accuracy while still offering so much diversity. You might even call it freaky.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the June 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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