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| With a street price of around $1200 as of this writing, Remington's R-15 VTR is a superbly accurate AR. |
Remington R-15
I have to admit, with all due embarrassment, that until recently I had never owned an AR. I've had plenty of M1 Carbines and AKs and SKSs in addition to the usual complement of Krags and Trapdoors and 03s and Mausers, but somehow the planets never lined up sufficiently for me to buy an AR.
That oversight has been corrected in the form of a Remington R-15 VTR in .223. As a life-long fan of Remington autoloaders (from the Model 8 of 1906 on up to today's Model 750 Woodsmaster), I'm kind of glad that my first AR had the Remington name on it.
A camo-dipped version of a Bushmaster Predator, my R-15 shoots consistent .75″ groups at 100 yards if I hold my mouth right. Frankly, I remain amazed by its performance.
To anyone who ever questioned whether an AR is a legitimate sporting arm, the R-15 definitely answers in the affirmative. I can't wait to introduce it to some Indiana woodchucks. (See www.remington.com.)
.30 Remington Cartridge
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| The new .30 Remington AR |
Speaking of Remington, I like the looks of Remington's new .30 Remington AR cartridge. I have a soft spot for the old .30 Remington Autoloading cartridge (sort of a rimless .30-30 Winchester), and the new Remington .30 is a worthy successor.
Based on a cut-down, necked .450 Bushmaster case, the stubby new .30 provides low-end .308 Winchester ballistics with a 125-gr. spitzer.
Make no mistake: the short .30 Remington AR case can't accommodate the longer 150- to 165-gr. bullets like a .308 bolt rifle can, but for someone who wants a real deer-level cartridge in an AR platform, it should prove decisive.
I'm not going out on too much of a limb when I predict that this is one case that will be extensively wildcatted.
Mossberg 464 .30-30
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| Younger hunters, and some not-so-young, will find plenty of value in the Mossberg 464 .30-30. |
By now you've read all the compliments for Mossberg's 464 .30-30 lever-action, and I'll throw a few more on the pile. We wrung one out pretty thoroughly last year and it performed just as advertised: short lever throw, positive ejection, easy loading, etc.
Externally it resembles a hybrid between a Marlin 336 and a late-model Winchester 94, but there's an impressive amount of steel in its upper receiver.
With a street price hovering around $400, the 464 should find friends among those who believe that a .30-30 is all you really need for woods-range deer hunting. For beginning hunters, it should be an absolute peach. Now: where's that 464 in .22LR? (See www.mossberg.com.)
Superior Concepts 10/22 Laser Stock
I belong to the school that holds that you can't have too many gadgets. And a couple of the more enticing gadgets I've seen lately are the Superior Concepts 10/22 Laser Stock and Accessory Band.
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| Superior Concepts Laser Stock (laser visible at end of forend) and barrel-band Accessory Mount. |
The Laser Stock first: This is a nifty aftermarket stock for the Ruger .22 autoloader that incorporates an easily-adjustable laser sight.
The switch for the sight is inset into the left side of the stock's forend, where it falls naturally under the thumb. A little pressure on the switch and zing! a brilliant laser dot is projected as far out as you're likely to use one. It's available in a wide variety of stockl styles, from tactical to plain-jane.
The Accessory Band is one of those slap-my-forehead-why-didn't-I-think-of-that things: an accessory mount that replaces the barrel band of the 10/22.
For those such as I who possess only limited gunsmithing skills (okay, very limited), it's a no-brainer. (See www.laserstock.com.)
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This article is an excerpt from Gun Digest 2010. Click here to order.
