6 Simple Ways To Sharpen Your Shot For Hunting Season

August 30, 2017

We’re still frittering away the dog days of summer, but before you know it, hunting season will be upon us. Have you put the work in to be truly ready when you go out to chase deer, elk or what have you? Luckily, there is ample time to make sure you hit the mark when it matters most. With this in mind, here are 6 simple ways to ready yourself for hunting season. They won’t guarantee you bag a trophy, but they’ll have you prepared if the opportunity presents itself.

Choose Your Ammunition
Screw It
Sight In Your Rifle
Get Off The Bench
Break A Sweat
Shoot In Your Gear

Choose Your Ammunition

The day before you head afield to bag that Boone and Crockett whitetail is no time to switch up ammunition. The box of 180-grain soft-points you pluck off the shelf at the outfitters is going to perform differently out of your .30-06 than those 150-grain boat tails you’ve practiced with all summer. The least appropriate time to test the difference between each projectile’s wind drift at 400 yards is when there’s a slobberknocker in your crosshairs.

Well before the season starts you should already be going through your ammunition selection process. This includes brushing up on its potential terminal ballistics (does it have what it takes to get the job done?). Test out the round to make certain it performs in your rifle (not every gun likes every load). Get familiar with your chosen round by pitching plenty of it downrange (make certain you aren’t going to flinch come crunch time).

Knowing your ammunition will give you the extra boost of confidence you’ll need in the field and will pay off when you have your wall-hanger in your sights.

Screw It

Screws come loose. That’s the nature of the universe. And few things foul up a hunting trip faster than loose screws that result in a scope rattling in its rings or an action bouncing off its bedding. Plain and simple, your gun isn’t going to shoot straight. This situation is avoidable with a point-by-point check of your rifle.

Armed with your torque-limiting screwdriver and factory-recommended torque specs (available at most gunmakers’ websites), check to make certain the action screws are tightened to spec. Next move to the scope; make sure it won’t rotate or slide forward and back in the rings. Also, make sure the mounts don’t have any give to them. If they do, it’s time to pull the scope and cinch up those base screws. It’s handy to have some blue Loctite (repeat BLUE Loctite) and a torque wrench on hand for your scope work.

By all accounts, if you take care of your rifle and shoot it regularly, these should be issues you troubleshot long ago. But it doesn’t hurt to add a layer of redundancy to your hunting regime.

Sight In Your Rifle

Sighting in your rifle is perhaps the single most important pre-season prep you can do. If your scope isn’t on target, how the heck do you expect to hit anything?

There are numerous methods you can use to dial in your rifle, including this handy one from Wayne van Zwoll. And it’s best to do this off a bench on a calm day to eliminate all the possible variables. But sighting in shouldn’t be a one-time deal.

Unless you’re only heading down the road an hour or so from where you live, you should plan on checking your zero once you reach deer or elk or bighorn camp. Jostling around behind your pick-up truck’s seat or getting flung about by airport baggage handlers has the tendency of rousing the gun gremlins. But there’s potentially another reason you should double-check your zero — elevation.

If you leave the flatlands and head into the high country (or vice versa) the atmospheric pressure will have an impact on your bullet’s trajectory. At most typical hunting ranges (200 yards and in), it will be minimal. But go out to 400 yards and beyond, and the difference in bullet drop is measured in inches.

Even if you don’t plan on taking a long shot, it’s worth a couple of rounds just to get a feel for where your bullets are hitting when you’ve added or subtracted 8,000 feet of elevation.

Get Off The Bench

Chances are you aren’t packing a benchrest on your hunting trip. So, it would be a good idea to take some shots in the likely positions you’ll be forced to use in the field. At the bare minimum, this means getting some off-hand shots under your belt and some from the kneeling position.

If possible, it would be a good idea to shoot off equipment you plan to use on your hunt. The only time of year you shoot off sticks shouldn’t be when a top-notch bull elk cuts from the herd. Loop up that sling and hold your target for a good spell. Get your belly in the dirt and build your shooting base off your hunting pack. It’s uncomfortable, grimy and doesn’t always leave those neat little clover-leaf groups we all love. But it’s the sort of sweat equity and forethought that irons out the little kinks of practical shooting and earns you a dang fine rack and a freezer full of meat come the end of the day.

Break A Sweat

Hunting is a physical activity, but there are plenty of people who don’t prepare for it that way. The range is a comfortable place, especially when sub-MOA groups print like they’re rolling off a press. But really, will you have a low heart rate and crystal-clear head when you pull the trigger on that dream mule deer? Didn’t think so.

Most likely, you’re going to have to hump in a good distance to get to your hunting grounds. You’re going to have to execute a stalk once you find your game, almost certainly over rugged terrain. And even if you plan to sit in a treestand or a ground blind, chances are you’ll still be hunting on the way in, with a load of gear on your back. Each and every one of these scenarios will get your heart pumping and your muscles quaking — far from ideal circumstances for placing a precision shot.

You can, however, make certain your aim is steady, even if your body is fighting you before the season starts. A little physical exertion before you shoulder your rifle at the range can go a long way to acclimate you to taking a realistic shot in the field. Yes, it might seem a bit out of place cracking off a set of jumping jacks before settling down behind the trigger. But doing so, you’ll learn how to relax your mind and body quickly, manage and minimize your arc of movement (especially if you aren’t shooting off a rest) and incorporate proper breath control in the blink of an eye.

Sure the guy in the next lane — the one that hasn’t moved six inches in the past hour — might give you the cockeye. But he’ll be the one at a loss when he’s winded and shaky at the moment of truth.

Shoot In Your Gear

Actually, you needn’t get completely decked out in everything you plan to take into the wilds at the range. But it is worth your time to wake up your muscle memory to what it feels like to shoulder your rifle with your gear on.

A thick coat, straps on your pack and winter hunting gloves all drastically change how even the most familiar rifle fits your frame and how you’ll operate it. Now is the time to remember how everything comes together with all those extra layers on. Are you still getting a tight cheek weld? How about the trigger; can you cleanly squeeze it? That pack, is it going to inhibit your shot?

Some good old home-based dry fire should do the trick in diagnosing how your gear interacts with your rifle. And don’t hold back. Do more than just shoulder your rifle off-hand and call it good. Get into the logical positions you’ll use in the field, and make sure there are no hang-ups of any kind. This goes double if you’ve bought brand new gear, of which you are unfamiliar.

Like all successful shots, the ones made hunting are about controlling variables. It’s better to account for them now when you can do something about them than when that once-in-a-lifetime moose vaporizes back into the timber because you couldn’t get you’re gloved finger into the trigger guard.

Going the Distance

With Gun Digest Book of Long-Range Shooting, 2nd Edition by L.P. Brezny, get up-to-date with the most recent advances in guns and gear to extend your range for hunting, informal target shooting, and formal competition shooting. This second edition also explores special competitive shooting events, like the 3-gun competition and rifle golf 1000-1500-yard games, addressing their recent explosion in popularity. Additionally, discover new tools for long-range shooters both in the field and on the firing range, with coverage of new developments due to advances in military applied combat theory. Get Your Copy Now

Crimson Trace Laserguard Now Available For LCP II

Elwood Shelton

August 30, 2017

Crimson Trace has increased the low-light capabilities for one of the most popular lightweight, compact pistols with the release of its Laserguard for the Ruger LCP II.

The Laserguard integrates seamlessly into the LCP II, mounting conveniently on the trigger guard of the pistol.
Laserguard models are available with a red or green laser, each intuitively activated by a pressure switch located on the pistol’s front strap.
The units feature the same stippling as the LCP II grips, making it appear to be a natural extension of the pistol.

Like a hammer on an anvil, numerous self-defense experts have pounded home the benefits of laser sights. While they’re no replacement for competent use of traditional pistol aiming systems, there’s little arguing they certainly do have their benefits. Chief among them, there is perhaps no more solid system to place rounds on target when light is scarce — and with adrenaline pumping — than these handy sights.

This is good news for fans of one of the most popular lightweight, compact pistols available today, since Crimson Trace recently drew a bead on adding greater low-light capabilities to their handguns. The Oregon manufacturer is now offering two laser sighting options for the Ruger LCP II, configured to seamlessly integrate into the petite pistol, upping its aiming aptitude.

Shooters can choose from red and green laser models of Crimson Trace’s Laserguard sight, configured to mount on the .380 ACP’s trigger guard. And toting one immediately will be a snap, given there are already a host of holsters on the market tailored to carry a LCP II decked out with the sight.

Like all the Laserguard series, the models destined for the compact Ruger pistol offer complete windage and elevation adjustments. And each laser sight comes outfitted with Crimson Trace’s intuitive Instinctive Activation control layout, which is a great advantage. Activated by a normal firing grip through a pressure switch on the front strap, the Laserguard snaps to life the instant it’s needed. This reduces the margin of error of having to fiddle with a button and makes utilizing the sight second nature.

The unit is also finished to blend in with the rest of the LCP II, stippled with the same unique pattern found on the pistol’s grips. It’s a small aspect of the Laserguard for sure. But the end result makes it look sharp and like a natural part of the pistol.

While identical in form and function, the two LCP II-compatible Laserguard models do have a bit of a price difference. The red laser (model LG-497) comes in with an MSRP of $229, while the green laser (model LG-497G) comes in at $309.

P.O. Ackley Quotes: Famous Words Of Wit And Wisdom

Fred Zeglin

August 30, 2017

Best known for his Ackley Improved family of cartridges, the eminent gunsmith P.O. Ackley was also a tireless self-promoter and well-known writer. Here are some of our favorite Ackleyisms.

P.O. Ackley made no secret of his disdain for many popular magnum cartridges.
Ackley responded to hundreds, perhaps thousands of personal letters.
The man was multi-talented when it came to gunsmithing.
He could make the finest barrels or blow up the strongest actions.
And he could offend the thickest-skinned of the rifle intelligencia.

Best P.O. Ackley Quotes

As Col. Charles Askins once said, “With a total interest in the shooting game, with a dedication and a devotion to rifles and their loads, the man had given countless hours, money and effort to the betterment of the existing American family of rifle cartridges. The debt of the shooters of this country to Parker Ackley is a major one.”

P.O. Ackley was careful about the words he published for the general public verses the comments he might write to a friend. A few examples of these comments come from his private letters written to friends and acquaintances.

For example, on large capacity magnums he declares, “Of course, these big ones make more noise and they would be highly efficient if you could scare animals to death.

Letterhead logo from the early days in Trinidad. Collection of Ron Pearson.

“If you look through my Volume I book you will find that about 2,800 fps is about all anyone has been able to get out of a .35 caliber 250-grain bullet, regardless of what case is used,” Ackley wrote to Bevan King. “So anyone claiming 3,400 is either using some highly specialized system or he is a liar. And I am pretty much of the opinion that the latter is correct.”

So, without further ado, here are some more of our favorite Ackley quotes.

Ackley On Extreme Accuracy

Discussing extreme rifle accuracy Ackley wrote to a friend that, “There are not a very high percentage of the shooters who are able to shoot like that no matter how well the gun is made or how accurate it is. I have noticed that some benchrest shooters or target shooters would shoot fifteen or twenty groups and then throw away all but one and then they would brag about their rifle being able to do that every time. You should have seen some that had been thrown away. The more rabid they get on the accuracy kick the more psycho they become.”

Parker On His Critics

“I have been making barrels for forty-four years or more and I don’t know half as much about it as someone who has been at it four years,” said Ackley to a friend.

Insights Into Elmer Keith

“I don’t think Elmer Keith would be caught dead hunting with anything smaller than a .300 Magnum. And he used to tell me that was about minimum for deer. For other stuff he starts up from there. Of course, if you figured things proportionately, guns for moose or bear; the gun would probably be at least 37mm,” Ackley wrote.

Dressing Down Bureaucrats

On property tax Ackley declared, “When I sold the land out back I intended to fix up the house. When we moved to Holiday in 1951 … taxes have gone up so much that I am just letting the joint fall down. If I do any work on it they will come around and reassess it. Like everywhere else we have a surplus of public parasites.”

Dennis- Belm-consulting-P.O-Ackley — Dennis Belm (right) consulting P.O. Ackley (left).

P.O. Ackley On Gunsmithing

“The smoothness thing which is so often proclaimed in the various discussions of the .17 caliber barrels is a myth. It sounds good but it has no basis in fact. I have worked with .17 caliber barrels now for more than 25 years and although I admit I don’t know very much about barrel making after more than 30 years at it, I do know that the best way to get an answer to the problem is to ask someone who has never made a barrel. They can always tell you.”

Taking Down More Magnums

[Magnum cartridges are] “so inefficient that no one in his right mind could see anything good in them except sales possibilities … It would be fine if by putting a belt on a case and advertising it as a magnum it would revolutionize the industry, but it only revolutionizes sales.”

P.O. Ackley On His Competitors

“I have no quarrel with the man who has a lower price. He knows better than anyone else what his product is worth.”

Editor’s Note: This excerpt is from P.O. Ackley: America’s Gunsmith available exclusively at GunDigestStore.com.

Gun Review: The IWI ACE Rifle

Patrick Sweeney

August 29, 2017

The IWI ACE is an evolution of an evolution, which was then further refined.

The Galil was the Israelis’ attempt at improving the AK, turning a sharp eye to what the Finns achieved with the Rk 62. The rifle was not well received; in turn IWI designers went back to the drawing board and mustered the Galil ACE.
Though it has the same gas operation and uses the same magazines as the AK, the ACE has been changed in so many ways it almost defies being called an AK.
The ACE’s charging handle is on the left side of the receiver and stops debris from entering the rifle. Other features include an aperture rear sight and front post, a folding stock and a 16-inch barrel topped with a flash hider.

The Soviets designed and fielded the AK. They spread it across the globe, and when the Israelis clashed with their neighbors, they captured lots and lots of AKs. In the process, the Israelis got tired of the small arms they’d been using, so they naturally took a look at the AK.

As firearms history buffs know, the Israelis started off with WWII surplus. They then rearmed with FALs. By the 1970s, the Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF had become extensively mechanized. Trying to exit an armored personnel carrier while handling an FAL, all 44 inches of it (the folder can be made as “compact” as 33 inches) is a real hassle. The AK is much handier.

So, the IDF put all their effort into making an improved AK. With input they gained from looking at what the Finns did with their Rk 62 the result was the Galil.

Well, the Galil was not exactly a market-dominating product. In fact, it wasn’t even well-received in Israel. Especially the 7.62 version, which ended up nearly as long as, and heavier than, an American M14. The power it provided wasn’t worth the hassle of hauling it. The IDF ended up issuing M16s by the swarm, and the IWI designers went back to the drawing boards, with the objections of the Galil by end-users ringing in their ears.

The end result was the IWI Galil ACE, in this instance the product number GAR1639.

We’ll make it simple, from now on it will be called the ACE, because that is a fitting name.

The ACE is a product-improved AK-47/Galil chambered in 7.62×39. I have seen a version chambered in 5.56, but it was select-fire, and that isn’t one we can get here in the good old U.S. of A. The same gas operation, using the same magazines as the AK, the ACE has been changed in so many ways it almost defies being called an AK.

First, the charging handle has been moved to the left side of the receiver. Usually, this causes problems in the AK, because the charging handle needs an access slot, and that means a big gap through which debris can enter. IWI designed and installed a dual-hinged spring-loaded cover for this gap.

When the bolt is forward, the cover is pressed up by the springs, covering the gap. When the action cycles, the charging handle presses the cover down against its springs. When the action closes up again, the cover slides up, covering the gap — ta-da, the gap is open only for a moment, when the action is cycling, and the chances of something getting in are so remote as to be unworthy of concern.

And yes, the charging handle reciprocates. On the FAL, it does not. But the charging handle on an AK is many things — it is a charging handle, forward assist, and lever you use to get the action open when you’ve rusted or mudded it shut. It reciprocates.

Since the charging handle is on the left, the right side of the carrier would be slick. IWI put a machined recess there, which you can use as a forward assist.

The top cover is tightly fitted to the receiver, with no perceptible wobble. Which is good, because in place of the notch and post of the AK, the sights of the ACE are a proper aperture rear, and a front post. This greatly increases the sight radius, and also improves the eye/brain ability to recognize alignment error.

The rear sight is a flip sight, with two apertures, and each is marked. One is marked “3” and has a pair of tritium cells for night use flanking the aperture, but a bit below it. That’s your 300-meter zero sight. The other one lacks the tritium, and is marked “5.” That’s your 500-meter sight, and if you can use tritium dots on a 500-meter target at night, you have far better vision than any of the rest of us.

On the top cover is a Mil-Std. 1913 rail, commonly miscalled a Picatinny rail. The gas tube also has this rail, at the same level and aligned with it. The top cover rail has a tenon that wedges into the groove in the rear of the gas tube rail, so they are mutually supported. This arrangement provides you with a full-length rail, onto which you can put optics, magnifying or red-dot. You can install lights, lasers, night vision, thermal optics, whatever fits and is found useful and worthy of the weight. Fair warning: the gas tube on an AK can get hot, so you might not want to park something on that part of the rail, if it is heat-sensitive.

The front sight is in the gas block, and the block is aligned so the gas port is vertical, not slanted. The gas block is pinned on with a pair of transverse pins, located below the barrel. This is the way the Finns did it, unlike the Soviets, who commonly pinned above the barrel. Both work though I find I like the looks of the below method more.

The front sight post is another interesting departure from vanilla-plain AK. The post is tapered, and has a tritium cell in it. How do they keep it facing the shooter, you ask. The post base has two flanges. If you are adjusting the sights for zero, press down the spring-loaded plunger for adjustment, turn the post and check.

Once you get the zero dead-on, depress the plunger only enough to free the top flange, and turn the post cover until the opening for the tritium cell faces the shooter. And the mystery of the low tritium cells on the rear sight is now solved. Since the tritium on the front sight can’t be at the very tip of the sight, but below the tip, the rear cells are also lower, so you’ll be properly aligned. Clever, no?

The sight adjustments are 1 inch at one hundred yards, per click or adjustment notch. Interestingly, the rear sight can be removed from the top cover. I’d hazard a guess that’s to make it easy to replace when it gets dropped by some fumble-fingered recruit.

On the backend, the stock is both adjustable and folding. The adjustments work like the AR — squeeze the lever to unlock it, and slide the buttstock forward or back to the length that is comfortable. Fully shortened (11.85 inches of pull) my nose almost touches the receiver, and the receiver bumps me a bit when I’m firing. I can see the front sight wings through the aperture. Fully back (15.25 inches of pull) the wings are almost but not quite visible outside of the rear sight plate. That’s a lot of adjustment, with five separate stops.

The buttplate is ridged, hard plastic. There is a clip-on cheek piece you can use that allows you to have a proper cheek weld for use with optics.

The stock folds to the right, the ejection port side. It doesn’t interfere with ejection, and doesn’t bind the safety/selector (more on that shortly). The stock locks in place when it is unfolded, so it won’t fold on you when you are using it.

The lock is simple; it is taken directly from the FN design for folding stocks. To unlock and fold, press the stock assembly down toward the ground, against the locking spring. Once the locking latch clears the notch, hinge the stock to the right, toward the ejection port.

The hinge pin has an angled head, and the angle will let the pin ride up when you fold the stock. The pin will cam down when you force the stock open, but the stock is not mechanically locked while folded. This is clever and correct. You want the stock locked open when you use it as a stock. You do not need the stock locked while folded, because if you want to unfold it you don’t want to be messing around with buttons, levers or other such problems. Just grab the stock and flip it open.

Inside the top cover is the expected carrier and bolt. Getting the cover off can be an adventure. The retaining tab is longer than on a Soviet AK (as on the Galil/Golani), the tight fit of the top cover can make getting the retainer pressed in — and kept in while the cover is lifted — a whole lot of work.

Inside the recoil spring assembly not only has a synthetic impact block (I’m going to try as hard as possible to avoid calling it a shok-buff) but the back of the retainer features a rubber slip pad, or cover. This rides between the retainer assembly and the inside rear of the cover. Interestingly, the parts list describes it as #23, Blocker, Gas Injection. Hmm, never did get gas up the nose from an AK, but OK.

The bolt and carrier come out to the rear and lift up just as with a standard AK, but as you move them you’ll discover an improvement the Israelis added in — the gas tube is not held in with a lever, as on a standard AK, but slides into place on a short set of rails. The top cover holds the gas tube in place. You can take the top off, the bolt and carrier out, and the gas tube off in a matter of seconds with no risk of stabbing yourself with a screwdriver, or gouging the finish.

Inside the milled receiver is a standard two-hook, two-stage trigger, with the disconnector positioned and timed to act as the stop on the second stage.

The safety/selector is a lever on the upper rear right of the receiver, and is not the cover over the ejection port. In fact, there is no cover over the ejection port. If you think it is out of the way and a bit difficult to reach, you’re wrong. Well, those with small hands will find it tough, but the lever is positioned nicely to your trigger finger. But you needn’t fear, there’s one on the left side, just above the pistol grip.

That’s right, IWI has figured out how to not only put a safety lever in two places where you can reach them, but give it the leverage it needs so you can actually move it. It’s a safety you can work without taking your firing grip off of the rifle. The safety on the right side bears against the stock when folded, but the stock does not keep the safety from moving.

Now, “leverage enough” can be a relative thing. I can push the right-hand side lever from Safe to Fire with my trigger finger. However, I cannot push it back to Safe. For that, I have to use my thumb, and the lever on the left side. You may find yours is easier, or your hands stronger, but be aware and remember you have two levers.

The next change is the bottom metal of the receiver or, actually, the bottom polymer. The pistol grip, magazine catch and magazine guide box are all made of a high-strength polymer. This polymer assembly is semi-permanently attached to the receiver, and is not meant to be removed by the user. If you really feel the need, there are a couple of big screws, one in the pistol grip, the other in front of the magazine well that hold it on. I suggest leaving them alone, because there’s nothing good you can do with it off.

You may be looking at the ACE and thinking, “This is nice, but those are some awesomely fat handguards, and there’s no place to mount my light.” Oh, ye of little faith. Notice the buttons on the sides of the handguards? Those are the locking tabs. Press in and the handguard cover slides forward, and off the handguard base. Just like that, you have railed handguards. All three come off at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The first person to complain that these are pic rails, and not M-Lok or Keymod, gets slapped.

Last, we have the flash hider. It is threaded onto the 16-inch barrel. The barrel is chrome-moly-Vanadium steel, cold hammer forged, and chrome-lined. The flash hider looks a bit long because it uses a lock nut behind it to hold the flash hider in the correct orientation without using crush washers or other delicate tools.

As a design a military armorer can deal with, it is simple and rugged. Suppose a trooper blows his flash hider apart, having clogged it with mud and then firing his rifle. The unit armorer simply uses a pair of open-end wrenches (and the guy in the unit with the biggest hands, to hold the rifle flat on the bench) to loosen the jam nut. He then spins the old parts off, cleans the threads, spins the new ones on, orients the new flash hider correctly, and tightens the jam nut up behind it. He doesn’t even need a vise or other tools.

The last detail is interesting. The ACE comes into the country in a non-922(r) compliant condition. IWI U.S. then installs U.S.-made parts to make it 922(r) compliant. However, they do note that you should use only a U.S.-made magazine. Use of imported magazines may put you in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(r). Since they ship it with a Magpul magazine, this seems pretty clear.

They are depending on one, two or all three of the magazine parts to keep the ACE in compliance. OK, just make sure to use U.S.-made magazines. That will be easy. Once Magpul announced their magazines (and Tapco joined the party), I have not bought an imported magazine for the AK since. Actually, except for the period-specific builds, none of my AKs are going to experience anything but a Magpul, Tapco, or other U.S.-made magazine.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS, Volume II.

How Does Barrel Bedding Affect Accuracy?

Jon R. Sundra

August 29, 2017

Not all barrel bedding is equal. Bedding dynamics can increase or decrease a rifle’s accuracy.

What are some things to know about bedding dynamics and accuracy?

Today, generally the most common bedding method is to bed the receiver and free float the barrel.
To get the best accuracy from a rifle, you need the pressure dynamic between the barrel and stock to remain constant, or as constant as possible. This can sometimes vary quite a bit in a traditional wood-stocked rifle based on things like temperature and humidity.
Pillar bedding and V-Block bedding are two alternative bedding systems that are growing in popularity among manufacturers.

There are many factors that affect accuracy, but next to the barrel itself, none is more important than the bedding dynamics between the stock and the barreled action. Accuracy can be looked at from two different perspectives: 1) pure grouping ability and 2) a rifle’s ability to maintain zero.

The two are not the same. Pure grouping ability refers to how tight the average group measures, regardless of where that group is on the target, while a rifle’s ability to maintain zero refers to the point of impact (POI) relative to where we as a shooter expect it to be. In a hunting rifle, consistent POI is more important than pure accuracy.

There are a number of ways a bolt-action rifle can be bedded. Bull barrels and heavy varmint/target barrels vibrate less violently upon the fall of the firing pin, ignition and bullet movement than sporter-weight versions, and generally shoot just as well when free floated as they do when bedded.

Barrel Bedding - 2 — Most production rifles with one-piece wood stocks are factory bedded using a pressure band at the forend tip, which is the only contact between forearm and barrel. It can either be filed away to float the barrel or shimmed to apply more pressure.

The most common method employed today by production rifle manufacturers is to bed the receiver and free float the barrel. This practice has evolved over the past generation or so, as one-piece stocks of walnut (or other hardwoods) have been replaced by much more stable synthetics and wood laminates. This method is not used because free floating has proven superior in all cases, but rather, it’s because it’s easier from a manufacturing standpoint.

Generally speaking, slender, lightweight barrels shoot best when there’s dampening pressure being exerted by the stock either at the forend tip or by contact over the entire length of the forend. Most light carbine and sporter-weight rifles are bedded using the former approach.

By hogging out the barrel channel to where it’s 1/16-inch or more deeper and wider than it has to be, but stopping an inch or so short of the forend tip, the remaining raised band provides the dampening pressure at the tip. When the forward action screw is cinched up, the stock is actually bowed inward, and that is what produces the tension against the barrel.

Dampening barrel pressure can also be exerted the entire length of the barrel channel, but to accomplish that you must have perfect surface contact the entire length of the forearm, which is best achieved through glass bedding.

For a rifle to group its best and maintain zero, the pressure dynamic between the barrel and stock must remain constant, particularly in the case of lightweight barrels that are being dampened only at the forend tip. Traditional one-piece stocks of walnut have proven to be fairly good at keeping this pressure relationship constant, as long as the wood is thoroughly sealed not only on the outside, but on all inlet surfaces as well.

If truth be told, though, all wood stocks have at least a 5 percent moisture content, so it’s pretty rare for a one-piece stock to maintain a constant tip pressure against the barrel from season to season, or when the rifle is transported to a region where the humidity is vastly different. Then, too, the thinner the barrel, the more POI and accuracy are both affected by the forend position, whether on a sandbag or held in the hand, whether a shooting sling is being used to apply dynamic tension to steady the rifle, or if a bipod is attached to the forend.

Barrel Bedding 1 — Wood laminated stocks are virtually inert if properly sealed. The consistent gap shown here on either side of the barrel channel is not likely to change regardless of environment.

Stock Swell
I know it’s difficult to believe that a chunk of wood like a rifle stock can swell, contract and warp, but they all do to some degree depending on seasonal humidity, or when subjected to drenching rain or wet snow. As to just how much a stock can warp, that can be seen only on a rifle that has a fully floated barrel, that is, with a visible space along the seam line on both sides of the barrel.

I have owned some walnut-stocked guns in which the barrel would be perfectly centered in the channel during the low humidity months of winter, and in the summer the forend tip would be touching the barrel on one side with a 1/8-inch gap on the other. Depending on the direction of the warp, imagine how much pressure such movement exerts or removes from a barrel.

Believe me when I say there can be as much as 30 to 40 pounds of pressure on the barrel at one time of year, and zero at another. That, of course, is an extreme example, but changes of just a few pounds of tip pressure against or away from the barrel can bring about significant shifts in POI.

Can accuracy and consistency of zero be achieved with a one-piece wood stock? Sure, but several conditions have to be just right, and the thinner the barrel, the more difficult it becomes.

It’s far easier to achieve with a wood laminate or a synthetic stock, with the barrel either fully or partially floated. A wood laminate that is properly sealed inside and out with a urethane-type finish is virtually immune to warping, and a laid-up stock of fiberglass or Kevlar is definitely so. If the bedding is right, it stays right.

Like I said, the most common bedding approach used today is to glass bed the receiver and float, or partially float, the barrel. I prefer the latter, in which the receiver and the chamber portion of the barrel are bedded, stopping at the point where the barrel begins its straight taper to the muzzle. Placing a small shim the thickness of a matchbook cover at the forend tip prior to the bedding procedure will ensure a fully floated barrel.

Slender barrels — say less than .575-inch at the muzzle — tend to group best when the stock is exerting dampening pressure. If after range testing you’d like to see how the rifle shoots with dampening pressure, simply place two shims at the forend tip.

Barrel Bedding - 4 — H-S Precision pioneered the aluminum bedding block chassis around which the U.S. Army’s M24 sniper rifle is designed. The concept has since been copied.

A couple of alternate bedding systems we’re starting to see more manufacturers take advantage of include pillar bedding and V-block bedding. With a true pillar-bedded rifle, the receiver actually sits on two “stilts” of aluminum or steel, and there is no actual contact between the stock and the receiver or barrel.

The pillars are nothing more than steel tubes through which the action screws pass and are just slightly longer in length than the action screw holes. The pillars are flush or slightly below the bedding surface of the receiver and serve primarily to preclude stock compression.

The V-block system, which was developed by H-S Precision for the Army’s M24 sniper rifle, consists of a hardened aluminum bedding chassis permanently molded into the company’s hand-laid Kevlar/graphite-reinforced fiberglass stocks. The latest twist to the V-block principal can be seen in Ruger’s American and Savage’s Axis rifles.

Steel blocks are embedded into the injection molded stocks and serve to support the receiver and act as recoil lugs by engaging grooves on the underside of the receiver. Either makeup is meant to provide economy of production, but more importantly, consistency to that critical relationship between a rifle’s stock and its barreled action.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the May 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Classic Guns: The Ruger Blackhawk Revolver

Jerry Lee

August 29, 2017

In the 1950s, Ruger introduced the venerable Blackhawk revolver, which remains both a desirable collector piece and a popular current-production gun.

What makes the Ruger Blackhawk a popular revolver, both in terms of current production and as a collector’s piece?

Introduced in 1955, the Blackhawk was Ruger’s first centerfire revolver, and it’s still produced more than 70 years later.
While development of the .44 Magnum was underway, both Ruger and S&W strove to introduce the first .44 Magnum revolvers, Ruger with an updated Blackhawk and S&W with the .44 Magnum, later known as the Model 29.
There were a number of Blackhawk variants developed, including the Super Blackhawk, Flattop Blackhawk and the New Model series, along with a number of different caliber options.
The Flattop models tend to command the highest values on the collector’s market.

In 1950 Bill Ruger’s gun company was on its way to becoming a major player in the industry, thanks to the success of his .22 Standard Pistol that had been introduced the previous year. The co-founder of Sturm, Ruger & Co. was ready to take the next step and add another product to the line. Ruger had always been a fan of single-action revolvers. He liked the simplicity and reliability of the old Colt design, along with its graceful shape and the way it felt in the hand.

Ruger Blackhawk Revolver - Bill Ruger — Image courtesy Sturm, Ruger & Co.

Western movies were very popular in the late ’40s and early ’50s, and virtually every cast member was armed with a single-action sixgun. The Colt Single Action Army had been out of production since 1940, and the company had announced it was no longer going to be made. Timing, as they say, is everything. Bill Ruger saw that the time was right to create a new, up-to-date single-action for a waiting market. His idea was to make a rimfire six-shooter as a companion to his Standard to be known as the Single-Six.

Find Out More About Ruger Firearms

Work on the model was under way in 1951 and, by the end of 1953, Sturm, Ruger & Co. had its second handgun on the market. Like the .22 semi-auto pistol, the Single-Six was a big success and became very popular with plinkers, campers, hikers and small-game hunters.

The success of the Single-Six encouraged Bill Ruger to take the next step in the development of his line of handguns, a larger centerfire model, with the overall size about the same as the Colt. Like the Single-Six, it would be patterned after the Colt but with several changes, including an adjustable rear sight and coil springs instead of leaf springs in the action. It was decided that the new revolver would be chambered in .357 Magnum, the most versatile choice because it would also fire the .38 Special.

In 1955, Ruger’s first single-action centerfire revolver was introduced with a suggested retail price of $87.50 and was called the Blackhawk. In addition to his interest and affection for firearms, Bill Ruger was an admirer and collector of classic automobiles. One of his favorites was the Stutz Blackhawk. (Yet to come to the Ruger line was the Bearcat, named for another Stutz auto.) Barrel lengths of the Blackhawk were 4.625, 6.5 and 10 inches. Only a few hundred were made with the 10-inch barrel.

Ruger Blackhawk Old Model 1 — Image courtesy Sturm, Ruger & Co.

Diversifying The Legend
The Blackhawk went on to become one of the most successful Ruger firearms. It’s still being manufactured 72 years after its introduction, and, as would be expected, there have been several changes to the original design.

One of the first was the addition of a new cartridge for the Blackhawk. It was being developed by Remington and Smith & Wesson and would be called the .44 Remington Magnum. Based on a lengthened .44 Special case, it was designed for a firearm that would also use .44 Special ammo, like the relationship between the .357 Magnum and .38 Special. In 1956, Bill Ruger learned the .44 Magnum was being developed and quickly decided to chamber it in the Blackhawk, beefing up the cylinder and frame to handle the heavier recoil. Barrel lengths of 6.5, 7.5 and 10 inches were to be offered. The latter two lengths are worth a premium on the collector’s market.

There was somewhat of a race between Ruger and S&W to get the first .44 Magnum revolver to market. Depending on who you talk to or what you read, the winner could be either one. Phrases such as “went into production” or “was introduced” are not necessarily the same in the gun business, nor is an exact date when a gun is first sold in a retail setting. But in either event, by the end of 1956, both Ruger and S&W were in the .44 Magnum business, Ruger with the Blackhawk and S&W with what was then known simply as the “.44 Magnum” revolver, later called the Model 29.

Not long after the .44 Magnum Blackhawk hit the market, Ruger began to receive complaints about the six-gun’s stout recoil. The answer was the Super Blackhawk, a larger model with a heavier frame, more substantial Dragoon-style grip, non-fluted cylinder and squared trigger guard. It was introduced in 1959, with the early models sold with a mahogany carrying case, smooth walnut grips and a 7.5-inch barrel. A few hundred were made with a 6.5-inch barrel, and about 1,600 with a brass frame.

The original cylinder top strap was flat-shaped and, in 1962, was reshaped to offer more protection to the rear sight. After this change, the earlier model became known as the Flattop Blackhawk. This was in 1962 at about serial number 42,600. That same year, several new calibers were added to the original Blackhawk including the .41 Magnum, .45 Colt, .30 Carbine and convertible models with interchangeable cylinders in .357/9mm or .45 Colt/.45 ACP. Other variations to the original Blackhawk over the years included several different grip options, reshaping of the ejector rod and a brass frame for a few rare models.

The biggest change to the Blackhawk (and all Ruger single actions, including the Super Blackhawk, Single-Six and Bearcat) was the New Model series. This major change involved a transfer bar that allowed each model to have a fully loaded cylinder.

Early classic single actions were all essentially “five shooters,” and wise shooters always carried them with the hammer resting over an empty chamber. This was a safety issue to ensure the firearm would not discharge if dropped. This change occurred in 1973, and all subsequent Ruger single actions have the transfer bar operating system. With the transfer bar lockwork, the hammer is never in contact with the firing pin. Unless the trigger is pulled, the gun cannot fire. When the trigger is pulled, the transfer bar pivots to a point between the hammer and the firing pin, and when the hammer strikes the bar the energy transfers to the firing pin.

Editor’s Note: This Collector’s Corner column is an excerpt from the Fall 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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Gun Review: Gunwerks RevX Long-Range Rifle

Eric Conn

August 25, 2017

Gunwerks’ RevX in 7mm Rem. Mag. proves that it’s fully capable of delivering 1,000-yard performance out of the box.

The RevX is a highly capable long-range rifle that’s great for the range but also excels when taken afield.
Gunwerks’ RevX proved incredibly accurate, with the author achieving a remarkable .301-inch best group.
The RevX is loaded with features, including a 2-pound TriggerTech trigger; a Shilen hand-lapped, match-grade barrel; and an ultra-lightweight fiberglass stock.

One thousand yards out of the box. That’s the Gunwerks promise, which has intrigued me for years but has until now gone untested, at least by me. Given all the variables in bullet loads, triggers and barrel construction, to name just a few factors that greatly alter the long-range equation, I’ve always been skeptical of yardage or accuracy claims from manufacturers. Can any rifle maker honestly live up to that hype — not in a hyper-controlled range environment, but in real-world hunting scenarios?

To put the Gunwerks claim to the test, I took its newest rifle, the RevX in 7mm Rem. Mag., on a three-day backcountry excursion in the rugged wilderness of Idaho in search of spring black bear. The country is unforgivingly steep, with rock faces and slopes that replicate sheep and goat terrain. It’s in this type of country the long-range rifle becomes absolutely essential — a bear spotted across a canyon might be 700 or 800 yards and a makeable shot with the right setup, but in order to close the distance to 300 yards with a standard rifle, a hunter would have to hike down and back up the other side, which could take hours.

What makes the Gunwerks platform so extraordinary is that the company has literally built an entire package to eliminate as many variables as possible and give the shooter the best odds at conquering their go-long dreams. The RevX shipped to me with a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x scope already installed and sighted in, paired with a custom G7 turret that matches yardage with a G7 BR-2 rangefinder, also included.

The folks at Gunwerks had already test fired the gun with custom loads they’d developed for the 7mm, which featured a 168-grain Berger VLD (Very Low Drag, BTHP) projectile. The VLD is an accomplished long-range bullet, with scores of fans in the long-range hunting community to testify to its greatness. As the name implies, it shoots flat and retains impressive velocities out to extended range. According to Gunwerks, the VLD they’ve loaded leaves the muzzle at 3,010 fps and has about 220 inches of drop at 1,000 yards.

After sending the rifle my way, Gunwerks’ marketing director, Landon Michaels, assured me the rifle was grouping reasonably well. Looking for hard data to verify his claim, I headed out to the range, hung targets and set up my Caldwell BR Pivot shooting bench at 100 yards for accuracy testing. I’d forgotten my Lead Sled, so I was relegated to using a pair of sandbags and a hoodie to brace the buttstock.

The TriggerTech trigger, the first thing I noticed, is an absolute dream, with an incredibly clean, crisp break that’s right around 2 pounds. The fiberglass stock, which features a flat forend for optimal setup on bags or in the prone position off a backpack, is as well weighted as any I’ve shot.

I squeezed off three rounds, rested and then repeated two more times to collect data from three different three-shot groups. As I shot, the groups just kept tightening up.

The first group came in at .6 inch and the second at .5 inch. As I settled into my comfort zone with the rifle, I fired the last three shots. That was the group that made me a believer — three shots in one tiny little hole, .301 inch on the digital caliper. Without question one of the best groups I’ve ever shot through any rifle.

Next, I wanted to test the range-and-shoot capabilities of the G7 BR-2 rangefinder, which Gunwerks has conveniently matched with yardage markers on the G7 custom turret out to 1,000 yards. The other great feature on the G7 is that it’ll give you MOA windage estimates at whatever distance you’re ranging, with 5 mph increments that you can select from. I set up a steel target and, with only a backpack for a rest, ranged the target at 617 yards; I then set up in the prone position from a distant hillside.

Dialing my G7 turret to 620 yards, I held just below center of target and squeezed off a round. Concussion, followed by the unmistakable wallop of bullet hitting steel. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t an ear-to-ear grin plastered across my face, the kind you’d get that first time you mash the pedal and feel the raw horsepower of a performance engine. This long-range game is addictive to say the least.

Built for Distance
The anatomy of a high-performance long-range rifle is actually pretty simple to figure out, though never easy to deliver on. It starts with a quality barrel and trigger and ends with a precisely crafted and properly bedded stock, not to mention an impressive piece of glass.

At the heart of the Gunwerks RevX is a standard sporter contour Shilen barrel (with other contour options available), among the finest in the industry. The rifle features aluminum bedding blocks and a fiberglass, lightweight stock that is perfect for the all-day carry of places like Idaho’s wilderness. The hand-painted stock features a front-mounted Picatinny rail for bipods and a sling swivel point. The rifle comes with a slender yet sturdy Gunwerks sling, rubberized and textured on one side, which attaches at either side of the buttstock via push button sling swivel mounts.

As I said earlier, the rifle balances beautifully, making prone or freehand shots incredibly stable. The TriggerTech trigger is, as stated, remarkable, and the Nightforce NSX offers tremendous magnification and clarity, something that’s absolutely essential when shooting at 1,000 yards and dealing with thermals, sun glare and varying light conditions. You don’t have to go with the Nightforce scope, however, and Gunwerks will zero whichever scope you prefer, but I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with Nightforce’s performance and build quality.

The one-piece bolt and handle function smoothly and are aesthetically appealing, while a two-position safety rests perfectly at the rear of the action, allowing you to right thumb it without changing your grip position. Speaking of grip, the vertical contour of the stock is the equivalent of a shooter’s La-Z-Boy, helping you to keep a stable yet comfortable grip for optimal trigger press.

Parting Shots
Although I personally didn’t have any black bear success in Idaho — tough bears to come by in even tougher country — I came away absolutely enamored with Gunwerks and its rifle builds. Looking for some action at the end of the hunt, my friend David worked the spotter’s role for me, ranging a large white rock at 850 yards with the G7 rangefinder. A quick turn of the turret and one shot, direct hit. An absolute shooting aficionado and lifelong skeptic, even David was impressed.

“So where can I get one of these rifles?” he asked, grinning.

The RevX is a dealer exclusive rifle, offered through Cabela’s, Scheels and EuroOptic.com, and as such represents a lower price point rifle than the company has previously produced. While the rifle I shot was chambered in 7mm Rem. Mag., the RevX is also available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win. Mag. and .300 Rem. Ultra Mag. It’s not exactly cheap, starting at $4,000 (without scope), but it is much cheaper than other Gunwerks models, which start at roughly $10,000. And worth every penny, I might add.

If I was going to get into the long-range hunting world and didn’t have endless hours to tinker with loads and gear, the RevX would be my go-to option. It is quite simply one of the most impressive rifles I’ve ever shot, and that includes many custom-type builds. Phenomenal accuracy, top-of-the-line trigger and barrel, and the genius of a completely configured system — all of this forces me to give it an A+. For open country that demands long shots, there’s no other way I’d rather go. Let the revolution begin!

Specifications:

Gunwerks RevX Rifle
Type: Bolt-Action
Caliber: 7mm Rem. Mag.
Action: RevX GRB, Wyatt Length
Bolt: One-piece bolt & handle, field strippable
Stock: Natural hold, vertical grip; aluminum bedding blocks; ultra-lightweight fiberglass
Barrel: Shilen hand-lapped, match-grade
Scope: Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x, custom G7 turret
Rangefinder: G7 BR-2
Trigger: Trigger Tech
Case: Custom cut hard case
Manufacturer: Gunwerks; dealer exclusive at Cabelas, Scheels & EuroOptic.com

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

What Are Your Options For AR Optics?

Tiger McKee

August 25, 2017

There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to AR optics. Make sure you choose the right one for your rifle’s intended purpose.

What are your basic choices when it comes to AR optics?

Red-dot Sights
Traditional Magnified Optics
Low-Light/Night Vision Optics
Back-Up Sights

Today, it’s rare to see an AR without some type of optic on it, but it wasn’t always this way. I remember attending training classes where one guy might have some type of scope on his AR — in the “old” days there were only a couple of options for attaching optics to the AR. Now, it’s considered almost primitive — like bow-and-arrow-type technology — if you don’t have some kind of optic on your AR.

History
From the very beginning, in an effort to make the AR more versatile, mounting optics was a priority. Colt experimented with “flat-top” uppers in the early days, although they weren’t readily available, especially to the public. Back in the ’80s when I looked into scopes for my first AR, there was the “Delta” scope, a Tasco 3-9x variable power optic and smaller fixed-power scopes with three- or four-power magnification.

Both style scopes mounted to the carry handle of the AR, so your eye had to be about 4 inches above the stock. To create a proper cheekweld on the stock you used a clamshell that bolted around the stock that provided a higher comb (it has a cutout in it for the charging handle). Both of these scopes worked well, but neither really “fit” the AR and its applications.

The first flat-tops I ever saw were handmade. Guys cut the carry handle off the receiver, and then they bolted a section of rail onto the receiver. In 1994, the U.S. military adopted the M4 carbine with a flat-top upper. You can attach a carry handle to it, but it was built to allow you to mount almost any type of optic to the AR. In 1997, Colt introduced its first “accurized” AR with a flat-top receiver. I purchased one of these upper assemblies, stripped it down and used the flat-top receiver on my carbine. Eventually flat-tops became “standard,” and a host of AR optics designed specifically for the rifle became available.

Red-Dot Remedies
The most popular AR optics are red-dots. These sights use a couple different methods to create a red dot or point of aim inside the optic. They’re quick to acquire, easy to use and almost parallax free. Aimpoint was the first to offer this type scope in 1975, and today there are dozens of companies offering red-dots.

Red-dots are extremely simple. Once zeroed, you focus on the target, place the dot where you want the bullet to hit — compensating for distance and windage — and press the trigger. They work great at close range and are accurate enough for mid-range work, too.

There are a variety of methods to mount the red-dot. One of the major differences is choosing between what’s called “1/3” or “½” co-witness. The 1/3 setup positions the optic a little higher above the bore. The backup sights will be in the bottom 1/3 of the red dot’s window. If the dot fails or stops working, you simply lower your cheekweld slightly to acquire the irons.

The ½ co-witness mounts the optic slightly lower, with the red-dot and iron sights lined up. With your eye centered while looking through the optic, the dot and the mechanical sights are aligned. If the dot stops working, there’s no movement required to get the iron sights lined up in front of your eye.

Even if you have an older AR with a carry handle, you can still attach a red-dot by using a “dog-leg” mount. This mount attaches at the carry handle and extends forward, dropping down over the carry handle. This mount locates the red-dot in a “scout,” or forward-mounted location. Holes in the mount allow you to still use the iron sights.

Make sure when zeroing your red-dot that the bullets are hitting in the center of the dot. The most common dot sizes are 2- and 3- or 4-MOA dots, which means at 100 yards the dot appears to be 2, 3 or 4 inches in size. A 2-minute dot covers 2 inches of target at 100 yards, 4 inches of target at 200 yards and 6 inches at 300 yards. If the bullets are actually hitting on the left side of the dot as opposed to the center, this can be the difference between a hit and a miss at extended ranges.

‘Traditional’ Optics
The flat-top receiver also allows you to attach a traditional magnified riflescope. Because the carry handle has been removed, the scope mounts lower and there’s normally no need to increase the comb of the stock.

A lot of the magnified optics now have pre-calculated reticles, with hash marks calculated for various bullet weights and distances. After establishing the initial zero, you simply hold on the reticle for that distance, calculate for the wind and you’re good to go.

Normally a variable-power, traditional-type optic will extend farther back on the receiver for proper eye relief. The scope is now over the charging handle, so you’ll likely need a charging handle with extended and ambidextrous latches. I highly recommend Mech Armor’s TacOps-1 charging handle. It has extended ambidextrous latches, which allow you to cycle from either side — important when working from various positions — and is almost unbreakable.

There are also scopes set up as a two-power optic, sort of a high and low — with no in between. For example, Elcan’s SpecterDR is a 1x and 4x power scope. It has a lever that you flip to switch from one setting to the other. This lets you work with one-power red-dot mode for a wide field of view and rapidly acquiring the target. And, unlike traditional adjustable scopes, the eye relief — the distance between your eye and the rear objective — is the same for both 1x and 4x power. The bad news is that these scopes start at about $1,400 and go up from there.

A good quality, affordable option is Leupold’s Mark AR MOD 1 1.5-4x scope. This is a variable-power scope with a minimum magnification of 1.5x and a green dot. On low power, you can use it with both eyes open just like a red-dot, similar to the Scout Rifle scope. Twist the adjusting ring and you work up to 4x, plenty of magnification for mid-range shooting. These scopes are great for self-defense, hunting and patrol work.

One of the cool things Leupold does now is offer “customized” factory optics. You can order your scope with it set up just for you, with custom knobs, reticles and other features.

With a traditional optic, you’ll need rings to attach it to the upper receiver. They need to be the proper height to ensure the scope and receiver clearance is correct, but not too high. Having the right mount is also important in order to get the correct eye relief.

Ultimately, what you’re wanting is to come up on target, hitting your cheekweld on the stock and have perfect sight alignment. Properly set up, you shouldn’t have to move your head and eyes for a clear sight picture.

Low-Light Options
In the past, night vision optics were expensive. Today you have affordable options. Traditional night vision scopes magnify existing ambient light, allowing you to see in the dark. You can get dedicated night vision scopes or units that mount in behind your red-dot optic. Prices start around $400 and go up. The more affordable ones are larger and often use older technology. More money buys a smaller package and better technology.

Night vision scopes work well; they allow you to see what’s in the environment. But, everything appears in differing ranges or shades of the same color, making it difficult to locate or identify something not moving. The hot ticket, which costs a little more, is a thermal scope. Thermals pick up on heat, and the hotter something is, the brighter it appears. This makes it easy to pickup targets, especially if they’re hotter than the surrounding environment.

A quick search on the internet shows prices starting about $1,500 and going up from there. Once you determine what you need, it’s likely you’ll be spending a few thousand for a high-quality thermal scope. But, if you’re working in the dark, this is your best option to be able to “see.”

Just like traditional optics, night vision scopes are available with different reticles, allowing you to choose what works best for you and the application. Some allow you to flip between reticles, using a knob or button to cycle through different choices. And, just like traditional scopes, units with graduated reticles are available, which means once you’ve determined the distance, it’s easy to use that hash mark to compensate for trajectory.

A lot of the night vision and thermal riflescopes can be used for double duty. Yes, obviously you mount them on the AR, but they can also be used as a monocular or spotting scope. Most of these units come with quick-release mounts, and as long as it’s a high-quality product, you’ll be able to take it off and put it back on the AR without losing your zero.

Back-Up Sights
So, you’ve researched, studied and found the right AR optics for you. The scope is mounted, zeroed and ready to go. But there’s still one more thing to think about: back-up sights. If your optic stops working, regardless of why, you’ll need back-up sights to fall back on. (This might not be a requirement for target shooting. For hunting, competing or defensive/combative use, they are mandatory.)

On my AR carbines with red-dot sights, I use two types of back-up sights. The rear sight is attached to the rear receiver, behind the red-dot. I use either Daniel Defense’s A1.5 sight, which is a fixed sight, or Magpul’s MBUS sights, which can be folded down and flipped up when needed.

I prefer to keep them up all the time so they are ready for use. If you keep them down, practice flipping them up, especially from different positions such as sitting, kneeling and prone. Up front, I use a standard AR front sight base attached to the barrel or the Magpul front sight attached to a rail.

Some AR optics feature back-up sights built into the top of the scope body. They have a very short sight radius — the distance between the front and rear sight — so you won’t get surgical accuracy out of them, but they will allow you to get combat effective hits. Other optics are designed so you can attach a small red-dot on top of them. For example, there are mounts that allow you to attach sights like Trijicon’s RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) red-dot sight on top of your primary optic.

With a traditional magnified optic, you will require offset back-up sights. These sights, for example Magpul’s MBUS Pro Offset sights, come with a mount that doglegs off your rails, positioning the sights at a 45-degree angle to the primary optic. For a right-handed shooter, the back-up sights would be on the right side of the AR. If your primary sighting system stops working, you flip up the back-up sights, roll or cant the top of the AR inboard, and continue getting hits.

Final Thoughts
Selecting AR optics is all about application. What are you going to use it for? For target shooting at long distances, you’ll need one type of scope. For self-defense or law enforcement/patrol work, you’re looking at a different set of needs. There’s no one perfect option to do everything you want or need, but there are some excellent choices that fit the middle pretty well.

Once you’ve decided on what style “glass” you need, it’s time to research and study in order to determine exactly which specific model will suit your needs. The right AR optics will likely be a healthy investment, so take time to make sure you get things right.

Be sure to buy quality components for mounting optics. It’s a real shame to see a great rifle and good optics fail because the mounts didn’t hold up or provide the same zero after taking the scope off and installing it again.

Think real hard about what you plan to do with your AR. Research and study to determine the optics you need. Buy high-quality parts and any accessories that might be required. Get a good zero, and then shoot under all different conditions to determine what you and the scope can do. Remember: high-quality equipment is good, but it’s no substitute for the fundamentals of marksmanship. Finally, practice a lot, until you can acquire the target quickly and make good hits efficiently and with regularity.

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

Gun Review: Springfield Armory XD-E

Dick Jones

August 25, 2017

The new Springfield Armory XD-E is the manufacturer’s first hammer-fired pistol in its popular XD line and offers shooters several different carry options to suit their preferences.

Springfield’s new XD-E brings a hammer-fired option to its popular XD line.
The hammer-fired design adds an additional level of safety to the gun and offers shooters more choices when it comes to carry conditions.
The Springfield XD-E is quite accurate for a carry gun and comes with many of the same features that make the rest of the XD series pistols so popular.
At an MSRP of $519, the XD-E is plenty affordable as a carry gun.

The “Wiktionary” defines the term “belt and suspenders” as: “Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing. Example: He believes in a belt and suspenders, booking flights from two different airports on different airlines for important trips.”

When I first saw the Springfield Armory XD-E at the NRA Show this year, my first thought was of Pa Kettle, in one of the old Ma and Pa Kettle movies, being asked why he wore a belt and suspenders. His response was, “A man can never be too careful.”

It seems the evolution of firearms has grown faster than ever in the past few years. We now have more choices, in every description of guns, than I could ever have imagined just 20 or so years ago. This has been a wonderful thing, and that diversity is exemplified in the new Springfield Armory XD-E. While the pistols of several companies have morphed from hammer-fired to striker-fired guns, as far as I know, the XD-E is the first that’s morphed from a striker-fired pistol to a hammer-fired pistol.

What’s With The Hammer?
Some might question the logic of this decision, but I certainly can see the value. A few years ago, there was a news report about a young mother in a store whose 2-year-old child accessed her concealed carry pistol in a concealed carry purse and fatally shot her with it. I was unable to find the details on the type of pistol, but I’m almost certain it was a striker-fired gun.

Setting aside her choice of concealed carry purses and how she controlled that purse, it occurred to me that although the standard striker-fired pistol is safe and reliable to a point, it’s not the safest system. The striker-fired pistol’s simplicity can cause problems, and the system is not without shortcomings. Passive safety systems are just that and require no conscious action to disable them. Striker-fired pistols have fairly light trigger pulls, and hinges and blades won’t defeat an intentional pull or a piece of tangled fabric as the gun is holstered.

I’ve always advocated that the enclosed hammer double-action revolver is the safest possible gun to carry. The long, relatively heavy stroke of the trigger almost totally precludes the opportunity for an accidental or negligent discharge. For undertrained civilians, there’s no manual safety to find and disengage under the extreme pressure of a deadly force event. As an instructor, I can assure you the majority of concealed carry citizens are undertrained and therefore more prone to mistakes than those with more training.

With a double-action gun, the defender has only to point the gun at the threat and pull the trigger. Deactivating a manual safety adds an additional step to a person already overloaded with actions and decisions that are not part of their normal experience. Under great pressure, simple is better.

The problem with double-action guns is that most people don’t really learn how to accurately shoot a double action. Further, the downside of double-action semi-autos is that the second trigger pull is different from the first and that, after a shot, the gun must be rendered safe manually.

Safety Through Strength
I admit I was a bit surprised when I saw an XD-E with an exposed hammer in the Springfield booth, but I instantly recognized the potential market. Other than a double-action-only revolver, this system is the safest pistol operating system available.

Like a revolver, it can be carried without worry of inadvertently activating the trigger because it can be carried with the hammer down. Further, unlike a revolver, there’s a manual safety that precludes the unlikely event of the trigger being accidentally fully stroked. The XD-E is the perfect gun for those who like options and are concerned about safety for daily carry.

From the slide rails up, the XD-E is a standard XD-S. There’s a hammer-forged 3.3-inch barrel and a double-captured recoil spring guide rod system. The sights are the standard dovetailed two-dot rear and fiber-optic front, and there’s a tactile loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide.

The rear of the slide has finger groves that work well in allowing slide operation without slippage, even with wet fingers. A difference I instantly noticed was the slide is considerably easier to cycle. Springfield says it’s 27 percent easier to manipulate than the standard striker-fired system.

While much of what’s below the slide is different, quite a bit remains consistent. Takedown is similar, but there’s no need to pull the trigger to remove the slide. The magazine release is the same, and the now familiar Grip Zone stippling of the Mod. 2 series graces the grip area. Also, there’s still a bottom rail on the frame for lights and/or lasers, and the magazine is interchangeable with other 9mm XD-S models.

Besides the presence of a hammer, there are several other differences. The grip safety I really like on the XD series is missing. I suppose the designers thought there were so many other safety features it was superfluous.

There’s no bladed trigger, but rather a smooth, stamped trigger that cocks the hammer via a steel bar that runs on the right inside the frame. Also, there’s a bi-directional lever safety on the frame that locks the trigger when pushed up and de-cocks when pushed down. As far as I know, it’s the first manual safety on the entire XD series.

Why Double Action?
The XD-E can be carried in four different modes:
1. Israeli Carry: With the chamber empty.
2. Condition one: With the hammer cocked and safety locked.
3. Double action: With the hammer down and ready for a
double-action pull and no additional action.
4. Double action, locked: With the hammer down and the manual safety activated.

As an instructor who almost exclusively trains civilians, I would not advise carry in the first two choices. While Israeli carry can work for highly trained individuals, few civilians will put in the effort to acquire enough speed for option No. 1 to be viable. Even if they did, I see it as a bad idea. Option No. 2 simply isn’t safe enough for inexperienced shooters, especially in the practice of daily concealed carry. It’s too easy to accidently de-activate a manual safety, especially an ambidextrous one.

Since we’ve already discussed the potential problems with manually operated safeties and under-trained civilians, option No. 3 is clearly the best choice, which is exactly the same as carrying a revolver with a shrouded hammer.

Time With The Trigger
Of course, the proof is in the shooting. The double-action trigger is smooth, with pull weight similar to an average revolver and a longer-than-average stroke. The single-action trigger pull feels very much like a striker-fired gun. There’s quite a bit of the first stage, followed by a second stage that’s better than many striker-fired carry guns. There’s some creep and some backlash, but it’s a reasonable defensive carry trigger.

Accuracy was excellent with the WinClean 124-grain loads I used for most of the testing. At 10 yards in deliberate fire, I managed an impressive 10-shot group on a B34G qualification target that measured 1.08 inches, which is exceptional for a carry pistol. The B34G target is a half-scale target, and the score was a 100-9X. Had it been ¼ inch lower, it would have been a 10X clean.

Of course, deliberate shooting was done single action. I would recommend the XD-E be carried with a chambered round, the hammer down and the safety off (see the sidebar). In this state, the first shot would be double action with subsequent shots fired in single action.

I’ve only a little experience with double/single triggers because I’ve never carried one. I decided the best test would be to fire two fast shots from low ready to determine the difficulty of changing trigger styles while shooting fast.

I found my first shot to be centered, with my very fast follow-up second shots slightly to the left and just outside the 10-ring. Repetition would likely result in a better transition, but both shots would have been “A” hits on a USPSA target. My judgment is that anyone who can manage a double-action trigger will have little trouble dealing with the XD-E. There’s a bit more muzzle rise with the XD-E than the standard XD-S models because the double-action system requires a higher bore axis than a striker-fired pistol.

There seems to be a lot of price competition in the concealed carry market these days, and the XD-E is competitive in price with an MSRP of $519 and a current online offer for four extra magazines, a holster and magazine pouch for free. Street price will be even better. It’s currently available in 9mm only; if the nine sells, there’ll likely be a .45 ACP to follow.

So, in summary, I think the XD-E is a viable addition to an already successful line, and I expect it to gain a following among those who just feel safer with a more secure trigger system. True, the trigger system isn’t safer than a double-action revolver, but the XD-E offers a capacity of eight plus one with the added benefit of a much faster reload than any revolver could provide.

Specifications:

Springfield Armory XD-E
Action: Short recoil operated
Trigger: Double/single action
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 8+1 and 9+1
Magazines: Steel with round count holes
Barrel: 3.3 in., hammer-forged steel, Melonite finish, 1:10 twist
Sights: Fiber-optic front,
white dot low-profile combat rear
Frame: Black polymer
Slide: Forged steel, Melonite finish
Length: 6.75 in.
Height: 5 in.
Weight: 25 oz.
Accessories: Lockable carry case, two steel magazines, cable lock, manual and extra sight inserts.
MSRP: $519
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the 2017 Concealed Carry special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Review: Seekins Precision SP10

Steve Gaspar

August 24, 2017

Seekins Precision’s SP10 in 6.5 Creedmoor is a large-frame black rifle that delivers accuracy, even as distances stretch.

The new SP10 is available in the increasingly popular 6.5 Creedmoor, a capable long-range cartridge.
Seekins Precision’s SP10 is a highly accurate rifle packed with features such as Seekins’ SP3R handguard, ambidextrous controls and a crisp 3.5-pound single-stage trigger.
At $2,650, the SP10 is expensive, but quality costs, and it’s a price some shooters will be willing to pay for a quality precision rifle.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has taken the long-range world by storm over a relatively short period of time. Ammunition manufacturers have taken notice and are now producing high-quality factory ammunition for shooters seeking recreation as well as competition or hunting success. The flat trajectory, low recoil and high ballistic coefficients make the cartridge a natural for anyone wanting to stretch their limits.

For a long while, this was a bolt-action-only affair. Enter Seekins Precision.

Glen Seekins has been making great rifles in Lewiston, Idaho, for many years. The company’s reputation for quality and accuracy is as strong as anything in the industry.

Its SP10 was introduced a few years ago as a large-frame black rifle in .308. When Seekins started producing the SP10 in 6.5 Creedmoor, this writer had to take the plunge. This article profiles this superb rifle.

Feature-Packed Rifle
With many black rifles, modifications must be made to stock components in order to increase accuracy. This rifle is a semi-automatic tack driver right out of the box, with virtually nothing left for improvement by the end user. Just add a scope mount and quality optic and go shoot out to 500 yards with little effort whatsoever — and 1,000 yards with a ballistic app and some practice.

The SP10 upper and lower are CNC machined from 7075-T6 billet aluminum, and just like all Seekins Precision actions, they are perfectly mated. The fit between the upper and the handguard is tight enough to appear monolithic at first glance, but upon close inspection, they can be seen as two separate pieces. However, the top rail extends beyond the action and over the barrel mount.

At first, this seems trivial, but this extra space comes in handy for mounting a rifle level (see below). This extra rail real estate on the upper would also be useful for other optic setups, such as a clip-on thermal scope.

The controls on the lower receiver are truly ambidextrous, including the safety, magazine release and bolt release. A very nice feature is the ambidextrous bolt catch, which may be used to lock the bolt back from either side. The single-stage trigger is tuned from the factory at 3.5 pounds and is very crisp. A Strike Industries charging handle and Melonite-coated bolt carrier group round out the action.

The handguard is the 15-inch Seekins Precision SP3R, a free-float design, which is flat on the bottom for stable shooting off of bags or barriers. The version tested had KeyMod slots, although M-LOK is another option. The hardcoat anodized finish on the SP3R perfectly matches that of the action. The barrel is a 22-inch match-grade stainless barrel with a 1:8 twist.

The gas system is rifle length and uses a Melonite-coated gas tube. The Seekins Precision adjustable gas block is a set screw and adjustment screw design. The muzzle brake is the Seekins Advanced Tactical Compensator, which minimizes the already light recoil of the 6.5 Creedmoor.

The stock and grip are from Magpul, the latter being an MOE+ with a storage compartment. The Magpul PRS stock is a proven design, with tool-free adjustments for cheek height and length of pull. One 20-round Magpul magazine is included with the rifle.

Send iT Electronic Rifle Level
The Send iT electronic rifle level manufactured by Long Range Arms is the invention of longtime precision shooter Bennie Cooley. It is an extremely well-thought-out product for long-range shooters. The cant of a riflescope — how much the vertical reticle varies from being truly vertical due to tilt introduced during scope installation or by the shooter while shooting — has very little effect at short ranges. However, at 1,000 yards or more, this becomes a material issue.

To combat this, shooters commonly use bubble levels to install scopes and rifle-mounted bubble levels during shooting. “The accuracy of spirit levels is limited by the manufacturing process to 15-20 degrees max,” said Cooley in a recent interview. The Send iT electronic level is designed to detect and display deviations from vertical within 2/10ths of 1 degree.

The accuracy advantage of the Send iT is only its first attraction. The sensitivity may be modified by the user anywhere from 2/10ths of a degree to 1 degree. Five LED lights indicate whether the rifle is canted — two blue lights, two red lights and one green light in the center.

A green light indicates the rifle is level to within 2/10ths of a degree if the sensitivity is on that setting. One blue light indicates 2/10ths cant, and two blue lights mean 4/20ths off of level. The red lights mean the same thing going the other way.

Beyond increased accuracy, the LED indicators on the Send iT level are very easy to see — especially for older eyes. “We average 4-6 seconds faster shots,” said Cooley. In a precision rifle match, that amount of time per shot is an eternity. This writer can no longer see a crisp clear bubble level while behind a riflescope, but the Send iT level lights are obvious and easy to read even using peripheral vision.

The third advantage is the unit may be mounted to a rail at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, or 9 o’clock. Finally, the Send iT electronic rifle level can be used to ensure that scopes are installed perfectly vertically every time. ($225; LongRangeArms.com)

Testing And Reflections
Unboxing the rifle was a bit like Christmas morning the year I was 12 and my dad presented me with my first gun. The Seekins Precision SP10 had this writer grinning like a little kid.

The SP10 is gorgeous. All controls have a precision feel, and the hard coat anodized finish on the action and handguard is pure black satin goodness. This rifle is dead sexy. A trip to the range couldn’t happen fast enough.

At 10.5 pounds unscoped, one would think it handles like a beast, but that is not the case. While not a lightweight rifle, the SP10 is well balanced and easy to use.

A side focus Leupold VX6 4-24×52 was selected as an optic, and for the first run to the range, a Larue 34mm QD one-piece scope mount was used. The latter will be swapped out for Seekins Precision rings in the near future.

Hornady 140-gr ELD Match ammunition was used to sight in the rifle and to shoot a few groups. A KeyMod rail section was attached to the bottom of the SP3R rail system, allowing an Atlas bipod from Accu-Shot to be used during testing.

Sub-MOA groups from day one were produced with Hornady’s factory ammunition. The rifle performed as perfectly as it looked.

All of this beauty, precision and accuracy comes at a price: $2,650. But quality costs money, and for those who adhere to the “buy once, cry once” school of purchasing, the SP10 is absolutely worth considering. The fact that the SP10 6.5 Creedmoor is currently back-ordered on the Seekins website should tell readers one thing: This rifle is a shooter, as many people are finding out.

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

New Rifle: M&P15T With Crimson Trace LiNQ System

Elwood Shelton

August 24, 2017

The M&P15T is optimized for low-light situations with the Crimson Trace LiNQ system and eminently configurable with an M-LOK handguard.

The M&P15T offers low-light performance out of the box with Crimson Trace’s multi-functional LiNQ system, which boasts both green laser sight and 300-lumen light.
The LiNQ system is ideal for tactical rifles, remotely operated with grip controls for intuitive operation.
The Magpul M&P15T’s handguard offers plenty of real estate to configure the carbine to a shooter’s tastes, with M-LOK ports running the entirety of the circumference.
The carbine itself boasts 5R rifling, an optimized lands design and configuration meant to cause less bullet deformity and promote accuracy.

Getting left in the dark is always a concern with defensive firearms. In turn, the accessories market abounds with every conceivable method of keeping guns on target when light is scarce.

Recently, Smith & Wesson teamed up with Crimson Trace to tackle this issue right out of the box, mating a couple of the companies’ most popular products in a shot to own the night. The M&P15T outfits the gunmaker’s highly affordable AR with the laser-sight specialist’s multi-function LiNQ system for a package well adapted to send rounds where they need to go, no matter how dim the situation.

“The M&P15T rifle was the perfect platform to showcase the award-winning LiNQ, wireless operated system,” said Lane Tobiassen, President of Crimson Trace. “Together with Jan Mladek, General Manager for the M&P Brand, we were able to collaborate and develop a firearm package that showcases the versatility of the LiNQ as well as the ability of the M&P15T rifle to adapt to accessories.”

The LiNQ is a multi-function unit that offers the M&P15T more than an aiming solution. In addition to its green laser sight, the system also has a 300-lumen LED light capable of illuminating a target in most close- to medium-range situations. To top it all off, the entire LiNQ unit (mounted at the extreme forward of the handguard) is remotely operated. The controls are conveniently situated on the carbine’s grip, making the actuation of the laser sight and light intuitive.

The 16-inch-barreled carbine itself comes outfitted with a 13-inch handguard, slimmed for ease of handling, and compatible with Magpul’s M-LOK system. Furthermore, the M&P15T has a modular free-floating rail system and comes standard with Magpul MBUS popup front and rear sights. And finally, it boasts 5R rifling, an improved lands design and configuration meant to reduce bullet deformity, thus sending a much more uniform and stable projectile downrange accurately.

The extras on the M&P15T do bump up its price compared to the rest of the typically economical line, with an MSRP of $1,449. But for shooters looking for low-light performance in a tactical rifle straight from the box, the package deal might be a small price to pay.

New Precision Rifle: Savage Model 10 GRS

Elwood Shelton

August 23, 2017

Savage is again taking aim at precision shooters with the Model 10 GRS, a moderately priced rifle long on features.

The Savage Model 10 GRS is available in three calibers that are favorites of long-range shooters — .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor.
The Savage Model 10 GRS features a fully adjustable stock from the Norwegian stock maker GRS.
The rifle boasts a heavy barrel, fluted to make it more nimble when taken afield, and is also outfitted with Savage’s proprietary AccuTrigger, allowing shooters to adjust the pull weight.
The rifle is modestly priced when compared to other firearms in its class at $1,449.

It could be argued, with ample supporting evidence, we are living in the golden age of bolt-action rifles. Steady as the march of time, gun companies have ticked out new and impressive precision models in recent years, each aimed at pitching jacketed lead a country mile and right on target. At this point in the game, the weakest link in making a long shot come in is the shooter himself — as it should be.

Savage has continued its march into the ultra-precise shooting world with a dressed up variation of one of its most popular models. And given the advanced system the gunmaker is offering, the Model 10 GRS appears more than capable of going the distance and perhaps farther.

The obvious keystone of Savage’s new shooting system — available in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor — is its fully adjustable stock, adaptable to any person behind the trigger with literally a push of a button. The ingenious split-nut system is courtesy of Norwegian stock specialists GRS and appears to be its Berserk model.

In addition to boasting the ever-necessary cheek riser, it also comes with a full 3 inches of play in the length of pull. These features, when adjusted properly, go a long way in facilitating consistent shouldering of the rifle and intuitively puts the shooter’s eye straight down his scope and on target.

GRS has also paid attention to the little touches that should do their part in milking the most stability, control and potential accuracy out of the Model 10. The stock features a rubberized full grip and forend, giving shooters maximum command of the rifle, even when sweat or precipitation work their way into the equation. And the elongated buttstock is formed to function seamlessly with a rear bag when shooting prone.

Beyond the ergonomics, the GRS also brings a load of rigidity to the rifle, with the use of Durethan. The fiberglass-reinforced nylon is just the ticket for injecting the stiffness required for precision work. And it also boasts pillar-bedding blocks made of 65-percent fiberglass, ensuring there is no play in the Model 10’s free-floated barrel.

Savage has also played its part in making certain the Model 10 GRS shoots straight, particularly when it comes to the barrel. The button-rifled heavy barrel should endow the rifle with excellent harmonics, even when it’s heated up from long shot strings. But the company hasn’t made the new Model 10 purely a bench rifle, fluting the barrel to keep it nimble if taken into the field; each of the three caliber choices weighs in at 9.5 pounds or less.

And those looking to slap on a muzzle brake or a suppressor need not fret; the muzzle is threaded — 5/8-24 pattern.

Like all Savage rifles, the Model 10 GRS comes with the company’s proprietary user-adjustable AccuTrigger (1.5 to 6 pounds). It utilizes a four-round, flush-fit magazine, but is compatible with larger-capacity options. And it has flush cup sling loops and sling mount for bipod.

The question, as it is with anything long-range shooting oriented, is how many pay periods will it take to get one in a gun safe. Fewer than most would figure. At $1,449 for all three calibers, the Savage Model 10 GRS is most definitely at the lower end of the precision rifle price range. And if it owns the X-ring like the company promises, the new Model 10 GRS could be money well spent.

Specifications:

Savage Model 10 GRS
Caliber: .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor
Barrel Length: .308 Win. 20 in., 6.5 Creedmoor 24 in., 6mm Creedmoor 26 in.
Stock: GRS, Durethan
Twist Rate: .308 Win. 1:10, 6.5 Creedmoor 1:8, 6mm Creedmoor 1:7.5
Weight: .308 Win. 8.9 lbs., 6.5 Creedmoor 9.2 lbs., 6mm Creedmoor 9.5 lbs.
Overall Length: .308 Win. 40 in., 6.5 Creedmoor 44 in., 6mm Creedmoor 46 in.
MSRP: $1,449

More Precision Shooting

Hunting: The Hard-Hitting .45-Caliber Revolver Cartridges

Max Prasac

August 23, 2017

The .45s are a very versatile group of cartridges, ranging from the .45 Colt on the bottom end up to the high-velocity champ, the .460 S&W Magnum, at the top end. My personal favorite is the smallest and lowest pressure producer, the .45 Colt. Lower pressure leads to lower recoil and lower noise levels. I don’t place a premium on velocity potential, but there is no denying that increasing velocity increases the range of effectiveness, if you want to reach out a bit farther than typical handgun hunting distances.

.45 Colt

This segment really is the story of two cartridges. Born in 1873, this old black-powder cartridge never seems to get its just due. Think of the .45 Colt as the Rodney Dangerfield of big-bore handgun rounds (a reference older readers will get!). Rarely is it loaded to potential from the factory because of the vast number of older revolvers in circulation that are incapable of handling the higher pressure, modern smokeless loads that would most likely reduce them to shrapnel. Basically, full-power loads in those old guns are lawsuits waiting to happen. So, due to liability issues, the .45 Colt is rarely ever viewed in the same vein as the .44 Magnum.

No slouch even in black-powder form, the .45 Colt in modern times really takes on a different persona. Load it to its full potential, and it will give the much-vaunted .454 Casull a run for its money and leave the .44 Magnum sucking wind in its rear-view mirror. But before you roll out the hate mail, keep in mind that I own at least a half-dozen .44 Mags of all shapes and sizes. It’s just that I am a bigger fan of the modern .45 Colt. If there ever was a do-it-all cartridge, the .45 Colt would be at the top of the heap.

Gun scribe Ross Seyfried is also a big fan of the .45 Colt and chose one to use against Cape buffalo in the mid-1980s. Seyfried evidently had a great deal of confidence in the capabilities of the round — when loaded to potential — and his own ability on the trigger. In an article in Handloader magazine, while discussing the merits of the .44 Magnum, Seyfried said, “In the midst of this I began working in Africa. It was a handgunner’s paradise. Plenty of deer- and elk-like critters could be stalked within honest handgun range. Many could be taken with the .44 Magnum, but I always felt like I was asking a boy to do a man’s job.” Almost losing a trophy kudu shot with his trusty .44 Magnum further exposed that round as an underachiever of sorts on really huge game, and Seyfried’s confidence in the .44 Magnum fell.

About this time, a gentleman by the name of John Linebaugh began pestering Seyfried with letters and phone calls touting the .45 Colt as a significant step up and over the legendary .44. The two finally met, and Linebaugh offered Seyfried the chance to shoot his .45 Colt over the chronograph. Ross declined, stepping back an adequete distance and taking cover, as he truly expected the revolver to come apart like a grenade in Linebaugh’s hands. But, the chrono’ told the true story — six times in a row, the 310-grain bullets traveling at 1,500 fps. Remarkable!

The biggest shock came when Seyfried, expecting to pound the surely mangled cartridge cases out of their chambers, was able to lift them out with minimal effort. Linebaugh was definitely on to something, and Seyfried immediately commissioned him to build one of these super .45 Colts. As for my love affair with the cartridge, what’s good enough for Ross Seyfried is certainly good enough for me.

One need not load the .45 Colt to Casull levels to enjoy a leg up in effectiveness. Loaded to much lower pressure levels, the .45 Colt will not leave you needing more.

.454 Casull

In the early 1950s, while Elmer Keith was hot-rodding the .44 Special, Dick Casull turned his attention to the .45 Colt and building special five-shot cylinders on Colt Single Action Army revolvers. In those days, with limited gunpowder options, one had to get creative in order to achieve high velocities. Casull was able to get a full 2,000 fps out of a 230-grain (one designed for use in the .45 ACP round) bullet by loading two grains of Unique, 25 grains of H2400 and three grains of Bullseye. At the time, highly compacted triplex loads were the only path to achieving the pressures necessary to reach the velocities he sought.

Manufacturers of .454 Casull ammunition have remained true to the original design parameters, offering some very high-velocity loads. However, with modern powders, the .454 is loaded to lower levels than the SAAMI maximum spec, as they are able to achieve the desired velocities without touching the maximum pressure ceiling. The pressures are still high, relatively speaking, but lower than the max allotted levels. The Casull also shines with heavy-for-caliber bullets, though care must be taken when loading them at high velocities, for such recipes have a propensity for testing the integrity of the crimp.

In 1983, the Freedom Arms Model 83 was introduced in Dick Casull’s souped-up .45-caliber cartridge. Never before had such a high-pressure revolver round been produced nor a gun that could live under the abuse generated by it. Other manufacturers, such as Ruger and Taurus, followed suit years later with their own super-strong revolvers chambered in .454 Casull, as this round required a revolver of much stronger construction than any made for the .44 Magnum.

This was not only because of the higher pressures, but also because Dick Casull specified a longer case to prevent the accidental use of .454 Casull ammunition in .45 Colt revolvers of inadequate strength. Additionally, Casull specified a small rifle primer pocket to strengthen the head of the case by virtue of leaving more material in this area.

I think of the .454 Casull as the .378 Weatherby of the revolver world, as neither is really pleasant to shoot when loaded to spec. The .454 Casull generates horrendous recoil and has caused its fair share of injuries. Most .454 Casull ammunition manufacturers load the cartridge short of its full velocity and pressure (SAAMI specification) potential. However, paper ballistics sell, and even loaded down a bit, the .454 can still boast potent numbers. There is no other commercially available handgun cartridge that has a maximum SAAMI pressure specification as high as the .454 Casull, though the .460 and .500 S&W Magnums come close.

At the end of the day, the .454 Casull is a very flexible cartridge, which was Dick Casull’s vision from inception. What he wanted and what was ultimately delivered was a cartridge and revolver combination that can be loaded from mild to extremely wild, as the shooter’s desires and needs dictate. I think Dick Casull succeeded impressively.

.460 Smith & Wesson Magnum

Guide Don Martin with Ernest Holloway and the grizzly bear that charged them.

Smith & Wesson’s long-range wonder cartridge was introduced in 2005, housed in the company’s X-frame platform. Boasting a case length of a full 1.8 inches, the .460 is basically a stretched .454 Casull. This new cartridge was designed in the same vein as the .454 — high pressure, high velocity, long range. The .460 S&W Magnum has the distinction of being the highest-velocity production revolver cartridge in existence, with some factory loads able to exceed 2,300 fps.

With an overall cartridge length of 2.30 inches, the .460 XVR will also safely chamber and fire .454 Casull and .45 Colt ammo. However, I have not been able to extract acceptable accuracy shooting various loads of .45 Colt or .454 Casull through my test XVR.

Not a terribly efficient round, the .460 excels with both light and heavy bullets, but it will not outshine the .454 Casull by much when mid-weight bullets are loaded. Similar pressures can be achieved, and, by increasing the payload, the results aren’t dramatic. That said, in most factory loads, the .460 pushes a lightweight bullet at high speeds, just as intended. In this iteration, it does well on thin-skinned game, but light, frangible bullets at high velocity are a recipe for disaster on truly large animals. Fortunately, the .460 is very effective loaded with heavy bullets as well.

The price you pay for choosing the .460 S&W Magnum is the size of the revolver necessary to hold the oversized cartridge. Then again, every decision you make comes with a price.

.45-70 Government
I know I’m going against the fabric of this by including a rifle round in the lineup. Having said that, this is another cartridge worth mentioning, as it is popular in the one production revolver produced in this old workhorse of a caliber. That revolver is Magnum Research’s BFR — Big Frame Revolver. This super-sized offering is big on size and power with surprisingly moderate recoil.

In its nomenclature, “.45” denoted the caliber and “70” the number of grains of black powder. This old warrior is still hanging around, more viable and youthful than ever. Introduced in 1873 at the U.S. Army’s Springfield Armory, the .45-70 in modern form is quite the performer, one able to mimic the .454 Casull in a handgun, but at much lower chamber pressures. We are talking about modern smokeless powder loads here, not the .45-70 in black-powder form. Granted, it takes a lot of revolver to house the big .45-70 round, but the bulk of the BFR serves to tame the cartridge quite a bit over a lighter revolver loaded to similar levels as the .454 Casull. The nominal bullet diameter is .458 inches, and the case length 2.10 inches.

I took delivery of a BFR in .45-70 with a 7.5-inch barrel. The long-framed revolver has surprisingly good balance, despite its exaggerated proportions. The trigger was good and broke cleanly at about 3.5 pounds. All BFRs have a free-wheeling pawl, and the fit and finish is very good.

This article is an excerpt from Gun Digest Book of Hunting Revolvers.

Six Classic Must-Have Centerfire Semi-Auto Pistol Designs

Elwood Shelton

August 23, 2017

In the modern era of firearms, one type of gun seems to dominate all others — the semi-automatic pistol.

The fast-shooting handguns allot superior firepower, fast reload times and dead-on accuracy. And nowadays, they’re everywhere — from concealed carry holsters to the deer woods. The development of the semi-auto pistol has been marked with some icons that stir the imagination of any true firearms nut. With that in mind, we’re going to look at Six Must-Have Classic Centerfire Semi-Auto Pistol that are solid additions to any holster or gun safe.

What are some of the true classic semi-auto pistol designs?

M1911
Browning Hi-Power
Luger P08
Walther P38
CZ 75
Glock 17

M1911

Aside from the Colt Single Action Army, no other pistol stirs more emotions than the M1911. Then again, few firearms have seen the action and performed as valiantly as John M. Browning’s short-recoil miracle.

The dominant sidearm for the U.S. military for the majority of the 20th century, the M1911A1 stormed the beaches of Normandy and patrolled Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Even after its retirement as the military’s official service pistol in 1986, an act of sacrilege to some members of the armed services, the .45 ACP has remained a staple on the modern battlefield.

Adopted in 1911, the original M1911 was a response to the poor showing by the Colt M1892 revolver against the Moro guerrillas in the Philippine-American War. The .38 Colt just couldn’t put down these determined adversaries, so the military called for a new service pistol, one that would be at least a .45 caliber. Browning’s pistol performed nearly flawlessly in the ensuing military trials, not failing once in the torturous last leg. Despite its already strong design, the M1911 was tweaked in the inter war years with the relatively minor modifications, and then designated the M1911A1.

The iconic single-action semi-automatic lives on today in nearly perfect renditions of the original models and tricked-out versions purpose built for everything from concealed carry to competition. Heck, even if you demand the real McCoy, there are plenty of the original military models floating around. But any way you go, no gun safe is complete without this true American classic.

Browning Hi-Power

This is yet another pistol with John Browning’s fingerprints all over it. But the gun genius doesn’t get to take sole credit for one of the most prolific military sidearms of all time. Browning died well before the Hi-Power was finished, leaving his protégé at FN, Dieudonné Saive, to put the final touches on the pistol and see it through to production in 1935.

The 9mm had a rocky road from drawing board to cold, hard steel. Much of this was due to the French Military dragging its feet on adopting the pistol, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This indecision allowed time for patents to run out on another Browning classic — the M1911 — that Saive borrowed heavily from to come up with the Hi-Power we know today.

Like the 1911, the Hi-Power is a short-recoil, single-action semi-automatic, in principle operating identically to the American icon. But there is a notable difference between the pistols, in particular how their barrels unlock. The Hi-Power uses a cam arrangement actuated by a hardened bar in the frame, opposed to the 1911’s toggle link. As minor as it might seem, this point would have a major ripple effect on the gun world, dominating semi-auto pistol design up to present date.

Arguably the major factor for the Hi-Power’s profusion, adopted by more than 50 militaries across the world, is capacity. With 13 rounds of peppy Parabellum — nearly twice that of other semis of the day — the pistol gave operators a decisive advantage.

In America it might not hold the same prestige as Browning’s 1911, but everywhere else the Hi-Power is king of the world.

Luger P08

With its connections to the Third Reich, this semi-automatic has more sinister overtones than perhaps any other pistol created. But purely from a firearms enthusiast’s standpoint, the P08 is a near work of art. The Luger, as it’s better known, saw extensive combat in both World Wars, was a major factor in popularizing the 9mm, and might be the coolest pistol to come down the pike.

What makes it so dang appealing to gun cranks is its toggle-lock action. The Luger was perhaps the best-known example of this form of short-recoil operation, but it is not the sole one to utilize the design. Georg Luger’s close friend Hugo Borchardt developed his C-93 pistol around the toggle lock, inspired by the Maxim machine gun’s use of it. As an aside, the toggle-lock mechanism is found in much earlier firearms designs, such as the Volcanic rifle.

The system made the Luger deadly accurate, since there was very little barrel movement in the course of firing. And it allowed for a certain amount of resiliency in the system. The Luger could still operate even with a budged barrel, since it wasn’t shrouded by a slide.

But as is always the case in any engineering endeavor, there were tradeoffs with the Luger. In this case it was complexity and cost — one led to the other. The slick little 9mm cost as much as three Mauser rifles out of the box, with perhaps half or a quarter of the battlefield utility of the bolt action.

Still, the German soldiers couldn’t get enough Lugers, with millions produced up to it being replaced by the Walther P-38 in 1938. And today, collector and shooters with a yen for true classics still flock to this wicked little pistol.

Walther P38

Carl Walther had a tall task ahead of him in 1930s Germany — build an economical military pistol that would outperform the beloved Luger. He went one better and changed the combat pistol world.

The P38, adopted by the German military in 1938, was the first service pistol outfitted with a double-action/single-action trigger. And by all accounts, it was the first pistol to combine this fire control with a locked breech. The configuration has since swept militaries and police forces around the world, even going so far as replacing the U.S. Army’s beloved 1911 in the form of the Beretta M9.

The P38’s DA/SA trigger gave it a leg up on many of its contemporaries. Generally, pistols such as the M1911 were supposed to be carried in condition 3 (hammer down, chamber empty), meaning the slide must be racked to get it into action. On the other hand, the P38 only took a squeeze of the trigger to send a round down range.

The P38 configuration was groundbreaking for its time. Before, DA/SA was strictly a blowback operation affair, found in near equal Walther classics, the PP and PPK. Carl Walther actually made a run at the military contract with a scaled-up version of the PP — Model MP — also chambered in 9mm. But the round proved too powerful for the design.

The eight-round 9mm was well-regarded by the troops as a reliable and accurate pistol that delivered when called upon. And unlike its predecessor — the Luger — it was painfully simple to troubleshoot in the field.

The P38 definitely stole some aesthetic points from the Luger. But there is no arguing Walther’s service pistol stands in a class of its own.

CZ 75

If imitation is truly the highest form of flattery, then there are plenty of gunmakers fawning over what this pistol brings to the table. Few other handguns in the modern era have spawned more clones and outright copies than this Eastern European masterwork.

Sure, much of copycatting is do to the CZ 75’s designer, František Koucký, hamstrung when it came to international patent protections. But it also had a great deal to do with his 9mm being one heck of a pistol in and of itself. It wasn’t called a “Wonder-Nine” for nothing.

What the CZ 75 brought to the table was large capacity mated with a well-designed double-action/single-action trigger. The Czech masterpiece could rattle off 15 rounds like it was telling bad jokes, which, especially in competitive circles, turned heads immediately. And, overall, its trigger got high marks — smooth in double action and snappy in single.

On top of that, it had a unique aspect when it came to DA/SA pistols — it could be carried in condition 1. Going “cocked and locked” appealed to many (once again, think competitors) and is a rare feature on this style of pistol.

While the CZ 75 clones are innumerable, it is easy to see the pistol’s roots are sunk deep in another classic design — the Browning Hi-Power. This includes the Czech gun’s lines and cam system to unlock the barrel. But Koucký put his own twist on the pistol, such as the slide riding inside the frame rails, counter to most semi-automatics.

While there is ample opportunity to get a hold of a CZ 75 in function only, it’s worth holding out for the actual number. After all, there’s a reason why everyone wanted to copy the original.

Glock 17

What can an engineer with no background in firearms and a familiarity with cutting-edge materials do to the gun world? How about turn it on its ear.

Gaston Glock’s Glock 17 wasn’t the first polymer-framed pistol to hit the market, but it certainly was the first successful one. Though, in all truth, the word success misses the mark, because the little 9mm, initially designed as an Austrian service pistol, did a whole bunch more. It essentially redefined the market from 1982 on.

The Glock 17’s reduced weight, simple design and natural shootability made it a worldwide sensation and an instant classic. And it took a blink of an eye to achieve. After assembling a team of European shooting and firearms experts to offer design points, it was only months before Glock came up with the prototype he’d submit to the military trials.

Aside from materials, the other revolutionary design point is the Glock 17’s trigger. The double-action-only trigger (called ‘Safe-Action’ by Glock) offered one of the most consistent pulls to that date. Squeeze after squeeze, the striker-fired trigger breaks at a predictable 5.5 pounds — a big boost to any shooter’s accuracy potential.

Of course, shooting a Glock comes at a cost — the 17 and its blocky black cohorts have all the charm of a sod house. But when your life is in the balance, Glock’s ugly is plum beautiful.

How-To: Dry-Run Drills to Master the AR

Tiger McKee

August 22, 2017

Whether you’re new to the AR or are getting acclimated to a brand new rifle, deliberate and mindful dry runs will jump start mastery of the firearm.

The author recommends dry practice with the AR to fully understand the rifle’s controls and how they operate.
Proof the AR by shooting it at close range, looking for tight groups; the zero is of secondary concern at this point.
At the start of dry practice, ensure you are in your proper stance, running a mental checklist from the feet up.
Shoulder your AR and make certain you’re on target and are establishing a natural point of aim.
Once you move on to live fire, every step, from shouldering the AR to breaking the shot, should be deliberate and thoughtful.

If you are new to the AR, I highly recommend plenty of dry practice before ever firing a shot. It’s important to get a good idea of how the AR works before going to the range.

In the beginning, don’t worry about zeroing the AR or adjusting the sights for a precise alignment for you and the carbine. Start with a close, large target, such as 25 yards or even closer. Your shots might not go into the center of the target until it’s zeroed. What you’re looking for is a tight group size, all the shots in the same area. Then, later, you can adjust the sights to move that group so the bullets are impacting on the center of the target.

Dry Practice And Establishing Your Natural Point of Aim

Start by confirming the AR is empty and clear. Make sure you’re in the proper stance, and run a mental checklist from the feet up through the body and out the muzzle to confirm that everything is correct.

Once you have everything squared away, come up from the low ready and on target. As you come on target, the safety is disengaged, and once you’re on target, your finger goes to the trigger. At this point, if you have a good base or platform you should have a sight picture, the alignment of the sights between your eyes and the target.

Hold this position, close your eyes, and inhale/exhale about three times. Open your eyes, and see where the sights are aiming. If the sight picture has drifted left or right, then you need to adjust your stance by re-positioning the feet so the sights are back on target. Everything from the feet up should remain the same. (Don’t worry about the elevation, or up and down. The focus here is on the lateral positioning, left and right.) Repeat the process.

Once you have a good stance, the sights should be on target when you open your eyes. You are establishing your natural point of aim, which means your body is in a relaxed, consistent position, relying on bone support as much as possible as opposed to muscle tension. (The same technique applies to all other firing positions.) Eventually, you’ll be able to acquire a good point of aim without having to go through this process, but in the beginning it’s important to take your time and get a good position before ever firing a shot.

Live Fire

For your first shots, start at a close distance of about 15 yards or so. After establishing your stance, keep everything in the same position, and from the low ready, load the AR. Remember to use the proper technique, and focus on loading, as opposed to thinking about shooting while you’re trying to load. Think about one thing at a time.

From the low ready, come up, disengaging the safety as the muzzle rises. Once you’re on target place your finger on the trigger. Perform any adjustments that may be necessary to fine-tune your sight picture. Focus on the front sight, or with a red-dot your focus is on the target, and smoothly start applying pressure to the trigger. Eventually, the AR decides it’s time to fire.

Follow through, which means recover from the recoil, reacquiring a sight picture and resetting the trigger. “Do I need to shoot again,” you ask yourself. The answer is no; you’re only firing one round. Come off the trigger, off the target, into the low ready position, and engage the safety. Now, finally, you can look to see where the round hit. But, don’t worry about where the hit is. I know this sounds confusing. The purpose of shooting is to hit the target, right? Actually, right now the main point is to focus on the fundamentals and make sure to follow through completely, as opposed to immediately coming off the trigger and target to locate where the shot went. You’ve got to establish good habits from the beginning. Plus, remember, you haven’t zeroed the AR yet, so the hit might not be exactly where you’re aiming on the target.

Repeat the process, performing the same sequence and firing another shot. Do it again, consciously thinking about each step, one step at a time. Eventually you start to see a group forming. All the shots are clustering in one location on the target.

When you’re working on these fundamentals you might have a round or two that isn’t grouped with the others. For right now, ignore these. I know, they stick out and cry out for attention. If you start thinking about what went wrong, you’re not thinking about what to do right. As long as you’re shooting, you’re always going to have a “flyer” here and there. Ignore the fliers, focus on the group you’ve shot, and think about what you did right for all of those instead of thinking about the anomalies. It’s all about reinforcing the positives and creating confidence in your abilities.

Once you’ve got the hang of firing one shot at a time, start working on firing two-shot groups. After that’s looking good, work on shooting three-round groups. Although you’re firing multiple-round groups, think about each shot as a separate entity all its own. Slow down, make one good shot, and then repeat as needed. Regardless of how many rounds you fire, after the last one, always follow through, preparing to fire another shot. Ask yourself if you need to shoot again, and then you’re off the trigger, off the target and safety on.

Once you’re getting good groups, then you can start adjusting the sights to zero the AR, and working from extended distances and/or with smaller targets. Don’t worry about shooting or firing fast, especially in the beginning. Concentrate on applying the fundamentals and making good hits.

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GUN DIGESTWE KNOW GUNS SO YOU KNOW GUNS

Crimson Trace has increased the low-light capabilities for one of the most popular lightweight, compact pistols with the release of its Laserguard for the Ruger LCP II.

Going armed, in some case, means restricting your movement. “No-Gun Zones,” or “non-permissive environments,” have to be on your radar or you can land in a heap of legal trouble.

Best known for his Ackley Improved family of cartridges, the eminent gunsmith P.O. Ackley was also a tireless self-promoter and well-known writer. Here are some of our favorite Ackleyisms.

Best P.O. Ackley Quotes

Ackley On Extreme Accuracy

Parker On His Critics

Insights Into Elmer Keith

Dressing Down Bureaucrats

P.O. Ackley On Gunsmithing

Taking Down More Magnums

P.O. Ackley On His Competitors

The IWI ACE is an evolution of an evolution, which was then further refined.

Not all barrel bedding is equal. Bedding dynamics can increase or decrease a rifle’s accuracy.

In the 1950s, Ruger introduced the venerable Blackhawk revolver, which remains both a desirable collector piece and a popular current-production gun.

Get More Ruger Info:

Gunwerks’ RevX in 7mm Rem. Mag. proves that it’s fully capable of delivering 1,000-yard performance out of the box.

There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to AR optics. Make sure you choose the right one for your rifle’s intended purpose.

The new Springfield Armory XD-E is the manufacturer’s first hammer-fired pistol in its popular XD line and offers shooters several different carry options to suit their preferences.

Seekins Precision’s SP10 in 6.5 Creedmoor is a large-frame black rifle that delivers accuracy, even as distances stretch.

The M&P15T is optimized for low-light situations with the Crimson Trace LiNQ system and eminently configurable with an M-LOK handguard.

Savage is again taking aim at precision shooters with the Model 10 GRS, a moderately priced rifle long on features.

More Precision Shooting

What are the hard-hitting .45s?

In the modern era of firearms, one type of gun seems to dominate all others — the semi-automatic pistol.

M1911

Browning Hi-Power

Luger P08

Walther P38

CZ 75

Glock 17

Whether you’re new to the AR or are getting acclimated to a brand new rifle, deliberate and mindful dry runs will jump start mastery of the firearm.

Dry Practice And Establishing Your Natural Point of Aim

Live Fire

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