With a dwindling supply of M1 rifles of all models, the market for this iconic American battle rifle is heating up fast at GunRunner Online Auctions.
“Some of the hottest items this year for Gunrunner Auctions are U.S. M1 Carbine Paratroopers,” says GunRunner owner Scott Weber. “We obtained a splendid specimen –99 percent original finish–from an estate. It sat in a closet for 70 years! This beauty brought $4,000 with paperwork.”
Good M1’s with clean bores and matched wood go for over $1,000. An all-original World War II M1 Garand with a nice 1940’s bore and excellent condition can bring over $2,000.
Generally, Weber notes, older collectors are buying up the M1’s. Though lately, he adds, a surprising number of younger buyers have entered the market, especially for lower-grade M1’s.
“I think they want what their grandfathers fought with in the Big One or they are seeing the M1’s on the Big Screen and want one to hang over the mantel.”
But collectors, he warns, need to be careful as M1’s are also “one of the most faked of all World War II collectibles,” Weber says. “Reproduction stocks, false stamps, fake rivets and it’s impossible to determine one by serial number alone.”
Do you research, lean on expert advice and use an experienced auction house, Weber advises.
This brief is from the July 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Starline Brass serves the cutting edge shooter, no doubt. But the manufacturer has also always had a yen for the traditional. Just take a gander at the cases the Missouri company produces for old black-powder guns, if you need further proof.
Starline, however, has walked the line between mainstream and obscure with the latest additions to its catalog. While a .30 Carbine and 9mm Steyr might not be in every gun safe, both are not way out in right field, either.
The .30 Carbine is perhaps best known as the ammunition for the M1 Carbine. The dandy light rifle saw plenty of action with American forces, adopted in World War II and serving up to the Vietnam War. More recently, the round has been born again as a handgun cartridge in Ruger’s Blackhawk revolvers.
Those who have the venerable M1912 can rejoice, Starline Brass is now offering 9mm Steyr cases.
The 9mm Steyr had some success in the early 20th Century, most notably as ammunition for the Steyr M1912. The pistol was the Austria-Hungarian Empire’s and then Austria’s military service side arm, serving from 1912 until 1945. The 9mm Steyr also pulled duty as a submachine gun round, feeding MP34.
Starline’s brass is 70-percent copper and 30-precent zinc, which is vertically drawn to keep wall thickness consistent. The company anneals its cases between each draw to ensure its malleability and inspects each case between each step of the manufacturing process.
Presently, the MSRP for the .30 Carbine brass is $122 for a box of 500 and $226 for a box of 1,000. For the 9mm Steyr a box of 500 runs $97 and a box of 100 $170.
No matter how steady your hunting rifle, hitting at any range presumes a proper zero.
Flat-shooting loads beg a 200-yard zero, for point-blank range to 250 yards—or more.
Zeroing, or sighting in, is simply aligning the sights (scope) on your rifle so the bullet hits where you aim at a certain distance. A rifle cannot be manipulated to change the bullet’s path. It is the sight alone that is to be adjusted. Windage and elevation adjustments move the rear sight or a scope’s reticle so it directs your eye to where the bullet hits at a given distance. You pick the range.
Because a bullet follows the bore axis out the muzzle, it will fly nearly parallel to the line of sight until gravity pulls it unacceptably off course. Bear in mind that a bullet’s path is never perfectly straight. Gravity grabs the projectile as soon as it exits the rifle. In zeroing, you adjust the sight so your straight line of vision intersects the bullet’s parabolic path not far from the muzzle, then travels below it until the two merge at the zero distance. Beyond that, the bullet drops ever more steeply away from the line of sight.
It’s a common misconception that a bullet rises above line of bore during its flight. It does not. It cannot. Sight-line is not parallel to bore line, but, rather, at a slightly converging angle. The line of sight dips below bore line and the bullet’s arc. Sightline never again meets bore line. Both are straight and, after crossing, diverge. A bullet hits above sightline at midrange, because sightline has been purposefully angled down through its trajectory. The bullet falls to intersect it at greater range. If the sightline were parallel with the bore, it would never touch the bullet’s arc.
The most useful zero depends on the bullet’s trajectory and on how far you intend to shoot. For most big-game rifles, a 200-yard zero makes sense. Sight in there with a .30-06 or a similar cartridge, and your bullet will stay within three vertical inches of point of aim out to 250 yards or so. A three-inch vertical error still gives you a killing strike in the ribs of big-game animals. The 200-yard zero permits “dead-on” aim as far as most marksmen can hit in the field. At 300 yards you’ll have to shade high.
Why not zero at 250 or even 300? Well, with flat-shooting rounds like Weatherby’s .270 Magnum, you can. A 200-yard zero puts its 140-grain bullet only 1½ inches over sightline at l00. Adjust the scope so the rifle shoots three inches high at l00, and you’ll reach 300 yards with a mere one inch of drop! By the same logic, a zero for the likes of the .30-30 is best kept short of 200 yards, otherwise the bullet’s steep arc will put it a whopping five inches high at its apex (some distance beyond 100).
This Hill Country Rifles .270 puts bullets almost two inches high at 100 yards, a useful zero.
The best zero for a .30-30 carbine may have less to do with the limited range of the cartridge than the more limited range at which you can shoot accurately with its iron sights—or the even more limited distance you can see in typical whitetail cover! While a 150-yard zero is reasonable, a 100-yard zero may be even more practical, especially if you hunt where most of your shots come very close.
You’re better off zeroing hunting rifles so you won’t ever have to hold low. Remember that shots too long for a point-blank hold with a 200-yard zero are uncommon. Most game, even in open country, is killed well inside 300 yards. I recall a fellow shooting over the back of a magnificent bull elk at 200 because he’d zeroed his .300 Weatherby at 400.
One reason many hunters like to zero long is that they overestimate yardage in the field. One fellow told me recently that his .30 magnum could outshoot any rifle between 800 and 900 yards and that he had toppled a buck at 700 steps by holding just over its withers. Now, even a congressman would have blushed spinning that yarn.
The flattest-shooting cartridges land their bullets nearly three feet low at 500 yards, when the rifle is zeroed at 200. To keep a .270 Weatherby bullet (muzzle velocity 3,375 fps) from sagging more than a foot at 700 yards, you’d have to zero at over 600! That would put the bullet roughly two feet high at 300 and 400. It would be plunging so rapidly at 700 that, if you misjudged range by just 10 percent, you’d miss the deer’s vitals!
When zeroing, you’ll save time and ammunition separating the task into two stages, bore sighting and shooting. Bore sighting isn’t necessary. It’s merely a short-cut to the end of the shooting stage. Shooting is necessary. A rifle that’s only bore-sighted is not zeroed!
Zeroing Your Rifle
Wayne fired this 300-yard group with a Ruger American .30-06, with an eight-inch hold-over.
First shots to zero should be at 35 yards, whether or not you’ve bore-sighted. After each shot at 35, move the rear sight or scope dial in the direction you want the bullet to go until you hit point of aim. (Mind the dial arrows! European scope knobs typically turn clockwise to move impact up and right, while clockwise rotation on scopes built for the American market moves impact down and left.) Now, switch to a 100-yard target. I prefer that bullets from flat-shooting big-game rounds hit two to 2½ inches high at this range. Depending on the load, the rifle will then put its bullets close to point of aim at 200 yards.
After satisfactory results at 100 yards, move the target to 200 or your zero range. During the last stages of zeroing, make sight changes only after three-shot groups. A single shot can be misleading. Windage and elevation dial “clicks” or graduations are engineered to shift bullet impact a precise measure at 100 yards. That’s most commonly ¼-minute of angle. A minute of angle is 1.047 inches at 100 yards (but shooters know it as an inch at that range), two inches at 200, and so on. A target scope may have graduations as fine as 1/8-minute; scopes intended for long shooting incorporate coarser elevation detents—½-minute or even 1-minute clicks—to lift point of impact with less dial movement. A greater range of adjustment results, as well. When you can’t turn the dial past zero, you also avoid the possibility of “full rotation” error, which can cause spectacular misses. European dials are typically marked in centimeters.
Another method as fast as counting clicks to move bullet impact, is to secure your rifle so the reticle centers the target as it did when you last fired. Then, without moving the rifle, turn the dials until your reticle kisses the previous bullet hole.
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Even with a benchrest, it’s easy to make a bad shot. In fact, a bench can give you a false sense of stability, prompting fast, sloppy shooting. No matter how steady you think you are, check your position before each shot and fire carefully. Call your shots. To learn where your bullets really hit at long range (and how great their dispersion), fire at 300, then 400 yards. For hunting, that’s as far as you’ll likely have occasion to shoot. If longer pokes are on the agenda, find a place to test your rifle and your zero farther downrange. It’s worth the trouble! There’s no reason to fire at game farther than you’ve tested your loads and your holds on paper!
Tactical rifles in .338 Lapua and .50 BMG, built to hurl match bullets at targets very far off, have been joined by sporting rifles with exceptional reach. Zeroing at long range introduces a couple special considerations most hunters needn’t consider. One is the range of dial movement on the scope’s elevation adjustment. Consider installing a slanted Picatinny rail, one whose front end is lower than the rear. Such a rail has “gain” and puts the scope at an angle to the bore, so that, when you center the dial in its range, the scope’s axis (line of sight) crosses the bullet’s path farther away. You get a longer zero without using all the adjustment. The more nearly centered the erector assembly (which holds your reticle), the better. A lens gives you the best picture through its middle. Barrett supplies rails with gain for its .50-caliber rifles.
Hunting rifles with 200-yard zeros won’t do well at a 1,000-yard match, because shooters would have to aim several feet over the target frame. There’s too little elevation adjustment in many scopes to get a 1,000-yard zero. If you could dial in enough lift to achieve a 600-yard zero with your .30-06, you’d still have to aim 17 feet high to hit a 1,000-yard bull’s-eye! Of course, a truly long-range zero comes with severe mid-range penalties. Even that 600-yard zero would put ’06 bullets 2½ feet high at 300 yards!
The Coonan Compact still throws magnum rounds down range, but in a smaller package.
Few handguns are as unique as the ones rolling out of Blaine, Minn. For decades now, Coonan has enthralled shooters by marrying the venerable .357 Magnum cartridge with the classic 1911 pistol.
Those who have handled or even taken a gander at theses beasts know they are a handful. But this year, the company has taken a crack at taming the size of their distinctive side arm.
The Coonan Compact Limited Edition is a trimmed down version of the company’s original design, making it a bit friendlier to toting around. Perhaps in this arena the most notable modification is the shorter 4-inch barrel, which has a full inch cutoff from the company’s standard model.
The removal of this material, along with some on the slide, makes the model a bit lighter (39 ounces empty) than the original. But at the same time it leaves enough length for the .357 round to live up to its full ballistic potential.
The recoil wary are certain to start rubbing their wrists at the thought of a magnum with a shorter-barreled and lighter platform. But, in all likelihood, they need not be so head shy. Given it is a recoil-operated pistol, its kick is somewhat muted, compared to a revolver.
The Coonan Compact is also a bit shorter than the Classic, which does impact its capacity. The new pistol holds 6+1, one less than the original. But given the 1911 still shoots .357 cartridges, it does still have the thicker overall grip of all Coonan guns.
The pistol’s other features include linkless barrel and pivoting trigger. A slide catch and thumb safety situated on the left side of the gun. And the choice of stainless steel or with a black DuraCoat finish.
The pistol comes with a custom carry case and two magazines. Presently, the Coonan Compact has an MSRP ranging from $1,535-$1,975 depending on features.
Velocity Triggers is offering shooters an affordable and what appears to be a well-built drop-in option.
Velocity Triggers is a new company, but it has deep roots. That is primarily due to Tom Vehr.
When it comes to the little, but key part that’s responsible for a firearm going boom, there are few with resumes as long and illustrious as Velocity’s owner/operator.
He spent the first 13 years of his career directing Kinght Rifle’s trigger manufacturing, helping produce nearly a half a million units over that timespan. After which, he spent the next 14 years running all aspects of Timney Trigger’s operations — from design to tooling to testing.
Vehr’s experience and knowhow is now being applied to turning out a line of drop-in triggers for AR-style rifles. And one need not go any further than his product’s price tags to see he definitely has put his knowledge of triggers to good use.
Velocity’s line of five drop-in triggers all have an MSRP of $150. And it doesn’t take an exhaustive Google search to find multiple examples of the units moving for less than $100. That’s a heck of deal, given comparable triggers run around $50 more than Velocity’s MSRP.
Perhaps the best part, the company does not appear to have skimped on its product. Vehr has used top materials to turn out hissingle-stage triggers, which look ready for the long haul.
The trigger, hammer and disconnect should prove to be rugged, made from EDM wire cut tool steel. The assembly is constructed from 6061T6 billet aluminum, which is strong yet lightweight. Finally, the hammer and disconnect are finished with Robar’s NP3, which provides a smooth trigger pull and minimal cleaning.
Velocity is offering three different pull weights in its triggers — 3-, 4- and 4.5-pounds. It also has two styles, a traditional curved trigger and a straight trigger.
While triggers manufacturing is Velocity’s main concern, the company does have a number of other products. These include, lower assembly kits, firing pins and take down pins.
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From traditional key locks to futuristic biometric entry, Liberty’s new handgun safes are designed to meet almost every need and desire.
Secure, yet accessible — talk about a paradox. Yet, nowadays, this is exactly what handgun safe makers offer shooters. Incredible advancements in engineering and materials have made gun vaults tougher than ever. At the same time, gun owners can retrieve their firearms in the wink of an eye through these safes’ cutting-edge entry systems. Truly, modern day gun safes are nearly all things to all people. And recently, Liberty Safes released a complete line of storage options for handguns that look to meet shooters’ every need and situation. So, without further delay here’s a look at the Utah company’s newest handgun safes, which range from traditional keyed entry to futuristic biometric locks.
HD-90 Key Vault Like its name suggests, this vault is a more traditional option, utilizing keyed entry. This feature helps shooters save a bit of money, while getting the peace of mind of the reliable method of entry. But Liberty has not scrimped on this affordable option. Constructed of rugged 16-gauge steel, the 5-pound vault can take a licking and still not give up its goods. And its compact size (2.5”x10.8”x8.3”) makes it an ideal fit to stow away in a drawer, nightstand, suitcase, or even underneath a vehicle seat. The unit comes with a security cable that adds an additional layer of security. MSRP $49.
HD-100 Quick Vault For those hunting for security, accessibility and portability, this might be the vault that they’ve been after. The HD-100 features a four-button combination entry system that allows for extremely fast access to a firearm. Aiding this process is a piston-assisted opener, which lifts the vault’s lid once it is unlocked, and a lighted interior. The unit is powered off a 9V battery and includes a backup keyed entry, incase the electric entry runs out of juice. The 6-pound vault is constructed from 16-gauge steel and comes with a security cable. The safe’s size (2.5”x10.8”x8.3”) makes it perfect as a home-based option or one destine for the road. MSRP $109.
HDX-150 Smart Vault With an entry system as unique as its users, Liberty’s Smart Vault offers unparalleled security and speed. A biometric finger swiper allows access to the safe in a moments notice — around 1 second when on AC power and 2 seconds when running off a 9V battery. The unit has been upgraded with Liberty’s fifth-generation biometric technology, giving shooters one of the most reliable systems on the market. The entry system is also versatile, allowing 15 different fingerprints to be programed. And there are no worries if the unit is out of juice since it has a key backup entry. The 9.5-pound safe is the right size (12.5″ x 8.75″ x 2.25) for a home, office or vehicle. It comes with a security cable. MSRP $199.
HD-200 Quick Vault Liberty has engineered its HD-200 Quick Vault for extremely fast access. Utilizing the company’s four-button touch pad, the safe’s combination can be quickly entered. But that is not the only feature that speeds up the retrieval process. The unit also has an auto-open door that drops once unlocked. The front door has also been angled, providing great visibility and access to the interior. The safe has a key backup, incase its 9V battery runs dry. The 10-pound unit is the ideal size (5.4″ x 12.4″ x 8.5″) for under a bed, in a close of on a nightstand. As an added layer of security, the unity has mounting holes on its bottom, allowing it to be bolted down. MSRP $129.
HDX-250 Smart Vault Speed counts when it comes to firearms retrieval. And with the HDX-250 Smart Vault, Liberty offers gun owners one of the quickest entry systems on the market today. The company’s fifth-generation biometric finger swipe technology takes mere seconds to access the safe — 1 second with AC power and 2 second on DC. The unit can be programed to recognize up to 15 fingerprints and comes with a key backup. The safe has an auto-open door and interior lighting, making firearm retrieval even easier. Made from 14-gauge steel, the 15-pound unit is just the right size for a closet, nightstand or bookshelf. MSRP $249.
HD-300 Quick Vault The HD-300 Quick Vault gives the option of stowing multiple guns and other valuables, while still allowing fast access. The safe is large enough (8.3″ x 13.9″ x 10.1″) to hold a number of firearms, important papers and other loot. But it is not so big as to be difficult to place in a home or office. The unit features a four-button keypad, which can be programed for more than 1,000 combinations. It also has a key entry, incase the 9V battery runs dry. The safe is outfitted with an automatic-opening door and has a lighted interior. The 13-pound vault has mounting holes on its bottom, allowing it to be bolted down. MSRP $159.
When it comes to holsters, style is just one part of the equation. Holster Material and how it functions also plays an important role in which one you select.
In addition to type and mode of carry, holster material plays an important role in scabbard comfort and function. Here’s an overview to help you make sense of it all.
Leather The oldest and arguably the gold standard in holster material is leather. Its inherent properties tend to retain the handgun very well. It’s durable and long lasting. And it looks good, too. Leather is quiet, and you can draw a handgun discreetly should the circumstances warrant it. It’s also comfortable, the longer you wear it the more broken in it becomes as it conforms to your body.
Cowhide and horsehide are the two most common, and each has its own inherent properties that make some difference in the final product.
“Cowhide is by far the most common,” writes Ayoob in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition (GunDigestStore.com). “Horsehide has its fans: It is thinner and proportionally more rigid, but seems to scratch more easily. Sharkskin is expensive, but extremely handsome and very long lasting and scuff resistant. It may last you longer than it did the shark. (I often wear sharkskin belts in court. Doesn’t ward the lawyers off or anything, but seems appropriate, especially during some cross-examinations.) Elephant hide? It’s hilariously expensive, but certainly tough, and predictably thicker than you probably need. Alligator and snakeskin holsters seem better suited to ‘show’ than ‘go.’ For the most part, cowhide and horsehide are where it’s at.”
In addition to common-sense things like avoiding extreme heat, humidity, and dry air leather requires maintenance to prevent dry rot and cracking. There are commercial leather treatments on the market but these can soften your holster up too much. Rigidity is one trait you don’t want to lose in a gun holster — it keeps your piece from shifting about or pulling outward on the belt. Instead, try Galco’s Leather Lotion if your holster starts to squeak or appears dried out. Give the inside a light touch of a silicone-type spray like Galco’s EZ Touch to ward off moisture and speed your draw.
Many of today’s retention holsters are made of synthetic material, allowing for a lightweight, yet secure carry option.
Synthetics The synthetic holster has a following as dedicated as Paul McCartney did during Beetlemania, and is finding its way into more and more holster designs all the time. Its benefits are many: tough, scratch-resistant, maintenance free, precision molded for good gun retention and slick — allowing for a very fast draw.
It also holds its shape, so you can reholster with one hand, a tactical necessity following any defensive gun use (when the cops show up you don’t want to have a gun in your hand). In addition, plastics open up design possibilities for unique retention mechanisms, which have been taken full advantage of by some rather imaginative holster makers. Sweat doesn’t affect plastics like leather, and you don’t have to break it in — it’s ready to roll right out of the box and never really changes. Most polymer holsters have retention screws that are used to tighten or loosen the holster’s grip on the gun.
Like leather, not all synthetics are created equal. Kydex is the hands-down popular choice for holster construction. It is a high-performance, high-impact, proprietary thermoplastic that seems indestructible and molds to just about any gun. Safariland makes SafariLaminate, and many of their holsters come with a soft liner to protect sights and finish. Bianchi has its own proprietary AccuMold, a basket-weave trilaminate that is moisture resistant, tough and looks damn cool. Even the description for one new holster material from Bianchi, called PatrolTek, reads like something out of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, “The PatrolTek line of law enforcement molded accessories features Bianchi’s special contour-molded technology and unique trilaminate construction — a 600-denier woven exterior, high-density foam core, and a smooth knit lining. Belts are web construction with hook or loop lining. This synthetic woven product line is both lightweight and durable enough for the rigors of street duty.”
Hybrids take advantage of the abundance of holster materials now available to manufacturers. One such example is the above StealthGearUSA IWB Holster available at GunDigestStore.com.
Hybrids Hybrid material holsters blend leather and/or synthetics for the best of both worlds for a new class of super holster. Crossbreed pioneered this field with its popular SuperTuck model that attaches a synthetic holster molded to your specific gun to a large leather pad that rides against your skin. Added comfort was the goal of the big leather pad, while the polymer holster portion was meant to bestow the benefits of a speedy draw. It achieved both perfectly and propelled the company to superstardom in the defensive gun world.
Other companies like N82 (Nate Squared), Stealth Gear and now Galco make synthetic variations on the hybrid theme. Options to check out are Crossbreed’s Combat Cut where, as a custom option, they remove a portion of the leather pad to allow you to get a better, faster grip on the handgun. The downside to this option, of course, is reduced comfort.
Bianchi is taking the hybrid material concept in another direction with their Allusion holster. This thing blends thermoformed plastic bonded with leather stitched to the outside. The result, the interior fast-draw benefits of synthetic with the good looks and comfort of leather on the outside.
Nylon And then there is nylon. Attend any gun show and you will find at least one table where some stinky old fart is hawking his “universal” concealed carry holsters, “For just five bucks!” Buyer beware! You get what you pay for, and the cheap nylon jobs are sure to disappoint. They don’t secure your gun at all, even the ones with a retention strap, and they have no structural integrity with which to support the weight of a loaded gun. Configuration options — OWB or IWB — are limited, non-existent or just unclear. Steer clear.
Now that I’ve cut to the quick of the matter, I will admit nylon does have a place. For example, Bianchi uses it not to make an entire holster, but as a liner in its Ranger. Combined with a trilaminate molded weave structure for rigidity this makes good sense and looks to be one hell of a tough holster used in this application.
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt of The Comprehensive Guide to Concealed Carry Holsters.
While it might seem like an oxymoron, there is such a thing as a “big bore compact handgun”—just check out the Guncrafter Model 5.
Based in Huntsville, Arkansas, Guncrafter Industries (GI) was started by Alex Zimmerman in 2004 with a singular mission: to produce the most effective custom pistol for self-defense, which resulted in the .50 GI. Zimmerman and crew have since set their sights on making some of the finest custom 1911s on the market for hardcore aficionados. As a world champion pistol shooter, Zimmerman assembled a crew of skilled “guncrafters” who know how a defensive handgun should be made.
The newest work of art to hit the market is the Model 5 (M5), which is based on the Concealed Carry Option (CCO) pistol. The goal with the M5 was to create a great handgun for daily carry chambered in .50 caliber.
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It features a commander-length slide (4.25 inches) and compact frame, making it ideal for IWB carry. The build includes a forged slide, frame and barrel, as well as a heavy bushing-less barrel and a solid match trigger.
To be carry friendly, all the sharp edges have been removed on the M5 and it has a heavy round-butt treatment with ultra-slim lines. As a custom gun, the M5 comes with a range of options for sights, finishes and even a .45 ACP conversion. If you’re looking for a bore diameter that means business but in a package that’s built for concealment, the M5 might just fit the bill.
The Blaser R8 Long Range rifle comes in two stock styles. The GRS (left) is designed for competition, while the Professional Success stock (right) is geared more for hunting.
Blaser has matched up its speedy straight-pull action with the accuracy of the .338 Lapua to make what looks like one heck of a long-range rifle.
When it comes to manually cycled rifles, one company has more than made a name for itself.
Blaser has gained world renown for producing some of the fastest bolt-action guns available today. And the German gun maker is once again mating its speedy straight-pull action with one of the most popular long-range cartridges available today.
Blaser has expanded its R8 line of rifles to include .338 Lapua Magnum and has been titled as the R8 Long Range. And while this chambering is new for this particular series, it is not for the company.
The gun maker has had a long history with the precision round, perhaps best known example being its Tactical 2 model. But the company has gone quite a different direction with its most recent venture into .338 Lapua.
The new R8 is a break from the Tactical 2’s tactical design. This is most notable in the rifle’s stock options; the Professional Success is a thumb-hole stock designed for hunting and the GRS has a modified pistol grip and is tailored for competitive shooting.
Blaser has outfitted its new rifle with a 27-inch barrel, long enough that it should help the .338 round achieve its full ballistic potential. It has also been optimized in balance to ensure that the gun is responsive and easy to hold on target.
Like all R8s, the new long-range rifle is receiverless, a function of being a straight-pull. This makes some of the rifle’s layout a bit different that most are use to particularly the scope mounts, which are located on the barrel.
The new R8 Long Range rifle has all the features to get a shooter on target, no matter the distance.
The new rifle also features the line’s removable magazine/trigger and cocker/decocker. The latter is a fairly handy safety addition, which — when used properly — all but makes a negligent discharge impossible.
One of the neater aspects of the R8s are their versatility, given the rifles are switch barrels. This is a popular design in Europe, which allows shooters to quickly swap out the barrel and bolt head to configure the rifle into a new caliber.
The R8 Long Range, however, does have a bit of a price tag attached. Presently the MSRP of the base model is $5,100.
One of the most critical pieces of data to long-range shooting beyond 400 yards is knowing the precise distance to the target.
The Bushnell Fusion will range out well over 1,000 yards, yet is still quite affordable as such models go.
In some cases, long-range shooters work from static positions, meaning situations in which they don’t intend to move much. If they do move at all, they’ll set up elaborate ranging systems such as military artillery-range equipment or very advanced compact commercial units. These shooters are in a separate class of long-range riflemen in which the goal is to send their bullet as far away as possible and still be successful at hitting a target. For these shooters, of course, the use of the gap ranging method or any other shorter-distance ranging system is out of the question. The name of their game is technology.
Today, there are rangefinding units that can integrate with the rifle scope and allow on-the-spot adjustments for 1,000-plus-yard targets simply by dialing them in, setting the elevation adjustment for drop compensation, and touching off the round. The Burris ranging scope discussed in the last chapter is an excellent example of this kind of technological advancement. With that scope, you have a tool that retains its own ranging functionality out to 800 yards and allows the shooter to dial in a target without any additional support equipment whatsoever.
For the price conscious, Leupold is well worth a look. American-made, dependable, and accurate in the field just about says it all about Leupold. I use a lot of Leupold products, because they tend to get the job done without many of the common problems often encountered when hunting. Leupold’s compact RX line (Leupold currently offers six rangefinders in this line, including one for archers, with prices starting around $275), of digital rangefinders are a class act, though they do retain added features you may not need or want.
Remember, the primary purpose of a rangefinder is to find out how far away something is. You probably don’t need your rangefinder to be half-yard accurate to 125 yards, since you should be able to range that distance without a mechanical rangefinder, but the RX units will do that for you nevertheless. You also might not have need for a variety of reticles, but you’ll get that, too. Only you know whether a feature is fluff or necessity. For instance, I still find that I basically bring my up rangefinder, read the range, and go back to my scope and its Mil Dots for any required elevation.
On one of my many trips to Wyoming, to test optics and other equipment, I recently got to use a rangefinder with the ability to tell you how far the goods are out to 1,000 yards. The unique thing about this one is that it carries a price tag under $400; shop hard and you could find this unit selling around $275 and change, a price point more applicable to a unit with a 500 yard or less capability—well, maybe with most brands, but this is a Weaver rangefinder I’m talking about, and now that Weaver is under the control of ATK (Federal Ammunition), it’s stepped up its game and produced a very capable system.
I used this 8x rangefinder over a full week and on hundreds of targets, without a single failure to return positive data. At 600 yards, this unit will record big game clearly. I tested it on antelope and mule deer, as well as cattle, to a solid 800 yards. The 1,000-yard maximum was verified by ranging larger reflective objects, including stock tanks, small ranch buildings, and rock piles. When it came to confirmation through shooting, the unit resulted in a bunch of longer range prairie dogs, gophers, and badgers meeting their maker with direct hits from a T/C .22-250, a 7.62×51 (.308 Win.), and Hornady special high-performance long-range .223/5.56mm NATO rounds.
One rangefinder that was used a great deal for this book was the Swarovski LG. This unit is very small, about the size of a pair of opera glasses, but it ranges to 1,500 yards and, at times and depending on the target, beyond. I found it quick to lock onto very long-range targets, requiring only a small subject like a rock, tree, or brush to produce a bounce-back laser reading. This unit is not a budget item—the lowest online price I found was $700, with most being closer to $900 and $1,000—but it is very dependable and it will take all the guesswork out of establishing a target’s range.
Bushnell, another company well-known in this business, offers a complete line of ranging equipment. The most minimal device, the Sport 850, will run you just a bit under $300, but will get your range readings to 850 yards. On the other end of the spectrum is the newer Elite 1600, which will reach all the way out to a stunning 1,600 yards, though at a price of $850.
Simmons Optics offers its laser rangefinder, the LRF 600, for just a smidge over $200, and, to be sure, these units get the job done. Nikon currently lists eight different units in prices ranging from as much as $480 to as little as $150. In terms of pricing I’m staying as close to my information sources as possible, but don’t hold any company to an exact figure. Do your shopping, especially via the Internet, using the information here as a general guide in selecting ranging equipment.
In the ultra high-grade department, Leica sells the combination rangefinder and binocular Geovid HD-B for up to $3,000. I have used a similar model when hunting rockchucks in Idaho, during days when I couldn’t make out a thing with a cheap binocular. The ’chucks were exactly the color of the rock and, when sitting still, they were lost to the grainy formations surrounding them. The Geovid picked them out and also returned exact ranges well out to 800 and 1,000 yards. In my opinion, these are professional devices, tools designed for guides hosting high-end clients hunting sheep and other expensive trophy-class game, or military snipers requiring far more exact measurements to the target than you and I would normally use. Again, you need to think your application through before spending that kind of money on a ranging system.
One last unit to consider in the realm of high-end, specialized ranging units is one from Barrett, the builder of supreme, long-distance tactical weapons. Barrett created the BORS, which stands for Barrett Optical Ranging System. This unit is installed in the top turret of better-grade long-range sniper scopes and, in effect, becomes a ballistic computer for the shooter. As Barrett describes it, “After determining the range to target, simply turn the elevation knob until the BORS screen matches your target’s distance. Internal sensors automatically calculate the ballistic solution. BORS compensates for temperature and barometric pressure, calculates angle cosine, and displays rifle cant.”
If there is any question after this abbreviated look at ranging units, it is probably one of inquiring whether we are becoming dependent on mechanical devices, versus a learned physical response to a ranging problem? In other words, is it equipment or practiced skills that make a good long-range shooter? It is easy to fall back on the toys and then forget what granddad taught us.
The big seller recently at Blade, Barrel and Reel Outdoors, said owner Wade Adams, has been handguns from SCCY Industries of Daytona Beach, Fla., manufacturer of the CPX1 and CPX2 9mm semi-automatic pistols designed for concealed carry.
“We’ve sold just a ton of them,” he said. “Part of that is the price—they only have just the two models and we sell them for $310 and $325. Despite that lower price point, they are a really good-quality handgun and have an amazing life-time warranty.”
Another popular handgun line here is the small bore Rough Rider, from Heritage Manufacturing, a series of revolvers with that Old West look and feel to them. Chambered in .22 LR and .22 Mag., the revolvers start at $175.
Turkey Guns Turkey season had locals buying shotguns, but not necessarily turkey-specific models. Benelli, Browning A-5 and various Tri-Star models were selling, Adams noted, almost all of them in 12 gauge. Since most of the buyers were also leaving the store with a box or two of turkey shotshells, he figured they will see some field action this spring.
Black Rifles
Adams has also noticed a nice bump in AR-15 sales, which had been down for the longest time, with entry-level models by Del-Ton moving nicely.
“I think they’ve been on a lot of peoples’ wish lists for a while now. And with tax refunds coming in, and lower prices on a number of rifles, guys are deciding now is the time to buy.”
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Lyman’s new Ultimate Case Prep Kit has nearly every tool you need to uniform brass before reloading.
Ammunition reloading is perhaps more accessible today than ever before.
Nearly every company that manufactures presses and other handloading gear offers a basic kit that gives shooters everything they need to get started on the rewarding discipline. But, as quickly becomes evident, those kits typically have to have a number of tools added to it.
One of the leaders in reloading tools, though, looks like it’s making stocking a reloading bench easier and a bit cheaper with one of its newest products. Like its name implies, the Lyman Ultimate Case Prep Kit has all the tools a reloader needs to ensure their bass is uniform and ready to become a precision cartridge. And it also has a few extras that are certain to prove useful.
The kit has 14 pieces and includes the following tools:
E-ZEE Case Gauge
Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller with two collets
Extra Large Debuff Tool
Outside Chamfer Tool
Flash Hole Uniformer
VLD Chamfer Tool
Small Primer Pocket Reamer
Large Primer Pocket Reamer
Small Primer Pocket Uniformer
Large Primer Pocket Uniformer
Small Primer Pocket Cleaner
Large Primer Pocket Cleaner
Nylon Case Neck Brushes with Brush Handle: 25 Cal., 30 Cal., 45 Cal.
Dry Case Neck Lube
The bullet puller is a nice addition to the kit and can often be one of those tools reloaders put off too long buying. But they’re worth their weight in gold, helping erase mistakes, while salvaging components for use in another load.
The kit also is designed to remain organized through its handy hard-plastic case. Presently the Lyman Ultimate Case Prep Kit has an MSRP of $140, which the Connecticut manufacturer pegs a 40-percent less than if the tools were bought individually.
The only thing more noteworthy than the accuracy of the feature-rich Ruger Precision Rifle is its price tag, making extreme range accuracy accessible to more shooters.
Given Ruger’s aggressive rate of innovation as of late it was only a matter of time until its engineers released a dedicated long-range rifle. And with an MSRP of $1399, Ruger pulled it all off at a price range that most shooters can afford.
The tack-driver is built on the company’s American Rifle action, but as the video below explains that action is not just dropped into a cool-looking modern “sniper” chassis. Instead, the recoil path is in-line with the AR-style (and side folding!) stock.
From Ruger’s Press Release:
The Ruger Precision Rifle incorporates an in-line recoil path directly from the rear of the receiver to the buttstock, eliminating the need for traditional bedding or a “chassis” system, and provides maximum accuracy potential by simplifying the rifle’s response to recoil. The Ruger® Precision MSR stock is adjustable for length of pull and comb height, offering a proper fit over a wide range of shooter sizes, outerwear, and shooting positions. While easily adjusted, the length of pull and comb height changes lock solidly in place and will not move while firing. The stock also features multiple QD sling attachment points, a bottom Picatinny rail for monopod attachment, and a soft rubber buttpad. The left-folding stock hinge (which provides access to the bolt) is attached to an AR-style buffer tube and accepts AR-style stocks.
The Ruger Precision Rifle features a Multi-Magazine Interface, a patent-pending system that functions interchangeably with side-latching M110/SR25/DPMS/Magpul® magazines and front-latching AI-style magazines. Two, 10-round Magpul PMAG® magazines are shipped with each rifle.
The highly accurate, free-floated barrel is cold hammer-forged from 4140 chrome-moly steel, and features 5R rifling for minimum bullet upset. The rifle is specified with minimum bore and groove dimensions, minimum headspace, and a centralized chamber. The medium contour (.75” at the muzzle) barrel features a thread protector over the 5/8”-24 threads, which allow for the fitment of muzzle accessories such as sound suppressors. Barrels can be replaced easily by a competent gunsmith using AR-style wrenches and headspace gauges.
The Ruger Precision Rifle’s “upper” receiver and one-piece bolt are precision CNC-machined from pre-hardened 4140 chrome-moly steel to minimize distortion. The three-lug bolt with 70-degree throw is easily manipulated and features dual cocking cams, and a smooth-running, full-diameter bolt body. An oversized bolt handle is fitted for positive bolt manipulation and features 5/16”- 24 threads for easy customization. The “lower” receiver is precision CNC-machined from aerospace-grade 7075-T6 aluminum forging and is Type III hard-coat anodized for maximum durability. The magazine well front is contoured for a positive grip for bracing against shooting supports. The rifle also sports a 20-MOA Picatinny rail secured with four, #8-40 screws for increased long-range elevation capabilities.
The Ruger Precision Rifle can easily be configured with AR-style grips, safety selectors, and handguards. The rifle is equipped with a Ruger extended trigger-reach AR-style grip, a left-side, 45-degree safety selector, and a Samson Evolution Keymod handguard. A short section of Picatinny rail is provided with the rifle for the fitment of accessories such as a bipod, and a QD sling cup also is included.
The Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger provides a crisp let-off and is externally adjustable with a pull weight range of 2.25 to 5.0 pounds. The hex wrench for the pull weight adjustment provided with the rifle is stored in the bolt shroud, as is a bolt disassembly tool for accessing the striker and striker channel.
The Ruger Precision Rifle is available in three models: .308 Win. with 1:10 twist, 20” barrel weighing, 9.7 lbs.; 6.5 Creedmoor with a 1:8 twist, 24” barrel, weighing 10.6 pounds; and .243 Win. with a 1:7.7 twist, 26” barrel, weighing 11.0 pounds.
For more information on the Ruger Precision Rifle or to learn more about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for the Ruger Precision Rifle or other Ruger firearms, visit ShopRuger.com or your local independent retailer of Ruger firearms.
There is a lot to be said for dry firing, regardless if you are a rifle or pistol shooter.
The practice allows you to become intimate with your firearm. It forces full concentration of perfect sight picture and trigger control. And, after you have a firearm, it costs absolutely nothing to do.
In fact, I would be so bold as to say there are few things a shooter can do that will better hone their marksmanship than dry fire. And, when at the range, the practice can actually do a bit more than just train; it can also be used as a diagnostic tool.
As the above video from the National Shooting Sports Foundations shows, incorporating dry fire in with live can help identify shooting bugaboos. One of the quickest that will typically surface is flinch.
The one drawback of the drill shown in this video is the fact the shooter knows when they are going to dry fire. But, the element of surprise can be added with a small investment in some snap caps.
Loaded in with live rounds, the snap caps add an element of unknown in a string of shots. It truly forces shooters to concentrate on all the mechanics of breaking off a perfect shot. And if they don’t, well the herking and jerking of the shooter and gun provides instant feedback.
Handgun marksmanship training will not only help you survive an attack, it will give you legal ammunition in a court case and confidence that may prevent the attack before it ever happens.
Shifting emphasis from the legal to the practical, we need to ask just how good of a shot are you?
If a loved one has been grabbed by an armed robber who decided to hit the store at the exact time you were at the check out stand, or if you are the last line of defense between a cowering group of church congregants facing an armed terrorist killing infidels, could you reasonably interdict the attacker?
In attempting to interdict an attack, will you be cool, calm and collected, and purposely line up your sights and squeeze the shot to hit the brain or high torso? It is quite a feat of marksmanship while adrenalin is flowing. Are you up for that challenge? After all, isn’t the reason we carry guns in the first place to be able to stop criminals from killing?
Competition and Concealed Carry Training
Practical shooting competitions give you the chance to practice skills under stress.
In addition to local matches, each year I compete against a hundred or more other folks, many the cream of the crop in the tactical training world, in a three to four stage match at the RangeMaster Tactical Conference in Memphis, TN. There I am challenged to solve the problems laid out before me both efficiently and better than the other competitors.
The more you do a high-stress activity in training, the less likely it is that you will be too adversely affected by the stress of the real thing. Matches like this force you to make decisions while under the effects of stress, just like you might face in a real-world incident. If your actions are called into question in a court case, you can speak from experience about how you had been trained to make split-second decisions, and how you practiced as often as you could.
You can testify to undertaking the very same type of training and practice that courts have deemed necessary for law enforcement officers. That’s a big plus.
Competence Equates to Confidence
The final aspect of training is confidence. You need to exude an aura of confidence; this will make you less likely to be attacked.
As a rookie police officer, I was told that if you were well groomed, in a clean uniform and with your duty belt sorted out, you would be better respected and find criminals more likely to avoid a physical confrontation. I believe this to be absolutely true.
But, how does this affect the average armed citizen? The same results enjoyed by the squared-away, professional-looking cop extend to armed citizens who carefully guard their appearance. If “competent armed citizen” was listed in the dictionary, would a picture of you make an apt illustration?
What would that picture look like? It would show a person who looks respectable. You want your courtroom appearance to match your police mug shot: clean clothing and no cute t-shirts with funny sayings like “If you die, we split your gear.” Non-gunny clothing seems the best choice.
There is more to this issue than just the clothing you wear or your grooming habits. It is also important that you do not look the part of a willing victim. We have all heard the reports of the little old lady being mugged, who turns the tables, draws her pistol and shoots the attacker. Why did the mugger choose the little old lady, not a former NFL linebacker? Of course, the answer is he thought the older woman was an easy mark and the linebacker a tough opponent. While few can resemble the linebacker, we can all work to not look like easy prey.
We convey messages through body language, as two studies in recent decades have pointed out. The first study, conducted in 1981 by Betty Grayson and Morris Stein, had prison inmates who were serving time for violent crime rate the perceived vulnerability of people shown on videotape without a soundtrack. (See Grayson, B. and Stein, M. I. (1981), Attracting Assault: Victims’ Nonverbal Cues. Journal of Communication, 31: 68–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1981.tb01206.x)
The study showed that criminals employ a victim selection process, even if based on a mere moment’s observation. The ones who displayed a non-verbal persona of confidence were likely not to be selected as the focus of a criminal’s intent, whereas those who did not project confidence were more likely to be selected. These conclusions were confirmed in 2009 when a similar study was conducted with 47 inmates in a maximum security penitentiary in Ontario, Canada. (Wheeler, Book, & Costello, 2009)
If you are carrying a gun, you should be alert at all times, especially in public. If you are well trained and someone approaches you, just knowing you have options that unarmed individuals do not will help you remain composed and ready to counter violence. We cannot quantify the number of people who are not attacked because of being armed, but we can logically draw the connection between being armed, trained and confident with not having to use deadly force in self-defense to resolve or avoid attack.
The power of prevention is likely the single most important reason to seek out competent and extensive training. And then once trained, continue to take classes to keep your skills sharp.
After you’ve done everything you can do to prepare yourself there is one final thing you absolutely must do: Make sure your membership in the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network is active. Even if you do everything right in self-defense, you can still be put through a legal nightmare. The Network exists for times like that—when you need help in a worst-case scenario. Click here to see the benefits and join.
Click the following links to read Part I and Part II of this series.
Get help following a self-defense incident when it’s needed most. Unlike insurance, the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, Inc. pays the legal expenses as they emerge, rather than requiring the need to raise the money to get to “Not Guilty,” then apply for reimbursement. Join here and get a FREE download
Pulsar’s new Digisight 850 LRF is the ticket for low-light shooters.
When it comes to firearms optics, Pulsar isn’t in the dark. The company has a long history producing and innovating low-light aiming solutions.
Pulsar even touts some pretty impressive credentials along these lines as the first to produce a digital night vision riflescope. And it has recently put its expertise to good use, expanding its catalog with what could be a highly useful optic.
The Digisight LRF N850 gives shooters an added level of precision, outfitted with a built-in rangefinder. Given the difficulty of gauging distance in low-light situations, this could be an incredible addition.
The range finder has a measurement range of 400 yards and has a margin of error of 1 meter. Perhaps even more impressive, the unit also has a scanning mode, engineered to range fast-moving targets or ones dispersed across the landscape. Hog and coyote hunters let your imaginations run wild.
The unit also includes what looks to be other helpful innovations, such as the THD and AoE functions. THD displays the true horizontal distance, while AoE shows the shooter’s angle of elevation. These are perfect additions for those operating in a mountainous landscape or a stand.
The unit uses a 640×480 resolution OLED display and offer 4.5x magnification and 2x digital zoom. The unit is also outfitted with Pulsar’s proprietary Sum Light Singnal Procesing Program, which allows for image enhancement without resorting to the IR illuminator. If the situation calls for it, however, the Digisight 850 LRF does have an eye-safe laser illuminator to light up a target.
The Digisight 850 LRF comes preloaded with thirteen selectable electronic reticles for specific hunting and shooting conditions. All reticles have four color options. While one shot zeroing is still a key feature of the unit, innovative FREEZE zeroing is a new enhancement. All customizable zeroing parameters can be memorized for up to three types of weapons or distances.
The scope will add a bit of heft to a firearm, weighing in at 38.8 ounces with batteries. It measures in at 13.4 inches long, 4.4 inches across and 3.7 inches high. The unit runs off of 4 AA batteries. The MSRP was not available for the scope, but a number of online retailers had the Digisight 850 LRF listed around $2,000.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
Scott Weber – The GunRunner Online Auction, Cody, Wyo.
