The lowdown on three rifle cases that convert into shooting mats.
BLACKHAWK! Long Gun Pack Mat
Removable pouches can be arranged where you want them on the velcro strip.
This can be converted into a rifle case, a rifle-holding backpack, a drag bag and a shooting mat. With the backpack feature, this one is a standout for shooters who intend to hike into rugged country and will need a mat for prone shooting once they get there.
Think varmint hunters and big-game hunters in the high country. It can also be used as a rifle scabbard for traveling on horseback. The concealable backpack harness straps and belt are tucked away when the pack is being used as a case or shooting mat.
It fits rifles up to 50 inches long and it is made with 1,000-denier nylon, closed-cell foam padding and HawkTex, a grippy material that creates friction. It comes in black desert tan or olive drab. ($250,
Slumberjack Rifle Hauler Mat
The top flap folds over the exterior of the case and is secured by a buckle that cinches the case tight.
This mat/case is the lightweight, fully padded contender of the bunch. The design is simple and lacking of frills other than a pocket for small items and dual carry handles.
The buckles can be loosened or cinched down so just about any rifle can be fitted inside. The rifle is secured on one end by slipping the butt into an interior pocket and secured on the other end by a fold-over flap.
This is an excellent choice for a shooter who only occassionally shoots from a prone position but also wants a simple and rugged rifle case. It comes in Kryptek’s Highlander camo. It measures 58 inches long and 27 inches wide when open. ($85, slumberjack.com)
Uncle Mike’s Long Range Tactical Bag
In the interior, the rifle is strapped in and tucked butt-down into a pocket for secure handling.
This tactical gun case folds out into a spacious 78-inch shooting mat—large enough to take a nap. And that is perfect for shooters who expect to spend a lot of time in the prone position—competitors, long-range shooters, snipers—because it provides plenty of room to stretch out.
Although this soft-side bag made of 1,000-denier fabric is tough, it was also designed to fit into a Pelican 1750 case for hard-case transport.
The mat/case will fit almost any long gun with scope and bipod included. It also has a front-load strap for bipod use that provides additional stability. It comes with four magazine pockets that should fit most magazines in the .223 and .308 range. ($195, unclemikes.com)
This article also appeared in the January 1, 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Burris aims to defray the cost of tactical optics by offering bundles of some of their popular aiming solutions.
Nowadays, it’s pretty easy to spend more on a scope than a rifle. But Burris is trying to defray the cost of optics by offering some of its popular aiming solutions as affordable all-in-one kits.
Topping off a firearm with new glass is often times a painful proposition. For most shooters it causes a sharp cramp right in the pocketbook.
Whether a hunting scope for elk season or a reflex sight bound for a striker-fire pistol, it’s easy to spend more on an aiming solution than it is on the firearm itself. Burris, however, is attempting to defray some of those costs with the introduction tidy little tactical optics bundles.
The Colorado-based company’s Tactical Kits mate one of its prism sights with either a secondary red-dot site or a magnifier. In all, the Beretta subsidiary’s kits shoot to knock off more than $100 off the total price if each optic was purchased individually.
AR-332 Tactical Kit (MSRP $599)
The AR-332 optic aims to be a solid solution for close-quarters to intermediate shooting. The 3.5-inch long 3x optic has 60 MOA of adjustment for both windage and elevation with ½ MOA click values. The device’s Ballistic CQ reticle is designed for quick target acquisition at close range, outfitted with a circular center. But it can also reach out, with three smaller dots providing trajectory compensation out to 600 yards. The reticle is designed to handle nearly any lighting situation with three colors – red, green and black. The red and green illuminations each have five brightness settings. The AR-332 runs off one CR2032 battery and attaches via a Picatinny rail mounting system. The kit comes with a FastFire 2 red-dot sight – described in further detail below – anti-reflection device and carry case.
AR-536 Tactical Kit (MSRP $659)
While the AR-536 is comfortable up close and personal, the optic is meant to give shooters an edge at longer distances. At 5x magnification, the optic is ideal for more precise work at long distance and is enhanced with the drop-compensating Ballistic CQ reticle. The reticle has three color settings – red, green and black. The red and green each have five illumination settings, allowing it to adjust to any lighting situation. The optic has 60 MOA windage and elevation adjustment and can be precisely tuned with a 1/3 MOA click value. The optic itself weighs in at 18.8 ounces and measures in at 5.8 inches; it runs off one CR2032 battery and is compatible with Picatinny rails.The kit comes with a FastFire 2 red-dot sight – described in further detail below – and anti-reflection device.
AR-1X Tactical Kit (MSRP $539)
The Burris AR1X sight allows for fast, both-eyes-open shooting in tactical or competitive circumstance. And while it has both red and green illumination settings, the device need not even have power to function. With its Ballistic CQ 1X reticle etched onto its prism, the optic functions no matter what. But the AA battery-powered optic also can adapt to any lighting situation with five illumination setting for its red and green settings. The AR1X boast 120 MOA windage and elevation adjustment in ½ MOA increments. The unit is compatible with Picatinny rail mounting systems. The low-powered optic is also set to do long-distance work with the kit coming with an AR-Tripler, described in further detail below.
FastFire 2 Red Dot
With the ability to be top or sided mounted on both the AR-332 and AR-536, the FastFire 2 Red Dot gives each system a solid close-quarters or back-up option. The unit has a 4 MOA dot with 115 MOA elevation adjustment and 86 MOA windage adjustment. Making the FastFire even handier is its automatic brightness adjustment, which adapts to any lighting environment. The unit is low-profile at 1.8 inches and weighs in at .9 ounces. The unit uses one CR2032 battery and attaches via Picatinny Rail.
AR-Tripler
The AR-Tripler helps shooters reach out, while still facilitating both-eye-open shooting. The device works in conjunction with the AR-1X, giving the optic an additional 3x of magnification. And it’s designed to be mounted in tandem with the lower-power optic, via a pivot ring, which allows shooters to flip it to the side when not in use. The unit weighs in at 6.25 ounces and is 4 inches in length.
Many people are confused when purchasing a suppressor because they assume a suppressor’s caliber has to match the weapon’s caliber. In reality, you don’t necessarily care about caliber with suppressors.
What you care about is bore size and pressure, which is why they are categorized using bore size instead of caliber. The rule of thumb is if the suppressor’s bore is big enough for the bullet you want to shoot, and it can handle the pressure, then it should work with your weapon. (I say should because there are some combinations that won’t work. For example using a rifle suppressor on a pistol typically won’t cycle; and you definitely want a take-apart suppressor if you’re going to be using unjacketed rimfire ammo.)
After thinking through the implications, it becomes obvious that you can purchase a single suppressor to run on multiple weapon calibers and platforms, which brings a lot of versatility to the table. Unfortunately, nothing in life is free and there are some trade-offs with the one-suppressor-fits-all strategy. The main thing you’re giving up is efficiency.
Before going any further, let me explain what I mean when I talk about versatility and efficiency:
Versatility: The ability to use a suppressor on weapons with different calibers. For example, you could use a 7.62mm suppressor on a .308 bolt gun—as well as your 5.56mm AR15.
Efficiency: A higher efficiency suppressor will typically be quieter than a lower efficiency suppressor of the same size. In other words, a 7.62mm suppressor on a 5.56mm AR-15 would typically have to be quite a bit bigger than a 5.56mm suppressor to obtain the same level of suppression.
In most cases, 7.62mm suppressors are bigger than their 5.56 cousins; but, not by enough to provide the same level of suppression. Because of this, a 7.62 suppressor will typically be bigger, heavier and louder than a 5.56mm suppressor on the same weapon.
Another thing we’ve found is that first-round-pop tends to be significantly higher when using a suppressor with sub-calibers (i.e. 5.56mm caliber through a 7.62mm suppressor, or 9mm through a .45 suppressor).
We believe both approaches are right.
For some people, the allure of having one suppressor for multiple weapons is a definite advantage, and it’s hard to argue with that logic. On the other hand, it’s also hard to argue with wanting a suppressor that is smaller, lighter and quieter. In reality, both answers are right, so you just have to decide what works for you.
At the end of the day, if you do decide to start down the one-suppressor-for-multiple-firearms path, I would highly recommend picking something up that fits at least one firearm well. You can always pick up another suppressor in the future to cover the smaller caliber firearm(s) more effectively; but, you don’t want to be stuck with a suppressor that isn’t really what you would have preferred on the larger caliber firearm.
As is the case every year, there is a flood of new and modified firearms released in December and January. The world’s largest outdoors exposition – SHOT Show – and a number of other conventions have a tendency to get manufacturers to shift into overdrive.
Of course, the shear volume of the latest and greatest handguns, rifles and shotguns at this time of the year means quite a few fly under the radar. But we at GunDigest.com aren’t going to allow these strays to break from the herd.
So, without further ado here are a few new and tweaked firearms hitting the market in the coming year. It’s a whole hodgepodge, almost certain to get shooters expanding their wish list.
Designed for hot weather, the StealthGearUSA Onyx outperforms conventional concealed carry holsters year round.
The Onyx At a Glance – Kydex and VentCore Hybrid – Stainless steel hardware to resist rust – Tuckable – Comfortable yet slim – Breathable — ideal for hot weather, great the rest of the year, too – Adjustable cant angle, but factory settings were perfect – Mesh material is soft yet plenty rigid, guns don’t move – No break-in period – Completely silent — no squeaking or need to apply stuff to quiet it down – Great handgun retention, very smooth draw – Handmade in the USA, lifetime guarantee
When I wrote the Comprehensive Guide to Concealed Carry Holsters, the StealthGearUSA Onyx was sitting in a box and really didn’t get a thorough review before the book went to press. That’s too bad, because in future editions it will most certainly play a much more prominent role—in fact, a starring role. It’s that good.
Actually, the first time I saw the Onyx was in Gun Digest publisher Jim Schlender’s office. He held up a strangely shaped black-and-red thing that looked like the space amoeba Captain Kirk battled in the Immunity Syndrome episode of Star Trek. He proclaimed it to be one of the coolest products he’d seen in a long time.
The Onyx keeps your handgun handy but won’t reveal you’re packing by squeaks and squawks, which leather is prone to do.
I didn’t get it. Frankly, it looked huge compared to the leather IWB holsters I’m accustomed to, and just seemed bulky. Boy, was I wrong. Schlender did his best to explain the thing, but it wasn’t sinking in. Old ideas die harder than space amoebas.
And then I tried it. The heavens opened up and Bruckner’s 9th Symphony reined down upon the earth. That big, breathable pad—StealthGear calls it the VentCore breathable platform, if jargon is your thing—just completely soaked up the gun, made it disappear. It felt like when you lie down on a really good mattress after a long day of hanging drywall. I had to check the gun was still there.
So I moved around, grabbed a snack from the fridge, changed the cat litter, shot some hoops—lived my life for six months—no digging or gouging. And no sound. I mean not even a peep, a swish or a squawk. Just silent. Total stealth mode. It was the holster that changed everything for me.
Onyx Features
The Onyx doesn’t just give you comfort, inherent to its design. It also sports features that show the company went the extra mile with well-thought-out features like stainless fasteners to resist rust.
The VentCore breathable platform on the Onyx is actually less bulky than many conventional leather holsters – yet it’s very soft and comfortable.
The spring steel belt clips are tuckable, allowing you to push a shirt into them and over the gun for more formal occasions. That gives you another concealment mode that is usually a custom option. It comes standard with the Onyx.
The cant angle is adjustable but the factory settings kept my Glock 22 at the perfect angle, so I just left it. Retention was excellent—very positive yet not tight or sticky on the draw.
No small detail, the breathable VentCore pad isn’t just cool in warm weather, it’s lightweight, too. That helps with comfort and allows you to pack more rounds, always a good thing.
Being old school, where leather holsters rule, I wondered if the mesh material that makes up the body of the Onyx would lack rigidity. It did not. In fact, that material provides ideal rigidity when coupled with its inside-the-waistband design. The gun does not shift around. It’s rock solid.
I’m often asked what holster I recommend as a starting point for people new to concealed carry. In the past my default opinion has always been an outside-the-waistband leather scabbard, one that would be a good generalist option. There’ll always be a place for leather holsters—whether conventional or hybrid—but now my go-to suggestion is the Onyx.
Day in and day out when I want to grab a holster that I know will do everything a concealed carry holster must do and do well—cover the trigger guard, secure and conceal the gun—I grab the Onyx. Try this star performer out yourself, and you will too.
I still remember the tingly feeling that coursed through my body that day my concealed carry permit arrived in the mail. I held the small rectangle of paper in my hand with equal parts excitement and nervousness, much as I did with my first driver’s license when I was a teenager.
I was excited because now it meant I could travel wherever I wanted and feel that much safer. I could keep a gun tucked away in my vehicle legally when traveling and not worry about keeping it locked in a trunk or at home where it would do me no good should I ever need it. Quite simply, it gave me peace of mind.
It was those same reasons that made me nervous. Owning a gun and carrying it to the range or to hunt with is a huge responsibility. Strict safety protocols must be adhered to at all times.
Carrying a gun on your person in public brings with it an even higher threshold of responsibility—one that isn’t lost on those people who apply for their permits.
Perhaps that’s why there are so few instances of CCW permit holders ever getting in trouble because of their guns.
The people who are willing to accept responsibility for their safety and that of their families, are willing to perform the required training and practice to hone their skills, are, by their very nature, some of the more responsible people in our communities.
This country was founded by people with a strong sense of right and wrong along with a willingness to defend themselves and the good people around them, which is what today’s growing CCW movement is all about.
After spending some quality time with this new pistol, it’s clear that the folks at Browning really did their homework on this American-made handgun. It’s lightweight, accurate, reliable and just a whole bunch of fun to shoot.
Browning is sure to make some waves this year with a new team of time-tested designs that are each as popular today as they’ve ever been. The 1911 pistol and .380 ACP, both original designs of John M. Browning, will work together as shown in this Browning 1911-380 review.
The composite frame and machined steel slide keep the weight down to a lightweight 17½ ounces. Author Photo
Today’s popularity of concealed carry around the country and the growing interest in shooting by all kinds of people have created a great avenue for Browning’s newest sidearm.
The reduced size and quality features make this classic firearm design, more typically chambered in the much larger .45 caliber and sometimes in 9mm, ideal for a concealed carry sidearm. At the same time, the reduced size and recoil of the smaller design will appeal to new and small-stature shooters.
The Gun
When I first picked up the 1911-380, I was immediately impressed with how nicely it fit in my hand. This locked-breech, single-stack .380 is the same size as Browning’s 1911-22—about 85 percent of a full-size .45-caliber 1911. The composite frame and machined steel slide keep the weight down to a handy 17½ ounces, and at only 7½ inches long, it’s easy to picture comfortably carrying this gun all day long.
Browning designers incorporated several features on this little shooter more often found on high-end 1911s or as custom add-ons. The skeletonized hammer and trigger, extended beavertail grip safety with raised lower pad, extended slide release and extended ambidextrous thumb safety all add up to give it a cool look, as well as offer legitimate performance advantages.
Like it or not, the gun also has a magazine disconnect safety, which was actually on John Browning’s original patent for the 1911.
Another nice bonus feature is that all of the grips, holsters and accessories made for the Browning 1911-22 fit the .380 without any modifications since they’re both the same size.
On the Range
A couple of things really stood out once I got the pistol to the range and started putting some 95-grain Winchester Train & Defend rounds through it. First of all, it’s accurate. With a two-hand grip, tight, consistent center mass groups were the norm at 15 yards, and knocking down steel plates at the same distance was not a problem with the combat-style sights.
The minimal recoil helped me stay on target for rapid successive shots, much easier than a larger caliber firearm might allow.
The rust-resistant 4¼-inch target crowned barrel and crisp 5-pound single-action trigger pull definitely aid in the accuracy department, especially compared to other 2- to 2½-inch barrel subcompact .380 carry guns.
The 1911-380 is also reliable. During several hours at the range, the gun never malfunctioned a single time. It ate through each seven-round steel magazine I fed it without a hiccup. Feeding, ejecting, reloading—no worries. This mighty midget of a 1911 is a solid, dependable shooter.
The need for a bipod becomes all too evident in the field when squeezing off a shot at 100 yards or more. Today’s rifle bipods are ultra-versatile and utilitarian.
The ABCs of Rifle Shooting by David Watson holds to the idea that shooters should hone their skills and streamline their equipment to achieve the desired results, rather than merely seeking out the newest pieces of equipment. Learn to put the time, effort, and training into the firearm you use—whichever you choose will be an accurate rifle because you’ve adapted to using it, not because it’s the latest and greatest, or most expensive model. Learn more
A shell’s shoulders can bear the brunt of the reloading and shooting process. But, through some simple finagling of the cartridge shoulder bump when reloading, some weight can be taken off a shell’s shoulders.
Cartridge shoulder bump is sometimes overlooked in the reloading process. But if special care is taken when resizing that element of the brass you can be rewarded with much more accurate ammunition and longer shell life.
Cartridge shoulder bump, eh? Nah, I’m not talking about some hipster dance, I’m talking about how much we move the cartridge shoulder during the resizing process.
Most folks (myself included) will resize a bottleneck rifle case so that it adheres to the specified SAAMI specifications, but that requires working the brass considerably. As we’ve all seen, overworking the brass will make it brittle, and cut the life of our brass much shorter than necessary.
In a lever action, autoloader or pump action rifle, the SAAMI specification is a necessity, but us bolt action nuts (again, I include myself in this group) can get away with a larger dimension, so long as it chambers properly in our rifles. What we’re after here is a smooth chambering case, minimally reduced from the post-firing dimensions.
The resizing dies are designed to give SAAMI dimensions, but by varying the shellholder, we can adjust, incrementally, exactly how much the shoulder is moved. For example, Redding offers a set of Competition Shellholders that vary by .002”, from .010” down to .002” of depth. They come five to a set, and are precisely machined, as are all of the Redding products. You can simply move the cartridge shoulder at .002” increments, until you find the dimension that fits easily into your rifles chamber.
Now, it may seem silly that a change in dimension of that minute measurement will make a difference, but it does.
There is an awful lot of stress on the shoulder of a bottleneck cartridge, during both the firing and resizing processes, and that constant working of your brass is what is reducing your case life. Keep that shoulder to a dimension that will move very little, and you’ll also experience increased accuracy, without the difficulty associated with neck sized ammunition.
Along with their competition dies, pictured above, Redding Reloading makes a nifty set of Competition Shellholders. The devices allow shooters to modify how much their shells’ shoulders are being reformed ever so slightly.
You know, neck sized stuff is great to shoot, but closing the bolt can be a chore, especially when the ammunition is used for hunting. But, if we have minimally resized ammunition, so that the bolt closes easily, it can fill many needs.
In addition to increased case life, the ammunition produced with the Competition shellholders give the better accuracy I’ve mentioned by giving better cartridge concentricity. You see, the more precisely the bullet is aligned with the bore, the less the bullet has to move to align itself in the throat of the chamber.
These shellholders are also a fantastic tool for curing the problems associated with mildly excessive headspacing. Once you’ve fireformed the brass to the problem chamber, these little gems will help you do your best to keep them at that dimension, yet feed easy.
The Redding shellholders have a nice black oxide finish, come in a quality plastic case and are clearly marked with the dimension that they change the specification. Give ‘em a try; you might keep your brass around quite a bit longer.
For enthusiasts of AR-style firearms, this past Friday the 13th truly turned out to be unlucky.
The ominous date marked a push by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to ban a popular military surplus round. In a white paper, the federal agency spelled out its plans to rescind an exemption of 5.56x45mm SS109/M855 ammunition, deeming the round to be “armor piercing.”
Better known as “green tips,” the ammunition was previously exempted from 1986 federal legislation. The bullet has components that are listed within the legislation’s definition of armor piercing, in particular the steel penetrator in the tip that sits atop a lead core; there is also a lead-free variation that has a tungsten core.
The ammunition received an exemption, since for most of its existence it was exclusively used in rifles and the 1986 legislation was primarily concerned with armor-piercing handgun ammunition. But the BATFE is set to reverse itself after nearly 30 years, citing the growth of AR pistols as a need to withhold the military surplus round from the civilian market.
The agency points to an urgent need to protect law enforcement from what it considers an armor-piercing round for the ban. This, despite the fact crimes committed with firearms chambered 5.56 NATO are rare.
As a sidenote, U.S. Military and NATO do not classify the 62-grain green tip round as armor piercing, designating it instead as standard ball ammunition. The tungsten carbide cored M995 — or black tips — is classified by both entities as armor piercing.
The new regulations also propose a new test as to what constitutes sporting ammunition, if the bullet is composed of material the BATFE considers armor piercing and functions in both rifles and handguns:
Category I: .22Caliber Projectiles A .22 caliber projectile that otherwise would be classified as armor piercing ammunition under 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(B) will be considered to be “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes” under section 921(a)(17)(C) if the projectile weighs 40 grains or less AND is loaded into a rimfire cartridge.
Category II: All Other Caliber Projectiles Except as provided in Category I (.22 caliber rimfire), projectiles that otherwise would be classified as armor piercing ammunition will be presumed to be “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes” under section 921(a)(17)(C) if the projectile is loaded into a cartridge for which the only handgun that is readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade is a single shot handgun. ATF nevertheless retains the discretion to deny any application for a “sporting purposes” exemption if substantial evidence exists that the ammunition is not primarily intended for such purposes.
There is plenty of minutia on the issue that could have far reaching impact on shooters. The above video, from Military Arms Channel, does a pretty solid job jumping into fine print of the proposal — it is definitely worth an entire watch.
Rock Island Auction Company is shooting for the stars to start 2015. The Illinois auction house is set to stage it biggest sale to date with its first four-day event. And, as usual, the block will be crowded with an incredible volume of rare, unique and historic firearms.
According to RIA’s press release, the Feb. 19-22 firearms auction will include more than of 7,000 items in 3,600-plus lots, including more than 700 Colts, 600 Winchesters, 400 Remingtons, and 300 Smith & Wessons.
With Civil War weapons to Colt snake guns ready for sale, there appears to be a little something for everyone. That includes high-end bidders, with the lots from The William Baird Colt Collection and The Estate Collection of Donald Kotecki.
It will take a lot for RIA to outdo its $47.5 million in sales in 2014. But as the photo gallery below shows, the top-notch auction company appears set to make a run at it.
Hit targets at 500, 800 and 1,000-plus yards like they’re a chip shot with these must-know long-range accuracy tips.
Understanding the focal plane, reticle, parallax and eyepiece is essential to maximizing the accuracy of your rifle. Make all needed adjustments until the sight picture is clear and crisp. Author Photo
Perhaps no feat better epitomizes the marriage of precision firearms technology and marksmanship ability than long-range shooting. But it takes more than just a suitable caliber, a quality rifle, a top-shelf optic and a steady trigger finger. Every one of those components must work together like a finely tuned instrument in the hands of a skilled musician. Most importantly, for the long-distance shooter, consistently successful shots out to 500-plus yards can only be achieved through extensive practice in a variety of conditions and lots of homework.
“Long-range shooting is not just pulling the trigger, long-range shooting is about thinking,” says Tom Maciak, technology development engineering supervisor for Trijicon. Maciak recently showcased some of his company’s marquis products with dedicated long-range capability including the sniper-friendly 3-15×50 TARS (Tactical Advanced Riflescope) and the brand new 1-6×24 VCOG (Variable Combat Optical Gunsight). Before guiding our group in their practical application among the steep hillsides and open range of the Castle Valley Outdoors shooting and hunting resort in Emery, Utah, the longtime shooter and engineer summed up the 12 keys to successful long-range shooting.
1. Fit the Rifle to You
Ensuring the proper fit of a firearm to the shooter is more than just properly placing your head and eye behind the optic. More importantly, it’s about being able to control the rifle and establishing consistent attachment to the rifle every time the shooter brings it to his shoulder.
“The same thing has got to happen the same way every time you shoot the rifle,” says Maciak. For serious long-range shooting, you’ll want a rifle with a tactical stock that permits simple—and instant—adjustment to the length of pull and the cheek rest so the shooter can be completely comfortable. Take time to adjust the bipod or rest and any rear support of the buttstock before getting in position to shoot. Failing to do so will make it impossible to achieve a consistent weld to the gun and will increase the likelihood of scope shadowing, where the full visual diameter of the scope cannot be seen.
By getting your entire body behind the scope and not off to the side, you can better absorb recoil, which will help you stay on target, particularly when follow-up shots are needed. Author Photo
2. Adjust the Eyepiece/Ocular Diopter
A clear, focused reticle is critical for precise shot placement and is a very individual setting when viewed through different eyes. A good long distance scope will allow for this adjustment. Focus the reticle using the ocular adjustment while viewing it against a plain background such as a wall or the sky. Because the human eye will make adjustments to what it is focusing on itself, don’t look at the reticle while adjusting. Dial a quarter of a turn and look at and repeat the process until the reticle is clear and crisp.
3.Parallax
Parallax is the apparent movement of the reticle when viewing it at different, distance magnifications. At 9x and below, it’s not an issue. But for anything at 10x and above, if the reticle appears to wave inside the scope when viewed, parallax will need to be adjusted or it will affect your point of impact. To adjust, turn the parallax adjustment all the way out to infinity and bring it back in focus. The reticle should stop moving. Like focus, parallax may have to be adjusted at every distance.
Don’t hold your breath more than three or four seconds or you will get the shakes. Shoot at the bottom of your exhale. If you are not on target, take another breath and try again. Author Photo
4. Reticle Illumination
If your scope has an illuminated reticle, a popular option in many high-end scopes these days, you do not want it on when using a reticle for ranging. Blooming, the affect created when viewing a lit object with the human eye, will thicken the size of the reticle and disrupt focus for proper ranging.
5. First or Second Focal Plane
When ranging a target using a ranging reticle, understand that first focal plane ranging will work at all magnifications. Second focal plane ranging only works at the highest magnification. How do you know which one you have? When adjusting magnification, if the reticle size adjusts with it, yours is in the first focal plane. If it doesn’t change size, it’s a second focal plane reticle. The first focal plane offers more flexibility, though you might have to dial down the magnification to find the target because full magnification creates a narrow field of view; it’s ultimately a personal preference. Between 2.5x to 10x, it probably isn’t a big deal which one your scope is.
The breeze you feel uprange might be a gust downrange. Use a spotting scope to read mirages, wind flags, or the direction of blowing grass to get a feel for wind speed. Author Photo
6. Place Your Body Behind the Scope
Watch most shooters and they will stand or position themselves behind the rifle at an angle. But all that recoil is transferred to your body, and if the mass of your body is largely to the side of that energy, it will jerk the body more. For long-range accuracy, square the body off behind the target to provide a more reliable base better able to accommodate recoil. It will help you stay on target throughout recoil for follow-up shots or to simply observe where your bullet strikes.
7. Ensure Reticle is Horizontal
Ballistics are made to operate with relation to a horizontal reticle, so if the scope is mounted improperly or not sitting on its rest so that the reticle is perfectly horizontal, make the necessary adjustments. An angled reticle can alter the relationship of your aim to the actual trajectory of the bullet and lead to missed shots at long distances.
8. Adjustment Dials and Come-Ups
This is where a shooter’s homework and knowledge of long-range ballistic performance is critical. First, you need to determine what increments or how much each click of adjustment of the scope will move your point of impact and whether that measurement is in MOA or mils. The farther you plan to shoot, the more adjustment will be needed in the elevation department so you need to ensure the scope has enough adjustment. (For a rough example, when shooting a .308 at a target 2,000 yards away, the bullet would have to be launched at an angle equivalent to a five-story building so that it would drop in and strike the target. That’s a lot of adjustment and for such shots, an angled base may be needed.)
You also need to understand dope sheets and come-ups or doping elevation, meaning you have to know how much your bullet will drop at the distances you will be shooting. Other aspects that must be factored in include the velocity of the load at various ranges, elevation where the shot will take place, the temperature, relative humidity, the difference between plain of the bore and the optic and then you need to be able to make accurate calculations for the particular bullet to be shot. “When you do your homework, it works well,” says Maciak. “Do your homework beforehand, and you don’t have to worry about that when it is time to make the shot.” He likes JBM Ballistics’ website at jbmballistics.com as a good resource for developing his data.
Dope cards for long-range shooting.
9. BDC Reticle
If the scope you are shooting has a BDC (Bullet Drop Compensating) reticle, the calculations are somewhat already done for you, but remember those reticles are made for a particular caliber or bullet at a specific elevation. They also tend to work on average loads rather than specific loads, so you will still need to shoot your specific load and determine the actual drop with relation to the reticle’s hash marks.
10. Wind
Entire books could be written on how to negotiate wind when shooting at distance so we’re not likely to nail it down in a paragraph or two. Suffice it to say, understanding a bullet’s performance in the wind is a true art form, and the only way to begin mastering it is to spend a lot of time shooting in the wind. Remember, wind where you are may be different than where the target is and can be influenced by the terrain the bullet must travel over. One trick is to use mirage, visible through a high-power optic to read the wind near the target and determine how far off to the side you must aim.
11. Shoot On the Bottom of Your Exhale
When you’re locked on a target and all dialed in, there is a rise and fall of your reticle from breathing and heartbeat. Remembering consistency is critical to shooting, if we shoot on the exhale, it gives us a consistent trigger time at a moment when the body is most relaxed. Hold that breath at the exhale for no more than three or four seconds and no longer. If you do, the body will start shaking because it’s technically becoming oxygen deprived. If you don’t make the shot, take another breath, and settle back in.
12. Trigger Follow-Through
Pull the trigger back and hold it. Don’t slap it; don’t lift your head off the stock. Keep it there long after the shot. You want to see the bullet impact the target through the scope, and holding the trigger prior to resetting it will help you retain sight of the target when you cycle the bolt for a second shot, which should be an automatic reflex when shooting a bolt-action rifle. You won’t have to reposition the scope and your body because they are pretty much the same. Keep in position until the shot strikes the target. “Remember, you’re not done shooting until the bullet hits target, which might be several seconds in long-range situations,” says Maciak.
The M87 is the first walnut stocked pump-action shotgun Escort is offering in America.
There is just something about a shotgun stocked in a stick of walnut.
The classic wood’s fine texture and grain bring a firearm – particularly those made specifically for sporting purposes – to a whole different level of aesthetics. Of course, there is typically a bit more of a price to pay when shooters opt for a firearm decked out in walnut rather than a polymer material.
This is why Escort Shotguns’ newest addition to its lineup appears so intriguing. Imported by Legacy Sports International, the M87 pump-action shoots for a solid looking shotgun at an affordable price. With an MSRP of $350, the M87’s satin-finished walnut stock is well within reach of almost any shooter.
Part of what makes the gun so affordable is where it is manufactured and its proximity to key materials. Escort is a brand of Turkish gun maker Hatsan Arms, which means it has one of the world’s richest walnut supplies at its finger tips.
The M87 appears to be an American version of the Escort WS and will be offered in both 12- and 20-gauge stateside. In addition to the standard model, their will also be a youth version available.
The new Escort smoothbore, no matter the gauge, will be offered in two barrel lengths, 28 and 26 inches. In both variations, the shotgun has a 14.5-inch length of pull, which makes the gun’s overall length either 48 or 46 inches, depending on the barrel length.
The M87 shouldn’t be a burden in the field, weighing in from 5.8 to 6.8 pound, depending on the model. To ensure it can easily be toted around, the shotgun comes pre-fitted with sling swivels, located at the front of tube magazine and the buttstock.
The youth edition is set up to give new shooters a more manageable platform, which should provide a lower-recoil firearm upon which to cut their teeth. It is a 22-inch barreled 20-gauge that tips the scales at 5.8 pounds and has a 13.5-inch LOP.
All models have a 4+1 capacity and come with three Escort V3 Removable Chokes in full, modified and improved. Choke choices don’t end there, with the shotgun threaded to be compatible any made for Remington 1100 shotguns.
The gun come outfitted with a rubber butt pad, to help reduce felt recoil. It has a front fiber optics bead set atop a ventilated rib. And has a large slide release button, to make it easier to operate with gloves on.
The stock is made to gain a solid purchase, boasting checkering on the slide and grip.
Designed for cordite powder, the .375 has a sleek, tapered case that feeds easily. A wide variety of softpoints and solids makes it truly versatile.
Disagree? Few others can boast a century in the greatest game fields!
A hundred years ago, the English gun-making firm of Holland and Holland introduced the .375 Belted Rimless Nitro Express. It arrived Stateside in 1925, when Western Cartridge Company began loading it. As the .375 H&H Magnum, it spawned the .300 H&H Magnum. Around 1926, up-scale New York gun-builder Griffin & Howe began barreling Magnum Mausers to .375.
Wayne used this BRNO rifle in .375 for buffalo n Australia. He fired Norma Africa PH ammo featuring Woodleigh bullets.
In 1937 it became a charter chambering in Winchester’s new Model 70. Remington offered the .375 H&H in its 725 Kodiak (though fewer than 100 were built, all in 1961). Actions for the .375 must accommodate its 3.60-inch loaded length. Cases measure 2.85 inches, base to mouth. A rimmed form of the .375, for double rifles, also appeared in 1912: the .375 Flanged Magnum Nitro Express. But the belted round works fine in hinged-breech mechanisms. Steeply tapered, with a shoulder angle of less than 13 degrees, .375 rounds slip eagerly into a double’s open breech, and feed silkily in bolt rifles.
In his book, “African Rifles and Cartridges,” John Taylor praises the .375 H&H: “I’ve had five of these rifles … and have fired more than 5,000 rounds of .375 Magnum ammunition at game…. One [rifle] accounted for more than 100 elephant and some 411 buffalo, besides rhino, lions … Although my formula gives this rifle a Knock-Out value of 40 points, I must regretfully admit that does not really do full justice to it.”
Taylor recalled a buffalo he’d shot with a 300-grain solid from his .375 double. “The bull dropped to the shot but in an instant was up again … I gave him the left barrel fairly in the center of his great chest…. He crashed on his nose [and] keeled over — stone dead.”
With .375s I’ve downed buffalo and elephant. Woodleigh solids, loaded in Norma ammunition, drive deep. At 350 grains, they carry more weight and length than standard 300-grain bullets. The stout Trophy Bonded bullets (Federal) and Swift A-Frames are my pick for softpoints.
One Woodleigh solid from Wayne’s Mauser at 16 yards dropped this elephant. The bullet entered between the eyes, penetrated to a hip.
In full-throttle loads, they bring two tons of energy to 50 yards. Still, the .375 can be chambered in a rifle as lively as a .30-06. Most hunters can point such a rifle more deftly than they can a heavier if shorter, double. And they can fire it without fear of turning their cheek or shoulder the color of old cheese. Part of the reason the .375 is so popular for dangerous game is that it can be fired accurately by people of average build and shooting experience — in rifles of modest weight.
Quick handling and high magazine capacity make first hits faster, and put more bullets into crippled animals than might be possible with ponderous big-bore rifles. A couple of years ago, I dashed around a bush to the cry of a tracker who’d come suddenly upon the leopard we’d been trailing. My .375 — a Montana Rifles lightweight — came up like a shotgun and all but fired itself. The cat rocketed into the air with broken shoulders. It died as it hit the ground.
My favorite .375s? Certainly that Montana, which has also taken buffalo and eland and a big giraffe — which weighed almost twice as much as a buff! An old Model 70 with Redfield receiver sight downed my first buffalo and still ranks high. Sako’s handsome Kokiak has a nose for the target; its laminated stock is among the most comfortable I’ve used. Remington briefly marketed a Mauser in .375, and I snapped one up. It’s a classic, with features — a positive extractor, dead-certain feeding — that made early .375s so effective.
For decades, the .375 H&H brooked no rivals. In the 1940s Roy Weatherby came up with his own .375 Magnum on the same case, but blown out, with a radiused shoulder. Despite a velocity edge of 200 fps, it couldn’t compete with the Holland round. (Recently it has returned to the Weatherby stable). A few years ago, Hornady trotted out the .375 Ruger. Developed to work in .30-06-length actions, it has roughly 10 percent more capacity than the .375 H&H Magnum, thanks to a wider body with little taper. Its .532 head diameter is the same as that of the .375 H&H; but the .375 Ruger is rimless. It pushes bullets 5 percent faster, from a hull .27 inch shorter.
Still, in every game field worldwide, you’ll find cartridges for your .375 H&H rifle. It may be another century before another .375 can make such a claim!
A newer configuration of an established firearms platform has been a hot ticket for a Washington retailer.
“We are selling just a ton of AR pistols, mostly for home defense purposes,” Cory Hamilton, manager at Wade’s Eastside Guns said. “It seems like every week, a load of them goes right out the door.”
The top AR pistol at the store has been the 300 Advanced Armament Corp. Blackout Pistol with a 9-inch barrel and chambered in 300 Blackout. Base price is approximately $1,500, though Hamilton notes most buyers like their AAC tricked out with an arm brace and optics and/or a laser sight, often to the tune of $2,000 or better.
The new MK18 AR pistol from Daniel Defense is coming on strong.
Wade’s does a large business with the local concealed carry crowd, too. Best-selling handguns for these folks are Glock 42’s, at $499, the Glock 19 Gen 3 at $600 and the Glock 19 Gen 4 at $650.
“We’ve been moving a good number of Smith & Wesson Shields, too,” Hamilton said, “and actually quite a few S&W J-Frame revolvers for concealed carry.”
AR-style rifles?
Slow, with the exceptions being the Colt 6920 AR-15, for $1,100, and the M&P Sporter by Smith & Wesson at the very popular price of $750.
Editor’s Note: This brief appeared in the January 22, 2015 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Simplify the process of storing a handgun in your car with the Gum Creek Vehicle Handgun Mount – an innovative design that fits snugly under your steering wheel column while also providing quick and easy access to your handgun. The convenience of this mount allows you to avoid placing your handgun between or underneath seats, in a door or console, or any other location that is uncomfortable, unsafe, or non-secure. Stay Protected
When it comes to dry firing with a rifle, the practice should be as much about learning to acclimate to field conditions as it’s learning about a rifle’s idiosyncrasies.
Anymore, it seems a lot of the discussion on dry firing revolves around handguns. But the exercise definitely has its place in the world of rifle shooting.
Famed hunter and gun writer Jack O’Connor, for instance, was avid about dry firing, finding time every day to pull the trigger on his rifle. But there is more to it than just getting behind the business end of your favorite long gun and firing away on an empty chamber.
In many cases, the practice should be as much about learning to acclimate to field conditions as it’s learning about a rifle’s idiosyncrasies. This is where the above video from Wyoming custom gun maker GunWerks hits the nail on the head.
The instructional quickly covers the basics of the practice, such as working on breath control and keeping the crosshair steady. But perhaps its most salient point is to practice these skills in the positions they’ll likely be utilized.
It’s faulty logic to believe knocking the eye out of the bull from a bench rest equates to bagging a trophy buck from the kneeling position or confidently wielding a personal defense carbine in modified offhand.
Deftly shooting in the field, in many respects, is a matter of understanding and adapting to variables. A sled or bench rest, in most respects, sterilizes the practical challenges out of shooting.
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.
