Mostly Long Guns

Adaptive Tactical Tac-Hammer RM4 Rifle Stock for Ruger 10/22 Rifles

The Ruger 10/22 rifle was one of the foundation guns designed by Bill Ruger in 1964, and it played a significant role in the growth and success of his company. Its popularity remains huge as production figures are rapidly approaching an incredible 10,000,000 guns. While it is a good rifle as produced by the factory, it is easy to work on and has become what is probably the most customized and accessorized .22-caliber rifle in history. Common aftermarket accessories include new match-grade barrels, custom triggers, high-speed firing pins and naturally, stocks.

Recently, I became aware of a synthetic 10/22 stock from Adaptive Tactical, known as the Tac-Hammer RM4, which is of very high quality and produced in U.S. It features the familiar sliding adjustable length of pull, but unlike so many stocks with a similar design, this one has very minimal movement. There is a magazine storage compartment (in the buttstock) that accommodates two 10/22 magazines and is reversible for both right- and left-hand use. It also features a pistol grip that is ergonomically designed for various shooting positions including prone. There is also a stowaway accessory rail under the forearm that accommodates a bipod or other accessories. Also, there is a barrel insert inside the forearm channel that accommodates a standard-weight barrel, but can be removed with a screwdriver to accept bull barrels measuring up to .920 inch. The factory direct price is $129.99. For more information, visit adaptivetactical.com.

Skinner Sights Marlin Model 1895 and 336 Express Scope Mount

Skinner Sights is well-known for producing high-quality aperture sights primarily for leverguns, but they are also available for many additional models. They are offered in blue steel, stainless steel and brass, are rugged and are fully adjustable for windage and elevation. They feature a ghost-style aperture with a hole that measures .200 inch. However, the ghost ring is threaded and readily accepts additional apertures that measure .040, .070, .096, .125 and .155 inch and can be changed in just a few seconds. This feature substantially increases versatility, as a given aperture can be selected to readily accommodate different shooting applications, such as changing light conditions in the field.

Skinner Sights also makes a long overdue Express Scope Mount with a built-in aperture sight. This is a practical system and a great idea, as the scope mount base accommodates various cross-slot quick detachable-style rings that are military-grade rugged, strong and can be removed without tools and the scope can be reattached without losing zero.

I regularly hunt with leverguns and there are times when a scope is an advantage, but at other times, an aperture is preferred. This system offers the best of both worlds. The aperture sight is similar to the original Skinner Sight; however, the windage adjustment is a pivoting system that works off of two top screws. When loosened, the sight can be moved (or pivoted) left or right. After tightening with a hex wrench, it is a very secure and positive system. Elevation adjustments are accomplished in the same manner as the original Skinner Sight by loosening the lock screw on the right side and turning the aperture stem up or down on its threads. Plus, the ghost ring readily accepts additional apertures. For more information go to SkinnerSights.com or email andy@skinnersights.com.

Hornady Superformance Varmint 223 RemingtonAmmunition

Years ago, when Hornady introduced the 53-grain V-MAX .224-inch bullet, it really caught my attention. For example, Hornady’s product line of V-MAX bullets feature a plastic tip that serves to facilitate rapid expansion and the tip is not easily deformed in magazines. It also provides near perfect bullet-to-bullet ballistic coefficient (BC) consistency, which is hugely important for downrange accuracy. V-MAX bullets have proven to be highly accurate, while their terminal performance on varmints and pests is truly impressive. But back to the 53-grain version; its .290 BC figure was truly surprising, as it was notably higher than other .22-caliber bullets that weigh up to 63 grains, including heavier .22-caliber V-MAX bullets. In other words, bullet weight had to be increased substantially to equal or exceed the 53-grain V-MAX’s BC and most of those bullets are long-range match bullets and not hunting bullets. At typical hunting distances, which is usually within 500 or 600 yards with popular .22-caliber centerfire rifle cartridges such as the 223, 22-250 Remington and others. The 53-grain V-MAX has become a truly standout choice, as it can be pushed to high velocities, produces a flat trajectory, retains high downrange velocity and is highly accurate. For many years, my family and I have put this bullet to outstanding use in the field on varmints, pests and many coyotes. It makes long shots easier and has never left anything to be desired, terminally speaking.

Naturally, Hornady eventually began offering the 53-grain V-MAX bullet in factory-loaded ammunition, such as the 223 Remington Superformance Varmint. This load is listed with a muzzle velocity of 3,465 feet per second (fps) from a 24-inch barrel, which is impressive! With a 200-yard zero, it only drops 5.6 inches, 16.9 inches and 35.6 inches at 300, 400 and 500 yards, respectively. Hornady offers many 223 Remington loads with bullet weights ranging from 35 to 75 grains and this is easily the flattest shooting of all the loads, including the 35-grain NTX bullet pushed to 4,000 fps!

Checking the Hornady Superformance factory load in a Savage Model 10 with a 22-inch barrel, the velocity was 3,388 fps for a five-shot string. Three groups were fired from a bench with sandbag rests, four shots each that averaged .477 inch. Without question, we live in a golden era of high-performance ammunition. For more information visit Hornady.com.