Rifle January/February 2023

Never has there been another writer who championed the dainty, shy, Coues’ whitetail of the Southwestern U.S. like Jack O’Conner did. He and his wife, Eleanor, were serious hunters of big game in much of the world, but with the elusive gray bucks, the two made a romance out of hunting them near their Arizona desert home and throughout much of northern Mexico before they moved to Lewiston, Idaho, in 1984. For much of their hunting in the Southwestern U.S., trusted rifles were chambered in .270 Winchester, .257 Roberts, .30-06 Springfield, or perhaps the 7x57 (7mm Mauser), all of which were, and still are, excellent for hunting the bucks today. ...Read More >

For the past couple of years, primers have been nearly impossible to obtain as a component for handloaders. Even ammunition manufacturers have struggled to either produce enough primers, or purchase enough original equipment manufacturer primers to allow them to meet the demand for their ammunition. As a result, both ammunition manufacturers and handloaders are frequently substituting primers. In other words, primers are being used in applications that are not within their intended purpose. I am aware of handgun primers being used in rifle cartridges and vice versa, with both practices potentially posing problems. ...Read More >

Recoil. I don’t like it. Some shooters are fond of saying, “Recoil doesn’t bother me a bit.” I have trouble with that statement; being as how for a half century, I’ve been no stranger to rifles delivering noticeable recoil. Recoil will bother everyone’s shooting if enough rounds are fired, especially if shooting from a benchrest. It’s just that some people have a higher tolerance than others. One of the keys to becoming a good shooter is discovering at what point recoil begins to degrade your ability. ...Read More >

At one time, all rifles, with the exception of a few target models, left the factory carrying some form of open iron sights. Many folks were not happy with run-of-the-mill open sights and mounted aperture target sights (peep sights) on the rear tangs of their hunting rifles. These were dangerously close to the eye on rifles that had much recoil. The aperture was quietly moved forward to the rear of the rifle’s receiver. There was nothing wrong with these sights (for folks having good eyesight) in the 1920s, 1960s or today. ...Read More >

Having dedicated this column to a Bushnell optic just a few issues ago, Rifle No. 323 (July – August 2022), it may seem a bit soon for another, but after using the brand-new Match Pro HD 5-30x 56mm riflescope on a recent Wyoming foray, it seemed appropriate. How new is it? It has just been released to the public as you read this. Why is this necessary? Because it is one of the most wholly functional competition/varmint optics I have handled in a while, especially at this price point of $1,450. ...Read More >

While every hunter I know loves the thought of purchasing a new rifle, the excitement grows even more when I start looking for something special. This could only be a different caliber, darker wood or maybe a stainless action. But on the other hand, my fancy might turn to a custom rifle and for this year’s buck, I was looking for a gun chambered in the .221 Remington Fireball. Cooper Arms in Montana had just what I was looking for. ...Read More >

If asked to name the truly iconic American firearms, even the shortest list would have to include the Thompson submachine gun. ...Read More >

H-S Precision was founded by Tom Houghton in Prescott, Arizona, in 1978. He got his start by making synthetic stocks and extremely accurate cut-rifled barrels for himself and for his fellow benchrest competitors. Excellent quality and match-winning accuracy sell, so when the company outgrew its original facility, it was relocated to a factory in Rapid City, South Dakota, where it remains. By that point in time, Houghton was making every part required to build complete rifles, including the actions, barrels, stocks, fully adjustable triggers and magazines. ...Read More >

The term “Golden Age” or “Era” is not usually applied until a notably outstanding product begins to decline in terms of quality or design. However, in recent years, the trend with bolt-action sporting rifles has been to offer unusual levels of reliability, precision and accuracy. Many modestly-priced rifles shoot very well, while semi-custom “production” guns are producing high levels of accuracy that was considered extremely rare (or nearly impossible) just a couple of decades ago. In fact, some rifles are so good and so accurate, that they are literally reaching the pinnacle of perfection, or perhaps what may best be described as “Golden Era” even though quality has not begun to decline. ...Read More >

America’s favorite cartridge is inarguably the .22 Long Rifle, at least if based solely on total annual round count. U.S. shooters consume some three billion-plus .22 LR shells per year. Like most shooters, my first rifle was a .22, a simple break-action single shot received from Santa when I was nine years old. That rifle remains propped behind my shop door, ready to address pests invading our garden, lawn or bird feeders, despite the introduction of a wide array of .22 LR rifles in the intervening 48 years. ...Read More >

The Sauer 101 has been with us for a decade now, which is not long by the standards of J.P. Sauer & Sohn. The company has been in existence since 1751, and as the second-oldest gunmaker in the world (after Beretta), one would expect any rifle they make to be world-class. The 101 fits the bill. ...Read More >

Many of us tend to obsess over rifle cartridges, or the differences between brands of factory rifles. Some of the more “advanced” obsess over the major parts of modern custom rifles, essentially, the ancient triad of “lock, stock and barrel,” though today the lock is the action, the stock usually synthetic and the barrel “custom” rather than factory. Then there are scopes, which these days sometimes approach benchrest scopes in magnification, often have multi-point reticles and precise “target” turrets ready to be clicked to any range. ...Read More >