Rifle March-April 2018

Old friend and former editor of Rifle, the late Al Miller had a lifelong interest in what he called a “backup rifle” that might be used on a hunt if the primary rifle developed problems: misfires, a broken scope, etc. In our good- natured, albeit sometimes rousing debates on the subject, I adopted the term “other” rifle, that might be used as a backup on a big-game hunt, but its primary purpose would be year-round woods bumming. As such, it had to be relatively light for lugging around in all sorts of terrain. ...Read More >

If the sale of new rifles is any indication, it appears the .260 Remington cartridge, introduced in 1997 as more or less the same cartridge as the .263 Express wildcat dating back to the mid-1950s, may be falling out of favor for general field use. I suspect this is largely due to marketplace impulse – that suggestion having much to do with a new generation of technology-savvy rifle enthusiasts and hunters who research every bit of detail before making a new purchase. The consumer base has changed. ...Read More >

During my grade school years, I would save up my meager allowance to purchase .22 Long Rifle ammunition at Benny’s Tire store, the only place in a remote Oregon town of less than 500 people that sold guns and ammunition. Benny kept most brand names on his shelf – Winchester, Remington, Federal, Revelation, Imperial and others – but the Cascade Cartridges Inc. (CCI) MINI-MAG HYSPEED was always reliable, accurate and seemed to shoot faster from my Winchester Model 67A rifle’s 27-inch barrel. Most important, and especially impressive to a third grader, was that the term “MAG” was in the name. However, as I grew older and gained experience with a variety of guns, I began to greatly appreciate the quality of CCI rimfire loads that were coincidentally produced not far from my home, in historic Lewiston, Idaho, located on the Lewis & Clark trail. ...Read More >

Since the end of World War II it has been popular in this country to denigrate Japanese firearms from that conflict. In truth, they do not have the finesse of American arms from the same era, or the practicality of British ones. Yet to consider them as less than adequate is a fallacy. ...Read More >

It was not long ago that the hot topic among riflefolk looking to improve accuracy and eliminate those unexplained, out-of-group shots known as “flyers” was how the barrel fit in the stock. Was there contact between the barrel and forend? If so, where and how much? Should there be contact? Many rifle owners and all gun writers had their opinions. Then when plastic stocks began to appear, the experts blamed wood for all the world’s problems, declaring that no serious shooter should henceforth own a riflestock made from a tree. Good heavens! ...Read More >

Bushnell’s new Engage binoculars and riflescopes are marketed with prices in the middle of Bushnell’s optics lines, but with high-value features that lend a hand to ease of use. ...Read More >

I’ve been using digital reloading scales for years and never want to go back to a balance scale again. As a working chemist I was very involved with analytical balances when electronics began to appear, but they were all measuring in grams, not the archaic grain we handloaders use. The first digital in “grains” was an expensive scientific model that had been adapted, but the first scale I can recall dedicated to handloaders was from PACT in 1993. I still use mine. ...Read More >

Back in the 1950s, a linguistics professor in England ignited a minor firestorm with an article about differences in language between the upper classes and the aspiring middle class in what was then, still, a very class-conscious society. He found that the upper and lower classes were likely to use the same terminology – simple, direct words – while the social climbers of the middle class, seeking to appear refined, would use either elaborate words or euphemisms. ...Read More >

The Ruger Model 77 is 50 years old this year – a fact that’s a little frightening, since I still think of it as “new.” In bolt-action rifle years (which are the opposite of dog years) hitting the Big Five-Oh means it’s now eligible to be treated as an adult by the other rifles in the rack. ...Read More >

Various definitions of “custom built” include making something designed specifically for a customer, especially “the requirements of a particular person.” With sporting rifles this used to mean a handmade, hardwood stock, usually with other touches often added to the metal, especially the action, and maybe a new barrel. ...Read More >

Speaking collectively of worldwide major military formations, carbines have been used for arming cavalry, engineers, paratroopers, mountain troops and even bodyguards of high-ranking officers. Usually, when a nation’s ordnance department focused on updating its shoulder arms, infantry rifles were the primary consideration. Sometimes simultaneously and sometimes as an afterthought, methods for making rifles shorter and lighter resulted in carbine versions. An adopted infantry rifle’s action often remained the same; so did its chambering. There are at least two examples where permanently mounted bayonets on carbines made them rival the original, full-length rifle’s weight. ...Read More >

Not too long ago the clerk at the checkout counter asked if I needed help carrying out my groceries. That question left me somewhat chagrined – was my appearance so decrepit? Later I took it as a compliment, however, because it meant I had been around long enough to witness bolt-action hunting rifles evolve into a combination of ease of use and attractive looks, heading away from stocks ornamented with humps and pinched edges that hindered shooting and appearance. For many admirers of bolt-action hunting rifles, that means deep-blued steel in a stock of pleasingly figured walnut with graceful lines and restrained decoration. Mossberg is taking hunters back to that time and look with its Patriot Revere, an affordable bolt-action hunting rifle with a nicely figured walnut stock reminiscent of those on old Model 70 Winchesters. ...Read More >

Firearms manufacturer CZ produces a large variety of guns that include pistols, shotguns and rifles, which have generally earned a reputation for rugged quality and reliability. Beginning in 2012, the company introduced the CZ 557 bolt-action rifle. This was a new action and not a spin off from another model. ...Read More >