Rifle March-April 2025

During the 1930s, Charley O’Neil, Elmer Keith and Don Hopkins (O.K.H.) began designing a line of cartridges that were ahead of their time and filled specific sporting cartridge voids. For today’s discussion, the 285 O.K.H. is of special interest, as it is based on the 30-06 Springfield case but necked to accept 7mm caliber bullets. Records suggest that the shoulder angle remained the same as the 30-06, but chambers were throated to accept long, heavy-for-caliber bullets seated out or with the base of the bullet even with the bottom of the neck. Another interesting feature included a small tube that was installed inside the case and designed to carry the primer ignition energy to the front of the powder charge and burn it in reverse, which Elmer called a “Duplex load.” Keith loads used a special Western Tool and Copper Works 180-grain bullet that he also designed to achieve a high ballistic coefficient (BC). Keith reported impressive velocities, primarily with 175- to 180-grain bullets. ...Read More >

I kind of backed into my most recent rifle acquisition when Hornady sent me a few complimentary boxes of 22 ARC ammunition upon the company’s announcement of the brand-new cartridge earlier in 2024. As a matter of good taste, I then felt it would behoove me to buy, borrow or build a rifle in 22 ARC to shoot the ammo for a product review. An AR-15 barrel seemed the way to go for several reasons: I could build an upper on a 22 ARC barrel for less than buying a complete upper, and because the AR-15 is the 22 ARC’s natural habitat, anyway. Besides, nobody yet had a 22 ARC rifle of any kind in production. ...Read More >

This little rifle is the epitome of the farm gun boy’s rifle. Its design is simple in the extreme, parts require no fitting and it is sold at a price competitive with imports. It is a highly desirable example of the genre and great fun for an afternoon of plinking. ...Read More >

Tract’s Japanese-made TORIC Ultra High Definition (UHD) riflescopes, in my opinion, represent one of the best all-around bargains in hunting optics. I can say this honestly after running a couple of versions for several years on a couple of my primary big-game rifles. A Tract TORIC UHD 2-10x 42mm BDC lives on my ’65 Winchester Model 70 chambered in 30-06 Springfield, while a more powerful TORIC UHD 3-15x 42mm T-PLEX graces my customized 25-06 Remington. Both scopes have been, as they say, rode hard and put away wet on many occasions, on duties as varied as conducting thorough LoadData.com load development pieces to chasing white-tailed deer and local Rocky Mountain elk. ...Read More >

It was a long, long time ago now, and admittedly one should not allow impressions formed at the age of seven to color one’s opinions well into old age. Still, there you have it: When I think of plastic rifle stocks, the first image that pops into my mind is that long-ago second-hand (third? fourth?) Daisy Red Ryder BB gun and its homely reddish-brown plastic stock, all chipped and scraped and mangey. ...Read More >

After covering the good things in the first installment of this series on rifle suppressors, we will now see it from the opposite side. First, a suppressor adds weight to the rifle, although some models designed specifically for hunters are quite light. Examples that spring to mind are the Nosler 30ALTi, Dead Air Nomad Ti, Thunder Beast Ultra 7, LUX Ti and Nosler SR-30K, with the latter being the lightest at 7 ounces. ...Read More >

Over the course of a hundred years and almost a million rifles, the Savage Model of 1899 more than earned its reputation as one of America’s great hunting rifles. ...Read More >

Marlin has been producing a variety of guns for 153 years, and during that time, it has weathered huge economic depressions, wars and many obstacles. However, let’s begin this story in July 2020 when Marlin’s parent company, Remington, declared bankruptcy. What is incredible is that Remington had been struggling with quality and finances for years. Marlin, however, was the company’s cash cow that was literally carrying the parent company financially. Ruger officials knew the value and potential of Marlin and their proven lever gun designs and purchased it lock, stock and barrel out of bankruptcy, which, in my opinion, was a match made in heaven! ...Read More >

Colt has a storied history in firearms manufacturing, a reputation based on their legendary revolvers that helped tame the West. Later, model 1911, pistols were carried by military personnel in at least four major conflicts. Then, AR-pattern rifles that have seen action in all U.S. military interventions from Vietnam onward. Yet when it comes to bolt-action rifles, Colt has traditionally subcontracted the work out to well-respected arms makers and then engraved the Colt name on them. At various times Colt rifles were manufactured by Jefferson Manufacturing Company of New Haven, Connecticut, using FN Mauser actions, Kodiak Arms utilizing Mauser and SAKO actions, Titan Defense (a company once owned by Colt), and of course, Sauer-made rifles manufactured by J.P. Sauer & Son of Germany and offered from 1973 to 1984. ...Read More >

W. W. Greener, in his 1910 The Gun and its Development (Ninth Edition, reprinted by National Rifle Association, 1995), acknowledged he built his little rifle “upon the Martini principle,” but he did not put “Martini” in its name. Rather, he referred to its several incarnations as the “W.W. Greener ‘Miniature Club’ Rifle” the “Sharpshooter’s Club Rifle,” and “W.W. Greener’s Cadet Rifle, as manufactured for the Australian Commonwealth.” ...Read More >

While it is impossible for me to pick just one favorite rifle and load, there are simply way too many excellent options that can be tailored for any given situation and or need. If cattle crippling rodents need culling, there are a plethora of cartridges that work well at close range, long-range, and in the wind. Add in cost, and there are so many choices it’s enough to make a head spin. If I need a big game cartridge capable of delivering good terminal performance and energy on an elk at extreme ranges, there are many capable cartridges there as well. We live in a day and age where we have many options when it comes to cartridges, some will complain and say we don’t need all these different things and it’s simply history repeating itself. Sometimes, there is merit to these statements and even, at times, wisdom. However, there is no doubt that progress has been made and technology in terms of case design rifles and cartridges have come a long way. ...Read More >