Rifle September/October 2023

The Winchester Model 1873 is arguably that company’s most famous rifle that served to bring huge fame and fortune to the brand name, as it was a high-quality repeater, sleek, accurate and very reliable. It also handled the elements including dirt, moisture and neglect with ease. It played an important role in settling the western frontier and became widely popular with farmers and ranchers, hunters, exhibition shooters and explorers. Due to its many virtues, it was used extensively by a long list of both lawmen and outlaws, including Billy the Kid. From 1873 through 1923, more than 720,000 units were produced; however, the majority of those guns were manufactured during the black-powder era. Due to their quality and historical significance, the prices of original rifles have soared in recent years. But due to a combination of their notable value, and that most guns were intended primarily for black-powder ammunition and neither were they offered in modern calibers, originals are often not the best choice for someone that wants a shooter. ...Read More >

By building a collection of World War II firearms, I’ve been able to extensively shoot most infantry rifles as issued by the major combatant nations, i.e. Great Britain, U.S., Soviet Union, Germany, Japan and one from Italy. This experience has given me insight into what sort of rifle sights ordnance officers of those nations and at those times felt suitable for their troops. Perhaps the most interesting fact is that while most front sights varied little; mostly being one sort or another of blades usually with protective wings, rear sights varied enormously. ...Read More >

The chronicles tell us that in the late 1950s, the decision-makers at Remington decided it was time to replace its popular Model 510 through 521 series of 22 rimfire rifles. One of the reasons for this was that production costs had become too high. Another was that Remington wanted to produce a 22 rimfire magnum and the current action was not considered strong enough. ...Read More >

With riflemen’s newfound interest in long-range shooting, it has become more common to encounter complete systems for dealing with the challenges of going to extremes. To this end, Horus Vision – part of the Ray Dennis Group that also owns Nightforce – has introduced the HoVR Complete Shooter Package, which includes everything needed to start down the path of precision long-range shooting. This is a four-part system that includes a HoVR 5-20x 50mm riflescope ($1,499.99 value), HoVR 1.0 2000 BT Laser Range Finder ($429.99 value), HoVR 1.0 Weather Meter ($114.99 value), and a complimentary Horus Ballistic App, to help shooters wrap their heads around it all. That totals $2,044.97, but when purchased in a bundle, the starting price is $1,799.99. For shooters looking to confidently extend their maximum effective range this kit represents an incredible bargain. ...Read More >

Tastes in rifle stocks are funny things – funny, and unpredictable. Take Roy Weatherby’s “California look” that has graced the Mark V rifle for the better part of 65 years. When it was sprung upon an unsuspecting world in the late 1950s, the Mark V’s stock was called everything from merely outlandish to appalling. One thing it was not called, however, was old-fashioned. It was racy, glitzy and appealed to those who wanted the newest and shiniest of everything. ...Read More >

Benelli’s venture into bolt-action rifles is technically advanced and ergonomically superb. ...Read More >

The history of Weatherby rifles and cartridges dates back to the 1940s when founder Roy Weatherby (1910-1988) began experimenting with high-velocity wildcat cartridges that were based on the belted 375/300 H&H case and soon began offering quality custom rifles for his proprietary ammunition. By the late 1950s, he designed his famous Mark V rifle, which was first built in the U.S., but manufacturing was soon moved to Germany, then to Japan, but it is now being produced in the Weatherby facility located in Sheridan, Wyoming. ...Read More >

The manner in which this gun came into my possession says a lot about the status of unusual Austrian creations in the U.S. and about American attitudes toward them. The gun was for sale in a Rock Island auction and came up late on the third day. I had not even looked at it beforehand, but when its picture popped up on the big screen, and bidding started in the low hundreds, I was immediately interested. ...Read More >

Most serious hunters have a number of rifles in their personal collections, and it’s very likely, one or more of the rifles is chambered in the classic 308 Winchester. The highly versatile cartridge known around the world today as the 308 Winchester, is a clever byproduct of development conducted for the U.S. Army, who wanted to replace the aging 30-06. The U.S. military wanted to save space and the all-important brass used in manufacturing, wanted to provide weight reduction in order to enable the carrying more ammunition per man, and wanted better adaptability to automatic weapons. ...Read More >

Among our reasons for handload ing, one in particular requires more knowledge and perhaps a bit of intuition that comes only with considerable experience and that is getting old rifles to safely shoot their obsolete cartridges. While it’s fairly simple to work up loads for modern cartridges in modern firearms, very often, handloaders must troubleshoot and solve a number of convoluted problems before we can even begin load development for centenarians. ...Read More >