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The Cleaning Dilemma
By Ralph M. Lermayer
Just how much scrubbing does the average rifle or shotgun need? The author feels that many hunters may be cleaning too much.
Philosophies on cleaning firearms divide shooters into three categories. First is the crowd that scrubs and cleans to a level that would make a surgeon proud. On the other end are duck guides whose idea of cleaning after a h... READ MORE
Safe Sense
By Richard Mann
Are your guns safe from boogeymen, fire and kiddies?
For a gun owner, the question should not be “Do I need a safe?” It should be “Which safe should I get?”
Hunters are often hesitant to spend money on a gun safe. That cash could go toward a new rifle or a guided hunt.
Many think they can hide their guns from burglars. Mo... READ MORE
Bust Claybirds on a Budget
By Clair Rees
Shotgunning is more art than science. That’s painfully obvious when you hunt quail, ducks, pheasants or any other upland birds. Carefully aim a shotgun as you do a rifle, and you’ll miss every time.
Even if birds rained from the sky every time you touched a shotgun trigger, wingshooting skills deteriorate without practice.
Pre-season ... READ MORE
A High-Tech .45-70
By Ralph M. Lermayer
Rock River’s .458 SOCOM has the thump of a .45-70, but feeds in AR-15 platforms.
There are several ways new cartridges come into the world. One is the military. They put out a request for a set of specs they want, and arsenals and commercial manufacturers go into high gear until the round is created. The .308, .223, 7mm Mauser and venerable ... READ MORE
The Traditional Way
By John Haviland
Hunting with a caplock or flinter connects us with our ancestors and a simpler time. Some shooters claim the last improvements to muzzleloading rifles came in the early ’60s — the 1860s, that is. These traditionalists prefer shooting a pure lead projectile, a rifle that belches a cloud of smoke and requires almost a minute to reload. Ca... READ MORE
Building Your Own Patterning Board
By J. Wayne Fears
Having a convenient place to test shotshells and choke tubes will make you a more efficient wingshooter.
A growing number of shotgun hunters use their scatterguns year-round. It’s turkey hunting in the spring, sporting clays during the summer, upland game hunting in the fall and maybe deer hunting that winter. Coyotes fill the gap between th... READ MORE
Rifle Weight Balance & Fit
By John Barsness
Got a gun that kicks too hard or just doesn’t feel right? Here are the common problems ... and solutions. Most hunters have a notion of how much a rifle should weigh, but think that balance and stock fit only apply to shotguns. The truth is that all three can be important, and they’re often tied to the ammunition we shoot. Many hunters ... READ MORE
The Knockdown Power Myth
By Ron Spomer
Bullet placement is far more important in the field than bullet theory. Photo: Although black bears are usually not as large as grizzlies, they can be just as dangerous, so it’s best to knock them down. The author prefers a deep-penetrating bullet that will exit, leaving two holes for trailing. There’s an old joke about the hunter who k... READ MORE
Short Magnums: A Flash in the Pan?
By Jon R. Sundra
The short, fat case design was a step forward, although a small one, in cartridge development. Photo: In 1998, gun writer Rick Jamison, in cooperation with Ruger and Winchester, developed the .300 JRW, but it never made it to market. The author actually used Winchester-loaded cartridges and a Ruger rifle to take a Texas nilgai that year. For ... READ MORE
How Low Can You Go?
By Ralph M. Lermayer
Recoil (ri koyl) — To move back suddenly and violently, for example, after impact. Any way you look at it, recoil means something’s coming back at you. And as it relates to firearms, how fast and hard that is depends on a lot of factors. But no matter which caliber, gauge or style firearm you use, there are steps you can take to minimiz... READ MORE