Rifles

Those who choose to hunt the worlds most dangerous game in the old way, relying on their own rifle and their own shooting (however you may be able to do that), must have reliable rifles. It matters not that your rifle can put all its shots into a single hole at a thousand yards if-only once-it ever fails to work. Failure generally comes when youre tackling something that can kill you. One of our staff had that happen in Africa. The cocking piece came loose when he chambered a round in a custom rifle that had fired a thousand rounds with zero problems. It never happened before, nor since. Of course, most people never hunt dangerous game without a guide along. But what about the guides rifle?The finest rifles for hunting dangerous game are those that can reliably shoot time and again with no problems, and of all rifles, the fine English-made double rifle has the reputation of having no peer in this field. In this test we were privileged to have the loan of just such a rifle, a Churchill double 470 that is currently for sale at $40,000. But do you really need a rifle that costly? Cant you do just as well with a good 458 bolt-action rifle, especially a custom one that might cost more than, say, a Remington or Ruger, but has the advantages of custom fitting and best-quality setup? To evaluate custom 458s we acquired the loan of two custom rifles. One is based on a Czech VZ-24 action, and is valued at $1500. The other is based on a Springfield 1903, and is a more serious endeavor. It seemed to have it all, custom fitting, engraving, extensive action work, rust bluing, etc. It is valued at $15,000. We evaluated them first as dangerous-game rifles, but we also took a look at what else they offer the sportsman in search of a versatile big rifle.Besides utter reliability, what must a dangerous-game rifle have? Smoothness and silence of operation are mandatory. Ejectors on double rifles can be deactivated if necessary, but they are godsends-if noisy-in some situations. Excellent triggers are mandatory, but they must not be too light. A non-glare finish is called for on stock and metal. Of course the rifle has to have a good recoil pad and a large area on the stock where it touches your shoulder. The rifle must fit you, so you can shoot quickly. Iron sights are mandatory, we believe. Much dangerous-game hunting is done in marginal light where a scope might be nice, but its also usually close-range shooting. A scope may be valuable for non-dangerous game and other such uses, but it can get badly in the way when youre 20 feet from your target.We shot our test rifles with factory ammo and handloads, wanting to experience the 458 with both 350-grain Barnes X and 500-grain Hornady steel-jacket solids, plus some lighter loads. We have some of the newest 458 factory ammunition coming, with claimed velocities over 2200 fps for 500-grain bullets, but it did not arrive in time. The 458 handloads we used are thoroughly tested over many years, and meet or exceed the velocities obtained with most older factory ammo. Commercial ammunition for these big rifles is not cheap. Current list price for ten rounds of Norma 470 ammunition is $212, or $21 a round. A case of 200 rounds of Federal 470 ammo is available discounted at $3000. Winchester 458 Magnum ammo is not that bad at $6 to $8 per shot, or from $120 to $160 list price for a box of 20.The argument might well be made that no one really needs an elephant rifle. However, they are very much fun to shoot, as any owner can tell you. Theres also the hidden reward of mastering all that power, which in turn makes lesser rifles easier to handle, which makes you a better shot, which directly benefits the game you hunt. Also, generally overlooked in the gun press, theres the fact that big rifles are always far more versatile than smaller rifles. With a 458 you can slay an elephant, or you can handload it with round balls and hunt rabbits. Cant load down a 470, you say? The owner of our 470 has developed loads for 400-grain bullets that regulate well in the big rifle and cut recoil a bunch.So for the most bang for the buck, build your own loads if you have a big rifle. Youll be well rewarded. Some very fine 470 bullets cost $2 apiece, but there are cheaper ways, including paper-patched cast lead, so save your brass. Handloading the 458 with cast bullets can cut ammo costs to less than that of store-bought 223. So which is better, bolt-action or double rifle? Heres what we found.

Forjas Taurus S.A. announced September 9 its acquisition of the manufacturing and distribution rights of all Rossi products, including the famous Model 92 lever-action rifle from Rossi Firearms S.A.

The Handi-Rifle was true to its name, we thought. We found it easy to carry, pleasant in all its operations, and…well, just plain handy. The ejector worked every time the chamber was opened, which we didn’t really like. The rifle could be opened carefully and loaded silently, without tripping the ejector. Because we are reloaders, we would have preferred a simple, positive extractor over the ejector mechanism. More on this later. The barrel breech was huge in diameter, indicating abundant strength. This rifle is in fact chambered in many calibers including the .35 Whelen, .500 S&W and .45-70, so the design clearly has strength in abundance. As a Hornet, it ought to last forever.

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio – AcuSport Corporation will be distributing the new German Sport Guns 5 and other products from American Tactical Imports.

FFL dealers should advise their customers of two manufacturer recalls from Ruger and Smith & Wesson:

FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Rifle Association announced Sept. 3 that the Beretta Group of companies, led by Beretta U.S.A., Benelli U.S.A., and Burris in the United States have pledged to give the NRA $1 million over the next five years. This gift will benefit the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund’s litigation activities to further expand the scope of Second Amendment protections in the wake of the recent United States Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller.

Lawyers who won the historic Second Amendment gun rights case in the Supreme Court — District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290) — on Monday asked a federal judge to award them more than $3.5 million for attorneys' fees, plus $13,215.30 for expenses and court costs. In a motion and memorandum filed with U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, the attorneys said that they had achieved 'one of the most profound and important victories available under…

As a Federal firearms licensee (FFL), it is your duty and obligation to account for the acquisition and disposition of firearms, and it is essential to ensure that firearms are not diverted to the criminal element whether by theft or pilferage. ATF is dedicated to your success in fulfilling your duties and preventing the unlawful diversion of firearms. The following guidance on required and recommended security measures is intended to assist you in accomplishing these goals.

EXETER, NH - The recently introduced Sig Sauer Stoplite is designed to operate as a standalone flashlight or can be attached to an accessory rail, doubling as a vertical grip.

BEIJING, China —The U.S. Olympic Team for Shooting turned out an outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China earning six medals to double the medal count from Athens four years ago. Arguably, the most successful showing for the U.S. in the history of the Olympic shooting competition, the U.S. Shooting team brought home two gold, two silver and two bronze medals and set a total of five new Olympic records.

Getting a greenhorn shooter to take that first step along the path of a seasoned shooter, whether the targets are at the shooting range or running around in a field, often starts with a 22-caliber rifle. Most of us old-timers have fond memories of our first 22-caliber rifle. Bringing home a mess or rabbits or squirrels; punching holes in tin cans; or just trying to shoot the smallest group on paper were all part of our marksmanship learning experience.

Some of us remember that the first scene of the Audie Murphy biographical movie To Hell and Back depicts a young Murphy using a single shot to bag a rabbit for his family dinner. Developing his shooting skills with a 22-caliber rifle proved to be very beneficial marksmanship training for the man who would become the most decorated U.S. solider of World War II.

With a goal of getting our hands on a couple of used rimfires that could fit the requirements for a beginner's rifle, we checked out the used gun rack at Dury's Gun Shop (www.durysguns.com) and came up with a Remington Model 514 and a Marlin Model 25N, both with price tags of $200.

Although the Remington is a single shot and the Marlin has a seven-round detachable magazine, both rifles feature a basic bolt action loading access to the chamber; both have open sights; and both have been around long enough to have a few fans in the rimfire club.

The Model 514 was introduced in 1948 and was discontinued in 1970, while the Model 25N is a much newer 22-caliber rifle that was introduced in 1989, and was later renamed the Model 925. Remington acquired the Marlin operation in 2007 and continues to manufacture various models of 22-caliber rifles. However, our interest was in "experienced" versions of a beginner's shooting tool and the two veteran models that would most likely be older than the beginning shooter seemed to be an appropriate match.

To maintain a level playing field, we utilized the open sights featured on both rifles, rather than install better optics preferred by veteran marksmen whose eyesight may not be as good as younger shooters.

To examine the shooting performance of the two 22-caliber rifles, we selected a variety of 22-caliber Long Rifle ammunition. Although the Remington is designed to handle Shorts, Longs, and Long Rifles, we limited our ammunition choices to Long Rifle loads in fairness to the Marlin. Our test ammunition included CCI Standard Velocity; Eley Super Silhouex; and Aguila Super SE Extra, all 40-grain solid bullets; and Punta Hueca 39-grain hollowpoints made in Argentina. The average muzzle velocity of each of the rounds is 1200 fps. Targets used in our test were the Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C bull's eyes at 25 yards, with all shots taken from a solid bench rest.

Here's our test report:

In November 2003 Sturm, Ruger & Co. announced that it would introduce five different rifles chambered for a new cartridge, the 204 Ruger, which was developed in conjunction with Hornady Manufacturing. The 204 Ruger would share the same overall length of 223 Remington ammunition, but with greater case volume. The purpose was to deliver the same stopping power for varmint or small game with less recoil, muzzle report, and barrel wear than similar high-velocity rounds such as 22-250 Remington and 220 Swift. Ruger claimed higher velocity and flatter trajectory would be achieved while burning less propellant, a major source of barrel wear.In this evaluation we will test three bolt-action rifles chambered for 204 Ruger, including Rugers $935 KM77VT MKII, the $1224 Kimber 84M Varmint, and the $1208 Model 12 Long Range Precision Repeating rifle from Savage Arms.Each of our test guns was designed with the varmint hunter in mind. Perhaps the most popular game in this category would be the prairie dog. Prairie dogs live in "towns," and they are likely to stick their heads up or run from one mound to another at any time. Opportunities to take a shot are oftentimes so plentiful that the rifles are challenged to maintain accuracy and function despite high operating temperatures. Some rifle tests only require a three-shot group, but in this case we felt justified to test for accuracy over the course of five five-shot groups.In addition we looked for smooth bolt action operation and a magazine that was easy to load to full capacity. We also looked for smooth operation when chambering one round at a time.Another attribute we checked for was flexibility in terms of mount. Many outfitters supply a shooting bench. But if the dogs start hiding in one field, the rifle should not be so heavy that slinging it over the shoulder and moving to a more active location is not an undue burden. In addition, each rifle was judged for its ability to be shot prone and from the seated position.None of the rifles arrived with open sights. We chose to mount a scope that members of our staff had found to be a winner on a recent prairie dog hunt in North Dakota. This was the $337 Burris Timberline 4.5X-14X power scope with Ballistic Plex reticle No. 201344. In the field we used the lowest power to scan for our next target. Once a prairie dog was located, we zoomed in with full 14X power. If we came up short, we raised our sights to one of the three horizontal lines below the crosshairs of the Ballistic Plex reticle and tried again. Our accuracy tests were performed with our scopes set at 14X power from the 100-yard line at American Shooting Centers located on the western edge of Houston (amshootcenters.com). Each rifle was tested over a two-day period, one day for sighting in the scope and breaking in the barrel and another for shots of record. For support we used a Caldwell Tack Driver bag under the forend and a beanie bag under the buttstock. Seated at ASCs sturdy benches our operators clinched the beanie bag to set elevation while aligning the crosshairs for each shot. Weather conditions for each session were compared via readings from our Kestrel 4000NV Pocket Weather Meter, ($273 from sinclairintl.com).The prototypical bullet weight for 204 Ruger weighed 32 grains. As such we tested with Federals 32-grain Nosler V-Shok Ballistic Tip ammunition. We also tested with Winchesters 34-grain Lubalox-coated Super X JHP rounds and 40-grain V-Max Varmint Express ammunition from Hornady. Would one round prove supremely accurate, or would we find one rifle that shot all three equally well? Lets find out.