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(1)The Evolution of Accuracy!. Rigby’s Return! Volquartsen Evolution. Gradle. Marlin XL7W A Classy, Affordable Sporter!. 7mm. Express. January 2010. No. 248. $5.99. 7. 25274 01240. 01. 4. Printed in USA. $5.99 U.S./Canada.

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(4) January 2010 Volume 42, Number 1 ISSN 0162-3593 Issue No. 248. 8. From Zimbabwe Spotting Scope -. 20. Dave Scovill. 14 16. Gun Control Mostly Long Guns -. 28. Brian Pearce. 22. Borescope Views. They’re Alive! They’re Alive!. Optics -. Straight Talk -. Ron Spomer. Ron Spomer. 24. .22 Rimfires Down Range Mike Venturino. Trigger Shoes Light Gunsmithing -. .22 Long Rifle Classic Cartridges John Haviland. 30. Marlin XL7W Classy Bolt-Action Sporter Stan Trzoniec. 38. Gil Sengel. 25-Year Quest The Evolution of Accuracy Mike Venturino. 48. Levergun Hunting North America to Africa Brian Pearce. Page 48 . . .. Page 30 . . .. Page 38 . . .. 4. www.riflemagazine.com. Background Photo: © 2010 S. Jordan Palmer. Rifle 248.

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(6) Page 38 Page 78 Page 68. On the cover . . . The Marlin XL7W features a walnut stock, a Burris 6x 40mm scope in Leupold rings and an adjustable trigger. Photo by Stan Trzoniec.. 58. Rigby Redoubled Up from the Ashes Terry Wieland. 68. Gradle 7mm Express The Original Short Magnum. Issue No. 248. January 2010. John Haviland. 78. Sportiting Fi Firear earms Jour urnal al. Volquartsen Evolution. Publisher/President – Don Polacek Associate Publisher – Mark Harris. Product Tests -. 94. Clair Rees. 86. What’s New in the Marketplace Inside Product News -. 98. Clair Rees. Editor in Chief – Dave Scovill. Rifle Index Volume 41. Managing Editor – Roberta Scovill Art Director – Gerald Hudson. A Man of Iron Walnut Hill -. Production Director – Becky Pinkley. Contributing Editors Associate Editor – Al Miller John Haviland Ron Spomer Brian Pearce Stan Trzoniec Clair Rees Mike Venturino Gil Sengel Ken Waters Terry Wieland. Terry Wieland Page 58 . . .. Advertising Advertising Director - Stefanie Ramsey [email protected]. Page 68 . . .. Advertising Representative - Tom Bowman [email protected] Advertising Information: 1-800-899-7810. Circulation Circulation Manager – Michele Elfenbein [email protected] Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810 www.riflemagazine.com Rifle® (ISSN 0162-3583) is published bimonthly with one annual special edition by Polacek Publishing Corporation, dba Wolfe Publishing Company (Don Polacek, President), 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. (Also publisher of Handloader® magazine.) Telephone (928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions – single issue, $5.99; 7 issues, $19.97; 14 issues, $36. Foreign and Canada – single issue, $5.99; 7 issues $26; 14 issues, $48. Please allow 8-10 weeks for first issue. Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights reserved. Change of address: Please give six weeks notice. Send both the old and new address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Department, Rifle® Magazine, 2625 Stearman Road, Suite A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rifle ®, 2625 Stearman Road, Suite A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. Canadian returns: PM #40612608. Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Publisher of Rifle® is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of published loading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. All authors are contracted under work for hire. Publisher retains all copyrights upon payment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.. 6. www.riflemagazine.com. Wolfe Publishing Co. 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A Prescott, AZ 86301 Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124 © Polacek Publishing Corporation. Background Photo: © 2010 S. Jordan Palmer. Rifle 248.

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(8) FROM ZIMBABWE SPOTTING SCOPE. by Dave Scovill • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. saw an article recently about dangerous game cartridges and rifles. The princi ple topic was elephant, one of which the author admitted to kil ling. It was stunning! He then extrapolated from a sample of one and went on to make a broad range of “expert” recommendations.. I. I’ll also admit that nearly a half-century of enduring self-proclaimed braggarts has caused me to become a bit suspicious of any who, to hear them tell it, have all the answers. In flight school, there was always at least one “top gun” who knew everything, until he pruned a few tree tops or attempted water skiing with several million dollars’. worth of government hardware. And, I know hunters who have killed one elk and were miraculously transformed into an expert on trophy elk hunting – bullets, cartridges, rifles, you name it, the whole enchilada. This is not to ignore onehit-wonders who espouse expertise on bears, Cape buffalo, deer, etc., ad nauseam. Some of these folks wound up on the lecture circuit offering homespun advice to anyone with the price of admission. (I kid you not!) So, to level the playing field a bit, I asked our friend and African PH Ganyana to give us a rundown on a few “Solid Facts” about dangerous game.. THE SOLID FACTS ver the last couple of months I have read and listened to a pretty good debate on standard versus heavy-for-caliber bullets for use on dangerous game. I was asked for my take on this. Let me open by stating what I use (and why) and then onto what I recommend clients consider before they choose ammunition for a particular hunt.. O. I primarily use two rifles, a Mauser 9.3x62 and a Krieghoff 500/416, and these calibers in themselves impose restrictions in bullet selection. I also guide hunts almost entirely for lion or. BY. elephant these days. Because I hunt lion, I want a bullet impact velocity of over 2,250 fps, and I don’t want to change sight settings between softs and solids, which still further limits selection. That I live in Africa and only have South African powders to work out the “perfect” load is a final complication. So, the Krieghoff is regulated and sighted in for Woodleigh 410grain bullets at 2,330 fps. That’s how it came, and that’s perfect. It is for elephant hunting in the jesse, following up a wounded lion, buffalo or accompanying a “dogged” leopard hunt. In all four instances, the action is going to be close and fast, and the rifle is zeroed for 25 meters, which still. GANYANA gives me an “almost on” point of aim at 100 meters, certainly more than good enough if I need to fling some long-range lead at a retreating wounded animal. The 9.3 is my “everyday” rifle – what I use on all other occasions, including my personal hunting. The lack of powder capacity in the 9.3 case and the limited selection of South African powders has meant not being able to work up a decent load for any of the monolithic bullets, be they solids or hollowpoint, that meet my velocity criteria, penetrate sufficiently on elephant and regulate. The elephant’s skull – the broomsticks mark the ear holes – shows that the position of the brain forms a perfect frontal shot. The hard, curved surfaces of the tusk bases and the zygomatic arch are the real bullet killers (besides the front leg bone). They have a very hard surface, and bullets with a poor shape tend to deflect off these curved surfaces. 8. www.riflemagazine.com. Rifle 248.

(9) with the inexpensive Speer bullets I use for practice and plains game hunting. I have four loads that work for me: 286-grain Woodleigh solids; 286-grain Stuart softs for buffalo; 286-grain Norma Oryx for lion, eland or leopard; and Speer 270 grain for everything else. The three 286grain loads all shoot to point of aim at 100 meters (and 25, for that matter), while the Speer bullets are one inch or so high at 100 and spot on at 150. One sight setting, and nothing to remember.. PRESLIK’S GUNSTOCKS - California Claro & English - Imported French, Bastogne - Turkish Circassian & Maple -. James Preslik - 4245 Keith Ln. Chico, CA 95973 (530) 891-8236. Bushing Type Neck Sizing Dies New Design For Black Powder Cartridges. Because the less you work your cases, the longer they will last. Now you can have a neck sizer for your BPCR rifle just like the benchrest shooters use. Available only from: Meacham T&H, Inc. 37052 Eberhardt Rd. • Peck, ID 83545 • 208-486-7171 www.meachamrifles.com [email protected]. However, those are not the only options or even the “best” options. It depends on caliber, soft or solid and what you are hunting. When I owned a .458 Lott, I loaded Barnes Super Solids for elephant and TSXs for everything else. Why, you may ask? Why change bullets? Let’s start by considering elephants and bullets for use on them. First there is a world of difference between a bull and a cow. It is not just a matter of size; it is the great difference in thickness between the four “obstacles” that the bullet must be able to penetrate safely for it to be completely safe and usable under all situations. These are the front leg, the zygomatic arch, the teeth and the tusk bases. A bullet that does not hit one of these four tough targets cannot be considered in a discussion of bullets suitable for all-around use on elephant under all circumstances. When the elephant culling program started in Rhodesia, many of the officers started off us ing the standard military issue Fabrique Nationale (F.N.) FAL in 7.62 NATO for shooting the cows and calves. Within a couple of years, the F.N. was out of favor. Usually it worked fine, but if the angle was poor and you hit a tusk base or zygomatic arch, there were just too many failures. The park service switched to using 7.62x54R armor-piercing ammunition fired from captured Soviet Draganov January-February 2010. www.riflemagazine.com. 9.

(10) rifles (with scopes removed) or M1 Garands with monolithic solids. (As an aside, we had several CIA agents come bearing lavish gifts and looking to get their hands on a Draganov. The West knew of this new and deadly soviet sniper’s rifle but didn’t have any, whilst Rhodesians had captured a bunch, tried them, stuck to their Enfield envoys for sniping and tossed the Draganovs at the park service. A mate of mine got a new starlight scope simply for letting an agent have a rifle and some ammunition for an afternoon’s test.) On bulls, nobody used anything less than .375, unless circumstances forced one into using something smaller. I must stress that with a perfect shot, penetration on elephant isn’t an issue. A side brain shot on a cow that passes above the arch can be safely taken with a hot loaded .45-70. In fact, give it a decent bullet like a Barnes, and I would expect it to exit on a bull. A charging cow in the jess? Hit her square between the eyes with a .50 Alaskan and the bullet should come out the back of the head. Thousands of elephants have been cleanly taken with rifles ranging from .22 Savage and the old black-powder .577/450 Martini Henry, to say nothing of .303s and the 8mm Mauser, which was my father’s choice of a decent elephant rifle during his three-year stint as a professional ivory hunter. (As a kid I watched him. drop 17 bull elephants with 18 rounds using 227grain Kynoch solids and fed into the rifle from stripper clips, so he could keep the rate of fire up while the elephants were trying to get out of the orchard.) No, we are only considering “when things go wrong” – a bullet suitable for all occasions and conditions. What do we need for reliable penetration on elephant? Basic physics tells us there is a direct relationship between sectional density (SD) and velocity as regards penetration. We know from over 100 years of hard experience that a bullet with an SD of .340 needs to land at over 2,050 fps to have more than adequate penetration, and that a bullet with an SD of .300 needs to arrive at 2,300 fps. (See the graph.) But SD and velocity are not the only factors at play. Bullet shape is critical. All the tough targets in an elephant present the bullet with a curved surface. If the bullet isn’t to deflect or tumble, it needs a blunt profile. Arguments rage as to whether a large, flat meplat like the Barnes Super Solids increase penetration or if a blunt profile like the Woodleigh 9.3 bullets I use is all it takes. I cannot decide despite having used both and seen many clients use both. Certainly a flat meplat makes a louder thwak when it hits, but that isn’t relevant to dropping an elephant! However, I don’t think anybody would argue that blunt is essential. The last factor is bullet integrity – one people forget and bullet makers often gloss over. If the bullet fails, then penetration is going to be inadequate QED. Under what conditions do bullets fail? Obviously if the jacket material is too soft (for a conventional FMJ-type bullet). Prime examples were the 1950’s vintage Kynoch when gilding metal jackets rather than steel were used, the old German nickelcolored solids from firms like RWS and DWM and even the relatively new (and quickly dropped) Hornady “encapsulated.” In monolithic bullets, too soft is better than too brittle. A bullet that mushrooms slightly will not penetrate as far, but it is a heck of a. 10. www.riflemagazine.com. Rifle 248.

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(12) OCTAGON BARRELS - Using Douglas premium barrels or your barrel. Straight-Tapered or 544 Eaton Road Contoured. Little or no Chico, CA 95973 polishing needed. Tel: 530-345-2928 Fax: 530-345-8614 Toll Free: 800-345-4742 www.cncbarrelworks.com. Kelly’s Africa Pvt. Ltd. 23 Years Experience throughout Africa. Namibia - Zimbabwe South Africa-Tanzania. Hunt Specials for 2010!. ZIMBABWE- Ten days elephant all inclusive $15,500. 7 days plains game 2x1 $5,350, 1x1 $6,100 for: Greater Kudu, Impala, Warthog, Steenbok, Zebra, Wildebeest, Duiker, Jackal & Baboon. 10-Day Leopard!-All inclusive $8,990. Cape Buffalo-7 days 1x1 $9,800 (Zimbabwe) Leopard/Sable plus 9 other plains game, 12 days $17,500. 16-Day Photo Tour includes Capetown, Victoria Falls, 5 National Parks-round trip airfare, full board, transfers $4,650 per person. 16-Day Portal to Portal-7 days hunting, 5 days touring, 5-star lodge, Capetown, Victoria Falls, 7 trophies, w/air $7,990/single - $10,900/couple (Zimbabwe, South Africa or combination at no additional cost) South African Plains Game-7 species including Greater Kudu and Gemsbok 1x1 $4,800. Round trip airfare from USA to Africa from $1,300 usd Kelly’s Africa Pvt. Ltd. - www.kellysafrica.com Alan C. Kelly - Box 1356, Elizabeth, CO 80107 Ph/Fax (303) 646-3076 Cell 24/7 (303) 570-6950 E-mail: [email protected]. lot better than one that breaks in half or loses a chunk off the trailing edge and tumbles. But what many a hunter fails to understand after recovering the bullet after a “failure” is why it failed. The simple answer is that the impact velocity was too high for the structural integrity of the bullet used. The forces trying to tear a bullet apart increase to the square of velocity, i.e., an exponential curve rather than a straight line, and all bullets I have ever tried had a threshold velocity, above which bullet failures began to occur with increasing regularity. Also, bear in mind that most elephants are shot at close range – 15 yards or less in hunting scenarios and considerably less in selfdefense, so for all practical purposes, muzzle velocity equals impact velocity. I’ve had great success with Woodleigh 9.3 bullets at around 2,400 fps over the last 18 years. I’ve seen several failures from 300-grain Woodleighs fired from .375s at 2,550 to 2,600 fps. In fact, among knowing PHs, the trend in recent years has been to download the .375 to 2,450 fps. Penetration improves. DEM-BART. GUNSTOCK CHECKERING TOOLS. BY NORM B ORK RO WN KW OC VICTOR, MONTANA E ST. USED BY MANUFACTURERS, PROFESSIONALS, AND THE BEST GUNSMITH SCHOOLS. OUR TOOLS WILL CUT CONTROLLABLE, CLEAN LINES. TEL: 360-568-7356. WEB SITE: WWW.DEMBARTCO.COM. 1825 Bickford Ave., Snohomish, WA 98290. significantly but tapers off rapidly as you drop velocity below 2,400 fps. Monolithics? I have never seen an A-Square bullet deform, even out of a .378 Weatherby, but I also know the barrel life of our M1 Garands and issue .458s used with A-Square monos was under 500 rounds so have never used them in my own rifles. Barnes Super Solids? Great bullets at reasonable impact speeds. As impact speeds increase above 2,500 fps, they begin to mushroom. Velocity is an essential component of penetration, but you can have too much of a good thing. Another good example of this “structural integrity” issue is from the old (and sadly discontinued) Speer African Grand Slam solids with a tungsten core. They were the choice of bullet for the .458 Winchester, where powder capacity was lacking, and also superb from high-velocity numbers like the .460 Weatherby. I never saw many used in .416, but out of a .375 and particularly the .378, they were prone to spectacular failures. The thick brass “jacket” would come off and the tungsten core would tumble. In this instance, it wasn’t so much the velocity that caused the failures, but either the ratio of jacket to core (The .375 had much more “jacket” relative to its diameter than the .458.) or diameter to length (The .458 bullet is relatively short for its caliber – and short bullets are less prone to tumbling on impact with a curved bone.) or a combination of both. In summery then, we can say for elephants that any decently constructed bullet arriving at an appropriate velocity for the sectional density will do just fine. The blunter the bullet’s profile the better, but in a magazine rifle, reliability mustn’t be sacrificed just for the sake of having a bullet with a big meplat. Is there any real difference between using a 550-grain bullet at 2,150 fps or a. 12. www.riflemagazine.com. Rifle 248.

(13) 450-grain bullet fired at 2,325 fps from your .458 Lott? Not enough for me to recommend a client use one in preference to the other. From a .460 Weatherby, a 550grain at 2,450 fps or a 450-grain at 2,700 fps? Give me the 550-grain load any day. The lighter bullet is simply going too fast for current technology.. NOW AVAILABLE!. BULLETS FOR BUFFALO (AND HIPPO ON LAND) I cannot understand how people can still recommend solids for buff. We live in the twentyfirst century. Does velocity have any appreciable effect on buffalo? Not in the calibers I shoot. A 320-grain Woodleigh soft from my 9.3 is no less effective than a 286-grainer, despite arriving 150 fps slower. Actually, the greater penetration offered by the heavier bullet is probably more important, particularly as it will allow poor angle shots (or a Texas heart shot on a departing, wounded buff). I have never felt that a buff has been particularly impressed by any bullet under .50 caliber, and the difference in “knock-down” effect between a .404 Jeffery and a .460 Weatherby isn’t worth worrying about. It is on buff that the “heavy-for-caliber” argument is at its best. A .404 shooting a relatively soft 450-grain bullet (like a Woodleigh soft) is going to make a bigger wound channel and still offer the deep penetration occasionally required, compared to a more stoutly constructed 400-grain bullet landing faster. If you are hunting buffalo, then an appropriately constructed 600-grain soft is an entirely reasonable choice for a .458 Winchester Magnum. Nobody could accuse a 9.3 or .375 of possessing any significant knock-down effect on buffalo, whatever load you care to stuff into them, and it’s only when you reach the .500 Jeffery and .505 Gibbs that you can actually talk of bullets having a noticeable effect on the buff, and whether you (Continued on page 85). January-February 2010. Propellant Profiles, covering the last 45 years, is the most comprehensive reference on the gunpowders available to American reloaders. This updated Fifth Edition includes 452 pages of detailed descriptions and photographs of the most popular current and discontinued powders available, including recommended loads and tips.. $39.95 Plus Shipping & Handling. Catalog #544 SHIPPING & HANDLING: $7.25 U.S. - Call for Foreign. AZ Residents add 8.35% tax.. Wolfe Publishing Company 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A • Prescott, AZ 86301 TOLL FREE: (800) 899-7810 • FAX: (928) 778-5124 ORDER ONLINE: www.riflemagazine.com www.riflemagazine.com. 13.

(14) BORESCOPE VIEWS OPTICS. by Ron Spomer • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • check leades for concentricity and muzzle crowns for dings; and study land-to-groove concentricity. About the only thing I haven’t checked are my own ears for wax buildup, but now that I’m thinking of it . . .. orescopes put me in mind of that old cartoon in which a patient being examined on a proctologist’s table says “No, Doc! I said I wanted a Bud Lite!”. B. This is not to imply that using a borescope is painful or even uncomfortable, but it is rather high-tech and a great way to see what’s going on in otherwise dark and inaccessible places like chambers, throats, lands and grooves – of firearms.. A borescope – the Hawkeye, at least – consists of a series of magnifying lenses and mirrors in a long (your choice of 7, 12, 17 or 22 inches), thin (.165inch) tube that will fit down a .17-inch caliber bore. This transmits a 360 degree, magnified, fisheyelike view straight forward. A 90-degree (right angle) mirror tube with a .188 inch outside diameter (OD) slips over the main tube to provide highly magnified, close-up views of the lands and grooves. It will fit .20 bores, and it rotates 360 degrees so you can spin it to examine in minute detail every millimeter of any bore. It’s as if you are inside the barrel with a 20x magnifying glass.. The average rifle fanatic doesn’t need a borescope, but once he or she uses one, he generally feels he can’t live without it. Such was the case with me several years ago when I borrowed a Gradient Lens Corporation Hawkeye borescope. Marketing Manager Ken Harrington was smart enough to realize that once tried, forever desired. When the test period was over, I was in love. I just had to have that handy peek-a-boo optical instrument. The check was in the mail. Since that day my infatuation with the Hawkeye scope has only grown. I pull it out to check every new barrel that comes through the door. I study barrels after the first shot or two to understand where and how badly they copper foul; scope them while cleaning to see how quickly they shine silver; look for internal rust in old guns, rough edges on lands and signs of heat cracking in throats; check chamber walls and barrels for tooling marks, nicks and gouges; 14. www.riflemagazine.com. The Hawkeye borescope consists of a series of magnifying lenses and mirrors that offer a fisheye view, or the right angle mirror that rotates 360 degrees with 20x magnification.. To illuminate those dark caves, you screw a common Mini-Maglite flashlight to the Hawkeye’s handle. Larger, brighter lights can be attached, but I’ve found the Mini-Mag bright enough for typical sporter calibers. More voluminous spaces require more light. The light travels down the tube to illuminate barrel walls while the lenses enlarge those same walls for a microscopic view. For the past decade or so, all was well in my borescoping world. Then came the 2008 SHOT Rifle 248.

(15) Show and a chance encounter at the Gradient Lens Corp. booth. The company had upgraded the optics of the Hawkeye borescope. New and improved. Brighter and clearer than ever, thanks to improved endoGRINS relay lenses; new, multicoated objective lenses; and new, dur able, easy-clean mirrors. There’s even a new SuperNOVA light source and an independent focusing ring for photography in the PRO model. Adapter rings make it possible to mount a digital camera to the borescope using lenses from 28mm OD to 58mm OD. With the Luxxor Digital Camera System you can get a video read-out of what the scope sees in real time plus capture still images and even 30-second video clips. Now that’s a great way to maintain a history of the life and times of a rifle barrel. My Hawkeye went back to the shop to be upgraded with the new lenses and mirrors. Although I did not splurge and purchase the hardware for making pictures or video, you might want to. Gunsmiths could really benefit from photographic records of client’s barrels. So could anyone who shoots competitively. Collectors who buy and sell rifles would take a lot of guesswork out of the enterprise and command premium prices with photographic evidence of internal parts. Such digital photos or video clips could be emailed to potential clients. Collectors could store digital image files of their inventory, and target shooters would be able to follow the deterioration of the lands. Digital imaging via the Hawkeye borescope opens a whole new world for barrel and accuracy management.. C. ustom Bullets. Heavy Jacketed .224 Hunting Rounds. .312, .375, .377, .44, .45, .458 & .500 S&W Bullets Bonded Cores Available • www.Clearwater-Bullets.com PO Box 1487, Kamiah, ID 83536 • Tel: (208) 935-1024. NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA. Moose, Woodland Caribou & Black Bear Hunts. Book now for 2009 & 2010 • Tel/Fax: (709) 681-2191 [email protected] www.biggamecanada.com P.O. Box 159, York Harbour, NL, Canada A0L 1L0. A COUPLE OF LIGHTWEIGHTS! Summit - 15 oz.. Summit XL - 12 oz.. We Manufacture 30 other Glass Stock Designs E-Mail: [email protected]. Lone Wolf (406) 892-9653. PH/FX 125 N. Hilltop Rd., Columbia Falls, MT 59912 www.lonewolfriflestocks.com. A borescope certainly isn’t the most critical optic a shooter/ hunter can own, but it’s one of the most revealing. No other device uncovers those ancient mysteries lost to the deepest reR cesses of your rifles. January-February 2010. www.riflemagazine.com. 15.

(16) .22 RIMFIRES DOWN RANGE. by Mike Venturino • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. ike most, I started my rifle shooting career with .22 rimfires. Unlike most, I never developed a particular fondness for them. In fact my hand-jotted records of the past 50 years indicate I’ve only owned seven .22 rimfires in my entire life, and four of those were given to me as a preteen. That means with my own hard-earned cash I’ve only bought three, with the most recent coming shortly before this writing. (By comparison those same records show I’ve owned 25 rifles and carbines chambered for .44-40, 27 for .30-06, and the all-time winner is .45-70, of which I’ve owned 36 various types of single shots and leverguns.. L. Perhaps the reason for my attitude is that I grew up in southern West Virginia where there was little in the way of rifle shooting tradition. It was more a shotgun and handgun area. By the time I moved to Montana and fell in with many rifle shooters, I was already an avid handloader. Shooting centerfires didn’t seem like a burden. When strapped for cash, as was usual in my younger years, I felt it more logical to spend what money was available on powder. 16. www.riflemagazine.com. These two groups were fired at 100 yards with Mike’s two .22 rimfires. At left is the group fired with the Colt/Walther M4 and Federal Champion HP/HV ammunition, and at right is the group fired with the Winchester Winder Musket and Lapua Midas M ammunition. Both were fired with the rifles’ peep sights. and primers and then cast bullets to handload for the assortment of guns currently on hand. Spending that money on .22 ammunition would have only fed .22s. Right now I own two .22 rifles,. which are as different as night and day. Besides being the same caliber, they have one other factor in common. I bought both in fits of impetuosity. The one that has been here longest is a Winchester Single Shot, aka Model 1885, aka high wall, aka Winder Musket. Although Winchester never tagged its .22 rimfire single shot, when fitted with militarystyle stocks as “Winder Muskets,” the name is almost universally used. Charles Winder was an officer in the Ohio National Guard in the early 1900s. Beginning in 1904 he consulted with Winchester in developing these .22s as marksmanship training rifles for recruits. Winder Muskets were made both as low walls and high walls and in .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle chamberings. From Rifle 248.

(17) These two groups were fired at 25 yards with Mike’s two .22 rimfires. Top group fired with a Winder Musket and Lapua Midas M ammunition measures 1 ⁄4 inch. Bottom group fired with Colt/Walther M4 and Federal Champion HV/HP ammunition measures 5⁄8 inch. Both were fired with the rifles’ peep sights. my observations at many gun shows, the low wall .22 Short versions are most common, and the high wall .22 Long Rifles are least common. Even more rare are high-wall, .22 Long Rifle Winder Muskets with the takedown feature. (Mine is not one of those.) Many of the high-wall, .22 Long Rifle Winder Muskets carried open rear sights very similar to those found on the Krag rifles then in use by the U.S. Army.. Not being a .22 Long Rifle fan, I wasn’t looking for a Winder Musket when wandering around a large antique gun show in Las Vegas in 1995. In fact I had already spent so much money that I wasn’t looking for anything on that last morning of the show. Then in an aisle nearly empty of people, there sat this beautiful condition Winder Musket. Until that point I didn’t even realize they had been made as high walls and in .22 Long Rifle. As I stood gaping at it, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a fellow start down the aisle. His attention was obviously focused on that Winchester. Perhaps greed took over, but something made my hands flash out fast as lightning and grab the rifle. Gun show etiquette says that whoever has his mitts on the item gets first chance to buy. That poor fellow exuded disappointment. The seller merely smiled knowing he was sure of a sale without dickering. I’ve rationalized that the .22 Winder Musket was bought as my offhand practice rifle for BPCR Silhouette. This fiction was even carried to the point that a gunsmith was paid to install closecoupled double set triggers in it. Also a Lyman 17A front sight was dovetailed in and a Steve Baldwin Soule-style, Vernier tang sight bolted on. As a practice rifle I’d bet that no more than a few hundred rounds have been fired though it in nearly 15 years. It seems that I’ve always got something more important or. Mike only owns two vastly different .22 rimfire rifles. Top is a Winchester High Wall Winder Musket, and bottom is a new Colt/Carl Walther M4. January-February 2010.

(18) more enjoyable to do than practice. That said, it must be admitted that this Winder Musket is a finely accurate rifle. Last month I was with my friend Shrapnel, so nicknamed by me for his propensity for blowing up guns, when he wanted to stop in the Shedhorn Sports Store of Ennis, Montana. I wasn’t interested in buying anything, but it was a warm day and the store is air-conditioned. While Shrapnel was checking out every possible bargain among the hundreds of guns, my attention was drawn to a rack of AR-type rifles. There was something different about them that I couldn’t quite place, so I picked up one. Its tag indicated “.22 Long Rifle,” and I soon realized the “different” thing was its magazine. Previously the only .22 Long Rifle AR-type rifles I’d ever heard of were “cheapies” made in some third-world country. The little carbine I was holding certainly wasn’t “cheap” in either quality of manufacture or price. Furthermore it carried the Colt logo but was clearly marked as being made by “Carl Walther, Germany.” Lastly, it was stamped “US Exporter, UmarexUSA, Fort Smith, AR.” Personally to me Germany is synonymous with quality, so I whipped out one of those magic plastic cards and bought myself a second .22 rimfire. The little carbine is pretty much a dead ringer for the U.S. military’s current M4 and not too far off Colt’s. own CAR15 .223s, one of which Yvonne owns. It has the collapsible shoulder stock, 16.2-inch barrel with integral flash hider and weighs 61⁄2 pounds. It has some differences. The forward-assist button on the right rear of the receiver is non-functional, as is the bolt release on the left side. The bolt will be held open by the magazine follower after the last shot is fired. To drop it the magazine must be removed; then merely by pulling back on the charging handle, it lets the bolt drop. Sights – front post and peep rear – are also like those used on the military’s M4. They are fully adjustable for windage and elevation. The carrying handle is detachable. In its place scope mounts can be fixed to the receiver’s top. Perhaps that’s not a bad idea at my age. This little .22 came with a single 30-round magazine, which I consider near useless. It makes the carbine near impossible to shoot over sandbags because it extends so far. The UmarexUSA website (www.umarexusa.com) was found and two, 10-round magazines ordered. Because neither of my .22 rimfires was intended for paper punching, there were no targets lying around the gun room to photograph. So some groups were fired at both 25 and 100 yards. That the Winder Musket did well with Lapua Midas M ammunition was no surprise. That the little M4 did so well with bulk packaged Federal Champion high-velocity hollowpoints was, especially considering its 9pound trigger pull. With the growing popularity of .22 BPCR Silhouette, a couple of the gun clubs here in Montana have now built suitable ranges so there may come a growing purpose for my Winder Musket. It’s been fired in a few such matches and is perfectly competitive. As for the .22 rimfire M4 look-alike, I’m not sure exactly what purpose it will serve, but if things continue as now, it will be fired plenty. I liked it on first sight. R. 18. www.riflemagazine.com. Rifle 248.

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(20) GUN CONTROL MOSTLY LONG GUNS. “F. irearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under the independence. The church, the plow, the prairie wagon and citizens firearms are indelibly related.” – George Washington As I write these words, politicians and lawmakers are attacking practically every God-given and blood-earned right that we enjoy as American citizens. The antigun crowds, beginning with President Obama and trickling all the way down to state lawmakers, are quickly positioning them-. by Brian Pearce • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Brian used a Merkel KR1 bolt-action .308 Winchester to try Winchester’s new Super-X Power Max Bonded ammunition on Wyoming pronghorn. selves to ultimately disarm all Americans. Their plans are nothing short of absurd but nonetheless threaten virtually every freedom we enjoy and include horrendous taxes on ammunition with strict quantity limits. Handloading would be completely banned. And there are proposals that will heavily tax guns – all guns – on an annual basis until they cannot be afforded. The above will eventually lead to a national gun registration, followed by confiscation and a ban of private ownership of all firearms, the same strategy Hitler used in pre-World War II Germany. If we allow that to happen, we will no longer be citizens, but subjects. How much money, property or assets we possess, or what our religious convictions are will no longer be important, as each will be taken from us. Never before in our 234-year history have our gun rights (along with all others) been in such jeopardy. We are in serious times and must act now. The Second Amendment of the Constitution, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the. 20. www.riflemagazine.com. security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” was not about hunting. Rather it was for an armed citizenry intended to serve as the nation’s military and to defend from all enemies, even preventing the government from becoming oppressive. George Mason, co-author of the Second Amendment, wrote during Virginia’s Convention to ratify the Constitution in 1788, “I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effective way to enslave them.” Clearly we know the motives of those who desire to do so. Their intents are neither naive, innocent nor ignorant (uninformed) but are just as horrid and deliberate as Hitler’s actions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated, “In politics nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.” I am a bit hesitant to admit it, but I have known many Rifle 248.

(21) politicians very well, and their actions are absolutely deliberate! Rifle is a sporting firearms journal, and frankly we have not dedicated many pages to fight the antigun movement. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is the single largest and strongest organization fighting for our Second Amendment rights. There is much we can do to fight the antigun crowds, but at the very least, join the NRA and contribute freely to the cause. In short, it needs members for strength, and it needs money to fight. Consider giving a membership to a friend. To join, call 1-800-672-3888 or online at www.nra.org. On the other hand, if you want the best magazine dedicated to sporting rifles, you will need to subscribe or renew your subscription to Rifle. ***. WINCHESTER SUPER-X POWER MAX BONDED BULLETS The Winchester Super-X Power Max is a relatively new line of hunting ammunition that features a bonded bullet. As most are aware, practically all ammunition has been sparse for a year or so, and I have not seen this particular product on dealer shelves in. The new Winchester Power Max bonded bullet features a lead core with a copper alloyed bullet. At the shank, jacket thickness is .07 inch but tapers at the ogive and features a hollow point. January-February 2010. Winchester Super-X Power Max bonded ammunition features a new bullet with proprietary technology that keeps costs comparatively low. spite of being a new item for 2009. Nonetheless, Winchester is producing it as fast as possible, and it should be largely available by the time you read these words. Current offerings include .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .30-30 Winchester, .30-06, .300 WSM, .300 Winchester Magnum and .308 Winchester. And there are five additional calibers planned for a 2010 introduction.. price. Prices are similar to Winchester’s Power-Point ammunition with street pricing ranging from $25 to $35 per box for standard and magnum cartridges. Using a Ruger Model 77 Mark II (Continued on page 84). The bullet design features a lead core with a copper alloyed jacket. And there is no plating or coatings that sometimes contribute to fouling and other problems. The bonding process is what Winchester refers to as “proprietary” and includes a state-of-the-art procedure that reduces costs and results in a quality product. The jacket is contoured, notched and has a protected hollow point to help prevent magazine battering of the nose. In dissecting a 150-grain bullet pulled from a .308 Winchester cartridge, the jacket measured .07 inch at the shank (and base), then tapered, becoming thinner at the ogive. The hollowpoint cavity measures around .100 inch deep. This ammunition is intended to offer a premium bonded bullet that gives reliable performance on big game but at an attractive www.riflemagazine.com. 21.

(22) THEY’RE ALIVE! THEY’RE ALIVE! STRAIGHT TALK. by Ron Spomer • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. oday’s news reports are often like a scene from a Frankenstein movie – the Mel Brook’s edition. “The News Media” has been reporting lately that bullets are alive.. T. They’re alive! They’re alive! You remember The News Media, don’t you? Before they became “The Entertainment Media,” these were the reporters formerly known as journalists. They were called the Fourth Estate, because they were supposed to sound the alarm on corruption in big business, government and organized religion for the benefit of ordinary citizens and society as a whole. Journalists were supposed to (and often did) dig up and expose the ugly truth by accurately, dispassionately and fairly reporting what they saw and heard, including statements from people, right or wrong. Sort of like this: “A bystander at the scene, who was heading into the store to buy a Snickers bar, said the accused killer ‘Stood over the fallen clerk, taunting her, threatening to shoot her if she didn’t open the safe. If I’d had a gun, I could have stopped him before he killed that poor woman.’” Nowadays, depending on the political leanings of the jour nalist (or journal), the above incident could read more like this: “A bystander at the scene, who was there to corrupt his body with refined sugar and trans-fats, said the alleged assailant, who had been abused as a child by a drugaddicted mother and a series of 22. www.riflemagazine.com. her boyfriends, stood beside the stricken shopkeeper, beseeching her to please hand over some cash. Fortunately, the bystander had no weapon of his own with which to escalate the tension and endanger other lives. Sadly, the alleged assailant did not know this and, seeing he’d been observed, became confused and inadvertently discharged his cheap Saturday Night Special, killing the clerk.” Well, reporting may not be quite that egregious, but you get the drift. Journalists of late have. As gun owners we understand this better than most, because we have been on the receiving end of biased reporting for decades. Some is as subtle as describing any firearm as a weapon. A headline might read “Skeet Shooters Bring Weapons to Town for Tournament.” Some news is routinely slanted and colored, such as the terms Saturday Night Special, Cop Killer Bullets and Assault Weapons. A hypodermic needle used to inject ricin into a spy’s buttocks is an assault weapon. So are some people’s fists.. A popular little propaganda trick most TV news shows employ is showing a background picture of a handgun or cartridge while reporting on any crime story whether a firearm had been ©2 involved or not. While the 01 0S ar helpless public stares at ah Sp om a frightening, black reer volver, they hear the grim statistics: “Burglaries are up a quarter percent over last year. Rapes are up five percent and jaywalking 20 percent as a crime wave continues to sweep the metroland.”. so often slanted their reports, fudged facts, omitted facts, nuanced language and outright made up stories (see New York Times) that few of us trust them any more than the politicians, charlatans and corporate raiders they’re supposed to expose.. “Point blank range” is a phrase little understood but universally applied by the news media to color reports of shootings. As used, the phrase suggests an unsporting ruthlessness in the shooter, often a police officer, implying that he didn’t just shoot the perp, but really, truly, most assuredly wanted to shoot him because, well, he “shot him at point blank range.” Subtle propaganda and nuanced phrasing such as this rarely alert the average citizen, but shooters who know better catch this stuff Rifle 248.

(23) and begin to understand how imperfectly journalists perform. It makes us wonder what else they get wrong. A recent report out of Iran noted that Iranian security forces actually fired “live bullets” to disburse the crowd. Live bullets? Is that part of the organic movement? Instead of the old-fashioned bullets formed from inert metals such as lead, copper, tin, zinc and bronze, they are now made of what? Compressed corn cobs infused with bacterial cultures that will biodegrade said “live” bullet within 60 days after it is fired? Of course, if they fired live bullets one day, viewers may infer they’ve fired dead bullets in the past and may do so again in the future. And this raises questions: Is it better to be shot with a dead bullet or a live one? What is a dead bullet? Is it an organic, live bullet that has been so degraded it no longer has the dimensions of its original caliber? Has it been so degraded that it no longer looks like a bullet? Or is it one of those old-fashioned, inorganic metal bullets that has been propelled from a cartridge by expanding powder gases, traveled through the air and expended its kinetic energy, never to arise again? Could a dead bullet be resurrected if it were melted and re-formed to its original shape?. Lapham Outfitters Fair chase hunts for elk, deer and antelope in Southwestern Montana.. Max & Debbie Lapham 45385 Hwy. 278 • P.O. Box 795 Jackson, MT 59735 • (406) 834-3134 www.laphamoutfitters.com. Over 30 years of experience!. High Antimony (30%) Lead Alloy Use safely ~ 700F in lieu of Antimony, 1167F. New Foundry Wheel Weight Alloy 3% Antimony 0.4% Tin 0.15% arsenical Lead. Call for Special Pricing. Bill Ferguson - tel: 520-458-5321 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.theantimonyman.com. JDS Quick Measure Cut Your Reloading Time! Not Your Powder! • This powder measure will not cut powder! • Charge directly into the cartridge cases • Charge 100 cases in less than 4 minutes. Johnson Design Specialities 4607 W. Elderberry Avenue Spokane, WA 99208 • 509-464-0697 [email protected] www.quick-measure.com. A columnist in today’s local paper reported that a man in the Midwest shot himself in the stomach when he smashed a bullet with a hammer. Seriously. He wanted to destroy the bullet so it wouldn’t harm his kids. There are some strange goings on in the Midwest. So I’m guessing what he had there was one of those genuine live bullets. He may have seen it slinking around his yard, perhaps even creeping through his house looking for children to attack. Thank heavens he dropped the hammer on it in the nick of time. Complete story on News Eleven tonight. R January-February 2010. www.riflemagazine.com. 23.

(24) TRIGGER SHOES LIGHT GUNSMITHING h, yes, triggers. Nothing so excites (or ignites) the serious rifleman, handgunner or competitive shotgun user as does the mere mention of the word.. A. How can this be? A trigger is just like a switch. To turn on a light, one flips a switch; to fire a rifle, one pulls a trigger. Simple enough. Yet we can make it so complicated! There’s no end of tales of how. by Gil Sengel • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • triggers failed and the users didn’t. “That three-toed unicorn would have easily made the book, but the darn rifle went off before I was ready!” whines an irate hunter. “Must have been the trigger!” Of course, the opposite can be true as well. Such as, “The crosshairs were square on the old bull’s heart,” says our nim rod. “Would have blown it to smithereens, but the darn rifle didn’t go off right, and the bullet went through the prostate instead! Must have been the trigger.” About this time someone should be saying to himself that Sengel isn’t supposed to be talking about triggers. The subject is trigger shoes. Then if the shooter has counted less than 40 birthdays, there may be a question as to what a trigger shoe really is.. The narrow trigger on this Remington 521T will get a trigger shoe.. Steel for the shoe may be plate or rectangular stock, but it must be mild steel. This will prevent breakage of tiny taps used for setscrew holes. 24. www.riflemagazine.com. the pull weight one bit. If the trigger released at 4 pounds before adding the shoe, it will still release at 4 pounds after installation. What does happen, for most folks at least, is that the pull weight feels lighter. This is be-. That is certainly a fair question, because these little pieces of steel have not been mentioned anywhere for some time. A whole lot of years ago, gun shops would put a sign on the wall listing common gunsmith services and their costs. Often there was an entry like “Economy Trigger Job” followed by a figure of $2.50 or so. That was the cost of a trigger shoe, installed, plus hitting the trigger working parts with a toothbrush and applying a drop or two of oil. A trigger shoe is simply a small piece of steel that fits over a trigger to make the surface contacted by the finger a great deal wider. The idea is to make the trigger do its job better. How adding to trigger width affects the pull is not all that obvious. First off, it will not change. The tracing on the steel is the front of the trigger. The steel must be inlet over this surface. Excess metal on top of the blank must be removed to eliminate dents on the back side.. Alternative to profiling the rear of the shoe is to round it enough to cover the original profile. This is acceptable, provided there is enough room at the rear of the guard bow. Rifle 248.

(25) cause a wide trigger face does not dig into the pad of the finger like a narrow one. Nerve endings in the finger tip tell the brain less pressure was applied to fire the rifle, even though that was not. The groove for the trigger is laid out prior to filing.. Much of the excess metal in the trigger slot can be removed with a hacksaw.. Filing of the trigger slot is complete. January-February 2010. the case. Varying sensitivity in each individual’s finger is the reason. Having worked at farm, construction and mechanical maintenance jobs for years, sensitivity in my fingers is degraded. If a trigger pulls at much under 1.5 pounds it will release before my brain detects a finger has even touched the thing. A wide trigger shoe on a 2-pound trigger gives the same results. It is this phenomenon that makes the trigger shoe useful for many applications.. trigger job, altering mainspring pressure or sear engagement. Shotgunners can also make use of trigger shoes. Since they don’t pull triggers, but more or less slap them, the wide surface allows this with less disturbance to the gun, as is true for the singleshot farm gun often used as a first gun for children. Their trigger pulls are usually just plain terrible. A 7-pound gun having an. Before the availability of replacement triggers for military rifles, the trigger shoe was a common accessory. Gunsmiths replaced the heavy military return spring, removed the first or “take-up” stage of the twostage trigger and installed a trigger shoe. The result was almost always a very good, safe pull of under 4 pounds that required no work on existing engagement surfaces. Hunters were delighted with both the result and low price. Varmint and target shooters were a bit more particular. They replaced the military triggers with something else (usually a custom job), adjusted it down to 3 pounds or so, then installed a trigger shoe to make let-off feel even less. Adjustment followed by shoe installation was also common on Remington and Winchester factory triggers. Today trigger shoes are not used for these purposes. Apparently shooters don’t mind paying $60 to over $200 plus installation for replacement triggers that can be adjusted to low pull weights. Nevertheless, trigger shoes can still be useful. Take doubleaction revolvers and many autoloading pistols (mostly .22 rimfires), for example. Put in an overtravel adjustment screw, add a trigger shoe and the pistol takes on an entirely different feel. Field accuracy will improve noticeably without the cost of a www.riflemagazine.com. 25.

(26) • Custom, odd, obsolete and specialty ammunition • Wildcat development • Loading OVER 200 different calibers • Correct headstamped wildcat brass WEBSITE: http://www.qual-cart.com P.O. Box 445, Hollywood, MD 20636 (301 373-3719). Ed LaPour Gunsmithing. 3-Position Safeties for: M-98, CZ 550 & BRNO ZKK 600 Win. 70,54 - Spgfd. 1903, 1922, - Enf. 1917 Swedish Mauser 94, 96 - Rem. M30 Sako Pre Model 75 Sako Vixen Send $2.00 for information:. 908 Hayward Ave. - Bremerton, WA 98310 Tel: (360) 479-4966 Fax: (360) 479-3902 www.edlapourgunsmithing.com. HOCH CUSTOM BULLET MOULDS. Tool room quality, nose-pour, most standard or custom designs made to order. Cylindrical (straight) or tapered. Rifle & pistol designs available. COLORADO SHOOTER’S SUPPLY Shop 575-627-1933 • Home 575-627-6156 910 N. Delaware • Roswell, NM 88201 [email protected]. www.hochmoulds.com. Huber Tactical 2-Stage Trigger. “The control experienced over the shot is phenomenal! You can really feel the difference!” - Sniper’s Hide. Phone: 920-921-9641. www.huberconcepts.com 26. www.riflemagazine.com. 8-pound trigger makes learning smooth swing and follow-through impossible. A trigger shoe can help while the child learns the basics and quickly graduates to a proper gun. Obviously none of this knowledge is worth a darn if we can’t find a trigger shoe to experiment with. Fortunately, making one is a perfect project for the home gunsmith. The one being made here serves two functions. First is to make the let-off of the Remington Model 521T a bit more controllable. These rimfires have the trigger in direct contact with the firing pin. Only so much can be done to them and have them still be safe for kids to use.. The shoe blank fits over the trigger.. The second function is purely a custom option. The Model 521T is a youth gun having a close pistol grip designed for small hands. The youngster who will use this rifle has long fingers. The trigger is just too close. A thick trigger shoe will be made to move the trigger face some .25 inch forward. The standard width of all trigger shoes is .5 inch. Be certain the metal used for construction is mild steel. It should file and drill with little effort. This is to prevent breakage of the small diameter taps used for the setscrew holes. One-half by .75-inch mild steel is usually available at the larger home center stores. Just follow the photos. There is nothing complex. All is file work, except the drilling and tapping. Trace the front of the trigger on the steel as shown. Lay out the width of the trigger on the back of the steel blank as illustrated. Remove the steel within the lines using a hacksaw. The edge of a 10-inch bastard-cut mill file will quickly remove any steel remaining in the slot. Deepen the slot, using the tracing as a guide, until the trigger slides completely inside. It should contact the bottom of the slot at both the top. The holes for two setscrews (5x40 tpi) are drilled and tapped.. The forward edges of the trigger are finished at 45 degrees; the face of the trigger is flat. Some folks want the entire front well rounded. Rifle 248.

(27) The trigger shoe is on the rifle. The shape is per the owner. Do not polish. A fine, file-finish is preferred.. and bottom of the trigger blade. This is also illustrated.. of pull. A more conventional looking shoe is also shown.. Now it’s time to drill and tap. A drill press must be used because of the small drills. Old commercial shoes used two number 4 setscrews having 40 threads per inch. All of mine have used larger 5x40 tpi setscrews – and they are small enough! Diameter is about .125 inch, and this wants to be no closer than about .025 inch from the edge of the shoe. Use a felttip pen to blacken the surface of the metal, then lay out the holes using a dial caliper and small divider. Location of the holes is not critical so long as they are about .5 inch apart.. That is all there is to making this very useful firearm accessory. Best of all, even if one doesn’t want to bother with making a trigger shoe or two, finding old commercial ones gives another reason to never miss a R gun show!. After drilling each hole, run the tap in using a center in the drill chuck to center the tap wrench. Use tapping fluid, so taps won’t break (at least not as often).. The shoe is now blued and installed.. Now lock the shoe on the trigger to be certain it does not contact the inside of the trigger bow at any point when pulled back against the overtravel stop. If on a rimfire that uses the trigger as a bolt stop, be certain the trigger comes back far enough to release the bolt. All that remains is to thin the. A commercial shoe was put on this Sako L46 .222 Remington in 1963.. The bad thing about shoes is the round/half-round lock screw marks on the trigger blade. January-February 2010. shoe (front to back) then round its front face that contacts the finger. The shoe pictured is very thick for the reason stated earlier. Usually a trigger shoe adds only some .10 inch to the length www.riflemagazine.com. 27.

(28) .22 LONG RIFLE CLASSIC CARTRIDGES get kind of antsy without shooting a rifle every day or so, and the only cure for this fretfulness is to grab a rifle or handgun chambered in .22 Long Rifle (LR) and head outside. With a .22 in hand I can wile away the day plinking at cans and pine cones for less than the cost of a movie ticket. If more therapy is still required, a hike into the hills and creek bottoms for small game with the .22 stoked with hunting loads will complete the cure. A box of super accurate .22 LR match loads restores my steadiness and vision. With dozens of loads for such a wide variety of shooting and hunting, small wonder Americans fire several billion .22 LR cartridges each year.. I. by John Haviland • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The .22 Long Rifle cartridge is commonly loaded with a 36- or 38-grain hollowpoint. These Remington .22 Game Loads have a 36-grain hollowpoint. However, Aguila loads .22 Long Rifles with bullets weighing 20 to 60 grains. over 120 years. Since the .22 LR’s introduction in 1887, the little rimfire has been continually improved. It made a smooth transition from black to semismokeless to smokeless powders. Remington introduced the first high-velocity load in 1937. CCI stepped up the velocity of the .22 Long Rifle even higher in 1977, when it introduced its Stinger, with a case .10 inch longer than a regular LR case. With the king of speed with a velocity of 1,640 fps. Over the years Remington coun-. Dozens and dozens of .22 Long Rifle loads are available in a variety of bullets at various velocities. The Fiocchi load (left) shoots a 40-grain bullet at 1,120 fps, Remington loads (center) shoot 36-grain hollowpoints at 1,280 fps and the CCI Stinger (right) shoots a 32-grain bullet at 1,640 fps. The demand that made the .22 LR the most popular cartridge in the world has been building for. extra powder the case held, together with a lighter 32-grain bullet, the Stinger was the .22 LR. tered with its 33-grain Yellow Jackets at 1,500 fps and 36-grain Vipers at 1,410 fps and Federal with its Hyper Velocity 31-grain bullet at 1,550 fps. A few years. CUSTOM BARRELING & STOCKS. David Christman, Jr.. Call or write for Price List & info: 216 Rundell Loop Rd. - Delhi, LA 71232 Telephone (318) 878-1395. 28. www.riflemagazine.com. Rifle 248.

(29) The .22 LR will shoot under one inch at 100 yards. However, the slightest wind will blow .22 bullets off course. These groups were shot with Winchester PowerPoints through a CZ Varmint rifle.. ago, CCI started loading the Quik-Shok. This cartridge uses the Stinger’s longer case and a 32-grain bullet at the same fast speed, but the bullet splits into three pieces on impact. Velocitor is CCI’s all-out Long Rifle. The cartridge uses a standard Long Rifle case and fires a 40-grain bullet at a velocity of 1,435 fps. Mexico’s Aguila now holds the .22 velocity crown with its Super Maximum. The cartridge uses the same length case as the CCI Stinger but is loaded with a 30grain solid point bullet. Aguila lists the 30-grain bullet’s velocity at 1,750 fps. The 30-grain bullets actually leave the muzzle of my Ruger 77/22 slightly faster at 1,760 fps.. grouse to liven up the taste of my canned chicken stew. The bullets poked a hole clear through the wing butts of the grouse, and. they fell dead right on the spot. None of the grouse had so much as a bite of bloodshot meat. (Continued on page 93). UÊ ÕÌÊÊ ÝVÊVÌÃÊUÊiÊÌÊ>`ÊÕVÌÊU UÊ >LiÀ}ÊÊÃÌÊ,i`Ê >ÀÌÀ`}iÃÊU UÊ,i>Ã>LÞÊ*ÀVi`ÊU 4EL&AX s#ELL E-Mail: [email protected]. SMALL GAME I’ve been shooting Stingers and Quik-Shoks at prairie dogs and ground squirrels for years and the Velocitors and Super Maximums the last few years. Out to 75 yards, these loads put a big hurt on the little rodents. One alfalfa stuffed varmint fell especially hard. I crawled up on the town that had invaded the farm field and planted my elbows in the soft dirt. I picked out a prairie dog just like I would a pronghorn buck from the herd. The 40-grain Velocitor bullet jerked the rug out from under it, and the prairie dog fell over on its back and never moved. The key to these one-shot kills is to place the bullet in a lethal spot, just like with big game. Subsonic loads, like the Remington Subsonic with 38-grain hollowpoints, are gentler on the tender meat of edible small game. One fall I spent quite a few days in the mountains hunting bighorn sheep and shot ruffed January-February 2010. www.riflemagazine.com. 29.

(30) Stan Trzoniec. I. wanted a wood stock, not synthetic – not that I have anything against plastic, I just like the feel and handling of a wood-stocked rifle. Not only do they look better to me, but they also tend to kick less. Hardwood, walnut or even a laminate is not a problem, as long as it’s wood! A long action would be nice, as I tend to stick with the more traditional cartridges.. Looking at all the latest products this year, I came across the Marlin XL7W that is a new entry in the line. The rifle felt good, the lines were clean, and chambered in the .270 Winchester or .30-06 with a handy 22-inch barrel, it was perfect for my needs. Since price can be an issue in these times, I was very surprised to see the retail price pegged at $505.59. I ordered one on the spot! Now Marlin, as you well know, is not famous for bolt-action, centerfire rifles. As you may recall, around 1996 Marlin introduced the MR-7 bolt-action rifle. Going on the premise that any rifle with a “7” in its title makes it an instant success, it combined the features of many other rifles but, for the most part, followed the Winchester Model 70 school of thinking. In any event, the rifle faded out around. Classy Bolt-Action Sporter. Marlin 30. Rifle 248.

(31) 2000, and that seemed to be the end of Marlin bolt actions. Almost a decade later, we are blessed again with a Marlin bolt gun, the XL7W. This time, with the Remington influence behind it, the folks at Marlin may have gotten it right. For around $500, there are features that even some of the high-priced spreads don’t have, like a one-piece scope base. To me it’s a working rifle, so don’t expect fancy forend tips or caps but do expect top-quality workmanship and excellent value. When the rifle arrived, I was even more pleased. The lines are clean along the classic design. There is no high comb, and when I put the rifle to my shoulder with the scope attached, my eye naturally centered on the reticle. The forearm is perfect for. the average hand – not too thin or overly bulky. As mentioned, there is no exotic wood tip, which is no big thing, but this might be something they could incorporate on a higher priced, more deluxe rifle in the future. Moving back, there is a perfectly cut checkering area, done in a traditional point pattern with more than ample coverage. The pistol grip is swept back for ease of handling, but in my opinion, there might be just a touch too much sweep. I’m an average guy with average hands, and to me if they would move that curve of the wrist of the rifle forward slightly, it would feel better. Again, there is cut checkering on the pistol grip with a racy design, which offers more checkering in a somewhat tighter area. There is no pistol grip cap.. The new Marlin XL7W features a walnut stock, rings from Leupold and a Burris 6x 40mm scope. For the price of around $500, this new Marlin is quite a bargain, especially in these recessionary times. Lines are clean; quality is very high.. XL7W January-February 2010. www.riflemagazine.com. 31.

(32) Left, the bolt handle is swept back slightly, and the safety is just behind it. The bolt shroud is stylized, and a red cocking indicator is under the shroud. Above, the one-piece Weaver-type scope base is included in the price of the rifle and is somewhat relieved as to allow additional clearance for cases to eject. The buttstock is rather full, something I like to help keep recoil at bay. On the right side, there is a flare cut into the stock to aid in the comfort of the shooter. On the left side, a cheekpiece has been added that flows into the buttstock and, combined with a bit of cast-off and the addition of a Decelerator (Marlin calls it Soft-Tech ™) recoil pad,. For around $500, there are features that even some of the high-priced spreads don’t have. makes this rifle a pleasure to shoot. To add a custom touch, the pad was installed with a black spacer, blending flawlessly with the stock. The stock is a nice piece of quarter-sawn walnut with what appears to be a tough finish. Sling swivel studs are included.. what this article is about, this is a free item, so we are still at $505.59. Attached with four screws, it is Weaver designed and fits easily on the top of the receiver. Under the front receiver bridge is an escape hole for hot gases, if a defective cartridge is fired. Forward of that is a barrel nut that sandwiches the recoil lug in between the barrel and receiver. To that, the button-rifled barrel – 22 inches with a one-in-10-inch, right-hand twist sans iron sights – is installed. The bolt is fluted as an aid to less drag as it moves in and out of the receiver. Highlighted in blue and polished metal, it adds greatly to the appearance and. functionality of the rifle. On the business end, there are twin locking lugs, with the right lug incorporating a bolt guide that rides on a rail on the inside of the receiver, which makes the operation smoother and cuts down on bolt wobble. There is a massive extractor and a plunger-type ejector within the bolt face. At the end of this 71⁄2-inch bolt, the handle has been somewhat relieved of metal to accommodate the most demanding eyepiece on any scope. There is a bit of a jog in the handle, followed by checkering of both sides of the knob. To the rear of that is the fully enclosed bolt shroud that protects the shooter in case of a defective cartridge and harbors a cocking. Below, up front are twin locking lugs, a bolt guide on the nearest lug with the extractor and a plunger-style ejector. Below right, the bolt release is on the left side of the receiver. Pushing it down allows the bolt to follow out of the receiver.. Since the action is the heart of the gun, we can start there. The receiver is polished and blued to match the barrel and is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. For those on a budget, which is. Marlin XL7W 32. Rifle 248.

(33) The stock lacks a pistol-grip cap, while the butt is rather full and includes a cheekpiece and a one-inch Decelerator recoil pad with a black spacer. indicator. To remove the bolt, the release is on the left side of the receiver. Pushing it down allows the bolt to follow to the rear and out of the rifle for cleaning or travel. This rifle is equipped with a blind magazine, which most folks either love or hate. For dumping. There is no fancy glass bedding, but the rifle is pillar bedded. all the rounds, you will have to run each round out of the magazine rather than opening up a floorplate and have them fall conveniently into your hand. On the other side of the coin, proponents will state that it does add rigidity to the stock, since no. Specifications Model: Marlin XL7W Action: bolt action, centerfire Stock: walnut Cartridges available: .270 Winchester (tested) and .30-06 Barrel length: 22 inches Overall length: 421⁄2 inches Sights: none furnished, scope base included Weight: 61⁄2 pounds Finish: satin finished action and stock Price: $505.59 Manufacturer: Marlin Firearms Company. January-February 2010. wood is cut out for the floorplate or bottom metal, aiding accuracy. Capacity is four in the magazine plus one in the chamber. There is no fancy glass bedding, but this rifle is pillar bedded. Sometimes a custom upgrade, Marlin includes this as standard fare, and the barrel is free floated out to the muzzle end of the stock, where there is a pressure ridge inletted into the wood. Mostly commonly called “threepoint” bedding, if done correctly, it exerts just enough upward pressure to keep the barrel secure during firing, eliminating vibrations that can destroy accuracy. A two-position safety lever is located behind the bolt handle and is simple to operate with clear and distinctive detents. Pulling it back locks the trigger in a safe position, locking the sear but allowing the bolt to operate. Fully forward allows the rifle to fire.. ward side of the trigger assembly, there is an adjusting screw held in place by a jam nut. Loosen the nut, turn the adjusting screw counterclockwise to decrease trigger pull and clockwise to increase it. For a large-caliber hunting rifle, it is advisable to keep the pull at around 3 to 31⁄2 pounds. Shooting at the bench for ac curacy or testing handloads, it can be decreased to around 21⁄2 pounds, but out in the field, keep it 3 pounds or above.. The trigger is adjustable via the jam nut and adjustment screw located on the front of the fire control. To adjust the trigger, it is necessary to remove the magazine.. This Marlin rifle has a fully adjustable trigger that broke at a clean 31⁄2 pounds of pull. Called the Pro-Fire™, it incorporates a primary lever that must be pulled back before the trigger can be fully released. Discarding this movement in the pull factor, the trigger broke with just a predicable amount of slack before the sear broke. To adjust the trigger, remove the magazine via one Phillips head screw. On the forwww.riflemagazine.com. 33.

(34) The barrel is secured to the receiver via a barrel nut. The recoil lug is between the receiver and barrel. Working on our budget, the scope was next. Looking through the ads in Rifle or through mailorder outlets, you can certainly find a scope to fit your needs. Talking to Len Zemaitis at Burris, we agreed that a fixed power scope like the Burris Fullfield II 6x 40mm configuration would fill the bill. He told me that all hunters looking for a scope should consider the following, and I’ll quote his note: “It is important for you (the hunter) to understand that just last year Burris, like all the major manufacturers, instituted Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP). These days optics seldom sell at list pricing, but more likely at or a bit above established MAP pricing (like cameras or electronics) or what some call ‘real world’ pricing.” Therefore this scope currently lists at $397 but expect to pay around $229, depending, of course, on your dealer.. The XL7W stock is pillar bedded, and a tight mortise accommodates the recoil lug.. sonably, and aluminum rings in particular are available for around $10 to $20, depending on the model. Since most of us have a pair or two in a drawer, that’s where I found a set of Leupold Rifleman rings; so again, they were free. Cost of the rifle and scope came to $734.59, which I’m sure can be shaved a little depending upon the dealer and location. While I know there are other rifles or rifle/scope combinations out there, the choice of any rifle is a personal matter, which is why I settled on the Marlin and Burris combination. It’s right for me.. Cartridge selection is important, and out of the two, I picked the .270 Winchester. I know by now you have read reams and reams of information on the cartridge and how Jack O’Connor. This Marlin rifle has a fully adjustable trigger. made it popular. However, if you read further, O’Connor will give some of the credit to Townsend Whelen for the cartridge’s upstart. Nevertheless, now going on 85 years in the shooting sports, it is hard to fault this cartridge for most North American game. I’ve hunted with it exclusively for three years to test it on various game like mule deer, pronghorn and caribou, and I’ve never found it lacking – if I do my part. Accuracy is right up there, and most folks will find recoil is tolerable. In fact, the load. Rings can be purchased rea-. Marlin XL7W 34. www.riflemagazine.com. Trzoniec found the new Marlin XL7W nice to hold, and it came up to his shoulder in a most natural position. The stock seems right for the average shooter. Rifle 248.

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