October 2008

Mixed Bag in Self Defense: 'Partner' Handguns Fight It Out
We recently read The Book of Two Guns, The Martial Art of The 1911 and AR Carbine, by Tiger McKee. McKee is the proprietor and headmaster of the Shootrite Firearms Academy (shootrite.org) located in Langston, Alabama. Printed in long hand with illustrations, McKee instructs and inspires the reader to consider what skills are necessary to effectively use the handgun and rifle weapon interdependently, as well as in transition from one to the other. With the two-gun concept in mind, we decided to go ahead with a story we’ve been considering for some time—evaluating two pairs of handguns that could also be used to work effectively in tandem, in this case, two revolvers against two pistols. In each pair, we picked one gun that was larger and better suited for primary carry, be it for duty or concealment. The other was significantly smaller and meant to be hidden in case of emergency. Each pair belonged to the same system, or as close as we could supply.

223 Rem. Bolt-Action Shootout: Savage's New Model 25 Wins
The 223 Remington is a practical cartridge with broad appeal and application. It has already been some 44 years since the U.S. Army adopted it, based on the 222 Remington that itself was quite a commercial success since its 1950 introduction. Like most cartridges or variants adopted by the military, its long-term popularity is virtually guaranteed. It is one of our favorite cartridges, with a variety of ammunition available at reasonable prices. Unlike some of the older 'burn a lot of powder in a small hole' rounds such as the 220 Swift, or perhaps the more recent 204 Ruger, the 223 Remington offers generally good barrel life and overall economy that makes it a fabulous choice for many as a general-purpose 22-caliber centerfire. Likewise, the 223 comes chambered in a wide selection of rifle styles, and for this test, we have selected three rifles with sporter-profile barrels and lighter, handier overall dimensions compared to heavy-barrel varmint rifles. Our test guns are the types of reliable, fun rifles that are ideal for coyote and other predator hunting where mobility is required. Call them ranch rifles, coyote rifles, long-range groundhog guns, walking varminters, or even whitetail rifles in some areas—they have tremendous utility and flexibility, easy on shoulder and wallet alike. The contestants are the CZ USA 527 American 03022, $711; Ruger HM77R Hawkeye 07103, $779; and the Savage Model 25 Classic Sporter, $616.

Dangerous-Game Rifles: When Only the Best Firearm Will Do
Those who choose to hunt the world’s 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 you’re 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 guide’s 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? Can’t 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.

Over/Under Shotguns for Less Than $1000: Lanber Is Best Buy
The over/under shotgun stacks one barrel above the other and is loaded by hinging the breechface away from the barrel for direct access to the chambers. They are favored for their simplicity, accuracy, and reliability. In most cases, a hefty price tag reflects superior materials and precision fit. In a category that can demand a five-figure entry fee, we wanted to see if we could get into the over/under club for substantially less. Toward that goal, we tested three new 12 gauges with walnut furniture: the $770 Remington SPR310S, originating from Russia; the $756 Mossberg Onyx Reserve Sporting, imported from Turkey, and the Spanish-made $1099 Lanber 2097 Sporting Lux. We sought to judge each shotgun on looks, fit, finish, and performance. To test the latter, we patterned each shotgun from the standard distance of 40 yards with an eye on shot density and how true our pattern stayed to point of aim. We patterned the shotguns with their Improved Cylinder chokes, which were common to all three. To check pattern density with the IC choke, we shot one target load and one field load. We chose Remington’s R12HD8 ShurShot Heavy Dove load, a 2.75-inch round with 1 1/8 ounces of No. 8 shot rated at a velocity of 1255 fps. For the skeet and trap range, we picked our favorite round, Rio’s TLT32. This was also a 2.75-inch round loaded with 1 1/8-ounce of No. 8s, but with one-half dram equivalent less powder. Velocity of the TLT32 was rated at about 1155 fps.