Howard Leight Optimuff: Good All-In-One Eye and Ear Protection
One solution to both of these problems is the Optimuff by Howard Leight Industries. It is an all-in-one unit consisting...
RCBS PowderMaster An Accurate Electronic Powder Dispenser
The subject of this test is the RCBS PowderMaster, and it’s a winner. This electronic powder dispenser probably dispenses loads more accurately than you can weigh by hand. There’s no inertia problem because it uses an electronic scale. But the PowderMaster’s price is a little high—$214 plus the cost of the scale—and its speed is a little slow, compared to a volumetric powder measure. That’...
Burris Signature 6-24x Tops Other Varmint Rifle Scopes
For most kinds of deer hunting, a 3-9x rifle scope is a good choice. It provides a fairly wide field of view, which makes acquiring the target relatively easy, and a good range of magnification. However, when hunting varmints at long distances, a much more powerful scope is needed. A 6-24x scope with at least a 40mm objective lens is generally considered to be a good varmint scope.
However, this rather limited definition of a varmint scope promptly expanded when we started buying scopes for this test. We found two 20x scopes that outperformed most of the 24x scopes, and a 44mm scope that was smaller than most 40mm scopes. Our final choice of optics for this evaluation included the eight...
Variable Power At Your Fingertips: Tasco Gets Our Best Buy Nod
Shooters of many different stripes enjoy the flexibility 6-20X and 6-24X variable riflescopes give them. These products' extended power ranges allow them to be used at their low settings for indoor air rifle or rimfire and centerfire hunting use. Dialed up, they allow shooters to shoot spots on silhouette targets or pick their spots on long-range game animals with .300 Win. Mag-class beanfield rifles. With the right glass and mounts, a shooter can easily make one of these variable scopes work in several scenarios, assuming its owner has the skills and steadiness to use the high-mag settings.
Ideally, such products should provide crisp looks at targets and accurate adjustments to compensat...
Chronographs: Buy Oehlers 35P For Reliability, Handiness
We selected three models for testing, choosing some that had some evaluative capability, but without printers or computers attached. Most models can be upgraded with software that downloads load performance results to your computer, and can be converted to accept a dedicated printer for instant hard copy readouts. The models we tested were: t...
DuPont IMR-7828 A Top Slow-Burning Rifle Powder
The velocity of a bullet is a function of the pressure behind it, or the chamber pressure. Higher pressures develop higher velocities. That's why a .30-06 shoots faster than a .30-30. Velocity is also a function of the length of time that the pressure is applied. A longer barrel shoots faster because the bullet stays in the barrel longer. That's also why slower burning powders develop higher velocities. The hot gases generated by the burning powder push on the bullet for a longer period of time.
Chamber pressures are generally limited by the brass case to 65,000 psi (52,700 cup), although we've never tested a commercial load that "hot." Belted cases may withstand a little more pressure t...
Chronographs: Buy Oehlers 35P For Reliability, Handiness
We selected three models for testing, choosing some that had some evaluative capability, but without printers or computers attached. Most models can be upgraded with software that downloads load performance results to your computer, and can be converted to accept a dedicated printer for instant hard copy readouts. The models we tested were: t...
Sporting Clays Shotguns: Benelli and Remington Go Head To Head
These two companies make largely unheralded shotgun models purportedly earmarked for the competition clay market. We test them to see if we'd pay their steep prices.
Red Dot Sights For Turkey Guns: Tasco Optima 2000 Vs. C-More
Gun Tests decided to find out when we took two popular shotguns, the Beretta 1200FP semiauto and Mossberg’s 590 pump-action, and mounted red-dot sights on their receivers. The Mossberg received a C-More red dot, while the Beretta was topped with a low-profile Optima 2000 from Tasco, $279.99. The C-More had a 12-moa do...
Gun Locks: Dont Buy Saf T Lok, Saf-T-Hammer, or Speed Release
Hide-and-Seek CCW Style: Concealment Holsters Tested
To investigate some of the variations found to be effective modes of carry, Gun Tests has assembled a number of holsters that offer solutions to the prob...
Handling Recoil: Wilson Combat, Sprinco Rods Go Head to Head
Whenever a shooting match is scored with points divided by time, such as in Practical Shooting, reducing the time between shots (splits) becomes a major concern. Similarly, shooting fast and accurately in a defensive situation can be a lifesaving edge. Even when plinking, dealing with less recoil can yield "holier" tin cans and more fun.
Since recoil and the resulting muzzle flip is the force that pulls our sights away from the target, many products claiming to reduce recoil have entered the market. The makers of these products like to throw around numbers like 30 and 40 percent reduction in recoil, but most of these gadgets would be more suitable being sold from the back of a wagon in a...