Rifles

About a hundred years ago Townsend Whelen, noted soldier and hunter, coined the phrase, "Only accurate rifles are interesting." But many really interesting rifles come with price tags much larger than most shooters can afford. That is, unless you are willing to downsize. Not in actual size, but in caliber. Some of the most accurate rifles being fired today can be found at your local smallbore silhouette match, where only inexpensive 22 Long Rifle ammunition is allowed. The game is to stand and shoot offhand at steel replica profiles of chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. The object of the game is to knock them over. Regulation distances are 40, 60, 77, and 100 yards (or meters), respectively. Any type of scope may be used. Smallbore silhouette rifle competition is so well established that several manufacturers offer models built to meet the standards of the sport. That would be the case with our first test rifle, the $414 CZ 452 Silhouette. Our second rifle was the $1399 Anschtz 64 MP R or Multi Purpose Rifle, sometimes advertised as an effective training rifle for high power shooters. Our third rifle was the $750 Browning T-Bolt Target Varmint, aimed at producing accuracy at the match or in the field.All three of our test rifles were bolt-action models with detachable magazines, a configuration that dominates the sport. Given that the ammunition played no part in cycling the action, we were free to choose a variety of ammunition. Our three test rounds consisted to two well respected target rounds from Lapua and Remingtons Golden Bullet, a popular budget-priced ammunition sold in 525-round boxes. The Remington ammunition powered a 36-grain lead brass-plated hollowpoint. Both the Lapua Midas+ and Center-X ammunition drove slickly coated 40 grain roundnosed slugs. Serious competitors are mindful to note individual lots of ammunition in order to find the best ammunition. So weve listed the lot numbers of the Lapua target rounds on our accuracy chart.For our tests we mounted a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18X44 LBT scope with plex reticle and the Ballistic Turret option. This scope offers up to four preset zeroes. That meant in competition we wouldnt have to count clicks when changing target banks or rely on a variety of holds. With the presets easily in hand, we were free to concentrate on the center of each target instead of aiming low on the 40 yards chicks, dead center on the pigs, high on the turkeys and above the rams. Our next step was to choose the most accurate ammunition for each rifle and shoot groups from the 100-yard line. In each case our rifles were fired supported from a model 500 Rifle Rest ($280 from www.targetshooting.com), and we used the RT-073 target from www.OutdoorProducts.com. We found that each of our test rifles were so accurate that with a little effort the average shooter could be crowned top gun. In addition, we thought these rifles were good enough to be training devices for any shooting discipline, including long range prone. Were not talking about making actual long distance shots, but working in scale with smaller targets to replicate greater distance.Our last test was to fire each rifle standing unsupported. With some mighty small groups achieved from the bench, we could honestly say that accurate rifles were the most fun. With access to the Rimfire Ranch at Houstons American Shooting Centers, (www.AmShootCenters.com), our enjoyment shot off the scale. With each hit the steel prairie dogs were sent back into their mounds only to rise again. The mechanical dogs placed 40 to 70 yards downrange outlasted our supply of ammunition, but we vowed to return. Lets review which rifle was the most interesting, accurate, and fun in the judgment of our testers.


Browning attempted to capture the look of the high-wall Winchester of a century ago. However, the Japanese folks who made this Browning decided to put a glassy finish on this historic-minded rifle, which didn’t do it any good. Old Winchesters never had glassy-finish stocks, nor did they have buffed barrels that lost the sharp edges of the octagon. So right off the bat, this rifle didn’t look right because of its glitzy finish. However, the profile and mechanism of the test rifle looked a lot like a High-Wall Winchester, and the rifle had some well-done features, according to Gun Tests magazine.

(GunReports.com) -- Shotgunners have skeet, trap and sporting clays. Now a Utah shooting range has brought a new game to town for long-distance riflemen. Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf, located a short drive north of Salt Lake City, Utah, offers more than 30 realistic wildlife targets set at distances ranging from 175 to 1,300 yards for the intrepid marksman.

(GunReports.com) -- Dave Spaulding, winner of the 2010 Trainer of the Year award by Law Officer Magazine, has returned for a second series of self-defense tips for shooters. In Ruger Tactical Carbine Tips, Spaulding focuses on the popular AR-style carbine to explain a host of techniques and help prepare shooters for an array of combat situation.

In the world of 308 auto-loading rifles, the M14 and its look-alikes reign just about supreme. They have it all: looks, power, function, capacity, plus a great variety of stock and accessory configurations from wood to all manner of polymer that can convert an M14 or M1A into just about any configuration you might want, particularly if you have deep pockets. In this test we look at a new Fulton Armory M14 ($2755).We tested with three types of ball ammunition, the only type recommended in these firearms. It was Federal Gold Medal match, Magtech 150-grain ball from Brazil, and mixed lot of recovered ammunition purchased in bulk with headstamps from Israel, Italy, Belgium, and Canada, which we used unsorted. Here’s what we found.

(GunReports.com) -- Airgun maker Crosman is worried that pending regulations in California may actually increase police/citizen mishaps and accidental shootings. According to a letter from Laura Evans, Marketing Coordinator at Crosman, 'Some of you may already be aware, but the State of California is prepared to vote on a new law that will affect the future of the airgun and airsoft industries. It could also jeopardize the safety of the public and especially, police officers.'

(GunReports.com) – Rossi is now chambering the Rio Grande lever-action rifle line for .410-bore shotshell or .45-70 Government ammunition. Both new rifles offer a side-loading gate, tubular magazine, buckhorn sights, and a Brazilian hardwood stock.

(GunReports.com) – CMP and Hornady have teamed up to bring a new match to the 2011 CMP Eastern and Western games, and Camp Perry -- the Vintage Sniper Rifle Match. The match was proposed several years ago by Dave Emary of Hornady Manufacturing as a way to include many of the vintage sniper rifles that are in circulation, yet lack an official shooting format.

The AK-47 is one of the most efficient and widespread assault rifles ever built. Soviet weapons designer Mikhail Timofeevitch Kalashnikov conceived of the basic mechanism while recovering from wounds he received in a tank battle in October 1941 near Bryansk. Though his idea pivoted off the German concept of the assault rifle, Kalashnikov came up with his own design that led to several variants of the mechanism being built in the 1940s. In 1946, substantial revisions to working prototypes by Kalashnikovs assistant Aleksandr Zaytsev made the resulting 1947 model, the AK-47, especially reliable. The Soviet army officially adopted the AK-47 chambered in the 7.62x39mm Soviet as its battle rifle in 1949, and large-scale distribution of the weapon began in the mid-1950s.More than 20 years later, although Kalashnikovs AK-47 and its follow-on variant, the AKM, had proven their effectiveness on battlefields worldwide, the Soviets wanted a lighter version of the AK to compete more effectively with the M16. So Kalashnikov updated and refined the AK-47 to create a smaller-caliber variation, the AK-74, which appeared in 1974 chambered in 5.45x39mm.We recently tested three versions of M. T. Kalashnikovs AK-74 to see which one we would recommend to the Gun Tests readership. The first was a Century Arms WASR-2 Romanian Side Folder 5.45x39mm, $600, on loan from a friend of the magazine; and two guns from Interarms, the first a Polish Tantal Side-Folder AK-74 Rifle WZ-88 5.45x39mm, $619; and the second a Bulgarian Style AK-74 5.45x39mm, $639. This version of the Kalashnikov design first saw service with Soviet forces in Afghanistan, where the 5.45x39mm round was dubbed the "devils round" or "poison bullet" by the mujahadeen.One of the first issues we need to address is the problem of the 5.45x39mm bullets "key-holing" when they strike a target. According to Century Arms literature, "While barrel-twist rates have a slight effect on performance of the bullet, as we learn more about the 5.45x39mm cartridge, it is generally accepted that the bullet upset phenomenon is an intentional design attribute calculated to avoid over-penetration of a target and maximize energy transfer."Century goes on to explain that the longer the bullet is in proportion to its diameter, the more twist is needed to stabilize it, and a low-velocity bullet requires a faster twist to stabilize it.For our test, we chose some standard fodder that we didnt expect to keyhole. Our first 5.45x39mm round was Wolfs Military Classic 70-grain FMJ No. MC545BFMJ, a Russian-made steel-cased non-reloadable non-corrosive pick. We bought several 25-round boxes at online retailer www.CheaperThanDirt.com a while back, but its currently out of stock. Next, we went to www.AmmunitionToGo.com for 120 rounds of Silver Bears 60-grain FMJ boattail No. A545NFMJ, $24.95. This ammo is manufactured by JSC Barnaul Machine-Tool Plant in Russia, considered the countrys premier ammunition plant. It is non-corrosive new factory ammo with zinc-plated steel cases that dont build up lacquer in the action. Last was Monarchs FMJ 60-grain boattail, available at some Academy Sports stores in the South. It cost $8.79 for a 30-round box.We ran the velocity numbers on a Competitive Edge Dynamics M2 Chronograph, a lightweight, compact system with a large, easy-to-read LCD screen ($200 from Brownells), and had on hand a Magna-Matic Corp. Standard AK Front Sight Tool (#100-005-933, $31, also from Brownells). The hardened steel tool enables fast, easy, precise windage and elevation adjustment on a variety of Kalashnikov-type rifles, and weve learned the full-circle clamp is stronger than C-clamps. The T-handle from the circle clamp serves as a wrench to adjust the sight post for elevation. It sure beats using needle-nose pliers to drift the front sight.Heres what we thought of these rifles:

When members of the Gun Tests staff were contemplating a return to North Dakota for a prairie dog hunt, one of their concerns was the cost of ammunition. The last time they traveled to the Bismarck-Mandan area, game was so plentiful they expended a huge amount of ammunition.The .204 Ruger bolt-action rifles proved to be an excellent choice, but if they were going to make the trip again, they had to find a way to cut costs. The staff considered a change to rimfire rifles. Their first impulse was to load up on 17 HMR ammunition. But after checking prices and availability, they decided on a more traditional round that was cheaper and easier to find, 22 Winchester Magnum Rifle, or 22 WMR. It's been a long time since Gun Tests has tested varmint rifles chambered for 22 WMR, and one of the rifles chosen was the $729 Browning T-Bolt Target/Varmint No. 025176204.

(GunReports.com) -- Ruger has introduced the new Ruger SR-556E, a value-priced derivative of the SR-556 with a two-stage piston and multi-stage regulator. The Ruger SR-556E comes with a new adaptable handguard which provides multiple options for mounting optics and other accessories. This new round handguard features a full-length Picatinny rail at the 12 o'clock position, which aligns with the rail on the flattop receiver.

Some decades back, the late John Dean "Jeff" Cooper came up with a concept for what he ultimately called a "scout rifle." This was intended to be an all-around rifle, capable of being used for hunting, but especially useful for the lone military scout (an ancient term). The precise details of this light bolt-action rifle concept have been listed here and there over the years. Some of the specs included 308 caliber, minimal length and weight, a forward-mounted scope, possible provisions for clip loading, a suitable sling, and numerous other features that had great value to the late Mr. Cooper and his fans. After years of searching for the best solution, and the construction of several custom rifles that came close to Cooper's ideal, along came Steyr, which incorporated most of Cooper's rifle ideas into the Steyr Scout, which actually had Jeff Cooper's personal monogram on it. The Steyr Scout rifle so pleased Mr. Cooper that, so far as we know, he ceased his efforts to find a better version of his concept. But that did nothing to stop other makers from coming up with rifles that vaguely approximated some of the scout-rifle features, and of course these had the "scout" name attached to them.

Ruger has offered several short 308 rifles, including one a few years ago that also had provisions for a forward-mounted scope. The Frontier rifle was heavy and generally had none of the better features of the Steyr. Savage also has a scout rifle, and we have a test scheduled on one of those in the near future. But now Ruger has again come out with a scout rifle that looks a lot more like it. It even bears the name of the rifle range that Jeff Cooper began—Gunsite—in Arizona. The new Ruger is called the Gunsite Scout.

We thought it would be interesting to compare the new Ruger Gunsite Scout (MSRP $995) with the established and still available Steyr Mannlicher Scout rifle (MSRP $2975 in the limited-edition Jeff Cooper Commemorative package). We checked pricing on AuctionArms.com and found no listings for the new Gunsite rifle. One seller, Northwest Armory in Portland, had two Steyr Scouts in 308 Win. listed with a buy-it-now-price of $1881.

One of our staff loaned us his original Steyr JC Scout for this test. We shot the two rifles with a mixed batch of recovered military ball ammo, with Winchester Match, Hirtenberger 150-grain JSN, and with a handload featuring a 150-grain soft-nose bullet. Here's what we found.