All posts by coldboremiracle

A Spike in Elk Hunting

October 19, 2025blogelk, elk hunting, rocky mountain elk, spike, utah, venisoncoldboremiracle

Introduction

Few things compare to elk camp, and it is the highlight of my year each fall. The perfectly cool weather, in the high Rocky Mountains in the prettiest time of year. And perfected by the sometimes distant song of rutting bulls. This year I changed up my plan a little bit, and hunted a different area than I have been for the last five or so years. Changing your hunting plans can be a roll of the dice, creating potential triumph or bust. It wouldn’t be long before I would find out.

this mature bull spent 30 minutes bugling on this hillside as we watched him

Terrain and Weather

The mountains of Central Utah are a unique collection of geography. Interesting layers of rock, clay, and stone conglomerate you would normally see in the desert, have all been pushed up over millennia to an altitude over eight-thousand feet. And at this altitude, the typical alpine and aspen forests grow. That is where elk thrive, and we had made our way into this country in search of immature spike bulls.

At this high altitude, storm clouds crash into the mountain range and squeeze out all their precipitation. I actually enjoy a little bit of weather, mingled with good. It tends to keep animals active when they otherwise might not. And the weather we encountered had caused the local elk to endure their rutting mating rituals, which was a great help for us.

Junior and I enjoying a bit of sunshine as bulls bugle in the background

Despite the less than ideal weather, my son and I took every opportunity to explore, hunt, and even fish some handsome Cutthroats from the nearby creeks. Until he had to leave halfway through the hunt.

Bonneville Cutthroat filled the tiny creeks

Bull elk had been bugling so frequently during our time in the mountains, that I was beginning to develop elk tinnitus. I was beginning to hear bugles in my sleep and in my thoughts.

An Opportunity

After many days of hunting, I had seen quite a few elk including some mature bulls we couldn’t engage but through the binoculars. I’d even caught a glimpse of a spike running through the forest. But an actual shot opportunity had evaded me.

It was an evening hunt midweek, and three of us were stalking quietly through clearings in the forest. Sagebrush pastures surrounded by Aspen groves and thick pine covered ridges allowed us to move pretty quietly. Thick dark clouds hung overhead licking the tops of the tallest pines, causing the effect of a premature twilight as the sun hung low in the western sky.

With me that day was my old friend Nathan, and his son Jacob. The three of us approached a small open draw buried in the thick forest, hoping to see the brown and tan figures we were after. Moving very slowly to avoid detection, and with the wind in our faces, we crept over the edge looking into the draw below.

US Optics, USO, LXR, riflescope, x-series, 4-24x56, scope, 6.5 PRC, PVA Modus, cole tac, elk, elk hunting, — The **US Optics LXR** mounted on my PVA Modus rifle

Taking the Shot

I spotted one elk feeding calmly opposite us, down the draw and up the other side. We watched her through binoculars as a calf fed out alongside her from the thick pine trees nearby. We prepared our gear as we watched for additional potential targets. A third elk fed out of the trees, and I was sure it had short antlers. Watching through my scope, I whispered to Jacob who was on the spotting scope, seeking confirmation that the third elk indeed was a unbranched antlered bull. Jacob confirmed what I suspected, and it was time to shoot…

Hardware

The rifle I carried that day was my Patriot Valley Arms Modus rifle, chambered in 6.5 PRC. I had used the rifle several times before for both deer and elk hunting, I’d even managed to have some success the previous season. The Modus wore a brand new US Optics LXR 4-24×56, one of my favorite new scopes. Aside from the typical bipod and sling, I’d also installed my Anechoic Anechox 35 suppressor, to keep things quiet.

The rifle was loaded with my pet handloads, made from Peterson cases loaded with Hodgdon Powder and the Hornady 140 grain BTHP match bullet. Muzzle velocity was just over 3000FPS, and had been tested extensively out to distances well beyond 1000 yards.

As the young bull fed quietly 430 yards away, I rested the rifle atop my upright backpack, sitting behind it. As Nathan and Jacob both watched, we waited for the bull to turn broadside. I’d dialed the 1.6 MRAD elevation correction into the LXR’s elevation turret, and I evaluated the breeze as I tried to calm my elevated heart pace. The killshot came as his broadside show between two pine trees, I confirmed with my spotters that was indeed the bull, and sent one of the handloaded Hornadys through his chest. His shoulder rippled with the impact, and he charged out of sight into the pines.

Recovery

The centered shot just behind the shoulder looked good, I expected the bull to be dead a few yards away. But as we quickly hiked into the location I didn’t see him, and the increasing rain threatened to wash away any blood sign. So we quickly set to find a blood trail.

As we did, I heard the thrashing sounds of the dying bull. About forty-yards into the pine trees, his legs kicked against the brittle sticks where he’d fallen. We approached the fallen bull as the eerie sound of his last breath escaped from the wound in his side.

I knelt beside him as the rain continued to fall. We quietly revered him in the damp silence, listening only to the sounds of the forest and our thoughts of gratitude.

Food for Thought

After an exhausting extraction through rain and mud, the young bull hangs in a tree a few yards from camp. Using my pocket knife, I cut a tenderloin from his belly. I cleaned it and trimmed it up as I heated a dutch oven and butter. As Nathan, Jake and I sat to eat this fresh piece of our prize, I considered a thought that frequents my inner dialogue. There was a time, where I would hunt like this whether accompanied or not. But as I’ve aged, I find the solitude less entertaining.

I’ve found that without someone I love to share my adventures, they aren’t quite as bright. Without one of my kids to teach something, or a brother or friend who can share in the suffering and triumph, the memories fade faster than those I share with loved ones. Nothing will stop me from pursuing these adventures, but these days I spend as much time including kids and others as I do planning the adventure itself. And those memories are refreshed every time we taste a delicious deer burger, or slice a juicy elk steak.

-CBM

The Guns of King of 2 Miles

October 13, 2025blogELR, king of 2 miles, KO2M, long-range, long-range shootingcoldboremiracle

Introduction

Long-range shooting has become a very popular sport across the world, and the folks on the extreme cutting edge of this sport are the extreme long-range (ELR) shooters. Today I am writing you from the world championship King of 2 Mile competition, where ELR enthusiasts are pushing the limits of non-guided munitions. Since it is a bit challenging to explain the entire ELR scene, I decided to share with you something a little more familiar and exciting for gun folk. Today we are going to be looking at the guns of King of 2 Miles.

Cadex, nightforce — this custom-built Cadex Defense rifle is supported by a long carbon fiber Accu Tac bipod extender

Shooting 2 Miles?

Can that even be done? What could you possibly hit from two miles away? Is this even a practical sport? These are all questions you might be asking yourself, and you aren’t alone. So before we get too deep, lets get some context on what’s happening in this event.

target, king of 2 miles — Here you can see one of the many distant targets, if you look closely (about 3.4L and 2.5D) you can see the target cameras setup to watch the targets

Targets

Yes the targets are big. To a typical shooter they might even seem ridiculously big. But when you push these targets out across a wide desert canyon three to four-thousand yards away, they become quite small. Small enough in fact that when seen through the scope they measure around one to two minutes-of angle (MOA). Imagine for comparison; a typical paper target you shoot at the range is likely twenty or more MOA in size. So essentially, ELR shooters are shooting for just a tiny portion of a typical target. Like one of the squares on the target you might zero your rifle with.

chronographs like this one use doppler radar to get exact muzzle velocity for every shot. That way, if a shot lands lower than expected but is correlated with a low muzzle velocity the shooter knows immediately. This prevents making unnecessary corrections

PRS shooters are aiming at targets of very comparable size, but shooting 1 MOA targets is much easier when its done at distances like a thousand yards or less. Wind is the name of the game in ELR, and there can be many different layers of wind to deal with at distances like these.

Rifles

Big rifles are used to engage these big targets. Most of these rifles are shooting large cartridges like .375 Cheytac, and .416 Hellfire. Many of them are both custom cartridges and chambers, and they are all built to be heavy. Not just because of the cartridge size, but because a heavy rifle makes a more stable launch platform.

Heavy barrels with incredibly thick profiles add both weight and stability. Most of the barrels I saw came from companies like K&P Precision, and they used aggressively fast twist rates. This is due to the long length and highly efficient bullets that are typically used. These are CNC lathe turned solid copper bullets that are exceptionally uniform. Shooting bullets from Cutting Edge and using mostly Peterson Brass.

Most guns don’t use an ejector, spent cases are pulled from the action by hand. Expensive and carefully prepared brass are too valuable to be tossed into the dirt or gravel. Every rifle I’ve seen here uses large muzzle brakes, to help keep the rifle as stable as possible.

Optics and Mounting

You can imagine that only the best optics are used to see such distant targets. High end optics from big names like Nightforce and Zero Compromise adorned every rifle. And just as important as the scope itself, was the mounting and offset solutions used.

Heavily canted scope mounts allow shooters to aim dead on targets even at these extended ranges. Using optical offset wedge prisms of various types allow you to shoot and test your rifle as close as 100 yards, while still being able to make hits two miles away. For example, I looked through one of the rifles with dual prisms to inspect a deer crossing the range perhaps half a mile away. But when I pointed the rifle at where the deer was, I could only see the dirt halfway between the deer and I. To see him I had to look at the ridge behind him.

Various prisms were used on nearly every rifle, the prism sits in-front of your riflescope. it works by essentially bending the line of sight as seen through the scope, and it bends it an exact amount. This allows you to add or remove large amounts of optical offset, they can even be stacked to multiply the effect

Precise optics paired with very robust mounting systems are required. And the repeatable adjustment of both mechanical and optical offset’s are paramount to being able to make these hits.

Ancillary Equipment

Aside from the gun itself, there is a necessary collection of support items as well. Very large bipods are used to hold up these heavy guns. Accu-Tac Bipod extenders allow the rifle’s balance point to be moved to the rear. This makes the gun more stable, and recoils straight into the shooter for maximum control.

this rifle incorporates a bipod extender, they have a set of collapsible carbon shafts that allow you to push your bipod out even beyond the muzzle. You can see the feet of this Accu Tac bipod are also made to slide back under recoil. Also you can see the thin carbon fiber mirage guard that covers the barrel, this works to keep heat waves out of your line of sight to prevent obscuring the target

Rear bags and inflatable cushions are used to make micro-adjustments in the way the gun is held on target. Stability is another important part of this type of shooting.

This rifle chassis made by Accu Tac incorporates the bipod extension into the chassis itself. At the rear you can see a bag-rider rail under the buttstock, this is made to slide on the bag under recoil. The bag itself is a heavy sandbag that incorporates an inflatable air bladder controlled by a squeeze-bulb in the shooters support-hand

Chronographs like the doppler radar Garmin Xero were used on nearly every rifle. Electronic leveling indicators as well. Knowing each shot’s velocity can mean the difference between corrections from one shot to the next.

long custom barrels give maximum velocity with these high performing **solid bullets**

Taking the Shot

Shooting a target two miles away takes a few seconds. In fact, depending on the target there was often enough time to reload, and have a brief discussion with the spotter before the bullet would hit the target. After each shot, the collection of people sitting behind spotting scopes would finish their conversation and about the same time all would turn to their scopes to watch for impact.

shooter and spotter work as a team to watch for impacts, and evaluate the wind for the next shot

Spotters

Spotters would use very large spotting scopes and binoculars to watch conditions. Keeping an eye on the boiling mirage downrange, and watching it shift and where. A true skill in its own right; being able to evaluate the shift shot to shot and suggest the corrective action for the shooter. All this is done under a time limit, while everyone else watches with excitement. This is also why both the shooter and their spotter are awarded at the end of the match. The impacts can also be watched by target cameras setup downrange, giving a clear view of each hit or miss.

king of 2 mile — monitors setup for spectators to watch, each target can be seen by remote cameras

Loading

Every rifle I witnessed was manually loaded, even though some of them had magazines. There are several reasons for this, first off; even the guns with magazines replaced the mag with a single shot dummy mag.

cartridges are loaded carefully, and extracted by hand as well. With as much time and money as shooters invest in their ammunition, it makes sense to take care of them

large muzzle brakes help drastically reduce recoil helping the shooter stay on target, allowing the shooter an opportunity to spot his impact

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US Optics SXR 1-6 LPVO

October 9, 2025Uncategorized1-6x24, lpvo, riflescope, scope, sxr, us optics, USOcoldboremiracle

Introduction

I have grown quite fond of low power variable optics (LPVO’s), and they have worked their way into my gun collection nicely. Today I am taking a fresh look at a relatively new LPVO from US Optics, it’s called the US Optics SXR 1-6. I have had several US Optics LPVO’s over the years and have been very happy with them, you can read about the TS Series of LPVO’s here. But today its more about the new stuff, and the newest line of scopes from US Optics is the X-Series of scopes. The SXR 1-6 is the smallest member of that family, but does this scope punch above its weight?

US Optics SXR 1-6

Upon inspecting the US Optics SXR I was very pleased with its presentation. The scope is available in either a second focal plane option or a first focal plane. The option we are testing today is the FFP version, with the SRM MRAD reticle. I like this version a little more than the other alternative as I’m not a big horseshoe reticle kinda guy.

The first thing to stand out to me was the robust 34mm tube which is bigger than most LPVO’s. Typically I prefer 34mm tubed scopes, but for LPVO’s I am still deciding if I prefer them over 30mm. The larger 28mm objective lens certainly does offer more collection of imagery.

With capped turrets you can use the reticle of the SXR to hold over for any distant shooting. Though the turrets do appear to be quite useful uncapped as well. The finger adjustable turrets are 1/10 MRAD per click, and have a total of 10 MRAD per rotation. This is great on many scopes, so I found it particularly welcome on this little scope.

US Optics, SXR, 1-6, lpvo, USO, low power variable optic, — If you like the Desert Tech WLVRN, you can read more about it here

Adjusting the power magnification is done at the rear, I was glad that US Optics had incorporated a removeable throw lever to the magnification ring as well. This makes it easy to blindly grab for and adjust your scope in a quick shooting scenario.

Specifications

Magnification:	1-6X
Focal Plane:	First Focal Plane (BDR5556, SRM) \| SFP (SFP MIL)
Eye Relief:	3.5 in
FOV @ 1x:	119.16ft @ 100y
FOV @ 6X:	19.86ft @ 100y
Parallax:	Fixed @ 100y
Illumination:	Red
Tube Size:	34 MM
Objective Diameter:	28 MM
Ocular Diameter:	39.92 MM
Elevation Adjustments:	1/10 MIL
Windage Adjustments:	1/10 MIL
Length:	11.835”
Weight:	22.265 oz

For mounting the SXR to a rifle, I used the ZRO Delta 34mm cantilever mount. This would make it easy to mount on most rifles with the proper amount of eye relief. The first rifle I would mount the scope to would be my Desert Tech WLVRN chambered in .223. It was a great companion for this rifle, as it does very well at short and medium ranges.

US Optics, SXR, 1-6, lpvo, USO, low power variable optic, ar15, ar

On the Range

My first trip to the range was to zero the SXR on my WLVRN. I zeroed the rifle at 100 yards, which was quite easy using the finger adjustable turrets. After confirming a good zero, I set to zeroing the turret. This was easily done using a coin to loosen the turret cap, then setting the turret to zero and reinstalling the cap.

US Optics, SXR, 1-6, lpvo, USO, low power variable optic, turret, — resetting the turret to zero after pairing with the rifle

After zeroing the scope, I did some additional shooting at both 100 and 200 yards using the reticle to hold over. I found the reticle to be perfectly serviceable for precise shooting within the limits of the six power magnification. And at lower magnification particularly with the reticle illuminated it gave a great field of view. Bracketing targets in red made shooting fast up close.

Quality

This is the highest quality US Optics LPVO I’ve used, at least recently, it reminds me of the old SN and SR scopes they made. The optics are top notch, giving and incredibly clear picture at all power settings. The sharp reticle is great for hold overs, and isn’t overbearing for a short range optic.
The Turrets are also fantastic, whether you choose to run them exposed or cap them. They feel very tactile, and you can hear each click. they are also low profile to keep them from snagging on everything.

Durability

While I believe durability is best tested over the course of a year or so, I feel this scope is very robust in structure. And based on my experience with other similar scopes from US Optics, I expect it will stand up to my typical routine. Switching the scope from rifle to rifle, and mount to mount. Be sure to follow along, as I will update this article in the future with additional feedback on durability.

US Optics, SXR, 1-6, lpvo, USO, low power variable optic, ar15, banish speed k — the SXR mounted to an AR with a **Banish Speed K suppressor**

Value

In a market flooded with LPVO scopes, it might be hard to stand out. The under $500 market is packed, and there are plenty of good options. The $500-$1000 market is a little more competitive, and the SXR is on the lower end of that spectrum.

The US Optics SXR 1-6 is in good company, comparing to other brands like Eotech and Trijicon. And available for less depending on where you buy it, of course if you use my %15 promo code shown here you can get the best price.

My Summation

Having spent some time shooting with the SXR scope, I have become quite a fan. It is a big step up over previous LPVO’s in the TS line from US Optics, and it gives users a high quality product for a good price. The large lenses give fantastic clarity and high definition of targets and their surroundings. The overbuilt turrets are great for dialing if you choose to use them so. The SXR SRM reticle is a great dual-use reticle, it can be used for fast target bracketing up close or for more precise work. Using its graduations allows you to make accurate holdovers and corrections should you use the scope for precision shooting.

I am a big fan of 34mm tubes, especially on precision optics. It makes sense that for some folks the 34mm tube may be a bit much, and adds both bulk and weight. But so far it hasn’t bothered me at all.

Little add-ons like the built-in throw lever and the easy to adjust turrets add more value and usability to the scope. It may be a step up in cost, but I think the scope punches above its weight. And it compares well to scopes that cost more. I would love to see another variant of the SXR in a 1-10 with adjustable parallax.

-CBM

The Race to the Bottom: Smaller Bullets Carrying a Heavier Load

October 7, 2025blogbullet, cartridges, moderncoldboremiracle

Preface

Science is a neat thing, especially as it improves our shooting abilities. A long time ago, these very same mountains and valleys were hunted by our ancestors. They were likely using equipment of the time, perhaps the first black powder cartridges or muzzleloaders. I find it fascinating how American rifles have gone from big guns shooting massive projectiles to tiny sharp bullets moving two or three times the speed. Modern bullets have allowed us to do so much more with less, and today we will discuss what has made that possible.

springfield Armory model 1898, 30-40, krag, krag jorgensen,

A Revolution

America was born of powder and bullets, so our affinity for shooting runs deep. The weapons our forefathers used like the Brown Bess fired huge projectiles weighing nearly five-hundred grains. And their effectiveness was dismal by comparison to even our modern muzzleloaders. Accuracy and power of OG American’s weapons was somewhat sad, with projectiles that barely achieved supersonic speeds.

musket, musket ball, bullet, projectile,

Even so, they managed to secure both a country and the food they were after. And it wasn’t long before Americans started hunting everything in sight. Using old Sharps rifles and Remington rolling blocks they hammered away at bison and other game animals. And though they were much better off with the .45 and .50 caliber cartridges, they still had a somewhat limited range and power.

The Advent of Bottleneck Cartridges

As smokeless powder and bottleneck cartridges have reigned over the last century, technology has only made them better. Impressive improvements in powder and bullets have massively changed the game. I remember a time when hitting targets at 1000 yards was something exceptional. But these days I do it frequently with a variety of rifles chambered in as little as .223 Remington.

257 blackjack, 45-70 government, lever gun, — the modern wildcat cartridge 257 Blackjack compared to the old standby 45-70 Gov

The cost of the equipment needed to shoot like this has come down significantly. Even manufactures known for more affordable firearms have models capable of performing tasks that were unbelievable 30 years ago. And what’s even more interesting is that folks are doing it with less and less. Even 20 years ago, people shooting 1000 yards were typically using a large 30-caliber magnum. Or perhaps a slippery six-point-five cartridge like a 6.5x.284 or 6.5-06.

even more recent long-range rifles were shooting bigger bullets and cartridges

Velocity

The powders we load our cartridges with these days also have much to do with these advances. Black powder muzzleloaders and cartridges were significantly slower. Our smokeless powders today allow velocities going double or more compared to the cartridges of the past. The increase of velocity drives the energy up significantly, which is part of the reason we can get so much out of small bullets.

A .54 caliber muzzleloader for example, would likely generate around 1500 lbs of energy at the muzzle. This energy would drastically drop as it gets further downrange. By comparison, a lowly 308 Winchester could have the same energy as far away as 500 yards. And even smaller cartridges (like my next example) have even more, at further distances still.

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bullets, round nose. vld, eld, lathe turned, solid bullet, long-range — this **300 grain round nose** can’t compete with its long and pointy descendant

30-06 springfield, 25 creedmoor, 131 sieraa match king, aics magazine, mdr magazine — The **30-06 Springfield’s** performance is surpassed by smaller modern cartridges like the **25 Creedmoor**

Six Ways to Sunday: Supreme Six-millimeter Cartridges

September 25, 2025blog.243 win, 6mm, 6mm ARC, 6mm creedmoor, 6mm GT, six millimetercoldboremiracle

Preface

Six-millimeter cartridges are very popular for various shooting activities. Their low recoil and high velocity mingled with great ballistic performance make them optimal for many purposes. Today I intend to take a walk through a selection of popular six-millimeter cartridges and why you might want one over the others. Whether you find yourself considering a six-millimeter for your next purchase, or trying to diversify your 6mm collection I hope we might be of help.

.243win, 6mm Creedmoor, 6mm GT, 6mm ARC, six millimeter, cartridge — **Hornady** is a big supporter of the six millimeter family

Old School

If you grew up in the 60’s and 70’s you were likely to run into a .243 Winchester on a typical deer hunt. A derivative of the always popular 308 Winchester; the .243 has always been a popular low recoiling hunting cartridge. Launched about the same time from a competitor, the 6mm Remington was a less popular but comparable option. Both of these cartridges have stood the test of time, pushing their typical 70-100 grain bullet quite fast. Making them great for varmint hunting and smaller big game animals.

There quite a few old **Winchester Rifles** out there in .243

The characteristics of these cartridges often led to them being relegated to either a “ladies caliber” or something for new shooters. There is surely nothing wrong with that, but they certainly shouldn’t be looked at as a lesser cartridge. I would happily take a .243 on a deer hunt or something comparable, the lightning speed and flat trajectory would come in very handy.

Way back then, you could have purchased a Model 70 chambered in .243. These days there are rifles from nearly every manufacturer chambered in the cartridge. Whether you want a bolt-action rifle from Savage or Sako, or even a lever-action .243 from manufacturers like Henry.

Modern Performers

If the .243 Winchester was such a good thing, and is still a popular chambering in todays modern firearms, you might ask why fix what isn’t broken? Hornady released the 6mm Creedmoor nearly ten years ago, much to the horror of the Creedmoor haters it took off. With a supply of high quality components it made sense. But what did the 6 Creedmoor have that the .243 didn’t already cover you might ask? Modern performance is the answer, Creedmoor’s came with aggressive twist rates like 1:8 and 1:7.5. The .243 has a slower twist rate which limits its ability to stabilize many modern bullets larger than 100 grains. The faster twist allowed the 6 Creedmoor to push bigger bullets like 108’s and 115’s at fantastic speeds, giving it a huge ballistic advantage.

Competition rifles like this **6mm Creedmoor Browning X-Bolt** have all the modern features

One of my favorite 6mm cartridges is the 6mm GT. After the success of cartridges like the 6mm Creedmoor and competition cartridges like the 6 Dasher and 6 XC, the 6mm GT was released by GA precision and produced by Hornady. Finding a happy medium of performance and longevity, the 6GT fits easily into AICS magazines like the others I just mentioned. It does this while giving excellent ballistic performance and better barrel life than larger cartridges.

All of these modern performers are shorter cartridges than the older .243 Winchester, which allows them to load longer higher ballistic coefficient bullets and feed from magazines. And the smaller powder charges allow longer durability before the chamber throat is eroded causing degraded accuracy.

Modern Sporting Rifles

Any of the cartridges mentioned today could be and frequently are chambered for semi-automatic rifles like the popular AR pattern. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the very popular 6mm ARC, as it is the most likely to fit into this category. For a variety of reasons, but mainly because it fits in a 5.56 sized action and magazine. The 6 ARC offers 6mm attributes like ballistic performance and heavier bullets while still fitting into the average AR15 rifle.

6mm ARC, bullpup, mdrx, WLVRN, us optics, TXR, primary arms, GLx, suppressor, anechoic, yhm, — (bottom) My **Desert Tech WLVRN** custom chambered in a 6 ARC and outfitted with a **US Optics TXH** and **Anechoic suppressor**. (Top) my Desert Tech MDRX with its own custom 6 ARC barrel, and a Primary Arms GLx scope and **YHM Turbo suppressor**

Additionally due to its smaller size, it burns far less powder extending the accuracy life of the barrel. This makes even more sense in a semi-auto as they tend to shoot much higher round counts than typical bolt-action rifles. There are a great variety of 6 ARC autoloading rifles available like the CMMG Resolute series of rifles.

the Howa Mini has been a fantastic little hunting rifle for the whole family

The 6 ARC can obviously be used in bolt-action rifles as well, where it does an excellent job. Additionally the 6 ARC is also typically given a 1:7.5 twist which helps it handle modern bullet selections. I am a bit partial to the Howa Mini, a rifle we have used with great success. But there are also great bolt-action options from Ruger and Savage Arms. With the cartridge gaining in popularity every day, you are likely to find six of one, and half a dozen of another.

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Nightstick TWM-30-T Weaponlight

September 9, 2025Ancillary gear, Product reviewnightstick, pistol, pistol light, twm-30-T, weapon light, x300coldboremiracle

Introduction

I love a good pistol and light combination, especially matched with a good red dot. Such being the case I am always looking for additional light options. Several of my full size pistols use the popular SF X300, but when I spotted today’s subject I expected it would drop right in place of the X300. Today we are looking at another weapon light from Nightstick, this one is the Nightstick TWM-30-T weaponlight for handguns.

Nightstick weaponlight, Nightstick, TWM-30-T, pistol, shadow systems, dr920,

The TWM-30-T has a very similar presentation, with two CR123 batteries side by side. Mounted by a picatinny clamp to the accessory rail of most handguns, it comes with multiple spaced anchor plates to adjust where the light rides on the pistol. Adding features to the controls also gives the Nightstick unit a leg up over competitors.

Specifications

66,000 candela
Enhanced single-motion switches
User-selectable battery safe and strobe modes
Momentary or constant-on flashlight
Sharp focused beam for distance illumination
Aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum housing
Type III hard anodized finish
Beam distance rated at 514 meters
IP-67 Waterproof
Impact & chemical resistant
Serialized for personal identification
2 CR123 batteries (included)
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Multi-Function: Yes
High Lumens: 900
High Beam Distance (m): 514
High Candela: 66,000
Drop Rating: 2 m
Water Rating: IP-67 Dustproof/Waterproof
High Runtime (h): 1
Strobe: Yes
Light Source: LED
Serialized: Y
Case Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
Body Color: Black
Quantity of Batteries: 2
Power Source: CR123
Package Contents: Light, 4 cross-rail inserts, 2 cross-rail mounting cap head screws, Allen wrench, 2 CR123 Lithium batteries
US Patent(s) : 9713217
Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty
Length: 3.5 in (89 mm)
Width: 1.5 in (38 mm)
Depth: 1.5 in (38 mm)
Weight: 4.5 oz (127 g)
Head Diameter: 1.2 in (30 mm)

In the Box

When you receive the Nightstick TWM-30-T, everything you need is in the box. There are batteries, tools, and a couple mounting solutions to customize how it rides on your pistol. An owners manual also comes tucked in so you can read up on it.

Nightstick weaponlight, Nightstick, TWM-30-T, pistol,

I really appreciated the fasteners that hold everything in place. Part of me dislikes having life saving equipment “snap on” or snap closed for example. I like that the battery compartment is secured by a screw, as is the the picatinny anchor. The light comes with four different options that you can change out to see where the light best fits on your pic-rail. I found it very convenient to remove the screw and just sit the various anchor plates in place until one of them lines up where you want it.

Programming Controls

The controls of this light are very handy, and easy to remember and understand. I found them to be way ahead of the competition I mentioned earlier. Most lights have a temporary illumination option as well as a full-on setting. The Nightstick TWM-30-T control module gives those settings and more.

Using both buttons in unison, you can press and hold to code in functions like a complete lockout to conserve battery. Or you can engage a strobe feature allowing the user to have a steady beam on command, or a strobe function to blind an opponent.

Nightstick weaponlight, Nightstick, TWM-30-T, pistol, surefire, x300t, — As you can see, the TWM-30-T is a touch shorter than the X-300 Turbo

Perhaps my favorite function is the temporary-on feature. If you push and hold either button, the light will stay on until you release it. Whereas if you simply push and release either button the light stays on. Once you’ve figured our all the functions its very easy to cycle through the functions and get the performance you want.

Compatibility

I found it was very easy to fit the TWM-30-T to a variety of handguns, using the different anchor plate wasn’t always necessary but it was helpful now and then. It seemed perfectly compatible with all my Glock clones, as well as my X5 Legion P320, as well as my Staccato XC.

Nightstick weaponlight, Nightstick, TWM-30-T, pistol, glock, ruger, rxm, staccato XC, shadow systems dr920, sig sauer, p320 X5, Legion, — Here you can see how the Nightstick fit on several popular pistols (clockwise from top left) the **Shadow Systems** DR920, the **Staccato XC**, the **Sig Sauer P320 X5 Legion**, and the Ruger RXM

Aside from fitting all the pistols (which was expected) the TWM-30-T also fit easily into all of my holsters. This was an incredibly welcome convenience, as I love my holsters. The Nightstick is also a little more compact than other popular competitor’s lights, which might be helpful in some scenarios.

Shooting in the Dark

Thankfully I don’t need to shoot in the dark often, but it’s always something to be prepared for. More than anything I spent a lot of time shooting at dusk as the sun went down. To see how the controls functioned in real time while drawing my pistols.

Nightstick weaponlight, Nightstick, TWM-30-T, pistol, surefire, x300, turbo, — for comparison, here are the two beams seen at approximately 15-yards

In the interest of comparison, I did put the beam of the TWM-30-T against others to see how it looks at night time in pure darkness. The 900 lumens of the Nightstick looked great in the darkness.

Pros and Cons

In favor of the Nightstick TWM-30-T, there is much to say. Being able to order it directly off of Amazon for the price of $139 is almost reason enough in my opinion to get one. The fantastic programmable control makes it a smarter choice than some others. And the final blow that would make this a slam dunk is its compatibility with so many guns and holsters. With so many great things going for it, the fact that it is produced in Texas by Americans is simply icing on the cake. (Edit: it would seem they are manufactured overseas for the Texas based company)

I really couldn’t come up with something about this light that was bad. It mounts better than many others, its controls are better and can all be done with a single finger. I guess the only thing that would make it better would be to incorporate a laser without changing the external dimensions. But I guess I’m reaching there.

Nightstick weaponlight, Nightstick, TWM-30-T, pistol, Vortex defender XL, sig sauer, p320, x5, legion, — the Nightstick made a perfect companion to the X5 with it’s **Vortex Defender XL**

Conclusion

I was very happy to find another weapon light with such great compatibility. Something I could use across various pistol and holster combination. Even more pleasing was finding how much I liked about this light in particular. Whether you are simply looking for a light for your CCW, or something for a duty pistol this is a great option. I suppose if the National Tactical Officer Association endorses and recommends these lights, they are good enough for me. If you also fall in that category with me, then give one of these a try. You can order the Nightstick TWM-30-T right here and have it shipped right to your door.

-CBM

Winchester Supreme Optics 10×50 Binoculars

September 8, 2025Optics, Product review10x50, binoculars, binos, winchester, winchester supreme opticscoldboremiracle

Preface

In another time of my life, it seemed popular for big outdoor names to offer everything from knives to cufflinks. Even as a child I figured out that some of these items were just rebranded Chinese junk. It seems many of the mighty have fallen these days, and their names sold time and again. Our subject today is the Winchester Supreme Optics 10×50 Binoculars, a competitively priced and quality built binocular. If your’e not sure what that has to do with my intro, let me clarify.

Sadly, the great Winchester name lost its place some time ago. The name suffered various changes of hands and its product lines were sold to different interests. Having once been a dominant firearms company, I was very sad to see this happen over the course of my life. But, Americans are good at comebacks…

Winchester Supreme Optics

Winchester Supreme Optics looks to bring back the quality and standard of the Winchester name. Our first look at these binoculars proved to impress me, so I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of their products perform.

Besides the binoculars tested here today, Winchester Supreme Optics also makes other binocular models as well as several rifle scopes, thermal optics as well as spotting scopes. I can assure you based on the binos in-hand, these are not some rebranded trash. It seems the new management at Winchester Supreme Optics has their eye on higher quality and more modern products.

Supreme 10×50 Binoculars

These Supreme binoculars are built on a robust thermoplastic body, with fully coated lenses and tactile grip exterior. The HD glass makes for sharp viewing with edge to edge clarity and brightening low-light images. The internal silver coated prism transmit light better and add contrast to the image. Of course it is nitrogen filled to prevent fogging and sealed to be impervious to the elements.

winchester supreme optics, binoculars, 10x50, winchester, bino, eye cups,

It also has the standard things you’d expect; tripod mounting lug, lens covers, lens cloth, sling attachments etc. It comes with a padded case and the typical padded sling to hang from your neck. As you might expect like with most binoculars, the sling and case would be set aside in favor of something more comfortable.

Specifications

MAGNIFICATION	10x
OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER	50 mm
OCULAR LENS DIAMETER	23.5 mm
TYPE OF PRISM	Roof / BaK4
PRISM COATING	Silver
LENS COATING	WINcoat™ full multicoat
FOCUS SYSTEM	Central focus
EXIT PUPIL DIAMETER	4.88 mm
EXIT PUPIL DISTANCE	17 mm
FIELD OF VIEW (FOV)	6.1°
FOV 1000 YARDS	321 ft
FOV 1000 METERS	107 m
CLOSE FOCUS MINIMUM	3m / 10ft
DIOPTER SYSTEM	Right diopter ring
DIOPTER COMPENSATION	±3
INTERPUPILLARY DISTANCE	57~72 mm
WEATHER PROOF	Yes
WATER PROOF	Yes
SUBMERSIBLE	1m/15 minutes
NITROGEN FILLED	Yes
EYECUPS SYSTEM	Twist-up
CHASSIS MATERIAL	PPS
IP RATING	IPX7 (1m/30min)

Fielding the Winchester Supreme Binoculars

Immediately after receiving the 10×50 binoculars, I went outside to begin evaluating them. I was greeted with a bright image, with clean edges and great contrast. Me and the boys in the office spend every fall hunting in these Rocky Mountains, all took turns looking around the neighborhood. My very first impression was very good, and the others also offered a positive impression.

One of my pet peeves about binoculars is the need to focus each individual barrel of the bino. I understand it is normal especially since not everyone’s eyes are the same. However I found that with these Supreme 10×50’s we spent very little time adjusting between users. It seemed as though the sweet spot focal-length was far more forgiving than other binoculars I’ve used. Even models that cost four or five times more than these.

Into the Mountains

With fall upon us, we took the Winchester Supreme binoculars into the mountains to do our typical scouting trips for mule deer and elk. The clean air at 9,000 feet looked spectacular through these binoculars. We glassed for hours inspecting every thicket and rock formation. I was impressed with how well these binoculars gave sharp focus at any realistic range.

Even in the early predawn light, I found the contrast of these binoculars to be great. Like those moments right at shooting light where you need to identify a shooter versus a non-shooter. The large 50mm objective does well at compressing the available light into a clean image with good depth. This allows you to properly identify your quarry.

Desert Heat

As summer nears its close, my son and I spent some time in the dry desert of the Great Basin. We would soon be chasing Pronghorn Antelope out here, and using the Supreme binoculars to inspect potential bucks would come in handy.

The yellowing landscape makes it feel warmer than it really is, and there is plenty of mirage to perceive. Again, the clear contrast of these binoculars made it an excellent tool as we scoured the desert looking for antelope.

Pros and Cons

I’ll start out with the positive aspects of these binoculars. First off I must say that for the price these are a great deal. Sub $200 binoculars are often trash-tier, like something you’d give your sticky fingered nephew for his birthday. I must say that for the $219 price of these binoculars they are fantastic. They also look sharp, avoiding the often cheesy look of lower priced products. The binos fit perfectly in both of my binocular harness’.

I already mentioned how I really like the ease of which they are focused, and the adjustable eye-cups make it quick to customize for each user. The optical performance is for sure the star of the show. Had I not been able to see the binoculars prior to looking through them, I would have expected them to cost double or more.

If I had to give these binoculars a demerit, it could only be their foreign manufacture. It’s a painful line to walk between inexpensive great products built overseas and more expensive ones made here at home. I must say, despite foreign manufacturing, they have upped their game significantly.

Final Thoughts

I have been very impressed with these Winchester Supreme Optics 10×50 binoculars over the last few weeks of glassing. And I would not have expected to so pleased with a pair of binoculars priced at only $219. My family and I look forward to putting these to some hard use during this hunting season. And I am pleased to see the Winchester name get back where it belongs, bringing quality products to American outdoorsmen. Stay tuned for more, as this wont be the last we hear of Winchester Supreme.

-CBM

Gritr Gear Tactical Range Bag

September 7, 2025Ancillary gear, Product reviewbag, gear bag, gritr, gritr gear, gritr gear tacitcal range bag, range bagcoldboremiracle

Introduction

We all love little items that make our hobby easier to practice, and today I am bringing you another one. Gritr Gear makes a variety of shooting accessories that are both affordable and high quality. Today I am sharing my experience with Gritr Gear’s Tactical Range Bag, a sure way to better organize and transport your shooting accessories. The Tactical range bag has a variety of features that will help you keep your range gear clean and organized with durable construction built to last.

gritr gear, gritr tactical range bag, range bag,

Construction

Gritr Gear’s range bag is made from 500D nylon material that is durable and light. The bag is stitched and reinforced where it counts and uses heavy duty dual zippers for closure. Aside from the exterior of the bag, the interior uses various materials to optimise its use. The pouches are lined with a soft fleece like material to protect your pistols and other accessories from scratches.

Apart from the various pouches and pockets for organizing your stuff, the bag also features various Molle panels within to allow you to add or change the internal design. I was very pleased to find a removable hard panel that you can either use or remove to add strength and rigidity to the main bag compartment.

Bag in a Bag?

The Tactical Range Bag also features various sub-assemblies. you will find inside the main compartment a smaller tote that can be used to carry and quickly remove everything from the main compartment. The inner tote has two zippered pockets on each side, again lined with fleece to protect your gear. Zippers use reinforced pull-tethers making it easy to use with gloves.

And if that wasn’t enough, there is also an even smaller bag within, like a set of nesting dolls. The smaller bag is lined inside with pockets and a zippered mesh pouch. One could use it as a tool pouch or safety gear like hearing protection and such, though it is labeled as a QD IFAK.

gritr gear, gritr tactical range bag, range bag, IFAK — the interior of the IFAK pouch

Aside from the diverse pocket offerings, there is an impressive amount of velcro surfaces on nearly every side of the bags. This comes in handy for folks who love to spice up their presentation with patches and logos.

Exterior

The bag is available in various colors, I chose M81 Woodland camo for obvious reasons. Other colors like black, FDE, Green as well as a retro 80’s pastel on black pattern in case you want to make a statement.

Covering the top of the main compartment is a large velcro lined dual zipper lid. Strong zippers slide easily making it quick to open and close the bag sigle-handedly.

Carrying the bag is easy using the large nylon loop carrying handles, or you can use the large padded shoulder strap that clips onto each end. Gritr even went as far putting hard rubber feet on the bottom of the bag, to prevent the bottom of the bag from wearing out. This would come in handy riding in the bed of my pickup for miles up bumpy dirt roads.

Quality

My very first impression and one that has stuck with this bag is the overall quality. Within minutes of opening the bag I was impressed with how well it was made. All the different materials feel strong and durable. The stitching and material connections are very nice, a stark contrast from the cheap discount bags you’ll often find on the accessory shelf at retailers.

I have other range bags that while useful, have quickly degraded. Loosing their rigidity and quality feel. I am hard on gear, likely using it more often than most, and typically with little care. That’s not to gloat, simply an explanation on how gear gets used around here. This Gritr Bag looks like it will be here for a long time, and I have already made it my main range bag due to its great construction.

Get Your Own Gritr Gear Range Bag

Not only does this great bag bring value and order to your shooting, but you can get it for as little as $114 currently with your Amazon Prime account. Delivered faster than some people can draw. Not only that, it comes with a lifetime warranty.

There is more to see about this bag than there is to say. I can imagine if you are like me, you’d rather just get your hands on it and start digging through to see if it fits your needs. That being the case, I’m going to give you my best virtual scrutiny with a variety of pictures. Hopefully this will help you decide if it meets you standards.

Conclusion

I’ll leave you with a few more images in hopes that you can evaluate the bag. But I can confidently say this; it is an excellent buy, and surely the best range bag I have. I can’t imagine someone regretting having purchased it.

Thanks for following along, I hope you’ve found something useful here. let me know if you have any questions or recommendations.