Category Archives: Product review

Products and equipment

Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor

September 19, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware6.5 creedmoor, go wild, ruger, ruger americancoldboremiracle

Background

Over the years I have had quite a few Ruger firearms and for the most part my experience with the company has been a good one. My first real rifle was a Ruger, and both family and friends have also used a bunch of different Ruger models over the years.

My opinion has been that Ruger produced a good firearm for the price. Today we will be taking my first look at the Ruger American line of rifles. I’m curious to see if they match up to my decades of experience with Ruger. Today we will be reviewing the Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor.

Before you get too far, check out my review of the Ruger American Gen 2, click here to read that one next.

Go Wild, The Ruger American

There are many different Ruger American models, but the one I will be looking at today is the Go Wild model. This model comes with custom Cerakote and camouflage, and it’s chambered in the very popular 6.5 Creedmoor. As I opened the box I thought it had a handsome look to it, but looks don’t go very far in these mountains so I wanted to see how it performed more than anything.
Lifting the gun from the box, the first thing I thought was it seemed lighter than it looked if that makes sense. It was noticeably lighter than I expected it to be, and other comparable rifles nearby. This is obviously a good thing in my estimation, as I had planned on having my wife use the rifle during our hunting season. She is quite petite, so smaller and lighter is better.

With the gun shouldered, I ran the bolt a few times which felt better than I expected. The three-lug bolt of the American needs less lift to unlock from the breech, sixty-degrees of lift instead of the standard ninety-degrees. The smooth raceway had the bolt sliding very clean, and with the short lift it made it quick to reload.

Shifting my attention to the synthetic stock, it came as no surprise that the stock felt a bit cheap. Its unfortunate that many gun manufacturers are using these very flexible polymer stocks, but it is also very predictable. And to be fair, if the gun shoots well I probably wont be complaining about the flexible stock too much.

Burnt Bronze Cerakote protects the barreled action, that goes well with the camo pattern on the stock. At the muzzle of the twenty-two inch barrel its threaded 5/8-24 and comes with a radially ported brake to aid in recoil reduction. One in eight barrel twist is a pretty standard one and used here.

Feeding the rifle is done through a detachable box magazine compatible with AICS type magazines. This came as a pleasant surprise as I have an assortment of magazines I’d like to try in the rifle.
At the rear a tang mounted safety was easy to reach and manipulate. As was the bolt release on the left rear side of the action. With a simple design it was easily understood and in no time I was ready to outfit it. Ruger saw fit to include a scope rail already mounted which made mounting a scope much easier. To that I mounted one of my scopes in a pair of Warne low rings, the US Optics TS25X fit perfectly on top of the rifle. Though I think I will also add a stock-pack to get a better cheekweld.

Range time with the Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor

After getting the rifle setup with a scope, bipod and some ammo, it was time to get it hot. I arrived at one of my shooting spots with an assortment of ammunition. Some Hornady Match 120 grain, as well as some Federal 130 grain Gold Medal ammunition. I had also brought some handloads of my favorite hunting load, which consisted of Cayuga solid copper bullets. I’ve used them several times in the past on both deer and elk, and if my better half was to use this rifle for hunting I wanted to see how it shot these bullets.
With a target set up at one hundred yards, I laid on my shooting mat to zero the little Ruger. Using the Hornady ammunition I zeroed the rifle, and fired a quick three-shot group.

After correcting the point of impact to correlate with my point of aim, it was time to have some fun. Followed by my other ammo selections, and all of them shot very comparable which is always nice. Then I turned my attention to the hill beyond my target, surely there was an opportunity to test this rifle at some longer ranges.

ruger american, us optics ts25x, yhm suppressor — the **US Optics TS25** was a great fit for this rifles capabilities

With my binoculars I picked out a couple targets that were about ten inches in diameter. One of them I ranged at four-hundred and sixty yards. Not too far but definitely something realistic for a deer in these mountains. After zeroing the turrets on my scope, I adjusted 2.1 MRAD of elevation to correct for the distance. The wind was dead calm, so I held center on the target, and pressed the trigger.

Since I hadn’t mentioned the trigger yet, it was better than I expected it to be. I’m not a big fan of blade safeties on bolt action rifles. But this certainly hasn’t prevented a clean and easy break on this rifle. The trigger had no discernable friction, the only movement I noticed was when it broke.

Long-Range Shooting

Observing the bullet impact my target a little high of center, I need to chronograph these bullets from this rifle. As I think they are flying a little faster than I expected. After firing another shot to confirm, I began a search for another even further target. One was found that measured eight-hundred yards away according to my rangefinder. This was a shot I was confident the little Ruger and I could make. With 5.2 MRAD dialed into the riflescope, I leveled up the rifle on my rear bag. Adjusting the parallax on my scope made a clear image of the target, all that was left was a clean release.

Shop Ruger firearms, because the ATF doesn’t want you armed…

I could do this all day. This Ruger American was just a hoot to shoot, I was impressed with how much I liked it. I made this and several other shots at similar distances, until I was quite sure that the rifle would be suitable for a spot on our hunting team. The fun factor doubled when I installed my Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20. The titanium suppressor added mere ounces to the rifle, and took away the need for hearing protection in this wide open country. Watching and hearing bullets impact at these great distances was very satisfying.

PROS & CONS

Ruger American Go Wild Rifle — The action is nice, but I do wish the gun had a more solid stock.

There was much to like about this rifle – the weight, reliable function, perfectly reliable detachable box magazine. A reliable accuracy on par with the price point, and a great trigger. It is just a handsome little rifle as well.

The strikes I might score against the American would definitely be the flimsy stock. While it wasn’t obvious that it reduced the shooting performance, I can’t help but think it would shoot better in a more rigid stock or chassis. I think this would be an excellent choice for a rifle with a very short barrel. It was tempting to cut it off at 16 inches to make it even lighter and more maneuverable. But obviously, that is my selfish purposes showing through.

FINAL WORDS

I was optimistic that this rifle wouldn’t let me down. After spending a good deal of time shooting it, I feel it has lived up to my expectations from Ruger rifles. The only thing I wasn’t able to test was the rifle’s durability over a few seasons of hard hunting.

For sure, the rifle will get at least one chance to go on a hunt, and I am really looking forward to it. I know I wouldn’t feel under-gunned with this rifle, so if the $769.00 MSRP is within your budget, give this handsome little Ruger American a try. With the release of the Gen 2 American, the price has come down on the first gen of the Ruger American. They can be had for under $500 many places.

-CBM

an unlucky hare, the American suppressed with a **YHM R9 suppressor**

2022 Update

We used the Ruger for a deer hunt this season, and managed to take these two little bucks with it. One shot was all it took for both of them. I also just reviewed the Gen 2 version of this rifle, you can read about it here.

Browning Citori Quail 16 Gauge

September 12, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware16 gauge, browning, citoricoldboremiracle

Introduction

You don’t need to be a shotgun connoisseur to understand a nice shotgun when you pick it up. I am neither a connoisseur nor even a serious shotgunner, but I’ve shot enough of the finer ones to know what it feels like. Today we’ll venture into to another story about a handsome double, the Browning Citori 16 Gauge.

browning citori shotgun — **Federal ammunition** was all we had available for the Browning

The Citori Quail 16 Gauge

The Browning Citori line of shotguns has long been famous for its quality and performance. A beautiful match of attractive wood and steel are the basis for the gun, matched with a pair of 28-inch sixteen-gauge barrels. The receiver has beautifully engraved patterns to match its clean and smooth lines. Like most over & under shotguns, the gun is opened with a lever on the spine of the action. The Citori features a full-width tapered locking bolt, this makes for additional strength in keeping the gun closed. The locking mechanism is also tapered, allowing it to seat ever deeper with the wear that will occur over decades.
Behind that, is the safety selector. Again, like most over & under shotguns, the safety doubles as a barrel selector. You can slide the safety left and right to choose which of the two barrels to shoot first, and fore and aft to select safe or fire.

The mechanical intricacies are beautiful, the ejector system utilizes a spring to drive up the impact of the ejector upon opening the gun fully. This ensures that spent hulls are thrown clear of the breach, allowing for fast and unobstructed reloads. The ejector springs are only actuated upon firing that chamber, so unfired shells are easily retrieved from the chambers.
This gun featured two and three-quarter-inch chrome-lined chambers, and an elevated rib for better sighting picture against the bead at the end.

Sweet Sixteen

I’d never been fortunate enough to play with a sixteen-gauge gun. I’d shot countless twelve gauges, twenties, .410’s and ten gauge shotguns. But the little sixteen was new to me, and new things are usually a little bit exciting. Being a little bit bigger than the twenty gauge, I figured the sixteen would be great for wing-shooting small birds like those portrayed in the little Browning’s engravings. Doves and quail seem like an obvious choice, but ducks and pheasants would also be a perfect target for this gun.
The first issue I ran into was ammo related, turns out that in our current ammunition situation, sixteen-gauge ammo is a little more difficult to find than others. But I was lucky enough to land a couple boxes of Federal ammunition, one was a fairly standard trap load of 1 oz 8 shot. The other was a hunting load, ideal for a pheasant hunt loaded with #4 shot loaded a bit quick at 1425 fps. I was going to shoot it all to see what I did and didn’t like about this little gun. Continue Reading Here…

grouse with a shotgun — a pair of Grouse taken with the Citori

A BOX OF ‘BIRDS’

With a box of clay birds in the back of the truck, I took the Citori into the beautiful green Rocky Mountains. Hand-thrown clays seem to be the most fun for me, surprises and challenges are much easier to present to the shooter. We began throwing targets among some aspen and pine trees to help add in a little bit of a hunting feel.

The first shots from the Browning were smooth and easy – It is after all just a shotgun. There was a noticeable difference between the two different types of ammunition, which was expected. The slower load was very pleasant shooting, and it would have been great for a young shooter learning the art of shotgunning. The faster load carried some more pep but still felt just like a normal shotgun push to me.

We hammered through the targets, scattering clay all over. The Citori was as smooth as could be, easy to open, and it fit me well enough to hit a pretty good percentage of birds. Everything about the way it worked just seemed so refined, from loading and shooting to ejecting empties. It all felt like it was on an assembly line timed with a chain.

The Invector choke system, like most others, is easily understood and quick to change for whatever your shooting regimen might require.

HUNTING REAL BIRDS

The upland game hunt had recently started here, so my next mission with the Browning was to find some upland birds. The cool air of a September morning always gets me excited, but I was even more excited as I crested the tops of the mountains and began spotting birds. It was a surprising number of birds, to be honest.

I worked my way into a little bowl where I had seen some large blue grouse working along a tree line. As usual, the birds are near invisible unless they move or pop out right in front of you with a startling outburst of feathers and noise. The Browning and I responded in kind, making our own outburst of feathers and noise.

We managed to take a couple of grouse and one dove during the hunt that day. The Citori was an excellent companion for such a hunt and granted a touch of extra class to it as well.

Browning Citori 16-Gauge Over-Under Shotgun — We were even able to bring down a speedy dove on our outing

CONCLUSION

Just as I suspected might be the case, I was quite enamored by this little shotgun. Despite not being a shotgun aficionado, I still greatly enjoyed my time shooting it. The 16-gauge chambering might be a little extraordinary for my high-volume taste, so perhaps another Citori with chambers for 12 gauge would better fit my shotgun needs. But if you like something different, this would be an easy bet to win on.

The flawless function of the gun, paired with the beautiful manufacturing and finish, make it an outstanding choice for those looking for a quality double. If I keep getting guns like this one, I may have to become a real shotgun aficionado.

-CBM

Laugo Alien 9mm Pistol

September 6, 2022pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware9mm, alien, alien pistol, laugo, laugo armscoldboremiracle

Laugo Arms

The Laugo Arms Alien pistol has been turning heads since it was first shown to the public, I myself remember working through the crowd at SHOT Show to get hands on it. My first impression was and still is impressed with the design, the odd shapes and lines are combined with some of the most familiar and comfortable pistol features that many of us crave. Today we’ll take a closer look at this Xenomorphic Czech wonder.

Laugo Arms got its start working with Česká zbrojovka (CZ) working on the Scorpion EVO. The stated focus at Laugo is to move beyond conventional designs and to innovate new and better ideas. Their first product is the Alien pistol, named I assume due to its appearance and similarity to the protagonist in the 1980’s horror sci-fi films of the same name. But does this odd pistol design actually deliver enhanced performance, or is it just another gun fit for “the company”.

The Alien pistol

From a very objective look, the Alien is a semi-automatic nine-millimeter pistol. But there is a great difference between the way the gun operates, and what you might be familiar with. If you are a bit of a CZenofile like me, the grip and angle of the pistol will feel quite familiar. The pistol frame is actually two pieces bolted together, and the feel of the grip in my hand is a perfect match. The texturing feels very good and allows better control of the pistol. The all-metal construction of the pistol makes it feel a bit heavier than most, and at 2.4 pounds you know you’ve got something significant in your hand. The 4.8 inch 9mm barrel is nested low in the frame, giving the Alien one of its innovative claims of the lowest bore axis available. The full-sized pistol uses seventeen-round standard capacity magazines, and they are fed into the magwell by a smooth and contoured flare making reloads quick and easy. Other familiar features of the pistol you may expect are quality adjustable iron sights including a fiber optic front sight, and a 1913 standard pic rail for accessories (like a flamethrower) under the front of the gun.
The features you may not know about are where it gets quite interesting. The Alien utilizes a gas-operated piston delayed blowback system, this combined with the extremely low bore axis keeps the Alien more on target during recoil than traditional pistols. In addition, the iron sights or red dot optical sight (both are included) are mounted to the non-reciprocating portion of the pistol which allows the shooter to remain focused on targeting while the Alien reloads itself.

On the Range with the Alien pistol

I’ve had a couple opportunities to shoot the Alien, and I found it to be very interesting and entertaining. The pistol comes as part of a complete kit from Laugo, a very high quality polymer case, that includes both sight rails with iron and optical sight, extra magazines, a custom holster made by Elornis Industry and a few more extras.

After loading some magazines and feeling the pistol weight in my hand, I actually felt like I liked it more. This may not be the perfect gun to carry around on a daily basis, but it feels great to have it in the hand. The grip fills the palm of the hand perfectly for me, and feels outstanding much like the high-end pistols from CZ. The next thing up for touching was the trigger, which is again all metal and utilizes a blade safety like many modern pistols. Pulling the trigger there was a short take-up and a very clean break. It felt outstanding, comparable to the guns of professionals I’ve been lucky enough to shoot. The recoil of the pistol wasn’t significantly noticeable at first, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. But after shooting it for a while, I began to notice a different pattern. Also while watching others shoot the gun, it certainly seemed to have less muzzle rise than comparable pistols being shot side by side and using the same ammunition.

I did notice that after much shooting, the pistol did begin to warm up perhaps a little more than I had anticipated. Likely due to the gas being captured in the gas block and building heat. But it felt so good and was so smooth shooting I didn’t notice the heat for long.
With the pop of a single captured pin at the front of the pistol, the whole sighting-rail came right off, and it was switched out for the rail-mounted red dot. Easily switching back and forth between the two took only seconds. The removal of the rail allowed the shooter to see the cunning inner workings of the Alien, much simpler than a terraforming reactor. The hammer and sear are actually mounted in the bottom of the sight-rail, and swing down instead of up. The deeply mounted barrel was under the gas block, with the piston and recoil spring assemblies positioned in the block.
The pistol shot excellent with no failures, it was as pleasant to shoot as any pistol I’ve ever shot, I could feel a desire to keep it growing inside. Accuracy from the gun was what you would expect, easily stacking shots on top of each other up close. And predictably hitting targets further out.

Continue Reading Here…

PROS AND CONS

The performance of the Alien pistol in my opinion is outstanding, but with a street price varying between $5,200 and $6,999, it certainly better perform well. Varying configurations and included accessories determine those prices. It is obviously not marketed to your average gun owner, but more towards those looking for something unique and exceptional.

I found the claims of less muzzle rise and half the recoiling angle of other pistols to be well founded, though perhaps not as significant an advantage as it’s made out to be.
The trigger is excellent, and reloads were flawless because of the angles of the magazines and the flared magwell. The slide is serrated at both the front and rear of the chamber, giving you plenty of purchase, and the sight rail gives a generous sight radius for better acquisition. The magazine release is reversible, for those left-handed shooters, but the slide release is only on the left side of the pistol.

The only downside I can find to it is the cost, which is somewhat prohibitive to many. But once you get over that part of it, it is a beautiful piece of engineering.

CONCLUSION

The interesting design and inner workings make it an artistic piece as much as a shooting tool, and perhaps it will impregnate the minds of other designers with new ideas that will mature into aggressive new firearms designs. It certainly has a “cool factor,” but its distinctive design is not just for looks.

If you like guns that incorporate more than just function but innovation and a little bit of artistry, then the Laugo Alien will likely fit right into your collection.

-CBM

Smith & Wesson 629 .44 Magnum Mountain Gun

August 30, 2022pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware44 magnum, 629, mountain gun, s&w, smith & wessoncoldboremiracle

Introduction

I grew up watching 80’s films, so revolvers’ always seemed present in my gun repertoire. My father and grandfather both shot revolvers’ whenever they had occasion to shoot a pistol. My taste’s have changed over the years but I can still appreciate a cylinder with holes bored for six.
Today’s subject is one of those classic pistol designs that seem timeless in their execution, the S&W 629 Mountain Gun chambered in the admirable 44 Remington Magnum.

The model 629

Is a more modern version of the gun that made the 44 magnum famous, the model 29. The pistol features double and single action functions, one of the most simple and easy to not screw up designs ever. The cylinder has chambers for six cartridges, and is opened by pushing the left side release actuator. The gun comes with a rubberized grip making it easy to hold onto, and an adjustable rear sight to make sure you hit whatever you are aiming at. The four inch barrel was in very good condition, almost new to the naked eye.

The .44 Magnum

I’ve been loading .44 Magnum since I got my first wheel gun over a decade ago. I’ve found it to be a relatively easy cartridge to load, and in the interests of fun I’ve also loaded up a few .44 Specials. The .44 Remington Magnum offers big bullets going real fast, at least for a pistol. With bullets in the 200 to 240 grain class, you can shoot velocities near double that of the very popular .45 ACP.
Harnessing all this power has been the job of many strong revolvers over the years, but it has also been popular in some lever gun models. Perhaps the ultimate duo, a Henry Lever action rifle in .44 magnum with a S&W revolver to match.

Ammunition

Since buying ammunition these days is still as pleasant as washing stray cats, I decided to use some of my own rolled magnums. Several comfort loads that I’m used to would do the trick. The first is my old standby, a 240 grain cast lead slug with a grease ring. Loaded with some H110 it has always been a soft and accurate shooting load, I’ve been able to reliably hit targets at deer hunting distances in the past. The next load up was some Berry’s 240 grain copper plated flat-points, loaded again with H110 which seems to be the go to powder for many of these pistol cartridges. Once I had a box of each loaded up, I headed to the mountains to see how this Mountain Gun fit in to the scenery.

On the range with the Smith & Wesson 629

One thing I appreciate about the .44 Magnum is that even though it’s just a pistol, it still has enough energy to shoot further distances than one would typically shoot pistols. Not exactly long range, but I like the idea of a strong handgun that a guy could actually use to sneak up on a deer and take a shot.
I started out shooting at paper targets at approximately fifteen-yards, hitting NRA targets at that range was easy, so much so that I began to try shooting some groups to see just how accurate the gun is.
Once I had convinced myself I could shoot no better at that range, I decided to shoot at a steel target fifty-yards away. A full size silhouette was still relatively easy to hit, and I stacked a bunch of lead on the front of that target for the next few minutes. The 629 seemed to like the lead bullets better than the plated ones, but both loads shot well enough for predictable hits.

The .44 is no slouch, you are quite aware of its presence every time it goes off. The soft rubber grip was very comfortable to hold onto, and its sticky quality made it easier to hold onto under recoil. The short four-inch barrel sure loved to climb, I probably need to work on my pistol driving skills, but I think it wasn’t just me.
Perhaps the thing that impressed me the most was the clean and perfect trigger break. It felt so good it reminded me of a good rifle, I think this also made the pistol so easy to shoot well. I only needed to line up the sights, and apply a touch of pressure and watch the impact through a small cloud of smoke.

Shop Smith and Wesson Revolvers here

There is an allure to cranking the hammer back on these heavy revolvers, like reminiscing from one of those old 70’s movies imagining a quivering villain before you as a cunning threat rolls off your lips. The heavy feel in your hand, and the impressive recoil and noise seems to command attention.

Continue Reading Here…

For me, the best parts about these pistols are easily summed up. The quality finish and slightly petite build for a .44 Magnum make this an ideal gun to have along on an Alaskan fishing trip, not too heavy to make carrying it uncomfortable but still plenty of gun. The crisp trigger and clean sights are also very nice when it comes to shooting the gun, as is the aforementioned rubber grip.

If I had to mark it down for anything, it would probably only be due to my personal preferences. I like a 7-inch barrel better than a 4-inch one. I think it would make this gun just a bit more shootable. But understanding the purpose of this gun as a light and carry-friendly option kind of counters that point, or at least reduces its validity.

Conclusion

A Smith and Wesson Model 629 Mountain Gun would be an excellent firearm to have on your side for mountain adventuring. As its name suggests, the Mountain Gun is an excellent fit for when you may need a gun out of necessity more than by choice. It’s a fisherman’s friend in grizzly country, a cougar hunter’s perfect weapon for downing a treed cat, and a backcountry adventurer’s friend when heading out for the hills.

The great quality of this pistol’s construction as well as its perfect performance in the field would give me great confidence in these activities, so check one of these out and see if your collection needs a Mountain Gun.

-CBM

Need more .44 Magnum? Follow this link to read more

Big Bore ’94 XTR .375 Winchester 1894

August 24, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware375 winchester, model 1894, winchestercoldboremiracle

Introduction

This story has been a long time in the making. More than twenty years ago, my best friend walked into a local gun shop looking for a Big Bore Winchester 1894 XTR chambered in .375 Winchester. I’ll spare you the details about why he was looking for that specific rifle, but he was surprised to find they still had one back on the shelf, still new in its original box. Perhaps more importantly with the original price tag on it as well.
He brought the rifle home, and it would soon become part of the random collection of guns that we would shoot every weekend we could. I made him promise that he would never sell the rifle unless it was to me, but with the closing of the Winchester facility in the early two-thousands, the value and demand for rifles like that one went up significantly. And much like other 90’s fads, the old Winchester fell from favor. At the time I couldn’t pay what it was worth on the market, so despite my broken heart, it left with brown Santa for the state of Wisconsin. I never forgot that rifle, and have longed for one like it since.
I recently made the find of another Big Bore 94 nearly identical to that one. And I knew that the universe had brought it back to me, so out came the credit card.

The Model 1894

The iconic Winchester Model 1894 has long been revered as a game changer. Over the long century that it has been manufactured, countless game animals have been taken. Chambered in a great many differing cartridges, but very commonly seen in 30-30 WCF. The gun feels fresh out of the old cowboy movies most of us watched growing up.
The Big Bore line of 94’s has a much shorter lifespan, they were made back in the 70’s and 80’s timeframe, before Winchester’s demise. The rifle uses the same lever action as other model 94’s but uses typically larger cartridges like this .375 Win, or something like a .44 Magnum.
The rifle I bought is like new, but almost the same age as me. And much like me, there are certain advantages of being manufactured back in the seventies. The rifle is simple, no safety or locking devices are built into it. It uses the old half-cock safety, and the cartridges are fed through the feeding ramp on the right side of the receiver.
It has a fine set of iron sights, but this rifle also came with an offset scope mount and a similar vintage Bushnell 2-8 power scope mounted. Something I wasn’t sure I would like, but I was certainly willing to give it a try.

Custom made ammunition featuring 200 gr bullets

The .375 Winchester

winchester 1894 375 winchester — the Big Bore 94 is a blast to shoot

The .375 Winchester is a rimmed straight-wall cartridge. It’s derived from the old 38-55 cartridge from back in the late nineteenth century. The more modern .375 Winchester running on smokeless powder can push two-hundred-grain bullets around the 2400 FPS mark, which isn’t an insignificant thing. I always dreamed about using this rifle for a sneaky deer hunt, putting the moves on a nice buck deep in the forest. This year instead, I plan on using the Winchesters big 200 grain bullets on a bull elk. The deep and dark woods where we pursue elk in the fall are ideal for a rifle and cartridge like this.

The Ammunition situation

A quick look at the ammunition market gave me the too familiar discomfort that you have likely experienced in recent years. Boxed ammunition for this rifle was outrageous, topping six dollars a round. Even unloaded brass was more expensive than I would allow myself to spend, so I decided to roll some of my own loads. As it happens, I had a set of RCBS dies in my inventory, and a few boxes of Sierra 200 grain flat-point bullets. I could fashion the brass from the large volume of 30-30 cartridge cases I had accumulated over the years. With some sizing grease, some trimming and cleanup, I was quickly manufacturing my own .375 ammo.

To the field

It had been more than twenty years since I’d shot a .375 Winchester, so I couldn’t wait to see how this dream gun from the past would perform. After testing a few of my handloads for safety, I started shooting at the fifty-yard-line. I was quickly reminded of why I liked this gun all those years ago, its small size and easy handling characteristics make it a piece of cake to shoot. And yet when the hammer drops, there is a deep thunderous roar that lets you know this isn’t a 30-30 Winchester.
I made some scope adjustments, to correct the zero of the rifle with my loads. I decided to zero it at about seventy-five yards, for the following reasons which may or may not be mistaken; This is certainly not a long-range rifle, the flat-nosed bullets are nowhere near as efficient in flight as our more modern bullets. And despite their muzzle velocity of near 2400 FPS, much of that velocity is spent by the time it reaches two-hundred yards. I figured that though I could shoot beyond three hundred yards, I probably wouldn’t with this rifle. And even more likely it would be used inside a hundred yards, the thick forests where our elk hide can get you into archery range if you are sneaky enough.

Interested in modern 1894 clones? Check these out

After zeroing my rifle, I set to getting good with it. Chances are I was going to have to use it quickly, so I spent a lot of time drawing the rifle, shooting at a pie-plate-sized target before reloading and repeating the shot. I did this until I felt comfortable enough to bet my hunt on it.

I also spent a good amount of time shooting supported at targets 100 yards out. After that, a 15-inch target at 260 yards was easily hit when supported. The old Winchester felt just as good as it always had, and I was quite confident that if I could get within 200 yards of an elk, I could hit it right.

Accuracy with this old rifle shooting my hand loads averaged around 2 inches at 100 yards. But it wouldn’t surprise me if it did a little better with some more load refinement. That is something I intend to try between now and October.

If you are a lever-gun fan, shop a wide variety here.

Conclusion

If you also like to occasionally dabble in more traditional guns, the way I chose to go is not a bad one at all. I love the classic design and smooth operation of this old Winchester. There just seems to be something alluring about the old straight-wall cartridges and these classic levers.

The positive control of the lever-action gives great reliability and finesse to the shooter, which is probably why these rifles are still going strong more than 100 years after their release. I cannot wait to get back into the silent forests this fall, silently skulking on soft black dirt with my palms clutching the hand-checkered walnut from the old New Haven plant. Look for me there.

-CBM

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Continue Reading Here…

Winchester Model 12 Shotgun

August 15, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware12gauge, model 12, shotgun, winchestercoldboremiracle

Introduction

I don’t find every old firearm to be interesting, but there are the occasional ones that grab my attention for any number of reasons. The Winchester model 12 just happens to be one of the few that did pique my interest, and today I’m here to tell you a little bit about my experience with it.

History

The Model 12 is a pump action twelve-gauge shotgun, iconic in that it has the classic features that make a pump-gun so appealing. And it may not be the first, but it certainly trained generations how to shoot airborne game among many other things. The Model 12 was also used by the US Military, making it an actual war weapon unlike your AR 15.
My father grew up shooting an old model 12, barely a teenager when it was given to him by my grandfather he used it for hunting pheasants and ducks in the marshy wetlands beyond grandpas pasture. As a child I remember seeing Dad tinker with it amongst his other guns.

The model 12 uses traditional wooden furniture, with an easily identifying ribbed front grip. A shallow rib runs the length of the barrel, with a targeting bead on the muzzle end. The barrel itself is a thirty-inches long and has a three-inch magnum chamber. It features a familiar safety at the front of the trigger guard, and an action release just behind it. The tubular magazine holds six 2-3/4 shot-shells, and it is clamped to the barrel at the front of the tube.
I looked up the serial number and if the internet is to be believed, this gun was manufactured in 1917, making it a hundred and five years old.

In the Field

After some inspection and thorough familiarizing myself with the gun I decided it was time to see how it shoots. I loaded up some clay targets and a few boxes of shells and headed to the hills. The family and I spent a good part of the afternoon shooting the model 12, smashing clays and pumping fresh shells through the gun.
This model 12 in particular appears to be in pretty good shape, and yet we did have just a few hiccups with it. The trigger on the gun doesn’t reset when pumped, you can literally hold the trigger down and pump shot after shot like the old western revolvers. A couple times it felt as though the trigger followed the bolt home and didn’t go off, leaving a dead trigger. This is likely as much a result of my children’s inexperience with shotguns as anything. On a couple occasions the bolt felt stuck in battery, requiring an extra shove from me to extract the spent shell.
Despite these hiccups, we still had a great afternoon on the mountain. The barrel was made way before interchangeable chokes, so you get what it came with as far as that goes. I imagine it is set fairly tight, as the shot pattern seemed much smaller than I expected. This made shooting the hand-thrown clays a whole lot more challenging. We were shooting one-ounce loads from Winchester and Fiocchi, both using 7.5 shot.
I am certainly not the best wing-shooter, but I did feel like I was cheated out of a few hits by the model 12. Shots I am very confident I’d of made if I were shooting one of my guns. Continue Reading Here…

PROS AND CONS

Winchester Model 12 12-Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun — The older design also features a fixed choke, likely a fairly aggressive one from my shooting so far

The Model 12 has plenty of history. If you are a collector, that may weigh heavy on your selection. Personally, I have no use for guns that I’m not going to shoot. So, it has got to be useful to fit in my safe.

The Model 12 could be perfectly useful for the right kind of shooter. The same pheasants that my father hunted as a youth could still be hunted with this gun, as could the doves and chukars that live on the dry desert hills above my home. The 3-inch chamber would probably work great for shooting turkeys if you so choose, depending on how it patterns.

Shop 12 Gauge ammunition here

The gun is simple, and the no-frills construction also lends itself to a fairly lightweight. The older design of the gun could also use some modern touches. The recoil pad isn’t particularly forgiving, something the kids noticed a lot more than myself. I imagine it would become more noticeable if I’d been shooting 3-inch shells. The few malfunctions we experienced could be from the 100+ years of use, resulting in some wear. It also could have just needed a little TLC. Regardless, I’m confident that some simple maintenance from a qualified gun plumber could fix it right up.

IN CONCLUSION

Time hasn’t passed in vain with this old shotgun. But it still has much to offer anyone with a taste for classic American firearms. The feel of the century-old craftsmanship definitely has its allure, and slamming the action shut on a live shell speaks volumes to the old refrain, “They don’t build them like they used to.”

-CBM

Sig Sauer Kilo 10K Binoculars

August 9, 2022Optics, Product reviewbinoculars, binos, kilo, kilo 10k, sig sauercoldboremiracle

Introduction

I’ve been severely hooked on both hunting and long range shooting for more than a few decades, so laser rangefinders are nothing new to me. I still remember saving up what seemed like an eternity to purchase my first one, an LRF I could barely afford but would actually hit a thousand yards and beyond reliably. All these years later my laser has migrated into a good pair of bino’s which are a must have for spotting animals in these Rocky Mountains. But the me from twenty years ago would never believe just how much else has migrated into the binoculars I carry. Today we are looking at the Sig Sauer Kilo 10K Binoculars.

Sig Sauer Optics

Sig Sauer jumped into the optics market with both feet, and like their products or not they have been innovating all over the optics world. They worked hard enough to earn my business a few years back when I bought one of their Tango 6 5-30 riflescopes.

I have had the good fortune to sample a broad spectrum of Sig Sauer’s Electro-optics. Enough so to become quite confident in giving them more hard earned money. The Kilo 10K is that latest purchase, a pair of consumer grade binoculars that feature arguably military grade functions. I decided that I was due an upgrade, and spent the money.

The Kilo 10K Binoculars

I have been using another pair of 10X42’s for the last few years, but a friend bought a pair of the Kilo 3000 binoculars and I quickly noticed they seemed better to my eyes than the binos I was using. The Kilo 10K is a significant upgrade from the 3000 model, with so many features I’ll have to keep it short to avoid this page taking all day to load.
Besides Sig’s standard features such as their Ballistic Data Exchange (BDX) and their various lens coatings and armor, the real juicy details are all encoded inside. The Kilo utilizes second generation Lightwave DSP ranging engine that has various ranging functions that allow you to range reflective targets as far as 10,000 yards away. I was dang sure gonna try that out.

The onboard system also has all the sensors needed to calculate real time ballistics via Applied Ballistics Elite ballistic calculator. Instead of pairing to your phone application the Kilo does it all inside. Spoiling you with an incredible array of information right in front of your eyes. All this without ever taking your eyes off the target.
The internal systems of the Kilo also have compass and GPS functions. You can see compass headings and such right in the binocular heads up display, angles of incline are also displayed. And you can mark waypoints in your travels using the Basemap application.
The aforementioned Applied Ballistics (AB) software allows you to store up to 25 different profiles in the binoculars using their complete bullet library. So you can always have you favorite load cued up. The Kilo 10K reads all the relevant atmosphere information to give you a corrected firing solution. Including current density altitude conditions, and even a wind meter for accurate wind speed measurement.

Figuring out the Sig Sauer Kilo 10K

I was a bit apprehensive about having the brainpower to figure out and run everything the Kilo 10K offered. After reading through the manual a few times, I was less so.

The Kilo can be configured using the buttons controlling it, or using the BDX phone application. I went about changing a few of the settings to better fit what I thought I would like, it didn’t take long to figure out. The menu allows easy switching from meters and yards, as well as MOA to MRAD. Using the onboard sensors, the Kilo provides the air pressure, temperature and humidity. You can configure the system to automatically measure the temperature or you can input the temp manually if selected. You can also select manual input of other atmospheric data using the app on your phone.
The heads up display on the Kilo 10K is incredibly informative. it gives you distance (both actual and angle corrected) shooting angles, and wind corrections as dictated by the bluetooth connected wind meter. I was very please to see that even a milling reticle can be chosen to aid in spotting for corrections.

Ballistic data is displayed both through the binoculars as well as on the phone display, this could enhance a fire teams ability to make quick shots

After several trips into the hills to simply play with and look through the Kilo 10K, I decided it was time to get serious.

Data Input

I replaced the factory preset data that came set for a .308 175gr SMK, and entered in all the data for the 6mm GT I was planning on shooting. All the data is easily entered via the BDX app, and no sooner had I input my data, the Kilo synced everything up with the tap of a button.

The AB calculator uses a bluetooth wind-speed anemometer to capture the speed of the wind. As well as temperature, humidity, angles, and all the other pertinent information is captured and fed into the system.

One slight complaint I had was from the wind meter itself, it measures the wind just fine. But the direction of the wind has to be put in either through the app on your phone (fastest way). Or you can also do it through a quick access menu on the Kilo itself. The quick switching nature of the wind makes me wonder how challenging that data point might be to maintain accurate. I was hoping there was a way to index the wind direction using the compass heading from the GPS.

There are a great deal of customizable options to change how the data is conjured before your eye. The heads up display menu was clear and quick to cycle through despite having to do everything using only the two external buttons on the binos. I have used AB for some time, so my confidence in the ballistic calculations were good. I wanted to see how the interface with the Kilo lined up, to see if it was as simple as point, laze, and shoot.

Hunting Country

On a blustery summer evening, I made my way into the Wasatch Mountains to do some additional testing of the Kilo’s capabilities. The storm front threatened to bring rain, but for the most part all I got was gloomy cloud cover. The high winds carried a visible amount of dust and debris. This had me concerned at how well the laser would reach. But I was quite surprised to see the Kilo light up with just over five-thousand yards, over two-point-eight miles away.

I decided to hit something even further still away, from my perch at over six-thousand feet (9,189 DA according to the Kilo) I could see my house below. I figured the siding would be reflective enough to hit at significant distance. So I pressed the button until it came back with a reading, and it did several times. Nine-thousand three hundred and fifty-one yards it read, that’s five point three miles away as the crow flies.

The Kilo 10K sitting on top of my **Field Optics Research tripod**

I checked my Basemap app, to see that the waypoint popped up marking my house. Had I needed to I could have just walked home in the dark using the Basemap as a guide.

Ballistic Data

I did some truing of the data in AB for my 6GT load to see that it lined up with confirmed data I already had saved. It was absolutely brilliant to see a firing solution populate in a second or so. With nearly all the data I needed to make the shot. The Desert Tech SRS M2 6GT shoots very well out to fifteen hundred yards or so. I wanted to see how quick I could go from spotting targets to seeing impacts at various distances. So I played my mock hunting game where a suitable sized target is picked out, and I engaged it as fast as possible as if it were escaping. The trued data from AB via the Kilo lined up beautifully. This allowed me to make hit after hit with minimal delays between shots.
If the system was utilized between a shooter and spotter team, you could put an amazing rate of fire on targets. With a spotter using the Kilo, you could range targets and have the firing solution show up on the shooters phone screen without so much as saying a word. Both could see the live data displayed. And as soon as the next target is identified that data would pop up on the shooter’s screen. You can even actuate the rangefinder from your phone through the app. Once paired, you can touch the range button on your phone screen to activate the rangefinder remotely.
I created a second profile for my favorite twenty-two inch 6.5 Creedmoor, just to see how to cycle between profiles. As with other operations inside the Kilo, it was quick to pull up the menu and switch between profiles and other settings. As I used the internal menu of the Kilo I got much better at changing rapidly the settings. Continue Reading Here…

PROS & CONS

Cons

Today, I’ll start out with the cons, just to get them out of the way. The Sig Sauer Kilo 10k is as much a system as it is a single product. And the system relies on its multiple components for maximum performance.

That said, I don’t think they could have chosen better partners. AB is an extremely well-known ballistic-solver system. And Basemaps also has a great reputation and provides very valuable information. One downside that I found was that the Basemaps’ App required a Pro upgrade in order to use the Kilo as an add-on tool. This isn’t a huge deal, but it’s one worth mentioning.

I did have one apparent malfunction while testing the Kilo, where it did get quite warm from sitting in the sun. It was a hot July day, but I wouldn’t have considered it too hot for the Kilo to work. Much like an iPhone left in a hot car, the Kilo just stopped working, as though the battery was dead. I even replaced the battery thinking maybe I had overused it. But after sitting in the house for a few hours, it fired right back up with the battery showing full power. I haven’t been able to reproduce the problem, so I hope it was simply a fluke.

Pros

The pros of the Kilo10k system are many and hard to list. If you’ve read this far, you have already been over all the functions that I consider beneficial. So, I’ll keep it short by naming my favorites.

First off, there are the ranging capabilities. The Kilo ranges much farther than almost any of us will ever be shooting outside military applications using artillery. It is still nice to have the ranging ability. And the Kilo makes a good navigation tool as well because of its broad capabilities. The Terrapin X has long been considered top of the heap as a rangefinder. Though I have heard from several people that they have had better luck at extreme distances using the Kilo 10k.

Sig Sauer Kilo10k Binoculars — The lens coating and armor are great, but the real money is inside this compact computer of an optic

Heads Up Display

The heads-up display is very intuitive and gives you almost everything you need quickly. Important information appears larger than less pertinent information. But everything you want from a rangefinder is there. And the HUD reticle gives your spotter some reference as well.

The Kilo’s carry case is very nice and well thought out. There are two pockets for carrying small accessories, and a pigtail lanyard to keep the wind meter attached and close. The multiple profile options and quick syncing features make the Kilo incredibly useful for a guy on the move between one hunt or another. Especially if you are switching between multiple calibers or spotting for multiple shooters.

Conclusion

Sig has once again knocked it out of the park with this pair of binoculars. Admittedly, I have never been a big optics snob. But I find them optically superior to most comparable options, that is if you can find something close to the Kilo as far as its capabilities are concerned.

The Kilo does what it says, and I intend on taking full advantage of its well-thought-out features in the years to come. The only thing left to test is that of time and durability. Follow me to keep tabs on how the Kilo 10k performs in the future.

-CBM

The Kilo 10k has gotten plenty of use these past few years. Alongside my **Desert Tech SRS**, its **US Optics FDN25X**, and suppressed by the **YHM R9**

2023 Update:

Last year I did have to send the Kilo back to Sig for some kind of apparent malfunction with the HUD. It was repaired quickly, and returned. I have used it for two hard hunting seasons since without any issues at all. In fact I have come to love these binos even more several years later.

CZ Ultralight hunter 12gauge

August 3, 2022Product review, Shooting hardwarecoldboremiracle

Introduction

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a CZenofile. From the beginning of my development as a gun nut, I have always had a found feeling towards CZ’s firearms and their brand in general. So it came as a great surprise to me when I was handed a CZ over-under twelve gauge, I didn’t even know they made shotguns. I was more familiar with their bolt-action rifles and their classy pistols. But like the true gun nerd that I am, I embraced this new knowledge and set of barrels. Today I present to you the CZ Ultralight hunter 12gauge.

The Upland Ultralight

I was quite surprised when I opened up the box, not only was it different than what I expected, it was also green. Surely I thought someone had left their spray-paint unattended in the company of this CZ, but to my surprise it appeared to be a factory Cerakote job. Not out of this world I guess, but not something I expected to see in a double barreled European shotgun.
The barrel set was twenty-eight inches long, and came with a full set of hand-installed chokes. Over-under shotguns are such simple mechanical devices, so it comes as no surprise to me that they are all so very similar in their function and controls. I say simple, but they are beautifully simple as I found out upon disassembly. Necessity and my child-like curiosity both managed to remove the receiver from the buttstock, and the mechanical beauty of pins and levers inside the gun impressed me.

The Mechanics of the CZ Ultralight hunter 12gauge

The barrel lock and safety are the only controls besides the trigger itself, the latter being mounted in the tang of the receiver. The safety is slid forward with the thumb to disengage and fire the gun, but in the safety button itself there is a smaller selector to determine which of the two barrels goes off first. There is a very brilliant and simple connection that shifts the triggers movement between the two different sears.
The barrel lock engages the bottom of the barrel block, securing the action closed. Somehow despite the simplicity of the mechanism, I managed to goof it up. The engagement seemed off somehow, but everything seemed to lock up and function as it was supposed to after reassembling the receiver.
In my journey to the center of the receiver I noticed something that I had missed. The Upland Ultralight is light for a reason, one of those reasons is the aluminum alloy receiver. I noticed during my recreational investigation that the barrel hinge pins are steel pressed into the aluminum receiver.
The furniture on the CZ was a traditional wood, to be honest quite plain. I suppose the designers at CZ were thinking this gun would be more of a work horse than a delicate mantle-piece. That would also explain the Cerakote finish I suppose. The butt of the gun featured a simple rubber pad.

The Huglu barrel set was also made to work more than show off. The absent middle rib surely reduced additional weight on the gun, as did their twenty-six inch length. The ejectors that typically toss spent shells from the chamber were not spring loaded, they simply lift the shells from the chambers for the shooter to remove and put in his pocket.

12 gauge over and under shotgun — **Fiocchi ammunition** worked great in the CZ Ultralight

Time to shoot

Once again I sought the shooting company of my Father, his seasoned input on shotguns and their various virtues would come in handy.
After switching out the two full chokes that came in the gun for something a little more modified, it was time to start throwing birds.
I love the challenge of hand-thrown clays, there is so much more finesse and the ability to really mess with the shooter. Dad and I have been throwing targets by hand since I was old enough to shoot a shotgun, so today was surely going to be a fun time. And just to have something to compare it to, Dad brought along his Browning Citori.
After warming up on some pretty straight forward trap targets, we decided to start mixing it up a bit with report pairs and other angles. Throwing targets from way off to the side of the shooter greatly resembles the speedy Green-wing Teal that I enjoy chasing through the muddy marsh. The lightweight CZ is very quick to shoulder, and despite its ultra-light weight the recoil didn’t seem unreasonable at all. To be fair we were shooting one-ounce loads, but that didn’t stop us from hammering a whole lotta clays.
I found that I wasn’t as good with the CZ as I’d hoped to be, I’d like to blame it on the gun not fitting me or something but it’s more likely due to my lack of practice. Speaking of fit, I didn’t have an issue with it, but my dad did mention the comb was a bit low for his face. He does enjoy adjustable combs on most of his doubles, so it could just be he’s a bit spoiled. Continue Reading Here…

12 gauge over and under shotguns — the CZ next to my father’s **Browning 12 gauge**, with a little more rizz

My main complaint when shooting the CZ was due to the friction it takes to open the action. New over-under shotguns are pretty stiff and can require some break-in before they loosen up. I don’t know if this gun just needed to be shot more, or if it is just that stiff.

PROS AND CONS

The Upland Ultralight would make a great gun for jumping grouse and partridges in the desert mountains where I do much of my hunting. The lightweight is definitely a big plus for someone who is trekking all over upland bird country. I found the trigger to be perfectly suitable for hunting terrain like that, and with sling studs built into the gun, the shotgun can be easily carried over the shoulder.

cz 12 gauge shotgun — classic simplicity is one way to describe the CZ

The OD green color that surprised me at first actually grew on me a bit. If I’m going to be traipsing all over the mountain in potentially poor weather, I don’t want to deal with a high-maintenance blued finish. The Cerakote makes much more sense. But if you’re going to put a good all-weather coating on the exterior of the gun, perhaps synthetic furniture is also in order?

I must say from the get-go, I was a bit nervous about the barrel lock on this gun. The lever didn’t seem to close enough for my taste. I know they tend to loosen up, and the lever comes more and more to the center as the gun wears, but this was more than that. I can’t help but think there is something slightly out of adjustment on this gun, and its likely something easily remedied. And if that is the case, my biggest concern with this gun is of no consequence.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Fondness for doubles is in my blood, so I feel drawn to this gun despite the few things I hold against it. Sure, there are things I would change about it if given the chance, but I also feel like I’d love to take it out for a hike and shoot a limit of doves. I think upland hunters would enjoy this gun, and it would make a fine companion on a long day in the field.

-CBM