Category Archives: Product review

Products and equipment

Kahles K318i Ultrashort precision rifle scope

June 14, 2022Optics, Product reviewk318i, kahles, riflescope, scopecoldboremiracle

Introduction

When I was a child, I spent a good amount of time under the tutelage of my Grandfather. One of the many things I spent time doing with grandpa was shooting, he always made it fun and ensured that I came away having learned something. The very first time I heard the name Kahles, it was uttered my my grandpa, and probably like most Americans in the early eighties he pronounced it wrong. He said it just like you’d expect a cowboy raised in the desert would: Kales.
All these years later, I’ve managed to become quite familiar with Kahles and their high-quality riflescopes. Something I think grandpa would have enjoyed.

Shopping for Kahles 318i?

The K318 mounted on a Surgeon Scalpel 300WM

The K318i riflescope

Kahles is one of the oldest riflescope manufacturers in the world, so it should come as no surprise that they make a good product. They have taken over the competitive rifle circuit like a storm over the last ten years or so, and with good reason. The Kahles K318i is a more recent development from Kahles, its short length I can only assume was designed to be competitive with other short scopes from several other manufacturers. The short length of the scope makes it a perfect match for a rifle you may want to keep a little more compact. This without giving up much if any performance.

The K318i is a 6X variable zoom optic, it utilizes a thirty-four millimeter tube with a fifty millimeter objective. The K318i utilizes many of the same features found in other top-tier Kahles scopes; features like first-focal-plane reticles, MOA & MRAD models, an illuminated reticle, and the ability to choose which side of the scope you want the windage turret on. And the choice of which direction you want said turret to rotate. Quite a few options there if you are a finicky shooter, I myself am pretty easy going, so however it comes to me is perfectly suitable.
The reticle itself is also an option you can select, mine came with the SKMR2 which I think is just about as good as you can get. But there are other options as well if this one doesn’t meet your fancy.

Perhaps the most curious feature of this an other Kahles scopes is the position of the parallax adjustment. The adjustment knob is at the twelve o’clock position underneath the elevation turret itself. A larger knob with clear printed settings makes it very easy to set the parallax for whatever shot you might need to make.

Other features like a zero-stop and turret rotation indicator are also very handy, the indicator is a small red pin that pops up on the top of the turret giving the shooter both a visible and tactile indication of which rotation of the turret you are on. The elevation turret itself is a boastful sixteen MRAD per turn, which decreases the likelihood of missing your rotation anyways. It also allows the majority of practical shooting to be done without ever going into the second rotation of the turret.

There is one last cunning feature, which is Kahles’ Twist-Guard windage turret. A free-spinning end to the turret prevents the turret from being inadvertently turned when rubbing or pushed into something such as a barricade.

In the Field

I’ve run many a Kahles scopes over the years, but I was just a little excited to see how this newer model looked. I have always been impressed with the optical clarity of Kahles scopes, and I was curious to see what this little 318 had in store for me. I’ve lost track of how many different rifles this scope has ridden in the last year, but they were not just a few. Like any good scope should, the Kahles was easily transferred back and forth, rezeroed, bore-sighted, torqued, over and over again. And it has never skipped a beat.

For a time the scope directed fire for my 257 Blackjack, a mostly carbon fiber rifle with a sharp recoil impulse that is lightning on animals. It also spent some time on my Desert Tech SRS M2, getting a large variety of testing on various calibers like 300 and 338 Norma. In more recent adventures the chubby little Kahles was the scope of choice for my Tikka T3 TACT A1 in .260 Remington, which made an unstoppable combination. At the moment the scope is mounted on a Bergara BMP 6.5 Creedmoor where it has been for the last month or two. Wherever I put the K318 it seems to shine, I love the moderate magnification range. I rarely set my scopes above 16X unless I am looking at or shooting something really far out there. For average everyday shooting inside a thousand yards I find the 3-18X range to be ideal.

Picking out small targets on distant hillsides is not hard with the bright and clear image from this scope. The impressive transfer of the image from across the canyon to my retina comes with great ease. The eye-box is plenty forgiving for my taste, I’ve only used it on one rifle that didn’t have an adjustable comb. Nevertheless I always found the scope easy to get behind, and very quick to ascertain a good full image.
Shooting the K318 in the field I was quickly enamored with the turret tension and detents, just easy enough to turn without becoming a problem. And the clicks are crisp and audible, I can almost feel it in my cheek-bone as I look through the scope. The zero-stop on Kahles scopes has always befuddled me, there is always four clicks under zero. Perhaps there is a reason to which I’m not privy, but it seems like it would be better to just stop at zero.
The illumination turret is opposite the windage turret on the erector housing, it is a variable rheostat so there are no numbered settings like many other brands. The brightness of the reticle increases as the knob is turned. The SKMR2 reticle is particularly useful for field shooting, where corrections and holdovers are needed. With .1, .2, .5, and 1.0 MRAD subtensions to use for various measuring purposes, and even-numbered graduations for those significant hold-points.

Pros & Cons

I know it says pros & cons just now, but I have had a hard time finding anything to hold against this scope. With a street price around $3350.00 I guess you could say the cost is a bit of a challenge for many people, but if you are in the market for a scope like this you probably were ready for that price before you got here. Being that the 5-25X sibling to this scope is only an additional $200, it almost seems a premium to pay this much for “less” scope, but again I think prospective shoppers for these scopes know what they are getting into. The K318 is no lightweight, at just over 33 ounces it is heavier than many of its competitors. But said competitors also don’t boast as many feathers in their cap either.
Pretty much everything else about the scope is as advertised, the very robust turrets are accurate and repeatable. The optical clarity is as good as any scope I’ve ever used, particularly with lower light conditions. Granted, the lower power range tends to give the appearance of brighter image than comparable larger magnification scopes. Generous adjustments and solid construction just seem to make this scope feel bulletproof.

Final comments

If you haven’t gotten on the Kahles train, its worth your time even if it’s just for a few stops. I think there is good reason and evidence as to why so many competitors and pro’s use the Kahles line of precision optics, I’ve run this scope all over the mountains, and I’m not easy on equipment. The scopes perform like a professional scope should, I think that whether you are engaging steel targets in world class competition or shooting with lives on the line, you will be happy with this one. The short and compact K318i will likely never leave my collection, its just that good.

-CBM

Ruger EC9 9mm pistol

June 8, 2022pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware9mm, ccw, ec9, pistol, rugercoldboremiracle

Though I have been lucky to handle untold quantities of pistols over the years, I’d never consider myself an expert on the subject. I am a gun nut though, and that is the only qualification I can claim expertise in. I love a good pistol the same as the next guy, and today I’d like to present another new-to-me pistol: The Ruger EC9.

The EC9

I owned a Ruger pistol once, back in the nineties, the P89 was the first pistol I ever owned. It worked great for what I needed at the time, and it met my skill level which was none. Ruger has changed quite a bit since then, as have pistols in general. Entry level pistols akin to my old P89 are everywhere and many of them nowadays are polymer framed, as are many CCW pistols.

The EC9 is one of those, a striker-fired compact CCW type pistol that uses a single-stack magazine to keep it thin and easy to conceal. It utilizes a slender steel slide with rounded edges to avoid snagging on clothing. It features both a manual safety and a trigger safety, the blade type that deactivates the trigger safety when the trigger is properly pressed. The gun uses a seven round magazine. Ruger also offers a ten round extended magazine with additional grip area added to the bottom as well.

Un-boxing

Upon receiving the EC9, I promptly opened the box eager to see what lay inside. There I found the Cobalt slate blue framed EC9. Shipped with a magazine, chamber-flag, a standard throwaway lock. As well as a strange orange magazine that appeared to be for training or something. More on that later.
Straight into the palm of my hand went the little pistol, to see how it felt. My initial concern about the gun was it’s size; would it fit in my hand properly? It did feel a bit small, which was no surprise, but it was certainly serviceable.

I gave the pistol a vigorous course of draw and point exercises. Which quickly began to give me the feel for this gun. Drawing the slide back I familiarized myself with the controls of the EC9. I found it to be a pretty stiff little pistol, the recoil spring is quite stout in my opinion.

Controls

The slide release is located in the typical location for the thumb to operate, and behind that there is a safety. Initial inspection of the gun made it quite apparent that Ruger was aiming for the CCW crowd with this model. The trim control surfaces were very subtle to avoid snags.

The magazine release sits at the front edge of the left grip area, and again it is fairly diminutive to avoid inadvertent release of the magazine. The sights are machined into the slide, making them both robust and un-adjustable. I purchased the extra ten round magazine to utilize in this pistol review, mainly because I figured it would help me hold onto it better.

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Pistol controls, front to back: disassembly opening, slide release, and two position safety at the rear.

GOIN’ HOT ON INITIAL RANGE THOUGHTS

With a bucket of 115-grain FMJ ammo in hand, I headed out to the desert to see how this pistol runs. After loading the magazine, I pointed the pistol downrange at my target and started squeezing. As it often happens, we ran through a lot more ammo than I anticipated in a short amount of time. Which is a good time to point out, since with seven-round magazines you spend a lot of time loading.

The **extended 10 round magazine** gives more purchase for those with larger hands.

My very first impression as the little Ruger barked and how much more recoil I could feel when compared to my other pistols. Obviously, this is a 9mm, so I’m not talking about a ton of recoil, just noticeably more than what I am used to. That is to be expected though. A smaller pistol is not going to buck recoil like a heavier full-size pistol will.

Shop all the Ruger EC9 models at Palmetto State Armory

The trigger-pull seemed a smidge longer than I would have liked, but again this model is aimed at concealed carry users. The reset was also longer than I would have liked, requiring a good sweep both fore and aft to keep this little lead pump humming. I’m not a huge fan of trigger safeties, but I did find that this one was hardly noticeable.

MORE ROUNDS AND A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

We continued to bang through more ammo than we should have with the EC9s, and it didn’t take long for me to start forming a few opinions on it. But before I did, I wanted to get some additional hands on the gun. Particularly my wife’s hands. She has much more petite hands, and I wanted to see how the pistol met her stature. Just as importantly, I wanted to see how she felt about the gun. Guns are still a bit new to her, but nevertheless, I was interested in her beginner’s perspective.

She took no time in getting used to the grip of the EC9s, and she was slapping targets after some modest instruction. We did discover some challenges for smaller shooters. The grip and pull required to draw the slide was a bit of a challenge for her, as I mentioned above the gun is quite stiff. But even with her smaller hands, she was able to grip the pistol properly and run the gun effectively.

Firearms Depot also has a full selection of Ruger EC9 pistols

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE EC9S

I’ll give you my pros first, of which I think there are plenty. After shooting a moderate amount of ammunition through this little gun, I was impressed with its reliability. Through all the rounds fired, I don’t think there were more than a few stoppages. All of which I am quite confident were user induced. The little Ruger just seems to shoot.

I am certainly no pistol marksman, but I found it was pretty easy to hit what I was aiming at. The same went for my wife, and what I think she perhaps enjoyed most was hitting what she aimed at.

With a price point around $280 over the counter, this little gun is easily attained. I was worried its price point would dictate much of the quality, but the handsome collection of color options and other features seem to make it worthwhile. The larger 10-round magazine made the gun much easier for me to shoot, while my better half was happy with either magazine length.

SOME STONES TO THROW

There are a few cons that I would point out, but I am ready to admit that many of them are fairly subjective. First of all, I’d address the stiffness of the pistol, it’s not very big, so there isn’t a lot to hold onto and purchase. The strong pull of the recoil spring also made it very difficult to operate the slide release, to the point that I nearly quit using it entirely and simply pulled the slide to release. Many will say that’s better anyway, so it may be a moot point for you.

I don’t really use safeties, especially on carry guns. But this safety actually took a second to figure out, the natural motion for me was to swipe at it with my thumb a la 1911. But the safety actually pivots from the front, so I had to make a conscious motion to push and pull at the rear of the safety. Not a big deal, and it’s something I could simply learn if needs be.

I spoke about the orange dummy magazine that came with the gun. Its sole purpose is to aid in disassembling the pistol. You use the magazine as part of the safe deactivation and takedown. Again, probably not a huge deal, but something worth mentioning.

I already mentioned I would have liked a shorter and lighter trigger. But I am also perfectly willing to concede that concealed carry guns are probably better off with longer and even heavier pulls. My last two gripes are perhaps the most subjective and probably due to my hand construction.

I found the mag release to be just a tad awkward to reach with my thumb. It took a very deliberate motion to release the magazine. Again, this may be by design, so you don’t drop your mag in a gunfight or while leaning against the counter at the convenience store.

Lastly, I would really prefer to have more than 10 rounds available in a carry pistol, but I also understand there are compromises.

CONCLUSION

I frequently carry a full-size pistol. Compared to that, this little pistol is a fresh breath of air and a much smaller pain in the waist. The single-stack design of the pistol and its compact size seem to square up the grip area some. This felt to me just a little less comfortable than I’d like, but these are just one person’s opinions.

All things considered, I think the EC9s is a decent choice. I like the gun more than I expected to. The price point makes it an extremely easy pistol to get into carrying. The various safeties and its small size also make it an easy choice for newcomers to the concealed carry gang. I think it punches at its price point. But you won’t want to compare it with something like a Sig P239.

Now that you’ve heard my opinion, go check one of these out. If you drive a diesel, it may cost you more to get to the gun shop than to pick up a Ruger EC9s.

-CBM

If you like this review, check out our other pistol reviews

Direct Thread or QD Suppressors?

June 6, 2022blog, suppressorsdirect thread, mount, muzzle brake, QD, silencers, suppressors, threadedcoldboremiracle

I know I talk a lot about suppressors here. Partially because I am a sucker for suppressors, and also because everybody else is also joining the trend. Some trends are just trends, but the suppressor craze is one I can get behind fully. One of the big questions many new suppressor users ask, and one that often still perplexes those of us after decades is; should I use direct thread or QD suppressors. Hopefully by the time your done reading this, you’ll have a suitable answer.

Definitions

First lets make sure we understand the differences. Direct thread suppressors are fairly self explanatory. They have threads on the mounting end of the suppressor that are designed to directly engage with the muzzle-threads of the host firearm. Thread pitches vary depending on many factors, but mainly on the caliber of the anticipated host.

The most common sizes are 1/2-28 for rimfire and .224 caliber centerfire rifles. And 5/8-24 for rifles between 30 caliber down to 6mm. 338 sized rifles the common thread pattern is 3/4-24.

My Yankee Hill Machine Turbo 5.56 mounts to several different brakes and flash hiders. This allows me to use it on many different rifles.

Muzzle Brake or QD (as many are called) mounted suppressors attach to the muzzle device, instead of directly attached to the barrel. A muzzle device threads onto the barrel, and the suppressor attaches to the exterior.

The various muzzle devices typically seen will usually serve as a recoil reducer when not used in conjunction with the suppressor. They also frequently function as a flash hider. It varies from one manufacturer to another. Often the muzzle device can use course threads, ratcheting locks, and other features to reduce the effort and time required to install the suppressor.

Pros vs. Cons

So lets get to the meat and potatoes of the discussion; which one is better for me? The internet is filled with hatred for the person who presents the old “which one is the best” question. Only you can decide that. But with the right understanding you will be more than capable of making a good choice.

The X2 Dev Group Orion threaded directly onto a 5.56 carbine

Direct thread suppressors are often considered to be better for accuracy. Many people suggest them for precision rifles citing this as a better choice. That may have been true in the past, but in my experience direct threading suppressors are no more accurate than brake mounted cans.

This is likely due to improvements in technology and manufacturing process’. But a direct thread suppressor is simpler by design, that is for sure. Its simpler mounting system can translate into various benefits. Such as lighter weight, less expensive to manufacture, and single point connection to the host. Perhaps a downside if there is one; some direct thread cans have multiple threaded end caps. So you can change from one thread pitch to another, but if you don’t have that feature you are stuck with whatever it comes with.

Options are Nice

For many of us, this not a deal breaker, but it is nice to have options. Another issue that occasionally arises with direct cans is coming loose during strings of fire. With no mechanical lock to keep the suppressor in place, they can work their way loose which could be catastrophic.

**QD muzzle devices** make for quick changes between hosts

My **Desert Tech SRS M2** with the **YHM R9 QD suppressor**

QD and brake mounted cans have their own set of advantages. The Q in QD stands for quick. So as you might imagine if your application will require lots of removal and installation of your can this could be an advantage. Another benefit is you can use as many hosts as you want. Installing the appropriate brake on each one. This makes things easy and fast to move the suppressor around on various host weapons though there is obviously additional cost. You also have the benefits of the muzzle device on the host weapon when the suppressor is not being used.

If brake mounted suppressors are your choice, you’ll want to ensure you clean them with regularity. Especially with rimfire guns that tend to foul faster than centerfire weapons. It doesn’t take much looking to find a case of a suppressor stuck to its mount from carbon or lead buildup. That is a problem you don’t want to have.

Another concern that has mostly been solved by design is the alignment issues from having multiple tolerance stacking issues. Brake mounted suppressors have at least two points of alignment that must be near perfect. Whereas direct thread cans only have one. If your host doesn’t have perfectly concentric threads this could be an issue. And again, keeping the mounting surfaces clean will go a long way towards maintaining proper engagement.

Q fix suppressed shooting — Suppressed shooting **The Fix by Q** is the proper way to shoot

Alignment

Alignment is as important as anything with suppressors. There is nothing worse than the dreaded baffle strike. Minimizing possibilities for misalignment should always be on your mind particularly with brake mounted suppressors. Often these brakes need to be timed, to ensure the ports are horizontal if they have them. Make sure you follow the manufacturers directions when mounting the brake.

They are typically timed using precision cut shims of assorted thickness. When the appropriate thickness of shims are collected between the brake and barrel, the brake timing will be perfect. Shims are not to be confused with crush washers, which should not be used when mounting a suppressor ever. A crush washer is just what it sounds like, a washer that is designed to “give” when tightened against. They are very useful for aligning muzzle devices as they are plentiful and cheap. But they don’t always give evenly, and can easily cause a misalignment when used with a suppressor mount.

Whether you check with a glance down the bore (of an open bolt firearm of course), or use an alignment rod in the bore. Its not a bad idea to check your suppressors concentricity when in place.

Modern Magic

If your just getting into the suppressor game, or even if you’ve been in the club for years there’s hardly been a better time. New technology has been flooding the market like gas into a bolt carrier. This has resulted in many improved options for suppressor consumers. Materials like titanium, stainless steel, and Inconel have improved durability and reduced the weight added to your host.

sig sauer P320 X-Five DH3 yankee hill machine nitro N2.0 — The **YHM Nitro N2.0** is an incredibly versatile suppressor

Innovation driven by market pressures have also resulted in manufacturers creating some wild new designs. Which for the most part have been very beneficial. Some examples of this are manufacturers using standardized thread patterns and sizes, allowing end users to customize cross-brand mounting options and host applications to whatever fits their needs or preference.

Another fantastic development has been multi-purpose suppressors. Modular cans now allow users to install the same suppressor on their 9mm pistol, 5.56 carbine, and a 308 bolt rifle and so on. Threaded end-caps on both ends, multi-staged, and a multitude of boosters and mounting options make these modular suppressors ideal for those shopping for their first can or those who own a dozen.

Taurus TX-22 Dead Air Mask suppressor — Rimfire suppressors like this **Dead Air Mask** should be cleaned frequently

Conclusion

Your shooting practices are best known by you, so with the information outlined here, you should be able to decide what kind of suppressor best fits your style of shooting. If you do long strings of fire through multiple auto-loading rifles, then maybe a full-auto rated QD can is the best fit. Or conversely, if you are using a suppressor on a bolt action hunting rifle, a lightweight direct thread suppressor might be just the ticket. Either way, you can add some class to your shooting practice.

-CBM

This **Silencerco Harvester 300** is very lightweight, a perfect companion for a hunting rifle.

Ruger Charger 10/22 pistol

May 24, 2022pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware10/22, charger, charger pistol, rugercoldboremiracle

The Ruger 10/22

Few firearms enjoy so much use as those chambered in the time-honored .22 long rifle. Inexpensive and fun shooting can be had, and every fundamental part of shooting can be applied and practiced save only perhaps recoil management. The Ruger 10/22 is one of the many firearms thus chambered, and over many decades it has become one a many stalwarts setting a bar for others to be measured against. The natural progression of design and advancement have created many different variants, and today’s subject is one of those.

The Ruger 10/22 Charger Pistol

The Ruger Charger pistol is a 10/22 variant, some of which incorporates Ruger’s takedown technology, among others. The Charger was designed as a pistol, likely to take advantage of the pistol brace craze that is determined to rewrite the SBR tenet held by everyone’s favorite three letter agency. The pistol utilizes a polymer chassis, much like the rifle versions of the 10/22. The differences include using a pic rail at the back for installing any kind of implement akin to, but without being a buttstock. It also has a sling stud up front for utilizing a bipod or other support device.
The model I tested is the 22 Charger Lite, I assume this is achieved with the lighter barrel contour and vented shroud. The muzzle of the ten-inch barrel is threaded 1/2-28 which is an excellent thing to do nowadays. The overall length of the pistol is nineteen-inches, and weighs in at 57 ounces. A picatinny scope mount is also included with the Charger for the bargain price of $719.00 MSRP.

the scope was mounted in a Zro Delta scope mount

Upon opening the case of the Charger, I started thinking and evaluating just what such a gun would be used for. The takedown feature made it extremely easy to store in a backpack, which would make it an obvious choice for a camping gun. The threaded barrel made it a good choice for a suppressor host, which I intended to do a few minutes later. I decided I would reserve my judgement until further experience with the Charger deemed it worthy of my praise.
The Charger came in a handy soft carrying case, which was handy for heading to the range, but I avoid that place like a TSA checkpoint. After mounting a scope on top of the rifle, I disassembled the rifle using the takedown feature. I was quite impressed with the simplicity of the mechanism, simply lock the bolt back and use the thumb of one hand to depress the takedown release, and twist the two halves of the gun a part. And just as quickly it went right back together, “pretty slick” I mumbled to myself as I finished prepping some ancillary equipment for my shooting trip.

Range Testing

With a few boxes of ammo, I made my way into the mountains above my house to see what the Charger could do. With a full magazine I set to zeroing the scope, which turned out to be a little tougher than I expected. This is likely due to using a riflescope on a pistol with no stock or brace to stabilize it with, something that would show up again later.
My initial impression of the gun was quite positive, it was easy to get on targets and functioned as good as one would expect with a 10/22. I installed my Yankee Hill Machine Phantom 22 suppressor, which is a must-have if you are a serious rimfire shooter. You can read more about the suppressor here.

the Charger with a US Optics TS6X riflescope

With the report of the little Charger now suppressed, it became even more fun. Once I figured out how to hold it steady the Charger made for brilliant fun, plinking at targets all over the hillside. It chewed through a very expensive pile of cartridges, most of which seemed to work great. I did have a couple malfunctions using some Federal ammunition, but I’m not entirely sure that was the ammunitions fault. I believe it had more to do with the gun resting on magazine while shooting, it seemed to create additional friction that reduced bolt inertia and caused it to stovepipe or something similar. Obviously using a bipod will eliminate this issue, or using shorter magazines.

WHY I LIKE IT

The takedown feature is very handy when your main mode of transport is on foot. It allows you to easily stow the Charger in whatever space you may have available in your pack. It’s so quick to reassemble that you can even get the drop on a squirrel if needed.

The Charger was accurate enough for a rifle of this size, shooting small game and cans was predictable. I can only assume the trigger is a standard 10/22 trigger set, but here is an easy BX Upgrade. It’s nothing fancy but very serviceable. Little things like the extended mag release and an included scope mount make this pistol a very user-friendly and range-ready option. That’s a common trait for the 10/22 family of firearms in general.

Shop Ruger at Firearm Depot

Also shop Ruger products at Brownells

Palmetto State Armory also has Ruger products

DOWNSIDES?

There are only a few things about the Charger I didn’t like, and they may or may not be of concern to you. First of all, I hate the ridiculous rules around SBRs. But we will have to deal with it until brighter minds are installed. That said, I find the Charger a little awkward to align and shoot without a rear support like a brace or buttstock.

Ruger Charger Lite .22 LR Pistol — I rather despise the rules around SBRs, but the little charger does have the ability to add on other features like a brace or bipod.

It is very easy to misalign your shooting eye with a scope when you don’t have anything to keep your face centered behind it. So, as much as I don’t like the idea of an arm brace, I would recommend getting one as it will likely improve both your accuracy and shooting experience. Or, if you choose to be a victim of the ATF, go ahead and register this little fella as an SBR and mount a stock.

The other thing I didn’t like was the slight wobble between the front and rear pieces of the rifle when assembled. This is obviously a result of the takedown feature of the rifle. I have no idea how much this wiggle affected the accuracy capability of the Charger, but I must think it had some effect.

I believe both of these gripes had something to do with the overall accuracy of the pistol. For me, only accurate firearms are interesting. So, even though the Charger was only acceptable in my estimation, it may be more than accurate enough for your purposes.

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CONCLUSION

It’s fair to say I enjoyed shooting the Ruger 22 Charger despite my few complaints. I found it to be a very fun little gun for plinking. If you like to backpack, camp, or anything else that dictates having a compact firearm that is easily taken down and stowed, this one is for you. The 22 Charger Lite gives legendary 10/22 function in a small pistol that the whole family can enjoy.

-CBM

Savage 110 6.5 Creedmoor

May 17, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware110, 6.5 creedmoor, model 110, savagecoldboremiracle

Introduction

One of my first loves was an old Savage 10FP in 308. It had all the simplicity a guy could want, and it just plain shot. I have had a bunch of Savages over the years, and I have typically had a pretty good experience with them. So when the opportunity to shoot a newer version of the model 10/110 I was eager to see how it compared to the old FP I loved so much. Today we are looking at a more modern and similar rifle, the Savage 110 6.5 Creedmoor.

My old Savage 10FP from almost twenty years ago

Savage has been around for a long time, and they have made quite a few guns in that time. One of my initial concerns with this rifle in particular was if it stood up to the classic Savages that I’ve shot over the years, I would find out soon enough.

The Model 110

The 110 action has changed through several different generations over the decades, but this current 6.5 Creedmoor model is not too different from those of the past. Like most Savage actions, is is machined from round stock with a front and rear ring. A two-lug bolt rotates the floating head into the front ring of the action, and the twenty-four inch eight-twist barrel is threaded into the front of the action. A recoil lug is sandwiched there, and the whole assembly held together with a barrel nut.

At the rear of the action the safety and Accu-Trigger are attached, and the whole thing is set into the polymer stock. I’ve never been a big fan of the cheap plastic stocks on economy priced rifles, but some of the few that were despicable in my eyes have been Savages such as this one. On the bottom of the polymer stock, there is a detachable box magazine that holds three cartridges.
This model is obviously marketed as a hunting rifle, it’s weight and profile features are optimized for a hunter. That being the case I wasn’t surprised by some of the features, or a lack of others. I guess you could say that in my estimation this was a basic no-frills hunting rifle.

Outfitting

Being a hunting rifle, I wanted to setup the rifle the way I would use it. The open Rocky Mountains where I hunt are full of big spaces, and shots can be had from archery range to as far as you’d dare pull a trigger. I decided to mount my Gen 1 Vortex PST 4-16, perhaps a little old school for today’s market, but these older scopes always worked great for me. Way back in the day,I actually got one of the very first ones that came out, serial number four. I mounted the scope in a pair of Warne rings, and bore-sighted it on my kitchen counter. After attaching a bipod for convenience and accuracy testing, I lubed up the action before heading out to shoot.

Shop all Savage firearms, the founding fathers would want you to.

I wanted to give the Savage a few different ammunition options to see how it performed. Some rifles are pretty picky when it comes to shooting accurately with any given ammo. So I wanted to have as many options for success as possible. The current situation at the ammo isle is pretty sad still, I have managed to find a bunch of stuff lately but the 6.5CM is still not as common as it once was. That being the case I decide to shoot a few of the factory options I had available, as well as some of my most common handloads that have done well in my other 6.5’s. Continue Reading Here…

OPENING SHOTS IN THE FIELD

Savage 10/110 Rifle — I put a few different loads through the rifle.

After a vigorous hike that took me up to 5,000 feet, I paced off 100 yards and checked it with my rangefinder. I spent a few shots getting the rifle zeroed. Once I felt it had a good zero, I set to trying the hodgepodge selection of ammo I had brought. First off, I tried the Hornady match 143-grain ammo. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t exactly impress me either. I also tried some Desert Tech 140-grain Match, which also shot kind of ho-hum. I was really hoping my handloads did better. Otherwise, this was going to be a very quick review.

The next up was my 120-grain handloads. These are a boat-tail hollow-point round that I have used in several rifles for many years now. My son used them to take his very first mule deer as well as his first elk. Having used them quite a bit over the years, I was optimistic that they would do well in this little Savage.

The best I could get this 110 to group was just barely over one MOA with this ammunition. Which turned out to provide the most consistent groups of all the rounds that I shot. I picked out a few targets at some modest distances across the little draw, hitting 6 to 10-inch sized targets was pretty easy. I would feel more than comfortable using this rifle for deer hunting at ranges inside 400 yards.

PROS

This Savage has some great things going for it as a hunting rifle. It’s not particularly heavy. But at just shy of 8 pounds, it fits squarely in the average hunting rifle size. It’s 24-inch barrel is a fairly light profile and easily pointed, and I’m glad it’s not a 26-incher.

The Accu-Trigger never was a big selling point for me, but this one feels fine, and it’s perfectly suitable for a hunting rifle. While the magazine functioned flawlessly and fed smooth, it did feel a little cheap and somewhat finicky to remove from the rifle.

CONS

It’s hard to screw up a classic, so I wasn’t surprised with how well the 110 functioned. That said, I was left feeling a bit let down with the accuracy of this rifle. The one thing I really wanted this rifle to be was an excellent shooter, as I’ve become accustomed to that.

While I certainly feel like I could use this rifle for hunting, I would probably pick one of my other rifles over this one. Sub-MOA accuracy is a minimum “must have” for my hunting rifles, and this one just didn’t want to do it consistently. With more time and different ammo choices, perhaps I could’ve found a combo that it really liked.

CONCLUSION

The price point of this rifle seems to put it above entry level in the production market. At an MSRP of $849, it’s not exactly a slam dunk. But to be fair, with rifles in this price range, I have seen some disparity in performance. While the performance on this particular model didn’t blow me away, it wouldn’t surprise me to see better results from another example.

The reliability and function of the rifle did stand up with all the other good Savages I’ve shot over the years, so perhaps this one just needed a little coaxing.

-CBM

CGS Group Hyperion K suppressor

May 13, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware, suppressorscgs group, Hyperion, hyperion k, suppressor, titaniumcoldboremiracle

Dealing with Infringement

You can’t swing a dead cat in my house without hitting a good suppressor. I suppose you could say I am a bit of an addict. No, it isn’t because I like to keep ATF agents employed, nor do I enjoy collecting stamps. I just love shooting suppressed. My rights were first violated over twenty years ago now, and it has only gotten worse with time. By that I mean both the violation and the addiction to cans.
Today I wanted to tell you all about the latest suppressor I was able to get hands-on, the CGS Group Hyperion K suppressor. I have seen them all over on social media and gun-tubers channels, but I had yet to put any ammo through one. As you might imagine I jumped at the chance.

The Hyperion

According to CGS, the Hyperion utilizes a proprietary technology to manufacture and heat treat this all grade 5 titanium suppressor. It is the product of 3D printing using the direct metal laser sintered (DMLS) process. Using a laser fired into a bed of titanium powder to melt it into the pattern of their design. This alone sounds like an amazingly complicated and expensive process. But I’m just a dummy who swings hammers and gets greasy.

What I can tell you, is that the result of this process has created one of the cleanest looking cans I’ve seen. The curious design and textures of this suppressor make it aesthetically pleasing and more importantly extremely light. The Hyperion senior weighs in at fifteen ounces, and this K model is even lighter at 10.5 ounces.
The back of the can is threaded 5/8-24, and also features a tapered opening to use CGS’s proprietary mounts. I would also assume that if you had a tapered muzzle to the same angle it would help there as well. The technology with which these suppressors are manufactured make them very durable according to the manufacturer. That gives them higher ratings than expected, and increased durability rating as well. The Hyperion K has special boron nitride coating inside that helps reduce fouling inside the suppressor. The outside has very attractive and durable DLC coating.

The Hyperion K (rear) shown next to a comparable titanium suppressor on my **Desert Tech rifles**

Welcome to the Family

I tucked the Hyperion K into my bag with a few other suppressors, and I retreated to my mountain hide. Having planned on shooting the Hyperion on various rifles I was already very familiar with, as well as how the rifles react to suppressors. The first rifle and the primary one I was to introduce to the Hyperion was my Desert Tech SRS M2. It is a multi-caliber precision rifle. There are untold possibilities as far as custom calibers. At the moment I probably have over a dozen different caliber conversions for this rifle.

Today on this particular range trip I had installed my 6mm GT conversion kit, which has become one of my favorites. Seeing as how the Hyperion is rated for much larger calibers, I expected it to work very well on this configuration. I have shot this same barrel with half a dozen other suppressors, so I was prepared to feel and hear something different.

Upon installing the Hyperion I did notice one little thing that concerned me. The tapered breach of the threads resulted in the threads starting approximately two to three tenths of an inch farther into the suppressor. The result obviously is that there is less thread engagement than a non-tapered thread cap. I suppose this could be a much bigger concern if you were running the suppressor on a larger rifle such as the 300RUM it is max rated for. But I felt there was enough thread engagement to be safe, so I started sending rounds.

The Hyperion K mounted on my Desert Tech SRS M2 6mm GT

The Sound

When I first broke the trigger, I was more focused on making sure the can was still there. Thats something that comes when trying a new can on most any host. By the second shot I was definitely paying more attention, and I did notice the difference from what I usually hear. The Hyperion does an excellent job at suppressing the noise. It seems to have a lower tone than many of my other cans. I guess you could say it’s not as “hissy” as most cans, and has a bit deeper tone.

After a couple rounds I decided to start burning through some ammo. Mainly because I love that damn GT and hitting things with it. The Hyperion stayed right where I’d put it. After about twenty rounds fired over the course of a few minutes as far away as twelve-hundred yards it was definitely warm to the touch. But as titanium does, it cooled down very quickly, especially in the cold Rocky Mountain breeze.

The Hyperion K performed flawlessly, with very pleasing results on various firearms

More Shooting the CGS Group Hyperion K suppressor

In a very short time the can was easily handled, so I removed it and swapped it over to my Bergara BMP 6.5 Creedmoor. Certainly not a huge step up in case volume and powder charge, but it was a step up. The Hyperion sounded very nice on the twenty-four inch Bergara Rifle as well. I have shot a couple other comparable titanium suppressors on these rifles and I just like the sound the Hyperion makes a little more. It became quite apparent that would need some serious firepower in order to make this suppressor really sweat, something I wasn’t real keen to do, but I figured you guys wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t.
I would have loved to try out CGS’s vented low profile front cap, it has additional ports to allow more gas to bypass. This would have been ideal to use on a semi-auto rifle, as it would likely reduce the gas back pressure coming at the shooter.

The breech of the Hyperion K, note taper

I figured I’d so a couple good twenty round mag dumps with a 308 to get it hot, and see how the Hyperion reacts. The semi-auto rating of the Hyperion made me quite confident that nothing I was about to do was going to hurt it. After forty-rounds of 308 Winchester the can was smoking hot, so I figured one more was in order. A whole lot of heat could be seen, but the sound still sounded about the same. I have to assume it began to lose some of its effectiveness as the can got hotter and hotter. But it still was very pleasing to my ears.

Thoughts

I prefer shooting precision rifles over high volume fighting guns, so keep that in mind as I write this. The Hyperion K offers a shorter length than most full size rifle cans, and yet it seems to be quieter. Having used both brake mounted and direct thread cans. I typically prefer the later so it should come as no surprise that this Hyperion fits squarely in my near perfect solution. It has lightweight, short length, and superior suppression power over most. Durability with full-auto ratings is nice to have. I’m sure to many people that is important, but to me not so much. I am fine with the Hyperion not being full-auto rated.
The only thing about this can I didn’t like was the shorter threads, something I think I could easily overcome. I don’t like shooting big bastard magnums that often anyways, so it is of little concern. The back of the threads spun up snug and perfectly square to all my barrels.

I am mystified by the special technology they are weaving over at CGS Group, but it sure seems like they are onto something. If this Hyperion is any indicator, I think I may need to look into additional offerings to see if I’ve been missing out on anything else. I know I may be just a nobody, but the CGS Group Hyperion K is definitely worth looking at if you are in the market.

-CBM

Bergara BMP 6.5 Creedmoor

May 11, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware6.5 creedmoor, Bergara, bergara match precision, BMPcoldboremiracle

Precision Rifles

The Remington 700 rifle has been for many years a prominent stalwart in the precision rifle world. The strong aftermarket support that has accompanied the 700’s time in the sunshine has also made it a very desirable platform for custom rifle building, and the 700 footprint has been copied and cloned by many in order to take advantage of that aftermarket.
One of the many companies that has done exactly that is Bergara, and today we are talking about one of the rifles they manufacture.

The Bergara BMP 6.5 Creedmoor

The Bergara Match Precision (BMP) is a short action rifle designed and built for competition. There are all kinds of accessories and features that make a good match gun, and Bergara certainly included many of them here.
At the core of the rifle is Bergara’s B-14 two lug action, it uses a sliding front extractor and a traditional plunger ejector. The bolt nose and breech is tapered, and the assembly slides very smoothly in the action. The front of the action has a very cunning cutout to capture the recoil lug, and keep it centered. In front of that is a twenty-four inch match grade barrel made by Bergara, and threaded 5/8-24 at the muzzle. The model I tested here came with a very nice user indexable muzzle brake, which works very well to reduce recoil. The B-14 utilizes Remington 700 accessories like scope-base rails, which made mounting my scope easy.

Details: Captured recoil lug, bolt catch, trigger adjustments, chassis detail

The second half of the rifle is the BMP chassis. We live in a chassis world now, almost every manufacturer has their own version of a chassis gun. I think Bergara did pretty good with theirs, it incorporates most of the important features a shooter would want.
Built from aluminum, the BMP chassis is not particularly light at 10.4 pounds, but most match guns aren’t light so that’s fine by me. Let’s start at the butt of the chassis and move forward.
The recoil pad is made of hard rubber, and is quickly indexed by loosening a thumbscrew just in front of it. There is very rough rubber like surface between the butt-pad and the rear face of the stock, this allows the butt-pad to be easily fit to the shooter and maintain solid lockup with minimal torque. Just in front of that is the length of pull adjustment, which is easily done by loosening a wingnut on the butt-stock to adjust to your liking. Then it is easily snugged back up for a solid feel. The adjustable cheek-piece is adjusted the same way using an identical wingnut to release the cheek-piece to be adjusted to your scope height. The whole process of fitting the chassis to my taste took only a few moments and zero trips to the owners manual.

Moving forward on the chassis is the pistol-grip, the model I have came with a vertical MDT adjustable grip. Many people don’t care for the vertical grip, but they are wrong in my opinion. The precise adjustability of the MDT allows for perfect trigger finger placement and pull.
The adjustable trigger of the BMP felt perfect just the way it came, I felt no need to adjust it any lighter, even though that is what I usually do. At the front of the trigger guard is the wide magazine release for dropping free the AICS type magazines, the rifle came with the Magpul version which I quite like. The slippery polymer seems to allow smoother feeding than some metal magazines. The fit of the magazines seemed just a bit looser than I would expect, but at no time during my testing did they malfunction or fall out, so I guess they are perfectly fine.

Need a Bergara rifle? Shop here

The forearm of the chassis features MLok slots on all the right spots, which allows users to add and adjust any accessories they feel necessary. There are also steel insert flush cups to quickly install and remove your sling, there are correlating flush cups on the rear of the butt-stock as well. The top of the forearm seems to be drilled and tapped for a night vision optics bridge, which I was unfortunately unable to use.

Like a Glove

There were few things I felt needed to add to the BMP, but I did have to install one of my favorite accessories which is the Area419 ARCALock rail on the bottom of the forearm. On top of the rifle I mounted up one of my nicer scopes, deserving of a ride on the BMP was the Kahles 3-18X56. It was a perfect fit for the rifle, and after sliding on my Atlas Bipod I grabbed some ammo and headed for the hills.

Continue Reading Here…

I also grabbed a wrench to remove the muzzle brake because I was dang sure going to shoot this rifle suppressed. I grabbed my Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20 suppressor to go along for a ride on the BMP.

ON THE FIRING LINE

Bergara B-14 BMP Bolt-Action Rifle — With just a few rounds, I was reaching out and connecting with long-range targets.

I was expecting good accuracy from this rifle as I frequently hear good reports from owners. After boresighting the rifle and zeroing the turrets on my scope, I started pounding things with the BMP. In no time, I was running the Bergara bolt on targets all across the canyon. Sub-MOA accuracy was easily obtained shooting 140 grain match ammunition. Before my first box of ammo was expended, I was hitting my 950-yard target. The Bergara BMP provided very predictable shooting, and the 6.5 Creedmoor was shooting very well in the Rocky Mountain breeze.

The BMP felt like a perfect interface between me and my targets. The chassis, bolt, and trigger all felt like a familiar and flawless old friend. Shooting the rifle from prone off the bipod and from elevated positions such as rocks, tripods, and other things came very easy with the well-balanced rifle. I really liked the pistol grip, and the reloading of mags went quick and smooth using my trigger finger to push the release. The smooth-running bolt fed cartridges flawlessly from the magazines and extracted spent cases like an expensive custom action. This rifle ran just like a match gun should, and it felt like a well-oiled machine.

Match guns obviously must perform in both function and accuracy, and the BMP certainly did both. Shooting half-MOA groups with the BMP was not a challenge, if you shot the ammunition it liked. I shot a small variety of Federal 120 grain, Desert Tech 140 Grain match, and a couple different handloads.

WHAT ABOUT THE GRIPES

I honestly thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to find something about this rifle that I didn’t like. But in fairness, the only thing I wish I could change about it is perhaps how long it is. I do have an affinity for shorter rifles so don’t let that hinder your choice. I also would have loved to see the ARCA rail built into the chassis, but it’s not a big deal for sure.

CONCLUSION

I was happily impressed with the Bergara BMP, even more so than I expected to be. I love to be proven wrong about my preconceptions when it comes to rifles. I would love to shoot a match using this rifle, and I would feel very comfortable with it in my stable.

The BMP is a great performing competition-ready precision rifle at a steal of a price for what it can do. Based on my experience, the Bergara Match Precision rifle gets all thumbs up. Buy with confidence and burn the barrel out of it chasing the podium!

-CBM

If you like this rifle, check out our other Bergara reviews

First Round Pop – Why The First Shot Is The Loudest Using A Suppressor

May 9, 2022blog, suppressorsfirst round pop, pop, silencer, Suppressed, suppressorcoldboremiracle

The whole reason you bought a suppressor was to get rid of the noise involved with shooting right? Today we are going to discuss one of the phenomenon that comes with suppressors, and one not everybody is familiar with. First Round pop (FRP) as it is most commonly known, is the additional sound that comes when the first shot of a string is fired from a suppressed firearm. But is it something you need to worry about?

this **Daniel Defense Delta 5** sounded great with the **YHM R9 suppressor**

What Causes FRP?

FRP is caused by the presence of unburned oxygen in the suppressor when a shot is fired. The available oxygen inside the suppressor is ignited by the burning gasses and pressure from the muzzle. Subsequent shots are typically less volatile due to the combustion of the oxygen during the first shot. As you continue to fire cartridges, the suppressor body is filled with burnt gas from previous shots, eliminating secondary combustion inside the suppressor. Obviously, if your shots are spaced out enough, the gasses can leave the suppressor and be replaced by fresh air, allowing the cycle to start anew.

What Effects First Round Pop?

FRP varies between suppressor type, cartridges, velocity and other variables. A larger suppressor can house more oxygen, and higher pressure cartridges can cause additional pop volume. You could also experience additional pop from using a suppressor of a larger bore than necessary, as it allows faster ventilation of the suppressor body. The size of the cartridge and the powder charge inside it can also effect the significance of FRP.

Sub-sonic vs. Supersonic

Subsonic shooting is the apex of suppressed shooting, movie-quiet suppression is the goal with sub-sonic suppressed weapons. So as you might imagine, FRP is the adversary of sub-sonic shooters. Some folks even go as far as purging their suppressor with inert gasses prior to shooting to avoid it. Other things such as suppressor wipes can also help keep oxygen from entering the suppressor body and causing FRP.

Supersonic cartridges are already quite noisy, so it is less likely as big a concern for those shooters. Personally I don’t worry too much about it, and for the most part I rarely even notice.

Living with First Round Pop

If your like me, you probably don’t worry much about a few extra decibels when you start a shot string. But if you are one of those who like to play sniper in the back 40 with raccoons or hogs, then you may go to extremes to avoid this pesky pop. Make sure you have the best suppressor for the host you intend to shoot with, some are much better matched to your host than others. The right suppressor can produce less FRP, and if you use some of the other practices to reduce it you can get some very unsuspicious results. There are suppressor gels that you can squirt into the suppressor prior to your first shot that will aid in suppressing FRP. You could also purge your can with inert gas before heading out, and cover the muzzle to keep it inert. You could also do something as simple as adding a touch of water to the inside of your suppressor prior to shooting to help keep down the FRP. Just make sure that whatever practice you use is approved by the suppressor manufacturer, this will help you avoid costly repairs and additional wasteful NFA taxes.

Final Pop

First round pop is simply a biproduct of suppressor design, it can be a problem if you are a CIA spook or suburban hunter. But in the end it is mostly a manageable problem for some, and very minor inconvenience for others. Fuss with it if you must, and enjoy the pleasant sound of silence when it seems least likely.

-CBM