Electronic calls have become very popular over the last decade or so, hunters of all types have found value in the ease and convenience of simply pressing a button. Of course there are die-hard’s that must use mouth calls or something more natural, and there is certainly some additional skill and finesse with that approach. But for those of us who live fast and hunt hard, there is something to be said for the modern convenience of an e-call.
I have a somewhat perplexing past when it comes to hunting coyotes, I’ve tried my hand a calling them, ambushing them, and even downright chasing them. There seems to be a kryptonite like shield between me and coyotes, I usually miss ten for every one I do shoot. So I was intrigued with the opportunity to try out a new tool in my efforts to land another.
The ability to drum up any animal call you want on demand has obvious advantages when hunting. But would a device that claims to do just that for hunters actually work in the field? Or is it just a fancy gimmick? I decided to give it a try with the compact, remote-controlled Mantis Pro 400, which I recently tested in the field on some actual hunts.
The Western Rivers MP-400
The Mantis Pro is a compact remote controlled call. The remote controller fits easily into the palm of your hand, when it is not snapped into the main housing of the call. The Mantis Pro boasts quite few features that I hadn’t expected to see, but the more I found out about it the more I liked it. It can be powered by AA batteries, or plugged into an alternate 12v power source, And it can also be plugged into other call units or external speakers to give multiple sound emittance. In addition to the sounds that come pre-installed on the MP-400, you can add your favorite sounds using an SD memory card. The sounds on the card can be arranged and edited via a micro USB port, and if that wasn’t enough, you can also bluetooth connect the MP-400 to your phone and play whatever sounds you might have stored there. The MP-400 also has a port for a decoy (sold separately). Continue reading here…
Even though I’m a bit of a rifle junkie, the Browning X-Bolt is a bit of a stranger to me. I’ve shot a few of them over the years, and even had good luck loading ammo for them for friends. That said, I’ve never owned one myself. Browning is a common name down our way, the man himself was born just a few miles north of where I sit as I write this.
The X-Bolt rifle has plenty of clout in the rifle world, so I knew not to underestimate it as I prepared myself for this project. I was giddy with excitement to get my hands on this one.
The Target model of the Browning X-bolt comes in a McMillan A3-5 stock with an adjustable comb, as well a a match grade heavy profile fluted barrel. The muzzle is threaded 5/8-24 to attach any muzzle devices. In addition to those add-ons, the X-bolt receiver has an extended bolt handle, and a 20 MOA pic rail mounted on top.
There are a few other little extras as well, such as QD sling swivel studs, and a bipod pic rail mount. I pulled the rifle from the black Browning box, and was instantly in love. The fit and finish of this rifle were superb, and as soon as I put the Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad to my shoulder I knew it was going to be a good match. I adjusted the cheek piece to fit my hold, and ran the bolt and trigger a few times.
I love the 60-degree bolt throw, it is shorter and faster than the alternative. And the smooth bolt stroke on the X-bolt feels much like a nice custom. The Trigger in this rifle is as good as any factory trigger I’ve felt, The Feather Trigger as Browning calls it, is adjustable from three to five pounds, and has a tang mounted safety. The detachable box magazine is Browning’s own design, it is an all polymer rotary magazine that holds four rounds. It fits flush with the bottom of the McMillan stock.
After familiarizing myself with the rifle, it was time to get it ready for the range. I mounted a Trijicon Tenmile 5-50×56scope on top of the receiver in a set of 34mm rings, perhaps a little more scope than normally needed but a great option for testing the performance of this rifle. I added a muzzle brake to the end of the barrel, with intentions of also shooting the rifle suppressed later. I then installed a bipod to the front of the gun. The only thing left to do on the rifle was boresight it and gather some ammunition.
I adjusted the cheek rest to my liking and added a Trijicon scope and bipod before going to zero the rifle.
Under normal circumstances, finding 6mm Creedmoor ammunition would not be a difficult task. But times being what they are, I had to make do with what was available. I fashioned several boxes of handloads featuring Berger 105 Hybrids, which is pretty common on the firing lines this rifle would normally sit on. Once I had enough ammo to get a good shooting session in, I loaded up the truck and went into the hills.
ON THE FIRING LINE
With my rifle freshly bore-sighted and a clean target hung at 100 yards, I set to zeroing the X-Bolt. In just a couple shots, I had established a consistent zero and began shooting some groups. The smooth stroke of the bolt even when stripping loaded rounds from the magazine was very pleasing.
The all-polymer magazine has a slippery feel to it, surely this aids in the smooth feeding of cartridges. One complaint about the magazine is that it only holds four rounds, for a rifle that plays in the competition realm with the big boys, this is almost a deal breaker. A 10-round or even 12-round magazine would be much better suited for this rifle. But it shot so smooth I could hardly put it down.
The easily operated bolt made loading and reloading the rifle very fast, and I noticed another one of Browning’s very intuitive designs while running it. When the safety is engaged, the bolt is automatically locked. But there is a small button on top of the base of the bolt handle. This button pops up when the safety is engaged. You can depress the button to open or close the bolt while on safe, and the button drops out of the way and the bolt runs with zero inhibition when the safety is in the firing position. This may not be the most fascinating feature of the rifle, but I found it to be very ingenious.
Another engineering bonus I found on the X-Bolt was the mounting of the optics rail. Instead of using four screws (two in the front, and two in the back) like on typical optics rails, the X-Bolt uses eight screws. There are four in the front, and four in the back, giving the X-Bolt a very solid mounting point for your riflescope. Again, this may not be a revolutionary thing, but I can certainly appreciate the engineer’s thinking.
The rifle is easily capable of sub-MOA groups.
The X-Bolt shoots just as good as it looks, and sub-MOA groups were easy with zero load workup. Half MOA accuracy was easily achieved with proper shooting techniques. I have no doubt that with additional load development this rifle would shoot better than half MOA.
The6mm Creedmoor cartridge is an excellent round for target and long-range shooting. It has little recoil and is very efficient at escaping the winds effects downrange. This allows the shooter to see the bullet in flight and even spot his or her own hits and misses.
CONCLUSION
The Browning X-Bolt Target rifle is an immaculate gun. It’s well thought out and near perfectly executed. My only gripe is the previously mentioned magazine capacity, though it could probably be switched out for a different magazine system. But despite that, I think this rifle would make an excellent addition to almost any rifle collection. There are so many amazing competition rifles available today from manufacturers, and it’s nice to see Browning show up with their own.
What seems like forever ago, my little brother snagged a Model 94 Winchester from the local gun shop. It was chambered in .44 Magnum, and lets just say we all fell in love with that short and sassy little lever-gun. Ever since then I have been dying to get something similar for myself, but life has a way of dictating your gun purchases doesn’t it?
So when the opportunity to get a Marlin 1894 in .357 Magnumcame my way, I was not going to let my dream go unlived. But would it be everything I had hoped for?
The Marlin 1894
Since the late nineteenth century, Marlin has been manufacturing leverguns and other firearms for the American public. It has seen several ownership transfers over the past decade or two, and the latest one will hopefully be a good and final one. The 1894 is perhaps one of Marlin’s most popular models over the years, but there are many others that have also graced the shooting public. The 1894 is like many of Marlin’s firearms, a lever action repeater. Probably the most distinguishing feature of the model is it’s side ejecting receiver. This has made Marlin leverguns very popular with users of riflescopes, as it allows a more generous mounting area. The rifle has an eight round tube magazine that loads from the side of the receiver through a loading chute.
OPENING THE BOX
When I received the rifle, I set straight to fiddling with it. It’s practically impossible to pick up a lever gun and not jack open the action. The gun seemed just a bit stiff, which I’m sure was more about it being brand new than anything else. A few hundred rounds would surely loosen it and make it run like warm butter.
The rifle featured handsome checkering on both grip areas on the walnut stock. On the breach end of the barrel, there is the traditional buckhorn rear sight. A hooded front post sits at the tip of the barrel. I like the old lever guns without the modern safeties, but this one is at least minimal and doesn’t stick out terribly. Plus, the gun still has the half-cock safety.
THE AMMO SITUATION
I am lucky to have prepared for the ammunition crisis years ago, and my storage has plenty of components to make dang near anything I need. With a good stash of .357 and .38 special brass and bullets, I knew I wouldn’t have to get gouged at the local gun shop.
In just a few hours, I had built up a nice supply of .38 special ammo loaded with soft-shooting 160-grain wadcutters as well as a small pile of .357 Magnum cases that I loaded with a warmer charge underneath 125-grain Hornady XTP bullets. Both of these loads worked great in the little Marlin and made for hours of plinking fun.
Loading the tubular magazine is quick and easy
TO THE RANGE!
The 1894 is obviously meant for up-close business, making shots beyond 100 yards more about luck than focused effort. The accuracy of the 1894 was still very useful, and it proved enough for squirrels at 60 yards anyway. In just a few minutes, I had gotten quite accustomed to loading and shooting the rifle. Much like shooting .22s, this became quite addicting. Hitting targets the size of soda cans under 60 yards became a quick game for us, and it was even more fun when we stretched it out to 100 yards or so.
The report of the rifle was surprisingly soft, as was the recoil. I wouldn’t recommend shooting it without hearing protection, but it barely felt like you needed it out in the open country. The recoil was soft enough that only the youngest of shooters would shy away from it. This also made follow-up shots easy and fast.
The Marlin 1894 is in my mind the perfect little camp rifle. Whether it is used for kids plinking at cans or for the serious hunting of deer-sized animals, the rifle is more than adequate for the task. This little gun would be a perfect companion for a hike through the forest. Its petite size and light weight make it ideal for walking. With the ability to shoot light loads like the .38 Special or hard-hitting loads like the powerful .357 Magnums, you can use whichever ammo best suits your purpose.
ACCURACY AND ACTION
I wish I could have gotten a scope mount for this story. I think it would have been a valuable addition. But I found it very easy to hit what you are aiming at within the range of this rifle even using the factory iron sights. Accuracy with the provided sights allowed me to obtain 1.5-inch groups at 50 yards, which I consider acceptable for the purposes that fit this rifle. I’d imagine that I could probably tighten that up a bit more if I had a scope mounted to the rifle.
The flawless function of the 1894’s action attests to the reason these rifles became so popular in the first place. Positive feeding and extraction from shot to shot could be felt in your loading hand, and stuffing the stubby little cartridges into the feeding chute made you feel like you were in a John Wayne film.
The lever-action design allows you to feel the mechanical action of the gun while shooting. The 1894 is also soft shooting and great for plinking
CONCLUSION
I suppose you could say that the Marlin 1894fits perfectly into the space I dreamed up for it. It’s a solid-functioning rifle with easy and soft-shooting characteristics and relatively inexpensive ammunition that can be as powerful or soft as you want it to be.
Unlike gas-operated semi autos, lever guns rely on the input of the shooter to cycle cartridges. So, shooting subsonic ammunition or the full-power stuff will not affect its function, making these rifles very useful for any number of shooting tasks. I think Marlin has enjoyed its reputation for very good reason, and hopefully they keep making these beautiful rifles for another hundred years.
One of the biggest questions when buying a suppressor, is selecting one out of the hundreds of options. I’ve been through a bunch at this point in my life, so let me shed some light on the subject for you. What caliber? what configuration? Today we will take a look at the Yankee Hill Machine R9 suppressor.
Many other questions you’ll be asking yourself. With so many options how can you pick one that is best for your purposes? The right answer is that there are always too many good choices to pick only one. Today we are going to look at the subject as a first time suppressor buyer, and a suppressor that might just cover all your bases.
What makes the YHM R9 a perfect can for an NFA Greenhorn? I’ll get right into it. Todays gun owners come from every walk of life. Our modern world has given them overwhelming opportunities for firearms and accessories.
That said, there’s a good chance that most firearm enthusiasts looking into a suppressor probably have an Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) of one kind or another. That rifle is probably chambered in the extremely popular 5.56. Or one of the other calibers that are growing in popularity like 300blk, 6.5G, 6 ARC, etc.
The R9 from YHM is ideal for using with any of these calibers. It can suppress large frame cartridges too, like the 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Winchester. It is rated to suppress pretty much anything under 308 Winchester really, even with limited amounts of full auto. But Wait! There’s more! The R9 is also a perfect fit for a 9mm pistol or carbine. It’s stainless construction is more than enough to retain pressures generated by the cartridge, and other 9mm rifle cartridges like the 350 Legend.
As I see it, it is pretty damn likely that your apprentice level prospective suppressor purchaser would benefit greatly with an R9. One could swap it back and forth from various rifles. Or install a booster and run it on their Glock or other handgun as well.
The R9 is ideal for the Desert Tech MDRX and its assorted calibers
Adaptation
YHM is one of many manufacturers that has embraced the uniformity of threads. The threaded rear end of the R9 can be fitted with a direct thread cap (1/2-28 or 5/8-24). It can also fit a Nielsen booster assembly and run with one of various piston manufacturers. It doesn’t end there, it can also use YHM’s Phantom QD system. The system allows rapid swapping of the suppressor from various YHM muzzle devices.
Further still, the can uses the same threads as other major manufacturers like Dead Air and SilencerCo, so you could also install those devices. All three options are used for my R9, I have both thread caps that I use when shooting the R9 on my precision guns. I also have the QD mount so I can swap it back and forth on my carbines as well. I run a Rugged suppressors piston inside my Nielson Booster assembly, which makes my Canik TP9 quiet and smooth as ever I could ask.
Yankee Hill Machine’s R9 is only threaded on the breach end, the rest of it’s construction is solid baffles welded together making it simple and no non-sense. All the provided tools allow the user to tighten down the various assorted mounting options. Or perhaps more importantly disassemble them after being used.
Shooting with the YHM R9
Some of the very first shots I fired through the R9 were with my pistol. It was the first mounting adaptor in my possession so I went straight to the range to try it out.
The R9 tamed all the sounds produced by my pistol, adding of course its due weight and a bit of added backpressure. But the heavier muzzle sure made the pistol smooth and even more controllable. Shooting the pistol in closed quarters was very tolerable. Sound reduction was everything I’d hoped for, and the function was flawless.
The R9 seen mounted direct on my SRS M2 6mm GT
Shortly thereafter I received the 5/8-24 direct thread adaptor, and the R9 went straight to my Desert Tech SRS M2chambered in 6mm GT. There it stayed for quite some time, hundreds of rounds sent through the R9 from fifty to seventeen-hundred yards. Accuracy of the rifle was if anything enhanced by the presence of the R9, this is typical in my experience. Cartridges like the 6mm GT were easily suppressed by the R9, making precision even more pleasant.
Using the QD mount for the R9 is perfect for running the suppressor back and forth between rifles. I ran the Phantom flash hider on my 308 carbine threaded 5/8-24. and on my 5.56 chambered carbine I use the Phantom Turbo 556 muzzle brake. Which made it easy to swap the R9 back and forth between the two rifles, both of which sounded great when suppressed with the R9. With the gas turned down a notch on both rifles, they functioned perfectly without gassing me out at the breach.
Carbines like this 350 Legend are a perfect host
First or Fifth suppressor?
Ya, I said first or fifth. The reason I put it that way is because even though I have a dozen or so cans at any given time, the R9 is still an excellent addition to my collection. A modular suppressor like this is very useful on better than half of my gun collection. With an MSRP of only $494.00 it is pretty economical compared to many other cans.
I’m at a point in life where I seldom go places without a rifle, and much of the time I have two or three rifles. Having an additional suppressor that will fit most of my rifles makes it an easy choice for me.
Conclusion
If my positivity is hasn’t been obvious enough about my feelings about this little suppressor, let me make it clear; I think this is the perfect suppressor for a first time NFA victim. It has everything most people need, multi-caliber, adaptable, tough as nails, and all at a very reasonable price. If I had to say something about the R9 that I dislike, you’d really have to force it out of me. The only issue I’ve ever had was keeping the thread caps tight, this was almost certainly due to me not tightening them on using the supplied tools as I’m a lazy ass. But I wouldn’t put that at the feet of the boys over at YHM.
So there you have it, the R9 is nearly a flawless purchase in my opinion. Short from needing magnum capabilities or a bunch of machine guns you need to suppress, this is an excellent suppressor for your typical firearms consumer. Best get yourself one.
As time passes, both our guns and our tastes evolve. Perhaps our shooting styles change a bit and a gun we were once giddy over has fallen to the back rack of the safe, perhaps never to come back out except to be sold. Or maybe that favorite rifle got tuned up with a new barrel and scope, maybe a dashing Cerakote paint job and a better trigger. Either way, the firearms of days past seem to lose their luster as new ones are brought to market. But a rare few seem to hold on to a charming and nostalgic following, today we are talking about one of those.
The Model 70
The Winchester Model 70 has been perhaps America’s most prolific bolt action rifle. Generations of hunters and other marksmen have put the various configurations of the Model 70 through countless trials. The ninety-degree bolt action of the Model 70 has been used in too many configurations to mention here. Both long and short actions are made, featuring a bolt-shroud three position safety. And a simple and robust trigger that is well known for immaculate breaks.
The Target Model
The Model 70 Target was available in an assortment of calibers but they had the same features. A high quality heavy profile barrel, and a wide and flat-bottomed walnut stock. The rifle also came drilled and tapped for a variety of sighting options, you could either mount a scope like the Unertl scopes that were often seen on these rifles in the past, or aperture sights that were mounted to the receiver and muzzle. I believe the military version of the rifle as used by legendary shooters like Hathcock, was very similar in construction, using a more streamlined and less obtrusive stock.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The box this rifle comes in instantly speaks to its vintage, with old print and packaging from days long gone. I pulled the rifle out of the box and inspected every inch of it. Despite its obvious age, the rifle was in immaculate condition. The barrel was stamped with all the Winchester information, as well as the caliber marking .30-06 Springfield. I would find it odd for it to be genuinely unfired, but it certainly could be. The walnut stock, while not anything particularly handsome, was of obvious quality wood. The finish still maintains its factory shine, and the conspicuous well-coated metal reminded me of the good ol’ days when things were made better. I ran the bolt a few times to experience that familiar Model 70 feel. Even the trigger felt smooth and broke clean as I’ve come to expect from the Model 70s of the past. I was excited to see what this old rifle could do, but I set out to do it my way.
Since I obviously didn’t have access to one of the Unertl scopes, I installed a set of scope bases to the receiver so I could mount one of my standby rifle scopes. Once the bases were installed, I put a Nikon4-16×50 rifle scope mounted in Warne ringsonto the receiver, taking care to avoid the obstruction of the factory scope mount on the rear of the barrel. I also rigged up a Pic rail to the front of the stock so I could use a bipod for supported shooting.
All that was left was to find ammunition to feed the rifle. I had a box or two of some Remington factory ammunition, which would certainly work. But I wanted to see if this rifle would shoot like a target rifle should. For that, I would need some match-grade ammo. I turned to my loading bench. I still have my father’s oldSpeer loading manual from back in the late 60s. I figured the load data from the same era as the rifle itself would be a good starting point. I loaded up some Sierra 175-grain Tipped Match Kings and some Hornady178-grain ELDM bullets, using a pretty standard load for the time.
I set a target at 100 yards. After some quick field bore sighting of the scope, I set to zeroing the rifle. After a few sighters, I was in business. I am used to shooting heavier guns and often in much smaller calibers. So, the recoil of this rifle was a little more than I normally experience, but that just reminded me to focus on the fundamentals. In no time at all, the Model 70 and I were working in harmony.
The rifle seemed to like both of my match loads, though there may have been a slightly better pattern using the Hornady bullets. I think this rifle is easily capable of half-MOA accuracy when rifle, ammo, and shooter are inline. I also stretched the rifle out a bit just to see what kind of range it was comfortable with.
Shooting at 400, 500, and 600 yards was easy. However, it was quite apparent that the large and slow bullets were affected by the distance much more than today’s typical match cartridge and bullet combinations. But that was fine by me, I actually quite enjoyed the nostalgic trip with this old rifle.
Everything functioned flawlessly for my range trip, as I would expect from an old hand like the Model 70. It offered smooth feeding and ejection with a very crisp and clean trigger, and it was every bit the accurate sharpshooter I expected it to be.
some vintage ammunition from the same era
TIME TESTED RESULTS
A typical group from the Model 70 Target using standard hunting ammo was about 1 inch for three shots. But when shooting better bullets that were handloaded to fit the rifle, it would easily print 1/2-inch groups. I imagine it’s possible you could do even better with further load development and some additional practice at the range. I was very pleased with the rifle’s performance. It felt good to use this piece of American history. Continue Reading Here…
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for a specific piece of nostalgic target shooting equipment, or if you are just looking for a great rifle to enjoy on the range, this old Winchester would certainly fit the bill. There are still quite a few of these rifles out there today. So if you’d like to feel the quality of traditional American manufacturing, don’t hesitate to snatch one of these beauties up when you get the chance.
Pistol shooting, like most shooting disciplines has benefitted greatly from technological advancements. Incredible improvements have made todays handguns lighter, faster, more accurate, and reliable. One of these many improvement is in the sight market, pistols have long relied on the simple task of lining up a front and rear sight as you press the trigger. But today we will discuss the hot and competitive red dot sight options that are frequently replacing traditional iron sights. We’ll also look at it from the perspective of home defense use.
The three sights we will specifically look at today are the Vortex Viper Red Dot, theUS Optics DRS 2.0 Enhanced, and theRiton Optics X3 Tactix PRD. To give the three sights all a fair rattling, I ran all three of them on the same pistol. The Canik TP9 ECis a poly framed pistol featuring a SAI barrel and trigger, its very accurate and its cut slide makes a perfect host for this trio of optics. To read more about the pistol click here.
With a well known name like Vortex, I was sure I was going to like this optic. It was the first of the three in this article that I got my hands on, it wasn’t long at all before I had it mounted up and ready to shoot. The tools provided made zeroing the optic a snap, I was blown away at how quick I went from adjusting the zero, to stacking a whole magazine into a small hole.
US Optics has long been part of the optics game, though they are a relative newcomer to the electronic sight realm. As soon as I opened the box, I was as impressed as ever with USO’s quality and presentation. But more importantly was the impression on the range.
I was a bit confused at first, because the DRS 2.0 didn’t appear to have a button or control to adjust the brightness as did the Viper and the Tactix X3. But in perhaps my favorite discovery of the whole project, I read the owners manual to find that the DRS 2.0 is always on, and has a built in photo-eye to automatically adjust to ambient light. Another beneficial feature I was happy to see, was the side-loaded battery compartment, which doesn’t require the user to remove the sight to change the battery as the Viper required.
As with the Vortex, the USO was easily and quickly zeroed, and in no time I was back to banging targets.
Riton is a relatively new company, but persistently bringing out more products. The X3 came to me before the USO and after the Vortex, it did require changing the Viper type baseplate to the RMR type, as it doesn’t share the same plate as the other two. Similar to the Vortex, the X3 has armored up/down rubber buttons to adjust the six level brightness settings of the reticle. It also has a four hour auto shutoff. It features a 3 MOA dot for some very precise shooting, at least for red dot shooting. It wasn’t until after I had it mounted that I noticed the X3 features a rear sight cut, something you can use in the event your reticle goes out. This is something the other two lacked, and while not likely to be used often, it is still handy. The X3 features a top loaded battery, so you wont need to remove the sight for battery changes.
All three red dots took a bit of getting used to, as the reticle appeared higher than expected as compared to the iron sights. But once I grew accustomed to the hold and sight picture, I was addicted to it. One of the many pros of using red dot pistol sights that is often mentioned is the shooter’s point of focus. When using iron sights you have to focus to some degree or another on the sights that are at arms length. Shooting with a red dot sight gives a great advantage because you never have to take your eyes off the target. For example, if there is a threat approaching you, simply bring the pistol into the plane between you and the threat. The glowing reticle is naturally brought into place without ever having to change focus from the target. Obviously after much practice and training, it becomes second nature. That is one thing less you’ll need to focus on in a defensive situation. And even if its not a dangerous target, shots can be made faster as can target transitions because you never have to take your eyes off the target[s].
Also, if you are shopping on a budget, UUQOptics makes some great budget pistol red dots — great value without sacrificing reliability or usability
As it pertains to home and/or self defense, I think a red dot sight could be a valuable asset. The bright red reticle makes a very easy focal point when tension is high, and the precise nature of its aim is very useful in a life or death situation. The aforementioned point about keeping your eyes on the threat is also a strong reason, especially in a low light or no light scenario.
I was surprised by this experience, it wasn’t that I liked the USO the most, it was actually that the Vortex was at the bottom for me. After much shooting with the Viper, I found the Riton X3 to be a preferred fit for my eyes. And perhaps the finer reticle also helped. The sight picture of all three was more than satisfactory, they all got dirty and dusty just the same. But what really won this comparison for me was the reticle on the DRS 2.0, I never had to turn it on, or up or down. Every time I jerked my pistol from the holster, regardless of time of day, indoor or out, the reticle was lit, and nearly perfect brightness. I only say near perfect because it occasionally might have been a smidge dimmer than I would have set it, but surely not enough to be a concern. All three of these red dots are great pistol sights, I would feel very confident shooting any one of them in a competitive situation.
I have shot pistols without red dots for many years, so I was a bit apprehensive about trading my iron sights for a red dot. But I’m happy to say that after some practice I feel just as if not more confident with one of these three sights than the iron sights I always used before. Give one of these three a try, you will very likely be surprised how much you like it.
My first real deer rifle was a Ruger M77, being a bit green and not overly wealthy at the time, I searched out what seemed to be a quality rifle for a good price. The fact that it was priced for clearance that day only helped solidify my decision. More than twenty years later, I still have and love that rifle. Having seen many M77’s come and go over the years I have become quite familiar with their operation and reliability. But today’s subject is a new one to me.
The Ruger M77 .308
The M77 has been around for quite sometime, taking what many consider to be the best features of a Mauser clone. There are quite a few models available now in long action and short, as well the Hawkeye variants such as the one we are discussing today. Continue Reading Here…
The Hawkeye Laminate .308 is a no-nonsense hunting rifle. Perhaps you could even call it a quintessential American deer rifle. This stainless rifle features a 22-inch barrel with a 1:10 twist. It boasts a 4-round magazine in the gray laminate stock. The stock itself features classic checkering in the right spots to help with grip, sling studs at the front and rear, and a rubber recoil pad at the back.
The controls of the rifle are also quite familiar to many shooters. There is a three-position safety on the bolt shroud that allows the bolt to be locked closed or operated on safe. The third position is obviously the firing one, which leads us to the trigger. The LC6 trigger is an improvement on the older M77 triggers according to Ruger. For my purposes – and for any deer hunter who might use the rifle – I feel it is just fine. The rifle also has a hinged floor plate that is easily released by depressing a tab inside the trigger guard.
IMPRESSIONS
I’ve always had a soft spot for the old M77. It feels like many of my best early hunting experiences seemed to have a Ruger in them. They may not have the glass-smooth bolt throw of more expensive rifles, but they function flawlessly and firmly. The fit and finish of this rifle matched everything I expected, so I eagerly prepped the gun to get it on the range. If you’d like to see another great M77, check out this M77 Overhaul.
TO THE RANGE
I had mounted a scope to the Hawkeye, not exactly the scope this rifle deserves, but it would do for my testing purposes. Mounting the scope touches on one of the few things I don’t love about the M77. The built-in scope bases and the factory-supplied rings from Ruger are considered by many to be convenient. I thought the same many years ago. I have since come to dislike them somewhat. Personally, not having the ability to swap rings and/or optics around in a pinch is quite irritating.
With my rifle and ammo in hand, I went to the shooting bench and got started. I zeroed the rifle in a few shots, and then I figured I’d shoot a few patterns to see which ammo the rifle preferred. I was shooting what I had available, which was some Hornady 155- and 168-grain match and some Desert Tech 175-grain match. The 155- and 175-grain ammo shot well enough for the purposes of the average deer hunter. It could do even better with a little refinement.
The built-in scope base and factory rings are convenient, but I personally have come to prefer the ability to easily swap between optics.
Into the Rockies
I took the M77 Hawkeye into the mountains for a hike – after all, it is a deer rifle. The lightweight little Ruger was a pleasant carry when compared to the rifles that are 10 pounds or heavier that I am used to carrying. Its modest size made it very easy to maneuver and quickly get on target.
I stretched the gun out a little bit shooting the Hornady 155-grain match ammunition and was happy to see that there were few things within a reasonable distance that I couldn’t hit. Making hits on 10-inch targets inside 400 yards was easy enough. The claw extractor in the Ruger provides outstanding extraction, which is a must-have in a hunting rifle, and the 4-round magazine allows for plenty of follow-up shots should you need them.
The claw extractor on the bolt provides excellent extraction
The 155-grain Hornady ammunition seemed like a perfect match for this rifle, and it shot very well. I would happily take this combination on a deer or elk hunt here in the Rockies.
IN CONCLUSION
As I expected, the M77 Hawkeye was everything I wanted from a hunting rifle at this price point. It has rugged and time-proven durability while still retaining a handsome and modern look. The stainless construction makes it a great candidate for poor weather hunting like a stormy chase through soaking clouds after a mountain goat. The size and weight make it well suited for long treks through steep, wooded ridges chasing after a herd of elk.
It’s also plenty accurate for smaller game animals like pronghorn, so you can make every shot count. Whether your taste favors high-end hunting rifles or the clearance rack at Walmart, the Ruger M77 Hawkeye would serve a lifetime or two as your main hunting rifle.
New cartridges are not so novel these days, it seems as though a new one comes out every few months. But how can devoted marksmen discern between a keeper, and something that is all hype? First thing, let’s be honest with ourselves, most everything is hyped up to some degree or another. As consumers we’ve learned to wade through the hype, and find where metal meets the meat. Much of new cartridge marketing these days is just rebranding an older idea with a new twist, see what I did there Westerner? In this article I’d like to discuss a relatively new cartridge, and separate the sales pitch from the hard facts. The cartridge is the 6mm GT in a custom barrel for my Desert Tech SRS M2.
Enter the Tiger
It would be a disservice to discuss the GT without mentioning one of if not the most entrenched parodies of the shooting world today. When the GT was initially released, many were inquisitive as to its ancestry. The GT being its own genesis led many to question what the G and the T stood for, and the internet took over from there. In typical fashion with our community, several actors on social media dug deep into the shadows of their closet for a comical answer to the question. The Gay Tiger was born of an internet meme, and its same-sex partner. The novelty only increased when embraced by the entire community, and even head-stamped brass reading 6mm Gay Tiger was produced by Alpha Munitions. There is no doubt that the satirical gag helped drive notoriety of the GT, and it spread like fire.
The 6mm GT, or 6 GT as it is often called, was a collaborative effort between two gentlemen with legendary experience in the realm of precision rifle shooting. George Gardner of GA Precision and Tom Jacobs of Vapor Trail Bullets combined their collective knowledge to dream up the perfect cartridge for competitive rifle shooting.
The new round offers shooters some of the best attributes possible for precision shooting. Velocity is not always everything, but the 6mm GT provides ample speed for its size. Bullets of the typical 105- to 115-grain match weight easily attain 3,000 fps and more. These speeds are achieved with modest charges of Varget powder. Between 34 and 35 grains is all it takes due to the very efficient case design.
The 35-degree shoulder of the 6mm GT helps it feed flawlessly and without modification from most common magazine options like the AICS-pattern mags. The GT also uses a small primer pocket, which many believe creates a stronger, more rigid case head. This translates into durability and strength, allowing you to reload the cases with additional life expectancy. Loaded ammunition is available from Hornady and a few custom shops.
WHY ANOTHER 6MM?
There are already so many great cartridges, including many 6mm/.243-caliber rounds, so why the GT? The 6mm Creedmoor and it’s smaller siblings like the 6mm Dasher, BR, and BRX offer all kinds of options to shooters. That’s not to mention the older ones like the 6mm Remington or the hugely popular .243 Winchester. But the GT offers more powder capacity than the smaller cases and more velocity.
It does this very efficiently without increasing recoil like you would see shooting similar loads in the Creedmoor and larger cases. This brings added value by increasing barrel life and shooting performance. With top-quality components available for the GT, extremely consistent velocities make the cartridge a shoo-in for precision rifle competition.
DIVING INTO THE 6MM GT
I decided that I needed to dig into the GT. So after doing some research, I started ordering the parts. First, I got a reamer from Alpha Munitions that was designed for the additional freebore needed for those slender and long match bullets that are 107 or more grains. I planned on shooting the GT from my Desert Tech SRS M2, so I ordered a K&P blank barrel from my gunsmith. It was a 1:7 twist barrel that would end up being 24 inches long, helically fluted, and threaded. Yes, I was absolutely going to run muzzle attachments.
The GT uses a standard .473 bolt face. So I already had a bolt to use ,and a few dummy rounds cycled flawlessly through the SRS’s short-action magazines. Once finished, I installed the barrel extension on the breach of the barrel and fitted a Patriot Valley Arms Jet Blast muzzle brake to the front. One of the main reasons competitors shoot 6mm cartridges is the low recoil. When you add a big brake like I did, the recoil all but disappears.
RANGE TIME
I was so excited to start shooting the GT rifle. I had a pile of test ammo already loaded and ready to hit the range when I brought it home. I’d heard the GT likes a few hundred rounds for break-in, so I went with something cheap and easy.
Some Hornady 75-grain V-Max bullets loaded to a mild 3,050 fps would be my first test batch to get the rifle zeroed and see the initial results. I quickly stumbled into a sub-half-MOA group with that first load. I wasted no time taking the rifle into my mountain haunts to search out one of my favorite opponents, the high-country marmots. The 6mm GT did an incredible number on dozens of chucks, and the accuracy and predictable recoil impulse made shooting them seem almost too easy. I was completely hooked, but I was just getting started.
SCHOOLED
As soon as I returned home from my varmint hunting, I found out I was offered a spot in an advanced law enforcement precision rifle course from Bruiser Industries. I leapt at the chance and hastily loaded 300 rounds of a new pet load of Hornady 105-grain BTHPs. Again, with little to no load development, the 105s shot half MOA or better groups. For four days in the southern California heat, we trained on advanced shooting techniques, position building, and everything else that LE snipers would want to know.
Shooting at ranges from 100 yards all the way out to 1,400 yards was part of the curriculum, and the 6mm GT went the distance for all of it. The accuracy was everything I needed to make good hits when I did my part. Plus, when compared to the .308 rifles most of the other attendees were shooting, my gun barely moved when firing. With sweat-stained clothes and a dust-covered rifle, I had built complete confidence in both the cartridge and the rifle.
Not long after I got home, I was also offered a position in the Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge, one of the greatest precision rifle shooting matches in the country. Despite my confidence, I knew it would be humbling to shoot alongside some of the best shooters in the country. Nevertheless, I stayed up until midnight loading another 300 rounds of ammo. At 4 a.m. the next morning, I headed up the road towards the match.
There I was, meeting both George and Tom, not to mention hundreds of other great people. I’ll spare you the shame of my performance, but I will tell you how the rifle performed. Other than a few dust-induced magazine issues, the SRS M2 and 6mm GT worked like a perfectly tuned machine. I can say with every confidence that when I missed, it was because I miscalled the wind or wasn’t solid enough. But when I was on target, boy did we sing a beautiful melody together.
The GT did excellent in the strong winds, blowing across the range and smacking the targets with great authority. The recoil was easily managed, allowing me to spot my own hits and misses and making corrections easy. The match was a great experience, and I relearned a bunch of things I’d forgotten long ago.
WHAT’S LEFT TO SAY?
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am absolutely enamored with this setup. I don’t think I’m able to come up with a downside to the 6mm GT. It is easy to load. It’s very accurate, soft shooting, and an excellent performer. Plus, it has nothing but the best support and components available for it.
It’s no wonder this cartridge enjoys such a cult following in the precision rifle community. I love a good shooting match, but I am a hunter at heart. So you can bet I will be taking this rifle hunting this fall. All the same things that make this an excellent match gun also make it great for other shooting practices. In my part of the country, the deer have to worry about coyotes, cougars, and me. But come this fall, they’ll also have to hide from the 6mm GT.
