Category Archives: Product review

Products and equipment

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

July 28, 2021Product review, Shooting hardware, Uncategorized.410, 686, Beretta, double, over under, shotguncoldboremiracle

If you’re lucky enough and work hard you can become one of those financially secure adults that we all imagined becoming as children. And it’s about that time in a firearm enthusiasts life that he or she decides to start buying up guns that they want more than they need. While that statement could describe nearly any firearm, today we are discussing one in particular. Beretta is well known for making excellent shotguns, many of which I’ve been lucky enough to play with on the range. The Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon is yet another fine example of Beretta’s prime production, but this one brought up some interesting reflection..

Introduction

Beretta is well known for making excellent shotguns, many of which I’ve been lucky enough to play with on the range. The Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon is yet another fine example of Beretta’s prime production, but this one brought up some interesting reflection.

Almost anyone who owns a shotgun has a 12 gauge. It is the workhorse of American shotgunning. My first shotgun, like most people, was a 12 gauge as well. It just makes sense in so many ways. Ammo is typically inexpensive and readily available. There’s also a huge assortment of various cartridge types that are usually lining the shelves of any reputable sporting goods store. So why bother going with anything but a 12 gauge?

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon in .410 — Even in .410 bore, the craftsmanship of the Silver Pigeon lends itself to accurate, effective shooting.

I gained most of my hunting and firearms knowledge as a child listening to the stories told by my father and other men in the family. A very often mentioned anecdote was that of my grandfather’s single-shot .410 shotgun. My dad and his brothers all learned to wing shoot with that old gun. I’d hardly had any interaction with .410s, mainly because I didn’t need to use one.

But I do remember hearing those old stories about the need for perfect leads and center hits. The .410 does not carry as much shot as its larger siblings. While this may seem like a disadvantage, I actually felt like it was a great reason to add another shotgun to my collection.

THE .410 SILVER PIGEON

Over/under shotguns enjoy a class all their own, and this Beretta is certainly no exception. I opened the box and quickly mounted the barrels and handguard. I immediately fell in love with the gun the second I shouldered it.

The 686 came with 28-inch barrels chambered in .410, a standard selection of chokes, and all the tools to change the chokes and maintain the firearm. As is typical with these guns, the Silver Pigeon has a perfect fit and finish, with detailed and handsome engraving throughout the receiver area.

After prepping the gun and familiarizing myself with its controls, we headed out to shoot it. While the current ammunition situation is a mess, I was lucky enough to find a few boxes of Federal .410 shotshells – 2 3/4 inches loaded with #7.5 shot. Just right for smashing a few clays in the sky. With the stories told by my father still in the back of my mind, I refined my focus knowing these loads were not the 1 1/4 ounces I was used to shooting from my other guns.

SHOOTING THE PIGEON

With several boxes of clays and shells, we were ready to make some noise. We loaded both chambers and started throwing doubles. I dusted both of the first clays. My immediate impression of the Beretta was that it was soft shooting. Follow-up shots were very quick because the gun hardly recoiled with such small and light loads. This was obviously a double-edged sword. If the clays managed to get very far, your shot had to be perfect or it would escape unscathed.

The lightweight of the Pigeon also made it very easy to move and quickly get on target. My young daughter took a few swings with it, and she found it to be a much better fit for her than the 12 gauges she had tried in the past. The quick handling of the shotgun made it an obvious candidate for the fast and small game birds that we frequently see in these mountains. I cannot wait to take it out on a grouse or Chukar hunt when the season arrives.

Not only was the recoil light, but the gun was surprisingly quiet. The wide-open country we were shooting in went on forever, and the sound waves seemed to dissipate very easily. The petite and lightweight Silver Pigeon was simply a pure joy to shoot.

The only problem or dislike I could find with this gun was a designed one. Every time the gun is unloaded and reset, the safety is automatically engaged, this may be a common design on some guns, but it’s one I personally don’t care for. While I’m sure it is easily remedied through training and practice, it did end up costing me a few misses when I failed to remove the safety prior to my swing.

CONCLUSION

There comes a time in life where you start buying guns based on desire instead of necessity. If I were only going to have one shotgun, it would certainly be a 12 gauge, probably in a pump or semi-auto configuration. But as tastes mature and shooters have more money to spend, adding something like a beautiful little .410 to your collection really is a gift to yourself.

The Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon is an outstanding firearm. Regardless of caliber, it would make a fine addition to your collection. Starting out with a .410 might be a bit of a challenge, but it will teach you lessons that will only make you more effective regardless of the shotgun you shoot.

-CBM

Check out more Beretta shotguns here

The Tikka T3X TACT A1 260 Remington

July 22, 2021Product review, Shooting hardware260, 260 remington, sako, t3, tact, tikkacoldboremiracle

Rifle fanatic

Being nothing short of a rifle fanatic, I’ve had a bad case of Tikka Fever for some time. No it’s not from licking hand-rails in the Helsinki Airport, but it does come from hands-on experience. I bought my first Tikka a few years back, and it has changed my perspective on a few things. But today we are talking about another Tikka, the T3X TACT A1. This one happens to chambered in one of my favorite calibers, the .260 Remington. Everything seems to be going my way here doesn’t it?

HOW MANY K’s DO YOU NEED?

Sako Tikka T3x TACT — The Tikka T3X TACT lives up to the brand’s record for quality and precision

Tikka is a brand manufactured by Sako – If you haven’t already, go read my piece on the Sako 85 Finnlight – both Sako and their Tikka brand are well known for their quality. They are manufactured in Finland and imported to the U.S. through Beretta.

SHOP TIKKA T3X

The T3X is a two-lug, 90-degree, bolt-action rifle. It features a Sako-style extractor, a two-position safety, and a machined bolt release opposite the bolt handle. The TACT 260 as I tested it also featured a two-stage trigger. Like the other Tikka’s I’ve shot, it is an outstanding trigger. This model featured a 24-inch barrel with a 1-8 twist and 5/8-24 muzzle threads to accept the portly muzzle brake.

The TACT 260 comes in a chassis, making it very adaptable to specific purposes and users. The chassis incorporates detachable 10-round box magazines that are surprisingly short. The handguard of the chassis features a full-length optics rail to adapt to multi-role optics. There is no canted angle in the optics rail.

The buttstock of the chassis folds to the weak side of the rifle, and it locks both in the folded and unfolded positions, which I found to be a welcome feature. The buttstock is compatible with AR-style accessories for those that wish to customize their rifles, a desire I found completely unnecessary. The fully adjustable buttstock can adjust for length of pull, riser height, and angle. There are several QD sling mounts on the chassis as well that are placed strategically for carrying the rifle in either the folded or unfolded configuration.

TO THE RANGE!

After thoroughly fiddling with the rifle and adjusting all the settings to my taste, I grabbed some ammo and headed for the hills where I do my shooting. Ammunition being what it is these days, I couldn’t find what I wanted in the shops. So instead, I found some component bullets, copied some data from a load book, and pressed out a few rounds of my own. After attaching an Atlas Bipod to the front of the rifle, I mounted a Kahles 318i rifle scope. These are two great accessories that are a perfect fit for this rifle. After bore sighting, I stuffed a bunch of cartridges into the magazines and laid behind the Tikka.

My first impression of this rifle seemed to echo my former experiences with Tikka and Sako both – extremely easy feeding and flawless function as cartridges flow through the action. The two-stage trigger feels even crisper when it’s sharpened by recoil. I could run that bolt all day. It was short work to confirm zero, and a few minutes later I was stretching its legs.

The .260 Remington is an impressive performer. It was doing what the Creedmoor does now but even better and a decade earlier. Shooting 140-grain bullets or heavier puts the cartridge well beyond 1,000 yards in my neck of the woods, so I wasted no time getting there. The Kahles scope and hand-loaded Tikka made hits at 950 yards look easy. I was stacking bullets into the hole in the dirt left by the previous shot. The rifle seemed to perform even better when I added a suppressor to the muzzle.

Continue Reading Here…

ACCURACY

As usual, the accuracy of this Tikka was excellent. Groups under an inch are typical and, when using top quality match grade ammunition, half-inch groups are also possible. I was able to find a box of Federal Fusion 120 grain, and it shot very well in the Tikka.

With accuracy potential that good, this would be a superb rifle for shooting Precision Rifle Competition matches. I’d also imagine there are a few police agencies that would choose this rifle for marksmen.

WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

So far, it’s been a pretty positive review, right? It’s hard to hide my admiration of this rifle, but there are a couple of things I’d change about it.

First on the list is the weight. At 10.4 pounds, it’s a little tubby. That may sound unfair coming from a guy with an affinity for fat rifles, but that brings me to my second gripe. This thing is a bit long for my taste. A 10-pound rifle with an overall length of 30 inches isn’t too bad. But when it’s 45 inches long, there is a lot of weight out there in the end. This makes the rifle a little more difficult to maneuver and handle, but it shoots like a dream once you get it in place.

That’s it. If I had my way, the rifle would be a 20-inch barrel that had been put on the carbon diet, which is nice because Tikka offers several different barrel options on this rifle.

CONCLUSION

I could very easily overlook my gripes with this rifle because it is just such a smooth character. I let a few buddies run some shots through the gun, and they were equally impressed. If you are looking for a precision chassis rifle right from the factory, you’d be a fool to look past the Tikka. You would need to spend a lot more to get anything significantly better than the T3X TACT.

One thing I can guarantee is that there are more Tikkas in my future.

-CBM

X2 Dev Group Orion X suppressor

July 18, 2021blog, Product review, Shooting hardware, suppressorsdev group, orion, orion x, silencer, suppressor, x2 dev groupcoldboremiracle

Preface

Imagine being born before the age of manned flight, and then witnessing man walk on the moon. We live in an exciting age for sure, but even so there hasn’t been any earthshaking developments in the firearm industry for some time. But that doesn’t mean folks aren’t trying to innovate. Today’s subject is about one such product from a group of people with innovation on the mind, the Orion X suppressor from X2 Dev Group. But is the innovation all it’s hyped up to be?

The Orion X

The Orion X is a sound suppressor for centerfire rifles, it is a baffle-less design made from stainless steel, inconel, and aluminum. It is available in three calibers according to their website; 556, 6.5, and 7.62. Instead of the traditional baffle stack that reduces the speed of exiting gasses, the Orion X instead uses their Quantum Flo technology. The gasses that exit the muzzle are directed through a series of passageways that slow the gas down, while allowing the bullet to pass through to do it’s dirty work. The modular core of the Orion X is made of several pieces that amass inside the outer tube, the threaded end that attaches to the host is part of this core, and the outer tube with its threaded end-cap go around the core.

The disassembled Orion X (from manufacturer website)

First Impressions

When I first picked up the Orion X, the weight was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t particularly heavy, and its light construction made it seem lighter in weight than it really is. I have lighter cans for 556, but this one is by no means heavy.

The next thing I noticed almost made me think something was wrong, the outer tube of the Orion X is machine-fit to the core. The tube has the slightest movement between it, and the core. The tube is prevented from turning around the core by a square boss at the rear around the mounting point. I could feel a slight rattle when shaking the suppressor, apparently this is all part of the design for no matter how tight you snug the end-cap with the supplied tool the fit is the same. The end-cap itself features a series of vent holes, where the redirected gasses are released. The model I tested had a nice FDE Cerakote, but it is available in other colors.

To the Range

As usual, I was eager to get this new suppressor to the range. I ran the suppressor on a couple different carbine rifles, all in 556. The first rifle had a sixteen-inch barrel, I threaded on the Orion X and got straight to shooting. One of the many purposes of baffle-less suppressor designs is to reduce back pressure to the host firearm, this is accomplished by allowing the gas somewhere to go without spiking the pressure up to unreasonable levels. The obvious benefits to this design is to avoid altering the function of the host, allowing it to function as designed. It also helps keep the host from becoming excessively fouled, which is a common side effect of suppressors.

That being the case, I left the gas setting of my rifle right where it always is. The first few shots through the Orion X went off exactly as expected, the rifle cycled as it always does and no additional effects were noted. If anything the recoil impulse was subdued slightly due to the additional weight and diffusion. Unfortunately I was at a public range which meant I had to wear ear protection, this robbed me of the opportunity to hear the report made by the Orion X. But I would soon get another chance.

With the Orion X in hand, I took another rifle into the country to see what kind of performance I could expect, both rifles this would feel the heat on this trip. With nothing but the trees to hear me, I put the Orion X through several shooting positions and several magazines worth of ammo. The sixteen-inch rifle was much more pleasant to shoot than the eleven-inch one, the bullpup configuration of my Desert Tech MDRX brought the muzzle closer to the ear than a traditional AR style rifle. With the ejection port in front of the face a few inches, and the muzzle of the rifle at least sixteen to twenty inches in front of that, the Orion X was quite tolerable.

Rifle function was flawless with zero adjustment to the gas system. But when the shorter bullpup rifles were used, it was a little less tolerable. The sixteen-inch rifle had a fairly loud first-round pop, but was fine after that. The eleven-inch rifle on the other hand was another story, with the ejection port just under the ear and the muzzle only a foot or so from your nose, it was unbearable without ear protection. That’s no surprise I would say, but it is unfortunate because I think that configuration is where the Orion X would shine. And I love it when host/suppressor combinations allow for open ear shooting.

Aftermath

After shooting enough ammo to make my wallet hurt, I decided to check out one of the other interesting features of the Orion X. The tool provided with the suppressor allows the user to completely disassemble the suppressor, giving you the opportunity to see how it works, and clean out any carbon buildup.

Shop suppressors at Silencer Central

Holding the square host-end of the suppressor in a vice, I used the tool to engage the end-cap and loosen it off. You can then remove it from the vice and pull the core from the front of the suppressor, and disassemble the various stages of the suppressor core. It is a fascinating design, almost like a puzzle for guys. You can see the way gasses are directed around the inside of the suppressor, and out the muzzle end of the can. I hadn’t shot enough to make cleaning the suppressor necessary, so after figuring out the reassembly I tightened the cap back down for the next range trip.

my MDRX with the Orion X and **Crimson Trace scope**

Final Thoughts

The Orion X is a great example of innovation in our market. While it may not be an earth-shattering development like rail-guns or case-less ammo, it is still a step into the next generation. I can only wonder what the next step beyond these type of suppressors will be. With an MSRP of $1195.00 it is not an entry level suppressor, but it would be an great addition to your NFA collection to run on your hosts that may be sensitive to suppressors.

-CBM

Browning Superposed 12 gauge

July 12, 2021Product review, Shooting hardware12 gauge, browning, shotgun, superposedcoldboremiracle

I’ve known for years that the Browning Superposed is a dream shotgun, a real clay buster if there ever was one. Maybe it’s because my father has always been a shotgun aficionado, much the same way I geek out with rifles. It was many years ago now, but I remember when dad brought home his Superposed 12 gauge. I thought it must have been something fancy because he was pretty excited. So when I got the chance to play with one myself, I was expecting to be impressed.

THE SUPERPOSED

Browning Superposed Shotgun — The over-under Browning Superposed is a beautiful balance of class and function.

The Superposed is a break-action over-under configured shotgun. It uses a single trigger to fire both barrels. It is said to be the last firearm designed by Browning himself, which may be part of why the gun has such a following. It was manufactured in various grades from the 1930s all the way into the 1980s.

UNBOXING

When I received the Superposed for this article, I was excited to see which one it would be. Upon opening the box, pure class came flowing out – intricate engraving, a shiny black finish, and beautiful wood grain as one would expect from a Belgian-made Browning.

This particular gun had been made in the early 70s, but it still appeared to be brand new. It still had all the telltale signs of a gun with a low round count. It was smooth and snug to open and close the action. Everything inside was immaculate and still factory polished. Both 28-inch barrels had been marked skeet, which immediately spawned images in my mind of me holding this classy piece of art on station looking up at the high house.

The craftsmanship of this shotgun was refreshing and reminded me of better times. Every mating surface had perfect alignment. The engraving was flawless as it flowed between parts. As the gun hinges together, parts almost seem to melt together and lines disappear. In a world where everything is mass produced, stamped, injection molded, and so on, it felt good to hold something that had been handcrafted by skilled gunmakers. It’s truly beautiful to see pieces of craftsmanship like this still available.

TO THE RANGE!

Despite the ammo situation we are currently enduring, I was able to get a few boxes of trap loads to shoot in the Browning. With a case of clays, we headed up to the mountains to bust a few.

The Superposed shoots just like it looks, smooth and with class. The fairly open chokes in this set of barrels make the gun extremely handy on those fast-moving and close birds. The first couple of clays we threw were instantly turned into dust and not very far away either. The barrels are shorter than many shotguns, which also made the gun very quick to get on and ahead of targets.

The chambers are 2 3/4 inches, which is all I would want in a skeet gun. But I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t take this gun on some kind of a hunt. The open patterns it shoots and its quick handling would be great for the fast-moving doves that love to zip by me as I hike through these mountains. But the beauty of this fine firearm would probably keep me from taking it on anything less than a fancy cultured hunt.

The safety/selector is crisp and audible, giving the user the ability to select which barrel fires first. This would obviously be a little more relevant if the barrels had differing chokes.

Shop over-under shotguns at Sportsman’s Warehouse

One thing that has for sure gotten better since the Superposed was manufactured is recoil pads. The Browning has an old, hard butt plate on it. Not that 12 gauges are overwhelming when it comes to recoil, but the soft rubber recoil pads found on modern shotguns provide a much more comfortable experience.

The vented rib over the barrels was complete with two beads to line up your perfect shot, which we were able to accomplish repeatedly. The feel and flow when shooting this shotgun was perfect. It’s a shooters gun for sure. The trigger was clean both to break and to reset for the second shot, at least once I went too fast shooting in front of the target.

We fired two different types of ammunition from Remington and Winchester. Both were trap loads in 1 1/8 ounces. Both types performed as expected as long as I got the lead right. Shooting the Browning Superposed was pure enjoyment with flawless function and perfect performance topped off with a touch of class and a little history. Continue Reading here…

CONCLUSION

There is a definitive line between used guns and used guns worth buying. That line is of course defined by the individual doing the buying. Guns like the Superposed are hard to pass up, not only because of their high level of quality and prestige, but also because they don’t make them anymore. It isn’t only a collector’s item, but one you can enjoy and shoot.

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Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20 suppressor

July 7, 2021Product review, Shooting hardware, suppressorssilencer, suppressor, yankee hill machine, YHMcoldboremiracle

You could definitely say that I am a fan of Yankee Hill Machine, my very first suppressor was a YHM, and my most recent purchase is beginning to show a trend. My experience with YHM suppressors has always been a simple no-nonsense one, but much like some others in the industry, the good people at YHM are evolving their products. This is welcome news for all of us who endure the tiring infringement by authoritative acronyms from the federal government. Today we are taking a look at the YHM Nitro N20 Titanium suppressor.

Yankee Hill Machine

Yankee Hill Machine has been in the business since the 1950’s, a family business that has grown over the last seventy years. The Graham Brothers have recently broadened the different offerings from YHM, as well as spun off another brand of bolt-action rifle accessories called Graham Brothers Rifleworks.

The Nitro N20 is a next generation suppressor as far as I can tell, it is following a brilliant trend in the suppressor industry. The Nitro is a modular suppressor, meaning it can be adapted to whatever host you might install it. The back end of the Nitro features the same common threads from other suppressor manufacturers, allowing the user to use an assortment of mounting configurations. The YHM offerings include a direct thread cap in popular thread pitches like 1/2-28 or 5/8-24. You can also install a Nielsen Booster to run on your semi-auto pistol , or one of the Phantom QD muzzle break devices that YHM offers.

Cole TAC Bino Premier Pack

April 14, 2021Ancillary gear, Product reviewbino case, binoculars, binos, Cole-tac, coletaccoldboremiracle

Introduction

Is there ever such a thing as too much gear? I say yes and no. If you are going on a ten mile hike into the backcountry looking to shoot an elk, then definitely there is such a thing as too much. But kicking around in the basement, it’s hard to say when there is too much. I definitely have too much, but maybe that’s not a bad thing.

I’ve carried a few bino harness’s around in my day, starting way back with those old Crooked Horn outfitters things that looked like a man-zier. There are many models I like, and I’ve been using the Badlands Packs bino case’s for several years now. But today we are discussing a new one from one of my favorite companies. I say my favorite not because I have all their stuff, but because they are always innovating the market of shooting soft-goods. They are constantly coming up with great new products, some that take off, and others that may not have. But they have the balls to take risks and bring American made high-quality textiles to the precision rifle shooting community.
Among the many products they make, my favorites have to be the Ammo Novel, (a great way to safely transport your precious handloads), their Tripod Leggings (which create a perfect little load-bearing shelf under your tripod head), and of course their Suppressor Covers that protect from contacting hot cans, and keeping the mirage down. But today we are on the subject of bino harness’s so I’ll stop gushing and get to the point.

Why do you even?

If you missed the bus, you’ll notice that everybody who didn’t is using a carry pouch or harness of some sort to protect their precious extra eyes. They are extremely useful for all kinds of things beside just keeping your binos close. Who doesn’t carry a phone these days? And it fits right close to your heart where you can keep an eye on it. Everything from phones to game-calls to earplugs and chewing-gum, but don’t mix those last two up. It keeps all your most important things front and center, I almost use it like a catch-all-wallet when I’m in the mountains.

Even without padding, the PremierPack was extremely comfortable

The Bino PremierPack

So let’s get into the Cole TAC version of this handy predator purse. I was surprised to see a lack of padding around the shoulder straps, something I had grown quite accustomed to using other models. I was also surprised at how robust the harness material was, seemed strong enough for a day pack, but balanced enough for a bino case. The harness panel that runs across your back spreads the weight carried up front over a wide area making it feel lighter, as well as giving molle attachment points for extra accessories (might I suggest the ammo novel). There are also molle attachment points on the front, which are handy for attaching additional pouches or gear.

Pack details: molle back panel, and binocular attachment straps.

The pouch itself features a padded compartment for your binoculars, big enough to fit the average pair of hunting binos with a little wiggle room. The lid of the pouch is secured by a neat little elastic draw-string that slides through a magnetic catch. The catch has both magnetic retention, as well as a physical retainer by way of a dovetail. It goes together so quick I rarely have to do more than get them close together for them to lock right up. You can adjust the elastic draw-string to keep a safe amount of retention on the lid.
In the back of the pouch there is a zipper compartment that rides right against your chest. A great place to keep dope cards, deer tags, or any other little items you’d like to keep handy.
The buckles and other fasteners on the pack are very stout, I don’t recommend that I’d tie-off to it when in a tree-stand, but as strong as they are I’d be afraid of hanging myself if it got caught on a branch on the way down.

So does it WORK?

The first thing I did was adjust it for a good fit, and I wore it around the office for a whole day. I was sure that the lack of padding would make it less comfortable than I was used to, but boy was I wrong. To my surprise, not only was it comfortable but it felt great even after eight hours. And the best part was that it didn’t sag at all, it stayed right where I had put it.
The smaller straps that secure the binoculars to the pack are easily attached, and your binos are easily disconnected with a squeeze of the coupler clips should you need to share your view.

Shop everything Cole-TAC right here

The lid and its securing strap proved to be very intuitive, never did I worry about them coming open and spilling my contents.
The zipper pouch is perfect for small things, though I wish it was a touch bigger so I could fit my big fat clubber-girl phone in there.
The attachment points both front and back proved to very useful for accessories and such when I didn’t want to carry a whole backpack. I did in fact attach my ammo novel to the molle panel across the back, this was a great place for as it was out of the way and the weight helped balance the whole harness even more.

I’ve been carrying the PremierPack for a month or so now, hiking, riding, and driving. Its comfortable and robust, and it feels much stronger than perhaps some of the more elegant looking products from big names, though I’d wager those ones are made overseas. Cole TAC products like the Bino PremierPack feel like they were made for NASA missions to the moon.

Conclusion

With so many gadgets and gizmos piling up around, the gear-queer in me loves it when cool ones that I will actually use come out. The Cole TAC Bino PremierPack will definitely stay in my go pile, and I look forward to seeing what the next great thing they either improve upon, or build from scratch.

-CBM

Hiking revolvers

April 5, 2021pistols, Product reviewcoldboremiracle

For many of us, guns are like a woman’s shoe collection. Any reason is reason enough to get a new gun, for some specific purpose that we either recognize or even makeup to justify it to the shoe collector at home.
A good revolver for hiking can be an invaluable asset. Whether it be for self-defense (from two or four-legged predators), or for hunting and recreational purposes. Having a trustworthy wheel-gun at your side can greatly impact your time in the woods.
Why a revolver?
Why then would you choose a revolver over something like an auto-loading pistol? Revolvers can be very compact, and many have very lightweight options such as Titanium or composite frames as well. In addition to that, they are available in more powerful cartridges generally than other pistols. The typical straight-walled cartridges like .357 Magnum or .41 Magnum that revolvers are chambered in carry a lot more power than their auto-loading cousins such as the 9mm or 40S&W.
And sometimes it’s nice to just appreciate the simplicity of the revolver design, enjoying the features of this time-proven design. Whether a single-action or double-action revolver, the simple draw, point, and shoot motion is therapeutic and charming to the cowboy inside each of us.
A hiking gun?
Many of us live and frequent very wild areas, places where help can be far away. Having a gun when you really need it can be the difference between life and death sometimes. A casual hike through the foothills can and has turned deadly with predators like the cougar around. A lightweight .357 like the Ruger LDR tucked into a belt could certainly have changed the outcome of such an encounter. It’s composite frame and hammerless design make it easy to tuck into a pocket and carry comfortably.

Rural life isn’t just about life and death however, sometimes it is about fun. A pleasant stroll through the alpine forests can easily turn into a squirrel or rabbit hunt if you’re in the right place. A simple pistol like the old Ruger single six could come in handy on just such a stroll. With inexpensive 22lr or 22 mag you can enjoy your hike and hunt without spending much, they are available in great condition from 300 to 600$ here on GDC.

Big bore pistols
If you are in big country, like Alaska or the mountains of Western Montana then you may want something bigger than either the .22 or .357. Whenever there are large predators like bears nearby, it’s probably a good idea to have something a little more robust. I know many will say bear spray is more effective, and it may be. But a pistol is a survival tool in this case, not just a defense against bears tool. Hikers and fishermen in these wild and remote places would be wise to have as many tools on their side as possible. For a situation like this, a Super Redhawk Alaskan in .44 magnum or something like a .454 Casull would be a better option.

A revolver can be an excellent hunting tool, with a broad spectrum of good cartridges to choose from it can be a very compact hunting weapon. With some states requiring hunters to use straight-walled or pistol cartridges, you might do well to embrace your handgun hunting experience. A handy revolver is less cumbersome than a long-gun, but still carries the apropos energy required to take down many game animals.

Whether it be for personal protection or just a reason to enjoy a new firearm, a good a revolver can make a great hiking companion.

-CBM

The Ruger MPR in 350 Legend

April 5, 2021Product review, Shooting hardware350legend, ar 15, MPR, rugercoldboremiracle

Intro

Ruger joined the AR 15 market some time ago, and I’d been meaning to see how well they had done on their initial offerings. But life being what it is, I only just recently got the opportunity. Always a glutton for shooting, I jumped in with both feet.

The Legend

No not the Will Smith movie where he takes poorly aimed shots at post apocalyptic deer of some kind as they run through the city with his M4 variant. Im referring to the 350 Legend, and Will Smith would have probably done a little better against deer sized game had he been shooting 180 grain Federal blue box 350 Legend. But hey, zombie apocalypse makes for strange hunting practices.

The MPR with **US Optics scope** and **Atlas Bipod**

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350 legend ammo with a ruger mpr — .350 Legend is a great match for the Ruger MPR

The .350 Legend came from Winchester Ammunition. They tout it as the fastest straight-walled cartridge available today. The Legend looks like a straight-walled .223 case with a .35 caliber bullet at the front instead of a bottleneck. Legend ammo can be had from 140 grains all the way up to 255-grain sub-sonics, making it very adaptable to your purposes.

THE RUGER MPR

The Ruger MPR is like most AR-styled rifles, and it has all the familiar controls and features. The only difference between this and many others I’ve shot (besides the obvious .35 bore) was the use of a .350 legend magazine and a shorter gas tube.

As tested here, the rifle featured a 16-inch barrel, taking up just half of the overall length of 33 inches when the buttstock is collapsed. The rifle weighs in at 6.5 pounds and comes with Ruger’s Elite 452 two-stage trigger. The muzzle is threaded at 1/2-28 and comes with Ruger’s own radial ported muzzle brake.

The Ruger MPR paired nicely with the **R9 suppressor from YHM** and an LVPO from **U.S. Optics.**

I installed just a couple of accessories to the rifle prior to testing. First was one of my standby optics, an LVPO from U.S. Optics. Second, I added a bipod to the hand guard for better stability when needed. Lastly, I ran the rifle with two of my newest 9mm suppressors from Yankee Hill Machine, the Nitro N20 and the R9.

Before I had even made it to the range though, the rifle was quickly gaining my favor. Just basic handling of the gun proved it to be lighter than I was used to – a welcome feature that made it quick to shoulder and point. Fairly standard collapsible Magpul MOE stock and pistol grip felt like a perfect match to the rest of the rifle. The trigger that Ruger put in this rifle felt very serviceable at 4.5 pounds. It was great for almost any situation I would use this gun. A 45-degree safety was another nice feature I hadn’t expected.

PACKING LIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS

After some playing around in my basement for a bit with the rifle, I decided to take it for a hike into the mountains. I purposely left without a sling because the lightness of the rifle impressed me. I wanted to see if that impression remained after hauling it around for a mile. Before leaving, I stuffed a box of Winchester 145-grain FMJ ammo into my back pocket.

The Ruger MPR proved to be an easy rifle to haul up the mountain

As I walked up the partially icy trail, it was immediately evident that this lighter rifle was far more pleasant to pack than what I was used to carrying. It was easily carried around in one hand either by the grip or around the handguard.

In what seemed like a shorter time than normal, I found myself at my shooting spot. I surveyed the landscape as I caught my breath. A bit of movement caught my eye just across the canyon from where I was perched, a young deer made its way up the opposite ridge, perhaps having heard or seen me.

PRACTICAL ACCURACY TESTING

I had previously bore-sighted the scope before leaving the house, so my plan was to see how close I was by shooting into a small dirt pile clearing approximately 100 yards in front of me. With my U.S. Optics scope zoomed into 6x, I took a few preliminary shots. Hitting just a few inches high and right. After a few minor adjustments, it was on target.

I wasn’t expecting a significant amount of recoil, as I’d shot plenty of .350 Legend in the past through my Desert Tech MDRX. But this Ruger was a significant amount lighter, so I thought this might increase the recoil I felt. Whether it was the muzzle brake or the suppressors I mounted, this rifle was a smooth and soft shooter. It was easily something I could put my 12-year-old daughter behind.

After a few rounds getting comfortable with the rifle, I decided to see just how useful the rifle would be had the deer I saw been a buck. I looked back to the spot where I had seen the deer, and there in the game trail was a patch of wet dirt. Likely, it had been snow only hours earlier before the sun had its way. The wet patch appeared to measure eight or so inches, and I figured it was as good a test as any. This was deer country at deer ranges, and the scenario could have easily played out during deer season. But was the rifle up to it?

I fired a few shots at the wet patch of earth, easily hitting it and sending mud splattering across the clean white rocks nearby. The distance was just over 180 yards. With the ability to make hits on vital-sized targets at that range, it seems like a no-brainer. This rifle would make an excellent deer rifle within the envelope of the Legend’s capabilities. With its lightweight and easy manipulation, a person could handily take down a deer inside 250 yards.

I think the six-power scope is a great partner for this rifle. It provides quick target acquisition and engagement for those shorter distances inside 300 yards. The muzzle brake provided by Ruger seems to tame the already light recoil to a very soft impulse, giving you plenty of control for multiple shots should you need them.

ACCURACY

I shot the gun on paper to see how it performed concerning accuracy, and the results seemed to be on par with what I had seen in the field. Groups averaged just under an inch at 100 yards, certainly good enough for smacking deer and hog-sized game within a reasonable distance. This gun seemed to prefer the heavier ammunition, like the 170 and 180 grain from Federal and Hornady. That is fine by me, as that seems like the appropriate proportions for the above-mentioned animals.

The Ruger MPR proved to be very accurate in formal testing as well

CONCLUSION

I was pleasantly surprised by this little package. It was light, handy, and very functional. The great benefits of the AR platform are exemplified here in what would make a perfect little ranch gun, swamp shooter, or even apocalyptic urban deer slayer.

-CBM