Sig Sauer Tango MSR 1-6×24 riflescope

November 26, 2022Optics, Product reviewmsr, Optics, sig sauer, tango, tango msrcoldboremiracle

Introduction

I’ve been on an LVPO kick for a while now, I find them to be very useful for a great many purposes. Despite my focus on precision and long range shooting, LVPO’s still make up a good portion of my optics selection. Today I want to take a look at a new to me LVPO, the Sig Sauer Tango MSR 1-6×24 riflescope

Having had a couple different experiences with Sig Sauer Optics starting with the Tango series of scopes as well as another LVPO the Tango 6T. I have really enjoyed these different scopes and largely I have had few problems with them. So when the opportunity to check out this Tango MSR I was very excited to get hands on it.

Buy your own Tango MSR right here!

Out of the box

As I opened the box, I was glad to see that Sig even includes a quality ALPHA-MSR scope mount in the box. That easily narrowed down my mounting decisions.
I will say I was surprised with everything included with the scope, and I’ll be honest that going in I had only a vague idea of the price of this scope. The mount, the typical tools that come with it, battery for the illuminated reticle, and some quality flip caps were also included. They are branded Sig but look to be either Tenebrex or a really close knockoff.

Either way they are very nice and lay flat against the scope when open. The MSR also includes a throw lever or “cattail” as its often called, this is handy for quick adjustments of the magnification.
Sig’s Tango MSR is a second focal plane scope, that means the reticle stays the same regardless of magnification setting. The scope adjustment turrets are MOA and have .5 MOA clicks. And the scope body has a centerline painted on the exterior of the tube, to help ensure level mounting I believe and it surely did that. In a very short time I had the scope married to it’s mount and ready to install on a rifle.

The Tango MSR was a perfect fit for the **Sig Sauer MCX**

First Shots

Luckily I happened to have a Sig Sauer MCX rifle in hand at the time, it seemed like a perfect fit for the MSR. I was more correct than I could have known.

After installing the scope onto the pic rail of the MCX, off to the range we went. The MSR seemed to be made for the MCX as I didnt even need to adjust the scope for a good zero. Once I started shooting everything lined up like they came from the factory that way.
We spent some time shooting the rifle at fairly close distances inside two-hundred yards, but I also utilized the reticle for a few extended distances. The reticle features a typical upside down horseshoe type reticle, with several drop points and wind holds. Its name suggests that the MSR is designed specifically for Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR), and the BDC6 reticle is calibrated for the most popular MSR cartridge the 5.56 Nato.

As I mentioned earlier, I purposely didn’t look at the price of this scope before reviewing it. I was previously very pleased with the optical quality of the Tango 6T. This Tango MSR is not quite as high quality, but still very clean and clear. I was surprised to see the price point after playing with it. One would have expected it to come in the 600-800 dollar range. But for the MSRP of $422.99 I think this scope is a great value.

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I also bolted down the mounted scope to a bench, and measured the turret values against the reticle values which all checked out. The reticle values are handy to keep in mind, or you can refer to the owners manual where they are listed.

It may not line up perfectly with the drop of your particular ammunition and atmosphere. This is why I typically don’t care for calibrated reticles. That said, if you know what value they represent you can use them for all kinds of shots and hold overs.

Pros & Cons

In my opinion, the Tango MSR is a great little scope for its intended purpose. Optical clarity is great, the magnification ring is quick to adjust and its throw lever helps make it even better. The 1X power setting allows for easy both eyes open aiming, without straining to focus. The quality accessories that are included also greatly add to the value of this scope. Including the mount is a perfect match for the scope as are the the scope caps.
Perhaps one thing I would change about the scope is probably the reticle. I’m not a big fan of the horseshoe type reticles. Though it does have lots of detail to allow holdovers and windage etc. Which makes it certainly a very useable reticle. I also wouldn’t mind having an MRAD version of the MSR. But to be perfectly fair it’s not the type of scope you’ll be dialing all over with so it’s probably fine.

Conclusion

The Sig Sauer Tango MSR is a great little scope. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for an LVPO in this price range. It has a great deal of value added as well as performance capability.

-CBM

A Solid Season: hunting with Cayuga solid Bullets

November 25, 2022hunting, Product review, Shooting hardwarecayuga, copper, hunting bullets, Patriot Valley Arms, pva, solid, solid bulletscoldboremiracle

You may have seen me talk about Cayuga solid copper hunting bullets before, but today we are going to go in a little deeper into these very high quality bullets from Patriot Valley Arms. I have always been a match bullet shooter, for targets or game. I suppose I didn’t know what I was missing out on with these solid match-grade projectiles.

What’s so Special about solid bullets?

If you’ve never looked into these or any other solid bullets, let me explain why they perform so well.
Cayuga’s are turned on a CNC Lathe from a solid bar of copper, this precise fabrication allows consistency and concentricity to be perfectly matched from one bullet to the next. So for one they are more consistent than jacketed bullets, even the open-tips are perfectly uniform. But there is still more to it. Solid copper bullets are lighter than jacketed bullets of comparable size, for example the 7mm 170 Cayuga is about the same size as a 7mm 195 jacketed bullet. The design of the Cayuga gives it a superior Ballistic Coefficient, (A mathematical score of the bullets efficiency in flight) This high BC gives the Cayuga it’s better than average flight characteristics for long-range shooting. The efficiencies of the BC also allow the bullet to cheat some of the effects of wind, high BC bullets like the Cayuga are affected less by wind as they fly through it on their way to the target.

An average 5-shot group. Accuracy comes standard with these bullets.

But there is still more:
The lighter weight of the Cayuga bullets when compared to jacketed bullets means that they can be shot even faster. So not only are they more consistent, and high BC, but by increasing the muzzle velocity you can further increase the energy they carry and the range to which they are effective. And higher speed means they will arrive at the target faster, giving the wind less time to affect their flight path.

The owner of PVA and I have been talking for years about everything from terminal ballistics to airplanes, Josh is a bit of a mad scientist crossed with a pitbull who doesn’t let go.

A couple years back, he sent me some of his first Cayuga solid bullets, they were the 122 grain 6.5 Cayugas. We used them to take down a pair of cow elk from 475 and 520 yards from a 24″ 6.5 Creedmoor, both of them dropped in their tracks never to move again. Watch the video here

Last year, I tried the 6mm flavor of Cayuga bullets, they came in at 100 grains. We again used them to take down a couple small mule deer bucks, though taking them down from 680 and 1000 yards is no small feat for a little 6mm. Both bucks went straight down, and never got back up. The Cayuga’s fired from my 24″ 6MM GT were extremely accurate and very impressive.

This year, I wanted to get even more data on the Cayuga’s as a hunting bullet. We had plenty of ballistic data on how they fly and such, but more terminal data was needed to better illustrate the benefits of these bullets as a hunting projectile. So we loaded them up in a few different calibers to see just how many animals we could kill with the Cayuga.
First up was my son Leo’s antelope hunt. Since the GT performed so well last year, I thought we’d give it another chance. And 6mm’s are great for antelope hunts on the open prairie.
You can read the whole story here, but the salient facts are these; We took two mature doe pronghorn antelope from six hundred-ish yards, and the 100 grain Cayuga did an excellent job of dispatching the animals.

One reason I like using cartridges a little lighter than most, is because I hate loosing meat to bullet damage. The 6mm Cayugas did just the right amount of damage in my estimation, enough to kill the animal clean but not take too much of my delicious meat with it.

The next hunt up was the general season mule deer hunt. We had the whole family hunting with Cayugas solids this season, in 6mm, 6.5, 260 rem, 270 wsm, 7SAUM, and 300WM. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get them all in the right place at the right time, but does it ever work out to plan?

We did manage to take a few deer with the 6.5’s and .260’s though. The first 6.5 shot was on a small buck from a distance of approximately 175 yards, the shot placement wasn’t as good as I would have hoped and he made it about forty yards before laying down to die.
The second one fell to the same 122 grain Cayuga fired from a 16″ .260 Remington owned by my son. He made a quick shot on an escaping buck to drop him right in his tracks, the shot passed through the shoulder, disconnected the coronary plumbing and sailed through the other side. The distance of this shot was three hundred and thirty yards.

My other son put the moves on a small spike using the 6.5 Creedmoor and 122 Cayuga. This little buck was around 300 yards away when he took a Cayuga through his liver. He made it a little farther than I would have liked, but better shot placement is the only fix for that.

The last deer we shot was with the same 6.5 Creedmoor, this time it was my wife’s buck. He thought he had given us the slip, but he didn’t know we were waiting quietly for him to step out.
When he did, we were ready with another 122 grain Cayuga. The shot was just over two hundred yards, and it hit him like a copper train. He jumped a couple times into the brush stumbling around until his feet were in the air.

The Cayuga absolutely wrecked his heart, I’m always surprised to see an animal move at all after an impact like this.

The season wasn’t over just yet, I still had a cow elk tag to get before the end of the year. In the last few days of the season, we were able to close in on a couple cows. And being so short on time I wasn’t going to be picky when the opportunity was presented.
I carried with me that day my SRS M2 again, this time using the 7 SAUM barrel I’ve had for years. In the magazine were handloaded 151 grain Cayugas with a modest muzzle velocity of 3100FPS. I’d shot them with very predictable accuracy beyond one-thousand yards, so I was prepared for about anything.

A young cow elk taken with the 151 Cayuga

As it turns out, the shot presented was only 250 yards away. The elk was quartering away but looking back, the shot impacted the right shoulder passing through both lungs and exited just in front of the left shoulder. She ran a short distance before expiring but the damage of the impact was very apparent as we butchered the animal. I would consider the minimal meat damage to be better than average, which I also consider a big plus.

As I had anticipated, it has been a season full of bounty. From the very first time I killed an animal with a Cayuga, I had a good feeling that these were essentially bottled-lightning. And after this successful season, I can again confirm that the flight-performance and terminal performance of the Cayuga is outstanding. If you are looking for something to enhance your hunting performance, give them a try.

-CBM

2023 update

During the fall of 2023 I again used the 100 grain Cayuga on a hunt for a Pronghorn Antelope buck. I was able to take a fine buck from 480 yards, he fell to a single 6mm Cayuga that impacted through his shoulder, passed through both the heart and one lung and liver before hanging up in the off side skin just in front of his hip.

2024 Update

This season I used the 129 Cayuga solids loaded in my 6.5 PRC rifle. They shot very accurately, and were incredibly flat shooting. We managed to take a couple mule deer bucks with this combo a few days ago. The two bucks were standing together around 500 yards away, I took a shot on one of the two, and after he dropped a friend slid behind the rifle and shot the other. The first deer dropped to the ground only to kick and roll, the second made it a hop or two before keeling over.

mule deer, Patriot Valley Arms Modus rifle, 6.5 PRC, US Optics TXH 3-18x50 — The first buck shot by your’s truly

mule deer, PVA Modus rifle, 6.5PRC, us optics txh 3-18x50 — The second buck shot

I managed to get a picture of the damage done by the Cayuga after passing through my deer. An impressive wound channel for sure, and for the first time ever I found a couple curled up pieces of copper while skinning. It appears that the bullet deformed too some degree.

mule deer, wound, 129 Cayuga bullet — The offside exit wound of the 129 Cayuga

cayuga solid bullets — a recovered piece of copper from the bullet

Additionally, using the same rifle and ammo combo, I managed to take this handsome coyote while I was elk hunting this season. It was a relatively short shot, and the 6.5 PRC velocities made the death instant. Very little damage was done, the bullet probably didn’t have time to do anything.

Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus 12 Gauge

November 22, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware12 gauge, A400, Berettacoldboremiracle

Introduction

It’s hard to imagine an autoloading shotgun without thinking of one of the popular models from Beretta, like the A400 Xtreme Plus, which we will review today. The Italian company has been in the business as long as anybody. Sure there is something about a name, but there has to be more than that for dedicated shooters and hunters to pick a shotgun from the rack.

I often mention that my father is more of a shotgun nerd than I am, so I frequently look to his guidance regarding such topics. Several of the many high-end shotguns he enjoys shooting come from Beretta. For me, shotguns are a bit more utilitarian than anything, more of a hunting tool than the expensive rifle toys I play with more often. And hunting waterfowl has been one of my favorite hunts since I first started hunting.

Enter the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, a gas-operated 12 gauge shotgun with a 28-inch barrel and 3.5-inch chamber, one of the better all-weather hunting shotguns available. But just how good is it? And why would I choose it over something else? We’ll get to that in a moment, but I can tell you that the Xtreme is reliable, robust, and durable enough for whatever your hunt may have waiting.

Reliability

The A400 is one of Beretta’s leading hunting model shotguns, so reliability is an absolute must. During the course of the 350-400 shells I’ve fired through the gun, I’ve yet to have any issues with it.

We get some pretty crummy weather around here this time of year, but the Xtreme just keeps pumping shells and steel. Rain, sleet, and snow don’t phase this shotgun. A dunk in muddy water is never good for a gun, but this one quickly recovered from the dreaded dunk.

Accuracy

The various chokes that come with the Xtreme give you the option to customize the patterns it shoots. I found the Xtreme very easy to be effective on birds. The right choke and lead would nearly always result in a puff of feathers. I suppose there isn’t a turkey out there that wouldn’t fall to the Xtreme’s tight full pattern.

Shop Beretta shotguns, fill the hole in your safe

Overall Feel

Like most Beretta shotguns, this one feels like a perfect fit when it’s against your shoulder. The Kick-Off stock absorbs much of the recoil, which allows for tight cheek welds and follow-up shots.

The quality finish of the gun looks as handsome as it operates and protects it from vicious elements like salt water. Shooting with gloves is easy, and the controls are the right size and allow easy manipulation. Continue reading here

FEATURES

20 MM EXTENDED CHOKE SYSTEM

Gone are the days of digging through your shooting bag for a choke wrench. The A400 uses Berettas hand-tightened extended choke tubes, allowing you not only to install them by hand but also to ensure they keep tight in the field.

The selection of chokes provided allows you to customize your shot pattern to whatever the conditions and game you hunt require. And thanks to the toolless installation, they can easily be swapped as conditions change over your blind.

KICK-OFF STOCK

The Kick-Off stock aids in smooth operation, likely a good help for small-statured shooters. The smooth recoil allows the shooter to get several shots off in rapid succession if the target is missed or if there are multiple targets.

For shooters that aren’t good at calling their lead the first shot, this can be very valuable.

CONTROLS

Standard auto-loading controls will be familiar to anyone used to shooting autoloading shotguns.

The bolt release is oversized for easy action, and the trigger is fantastic, allowing precise shooting.

MAGAZINE

The Xtreme Plus has a standard five-round tube magazine. We had to run it with a plug to follow local laws to reduce the gun capacity to a total of three shots. But having the additional capacity is very nice if you are in a place that allows it. I’d like to get an extension for one of those spring Kansas goose hunts.

RAPID CYCLING

The Beretta system is very quick to cycle through shells. The rotating bolt allows for secure firing without sacrificing the rapid cyclic rate of the shotgun. This allows quick follow-up shots to be made on fast-flying birds.

NO BETTER TEST THAN THIS

This gun was made for plucking feathers, so I figured there was no better test than to get into a duck blind and see how it did taking down my local waterfowl. With a handful of friends, we headed out early in the morning to get into position before the shooting light arrived.

The Xtreme Plus is an excellent choice for the cold and wet winters we have here, and today would be no different. Wind and freezing rain kept the birds up and moving around for the better part of the morning.

On several occasions, we would pound an inbound group of ducks. This is where the quick-moving A400 really shows its worth. Missing the lead on a fast-moving bird is a more common occurrence than many would like to admit. But the quick follow-up of the Xtreme Plus was ready to go as soon as I saw the wad pass the bird.

The linear recoiling A400 keeps the bead of the gun in line with your target, so not only is the gun ready to shoot again quickly, but it’s also still pointed at the target.

We pumped through a bunch of shells and limited out on ducks. One day wasn’t enough, so we had to go back, and of course, the Xtreme was ready to go for round two. The cold weather was no match for this shotgun’s performance, and we once again pulled a limit of ducks out of the marsh.

AMMO USED

I rarely use anything other than 2-¾ shells when duck hunting, but I often carry a handful of 3 or 3.5 inch magnum loads in case a flock of geese was to fly over. The A400’s 3.5 chamber easily handles the heavier goose and swan loads that I carry for these less frequent events. During testing, I found the gun cycled with zero issues.

When using the A400 Xtreme Plus, I prefer Black cloud, Fiocchi, and Winchester

CONCLUSION

The Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus is everything a hunting shotgun should be, it just feels right in my hands, and I feel unstoppable when the birds flare. The simple design and robust construction of the A400 are the sources of its incredible reliability, rapid cyclic rate, and ability to stay on target for more shooting.

It isn’t just a performer; it’s also a beauty. The camo coatings make the gun fit right into our duck blind, and it just plain looks good.

Hunting with the Xtreme is a joy, and after hunting with it for some time now, I just can’t imagine anything about it I would improve.

.-CBM

If you like this review, check out the rest of our firearm reviews

Is .223 good for hunting deer sized game?

November 14, 2022blog, hunting223, 223 rem, Deer, deer hunting, huntingcoldboremiracle

Who doesn’t love a good cartridge debate? Whether its sitting around a campfire in the cold autumn woods or typing furiously back and forth on internet forums. We seem to revel in the pros and cons of different approaches to hunting. I’ve sat through several of these types of debates, and have prepared some thoughts for today’s topic; Is a .223 Remington suitable for hunting deer?

The .223 Remington

The 223 has been around for a long time now. And it has seen use in nearly every shooting application people can find. The small case Remington shoots .224 caliber bullets typically in weights between 40 and 75 grains. Though recent bullet developments have broadened that spectrum to include bullets as large as 90 grains as well.

Many rifles chambered in .223 Remington feature a 1-9 twist. This allows for shooting most bullets that fit in the traditional 40 to 69 grain category. While many of the newer rifles chambered thus utilize faster twists like a 1-8 or 1-7 twist barrel. Which allows you to shoot seventy-five and eighty grain bullets. The more specialized eighty-plus grain bullets likely require a 1-6.5 twist in order to stabilize the long and heavy for caliber bullets.

223 remington ammunition — **Shop all kinds of 223 Ammunition at Ammo to Go**

The .223 has enjoyed a great deal of attention in the varmint, predator, and small game hunting circles. Shooting the typical 50-55 grain bullets it achieves fantastic velocities in the neighborhood of 3200 to 3400 fps depending on load. As bullet weight increases, the velocity decreases generally speaking. But the larger and more efficient bullets often carry their energy better, and further. These heavier bullets are ideal for shooting further, and delivering higher energy on target. (remember that, we’ll come back to it later)

Deer Hunting

Perhaps the oldest and most celebrated hobby of American’s is that of pursuing deer to feed their families. Every year we all prepare with excitement for the annual event. Even as I type this there is dried deer blood on the backs of my hand from earlier this morning.

handloaded 223 ammunition — **Hornady 75 grain ELDM bullets** are my favorite

The smaller members of the deer family typically pursued by American hunters consist almost entirely of the two most prolific species found in North America; the Mule deer, and the Whitetail deer. Even a large deer of either species can be handily put down if enough energy is put in the right place. Countless deer have been killed by a diminutive .22LR to the head. (though I wouldn’t recommend it)

Deer are typically targeted in their vital organs which are mainly the heart, lungs, and liver as a distant third. Deer are certainly not bulletproof. Even the meatiest and ‘big-boned’ of deer can be penetrated by modern bullets fired at reasonable velocities. The bone structure surrounding their vital organs can either be perforated by powerful bullet impacts, or circumvented by cunning shot placement. Continue Reading Here…

WHERE THE METAL MEETS THE MEAT

Hunting either of the two deer species mentioned can be done with the .223 Remington. But it should be done with a little more diligent preparation. If you purchase the most common box of .223 ammunition , it would likely be a better fit for other shooting activities such as varmint hunting or range plinking. Full-metal-jacket and varmint-type bullets are not great options for taking down a deer. Sure, it can be done but a diligent deer hunter would use something more appropriate for the animal they are hunting.

One of my favorite little 223 rifles, a Remington 700 topped with a Vortex PST and a **Silencerco Suppressor**

Proper bullet selection is perhaps the most important equipment consideration when it comes to hunting deer with a .223. Varmint bullets like the Hornady V-Max are excellent bullets for small game. But their explosive expansion upon impact may not allow the bullet to penetrate into the vital organs. FMJ bullets will likely penetrate better, but their lack of expansion could do insufficient damage where you want it.

Expanding bullets, preferably of a larger size, will do a much better job of breaking bones and damaging the vital organs of your prey. Good examples of heavier bullets for deer would be something like the 64-grain soft-point ammo from Winchester. I have watched many bucks fold from a Sierra 69-grain Match King, and my personal favorite for deer-sized animals is the Hornady 75-grain ELDM. These bullets aren’t typically marketed as hunting bullets. But in my experience they have performed exceptionally.

The larger mass of these bullets carries additional weight and energy to the target. Even if they shed some weight on impact, there is still enough remaining mass to damage the vital organs sufficiently.

SHOT PLACEMENT

Regardless of the cartridge used, good shot placement is key to a clean and humane kill. When shooting a small cartridge like the .223, it is even more important. With less mass and weight due to the bullet’s smaller size, it is key to make sure the bullet’s energy is spent in the right place. If a bullet has to pass through two feet of tissue and green stuff, there will be little energy left to damage the vitals.

Hitting the center of a deer’s shoulder will likely use a good portion of the bullet’s energy to get through the shoulder. Reducing the remaining energy as it passes through the rib cage. Shifting your point of impact a few inches and avoiding the shoulder itself could greatly improve the bullet’s energy. Saving it for passing through the vital zone.

FINAL WORDS

Over the years, I and those I hunt with have managed to take quite a few deer and antelope using the .223 Remington. It may not be ideal for certain applications, but it is certainly useful as long as you use proper bullets and can shoot them accurately enough to hit the right spot. Economy and recoil are two added benefits that give the little cartridge an advantage. Making it a great choice for new or smaller shooters.

Check your local regulations, as some states do have minimum caliber restrictions. But if you’ve ever considered the .223 Remington for a deer cartridge, give it a try and you may be pleasantly surprised with how easy it can be done.

-CBM

Mule Deer Hunting: Seasons Change

November 10, 2022blog, huntingDeer, deer hunting, kidscoldboremiracle

Many was the time that I woke up early in the morning, grabbing boots and other gear as I fumbled out the doorway into the winter cold. Though I was not the exceptional scholar my parents had hoped for, I eventually made it to school hours later but not after shooting up a limit of ducks in the muddy marshes near my home.

Mule Deer Hunting has always been a passion of mine, but there came a time as a young man that I often chose other things over my beloved waterfowl. Life often has a way of distracting us from passions and responsibilities, and teenage boys seem to catch the lot of it.

Years later I returned to my old ways, and it seems the absence had only increased my passion for the outdoors and being a part of it. A whole generation later, it would seem that my son is in the same haze of youth we all passed through.

He has hunted by my side since he was three years old, and even as a toddler he was always excited to do anything that involved the mountains. But the past few years he has been so busy with the life of a teen, friends and other activities to spend much time glassing the mountains with me.

It’s natural I suppose that everyone chooses their own path and eventually decides where to focus their efforts and time, but it warmed my heart when several of my kids voiced a desire to spend the hunting season with me in the high country.

My Ridley on one of his first deer hunts.

Despite their busy schedules and school, we managed to spend a few days enjoying the beauty of these Rocky Mountains. My son Ridley shew great interest in tagging along to fish, ride ATV’s, and shoot both pictures with his camera and his little Remington that I put together for him years ago.

Being an astute father with a taste for venison, I had ensured my kids would have at least one tag in their pockets this fall. Just incase the freezer got light. We spent a week in the High Uintas chasing after elk and Brook Trout, we celebrated Ridley’s eighteenth birthday up there at 10,000 feet. I could see the excitement of adventure even through the smug teenage faces he would make, and though getting up early was a challenge he still did it most days.

The country was just too beautiful to not have a good time, even though the elk hunting was pretty high pressure and not successful we still came home happy as could be. And laden with fish for the smoker, to be canned and put into storage for a rainy day.

As the deer hunt quickly approached, we prepared our gear and plotted our plans. Ridley ended up missing the first weekend of the hunt as he participated in his High School mountain bike team final race. Which ended up being ok, as I had my hands full with my other son’s first deer. Mid-week Ridley caught back up with us, and he was excited as ever. I could see the competitive desire to outdo his friends who might also be deer hunting with their family.

I have found that consistency is what gets me within striking distance of animals. Not necessarily consistently going to the same place or anything, but consistently working hard to be in the best places I can be as often as I can. Furiously glassing and peering over every blade of grass to take advantage of every opportunity we might get.
Taking new and/or young hunters along is often a roll of the dice. I saw deer and bucks every day of the hunt, but it was often when my “pupils” were busy with something else. I passed more bucks this year than any year prior if I’m not mistaken, hoping they would still be there when I came back with my children.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when Ridley, my wife, and I returned up a canyon draw where I had seen several bucks earlier that morning. I carried my gun because I can’t be without it, but I was really there trying to get both of them on a buck.

As we climbed steadily I pointed out a knob on a ridge to Ridley, and explained how I had seen a deer disappear there earlier that day. My hope was that him or any other buck was still hiding out in this little canyon, but when I told Ridley of my hopes he quickly shot down the idea saying “that was three hours ago Dad.”

As we carried on up the ridge spine before us, the sun poured down over us making it nearly uncomfortably hot. Only a few hours earlier I sat on this same ridge uncontrollably shivering in the ice cold wind of a storm front, driving snow sideways across the mountains and blanketing the whole of it in white.

The contrast was incredible, but my hope for a buck was still high so we carried on. In a simple stop to catch our breath, everything changed quite rapidly. Incapable of turning off, my eyes peered through my binoculars combing the ridges for the sign of a deer. I froze as I turned and looked behind us, as my eyes made out the obvious outline of a buck laying in his afternoon bed.

The same knob that I had indicated to Ridley earlier was now the complete focus of all three sets of our eyes. I was astounded that the young buck had simply laid there and watched while we walked right under him on the opposing ridge, and another set of hunters had followed the same path only a few minutes before us. Yet there he lay, confident in his hide. Obviously he didn’t know who he was dealing with, but he would very soon.

With as little excitement as we could manage, both Ridley and my wife lay their rifles across their backpacks to get the right angle for a shot. I feigned disinterest and avoided looking at him, as he was studying our movement. Ridley was in a good shooting position and watched the buck through his little TS8X riflescope while I helped my wife build a solid shooting position on the steep hillside.
Despite my disinterested attitude and the minimal movement, way up on that knob where the buck lay quietly three-hundred and thirty yards away, I think he was starting to get worried. I often think that deer can feel a rifle bearing down on them, like the all seeing eye of Sauron looking into the heart of whoever wears the ring. And with it comes the accompanying discomfort.
I wasn’t looking his direction when he stood up, but Ridley was on his scope and announced it to the rest of us. I immediately raised my binos to my eyes, and not wanting to lose our opportunity I told him; if he is standing up shoot him. As I said those words he was already starting his press.

My wife and I watched through our optics as the first shot broke, and the buck jumped as if startled by the noise. Ridley ran his bolt as I told him he had shot just under him, the deer took a few steps towards the other side of the ridge but he stopped to give us one last look. By then Ridley had already sent a second bullet his way, and this one was perfect. I watched through my binos as the bullet impacted, sending a patch of hair into the air and the buck dropped from sight.

Ridley’s rifle with the Yankee Hill Machine R9 suppressor

We hugged with excitement, and then we quickly made our way up the ridge to the downed buck. I am not one to trust a deer that I can’t see, so we snuck up on the buck who had died almost instantly but looked suspiciously alive. We gave him a moment of reverence, and then spent a few minutes examining what a fine example of a Rocky Mountain mule deer he was. He’d already had a close call during the season, someone had taken a shot at him nicking one of his antlers, but his luck had run out.

Ridley pulled out his knife, a knife my brother had given to him several years ago but he had yet to use it for its intended purpose. As we enjoyed the beautiful afternoon, Ridley did his best to clean the deer and fill his phone up with pictures of it. We didn’t kill any other deer that day, but not for a lack of effort.

I have watched my son grow up, and though he has his own plans it warms my heart to see his success and be a part of it. My greatest hope is that we can continue to share our passions with each other, and if at all possible continue to hunt together for as long as we’re able to. We make a pretty good team.

-CBM

Deer Hunting Heritage

November 8, 2022blog, huntingDeer, deer hunting, first deer, mule deercoldboremiracle

New hunters come into our midst all the time. Much like generations of deer come and go over the seasons, old hunters slowly fade from our camps every year and are replaced by newer and younger faces.
As sad as it is not seeing old friends and loved ones, the new possibilities of teaching the next generation is the only suitable substitute.

One of the newer faces around my fire this year was Leonardo, my wife’s oldest son. His very first hunting adventure happened only a few months ago. He was lucky enough to draw a pair of doe antelope tags, and we made an adventure out of the opportunity. If you haven’t read that story, click here to read it after this one.

After thoroughly enjoying his first big game hunting experience, Leo was even more excited for the mule deer hunt that would follow. We spent a few trips into the mountains during the summer to practice shooting techniques and prepare for what was ahead. Leo is a level-headed kid, responsible and astute. So I was quite confident we would see success as the sun began to rise that cold October morning.

In a stroke of luck, a storm front passed through our mountains in the early hours of opening morning. It brought rain and snow which was a good thing, but it also brought a fierce wind with it as well. Storm fronts like this one typically get the deer out of their hiding spots, and I was hoping to see them as the first rays of light began to cut through the cold and dark clouds.

My little brother, Leo and I hiked noisily up a steep and rocky hillside. Hoping to sneak into a good shooting position on the downwind side of the ridge. I say noisily because the wind blew so hard it pushed us uphill. None of the breaking of sticks or tumbling stones could be heard over the winds howl.
Just as official shooting light arrived, we had crested the peak nine-thousand feet above sea level. We found some solace from the wind, and we were immediately into spotting deer. A small group made their way over the next ridge a mere two-hundred yards away. After confirming that they were our only prospect, we slowly and as quietly as could be given the conditions, made our way towards the ridge they had crossed. Obviously not where they had crossed, but uphill from there hoping to have a better view of them from above.
My brother would stay and cover other vistas while Leo and I pursued the group.

We cautiously crossed over the crest of the ridge, keeping low and looking over the very tips of the brush as we went. I was very surprised to find the deer only a few hundred yards away from us. And I was also concerned as two of the group seemed to already be aware of our presence. I don’t know how, as it was still too noisy to hear us, and the wind carried our scent another direction, but none the less we seemed to be nearly busted on arrival. As I studied the group cautiously through my binoculars, one of the deer was quite conspicuous as he carried a white face and headgear much bonier than the rest. I whispered to Leo that there was a buck watching us, but it seemed as we had the time to get a rifle up and on him. I say seemed because we had been looking at them for over a minute and they still stood there, many of them eating.
As soon as we lifted our eyes back above the brushline however, they had vanished into the thickly wooded canyon below.
As we hiked back towards my brother, I explained to Leo about one of the rules of hunting.
Oftentimes you gotta screw up one opportunity in order to get in the right state of mind for a proper opportunity. So we chalked this one up to our practice run, and we searched out another stalk.

Only a hour or so later, we sat perched on another high point glassing a draw that we had spotted a few does feed across.
Upon closer inspection, we noticed that one of the deer in that opening was a spike. Being his first hunt, Leo was not exactly particular about antlers.
After a few goings on that ended up moving the deer into thicker brush, we spent almost an hour trying to pick him out in the fall colored cover he was hiding in. Even knowing exactly where he was, it was nearly impossible to make him out. I think Leo perhaps felt a little out of sorts not being able to see or make out the deer. But when another hunter spooked him from his hide, he hopped uphill into an opening.
As several of us struggled to keep eyes on the deer, Leo announced that he had him in his scope. Having previously dialed the proper elevation for the three-hundred yard shot, I told him if you’ve got a shot, go a head and take it.

I watched the hillside through my binoculars excitedly waiting to see how it would go. The chamber of Leo’s rifle carried a 122 grain Cayuga solid copper bullet loaded in a 6.5 Creedmoor case. The rifle itself was a Ruger American that he had practiced with earlier that year. On top of the rifle was a US Optics TS25X riflescope that Leo now had centered on the buck across the draw.

When his shot broke, the blast had been tamed by the Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20. We both watched intently as the bullet cut the distance and hit the deer.
We kept watching him until he went down, where Leo and a friend closed in on him.

From there, we all followed their path to the thorny and burr covered thicket where Leo was already elbow deep in guts. We took pictures and shared congratulations and a hug.

After putting in the work, Leo had his very first buck in hand. We stumbled back down the way we’d come in, dragging the little buck towards our vehicle. I am quite sure that Leo enjoyed his experience and will likely return next season for round two. After hanging the buck in my skinning tree at home, we cleaned him up and made a delicious meal with deer tenderloins as the center-piece. Garden vegetables made it even more delectable.

As Leo and I sat at the table, chewing on the tasty spoils of our days work, I contemplated the conundrum we all find ourselves in. We are destined to spend the first half of our hunting career learning and sharing with familiar old faces of fathers, uncles, and other family and friends. And at some point in our life, it switches to being the familiar old face. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, I can only hope that someday my children will think back to the old days when I taught them and led them through these steep Rocky Mountains. And with any luck they will harbor the same warm feelings I do remembering the great men who showed them to me.

-CBM

IWI Tavor X95 5.56 Bullpup

November 5, 2022Product review, Shooting hardware5.56, bullpup, IWI, tavor, x95coldboremiracle

Introduction

Your first reaction to the IWI Tavor X95 might be wrinkling your nose and wincing at the word bullpup. After all, the short and stubby design is not as common in America and is typically frowned upon by many.

But those that look down their nose at these rifles do so at their own loss, as there are many benefits and even superior features to some bullpup designs.

Today we will look at one of the flagship rifles from the Israeli arms giant IWI, the Tavor X95 bullpup. Like all bullpups, the X95’s breech and firing mechanisms are behind the trigger. This shortens the overall size of the weapon by utilizing the space in the butt of the firearm that is normally vacant.

The X95

I’m no stranger to bullpups, so prepare yourself for some perspective as we go over this very popular and robust little rifle.

The first trip to the range with the X95 included a hundred or so rounds. I’d brought a few magazines to run through the rifle of various types. I had only installed a red dot as a sighting device with plans to shoot with a riflescope at a later date.

After loading a few magazines and a quick preflight inspection of the rifle, it was time to go hot. Charging the rifle is a very familiar process, seating the magazine and running the charging handle to chamber a cartridge. The safety selector is easily operated with the thumb, making the rifle ready to fire.

I fired a few magazines through the rifle, adjusting my sight a few times for a better point of impact. My initial impressions of the rifle were better than expected. The rifle shot smoothly and reliably. The trigger was a bit mushy for my taste, something common with some bullpups. But I could still shoot properly and get hits where I wanted them.

Reloading the rifle is different than a typical modern sporting rifle. Stabbing the magazine into the rear of the rifle can take some getting used to if you are new to bullpups. The bolt release is centrally located behind the magwell, allowing you to actuate it with your thumb upon seating the magazine. I would have liked to see a more flared magwell, but it could have just been my familiarity with this particular model.

The controls and ergonomics of the rifle seemed to fit me well. The charging handle does have a claw to capture it under recoil. I would have liked a slightly different configuration that offered just a smidge more purchase but again, this is just my preference.

One thing I did find a little annoying was during a reload motion; my trigger finger would often migrate behind the trigger. This made for an awkward transition back to shooting, but again it is likely just a lack of practice with the rifle that could be overcome with some training. Continue reading here

ACCURACY

Once my sight was zeroed, I found it easy to hit my targets inside one-hundred yards. But this is by no means a precision shooting rifle, as I confirmed in later range trips using a better scope. Using fifty-five-grain ball ammunition, the best groups I could produce with the rifle hovered around 2.5 MOA. I suppose you could tighten that up a bit with match-grade ammo, and perhaps the upgraded trigger might also help.

ERGONOMICS AND FUNCTION

The overall feel of the rifle was not bad, though the significant amount of polymer on the rifle does give it a bit of a Nerf gun feel. But technology being what it is these days, polymer is making its way into everything in the firearms market, so I suppose we should just embrace it.

I did take the opportunity to shoot the rifle suppressed. For that, I used the Yankee Hill Machine Turbo T2, a baffled can that mounts to a ratcheting muzzle device. I lowered the gas setting to the lowest setting, which seemed to work just fine.

The suppressed rifle did continue to function flawlessly, though I did notice a bit more gas coming from the ejection port near my face. Perhaps a slightly lower gas setting would have been ideal, but even as the gun heated up significantly, it continued to pump through magazine after magazine.

FEATURES

PICATINNY SIGHT RAIL

The sight rail allows for a plethora of options; whether you prefer iron sights or optical sight devices, you can mount it here.

IWI Tavor X95 side view barrel grip scope — The X95 with a **US Optics TS6X riflescope**

½-28 THREADED MUZZLE

The threaded muzzle allows the user to install suppressors or other muzzle devices to enhance performance or shooting experience.

AMBIDEXTROUS EJECTION

The X95 can be configured to eject out of either side of the receiver, a significant feature if you have a left-handed shooter in your midst.

ADJUSTABLE GAS SETTINGS

This is very convenient when using a suppressor and helps the user tune the rifle’s performance.

HANDGUARD ACCESSORY PIC RAIL

Conveniently located under handguard covers at three, six, and nine o’clock, giving you a solid place to mount accessories like weapon lights or a bipod.

SLING ATTACHMENTS

The sling attachments are centrally located, which allows the weapon to be suspended at a center balance point on a single-point sling if desired. Additional options can be added to the accessory rails.

INTEGRATED SIGHTS

The built-in flip-up sights come as part of the rifle allowing for a backup option should you need it.

TESTING PARAMETERS

During the duration of our time with the gun, the majority of the ammunition fired was PMC Bronze 55 grain. I had no malfunctions that weren’t operator initiated, leading me to believe that the rifle liked this particular ammo selection. I did shoot a small amount of Speer LE 75 grain SP ammunition which also worked flawlessly.

I performed no maintenance on the rifle during the test period; only the lubrication previously applied to the internals of the rifle was present. And there were some long strings of fire shooting several thirty-round magazines one after another looking for malfunctions.

Get your own IWI bullpup, even if it makes Eugene cry a tear…

At one point, I did get filthy by disassembling the rifle to switch it to left-hand eject, just to see how it went. While not difficult, I would prefer not to do such a thing outside of a bench.

CONCLUSION

The Tavor X95 has a strong record both as a civilian defense and sporting rifle, as well as a rugged service record with military groups all over the world.

I believe it’s the most fielded modern bullpup since the SA80, and has seen hard service in all kinds of conditions. All this work has surely taught the good folks at IWI how to improve the rifle, making current revisions of the rifle some of the best.

The fact that it is a bullpup rifle can be a turnoff to many, but the X95 does share a good deal of handling properties with the prolific M4 type rifles most are familiar with. I like the rifle, but there are others I like better. But I certainly would feel comfortable fielding the X95 as a second choice.

Overall it is a great rifle. My only major deterrent is the factory trigger. This is certainly subjective, as you may find it to be just fine. There is also a fine replacement trigger available for the rifle from Geissele. If you are looking for a hardened battle rifle with a big bark but the stance of a bullpup, then the Tavor X95 is just your gun.

-CBM

Why Upgrade Your Riflescope?

October 17, 2022blogOptics, riflescope, upgradecoldboremiracle

Introduction

Wisdom often comes with age, at least it used to. As years pass we learn new things and experience new practices, and despite the semi-conservative nature of many gun owners we should never miss out on an opportunity to improve on what we can.
Our equipment can also improve as we learn new tactics and skills, and today we are discussing how you can breathe new life into an older rifle doing nothing more than upgrade your riflescope.

winchester model 70 — an old Winchester with a modern scope and **Warne Bipod**

But why tho?

Why fix something that isn’t broken you might ask? We either are the person or know one that seems to religiously keep one or more firearms in a certain configuration or style. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, there are also great gains to be made with upgrades.
Technology has made great advances in a very short time. Modern riflescopes incorporate an incredible amount of features and new tech, so much in fact that a good scope from years past can and have been easily eclipsed by modern designs. It also rings true that they don’t make them like they used to, but sometimes they do it better.

Upgrade to what?

To actually qualify as an upgrade, there needs to be added value or performance by replacing your riflescope. That could mean better optical quality or a different variable power range. It also could mean added features that increase your ability to hit more targets.
A perfect example of this comes from my father’s first hunting rifle. A sporterized 1903 Springfield from the post war era, part of it’s post service alteration was to drill and tap for scope mounting. And Dad had put a 4X Weaver on it much like everyone else did back then, making the rifle into a venerable deer rifle for these rugged Rocky Mountains. The old Springfield can still put five shots into a sub MOA group, making it certainly capable of doing more and better shooting than the 4X scope would allow. Removing the old Weaver scope, and replacing it with something a bit more modern could greatly improve the capabilities of this old rifle.
Installing something like a Leupold VX Freedom 3-9X40, would do several things to improve the rifle’s performance. The greater magnification will offer the shooter a more detailed view of the target and its surroundings, in addition, the newer optical lens coatings will surely outperform the old scope. Furthermore, with the ability to dial corrected elevation for more distant targets the old Springfield could easily reach targets as far as five and six-hundred yards or more. Something as simple as a change in scope can put new life and action into an old rifle.

Reticles

Another example of what can be done comes from an old model 70 I have. It’s probably had the same Leupold VXIII 3-9X40 on it for the last 30 years or so, its not one of Hathcock’s Model 70’s but it does shoot well. The old duplex reticle that has inhabited Leupold scopes forever can be useful for sure, but I was thinking something a little more useful was in order. I have a little Vortex Crossfire 3-9X40 that would easily drop into the same rings, and instead of the plain jane duplex it has a few added points. The elevation post has 1.5, 4.5 and a 7.5 MOA drop point on it, which give perfect holdovers for 180, 315, and 410 yards for that rifle. Not that you couldn’t shoot those ranges with a duplex, it just makes it more consistent to have a fixed point you can hold for those distances.
Something that simple can greatly effect your ability to hit targets, and we haven’t even had to mess with your rifle or load at all. I could keep going all day about other ways to improve the performance of your old rifle, but we’ll stay on topic.

Electronics

A discussion on optics upgrades would be incomplete without mentioning some of the electronic advancements that have been made over the past decade. Simple electronic advancements like the Level-plex system from Sig Sauer give the shooter real-time leveling indications to ensure the rifle is on a level plane prior to making the shot. Also from Sig come the BDX riflescopes that include illuminated holdover points that are calculated from a rangefinder’s measurement. There are also night vision and thermal riflescopes that will allow nighttime hunting opportunities that include digital recording and other data hunters will find useful. While many of these gizmos may seem foreign to some, they can greatly improve your old rifles performance and your experience shooting them. Continue Reading Here…

kahles k318i — this **Kahles 318i** is more just a little upgrade

MOUNTING OPTIONS

Don’t overlook the new and better mounting options for your optics. Canted optics bases help with long-range optics, allowing the shooter to better use the internal adjustment of the scope to their fullest capacity. Things like Picatinny rails allow for easy changes between optical options, so you can quickly swap from one scope to another without worrying much about losing zero. Or, if you have a favorite scope, you can switch it between multiple rifles that use the same kind of mounting system.

CONCLUSION

There are countless ways you can improve your favorite old rifle. A fresh look at the scope or sighting system can make genuine improvements by increasing your effective shooting range and providing better accuracy, taking your shooting to a whole new level.

These are just some of the tips you can use to improve your rifle-shooting experience. There are plenty of others, but improving your riflescope game is one of the simplest and can have a drastic impact for you with minimal effort.

-CBM