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Can You Buy Shooting Skill?
By Jon R. Sundra
There’s no substitute for practice, but some gear items can improve accuracy. With new technology and new products driving the hunting/shooting market like never before, one has to ask if it’s possible to simply buy competency. The answer is yes you can, and no you can’t. A case can be made for both. When guns and hunting really b... READ MORE
Stock Options
By Ron Spomer
Got an inaccurate rifle? Maybe it’s time for a different handle. Photo: One of the most unusual stocks on any rifle is this weird combination of walnut and metal on the Browning Buck Mark Rifle, a conversion from an autoloading pistol. There was a time not long ago when a rifle was fitted with a wooden handle designed to aid the operator in u... READ MORE
Belly Down for Accuracy
By Clair Rees
Prone isn’t the fastest shooting position – nor is it always practical, but it’s by far the steadiest. Photo: When shooting from prone in mountain country, a backpack adds steadiness. It was a wild, exhausting stalk. Guide Reg Collingwood and I had spent five grueling hours climbing to the crest of British Columbia’s Skeena ... READ MORE
A Most Popular Magnum
By John Haviland
All hail the 7mm Rem Mag — king of the .284 bores. The 7mm Remington Magnum is the most bought, shot and hunted-with magnum cartridge, despite the continuous introduction of other magnum rounds intended to capture some of its appeal. The 7mm Rem Mag acquired its rank soon after it was introduced way back in 1962 and has held onto that spot ov... READ MORE
Whatever Happened to Walnut?
By Jon R. Sundra
Beautiful in color and grain, walnut is the most traditional material for stocking a sporting rifle. Photo: High-grade guns like this Sauer 303 are traditionally stocked in fancy grades of walnut, such as this example of Turkish origin. Walnut cannot be matched for beauty, but there are more efficient stocking mediums. When I was growing up in the ... READ MORE
The 7-30 Waters
By J. Wayne Fears
Great First Deer Caliber for Youngsters! The offspring of the .30-30 has mild recoil, and is effective on whitetails out to 200 yards.
The cabin door opened with authority as my 13-year old grandson Justin walked in. It was his first time to hunt deer alone, and I thought for him to be coming back to the cabin so soon, there must be a problem.
&l... READ MORE
Using Real Blackpowder
By John Barsness
Myths and misconceptions about the original gunpowder abound. Why would anyone want to use old-time blackpowder, when there are so many cleaner-burning blackpowder substitutes on the market? Heck, some muzzleloading rifles can even use smokeless powder, the original blackpowder substitute, so why put up with the all the problems of the old-fashione... READ MORE
Legacy of the ’98 Mauser
By Jon R. Sundra
Can you think of any 19th century product still being made and used today? Such is the genius of Peter Paul Mauser’s M98. Photo: One of the finest examples of the Mauser ’98 was the 1909 contract built at the DWM factory for the Argentine government. The machining and smoothness of the action have never been surpassed in any commercial ... READ MORE
150 Years of Winchester Lever Actions
By Ron Spomer
In this special preview of the May 2016 issue just sent to subscribers, Ron Spomer explains why lever-action rifles remain ideal for big-game hunting after a century and a half of use. Photo: It wasn’t until John Browning designed the Model 1886 that Winchester produced a lever-action repeating rifle strong enough to handle powerful rounds li... READ MORE
The Truth About Long-Range Shooting
By Ron Spomer
Ever since humans first threw a stone to kill a bird, we’ve been searching for tools that can extend that range: slingshots, muzzleloaders, centerfires, rangefinders. To facilitate extreme-range sniping, today’s hunter can use VLD bullets, multi-reticle scopes, laser rangefinders, calculators, angled cosine indicators and PDA computer p... READ MORE
Sight-in Your Rifle With Six Shots
By J. Wayne Fears
A penny pincher’s guide to zeroing a scoped hunting gun. Riflescopes are sensitive optical instruments. Just sitting in a gun safe during the off-season can result in the crosshairs moving due to temperature or other environmental changes. The vibration of a commercial airliner can likewise jar a reticle off, even though the rifle is in a pad... READ MORE
King of the Quarter Bores
By Ron Spomer
The .257 Weatherby is a good alternative to the hard-thumping .30-cal. magnums. Photo: Long, sleek bullets are pushed to top velocities by the .257 Weatherby Magnum, making it effective for everything from varmints to moose. It’s often said but seldom appreciated that quarter bores are America’s finest deer cartridges. And the finest of... READ MORE
The Core-Lokt Stands the Test of Time
By Larry Teague
Granddad’s ammo saves bucks and still brings home the bucks. Photo: A 150-grain Core-Lokt pointed soft point instantly dropped this 9-point Kansas whitetail. The Marlin XL7S rifle with a stainless action and barrel is new this year. Let’s say it didn’t already exist, and you wanted to develop a good-performing, inexpensive deer ca... READ MORE
Predator Calling Setup
By Ralph M. Lermayer
Electronic callers make predator hunting easy. Here’s where to set up and what firepower to bring for success. The introduction and rapid acceptance of wireless remote-controlled electronic callers has moved predator hunting from a sport enjoyed by a small part of the hunting community into the fastest-growing segment of the shooting sports. ... READ MORE
The Cleaning Dilemma
By Ralph M. Lermayer
Just how much scrubbing does the average rifle or shotgun need? The author feels that many hunters may be cleaning too much.
Philosophies on cleaning firearms divide shooters into three categories. First is the crowd that scrubs and cleans to a level that would make a surgeon proud. On the other end are duck guides whose idea of cleaning after a h... READ MORE