Columns

We live in a wonderful time for guns, scopes and shooting accessories of all kinds. Never before has there been the selection that we enjoy today. Zeiss optics just added a few more choices for those looking for the perfect scope or binoculars for their hunting/viewing needs and budget. Long known for superior glass, Zeiss has added larger objective lenses to its line of HD binoculars. You now have the tremendous light-gathering ability that 56mm objective lenses afford. They come in 8 power, 10 power, and 15 power magnification. They are all tripod adaptable, and you’ll need a tripod for the 15 power binoculars. It would make viewing easier for the 10 power as well. Big objective lenses make for big binoculars that beg for the stability a tripod provides. For their popular line of scopes, Zeiss has added 50mm objective lenses to get the brightest sight pictures in low-light situations. The Terra Series of entry level scopes are available with the 50mm objectives in 3-9 power, and 4-12 power. MSRP starts at $349. That’s a great price to put the quality of Zeiss glass on your rifle.

Although more visible to the human eye than red lasers, green lasers use more power and generate more heat. Until now, that is. LaserMax, specializing in industrial and scientific lasers, has developed a solid state green laser based on those used in micro recorders. It’s a case of one consumer industry generating sufficient sales to bring the cost of the technology down for other uses. The new solid state green laser uses less energy to produce a brighter light that is even more visible to the human eye than the old pumped green lasers. An added benefit is that battery life is now on a par with that of red lasers. LaserMax calls the new technology Native Green. Guide rod lasers are completely inside the gun so they don’t change your holster fit. There’s no sighting-in required either; just install them in place of your existing guide rod. LaserMax patented guide rod lasers 20 years ago and it’s still the only company that makes them. Prices for the New Native Green guide rod laser sights run from $349 to $449, depending on gun make and model.

Tactical shotguns exist. Some are even highly functional. But an AR lower with a truly modular shotgun upper has been elusive. The fully functional, magazine-fed 12 gauge AR-patterned shotgun has become something of a holy grail. The most successful versions to date have employed specialized ammo. But The Rhino just may change the way everyone thinks about tactical shotguns.

Selecting the perfect hunting or target rifle is only the first step in the process. If you can’t afford to have a custom rifle made for you, (or can’t justify the expense to your spouse), the next step is to make whatever adjustments are necessary to get your rifle to fit you properly. You can’t shoot your best with an ill fitting gun. You can cut the stock down with a saw and build up the comb and butt pad with various aftermarket add-ons, or you can take a more sophisticated approach. Ashbury makes it easy with their modular line of fully adjustable chassis.

Rock River Arms has taken two years perfecting their gun built around the AK magazines. You can buy a new, dependable 7.62×39 rifle, built in America on the more accurate AR platform, from a trusted company. The LAR47 weighs 6.4 pounds and has an MSRP of $1,270. It comes with a six-position tactical CAR stock, A2 pistol grip, CAR handguards and 16” chrome lined barrel. Both the lower and upper are forged not stamped like most AKs. There’s even a two-stage trigger.

Walther Arms If you haven’t ever picked up a Walther PPQ M2, you need to. The compact pistol fits in the hand like few other stock pistols model on the market. While it isn’t much to look at, the PPQ defines utilitarian ergonomics. From the aggressive serrations on the slide to the exaggerated curves of [...]

After considerable research, I bought a networked trail camera last year. I use it to monitor a site more than a thousand miles from where I live; it communicates over a cell phone network. In order to accomplish that, I had to buy a SIM card for the camera to connect to the cellular network. I also had to subscribe to the SIM card company’s data plan and subscribe to a website where the photos are sent. Wish I’d waited a few months, because I’d have bought a Bushnell Trophy Cam. Why is the Bushnell camera better?

Taylors had their new Alaskan Takedown at the range for SHOT Show, and we put it through its paces. Taylors is well known in the cowboy action shooting and historical circles. The Alaskan Takedown is a departure for Taylors, and a step into the modern era by a company that primarily deals with historical interpretations of firearms from the 19th Century. And we’re smitten. The more utilitarian chamberings and compact design make the Alaskan Takedown the perfect pack gun.

The Browning Automatic Rifle is a beast of a gun. I’m not talking about the svelte modern hunting rifle; I’m talking about the chunky BAR the US Marines lugged across the scraggly patchwork islands in the Pacific. That big son-of-a-bitch the Japanese hated. I don’t blame them. I sure wouldn’t want to face a Leatherneck with a shoulder fired full auto rifle throwing .30-06. The BAR, which was designed way back in 1917, was already dated in the 1940s, as heavy rifles were slowly replaced by lighter and lighter squad automatic rifles. Yet there’s still a mystique to the old gun. Ohio Ordinance has been making semi-automatic BARs for years, but they’re making news with an “updated” version that they showed off at the SHOT Show this year.