Feature Articles

I’ve always dreamt of going on a black bear hunt. Go ahead, admit it … bet you have too?

When I finally got invited I couldn’t figure out what gun I wanted to take. I’ve always been into lever guns — but was it the right choice? I needed something light, for climbing trees, for getting into shooting positions fast, that sort of thing. I needed something with enough accuracy and power to handle a black bear, but still quick enough for follow up shots. It’s the sort of quandary most shooters love to get into. “Oh darn, I gotta’ decide on what new gun I need to buy!”

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing of Murfreesboro, TN is known around the world for building heavyweight, hard-hitting 50 BMG rifles for the military and law enforcement. Barrett’s a family owned business and has been supplying firearms for the US and its allies for over 30 years.  With the Fieldcraft they jumped completely to the other end of the firearms spectrum- from one of the biggest and heaviest shoulder fired rifles to one of the lightest, most versatile hunting rifles on the market.

Competing in the Extreme Tough Man Division of the Mammoth Sniper Challenge is a test of both shooter and gear. This 3-day event held each January requires competitors to carry all their gear 25+ miles between stages and campsites, camp out, and engage precision rifle targets out to 800+ yards. Many of the lessons learned are applicable to hunting and backcountry scenarios. Here are a few of those I discovered over the years.

Sometimes we get a rifle in that doesn’t look overly sexy in the packaging, but then proceeds to blow your socks off. The Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor is one such weapon. When it comes to accuracy, this thing is a monster.

Developing and eventually truing your ballistic data is going to start at the zero range. Getting a solid zero for the rifle is essential.  I prefer a 100 yard zero for my precision rifles because at that short of a range the environment is going to have a negligible effect on the bullet.

The Hornady RAPID SAFE AR GUNLOCKER offers a security solution for our mid-sized long guns. It is designed to support carbine length firearms up to 40.5 inches long. The size of this unit supports all of my AR platform firearms, folding stock precision rifles, and my over/ under shotguns when broken down. To put it plainly, the Gunlocker is simply a great idea that is way overdue.

For a 4000 yard shot, my round had a maximum ordinate, or apex, of around 185 yards (555 feet). When I first fired off a round, my bullet would deal with 1/2 value wind from 2 o’clock. The bullet continued its climb until reaching a height of 185 yards above my position. At this point, the bullet peaked above the canyon walls, where it was exposed to a blast of full value

The 1873 Winchester sported a steel receiver along with proper metallurgy in its barrel that allowed the gun to handle the relatively high performance of the .44 WCF round. Various barrel lengths and contours, engraved variations, and rifle, carbine, and musket versions kept things spicy.

The X-Carry shares a trigger (or chassis) with the X5, which means, in this case, the best out of the box striker fired trigger on the market. The grip module is the same as the X5, sans the flared mag well. This grip module is unique to the X family, and offers a higher grip than the regular P320, along with an extended beavertail. Having shot both of these guns for a minute now, I finally figured out how to equate that.