Feature Articles

Long range shooting is an expensive endeavor. A good rifle, nice scope and ancillary gear can easily set a marksman back several thousand dollars. Shooters on a budget, or those who want to get in a lot of training repetitions, may pick up a rifle that mimics their main long-range rifle relative to weight and feel, but that uses a less expensive round.

There are few manufacturers that have a long-storied history in the defense industry as Winchester. Undoubtedly, few things are more formidable or reliable in battle than a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. Winchester’s Model 1897 has proven over time to be a reliable firearm for protection of America’s finest.

The one rifle to have if you could only have one. Ruger nailed it. Their new Gunsite Scout Rifle in .450 Bushmaster is a fantastic all-around firearm, offering the power to take down large game and the maneuverability to carry in the thickest brush.

The CZ-75 is a legendary handgun design. It is to Eastern Europe what the 1911 is to the west in many ways. The iconic design and silhouette became the ubiquitous standard image of “handgun” on the other side of the iron curtain like the Browning classic Gov’t model did over here.

The Big Five, or Dangerous Seven, or whatever you prefer to call the collective of African game animals that can easily end your life certainly gets the lion’s share (pun fully intended) of the spotlight, but the plains game, or more properly put, the antelope species, are much more abundant and affordable. Much has been written about the proper guns and cartridges for African hunting, but it seems there is still considerable confusion about what is needed to effectively hunt the lighter African game.

The VP9 is not really all that large a pistol, but it is a full duty-sized gun. And while some folks can and do carry it concealed, I prefer something much smaller for everyday carry. I don’t want my life or my wardrobe to revolve around my carry gun. So, for those of us who are average height and build, and wear normal clothing, a smaller version is much appreciated!

To port or not to port? As with selecting any pistol, there are drawbacks and benefits. For those who are recoil sensitive and like to plink on the range — Smith & Wesson has got something for you. With the release of the M&P 2.0, there is also some other relatively new expansions from the M&P line. This week I got my hands on two very impressive pieces from the Performance Center, the 9L and 40 ported.

Who doesn’t love America’s favorite rifle — the AR-15. For the last few years, the AR-15 has rapidly become the 1911 of rifles. There are options for customization so thorough that companies like Brownells now ship a special catalog just for the options available. And every time I think everything possible has been done, a company proves me wrong. This week, Cobalt Kinetics shipped two models of rifle for testing, and I was not disappointed.

Since its introduction in 2007, the 6.5 Creedmoor has taken off like wildfire and Thompson Center (T/C) has delivered a rifle chambered in 6.5 that will go head to head with rifles a few weight classes above it. Thompson Center is one of the oldest names in American hunting. They’re known primarily for their muzzle loading guns that are without peer.