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 INSIDE VOLUME 26 - ISSUE 6

November/December 2024 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

FEATURES
ON THE COVER
26 A Scoutin’ Savage Savage 110 Magpul Scout
With good accuracy, great sights and Michael Anschuetz photo
a practical stock, the 110 Magpul
Scout is a solid all-around rifle.
by Layne Simpson
34 Jack of All Plains
Advice on caliber selection for African
plains game by someone who’s been
there, done that more than anyone.
26
by Craig Boddington
40 Pushing Boundaries
Springfield has addressed the needs
of hunters who prefer sporter stocks
with the new 2020 Boundary.
by Keith Wood
48 Expeditionary Force
Taurus dives into the centerfire rifle
hunting market with its Expedition, a 34 40
well-designed and affordable gun.
by Frank Melloni
54 Force Play
Hammerli Arms, a legendary name in
precision pistols, offers up its new
Force B1 rimfire rifle.
by Keith Wood
62 Rocking a New Bolt
Rock River Arms introduces the XM24
Tactical, a dependable rifle that can 48 54
give you all the reach you need.
by Joseph von Benedikt
68 The Wild(cat) .22s
Four historic wildcat centerfires that
represent fun projects for gun cranks
who want something different.
by Stan Trzoniec

76 RIFLE REPORT
Ruger SFAR 6.5 Creedmoor 62 68
by J. Scott Rupp

DEPARTMENTS
14 It’s History 22 Through the Looking Glass
6 Commence Fire Winchester’s 9422 was to many the Zeiss redesigns the no-frills Conquest
Check out what’s going on in the pinnacle of lever-action .22 design. with an exposed turret and zero stop.
RifleShooter universe. Payton Miller Brad Fitzpatrick

8 Lands & Grooves 16 All That Brass 80 Last Page

• Burris Veracity PH review Tips on how powder selection can fix What if you had to pick just one
• .303 British vs 8mm Mauser accuracy woes. rifle—or two or three?
• Great new gear Joseph von Benedikt Craig Boddington

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 2 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

PROFESSIONAL For those who demand the difference, the
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 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 4 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 Commence Fire

More .17 HMRs

I would be very pleased if RifleShooter had a shoot-off,
an evaluation of the many .17 HMRs available. I have
three .17 HMRs, and none of them embarrass themselves
when shooting very good groups at 100 yards. My CZ 457
Varmint is the best, just by a trifle. I’ll bet there are at least
10 different manufacturers of .17 HMR, and if somebody
makes one more accurate than my CZ, I would buy it.
Woodchucks are a major problem on my farm. I have a
wonderful Remington Model 700 heavy-barrel in .223, and
it’s dispatched hundreds of woodchucks, but it’s now a
safe queen because of the .17 HMRs.
Rifleman’s Rifle—Not John Mills, Michigan
I have been reading Scott Rupp’s articles over the years
and enjoying them as much as his latest article featuring
Sako’s new Model 90 (September/October). The rifle is
pleasant to the eye and brings an ingenious trigger design
INDUSTRY NEWS
as well as the magazine release lock. However, I must dis- The Scholastic Action Shooting Program
agree with Mr. Rupp for naming it “the rifleman’s rifle,” as conducted its national championships at the Cardinal
the controlled-round-feed action of the Winchester Model Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, this past July.
70 is a proven better design, and its three-position safety SASP provides action competition in rimfire rifle and
is simpler to operate and actually safer. And to the savvy pistol and centerfire pistol for grade school through
hunter, a hinged floorplate is of more practical use than college athletes. These are all-steel, timed events.
having an external magazine. With regard to aesthetics, Senior/varsity class shooter Timothy Guerrero of
the classic Winchester Model 70 is second to none among South Texas Shooters bested more than 550 competitors to capture the
other production rifles, while preserving the essence of individual top spot in both the iron-sight and optics rifle competitions.
the functional American sporter stock design. SASP is sponsored by a veritable who’s who of firearms and ammuntion
Eduardo Olaechea; Lima, Peru manfacturers. For more information, visit MYSASP.COM.
As I told Mr. Olaechea, I’ve used both controlled-round-
feed and push-feed actions, and I just prefer push feeds. Federal was recently awarded a one-year, $3.6
As to the other characteristics, I actually like two-position million contract by the U.S. Special Operations
safeties best, and while I do prefer a hinged floorplate over a Command for a 175-grain precision match load in
detachable box, the Sako design is really good.—Scott 7.62x51. “This contract award for long-range rifle
ammunition for SOCOM continues our long-standing
support of the U.S. military,” said Federal’s president
Maximum Straightness and CEO, Jason Vanderbrink. “This proven load is
Craig Boddington missed at least one good straight currently being produced for the U.S. Navy in a separate contract, validat-
cartridge in his article “Get it Straight” (July/August). The ing our American manufacturing expertise and commitment to supplying
Remington .357 Maximum! My eight- and nine-year old the U.S. warfighter with the best products to protect and defend.”
grandsons and I have killed several deer with one cham-
bered in a T/C Contender. Not a lot of recoil for a young
hunter, and it kills just fine with one shot, loaded with Coming Next Issue
Remington 150-grain softpoint bullets pulled from factory
.35 Rem. ammo.
Tim Foltz, Indiana

Fast-Changing Landscape
Kudos and thanks for more excellent content from
RifleShooter magazine. “Current Cartridge Trends” by TacSol Owhyee The .30-06 Family
Scott Rupp and “Betting on Bullets” by Craig Boddington
are educational, knowledgeable and practical. I appreci- CONTACT US
ate, like many readers, good honest writing not steeped EMAIL Rifles@OutdoorSG.com
in agendas or strong opinions. The modern-day media INSTAGRAM, TWITTER @RifleShooterMag
industry cannot be easy. The products, trends and markets FACEBOOK facebook.com/RifleShooterMag
are changing faster than the weather. Thank you for sim- SNAIL MAIL RifleShooter, P.O. Box 271305, Fort Collins, CO 80527
ply staying true to the reader and yourselves for quality
ADDRESS CHANGES/SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS
coverage. It’s fun to live vicariously through the variety of
EMAIL, PHONE RFLCUSTSERV@CDSFULFILLMENT.COM, 800-627-7975
guns and hunts shared in the magazine.
SNAIL MAIL RifleShooter, P.O. Box 37539, Boone, IA 50037-0539
Kenny Myers, Virginia

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 6 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

WE FOCUS ON THE PROCESS,
SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON
RANGE DAY.

TO GET STARTED
CALL 866.540.9777 OR
VISIT SILENCERCENTRAL.COM
LANDS & GROOVES

Burris Brings It
The Veracity PH line is available in to two minutes) scope auto-off (never
THE VERACITY PH the 4-20x50mm I tested ($1,560), plus to several hours).
2.5-12x42mm and 3-15x44mm. To One setting I want to address before
IS AN EASY DIAL-UP complete the system you need to put moving on. If your rangefinder already
SOLUTION FOR GET- the Burris Connect app, a free down- has inclination compensation, and you
TING SOLID HITS AT load, on your smartphone.
Setup is a snap, and here are the
use it in that mode, turn off compen-
sation on the Veracity PH. Especially
LONG RANGE. basics. First install the two CR2450 on severe angles at longer distances,
batteries back to back, stacked + to +. doubling down on this variable will
Turn the illumination/power knob, skew your results.
by J. Scott Rupp which is located outside the parallax Once you’re done, tap “Upload
adjustment knob, to the Bluetooth Settings,” and your choices transmit
symbol. Be sure Bluetooth is active on to the scope. Next, click on “Upload

T
your phone, open the app and click the ballistics data” at the top. Here you’re
here’s a lot of tech out there plus under “Manage Optics.” creating a gun/ammo profile, and you
to help shooters increase The app will show you three op- can choose from an extensive library of
their effectiveness at longer tions: Thermals, Veracity PH and factory rounds or build a custom load
distances. Some of these Eliminator 6. Click on Veracity PH and as you would in any ballistic calculator
require a full-blown IT de- then “Next” to select your scope. There or app. You can input environmentals
partment, or at least a seventh-grader, are a number of settings to address by hand or have the app gather this
to understand and use to their fullest with the scope via the app: elevation info for you. When you’ve completed
potential. The Burris Veracity PH rifle- units (m.o.a. or mil), inclination com- the profile, click on “Upload Data” to
scope is not one of those. It’s easy to set pensation (on or off), digital level (0, 0.5 transmit the load to your scope.
up and even easier to use. or one degree), display timeout (never At the range, zero the scope. The

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 8 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 LANDS & GROOVES

very first thing you’ll notice is that the yards on a Browning X-Bolt Target 6.5
PEK (programmable elevation knob) Creedmoor with Hornady ELD Match
turret does not click. It rotates like a 140-grainers. I let the rifle cool, then
rheostat, and it’s paired with a digital reconfirmed the cold point of impact. I
sensor and is capable of accuracy zeroed the elevation turret via the app
down to 0.1 m.o.a. I found this click- and headed to the steel range.
less turret disconcerting at first—how Our steel starts at 400, so I turned
can I figure out how much to adjust the elevation turret until the heads-up
the scope if I can’t count clicks!—but display read “400” and squeezed the
the turret is well-marked. The windage trigger. First-round hit. Then on to 500,
adjustment does have clicks, and they 600 and 700 yards, with first-round
are 1/4 m.o.a. hits on each. All I had to do was range
The Veracity PH incorporates a zero the target, dial the turret until the
stop, and here Burris has added a most heads-up display number matched the
welcome feature. If you need to move yardage and fire. No consulting a dope
The power knob has a Bluetooth setting
your point of impact down past the card or a ballistic app. No counting that pairs the scope with the Burris Con-
stop while zeroing, instead of having clicks or trying to make out small tur- nect app, allowing you to upload scope
to remove the turret cap and wrestle ret markings. settings and ballistic info—as well as zero
with the turret itself, just loosen the In addition to the yardage readout the elevation turret.
hexhead screw located between m.o.a. in the heads-up display, you also get
marks 26 and 28. This allows you to battery level, a confirmation of your discontinued, so I can’t speak to the
rotate clockwise past the stop. units of measure and any wind cor- current reticle, but all Veracity PHs are
Once you’re finished zeroing, be rection you might have input in the first focal plane and feature index-
sure to retighten that screw if you’ve app. My test scope was an early media matched, multicoated lenses.
loosened it. Next, loosen the three top sample, and the two gripes I had with They’re built on 30mm main tubes.
turret cap screws and rotate the cap to it—a sometimes balky Bluetooth con- Overall length on this one is 13.8
the 0 position and tighten. nection and not displaying the selected inches, and weight is 29.1 ounces.
With scope and app paired, click load—have been addressed with new That’s heavier than I would prefer for
on “Zero elevation turret” on the app. internals. So in Bluetooth mode you hunting, but this particular model
That’s it. Unless you want to change will also see what ballistic profile is is a large-objective scope. The best
settings or ammo—or perhaps envi- currently uploaded to the scope. apples-to-apples comp I can give you
ronmentals—you never have to touch Certainly you’ll want to confirm is the non-PH Veracity, which weighs
the app again or even take it with you. by shooting at actual yardages to the 27.2 ounces—so the tech in the PH ver-
All the data you need are stored inside extent possible, and remember the sion is adding almost nothing to scope
the scope. Aside from the heads-up “garbage in, garbage out” principle: It’s weight.
display I’ll discuss in a second, this not going to work correctly if you’ve With the Veracity PH, you get what’s
is my favorite feature. I hate messing input bad data or didn’t get a precise basically a plug-and-play optic that,
with apps in the field, and any tech that zero. Similarly, it would be ideal to once properly set up, will simplify
doesn’t force me to dig out my phone is chronograph your chosen load through long-range shooting. It’s a high-tech
a godsend. your rifle to double-check the velocity. solution that will work great for even
I zeroed the Veracity PH at 100 The reticle in my sample has been tech-challenged folks like me.

Real Avid Master Gun Workstation

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 9 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

LANDS & GROOVES

CARTRIDGE CLASH » p

.303 British vs 8mm Mauser

I
n 1888, Wilhelm II was named hunting weight bullets are substan-
emperor of Germany, and soon tially slower. Speer’s reloading manual
after that relations between suggests roughly 2,500 to 2,700 fps for
Great Britain and Germany be- 170-grain bullets and roughly 2,400 fps
gan to fracture. Wilhelm’s desire for 200-grain bullets.
to strengthen the German navy riled The 0.012-inch variation in bullet
the world’s great colonial superpower, diameter doesn’t amount to much, but
and the same year Wilhelm became the 8mm Mauser is on par with the
emperor, both nations would intro- .30-06 in terms of energy while the
duce modern repeating cartridges they .303 Brit lags behind the .308 Win.
would use to batter one another off and However, for deer-size game the
on for the next six decades. England’s .303 does fine and shoots flatter than
cartridge was the .303 British. For the the 8mm. Hornady’s 150-grain Inter-
Germans, it was the 8mm Mauser. Lock at 2,685 drops just 9.3 inches at
The .303 British was chambered in 300 yards when zeroed at 200, which is
the Lee-Metford Mk I rifle. Originally, a considerably flatter trajectory curve
the .303 fired a 215-grain .311-inch than Federal’s 170-grain 8mm Power-
full-metal-jacket bullet over a charge Shok, which drops 14.3 inches at 300
of blackpowder, but by World War I the yards when zeroed at 200. Despite a
load was changed to a 174-grain bullet lighter bullet, the .303’s energy is more plenty of surplus 8mm Mauser 98-style
pushed to a velocity of 2,400 fps using than 300 ft.-lbs. higher than the 8mm’s rifles available.
Cordite. Eventually surplus Short Mag- 170-grain load at 300 yards. Likewise, there are Enfield .303s
azine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifles made Component bullets are available for available with prices ranging from a
their way into the hands of sportsmen, both cartridges from companies like few hundred to several thousand dol-
and the cartridge saw sporting use in Hornady, Sierra and Speer, and Nosler lars. Because the .303 case is rimmed it
colonial game fields the world over. offers .323 bullets. functions in double rifles and single-
The 8mm Mauser was originally Factory loads in .303 are available shots, too. Uberti recently introduced
chambered in the Model 88 Mannli- from Hornady, Remington and Speer. its 1885 Courteney Stalking Rifle, a
cher and used a 227-grain .318-inch Options for the 8mm can be had from single-shot, but for the most part, if
bullet. It was the first smokeless rifle Nosler, Norma, Federal, Winchester you’re looking for a .303 or 8mm you’re
cartridge adopted by a major military and Buffalo Bore. Note, though, that going to find most of your rifle options
power. By 1905 the recipe was revised more than a couple of these loads are on the surplus market.
and the new version—known as the limited production and not always Neither of these is a true long-range
7.92x57 JS, 8x57 JS or simply 8mm JS— available. round, but both have their places in the
pushed a 150-grain .323-inch bullet Aside from the Winchester 54 there field. In reality, the question is whether
close to 3,000 fps from stronger Mauser have been few factory 8mm Mauser you prefer the German or British round
actions. Interestingly, the 8mm Mauser rifles offered in the U.S., but there are and the rifles chambered for each.
uses a 0.473-inch diameter rim, same
as our .30-06 and .308 rifles.
History buffs have a special place in .303 BRITISH 8MM MAUSER
their heart for both cartridges, but how
practical are these century-old rounds • •
for modern shooters and hunters? • •
If you handload the .303, expect • •
between 2,400 and 2,700 fps with
150-grain bullets and 2,300 to 2,400 fps • •
with 180-grainers. The 8mm Mauser • •
can push light 150-grain bullets close • •
to 3,000 fps, but the more traditional

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 10 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 nmile
DROP-TESTED FROM
A LAND CRUISER AT
50 MPH IN UGANDA

®
©2024 Trijicon, Inc. | 24TRIJ18619-R24 | Trijicon.com

East African defassa waterbuck

bull with that same rifle and
optic two days later, after
confirming zero.

Read the full story at

Trijicon.com/50mphDropTest.
LANDS & GROOVES

Ruger 60th Anniversary 10/22

It’s not only Ruger’s 75th birthday, it’s also the 60th anniversary of the iconic 10/22 rimfire autoloader. The sixth edition of the rifle’s
Collector’s Series, this one features an adjustable Magpul Hunter X-22 stock and red-accented charging handle and trigger. It ships in a
Collector’s Series box and comes with a metal street sign and pin. Other special features include the cold-hammer-forged barrel, which is
threaded 1/2x28 and is tipped with a Ruger flash suppressor.
>>$639, RUGER.COM

Hornady ELD-VT
The Extremely Low Drag-Varmint/Target combines ultimate accuracy with dramatic expansion, so whether your
target is a piece of steel or paper or a prairie dog, this bullet will deliver. Featuring the company’s AMP jacket
and Heat Shield tip, the ELD-VT has a match-bullet profile and a reduced core-to-bullet-length ratio. This moves
the bullet’s center of gravity rearward for better aerodynamics while the high ballistic coefficient means optimum
retained velocity downrange. The ELD-VT is available in .224 (62 grains, .395 G1 BC), 6mm (80, .410), 6.5 (100,
.448) and .308 (174, .573).
>>$28–$48 (street), HORNADY.COM

Lyman Borecam 2.0

Being able to see what’s going on inside a rifle’s bore is key, and Lyman’s new Borecam 2.0
not only lets you examine the bore but also sends detailed images to your phone—either iOS or
Android. It will fit .22 and larger barrels and features a 26-inch rod to reach down into even the
longest tubes. In addition to photos, it also takes video. Best of all, it’s wireless so no hassles
with cables or monitors. The Borecam 2.0 comes with rod with mounted camera, five inter-
changeable 90-degree mirrors to accommodate different calibers and a USB charging cord.
>>$200, LYMANPRODUCTS.COM

Brownells Gunsmith Vise

Made in Germany, this heavy-duty vise is forged, not cast, for superior
strength, and its precision-aligned jaws have hardened and textured faces.
The jaws are also replaceable, and Brownells offers several options made of
polyurethane, aluminum, fiber, rubber and felt. The spindle assembly is electro-
galvanized for corrosion resistance and features a rolled trapezoidal thread for
optimal clamping force. The spindle key has riveted safety rings and can be
adjusted via a single screw.
>>$399, BROWNELLS.COM

Fisher Cap-O-Matic Space Pen

A dependable pen is a must for range record-keeping. Fisher Space Pens have pressur-
ized cartridges so they can write at any angle, which is handy for labeling targets, and they
work in extreme temperatures—important if, like me, you shoot whether it’s 100 degrees
or five. Hunters will find them great for filling out big game tags because they will write
on almost any surface. The powder-coat orange model shown here—which I chose for its
visibility since I’m prone to losing things—is no longer available, but a construction yellow
one is, as are other colors and finishes.
>>$30, SPACEPEN.COM

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 12 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 LAPUA
Cases for 2024
Lapua 300 WSM Cases
Spring of 2024, Lapua will showcase our
legendary quality and consistency with the
introduction of 300 WSM cartridge cases. Made
of the finest materials and manufacturing
processes, you can expect brass that offers
exceptional longevity, even in the most
demanding circumstances of hunting and
competitive shooting.

Lapua 6mm GT Cases

Fall of 2024, Lapua will begin our support of the
wildly popular 6mm GT cartridge. Optimized
internal geometry based upon the 6.5x47 Lapua
parent case will set our cases apart from the rest
-- shooters will experience improved
propellant efficiency and increased longevity
along with the superb quality and consistency
you would expect with a Lapua headstamp.
 It’s History
by Payton Miller

A Special .22 Lever

WINCHESTER’S
9422 WAS HUGELY
POPULAR AND
ALSO AVAILABLE
IN A FEW LIMITED
EDITIONS.

F
or a lot of guys and gals, The 9422 was available in a number of configurations, including some commemoratives
Winchester’s 9422 (1972- like this LAPD special edition. The 9422 was typically an accurate lever action, suitable for
small game or plinking.
2005) was pretty much the
peak of lever-action rim-
fires, and I must confess I
agree with them. By 1991, more than
600,000 9422s had been produced.
By the end of the run, that number is
estimated to be around 850,000.
Later in the course of its production
run, the 9422 was also offered in .22
Mag. (9422M), .17 HMR (9417) as well
as the XTR upgrade with select walnut degrees of embellishment. The number as .22 Long Rifle Power Points. The
and nice checkering. In the mid-1980s of these is not as high as of the iconic Winchester ran like a champ with both
the company introduced a 22.5-inch centerfire Model 94, but it was enough the big ones and the little ones—for the
version featuring a pistol-grip con- to pay tribute to various entities and most part. The only problem I experi-
figuration more in keeping with the personalities. These covered the Boy enced was with the Short brass clear-
centerfire Model 64 rifle rather than Scouts of America, including the ing the ejection port when I got too
the Model 94 carbine. ultra-limited Eagle Scout issue; Annie gentle in throwing the lever. Loaded up
There were also several other vari- Oakley; and this 1982-vintage speci- with Shorts, it’d be tough to think of a
ants under the U.S. Repeating Arms men commemorating the Los Angeles better gallery-gun plinker.
banner including Big Loop, Trapper Police Department, admittedly an The only real problem I had in
and laminate-stocked versions. organization not usually associated shooting this LAPD 9422 lay in the fact
The .22 Mag. version was what an with .22 lever guns. that it took more commitment than
old Canadian hunting buddy of mine This upgraded version features I bargained on to overcome the “it’s
used for years as his truck gun. It was a silver medallion in the stock with too pretty to shoot” instinct. However,
topped with low-end variable scope the LAPD’s “To Protect and To Serve” the rifle’s owner wanted to see how it
and accounted for all manner of crit- motto, which has graced innumerable shot, I was able to proceed with a clear
ters up to coyote size out to 150 yards. squad cars over the decades. There’s conscience.
I recently had the opportunity to also the inscription “Father-Son Spe- The trigger pull was 2.5 pounds
shoot a minty commemorative 9422. cial Issue” on the barrel just below the with only a hint of takeup. On paper,
Winchester—and later U.S. Repeating semi-buckhorn rear sight. the rifle lived up to its reputation for
Arms—made a few such limited-edi- I shot this borrowed specimen with accuracy from a sandbag rest. Us-
tion versions of the 9422 with varying 29-grain Super-X .22 Shorts as well ing the issue open iron sights, the

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 14 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 www.AdjustableBagRider.com
Long Rifles shot consistently under
an inch at 25 yards, and I managed a
lone 1.5-inch five-shot cluster at 50. I
could’ve improved on that—or at least
equaled it on a consistent basis—with
a scope, which is easily done thanks
to the 9422’s side-ejection design and
grooved receiver. However, the rifle’s
owner was understandably less than
enthusiastic over the prospect of defil-
ing his nearly new-in-box treasure with
tip-off mounts and glass.
Regardless, it didn’t take long to ap-
preciate the 9422’s ergonomics. At six
pounds, the “LAPD Special” exhibited
the legendary handling characteristics
of the .30-30 Model 94—and weighed
a half-pound less. The tubular under-
barrel magazine holds 15 Long Rifles
or 21 Shorts—and 17 Longs if you can
still find any. The 9422 features a nice
short lever throw. If speed shooting is ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ®

your thing, you can crank ‘em out just ® ®

as fast as you can reacquire the target.

Since the 9422 is so well suited to
offhand plinking, we spent an enjoy- WINNING COMPETITIONS AND SETTING WORLD RECORDS!
able half hour or so busting clay birds
on a sand berm at 60 yards or so. If
I had a less collectible sample and
wanted to hunt small game with it, I
believe I’d want to hang a compact low-
power scope on it.
While Winchester’s .30-30 Model 94
met its demise in 2006, it later enjoyed
a resurrection in several variants
through Miroku as well as FN. Unfor-
tunately for fans of the 9422 there has
been—as of yet—no such second lease
on life. But it’s certainly worth hop-
ing for, although it appears to be an
unlikely prospect at this time.
The 9422 was never an inexpensive
item. By 1982, 10 years into its produc-
tion cycle, the base model retailed for
$276; that translates into a little over
$872 today. For now, finding a nice
used one is well worth the hassle. It’s
a great .22, and I’m by no means in a
minority by thinking so.
Unsurprisingly, commemoratives
are more likely to be found in minty
condition than standard models, but
anything—commemorative or not—in
nice shape can run from $1,200 to
$2,000 and beyond at auction or in the
used rack.
 ALL THAT BRASS
by Joseph von Benedikt

Pondering Powders

A FASTER WAY OF
DISCOVERING AN
ACCURATE LOAD
MAY BE TRYING A
DIFFERENT GUN-
POWDER.

“T
ry Reloder 19,”
the ballistician
told the range
tech who had just
fired a 1.5-inch
100-yard group with my semi-custom Often, trying a different type of powder results in better accuracy than trying a bunch of
7mm WSM. Clearly, the initial charge different charge weights with one propellant. For instance, an extruded powder (l.) may
of H4831sc didn’t produce good ac- prove to work better than a spherical one.
curacy with the Barnes 145-grain LRX,
but switching powders after just one
three-shot test group seemed a bit much of my life, I’d planned my hand- Sloane noted: “When comparing a
extreme to me. loads according to what powder I had selection of proper burn rate powders
The tech charged three of the short on hand and what was readily avail- for a given cartridge and bullet weight,
magnum cases with a starting load of able. My favorite .30-06 Springfield, I can’t really explain the ‘why’ behind a
Reloder 19. He fired a shot, then an- .280 Ackley Improved and .270 Win. certain powder achieving better accu-
other. The second overlapped the first, handloads all used H4831sc. My go-to racy in a given gun over another. There
and the third shot created a half-m.o.a. propellant for 7mm Rem. Mag. and .300 are many factors to consider; slight
cloverleaf. Win. Mag. was H1000. For high-horse- changes of case fill, velocity consisten-
“Yep, it likes 19 better,” the ballisti- power magnums such as the .300 Wby. cy, and how the powder burns all play a
cian said with a grin. Mag., Reloder 22 was a favorite. If it’s role. Time to peak pressure, flame tem-
The range tech proceeded to find not broke, don’t fix it, right? perature, energy and pressure changes,
out whether the group was repeatable, Not necessarily. Having a broad and engraving force, among others.
and nine more rounds downrange selection of propellants on hand can “The effect of barrel harmonics and
created three more half-m.o.a. groups. make handload development much how one powder burns over another
I was convinced. If it had been me, I easier, rather than complicating it. So is an interesting thing,” he added. “It’s
would’ve tried a bunch of different why do rifles prefer some propellants not easily measured and is hard to
charge weights before switching, but over others? And how does one deter- quantify.”
the ballistician said a particular rifle mine the best to use in a given barrel? Actually determining which pro-
often won’t like a certain type of pow- The answer to the first question pellant is best in a given rifle is easier
der—and you’re betting off switching to is challenging to answer. There are than predicting it, although it requires
another type instead of chasing charge trends, rules of thumb and some useful legwork. It’s all about testing. But first
weights. probabilities, but scientific predictions a little background on the powders
This experience occurred a decade are elusive. themselves.
ago, and was eye-opening for me. For As Barnes’ lead ballistician Gregg Generally speaking, extruded or

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 16 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

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“stick” propellants—meaning the gran- bullet. This ensures that the propellant easily; if not, start with extruded-type
ules are long and cylindrical—provide won’t shift away from the blast of the powders likely to provide best possible
slightly better accuracy than spheri- primer, enabling instant and consistent accuracy.
cal or “ball” powders—meaning the ignition. It also prevents the powder If your first few groups aren’t prom-
granules are round or flattened/round from lying in various different positions ising, don’t be stubborn. Switch pow-
shapes. There are lots of exception to inside the case from shot to shot— ders. Gun writer Wayne van Zwoll once
this generality, though, so never write something common in handloads with told me that if a certain load shoots a
off spherical powders in your search for a lot of air space inside. bad group once, it’ll shoot a bad group
accuracy. Although this isn’t a direct predic- again—maybe not every time, but even
Extruded powders also tend to tor of accuracy, it is usually a predictor occasionally isn’t acceptable. “Why
provide more consistent velocities. This of velocity consistency. A full or nearly waste time trying to prove it won’t?” he
may be a function of their tendency to full handload typically provides tighter said.
stack in a more open column, allowing extreme spreads and standard devia- If accuracy proves elusive, try
the flame from the primer to penetrate tions than one with a high percent of powders that are bulky but sorta fast-
and permeate more immediately and air inside. burning for the cartridge you’re work-
evenly, resulting in a more consistent Some reloading manuals, such as ing with. Keep switching until you find
ignition and burn. Spherical powders Nosler’s, provide case-fill density in a propellant that produces significantly
can clump up, and those clumps are percentage by volume with its data. smaller groups than most. Optimally
slower to burn, introducing inconsis- This can be valuable information, but it you’ll only go through two or three
tencies. does vary a bit depending on cartridge powder types before finding something
Burn rates play a role as well. Within case brand. And it can vary a lot de- your rifle responds well to. In extreme
the appropriate burn-rate spectrum pending on how deeply you seat your cases, you may need to try five or six.
suitable for a given cartridge, propel- bullets. And yes, that can be a challenge in
lants on the slower-burning end gener- You can use those published case- today’s era of starved supply lines.
ally provide the most velocity, particu- fill density percentages to choose a pro- On the plus side, you can do a lot of
larly with heavy-for-caliber bullets. pellant that should provide complete touch-and-go testing with one pound
However, faster-burning powders often or nearly complete fill with your bullet. each of a handful of good propellants.
provide slightly better accuracy. This is This is one scientific step that will pro- Watch the shelves of local shops, and
one of those hard-to-explain character- vide predictable results. put together a collection of good pow-
istics of gunpowder. Now, on to testing. When you begin ders suitable for the types of cartridges
The good news is we don’t have to load workup using a certain projec- you usually load. I’ll wager you’ll use
understand it to benefit from it: If you tile in a certain rifle, be flexible in the less powder, cause less barrel wear and
have a rifle that’s proving stubborn powder you use. Pick a few propellants achieve better accuracy by quickly try-
about accuracy, try a faster-burning to start with, basing your decisions on ing a variety of powder types than you
powder. You might be surprised. case-fill density, burn rate and granule will by stubbornly working through
The ideal powder charge is one that’s type. If you’re doing high-volume load- a bunch of charge weight increments
slightly compressed by the base of the ing, pick spherical powders that meter with just one type of propellant.
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 My Outdoor TV
Staff Report

Outdoors on Demand

T
hese days, America’s the field. Check out “Petersen’s Hunt- streaming video, you can take this con-
sportsmen and women ing Adventures,” shows by hunting tent with you via the “Take With Me”
are clamoring for more legends Fred Eichler and Jim Shockey, feature that allows you to download
“content,” as we call it in “Meat Easter” and many, many more. content for later viewing when you’re
the media: more articles, Plus there is a ton of fishing as well, in- without Internet access—say, at the
more television shows, more website cluding live streams of various angling range or in hunting camp.
info. Outdoor Sportsman Group— competitions. If you’re one of the folks out there
which publishes this magazine as MOTV is an incredibly deep library who can’t get Sportsman Channel or
well as bringing you the Sportsman containing more than 20,000 episodes Outdoor Channel through your televi-
Channel and Outdoor Channel—has of outdoor television shows as well as sion provider, this is your porthole into
answered that call with the My Out- short-form video encompassing how- the awesome world of true outdoor
door TV (MOTV) app. to instructional and history topics you programming. MOTV is available on
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curated treasure trove of outdoor- In addition to the TV episodes, I platforms.
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Think of it like your own personal appreciate short-form videos such month or $98.99 per year, and you get
Neftlix, with episodes of “Gun Stories” “Gun Stories Tidbits” on iconic rifles as multiple device accessibility with one
with Joe Montegna, the gun restora- the M1 Garand, the Remington rolling account. New content is loaded every
tion show “The Gunfather,” “Guns & block and the AK-47. And, again, it’s month, and with the yearly subscrip-
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 20 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
by Brad Fitzpatrick

A New Conquest

ZEISS UPDATES
ITS SENSIBLE CON-
QUEST 3-12X44MM
WITH A HANDY
NEW ELEVATION
TURRET.

I
’m a minimalist, and as such I
don’t want to complicate my life
any more than necessary. I im-
mediately deactivated the lane
departure warning system in
my truck, and I’m never going to down-
load the app that my local grocery store At 13.8 inches long and weighing under 20 ounces, the Zeiss is suitable for sporter-weight
keeps insisting I need. I suppose that’s hunting rifles and delivers great long- and short-range performance.
why I like the Zeiss Conquest V4.
In a world where popular hunt-
ing scopes weigh 30 ounces and offer Both new models feature elevation S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
Christmas tree reticles, Bluetooth con- turrets that offer up to 70 m.o.a. of
nectivity, oversize main tubes and illu- elevation adjustment and a capped ZEISS CONQUEST V4
mination, the svelte, simple-to-operate windage turret. x
V4 3-12x44mm, is a delight. Weight is This seemingly minor change has
just 19.4 ounces, and it measures 13.8 made one of the most versatile hunting
inches long, making it compact and scopes available today even better. The
light enough for mountain rifles. Conquest V4 is one of the best optics
There’s nothing complicated or available under $1,000, but some hunt-
intimidating about this scope. The ers shied away from the 3-12x44mm
Z-Plex No. 2 reticle offers a wide-open and 3-12x56mm because of the capped
view of what’s in front of the rifle, and turrets.
there are no distracting stadia lines While I am, as I said, a devout
or dots to contend with. The reticle is minimalist, exposed elevation turrets
non-illuminated, and parallax is fixed offer real-world benefits. Once upon a
at 100 yards, so there are no controls on time the ritual of sighting in the scope
the left side of the scope body. on a hunting rifle involved zeroing the and hunter prep/long-range schools
The Conquest V4 traditionally gun at the desired distance, recapping teach even beginning shooters and
offered exposed elevation turrets on the elevation turret and only removing hunters to click for elevation in the
its 4-16X and 6-24X, but all 3-12X the cap when the gun wasn’t shoot- field instead of holding over. Now, if I
models came with capped windage ing where it should or you needed to know my dope I can stretch my rifle out
and elevation turrets. The big news change point of impact when switch- past 1,000 yards and don’t need a big,
this year is the addition of 3-12x44mm ing loads. bulky scope with a complex reticle to
and 3-12x56mm models with exposed These days many new shooters have do so.
elevation turrets and ballistic stops. never seen a capped elevation turret, The Conquest V4 wouldn’t be my

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 22 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

first choice for a dedicated long-range percent, and color fidelity and clarity
rifle that I planned to take to the range remain excellent even in very low light
and routinely shoot 1,000 yards and conditions. My litmus test for this is
farther, but a 3-12x44mm with exposed how long I can see a reflective 6x6-
elevation turret is certainly qualified to inch square at 100 yards past the end
ring steel at 800 or more yards. of legal shooting light, which I set at a
Magnification certainly isn’t an half-hour past sunset. It’s late July as I
issue. Some shooters think they need write this, and a half-hour past sunset
20X magnification to shoot four-figure is 9:26 p.m. At that time I could clearly
distances, but that isn’t the case. I’ve see the reflective box, and even 15
been to two top shooting schools minutes later I could still see it clearly.
where the instructors made us shoot Low-light performance from this
1,000 yards on 10X, and it’s simpler scope is excellent.
than you might imagine. Scopes with 3X magnification also
The lower magnification helps allow for a wide field of view when
reduce “bounce” in the reticle, and a hunting at close range. Despite what The big addition to the Conquest V4 3-12X
wider field of view allows you to call the internet seems to tell us, not all scopes is the addition of an exposed eleva-
misses. If you’re a hunter who likes hunters are shooting game at over 500 tion turret with zero stop
to occasionally shoot long range to yards, and anyone who has needed
sharpen your skills, this optic will work to make a quick shot in dense cover 3-12x44mm on a CZ-USA Model 600
just fine. knows that high magnification is of rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. The 30mm
Zeiss Conquests are designed and no use when you need to make a snap main tube and 44mm objective lens
engineered in Germany and built in shot at close range. allowed me to mount the scope low
Japan using premium components Zeiss scopes have a reputation on the gun, a benefit on sporter-style
and superb glass. I haven’t shot every for ruggedness, and the Conquest is hunting rifles with fixed combs like
riflescope in the Zeiss catalog, but the durable enough to withstand years of this one. With 3.5 inches of eye relief
ones I’ve used all tracked as well as any hard use. Everything from the screw there’s no concern that the scope will
precision scope, and the Conquest V4 threads to the operation of the magni- make contact with the shooter’s brow
is no exception. I did a box test on the fication ring is smooth and precise. To under normal conditions, even when
Conquest, and the clicks shifted the reset zero you must remove two screws shooting hard-kicking magnums.
point of impact the prescribed 0.25 in the elevation turret. With lower- I also like that the numbers etched
m.o.a. per click and returned to zero as quality imported scopes the set screws on the elevation turret are easy to see
expected. are made of soft metal and are prone to even with my head on the stock. Click
I also borrowed a trick I learned stripping, but that’s not the case with adjustments were crisp and precise,
from gun writer and optic guru Tom the Zeiss. and there are visual indicators to
Beckstrand and adjusted back and I even subjected the scope to a “tip identify number of revolutions: a solid
forth between zero and 25 m.o.a. of test,” dropping it on the side to see if white ring on the first revolution, two
elevation (Tom recommends 50 m.o.a., the objective lens shifted (scope man- dashes on the second, three dots on
but my targets weren’t large enough). I ufacturers aren’t happy to hear about the third. The resettable windage knob
fired the first shot at zero m.o.a., shift- this when things go badly). However, is small but easy to operate, and like
ed to 25 m.o.a. and fired, then back to with the Zeiss everything stayed put. the elevation knob the adjustments are
zero m.o.a., and continued that pattern That’s no surprise since the Conquest precise.
until I had two three-shot groups. V4 undergoes the same brutal 90-min- The Conquest V4 is certainly aus-
I like Tom’s test because big m.o.a. ute continuous shock and saltwater tere, but for most hunters I think this
changes like this will reveal whether a exposure tests that the company’s 3-12x44mm will provide everything
scope tracks well across its adjustment other, more expensive scopes endure. they need and nothing they don’t—
range. At 50 yards the travel should Zeiss even guarantees that these from long-range steel to reasonable
be very close to 12 inches, and that’s scopes will survive being submerged shots on game—which should make
almost exactly what the Conquest did. in water to a depth of 13 feet for two every minimalist smile. Couple
In fact, the Zeiss Conquest is about as hours, which is a testament to the Con- that with German engineering and
close to perfection as I’ve seen, and quest’s exceptional durability. Zeiss absolute rock-solid build quality and
that ensures any misses at extended also includes a T* six-layer lens coating a suggested retail price of $850 and
ranges aren’t the result of a faulty and Lotutec treatment to its lenses, you’ll see why the Zeiss Conquest V4
scope. which ensures these optics can survive 3-12x44mm might be the best new
Where this scope really shines is the harshest conditions. hunting riflescope to hit stores shelves
in the woods. Light transmission is 90 I tested the Conquest V4 this year.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 24 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

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 THE 110 MAGPUL SCOUT IS A SHORT, HANDY RIFLE THAT’S
GREAT WITH A SUPPRESSOR BUT READY FOR ANYTHING
EITHER WAY.
by Layne Simpson
photos by Michael Anschuetz _________________________________________________

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 26 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 T
he gun club I shoot at
has more than 1,000
members, and while
weekends are crowded,
on other days I can
usually get my work done practically
undisturbed. Only two of us were
there while I was shooting the Savage
Magpul Scout. The other fellow and I
had hunted spring gobblers together a
couple of times, so after the shooting
was done we chatted for a while.
First thing out of his mouth was, “I
know why so many gun companies are
building short rifles like that Savage
you were shooting.” Before I could
reply, he followed with, “Everybody
these days either has a suppressor or
is in the process of getting one, and
with a can hanging on the barrel of
your rifle it is no longer than a with a
24-inch barrel.”
And he was right. For another
assignment, I was also shooting a
Savage 110 Klym with a 24-inch barrel
that day, and with its muzzle brake
removed it was a half-inch longer than
the Magpul Scout wearing my Banish
30 suppressor, which is nine inches
long.
Savage has been selling variations
of the Model 110 rifles with the Scout
moniker for more than 20 years, and
the Model 110 Magpul Scout is the lat-
est version to come down the pike.
It should have been called Model
110 Magpul Hunter because that’s the
actual name of the component stock
itself.
For the benefit of those who are
interested in a bit of history, Magpul
was founded in 1999 by former U.S.
Marine Richard Fitzpatrick. His very
first products, called MAGPULs, were
rubber loops that attached to the
bottoms of AR-15 magazines to allow
them to be more quickly removed from
carrying pouches during combat. He
got the idea from fellow soldiers who
often fashioned similar magazine pull-
ers from paracord.
The Magpul Scout has a number of
features often seen on synthetic stocks
these days. Beginning at the south end,
spacers included in the package allow
length of pull to be adjusted from 13 to
15 inches. Simply remove the two re-
tention screws from the recoil pad, pull

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 27 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 A SCOUTIN’ SAVAGE

it off, add or remove spacers as needed the stock. Moving forward to the semi- Instead of a traditional sling swivel,
and reattach the pad. vertical wrist with its non-slip gripping the Magpul Scout’s buttstock has slots
Unlike recoil pads on some rifles, surface, shallow touch points on both in the side for a strap-type sling. On the
the one on the Magpul Scout stock sides are there for shooters who prefer fore-end, an abundance of M-Lok slots
actually does work. Integral sling at- a thumb-forward rather than a wrap- on its bottom and sides allows easy
tachment points are on both sides of around grip. attachment of sling, bipod and other
accessories. The wide fore-end has a
flat bottom for resting on a sandbag or
barricade while the rifle is seeing ac-
tion in competition.
My scale indicated a weight of three
pounds for the stock, which, if you’re
keeping score on the price, retails for
$300 on its own. Color options are
black or flat dark earth, and as is to be
expected from Savage, the rifle is avail-
able with right- or left-hand action.
A long aluminum bedding block
in the stock has a mortise at the front
for the recoil lug of the receiver, along
The Magpul Scout uses a blueprinted 110 action, and a Picatinny rail extends well forward with threaded attachment points that
for optics versatility. A dished-out area behind the bolt is designed for thumb placement. receive four bolts securing the receiver
and bottom metal. This design detail
allows a drop-in fit of the barreled
action at the factory while delivering
good accuracy.
Like the stock, the bottom assembly
is black polymer. The trigger guard is
roomy enough for three fingers, or one
large finger clad in a very thick glove. A
paddle-shaped ambidextrous maga-
zine release at the front of the guard is
within easy reach of an index finger,
with a push forward dropping the
empty AICS-style polymer magazine
and making room for 10 more rounds

The Model 110

Three spacers included with the rifle allow you to adjust pull length from 13 to 15 inches.
Slots on both sides of the stock permit the use of a strap-style sling.

A C C U R A C Y R E S U LT S
SAVAGE 110 MAGPUL SCOUT

Notes:

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 28 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 ©2024 O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.

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MORE INFO u

M-LOK is a registered trademark of Magpul Industries Corp.

MDT is a registered trademark of Modular Driven Technologies.

SAFETY TIP
Store firearms securely, inaccessible to children and unauthorized users.
Consult and comply with any and all applicable federal, state, and local: laws,
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 A SCOUTIN’ SAVAGE

(four rounds for the .450 Bushmaster). the bolt body and the firing pin cock- of the receiver bridge serving as a
With a bit of practice, loaded maga- ing ramp worked wonders as usual. It bolt release. Just like on the original
zine insertion becomes quick and will improve as the bolt wears in. Model 110, holding it down with a
easy. Nothing feeds cartridges more Short cartridges such as the 6.5 thumb while holding back the trigger
smoothly than a good polymer maga- Creedmoor, .308 Win. and .450 allows the bolt to be removed from the
zine of single-stack design. Bushmaster were designed for a short receiver.
The receiver and bolt of the 110 ac- action, and that’s exactly what the Sav- The blued carbon steel barrel
tion on this rifle are blueprinted. Bolt age rifle has. It also has the old-style measures 16.5 inches from bolt face to
rotation, travel and lockup were a bit grooved barrel retention nut, and I muzzle, and close examination with
rough, but a thin coat of lube on the am equally happy to see the exposed my Lyman Borecam revealed fairly
rear surfaces of the two locking lugs on end of the sear at the right-hand side smooth lands and grooves with a few
tool marks. Outside barrel diameters
are 1.025 inches in front of the receiver
ring and 0.700 inch at the muzzle,
which is nicely crowned.
The barrel has the usual 5/8x24
threads, and it comes with the same
muzzle brake as was on a Savage
110 Elite Precision I shot some time
ago. The brake has left-hand exterior
threads and attaches to a retention
sleeve, which has internal right-hand
5/8x24 threads.
Here is how it works. With the
sleeve snug against the brake, both
are turned clockwise until they reach
the limit of the threaded shank. At
that point the four ports of the brake
are not likely to be in their correct
horizontal position. Through trial and
M-Lok slots on the fore-end and the bottom make it quick and easy to add slings, bipods error, readjust the two until the ports
and other accessories.

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S

SAVAGE MODEL 110 MAGPUL SCOUT

A Scout rifle demands an aperture sight, and this one is a Williams that’s adjustable for
A S
windage and elevation and also easily removed from the rail.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 30 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

Sub MOA accuracy, advanced ergonomics and recoil-
reducing comfort are engineered into this innovative
chassis-style rifle. Now, with the addition of Benelli’s
industry-leading BE.S.T. treatment, it is unmatched
when it comes to corrosion and abrasion resistance
in the field. To find out more, visit Benelli USA.com.
 A SCOUTIN’ SAVAGE

are properly aligned, with the sleeve

pulling the brake hard against the
muzzle of the barrel.
Attached to the receiver is a 24-slot
Picatinny rail that reaches 53⁄8 inches
beyond the front of the receiver. Sitting
atop its aft end is a fully adjustable
Williams rear sight with a 0.180-inch
aperture. Up front, an elevation adjust-
able AR-15 style sight is protected from
damage by sturdy steel ears that allow
plenty of light to reach the sight.
I love iron sights and prior to at-
taching a scope to the rifle for accuracy
testing, I found banging steel out to 300 The barrel is threaded 5/8x24 and comes with a brake, but its 18-inch length is also perfect
yards to be both fun and easy. You will for a can. The front sight is an AR-15 type protected by wings.
not find a better sight picture for both
accuracy and quick target acquisition. The safety is wide enough to be easily pounds with a variation of only three
The tang safety slide blocks trigger moved while wearing gloves, and deep ounces. According to the specs, I
movement in its rearward position, horizontal grooves on its surface offer could have gone down to 1.5 pounds,
and pushing the slide to its middle no-slip operation with the thumb. and would have if I had been shoot-
position allows the bolt to be cycled for Shooting the rifle reminded me ing a varmint rifle or a rifle used for
loading or unloading while the trigger once again of how good a mass- precision shooting. However, since the
is still blocked. produced trigger can be. With no Magpul Scout is for down and dirty
Pushing the slide all the way detectable trace of creep or overtravel, use in a world of hard knocks, I left the
forward readies the rifle for firing. the AccuTrigger broke crisply at 3.75 trigger alone.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 34 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM
 I
n North America, we have the
HUNTING AFRICAN PLAINS GAME luxury of planning for a specific
REQUIRES A UNIQUE LEVEL OF encounter. On the bottom end,
it might be a Coues whitetail or
VERSATILITY. WHAT’S THE BEST pronghorn at longer range or a
CARTRIDGE CHOICE? big, tough black bear at closer range.
Shots at elk and moose are all over the
map, but we know they’re big, and we
by Craig Boddington ________________________
can plan accordingly.
You have no such luxury in Africa.
There’s no telling what a given day on
safari might bring—from shooting con-
ditions to species diversity. Including
subspecies, there must be 150 varieties
of African antelopes, from jackrabbit-
size dik-diks and duikers to 2,000-pound
elands. Then you have the pigs and the
zebras. For this discussion, I’ll ignore
the Big Five but will include Africa’s full
suite of small predators.
Today, at least 75 percent of all African
hunts are for non-dangerous game, and
chances are one rifle is enough. And your
favorite deer or elk rifle should suffice.
The rifle must be adequate for the largest
game you intend to shoot, at the farthest
distances you are comfortable shooting.
Even if you take more than one, when
you start a stalk you will have just one
rifle, so it should be versatile enough to
handle anything you might encounter.
On my early safaris, I carried a few
180-grain full-metal-jacket match loads
for my .30-06, shooting to same point of
impact as my 180-grain Nosler Partitions,
but I soon decided it was too complicat-
ed to switch loads on the fly. That’s why
today I believe the plains game rifle—
and its one load—must be adequate for
the largest game you intend to hunt.
I have no idea how many cartridges
I’ve used, brought and borrowed on
African hunts. Here are my thoughts on
some of the best choices.
As to the low end, the .243 is nearly
perfect for springbok up to impala, and
the cartridge is just as popular over there
as here. However, I just don’t consider it
versatile enough to be the plains game
rifle. Similarly, I’ve used a .250 Savage
for smaller antelopes and pigs, and if
you have a pet .25 you’re compelled to
take, be my guest. But it should not be
your only rifle.
To my thinking, the 6.5mms and
.270s are sensible minimums. Here I’m
assuming eland is not on the menu, and
I will offer cautions. Older 6.5mms—

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 35 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 JACK OF ALL PLAINS

6.5x53R, 65x54 MS, 6.5x55—have a rich at longer distances, especially zebras. It weights. That makes sense, because
history in Africa. Such history was made seems to me that bullets in the 140-grain with these cartridges, bullet weight is
with long, heavy 160-grain bullets, in a class are light for this, therefore I would now competitive with the 7mm, and
time before scopes were widespread, so assume even faster 6.5mms like the .26 velocity is similar. After all, there’s only
ranges were short. Nosler and 6.5.-.300 Wby. Mag. would 0.007 inch difference in diameter be-
The 6.5x55 is still popular in Africa suffer the same shortcoming. tween .277 and .284.
and, because of its huge popularity, 6.5 This puts the traditional .270s—.270 Speaking of the 7mm, there are 7mm
Creedmoors are often seen on safari. Win., .270 WSM and .270 Wby. Mag.—in fans and .30 caliber fans—and never the
They are effective up close, even on the same boat; their 1:10 twist barrels twain shall meet. Still, I think .284 and
larger antelopes, but have questionable max out with 150-grain bullets. Yes, .308 are the two most ideal calibers for
energy at longer ranges. but most African shooting is within 300 the full run of African plains game, and
If a 6.5mm is your thing, then I rec- yards. So as long as you aren’t stretching there are plenty of great cartridges in
ommend stepping up to one of the fast- the barrel—or shooting an eland—the both diameters, at wide velocity ranges.
er cartridges. The 6.5-.284 Norma, .264 “old” .270s are marvelous plains game It depends on how far you want to shoot
Win. Mag., 6.5 RPM and 6.5 PRC are cartridges. and how much recoil you’re willing to
ballistically much the same: 140-grain My wife is more a .270 girl than I’m soak up.
bullet at about 3,000 fps. Faster and with a .270 guy, but we’ve both taken a lot I’ve done a lot of African hunting
more energy than the Creedmoor and of plains game with various .270 Win. with the old 7x57 Mauser, and both my
6.5x55, there’s a big difference in their rifles. When using tough bullets—130 daughters have used the 7mm-08, its
effect on game. to 150 grains—I can’t recall problems ballistic twin, almost exclusively. In
Even so, I have not been impressed by that couldn’t be explained by imperfect these mild cartridges, we have usually
either the .264 or 6.5 PRC on larger game shot placement. Both of us have taken used 140-grain bullets, and they’ve been
African game with some extra-long awesome in performance on game up to
shots with .270s, also with no problems. zebra, but we don’t stretch the range.
However, I can’t recall combining extra- After decades of experience, I am
large with extra-long. convinced the mild 7mms are more
New .270s—6.8 Western and .27 effective on larger game than the mild
Nosler—have faster twists and use 6.5mms, the primary difference being
heavier bullets. I used a 6.8 Western in a frontal area. The 7mm is 0.020 inch
Legendary Arms Works Model 704 rifle larger than the 6.5, and while that
in South Africa in 2022 with 162- and doesn’t sound like much, I can’t explain
175-grain bullets. Some of the shots it any other way.
were on the long side, and while one Back in the 1980s and ’90s, I used
safari’s bag proves nothing, it seemed the 7mm Rem. Mag. on several safaris.
to me performance was about the same I never stepped up to 175-grain bul-
(L.-r.): 7mm-08, 7x57, .280 Rem., 7mm. as with a fast 7mm using like bullet lets—my rifle didn’t like them—so I
Rem. Mag., .28 Nosler. The 7mms are all used 160- to 165-grain slugs. These
good plains game cartridges, and the ones are much different from 140-grainers,
that can handle the heaviest bullets might which means you can take the gloves off
be the best choices of all. regarding distance.
There are several cartridges in similar
velocity class with the 7mm Rem. Mag.,
which pushes a 160-grain bullet to
almost 3,000 fps: 7mm WSM and Rem.
Short Action Ultra Mag, .280 Ackley
Improved and more. There’s not much
in Africa you can’t do with them.
In 2023, hunting in the Eastern Cape
with Fred Burchell, we were looking for
a kudu near sunset. Three eland bulls
stood on a ridge at 300 yards. I was using
Fred’s Model 700 Sendero 7mm Rem.
Mag. with 150-grain Tipped GameKing.
The Rem. Mag. is not an eland cartridge,
With the new heavy bullets, Boddington believes performance with .277 caliber cartridges and the GameKing is not an eland bul-
like the 6.8 Western is much the same as with a fast 7mm with like bullet weights. let, but the opportunity was now. I shot

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 36 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 JACK OF ALL PLAINS

carefully low in the shoulder crease. The part of a group at Carl Van Zyl’s John X the heaviest 7mm bullet I’ve seen used.
bull swapped ends, so I used the same Safaris. I brought a rifle, but most of our Performance astonished me on all sizes
hold and shot again. The bull dropped. six-man group hadn’t brought rifles, of game at all ranges.
Now the 7mms have a new dimen- so Carl “issued” them Gunwerks rifles I have mostly been a .30 caliber guy
sion. Remington used a 1:9.25 twist for in 7mm LRM, a Gunwerks proprietary for African plains game. I started in
its Big Seven, so bullet weight maxed cartridge that is nearly identical to the Kenya in 1977 with a Ruger Model 77
out at about 175 grains. In 2022 I was new 7mm PRC. Ammo was 180 grains, in .30-06, and its performance was so
good that, to this day, I recommend the
.30-06 as one of the all-around best for
plains game. Back then, I was shooting
180-grain Partitions. In the early 2000s,
doing a lot of African filming, I used
Hornady factory loads with 180-grain
InterLock bullets.
There’s little you can’t do with a
180-grain bullet in the .30-06, provided
you aren’t inclined to stretch the range.
On that 2022 hunt, I brought a Gun-
werks .300 Win. Mag., firing Hornady’s
also-new 190-grain CX. On the first day,
I shot a fine kudu bull at 540 yards. It
was the longest shot I’d taken in Africa,
and while it could have been done with
an ’06, I doubt I would have tried.
Eland is the big wild card—emphasis on big—and can call for larger calibers than other Various fast .30s from .300 H&H
species. But remember that if it’s a one-gun deal, you’ll have to shoot that one gun a lot, so to .300 Rem. Ultra Mag. with 180- or
you have to be comfortable with it. 200-grain bullets are hard to beat.
However, I am so impressed by the new
heavy 7mm bullets that I’ve ordered a
Sticks and Scopes 7mm PRC from Flat Creek Precision,
and I hope to carry it in Africa.

M If eland is on the menu, there’s an

argument for a medium magnum, and
they do work. I took my 8mm Rem. Mag.
on several safaris, and .338 Win. Mag.
and .340 Wby. Mag. as well. The latter
cartridge finally convinced me of the
error of my ways. The thing about the
plains game rifle is that—unlike any-
where else—in Africa you might shoot it
several times daily. Therefore you must
be comfortable with it.
We all have a recoil threshold. In
Ethiopia in ’93, I took only a .340 Wby.
Mag. It had a good run of success, and
I shot it a lot, but it wasn’t fun. That
same argument applies to the awesome
.375 H&H. The .375s and 9.3mms are
versatile and good choices for a one-
rifle safari. You can, and will, get by, but
they are not plains game rifles.
The plains game rifle must be accu-
rate, should be reasonably flat-shooting
and must give you confidence. Also,
it must be shootable—because you’re
going to shoot it a lot.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 38 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY’S LATEST 2020,
THE BOUNDARY, IS A TRADITIONAL
SPORTER—BUT ONE THAT KEEPS A LOT
OF THE ORIGINAL’S HIGH TECH.
W
hen Springfield
Armory released the
2020 series of rifles,
I was impressed
with what I saw.
I’ve tested a couple over the years
and found them to be well-designed
and well-executed rifles available at
attractive prices. The only elements I
was not a fan of were the vertical grip
and detachable magazine which, for
a hunting rifle, are not my favorite
features.
The new 2020 Boundary does away
with those—harnessing the elements
of the 2020 Waypoint that make it such
a great rifle but in a more traditional
hunting configuration.
The 2020 Boundary uses the same
push-feed action as the other center-
fire models in the 2020 series. It bears
noting that, unlike many other designs
on the market, the 2020 action is not a
pure 700 clone. It uses a cone breech,
which means the rear of the barrel
effectively serves as a funnel to guide
cartridges into the chamber; there are
no step cuts or corners for a cartridge
to hang up on.
Cone breeches are most commonly
associated with 1903 Springfield rifles
and pre-’64 Winchester Model 70s,
both of which are well-regarded for
their reliability. The cone breech is
especially valuable when a cartridge
is dropped into the action rather than
fed via the magazine since it could take
an unorthodox path on its way into the
chamber.
All 2020 actions are heat-treated
first and then machined. This process
adds cost and is tough on tooling, but
it eliminates the potential for warpage.
The receiver itself is machined from
stainless steel and has a cylindrical
profile. The action raceways are wire
EDM cut so they are both straight
and smooth. This method is slow and
expensive compared to broaching, but
the outcome is superior.
The action uses an integral recoil lug
and a low-profile bolt stop at the nine
o’clock position. The receiver is drilled
and tapped on the Remington 700
mounting pattern and comes equipped
with a Picatinny rail. In addition to the
four screws holding the rail in place,
there are also two steel dowel pins that

41
 PUSHING BOUNDARIES

lock into recesses in the action and rail The extractor is a sliding-plate style, the bolt body rather than being brazed
for added strength. somewhat similar to those found on or welded on, making it extremely
The bolt is made from 4140 chrome- the Savage 110. The ejector is a spring- strong. Thanks to the different steels,
moly steel and nitrided. Despite the loaded plunger-type, inset into the bolt finishes and hardness levels between
cone breech, the 2020’s bolt face is face and held in place by a roll pin. the receiver and the bolt, there is no
counterbored into the bolt body, pro- The steel bolt body is spiral fluted risk of galling, and the action cycles
viding a margin of safety in the event of with wide cuts. The bolt handle pro- extremely smoothly.
a case-head separation. trudes through the entire diameter of Rifle customers focus a great deal
on accuracy but often pay little atten-
tion to reliability, almost assuming that
a gun will function as it was intended.
This isn’t always a safe bet, and readers
would be surprised at how many bolt-
action repeaters I see that have issues
when it comes to feeding, especially
with short-action cartridges. This can
become a real problem in the field.
The fact is that I would rather hunt
with a 1.5 m.o.a. rifle that is reliable
than a 0.25 m.o.a. rifle that is finicky.
Springfield Armory’s engineers obvi-
ously spent time considering reliability
While it has a traditionally styled sporter stock, albeit a carbon-fiber one, the 2020 Bound- when they designed this rifle, and it
ary retains the high-end design details and production techniques that are the hallmarks of shows. My example fed, fired, extracted
Springfield’s 2020 action. and ejected without a single hiccup.
The 2020 Boundary is offered with
two barrel options: a fluted stainless
steel barrel, and a carbon-fiber BSF
barrel. My test rifle was equipped with
the fluted stainless option and was
chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, which
meant that the barrel is 22 inches.
Rifles chambered in .308 Win. get 20-
inch barrels, and rifles chambered for
magnum cartridges come with 24-inch
barrels.
The barrel is threaded 5/8x24 at the
muzzle and includes both a multi-port
brake and a smooth thread protector. A
direct-thread suppressor can be easily
mounted. One option that Springfield
Armory may want to consider in this
Hunters who prefer internal magazines and hinged floorplates over detachable box mags lineup is producing Boundaries with
will love the new Boundary’s setup. shorter barrels intended for dedicated
suppressor use—as the company did
A C C U R A C Y R E S U LT S with the Redline version.
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 2020 BOUNDARY The 2020 Boundary uses a Trig-
gerTech trigger that is adjustable from
2.5 to five pounds without disas-
sembling the rifle. There is a single
hex screw forward of the trigger bow
that is used to adjust the pull weight.
Mine came from the factory set at 3.5
pounds. TriggerTech has quickly built
Notes:
a reputation for producing triggers
with excellent pulls thanks to its roller

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 42 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

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well-earned time off. Because the first powder optimized
for suppression and copper fouling elimination has arrived.

Phone 913-362-9455 • www.hodgdon.com

 PUSHING BOUNDARIES

system, which eliminates creep. The hand and can dig into your back when gunsmith to drill and tap into the block
trigger on this rifle was no exception. slung. I was never able to completely to secure a rail or other accessory.
Others undoubtedly disagree but I warm up to the 2020 Waypoint as a There is also an M-Lok compatible
am not a fan of detachable magazines hunting rifle for this reason, which is attachment point on the fore-end of
on big game rifles. First of all, the fact why I was so pleasantly surprised when the Boundary. I installed a magnetic
that they are not bolted on means that the Boundary was announced. adapter that allowed me to add either
they can get lost in the field. Also, since Unlike the other rifles in the 2020 a bipod or a tripod, two accessories I
they often protrude from the belly of lineup, the Boundary feeds from an commonly use in the field while hunt-
the rifle, they also make a gun less internal magazine. In the case of my ing. The stock also has four attachment
handy and comfortable to carry in one 6.5 Creedmoor, the magazine has a points for QD-style sling swivels, one
capacity of four rounds. Instead of a on either side of the fore-end and one
magazine protruding from the belly of on each side of the butt.
S P E C I F I C AT I O N S the stock, the Boundary uses sporter- I have used a couple of AG Compos-
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY style bottom metal with a trigger guard ites stocks on my own custom builds,
and hinged magazine floorplate. The and I am confident in their quality
2020 BOUNDARY
floorplate release is located inside the construction. Internally, the stock has
trigger guard. two aluminum pillars that act as bed-
Like the magazine assembly, the ding points for the action. If this rifle
stock on the Boundary also fits the were mine, I would take a few hours to
traditional sporter theme. Springfield glass-bed it, since I’ve never seen a rifle
Armory chose the Sportsman carbon- that didn’t benefit from bedding when
fiber stock from Alabama-based AG done correctly. That said, there was no
Composites. The Sportsman has a indication that there was a bedding
0.625-inch drop at the comb and 0.375 issue with this rifle: no double groups,
inch at the heel with a 13.5-inch length crazy fliers or vertical stringing.
of pull. There is no cheekpiece, and The stock was hand-sponge-painted
there is a one-inch recoil pad at the with a green, gray and tan Rogue
butt. The stock is 1.5 inches wide at the camo pattern that complemented the
butt and 1.75 inches through the fore- carbon-fiber pattern partially visible
end. The stock itself weighs 27 ounces. underneath. The major metal compo-
Unlike many sporting rifles avail- nents, other than the black nitrided
able on the market today, the stock on bolt, were coated with gray Cerakote.
the 2020 Boundary is rigid enough for Overall, this is an attractive rifle with
serious use, and the barrel is complete- the modern custom look that is com-
ly free-floated. Under the carbon-fiber mon with many premium factory
shell on the fore-end is an aluminum offerings.
block that not only provides structural The 2020 Boundary arrived with a
integrity but allows the owner or a Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44mm scope
mounted in Leupold Backcountry
mounts and, much to my delight, had
already been zeroed. I headed to the
range on a hot, still morning and tested
the Boundary’s 100-yard accuracy with
three types of ammunition. Though
it was tempting to see how this rifle
would shoot with match loads, I felt it
would be more relevant to test it with
hunting ammo designed for use in the
field.
I used the factory-installed muzzle
brake during testing, so recoil was ex-
tremely mild. I found the sporter-style
stock to be very comfortable, and the
quality trigger helped when it came to
The 2020 Boundary’s AG Composites stock has two M-Lok attachment points and QD sling shooting good groups. All in all, I loved
swivel cups in the fore-end, along with cups on either side of the buttstock. the way this rifle handled and shot.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 44 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

BETTER GET
YOUR TAXIDERMIST
ON SPEED DIAL.
It’s a wide open shot but you just can’t close the distance in time.
<RXUUDQJHÀQGHUDJUHHV\DUGVDQGVRPHFKDQJH,W VDKHOOXYD
stretch between you and that trophy—and the setting sun isn’t doing
\RXDQ\IDYRUV<RXLQKDOHVORZO\WDNHDLPDQGWKLQNWR\RXUVHOI
I sure hope the freezer is big enough.

AMMOINC.COM

HUNT LONG RANGE WITH CONFIDENCE.

+XQW/5&UHHGPRRU³H[FOXVLYHO\IURP$002,QF
 PUSHING BOUNDARIES

All three loads grouped well, but a hard time building a rifle with these
my best accuracy came from Nosler’s components for the price Springfield
Trophy Grade 142-grain AccuBond Armory is charging.
Long Range ammunition. As you can And it gets better. From now until
see, the average of three, three-shot December 31, 2024, if you buy a 2020
groups was 0.56 inch. I fiddled around Boundary—or any other 2020 center-
with the group analysis tool in Hor- fire, including the Waypoint and the
nady’s 4DOF ballistic app and was able Redline—you will get a Model 2020
to measure a composite of all three Rimfire Black Target rifle for free.
groups. I used this system to overlay Details for this are handled through
the impacts into a single nine-round Springfield’s website following your
group, which measured just 0.81 inch. purchase.
That’s impressive accuracy from a sub- I am often asked what my favorite
seven-pound factory rifle with off-the- hunting rifle is. The only way to cred-
shelf ammunition. ibly answer that question is to break The barrel is threaded 5/8x24 and comes
Suggested retail on the steel- things down by price point. Going equipped with a multi-port muzzle brake as
barreled 2020 Boundary is $2,173, and forward, when that question is framed well as a plain thread protector.
$2,599 for the BSF-equipped barrel. If around a $2,000 price tag, my answer
that sounds pricey, get out your calcu- will likely be the 2020 Boundary. For a rifle built with high-quality compo-
lator. The AG Composites Sportsman company that began marketing bolt- nents. The rifle’s tactical-style stock and
retails for $689, and the TriggerTech action rifles only a handful of years detachable magazine weren’t ideal for
primary goes for $180. Add about $300 ago, Springfield Armory has quickly everyone, though. Those of us who pre-
for a premium barrel and $150 for bot- risen to the top tier. fer a more traditional sporter-style stock
tom metal and you’re up over $1,300 With the release of the 2020 series and internal magazine had to wait our
without an action, gunsmithing or four years ago, Springfield Armory turn and, with the release of the 2020
finishing. The truth is you would have made a strong showing with a modern Boundary, our time has come.

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by Frank Melloni ________________________________________________________

N
othing generates a buzz tion, starting with one that began in ing negligible thanks to modern CNC
like a manufacturer 2019 with the Raging Hunter revolver processes. Therefore, Taurus added that
working outside its realm line. Taurus is making strides to reach third lug, dropping the lift to just 60 de-
and creating a product beyond the self-defense market and ac- grees and further securing the lock-up.
that not only shows it’s commodate outdoors folk. The configuration of these lugs also
capable at something new but is pretty Second, we see the higher-end flavor creates a self-centering effect that aids
darn good, too. When Taurus intro- that was introduced with the Executive in chamber alignment, accurizing the
duced its Expedition hunting rifle at Grade series. Shouldering the rifle and entire package. It operates on a simple
SHOT Show, I walked briskly to the dry firing at the ceiling, I immediately push-feed system, which does deeply
booth to check it out. Not sure what knew that I wanted some more time cut manufacturing costs while increas-
to expect, I was not only delighted but with it. ing reliability.
impressed with what the company The best place to start with a new As for removing brass, the Expedi-
had put together. The design was fresh, bolt-action rifle is logically the bolt tion’s bolt is built with an external
smooth and, above all, handy. itself. Two-lug designs are beginning to AR-15-style extractor backed up by dual
Taurus’s new bolt-action rifle marks show their age, as the bolt lift is typically plunger ejectors. The duo ensures that
a few key shifts in the company’s direc- long and the cost savings are becom- the fired case is forcefully ripped from

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 48 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

up shot, this makes all the difference. had a measured pull weight of 5.2 swing the rifle inside those confines is
The bolt head connects to a spiral pounds. Although the trigger’s a little more advantageous than slightly better
fluted body, which cuts down weight stiff for a target rifle, I thought this was long-range accuracy and energy.
while adding a touch of flair to the pack- consistent with the hunting theme, Shorter barrels are becoming more
age, particularly since it matches the since buck fever has a way of ruining prevalent because we’re finding out
barrel, which I’ll discuss later. The same trigger-finger discipline. During dry- that their reduced length also reduces
holds true for the skeletonized handle. fire, I checked it for slack, creep and their harmonics, making them less
This is threaded to accept its minimal- overtravel, which it was impressively finicky with respect to ammo. They also
ist knob, which can be swapped with a devoid of. The trigger is more of a switch respond better to suppressors, as they
number of aftermarket options if you than a dial, which I absolutely adore on reduce the can’s leverage and miti-
prefer something girthier. any firearm. gate their point-of-impact shift when
Moving on to the receiver, Taurus As for the rest of the controls, there is installed.
made this its own in a way that didn’t a bolt release on the left-hand side and The medium-contour barrel has
reinvent the wheel. Yes, it’s Remington a push-button magazine catch on the what I would describe as a linear taper,
700-ish, but because today’s rifle own- stock that I’ll get to in a bit. following the same angle from the bolt
ers like to customize their guns, show Taurus settled on an 18-inch barrel, face to the muzzle. At the tip, there is a
me another action that can even come making this one compact rifle. The bar- half inch of 5/8x24 threading, making it
to close in aftermarket support. rel is hammer forged with 1:10 rifling easy to mount a suppressor or muzzle
Aside from that, its tubular nature and secured to the action with a barrel brake.
means it can be cut from a single piece nut. While this is indeed short for the The inletting and action screw
of bar stock, bringing us back to that .308 Win. it is chambered to, when you pattern of the Expedition follows the
intersection of simplicity and durability. consider that most hunting shots are typical 700 footprint. Taurus could have
The Expedition uses a typical 700-style going to take place inside of 300 yards, grabbed any of the many capable after-

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 49 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

market stocks out there and called it a the stock is extended to meet the sup- that camp, too, until I realized that nei-
day, but it didn’t. Instead, the company port hand, which will either be balled ther my students using my loaner rifles
started from scratch and built precisely up or squeezing a rear bag. When you’re nor I has ever broken one made of this
what it thought the gun needed to op- firing from a benchrest or in the prone material. Regardless where you sit on
timize its use, adding plenty of modern position, closing this gap connects the the topic, everybody should be glad to
features along the way. rifle to the ground, providing exponen- hear that it consists of an oversize trig-
It’s an injection-molded polymer tially greater stability. ger guard and an ambidextrous maga-
stock with a unique contour. The most The injection molding process is zine catch. Metal is prevalent where it is
obvious is the relief found halfway up friendly to additions, so Taurus went most important, though, namely in the
the fore-end. This attribute is intended crazy with it. Rather than choosing one bedding blocks found on each end of
to make the rifle more conducive to use connectivity solution for slings and the receiver.
with a tripod, which is becoming more bipods, the Expedition has three. Up Since the scope-mount geometry is
popular in hunting circles. front, you’ll find a classic sling stud, and Remington 700, adding a scope is rela-
The pistol grip is straighter than slightly behind it you’ll find a Spartan tively easy. I went with a Warne Vapor
those on most hunting rifles, allowing Precision adapter. You can quickly zero m.o.a. rail and mounted a Sight-
for a better trigger finger position—en- add a QD bipod built to these socket mark Core 2.0 TX 4-16x44mm optic.
couraging a rearward press as opposed dimensions or even a sling wearing the This scope’s relatively small objective
to one that sweeps upward. It’s also appropriate hardware. allows it to sit tight to the rifle, and it
enlarged to fill the hand and accommo- There are two metallic M-Lok slots features an illuminated mil-dot reticle
date the newer thumb-forward style of that are essentially catch-alls for any- set in the second focal plane.
firing-hand placement. thing else you might wish to add. All Considering that most hunting shots
As hunting scopes grow in size, these are paired with a single sling stud take place during the early morning or
cheek placements need to be higher, in the back, keeping things streamlined. evening hours, being able to light up the
and Taurus is paying attention here with As for bottom metal, it’s more like crosshairs makes a big difference. Fur-
a raised cheekpiece that helps align bottom plastic, which I know will elicit a thermore, since it remains fine through-
your optic to your eye. The bottom of few groans. I’ll admit I used to be part of out the power range, it won’t widen with
magnification and eclipse important
target details, like shoulders.
The complete package weighed 8.9
pounds but was exceptionally well bal-

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S

TAURUS EXPEDITION

The Expedition is built along the lines of a Remington 700 action, and it feeds from AICS-
type detachable magazines.

There are plenty of options on the fore-end, including M-Lok slots, a Spartan Precision QD
mount and a standard sling-swivel stud.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 50 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

anced. This is undoubtedly a product m.o.a. guarantee. Results are shown in the rounds off into the action. However,
of the shorter barrel paired with the the accompanying table. The Expedi- I noticed it was a little tough to close the
widened buttstock. tion feeds off an AICS-pattern maga- bolt on the Remington fodder, but that’s
With the rifle ready to fire, I took a zine, so fitting the long-ogive ammuni- likely just a case of Remington using
trip to the range to see if it met its sub- tion wasn’t a problem, nor was sliding the high side of the SAAMI specs and
Taurus using the low side.
The Remington ammo did shoot
well, though, with its smallest group
measuring just 0.96 inch. Hornady
bested it by a few tenths, with its best
group coming in at 0.67. The Federal
Berger load showed me that stability
with heavier bullets isn’t a problem, as
it also shot several sub-m.o.a. groups
with the tightest measuring a scant
0.781 inch. Altogether, it was impressive
to see how well the Expedition liked the
first three loads I grabbed off the shelf,
which is seldom the case.
Shooting a light .308 off a bench
without a muzzle device isn’t exactly
The three-lug bolt is fluted and incorporates an AR-15-style extractor, along with twin fun for the shoulder, so I decided to
plunger ejectors. stretch things out with a tripod (see
sidebar). Running the gun left-handed,
A C C U R A C Y R E S U LT S I found it advantageous to keep my
firing hand in position while using my
TAURUS EXPEDITION right hand to work the bolt.
Once I figured DOPE, I had no
trouble putting five consecutive rounds
on a 12-inch gong at 500 yards. In this
configuration, much of the recoil was
transferred throughout the tripod, mak-
7 ing the experience much more plea-
Notes: surable and allowing me to watch my
bullets arrive through the scope.
I fired a total of nine boxes of am-
munition without a single failure. Aside
Kopfjäger K800 from the fact that it ran well, I enjoyed
the compact nature of the Expedition,
Tripod with Reaper Grip the cleverly designed stock and the
unbelievably crisp trigger. I believe

T the gun would be better served with a

muzzle brake, but that is trivial.
My only other gripe is the rifle being
limited to the .308 Win. and 6.5 Creed-
moor, as the action is perfectly suitable
for many of the short-action magnums
out there. Additionally, it would make
one handy rifle in some of the brush
busters, like .450 Bushmaster.
Overall, I think Taurus has made
an excellent entry into the bolt-action
space with a firearm that is unique and
purely its own, and it wouldn’t shock
me one bit if I’m reviewing additional
chamberings next year.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 52 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 A FEATURE-RICH NEW BREED OF RRA AR RIFLES.

AR1563.A (5.56)
CALIBER

450B1563.A (.450)

350L1563.A (.350)

PERFORMANCE COUNTS
ROCKRIVERARMS.COM
 THE NEW HAMMERLI ARMS FORCE B1 STRAIGHT-PULL .22 IS A
RIMFIRE THAT CAN DO IT ALL.
by Keith Wood _________________________________________________________

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 54 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 it is designed to share many of that rifle’s
components—therefore a wide variety of
aftermarket accessories are available.
Why the straight-pull rather than a
semiautomatic? There are a couple of
reasons. The first is reliability. The Force
B1 was designed to function with the full
variety of .22 loads available. Addition-
ally, the rifle was engineered to be multi-
caliber so, for example, you could install
a .22 WMR barrel when one becomes an
option. Due to differences in chamber
pressure and bolt velocity, making a
semi-auto action cycle both cartridges
would be nearly impossible.
With the straight-pull system, we get
the utmost in versatility and flexibility
but with a speed that rivals that of a
semiauto. Finally, there are places in the
world where semiautos are not legal to
own, and the Force B1 avoids that trap
altogether.
The Force B1’s receiver is machined
from a block of 7075 aluminum with an
integral Picatinny rail. There is a toggle
assembly on the right side of the bolt
that actuates the movement of the bolt/
breechblock. From the user’s perspec-
tive, this is facilitated with an oversize
polymer lever that is simply moved
rearward and forward. The action is eas-
ily cycled using the right hand and just
one finger.
There is a red dot on the top of the
toggle lever that indicates whether or
not the bolt is fully in battery. If you can
see the dot, the bolt is not fully closed.
Despite my lack of familiarity with the
system, running the bolt became second
nature almost immediately, and I found
I could do this without losing the target
in the scope.
Like other elements of the design,
the bolt cycle is long enough to allow for
future compatibility with cartridges in-

T
cluding the .22 WMR. The ejection port
is also sufficiently large to allow for the
longer cases to eject properly. The bolt is
fitted with a spring-loaded extractor, and
a fixed ejector projects through a slot cut
in the underside of the bolt body.
If there is one truly unique element
of the Force B1’s design, it is the method
practical rifle. Umarex. by which the barrel attaches. Instead of
If you are familiar with the Ham- The Hammerli Arms Force B1 is a using threads or fasteners, the barrel is
merli Arms name, it is likely due to the toggle-style, straight-pull repeating rim- held in place by the same style of spring-
company’s history as a maker of target fire rifle made in Germany. Although loaded coupler used to attach air hose
pistols for Olympics-style competitions. the Force B1 is not a Ruger 10/22 clone, accessories.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 55 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 FORCE PLAY

There is a knurled collar on the front cisely to zero when the barrel is removed is impossible with many non-turnbolt
of the receiver. Retracting that collar, and replaced, but in my experience it rimfires on the market. Second, it allows
which can be accomplished with mere will be very close. A notch cut into the the rifle to be stored or transported in a
thumb pressure, releases the barrel. barrel’s six o’clock position ensures the smaller container, reducing the overall
Removing and replacing the barrel takes barrel will not lock into place unless it is length by 6.5 inches in the case of the
roughly five seconds to accomplish. The properly positioned, so there’s no risk of standard 16.1-inch barrel. Finally, the
barrel is held in place with eight spheri- installing it incorrectly. system will allow for a rapid cartridge
cal bushings, aka ball bearings. The quick-change barrel removal conversion once a .22 WMR or other
The system is lightning fast, secure feature provides three tangible benefits. barrel becomes available.
and repeatable. The company doesn’t The first is it makes the rifle easy to clean The 16.1-inch barrel has six-groove
promise that the system will return pre- from the chamber end, something that rifling and a twist rate of 1:16.5. The
muzzle is threaded 1/2x28 and cov-
ered with a knurled thread protector.
I mounted a rimfire suppressor to the
rifle, but found that it shifted the point of
impact outside of the scope’s adjust-
ment range, so I removed it. I’m not
sure if the issue was with this particular
suppressor or if there was something
else going on.
If there was one thing that I didn’t
love about the Force B1, it was the trig-
ger. It wasn’t the pull weight, although at
nearly six pounds it wasn’t light; it was
the safety lever embedded into the trig-
ger’s face. After a few magazines, it hurt
my finger. Perhaps I’m a sissy, but I had
a rough and tough former Marine on
the range with me, and he had the same
complaint.

The Force B1 features a straight-pull action that uses a toggle to operate the locking
S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
mechanism, but the basic footprint is the Ruger 10/22, and the Force B1 takes some of the
same accessories in case you want to customize. HAMMERLI FORCE B1

The Force B1’s quick-change barrel system is unique. Retracting the spring-loaded collar
at the receiver releases the barrel, which then slides forward. Swapping barrels takes only
seconds, and more rimfire chamberings such as .22 WMR are anticipated.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 56 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

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 FORCE PLAY

The good news is that the trigger unit ejected with 100 percent reliability. Ac- To be honest I didn’t “get” the
is compatible with those intended for curacy was very impressive, particularly Force B1 at first glance. But since I’ve
the 10/22, so there are plenty of after- with CCI’s Standard Velocity load. Expe- learned about the rifle’s versatility, the
market options available. The crossbolt rience tells me that, with a better trigger, multi-cartridge capability and the vari-
manual safety is inset into the trigger this could have been a one-ragged-hole ous unique features, my opinion has
guard and can be disengaged using the rifle with the CCI ammunition. changed dramatically.
trigger finger. At this point, the Force B1 is available This is a well-thought-out rifle that
Like the trigger assembly, the maga- only in .22 LR, but clearly the Hammerli is truly one of a kind in many ways.
zine is compatible with the 10/22. As a Arms engineering team has its eye on Its cross-compatibility with the 10/22
matter of fact, my Force B1 shipped with expanding that lineup. Hopefully we will opens up myriad accessories for shoot-
a Ruger-branded 10-round rotary maga- see barrels available in additional cham- ers to choose from. The quality of the
zine. Because the magazine well is sized berings soon. The .22 WMR is certainly construction is evident throughout the
to accept .22 WMR magazines, Ham- in the cards, and I don’t see why a .17 rifle and is indicative of its German
merli Arms includes a removable poly- HMR would not be an option. origin.
mer adapter that snaps onto a .22 Long I envision the Force B1 in a nylon Any rifle of this type begs for com-
Rifle mag to ensure it locks into the rifle takedown case with multiple barrels parison with the Ruger 10/22. With
properly. The magazine release is an and magazines available for different dozens of available models, it is tough
ambidextrous lever contoured along the uses. Plinking? Grab the .22 LR barrel. to compare apples to apples, but a
leading edge of the trigger guard. Coyote in the chicken coop? Get the .22 few points bear consideration. The
The stock on the Force B1 is molded WMR. Prairie dogs? Hand me the .17 Ruger can’t touch the Force B1 when
polymer and is somewhat ingenious. HMR. The possibilities aren’t endless, it comes to multi-cartridge capability;
The stock has modern lines with a verti- but they are many. the realities of a blowback semiauto
cal pistol grip that positions the hand
so the toggle is easily within reach. The
stock is also user-adaptable without
tools. Length of pull can be adjusted to
six different positions by pressing a but-
ton inset into the recoil pad at the rear of
the stock. The overall length-of-pull ad-
justment is from 14.63 to 16.63 inches.
Additionally, the soft rubber comb can
be removed and flipped upside down to
add 0.75 inch of height.
There is a rigid metal plate screwed
into the underside of the stock’s fore-
end that provides four M-Lok attach-
ment points. This system allows for the
easy installation of a bipod, sling swivel
stud or other accessories. There is a
single female QD sling attachment point
at the toe of the stock.
There are no iron sights, but the With the push of a button on the buttpad, shooters can adjust the stock’s length of pull to
integral rail makes securing an optic six different positions. The soft rubber comb can also be reversed, raising the height by
a straightforward task. I mounted an 0.75 inch.
SWFA fixed 16X scope of known reli-
ability in a set of Nightforce lightweight A C C U R A C Y R E S U LT S
rings and headed to the range. I tested HAMMERLI FORCE B1
the Force B1 with three loads ranging
from a high velocity small game load to
slower match ammo.
Since this is a rimfire, my groups
were fired at 50 rather than 100 yards. As
with most .22 rifles, the standard veloc-
ity ammunition produced better groups, Notes:
but the beauty of the toggle system was
that all three fed, fired, extracted and

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 58 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 DURABLE
CONTRAST MADE ALUMINUM

SCAN TO
LEARN MORE

XSSIGHTS.COM
 FORCE PLAY

system simply don’t allow for that level

of flexibility. The takedown Ruger ver-
sions win in terms of portability since
their stock fore-ends separate with the
barrel, creating a shorter overall length
when disassembled.
But the Hammerli gets the nod
when it comes to the number of in-
novative features packed within. Price
is really a wash since the takedown
10/22s ($559 to $799) hover around the
same $649 suggested retail price as the
Force B1.
The Force B1 is a fun gun to spend
time on the range with. The deeper I
read into the owner’s manual, the more
hidden features I realize are included.
It is my belief that this rifle will be
the first in a very successful series. The Force B1 ships with a 10-round Ruger 10/22 rotary magazine that has a snap-on spacer,
Hammerli has not been a household allowing the mag to fit in the .22 WMR-size magazine well.
name in the United States but, with the
introduction of such an innovative rifle, While I don’t consider myself a hard- cartridges with the swap of a magazine
I believe it will be soon. core prepper, I can definitely see the and a barrel takes that versatility to
The company’s marketing materi- utility of a rimfire rifle in a scenario another level. The accuracy, reliability
als for the Force B1 revolve around a where supplies are limited. For such a and ability to accessorize the Force B1
fictional post-apocalyptic landscape. rifle to be capable of digesting multiple only add to its attractiveness.

.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 62 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM
 R
ock River Arms an-
KNOWN FOR ITS AR RIFLES, ROCK RIVER nounced its move into
STEPS OUT WITH THE XM24 TACTICAL the bolt-action rifle world
at the 2024 SHOT show.
BOLT ACTION. Long a potent force in the
AR-15 and AR-10 semiautomatic mar-
ket, Rock River earned its reputation
by building super-accurate rifles and
best-value National Match two-stage
trigger groups for ARs.
The new XM24 bolt action carries
on the accuracy legacy. The .308 Win.
version sent to RifleShooter for testing
shot absurdly well.
The XM24 is fed by a detachable
box magazine. The barrel-to-action
interface is basically a Remage-type (a
hybrid between a Remington 700 and a
Savage 110), so the model has switch-
barrel compatibility. Rock River touts it
as a mission-ready, tactical-grade tool
swappable between .308 Win. and .338
Lapua. Barrel and action are bolted
into an MDT ESS chassis.
The advertised weight is 13.2
pounds bare, although when I put the
rifle on a scale with the steel magazine
installed (more on this magazine in a
bit) it weighed 13.5 pounds.
Rock River commissioned a pro-
prietary bolt-action receiver by Pacific
Tool & Gauge. Fundamentally it’s a
Model 700-type action, with custom-
ized ejection port, the Remage barrel
attachment system I mentioned, and
the addition of a bolt-release button on
the left side of the receiver and a Sako-
type extractor.
The action footprint is pure Rem-
ington 700, enabling it to interface with
the vast selection of aftermarket Model
700 stocks and triggers on the market.
However, the action top is parallel,
rather than stepped like the Model 700,
and it takes Savage 110 scope bases in-
stead of 700 bases. However, the XM24
comes factory-fitted with a 20 m.o.a.
scope rail.
Square-bottomed spiral fluting
gives the bolt body a racy look, and
an oversize bolt knob provides a sure
grasp and extra leverage for easy func-
tioning. Serial number and cartridge
compatibility are laser etched into the
bolt handle, to help the shooter choose
the correct bolt for whatever barrel is
currently installed. The bolt shroud
and safety positioning and function are

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 63 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 ROCKING A NEW BOLT

pure Model 700. The trigger is the Trig-

gerTech Primary trigger.
A heavy-contour, straight-taper
barrel is attached by a barrel nut,
and XM24s come with a “crow-foot”
wrench for barrel removal and installa-
tion. Barrel diameter is robust, measur-
ing 0.94 inch at the muzzle and about
1.2 inches at the breech. Chambering
and twist are engraved into the barrel
breech and visible through the cutout
in the top of the MDT chassis.
Barrels are made of stainless steel.
They’re air-gauged to ensure precision,
then cryogenically treated. This treat-
ment, which involves freezing the bar-
rel in liquid nitrogen, relieves stresses
within the metal, and Rock River says
the process results in more predictable
harmonics. Metal finish is matte black
nitride. Up front, muzzles are threaded
and an aggressive side-ported brake is
installed and oriented via crush wash- In order to be able to accommodate both the .338 Lapua and the .308, the XM24 is mated
ers. with a magnum-length action and chassis.
Action and barrel are married with
an MDT ESS (for Elite Sniper Sys- machined there. And for guys who S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
tem) chassis. It’s a robust, heavy-duty need to carry the rifle with a sling, there
ROCK RIVER XM24 TACTICAL
chassis made of machined aluminum. are multiple QD attachment points.
MDT’s design focus for the ESS was MDT builds the ESS to accept AICS-
ultimate precision, configurability and type magazines. To accommodate both
modularity. It does not fold, which the .308 and the .338 Lapua, Rock River
is actually a good thing with this rifle chose the ESS that’s set up for long-ac-
because it eliminates the hinge and tion magazines. There’s a dual-winged
ensures there’s no flex between the mag release lever positioned at the
action bed and the stock portion of the front of the trigger guard. It’s easily ac-
chassis. tivated with the tip of the trigger finger
As with most chassis, the ESS is whether shooting right- or left-handed.
compatible with various AR-type grips, Generous internal beveling on the
and MDT’s own Elite pistol grip comes magazine well helps guide the maga-
on the XM24. It’s a nice rubberized grip zine into place, making the process of
with palm swells. seating a freshly loaded mag in a hurry
Aft, the buttstock area is skeleton- quite easy.
ized and features excellent configu- Forward of the magazine the chassis
rability in length of pull, recoil pad forms a sturdy, serrated wall to serve
positioning and cheek rest height. To as a barrier stop for shooting from
adjust, loosen the appropriate four- improvised positions. A short section of
winged polymer locking nuts and spin a composite material is installed there,
the adjustment wheel to attain the and this provides a warm-to-the-touch
desired length of pull or cheekpiece place at the balance point of the rifle to
height. You can even slide the rub- hold and carry it. The machined alumi-
ber buttpad up and down in a verti- num fore-end/handguard is octagonal
cal dovetail track until it’s positioned in shape, rich with M-Lok slots, and it
perfectly against your shoulder. has a large cutout in its top to allow the out the XM24 Tactical, I attached an At-
For those who want to run a bag use of big tactical scopes with massive las bipod to a section of rail M-Lok’d to
rider or a monopod on the toe of the objective housings. the bottom of the fore-end tip. Atop the
buttstock, there’s a single M-Lok slot Before heading to the range to wring receiver I mounted a terrific 7-35x56

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 64 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

Leupold Mark 5 scope in a one-piece
IMS mount.
Scrounging up five different .308
target loads, I was off to the range.
It was a balmy spring day but cold
enough that the barrel would cool
quickly. Because of the massive barrel
and the rifle’s intended tactical/preci-
sion purpose, I fired three consecutive
three-shot groups without allowing
the barrel to cool, with each type of
ammo. This test protocol enables me to
determine whether accuracy degrades
or point of impact shifts as the barrel
heats. Neither occurred. No surprise
there. Owing to the sizable diameter of
the barrel I was pretty sure the rifle was
going to shoot consistently well.
I first ran a series of groups with
Hornady’s Steel Match ammo topped
with 155-grain hollowpoint boat- MDT’s ESS stock is configurable for length of pull, cheek rest height and recoil pad position.
tail bullets. Even though it’s an older
“budget” target load, three consecutive
three-shot groups averaged just 0.56
inch. The XM24 was off to a great start.
SIG’s 175-grain OTM load took top
honors for the day, posting an average
of just 0.40 inch. Next came Hornady’s
TAP load with 168-grain A-Max bullets;
they stretched the caliper to 0.52 inch.
Four of the five loads tested aver-
aged less than an inch at 100 yards,
and three of the five averaged 0.56 inch
or less. That’s excellent accuracy and
consistency.
Recoil, thanks to the muzzle brake
and to the rifle’s massive weight—I
estimate it was around 18 pounds
with the scope and bipod—was mild. M-Lok slots in the fore-end provide plenty of places to add accessories, and the fore-end
Ergonomics were very good thanks to features a composite insert as well as a serrated barrier stop.
the outstanding configurability of the
chassis. the wrong magazine by mistake, one short-action .308 Win. cartridge, and I
The feel of the TriggerTech Primary for the .300 Win. Mag. The XM24 in think the rifle would be better as a .338
was nice and crisp, and it released at .308/.338 comes with a single-stack Lapua than as the .308 I tested.
precisely three pounds with less than MDT that holds 10 rounds in .308 and Also, the 26-inch .308 barrel on the
an ounce of variation, as tested with five in .338 Lapua. Function was 100 XM24 may have been en vogue with
my Lyman digital trigger gauge. percent reliable, though, when rounds SWAT snipers in the 1990s, but it’s
Any downsides? Yes. For starters, were fed through that mag—even if the completely out of date on a mod-
the bolt was a little sticky in operation. cartridge-to-follower fit was sloppy. ern rifle likely to be equipped with a
I get the sense this is due to the very Most of the cartridges I single-loaded suppressor. Today’s shooters—both
snug tolerances of the bolt in the race- into the side of the action fed fine too, civilian and military—are trending to
ways. There’s very little play between but occasionally one would hang up, shorter barrels.
bolt and action. Even a generous appli- with the tip caught somewhere around The weight of the rifle and the
cation of fine gun oil didn’t eliminate the barrel breech. length of the action and barrel would
the slightly sticky feel. However, I don’t think the action have been justifiable with the heavy-
Unfortunately, Rock River sent me has the proper dimensions for the kicking .338 Lapua cartridge. To be

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 65 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 ROCKING A NEW BOLT

perfectly candid, I found the XM24 one barrel out and snap the other into disciplines are opting for newer, more
mildly ridiculous when paired with the place during the heat of battle. efficient cartridges.
.308 Win. Plus, with all due respect, the .308 Allow me one other gripe. The rear
While Rock River touts the ability Win. and .338 Lapua are no longer “… of the muzzle brake is smaller in diam-
to change between the two cartridges, leading long-range cartridges,” as Rock eter than the 0.94-inch barrel, leav-
it’s not a quick-change barrel system. River calls them. I shoot on a weekly ing the sharp-edged shoulder of the
You’ll need to remove the barreled basis at a range where competitors in barrel vulnerable to dings. Even a tiny
action from the chassis, and you’ll PRS, NRL Hunter and ELR disciplines ding can cause a suppressor to spin
certainly need a vise to hold the bar- regularly gather, and none—I repeat, out of square, risking at worst a baffle
reled action securely while using the none—of them are using the .308 Win. strike when the rifle’s fired and at best
crow-foot wrench to break the barrel or the .338 Lapua. compromised accuracy. Also, there’s a
nut free. Attaching the name “Tactical” to sizable channel created by the smaller-
After changing barrels you’ll also the XM24 and using descriptive terms diameter crush washers between the
need headspace gauges to set head- such as “mission deployable” may muzzle brake and the barrel shoulder,
spacing before torquing the barrel nut offer the platform some saving grace, which will collect dirt and crud. Nei-
back to spec. You’ll need an entirely as certain specialized branches of the ther is acceptable in a $5,275 rifle.
different bolt assembly for each barrel military still do use the .308 Win. and Okay, I’ve whined enough. Let’s
as well. In other words, it’s not as if .338 Lapua. However, savvy shooters look at the really impressive character-
you can pop a locking bolt loose, yank on the cutting edge of the long-range istics of the XM24. First, it was not only
accurate, but it held its accuracy and
point of impact when the barrel got
plenty hot.
Also nice: Point of impact at 100
yards was nearly the same across four
of the five different types of ammo
tested. That speaks to the quality of the
barrel and how true it’s mounted to
the action, as well as how securely and
consistently it’s mated to the chassis.
Here’s another positive thing: Once
you’re in shooting position, stability
and feel of the XM24 are outstanding.
The mass of the rifle tames tremors,
and the configurability of the chassis
makes it both super comfortable and
easy to shoot consistently.
Again, if the test rifle were in .338
A nice side-ported brake tames what little recoil the .308 XM24 has, but von Benedikt has a Lapua I would have a hard time finding
beef with the fact that the back of the brake has a smaller diameter than the barrel. a single adverse element to point out.
It would make much more sense. And
A C C U R A C Y R E S U LT S if the .338 Lapua version shoots as well
as the .308 barrel does—oh boy!
ROCK RIVER XM24 TACTICAL My advice to Rock River Arms
would be to either shelve the .308
Win. version of the XM24, or to make
a short-action version properly scaled
for and chambered in modern short-
action long-range cartridges.
However, the .338 Lapua version
may be just the ticket for Extreme Long
Range competitive shooters who want
readily available ammo rather than
hard-to-source hot-rod cartridges such
Notes: as the .375 CheyTac or .416 Barrett.
In .338 Lapua, the XM24 would be a
practical, useful tool.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 66 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

THE WILD(CAT)
.22S IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A .22 CENTERFIRE
OF A DIFFERENT COLOR, CHECK OUT THESE
FOUR WILDCAT CARTRIDGES.
by Stan Trzoniec ________________________________________________________
I
f you’re familiar with the golden tone for small game cartridges here in start. Most can be fire-formed right in the
age of cartridge developments, the United States. They started the trend chamber, neck sized and then reloaded.
it doesn’t take long to notice that for some of the very best .22 centerfire Others need a bit more work, although in
for, the most part, the .22 caliber cartridges we have today, many of which a few cases you can find sources of com-
was an important cartridge of have been formally commercialized by mercial brass along with dies.
choice. Good rifles were starting to ap- Remington, Winchester and others.
pear, there was an upsurge in varmint While most present-day small game .218 Mashburn Bee
hunting, and on top of all this, powders cartridges are readily available in off- The .218 Mashburn Bee is nothing
and bullets were making great head- the-shelf rifles, for those willing to spend more than an improved .218 Bee, so this
way. a modest amount of cash to rechamber is an easy one to work with. In years past,
Defining the pace for all this, men like or rebarrel a rifle for a touch of nostalgia it grew from the Gibson Improved, then
Harvey Donaldson, A.E. Mashburn, Lysle and the pleasure of shooting a vintage the Ackley Improved, finally to emerge
Kilbourn and Roy Weatherby set the cartridge, these four are a great place to as A.E. Mashburn’s version in 1941. The
Bee’s parent case is the .32-20 Win., with
a rim diameter of 0.408 inch. The Mash-
burn version features a shoulder angle
of 17 degrees—two degrees sharper than
the original Bee. Case overall length is
1.345 inches, the same as the standard
Bee.
To create cases for the .218 Mashburn
Bee, simply take factory-loaded .218 Bee
ammunition, place it into a .218 Mash-
burn Bee chamber and fire-form it. This
will move the shoulder forward quite a
bit, but in forming more than 200 cases,
I’ve had few that split at the neck or case
mouth.
RCBS formerly offered die set No.
56030 as part of its G group, but no
longer does. However, Graf & Sons cur-
rently sells custom Redding dies for the
cartridge.
The difficult part with the .218 Mash-
burn is finding loads. Older reference
books from Charles Landis, F.C. Ness
and P.O. Ackley have some data, but if
you don’t have or can’t find any of these,
basic .218 Bee data will fill the bill hand-
ily and will yield good results. Keep in
mind that this is a small cartridge, so any
minor deviation in a powder charge will
certainly show up in both the rifle and
loaded components.
I used Small Rifle primers like the CCI
BR-4 or Remington 7½. Good powder
choices range from common Alliant 2400
to IMR 4227 and H4198. A.E. Mashburn
would certainly be proud of his contribu-
tion to varmint hunters, even in these
modern times.

WARNING: The loads shown here are safe only in

the guns for which they were developed. Neither the
author nor Outdoor Sportsman Group assumes any
liability for accidents or injury resulting from the use
or misuse of this data. Shooting reloads may void any
warranty on your firearm.

69
 THE WILD(CAT) .22S

.219 Donaldson Wasp Wasp. Since the .218 Bee had the correct sources of brass. Buffalo Arms sells re-
When I was a boy growing up in New barrel twist, all Bullberry had to do was formed brass cases in the .219 Donald-
York, the .219 Donaldson was already to recut the chamber for the new round, son Wasp. E. Arthur Brown does as well,
20 years old, having been developed by then alter the extractor slightly for the although they’re currently out of stock.
Harvey Donaldson in the same state in larger diameter case. Also fortunately, Redding offers .219
1937. It’s a blown-out .219 Zipper case, The cases can be formed from .30-30 Donaldson Wasp dies in its D series, so
with a 28-degree shoulder instead of Win. brass—if you have or can find an whether you’re forming your own brass
the Zipper’s 12-degree shoulder. Overall RCBS custom shop die set No. 58024, or working with commercial stuff, you
case length is 1.7150 inches. which is no longer available. This three- can order full-length or neck-size die sets
I purchased a Ruger No. 1 in .218 Bee, die set included a pair of forming dies from Redding.
then sent it to the Bullberry Barrel Works and one forming/trim die. If you are lucky enough to dig up the
to be chambered for the .219 Donaldson Fortunately, there are commercial RCBS forming set to turn .30-30 brass
into Donaldson brass, the first die push-
es the shoulder back while retaining the
A C C U R A C Y R E S U LT S .30 caliber neck. The second die takes the
SELECTED .22 WILDCAT LOADS outside diameter of the neck from 0.325
inch to 0.290 inch. The last die completes
the operation by reducing the outside
diameter of the neck to 0.255 inch and
the inside neck diameter to 0.227 inch.
After completing these steps, remove
the excess length of the neck, chamfer
it, and then run it through a full-length
die for the proper inside diameter and
general cleanup of the parent case.
If you’re fortunate to still have the
seventh edition of Hornady’s reloading
manual, you can find more details on
loads and powders for the .219 Donald-
son. An internet search also turned up
some downloadable PDF pages from
that manual.
Bullet weights from 50 to 55 grains
have worked best for me. Historically
good powders include IMR 3031, IMR
4064 and IMR 4320, and to them I would
add Hodgdon H4895, which has proved

0.88

Rounds like the .218 Mashburn Bee are

easily fire-formed. (From l.): Fired factory
case, loaded factory ammunition, fire-
Notes: formed case and a loaded Mashburn Bee
round.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 70 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 THE WILD(CAT) .22S
to be a good shooter for me—printing
three-shot groups of an inch or better.
I found the .219 Donaldson a great
vintage cartridge to shoot, and I always
enjoyed using it for woodchucks.

.22 K-Hornet
Starting out with a basic .22 Hornet
case, Lysle Kilbourn modified this case
for more velocity. The most significant
difference is the shoulder angle. While
the original Hornet has a long, almost
taper-like five-degree shoulder, the
K-Hornet has a 0.286-inch, 40-degree ta-
per—resulting in more case capacity and
about 16 percent more velocity. Other
than that and a shorter neck (0.243 inch
for the K-Hornet versus 0.386 for the
Hornet), the cases are the same: a rim
diameter of 0.350 and overall case length
of 1.403 inches.
Older Hornet data show that when
using a 45-grain bullet and 9.7 grains
of Alliant 2400 powder, velocities ran
at about 2,600 fps. With the K version,
you can raise the payload safely to 11.5
grains of the same powder for 3,000 fps
plus.
Keep in mind that the K-Hornet is
still a small case—only 13.0 grains of (From l.): .218 Mashburn Bee, .22 K-Hornet, .219 Donaldson Wasp, .220 Wby. Rocket. These
water in my particular cases—so the .22s are great performers and fun to work with for vintage cartridge buffs.
foregoing advice on adhering to pub-
lished loads applies. K-Hornet data are
not hard to find. Hornady’s 11th edition
reloading manual, for example, has
plenty of recipes.
For a vehicle to launch this cartridge,
by sheer luck I found a 24-inch T/C
Contender barrel chambered to the
K-Hornet. Brass isn’t commercially avail-
able for the K-Hornet, so fire-forming is
the way to go. I fired round after round Forming the .219 Donaldson Wasp from
of Winchester .22 Hornet ammo through .30-30 Win. cases is a multi-step process
the Contender K-Hornet barrel. My ef- requiring a set of forming dies. (From l.,
forts resulted more than 200 well-defined beginning with .30-30 case) The shoulder Firing .22 Hornet factory brass (l.) is the
cases and just one split case. gets pushed back, then the neck diameter quick, easy—and pretty much only—way
RCBS makes dies (No. 26201) for the is reduced. The long neck is trimmed, sized to create K-Hornet brass. Once it’s formed,
K-Hornet. I wanted to neck-size-only and cleaned up. RCBS offers dies for working with K-Hornet
my fire-formed cases, and here patience
pays off. the progress of resizing only the neck of .220 Wby. Rocket
What I like to do is smoke these the case. Weatherby cartridges have always
formed cases with the soot of a candle, I tried a variety of powders, with the held a fascination for me, and that in-
then run them up and into the die until best group going to Winchester’s 296 cludes one of Roy Weatherby’s first: the
the base of this die just kisses the top of and 680 and Accurate Arms 1680. These .220 Wby. Rocket. Today you can have
the shoulder. With the black soot disap- groups were all under an inch, perfect it chambered in just about any rifle that
pearing as you keep advancing up and for small varmints and all within safe was made for the .220 Swift.
into the die, this is an easy way to track operating pressures. Weatherby worked on the Rocket for

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 72 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

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 THE WILD(CAT) .22S

a couple years before placing it on the longer available, but Redding offers dies
market in 1945. It was a good move be- for the Rocket.
cause the .220 Swift was starting to wane Data on the Rocket are not easy to
in popularity. find, and a call to Weatherby produced
To improve the Swift, Weatherby one page of loading data from a vintage
moved up the shoulder about 0.075 inch edition of Tomorrow’s Rifles Today—a
for the Rocket, and this new offering promotional book Weatherby published
held 50.0 grains of water—slightly more years ago.
than the Swift’s 48.0 grains. It’s not much The Rocket is a pleasant cartridge to
of a difference for sure, but those who load and shoot, but handloaders should
knew Roy Weatherby knew that one- be cautious on some of the older, more
upmanship was his game. And for those out-of-date loading data. Bullets listed
who wanted a rifle with a Weatherby were Barnes, Hornady, Speer, Nosler and
cartridge designation engraved on the Sierra—with some Remington 55-grain It’s easy to see how Roy Weatherby
barrel, any rifle chambered for the .30-06 bullets thrown into the mix. Hodgdon’s changed the .220 Swift cartridge (l.) to
or the Swift was a strong contender for H4831sc was the propellant of choice. increase capacity and create his Rocket.
the Rocket. My best-shooting load is the Sierra
I got a Ruger Model 77 II Target 55-grain boattail over 44.0 grains of IMR those of us who want something differ-
chambered in .220 Swift and shipped it 4320. Velocities averaged 4,235 fps in ent for long-range varmint shooting.
to High Tech Custom Rifles to transform the Ruger’s 26-inch barrel, with groups Wildcat .22 centerfires can be fun,
it into the .220 Wby. Rocket. There’s no within 0.5 m.o.a. and no pressure signs. adding another dimension to your
commercially available brass, so I shot Impressive to say the least. shooting. They’re a great project that
more than 100 rounds of Remington The .220 Wby. Rocket teamed with may require a commitment to tasks like
50-grain .220 Swift to fire-form the cases. the Ruger Target rifle is an interesting fire-forming, and they allow you to go
I wanted to neck-size the cartridge combination and certainly within the deeper into the science of ballistics as
and used an RCBS custom die, No. reach of all. While it will never replace well as the history of U.S. cartridges. See
55010, to accomplish this. That die is no the Swift, it does offer an alternative for you on the North Forty.

3 4
1

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 74 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 RIFLE
REPORT
by
J. Scott Rupp

Ruger SFAR 6.5 Creedmoor

R
uger’s Small Frame guard is 15 inches long, with M-Lok S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
Autoloading Rifle puts slots at three, six and nine o’clock,
AR-10 capability into along with two sockets for QD sling RUGER SFAR
an AR-15 size package. swivels.
Originally introduced The bolt carrier is chrome-lined
in 7.62/.308, it’s now available in 6.5 8620 steel and features a nitride-pro-
Creedmoor. I was able to shoot this cessed staked gas key. The firing pin
one extensively out to 600 yards at an is DLC-coated titanium, and the bolt
introductory event at FTW Ranch in head boasts twin ejectors, which when
Texas (FTWsaam.com) and came away paired with the enlarged ejection port
impressed. ensure reliability.
The SFAR uses a rifle-length direct- The trigger is Ruger’s Elite 452, and
gas system, and the 6.5 Creedmoor ver- it’s a winner. It’s a two stage, the sec-
sion sports a 20-inch barrel and either ond stage breaking at a clean, crisp 3.5
a Magpul MOE SL or Magpul PRS pounds on average on my sample.
Lite stock. It ships with a single 10- or The Magpul MOE SL stock has
20-round Magpul PMag on the SR25/ ambidextrous levers for quick length
AR-10 pattern. My sample came with adjustment, and there are QD sockets
the MOE stock and 10-round mag. on either side. The grip has a storage
The barrel is cold hammer forged compartment, and inside you’ll find
and features 5R rifling. This style of a wrench for adjusting the SFAR’s gas
rifling reduces bullet-jacket stripping, regulator.
and that produces better accuracy and For accuracy testing I mounted
reduces copper fouling. The barrel is a Leupold VX-5 HD 3-15x44mm, a
threaded 5/8x24 and is tipped with perfect companion for a rifle capable
Ruger’s two-port Boomer brake. of long range. The pairing resulted in a
The upper receiver is forged 7075-T6 total weight of just shy of nine pounds,
aluminum with a hard-coat finish. which is pretty darned good for a rifle testing I opted for our tactical SOP:
It incorporates a brass deflector and of this type. five-shot groups instead of three. I did
forward assist, and a full-length optics I consider the SFAR 6.5 an all- let the barrel cool between groups, but
rail sits on top. The aluminum hand- around hybrid rifle, and for accuracy I fired the five shots fast enough to get

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 76 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

some decent heat in the barrel in order
to see if groups would open up.
They didn’t. The SFAR 6.5 exhibited
no stringing and no major fliers. For
the final group of the day I removed
the muzzle brake and threaded on my
Banish 30 suppressor. Groups grew just
a bit, but I ran too short on ammo to
determine whether this was the ammo
The Magpul MOE SL stock is simple but
or the suppressor/ammo combo. functional, with an ambidextrous lever for The two-port Boomer brake does an
The Boomer brake is secured by a adjusting length. The grip features a stor- excellent job of taming recoil, and the gas
jam nut that has to be rotated clock- age compartment, and the gas regulator regulator is easily adjusted through the
wise with a 7/8-inch wrench, and I wrench is stashed inside. front of the handguard.
ended up having to soak it with Kroil
and let it set overnight before I could
break it free the first time. I mention
this because it may be something you
want to do at home the first time and
not on the range.
But if you’re not going to go the sup-
pressor route, I’d leave the brake where
it is. It does a great job of reducing
recoil, making the rifle easy-shooting
from the bench and from field posi-
tions.
The SFAR has a four-position gas
regulator that’s accessed through the
front of the handguard and adjusted
with the supplied 3/16 ball-end
wrench. Setting 0 is no gas and 3 is full
gas. I failed to take note of the posi-
tion when I first fired it, and a previous The upper receiver incorporates a forward assist and brass deflector, and a full-length
tester had set it on 3, which over-gassed optics rail sits on top. The Elite 452 trigger is fantastic, with a clean, 3.5-pound pull.
the rifle with the loads I was shooting.
Ruger says setting 2 will work AC CU R AC Y R E S U LT S
with most ammo. The company also
indicates that setting 1 is best for sup-
RUGER SFAR
pressors. In this rifle, firing Hornady
140-grain American Gunner I used for
function testing—both with and with-
out the can—I found that fine-tuning
just off these numbers produced the
consistent, reliable four o’clock ejec-
tion I was looking for
Ruger recommends cleaning the
rifle completely before evaluating the
regulator. You should periodically Notes:
verify the setting—especially when
changing ammo or adding a can.
Early on I had two plastic-tip bullets
fail to feed, the tips getting mangled one AR, and it’s a gun I won in a draw- most likely, I’ll simply take it to the
in the process. After that I made sure ing. I never had the urge to actually range and ring long-range steel just
I was tapping the magazines to park buy one. Until now. I sent a check to for fun—much more fun than a .308
the cartridges against the back of the Ruger for the SFAR 6.5 Creedmoor. semiauto due to the lower recoil level
PMag—like they taught us in Army It’s a versatile rifle I can hunt with while providing superior long-range
basic—and had no further problems. if I choose, and if there was ever a performance. That’s what I call a win-
Up until this point I’ve owned only “head for the hills” rifle, this is it. Or, win-win.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 77 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

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 Continued from page 80

be hard-pressed to get by with fewer

than three rifles. And I’m still missing
something not just important, but fun-
damental: a good .22 rimfire. In 1979 I
interviewed with Howard French for a
job at Guns & Ammo. His first question:
Did I own a .22? At the time, I had a
Ruger 10/22. I got the job.
I can’t imagine a serious Ameri-
can rifleshooter’s battery that doesn’t
include a good .22 rimfire. That’s the
cartridge we start with and stay with.
We may drift away from time to time,
but we’ll always circle back. It’s the
great teacher and ideal for plinking,
position practice, small game and
pests. And the great therapist. Ever get
flinchy from shooting too many can-
nons? Lots of shooting with a good .22
is the best cure.
Depends on your purposes. Some
of us could get by without as many,
but I’m hard-pressed to figure out how
I could be confident with fewer than
four rifles. I’m happy I’m an American
rifleshooter and don’t have to make
such compromises.

The Editor’s
Two Cents

79
 THE LAST WORD
by Craig Boddington

The Limited List

as a target round it delivers long-range ger probably make more sense because
performance with minimal recoil. their rifles are lighter and cheaper, and
But when it comes to hunting, pick- their ammo is more compact.

L
ike many of us reading this ing just one is more complicated, and it The second rifle could be cham-
magazine, I have more depends on what you hunt and under bered to a wide variety of cartridges,
rifles than I absolutely what conditions. For most whitetail from 6.5mm to .270 to 7mm and on
need. None of mine are hunting, the 6.5 Creedmoor remains up to at least .30. I have pet rifles in all
“new in the box.” All have one of dozens of sound choices. Like four bullet diameters that I’d be loath
been to the range, the majority taken most Americans, I’m first and foremost to give up, but at heart I’m a .30 caliber
afield. I cherish each one, but some a deer hunter, but I’ve climbed high guy and can’t imagine not owning a
haven’t been fired in years. That sug- for sheep and goats, tackled Alaskan .30-30 or a .30-06.
gests I could live without them. Fortu- brown bears, hunt Africa most years I’ve taken most of my mountain
nately, thanks to our blessed Second and have an elk hunt planned this fall. game with a .300 Wby. Mag., and
Amendment, I don’t have to. There are For me, the choice is limited but I’m impressed by the .300 PRC with
no restrictions on having guns I’m not also obvious. It must be a well-scoped faster twist and heavier bullets. I’d be
using and don’t need. .375. For nostalgia, tradition and tempted to start over with a.300 PRC,
What if you could have just one greater availability, I’d probably go but I’d probably keep my .300 Win.
rifle? How about just two or three? For with a .375 H&H, but I could live hap- Mag., which is still the world’s most
us fortunate Americans, this is purely pily with a .375 Ruger. The faster .375s popular magnum.
theoretical, but elsewhere in the world, have too much recoil for my taste, even Both my one- and two-rifle batter-
many shooters are sharply limited in
the firearms they can own.
I was just in South Africa, hunting
with a friend from Australia, and we IF I WERE ALLOWED THREE RIFLES, I’D
had this favorite campfire discussion.
In both Australia and South Africa,
KEEP BOTH MY FAST .30 AND MY .416.
multiple firearms are allowed, but the THEN I’D ADD A .22 CENTERFIRE.
time and bureaucratic hassle involved
in getting permits are onerous enough
to make one think hard: How bad do if they’re more ideal in open country. ies have an inherent problem: nothing
you really need it? I’d be embarrassingly overgunned for light in recoil that’s fun to shoot. If I
What if you could have just one deer and downright nervous on serious were allowed three rifles, I’d keep both
rifle? First, you must think about what mountain hunts, but with careful bul- my fast .30 and my .416. Then I’d add a
your purposes is. Home defense, target let choices, I could hunt anything in .22 centerfire for coyotes, prairie dog,
shooting, hunting? For defense, I’d the world with a .375 if I had to. and less costly, low-recoil practice.
default to a short-barreled AR or other Even if I expanded this to two rifles I thought about a super-accurate
semiauto, probably in .223 for sheer I’m still kind of stuck: I need a big gun .22-250—which I don’t currently own—
availability. In areas where semiautos for the largest game and would like but I’d hate to give up my .204 Ruger.
like this aren’t legal, perhaps a short- something that shoots flat for moun- Instead, I’d probably keep my Kansas
barreled, fast-handling lever-action in tains and plains. ranch rifle, a plain-Jane Rock River
a pistol cartridge—probably .357, with With a two-rifle battery I’d prob- AR, rare left-hand action in .223. It’s
the option to use .38 Special ammo for ably trade the .375 in for a .416 Rigby, accurate enough for prairie dogs, and
practice. Remington or Ruger, or a .404 Jeffery. although I rarely use it for buck hunt-
For target shooting, whether Collectively, with their heavier bullets, ing, it’s useful for filling doe tags. Also,
punching holes in paper or ringing all are better for the largest game than it doubles as a sound home-defense
steel, the obvious answer also comes any .375, and they shoot flat enough to platform.
easy: the best and most accurate 6.5 be almost as versatile. Depending on your needs, you
Creedmoor bolt action I could afford. But which one? I love both the .404 might be able trim your battery. I’d
It’s no secret I’m not a big 6.5 Creed- Jeffery and .416 Rigby for their tradi-
moor fan as a hunting cartridge, but tion, but the .416 Rem. Mag. or .416 Ru- Continued on page 79

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 80 RIFLESHOOTERMAG.COM

 Introducing the new

Browning redefines Total Accuracy yet again with the new X-Bolt 2 and Vari-Tech
stock. This new stock design is engineered with three-way adjustment that allows
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of a traditional rifle stock.

Two interchangable grip modules are available

for the Vari-Tech stock: The traditional Sporter
profile and the Vertical profile. Both let you
optimize finger-to-trigger reach and control.

Achieve consistent eye-to-scope

alignment and a rock-solid cheek
weld even with large objective lens
optics. Six height positions offer
1" of height adjustment.

TOTAL ACCURACY.
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IT IN ACTION
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