Gun Digest June 2016

As Editor in Chief at Gun Digest The Magazine, I’ve witnessed firsthand the boom of the long-range shooting scene, from competition to the more controversial hunting side of things. In fact, when it comes to reader mail, no issue is more frequently addressed, and with such fervor, as the ethics of long-range hunting. To this day I still get impassioned letters regarding Wayne Van Zwoll’s essential guidebook, “Mastering The Art of Long Range Shooting” (which you can purchase at GunDigestStore.com), usually because someone has a long-range axe to grind. To the old adage that we don’t bring up religion or politics in mixed company, we might add long-range shooting to the list. But there’s also plenty of positive reasons the interest in long-range shooting has grown, which is why we’re…

Just in time for some early season prairie dog shooting, I was able to take a look at a new riflescope from Tract Optics: the Toric Ultra HD. This particular model uses a 3-15x42mm objective lens and mounts a reticle design centering on the basic T-Plex etched glass system (it can also be obtained with a BDC Reticle). The scope features a 1-inch main tube and capped turret adjustments that appear to be ¼ clicks per inch. The turret housing on the Toric glass sight retains the third adjustment for parallax / focus correction at given ranges, and the focusing eyepiece (at the rear of the scope) has a full, 4-inch eye relief, which will alleviate “ring eye” from heavy, magnum calibers. Tract Optics built this scope in the first…

.338 Lapua Magnum In 1983, Research Armament Co. in the U.S. began development of a new, long-range sniper cartridge capable of firing a 250-grain, .338-inch diameter bullet at 3,000 fps. After preliminary experiments, a .416 Rigby case necked down to .338-inch was selected. Brass Extrusion Labs Ltd. (then of Bensenville, Illinois), made the cases, Hornady produced bullets, and Research Armament built the gun under contract for the U.S. Navy. Subsequently, Lapua and Norma have put this cartridge into production. It is now a CIP standard chambering; since CIP and SAAMI have reciprocal agreements in place (at least in theory), that makes this a standard SAAMI chambering, as well. You have to burn a lot of powder to launch a 250-grain bullet at 3,000 fps. The .338 Lapua Magnum, as it…

Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Competitive Pistol Shooting By Steve Sieberts Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Competitive Pistol Shooting arms shooters with the knowledge to get into the game. This resource details the most popular pistol events — IDPA, IPSC, Steel Challenge, GSSF, Bull’s Eye, Cowboy Action, Bianchi Cup and 3-Gun — to their essentials. Author and competitive shooter Steve Sieberts gives overviews of each style of competition, their course of fire and the tips to succeed in each. Supported with detailed and striking illustrations and photographs, shooters will understand how to excel in pistol competitions before ever stepping to the firing line. ORDER AT GUNDIGESTSTORE.COM - Search for Item S4095. Use Promo Code “GDSHIP” and get FREE Shipping!…

When it comes to the shooting sports, perhaps no issue at present is more popular, controversial, and heated than long-range shooting. If you ever want to see your mailbox explode with inbound letters from animated readers on both sides of the aisle, just raise the question about what qualifies as an “ethical” shot on an animal at “long range.” When you’re shooting at steel the ethical question is basically a non-issue, but add an animal to the equation and things get complicated. But despite the controversial aspect, long-range shooting is also wildly popular for a reason. And as a recent trip to the state of Washington proved, there’s a lot the competitive long-range shooting world can teach those in the hunting community. For the trip I joined Ken Hagen of…

If you’re in the market for a new spotting scope, finding the right glass can be daunting, to say the least. Trying to find the best quality glass while looking at a mount on the wall of a sporting goods store doesn’t exactly allow the same experience that an in-the-field hunting situation does, either. Along with an endless price range, it’s very hard to decide which spotting scope fits your needs and budget. Most people in the market for new glass want long-term quality for minimal investment. For years my go-to spotter was the one we have all likely used at one point, the 15- to 20-year-old, 20-60 power scope that has decent quality at low magnification and high light conditions, but when you zoom in and really examine your…