Innehållsförteckning för September 2024 från Gun Digest

I feel like it’s a safe assumption that, for most shooters, there’s a core guns-related passion that anchors us to the lifestyle of firearms ownership. It’s certainly true for me. I need to lead with the disclaimer that I really love most types of shooting … or at least see the value in each specific discipline. Take 3-gun, for example. I appreciate the skills it teaches and requires to run a 3-gun course, and I’ve done a fair amount of it, but it is far from the center of my universe. If I had to dissect a “why,” I think it’s because I generally don’t enjoy competing with guns. Sure, I’ll bet a round of beers against some buddies on the sporting clays course, but that’s about it. Hell, I’ll…

In 1985, a West Virginia gunsmith named Melvin Forbes introduced the world to the lightest and most accurate bolt-action hunting rifle ever made. Not only was this rifle light and accurate, but it also earned the distinction of being the pound-for-pound most accurate rifle of all time. In 2022, the company Forbes started—New Ultra Light Arms/NULA—was purchased by Wilson Combat. It marked the end of a nearly 40-year dynasty of lightweight hunting rifles. But now Wilson Combat is continuing the legacy with a modernized version of Forbes’ famous rifle and carrying on the NULA name. THE WILSON COMBAT NULA Forbes machined Original NULA rifles by hand. Wilson Combat NULA actions are CNC/EDM cut. Just like the originals, they’re cylindrical and slim at only 1.22 inches in diameter and made of…

Stag Arms is known for its AR-style rifles—lots of them—available in both right- and left-handed configurations. But the winds of change are blowing at the Wyoming-based manufacturer. Leaning deeper into the hunting market, the company has set aside gas impingement and turned its attention to a more traditional system: bolt-actions. The result is the Pursuit Bolt-Action Rifle. It’s a marked break from the same-old, same-old at Stag and hunting rifle-making in general. Decked out with premium parts and engineered to connect with vitals at a country mile, the rifle is situated at the vanguard of new precision hunters. And Stag brings it in at a price so nearly any hunter—with a little savings—can consider adding one to his gun safe. Having handled the prototype at the 2023 SHOT Show, I…

One of the joys of the 1911 is that it can have an excellent trigger. “Excellent” is not a guarantee, but even an average 1911 trigger pull is light-years ahead of the standard polymer-framed pistol. (Yes, I’m looking at you, Glock.) Polymer pistols have gotten better, and yes, you can get a much-improved trigger pull in your polymer pistol—but at a cost. So, you want an even better trigger pull in your 1911? What if I told you that you could get it with a drop-in kit? Yes, drop in and go, and you’re done. No, not a bag full of parts, but a self-contained unit that made your 1911 all it could be. Call Nighthawk. The Nighthawk drop-in trigger assembly is a self-contained packet that you simply install as…

The subject of rifle zeros comes up constantly, sometimes to the point of being repetitive and annoying. People treat a proper zero as a one-time thing, almost like a rare occurrence, often specific to a single load that they use. What I plan to show you here is that getting a zero on a rifle is not only very easy, but you can also go so far as to have repeatable zeros after taking off the scope and moving it from gun to gun and load to load. This isn’t magic with today’s optics technology. In fact, it’s simple. ZERO UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC A longtime myth has persisted that a zero is hard to achieve, and it shouldn’t be touched once you get it “on.” For a large part…

Heated debates about cartridges and their killing capabilities, or lack thereof, have been topics of campfire banter for decades. However, one ideology that few will disagree with is that a mature bull elk is a formidable foe that requires precision and ample knockdown power. Certain cartridges are undoubtedly more qualified than others to hunt elk, but that doesn’t mean your trusty deer rifle can’t get the job done. Below is a recipe to successfully hunt the mighty wapiti, regardless of which rifle you take into the woods. Growing up in the West, I’ve taken the opportunity to hunt elk for granted. I killed my first elk at 12 years old and have punched many tags in the last 21 years. I have also spent the last 11 years as a…

In September of last year, I was taking a shooting class when my friend, Sheriff Jim Wilson, asked me to stop by his room. When I went in, I noticed a 1911 Colt Commander pistol lying on the table. I sat down and the former West Texas sheriff picked the pistol up and said, have a look at it. It was well-worn; you could tell it had spent a lot of time in a hand and in a holster. It was also a product of Novak’s custom shop out of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Cycling the action and assessing the trigger, I said, “This is a damn fine pistol, Jim.” In his matter-of-fact way, the Sheriff said, “I know. That’s one of my raid guns. It’s yours now.” I didn’t really…

01 Bergara B-14 Crest Carbon At this point, it’s safe to say the B-14 is a stone-cold classic. Precision, affordability and quality—the rifle is about everything shooters or hunters seek. However, Bergara is upping the ante of its keystone iron with the introduction of a lightweight precision Crest Carbon. Featuring a 100-percent carbon-fiber stock, Bergara’s Cure Carbon Barrel and their proven B-14 action, the rifle is tailored for those deep-woods hunts at 6.2 pounds. It’s also a lights-out shooter, with the Cure barrel offering the exceptional rigidity required for consistent accuracy. Other features include AICS detachable magazines, an omni-directional muzzle brake, a sniper gray Cerakoted finish and six chamberings. MSRP: $2,100 02 Colt CBX Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor Colt’s history with bolt-action rifles is on-again, offagain. But since being acquired…

Sometimes you get lucky. And sometimes not. Back in the early 1990s, the boss took in a Winchester Model 70 chambered in .30-06, a thoroughly plain and ordinary rifle. Too bad the stock was too long, and it kicked him hard. So, he sold it to me for what he paid: $200. Even in 1992, that was a steal, but hey, that’s what he paid, so not a big deal, right? The stock fit me, and besides, I had an M70 stock with a rubber recoil pad on it in the shelves, someplace, if I needed to change from the steel butt-plate. (I did have it, and I did.) I looked at the serial number and thought, Hmm, that’s an early one. Yes, it is. In fact, it was made…

In 1997, Jeff Cooper published The Art of the Rifle. The book contains many lessons for riflemen but maybe the most important is the solid axiom: If you can get closer, get closer; if you can get steadier, get steadier. Both improve your chances for making an accurate shot, but sometimes getting closer is not an option. When that happens, getting steadier is the rule. “Getting steadier” has generally meant assuming an intermediate position like kneeling, sitting or prone and using a shooting sling. However, sometimes that’s still not enough. What’s needed is a shooting support. A shooting support can be almost anything, natural or man-made. A backpack, log or limb, and even a buddy can sometimes become a shooting support. Hunting in Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness a few years…