petzal

Fine Tune Your Rifle By Diagnosing Your Target

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:24:55 -0400

Petzal's Picks: The Best New Rifles for '09

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:01:27 -0500

An Improbable Elk Hunt

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 04:00:00 -0500

An Illustrated Guide to Making the 10 Toughest Shots on Deer

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 05:00:00 -0500

At the Range: David E. Petzal tests the .325 WSM Browning A-Bolt

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 05:15:00 -0400

THE INSIDE STORY: When it first came to me, this A-Bolt rifle couldn't have hit Montana if I were standing in downtown Billings. Why? The fore-end had warped and was pressing against the barrel. I sent the gun back to Browning, where the problem was quickly corrected. When I got it back, the A-Bolt turned out to be a nice firearm, albeit a somewhat temperamental one. It does not shoot the three available bullet weights anywhere near one another, and it finds a certain weight to be much more to its taste than the others.

Here's how it went on the target range: 180-grain Ballistic Silvertips averaged 1.649 inches; 200-grain AccuBond CT slugs went into 2.74 inches, and 220-grain Power-Point groups measured .598 across. This A-Bolt really likes Power-Points.

All told, it is a light, handsome rifle with a nicely figured, well-checkered claro walnut stock, a good-not great-trigger pull, and very positive feed for a gun that handles shortfats. I wish Browning would dispense with the gold-plated trigger, but that is a minor quibble.

Browning considers this an all-around gun, but I disagree. It's not really a deer gun, but I would certainly use it on bear, elk, or African game. Its real advantage is that it's a genuinely light gun that shoots a heavy bullet and won't kick you to death in the process.

CALIBER: .325 WSM

PRICE: $764; right-hand, $734

WEIGHT: 7 pounds 1 ounce without scope

BARREL: 23-inch, chrome-moly

STOCK: Checkered walnut

TRIGGER PULL: 3 pounds 12 ounces

SCOPE USED IN TEST: Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5XÂ¿Â¿Â¿10X

ACTION: Left-handed A-Bolt

MAGAZINE CAPACITY: Three

Gun Review: The Kimber Model 84M SVT

fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 04:15:00 -0500

THE INSIDE STORY
The Kimber Model 84M SVT (Short Varmint Target) is what's known as a "pickup gun," a short, handy rifle that you can carry day in and day out to shoot whatever you think deserves a bullet. It is, to steal Thomas Hobbes' phrase, "nasty, brutish, and short"-a pronounced case of form following function. It is also the most schizophrenic rifle I can remember shooting. When fed ammunition it didn't like-which was anything with bullets that weighed 55 grains-it shot groups of five that averaged 2.105 inches. For a rifle of this type, printing 2-inch groups is cause enough to grasp it by its massive muzzle and throw it into the nearest catfish-breeding pond. But stick around.

With ammunition it did like, which was anything that used bullets of 50 to 52 grains, it shot .500 inch on the average, and with some handloads that it really liked, it achieved .324-inch groups, the smallest of which was .274 inch, making it one of the two most accurate production centerfire rifles I've ever tried.

The SVT's massive barrel allows you to shoot and shoot without the gun's shifting its point of impact, but it also means that you must use high rings, and that you can't mount a scope with a large objective lens.

The trigger is not only very light (as it should be) but so clean and crisp that every manufacturer of varmint rifles should be required to snap it for half a day.

CALIBER .223

PRICE $1,162 (kimberamerica.com)

WEIGHT 9 pounds 6 ounces without scope

BARREL Fluted stainless steel, 181/4 inches, target crown, bull-barrel contour, 1.05-inch diameter at muzzle, free-floated, six grooves, match-grade chamber

STOCK Target style, laminated

TRIGGER PULL 1 pound 14 ounces

SCOPE USED IN TEST Zeiss Conquest 4.5XÂ¿Â¿Â¿14X

ACTION Mauser-type bolt with rotating extractor

MAGAZINE CAPACITY Five

Trip Journal: Dave Petzal Takes a Big Montana Buck

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 04:30:00 -0500

Last fall I made a typical whitetail trip to Maine. Hunted for six days. Sweated, froze, got sleeted on, rained on, snowed on, and never saw a deer. That's why I appreciated the hunt I made recently near Ringling, Montana, which is near Livingstone, in which I didn't suffer at all, saw more deer in 2 hours than you would in 20 years of hunting in Maine, and killed a 240-pound, 11-point buck with very little effort.

This all came about through a hunt with Black Mountain Outfitters of Emigrant, Montana, which offers a late-October elk/antelope/whitetail hunt on a series of ranches they've leased. The whitetail ranch is located in a bottomland, and is cut by a river, steams, and cottonwood thickets. It has huge alfalfa fields which it irrigates well into the fall, and the unseasonably green alfalfa draws whitetails like a dinner bell.

While the other hunters in camp went after elk and antelope, I went out for whitetails with Scott Sallee who, with his wife Sandy, operates Black Mountain. Leaving our lodge in the dark of the morning, we were faced with a freezing fog, which thrilled neither us nor the deer. First light arrived at about 7:30, and between then and 9:45 when I shot my buck, I saw 60 whitetails. Scott said this was pretty disappointing, as you can expect to see 250 to 300 on a good morning.

The buck I shot was an 11-point 240-pounder who was watching us from behind a weed thicket 175 yards away. He thought he was hidden from view, but that was his last and worst mistake. He was a fine, fat buck.

The elk hunting is damn near as amazing as the whitetail hunting. After two days in camp, six of the eight elk hunters had taken bulls. It's fair chase, and you walk, and sometimes you walk your ass off, but the animals are there and if you can shoot even half well the odds are pretty certain you'll get a bull.

Hunting like this is almost too good to be true, but believe me, I can take a dose of it now and then without feeling any guilt whatsoever. If you'd like to try it, contact Sandy Sallee at 406-222-7455; BlackMtn2@aol.com.

How to Buy a Used Gun

fieldandstream-editor — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 04:10:00 -0500

Shopping the Shows

Gun shows are a major source of bargains, but there are a couple of cautions: First, don't think that you're going to encounter some poor oaf who has no idea of the value of what he's selling. At every show I've ever been to, each dealer knew exactly how much his stuff was worth. Second, if you happen to get stuck with a lemon, you are well and truly stuck. A gun store is going to be there the next day, as will the websites that sell used guns. But the guy at the show who took your cash will have vanished, never to be seen again.

Buyer Beware

I am very cautious about what I buy and from whom. This is true of just about anyone who invests in used rifles and knows what he's doing. You can go online and find lots of websites selling used guns; maybe they're good, maybe they're not. I like to know the guy I buy from and put my hands on the gun before I even consider taking out my wallet. If you want to expand your boundaries, consider Cabela's Gun Libraries, located in the stores. If you can't trust Cabela's, who can you trust? There is also an auction house called Amoskeag Auction in Manchester, New Hampshire, that specializes in selling firearms from estates. They are honest, efficient, and a pleasure to deal with (www.amoskeag-auction.com).

10 Things You Don't Want to See

[BRACKET "1"] A dirty bore, or a bore with copper streaks. Who knows what lies beneath?

[BRACKET "2"] Chips or dings at the muzzle. They ruin accuracy, and the barrel must be recrowned.

[BRACKET "3"] Rust, anywhere, in any amount. Inexcusable.

[BRACKET "4"] Cracks in the stock.

[BRACKET "5"] Pits in the bolt face. These come from blown primers, which means that someone was firing injudicious handloads in the rifle.

[BRACKET "6"] A rifle that fires when the bolt is slammed forward and down. There's not enough sear engagement, which is dangerous.

[BRACKET "7"] A trigger that is heavy, creepy, or light, or shows signs of having been tampered with.

[BRACKET "8"] A rifle that will fire when you cock it, put it on safe, pull the trigger, and then throw the safety to the off position.

[BRACKET "9"] A chamber that is worn out of round. This comes from the poor use of a cleaning rod and means the rifle will not shoot accurately.

[BRACKET "10"] Rifling that's scorched toward the rear of the barrel. The gun is near the end of its useful life.

Gun Review: Two new varmint rifles you can actually afford

fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 04:25:00 -0500

This month, although the snow is on the ground, we must devote our thoughts to our little furry friends who will emerge in spring, and to two new rifles that will make their furtive existences even chancier than they are now. On the fuzzy side I speak of the woodchuck and the prairie dog; on the wood and steel side, the Savage Model 40 and the Thompson/Center R-55. The former is a design based on rifles made in more genteel shooting times, whereas the other is ultramodern. They are both unusual and highly useful guns that will cause varmint hunters to rejoice. (The varmints are entitled to feel fairly gloomy about the situation.)

THE RETRO SINGLE-SHOT
The Savage Model 40 is the spiritual descendant of the Savage Model 340. That horrendously ugly, cheap-looking, affordable, and accurate gun was made in both varmint and whitetail calibers, and it was the first centerfire rifle I ever bought. The Model 40, however, looks neither ugly nor cheap, and it's close to half the price of a conventional varmint rifle.

It employs a medium-heavy, target-crowned, 24-inch sleeved barrel. The stock is laminated, and the trigger is Savage's wonderful AccuTrigger, which on my rifle was set at a flawless 2.2 pounds. The Model 40's lines are pleasing, and fit and finish are excellent. It's not a light rifle; mine, minus scope, weighs 8Â¿Â¿ pounds.

Although the .22 Hornet-the only chambering for the single-shot Model 40-is a centerfire cartridge, the rifle employs a modified rimfire action. It's perfectly safe for factory .22 Hornet ammo, which operates at 43,000 CUP (copper units of pressure), but it is not safe for handloads that are hotter than standard, or for the souped-up .22 Hornet wildcat known as the K-Hornet.

The .22 Hornet was developed in the 1920s by a group of experimenters that included Col. Townsend Whelen. Winchester introduced it in factory ammo in 1930. It's pretty tame by modern standards, a 45-grain bullet at around 2700 fps at the muzzle. But at the time it was electrifying and hugely popular. My experience with it is long but thin. I shot rats with a Hornet in the mid-1950s, and in the 1980s I owned a very fine custom-made Hornet built on a Ruger Number One action. The Hornet is not a quarter-minute-of-angle, grass-scorching 400-yard round. It is a minute-of-angle, 150-yard round that has almost no recoil and a very mild report, making it pleasant to shoot. In these hyper times, those are considerable virtues.

With my Model 40, I got consistent five-shot 1 Â¿Â¿-inch groups at 100 yards using Remington ammo, and 1 inch with Winchester (Savage tells me that other Model 40s have shot sub-MOA). This may not sound like much in an era when factory varmint rifles shoot Â¿Â¿-inch groups or better, but think about it this way: At 100 yards, it will take all but the most emaciated prairie dogs, and at 150, it will nail woodchucks as well. There was a time when people actually hunted groundhogs to get within range. Try it. It's a pleasant change from sniping them from a quarter mile away.

The Model 40 will not be everyone's cup of tea. Today's trend is faster and hotter and farther, and many shooters will be unhappy with the limitations imposed by the little Hornet. So it was a very gutsy thing for Savage to take such a big step backward. On the other hand, intelligent and discerning shooters are going to discover that you don't need all that power and noise to have a fine day of varminting. At a suggested retail price of $436, you don't need a heck of a lot of money, either.

THE ULTRAMODERN AUTO
In 2001, Thompson/Center Arms introduced a .22 auto rifle that was so wonderful it won an F&S Best of the Best Award. The T/C Classic .22 LR was brilliantly designed and flawlessly made, a little marvel of quality in every respect. Its lineal descendant, the R-55, is chambered for tthe .17 Mach 2 rimfire cartridge and exhibits the same high standards as its parent.

Unlike the Classic, the R-55 has very racy lines: an extremely high comb, a deeply cut-out pistol grip, and a general Buck Rogers silhouette. The 20-inch barrel is medium-heavy, target-crowned, and screwed, not pinned, into the receiver. As a rule, the triggers on factory .22 auto rifles are nothing to get excited about, but this one is the exception-clean, and only 3.3 pounds. The iron sights are good enough to put most centerfire rifle sights to shame. They are precision adjustable and equipped with fiber-optic outline points in red and green. (You'll probably have to remove the rear sight in order to get a scope on the rifle.)

Hornady's .17 Mach 2 cartridge was introduced in 2004, based on the .22 Long Rifle case. It fires a 17-grain polymer-tipped bullet at 2100 fps from a 24-inch barrel. According to some of the early reports I've read, this is a red-hot 150-yard cartridge. But a couple of days of prairie-dog hunting last spring made me think otherwise. (As either Mark Twain or Benjamin Disraeli said, "There are lies, damned lies, and ballistics.") At 150 yards, these tiny bullets seem to lose most of their punch and the wind plays with them pretty badly. I think the .17 Mach is a fine 100-yard cartridge, and I tested it for accuracy at a conservative 50 yards, where I got .95-inch five-shot groups.

There are two versions of the R-55: In blue steel with a laminated stock, it costs $479; a stainless-steel, composite-stock model is $546. Weaver-style scope bases and rings are $51 extra. There are very few rifles around, either rim- or centerfire, that are as well thought out and nicely made as the R-55. In these sorry times, it's heartening to see a gun that is this good.

Steal These Guns

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 04:10:00 -0500

Not all babies are beautiful, not all dogs are smart, and not all used rifles are good buys. But some of them are terrific bargains because shooters and hunters are as nuts as any other hobbyists and constantly trade firearms.

If you are looking to buy used guns, the first thing you need to know is that they fit into one of six categories, depending on their condition:

[BRACKET "Poor"] The gun is pitted and rusted, may not be in working order, and may not be safe to shoot. Forget it.
[BRACKET "Fair"] It works and is safe to shoot, but it has taken a beating. Consider only if it's dirt cheap and you don't mind paying to have it touched up, or if you want to do the refinishing yourself, or if you want something to knock around.
[BRACKET "Good"] It's in fine working order, but repairs or replacement parts may be needed. It should have 80 percent of its original finish.
[BRACKET "Very Good"]The gun should have more than 90 percent of its original finish, be in perfect working order, have no replacement parts, and need only very small repairs, if any.
[BRACKET "Excellent"] Just short of brand-new, it shows only the most minor signs of wear and use.
[BRACKET "NIB (new in box)"] It's just as it came from the factory, with all the tags, stickers, labels, and everything else. This category is more for collectors than shooters.

The prices for the guns that follow are only for those in good, very good, or excellent condition. Fair or poor guns cost considerably less, and for a reason. Also, these firearms are my personal favorites. There are lots of great bargains out there besides these.

The 10 Best Used Guns

[NEXT "Browning A-Bolt Shotgun"]

Browning A-Bolt Shotgun
This 12-gauge slug gun, made from 1995 to 1998, had a 3-inch chamber and came in a Stalker model with a graphite-fiberglass composite stock and a Hunter model with a walnut stock. There were two versions of the A-Bolt. One had a 22-inch full-length rifled barrel, the other a 23-inch smoothbore with a screw-on rifled tube for the muzzle.

I shot only one-a full-length rifled Stalker-and never forgot it. It was the most accurate slug gun I've ever used. The only reason I can think of for its short production run is its price-it cost $700 to $800 new. People were probably not willing to spend that, to their loss. You should be happy to find one with either a od or synthetic stock and the rifled barrel. I doubt the smoothbore would shoot as well.
GOOD: $400 VERY GOOD: $550 EXCELLENT: $650 [NEXT "Browning High-Power Bolt Action"] Browning High-Power Bolt Action
This gun was made by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium (on Mauser actions) from 1959 to 1975, and by Sako (on its actions) from 1961 to 1975, and was chambered for everything from .222 to .458 Winchester. There were three grades: Safari (the plainest), Medallion (fancy), and Olympian (very fancy). You are interested in the Safari grade because the other two are sought after by collectors and cost a lot.

Be aware that Browning used salt-cured wood for the stocks on some High-Powers. (I have no idea why.) This is certain to cause rust and can't be fixed, nor are replacement stocks available.

As for calibers, look for a .270 or . 30/06. My recollection of the High-Power is that it was a hard kicker in the bigger calibers.

Although they are plain, the Safari grades are fine guns-excellent metalwork, good wood, hand checkering, and a general reek of quality, not to mention true Mauser and Sako actions. Light and reliable, they handle well. If someone were to make one today, it would cost $2,000.
GOOD: $575 VERY GOOD: $750 EXCELLENT: $900 [NEXT "Marlin 1895G Lever Action"]

Marlin 1895G Lever Action
The 1895G (G is for Guide) came out in 1998 and won our Best of the Best Award that year. Chambered for the ancient but useful .45/70 cartridge, it is short (18Â¿Â¿-inch barrel), light (7 pounds), and handy. Though it is still in production, it is listed because the price for a new blue-steel version is only $668. Used ones go for much less.

This is a rugged little gun with two personalities. Used with factory ammo, it's effective and surprisingly light kicking. With souped-up, cast leadÂ¿Â¿Â¿bullet loads such as those made by Garrett, it will open a can of whup-ass on anything. Hang on.
GOOD: $170 VERY GOOD: $300 EXCELLENT: $400 [NEXT "Savage 99 Lever Action"]

Savage 99 Lever Action
This great gun had a 100-year run (1899Â¿Â¿Â¿1999), and there are a lot of them out there. The 99 comes in two versions, one with a rotary magazine and one with a detachable box magazine, which was introduced in 1965 as a cost-cutting measure. If I were in the market for a 99, I'd look for the rotary: It is the ultimate in lever-action class and cannot be made today at a competitive price.

Caliber? Go for a .250 Savage, although you'll pay for it. Other than that, a .300 Savage or .308. If you should find a .284, pass it up. The ammo is hard to come by.

The surest indicator of the 99's worth is that collectors have glommed on to it. Because there are so many variations, and so many factors affecting prices, let me quote a devoted 99 collector:

"I continue to buy 99s in good condition in modern hunting calibers. Top price so far for a cherry-condition late .308 was $400. Two days ago I was pleased to get a good-condition 99 for $275. The average cost of the 99s I've bought for speculation is $320. But prices are going up."

[NEXT "Remington 788 Bolt Action"]

Remington 788 Bolt Action
This dead-plain rifle, made from 1967 to 1983, was accurate all out of proportion to its modest price. I used to have one in 6mm Remington, and a better-working gun you couldn't want. I note that prices for 788s are starting to rise, as people are becoming aware of its many lovable qualities. One point to consider: A number of 788s were chambered for the 7mm/08 cartridge, which I consider highly desirable, and for which you can add 20 percent to the figures below. If not that, then look for a .308. GOOD: $375 VERY GOOD: $425 EXCELLENT: $500 [NEXT "Remington 760 and 7600 Slide Action"]

Remington 760 and 7600 Slide Actions
I don't think rapid fire is necessary in a deer rifle, but there are many who feel differently, so here's a pair of fast shooters that I can live with. The Model 760 appeared in 1952, morphed into the 7600 in 1982, and is still alive and well. Yes, it has a poor trigger pull, and the slide wobbles. On the other hand, slide actions can really make the lead fly, and they're far more reliable than the average auto and surprisingly accurate, too. There are many variations and calibers; these are general prices for both models.

For cartridges, look for .30/06, .270, the underrated .280, or if you can find one, a .35 Whelen.
GOOD: $250 VERY GOOD: $300 EXCELLENT: $350 [NEXT "Remington 700ADL/BDL Bolt Action"]

Remington 700ADL/BDL Bolt Action
Introduced in 1962, this is one of the most successful designs ever. There are hundreds of thousands of 700s out there, in scores of models and variations. The ADL is the plainer grade, the BDL the fancier one. The latter comes with a hinged floor plate and other bells and whistles. Beware of Model 700s that have had their triggers diddled. Many people have tried to adjust them and most have botched the job. If you have one with a trigger that pulls less than 3 pounds, you have an accident waiting to happen. Take it to a gunsmith and have him fix it. These prices are for the ADL; for the BDL, add $50 to $100.

The 700 has been chambered for every cartridge known to man, but you're best off with the same choices as for the 760 and 7600.
GOOD: $200 VERY GOOD: $250 EXCELLENT: $325 [NEXT "Winchester Model 70 Bolt Action"]

Winchester Model 70 Bolt Action
Let's first rule out the pre-1964 Model 70. All you have to do is mention it and people get all teary eyed and start hauling out outrageous sums of money. Believe me, some of those guns were real dogs. The worst example I've come across was a Model 70 Alaskan in .375 H&H, offered NIB at a price of $4,500 (twice its legitimate value), that would not feed from the magazine.

Let's stick to the post-1964 Model 70s made by the U.S. Repeating Arms Co. and forget the push-feed vs. controlled-feed nonsense. If the rifle works, it works, and who cares? I think the best bargains right now are the Sporter, the Lightweight, and the Black Shadow, which is finished in a matte black. Prices are for all three models, but the Sporter may run $50 more, grade for grade. As for calibers, why get fancy? Go with a .308, .30/06, or .270.
GOOD: $250 VERY GOOD: $300 EXCELLENT: $350 [NEXT "Weatherby Mark V Deluxe Bolt Action"]

Weatherby Mark V Deluxe Bolt Action
A bargain does not only mean getting a good rifle cheap. It can also mean getting a fine used rifle for half what you'd pay for a new one. Let us now dwell upon the Weatherby Mark V, which wActions
I don't think rapid fire is necessary in a deer rifle, but there are many who feel differently, so here's a pair of fast shooters that I can live with. The Model 760 appeared in 1952, morphed into the 7600 in 1982, and is still alive and well. Yes, it has a poor trigger pull, and the slide wobbles. On the other hand, slide actions can really make the lead fly, and they're far more reliable than the average auto and surprisingly accurate, too. There are many variations and calibers; these are general prices for both models.

For cartridges, look for .30/06, .270, the underrated .280, or if you can find one, a .35 Whelen.
GOOD: $250 VERY GOOD: $300 EXCELLENT: $350 [NEXT "Remington 700ADL/BDL Bolt Action"]