By Jack Orloff, Associate Editor

Originally published in the 2025 March/April issue of Safari Magazine.

Ever so slowly, I shouldered the Weatherby Model 307 and centered the scope’s reticle on the buck’s vitals. I had been sitting for the past five days, from dawn until dusk, waiting for an opportunity that had not come easily.

After thousands of miles of travel in the air, a clumsy Canadian border guard and bumpy rides on the back of a side-by-side to my blind every morning, would my scope still be on when it mattered most?

Many hunters have accidentally bumped or dropped the rifle scope and have had that dreaded feeling of uncertainty.

Years ago, I was on a whitetail hunt in North Carolina. While getting into the tree stand, I accidentally hit my rifle scope on the ladder. An hour later, a big buck walked out at 200 yards. I felt good about the shot, but when I pulled the trigger, the deer took off without a scratch.

Later, I found that bumping the rifle had adjusted my scope just a hair, which caused me to shoot a few inches high.

“Durability is important to us because you never know when that once-in-a-lifetime hunt might happen,” said John Fink, Trijicon’s product manager of magnified optics. “This could happen on a deer hunt near home or that dream hunt you have planned for years. Your scope must perform at the moment of truth.”

In the case of a dangerous game hunt, your life or the lives of others might depend on the scope doing its job.

“We do everything we can during the design and development phase to ensure you can count on your scope under any circumstance,” said Fink.

Trijicon’s scopes are designed and engineered to withstand extreme hunting conditions. All optics undergo rigorous testing during the design and development process and are tested to military standards and protocols.

Some of those tests include thermal shock testing, where scopes are held for 24 hours in cold and hot storage. The optic is then pulled from the freezer or oven and brought to ambient temperature. This simulates going from hunting in freezing conditions to taking the scope into a heated cabin or going from a vehicle in the desert into an air-conditioned building. In both scenarios, the contraction and expansion of the materials will expose leaks or glass cracking issues.

Then, there is immersion testing, where optics must pass 30 minutes at a depth of 10 feet with no water intrusion.

Next, a recoil simulator where scopes are subjected to 5,000 rounds from a SCAR-H, a known scope-wrecker.

After that, a vibration test simulates vibrations and abuse that might be encountered bouncing around in a pick-up truck, Humvee or ATV.

Finally, the company produces a drop test where scopes mounted on rifles are dropped at various heights onto different materials like hard-packed soil, plywood and concrete.

The company’s commitment to durability can be traced back to its military roots, said Fink, who was on the hunt with me.

The Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15×42 is housed in 6061 aircraft grade aluminum. All glass is of the highest quality and inspected for inclusions or imperfections.

“We hold all of our optics to the same standard,” he said. “We know when we are building scopes for a military contract, we also sell those same scopes, with different external markings, into the commercial market. We know that optics sold to the commercial market are purchased by soldiers and can end up in combat. We assume that no matter the distribution channel, someone’s life might depend on the optic performing in the time of need.”

Fink said that Trijicon uses the best quality materials that will survive and still perform.

“This includes the best seals that will not allow any nitrogen to escape or moisture to enter,” he said. “You can rest assured that zero will be maintained throughout the hunting season despite changing weather conditions, inadvertent drops or other heavy use.”

I used Trijicon’s Credo HX 2.5-15×42 on the whitetail hunt in Canada. I traveled over 1,800 miles from Texas to northern Saskatchewan but first had to connect in Minneapolis and then Calgary.

When I arrived in Calgary, I had to clear customs. The officers there were friendly and polite but fascinated with my rifle. One officer even took the rifle out of the hard case to get a better look before aggressively placing it back, hitting my scope on the side of the case.

This was not how I wanted to start my trip, with the feeling of uncertainty that my scope would now not perform.

After a full day of travel, we finally arrived at Safari River Outfitters in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. We were greeted by the manager, and went right to the range to ensure our rifles were correctly sighted in.

After three quick shots at the target, about 100 yards away, I was not fully confident I was on. But the manager, who was spotting for me, said everything looked good.

“You’re on target,” he said. And then, “Next guy up!”

Each morning before light, the guides would drive us in a side-by-side to our ground blinds. Some of these blinds were far, and the rides were long and considerably bumpy.

My rifle was placed in the back of the vehicle in a soft case. After each bump or rough turn, I would wince, knowing my rifle might be bouncing around back there like a beach ball. The rides were long, so I wasn’t able to hold it in the cab with me the whole time.

My ground blind was located in a small clearing in the woods. I would sit for the next five days from dawn until dusk, waiting for an opportunity at a Saskatchewan whitetail.

Although slow at times, each sit was filled with excitement. On Day 2, two bucks came in. I scanned them thoroughly but decided to pass as they were not the age-class buck I was after.

As they fed, occasionally looking up to ensure the coast was clear, the two bucks began to spar just 70 yards from me. The sounds of them grunting and twigs breaking as they battled erupted the forest. After 20 minutes, they drifted off, seeming to have enough of each other. But soon after that, one of them appeared again, showcasing a battle wound of a large gash under his eye.

You don’t see that every day!

On Day 2, the author watched two bucks spar just 70 yards from him. “After 20 minutes, they drifted off, seeming to have enough of each other. But soon after that, one of them appeared again, showcasing a battle wound of a large gash under his eye,” he wrote

Most of the other hunters had already tagged out during the first few days. Hunting buddy Eddie Stevenson, also of Trijicon, killed a fine buck that scored approximately 150 and weighed a whopping 290 pounds.

But I had yet to see a shooter buck.

On Day 5, the last day of the trip, after sitting for 11 hours each day. It was now or never.

My guide Ashton had moved me to a different location closer to camp, hoping that a buck would finally show. I was hopeful that my luck would change, and it sure did.

Around noon on the last day, a doe made an appearance. I could tell she was anxious, and she didn’t stay long.

Suddenly, I noticed movement in the woods and could faintly see antlers moving through the trees. It was a buck, and he was on her scent!

As I shouldered my rifle, I couldn’t help but think about what my scope had gone through the past few days. I took a deep breath, exhaled and slowly squeezed the trigger.

As the shot rang out, I watched the buck flinch and then take off into the woods out of sight.

The unknown was torture. I waited for Ashton to arrive to begin the tracking process.

When he did arrive, we found the buck 35 yards away. I had made a great shot right through the boiler room.

Jack Orloff admires his first Saskatchewan whitetail buck. These deer are big-bodied and display beautiful chocolate color antlers.

My first Saskatchewan whitetail weighed in at 245 pounds. This buck would likely not get much of a bigger rack due to its genetics and age. It was the perfect buck.

Traveling while hunting or even shooting in your back 40, we know that anything can and will go wrong. It’s good to know that companies like Trijicon work to ensure the utmost performance and durability when it matters most. It gives us hunters one less thing to worry about.

The Rifle: Weatherby Alpine CT

The Weatherby Model 307 Alpine CT is for hunters who want a light, accurate bolt-action rifle that they can customize.

Weatherby’s Model 307 action is a 2-lug, fully cylindrical action. It complements the historic Mark V and Vanguard lineups yet is compatible with many modern aftermarket accessories, such as stocks, triggers, rails and mounts.

Weatherby teamed up with the carbon-fiber experts at Peak 44 to make this rifle ultra-light for mountain hunters. Alpine CT’s will have the option of Peak 44 Bastion stocks, which weigh just 24 ounces. Peak 44 puts a proprietary 3D-Hex recoil pad on that stock.

The barrel on the Alpine CT is a BSF carbon barrel, which is generally shorter than most other Weatherby barrels but is highly accurate. The lightest configuration will start at 6 pounds. The rifle is offered in 13 chamberings from 240 Weatherby to 300 Weatherby, including 300 PRC.

Weatherby also adds its directional self-timing brake. This lets the shooter angle the direction of expelled gases emitted during the shot to reduce muzzle jump — an extremely effective way to increase accuracy.

Although I was not mountain hunting and was in a ground blind most of the time, I was very pleased with how light the rifle was and how easy it was to shoulder quickly.

The muzzle brake and 3D-Hex recoil pad made the recoil almost unnoticeable.

— ­Jack Orloff

The Cartridge: 6.5 WBY RPM

The 6.5 Weatherby Rebated Precision Magnum, or RPM, is based on a lengthened version of the existing .284 Winchester. The cartridge has a rebated rim, making it compatible with standard .30-06 bolt faces and reloading equipment.

Basically, you don’t need a heavy magnum action to use this magnum cartridge. The large body diameter, low body taper and 35-degree shoulder mean that the case capacity is greatly increased and that leads to higher velocities.

The 6.5mm is highly efficient with less drop and wind deflection than many heavier calibers.

Weatherby wanted to create a round that would fit in their standard 6 Lug Mark V rifle action yet would take advantage of the full cartridge length that action is capable of chambering.

The post Traveling Hunters Need Durable Riflescopes appeared first on Safari Club.

Associate Editor

Originally published in the 2025 March edition of Safari Times.

There has been a lot of hype about the use of tungsten in waterfowl loads recently, especially stacked loads.

On a duck hunt this past season in Kansas, I used HEVI-Shot’s HEVI-Metal Xtreme shells and noticed a significant difference from traditional steel loads with longer, more powerful shot distances.

Loaded in Sweet Home, Ore., HEVI-Metal Xtreme uses HEVI-Shot’s Pattern Density Technology to devote 30% of the payload to HEVI-Shot tungsten pellets, which are 53.8% denser than steel. They stack the tungsten pellets over their precision steel shot, three shot sizes smaller, which ensures both layers have equal downrange performance. The load also features a FLITECONTROL FLEX wad which helps with consistent long-range patterns and is pushed at high velocities.

I used the 20-gauge, 3-inch, No. 6 tungsten and No. 3 steel shot, which travels at 1,350 fps. I paired it with the Benelli Super Black Eagle 3, and it was a match made in Heaven. Even with a smaller gauge, I was pleasantly surprised with the knockdown power, and it was even effective with bigger birds like geese. Each shot felt like a Mike Tyson knockout punch and easily picked birds out of the sky.

HEVI-Metal Xtreme is offered in both 12-gauge and 20-gauge with an array of shot sizes, including 12-gauge, 3-inch, No. 2 shot tungsten and BB steel; 12-gauge, 3-inch, No. 4 shot tungsten and No. 1 shot steel; 12-gauge, 3-inch, No. 6 shot tungsten and No. 3 shot steel; 20-gauge, 3-inch, No. 4 shot tungsten and No. 1 shot steel and 20-gauge, 3-inch, No. 6 shot tungsten and No. 3 shot steel.

For more information and pricing, visit hevishot.com.

The post HEVI-Metal Xtreme Packs A Punch appeared first on Safari Club.

By John Geiger

North American hunters will be pleased to see a new lineup of Swarovski scopes made just for them.

Swarovski Optik asked American hunters what features they wanted in a riflescope. The answer was more elevation adjustment, second focal planes and an affordable price.

New for 2025, the Swarovski Z5+ line packs these requests into three 5X-magnification scopes with several options.

There is a 5-25×56 option, 2-10×42 and 3.5x18x50. MSRP’s start at $1,600. Each also has the option of four different reticles, illuminated or nonilluminated reticles and ballistic turret with Swarovski’s four color-ring dial-to turrets.

Hunters and shooters will notice new features in the new Z5+ line, such as 30mm tubes, second focal plane construction and more MOA elevation on the turret.

30MM TUBES

Most scopes made for U.S. hunters are 1-inch in diameter. That’s what they’re used to, and they are fine. You would think a scope made with the American market in mind would also have 1-inch tubes. But not this one. According to Evan Dextraze of Swarovski, MOA adjustment is more important to these hunters than having a 1-inch pipe. With a wider tube, Swarovski increased the elevation adjustment so shooters can dial up 40 MOA.

“They want to be able to shoot farther, and we don’t want to limit the elevation they can dial to,” Dextraze told me between shots at a range outside of Las Vegas recently. “They might not be shooting game at 800 or 1,000 yards, but they want to be able to practice and shoot those distances at their range.”

With the new Z5+ ballistic turret, I was able to dial to 39.5 on the ballistic turret and shoot MOA groups at just under 1,175 yards with a 143-grain 6.5 Creedmoor ELD-X.

It’s not recommended to shoot animals at extremely long distances, but shooting at steel targets in the shape of game animals out past 1,000 yards is a great way to increase your shooting skills at all ranges. Swarovski showed off their new line in November 2024 at Prairie Fire shooting range in western Nevada.

SECOND FOCAL PLANES

In a second-focal plane scope, the crosshairs are behind the magnification lens, so they do not change in size as the magnification is increased or decreased. This is the way American hunters have preferred their reticles. Conversely, American precision shooters generally prefer first focal-plane scopes.

Are there disadvantages to a second-focal plane? For one, if you’re using a drop-compensating reticle, you’ll have to dial to a certain magnification setting, usually the highest magnification, for the hash marks to be accurate.

“You can argue which is better, but when it comes to American hunters, there is no debate,” said Dextraze on the popularity of the second-focal plane reticle.

All new Z5+ scopes are second-focal plane.

Swarvoski’s new Z5i+ 5-25x56mm

Swarvoski’s new Z5i+ 3.5-18x50mm

Swarvoski’s new Z5i+ 2-10x42mm.

PRICING

It’s no secret Swarovski scopes, binos and spotting scopes are high-dollar gear. For example, the Swaro dS Gen. II 5-25×52 P riflescope costs over $5,000. The quality of glass and durability the Austrian company produces is indisputable.

However, this Z5+ line is much closer to the price many North American hunters spend on a riflescope.

Hunters can pick up a Z5+ or Z5i+ for about $1,600. The line tops out at $2,269.

The 2-10×42 has an MSRP of $1,600; the 3.5x18x50, $1,800; and the 5-25×56, $1,900. Your choice of illumination and turret will affect the pricing. But these Swaros are priced mid-tier in the crowded optics market.

“We are excited to get this to the American market,” said Dextraze of Swarovski.

Evan Dextrose of Swarovski Optik checks targets as shooters zeroed their rifles while testing out the new Swarovski Z5+ line at Prairie Fire shooting range near the Nevada-California state line.

According to Swarovski, the coatings are the same in the Z5+ as compared to the current Z5 line or any of the other lines. The erectors are no different, either. One of the scopes — the 2-10×42 does not have parallax adjustment. Also, the illuminated versions do not have Swarolight (a system that turns the illumination on and off when they are at rest or moved). But they do have an on-off switch and a three-hour auto-shutoff. But other than that, there’s not much difference between these new Z5s and other Swaro scopes.

How did Swaro trim the price in this line? It’s in the design and manufacturing, said Dextraze.

In the past, Swarovski made scopes unique from each other, even if they were in the same line. Now, they’ve designed all Z5+ scopes in a similar way with similar parts throughout. This simplifies design as well as construction without compromising quality. These scopes will come to market faster than any other Swarovski has, and the price will be lower than most.

People who really want to get a Swaro but balk at the more expensive Z8 or Z6 option will love the Z5+.

“There will be a lot more Swarovski Optik shooters in 2025,” said Dextraze.

Swarovski’s new Z5+ riflescopes have much more adjustment than previous Swarovski scopes. In this photo, the author dialed to 39.5 and shot MOA groups at 1,175 yards. Photo by Porter James.

The post Swarovski’s New Z5+ Targets American Hunters appeared first on Safari Club.

By John Geiger

Shooting a suppressed rifle with a short barrel is the latest trend in the U.S.

But unfortunately, velocity drops with every inch taken off a barrel.

According to one of the largest ammo companies in the U.S., Federal Premium, you can now have your cake and eat it, too.

Federal Premium is loading five bullets into the new 7mm Backcountry, although that number is expected to grow. They are 155- and 170-grain Federal Premium Terminal Ascent, 195-grain Federal Premium Berger Elite Hunter, 168-grain Federal Premium Barnes LRX Copper and 175-grain Federal Fusion Tipped, shown here.

The company’s engineers have developed a new cartridge case that can sustain much higher case pressures than we’re used to. That means, with this new cartridge — 7mm Backcountry — you can get long-barrel speed even in a short barrel.

Suddenly, one of the biggest obstacles to adopting a suppressor — the extra length it tacks onto the barrel — is no longer an issue.

This short-barrel trend is primed to explode.

“This cartridge is a game-changer for guides and hunters like me,” said West Texas and New Mexico guide Josh Coffey. “We went with short barrels with suppressors a few years ago. We were done with pulling long barrel suppressors out of our packs in the mountains or getting in and out of trucks with them. We like our rifles light and short. Now we don’t have to give up velocity.”

On a recent mule deer hunt in New Mexico, I carried a shorter-barrel rifle with a suppressor and shot the new 7mm Backcountry ammo.

Much of the hunt consisted of driving ranch roads at High West Outfitter’s H-Y Ranch west of Silver City. I was constantly getting out of the truck with my rifle and glassing distant herds.

I was using a Gunwerks Magnus with a 20-inch barrel and 5 ½-inch Silencer Central Banish Backcountry suppressor. In total, the rifle was 44 ½ inches long from recoil pad to the tip of the suppressor. It was a very manageable package.

Right away, I noticed how much better a shorter barrel and suppressor was when sliding in and out of the truck without clanking anything or breaking a window. I was hooked on the short barrel.

Federal Premium loads five types of bullets into this new premium-quality, alloy-steel cartridge. John Geiger, SAFARI Magazine managing editor, used 7mm Backcountry with a 175-grain Fusion Tipped bullet to stop this deer in its tracks during a recent hunt in New Mexico.

At the range, before the hunt, I shot sub-MOA groups at 100 yards from the bench and from the bipod. I used the Revic ballistic app to set my distances and trued my info at 300 yards. With a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, I got three-shot velocities of 2,966, 2,963 and 2,968 fps using Federal Fusion Tipped bullets. In addition to that bullet, Federal is also loading super-fast 155- and 170-grain Federal Premium Terminal Ascent, 195-grain Federal Premium Berger Elite Hunter and 168-grain Federal Premium Barnes LRX Copper bullets.

The Revic elevation turret was inscribed with MOA clicks. With the ballistic app, I could enter the distance, make a wind call and be on target beyond 600 yards. I was not planning on shooting at an animal at that distance, but I knew my setup and was capable of doing so. I had shot MOA groups out to 1,200 yards with a Magnus in the past, so my confidence was high.

The turret also had a built-in Plan B.

If I chose, I could instead dial to the yardage — rather than MOA — for a quicker shot. The custom turret was engraved with yardage stops specifically for this rifle and bullet. I tested the yardage turret as well as the MOA elevation turret out to 500 yards. They were both highly accurate.

The eventual shot at the mature mule deer on Day 3 was a quick setup. It was not a rushed shot but a shot that had to be taken within a short window of time. The buck was feeding and moving up a hill, getting farther away. It was about to crest the summit, be sky-lined and then out of sight.

Coffey gave me the distance and a wind call. With the big deer on the move, I chose to dial to the yardage rather than check the app for a MOA setting. I pulled the trigger during my respiratory pause. At 460 yards, the shot was right on. The big muley stopped in his tracks, looked up to heaven and tumbled 20 yards back down the hill where he lay dead. The bullet had pushed through the quartering-away deer from the back of the left lung through the front of the right lung.

After the shot, I wondered if I would have had the time to input the yardage on the app, get behind the scope, get a wind call and fire before this trophy was gone. Maybe, but it was nice to have that yardage option at hand.

We travel many miles for our hunts, practice at the range, get the best gear we can and hunt hard in all kinds of weather for a shot at a game animal. Hunting can be a very technical pursuit if we let it.

I watched the downed deer in the scope more than a quarter mile away. Emotion, buried away during several days of non-stop hunting, suddenly hit me hard in the form of gratitude. The sky then seemed bluer. The mountains felt closer, the wind fresher, and life felt much fuller. I turned to look at my guide, who, like a rock, had walked with me through this process from Day 1.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You bet,” said Coffey. “Nice shot.”

We sat there for a few minutes. Saying nothing because nothing needed to be said.

What other adventure besides hunting creates friendships and forges mutual respect so quickly? I’ve yet to find it.

Federal Premium’s new 7mm Backcountry is designed for hunters who want to shoot suppressed with short barrels at high velocities. Gunwerks is chambering its Magnus in 7mm Backcountry. The shorter 20-inch barrel paired perfectly with a Silencer Central Banish Backcountry and Revic scope.

SECRET SAUCE

It’s not the bullet that gives this package such a boost in speed. And it’s not a new propellant mix. Instead, it’s the actual material that Federal uses to make the cartridge hull itself.

This 7mm Backcountry cartridge is a result of seven years of development.

In 2017, the U.S. military came to the company because it wanted better ammo performance.

“We tested many materials at higher pressures,” said Federal engineer Brad Abramowski.

Abramowski’s team landed on a very specific, patented steel alloy. Wait, Steel? Shooters the world over are all too familiar with common steel cases. They’re made to be cheap, throwaway-range ammo. They corrode and often can’t be reloaded.

“This alloy is very different,” said Abramowski.

It’s patented, so they’re not giving away the formula, but they call it Peak Alloy and it’s more closely related to the types used in bank safes, race cars and nuclear reactors.

This alloy allows Federal to safely increase cartridge pressures, boosting velocities to magnum levels through a shorter barrel without more recoil.

Brass is usually loaded to a ceiling of 65,000 psi. Peak Alloy is safely loaded to 80,000 psi. In practical terms, that translates into 3,000 fps velocities with a 170-grain bullet out of the 20-inch barrel. During our hunt, another hunter had a custom Horizon rifle with a very short 16.25-inch barrel that shot an impressive 2,880 fps.

John Radzwilla of Hook & Barrel magazine used a 16.25-inch barreled Horizon rifle in 7mm Backcountry to take this old mule deer on a hunt in New Mexico recently. The short-barreled rifle sent a 175-grain Fusion Tipped bullet at 2,880 fps.

7mm PRC and MAGNIFICENT 7s

Of all the hunting calibers out there, Federal picked 7mm for its new cartridge.

“Choosing 7mm made the most sense compared to other calibers,” said Mike Holm, Federal’s director of centerfire ammo.

Hunters know that the 7mm, .284-inch bullets hit a sweet spot of higher ballistic coefficients compared to the 30’s or 6.5’s. There are many proven 7mm bullets on the market that are heavy for caliber with excellent BCs.

And in the 7mm-caliber world, it’s no secret that now, one in particular is king: 7mm PRC.

“We set out to beat it, and we did that,” said Holm. “Due to its safe higher-chamber-pressures, a 7mm Backcountry 170-grain Terminal Ascent shot through a 24-inch barrel gives you a muzzle velocity of around 3,150 fps. A 7mm PRC with the same bullet generates about 2,950 fps. Through a 20-inch barrel, 7mm Backcountry shoots approximately 3,000 fps while the 7mm PRC is only 2,850 fps.”

You might expect the recoil to jump up along with the velocity. But the higher pressures promote a better burn, mitigating the kick.

The jury is out on reloading for now. While steel is not as malleable as brass, these cartridges can still be reloaded several times, said Abramowski.

The new cartridges are available now, so we’ll soon hear if the case is a hit with the do-it-yourself reload crowd.

Meanwhile, hunters can use factory ammo long on speed with their suppressed, short-barrel rifles.

Hunters and guides were strangers just a few days ago. From left, hunter J.J. Reich of Federal Premium, author John Geiger, engineer Brad Abramowski and guide Josh Coffey enjoy each other’s company and check out the unique characteristics of the deer’s rack.

To cover the immense High West Outfitter ranch in southwestern New Mexico, hunters were constantly getting in and out of a Tacoma to glass far-off herds of mule deer in search of mature bucks of a certain age class. In the past, they would have had long barrels and a long suppressor. Now, they had a maximum of 20-inch barrels with 5 1/2-inch-long Silencer Central Banish suppressors.

Packing out a mule deer with a shorter-barreled rifle is a dream: you’re not catching the muzzle on trees, and the rifle doesn’t stick out of the gun pocket awkwardly.

Author John Geiger looks southwest toward Arizona and Mexico as he packs out a mule deer from the foothills of the Gila Mountains near Silver City, New Mexico.

Horned lizards, also called horntoads, are common in this part of the country. Their excellent camouflage is their best defense.

High West Outfitters hunts many ranches around the U.S. Southwest, including H-Y in the heart of the Gilas.

Federal Premium’s new 7mm Backcountry is designed for hunters who want to shoot suppressed with short barrels at high velocities. Gunwerks is chambering its Magnus in 7mm Backcountry. The shorter 20-inch barrel paired perfectly with a Silencer Central Banish Backcountry and Revic scope.

What’s Next?

A good test of how popular a new cartridge will be is to look at how many rifle companies are investing in it and chambering for it. More than a dozen of the best companies have lined up to offer their rifles in 7mm Backcountry in 2025 and beyond. That’s a very good sign. Here are just a few.

Christensen Arms

Gunwerks

Seekins Precision

Fierce Arms

AllTerra Arms

Savage Arms

Weatherby

Geissele Automatics

Proof Research

Horizon Firearms

Pure Precision

The post New Federal 7mm Cartridge Made For Suppressed Rifles appeared first on Safari Club.

Originally published in the September/October 2024 Issue of Safari Magazine.

The deer don’t stand a chance! Well, that may not be exactly true. Researchers tell us that a deer’s sense of smell is up to 1,000 times that of a human. They have 310 degrees of vision around them (you can see 180 degrees), and they can hear up to 54,000 hertz, while you and I top out at about 24,000. Thankfully, we have the edge when it comes to innovation. Each year, manufacturers invent gear that helps us become better hunters. Here are a few new products to up your venison and antler quest. — John Geiger 

New Rifle For Deer-Hunting Adventures

Springfield’s Model 2020 Boundary Evolves From Waypoint Family

Just before this went to press, Springfield released their new Model 2020 Boundary rifle. SAFARI Magazine editors were among a handful in the industry who got to test it out in advance. The Boundary is a welcome evolution of the Model 2020 family, which started with the Waypoint, a fine rifle in its own right. 

The test rifle was 43 inches long, weighed just under 7 pounds without a scope and was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. Our first impression was that it’s a solid platform that shoots well from the bench, sitting, prone or offhand. 

It’s designed to straddle the classic look of a deer gun — with its hinged floorplate and clean lines — and the advantages of a modern precision firearm. The new Boundary would be at home anywhere there is hunting in the world, from red stag in New Zealand to whitetails in Kentucky.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of this rifle is the rigid action it inherited from the Waypoint family. It’s based on Remington’s 700 push feed but is made with precise electronic discharge machines (EDC). EDC is used to make highly accurate cuts to the world’s toughest metals. The bolt is therefore fitted to high tolerances, thanks to the EDM-cut raceways in the receiver.

The rifle comes with either a fluted stainless steel or carbon fiber barrel. The one we shot was carbon fiber. Interestingly, the carbon fiber does not touch the steel below except for about 5% of the steel’s surface area. Springfield says this creates an air gap between the two elements that aid in cooling. We did notice the barrels cooled quickly between shot strings at the range.

At the range, the rifle was at home on the bench, sitting, prone and offhand. It has a wide, flat forend that is a hybrid between a bench gun and a walking gun. There were no malfunctions or trouble feeding or ejecting. It printed a session-best 0.861-inch group at 100 yards. The gun preferred Federal Premium Terminal Ascent cartridges among the six cartridges that we tried. Muzzle speeds were where we expected them to be, as recorded by a Garmin Xero chronograph.

The TriggerTech trigger broke cleanly at 3.5 pounds and is adjustable from 5 to 2.5 pounds. It’s hard to measure, but Springfield claims the lock time — the moment between the trigger break and primer ignition — is an amazing 1.9 milliseconds. That helps reduce operator error — a heartbeat or any movement that could move the point of aim from your target.

The 2020 Boundary is now available in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, .300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag and 7mm PRC. $2,173 for the steel barrel version and $2,599 with the carbon fiber barrel. springfield-armory.com.

Christensen Arms Evoke

Christensen Arms new Evoke rifle is designed for both beginner and seasoned hunters. They are feature-rich, yet most are sub-$1,000, making them good entry points into the lineup of Christensen Arms rifles. There are four models — from a Mossy Oak to Precision — in various camo configurations and calibers. The Mossy Oak, for example, comes in 11 calibers, from 300 PRC to the straight-wall 350 Legend. Each has a stainless-steel precision Cerakote barrel, a 60-degree bolt throw on a three-lug bolt and a detachable mag. They are suppressor-ready and include a premium RFR muzzle brake, hybrid grip angle and a user-adjustable TriggerTech trigger. Every Evoke rifle configuration comes with a sub-MOA guarantee and a limited lifetime warranty. christensenarms.com.

Gunwerks WRK Rifle

Deer hunters will welcome a new version of the Magnus rifle system from Gunwerks. By no means a cheap rifle, the new WRX is a lot like the $10k Magnus but has a stainless-steel barrel and limited paint schemes. That, and a few other modifications, cuts the price in half. We are very familiar with the Magnus platform and find it stable, balanced on a bench, sticks or offhand and a highly accurate long-range rifle. Nine calibers, from 6.5 Creedmoor to 300 PRC. 20-, 22- or 24-inch barrel options, and floorplate or flush mag, among other options. $4,975 base at gunwerks.com.

Beretta BRX1

Beretta’s recent straight-pull rifle is now available in .243 Win., .30-06 Springfield and .300 Win Mag. The rifle is made for quick follow-up shots. It only takes a pullback and a push forward to rechamber the gun, which makes it great for a quick second shot when needed. The gun has a sleek appearance, with a carbon fiber barrel option. The bolt is ambi, and you can change barrels, bolt heads and mags to accommodate different calibers with the same action and stock. $1,499. beretta.com.

Weatherby Alpine CT-1

Weatherby has released its newest model in its Model 307 platform. The Alpine CT is for hunters who want a light, accurate bolt-action rifle that they can customize. Weatherby’s Model 307 action is a 2-lug, fully cylindrical action. It complements the historic MarkV and Vanguard lineups yet is compatible with many modern aftermarket accessories, such as stocks, triggers, rails and mounts. Alpine CT’s will have the option of Peak 44 Bastion stocks, which weigh just 24 ounces. 13 chamberings, from .240 Weatherby to .300 Weatherby, including 300 PRC. MSRP is $2,199. weatherby.com.

Benelli Lupo HPR

Benelli has designed its new iteration of the Lupo rifle to be the most accurate Lupo ever. At first glance, you’ll notice the new synthetic stock that uses many features usually found in a long-range chassis gun. It has an 8-position comb height for precise eye alignment, adjusted with a button on the stock. Removable grips let you add a hunting-style or target-style grip. As usual, Benelli includes many drop and cast shims for the best fit for you. They’re backing it with a five-shot .75-inch MOA guarantee. There are six calibers, from 6.5 Creedmoor to .338 Lapua. MSRP for all models is $2,949. benelliusa.com.

HS Precision PLC

H-S Precision has been building custom rifles in South Dakota for nearly 30 years. It designs and builds every component of its rifles. Their latest — the Professional Long Range Carbon Hunter — is their first with a carbon barrel. With all H-S rifles, there are many options when you go to order a gun. For example, you can have a Timney curved, straight or H-S custom trigger installed. Other spec options include a choice of caliber, color, barrel length, twist rate, muzzle brake, trigger and more. The PLC has a push-feed action and a detachable magazine. $6,039 base price. hsprecision.com.

Franchi Momentum Elite

Franchi is adding new options to its Momentum line. The Momentum Elite now comes in the venerable .30-06 as well as 450 Bushmaster. Both models come with a 22-inch free-float barrel in Midnight Bronze Cerakote and are joined to an Evolved Ergonom-X stock. The .30-06 build-out is an obvious choice for folks who want a proven .30-caliber rifle, while the 450 is a hit with people in straight-wall deer states in the USA. Momentum Elite now comes in six calibers. $899 at Cabelas.com.

Tenpoint Crossbows

This crossbow company has been around for more than 30 years. TenPoint is pushing technology further and further to make crossbows that are faster and still highly accurate, stable shooting platforms. TenPoint says they can control flexibility and torque better and get more accuracy by making a better riser, which holds the limbs to the bow. The crossbow weighs 7.2 pounds, has a 6.5-inch cocked width and has a TriggerTech trigger. $2,449–$2,549.99. tenpointcrossbows.com.

Trijicon Tenmile

Trijicon is expanding its Tenmile HX series riflescopes to include a 5-25×50 first focal plane scope. The 5X magnification gives hunters a wide field of view or a high-magnification view of distant targets. It’s made with outstanding glass, highly repeatable adjusters, 80 MOA of adjustment and a purpose-built first focal plane MOA-based illuminated reticle, all inside a 30mm tube. MSRP, $2,190. trijicon.com.

Hornady Outfitter Cartridges

Outfitter cartridges are made for the most rugged hunting. They have corrosion-resistant nickel-plated cases, are watertight and are loaded with tough copper-alloy CX bullets. The line has been around for a while, but hunters can now get Outfitter in a 190-grain 300 PRC, as well as 20 other calibers already on the market. $35-$83 per box at scheels.com.

Federal Fusion Tipped

Fusion is Federal’s deer-hunting cartridge. It’s been popular since it was introduced in 2005. The hollow-point bonded bullet performed well, but Federal has now made it more of a long-range contender with a polymer tip to increase accuracy and a skivved nose cavity to promote expansion. The Fusion Tipped still has an electronically fused jacket and core (most bullets are mechanically pressed together), giving it very good weight retention. $44-$81 per box. Federalpremium.com

Winchester Ammo XP

Winchester Ammo’s Deer Season XP bullets are now available in multiple calibers. Deer Season XP is the company’s top-shelf deer bullet brand. It’s made to fly accurately, expand rapidly and give a massive terminal performance. The bullet has a large polymer tip, streamlined profile and alloyed lead core. There are nine calibers now available, including 350 Legend at $36 per box. winchesterammo.com.

Leupold RX-5000

Leupold’s new RX-5000’s Long Range mode lets you range to 5,000 yards — that’s nearly three miles — on reflective targets, 3,100 yards on trees and 2,000 yards deer-sized game out of the box. To assist with using Long Range mode, the RX-5000 ships with an included tripod saddle and can be fired remotely using the Leupold Control app. On the app, you can use your RX-5000 to remotely drop location pins to your phone using digital maps like onX Hunt, Apple Maps and Google Maps. leupold.com.

Swarovski NL

Glassing can get old quickly if your binos are heavy or bulky. Swarovski’s new addition to their Pure line is anything but. The NL Pure 10×52 is designed with your hand in mind. They make it easy to enjoy a relaxed view for a long period of time. We experienced this on a recent stag hunt where we glassed 90% of the time while stalking and shooting 10% of the time. The NL Pures were delightful. They also have a substantial field of view at 72 degrees or 390 feet at 1,000 yards. $3,449 retail. Info at swarovskioptiks.com.

Sig Sauer Zulu6 HDX

Sig Sauer’s new Zulu6 HDX image stabilization binos allow you to easily study distant objects, like antlers or pick apart distant hillsides for signs of bedded animals. The Zulu6 has eliminated or mitigated many of those past technological hurdles and brings a bright, stabilized image to your eye. The 12x binos are less than $1,000, while the largest 20x42mm is $1,200. sigsauer.com.

Diamond Blade Knives

A great knife will keep its edge for a long time yet be easy to sharpen. That’s what former Alaska guide Charles Allen and his company, DiamondBlade Knives, designed the Surge knife to be. We used a combo set during the recent hunting season made up of a Surge and a Pinnacle II caping knife, both in one belt sheath. They kept their edges longer than most knives we’ve used, and the double-knife sheath is super practical. $299-$525. diamondbladeknives.com.

Banks Blind

The Stump Sequoia blind from Banks Outdoors has 44 square feet of room, providing space for multiple hunters. It has eight silent-swinging tinted framed windows, and its seamless polyethylene construction makes it very durable and weather-resistant. It comes in several options, from a base model to a tricked-out, accessory-equipped Pro Hunter version. banksoutdoors.com.

The post DEER GEAR  appeared first on Safari Club.

By Ryan Sparks, Associate Editor

Cellular Trailcam Buyer’s Guide

I bought my first set of trail cameras over 20 years ago. They were expensive, bulky, had terrible battery life, and took grainy photos. Comparing those cameras to the ones I use today is crazy. Arguably no hunting technology has improved as much over the last five years as trail cameras, and a big part of that improvement has been the development of cellular trail cameras.

Cellular trail cameras send photos and videos to your smartphone or email, allowing nearly real-time access to scouting information and eliminating the disturbance caused by having to manually check cameras. By studying photos and videos, hunters can get a good idea of what animals are on the landscape and better determine the location of game, including patterning specific animals as they move between bedding and feeding areas. Additionally, cellular trail cameras are incredible tools for monitoring remote properties and keeping an eye on food plots.  

Initially, cellular trail cameras were prohibitively expensive, but now numerous models are available for under $150. I’ve been running a fleet of cellular trail cameras for years and have learned a few things along the way. Below is a buyer’s guide containing everything you need to know about cellular trail cameras, as well as Safari Magazine‘s 2023 cellular trail camera test.

The Advantages of Cellular Trail Cameras

Cellular networks are as extensive as ever, and it’s rare that an area I’m hunting doesn’t have at least a bar of service. Many cellular cameras also come preinstalled with both AT&T and Verizon SIM cards and will automatically connect to the strongest network. Other models are available that will connect to global cellular networks so you can keep an eye on the entrance to your whitetail property in Iowa or a waterhole in South Africa. The advantages of cellular trail cameras are numerous, and the only reason I wouldn’t use a cellular camera is if the area I’m hunting doesn’t have cell service.  

The first advantage of cellular cameras is that you always have the most up to date information — an animal walks in front of your camera, the camera takes a photo, and minutes later you can view the photo. Some cameras even offer live streaming, where you can see what is in front of your cameras in real time. This is a huge advantage over traditional cameras where you have to go to the camera and manually check an SD card. With a traditional camera I would be lucky to know what happened yesterday. With a cellular camera, I know what happened 10 minutes ago.

The second advantage of cell cameras is that they are less intrusive. While testing for this article, I had some cameras in the field for over 300 days and never visited them. Those cameras took well over 10,000 photos without a single visit, which kept my scent and presence out of the woods.

The final advantage of cell cameras is they vastly expand the area a hunter can effectively scout. You will disturb the area less, and you won’t have to travel there to check them. You can run a larger fleet of cameras and have them in multiple states or countries.

Image Quality

The most widespread misconception about trail camera image quality is that more megapixels means better image quality. In reality, nearly every camera on the market shoots at around 3-5 megapixels and then uses software to interpolate the images. Simply put, interpolation adds false megapixels to a photo by splitting real megapixels into multiple simulated pixels thus creating a higher, but deceptive, resolution. Even more simply put, interpolation jacks up megapixel ratings for promotional purposes. Just because one camera claims more megapixels, it doesn’t mean it’s better than another.

Additionally, when a cellular camera takes a photo, it writes that information to the SD card and then compresses the image before it sends it to you. Different companies use different software to compress their images resulting in a wide variance in photo quality from one company to another. The only thing that matters is the quality of the images you see on your phone, and the only real way to determine this is to evaluate them yourself (which is exactly what we have done for you below). 

Types of Flash

When buying any trail camera, you should consider the type of flash used in the camera. There are three types of common flashes: red glow infrared, low glow infrared, and no glow (sometimes called black) infrared.

Just like the name implies, red glow infrared uses infrared light for nighttime photos. When triggered, they emit red infrared light that results in black-and-white photos. Red glow cameras take the brightest, clearest night photos because more infrared light is emitted. They also generally have the greatest nighttime range. Some hunters believe this red light spooks game while others do not. It likely depends on what animals you are targeting, the location of the camera and the individual animal.

Low glow infrared is similar to red glow, but the red light emitted is barely visible to the human eye. Low glow cameras are a good compromise between range and stealth. Many hunters use low glow cameras for both wildlife monitoring and security.

Finally, no glow cameras use an infrared flash with filters that make it invisible to the human eye. These are best for monitoring property entrances or for hunters who want the least intrusive flash available. In the past, no glow cameras had a limited range, but in our testing, we found several models that had excellent night ranges.

Battery Life

Battery life is an incredibly important aspect to consider when buying a trail camera because frequent trips to change batteries defeats the purpose of a cellular camera. Also, when running multiple cameras, the cost of batteries can add up quickly. After 20 years of running trail cameras, I’ve tried everything when it comes to batteries. Here are your options and some suggestions.

Alkaline batteries are the cheapest option for replaceable batteries but won’t last as long as lithium batteries and the cold weather reduces their lifespan. Lithium batteries are much longer-lasting but are so expensive they don’t make fiscal sense unless you are only running just one or two cameras for a few months a year.

Another option are rechargeable AA batteries or lithium power packs. In terms of battery life, these last somewhere between alkaline and lithium AA batteries. Compared to the cost of single-use lithium batteries, they will pay for themselves after a few charges. Still, there are better options from both a cost and battery life perspective.

External 12v battery boxes will usually last around a year. These batteries cost less than $40 and high-quality battery box kits cost about the same. You will get 400-500 charge cycles out of most brands. For more battery life, 12v lithium batteries can power a camera for much longer and last for roughly 2,000 charge cycles.

In my opinion, solar power packs are the best option for powering trail cameras in most situations. Solar panels have improved immensely in the last few years, and I’ve been amazed at how well they work, even in areas without direct sunlight. During testing for this article, one solar powered camera was in a thick stand of cedar trees for over 150 days. At the time of this article, the battery was still at 100%.

Many trail camera companies offer solar panels designed specifically for their cameras (we tested several, see the results below). A small solar pack is powerful enough to run a trail camera almost indefinitely and good solar packs cost $60-$120. I have come to rely on solar packs so much, I don’t bother buying batteries for my personal cameras any longer. Considering both battery life and cost, I haven’t found anything better.

Lastly, understanding how cellular cameras consume battery power will help you choose settings to make your batteries last even longer. Connecting to a cellular network consumes power. The more you can limit how often a camera connects to a cell network the better battery life. Some cameras have features that allow you to schedule when and how often photos are sent as well as how often cameras perform a settings check. Using settings like this means the camera connects to the network just a few times each day rather than once for each photo. This can drastically increase the battery life of your cameras.

Trigger Speed

When it comes to trail cameras, speed matters. Trigger speed is the difference between getting a photo of an animal’s headgear or its rear end. These days, .5-second trigger speeds are normal, and some top-of-the-line cameras have a nearly instantaneous trigger.

The other half of trigger speed is recovery time. This is the time it takes a camera to trigger, shoot a photo, store the photo, and reset for another photo. A fast trigger speed means capturing an animal as soon as it walks in front of your camera. A fast recovery time means capturing the second animal behind it. Recovery times aren’t often listed by manufacturers so the only way to tell is by using them. (See our findings below.)

Ease of Use

You don’t have to be a tech genius to use a cellular trail camera, but a camera is only as good as the app you use to control it. While cellular cameras are increasingly affordable, the cost of data plans can add up quickly. It’s important to consider both the features of the camera and the cost of data plans.

An important feature to look for in an app is the ability to sort photos into folders or collections. This sort function allows you to stay organized as your photo library grows. I like to organize my photos into collections based on species and year, which allows me to quickly reference past photos.

The ability to make changes to settings from the app is an important feature. Strong wind can cause cameras to take photos of swaying grass and branches. In these situations, being able to turn down trigger sensitivity saves battery life and data usage on your plan.

Each company’s data plan is structured differently, but almost all offer monthly and annual options. Annual plans usually come with cost savings, but if you only plan to run cameras a few months a year it is usually less expensive to pay monthly. Also, some company’s data plans are more favorable to photos while others offer better prices for video. Think about how you will use your cameras and compare data plans accordingly.

The Top Cellular Trailcams of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

I’ve run trail cameras on my family’s farm for over 20 years. For this guide, I tested every cellular trail camera I could get my hands on, read through hundreds of online reviews, participated in several social media groups dedicated to trail cameras, and performed my own evaluation of each camera.

For my assessment I set each camera to shoot as fast as possible at its highest sensitivity. I placed markers at 10, 50 and 100 feet. Then I walked past the camera at an average pace at each distance. I then repeated this at night. The test was meant to gauge each camera’s detection range, trigger speed and flash range. I looked for blank photos, failures to trigger, blurry images, and overall photo quality. 

After that test, I set up cameras with solar panels in areas that had reasonable cell service. In the field, I evaluated the camera’s photo quality, reliability, and ease of use over the next several months. This included using each feature within every app.

While features of individual cameras are noted below, these reviews focus on camera/app systems rather than individual cameras because I’ve found that apps are as important as the cameras themselves.

Camera’s Tested

Tactacam Reveal X Gen 2.0

Tactacam Reveal X-Pro

Stealth Cam Deceptor No-Glo

Stealth Cam Fusion-X Pro

Cuddeback CuddeLink System

Cuddeback Tracks

Bushnell CelluCore 20

SpyPoint Flex G-36

SpyPoint LM2

TACTACAM REVEAL

Products Tested: Reveal X Gen 2.0, Reveal X-Pro, Tactacam External Solar Panel, Lipo Lithium Battery Pack

You get a lot of bang for your buck with these cameras but plans for multiple cameras add up quickly. Both cameras produced high-quality photos and videos, although trigger speeds and detection ranges were not as good as others we tested. We found the hybrid photo/video mode offered many advantages, such as reduced photo data usage and video costs. The Reveal app was one of the best we tested. Overall, these are solid cameras with an intuitive app that is tough to beat.

What We Liked

• Cameras are easy to set up and the intuitive app makes sorting and storing images simple. This was our favorite app of the test.

• Good day and night picture quality. Night photos from the Reveal X Gen 2.0 were particularly good.

• Hybrid mode allows both photos and video to be recorded on a single trigger event.

• Photo plans for each camera are added together allowing unused photos from one camera to be used by another.

• X-Pro model features no glow flash for hunters concerned with thieves or trespassers.

• Tactacam is a proud supporter of SCI, and we like to support companies that support us. You can currently get a free Tactacam Reveal trailcam when signing up for a 3-year SCI membership by using the code “camera08”

What We’d Change

• Data plans are expensive when running multiple cameras.

• Multi-shot send requires an added fee.

• Firmware updates must be performed manually.

STEALTH CAM

Products Tested: Deceptor No-Glo, Fusion-X Pro and Sol-Pak Solar Battery Pack

Both the Deceptor No-Glo and Fusion-X Pro are impressive cameras at great prices. The Deceptor was by far the fastest at detecting motion in our test and it also had excellent range, especially considering it is a no-glow camera. These features translated to the field — animals were captured the instant they stepped in front of the camera. Both cameras had excellent picture quality. We liked that the Sol-Pak Solar Battery Pak comes with a lengthy cord, allowing you to position it in the sunniest location possible. Overall Stealth Cam is a great option offering good photo quality, fast trigger speeds and quick recovery times.

What We Liked

• Best trigger speeds and detection of the cameras we tested.

• Excellent day and night photos. The Deceptor No-Glo has the best flash range of any no glow camera we’ve ever used.

• Camera setup was easy, and the Command Pro app was fairly straightforward.

• Automatic network coverage finds the strongest network and automatically connects.

• Instant group photo setting saves battery life while allowing more photos to be captured.

• Competitively priced plans for photos.

• Ability for remote firmware updates.

What We’d Change

• You must choose between photo or video mode. There is no hybrid mode available (although videos do come with a three-frame photo preview).

• Receiving videos is more expensive than other companies.

• No option to sort photos into collections within the app.

• Trouble receiving and playing videos.

CUDDEBACK

Products Tested: CuddeLink G-Series Home Camera, CuddeLink L-Series, Tracks LTE Camera, Sun and Shade Solar Power Bank

For those wanting to run a large number of cameras, Cuddeback offers an innovative, affordable solution. Their CuddeLink system allows up to 24 cameras to be paired on a single data plan. Link cameras send images to a home camera via a private wireless network. Cameras must generally be within a ¼ mile of each other but can be daisy chained to extend distance from the home camera. For situations where cameras need to be placed farther from the home camera, Cuddeback offers their Tracks cellular camera. As a whole, Cuddeback is a good option for property owners wanting to run a fleet of cameras, but setup is more involved.

Things We Liked

• Ability to link cameras together on a single data plan saves significant money, especially when running numerous cameras.

• Tracks model allows you to be flexible and monitor areas away from the home camera network.

• Solar power compatible for extended battery life. Cuddeback’s Sun and Shade Solar Power Bank was one of the best solar panels we tested.

What We’d Change

• Setup of the link system is somewhat complicated.

• App is not as easy to use as others.

• Video is not available when using the CuddeLink system.

• Flash range and image quality could be improved.

• Proprietary mounting system makes it difficult to lock cameras or use third-party mounts and accessories.

BUSHNELL

Products Tested: Bushnell CelluCore 20

We were impressed by the great picture quality and extended battery life thanks to the integrated solar panel. Bushnell also offers a feature-rich and easy-to-use app that can sort images by weather, wind, temperature, moon phase and more. The trigger speed was slower than other cameras, but if you are looking for a high-value cellular trail camera, consider the CelluCore 20.

Things We Liked

• Good picture quality.

• Feature-rich and easy-to-use app.

• Easy setup with automatic network coverage.

• Integrated solar panel increases battery life without having to purchase a separate solar panel.

What We’d Change

• Slower trigger speed than other cameras.

• Problems receiving videos in the app.

SpyPoint

Products Tested: Flex G-36, LM2, LIT-22 Lithium Battery Pack and SPLB-22 Lithium Battery Solar Panel

Unfortunately, we received these products late in the testing process and were not able to test them as extensively as others. We were able to do some backyard and app testing, but field testing was limited. Here is what we can report. SpyPoint is known for having fast trigger speeds and recovery times. We found that to be true. Both cameras captured movement quickly and took solid photos. The Flex G-36 had an impressive flash range, capturing movement past 100 feet. The LM2 is a great lower-priced cellular camera that would be a good fit for someone looking for an entry-level camera without video. SpyPoint offers good all-around cellular trail cameras that take great photos with an easy-to-use app.

Things We Liked

• The Flex G-36 took impressive day photos and even better night photos.

• Detection ranges of both cameras were excellent.

• Cameras are easy to setup and the SpyPoint app is solid.

• Free 100-photo plan.

• Automatic network coverage.

• Spypoint’s lithium solar panel was by far the best we tested. This is a powerful solar panel that can run even the most power-hungry cameras.

Things We’d Change

• We aren’t fans of micro-SD cards.

• Poor battery life when used without a solar panel or external battery box.

Final Thoughts

After using cellular trail cameras for many years, I can confidently say they are powerful scouting tools. In fact, I can’t image hunting whitetails on our family farm without them. They also keep me excited for hunting seasons throughout the year. There is nothing like getting a photo of a strutting tom just before turkey season or a big velvet buck walking past the new treestand I just hung. Five years ago cellular trailcams still had a lot of problems to iron out, but 2023 is as good a time as ever to start using cell cams.

*Keep in mind that trailcams are not legal everywhere. Check your local game regulations before using one in or out of season.

The post The Top Cellular Trail Cameras of 2023 appeared first on Safari Club.

It had to happen. I’m talking about the new 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge, or PRC, from Hornady, the folks who have introduced more innovative cartridges over the last two decades than any other ammunition manufacturer. 

I say it had to happen simply because there’s a 6.5 PRC and a 300 PRC, and to not have a cartridge of similar technical advancement in a caliber that is rapidly approaching the .30 in terms of popularity, didn’t make sense. Besides, a .044-inch gap in the caliber ladder is a big one in any cartridge family. The 7mm at .284 falls smack in the middle. 

Touted as being “a 21st Century 7mm magnum,” the PRC is based on a necked-down and shortened 300 PRC case, which in turn is a necked-down 375 Ruger. Whereas the .300 PRC requires a magnum-length action capable of handling cartridges of 3.70 inches COL (Cartridge Overall Length), the new 7mm version will fit a standard .30-06-length action (3.340 inches COL). 

In other words, any action with a belted magnum rim diameter (bolt face) of .532 inch that can digest a 7mm Rem. Magnum or a .300 Win. Magnum can be re-barreled to the 7mm PRC. Not that re-barreling would be necessary, for by the time you read this just about every rifle manufacturer, large and small, will be chambering for this cartridge or plans to. 

This newest member of the PRC family embodies all the tenets of modern cartridge design that was first seen on a commercial scale in 2008 with the 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s not that any tectonic advancements were made with the Creed, but enough little things were advanced here and there that resulted in a more efficient cartridge. 

Some were just common sense — like seating bullets farther out so they infringed less on usable powder space; and getting rid of the belt, a vestigial feature at best, and one that can cause resizing and headspacing problems for handloaders. 

Cartridge cases that were shorter and fatter have proven to burn powder more efficiently, which yielded more uniform velocities and better accuracy. A sharper shoulder angle provided a more positive datum line for headspacing, and longer necks meant more uniform bullet tension and better bullet/bore alignment which minimized yaw as a bullet enters the rifling. 

To maximize volume, body taper is reduced to plus or minus .015-inch from case head to shoulder. But perhaps the most seminal characteristic of the “modern cartridge” is that it launches heavier, longer and more aerodynamic bullets that require faster barrel twist rates to stabilize. All the aforementioned characteristics are incorporated in the PRC family.

So, what can the 7mm PRC do that other .28s can’t? 

Well, to find out, we have to look at the entire 7mm lineup and see what cartridge is closest to the PRC in terms of case capacity, for that’s always the bottom line when comparing a given cartridge’s ballistic potential. 

Conveniently enough, the iconic 7mm Remington Magnum is the closest in that, by my measurements, it held 82.5 grains of water by weight, filled to the case mouth, while the 7mm PRC held 81.5. I arrived at those figures using new, unfired cases from which I pulled the bullets. The 7 Mag brass was of Winchester manufacture, while the PRC brass was, of course, Hornady’s. With the unfired primers in place, both empty cases weighed exactly the same: 229 grains. Filled with water, the 7 Mag case weighed 312.0 grains, and the PRC case, 310.5 grains. 

Looking at the two factory-loaded cartridges side by side, one would assume the 7 Mag’s 160-grain Silvertip bullet is seated more deeply into the case than the PRC’s 175 grain ELD-X, thus infringing more on usable powder space. Now let’s see what happens when we seat the same bullet to factory specs, in this case, the 175 grain ELD-X, to an OCL of 3.30 inches. As can be seen from the accompanying photo, the 7 Mag bullet is seated much deeper into the 7 Mag case than in the PRC bullet in the PRC hull. 

Intuitively, one would assume that, given both cases have virtually the same volume, the PRC case with the much shallower-seated bullet would result in a larger combustion chamber. But believe it or not, that was not quite the case. To determine that, I took those same two empty cases, and with a triangular needle file, filed a lengthwise groove into the inner surface of the neck; this would enable water to escape as I seated the bullets. What water that remained in the case after the bullets were seated to factory depth represented 100 percent loading density in terms of water weight in grains.

As such, the measurement of the water and the PRC round weighed 477.0 grains. The water and the 7 Mag case was 479.0 grains. Subtract the weight of the empty cases (229 grains), and the weight of the bullet (175 grains), and you get a case capacity of 73 grains of water for the PRC, and 75 grains for the 7 Mag.

That small a difference is statistically insignificant because there can be that much difference in volume between makes of brass, so it could easily have gone the other way! 

So, what can the 7mm PRC do that the 7mm Rem. Magnum can’t? 

Velocity-wise, absolutely nothing, because identical combustion chambers mean equal velocity potential, all other things equal. What the PRC can do is launch heavier bullets. The 7 Mag specs call for a 1-to-9-inch twist rate. That rate will fully stabilize bullets up to about 170 grains. 

But beyond that — like to launch Hornady’s 175 grain ELD-X, 180 grain ELD Match or the 190 grain A-TIP Match — you need the 1-in-8-inch twist, which is the standard for the now 3-member PRC family. 

If you own a 7 Mag — or any other 7mm for that matter — and you’re a handloader, you can take advantage of some of the super low-drag bullets now available. Factory ammo users have far fewer options. If you opt for the 7mm PRC, you won’t have to make such compromises in your choice of component bullets or in the factory loadings that will soon proliferate. 

Bottom line: If I were shopping for a 7mm rifle, and the recoil level of the 7 Mag/7 PRC is about all you want to deal with, I would definitely go with the more capable PRC.

The post The 7mm PRC: Hornady’s New Offering Fits Right Into Family of Innovative Modern Hunting Cartridges appeared first on Safari Club.

By Craig Boddington

All practice is good. Formal training with a skilled instructor is better. However, no range situation or inanimate target can replicate the pressure, adrenaline rush, myriad angles, shooting positions and ever-changing shot presentations of the real thing. The only way to become consistently cool, competent and effective in shooting at game is to do a lot of it.

Problem is, field experience is hard-won and comes slowly. To my thinking, an inexpensive African plains game safari offers the most intensive training possible. In just a week, the bag will include at least a half-dozen animals, often more, with shots at different ranges, from different positions, at animals of varying sizes.

If you’ve practiced and trained well, some shots will be validation, sort of a final exam. But you’ll still learn a lot. 

I was very young when I went on my first safari. Like most youngsters, I thought I knew more than I did. It was a time when safaris were longer, bag limits more generous and costs lower. Good thing, because my learning curve was steep. I started with embarrassing misses. Like most hunters on first safaris, I figured it out, finishing the safari with a spectacular string of one-shot kills. 

Part of the learning curve is gaining confidence in rifles, cartridges and bullets that work. There are many great choices and confidence is critical. You must know in your gut that your choice will drop the animal quickly as long as you do your part.

 TRADITIONAL VERSUS LONG RANGE 

In the quarter-century I’ve led the SCI Convention panel discussion, “Your First African Safari,” I’ve consistently stated that it’s not rocket science. For most plains game, your favorite deer rifle is probably just fine. If you are after bigger, tougher animals, such as eland and zebra, maybe a well-loved elk rifle.

 On that first safari, I used a .30-06 for plains game, and I still recommend it. Since then, I’ve used a lot of rifles and cartridges in Africa. Some new, some old. Traditional favorites like .270, 7×57, .30-06 and a long list of fast magnums, including .270, .300, and .340 Weatherby, 7mm and 8mm Rem Mag, .264, and .300 Win Mag, and all the Remington Ultra Mags, have all worked fine. 

In America, long-range shooting is more popular than ever. This has spawned a whole new class of cartridges designed around extra-heavy, super-aerodynamic bullets in rifles with faster rifling twists to stabilize them. I’ve been suspicious about how this applies to African hunting. African PHs and their trackers work extra-hard to get us close to game. This is because they’ve all seen terrible shooting by the likes of you and me. Over there, 200 yards is considered a fair poke, 300 yards is far. Also, the African rule: One drop of blood equals an animal taken, fees payable. I support this as sound ethics, and it makes us more careful. Get close enough to be certain. 

Today’s more accurate rifles, better optics and improved bullets enable hunters to take longer shots as compared to when I was young. Provided one has the equipment and knows how to use it, even in Africa hunters are shooting somewhat farther, although extreme range remains uncommon.

LONG-RANGE RIFLES ON SAFARI 

On back-to-back East Cape plains game safaris in June, I joined two groups of hunters. First, at Carl van Zyl’s John X Safaris, then with the Burchell family at Frontier Safaris. At heart, I am a traditional guy,, but I’m also interested in new stuff. I took two new cartridges: 6.8 Western in the Ed Brown M704 action, built by Trop Gun Shop in Pennsylvania, and .300 PRC in Gunwerks’ new Nexus. The PRC was topped with a big Leupold MK V 5-25x56mm scope and the 6.8 Western had a Swarovski Z8i 1-8x24mm. 

Introduced just before the pandemic, both cartridges have seen little use in Africa, so just those two would be interesting. It got better, because hunters in both camps brought (or borrowed) an assortment of ultra-modern rifles. At Frontier Safaris, I joined SCI auction hunt winners Hamid Saadatmanesh and John Macones and his son, John Jr. Both Hamid and Macones brought well-scoped Gunwerks in .300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag, respectively. They had done extensive range work, were well-dialed in and prepared for any shots that came along. 

My buddy John Stucker brought his Christensen Ridgeline 6.5 PRC. At John X Safaris, he and I joined a group of his friends who were in Africa for the first time. Most elected to borrow camp rifles, and that gave me an unexpected bonus. Unknown to me, the Gunwerks folks hunt with John X. Several of their rifles were in camp, all in the 7mm Long Range Magnum (LRM), a proprietary cartridge, sort of between the 28 Nosler and just-released 7mm PRC. These were fast-twist rifles, dialed in with heavy bullets. Altogether, I had a chance to see today’s accurate, well-scoped, semi-tactical long-range rifles with several recent cartridges at work in Africa.

ACTUAL VERSUS POTENTIAL 

Capability for long-range shooting is one thing, implementing another. I can’t imagine anyone backing off to take a shot! I prefer close, or at least close enough to be certain, but that means different things depending on conditions, position and equipment. 

In our camps, some of us were prepared to reach way out there and were hoping for the chance. Unlike many African areas, the topography of South Africa’s Eastern Cape often supports long-range shooting: Ridge to ridge or across big valleys. Obviously, with a dozen hunters and several dozen animals taken, I wasn’t with everyone for every shot, but despite potential, I never heard about a genuine extreme-range shot. 

Part of this was conditions. We caught several days of blustering wind, unusual for June. Various times we had animals way out there, but with unpredictable winds, we had to get closer. Another part was position. A shot prone from a bipod is one thing. A shot off shooting sticks is something else. Regardless of ability, range is always limited to absolute steadiness. In Africa, vegetation often precludes a rock-steady low position. Again, we had to get closer. 

I saw, and participated in, a lot of shooting at ranges greater than I usually see in Africa. Many shots were 300 to 500 yards. When conditions, position and skill allow, these ranges are within reach, especially with the equipment used on these safaris. Among us, we were shooting cartridges with bullet diameters 6.5mm, 6.8 mm, 7mm, and .30-caliber. Here’s how I felt they stacked up.

6.5MM 

Right now, the 6.5mm, .264-inch, is red-hot in the United States. This is mostly because of the popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor. I haven’t used it in Africa, but I’ve seen it used, and I’ve also used the old 6.5×55 and .260 Remington. All are ballistically identical, with a 140-grain bullet at about 2,700 fps. There are faster 6.5mms, including 6.5-.284 Norma, .264 Win Mag, and 6.5 PRC, all with 140-grain bullet at about 3,000 fps, shooting flatter and delivering more energy. There are still-faster 6.5mms, primarily 26 Nosler and 6.5-.300 Weatherby, shooting even flatter with more energy. 

John Stucker decided to take his Christensen 6.5 PRC on this safari. At the outset, his focus was small antelopes: Vaal rhebok, klipspringer and steenbok. He has an identical Christensen in .300 Win Mag, but we agreed his 6.5 PRC would be perfect for smaller antelopes, potentially taken at distance. 

In the first few days of the safari, Stucker was off in the Karoo, while the rest of us were at the top end of the Eastern Cape hunting kudu. He had a marvelous run of luck, everything he wanted, plus grysbok and more. His 6.5 PRC performed perfectly. Good choice! He joined us at John X’s main camp near Craddock.

Main goals fulfilled, his game changed…as often happens in Africa. One morning, I saw him drop a weird-horned “cull” kudu with a brilliant 350-yard shot. Then he decided to add a zebra. It was a calm morning. On his Spartan bipod, at 500 yards, it was a long poke. His first shot maybe could have been a couple inches farther right, but it was well-executed. More shots were required, and then the zebra went down. It stood up when we approached and needed a finisher. 

My impression of the 6.5s as loaded today has been consistent, and bolstered by John’s use of the 6.5 PRC. In Africa, it’s great for smaller plains game, but its 140-grain bullet just isn’t heavy enough for consistent performance on larger, tougher game. Anomalies can be good or bad, and a few animals prove nothing. However, I’ve seen exactly the same with the Creedmoor class, and with my old .264. Often, they work like lightning striking, but are questionable on animals that are big and tough, like wildebeest, zebra and larger. 

The old 6.5s made their bones with 156- and 160-grain bullets. Slow and heavy, they were used at short range but with legendary for penetration. Today we load lighter bullets (129-143 grains) for faster speeds and increased range with better aerodynamics. In my experience, they are not as effective on larger animals, simply for lack of bullet weight.

6.8 WESTERN 

Until recently, .270 cartridges using .277-inch bullets have been held to 1:10 rifling twist, which limits them to 150-grain bullets. I’ve used the .270 Winchester a lot in Africa, also the faster .270 Weatherby Mag. I’ve gotten great results, including knockdown impact on zebras. However, flukes can be good as well as bad. For larger plains game, I’ve always worried about .270’s light bullets. 

With faster twist barrels, the new .27 Nosler and Winchester’s 6.8 (.277) Western fixes this problem. Both cartridges were designed for bullets up to 175 grains, weights that have never existed in .277-inch diameter. The 6.8 Western is based on the .270 WSM shortened slightly, enabling the longer, heavier bullets to be used in a short action. With longer case, the 27 Nosler is faster. I haven’t had a chance to use it, but 6.8 Western is speedy enough. Because of its short, fat case, it is almost as fast as the 7mm Rem Mag with similar bullet weight. 

In South Africa, I was using Winchester’s 162-grain Copper Impact bullet at about 2,900 fps. A homogenous-alloy bullet, the Copper Impact has a large nose cavity to promote expansion. It accounted nicely for a good selection of plains game, from impala-sized antelopes up through nyala and waterbuck, on up to wildebeest. 

All results were impressive, but this is too small a selection to be definitive. I can’t say it was “better” than a .270 Win, but I believe the heavier bullets make a difference. In effect on game, I felt it was essentially the same as a 7mm Rem Mag or similar. This makes sense because bullet weight and velocity are the same, and there’s only .007-inch difference between the 6.8’s .277-inch bullet and the 7mm’s .284-inch bullet. Some people like .270s, others like 7mms. For the first time, new cartridges with heavy bullets put a .270-caliber cartridge in exactly the same class as a fast 7mm with similar bullets.

.300 PRC 

Still others step on up to a .30-caliber. For the general run of African game, I am mostly a .30-caliber guy. The old .30-06 is still a fine safari cartridge, but the magnum .30s offer flatter trajectories with heavier bullets. I’ve used a bunch of them: .300 H&H, .300 Win Mag, .300 Wby Mag and others. The only drawback is the increased recoil that many shooters are not comfortable with. 

The .300 PRC was not designed for maximum velocity, but rather maximum efficiency with heavier bullets. It is based on the full-length 2 1/2-inch .375 Ruger case, so unbelted, with straight taper, and a longer case than the shortened 6.5 PRC. As is the current trend, it calls for a faster rifling twist intended to stabilize long, aerodynamic bullets, with .30-caliber match bullets now available from 225 to 250 grains. 

In Africa, I was shooting Hornady’s new all-copper 190-grain CX at 3,000 fps. There are faster magnum .30s, but accuracy was excellent and on non-dangerous African game, there isn’t much you can’t do with a heavy .30-caliber bullet at that speed. Darn it, I really wanted to take an eland with that bullet and load, primarily to see how it performed. At Frontier Safaris, hunting with Fred Burchell, I got a chance on my first afternoon, and I missed. Somehow or other, the scope must have taken a bad bump and the rifle was shooting a foot high. We went to the range and quickly sorted it out. I was just happy it was a clean miss. How in the heck could I miss an eland as big as a barn door? 

The Gunwerks .300 PRC accounted for a nice assortment of game, but not an eland; despite hard hunting, I didn’t have another chance. On the first day at John X, I used it for a fine kudu past 500 yards, easily my longest shot in Africa. Later in the hunt, I took a cull kudu at something over 300 yards, flattened in its tracks. The .300 PRC also stoned a big-bodied wildebeest, one of the tough ones, spinning it over backwards and down with an uphill frontal shot. 

There were no revelations. I know what a fast .30 will do, and few choices are more versatile or effective on the full run of African plains game. With switch-barrel capability and a wonderful new stock with leather inserts, the Gunwerks Nexus was a most impressive rifle, and I’m equally impressed by the .300 PRC. Fortunately for my wallet, this Nexus was a right-hand test gun, so I had minimal regrets in returning it. I don’t own a .300 PRC and may not; I have good left-hand rifles in .300 Win and Wby Mag that I’m fond of. However, if I was in the market for a fast .30, this is the cartridge I would look at first.

 HEAVY-BULLET 7S 

Since 1892’s 7×57 and continuing with 1962’s 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm cartridges have maxed out with 175-grain bullets. That’s a lot of bullet weight in a .284-inch case, but traditional heavy 7mm bullets have had poor aerodynamics, due to both rifling twist and action-length limitations. The 28 Nosler was the first production cartridge calling for a faster twist and designed for long, aerodynamic, heavier 7mm bullets. Long whispered about, but only released in late October 2022, Hornady’s 7mm PRC is the second. 

The 7mm LRM, a Gunwerks proprietary cartridge, used by most of my campmates at John X, is similar. It uses the full-length PRC case, while Hornady’s production version uses the same case shortened slightly to 2.280 inches. As intended for all their PRC cases, Hornady designed it for maximum efficiency with heavy bullets, calling for a 1:8-inch rifling twist. It is thus not quite as fast as the 28 Nosler, 7mm LRM, or longer-cased 7mms. Good engineering move because, by sacrificing a few dozen fps, it avoids being over bore capacity, extending barrel life and expanding the variety of suitable propellants. It also fits nicely into a standard (.30-06-length) action. Although the case has less powder capacity than the Nosler and LRM, the 7 PRC is not slow: Hornady’s initial loads propel a 180-grain bullet at 2,975 fps. The 180-grain Match bullet carries an off-the-chart G1 Ballistic Coefficient of 0.796, for awesome downrange performance. My week at John X Safaris, with several of my camp-mates using the 7 LRM, was my first chance to see 180-grain 7mm bullets in use on a wide variety of game. Theory is good, but there’s nothing like seeing performance first-hand. 

Oh, my! Again, situations were never quite right for extreme-range shooting, but I saw wonderful performance on game up to kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest and zebra, mostly beyond 300 yards. One afternoon, I was out with Michael Sydnes, trying desperately to get him a shot at a big wildebeest bull before we ran out of light. We finally got the drop on the herd about 350 yards, moving and stopping. The bull stopped and was clear for just an instant and Michael was ready. One shoulder shot, down in its tracks with no movement. If you know wildebeest, you’ll appreciate how unusual this is. 

I’ve usually used lighter bullets — 160 to 165 grains — in my fast 7mms because existing 175-grain bullets either weren’t very aerodynamic or couldn’t be pushed fast enough. With faster twist, heavier bullets, and maximum aerodynamics, the new 7mms offer the best of all worlds: Less recoil than a .30, plenty of bullet weight, and downrange performance. With Hornady’s marketing team behind it, I think the 7mm PRC will be a success. Mossberg’s Patriot is the first production rifle chambered to 7mm PRC. I have one, and I’m looking forward to hunting with it.

 Col. Craig Boddington is an author, hunter and longtime SCI member. He is Past President of the Los Angeles Chapter, a decorated Marine and C.J. McElroy Award winner. 

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By Jon R. Sundra

Back in the Jurassic when I was a budding rifle weenie, the 98 Mauser dominated the world of centerfire rifles. I’m talking a period beginning in the late 1940s until the mid-’70s. Back then, there were four major manufacturers producing commercial versions of the 98:

1. Santa Barbara, which was made in the La Coruna factory in Spain and imported primarily by Golden State Arms;
2. Mark X, produced at the Zastava arsenal in what is now Serbia and imported by Interarms;
3. FN Supreme from Belgium, imported by Firearms International and the basis for Browning’s High Power line; and
4. Husqvarna Mausers made in Sweden. If memory serves, Husqvarnas were imported here only as complete rifles under the Husqvarna name, but the others pitched up here as actions and barreled actions distributed to the gunsmithing trade, and as complete rifles under various names.

At one time or another, several American firearm manufacturers had a line of private labeled Mauser-based rifles. I’m talking Marlin, H&R, Remington, Browning, Weatherby, Colt, and Smith & Wesson to name some. The last of these companies to market a rifle based on a commercial 98 was Remington. In 2007, they introduced the Model 798. They imported Zastava barreled actions from Serbia and stocked them in a wood laminated in their facility in Mayfield, Kentucky. To say the line was short-lived would be understatement, for it was discontinued in 2009. However, I did have a chance to use one chambered in .30-06 to take a very large black bear in Alberta in 2008. As I look back, I shouldn’t have sent that rifle back to Remington, but how was I to know they’d drop the line just a few months later?

Anyway, all the aforementioned commercial 98s combined were easily matched by the number of sporterized military rifles and custom rifles based on military actions. For the benefit of those who might not be familiar with this epochal bolt action, allow me to begin with a question.

Can you name anything that has been in continuous production for 124 years? And its basic design hasn’t changed and is still considered by many to have never been improved upon? I can’t.

It is estimated that around 100 million 98s were produced between 1898 and the end of WWII. A good chunk were produced by Mauser and under license by other companies and arsenals in Germany, but also in other countries around the world. All told, some 30 countries adopted various iterations of the 98 Mauser as their martial arm. 

When I said the 98’s basic design hasn’t changed, that’s not to say that none were made. However, those that were, did not alter the basic design. Those features that were either added or changed could be considered as being accessory-like, if you will. 

So, just what are the differences between the military and commercial versions of the Mauser? The military version has what was called a clip seat at the front of the receiver bridge that anchored and aligned the five cartridges for easy insertion into the magazine. It also has a cut-out on the left side receiver wall, which made it easier for the thumb to push the stacked cartridges into the magazine to free them from the clip. It has a three-position wing safety on the bolt sleeve that rotates in a 180-degree arc perpendicular to the bore. The 9 o’clock position is “fire,” 12 o’clock is “safe” and it withdrew the firing pin from the sear and blocked the iron sights to alert the soldier that the safety was engaged — a handy feature in war. With the wing at 3 o’clock, the safety was engaged and the bolt sleeve and firing pin assembly could be removed without tools for cleaning or replacement. Also on military actions, you’ll find a two-stage trigger with lengthy take-up — another good idea for a martial arm. It made firing the gun more deliberate. All these features were designed with the soldier in mind under the stress of battle.

 The commercial Mausers began appearing in the late ’40s and early ’50s. Gone were the thumb slot and the clip seat, for there was no need to clip feed a hunting rifle. Gone too was the sleeve-mounted wing safety. In its place was a streamlined bolt cap, and the safety was now incorporated into the trigger assembly, the thumb piece of which was behind the bolt handle. And speaking of the bolt handle, on military actions it jutted straight out at 3 o’clock and precluded mounting a scope, so it had to be “turned down” to clear the scope’s eyepiece upon withdrawing the bolt. Mounting a scope of course required the drilling and tapping of the receiver ring and bridge to accommodate scope-ring bases. 

And lastly, the fixed floorplate and its recessed locking button found on military actions were changed to a hinged floorplate arrangement. (One exception was the ’09 Argentine, which had a hinged floorplate.) 

Again, despite all these changes, there is absolutely no difference in the basic design between the military and commercial 98. 

Consider this: When I reviewed the Remington 798 back in 2008, I took the bolt of my 1909 Argentine Mauser and it slid into the 798 and locked like it had been made for it, and vice-versa with the 798’s bolt in the Argentine. And, except for a minor alteration in the inletting to accommodate a side safety, the footprint of a military 98 is the same as that of any commercial Mauser. 

If I may digress a moment, when you consider how many hundreds of thousands of military Mausers were built in Germany before the start of the Great War, one is inclined to assume that the quality of such guns couldn’t compare to what today’s CNC and EDM machining processes are capable of, but you’d never know it if you could examine, say, a pristine 1909 Argentine manufactured at the DWM factory in Berlin, or the Brazilian Model 1908 made in Oberndorf. I own virtually unfired examples of each, and I can tell you that the machining, fit and finish on these rifles is nothing short of astounding. And they were produced over 120 years ago!

Sad to say, to my knowledge the last remaining source of production-grade commercial Mausers is made in Serbia at the Zastava Armory. It’s the old Interarms Mark X, but now being imported by Zastava Arms USA and identified as the Zastava LK M70 which has an MSRP of $795. I stressed “production-grade” because the Mauser people are actually producing a commercial 98 rifle, but the last time I checked they started at $10,600. There are also a few custom houses here and in Europe that do the same, but they are all bespoke guns, made one at a time, and very expensive.

The influence Peter Paul Mauser’s rifle action had on both military and sporting arms development cannot be overstated. Our own 1903 Springfield and ’17 Enfield rifles, which saw us through the Great War, were basically Mausers, enough so that our government had to pay hefty royalties to the Mauser folks. Among our domestic makers, Winchester’s iconic Model 70 and, after 1994, Ruger’s Hawkeye are basically Mausers. So too are the Dakota 76 and the Kimber 84 and 8400. 

But all good things eventually run their course. Oddly enough, it was the European manufacturers who were the first to abandon the hallmarks of the 98, that is, controlled-round feeding, non-rotating extractor and inertia ejection. Some, like Blaser and Merkel, went to the straight-pull exclusively, while Heym and Browning (Europe sales only) added a straight-pull to their bolt-action line, but they’re a bit pricey for the mass market. Instead, most adopted the fat bolt, tri-lug concept characterized by having three locking lugs oriented on 120-degree centers that do not protrude beyond the diameter of a fatter-than-normal bolt, which allows for a shorter  60-degree rather than a 90-degree bolt rotation. It is a design that lends itself to far less costly production. Interestingly enough, it was Roy Weatherby who first adopted the concept with his Mark V Magnum of 1957. Though the Mark V’s bolt has three rows of three locking lugs, it is still a tri-lug action. The same holds true for bolts with two rows of three. 

Since the Millennium, there have been some 13 tri-lug rifles introduced, mostly European in origin — the Benelli Lupo, Merkel 16, Sauer 100, Franchi Momentum, Sabatti Saphire, Mauser M18, Sauer 202 and Steyr’s SM12 to name just some. American manufacturers to have embraced the tri-lug are Ruger with the American and Winchester with their XPR, both of which carry MSRPs almost half of what’s asked for their flagship rifles, the Hawkeye and Model 70. Thompson-Center is also aboard the tri-lug train with its Icon, Venture and Dimension.

Yep, I’m afraid the dominance of Paul Mauser’s epic brainchild has run its course, but what a run it’s been! I can think of only two men who have had as much influence on modern small arms development, and that would be Mikhail Kalashnikov and John Moses Browning. Pretty good company. 

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I recently had the privilege to attend a writers’ summit at FTW Ranch in Barksdale, Texas.

The event was hosted by Remington Arms, Swarovski Optik and Hornady Ammuntion to introduce new products for the coming year. FTW was the perfect venue for this unveiling because writers used the products while honing shooting skills under the expert tutelage of the FTW instructors.

THE RANCH

Established in 2006, FTW Ranch has rapidly become one of the most prestigious training and hunting destinations in Texas. Located three hours outside of San Antonio, FTW Ranch encompasses 12,000 acres of canyons, mountains and wooded draws that replicate virtually any terrain that might be found anywhere in the world. In addition to comprehensive training courses that run the gamut from first-time hunters to safari live-fire training, if you want to be a better and more humane hunter, FTW has a program for you.

The writers were enrolled in what was a two-day Sportsman’s All-Weather All-Terrain Marksmanship (SAAM) program. The instructors were former Navy Seal or Marine Corps snipers, and believe me when I tell you, these guys know their stuff. They are not the stereotypical “smack you in the back of the head” drill instructors. These guys genuinely want everyone to be better shooters and take the time to help you get more out of your range time and correct bad habits you might not have even known you had. Speaking for myself, I know I am a much better and much more confident shooter than when I first arrived.

REMINGTON 700 ALPHA 1

Remington Arms CEO Ken D’Arcy said the debut of the new Remington Alpha 1 line of rifles was also the re-birth of Remington Arms. Having been bought and sold over the years, Remington Arms is finally back in private investor hands after the breakup of the Remington Outdoor Company conglomerate. The new owners and D’Arcy wanted to return Remington to its former standing in the firearms industry. To that end, they began reversing the cost-cutting measures imposed by other owners and went back to the processes that made Remington synonymous with quality. He said their new offering, the 700 Alpha 1, is the first new product that reflects that new corporate philosophy.

Remington’s 700 Alpha 1 encompasses Remington’s past and future. With a design nod to the classic 700, the 700 A1 is a standard bolt-action that takes advantage of new manufacturing processes and 21st century materials.

Let’s start with the bolt. Featuring a one-piece body and a fluted bolt, it is based on the popular fat bolt design. The 700 A1 bolt also boasts a thread on bolt handle, new extractor design and toolless firing pin disassembly. The extractor is captured by means of a dovetail that it slides into.

The full round receiver upgrades include a longer magazine well and larger ejection port, improved primary extraction cam surface and an external bolt stop/release. The barrel is placed in an AG composite fiber stock and is fluted and threaded for muzzle brake or suppressor. The 700 A1 will also come stock with a Timney Elite Hunter trigger with a straight trigger set at 3 pounds.

We were able to use the 700 A1 in both 6.5mm Creedmoor and the new 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) from Hornady. Barrels had an 8:1 twist for both calibers. More on the ammo later. The evaluation rifles had literally been shipped to FTW directly from the Remington R&D facility. The staff at FTW worked with the Remington folks and had the dope cards for all of the rifles ready when we arrived on site. Writers were split into two groups. On the first day, my group was shooting the 6.5CM and Group 2 were shooting the 7 PRC.

Let me say here that the FTW course is pretty intense. Rifles are sighted-in at 100 yards and then the fun begins. From prone position, we engaged targets at 200, 300, 400 and ultimately 500 yards. We each started with 100 rounds of ammunition and by the end of the day we had shot every bit of it.

After getting our bearings on the individual ranges, the drills began. We were instructed to shoot a first target at a designated range and then within a 10 count, engage a target at a different range (for example, shoot the 400-yard target, then move to the 200-yard target and adjust the scope as the instructor is counting down from 10). Sounds simple enough, but when you add in moving from left to right or close to far while shifting your position, it becomes a bit more challenging.

The 6.5CM functioned flawlessly. Extraction and ejection were smooth, and the longer magazine well made reloading much easier in the prone position. Shooting the larger bore and longer barreled rifles in 7mm Hornady the next day was much the same, with the exception of longer ranges and more difficult speed drills. My personal best was 1,000 yards. However, others in our group were pretty accurate out to the 1,800-yard mark.

Through it all, the 700 A1 performed admirably. In fact, I preferred the 7mm version over the 6.5CM. In my opinion, the Remington 700 A1 is a great introduction to the “New Remington” Ken D’Arcy alluded to in his introductory speech.

The MSRP for the 700 Alpha 1 is expected to be in the $2,000 range for the base rifle.

SWAROVSKI ATC, STC COMPACT SPOTTING SCOPES

Swarovski provided the scopes for the test rifles. They were the Z8i 3.5-28×50 and the Z8i 2-16×50, both with the optional Swarovski BTF turret. Both scopes performed beautifully and the range markings on the turret made adjusting from one target to another much easier during the speed drills. Eye pieces were easy to adjust when I needed a wider field of view and the crosshairs were easy to pick up, even in blowing dust conditions.

But the real story for Swarovski at this event was the introduction of their ATC and STC compact spotting scopes. Designed to pare down the weight needed to carry a spotting scope in the field, the ATC and STC spotting scopes are perfect for long-range sheep or mountain hunters who need to see farther and carry less. Weighing-in at under 35 ounces, the new Swarovski compact spotting scopes feature a removable half shell that allows use with or without a tripod. The STC measures 11.2 inches and the ATC comes in at 10.2 inches. Both offer 17-40 magnification. SWAROVISION technology provides excellent color density and provides ultra-clear imaging. The new scopes are also compatible with Swarovski’s Variable Phone Adapter, AR-S adapter ring for X spotting scopes as well as Swarovski’s window mount. Both are available in green or orange.

MSRP is $2,610.

HORNADY 7MM PRC

Hornady’s debut product for this writer’s summit was the new 7mm PRC round.

Designed to be a more efficient 7mm magnum cartridge, the PRC uses a shorter and wider case and bullets seated farther out in the neck of the cartridge case to take full advantage of the higher velocities and make the bullet more stable in flight.

While the complete ballistic information was not available at press time, the ammo we were using certainly seemed to do the job. Recoil was stout but not punishing. The loads used on the course were Hornady ELD Match, with 180-grain bullets. Hornady anticipates rolling out the 7mm PRC in all its ammunition lines eventually. By the time this issue of SAFARI Magazine is in your hands, Hornady should have all available loads and ballistics available at Hornady.com. Remington will initially make their 700 A1 available in 7mm PRC, and it wouldn’t be a surprise that other manufacturers will soon follow suit.

KRYPTEK

Embodying the slogan, “From Battlefield To Back Country,” Kryptek founders discovered their shared passion for extreme hunting while serving together in Northern Iraq. It was there they realized that the camo netting used since WW II was the most effective passive concealment measure on the battlefield. They took that idea and pattern and used it as the basis for their Kryptek camo systems.

Kryptek debuted their new Obskura pattern during the writer’s summit. They provided a hot weather Rugby short sleeve and a Sonora hooded shirt, both in Obskura transitional color. The Transitional color is designed to blend with numerous environments. The shirts were perfect for the hot August Texas temps. The fabric wicked away moisture and kept us shooters cool and dry. The Kryptek shirts are perfect for a stand-alone shirt or in combination with other gear as a base layer. I was impressed with the Sonora hooded shirt particularly. Living in the Sonoran Desert, it seemed counter intuitive to wear a long-sleeved hooded shirt in our 100-plus temperature, but the long sleeves and the hood proved to be effective sun protection without being too hot. You can see their gear at kryptek.com.

All in all, the FTW Summit was an eye-opening experience. It was an opportunity to see and use new products coming on the market, and the training at FTW was a revelation.  

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