Gun Digest November 2021

Fully understanding how optics do what they do could drive you mad if you let it. Take zeroing a rifle, for example. Base-level knowledges dictates that, if the rifle shoots low, you unscrew the turret cap and twist tat turret in the “up” direction. Dial the direction you want the bullet to go, if you will. But if you look through that scope while you’re dialing up, the reticle is actually tracking downward, which in turn forces you to hold higher when aiming, thus bringing up the point of impact as intended. So, really, you’re dialing up to move the reticle down to move the point of impact up. Ya with me? And then we have reflex sights, which feature a light-emitting diode that projects a red dot (or yellow or green)…

HISTORICAL NOTES In January 2017, Nosler introduced the .22 Nosler, a .224-caliber rebated-rim centerfire rifle cartridge that was the fifth designed by Nosler and the first of that company’s rounds to deviate from using the .404 Jeffery as the parent case. Nosler ballistics data show the .22 Nosler delivering .22-250 velocities in a smaller package. Compared to the .223 Rem./5.56 NATO, Nosler figures show the .22 Nosler with 14 percent more velocity and 30 percent more energy at the muzzle than the standard AR chambering. With popular varmint bullets, the .22 Nosler pushes a 55-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip to 3,350 fps and a 77-grain Custom Competition bullet to 2,950 fps. Bolt-face dimensions are identical for the .22 Nosler and the .223 Remington/5.56 NATO at .378 inch, so conversions to the .22 Nosler can…

I’ve always been a fan of defensive handguns equipped with a manual thumb safety. I like them because, when used properly, they eliminate the possibility of a negligent discharge when a handgun is holstered. They can also reduce the potential for negligent discharges when you’re running or handling a handgun during movement. As important as I feel a manual thumb safety is to a defensive hand-gun, a manual thumb safety isn’t the primary safety. The primary safety is always your trigger finger. In most every case where a negligent discharge occurs, the shooter’s finger was on the trigger. This applies to discharges while holstering, moving or handling handguns. There have been some recorded instances where the lip of a heavily worn holster, a tie on the bottom of a hoodie or some…

Gun writers can be trigger snobs, and competition shooters often are, too. When you combine the two, things can get … interesting. Listening to a small group of competition shooters talk about trigger pulls, weights, feel, tuning and the like can drive you to drink—if you aren’t involved in the discussion. You can avoid the drama and simply invest in a LaRue MBT (Meticulously Built Trigger). THE EASY UPGRADE MBT is a drop-in, two-stage trigger for your AR-15 that brings your black rifle of the 1960s into the 21st century. The MBT comes in a sealed can with a clear lid. There’s a hammer and trigger in there; the hammer has its own spring, and the trigger has two springs. You can choose between the regular spring or the heavier spring to determine…

There’s a saying I’ve heard for many years that states, “Amateurs study ballistics tables; experts study the wind,” or at least something to that effect. I’ve never really been a fan of people who claim to have some sort of special secret sauce, and I’m less a fan of people who use that sort of statement to place themselves higher in the pecking order. I’ve found, to a large extent, that people don’t like to get out of their comfort box, especially long-range rifle shooters. I’ve also learned that shooters really don’t like missing, and nothing is harder to hit consistently than a moving target. A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FOR THE BEST OF US “Movers,” as we’ll call them henceforth, present a unique challenge to even the most skilled riflemen, and they border on…

Young me was sitting at the makeshift bench in our surveying office, unsupervised, resizing some .308 Win-chester cases when the inevitable happened: I got a case stuck in the die and ripped the rim off. “You didn’t lube the case, did you?!” No, I didn’t lubricate the case, and I faced the wrath of my dad, Ol’ Grumpy Pants, while we worked diligently to get the case out of the die without ruining the inside of the die body. (Author’s note: The resizing die didn’t survive, but the author did.) It was a rookie mistake—and a common one. I don’t believe I’ve made that particular mistake again, but there have been other complications. If anything, I was guilty of over-lubrication for quite some time, which comes with its own set of issues…