Gun Digest January 2022

I’ve always hated the word, “plinking.” Yes, I know I used it in great big letters on the cover of this very issue, but I did so because it’s a term familiar among shooters of all disciplines—though the term is generally connected with the rimfire world. For most, plinking equals a .22 LR, a Sunday aft ernoon and empty aluminum cans. I think the word sticks in my craw because, at least to me, it evokes a feeling randomness. And, because it’s associated so closely with shooting a .22 LR, it labels that timeless cartridge as a plinking-only option. And that simply ain’t so. As the Vudoo Three60 on this issue’s cover illustrates, putting together a 500-yard group with a .22 rimfire is no longer a daydream, and deforming a quarter at 200…

HISTORICAL NOTES Winchester Ammunition, in conjunction with Savage, introduced the .17 Winchester Super Magnum rimfire rifle cartridge at the 2013 SHOT Show. A Winchester announcement called this “the most revolutionary rimfire cartridge in the company’s almost 150-year history.” Further, the company said, “The .17 Win. Super Mag. offers the downrange performance of a centerfire cartridge at only a fraction of the cost. For the first time in history, hunters can expect pinpoint accuracy and devastating performance from a rimfire cartridge, at ranges well past 200 yards.” One of Winchester’s goals with the new .17 was to keep it affordable. A box of 50 retails for about $15—well, when it’s readily available, anyway—which is much cheaper than almost any centerfire varmint load. According to a Winchester spokesman, “At 3,000 feet per second, it’s the fastest…

Shadowland isn’t some mythical place where mall ninjas, tactards and has-been or wannabe gunfighters go to drink whiskey and video themselves pontificating on their greatness. It’s where I live; it’s just a small hacienda and collection of shooting ranges hidden in the West Virginia Hills. But it was inspired by history—a history those who are students of the gun and gunfighters might be interested in. When I went to work as a special agent for the railroad police, I met John Velke. Velke was writing a book on the history of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. I helped him with some research and even contributed a chapter to the book’s second edition, which is mostly a chronological detailing of the organization and its founder’s exploits between 1885 and 1930. But it was…

The Kyle Rittenhouse trial is currently playing out while I write this column, and Rittenhouse will know his fate by the time this is printed. Regardless of the outcome, there’s one compelling aspect to his defense that merits discussing: the young man’s courtroom testimony. Given his youthful age and the pressure he was under, I felt he did fine. However, his testimony could’ve been so much more effective, given a little better preparation from his defense attorneys, and a lot more knowledge about self-defense legalities and considerations from Rittenhouse. This is where an armed citizen can do themselves a huge favor by educating themselves regarding what the law says about using force in self-defense. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER There was one particular string of questioning by the prosecution where Rittenhouse was being asked over and…

To say we’re in the midst of a component crunch just might be the understatement of the decade. There have been a few opportunities to snatch up some primers and powders, albeit at a significant price increase. And the cost of projectiles, when they’re available, has increased commensurate to the other reloading components. If you’re looking for premium projectiles, well … hang onto your wallet. Though I love to shoot the best projectiles I can get, I also realize the cost factor involved. And for what practicing any of us can afford to do anymore, we might be better served by a more affordable projectile. There are several different ideas regarding affordable projectiles, for both the rifle and pistol shooters. Going back to the earliest projectiles for centerfire cartridges, a simple…

01 Winchester Wildcat Suppressor Ready Performing well above its price, the Wildcat has more than earned its place among the top .22 LR semi-auto rifles. Now, the polymer-stocked gem has gotten a bit better. Winchester unveiled a suppressed version of the rifle in 2021, making the plinker practically perfect in every respect. While the gunmaker has added a ½x28-inch TPI threaded muzzle with knurled thread protector to the package, it’s kept all the features that made the Wildcat popular in the first place. These include button-rifled chromoly barrel, fully adjustable ghost ring rear sight, integral Picatinny sight rail 10-round rotary magazine and much more. MSRP: $300 02 Real Avid Speed Jag and Patches Small bore or large bore, there’s one thing all guns have in common: They all have to be cleaned. While it’s…