Winchester’s Lever Evolution: 165 Years and Counting
Even though Americans invented—among other things—the electric light bulb, the microwave oven and (for better or worse) personal computers, as far as I’m concerned, one of our country’s greatest achievements has been the perfection of the lever-action rifle. Yes, even...
The Indefatigable Charles Newton
“Ahead of his time” falls short. His tenacity matched his genius. But war and the Depression would have their way. When rifle maker Buzz Fletcher asked me to photograph a Mauser he’d stocked, I said, “Sure!” Would I like some 256 Newton brass to check it on the range?...
UnMistakably British
Cleverly designed and impeccably made, the guns and rifles, clothing and accoutrements of British craftsmen have influenced sport the world over. We can be justifiably proud that we are the greatest melting-pot nation in history. Our willingness to absorb...
Fine-tuned Firearms Fashion
One of the touchier subjects in the hunter’s world of guns and ammunition is — of all things — rifle fashion. By that I mean much more than AR-rifles versus lever-actions. This isn’t about mechanical cycling systems so much as pragmatic design and functionality. Form...
Hunting Africa with a Falling Block Rifle: The Dakota M10 Single Shot
The romance of the falling block single-shot rifle has never been lost on me. The courage to trust my hunts to one sometimes has been. If you’ve ever seen that photo of Selous sitting in his camp chair beside two Kori bustards with his falling block rifle leaning...
Reticles That Help You Hit
When I fired my first shot with a centerfire rifle, only about half of all hunters used scopes. Offhand, squinting down the Krag’s long barrel and struggling to hold it up, I tugged the trigger. The report savaged my ears, the steel butt my clavicle. The oil can on...
The Family Rifle
Remington called it “The Gamemaster.” Serial number 260,000, one of more than a million made between 1952 and 1982. We met on the beach. I was doing turtle work for the DNR, she was on vacation. I was registered with the Feds with authority to possess and transport...
22-Caliber Christmas
Could there be anything more American than a boy receiving his first 22-caliber rifle on Christmas morning? Ah, the excitement, the early awakening before the rest of the household. The faint rustling of paper downstairs—was it the dog rummaging through the wrappings...
Alvin Biesen: Riflemaker of the Coalyards
Years ago, sweating, prone, almost out of time and watching mirage slow to a crawl through the 20x Redfield, I shaded downwind just out of the X-ring and caught it. “Good call,” came a voice behind the line. I rolled over, slid the bolt open on the Remington and...
Benelli Lupo — An All-Reason Rifle
Sponsored Content The Benelli Lupo combines accuracy and adjustability features with sleek looks into a rifle to use not only for all seasons, but for all reasons. Benelli is an Italian gunmaker best known for its inertia-driven shotguns. The company history is...