Reticles That Help You Hit

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 Man Who Resurrected McKay Brown

The Man Who Resurrected McKay Brown

It all started with an introduction by an English gentleman to two Scotsmen who would thankfully bring a huge sigh of relief to those of us who carried the torch for Scotland’s iconic round-action shotgun. At the time, a 42-year-old Scottish gunsmith named Grant...
The Family Rifle

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...
Dad’s Browning

Dad’s Browning

“A poor man can only afford the best.” This was the mantra my father lived by. Dad was a professional firefighter for nearly 40 years in a midwestern town. A survivor of the Depression who lived on a farm without running water or electricity, he enlisted at age 17 to...
The Old Man

The Old Man

I called my buddy Ken Eversull the other day about doing some work on my old Parker. If you don’t know him, he is a gunsmith, for lack of a more fitting term, and an absolute genius at his art. He lives and practices his trade in Louisiana and has forgotten more about...
Holland & Holland: Masters of the Double Rifle

Holland & Holland: Masters of the Double Rifle

In the annals of “Best” firearms, Holland & Holland holds an unambiguous place: builder of the world’s finest double rifles. For more than a century, dangerous game hunters have prepared for their great unknowns by trekking to Mayfair in London’s West End. Their...
Tested: Benelli’S M2 Field

Tested: Benelli’S M2 Field

SPONSORED CONTENT An out-of-the-box waterfowl wrecker that doubles as a do-all shotgun, Benelli’s M2 Field hits a pleasing semi-automatic price point, promises flawless function and is a pure joy to shoulder and shoot.   Benelli changed the game in 1991...
The Christmas Gift

The Christmas Gift

That year Tony’s mother forgot all about Christmas. None of us was surprised, and nobody blamed her. She had many other things on her mind.  Tony and I lived a few houses apart on Long Lake and for years had spent many of our spare hours together, exploring the lakes...
Alvin Biesen: Riflemaker of the Coalyards

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...