A rare collector’s item, Rifles of the White Death is a comprehensive reference on the most accurate military rifles in service during the earlier 1900s. It was during the Winter War when the Russians nicknamed the Finns the ‘White Death’ because of their highly effective snow camouflage and sharp shooting. The Finnish rifles were developed … Read more
On 14 April 2001, 19-year old Senior Airman Jennifer Donaldson, from the Illinois Air National Guard, made history. The eight-year-old National Guard Sniper School is the only U.S. military sniper school open to women and Jennifer was the first female graduate to complete the first counter-sniper course for the Air Guard security personnel. Camp Robinson … Read more
In World War II, bolt-action rifles were widely used by all sides, but it was the M-1 Garand semi-automatic that really stood out. Besides firing a hard-hitting caliber .30-06 round at distant targets, the M-1 was favored by troops as it was a solid and reliable weapon that was easy to clean. While the M-1 … Read more
During March 2002, Canadian snipers were evading mortars and dodging ammunition fire in eastern Afghanistan. Worse yet, they were almost obliterated by a USA Apache helicopter, which thankfully stopped firing just in time. Canada’s sniper unit modestly deny claims they hold the highest number of confirmed kills than any other military unit in combat. Operation … Read more
It’s easy to get excited about the selection in accessories for firearms, but one ingenious accessory that’s been in use since 1930, is the bipod. This is an essential tool to stabilize a rifle in action. Bipods have been used extensively for such a long time because they work. But, there’s a bit more to … Read more
A rifle stock is the most important component of a rifle. It determines the handling and feeling of the gun and it influences your shooting performance. You get left and right-handed rifle stocks, so keep this in mind if choosing a stock for someone else. Ultimately, you want to get the most out of your … Read more
Most shooters and hunters have heard of the .338 Lapua (8.6×70mm or 8.58×70mm), which received its status as a 1500 meter sniping round. A .338 Lapua launches 250 grain bullets over 3000fps and 300 grain bullets over 2850fps, with good hand loads and sub 1/2 moa accuracy. The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, designed in the … Read more
This article summarizes techniques used by snipers to survive in the harshest of conditions, whether you’re in the arctic, a jungle, or in the desert. It focuses on a fusion of hard skills such as food gathering, dealing with exposure and dehydration, as well as soft skills that incorporate attitude, emotional stability, and a stoic … Read more
It’s not uncommon to mistake a vapor trail for a bullet trace and vice-a-versa as these shooting terminologies are often used interchangeably. However, chances are that you’re mostly seeing a bullet trace because a vapor trail is quite rare and needs unique conditions to be visible. Bullet trace, vapor trail, frost trail, shock wave, these … Read more
Canadian manufacturer, ELCAN (Ernst Leitz Canada) produced the C79 optical scope, which has been predominantly used by the Canadian military since 1989. The scope is still being used on Canada’s C7A1 rifle and the C9A1 light machine gun. Although we think a fixed 10-power scope would be more suitable here, this scope seems to offer … Read more
Everyone in the shooting community knows about David Tubb, one of the best competitive rifleman in history. He has an impressive record of championship titles including six NRA Long Range Rifle championships at 600-1000 yards. David’s greatest contribution to the shooting industry is his pioneering approach and innovative mind that continues to make advancements in … Read more
In 1963, Winchester introduced the .300 Winchester Magnum, which featured a longer case than the .338, as long as what could be housed in a Winchester long action to achieve optimum velocities. The shoulder was moved forward to maximize powder capacity that created a short neck. Factory ammunition for the .300 Win Mag is loaded … Read more
Molybdenum-disulfide, known as Moly, is a black, slick compound used to coat copper jacket bullets. It lubricates the bullet and reduces friction when the bullet travels down the bore. This is meant to facilitate a long string of shots between cleaning without affecting accuracy. However, it’s not quite that simple and moly coating has its drawbacks. It … Read more
This information is based upon the U.S. Army’s sniper training programs at Ft. Benning’s Sniper School and Ft. Bragg’s Special Operations Target Interdiction Course. What is a sniper, what are his tasks? Snipers are highly trained soldiers specializing in target shooting over long distances. But they also have to train in how to be covert, … Read more
A lot of time and effort goes into developing a load or in choosing a factory load. However, many of us underestimate or complicate the necessary process of testing the rifle, scope and ammunition after selecting an accurate load. Typically, it’s the novice or seasonal shooters who don’t run through the checks like noting the … Read more
On 6 March 2013, Merle “Mike” Walker passed away at the age of 101 years old. A renowned engineer at Remington Arms for 37 years, Mike is credited for several designs of Remington’s bolt action rifles including the Rem m700, Rem m721, and Rem m722. Additionally, he held numerous patents for trigger designs, and he … Read more
The Camo In nature, some animals, insects and plants have a biological defense mechanism that helps them blend into the environment to hide from predators. The military in particular mimics this clever behavior for cover and concealment in combat. By wearing certain clothing or using specific materials and equipment, soldiers and snipers can go undetected … Read more
Most shooters will at some point experience flinching, regardless whether they’re an amateur or skilled shooter. While some may not want to admit falling victim to this problem, every shooter deals with it at some point. There are a whole lot of varying factors that can affect a shooter’s reaction when firing. Everyone has a … Read more
Most of us will think of Remington and Winchester first when it comes to naming US rifle manufacturers but in this competitive space are the Ruger rifles. In 1968, Sturm, Ruger & Co. released their Ruger M77, a bolt-action rifle. The original models came with a round top on the receiver that needed separate bases … Read more
There isn’t one unique and perfect solution for a scope mount because it depends entirely on your shooting skill, what you use your rifle for and how you use it. But the real big question when it comes to choosing a scope mount is: Tapered or Flat? It’s a common but incorrect assumption that a … Read more
This article looks at several spotting scopes that were tested at 50, 100, 200, and 300 yards. All the scopes have a variable power eye piece with a minimum 60mm objective and are priced below $500, apart from the Panther being more expensive. Three types of targets used for the scope testing included a Hoppes … Read more
The Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) program intended to produce a lightweight weapon that was capable of firing kinetic energy projectiles and an air-bursting fragmentation munition. Its purpose was to have soldiers effectively attack targets at longer ranges, and attack targets protecting themselves from gunfire. It was to combine leading-edge technologies in miniaturized fusing, integrated … Read more
Marksmanship is not easy. Any shooter has to spend countless hours of training to learn how to calculate hitting a moving target with a small flying piece of metal. However, that could change in the future. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a branch of the United States Department of Defense that has … Read more
A rifle barrel has interior spiral grooves referred to as rifling, which is used to spin a bullet to keep it stable without wobbling on it’s way to the target. The tighter these spiral grooves, the faster the bullet will spin. The barrel twist rate refers to the rate at which a bullet spins in … Read more
The following is intended for Information Purposes Only and no responsibility is taken whatsoever for any consequences that result from reading this article. Inexperienced and uninformed gun owners should heed advice and refrain from doing their own trigger adjustments or rifle repairs and modifications. If you don’t know what you’re doing, there can be a … Read more
Gun collectors, retailers, and shooters don’t simply know the technicalities of a gun and how to shoot, they are also passionate about the history of firearms. And, there have been many interesting rifles manufactured over the decades that warrant our attention. There’s the former USSR’s SVD Dragunov and China’s NDM-86 that are both flexible, slender … Read more
Telescopic sights have specifications based on internal adjustments and will vary between models, like having a 60 MOA, 85 MOA, 100 MOA or a 120 MOA. At 100 yards, a 60 MOA scope can elevate 60 inches, a 120 MOA scope can elevate 120 inches, an 85 MOA at 85 inches, and so forth. Changing … Read more
This article offers advice on using a camera tripod to support your rifle whether you’re a sharpshooter or a sniper. A tripod has a lot of benefits over using cross sticks or a folding bipod. And, when it’s sufficiently camouflaged with an adapter that fits the forearm of the rifle, you’ll be hard-pressed to find … Read more
Whether you’re building a rifle for law enforcement, military, civilian or tactical competition, the scope magnification requirements will vary. Law enforcement wouldn’t need anything more than a 6X scope as riflemen aren’t allowed to take a shot further than 100 yards. Most are taken under 70 yards so a scope with 4 to 6 power … Read more
This is a high-level overview of the different U.S. sniper training courses available today. In the US military, snipers are individuals who successfully completed a formal course either in the US Army Sniper School, USMC Scout Sniper Basic Course, or the US Army Special Operations Target Interdiction Course. Snipers are highly trained to be assigned … Read more