Guns 2012-08.pdf - Jeffersonian

Clint on Concealed Carry:
When Dave says you should own a .223 to learn the capabilities of a centerfire cartridge, it doesn’t
have to be a bolt action. AR-style rifles have some advantages. Generally they come with faster
twist barrels (this Armalite M-15 has a 1:7" twist). With free-floated barrels they are often very
accurate. On the downside it’s usually more expensive to get a quality trigger pull.
Hornady 75-grain BTHP and Sierra
77-grain MatchKing. I can live with
1:9" though I wouldn’t mind the little
extra margin provided by a 1:8" twist.
Do The Twist
Among popular .223 commercial
bolt-actions the Tikka T3 is available in
either 1:12" or 1:8". Savage rifles, notable
for offering outstanding accuracy
at reasonable cost, use a 1:9" twist on
most models, with 1:7" offered in some
specialty models. Remington 700s are
mostly 1:12" but some models (look for
the word “tactical”) have a 1:9" twist.
All current Rugers have the 1:9" twist,
as do Kimbers in .223.
The Ruger 77 Hawkeye .223 with Black Hills
“Blue Box” 77-grain Sierra MatchKing bullets
delivered this 100-yard group (above). This is
what happens when you try to shoot heavier
bullets (below, in this case 69-grain Sierras)
through a .223 with 1:12" twist barrel. Three
shots and all went through the paper sideways.
This was at 25 yards, because at 100 yards,
bullets were missing the target by 2'.
Hawkeye
All-Weather .223
Maker: Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
411 Sunapee St.
Newport, NH 03773
(603) 865-2442
www.gunsmagazine.com/ruger
Type: Bolt-action, Materials: Stainless steel
barrel/action, synthetic stock, Capacity: 5,
Length-of-pull: 13-1/2" , Barrel: 22", 1:9"
twist, Overall length: 42", Weight: 7-1/4
pounds, PRICE: $859
The .223 doesn’t have to be a bolt
action. AR-style rifles have a couple
of advantages. Generally they come
with faster-twist barrels, from 1:7" to
1:9". Many have free-floated barrels
and flattop receivers with rails for
mounting optics and, in terms of
accuracy, can outshoot all but the best
bolt guns.
On the negative side it is generally
harder (or at least more expensive) to
get a really good trigger pull on an AR.
The rifles themselves tend to be more
costly, though certainly not always.
But a lot of fine ARs have been sold
in recent years, and are capable of a
lot more than just firing 30 shots in 30
seconds at 25 yards.
My current favorite “teaching”
.223 is a Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather
model. With one minor change (a
Wolff sear/trigger return spring) it
has a very good trigger pull, crisp at 2
pounds, 14 ounces. The Ruger rings let
me easily switch between bulky target/
varmint scopes and more compact
hunting-style scopes. With its medium
weight (7-1/4 pounds, rifle only) it is
easy to hold steadily while still reasonably
portable. Groups as small as 3/8"
at 100 yards aren’t hard to make.
“It’s a BIG gun
when I put it on
and it’s a BIG gun
when I pull it out.”
Learn how to choose a gun,
carry concealed and draw
carefully. Get Clint Smith’s
Thunder Ranch DVD course.
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