The American Rifleman has used the phrase “Dope Bag” at least since 1921, when Col. Townsend Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used by target shoot- ers to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s term for sight adjustment information, while judging wind speed and direction was called “doping the wind.” CAUTION: Technical data and information con- tained herein are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity.Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity. ® TAURUS 454 RAGING BULL handers. Left-handed staff members found it necessary to switch hands and open the cylinder as if they were right-handed. Like with Taurus’ Model 445 (August 1997, p. 45), the Model 454 Raging Bull has a fluted, five-shot cylinder with .08"- deep locking bolt cuts arranged between the chambers. This arrangement maintains the integrity of the chamber walls that are .105" thick at their thinnest point. Taurus’ engineers didn’t stop after designing a gun that could handle the .454 Casull cartridge—they went on to design a gun in which the average shooter could han- dle the .454 as well. To that end, the Model 454 has a massive barrel, available in Since 1955, the .44 Mag. has been the most power- 1 3 either 6 ⁄2" or 8 ⁄8" lengths, with a full- ful factory cartridge chambered in a mass-produced dou- ble-action . Taurus toppled the .44 Mag’s status length ventilated rib and solid under with its Model 454 Raging Bull in the awesome .454 Casull. lug. The barrel has Taurus’ built-in compensator system that uses eight round holes arranged in pairs on MERICAN buying habits show we Since its debut in 1955, the .44 Magnum either side of the front sight. Gas is want bigger, more-powerful, faster has been the most powerful factory cartridge directed up through the holes and Aeverything. This insatiable hunger chambered in a double-action revolver from against an angled undercut on the top rib in for power is recognized by many including a major manufacturer. That lofty and a fashion first seen by us on the Rossi Model the automobile and computer industries, lengthy status was shaken in January 1997 971 VRC (Jan. 1996, p. 50). An expansion shopping malls and fast food restaurant when Taurus announced it would be pro- chamber is part of the compensator, thus 1 chains. Bigger is better, right? ducing a double-action revolver chambered placing the origin of the rifling about 1 ⁄4" in .454 Casull. Many were doubtful this back from the muzzle. announcement would ever come to fruition, Attention was paid to felt recoil reduc- TAURUS 454 but the .44 Magnum’s status officially top- tion on the Raging Bull’s stock as well. The pled this past November when the Taurus black, stippled, mono-grip is made of a soft, MANUFACTURER: Taurus S.A. Forjas, Model 454 Raging Bull in .454 Casull recoil-absorbing, rubber-like synthetic Avenida Do Forte 511, Porto Alegre, became available. RS Brasil 91360 material and has a round butt and finger IMPORTER: Taurus International Taurus’ Model 44 frame would seem a grooves. The front extends up to the trigger , Inc., (Dept. AR), 16175 NW logical starting point for building a new, 49th Ave., Miami, FL 33014 more-powerful revolver. However, simply MECHANISM TYPE: double-action strengthening it’s stress areas was insuffi- revolver cient to contain the extremely powerful .454 CALIBER: .454 Casull 3 cartridge. An entirely new frame had to be OVERALL LENGTH: 12 ⁄8" 1 3 BARREL LENGTH: 6 ⁄2" (tested), 8 ⁄8" designed for the Raging Bull that’s not only WEIGHT: 55 ozs. larger, but incorporates several obvious 3 WIDTH: 1 ⁄4" design-strengthening features. 5 HEIGHT: 6 ⁄8" Most noticeable of the strengthening CYLINDER CAPACITY: five features is the multiple cylinder lock-up sys- RIFLING: six-groove, RH twist 1 tem. Taurus and S&W users will find the TRIGGER: 13 lbs. double-action pull, 5 ⁄2 lbs. single-action pull cylinder pin latch at the rear of the cylinder SIGHTS: Patridge front, fully-adjustable familiar, while Dan Wesson fans will rec- square notch blade rear ognize the yoke latch at the front. Both locks ACCESSORIES: Taurus Security must be operated independently, but at the System key same time to release the cylinder. This oper- Recoil from the Model 454 was rather anti- PRICE: $699 (blued), $767 (stainless) ation becomes quite natural after a few tries climactic.Those anticipating vicious, bone- as the latches are well-positioned for right- crunching recoil were happily disappointed.

46 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 guard, and covers the rear of it to protect the the Security System “... A user-friendly gun knuckle of the middle finger that usually is NOT a substitute for despite its impressive takes quite a beating when shooting a hard- cautious gun handling.” caliber, the Taurus kicking revolver. Further, a red insert rises And correctly reminds us Model 454 Raging Bull .07" along the back of the grip to act as a that “... there is no such has a massive barrel with solid under lug “shock-absorber.”The insert is distinct, can- thing as a safety which is and full-length ventilat- not be easily compressed with finger pres- ‘childproof’ or which ed rib. The muzzle sure, but is functional in reducing the felt can completely prevent (below) has Taurus’ recoil. The stock is completed with brass accidental discharge ... .” built-in compensator escutcheons having the Taurus logo. The Taurus 454 system. The stock (l.) Fit between the barrel and cylinder on Raging Bull was fired has a built-in “recoil our sample was very tight. Fit between the for accuracy at 25 yds. pad” and extends for- sideplate and frame was also good except using Winchester, ward to pad the back of for a slightly gapped section that was cov- CorBon and Black Hills the 454’s trigger guard. ered by the stocks. ammunition with the Our stainless steel sample was polished results shown in the to the mirror-bright finish we have come to accompanying table. expect from Taurus. The top rib, however, Shooting a .454 Casull is matte-finished to reduce glare. at 25 yds. is like fishing For a front sight, the Taurus Model 454 for minnows with a uses a generous Patridge-style blade shark hook, so additional function firing pinned into a ramp. The rear is a striking- was done at bowling pins placed at ranges ly plain, flat black blade with square notch. to 100-yds. Function firing also included a It is very sturdy, provides a well-defined number of .45 Colt loads from various sight picture and is screw-adjustable for ammunition makers. Shooting .45 Colt in a windage and elevation. .454 Casull is akin to shooting .44 Specials The hammer has a checkered spur and the in a gun chambered for .44 Magnum. “Taurus Security System.”The system incor- Both the Winchester and CorBon ammu- porates a small “deactivation pin” in the back nition performed without failure when fired will hold up to its power. Bullets with hard- of the hammer that is raised and lowered single-action. There were a few failures to er cores and heavier jackets are required. using the supplied key. Raising the pin with fire Black Hills 300-gr. JHP cartridges that Recoil from the Taurus 454, though the key blocks the backward movement of were attributed to light firing pin strikes. stout, is rather anti-climactic. Shooters the hammer and theoretically disables the Firing double-action, the gun almost always anticipating a vicious muzzle flip and bone- gun. The instructions make it very clear that misfired regardless of ammunition. These crunching kick will be happily disappoint- failures were also attributed to light firing ed. The gas vented upward from the com- pin strikes. There were no failures to fire .45 pensator nearly eliminates muzzle rise, and Colt, single-or double-action, with the the sharp, straight-back kick is amply . absorbed by the rubber stock. The stock, A second Taurus 454 Raging Bull was however, is large, and may cause a problem sent to us and it fired all ammunition types for small-handed shooters.The double- in both double- and single-action though the action trigger pull was on the heavy side. The single-action pull will probably see more use, trigger did not always return and needed to 1 be encouraged forward with a slight push and it broke crisply at 5 ⁄2 lbs. from the trigger finger. This malfunction The Taurus Model 454 Raging Bull is a went away after a thorough cleaning and big step forward in the double-action about 100 shots. revolver market. It offers advanced design Freedom Arms was the first to offer the features that not only accommodate a very .454 Casull in its well-known single-action powerful cartridge, but ones that allow own- ers to enjoy shooting as well. The 454 has a five-shot cylinder with lock- revolver, as well as ammunition. Though the ing bolt cuts arranged between the cham- Technical Staff had a supply of Freedom’s bers. The capacity and the arrangement ammunition, it specifically states that it is help maintain the chamber wall integrity. for use in its single-action only and was therefore not used in the Taurus. A ACCURACY RESULTS call to Freedom Arms confirmed that this .454 Casull Vel. @15' Smallest Largest Average warning is still in Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) effect. Furthermore, Black Hills 300-gr. JHP 1362 Avg. 1.45 1.97 1.69 Freedom Arms is no 28 Sd longer producing .454 Winchester X454C2 1592 Avg. 1.08 1.87 1.54 Casull ammunition, 300-gr. JFP 21 Sd but will continue to CorBon 335-gr. WFPL 1418 Avg. 1.76 2.75 2.20 make and offer com- 8 Sd ponent bullets for Average Extreme Spread 1.81 handloaders. Five consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds., fired from Outer’s Note that the .454 Perch. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), JFP (jacketed Casull uses small In addition to punching holes in paper at flat-point), JHP (jacketed hollow-point), WFPL (wide flat-point lead) primers, and not just 25 yds.with .454 and .45 Colt loads,we also any .451"-.452" bullet tried the 454 out on bowling pins at 100 yds.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 47 WEATHERBY MK V LIGHTWEIGHT

The Mark V Lightweight series offers traditional Weatherby styling and features in a package considerably lighter than its Mark V Magnum siblings. The Sporter (above) is fitted with a 6- 18X Redfield Five-Star.This gun will be of interest to deer hunters who favor standard calibers.

N recent years there has been increased in the “safe” position, the bolt is locked. interest in lightweight, bolt-action , The Lightweight’s trigger is also of con- Ioften dubbed “mountain rifles” as the ventional Weatherby design. Contained in result of their popularity with western an aluminum housing attached to the under- hunters who pursue goats, sheep and other side of the receiver, the trigger also controls high-elevation game. In 1997, Weatherby the bolt stop, a cylindrical pin that projects introduced its own series of Lightweight upward from the trigger housing through the Mark V rifles,not only to cater to those inter- floor of the receiver to engage a groove in ested in a “mountain rifle,”but also to appeal the underside of the bolt body. The bolt’s to deer hunters who favor “standard” calibers. rearward travel is arrested when the bolt stop The Mark V Lightweight Sporter fea- strikes the end of this track. Pulling the trig- tures a blued finish and a walnut stock; the Safety features include an indicator tab that ger all the way to the rear lowers the bolt Lightweight Stainless combines an injec- protrudes rearward when the firing pin is stop out of this track, allowing the bolt to be tion-molded composite stock with stainless cocked and a shroud-mounted safety that withdrawn from the receiver. When rein- steel barrel and action; and the Lightweight is moved rearward to the “safe” position. serting the bolt, the trigger must be pulled. Synthetic offers a composite stock and Contributing to lighter weight is the blued steel. All feature 24" barrels, a six-lug traditional nine-lug array of the classic slender barrel, which measures 1.1" just for- action with 54º bolt lift, and chamberings Mark V action, the Lightweight action fea- ward of the receiver ring and tapers to .55" ranging from .22-250 Rem. up to .30-’06. tures six lugs arranged in two circles of three at the muzzle. The bore is button rifled in a The Mark V Lightweights also offer lower evenly-spaced lugs, yet retaining the short four-groove, right-hand twist pattern. o prices than we’ve been accustomed to see- 54 bolt lift that Weatherbys are known for. Lightweight stocks feature high Monte ing on Mark V rifles. The Lightweight action is propor- Carlo cheekpieces, 3/4" thick ventilated The action of the new Lightweights tioned for standard cartridges the size of rubber recoil pads and sling swivel studs at resembles that of the now-discontinued the .22-250 Rem., .243 Win. and .30-’06. the toe and fore-end. A well just to the rear Weatherby Varmintmaster. Instead of the The bolt is slightly smaller in diameter of the barrel channel in each stock accepts than the bolt used in the much larger, the receiver’s integral recoil lug. Weatherby heavier and longer magnum-size action. utilizes glass bedding in the recoil lug mor- MK V LIGHTWEIGHT The round receiver is also narrower in tise of its wood-stocked Sporter and Carbine diameter and 1⁄4" shorter in length than models; no bedding compound is used in the MANUFACTURER: Acrometal Cos., Inc., the full-size Mark V. There is a semicir- Brainerd, MN synthetic-stocked versions. The barrel SOLD BY: Weatherby, Inc. (Dept. AR), cular relief cut in the forward ejection channel contacts the barrel at the fore-end 3100 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA port edge to facilitate the ejection of live tip to help damp out excessive vibration. 93422 rounds that also slightly reduces weight. Weatherby Lightweight rifles feature an MECHANISM TYPE: magazine-fed, cen- The Lightweight’s bolt retains all the internal, non-detachable box magazine terfire, bolt-action rifle signature features of the magnum Mark V loaded through the top of the receiver. The CALIBERS: .22-250 Rem., .240 Wby. Mag., .243 Win., .25-’06 Rem., .270 bolt, such as the three gas vent holes in the bottom of the magazine is a hinged floor- Win., 7 mm-08 Rem., .280 Rem., .308 bolt body, the machined Win. and .30-’06 (tested) groove in the body that 1 LENGTH: 44 ⁄8" accepts the trigger-actuated 3 WEIGHT: 6 ⁄4 lbs. bolt stop and the signature 15 BARREL LENGTH: 23 ⁄16" bolt shroud profile. Also RIFLING: four-groove; RH twist MAGAZINE CAPACITY: five retained is the shroud- 3 TRIGGER: single stage, 3 ⁄4 lbs. pull mounted, two-position man- SIGHTS: none supplied; receiver drilled ual safety with a grooved and tapped for scope mounts thumbpiece that is rotated STOCK: Claro walnut; length of pull, rearward to block the firing 3 5 13 ⁄4"; drop at heel, 1 ⁄8"; drop at Monte The Lightweight employs six lugs, in con- 3 pin and forward to allow the Carlo, 3/4"; drop at comb, 1 ⁄16" rifle to fire. In the forward trast to the nine-lug action of the Mark V in PRICE: Lightweight Sporter, $849 magnum calibers,and it is also shorter and “fire” position a red dot is smaller in diameter than its big brother. visible on the shroud. When

48 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 Our test Lightweight was the blued- when only four cartridges were loaded. steel, wood-stocked Sporter model in .30- Also, care had to be taken when loading ’06 Springfield. The rifle’s pistol-grip stock our Lightweight. When the bolt was in the was of Claro walnut with 18 lines-per-inch rearmost position, the rear edge of the mag- machine-cut checkering on the fore-end and azine box protruded just far enough to catch wrist. Both the metalwork and the walnut the rim of cartridges being loaded into the stock had an even, non-glare satin finish. We magazine. A round so caught would then equipped the Weatherby Sporter with a enter the magazine at an angle and had to be Redfield Five-Star 6-18X scope and fired it removed and reinserted. When we posi- for accuracy at 100 yds., with the results list- tioned the cartridge about 1/4" further for- ed in the accompanying table, and function- ward in an attempt to avoid the rear edge of fired the rifle with Federal, Hornady, the magazine, the bullet tip would contact The Lightweight Sporter features a non- Remington and Winchester ammunition. the feed ramp. The cartridge had to be start- detachable top-loading box magazine with a No malfunctions were experienced. ed in the magazine just so for problem-free five-round capacity and a hinged floorplate. Accuracy was not spectacular, averaging loading—a situation that could be prob- a little more than two m.o.a. (minute of angle) lematic for gloved fingers on a cold day. plate that is released by a lever whose head with all ammunition tested. It should be noted, We suspect that the new Weatherby is located inside the front face of the trigger however, that these results were obtained with Lightweights will appeal most to those who guard. Pushing the lever forward releases a 3-9X scope at maximum magnification— already own full-sized Mark Vs and who the rear of the floorplate and dumps out all much as would be used afield—rather than want a trimmer, lighter rifle of the same remaining rounds in the magazine. the 16X to 32X target scopes often used in design. The rifles should also appeal to 3 The magazine features a steel follower our testing. At 6 ⁄4 lbs. without scope, our whitetail deer hunters who crave classic tensioned by a flat Z-shaped spring. The rifle offered both easy carrying and snappy Weatherby styling in a rifle tailored to their body of the magazine on both the blued and handling. It balanced right at the floorplate, needs and in calibers they desire. stainless steel Lightweights is aluminum. and was judged to have rather neutral han- Nonetheless, shooters who value a crisp dling on offhand shots, trigger, low weight, excellent balance and a being neither muzzle-heavy short bolt lift will likely find the new Mark ACCURACY RESULTS nor muzzle-light. Vs worthy of consideration—whether There were a few com- they’re Weatherby fans or not. .30-’06 Vel. @15' Smallest Largest Average plaints, however. The rifle’s 3 Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) long 13 ⁄4" length of pull Hdy. No. 8115 2652 Avg. 1.56 2.03 1.78 made many short-eye-relief 165-gr. BTSP 11 Sd scopes difficult to use, par- Rem. No. ER3006C 2611 Avg. 1.79 2.64 2.12 ticularly with the thick 178-gr ER 15 Sd clothing typically worn by Win. No. X30061 2684 Avg. 1.09 2.37 1.87 those hunting in cooler 150-gr. PP 12 Sd regions. This is not a fatal flaw, as such scopes are sel- Average Extreme Spread 1.92 dom used on light, sharp- Five consecutive five-shot groups at 100 yds. fired from a recoiling guns. Though sandbag rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), BTSP The new Mark V Lightweight’s bolt still (boattail soft-point), ER (Extended Range), PP (Power-Point), nominal magazine capacity bears unmistakable Weatherby touches, Rem. (Remington), Win. (Winchester) is five rounds, we found that such as its claw extractor,fluted body,three smoother feeding occurred gas vent holes and distinctive bolt shroud. EAA BOUNTY HUNTER

New exposed hammer guns have been few and far between recently, despite heavy demand. EAA’s Bounty Hunter combines traditional “Old West”styling and an innovative hammer-blocking safety system.

N the past, exposed-hammer side-by- barreled with a plain finish. And nostalgia, EAA is importing the side shotguns were marketed primari- while this sport does not require exposed Bounty Hunter side-by-side, double bar- Ily to the well-to-do upland bird hunter. hammers on double-barreled shotguns, rel shotgun. More recently though, Cowboy Action they definitely add to the period look of Made by Spain’s Astra for EAA, the shooters have created a market for double- the . In an effort to appeal to that Bounty Hunter shotgun is an exposed-ham-

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 49 many noticeable gaps and the edges of BOUNTY HUNTER the stock and fore-end were higher than their corresponding metal surfaces on the MANUFACTURER: ASTRA, Apartado 3, 48300 Guernica, Spain action, trigger-guard and side-plates. IMPORTER: EAA Corp (Dept. AR), P.O. Like most double-triggered side-by- Box 1299, Sharpes, FL 32959 sides, the Bounty Hunter’s triggers are MECHANISM TYPE: break-action, side- arranged with the right barrel’s trigger in by-side shotgun front and the left barrel’s to the rear. 3 GAUGE: 12-ga., 2 ⁄4" Chokes on our 12-ga. sample were OVERALL LENGTH: 37" BARREL LENGTH: 20" of the fixed type with full in the right WEIGHT: 6 lbs., 11 oz. barrel and modified in the left. 1 TRIGGER: double: front, 4 ⁄2-lb. pull; rear, However, EAA plans to offer models 1 5 ⁄2-lb. pull with adjustable screw-in chokes as well SIGHTS: brass bead front as rifled barrels in .45-70 and .45 Colt. STOCK: walnut stained hardwood: length The Bounty Hunter has no ejectors; and 1 1 The Bounty Hunter will be also available of pull 14 ⁄2"; drop at comb, 1 ⁄4"; drop at dual actuator rods lift the extractors as the 1 in a variety of gauges including 10-, 12, heel, 2 ⁄2" action is opened. The automatic safety is ACCESSORIES: none 16-, 20-, 28-ga. and .410. The gun has no activated by moving the top latch lever. PRICE: $499 ejectors and dual actuator rods lift the extractors as the action is opened. of snagging on brush and saddlery causing The exposed hammers are fixed to the an accidental discharge if the safety was off. mer, double-barrel shotgun utilizing a side-plates and powered by steel V-springs. An EAA representative told us that Astra Purdey double under-lug design. Its action An automatic safety mounted on the top tang has devised an interesting solution to the bars are placed forward, underneath the bar- is engaged when the top latch lever is pushed problem by installing a stainless-steel block rels. Our 12-ga. test sample featured blued to the right. Pushing the safety button for- between the hammer and striker that falls 20" barrels attached to a smooth solid rib out of the way only when with a single brass bead front sight. Barrels the trigger is pulled. After are available in 24" and 26" lengths as well. firing, the hammer block The barrels are finished to a deep, pol- rebounds back into place. ished blue,as are the side plates and top latch Disassembly of the lever. The breech, triggers, steel pistol grip unloaded Bounty Hunter cap and butt-plate have a satin nickel finish. is fairly straightforward. The hammers and tang safety are finished Depress the release in a contrasting dark grey. The side-plates plunger on the front of the and action are embellished with roll-pressed fore-end and swing it scrollwork that add to the period look of an down and away. Push the otherwise plain side-by side. EAA plans to top latch lever to the right offer models with case-colored or nickeled The classically-styled Bounty Hunter and tilt the barrels downward until the side-plates and receivers as well. came to shoulder quickly and pointed underlugs are unhinged from the action. steadily.We found the 20" barrels made the Reassemble in reverse order. The Bounty Hunter’s hardwood pistol gun particularly lightweight and easy to grip stock and beavertail fore-end are The Bounty Hunter was pattern tested at handle. Recoil, while stiff, wasn’t too bad. 1 25-yds. with Winchester 3 ⁄4 dram equiva- stained to a dark walnut color and feature 1 coarse 16 lines-per-inch diamond-pattern, lent No. 7 ⁄2 shot 1 oz. field loads, and the hand-cut checkering that is noticeably heav- ward to cover the “S” engraved in the tang results are shown in the accompanying ier in the center and lighter at the edges. releases the safety so the gun may be fired. table. During function-firing with Federal, Sling-swivels are standard on the Bounty Many traditional- Hunter. The forward swivel is screwed to the ists claim that exposed bottom of the rib and rear swivel is set into hammer doubles have EAA BOUNTY HUNTER the toe of the stock. a safety advantage Wood to metal fit is typical of a side-by- over their internal AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT 25 YDS. side in this price range. Namely, there are hammer counterparts because the shooter 18 17 18 17 can see that the ham- mers are cocked. But 29 31 20 21 there is a danger in that when cocking the gun, the firer may acciden- 32 29 29 24 tally release the ham- mer short of full-cock, 23 22 14 18 perhaps allowing the hammer to fall on the Full Choke Modified Choke striker and cause an inadvertent discharge. x=Point of Hold In his book Shotguns Winchester Xpert 31⁄4-1-71⁄2 By Keith, no less an Pellet count—350 The Bounty Hunter has a stainless-steel authority than Elmer Total Hits 201 (57%) Total Hits 161 (46%) hammer block (arrow) between the re- Keith warned shooters 21.2" Inner Circle 121 (35%) 21.2" Inner Circle 94 (27%) bounding hammer and striker that falls out that exposed doubles 30" Outer Ring 80 (22%) 30" Outer Ring 67 (19%) of the way only when the trigger is pulled. had an annoying habit

50 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 Shooters found this classically- styled gun comes to shoulder with quickness and points steadily. The 20" barrels make the gun particularly light- weight and easy to handle. Recoil, while stiff, is not punishing, even dur- ing extended firing. While function- testing the Bounty Hunter, shooters had a great deal of fun shooting hand- thrown clays. The birds were broken with great regularity and more than a An automatic safety mounted on the top few were reduced to powder. Some felt The EAA Bounty Hunter shotgun’s tang is engaged when the top latch lever that a straight stock would make it easier exposed hammers are fixed to the detach- is pushed to the right. Pushing the safety to slide the firing hand back to find the sec- able side-plates and powered by V-springs. button forward disengages the gun’s safety. ond trigger, but others preferred the meati- er heft of the pistol grip stock. shooters and others in search of a modern, Remington, Winchester and PMC shot- The Bounty Hunter is a handy, utilitar- exposed-hammer shotgun with enhanced shells we experienced no difficulties with ian, side-by-side with a nostalgic look and safety features like a hammer-drop safety any of the ammunition tested. feel. It should appeal to Cowboy Action and automatic tang safety. FORT WORTH ARMS WOODCHUCKER

Fort Worth Arms now has a gun designed to fit kids in dimension and caliber called the Woodchucker. This bolt-action .22 has the classic lines of a full-size big game rifle.

NTRODUCING kids to shooting through appropriately sized to their smaller stature. equipped with a NRA’s junior membership and youth Fort Worth Arms now has a gun that standard dovetail rail on top of Iprograms are great ways to get them meets these requirements called the the receiver. A conventional trigger- started on the path of safe, responsible, law- Woodchucker that is available exclusively blocking safety is on the right side of the abiding firearms ownership. We, as parents, from RSR Wholesale Guns, Inc. This bolt- receiver behind the bolt handle. When in guardians and mentors, can augment these action, six-shot, .22-cal. repeater has the NRA programs and spend more quality time classic lines of a full-size big game rifle and with our kids through continuous, safe is made of quality materials. WOODCHUCKER firearms teaching of our own. As is the case The rifle we received for testing sported with adults, kids will achieve their best a one-piece hardwood stock that was stained MANUFACTURER: Fort Worth Arms shooting results and thus gain more confi- to resemble dark, reddish walnut. There is (Dept. AR), 2006-B Martin Luther King Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76104-6303 dence if they use a gun they can handle. A no checkering and, as befits a rifle to be used DISTRIBUTER: RSR Wholesale Guns, gun they can handle means that it is in a min- with a scope, there is a Monte Carlo cheek- Inc. (Dept. AR), 21 Trolley Circle, P.O. imally recoiling caliber, and that the gun be piece. A solid, black, plastic buttplate com- Box 60679, Rochester, NY 14606 pletes the stock. MECHANISM TYPE: bolt-action, rimfire, A conventional, tubular steel repeater receiver is used that has a 90º bolt CALIBER: .22 Long Rifle OVERALL LENGTH: 32" lift. Lock-up on .22 rimfire rifles 1 BARREL LENGTH: 16 ⁄4" is typically by the root of the bolt RIFLING: six-groove, RH twist handle,and the Woodchucker is no WEIGHT: 3 lbs., 8 ozs. exception. Dual, opposed extrac- MAGAZINE CAPACITY: six tors are used, and the ejector is part TRIGGER: single-stage, 41⁄2 lbs. pull of a steel piece screwed into the SIGHTS: hooded, beaded post front; blade rear, drift-adjustable for bottom of the receiver. This piece windage, step-adjustable for elevation also serves as the bolt guide, hav- STOCK: walnut finished hardwood: 1 Function firing was accomplished by supervising a ing a pair of rails corresponding to length of pull, 12"; drop at heel, 2 ⁄4"; seven-year-old we dutifully equipped with eye and ear a pair of grooves in the underside drop at comb, 13⁄8" protection, plenty of ammunition, and reactive targets of the bolt. To facilitate scope PRICE: $169 like clay pigeons placed in front of a suitable backstop. mounting, the Woodchucker is

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 51 may find it complicates car- rying the gun at its center of ACCURACY RESULTS balance. We give high marks to the magazine .22 Long Rifle Vel. @ 15' Smallest Largest Average release, though, that is well Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) positioned and thought out CCI Mini Mag HP 1238 Avg. 2.60 3.23 2.88 in its operation. X0031 18 Sd Take down of the Fort Fed. Hi-Power HP 1211 Avg. 1.04 1.94 1.63 Worth Arms’ Woodchucker 1A8532 33 Sd is a simple matter of first Win. Super-X RN 1240 Avg. 1.45 2.21 1.74 ensuring that the gun is X22LR1 21 Sd unloaded and all ammuni- Average Extreme Spread 2.08 tion is removed from the We gave high marks to the little rifle’s mag- Five consecutive 10-shot groups fired at 50 yds. from sand- azine release, as it is well positioned and area. Next, open the bolt, bag rest. Abbreviations: HP (hollow-point), RN (round-nose), thought out in its location and operation. inspect the chamber to Sd (standard deviation) ensure it is empty and with- the “fire” position, a red dot is exposed. drawal the bolt from the rear A massive, matte black, zinc casting of the receiver while pulling the trigger. No firing was accomplished by supervising a serves as the trigger housing and contains further disassembly is necessary for routine seven-year-old shooter we dutifully the trigger group, magazine and magazine cleaning and maintenance, and reassembly equipped with eye and ear protection, plen- release. Bolts at either end of the housing is in the reverse order. ty of inexpensive ammunition, and reactive pass through white metal spacers and secure A Redfield 10X scope was mounted on targets like clay pigeons placed in front of the housing to the action at both ends. The the Fort Worth Woodchucker, and the rifle a suitable backstop. There were no mal- forward spacer extends back and up, into the fired for accuracy at 50 yds. with CCI, functions of any kind and, needless to say, action to serve as the magazine feed ramp. Federal and Winchester ammunition. There the youngster had a great time with the gun. 1 A 16 ⁄4" steel barrel with six-groove, were no malfunctions of any kind. Function We were able to observe that because the right-hand twist rifling is threaded into the gun fit properly, the young shooter tend- receiver in typical fashion. The crown is ed to have better shooting form, and shot stepped to protect the origin of the rifling. better than he has previously with an A matte black, zinc, beaded-post front sight adult-sized gun. is screwed to the barrel and has a removable Accuracy was on par with most rimfire steel hood. Where many makers of youth sporters, though the heavy trigger pull rifles use plastic, the Woodchucker has a handicapped our young shooter. The bar- classic, steel, drift-adjustable, open rear rel channel was noticeably off-center to the sight with stepped elevator. left, and the barrel bore Attachment of the barreled action to the heavily at the fore-end stock is unusual. Most rifles use a screw tip and on the left side of through the bottom of the stock that the fore-end. This was engages a threaded hole in the bottom of the only place we the receiver. On the Woodchucker, a thought more attention threaded rod is screwed into the forward A massive, matte to quality was needed. end of the receiver in lieu of the threaded black, non-ferrous Overall, we found hole. The “bolt” that is inserted through metal casting serves the Woodchucker a the stock is actually a long, cylindrical nut as the Woodchucker’s good representation of with a slotted head that screws down over trigger housing. The a youth rifle It is ade- assembly also con- the threaded rod. tains the trigger group, quately proportioned Users will find the magazine and mag- magazine and maga- for the young shooter, azine release located in front of the trigger zine release. One piece serves as both the ejector and bolt and accurate enough to guard. While most adults will find the mag- guide. The steel part is screwed into the gun’s receiver and inspire confidence in azine size and location adequate, children has upward extensions that correspond to grooves in the bolt. these beginners. AIMPOINT COMP DOT SIGHT

HEN Aimpoint introduced the non- The downside was that early Aimpoints The sight is available in several versions magnifying optical sight with a and its imitators were relatively large, heavy that differ in dot size and exterior finish. Our Wbattery-powered reflected red-dot and dim instruments. By the time action test sample has a three-minute dot (3" sub- aiming reference in lieu of a traditional ret- shooters discovered that dot sights could tention at 100 yds.) and a black anodized icle, it created a whole new genre of sight- help feed their greed for speed, dot-sight body. Other options are seven-, 10- or 15- ing equipment. In America, bullseye com- development was being driven by criteria minute dots and stainless or blue anodized petitors, despite their legendary conser- that could be summed up in three words: aluminum body. All share the same size, vatism, were quick to appreciate the bene- smaller, lighter, brighter. To that wish list weight and configuration. Overall length is fits of eyeing a single, clearly seen red dot action shooters added: strong. The just under 41⁄2", with a 13⁄16"-long main tube in the center of a clearly seen black bull— Aimpoint Comp is the Swedish firm’s section 30 mm in diameter that serves as the particularly for those with aging eyes. response to those demands. contact area for mount rings. A segmented

52 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 objective housing is 36 mm in diameter, and ing bench 25 yds. from the target, we ly with intensely bright midday sun in the aft of the main tube is an adjustment saddle checked the adjustments by first firing a desert Southwest. We detected a small bearing elevation and windage dials and a group directly at the point of aim. After amount of parallax when we moved our slender octagonal nacelle holding three but- adding 18 clicks of elevation and 18 clicks master eye drastically off center, but the ton batteries. of left windage, we fired a second group viewing angle was so exaggerated and the The front of the battery module has a while holding the dot on the original aim- aiming error so small that we feel the prac- water-tight screw-on cap and the rear pre- ing point. Subsequent groups were fired tical significance borders on nil. In the real sents the 10-setting, click-stopped rotary after 36-click adjustments down, right and world, a competitor’s aiming eye would not brightness control switch. With the switch up. A sixth and final group was fired after stray far enough from center to lose a point in the off position a white with this sight. dot near its ribbed rim at 12 The Aimpoint Comp is o’clock matches a white claimed to be waterproof dot on the edge of the bat- and pressure-resistant, so tery module. Turning the we subjected it to our switch one click counter- usual water test—10- clockwise selects the Extra minute immersion in a tub High brightness setting that of 110oF water. A tiny ensures dot visibility in bubble emerged every 15 intense daylight. Each suc- seconds or so from the cessive clockwise click base of one adjustment reduces dot brightness to turret throughout the suit a wide variety of ambi- drowning. Despite this, ent light conditions. If you subsequent inspection favor certain settings for revealed no sign of mois- specific venues, remember ture infiltration. There how many clicks you need was no fogging, optical to reach them as the switch clarity was as good as is unmarked except for the before, and the dot func- “off” position. The eye- tioned flawlessly. piece end of the sight body The Aimpoint Comp is is finished with a soft, rub- The Aimpoint Comp, mounted here on a California Grip-equipped Colt Gold powered by three button- Cup, is a compact, lightweight, bright red-dot sight designed to satisfy- bery rim. competitive shooters’needs. A broad vertically split mount ring is supplied. type batteries. Our unit For field testing, we came with SP 675 mercury 1 installed the 4 ⁄ 2-oz. batteries, which can light Aimpoint Comp on a Colt .45 ACP Gold adjustments of 18 clicks left and 18 down. the dot, according to factory literature, for Cup equipped with a California Grip mount. The last group coincided indistinguishably 7 to 15 hours at the Extra High setting or up 1 The sight comes with a 1 ⁄16"-wide vertical- with the first, indicating precise return to to 500 hours at dimmer settings. We dis- ly split mount ring formed to engage a zero. The second, third, fourth and fifth covered that inexpensive mercury batteries Weaver-style contoured rail. It mated with groups punched out the corners of an imag- are virtually unobtainable in some parts of the Cal Grip’s interchangeable top plate inary square surrounding the central groups. the country and lithium alternatives of use- 1 designed to accommodate the Aimpoint The corner groups were 5 ⁄2" apart rather ful size and output appear to exist in cata- 1 Comp. The sight may be mounted with the than the expected 4 ⁄2", indicating greater logs but not in retail establishments. Zinc- battery module between one and two shift per click than specified in the owner’s air batteries cannot be used in the Aimpoint o’clock or swung 90o to between 10 and 11 data sheet. We considered this a trivial Comp because of the unit’s air-tight battery o’clock. Adjustment dials are clearly anomaly. Much more important was the compartment. marked “UP-L” and “UP-R” so whichever consistent separation and precise position- The bottom line is that you’ll probably turret ends up wherever, useful prompts will ing of the corner groups, proving that adjust- have to spring for silver-oxide Type 357 be visible. Aimpoint literature claims 8.5' of ments were uniform and repeatable. replacements, as we did. We paid about $8 adjustment at 100 yds. We don’t doubt it. After firing several hundred rounds of plus sales tax for a set, and suddenly became Our heavily accurized Gold Cup shoots low .45 ACP ammunition ranging from powder- very careful about turning off the power so we used considerable vertical adjustment puff wadcutters to energetic hollowpoints, switch when not actually shooting. So it to zero the rig. Nonetheless we had ample we transferred the Aimpoint Comp to a .22 goes when your sight consumes the battery clicks remaining to shift the center of impact LR High Standard Victor semi-automatic equivalent of Beluga caviar. as desired. and repeated the adjustment test. Except for On balance, we found the Aimpoint Beneath the gasketed screw-on turret the smaller holes, results were identical. Comp an excellent all-around performer. It caps, the elevation and windage dials offer Optically, the Aimpoint Comp present- is relatively light, compact and bright, and 50 clicks per full turn, each click visually ed a bright, crisp view with only a faint cool was throughout our extended test period denoted by a tiny white hashmark. The color cast betraying its semi-silvered inter- utterly dependable. Our only gripe (a petty scales are not numbered and neither sur- nal reflective surface. We found no distor- one, admittedly) is that unlike earlier mod- round has an index mark against which to tion. The anti-reflection lens coating effec- els the Aimpoint Comp does not come with judge dial position. Click detents are easy tively suppressed flare and ghosting even front and rear lens covers. Even without lens to feel and hear. The dials are centrally when viewing backlighted targets, and we covers, though, the Comp impressed us as grooved to accept the edge of a small coin encountered no problems with internal a top contender for anyone looking for a or a screwdriver. Specifications state that reflections. The three-minute dot in our unit capable, high-quality red-dot sight. each click represents 1/2" shift in center of was cleanly delineated and always easy to Available from: Aimpoint USA (Dept. impact at 100 yds. We found actual shift pick up when the brightness control was AR), 420 W. Main St., Geneseo, IL 61254. value closer to 0.6". adjusted appropriately for the shooting con- Price:(includes batteries, mount ring, hex Firing from sandbags on a sturdy shoot- ditions. The Extra High setting coped easi- wrench and cleaning cloth) $308.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1998 53