“Only accurate rifles are interesting” - Col. Townsend Whelen Rifle Volume 9, Number 3 The Magazine for Shooters May-June 1977 IN THIS ISSUE DEPARTMENTS Where Are NRA Leaders Taking Us?. ................ Neal Knox 12 Editorial.. .................6 Ultimate Swift Varmint Rifle. .................... .Bob Brackney 20 DearEditor.. .............. 8 Evaluating Target Rear Sights. .................Laurence Moore 22 Sighting Shots.. ...........10 Making A Patchbox.. ............................. .John Bivins 28 Book Report.. ............,113 Selecting the Right Elk Cartridge.. ................... Bob Hagel 32 Aiming for Answers. ...... .17 Classic Rifles. ............ .35 Building A Range Finder. ..................... .Norman Johnson 36 Bench Report. ............ 64 Warning - Russian Springfields. .................. Les Womack 38 Trophy Pointers. .......... 66 Bedding the Ruger No. 1. ....................... Frank de Haas 40 This Month’s Cover The Browning 8-78 rifle on this month’s cover I* IS one of the 1,000 limited edition Belgium- engraved bicentennial models Each rifle has a serial number beginning with 1776 and ending with numbers 1 to 1,000. The ,4570 has an octaaonal bull barrel topped with iron Adopted in August 1969 as Official Publication sights and iapped to accept scope mounts. - Photo by Bob Hills. For National Bench Rest Shooters Association RlFLE Magazine, copyright 1977, is published bi-monthly by Wolfe Publishing Co., Inc., (Dave Wolfe, President), P.O. Box 3030, Prescott, Arizona 86302. Telephone (602) 445-7810. Second Staff Class Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona, and The additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions and Canada - single issue, $1.50; 6 issues, $7.75; 12 issues, $13.00; 18 issues, Neal Knox, Editor and Publisher Technical Editors $17.00. Foreign - single issue, $1.75; 6 issues, Ralph Tanner, Jr., Sales Director $9.00: 12 issues, $15.00; 18 issues, $20.00. Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights Rick Jamison, Associate Editor John Bivins reserved. Dave LeGate, Art Director Bob Hagel Publisher of RlFLE is not responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur from use of Barbara Pickering, Production Supervisor Clay Harvey published data, or from recommendations by any Lynda Ritter, Editorial Assistant member of The Staff. No part of this publication AI Miller may be reproduced without written permission Richard Aldis, Staff Photographer Maj. George C. Nonte, Jr. from the editor. Manuscripts from free-lance writers must be accompanied by stamped self- Joyce Bueter, Circulation Manager Homer Powley addressed envelope and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manu- Terry Bueter, Circulation Ken Waters scripts. Jana KOSCO,Executive Secretary Don Zutz Change of address: Please give six week‘s Wanda Hall, Accounting notice. Send both old and new address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Dept., RIFLE R.T. Wolfe, Ph.D., Consultant Magazine, P.O. Box 3030. Prescott, Arizona 86302. 4 RIFLE Magazine Aiming for protectors. Timken Steel Barrel M-99 Hammer(less)? Now. The most convenient hearing protector is also the best. Ear muffs are fine, as far as they go. But new Sonic I1 Hearing Protectors provide as much protection against gun noise as ear muffs”, while (1)letting you hear range instructions and normal conversation, (2) eliminatingthat un- nqtural “plugged-up” sensation, and (3) giving you total freedom of movement. SOFT SILICONE RUBBER PLATE EAR INSERT CUSHION / SILICONE DIAPHRAGM IDE E US. Patent #RE28560 VALVE SURFACE ANSWERS POLICY indicator. ’* I believe the reason for this is We will be pleased to ask the members of because Of the large appendage on the the staff to answer your questions. However, rear of what we would call the striker. My due to their heavy volume of correspondence we must ask that you enclose two dollars reference is the l900 Savage and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The new, patented Sonic I1 partially defray the cost of researching and Incidentally, the sear engages this replaces long-established Sonic Ear writing each answer. Please limit each letter appendage or hammer - not the $ring to one specific auestion, for many general Valvs@and has a new. silent-oDeratinn questions require a lengthy article to answer pin. Again your terminology is wrong, as adequately, and cannot possibly be answered the “$n’ng pin’’ is only the small pin at in a letter. Questions should be addressed to Aiming for Answers, Rifle Magazine, P.O. thefront of the striker rod [Or hammer as Box 3030. Prescott, Arizona 86301. they called it]. which pin contacts car- idnormal, low-level sound pass. With Sonic 11, there’s no pressure, no “plugged up” feeling- and nothing to get in the way of glasses, hatsor long hair. Ask your sporting goods dealer for thenew Sonic11 Hearing Protector blue carrying case for only $5.95. Norton Com- pany, Safety Prod- ucts Division, 11320 Burbank Blvd., Dept. R-5, No. Hollywood, CA 91601. produce a barrel with the contour You dimenzons, bullet ’seating &pth ant desire. If you wish another barrel overall cartridge length. *Independent tests conducted on apolicejinig runge. contoured exactly as those you have, it Test results available m request. will be necessary to either go back to the John R. Westerhauser original maker and have him duplicate Aurora, Colo that profile, or send one of the old barrels There is little information available or to a maker who is equipped to copy it. the Gibbs rifle cartridzes where loads arc George C. Nonte, Jr. concerned. “ Not having tested thi. May-June 1977 17 rust spots, pits and case-hardening. Such -280 National Match Rifle Personally, I feel that nine or 9% inches work as that spells ruination .for any_- gun. of twist in your .280 Remington will I reread and studied the July-August properly stabilize the heavier bullets out Ifyou have ever seen the work done by 1972 Handloader article on the .280 to the ranges you require - providing Brian Ebbs of England in the restoration Remington. I had Remington make up a they are driven at full-charge velocities. I of old double rifles, or by Del Grego of .280 on the M-700 action. It is a 9%-inch have no specific data to back this up,for I this county on Parker shotguns, you’ll twist barrel and does well with bullets up have never attempted to shoot such know what I mean by real crqfismanship. to and including the 154-grain. This is to bullets in a .280 Remington Ripe at I would ,far rather have one of their be used for 200, 300 and 600-yard shoot- ranges beyond 300 yards. Certainly you products than many of the touted “origi- ing over the National Match Course. In do not want the twist any more rapid than nals” we see oJten. But perhaps that’s so getting a new barrel that will handle the is necessary, so Z would suggest that you because I like which are in top guns 162-grain Hornady Match or 168-grain stick with 9 or 9?hinches. If this does not conditions. Sierra Match bullets, which twist should prove to be satisfactory, then I’d appre- ciate hearing of it. But getting back to your piece, it may be used? Dan Haigh well be more important to you to have a Evanston, 111. George C. Nonte, Jr. nice looking rifle to carry qfield than one - to display as a collector’s original. If this is the case. or if your rille has been abused or neglected, then my inclination would be to have it restored by a really capable ‘smith. On the other hand, if you wish to 0.. say Pacific preserve its originality. or don’t intend to spend the money to have the job done right. then I’d leave it as is. Durachrome Ken Waters You can depend on getting top quality when you ask for Pacific Dies. Our “no shortcut” policy in making each Durachrome Die body starts with a piece of Neck Turning and Accuracy solid steel, which is then bored and reamed to precise internal dimensions, hardened to I’m wondering what accuracy advan- prevent wear and any dimensional change, tages would be obtained by thinning ever. This insures exact case resizing, uni- form neck expansion and accurate bullet cartridge case necks. Considering the seating.. .round after round. ..for I ife! Marquart neck turner, the Lee reamer or the Wilson inside neck reamer, which Each Durachrome Die features: would have the most favorable effect of 0 SPLIT LOCK RING ...Set screw uni- accuracy? formly tightens entire steel lock ring. Will not mar die threads like old style. T.C. Fleming 0 STRONGER SPINDLE ... 1-piece ex- Augusta, Ga. pander spindle is designed to provide Sinco you don ‘t spcci/.y th(p typ of’ r?/k extra strength and better alignment than the thinner, old-fashioned in which piiu will usc thc, ummunition or 2-piece design. thc, purposc’ ,/Or which the ammunition 0 DURACHROME FINISH Durachrome will hcp used. it’s di/]icult 10 give a ... is the same extremely hard industrial dqlinitivv unswev to your quc>s/ions. In finish used in racing engine cylinders /hc* typical big-gamv hunting ri/k, ,/br and shotgun bores. It will never chip, t*xumpk. it’s douht/ul thuf un-v 01‘ tho rust, flake or peel. thrw proposed nvck trcwtmcwts is likely to mukc u signi/icunt di[)iwncc, in grouping. unlcw /binning thv necks is u m h uti icul ti c*ccwit.v rvs u It ing ,/?om re- ,/brming hruss or som(, sim ilur opc~ra/ion. In u ciiupl~~o/‘pr(~tt.v good ,/uctoty-built iwrmiri/ r(’/lcs c.hamhc~rcd to /hc, .22-2.50 cwt ridgc,. I ’ve~,/Ou rid ti (’ek - t u rning clmr!v shows tip on the, turj,vt.