With nearly 20 years of active infantry service and accredited by General George S. Patton as “the greatest battle implement ever devised,” the M1 Garand is one of the most notable service rifles in history. It’s a rifle that was revolutionary, effective, and for many decades, common. It’s a rifle that two generations were raised on—those that served with it, and their kids. The rifle is an icon that’s widely recognized, even idolized. But these days, anything beyond surface-level knowledge and experience with the M1 Garand is becoming rare.

The M1 Garand is seen by many as an embodiment of the greatest generation and their defeat of Axis powers. It’s hard for me to pick one up without imagining what it must have been like for my grandpa to press his cheek against the stock and gaze through the peep at the front sight, pointing into the frozen Ardenne. To me, it’s also a symbol of old school marksmanship, a tight 1907 leather sling, and pulling targets in the pits. 

I competed in service rifle competitions for a number of years and shot several M1 Garand novelty matches, but I never owned my own Garand. I started out competing with the M1A, a derivative of the M1. Like many other shooters, I had a basic appreciation of how the M1 Garand works, but not much else. Many years overdue, I finally bought my own M1 Garand to learn, shoot, and enjoy. 

A Brief History of the M1 Garand

There are many published histories of the M1 Garand rifle, most of which are regurgitated ten times over. A more detailed history of the rifle is published by the Garand Collector’s Association, but I’ll give you the Cliffnotes version. 

The M1 Garand was designed by John C. Garand and accepted by the Army in 1936. It was originally intended to hold 10 rounds and chambered in .276 Pedersen, which was a medium-sized 7mm cartridge that fired a 125-grain bullet at 2750 feet per second. For various reasons, the Army wanted it in the already standard-issue .30/06 Springfield.

The M1 Garand went on to serve through World War II, Korea, and the phase-out started in 1959 when its derivative, the M14 chambered in 7.62x51mm began replacing it. Garand designed the rifle while working for the U.S. government at Springfield Armory and gave them his patent rights to his creation. Ironically, in the March, 1974 issue of the NRA’s American Rifleman, that went to print within a month of Garand’s passing, there’s an editorial describing the efforts of Congress to award the aging inventor of the M1 $100,000. He’d only ever gotten his standard pension and, according to the editorial, the Department of the Army said, “Not another cent.”

There were several iterations of the M1 Garand, but none as widespread as the standard-issue infantryman’s rifle. The M1C and M1D were specialized scoped variants. Additionally, there was an entire M1E series which is detailed in that same March, 1974, issue of American Rifleman. Those ranged from M1E1 through M1E9 and led to the development of the M14 and its single-fire counterpart the M1A. Additionally, Beretta produced a box-fed, select-fire version, the BM-59. The Ruger Mini 14 is still in production, and is based upon the design of the M14 and consequently, the M1..

The M1 Garand is Rapidly Becoming a Mystery 

I felt like a kid unwrapping his first .22 when I finally got my M1 Garand. It was beautiful. I bought an M1 that had been purchased from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) as a “special grade” rifle. What that means is that although it has an original 1944 receiver, my rifle has been completely refinished, refurbished, and fitted with a brand new barrel and wood furniture. My rifle isn’t something a collector would go silly over, but I want a quality functional example to shoot. My heart dropped when the rifle wouldn’t cycle correctly. It would eject empty cases, but the bolt wasn’t coming far enough back to strip the next round from the magazine. 

Who Knows the M1 Garand Anymore?

Where does someone even take their sick M1 Garand? That question is much harder to answer today than it was 40 or 50 years ago. Fortunately, I’ve got a guy. Ken Corcoran was a shooter and gunsmith with the Army Marksmanship Unit, and is a distinguished rifleman. Although he worked primarily on M14s, M1As, M16s, and AR-15s, he built and worked on hundreds of M1 Garand rifles too. 

I received a thorough and salty education from Ken when I first met him at 19 years old, and I still learn something every time I visit with him. Back in about 2005, I brought him my recently purchased Springfield M1A—I wanted to become a service rifle shooter. He was a key mentor to me in that endeavor. He’d take the time to explain everything from how light conditions change my point of impact on the target to why I should dab grease between the stock ferrule and op rod guide of my M1A. His knowledge of the M1 Garand is equally humbling. 

Nearly 20 years later, I was bringing him another rifle. With approximately two minutes of investigation, he diagnosed the cycling problem to be a result of an undersized gas port in the aftermarket barrel and an aftermarket gas cylinder lock screw that increased the volume of the cylinder itself. He drilled out the gas port, installed a G.I. gas cylinder lock screw (gas plug), and the rifle ran perfectly. 

If I hadn’t had access to someone with the experience-based knowledge, tooling, and parts to fix the issue, I’d have had to send the thing off to who knows where. The M1 Garand isn’t an enigma, but it’s a craftsman’s rifle that requires the parts and the know-how to diagnose and solve problems. Both will only dwindle as we trek into the future.

How Does the M1 Garand Work? 

In the world of gun culture 4.0, Youtube, and larping, everyone recognizes the M1 Garand. They know it’s chambered in .30/06, loaded with 8-round en bloc stamped steel clips. If they have even the slightest familiarity with the M1, they know that when the last round is expended, those clips sound off with a beautiful ping as they’re ejected from the receiver. To most, what’s actually happening under those battered wood hand guards and stock is a mystery. Here are the basics of how the M1 Garand works. To follow along, or learn more on M1 Garand nomenclature, the CMP has an excellent guide. 

The M1 Garand Ping: Magazine and En Bloc Clip

The best known feature of the M1 Garand is its use of an 8-round clip rather than a detachable magazine or stripper clip. The fully-loaded clip is pressed down into the magazine until the magazine follower is pushed far enough to unhook the operating rod catch and simultaneously capture the clip with the clip latch. When the clip clicks into place, the shooter rapidly withdraws their hand and the bolt slams forward, stripping the top round off the clip and into the chamber. Once you stop applying pressure on the clip, the bolt leaps forward. If you don’t get your thumb out of the way, you’ll quickly find out what “M1 thumb,” or “Garand thumb” is all about.

The clip is the same on top and bottom, and can be installed either way. The edges of the clip act just like feed lips in a modern rifle magazine. As each shot is fired, the follower presses the stack of cartridges up through the clip. When the last round is fired and ejected, the op rod catch simultaneously locks the operating rod open and pulls the clip latch from the small notch in the steel clip. When that happens, the clip ejector spring located in the trigger assembly sends the empty clip flying into the air with that characteristic ping, signaling the shooter that they’re out of ammo.

Long Stroke Gas Piston

Another key characteristic of the M1 Garand is that it operates on a long stroke gas piston system, and was the greatest early success of the concept. It’s alleged that the design for the AK-47’s gas system was borrowed directly from the M1 Garand—albeit flipped upside down. Unlike Soviet rifles such as the SKS that used a short piston which knocked the bolt carrier group backward, the M1 Garand and AK-47 both implement a gas piston/operating rod that directly operates the bolt. 

At the front, the operating rod starts with a precisely machined piston. It’s seated at the end of a hollow steel tube. The operating spring—it does much more than just absorb recoil—fits inside this hollow tube and slips over the follower rod. The op rod then transitions to a flat bar with a charging handle and bolt lug guide at the end. With the action closed, it extends from the gas port just behind the muzzle, to the bolt lugs just behind the chamber. 

Upon firing, in the short time that the bullet is between the gas port and the muzzle, hot gas rushes through the gas port, driving the piston back, which in turn rotates the bolt out of its locked position, and draws it to the rear, ejecting the spent case. The operating spring then drives the op rod forward, chambering a new cartridge, rotating the bolt lugs into their locking recesses, and finishing with the piston back in its original position.

The M1 Garand Runs on Levers, Linkages, and Timing

A fascinating thing about the M1 Garand and its function is that everything outside the trigger group is driven by the operating spring. The spring absorbs recoil and returns the rifle to battery after firing, but it’s also used to drive the magazine follower and actuate the operating rod catch, and clip latch. In most modern CNC-made firearms, we see a separate magazine spring under the follower, but this 1936-vintage design is actually more complex. A few seemingly simple parts work in unison to make this incredible rifle work.

According to Corcoran, timing issues can be common in this system of linkages. However they aren’t always easy to diagnose to the untrained eye. In the era where the M1 Garand was king, one would simply throw in a timing block, replace a couple small parts, and be back in business. Firearms News has a pretty informative article on checking the timing on an M1 Garand, and according to Corcoran, problems like your rifle ejecting clip along with the last round or two, or trouble getting the bolt to release when loading a clip can be indicative of timing issues—though he wouldn’t venture to diagnose a rifle without getting his hands on it. 

Buying an M1 Garand

The “good ol’ days” of plentiful M1 Garands are long gone but, with a little direction, you can still get your own functional piece of history. If you’re wanting a matching-parts, collector-grade rifle, you’ll be entertaining an entirely different set of questions and price range than if you simply want an M1 Garand to shoot and enjoy. Either way, it helps knowing where to look and what to look for. 

Where to Shop for an M1 Garand

If you’re “chasing the Garand” as my friend, expert long-range shooter, and OL contributor Sean Murphy puts it, organizations like the previously mentioned Garand Collector’s Association and CMP are great sources of information on what to look for and where to look. Collectible M1 Garands aren’t getting any more common—or less expensive.

For the average shooter, the CMP is probably still the most reliable source for acquiring an M1 Garand. Although quantities are more limited than they used to be, and there are a couple qualifiers that you have to meet, you can order a rack grade M1 Garand from the CMP for about $750 through the mail. The CMP website goes into detail about the requirements and specifics about what you’re getting with each grade of rifle.

If you know what to look for, don’t want to wait on a mail-order rifle, and are willing to take a little risk, M1 Garand rifles are often available on sites like guns.com and Gunbroker. That’s where I bought mine, and they do offer some purchase protection. Understand though, that none of these rifles are new.

What to Look Out For in an M1 Garand

Depending on where you’re at, you might be able to find an M1 Garand in the used rack of your local gun shop. This can be a good way to buy one, but there are a few things you should check if you can. Guys like Corcoran could give a post-grad lecture on things to look for or avoid on a used Garand. In fact, when I visited him, I had another M1 in tow. He took one look at it and said, “oh, that’s a Danish rifle.” When I asked how he knew that, he simply replied, “I looked at it.”

You and I don’t possess such knowledge, but there are a few things we can inspect when shopping for one in person:

• Price: Any retail-sold, shootable M1 is going to cost at least $1,000. Double that for a really good one.
• Corrosion: If you’re allowed, field strip the rifle and inspect all parts for pitting or excessive rust that can’t be wiped away with some oil. 
• Tip Test: with the operating spring removed, the op rod and bolt should slide freely to the rear when the muzzle is pointed up at approximately 60 degrees. They should close when pointed down approximately 60 degrees. Here’s a video demonstrating it. The gist of this test is to ensure that the op rod moves freely back and forth and isn’t bent or damaged. 
• Check the stock and inside of the front hand guard, as well as the edges of the gas cylinder for signs that the op rod is wearing on them. 
• Inspect the bore with a flashlight for excessive rust—with the rifle stripped and bolt removed.
• If you see something that doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not.

Some of these indicators aren’t necessarily big problems, but they can be red flags. Take your time and research markings, manufacturers, and corresponding dates. I recently saw an M1 Garand for sale in a shop that was marked as “correct grade” with a price tag of $1750. The 500,000-series serial number indicates an early vintage rifle, but without the research or know-how, it’s damn tough to tell exactly what you’ve got. Most Garands have been refurbished and rebuilt with a mix of parts—usually more than once. Thick patches of rust that were clearly visible inside the end of the bore were a red flag.

Shooting and Maintaining an M1 Garand

The M1 Garand is fun to shoot, but recoil is much heftier than the contemporary AR-15 service rifle. Some view this as a negative, but plenty of old school service rifle shooters are quick to point out that shooting one in competition forces you to build good positions. If you don’t, it’ll knock the piss out of you. The steel buttplate on the old warhorse can wear on your shoulder when shooting from the bench, but recoil is softer than that of an average bolt-action .30/06 hunting rifle. They have a two-stage trigger that usually breaks between 4.5 and 6 pounds.

Proper Lubrication of the M1 Garand

The M1 Garand is made from hand-machined steel parts, and its relatively complex function requires that you lubricate it properly. If you don’t, you’re going to have problems. You might even damage your rifle. When completely degreased, my rifle’s bolt can’t even be drawn to the rear without binding. Gun oil is helpful for some parts of the M1 Garand, but what you really need is grease. 

The previously mentioned story on the evolution of the M1 Garand stated that in development, sustained fire using normal oils and lubricants would dry the guns out and actions would seize—particularly in wet conditions. Lubriplate 130-A was adopted as the standard-issue grease for the M1 Garand, and you can still buy it today. 

GAA, or Grease, Automotive and Artillery is what Corcoran recommends. This old army staple is an excellent lubricant for the M1 rifle, and it’s what I used for my M1A match rifle many years ago. It’s cheap, or was, and cleans off easily. It’s not in every army surplus store these days, but you can still find it. Other greases like Shooter’s Choice Gun Grease work well too.

It’s key to apply grease to several areas on your M1 Garand. The bolt and op rod channels and locking recesses in the receiver should be given a thin coating.  Grease should be applied to other areas of contact, or where wear is visible on the bolt, inside the bolt lug recess on the operating rod, and on the bottom of the barrel where the operating rod should have light contact with the chamber. Brownells has an excellent video detailing this procedure. 

M1 Garand Ammo: Do’s and Dont’s

It’s commonly stressed that you should not shoot standard factory .30/06 hunting ammo through your M1 Garand. The rifle was designed to operate within a certain range of gas cylinder pressures and common advice tells us to use ammunition at or under 50,000 PSI. M2 Ball ammunition was the standard feed for the M1 Garand. It fires a 150-grain FMJ bullet at approximately 2,750 feet per second. You’ll often hear that you shouldn’t shoot bullets heavier than 150 grains, but national match ammunition for the Garand, of 1965 vintage, fired a 174-grain bullet at 2,663 feet per second. Some loads with heavier bullets, particularly those using modern slower-burning propellants, can overpressure the gas cylinder and bend or otherwise damage the operating rod. Just how legitimate is the concern?

“These guys have no idea what we used to do with Garands. We’d load 180-grain bullets for shooting at 600 yards all the time,” said John Karish, who is the other of my two main service rifle mentors. Karish grew up in California, when shooting NRA high power matches with M1 Garands was as regular as sunshine. When I asked Corcoran how easy it was, really, to bend an M1 operating rod, he said nothing. He walked over and reached behind a piece of equipment in his shop, pulling out a World War II vintage op rod. He brought it over to his bench, set it across two wooden blocks, picked up a mallet, and gave it a dramatic and swift overhand strike, right in the middle. Ken then handed it to me and said, “How hard do you think? Does that look bent to you?” 

Despite the demonstration that showed me that these rifles might not be as fragile as everyone says, we aren’t living in a time when everyone has an M1 Garand gunsmith right down the road—or an excess of operating rods or parts. There’s no need to shoot high pressure ammo, so just use caution. Many manufacturers including Winchester, Hornady, Federal, and Fiocchi load specific M1 Garand ammo, and safe load data is readily available. Simply grabbing the first cheap .30/06 ammo you find can beat your rifle up and accelerate wear and tear at best, or break it at worst.

If you really feel the need to fire heavy or high-pressure loads, you can get a Schuster gas plug that is adjustable to vent excess gas and safely fire heavy-duty .30/06 ammunition. Another aftermarket part, “that bullshit gas plug” that my rifle came with, is hollowed out to create more space in the gas cylinder and reduce peak pressures. Some folks seem to have good results with it, but my rifle will not cycle with standard ammunition. Whatever you choose to do, use caution. 

How Accurate is an M1 Garand?

Despite casual claims that the average M1 Garand is a superbly accurate rifle, it’s nothing special in standard-issue configuration. It won’t win benchrest competitions, but it’s accurate by infantryman’s standards in the hands of a good shooter. One of my favorite M1 Garand stories is when one day, about 20 years ago, Karish outshot the entire 1st battalion of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment on the army’s pop-up qualification range at Fort Wainwright with his Garand. His only complaint was that he’d drawn a pesky double target in the middle of a reload.

Reasonable Expectations for the “As-Issued” M1 Garand

We live in a world when terms like “minute-of-angle” are thrown around lightly, and some attribute this kind of accuracy to their Garands. The right match-grade M1 Garands with the appropriate spells cast upon them, fired by skilled shooters can do such things, but you shouldn’t expect it out of your rack grade or as-issued rifle. If you can maintain 3- to 4-inch groups at 100 yards with iron sights and ball ammo, you’re doing well.

I took my M1 to an unofficial mid-range prone match, which was fired from 600 yards on standard NRA high power targets. Shooting Hornady’s M1 Garand Match ammo, I was able to keep 16 of 20 shots inside the 36-inch black bullseye. Not great shooting, but about what I expected from that rifle in my first match in 14 years. For reference, I was able to keep more than half my shots in the 6-inch X-ring when shooting  a 16-inch AR-15 carbine that I used in my recent 5.56 ammo test. It had a 10x LPVO scope and a bipod. At the peak of my service rifle shooting, I averaged around 195 with my national match AR-15 using iron sights. That’s keeping about 15 of 20 shots inside the 12-inch 10-ring. Shooting accurately with as-issued iron sights on an M1 Garand is much more difficult than the average trigger puller realizes.

The Accurized M1 Garand

“The M1 is a craftsman’s rifle. It takes a craftsman to make it shoot well and keep it shooting well. The AR-15 is a machinists rifle, and just about anyone can assemble an accurate one with the right parts.” 

Karish told me that many years ago, and he was right. I can simply order the right parts and assemble a very accurate AR-type rifle, or bolt-action for that matter. Getting the M1 Garand to shoot well enough to compete and replace bolt-action service rifles was no easy task. A lot of work was done in the 1950s to develop the National Match M1 Garand, and the techniques used to accurize the platform. 

An article by Capt. Carl J. Davis in the July, 1965 issue of American Rifleman details this in-depth process. In all, it describes the following 13 significant alterations and specifications in an illustrated diagram:

•  A. Service rifle front and rear sights replaced with National Match sights. No perceptible play between aperture assembly and sight base at 40 clicks elevation
•  B. Headspace between 1.940 inches and 1.950 inches
•  C. With operating rod spring and follower rod removed, bolt opens fully by its own weight when muzzle is elevated to approximately 60 degrees. With Muzzle depressed to approximately 60 degrees, bolt closes fully by its own weight
• D. Muzzle crown free of all burrs and nicks
• E. Clearance of .010 inches between stock and receiver at point indicated, stock glass bedded.
• F. Operating rod handle may bear lightly on stock. The tube does not contact stock, gas cylinder, or stock ferrule. Operating rod bears lightly against underside of barrel in chamber area
• G. Rear handguard does not contact operating rod
• H. Rear handguard has longitudinal play
• I. Rear handguard does not contact stock
• J. Stock ferrule free of contact with lower portion of lower band, leaving approximately 1/64-inch clearance
• K. Front handguard has no longitudinal movement
• L. Minimum of .005 inches of clearance between front handguard and gas cylinder
• M. No rotational movement of gas cylinder. Gas cylinder lock should stop between 6-o’clock and 8-o’clock positions when hand tightened

Sounds simple, right? This was a strenuous and detailed-oriented endeavor that surely took a lot of repetition to master. It’s no wonder that the match-grade AR-15 overtook the old M1 and M1A as soon as quality float tubes and high-BC projectiles were developed for it.

The M1 Garand in Competition

The M1 Garand was the standard for NRA and CMP service rifle competition from the late 1950’s through the mid-1960’s, and remained a strong competitor for many more years. Serious competitors have long-since switched to shooting the AR-15, and now low-magnification optics are even allowed. The competitors bringing match-grade M1’s to the line these days are doing it for pure enjoyment of the sport.

Vintage “As-Issued” Rifle Matches

Vintage rifle matches have seen a surge in popularity, and each year at Camp Perry, the CMP hosts a variety of them. Many rifle clubs host these “as-issued” matches around the country too, and they are some of the funnest matches you can shoot. Among the rules, an M1 Garand must be an “as-issued” rifle. There are a number of specific rules, but essentially, the glass-bedded, national match rifles with improved sights can’t be used. The course of fire can vary from match to match, but they’re commonly shot at 200 yards, or 100 yards on a reduced-size SR1 target face. This is the standard NRA high power target for the standing and sitting or kneeling positions. In a normal Garand match, you’ll fire three ten-round strings: one prone slow fire, one prone rapid fire, and one standing, for a total of 30 rounds.

M1 Garand FAQs

The Future of the M1 Garand

I’d like to say that the future for the M1 Garand looks bright, but eventually they’ll all be gone. So will anyone who was ever issued one. Done are the days where M1 rifles and parts were cheap and plentiful, but that’s life. The good news is that you can still get an M1 Garand and shoot the hell out of it. 

We now live in an era of Youtube, social media, and instant gratification. For all our CNC-machined precision, we’ve lost a level of earned experience and craftsmanship that can only be obtained by bedding a dozen rifles before lunch, then shooting across the course. The M1 Garand represents a different era that can mean different things to different people, but tapping into it for a brief moment is only a ping away.

The post The M1 Garand, the Greatest Generation’s Service Rifle appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Shooting groups with your rifle is a fundamental process that is often underrated and done inadequately. Most hunters will shoot a few groups to get an idea of how accurate their rifle is and then call it good. Or maybe during their sight-in process they shoot a few extra groups just to make sure everything is dialed in. But shooting quality groups, and doing so consistently, is about much more than that. Shooting tight groups builds a foundation for knowing your rifle and shooting it confidently. Perfectly fired groups will also allow you to sight-in more precisely and that increased precision will be carried downrange to longer distances.

At the most basic level, shooting groups—ideally with zero human error—will tell us exactly how accurate a rifle is, and show us its average point of impact. Shooting a group is firing a succession of shots from the same position at the same target. Some shooters shoot 3-shot groups, however for most accuracy testing in Outdoor Life reviews, we mandate 5-shot groups.

At the recent Outdoor Life Gun test, our team fired nearly 400 measured groups from the field of new rifles, and I was reminded of just how challenging it can be to eliminate human error when shooting groups. It takes practice, repetition, and attention to detail. Reducing that error will help you in just about every aspect of shooting your rifle.

What Shooting Groups Can Tell You About Your Rifle

Shooting groups is the unequivocal standard when it comes to defining a rifle’s accuracy. How closely a rifle can print a string of shots together on paper is what we use to describe how accurate it is. You’ll hear rifles described as inch-guns or half-inch-guns, meaning they can consistently fire groups that measure that distance—or less—when measured across at the widest points and then subtracting the diameter of the bullet. Shooting groups can give you a realistic look at your rifle’s accuracy, help in selecting ammunition, and tell you how your rifle behaves when hot or fouled.

Perfectly fired groups with a given rifle and ammunition combination will vary somewhat, but over time they’ll even out. Just because a rifle has printed one or two half-inch groups doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a half-inch gun. You might have one or two screamer groups, and then eight or nine that are much more modest. An average of many groups will paint a better picture of what the true accuracy of that rifle is. For general purposes, an average of five or ten group sizes will give you a good idea.

Ammunition is a huge component of your rifle’s accuracy, and each barrel has its own tastes. Shooting groups over time with a variety of ammunition will help you select the most accurate loads. This is a critical component of load development if you want to get into handloading as well. Developing an accurate load is all but impossible if you can’t shoot quality groups. Confidence in your group-shooting will make you more efficient and you’ll know when flyers and errant shots are part of the rifle and ammunition’s accuracy, not your error.

Most hunters don’t need to dive deep when it comes to how their rifle holds point-of-impact when the barrel gets heated up, or whether it shoots better when left fouled, but it can be helpful. With a precision rifle, shooting extended strings of shots can tell you a great deal about how your rifle maintains accuracy, or if things start going haywire when it gets hot or excessively fouled.

Shooting Groups Isn’t Easy as It Seems

Shooting groups with a fully supported rifle off a bench or prone ought to be easy, right? Not so much. Naturally, shooting from a relaxed, supported position is easier than field positions, but truly eliminating the human element of shooting groups—or even dramatically reducing it—isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds.

With most hunting rifles, breaking shots with enough consistency to maintain regular sub-inch, 5-shot groups is very challenging for the average shooter—even off sandbags. It becomes more difficult with lighter weight rifles, poor triggers, or less-than-ideal positions or optics. Any improper physical input to the gun or instability in the position will show up as inconsistency on paper over time.

Shooting groups with consistency takes practice and great attention to shooting fundamentals. Many hunters who can’t find a load that shoots well or are disappointed in their rifle’s accuracy simply have some flaws in their technique (this that’s certainly happened to me). The difference between scorching accuracy and lukewarm mediocrity is often overshadowed by the slop of human error. This can be incredibly frustrating and can lead to a lack of confidence in the rifle and wasted time chasing different loads around trying to find the best one.

Easy Ways to Get Better at Shooting Groups

We can’t ever truly eliminate human error and input completely, but we can reduce it. Most of us don’t need to be competition benchrest shooters either—we just need a few tools to help us improve. Here’s how to start shooting better groups.

Dry-Fire Position Check

All the fundamental factors for accurate shooting matter when shooting groups. Things like breathing, position, and trigger control are critical. Many of these factors can be slightly compromised if we aren’t careful, so do some dry firing before each group. This can tell you a lot about your position and trigger pull.

When you’re getting ready to shoot, build your position and get a solid natural point-of-aim. That means that when your position is built and your rifle is supported, it should be pointed right at the target, and you should be totally relaxed. If you’re having to put pressure on the gun to keep the crosshairs on target, you need to adjust your position. Once the position is rock-steady, then dry fire at the target.

Pay attention to your crosshairs. If your crosshairs make a “jump” when you pull the trigger, you are putting pressure on the gun in a way that makes it move when the trigger breaks. It could be as simple as some strain in your neck or too tight of a squeeze in your grip. Work on your shot and position until the crosshairs don’t move when you dry fire.

Load Your Bags or Bipod

Even with sandbags supporting the front and rear of your rifle on a bench, it can still be difficult to keep your rifle stable. When the rifle is just sitting atop sandbags or bipod, it is still very susceptible to input and movement. Try setting your rifle up on the bench with front and rear supports so that the crosshairs rest on the target. Look through the scope and watch the movement as you pull the trigger without touching any other part of the rifle.

You may have heard the term “loading the bipod,” which means to lean into the buttstock of the rifle to put pressure on the bipod and create a firm connection between you, the rifle, and the resting surface. That consistent pressure locks things into place and reduces other inputs on the rifle. You can also do it with sandbags.

Loading your bipod on a bench isn’t usually straightforward, and many shooters find sandbags to be a more stable rest on a bench because their weight allows you to apply more pressure than when using a bipod that might slide. If you can find a way to create a surface to load against, it will help tremendously. At my local range, I simply clamp a small board to the front of the bench and use that to load my bipod and sandbag rest into for maximum stability. On the ground, some bipods utilize large, spiked feet that dig into the ground.

Don’t Break Position

When you’re shooting a group, maintain your position and cheek weld on the stock for the entire shot string. Many shooters fire a shot, break position, load another round, rebuild the position, and fire again. You will almost always shoot more consistent groups if you maintain your position for the whole group.

Even slight changes in your position from shot-to-shot will introduce small errors that can really increase your average group size over time. Slight differences in position and pressure on the gun can easily cause perceived point-of-impact shifts of a quarter or half-inch, and if you introduce that error repeatedly, you might have a hard time shooting under an inch with a rifle that is perfectly capable of doing so.

Use the Right Sized Target

Although high-magnification optics certainly do aid in shooting the best rifle groups, you can still shoot great groups with lower-powered optics. Many hunters use scopes that top out at 6x or 9x magnification, and that’s totally fine. Your hold or the movement in your crosshairs doesn’t necessarily change between lower and higher magnification, but it can be more difficult to aim precisely at a tiny spot with a lower-power scope or thicker reticle.

Each shooter will develop a preference for the types of targets they like to shoot at, but if you are using a lower-power optic, pick a target that has a larger aiming point. You want something that you can easily see both the reticle and aiming point and maintain consistency. If you have a thick reticle, holding over a half or one-inch dot at 100 yards can result in more inconsistency than aiming at a larger target. For low-magnification scopes, I like targets that feature a black square with a white center—just large enough for me to perfectly center the reticle and see a touch of white on all sides.

Bring a Control Rifle When Shooting Groups

Shooting groups is fun when everything is going well, but what if your rifle isn’t shooting as accurately as you want or expected? Sometimes you might have a rifle printing large, erratic groups that leave you dumbfounded—and can ultimately eat at your confidence. Poor groups might have you second-guessing your shooting.

 It can help to bring a rifle to the range that you know shoots lights-out to check yourself when another rifle isn’t performing so hot. If your new rifle isn’t shooting well, check the normal stuff like scope rings and action screws, but put the rifle down for a bit and shoot a couple groups with your control rifle. If you’re immediately shooting smoker groups when you switch rifles, you know it’s something to do with that rifle or load, not you as the shooter. If you’re still shooting uncharacteristically bad groups, it’s time to revisit your position and fundamentals.

During our 2022 Gun test, I found a couple of rifles that just weren’t shooting like I thought they should—no matter what ammo I tried. Our accuracy testing was a grind, so it was natural to question if it was me or the gun. Jumping on a rifle like the Accuracy International AT-X or Seekins Havak HIT was the confidence boost I needed to show that it wasn’t just my shooting.

The post How to Shoot Better Rifle Groups (and Why Good Groups Matter) appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Within the past few years, the “braced pistol” has exploded in popularity as an entire subcategory of firearms. So it isn’t surprising to see the arrival of the Christensen Arms MPP. These pistols use stabilizing braces in lieu of traditional stocks to avoid being designated “short-barreled rifles” by the ATF. This allows purchasers to avoid the additional paperwork, long wait times, and extra expenses associated with SBRs.

Braced pistols already fill several practical niches as truck guns and home defense firearms, and the Modern Precision Pistol from Christensen Arms further expands that versatility. Based on their Modern Precision Rifle platform, the MPP is a compact, lightweight, and accurate bolt action. Years ago, I would have bent over backward to get this gun for calling coyotes in the foothills and rolling sage brush of southern Colorado.

Christensen Arms MPP Specs and Features

Tyler Freel

SEE IT

• Christensen Arms 7075 billet aluminum pistol chassis
• V-Block bedding
• Enlarged ejection port and improved bolt release.
• 0-MOA optics mounting rail
• Triggertech trigger with flat shoe
• AICS mags
• Extended magazine release
• Christensen Arms 416R Stainless Steel, Aerograde carbon fiber wrapped barrel
• Match chamber
• Threaded muzzle with adjustable brake
• Carbon fiber free-float M-LOK handguard
• Starting at 4.4 pounds
• .223 Rem., .300 BLK, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win.

Overview

The MPP is available in four different caliber offerings, with slightly varying barrel lengths. I tested one in .223 Remington that has a 1:7 inch twist, 10.5-inch barrel. The build and chassis are very similar to that of the MPR, including the ambidextrous QD sling mounts towards the rear, but the rear of the MPP chassis features a 1913 Picatinny rail to facilitate mounting a pistol brace. The chassis uses AICS pattern magazines and will accept any standard AR grip but ships with a Magpul grip. The MPP also comes with a SB Tactical FS1913A folding brace.

The Christensen receiver includes a zero MOA Picatinny rail mount installed but accepts any Remington model 700 pattern scope bases or mounts. The action features a spiral-cut bolt, slightly over-sized bolt knob, and skeletonized bolt handle. The rectangular carbon fiber float tube is simple and light, but modular and effective. It includes a Picatinny rail/barrier stop on the bottom, and additional M-LOK slots on the sides and bottom.

Ergonomics and Performance

The MPP is very handy and comfortable to maneuver. The folding brace creates a compact package that’s easy to store and transport. Despite its minimalistic profile, the brace is stable and comfortable to shoot from the shoulder. Part of the appeal of the Christensen Arms MPP is its light weight, so for an optic I chose the Maven RS.2 2-10x38mm, which balances well with the MPP. Although precision is in the name, this isn’t a true long-range platform due to the short barrel length, so a medium-magnification optic that minimizes excess weight is ideal. All in with the scope, magazine, and brace, I weighed my MPP at 7 pounds 1 ounce. You could cut some weight with an even smaller riflescope like the Leupold VX-3HD 2.5-8x36mm and by replacing the heavy-duty rail with Talley one-piece ultralight rings.

At the range, my two biggest questions were: 1) How accurate is the platform? and 2) How much velocity loss would the 10.5-inch barrel have compared to something more standard for the caliber? I tested the rifle with three loads from Black Hills Ammunition with the following bullets: Hornady 50-grain V-Max, 62-grain Barnes TSX, and 69-grain Sierra Match King. I shot five groups of five with each at 100 yards.

Although the numbers have the 50-grain V-Max just edging out the other two, that load was more consistently accurate. Of the three groups that measured over an inch, all had a single flyer that ruined an otherwise impressive performance. I have no doubt that a handloader could squeeze even better accuracy out of the gun.

The handling and ergonomics of the MPP are comfortable and intuitive. It’s quick to deploy under field conditions, and because the MPP is compact and centrally balanced, it handles rapid positional transitions with ease. But because it has a brace, rather than a proper stock, and is so light, it isn’t as comfortable, accurate or forgiving as a true precision rig. The loss in velocity that you’ll experience is also a limiting factor when it comes to hunting and effective range. With the 50-grain V-Max load, I saw an average 459 fps velocity loss in the 10.5-inch MPP compared to my 20-inch AR service rifle barrel. The MPP average velocity was 2681 fps, which is more than adequate for coyotes within 300 yards.

The adjustable brake that ships on the MPP deadens recoil, but the muzzle blast from the short barrel is pretty abrasive. You’d never want to shoot it without muffs. Without question, this gun begs to be shot with a suppressor. Even suppressed, the MPP is still handy, maneuverable, lightweight, in addition to being ear-tolerable.

Read Next: M1 Garand: The Greatest Generation’s Service Rifle

Applications of the Christensen Arms MPP

Off the range, the handiness and accuracy of the MPP make it a great candidate for a ranch-type truck gun, shorter-range big-game rig, or in the case of the .223 I tested, a great companion for a predator caller who pounds a lot of boot leather. Using a bipod/tripod system like the kind Spartan Precision Equipment offers would allow you a great deal of stability in a streamlined and mobile package. It may not be ideal for someone who takes mostly long shots in open country, but for a hunter who does a lot of walking, and shoots mostly within 300 yards, the MPP will do about everything you need.

The post Christensen Arms Modern Precision Pistol Review appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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After years of testing hundreds of defensive handgun loads, it became clear the only reliable way to classify their performance was to divide them into two categories; below average and better than average.

This was first reported in my 2013 book, Handgun Training for Personal Protection, where average performance was established at 13.7 inches of penetration with expansion of at least 0.58 inch. Loads exceeding that benchmark are by definition, better than average. Here are ten you can trust.

1) .327 Federal Magnum: 115-grain Speer Gold Dot

This load will exit the barrel of a four-inch revolver at more than 1,400 fps. That means it generates more than 500 foot-pounds of energy. That’s enough to drive this excellent Gold Dot bullet to 16.5 inches, while allowing it to expand to 0.65-inch in diameter. That’s magnum performance without magnum recoil. This load recoils 14 percent less than the .357 Magnum load listed at number 4 and the fireball is just as impressive.

2) .380 Auto: 102-grain Remington Golden Saber

Of all the .380 Auto loads tested only one has achieved better than average performance. This load just barely exceeded the standard when fired from the sub-compact handguns the .380 is so commonly found in. Keep in mind, velocity variances in itty-bitty guns can alter terminal performance. While it might be a best option for the .380, by all other yardsticks, this load is borderline.

3) .38 Special: 135-grain Speer Gold Dot

The .38 Special cartridge is an antique by any measurement. Just the same, much of the ammunition for it as just as old-fashioned in how it performs. However, Speer’s 135-grain Gold Dot has brought the .38 Special into the new millennium. Even out of snub nose revolvers you can expect around 14.5 inches of penetration with the bullet opening up with a frontal diameter measuring about 0.59-inch across.

4) .357 Magnum: 125-grain Sig Sauer Elite V-Crown

Though not as popular for personal protection as it was before the auto-pistol craze in the 1980s, the .357 Magnum is still one of the most effective defensive handgun cartridges ever devised. Recoil is stiff with heavy bullet loads but this 125-grain offering from Sig Sauer won’t break your wrist. In 10-percent ordnance gelatin the bullet will penetrate to around 16 inches and it just exceeds the minimum expansion threshold of 0.58-inch.

5) 9mm Luger: Sig Sauer 124-grain V-Crown Elite

Bullet engineers have learned how to extract the highest level of terminal performance from the high muzzle and rotational velocities the 9mm Luger can deliver. Once considered less than ideal for personal protection, technology has helped the 9mm become one of the most popular defensive handgun cartridges of all time. This standard velocity Sig Sauer load exceeds the better than average standard of 13.7 inches of penetration with the expanding bullet measuring 0.59 inches across its front.

6) 9mm Luger +P: Remington 124-grain Golden Saber +P

At +P velocities the 9mm Luger becomes a different animal. Modern bullet technology has adapted to this speed and this load from Remington is in a class by itself. With only a modest increase in recoil over standard pressure loads, the better-than-average benchmark is exceeded by almost 10 percent in both categories. The Golden Saber’s unique construction also makes this load almost barrier blind, meaning it will perform very well even after passing through things like wallboard or heavy clothing.

7) .40 S&W: Hornady 165-grain Critical Defense

Hornady’s Critical Duty and Critical Defense loads have a great reputation but generally fall just shy of the average expansion standard. What they lack in expansion they most often make up for in penetration. Some suggest this is just as effective or maybe even better at stopping bad guys. Regardless, with 15.5 inches of penetration and expansion to 0.62-inch, Hornady’s Critical Defense 165-grain .40 S&W load easily surpasses the average mark.

8) 40 S&W: 165-grain Federal Hydra-Shok

The Hydra-Shok bullet from Federal is legendary. For years it was the favorite of law enforcement agencies and is still in service with many departments. It performs very well in the 9mm luger and .45 Auto. And, with the 15.0 inches of penetration and 0.58-inch expansion you can expect from the 165-grain .40 S&W Hydra-Shock, it is emblematic of this bullet’s terminal performance, in the 9mm Luger and 45 Auto.

9) .45 Auto: Doubletap 165-grain TAC XP “Mann” Load

The TAC-XP bullets from Barnes are offered in defensive handgun cartridges from a wide array of manufacturers. This 165-grain load from Doubletap Ammunition is unique in that it is a moderately recoiling, non +P offering, capable of penetrating more than 16 inches in 10-percent ordnance gelatin, while still expanding with a frontal diameter of 0.63-inch or more. It is called the “Mann” load because Mike McNett at Doubletap created it at my request.

10) .45 Auto: 200-grain Federal HST

The 230-grain load for the .45 Auto might be the most iconic but it cannot compare to the faster 200-grain offerings. This HST load is ideally adapted to personal protection because it delivers consistent better than average penetration, and expands to a fantastically wide 0.83-inch. Due to the construction of the HST bullet, this performance can be relied upon even after the bullet has passed through most common barriers.

The post Top 10 Self-Defense Handgun Loads appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Most duck hunters head to the patterning board after buying a new shotgun to see how their gun shoots and identify where the shotshell pellets are striking paper. You might think the results are indicative of where that payload will hit greenheads and honkers come fall. But pattering your autoloader at the range is only the beginning. It tells you what a gun will do if you point it at a target and pull the trigger, sure. But that’s not how we shoot waterfowl. Unless turkey season is around the corner, I don’t actually pattern my guns on paper targets anymore. I head to the skeet range with an assortment of choke tubes and duck loads. Then I start shooting, and I don’t stop until I find the best combination of choke and ammo for that gun. That gives me a better sense of how the gun is going to perform on birds.

Since you might not have the money (or time) to get your hands on several choke tubes and types of ammo, I talked to some of the most hardcore waterfowlers I know—none of whom have sponsor or brand affiliations—to find out their go-to gun, choke, and load combo. You might be surprised to learn that those high-end bismuth and tungsten shotshells didn’t make everyone’s list. In my experience, you don’t need a custom shotshell if your gun is properly choked for the ammo you’re shooting. But as legendary king eider guide Russ Owen always says, what works for me may not work for you.

So here are some different options to consider before your next waterfowl hunt.

1. Shelby Kirby

Destin, Florida

In the summer, Kirby and her husband Chris run a fishing charter, but once fall hits they are off to Canada (when there’s no pandemic, that is.) From there, they make their way south, following the migration through the Dakotas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. They’ll chase snow geese, too, once the conservation order hits in February.

Four years ago, Kirby switched to a Franchi Affinity Compact and hasn’t looked back. She screws in a Carlson’s Cremator full choke, and shoots the trusted blue box, better known as Federal Speed Shok, which you can often buy for less than $15 a box. Speed Shok, along with Kent’s Faststeel (both all steel loads that have been upgraded in the last few years) are some of the most widely trusted among hardcore duck hunters. I shoot both often and always see empty hulls from each brand in every duck blind I hunt.

Kirby shoots 3-inch BBs for honkers and sandhill cranes. Snows, specklebellies, and ducks all get a dose of 3-inch 2s. She has tried pricier loads, but hasn’t seen any marked difference in performance.

“To be honest I can’t understand the hype in buying bismuth or tungsten shells,” Kirby says. “If the birds are where they’re supposed to be when you call the shot, Federal does just fine.”

2. Joe Weimer

Salisbury, Missouri

If there’s one guy I know who gets the most out of cheap hunting gear, it’s Joe Weimer. Weimer is so frugal that he carries his Winchester SX3 and SX4 in an old hard case one of his buddies was about to throw out. He hunts most every day of duck, goose, and snow goose season, typically until he shoots a limit or the sun sets.

For ducks and honkers, Weimer shoots his old SX3, which looks like it spends the offseason at the bottom of a lake. It still functions flawlessly, not counting one day in Saskatchewan when he forgot to screw the fore-end cap on tight. The gun’s guts spilled out onto the Canadian prairie when the first flock hit the decoys. He pairs it with Winchester Xpert 3-inch 3s for ducks and Browning’s BXD 3-inch 2s for honkers. The SX4 feeds a touch better than the SX3, so he shoots that on spring snows when the extended magazines come out and the gun is forced to cycle more than three shells in one volley. He uses Winchester Xpert Snow Goose shells for white geese—they are incredibly economical (and effective). A Rob Roberts T3 choke is always affixed to the end of both guns.

“I’ve never thought, Man I’d have killed my birds if I had some more effective shells. These just didn’t do the trick on that decoying mallard at 21 yards,” Weimer says. “I’m not saying other shotshell brands don’t work. But I’m at a threshold where I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything, so I’m not going to spend more. I hunt every day and I need something that works but that is economical. I’m not a guide or market hunter so numbers aren’t what matter to me. I try to shoot everything in the decoys, and these loads do the trick.”

3. Jeremy Thornton

Bartonville, Illinois

Most fall mornings I curse Jeremy Thornton for steering me through the gauntlet that is Illinois public-land walk-in duck hunting. It’s some of the toughest waterfowling you can do: lots of long walks for few birds. Plus, the shots you have to make on ducks are often downright difficult. Birds here get pressured badly, and like many states in the Mississippi Flyway, Illinois is seeing fewer migration days, which means more educated ducks and geese.

Read Next: 5 Tips for Shooting a Shotgun Better and Faster

Thornton learned long ago that you need to be able to shoot birds at distance here, and found that a factory modified choke in his Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 or M2 20 gauge works best. He shoots Hevi-Steel 3-inch 2s for ducks, and BBs for the big, greasy, local honkers. During snow goose season, Thornton just finds the cheapest 12-gauge steel load he can, because snows are notorious wimps who almost faint at the mere sight of a shotshell.

“I used to shoot Hevi-Metal [which is about $10 more a box], but Hevi-Steel performs just about the same…maybe we get a few more cripples,” Thornton says. “I never really got into the aftermarket chokes. I have a few Hevi-Shot chokes, but I like the pattern I get from the factory model. It covers up my bad swings.”

4. Drew Palmer

Arkansas City, Kansas

Palmer guides with some absolute killers in the Flint Hills of Kansas. They specialize in putting huge bunches of lesser Canada geese in your lap. The birds get so close that he sometimes pulls out an old Beretta with a mounted red-dot to snipe banded geese, hybrids, and Quill Lakes honkers (geese with white patches on their bodies) in tight. Most hardcore goose hunters will shoot a 12-gauge, but lessers are a smaller bird and a 20 is plenty for killing them inside the decoy spread.

His favorite setup at the moment is a Beretta A400 20 gauge, Apex Ammunition Steel/TSS blended 3-inch 4s, and an improved-modified Carlson’s choke. That rig will kill greenheads just the same, some of which are about the size of a lesser (and probably more hardy) in the late season.

“I swear by that load,” Palmer says. “It will kill anything I point my gun at. I shoot some other shells too, but Apex is hands down the best.”

5. Russ Owen

Denmark, South Carolina

For a long time Russ Owen guided for king eiders on the Bering Sea. It’s the toughest place on earth to kill a duck, and if your gun is going to fail ,it will most certainly happen here. For years, Owen relied on a Beretta Xtrema 2 and paired it with the first choke tube Patternmaster came to market. That tube, which only leaves the muzzle of his gun to be cleaned, debuted in 1993 and was revolutionary. It shortened shot strings to 2 to 3 feet so more payload connected at impact. He’s shot a variety of shells through the gun, including Speed Shok, Faststeel, and the little-known Wolf brand.

But now he predominantly is shooting the copper-plated bismuth 3-inch 5s from Boss. Shooting hardy kings at distance on the open sea takes serious knockdown power, and he needs a shell that can perform when there are so many different variables at play.

“Getting to the point where you are reliant on one gun, shell, and choke is really more about how well you know your gun,” Owen said. “I have an intimate knowledge of how my gun performs out to 60 yards, much in the way a bow or rifle hunter knows their weapon.”

6. Joe Genzel

Peoria, Illinois

As an outdoor writer, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot a wide variety of shotgun, choke, and shotshell combinations. But like many hunters, I’m a pretty average shot with flashes of good shooting sprinkled in there. I have the advantage of handling lots of shotguns, which gives me the unique opportunity to discover the best fit for me. And while I’ve shot different guns from time to time, I always go back to what I consider the best 3-inch autoloader ever built: Beretta’s A390 Silver Mallard. They stopped producing these guns in the late 1990s, which is unfortunate, because they’re truly workhorse autoloaders. If one breaks down, it’s only after tens of thousands of rounds have been put through it.

I shot a lefty Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 (I’m a natural righty but left-eye dominant) for a while because I was sick of reaching across the trigger guard to click off the safety on the A390. But once I had the Beretta converted to a left-hand safety, I shot it better on ducks than any other gun I’ve shouldered. Coupled with a Rob Roberts T2 (the gun doesn’t like the T1 or T3 for some reason), I’ve made some damn fine shots on ducks (and missed plenty, too). Hevi-Metal patterns best out of it. Any time I’ve made a long distance shot on a greenhead, it’s been with 3-inch 2s, 3s, or 4s. I know for a fact that choke, load, and gun combination makes me a much better shot that I really am, because all my best shooting days in the marsh unfolded with that setup in my hands.

The post The Favorite Shotgun, Choke, and Ammo Combinations of 5 Diehard Duck Hunters (and One Outdoor Writer) appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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It’s been more than two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threw global supply chains out of whack and kicked off a firearms and ammunition buying surge. The firearm industry had a record-setting year in 2020, which saw 8.4 million new gun owners and an estimated 21 million background checks conducted specifically for firearms sales, according to the National Shooting Sports Federation. All those new gun owners needed ammunition, and ammo became scarce on store shelves—many types of ammunition remain scarce.

The years-long ammunition shortage changed the way many hunters and shooters purchase ammunition, with more and more purchases moving online. This shift has opened a window of opportunity for ammo scammers, who operate by setting up fake websites that offer hard-to-get, name-brand ammunition at rock-bottom prices. These scam sites lure in unsuspecting consumers, take their money, and then never deliver the goods.

There are dozens of these websites out there, and while legitimate online retailers are working to keep the scam sites off the web, industry insiders say they aren’t going away anytime soon. Here’s what you need to know so you don’t get ripped off on your next online ammo purchase. 

Like Playing Whack-A-Mole

Outdoor Life spoke with a representative from an industry-leading ammo manufacturer who says that ever since the nationwide ammo surge began in 2020, scam websites have been popping up on a regular basis.     

“It’s really been over the past couple years … and they’re getting more sophisticated,” said the representative, who asked not to be identified since he wasn’t cleared to speak on the subject.

Here are four examples of scam websites that were still live within the last few days: federalammunitions.com, shopremingtonammo.com, remingtonammos.com, and winchesterammosales.com.

These sites should not be confused with legitimate websites of federalpremium.com, remington.com, or winchester.com, which are the manufacturers’ actual websites that sell ammo directly to consumers.

The scam site developers do their best to use URLs that are close to the legitimate URL of name brand ammunition. They also use similar branding and imagery (which they steal from the web) to confuse would-be ammo purchasers who are unable to find the ammunition they need from their normal, trusted suppliers.

These four examples are also just the tip of the iceberg. It would be impossible to round up all the scam ammo sites out there, but a quick visit to a couple hunting and shooting forums reveals plenty more. 

The ammo manufacturer representative we spoke to said they’ve been able to get many of these scam sites taken down by contacting web hosting companies like GoDaddy or Bluehost, which act as “internet gatekeepers.” And since the scammers are often stealing legitimate logos and product photographs from the manufacturers to make their websites look authentic, it’s been easy for legal teams to attack these scammers from all angles. But it’s impossible to track and eliminate them entirely.

“It’s like playing whack-a-mole,” he says.

Sometimes web hosting companies can track scam websites back to specific IP addresses, and this often leads them to specific bad actors who are running the same scheme over and over again.

Read Next: Where’s All the Damn Ammo? Federal Premium’s President Has Some Answers

Outdoor Life reached out to both GoDaddy and Bluehost to try to learn more about who these scam website developers are. Neither responded to requests for comment, but a little digging reveals that the scammers are almost certainly operating from overseas.

Looking at the contact page for remingtonammos.com, the scam website features a non-functioning map with an unknown location in Oslo, Norway. As for shopremingtonammo.com, the contact page lists their address as 3047 Beech Street in San Francisco, California. However, there is no Beech Street in San Francisco.

Neither winchesterammosales.com nor federalammunitions.com list an address on their sites, but a closer look at the text on these websites reveals plenty of grammatical errors and awkward sentences. Here’s an example of a paragraph found on the bogus Federal site:

The robust shotshell portfolio including the innovative, high payload weight, Black Cloud line continues upon the traditional Federal motions at play. With regards to this in the hunting and conservation spectrum, Federal figures that a more effective, better performing ammunition leads to a better conservation effort by individuals and contributes to better national habits in maintaining a comfortable wildlife population for future hunters to enjoy.

So, while it might be impossible to stop ammo scammers from finding their way onto the internet, it’s easy enough to spot and avoid these scam sites when you know what to look for.

How to Spot an Ammo Scam Website

The first red flag is when the website doesn’t offer a legitimate way of taking payment. None of the scam sites mentioned above will accept credit cards. Some require payment only in cryptocurrency, while others will let you “check out” using a third-party service like Zelle or CashApp.

The whole point is for the scammers to make it difficult to impossible for you to get your money back.

Which brings up another red flag. These scam sites, unlike legitimate ammo dealers, will say that they allow you ship your order to all 50 states. But there are at least six states that currently have laws restricting online ammo purchases. California and New York require point-of-sale background checks on all ammo purchases, while Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey require residents to show proof of their license or permit to buy ammo online.

Other major red flags include:

• Obvious typos or misspelling in the URL or body copy of the website
• Odd looking logos or font that does not match the real brand
• Outdated product photos and improperly formatted images
• Broken links

But perhaps the biggest red flag is when a scam website’s offerings are simply too good to be true.

“Your first hint should be that everything is in stock,” the ammo manufacturer rep says. “They also let you buy as much as you want, and it’s really cheap.”

Any major and legitimate ammo retail website is dealing with supply issues right now. Some ammo SKUs will be available, others won’t. So, if a site states that every single product is available, then you’re likely on a bogus page.

Use Legitimate Websites for Ammo Purchases

Make sure to review our guide on how to buy ammo online without getting ripped off, and use trusted online retailers, which there are many of:

• Remington.com
• FederalPremium.com
• Winchester.com
• Cabelas.com
• Guns.com
• Gunbroker.com
• Academy.com
• Brownells.com
• Palmettostatearmory.com

It will likely take some searching between these sites to find exactly what you’re looking for. But the search will be worth it, because when you do finally purchase the load you’ve been hunting for, it will actually arrive.

The post Ammo Buyer Beware: Don’t Fall for These Scam Websites That Claim to Sell Ammunition appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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More and more slug-gun states in the Midwest and East have legalized the use of straight-wall rifles during deer season in recent years. Straight-wall cartridges, like the .350 Legend and .45/70, give whitetail hunters superior accuracy at shorter ranges, making them safer to shoot than necked cartridges in densely populated areas. But rifled and sabot (pronounced “say-bo”) slugs are far from outdated. Countless hunters in the middle of this country take smoothbore and rifled-barrel shotguns afield each fall, hoping to punch a tag with these short-range projectiles.

Both rifled slugs and sabots are ideal for the distances hunters aim to kill whitetails—typically inside 150 yards—in shotgun-only states. Their lethality has been well documented after decades of successful use in the deer woods. But there remains a long-standing argument among slug-gun hunters: Which projectile is best suited for killing whitetails? Over the years, the editors of Outdoor Life have shot a variety of rifled slugs and sabots from the bench and in the field and know well the capabilities of each load. If you’re trying to decide which round is ideal for your hunting style, here are the realities of shooting rifled versus sabot slugs.

The Difference Between Rifled Slugs and Sabots

Hunters using shotguns for deer—either by preference or mandate—can select between a smoothbore that uses rifled (also known as Foster-style) slugs or a rifled bore for sabot loads. A rifled slug has small helical grooves cut into the base of the projectile, but the slug does not have a specified twist rate like a centerfire round does.

There is some conjecture as to whether the vanes in a rifled slug cause the projectile to spin at all. So, I talked to long-time gun writer Dave Henderson, who has decades of slug shooting experience and a wealth of knowledge after a 55-year career of interviewing some of the foremost ballisticians in the country. He also authored a book, Shotgunning for Deer: Guns, Loads, and Techniques for the Modern Hunter, which details the innovations in slug technology.

“Rifled slugs have no twist rate,” Henderson says. “The slugs transit the barrel static and exit that way. There are photos from a manufacturer in my book that clearly show the rifling on the slug is worn smooth in the barrel and the slug never rotates. The slug’s accuracy comes from the extreme nose-heavy design, giving it the ‘rock-in-a-sock’ or [badminton] shuttlecock flight characteristic.” 

The cuts are also there to allow the slug to pass through a choke tube safely. If the grooves were not in place, there would be more friction between the barrel and load, which would cause a considerable drop in performance or possibly result in a failure. The advantage with rifled slugs, of course, is that you don’t have to buy a special rifled barrel. You can use one shotgun to hunt deer, birds, and other small game.

“Rifled slugs may be fired in smoothbores or rifled barrels, with no advantage in either,” Henderson says. “The rifled slug sort of skids across the rifling in the barrel and exits the way it would a smoothbore.”

Sabot-style rifled barrels typically have twist rates that can fall between 1:18 to 1:36. For instance, the popular Ithaca Deer Slayer III and Savage 220 have a barrel twist of 1:24 (that’s one full rotation of the slug every 24 inches). But the Savage 212 has a 1:35 twist. Interestingly, former OL shooting editor Jim Carmichael found no statistical difference in accuracy between using a 1:28 and 1:32 rifled barrel in a 2008 slug gun test (more on this later).

“It’s the sabot slug that benefits from—in fact virtually requires —a rifled bore,” Henderson says. “The rifling grips the polymer sleeve(s) on the slug, imparting a stabilizing spin on the projectile while still in the barrel. In most cases the sleeve is discarded after exiting the bore.” —J.G.

Rifled Choke Tubes

Sabots can also be shot through a smoothbore with a rifled choke. Buying a rifled choke tube is a cost-effective way to use sabots in a smoothbore without incurring the expense of a completely new barrel. Sabots are streamlined bullets encased in plastic much like bird shot is loaded into a wad. When the round is fired, the slug remains in the plastic casing and spins down the barrel until the projectile leaves the muzzle. At that point, the sleeve and slug separate, and the projectile continues to spin as it travels downrange. Sabots are often polymer-tipped and sub-caliber, which translates to .50 in 12-gauge guns. By comparison, standard smoothbore slugs are between .72- and .75-caliber. —P.M.

Sabot vs. Slug Trajectory

Most 12-gauge rifled slugs weigh either 1 or 1⅛ ounces. Sabots weigh under an ounce, or 437.5 grains, and can range from 250 to 376 grains. Both hit hard enough to anchor any whitetail at a reasonable distance. But you will see more sustained velocity from sabot slugs. Sabots continue to travel at higher speeds for longer due to the aerodynamics of the projectile.

To confirm this, all you need to do is look at the trajectory of two 3-inch loads—Federal TruBall rifled slug and Federal Trophy Copper sabot—with a zero of 100 yards. The physical makeup of the projectiles is quite different, which drastically affects their performance downrange. TruBall has a weight of 438 grains and a muzzle velocity of 1,700 fps. Trophy Copper is lighter (300 grains) and leaves the muzzle 300 fps faster, at 2,000 fps. In the table below, you will see that TruBall’s trajectory dissipates more rapidly than Trophy Copper when both loads are shot out to 200 yards under the same conditions. —J.G.

Rifled Slug vs. Sabot: Which Load Offers Better Accuracy?

A few years ago, during a lengthy range session, I shot 2¾-inch 1-ounce Federal TruBall rifled slugs from an open sight Benelli M2 and Winchester 2¾-inch 375-grain Dual Bond sabot slugs from a scoped Browning A-Bolt. At shorter ranges (out to 75 yards), there wasn’t much of a noticeable difference between rifled and sabot slug accuracy. But when I started shooting out to 100 yards and beyond, the sabot excelled.

During my day on the range, I was not shooting rifled slugs through a scoped smoothbore, which could have contributed to the inaccuracies. But I have done so many other times and found that the rifled slug simply won’t perform at distance like a sabot can. For instance, that 12-gauge 1-ounce Federal TruBall slug weighed 437.5 grains, compared to the 375-grain Winchester Dual Bond sabot. The TruBall slug also had a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps compared to the Winchester’s 1,800 fps. Slower, heavier projectiles are going to drop faster and have a less effective range than a slightly lighter, but much faster one. —P.M.

Jim Carmichael’s Slug Gun Test

Miller’s findings were confirmed by the ballistic data I gleaned from Carmichael’s test published in the October 2008 issue of OL. With the help of Randy Fritz, who builds the incredibly accurate Tar-Hunt slug guns, Carmichael tested 27 rifled and sabot slugs, shooting over 1,000 rounds from a 50-pound, remote-operated slug gun engineered by Fritz. Carmichael’s testing protocol called for five three-shot groups of each load out to 100 yards, though he did fire a few five-shot groups to confirm load consistency and the accuracy of the equipment.

The table below details the best 20- and 12-gauge groups from the four manufacturers—Federal, Remington, Winchester, and Lightfield— included in the test. Most of the loads Carmichael shot were sabots, but he did shoot two Winchester rifled slugs as well. You can see from the data that the sabot groups were much tighter than their rifled counterparts. —J.G.

Should You Use a 2¾-Inch or a 3-Inch Slug?

Most of my experience with slugs—rifled and sabot—has been with 2¾- and 3-inch 12-gauge offerings. It’s my contention that a 2¾-inch is adequate for killing deer, and that a 3-inch load simply generates more recoil with a slight amount of increased velocity. I chronographed Winchester’s Elite 3-inch Dual Bond sabot and found the muzzle velocity increase in a Browning A-Bolt to be only 50 fps faster than the 2¾-inch offering of the same weight. Granted, velocities can fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including the physical makeup of the bullet, elevation, and weather conditions, but I’ve never found that extra quarter-inch to make a marked difference.  —P.M.

 The 20-Gauge Sabot Slug  

When I worked in Illinois, a shotgun-only deer state, I noticed many whitetail hunters selected 20-gauge sabot slug guns. So, I was curious about 20-gauge range capabilities and asked Hornady’s Seth Swerczek about it.

“I think 20-gauge sabot loads are popular because of their reduced recoil,” Swerczek says. “Both of our 12- and 20-gauge sabot slug loads offer honest 200-yard performance, so you’re really not giving up any effective range by opting for the 20-gauge.”

A 200-yard shot with Hornady’s 2¾-inch 20-gauge SST sabot might be pushing the boundaries of that load’s effectiveness, especially if the shot placement isn’t precise. But the 250-grain slug can kill a deer at 150 yards. According to Hornady’s ballistics chart, the SST has a velocity of 1,331 fps and 983 ft/lb. of energy at that distance. Dial your shot back to 100 yards and the same load produces 1,200 ft/lb. of energy.

What helped sell me on the 20, aside from reduced felt recoil, was an opportunity to hunt hogs with a scoped, rifled-barrel Winchester M1300 pump several years ago. The longest shot I made was close to 100 yards, and the longest shot I saw anybody else connect on—with the same setup—was just over 120 yards. At 100 yards, those 20-gauge sabot slugs seemingly hit with the force of a .250-grain .45/70 (it’s actually about a 250 ft/lb. difference in favor of the Hornady MonoFlex over an SST slug in a side-by-side comparison). Regardless, the terminal results on 200-pound hogs, considerably tougher to bring down than a whitetail, were spectacular. —P.M.

Read next: The 15 Best Shotguns for Deer Hunting

Pick a Slug or Sabot Based on How You Hunt

Which option you choose—rifled or sabot slug—will be subjective based on your hunting needs. From 75 yards and in (with the occasional poke out to 100 yards) a rifled slug holds its own compared to a sabot. But if you have any chance of a 100-yard-plus shot, a sabot is clearly a better choice in terms of accuracy and trajectory.

I did ask Swerczek which sells better, Hornady’s SST sabot loads or the company’s traditional American Whitetail rifled slugs. He confirmed sabots are much more popular. That’s not surprising since most hunters are interested in getting the maximum distance they can from their firearm. But also, a sabot capable of shooting 50 to 75 yards farther can be the difference between killing your target buck and helplessly watching as it walks out of sight on the last day of gun season. —J.G. and P.M.

The post Rifled vs. Sabot Slugs: Are You Shooting the Right Whitetail Load this Deer Season? appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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The 9mm and 10mm are cartridges with only a millimeter of difference in bullet diameter, but very different histories. The 9mm, otherwise known as the 9mm Luger or 9x19mm Parabellum, is the single most popular semi-auto handgun cartridge in the world today. It was invented in 1901 and has been fielded in just about every military conflict and law enforcement application since that time. Modern bullet and firearm design has only strengthened its position as top dog. 

The 10mm cartridge is a relative newcomer. Like myself, it’s a product of the 1980s. It soon faded into obscurity as a law enforcement cartridge due to its robust recoil. But like ugly sunglasses and mullets, it’s made a strong comeback in the past decade. The 10mm Auto has gained favor in many backcountry defense applications and, in recent years, manufacturers have pumped out more 10mm pistols than ever. Both 9mm and 10mm pistols are in vogue right now, but which is better? If a shooter is considering 9mm vs 10mm, the best choice will be determined by a number of variables.

9mm vs 10mm: Factors to Consider

In a perfect world, you shouldn’t have to choose between buying a 9mm or a 10mm. Just get both. Even then, however, you’ll likely recognize that they’re each suited for different tasks. Here’s what to consider in the 9mm vs 10mm debate.

• What’s the application? Is it self defense, hunting, or recreational shooting?
• Do you want a full-sized pistol or concealed-carry pistol?
• Can you manage handgun recoil well?
• How much are you planning to shoot?
• What features and functions do you prioritize in a pistol?

Sometimes the Choice Is Clear, Sometimes It Isn’t

There are some circumstances in which the decision between 9mm and 10mm is easy. If you’re primarily concerned with which is more powerful, or you’re going to use it for hunting, the 10mm is your jam.

On the flip side, If you’re wanting to do high-volume shooting and plinking, need a micro-sized pistol, or are looking for the most affordable ammo, 9mm is the obvious winner. 

Weighing 9mm vs 10mm when it comes to the many potential self-defense applications requires a deeper dive if you really want to pick the best tool for the job. Remember that each advantage a cartridge offers comes at some cost. For example, the 10mm is certainly more powerful than the 9mm, but the 10mm also has much snappier recoil and is harder to control. Sometimes the tradeoff will be worth it, sometimes it won’t. 

9mm Specs and Features

This 122-year-old cartridge has served most of its existence firing 115- and 124-grain full metal jacket bullets at around 1150 and 1050 feet per second respectively, but modern high-performance bullets are what keep it relevant. Critics have long considered the 9mm underpowered for duty and self-defense purposes but, after a stint with the 10mm followed by the .40 S&W, the FBI is back to the 9mm. They’ve found that modern defensive bullets allow the 9mm to perform adequately compared to even the .45 ACP.  Here are the basics on the 9mm.

• Bullet diameter: .355 inches
• Maximum cartridge overall length: 1.169 inches
• Bullet weights in factory ammo (grains): 65, 90, 115, 118, 124, 125, 135, 147, 150
• Velocity range (approximate): 1000 to 1730 fps

Types of 9mm Ammo

There is a type of 9mm ammo for just about every application, and 9mm ammo is now widely available on store shelves. Options range from full metal jacket and synthetic-jacketed ammo to jacketed hollow points, to frangible, to monolithic hollow points, and monolithic solids. At the extreme, ammunition like the Norma NXD uses a non-expanding 65-grain solid bullet that’s fluted to create a dramatic wound cavity, while penetrating hard barriers. It leaves the muzzle at over 1700 feet per second! Lehigh Defense makes similar monolithic bullets that are loaded by several companies including Black Hills Ammunition. Heavier 147-grain defensive loads are common, and companies like Buffalo Bore and Federal Premium have solid cast bullet offerings intended for backcountry animal defense. The average 9mm ammo uses a bullet that weighs between 115 and 124 grains, fired at a velocity of 1050 to 1150 feet per second. 

Types of 9mm Pistols

You can find just about any type of pistol chambered in 9mm. It’s far-and-above the most widely-available pistol offering in the world, and every company’s flagship pistol comes chambered in it. This includes anything you can imagine from high-end 2011 pistols that cost thousands of dollars down to the booming field of tiny micro-compact 9mm’s. Standard full-sized pistols typically carry 17 rounds in the magazine, compacts carry 15 to 16 rounds, and micro compacts carry between 7 and 13 rounds. A major advantage that the 9mm has over any challenger is simply the variety of pistols that are available—there’s truly a great option for everyone. Read my full review of the best 9mm pistols here.

10mm Specs and Features

The 10mm Auto served a short stint with the FBI before being trimmed to the .40 S&W which is, quite literally, just a 10mm short. Although it enjoyed a multi-decade tenure, the .40 S&W is essentially pushing up daisies these days while the 10mm basks in a renaissance. Trademarks of the 10mm Auto are notably sharper recoil than the 9mm and .45 ACP, and the truncated-cone flat-tipped full metal jacket bullets. The payoff for its higher recoil is a cartridge that’s faster and has more energy than the .45 ACP. It’s ballistically similar to the .357 Magnum.

• Bullet diameter: .400 inches
• Maximum cartridge overall length: 1.260 inches
• Bullet weights in factory ammo (grains): 115, 125, 140, 150, 180, 200, 220
• Velocity range (approximate): 1000 to 1600 fps

Types of 10mm Ammo

The surge in popularity of the 10mm has spurred ammunition manufacturers to produce a wide variety of 10mm bullets and ammo. You’ll find 10mm ammo in just about every category, including light-loaded full metal jacket loads, defensive hollow points, controlled-expansion hunting ammunition, and a strong showing of deep-penetrating bear defense loads. Here you can see a more in-depth guide on the best 10mm ammo. Internet gripers will claim that no one loads full-power 10mm ammo like in the good old days, but that’s not true. Some 180-grain ball ammunition is loaded to “FBI Lite” specs, which is about 1050 feet per second, but virtually all defensive ammo is loaded above that. A good example of full-power practice ammo is Winchester’s USA Ready 180-grain full metal jacket, which zips along at 1250 feet per second. High-velocity ammo like the Black Hills 115-grain Honey Badger, which uses a Lehigh Defense Extreme Defense bullet, has a muzzle velocity of 1550 feet per second. That’s 24 percent faster than standard 10mm ammo. As a result, it produces a ballistic gel wound cavity that’s identical to a 240-grain JHP fired from a .44 Magnum revolver—while producing less recoil than heavy 200-grain 10mm bullets. 

Types of 10mm Pistols

Though the field of 10mm pistols is much more limited than that of the 9mm class, it gains depth every year. Initially, 1911-style pistols like the Colt Delta Elite and Browning Hi-Power-type pistols like the Bren Ten populated a limited field of 10mms. The Glock G20 was introduced in 1991 and was one of the few common 10mm pistols. The Gen 5 G20 is still one of the best. In the past few years, just about every manufacturer has jumped on board. Now we have everything from the Sig Sauer P320 XTen to the FN 510 Tactical. Most of these are full-size pistols, but there are a few compacts like the Glock G29 and, one of my favorites, the Springfield XD-M Elite Compact. The average full-size 10mm striker-fired pistol has a magazine that holds 15 rounds, and compact versions usually hold 10 or 11 rounds. Most 10mm 1911s have a magazine capacity of eight rounds.

9mm vs 10mm for Self Defense

When considering any firearm or caliber for self defense, you need to account for your surroundings and what you might be defending yourself against. The 10mm cartridge is an excellent self defense performer, but extra power isn’t always an advantage. Are you primarily concerned with defense against bad-guy attackers, rogue aggressive dogs on your jogging route, bears on a backcountry hunt, or something else? Do you want to have both a 9mm and 10mm for different applications, or just one gun? Is the recoil of the 10mm detrimental to your shooting confidence? 

Defense Against Bad Guys

The 9mm cartridge has some clear advantages when it comes to defense against human threats. As mentioned before, there’s a much wider array of 9mm pistols to choose from, practice ammo is cheaper, and recoil is softer. The 9mm pistol options are a much better fit for everyday concealed carry. Both experienced shooters and novices will be able to shoot a 9mm more accurately, quickly, and with more confidence than the beefier 10mm. Any 9mm pistol of a given size will have greater ammunition capacity than its 10mm counterpart, too. 

Modern 9mm defensive ammunition is superb, and the differences in the terminal performance of 9mm vs 10mm aren’t terribly far apart. With good shot placement, you’re just as well off with a nine. For most people the 9mm will be a better choice for EDC self defense, but the extra power of the 10mm is certainly worth considering. Defensive 10mm ammo is just as good as 9mm ammo, and designed to reduce over-penetration. The 10mm might not be the best choice for most, but it’s never a bad choice. If you can shoot it proficiently, it will serve you well.

Defense in the Backcountry

A huge boost to the popularity of the 10mm is the trend of foregoing the traditionally accepted .44 Magnum (or larger) revolver in favor of the lighter, higher-capacity 10mm for bear defense. The 10mm has generated a pretty good track record of defense against grizzlies and brown bears, and a 10mm is much easier to carry and shoot accurately. Not only that, the 10mm is more affordable and pleasant to practice with. 

Any pistol used for backcountry defense is essentially just better than nothing. Sure, pistols are very effective when used appropriately, but that requires practice and situational awareness. All handguns offer inferior terminal performance compared to a rifle (even everyone’s favorite punching bag, the 6.5 Creedmoor). Handguns are harder to shoot accurately and simply lack the velocity to do real rifle-like damage. That said, the 10mm has a clear advantage over the 9mm when it comes to one of the two most important factors for a bear defense handgun: penetration. Ideally, we want a big wound cavity and penetration, but we usually have to settle for penetration alone. The other most important factor is shootability. Yes, the 9mm is easier to shoot than the 10mm, but in comparison to large revolver cartridges, the 10mm is a sweetheart to shoot.

Read Next: Springfield Armory Echelon, Tested and Reviewed

Heavy, hard-cast bullets are the classic option for bear defense. However, that has changed a bit with the new monolithic, fluted bullets. They weigh less and have higher velocities. Since they don’t deform, they penetrate well and produce good wound cavities.

Go With the Gun You Can Shoot Well

Some people struggle to stay proficient with a harder-kicking cartridge like the 10mm. For them, the 9mm might be the best option. Remember, you can’t stop a bear if you can’t hit it. Sometimes you’ll need to hit a bear multiple times to stop an attack. I know of three instances here in Alaska where a 9mm was successfully used to kill an aggressive brown bear. If you must go that route, shoot a heavy, deep-penetrating cast or monolithic bullet. 

FAQ

Final Thoughts

The 9mm and 10mm are excellent cartridges, and I shoot both extensively. I favor the 9mm in EDC situations where I simply want a compact gun that I can shoot well. For me, the 10mm is a better option for carrying on hunting or fishing trips where a problematic bear encounter might occur. Each cartridge has advantages and disadvantages, but what’s really important when you’re pondering 9mm vs 10mm is that practice, proficiency, and proper ammunition selection are far more important than which cartridge you choose.

The post 9mm vs 10mm: Which Handgun Cartridge Is Superior? appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Duck hunting is an expensive pursuit. Just finding a place to hunt can be costly if you don’t have access to good hunting on public land. You also need all kinds of gear—a truck, boat, trailer, decoys, etc.—to effectively hunt waterfowl. It’s a big investment. And the last place you want to skimp on is your shotgun. Because without a reliable firearm, there’s not much sense in heading to the blind. That’s why the Winchester SX4 is such a great choice. It’s an ultra-reliable, gas-driven semi-auto for less than $900.

There are better duck guns than the SX4, but in terms of value, Winchester’s auto-loader is unmatched. It’s a 3½-inch shotgun with one of the best operating systems (Active Valve) you will find, and hundreds of dollars cheaper than a Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Benelli Super Black Eagle 3, or Browning Maxus II. And you get the same reliability from the SX4 that you would from those three guns. That’s why the Super X4 won the great buy award in our recent review on the best duck hunting shotguns.

So, if you’re interested in a durable duck gun that won’t drain your bank account, but will function when you need it to, here’s is a more in-depth look at waterfowl’s best value in an auto-loader: the Winchester Super X4.

Winchester Super X4 Specifications and Features

These are the standard options included in the Winchester Super X4:

• Gauge: 12 (tested), 20
• Action: Semi-auto
• Capacity: 4+1
• Chamber: 3½-inch (tested), 3-inch
• Barrel type: Chrome-plated
• Barrel Length: 24-, 26-, 28-inch (tested)
• Choke: Invector Plus (F, M, IC)
• Front sight: Red fiber-optic
• Finish: Black synthetic, Woodland, TrueTimber Prairie, Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat, Bottomland, Realtree Timber, Max-5, Wicked Wing (Cerakote barrel/receiver with camo stock/fore-end)
• Length: 49½ inches
• LOP: 14¼ inches
• Trigger pull: 5.9 pounds
• Overall weight: 7.1 pounds
• MSRP: $899

The Super X Series Has Always Had a Reliable Gas System

Stephen Maturen

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Winchester is on its fourth generation of the original Super X, which was introduced in the 1970s. The SX1 was chambered for 2¾-inch shotshells, like many of the auto-loaders and double guns of that era. It was also a tank (8½ pounds) due to its all-steel construction. That made it durable, but expensive to produce. Winchester stopped making it in 1981 because the SX1 struggled to compete with Remington’s 1100, which had a lower price tag.

Today’s SX4 looks much different than the SX1. It’s almost 1½ pounds lighter than the SX1 and sleeker than its predecessor. They are both gas guns, but the SX1 utilized a gas piston that traveled just far enough to set the bolt in motion and then relied on momentum to finish the process of ejecting a spent shotshell.

The SX2 more closely resembles the SX4. You could buy a 3½-inch version of that gun and it was available in a synthetic model, just like the SX4. The SX2 operated slightly different though. It used a gas tippet system borrowed from the Browning Gold.

In 2006, Winchester debuted the SX3 with the Active Valve gas system. It performed so well they kept it in the SX4. The one difference you will find in the Winchester Super X4 is a brass ring at the base of the piston, not a black rubber O-ring.

Active Valve runs as clean as any gas operating system there is. I’ve used an SX4 for my main duck gun the last two seasons and shot it on spring snow geese with a seven-round magazine extension affixed. The gun has never failed to cycle. It has slowed down when dirty, which lets me know it’s time for a cleaning.

You also won’t have any issues shooting different size loads through the SX4. A group of Outdoor Life and Field & Stream editors (myself included) tested this gun in Sept. 2021, at Pintail Hunting Club in Texas. We shot light 1-ounce target loads and heavy 1 1/8-ounce duck ammo on bluewing teal with the SX4. It cycled them all without issue. I also shot several turkey loads through my personal SX4 to break it in after purchase. It had no problem gobbling them up.

Winchester Built a Soft-Shooting Shotgun

Beretta’s A400 shotguns are well known for their recoil mitigation system, called Kick-Off. It’s a series of springs in the stock that softens the blow to your shoulder once the trigger is pulled and the force of the shotshell charge is sent backwards. The SX4 only relies on Active Valve and an Inflex recoil pad (a piece of rubber that is 2 inches thick). But the recoil you experience with the Winchester is only slightly heavier than the Beretta, which is to say it’s incredibly manageable.

None of our testers in Texas could tell much of a difference between the A400 Xtreme Plus and the SX4 when it came to recoil. The Inflex pad was built to direct recoil away from the shooter’s face. But it also cushions the “sting” your shoulder feels when shooting magnum 3- or 3½-inch duck loads by spreading the force over a larger area. The SX3 did not do that as well, because its Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad was not as advanced. It’s impressive when you consider the SX4 is a full pound lighter than the A400. Generally, the lighter the gun, the worse the recoil. But that’s not the case with the Winchester.

A Look Inside the Winchester Super X4’s Chamber

One of the concerns I had about the SX4 before buying it was the quality of the bolt. Gas guns typically cost more to manufacture than their inertia-driven counterparts because there are more moving parts to them. I was skeptical Winchester could pull off a gun that cycled shotshells reliably at such a low price point. I’ve shot the SX3 plenty and was impressed with its functionality, but Winchester lowered the price on the SX4 by $200, and my thought was: “that cost cutting had to come from somewhere.” (Just a side note: I was impressed the SX4 cycled as well as the SX3, and it has better ergonomics and overall fit and feel).

The SX4 bolt has the same simple two-piece design as the SX3. It has functioned flawlessly in all the SX4s I have shot. You pull it back to open the bolt and press the bolt-release button to shut it. There is no button under the carrier to press before manually opening the bolt, like you would with a Beretta or Benelli. There’s also no rotating bolt head, which ensures better lockup when the shotshell is pushed into battery.

The firing pin has been reliable as well. Sometimes pins on cheaper guns will wear out fast, and won’t strike the shotshell primer deep enough to set off the charge. I’ve never had that issue with any SX4 (some of those have been the guns of friends who hunt 100 days a year and put thousands of rounds through their SX4s).

Winchester Improved the Feel of the SX4

You already know the SX3 and SX4 are similar guns. Both have the Active Valve gas system and the same stock design, which comes with two ¼-inch spacers to adjust length of pull. But the SX4 has an upgraded trigger guard that is larger than the older version, so you can shoot it more easily with gloves on. The safety is also larger and square instead of a circle. It’s much easier to find when ducks are in the decoys. If you’re a left-handed shooter, it’s simple to switch the safety to the other side.

There’s also an oversized bolt handle on the Winchester Super X4 so you can load and unload it with cold fingers or gloved hands. The bolt-release button is larger on the SX4 as well. Both are protected by a nickel-Teflon coating (as is the carrier) to inhibit corrosion, which saltwater and brackish water duck hunters will appreciate.

The fore-end of the SX4 was redesigned so that shooters have a better grip on the gun in the unpleasant weather. There is a cut out on each side of the fore-end your thumb and fingers will naturally find. There’s also a checkered texture so you have something to hold onto. The SX3 did not offer that on its waterfowl models. It was a smooth, blocky fore-end that became slick in the rain or snow. A few buddies that owned them put shooting tape on the fore-end to ensure the gun would not slip from their hands.

Winchester Super X4 Versatility

The SX4 is light (7.1 pounds), making it a fine choice for walk-in duck hunters. The 20-gauge version of the gun is only 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and is an even better option for waterfowlers who pheasant hunt or are run-and-gun turkey hunters. Winchester makes the SX4 in a compact model with a 13-inch length of pull as well. And there are turkey- and deer-specific models too.

Winchester, and sister company Browning, have cornered the market on shotgun trims. The SX4 is offered in 20 different synthetic, camouflage, and a combination of camouflage and Cerakote finishes called Wicked Wing. Browning supplies many of the same options in its A5 and Maxus II.

Where the SX4 Came Up Short

You have to be nit-picky to find something wrong with the SX4. The exterior is not on par with more expensive auto-loaders, but again, you’re not paying as high a price for this gun.

The bolt reliably cycles, but it does take some force to pull back. It sticks a little when closed—especially in the cold—and requires some muscle to open. The loading port also gets lethargic. There’s never a feeding issue when you are shooting, but when loading and unloading the gun, it can take a few extra seconds to place the shotshell in the magazine or remove it.

How Does the Winchester Super X4 Shoot?

Since we tested so many guns (17) in Texas, we picked one distance (35 yards) to pattern each gun from. The industry standard is 40 yards, but we wanted to showcase the patterns at a more realistic yardage for duck hunters. Plus, your average hunter should keep shooting distances inside 35 yards. Once you get out to 40 it takes more skill, and the likelihood of crippling birds goes up.

We patterned each gun with Federal Speed Shok 3-inch, No. 2s with a muzzle velocity of 1,550 fps and a charge weight of 1 1/8 ounces.

The Winchester Super X4 was one of the best patterning shotguns in our test—not surprising since it uses the proven Invector Plus choke system, which many Browning guns have utilized for decades. Its best pattern totaled 124 of 140 pellets (89 percent) inside the 30-inch circle, which was only matched by the Franchi Affinity 3.

As you can probably tell by the custom Cerakote finish on this test gun (which is my personal SX4) there have been some aftermarket modifications made that you won’t find on a factory SX4. I did have the forcing cones lengthened inside the .742-inch bore to increase pattern density. But I’ve also patterned and shot a handful of other SX4s on ducks, snow geese, and clay birds. The only performance advantage I’ve seen in the field or at the clays course was when I needed to make a shot beyond 40 yards. My custom gun paired with a Rob Roberts T3 choke does shoot better at distance. Inside 40, which is where we should all be shooting ducks and geese, I’ve never noticed any difference.

The SX4 shot 60 percent above and 40 percent below point-of-aim, an ideal gun for duck hunters who cover up the bird and fire. The pellets did shade slightly to the left side of the target, but there were no holes in the patternboard large enough for a duck to fly through.

Final Thoughts on the Winchester Super X4

During our Texas shotgun test it was clear from the first morning’s hunt that the SX4 was a favorite to win best buy. No other mid-level shotgun challenged it for long. Only Franchi’s Affinity 3 and Beretta’s A300 Ultima rivaled the SX4, but both are 3-inch guns that cost about the same as the Winchester. There were better shotguns in our test, but you will pay a premium for them. If you want a price point gun that doesn’t cut any corners, it’s tough to pass on the SX4.

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The recent renaissance of the 10mm Auto didn’t happen overnight but as the cartridge has become a more coveted and viable carry option in the backcountry, gunmakers have taken heed. New 10mm pistols have been popping up more frequently, populating a market the Glock 20 and a few 1911’s had mostly dominated. Even so, options for compact 10mm pistols have been limited to basically one—the Glock G29—until now. Springfield Armory recently introduced its newest addition to the XD-M line, the XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm. It is very close in weight and almost every dimension to the G29. The test model I shot included Springfield’s Hex Dragonfly red dot optic, but the gun is also available without the Dragonfly and is compatible with other optics.

Sharp recoil is the most limiting factor when it comes to a compact 10mm, and it’s likely the reason there aren’t many options in that category. Combine that with the wide variety of defense loads and great 9mm handguns available, and the 10mm probably won’t ever be a big player as an everyday concealed-carry firearm.  However, for those who want a pistol that can pull double-duty as a concealed-carry gun but also a realistic backcountry defense option, the XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm is a welcome sight. As someone who has carried both 1911 and Glock 10mm pistols in the field for years, I was eager to get my hands on this new XD-M. At first glance, it’s a highly versatile handgun with promise to excel where other 10mm pistols have not.

Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 3.8” Compact OSP w/Hex Dragonfly Specs

• Caliber: 10mm auto
• Magazine capacity: 11+1 (flush), 15+1 (extended)
• Dimensions: 4.58 in. (H) x 6.75 in. (L) x 1.2 in. (W)
• Weight: 30.6 ounces (with included optic and empty 11-round magazine with flared baseplate)
• Frame: Black polymer
• Slide: Forged steel, black melonite finish, optics-compatible
• Barrel: 3.8 in. hammer-forged steel, melonite finish, fully supported chamber
• Sights: Fiber-optic front, white “U-Notch” rear
• Optic: Hex Dragonfly red dot reflex
• Trigger: 4 pounds, 10 ounces (tested)
• Safety: Grip safety and trigger tab
• Price: $837

More For the Money

The G29 is a hell of a pistol, but it has room for improvement. The XD-M Elite Compact OSP 10mm is essentially identical in size and weight to the G29, but with a less-blocky profile. The Hex Dragonfly optic makes the XD-M heavier than the G29, but only by a few ounces. The XD-M and the G29 are also similar in that they are both polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols with a similar price tag of about $650 if you choose the XD-M Compact OSP 10mm without the optic. Beyond that, the XD-M Compact OSP 10mm begins to pull away with features that set it apart from the G29.

On the Surface

Springfield’s XD series has been around for over 20 years, and the XD-M line was introduced in 2008. If you’re familiar with them, you won’t find a tremendous amount of difference in the Compact OSP 10mm model. It features a similar grip style to other XD-M pistols and is very comfortable in the hand.

The frame features a grip safety, removable magwell, and three-slot accessory rail. With the pistol come three interchangeable rear grip panels that allow the shooter to choose the profile they prefer. Although the magwell aids in quicker, smoother loading, I found it to be an impediment to my grip. The pistol ships with two magazines that hold 11 rounds each (compared to the G29’s 10-round capacity). The magazines include a contoured baseplate. With the magwell removed, it makes for a much nicer grip. Removing the magwell also allows the shooter to use 15-round magazines that can be purchased separately. With the sleeve that matches your chosen grip profile, these magazines effectively give the pistol a full-size grip. Above the grip safety is a semi-beavertail incorporated into the frame to aid in comfort and to protect the shooter’s hand from slide bite.

The lack of finger grooves on the handle and the contour of the thin trigger guard helps me get a tight, close grip with my middle two fingers, right up against the trigger guard. Pistols with finger grooves will often cause my fingers to settle in less-than-ideal positions, which compromises my grip. Grip texturing is like that of other pistols in the XD-M series, and I would prefer a more aggressive one, like that on the Springfield Armory Hellcat. A compact 10mm produces significant recoil, so you need to hang onto it, and grip texture makes a big difference.

The Compact OSP 10mm also features an ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release, making it friendly to left-handed shooters. Rather than using a more-traditional notch on the side, the magazine is retained by a forward-pivoting tab that secures the magazine via a cutout on the front of the magazine. Pushing the magazine release from either the left or right side will release it.

The forged slide follows the typical XD-M beveled contour and has both forward and rear cocking serrations. The regular Compact OSP 10mm is compatible for optics by using interchangeable mounting plates. The Hex Dragonfly model comes with the red dot installed.

Under the Hood

Along with others in its lineage, the XD-M Elite Compact OSP 10mm is a relatively simple build. It features a rotating takedown lever and is easily field stripped for cleaning. There aren’t any special features that will stand out to most shooters, but there are three key things that appeal to me as a 10mm shooter.

The 10mm Auto is a high-pressure, sharp-recoiling round, and it can be rough on guns if they aren’t built to handle it. The barrel on the Compact OSP 10mm has a well-supported chamber. The stories of Glock 10mm pistols blowing up with high-pressure loads mostly blame unsupported chambers. Especially on older Glock pistols, a portion of the case head was left exposed—and unsupported—during firing. Some semi-auto pistol chambers don’t fully surround the case head, usually to make more room for the cartridge to feed. I’ve never seen an unsupported chamber fail, but I have seen 10mm brass with bulged case heads where it wasn’t supported. It’s common for Glock shooters to buy aftermarket barrels with better-supported chambers for added piece of mind. The chamber on this XD-M Elite provides even more complete case head support than my Lone Wolf aftermarket G20 barrel.

The slide rails were noticeably thicker, and the front slide rails were longer than on my Glocks and Glock variants. The slide rails on the Compact OSP 10mm were just over 1/10-inch thick. The rear slide rails on this pistol are part of the polymer frame and not lined with any metal, but the front slide rails—where most of the stress is—are all steel. The front rails are 1.26 inches long, and part of a single steel insert in the frame, just above the trigger guard. The slide rails on Glocks are thinner and much shorter.

Finally, the contact surface where the slide hits the frame at its rearmost position during recoil is steel, and part of the larger slide rail insert in the Compact OSP 10mm. In the Glocks and Glock variants I’ve shot, this contact surface is simply part of the polymer frame. This is usually a non-issue. However, I have had the polymer begin to crack and deform just in front of the slide rails due to stress from recoil after putting thousands of rounds through one of my frames. Frame or slide rail damage isn’t something to worry about with this gun.

Hex Dragonfly

The variant of this XD-M Compact OSP 10mm I tested included the Hex Dragonfly, a reflex red dot sight. Hex optics is owned by Springfield Armory, and their smaller Wasp red dot is included on this variant of the Springfield Hellcat RDP.

The Dragonfly is a standard-sized pistol red dot with an anodized aluminum housing and anti-glare lens. It features easy windage and elevation adjustments and unlike the Wasp, which stays powered on and automatically adjusts brightness according to light levels, the Dragonfly features an on/off button that is used to select the desired brightness setting.

The sight itself is robust and user-friendly. Sidewalls around the lens are thick, and the top of the housing extends out beyond the glass, adding extra protection and allowing for easy use of the optic to cock the gun on various surfaces without damaging the glass. The dot is quick to pick up and get back on target, and if you’re used to using red dots on handguns, it’s a piece of cake.

The downside of this configuration is that you can’t co-witness the sights with the Dragonfly. I temporarily removed the optic, and the gun has a good set of iron sights—much better than the factory sights on any of the Glock 10mms—but you can’t use them with the optic. With the optic, suppressor-height sights would be better

The XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm On the Range

In my experience, the Springfield XD and XD-M pistols have always been reliable, and the Compact OSP 10mm didn’t give me a reason to change my opinion. When releasing their initial XD-M 10mm variant, Springfield touted a 10,000-round marathon with zero malfunctions. I don’t have that kind of time (or ammo), but I’ve put 300 rounds through this gun without a single hiccup. This included a wide variety of ammunition, from 180-grain FMJ and 200-grain poly-coated lead handloads in a random mix of picked-up range brass, Winchester Defender 180-grain Bonded JHP, Federal Premium 200-grain HST, Buffalo Bore 200-grain hard-cast, and a hot handloaded Lehigh Defense Extreme Defense copper bullets.

In its factory configuration, I found the Compact OSP 10mm to be manageable to shoot. Shooting any 10mm well requires you to control recoil, and I found this one significantly easier to handle than a Glock G29. Any compact 10mm is going to bark when you touch it off, but a better grip makes this XD-M Elite 10mm more manageable than the G29. I was able to maintain A-zone hits on a USPSA-style target from point-blank range to 50 feet at a rapid pace. With two hands, unsupported, I was able to keep 10-shot, 10-second-timed groups about the size of a 3×5 index card.

 I shot the XD-M Elite Compact OSP 10mm head-to-head with my custom Lone Wolf G20 variant, equipped with a Leupold Delta Point Pro, and I didn’t notice a big difference in my speed or accuracy between the two. The grip on my Lone Wolf is more comfortable for me than the standard Glock grip, and the recoil is directed more in a backward direction into my hand. I did notice a bit more muzzle flip with the XD-M Elite Compact OSP 10mm, but at the cost of slightly more time to get back on-target, it was actually a little more pleasant to shoot than the large-frame Lone Wolf.

I found the trigger on the Compact OSP 10mm to be good for a factory polymer pistol. It’s light and reasonably crisp. The trigger on my factory G20 pulls at 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and this Springfield consistently broke at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. It’s got a little bit of travel as you really start to apply pressure before it breaks but that just comes with a factory trigger of this genre, and it’s not bad. The reset is a little soft, and when manually cycling the slide, there is sometimes an audible click before hitting the reset. I like crisp, definitive resets, but I can learn to live with this one. After catching the reset, the trigger break is acceptable.

Configuration and Carry

I spent some time configuring the Compact OSP 10mm in a way that would best suit my needs and make it the most comfortable for me. I removed the magwell, which allowed my grip to sit much more naturally on the frame and contoured baseplate of the 11-round magazine. Removing the magwell also allowed me to use the 15-round full-size magazine. I also added a Streamlight TLR-3 weapon light, and ordered an IWB (inside waistband) holster from Northwest Retention Systems to see how the Compact OSP 10mm would fit as a concealed carry gun.

This XD-M carried comfortably for me, especially with winter clothing. It’s less obtrusive with the 11-round magazine, but it’s not unrealistic to carry a spare magazine—even a 15-round magazine—in a separate carrier depending on your preference. For backcountry defense, there’s no disadvantage in selecting this pistol over a full-size G20 or something similar. Losing an inch of barrel length and having a more-compact frame make for an easier, more-convenient pistol to carry. In the backcountry, the pistol you have is better than the one you don’t, and I’ll take ease and versatility every time in a handgun.

Although the XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm can stand on its own, I did make an aftermarket addition—the GoGun Gas Pedal. Without getting deep in the weeds, it’s essentially a knurled pad for your support-hand thumb that—in the case of the XD-M—replaces the factory takedown lever. It’s only available for some pistol models and by using a slightly unconventional style grip, it allows you to direct pressure in a way that drastically improves recoil management. I was astonished by how much it cut down on muzzle flip—almost eliminating it completely. I’ve never shot a 10mm that I could control this well.

What the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm Does Well

This XD-M shoots accurately, and is packed with simple, smart features. It has a good optic and iron sights and ambidextrous controls make it lefty-friendly. The removable magwell and ability to use 11- or 15-round magazines make it a great option for concealed carry, backcountry defense, or someone who needs both out of a single gun.

Where the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm Failed

This XD-M has good iron sights, but with an optic, they’re useless, even as quick backups. It could use a set of suppressor-height sights that can be co-witnessed through the optic. I’d like to see a more-crisp reset on the trigger, and more aggressive texturing on the handle, like what the Hellcat has.

Read Next: Kimber R7 Mako 9mm Micro-Compact

Final Thoughts

The XD-M series has been in production for over a decade, but the Compact OSP 10mm is the one I’m most-excited about. I think as a factory gun, it pushes well beyond what it’s only direct competition—the G29—gives the shooter. The robust build and added versatility of a compact 10mm that is also manageable makes it usable in both concealed-carry and backcountry defense applications. Add to that the option of some aftermarket modifications, like the Gas Pedal, and this gun is a true burner. All of that makes it a significantly more-appealing option to me than most full-size 10mm pistols.

The post Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm w/Hex Dragonfly Review appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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