Precision Riflecraft

Adriel and Kyle at Slamfire Radio had me aboard to discuss gasguns, Canadian politics and more. Apologies for my internet connection, which caused intermittent audio synchronization issues. Support this great channel by subscribing to Slamfire Radio!

What do you call a semi-auto 5.56 precision rifle that costs 40% less than the APC223 we reviewed in the previous episode and is 15% more accurate than one of our favourite 5.56 bolt actions? You call it the H&K SL8. We ran this Teutonic piston gun out to 907 yards, discussed its Hera Arms kit and Magpul PRS stock and took a walk down German small arms memory lane. Genießen! CORRECTION: Many thanks to Chris, the owner of this rifle, whose comment on my YouTube channel alerted me to a mistake I made. It turns out that the SL8 does actually have a bolt catch button, hidden in the trigger guard. I hadn't noticed it at any point during my familiarization and evaluation of this rifle. No need to risk Günther Thumb after all! Music: Instinct by Bensound.com

This Swiss-made semi-auto rifle sets high standards of accuracy, quality and overall performance. We briefly discuss the entire B&T line, from pistols to submachine guns and rifles, before taking a close look at the APC223 chambered in 5.56x45. After a comprehensive accuracy test and load selection, we take it out to the field and see what it can do when pushed to the limit, past its supersonic range to over 900 yards. Many thanks to Jeremy in Toronto for loaning us this rifle! Music: Instinct by Bensound.com

“Wolverines, eh!” The PolyTech Type 81 is as close as we Canadians can get to an AK-47 for now, so in this episode, we look this reliable and reasonably accurate Chinese 7.62x39 rifle, discuss its features and do some long-range shooting with a 1-4.5x Athlon scope. Many thanks to Mark in Kelowna for loaning his rifle and Jeremy in Toronto for trading with Mark for his M10X paperweight. In Vancouver I’d like to thank Kyle for loaning his Caldwell Stinger rest, Byron for spotting and Calvin for loaning his drum mag. Music: Instinct & High Octane by Bensound.com

Welcome to the first-ever review of the TAC21 Gen 2 chassis on YouTube! This popular precision boltgun chassis from MDT is now in its second generation. Made right here in British Columbia, it features an inline recoil path, integral 20 MOA rail, AICS-pattern magwell, 15” M-LOK forend, quick-detach stock interface and compatibility with Savage 10/110, Tikka T3/T3x and Remington 700-footprint actions in both short- and long-action configurations. In addition to being a superb precision rifle chassis in general, this is also an ideal system for shooting off a tripod. I discuss the TAC21 and ask the only question that really matters: Is this the world’s best boltgun chassis? Music: Instinct by Bensound.com

This is the most comprehensive review ever made of the M+M M10X. Many thanks to my friend Mark for loaning me this rifle for a marathon seven-month evaluation! We also discuss North Sylva Company, a major Canadian importer and warranty service provider for M+M, among many other manufacturers. Don't miss the accuracy test we did with match ammo too! Music: Instinct & Creepy by Bensound.com

I bought this rifle to use in Episode 10 and planned to sell it afterwards, but it’s too good to let go of! It’s short, light, handy and surprisingly accurate. I discuss its features and show you which factory ammo produced the best results in the 5.56 version of the Ruger American Ranch. I also discuss the Athlon Helos BTR Gen 2 4-20x50 scope, which is a great choice for this rifle whether you’re using it for target shooting or hunting. After generating a firing solution from my Applied Ballistics calculator, I shoot 4.3" clay pigeons from 440 meters or 481 yards, demonstrating the impressive accuracy available in this budget rifle. Music: Instinct by Bensound.com

When we talk about precision rifle shooting, we tend to immediately think long-range. However, one of the core applications of the precision shooting discipline is police sniping. Unlike military snipers and civilian sport shooters, police snipers generally shoot within 100 meters and to uncompromising tolerances. I interview a retired Arizona police sniper and firearms instructor for an inside look at the high-stakes world of police sniping. Music: Instinct by Bensound.com

Sport shooters and hunters look out for one another. For legal reasons, I can’t tell you which major retailer knowingly sells defective guns (it’s definitely not Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shops), but I can tell you that unethical business practices tend not to go unnoticed in the shooting sports community. Gather ‘round, folks, and hear about the time a major retailer tried to screw me on the purchase of a Tikka rifle, then went on to screw the next guy when I refused to be scammed.

Using an Athlon Midas BTR Gen 2 as an example, we show a fatal design flaw of some Second Focal Plane (SFP) scopes that renders their reticle subtensions unusable for precision applications. We compare the Athlon to an SFP Vortex Viper that does not have this flaw, as well as a Bushnell T-series spotting scope whose reticle is in the First Focal Plane (FFP).

Riflescopes with ballistic or “BDC” (Bullet Drop Compensating) reticles are popular, especially among shooters who might not be aware of their limitations. I call these “subjective” reticles, as they require a number of specific conditions to be met in order to work – if they work at all. Unlike “objective” reticles whose hashmarks are based on a unit of angular measurement (either MRAD or MOA), these ballistic reticles are based on units of distance measurement, typically yards. Their appeal is obvious. Shooting 300 yards? Use the 300 yard hashmark and you’re good to go. That’s the theory, but does it work? We also field test the Tactacam 5.0 and FTS (Film Through Scope) system in this episode.

A quick follow-up to Episode 5 (bit.ly/prc-005), where we scored a dead-center cold-bore hit on a 6 inch steel plate from 440 meters or 481 yards. We brought measuring tools up to where we stashed the steel plate to find out just how precise a shot it was. We also brought along a piece of Savage history: a 1950s Model 340 in .30-30 that we restored. We shredded some cans and talked about Savage rifles as well as the venerable .30-30 cartridge.

My dad has very little experience with shooting and has never fired a precision rifle before. Join us for this unique one-on-one tutorial where I guide him though engaging an 18” target from 256 to 815 meters. We discuss fundamentals of marksmanship, external ballistics and more.

In Episode 2, we discussed how the prone position is ideal for precision shooting. However, in real-world conditions, it often comes with the challenge of ground cover. Episode 7 takes you to the grasslands of the British Columbia interior, where we encounter one of the most common obstacles to prone shooting, which is grass and other undergrowth. Using two Sako TRG rifles, one in .308 Winchester and another in 6.5 Creedmoor, we look at how grass affects long-range performance. In case you’ve ever wondered whether Sasquatch really exists, we also reveal that he in fact does, though he is not what many assume. More than just an elusive and primitive hominid, Sasquatch is a skilled shooter known to his friends as “The Stik”.

Did you know that your dog’s hearing is up to four times more sensitive than ours? Dogs are much more susceptible to hearing loss and the painful effects of chronic tinnitus than we are, yet many hunters and sport shooters fail to protect their best friends’ hearing. Available in several sizes, this clever product ensures that the good times you have together don’t result in permanent injury to your loyal companion. I’m not paid by SafeAndSoundPets.com for this review – I just love dogs and want to help you protect yours! There’s also a teachable moment that was caught on film here, where I thought I had short-stroked my rifle after hearing a click instead of a bang. When I opened my breech and saw a live round, I realized I had risked an out-of-battery hangfire. I didn’t edit out my mistake in order to discuss best practices for safe shooting.

We often hear that “canting” or tilting your rifle when long-range shooting will affect where your bullet lands, but how much of an effect does it really have? How important is it to ensure that your rifle is level when taking a shot? In this episode, we show you how much of a problem cant error can be in real-world conditions. We also discuss how to eliminate it by looking at the various bubble levels available, including the excellent ACCU/Level from Flatline Ops.

In Part 2 of His & her Sigs, we look at the 1911-22, a .22 LR pistol made by GSG (German Sport Guns), as well as the Magpul grips and Dlask mainspring housing that I installed. We discuss its accuracy, how to maximize its reliability and explore the many options available to you if you’re purchasing one of these terrific plinkers. There’s a link to Part 1 at the end of this video, my review of the Sig Sauer P320 RX 9mm.

My first gear review! We look at the Sig Sauer P320 RX modular pistol, which includes Sig’s Romeo1 red dot optic and their suppressor-height tritium night sights. We discuss the benefits of red dot sights and why iron sights are still important, as well as the P320’s safety issues, its impressive accuracy and bulletproof reliability after 2,000 rounds and counting. Stay tuned for Part 2, a review of the Sig Sauer/GSG 1911-22.

We attempt a sub-half-minute-of-angle shot at 440 meters (481 yards) to discuss two approaches to shooting from the prone position. We also discuss how wind affects your bullet, how to measure targets in minutes of angle, the four criteria of land for target shooting and the pros and cons of using muzzle brakes. We’re running our Savage Model 10 FCP-SR Gen 1 .308 rifle with a Vortex Viper PST scope, as well as a Vortex Diamondback spotting scope and Vortex Ranger 1000 laser rangefinder. Warning: this episode may contain basic math.

Welcome to Episode 1 of Precision Riflecraft! Bear and I set up five clay pigeons on a rock wall 440 meters (481 yards) away, then walk you through dialing in a firing solution before shooting our Savage Model 10 FCP-SR Gen 1 .308 rifle with a Vortex Viper PST scope. If you look closely, you'll see a sixth pigeon that fell over by the time we finished setting up at our firing position. Thanks for joining us!