BROWE has introduced a new model of their 4×32 BROWE Combat Optic with a reticle calibrated for both supersonic and subsonic .300 AAC BLK loads.

From the press release …

The 4×32 BCO .300 Blackout reticle is based on the popular horseshoe and dot style reticle and provides a bullet drop compensated (BDC) reticle for both the subsonic and supersonic ammunition. The 7 MOA horseshoe has a 5 MOA inner dimension and provides an illuminated 2 MOA wide ring for quick target acquisition. The center 1 MOA dot gives the operator that precision shot and was designed to be zeroed at 100m with the supersonic round or 25m with the subsonic round. For long range precision, the 4×32 BCO .300 Blackout reticle features a BDC reticle that ranges out to 900m for the supersonic and out to 400m for the subsonic. The horizontal stadia lines represent 19” at the indicated ranges. The reticle also offers a horizontal mil scale that has an overall length of 30 mils, with indicators every 5 mil.

The reticle is available in yellow, blue, green or red.

[ Written by gun optics guru Timothy Yan ]

Carl Zeiss Optronics introduced their new ZO 4x30i combat gunsight at the 2012 Shot Show and I did a preview of the prototype for TFB. For the past three months, I had a preproduction ZO 4x30i on T&E for my upcoming G&A Special Interest Publication article.

I took the ZO 4x30i to the Combat Carbine 2 course by Stoic Venture and let two former Marine Captains to tried it out. One of them is Mike Lamb, the lead instructor, formerly Marine Force Recon and Magpul Dynamics. Both of them were impressed by the optical performance of Zeiss sight.

Let’s cut to the chase: How is the Zeiss ZO 4x30i comparing to the Trijicon ACOG 4×32 models?

Optical Quality: Zeiss

The Zeiss is definitely better in term of optical performance. Not by a whole lot, that’s because the ACOG is actually quite good optically. What contributes to the main difference is that the Zeiss has a huge 36mm ocular lens to the ACOG’s much smaller ocular size.

Field of View: Zeiss

The Zeiss covers 41.7 ft. at 100 yards vs. ACOG’s 36.8 ft. at the same distance.

Reticle Design: Tie w/ some conditions

The Zeiss’ modified G36 reticle looks odd in the beginning but the more I using it the more I like it. It’s simple without numbers or other clutters, yet it’s very functional for precision and sufficiently fast in CQB. The Zeiss’ reticle ties with the ACOG’s chevron or horseshoe reticles but it’s superior to the crosshair reticle of the ACOG LED and the rest.

Illumination & Power: ACOG

The ZO 4x30i’s reticle illumination is useful only in lowlight. Both the ACOG LED and dual-illuminated ACOG have daylight visible reticle illumination. The ACOG LED offers 12,000-hour battery life to the Zeiss’ 800-1200 hours.

Eye Relief: Zeiss

The Zeiss offers 2.56 inch of eye relief to ACOG’s short 1.5 inch. Furthermore the Zeiss’s ocular lens is recessed into the housing, which is covered by rubber armor, both of those features helps to prevent eye injury if the sight does hit the user on recoil. The longer eye relief of the ZO 4x30i would make it a good choice for an AR-10 or other carbine that’s in the .308 caliber.

Size & Weight: ACOG

While the Zeiss is shorter than the ACOG by half inch, it’s bigger everywhere else. Its 20.1 weight is 2 oz. heavier than the ACOG LED and 4 oz more than the dual-illuminated ACOGs.

Price & Value:

The release price of the Zeiss ZO 4x30i will be $1300, much higher than the original projected $1000 price. The new price is slightly more than the ACOGs with standard TA51 mount with dual thumbscrews. However, the Zeiss includes a nice German-made QD level mount. Which makes it comparable to the ACOG with upgraded BoBro or LaRue QD mounts and the Zeiss is $100 cheaper than either. Call for dealer, military and LE volume discount.

Availability:

The Zeiss ZO 4x30i is currently available only from Carl Zeiss Optronics USA, inc directly. It’s a sister company of Carl Zeiss Sport Optics USA but the Carl Zeiss Optonics focus on military, law enforcement and tactical markets, instead of hunting and sporting optics. Also noted that the two companies don’t share the same dealer network.

Contact: Carl Zeiss Optronics USA, inc. Phone #: 205-690-8472

Damage Industries are now selling a rail for the FN P90 that extends further forward than the factory rail and provides an under-rail. It allows larger optics to be mounted on the top and flashlights and/or lasers to be mounted underneath.

It will be available in black or OD Green for $99.

Crimson Trace has launched a range of Infared laser sights. An IR laser sight is useful if you are using a night vision scope or wearing night vision goggles and don’t wish to give away your position. For most consumers the use case for these would be nighttime hunting. The IR range includes the Rail Master picatinny rail laser, MVF-515 Vertical Foregrip and LaserGrips for the Glock and 1911.

The MSRP ranges from $299 to $599 depending on the model.

Many years ago gun companies stopped shipping their rifles with decent iron sights, if they included sights at all, assuming that their customer would use them with optics. I frequently seek out improved iron sights for the rifles I buy. Mr. RevolverGuy has written about his Henry Lever Action sight upgrade. He replaced the stock front sight with a Marble Bullseye sight and his front sight with a HIViz fiber optic sight.

We all know the market is flooded with optics for the AR15 and similar rifles. However, this Leupold does stand out in the crowd for several reasons. I became interested in this optic when I ran into an acquaintance at the range who was running one on his AR.

When I first looked it over I was a bit skeptical of the whole idea of combining two scopes into one unit. After shooting his AR with the HAMR I changed my mind when I realized this was a very effective way of covering the distance from very close to several hundred yards out. With that said I wanted to review this scope for you.

Before getting into the actual use of the scope let me tell you this thing is built like a tank. The body of both the Delta Point (red dot) and lower optic (HAMR) are made from a sturdy aluminum alloy much like that used to manufacture AR’s. The screw on protective caps for windage and elevation adjustment are made of steel with sturdy cable connectors, which are covered in a tough, plastic. You can see from the photo how well they are crimped and attached to the scope. The unit is also capable of withstanding two atmosphere’s of pressure which means you can submerge the scope in water to a fair depth without damage. Rubber “O” rings seal the scope from debris, water etcetera.

In the same photo I mentioned above there is a control on the right side of the HAMR for adjusting the intensity of the “horseshoe” type center of the reticle. Unlike other scopes there is no need for a focus adjustment on the HAMR scope. The objects viewed are very clear regardless of distance to the target. The illumination control has seven intensity settings. One handy feature is the user isn’t required to turn the illumination adjustment back to zero to disable it. You simply turn the knob no more than a quarter of an inch until it rest between intensity numbers, which turns it off. To turn it back on just move it slightly to the previous setting used.

Specs:

Length (in)
5.5
Length (cm)
14.0
Mounting Space (in)
3.73
Mounting Space (cm)
9.47
Actual Magnification
4.0
FOV @ 100 yds (ft)
32.0
FOV @ 100 m (m)
10.6
Eye Relief (in)
2.71
Eye Relief (mm)
69.0
Exit Pupil (mm)
6.0
Obj. Clear Aperture
0.9 in / 24 mm
Weight
13.1 oz / 370 g
Weight with DeltaPoint
14.8 oz / 420 g
Elevation Adj. Range (MOA)
60
Windage Adj. Range (MOA)
60

The HAMR reticle shown below is zeroed at 100 yards and graduated out to 800 yards by using the hold over hash marks next to the etched 400,600 and 800 yard markers. The 1000 yard etched line has no number beside it for obvious reasons. You won’t be shooting a 5.56 out remotely that far.

It goes without saying the Leupold glass is very clear with plenty of light making the sight picture bright. The HAMR is generally for distances from approximately 100 yards and out. Magnification is fixed at 4X.

The Delta Point red dot mounted on top of the HAMR uses a 7.5 sized dot. Now this dot size tends to cover a good bit of the target so trying for very accurate shots at a small target is a bit problematic. Leupold does offer the Delta Point with a different reticle from the red dot using a smaller 3.5 aiming reference.

The laser itself is mounted in the body of the Delta and projects onto the rear of the glass. I’ve also included a photo showing a small adjustment screw on top of the body for vertical adjustment and another screw on the left side for windage. A set of hex wrenches is included in the package. Each scope has it’s own battery for illumination. They use the flat camera type batteries.

One feature of the Delta you won’t see anywhere else I’m aware of is an automatic on switch. When the rifle is moved the movement is detected and the Delta is activated. Laying the rifle down or otherwise not moving it the same switch turns the unit off to conserve battery life. There is no delay in activation whatsoever. By the time you move the rifle a small amount it’s on.

The HAMR and Delta Point can be purchased in several combinations. The type I’m reviewing as well as the other I mentioned with the 3.5 reference triangle. The HAMR can be purchased alone or with the Delta. I did check Gunbroker and Guns America for actual prices and found the unit I’m testing selling for between $1300 and $1500. The HAMR alone is running between $900 and $1100. These prices are considerably lower than the MSRP of right at $2000 for the reviewed scope.

My first range trip was getting used to this configuration and switching back and forth between the two. After an hour or so I found it very easy to make the transition. Of course both scopes had to be sighted in. I set the Delta Point at 50 yards, which is a good distance when you’re shooting between 10 and 100 yards. The HAMR was naturally sighted at the recommended 100 yards so accurate use of the etched reference points would be correct at longer distances.

My second range session was at distance using the HAMR alone. I fired strings from 100 yards back to the max distance available where I was shooting this time, which is 316 yards. Shooting from 100 yards it was very easy to shoot MOA groups using the military version Grip Pod as a bipod. I used our shooting bench at this distance.

Moving back to 200 yards I had no problem seeing the target clearly and shooting groups of around 3 inches with Hornady match 71 grain .223. These groups were fired prone again using the Grip Pod. Finally at 316 yards I was able to fire fairly quickly and still keep my shots within the lungs and upper chest of the anatomical targets I was using. Of course these groups are part rifle part scope part shooter but the rifle as well as the shooter can’t do the job effectively without decent glass to put rounds on target.

Conclusion:

Given the choice,in all likelihood, I would choose this leupold as my go to scope for the AR. As I said earlier it’s a sturdy build with premium glass, bright sight picture for use at dawn or dusk plus the built in illumination ability. This gives the user an effective scope for use in average daylight or low light conditions.Of course weather conditions aren’t a consideration.

The ability to shoot from very close with the red dot to the longer more precise targeting with the HAMR reticle covers any distance most of us would ever shoot from.

The HAMR is in use not only by civilians but is widely used in law enforcement and is an issued scope for various military units. By all subjective observations I found this scope to be a great choice and certainly worth consideration for use on an AR.

Links:
http://www.leupold.com/tactical/scopes/mark-4-hamr-riflescopes/

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/79340/Leupold+114488+MK4+4x+24mm+Obj+32+ft+@+100+yds+FOV+Tube+Dia+

TrackingPoint is a manufacturer of “Intelligent Digital Tracking Scopes” and “Precision Guided Firearms” for hunting and tactical shooting. Their impressive technology allows a shooter to designate a target using the digital scope and the rifle will automatically fire only when the rifle is correctly lined up to the target. The demonstration of thier prototype looks more like a sci-fi movie than real life!

Initially the company will have three rifle models. The XS1 will be a tactical style rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum, the XS2 will be a smaller version of the XS1 chambered in .300 Win. Mag. and the XS3 will be a hunting version of the XS2. The company recently confirmed that rifles and scopes will go into production next year (2013).

[ Many thanks to Branko for the tip. ]

Earlier this month The Firearm Blog announced the release of Laserlyte’s new CM-15 shotgun/ rifle laser. This laser system is a variation of the previous “Kryptonyte” line of long gun lasers.

When Steve introduced our readers to the new Laserlyte “Center Mass” I was already in the process of obtaining one for further review. Two weeks ago it arrived and I started testing using the Kel-Tec KSG, which I still had on hand for this review.

From this point on I’ll refer to the “Center mass” as the CM. The CM is unique in laser design. While the advertisement states the CM is for shotguns and rifles the primary use is obviously for shotguns. The laser uses a circle of eight laser beams uniformly arranged in a circle around the center aiming beam. This arrangement does make it easier and faster to pickup when targeting. This is especially true when using the laser in daylight or low light situations.

The laser starts out as any other with a single beam. As the beam projects it passes through a refractor, which breaks it into the nine dots, seen on target. It seems such a simple method to obtain an improved sight picture especially in adverse conditions. It certainly works and maintained zero through all testing.

Laserlyte calibrated the CM so that for each yard from the target the outer circle increases size by one inch. In order to make this calibration a number of types of rounds were used and groups averaged. This is also part of the durability testing in order to ensure the unit stands up under heavy and repeated recoil.

The CM is adjustable for windage and elevation with an included hex wrench. There are two covers over the adjustment screws in order to protect the unit from debris and water. The unit is powered by one C123 battery. The settings are off, on and on demand by use of a ten inch chord which attaches to a tape switch with Velcro backing.

LaserLyte® CM-15 Specifications:

Compatible Firearms: AR’s, AK’s, rifles and shotguns with a Picatinny rail 3-inches or longer

Power Output: Class: IIIA, 5mw

Programmable: Constant On, Momentary On, Off

Batteries: 1 x CR-123

Battery Life: 6 hours (normal usage*)

Weight: 5.4 ounces/0.153 kg

Material: Aircraft Grade 6061 aluminum

Length: 3 inches/7.619 cm

Width: 2.43 inches/ 6.172 cm

Height: 1.37 inches/3.479

MSRP: $284.95

The CM is only available in black at this time. The previous version came in black as well as desert tan. I’m not sure if the company plans on a later release in tan.

The built in rail attachment requires three inches of rail space to mount. Two heavy screws secure it to the rail. A large hex wrench is provided for this purpose. The CM can be mounted on a top, bottom or side rail. If it’s mounted on a top rail the military style post sight on many AR’s will not interfere with the lasers nine beams.

Laserlyte makes a mount for shotguns such as the Remington 870, Mossberg 500 and others. This rail mount attaches to the front of the magazine tube and provides 270 degrees of attachment space. Of course on shotguns such as the KSG the user simply utilizes the built in top rail.

Range Time

I spent a good time at the range using various loads from birdshot too buckshot and finally slugs. I found the buckshot loads to be darn close as far as the outer eight-dot circumference is concerned. Birdshot proved to be larger than the circle but then you normally don’t use birdshot for defense. A laser such as this is made for defensive purposes not small game.

Firing slugs from twenty yards resulted in very tight groups. Again the unit stayed tight and maintained zero. In fact I think the CM was in better shape than my shoulder after twenty five rounds of slugs.

These photos were taken in full daylight and were easily seen. Green lasers tend to be 100% better than red in daylight or dark for that matter.

Conclusion

The Center Mass is a development that makes you wonder why you didn’t think of it. It’s obvious this design is very helpful in getting on target faster with a rifle or shotgun. A shotgun would be my preferred use for the CM. I have the previous version single beam I use on my AR. I would most likely stay with my single beam Laserlyte for the AR but I would without a doubt use the CM on any shotgun I own.

At a retail of $284 it’s a good buy for the features and durability of this product. As I mentioned I have the original version, which has stood up to, some heavy use over the last year and still works fine and holds zero as well as it did when I bought it. Since these two products are very similar overall I see no reason why the CM wouldn’t last for many years of use.

http://www.laserlyte.com/products/cm-15

It’s not often a writer is given the opportunity to introduce a new product before the company announces it. In this case it happened. When a Leupold representative asked if I wanted to review a new scope they would be revealing at SHOT in January. Of course I jumped on it.

In this case our readers get to hear about this new Leupold AR scope first.This scope is called the Mark AR Mod 1 1.5-4 x 20mm. This scope has a matte black finish with a Fire Dot-G SPR reticle.

These are some of the revisions:

- Tactical, knurled elevation dials

- Green illuminated FireDot reticles

- 0.1 Mil dials for true Mil-Mil adjustments.

This is a tactical scope made for civilian use as well as police and others who have a need for this scope configuration. The Mark AR uses a standard Leupold picatinny mount. The mount is very sturdy and mounts tightly to the rail as well as the scope itself. Unlike so many mount and scope combinations I’ve used there is no play which means it held zero through four hundred rounds fired.

The scope comes with a very in depth manual which not only covers scope use but goes into a great amount of detail in using the SPR reticle. Topics cover reading the mil-dot type reticle as well as turret reading and adjustments.

The center of the reticle is also lighted with an adjustable green dot if desired. This dot goes from extremely small to fairly large. The dot intensity increases with the larger dot size. The dot size is adjusted using the turret on the left side of the scope. When the user unscrews the turret the battery compartment is revealed. The battery is a larger flat battery. With a new battery is installed the dot can be left off or adjusted upwards in size. In the photo I’ve included you see a Leupold “L” in the center of the left turret. It’s surrounded by a heavy duty rubber piece. Each time the “L” is depressed the dot grows larger/brighter. Half way through the adjustment cycle there is one setting allowing the dot to flash and continue to flash until the next setting is chosen. This gives the user a wide variety of choices in dot sizes as well as the flash setting.One very positive point is with the smallest dot setting it doesn’t cover the target at longer ranges which is something common with many scopes with reticle dots.

The Mark AR can be used with one eye or both eyes open. It’s really the shooters choice. One thing I can always be certain of and that’s the clarity and quality of the glass used in Leupold scopes. This scope is no exception. The edges of the reticle are very clear and sharp as is the overall view with no distortion around the edge of the sight picture.

After using this scope for a few weeks I’ve been very pleased with it. In variable lower power type of scopes I’ve used it’s the best without a doubt.

The photo below shows a five shot 100 yard group using the Mark AR with the lowest green dot setting while mounted on my AR.

MSRP is $400 for the scope itself. The mount is sold separately and sells for roughly $140.Even if you already own a scope with a one inch tube this mount is in itself worth changing over from what you currently use. It’s just very rugged in construction. It never gets loose as many I’ve tried have.

Even though I won Top Shot Season 4 and a pro shooting contract with Bass Pro Shops, my self-taught amateurness is often still on fully display. I recently tested the Remedy .338 Lapua Magnum by Surgeon Rifles, both with and without a suppressor. For those of you who are well skilled in rifle shooting, you may get a good laugh at some of the rookie mistakes I made on my day out at the range. It’s a learning experience, and lucky for me I like to learn whether it’s through my own mistakes, or through intelligent readers such as yourselves.

The Surgeon “Remedy” in .338 Lapua Magnum. Nightforce scope, Harris bi-pod, and wine not included.

I drove 2 hours to my closest long distance range where I shot out to 600 yards. As to be expected, I met some really nice folks. When I set up my rifle, my first mistake was not having a stool as I assumed that they would have stools. My second mistake was that I forgot my shooting mat at home, so guess I wasn’t shooting prone! Thankfully, the R.O. had a spare stool so I was all set. I knew the Nightforce NXS 5.5-22×56 scope was zeroed in at 100 yards, but I had forgotten to check to see if the scope used hash marks or mil dots, and then looking up ahead of time what the corresponding hold would be at 600 yards. The Nightforce had mil dots, and thankfully the other shooters were kind enough to give me an approximate hold to get me on paper and walk it in.

View of the effective muzzle brake.

View of the folding buttstock.

The Remedy comes with a 5-round magazine, and has a very smooth action with an oversized bolt handle. I held my first sighting shot four hash marks below level, and broke the shot. The trigger was feather light, which I loved. The trigger had minimal pre and post travel, and I was able to easily rack another round while staying on target. I saw my target come up from the pit, and there was no marker, indicating I had completely missed. The R.O. asked me what my hold was, and he recommended I drop down another two hash marks. My next shot was on paper. I walked it in with eight more shots and was getting consistent groups. My other mistake was not bringing a sandbag or a rear support for the buttstock, so it was challenging to keep a steady hold on the bench. I was using my fist as a support.

Once I was dialed in I shot two, 5-round groups. My first group was 6.5 inches, and my second group was 4 inches. Not too shabby. A few months prior, I shot this same rifle with a suppressor and can report that it was very effective in reducing recoil and report. The suppressor took the .338 Lapua recoil down to something around a low recoil 12 gauge shotgun round.

All in all, the Surgeon is a beaut to shoot, and I can’t wait until I get to one again. If you’re in the market for a high end rifle, take a look at Surgeon.

Surgeon sells directly to consumers, and proudly supports the United States military. The base price of the Surgeon Remedy is $5,400. Other models and calibers are also available. www.surgeonrifles.com.

Chris Cheng is History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 champion. A self-taught amateur turned pro through his Top Shot win, Cheng very much still considers himself an amateur who parachuted into this new career. He shares his thoughts and experiences from the perspective of a newbie to the shooting community. www.TopShotChris.com.

Most of our readers are familiar with Fred Eichler. For those not familiar with him he is a hunter of some note. He appears on many hunting shows as well as being a big game hunter, varmint hunter and possessed of a real passion for bow hunting. For those wishing to read more about him use this link. Fred Eichler Website

What does he have to with this article? Well Mr. Eichler worked with Rock River Arms in developing an AR varmint rifle made to his specifications based on his extensive experience in the hunting fields. These are the Fred Eichler Predator Series of LAR-15 rifles.

These rifles are in high demand with a current wait time of some fourteen weeks. I’ll vouch for that since it took about that long to receive my sample rifle from RRA. After receiving my review rifle I determined the scope I felt would give the best performance at distance.

I contacted Leupold who was kind enough to send a VX3 6.5-20X50LR Target/Varmint Hunter scope in 30MM matte finish. This scope has the longer turrets with a focus turret on the left side. The glass is super clear with a ranging reticle. Screw on turret covers are included.

Stats:

Caliber—–.223 Wylde Chamber for 5.56 & .223 Cal
Lower Reciever—–Forged RRA-LAR15
Upper——Forged A4
Barrel—-16 inch stainless steel, 1:8 twist, Cryo Treated
Muzzle—–RRA Tuned and Ported Brake / 1/2-28 Thread
Gas Block—–Low Profile
Trigger—-RRA Chrome Two Stage/Winter Trigger Guard
Safety Selector—-Star Safety
Handguard—-RRA Fred Eichler Series Free Float
Pistol Grip—-Hogue Rubber Tan
With Operator A2 Stock: Weight/Length 7.6 /36″
With CAR A2 Stock: Weight/Length 7.6 /34″
Accuracy—–3/4 MOA at 100 Yards
Included—-One Mag,RRA Case, Manual, Warranty
MSRP: $1395.00

The stats indicate a case is included but this is a black heavy gauge plastic case with egg crate lining top and bottom. The case contains not only the rifle but an in depth owners manual as well as rail covers. A separate booklet is enclosed explaining the use of the mil-dot system. There’s plenty of room in the case for a large mounted scope. The Leupold scope I used is a large scope so even with it mounted on the RRA there was plenty of room for extra mags etc.

Working front to back this rifle has an RRA directionally tuned and ported muzzle brake. This brake works well but man is it loud! It’s much louder than my AR with a Smith Vortex muzzle brake. I had some not so great ear plugs in when I fired that first round and my ears rang for thirty minutes. Not something I’m used to in an AR. Make sure you have that quality hearing protection on when firing this rifle!

The barrel is a 16 inch cryogenically treated barrel with a bead blast finish and heavy profile. The rate of twist is 1:8 that I found works well with 71 and 77 grain bullets but not so much with standard 55 grain ammo. The barrel is free floated with a mid length gas system. The handguard has a full-length rail on top with short rails at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock position. You’ll note the handguard also has cooling vents shaped like the paws of a varmint. Some like the paw prints some not so much.

The lower receiver has a standard thumb safety, Hogue tan rubber grip and twenty round aluminum magazine with anti-tilt follower. The upper receiver is a standard configuration. The bolt is an RRA design with a slightly different shape having a flat side at the two o’clock position.

The shooter has an option, when ordering, of equipping the rifle with a tan CAR collapsible stock or a rifle length fixed tan stock.

Range Time:

I started this session at 100 yards to sight the scope in and get a feel for the rifle and it’s two stage polished match trigger.

I’ll take a short departure from the range review to pass along some information on a fine set of gloves I used off and on during this very cool day. Several weeks ago I got a pair of ICRS gloves from The Spec Ops Shop. I’d been looking for a set of gloves with hard knuckles (comfortable), reasonably warm with index finger and thumb, which detach at the first joint of both fingers. After much searching I found these gloves, which not only allow using your trigger finger uncovered but the thumb, uncovered to manipulate the safety. Each finger cover folds over and back attaching the tips to the back of the glove with Velcro. Both gloves are made the same way for right or left handed shooters. I recommend these gloves to any shooter for handgun or rifle use. The price is $69.00 direct from Spec Ops.
They are currently sold out unfortunately.

Back to the range:

After sighting in the scope I setup to fire several five shot groups. The claim of ¾ inch groups at 100 yards is no exaggeration. Out of ten five shop groups I only had two groups that were barely under one inch. Most groups were right at the advertised ¾ inch with two groups less than ¾ inch. I was using a Grip Pod military version as my bi-pod. It worked very well especially later on uneven ground.

My second session was at a much greater distance. I measured the distance with my laser range finder at 316 yards. The picture below shows the distance. It’s difficult to see but the target is just left of center in the photo. My best group out of ten five shot groups was 3 1/4 inches. Pretty impressive performance with the Leupold scope set at 20 power on the RRA. The humidity was low at 44 %, with sunny skies and a slight breeze from behind me. The temp was 44 degrees.

I mentioned loads earlier. The best performance and the rounds I used for these groups was Hornady match ammo with a 71 grain bullet. These are excellent rounds for longer distances. This particular rifle really liked this load.

Conclusion:

Some may look at this rifle and say what’s so special it doesn’t look much different than others. Well the proof is in the performance. Obviously care was taken in matching parts as well as assembly. QC was very good with no defects I could find. The trigger came in right at 3 ½ pounds on this example. The trigger was also crisp with a nice let off. It also has a short reset.

The Predator isn’t a super fancy rifle with all sorts of unneeded bells and whistles just what you need to get the job done. I can without reservation recommend this rifle for varmint hunting or for that matter casual target shooting.

Lastly buy a good quality scope. If you buy a cheap scope you’ll cheat yourself out of the accuracy this rifle and many others are capable of.

Rock River Arms

I was looking for a compact green laser and white light combination that was small enough to fit my S&W M&P 40 compact. Most of those on the market were either a laser only or light only. The combination units were just too large and bulky for my concealed carry purpose.

After some searching I found the Viridian C5L, which is a sub-compact laser and light combination. It’s advertised as the smallest combination made and I believe it. At a bit over two ounces you hardly know it’s mounted on the pistol. The laser has the same power as most other larger types. You can see by the photos that the white light is considerably smaller than a dime. The stats listed below have the white light at 100 lumens but it does seem brighter.

Stats:

Dimensions:
1.90”L x 1.46”H x 1.31”W

Weight: 2.414 oz.
(including battery)

Construction:
Primarily 6061 Aircraft
Grade Aluminum, front and
rearconversion high strength
Zytel® polymer.

Laser Beam Intensity:
5mW peak, 532nm, Class IIIa,
Continuous wave.

Laser Beam Divergence/
Spot Size/Range:
1.2 mrad, appox 0.5” at 50 feet.
Up to 100 yards daylight,
2 miles at night.

User Adjustable:
Easy to use windage and
elevation adjustments on laser.

Battery Life:
4+ hours
of constant laser runtime, 7+
hours of pulsing laser runtime,
60 minutes of laser and light
runtime. Unit runs on one CR2
3v lithium (included).

Tactical Light Output:
100 lumens on continuous,
140 lumens on strobe mode.

Activation and Modes:
Ambidextrous activation and
infinite amount of custom
operating modes (user can
customize laser pulse rate,
tactical light strobe rate and
light output).

Universal Mounting System:
Three modular rail sets included
with unit allows quick mounting
to virtually all railed handguns
(including sub-compact)
and rifles.

When I received the C5L with the Tac Loc holster I laid the holster aside and inspected the contents of the foam lined case. The case is organized with the unit itself as well as mounting hardware which consists of three rail sets for various pistols such as my M&P, Glock and other pistols. There are also three sets of screws for the rail sizes of these other pistols. Three hex wrenches are included to not only adjust the elevation and windage but for the initial mounting on your pistol. A single Viridian CR2 battery is also provided.

The operators manual is well written with easy to follow instructions for mounting, adjusting elevation, windage and maintenance. The manual also covers setting all of the operation modes for both laser and light and combinations of both.

This unit has been out for over a year but changes have been made in that time to enhance its capabilities. Primarily this is the ECR or “Enhanced Combat Readiness” system.

The ECR system is a mating of the C5L with the Viridian branded TacLoc holster. I suspect the holster is made for Viridian by Blackhawk since the back of the holster uses any Blackhawk holster attachment. The manner in which these two work together is by setting the laser and light on the desired setting. The unit is left activated then holstered which turns the unit off. When the user is ready to fire they simply draw the weapon which automatically activates the laser and light. It remains on until it’s re-holstered. In order to draw the weapon the user depresses the lever on the side of the holster releasing the pistol. The TacLoc is rated at a level two retention. The back of the holster is adjustable to fit any dress or tactical wide belt.

The laser/light can be operated in a variety of settings. In order to adjust the unit two buttons are depressed simultaneously cycling through each option. These settings are very easy to select unlike some I’ve used. One button is mounted on each side. With the unit off it can be activated by depressing either button with left or right hand. Please excuse the marginal video quality. I do intend to acquire a better camera. The video below shows the settings the user has available.

I’ve been using the C5L for a couple of months now and really like the combination especially when carrying after dark. I prefer to leave the laser on the constant setting with the LED on strobe. The laser is still easy to see even with the white strobe on. Not having to press any buttons to activate the C5L makes it very fast to draw and get on target.

The C5L with the TacLoc is my favorite combination for low light use. I can’t think of any other combination that offers the light weight, security, speed, comfort and concealability of these two products. Retail price on the C5L is $350 with the TacLoc holster at $69. I’m sure a bit of shopping around would save a considerable amount when purchasing both. If you own a compact pistol, with rail, I don’t believe you can do better than the Viridian C5L and TacLoc setup.

At SHOT Show next week US Optics will debut their new “true 1x” scope. They guarantee that it has no magnification at the 1x setting, so it functions like a red dot sight, but can be cranked right up to 8x for long range engagement.

Featuring the new 8:1 zoom ratio, the SR8 can be used similarly to that of a red-dot reflex sight at true 1x, making it one of the first variable power optics with a true 1x magnification.  The SR8 allows this while providing threat identification and engagements at distances in excess of over 800 yards.

The optical clarity of the SR8 is achieved through a precision-engineered lens system, with advanced lens coatings for superior performance in the harshest conditions. With the simple push of a button, a Second Focal Plane (SFP) red-dot can be turned on and used in total daylight, while the First Focal Plane (FFP) reticle allows for ranging and the MIL knobs and reticles offer exact dimensional accuracy.

As with all U.S. Optics scopes, the SR8 is constructed of Type III hard-anodized 6061-T6 aluminum; making it extremely durable and lightweight. Combined with the low profile sleek design, the new SN-8 makes for a snag free tool in all shooting situations.

The scope will be on display at Booth #20031.

Strike Industries (who never tire of launching new products) have designed a Trijicon RMR red dot sight cover with a transparent window that allows the sight to be used without the cover being removed. It can be seen demonstrated in the video below.

Other features include a finger grip to allow it to be easily flipped off and a lanyard hole (so it can be attached to a holster and be automatically pulled off when the weapon is drawn).

The MSRP is $12.95.

When hordes of undead are swarming your position, you need rapid, accurate fire to put them down.  For close in work, a quality optic can be a real life saver.  Fortunately, Bushnell is stepping up to the plate with the new 1X MP Zombie Assault sight.

The illuminated reticle is a “T-Dot” style preferred by elite undead eradication operators, and it can be displayed in green or red.  The optic is waterproof, fogproof and shockproof.  So, feel free to use it as an improvised impact weapon on squishy zombie heads when ammo is running low.

MSRP is $199.99.  Sure, you can wait until the apocalypse and just grab an inferior anti-zombie optic off the rifle of some poor, gnawed to the bone traveler you find in a ditch.  But clearly that optic wasn’t ready for combat with hell spawn.  It might be better to grab one of these sights before the sickness hits.

Gemini Defense makes a handgun sighting system that is supposed to allow the shooter to focus on the threat, not the sights, in a high-stress self-defense situation.  The sights are called Zone Reflex, or Z-Flex, combat sights.

The rear sights offer either a large, oblong, enclosed circle or a very wide, tall notch depending on the model purchased.  All of the sights use parenthesis-like outlines to bracket the target.  The purpose is for the shooter to concentrate on the threat while obtaining a non-precise, but fast visual reference that the gun is on target.

The two enclosed rear sights also have a standard notch at the base to allow for more precise shooting at targets farther away.

The sights use a photo-luminescent paint that glows after being exposed to light.  Roughly one minute of “charging” from a high intensity flashlight should provide up to six hours of useful glowing.

Pricing runs from $89.95 to $119.95.

The Trijicon RMR is being found on more and more handguns due to the optic’s small size and rugged durability.  However, those going on safari might just see more of them as well.

Trijicon is now offering adaptors to mount the RMR sights on double rifles.  The rifles for which the mounts are available include models from Sako and Blaser.  Additionally, Trijicon is offering generic mounts for custom rifles with various sized ribs, plus a steel block mount for custom shaping by a gunsmith.

MINOX will be shipping the new ZE 5i scopes in 2013 according to a company press release.  The scopes use Z-Rail mounting and will come in four basic models:  1-5x 24, 2-10x 50, 3-15x 56, and 5-25x 56.

There will be three illuminated reticles available:  German 4, BDC and Center Dot.  All three have a red center dot.  The center red dot has 11 brightness settings to allow the shooter to dial in what works best for him and her in their specific lighting conditions.  The dot has an auto-power off so your batteries will not run down if stored with the reticle illuminated.  A spare battery is stored in the adjustment drum.

The scopes are waterproof.  The objective lens components are multi-coated.

The scopes are made in Germany and should start shipping in August 2013.  They come with a 30 year warranty.  MSRP is expected to be less than $2,000.

If you need an inexpensive red dot for your hunting gun, Bushnell is making a line of optics called the Trophy Red Dot.  There are five different Trophy Red Dot optics in the line that Bushnell says are compatible with shotgun, rifle and handgun hunting.

All of the sights are non-magnified (1x) optics with a variety of reticle and brightness options.  MSRPs run from $99.99 to $149.99.

Trijicon is now making a number of ACOG and RMR optics with a nickel boron plating for durability and a unique look.  The nickel boron finish is available on the following optics:

• 4×32 ACOG Nickel Boron Dual-Illuminated .223 Ballistic Chevron Reticle
• 4×32 ACOG Nickel Boron Dual-Illuminated .223 Ballistic Horseshoe Reticle
• 4×32 ACOG Nickel Boron Dual-Illuminated .223 Ballistic Crosshair Reticle
• 3.5×35 ACOG Nickel Boron Dual-Illuminated .223 Ballistic Chevron Reticle
• 3.5×35 ACOG Nickel Boron Dual-Illuminated .223 Ballistic Horseshoe Reticle
• 3.5×35 ACOG Nickel Boron Dual-Illuminated .223 Ballistic Crosshair Reticle
• 3.25 MOA LED Red Dot
• 7.0 MOA Dual-Illuminated Amber Dot
• 9.0 MOA Dual-Illuminated Green Dot
• 12.9 MOA Dual-Illuminated Green Triangle