Rifles, ammo receive high marks

Thursday, November 29, 2012

— Bucks are now largely nocturnal in my area, so I finally relaxed my standards Tuesday and put a doe in the freezer.

Without going into details, the 7mm WSM is too powerful for whitetails at the ranges that most hunters kill deer in Arkansas. This particular rifle, a Mossberg 4x4, hits 2 inches high at 200 yards. The stand I hunted Tuesday allowed for that kind of shot, with a maximum range of about 320 yards.

I shot the doe at 68 yards. It was akin to a battleship dispatching a freighter with her 16-inch battery. I’m going back to smaller cartridges.

That said, I am impressed with Winchester Power Max PHP ammunition. It features a bonded bullet similar to the Federal Fusion, an innovative projectile with its jacket chemically bonded to the core. This prevents the core from separating from the jacket. This allows a bullet to retain its mass on impact and improves the bullet’s terminal performance. The Fusion is a soft-point bullet. The Power-Max has a protected hollow point.

My first exposure to this ammo was from a picture that Tom Denniston of Fort Thompson Sporting Goods showed me of a doe he killed with a round of 300 WSM. It was impressive.

The 7mm WSM version was equally impressive. The downside is that a box of 20 costs twice as much as a box of Fusion, which at about $20. It is the best bargain going for premium factory ammo. The Fusion and Power Max are available in most popular calibers, but Fusion has a better selection. I bought a box of 55-grain Fusions for my .22-250. My CZ-550 American shoots them more accurately than any other factory ammo, and, inside 150 yards, I would feel very confident using it for whitetails.

As for the Mossberg 4x4, I can’t say enough good things. It handles well, and with its factory muzzle brake it reduces the mighty 7mm WSM recoil to near nothing. The disadvantage of the brake it’s excessive noise.

Several members of our club like the 4x4 so much that they bought synthetic versions in .270 Win. The same guys also love their Mossberg ATRs. Both models are wellbuilt, with excellent triggers, and they are very accurate. They would make excellent Christmas gifts.

Another great option is the Marlin X7. It received rave reviews in a recent edition of Field & Stream. David Petzal tested a bunch of “cheap” rifles, and the X7 consistently shot groups measuring less than 1 inch. The Ruger American performed almost as well. Both retail for less than $400, and as Petzal wrote that they shoot as well or better than custom rifles that cost thousands.

KNIFE SHARPENERS

Recently, I reviewed an electric knife sharpener called the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener. It is the only sharpener that has ever put an edge on my knives that’s sharp enough for shaving.

That’s a shop tool, though. For field sharpening, Work Sharp now has two new tools that fit in a pocket or backpack.

The Guided Field Sharpener has five sharpening stages, including course and fine diamond coated plates. It also has an integral leather strop for applying a razor finish. The key are the beveled guides at both ends of the surfaces that guarantee your edge maintains the allimportant 20- or 25-degree angles necessary to correctly sharpen most knives. It also has a large ceramic rod with three positions (coarse, fine and fishhook), and a small ceramic rod that will sharpen serrated knives. It also has a built-in broadhead wrench.

The plates are reversible and held in place by rare earth magnets. This protects them from damage from bouncing around in a backpack or glove compartment. I used the sharpener to put a fine edge on a dull Gerber knife, which I promptly used to field dress a deer. It works well and retails for about $30.

For about $20, you can get the Work Sharp Retractable Honing Rod. It has a retractable fine-grit ceramic rod, but unlike similar rod sharpeners this one has the 25-degree bevel. If you need to sharpen at a different angle, just turn the handle. I used it to put razor edges on both blades of a troublesome Case pocketknife.

Combined with the electric belt sharpener, they make a complete sharpening system for any kind of blade, including hatchets and axes.

Sports, Pages 23 on 11/29/2012