Sporting Firearms Journal

®

RIFLERIFLE

Display until 2/13/17 Printed in USA

January 2017 No. 290

Win a Custom6.5 Creedmoor Rifle!

See Inside for Details

TESTED: CZ 557 SporterShort Action

A First Look atMarlin’s NEW

Leverguns!BrowningBAR Mark 3

.30-06

Winchester’sModel 70 at 80Part II:The Best It’sEver Been!

Rifle 290

COLUMNS FEATURES

On the cover . . .This new Model 1894 .45 Coltshows the fine craftsmanshipof Marlin’s Limited Edition rifles. Photo by Chris Downs.

www.riflemagazine.com

6 Wheeler Engineering Level-Level-Level Spotting Scope - Dave Scovill

10 6.5 Remington Magnum Misfit Lock, Stock & Barrel - Lee J. Hoots

14 Mossberg MVP Patrol 5.56 NATO Mostly Long Guns - Brian Pearce

16 Rifle Readiness Down Range - Mike Venturino

20 Final Fitting of Recoil Pads Light Gunsmithing - Gil Sengel

22 Burris Riflescopes A Rifleman’s Optics - John Haviland

62 The Practicality of Aesthetics Walnut Hill Terry Wieland

26 New Marlin Lever Actions Production is underway in Ilion, New York. Brian Pearce

32 CZ 557 Sporter Short Action A Line Extension to Include .308 Winchester John Haviland

38 Model 70 at 80 – Part II The Best It’s Ever Been Terry Wieland

44 The .22 Winchester Magnum Mystery Why Some Rifles Shoot Better Than Others John Barsness

50 Browning BAR Mark 3 A new .30-06 repeats an old tradition. Stan Trzoniec

Page 38 . . .

Page 50 . . .

4

Page 44 . . .

Page 22 . . .

14 www.riflemagazine.com Rifle 290

Shortly after Mossberg an-nounced the MVP (Mossberg

Varmint Predator) rifle in 2011, I was invited to spend three days in central Oregon shooting ground squirrels and hunting coyotes with several model variations chambered in 5.56 NATO and .204 Ruger. I fired in excess of 1,500 rounds through several rifles that were accurate and very interest-ing.

A few of the MVP design fea-tures include an action scaled to accommodate 5.56/.223 and simi-larly sized cartridges, a detachable 10-round AR-15 magazine (The rifle will accept any mil-spec 5-, 20- or 30-round magazine.), twin locking lugs with 90-degree bolt lift and a rotating extractor and plunger ejector that results in a push feed system. The bolt head is staked to the bolt body while the bolt face is countersunk. For the bolt to reliably strip cartridges from the magazine, a unique “car-tridge pusher” is staked to the bot-tom of the bolt face and is spring loaded to pivot up and down. In firing several thousand rounds through various MVP rifles in the years since its introduction, the cartridge pusher has proven to do its job reliably. I have run the action hard and fast, and it has worked without issue.

I later had a chance to visit with company representatives regard-

ing the MVP and possible future variants. I liked the rifle and sug-gested adding iron sights along with a compact version and even a “scout” pattern. In the years since, Mossberg has expanded the MVP product line to include all of the above, but it has also introduced lightweight rifles, adjustable stock versions and several other models. In 2013 the company designed a larger version to chamber the 7.62 NATO cartridge.

A few months back, a Moss-berg MVP Patrol 5.56 NATO was acquired, which has proven to be an extremely handy and versatile carbine. It features a 16.25-inch medium bull weight (or semi-heavy) barrel that is threaded and comes standard with an A2 flash suppressor. The stock is black synthetic with a 13.25-inch LOP,

MOSTLY LONG GUNS by Brian Pearce

mossberg mvP Patrol 5.56 nato

The Mossberg MVP Patrol accepts any AR-15 mil-spec magazine and comes with a factory-installed Picatinny rail to accept a variety of mounts for quick-change sight options.

The Williams rear sight is fully adjustable.

The front sight features a red fiber optic.

The bolt face is countersunk and features a push-feed system. Note the hinged “cartridge pusher” that strips cartridges from the magazine.

is pillar bedded and channeled to allow the barrel to free-float. Although not necessary for the 5.56/.223 cartridges, the stock is fitted with a soft, rubber, one-inch recoil pad, which further reduces felt recoil. The Williams rear sight is fully adjustable while the front sight consists of a red fiber optic. The adjustable LBA trigger broke crisply at 3.5 pounds right out of the box but allowed adjustments down to 2.5 pounds. A Picatinny top rail is factory installed to serve as a scope base. Total length is just 36.5 inches, and weight is 7 pounds.

Incidentally, the barrel twist rate is one turn in 9 inches, which will generally stabilize bullets rang- ing in weight from 40 to 75 grains. This twist rate offers versatility as it works well with most fran-gible varmint bullets or heavier- constructed bullets that might be used for deer and similarly sized game.

With a variety of factory .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO am-munition (which are different), the rifle proved to shoot well, with most loads grouping easily under one inch at 100 yards. The Hornady Superformance (.223 Remington) load containing the company’s 53- grain V-MAX bullet with an un-usually high ballistic coefficient (BC) clustered five shots into .60 inch. With carefully assembled handloads, also with the 53-grain V-MAX bullet, I was able to dupli-cate the accuracy and velocity of that factory load. Incidentally, this load is advertised with a muzzle velocity of 3,465 fps, but from the short 16.25-inch barrel, actual ve-locity was 3,253 fps, which is still impressive.

Using guns daily for a variety of

purposes, I have found the MVP Patrol to be a valuable ranch rifle, as it takes up little space in a pickup, and its compact length al-lows it to be easily carried in a sad-dle scabbard when riding horses and taking coyotes and other pests. The Picatinny rail allows a variety of sights to be mounted, in-cluding red-dot sights, traditional variable power scopes or aper-ture sights, which can all be in-terchanged as needed, depending on application. If the correct rings are used, they can be reinstalled without losing their zero.

On a recent family event, my daughter-in-law, who has limited shooting experience, began shoot-

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January-February 2017 www.riflemagazine.com 15

The Mossberg MVP Patrol is a short, compact carbine.

ing the MVP Patrol. With just a bit of coaching, it didn’t take her long to start hitting small targets at 300 yards and beyond from sev-eral different shooting positions, including prone and offhand. This is a rifle that is ideal for beginners or experienced shooters alike. It readily accepts any 5.56 NATO or .223 Remington cartridge, ei-ther of which can be purchased in bulk for practice at significant savings. The list of readily avail-able high-quality match and hunt-ing loads for the .223 Remington is nearly endless, all of which adds to the rifle’s versatility. It is manu-factured in the U.S.A. and has an MSRP of $710. R

BROWNINGB A R M a r k 3

A new.30-06

repeats anold tradition.

Stan’s old BAR Grade I rifle is shown above. Below, the new BAR Mark 3 test rifle is

pictured with a Leupold scope and Burris base with high-polish Browning rings.

Stan Trzoniec

Hunters often say that semi-automatic rifles are not re-liable and are heavy and inaccurate. In all the years

of shooting and hunting with them, using handloads and factory ammu-

nition, I have never found a modern rifle of this type exhibiting any of the above. They might be a half-pound heavier than a conventional bolt ac-tion simply because of the gas piston system, but I have never felt the extra weight on hunts.

The release lever for the bolt is at the bottom center of the

receiver. The bolt is jeweled for

appearance and the forearm fits into a recess on

the receiver.

The BAR Mark 3 comes with a

removable mag-azine that can be

reloaded while still attached to the rifle, as shown.

Browning includes a set of inserts that

can be used to alter the pitch and cast-off of

the stock.

Out of all the autoloaders tried, the Browning BAR tops the list. The most recent version is the BAR Mark 3. A recent check showed Browning still catalogs the familiar Mark II Safari (with or without the Boss com-pensator) in five different cartridges and intends to continue to do so. I still have the original BAR 7mm Remington Magnum purchased in 1970, two years af-ter it was a regular in the line. With handloads, the rifle still shoots groups under an inch with IMR-4350 powder and Sierra bullets.

Browning introduced its first semiautomatic sport-ing rifle in 1967. It was only available with a 22-inch barrel in four standard calibers to include the .243, .270 and .308 Winchesters and the .30-06, as reviewed here. The following year, the 7mm Remington Mag-num and the .300 and .338 Winchester Magnums started to fill out the line, with the .338 Winchester deleted in 1975. In 1967, only two versions – Grade I and Grade II – were available; some four years later, 10 versions were offered with the Grade V Magnum at $880.00 topping the list.

Bruce Browning, son of Val Browning, spearheaded the design of the BAR sporting arm. It was initially produced in Belgium with assembly transferred to Portugal – as it still is today. Over the course of the production life of the rifle, many variations emerged with the emphasis on flawless operation and quality.

While the Mark 3 follows the same general outline of the previous Shorttrac and Longtrac BARs, there have been some updates. The undercut just behind the pistol grip is gone to provide a smoother transi-tion of the stock to a classic pattern without the Eu-ropean look on the buttstock. Interchangeable recoil pads have been removed as an option on the new rifle, and there has been a change from skip-line checker-ing to a more traditional pattern for a cleaner look. The forearm has been redesigned at the muzzle end, but in all honesty, I wish Browning had kept the more graceful sweep of the older rifle rather than the more vertical cut on the Mark 3.

On all accounts, the Mark 3 is a good-looking rifle. According to Browning’s literature, all the wood is Grade II. This puts it into the “no knots or disturbing grain patterns” type of wood. The test sample’s stock is of a coffee/orange color mix with a straight-grain pattern moving up toward the receiver. The forearm matches the buttstock in color and grain, something I like to see, because then I know both were cut from the same blank. There is ample checkering on both the forearm and the buttstock, with the former almost circling the wood and the latter featuring a pleasing pattern complimenting the lines of the stock. The di-amonds are cut at 24 lpi (by my count) with no over-runs and a double line around each pattern for a custom look. The stock is oil finished and smooth to the touch.

For those looking for a comfortable stock to hold and shoot, this Browning BAR may be the answer.

www.riflemagazine.com Rifle 29052

BROWNING B A R M a r k 3

January-February 2017 www.riflemagazine.com 53

When first picking up the rifle, I had to think twice if the stock was made for me! The forend, almost 14 inches long, is just the right di-mension with enough of a taper to the rear to place the hand at just the right spot for shooting. Mov-ing to the buttstock, the pistol grip has a swell for right-handed shoot-ers and a 133⁄4-inch length of pull. In addition, Browning supplies a set of six shims to raise or lower the stock or to add some right or left cast, and they are installed be-tween the buttstock and receiver.

Popular today is the classic school of stockmaking. There is no line-disturbing comb or cheek-piece. Flutes cut near the wrist of the stock are for comfort, and the only thing I would add would be a pistol-grip cap to protect the pistol grip itself. (I have seen many rifles with chipped pistol grips.) A pro-prietary Inflex recoil pad is stan-dard and is rounded in all the right places for easy mounting.

Metalwork on the rifle is natu-rally above par. The bluing on the barrel is deep and rich. Contrast is added by the satin-nickel fin-ish of the receiver, which is com-plete with detailed floral pattern etchings on each side circling the Browning logo. The receiver is machined from an aircraft-grade alloy while the “bottom metal,” including the trigger guard and floorplate, are a black composite. Releasing the floorplate via a le-ver forward of the trigger guard allows the magazine to drop open while still attached to the rifle. You can load the open magazine (four or five rounds, depending upon the cartridge) or release it in one deft motion. Extra magazines are available from Browning.

No sights are furnished by Browning, but the receiver is drilled and tapped for common BAR bases and rings. In my box of tricks, a Burris one-piece base and pair of high-gloss Browning me-dium rings were found. To these a Leupold 3.5-10x 40mm scope was installed. The rich color of both the rings and scope enhanced the look of the rifle.

The BAR’s gas-operating sys-

tem reduces the recoil sensation, even with the largest cartridges. For riflemen who would like to take on some of the magnum car-tridges, this rifle may be an option. When shooting my old 7mm Rem-ington Magnum, the recoil seemed like .270 Winchester levels. While a bolt gun seems to slam you when the trigger is pulled, a semiauto-matic like this BAR softens the re-coil by spreading it over a longer period of time.

The BAR’s rotating bolt has seven lugs that lock into the bar-rel. The rigid action bar and inertia block are made to provide years of service while an internal buffering system reduces stress and wear on the rifle’s mechanism. Over the years, I found that routine main-tenance is beneficial to a BAR, es-pecially after range testing, and it assures reliable operation on the next hunt. In the field, where you might be lucky to get off a half-dozen shots, there is no need for any concern with this rifle.

The jeweled bolt stays back after the last shot. To the right of the ejection port is a red dot. Some hunters prefer to leave the bolt locked open and then release it when the stalk begins. Naturally, you are not going to let the bolt slam forward by using the bolt re-

Above left, to remove the forearm for cleaning, pull the bolt to the rear and remove the front sling swivel with a No. 11 metric wrench. Then remove the front screw (right) with a No. 4 metric Allen wrench. Below, with the forearm off, the gas system is accessible for cleaning.

Browning BAR Mark 3.30-06

Accuracy Results load velocity group (grains) (fps) (inches)

125 Winchester Pointed 3,023 1.00 Soft Point150 Remington AccuTip 2,871 1.75 Boat Tail150 Winchester 2,805 1.25 Extreme Point165 Hornady Boat Tail 2,793 1.25 Spire Point180 Hornady American 2,531 1.50 Whitetail

Notes: All groups fired at 100 yards, best group shown here. All loads were chronographed over an Oehler Model 35P at 10 feet. Little wind and temperatures in the lower 70s.

54 www.riflemagazine.com Rifle 290

lease that allows it to close with a loud noise, so you want to release the bolt and have it move forward slowly and quietly. Browning has thoughtfully added this red dot to show the user that once the bolt handle has passed this point, the round is seated and ready to go.

For an autoloading rifle, the trigger is rather pleasant to use. There is a bit of take-up – much like a two-stage trigger – but after that, the gold-plated trigger broke at 41⁄2 pounds with no overtravel. The safety is right behind the trig-ger, a cross bolt in design with a hearty detent, indicating when it has been moved from “safe” to “fire.”

To disassemble the rifle for cleaning, first pull back on the bolt handle to settle the action to the rear. To get at the gas mecha-nism, use a No. 11 metric wrench to remove the sling swivel stud. A No. 4 metric Allen wrench is then needed to back out the front screw. Carefully pull the forearm forward and down to expose this part of the rifle. When cleaning this part of the rifle, be careful not to allow the bolt to slam forward without the forearm attached. If you ever have to clean the trigger group, removing the twin trigger group pins allows the mechanism to be removed without any prob-lems.

At the range, there were no surprises. Having worked with BAR rifles before, groups under 2 inches are normal with factory ammunition. With ammunition from Hornady, Remington and Winchester, groups ranged from a tight inch to a bit under 2 inches.

For groups, I always allow the barrel to cool a few minutes be-tween shots and five minutes between groups. Working this way gives the barrel a chance to maintain a constant temperature, which to me is a precursor to good groups. The best group was with Winchester’s 125-grain Pointed Soft Point loads with three shots measuring an inch. Remington’s

150-grain AccuTip Boat Tails fared fairly well with the best group just sneaking under the 2-inch marker. At almost 2,900 fps, I find this bul-let weight in the .30-06 perfect for a wide range of game animals. Its counterpart, Winchester 150-grain Extreme Points grouped just over an inch at 2,805 fps. For larger game, Hornady’s 165-grain boat-tail Spire Points gave a 11⁄4-inch group at 2,793 fps. Finally, for even larger game, Hornady’s American Whitetail 180-grain Spire Point bullets came in at 11⁄2 inches at 2,531 fps.

Empty cases were thrown a good distance from the test rifle. When working with this BAR, I tried single loading as well as from a full magazine with no difference in group size. The recoil was a push instead of a hard jolt; in fact, I could feel the delay as the gas op-eration came into play. The BAR 3 is priced right, has high standards in fit and finish and is accurate.

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Winchester’s 125-grain Pointed Soft Point load grouped three shots in an inch at 100 yards.

BROWNINGB A R M a r k 3

Browning BAR Mark 3Specifications

Action: semiautomaticStock: grade II walnutCartridge tested: .30-06Cartridges available: from .243 Winchester to .300 Winchester MagnumBarrel length: 22 or 24 inches, depending upon caliberOverall length: 433⁄8 inches (.30-06)Sights: none furnished; receiver drilled and tappedWeight: 7 pounds, 2 ouncesFinish: high-polish bluing, oil-finished stockPrice: from $1,240 to $1,340 (magnums)Manufacturer: Browning Arms Morgan UT 84050 www.browning.com

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STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3, 1933, JULY 2, 1946 and JUNE 11, 1960 (74 STAT. 208), SHOWING THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT and CIRCULATION OF THE RIFLE MAGAZINE (PUBLICATION NO. 607-840). PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY AT PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, FOR NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2016.1. The name of the publisher is Don Polacek and the editor is Lee Hoots, Prescott, Arizona.2. The owner is Polacek Publishing Corporation, 2180 Gulf-stream, Ste. A, Prescott AZ 86301.3. The known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (if there are none, so state.) None.4. Paragraphs 2 and 3 include, in cases where the stock-holder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting; also, the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security hold-ers who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bonafide owner.5. The average number sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the 12 months preceding the date shown was: (This information is required by the act of June 11, 1960, to be included in all statements regardless of frequency of issue.) 78,268DONALD R. POLACEK, President

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