This story features a unique, American-designed rimfire rifle, chambered for the potent .17 HMR round. The current generation T-Bolt has a tang-mounted ambidextrous safety, a choice of barrel contours, lengths, and finishes, and a variety of stock options. What sets the T-Bolt apart from other rimfire rifles is the way the action cycles. There is not a conventional bolt that requires four distinct motions (lift bolt handle up/pull back/move forward/rotate handle down). With the T-Bolt you simply pull the handle straight back to extract a round, then return it forward to chamber a new round from the Double Helix magazine. The cocking effort is divided between back pull and forward movement so the effort is relatively light and easy.
Among current rimfire rifles, the Browning T-Bolt ranks high for fit and finish. The bluing is very nice and the T-Bolt even boasts a gold-plated trigger shoe. Many different stock types have been offered in recent years including some very nice AA Maple stock models as shown below (click to zoom). These T-Bolt rifles exhibit very fine craftmanship. Current models are made in Japan under license to Browning.
Click image for full-screen T-Bolt photo with detail.
Browning T-Bolt Sporter AA Maple Model
RECEIVER – Steel; High polished finish; Drilled and tapped for scope mounts
BARREL – Medium Sporter; Blued finish; Free-floating; Semi-match chamber; Recessed crown
ACTION – Straight pull bolt action; Top-tang safety; Adjustable trigger
STOCK – AA Maple; Gloss finish; Checkered
FEATURES – Sling swivel studs installed
PRODUCTION – Limited quantities
T-Bolt Owner Talks about Function and Accuracy
“I have a Browning T-bolt in .17 HMR, but with the maple stock. It is probably my favorite .17 HMR rifle (also the most expensive). The rifle feels smaller than some of my other .17 HMR rifles. I think the length of pull is a little shorter. I do like the light weight and trim handling of the rifle and the straight-pull bolt can be cycled really quickly. Mine is quite accurate and will shoot one-inch groups at 100 yards with both Hornady ammo and the CCI A17 ammo.” — RexRay, Varminter.com Forum member.
Pros and Cons of the Browning T-Bolt
The T-Bolt has a reputation for good accuracy, provided you have a good lot of .17 HMR ammo (we recommend checking for bullet run-out before you shoot for groups). The straight-pull action works as advertised — it is fast, smooth, and easy-to-operate. The Double Helix magazine (covered below) is excellent. It is very compact yet ultra-reliable. Another plus is that the T-Bolt has been produced in many different versions, with a variety of stocks, and even a stainless action version.
What are the negatives? Some of the stocks have a somewhat short length-of-pull, but this is easily solved with spacers. The main complaint is the factory trigger — some owners say it is too heavy at about 4 pounds, though the break is clean. For varmint work, we could live with the stock trigger and put money saved into optics.
If you prefer a very light trigger, JARD makes a T-Bolt replacement trigger. Featuring an aluminum housing, the JARD T-Bolt trigger can be ordered with 12-, 16-, or 20-ounce pull weights. The JARD trigger offers a crisp, clean break significantly lighter than stock. But at $249.99 the JARD trigger is fairly expensive. Additionally there have been a couple complaints about slam fires at the lowest weights so we recommend the 20-ounce. Here is one owner review, from a Rimfire Central thread: “The new Browning T-Bolt is a great rifle in all aspects except for the trigger. In my case when I received my JARD trigger it was an almost drop-in installation with very little adjusting or fooling around. For me it made a decent little rifle a great little rifle.”
Browning Double Helix 10-Round Magazine
The T-Bolt’s patented 10-round rotary Double Helix™ magazine is a unique design that feeds very reliably and is easy to load. The Double Helix magazine uses a torsion drive spring and interlocking gear design to maintain correct timing and exact cartridge alignment for smooth, reliable feeding. The translucent gray body allows for easy verification of the number of remaining cartridges. We like the fact that the Double Helix provides TEN-round capacity while fitting nearly flush with the bottom of the action.
The Browning Double Helix rotary box magazine system is easy to load, easy to carry, and easy to use. The smooth, rounded exterior contours of the Double Helix, along with twin gripping grooves, tapered shape and a slightly extended baseplate design make insertion positive, while the spring-assisted drop-free magazine ejection feature allows for rapid magazine changes. T-bolt owners confirm that feeding and reliability is excellent — the magazine design puts cartridges in perfect alignment with the chamber.
Other Browning T-Bolt Variants
In recent years, Browning has produced T-Bolt rifles in a variety of models, with many different stock types and various barrel lengths/contours. Most of the photos above showcase the AA Maple Sporter T-Bolt, which is currently out of production, though still available from some dealers (if you search). We like the looks of the AA Maple T-Bolt, but there many other stock options including dark brown, Black, Green, and various camouflage finishes. Use the links below to see all the T-Bolt configurations.
Here are 4 other T-Bolt variants, first the new-for-2021 T-Bolt Target with muzzle brake, then the Limited Edition Cerakote T-Bolt Speed model, and two discontinued T-Bolts, a composite-stocked carbon finish model and a Varmint Special with stainless action and thumbhole laminated stock. Current production T-Bolts are offered in three rimfire chamberings: .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR. Barrel contours and lengths (from 16.5″ to 22″) vary from model to model.
Do you like the T-Bolt? Well there is a 5% Off Rebate Program available right now that covers the T-Bolt and all other Browning firearms.
.17 HMR Cartridge — Fast and Deadly on Small Varmints
We are big fans of the .17 HMR round. It’s just about perfect for ground squirrels, and is effective on prairie dogs out to about 200 yards. The three main .17 HMR producers have been CCI, Federal, and Hornady. Choose from 17gr or 20gr bullets — both work well in the varmint fields. Norma also makes .17 HMR ammo with 17gr V-Max bullets. This Norma .17 HMR ammo has shown very good accuracy.
CCI .17 HMR TNT offers 2650 FPS Velocity
For varmint work we like CCI’s latest .17 HMR VNT ammo. This boasts class-leading 2650 FPS muzzle velocity. Engineered to combine good accuracy with high impact energy, this CCI TNT ammo features a 17gr polymer-tipped bullet designed for rapid expansion. We also like the Norma .17 HMR ammo. “With outstanding accuracy and excellent energy transfer… The .17 HMR has a very loyal following among hunters and target shooters alike”, said Paul Lemke, G.M. for Norma/RUAG.
This video shows the process of cut-rifled barrel-making by Krieger Barrels, one of the world’s best barrel manufacturers. Krieger cut-rifled barrels have set numerous world records and are favored by many top shooters. The video show the huge, complex machines used — bore-drilling equipment and hydraulic riflers. You can also see how barrels are contoured, polished, and inspected.
For anyone interested in accurate rifles, this is absolutely a “must-watch” video. Watch blanks being cryogenically treated, then drilled and lathe-turned. Next comes the big stuff — the massive rifling machines that single-point-cut the rifling in a precise, time-consuming process. Following that you can see barrels being contoured, polished, and inspected (with air gauge and bore-scope). There is even a sequence showing chambers being cut.
Click Arrow to Watch Krieger Barrels Video:
Here is a time-line of the important barrel-making processes shown in the video. You may want to use the “Pause” button, or repeat some segments to get a better look at particular operations. The numbers on the left represent playback minutes and seconds.
Krieger Barrel-Making Processes Shown in Video:
00:24 – Cryogenic treatment of steel blanks
00:38 – Pre-contour Barrels on CNC lathe
01:14 – Drilling Barrels
01:28 – Finish Turning on CNC lathe
01:40 – Reaming
01:50 – Cut Rifling
02:12 – Hand Lapping
02:25 – Cut Rifling
“At the start of World War Two, Pratt & Whitney developed a new, ‘B’ series of hydraulically-powered rifling machines, which were in fact two machines on the same bed. They weighed in at three tons and required the concrete floors now generally seen in workshops by this time. Very few of these hydraulic machines subsequently became available on the surplus market and now it is these machines which are sought after and used by barrel makers like John Krieger and ‘Boots’ Obermeyer. In fact, there are probably less of the ‘B’ series hydraulic riflers around today than of the older ‘Sine Bar’ universal riflers.” — Geoffrey Kolbe, Border Barrels.
With the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, plus the anti-gun rhetoric coming out of Washington, it’s important to have some diversions from the unsettling news. To help get your mind off COVID and the ongoing attacks on the Second Amendment, here are some great FREE BOOKS to read. You can download these to your computer, laptop, or tablet, and read them whenever you like.
Do you enjoy classic hunting adventures from around the globe? Then log on to the NitroExpress.com Forum. There you’ll find links for literally hundreds of vintage hunting stories, and even complete books, such as Teddy Roosevelt’s classic African Game Trails and Good Hunting, plus the wonderful book African Campfires by Stewart E. White, one of Roosevelt’s close friends and hunting companions.
Among the downloadable titles are The Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo (leaflet edition) by Lt.Col. J. H. Patterson, the true tale that inspired the Hollywood movie, The Ghost and the Darkness, staring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer. The online version of the Man-Eaters of Tsavo book (right) is a shorter, 140-page edition created for Chicago’s Field Museum, which purchased the skins of the lions from Patterson and put them on display.
Get ready to sign up folks! Registration for the 2021 NRA National Championships for Smallbore Rifle, High Power Rifle, F-Class, and Precision Pistol opens in five days. Online registration will open at 9:00 am Eastern Time on Thursday, April 8, 2021.
These 2021 NRA Championships will be held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, from July 6, 2021 through August 28, 2021. Camp Atterbury has hosted the High Power Rifle Nationals since 2017. Here is the schedule:
Smallbore Rifle Championship: 6-18 July, 2021
Precision Pistol Championship: 20-25 July, 2021
F-Class Mid-Range Championship: 21-25 July, 2021
F-Class Long Range Championship: 27-30 July, 2021
Fullbore Championship: 1-7 August, 2021
High Power Mid-Range Championship: 9-13 August, 2021
High Power Long Range Championship: 14-19 August, 2021
ELR 1-Mile Championship: 20-21 August, 2021
Over-the-Course (OTC) Competition: 22-28 August, 2021
NOTE: Listed dates include registration/sign-up and/or practice day, and award ceremony.
See 2021 Camp Atterbury NRA National Championships calendar below. CLICK to view larger, full-screen, printable image that is easier to read. ENLARGE (+ with mouse) after loading to read small print.
CLICK CALENDAR to VIEW Full-screen PDF then click Enlarge (+)
Above is the Official Calendar for the 2021 NRA National Championships at Camp Atterbury. The 2021 NRA Nationals start with the Smallbore Championships, July 6 through Sunday, July 18. The Precision Pistol National Championships begin on Tuesday, July 20. The F-Class Mid-Range Nationals start July 22, with F-Class Long-Range commencing on July 27. Moving on to High Power Rifle, the Fullbore event runs August 1-7, while the Mid-Range Nationals begin on Tuesday, August 9, followed by the Long-Range Nationals starting on August 14, 2021. Then the NRA Extreme Long-Range (ELR) Championship begins on Friday, August 20 and concludes Saturday, August 21.
John Parker, Shooting Sports USA Editor, says this should be an exciting summer for rifle shooters: “As for High Power Rifle, the 2021 NRA Mid-Range, Long-Range, F-Class Long-Range, F-Class Mid-Range and International Fullbore Championships will also be fired at Camp Atterbury. The matches will begin on July 23 and run through August 29. Plus, the Extreme Long-Range Championship is slated to return on August 20…. This popular event that debuted in 2017 at Camp Atterbury is a can’t-miss for ELR competitors [with] targets at one mile and beyond.”
To learn more about the 2021 NRA Nationals, visit compete.nra.org. And for the latest updates, subscribe to the free Shooting Sports USA Insider newsletter.
This Easter Weekend Save 10% off Creedmoor Brand Products with Promo Code EASTER.
Here’s good news for shooters getting their gear for the 2021 season. Creedmoor Sports is now offering 10% OFF all Creedmoor brand products. If you need a quality shooting coat, shooting mat, scope stand, sling, glove, data book, or other shooting accessory, here’s your chance to save. Hundreds of Creedmoor-branded products are 10% OFF through Monday, April 5, 2021 at 12:00 PM CST.
CLICK HERE to see all the discounted products. Remember, to get the 10% Discount you need to use Discount Code “EASTER” during checkout. Below are some of the best-selling Creedmoor brand shooting sports products on sale.
Here are some of the quality Creedmoor brand items on SALE:
Three Shots Standing at 400 Yards in 4.37 Seconds Could you hit a silhouette target at 400 yards, shooting offhand? Probably, with a little practice. Now try doing that three times in just 4.37 seconds, including picking up/mounting the rifle! Not possible? Watch the legendary Jerry Miculek do that in this impressive demonstration of rapid-fire rifle shooting.
Jerry Miculek — that name is synonymous with revolvers. But Jerry is also one heck of a rifleman, as he demonstrates in this video. Grabbing his AR rifle from the top of an oil drum, Miculek proceeds to put shots on three different steel targets at 400 yards — all in under 4.4 seconds. Most of us would be lucky to make one successful shot in that time limit. Watch the successful 3-shot sequence starting at 2:19 time-mark in the video.
In this video, Jerry hits not one but THREE c-zone targets at 400 yards. And he does this in under 4.4 seconds starting with his rifle laying on a support. It took Jerry two tries (on his first run he hit 2 out of 3 in 4.65 seconds). On the second attempt (see video starting at 2:19), it takes Jerry just 4.37 seconds to shoulder his rifle, aim, and fire three shots, each hitting a separate steel target. Wow. That’s truly remarkable. Most of us would need ten seconds (or more) just to get the scope on the first target.
Trust us folks, this ain’t easy. It takes remarkable marksmanship skills to shoot with this kind of precision at this kind of pace. As Jerry would say himself, “Not bad for an old guy who needs glasses”.
The firearms and shooting accessories price-search website Gun.Deals has created a useful collection of new long guns for 2021. These run the gamut from tactical rifles to classic lever-action guns. There are new super light-weight models such as the Savage 110 Ultralite and the Nosler Model 48 Carbon Mtn. Rifle with carbon-stock and carbon-wrapped barrel. For young shooters, or folks looking for a fun yet very affordable .22 LR rig, there is the Winchester Wildcat 22 Suppressor Ready. And if you like something new and very different, there is the brand new straight-pull Savage Impulse Big Game. SEE ALL RIFLES.
From these 10 rifles, here are three of our favorites:
Springfield Armory Waypoint
The new Model 2020 Waypoint rifles feature optional carbon-wrapped barrels, TriggerTech triggers, and carbon-fiber, hand-painted camo stocks. The excellent TriggerTech trigger easily adjusts from 2.5 to 5.0 pounds. The base Model 2020 Waypoint has a fluted stainless barrel. The carbon-wrapped barrel is an extra-cost option, as is the adjustable cheekpiece.
Savage Impulse Straight-Pull Rifle
Savage’s new Impulse series of straight-pull bolt rifles is the first American-designed and crafted straight-pull centerfire rifle. The new Impulse features an innovative Hexlock bolt-locking mechanism with six spherical bearings that move radially outward into a ring in the barrel extension, thereby locking the bolt in place. That barrel extension is held in the receiver assembly by four cross-bolts on the lower front section. Ahead of the barrel extension is a conventional recoil lug and a familiar Savage barrel nut.
Winchester Wildcat 22 Suppressor Ready
Winchester has introduced a Wildcat SR, a suppressor-ready version of its popular Wildcat 22 semi-auto .22 LR rifle. This new Wildcat SR comes with a 16.5″ barrel threaded 1/2-28 TPI at the muzzle (with muzzle cap). This will allow the Wildcat SR to fit most rimfire suppressors as well as many muzzle brakes.
“SCATT” — if you’re an Olympic Class air rifle or smallbore competitor you know what SCATT means. The Russian-made SCATT is a marksmanship training system with an electro-optical sensor that fits on the end of a barrel. The sensor “sees” the target and then tracks your muzzle movement relative to the center of the target, recording a “trace” that can be displayed on a computer. The latest SCATT MX-02 unit works for live-fire training as well as dry-fire training. To learn more about the SCATT electronic trainers, visit SCATTUSA.com.
Pro shooter Kirsten Joy Weiss demonstrates the SCATT MX-02 electronic training system:
The system traces and records valuable information such as hold pattern, shot hold duration, follow-through, recoil pattern, and much more. The latest SCATT MX-02 systems can be used both indoors and outdoors up to 300 meters (and possibly more). READ FULL SCATT MX-02 TEST HERE.
SCATT traces reveal muzzle movements during the aiming process.
Kirsten Joy Weiss, a top-level competitive position shooter, has tested the latest SCATT MX-02 training systtem. She put the MX-02 through its paces, and then produced an informative video that shows how it works. Click on the video above to see Kirsten use the MX-02 with her Anschütz rifle and other guns.
Kirsten was impressed with the SCATT MX-02 she tested:
“We live with tech woven into our every day, so if you had the chance to work with a computer to make you a better shooter — would you? Can a computer train you as well as your favorite coach or, dare to say, better than a human?”
Weiss says it’s like having a little coach with you recording your every move. “If R2D2 had a cousin who knew how to shoot,” Weiss quips, “his name would be the MX-02″.
The SCATT MX-02 can also be used with target pistols.
CMP 2021 National Matches at Camp Perry — Registration
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has commenced registration for the 2021 National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio. Guests may sign up for the historic annual event beginning April 1, 2021 on the CMP website.
The 2021 National Matches kicks off with the Pistol phase on July 12, featuring 1911 As-Issued Match, Military & Police, GLOCK, Service Pistol EIC matches and Pistol Small Arms Firing School. New Pistol events have been added to the 2021 NM calender.
Following the Pistol series is the CMP’s Smallbore program. This will include 3-position, prone, and team matches for competitors of all ages. For the first time, a Smallbore Small Arms Firing School will be conducted for new and experienced marksmen, led by members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.
The remainder of the National Matches schedule includes modern and vintage Rifle competitions: Garand, Springfield and M1 Carbine matches, Rimfire Sporter, President’s Rifle, National Trophy Individual — plus several other favorites enjoyed by scores of competitors each year.
A 4-Man Team event and 800 Aggregate will also be fired on the CMP’s High Power electronic targets. The National Matches Rifle events will conclude in August with the Long Range series, fired on Camp Perry’s Viale Range.
During the summer, the National Match Air Gun events will be held at the CMP’s indoor airgun range, the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center. The air-conditioned range, which features state-of-the-art electronic targets, will be open throughout the National Match weeks. Rental equipment and pellets are available for a small fee.
New Product Demonstrations at 2021 National Matches
Also new in 2021, the CMP has created Industry Days. Conducted during the Pistol and Rifle phases Industry Days will feature vendor stations located around Camp Perry. Displays will highlight new technology with live-fire demonstrations and other interactive product demos.
By means of an Executive Order signed yesterday, U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered a ban on ALL military words/terms considered sexist or culturally insensitive. The President has ordered the Pentagon to immediately determine replacement nomenclature for offensive words such as “cockpit” and “chief”. Starting today, all military communications must be “gender-neutral” and not male-centric. To address the issue, the Pentagon is now forming a “Rapid Gender Neutralization Force” with top generals and admirals from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Phase One funding of $126.9 million has been allocated from the 2021 U.S. Special Operations budget to handle the Gender Neutralization project.
Among the military nouns, verbs, adjectives and acronyms that will be banned are the terms listed below, with the reason for the ban, and proposed replacements.
Cockpit — Not Gender Neutral (New: Pilot Enclosure) Airman/Airmen — Not Gender Neutral (New: Aviator/Aviators) Broadside — Offensive to Female Navy Personnel (New: Full Fire Sequence) Chief and Chief of Staff — Native American Cultural Appropriation (New: Leader, Leader of Group) Foxhole — Offensive to Female Infantry Personnel (New: Person Pit) ASDIC — Offensive to Female Navy Personnel (New: Anti-Submarine Sonar ASS)
Military Phonetic Alphabet Changes (Mandatory Immediately)
In addition to the ordered changes in specific military terminology (as listed above), all U.S. Armed Services will immediately start using new Radio Phonetic Call-outs for particular letters of the alphabet. Here are the new Mandatory Radio/Telephone Comms Alphabet terms (with others pending):
“G Golf” (Issue — Golf, favored by white elites, perpetuates systemic racism) Replaced with “G Grim”. “P Papa” (Issue — Not LGBTQ tolerant) Replaced with gender-neutral “P Parent”. “K Kilo” (Issue — Promotes drug trafficking) Replaced with “K Kamala”. “R Romeo” (Issue — Promotes male patriarchy) Replaced with “R Reset”. “W Whisky” (Issue — Promotes alcohol abuse) Replaced with “W Woke”. “Z Zulu” (Issue — Racism, Cultural Appropriation) — Replaced with “Z Zealot”
The phonetic alphabet is a list of words used to identify letters in a message transmitted by radio and/or telephone. The phonetic alphabet can also be signaled with flags, lights, and Morse Code.
Is it Time for Major Changes in Our Military Language?
For many years, U.S. and NATO military leaders have called for progressive, inclusive terminology changes. Here are three recent articles in highly-respected military journals discussing the issue:
We need gender-neutral words to attract female service personnel:
“Why is adopting gender-neutral language so difficult for the Armed Forces? In 2017, a training establishment was widely ridiculed in the press for having suggested a fairly mild list of gender-neutral terms to replace words such as ‘chaps’ and ‘manpower’. Gendered language does more than just give offence[.] The real effects are … insidious, perpetuating stereotypes, damaging recruitment and retention and undermining the ability of the Armed Forces to harness the talents of its people. At the most severe, it affects mental health, damages unit cohesion and undermines operational effectiveness.”
The horrible effects of military-forged toxic masculinity spills over into the business world:
“Military language infused in business systematically elevates traditionally ‘masculine’ qualities and traits as most … valued and important for moving up into the ranks of leadership. Those who don’t fit the mold struggle to rise. The cycle of ‘institutionalized masculinity’ represents a textbook example of how any ‘ism’ becomes institutionalized — racism, sexism, ageism, and anything else that gets ingrained and perpetuated into culture, ultimately reinforcing the status quo and keeping others on the fringe.”
U.S. Male and Female Soldiers Show New Gender-Neutral Combat Uniforms
Along with gender-neutral words, many military leaders now favor gender-neutral uniforms for all personnel. Shown above are U.S. soldiers field-testing a new gender-neutral combat uniform. It is believed that the U.S. Army is seriously considering issuing this type of combat clothing for the U.S. Army Rangers, which will be renamed the “Rangerettes” in accord with President Biden’s Executive Order.
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UK Military leaders agree we must rid the English language of oppressive gendered language:
“Gendered language permeates the very fabric of the UK’s Armed Forces, from personnel answering the phone with ‘Sir’ to the widespread use of terms such as ‘unmanned’ and ‘airman’. The use of language that is male-centric only serves to create an image that the armed forces are made up only of men, when increasingly they are not.
It’s not about being ‘woke’ — Defense consultant Dr. Alex Walmsley said the debate around the use of gendered language is ‘evolving in a good way’ adding that the push to change the language used in defense was not just about ‘being woke’.
The idea of a woman performing a job whose title implies she is a man, even though women are able to serve in every role in the UK’s Armed Forces, means that change is a ‘no-brainer’. It is not a big deal; we’re not asking for HMS Prince of Wales to be called ‘Princess of Wales’, Walmsley pointed out.”
Gendered language is not only damaging to women, but also non-binary or transgender service members and defense industry professionals. Changing the words you use is such a minor thing[.] Retiring the term ‘manpower’ in favor of ‘personnel’ does not suddenly mean the UK can no longer conduct a freedom of navigation exercise in the South China Sea. — Emma Salisbury Ph.D.
What are the negatives? Some of the stocks have a somewhat short length-of-pull, but this is easily solved with spacers. The main complaint is the factory trigger — some owners say it is too heavy at about 4 pounds, though the break is clean. For varmint work, we could live with the stock trigger and put money saved into optics.
In recent years, Browning has produced T-Bolt rifles in a variety of models, with many different stock types and various barrel lengths/contours. Most of the photos above showcase the AA Maple Sporter T-Bolt, which is currently out of production, though still available from some dealers (if you search). We like the looks of the AA Maple T-Bolt, but there many other stock options including dark brown, Black, Green, and various camouflage finishes. Use the links below to see all the T-Bolt configurations.
Among the downloadable titles are 
