Wilson Combat Backcountry .358 Winchester Ultralight Ranger Rifle

The legendary and mighty Yukon that politely welcomed our riverine travels into moose country merely one day before was now in furious turmoil. Her massive and swift-moving currents were locked in a vicious brawl with violent and intensifying winds blasting upriver. The results were a force to be reckoned with. The conflict made itself known audibly as a continuous roar reminiscent of the breaking surf on a storm-ravaged ocean-side cliff, and visibly by the three-to-six-foot confused seas that stretched completely across her expanse. On this day, the main channel of the massive river had a name, and that name was “Death.”

It is difficult to describe the immensity of the Yukon River without observing it firsthand. At the river’s entry point into Alaska on the Canadian border, the Yukon’s immensity is impressive, but near her saltwater terminus, she is an absolute monster. The view across her expanse in some areas is reminiscent of the panorama you would anticipate while gazing across the Great Lakes and seeing the distant Canadian shoreline. Her most dramatic view one that can only be acquired from the boat challenging her main channel. This tableau is both magnificent and intimidating, because one can look both upriver and downriver and see only a vacant horizon…not a single, solitary hint of terra firma…only water and sky.

My hunting partner and I were fortunate on the petulant day previously under discussion, however. While the wind howled and the waves raged out on the open water, “Kenai Jay” and I were exploiting one of the river’s few weaknesses when she turned evil… her relatively calm side-channels. Compared to the main channel, the waterway on which we traveled was virtually a farm pond. From our skiff, Jay and I spotted a small meadow surrounded by a dark, canopied patch of birch and willows. It’s promise of cover and concealment sprang up from just beyond the steep riverbank along which we stealthily cruised. This…was the “moose-y” kind of spot we’d been searching for. Jay cut the motor and we silently drifted to shore.

With nary a clank of the anchor being driven into the bank’s soft clay, or the ding of a rifle barrel clinking off of our skiff’s aluminum gunwales, we disembarked and climbed the bank into the quiet, shadowy forest. Once there, we situated ourselves tactically in a tight cluster of birch and I let out a series of enticing“ come hither” moose cow calls that would drive all but the most stalwart of bull moose mad with desire. The only problem with this hunting strategy is that titillated and randy “moosu” (Algonquin for moose and translated as “bark stripper”) weren’t the only massive, well-muscled ice-age-sized mammals who may respond to this enticing “Siren’s song” straight out of Greek mythology. Massively capable Alaskan brown bears also roamed these woods and were an apex predator not to be taken lightly...especially when engaged in a stalk. When these late-season, ready to hibernate bruins’ natural urges to feed on anything that piqued their omnivorous palates were thrown into the mix, things could catastrophically go “south for the winter” with little or no warning. Thirty minutes passed after my last cow-call was swallowed by the shadowy forest without a single response. Jay and I were just about to pack up for the hike back to our boat when we heard a tree-branch of significant size snap, a mere fifty yards in front of our impromptu hide...followed by a second and third. The identity of the potential adversary generating those pulse-elevating sounds was yet unknown, but rapidly closing on our position through the thick brush facing us. Whatever happened next was going to happen at the distance of “danger close.”

It was “go time” for the Wilson Combat .358 Winchester Ultralight Ranger. This robustly powered black rifle, along with the 1-6x Trijicon AccuPoint TR25-C riding shotgun on its optics rail, was about to face up to the challenge for which it was designed. Something big was coming, and Bill Wilson’s brush-hunting masterpiece was about to become the final arbiter in a close encounter with one of the most iconic and powerful of all North American big game animals.

Wilson Combat originally blazed its name into the annals of CQB (Close Quarter Battle) and competition capable firearms with their customized lineup of up-engineered, highly tuned M1911’s in the late 1970’s. Founder Bill Wilson’s initial tradecraft of watchmaking paved the way for the precise engineering and craftsmanship inherent to the firearms that bear his company’s name. The industrial revolution may have provided the impetus in providing U.S. shooters with mass-produced, affordable, and practical firearms, but artisans like Bill Wilson were the driving force when it came to creating a market for masterfully built handguns and supplying shooting sports aficionados with highly tuned, precision-minded combat handguns.

When the MSR/AR revolution became a reality amongst mainstream U.S. shooters in the 1990’s, it was inevitable that Wilson Combat would enter the fray with a line of high-quality custom rifles to fill the niche for accurate, rugged, and reliable AR-based long arms. The current generation of Wilson Combat rifles reflects the varied needs of defensive shooters and hunters alike with tactical, competition-worthy, and pistol-based offerings. What the 49th state, and this Firearms News project required, however, was a “bad news bears” bush gun…and that is what we got, in spades, with the Ultralight Ranger.

Much like the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) combat aircraft is built around its 30mm GAU-8/A gatling gun, the Ultralight Ranger, in .358 Winchester, is built to sync up with its WC-10 receiver. The WC-10 designator may sound like just another shrewd marketing ploy developed to sound more hoity-toity than the commonly accepted AR-10 descriptor, but it is most assuredly not. The WC-10 platform does share one thing in common with standard AR-10 receivers: It is designed to handle more robust and powerful cartridges than its more diminutive sibling, the .223 Remington/5.56 NATO based AR-15 platform. Both the AR-10 and WC-10 platforms are capable of handling larger cartridges with inherently greater chamber pressures such as the .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester, and .358 Winchester. This, however, is where the two receiver’s common ground ends, the WC-10 thumbs its nose at the status quo and proceeds to strut its stuff.

Wilson Combat .358 Winchester Photo Gallery

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The WC-10 upper receiver is a proprietary and integral part of all AR-10 class rifles manufactured by Wilson Combat. This platform was designed and built by Bill Wilson and his team to address structural flaws and shortcomings inherent to standard AR-10 receivers. Wilson’s WC-10 uppers are manufactured at their Berryville facility from CNC machined 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum billets.

The WC-10’s foul-weather defeating finish is courtesy of its Mil-Spec, hard-coat type 3 anodization. Type 3 anodization is a more expensive process than other methods commonly utilized to toughen up the exterior of an aluminum receiver. Going this extra distance, however, results in one of the hardest and most scratch/wear resistant end products when compared to other anodization techniques currently available to firearm manufacturers. This ruggedizing process beefs up the oxidation layer of a receiver’s exterior exponentially…to the tune of up to 10,000 times its original density. In layman’s (or in my case, a physics/mathematically challenged person’s) terms, this process provides the WC-10 upper receiver with an unparalleled level of corrosion and scratch resistance. An added benefit of this process is that it provides the outer surface of Wilson uppers with natural onboard friction-reducing properties. This bonus plays a significant role in reducing resistance-based issues inherent to semi-automatic firearm actions.

The accuracy and reliability force multipliers for the Ultralight Ranger are its 16-inch match grade barrel, SLR Rifleworks adjustable gas block, and four-pound M2 Tactical Trigger Unit (TTU). The barrel of the Ultralight Ranger we carried into the Alaska bush was manufactured from 416R stainless steel ensconced in Wilson Combat’s proprietary “Armor-Tuff” finish. This finish is designed to withstand exposure to real world corrosives, both natural and man-made. These include environmental exposure to saltwater, aviation gas/jet fuel, industrial-strength acids and bases, hydraulic fluid, and other harsh, metal chewing substances. The Alaska-ready rifle featured a threaded muzzle (5/8" x 24) outfitted with a Wilson Combat Q-Comp muzzle brake.

Scope It Out! The Trijicon AccuPoint 3-18x50 TR34-C and 1-6x24 TR25-C

During my law enforcement career, and 25+ years of hunting the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, I’ve had the opportunity to test and evaluate numerous rifle optics from world-class manufacturers. On the subject of lowland hunting, however, where dangerous big game encounters can occur with lightning speed in terrible lighting conditions, the Trijicon AccuPoint and ACOG optics systems will always have my undying affection. During previous expeditions into the Alaska bush, these optics turned potentially failed hunts into dramatic victories and unequivocally saved my bacon during a close-quarter (15–20 feet) night encounter in thick alder and inky darkness with a predatory black bear.

The first AccuPoint to ride shotgun on the Ultralight Ranger was the 3-18x50 Trijicon TR34-C. The first mission tasked to the rifle would take place primarily on the wide-open mountain tops of Southeast Alaska where I would provide bear protection for a friend on a mountain goat hunt. Southeast Alaska’s Tongass rainforest did not fail to please, and the scope was subjected to a beatdown from not only the thick foliage a hunter has to fight through during his/her ascent to the high alpine, but also the brutal maritime weather conditions common to Alaska’s coastal mountains.

The optic also took a pounding from heavy wind-driven glacial silt while partnered up with the Ultralight Ranger as bear protection during several outings on the Kenai Peninsula. Simply battening down the hatches with Butler Creek scope caps mitigated any heartache from the extremely abrasive glacial silt that peppered us while hiking through river valleys fed by the Harding icefield.

A change in batting order occurred in early winter during preparation for a week-long early winter black tail deer hunt on Kodiak Island’s next of kin: The rain, wind, and snow savaged Afognak Island. The Gulf of Alaska driven weather during this hunt was brutal and consisted of an every-day diet of driving rain, sleet, and snow. The island also hosts a healthy population of massive, Pleistocene-era reminiscent coastal brown bears obsessed with making last ditch attempts to fatten up before hitting their dens for the winter. Late-season deer hunting on the island isn’t “just another walk in the park” … unless your idea of a park has “Jurassic” thrown into the title somewhere! The optic I chose for this hunt was the Trijicon 1-6x24 TR25-C. Its magnification was adequate, but more importantly, given potential ursine intervention, it is fast pointing.

The TR25-C would remain on the Wilson Combat for the Yukon River Moose hunt. Its magnification was perfect for the intermediate distances normally encountered during hunts in riverine, lowland areas choked with foliage and thick stands of birch, alder, and cottonwood. The TR25-C mounted on the Ultralight Ranger featured a duplex crosshair and brilliant green reticle illuminated with tritium and fiber optics. The optic weighed in at 19.2 ounces and sported a 30mm tube and a 24mm objective.

One of the features I love about the AccuPoint is its ability to function in close quarters and low light as a field expedient reflex sight. With the front scope cap snapped firmly in place, the fiber optic/tritium reticle is vividly set against a black backdrop. In this configuration, you keep both eyes open, with your non-dominant eye on the target and your dominant eye focused on the reticle. In this mode, your eyes sync up with your brain and the reticle is super-imposed on the target. This combination of illumination and contrast provides an operator with the ability to make an extremely well-aimed shot at close quarters under abysmal lighting conditions.

The scope performed as expected during sight-in and exceedingly well when I joined several of my law enforcement brothers and ran it through a tactical rifle course of fire. The AccuPoint was fast-pointing and accurate at both intermediate and close quarters while moving under timed conditions. It came as no surprise that the AccuPoint easily kept pace with the rifles carried by my brethren equipped with Aimpoint and EOTech red-dot sights. The measure of the AccuPoint’s mettle, however, would not take place in the clinical environment of a rifle range. Its “make or break” moment would unfold in that dark thicket along the Yukon River in remote Western Alaska.

Brush Busters: A Strong Dose of “Get Down and Stay Down” from Hornady and Winchester

Like most Alaska hunts, our Yukon River moose hunt went down in a remote region where the luxury of professional care is, in clinical terms, zilch. In our little slice of Southwest Alaska heaven, the closest hospital (or for that matter, nursing assistant, boy scout with a first aid merit badge, or stay at home mom whose only medical training is solely based on watching syndicated reruns of E.R., General Hospital, and Doogie House, M.D.) was at least eight to ten hours away…on a good day. Accordingly, any edge an outdoorsman can get over a potentially injurious big game critter should be exploited accordingly.

The “edge” we employed in concert with the Ultralight Ranger and AccuPoint for the Yukon hunt was the Hornady .358 Winchester 200 Grain InterLock SP. This bullet is rated for medium game ranging from white tail and mule deer to large game such as moose, elk, and bear and has a muzzle velocity of 2,475 feet per second. Pre-hunt range testing resulted in an average one-inch group at 100 yards (based on three five-shot groups) with the best group measuring ¾ of an inch. The Interlocks’ performance continued to prove worthy at the two-hundred-yard line with a two-inch average group and 1½ -inch “bestie.”

Winchester’s 200-grain Silvertips were also tested at the range for reliability and accuracy with satisfying results. Winchester’s iconic Silvertip round scored an average 1¼ -inch average group at 100 yards and exited the barrel at 2,490 feet per second. The Silvertip’s performance continued at 200 yards with an average 2¼ inch group (with the best group measuring 1¾ inches). All groups shot during accuracy testing were fired from a solid bench rest position utilizing the 3-18x50 Trijicon TR34-C riflescope. The .358 Winchester is a cartridge that accomplished everything it was designed for. Despite its efficacy in putting the period at the end of any sentence involving bush-country hunting at close to intermediate ranges, the cartridge remained in the shadows of other commonly accepted “brush gun” rounds like the .35 Remington, .30-30, and .45-70.

While the .358 Winchester may not be a household name among shooters, the cartridge is not a round to be discounted. When utilized for its intended purpose, the .358 Winchester is exceedingly capable of accomplishing the mission it was designed for: harvesting medium and large game at short and intermediate distances. In 1955, Winchester employed a simple but practical design modification of the legendary .308 Winchester cartridge to create an effective round intended for big game hunting applications at short and intermediate ranges. Quite simply, they necked up the .308 Winchester. From that seemingly simple act, the .358 Winchester was born.

The .358’s primary raison d’être was simple: kill medium and large game efficiently and humanely. It goes without saying that the .308 Winchester is a proven and capable round, and with well-thought-out loads can serve as a competitive rival to its necked-up progeny. When a big game animal is closing on your position at close quarters in thick foliage, however, the .358 Winchester’s combination of bullet weight, size, and velocity give it an edge over its parent cartridge. To hunters in the field, the .358 Winchester’s energy transfer and deep penetration capabilities are extremely critical when their quarry approaches them at close quarters from a difficult angle. The ante is upped even further when failure means getting turned into a “not so happy meal” by a furry 800-pound land-shark with claws and teeth, or stomped into a pile of grits with a side order of marinara sauce by a 1,200 pound swamp-donkey. So, with that bit of foreshadowing, let’s get back to those deep, dark woods on the Yukon!

Danger Close

When we last left off, Kenai Jay and I were facing off with an inbound adversary of unknown make or model (could be a love-starved moose, could be a “hangry” interior grizzly/brown bear). The inevitability of its approach was accentuated by the loud snapping of branches and twigs and sound signature of foliage being swept aside in its wake. Given the confining nature of the terrain and vegetation, Jay and I had limited options for a hasty or tactical retreat, and it was readily apparent that one of one thing was about to happen. A gunfight with something really big. Jay took advantage of a fork in the branches of a birch tree directly in front of him and utilized it as a field expedient rest. He readied the Ultralight Ranger for the business about to be conducted. I followed suit with my KDE Customs .300 Winchester Magnum bolt-gun from a kneeling position.

The riddle of what was shambling toward us was revealed in an explosion of brown fur and green foliage. The thick stand of willow and birch directly in front of our position parted and a respectable (and extremely randy) Yukon bull-moose crashed through. Thanks to my Air Supply love song reminiscent cow calls, the bull was in full-on “Tinder swipe right” mode. Of more concern was how accurately he pinpointed the location from whence the siren’s song of amore had originated. The bull’s radar dish antlers and Dumbo-sized ears did their job well. Its 900+ pound lovesick frame was homing in on me with a burning look of love in his eyes, and something else entirely going on in his no-no parts. He was a beastly, sexually aggressive, grossly well-fed fellow that would not likely take “no” for an answer…and that never results in a happy ending for anyone. Just ask Harvey Weinstein.

With the “highly motivated” bull rapidly closing on our position, Kenai Jay was now faced with a quandary: At 35 yards, the bull was at a range where Jay could make a laser-beam, pinpoint-precision shot. The “nature abhors a vacuum” problem was the only shot angle afforded to Jay was of the straight-on variety. Not unlike the browser history on Hunter Biden’s laptop, or a portfolio of Joy Behar boudoir shots, this angle is to be avoided like the plague. Unlike broadside or quartering shots, the amount of muscle tissue through which the projectile must pass at a full-frontal angle to effectively strike a vital organ (heart and lungs) is increased exponentially. A second consideration is the angle-induced impossibility of accomplishing a double lung strike. Lastly, due to a longer wound-path, ballistic instability fomented by varying tissue density and muscle structure could result in the bullet veering off-course and completely missing the vital organs necessary to ensure a clean, human harvest.

Kenai Jay made a swift decision based on his skill with a rifle, knowledge of the moose’s anatomy, and trust in the down-range capability and accuracy of the Wilson Combat/Trijicon weapon system. He took careful aim, steadied his breathing, pushed the trigger, and placed a single, well-aimed 200 grain Interlock into the bull’s neck. The Hornady barnburner struck the bull’s neck center mass and directly under its chin with immediate and definitive results. The big moose dropped to the ground and expired. Its spinal cord and major neck arteries devastated by the terminal ballistics of the .358 Winchester projectile.

The Ultralight Ranger we tested in Alaska spent two tough years traveling through the most unforgiving terrain and conditions in the world. During the rifle’s far-north odyssey, it proved itself in multiple roles that demonstrated its bomb-proof design, accuracy, and reliability:

• Bear protection while accompanying a friend on a mountain goat hunt in the steep, soggy, and foliage-choked coastal mountains of the Tongass rain forest in Southeast Alaska.
• Black and brown bear protection while handgun hunting solo in the wind-swept glacial valleys and deep, dark, foliage-choked woods of the Kenai Peninsula.
• Brown bear protection and black tail deer hunting in the brutal weather conditions of early winter on Afognak Island in the Gulf of Alaska.
• Moose hunting in remote southwest Alaska in the thick bush of the Yukon River basin.

The rifle performed absolutely flawlessly and withstood every beatdown and soaking the 49th state could muster. During my time with the rifle, there was only one component I felt compelled to modify: the Smoke Composites carbon fiber butt stock. I believe this stock would have worked for a larger shooter, but since I’m short enough to have a staring contest with Peter Dinklage and commonly get asked if I need a booster seat when dining at family restaurants, its length of pull was a bit much. The Smoke Composites stock also proved unwieldy while securely riding in a center-scabbard backpack while scaling steep Tongass rainforest slopes choked with nightmare-thick brush and alder.

The Ultralight Ranger’s fixed, non-collapsible stock had an almost mystical, magnet-like ability to get snagged by tree branches and other foliage nearly every ten feet up those already difficult to scale mountains. In the spirit of transparency, I’ll admit that as the aforementioned technical difficulties unfolded, I may have said some things that likely made my good ol’ mom’s ears ring all the way down in the Buckeye State. All of this could have been avoided by a single mod: the installation of a Magpul SL-S multi-position stock. The weight added to the rifle after this changeout (11.6 ounces) was a price I was happy to pay in order to resolve the previously mentioned length of pull issue. An added benefit of this modification was the rifle’s newfound packability thanks to the collapsible SL-S and a decreased footprint/profile when stowed in a backpack.

Another necessary addition to the Ultralight Ranger was a Magpul MS1 quick-detach sling. Whether you are involved in tactical, defensive, or hunting related activities, a rugged, practical sling is a must-have. The MS1 is guilty of possessing all of these attributes. Its versatility allowed me to carry the weapon in the shoulder-carry and patrol-carry positions easily and comfortably. The final components tested were AR-10 compatible magazines. During accuracy and reliability testing the Magpul “PMAG” 10, 20, and 25 rounders were tested alongside 20-round Lancer magazines. I had previous experience with AR-10 magazines manufactured by these firms while involved in tactical operations with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Testing these magazines under arduous field conditions with the Ultralight Ranger reaffirmed my trust in them. They performed perfectly…across the boards. No surprises are good surprises.

The Ultralight Ranger: Built to Battle Rigorous Conditions and Tough Adversaries!

The Ultralight Ranger is one of the toughest, most rugged AR-10 variants currently available to shooters in need of a serious, short to intermediate range big game or defensive rifle. I carried this Wilson Combat masterpiece for nearly two years as my primary rifle while traveling the wilds of Alaska and my enthusiasm for it never failed. When it came to surviving the “S”(as in Sierra)-show that is Alaska’s coastal weather conditions, the Ranger did significantly more than hold its own. It won…and not by Judge’s decision but rather a total knock-out. The Ultralight Ranger was exposed to saltwater spray and a mixed bag of rain, snow, and sleet without falling victim to corrosion or rust. No matter what brand of “climatic ugly” was thrown at it, it hammered back with its precipitation-battling finish.

In relation to its engineering, this Wilson Combat rifle is rock solid, the type of weapon you could grab on to with both hands and shake with wild abandon until the crack of doom without hearing the single rattle of a loose component or poorly fit part. Its clean lines, sleek profile, world-class ergonomics, and light weight design make for a modern sporting rifle that is easy to operate while on the move or when firing from difficult positions or uncooperative terrain. It is also the rifle that will “always be there for you,” showcasing reliability synced to its engineering and design. I fired nearly 300 rounds down range from the Ultralight Ranger without cleaning the action and just like something you would never see Brian Stelter do (unless he was in a footrace to snag a triple quarter-pounder with cheese value meal just before closing time at Mickey D’s), it RAN!

The Wilson Combat Ultralight Ranger is a heart attack serious hunting and defensive weapon platform. Whether your foe is an 800–1,200-pound fur-covered land shark or assailants of the two-legged variety intent on doing you or your loved ones harm, this longarm is an accurate, reliable, and granite-tough rifle capable of launching heavy grain projectiles at velocities adequate to defeat thick muscle, bone, or cover while retaining penetration and knockdown power. When combined with the Trijicon Accupoint TR25-C 1-6x24, it is a weapon system fast and formidable enough to take on any adversary on the North American continent…anytime, anywhere, and in any climatic condition.

Wilson Combat Ultralight Ranger Rifle

• Caliber: .358 Winchester
• Barrel Length: 16 in. match grade, threaded with Q-Comp, SLR Rifleworks adjustable gas block
• Overall Length: 37 in. 
• Weight: 7 lbs., 6 oz. 
• Trigger: 4 lbs., tactical trigger unit
• Bolt Carrier Group: Premium Mil-Spec
• Receivers: Lightweight billet upper (Flat Top) and billet lower
• Stocks: Smoke composite carbon fiber closed-shoulder buttstock, Mission First Tactical pistol grip, Wilson Combat M-LOK Rail (suitable for gas block coverage) with three Falcon/Ergo rail covers
• MSRP: $3,400 (base price)
• Contact: Wilson Combat

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About the Author

Rikk Rambo is a United States Army veteran and served as a LE officer, Deputy US Marshal and over 20 years as a DEA Special Agent. He has over three decades of experience hunting, fishing and hiking in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Caribbean and Alaska and 17 years of experience hunting Brown Bear, Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Musk Ox, Caribou and Moose. He is an avid shooter and outdoorsman who brings a unique perspective to his writing.   

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