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July 25th, 2009

3P Smallbore Competition at Camp Perry

The NRA Blog provides daily updates from the NRA National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry. Over the past couple of days the Smallbore three-position (3P) events have been held, and the NRA Blog has syndicated videos of the competition. Linked below are Thre videos of the Smallbore 3P “optical” division. The first video shows the prone phase, while the second shows the standing event. Note that, even in the difficult standing position, the shooters can hold their rifles very steady. That takes years of disciplined training.

YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image

CLICK HERE to watch full-width HD versions on YouTube.com.

Permalink - Videos, Competition 1 Comment »
July 25th, 2009

Bargain Travel Cases for Long-Barreled Rifles

Our readers often ask where they can find bargain-priced, well-constructed soft cases that will hold rifles with 28″ or longer barrels. Right now Sierra Trading Post has two heavy-duty Allen soft cases on sale at very attractive prices. Both these bags are more heavily padded than the typical soft gun case. The 52″ version features plastic side panels to provide extra padding around the center section of your rifle.

AccurateShooter Allen Rifle Case

The 52″-long Allen Elite Cross-over Utility case (above) will fit shotguns and rifles with barrels up to 31″. This features a nylon shell with molded composite panels at impact points and thick, 1″ foam padding inside. You may have to remove very large scopes. Sierra’s price is just $27.96, and these cases typically sell for about $40.00 retail.

AccurateShooter Allen Rifle Case
AccurateShooter Allen Rifle Case

Shown above, the tan-colored Allen Scoped Rifle Case is 49.5″ long, so it will fit rifles with barrels up to 28″ in length. It is marked down to just $24.95, 44% off MSRP. There are two padded side pockets which can hold iron sights, cleaning accessories, or ammo.

Permalink Hot Deals 1 Comment »
July 24th, 2009

J.M. Browning House for Sale

If you’re a fan of classic American firearms (such as the A5 self-loading shotgun, Model 1895 rifle, Model 1897 pump shotgun, model 1911 pistol, and the legendary M2 50-cal BMG), here’s an item of interest.

The 8-bedroom Ogdon, Utah house originally built for John Moses Browning is on the market for $374,900. As John Moses Browning is widely considered to be a genius and the greatest American gun designer ever, this house is “hallowed ground” for Browning devotees. The house includes an attic suite with a room that served as Browning’s workshop. One wonders what remarkable designs were hatched in that attic workshop….

The Browning mansion, located at 505 27th St. in Ogden, is on Utah’s list of registered historic places. Described by the “Slugs & Plugs” Blog as “ultimate abode for the unapologetic gun nut and devotee of all things Browning,” the house is listed with agent Sue Wilkerson, Terra Venture Real Estate, (801) 393-1188; www.suewilkerson.com. Unfortunately there are no classic guns or gunsmithing memorabilia sold with the Ogden house.

Permalink News 1 Comment »
July 23rd, 2009

News and Photos from F-Class World Championships in UK

F-Class competition at the Bisley Range in the UK is well under way. Currently, shooters from many countries are competing in the F-Class segments of the annual U.K. Imperial Meeting tournament. This will be followed by the actual F-Class World Championships, an event held every four years. The F-Class Worlds officially start with the individual championships next Monday and Tuesday (July 27-28) with the “main event”, the Team Championship, on Wednesday and Thursday (July 29-30). USA F-Class Open Team Vice-Captain Shiraz Bololia is providing regular written updates in his Bisley Blog. Here’s part of his latest report: “Today there was only one 300-yard match …. For me it was an early morning shoot at 8:00 am. The wind was dead. The weather was cool and overcast. Reminded me of the Plantation 300 yard range in Bellingham, WA where I shoot a lot of matches. First time since I got here the wind was less than 2 MPH. Less than ½ MOA change on my gun. It was a 15-shot match and I shot a perfect 75 with 15 Vs. As Coach Mead later said, even a blind Hog could have done that! Anyway that guarantees me a spot in the finals. Lot of US shooters in the St George’s finals.”

AK’s Great Bisley Photo Collections
In addition, British shooter “762AK” has posted fantastic collections of images from the World F-Class Championship, as well as the Imperial Meeting, which is being held concurrently. 762AK, a very talented photographer, is updating his Bisley photo collection daily. You should definitely check out these collections on Flickr. Click the links below to see hundreds of quality photos.

2009 F-Class Worlds | F-Class Worlds Slideshow

Imperial Meeting 2009 | Imperial Meeting Slideshow

2009 F-Class World Championships Bisley

Permalink Competition, News 2 Comments »
July 23rd, 2009

Rainy Day Rimfire at Camp Perry

July 22nd was smallbore practice day at Camp Perry, Ohio, site of the NRA National Championships. In this video, provided by the NRA Blog, junior three-position competitors practice their prone, standing, and kneeling positions, even as rain fell on the range. NRA correspondent Lars Dalseide reports that: “unless there’s lightening in the air, rain does little to stop things at Camp Perry.” The NRA Smallbore Championships begin with the three-position events (July 23-25), followed by a variety of prone matches running July 26-30. The CMP Rimfire sporter match is scheduled for the 26th also.

CLICK HERE for NRA National Championships Information and complete Match Schedule.

YouTube Preview Image
Permalink Competition No Comments »
July 23rd, 2009

New Products, Hot Deals in Graf's Summer Promo Catalog

Graf & Sons’ summer promo catalog was just released. CLICK HERE to download the Grafs.com flyer (9 mb .pdf file). It’s worth downloading Grafs’ summer catalog because it has some awesome deals, and the flyer features hot, new products such as the BenchSource Savage Scope Rail (see below), Whidden Bullet Pointer, and the Davis BulzEye Pro optical booster. In addition, Graf’s summer flyer includes the complete line-up of K&M reloading tools (see below), and a wide variety of Wolf Ammo and Lapua components.

As you can see above, Grafs.com is now selling the MTM Shooters’ Range Box for just $21.99. That’s an awesome deal on an excellent product — we use it ourselves and recommend it. The $22 price (40% OFF) is a such a steal that you may want to order two. The MTM Range Box sells elsewhere for up to $45.00.

CLICK HERE to Download Grafs Summer Promo Flyer

Permalink Hot Deals, New Product 2 Comments »
July 22nd, 2009

Primer Availability Report — Wolf Primers Have Arrived

AccurateShooter Wolf PrimersBruno Shooters Supply reports it has large supplies of Wolf Primers with no limits on quantities. Small Rifle, Small Rifle (223), Small Rifle Magnum (recommended for BR and 6-6.5×47), Large Rifle, and Large Rifle Magnum are all offered for $26.95 per thousand primers exclusive of the hazmat fee and shipping charges. Amy Bruno notes that these can only ship via FedEx Ground and that a signature WILL BE REQUIRED.

Powder Valley Inc. has Wolf primers in stock, including the desirable Small Rifle Magnum (one thousand, 1000-ct boxes in stock as of today, at $25.50/1000 plus hazmat and shipping). Also Large Rifle, Large Rifle Magnum, and Large Pistol are in stock.

Sinclair Int’l quickly sold out of the shipment of Remington 7.5 primers it received on July 21st and likewise sold out of Sellier & Bellot primers received on the 15th. Watch the Sinclair Int’l Reloading Press Blog for timely updates on primer and powder shipments.

Wideners has sold out of the last shipment of Wolf Small Rifle Magnum and Large Rifle Primers, but still has Wolf Small Rifle 223 Primers, Large Rifle Magnum Primers, and Large Pistol Primers in stock. As for the domestic primer brands — CCI, Federal, Remington, Winchester — Wideners is still completely out of stock.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Hot Deals 2 Comments »
July 21st, 2009

Cleaning Cover Prevents Stock Damage

Benchrest shooter Bill Gammon offers a nice product that helps prevent solvents and oils from marring the finish of a fine wood stock, or a painted fiberglass stock. The STOKBOOT also prevents solvents from softening the bedding, while guarding against nicks and scratches. Gammon’s STOKBOOT fits over the rifle stock during cleaning of the barrel. The quilt on the outside soaks up the solvent before it reaches the stock and holds it until it evaporates. A twin layer of vinyl on the inside stops any solvents from getting through, but Gammon cautions that you should not leave the STOKBOOT on overnight, because solvents could soak through. The basic colors are Red, Wine, Black, Blue, and Green. Typical retail price is about $16.00.

Gammon Stokboot

Gammon explains how he came up with the STOKBOOT: “My wife Barbara and I started this business in 1992 as a means to support a very expensive sport, namely Bench Rest. My wife had been in the sewing business for many years. Her experience included sewing, layout, cutting, and management, so it was only logical that the next step was opening our own business. I had complained about having to use a rag over my stock to prevent solvents that I was using from ruining the paint job on the stock, and also seeping into the bedding area and softening up the bedding. So between her expertise in the sewing world and my practical knowledge, we came up with our first STOKBOOT.”

Gammon Stokboot

Currently, Gammon offers wholesale orders. His STOKBOOTs are available through popular shooting sports vendors including: Borden Rifles, Kinneman’s Products, Russ Haydon’s Shooters’ Supply, Sinclair International. European dealers are Reloading Solutions for the UK, and Heinz Henke Online in Germany.

Permalink Tech Tip No Comments »
July 21st, 2009

Three-Jaw Case-Holder for Neck-Turning Duties

Grant, one of our Forum members from New Zealand, asked if there was a universal shell-holder that could hold cartridges securely for neck-turning, trimming, and case prep. He complained that the screwdriver-type case holder he was using didn’t center easily, was hard to tighten, and the case sometimes came loose during rotation. Another forum member agreed that he has experienced the same problems using a screwdriver-type case-holder.

This editor has found that a K&M screwdriver-type case holder CAN work securely if you tighten the locking mechanism tightly with the supplied wrench. But then you need the wrench again to get the case OUT. We were interested to see if there was a better solution that held the case securely, yet was easy to lock and unlock without tools.

Forum member Gunamonth provided a solution: “I use a Lee Zip Trim three-jaw case holder. With a little practice it centers the case quite nicely and holds just about anything. Chuck it in a cordless drill and have at it. It is much better than either the K&M or Sinclair [case-holder] in my opinion and the Zip Trim jaw is a lot cheaper (about $12.00). To use with power, you also need the Zip Trim three-jaw spindle, which is another $2.00.”

Lee three-jaw universal case holder

Permalink Reloading No Comments »
July 20th, 2009

Sako 85 Finnlight Rifle Highly Rated in Comparison Test

We generally don’t put too much stock in awards handed out by print magazines, nor the NRA’s Golden Bullseye awards (which often seem to be the “Golden Ad Revenue Payback Awards”), but we were pleased to see the Sako 85 rifle receive some recognition. The Sako 85 Finnlight stainless model received an “Excellent” rating from Outdoor Life magazine in its annual review of hunting rifles. The Finnlight ST was the only rifle tested to receive an overall rating of 4 Stars, or the classification of “Excellent”. READ Sako 85 Finnlight REVIEW.

AccurateShooter Sako Finnlight 85 stainless

Each year Outdoor Life performs tests and offers awards in various product categories. This year 13 new rifle models were tested and more than 3,500 rounds of ammunition were fired. “Our rigorous … testing protocol offers the toughest, most honest comparison of new hunting rifles on the market,” according to John B. Snow, Executive Editor. The Finnlight ST received “A” grades in both Workmanship and Performance. Outdoor Life’s tester wrote: “The proven Sako 85 action is as slick and reliable as they come, and the accuracy of our test sample (in .308 Win.) was impressive, especially in light of the rifle’s unscoped weight of 5 pounds 6 ounces. One of my 5-shot groups using Hornady 168gr A-Max ammo measured a scant .581″. The Finnlight is a rifle you can trust your hunt to, which is about the highest praise of all.”

AccurateShooter Sako Finnlight 85 stainless

The complete 2009 Hunting Rifle Test can be read online on the Outdoor Life Website. Guns tested are listed alphabetically below, and you can click the links to read individual reviews:

CZ-USA/Brno Effect
H&R Pardner Pump (pump action)
Marlin 338MX (lever action)
Marlin XS7
Merkel KR1
Mossberg 4X4
Remington R-15 (AR type)
Ruger M77 Predator
Sako 85 Finnlight
Savage Arms M11 FHNS
Stag Arms M7 (AR type)
T/C Precision Hunter
T/C Venture

CLICK HERE to Read 2009 Outdoor Life Hunting Rifle Reviews.

Permalink Gear Review, Hunting/Varminting 4 Comments »
July 20th, 2009

Army Marksman Wins NRA Pistol Championship

AccurateShooter SFC James Henderson USAMUArmy Sgt. 1st Class James Henderson won the 2009 NRA National Pistol Championship with a 2646-141X score, followed by Philip Hemphill (2642-131X), and Brian Zins (2637-131X). SFC Henderson, who shoots for the USAMU, also won the Regular Service Champion Title. For his victories, Henderson received the Harrison Trophy, a new firearm, and $550 in Visa gift cards. Below are other winners by category:

Civilian Champion: Brian Zins, 2637-131x
Woman Champion: Judy Tant, 2566-72x
Grand Senior Champion: John Farley, 2538-77x
Senior Champion: Ron Steinbrecher, 2607-99x
Junior Champion: Bryan Layfield, 2545-81x
Collegiate Champion: John Gunn, 2442-45x
Police Champion: Philip Hemphill, 2642-129x
Army Reserve Champion: SFC Keith Sanderson, 2623-109x
National Guard Champion: SFC Ralph Young, 2565-65x

CLICK HERE to download NRA Pistol Championship Results.

SFC Henderson put in a truly dominant performance. Henderson swept every major individual award, breaking national records along the way and establishing himself as the standard bearer in service pistol. He is the first active-duty Soldier to win the national championship in 24 years. Henderson won every event he was entered in and also led his team to a championship. The Soldier’s dominance commenced at the NRA’s Pistol Championship when he won the Harrison Trophy as the top individual with a score of 2646. He also finished in first-place in the individual .22-caliber and center-fire events.

Next up was the National Trophy Individual Pistol Match, where Henderson won the General Cluster Trophy for the third time. In the process, Henderson set a new national record with a score of 297 out of 300, breaking a record that had stood since 1978.

“What Sgt. 1st Class Henderson accomplished this season is best left undescribed, as there are no words that can put it in a context that does the feat justice,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason St. John, service pistol team noncommissioned officer-in-charge. “Imagine that never in the history of marksmanship competition that dates over 100 years has anyone done this. No one ever has or probably ever will.”

Congratulations to all of the Champions from the 2009 NRA National Pistol Championships! Complete match standings (with scores) are available in .pdf format from the NRA Championship Results webpage.

This report courtesy the NRA BLOG.

Permalink Competition No Comments »
July 19th, 2009

Rifle Trigger Springs from Ernie-The-Gunsmith

Ernie Paull from California was an active competition shooter for many years. However, his eyesight has declined so he has turned his attention to providing components for shooters and gunsmiths. Through his Ernie the Gunsmith website, Paull sells a variety of useful products including gun trigger springs, pillar-bedding kits, Accu-Risers, and pillar installation tools. This Bulletin post focuses on Ernie’s trigger springs. Ernie offers springs for a wide variety of rifles: Browning (A-Bolt, A-Bolt 22, X-Bolt), CZ (m452), Kimber, Remington (XR100, XCR, 7, 700, 722, 788, 7600 and more), Ruger (77, 77-22, LC6), Tikka (T-3), Weatherby (MK-V), and Winchester (M-70).

Springs start at just $6.95. Ernie also sells springs for the Rem-compatible Shilen Benchrest trigger, as well as Rem 700 ejector springs and trigger alignment springs. For Rem 700 rifles, Paull makes a spring that fits all Remington M-7 and M-700 triggers including the 2007-vintage X Mark-PRO trigger (but not the new X Mark-PRO trigger introduced in 2009). Ernie says: “on average, installation of his Model-700 spring will reduce factory triggers’ weight of pull by 1½ to 2½ lbs with no other changes. The exact amount of creep, overtravel, and weight of pull are dependant upon the type and amount of tuning accomplished by your gunsmith.”

We often hear requests from Tikka T-3 owners asking how they can reduce their trigger pull weight. Paull offers a Tikka T-3 varmint trigger spring which can reduce the pull weight significantly. The photo at left shows the Tikka T-3 trigger assembly.

While there is more to a good trigger job (in most cases) than just a spring swap, you need to have the proper rate spring when adjusting trigger pull weight downwards. NOTE: For safety reasons, we recommend you consult a competent gunsmith before modifying factory triggers. We stress the word competent…

Ernie has observed that some gunsmiths try to lighten trigger pulls by modifying factory springs in questionable ways: “I have worked with gunsmiths in the past who, when the subject turned to trigger springs, preferred to clip them, grind them, heat them, bend them, smash them, or simply back out the weight of pull screw until there was no or almost no pressure on the spring. With any of these methods, you get a spring whose rate is rapidly rising as the trigger is pulled. As the trigger is released, the spring rate rapidly decreases as it approaches full or near-full extension. A more uniform weight of pull will be achieved when the trigger spring is compressed within its normal working range throughout the entire movement of the trigger. In the long run, the benefits of saved time, plus more uniform and reliable results, will more than offset the cost of these [replacement] springs. If you want a lighter trigger pull, you need a lighter trigger spring.”

Permalink Gunsmithing, New Product 2 Comments »