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September 20th, 2014

New Hard Air Magazine Website for Air Rifle Shooters

Given the high cost of reloading components, and how difficult it is to find rimfire ammo these days, many shooters are looking seriously at air rifles, at least for short-range training and plinking. Air rifle shooting is quiet and fun. Plus there is a virtually inexhaustible supply of free air on the planet. Airguns are increasing in popularity for many reasons including cost factors, powder and ammo shortages, and tighter restrictions on centerfire guns. How popular have airguns become? Consider this — it is estimated that over TEN MILLION airguns will be purchased in the U.S. in 2015. That’s a huge number.

If you’re interested in air-gunning, there’s a new resource that covers air-gunning from A to Z. Hard Air Magazine is a new, one-stop destination for everything airgun related. The free online magazine is devoted entirely to airguns and associated products. Unlike other airgun media, Hard Air Magazine is not tied to one distributor or manufacturer. “We cover the entire spectrum of products through objective editorial, illustration and videos,” says Hard Air founder Stephen Archer.

Hard Air Magazine

Team of Expert Airgunners Provide Product Reviews
Many consumers research their airgun purchases on the Internet. Helping consumers make smart purchases is the mission of Hard Air Magazine. Archer explains: “Our goal with Hard Air Magazine is to offer balanced, instructive information to people purchasing airguns and accessories. Fact-based, detailed product reviews are at the heart of Hard Air Magazine. We’ve put together a phenomenal team of product testers with over 100 years of combined experience in airgun shooting. These are genuine enthusiasts who have spent their lifetimes shooting airguns and truly understand what makes one better than another.”

Hard Air Magazine

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September 19th, 2014

Tech Tip: Try Rotating Cartridge During Bullet Seating Process — This Might Reduce Bullet Run-Out

Redding Competition DieHere is a simple technique that can potentially help you load straighter ammo, with less run-out. It costs nothing and adds only a few seconds to the time needed to load a cartridge. Next time you’re loading ammo with a threaded (screw-in) seating die, try seating the bullet in two stages. Run the cartridge up in the seating die just enough to seat the bullet half way. Then lower the cartridge and rotate it 180° in the shell-holder. Now raise the cartridge up into the die again and finish seating the bullet.

Steve, aka “Short Range”, one of our Forum members, recently inquired about run-out apparently caused by his bullet-seating process. Steve’s 30BR cases were coming out of his neck-sizer with good concentricity, but the run-out nearly doubled after he seated the bullets. At the suggestion of other Forum members, Steve tried the process of rotating his cartridge while seating his bullet. Steve then measured run-out on his loaded rounds. To his surprise there was a noticeable reduction in run-out on the cases which had been rotated during seating. Steve explains: “For the rounds that I loaded yesterday, I seated the bullet half-way, and turned the round 180 degrees, and finished seating the bullet. That reduced the bullet runout by almost half on most rounds compared to the measurements from the first test.”

run-out bullet

run-out bullet

Steve recorded run-out measurements on his 30BR brass using both the conventional (one-pass) seating procedure, as well as the two-stage (with 180° rotation) method. Steve’s measurements are collected in the two charts above. As you can see, the run-out was less for the rounds which were rotated during seating. Note, the change is pretty small (less than .001″ on average), but every little bit helps in the accuracy game. If you use a threaded (screw-in) seating die, you might try this two-stage bullet-seating method. Rotating your case in the middle of the seating process won’t cost you a penny, and it just might produce straighter ammo (nothing is guaranteed). If you do NOT see any improvement on the target, you can always go back to seating your bullets in one pass. READ Forum Thread….

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Reloading 14 Comments »
September 19th, 2014

‘Top Cop’ Vadasz Wins Unprecedented Sixth Police Shooting Title

Story based on report by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
A strong argument can be made that Robert Vadasz is the greatest law enforcement pistol shooter of all time — in this galaxy or any other. This past week Border Patrolman Vadasz captured an unprecedented sixth NRA National Police Shooting Championship (NPSC). That’s five in a row for Robert, and six titles in the last seven years. How do you spell dominance? V-A-D-A-S-Z.

Robert Vadasz Blazes his Way to a Sixth NPSC Title.
Robert Vadasz Police Championship New Mexico NPSC

This year Robert had to overcome a jammed pistol in one of his relays, but he still managed to shoot top score for the day and finished with the highest Grand Aggregate, 56 points ahead of the next-best competitor. The NPSC involves a variety of timed, action shooting events for revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and police shotguns.

Robert Vadasz Police Championship New Mexico NPSC400+ Competitors at NPSC
The competition began on September 14th and wrapped up yesterday (the 18th) with the team championships. Shooters vying for the overall title take part in sixteen different individual matches in four separate categories: Open Class Revolver, Open Class Semi-Automatic Pistol, Individual Service Pistol, and Law Enforcement Shotgun. More than 400 law enforcement officers from across the globe gathered in Albuquerque, New Mexico to take part in the competition.

Vadasz shot well in all the different events. For example, in the Open Class Revolver Championship, Vadasz scored 1498 out of 1500 possible points, a near perfect performance. That score, along with his 1495 total from the Open Class Semi-Automatic Championship, gave the Border Patrol Agent another title — the Open Class 3000.

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September 19th, 2014

Registration Commences for SHOT Show 2015 in Las Vegas

SHOT Show 2015 Las Vegas hotel reservation registration

Think Vegas in January, baby — yes, we’re talkin’ about SHOT Show (Jan. 20-23, 2015). Registration for the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s 2015 SHOT Show is now open for all attendees. Register now at Shotshow.org. The SHOT Show hotel booking system is also active. It’s a good idea to reserve rooms early to get the best rates. SHOT Show organizers have negotiated deeply discounted rates at dozens of Las Vegas hotels, with prices as low as $45 per night.

SHOT Show 2015 Las Vegas hotel reservation registration

Scheduled for January 20-23 in Las Vegas, the big gun industry convention is just four months away. While registering, attendees can add Industry Dinner tickets, enroll in SHOT Show University, and/or sign up for other educational offerings. Registration for members of the press will open later this week.

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September 18th, 2014

IBS Match Report: 100/200 Score Nationals in North Carolina

Report by Dick Grosbier for IBS
Over the weekend of September 13-14, 2014, the Ashe County Wildlife Club of Laurel Springs, North Carolina hosted the 44th annual IBS 100/200 Score Nationals. Sixty-two shooters were on the line for the event, including many record holders and major match winners.

Click Photo for full-screen version
Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

CLICK HERE for Match Results Spreadsheet | CLICK HERE for Competitors’ Equipment List

The shooters traveled from as far away as Florida, Wisconsin, and Maine. Considering the miserable weather forecast for Saturday it was really a pretty nice day. We did have rain but thanks to the way the roof overhangs the firing line (photo below) the competitors stayed dry, only the target crew got wet. In spite of this they did an excellent job — they were fully prepared as the forecast was for a very high percentage chance of rain. Saturday got into the high 70s and actually got a little muggy. Sunday was overcast cooler and little if any rain fell.

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

This was my third visit to Ashe County this year and I must say it gets better each time. They have a great crew of people and a wonderful facility. There are 30 covered benches located next to a very large (40’x160’) reloading, scoring, dining, and clubhouse facility. The entire range is built on the side of a big hill. They have literally moved thousands of cubic yards of dirt (50,000+) to build this facility.


Breeden Busts Record — 1000-59X Two-Gun Total May Be Best Ever!
This year’s IBS Score Nationals saw a performance for the ages. Dean Breeden put together one of the most impressive feats of score shooting in history. Dean’s Two-Gun total score (for VFS and Hunter) was a stunning 1000-59X. This is a pending new Two-Gun IBS world record. Think about that — this means that Dean did not drop a single point through twenty (20) total matches (i.e. 20 targets), while alternating between two different rifles, one with a puny 6-power scope! That’s 100 “Tens” in a row on 100 Bullseyes, without fail. That’s really a remarkable achievement. As least Dean does not have to console the old record-holder, because the pre-existing record, 1000-52X, was set by (you guessed it), Mr. Dean Breeden. In besting his own record by seven Xs, Breeden won the Two-Gun award at this year’s IBS Score Nationals and earned a new entry in the record books. Congrats to Dean!

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Bullet-maker Randy Robinett was amazed at Breeden’s 1000-59X performance. “Some years ago, I held the Two-Gun score record with a 999-52X. What Dean has accomplished with his 1000-59X is truly noteworthy — this really is a BIG deal. Let me tell you, getting 1000 points is really hard to do. You have to switch between two different rifles, and adjust from a high-power scope to a 6X scope, changing rests and equipment all the time. This is very tough.”


Looking at the Equipment List (Editor’s Comment)
The Equipment List from the 2014 IBS Score Nationals is quite revealing. As you’d expect, this match was very much a 30-caliber affair, but we were surprised to see such dominance by cut-rifled barrels, and Hodgdon H4198 powder.

1. All of the Top 15 VFS shooters ran cut-rifled barrels. There were mostly Bartleins and Kriegers, with two Brux barrels and one Rock Creek.

2. Hodgdon H4198 is definitely the powder of choice, used by 14 of the Top 20 VFS shooters. Federal 205M primers were used by at least 13 of the Top 20 shooters.

3. Randy Robinett’s BIB bullets were the most popular, used by four of the Top 10 shooters.

4. Every VFS shooter and every Hunter Class shooter was running a 30-caliber cartridge. Most VFS shooters ran 30BRs, but the 30×47 cartridge was favored by half the Hunter shooters.

5. Two gunsmiths smithed six of the Top 10 rifles. Three were by Mike Niblett and three were by Sid Goodling (who also smithed #11 and #12).

6. BAT Machine actions are still #1. BAT actions were used by 14 of the Top 20 shooters.

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Mike Niblett (above) had a typical VFS rig: BAT action, Krieger cut-rifled barrel, with a Nightforce 12-42X scope. Mike used H4198 of course, but he shot Hill bullets in his 30BR, rather than BIBs.

Many 250s with 20 or more Xs Shot on Saturday
Saturday, at 100 yards, it was the Kevin and K.L. show. Kevin Donalds Sr. and K.L. Miller took the lead in Varmint For Score, and Hunter classes respectively all day long. Kevin turned in a fine score of 250-22X followed closely by Dean Breeden with 250-21X. Dean was just barely short of the win all weekend in both classes. Mike Niblett was third with 250-20X, ahead of five other 250-20X scores based on tie-breaker. There were four 19X and eight 18X scores. K.L. Miller turned in a fine 250-18x score in Hunter Class followed closely by Peter Hills and Frank McKee (both with 250-16Xs). It was moderately windy and switchy all day and since the Nationals involve shooting each record match from a different bench you essentially faced a new set of conditions each time you came to the line.

‘Top Guns’ at the Score Nationals: Kevin Donald Sr., K.L. Miller, and Dean Breeden.
Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Sunday it was overcast and cooler but not as rainy. Anthony Isner stepped up and took the lead in VFS class turning in a fine 250-16X score. Second place went to, you guessed it, Dean Breeden. Dean’s 250-15X was followed closely by Kevin Donalds Sr. also with 15X. In Hunter class it was Randy Jarvais’s turn to win an Aggregate. Randy’s 250-9X score beat out Dean’s 250-8X and Miller’s 250-7X scores.

In the VFS Grand Aggregate, Kevin Donalds Sr. topped the field with 500-37X, followed by Dean Breeden with 500-36X, and Anthony Isner with 500-34X. K.L. Miller won the Hunter Grand Agg handily — his 500-25X easily topped Dean’s 500-23X and Randy’s 500-20X totals. The IBS 2-Gun award went to Dean Breeden with a record score of 1000-59X. This is a potential new 2-Gun record as he bested his own record by seven Xs.

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Praise for the Match Organizers and Staff
All in all it was a very well run match at a great new facility. This was the first Nationals event to be held there but it will not be the last. Hats off to E.T. Weaver and his helpers. The target crew deserves special mention. They were very good and very fast. A match with full bench rotation can be a nightmare for any target crew but these guys handled it like old pros even though it was their first-ever attempt. Well done guys and gals!

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

The Ashe County Wildlife Club put on a great event, complete with delicious country Barbecue.
Ashe Country NC IBS Score Nationals

Photos Courtesy Clint Johnson and Dick Grosbier.
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September 18th, 2014

Leverology 101: Magazine Names Top 10 Lever Guns

Greatest top 10 lever RifleShooter magazine Winchester Savage Ruger

RifleShooter Magazine released a list of the Ten Greatest Lever Guns of All Time. Writing for RifleShooter, Brad Fitzpatrick examined a wide selection of lever guns produced in the past 150 years, and came up with this short list of ten “all-star” lever action rifles:

Browning BLR
1860 Henry Rifle
Marlin 336
Marlin 1895/444
Ruger 96/44

Savage Model 99
Winchester Model 1873/73
Winchester Model 1888/88
Winchester Model 1892/92
Winchester Model 1894/94

As with all “Top 10″ lists, this will be controversial. Where is the Winchester model 1866 “Yellowboy”, the favorite of Native Americans? Where is the iconic Winchester model 1895, the beloved gun Teddy Roosevelt called “Big Medicine”? But other choices are hard to fault. The Henry Rifle, the first popular cartridge lever gun, surely belongs on the list. And, believe it or not, the Winchester Model 94 is the best-selling sporting rifle of all time in the USA, according to RifleShooter.

Greatest top 10 leer guns yellowboy 1866

Greatest top 10 leer guns yellowboy 1866

So what do you think of RifleShooter’s Top 10 list? Does it make sense, or did RifleShooter magazine get it wrong? If you go to the RifleShooter website, you can vote for your favorite lever gun among the ten candidates listed above. (Scroll to bottom of page for poll.)

Fitzpatrick writes: “The lever action played a very legitimate role in America’s westward expansion. It could bring meat to your table or protect your land and assets against rustlers.

Nostalgia aside, the lever gun is an effective hunting tool for those willing to live within its limitations. While it can’t beat a bolt gun with a light trigger and free-floated barrel in a long-range shooting competition, a lever action in the right hands can be rather accurate, especially given new advancements in rifle design and bullet technology.”

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September 18th, 2014

Video Animation Shows How the Cut-Rifling Process Works

Have you ever wondered how a cut-rifled barrel is made? This process, used by leading barrel-makers such as Bartlein, Border, Brux, Krieger, and Obermeyer, can yield a very high-quality barrel with a long useful life. Cut-rifled barrels have been at the top in short- and long-range benchrest competition in recent years, and cut-rifled barrels have long been popular with F-Class and High Power shooters.

You may be surprised to learn that cut-rifling is probably the oldest method of rifling a barrel. Invented in Nuremberg around 1520, the cut-rifling technique creates spiral grooves in the barrel by removing steel using some form of cutter. In its traditional form, cut rifling may be described as a single-point cutting system using a “hook” cutter. The cutter rests in the cutter box, a hardened steel cylinder made so it will just fit the reamed barrel blank and which also contains the cutter raising mechanism.

Above is a computer animation of an older style, sine-bar cut-rifling machine. Some machine features have been simplified for the purposes of illustration, but the basic operation is correctly shown. No, the cut-rifling machines at Krieger don’t use a hand-crank, but the mechanical process shown in this video is very similar to the way cut-rifling is done with more modern machines.

Pratt & Whitney Cut rifling hydraulic machine

Read About Cut-Rifling Process at Border-Barrels.com
Read About Cut-Rifling Process at Border-Barrels.com
To learn more about the barrel-making process, and cut-rifling in particular, visit FirearmsID.com. There you’ll find a “must-read” article by Dr. Geoffrey Kolbe: The Making of a Rifled Barrel. This article describes in detail how barrels are crafted, using both cut-rifling and button-rifling methods. Kolbe (past owner of Border Barrels) covers all the important processes: steel selection, hole drilling, hole reaming, and rifling (by various means). You’ll find a very extensive discussion of how rifling machines work. Here’s a short sample:

“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. About two thousand were built to satisfy the new demand for rifle barrels, but many were broken up after the war or sold to emerging third world countries building up their own arms industry.

Pratt & Whitney Cut rifling hydraulic machine

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.

The techniques of cut rifling have not stood still since the end of the war though. Largely due to the efforts of Boots Obermeyer the design, manufacture and maintenance of the hook cutter and the cutter box have been refined and developed so that barrels of superb accuracy have come from his shop. Cut rifled barrel makers like John Krieger (Krieger Barrels), Mark Chanlyn (Rocky Mountain Rifle Works) and Cliff Labounty (Labounty Precision Reboring)… learned much of their art from Boots Obermeyer, as did I.” — Geoffrey Kolbe

Video find by Boyd Allen. Archive photos from Border-Barrels.com. In June 2013, Birmingham Gunmakers Ltd. acquired Border Barrels. Dr. Geoffrey Koble continues to work for Border Barrels, which maintains operations in Scotland.
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September 17th, 2014

Thumbhole and Pistol Grip Tactical Stocks from McMillan

McMillan stock gunstock A-2 A-TH A3 tacticalMost of us are familiar with McMillan’s popular “A” series of tactical gunstocks. The original A-2 is a still-popular “tactical classic”. The A-3, a modified, lighter version of the A-2, is probably the most widely-used field sniper stock. The A-4, originally designed for the USMC, features a butthook on the underside of the stock — a feature you now see on many other tactical designs.

In addition to its conventional A-series stocks (A2-A5), McMillan now offers two very different tactical stock designs: the A-TH and the TPR. These stocks are designed to work well for off-hand as well as prone shooting. They offer many of the advantages of a chassis-style stock with durable, user-friendly fiberglass construction. If you are planning a tactical rifle project for the Precision Rifle Series or other application, you may want to consider the A-TH and the TPR.

McMillan stock gunstock A-2 A-TH A3 tacticalMcMillan A-TH Thumbhole Stock
The A-TH stock was created after numerous customer requests for a thumbhole stock in McMillan’s tactical line. It uses a flat, square-type forearm very similar to the popular A-3 but with textured grooves on the sides for better grip when shooting off-hand. The butt-hook also has texture and a thumb groove for enhanced grip and control when shooting off a bench or prone. The ergonomics of the pistol grip are designed to put the shooter’s hand in the most natural and comfortable position. The A-TH must be ordered with one of the integral cheekpiece options and is available in right hand only. It can be inletted for most Remington, Sako, Tikka, and Savage blind magazine type actions and for barrel contours up to a 1.250″ straight blank. Color shown: Tan, Dark tan, Olive vertical marbling.

McMillan stock gunstock A-2 A-TH A3 tactical

McMillan TPR Stock
In designing the pistol grip TPR stock, McMillan came up with something completely different — not just another “A” series variant. The design evolved from a desire to create a stock that offers everything that a straight line chassis stock offers along with the enhanced accuracy, vibration damping, and recoil reduction characteristics of a fiberglass stock. Fully ambidextrous, the TPR can be inletted for most Remington 700 type actions and Savage blind magazine actions. The forearm can be inletted for most barrel contours up to a 1.350″ diameter straight contour and has enough depth for installation of a Versa-Pod bipod stud. Color shown: 50% olive, 25% black, 25% tan marble.

McMillan stock gunstock A-2 A-TH A3 tactical


McMillan stock gunstock A-2 A-TH A3 tactical

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September 17th, 2014

Well-Equipped Walk-In for the Well-Armed Gentleman

So what’s in the closet in your man mansion? Here’s a well-equipped walk-in arsenal/haberdashery fit for “Bond, James Bond” (and maybe Jason Bourne as well). We really don’t need so many edged weapons, but we’re glad to see three (3) Accuracy International rifles, a half-dozen handguns, and plenty of ammo. Oh, and don’t forget the pair of umbrellas — you always need back-up, even if your adversaries are mere rain-drops.

walkin closet gun 007 James Bond

Tip of the hat to our friend Jim de Kort for finding this photo. So, what do you think — is this the perfect set-up? How would you change/modify/augment this arrangement to suit your needs? (Post your comments below). This Editor would add a rimfire rifle, some revolvers, an F-Class rig, and a 6mm Dasher for 600 yards of course. (Plus some Hawaiian shirts and sandals — even 007 required a casual option now and then.)

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September 16th, 2014

Report: European F-Class Championships at Bisley, England

Report by Vince Bottomley
For this year, the European F-Class Championships moved from its traditional November date to mid-September. England can be smitten with some dreadful weather in November and previous Championships have suffered everything from rain and mist, to sub-zero temperatures. It proved to be a wise decision and competitors enjoyed balmy, sunny weather for the whole week, with matches on September 12-14, 2014. The event was well attended with 206 individual entries and over 20 teams. With competitors from a dozen nations, this is one of the biggest F-Class events in the world.

Congratulations to Scotland’s Des Parr, the new F-Open champion (on V-count over James Finn), and congrats to Giulio Arrigucci of Italy, who won the F-TR title. Both Parr and Finn dropped only five points over the entire two-day individual competition. For more information (and full listing of match results) visit www.GBFclass.co.uk.

European GB Bisley F-class Championships great britain

F-Open Individual Results F-TR Individual Results
1. Des Parr (Scotland): 470.48V (possible 475)
2. James Finn (Ireland): 470.41V
3. Marco Been (Holland): 467.49V
4. Mik Maksimovic (GB): 465.38V
5. Daniel McKenna (Ireland): 464.40V
6. Dave Lloyd (GB): 463.36V
1. Giulio Arrigucci (Italy): 455.30V
2. Francisco Franco Mosquera (Spain): 454.30V
3. Sergii Gorbon (Ukraine): 452.36V
4. Tom Bond (GB): 449.29V
5. Valentin Pomomarenko (Ukraine): 449.29V
6. Russell Simmonds (GB): 449.29V

Over the past few years, numbers have increased steadily and this year, over 200 shooters assembled on Bisley’s famous Stickledown range on the Friday morning for the first of two days of individual competition, followed by Team Matches on the Sunday. The four days preceding the Championships were available for practice and informal competitions.

With near-perfect conditions for the first 800-yard stage, some excellent scores were recorded. Scotsman Paul Crosbie’s F-TR score of 75.12V not only took the stage win but also set a new GB record and equaled the top F-Open score (by Italian Gian Antonio Quaglino). Maximums were also recorded at 900 yards by both classes but at 1000 yards, Scotsman Des Parr’s 74.11V was a clear winner, with Italy’s Andrea Ceron’s recording a 72.6V in F-TR.

The Famous Stickledown Range at Bisley
European GB Bisley F-class Championships great britain

At the end of Day One, Des Parr was leading Open Class by a single point and Spain’s Francisco Franco Mosquera had a two point lead in F-TR. The following day, competitors tackled the same course of fire to decide the title of European Champion.

Although a little overcast for the start of Day Two, the sun soon broke through and the fact that the top 36 Open shooters didn’t drop a single point at 800 yards gives an indication of conditions. Even the top 15 F-TR shooters ‘cleaned’ the target but, some relays experienced less favorable conditions.

European GB Bisley F-class Championships great britainAt 900 yards, again the top nine Open competitors shot ‘possibles’ but, in F-TR, Ukraine’s Sergii Gorban’s excellent 74.9V was the top score. For the final 1000-yard shoot – a 2 and 20 this time, Ireland’s Kevin Clancy’s 95.5V was a great F-TR score but Dave Lloyd’s winning Open score of 99.6V was absolutely stunning.

In the end, Scotland’s Des Parr and Ireland’s James Finn tied on points with 470 of 475 possible, but Parr took the 2014 European F-Open title based on V-bull count: 48 for Parr vs. 41 for Finn. Italy’s Giulio Arrigucci won the F-TR Championship by one point over Francisco Franco Mosquera.

European GB Bisley F-class Championships great britain

We were delighted to have American shooter Francis ‘Biff’ Conlon join us – shooting a borrowed rifle in F-TR (second from left in the above photograph). Biff shot as part of one of the F-TR Teams in the pre-Championship competitions and picked up a gold medal – note the unusual trophy! Maybe a few more Americans might think it worthwhile making the trip to shoot in next year’s Europeans.

TEAM Matches
The Championships end with the Teams Matches on the Sunday. These matches are for eight-man teams so, not all countries are able to field a team but four Open Teams and five FTR teams were fielded. Ranges are 900 and 1000 yards with 15 shots at each distance. Wind coaches are permitted.

F-Open Team Results F-TR Team Results
1. Great Britain – 1161.120V
2. Italy – 1145.74V
3. Germany (BDMP) – 1129.91V
1. Germany (BDMP) – 1106.57V
2. Italy – 1104.68V
3. Ukraine – 1101.69V

Report from David Lloyd, current Great Britain F-Open Team Captain
I’ve just got back from the F-Class European Championships. The minor 4-man teams match was held last Thursday afternoon and was shot over 1000 yards with 2 + 20 to count. I was part of the victorious Team March (388.26V). In second place was the Midland Precision Guns Team with 383.26V.

The conditions were good and the level of competition was very high. Team March was captained by Gary Costello the UK and European importer of March scopes. The coach was Tony Marsh and he did a superb job of coaching the team to victory (he coached me to a score of 100-6Vs). The shooters were: Gary Costello, David Lloyd, Ian Boxall, Darren Stewart. Peter Walker was reserve shooter and register keeper.

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September 16th, 2014

Get a Free SureFire Flashlight with Leica Rangefinder

Here’s a nice combo offer if you’re thinking about buying a laser rangefinder for the fall hunting season. Right now, if you purchase a Leica CRF 1000-R or 1600-B Laser Rangefinder you can receive a Surefire G2x-Pro flashlight worth $85.00. The rugged, dual-power G2x-Pro should last a lifetime.

This is a limited-time offer works. When you purchase a new Leica CRF Rangemaster 1000-R or 1600-B Compact Laser Rangefinder from any authorized North America Leica Dealer you can receive a Surefire G2X-Pro flashlight and lanyard ($85 value). Send in your mail-in Rebate Form, plus your CRF proof of purchase, to Leica between Sept. 15 and Dec. 31, 2014, to receive your Surefire G2X-Pro flashlight.

Leica Surefire rangefinder laser flashlight rebate promotion

Leica’s CRF 1000-R Rangemaster is an easy-to-use laser rangefinder than can fit in your pocket. The wide field of view makes target identification fast and easy. The CRF 1000-R features built-in angle correction. This provides automatic point-of-aim correction for uphill or downhill shots. That’s a very valuable feature for hunters.

Leica’s CRF 1600-B Compact Laser Rangefinder boasts an integrated precision ABC (Advanced Ballistic Compensation) system. This instantly measures distance, incline, temperature, and air pressure and then calculates hold-over based on selected bullet BC. The 1600-B’s LED display has ambient-light-controlled brightness — a nice feature when you’re in the field. For more info, visit LeicaSportOptics.com

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September 16th, 2014

How to ‘Keep It Legal’ When Traveling with Firearms

Ford F-250 Cabelas crew cab gun storage bench seatOn the NRA’s American Rifleman website you’ll find a helpful article that provides basic tips on avoiding legal entanglements when traveling from state to state with firearms in your vehicle. The basic advice is to plan out your trip in advance, researching all state and local laws that will apply. This can be a daunting task, but a Federal law, the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) does provide some protection for travelers.

According to the NRA: “FOPA shields you from local restrictions if you’re transporting firearms for lawful purposes. Under FOPA, notwithstanding any state or local law, a person is entitled to transport a firearm from any place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry it, if the firearm is unloaded and locked out of reach. In vehicles without a trunk, the unloaded firearm must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.”

The NRA cautions that: “Laws vary place-to-place, and if you do anything other than pass through a state, you must obey all local laws. This is especially true when you are carrying a loaded firearm in your vehicle or on your person. There’s no shortcut here. You need to map out your trip state-by-state to be sure you stay legal during your trip.”

Resources for Travelers

The American Rifleman article also lists useful print and online resources you can consult to learn more about laws that apply when traveling with firearms:

Guide to the Interstate Transportation of Firearms (From NRA ILA.)

Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide (BATFE publication.)

BATFE’s State Laws and Published Ordinances — Firearms, 2010-2011

BATFE’s Answers To Frequently Asked Questions

State Gun Laws at a Glance (Includes interactive chart with info on state laws.)

State-by-State Handgun Laws (Website summarizes laws by state.)

The Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States (Printed handbook.)


Chrysler’s Outdoorsman Series Trucks offer an optional “RamBox” with locked rifle storage.

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