Today, July 4th, we celebrate a special 250th birthday — the launching of a new nation in 1776 — a nation that became the world’s greatest exemplar of freedom and democracy. In our modern world, it is easy to lose sight of the challenges that faced our fore-fathers, and the continuing burdens we all share, as Americans, to maintain the struggle for freedom, both at home and abroad. It is more important than ever that we remember the ideals on which the nation was founded, and remember that our nation became great through the efforts and talents of a free citizenry, not through an all-powerful central government.

In the Beginning — Overcoming Great Odds
In a July 4th speech, Navy Lt. Ellen Connors wrote: “Our nation declared its independence in order for our families to live free –- not just for one generation but for future generations. And what odds [the founding fathers] faced. It must have seemed impossible. Our forefathers went up against the world’s most colossal empire since ancient Rome. No colony had ever successfully left a mother country to set up a self-governing state.”

The National Guard, Heritage Paintings Collection. Battle of Long Island by Domenick D’Andrea.

The Price of Freedom… The Pride of A Nation
Here is a selection from Daniel Webster’s July 4th, 1851 Oration. His words ring true even now:

On the 4th of July, 1776, the assembled Representatives of the United States of America in Congress declared that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE and INDEPENDENT States. This Declaration, made by most patriotic and resolute men, trusting in the justice of their cause and the protection of Heaven, and yet made not without deep solicitude and anxiety, has now stood for seventy-five years, and still stands. It was sealed in blood. It has met dangers, and overcome them; it has had enemies, and conquered them; it has had detractors, and abashed them all….

Every mans’ heart swells within him… as he remembers that seventy-five years have rolled away, and that the great inheritance of liberty is still his — his, undiminished and unimpaired, his in all its original glory; his to enjoy; his to protect; and his to transmit to future generations.

We are very sad to report that G. David Tubb, one of the greatest marksmen who ever lived, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2026 in the afternoon. David, who was 71, died from heart and blood oxygen issues following surgery to remove one leg at the knee. The amputation procedure followed serious major problems from multiple knee replacements in the past.

David was, without question, one of the most talented and successful marksmen in history. David recorded 11 High Power Rifle Championships, 6 Long Range National Championships, and 7 High Power Silhouette National Championships. Over his career David won 130 NRA trophies for various competitions. No one has even come close to that number of Championships and honors in rifle competition.

A close friend of David, James Schmidt, recently posted: “Legendary firearms shooter David Tubb has left the range. David was an incredible innovator in the firearms industry and was credited in every way with many many excellent creations for shooters all over the world. His love for the industry and extreme accuracy shooting is unsurpassed at any level. His personal shooting skills will remain in history as amazing, remarkable and at times unbelievable! Perhaps his shooting accomplishments will never ever be achieved again.”

David Tubb Competition Shooting Accomplishments:

11 Time – NRA National High Power Rifle Champion – Camp Perry
6 Time – NRA Long Range Rifle (600-1000 yard) National Champion
7 Time (Consecutive) – NRA National High Power Rifle Silhouette Champion
6 Time – NRA National High Power Hunting Rifle Silhouette Champion
4 Time – NRA National Smallbore Hunting Rifle Silhouette
7 Sportsmen’s Team Challenge Championships
2 Time – Wimbledon Cup Winner
2019 ELR World Record Holder recognized by 50 Cal. Shooters Association
2019 NRA ELR Heavy Gun Winner
Over 130 NRA Championship Event Trophies (Individual Match Winner)

David Tubb Interview Podcast with Erik Cortina

In this 2024 Podcast, David Tubb was interviewed by ace F-Class shooter Erik Cortina. This 66-minute video is worth watching start to finish. David covers a wide range of topics include match strategies, marksmanship training, ELR competition, and cartridges he has developed including the 6mm XC (6XC), 338 XC, and 375 XC.

Sierra Bullets Post Honoring David Tubb

All of us at Sierra Bullets are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Tubb. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and everyone whose life he touched. David’’s passion for precision shooting, relentless pursuit of excellence, and willingness to share his knowledge left a lasting mark on the shooting sports. His influence reached far beyond the firing line, inspiring generations of competitors and marksmen to strive for continuous improvement.

We extend our sincere condolences to the Tubb family during this difficult time. May they find comfort in knowing that David’s legacy will continue to live on through the countless shooters he inspired and the enduring impact he made on our community.

Rest easy, David. Thank you for everything you gave to the shooting sports.

On this 4th of July, 2026, the 250th Anniversary of American Independence Day, we thought it would be good to feature lever-action rifles. Lever-action rifles have been an important element of American history. These were truly the rifles that “Won the West”. Today, lever-action rifles remain popular with hunters and cowboy-action shooters. And rimfire lever guns are fun for short-range shooting at reactive targets. Easy to carry, lever guns can also be very effective on varmints.

For this Saturday-at-the-Movies installment, we feature seven videos about lever-action rifles. These videos review modern lever guns as well as historic 19th-century lever-action rifles. Two of these videos features sophisticated 3D computer animation so you can look inside the rifles to see how the internal mechanisms function to feed, fire, and eject cartridges.

How a Lever-Action Rifle Functions

This video shows the inner mechanisms of a classic lever-action rifle. It shows how the lever actuates case-feeding from the under-barrel tube, then how the hammer is cocked/fired, and finally how the ejection works after the shot is fired. This video also covers lever-action rifle history, looking at the Winchester 1873 as well as popular modern lever-action firearms.

Classic American Lever-Action Rifles — Hickok45’s Insights

Hickok45 is one of the more knowledgeable YouTube gun reviewers, and he personally owns a number of lever guns. In this video, which has over 2.5 million views, Hickok45 first showcases the original Henry Rifle, and the brass-receiver model 1866 (aka “Yellowboy”). Then he reviews Winchester’s model 1873 and model 1876 (Centennial). Next comes Winchester designs by J.M. Browning — the model 1886, model 1892, model 1894, and lastly the distinctive model 1895 with vertical magazine. The Model 1895 was a favorite of President Theodore Roosevelt.

This insightful Hickok45 video has garnered 2.5 million YouTube views. If you can take the time to watch the entire 37-minute video, this is a great history lesson for 19th-century lever guns. In the video, Hickok45 also shows cartridges used in the various rifles.

Top Five Lever-Action Rifle for Hunting and Home Defense

This video combines reviews from multiple YouTube hosts, including .22 Plinkster. It is a good starting point if you are considering purchase of a modern, lever-action rifle for hunting or home defense. We recommend, prior to purchase, that you go to a gun store to inspect the rifles and work the actions. Some lever guns are significantly smoother in operation than others. You’ll also want to check the triggers, and see the options for mounting optics. This video provides a quick look at a variety of lever guns including: Henry Side Gate Lever Rifle; Winchester Model 1866 Short Rifle (replica); Browning BLR Lever Rifle; Marlin Dark Model 336; and Marlin 1895 Custom Shop 45-70.

Seven Reasons to Own a Lever-Action Rifle

We own a variety of lever-action rifles, including Marlins well as handsome replica Uberti 1866 and 1873 rifles. There is much to be said about the lever gun design. Compared to typical modern bolt-actions, lever guns are narrower and lighter. With a little tuning, the replica 19th-century lever-action rifles cycle very quickly and smoothly. And the modern lever guns are good choices for hunters, with their ability to mount scopes and fire modern high-velocity cartridges. This video reveals the reasons every serious shooter should have at least one lever-action rifle in his or her collection.

How a Winchester 1873 Works

This video has over 15 million views on YouTube. The Model 1873 was one of the most successful Winchester rifles of its day, with Winchester marketing it as “The Gun that Won the West”. The original Model 1873 was manufactured between 1873 and 1923, and it is still available today in replica versions. The 1873 was originally chambered for the .44-40 cartridge, the first significant centerfire cartridge. The 1873 was later produced in .38-40 and .32-20, all of which later became popular handgun cartridges of the day. The Model 1873 was produced in four variations: a 24-inch barrel rifle, a 20-inch barrel carbine, and a “musket”—which was aimed at military contracts and only made up less than 5% of production. The standard rifle-length version was most popular in the 19th century, although Winchester would make rifles to order in any configuration the customer wished, including longer barrels or baby carbines with barrels as short as 12 inches, octagonal-shaped barrels, color case-hardened receivers and fancy engraving.

The Henry Big Boy Lever-Action .44 Magnum

Here’s good, thorough 16-minute review of a modern Henry Big Boy side-gate lever-action rifle chambered for the potent .44 Magnum round. This rifle shows the benefits of modern manufacturing methods, and shows good fit and finish. The review puts the rifle through its paces, show how quickly a modern lever gun can be cycled. We think this would be a good choice for a home defense rifle that could share ammunition with a defensive revolver.

Marlin 336 XLR Tactical-Style Lever-Action Rifle

And now for something a bit different… Here a Marlin 336 XLR lever-action rifle has been updated with a tactical-style forearm, rail-mounted optic, and suppressor. The reviewer noted how well the rifle functioned: “Recently I got my hands on this 336 XLR from Marlin and all of my preconceptions of tactical lever action rifles has now changed. What I found was a very modern and capable twist to an old school platform.”

More Information on Lever-Action Rifles

Want to learn more about lever-action rifles? RifleShooter magazine has published an interesting article, the 10 Greatest Lever-Action Rifles 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 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 classic 1860 Henry Rifle 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.

Many leading shooting sports vendors are running sales for the 4th of July, with some sales extending through the 5th, 6th, or 7th of July. With some vendors, you’ll find sitewide discounts plus significant additional savings on select products. In addition some sellers are now offering FREE Shipping or FREE Hazmat (with a minimum order).

Here are TEN notable 4th of July Independence Week Sales Events from leading online retailers. With 7/4/2026 marking the 250th Anniversary of the founding of our nation, many vendors are running really significant summer promotions. This is a great time to save on guns, reloading supplies, ammo and more.

Brownells — 12% Off Products with Code FREEDOM12

Creedmoor Sports — 10% Off Products with Code USA250

Precision Reloading — 10% Off $99+ Orders with Code FOURTH

Bullet Central — Big Savings on Actions, Stocks, Barrels & More

Peterson Cartridge — Save 25% on Cosmetic Seconds Brass

Midsouth — FREE Shipping $99+ and Free Hazmat $250+

Sportsman’s Warehouse — 10% OFF All Ammo Plus Gear Sales

Powder Valley — Major Red, White, Blue & Green RCBS Sale

Graf & Sons — FREE Hazmat ($250+) Promotion and Specials

MidwayUSA — FREE Shipping on $100+ Orders (Plus Discounts)

As a cartridge case is reloaded multiple times, burnt powder residue and carbon builds up on the inside of the case. Unless the case interior is cleaned in some fashion, eventually you’ll see a slight reduction in case capacity. One of our Forum members from Australia wonders about the effects of reduced case capacity: “If the capacity of the case decreases as the crud builds up, then it effectively reduces the size of the cartridge (inside). Wouldn’t that change the pressure produced from that of an equivalent clean case?”

Interesting Test of Case Capacity Changes
Forum member Fred Bohl has actual test results that can help answer the above question. Fred proved that, over a 20-reload cycle, the case capacity of uncleaned cases did decline a small amount. However, surprisingly, this did not seem to affect the actual chronographed velocity of the load. Extreme Spread (ES) did increase, but Fred believes the higher ES was due to changes in case-neck tension, rather than due to the slight reduction in case capacity. Fred reports:

“Back when beginning to use ultrasonic case cleaning, part of the motivation was to get the inside clean based on the assumption that allowing burnt residue to build up inside cases would affect capacity, and, ultimately, performance. An experiment was done to test this hypothesis. The load used, 30.5 grains of RL15 behind 107gr SMKs in a 6mmBR, was selected for best group and lowest ES in prior load development. It turned out to be 92% of initial case capacity and neither “full” or compressed. (I would suspect that different powders, load weight, and total case capacity might produce very different results.)

We took 30 cases of identical initial capacity and tracked three lots of 10 each:

LOT 1: No Internal cleaning
LOT 2: Cleaned with media in tumbler
LOT 3: Cleaned with Ultrasound machine

Each case (in each lot) was shot and reloaded 20 times. The simplified results after 20 reloads of each lot were as follows:

Lot 1 (not cleaned) – 0.3 to 0.4 gr. loss of capacity, 5 to 8 fps greater ES.
Lot 2 (tumble cleaned) – 0.1 to 0.3 gr. loss of capacity, 4 to 6 fps greater ES.
Lot 3 (ultrasonic cleaned) – no loss of capacity, no detectable change in ES.

FINDINGS
There was no detectable correlation of velocity change to the lots. An oddity was that on very hot days Lot 1 velocities were, occasionally, slightly higher. From results of another ongoing test, I believe the above differences in ES are probably due more to variance in bullet grip tension than case capacity. The ultrasound cleaned cases (LOT 3) did maintain the lowest ES, but we are not 100% sure of the reasons why. More consistent bullet seating might be the reason.”

Editor’s NOTE: Fred’s results do suggest that carbon build-up inside the uncleaned cases might cause a slight increase in pressure that shows up on hot days. Fred has posted that: “A local shooter reported doing the 20 reload, no-clean test on a .308 that gave a loss of capacity of 2.0 grains, doubled ES and significant velocity changes. However, I don’t have any details on his load weight or powder.” Obviously a lot of carbon can build up with 20 reloads. Many shooters retire their brass before then.

Ultrasonic Cleaning and Neck Lube
Some time ago, Jason Baney did a lengthy test on ultrasonic cleaning. Jason found that with his ultrasonically-cleaned cases, the inside of the necks got so “squeaky clean” that he needed to use dry lube in the necks. Jason uses the dry lube kit from Neconos.com. This applies ultra-fine Moly powder to the neck interior using small carbon steel balls.

There is an excellent article about primers on the Shooting Times website. We strongly recommend you read Mysteries And Misconceptions Of The All-Important Primer, written by Allan Jones. Mr. Jones is a bona fide expert — he served as the manager of technical publications for CCI Ammunition and Speer Bullets and Jones authored three editions of the Speer Reloading Manual.

» READ Full Primer “Mysteries and Misconceptions” Article

This authoritative Shooting Times article explains the fine points of primer design and construction. Jones also reveals some little-known facts about primers and he corrects common misconceptions. Here are some highlights from the article:

Size Matters
Useful Trivia — even though Small Rifle and Small Pistol primer pockets share the same depth specification, Large Rifle and Large Pistol primers do not. The standard pocket for a Large Pistol primer is somewhat shallower than its Large Rifle counterpart, specifically, 0.008 to 0.009 inch less.

Magnum Primers
There are two ways to make a Magnum primer — either use more of the standard chemical mix to provide a longer-burning flame or change the mix to one with more aggressive burn characteristics. Prior to 1989, CCI used the first option in Magnum Rifle primers. After that, we switched to a mix optimized for spherical propellants that produced a 24% increase in flame temperature and a 16% boost in gas volume.

Foiled Again
Most component primers have a little disk of paper between the anvil and the priming mix. It is called “foil paper” not because it’s made of foil but because it replaces the true metal foil used to seal early percussion caps. The reason this little disk exists is strictly a manufacturing convenience. Wet primer pellets are smaller than the inside diameter of the cup when inserted and must be compacted to achieve their proper diameter and height. Without the foil paper, the wet mix would stick to the compaction pins and jam up the assembly process.

Read Full Primer Story on ShootingTimes.com

VIDEOS about PRIMERS
Here are two videos that offer some good, basic information on primers:

Have you recently purchased a new scope? Then you should verify the actual click value of the turrets before you use the optic in competition (or on a long-range hunt). While a scope may have listed click values of 1/4-MOA, 1/8-MOA or 0.1 Mils, the reality may be slightly different. Many scopes have actual click values that are slightly higher or lower than the value claimed by the manufacturer. The small variance adds up when you click through a wide range of elevation.

In this video, Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics shows how to verify your true click values using a “Tall Target Test”. The idea is to start at the bottom end of a vertical line, and then click up 30 MOA or so. Multiply the number of clicked MOA by 1.047 to get the claimed value in inches. For example, at 100 yards, 30 MOA is exactly 31.41 inches. Then measure the difference in your actual point of impact. If, for example, your point of impact is 33 inches, then you are getting more than the stated MOA with each click (assuming the target is positioned at exactly 100 yards).

How to Perform the Tall Target Test
The objective of the tall target test is to insure that your scope is giving you the proper amount of adjustment. For example, when you dial 30 MOA, are you really getting 30 MOA, or are you getting 28.5 or 31.2 MOA? The only way to be sure is to verify, don’t take it for granted! Knowing your scopes true click values insures that you can accurately apply a ballistic solution. In fact, many perceived inaccuracies of long range ballistics solutions are actually caused by the scopes not applying the intended adjustment. In order to verify your scope’s true movement and calculate a correction factor, follow the steps in the Tall Target Worksheet. This worksheet takes you thru the ‘calibration process’ including measuring true range to target and actual POI shift for a given scope adjustment. The goal is to calculate a correction factor that you can apply to a ballistic solution which accounts for the tracking error of your scope. For example, if you find your scope moves 7% more than it should, then you have to apply 7% less than the ballistic solution calls for to hit your target.

NOTE: When doing this test, don’t go for the maximum possible elevation. You don’t want to max out the elevation knob, running it to the top stop. Bryan Litz explains: “It’s good to avoid the extremes of adjustment when doing the tall target test.I don’t know how much different the clicks would be at the edges, but they’re not the same.”

Should You Perform a WIDE Target Test Too?
What about testing your windage clicks the same way, with a WIDE target test? Bryan Litz says that’s not really necessary: “The wide target test isn’t as important for a couple reasons. First, you typically don’t dial nearly as much wind as you do elevation. Second, your dialed windage is a guess to begin with; a moving average that’s different for every shot. Whereas you stand to gain a lot by nailing vertical down to the click, the same is not true of windage. If there’s a 5% error in your scope’s windage tracking, you’d never know it.”

Verifying Scope Level With Tall Target Test
Bryan says: “While setting up your Tall Target Test, you should also verify that your scope level is mounted and aligned properly. This is critical to insuring that you’ll have a long range horizontal zero when you dial on a bunch of elevation for long range shots. This is a requirement for all kinds of long range shooting. Without a properly-mounted scope level (verified on a Tall Target), you really can’t guarantee your horizontal zero at long range.”

NOTE: For ‘known-distance’ competition, this is the only mandatory part of the tall target test, since slight variations in elevation click-values are not that important once you’re centered “on target” at a known distance.

The 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States is just two days away. There will be fireworks and Stars and Stripes decorations around the nation on this special Fourth of July holiday.

Would you like to show your patriotism and honor America with the color scheme of your firearms? Well gun-makers Howa and Citadel now offer bold, patriotic colors for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. A variety of Howa rifles and Citadel guns are offered with handsome red, white, and blue USA Flag patterns. You can choose rimfire or centerfire rifles, shotguns, or handguns — all with a patriotic Stars and Stripes finish.

Howa’s USA Flag pattern firearms line-up includes the APC Steel and Carbon Fiber Flag Chassis rifle, the Mini Action Excl Lite, and the TSP X Chassis rifle. On the Howas and the Citadel Trakr rifles, the flag patterns are a rugged, protective Cerakote finish. Citadel Trakr .22 LR rimfire rifles are also available with USA Flag and Grayscale options for both semi-auto and bolt-action models. And Citadel now offers a very handsome LEVTAC Respect lever-action rifle with Stars and Stripes buttstock and handguard.

The Citadel handgun collection offers the USA Flag pattern in the Citadel .45 ACP full size 1911 pistol, the Citadel CP9 9mm series, and the Citadel 1911-style compact .380 ACP series.

Howa TSP X Chassis Rifle

The Howa TSP X Chassis rifle has a Cerakoted T-6 Aluminum Chassis and excellent adjustable, 2-stage HACT trigger. This rifle comes with a sub-MOA guarantee and Lifetime Warranty. The patriotic TSP X rifle is offered in four chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win, and 300 PRC.

CITADEL Stars and Stripes Shotguns

Legacy International offers three different 12ga shotguns with handsome Stars and Stripes stock coverings. The Citadel Boss 25 is a modern mag-fed shotgun with AR-type ergonomics. The Citadel Pup Scout also feeds from a detachable magazine, but located in a rear position behind the hand grip. This allows a more compact OAL even with a proper barrel length. Citadel’s smallest shotgun offering is the 12ga short-barrel pump-gun with 14.75″ barrel and 5+1 capacity.

CITADEL American Flag Pistol Collection

PDF Product Catalog Available
CLICK HERE to view full Howa/Citadel Product Catalog with all patriotic color options. The Citadel Trakr .22 LR Rimfires and Boss 25 shotgun are also available in the USA Flag and Grayscale options. Cerakoted ammo cans in the USA Flag and Grayscale Flag are available with the Citadel handguns.

Widener’s Reloading & Shooting Supply has published a helpful introduction to reloading powders. Widener’s online Guide to Smokeless Powders shows the various types of powders, and explains how the differences in powder kernel/flake size and shape, and burn rate affect performance. We recommend you visit Widener’s website and read the Powder Guide in full.

Take a close look at these illustrations which show the key differences between the four main powder types: extruded (stick) powder, ball (spherical) powder, flattened ball powder, and flake powder.

Burn Rate Basics

Widener’s Guide to Smokeless Powders also has a useful discussion of Burn Rate (a confusing topic for many hand-loaders). Wideners explains: “While a gun powder explosion in the cartridge seems instantaneous, if you slow it down you will actually find that each powder has a different ‘burn rate’, or speed at which it ignites.” This video shows powders with two very different burn rates. Watch closely.

Different burn rates suit different cartridge types notes Widener’s: “In general a fast-burning powder is used for light bullets and low-speed pistols and shotguns. Medium-rate powders are used for magnum pistols, while high-velocity, large bore rifle cartridges will need slow powders[.]

It should be noted that burn rate does not have a standardized unit of measurement. In fact, burn rate is really only discussed in comparison to other powders; there is no universal yardstick. Specifics will change by cartridge and bullet types[.]”

More and more folks are using Burris Signature Rings these days. These unique rings feature polymer inserts. That allows you to pre-load some elevation in your scope set-up, or you can center-up the windage. Additionally, the polymer inserts hold your scope securely without leaving marks on the tube. Lastly, some folks believe that Signature rings may offer advantages for benchrest competition. Rodney Wagner shot a world-record 600-yard group using Burris Signature Zee Rings (“Zee” denotes the Weaver-rail model). James O’Hara set multiple IBS 1000-yard records using Burris Signature Zee Rings. James will tell you he thinks “all his guns seem to shoot best with these rings”.

IBS World Record Set with Signature Zee Rings
Are Signature Zees good enough for competition? Absolutely. Some folks scoff at these Burris rings, given their modest price. A set of 1″-diameter Sig Zees cost $43.10 at Midsouth. But consider this, in 2013 Rodney Wagner shot the then-smallest 600-yard group in history, a 0.336″ 5-shot stunner, using Signature Zee Rings on his IBS Light Gun. It took five years for a smaller 600-yard group to be shot, a 0.311″ by bullet-maker Bart Sauter, using his IBS Heavy Gun. (See IBS 600-yard Records.) Here’s Rodney with his record-setting rifle, fitted with affordable Signature Zee 30mm rings.

Vendors Have Burris Signature Rings in Stock Now
Various models of Burris Signature Rings are available from many online vendors. NOTE: You may have to check with more than one seller to get the exact size, height, and model you prefer. But right now these vendors have pretty good selections of Signature Zees in stock now, including the popular 30mm High and 30mm Extra High models (each currently $59.37 at Midsouth). If you check all three sellers, you’ll probably find what you need.