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June 15th, 2023

Small Varmint Safari with .22 LR — Plus FREE Varmint Target

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim SeeRimfire Varmint Adventure
Can you shoot prairie dogs with a .22 LR Rifle? The answer is yes, if you have an accurate rifle, know your drops, and keep your targets within a reasonable distance (inside 240 yards). While the .17 HMR and .17 WSM are much more potent, flat-shooting, and effective P-dog slayers, a talented marksman CAN get good results with a .22 LR rimfire rifle, as ace PRS shooter and gunsmith Jim See recently proved.

Posting on his Facebook Page on 7/9/2020, Jim wrote: “Took out the .22 LR for some LR prairie poodles, there were not many in this town, but it gave me a chance to get some impressive hits. Norma TAC-22 ammo put the smack down on a first-round hit, called head shots at 189 yards. The body-shot dog was a first-round kill at 240 yards. I had one more head shot with a second round hit at 163. The nice part about using the .22 Long Rifle ammo is the [critters] don’t spook too bad, so a follow-up shot with a correction is usually available to get a better wind hold.” Even unsuppressed, a .22 LR rimfire shot makes much less noise than a centerfire round.

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

NOTE: The Norma TAC-22 .22 LR ammo used by Jim See offers great bang for the buck. It is quite affordable — a 50rd box is just $4.99 at MidwayUSA. Some lots have show outstanding accuracy. These target photos (below) come from Champion Shooters Supply which may have gotten an exceptional lot. This vendor tells us: “We have found this to run very well in Ruger rifles, handguns, and target pistols. These are 5-shot groups at 50 yards with an Anschutz 1913 rifle. This is an incredible value.” Jim says the TAC-22 ammo delivers 1″ groups at 100 yards in his rifle.

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See
5-year-old Norma TAC-22 results. Current TAC-22 is on sale at $3.99/box at AE Ammo and $4.99/box at MidwayUSA.

Free Sierra Varmint Target — Prairie Enemy

Sierra Bullets has introduced a new line of loaded centerfire varmint ammunition, the Prairie Enemy series of cartridges. Sierra currently offers Prairie Enemy ammo for six cartridge types: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .224 Valkyrie, .22-250 Rem, .243 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor. To celebrate this new ammo line, Sierra created a colorful Prairie Enemy P-Dog target. Click the image below to download the PDF target.


Click HERE to Download Target PDF »

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Gear Review, Hunting/Varminting No Comments »
May 4th, 2022

Rimfire Varminting Adventure — Plus Free Varmint Target

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim SeeRimfire Varmint Adventure
Can you shoot prairie dogs with a .22 LR Rifle? The answer is yes, if you have an accurate rifle, know your drops, and keep your targets within a reasonable distance (inside 240 yards). While the .17 HMR and .17 WSM are much more potent, flat-shooting, and effective P-dog slayers, a talented marksman CAN get good results with a .22 LR rimfire rifle, as ace PRS shooter and gunsmith Jim See recently proved.

Posting on his Facebook Page on 7/9/2020, Jim wrote: “Took out the .22 LR for some LR prairie poodles, there were not many in this town, but it gave me a chance to get some impressive hits. Norma TAC-22 ammo put the smack down on a first-round hit, called head shots at 189 yards. The body-shot dog was a first-round kill at 240 yards. I had one more head shot with a second round hit at 163. The nice part about using the .22 Long Rifle ammo is the [critters] don’t spook too bad, so a follow-up shot with a correction is usually available to get a better wind hold.” Even unsuppressed, a .22 LR rimfire shot makes much less noise than a centerfire round.

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

NOTE: The Norma TAC-22 .22 LR ammo used by Jim See offers great bang for the buck. It is quite affordable — a 50rd box is just $4.50 at Palmetto State Armory. Some lots have show outstanding accuracy. These target photos (below) come from Champion Shooters Supply which may have gotten an exceptional lot. This vendor tells us: “We have found this to run very well in Ruger rifles, handguns, and target pistols. These are 5-shot groups at 50 yards with an Anschutz 1913 rifle. This is an incredible value.” Jim says the TAC-22 ammo delivers 1″ groups at 100 yards in his rifle.

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See
5-year-old Norma TAC-22 results. Current TAC-22 is on sale at $4.50/box at Palmetto State Armory.

Free Sierra Varmint Target — Prairie Enemy

Sierra Bullets has introduced a new line of loaded centerfire varmint ammunition, the Prairie Enemy series of cartridges. Sierra currently offers Prairie Enemy ammo for six cartridge types: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .224 Valkyrie, .22-250 Rem, .243 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor. To celebrate this new ammo line, Sierra created a colorful Prairie Enemy P-Dog target. Click the image below to download the PDF target.


Click HERE to Download Target PDF »

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Gear Review, Hunting/Varminting No Comments »
March 14th, 2022

ZEISS LRP S5 5-25x56mm FFP Scope Field Test and Review

Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test

ZEISS has introduced a new LRP S5 series of First Focal Plane (FFP) optics. There are two new FFP scopes with high zoom ratios, the LRP S5 318-50 and LRP S5 525-56. These are impressive scopes, with excellent glass, precise controls, and a ton of elevation. Both models boast a 34mm main tube, European-style fast-focus eyepiece, Ballistic Stop elevation turret (with 40.7 MRAD or 140 MOA of total elevation travel), and an external locking windage turret.

Gunsmith Jim See of Elite Accuracy LLC has been testing the LRP S5 525-56 which offers 25X max power. Jim had the Milrad version with the ZF-MRi Reticle and 40.7 Mils of elevation. Jim, an active PRS/NRL competitor, knows what features are important in tactical competitions. He understands that a good PRS/NRL scope must be tough, precise, and repeatable. Jim was impressed with the new 5-25x56mm ZEISS scope. Jim really liked the bright, clear markings on the turrets, and the positive clicks. He also praised the lever-equipped zoom control, the positive zero-stop on the elevation knob, and he believed the lockable windage turret can have definite benefits in the field.

Jim told us: “The scope operates well, it tracks well, and the turrets are accurate in their movements. All the functions work well — elevation, windage, parallax. This LRP scope has a quality feel — similar to other ZEISS products I have used.” Overall, Jim believed this ZEISS 5-25x56mm optic “will fit well in its intended market”, namely PRS/NRL and long range hunting.

ZEISS LRP S5 525-56 Scope Field Test and Review

Review by Jim See, Elite Accuracy LLC

I recently reviewed ZEISS’s latest scope offering for the precision rifle shooter. ZEISS is a very recognizable name in the optics industry, and the LRP S5 line of optics is there first big attempt to attract the attention of PRS/tactical/competition enthusiasts.

Jim See Elite Accuracy Zeiss LRP 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test
ZEISS LRP S5 accessories include a power throw lever, a sunshade, and a set of precision rings with integral bubble level, which I found to be very well-made. I fitted my test scope with these items.

For the review I was sent the 5-25x56mm version in MRAD configuration. This optic has a 34mm main tube and is a first focal plane scope. My initial impressions of the optic when I first handled it were favorable. It had the typical look and finish of other ZEISS optics I was familiar with, the robust and solid feeling construction, and well thought-out turrets clearly numbered and easy to read.

Jim See Elite Accuracy Zeiss LRP 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test

Jim had high praise for the highly visible numbers on the dials: “With my (older) eyes, I can’t read the numbers on most scopes, but with this ZEISS LRP S5 scope I CAN read the numbers.”

Jim See Elite Accuracy Zeiss LRP 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test

I mounted the ZEISS to a very accurate 6mmBR rifle and headed out to the range to zero the optic and set the zero stop. This operation only took minutes. I fired a shot, dialed the scope to the bullet impact and sent another round, with a little fine-tuning over the next three shots I had my zero. I consulted the Owner’s Manual, and quickly reviewed the procedure for zeroing out the elevation turret and setting the zero stop. Simply loosen the two turret set screws, push the turret down and spin it to the zero indication mark on the turret until it stops, then retighten the two set screws. It’s a very easy process which I appreciated.

The turrets on this scope have clearly identifiable clicks with a slightly deeper detent at the full One Mil indicator marks. So as you rotate the turret and hit the full mill values, you can clearly feel the resistance of the heavier detent.

Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test

My next objective was to test the accuracy of the turret and the reticle sub-tensions. In any long range matches we compensate for bullet drop and wind deflection by accurately calculating our corrections via a ballistic calculator or collected data. It is very important that an elevation turret tracks true. I set up a tall target test with marks at 36″ and an exact range of 100 yards. I shot a 3-shot group at my aim point and then dialed up 10 Mils. I then repeated the 3-shot group using the same Point of Aim. The results were near perfect with a 36″ spread between the two groups. All groups were at or under .25 MOA which is representative of this rifle. The scope repeated on aim impacts, fresh off a +10 Mil “up” dial. I then dialed the turret back to zero and repeated the test with a +10 Mil aim-point change using the reticle subtensions only. There was a small variance on impact height using the subtension lines, without clicking up 10 Mils, but using the reticle hold lines only.*

Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test
Note that the view through the scope is bright and clear all the way to the very edge of the viewable image. Lesser scopes may show shadowing or distortion at the periphery.

A few days later I was able to get to a range with some steel targets out to distance, on this day I was looking at optical performance and the “feel” of the optic. It just so happens that the sun was low in the sky and I thought what a great time to check for optical flare. No good comparison happens without something to compare against. So with me was another rifle with a flagship optic [another brand] I was very familiar with. I fitted both optics with their sun shades, and looked at a picnic table on a pond dike, directly in line with the sun. The ZEISS in this test showed considerably less optical flare, to the point that flare was almost nonexistent. The ZEISS offered a clear and usable image with no eye strain. The other brand scope did not perform nearly as well in this comparison.

Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test

I proceeded with some longer distant shooting with the main purpose of seeing exactly what I could see. In the game of precision-style rifle matches one of the keys to success is managing recoil through the application of solid fundamentals. The goal here is to identify independently where each bullet goes. We accomplish that by staying in the scope and watching down range. Bullet trace, dirt impacts, target reaction, target impacts, and occasionally seeing the actual bullet in flight, are feedbacks we look for. With the sun low and sitting at about 1:30 from my line to the target, it turned out to be a great day for actually seeing the bullet in flight. The reflection of the light off the side/rear of the 105 grain Berger bullet was clearly visible to me. This is not something everyone sees because you have to know how to look for it, it is best to run in a midrange power of 10-15x to pick up these subtleties. In this case I knew I was holding about one Mil of right wind and 4.3 Mils of dialed elevation. So as I broke the shot I let my eye look up and right of the target. Each time I could catch the arching streak of the bullet as it headed to and impacted the target. The lighting in combination with the wind, on this day, was not very conducive to seeing bullet trace, again something we look for but do not always see depending on conditions.

Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test

After beating up the already shot-up plate, I was able to turn up the magnification on the ZEISS and identify both old impacts and the newer impacts that were shinier on the steel plate, typically seen as brighter smears before the lead and steel has a chance to oxidize. I then ranged and dialed plates at different distances, then shot, dialed, and shot some more. Everything in the ZEISS worked well and tracked well, causing no concerns whatsoever.

I concluded the session with some side-by-side comparisons with my control optic. I studied impacts on the same steel plate, and then did a side by side on farm buildings about 2400 yards away. Both of these optics clearly resolved the images studied. What I took away from this was that the ZEISS had a more sensitive eye box when your eye placement shifted from left to right. Not substantial but something I only noticed with a constant evaluation [in direct comparison]. Your eye placement behind the ZEISS optic front to back was forgiving and pretty normal for scopes of similar design. I noted to myself that this was worth another assessment day to better judge the optic.


In this video, on a snowy day, Jim shows how easy it is to set the Zero Stops on the turrets of the ZEISS LRP S5 5-25x56mm scope.

I was able to look through the optics again on a day with pretty flat light. We were now snow-covered and cloudy in north east Iowa. The goal today was to set up the optics in my BOG Deathgrip tripod and study the town I lived in. I set up and focused the optic onto a multi-story brick building at 1500 yards. With some fine tuning, both optics allowed me to clearly see the mortar lines between the bricks at this distance, with the flat lighting brightness and contrast were very similar in these scopes. I then looked for some color. I found my local Casey’s gas station at about 800 yards and started my comparison. My color perception in both optics seemed very similar to the point of being uneventful in even trying to compare the two, now I wished I had a bright sunny day to look over these optics again.

I spent a third evening behind glass, the goal was to get an idea of how the ZEISS performed as light was fading, again we had another cloudy evening in Iowa. I added another high-end tactical optic of similar power rating and dimensions to the evaluation, that model being a few years old but still in the manufacturer’s line-up. What I took away from this three-optic evaluation was that, on similar power settings, the ZEISS low light performance was exceptional. The white snow was still nice and white, resolution was very good and the images were easily identifiable. The first competitive comparison optic also performed very well, the second optic added to the mix showed a tint of yellowing in the image, something that I had not noticed with that optic in previous daylight use.

Overall I think ZEISS has developed an optic that will fit in with the market it was intended for. It is a solid optic that feels very robust and repeatable. The ZEISS LRP S5 525-56’s functions and repeatability performed as they should in my testing. The optical quality is very good and offers a bright, clear image. Those shooters looking for a new top-level optic should give the ZEISS LRP S5 525-56 an honest look.


Jim See Accuracy Zeiss LRP S5 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field testInstallation in Zeiss Rings
Jim placed the scope in high-quality ZEISS rings with integral bubble level. He then took the rig out into the field and completed an initial Tall Target test. That test confirmed the precision and repeatability of the 0.1 MRAD elevation and windage click values.

Jim also liked how positive the clicks felt with both elevation and windage knobs. Jim told us: “The scope operates well, it tracks well, and the turrets are accurate in their movements. All the functions work well — elevation, windage, parallax. This LRP scope has a quality feel — similar to other ZEISS products I have used.” Jim also noted that the ZEISS LRP S5 scope resisted solar flare very well: “This is important in PRS matches where we get that low sun in the afternoons”.

Jim See Accuracy Zeiss LRP S5 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test
Scope mounted in ZEISS rings with bubble level. Optional sunshade is attached in front.

Jim See Accuracy Zeiss LRP 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test
To test ruggedness and weatherproofing, Jim is putting the ZEISS LRP through its paces in harsh winter conditions. He’s using a tripod here to keep off the snowy ground. The tripod mount also allows smooth traversing to view a wide selection of terrain and objects near and far.

Advanced Optical Technology — ZEISS LRP S5 Features

The ZEISS LRP S5 525-56 has many notable features, including a lockable windage turret, adjustable reticle illumination, and a HUGE amount of elevation travel — 40.7 Mils in the MIL model and 140 MOA in the MOA version. That gives this optic the ability to shoot at extreme range without requiring holdovers.

Jim See Elite Accuracy Zeiss LRP 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test
Jim See Elite Accuracy Zeiss LRP 525-56 scope First focal plane PRS NRL 5-25x56mm unboxing field test
Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test
Jim See Zeiss LRP S5 5-25x56mm 525-56 scope optic test


* In this test I could see immediately that the reticle showed a measured gap between my previous two groups of 9.8 Mils (not 10), though those groups were actually a true 36″ apart (ten Mils is 36″ at 100). The shooting results, using the reticle lines only, confirmed what I saw, and I now had two groups that measured 36.6″ apart. The “take-away” is that if I have to hold with the reticle only, I can calculate the error at a minimal 0.1 mil for every 5 mils held in the reticle. Will this error cause problems? Some may think so, but in competitions we rarely hold over 5 mils while shooting stages. At 100 yards, a 0.1 Mil click is 0.36 inch, a full Mil is 3.6 inches, and ten Mils is 36″.

Permalink - Videos, Gear Review, Optics No Comments »
July 11th, 2020

Small Varmint Hunting with .22 LR — and FREE Varmint Target

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim SeeRimfire Varmint Adventure
Can you shoot prairie dogs with a .22 LR Rifle? The answer is yes, if you have an accurate rifle, know your drops, and keep your targets within a reasonable distance (inside 240 yards). While the .17 HMR and .17 WSM are much more potent, flat-shooting, and effective P-dog slayers, a talented marksman CAN get good results with a .22 LR rimfire rifle, as ace PRS shooter and gunsmith Jim See recently proved.

Posting on his Facebook Page on 7/9/2020, Jim wrote: “Took out the .22 LR for some LR prairie poodles, there were not many in this town, but it gave me a chance to get some impressive hits. Norma TAC-22 ammo put the smack down on a first-round hit, called head shots at 189 yards. The body-shot dog was a first-round kill at 240 yards. I had one more head shot with a second round hit at 163. The nice part about using the .22 Long Rifle ammo is the [critters] don’t spook too bad, so a follow-up shot with a correction is usually available to get a better wind hold.” Even unsuppressed, a .22 LR rimfire shot makes much less noise than a centerfire round.

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

NOTE: The Norma TAC-22 .22 LR ammo used by Jim See offers great bang for the buck. It is quite affordable — a 50rd box is just $4.41 at Midsouth Shooters. Some lots have show outstanding accuracy. These target photos (below) come from Champion Shooters Supply which may have gotten an exceptional lot. This vendor tells us: “We have found this to run very well in Ruger rifles, handguns, and target pistols. These are 5-shot groups at 50 yards with an Anschutz 1913 rifle. This is an incredible value.” Jim says the TAC-22 delivers 1″ groups at 100 yards in his rifle.

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Free Sierra Varmint Target — Prairie Enemy

Sierra Bullets has introduced a new line of loaded centerfire varmint ammunition, the Prairie Enemy series of cartridges. Sierra currently offers Prairie Enemy ammo for six cartridge types: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .224 Valkyrie, .22-250 Rem, .243 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor. To celebrate this new ammo line, Sierra created a colorful Prairie Enemy P-Dog target. Click the image below to download the PDF target.


Click Image to Download Target PDF

Norma Tac-22 ammunition .22 LR varmint prairie dog Jim See

Permalink Hunting/Varminting, News, Shooting Skills No Comments »
April 22nd, 2019

Frankford Arsenal Hand Priming Tool With Depth Adjustment

Frankford Arsenal Perfect Seat Hand Primer Platinum series priming tool grip adjustable

Our friend Jim See of Elite Accuracy LLC recently tested the depth-adjustable hand priming tool from Frankford Arsenal. This product, called the Platinum Series Perfect Seat Hand Primer has some unique features. Primer seating depth can be adjusted with a handy wheel in the tool’s center handgrip. Each “click” of the wheel moves the primer post .001″ (one one-thousandth of an inch). Additionally, the design of the case-holder allows quick and easy removal of a primed case. The unit ships with a full set of shell-holders to match all types of cases. Like many other hand priming units, the primers are loaded into a flip tray that attaches to the head of the tool.

Frankford Arsenal Perfect Seat Hand Primer Platinum series priming tool grip adjustable

Here is Jim See’s quick review of the Frankford priming tool:

“The Frankford Arsenal perfect hand-priming tool is legit. The tool is built heavy and strong. The only plastic parts in it are the tray and lid. The [primer] seating depth adjustment… is simple and accurate. Easy to operate. I primed 1000 cases, averaging 23 per minute. I adjusted the depth of seating between two different lots of brass in seconds. The system seats primers easily with one hand operation. The cases slide out on their own after seating. Insert, seat, reach for a new case at the same time as you are operating the lever, case slides out and you are inserting the next piece.”

Overall, Jim was “Super impressed with the quality and the results. This thing is super smooth — way less pressure needed than my Lee or RCBS. It’s a lot faster too.” Jim add that one can switch from small to large primer posts in 10-15 seconds.

This Video Shows the Frankford Priming Tool in Operation:

Even with premium brass you may want to adjust your primer seating depth: “Every thing has a tolerance that is acceptable in manufacturing. If primer pocket depth has a .005″ tolerance and the primers themselves have a .002″ tolerance you can see why adjustments would be needed. In this case the two lots were manufactured on year apart. Could you expect them to be identical?”

Frankford Arsenal Perfect Seat Hand Primer Platinum series priming tool grip adjustable

Permalink - Videos, Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Gear Review, Reloading 4 Comments »