At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Natchez — .22 Long Rifle Rimfire Ammunition Sale
⏺️ » Big sale on rimfire ammo, many leading brands
Every serious shooter should have a good .22 LR rifle. Shooting rimfire allows you to train and shoot for fun at a fraction of the cost of shooting centerfire rounds. Right now you can save on quality rimfire ammo with the .22 Long Rifle Ammo Sale at Natchez. With CCI, Federal, Norma, Remington, and Wolf ammo on sale you can get anything from match-quality .22 LR to budget plinking ammo. A huge variety of .22 LR ammo is being offered at some of the best prices this year.
Brownells — Fall Build FEST Sale + Save 20% with Code EXTRA20
⏺️ » Deals on guns, ammo, optics, and gear plus 20% OFF Code
Get major savings with the Brownells Fall Build FEST Sale. Along with the already discounted prices, on many clearance items you can save an additional 20% with Code EXTRA20. Sale items include rifle scopes, pistols, bipods, shooting rests, ammo (rifle, pistol, shotgun), cartridge brass, bullets (Berger, Sierra, Hornady), reloading equipment, rifle cases and more. Definitely check out this Clearance Sale. There are exceptional deals plus 20% savings.
Big selection of hunting gear on sale, plus FREE Shipping on orders $100+
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
This stunning Westley Richards & Co. shotgun was made for the 1981 nuptials of Lady Diana Spencer and HRH Prince Charles. It is rare, has a unique history of ownership, and is also elaborately decorated.
Jim Supica, Director of the NRA Firearms Museum, has written a trio of articles about gun collecting. If you are thinking of starting your own collection of firearms, you should read Supica’s informative articles. The first talks about the basics of gun collecting, the second explains the five key factors that govern gun values, and the third article explains where to find rare and valuable arms. Today we want to highlight the five factors that contribute most to a gun’s value, according to Supica:
Make and Model, Condition, Rarity, History, Art — These are the five factors that … appeal to collectors and help determine the value of collectible guns.
Make and model tends to be the starting point for evaluating collectible guns for most collectors and will be a basic threshold requirement for those with specialized collections.
Factors here include the quality of a particular manufacturer’s products, the historical usage of the guns in question, and the brand’s aura of romance. As an example of that last (and most intangible) factor, consider that Colt Single Action Army revolvers were for several decades the most prevalent focus for collectors interested in full-size revolvers from the post-Civil War to turn of the 20th Century-era, and there is no question that Colts were widely used during that time. In recent years, there has been a refreshing trend in gun collecting to look at a broader range of guns than the traditional blue chip Colts, Winchesters, and Lugers.
Colt Single Action Army Revolvers remain among the most prized (and collectible) firearm.
2. Condition (and Originality)
Obviously, condition plays a major role in the value of a collectible firearm. The classic advice to new collectors in this regard has always been to hold out for guns in the best condition and pay the extra premium they demand. This condition-emphasis seems to have developed in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early post-WWII years of gun collecting there was more interest in rare variations and history, and fewer collectors to whom a few percentage point difference in remaining original finish was of much concern.
Although the highest-condition guns continue to bring record prices, it seems that the pendulum is beginning to swing back the other way, a trend met with my hearty approval. The appeal of “mint” guns has been largely lost on me, and seems to be more appropriate to coin or stamp collecting than a field in which the possible historic usage of the artifact holds so much interest and significance. There is a definite segment of the collector market that is not overly concerned with perfect condition, so long as the gun is original and has not been messed with in a more recent (and, in my opinion, usually misguided) attempt to enhance its desirability.
3. Rarity
In terms of rarity, the well-worn saying that “just because a gun is rare doesn’t mean it’s valuable” remains true to a certain extent. There may only be five known examples of a particular gun, but if only three people care about it, the market is saturated. However, there does seem to be more interest in cornering the rare variations within established collecting fields. There is a bit of a resurgence of the collecting philosophy of completing a punchlist of models and variations within a specialization, and this lead to vigorous competition for the rarest examples in these fields. In emerging collecting fields, when new research is published revealing the rarity of certain variations there can develop a brisk interest in those guns.
4. History
Individual guns with a known history of ownership by a specific individual or usage in a specific historical event have always captured the fascination of collectors, as well as historians and the general public. This seems to reflect a basic human interest and shows no sign of abatement. A positive trend here seems to be an increase in general understanding of the type of documentation which must accompany a historically attributed firearm to give it the credibility to justify a premium price, and the importance of creating and preserving such documentation.
This Beretta has extra value because it was owned by pilot Chuck Yeager. Photo NRA Museum.
5. Art (Decorative Embellishment)
Fine engraved guns are collected more for their artistic value than for their worth as firearms. Here the market for classic works by the great engravers of the 19th and early 20th Centuries remains strong, as well as for factory-engraved pieces from more recent years. Interest in recent non-factory engraving seems to have diminished, as has… the trend of adding modern engraving to older firearms.
Here is a matching set of three three beautifully engraved pistols by the late Indiana engraving wizard Ben Shostle — a Luger, a Mauser, and a Colt. Photo courtesy Amoskeag Auction Company.
Factory-custom engraving should not be confused with mass-produced, factory-made commemorative firearms, which flooded the market in the 1960s and 1970s. A couple of major manufacturers worked this genre to death, and prices on commemoratives have been stagnant for many years now, although the market for these shows some signs of renewal.
CAUTIONARY WORDS about RESTORATION
With prices for high-condition original finish guns running away from the budgets of many collectors, period-of-use refinished guns and older factory-refinished guns are finding more enthusiastic buyers than they did a few years ago.
The availability of excellent-quality restoration services is another factor that I anticipate may impact collector preferences in the future. The top restoration artists are reworking guns to “as new” condition with such skill that it has become increasingly difficult for even knowledgeable collectors to distinguish mint original finish guns from the best restorations.
When such restoration is disclosed to a prospective buyer (as it ethically should be), the prices the gun will bring are significantly below a similar gun with original finish, and may be less than the original cost of the pre-restoration gun plus the cost of the rework. This creates a mighty incentive for deception by a motivated seller, either by active misrepresentation (a.k.a. “fraud”) or passively by simple failure to mention the modification.
NOTE: We are sad to announce that, on September 27, 2026, Jim Borden passed away from pancreatic cancer. Jim, who founded and operated Borden Accuracy, was a great shooter as well as a designer/builder of superb actions and complete rifles. Jim won 11 National Benchest Championships, was a Benchrest Hall of Fame member, and served six terms as President of the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS).
About Jim Borden and Borden Accuracy Jim began shooting high power silhouette and benchrest matches in the mid 1970s while working for a Fortune 500 company as an engineer. In the early 1980s he began building rifles for himself and then for others. Jim excelled as a mechanical engineer, action-maker, gunsmith, machinist, hunter, and benchrest competitor.
In benchrest competition Jim set 10 world records and won 11 National Championships, earning a place in the Benchrest Hall of Fame. Jim served 6 terms as International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) President. Jim ran Borden Rifles/Borden Accuracy with wife Joan, sons Jim Jr. and John, daughter Andrea Mecca and son-in-law John (Mike) Mecca.
Interview with Jim Borden 12/31/2025
At 1:17:50 time-mark Jim explains how he wishes to be remembered: “…Good shooter, good family man, somebody who shared his knowledge and left his legacy in the shooting sports to be followed.”
From the Borden Accuracy Facebook Page
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of James F. Borden, founder of Borden Accuracy Inc., after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Jim built Borden Accuracy on a foundation of precision, quality, integrity, and craftsmanship. His dedication to the shooting community and to producing products our customers could trust was something he took great pride in.
As Jim’s health changed, he thoughtfully put plans in place for the future of Borden Accuracy. In recent years, he had transitioned into more of a guidance role while his wife, Joan Borden, his oldest son, Jim Borden Jr., his daughter, Andrea Borden Mecca, and his son-in-law, Mike Mecca, took on the day-to-day operation of the business.
Borden Accuracy Inc. will continue forward as Jim intended, maintaining the same precision, quality, and commitment our customers have trusted for years.
While we mourn the loss of our husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and founder, we are incredibly proud to carry on Jim’s legacy and the company he worked so hard to build. We sincerely appreciate the kindness, support, and prayers shown to Jim and our family throughout his illness. His legacy will continue in every Borden product that carries his name.”
Memorial Ceremony Will Be Held October 24, 2026
Family and friends are invited to attend Jim’s Celebration of Life which will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM from the Marcho, Sheldon, and Kukuchka Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, PA 18657. A visitation will be held from 12:00 PM until the time of service on Saturday.
Interview with Jim Borden and Erik Cortina
In this video Erik Cortina interviews Jim Borden. This is one of the best long interviews on Erik’s YouTube Channel. You’ll learn quite a bit from watching the video. The full video runs over two hours, so you may want to watch in segments over a couple of days.
All in the Family
Jim’s grandfather was a gunsmith who taught Jim the trade when Jim was very young. Jim’s father and grandfather ran a country business that included an auto repair shop, welding, a small lathe, and a forge. Jim earned a degree in Mechanical engineering at Penn State University. For 23 years he worked for Procter and Gamble (P&G) as an engineer and as an engineering manager/project manager.
Tributes from AccurateShooter Forum members:
Jim was a friend and he will be missed. He had a mind that could solve complex problems and he used it to build some of the best rifle actions available. We are diminished with the loss of this great engineer and Hall of Fame shooter. — James Mock
Jim Borden — Sharer of knowledge, maker of great stuff, mentor, icon, Champion of, and for, bench-rest, and precision shooting. RIP. — RGRobinett
Jim was a great person, he would take time to call you back to help with your rifle project. Smart, honest, hard working. I built numerous rifles both hunting and target rifles using Borden actions. Jim will be missed. — RustyStud (Nat Lambeth)
I love his products but that pales compared to Jim as a human being. He was one of the greats and he’ll be greatly missed. — M. Ezell
It’s not what we take with us but what we leave behind.
RIP Jim Borden, you have left behind a legacy. — ElfGuns
Borden Accuracy/Borden Rifles Success Story
Borden Accuracy/Borden Rifles has been a source for precision benchrest and hunting rifles for many years. Jim started doing his own gunsmithing while competing in benchrest and high power silhouette matches. Jim launched his business in 1987, working nights and weekends while still employed at P&G.
The business became full-time in 1995 with Jim and his wife Joan doing the work. The business was expanded in 1999 with the construction of the new Springville, PA facility and the addition of sons Jim Jr. and John to the staff. Son-in-law John Mecca came onboard in January 2000. Now the Borden shop continues to make some of the finest rifles and actions in the world.
Jim and company began making Rimrock benchrest and Rimrock hunting actions in 2001. They added Borden Alpine and Timberline actions in 2006. These actions are made in an advanced manufacturing facility. To learn more, visit BordenRifles.com
Jim Borden Was Also a Great Photographer
A great engineer and gunsmith, Jim was also a gifted outdoor photographer with a large portfolio of wildlife and landscape images. Jim was truly a Renaissance man. Here are some of his remarkable photos:
NOTE: We are sad to announce that, a week ago, Jim Borden passed away from cancer. Jim, who founded and operated Borden Accuracy, was a great shooter as well as a designer/builder of superb actions and complete rifles.
Jim won 11 National Benchest Championships, was a Benchrest Hall of Fame member, and served six terms as President of the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS). Today’s featured rifle features the outstanding Borden BRMXD action that Jim designed and crafted.
2026 F-Class National Championships Coming Soon to Ben Avery
The 2026 National F-Class Mid-Range and Long Range Championships will be held later this month at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, in Phoenix, Arizona.
To help mark this event, today’s Sunday GunDay story features an American-crafted F-Open rifle campaigned by Sebastian (“Seb”) Lambang at the USA F-Class Nationals in 2023. Seb, the brilliant creator of SEB rests, joystick bipods, and rear bags, competed at the 2023 NRA F-Class National Championships, also held at Ben Avery. For that 2023 event, Seb commissioned a handsome, state-of-the-art F-Open rifle built by Blake Barrel and Rifle. Above is Seb’s F-Open rifle on the firing line at Ben Avery.
Seb Lambang’s impressive 7 FCP rig is chambered for the 7 FCP cartridge, an “improved” 6.5 PRC necked up to 7mm. This handsome rifle was crafted by Blake Barrel and Rifle using a 7mm, 1:8.5″-twist Blake barrel chambered in 7 FCP fitted to a Borden Accuracy BRMXD action. Mated to the Borden action is a Bix’N Andy Competition Benchrest trigger. On top is a March 10-60x56mm HM scope.
The handsome laminated wood XR stock is made by Cerus Rifleworks. The XR stock boasts a R.A.D. recoil reduction system in the rear, and a metal bag-rider system at the forward end of the stock. The rig employs an adjustable F-Class Products F-Open Barrel Tuner.
Seb Lambang is a talented shooter as well as a great craftsman. On the side of his March X scope it states: “Sebastian Lambang, QRA Queens 2022, F-Open Winner”.
Sebastian Lambang — Founder and Chief Designer of SEB Rests
When he is not competing, Seb works hard producing SEB Front Rests, SEB Neo-X Rests, SEB Mini-X tripod rests, and the class-leading SEB JoyPod-X joystick bipod, favored by F-TR shooters worldwide. Here are products at Seb’s warehouse, getting ready to be shipped out.
About the 7 FCP — New 7mm Cartridge Derived from 6.5 PRC
The 7 FCP was a cartridge designed from the ground up by F-Class Products out of Phoenix, Arizona in the fall of 2022. The developers believe it is the “ultimate cartridge” for the F-Class Open Division competition. F-Class Products notes: “We wanted a cartridge that [had] an efficient case capacity [matching] the 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum. The 7 RSAUM has proven to be the most winning cartridge in world F-Class competitions and many nationals and finale events. The problem with the RSAUM is brass availability. Remington stopped making brass for the RSAUM years ago and recently Norma has also stopped producing brass for it. The only option now is ADG. While the ADG brand of brass is good, it is quite expensive and also is only run in short runs and is hardly ever available.”
So the 7 FCP was developed from the 6.5 PRC, which has high-quality Lapua brass available. The 7 FCP was designed to shoot the 180 grain Berger Hybrid bullet at 2960 FPS out of a 30″ barrel without excessive pressure. SEE: 7 FCP Cartridge INFO FAQ Page.
7 FCP Cartridge — Wildcat Based on 6.5 PRC Necked up to 7mm
How Does the 7 FCP’s Case Capacity Compare?
F-Class Products states: “The parent case of the 7 FCP is a 6.5 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a magnum case that has a head diameter of 0.532″ and has a overall length of 2.020″. It is the same overall length as the 7 RSAUM but with a smaller diameter body. Hence, without improving it, you will get not get the case capacity of a 7 RSAUM case, and therefore you will not get the velocities that the 7 RSAUM produces either.” F-Class Products has compared the capacity of cases commonly used in F-Open competition:
.284 Winchester = 63 grains of water capacity
.284 Shehane = 66.5 grains of water capacity
6.5 PRC = 65 grains of water capacity
7-6.5 PRC = 66.5 grains of water capacity
As you can see by the data above, the 6.5 PRC that is simply necked up to a 7mm does not provide more case capacity than the .284 Shehane. That is why the PRC has the shoulder moved forward.
What Powders Work Well in the 7mm FCP?
F-Class Products has tested many powders with the 7 FCP: “Any powders that work well in a .284 Win, a .284 variant or a 7 RSAUM and/or variant, can work well in the 7 FCP. We have tested many different powders and many show to work excellent. Here is a list of the powders we have tested that work well in our testing and in our customers’ testing:
Hodgdon H4350
Hodgdon H4831
Hodgdon H4831 SC
Alliant Reloder 16
Alliant Reloder 23
Vihtavuori N160
Vihtavuori N550
Vihtavuori N555
This is just a short list of what we believe are the core powders that will burn and work efficiently in the 7 FCP. There are plenty of other powders that also can work, yet they may be temperature sensitive and or not burn efficiently in the case.”
What Velocities Are Optimal?
F-Class products observes: “With the 180 grain Berger bullet we see accuracy from 2920-2980 FPS muzzle velocity. With the 190 grain Hornady A-Tip bullet we see accuracy from 2860-2900 FPS.”
What Twist Rates Do You Recommmend?
F-Class Products recommends a 1:8.5″-twist barrel. An 8-twist can work, yet the accuracy nodes may be narrower than the 8.5 twist. A 9-twist barrel can also work if you are shooting a 184 grain bullet or less. These twist rates are recommended for lead cored bullets. If you are planning on shooting a solid copper bullet, consult the bullet manufacture for recommended twist rates for that particular bullet.
What Is the Parent Case?
The parent case of the 7 FCP is a 6.5 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a magnum case that has a head diameter of 0.532″ and has a overall length of 2.020″. It is the same overall length as the 7 RSAUM but with a smaller diameter body, hence without improving it, you will get not get the case capacity of a 7 RSAUM case, and therefore you will not get the velocities that the 7 RSAUM produces either.
Hunting season is coming up very soon, so it’s time to get your rifle squared away. You’ll want to zero that rifle before the hunt, and you need to know how your shots will impact with a cold barrel.
Commonly, hunters won’t have the ability to fire one or two fouling shots before heading out on a hunt. Therefore it’s important that a hunter understands how his rifle shoots with a “cold bore shot”. Both the point of impact (and possibly velocity), may be different with a cold bore than with a barrel that has been warmed and fouled with a series of shots. In this video from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), you’ll learn how to determine your cold bore point of impact (POI) for a rifle that just been cleaned, as well as the cold bore POI with a barrel that has already been “fouled in”.
SGT Joe Hein of the USAMU shows how to plot cold bore POI with both a clean bore and a fouled bore. Note that the “cold bore” shot from a fouled barrel was closer to the follow-up shots than the cold bore shot from a clean barrel. This is typical of many factory barrels. SGT Hein provides a simple way to understand your rifle’s cold bore performance. Hein’s advice can keep you from missing that long range shot at that big buck on opening day. A little time spent on the range before that critical first shot will help ensure you have meat in the freezer this season.
A good riflescope is essential for many types of competition, and the vast majority of hunters have scoped rifles. Some F-Class and benchrest competitors are now using optics with up to 60X magnification. Over the past 30 years, scopes have continued to evolve with improved glass, more reticle types, vastly increased elevation travel, bigger main tubes, FFP and SFP options, and even built-in electronics.
When shopping for a riflescope, it’s useful to understand how scopes work — how the internal mechanisms control windage and elevation, how parallax controls work, and how magnification levels are controlled.
Basics of How Riflescopes Work
This Burris video (above) covers the key aspects of scope function: zoom magnification, windage control, elevation control, parallax control (front or side mount), and ocular lens focus. There are some tips on getting a new scope running smoothly — it’s wise to rotate the power control a few times as well as both windage and elevation knobs. The video below also explains how to set ocular focus controls optimally.
Scope Break-In Methods and Diagnosing Issues — Great Video
We recommend that all serious shooters watch this video start to finish. A very knowledgeable scope engineer, Leupold’s Mike Baccellieri, explains the fine details of scope operation — with very useful recommendations on how to ready a new scope for use (See 36:50 time-mark). With a new optic he advises to run the controls multiple times to full travel. Also, take your time to get the diopter control just right (See 26:40 time-mark).
The video also explains why, with a new scope or one that hasn’t been used much, it is sometimes effective to rotate the elevation PAST the desired setting then come back a click (See 35:40 time-mark). In addition, near the end of the video, the expert explains how you can use a mirror to determine if the scope mount (base and/or rings) is NOT aligned with the bore axis, forcing excess travel to get on target (See 42:00 time-mark). We have seen this caused by scope rails attached slightly off axis.
Large diameter turrets make windage and elevation markings easier to see, and the click “feel” may be more noticeable given the greater diametrical travel between clicks.
First Focal Plane (FFP) vs. Second Focal Plane (SFP)
The main visual difference between First Focal Plane (FFP) and Second Focal Plane (SFP) scopes is the appearance of the reticle (and its hash marks) at different magnification levels. With a FFP scope, the reticle increases in visible size (and line thickness) with increased magnification. This is so the angular hash marks remain constant (in Mils or MOA angular span) at all magnification levels. So, on a 10-30X FFP scope, a 0.1 Mil hash mark represents the SAME angular measurement at 10X, 20X, or 30X (or any magnification). The downside of the FFP system is that the reticle lines can appear very thick at high magnification. But for a PRS/NRL match, with targets at multiple distances, it is important that the hash marks represent the same angular measurement at all power settings.
On a Second Focal Plane (SFP) scope, by contrast, the reticle lines (and hash marks) appear visually (in thickness) the same at all magnification levels. This means the hash mark divisions will only be precise at one magnification level, as designed by the manufacturer. For example, you could have exact 1 MOA Hash marks at 10X. But zoom the scope to 20X and the same reticle hash mark would then cover 2 MOA. SFP scopes are popular with competition shooters who shoot at specific known distances. Not having thick reticle lines at 25X to 50X is an advantage when aiming at precise benchrest and F-Class targets.
ZEISS now makes excellent FFP Scopes with both MOA and Milrad options
Minute of Angle (MOA) vs. Milliradian (MILRAD or MIL)
This video also explains MOA vs. MRAD (Milliradian) controls. A Minute of Angle (MOA) is an angular measurement that represents 1.047″ at 100 yards. Modern MOA scopes are typically configured with 1/4 MOA or 1/8 MOA clicks. A Milliradian (MRAD) is another angular measurement defined as one-thousandth of a radian. Milrad scopes are commonly configured with 0.1 Milrad clicks. How much is a 0.1 mil at 100 yards? One mil equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards; therefore, 1/10th of that, 0.1 Mil, equals 0.36” – roughly a third of an inch – at 100 yards. That’s pretty close to the common quarter-inch (1/4 MOA) increment found on MOA riflescopes.
Sightron makes excellent high-magnification SFP zoom scopes favored by many competitors. These have proven quite reliable and offer very good performance for the price.
Scope Mounting Method and Alignment
When mounting a scope, you want to make sure the scope is aligned properly, so that vertical travel is precisely up and down, not offset. Begin by supporting the rifle with a good front and rear rest. Use a portable level to ensure the rifle is not tilting slightly left or right around the barrel bore axis. Then you want to align your scope’s vertical axis. For this, we recommend setting up a plumb bob — a weighted line that hangs straight down. This can be set up indoors or outdoors. Align your reticle’s vertical axis precisely with the plumb bob line, making sure not to move the rifle.
One caution — we have seen some riflescopes that are internally off-axis by up to 4 degrees. In this case, you can align the reticle’s vertical axis with the plumb bob line but then find that your turrets are slightly titled. That is a scope manufacturing fault that will result in some error when you input a large click value (e.g. 10+ MOA up or down).
When mounting your scope, a key factor to consider is the eye relief — the distance of the rear “ocular” lens to your eye. When mounting the scope, put your head in the position at which you normally shoot. NOTE: As your optimal head position may be quite a bit different when shooting prone vs. shooting from a bench, you may want to adjust the scope placement for different shooting positions. This Editor had to move his comp rifle scope about an inch rearward when local club matches changed from prone to bench.
In a helpful NSSF video, Ryan Cleckner explains why you normally should avoid canting your rifle — rotating it clockwise or counter-clockwise. Cleckner explains that canting the rifle in one direction or another will change the point of impact: “When you rotate the rifle, not only does the [POI move] in the direction that you’re rotated, [but] it also loses some of its elevation as it rolls down.” This, Cleckner explains, can make you miss on one side or the other:
Cant to the Left — You’re going to miss low and left.
Cant to the Right — You’re going to miss low and right.
In this video, starting at the one-minute mark, Cleckner shows the effect of rifle canting when engaging a 600-yard target. A few degrees of cant (either to the left or to the right), moves the shot POI completely off the steel silhouette target. The POI change occurs mainly because you are lowering (and laterally shifting) the scope sight-line relative to the bore axis, effectively changing your zero.
David Tubb has explained: “Every 1 degree you are off on a cant, is about six inches of difference laterally at 1000 yards”.
Position Shooting with Sling — Rifle Cant Considerations
Cleckner’s discussion assumes that the scope or sights are set to hit center with the rifle level and plumb. That works for most situations when shooting prone off bipod, front mechanical rest, or front sandbag. However, many sling shooters, including David Tubb and John Whidden, do tilt or cant their rifles slightly inward because this allows a more comfortable hold with sling, or allows better eye-to-sight alignment. Holding the rifle at an angle can work — but the angle of cant must be consistent for every shot. Canting the rifle is not a sin by itself. However, after you confirm your zero on your target, the degree of cant must be the same for EVERY shot. You must maintain that exact same degree of rotation on each shot or you will experience the shot POI movement Cleckner illustrates. Consistency is the key.
John Whidden, 5-time Nat’l Long Range Champion, holds a Palma rifle. John now shoots a match rifle with an Anschutz stock which he holds more upright, but still with some counter-clockwise cant. John also installed his iron sights at an angle so that the adjustments are correct (and plumb) even with his canted hold: “While it may not be obvious in the picture, the sights on my rifle are set up so that they’re straight vertical and horizontal while I hold the rifle canted. Making sure your adjustments (scope or sights) are vertical and horizontal is a critical piece of the pie.”
Inexpensive 30mm and 1″ Scope-Mounted Bubble Levels
The best way to avoid inconsistent rifle canting is to use a bubble level fitted to rail or scope. One very affordable product is the CVLIFE Scope Bubble Level. This features a 30mm milled inside diameter with a handy hinge to simplify mounting. This unit installs easily, the level is nicely elevated, and user reviews have been very positive. You could easily pay $40.00 or more for a 30mm scope level. This costs just $15.99 on Amazon. If you have a 1″ scope tube, consider the SME dual-diameter level. This fits 30mm tubes PLUS has an insert to fit 1″ tubes. It’s $22.99 at MidwayUSA.
Rifleshooter.com does some great original research — providing “hard data” you can’t find anywhere else. Here are the eye-opening results of Rifleshooter.com’s 6.5 Creedmoor barrel cut-down test. You may be surprised at the results. Read on…
What do you get when you cut a 6.5 Creedmoor-chambered barrel down to just over 16 inches? A lot more velocity than you might think. Our friends at Rifleshooter.com performed a barrel cut-down test with 6.5 Creedmoor test rifle, shortening the barrel from 27 to 16.1 inches in one-inch increments. Surprisingly, with a 142gr Sierra MK, the total velocity loss (as measured with a Magnetospeed) was just 158 FPS, an average of 14.4 FPS per inch of barrel length. With the lighter 120gr A-Max bullet, the total velocity loss was 233 FPS, or 21.8 FPS average loss per inch of barrel.
To perform this velocity test, our friend Bill, Rifleshooter.com’s editor, built up a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle using a Remington Model 7 action, 1:8″ twist Green Mountain CM barrel, and MDT LSS Chassis, all obtained from Brownells.com.
Test Procedure
Five (5) rounds of each type of cartridge were fired at each barrel length and the velocity data was recorded with a MagnetoSpeed V3 barrel-mounted chronograph. The rifle was then cleared and the barrel was cut back one inch at a time from 27″ to just over 16″. NOTE: During this winter test, the air temperature was a very chilly 23° F. One would expect higher velocities across the board had the outside temperature been higher.
The photo below shows how the barrel was cut down, inch-by-inch, using a rotary saw. The barrel was pre-scored at inch intervals. As the main purpose of the test was to measure velocity (not accuracy) the testers did not attempt to create perfect crowns.
6.5 Creedmoor vs. Other Mid-Sized 6.5mm Cartridges
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a very popular cartridge with the tactical and PRS crowd. This mid-size cartridge offers good ballistics, with less recoil than a .308 Winchester. There’s an excellent selection of 6.5mm bullets, and many good powder choices for this cartridge. When compared to the very accurate 6.5×47 Lapua cartridge, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers similar performance with less expensive brass. For a tactical shooter who must sometimes leave brass on the ground, brass cost is a factor to consider. Here’s a selection of various 6.5mm mid-sized cartridges. Left to right are: 6.5 Grendel, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor with 120gr A-Max, 6.5 Creedmoor with 142gr Sierra MK, and .260 Remington.
When asked to compare the 6.5 Creedmoor to the 6.5×47 Lapua, Rifleshooter.com’s editor stated: “If you don’t hand load, or are new to precision rifle shooting, get a 6.5 Creedmoor. If you shoot a lot, reload, have more disposable income, and like more esoteric cartridges, get a 6.5×47 Lapua. I am a big fan of the 6.5×47 Lapua. In my personal experience, the 6.5×47 Lapua seems to be slightly more accurate than the 6.5 Creedmoor. I attribute this to the quality of Lapua brass.” Now that Lapua offers 6.5 Creedmoor brass with small primer pockets, the 6.5 Creedmoor is even more attractive.
The creator of Rifleshooter.com also operates a Custom Rifle Building enterprise and gun shop in Long Island, New York: 782 Custom Guns Ltd.. He tells us: “We offer an unparalleled level of gunsmith machine shop services in the Long Island region. From precision rifles (USMC M40A3/A5/A6 XM3 clones) to customized Remington 870 and Mossberg 590 shotguns, and customized 1911s, chances are if you can dream it, we can build it!”
On the Defensive Edge Website, you’ll find a good article by Shawn Carlock about wind reading. Shawn is a veteran law enforcement marksman and a past USPSA national precision rifle champion. Shawn offers good advice on how to estimate wind speeds and directions using a multitude of available indicators — not just your wind gauge: “Use anything at your disposal to accurately estimate the wind’s velocity. I keep and use a Kestrel for reading conditions….The Kestrel is very accurate but will only tell you what the conditions are where you are standing. I practice by looking at grass, brush, trees, dust, wind flags, mirage, rain, fog and anything else that will give me info on velocity and then estimate the speed.”
Shawn also explains how terrain features can cause vertical wind effects. A hunter on a hilltop must account for bullet rise if there is a headwind blowing up the slope. Many shooters consider wind in only one plane — the horizontal. In fact wind has vertical components, both up and down.
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If you have piloted a small aircraft you know how important vertical wind vectors can be. Match shooters will also experience vertical rise when there is a strong tailwind blowing over an up-sloping berm ahead of the target emplacements. Overall, Shawn concludes: “The more time you spend studying the wind and its effect over varying terrain the more successful you will be as a long-range shooter and hunter.”
This Editor, as a life-long sailor, also has some suggestions about wind. Many folks may not realize that wind can cycle, both in direction and in speed (velocity). If you are patient, you should be able to sense the timing of the cycles, which will help you predict shifts in wind direction and velocity. While it is tempting to shoot in the lulls, sometimes the true wind vector (angle + speed) may be most constant when the wind is blowing stronger.
Another tip for hunters is to orient your shot, when possible, in alignment with the wind direction. Try to face into the wind, or have the wind at your back. This is especially effective when shooting in a varmint field. Use a string of tape on a pole to show wind angle. Then shoot directly into the wind or with the wind directly at your back. This will minimize horizontal deflection caused by the wind.
One side of this gauge is the “go” side which quickly tells you the depth of a primer pocket, whether any crimp is properly removed, and whether the primer pocket is loose. If it feels loose on the “go” side, use the other end of the tool, the “no go” side, to test to see if the primer pocket is too loose to hold a primer. If the no-go slides into the pocket, then you know to junk that brass.
Primer Pocket Growth and Useful Case Life
Repeated firings at stout pressures can cause primer pockets to grow in diameter. This can create an unsafe condition if your primers are not seating properly. Are your primer pockets “good to go”, or have they been pushed to the point of no return? Do you really know? Many guys try to gauge primer pocket tightness by “feel”, as they seat the primer. But that method isn’t precise. Now there’s a better way…
The folks at Ballistictools.com have created a handy set of precision-machined gauges that let you quickly and accurately check your primer pockets. These gauges (aka “gages”) are offered in two sizes — for large and small primer pockets. A two-piece set of both large and small gauges costs just $25.99. These gauges let you quickly measure the depth of a primer pocket, and check if the crimp has been removed properly. Most importantly, the gauge tells you if the primer pocket has opened up too much. One side of the gauge has an enlarged diameter plug. If that “No-Go” side fits in the primer pocket, you should ditch the case — it’s toast.
Precision ground from O-1 tool steel, The Ballistic Tools primer pocket gauges serve multiple functions. The inventor of these tools explains: “I created the prototype of this tool for my own use in brass processing. I needed a way to quickly and easily measure primer pockets that was reliable and did not require wasting a primer. This tool has been indispensable for me and I would never go back to the old method of uncertainty and guessing.”
Product tip from Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
Jim began shooting high power silhouette and benchrest matches in the mid 1970s while working for a Fortune 500 company as an engineer. In the early 1980s he began building rifles for himself and then for others. Jim excelled as a mechanical engineer, action-maker, gunsmith, machinist, hunter, and benchrest competitor.
Borden Accuracy/Borden Rifles Success Story
NOTE: We are sad to announce that, a week ago, Jim Borden passed away from cancer. Jim, who founded and operated 
How Does the 7 FCP’s Case Capacity Compare?
The folks at 
