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.
MidwayUSA — RCBS Rock Chucker Reloading Combo Kit, $615.99
⏺️ » Great RCBS Combo Set with electronic Powder Scale/Dispenser
The RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Elite Press Kit features nearly everything you need to get started reloading. This kit includes the ChargeMaster Link Electronic Powder Scale/Dispenser plus the rugged Rock Chucker Supreme single-stage press. This kit also includes pretty much everything else you need (except dies): hand priming tool, powder funnel, inside/outside chamfer tool, dial caliper, loading block, case lube, base plate, bullet removal tool, primer pocket brushes, and load manual.
Sportsman’s Warehouse — Leupold Optics Sale
⏺️ » Save big bucks on Leupold scopes, binocs, LRFs, spotting scopes, red dots
Whether you’re looking for a rifle scope, spotting scope, binoculars, laser rangefinder, or red dot optic, you can find it now at at the Leupold Optics Sale over at Sportsman’s Warehouse. This is a great time to pick up quality optics for that next hunt or trip to the range all at prices up to 25% off.
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U.S. Senator Mike Lee (Utah) has introduced notable new legislation, the National Constitutional Carry Act. Senator Lee’s U.S. Senate Bill restores the right to carry firearms in ALL 50 states. This bill would ensure that law abiding American citizens are able to carry around the country without fear of antigun states arbitrarily restricting or criminalizing their chosen self-defense tool. Residents of antigun states would no longer have to endure second class Second Amendment treatment, whether through outright hardware bans or policies that indirectly discourage the exercise of Second Amendment rights.
The Gun Owners of America (GOA) endorses the National Constitutional Carry Act. Erich Pratt, GOA Senior Vice President, issued the following statement: “In a time of war, Americans cannot afford to have the right to bear arms delayed by arbitrary state permitting processes. Public safety is threatened not only by ordinary criminals, but also bad actors working for foreign adversaries, and Americans need to be armed for the security of our free state. That’s why Gun Owners of America is proud to endorse Senator Mike Lee’s National Constitutional Carry Act. Under this GOA-backed legislation, the right to carry a firearm without a government permission slip will be fully restored, and unconstitutional states regulations on firearms, ammunition, and magazine size will be preempted.”
Here is GOA’s Minuteman Moment video analysis of the proposed National Constitutional Carry Act:
You can save big bucks on guns and gear with factory rebate programs. But with the end of 2025 fast approaching, many great shooting industry rebate programs are about to expire. Many major rebates on rifles, pistols, optics, and ammunition require purchases no later than December 31, 2025.
If you are in a buying mood (maybe to get a new gun as gift to yourself), check out these notable rebate offers. We showcase ten great discount/rebate programs. These rebates can save you big bucks — up to $200 — on rifles, pistols, shotguns, ammo, or gear. For example you can Save $200 on Beretta pistols, $150 on Savage rifles, and $150 on Kimber pistols. Note: Most of these promos are good through April 30 or later, but a few expire sooner.
REGISTER Now for CMP 2026 National Matches at Camp Perry
Registration for the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s 2026 National Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches is now. This year’s National Matches will run from July 12 through August 9, 2026. Review the new 2026 National Matches schedule and other event info on the CMP website at TheCMP.org/cmp-national-matches.
The CMP National Matches, held at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Base since 1907, is conducted via a partnership between the CMP and the Ohio National Guard. The National Matches include multiple indoor and outdoor events, with spectators welcome to watch this noteworthy, century-old competition.
Along with several competitive opportunities for adults and juniors of all experience levels, the National Matches features a variety of educational clinics for marksmen and women as well as retail selections from some of today’s leading industry vendors. Whether participating for the first time, a seasoned competitor or simply observing, the National Matches has something for everyone. All events are open to the public, free for viewing. Spectators are welcome to observe firing on the Camp Perry ranges at any time, with ample parking on-site.
Highpower, Service Rifle, and Vintage Rifle
Introduced last year, the National Trophy Rifle series will again be held completely on electronic targets! The schedule of events includes prestigious matches like the President’s Rifle, Hearst Doubles, Rattle Battle, National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team events. NOTE: The National Trophy Infantry Team Match will still be on paper targets.
A paired Junior Team Match is also on the schedule for young competitors, along with an assortment of vintage and modern military rifle events like the John C. Garand, Springfield and Vintage Sniper matches for individuals at every stage of their marksmanship abilities. Additionally, the M14 Heritage Match is a major attraction.
CMP National Championship Rifle
The CMP National Championship series features three days of 800 Aggregate competitions and a 4-Person Team event. Awards are presented for the leading competitors of each day as well as for the culminating 2400 Aggregate (800×3).
Mid-Range and Long-Range Rifle
The CMP’s National Mid-Range and Long-Range series features both individual and team competitions, fired fully on CMP’s line of outdoor electronic targets. All Mid/Long-Range matches are open to Match Rifle, Service Rifle, Palma Rifle, F-Open, F-TR or AR Tactical categories fired from 600 yards (Mid-Range) and 1,000 yards (Long-Range).
New for 2026: The CMP has added a Mid/Long-Range category for this year: F-Class Practical. This “Practical” class is geared toward new competitors and has more affordable equipment standards. In addition, this summer an International 12-Person Team Match will be held, featuring teams from the United States, Great Britain and Canada. The event will feature a Palma course of fire: record shots at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards.
Rimfire Sporter Rifle
Highlighted as one of CMP’s most popular events, the Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match features .22 caliber competition in open sights (O-Class), telescopic (T-Class), tactical/unlimited (TU) and U.S. military rimfire training rifles (M-Class). The event is perfect for those just beginning in the sport or those looking for a unique challenge on the range.
Like last year, the event will be fired completely on electronic targets! Competitors will be able to enjoy close parking and the covered structure of Petrarca Range.
Smallbore Rifle
Likewise, the National Smallbore events will be fired on the same electronic targets as Rimfire Sporter — also setup on Camp Perry’s Petrarca Range. The schedule includes three-position and prone events, complete with an F-Class category for interested individuals.
National Air Rifle Championship
The National Air Rifle Championship (60 Shot and Team Match) for adults and juniors will be held at the same time as 3-position smallbore to accommodate those competitors wishing to fire in both events. These are sanctioned USA Shooting Designated Ranking Matches.
Pistol Events and Glock Challenge
Fired this year on newly minted paper targets branded with CMP’s insignia, the National Pistol events include a mix of traditional matches like the President’s 100 Pistol, National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team events, along with a series of 900 Aggregate matches for .22, Center Fire and .45 Pistol. The GSSF GLOCK National Challenge will be returning to the schedule in 2026 along with the Service Revolver EIC Match. The National Air Pistol Championship will be held in the evening to allow competitors to take part in the aggregate matches during the day.
National Matches Air Gun Events
For air rifle and air pistol competitors, the National Matches Air Gun events will be offered within the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center’s 80-point indoor electronic target range – also located on Camp Perry. The air gun events are available through the entirety of the National Matches and appeal to those of any experience level, with supported bench options included.
Marksmanship Training Clinics and SAFS
Image shows 2023 National High Power Rifle Champion Amanda Elsenboss (left) providing instruction. Amanda was, a former USAMU Team member, now serves in the National Guard.
Small Arms Firing Schools (SAFS) will be held for rifle, pistol and smallbore rifle. Participants in SAFS are trained by some of the top military instructors in the country on firearm safety and competition basics. All firearms and ammo are provided for the live-fire portion of the clinic. Other clinics during the National Matches include a Rimfire Sporter Rifle Clinic, the CMP Junior Rifle Clinic and the CMP Advanced Highpower Clinic, for more experienced competitors. Most clinics include both classroom and live-fire training on the range.
Sales at CMP Store
Behind the range, Commercial Row offers a variety of items for spectators and competitors – with an array of manufacturers selling used firearms, ammunition, competition gear, accessories, apparel and much more. The CMP North Store, located on the grounds of Camp Perry, allows even more buying opportunities at the Matches with a lineup of military surplus rifles, memorabilia and equipment needs.
Housing at Camp Perry
Housing for the National Matches is currently available on the grounds of Camp Perry. Accommodations include four-person huts, cottages, barracks, RV spaces and camp sites. Camp Perry housing info posted on the Camp Perry Lodging Center site. Also, if Camp Perry base housing is full, numerous hotels are available in the surrounding Port Clinton, Fremont, and Sandusky Ohio areas.
Todd Jarrett is one of the world’s best handgun shooters. A multi-time World Champion, Todd knows a thing or two about semi-auto pistols, particularly 1911s and 1911-based raceguns. Jarrett has been IPSC Open Division World Champion, has won the Steel Challenge World title four times (Limited Division), and has won than 100 Area championships, as well as many other action shooting events. Jarrett is the only USPSA Triple Crown Winner and he holds four USPSA National titles: Open, Limited, Production, and Limited-10. Jarrett revealed in an interview that between 1988 and 2001 he shot about 1.7 million rounds during practice: “I had a gun in my hand for two hours every day for 10 years to develop my skill level”.
In the video below, Todd explains how to get the proper grip on your handgun, and how to employ a proper stance. We’ve watched many videos on pistol shooting. This is one of the best handgun instructional videos we’ve seen. Todd explains, in easy-to-understand terms, the key elements of grip and stance. One very important point he demonstrates is how to align the grip in your hand so that the gun points naturally — something very important when rapid aiming is required. If you watch this video, you’ll learn valuable lessons — whether you shoot competitively or just want to have better control and accuracy when using your handgun defensively.
Recommended Thumbs-Forward Shooting Grip for 1911s
“Shooting semiautomatic pistols using the thumbs-forward method really becomes useful … where speed and accuracy are both needed. By positioning the thumbs-forward along the slide (or slightly off of the slide) you are in essence creating a second sighting device: wherever your shooting thumb is pointing is where the pistol is pointing. This makes it incredibly fast to draw the pistol, get your proper grip, and press forward to the target without needing to hunt around for the front sight.” — Cheaper Than Dirt Blog.
AccurateShooter Forum member John H. of New Mexico (aka “Skratch”) has created an impressive mobile shooting bench that he can haul with his ATV. This trailer-mounted, movable bench is built on a central tubular spine that also serves as the tongue for the trailer, which attaches to a standard hitch. The bench offers two (2) shooting positions so it works for both left-handed and right-handed shooters.
Up front, for storage, a surplus .50-Cal ammo can is secured to the trailer frame. The V-shaped middle section of the wood benchtop looks to be reinforced with a metal stiffener frame on the underside. The front section of the bench is supported by twin tubular uprights attached to the box-section axle housing. The two wooden bench-style seats (on left and right) ride on a cross-tube. At the ends of that cross-tube are adjustable legs for additional support.
Great Rig for New Mexico Varmint Hunting
There are plenty of great varmint hunting areas in Skratch’s home state of New Mexico — you’ll find some huge prairie dog fields there. But to get the best results on a varmint-hunting field session, you need a solid shooting station that can be easily hauled to new locations as needed. It looks like John (aka “Scratch”) has come up with an outstanding “War Wagon” for his New Mexico varmint safaris.
Click on image frames to see full-size photos
Some readers wanted to know how John’s War Wagon is positioned in the field and if it is ever detached from John’s ATV. John answers: “We do unhook the 4-wheeler for target-checking unless we have an extra along which is usually the case. That way we can level the table front to rear. We have an umbrella from a patio table to provide shade on extra warm days.”
War Wagon Construction Details
John told us: “My brother-in-law and I built this mobile bench a few years ago. The axle, wheels and tire are a tag axle from a small Chevy car, obtained from a salvage yard for about $35-$40 a decade ago. The tubular frame is drill stem, while the bench-top and seats are 3/4′” plywood. Under the plywood we fitted rails so we can slide our target stand under the benchtop for secure travel. The total cost for everything (including storage box) was about $250-$300.”
We set the bench and seat heights so that, with adults, the rifle sets straight level to the shoulder. For the smaller ‘younguns’ we just use a sofa pillow to raise them up. (Yes, adjustable seat heights would be great.) The ammo box holds our rifle rest, sand bags, spotting scope, and miscellaneous gear. Options are a couple of lawn chairs, and a cooler of brew (for after the shooting is done).
Rimfire tactical-style matches are now one of the fastest-growing types of rifle competition in the country. The USA has seen a big growth in rimfire tactical matches over the last six years. NRL22 and PRS Rimfire matches are held throughout the country. Right now there are probably ten times as many rimfire tactical matches as sanctioned PRS and NRL centerfire matches. The reason is simple — rimfire ammo is much less costly, and clubs can run challenging rimfire tactical matches at nearly any outdoor gun range that allows shooting out to 200+ yards.
The National Rifle League (NRL) started off sponsoring major centerfire tactical matches, similar to PRS competitions. That proved successful so the NRL added a .22 LR Rimfire series, called NRL22. The NRL22 rimfire discipline has been a major success, as rimfire guns are fun to shoot and ammo is very affordable. The most popular NRL22 matches have drawn up to 200 rimfire competitors. And now PRS has its own PRS .22 Rimfire series.
Precision Rimfire Match with Through-the-Lens Video
Here’s an interesting video featuring a top-tier .22 LR MDT-chassis rifle. The host, Pieter “Piet” Malan from South Africa, runs the excellent Impact Shooting YouTube Channel, which now has 320+ videos on target shooting and hunting. This video features a TriggerCam unit attached to the scope, so you can see hits on the targets, just as the shooter does.
NRL22 — Affordable, Challenging Rimfire Competition Series
NRL22 is a great way to get into competition shooting with minimal expense. There are currently eight (8) classes: Open, Base, Young Guns, Ladies, Air Rifle, Old Guns, Semi-Auto, and Adaptive. Base Class is for the budget-minded shooter — the combined MSRP of Rifle and Optic may not exceed $1650.00 (for example spend $800 on a rifle and $850 on a scope). That keeps the sport affordable. The other classes have no price limits on Rifle and Optic. The “Young Guns” division is for competitors 17 years or younger. Visit NRL22.com to find an NRL22 match near you. CLICK HERE for full NRL22 rules with 2026 updates.
Precision Rimfire Competition Match Report
This excellent video covers a big rimfire precision match, the King of 0.28 Miles event, held at the Rush Lake Range in MN. The video shows multiple stages with targets out to 300 yards, followed by a 465-yard challenge. Host Dave shot the match with a Vudoo Gunworks V22 rifle in a Grayboe Ridgeback stock, with a Trijicon Accupower 4.5-30x56mm FFP scope. The ammo was Lapua Center-X, a top-tier choice.
Rimfire Ammo Selection — Why Comparison Testing Is Important
Every gun and barrel is different, so you should test various ammo types in YOUR rifle. Additionally, you can benefit from lot testing with particular ammo types to optimize your ammo choice even more. If you’re serious about rimfire accuracy, lot testing can be very helpful, whether at your own rage or a testing center. There is no replacement for starting with a good lot of ammunition your rifle likes.
First Rimfire Precision Match — Lessons Learned
Here’s a helpful video for folks getting started in the Precision Rimfire game. Our buddy F-Class John, a top F-Open competitor (and YouTube video creator), is getting starting in the .22 LR precision discipline. Here he provides lessons learned from his first .22 LR precision match.
Tripod Review — Options for Precision Rimfire Shooters
The NRL22 match format is a great shooting discipline. NRL22 offers a high fun factor at relatively low cost. You don’t have to reload match ammo. A couple of 50-round boxes of .22 LR ammo will get you through the match. While some people bring lots of gear to matches, that’s by choice and not by necessity. You can keep it simple and still be competitive (and win).
Tips for NRL22 Competitors by Jonathan Ocab
I am a match director at my gun club and run our local NRL22 matches. People often ask me for tips for competing in NRL22. First, I recommend getting the course of fire for the month in advance and practicing those stages at the range. Here are other specific tips that should help NRL22 competitors improve their gun-handling and match results.
1. Dry Fire Practice — If you are not able to do live fire practice at the range, I encourage shooters to practice their shooting positions at home via dry fire. Setup props or barricades with pasters or other faux targets on a wall in the garage or inside the house and run through each stage.
2. Scope Magnification Level — The most common issue I see with newer shooters in NRL22 is the tendency to maximize their scope magnification. The timer will start, and the shooter gets into position on a target, but the scope is set to 15x or higher and the shooter can’t find the target. The shooter lowers the magnification, locates the target, and then increases the magnification again, takes the shot, transitions to another target, and repeats the process of decreasing magnification, locating target, etc. Novice NRL22 shooters should try using the mid-range magnification. Try shooting 7x-12x and learn to balance field of view and target image.
Here’s an inexpensive procedure that can help you load straighter ammo, with slightly better measured concentricity (i.e. less run-out) on the case necks and bullets. Simply use a Rubber O-Ring on the underside of the die locking ring. This allows the die to self-align itself (slightly) to the case that is being sized. Without the O-Ring, if the flat surface on the top of your press is not perfectly square with the thread axis, your die can end up slightly off-angle. This happens when the bottom of the locking ring butts up tight against the top of the press. The O-Ring allows the die to float slightly, and that may, in turn, reduce the amount of run-out induced during case sizing.
Top prone shooter GSArizona, who sadly passed in 2022, tried this trick and said it works: “Go to your local hardware store and get a #17 O-Ring (that’s the designation at Ace Hardware, don’t know if its universal). Slip the O-Ring on the die and re-adjust the lock ring so that the O-Ring is slightly compressed when the die is at the correct height. Size and measure a few more cases. You will probably see a slight improvement in neck concentricity as the die can now float a bit as the case enters and leaves it. This isn’t going to be a dramatic improvement, but it’s a positive one.”
We want to stress that adding O-Rings to sizing dies may help some reloaders, but we don’t offer this as a panacea. Try it — if using the O-Ring reduces measured runout that’s great. If it doesn’t, you’ve only spent a few pennies to experiment.
Lee Precision makes die lock rings with built-in O-Rings. Lee’s distinctive lock ring design allows the same kind of self-alignment, which is good. However, Lee lock rings don’t clamp in place on the die threads, so they can move when you insert or remove the dies — and that can throw off your die setting slightly. By using an O-Ring under a conventional die lock ring (that can be locked in place), you get the advantages of the Lee design, without the risk of the lock ring moving.
Among AccurateShooter’s most-visited web pages have been powder relative burn rate reference guides ranking powders from fastest to slowest. Here is the latest version of the Powder Burn Rate Table. Compiled by Hodgdon Powder Co., this Burn Rate Chart displays the relative burn rates of 176 different powders. Shown below is the latest table, released by Hodgdon in July 2024.
You’ll want to download this Powder Burn Rate Chart PDF. This 176-entry comparison table provides vital information for hand-loaders — with tested burn-rates. Note — this invaluable chart is not limited to Hodgdon and IMR propellants. This burn rate chart includes powders from eight major powder-makers: Accurate, Alliant, Hodgdon, IMR, Norma, Ramshot (Western), Vihtavuori, and Winchester.
This chart (July 2024 version) provides useful information for all hand-loaders. When doing load development, and testing one powder versus another, it’s generally wise to choose propellants that share the same relative burn rate, as least for starters.
NOTE: Hodgdon powders are red, IMR powders are yellow, Winchester powders are blue, Accurate powders are gray, and Ramshot powders are orange. Powders from Alliant, Norma, and Vihtavuori appear on the chart with white background. DOWNLOAD Burn Rate Chart HERE as PDF.
Emil Praslick III is widely recognized as one of the greatest wind wizards on the planet — a master at identifying wind value and direction, and predicting wind cycles. As coach of the USAMU and top civilian teams, Emil has helped win many high-level championships. In the three videos we feature today, Emil, who works with Capstone Precision Group (Berger, Lapua, SK, Vihtavuori) and Team Applied Ballistics, explains how to determine wind direction and velocity using a variety of indicators. Praslick, now retired from the U.S. Army, was an 18-time National and 2-time World Champion coach with the USAMU.
Video ONE: Wind Theory Basics — Understanding “Wind Values”
In this video from UltimateReloader.com, Emil explains the basics of modern wind theory. To properly understand the effect of the wind you need to know both the velocity of the wind and its angle. The combination of those variables translates to the wind value. Emil also explains that the wind value may not be constant — it can cycle both in speed and velocity. Emil also explains some of the environmental conditions such as mirage that can reveal wind conditions.
Video TWO: Determining the Direction of the Wind
Key Point in Video — Find the Boil
Emil explains how to determine wind direction using optic. The method is to use spotting scope, riflescope, or binoculars to look for the “Boil” — the condition in mirage when the light waves rising straight up. The wind will generate that straight-up, vertical boil in your optics when it is blowing directly at you, or directly from your rear. To identify this, traverse your scope or optics until you see the boil running straight up. When you see that vertical boil, the direction your optic is pointing is aligned with the wind flow (either blowing towards you or from directly behind you).
Video THREE: The No Wind Zero Setting
In this second video, Emil defines the “No-Wind Zero”, and explains why competitive shooters must understand the no-wind zero and have their sights or optics set for a no-wind zero starting point before heading to a match. In order to hit your target, after determining wind speed and direction, says Emil, “you have to have your scope setting dialed to ‘no wind zero’ first.”
Coach of Champions — Emil Praslick III
SFC Emil Praslick III, (U.S. Army, retired) works with Berger Bullets and Applied Ballistics. Emil served as the Head Coach of the U.S. National Long Range Rifle Team and Head Coach of the USAMU for several years. Teams coached by Emil have won 33 Inter-Service Rifle Championships. On top of that, teams he coached set 18 National records and 2 World Records. Overall, in the role of coach, Praslick can be credited with the most team wins of any coach in U.S. Military history.
