If you will be flying with firearms this summer, here are six videos you should watch before you travel. You need to familiarize yourself with current Federal Regulations on gun transport before you get anywhere near an airport. Thankfully, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has an official INFO page that states the important requirements for airline passengers traveling with firearms and/or ammunition.
You’ll want to visit the TSA Firearms and Ammunition webpage, and read it start to finish. In addition, before your trip, you should check the regulations of the airline(s) with which you will fly. Some airlines have special requirements, such as weight restrictions.
We have two other key tips: 1) WEIGH Your Guns and ammo (as packed) BEFORE you get to the airport — so you comply with all airline flight limits without being surcharged; 2) Carry a printed copy of TSA and airline baggage regulations pertaining to firearms — this can help when dealing with airline personnel.
TSA offers this general advice: “You may transport unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only. Declare the firearm and/or ammunition to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter. The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. Be aware that the container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage.”
Traveling by Air with Firearms — Advice from Legal Expert
This is a good video by a very knowledgeable attorney. Washington Gun Law President William Kirk goes over everything you need to know in order to fly safely, and legally, with a firearm if you travel domestically. Kirk states: “While many believe this is a complicated formula of various state laws, in actuality TSA regulations govern all travel domestically with a firearm. There are very specific rules which must be followed in order to do this correctly.”
Colion Noir — Air Travel with Packed Firearms
Popular YouTube host and lawyer Colion Noir has created a good video that shares important points about traveling with firearms. Colion says: “Don’t risk making costly mistakes — get informed and ensure your firearm journey is hassle-free and lawful.” In this video, Colion covers these key points:
1. Bag Check: Learn the crucial pre-flight checklist to avoid any unwanted surprises at the TSA checkpoint.
2. Airline Check: Discover the differences in airline policies and ensure a smooth journey by reviewing your chosen carrier’s firearm guidelines.
3. Law Check: Stay on the right side of the law by understanding the gun regulations in every state you’ll visit during your trip.
4. The Gun Case: Explore the essential details about the TSA-required hard-sided lockable case and find out which one is my top choice.
5. Ammo Transport: Learn the correct way to transport ammunition separately from your firearm, all while staying within the weight limit.
Step-By-Step Guide to Gun Transport — Good Tips
This 18-minute Spiritus Systems video provides some very valuable practical tips for gun owners traveling by air. The host explains what to look for in a rifle case and locking system. He also explains how to pack the rifle and gear efficiently and how to label and track your gun/ammo cases. If you’re new to airline travel with guns, this video is worth watching start to finish. Here are highlights are listed by video times:
00:01 Introduction and Regulations
00:51 Storage Container Options
2:50 Type of Lock You Should Use
6:25 Tape Tip
7:16 Contact Information, and Labeling Your Bag
8:07 Firearm Considerations / Configuration
10:03 Documents
12:30 Tracking Your Bag
13:20 Packing Your Ammo
16:00 Prepping Your Magazines
How to Efficiently Pack Your Rifles and Gear
Our friend F-Class John often travels by air to major F-Class matches (most recently to the V2 Finale in Texas). John has learned how to transport valuable match rifles and optics most efficiently and economically. In these two videos F-Class John shows how to pack your rifles and equipment, and how to employ carry-on bags to secure optics and other non-regulated equipment.
TSA Video about Airline Travel with Guns and/or Ammo
This is the latest official TSA video covering gun/ammo transport via airlines. When packing for a flight be sure to start with an empty bag (make sure there are no forgotten gun parts or ammo inside before you pack). If you’re planning to travel with a firearm, follow the tips in this video and remember that you may NEVER bring a firearm in your carry-on bag. Also make sure you are not “packing” when entering the airport even if you have a CCW permit. TSA.gov Firearms/Ammo Transport INFO Page.
Official TSA Guidelines for Airline Travel with Firearms and Ammo
When traveling, comply with the laws concerning possession of firearms as they vary by local, state, and international governments.* Declare each firearm each time you present it for transport as checked baggage. Ask your airline about limitations or fees that may apply.
Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 a loaded firearm has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm. For civil enforcement purposes, TSA also considers a firearm to be loaded when both the firearm and ammunition are accessible to the passenger.
Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure your firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks.
Bringing an unloaded firearm with accessible ammunition to the security checkpoint carries the same civil penalty/fine as bringing a loaded firearm to the checkpoint. You may find information on civil penalties at the Civil Enforcement page.
Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage. Replica firearms, including firearm replicas that are toys, may be transported in checked baggage only.
Rifle scopes are permitted in carry-on and checked baggage.
TSA Guidelines for Transporting Ammunition on Flights
Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage. NOTE: Check with your airline for quantity limits for ammunition.
Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal box specifically designed to carry ammunition and declared to your airline.
Ammunition may be transported in the same hard-sided, locked case as a firearm if it has been packed as described above. You cannot use firearm magazines or clips for packing ammunition unless they completely enclose the ammunition. Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be boxed or included within a hard-sided, locked case.
*INTERNATIONAL: If you are traveling internationally with a firearm in checked baggage, please check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for information and requirements prior to travel.
Riflescopes are mechanical contraptions. One of the sad realities about precision shooting is that, sooner or later, you will experience a scope failure. If you’re lucky it won’t happen in the middle of a National-level competition. And hopefully the failure will be dramatic and unmistakable so you won’t spend months trying to isolate the issue. Unfortunately, scope problems can be erratic or hard to diagnose. You may find yourself with unexplained flyers or a slight degradation of accuracy and you won’t know how to diagnose the problem. And when a 1/8th-MOA-click scope starts failing, it may be hard to recognize the fault immediately, because the POI change may be slight.
How to Diagnose Scope Problems
When you see your groups open up, there’s a very good chance this is due to poor wind-reading, or other “driver error”. But my experience showed me that sometimes scopes do go bad. When your accuracy degrades without any other reasonable explanation, the cause of the problem may well be your optics. Here are some of the “symptoms” of scope troubles:
1. Large shot-to-shot variance in Point of Impact with known accurate loads.
2. Uneven tracking (either vertical or horizontal).
3. Change of Point of Impact does not correspond to click inputs.
4. Inability to zero in reasonable number of shots.
5. Unexpected changes in elevation click values (compared to previous known distance come-ups).
6. Visible shift in reticle from center of view.
7. Changed “feel” or resistance when clicking; or uneven click-to-click “feel”.
8. Inability to set parallax to achieve sharpness.
9. Turrets or other controls feel wobbly or loose.
10. Internal scope components rattle when gun is moved.
Even expensive scopes can fail, or start to perform erratically — and that can happen without warning, or for no apparent reason. Here are some signs that you may be having scope issues.
1. Click count has changed significantly from established zero at known range.
2. Noticeably different click “feel” as you rotate turrets, or turrets feel wobbly.
3. Inability to set Adjustable Objective or side focus to get sharp target image.
4. Shot Point of Impact is completely different than click value after elevation/windage change. For example, when you dial 2 MOA “up” but you observe a 6 MOA rise in POI.
When An Expensive Scope Goes Bad — Crazy Vertical Case Study
A few seasons back, this editor had a major-brand 8-25x50mm scope go bad. How did I know I had a problem? Well the first sign was a wild “drop-down” flyer at a 600-yard match. After shooting a two-target relay, I took a look at my targets. My first 5-shot group had five shots, fairly well centered, in about 2.2″. Pretty good. Everything was operating fine. Then I looked at the second target. My eye was drawn to four shots, all centered in the 10 Ring, measuring about 2.4″. But then I saw the fifth shot. It was a good 18″ low, straight down from the X. And I really mean straight down — if you drew a plumb line down from the center of the X, it would pass almost through the fifth shot.
Is My Scope Actually Malfunctioning or Is This Driver Error?
That was disconcerting, but since I had never had any trouble with this scope before, I assumed it was a load problem (too little powder?), or simple driver error (maybe I flinched or yanked the trigger?). Accordingly, I didn’t do anything about the scope, figuring the problem was me or the load.
Problems Reappear — Huge POI Swings Affirm This Scope is Toast
But, at the next range session, things went downhill fast. In three shots, I did manage to get on steel at 600, with my normal come-up for that distance. Everything seemed fine. So then I switched to paper. We had a buddy in the pits with a walkie-talkie and he radioed that he couldn’t see any bullet holes in the paper after five shots. My spotter said he thought the bullets were impacting in the dirt, just below the paper. OK, I thought, we’ll add 3 MOA up (12 clicks), and that should raise POI 18″ and I should be on paper, near center. That didn’t work — now the bullets were impacting in the berm ABOVE the target frame. The POI had changed over 48″ (8 MOA). (And no I didn’t click too far — I clicked slowly, counting each click out loud as I adjusted the elevation.) OK, to compensate now I took off 8 clicks which should be 2 MOA or 12″. No joy. The POI dropped about 24″ (4 MOA) and the POI also moved moved 18″ right, to the edge of the target.
For the next 20 shots, we kept “chasing center” trying to get the gun zeroed at 600 yards. We never did. After burning a lot of ammo, we gave up. Before stowing the gun for the trip home, I dialed back to my 100-yard zero, which is my normal practice (it’s 47 clicks down from 600-yard zero). I immediately noticed that the “feel” of the elevation knob didn’t seem right. Even though I was pretty much in the center of my elevation (I have a +20 MOA scope mount), the clicks felt really tight — as they do when you’re at the very limit of travel. There was a lot of resistance in the clicks and they didn’t seem to move the right amount.
And it seemed that I’d have four or five clicks that were “bunched up” with a lot of resistance, and then the next click would have almost no resistance and seem to jump. It’s hard to describe, but it was like winding a spring that erratically moved from tight to very loose.
At this point I announced to my shooting buddies: “I think the scope has taken a dump.” I let one buddy work the elevation knob a bit. “That feels weird,” he said: “the clicks aren’t consistent… first it doesn’t want to move, then the clicks jump too easily.”
Convinced that I had a real problem, the scope was packed up and shipped to the manufacturer. So, was I hallucinating? Was my problem really just driver error? I’ve heard plenty of stories about guys who sent scopes in for repair, only to receive their optics back with a terse note saying: “Scope passed inspection and function test 100%. No repairs needed”. So, was my scope really FUBAR? You bet it was. When the scope came back from the factory, the Repair Record stated that nearly all the internal mechanicals had been replaced or fixed:
Source of Problem Unknown, but I Have a Theory
Although my scope came with a slightly canted reticle from the factory, it had otherwise functioned without a hitch for many years. I was able to go back and forth between 100-yard zero and 600-yard zero with perfect repeatability for over five years. I had confidence in that scope. Why did it fail when it did? My theory is side-loading on the turrets. I used to carry the gun in a thick soft case. I recently switched to an aluminum-sided hard case that has pretty dense egg-crate foam inside. I noticed it took some effort to close the case, though it was more than big enough, width-wise, to hold the gun. My thinking is that the foam wasn’t compressing enough, resulting in a side-load on the windage turret when the case was clamped shut. This is just my best guess; it may not be the real source of the problem. Remember, as I explained in the beginning of this story, sometimes scopes — just like any mechanical system — simply stop working for no apparent reason.
Hornady recently added TWO new A-Tip® Match bullets to its High-BC A-Tip lineup for competitive shooters. First is a very impressive 6mm (.243 Cal) 120-grainer, and second is a slick, new .30-Caliber 177-grainer. Both these new A-Tips offer very good consistency and high-BC ratings for their size/weight. The 120gr 6mm A-Tip can work in many disciplines, while the 177gr .30 Cal A-Tip was optimized for the PRS Tactical Division. Videos showing both new bullet types are included below, and you can click on these links for more information:
The new 6mm 120gr A-Tip Match bullet delivers an exceptional ballistic coefficient of 0.675 G1 BC and a 0.340 G7 BC, making it the highest-BC big brand 6mm bullet currently on the market. For comparison, the 6mm Berger 120gr Long Range Hybrid Target Bullet has a 0.328 G7 ballistic coefficient (BC). Designed for shooters seeking max aerodynamic efficiency and outstanding long-range performance, Hornady’s mew 120gr A-Tip brings impressive capability to the 6mm category. Optimal barrel twist rate is 1:7″ inches.
.30 Cal 177gr A-Tip Match, 0.565 G1 BC, 0.285 G7 BC
The other new A-Tip is Hornady’s .30 Cal. 177gr A-Tip Match. This boasts good ballistic coefficients for its size — a 0.565 G1 BC, and a 0.285 G7 BC. Purpose-built with the competitive shooter in mind, the new 177gr A-Tip is optimized for PRS Tactical Division, combining the consistency and precision of A-Tip technology with a weight/ballistic profile well suited to PRS Tactical competition.
Design Features of Hornady A-Tip Bullets
Precision-Machined Aluminum Tips: Longer than standard polymer tips, the aluminum design shifts the center of gravity forward. This provides enhanced in-flight stability, resulting in higher BC and claimed reduced drag variability. Drag Variability Reduction Technology (DVRT): These A-Tip bullets have a refined flat meplat on the tip to increase drag uniformity and shrink long-range group sizes. Sequential Packaging: Bullets come straight off the press consecutively into individual slots and are not bulk-tumbled, ensuring ultimate lot-to-lot consistency (each box includes a polishing bag)
This article comes from the Criterion Barrels website. It provides good, conservative advice about barrel cleaning. Understand that cleaning methods may need to be adapted to fit the amount and type of fouling (and the particular barrel). In general, we do try to minimize brushing, and we follow the procedures Criterion recommends respecting the crown/muzzle. We have also had very good success using wet patches followed by Wipe-Out bore foam. Along with the practices outlined by Criterion below, you may want to try Wipe-Out foam. Just be sure to use a fitted cleaning rod bore guide, to keep foam out of the action recesses and trigger assembly.
The above video shows how to apply Wipe-Out or other bore-cleaning foam. We use a slightly different method. First, we use 3-4 wet patches to remove loose carbon fouling. Then we apply the foam as shown, but usually from the muzzle end (with bore guide in chamber). Here’s the important point — after 20-30 minutes, once the bubbles have dissipated, we apply the foam a second time, getting more of the active ingredients into the barrel. We then patch out, as shown, after 3-4 hours.
What is the Best Way to Clean a Rifle Barrel?
We are asked this question quite frequently alongside requests for recommended break-in procedures. Improper barrel cleaning methods can damage or destroy a barrel, leading to diminished accuracy or even cause a catastrophic failure. When it comes to barrel maintenance, there are a number of useful techniques that we have not listed. Some techniques may work better with different barrel types. This series of recommendations is designed to incorporate a number of methods that the Criterion Barrels staff has used successfully both in the shop and on their personal rifles. Please feel free to to list your own recommendations in the below comments section.
We recommend the use of the following components during rifle cleaning:
• Cloth patches (sized for the appropriate caliber)
• Brass jag sized properly for your bore
• One-piece coated cleaning rod
• General bore cleaner/solvent (Example: Hoppes #9)
• Copper solvent of your choosing (Example: Sweets/KG 12)
• Fitted cleaning rod bore guide
• Plastic AP brush or toothbrush
• Q-Tips
• Plastic dental picks
• CLP or rust preventative type cleaner
There are a number of schools of thought relating to the frequency in which a barrel should be cleaned. At minimum we recommend cleaning a barrel after each shooting session to remove condensation, copper, and carbon build-up. Condensation is the greatest immediate threat, as it can cause the barrel to rust while the rifle sits in storage. Copper and carbon build-up may negatively impact future barrel performance, increasing the possibility of a failure in feed or function. Fouling should be removed whenever possible.
The below tips will help limit the wear of different parts of your barrel during routine maintenance, helping extend the life of the barrel and improving its performance.
The Lands and Grooves
This portion of the barrel may experience reduced efficiency due to copper fouling and cleaning rod damage. If copper fouling takes place during the initial break-in of the rifle, make sure to check our barrel break-in article.
For regular maintenance we suggest using a single piece coated cleaning rod rather than the traditional segmented rod or bore snake. While segmented rods and bore snakes may be convenient for field use, the corners between the segments may bow out and catch on the lands, scraping along the length of the rifling. Residual grit and particles from expended cartridges may also get caught between segments, resulting in an abrasive surface working its way down the length of the barrel. Most bore snakes will remove significant amounts of carbon fouling, but may fall short in the removal residual carbon buildup and copper fouling during deep cleaning. Good rods can be sourced from multiple manufacturers, but we have found good results using both Pro-Shot and Dewey brand products.
General cleaning requires the use of patches rather than nylon or brass bore brushes. Brass brushes may be required when aggressive cleaning is required, but can lead to unnecessary wear on the barrel if used frequently. This is not due to the nature of the soft brushes themselves, but from the abrasive particles of grit that become embedded in the material that is being run repeatedly through the bore. We recommend the use of bore guides when cleaning from both the muzzle and breech. These bore guides will help serve to protect the crown and throat from cleaning rod damage.
If significant resistance develops while running the cleaning rod through the bore, no attempt should be made to force it in further. Back the rod out and inspect the barrel to determine the cause of the resistance. The jag may be pushing between a bore obstruction and the rifling, digging a divot into the barrel before pushing the obstruction back through the muzzle. One way to minimize the risk of a stuck rod is by utilizing a slightly smaller patch during the initial push.
The process of cleaning the length of the rifling is relatively straightforward:
1. Check to make sure the rifle is safely unloaded.
2. Carry out any necessary disassembly procedures prior to cleaning.
3. Remove bolt (if possible) and insert fitted cleaning rod bore guide in action.
4. Soak a patch in bore solvent (similar to Hoppes #9).
5. Center and affix the patch on the brass jag, inserting it into the chamber end of the barrel. A misaligned patch may cause the jag to damage the lands of the rifling, so make sure the patch is centered on the jag.
6. Run the patch the full length of the barrel, retracting it upon reaching the end of the muzzle.
7. Let the solvent sit for a minute.
8. Continue to run patches through the bore until carbon residue is minimized.
9. Run a dry patch through the bore to ensure carbon residue has been removed.
10. Soak a patch in copper solvent (Sweet’s or KG-12).
11. Run the patch through the bore, leaving it to sit for 3-5 minutes (do not let solvent sit for more than 15 minutes.*)
12. Repeat this process until no blue residue remains on the patches.
13. Run a patch of Hoppes #9 and a dry patch through the bore to neutralize the copper solvent.
14. Inspect the barrel prior to reassembling the rifle, verifying that no bore obstructions remain.
*Please note that some ammonia-based copper solvents may prove to be corrosive if left sitting in the barrel for an extended period of time. It is essential that these solvents be removed within 15 minutes to avoid ruining the bore.
The Crown
The crown is the portion of the barrel where the bullet loses contact with the lands and grooves and proceeds to exit the firearm. The area most critical to accuracy potential is the angle where the bullet last touches the bore of the barrel.
Avoid damage to this area by using a plastic toothbrush and CLP type cleaner to scrub the crown from the exterior of the barrel. Even the most minimal variation in wear to the crown will negatively impact barrel performance, so be careful to avoid nicking or wearing away this part of the barrel.
Click Map to launch interactive webpage with info for all 50 states.
Going hunting soon? Need to find out about hunting licenses, deer tags, local regulations, and the best hunting areas? Then visit WheretoHunt.org. This website has an interactive map of the country. Simply click on a state to find the info you need.
For all 50 states, the NSSF provides information about hunting licenses and permits, where to hunt, hunter education classes, laws and regulations and more. For each state you’ll also find a link for required applications and license forms. Have a safe and productive hunt this year.
This can be very important — even life-saving. For example, with a hang fire, i.e. a round that does not fire immediately, it is vital to keep the gun pointed DOWN-RANGE. And with a squib load, which may have left a round inside the barrel, it is vital to UNLOAD and NOT take another shot! If you did, the gun could blow up in your hand when the second, full-charge bullet hits the trapped bullet.
The Five Topics Covered Are:
Misfeed (aka Tip-Up)
Double Feed
Stovepipe (Failure to Extract)
Misfire / Hangfire
Squib Load
1. Misfeed or Tip-Up: With any misfeed you should stop firing. With the muzzle pointed safely down-range, remove the magazine, then pull the slide back and remove the round that did not feed. Check the slide for dirt, debris, and check the round that did not feed. After re-inserting the magazine, make sure the mag is seated properly.
2. Double-Feed: This is a fairly common issue with some gun types with worn springs or cheap magazines. Again you want to remove the magazine. CTD states: “Remove the magazine and cycle the action until your double-fed rounds fall out — always keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction[.]”
3. Stove-Pipe: This occurs when the case of a fired round does not eject fully. There can be many causes — damaged extractor, low-pressure powder charge, dirty chamber, or greasy cartridge brass. In addition the issue is common with old, worn-out recoil springs. To avoid Stove-Pipes, replace the recoil spring every 4000 rounds, and make sure your chamber is clean and the extractor is not chipped or damaged.
4. Misfires and Hang-Fires: There are multiple causes for misfires (“click no bang”) and hang-fires (slow ignition). There can be a defective primer, the firing pin could be damaged, the powder many have been bad, or the case not filled properly. With a misfire, keep the gun pointed down-range at least one minute. If the case does not fire, eject it but leave it on the ground. With a hang-fire (delayed ignition after firing pin strike), keep the gun pointed down-range, then drop the magazine and eject the (new) unfired cartridge in the chamber and inspect the gun when completely empty.
5. Squib Load: A squib load is when the gun fires, but the actual case ignition is very light with little noise, smoke, or recoil. This can be because the case had a primer but no powder. Or it can be because the powder did not ignite. Squib loads can be very dangerous in rapid-fire situations. If you EVER get a squib load STOP immediately! Do NOT fire another round! This is because the squib may have left a bullet inside the barrel.
Sometimes you’ll get a barrel that doesn’t stabilize bullets the way you’d anticipate, based on the stated (or presumed) twist rate. A barrel might have 1:10″ stamped on the side but it is, in truth, a 1:10.5″ twist or even a 1:9.5″. Cut-rifled barrels, such as Kriegers and Bartleins, normally hold very true to the specified twist rate. With buttoned barrels, due to the nature of the rifling process, there’s a greater chance of a small variation in twist rate. And yes, factory barrels can be slightly out of spec as well.
After buying a new barrel, you should determine the true twist rate BEFORE you start load development. You don’t want to invest in a large supply of expensive bullets only to find that that won’t stabilize because your “8 twist” barrel is really a 1:8.5″. Sinclair International provides a simple procedure for determining the actual twist rate of your barrel.
Sinclair’s Simple Twist Rate Measurement Method
If are unsure of the twist rate of the barrel, you can measure it yourself in a couple of minutes. You need a good cleaning rod with a rotating handle and a jag with a fairly tight fitting patch. Utilize a rod guide if you are accessing the barrel through the breech or a muzzle guide if you are going to come in from the muzzle end. Make sure the rod rotates freely in the handle under load. Start the patch into the barrel for a few inches and then stop. Put a piece of tape at the back of the rod by the handle (like a flag) or mark the rod in some way. Measure how much of the rod is still protruding from the rod guide. You can either measure from the rod guide or muzzle guide back to the flag or to a spot on the handle. Next, continue to push the rod in until the mark or tape flag has made one complete revolution. Re-measure the amount of rod that is left sticking out of the barrel. Use the same reference marks as you did on the first measurement. Next, subtract this measurement from the first measurement. This number is the twist rate. For example, if the rod has 24 inches remaining at the start and 16 inches remain after making one revolution, you have 8 inches of travel, thus a 1:8″-twist barrel.
Determining Barrel Twist Rate Empirically
Twist rate is defined as the distance in inches of barrel that the rifling takes to make one complete revolution. An example would be a 1:10″ twist rate. A 1:10″ barrel has rifling that makes one complete revolution in 10 inches of barrel length. Rifle manufacturers usually publish twist rates for their standard rifle offerings and custom barrels are always ordered by caliber, contour, and twist rate. If you are having a custom barrel chambered you can ask the gunsmith to mark the barrel with the twist rate.
Here’s an inexpensive product that can make your case prep and loading tasks easier. We use and recommend the cleverly-designed Lyman Bleacher Blocks. These multi-level (stepped) cartridge holders save space on your bench AND make it easier to select a particular case/cartridge from a full block. Each row is a different height for convenience. With Bleacher Blocks it’s also easier to check for powder levels, or place bullets before the seating process.
Lyman’s Bleacher Block cartridge holders have many advantages over conventional, single-level blocks. Use the different levels for sorting brass. Or, migrate the brass from top to bottom as you proceed through case prep stages. If you are assembling loads with different bullets for load testing, you could arrange the loaded rounds on different levels for easy recognition. For example put V-Max loaded rounds on the top tier, and Berger Hybrid loaded rounds on the bottom tier. Or, if you are experimenting with neck tension, you can use different rows for cases processed with different bushings.
Made of durable orange polymer, Lyman Bleacher Blocks are now molded in five sizes — small pistol, large pistol, and three rifle sizes. The smallest rifle block (with 0.388″-diam holes) fits .223 Rem-size case heads. The middle size rifle block (with 0.485″-diam holes) fits .308 Win-size case heads. That works for 6mmBR/Dasher sized cases perfectly. The biggest rifle Bleacher Block has 0.565″-diameter recesses for magnum-size cases. There are also two pistol blocks — .445″ hole size for 9mm/.357 size and .565″ diameter for larger .44/.45 pistol cartridges.
Here’s what Lyman says about its innovative cartridge block design: “Our [stepped] loading blocks allow for easier handling of cases in and out of the loading block. Our stepped design allows you to easily grip a single case without jamming your fingers down into a group of cases like in traditional loading blocks, and allows for a smaller ‘footprint’ on your bench.”
Lyman Bleacher Blocks are among the Reloading Tools reviewed in this helpful video:
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.
Brownells — Labor Day Sale + 12% OFF with Code LABORDAY12
⏺️ » Deals on guns, ammo, optics and gear plus 12% OFF Code
Get big savings with the Brownells Labor Day Sale. Along with the already discounted prices, on select clearance items you can save an additional 12% by using Code LABORDAY12 during check-out. Sale items include rifle scopes, Howa barreled actions, Reloading equipment, Hunting packs, Ammo (rifle, pistol, shotgun), powder and primers. Definitely check out this Clearance Sale. There are exceptional deals plus there are ZERO HazMat Fees on Powder and/or Primer purchases with no minimum!
Midsouth Shooters — Timney Trigger Sale
⏺️ » Great prices on Timney triggers for many rifle types
If your factory trigger is holding you back, consider upgrading to a new one at the Timney Trigger Sale over at Midsouth. Here you can upgrade everything from a 10/22 to a Remington 700 or any number of other actions such as Sako and CZ. These are quality triggers offered at very attractive sale prices.
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In discussions of ballistics, you’ll see references to “tangent”, “secant”, and “hybrid” bullet shapes. We know that, for many readers, these terms can be confusing. To add to the confusion, bullet makers don’t always identify their projectiles as secant or tangent designs. This article provides a basic explanation of tangent, secant, and hybrid ogive bullet designs, to help you understand the characteristics of these three basic bullet shapes.
Tangent vs. Secant vs. Hybrid
Most match bullets produced today use a tangent ogive profile, but the modern VLD-style bullets employ a secant profile. To further complicate matters, the latest generation of “Hybrid” projectiles from Berger Bullets feature a blended secant + tangent profile to combine the best qualities of both nose shapes. The secant section provides reduced drag, while the tangent section makes the bullet easier to tune, i.e. less sensitive to bullet seating depth position.
Berger Bullets ballistician Bryan Litz explains tangent and secant bullet ogive designs in a glossary section of his Applied Ballistics website, which we reprint below. Bryan then explains how tangent and secant profiles can be combined in a “hybrid” design.
How Bullet Ogive Curves are Defined
While the term “ogive” is often used to describe the particular point on the bullet where the curve reaches full bullet diameter, in fact the “ogive” properly refers to the entire curve of the bullet from the tip to the full-diameter straight section — the shank.
Understanding then, that the ogive is a curve, how is that curve described?
LITZ: The ogive of a bullet is usually characterized by the length of its radius. This radius is often given in calibers instead of inches. For example, an 8 ogive 6mm bullet has an ogive that is a segment of a circular arc with a radius of 8*.243 = 1.952”. A .30-caliber bullet with an 8 ogive will be proportionally the same as the 8 ogive 6mm bullet, but the actual radius will be 2.464” for the .30 caliber bullet.
For a given nose length, if an ogive is perfectly tangent, it will have a very specific radius. Any radius longer than that will cause the ogive to be secant. Secant ogives can range from very mild (short radius) to very aggressive (long radius). The drag of a secant ogive is minimized when its radius is twice as long as a tangent ogive radius. In other words, if a tangent ogive has an 8 caliber radius, then the longest practical secant ogive radius is 16 calibers long for a given nose length.”
Bryan Litz Explains Hybrid Design and Optimal Hybrid Seating Depths
Ogive Metrics and Rt/R Ratio
LITZ: There is a number that’s used to quantify how secant an ogive is. The metric is known as the Rt/R ratio and it’s the ratio of the tangent ogive radius to the actual ogive radius for a given bullet. In the above example, the 16 caliber ogive would have an Rt/R ratio of 0.5. The number 0.5 is therefore the lowest practical value for the Rt/R ratio, and represents the minimum drag ogive for a given length. An ogive that’s perfectly tangent will have an Rt/R ratio of 1.0. Most ogives are in between an Rt/R of 1.0 and 0.5. The dimensioned drawings at the end of my Applied Ballistics book provide the bullets ogive radius in calibers, as well as the Rt/R ratio. In short, the Rt/R ratio is simply a measure of how secant an ogive is. 1.0 is not secant at all, 0.5 is as secant as it gets.
Hybrid Bullet Design — Best of Both Worlds?
Bryan Litz has developed a number of modern “Hybrid” design bullets for Berger. The objective of Bryan’s design work has been to achieve a very low drag design that is also “not finicky”. Normal (non-hybrid) secant designs, such as the Berger 105gr VLD, deliver very impressive BC values, but the bullets can be sensitive to seating depth. Montana’s Tom Mousel has set world records with the Berger 105gr VLD in his 6mm Dasher, but he tells us “seating depth is critical to the best accuracy”. Tom says a mere .003″ seating depth change “makes a difference”. In an effort to produce more forgiving high-BC bullets, Bryan Litz developed the hybrid tangent/secant bullet shape.
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For the next 20 shots, we kept “chasing center” trying to get the gun zeroed at 600 yards. We never did. After burning a lot of ammo, we gave up. Before stowing the gun for the trip home, I dialed back to my 100-yard zero, which is my normal practice (it’s 47 clicks down from 600-yard zero). I immediately noticed that the “feel” of the elevation knob didn’t seem right. Even though I was pretty much in the center of my elevation (I have a +20 MOA scope mount), the clicks felt really tight — as they do when you’re at the very limit of travel. There was a lot of resistance in the clicks and they didn’t seem to move the right amount.
Sometimes you’ll get a barrel that doesn’t stabilize bullets the way you’d anticipate, based on the stated (or presumed) twist rate. A barrel might have 1:10″ stamped on the side but it is, in truth, a 1:10.5″ twist or even a 1:9.5″. Cut-rifled barrels, such as Kriegers and Bartleins, normally hold very true to the specified twist rate. With buttoned barrels, due to the nature of the rifling process, there’s a greater chance of a small variation in twist rate. And yes, factory barrels can be slightly out of spec as well.
Hybrid Bullet Design — Best of Both Worlds?
