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June 22nd, 2007
These days, many varmint hunters outfit their rigs much like long-range benchrest guns. You’ll find long barrels with muzzle brakes, “long-wheelbase” stocks with wide fore-ends, and big optics (such as the NightForce NXS) with tall “target” turrets. That all adds up to a pretty sizeable package, particularly if you throw a bipod on the front end. Most soft rifle cases won’t fit these modern jumbo varmint rifles very well. The cases are too short and don’t have enough clearance for a big scope.
The Bob Allen 48″-long “Legend” soft case is an exception. Nice and tall, it will fit a heavy varmint rig with a big scope with room to spare. 48 inches in length, it will house rifles with up to 28″ barrels (unless you have an extended buttplate). The Allen Legend features an Endura shell, wrap-around handles and 1″ foam padding. Nebraskan D. McClain reports: “This case is really nice. It fits my Savage 12BVSS with Harris bipod and large scope with sunshade like a glove. I would recommend this case for similar set-up rifle to anyone.” Right now through the end of June, 2007, MidwayUSA is selling the 48″ Allen Legend case (item 717607) in black/Advantage Camo for $24.99–that’s $6.00 off the regular price. This writer has a number of Allen soft cases and they are well made, with strong zippers and good stitching.
June 21st, 2007
Long-time visitors to this site will recall that, in 2006, Jackie Schmidt did an extensive 6BR accuracy test with his rail gun. It was fitted with a straight, heavy contour .237″ land-diameter Krieger barrel. Many interesting discoveries came from that test, including the relationship of barrel length to velocity. Jackie cut that barrel down in 1″ increments from 33″ to 28″ and we only lost 8 fps per inch.
That test barrel also showed a very strong preference for Berger 105gr VLD bullets, which (at that time) measured about .2433″ at the pressure ring. To our surprise, however, the accuracy of Lapua 105 Scenars was good, but not what we anticipated based on results in other rifles. We noted that the Scenars were extremely uniform in weight and dimensions. However, the max bullet diameter was around .2428″. So these Scenar bullets were about half a thousandth skinnier than the 105gr Bergers.
Can the Scenars shoot superbly in a Krieger? The answer is yes, if the Krieger is a .236″. Bore dimension (specifically land diameter) DOES make a difference, based on recent results from Jackie.
Jackie has recently learned that the Lapua 105 Scenars WILL shoot with blistering accuracy in a Krieger barrel–a Krieger .236″ bore barrel. Jackie told us: “Well, I have to admit it… you guys were right about those Lapua Scenars. I just built up a long-range 6BR rifle for a friend. We put a Krieger 4-groove .236″ barrel on it, and, man those Scenars shot like a house on fire. The accuracy is just amazing. After my experience with the rail gun project I never would have believed it. But yes, the Scenars are outstanding in a .236″. I personally shot a measured .270″ 5-shot group at 200 yards with the Lapua 105s in that gun. And the velocity–you wouldn’t believe it–we were seeing 3000 fps with a full case of Vihtavuori N150. In a long barrel, with a .236″ bore, the N150/Scenar combo is a winner–for accuracy and velocity. You just have to match the bullet to the barrel. Skinny bullet? Go .236″. It works.”
June 21st, 2007
One thing that Jackie Schmidt has been doing over the past few months, is dissassembling Weaver and Sightron 36X Benchrest scopes and locking them up internally. With the internal windage and elevation controls fixed in place, these scope are then mounted using the externally adjustable scope mount system developed by Gene Bukys (shown below).
In working with the different scopes, Jackie has observed that the basic designs of the Weaver T-36 and the Sightron BR scopes are similar. However, Jackie did find some important differences when it comes to boosting scope magnification. The Weaver is a better candidate for boosting because of the way its reticle is installed.
Jackie writes: “I have had both brands apart, and they both share the same design feature in the way the erector tube is mounted, that being a permanently fixed ball and gimble joint sleeve assembly that allows the erector tube to pivot. There is a difference in the way the erector tube sleeve is secured inside the scope body, but that is of no consequence. They both share a similar front objective assembly, (sliding lens assembly cartridge held against a stop by a large coil spring), so there isn’t much advantage of one over the other. I would call it a toss up as to which one might be better, or worse. The Weaver is a couple of ounces lighter. The one difference is if you wanted to boost one or the other. When boosting the power on a scope, one must keep the reticle cross hairs within the focal plain of the eye piece lens assembly. Most scopes are boosted by adding a small lens assembly between the erector tube and the eye piece, moving the reticle assembly back so as to maintain its correct position in relation to the eye piece. Since the Sightron has the reticle mounted in the end of the erector tube, it would be very difficult to move it back. The Weaver is much like the older Leupolds, you can move the reticle assembly back, since it is mounted into the scope body itself.”
June 20th, 2007
The $35.00 RCBS Precision MIC is a well-made and useful tool for measuring cartridge headspace and bullet seating depth. The Precision Mic measures from a datum point on the case shoulder to the base. Unfortunately the Precision MIC is not specifically made for the 6mmBR Norma, 22BR, 6XC or 6.5×47 Lapua cases. Don’t despair. Reader Caduceus has devised a clever way to adapt a .308 Winchester Precision Mic for short cases that match the .308 Win in rim diameter and case body diameter. He simply creates a spacer out of a pistol cartridge. He trimmed a 9mm case to 0.511″ and “found this to be a perfect fit which gave a zero micrometer reading when the FL-sized 6BR case was placed in it.”
 Caduceus explains: “I can use the 308 version of the RCBS Precision Mic to compare brass which has been fully sized in my 6BR body die with brass which has been fired in my chamber. With the spacer inserted, FL-resized cases mic 0.000” at the datum point on the shoulder. Using the same set-up, fire-formed cases measure +0.005”. In other words, my chamber has a headspace of +0.005″ above minimum dimensions. This is fairly typical of a custom rifle set up for switch-barrel use. If I were to FL-resize my brass down to minimum spec each time, this excessive working would shorten its life-cycle and might lead to case head separation. Now that I know the headspace of the chamber, I can substitute the standard shell holder on my press with a Redding +0.004” competition shell-holder. This ensures that my cases only receive 0.001” of shoulder set-back.”
Click HERE for a full article explaining how to adapt an RCBS Precision Mic for use with a 6BR. You can do the same thing with a 6XC or 6.5×47 case–just cut the spacer to a shorter length (for an 0.000″ mic reading). Note: You can also use this procedure with an RCBS .243 Winchester Precision Mic.
June 20th, 2007
On the Guns & Ammo Magazine website, there is a feature article, America’s Rifle: the AR, that AR15 shooters will enjoy. The article contains dozens of links for AR15 components and accessories, including barrels, upper and lower receivers, sights, optics, grips, stocks and more. You’ll find photos of many of the more propular add-ons such as folding stocks, accessory rails, and red dot sights.
For those times when the AR stumbles (yes, it does happen), the article provides a helpful Jam-Clearance procedure. You’ll also find an excellent Trouble-Shooting Guide for the AR’s five most common problems: insufficient extractor tension, loose carrier keys, improper headspace, failure to eject (FTE), and primer issues from hot loads.
If you’re a black rifle shooter, definitely check out this story. It’s worth the read for the extensive product/vendor links alone, not to mention the fix-it tips.
June 19th, 2007
Allie Euber shot a potential new IBS Benchrest for Score World Record at the recent St. Johnsbury, VT match. In the Light Varmint (10.5-lb) class, Allie posted a two-day, 100/200-yard Grand Aggregate of 500 (the maximum point total), with 35 Xs. If this is certified, it beats the previous record of 500-33x set by B. Lembo way back in 1995. (The 100/200 meter record is R. Read’s 500-24X set in 2004.) We congratulate Allie on great shooting, and beating a long-standing mark.
 Allie told us: “I had won the 100-yard with my Heavy Varmint, and had strung together a high X-Count with the Heavy. I pulled out the Light gun and it shot even more Xs, especiallly at 200 yards. On that last 200-yard stage, the conditions were pretty good–cloudy, overcast (pre-rain).” Allie’s record-setting LV was a 30BR with a BAT action and 3-groove, 17-twist Lilja barrel, which he had chambered himself. Allie told us he “like to run ‘em hot”, so he used “a full case of H4198″ with his own 30-caliber 7.5 ogive, 117gr flatbase match bullets. To order these bullets contact Euber Bullets, No. Orwell Road, Orwell, VT 05760, (802) 948-2621.
Reed Garfield emailed us noting that this wasn’t the first major record set at the Caledonia Forest and Stream Club in St. Johnsbury: “FYI, in 2005 Greg Palman of Aurora, ME broke the long-standing HV 100/200-yard Grand Agg at this range with a 500/39X. Our little farmer’s cow pasture up in Northern Vermont is now the home of both the HV and LV records.”
June 19th, 2007
We recently did a story on ARA rimfire shooter Joe Friedrich from California. In March he was just the sixth person (at the time) to shoot a perfect 2500 score in ARA 50-yard competition. His other three targets were scored 2450, 2450, 2450, for a then-unheard of 9850 four-target Aggregate.
Joe has a new gun (another Meyers-built custom with Benchmark 2-groove barrel) and it appears to be at least as good (if not better) than his record-setter. Just this Saturday, in a night match, Joe shot another 9850 Aggregate, with one perfect 2500 target. Joe’s latest 2500 doesn’t leave any room for doubt–23 of 25 shots are clean (all in the white) and only two shots barely nick the inside edge of the 100-score blue ring. This target, shown below, did not need to be plugged. Congrats to Joe on fine shooting. He continues to “raise the bar” in ARA rimfire competition. Click HERE to read our feature story about Joe and his rifles. And here is a link to see large versions of Joe’s latest FOUR Record Targets.
June 19th, 2007
 Vincent Hancock of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), won the Gold Medal at the Int’l Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Lonato, Italy, on June 14, shooting a perfect match. Hancock, who won the Men’s Skeet world title in 2005, earned another spot in the history books by taking top honors at the Lonato World Cup. He fired perfect scores throughout the event, never missing a target in 150 shots.
George Achilleos of Cypress, Harald Jensen of Norway and Axel Wegner of Germany managed to drop only one clay each the entire match, but the shoot off left them in Silver, Bronze and fourth place, respectively. Earlier during the World Cup, Spc. Joshua M. Richmond of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit stole the spotlight by taking the Gold Medal in Men’s Double Trap. His win secured the final shotgun Olympic Quota Slot required for the USA to send a full roster of shotgunners to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
June 18th, 2007
The new Nikon Monarch scopes have been eagerly anticipated. Now, finally, we expect the first shipments to hit dealers’ shelves the first week of July. We are especially interested in the new 6-24×50 side-parallax Nikon. SWFA.com and The Optic Zone have priced this scope at $629.95 (Nikoplex reticle), making it hundreds of dollars cheaper than a Leupold 30mm 8-25×50 LRT. The new 6-24x Monarch could be an ideal varminting and general purpose target scope. It features 1/8-MOA clicks, 1″-diam. one-piece tube, 34 MOA elevation, 2.1 mm exit pupil, locking side-focus parallax adjustment, and near-constant 3.6-4.0 inch eye relief throughout the zoom range. Nikon has created a new website showing off the features of all the new Monarchs, including the 6-24×50 and the 5-20×44 zooms. Click HERE to visit the new Nikon Monarch preview website.
June 18th, 2007
During a summer prairie dog expedition, a serious varminter may shoot hundreds of rounds in a day. Value-priced components help keep a shooter’s budget under control. As a June Special, MidSouth Shooters Supply is offering 50gr and 55gr bullets in economical 500-round packs for just $34.74. That works out to just $6.95 per hundred bullets! These .224-caliber “Varmint Nightmare X-Treme” bullets feature a flat-base design with a soft point lead tip for good expansion.
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