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August 8th, 2007
 HPS Target Rifles Ltd., Britain’s leading competition shooting supply vendor, offers a new sling design that should benefit smaller shooters or those whose rifles have shallow fore-ends. The HPS AKTIV Flex Sling, made of non-stretch, reinforced PVC webbing, is designed to overcome the problems of the sling fouling on the trigger guard or rubbing on the underside of the stock. The section of the sling that runs under the rifle is replaced with coated wire. The wire center section can be positioned directly under the stock to give maximum clearance. The front strap can be adjusted to the size of hand and to clear the wrist. The arm cuff can be adjusted in length for arm size and position, while sling length is controlled by a buckle that positions the ‘tail’ of the sling so that there is no fouling under the rifle. The HPS AKTIV Flex Sling comes in three colours: blue (shown), dark green and black. The price is U.S. $120.44, or 105.78 Euros.
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August 7th, 2007
Recently one of our Forum members complained that he wasn’t able to set his primers flush to the rim. He tried a variety of primer tools, yet no matter what he used, the primers still didn’t seat deep enough. He measured his primers, and they were the right thickness, but it seemed like his primer pockets just weren’t deep enough. He was mystified as to the cause of the problem.
Well, our friend Boyd Allen diagnosed the problem. It was the decapping rod. If the rod is adjusted too low, the base of the full-diameter rod shaft (just above the pin) will contact the inside of the case. That shaft is steel whereas your case is brass, a softer, weaker metal. What happens is, when you run the case up into the die, the shaft can actually push the base of the primer pocket outward. Most presses have enough leverage to do this. If you bell the base of the primer pocket outwards, you’ve essentially ruined your case, and there is no way a primer can seat correctly.
The fix is simple. Just make sure to adjust the decapping rod so that the base of the rod shaft does not bottom out on the inside of the case. All you need is for the pin to extend through the flash hole far enough to knock the primer out. The photo show a Lyman Universal decapping die. But the same thing can happen with any die used for decapping.
Whenever you use a die with a decapping pin for the first time, OR when you move the die to a different press, make sure to check the decapping rod length. And it’s a good idea, with full-length sizing dies, to always re-check the height setting when changing presses. We had a full-length die set up to give .0015″ shoulder bump when used with a turret press. When that same die was switched into a more rigid Rockchucker press that had less play and “thread slop”, the die bumped the shoulder over .004″. We had to back-off the die and re-set the lock-ring to maintain the proper bump.
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August 7th, 2007
Is it time for the precision shooting community to “raise its sights” and explore ways to attract more shooters and increase major manufacturer and sponsor involvement? Does it make sense to look at ways our sport can be more “media-friendly” and attract big corporate sponsors the way golf and tennis does?
Right now we have three different 1000-yard Benchrest organizations, operating under three different sets of rules. A recent 1000-yard “National Championship” attracted less than 80 shooters, with almost no media coverage, and the prizes totaled less than $8,000 in collective value.
 Consider what’s happening in the shotgun world by contrast. This month, From August 6-18, the 108th Grand American World Trapshooting Championships will be held at the new Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois. This year’s “Grand” will consist of 26 events spanning over 12 days. New events that have been added to this year’s Grand American include the Budweiser Handicap, and the Federal Premium shoot-out. In addition, all events from previous years will return. Collectively there will be over $1,000,000 in event monies/trophies and $100,000 in promotional give-aways.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if rifle shooting managed to attract that kind of prize money, and major participation by Fortune 500 companies? Should there be a “Grand American” for rifle shooters? Something that, unlike Camp Perry, could include Benchrest shooting, 3-Gun, Varmint comps, and maybe a combination of position and bench shooting with a true “factory class”?
There are MORE rifle shooters in America than there are trap and skeet shooters. Way more. So why can the Grand American Shotgun event attract seven-figure sponsorship and prime-time television coverage, while most major rifle events generate no such interest. Likewise, we should ask ourselves why is Cowboy Action Shooting growing so rapidly (77,000 registered members of SASS and counting), while participation levels in some of our precision shooting disciplines are declining?
Is there a way we could create a “Super Championship” where top shooters of various disciplines could compete in the same venue? Would it draw media attention to have Tony Boyer, David Tubb, and the 600-yard and 1000-yard Shooters of the Year all in the same place? Perhaps shooting the same type of rifle marketed by a major manufacturer such as Remington, Beretta (SAKO), or Springfield Arms?
Please understand, I am NOT advocating that existing disciplines be erased. However, when you look at what the shotgun world has accomplished, there are lessons to be learned. Trap and Skeet shooting is widely perceived as a high-prestige pastime–a sport associated with successful (read wealthy) men and women who have leadership roles in our society. I think the precision rifle sports could benefit by cultivating the same kind of perception for our activities.
This is important because rifle shooters currently face some very real challenges. Every year politicians pass more restrictive regulations, and more of our rifle ranges are closed. We can start to reverse these trends if we do a better, more creative job in promoting our sports and making rifle shooting more interesting and palatable for the average citizen as well as corporate marketers.
People may say “Who cares what the shotgunners do? We don’t need the likes of Budweiser and GMC at our matches, and the Kelbly Firearms Industry SuperShoot and Camp Perry National Championships are plenty big already.” I understand that sentiment, but I still think it makes sense to study the shotgun sports (and the golf industry). The shotgunners have been very, very successful in cultivating the right image for their sport, an image that attracts new shooters, placates politicians, and makes the big corporate sponsors want to affiliate their companies with trap-shooting.
We could learn some important lessons from that. We need to look at the big picture, explore ways to exhance the general appeal of competitive rifle shooting, and bring the various disciplines together.
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August 6th, 2007
The Northwest 1000-Yard Benchrest Club holds its annual Championship this upcoming weekend at the Deep Creek Range in Missoula, Montana. The Championship Match will be held on August 10th, 11th and 12th, 2007. August 10th will be a practice day. Bench positions will be drawn on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Many valuable prizes will be awarded including a BAT Action, three Nightforce scopes, and numerous custom barrels (including 4 Kriegers, 2 Lawtons, and 2 Harts).
Many world records have been set at this range, including Smallest Light Gun 10-Shot Group 3.835″ by Cody Finch, and Light Gun High Score 100 (5.185″) by Barney Lawton, set just last month.
If you can spare a weekend and the travel time, this is a great event to attend, and all long-range bench shooters are welcome. The new rules instituted last year will continue, allowing 17-lb IBS and NBRSA guns in the 16 1/2 lb. and Heavy Gun Classes. This will apply to the Championship Shoot only. However, only guns 16.5 lbs (or less) will qualify for World Records under Pennsylvania Rules (The Montana Club is affiliated with Williamsport, PA). All guns will be qualified for prizes. To be eligible to compete in the Championship Shoot competitors must be members of the Northwest 1000 Yard Club and yearly dues are $30.00. Shooting fees for the Championship Shoot will be $30.00 each gun, each day. There will be a steak dinner on Saturday night for $5.00 per person. Camping spots (with electricity) are available at the club for $5.00 per night (call in advance to reserve).
For more info, Click Here, or contact Pat Capehart at 406-821-3737 or pat[at]accessmtwildblue.com. Related Article.
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August 6th, 2007
 The mega-event of the general outdoor sports retail industry, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market tradeshow convenes this week (August 7-12) in Salt Lake City. Some 21,000 industry professionals and scores of journalists will attend. While you won’t see firearms at the show, you will find every other kind of outdoor gear–backpacks, spotting scopes, boots, binoculars, tents, kayaks, hydration packs, mountain bikes, GPS units, canoes, and complete clothing lines from big-name makers such as 5.11, Merrell, North Face, Patagonia, and Woolrich. If you want a sneak peak at new products that will hit the outdoor retailing shelves for the 2007 holiday season, Salt Lake is the place to be for the next five days.
A two-day Open Air Product Demo will be held August 7-8th at Pineview near Ogden, Utah. The Demo will be held at Cemetery Point, a peninsula reaching into the heart of the large reservoir. This new location provides an enhanced terrain with easy and convenient load-in and load-out capabilities, ample parking, accessible beachfront and nearby trails. The Magellan GPS Treasure Hunt and Teva Trail Run will be going on as planned at the new venue, with the Trail Run accessing the Wheeler Ridge trail via a short shuttle ride.
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August 5th, 2007
 People have been asking, “Where can we get the new Berger 108gr 6mm bullets?” Well, log on to Grafs.com. The new 108s have arrived and Graf & Sons has them for $25.99 per box (shipping included), item BG24031. Scroll down this page to read our Bulletin report (8/4/2007) on these super-accurate new bullets.
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August 5th, 2007
A Harris bipod is a “must-have” accessory for any serious varminter in the field. With light-recoiling calibers, the short, BR-Model Harris bipod works very well on benches and is more handy than carrying around a big, heavy pedestal front rest. Currently, MidwayUSA has Harris bipods on sale. We recommend two models. For bench-shooting, the “S-BR” model with swivel, adjusting from 6″-9″ overall, is ideal. Height can be fine-tuned at any length within the adjustment range. This is Midway item 652827, sale-priced at $79.99 ($15.00 off regular price).
For field use, we recommend the larger Harris model “S-LM”, Midway item 328534. Also on sale for $79.99 ($15.00 off), the Harris S-LM adjusts from 9″-13″ using leg notches. When shooting in the field it is faster and easier to adjust leg height with the built-in notches. The greater height (compared to the BR model) helps you shoot over the grass or compensate for small mounds between your muzzle and the target.
With any Harris swivel bipod you’ll want a Pod-Loc quick clamping handle from KMW. This lets you easily change the swivel angle and then lock the bipod in place, or set just enough tension that you can adjust rifle cant without having the rifle flop from side to side. Shown below is a Harris S-BR fitted with a Poc-Loc. The Pod-Loc is available from Sinclair’s, Brownells (item #100-000-326), or you can buy direct from KMW – Long Range Solutions, (318) 748-8732.
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August 4th, 2007
Danny Reever keeps nailing spectacular groups with the new Berger 108s, a length-tolerant tangent-ogive design. Shooting his 6BR “Toxic” with 8-Twist Krieger barrel, Danny produced this group at 500 meters (547 yards). It measures 0.964″ overall, with three shots in just 0.242″. The 0.964″ overall size works out to 0.168 MOA.
If you want to try for these kind of results, here’s Danny’s load: Lapua 6BR brass, turned (lightly) for .269″ neck, Berger 108gr BT seated .013″ in lands, CCI 450 primers, 30.5 grains Hodgdon Varget (max load in some guns, work up carefully). Danny says: “Never touched the meplats, they’re pretty good right out of the box. Nothing magic, that Berger 108 just flat out shoots!”
Danny tells us: “I’m a happy camper, this rifle shoots like a rail gun! This rifle proves one thing to me. A trued Remington action can shoot every bit as good as a custom action provided that it is trued and built by a good smith.” Danny’s 6BR was smithed by Clarence Hammond. It features a trued Rem 40XB (Jewell trigger) in a Tooley MBR stock with a weight system in the butt. Up front is a 28″ Kreiger 4-groove barrel, HV contour with a .237 bore, .104 Freebore (Kiff Reamer). Optics are a 12-42 Nightforce NXS with a NP2-DD reticle on a Leupold 20MOA base. Rifle weighs in at 18.5 pounds with the weight system.
Danny tells us “The rifle was named ‘Toxic’ by Logan, my 10-year-old son. He claims the stock color looks like the toxic chemicals that the Joker fell into in the first Batman movie. My wife calls it ‘The Ugly Gun’. It may be ugly to her, but with the way it shoots, it’s beautiful to me.”
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August 4th, 2007
Want to build your own heavy-barrel accurized AR15 Upper? MidwayUSA offers a complete, step-by-step guide to upper assembly on its recently updated website. The 30-page AR15 Upper Assembly Guide (.pdf format) features excellent photos, clear instructions, and a full list of all the parts required–down to the smallest pins and fasteners.
We found it very easy to follow the step-by-step guidelines. Some how-to guides omit important steps, or assume a relatively high degree of gunsmithing experience. That’s not the case here. MidwayUSA’s guide shows you how to select and adjust your tools, and provides expert advice on important tasks that are often glossed over, such as setting the barrel torque: “Seat the Threads (recommended in the U.S. Marine Corps Technical Manual). If you are not using Loctite, make sure you hold onto the Outer Receiver Nut so the gas holes stay in alignment. Torque to 35 ft-lbs. Loosen. Torque to 35 ft-lbs. Loosen. Torque past 35 ft-lbs until gas holes are in alignment, making sure not to exceed 80 lbs.”
The AR15 Assembly Guide is part of the NEW “MidwayUSA Knowledge Center”. The online Knowledge Center combines the Gun-Tec Glossary, How-To Videos, Gunsmith Directory, and indices of Firearm Schematics and Product Information Sheets. There’s a ton of useful information offered in the Knowledge Center, and it’s all for free.
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August 3rd, 2007
Two shooting industry leaders posted impressive financial results recently, demonstrating that the firearms industry is on the upswing after recent lackluster results. Olin Corp. (NYSE:OLN) Winchester ammunition division sales increased 16 percent in the second quarter to $99.8 million, compared with $85.7 million in the same period a year ago. Winchester income grew 70 percent in the quarter to $5.6 million, from $3.3 million the previous year. The company indicated that higher selling prices and higher shipment volumes more than offset the impact of higher material and manufacturing costs.
Likewise, Sturm, Ruger & Co. (NYSE:RGR) earnings more than tripled in the second quarter. The company reported second-quarter net income of $5.1 million, compared to $1.4 million in the same period last year. Total net sales for the quarter increased to $39.6 million, from $29.2 million in the previous year.
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August 2nd, 2007
New Zealand action-maker Barnard Precision has introduced two new “supersized” actions to complement its Model ‘S’ (Rem 700 footprint), Model ‘P’, and Model ‘PL’ line of three-lug actions. While the Model ‘PL’ can fit up to a .338 Lapua Magnum, the new SuperMagnum ‘T’ action features a new front recoil lug, plus a longer receiver with extended tenon section to better support long, heavy barrels. The massive, new Barnard ‘GP’ action is designed from the ground up to withstand the heavy loads of 50-caliber cartridges.
Measuring 12.4″ in length, and weighing 8.14 lbs. (3.7kg), the new Model ‘GP’ 50-Caliber action is an impressive beast. According to Mac Tilton of MTGuns, the “Barnard 50-Cal is a model ‘P’ on steroids–it shares all the important design features of the Model ‘P’, and the trigger.” Mac adds, “The Model ‘GP’ is unique. Most 50-Cal actions are beefy, but built to relatively loose standards. Barnard’s new 50-Cal is built to precision tolerances all the way around. It is truely a ‘match-grade’ action.” The Model GP features a triple-lug 34mm-diameter bolt, Sako-type extractor, 1.670″ long x 1.50″ diameter x 12 t.p.i. barrel shank thread, four 8mm action screws, and six 5mm scope base screw holes.
Shown below is the new Model ‘T’ action, a special-order “Supermagnum” action designed for the long Ultra Magnum cartridges such as 300 Rem Ultra Mag. On top is a True-Flite +17 MOA steel base for F-Class and 600/1000 Benchrest. The Model ‘T’ features a triple-lug 22mm diameter bolt, 1.5″-long 1.062″ x 16 t.p.i. tenon, extended loading port, and 8mm-thick, double-pin recoil lug. The customer can choose either plunger or blade type ejectors.
One Bolt for both Standard and Magnum Cartridges
True-Flite Ltd. offers a great optional feature for Barnard Model ‘PL’ actions. This is a boltface bushing that lets you shoot both .308-sized cases and Magnum-diameter cases. True-Flite’s boltface bushing allows the use of all cartridge head sizes from .472″ (e.g. 6mmBR and .308 Win ) to .587″ ( 338 Lapua Magnum ), simply by inserting or removing the bushing and changing extractors.
 This option makes the model PL extremely versatile for both target work and long-range hunting. That’s smart engineering–why haven’t we seen this before from other action makers?
Kiwi gunsmith Steve Blenkarne of True-Flite Ltd. says the ‘PL’ is his favorite action for long-range target and hunting rifles: “The ‘PL’ has a 24mm diameter bolt, compared to 22mm with the ‘P’. It’s extended in the middle, with a longer port. We’ve used this action with great success for a number of WSMs, and recently, I’ve built a number of 338 Lapuas on the ‘PL’ action.” Steve noted: “another worthwhile True-Flite option is the vee-block bedding system, available for all Barnard actions. Shooters can have one stock and several barreled actions, all of which hold perfect zeros.”
Barnard Precision has a web site at long last. Hopefully it will be updated with more photos and technical information soon. The site address is: www.barnard.co.nz. You’ll also find good info on Barnard actions at the True Flite Rifle Barrels site, and at MTGuns.com, (Barnard’s U.S. Importer).
Photos courtesy True-Flite Ltd., Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand.
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August 2nd, 2007
 Sergeant Shane M. Barnhart of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) based in Fort Benning, Georgia, won his third National Smallbore Rifle NRA Three-Position Championship with a score of 2267-74X. Sgt. Barnhart also won this championship in 2005, and his current win occurred during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first National Matches held at Camp Perry, Ohio.
Weather conditions played a big part in the overall competition this year. Scores were down slightly due to heavy rain during the Metallic Championships and strong winds during the Any Sight Championships. However, many of the competitors said the always-changing conditions make the National Matches one of the most enjoyable championships in all of the shooting sports.
Commenting about the weather conditions, Sgt. Barnhart said, “It wouldn’t be Camp Perry if it were not for the weather. The wind got to be very hectic during the Any Sight Championships, but I did better that day than during the Metallic Championships. I had a better day because I was allowed to use a scope. The scope helped me because I felt just a little more comfortable shooting with the scope than when I was using metallic sights.” Sgt. Barnhart also won in the Service Champion category.
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