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October 7th, 2007
A detailed, 13-page event calendar covering all NRA shooting disciplines is available free from the NRA. This includes all sanctioned NRA matches from October 2007 through December 2008. The “Coming Events” document covers High Power Rifle, Silhouette Rifle, Black-Powder Cartridge Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, Air Rifle, plus a wide variety of pistol disciplines. This handy resource provides match dates, locations, and contact information well into 2008. You’ll find all the major national events, plus state championships and most regional competitions.
CLICK HERE to download the 13-page (1.5 megabyte) Adobe Acrobat file. You can also find updated info on NRA-sanctioned matches at the Shooting Sports USA website.
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October 7th, 2007
Natchez Shooters Supply, is now offering a wide selection of quality Zeiss Conquest scopes at deeply discounted prices. The Zeiss Conquest 6-20×50 scope is one of our favorite 1″-diameter optics for target shooting and varminting. Natchez is now selling the 6.5-20 Conquest with lower (hunting) turrets at $669.99. That’s a great deal–over $200.00 less than most retailers charge. Zeiss Conquests have clear, sharp optics and very positive windage and elevation adjustments. Contact Natchez soon — availability of discounted scopes is limited.
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October 6th, 2007
The Australians have their own, indigenous form of precision target shooting–the Fly Shoot. It’s a form of score shooting at 500 meters (with bonus points added for group size). The course of fire is 5 shots on the Fly target plus up to 3 sighting shots at steel or paper. There are two classes, Heavy Gun and Light Gun. Light Guns are limited to 17 pounds (similar to IBS and NBRSA Light Gun), while Unlimiteds have no weight restriction. There is no dominant caliber, though the Aussies seem to favor the larger calibers–big 30s and even .338s.
You are allowed to shoot any chambering under .50 caliber. Barrel Blocks and tuners are legal. Any stock configuration and any scope is allowed, and Competitors may spot for each other. It’s a game of few rules–and lots of fun.
 The Federal Cup is the main Fly Shoot event of the year and is shot on a Holiday weekend in March each year. The “Fly Shoot” originated in Canberra in 1990. It was set up by Jim McKinley and John Rawson. A wide variety of cartridges are used in all calibres from 22 to 338. But given the heavy mirage that is often present, to be sure of seeing the shots one needs to shoot a larger calibre and have good optics (such as Nightforce scopes). The Federal Cup held in March has four major sponsors, Federal Cartridge Co, Westfire, ADI and Lightforce. In the center of the target is a “Fly”. It represents a March Fly and is the ultimate in fly shooting. A special Fly Patch (left) is awarded for hits on the fly.
The photo below shows the target system used at Canberra for the 500m Fly Shoot. The official Fly target is on top with a metal sighter plate (“splash plate”) below. These “splash plates”, made from heavy-duty Bisaloy 360 steel, can swing from hangers thereby absorbing the shock of even the heaviest magnums. Sighter shots on the plate show up as large dark spots. This way at least the sighters can be seen in heavy mirage. Shots are counted for score and bonus points are awarded for group size. The maximum points available per target is 60.
CLICK HERE for more information on 500m Fly Shoots. You can view photos of Forum member Wild Bill’s very trick 6mm Dasher Fly Gun in THIS THREAD. It features metal rails in the front and a Stiller barrel tuner.
Here are standings for 2007 Fly Shooter of the Year. Jaegen Peet leads the field, followed by Trevor Bent, Ian Davis, and Peter Van Meurs. The image below shows Peter with his record target shot in 2002, five shots in .960″ (24.4mm) at 500m. The 4-shot cluster measures roughly about 0.4″. That’s spectacular. This was the first sub-inch group at 500m.
CLICK HERE for the official rules for 500m Fly Shooting. We particularly like Rule Number 10: “Any competitor found not enjoying themselves will be disqualified.”
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October 5th, 2007
The U.S. Military Shooting Team will leave Monday for India to compete in the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) Military World Games (MWG). Ten shooters from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, GA, as well as one from the Navy, one Army Reservist, one from the Navy Reserve and one Marine, will represent the USA at the 4th Military World Games in Hyderabad, India, October 12 to 21.
Team USA is expected to compete against hundreds of shooters from approximately 30 countries from around the world. Countries expected to participate include Argentina, Belarus, Botswana, Canada, Czech, Central African, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Luxembourg, Nambia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States of America, Uzbekistan and Zambia.
 The CISM shooting championships consist of men’s and women’s rifle and pistol competitions. Rifle shooters compete with standard rifles at 300 meters in the prone, kneeling and standing positions in both rapid- and slow-fire matches. The pistol team will shoot centerfire and military rapid-fire championships. Only the men’s teams’ scores count in the overall “Best Nation” awards; the women’s teams only compete for their own individual and team awards. Match Results will be posted on the Military World Games website, www.MWG2007.org. Other MWG events will include Boxing, Wrestling, Modern Pentathlon, Triathlon, Swimming, Sailing, Polo, Judo, Handball, Soccer, and Volleyball.
On the Finnish Military Rifle Team website, you can learn more about CISM rifle and pistol shooting. You’ll find many photos of CISM rifle and pistol events, including the 2006 CISM Championships in Rena, Norway, and the 2005 CISM Championships in Thun, Switzerland, shown below.
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October 5th, 2007
Here’s a story for the serious varmint hunters out there. The August 2007 issue of Precision Shooting magazine features a story by Bob Bell about Dana Calhoun from Pennsylvania. Dana recently recorded his 5000th Groundhog kill, after more than 40 seasons of shooting. CLICK HERE to read the complete story about Dana and his legendary prowess in the varmint fields.
Dana has averaged about 125 chucks taken per season (June through September). The most chucks Dana ever got in one day was 28, 16 of them within a little more than an hour. Bob Bell writes: “Practically all of Dana’s 5000 kills were made in Cumberland County, PA. That in itself is unusual, for this county isn’t especially known for an abundance of chucks. But in a continuing effort begun decades ago, Dana has made a real effort to become acquainted with landowners. He explains his interest and goals to them, assures them of his safe gun handling and proves it by his actions, even lets them try a few shots with his rifle if they care to; after all, such impressive equipment attracts attention, even of non-shooters. This has paid off, opening thousands of acres of farmland to Dana, not only to chuck hunting, but even for whitetails in deer season. Dana’s approach should be tried by more hunters.”
Dana has used many rifles and calibers over the years, but currently has three favorite groundhog guns. All are customs built on blueprinted Remington 40X actions. Bell notes: “One is a 6mm Rem with a 6.5-20X Leupold, another is a .220 Swift topped by a Bausch & Lomb 6-24X, and the third is a .22 Cheetah [with] a 24X Leupold. All three have fiberglass stocks, 2-oz. Jewell triggers, and heavy 27-inch stainless steel barrels, the newest a Krieger, the others from Hart and Shilen. These guns were built by [BR gunsmith] Clarence Hammonds of Red Lion, PA.”
Quoted text and photo © 2007, Precision Shooting Magazine, used by permission.
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October 4th, 2007
 If you’ve read our feature story on Ultrasonic Cleaning by Jason Baney, you’ve seen the remarkable results that can be achieved with this method. Ultrasonic cleaning has many advantages over traditional tumbling methods of case cleaning. There is no dust or media residue to remove from the brass, and when done right, the cases come out clean and shiney, inside and out, even the primer pockets.
In its Benchtalk Archives, Brownell’s has an excellent article discussing Ultrasonic Case Cleaning. Brownell’s staff compares results, with measured dwell times from 5 to 75 minutes, using both Mpro-7 and HCS 200 cleaning solutions. Tests are performed with once-fired and 5x-fired Tactical 20 cases, as well as once-fired Rem 260 Cases. The article also compares the results from ultrasonic cleaning vs. tumbling in walnut media.
How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work?
 The Brownell’s article explains: “Ultrasonic cleaning uses high-frequency sound waves (generally between 20-80 kHz) to remove a variety of contaminants from objects immersed in a liquid. The result of these high-frequency sound waves is a process called cavitation. These high frequency bursts of ultrasonic energy produce a three-dimensional wave of alternating positive and negative pressure areas as the sound wave passes through the solution. During negative pressure, microscopic cavitation bubbles form and will continue to grown until they reach resonant size. As the positive sound wave passes, the pressure rises rapidly and implodes these tiny bubbles. Before these miniscule bubbles implode they store a tremendous amount of energy. These bubbles can be as hot as 10,000 degrees and have as much as 50,000 lbs per square inch of pressure. This sounds alarming, but you have to remember that these bubbles are microscopic in nature and pose no harm to anything, unless you are a carbon /powder residue deposit on a cartridge case!
 When this cavitation bubble implodes near your brass case, it transforms the bubble into a jet about 1/10th of its size. This jet of energy can travel as fast as 400 km/hour. At 43 kHz, as is the frequency for our L & R HCS 200 ultrasonic cleaner, this is happening 43,000 times per second. This micro-burst of extreme energy is responsible for removing contaminants from the surface of your cartridge brass. Ultrasonic cleaning can reach into crevices and inaccessible areas and remove surface debris that can’t be cleaned by any other process.”
Photos and quotes © 2007, Brownells®, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Used with Permission.
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October 4th, 2007
On October 20th, Pennsylvannia’s St. Thomas Sportsman Assn. will host a GroundHog Shoot with major prizes. There will be a drawing for a new Savage .223 Rem model 12 Precision Varminter, and $1000 in cash. The first shooter lucky enough to shoot a perfect 150/150 score will receive $300 in cash and a one ounce gold piece valued at almost $800. That’s $1100 for the first perfect score!
Barry Schmidt reports: “There will be free breakfast, lunch and stuff for all competitors. There will lots of extra drawings for shooting stuff. Non-shooters can sign up and get a chance to be eligible for the drawings. The $1000.00 in cash will be given away in $100 and $50 increments.” For more info, visit the St. Thomas GroundHog Shoot webpage, or click these links for MATCH RULES and DIRECTIONS to the club.
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October 3rd, 2007
Robert Whitley has developed the very accurate “6mmAR” cartridge based on Lapua 6.5 Grendel brass necked down to 6mm. This round is optimized for the AR15 platform, and provides excellent performance with 105-108gr bullets, with ballistics that beat both the .223 Rem and the 6.5 Grendel. Robert offers complete 6mmAR uppers for the AR platform through his 6mmAR.com website.
Whitley’s INFO PAGE for 6mmAR TURBO
Not content with the success of the plain 6mmAR, Robert has created a new wildcat, the “6mmAR Turbo”. By moving the shoulder forward (while retaining its 30° angle), Robert has designed a case that delivers more velocity. The 6mmAR Turbo can push a 105gr 6mm match bullet to 2850+ fps. This rivals the performance of the larger 6mmBR cartridge, in a round better suited for the AR platform, with less both thrust and better feeding from the magazine.
Robert tells us: “I have been testing the ‘6mmAR Turbo’, which is an ‘improved’ version of the 6mmAR. The Turbo definitely has a good bit more speed. For a guy wanting to shoot plain bullets out of an AR-15, it appears somewhere between 2850 -2900 fps for a bullets like the Berger 105 VLD is a realistic number. With moly bullets, probably a bit more is possible. For the chrono work, all bullets were plain (no moly) and I pushed it to see where was a realistic upper end. I think about 2900 fps with naked 105 Bergers is a ‘practical max’. I could probably go to 2950 with plain (non moly) bullets, but I think that would be too hard on the brass.”
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October 3rd, 2007
Now in its 15th season, ShootingUSA expands to one full hour of TV coverage on the Outdoor Channel. The one-hour programming block will likely be listed in cable and satellite menus as two programs: “Shooting USA” and “Sighting In With Shooting USA”, or just “Sighting In”. Shooting USA Executive Producer Jim Scoutten notes: “We’re very pleased to be part of Outdoor Channel’s increased commitment to America’s 70 million gun owners and sport shooters. Wednesday is the destination night for non-stop gun action.” (In addition to ShootingUSA, Guns & Ammo TV, and American Rifleman TV appear on Wednesday night.)
The Shooting USA hour-long block will air twice, early and late, on Wednesday Evenings:
• Eastern Time – 8:30 PM and 12:30 AM
• Central Time – 7:30 PM and 11:30 PM
• Mountain Time – 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM
• Pacific Time – 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM
 This week, ShootingUSA’s second half-hour segment will feature an introduction to Cartridge and Shotshell Reloading with RCBS factory expert Allan Jernigan (General Manager). Jernigan will explain both single-stage and progressive press reloading. For cartridge reloading, topics include: Inspecting Brass, Case Prep, Lubing Cases, Expanding/Resizing, Priming, Powder Delivery, and Bullet Seating.
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October 2nd, 2007
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has launched two new shooting industry research tools for its members — the NSSF Survey Tracker and the NSSF Market Indicator. These new reports will be emailed monthly to NSSF members and will appear in the members area of NSSF’s Web site, www.NSSF.org. “These new reports are ‘quick reads’… [highlighting] market leaders, hot-selling products and the voice of today’s recreational shooter,” said Frank Briganti, NSSF manager of industry research and analysis.
The NSSF Survey Tracker provides monthly reports from an online panel of active hunters and target shooters sourced by HunterSurvey.com. Each report features a “Market Snapshot” — a listing of purchases made in the past month and corresponding top-selling brands. In addition, a “Market Leaders” section will highlight the top brands in different categories, while the “Question of the Month” showcases opinions of today’s recreational shooters.
The NSSF Market Indicator is a monthly point-of-sale report indicating the top-selling items in six major equipment categories: shooting sports, hunting, archery, paintball/airsoft, optics, and cutlery. Photo © 2007 by NSSF
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October 2nd, 2007
Lee reloading products have always represented good “bang for the buck”. The Lee Classic Cast “O”-style press is no exception–it works as well as some other presses costing twice as much. This is a well-designed unit with a strong, cast-iron frame. The Lee Classic has two nice features you won’t find on a RockChucker. First, the ram is drilled in the center and fitted with a plastic drop tube so spent primers drop right out the bottom (where you position your trash can). Second, the handle adjusts for length. This allows you to change the leverage to suit your task.
Now through October 31, 2007, you can purchase the Lee Classic Cast Press for just $66.99 at MidwayUSA, item 317831. Natchez Shooters Supply also offers the Lee Classic for $69.99, item LEE90998. CLICK HERE to read comments from actual Lee Classic owners. Here are some highlights:
“It has a large, heavy-duty 1-1/8″ diameter ram that has been drilled out for spent primers … and a long clear plastic hose attached to it so you can route it to a trash can. [This is] a VERY well thought-out way to collect ALL primers to your trash can when you’re decapping.” –D. Oldham
“Fit and finish are impeccable. The spent primer disposal system is simple and neat. There is no spring or flexing of any kind. There is virtually no play in the ram, which is a good tight fit in the frame. Operation is totally smooth.” –R. Smith
“Access to the cartridge is a little better than the RCBS because you don’t have the priming fixture in the line of sight between you and your work.” –L. Dickison
“I like…the position of the ram at priming. The Lee seats the primer with the ram at the bottom of the stroke vs. the RC II, which seats in the middle of the stroke. Priming at the bottom of the stroke gives you a much better ‘feel’ of the primer seating.” –M. Gallagher
“Totally outclasses any other press in its price range. Runs with presses in the $100-$120 range.”–W. Rose
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October 1st, 2007
 America’s top short-range benchrest shooters competed September 17-22 at the 2007 NBRSA 100/200 Nationals, held at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio.
Some familiar names came out on top. Mike Ratigan, on the heels of his dominant performance at the World Benchrest Championships, won the 4-Gun Aggregate, with Allan Tucker and Larry Costa tieing for 2nd place. Living legend Tony Boyer won the 3-Gun title. (Tony already ranks first in Hall of Fame points by a large margin). Tony’s wife Faye, the “nicest lady in Benchrest” according to Shelly Davidson, won the HV 200 Agg plus the HV Grand Aggregate. Jim Carmichael captured top 2-Gun honors, while Larry Costa won the Grand Agg in Unlimited Class. Charles Huckeba won LV Grand Agg. Don Nielson, who attended the event, said the match was tightly fought and all the winners can be very proud of their performances in such tough competition.
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