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December 21st, 2007
Our friends at Berger Bullets keep coming up with new, high-quality projectiles for precision shooters. Berger has just announced a new line-up of .270-caliber VLD bullets designed for long-range hunters as well as target shooters.
 
These bullets are available in 130gr VLD, 140gr VLD, and 150gr VLD. Berger. According to Berger: “The VLD design allows the bullet to penetrate 2″ to 3″ through tissue and bone before it starts to expand. Once it begins expansion, the bullet will distribute 60% to 90% of its weight as shrapnel into the surrounding tissue. The delayed expansion causes a massive wound … which puts the animal down fast.”
“The Berger 270 caliber VLD bullets bring match-grade precision and exceptional terminal performance to a very popular hunting caliber,” says Eric Stecker, Berger’s Master Bulletsmith. “I look forward to the day when we hear about a shooter winning a competition with the same rifle and bullet he used to get his buck.”
December 20th, 2007
Muzzle brakes are controversial. Some people swear by them, while others swear at them. Still, there’s no question that a good brake can reduce felt recoil up to 45%. And likewise, the best brakes, when installed properly, seem to have no negative effect on accuracy.
Roy Bertalotto has done considerable experimentation with muzzle brakes, testing dozens of brake designs on his own rifles over the past few years. Roy’s article, Adventures with Muzzle Brakes, discusses various aspects of muzzle brake design and performance. Roy doesn’t claim that his testing is definitive, but his article is definitely worth a read. Here are some of Roy’s interesting findings:
Exit Hole Diameter
“Best accuracy and effectiveness of the brake was obtained with a hole .020″ over bullet diameter. If the exit hole is too small, such as +.005″ over bullet diameter, accuracy suffers. If the depth of the exit hole is too shallow, the metal around the hole will erode very quickly.”
Hole Placement
“The most effective braking was with a brake 1″ in diameter with a 3/4″ exit hole on each side, just in front of the muzzle. The bullet passes through a cone of 35 degrees before it exits the brake. (Like the tank example), Incredible reduction of recoil. But loud and ugly. Very easy to make since you don’t need a spin fixture or a dividing head.”
Bottom Gas Venting Helps Accuracy
“In my tests, not having holes all around the brake effects accuracy a bit. I believe it does something to the bullet by the air pushed ahead of the bullet creating unequal turbulence in the bullet path. I’ve tried a few brakes where I drilled only holes on the top, test fired, and then completed holes on the bottom and in every case, accuracy improved.” Below you see some spiral-ported brakes crafted by Clay Spencer.
Brakes Work Best with High-Pressure Cartridges
“The higher the pressure of the particular round, the more effective the brake. I have over 20 rifles with brakes. The 220 Swift is the king of reduction. Followed very closely by the 25-06, 6mm Remington, any Weatherby small bore. With a proper brake and a hot handload under a 40 gr bullet, the Swift will move 1/2″ to the rear and 0 muzzle rise! Big boomers with low pressure like 45-70s and shot guns benefit the least.” [Editor’s Note: Roy is judging effectiveness by the percentage of recoil reduction rather than absolute levels of recoil. Obviously if you start with a heavier-recoiling round, the absolute amount of recoil energy reduction is greater. Roy is really talking about efficiency–brakes are most efficient when used with high-pressure cartridges.]
Installation is Key to Accuracy
Roy’s findings are fascinating and suggest that further study of muzzle brakes is warranted. But we can all agree that precision installation of the brake is essential for accuracy. A poorly-installed, mis-aligned brake will degrade accuracy, that is well-known.
Harrell’s Precision has made tens of thousands of muzzle brakes, in many styles and port arrangements. The Harrell brothers offer some good advice for gunsmiths installing brakes: “Muzzle brakes aren’t magic, they reduce recoil by redirecting exiting gas. What’s important is that they are straight and the threads are perpendicular with the base. The only way to get the base and threads perpendicular is to thread, not tap, them on a lathe.”
December 20th, 2007
We mentioned this item before in the Bulletin in September. Well now MidwayUSA has brought back the super-low price through the end of the year. Midway’s 69″ x 27″ Shooting Mat (item 169107) is now 50% off, marked down to $24.99. It has pads for your elbows, plus corner grommets so you can stake the mat down–a nice feature on those windy days. The mat rolls up into a nice, compact, 6″-diameter package. The Midway unit is not as thick as more expensive, deluxe shooting mats, but then it costs one-third the price. USER REVIEWS are quite positive for this product.
December 19th, 2007
 Quite a few gun owners had their first introduction to shooting with a BB-Gun, perhaps after finding a “Red Ryder” under the Xmas tree (the rifle featured in the movie “A Christmas Story”). Now you can let your kids or grand-kids experience the same thing.
Orvis is offering a special Red Ryder Commemorative Edition, for shooters who remain young at heart. This classic Red Ryder BB gun — the very same model immortalized in “A Christmas Story” — comes with a 560-count tin of BBs. You also get eight clay targets, two target stands, and even eye protection.
For other neat last-minute gifts from Orvis, click the link below and then select “Top-Rated Gifts” or “New for Holiday 2007″. There are lots of great items. We loved the Orvis FatWood, and the antiqued “Toasting Box”.
December 19th, 2007
Folks in the Forum have been asking “who makes a secure, high-capacity box for PPC and BR-sized cases?” For 50-rounders you have many choices. The MTM RS-S-50 is available in clear blue, green, and “wild camo”. Lock, Stock, and Barrel sells the RS-S-50 for just $2.79. MidwayUSA sells a similar Frankford Arsenal case for $3.39 in clear blue, red, or smoke. It’s a nice design with a recessed latch that’s less likely to catch on something and pop open.
For a big match or extended varmint expedition, 100-count boxes are the way to go. You can fill them to capacity, alternate rows for sighters and record rounds, or leave open rows for your fired cases. We like the MTM 100-round ammo boxes for transporting loaded 6BR and 6PPC ammo. They work great for loaded rounds. However, with fired brass, if you tip the MTM box on its side, the empties can spill out. That’s frustrating if you’ve meticulously sorted your cases.
 The answer to this problem is J & J’s 100-round BR-100 ammo case. Shown in the photo, it has tighter vertical clearance, so your empties won’t come out of their slots if the case tips over or is stacked upside down. BR-100 cases are bargain-priced at just $3.95, and they are available in Red, Blue, Smoke, or White colors. In addition to the BR-100 case, varminters who need to carry large numbers of loaded rounds should check out J & J’s 175-round Rifle Ammo Case. This foam-lined ammo transporter, item LR-175, costs $16.54 and is the largest-capacity ammo case we’ve found. For more info go to JandJProducts.Com.
December 18th, 2007
If you’re not familiar with the short-range benchrest game, and want to learn more about this most precise of all shooting disciplines, Peter Cronhelm has prepared an excellent summary of Benchrest Basics. Cronhelm covers everything from the origins of the PPC (Palmisano Pindel Cartridge) case, to the special terminology heard at short-range benchrest matches:
Bughole: Very small group.
Mothball: The 10-ring on the standard Benchrest Target.
Tomato Stake: A worn out or otherwise inaccurate rifle barrel.
Screamer: A group measuring less than 0.100” at 100 yards or less than 0.250” at 200 yards.
Weather Report: A Group “scattered” as a result of poor wind doping.
Wailing Wall: Place where targets that have been scored can be viewed by competitors.
If you want to learn about “point-blank” BR, give Peter’s well-written article a read. It’s fact-filled from start to finish and provides a quick but thorough explanation of the rules, gear, and shooting styles used in the short-range benchrest game.
Super Shoot (Kelbly’s Range) photo by Turk Takano, used by permission
December 18th, 2007
Looking for the ultimate “stocking-stuffer” this Christmas? Here is a very clever new head-lamp that has been flying off the shelves this holiday season. The unit features five (5) bright LED bulbs and clips on to the brim of a cap, for hands-free illumination. Smart idea. This would be great to use both indoors (while reloading) and outdoors (for camping).
Here’s what one hunter had to say: “I found this light to be one of the best buys I have made in a long time. It is very easy to use, it always shines where you are looking and has a bright enough light to see for a long way. It is light and compact and is not prone to moving around like other clip on lights.” — L. Campbell, CA
If you read other User Reviews, the general consensus is that these LED brim lights are extremely useful and handy, and are a bargain. On the downside, users have noted that the clips that go over the brim can break easily. This seems to be a brand-specific problem. Some of these units have a more flexible high-quality polymer while others are made with a more brittle, cheaper plastic.
There are many different sources for these LED Brim Lights. You can even find a camo version with red lamps for stealth hunting. Price ranges from $3.99 to $21.99. The unit shown below costs $5.99 at Amazon.com.
For an extended review with better, larger photos, visit The-Gadgeteer.com.
December 17th, 2007
 The Ballistics Page for the Canadian National Firearms Association (NFA) website offers a variety of useful programs and data charts created by Peter Cronhelm. These include:
Caliber Twist Rate Chart
Greenhill Formula Twist Calculator
Bullet Stability Calculator (MS Excel)
Ballistic Coefficients Chart (MS Word), (Or DOWNLOAD HERE.)
Ranging Ballistics Computer (Scroll to bottom of page.)
There is even a detailed table with bullet weights and velocities for over 100 varieties of 22LR Rimfire ammunition from Aguila, CCI, Eley, Federal, Fiocchi, Lapua, PMC, Remington, RWS, and Winchester. This Rimfire Ammo Table is a “must-have” resource for any smallbore shooter. Shown below is the section for Lapua:
December 17th, 2007
Natchez Shooters Supplies reports that the major ammo makers plan to raise loaded ammunition prices effective January 1, 2008. This comes on the heels of ammo, brass, and primer price increases which went into effect in September. Remington has announced: “Based on our current assessment of metals pricing for the remainder of 2007, we anticipate the need to implement as additional 12% across the board increase on all ammunition and components effective January 1, 2008.”
Remington Price Increase Notice (.pdf)
If you plan to purchase loaded ammunition from the major domestic manufacturers, it’s wise to stock up before the end of the year. Likewise, we predict that European-made loaded ammo, such as Lapua .308, Lapua 6mmBR, and Norma 6XC ammo, will continue to rise in price due to increased material costs and the declining US Dollar. The chart below shows the U.S. Dollar to Euro exchange rate for the past year.
December 16th, 2007
Our initial report on Schmidt & Bender’s centerfire version of its 10-50×56 Field Target scope generated quite a bit of interest. But in recent weeks folks have been emailing us, asking “Is this thing for real?” and “When will it reach the States?” Well, we can confirm that Schmidt & Bender definitely is putting a 12.5-50X56 PMII zoom scope into production, and part of the early production is reserved for the U.S.A. market.
What will the new scope look like? Well Vince Bottomley has seen an early prototype in Europe. He reports: “The overall size is the same as the Schmidt & Bender 5.5-25 model so it’s smaller than a Nightforce but boasts more magnification.” Here is a “spy photo” from Vince:
Schmidt & Bender still hasn’t published final specs on its website, but Mark Cromwell, head of Schmidt & Bender’s North American division, hopes to have them on display at Shot Show in February in Las Vegas. With the rapidly eroding U.S. Dollar, prices are subject to change, but Cromwell expects the scope to run about U.S. $2700.00 – $2800.00, but it could be more. Cromwell says “the current spec sheet for the 12.5-50 indicates it is NOT illuminated. Reticle illumination is normally a $300+ added cost for Schmidt & Bender, so it is possible the 12.5-50 PMII long range could cost LESS than the 5-25 PMII which IS illuminated.”
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