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December 11th, 2007
 Here is an interesting product, currently on sale as a $19.99 “December Special” at Midsouth Shooters Supply. The Shooters Ridge Varminter Shooting Bag is a roomy gear bag fitted with a built-in rifle rest that retracts into the front pocket. The bag is built of rugged 1200-denier nylon, PVC-coated for rain resistance. It is big enough to hold ammo, muffs, binoculars, compact spotting scope and more. The bag also includes a padded shoulder strap.
While the integral rest is hardly a substitute for a good pedestal rest, this Varminter bag could be useful for the walk-around varminter or a shooter who might otherwise use a rucksack as a handy rest. At just $19.99, this product is a very good deal for a roomy range bag even without the integral rest feature. This bag regularly retails for $39.00 to $46.00 at other vendors including a lightweight shooting mat. (The $19.99 Bag sold by Midsouth, item 097-40484, does NOT include a mat). Here is a report from a Cabela’s customer: “There is plenty of room for gadgets and ammo, not to mention the fact that I have one less thing to carry when zeroing at 100 yards. I’m not sure that I would use this for any long range shooting or hunting but when sighting in my 243 WSSM it gave me the stability to produce consistent satisfactory 1/2″ groups with factory loads.”
To further sweeten the deal, Shooter’s Ridge is currently offering a FREE $24.99 Multi-tool, if you purchase $30.00 or more of Shooter’s Ridge Products.
CLICK HERE for MULTI-TOOL COUPON
December 10th, 2007
Readers enjoyed our recent “Poor Man’s Tactical” item featuring the Tikka model 595. Well here’s a followup for F-TR shooters. The Tikka “Master Sporter” features an adjustable cheekpiece, adjustable buttpad, accessory rail, and 5-round detachable magazine. Remarkably, these originally sold for about U.S. $650.00, yet it was not unusual for them to shoot close to 1/2-MOA with handloads. Master Sporters also feature the fine m595 action, and they are blessed with a very good stock design for shooting prone from bipod–just what you need for F-TR. Tikka notes the factory trigger adjusts to 2 pounds, but Mac Tilton of MT Guns can get it down to one pound. The bolt throw is a quick 70°, the bolt handle is stainless, and, in .308, the barrel twist rate is 1:11″ — a good choice for the 155gr match bullets.
These Master Sporters are getting hard to find. It’s even more difficult to find one unfired, new in the box. But just such a specimen, chambered in .308 Winchester, was auctioned this week on Gunbroker.com, item 87063398. It even came with two (2) 5-round magazines. The auction closed at $975.00. We’ve seen them go for less, but also for more.
Skim-bed the action, maybe apply a couple sealer coats to the walnut stock, attach a Harris bipod to the accessory rail and you’re good to go for F-TR. (You’ll also need a scope and rings of course.) You could probably acquire this rifle, shoot it for a couple seasons, then get your full investment out of it. Or hang on to it and eventually add a longer custom barrel (factory tube is a bit short at 23 3/8″).
CLICK to DOWNLOAD TIKKA Master Sporter SPEC SHEET
December 10th, 2007
 If you’ve been wondering what to ask Santa for Christmas, and you haven’t found something “just right” from the many print catalogs and online “webstores”, check our AccurateShooter Articles Archive. Last year we prepared an extensive “Holiday Buyers’ Guide”. You’ll find plenty of great items for shooters, from $2.00 up to $3,000+. Just be aware that some prices have changed, and a few of the items have been retired or updated. Here are some of “stocking stuffers” from the 2006 Guide (with current prices):
Surveyors Tape $1.99
(for wind flags) |
Hood Kwik Estimator, $2.50
(to measure group size) |
Sinclair Barrel Bag, $8.50 |
“Shotgunner” Folding Muffs, $14.99 |
With the addition of the Daily Bulletin to the site, we’ve decided to forgo a 2007 edition of the Shoppers’ Guide this year. (We hope to return with a Video Version in 2008.) Instead we’ve been using the Bulletin to announce special holiday sales and promotions as they come up. Don’t forget that Cabela’s is offering FREE Shipping now until December 14th, and both Brownells and Sinclair International are running holiday specials on many popular iteams. Here are two current, recommended Sinclair “Holiday Specials”.
Rubber 3/4″ high BR “Donut” (NEW)
$25.50 Holiday Sale Price
This new product from Tru-Kote fits under Protektor rear bags and eliminates any rocking or sliding motion of the bag. The durable neoprene-rubber Donut adds 3/4 inch of height to the rear bag. This allows many shooters a better head position when shooting from the bench.
Sinclair Cleaning Cradle
$44.85 Holiday Sale Price
For stability, ease of transport, build quality, and “smart” design, nothing really beats a Sinclair aluminum cradle for cleaning wide-forearm BR rifles. These cradles position the rifle in a muzzle-down position so solvents drain to the muzzle end instead of back into the receiver. Sinclair Cradles easily break down into a compact 15″x5″x2″ package for transport or storage.
December 9th, 2007
Jason Baney, our 1000-yard editor, has done some pioneering work on Ultrasonic Case Cleaning. In general, ultrasonic cleaning is a “good thing” for accuracy, as it thoroughly cleans the inside of the case, preventing the stubborn build-up of soot and carbon that will eventually affect your internal case volume. However, there is one small “down-side” to ultrasonic cleaning, according to Jason.
Jason found that Ultrasonic cleaning leaves the inside of the case-necks so “squeaky clean” that there is excess friction when seating bullets. On a fired case that has been cleaned conventionally (no ultra-sound), a thin layer of carbon remains to lubricate the bullet entry and exit. To restore that lubricity in cases cleaned with ultrasound, Jason applies a dry lube to the inside of his case necks. Jason prefers the $10.95 moly dry lube kit from Neconos.com. With this kit, small carbon steel balls transfer moly to the neck when you place your brass nose-down in the container.
December 8th, 2007
Now through 12/31, MidwayUSA has the Rock BR Competition Rifle Front Shooting Rest on sale for $139.99, marked down from $169.99 (item 348661). By now you’ve certainly see a few of these units at a range. They are far from the ultimate front rest system, but they do a surprisingly good job. The unit weighs 15.5 lbs and has a 15″ footprint, so it is plenty stable. Be aware that the front 3-lobe bag is rather thin, and, when adjusting windage, the head rotates rather than tracks straight from side to side. Some folks buy the rest and later upgrade the top with a Hoehn, Sinclair, or ShadeTree Engineering unit. But you should read the User Reviews. Most purchasers are quite happy with the unit “as is”. It’s a very good value for the money and much better than many rests you see at informal club-level matches.
If you plan to replace the top, you can also just buy the Rock BR 1000 base for $70.99 (item 532194), a great value. The BR 1000 base is very heavy, with an 18″ footproot, so it is stable and sturdy. NOTE: the rest has a 1 3/8″ diameter ram hole, while most custom rest tops have a 1″-diameter ram shaft. Accordingly, you may have to sleeve the base, OR fit a fatter ram to the rest top that you purchase. Butch Lambert of ShadeTree Engineering has done a few of these conversions, using the Rock base with his JoyStick top, and the combined system works quite well.
December 8th, 2007
We reported last week that Midsouth Shooters Supply is offering flat-rate shipping through the end of the year, on orders up to 50 lbs. total. Now Cabela’s has announced FREE SHIPPING through December 14th. With a $100 minimum purchase, Cabela’s offers FREE Shipping, for domestic destinations.
Cabela’s says “Offer Valid on All Items”, however, we called Cabela’s and we were told some “oversize” and “heavy items” might be excluded–so you should ask about the particular items you order. The promo is set to expire 12/14/2007. It might be extended. To be safe, however, get your order in before the 15th. If you’ve been asking Santa for some heavy or bulky items, here’s your opportunity to save big on shipping costs.
CLICK this LINK:
December 7th, 2007
Sinclair Int’l now carries the Bullet Test Tube. This unique bullet-testing system uses cardboard tubes filled with a reusable plastic-like test medium. Field & Stream named the Bullet Test Tube a “Best of the Best” product in 2006. According to Sinclair, this system is the only bullet-testing medium that lets you measure wound cavity in detail including volume. To reuse the testing medium, simply melt the expansion material in a standard 1.5 gallon crock-pot and pour it into a replacement target mold.
If you wish to capture the bullet after it passes through the test medium, add the Xtender accessory which slips on the end. This allows hunters to examine bullet integrity as well as wound cavity. Sinclair Int’l prices the Bullet Test Tube at $61.25, while the Xtender is an additional $57.60.
For more information, read this Test Tube FAQ, or Click the screenshot below to watch a QuickTime Video that demonstrates the whole process.
December 7th, 2007
 Some 220 competitors from across the country participated in the Third Annual Fort Benning Three-Gun Challenge. Held at Krilling Range from Nov. 30th through Dec. 2nd, this three-gun tactical match was hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and supervised by the USAMU Action Shooting Team. The event was a major success, drawing many action shooting champions, with TV crews on hand to record the action. In the event, competitors used self-loading rifles (mostly AR types), semi-auto handguns, and shotguns. Most of the shotguns were self-loaders, using extended tubular magazines.
David Neth won the event, followed by Barry Dueck in second place and Kelly Neal in third. Neth, as well as two-thirds of the shooters, competed in “Tac Optics” division. There were 10 “Tac Irons” shooters, 33 in “Open Class” (including legendary Jerry Miculek), 15 in “Heavy Metal” (bigger calibers), and 7 in “Trooper” class. These classes correspond (for the most part) to the 3-gun categories under the International Multi-Gun Association (IMGA) 3-Gun Rules. These are similar in many respects to USPSA multi-gun rules. For more info, see 3GunRules.com.
Three-gun competition is a relatively new development in the shooting sports. High on the “fun factor”, the sport has been growing rapidly. It combines the speed and target diversity of cowboy action shooting with the appeal of using modern magazine-fed firearms and shooter-friendly rifle optics. Three-gun matches also reward shooter fitness as most stages are “run and gun” involving movement from one shooting position to another. To succeed at three-gun, a shooter must be both fast and accurate. All stages are timed, and points are lost for every miss. Some stages can be accomplished without reloads, but other stages require reloads on the clock.
CLICK HERE to WATCH VIDEO
If there is one area where we think three-gunners will improve in the future, it is reloading. Stage times will fall as the competitors evolve more fluid reloads with less wasted motion, particularly with shotguns. Shown above is a video of Chris Tilley winning the “Patrol Boat” shotgun stage of this year’s Fort Benning event. Watch the video carefully. Right after the boat starts moving, you will see Chris do a multi-round tubular magazine reload. He stokes his scatter-gun in less than two seconds.
Many VIPs were in attendence, including NRA President John C. Sigler, Fort Benning Dep. Commanding General Col. Lloyd Miles, and Fort Benning Chief of Staff Col. David Ling. Three broadcast video teams covered the match: American Rifleman TV (Outdoor Channel), ShootingUSA TV (Outdoor Channel), and Extreme Marksman (History Channel). Action Shooting is the fastest growing sport in America,” said USAMU Commander Lt. Col. Frank Muggeo. “Starting next year, Fort Campbell, KY., and Fort Bragg, NC, will also hold these types of events.”
December 6th, 2007
Now that PACT offers an infrared Skyscreen option with its chronographs, we think the PACT is worthy of serious consideration. And now PACT is selling the PACT Professional XP chronograph (with IR kit) for $229.95, as a “Christmas Special”. That’s $40 off normal pricing and PACT throws in a FREE tripod to sweeten the deal.
Compared to other chronographs, the XP with infrared offers some very nice features:
Built-in Printer. (Every chrono should have one.)
PC interface lets you upload data to your computer. (Serial cable standard, but you can easily buy a serial to USB for use with laptops.)
Built-in ballistic computer. (The chrono has a bullet BC database and uses the BC, with your velocity data, to compute windage and elevation. Cool eh?)
With Infrared screen option, the PACT can be used indoors and is far less sensitive to tricky outdoor lighting.
Chron display unit has a nice big read-out with easy-to-use controls.
 We’ve heard many good things about the competitive CED chronograph with Infrared Screens. The CED also offers a computer interface, and the CED control unit is more compact than the PACT’s control center/printer. But we really like the printing capability of the PACT, and its built-in ballistic program (with bullet database) comes in very handy. Once you have your velocity and zero at 100 yards, the PACT will calculate your come-ups for other yardages. It can even give you windage corrections. With the PACT, once you know your muzzle velocity, you can immediately start shooting at all ranges–you don’t need to drive home to work out your come-ups on the PC, or carry around a PDA with Exbal installed.
In addition to the Pro XP chrono with IR Kit, PACT is now selling Pro XP with standard (visible light) emitters, for $199.95 as part of the “Christmas Special.” This $199.95 price also includes a free tripod. We definitely recommend spending the extra 30 bucks for infrared capability–it’s well worth it.
December 5th, 2007
This week, ShootingUSA covers the Masters pistol championship at PASA park in Illinois. This unique multi-discipline handgun event combines Olympic 22LR Pistol, Handgun Silhouette, and Action Pistol. Mastering all three disciplines is very tough–in 22 years, no one has shot the match clean, scoring all the targets.
 The first event is offhand (non-supported) 25m and 50m precision shooting with Olympic rimfire pistols. There are 45 total targets, and the bulleyes are small and challenging. Next, in the long-range Silhouette stage, competitors use rifle-class caftridges (such as 6.5 BR) to knock down 45 steel plates placed from 75 yards to 200 yards. While the closer targets must be shot from a standing position, competitors normally use the lay-down “Creedmoor position” for the longer targets.
The third and final event involves speed-shooting at banks of steel plates — an exciting event to watch. Each shooter fires three times at three different sets of plates. Fastest total time wins the event.
This promises to be an informative ShootingUSA episode highlighting three different competitive handgun disciplines. ShootingUSA airs Wednesday nights on the Outdoor Channel: 8:30 PM and 12:30 AM Eastern; 7:30 PM and 11:30 PM Central; 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM Mountain; and 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM Pacific time.
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