Ruger & MidwayUSA Offer Industry Jobs

The NSSF’s online Jobs Board lists a number of available jobs with gun and outdoors industry employers. Some very interesting positions were recently listed.

Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Marketing Director
Ruger is looking for a new . Marketing Director. This is a six-figure job with responsibility for creating marketing plans for Rugers pistols, rifles and shotguns. The job is based in Southport, CT at the main Sturm, Ruger & Co., headquarters. According to Ruger: “The Director of Marketing is responsible for driving demand for Ruger products with both Consumers and our trade partners. The ideal candidate will be one who understands the passion that our customers have for shooting sports and hunting and finds new and novel ways to communicate and promote the Ruger brand and products.”

MidwayUSA
Gunsmith & Technical Writer
MidwayUSA has an opening for Gunsmith & Technical Writer. For many of our readers, this would be a dream job. You would be directly involved with TV shows that show the fine points of reloading and shooting to a nationwide audience. MidwayUSA notes: “As a Gunsmith & Technical Writer, you will be responsible for working on a variety of gunsmithing projects for all MidwayUSA commercials, vignettes, and advertisements. You’ll play a pivotal role in scripting the gunsmithing projects seen on Wednesday Night at the Range.”

In addition to the gunsmith/writer job, MidwayUSA is looking for an Internet (web) Marketing Specialist. This person will be responsible for running internet ad campaigns, and promoting inbound links to the Midway website. This should be an exciting job for a web-savvy person with an interest in firearms and new media. The job requires good communication skills, but you do NOT have to be a programmer — that work is done by someone else.

If you are interested in either position, forward your resume and cover letter detailing your experience to HumanResources@MidwayUSA.com or call (573) 447-5135 for more info.

Dieter Anschütz Retires. Son Jochen Takes Helm.

Dieter Anschütz, president of the J.G. ANSCHÜTZ GmbH & Co. KG retired on March 31, 2008. Dieter Anschütz has lead the company since 1968. For the past 16 years, Dieter has been aided by his son Jochen. As of April 1, Jochen Anschütz takes over as sole president of the German rifle manufacturer.

Jochen will become the fifth generation of the Anschütz family to lead the company. The company was founded by Julius Gottfried Anschütz in 1856 and located in the Thuringian city of Zella-Mehlis until 1945. The innovative spirit of the founder and the following generations helped the small gunsmith shop grow to become one of Europe’s leading rifle and pistol manufacturers. World War II put a sudden end to this story of success. But, after the war, brothers Max and Rudolf Anschütz re-established the company in Ulm, West Germany. These brothers proved able successors to their grandfather who founded the ANSCHÜTZ company. Today, as in the 19th Century, the management of the company remains a family affair.

New Rimfire Benchrest Anschütz Rifle
Among the new products for 2008 are a new rimfire benchrest rifle, the Model 64 S BR, based on the model 64 action. Chambered in either 22LR and 17 HMR, the gun weighs 9.5 lbs with a 20″ barrel (on the 22LR). The gun features a wide flat fore-end, and a 2-stage match trigger, set by the factory at 7.4 ounces. An extended adjustable buttplate is optional, though we question why one would want that on a benchrest gun. Still, the rifle looks like an interesting design that should find a market in the USA, at least in informal club competition. For more information, visit Anschutz-Sporters.com, or download the 2008 brochure:

ANSCHÜTZ 2008 Brochure (English 1.5 mb PDF file).

Wipe-Out Now Offers Tube and Breech Plug

Regular readers of this website know that we are big fans of Wipe-Out brushless bore cleaner. A good 3-4 hour soak with Wipe-Out (after a few wet patches to remove the loose carbon), may be all the cleaning your barrel needs. Some barrels DO benefit from moderate brushing, but Wipe-Out is remarkably effective, and can save you countless hours of labor over the course of a shooting season.

Wipe-Out, from SharpShoot-R™ Precision Products, comes in a can with a nozzle to spray directly into the muzzle. Some folks prefer to apply Wipe-Out through the breech — that way excess foam drips off the end of the barrel and doesn’t get into your action or on your stock. Now SharpShoot-R offers an inexpensive Applicator Spout tube that allows you to squirt foam from the breech. Costing just $2.50 (MSRP), the tube fits calibers from 17-Cal and up, sealing the chamber with a special fitting. The other end of the tube fits snuggly on the spray nozzle.

Wipe-Out Allows More Shooting, Less Cleaning
This editor’s cleaning regimen for a 6BR with 3-groove Pac-Nor barrel, is 3-4 wet patches of solvent (Butch’s, Carb-Out, or Shooter’s Choice), followed by Wipe-Out. I apply the Wipe-Out once, filling the bore, then wait 30 minutes or so for the bubbles to settle. Then I re-apply Wipe-Out, wait 3-4 hours, and dry-patch. That’s it. No brushing, no JB.

When the Pac-Nor was brand new, in windless conditions, this gun shot high ones (with 80s) and low twos (with 105s). Now, with 700 rounds on the barrel, it still holds that accuracy, and there has never been a brush in the bore–not even a nylon one. The throat has only advanced about .004″. Not all barrels are so magical, however. YOUR barrel may certainly require a more aggressive cleaning routine, including brushing, but you’ll still find that Wipe-Out can save you time and energy.

Heavy Artillery — Russo Reveals the .338-408 'Big Baer'

Yesterday’s Bulletin item concerning Joel Russo shooting at 1680 yards (almost a mile) created a stir. We asked Joel for more info on his cartridge, a .338-408 “Big Baer”. This is an improved version of the .408 Cheytac, necked down to .338 caliber. Joel is currently using it with the 0.768 BC Sierra 300gr MatchKing. The parent .408 CheyTac brass, which costs over $2.00 per case, is produced by TTI Armory and Jamison Int’l (sold by Grafs.com). The TTI brass is considered superior, but it is harder to get.

Yes, readers, that’s a mighty big case. H20 capacity of the parent case is a mind-blowing 159 grains! Powders of choice for this cartridge are ultra-slow burners such as H50BMG, Norma MRP, VV N170, and Retumbo. Joel is using H50BMG powder with Federal 215 primers to push the Sierra 300gr MK over 3150 fps.

Joel tells us: “The parent case is the .408 Cheytac. I neck it down to .375 first, then to .338, then turn the necks. The shoulder blows out on the first fire-forming shot. Speaking of my .338-.408 rifle, would you believe I put a used barrel on that thing? I re-contoured it and fluted it, then gave it to Bruce Baer. It was originally chambered by Bruce as a .338-.378 Wby. It only had about 125 rounds through when it was pulled. The rifle flat-out shoots, so I guess the theories about re-contouring and fluting barrels are myths.

Although I only shoot in ultra-long-range matches once or twice a year, I shoot year-round at extended ranges. We are in the process of designing rings that will enable me to shoot this rifle out to 2,500 and 3,000 yards. We are going to put the .338 300 SMK to the test to see how far it will stay supersonic in the ‘real world’.”

Joel is a stockmaker who produces quality High Power, Long-range Benchrest, and multi-purpose stocks. For more info on the ultra-long-range shooting, contact Joel at (717) 805-0940, or jkrussos [at] comcast.net .

Shooting Sports Match Calendar Available

Shooting Sports USA, an NRA publication for all types of competition shooters, has compiled a comprehensive event calendar covering matches from April 2008 through the end of the year.

A wide array of disciplines are calendared, including: Air Pistol and Rifle, Bullseye Pistol, F-Class, Rifle and Pistol Silhouette, Lever Action Silhouette, CMP matches, Black Powder Target Rifle, and NRA Highpower. The Highpower Rifle listings are extremely comprehensive, with over 100 match listings, including all notable State Championships.

CLICK HERE to download the Calendar.

Readers can also download a free copy of Shooting Sports’ “Score Sheet”. This publication features recent match reports from throughout the country. The emphasis is mostly on small-bore silhouette and position shooting, but there are also reports on pistol, High Power, long-range prone, and Black Powder events. It’s an interesting read and some of our Forum members are featured.

Ultra-Long Range — 0.44 MOA at 1,680 Yards with a .338

At Thunder Valley, Ohio, stockmaker Joel Russo recently shot an 0.44 MOA group at 1,680 yards (just 80 yards short of a mile), with four shots well under quarter-MOA (3.806″). Joel offers this report: “About two months ago, my good friend and custom rifle builder Bruce Baer, challenged me to shoot the Mile. I told him that if he builds the rifle, I’ll take him up on the challenge. I gave him a barrel that I had and then pestered him repeatedly for two months to chamber it. After he chambered the barreled action, I bedded it in the stock and completed load development under his guidance.

Rifle Specifications
The rifle is chambered as a .338 Big Baer, a .338-.408 Improved design by Baer. We load the 300gr .338 Sierra MatchKing bullet. The gun features a Lawton 8000 repeater action, Krieger barrel, Vais muzzle brake, Jewell trigger, Nightforce NXS 8-32×56 scope, NP1 reticle, and McMillan A-5 stock modified by Baer to accommodate the larger actions. The rifle weighs about 21 pounds.

Thunder Valley in Ohio
This weekend we made the trip to Thunder Valley in Kimbolton, Ohio. Thunder Valley is an IBS-sanctioned 1000-yard range. Range owner and rangemaster, Tom Sarver, also holds a ‘Mile Shoot’ in conjunction with the 1000-yard match. (The ‘Mile Shoot’ targets actually sit 80 yards shy of a mile, at 1680 yards.) Along for the trip was Bud Williams, Bruce Baer, and my father.

Bruce and Bud both shot the ‘Mile’ at Thunder Valley two years ago. In 2006, Baer won group with 22.5″ and Williams won for score. This year, we shot 5-shot groups with a spotter only for sighter shots. No communication would be allowed between spotter and shooter during record fire.

Four Shots in 3.806″ at 1680 Yards
I shot the first relay with Baer as my spotter. First shot on cold clean barrel was center mass on the white sighter steel plate. Second shot was approx 17″ high but center mass. I made a correction and the next three shots were in the center of the plate. I immediately went to the record target. I fired five shots with no correction for conditions between shots.

Sarver retrieved the target and told us that the fifth shot was 1.5″ right off the paper but in the group. He officially measured the 4-shot group at 3.806″. Estimate of the 5-shot group was 7.75″.

Oh well, I’ll settle for a 4-shot group like that.”

0.44 MOA at 1680 Yards — Mighty Impressive
One MOA at 1680 yards is 17.59″. Joel’s 4-shot cluster went into 0.216 MOA! Counting the fifth shot, the 5-shot group was 0.44 MOA — still remarkable shooting….

Berger Moly Bullet Sale at LockStock.com

If you are a moly-coated bullet shooter, here’s a good deal on Berger Bullets offered by Lock, Stock & Barrel. LockStock.com has a wide selection of Berger moly bullets. These have been discontinued by Berger, so they are being offered at deep discounts, up to 23% off the regular price. The prices shown below are all for 100-count boxes, except the 17-Cal, 20-grainers, which are packed 200 to a box.

Remington Closes H&R Plant — 200 Jobs Lost.

The Harrington & Richardson plant in Gardner, MA is the latest victim in the series of consolidations in the firearms industry. Remington announced on April 7, 2008 that it would close the H&R 1871 facility in Gardner, and all plant operations would be shut down by the end of the year.

Remington Arms, part of the Cerberus family of companies, acquired Marlin Firearms earlier this year. The Marlin deal also included H&R 1871 Inc., which was purchased by Marlin in 2000. H&R operated as New England Firearms. With its line of Harrington & Richardson rifles, and L.C. Smith shotguns, H&R 1871 was the leading seller of single-shot rifles and shotguns in the world.

Remington’s official press release states: “Unfortunately, an estimated 200 Gardner employees will be impacted by the closure, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. A number of employees will transition from Gardner to other capacities within the Company. For those not transferred, the Company will be offering severance, outplacement, and referral services in order to assist in this difficult transition.”

Gardner, Massachusetts Mayor Mark Hawke criticized the plant closure, saying that local officials were blind-sided by the move. He stated that Remington never contacted state or local officials prior to announcing its decision to close the Gardner factory.

Williamsport: Brakes OK on Heavies, and Light Gun Limit Raised to 17 Pounds.

Matt Dienes, Williamsport Public Relations officer, has announced important changes to the Club’s Rules for 2008 and beyond:

“The Original Pennsylvania 1000 Yard Bench Rest Club is pleased to anounce that that following rules are effective immediately:

1) The light gun weight limit has been raised from 16.5 lbs. to 17 lbs. (making it consistent with IBS and NBRSA rules). For Williamsport, this weight limit is now the only restriction (no stock width, barrel diameter, or attachment rules anymore.) However, the existing Light Gun front/rear rest rules still apply, and the gun has to be a single shot only (no semi-automatics).

2) You can now shoot any rifle in the Heavy Gun class, including rifles with Muzzle Brakes. So now you can shoot your Light Gun with the break on.”

We like these changes. This will make it easier to compete with a Light Gun in both classes, which should encourage more shooters and help keep costs down. A good Light Gun CAN be competitive in Heavy Gun class. Not too long ago our own Jason Baney won the HG class at the Williamsport World Open shooting his 16.5-lb 6BR.

Matt Dienes added: “Remember the 600-yard matches follow the 1000-yard Light Gun matches on Saturday. So nobody has an excuse not to shoot at our top notch range — everyone is welcome.”