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June 25th, 2008
This week, Shooting USA repeats its broadcast featuring the 2007 Centennial matches at Camp Perry. If you missed it the first time, this “must-see” episode also highlights the 100-year history of the Camp Perry National Championships.
The first Service Rifle competition dates back to the late 1800’s. In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt formally authorized the national matches to encourage better marksmanship for soldiers and civilians. In the beginning, the matches were held at different locations across the country, but in 1907 Camp Perry (now an Ohio National Guard base) became the permanent site. 100 years later, the tradition continues as America’s most prestigious shooting competition. The annual national matches are a combined effort of the Guard, the Civilian Marksmanship Program and the National Rifle Association.
Shooting USA airs Wednesday Nights on the Outdoor Channel:
Eastern Time 4:30 PM, 8:30 PM, 2:00 AM (Thursday)
Central Time 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 1:00 AM (Thursday)
Mountain Time 2:30 PM, 6:30 PM, Midnight
Pacific Time 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 11:00 PM
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June 24th, 2008
Many of our Canadian readers were interested in John Loh’s new action sleeves because it is difficult for them to import custom actions. A sleeve stiffens a factory Remington action while increasing the bedding surface. Based on Speedy Gonzalez’ proven design, Loh’s new sleeves are CNC-machined from the highest grade Aircraft aluminum. The sleeves feature a Panda footprint, integral recoil lug, and built-in Davidson scope rail. To learn more, call John at (562) 602-5553, or email him at his website, JJ-Industries.com.
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June 23rd, 2008
Sam Hall of Boonville, NC has been the man to beat at 600 Yards this season. It looks like he nailed yet another IBS record with that hot-shooting 6BR of his. On June 14, at the Piedmont Gun Club in Rutherfordton, NC, Sam fired a 0.913″ five-shot group with his 28-lb 6BR Heavy Gun. The group was fully centered up, scoring a 50-5X on the new, smaller 600-yard target. Sam told us: “I believe this group is the smallest 50 ever shot in competition — with 5Xs to boot.” The previous record, we believe, was a 50 (1.174″) by Terry Brady.
Sam tells us: “This was the first group of the morning at Piedmont. Conditions were good …. I put 11 MOA elevation into my new March 50X scope (mounted just the day before) and almost hit the 2 1/4 inch skeet sighter on the first shot. On my last two shots on the skeet, I could see my shots hit dead center, so I knew I was on.
During record fire, I relaxed, took my time, because conditions were not changing, and let the rifle do what it was capable of. (I feel this rifle can hold 1.5″ at 600 pretty consistently, in windless conditions.) At the end of the 5 shots, my spotter, Brian Moore, and myself could see a little cluster in the middle of the bull. When that target was posted, man was I one happy fellow!”
GUN INFORMATION — HALL’s HAMMER
Action: BAT MB, RB-LP-RE. 1.40″ diameter.
Barrel: 31″ Lilja, 1.25″ straight, fluted, 1:8″ twist, 4 groove, .236 bore
Cartridge: Standard 6mmBR Norma, .268 neck, .104 freebore, Kiff Reamer
Stock: Shehane fiberglass ST-1000, orange and white, with “lots of lead” in buttstock. Gun is 28-lbs overall.
Scope: New March 50X, Target CH, Kelbly X-high rings.
Gunsmith and Stocker: Leonard Baity.
RELOADING DATA:
6BR (standard) with .268″ neck (.267″ loaded round), Berger 105 VLD (from last year’s orange box) +.010″ into rifling, 31.0 grains Reloder-15, CCI BR-4 Primers, Lapua Brass. Velocity, about 2970 fps.
WARNING: This load IS TOO HOT for most rifles.
Sam’s 6BR Heavy Gun Holds Multiple Records
NOTE: This combination holds three IBS 600-yard world records at this time: A 192 Score, a two-gun (LG and HG) group agg. of 1.955″, and now a score record of 50-5X, 0.913″. Also, this gun shot an 0.870″ at Oak Ridge, TN in March (the Record, at that time, was 0.861″ by Terry Brady).
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June 23rd, 2008
 From June 26-28, the 2008 IBS 600-yard National Championship will be held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Assn. (ORSA) facility. We expect many of the nation’s top 600-yard shooters will be attending the event, including record-holders Terry Brady, Mike Davis, Sam Hall, and Mark Schronce. If the weather cooperates, new records could be set.
ORSA offers 20 Benches, to accommodate 80 competitors in four relays. Eight targets will be fired for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG). On Thursday, LG will shoot 3 targets and then HG will shoot 3 targets. On Friday, HG will shot 3 targets and then LG will shoot 3 targets. On Saturday, LG will shoot 2 targets and then HG will fire two targets. Sunday is the rain make-up date. The range will be open for practice on Wednesday, the 25th.
If you plan to shoot and haven’t registered already, do so right away! Entry fee for 2 guns is $150. Entry fees for one gun (either Light or Heavy) will be $80. For more info, contact Larry Sparks, larrysparks [at] chartertn.net .
RESOURCES:
Directions to Range
Oak Ridge City Information
GPS Location for ORSA: 35° 59′ 14.00″ N 84° 19′ 30.90″ W
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June 22nd, 2008
According to the web tracking service Quantcast, this website now reaches an audience of over 40,000 shooters worldwide. As our audience grows, so do our expenses. We are facing increased costs for bandwidth, Forum hosting, phone charges, product shipping, and transport. So, user donations are more important than ever.
We have had donations from many generous individuals. We thank them for their vital support of the site. But 99.9% of our site users have never contributed — though they may use the site on a daily basis. Remember that all the content we provide is FREE. Even our very effective Classified Ads are free. But in order to continue to offer free content for all, we need to increase revenues. We encourage those who have not contributed to the site before to consider a $12.00 donation — that’s just one dollar a month for an entire year’s worth of information, updated daily.
 Consider Giving One Dollar a Month
If even 10% of our users donated just $1.00 per month, i.e. $12 a year, that could make a huge difference. One dollar is less than the price of a cup of coffee. A movie ticket can cost $9.00 or more for 90 minutes of entertainment. Compare that with $12.00 to help maintain a site that provides a full year’s worth of articles, gear reviews, match reports, and much more.
Donate by Check or via PayPal
You can make a donation (via PayPal), using the “DONATION” buttons found on our Home Page and on our Shooters’ Forum (at bottom of page). You do NOT need to have a PayPal account, so long as you have a credit card.
DONATION Button on Home Page:
Making Donations by U.S. Mail
If you don’t wish to use the PayPal system, we also accept checks sent via the U.S. Mail. Jason Baney handles the mailed-in contributions. Please include a short note with your name and Forum “nickname” (if any). Make the check payable to “Jason Baney” and mail your check to:
Jason Baney
P.O. Box 308
Douglassville, PA 19518
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June 21st, 2008
Many readers have been asking: “When are the new 6mm plastic-tipped 111gr Tubb bullets going to be available?” Well, we talked to David Tubb, and he indicated the new DTAC 111-grain MJPT (Match Jacket Plastic Tip) bullets should start shipping next month. These bullets have a shorter bearing surface than the older DTAC 115s, so they should be more versatile, and not require rifles to be chambered with such a long throat. The Ballistic Coefficient, calculated on the bullet design, should be around 0.575. However, David notes that, as with all bullets, the exact BC is velocity-dependent.
CLICK HERE for DTAC 111 Information Sheet (.pdf file)
 David predicts that this new bullet will be more accurate than the DTAC 115 — David’s testing showed superior overall performance from the slightly lighter-weight projectile. The 111 should also be easier to tune than the 115. The 111-grainer’s bearing surface is .015″ shorter than the 115. The jacket draw on the 111 is shorter than a 107 SMK. David says: “Shorter draw translates to better jacket consistency.”
The new 111gr bullet features a plastic tip. This, David believes, provides more consistent bullet-to-bullet BC — and tests by others support that view, so long as the tips themselves are uniform and properly attached. David says: “The typical out-of-the-box bullet could have a spread of 10% in true BC, from bullet to bullet. With the plastic tips you cut down the BC variance considerably. What we’ve seen in field testing is a spread of only 2% in actual bullet BC. This has reduced the shot-to-shot velocity spread as actually measured at long range.” When bullets maintain more uniform speed over the course of flight, you may see tighter groups with reduced vertical spread, all other factors being equal.
This new DTAC 111 MJPT will be available either “naked” or coated with Boron Nitride (BN). Call (806) 323-9488 for current pricing and to place an order. Visit www.DavidTubb.com for more details.
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June 21st, 2008
Temperature, Atmospheric Pressure, and Altitude — all these things can and do affect bullet ballistics. Moreover, temperature changes can alter powder performance and chamber pressures. The smart reloader takes the predicted ambient temperature into account. And when calculating your come-ups and windage click values, you need to factor in Temperature, Air Pressure, AND Altitude.
 How do you keep track of these important variables when you’re shooting? The Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker®, is compact and provides a wealth of information: atmospheric pressure, altitude, density altitude, temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind chill, dew point, and heat index. We like the Kestrels and recommend them. But at $279.00, a Kestrel 4000 is too expensive for many shooters.
Timex now offers a solution. For about $56.00-$80.00 street price, the Timex Expedition® Adventure Tech™ watch (item T41501EA) displays Altitude, Barometric Pressure, and Temperature (ABT). The thermometer function records temps from 14° F to 140° F. The Altimeter reads from -2,296 feet to +29,520 feet with 10-foot resolution. The Barometer tracks current and sea level pressure, and provides a graph of pressure changes over time.
Encased in a stainless housing with a resin band, the Timex watch is water resistant to 50 meters, and offers many other nice features, including dual time zones, countdown timer, alarm, and backlit nightlight (very handy).
There are other quality watches, such as the Suunto Core, that provide Altitude, Atmospheric Pressure, and Temperature read-outs. But, at under $70 street price, the Timex costs one-fourth the price of the Suunto. Amazon.com is currently offering the Timex Temp/Altitude/Barometer watch for $55.97 – $79.95 (depending on source). It is offered with a silver band as well as the black shown above.
Useful Tool or Just Another Gadget?
Is this watch really useful or just another piece of male jewelry? Well just last week a friend was developing loads for his PPC. While chronographing his loads he wanted to input the ambient temperature, and current air pressure in his log. We just had to guess on those numbers. It felt like 90°+, but it may have been in the mid-eighties. With the Timex we’d have had reliable data (Note: it’s best to take the watch off your arm when gauging air temp). For this editor, the Timex ABT watch is a useful tool. I bought one and will be using it during load development and when shooting competitively.
Here’s an owner’s review: “I have been through a Nike ABT, a Swiss Army ABT, and a High Gear ABT watch this year alone. None of them, which cost quite a bit more, have been as accurate and durable as this Timex. It has a better fit, was easy to use and read and just plain ‘on the money’ as far as forecasting weather and altitude. Also, I have not had to take it off my arm for 10-15 mins to get a decent temperature rating. It has always been within 1-3 degrees of actual temp. And I live in the Carribean in a tropical climate… so, for it to be this accurate is a statement in itself.”
And here’s an interesting comment from one purchaser: “I bought this watch to set the jetting on my racing go kart. I needed to know field elevation, and temperature. Plus changes in barometric pressure as the day went on. Most teams use a weather station and computer that cost over $700 for this purpose. My watch and accompanying chart (for the motor) has given me the same results.” If this watch works for racers, it can work for our “internal combustion” precision bullet-launching machines as well.
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June 20th, 2008
The folks at Adams Lake Rifle Barrels in Chase, British Columbia, Canada have crafted a 6-6.5×47 tackdriver that is both accurate AND affordable. Smithed by Mick McPhee, the rifle is built on a blue-printed Remington XR-100 action, with custom recoil lug and Jewell. The barrel is a 28″, 4-groove, 8-twist Krieger, in a #17 Heavy Varmint contour. The complete project including the new XR100 action, was less than $2000 (Canadian) not counting scope and “Ski” bipod. The rifle was chambered with a Whitley 6mmHot reamer, and is fitted with a 12-42×56 BR model Nightforce in Leupold QRW rings on a Ken Farrell base.
Adams Lake Rifle Barrels is an authorized Canadian source for Krieger barrels. How accurate are Kriegers? Shown below is a 3-shot .094” group shot at 110 meters during load development of the 6-6.5X47.
Adams Lake also supplied a 6mm Krieger barrel for Forum member M. Thibault’s new 6mmBR rifle, shown below. This handsome gun is a Barnard-actioned 6BR Norma with a Krieger 1:8″ twist, with a modified #17 contour, 1” muzzle diameter. The gun has proven to be phenomenally accurate. Right out of the box, with limited time for load development, Thibault put it in the winner’s circle. Shooting in only his second-ever rifle match, Thibault steered this rifle to first place in the KTSA Spring 300M shoot.
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June 20th, 2008
Berger has introduced a new type of 6.5mm bullet. This 140gr design features a thicker J4 jacket and a tangent (non-VLD) ogive. The thicker jacket should provide increased bullet durability when shot at high velocity through 6.5-284s and the short magnums. Berger’s testing showed that the 30-32″ barrels used on many long-range rifles produced increased frictional heat compared to 26-28″ barrels. The new, thick-jacket 140s should handle that heat better. The new bullets have a claimed BC of 0.593 and are designed for 1:9″ twist (or faster) barrels. These new bullets should work very well in 6.5-284 and 6.5×55 match rifles. (Berger does not recommend using its thick jacket bullets for hunting.)
Robert Whitley recently received some of the new bullets. He reports: “The 140gr ‘Thicks’ look great in all respects and I have no doubt they will shoot well based on their design and the obvious quality of manufacture. When you hold a Berger 140gr BT Thick Jacket bullet next to a Sierra 142gr MatchKing, the two look rather similar in length and shape, although the meplats of the Berger 140 gr bullets are closed up tighter.”
The nice, tight meplats on the new Berger 140gr BT “Thicks” should give these bullets an edge in BC compared to other tangent-ogive bullets in the same weight range. Additionally, based on our testing with bullet pointing tools, the small meplats should provide better BC consistency from bullet to bullet. With non-plastic-tipped bullets, we’ve found that the smaller the meplat, the better the BC uniformity.
More Thick Jacket Designs Coming — Including 7mm
The 6.5mm 140gr BT Thick Jacket is the first of a line-up of Thick Jacket bullets to be introduced by Berger in the coming months. Thick-jacketed match bullets will be offered in most of the popular calibers. Long-range shooters will be interested in the new 180gr BT Thick Jacket 7mm bullet. With a claimed BC of 0.642, this should be ideal for 1000-yard and F-Class shooters with .284 Win, 7mm WSM, and 7mm SAUM rifles.
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June 19th, 2008
Dennis DeMille is a past Camp Perry National Champion, and one of the nation’s top High Power shooters. Since retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Dennis has served as the General Manager of Creedmoor Sports in Oceanside, California. We recently had the chance to interview Dennis at the Creedmoor offices. With his decades of competitive experience, Dennis has a wealth of knowledge. In this 3-minute interview, Dennis shares insights into the High Power shooting game. He discusses the most effective ways to train for competition, the fundamentals of good marksmanship, and how to recognize and perfect your natural point of aim. Dennis also offers solid advice on how to get the best “bang for your buck” when choosing shooting accessories for High Power and Across the Course competition.
CLICK HERE to WATCH DeMille Interview VIDEO
During our visit to Oceanside, Dennis gave us a tour of the Creedmoor facility. He confirmed that all the new Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor components are in stock: dies, bullets, brass, and loaded ammunition.
Dennis also explained the manufacturing process for Creedmoor’s popular shooting coats. All these shooting jackets are hand-crafted in Oceanside by experts with years of experience. Special templates are used to ensure each coat perfectly fits its new owner.
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June 19th, 2008
The Supreme Court convened today, with members of the media anxiously awaiting decisions in many major cases, including D.C. v. Heller, the landmark Second Amendment case. The court did issue five decisions, but did not announce its decision in the Heller case, or the other pair of major cases before it: Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (Exxon Valdez punitive damages), and Kennedy v. Louisiana (death penalty for non-homicide rape.)
We will now have to wait until next week for a decision in D.C. v. Heller, one of 10 cases still remaining for the Supreme Court to decide. A Heller ruling might be issued Monday, or another day next week.
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June 19th, 2008
On the Guns & Ammo Magazine website, there is a feature article, America’s Rifle: the AR, that AR15 shooters will enjoy. The article contains dozens of links for AR15 components and accessories, including barrels, upper and lower receivers, sights, optics, grips, stocks and more. You’ll find photos of many of the more propular add-ons such as folding stocks, accessory rails, and red dot sights.
For those times when the AR stumbles (yes, it does happen), the article provides a helpful Jam-Clearance procedure. You’ll also find an excellent Trouble-Shooting Guide for the AR’s five most common problems: insufficient extractor tension, loose carrier keys, improper headspace, failure to eject (FTE), and primer issues from hot loads.
If you’re a black rifle shooter, definitely check out this story. It’s worth the read for the extensive product/vendor links alone, not to mention the fix-it tips.
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