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July 25th, 2008
Shooting in the Unlimited (rail gun) class, James “Jim” McGowin shot a 0.355″ 5-shot group at 300 yards. This has now been officially “certified” as a new NBRSA record. McGowin’s group beat the previous 0.373″ shot by Art Freund in 1981. McGowin was shooting the 6mm Beggs cartridge in a match in St. Louis, MO. For his record group, Jim used his own 63 grain BT bullet, a 7.5 ogive made on J-4 .750 jackets in a Niemi die.
The 6mm Beggs cartridge is basically a 220 Russian necked up to 6mm, with a very small modification of the radius at the neck-shoulder junction. (Gene Beggs added a tighter radius to reduce case lengthening on repeated firings.) The 6mm Beggs, and its smaller cousin, the 220 Beggs, have slightly less capacity than a fire-formed PPC case. However, in a good BR gun, the “raw accuracy” of the Beggs’ cartridges can rival that of a 6 PPC. Indeed a standard, unmodified 220 Russian is competitive in the 100/200 yard BR game. Lou Murdica, a top shooter on the short-range BR circuit, has won many matches with a “plain-jane” unmodified 220 Russian.
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July 25th, 2008
 Here’s something that can save you lots of time and aggravation on a varminting trip. This little $70 gizmo is great for varmint hunters and any one who needs to make a quick shot in shifty wind conditions. Instead of the traditional 1/4-MOA hash marks, the Kenton windage turret features markers corresponding to the wind drift your rifle will encounter at various distances.
Kenton Industries’ Tuned Windage Compensator (TWC) has built-in windage marks for 10 mph cross-winds at 100-1000 yards. How do they do that? Well the knobs are calibrated either for specific calibers/loads, or they can make custom knobs using your observed field data. The knobs can compensate for various wind speeds (2-20 mph) and angles (15°- 90°), by applying some simple conversion ratios. As a general rule, with a “full-value”, i.e. 90°, crosswind, the wind drift will go up or down in direct proportion to the change in windspeed. That means, for example, at a given distance, a 10 mph crosswind will push the bullet twice as much sideways as a 5 mph crosswind.
Two versions of Kenton’s TWC knobs are offered. The $69.95 TWC #1 features calculated ballistics for your caliber and barrel length. The $79.95 TWC #2 or #3 feature customized windage settings based on bullet BC, environmental conditions, elevation, and ballistic information you provide.
Kenton also makes an elevation-compensating TTC knob, that can be customized to your rifle. With this elevation turret, yardages are marked in 50-yard increments, and you can literally just “dial in your distance”. However, to work effectively the TTC knob must be tailored to a particular load (velocity and bullet). Moreover, actual bullet drop will differ with changes in altitude, temperature, and shooting angle — so it’s not as simple as it sounds, and you may need multiple knobs if you shoot a variety of loads.
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July 24th, 2008
 Up-to-date results of the NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships are available online at the NRA website. The Pistol events are concluded, the Smallbore (rimfire) 3-position matches finished on July 18, and the Smallbore prone events will wrap up today, July 24. The High Power Rifle Championships commence August 4th.
CLICK HERE for current Camp Perry Results
Daily updates, complete with interviews with shooters, are being published on the new NRA BLOG. This blog, with daily entries from two correspondents at Camp Perry, features plenty of photos, late-breaking news, a full schedule of events, and links of special interest. You should check it out.
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July 24th, 2008
Sightron just delivered to Jason Baney an SIII 6-24×50 Mildot, the latest in the new SIII line-up of side-focus, 30mm Sightron scopes. This follows on the hot-selling 8-32×56, which was the subject of our recent Scope Test. Jason will be testing the scope’s optical qualities soon and using it in an upcoming tactical match.
The new 6-24×50 scope is also offered with a fine cross-hair with target dot reticle. Both mildot and FCH versions are 14.96″ overall with a near-constant 3.6-3.8 inches of eye relief. Clicks are 1/4 MOA (15 MOA per revolution), and total elevation (and windage) adjustment is listed as 100 MOA (50 MOA on either side of center). That’s a class-leading amount of elevation which should make the new 6-24×50 popular with long-range shooters.
Shown above and below is the Sightron 6-24×50 Mildot, flanked by a Leupold 8-25×50 LRT and the Sightron 8-32×56. The controls on the 6-24 Sightron are identical to those of its big brother, but it is shorter, with a smaller objective. The shorter length and 50mm front objective allow a 2.8 ounce weight savings over the larger model (21.9 oz. vs. 24.7 oz.).
Below are reticle specs for Fine Cross-Hair + Target Dot Version
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July 23rd, 2008
The first-ever World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Championship will be held from July 27 to August 3 in Milan, Italy. The event will be hosted at the Tiro a Segno Nazionale di Milano shooting club and the event will be conducted in association with the UK Association of Rimfire Benchrest Shooting International. The match will be administered under the Rules of the European Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Shooting Federation (ERABSF RULES).
This International Match is open to all shooters and organizations that shoot for Score similar to the RBA, IR50/50, UKBR22, .22 Hunter, BR50, or UITS. A standardized common target will be used and the match will be conducted under ERABSF RUles. For more info, visit the European Rimfire & Air Rifle Benchrest Shooting Federation website, www.erabsf.org.
CLICK HERE for Championship SCHEDULE of EVENTS
CLICK HERE for Match Rules
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July 22nd, 2008
Bob Boch, current captain of the U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team, has posted a new multi-distance F-Class record, a fantastic 449-32x. The new record was shot at the Forbes Rifle & Pistol Club in New York state. This was the “long-range” Palma-style match with targets at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. The Palma course of fire is 15 shots at 800 yards, 15 shots at 900 yards, and 15 shots at 1000 yards. Unlimited sighters precede the 800-yard stage, there are two sighters for 900, and two sighters for 1000.
Bob was shooting a 6.5-284 with a 30″ Bartlein barrel, 5R rifling, 1:8.5″ twist, 1.250″ straight contour. Barrel fitting and metal work was done by Warner Tool Co. in Keene, NH. Bob says: “My 6.5-284 load consist of the best bullet ever made, the 140 grain Berger VLD, behind 48.4 to 49.0 grains of H4350, depending on the particular barrel I am shooting. I have been shooting Norma brass in the past six months.
 Setting the Record — Just one “9”, On the Very Last Shot
Bob reports: “The conditions were good in my opinion, but conditions are like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. It was hot and humid, over 90 degrees by the time we got to the 1000 yard, with probably 90% humidity. Lots of grumbling on the line. The wind was light, but the flags are in the trees on the Forbes range. Very little if any use. It was overcast at 800, sun breaking in/out at 900 and very sunny by the 1000. Mirage varied between boiling, running and disappearing. The 9 was my 45th shot. The rifle/ammo performed superbly, the 9 was operator error for sure. Last-shot-itis or missing the change, you take your pick.”
Congratulations to Bob for setting an impressive new mark for the F-Class open division. A retired mechanical engineer, Bob was born in Hungary and moved to the United States in 1964. He has been involved in all kinds of shooting including pistol silhouettes, IPSIC and combat sniper rifle in various parts of the country. He has been shooting F-Class since 2001. Bob won the 2007 U.S. F-Class Open National Championship in Raton. He was a member of the 2005 U.S. F-Class Team and placed 7th in the individual World Championship, plus was a member of the 4-man team that won the Rutland Cup at the World Championship in South Africa. Bob also won the McDonald Stewart Grand Aggregate in the F-Class final of the 2007 Canadian Fullbore Championship.
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July 21st, 2008
The Varmint Hunters Association Jamboree takes place this week, July 21 – 25th, in Pierre, South Dakota. This 5-day event features a 2-Day Shootout, 3-Man Team Competition, and 3-Gun Match with prizes valued at over $4900. Classes for the Shootout are: Stock, Modified, Limited Open, and Unlimited Open. CLICK HERE for complete Shootout Rules.
This is a family event with fun shoots Monday through Friday. There will be live and silent auctions, symposiums, special Ladies’ Events, regularly nightly speakers or entertainment, and a big Jamboree Banquet at the Ramkota Lounge on Friday. For more information, visit www.Varminthunter.org/jamboree.html, or call VHA members services, 1-800-528-4868.
CLICK HERE FOR VHA Shootout and Jamboree SCHEDULE of EVENTS.
Registration during Jamboree cost $40.00. A Shootout ticket alone is $25.00, while a Banquet ticket costs $25.00. You must be a member of the V.H.A. and registered for the Jamboree in order to compete in the Shootout.
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July 21st, 2008
The PACT XP Chronograph is now on sale at MidwayUSA for $206.99, $23.00 off the regular price. (Sale ends July 31, 2008.) This unit contains many advanced features, is fairly easy to set up, and has a handy control unit with built-in printer. An enhanced “Glint Guard” bullet detection system provide greater sensitivity in a wide range of light conditions.
The PACT XP chronograph can also be upgraded with infrared screens. We highly recommend the infrared option, a $49.95 upgrade from PACT. You can also purchase the PACT Pro XP with infrared kit directly from PACT for $269.95.
The PACT Pro XP includes improved “Mark 6″ Skyscreens, mounting bracket, storage case, and a 9-volt battery. With software available from the PACT website, you can transfer your data to a laptop or home computer. The PACT Pro XP also features a built-in ballistics calculator that uses your actual chronograph and bullet data and corrects for windage, elevation, and temperature. PACT provides a bullet database with the Ballistic Coefficient (BC) of nearly all bullet designs from popular bullet-makers.
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July 20th, 2008
Earlier this week, German Salazar tested the new Alliant Reloder 17 (RL17) powder, checking for velocity and pressure. Using the 6XC cartridge, German found that RL17 could drive Sierra 107gr MKs over 200 fps faster than could H4831sc. RL17 likewise delivered big velocity gains with 115gr Bergers in the 6XC.
Salazar Shoots 600-39x with Reloder 17 at 500 Yards
On July 20 (this morning), shooting at the Phoenix Rod & Gun Club, German confirmed that RL17 can deliver real-world, match-winning accuracy. Shooting a 500-yard prone High Power match on the NRA MR65 target, using iron sights, German posted a very impressive 600-39X score. The three relays were shot with Sierra 107s, using three different loads of RL17 in progressively “hotter” increments: 40.6 grains (3215 fps), 41.2 grains (3290 fps), and 41.8 grains (3311 fps). Salazar shot 200-14X with the low load, 200-15X with the middle load, and 200-10X with the hottest load. German felt the middle load was the most consistent. (NOTE: these loads are all with moly-coated bullets. You should reduce the load by at least one full grain for “naked” bullets”.)
 German explains: “Ask any high power shooter and he’ll tell you 600-39X is quite an achievement with iron sights on the new (smaller) MR65 target at 500 yards. I can say with assurance now that this powder will shoot accurately in the 6XC. Last week, using H4831sc, shooting the same 6XC rifle, at the same range, with the same course of fire, I shot a 598-29x. I do think Reloder 17 helped me shoot a higher score this week, with 10 more Xs. The extra velocity afforded by RL17 reduces wind drift considerably, and the elevation held very consistently, particularly with the first two loads.”
Even at the hottest load, 41.8 grains (3311 fps) of RL17, German did not observe sticky bolt lift or other notable signs of pressure. So far, then, what we’ve learned about Reloder 17 is “all good” — in the appropriate cartridge, it will boost velocities dramatically, and it can deliver competitive accuracy in High Power competition.
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July 20th, 2008
Last week, the third annual Southern California Precision Rifle Competition (SCPRC) was held. This match takes place each year in July at the West End Gun Club, 20 minutes west of San Bernadino, CA. Match director Mark Archuleta, aka “Spaniard”, ran a great match, with a diverse and challenging course of fire. Mark reports: “This was our third SCPRC, and we had 34 shooters from all over the US.” Mark posted a match report in our FORUM with lots of photos. CLICK HERE to read Mark’s full report. Below are some pictorial highlights from the Match, with Mark’s commentary:
Vu Pham from Nor-Cal, shown below, hit both his cold bore shots on day 1 & 2. This year’s Day Two cold bore shot (CBS) reprised our 2006 CBS. There was a 3.5″ Clay pigeon set at about 325 yards, with roughly a 10° down angle. In 2006, 7 out of 22 shooters made the hit, this year 12 out of 34 shooters made the hit. Some folks don’t think that the 10°-15° slope makes a difference, but it does.
Below Phil demonstrates textbook bipod shooting: working the bolt, maintaining a solid cheek weld and keeping an eye on the next target. Good job Phil. [Editor’s Note: the “pucks” on the bipod legs are “PodPaws” from Zephyr Dynamics]
One of the stages was shot from a squatting position with rifle supported by saw-horses. This stage obviously favored the shorter guys.
The match included timed stages. The challenge was how to record times for multiple shooters. I purchased a timing system and did some modifications to it so each shooter had his own stop button. It worked great and I could shoot whole teams all at once. This made the lines move very fast. It’s will be a part of all my future matches, local and not so local. Below, just like on Jeopardy, Scott Cochran stops the clock.
At the request of Kurt Stone (LV Steel Targets), a standing stage was added. It’s not easy to shot a heavy tactical rifle off-hand! Here, representing the United States Marine Corp., is SSgt. Tony Palzkill — a real professional and a nice guy too.
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July 19th, 2008
Alliant’s new Reloder 17 powder is the new “Speed King” in its burn-rate category. It promises to raise the velocity bar in many cartridges which work best with slow-burning propellants. Based on initial test results, if you’re using H4350, IMR4350, Reloader 19, Norma URP, or H4831 currently, you may find that RL17 can deliver dramatically higher velocities than other powders. CLICK HERE for FULL REPORT.
RL17 Boosts Speeds by 200 fps
The day after two pounds of RL17 arrived in Phoenix, German Salazar and Bob Jensen tried the new propellant in 6XC and .308 rifles, using an Oehler 43 chronograph equipped with pressure-testing equipment. The results were eye-opening. German was able to get 3311 fps using 107gr Sierra MKs in the 6XC. That’s roughly 200 fps faster than other popular extruded powders can deliver. With the 115 Berger, the 6XC topped 3200 fps, again a very impressive speed gain. Most 6XC shooters find that 3000-3050 fps is the most they can get with a 115gr bullet.
Speed by Design
What’s the secret to this new powder? First it’s made differently than most other propellants. Most extruded powders have an external coating on the kernels that governs burn rate. With RL17, the burn regulating compound saturates the entire kernel — it’s not just on the outside. The practical effect is that RL17 is able to maintain a higher energy level for a longer time — the energy output does not fall off as steeply as other powders. The other factor is density. Reloder 17 has fairly small kernels so it packs very tightly compared to H4831sc. As a result you can fit more powder (by weight) into the case.
Accuracy Testing Comes Next
German will continue his testing with other calibers — as soon as we can get more RL17 from Alliant. German also plans to start accuracy testing next week. If RL17 can deliver accuracy to match its high velocities, it looks like it would be a very good choice for the 6-6.5×47 Lapua, 6XC, 243 Win, 6mm Remington, .284 Winchester, and 30-caliber cartridges with the big (185+ grain) bullets.
Limited reloading data is available currently, but Alliant has distributed a preliminary load data sheet with loads for a dozen popular calibers. CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD RELODER 17 DATA.
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July 19th, 2008
CDNN Investments is a large retailer that often acquires overstock inventories of rifles, shotguns, and pistols, as well as shooting accessories. You can often purchase brand new rifles for 50% to 70% of the original retail price. And this includes major brands such as Winchester, Browning, Walther, and Anschutz. CDNN’s latest catalog was recently released and it includes great deals on Complete FN (Winchester M70-type) barreled actions ($399.00, p. 26), Winchester M70s (p. 44), and Steyr Hunting rifles (p. 43). CLICK HERE to download the latest catalog. (NOTE: this is a large, 38.4 megabyte .pdf Acrobat file.)
Among the items featured in the current catalog are Russian match rimfires (including an Olympic-grade 22LR pistol), a sweet little Winchester 22LR “Wildcat” for just $159.99, and a wide selection of Winchester lever rifles and falling blocks.
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