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July 16th, 2008
Ace 600-yard shooter Terry Brady has been testing a box-stock, factory Savage 6BR F-Class rifle for AccurateShooter.com. This gun features a 30″, 8-twist barrel (0.100″ freebore), Savage Target Action, and heavy, laminated stock with 3″-wide fore-end. We know you guys have been eagerly awaiting the accuracy results. We’ll let the targets speak for themselves. Bottom Line: the Savage 6BR shoots… like a house on fire.
Savage Shoots under 1/2″ at 200 Yards
With Terry’s handloads (Norma 203B powder, CCI 450s, Berger 105s loaded .010″ into lands), the Savage produced three-shot groups well under 1/2″ at 200 yards. That’s right, TWO hundred. Measuring off Terry’s photos, using our target measurement software, one of the 200-yard groups was a measured .350″ or 0.167 MOA.
Orange target dots are 1″ diameter. Top row are 3-shot groups, center row (with 90gr factory ammo) are 5-shot groups.
Impressive Bugholes at 100 yards
At 100 yards, Terry had one 5-shot group with the Berger 105gr Match (non-VLD) that measured 0.140″ with our target measurement software. Measuring with calipers, Terry said this group was 0.279″ outside edge to outside edge. It’s interesting that Norma 203B shot tighter in this rifle than did Varget, as you can see.
Orange target dots are 1″ diameter.
Half-MOA or better with Lapua Factory Ammo at 300 Yards
The Savage 6BR also shot exceptionally well with Lapua factory ammo of two types, one loaded with 90gr BT Scenars, the other loaded with 105gr BT Scenars. Because Terry had a limited amount of factory ammo, at 300 yards, he shot three-shot groups. The 90gr ammo shot 1.490″ or about 1/2 MOA, while the 105gr ammo shot .780″, about 1/4 MOA. For comparison sake, Terry’s handloads (Berger 105s, 30.5 RL15) put FIVE shots in 0.650″ at 300 yards.
Complete Report Will Follow
We will provide a complete feature article on this rifle in the weeks ahead. That will include load data, more accuracy testing results, and Terry’s comments about the rifle. If someone in North Carolina can help Terry with a video camera, we’ll add video to the story.
So far Brady has been very impressed with the Savage overall, but he had two minor criticisms. First, he felt the Accutrigger spring weight is a bit too heavy, and second, he noted that the 1″-wide flat on the bottom of the stock at the rear is too wide for most bags: “It didn’t track well with my bag. I had to really hold the gun. Ideally you’ll want a bag with wider ear spacing.”
Overall, Terry gives the Savage an “A” grade: “For an out-of-the-box bench gun, it is well worth the money! I would recommend it to any shooter.”
July 16th, 2008
 The U.S. Army has awarded Bushnell Outdoor Products a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract for a special military version of the Elite® 1500 Laser Rangefinder. Bushnell will begin shipping the units in August 2008. According to Bushnell’s Director of Military Sales, the Army was impressed with the Elite 1500’s multiple targeting modes and rugged, waterproof construction.
The Elite 1500 is capable of ranging distances from 5 to 1,600 yards, though in our own tests, maximum effective range on deer-sized objects is about 700 yards. The elite has a 7-power, 26mm objective, with a special twist-up eyepiece that’s handy for eyeglass wearers. The eyepiece also boasts a +/- 2 diopter, a very good feature not found on some other rangefinders.
In addition to the standard ranging mode with automatic scan, users can select from the BullsEye™ or Brush™ modes for more precise ranging to targets. In the BullsEye mode, it’s easy to acquire smaller targets and game because if more than one object is acquired by the laser, only the closer of the two objects is displayed on the internal LCD. While using the Brush mode, closer objects tree branches are ignored so that the distance to background objects are displayed. The Bushnell also offers Angle-Range Compensation (ARC) in one of its civilian 1500 models. It’s unknown whether the military version will have this feature.
Rangefinder Comparison Review
AccurateShooter.com has an extensive multi-product Rangefinder Comparison Review. Before choosing a Laser Rangefinder (LRF) you should read that article. It compares the Bushnell Elite 1500 to LRFs from Leica, Leupold, Nikon, and Swarovski. In our comparison test, the Elite 1500 was praised for its speed, its diopter eyepiece, and its waterproof housing with Rainguard® lens coatings. Users said the “Brush” setting worked well, filtering out “false returns” from short range. On the downside, Bushnell’s beam divergence is greater than Swaro or Leica, so long-range performance suffers. Bushnell’s own Product Description describes its ranging performance as: “Reflective–1600 yards; Tree–1000 yards, Deer–500 yards, Flag–400 yards”. The optics are a grade below Swaro, Leica, and Nikon, and retailers have reported higher rate of return (10+%) than other brands.
July 15th, 2008
Champion shooter Jerry Miculek is widely acknowledged as the finest competitive revolver shooter in the world. His exploits with Smith & Wesson wheelguns are legendary. Jerry has competed against talented semi-auto shooters and beat them straight-up on a timed, speed-shooting course, including multiple reloads. When it comes to revolver shooting, if you want to learn from a true master, Miculek is the man.
CLICK HERE to watch MICULEK VIDEOS
Jerry “stars” in an excellent series of videos that cover all important aspects of Wheelgun Shooting: Revolver Grip, Reloading, Trigger Control, The Draw, Stance, and Target Acquisition. These six video clips are presented together on a dedicated page, so you can watch them all in sequence. We’re sure you’ll want to stop and “rewind” at points though. Jerry gives very clear and effective instructions, but he can shoot so fast, you’ll sometimes want to re-play his demos. A high-speed internet connection is recommended.
You can also read transcripts of Jerry’s Video lessons on the Shooting USA website. There are six separate web pages, each dedicated to a particular topic: Reloading, Grip, Draw, Stance, Target Acquisition, and Trigger Control. Each page features multiple photos accompanied by Miculek’s specific shooting tips.
July 15th, 2008
This is Nosler’s 60th Year in business. To celebrate six decades in the shooting industry, each month Nosler is offering a special promotion. This July Nosler is offering FREE shipping on all products orders totaling $75.00 or more (with the exception of gun safes and firearms). This applies to direct orders through the Nosler Online Store.
You’ll find that Nosler’s direct-from-manufacturer bullet prices are competitive with other premium bullets sold by major retailers. Here are a few examples of the current Nosler Store prices:
| 20 Cal. 40gr Ballistic Tip |
100 ct. |
$19.95 |
| 22 Cal. 50gr Ballistic Tip |
100 ct. |
$19.95 |
| 22 Cal. 80gr HPBT match |
100 ct. |
$19.95 |
| 6mm 80gr Ballistic Tip |
100 ct. |
$22.95 |
| 6.5mm 140gr HPBT match |
100 ct. |
$21.95 |
| 7mm 140gr Spitzer Ballistic Tip |
50 ct. |
$16.95 (for 50) |
| 30 Cal. 155gr HPBT match |
100 ct. |
$23.95 |
July 14th, 2008
It’s the middle of summer. Temps are hot and the sun is intense. Skin cancer is a very real risk for those who spend a lot of time in the sun. You should wear a hat that provides sun protection for your ears and the back of your neck. That means something with better coverage than the ordinary baseball cap. Cabela’s offers three mesh-top hats that provide excellent sun protection, with good ventilation. Mesh panels in the crown provide cooling airflow.
River Guide® Canvas Breezer Hat — $29.95
This is a great hat with a nice wide brim that offers superior sun protection. The River Guide hat looks good and holds its shape well, even after extended use. Vent panels extend all the way around the crown, with solid material on top.
Cabela’s buyers loved this hat:
“Purchased quite a few wide-brimmed hats in the last few years due to experiencing skin cancer. This one is a quality product, well constructed, with a brim size wide enough to keep the sun off your face, but not so wide that it would be cumbersome moving through the woods. The brown hat is an appropriate color for hunting as it blends well in the woods.” — FranF, Pocono Mtns.
“I took my family and a friend’s family on the Colorado River for a three-day river rafting trip. I only had baseball caps to wear. After the first day, my ears, neck, and cheeks were toast. My buddy kindly loaned me his Cabela’s River Guide hat for the next two days – it was GREAT! I stayed cool and kept the sun off of all the areas my cap couldn’t.” –Gilpin, CO
“This headgear has proven to be exceptional quality and value [and is] currently proving its worth on a farm [in] Zambia. Excellent through the last of the rains… and is now keeping the sun and the dust away from a what was formerly a hot-headed farmer. The hat [is] very light-fitting, sits easily, and stays put, even in open vehicles.” — Adfather, Zambia
Packable Yellowstone Breezer Hat — $29.95
Cabela’s Yellowstone Breezer Hat (item IJ-951344) is a comfortable design, very popular with backpackers, beach-goers, and anglers. The specially-treated fabric offers oustanding sun protection, with a UPF 50+ factor.
This hat is lighter and softer than the River Guide hat, but the brim still holds its shape in the wind. This is a great all-around summer hat that combines light weight with superior sun protection.
“This is the perfect packable hat. Can shove it in a suitcase or wear it and be able to lean back and sleep on a plane. Excellent sun blocking material and a nice wide brim. It is so light you forget you have it on your head which is great if you need the sun protection. Great hat!” — P. Dalton, California
“Extremely good vented hat for the hot, dry California weather.” — C.A., California
Cabela’s Mesh Boonie Hat — Just $5.88
This mesh-top is a great bargain at $5.88 (on sale, item OG-942503). Very light-weight, it can easily be rolled and packed. It doesn’t provide as much sun-protection as the wider-brimmed hats shown above, but then it’s one-fifth the price!
This is a “one size fits most” design, so if you have a very small or very large hat size, you may want to try a different design. Otherwise, it’s a great value. One Cabela’s purchaser, in Sydney, reports: “[This hat offers] Good ventilation for a hot Australian summer. The brim could be wider, but easy to pack and carry.”
July 14th, 2008
 Are you re-barreling a BR rifle and need to know if you will still make weight? Or perhaps you are trying to select the right contour to hit an optimal carry weight for a new varmint rifle? Dan Lilja offers FREE software that will calculate barrel weight for straight contour, straight taper, and radius-tapered barrels. Dan’s software even calculates how fluting alters barrel weight.
For general info on barrel weight calculation for straight and straight tapers, read this article on Lilja’s website. Click HERE for another article explaining weight calculation with barrels that have a radiused (curved) contour section.
Here are the free software programs offered by Dan Lilja. Right click and “Save As”:
Straight Contour (.exe file) | Straight Contour (Excel file)
Contoured Barrels with Radius (Excel file)
July 14th, 2008
 Site Contributor Danny Reever has tested the bargain-priced PRVI Partizan .223 factory ammo in his 7-twist Sig 556 and AR15. He gives it a definite “thumbs-up”. Danny reports: “You should try some of the Prvi Partizan 75gr Match ammo. I was really surprised. This stuff shoots great. At 100 yards it delivered one MOA, easy, with my Sig 556. With a custom match rifle it might do even better. This is great ammo for the price, with quality brass, all boxer-primed and reloadable.”
200 rounds for $85.00 at Wideners
Wideners.com recently received large supplies of the Prvi Partizan 75gr .223 Match ammo. “This ammo is just off the boat! Brand new 2008 production that we received last week after clearing US Customs on July 2nd.” Price is $85.00 for 200 rounds (10 x 20-ct boxes), or $419.00 for 1000 rounds. The 1000-round price works out to $8.38 per 20 rounds.
Other companies have the same ammo, but it is priced higher right now. Aim Surplus has the ammo at $89.50/200 rounds, while Grafs.com is selling it for $10.99/box (shipping included, item PPA223MATCH).
Stan Widener tested the ammo and reports: “After firing, the brass was very clean and there was very little residue on the bolt carrier. Very clean powder. The ammo is made with MILAN BLAGOJEVIC powder and GINEX primers. There were no failures or misfeeds of any kind. All rounds functioned perfectly. The cases are very bright and shiny with military anneal mark.” An 8-twist or faster barrel is recommended for this 75gr Prvi Partizan ammo.
July 13th, 2008
Nikon Sport Optics now has a patent on its BDC (Bullet-Drop Compensating) reticle design. While many other, previous reticle designs have featured multiple hold-over points, Nikon managed to convince the United States Patent Office that its BDC reticle design is indeed new and different. Nikon’s BDC reticle is now officially protected by U.S. patent number D530,776.
Nikon’s BDC reticle features a conventional medium plex crosshair augmented by four hollow circles placed below center on the verticle line. The small circles provide additional aiming points corresponding to Point of Impact at different distances. This way, the theory goes, a hunter can easily move from one distance to another without the need to click different elevations with his scope turrets.
The standard Nikon BDC is designed to be used with most standard centerfire cartridges with typical bullet weights, providing aiming points out to 500 yards with a 100-yard sight-in. With magnum cartridges and typical bullet weights, the same scopes with BDC reticles offer aiming points out to 600 yards with a 200-yard sight-in.
BDC Concept is Good, But Reticle Needs Work
Our FORUM members recently debated the merits of the Nikon BDC reticle. Opinions were mixed. The Nikon is a reliable scope, and is priced attractively, but some users noted that the reticle is too thick for its intended use.
Fireball10X reports: “I have the 6-18×40 Buckmaster with the BDC and I like the scope but the crosshairs are thick and I don’t use the BDC. I dial my shots….”
Bhoges adds: “My buddy had the 5-16×44 w/BDC and [the reticle] is too large. When we hunt chucks it blocks out the targets. It would be useless on Prairie Dogs.”
JB77 concurs: “I have one on a 7-08 used for deer hunting, I would think that the reticle is a little heavy for anything but close up work on varmints.”
On the other hand, Cheaptrick says the BDC reticle works fine on Prarie Dog-size objects out to 300 yards, and he has the target to prove it: “I’m not a prairie dog hunter, but I used a Nikon Monarch with a BDC reticle on small targets (prairie dog size) out to 300 yards with my factory .308 fairly proficiently.”
July 13th, 2008
 To help our FORUM members make informed buying decisions, we have launched a list of reliable sellers, based on actual purchaser feedback. The “Good Guys” are those who describe their products accurately and who pack carefully and ship in a timely fashion. “Good Guys” also take the time to answer buyers’ questions, and stand behind what they sell. While we don’t require that sellers insure their wares, we think it’s a good idea for sellers to insure items valued $300.00+, and include the cost of insurance in their sale price.
Posting “Good Guy” Reports
If you had a good experience using the FORUM Classifieds and can recommend a Good Guy seller, post your report in THIS FORUM THREAD. The Moderator will then add your recommendations to the list in the first post of the thread.
Positive Good Guy Reports:
(This is just for starters. The list will grow as more user feedback is received.)
A – K
+2 Barry (BlueEyedBear)
+1 Cheechako
+1 Dean253
+1 DocEd
+1 EdwinD
+2 Eggman
+1 farmer
+1 flatlander
+1 George
+1 Gun-A-Month
+1 jb1000BR (Jason B) |
L – Z
+1 Larry D scott
+1 lynn
+2 Preacher
+1 rayjay
+1 RJinTexas
+1 Roy Darnell
+1 SavageGuy
+1 voldoc |
July 12th, 2008
Youth triumphed over age and experience at the 2008 NRA Smallbore Silhouette Championships, conducted last week at the at the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, Pennsylvania.
Mark Pharr (left) with NRA Champion Agustin Sanchez (right)
Agustin Sanchez, a 24-year-old Shooter from Baja, Mexico topped the field in both Hunter Class and Standard Rifle Class. Sanchez was on fire during the match, setting new NRA Match records in both classes. The young ace from Baja tallied an amazing 116 out of 120 in Standard Rifle and 115 out of 120 in the Hunter Rifle. Sanchez was using Lapua’s new Midas+ rimfire ammunition for all of his matches.
 Rimfire Silhouette is an extremely challenging sport. All shooting is done offhand from the standing position. Small targets are placed as far as 100 meters. At that distance, the wind has a huge effect on bullet flight. Typically, chicken targets are placed at 40 meters (43.7 yards), javalina targets at 60 meters (65.6 yards), turkey targets at 77 meters (84.2 yards), and ram targets at 100 meters (109.4 yards).
Two classes of rifles are used in Rimfire Silhouette: Standard and Hunter Class. Standard rifles can weigh up to 10 pounds, 2 oz. (with sights) and have no restriction on trigger pull weight. The fore-end shall not exceed 2 1/4″ wide, and 2 1/4″ deep measured from the centerline of the bore. Hunter Class rifles must have a more conventional “sporter-style” stock, typically with a narrow fore-end. A high comb is used to provide a good cheek weld. Hunter Class Rifles are limited to 8.5 pounds (with scope), and the trigger pull weight shall not be less than 2 pounds. No bull barrels are allowed — you must use a conventional tapered hunting barrel. Many top silhouette shooters like Mark Pharr will shoot the lighter Hunter rifle in both classes, as accurized Hunter Class guns can be competitive even against the heavier guns.
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