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July 11th, 2008
A new, high-end spotting scope with dual, binocular-style eyepieces is being offered by John Rigby & Co., of Paso Robles, California. Early examples have exhibited exceptional optical quality and resolution. The dual eyepieces reduce eyestrain and improve perceived brightness and contrast. Along with delivering better effective resolution, the twin-eyepiece system is much less fatiguing. The military has long known that viewers can resolve small objects at long range much easier with binoculars vs. single-eyepiece spotters. Attend a big 1000-yard match, such as the Williamsport World Open, and you’ll see many custom scope brackets that mount a pair of single-eyepiece spotting scopes together. Those guys wouldn’t go to the trouble and expense of mounting twin scopes if it didn’t provide a better view.
This scope has a huge 120 mm objective lens, 20% bigger than any major-brand spotting scope on the market. Robert Whitley has been testing a Rigby Binocular Spotter. He reports: “The optics on this scope are incredible. The other evening I set the scope up on a deck at my home and amazed myself watching ants climbing up and down the bark on the trunk of a tree about 150 yards away — very clear and sharp image resolution for sure. There is no question this is an exceptional piece of equipment. Nothing like older eyes to give one an appreciation of great optics.”
The scope itself comes with a high-quality hard case and two matched eyepieces. Available power levels are 20x (30mm) and 30x (21mm). Higher magnification eyepieces are under development. The head containing the two eyepieces rotates on the scope body, allowing viewing from a variety of angles. These Rigby Binocular spotting scopes will be sold directly to the customers. Pricing is subject to change, but the builders expect the unit to retail for $1799.00 including twin eyepieces. For more info, visit JohnRigbyandCo.com or call 1 + (805) 227-4236, ask for Geoff Miller.
July 11th, 2008
Robert Whitley has developed the very accurate “6mmAR” cartridge based on Lapua 6.5 Grendel brass necked down to 6mm. This round is optimized for the AR15 platform, and provides excellent performance with 105-108gr bullets, with ballistics that beat both the .223 Rem and the 6.5 Grendel.
Not content with the success of the plain 6mmAR, Robert has created a new wildcat, the “6mmAR Turbo”. By moving the shoulder forward (while retaining its 30° angle), Robert has designed a case that delivers more velocity: 2850-2900 fps with 105-grainers.
In driving the 105s to 2900 fps, the Turbo rivals the performance of the larger 6mmBR cartridge, in a round better suited for the AR platform, with less bolt thrust and better feeding from the magazine.
Jerry Tierney (2008 NBRSA 600-yard Champion) recently started testing his own Whitley-built 6mmAR Turbo upper. He tells us: “This round is impressive. I am getting 6BR velocities with Berger 105s — no question. And the accuracy is there. Case forming is easy. Since you start with the 6.5 Grendel you just neck down with a die set short, and you have a false shoulder that provides a perfect ‘crush fit’ in the chamber. Bottom line it works. Really well. This thing gives the AR15 long-range bolt-gun performance. I hope the military is paying attention.”
Whitley explains: “The Turbo definitely has a good bit more speed than the 6mmAR. For a guy wanting to shoot plain bullets out of an AR-15, it appears somewhere between 2850-2900 fps for a bullets like the Berger 105 VLD is a realistic number. With moly bullets, probably a bit more is possible. For the chrono work, all bullets were plain (no moly) and I pushed it to see where was a realistic upper end. I think about 2900 fps with naked 105 Bergers is a ‘practical max’.”
July 11th, 2008
The website for the U.S. F-Class Open Team has been completed revamped and updated. It now includes many new features, including a “Gallery of Guns”, F-Class FAQ, and a summary of F-Class Rules. Team bios will be added in the fall after the final team selection is made for the 2008 World Championships. The next F-Class World Championship will be held in Bisley, England in July, 2009. This is a true international event that has numerous countries from all over the world with close to 350 shooters participating.
Current Team Officers are: Bob Bock, Team Captain; Shiraz Balolia, Vice Captain; and Roger Whitney, Adjutant. The team is coached by some of the best wind gurus in the business: SSGT Emil Praslick (Head Coach), Bob Mead, Mid Tompkins, and Nancy Tompkins.
The U.S. F-Class Team competes in Open Class, using rifles up to 22 pounds with benchrest-style front rests. The other class shot at F-Class matches is F-TR, which stands for F-Class “Target Rifle”. F-TR is limited to .223 or .308 calibers, and is normally shot prone with bipod support.
F-Open
Caliber limit of .35 and under.
Rifle weight of 10 kg (approx. 22 lbs.)
Adjustable front rest and rear bag allowed.
Rail guns not allowed.
3″ wide fore-end (max).
F-T/R
Caliber limited to .223 or .308 (unmodified).
Sling and/or bipod allowed.
Rifle weight limit of 8.25 kg (approx. 18.18 lbs)
July 10th, 2008
This weekend marks the highlight of the season for Pennsylvania 1000-yard shooters. The Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club hosts the 2008 Williamsport World Open, July 12-13. Many of the nation’s top long-range shooters will vie for honors and valuable prizes. While the World Open runs Saturday and Sunday, it’s not too late to sign up. The deadline for entry is July 11th (Friday) at 7:00 PM eastern time. CLICK HERE for complete World Open information.
Ten Shots in 4.046″ at 1000
To give you an idea of the the level of accuracy Williamsport shooters can achieve, here is a 4.046″ ten-shot group recently shot by Scott Leitner with his 6-6.5×47 Light Gun. This is a new PA Club Light Gun Group Record, and it is the smallest 10-shot group shot this year in either Light OR Heavy Class, so this is quite an accomplishment.
Rifle and Load Specs
Leitner’s gun features a glue-in Panda action, an 8-twist Broughton 5C barrel chambered in 6-6.5×47 Lapua with a .269″ neck, and a Nightforce NSX 12-42×56 scope. The load consists of Sierra 107gr MKs pushed by 39.7 grains of Hodgdon H4350 and Federal 205M primers. Muzzle velocity for the 107s with this load is 3025 FPS.
July 10th, 2008
Here’s a nice do-it-yourself project for the summer. Simpson, maker of Strong-Tie fasteners, offers FREE Workbench Plans for a sturdy, 48″-wide bench with a pegboard backing and both upper and lower shelves. A complete list of fasteners and cut lengths is provided. For use as a loading bench with mounted presses, you can double-up the bench-top for extra ridigity. Without much difficulty, the plans can be adapted to build a wider bench if you prefer.
The same downloadable document also contains plans for an 80″-high 6-shelf unit, a 72″-high heavy-duty shelving unit (with 4 shelves), and a 48″-wide heavy-duty table.
July 9th, 2008
As we reported some days ago in the Daily Bulletin, Berger Bullets is rolling out a line-up of tangent-ogive, non-VLD “thick jacket” bullets. These are designed to work more reliably on extended shot strings with hot barrels. In addition, the bullet shape should be less sensitive to seating depth than secant-ogive VLD designs. Berger’s Eric Stecker reports: “So far we have made ONLY the 6.5mm and 7mm in the THICK jacket configuration. Remember that the THICK jacket is meant to eliminate or significantly reduce bullet failures. The standard bullets still perform very well. We will soon be making THICK jacket bullet is 22 cal, 6mm and 30 cal. When these bullets are available we will be posting the news on this forum.”
Larry Bartholome, past captain of the U.S. F-Class Team, has tested the 6.5mm thick-jacket 140s. Larry is impressed: “I have been shooting two different lots of 6.5mm 140gr thick-jacket Bergers and they are, if anything, more accurate than the thin-jacketed ones were/are. I have shot Lot 235 and Lot 1231. I used Lot 1231 in the Lodi Midwest Palma Championships shooting F-Class. It would be hard to ask for a better bullet. I don’t think I had a bullet out for elevation (10” Ten-ring) out of 340 record shots I fired all week.” [Note: These are VLD-style bullets Bartholome is using, not the tangent-ogive 140s.]
July 9th, 2008
Even in today’s digital age, many reloaders prefer the simplicity and reliabilty of a balance scale for weighing powder charges. In this Bulletin, we reported that our own PACT digital scale suffers from fluctuating read-outs. The weight reading drifted up to 0.3 grains in less than an hour. (PACT Story). LTRDavid has come up with a clever upgrade to an O’Haus-type scale that makes the weighing process easier for those of us with old eyeballs. He simply mounts a magnifying glass in front of the balance marker, using two clamps.
Pretty ingenious wouldn’t you say? We wonder why the scale-makers didn’t offer a small magnifier as a factory option long ago. For more smart reloading tips, check out David’s website, LTRDavid.net.
When working with balance beam scales, be sure you have the device leveled. Even a small amount of tilt will throw off the measurement. We’ve seen folks who keep their scale on a shelf or storage area, and then take it out for use. That’s fine, but remember than your loading bench may not be uniformly level on all sections. Unless you put the scale in exactly the same place on the bench every time (at the same angle), you may have to re-set the level. Likewise, if you take the scale to a range, be sure to re-level it to your new working surface. And remember that is it just as important to level the scale front to back as left to right. Most scales have a leveling adjustment, but that will only level the scale left to right. If your bench has a bad front to back slant, you may have to build a corrective base for your scale.
July 8th, 2008
At our request, 2008 IBS 600-yard National Champion Samuel Hall has prepared a 9-minute VIDEO showing his techniques for shooting from the bench. Sam covers a number of topics including bag set-up, body position, bolt manipulation, and loading skills. He also explains the importance of having a relaxed, comfortable posture and keeping your head in the same position shot to shot.
CLICK HERE to watch SAM HALL VIDEO
If you’re serious about accurate benchrest shooting, at ANY distance, you should watch this video. Sam’s tips can really help you. We guarantee it. While the video itself is grainy and wind noise affects the audio, you can still glean many great points from the video. From minute 8:00 on Sam shoots a 5-shot string on camera with his BAT-actioned, Leonard-stocked 6BR. Though he was fighting blustery, 20-mph winds Sam achieves a half-inch group at 200 yards. Quarter-MOA in such conditions is good shooting.
July 8th, 2008
 The RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 has been our top-rated electronic powder dispenser. It is very popular with precision centerfire rifle reloaders who benefit from weighing every charge. It’s a very versatile tool that can make your reloading much more efficient.
MidwayUSA has slashed the price on the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Powder Scale and Dispenser Combo, item 772151. The selling price is now just $272.46, marked down from $309.99. That’s a $38 savings.
Is the Unit Worth Buying?
Most RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 owners have been very happy with the devices. If you click the “Reviews” Tab on MidwayUSA’s ChargeMaster Page, you can read 87 reviews. The vast majority of the reviews are five stars. However, as with all electronic products, a small number of ChargeMasters have required repair or replacement. We do think RCBS now has most of the bugs worked out, and they are generally quite reliable (provided incoming voltage is uniform and the device is leveled properly.)
The units we tested showed excellent dispensing accuracy, delivering the desired charge within + or – 0.1 grain, 48 out of 50 times with H4350. (Weights were confirmed with a high-end digital laboratory scale.) The ChargeMaster works especially well for long, extruded powders, which are favored by long-range shooters. You can also speed the dispensing process by starting out with a scoop of powder on the pan (below your desired weight), and letting the ChargeMaster “top off” the charge.
ChargeMaster VIDEO
CLICK HERE to watch an excellent short video demonstrating the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 in action. It shows how to calibrate the machine, how to weigh powder, and how to remove powder when you’re done.
July 7th, 2008
Yes, it’s July again, and that means it is time for the National Shooting Championships at Camp Perry. The events kick off tomorrow with the start of the 5-day Pistol competition.
The NRA National Outdoor Rifle & Pistol Championships are fired at Camp Perry, OH, during July and August. Firing dates for 2008: Pistol – July 8-12; Smallbore 3-Position – July 16-19; Smallbore Prone – July 20-24; High Power Rifle – Aug 4-8; High Power Long Range – Aug 9-13.
If you wish to compete at Camp Perry in an event held later this summer, you can apply via the Camp Perry Online Entry Page. Complete competition results are updated regularly on the NRA website.
CLICK HERE for Camp Perry Match Results.
There are some key changes at Camp Perry this year:
1. Big money is at stake. Over $200,000 in cash/gift card prizes will be awarded. The cash prizes or Visa award cards replace award points in the Grand Aggregate Championships.
2. A Team Match has been added to the Long-Range High Power segment of competition (August 4-8). Four-person teams will compete using a Palma Course of Fire. This was a popular addition — the Team Match roster is already full.
3. A new target will be used for 3-position shooters in the National Smallbore Rifle Championships.
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