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August 19th, 2008
Denver Instrument, maker of the MXX and Timberline Series of precision balances, has created a helpful guide explaining how to get the best performance from a digital scale. Denver Instrument knows that, to achieve and maintain a very high level of accuracy with digital scales, they must be calibrated regularly, leveled properly, and kept away from sources of interference. Unfortunately, some reloaders treat their electronic scales as if the machines were toasters — something to place on a tabletop, plug into an outlet, then “set and forget.” There’s a better way to set up your scale and keep it functioning optimally. Here are ten guidelines provided by Denver Instrument. Follow these “TEN Commandments” and you’ll benefit:
 10 COMMANDMENTS OF GOOD BALANCE USE
ONE: Thou shalt choose the best resting spot. The performance of your balance depends greatly on the surrounding environment. Choose a location away from the main traffic flow of the room, especially doors. Also be aware of heating and cooling vents as these produce air movement. You can adjust the environmental settings on your balance to provide the best performance in the chosen location. Balances must be placed away from magnets as they affect the weigh cell performance.
TWO: Thou shalt avoid vibrations. Vibrations can come from large machinery in production environments and from fume hoods in laboratories. An alternative to fume hoods are Power Safety Workstations which are designed specifically for use with a balance.
THREE: Thou shalt watch temperature changes. On an analytical balance a one degree temperature change can cause a 1 digit (0.0001g) drift. Although Denver balances have temperature correction built-in, it is still important to calibrate your balance when the temperature changes significantly. Choosing to place your balance in a temperature controlled room, away from sunlight, and calibrating often helps minimize the effects of temperature.
FOUR: Thou shalt calibrate often. Upon installation and each time the balance is moved you should calibrate your balance. For example moving an analytical balance to a location that is only 13 feet higher changes the weight reading from 200.0000 g to 199.9997 g; which means the result is 0.0003 g lighter than the actual mass.
FIVE: Remember to check the level. The instrument should be leveled upon installation with all feet (two front feet for round pan units, four feet for square pan units) touching the countertop. If the level changes, the balance should be re-leveled and recalibrated. As an example, a 200g sample would weigh 0.0025 g less when tilted at an angle of 0.3°.
SIX: Honor thy weights. Keep in mind that weights are only as reliable as their quality and certification. Remember, a 1 g does not weigh precisely 1.00000 grams. Weights should be recertified annually. Denver Instrument offers recertification services on all weights 1 mg to 5 kg. Check to make sure you have selected the proper weight class for your balance. The weight tolerance should be better than balance readability. Always use tweezers or gloves when handling weights as smudges and indentations change the value of the weight. Keep weights in cases so they don’t get scratched or dusty.
SEVEN: Thou shalt always use a small container and weigh in the center of the pan. Especially when using an analytical balance, the effects of air buoyancy increase as the sample container size increases. Using a small sample container will minimize the effects. Items placed on the pan provide a downward force. Placing them directly in the center of the pan keeps corner loading errors at a minimum.
EIGHT: Thou shalt not unplug. To perform within published specifications balances must have power applied for 30 minutes to 48 hours depending on the resolution of the balance. Denver balances have a standby mode which turn the display to standby but keep power cycling through the electronics.
NINE: Thou shalt not ignore static. Static is one of the most common weighing “noises”. It can cause reading to appear too high, too low or just be unstable. Denver balances include grounding methods to reduce the effects of static. However sometimes extra supplies are needed. Consider anti-static weigh dishes, anti-static brushes or low tech ways to increase the humidity of the chamber like placing damp cotton balls or glass wool in a small vial in the corner of the analytical draft shield.
TEN: Thou shalt clean often. Dirty weigh pans and powder in weighing chamber can contribute to static issues and lead to a wide variety of problems. Denver weigh pans are made from stainless steel and can be cleaned using a variety of household and laboratory chemicals. A small paint brush can be used to get power away from the edges of the draft shield for easy clean up.
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August 19th, 2008
Alliant Powder, a division of ATK, has issued the following safety notice concerning Alliant Blue Dot powder, a popular propellant for handgun loading:
Alliant offers a FREE detailed, 43-page Reloader’s Guide with recipes for shotgun, pistol, and rifle cartridges. This guide includes important safety instructions, plus reloading data for most popular cartridges. Unfortunately the guide does not yet include Alliant’s new Reloder 17 and the listed loads for centerfire rifles only include Speer bullets.
CLICK HERE to download ALLIANT RELOADER’S GUIDE (.pdf format).
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August 18th, 2008
Army Specialist K. C. Eusebio of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) edged out B. J. Norris to win his second Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting title in Piru, California. Eusebio finished with a record time of 79.16. K.C. first won the Steel Challenge while still in High School — an amazing performance for such a young shooter. K.C. has set speed-records for many of the Steel Challenge’s stages, including “Smoke & Hope” shown in the video. Eusebio’s win is the third time an Army Marksmanship Unit member has taken the title in the past four years. Staff Sergeant Max Michel took the title in 2005 and 2007. Below is exclusive video taken by AccurateShooter.com at the Steel Challenge on August 16.
CLICK HERE or on screen to WATCH VIDEO.
In the women’s division Kay Clark-Miculek took her seventh Women’s Steel Challenge title with a time of 105.85. Miculek now has twice as many titles as any other female shooter. In the Limited Category, Phil Strader of the US Shooting Academy’s 93.49 time was good enough to defeat 2006 World Champion JJ Racaza by just over 9 tenths of a second.
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August 18th, 2008
While covering the 2008 Steel Challenge, this editor tried a new style of shooter’s earplug, the 3-flange SmartFit™ from Howard Leight. First, let me say that I have, in recent years, always used the bullet-shaped soft foam earplugs because they offer the highest Noise Reduction Rating — up to 32 db NRR.
 But I am VERY impressed with the SmartFits. I want you guys to know that these are VERY different than other ridged plugs on the market. Some other brands use a stiff plastic that is downright painful. Not the SmartFits. These are made of a very soft, “conforming” polymer that is surprisingly comfortable. Simple body heat actually causes the advanced material to conform to the ear channel. For me, SmartFits were at least as comfortable as soft foam plugs. If you wet the SmartFits slightly, they slide in very easily. You don’t have to roll them up with your fingers. There is a half-inch-long stub on the outside of each plug. This makes it very easy to insert or remove the units. I can definitely pop these into my ears more quickly than with the foam plugs. And, using the little stub, they come out super-fast.
The set of SmartFit plugs I tried were fitted with a braided nylon connecting cord. The cord is plenty strong and doesn’t pull out like the stretchy rubber cords on some other sets of plugs. This is a sturdy connection appropriate to a product marketed as a “multiple-use” earplug.
Sound Rating — 25 db NRR, But They Seem Quieter
The Howard Leight SmartFits are only rated to 25 db NRR. That’s “middle of the pack” noise reduction — better than most muffs but not as good as some plugs. I can tell you, however, that these things really cut sound, and in the field they performed as well or better than some foam plugs with higher ratings. With both SmartFit plugs in my ears, gun noises were masked very effectively. And to my surprise, I really couldn’t talk with someone at all unless I removed at least one SmartFit plug. With some other ear plugs I’ve found you can still hear voices even with a plug in each ear. That tells me the “real world” effectiveness of the SmartFits may be higher than the rating suggests.
Bottom line: These SmartFits are comfortable, easy to insert/remove, sturdy, and they last a long time. The SmartFits can be cleaned easily with soap and water, and they can be purchased with a flip-top dispenser for secure storage. Great Product that really works. I now keep two sets of SmartFit plugs in my range kit. There are times when I’ll still use foam plugs, but for most situations I think the SmartFits are easier to use.
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August 17th, 2008
The IBS 100/200 yard Group Benchrest Nationals were held from August 11-16th at the Kelbly’s range in North Lawrence, Ohio. When the dust settled, Harley Baker, IBS 2007 Group Shooter of the Year, was the big winner, taking the Two-Gun, Three-Gun, and Four-Gun overall. Mark Buettgen, Gene Bukys, and Jack Neary also shot extremely well — these three shooters all finished in the top four in the multi-gun standings. Harley Baker triumphed over a field of roughly 150 shooters including benchrest Superstars Tony Boyer, Wayne Campbell, Joe Krupa, and Bart Sauter. Bill Goad won the Light Varmint Grand Agg, while Tony Boyer won the Heavy Varmint Grand. Ryan Kelbly was the top junior shooter.
Here are the top ten finishers in the multi-gun combined Aggregates:
| 2-Gun Overall |
3-Gun Overall |
4-Gun Overall |
1. HARLEY BAKER 0.2093
2. MARK BUETTGEN 0.2121
3. GENE BUKYS 0.2240
4. JACK NEARY 0.2253
5. BILL GOAD 0.2265
6. BOB SCARBROUGH 0.2286
7. TONY BOYER 0.2345
8. L. HOTTENSTEIN 0.2401
9. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2407
10. SMILEY HENSLEY 0.2418 |
1. HARLEY BAKER 0.2062
2. JACK NEARY 0.2230
3. MARK BUETTGEN 0.2258
4. GENE BUKYS 0.2280
5. SCOTT WATSON 0.2383
6. BOB SCARBROUGH 0.2392
7. L. HOTTENSTEIN 0.2409
8. BILL GOAD 0.2411
9. JOE KRUPA 0.2454
10. GEORGE WALDREP 0.2457 |
1. HARLEY BAKER 0.2245
2. JACK NEARY 0.2351
3. GENE BUKYS 0.2379
4. MARK BUETTGEN 0.2381
5. L. HOTTENSTEIN 0.2511
6. HARRY ROWALD 0.2532
7. JOE KRUPA 0.2551
8. BOB SCARBROUGH 0.2585
9. LARRY COSTA 0.2615
10. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2636 |
While the multi-gun Agg results were, not surprisingly, in the low twos, there was some spectacular shooting done at the match in specific events. At 100 yards, the top five shooters in BOTH the Light Varmint AND Heavy Varmint Class all posted “Teen Aggs”. This shows you the kind of accuracy these rifles (in the hands of ace shooters) can deliver:
| Light Varmint 100-yard Aggregate |
Heavy Varmint 100-yard Aggregate |
1. BILL GOAD 0.1614
2. GENE BUKYS 0.1686
3. PAT CANNING 0.1880
4. DAVE DOHRMAN 0.1894
5. BOB SCARBROUGH, JR. 0.1920 |
1. TONY BOYER 0.1552
2. LOWELL HOTTENSTEIN 0.1736
3. JOE KRUPA 0.1798 (tied)
3. SCOTT WATSON 0.1798 (tied)
5. GEORGE KELBLY, SR. 0.1872 |
Complete IBS 100/200 Nationals Match Results are posted on the IBS website. You can also download Target by Target Details as a .pdf file.
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August 16th, 2008
Breaking News: Pfc. Vincent Hancock, a USAMU shooter from Georgia, captured the Gold medal in men’s skeet-shooting, topping Norway’s Tore Brovold in a shoot-off to win the gold. Definitely check out the VIDEO below–you have to see how fast this kid is!!
CLICK HERE to Watch Vince Hancock’s Skeet Shooting. Click “Best Shots” for Quick Highlights.
Though just 19 years old, Hancock is a World Champion and current world record holder. Previously this summer he captured the Gold Medal in the Men’s Skeet event at the 2008 ISSF World Cup for Shotgun in Suhl, Germany, June 12. A prodigy of sorts, Hancock won his first ISSF World Championship at the ripe young age of 16, competing in Lonato, Italy.
Hancock’s fast reflexes and superb eyesight have put him at the top of the game in International Skeet shooting, a discipline that demands quick reactions. Hancock explains: “Compared to American, International’s targets travel 20 miles per hour faster at 60 miles per hour. After you yell, ‘Pull’, the targets can be released anywhere from immediately to three seconds later, keeping you on your toes. You have to hold your gun down, with the butt below a line on your vest and then mount after you call for the target. And three of the stations send out two targets; in American skeet you can have your gun mounted, and you don’t have any doubles.”
CLICK HERE for Shotgunning Tips from Vince Hancock
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August 16th, 2008
Today, Cooper Firearms hosts its annual One-Shot Competition. Originally conceived as a fun promotional contest to help Cooper find its niche with the shooting public, the One-Shot Competition has grown into a nationally-recognized event. Rifles must have Cooper actions and stocks made by Cooper or a recognized Cooper Arms vendor. The premise is straightforward. Shooters get one (1) shot at a dot the size of a pencil eraser at 150 yards. No sighters. No spotting scopes. The closest shooter wins the target to take home to put on his wall and a chance to compete for a new rifle.
One Shot at a Dot on an Oil Painting
What makes this competition unique is that the targets are placed on a collection of oil paintings! Eight shooters are assigned to each painting. Their eight names, and corresponding numbers (1-8), are written around the edge of the canvas. The target is a 1/4″ dot on a paper paster target that measures about 2 inches in diameter. One at a time, competitors take a shot at their paster. Shooters are judged by the bullet strike relative to this 2″ paster, not the symbolic target added to the painting as a reference point. The bullet hitting closest to the target’s center will win the painting. The top two shooters on each painting get a chance to compete for the grand prize, a wood-stocked Cooper TRP-3 rimfire benchrest rifle.
The one-shot competition carries a hefty $150.00 entry fee, but there is a 100% payout of the entry fee to the winners of each group shoot. The one-shot competition officially begins today, August 16, at 9:30 am. After lunch (catered by Cooper), the painting shoots commence. The final competition for the TRP-3 will begin around 3:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., Cooper’s all-you-can-eat and drink party (which is rightfully as famous as the competition itself) caps off the event.
Note: It’s too late to sign up for the 2008 event, but next year, if you own a Cooper, you might head up to Montana and join the Cooper folks for a one-of-a-kind competition.
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August 16th, 2008
There’s been some controversy surrounding the “ideal” 6mm bullet diameter. This is compounded by the fact that 6mm match barrels are available with both .236″ and .237″ land diameters. It has become quite clear to us that bullet diameter is an important variable to consider when choosing the best projectile for your particular barrel. Some barrels prefer “fat” bullets while other barrels prefer “skinny” bullets. There is solid evidence, for example, that skinny bullets like the 105gr Scenar may shoot best in a .236 barrel.
German Salazar recently measured a selection of 6mm bullets, recording bullet diameter, overall length (OAL), and bearing surface length. His results are interesting.
Salazar Measurements
| 6mm Bullet Brand |
Diameter |
OAL |
Bearing Surface |
| 105 Berger VLD |
0.2432″ |
1.237″ |
0.368″ |
| 105 Hornady AMAX |
0.2434″ |
1.230″ |
0.450″ |
| 105 Lapua Scenar |
0.2430″ |
1.252″ |
0.450″ |
| 107 Sierra MK |
0.2432″ |
1.227″ |
0.415″ |
| 108 Euber |
0.2428″ |
1.218″ |
0.490″ |
| 115 Berger VLD |
0.2431″ |
1.333″ |
0.414″ |
| 115 DTAC |
0.2436″ |
1.293″ |
0.480″ |
Some months ago, Jason Baney measured 12 different sets of 6mm Match Bullets, including a couple different lots of the same bullet design. Notice, some bullets measure a bit different, compared to German’s numbers — this may reflect lot variances and/or measuring methods. Interestingly, Jason did measure the “old” Berger 105 VLD, the “new” Berger 105 VLD (first lot from the new die), and the “new, improved” Berger 105 VLD from the new die, after it was polished. Ten (10) Bullets were measured per type. Each bullet was measured three times (3X) around the largest circumference, normally where a pressure ring would be located (some bullets have a pronounced pressure ring, others do not).
Baney Measurements
Download this CHART as an MS Word Document.
Columns one and two of the chart show the smallest and largest bullet diameters measured for each 10-bullet sample. The third column shows the extreme spread over each 10-bullet set. Note, these numbers are NOT averages, but represent the “low” and “high” diameters for each set. A Mitutoyo Micrometer was used, zero-checked for each bullet.
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August 16th, 2008
There has been much interest in Ultrasonic case cleaning. Here are two tips to achieve the best results:
De-gas the Solvent Before Adding Brass
One of our readers, Eddy M. in Glasgow, Scotland writes: “I have read a couple of articles recently about ultrasonic cleaning of cases and not one has mentioned de-gassing the cleaning liquid before starting to clean items. As an engineer who travelled around for ten years servicing ultrasonic tanks I would like to point out that the cleaning liquid when first put into the tank has invisible disolved air bubbles in it which will absorb ultrasonic energy until the liquid de-gasses. (10 minutes in a powerful industrial tank–longer in a small hobby tank). You must let the tank run on its own for 20 minutes on the first use of the liquid to allow this to happen. Only after the new liquid or re-introduced liquid has been de-gassed will the tank give good results.”
Apply Dry-Lube Inside Case Necks
Jason Baney has found that Ultrasonic cleaning leaves the inside of the case-necks so “squeaky clean” that there is excess friction when seating bullets. On a fired case that has been cleaned conventionally (no ultra-sound), a thin layer of carbon remains to lubricate the bullet entry and exit. To restore that lubricity in cases cleaned with ultrasound, Jason applies a dry lube to the inside of his case necks. Jason prefers the $10.95 moly dry lube kit from Neconos.com. With this kit, small carbon steel balls transfer moly to the neck when you place your brass nose-down in the container.
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August 15th, 2008
Grant, one of our Forum members from New Zealand, asked if there was a universal shell-holder that could hold cartridges securely for neck-turning, trimming, and case prep. He complained that the screwdriver-type case holder he was using didn’t center easily, was hard to tighten, and the case sometimes came loose during rotation. Another forum member agreed that he has experienced the same problems using a screwdriver-type case-holder.
This editor has found that a K&M screwdriver-type case holder CAN work securely if you tighten the locking mechanism tightly with the supplied wrench. But then you need the wrench again to get the case OUT. We were interested to see if there was a better solution that held the case securely, yet was easy to lock and unlock without tools.
Forum member Gunamonth provided a solution: “I use a Lee Zip Trim three-jaw case holder. With a little practice it centers the case quite nicely and holds just about anything. Chuck it in a cordless drill and have at it. It is much better than either the K&M or Sinclair [case-holder] in my opinion and the Zip Trim jaw is a lot cheaper (about $12.00). To use with power, you also need the Zip Trim three-jaw spindle, which is another $2.00.”
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August 15th, 2008
USA F-Class Team Member Larry Bartholome reminds us that two major F-Class Championships are coming up soon. Larry notes: “Both matches will be large events with many international class shooters in attendance. You can learn a great deal from these people and gain bragging rights if you beat them. I hope to see you at both events.”
The first major event is the 2nd U.S. F-Class Fullbore Nationals which will take place in conjunction with the 7th SOA/2nd U.S. Fullbore Prone Championships. This match will be held September 7-13, 2008 at the Whittington Center in Raton, NM. With up to 100 target frames available the match is not likely to be over-subscribed.
CLICK HERE to download SOA/Fullbore Championships Match Program (.pdf file).
Two weeks after the event in Raton, the Fifth Annual U.S. F-Class Nationals will be held in Lodi, Wisconsin on October 1-4, 2008. Entries for this match have been maxed out for quite sometime, with 140 people signed up and a waiting list in case the gas prices get too high for some. However, it’s not too late to get on the waiting list.
CLICK HERE for 5th Annual F-Class Nationals Program (.pdf file).
F-Class Open Rifles
The Open Division of F-Class shoots scoped match rifles from the ground. Either front rest or bipod is allowed. There is no restriction on calibers, and 6mms, 6.5mms, and 7mm chamberings are all popular. The USA F-Class Open Rifle team all uses 6.5-284 rifles at this time. Shown below is Team member Brett Solomon’s gun. Photos courtesy USFClass.com.
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August 14th, 2008
Michigan’s Ted Webster, a High Master F-Class shooter, has come up with a new bipod design. Ted’s beefy, 1.75-lb bipod, with 3″-wide feet, looks like it has many advantages over a conventional Harris-style bipod for F-Class comps. Though we haven’t had a chance to test the unit first-hand, photos show the Webster bipod to have much heavier construction than a Harris and we like the large, user-friendly knobs for adjusting height and swivel angle. The “Webster” bipod is available for $175.00. Email sapper299 [at] hotmail.com for more information.
Forum member Sapper299 (Dan Webster in KY) reports: “I have been using the new bipod. It has proven to be very stable and does not move out of position when the rifle is fired like the Harris does. It is easily adjusted while in position for height, and the 3”-diameter feet rotate freely, allowing you to adjust the rifle to a level position. Height adjustments are more than adequate for just about any firing point. I used it with a mounting system for the standard Anschutz rail, but it is mountable to any forearm style. The lock-up on the forearm was very tight and I just left the mounting stud on the rifle and removed the bipod itself by loosening the locking knob.”
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