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October 27th, 2008
The ‘Bargain Cave’ at Cabelas.com offers quality products at deep discounts. It’s not uncommon to find items marked 50% off. We recently found two items of hunting gear deeply discounted, yet they both received consistently high ratings from Cabela’s customers.
 Cabela’s Upland Tradition Vest is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars by 45 Cabela’s customers. It is on sale for $29.99, marked down from $49.99. This vest has some very nice features, including lined, handwarmer pockets and a Tri-Load™ game bag that loads easily from the front, side or back. The large front cargo pockets have loops for shot-shells. Here are two comments from buyers:
“Great value and all the snaps, clips, zippers are hidden-which protects your favorite firearm.” –Happ, NJ
“Very good vest for the money. The pockets are nice sized and placed well. The back game pocket is the best I’ve used. I also like the two waterproof pockets (lined with same fabric as inside back game pocket). Hand warmer pockets are lined for insulation. Well thought out. Have tried vests for over twice the price that weren’t as good. Vest carries loads well. No complaints at all. If I lose this vest, I’ll replace it with same.” –JM, MI Upper Peninsula
 The Activ-Lite™ Upland Blaze Jacket is rated 4.5 out of 5 Stars by 59 Cabela’s customers. It is marked down to $49.95 from $79.95. This is a good jacket to wear under a shooting vest. It features warm, but lightweight fleece, a wind-blocking lining, and a tough shell that sheds burs. Owners report:
“The jacket is like adding another layer of skin. It is flexible & light and non-binding in the shoulders & sleeves. The jacket is an excellent wind barrier and makes a great outer garment on a cold dry day.” –Kent, WA Elk Hunter
“Love this coat.. [it] is warm, windproof, & comfortable. It is quiet when going thru brush and grass. Colored to meet hunting guidlines. My wife tries to steal it from me when we are bird hunting. Good value for the price.” –DZ from New Mexico
Editor’s Note: Cabela’s has agreed to donate a small percentage of sales proceeds to help support this site. In order for sales to count, please navigate to Cabelas.com via the link below.
October 26th, 2008
Can a rifle built on a Savage target action be “big-league” competitive? Apparently so. Forum member Nat Lambeth (aka “Rustystud”) reports that Jeff Saunders shot a 200 with 14 Xs at 600 yards last Saturday at an F-Class Match in Camp Butner, NC. This is one “X” off the National Record (200-15X) on the new F-Class target, and topped the 600-yard F-Open record (200-13X) set by Charles Ballard. Jeff was shooting a Savage target action with a 31″ Broughton 1:8″, 5C barrel chambered in 6mmBRX, in a modified Stockade stock topped with a 12-42×56 Nightforce scope. Jeff is a relatively new shooter and is learning the art of reading the wind. Jeff shot five shots in a row into a 1.75″ spotter before hitting the spindel and destroying the spotter.
Now matter what you’re shooting (even a railgun with a $1300 action in a barrel block), five shots into 1.75″ at 600 yards is impressive. To do it with a $450.00 Savage action is even more impressive. These actions, which have three (3) action screws and come complete with AccuTrigger, can be purchased from a number of vendors, including Bruno Shooters Supply. An FFL is required to receive the action. Bruno’s list these items in inventory:
SAG18183 Savage Target Action 223 RB,LP Stainless $448.68
SAG18185 Savage Target Action 223 RB,RP Stainless $448.68
SAG18182 Savage Target Action 308 RB,LP Stainless $448.68
SAG18184 Savage Target Action 308 RB,RP Stainless $448.68
October 25th, 2008
 Results for the 2008 Creedmoor Cup & CMP Games have been posted on the CMP Competition website. The match, hosted at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ, was hugely successfully drawing hundreds of shooters. You can find the winners of all categories on this Results Page. Then click on the “Ranked” link beside the winner’s name to get a list of all finishers in order of score.
Ronald Zerr, shooting a Match Rifle, won the Creedmoor Cup Aggregate overall with a 791-31X score. Forum member Jerry Tierney was runner-up in the Match Rifle Class with a 774-19X. In the Service Rifle Division, Trent Hering shot an impressive 789-25x, toping a field of 138 Service Rifle Shooters. Forum member Shawn McKenna finished second with a 782-23X score.
21 Teams Compete For Service Rifle Team Title
Among the big attractions of the CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup are the tightly-fought team events. In Service Rifle, 21 Teams competed for honors. This year, the USMC Arrieta team took first place, with a 1915-53X Aggregate. Team members are: MSgt Alex Arrieta (Coach), SW02 Peter Burns (Captain), SSgt Daniel Duitsman, CWO4 James Fraley, and SSgt Jason Haislip. The Oregon State Shooting Assn. Team finished second (1902-46X), with the Bushmaster/Remington Team in third (1892-42X).
Vintage Rifle Matches Are Very Popular
In other Western CMP Games events, Wesley Shumaker won the Garand Match, Arland Anderson won the Springfield Rifle Match, CW02 Peter Burns won the Vintage Rifle Match, and Creedmoor Sports Gen. Manager Dennis DeMille won the Garand Re-Entry Match. For the Overall Three-Gun Aggregate (Garand, Springfield, and Vintage Rifle), the top five shooters were: Michael Miller (823-11X), Arland Anderson 821-9X), James Denovchek (814-11X), Wesley Shumaker, and Ronald Foos. These older military-rifle matches were hugely popular, with large numbers of competitors. There were 135 shooters in the Garand Match and 51 in the Springfield Match. These kind of events, using vintage rifles that can be obtained at moderate cost from the CMP itself, reward fundamental marksmanship skills. They are much more a test of shooter abilities than a technology race.
October 24th, 2008
In our Gun of the Week section, we’ve featured Gary Eliseo’s innovative R5 Tubegun, chambered in 6mmBR. Gary produces an accurate, ergonomic, and affordable Kit for Cross-the-Course and High Power Shooters. Now Creedmoor Sports has introduced a new, complete rifle based on a second-generation Eliseo system. And the big news? The Creedmoor CSR-1 is designed to shoot the popular medium-sized cartridges: 6XC, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Winchester. (It is also available in .223 Rem.) The new CSR-1 offers sling-shooters a complete, turn-key rifle that rivals the performance of the Tubb 2000 for less money. (The Creedmoor CSR-1 costs $3750.00 complete with adjustable butt stock, but not sights). With the capability of shooting the .308 Winchester, the CSR-1 should also be popular with Palma and even F-TR shooters (who could also shoot the gun in .223 Rem).
The CSR-1 custom match rifle is optimized for across-the-course or long-range shooting. Built around a custom Pierce Engineering action, this new rifle features a 28” Broughton 5C (canted lands) barrel, a Gary Eliseo stock, +15 MOA sight rail, a superb, 2-stage Jackson Trigger with adjustable trigger shoe plus a fully adjustable (and removable) rear stock. Friends, these are ALL top-of-the-line components. Lefties rejoice! The CSR-1 will be offered in BOTH right-handed AND left-handed versions. To allow further shooter fit adjustment, the tubular front hand guard can rotate 15° from center in either direction.
The rifle also includes two (2) custom single-stack 5 round magazines, a single-round loading device (SLED), two (2) removable butt stock 4.8 oz. weights, plus an adjustable hand stop. The adjustable buttstock is top of the line. It can adjust for length of pull, drop, cheekpiece height, and cant angle. Rifle weight (without sights) is 13.25 lbs. Estimated all-up weight (with sights) is 14.75 lbs. Creedmoor Sports also offers a recommended sight kit for $797.90. This includes: Phoenix Top Mount ¼ minute rear sight, Gehmann 510 adjustable rear iris, T2K Ladder front sight with level and extra mount, and Gehmann 2.4 – 4.4mm adjustable front iris.
Shown below is a video of Gary Eliseo shooting his R5 Repeater chambered in 6BR. The new CSR-1 will be a very similar gun, albeit with a superior Pierce action inside and a larger magazine system capable of holding up to .308-sized cartridges.
Special Offer — FREE Ammo or Kalispel Gun Case
If you purchase a CSR-1 rifle before January 9th, 2009, Creedmoor Sports will kick in one FREE case of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo (must be chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, does not apply to other calibers) OR a free Kalispel aluminum gun case. For more info, visit CreedmoorSports.com. You can request a catalog through the website or by calling 800-273-3366.
October 24th, 2008
Last week we revealed that Lapua will resume production of .222 Remington Brass. If you’re thinking of chambering a rifle in this very accurate caliber, or if you already have a .222 Rem, we’ve found a useful resource on the web for you.
Forum member Peter Simonsen has created a new website, TripleDeuce.Net. Peter tells us: “I started a little informative (non-commercial) web site about the .222 Remington, TripleDeuce.Net. You’re welcome to visit and share your thoughts and ideas.” Peter’s site includes extensive reloading advice, plus links to the major bullet-makers and powder manufacturers. His Reloading Page shows targets shot with different powder/bullet combos using Peter’s .222 Rem factory rifles. Unfortunately Peter omits actual powder charge weights — so one must still go back to the reloading manuals. Peter offers this advice for those getting started with the Triple Deuce cartridge:
“I religiously use the load data right off the Hodgdon web site. Recently I have gravitated toward using the old tried and true IMR4198 and H4198 powders for hunting using 40gr bullets. These two powders provide a velocity edge over the other powder choices while still maintaining safe and acceptable pressure levels. You can see this in the Hodgdon data where a max load of IMR4198 yields 3583 fps whereas H322 produces 3313 fps. So for hunting where higher velocity and terminal performance are important and accuracy is as good or close I would choose one of the two 4198 powders. This situation is similar, although not as dramatic, with 50gr bullets.
For target shooting H322 works extremely well. H4895 also provides impressive results and is a chosen powder for accuracy baseline testing by some manufacturers. I have begun experimenting with Vihtavuori N133 and Accurate 2015. Both seem very promising. But H322 and H4895 are two [dependable choices.]”
October 23rd, 2008
 We told you our friend Vanessa Warner would accomplish good things as the NRA’s new Manager of Disabled Shooting Services. Here’s proof — the NRA has just announced that the first-ever, nationwide indoor Air Rifle Championship series for disabled shooters will be held in 2009. The new event will be conducted at clubs and facilities nationwide, employing a Sectional Championship format. This will give competitors with physical disabilities a chance to compete in national individual and team events by comparing their scores with those fired in clubs all over the country. Scores are comparable because of the similar conditions existing in indoor ranges.
 Sectional Championships are already held by the NRA, and now disabled shooters will be part of the action. Each year the NRA conducts National Open Rifle Sectional Championships in NRA 3-position Smallbore Rifle, 4-position Smallbore Rifle, International 3-P Smallbore Rifle and International Air Rifle. The Championships are the largest event of the indoor season and will now include International Indoor Air Rifle for disabled shooters.
“This championship was created with the goal of full integration into the NRA Open Indoor Air Rifle Championships in the future,” stated Vanessa Warner, NRA’s Manager of Disabled Shooting Services. “The plan is to eventually… allow both disabled and able-bodies to compete shoulder to shoulder for the title of National Champion.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau survey in 2003, there are currently 50 million people living with disabilities in America today. The integration of the Disabled Indoor Air Rifle Championships with the Open Indoor Air Rifle Championships will expand opportunities for disabled individuals to participate in the shooting sports. To learn more, visit the NRA’s Disabled Shooting Services Webpage or contact Vanessa Warner at 703-267-1495 or disabled-shooting [at] nra-hq.org.
 New Zealand Shooters’ Success Stories
If you want to read about the experiences of a disabled shooter, check out Parashooting.co.nz, the website of Robert Berger, one of New Zealand’s leading Paralympic target shooters. Injured many years ago in a motorcycling accident, Robert took up target shooting in 2007. Under the tutelage of fellow Kiwi and Paralympic Champion shooter Michael Johnson, Robert soon discovered that he has a great aptitude for the sport. In his first year of competition, Robert captured the “Top Shooter” trophy for best combined score in the 36th New Zealand Paralympics National Championship. Robert has also represented his country in the Oceania Games in Sydney, Australia.
Robert writes: “I was introduced to target shooting for the disabled by Michael Johnson, current world champion. I became a paraplegic in 1975 after a [motorcycle accident]. During my rehab, I looked at several sports but because I was not into basketball, rugby etc. I moved on to other things.
Early in 2007, I had a go at target shooting with an air rifle. I was coached by Michael for a while using a borrowed gun from Parafed Auckland. After a short time, I decided to get more serious about the sport and bought my own rifle. Once I had my new Feinwerkbau 700 rifle I became more competitive and practiced harder.
 In order to represent New Zealand at Oceania I had to shoot two Paralympics New Zealand Minimum Qualifying Standards (PNZ MQS) in each of the disciplines, Standing and Prone. The MQS for Standing is 570 and Prone 575 out of a possible 600 in 60 shots. With lots of practice and six attempts I got there. As a wheelchair user, ‘standing’ is not quite the right description, but what it means is that you sit holding the rifle without any support from your elbows resting on the table. ‘Prone’ is a similar position but with your elbows on the table.”
Robert’s coach and mentor, Michael Johnson of Auckland, New Zealand, is one of the top disabled shooters in the world. Michael won gold medals at the Athens 2004 Paralympics and at the 2006 World Championships. Michael contributes to another excellent website, Shooting4Disabled.com. Mike offers advice for disabled shooters on positions and equipment, and he explains the Classifications and rules. Mike’s web site also has a great photo gallery of indoor rifle ranges around the world.
Shooting has been part of the Paralympic Games since Toronto in 1976, with competitors now coming from 59 counties. Athletes compete in Rifle and Pistol events from distances of 10, 25 and 50m, in men’s, women’s and mixed competitions. Paralympic shooting utilizes a functional classification system, which enables athletes from different disability classes to compete together either individually or in teams.
October 23rd, 2008
Right now Cabela’s is offering a very attractive promotion. Now through Friday, 10/24/2008, Cabela’s is offering $20 off any order of $150.00 or more. We normally don’t see this kind of promo until January. This offer is valid on Cabela’s Internet, Catalog and Retail Store merchandise only. It does applies to Bargain Cave items and most other items on sale. However, it does not apply to gift certificates.
To get the savings, you must go online and register your email address. Cabela’s will then email you the discount code to use when ordering. This special offer is tempting because there’s some pretty cool stuff on sale in Cabela’s Bargain Cave right now. How about a Garvin Nüvi® Personal Navigation System — complete with GPS, interactive road maps, and voice prompts (your own little robot navigator). Works in your backpack or on the dashboard of your car. Units start at $159.99 — enough to qualify for the $20 off discount.
October 22nd, 2008
 Brownells, a leading supplier of AR-15 parts and accessories, now offers a comprehensive series of AR-15 assembly instruction videos. They are available online for FREE. The broadcast-quality videos, shot in-house in Brownells’ studios, represent a huge undertaking by Brownells. We’re talking hours of content that provide both novice or expert all the information one needs to build an AR-15 from scratch. The free video series includes 52 separate clips, divided into nine (9) sections, each occupying a separate page on Brownells’ website. You can easily navigate among the 50+ segments to watch just the part you need without fast-forwarding or rewinding through a huge file. Sections 1 and 2 explain the features of various AR models, Section 3 spotlights the specialized tools you’ll need for the build, and Sections 4-9 demonstrate the correct way to install all the various parts and pieces.
For each video, PDF instructions are also available so you can watch a segment, print out the illustrated instruction sheet, and head to the bench. Plus, there’s a set of checklists so you can make sure you’ve ordered every piece you need. Whether you’re building a complete gun, or just installing a new safety, flash hider or stock, there’s a lot of valuable information to make the job easier.
The videos can be accessed, FREE, through the website howtobuildanar15.com, or you can click on the links in the tables below. You can also order an AR-15 catalog from the site, or by phone at 800-741-0015, mention code #PEK.
Brownells is the world’s largest supplier of firearm parts, gunsmithing tools, equipment and accessories. Brownells stocks more than 30,000 items, backed by a 100% satisfaction, unconditional, lifetime guarantee. To place an order or for more info, call 800-741-0015 or visit brownells.com.
October 21st, 2008
How long will a barrel last before the accuracy “goes south”? There are so many variables involved (powder type, bore diameter, bullet coatings etc.) that it’s hard to predict. You might say “Well, my buddy has a .243 and he got 1500 rounds before the throat was shot out” — those kind of comparisons can be useful, but they’re not very scientific, and they won’t help much if you’ve got a gun in a new chambering (such as the 6.5×47) for which there is not a lot of historical data.
Is there a more reliable way to predict barrel life — one that will work for a broad range of calibers? Well, Forum member MikeCr has developed an Excel spreadsheet that accounts for a number of variables, and gives a pretty good estimate of useful barrel life, whether you’re shooting a .223 Rem or a 338 Lapua Magnum. Mike’s program predicts barrel life using five variables: 1) Bullet Diameter; 2) Powder Charge weight; 3) Powder Heat Potential (KJ/kg); 4) Pressure (in psi); and 5) Bullet Coating (yes/no). Mike provides a table with Heat Potential ratings for most popular powder types. The user needs to know the pressure of his load. This can be estimated with QuickLOAD.
You can download the lastest version of Mike’s spreadsheet below. You’ll need an Excel viewer to open the file.
Click to Download Spreadsheet: Barrel Life Spreadsheet (Lastest Version)
Shown below is Mike’s Spreadsheet, with variables for a 6BR shooting 105gr “naked” bullets with 30.3 grains of Hodgdon Varget powder. The formula predicts 2401 rounds of barrel life. That corresponds pretty well to what we’d expect for a 6BR — about 2500 rounds.
 
Mike observes: “There has been alot of discussion lately related to cartridge design and resulting barrel life. This is a really important factor to consider amongst a myriad of choices. Barrel life is controversial, and subjective. There are no clear-cut standards for comparison. But a few years ago, I put together a spreadsheet based on Bart Bobbit’s rule of thumb. It worked pretty good, only occasionally failing some tests when validated against posted barrel lives.
According to Ken Howell, I had to account for pressure. And Henry Child’s powder temperature testing provided another piece needed. So, I’ve tweaked it here and there to pass more tests. From 223rem to 300 UltraMagnum. Another element added, but turned off is shot interval. I would need way more tests to lock in on this. But everyone knows, the faster you shoot, the worse the barrel life.
Anyway, another factor hard to define is ‘accurate’ barrel life. This cannot be quantified without standards. Barrels are replaced when expectations are no longer met. I feel that a [barrel] passes peak potential in a finite period due to throat erosion. But that don’t mean it’s toast, if it still shoots well enough. It’s just as likely that many of us never see that peak potential anyway. It’s a slippery thing. Point-blank BR competitors will toss a barrel when it leaves the 1s. I could get another 4000 rounds from it, and be content with its performance, I’m sure.
NOTE: This spreadsheet may show a lower barrel life than you prefer. But it pretty well spotlights cartridges to stay away from if you plan much time at the range or in dog town.”
Editor’s Comment: We want to stress that Mike’s spreadsheet is a helpful tool, but it is not a definitive “take-it-to-the-bank” indicator of barrel life. Mike cautions that predicting barrel life involves so many different factors (including how hard/hot the barrel is run), that the task is a bit like predicting tread life on car tires. Still, the spreadsheet is very helpful. It can certainly put shooters on notice that some chamberings (such as the 6-284) are likely to be a barrel burners. That can help you make a smart decision when choosing a chambering for your next rifle.
October 20th, 2008
Gene Beggs is a Texas shooter and gunsmith known for “out of the box” thinking. He has successfully pioneered the 220 Beggs and 6mm Beggs cartridges in BR competition, and has developed radical new rifle designs and tuners at his West Texas research facility (with a 100-yard indoor shooting tunnel). Recently Beggs has tackled the challenge of indexing centerfire barrels. It looks like he has engineered a workable solution that will allow shooters to index their barrels without altering the critical headspace dimension. If this really works, Gene has come up with an important new gunsmithing procedure with the potential to enhance accuracy for a wide variety of firearms.
Barrel Indexing Basics
Barrel Indexing is a procedure for optimizing the rotational position of a barrel relative to the action. With a conventional barrel installation, if you were to put a mark on the outside of a barrel and then screw the barrel into the action, that mark might end up at at 12 o’clock, or 6 o’clock or pretty much any position on the “clock-face”, depending on where the shoulder is cut on the barrel. When the shoulder butts up against the face of the action (or recoil lug), you can’t screw the barrel in any farther. At that point, the barrel’s rotational position is fixed and can’t be changed without altering headspace.
Tests with rimfire barrels suggest that careful barrel indexing can produce accuracy gains. We’re not quite sure why — there are different theories — but it has been clearly demonstrated that by rotating the barrel relative to TDC (top dead center) on the action, you can move bullet point of impact quite dramatically. On rimfire barrels machined with a cone breech and secured with a barrel block system (as on an Anschutz 2000-series action), gunsmiths such as Mike Ross have been able to easily experiment with index positions. CLICK HERE for Mike Ross Indexing Tests.
But indexing centerfire barrels has been a challenge. You can use shims to adjust the barrel’s index position relative to action TDC, but this moves the shoulder in and out, effectively altering headspace by the width of the shims used.
Is there a way to index a centerfire barrel without changing the headspace? Texas Benchrest shooter and gunsmith Gene Beggs thinks he has the answer.
The Beggs Barrel Indexing Solution
With a conventional barrel installation, the action/receiver has an internal female thread. The threaded breech end of the barrel, or tenon, has a male thread. The barrel simply screws in until its rotation is stopped (and index position fixed) when the shoulder hits the action face or recoil lug.
Beggs has come up with an ingenious solution using an intermediary threaded bushing that fits between the action thread and the tenon threads. The barrel tenon is reduced in diameter slightly and re-threaded to mate with the inner bushing. This inner bushing is shorter than the receiver threads so it can be adjusted inwards and outwards. Its position is fixed with a set-screw. The effect of moving the inner sleeve inwards and outwards is to change the index position at which the barrel tenon threads start to “grab” as they are spun inwards. Set the inner sleeve at one position, and the tenon threads may start contact at 6 o’clock for example. Rotate the inner sleeve a half-turn and the threads will start at 12 o’clock.
Now, as you continue to screw the barrel inwards, it will still stop when the shoulder hits metal — so headspace is always the same. But…and this is the key point, the barrel’s rotational index position will vary depending on the position of the inner bushing. By adjusting the bushing position, you control where the barrel’s threads start to “connect”. The result is that the rotational orientation of the barrel can be indexed at any point on the dial.
Boyd Allen has given this example which may help readers visualize things: “Think of a slot-head machine screw being tightened till it bottoms. The final orientation of the slot after tightening depends on where it picks up the first thread of the threaded hole. If the hole itself is rotated then the final position of the slot, relative to the viewer, will be rotated by a similar amount. Screw a slot-head machine screw all the way into a nut. Now turn the nut. The slot rotates with it.”
System Slated for Production
Gene Beggs is excited about the new indexing system and plans to create a kit that can be used by gunsmiths. Gene writes:
“Inserted in between the action threads and the barrel tenon is a bushing that can be adjusted fore and aft in the action. This makes it possible for the barrel tenon shoulder to contact the receiver face at any position of the clock. Of course, the barrel tenon must be turned down and threaded to match the inside threads of the bushing. A small stainless steel set screw now holds the bushing securely in place. Adjustments are quick, easy and secure.
I spent two days in the tunnel testing the system. The test rifle is a Cobra sporter chambered in 6mm Beggs stocked with one of my Ultralite aluminum stocks. Barrel torque was rechecked each time the barrel was re-indexed and never seemed to loosen up. The sweet spot was found on the second adjustment at the six o’clock position. After a couple of days of testing, I now have complete confidence in the rifle and indexing system. Unless problems arise, we will soon be tooling up and producing kits which will require gunsmith installation.”
For more information on the Beggs Indexing system, email Gene at genebeggs [at] cableone.net, or call (432) 631-5124, or (432) 367-0329.
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