|
|
November 19th, 2008
Here’s a sweet deal for a hunter looking for a 3-9 power scope and laser rangefinder for a low total cost. Currently, SWFA (Riflescopes.com) is offering a Package Deal. For just $349.95 total you get a Nikon 3-9×40 ProStaff BDC Scope, plus a Nikon ProStaff Laser 550 Rangefinder (with case). Nikon even kicks in a $50.00 Nikon ProGear Gift Card.
The 12.3″-long scope features low-profile windage and elevation knobs and weighs just 13.7 ounces. The ProStaff Rangefinder has a 6x21mm viewing lens, weighs just 6.3 ounces and is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. The ProStaff 550 Rangefinder, by itself, sells for $185-$200 at other web vendors. This rangefinder has received generally quite positive reviews from Cabela’s customers. We suggest you read those reviews (in full) to decide whether the unit will meet your needs.
Bullet-Drop-Compensating Reticle
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.
Many of our Forum members have tried Nikon scopes with the BDC reticle. The general consensus was that the crosshairs are quite thick so this reticle is best suited for larger game out to 300 yards or so. At longer ranges, the reticle can obscure small targets such as prairie dogs. For deer and antelope, this can be a good reticle choice.
Share the post "SWFA.com Package Deal on Nikon Scope and Rangefinder"
November 19th, 2008
Many of the most popular powders sold under the Hodgdon brand in the USA (including Varget and H4350) are made by ADI Ltd. in Australia. Some load manuals list ADI data, but not Hodgdon data, or vice-versa, so we’ve compiled this list of equivalent powders. If you can’t find a recommended load for a particular Hodgdon powder in your caliber, download the latest ADI Smokeless Powders Handloaders Guide, a 2.8 megabyte Acrobat file.
Here’s a list of ADI to Hodgdon Powder equivalents:
AS30N=Clays
AP50N = (No Hodgdon)
AS50N = International
AP70N = Universal
AP100 = (No Hodgdon)
AR2205 = H4227
AR2207 = H4198
AR2219 = H322
Bench Mark1 = (No Hodgdon)
Bench Mark2 = BenchMark |
AR2206 = (No Hodgdon)
AR2206H = H4895
AR2208 = Varget
AR2209 = H4350
AR2213 = (Discontinued)
AR2213SC = H4831
AR2217 = H1000
AR2225 = Retumbo
AR2218 = H50BMG |
Share the post "Hodgdon Equivalents for ADI Powder Codes"
November 18th, 2008
USA Shooting, the governing body of the Olympic shooting sports for the United States, has announced that 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Glenn Eller of Katy, Texas, and Silver Medalist Kim Rhode of El Monte, Calif., have been selected as the 2008 USA Shooting Athletes of the Year. Other Olympians receiving honors as Discipline Athletes of the Year were Matt Emmons of Browns Mills, N.J., for men’s rifle, Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon, Pa., for women’s rifle, and Jason Turner of Rochester, N.Y., for men’s pistol. Eller and Rhode’s names will be submitted to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) for consideration for the 2008 USOC SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards.
 Four-time Olympian Kimberly Rhode, who was also the 2007 USAS Female Athlete of the year, captured her fourth career Olympic medal in Beijing when she brought home the silver in Women’s Skeet. She won the silver medal at the World Cup in Kerrville, Texas in May and finished in fourth place at the World Cup Suhl and also at the World Cup Final in Minsk, Belarus. Rhode won the Women’s Skeet event at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and was also the 2008 National Champion. Rhode finished in second place at the Shotgun Fall Selection Match, claiming a spot on the 2009 World Shotgun Championship team.
Three-time Olympian Eller, a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), claimed the first Olympic medal of his career when he captured the Men’s Double Trap gold in Beijing this past August. He also claimed the silver medal at the Beijing World Cup in April, which served as the test event for the Olympic Games and placed fourth at both World Cup Kerrville and World Cup Suhl. Nationally, Eller finished in first place overall at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Shotgun and also claimed the top spots at the Shotgun National Championships and Shotgun Fall Selection Match, landing himself a spot on the 2009 World Shotgun Championship team.
Photos courtesy USAMU and USA Shooting, All Rights Reserved.
Share the post "Eller and Rhode Named USA Shooting Athletes of Year"
November 17th, 2008
 Last summer we featured a portable reloading bench built on a Black & Decker Workmate. We’ve received many inquiries about this sturdy, efficient design, so we’re showing it again, in case you missed it the first time. this is a perfect do-it-yourself project that can be used at home or at the range.
Texan Robert Lewis made himself a great portable reloading bench from plywood mounted to a Black & Decker Workmate. The bench, roughly 22″ x 19″ on top, folds up to fit easily in your car’s trunk or behind the seats in a pick-up truck cab. Four recessed bolts hold the wood top section to the collapsible B&D Workmate.The sides and back of the unit are attached to the base with small nails. There is a small shelf (also nailed in place) which can be used to clamp a powder measure or hold a scale. Shown in the photo is a Harrell’s Benchrest measure and Harrell’s single-stage “C” press.
Click for Larger Photo.
The whole unit can be built for about $65.00 with pine, or $80.00 with oak (as shown). Robert explained: “The Workmate was $40. If someone bought a 2’x4′ sheet of 3/4″ oak plywood, I think it is around $30. Using pine plywood would be about half that. Fasteners were $3. Spar Urethane would be $5.”
Robert told us: “I used a couple ideas I found on the web. The Larry Willis website gave me the idea to use the Black and Decker Workmate as a base. I found the Workmate on sale for $40 and the top is made from oak plywood I had in my shop. I sealed the wood with three coats of Spar Urethane. The whole thing folds into a nice package for transportation to and from the range.”
Click HERE for FREE WORKBENCH PLANS.
Share the post "Portable Reloading Bench Built on B&D Workmate"
November 17th, 2008
Whether you’re a High Power or F-Class shooter, or a varminter who shoots from the ground with bipod, you need a decent shooting mat for field use. A mat keeps you off dirty, rocky ground and provides cushioning for the “hard points” (knees, hips, elbow) when shooting prone. You can spend up to $150.00 for a top-quality shooting mat. Alternatively, for just twenty bucks, the MidwayUSA shooting mat will probably suffice. On sale this month for just $19.99, the 69″ long x 27″ wide shooting mat has padded sections for knees and elbows, and it rolls up into a 7″-diameter package with carry strap. The bottom is a non-skid, water-resistent material — a nice feature when you’re shooting off wet grass or damp ground. The pad also has corner grommets so it can be staked down on windy days.
This shooting pad has received favorable reviews from MidwayUSA customers. Here are some recent comments:
Five Stars. Great mat for the money. Small enough when rolled to pack into the P-Dog towns. Well constructed and designed. Midway has their act together. Very fast shipping too. — Michael Kelley of Pleasant Hope, MO
Five Stars. I purchased 30 of these on sale for my shooting club’s use in CMP, Rifle team, and junior [matches]. They are a good buy for the money. They are slightly thinner than some other mats I’ve used, but shooting mats are not sleeping bag pads. They shouldn’t be too thick or soft. The idea is to give you a firm, stable surface to shoot from. Not something to fall asleep on. A good buy for the money. — Ross Estabrooks of Dedham, MA
Four Stars. Could be a bit thicker but it works just fine, I like the waterproof underside. Have used it to cover up the gear during a downpour. — VeRiTas of Atlanta, GA
Share the post "MidwayUSA Shooting Mat on Sale for $19.99"
November 16th, 2008
When Reloder 17 first became available (in limited quantities) our team tested it and found that it possessed some remarkable qualities. In certain cartridges, such as the 6XC and .284 Winchester, Reloder 17 provided significant increases in velocity compared to other popular propellants. We’re not talking about a mere 10 or 20 fps gain. Reloder 17, in some cartridges, lets you shoot 100 or even 150 fps faster than ever before. (RL 17 is a slow-burning powder that works best in cartridges where you might otherwise use H4350, Reloder 22, or H4831sc.) Needless to say, when the word got out, Reloder 17 quickly sold out at the major vendors such as Grafs.com and Powder Valley.
We’ve been informed that a 20,000-lb shipment of Alliant Reloder 17 is on its way to the USA via cargo ship. Once it arrives on American shores it must clear customs, then be inspected, and then transferred from bulk containers into consumer packaging. That will take a few weeks. Alliant tells us it hopes to have Reloder 17 back on dealers’ shelves by Mid-December.
Share the post "Alliant Reloder 17 Status Report"
November 16th, 2008
 Forum member Russ T. is an experienced High Power shooter, with a Tennessee LR State championship to his credit among other excellent performances. He recently reviewed the performance of his Eliseo Tubegun chambered in 6mmBR. Russ writes:
“Got a good chance to shoot my tube gun today at 600 yards. I put a new Bartlein barrel on it chambered in 6BR. I had to do VERY little load develpment to find a good load. In fact all loads I tried would have shot a 200 out 200 possible at 600 yards. The winner load is a classic 6BR recipe right from the pages of this web site: 30.0 grains Hodgdon Varget, CCI 450 primers, 105gr Berger VLD seated .010″ into the lands, Norma brass with two-thousandths (.002) neck tension.
The gun, built on an Eliseo B1/R1 (single shot) tube stock*, has a trued Remington action with Dave Kiff (PT&G), fluted, coned bolt with Sako extractor, GTR firing pin, spring and shroud, and Rifle Basix trigger. The barrel is a 30″ Bartlein, 1:8″ twist 5R heavy Palma. My reamer is a .272 neck for Norma brass and .104 Freebore. Centra rear iron sights are fitted.
Weather was very dark and cloudy but there was very little wind. On the MR-1, 600-yard target I squeeked out a 200-16X. This little case is a flippin’ hammer at 600 yards! What a lot of fun to shoot. Lynwood Harrell just sent me a die in the mail so I’m ready for the season. I can see why the Europeans shoot this case at the very demanding 300-meter target!
This little case is a real winner at 600 yards. The nice thing about it is there is no false-shoulder/fire-forming hassle, and no necks to turn. Just load it and shoot it. I have two rifles that have turned necks and that is a lot of work when you’re doing 200 pieces of brass per rifle. The 6BR is just not picky. In fact the bullets just seem to know where to go.
My 6BR was built by Wald Precision Rifles. Call (701) 527-6447 and ask for Steve. Steve has produced Three National Championship quality rifles for me. I really have to thank Steve for doing such great work, he really stands behind his product. I know every one reading this can appreciate a good craftsmen when you’re putting your hard-earned money into a project such as this. So who deserves the credit — the Archer or the arrow-maker?”
*The B1 is the original Eliseo single-shot Tubegun stock, designed for the Barnard action. The newer R1 has a similar design, but is configured for a Remington 700 or Rem-clone actions.
Share the post "Praise for 6mmBR for 600-Yard High Power"
November 15th, 2008
Daryl Kopriva, a Kansas-based gunsmith and long-range competitor, proved he sure knows how to build (and shoot) precision, long-range rifles. At the October club match at the Colorado Rifle Club (CRC) in Byers, CO, Daryl shot a potential new NBRSA 6-target, 1000-yard record. This is a two-gun, 6-target aggregate record, combining 3 targets in Light Gun (LG) with 3 targets in Heavy Gun (HG). Daryl’s LG 3-target Agg was 5.782″, while his HG 3-target Agg was 5.779″. If approved, the combined Agg will be a new 6-Target NBRSA record. Nice shootin’ Daryl. Congrats!
Darryl used two rifles he smithed himself. (A talented gunsmith, Daryl operates DARA Rifles in Grainfield, Kansas). The Light Gun is a 6.5-06 Improved with a 35° shoulder. Components include an 8.5″ BAT action, Shehane ST-1000 “Tracker” fiberglass stock, Bartlein barrel, and Nightforce scope. At this CRC match, Daryl was shooting 6.5mm Berger 140 BTHP “thick-jacket” bullets for the first time. Obviously the Berger “thicks” worked well!
 Daryl’s Heavy gun features a Shehane Maxi-Tracker stock, BAT 8.5″ action, and a heavy-contour Bartlein barrel clamped in a barrel block. The gun is chambered for a wildcat Daryl calls the “30 DARA”. This is a 300 Win Mag modified with a 30° shoulder. Daryl uses his 30 DARA cartridge to drive Berger 210gr VLDs close to 3000 fps.
The photo below shows Darryl shooting his Shehane-stocked Heavy Gun at the 2007 IBS Nationals in Quantico, VA. Note the ultra-wide forearm and barrel block fitted ahead of the BAT action. The scope is a Nightforce NXS. For more information about Daryl’s rifles and gunsmithing services, visit DARArifles.com, email info[at]dararifles.com, or call (785) 938-2367.
Share the post "Kopriva Sets New NBRSA 1000-yard, 6-Target Agg. Record"
November 15th, 2008
On Wednesday, Jan. 14th, 2009, the National Assn. of Firearms Retailers (NAFR) will host a series of informative seminars at SHOT Show in Orlando, FL. This SHOT Show University program provides a full day of seminars hosted by qualified speakers. There will be 90-minute seminars in the morning followed by ‘break-out sessions’ in the late afternoon. Seminars include:
— How to Create Outrageously Effective Marketing Materials (Ron Rosenberg)
— Know Your Rights as a Licensee (Richard Gardiner, Esq.)
— Consumer Profile of Today’s Hunter & Target Shooter (Frank Biganti, Rob Southwick)
— Best Firearms Compliance Practices (Wally Nelson, ATF, retired)
— Strategic Communication with the Media and Your Customers (Ann Baldwin)
— Budgeting Process for Your Business, and Creative Marketing for Your Business (Tom Shay)
Ron Rosenberg’s Marketing Seminar, the first session of the day (at 8:05 am), is one program you shouldn’t miss. Ron identifies the 12 key elements that should be in every marketing piece, and he reveals proven copywriting strategies that dramatically increase response rates. Attendees can bring their own marketing materials for on-the-spot feedback.
Seating is limited, so register early.2009 SHOT Show University price for NAFR members is $50.00. Non-members can register for the 2009 SHOT Show University for $75.00. For more info, call NSSF at (203) 426-1320.
CLICK HERE to Register for Shot Show University.
Share the post "Training Sessions for Retailers at SHOT Show"
November 14th, 2008
The Yanks won most of the hardware at the recent recent NRA World Action Pistol Championship held at the Hamilton Pistol Club in New Zealand. Doug Koenig took first place in Open Class with an impressive 1920-181X. Carl Bernosky (2008 Camp Perry High Power Rifle Champion) was a close second with 1920-175X, Carl’s highest-ever score in this event. Carl Bernosky and Bruce Piatt secured the team championship. Competing for the USA amongst six other teams, Carl and Bruce will proudly keep the title for two years. Carl’s teammate Bruce Piatt won the Iron Man Match. He is now a two-time “Iron Man” World champion, and four-time Iron Man National Champion. Vance Schmid of the USA won the Metallic Sights class, edging out Piatt (2nd Place), and the legendary Jerry Miculek (3rd place).
Carl Bernosky is one of the few humans on the planet capable of winning national and international Championships in both pistol AND rifle disciplines. One can certainly make the argument that Carl is one of the greatest all-around marksmen who ever lived. This year, at Camp Perry, OH, Carl won the Overall National High Power Championship for the second year in a row. That marked 9 National Championships in 14 tries for Bernosky. Although Carl obviously enjoys both pistol and rifle disciplines, he says that rifle shooting is more challenging: “Camp Perry is a lot more difficult to compete in than…[the NRA] Bianchi Cup. You’re out here [at Perry] shooting an 8-hour work day. You’ll be shooting 60 shots in an hour. With the Bianchi Cup, you’ll shoot 10 shots in 60 seconds, and then you’ll be done for the day.”
Share the post "Americans Dominate World Action Pistol Championship"
November 13th, 2008
If you are looking for a very solid, beautifully fabricated, loading press that can do double-duty at home as well as the range, consider the Harrell’s Combo Press. Though it is very compact, it has plenty of leverage to full-length size cases. As you can see in the photo, the Harrell’s combo works BOTH as an arbor press and as a standard press that functions with shell-holder and conventional screw-in dies. The arbor section on the left is tall enough to hold a Wilson micrometer-top seater. The threaded die section on the right has enough clearance for .308-sized cases.
One of the best features of the Combo Press from Harrell’s Precision is its sturdy clamp. This mounts solidly to a wood loading bench or table top. It also has enough vertical clearance between the jaws to work with most range benches. Forum member Boyd Allen has written a detailed review of the Harrell’s press, with additional photos by Paal Erik Jensen of Norway.
CLICK HERE to read COMBO PRESS REVIEW
Share the post "Harrell's Combo Press — Compact and Well-Designed"
November 13th, 2008
In this Daily Bulletin we try to advise readers of good discount offers, particularly if the bargain pricing is limited to a short period. Right now Cabela’s is offering thirty dollars ($30) off any purchase of $150.00 or more. That can work out to 20% of savings. Pretty impressive.
What’s the catch? This deal expires on Nov. 17th, so you have to act quickly. Also, you have to give Cabelas.com a valid email address so they can provide the discount codes to be used when you purchase via Cabelas.com. Click the link below to go to the discount page.
If you’re wondering what to buy, check out Cabela’s Bargain Cave which has hundreds of deeply discounted products on sale. Here are some of the current Bargain Cave items. The Triode headlamp is very handy … both indoors in the shop and outdoors on the trail. The Jacket is very highly rated by Cabela’s customers.
 
Share the post "$30.00 OFF offer at Cabela's through 11/17"
|
