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December 25th, 2008
AccurateShooter.com sends our best holiday wishes to our many readers worldwide. (According to Google Analytics, over 50,000 shooters worldwide access our site every week.) To make the holiday season a little more festive, we found a promotion that will give you FREE Beck’s BEER. That’s right, if you pay for a six-pack of Beck’s beer, the brewers will refund your purchase price up to $9.00*.
What’s the catch? You have to purchase the beer first, then mail in your sales receipt, the barcode (UPC) label from the package, and a Rebate Form. Mail-in deadline is 1/19/2009. Also, in some states the offer is not valid (Sorry Guys… complain to your state legislators). But otherwise, this is a bonafied deal. Free beer for the holidays… what’s not to like?
CLICK HERE for more info on Beck’s Beer Rebate
*Via mail-in rebate. Rebate amount will be equivalent to purchase price, excluding sales tax, not to exceed $9.00. Purchase must occur between 12/8/08-1/5/09. Offer good to residents of AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, and WY only. Request must be received by 1/19/09.
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December 25th, 2008
 Retail sales are down this holiday season, but that means deep discounts on quality products. Many major vendors have commenced “rock-bottom” selling programs, starting today, on Christmas. We’ve been impressed by some of the special sales at Cabelas.com. Here are some of the hottest deals we’ve found at Cabelas.com. Click the “Hot Buys” link at left to get the lowest prices.
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TomTom® ONE 125 GPS Nav System, $99.99
OK, folks, if you’ve been waiting for a name-brand, GPS-enabled automotive Navigation system to drop below $100, here it is. The TomTom 125 features GPS Navigation with spoken turn-by-turn directions. It has a full-color touch screen with bright, sunlight-readable displays and comes pre-loaded with detailed maps of the USA containing millions of points of interest. The unit can easily be moved from vehicle to vehicle, and it comes with USB ports so you can load software updates from your home computer. All in all, this is an amazing piece of technology for $99.99. |
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Camelback Hydration Pack, $29.99
Cabela’s has posted an amazing price on the Camelbak GMI M.U.L.E. pack with hydration system, item 1AJ-518787. Right now the Camelbak M.U.L.E. is just $29.99. These are very high-quality packs that sell elsewhere for $95.00 or more. The hydration pack is offered in desert camo or woodland camo. The pack is 19″ x 10″ x 5″, and features 540 cubic inches of cargo space with a 100-ounce Omega Water reservoir.
CLICK HERE for a detailed review of Camelback GMI M.U.L.E. Pack |
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Browning® Tactical Hunter/Renegade Light Combo, $24.99
This is a great two-lamp deal for a lot less than you’d expect to pay for a Xenon tactical lamp by itself. The 10-lumen Renegade Headlamp (top) boasts five LEDs (two white, two red and one green) making it ideal for close-up lighting. Use this outdoors, when working on a car, or for extra illumination in your workroom. The rugged, Tactical Hunter Flashlight features a high-output, 80 lumen, Xenon lamp. It includes a belt clip and armored end-grip. Two included lithium batteries provide up to 1.5 hours of illumination. |
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December 24th, 2008
We’ve looked through many different types of spotting scopes. Initially we thought angled was the only way to go. This lets a shooter mount the spotting scope at his side and easily glance through the lens with the scope body rotated 30 to 90°. However, at matches where you spot for a partner, the straight scopes seem to work better. You don’t have to bend your neck down or remove your hat and your “free” eye can scan downrange for wind changes. When spotting for your partner (while seated or standing), a tripod-mounted straight scope was definitely the most “user-friendly” set-up.
Straight (in-line) Spotting Scope
Danny Reever, author of our Spotting Scope Review, tell us: “Straight vs. angled? Man, that’s a tough call! Having used both personally for over a year I’d have to say this: I feel the straight gives you a clearer, sharper image. One less mirror to contend with. If you have a dealer that can give you a side-by-side look at a couple of hundred yards the difference is apparent. That’s one reason Chip Allen chose the straight Zeiss over the angled. On the other hand the angled gives you more options in the way of setup which can be a bonus between cramped benches, when you’re spotting for yourself. I don’t shoot prone, but I think the angled would be the way to go for a solo prone shooter, again more setup options. Another benefit of the angled is that you can keep the tripod lower, a plus on a windy day. The 100MM scopes like the Pentax and Optolyth do not offer an angled body option — maybe there are some engineering issues, or perhaps that’s just to control costs.”
Angled Spotting Scope
Scope Stands for Bench Use
It you plan to use an angled spotting scope on the bench, Ray-Vin has a great clamping system that allows you to position the eyepiece exactly where you want it. The clamp mount Ray-Vin Benchrest Scope Stand allows you to easily adjust the scope height and horizontal position relative to the shooter. A twist handle with a ball joint on the end then lets you set the scope (and angled eyepiece) to any angle you want. It’s a very slick system. At $199.00 for the complete system (not including scope) shown below left, it’s not inexpensive. However, if you already own a Ray-Vin scope head with ball joint, the Benchrest Clamp is just $119.00. Another option for bench use is the Ray-Vin C-2004 “Tactical Tripod” (photo below right). This low-profile, $199.00 unit can be used on the bench or on the ground. Note: the Tactical Tripod uses a 3/4″-diam. vertical shaft, while the Benchrest Scope Stand has a 1″-diam. vertical shaft. Accordingly, the scope heads are not interchangeable between the two units.
 
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December 23rd, 2008
 We just received news that Bruno Shooters Supply has approximately 400 pounds of Alliant Reloder 17 in one- and five-pound jugs. Brunos also received a large shipment of the hard to find Federal 210M primers. Call Amy at Brunos, 1-800-455-0350 or (623) 587-7641, and mention AccurateShooter.com.
Forum member G. Wood also reports that Grafs.com received a large quantity of Reloder 17 on December 22, 2008.
If you’ve been looking for Reloder 17 you may want to act quickly. The last shipment sold out in a short period of time.
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December 23rd, 2008
 The NSSF, through its “Step Outside” program, suggests you invite someone to go hunting or shooting this Holiday season. For those last-minute shoppers struggling to find a gift, there’s always the gift of hunting and shooting. Through NSSF’s StepOutside.org web page, visitors can now deliver that gift in the form of an invitation to go hunting or shooting. Your e-mail invitation will feature an outdoor photograph with a personalized message from you.
CLICK HERE to Send a Hunting/Shooting Invitation to Friends or Family.
If you go on a shooting excursion before the end of the year (Dec. 31, 2008), you can enter the Step Outside Sweepstakes, and get a chance to win one of five $1,000 gift certificates to Bass Pro Shops. To be eligible, you must “mentor” a new shooter and complete a survey describing your experiences. Submission Deadline is January 1, 2009.
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December 23rd, 2008
 Yep, there’s only two more shopping days left before Christmas. If you didn’t order months ago, Santa probably won’t arrive with a new gain-twist barrel, carbon-fiber stock, custom action, and 10-40×56 Benchrest scope on Christmas day. The expensive goodies required advance planning. However, there’s still time to do some online shopping for other gun gear, with delivery later this week.
Here are a few suggestions for Stocking Stuffers:
Handy Tools:
• Hood Kwik Estimator — Use this handy $2.50 tool to measure your 6mm groups. Bracket the group within the diverging lines of the Kwik Estimator to get a close approximation of group size.
• Hornady Comparator body with Comparator — This simple device, mounted on your calipers, lets you measure the base to ogive of your bullets, or bottom of rim to ogive of your loaded rounds. A “must-have”.
• Pin Vise with #53 Bit — This will let you clean up the flash hole of Lapua PPC and BR cases. The number 53 bit measures .0595″, the perfect size for the .059″ BR flashholes.
Solvents and lubes:
• Ballistol — Extremely versatile, non-toxic case cleaner/lube. Use this to remove the carbon from the necks of your cases. It is also an outstanding case lube for regular resizing of small cases.
• CARB-OUT — The product name explains its function. The stuff plain works on carbon–as well or better than anything out there.
• Eezox — This product outperformed Break-Free and most other rust preventatives in our tests. It displaces water and leave a dry barrier on the surface of metal. Use it on your barrels, dies, and tools.
• Kroil — A classic penetrating lube, Kroil has myriad uses in the reloading room and home workshop. It can be combined with other solvents and used for bore cleaning.
• KG12 — Tests have shown KG12 to be a super-effective copper cleaner. It works fast and there’s no ammonia smell. Should you dump your other bore cleaners? No. But we recommend you give KG12 a try.
Full Holiday Buyer’s Guide
For more Holiday shopping ideas, check out our 2006 Holiday Buyers’ Guide. In that story we recommended dozens of products ranging in price from $1.99 to over $2000.00. While prices have changed since 2006, you’ll still find many bargains among the featured items in the Buyers’ Guide.
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December 22nd, 2008
Sierra Bullets has introduced a new .308-caliber MatchKing bullet, the model #2156, 155-grain HPBT Palma. This is an entirely new bullet created for Palma and other long-range shooters. Compared to the older #2155 MatchKing bullet (which will still be available), the new #2156 Palma bullet has a longer, more streamlined 9-caliber ogive, slightly longer OAL, and a pointed meplat. This is the first Sierra bullet to have the meplats “pointed up” at the factory. Sierra points the tips using a special extra die as the last stage in the production process.
Sierra’s new 155-grainer will be offered in boxes of 100 bullets (stock #2156, $38.89 MSRP), 500 bullets (stock #2156C, $180.46 MSRP), or 500 moly-coated bullets (stock # 2156M ,$203.81 MSRP). For more info, contact Sierra at 1-800-223-8799 or email sierra [at] sierrabullets.com.
 Tierney Tests NEW 155gr Palma MatchKing
Jerry Tierney, Palma shooter and 2008 NBRSA 600-yard Champion, has done extensive testing of Sierra bullet prototypes, including the new #2156. Jerry reports: “The old 2155 is 1.119″ long while the new 2156 is 1.219″ long with the point closed much tighter on the new bullet. The difference in base to ogive length is 0.004″ between the two bullets. In my test rifle, the new 2156 Sierra MatchKing Palma bullet can be shot with the same load and chamber as the old Sierra 155. However, in the interest of safety you may want to reduce your load slightly and then work up.”
Jerry has been testing various Sierra bullet designs for the USA Palma Team. As part of his research, he shot the new 155gr #2156 bullet in an NBRSA 1000-yard match in Sacramento this past summer. Here is Jerry’s field report:
“I loaded the old Sierra 155s, the new pointed Sierra 155s, and the Berger 155.5-grain bullets to shoot one each in the three targets of five- and ten-shot groups. All were loaded with 47.0 grains of Varget (2007 lot), the bullets were loaded to jump 0.018” for the Sierra 155, 0.010″ for the new Sierra 155s, and 0.021″ for the Berger 155.5s in Lapua cases. The MV is in the 3030 fps range.
I shot the bullets in this order: Sierra 155s, new Sierra 155s, and the Berger 155.5s in each of the three matches of light and heavy guns. The total round fired was 45 for score and 37 sighters for a total of 82 rounds. NO ILL effects were seen between the different bullets with no cleaning of the barrel. Temperature range was 73 to 80 degrees under our covered 1000-yard firing points.
Here are the results for the three 5-shot targets:
| Old Sierra 155s |
Group = 19 ¼” |
Vertical = 9 ¼” |
Score = 39-0X |
| New Sierra 155s |
Group = 16 ½” |
Vertical = 6 ¼” |
Score = 43-0X |
| Berger 155.5 |
Group = 9 ¼” |
Vertical = 8 7/8″ |
Score = 44-0X |
The wind changes were such that you could not compare the bullet wind drift, but the vertical showed the new Sierras were very good. The best vertical shot today was with my test rifle. I was first in the Light Gun three-target aggregate for score and third in single Light Gun score and the six-target aggregate score.
The elevation for BOTH the new Sierra bullet and the Berger 155.5 was exactly 3.00 minutes less than old Sierra 155 (#2155) at 1000 yards.”
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December 22nd, 2008
Call it “paranoia” or call it “sensible preparation”, gun owners nationwide have been stocking-up on ammunition and loading components, particularly for .223 Rem and .308 Winchester. This has created shortages in supply, with the predictable price increases. Fortunately, Grafs.com has large supplies of Lake City .223 Rem Brass. This is good quality stuff, made by Federal at the Lake City ammo plant. The .223 Rem brass starts at $22.99 per hundred. If you’re looking for loaded ammo, Grafs.com has the excellent Prvi Partizan .223 Rem 75gr HPBT match ammo for $10.99 per 20-ct box (item PPA223MATCH). Forum members have tested this ammo in fast-twist .223 barrels and found that it shoots very well.
Grafs.com also has PRIMED Federal Lake City .308 Win Brass starting at $39.99 per hundred.
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December 21st, 2008
 The NRA Blog recently ran a story on Silhouette shooting by NRA Silhouette Program Coordinator Jonathan Leighton. Here are selections from Leighton’s story:
NRA Silhouette Shooting
The loud crack from the bullet exiting the muzzle followed by an even louder ‘clang’ as you watch your target fly off the railing is really a true addiction for most Silhouette shooters. There is nothing better than shooting a game where you actually get to see your target react to the bullet. In my opinion, this is truly what makes this game so much fun.
 Metallic Silhouette — A Mexican Import
Silhouette shooting came to this country from Mexico in the 1960s. It is speculated that sport had its origins in shooting contests between Pancho Villa’s men around 1914. After the Mexican Revolution the sport spread quickly throughout Mexico. ‘Siluetas Metalicas’ uses steel silhouettes shaped like game animals. Chickens up front followed by rows of pigs, turkeys, and furthest away, rams. Being that ‘Siluetas Metalicas’ was originally a Mexican sport, it is common to hear the targets referred to by their Spanish names Gallina (chicken), Javelina (pig), Guajalote (turkey) and Borrego (ram). Depending on the discipline one is shooting, these animals are set at different distances from the firing line, but always in the same order.
 Before Steel There Was… Barbeque
In the very beginnings of the sport, live farm animals were used as targets, and afterwards, the shooters would have a barbeque with all the livestock and/or game that was shot during the match. The first Silhouette match that used steel targets instead of livestock was conducted in 1948 in Mexico City, Mexico by Don Gongalo Qguilar. [Some matches hosted by wealthy Mexicans included high-ranking politicians and military leaders]. As the sport spread and gained popularity during the 1950s, shooters from the Southwestern USA started crossing the Mexican border to compete. Silhouette shooting came into the US in 1968 at the Tucson Rifle Club in Arizona. The rules have stayed pretty much the same since the sport has been shot in the US. NRA officially recognized Silhouette as a shooting discipline in 1972, and conducted its first NRA Silhouette Nationals in November of 1972.
Now There Are Multiple Disciplines
The actual sport of Silhouette is broken into several different disciplines. High Power Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, Cowboy Lever Action Rifle, Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, Air Rifle, Air Pistol, and Hunter’s Pistol are the basic disciplines. Cowboy Lever Action is broken into three subcategories to include Smallbore Cowboy Rifle, Pistol Cartridge Cowboy Lever Action, and regular Cowboy Lever Action. Black Powder Cartridge Rifle also has a ‘Scope’ class, and Hunter’s Pistol is broken into four sub-categories.
Where to Shoot Silhouette
NRA-Sanctioned matches are found at gun clubs nation-wide. There are also many State, Regional, and National matches across the country as well. You can find match listings on the Shooting Sports USA website or contact the NRA Silhouette Department at (703) 267-1465. For more info, visit SteelChickens.com, the #1 website dedicated to Silhouette shooting sports.
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December 21st, 2008
Tony Boyer, all-time benchrest Hall of Fame points leader, has had a spectacular year, racking up many major wins. Of course, most of that success is due to his shooting skills, but Tony also benefitted from his superb Bartlein gain-twist barrels, and a new bore-cleaning product, CARB-OUT™ from SharpShoot-R™ Precision Products of Kansas. Boyer has been using CARB-OUT for the past year, and Tony enjoyed one of his best seasons ever. The use of CARB-OUT has helped Tony to remove carbon from his match barrels, reducing the need for abrasives. CARB-OUT, we’ve found, can also reduce the amount of brushing you need to do.
 Our friend Boyd Allen tested CARB-OUT on a rifle that had stubborn carbon fouling. Boyd had previously applied conventional solvents which did a good job of removing copper and conventional powder fouling. However, when examining the barrel with a borescope, Boyd saw heavy “burned-in” deposits of carbon. In this situation, Boyd observed, scrubbing with an abrasive such as Iosso or JB would normally be required. But Boyd had received a sample of CARB-OUT and Boyd decided to give it a try: “After working with a nylon brush and patches, getting all that I could out, I was able to see heavy carbon next to the lands, extending forward. This I removed by wetting the bore with the nylon brush, letting it soak for 20 minutes, and brushing with a bronze brush. I did this twice. Previously I would have expected to have done a lot of strokes with an abrasive to get the same result, since this was a worst case situation. Being able to to remove hard carbon without the use of abrasives is a ‘great leap forward’ to steal a phrase”.
Using this regimen, Boyd was able to remove the stubborn carbon. “CARB-OUT really works”, Boyd told us. “This was that baked-on black stuff that normal solvents won’t touch. After a good soak, the CARB-OUT on a wet [bronze] brush knocked it out.” Boyd observed, “Others may differ, but after using this stuff, I think abrasives may be a thing of the past.” Boyd observed: “If Boyer, who has been at the top of the BR heap for years, believes in the stuff… that’s significant.”
While Boyd used CARB-OUT with a bronze brush, Terry Paul says the product is designed to work well without brushing. For the typical type of carbon fouling seen in barrels, Terry says: “You simply put it on a patch or a mop and swab it thru the barrel. CARB-OUT also leaves behind a protective coating that prevents future carbon adherance. This coating is less than 100th of a micron in thickness, so it will not affect first shot accuracy.” For more info, visit SharpShootR.com, or call (785) 883-4444.
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December 20th, 2008
 Minnesotan Stan Ware is an extremely knowledgeable gunsmith, known for his precise machine work and attention to detail. When you have work done by Stan, you know he will “sweat the details” to ensure that everything is assembled to the correct, precise tolerances. Stan is also a successful benchrest competitor, shooting in score matches, and Hunter Benchrest matches using his innovative short-neck Wolf Pup wildcat.
Stan recently received a Remington 40X receiver from a customer on the West Coast. Supposedly, the action had been “trued” by a California gunsmith (who shall remain nameless), who also fitted (using the term loosely) a PT&G replacement bolt. To be brutally honest, the California gunsmith butchered the job, and Stan Ware was called in to “save the day.”
Stan looked over the 40X action carefully and was able to determine flaws in the truing work and serious problems with the way the replacement bolt was fitted and the bolt handle attached. Faulty work by the California smith resulted in a myriad of problems — the bolt timing was off, the bolt was headspacing on the handle (not the lugs), the bolt was not camming correctly, the lugs were lapped improperly and they were not bearing correctly inside the action. All in all, this action needed major surgery. In the videos below, Stan explains how he diagnosed the problems, and he illustrates the work he did to restore the 40X to a safe, functioning condition.
Moral of the story? When you have action work to do, go to a respected smith like Stan Ware (SGR Custom Rifles), rather than some local “gun plumber” who may mess up the action big-time, leaving it downright dangerous. Watch the videos below, and you’ll be amazed at the problems that Stan had to correct.
Part 1 — Diagnosing the Problems
Stan explains: “We recently received this action to be fixed. Because the bolt is such a good example of what the things you want to avoid, I put together this video. It’s a great example of what happens when the bolt is out of time or not in the correct position.”
Part 2 — Fixing the Lugs
According to Stan, “We encountered some more problems after machining the bolt handle off and installing the new Kiff bolt. We found that the lugs were lapped at a angle and that we were loosing cam as we rotated the bolt. So, we decided to go back in and re-cut the integral lugs and true the bolt lugs.”
Part 3 — Final Bolt Installation
Stan notes: “Here we show you what was done to correct the bolt that was not installed correctly. The Kiff bolt (Pacific Tool & Gauge) is a good system and laid out well. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to accurize his 700 Action.”
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December 20th, 2008
 John Loh is widely respected for the ultra-high-quality front rests he creates for JJ Industries. These rests exhibit some of the finest machining you’ll find anywhere. John has recently turned his attention to a new product — stainless supports for windflags.
These are not the typical collapsing tripod stands. Rather, they are designed with a strong pointed tip that you drive into the ground. The Loh windflag supports have telescoping segments of stainless rod, with locking collars. This allows you to easily adjust the height of your wind flags, while the telescoping design permits compact storage. You can easily fit three supports under the foam in a hard rifle case (between the foam and case wall) and still have room for your rifle. Built of aircraft-grade stainless steel with TIG-welded joints, these wind-flag supports are extremely rigid and sturdy, despite being relatively compact and easy to store.
John Loh recently introduced his stainless windflag stanchions at Benchrest matches out west. Used by Gary Sinclair, the stands have proven very popular and John sold out his first production run. But he has tooled up to make more, priced at $50.00 each. Contact JJ Industries, (562) 602-5553, info [at] jj-industries.com, for more information or to order. Note, these supports will work well on most terrain, but for some ranges that have very hard or rocky soil, a conventional tripod stand may work better.
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