|
|
December 19th, 2008
We recently had a discussion with the barrel-makers at Bartlein Barrels. They confirmed that they have seen many, many more barrels harmed by crown damage caused by improper cleaning than by anything else. If you use a bronze brush, Bartlein recommends that you remove the brush after it passes through the muzzle. This is because the bristles take a set (pointing to the breech) during the out-stroke. In other words the bristles angle back as you push towards the muzzle from the breech. If you drag the brush backwards at the muzzle, you force these bristles to reverse direction abruptly right as they cross the delicate crown. In time, that can damage the crown. John Krieger of Krieger Barrels also advises his customers not to pull a bronze brush backwards across the crown.
Response to Skeptics
Whenever we’ve published similar advice, given by guys who are producing some of the most accurate barrels in the world, some readers get extremely angry. They say, “You’re crazy! I’ve was pullin’ triggers when you were still in diapers. I’ve got Hall of Fame points and I say there’s no way a phosphor bronze brush can ever do anything to steel. You’re full of it.” Well, these guys are entitled to their opinion. But here’s our response. Number one, we’re just telling you what the barrel-makers are telling US. Don’t kill the messenger. Number two, many of the guys who say bronze brushes can’t affect the crown are the same guys who feel they need to recrown their barrels every 400-500 rounds (Do we see a connection?). Third, if you don’t think a softer material can affect steel, look at the steel ferrules of a well-used fishing rod — there the steel is worn away by plastic. (With time, water will wear away granite.) Lastly, this Editor can tell you I’ve seen the damage myself, first-hand, using a magnifying glass on much-brushed benchrest barrels. Right at the muzzle, the top edge of the lands had sharp, jagged edges that looked like little shark’s teeth, or the edge of a serrated knife. By contrast, a new barrel will have a nice, smooth straight edge along the top of the lands at the muzzle.
Be Careful with Jags
Bartlein’s experts also told us to be careful about the jags you use. Dewey-style jags in particular can cause problems. These have a long shaft with multiple rings with diamond-pattern “teeth”. The teeth are designed to grip a patch. The problem is that the lower rings may be exposed below the patch fabric, so the teeth can grind directly on the rifling and/or crown. Bartlein says Dewey-style metal jags can damage a crown very quickly if any of the toothed rings are exposed, metal-on-metal. Tim North of Broughton barrels also advises against using the Dewey-style jags with toothed rings. Interestingly, Dewey uses the same type of diamond-shaped teeth on the bottom of its “Crocogator” primer pocket tool, so you know those knurled teeth can scrape.
Share the post "CLEANING TIP — Be Careful with Brushes and Jags"
December 18th, 2008
 The Tooley offset stock has been around since mid-2007, but custom gun-builders may not know it’s available. This radical rig employs an offset design to counter the torque associated with large-caliber benchrest guns. Dave Tooley tells us, “the wide, flat fore-end and offset design really tames the big 30s.” The stock is 4″ wide along the fore-end with the barreled action offset 1.5″ from center. From the trigger guard rearward the stock is pretty much the same as a Tooley MBR, with a bottom flat and slight drop from grip to buttplate. In American walnut laminate or maple laminate the stock weighs 3 lbs., 12 oz., the same as a fiberglass Tooley MBR from McMillan. There is also a lighter “Butternut” wood version that weighs 2 lbs., 12 ounces. So making weight in Light Gun Class should not be an issue.
The stock is legal for NBRSA and IBS 600- and 1000-yard benchrest competition. Dave has shipped many offset stocks to Australia, where they are very popular for the big calibers used in “Fly Shoots” and long-range competitions. For clubs (or disciplines) that may limit fore-end width to 3″, Dave notes that you can simply saw 1″ off the left side (looking from the breech foreward), to make the stock 3″ wide and legal. Dave tells us “the stock still works really well at 3″, it just doesn’t cancel as much torque as it does in a 4″ configuration.” Tests have shown that the 4″-wide stock will effectively soak up 45 inch-pounds of torque, enough to cancel the twisting effect of a 30-caliber rifle shooting 240-grainers at 3100 fps. Dave tells us: “With the offset stock, in competition, you can shoot a 30-caliber the same way you shoot a 6.5-284.” Scott Fletcher, who shot the prototype version with a 338 Lapua Improved, reports the stock “works fantastic. It’s like night and day with a heavy recoiling caliber. It makes a 30-caliber feel like a 6.5. And with a 6.5-284, you can easily shoot the gun free recoil.”
The Tooley offset stock, un-inletted but ready to finish, costs about $350 in walnut or “butternut” laminate. In maple, the un-inletted price starts at $400 and goes up for highly figured wood. Dave notes: “there is no conventional barrel channel so inletting is very easy.” For roughly $800.00 Dave will deliver the stock fully inletted and pillar-bedded for your action, complete with recoil pad. Dave currently has about a half-dozen offset stocks in inventory. Once they sell out, Dave can normally deliver walnut laminates in 2-3 weeks plus shipping time. Upgraded wood stocks will take 3-4 weeks plus shipping time. For more info, email Tooleyrifles[at]carolina.rr.com or call Dave at (704) 864-7525.
Share the post "Tooley Offset Stock Fights Torque on Large-Caliber Rifles"
December 18th, 2008
 We’re pleased that Creedmoor Sports (among other vendors), has started carrying the Howard Leight, noise-cancelling “Impact Sport” ear-muffs. This is a good product, that works well, yet costs hundreds of dollars less that many other electronic muffs on the market. The compact, folding design makes storage convenient. Forum member Danny Reever reports: “Off the firing line, while others are shooting, you can easily carry on a conversation while the electronics cancel out the gunfire. Amplification is crisp and clear even at the highest setting. On the firing line, the muffs are comfortable and the slim profile of the muffs does not interfere with cheek weld.”
The Howard Leight Muffs’ 350-hour battery life is excellent and we like the auto shut-off feature, and external audio plug (if you want to listen to music). There is a single switch for both on/off and volume with an automatic 4-hour shutoff to help to extend battery life. The external battery compartment holds two AAA batteries, which are included.
Creedmoor currently sells the Howard Leight Impact Sport model shown above, for $69.99. The Impact Sport muffs have a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 22. You can increase the effective NRR by using foam plugs under the muffs.
Share the post "Howard Leight Electronic Ear Muffs — A Good Value"
December 18th, 2008
 Brownells, responding to customer requests, has created a DVD version of their “How To Build An AR-15″ instructional videos (#080-000-587 – $29.95). Whether you’re building a complete gun, or just installing a new safety, flash hider or stock, this DVD will make the job easier. The DVD is designed for those who don’t can’t access the web video series on Brownells.com, or folks who want to see the videos in high resolution, or use a portable DVD player to follow the step-by-step directions right in their workshop. It provides all the info one needs to build an AR-15 from scratch. (However, we recommend that novices start with small jobs first–such as fitting a trigger–before moving on to tasks such as barrel-fitting.)
The DVD was produced professionally in Brownell’s in-house studio. It is organized into more than 50 chapters so you can access the specific content you need without excessive searching. Plus, you can pause the DVD while you perform each step.
PDF instructions are included on the DVD. (Load the disc into your computer’s DVD drive and print out the illustrated instruction sheet.) Plus, there are checklists to help you make sure you’ve ordered every piece you will need.
The DVD can be purchased for $29.95 from brownells.com. You can also order by phone at 800-741-0015, mention code #PEN. FYI, the videos can still be accessed, FREE, through the website howtobuildanar15.com, or you can click on the links in the tables below.
Share the post "Brownells Releases AR15 Gunsmithing Videos on DVD"
December 17th, 2008
One click is all it takes to enjoy the Daily Bulletin in a wider, easier-to-read format, with less scrolling. Just click ANY of the links shown below to access our WIDER Daily Bulletin page. Pictures will appear better and the navigation tools won’t block text.
We’ve offered the dedicated Bulletin page for months, plus all these link buttons, but for some reason, many of our readers still only view the Daily Bulletin in the small “preview” window on our home page. (We’re working on making the home page wider, but that requires some major changes.) Recently we added a 6″-wide red button above this preview window saying “CLICK HERE for Daily Bulletin.” That link takes you to www.accurateshooter.com/bulletin.html, our dedicated Bulletin page. You may want to bookmark that page.
Anyway guys, if you currently read the Bulletin only on the home page, that’s like watching a 12″ TV in your kitchen when you’ve got a 50″ Plasma a step away in the living room.
Share the post "Click for Better Daily Bulletin View"
December 17th, 2008
Greg Tannel, owner/operator of Gre-Tan Rifles and GTR Tooling, is a renowned gunsmith and one of the most respected machinists in the business. He invented, and now builds, many of the advanced tools used by other gunsmiths, such as the GTR high pressure pump for chamber flushing systems.
CLICK HERE for Gre-Tan Gunsmithing DVD Order Page. Call (970) 878-5421 for more info.
Greg has created a series of high-quality DVD videos sharing his knowledge of advanced gunsmithing topics. These DVDs range in length from 50 minutes (Tailstock Alignment) to a full 4 hours for the 2-disc Action Blueprinting DVD. All the videos are available from Greg in modern DVD format that can be played through either your television set or your home computer. Here are the gunsmithing DVDs currently offered:
• Action Blueprinting: 2 DVDs / 4 Hrs. $58.00 delivered.
Greg notes: “No other video ever made comes close to this Hi-tech, in-depth look at what is involved to blueprint an action. This video is not candy-coated. It reveals the inherent gross misconceptions of action truing with facts and dial indicators. All machining is single point, including the recutting of the threads. This includes an in-depth instruction section on setup of the threading tool bit and how to pickup the internal thread in an action for recutting for professional truing of threads.”
• Bolt Sleeving Video: 2 DVDs / 2 Hrs. 30 mins. $55.00 delivered.
This video starts by showing bolt lug deflection off of the receiver lug. This will open your eyes. Next the use of the action bolt bore reamer/mandrel is shown and demonstrated on an action that is being blueprinted. Then the nitty gritty of sleeving a bolt body is presented. All setups for machining are shown from the start to finish on the bolt.
• Tailstock Alignment For Reaming: 1 DVD / 50 mins. $41.00 delivered.
This video shows how to dial in the tailstock and explains why the turning of a shaft for alignment may be fighting and ruining all your chamber reaming efforts.To achieve repeatability when moving the tailstock for depth of cut, like head space readings, the tailstock has to come back into axial alignment when slide back up the barrel for resuming the reaming operations.
• Sako Extractor Install: 1 DVD / 1 Hr. 59 mins. $25.00 delivered.
This video covers installation of all styles of Sako extractors. It also covers set up and machining of the bolt for the SAKO extractors.
• G.T.R. High Pressure Pump: 1 DVD / 2 Hrs. $31.00 delivered.
Whether you purchased a flushing system from G.T.R. or built your own. You will want this full information video, which will save you time & money. All important matters concerning chamber flushing are covered in detail.
Share the post "Greg Tannel Offers Gunsmithing DVD Videos"
December 17th, 2008
The 2009 Edition of the Hodgdon Annual Manual will be available in the second week of January, 2009, at newsstands and gun dealers. The 2009 Manual, priced at $8.99, is the most complete reloading resource yet produced for Hodgdon, IMR® and Winchester® powders. The Manual includes usage recommendations, product descriptions, and burn rate charts for over 50 powders, including Winchester’s new AutoComp™ pistol powder. Along with comprehensive load data for most popular cartridges, the 2009 Manual has 271 recipes for four new cartridges: 300 Ruger Compact Magnum, 30 TC, 338 Ruger Compact Magnum, and 327 Federal Magnum. The 2009 Annual Manual also features nine informative articles from well-known gun writers. For more info, visit www.Hodgdon.com, or call Hodgdon at 913-362-9455.
Share the post "New 2009 Hodgdon Manual Available Soon"
December 16th, 2008
We recently shopped the web to find a new pair of protective shooting glasses. Expecting to pay $20 or more per pair, we were surprised to find high-quality UVEX safety glasses for under $9.00! Available from CooperSafety.com, UVEX glasses feature wrap-around lenses and comfortable padded temples and nose bridges. The UVEX line of safety eyewear passes ANSI Z87+ and CSA Z94.3 standards and meets the MIL VO ballistic test for impact protection. UVEX offers a lifetime frame guarantee–something you won’t get with many $100.00 sunglasses. Among the UVEX product line, we liked the UVEX Skyper ($7.80) with its extended side-shields, the UVEX Genesis ($7.75 -$9.92), and the lightweight UVEX XC ($9.07-$10.55). All three come in a variety of lens shades, and replacement lenses are available for under $5.00 per set.
For more information on protective eyewear, read our comprehensive Guide to Shooting Glasses. It explains the various safety standards which apply and gives the pros and cons of the various preferred lens materials: Polycarbonate, Trivex, and SR-91.
CLICK HERE to learn more ….
EDITORIAL — Zero Tolerance Needed on Protective Eyewear
I’ve noticed a disturbing percentage of shooters, novice and expert alike, who fail to wear proper eye protection when shooting from the bench. You’ve probably seen this yourself — experienced shooters who’ll grudgingly wear protective glasses in a match (only because they are required), but who won’t wear glasses while practicing. Or, you may have noticed young shooters who shun protective eyewear because they think safety glasses “look dorky”.
To be honest, guys, I think we need to exercise “ZERO Tolerance” when it comes to eye safety. “Mandatory eye protection” rules need to be enforced… no safety glasses = no shooting, period. Rangemasters must INSIST that ALL shooters on the line wear protective glasses. And when you’re out practicing on your own, wear your safety glasses… always… no matter whether you’re shooting centerfire, rimfire, or even air rifles. One little shard of brass or a popped primer and you could be blinded. Your eyesight is precious. Take care of it!
Share the post "BARGAIN BIN — Great Deal on Shooting Glasses"
December 16th, 2008
 If you’ve been looking for the specialized reloading tools from K&M (Ken Markel), contact Precision Reloading, 1-800-223-0900, a catalog and online vendor located in Mitchell, South Dakota. Precision Reloading stocks the excellent K&M Arbor Press, which can measure bullet seating pressure with an optional Seating Force Gauge. K&M’s neck-turning tool (item KMMACN) is a favorite of serious reloaders, and the Primer Seating Tool with depth gauge (item KMPST975, below) is perhaps the most sophisticated device of its kind. This gives a positive read-out confirming that your primers are all seated to the same depth.
Bruno Shooters’ Supply also carries K&M products at very attractive prices. Shown below is the Neck-turning Tool with optional Pilot Jack, Carbide “doughnut-cutter” mandrel and indicator for neck-wall thickness.
Share the post "K&M Tools Sold by PrecisionReloading.com"
December 15th, 2008
For folks in Northern climes, the competitive shooting season is over, but you can still practice your wind-doping skills with the Virtual Benchrest program created by Bill Giel. This free online program simulates a short-range benchrest match, letting you shoot groups at official-size targets “on the clock”. The challenge is to adjust your aim to constantly changing wind conditions. There are no “virtual windflags” to watch, but the program provides a wind direction pointer along with a wind velocity meter. You need to take both wind angle and speed into account if you want to shoot tiny groups.The program lets you “dial in” windage and elevation for your crosshairs (and/or hold off), and you can switch from sighter to target during record fire. You have 7 minutes to put at least 5 shots for record on target. The program automatically calculates your group size with each shot. The program will also calculate a running average of your group sizes, which comprise your Aggregate. Shoot five, 5-shot groups to duplicate a real benchrest Aggregate.
It may sound easy, but once you give it a try, you’ll find it can be quite challenging (even if you don’t have to worry about tuning loads for temp or humidity changes). Virtual Benchrest is no substitute for real trigger-time at the range, but this program can help keep your skills sharp during the winter months. And you don’t have to pay for powder or bullets. The program is free, hosted by the Russian benchrest website, Benchrest.Ru. Although this site is in the Russian language, the instructions for the program are in English. Just click on the program’s “HELP” tab. A pop-up window will appear that explains program functions and offers tips on how to shoot the smallest groups.
Share the post "Hone Your Skills with Virtual Benchrest Program"
December 15th, 2008
The Midsouth Shooters Supply special Christmas Sale Flyer has been released. It contains some killer deals. We suggest you guys download the flyer and check it out.
CLICK HERE to download Midsouth Christmas Sale Flyer. (6 meg .pdf file.)
Here are some of the interesting bargains we found:
 Duraseal Polymer Spinning Varmint Targets, $12.59-$24.37
Economical, lightweight product that’s ideal for long-range practice. We like reactive targets, and these units provide the instant visual feedback we like. The animal part of the target stands up to multiple hits well, but you better not shoot the hoop frame.
Leatherman Skeletool, $59.95
Typical retail is about $80.00. Check out our previous Skeletool Review. This is a very neat product — one of the best “multi-tools” on the market. This Editor bought one for a relative who is a part-time ski guide and he loves it.
Lyman DPS Upgrade Kit, $20.60
This inexpensive, drop-in upgrade will boost the performance of the first- and second-generation Lyman DPSI or DPSII electronic powder dispensers to equal the speed of the latest DPS 3. The Upgrade kit will double the dispensing speed with some powders.
Share the post "Midsouth Offers Holiday Specials"
December 14th, 2008
 The Varmint Hunters’ Assocation (VHA) publishes an excellent print publication, the Varmint Hunter magazine. In addition, the VHA offers a wealth of online resources. On the VHA Website, VarmintHunter.org, you’ll find lots of useful features, including Event Calendar, online store, shooting and safety tips, and select reprints from Varmint Hunter magazine. Right now you can read a free feature article by Thomas Tabor on the 20 VarTarg cartridge in a Cooper model 21 Montana Varminter. If you’re a fan of small, efficient cartridges for varminting, this article is a “must-read”. Here are links to the 20 VarTarg story, and three other excellent articles from Varmint Hunter Magazine:
• 20 VarTarg in Cooper Montana Varminter
• Precision Ballistic Charts–A Critical Aid To Long-Range Shooting
• Trials And Tribulations Of Making The Long Shot
• Stand And Deliver: 10 Tricks… To Be A Better Coyote Hunter
Files are Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Copyrighted photos courtesy Varmint Hunters Association, All Rights Reserved.
Share the post "Varmint Hunters Association Offers Online Resources"
|
