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June 21st, 2008
Many readers have been asking: “When are the new 6mm plastic-tipped 111gr Tubb bullets going to be available?” Well, we talked to David Tubb, and he indicated the new DTAC 111-grain MJPT (Match Jacket Plastic Tip) bullets should start shipping next month. These bullets have a shorter bearing surface than the older DTAC 115s, so they should be more versatile, and not require rifles to be chambered with such a long throat. The Ballistic Coefficient, calculated on the bullet design, should be around 0.575. However, David notes that, as with all bullets, the exact BC is velocity-dependent.
CLICK HERE for DTAC 111 Information Sheet (.pdf file)
 David predicts that this new bullet will be more accurate than the DTAC 115 — David’s testing showed superior overall performance from the slightly lighter-weight projectile. The 111 should also be easier to tune than the 115. The 111-grainer’s bearing surface is .015″ shorter than the 115. The jacket draw on the 111 is shorter than a 107 SMK. David says: “Shorter draw translates to better jacket consistency.”
The new 111gr bullet features a plastic tip. This, David believes, provides more consistent bullet-to-bullet BC — and tests by others support that view, so long as the tips themselves are uniform and properly attached. David says: “The typical out-of-the-box bullet could have a spread of 10% in true BC, from bullet to bullet. With the plastic tips you cut down the BC variance considerably. What we’ve seen in field testing is a spread of only 2% in actual bullet BC. This has reduced the shot-to-shot velocity spread as actually measured at long range.” When bullets maintain more uniform speed over the course of flight, you may see tighter groups with reduced vertical spread, all other factors being equal.
This new DTAC 111 MJPT will be available either “naked” or coated with Boron Nitride (BN). Call (806) 323-9488 for current pricing and to place an order. Visit www.DavidTubb.com for more details.
June 21st, 2008
Temperature, Atmospheric Pressure, and Altitude — all these things can and do affect bullet ballistics. Moreover, temperature changes can alter powder performance and chamber pressures. The smart reloader takes the predicted ambient temperature into account. And when calculating your come-ups and windage click values, you need to factor in Temperature, Air Pressure, AND Altitude.
 How do you keep track of these important variables when you’re shooting? The Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker®, is compact and provides a wealth of information: atmospheric pressure, altitude, density altitude, temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind chill, dew point, and heat index. We like the Kestrels and recommend them. But at $279.00, a Kestrel 4000 is too expensive for many shooters.
Timex now offers a solution. For about $56.00-$80.00 street price, the Timex Expedition® Adventure Tech™ watch (item T41501EA) displays Altitude, Barometric Pressure, and Temperature (ABT). The thermometer function records temps from 14° F to 140° F. The Altimeter reads from -2,296 feet to +29,520 feet with 10-foot resolution. The Barometer tracks current and sea level pressure, and provides a graph of pressure changes over time.
Encased in a stainless housing with a resin band, the Timex watch is water resistant to 50 meters, and offers many other nice features, including dual time zones, countdown timer, alarm, and backlit nightlight (very handy).
There are other quality watches, such as the Suunto Core, that provide Altitude, Atmospheric Pressure, and Temperature read-outs. But, at under $70 street price, the Timex costs one-fourth the price of the Suunto. Amazon.com is currently offering the Timex Temp/Altitude/Barometer watch for $55.97 – $79.95 (depending on source). It is offered with a silver band as well as the black shown above.
Useful Tool or Just Another Gadget?
Is this watch really useful or just another piece of male jewelry? Well just last week a friend was developing loads for his PPC. While chronographing his loads he wanted to input the ambient temperature, and current air pressure in his log. We just had to guess on those numbers. It felt like 90°+, but it may have been in the mid-eighties. With the Timex we’d have had reliable data (Note: it’s best to take the watch off your arm when gauging air temp). For this editor, the Timex ABT watch is a useful tool. I bought one and will be using it during load development and when shooting competitively.
Here’s an owner’s review: “I have been through a Nike ABT, a Swiss Army ABT, and a High Gear ABT watch this year alone. None of them, which cost quite a bit more, have been as accurate and durable as this Timex. It has a better fit, was easy to use and read and just plain ‘on the money’ as far as forecasting weather and altitude. Also, I have not had to take it off my arm for 10-15 mins to get a decent temperature rating. It has always been within 1-3 degrees of actual temp. And I live in the Carribean in a tropical climate… so, for it to be this accurate is a statement in itself.”
And here’s an interesting comment from one purchaser: “I bought this watch to set the jetting on my racing go kart. I needed to know field elevation, and temperature. Plus changes in barometric pressure as the day went on. Most teams use a weather station and computer that cost over $700 for this purpose. My watch and accompanying chart (for the motor) has given me the same results.” If this watch works for racers, it can work for our “internal combustion” precision bullet-launching machines as well.
June 20th, 2008
The folks at Adams Lake Rifle Barrels in Chase, British Columbia, Canada have crafted a 6-6.5×47 tackdriver that is both accurate AND affordable. Smithed by Mick McPhee, the rifle is built on a blue-printed Remington XR-100 action, with custom recoil lug and Jewell. The barrel is a 28″, 4-groove, 8-twist Krieger, in a #17 Heavy Varmint contour. The complete project including the new XR100 action, was less than $2000 (Canadian) not counting scope and “Ski” bipod. The rifle was chambered with a Whitley 6mmHot reamer, and is fitted with a 12-42×56 BR model Nightforce in Leupold QRW rings on a Ken Farrell base.
Adams Lake Rifle Barrels is an authorized Canadian source for Krieger barrels. How accurate are Kriegers? Shown below is a 3-shot .094” group shot at 110 meters during load development of the 6-6.5X47.
Adams Lake also supplied a 6mm Krieger barrel for Forum member M. Thibault’s new 6mmBR rifle, shown below. This handsome gun is a Barnard-actioned 6BR Norma with a Krieger 1:8″ twist, with a modified #17 contour, 1” muzzle diameter. The gun has proven to be phenomenally accurate. Right out of the box, with limited time for load development, Thibault put it in the winner’s circle. Shooting in only his second-ever rifle match, Thibault steered this rifle to first place in the KTSA Spring 300M shoot.
June 20th, 2008
Berger has introduced a new type of 6.5mm bullet. This 140gr design features a thicker J4 jacket and a tangent (non-VLD) ogive. The thicker jacket should provide increased bullet durability when shot at high velocity through 6.5-284s and the short magnums. Berger’s testing showed that the 30-32″ barrels used on many long-range rifles produced increased frictional heat compared to 26-28″ barrels. The new, thick-jacket 140s should handle that heat better. The new bullets have a claimed BC of 0.593 and are designed for 1:9″ twist (or faster) barrels. These new bullets should work very well in 6.5-284 and 6.5×55 match rifles. (Berger does not recommend using its thick jacket bullets for hunting.)
Robert Whitley recently received some of the new bullets. He reports: “The 140gr ‘Thicks’ look great in all respects and I have no doubt they will shoot well based on their design and the obvious quality of manufacture. When you hold a Berger 140gr BT Thick Jacket bullet next to a Sierra 142gr MatchKing, the two look rather similar in length and shape, although the meplats of the Berger 140 gr bullets are closed up tighter.”
The nice, tight meplats on the new Berger 140gr BT “Thicks” should give these bullets an edge in BC compared to other tangent-ogive bullets in the same weight range. Additionally, based on our testing with bullet pointing tools, the small meplats should provide better BC consistency from bullet to bullet. With non-plastic-tipped bullets, we’ve found that the smaller the meplat, the better the BC uniformity.
More Thick Jacket Designs Coming — Including 7mm
The 6.5mm 140gr BT Thick Jacket is the first of a line-up of Thick Jacket bullets to be introduced by Berger in the coming months. Thick-jacketed match bullets will be offered in most of the popular calibers. Long-range shooters will be interested in the new 180gr BT Thick Jacket 7mm bullet. With a claimed BC of 0.642, this should be ideal for 1000-yard and F-Class shooters with .284 Win, 7mm WSM, and 7mm SAUM rifles.
June 19th, 2008
Dennis DeMille is a past Camp Perry National Champion, and one of the nation’s top High Power shooters. Since retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Dennis has served as the General Manager of Creedmoor Sports in Oceanside, California. We recently had the chance to interview Dennis at the Creedmoor offices. With his decades of competitive experience, Dennis has a wealth of knowledge. In this 3-minute interview, Dennis shares insights into the High Power shooting game. He discusses the most effective ways to train for competition, the fundamentals of good marksmanship, and how to recognize and perfect your natural point of aim. Dennis also offers solid advice on how to get the best “bang for your buck” when choosing shooting accessories for High Power and Across the Course competition.
CLICK HERE to WATCH DeMille Interview VIDEO
During our visit to Oceanside, Dennis gave us a tour of the Creedmoor facility. He confirmed that all the new Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor components are in stock: dies, bullets, brass, and loaded ammunition.
Dennis also explained the manufacturing process for Creedmoor’s popular shooting coats. All these shooting jackets are hand-crafted in Oceanside by experts with years of experience. Special templates are used to ensure each coat perfectly fits its new owner.
June 19th, 2008
The Supreme Court convened today, with members of the media anxiously awaiting decisions in many major cases, including D.C. v. Heller, the landmark Second Amendment case. The court did issue five decisions, but did not announce its decision in the Heller case, or the other pair of major cases before it: Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (Exxon Valdez punitive damages), and Kennedy v. Louisiana (death penalty for non-homicide rape.)
We will now have to wait until next week for a decision in D.C. v. Heller, one of 10 cases still remaining for the Supreme Court to decide. A Heller ruling might be issued Monday, or another day next week.
June 19th, 2008
On the Guns & Ammo Magazine website, there is a feature article, America’s Rifle: the AR, that AR15 shooters will enjoy. The article contains dozens of links for AR15 components and accessories, including barrels, upper and lower receivers, sights, optics, grips, stocks and more. You’ll find photos of many of the more propular add-ons such as folding stocks, accessory rails, and red dot sights.
For those times when the AR stumbles (yes, it does happen), the article provides a helpful Jam-Clearance procedure. You’ll also find an excellent Trouble-Shooting Guide for the AR’s five most common problems: insufficient extractor tension, loose carrier keys, improper headspace, failure to eject (FTE), and primer issues from hot loads.
If you’re a black rifle shooter, definitely check out this story. It’s worth the read for the extensive product/vendor links alone, not to mention the fix-it tips.
June 18th, 2008
This is important news for wholesalers, gunsmiths, and FFLs who ship firearms to California. Starting July 1st, 2008, FFLs wishing to send a firearm to a California FFL must first register with the California Dept. of Justice (CA DOJ), submit the details of the transaction(s), and then wait for the CA DOJ to issue a “Firearms Shipment Approval” letter. The letter must be enclosed within the gun shipment and the receiving FFL in California must retain the letter for three (3) years. Curios and relics are exempt, but otherwise this applies to all firearms — handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
To obtain approval, the shipping FFL must have the California FFL’s five-digit Centralized List number and fill out an application and provide the invoice number and quantity of long guns and handguns to be shipped. The application process will be available to FFLs online and via facsimile or telephone once the FFL is enrolled in the CFLC program. NOTE: This law only imposes burdens on FFLs. It is still legal for a private party in another state to ship a gun to a California FFL-holder (if the shipper otherwise complies with Federal law).
Bad Law Applies Even to Intra-State Shipments
The Democrat-controlled California Legislature has produced some bad gun laws before, but this is one of the worst ever. It is extremely burdensome. An FFL wishing to ship guns to California must obtain an approval letter with EVERY shipment. This law even applies to a California-based FFL wishing to ship in-state to another California FFL. The new regulations are administered as the “California Firearms Licensee Check System (CFLC)“, authorized by AB 2521, a terrible piece of legislation signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2006.
CA DOJ’s official summary of the CFLC system:
“As of July 1, 2008, California Penal Code Section 12072(f)(1) prohibits all Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), other than Type 03 or 06 FFLs, from shipping firearms to an FFL in California unless, prior to delivery, the FFL intending to deliver, sell or transfer the firearms obtains a verification approval number from the California Department of Justice (CADOJ) Bureau of Firearms. This includes transfers that occur at gun shows.
The verification approval number, which the Bureau of Firearms provides in a Firearms Shipment Approval letter, confirms that the intended recipient of the firearm shipment is properly licensed and listed in the state’s database of persons/entities authorized to receive firearm shipments. If the intended CA FFL recipient is not listed in the state’s database, the transaction will result in a Do Not Ship letter, and it is a crime for the intended recipient to receive the firearms (Penal Code Section 12083(c)(1)).
As a courtesy to impacted FFLs, the Bureau of Firearms has established an Internet application that is available to FFLs nationwide 24 hours a day 7 days a week (24/7) to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval letters. All Internet transactions will be handled on a secure server, and the information provided will be used solely for the purposes associated with the administration of the CFLC program. For FFLs that do not have Internet access, the Bureau has established a telephone service that allows nationwide FFL shippers to enroll and obtain Firearms Shipment Approval letters via telephone or facsimile prior to shipping firearms to a California FFL. However, the telephone service availability will be limited to Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
California FFL holders (other than Type 03 or 06) must enroll in the California Firearms Licensee Check (CFLC) Program to ship firearms to another California FFL. They must also be listed on the State of California Centralized List as either a dealer, manufacturer, or exempt. Once enrolled in CFLC, California FFLs will be able to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval letters to ship firearms to other FFL holders within the state.
For additional information regarding this new program, please refer to our CFLC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).”
CLICK HERE for GENERAL INFO and LINKS
New System Imposes Useless Red Tape
The author of AB 2521, CA Assemblyman Dave Jones, claims the new system is designed to “protect the consumer” by ensuring gun shipments are not sent to recipients whose Federal Licenses are not in good standing. That, of course is nonsense. Current Federal law already requires a shipping FFL to confirm that the shipment’s recipient has a valid license. No, the real purpose of the new law is to impose a wall of red tape blocking gun shipments to California. The new law has already had a chilling effect. We’ve seen notices on gun auction boards from dealers stating: “Due to new regulations, we will NOT ship this firearm to California.”
New Law Needs to Be Challenged
On its face, California’s new Approval Letter System probably cannot withstand legal scrutiny if it is challenged in court. First, insofar as it regulates and changes the record-keeping duties of Federal Firearms License holders, the CFLC should be 100% pre-empted by Federal Law. California is adding an additional layer of duties and responsiblities on FFLs in OTHER STATES, and then imposing criminal penalties if California’s new rules aren’t followed to the letter. Avoiding this kind of mess is precisely why we have uniform federal regulation in the first place. In addition, the California law may be Constitutionally invalid as a restraint on interstate commerce. We hope the NRA or NSSF immediately challenges California’s Firearms Licensee Check System.
June 18th, 2008
Laminated wood stocks offer an excellent combination of price and performance, and they can be obtained in a myriad of styles to suit your discipline — hunting, benchrest, tactical, silhouette, or high power. Laminated stocks can be a little trickier to finish compared to a hardwood such as walnut, as laminates are often delivered in bright or highly contrasting colors. Traditional wood finishes can alter the colors. Also, filling the pores in laminated stocks is an issue.
Automotive clearcoat products have become popular for finishing laminated wood stocks because they won’t alter the stock’s colors, and the clearcoat provides a durable weather-resistant finish. Clearcoat is also easy to “touch up” and it fills pores better than some other alternatives. Mike Ricklefs has written a comprehensive article on stock painting that includes a special section on clearcoating over laminated woods. If you want to clearcoat a stock, Mike’s article is a must-read!
In that Stock Painting Article, Mike offers these tips:
When finishing laminated stocks with clear-coat, you need to prepare the wood carefully, and build up quite a few thin layers one at a time. Begin by sanding, with progressively finer paper, all the way to 400 grit. Certain laminated stocks are so rough when they come from the stock-maker, that you may have to be very aggressive at first. But be careful with angles and the edges of flats. You don’t want to round these off as you sand.
After sanding, use compressed air to blow out all dust from the pores of the wood. This is very important to avoid a “muddy” looking finish. If you don’t blow the dust out with air before spraying the clear it will migrate out as you apply the clear. Also, after each sanding session, clean your painting area to remove excess dust. I also wet down the floor of my spray booth to keept the dust down.
Some painters recommended using a filler to close the pores. That’s one technique, but the filler can detract from the clarity of the final finish. Rather than use a pore-filling sealer, I use a high solids or “build” clear for the initial applications. This is slightly thicker than “finish” clear and does a good job of sealing the pores. Three (3) fairly heavy coats of “build” clear are applied. If you get a thick spot or a run in the finish at this point, it is not the end of the world but this does create more sanding work.”
There is a current thread in our Shooters’ Forum that discusses the use of clear-coating on laminated stocks. Member BHoges offered this advice: “Stick with Diamont, Glassurit, and Spies. If anyone has questions, I painted cars for a long time.”
Forum member Preacher, whose bolt-action pistol is shown in the photo below, states: “I buy my two-art Clearcoat from the local NAPA dealer. They recommended Crossfire mixed 4:1. Ireally like the end results. There are six coats on that stock that were sanded down to bare wood for the first two, and then 600 wet sanded for the other four coats. Two to three coats would be sufficient if the pores were filled first, but I would rather fill em with the clear as it seems to make it appear deeper and I have the time to devote to it. I have PPG’s Deltron DC 3000 clearcoat on a few stocks of mine, but I like the NAPA better price wise, and it seems to hold up just as good as the Deltron.”
June 17th, 2008
AccurateShooter.com has teamed with Robert Whitley and Carl Bernosky to develop a new AR15-based, 20-caliber rifle optimized for varminting. The chambering is a 20-223 with a PT&G (Kiff) reamer, aka the “20 Practical”, a name coined by Warren Brookman*. The cartridge uses standard .223 Remington brass. Case forming is simple — just neck down the brass (Robert did this in two steps, with .233″ and .225″ bushings). You do NOT have to move the shoulder back as with the 20 Tactical. You can even use your existing .223 Rem Redding dies by swapping out some internal components.
CLICK HERE to Watch 20 PRACTICAL AR VIDEO
While Carl is still working on special (top-secret) “furniture” to help the 20 Practical AR ride the bags, Robert was able to test the first complete 20 Practical AR upper built with a Bartlein barrel. Without any special load development, the gun has proved very accurate, putting 5 rapid-fire shots in a dime-sized group at 100 yards. Robert was using H335 with 40gr bullets. This load runs 3750 fps and Robert thinks more velocity may be possible with H335. We will also test other load recipes for both both 40gr and 32gr bullets. H322 should also be a good choice for both bullet weights. Quickload predicts H322 will send the 32-grainers past 4000 fps, and Warren Brookman says: “For both 32gr and 40gr bullets, Vihtavuori N133 is just about the perfect powder for the 20 Practical. It burns clean, delivers great accuracy and good velocity.”
Robert reports: “I loaded up some new brass today (Winchester brass, factory primed). I only used H335 and the Berger 40 gr BTHP bullets at about .010″ off the lands (2.228″ OAL). The thing is very accurate. First group shot off the bench after sight-in is shown in the video. Keep in mind this was done with no load work-up and I shot fast to ensure the video was not too long. The load was with 26.0 grains of H335 and the Berger 40-grainers going right around 3750 fps.”
If you shoot a .223 Rem currently it’s easy to load for the 20 Practical. You will need a Redding Type ‘S’ neck-bushing full-length sizing die, and Robert recommends a Redding Comp Seater. Then you’ll need some extra bits of kit:
1. Powder funnel that fits .20-Cal case mouths
2. Two neck bushings: .233″ and .225″
3. 20-Caliber cleaning rod with brushes, jag, patches, etc.
4. Decapping rod assembly for 20 Cal (a 204 Ruger one works perfectly — about $15)
*The 20 Practical chambering, a modern 20-223 Wildcat, was popularized by Warren Brookman, whose 20 Practical bolt gun was featured as our 61st Gun of the Week. In that 20 Practical Article, Warren explains the thinking behind the cartridge and shows how to adapt .223 Rem Redding dies.
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