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May 27th, 2008
 Site Contributor Danny Reever has tested the bargain-priced PRVI Partizan .223 factory ammo in his 7-twist Sig 556 and AR15. He gives it a definite “thumbs-up”. Danny reports: “You should try some of the PRVI Partizan 75gr Match ammo. I was really surprised. This stuff shoots great. At 100 yards it delivered one MOA, easy, with my Sig 556. With a custom match rifle it might do even better. This is great ammo for the price. I’m going to buy more before the price goes up.”
Danny was also impressed with the brass: “This is quality brass, all boxer-primed and reloadable. For varminting and general-purpose use, I wouldn’t hesitate to stack it up against more expensive brands.”
PRVI Partizan G75gr HPBT Match .223 ammo, item PPA223MATCH, is available from Grafs.com for $10.99 per 20-round box, including shipping. Graf’s also stocks PRVI .223 ammo in other bullet weights: 55gr FMJBT (M193), 55gr SP, 223 REM 62gr FMJBT, and 69gr HPBT-MATCH.
PRVI Partizan 75gr Match ON SALE for $8.99/box
Now through May 31, 2008, MidwayUSA has the PRVI 75gr Match Ammo on sale (ITEM 790565). This is the same stuff that worked so well for Danny. The sale price is just $8.99 per 20-rd box, marked down from $11.99. You may want to jump on this deal before the price goes back up June 1st. (NOTE: 1:7″ or faster twist required.) Midway customers who have tried this ammo agree with Danny — this is quality 1 MOA or better ammo:
In my RRA Predator Pursuit rifle this ammo produces consistent 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Burns clean with no funky powder odors, no feed problems were encountered. Brass is clean and shiny, good practice and hunting round. Get it now before the price goes up. — Juan S., TX
Comparable to MUCH more expensive ammo in both accuracy, and terminal performance. EASILY shoots sub-MOA groups @ 200 yards from my RRA A4 Varmint. Stock up while you can! — Paul J., AL
I shot this ammo out of my Colt H-Bar AR 1-7 twist and got 1″, 5-shot groups at 100 yards. I doubt you’ll do better than that for this price. I will be ordering more. — David A., AL
Wideners has PRVI Partizan 75gr .223 Bulk Packs
Wideners.com also has large supplies of the PRVI Partisan 75gr .223 Match ammo. Price is $82.00 for 200 rounds (10 x 20-ct boxes), or $399.00 for 1000 rounds. The 1000-round price works out to $7.98 per 20 rounds.
Stan Widener tested the ammo and reports: “After firing, the brass was very clean and there was very little residue on the bolt carrier. Very clean powder. The ammo is made with MILAN BLAGOJEVIC powder and GINEX primers. There were no failures or misfeeds of any kind. All rounds functioned perfectly. The cases are very bright and shiny with military anneal mark. With no primer crimp to deal with, the brass should reload well. CONCLUSION: This is truly the best buy you can get in match 223 ammo.”
Great Price at AIM Surplus
Forum member Graymist notes that AIM Surplus has the PRVI Partizan 75gr BTHP Match for $8.25 per 20-rd box or $7.95 per box for 10 or more boxes (200 rounds or more.) Compare shipping costs with other vendors, however, to determine if this is the best deal, given your location. Remember Grafs.com includes shipping in their price.
May 27th, 2008
 “Koenig” means “king” in the German language. The name fits. Doug Koenig is truly King of the Bianchi Cup, as he recorded his 11th career Bianchi Cup this Memorial Day weekend. This year marked the 30th Anniversary of the event, the most prestigious action pistol competition in the world. Koenig narrowly beat 2006 NRA Bianchi Cup champ Bruce Piatt based on X-Count, 1918-185X to 1918-182X, respectively. Koenig credits dedication and preparation for his win: “I try to be absolutely prepared. I never leave any stone unturned …I live it, think it, sleep it….”
The NRA National Action Shooting Tournament is a money-winning event. For his 2008 victory, Koenig took home the Bianchi Cup trophy, plus cash awards of over $8,000. Robert Vadasz’ win in the Metallic Sight class netted him over $5000.
 Since its inception in 1979, the NRA Bianchi Cup has retained its original course of fire, consisting of four matches: Practical, Barricade, Moving Target and Falling Plates. Speed and accuracy is the key to winning the Championship. Each event is timed and is worth 480 points, equaling a total of 1920 possible points.
Inspired by the success of the 30th Annual National Action Pistol Championships and its impact on his hometown of Columbia, MO, Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA pledged $50,000 cash for the 2009 NRA Bianchi Cup. The gift may be used to increase the $95,000 currently given out in cash and prizes. Potterfield’s pledge earned praise from NRA President John C. Sigler: “Larry and Brenda Potterfield … are outstanding citizens [and] have always been great supporters of the National Rifle Association and huge promoters of the shooting sports.”
May 26th, 2008
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
(Attributed to Mary Frye, 1932) |
Above is “Vietnam Reflections” by Lee Teter. Prints are available from VVA Chapter 172. All proceeds benefit the Vietnam Veterans of America.
May 25th, 2008
For racing fans, Memorial Day weekend means the Indy 500 at the Brickyard. The equivalent of the Indy 500 for precision Benchrest shooters is Kelbly’s Firearms Industry Super Shoot at the Kelbly’s range in North Lawrence, Ohio. Despite high gas prices, 330+ shooters made the pilgrimage to North Lawrence to compete in the most prestigious event in Benchrest shooting.
Topping an incredibly competitive field, Larry Costa won the Two-Gun Overall championship. Larry did extremely well in both rifle classes, finishing second in BOTH Light Varmint Grand (100 +200) and Heavy Varmint Grands. Congrats to Larry for his outstanding shooting. We’ve been told that Larry brings pre-measured, weighed charges (and then loads his rounds at the match), but we’re still waiting for confirmation. Jeff Summers, displaying great consistency, combined 4th in the LV Grand and 4th in HV Grand, to place Second Overall in the Two-Gun behind Costa. Andy Shiffle finished third in the Two-Gun, matching his placing in the HV Grand. We were pleased to see George Kelbly, “Founding Father” of the Super Shoot, take second in the LV 100.
Overall Two-Gun Standings
1 – Larry Costa
2 – Jeff Summers
3 – Andy Shifflett
4 – Gene Bukys
5 – Lou Murdica
6 – Billy Stevens
7 – Jeff Stover
8 – Bart Sauter
9 – Tony Boyer
10 – Joe Krupa |
11 – Joe Hynes
12 – Stan Bowerman
13 – Mike Rattigan
14 – Charles Huckeba
15 – Bill Goad
16 – Milt Craven
17 – Howie Levy
18 – Danny Sutphin
19 – Jack Lyons
20 – Kent Harshman |
LV 100 – Top 3
1 – Lowell Hottenstein
2 – George Kelbly
3 – George Carter |
LV 200 – Top 3
1 – Gene Bukys
2 – Larry Costa
3 – Mike Rattigan |
LV Grand – Top 5
1 – Gene Bukys
2 – Larry Costa
3 – George Carter
4 – Jeff Summers
5 – Bill Goad |
HV 100 – Top 3
1 – Tony Boyer
2 – Bart Sauter
3 – Bud Mundy |
HV 200 – Top 3
1 – Andy Shifflett
2 – Jeff Summers
3 – Larry Costa |
HV Grand – Top 5
1 – Tony Boyer
2 – Larry Costa
3 – Andy Shifflett
4 – Jeff Summers
5 – Bart Sauter |
May 25th, 2008
 Two new, very small and light reloading scales have recently been introduced. These are small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. While not as precise as a bench-top unit, they can deliver read-outs to within 0.2 grains. These ultra-compact scales should prove very useful for any shooter that needs to load at the range. Additionally, they are affordable enough to be used as a back-up to a larger electronic or balance beam scale.
We knew readers would want to learn about these brand new products. However, both these scales are so NEW that we haven’t yet been able to comparison-test them with a laboratory scale to confirm the claimed levels of weighing precision and see if there are any calibration or “drift” issues. Stay tuned for future test reports.
MTM Mini Reloading Scale — $30
 The new DS-1200 weighs up to 1200 grains. MTM claims accuracy (resolution) to plus or minus 0.1 (one-tenth) grain. You can switch measurements among grains, grams, ounces and carats .The unit features a high-impact, plastic sensor cover that doubles as a large powder pan. The DS-1200 comes with a calibration weight, two (2) CR2032 Batteries, and a foam lined storage/travel case. Up to 1200 grain capacity with To save battery power, the large, backlit display shuts off automatically after 3 minutes. Here are sources for this bargain-priced new scale:
PrecisionReloading.com Item MTDS1200 | $29.99
Grafs.com Item MTMDS1250 | $29.99 — Coming Soon
Acculab Pocket Pro Mini Scale — $112
Sartorius, makers of the popular Acculab-123 scale and its Denver Instrument clone, the MXX-123, has introduced a new, portable reloading scale that is truly pocket-sized. The compact model PP-62 will work as a portable scale or a back-up for a benchscale. It measures 3.5″ long, 3″ wide, and just 7/8″ thick.
The Pocket Pro can handle a maximum weight of 1000 grains. Acculab claims resolution down to 0.1 (one-tenth) GRAM, which provides readability to 0.20 GRAINS. We like the fact that the unit runs on a single, easy-to-purchase AA battery. Battery life is up to 20 hours, if you turn off the back lighting on the LCD display. A sliding cover also protects the weighing mechanism during transport. The PP-62 offers easy one-button calibration with the supplied check weight.
Sinclair Int’l sells the new Acculab PP-62, for $111.50 (Item 10-6200). This includes battery, weighing pan, and 50 gram calibration weight.
CONSUMER ALERT: On the web you’ll find other versions of the Acculab Pocket-Pro® Scales, priced at $45-$60.00. These are the PP-201 (photo above) and PP-401. Though these scales appear identical to the PP-62 (Sinclair item 10-6200), they are NOT the SAME. The cheaper PP-201 and PP-401 are only rated to one-TENTH of a GRAM. The PP-62 is RATED to one-HUNDRETH of a GRAM — that gives you an 0.2 GRAIN precision.
May 24th, 2008
While the new 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge was devised primarily for High Power and Across the Course shooters, it is starting to find favor with tactical shooters looking for a highly accurate round that feeds well from a magazine, but offers significantly less recoil than a .308 Winchester.
CLICK HERE for 6.5 Creedmoor Video and Specifications
6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5×47 Lapua — Cost Factor
The 6.5×47 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor offer very similar ballistics with 120gr and 140gr bullets. However, 6.5 Creedmoor brass AND loaded ammo are cheaper. That’s a big plus in the tactical game. At tactical competitions, there are “move and shoot” stages where you need to shoot quickly and then move to another position. It’s very difficult to recover all your brass. Losing a piece of 6.5×47 brass (at 83 cents a pop) is painful. The Hornady brass is $32.49 per 50 (65 cents each) at MidwayUSA or Creedmoor Sports. And we expect the price may drop a bit, in time.
 6.5 Creedmoor loaded ammunition is also much less expensive than the loaded 6.5×47 Lapua rounds. For shooters that don’t have the time (or skills) to reload, the 6.5 Creedmoor (at about $24 per 20-rd box) makes more financial sense. Grafs.com currently sells loaded 123gr 6.5×47 ammo for $42.99/20 rounds.
On the other hand, the Lapua brass is tougher. Forum member Mudcat observes: “[As to] the Hornady brass, while it’s good, it ain’t no Lapua, so don’t try to run hot loads cause all you are going to do is blow out the primer pockets. Keep your loads reasonable and you will get over 20 loads out of em. I have some I have loaded well over 20 times during testing…they grow like a mother though, as they are a lot softer than Win or Lapua, which is why the pockets will go. However the necks haven’t been splitting.”
Barrel Life Looks Promising
Barrel life appears to be pretty good with the 6.5 Creedmoor. Early reports indicate that barrels should last significantly longer than with a .243 Win or 6.5-284. Forum Member Mudcat reports: “Based on my throat wear at 600 rounds on my 6.5 Creedmoor barrel, I bet we are looking at 2500 rounds EASY of great accuracy and then probably to at least 3000 where you ain’t going to notice it shooting Cross the Course — you might see something at 600, but nothing worse than a few less Xs. At 600 rounds, I have not had to move my VLD seating depth yet.” Forum member Rob1 concurs: “The round shoots at lower pressures than other 6.5s and barrel life should be pretty good.” Rob1, who shoots tactical comps with Team Blaster, notes that Hornady puts its load and velocity on every box, so it’s easy for reloaders to replicate the performance of factory ammo. That way you can start with a few boxes of factory fodder, and then load your own once you have the brass.
May 24th, 2008
If you haven’t been checking our Home Page regularly, you may have missed our recently-released article about Online Auctions and Forum Classifieds. This guide explains how you can sell rifles, reloading gear, and shooting accessories on the internet, via Forum Classifieds as well as firearms auction sites such as GunBroker.com and Auction Arms.
In a comparison chart, we provide the listing costs and auction fees for the big sites so you can clearly understand how much an auction or advert will cost BEFORE you post. You’ll also find helpful tips on how to price your sale items and how to write your “ad copy” to get the best results.
 The article stresses the importance of photography in auction and classifieds listings.
If you have a big-ticket item that you want to sell fast, you’ll need sharp, quality photos, and plenty of them. We explain how to take better photos for your listings and how to resize them to fit the online formats.
Lastly, the article covers current eBay policies. While eBay prohibits listings of firearms and “any firearm part that is required for the firing of a gun”, there are still many products you can sell on eBay successfully, such as gun stocks, reloading dies, and gun safes.
May 23rd, 2008
 The Firearm Industry Super Shoot is underway right now at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. We’re told that Tony Boyer, the all-time Hall of Fame points leader, won the Heavy Varmint 100 on Thursday, with a “teen” Agg. For you non-benchresters, that means a 5-target, 5-shot per target average of 0.1300″- 0.1999″.
Lou Murdica, who dominated the Cactus Classic earlier this year, had a 4th and 5th going into Friday’s events, making him the current two-gun leader with a .2195″ combined Aggregate, after two days.
Conditions were not as blustery as in previous years. Shooters reported consistant, cool temperatures with considerable humidity but no rain. Wind so far have not been bad, with average speeds in the 3-6 mph range with some gusts to 15 mph. Stronger winds are predicted for the shooting today (Friday) and Saturday.
May 23rd, 2008
RELOADING TIP: Andris Silins has come up with a simple way to measure length to the lands in your rifle:
“Here’s what I did to find length to lands for seating my bullets. I made four cuts into the neck of fire-formed brass. Then I pressed the bullet in lightly and chambered the entire gauge. As the cartridge chambers, the bullet slides back into the case to give you length to lands. It took less than five minutes to get it cut and working. A little light oil in the barrel just past the chamber helps ensure the bullet does not get stuck in the lands. It works great and is very accurate.
I made the cuts using a Dremel with a cut-off wheel. You can adjust tension two ways. First, you can make the cuts longer or shorter. Longer cuts = less tension. If you used only three cuts insted of four you would get more tension. The trick is to be gentle when you open and close the bolt. If you ram the bolt closed you may wedge the bullet into the lands. When you open the bolt it helps to keep a finger or two near by to guide the case out straight because the ejector wants to push it sideways.”
May 23rd, 2008
The 17 Remington Fireball has received the 2008 NRA Golden Bullseye Award for “Ammunition Product of the Year” from Shooting Illustrated magazine. This award recognizes innovative new products introduced in 2007 which offer outstanding performance in their respective category.
The 17 Remington Fireball is a necked-down version of the .221 Remington Fireball case. It is very similar to the popular 17 Mach IV wildcat, but the cartridge dimensions are NOT identical. If you want to shoot this cartridge we recommend you chamber your rifle specifically for 17 Rem Fireball rather than use a Mach IV reamer.
Along with the 17 Remington, the 17 Fireball is the ONLY factory-loaded 17-caliber centerfire round. As a cartridge for squirrels, gophers, and small varmints, the 17 Rem Fireball is a very efficient cartridge that achieves high velocities with a modest powder charge — roughly half the powder charge of a 22-250. When loaded with Remington’s 20gr AccuTip-V bullet, .17 Rem Fireball factory loads deliver 4000 fps, closely matching the velocity of the .204 Ruger. With the 17 Fireball, it’s easy to see your hits, even without a muzzle brake, as the 17 Fireball has 86% less recoil than the 22-250.
17 Fireball reloading recipes are now available at the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center.
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