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February 16th, 2009
We recently tested two large spotting scopes and two high-magnification riflescopes to see if they could resolve 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards. In ideal, early-morning conditions, we could see 6mm bullet holes in the white with all four optics (Pentax PF100ED, Swarovski 80mm ATS, March 10-60, Nightforce 12-42 BR). However, as the day wore on, and mirage increased, it became increasingly difficult to see the bullet holes, even with the big spotters.
It became obvious to our crew of testers, that if you want to see 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards and beyond, in all conditions and against any background color, some kind of remote camera system may be easier on the eyes than even the finest high-power glass you can buy.
CLICK HERE to READ Complete Target Cam Article With Hardware Tips
 Advantages of Target Cam System
By placing a remote camera relatively close to the target, you bypass many issues that compromise optical resolution. You can see the target clearly even in misty conditions or when the mirage is extreme. You can view your target easily on a large screen… that means no more straining with tiny (1mm) exit pupils with ultra-critical eye relief (move your head slightly and you lose the “view” completely). Over an extended period, you’ll experience much less eye fatique using the target cam.
Components of a Target Cam System
You can put together a good long-range target cam system for under $1200.00. This will include camera, tripod, remote wireless transmitter, receiver and monitor/display screen. You can shop for your own components through catalogs. Or you can contact Forrest Foster, an AccurateShooter.com Forum member and long-range shooter from South Dakota. Over the last couple of years, Forrest has experimented with a variety of Target Cam components. He’s field-tested different cameras and transmitter/receiver packages and come up with an affordable system that works reliably at 1000 yards and beyond.
Foster offers his target-cam set up in two configurations. For $825.00 he supplies a quality Sony video cam, wireless transmitter and receiver, cables and powerful, rechargeable 12 volt batteries. All you need to do is add a monitor or small TV set. If you already have a video camera, Forrest offers the same package, without the Sony camera, for $525.00. For more information, call Foster at (605) 342-8320, or email FFoster [at] dsginc.biz.
Target Cam System in Use
Forum member Donovan has used Foster’s target cam system extensively, and currently has it deployed using an older camcorder rather than the Sony device. Shown below is Donovan’s screen displaying a target placed 1000-yards away. Note you can see the bullet holes clearly.
Donovan is highly pleased with the set-up and says it works great all the way out to 1000 yards. Donovan writes: “For those interested, I am one of Forrest’s system testers. With a cheap Sanyo 21″ TV, I get a great picture of the target at 1000 yards. With a Samsung 151MP flat screen, I get a better target view yet. The video camera that Forrest sells with the system features a variable focal 5-50x lens. In testing, I have placed it as close as 5 feet and as far as 75 feet (25 yards) away from the target with no difference in quality of view on the screen. Just simply adjust the zoom to the amount of target you want displayed.
When set up at 300, 600, and 1000 yards, I did not see any difference in picture quality, as received back at the bench. 1000 yards is the farthest distance at which I’ve used the Target Cam system, but I’m sure it would transmit and receive further.”
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February 15th, 2009
Unfortunately, we still see too many scopes sold to the public with canted reticles. The problem of canted reticles is a serious issue that some manufacturers (both domestic and foreign) have failed to address. (Note: here we are talking about an INTERNAL scope assembly problem that results in reticles being off-axis relative to the turrets. Don’t confuse this with the canting which occurs if you don’t level your rifle. A canted reticle is a scope production defect requiring factory repair.)
One degree of scope reticle cant is noticeable. Three degrees is “slap in the face” obvious and, frankly, pretty unpleasant to work with. Unfortunately, three degrees happens to be one major domestic scope-maker’s production tolerance. And sure enough, you can find this company’s scopes in retail outlets with the reticles located a full three degrees off-axis.
We believe that badly canted reticles are unacceptable in a high-dollar scope, one costing more than $450.00. Optics-makers — it’s high time to improve your quality control.
 
Three degrees may not sound like much–after all it is less than 1% of a 360-degree circle. Nonetheless, as the diagrams show, three degrees of cant is VERY noticeable in a scope. In fact, most people will be bothered by a reticle that is just one degree off-axis. Canted reticles are not just annoying to look at, but off-axis reticles cause a number of problems with sighting and accuracy. For example, if you set up your rifle so the vertical cross-hair is straight up and down, your turrets will be slightly tilted. This means that when you click elevation you will change windage slightly, and vice-versa. If, on the other hand, you cant (or tilt) the whole rifle to make the turrets square, this throws off the bullet trajectory–causing bullet impact that is low and displaced horizontally*.
Now, all manufacturers can have a production flaw now and then. Yet we’ve never heard a complaint about canted reticles in Nightforce, U.S. Optics, or Schmidt & Bender scopes. So, it IS possible for the better manufacturers to get it right. Our point here is that it is time for the major scope-makers to address this problem and improve their quality control. That will happen sooner if consumers pay greater attention to reticle alignment during the purchasing process. If you have a scope with a canted reticle, send it back to the maker and ask for the problem to be fixed. If enough shooters do that, we expect the scope-makers will take notice and improve their products.
*CLICK HERE to read a very thorough technical article that explains the effect of rifle canting on bullet trajectory. CLICK HERE to see targets shot with canted rifles showing bullet displacement. The diagram below shows how this occurs.
Illustration courtesy Long Shot Products, Ltd.
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February 15th, 2009
From February 12th through the 28th, Camp Perry hosts more than 500 high school Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cadets from across the US and Department of Defense Schools overseas. The cadets will be competing in the All Service Air Rifle Championships to determine Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force JROTC national individual and team champions. In addition, the top competitors in each championship will advance to the National JROTC Air Rifle Championship at Fort Benning, Georgia in March.
Camp Perry’s new Marksmanship Center facilities are comparable to the best airgun ranges in the world (such as those in Beijing and Munich) that host International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) competitions. Gary Anderson, CMP’s Director of Civilian Marksmanship, said, “our state-of-the-art air rifle range [is] the finest facility of this type in the entire Western Hemisphere.”
The JROTC competition process started last November when nearly 7,000 cadets and 1,200 JROTC unit teams began firing on CMP-provided postal targets at their home ranges. The CMP then used its Orion Visual Imaging Scoring system to scan and score the 21,800 10-bullseye paper targets electronically.
Competitors in the JROTC Championships will fire with either “precision” or “sporter” class air rifles. In general, precision rifles are high tech and feature adjustable stocks and triggers, internal rechargeable air tanks or CO2 cylinders, etc. Sporter rifles are low-cost, conventional appearing air rifles without specialized adjustments, but they also utilize air or CO2 cylinders to power their projectiles. The competition entails 60-shot three-position events to be fired on two successive days. Each day, competitors will fire 20 shots each in prone, standing and kneeling positions at bullseye targets placed at 10 meters.
For more information, visit the CMP website at www.ODCMP.com. Some of the JROTC Air Rifle matches will be “webcast” on the internet.
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February 14th, 2009
 Berger Bullets has expanded its technical assistance and customer support team, adding Kevin Thomas as primary “E-Technical Consultant”. Eric Stecker, Berger’s Master Bulletsmith, issued the following statement yesterday:
“It is with great pleasure that I announce the addition of Kevin Thomas to the Berger Bullets team as our E-Technical Consultant. Kevin spent the last 15 years as Sierra’s Chief Ballistician. Prior to becoming Sierra’s Chief Ballistician, Kevin spent 6 years moving from Sierra’s production floor to their ballistics lab. Kevin will use his extensive shooting knowledge to help folks get the most out of their rifle shooting experience.”
Thomas will be part of a customer service/tech support group at Berger:
Technical Support by Phone – (714) 447-5458
Berger has partnered with Sinclair Int’l to provide extensive phone coverage by active and knowledgeable shooters.
Loading Data and Technical Assistance from Walt Berger – bergerltd [at] aol.com
Founder and member of the Benchrest Hall of Fame, Walt Berger’s extensive shooting experience is a tremendous resource for those who need help. Over the last several years, Walt has been working on Berger’s loading manual.
Loading Data and Technical Assistance from Kevin Thomas –
kevin.thomas@bergerbullets.com (email is not active yet)
Kevin spent two decades shooting in Sierra’s test facility every day and working with major ammo producers on several projects. Additionally, he is an experienced, active and successful competitive target shooter. He will soon be available for those who need assistance.
External Ballistic Assistance from Bryan Litz – bryan.litz [at] bergerbullets.com
Bryan’s reputation as a top external ballistics mind is well known. Equally recognized is his success as a competitive target shooter. Bryan is available for those who need to address advanced external ballistics concerns.
Stecker tells us: “Both Kevin Thomas and Bryan Litz will actively engage the forums as we strongly believe that forums are a valuable resource for all shooters. All of the people listed above are active rifle shooters and are committed to your success. These folks can provide an even greater level of shooting-related technical assistance than I. For this reason, you will see less of me as I focus my attention on the production floor. I will not be disconnected or unavailable, but I will rely heavily on this ‘dream team’ of technical experts to provide you with the information you need to get back to the range or into the field.”
In this video, Eric Stecker explains Berger’s product line and reveals what’s new for 2009.
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February 14th, 2009
The editors of the NRA’s American Hunter magazine recently tested 10 brands of shooting glasses, determining how well the eyewear could shield users from shotgun birdshot. Eyewear samples were tested at 25, 15, 10, 8, and 5 yards, using #8 shot. One ANSI Z87.1-certified polycarbonate sample was then repeat-tested with #6 shot, #4 shot, #2 steel and buckshot. Read Full Test Report.
 The tests provided some very important conclusions:
1. The glasses marked Z87.1+ (“plus” is a high-impact rating) performed the best. Overall, Z87.1-rated polycarbonate lenses provided excellent protection from birdshot at 10-15 yards and beyond. Some Z87.1+ eyewear even blocked birdshot at 8 yards.
2. You can’t necessarily rely on price as an indicator of quality. The $12 Bollé VX and the $5.95 Pyramex Rendezvous both worked better than some much more expensive brands. The $5.95 Pyramex, in fact, was one of only three products that stood up to the #8 birdshot at 8 yards. The Pyramex does carry a Z87.1+ rating.
3. Avoid no-name, un-rated plastic eyewear. American Hunter Editor Jeff Johnston writes: “It’s a mistake to assume that any plastic-lens sunglasses off the rack at the local 7-11 are made of polycarbonate and therefore are effective as shooting glasses—cheap plastics are not polycarbonates; in fact, wearing them could be worse than wearing nothing, as they can introduce sharp shards of plastic to your eyes in addition to the projectile(s) that caused them to break.”
To learn more about safety standards for shooting glasses, read our comprehensive Guide to Eye Protection for Shooters.
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February 14th, 2009
To celebrate Presidents’ Day, this Sunday’s lineup of guests on Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk® radio show will be all presidents and CEOs of big companies and organizations in the firearms industry. Currently scheduled to appear on the show are Pete Brownell, president of Brownells; Tommy Millner, president of Remington; Bob Morrison, president of Taurus USA; Lew Danielson, president of Crimson Trace; and, Steve Sanetti, president and CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
“I thought it would be fun to get a one-day head start on Presidents’ Day by getting some of our own presidents on the show, ” said Tom Gresham, host of the national radio talk show.
Gun Talk Radio, in it’s 14th year of national syndication, is heard coast-to-coast on 66 FM and AM radio stations, on Sirius and XM satellite systems, and is available for download at www.guntalk.com and on Apple’s iTunes Store.
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February 13th, 2009
 Bryan Litz recently assumed the mantle of “Ballistician” for Berger Bullets. Before joining Berger, Bryan was a missile design engineer working with the U.S. Air Force. An NRA High Master, Bryan also happens to be one of the country’s top long-range shooters. Bryan (aka “bsl135″ in our Forum) has written many ballistics programs and technical papers dealing with long-range flight dynamics of projectiles. Bryan has recorded some very impressive match performances recently. At the 2008 NRA National Championships at Camp Perry, Bryan beat 258 other competitors to win the Palma Individual Trophy Match. Bryan shot a remarkable 450/26x, not dropping a single point.
Palma Match — Caught on Video
Bryan recently crafted a cool video that puts the viewer “in the driver’s seat” as Bryan shoots an 800-yard match with his .308 Winchester, iron-sights Palma rifle. Watch as each shot is marked and scored. Bryan explains: “The inset target at upper right displays each shot location in sequence. The score card shows the windage used for each shot, as well as the windage that was ‘Required’ for that shot to be centered. Wind wasn’t very challenging in this string, only requiring between 2 and 3 MOA right. This particular match is the 800-yard phase of a Palma course fired in the summer of 2008 at Camp Atterbury, IN. NOTE: I’ve had to cut out some ‘pauses’, and speed up the film in order to meet YouTube’s size requirements, so that’s why we sound like chipmunks.”
CLICK SCREEN to WATCH VIDEO. Click Menu Button for High Quality (HQ) Option
Bryan also has his own website with a number of authoritative articles. Topics include: Bullet Design, Meplat Trimming, Gyroscopic and Coreolis Drift, Palma Bullet Analysis, How Ballistics Programs Work, and Ballistic Coefficient Testing. CLICK HERE to visit BRYAN LITZ Website.
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February 13th, 2009
 As most of you know by now, supplies of the most popular reloading components are in high demand. We’re seeing shortages of primers, bullets, and brass. As you might expect, .308 Win and .223 Rem components are selling out quickly. However, we have found some deals on .223 Rem cartridge brass.
MidwayUSA has Winchester-brand .223 Rem brass on sale right now. The price is just $20.99 per hundred — a great deal. The 100-count boxes are MidwayUSA item 1390148099. Unfortunately, the larger 500-ct and 1000-ct lots are sold out.
 Midsouth Shooters Supply has 100-count bags of Remington-brand .223 Rem brass on sale for $27.00, item 050-23089100. If you need large quantities, a 2000-count case of Rem-brand .223 brass, is $515.61, item 050-23089. That’s $0.257 per piece.
Bruno’s Sold Out — In case you wondered about Bruno Shooters Supply, on 2/13 we checked with Amy. She reports Bruno’s is completely sold out of all .223 Rem brass (all manufacturers) at this time.
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February 12th, 2009
Just how accurate can a 6BR Tubegun be, when shot from the bench with bag-riding attachments? Would you believe 0.170 MOA at 200 yards? Yep, that’s benchrest-grade accuracy out of an across-the-course rifle.
 Forum member Milan recently tested his new Eliseo R5 6BR tubegun with Berger 80gr Varmint bullets. We’ve found the Berger 80s to be extraordinarily accurate, and Milan confirmed that fact. His R5 features a Krieger barrel, Pierce action, and Jewell trigger. At right is his first 5-shot group, with the size calculated with On-Target software. The calculated group size is 0.355″, or 0.170 MOA at 200 yards. (Measured by Milan with calipers, it was slightly smaller, 0.350″.)
Milan reports: “Today, I took my brand new R5 rifle (stock made by Gary Eliseo with Pierce Engineering Action and gunsmithing, and Krieger barrel) to a shooting range for the first time. I was shooting at 200 yards and my very first shot was on target. I shot one more time in the same spot and cleaned my rifle. I shot another three shots to find the center of the target. I cleaned the rifle again and shot my first 5-shot group. Looking through my scope, it all looked like one hole. I got a big smile on my face and could not get any happier. When I got home and measured the group, it measured less than 0.350″. Bummer… I was looking forward to the challenge of finding a good load for this rifle but it seems like now I will have to look for another challenge. My load was Berger 80gr Varmint Bullets, 31.0 grains of Varget, Remington 6.5 primer, and bullet was seated 0.015″ in lands.”
Milan added: “The silver rear bag rider attachment came from CSS. I only modified it a little. I lowered my rifle about 1″. I also made my own design, shown below, which allows me to make fine height adjustment on my rear bag when shooting from a bipod and to keep the front of my rifle as low as possible. I would like to thank to Gary Eliseo and John Pierce (Pierce Engineering) for a great job. I highly recommend the services of both these guys.”
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February 12th, 2009
Site contributor Chris Long (aka “TechShooter”) has crafted a report about his July, 2007 Prairie Dog Expedition in Wyoming. Ralph and Lenora Dampman of Trophy Ridge Outfitters served as guides for the trip. Trophy Ridge runs ‘Dog hunts near the town of Carlile in the NW range of the Black Hills, near Devil’s Tower National Monument. Primarily big game outfitters, Ralph and Lenora have access to thousands of acres of private ranch land. They run guided prairie dog hunts during their off-season. Chris reports “The terrain is beautiful, a welcome change from the South Dakota prairie, with lots of hills and Ponderosa pine trees. [These] ranch lands are home to some prodigious dog towns.”
Chris continues: “The goal of this trip (besides having a great time) was to get in some long range (1000+ yard) opportunities, and possibly even a shot over 1500 yards, in order to qualify for the VHA 1500 yard certification. I had worked up some really good loads for the 6.5-284 TubeGun and the .260 AI using the new 130 grain Berger VLDs, and wanted to see how they performed at these extreme ranges. I also wanted to see how the trusty 6 Dasher performed as a long range varmint cartridge.”
Chris Long was joined by two friends who came all the way from Virginia. Chris reports, “Our plan was to get in four days of intense, long-range shooting. We were not disappointed! The shooting was from 100 to over 1000 yards, and the dogs were everywhere. There were plenty of targets close in, so there was a lot a variety. It is especially challenging to move in and out in range by these extreme amounts. It gave me a lot of practice estimating range and wind conditions, then seeing if I could get the come-ups and windage right on the scope for the first shot at the new range. By the end of the trip, I was getting it pretty close, with some 1-shot hits out to about 600 yards.”
Chris’s primary long-range rifle was his 6.5-284 Tube-gun (photo above) running 130gr Berger VLDs at 3165 fps. Chris reports the 130s can be shot at 3165 fps with no excessive pressures, and “scary, one hole, 5-shot 100-yard group accuracy.” With a B.C. of about 0.6, the 130s shoot flatter and exhibit less wind drift than the 140gr class bullets at 2950 FPS.
Chris’s second gun was a more conventional bolt-action in a Franklin LowRider stock, set up with both 6mm Dasher and .260 AI barrels. Chris notes: “The Dasher has proven itself in spades as an extremely accurate cartridge for F-Class Open competition, and I was anxious to see how it performed as a varmint cartridge. The performance was excellent, with many hits out past 1000 yards. This rifle is set up as a switch-barrel rig, and is the platform for the 260 AI. I made a portable barrel vise that mounts in the trailer hitch receiver on the Suburban. That, with a rear entry action wrench, makes barrel changes a 5 minute affair. I would shoot until the barrel got a bit hot, then switch and proceed with the other caliber.”
CLICK HERE to read the complete story. It contains more load data, details of hits made out to 1330 yards, and many great photos of the Wyoming scenery. For .260 AI and 6 Dasher tech tips, visit TechShooter’s Shooting Pages.
Photos and quotes copyright © 2007 Chris Long, All Rights Reserved, used by permission.
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February 11th, 2009
Credit this find to ace British benchrest shooter Vince Bottomley, United Kingdom 1K record-holder and publisher of the excellent Precision Rifle website.
Vince writes: “This beautiful compact press is made by an Italian company, BCM Europearms, run by Vittorio Taveggia. Vittorio builds some superb rifles but he also has a very useful range of accessories for accuracy aficionados. I’m sure you’ll be interested in Vittorio’s loading press — this is offered in several configurations for normal dies, Wilson-style hand-dies, or both. The press is superbly made. Vittorio also crafts very nice Weaver-style rings and bases. Again they are beautifully-finished and very strong. Vittorio also makes stocks and actions. At present, there is no UK importer for the press, but there could be very soon. If you are at all interested in any of the products please drop me an e-mail at vinceb [at] 6ppc.fsnet.co.uk and I’ll pass your interest onto the ‘soon to be’ UK importer.” The top photo shows the original Modulo Masterpiece version, which had three stations. There are other versions, as seen in the photo below.
Editor’s note: We don’t know of a US importer, but you can contact Vittorio directly. Information for his company in Torino, Italy is found on the BCM Europearms website. Send email to: info [at] info@bcmeuropearms.it.
Photo © Vince Bottomley, used by permission
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February 11th, 2009
On the ShootingUSA television show, today’s episode will feature the Infantry Team Match at Camp Perry. In connection with that segment, Sgt. First Class Kyle Ward of the U.S. Army Marksmanship provides guideslines on how to properly fit a shooting sling, and how to best use the sling in various shooting positions.
CLICK HERE to read Sgt. Ward’s step by step Sling Instructions.
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Proper Sling Adjustment
Once the sling is linked together properly, Sgt. Ward explains: “The next step is attaching the sling to your arm. Attaching the sling to your arm is simply done by creating slack in the sling, turning the sling a quarter turn clockwise if you’re a right handed shooter, or a quarter turn counter clockwise if you’re a lefty. You know that your sling is set to the proper length when you can easily and comfortably get into position, when you can take your firing hand off the rifle, and the rifle remains in your shoulder. To get the most of your sling, setting it to its proper length, and where you place it on your arm is critical. There are some general rules to follow when setting up your sling. You want it tight enough that it’s providing maximum support, but not so tight that you have to fight to get it into position.
Proper Sling Placement
Sling placement on your arm is also critical. In the sitting position, you want to place the sling toward the inside of the arm. Place the sling too far to the outside, and it will likely introduce pulse into your position. It’s not uncommon to have to adjust the length of the sling for different firing positions. While using the sling in the prone position, you should place the sling in the outside of the arm. Placing the sling too far towards the inside will reduce the sling’s effectiveness and likely generate pulse.
Try these techniques the next time you’re on the rifle range. Proper use of the leather sling will definitely increase you scores, and decrease the amount of perceived movement when looking through the sights.” |
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