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February 6th, 2009
For someone looking for a lightweight, compact, under-$400 spotting scope, we’ve been impressed by the Bushnell Elite 15-45x60mm. This straight-view spotter employs a roof-prism design to achieve high magnification with a short footprint. It is rubber-armored for durability.
The Elite® 15-45x60mm is just 12.2 inches long and weighs a mere 26.5 ounces. Fogproof, waterproof, and shockproof, the Elite series of spotting scopes (there is also a 20-60x70mm version), also feature Bushnell’s patented Rainguard® lens coating. Field tests have shown that the hydrophobic Rainguard coating really works — condensation from rain, fog or snow forms in much smaller droplets than with standard coatings.
The U.S. military apparently agrees that the 15-35x60mm Elite is a lot of scope for the money. Bushnell Outdoor Products was recently awarded a contract for a special military version of the Elite® 15-45x60mm spotting scopes. The spotting scopes will be used by multi-national forces around the world. Bushnell started shipping the units in late 2008.
Government buyers were impressed by the performance of the Elite 15-45 in a small, affordable package. The Elite 15-45x60mm is a compact unit that is easy to carry and quickly set up. Bushnell will make some modifications to the spotting scopes to meet military specifications. For more info, visit www.bushnell.com or call 800-423-3537 for consumer inquiries.
No Substitute For Higher Power and Bigger Objectives
We recently field-tested two premium spotting scopes (Pentax 100mm and Swarovski 80mm), to determine if they could resolve 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards. They both did. In good viewing conditions, a premium spotter can resolve 6mm holes at very long ranges, but you’ll want at least 55x power (and more is better — 80x is not too much in ideal viewing conditions). Our test scopes had 100mm and 80mm objectives. Don’t expect this compact Bushnell 15-45x60mm to perform on a par with a $2000.00 spotting scope with more magnification and bigger lenses.
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February 5th, 2009
National High Power champion Carl Bernosky will be at the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA from February 7 through February 15, 2009. Carl won the 2008 Camp Perry Nat’l High Power Championship — his eighth Camp Perry National title. For our readers in the Northeast, here’s your chance to chat with one of America’s top shooters.
While most well-known for his rifle and pistol shooting skills, Carl is also an outstanding smith and stock-maker. He produces stocks for many of the country’s top High Power and benchrest shooters. Carl, eight time NRA High Power Rifle Champion, builds custom rifles and custom stocks, including many designs for Alex Sittman of Master Class Stocks. While at the show, Carl will be showcasing his work and taking orders for stocks and full custom-rifle builds. You can view Carl’s Stock Patterns on his website, CarlBernosky.com.
At the Harrisburg Sportsman Show, Carl will be working with eyewear-maker SunBuster at booth # 2600. Steve Asman, SunBuster’s president said, “We just returned from SHOT Show in Orlando. Now at Harrisburg, we’ll be able to meet all of the hunters and shooting enthusiasts in person and demonstrate how to be properly fitted for eyewear and why choosing our ColorCorrect™ lens can affect your shooting accuracy.”
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February 4th, 2009
 The general economy may be in a major downturn, but big ammunition producers aren’t complaining — their sales revenues continue to rise. Both Winchester and ATK (Alliant) have reported significant growth in ammo sales through the end of 2008.
Winchester reported that its 4th quarter 2008 sales were $121.4 million compared to $102.7 million for the same period in 2007. The increase reflects a combination of higher selling prices and improved commercial and law enforcement volumes. Higher selling prices and higher volumes offset higher commodity, material, and manufacturing costs, and a less favorable product mix.
ATK also records impressive sales growth in 2008. Third-quarter sales by Alliant Techsystems’ (NYSE:ATK) Armament Systems group rose 15 percent to $438 million, compared to $381 million in the prior-year quarter. The division of ATK produces commercial and military ammunition and gun systems, propellants and advanced energetics. ATK said the strong performance primarily reflects continued growth in commercial ammunition, higher energetics volume, and strong growth within the group’s medium-caliber gun systems and ammunition business.
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February 3rd, 2009
 The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 25th Annual Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo will be held March 5-8 at the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center. The event features many interesting demonstrations and “how-to” seminars. You can learn how to call elk, pack a horse, hunt backcountry, get more from a hunting guide, field dress big game, cook venison, train a retriever and hunt predators — all under one roof. In addition there are seminars on bow-hunting and black powder shooting. These seminars and more, each presented by noted authorities, are free with the price of admission. Daily admission is $12 per person or $25 per family, and free for kids 5 and under.
Photo courtesy Rimrock Elk Hunt Ranch, Rexburg, Idaho
The Elk Foundation’s Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo also features the RMEF/Leupold 2009 World Elk Calling Championships, hundreds of exhibits, displays, activities, auctions, raffles and more. It’s all a public-welcome showcase and fundraiser for one of the nation’s premier conservation organizations. Since launching in 1984, the Elk Foundation has enhanced or protected habitat on over 5.5 million acres.
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February 3rd, 2009
 If you’re using a body die or a full-length sizing die, try using Ballistol (in the aerosol can) as a lube. It works GREAT without the tacky or gooey residue left by most case lubes. It will also clean off carbon residues on the neck as you lube the case. Just spray a little on a cotton patch (or your fingertips) and wipe each case before you run it up into the die. If you are using a steel neck bushing, be sure to wipe the neck as well. You can usually do a 6-10 BR-sized cases before you need to re-apply Ballistol on the patch. Ballistol is non-toxic, non-petroleum based, and will not harm your skin. It is very slippery, but can easily be removed with a rag or paper towel. Try it–you may retire your One-Shot. Derived from Pine Oil, Ballistol can also be used to protect wood stocks.
Use Heavier Lube for Case-Forming
Note, for heavy case-forming or necking up case necks, we still recommend a thicker lubricant, such as Imperial die wax. But for normal case sizing, after your neck has been expanded, Ballistol will do the job, and you won’t need to tumble the brass afterwards. All you need is a very thin layer of Ballistol, and this easily wipes off with a paper towel.
 Neck-Turning Lubes
For lubing the neck-turning tool mandrel while turning case necks, many folks use a blend of STP® Oil Treatment and Mobil 1 lube. Chuckw2 reports: “Try STP and Mobile 1 Synthetic oil in a 50/50 mixture. Very slick, but it sticks so you will need to tumble your cases after turning.” STP is a very thick lubricant, that flows and clings almost like honey. Jason reports the STP blend comes off easily in an ultra-sound bath, using a bit of detergent. STP is also now available in a convenient 7-ounce tube, so you don’t have to buy a large bottle. Another even cheaper option is assembly lubricant. For turning his case necks, RStreich uses assembly lube from an auto parts store. He notes: “The brand I have is reddish in color and kind of sticky like honey. It’s far better than the Imperial die wax I was using before.”
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February 2nd, 2009
Wolf Russian-made primers have proven very popular with High Power and long-range shooters. Many top shooters have found that the Russian primers deliver extremely low Extreme Spread (ES) and Standard Deviation (SD), when used with the popular Hodgdon and Alliant powders, such as H4831sc for the .284 Win and Reloder 15 for the 6BR. Note that, for the 6BR and 6-6.5×47, you want to use the Wolf Small Rifle Magnum primers, rather than Wolf’s standard small rifle primers. The Small Rifle Magnum primers have harder cups and work better.
Since demand for all reloading components is very high right now, Wolf primers can be hard to find. Nearly everyone is sold out, but check with Wideners.com. Here is the status of Wolf Primer inventories at popular vendors:
Bruno Shooters Supply: Wolf Small Rifle Magnum primers (250 1K boxes in stock) as of 2/7/2009. Ask Amy or Lester — You won’t find these on the website yet.
Wideners.com: Wolf Small Rifle (313 1K boxes in stock), Wolf Small Rifle Magnum (88 1K boxes in stock), Wolf Large Rifle (Out of Stock), Wolf Large Rifle Magnum (544 1K boxes in stock.) UPDATE: Small Rifle Magnums out of stock as of 2/6/2009
Grafs.com: Small Rifle Magnum, in stock, but very limited supply, item WONCSRMB, $23.59 per 1K box. Large Rifle and Large Rifle Magnum out of stock.
PowderValleyInc.com: Most Wolf primers out of stock. Wolf Small Rifle (Standard) and Wolf Large Rifle (Standard) expected 2/28/2009.
MidwayUSA.com: Everything out of stock. No backorders. New supplies expected 3/25/2009 (small rifle) and 7/22/2009 (Large Rifle).
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February 1st, 2009
CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” featured a segment on gun-owner concerns about the Obama administration, bullet serialization and firearms microstamping. As a state Senator in Illinois, Obama supported a 500% increase in taxes on bullets and ammunition. NSSF Senior V.P. and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane was interviewed for the segment. Keane expressed concern that the Obama Administration favors microstamping of bullets and/or cartridge cases. Though scientists have declared that microstamping is not a viable technology at present, Democrats are still pushing for it. Keane worries that mandatory microstamping could make the shooting sports prohibitively expensive.
CNN’s Lou Dobbs also interviewed Wyoming Senator John Barrasso, a vocal critic of Obama’s selection of Eric Holder as U.S. Attorney General. Barrosso noted that Holder has stated that the Second Amendment does not recognize an individual right to “keep and bear arms”. While Holder has declared that the Obama administration “has no intention of doing anything that would affect a state’s regulation of firearms”, Dobbs pointed out that Holder left open the question of FEDERAL (as opposed to state) regulation of firearms.
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