|
|
May 31st, 2009
 The 2009 World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) will be held at the Krokodilspruit Range in Pretoria, South Africa June 22-29, 2009. WBC-10 includes matches at 100m, 200m, and 300m. Complete information on the upcoming event are available at the WBC10 website, wbc10.co.za. A handy FAQ Page provides answers to questions about accommodation, transport, and South African firearms laws. CLICK HERE for WBC10 Event Schedule.
Listed below are the names of the team members who will represent the United States at the 2009 World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) in South Africa this June:
Team 1 – Ed Adams, Wayne Campbell, Gene Bukys, Tony Boyer
Team 2 – Larry Costa, Mike Ratigan, Bill Summers, Joe Krupa
Team 3 – Chris Harris, Don Nielson, Cecil Peterson, Tim Oltersdorf
First Alternate: Gary Sinclair
Honorary Team Captain: Walt Berger
Krokodilspruit is a modern multi-purpose shooting range situated approximately 23 kilometers north of Pretoria and is the home range of the Gauteng Benchrest Shooting Association. June is the first month of winter in South Africa, but this area has little rainfall in winter.
Something New for 300 Meter Stage?
Most American short-range Benchrest matches are shot at 100 and 200 yards only. WBC-10 includes a 300m match on Saturday, June 27th. As South Africa is known for strong and challenging winds, it will be interesting to see if some competitors try heavier, higher-BC bullets at 300m rather than the typical 60-70gr flatbase 6mm bullets used at 100 and 200.
Share the post "South Africa Hosts World Benchrest Championship June 22-29"
May 31st, 2009
Hornady’s 75gr A-Max BTHP bullet is among the more popular bullets used by service rifle shooters. The plastic-tipped projectile also works well in 22-250s and 22 BRs with 1:8.5″ (or faster) barrels. The 75gr A-Max boasts an excellent 0.435 BC, which is higher than the claimed BCs for both the Sierra 77gr MatchKing (0.372 @ 3000+ fps) and the Sierra 80gr MatchKing (.420 @ 2200+ fps).
High-BC 22 Cal Moly A-Maxs for under $20/100
Because Service Rifle competitors must shoot long strings of fire without cleaning, many prefer to shoot moly-coated bullets. Varminters likewise appreciate the fact that coated bullets may extend cleaning intervals. PrecisionReloading.com currently has moly-coated 75gr A-Maxs on sale for just $19.65 per hundred. That’s a good deal for bullets that are more than capable of winning Service Rifle matches. Consider that Sierra 77gr MKs are selling elsewhere for $25-$28.00 per hundred. If you have a fast-twist .224 and you like Moly, you may want to snap up some A-Maxs at this discounted price.
Share the post "22-Caliber Moly 75gr A-Maxes on Sale"
May 30th, 2009
 We’ve had an Anschütz model 64-R Biathlon to play with since the first of the year, thanks to Anschütz. This is a very impressive rifle. Accuracy has exceeded our expectations. Even with relatively inexpensive Wolf Match Extra and Eley Club Xtra, the gun has shot many 1/4″ groups at 50 yards from bipod. Our ace rimfire triggerman, Joe Friedrich, has shot some 50-yard groups with 4 out of 5 shots virtually through one hole, and the fifth maybe half a bullet width further out.
Originally, the gun came with a 2.2-lb (one kilo) two-stage trigger, suited for biathlon and silhouette. That trigger was nice, and certainly shootable, as we could get the second stage down to about 9 ounces. But Anschütz recently provided its 500 gram match trigger assembly, and that has made the gun even sweeter to shoot. The 500 gram trigger installed easily, and by adjusting two screws we got the total pull weight down to 1.13 pounds, with the second stage about 5 ounces. (Note: in the video, I said the trigger pull was about “one and a half pounds”; we later adjusted it down to 1.13 pounds, or 512 grams.)
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.
The cheekpiece adjusts for height and cant angle. Length of pull can be adjusted by means of plastic spacers. With the spacers provided by Anschütz, the LOP is about 13.3 inches. That’s still a bit short for this Editor, but the gun was still very comfortable to shoot in all positions: prone, sitting, and standing. The near-vertical grip is very comfortable in prone and, with the scope positioned well forward, you can easily get your head in the right position for scoped shooting. With its built-in accessory rail, and a $6.00 track adapter, a Harris bipod attaches easily, and you can move the bipod position fore and aft.
With its excellent ergonomics and stellar accuracy, we think the Anschütz 64R Biathlon is a superb choice for tactical rimfire matches. Plus, it’s dead-nuts reliable. By contrast, at the rimfire tactical matches we’ve covered, we’ve seen a variety of misfeeds and/or mag failures with other brands of rifles. With the Anschütz 64R, mag feeding and function has been flawless. We’ve shot over 700 rounds without a single problem.
Does the rifle have flaws? Yes, a few. First, as noted, the LOP is short for someone with long arms, even with 3 spacers installed. Second, the barreled action and bolt are prone to develop rust if you don’t keep them well-oiled. We wish Anschütz offered a more durable, corrosion-resistent finish so we didn’t have to baby the blueing after each shooting session. While the magazines fed flawlessly, the mag well is recessed and the mag release is small. This caused some fumbling when we tried to do “speed reloads.” That’s it — the complaint list is pretty small, and you could easily apply a baked-on resin finish if you wanted.
Subjectively, this gun is a hoot to shoot, and I can honestly say I’ve had more fun with this rifle than any other rimfire I’ve tested. No, it won’t rival a tuned ARA rimfire Benchrest rig, but it is still exceedingly accurate, and the gun is truly versatile. It’s ideal for tactical matches, club fun shoots, and if you lock the cheekpiece in place and use the 2.2-lb trigger, most clubs should let you use it for silhouette. The gun currently retails for about $1200.00 IF you can find one. Anschütz isn’t building many 64Rs these days, and only a handful made their way to the USA. Hopefully, our report will spur interest in the rifle and Anschütz will decide to ship more across the Atlantic.
Share the post "Field Test: Anschütz Model 64-R Biathlon"
May 30th, 2009
 At long range, small bullet holes are much easier to see in the white than in the black. When you’re practicing at long range on high power targets, one way to enhance your ability to see your bullet holes is to print a “negative” version of the regulation bullseye target. Forum member Watercam has a new Pentax PF-80ED. With the Pentax he can see 6mm bullet holes in the white at 600 yards, but holes in the black are only visible out to 400 yards or so. Accordingly, Watercam uses a modified “reversed” black-to-white target for 600-yard practice. Watercam writes:
“I just received my Pentax PF-80ED-A angled spotting scope the other day and it is awesome. Great quality. I traded a straight Kowa 77mm fluorite for it through SWFA.com. Eye relief with the Pentax 10-60 power zoom is 18-22mm (much more than the Kowa zoom), so I can use glasses with no problem. The view through the Pentax is very sharp and contrasty with great color.
With my 6mm and limited mirage I’m seeing defined, 6mm holes in the white out to 600. In the black, I can see bullets holes at about 400 with my eyes. I am printing reverse-color targets for training without a pit partner at the 600-yard line.”
If you’re not concerned with official scoring rings, you can use an all-white target with a bright, fluorescent target dot in the middle. A 2″- or 3″-diameter stick-on target dot is highly visible at 600 yards. Birchwood Casey Target Spots® assortment #33928-TSA offers neon orange target dots in 1″, 2″, and 3″ diameters.
Share the post ""Negative Image" Targets for Better Long-Range Viewing"
May 29th, 2009
UPDATE: This was a Year 2009 Offer. The Offer is no longer available!
Every day many web users stumble upon our Daily Bulletin in search of information on the NRA’s free membership offer. We first announced that promotion back in March.
Here’s the deal — The NRA is still offering a one-year FREE membership, but the offer no longer includes a free subscription to the American Rifleman, American Hunter, or America’s First Freedom magazines.
Still, it’s a good deal. The regular price for a one-year NRA membership is $35.00. This is a special web-only offer, available for a limited time.
CLICK HERE for FREE NRA Membership Offer.
CLICK HERE for a full list of NRA membership benefits, including insurance.
What’s the catch? Well there’s really none for the first year. However, you will be billed if you choose to renew your membership. Also anyone signing up should know that you’ll receive a lot of mail solicitations from the NRA. For this special web offer, the NRA also requires your email address and phone number. Please note — to enjoy all the insurance protections of the NRA you’ll need to fill out an additional form once you receive your membership number.
Share the post "FREE NRA Memberships Still Available"
May 29th, 2009
 As the start of Camp Perry draws closer, we’d thought you might want to learn the history behind the trophies awarded at the National Shooting Championships. First on the agenda is the Leech Cup. The trophy is awarded to the highest-scoring competitor in one of the 1000-yard events at Camp Perry. The Leech Cup winner is determined through a 10-shot shoot off, after shooting 20 shots at 1000 yards slow-fire prone. The Leech Cup was once the only 1000-yard “any rifles” match shot with iron sights at the National Championships. Currently, there are five matches, held over four days, which count towards the National Long-Range Championship. The overall winner of these five matches receives the Thompkins Trophy as the National Long-Range Champion.
 The Leech Cup, awarded during the National Matches at Camp Perry every year, is the oldest trophy offered today in competitive target shooting in the United States. Its history reaches back well over a century into the first days of the NRA itself.
In 1873, the Irish Rifle Team, flush with victory after their first win in the British National Rifle Championships, were anxious to embellish their worldwide reputation and challenged America to field a team in the spirit of international friendship. The group to answer their challenge was the Amateur Rifle Club of New York, which picked up the gauntlet and managed to beat the heavily-favored Irish at the NRA’s Creedmoor Range on Long Island in September, 1874. The American who cemented his team’s 1874 victory was Colonel John Bodine, who, needing only a hit on target to win, scored a 4-point bullseye with his last shot.
To commemorate the event, the Irish team captain, Major Arthur Blennerhassett Leech, presented the Americans with a handsomely ornate sterling silver tankard –- The Leech Cup. A masterpiece of the Irish silvermaker’s art as practiced in the Victorian period, it is heavily-embossed and surmounted by a representation of an ancient tower in ruins. The trophy has been an award for long range marksmanship ever since the “International Rifle Match” between the Irish and the Americans. The Leech Cup was presented to the NRA by the Amateur Rifle Club of New York in 1901. It was lost after the National Matches of 1913, and went missing for 14 years until being recovered in 1927.
Story courtesy NRA Blog.
Share the post "An Irish Tankard for Long-Range Marksmanship"
May 29th, 2009
Champion™ Eyes & Ears has a new series of shooting accessories for lady shooters. Champion now offers pink shell pouches (MSRP: $21.49), shooting glasses (MSRP: $13.49) and electronic muffs (MSRP: $36.95). A portion of the proceeds from 2009 sales of these products goes directly to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength™ to help find a cure for breast cancer.
Champion Products for Female Shooters
The new Champion double box shell pouch is constructed of nylon/canvas with pink accents. It features an adjustable waistband and contoured shape for comfort. There are divided compartments for loaded shells and empty hulls.
Champion’s pink electronic ear muffs provide a 25dB in noise reduction while providing an adjustable fit for maximum comfort. These muffs collapse for easy storage. Rounding out Champion’s pink products are shooting glasses with pink frames and rose lenses. OSHA compliant with an ANSI Z87.1 safety rating, these shooting glasses feature scratch resistant lenses for clear viewing.
Share the post "Champion Ladies' Gear — Sales Support Cancer Research"
May 28th, 2009
Three-gun match competitor Zak Smith employs a simple, handy means to store his elevation and wind dift data — a laminated data card. To make one, first generate a come-up table, using one of the free online ballistics programs such as JBM Ballistics. You can also put the information in an Excel spreadsheet or MS Word table and print it out. You want to keep it pretty small.
Below is a sample of a data card. For each distance, the card includes drop in inches, drop in MOA, drop in mils. It also shows drift for a 10-mph cross wind, expressed three ways–inches, MOA, and mils. Zak explained that “to save space… I printed data every 50 yards. For an actual data-card, I recommend printing data every 20 or 25 yards.” But Zak also advised that you’ll want to customize the card format to keep things simple: “The sample card has multiple sets of data to be more universal. But if you make your own data card, you can reduce the chance of a mistake by keeping it simple. Because I use scopes with MILS, my own card (bottom photo) just has three items: range, wind, drop in MILS only.”
Once you have the card you can fold it in half and then have it laminated at a local office store or Kinko’s. You can keep this in your pocket, tape it to your stock, or tie the laminated card to your rifle. If you regularly shoot at both low and high elevations, you may want to create multiple cards (since your ballistics change with altitude). To learn more about ballistic tables and data cards, check out the excellent “Practical Long-Range Rifle Shooting–Part 1″ article on Zak’s website. This article offers many other insights as well–including valuable tips on caliber and rifle selection.
Another option is to place your ballistics card on the back of the front flip-up scope cover. This set-up is used by Forum member Greg C. (aka “Rem40X”). With your ‘come-up’ table on the flip-up cover you can check your windage and elevation easily without having to move up off the rifle and roll the gun over to look at the side of the stock. Greg tells us: “Placing my trajectory table on the front scope cover has worked well for me for a couple of years and thought I’d share. It’s in plain view and not under my armpit. And the table is far enough away that my aging eyes can read it easily. To apply, just use clear tape on the front objective cover.”
Share the post "Print and Laminate a Ballistics Data Card"
May 27th, 2009
 Jorge Ballesteros of Spain captured the coveted Steel Challenge title at the 2009 European Speed Shooting Championships held May 22 and 23 in Winterswijk, Netherlands. Facing Europe’s best shooters, Ballesteros won the Open Pistol title with a time of 61.31 seconds, besting last year’s top time by over two and a half seconds. Jan ter Borg of the Netherlands finished second while Germany’s Oliver Damm placed third for the second year in a row. Defending 2008 champion Saul Kirsch of the Netherlands finished fourth.
The European Steel Challenge drew 135 top speed shooters from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and the United States, all vying for their share of $40,000 in cash and prizes and the title of Europe’s Fastest Gun. The match was shot indoors and featured six of the eight stages used in the USA Steel Challenge: Smoke & Hope, Five to Go, Roundabout, Speed Option, Accelerator and Outer Limits.
“The European Steel Challenge is growing in popularity thanks to the hard work of match director Hans Wigger and, with so many strong competitors, it’s only a matter of time before we see a squad of top Europeans competing at the World Speed Shooting Championships here in the U.S.,” said Dave Thomas, executive director of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA).
Fierce Competition Among Wheel-Gunners
In the Open Revolver division, shooters from the Netherlands ran the table with Mario Siemeling leading the way and defending his 2008 win by posting a time of 68.99. Harry ter Borg, who finished third in 2008, moved up to second shooting a time of 77.00 seconds. In third, with a time of 78.35, was Jan ter Borg. Below is a video from the 2008 ESC showing Harry ter Borg, Mario Siemeling (at 4:00 minute mark) and other wheel-gunners in action.
Share the post "Spaniard Wins 2009 European Steel Challenge"
May 27th, 2009
 We all know that sales of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies have surged since the November Presidential election. Federal excise taxes, collected on guns and ammo sales, rose 13.9% in 2008 compared to 2007. Likewise NICS background checks are up dramatically. Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,225,980 checks in April 2009. This figure is a 30.3 percent increase from the 940,961 reported in April 2008.*
What does all this represent in terms of sales revenues? According to the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), Americans spent over $4.6 billion on guns and hunting gear in 2008. That’s a $500,000,000 increase over 2007. Yes, business is booming for the gun industry. The rise in firearms sales has benefitted major gun makers such as Ruger, whose stock has nearly tripled in price since November 2008. (Check out this chart — with hindsight, we all should have invested in Ruger last fall.)
Sales of hunting and firearms equipment showed the greatest percentage increase in 2008 compared to all other sporting goods equipment categories with sales of more than $1 billion, the NSGA reports. A new NSGA report shows hunting and firearms equipment sales rose 16 percent to $4.6 billion in 2008, up from $3.9 billion in 2007. That’s a $500,000,000 increase in one year — and we can expect the trend to continue in 2009. Overall retail sales of sporting goods (footwear, clothing and equipment) fell 1 percent in 2008 to $53.4 billion.
*The April 2009 increase follows a 29.2 percent gain in March and rises of 23 percent in February, 28 percent in January, 24 percent in December and 42 percent in November when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed.
Share the post "Firearms & Hunting Product Sales Top $4.6 Billion in 2008"
May 26th, 2009
Robert Whitley has a new .224 version of the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. The goal was to create a low-recoil but high-BC round to use in AR-platform match rifles. Based on the performance Whitley is getting, we think this wildcat would also be an excellent bolt-gun round.
Whitley tells us: “I have recently been working on another 6.5 Grendel progeny I have made up and call the ‘.224 AR Mag’, which is the 6.5 Grendel case necked down to accept .224″ bullets. I am very impressed by this cartridge and Berger Bullets’ .224″ heavy, high-BC bullet offerings are just beautiful (dimensionally and otherwise) for use with the cartridge. I also have reloading dies for the .224 AR Mag and I am going to make up a page on my website for the sale of AR-15 uppers chambered in the .224 AR Mag.
Above you can see the new 224 AR Mag cartridge (right) next to a .223 Rem (left) and a Berger 82 gr BT bullet (right) next to a Sierra 77 gr BTHP bullet (left bullet). The Berger bullet has a good bit higher BC than the Sierra 77 BTHP (.432 BC for the Berger vs. .362 BC for the Sierra). In the 224 AR Mag, the Berger 82 gr BT bullet sits at 2.260″ OAL (.010″ off the lands and a perfect magazine length) with the junction of the boat tail and bearing surface just ahead of the neck and shoulder of the case. You cannot properly load the 82s to mag length in a .223 Rem because the case is so long the bearing surface of the bullet starts to disappear into the mouth of the case, and at magazine length the Sierra 77s sit so far back in the .223 Rem case they hog valuable powder capacity.
The .224 AR Mag has a powder capacity of 36 grains of H2O vs. about 29.5 grains of water weight capacity for the .223 Rem. That’s a major difference in powder capacity. In addition you have bullets like the .224 Berger 90gr VLD and 90gr BT bullets that have BCs of .552 and .525 that can be driven very effectively and fast by the .224 AR Mag because of its case capacity. Bear in mind the brass is all Lapua small primer brass as well — what’s not to like?
I have done chrono testing of the cartridge with Varget and RL-15, using the Berger 82 gr BT and the Berger 90 gr BT bullets. This cartridge really can spit them out fast! (See load data below).” NOTE: Whitley could drive both bullets about 100 fps faster using 28.0 grains of Varget or RL15, but those loads approached max practical pressure. Start low and work up.
Berger 82gr BT
27.0 grains Varget w/ Berger 82gr BT, MV = 2865 fps, ES = 29, SD = 14
27.0 grains RL-15 w/ Berger 82gr BT, MV = 2920 fps, ES = 15, SD = 7
Berger 90gr BT
27.0 grains Varget w/ Berger 90gr BT, MV = 2792 fps, ES = 26, SD = 12
27.0 grains RL-15 w/ Berger 90gr BT, MV = 2857 fps, ES = 12, SD = 6
CLICK HERE for Load Specs and Chron Testing Results (.pdf file).
Share the post "New .224 Cartridge for AR Match Rifles"
May 25th, 2009
“…gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime….let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude — the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”
–General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868
From USMemorialday.org:
The “Memorial” in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice. You can best honor those who died in the service of their country by…
– visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
– visiting memorial sites or attending memorial events.
– flying the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon (and by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well).
– participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance” at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day.
- renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.
Share the post "Observing Memorial Day — What You Can Do"
|
