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June 3rd, 2009
Many folks use battery-powered screwdrivers for case prep work. A powered screw-driver is a convenient, inexpensive power source for case-neck chamfering and other tasks. However, if you have been using an older screwdriver, you may want to consider an upgrade to the latest generation of rechargeable screwdrivers with Lithium-Ion batteries. The Lithium-Ion powerpack is a new technology that significantly outperforms the old NiCad batteries.
The new Li-Ion screwdrivers are much smaller, hold their charge for longer periods of time, and the batteries will last longer. These units cost about $30-$50, are lightweight, and fit in the palm of your hand. We think this pistol grip design is easier to hold that the first-generation cordless screwdrivers. They certainly run longer… that’s for certain. We get about two hours on a charge. If you buy a spare battery you can just swap it in and keep working.
The Li-Ion Black & Decker SmartDriver™ powered screwdriver comes complete with 20 accessories for $48.29. Black & Decker claims its compact screwdriver delivers 20% more power verses a regular rechargable screwdriver and lasts longer.
Toolbarn has a SKIL Cordless Palm Size Screwdriver that comes with a 34-bit accessory kit, for $42.00. The tool is very light and comfortable to hold. SKIL claims the Lithium-Ion battery will hold its charge for up to 18 months.
June 3rd, 2009
Leica is famous for its rangefinders, spotting scopes, and binoculars (and of course cameras). Now Leica is moving into the riflescope market. Leica has announced two new “ER” scopes for hunters. Initially, Leica will offer 2.5-10×42 and the 3.5-14×42 models. Both have 30mm maintubes, quarter-MOA clicks, and AquaDura lens coatings. Notably, both scopes have a long (10 cm/3.9″) eye relief. This extended eye relief allows the scopes to be mounted well forward so a shooter need not worry about recoil, even when shooting large magnum calibers.
SWFA has followed the development of the new Leica ER scopes. SWFA believes the Leica ERs will be some of the finest hunting scopes on the market, good enough to rival the Swarovski Z6, and Zeiss Victory series. Leica will offer five reticles, shown below. In addition, you can order the ER scopes with a neutral fast reticle adjustment (ASV), that adjusts the the impact point to different distances. Leica plans to start shipping its new ER scopes in October 2009. SWFA is listing the 2.5-10×42 at $1899.00 and the 3.5-14×42 at $1999.00, but those prices are subject to change.
June 2nd, 2009
A couple months back, we announced that Eric Kennard had started producing snap caps for match cartridges such as the 6mmBR and 6XC. They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and that was true here. Eric started making snap caps because nobody produced such a product for the match chamberings that he shoots. Eric’s match-cartridge snap caps have been so popular that he has expanded his product line to include 12 different cartridges. Plus Eric has recently launched a new website, HarbourArms.com, that features a handy shopping-cart system, so you can easily order all the snap caps you need.
12 Cartridge Types Now Offered
Harbour Arms Precision Snap Caps are available in .223 Rem, 6mmBR, 6BRX, 6mm Dasher, 6XC, 6-6.5 x 47 Lapua, 6.5 x 47 Lapua, 6.5 x 284, .260 Remington, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, and .338 Lapua Magnum. Each set of two snap caps is precision-crafted from aluminum and costs $12.95 for two snap caps.
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Cartridges Offered:
.223 Rem
6mmBR
6BRX
6mm Dasher
6XC
6-6.5 x 47 Lapua
6.5 x 47 Lapua
6.5 x 284
.260 Remington
.308 Win
.300 Win Mag
.338 Lapua Mag |
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Who needs a Snap Cap? Anyone who dry fires. It has been said that dry-firing is the best form of practice. Dry-firing allows one to check for proper natural point of aim, position, and trigger control. Many of the custom rifle actions use two piece, thin, or titanium firing pins. These pins are susceptible to fracture or breaking when dry-fired too much. Shotgunners using custom trap or skeet guns would never dry-fire their expensive arms without a Snap Cap to protect their firing pins. Nothing is worse than your firing pin breaking during a match!
June 2nd, 2009
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s 2009 Shooting Sports Summit is under way in Weston, Florida. Over the next two days, more than 150 leaders from the firearms industry, wildlife conservation groups, and shooting sports organizations are joining members of TaskForce 20/20 to devise strategies to increase participation in hunting and the shooting sports by 20 percent over the next five years. Several key segments of the summit are broadcast live via webcast (click links below).
LIVE Summit Webcasts |Webcast Schedule for Shooting Sports Summit
The keynote speech is being delivered by Clyde Fessler, former vice president of business development for Harley Davidson who is credited with spearheading the re-branding of that company and broadening H-D’s appeal to younger generations. That success story should resonate with this audience who will be considering ways to attract more youth to participate in hunting and target shooting.
Following the Fessler speech, the summit kicks off with its first presentation — Youth Programs — one of five areas that attendees will focus on during the two days here. Three areas — Youth Programs, Recruitment and Retention/Reactivation–will be considered today, with two more — Access/Opportunity and Coordinating Efforts — tomorrow. Each area has a strategic initiative and three to four “questions” that will be discussed in roundtable meetings. Each roundtable will generate suggested action plans that all attendees will have a chance to vote for through an electronic poll.
Photo copyright NSSF, all rights reserved, used with permission.
June 1st, 2009
Many Forum members are putting together their first custom or semi-custom precision rifle this season. These folks often ask us, “What kind of accuracy can I expect from my first 6mmBR?” Of course there are no guarantees, but a 6BR with a good custom barrel, good chambering job, and a nice bag-riding stock should be able to shoot well under half-MOA (1/2″ at 100 yards), maybe even approach quarter-MOA. Forum member Eric (aka Exercion) provided this interesting report on his new 6BR:
Love at First Group by Eric
Well, I took my new stick to the range for the first time today. It features a Savage single shot target action in RBLP configuration, 28″ Broughton 5C barrel, Sharp Shooter Supply Dogtracker stock with adjustable buttplate, and Nightforce scope.
 Now, I have never owned a 6mmBR before, but from reading here and seeing them in action I decided to build one. Its main purpose in life is mid-range F-Class shooting, mainly at 600 yards, and if the winds are favorable, at 1,000. (I already have a 6.5 for “normal” conditions.) I am most grateful for all the info here, and especially the load data. I picked Reloder 15 under the 107gr SMKs for my first loads, starting at 29.0 grains, and proceeding in half grain increments to 30.0 grains. Jumped the bullets 0.015″. Ran the Lapua brass through the neck-sizer bushing die, and was concerned at the force needed to pull the expander button through the virgin brass necks but figured this was a once per case deal to round them out for initial loading. When I measured the runout on the loaded rounds, I was appalled as they had more wobble than anything I personally loaded before, but I kept reminding myself that this was the fireform/chronograph/scope and gun trial stage.
Three Shots in 0.335″ Edge to Edge
So off to the range this morning. No wind here at the house, so life was good … until I got to the range and the wind started to blow. So I set up everything, leveled the gun in the bags, leveled the scope to the gun, made sure the bore was in the center of the chronograph and bore-sighted. First couple of rounds were off to the right, so I moved the scope over 5 MOA and fired another shot, hit paper with it, so I shot 2 more and stopped because I couldn’t tell what was happening. A walk down to the hundred yard berm revealed a nice hole that measures 0.335″ at its absolute widest edge to edge! That’s the smallest 3-shot group I’ve ever fired with anything. I am so in love!
SDs Improve with Heavier Charge and Run-out Disappears
I kept going ’til I worked my way through my first 100 rounds.Given the conditions, I was more interested in the chrony numbers than group, (though 20-shot strings yielded nice quarter-sized holes) and found that as my charges got heavier the SD was coming down (the 30 grain load gave me an SD of 9). I can’t wait to see what will happen with some load tinkering, as well as bullet trials (have Bergers, Hornady A-Maxs, and Lapua Scenars waiting for the next trip). Also, as I had hoped, fire-forming “cured” the run-out problem. I ran the fired but un-sized cases over my concentricity tool and saw less than 0.001 runout on the necks now.
June 1st, 2009
Lapua brass is so good that you’ll be tempted to just load and shoot, if you have a “no-turn” chamber. However, some minimal case prep will ensure more uniform neck tension. This will produce better accuracy, more consistent bullet seating, and lower Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation (ES/SD). Lapua brass, particularly 6BR, 6.5×47, .243 Win and .308 Win comes from the factory with tighter-than-optimal necks. Before you seat bullets, at a minimum, you should inside chamfer the case mouths, after running an expander mandrel down the necks.
The expander mandrels from both Sinclair and K&M will leave the necks with enough neck tension (more than .001″) so you can then seat bullets without another operation. Put a bit of lube on the mandrel before running it down the necks — but remove any lube that gets inside the necks before seating bullets.
Both Sinclair and K&M Tools make a die body specifically to hold expander mandrels. Sinclair’s Generation II Expander Die Body (item 05-3000, shown above) completely captures the mandrel within the die so the mandrel cannot pull out. An O-ring in the die cap allows the mandrel to float a bit and find its own center within the case neck. This $24.95 unit fits caliber-specific expander mandrels (item E-XX, $8.75) which measure approximately .001″ less than bullet diameter for each caliber. Once you run the Sinclair expander mandrel down the necks of Lapua brass, after you account for brass spring-back, you’ll have about .002″ neck tension. This will make the process of seating bullets go much more smoothly, and you will also iron out any dents in the case mouths. Once the case mouths are all expanded, and uniformly round, then do your inside neck chamfering/deburring. The same expander mandrels can be used to “neck-up” smaller diameter brass, or prepare brass for neck-turning.
Forum member Mike Crawford adds: “These expanders can also reduce runout from offset seating. Prior to bullet seating, expand the sized necks to force thickness variance outward. With the Sinclair system, the necks will springback fine, and will not be pulled out of center. This leaves plenty of tension, and bullets seated more centered. I do this, even with turned necks, to get improved seating.”
Mandrels vs. Expander Balls on Decapping Rods
If you haven’t acquired an appropriate expander mandrel for your brass, but you DO have a full-length sizing die with an expander ball, this will also function to “iron out” the necks and reduce tension. However, using a die with an expander ball will work the necks more — since you first size them down, then the ball expands them up again. Typically (but not always), run-out is worse when using an expander ball vs. an expander mandrel.
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