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August 18th, 2009
Jessie Abbate of McDonough, Georgia is widely considered the best female action pistol shooter in the world. And yet she seems to get better and faster each season. This year she truly “raised the bar” at the 2009 Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships held August 12-16 in Piru, California. Breaking records left and right, Jessie dominated the women’s field, earning the coveted Ladies Steel Master title.
 Abbate, a Team Glock member, set five new world records on her way to scoring a hat trick at the Steel Challenge, where she won the Ladies Open Rimfire Pistol, Limited Pistol, and Open Pistol titles. In addition to collecting top honors in three divisions, Jessie claimed the Ladies Steel Master title which is for the best combined time of the three events.
Abbate held off the defending ladies champion and Team Smith & Wesson member Kay Miculek who stalked Abbate through the match taking second place in all three events. Miculek has won the Steel Challenge an amazing seven times and held seven women’s world records, four of which Abbate broke.
“Jessie really put on a clinic and her outstanding shooting through the entire Steel Challenge demonstrates how far she has come in the shooting sports. Hers is the standout performance of the match,” observed Michael Voigt of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association. This is the second time Abbate has taken top honors at the Steel Challenge. Her first win came in 2007.
World’s Best Shooters at the Steel Challenge
Jessie Abbate, of course, wasn’t the only story at the 2009 Steel Challenge. As usual, this event drew many of the world’s top pistoleros, including the legendary Jerry Miculek and the defending Open Class Champion, the USAMU’s young hotshot, K.C. Eusebio. This year Max Michel claimed the Open Class title with a blazing 82.09 total time, followed by B.J. Norris (2nd place, 84.42), and K.C. Eusebio (3rd place, 86.07). As expected, Jerry Miculek won the Optical Sight Revolver class by a wide margin. Rob Leatham won Production Class with a remarkable 97.07 time, beating runner-up Julie Golob by more than 19 seconds. Simon “JJ” Racaza turned in a fine 92.78 to win Limited Class against stiff competition, while Taran Butler (109.07) took the enhanced Service Pistol title, with an impressive winning margin of nearly 13 seconds.
CLICK HERE for Complete Results from 2009 Steel Challenge World Championships.
Top photo courtesy Tactical Solutions, maker of rimfire barrels, suppressors and other products.
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August 18th, 2009
 A few days ago we showcased the omni-directional Windtronic 2 Wind Meter in our Daily Bulletin. We proposed a group buy (at $85.00) if there was enough interest. Well readers were interested, but we’ve called off the group buy.
Windtronic 2 at $59.90 Beats Group Buy Deal
Don’t be disappointed — the group buy was nixed because Forum Member FClassRon found a source that is selling the Windtronic 2 for a lot less money. Ron searched the web and found that Hobby-Lobby.com is selling Windtronic 2 units for just $59.90 plus shipping. That’s lower than our wholesale price… by a lot.
CLICK HERE to order Windtronic 2 for $59.90.
Click the above link to get your Windtronic 2 for just $59.90, or visit hobby-lobby.com and search for product #KE421. That’s an awesome deal — this unit sells for $99.00 almost everywhere else.
We don’t know how many units Hobby-Lobby.com has available at this price, so don’t delay. We’re sorry there won’t be a group buy, but this deal gets you a Windtronic 2 for nearly $40.00 off retail. Can’t argue with that!
8/20 UPDATE: The link to the Hobby-Lobby.com page with the Windtronic Deal isn’t working anymore, but you can still search for product #KE421 and put it in your shopping cart. We assume Hobby-Lobby has run out, but it appears you can back-order by searching for #KE421 on the Hobby-Lobby.com web site, and then clicking the “Buy Now” button.
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August 17th, 2009
The NRA Long Range High Power Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, will be ending soon and it looks like the match will go down to the wire. Sherri Gallager is leading by four points, with a half-dozen shooters, including former LR Champion John Whidden, well within striking distance. The championship could eventually be decided by X-count, or even with a shoot-off. Gallagher already went through one shoot-off with David Tubb in the Coast Artillery Trophy Match. Both shot perfect 100s, but Tubb shot 8 Xs to edge Gallagher by one X. Here are current standings in the Long-Range Championship:
Sherri Gallagher – 799-37X
Jon Howell – 795-41X
Justin Skaret – 795-37X
Lance Dement – 793-42X
Tyrel Cooper – 793-42X
John Whidden – 793-35X
Here is video shot from the Long Range Competition over the weekend:
LATE-BREAKING NEWS: The Roumanian Team Trophy was won by the USAMU Praslick Team, with a four-person score of 793-42X. The team is coached by Emil Praslick, and the shooters are SGT Tyrel Cooper (198-10X), SFC Lance Dement (199-12X), SPC Sherri Gallager (198-9X), and SGT Brandon Green (198-11X). John Whidden’s Southeast Rifle Club, coached by Carl Kovalchik, finished second with a 782-29X team score. Congrats to all shooters, and especially the victorious USAMU squad.
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August 17th, 2009
 If you’re a fan of hunting in scenic, far-away places, you’ll enjoy Petersen’s Hunting Adventure Television. While the plots are predictable (Gun Mag writer hunts with local outfitter), the scenery is often stunning, worthy of Nat Geo. The producers have put highlights of some of their best shows online. Click the various tabs on the right side of the video player, and you’ll find clips of Black Bear hunting in British Columbia, wild boar hunting in Texas, Ibex hunting in Spain, and a Cape Buffalo safari in Zimbabwe. Our favorite clip features a hunt for Dall Sheep in Alaska’s glacier country near the southwest border of Canada’s Yukon Territory. Legendary hunting writer Jack O’Connor hunted this area, near the headwaters of the White River. During the stalk, the hunters do some serious high-altitude trekking through spectacular mountains. This 4-minute featurette is worth watching for the photography alone.
CLICK HERE to watch Alaska Dall Sheep Hunting VIDEO.
Short, two- or three-minute previews of 2009 broadcasts are also offered online. Featured videos include: Rocky Mountain Elk, Carpathian Chamois (Mtn. goat), Wyoming Pronghorn, Desert Big Horn, Kalahari Kudu and Gemsbok, Spanish Red Stag, Desert Mule Deer, British Columbia Moose.
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August 17th, 2009
 We know many of our readers will be traveling to matches (such as the F-Class Nationals at Camp Butner) in September and early October. Or you may be planning an extended holiday combining tourism with shooting excursions. For those readers who need to travel long distances in September and October, here is a great travel deal: Jet Blue is offering unlimited air travel from Sept. 8 to Oct. 8 for $599.00. With this All-You-Can-Jet Pass, you can take any number of flights, to any destinations Jet Blue serves (including Mexico and the Caribbean), for just $599.00 (plus airport fees and int’l taxes). What’s the catch? well you have to purchase on or before August 21, 2009, and the $599.00 cost is non-refundable and non-transferable.
About the Pass
 $599.00 for a month of unlimited coach-class air travel, any available seat.
On sale through Friday, August 21, 2009, or while supplies last.
Travel Dates are Tuesday, September 8, 2009 through Thursday, October 8, 2009.
Each flight must be booked at least 3 days prior to the flight’s scheduled departure.
Customers who already have a flight booked during the pass travel period can pay the difference to upgrade to the pass by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583), prompt 4.
How to purchase an All-You-Can-Jet Pass
Call 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583), option 4. NOTE: You do not have to be a TrueBlue member at the time of purchase, but a TrueBlue number is required to book all flights. CLICK HERE to join TrueBlue — membership is FREE.
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August 16th, 2009
The folks at the NRABlog have done a superb job covering the NRA National Rifle Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio. Now that the National High Power Championship has been decided (congrats to 2009 Champion Norm Houle!), attention shifts to the long-range events, including the Leech Cup, Mustin Trophy, Porter Trophy, and Andrus Trophy competitions, along with the Roumanian Trophy Team Match.
The NRA Blog has talented photographers on scene who’ve done a great job capturing the matches from a shooter’s perspective on the firing line. Go to the NRA Blog to view some excellent slide shows from the long-range events. This will also click to web galleries where you can view all the photos at your own pace. Below is a collection of some of our favorite photos from the NRABlog’s recent slide shows.
All photos are © 2009 NRABlog.com, All Rights Reserved, used with permission.
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August 16th, 2009
Can you outshoot the 2008 National High Power Champion — with an air rifle? That was the challenge facing over 220 competitors at the inaugural Carl Bernosky Challenge at Camp Perry. Two able shooters proved up to the task, Paul Kerr and USAMU marksman SGT Brandon Green. This popular event introduced shooters to the new Creedmoor-Anschütz NMAR air rifle. The Bernosky Challenge, with $1000.00 in prize money up for grabs, attracted a large crowd, including ‘Gunny’ R. Lee Ermey, the retired Marine who hosts the new Lock N’ Load TV Series on the History Channel.
With over 220 entries, Paul Kerr out-shot all of the competitors to win the Bernosky Challenge event with a 197-8X score. USAMU shooter Brandon Green finished a close second, scoring 197-3X. Nine-time NRA High-Power Champion Carl Bernosky was just one point behind, scoring 196-4X.
CLICK HERE to view the Bernosky Challenge Finals PHOTO GALLERY.
The new National Match Air Rifle discipline was developed by the CMP to simulate High Power rifle across-the-course shooting and provide adults with an air rifle discipline that builds on the popular junior three-position air rifle program. This NMAR discipline is ideal for High Power competitors looking for indoor or off-season shooting opportunities. NMAR targets are scaled down High Power SR and MR targets. Courses of fire simulate High Power matches, but at shorter distances.
Thirty-five (35) Creedmoor Sports NMAR rifles were available for competitors to use during this competition. To learn more about the NMAR air rifle, visit CreedmoorSports.com.
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August 15th, 2009
 Norman Houle of West Warwick, Rhode Island, is the 2009 NRA National High Power Champion. Congrats to Norm! His come-from-behind, one-point victory marked his third High Power National Championship. His previous wins coming in 2004 and 2006, Norman was unable to shoot in last year’s competition.
The National Champion is the person with the highest aggregate of scores fired in the Vandenberg Cup, Nevada Trophy and Clarke Trophy Matches, and they receive the Mumma Trophy, a footed sterling silver urn with an ornate top, side handles and spout.
Houle scored 2387-124X, just one point more than last year’s champion Carl Bernosky (2386-125X). David Tubb finished third with 2385-133X. This year was the closest point differential Norman could recall. High Woman Shooter, and the early leader in the competition, was SPC Sherri Gallagher. Sherri, who finished with a 2382-148X score, has the highest X-Count total among all competitors — by a wide margin.
 Houle, Tubb, and Gallagher are all teammates, along with Ronald Zerr, on Team Creedmoor, coached by Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports. Team Creedmoor won the 2009 RNDC Team match, one of four team events that is part of the championships. Two other events, The Enlisted Men’s Trophy (for military teams of four firing members) and The Rumbold Trophy (for civilian teams whose members belong to the same club or state association), are fired concurrent with the RNDC. The fourth event, The Whistler Boy Trophy (for teams of two, junior-category firing members who represent a state association), is fired during a separate day of competition.
In other Camp Perry Results, SFC Grant Singley (2385-102X) won the NRA National Service Rifle Championship, convincingly over USAMU teammate SGT Brandon Green (2370-90X). Dennis DeMille was High Civilian, posting a 2359-99X. Though she missed out on the big prize, SPC Sherri Gallagher won the Army Cup Match, the Crowell Trophy Match, the Centenary Trophy (Agg), and the Vandenburg Cup. Her 800-53X score in the Vandenburg Cup broke a National Record.
Complete NRA National High Power Championship RESULTS.
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August 15th, 2009
 If you want to win shooting matches you’ll need to gauge wind speed and direction. While many shooters use the excellent Kestrel line of pocket Weather Trackers, many top shooters are turning to the Windtronic 2, a German-made unit that measures wind speeds from any direction.
The Windtronic features rotating cups mounted on a vertical axis. With this design you don’t have to align the unit with the wind, unlike the Kestrel WindMeter or SpeedTech WindMate™ devices. Many users feel the Windtronic’s unique design allows it to read wind speeds more accurately; it certainly can respond to shifting winds more easily. The omni-directional functionality of the Windtronic allows it to be mounted on a stand or tripod and continuously display current wind speed, max wind speed, and average velocity.
The Windtronic 2 doesn’t guage temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, or density altitude, unlike the more advanced (and expensive) Kestrel 4000/4500 model pocket weather trackers. The Windtronic only records wind speeds, but it does that one task exceptionally well.
Made in Germany by Kaindl Electronics, the Windtronic 2 comes with a 2-year manufacturers warranty and normally retails for $99.00 on Amazon.com. Other dealers include Windtronic.us and Windpowersports.com.
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August 14th, 2009
Many readers already have a gunsafe, but if you’re like most gunowners, your safe is completely filled with guns, scopes, and personal valuables. Wouldn’t it be nice to have additional secure storage for items such as shooting rests, barrels, tripods, and expensive tools? Here’s a useful item that can safeguard your tools, outdoor gear, and shooting accessories. In a pinch, it can augment the storage capacity of your gun safe, though we recommend a conventional gun safe with UL-rated locking mechanism for long-term firearms storage.
The Better Built® 48″ Steel Job Site Safe is now on sale at Lowe’s for $249.00, marked down from $288.00. Offering 17.5 cubic feet of storage space, the Site Safe (Lowe’s item # 195894) will hold tools, barrels, tripods etc. up to 48″ in length. It is 25″ high, 24″ front to back, and is built of powder-coated 14 gauge steel. The design includes recessed lift handles to assist in installation. In the front are two lock ports which can be secured with padlocks.
This unit can be very handy in your garage or workshop to secure expensive tools and other equipment. Also, its low, horizontal design allows it to fit in places where a conventional, vertical style safe will not fit. Better Built® also offers 36″-wide (item 37224145), and 60″-wide (item 37224142) Site Safes, but these products are not currently sold at Lowe’s.
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August 12th, 2009
 U.S. Army SPC Sherri Gallagher just set a new national record (and National Matches record) of 800-53x in an 800 point match for the Vandenburg Cup. She broke the old record set by Troy Lawton by 15 Xs. Way to go girl! Remarkably, in 2009, Gallagher has set six (6) national records. In June, Gallagher broke the oldest record in High Power shooting: the 1000-point Aggregate. Gallagher shot a 999-66x to win the Remington-Bushmaster Open, breaking Eric England’s 41-year-old record of a 998-45x.
In other Camp Perry news, here are scores from today’s Army Cup, Navy Cup, and Coast Guard Trophy Matches. Note Sherri Gallagher also won the Army Cup with an impressive 200-18X.
Army Cup: 20 shots at 600 yd, slow fire, prone
Sherri Gallagher – 200-18x
Stephen Culpepper – 200-16x
Ronald Zerr – 200-13x
Hugo Adelson – 200-13x
Navy Cup: 20 shots at 200 yd, slow fire, standing
Carl Bernosky – 199-6x
Lance Hopper – 198-9x
Stephen Culpepper – 196-5x
Troy Lawton – 196-5x
Coast Guard Trophy: 20 shots at 200 yd, rapid fire, sitting/kneeling
Dennis Demille – 200-17x
David Tubb – 200-16x
Joel Micholick – 200-16x
Kevin Trickett – 200-16x
Report Courtesy the NRABlog.com.
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August 12th, 2009
Virginia Gunsmith Richard Franklin sold his stock-making business to Greg West, but Richard is still making stunning, one-off custom rifles using laminated fancy woods such as Crotch Claro Walnut, Turkish Walnut, Curly Maple, Bloodwood, and burls. One of Richard’s favorite sources for fancy woods is Northwest Timber, based in Oregon. NW Timber has one of the largest collections of highly-figured Claro Walnut and fancy Maple blanks in the country, including many “book-matched” sets that are ideal for a three-layer laminated stock. The two, mirror-image, book-matched pieces form the outer layers, with a central spine of contrasting wood.
When shopping for fancy wood for a laminated stock application, be sure to consider the length and thickness required. For a tri-laminated benchrest stock with a 3″ forearm, you’ll need a block at least 2.5″ wide and 32″ to 35″ long (depending on overall stock length). After sawing that will give you two 1 1/8″-wide slabs, so that a contrasting 3/4″-wide section of wood can be placed in the middle. Thinner blocks of fancy wood can be used in a 5-layer laminate. If you can’t find a block at least 32″ long, a contrasting end cap could be placed on the fore-end. However, Richard prefers to work with blanks that are long enough for the whole stock.
Above is a book-matched set from Northwest Timber in Crotch Claro Walnut. Note how there are two matching pieces, top and bottom.
This above photo shows how spectacular Quilted Maple can look when stained and finished with contrasting highlights. A popular material for fine musical instruments, Quilted Maple can look just as good on a gunstock (below).
For more information, contact:
Northwest Timber
3229 Jefferson-Scio Drive
Jefferson, OR 97352
(541) 327-1000
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