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November 25th, 2009

Big Discounts on Cabela's Gun Vises

Need a sturdy gun vise to hold your rifle for cleaning and work sessions? Cabelas.com has slashed prices on both its hardword and plastic gun vises. You can now save up to 50% on these handy work-stations.

gun vise

Cabela’s simple but rock-solid hardwood gun vise (item 9IS-228063) is now marked down from $59.99 to just $29.99 — that’s 50% off the regular price. And — get this — the hardwood gun vise comes with a 31-piece screwdriver set, included in that $29.99 sale price. This hardwood vice measures 28″L x 8″W x 7.5″H and features four cut-outs for parts and small solvent bottles. The gun is secured in leather-padded cradles tensioned with a simple wood camming mechanism.

gun vise

Cabela’s also has slashed the price of its polymer gun vise (item 9IS-227687). The polymer vise is now just $29.99, marked down from $49.99. That’s a great price for a versatile, light-weight (5-lb.) unit that can easily be moved around your shop. Cabela’s polymer gun vise features rubber padding at the front, rear, and under the pistol grip. The base has many small compartments and recesses for solvents and cleaning gear.

FREE Shipping on Orders over $99.00
In addition to the savings on these items, Cabela’s is currently offering FREE Shipping on all orders of $99.00 or more. This special savings is good through December 1, 2009. Use promo code 9CHRISTMAS at checkout.

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November 25th, 2009

FREE Issues of RIFLE and HANDLOADER Magazines

Free Recent Sample Issues to Review
Wolfe Publishing offers FREE, downloadable partial samples of the January 2010 issue of Rifle Magazine and the December 2009 issue of Handloader Magazine. (Note: these are fairly large, 4-5 megabyte .pdf files.) The Rifle magazine sample spotlights Volquartsen’s Evolution varminter. The Handloader sample issue has a nice story on Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) Silhouette, plus a full feature on the unusual 22 Jet cartridge.

CLICK HERE for January 2010
RIFLE Magazine (partial issue)

Rifle Magazine free offer

CLICK HERE for December 2009 HANDLOADER Magazine (partial issue)

Rifle Magazine free offer

FREE Hard Copy Samples Also Offered
You can also order FREE sample hard-copy issues of Rifle Magazine, Handloader Magazine, and Successful Hunter magazine. You can request up to one (1) issue each. Just supply your name and address on the Hardcopy Sample Order Page. The full copies of recent issues are both worth a read. The latest issue of Rifle magazine has a good story on the Volquartesen Evolution varmint rifle. The Dec/Jan Handloader includes a fascinating “Cast Bullet Myth Busting” article, plus a guide to powders for the 220 Swift.

Permalink - Articles, Hot Deals 1 Comment »
November 24th, 2009

Praise for John Pierce, Gunsmith and 'True Gentleman'

In our Shooters’ Forum, member David C. posted this account about David’s recent positive experience with John Pierce of Pierce Engineering. It’s nice when a good deed gets acknowledged. Dave wrote:

“I don’t know if you guys know or have heard of John Pierce, but he makes a fine action and custom rifles if you want one. Well his shop is only about 5 miles from me so I went to see him yesterday. I had bought a Stevens .243 with the idea of making a 6mmBR out of it. I had it apart and had cut 0.600″ off and put the same amount of threads on it. I just wanted [John] to ream it for me if he had the time.

Well, John took one look down the barrel with his borescope and said ‘It’s Junk’. He then went through his take-off barrels and found a nice stainless bull barrel and said ‘this will work’. He then crowned it, cut it off and threaded it with a shoulder so no Savage nut was required. He then reamed it and put it all back together and checked the head space.

If that wasn’t enough, John then loaded 15 cases for me, gave me 100 primers and showed me around his shop. Now mind you I had been there most of the morning. Let me tell you, this guy has his stuff together. Boy does he make a great action. I said, ‘Well how much do I owe you?’, and he said ‘Nothing… just go shoot it and have some fun’.

I did buy him lunch, LOL. Guess where I will be getting my next rifle? Thanks John, you sure made this old man’s day.” – Dave C.

Pierce Engineering

Permalink Gunsmithing, News 5 Comments »
November 24th, 2009

Hornady's Emary Shares Superformance Ammo Secrets

Hornady superformance ammoHornady recently announced its new line of Superformance Hunting Ammo. Loaded with GMX solid bullets and SST jacketed bullets, the new ammo is faster than conventional hunting ammunition. Hornady claims that, “across the board”, Superformance ammo is 100-200 fps faster than other factory hunting ammo with similar bullet weights.

We had a lengthy discussion yesterday with Dave Emary, Hornady’s Senior Ballistician. Dave shared some of the secrets of the new Superperformance ammo, and explained how Hornady is achieving such high velocities. The key, as we suspected, is that Hornady is using new propellants — powders that are not yet available for sale. These new propellants are BALL POWDERS custom-made to Hornady’s specs. Hornady actually commissioned multiple new spherical formulations, in various speed ranges. Then Hornady blends these ball powders to suit particular cartridges and loads. So, each type of Superformance ammo (e.g. 243 Win with 95gr SST and 300 Win Mag with 165gr GMX) represents a custom blend of the new ball propellants of various burn ranges. Hornady tailors the powder blend to achieve maximum velocity, accuracy, and low temp sensitivity for each load.

Hornady is NOT using Alliant’s Reloder 17. However, in some respects, Hornady’s new ball powders behave like Reloder 17 — by “flattening the right side of the pressure curve”. Rather than hitting a high peak pressure and then dropping off dramatically in energy, Reloder 17 sustains high pressure behind the heel of the bullet for a longer in-barrel time. Hornady’s new powders do the same thing — they deliver high energy behind the bullet for more milliseconds as the bullet travels down the bore. This is the main reason Superformance ammo delivers high velocity — the new powders are maintaining higher energy levels for a longer period of time. Additionally, being ball powders that pack tightly, the new propellants can be loaded to a high density in the case — an advantage with medium-sized cartridges such as the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Here is how Hornady has achieved high velocities with its new Superformance ammunition:

1) Superformance ammo uses advanced new Ball Powders (not yet for sale).

2) The powders are BLENDED, with different “recipes” for different cartridges.

3) The new powders maintain high-energy longer in barrel (like Reloder 17).

4) The new powders burn almost completely, reducing ejecta, for less exit pressure, and less felt recoil.

5) Superformance ball propellants pack very densely, so more grains of powder can fit inside a case, compared to typical extruded stick powders.

Dave Emary Hornady superformance ammoHigh Progressivity Powders
In addition to high sustained energy, Emary noted, the new propellants exhibit very high “progressivity”. What this means, in practical terms, is that the new propellants achieve almost 100% burn by the end of the cycle. So, virtually all of the mass of the powder has changed to gas by the time the bullet exits the muzzle. As a result, Emary explained “with Superformance propellants you have less ejecta leaving the muzzle. With some other extruded powders, you’ll get unburned or partly burned sticks leaving the muzzle”. Why does that matter? Dave explains there are a couple major benefits to high progressivity. First, you get “every last ounce of energy” out of each powder kernel. Second, because less unburned ejecta is driven out the barrel, the amount of recoil is reduced, particularly for the large magnum cases.

Dave explains: “In the past, small arms performance has been limited by the powder’s ability to completely burn by the time the bullet exits the muzzle. To attempt to get higher performance, high charge weights of a slow burning powder were used to attempt to maximize muzzle velocity. Powders were not progressive enough to allow these heavy charges of slow powder to be completely burned by the time the bullet left the muzzle, especially with lighter-weight bullets. The end result was very modest increases in velocity with heavy recoil and many times unacceptable accuracy. Superformance powders solve this problem because of their ability to completely burn by bullet muzzle exit…. This results in a much higher percentage of the available powder energy being transferred to the projectile, rather than being blown out the end of the barrel as unburned powder[.]”

In practical terms, Emary stated, the high energy and high progressivity of the new propellants permit many cartridges to deliver “real-world” performance equaling that of larger cartridges loaded with conventional powders. For example, according to Dave, “the 6.5 Creedmoor is performing on a par with a Rem .260.” Dave cited the example of his own 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifle: “It shoots as flat as a .260 and the accuracy is as good or better.”

Dave has authored a detailed report that shows how 30-06 Superformance ammo can match the velocities of Hornady’s “light magnum” 30-06 ammo loaded with conventional powders. The Superformance 30-06 achieved similar velocities, with equivalent peak pressures, while using 6 grains less powder. This is illlustrated in the graph below.

 Hornady superformance ammo

Dave’s report states: “[The chart] shows a comparison of Chamber Pressure vs. Time for Custom, Superformance and Light Magnum ammunition in 30-06 loaded with a 150 gr SST bullet. As can be seen from the graph, all loads produced approximately the same pressure but have widely different charge weights and velocity performance. There is considerably more area under the curve for both Superformance and Light Magnum. This is where the increase in performance comes from. One detail to note is that the Superformance chamber pressure has dropped to at or below that of the Custom ammunition by the time the bullet exits the muzzle. This shows the highly progressive burning characteristics of the powder and its ability to completely burn. As noted above, the charge weights which go along with the different loads and the performance achieved with them are quite different. Custom is loaded with 58.5 grs of powder, Superformance 61.0 grs and Light Magnum 67.0 grs. Superformance ammunition produces significantly higher velocities than Custom with only a small amount more powder and the same velocity as Light Magnum with significantly less powder.”

Superformance Ammo for Match Shooters May Be Next
Right now Hornady is marketing its Superformance line as hunting ammunition only. However, Hornady recognizes that the new propellant technology could benefit match shooters as well. Dave told us that Hornady has begun development of a 6.5 Creedmoor Superformance round using the 140gr A-Max bullet.

Permalink - Articles, Bullets, Brass, Ammo 13 Comments »
November 23rd, 2009

Prices Start to "Normalize" for Handgun Ammo

We know that factory ammo for popular handgun calibers is still hard to find. This has lead to ammunition hording by handgun owners and painful price hikes from some ammo vendors. We saw one dealer charging nearly $40.00 for a 50-rd box of .380 ACP, more than double what the same ammo sold for 18 months ago. However, if you search around you’ll find that prices are starting to drop and we’re seeing supplies that haven’t been available in months.

Decent Pricing on 9mm and 40sw Can Be Found
Thankfully, some major dealers are holding the line on ammo prices and not taking advantage of the current supply shortages. Ammoman.com has Winchester 9mm ammo with 147gr BEB (Brass Enclosed Base) bullets at a good price: $159 for 500 rounds. This is new, US-made ammo ideal for use at indoor ranges as the enclosed base bullet design reduces lead pollution. With BEB bullets, guns run cleaner too as there is no vaporized lead left in the barrel.

For 40sw shooters, both Grafs.com and MidwayUSA.com have the PRVI Partisan 40sw 180gr TMJ ammo in stock right now. Graf’s sells the 40sw Prvi ammo for $20.99 per 50rd box, while MidwayUSA has the same product (40sw, 180gr TMJ) for $21.49 per 50rd box. Those are decent prices for factory ammo these days.

Prvi Partison 40sw ammo

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November 22nd, 2009

Midsouth's David 'Dirt' King — Musician, Hunting Guide, TV Host, CEO

David Dirt KingDavid “Dirt” King, the owner of Midsouth Shooters Supply, is profiled in American Rifleman’s December 2009 issue. King has a fascinating personal background. Dirt King was raised near Reelfoot Lake and the Mississippi River in the northwest corner of Tennessee, and spent several years as a singer and keyboard player in nationally-known touring and recording bands. In his early teens he started off in rock bands, and later performed with big name country stars like Hank Williams Jr., and Carl Perkins. CLICK HERE to read article.

After his early career as a musician, King became a professional hunting and fishing guide in Tennessee. His guiding experience gave him insight into the outdoor industry and the gear that worked best for real hunters and anglers. Armed with that knowledge, King purchased Midsouth Shooters Supply in 1995 (the company was founded in 1969). King has built Midsouth into one of the nation’s most successful outdoor enterprises (and one that has supported 6mmBR.com from the very beginning). His company now boasts over 30 employees, who sell, pack, and ship millions of dollars of merchandise every month. Somehow, Dirt King also finds time to produce and co-host the popular Hunting University TV show.

David Dirt King

You can read more about David “Dirt” King in Jim Wilson’s article profiling Midsouth’s owner. And in case you’re curious about the “Dirt” nickname, King told Wilson that, “That’s just a name that I got when I was a kid, and I’ve never been able to get loose from it.”

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November 21st, 2009

Remington Plans to Produce Handguns

Remington Arms Co.Remington Arms Co. plans to start selling handguns, perhaps as early as the first quarter of 2010. In his Shooting Wire website, Jim Shepherd has confirmed that Remington is planning to build and market handguns, including a 1911 type semi-auto pistol. Remington recently named Tom Taylor as its new Senior VP for Handgun Marketing and Products. Taylor, formerly Vice-President of Marketing for Smith & Wesson, was hired for his handgun industry expertise.

Remington May Acquire Handgun Maker
Shepherd reports that Remington is seeking to acquire an existing handgun manufacturer, although it appears that Remington’s first new pistols will be developed and produced in-house. Shepherd writes: “it has been no secret in the industry that Remington has been ‘shopping’ for a handgun company. Several names have been mentioned, but it appears the first product will be ‘organic’ coming from inside Remington, rather than via acquisition. A 1911 is in first-production testing, and may be ready for introduction at SHOT Show in January”. Shepherd cautions, however, that Remington may move back the launch of its 1911 pistol to ensure all the bugs are worked out, and that the product is 100% reliable.

Will Remington Revive Older Designs?
Though Remington is now best known for its long-guns, it does have a rich heritage of pistol-making, going all the way back to the early 1800s. In the Civil War, Remington & Son percussion revolvers were often used by Union calvarymen, many of whom preferred the Remingtons over the standard issue Model 1860 Colt revolver. Remington also produced popular semi-auto pistols in the first half of the twentieth century. Shepherd speculates that “the small, reliable Model 51 might be a candidate for a revival”. A thin, sleek design by John Pederson, the Model 51 (shown below) was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP calibers. With some updates — such as improved sights and a shorter, more compact slide and barrel — a modernized m51 design could prove a popular carry piece. No doubt Remington hopes to emulate the commercial success Ruger has achieved with its recently introduced LCP™ compact .380 ACP.

Remington Arms model 51

History Lesson — How Remington Arms started
Legend has it that a young Eliphalet Remington II believed he could build a better gun than he could buy, and he set out to craft such a gun on his father’s forge located at Ilion Gulch, New York. In the autumn of 1816, Eliphalet entered a shooting match with his new flintlock rifle, and while he only finished second, his handmade rifle was a success. Orders for new Remington-made rifles and barrels began to accumulate from the many other contestants, and before Eliphalet left the shooting field, he was in the gun business.

Remington Model 51 photo courtesy Mob Guns Inc..

Permalink New Product, News 1 Comment »
November 21st, 2009

One-Day Dell Deal — Wireless Keyboard + Mouse for $28.00

We know a lot of you guys have old, grungy computer keyboards that should be tossed. Maybe your current keyboard has some broken keys or “blank” keys with worn-out printing. Or perhaps you have an unreliable mouse with a mind of its own. Well, it’s time to chuck that old broken equipment. For today only, Dell is selling a brand new WIRELESS keyboard and mouse, complete with USB adapter, for just $28.00 total with FREE Shipping. That’s $31.99 off the regular price. This bundle (Dell Part# 468-6001) provides a clutter-free desktop.

This Wireless Keyboard and Mouse deal is good for today only, 11/21/09.

Computer Keyboard

CLICK HERE for future Dell Daily Deals — a new bargain every morning.

UPDATE: This has now been switched to a “Weekend Deal”. Same stuff, but the price is now $29.99. Still a good deal. CLICK HERE for weekend deal.

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November 19th, 2009

Hornady Announces NEW Superformance Ammunition — Claims 100-200 FPS More Velocity

Hornady Manufacturing has just announced its new line of “Superformance” hunting ammunition. Hornady claims that, “across the board” the new Superformance ammo will deliver “100 to 200 fps higher velocities than any other standard ammunition currently available.” Hornady also claims its Superformance ammo delivers increased velocities “WITHOUT increases in felt recoil, muzzle blast, temperature sensitivity, fouling or loss of accuracy.” Hornady President Steve Hornady says this is “a whole new standard in ammunition performance… We are going to be able to raise the velocity of almost any [hunting] load you’ve ever used… by 100-200 fps.” Surprisingly, the marketing materials even claim that Superformance ammo delivers higher velocities with “no increases in barrel wear” — something that runs contrary to common sense.

YouTube Preview Image

Rather amazing claims are being made for this new Hornady ammo. Are such claims to be believed? Well, when AccurateShooter.com tested Alliant Reloder 17 powder last year we confirmed that it could deliver 100-200 fps more velocity than most popular powders, in some cartridges. Presumably, Hornady is employing propellants with technologies similar to Reloder 17. Hornady’s marketing materials state that it is using “ultra progressive” “21st Century” propellants for the new Superformance ammo. Hornady has also brought out a line of GMX® mono-metal bullets that feature two deep cannelures for reduced bearing surface. It is well-established that this kind of bullet design can yield higher velocities, particularly in the big-bore calibers with heavy bullets.

GMX Hornady bulletSo… the velocity claims may be bonafied, though we would expect the velocity gains will vary among the cartridges. Some chamberings will benefit from the new propellants more than others. And only half the Superformance ammo line-up features GMX bullets, the other half being loaded with more conventional SST® bullets.

How about the claims regarding recoil? The claim that Superformance ammo can deliver 100-200 fps more velocity without any more recoil is questionable. Hornady can’t alter the laws of physics. If a bullet of given weight has a higher muzzle velocity, it MUST produce more recoil than the same bullet moving slower — provided that the propellant charge weight (and rifle weight) are held constant. The only way Hornady can achieve higher velocities without increased recoil is by either: 1) reducing bullet weight; or 2) reducing the powder charge (or gas-related recoil). Hornady could hold recoil constant if its new propellants achieve the higher velocities with a reduced powder charge compared to “conventional” loads.

Hornady has issued an 11-page technical report that provides support for many of its marketing claims. Authored by Hornady Senior Ballistician Dave Emary, the report features some interesting test results, summarized in graphs. Regarding the recoil question, Emary argues that “Recoil … has parts to it that are not commonly understood. The fundamental misunderstanding of recoil is that the recoil is over when the bullet leaves the barrel. In truth, the vast majority of recoil occurs after the projectile exits the barrel. By far the greatest percentage of recoil is produced by the force of the gases and propellant residue/ejecta leaving the barrel.” Emary cites test results showing that “approximately 85 – 90% of the recoil happens after the projectile has left the barrel”. If Emary is correct, then Hornady might be able to achieve higher bullet velocities without enhanced recoil, provided the gas-based force is reduced.

We strongly recommend you read Emary’s report. CLICK HERE to download Superformance Ammo Report.

Hornady plans to release a complete line-up of Superformance ammunition for twenty chamberings: 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 257 Roberts, 25-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 win, 7×57, 7mm-08, 280 Rem, 7mm Mag, 308 Win, 30 TC, 30-06, 300 RCM, 300 Win Mag, 338 RCM, 338 Win Mag, 375 H&H, 375 Ruger, and 458 Win Mag. CLICK HERE to review all the available calibers and bullet options for Superformance ammunition.

Permalink - Videos, Hunting/Varminting, New Product 5 Comments »
November 19th, 2009

Palma Team Tryouts Complete — Report from Butner

SFC Emil Praslick III sent us this report on the U.S. Palma Team tryouts at Camp Butner, NC. You can read other reports from Coach Praslick on the U.S. National Rifle Team Blog.

Last Tryout in the Books… On to the National Team
By Coach Emil Praslick

It was a hardy and intrepid group of US Palma Team hopefuls that braved the last vestiges of Hurricane Ida last weekend at Camp Butner, North Carolina. Camp Butner is the home range of the North State Shooting Club, which hosted the US Palma Team’s third and final tryout session. Temperatures in the 40s, winds from 20-30 mph, and a driving rain tested the mettle of both coaches and shooters.

Palma view through scopeUS Team Captain, Dennis Flaharty flung his net across the entire United States in a search for the best team shooters. By adopting a regional format for the tryouts, and separating the country into three areas (West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast), the team maximized the potential for attracting the best shots our vast nation has to offer. The three venues were: Sacramento, CA; Lodi, WI; and Butner, NC. At each venue, the top performers were invited to become members of the United States National Developmental Team.

New Team Tryouts Format
The format for the tryouts was different than any ever conducted by the United States. In the past, these events were held very much like individual matches. Shooters were evalauated by the scores they shot in a series of matches. While this undoubtedly picked the best individual shooters, those who experienced difficulty doping the wind, or those who simply shot during more difficult conditions, were often deselected early in the process. The current procedures call for shooters to be supervised by coaches at all times. This not only removes a shooter’s ability to negotiate wind from the process, it also gives the team management the opportunity to evaluate prospective coaches and to work on firing line procedures. Shooters are graded on their ability to shoot “elevation”, their speed, and their overall performance as part of the team.

The intent of forming a National Developmental Team was to establish a pool of skilled, international-quality shooters; not only for the upcoming 2011 Palma Match in Australia, but as the nucleus for future teams. The US National Team has an ambitious schedule for 2010, with trips to Canada, Camp Perry, Raton (NM) for The Spirit of America Matches, and Australia.

Palma target centersThe next milestone for the US National Developmental Team is to finish the processing of the shooter’s elevation data, and to begin planning which shooters will represent the United States at the planned events. Shooters will then be evaluated in match conditions and recieve further training/evaluation prior to the final Palma Team selection in the Fall of 2011.

I would like to thank all of the volunteers who assisted with the target pulling, scoring, running the firing line, and the host of myriad tasks that are necessary to conduct an event of this complexity. I would also like to thank the coaches who coached 400 rounds per day at 1000 yards with no complaint. It was a grueling (but very beneficial) exercise for them. We will announce the final US National Developmental team soon.

TWITTER: You can also follow the US National Team on Twitter. Visit www.twitter.com/usnationalrifle for the latest news.

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November 18th, 2009

FN Herstal Develops 'Black Box' Round Counter for Firearms

This story may seem like science fiction, but we assure you the details are real. FN Herstal has created a new electronic device, appropriately named the “Black Box”, which can record and store a rifle’s round count and firing sequences. In addition, the FN Black Box contains digital identifiers for the weapon. This means that, when coupled to a GPS, the FN Black Box can transmit the gun’s ID and location to a military command or other monitoring authority.

Black Box Technology Limited to Military… For Now
The technology is exciting, though the ramifications for gun control are chilling to say the least. At present, FN Herstal envisions its Black Box as an add-on for military or law enforcement weapons. No one has yet suggested that black boxes be fitted to civilian arms.

FN Herstal black box

The FN Black Box can record multiple types of firing data: round count, burst rates, burst lengths, and firing sequences. The digital sensors can even detect stoppages due to failures to cycle. FN evisions that this information can alert armorers when weapons require maintenance. In addition, by tracking the numbers of rounds fired, military commanders can determine when ammunition resupply is required or when barrels need replacement.

The Say Uncle Blog notes that while this kind of digital recorder may seem novel for weapons, “the same concept is often applied to industrial machines”, allowing factory owners to optimize maintenance schedules.

It there a black box in your future? We don’t see much application for Benchrest or High Power events, but this kind of round counter might prove useful in speed shooting disciplines. We do worry about the potential application of “black box” technology to defensive firearms. The digital records of shots fired as well as the sequence of those shots could be used as evidence in trials of gun owners. Imagine being on trial and having your testimony “impeached” by a digital chip removed from your gun.

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November 18th, 2009

Sanderson and Rhode Named 2009 USA Shooting Athletes of the Year

Keith SandersonUSA Shooting (USAS) has named pistol shooter Keith Sanderson and shotgunner Kim Rhode as the 2009 USAS Athletes of the Year. Keith and Kim were chosen based on the USAS selection procedure, a points system that rewards performance in major competitions.

Sanderson, a 2008 Olympian from Texas, earned the Male Athlete of the Year honor after an outstanding World Cup season in 2009, winning an unprecedented three medals on the ISSF World Cup circuit. Sanderson captured the gold at the Beijing World Cup, silver in Changwon, Korea and bronze at the World Cup Munich in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event. Sanderson also grabbed fifth place at the Milan World Cup. In addition, Sanderson finished in third place at the 2009 Rifle/Pistol Fall Selection Match at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Kim RhodeFor the third consecutive year, four-time Olympian Rhode (Calif.) was selected as the USA Shooting Female Athlete of the Year. Rhode won two World Cup medals this year, claiming the silver in San Marino and the bronze in Munich in the Women’s Skeet event. Rhode was also the 2009 National Champion and finished first at the 2009 Shotgun Fall Selection Match, earning a spot on the 2010 World Shooting Championship team. Rhode finished seventh at the 2009 Shotgun World Championships.

The USAS also recognizes discipline Athletes of the Year, who earned the highest number of points in each discipline. Sanderson was the male Athlete of the Year for pistol and Rhode was the female Athlete of the Year for shotgun. USAMU member Michael McPhail was the top male athlete for rifle. McPhail had an excellent year in the Men’s 50m Prone Rifle event, capturing two bronze medals on the World Cup circuit and a silver medal at the World Cup Final. Jamie Beyerle won t women’s rifle title for the fourth year in a row. USAMU member Josh Richmond was the men’s shotgun discipline Athlete of the year. Richmond, the 2009 National Champion, captured the Men’s Double Trap gold medal at the 2009 World Cup and finished fourth at the Shotgun World Championships.

Photos courtesy USA Shooting.

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