|
|
December 12th, 2009
Texas discount vendor CDNN Investments has released its latest 2009-5 catalog (30 mb PDF file). As usual, the catalog features big discounts on handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Among the many bargains, we spotted two exceptional deals in the latest CDNN catalog….
 Half-Price Kahles Hunting Scopes
CDNN acquired a selection of 1″-tube Kahles Helia CL hunting scopes and is selling them at liquidation prices. Kahles is a highly respected Austrian optics-maker. We wouldn’t say that Kahles is on a par with Swarovski or Schmidt & Bender, but Kahles scopes are very high quality, with excellent glass, etched reticles (no reticle wires to drift or break), wide field of view, +2/-3.5 diopter eyepiece, and very good fit and finish. If you’re looking for a quality 3-9 or 4-12 hunting scope, here’s a chance to own a premium European scope for a “below wholesale” price.
CLICK HERE for CDNN KAHLES Scope Sale Order Page.
 Uncle Mike’s Holster for $9.99
CDNN is selling the Uncle Mike’s straight drop belt holster for half price — just $9.99. Models are available for popular Beretta, Glock, HK, Ruger, S&W, SIG, Springfield, and Walther pistols. The holster is made from injection-molded Kydex. Injection molding allows for a MUCH more precise fit than the typical folded-over Kydex holster. This editor has used this injection-molded Uncle Mike’s holster for my Glocks and HKs, and the fit is excellent. The handgun is secure but the draw is easy. Injection-molding allows nice straight corners, so the plastic doesn’t bind or grab as with many “hand-made” Kydex holsters. If you want an “on the belt” holster, I highly recommend this model. You may be surprised to see how much better it works than holsters costing 5 or 10 times as much.
Don’t be put off by the low price. This editor owns and uses Uncle Mike’s injection molded holsters for various handguns. I consider this the best outside-belt holster I’ve ever tried. It is clearly superior to a $85 Blade-Tech Kydex I had for an HK USP, and, I have to admit, it works better than the pretty $125 Milt Sparks leather holster I had custom-made for a 1911. The straight-drop is ideal for range use, and in a vehicle you can wear it on the left-side as a cross-draw (CCW permit required). These holsters fit close to your belt and all metal fittings are recessed or covered so they don’t scratch your gun. IMPORTANT: All plastic/Kydex holsters will cause some wear on high-gloss blued finishes. If your pistol is high-gloss blued, I suggest a soft leather holster instead.
December 11th, 2009
– Match Report by German Salazar
This past week 89 shooters competed in what is traditionally the biggest winter Palma match in the USA — the 2009 Arizona Palma State Championship. Held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix on December 4-6, the event included Palma, F-Open and F-TR classes. Ben Avery’s High Power range has 100 firing points to 1000 yards and is renowned for challenging conditions and excellent match administration.
Trend Towards Heavy Bullets
Chatting with competitors, we noted an increase in the use of bullets heavier than 155 grains, with the Berger 185 being the most frequently mentioned alternative, although the Berger 175 was also in use as were Sierra and Berger 190 grain bullets. Competitor frustration with the availability of Varget and its ever-changing burn rate are driving an increased use of H4895, IMR 4320 and IMR 4064 in the Palma. Tubeguns were also much in evidence, being a Western favorite with large number of them on the line in the hands of the California and Arizona shooters. Gary Eliseo was on hand as always and had a good performance throughout.
Match Kicks Off With Tough Conditions
The match opened Friday, December 4, as all Palma matches do, with the 800-yard stage. Relay after relay battled cold north winds. Over half the competitors were High Masters, yet only two shooters fired scores of 150 — Tom Whitaker of California and Phil Hayes of Arizona. As the morning wore on and the competitors moved back to 900 and 1000 yards, the wind eased off a bit and scores improved with 150s becoming more common. At the end of the day, Whitaker’s 450-30X topped the list, followed by Bryan Litz of Berger Bullets and Kelly Bachand from Washington.
On Saturday morning, the desert chill remained, but the flags hung limply, raising hopes for high scores. Those expectations were realized as Bud Solis, a retired Seattle police officer, put up a sterling 450-25X to lead the day. Close behind (all with 449 scores) were Bachand, Gary Rasmussen (WA), German Salazar (AZ), and Randy Teissedre (CA). The final day, Sunday, conditions began relatively calm but progressively got windier with frequent direction changes. No one was able to master the conditions for a 450, but the mother-daughter duo from Prescott, AZ, Nancy Tompkins and Michelle Gallagher, came closest, each shooting a 449 with Nancy’s 29X just edging out Michelle’s 26X. David Littlefield (WA) and Jim O’Connell (CA) also shot 449s on Sunday.
Gallagher Wins Match, with Whitaker and Bachand One Point Behind
Michelle Gallagher posted a 3-day tally of 1345-81X, giving her a one-point victory over runner-up Tom Whitaker (1344-91X) and third place Kelly Bachand (1344-79X). Note that Tom had ten more Xs than Michelle, but came up just one-point shy. Bryan Litz finished fourth overall, with German Salazar in fifth (on a tie-breaker over Michael Storer). All the Top Ten are listed, with scores, in the table below. In Team Competition, the US Team coached by Gary Rasmussen compiled a 1787-95X, edging second-place Team Berger (1783-96X) and third-place Bald Eagles Grand Seniors (1782-75X).
CLICK HERE for Individual Match Results | CLICK HERE for TEAM Match Results
 Top Ten Grand Aggregate
1. MICHELLE GALLAGHER: 1345-81X – MW
2. TOM WHITAKER: 1344-91X – HiSR
3. KELLY BACHAND: 1344-79X – HM
4. BRYAN LITZ: 1343-91X – HM
5. GERMAN SALAZAR: 1339-68X – HM
6. MICHAEL STORER: 1339-68X – HiJR
7. FELIX SOLIS: 1338-59X – HM
8. ROBERT GUSTIN: 1337-64X – HM
9. ALLEN SPIKER: 1335-50X – HM
10. JIM O’CONNELL – 1332-62X – HM
The F-Open Class was won by Rick Curtis of Phoenix at 1328-67X with Darren Sucato, another tough Phoenix shooter in second place. F-TR went to John Chilton with his factory Savage F-TR rifle putting up an impressive 1308-45X.
There are weekly matches in Phoenix for across the course High Power, Prone, F-Class, and Smallbore. A complete schedule is found on www.desertsharpshooters.com. The Arizona state association website ASRPA.com also has useful information.
December 10th, 2009
 Our recent post about Norway’s annual Landsskytterstevnet (Rifle Country Fair) marksmanship competition was very popular. American sling-shooters noticed how Norway’s marksmen used a different sling set-up and how the Norwegians were using their middle finger or ring finger to pull the trigger. This allows faster cycling of the bolt in rapid-fire competition.
CLICK HERE for more Landsskytterstevnet streaming videos
Unfortunately, some of our readers with slower internet connections were not able to stream the video from the Norwegian server. Here are two YouTube videos posted by reader ICECOOL from Norway. The first shows John O. Ågotnes shooting rapidfire in the Stangskyting discipline (25-second time limit). The gun is a Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) chambered in 6.5×55.
The second video, below, shows competitors in a 3-position (standing, kneeling, prone) shooting competition at the 2008 Samlagsskyting Finals. This provides good closeups of the Norsk sling arrangement. Note also the electronic scoring technology which instantly plots the shots on the target. This makes it exciting to watch the match… tension builds until the final shot. American clubs could benefit from electronic scoring which allows the crowd to follow the action.
 ICECOOL has posted more links to Norway shooting match videos on the Firing Line Forum. Many of these matches are actually broadcast live, in prime-time, by Norwegian Television.
One interesting fact about Norway’s shooting matches is that they are partly funded by the Norwegian government. On the Firing Line Forum, member UltimaThule noted that: “The National Rifle Assn. of Norway receives financial support from the Department of Defence — 1/10 of one per cent of the National defence budget. What would your anti-gun people say if the American NRA got $560 million dollars a year from the government?”
December 10th, 2009
The NRA is currently offering FREE one-year memberships for all active-duty U.S. Armed Services personnel. The free NRA membership includes all regular membership benefits, including a subscription to one of three NRA publications: America’s First Freedom, American Hunter, or American Rifleman. This offer applies to personnel currently serving with the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard. To get the free membership, active-duty servicemen and women should visit the NRA Website and provide contact info and choice of publication.
CLICK HERE for FREE NRA Membership for Armed Services Personnel.
 
December 9th, 2009
Are you a crack shot and want to be a Hollywood Star? Pilgrim Films (producers of American Chopper, Dirty Jobs, Ghost Hunters, and The Ultimate Fighter) is casting a new television show about marksmanship for the History Channel. If you are skilled with a pistol, rifle or any other firearm, you could win $100,000 in prizes on Top Shot, a new marksmanship competition TV show. The History Channel is looking for anyone with “mind-blowing shooting skills and a big personality” for the new show. According to the producers, “As long as you’re in good physical shape, have mastered a firearm and can adapt to new weapons and demanding physical situations, you could be America’s first ‘Top Shot’.”
To apply, email TopShotCasting@gmail.com with your name, city/state, phone number, a recent photo of yourself and a brief explanation of why you are America’s “Top Shot”. For more info, call 818-728-3729. Deadline to apply is January 18, 2010.
December 9th, 2009
In Norway, the annual Landsskytterstevnet (Rifle Country Fair) is Norway’s largest shooting tournament. One of the most popular Landsskytterstevnet events is a rapid-fire competition. The objective is to achieve the most hits on multiple targets in the alloted time period (typically 25 seconds or less). In some stages, all targets are at the same distance, while in other stages the shooters engage targets at 3 or 4 different distances.
You would think that a semi-automatic rifle would dominate the rapid-fire matches, but that isn’t the case. In the video linked below, civilian shooters with mag-fed Sauer 200 STR bolt-action target rifles outpace Norwegian army personnel using HK select-fire rifles in semi-auto mode. You’ll be amazed to see how fast the civilians can shoot their target rifles. It’s a great video… be patient and let it load from the Norwegian server.
CLICK HERE to load MATCH VIDEO (May take 30 seconds or more to load page).
 Crowds Cheer Shooters
Equally amazing is the size of the crowd and the spectators’ enthusiasm. We’ve never seen anything like this in the USA. Over 1000 Norwegian fans are clapping, cheering, and singing during the match. You’d think this was a Big Ten Football game! Obviously the Norwegians love their shooting sports. Electronic scoring and big display screens allow the crowd to follow the fast-paced action.
Thanks to Gary Eliseo for finding this video. Gary says: “Check out how the boltgunners manipulate the bolt and operate the trigger, also how the gas gunners struggle to keep up! Looks like great fun, were going to try to put on a ‘Stangshoot’ like this at BRRC (Burbank Rifle & Revolver Club) next year.”
December 9th, 2009
UPDATE: This was a “Deal of the Day” on 12/9. Amazon’s Price is now $124.49.
A modern, GPS vehicle Navigator that provides spoken, turn by turn directions is handy to have. For those who do a lot of traveling, a GPS might be considered a necessity. If you’ve been waiting for prices to drop before buying your GPS, here’s your chance. The TomTom XL 325 widescreen (4.3″) GPS Navigator is now on sale as Amazon.com’s “Deal of the Day” for just $89.99 with FREE shipping. That’s $60.00 the regular price!
Best Price: CLICK HERE for TomTom XL 325 4.3-inch Portable GPS Navigator
Just $89.99 instead of $150.00
The TomTom XL 325 is a top-selling unit at Amazon and elsewhere, with most buyers very satisfied with this piece of navigation technology. Better act quick or this special $89.99 price may go up. Normally the TomTom XL 325 is priced around $150.
December 8th, 2009
Doan Trevor, a gunsmith based in New Mexico, has created a stunning Palma rifle to benefit the USA Veterans Rifle Team. Doan, a gifted wood-worker and machinist, crafted the high-grade walnut stock, fitted the barreled action, and custom-fabricated many of the gun’s metal features. The step-by-step process of creating this one-of-a-kind rifle is illustrated on Doan’s website. Visit DoanTrevor.com, to see the Veterans Team Rifle being built from start to finish. Below are photos of the finished rifle, plus the “work in progress”.
The USA Veterans Team Rifle carries a unique serial number signifying the 2011 World Championships in Australia. CLICK HERE to learn more about the US Veterans Rifle Team, www.USAVRT.org.
Rifle Raffle Tickets Cost $5.00
You have a chance to own this special Trevor-built Palma Rifle. Raffle tickets for the USA Veterans Team rifle can be bought for $5 each or six (6) for $25 from Mike StClair, 12138 Eastglen Street, San Diego, CA 92131. Questions? You can email Mike: estclai1 [at] san.rr.com. Make checks payable to Palma Promotions.
Components Donated for USA Veterans Team Rifle
A variety of individuals and businesses donated components for the USA Veterans Team Rifle. Krieger Barrels donated the barrel while Scott Riles provided front sight and trigger. Doan Trevor and Richards Microfit jointly donated the stock, while Stillers Precision Firearms, LLC provided the stainless Predator action.
Contact: Doan Trevor, DoanTrevor.com, Ph: 505-890-0368. Photos © Sue Trevor 2009.
December 8th, 2009
 In April 2010, Purdue University will host the expanded NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship. This event will be open, for the first time, to ALL levels of collegiate shooters. This new championship format will include NRA College Rifle Clubs, Varsity Rifle Teams, ROTC Teams, and independent shooters, for which there is currently no national championship. The 2010 NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship will be held April 8-11 at the Purdue University Armory.
The championship will feature smallbore and air rifle competitions, plus training summits for participants and coaches. Both individual and team champions will be named for NRA College Rifle Clubs, Varsity Rifle Teams, and ROTC Teams. Shooting in the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Sectionals is required to qualify for the championship. Additionally, the top three teams and top five individuals from sectionals earn free entry to the championship. The official NRA Collegiate Smallbore target is the NRA/USAS 50 target, which must be used for Intercollegiate Sectionals.
NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship
April 8-11, 2010
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2010 Rifle Championships Program
December 7th, 2009
Adam Braverman of Nammo-Lapua just confirmed that Lapua, at the behest of the U.S. Palma team, has been quietly developing a NEW version of the .308 Winchester cartridge that has a small BR-style primer pocket. That’s right, this is no joke. Lapua has crafted small primer pocket .308 Winchester brass that will be introduced at SHOT Show in Las Vegas (Jan. 19-22).
The new .308 variant is identical to Lapua’s current .308 match brass with the exception of the primer pocket. The brass will be head-stamped “.308 Win Lapua Palma”.
FLASH HOLES: The flash-hole size for the current pre-production .308 Lapua Palma brass is 1.5mm (.059″), the same as Lapua 6mmBR and 220 Russian brass. Lapua spokesmen were not certain if the flash hole size will change for the regular production brass. Note: if you have a Redding .308 die, you can ask Redding for a smaller decapping rod tip (.057″) to use with the new brass.
Tests Reveal Better ES and SD with Small Primers
Initial tests of the small primer pocket .308 by U.S. Palma team members have been very promising. The small primer pocket case seems to have advantages in both accuracy and the ability to handle high-pressure loads. However, the primary improvement found with the smaller primer is reduced ES and SD. Palma Team members have found that, with almost every brand of primer tested (small vs. large), the smaller version has yielded reduced Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation. This pays dividends in 1000-yard shooting. Also, some testers believe that small primers are more consistent and require less sorting — and that there are more varieties of small primers that seem to work really well in the .308 case. Moreover, the small primer types are more uniform, from lot to lot, than are large primers, according to some testers. More info will follow later today.
|
