This week’s episode of Michael Bane’s Shooting Gallery features the Bianchi Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious (and lucrative) pistol competitions. The show will be broadcast on the Outdoor Channel at 3:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., or 11:30 p.m. EST. (Check your local listings.)
The Bianchi Cup is the brainchild of former police officer (turned holster-maker) John Bianchi and the late Ray Chapman – one of the original IPSC “Combat Masters”. The Cup originated as a law enforcement training match. Since its inception in 1979, the NRA Bianchi Cup has retained its original course of fire, consisting of four matches: Practical, Barricade, Moving Target and Falling Plates. Competitors need to be both FAST and ACCURATE. This event now draws shooters from all over the world. In 2009, competitors came from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and must shoot with both strong and weak hands at various stages.
Bianchi Cup Course of Fire The Practical Event – From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at distances from 10 yards to 50 yards under varying time limits. The Barricade Event — From within shooting boxes and behind barricades, a shooter fires at targets on either side of the barricade at different distances and under varying time limits. The Falling Plate Event — From the shooting lines, the shooter fires at 8″-round steel plates arranged in banks of six at distances from 10 to 25 yards under varying time limits. The Moving Target Event — From within shooting boxes at distances ranging from 10 to 25 yards, the shooter fires at a target moving from left to right with the target being exposed for only 6 seconds.
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Cerberus Capital Managment, through its Freedom Group holding company, has acquired yet another well-known gun industry company: Barnes Bullets. On December 31, 2009, Freedom Group, Inc. entered into a purchase agreement to acquire certain assets of Barnes Bullets.
In recent years, Cerberus/Freedom Group has acquired Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin, H&R, DMPS and other smaller firearms-related companies. By acquiring Barnes, the Freedom Group gains entry into the ammunition component business at a time when brass, bullets, and powder remain in high demand. As the Freedom Group continues to build a vertically integrated firearms-related mega-corp, one wonders if Cerberus will look to acquire a powder-maker next. Freedom Group already sells Remington-brand factory-loaded ammunition.
Barnes Bullets, located in Mona, Utah, is the industry-leading supplier of copper bullets, including copper-tin composite core bullets. Barnes is a major player in the “lead-free” bullet market. This has become important as lead-core bullets have been banned in many hunting areas, and lead-free bullets are required in many indoor shooting facilities. Barnes Bullets will continue day-to-day operations at Utah facility under the guidance of company founder, Randy Brooks.
Ted Torbeck, CEO of the Freedom Group, Inc. stated: “With the acquisition of Barnes, the Freedom Group continues to demonstrate our commitment to the ammunition business. Barnes offers a premium line of high performance bullets for the hunting and shooting communities; and for law enforcement, military and commercial consumers. We are excited about their R&D capabilities and the breadth of the products they bring to our portfolio.”
Freedom Group is now one of the world’s largest producers of guns and ammo. Freedom Group brands include Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS/Panther Arms, Marlin, H&R, NEF, LC Smith, Parker, EOTAC, AAC, Dakota and INTC. The company distributes its products throughout the U.S. and in over 80 foreign countries. Learn more at www.freedom-group.com.
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New Remington Arms product videos, prepared for SHOT Show, have hit the internet. Featured in the videos are the Remington/Bushmaster Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) and the new Modular Sniper Rifle (MSR). Remington is hoping the U.S. Military will purchase large numbers of the new firearms, and Remington plans to sell, in the civilian market, a semi-auto version of the innovative ACR.
The ACR is based on the MagPul Masada prototype. It features a gas-piston upper, and quick-change barrel system. Initial tests demonstrated that the ACR offers a much higher MTBF (mean time between failure) rate than the M16-family of direct-gas-impingement rifles currently used by the military. The ACR also runs cleaner and cooler. Watch the video and you’ll see some amazing cut-away animations that show how the ACR’s internals work and how the barrel can be changed in seconds.
In the video below, Remington demonstrates the features of its new Modular Sniper Rifle (MSR). This rifle is Remington’s entry into the competition for the new SOCOM Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR). Big bucks are at stake. The SOCOM PSR contract is potentially a seven-figure deal for Remington.
The MSR features a beefy new titanium receiver with the ability to handle multiple chamberings up to .338 Lapua Magnum. The MSR was designed from the ground up as a switch-barrel rig, with a floating handguard, and folding, adjustable buttstock. The whole system is modular. By exchanging bolt-face, barrel, and magazine, the gun can switch from .308 Win (7.62×51), to 300 Win Mag, to .338 Norma Mag, and to .338 Lapua Mag.
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Sightron has released photos and specifications of its entire 2010 scope line-up. This includes the new (and much awaited) 10-50x60mm SIII Long-range scope.
With a “street price” under $995.00, the Sightron 10-50 could become hugely popular in 600/1000-yard benchrest and F-Class shooting. The big new zoom features a jumbo 60mm objective, 30mm maintube, and 1/8 MOA clicks. Nearly 17″ long and weighing 28.9 ounces, make no mistake, this is a BIG piece of glass. If the new 10-50x60mm SIII Sightron is as good as the 8-32x50mm LR SIII we tested in 2009, this should be a fantastic scope for the money.
When will we have test results for the new 10-50? Very soon, hopefully. Sightron has promised to send the first available 10-50x60mm SIII production-model scope to AccurateShooter.com for testing and evaluation. We’ll share our findings as soon as we can put the new 10-50 through its paces in the field.
Consumer Survey on Reticle Choices
Currently the new 10-50x60mm scope is offered with two reticle options: a Fine Cross Hair (FCH) and a Fine Cross Hair with Target Dot (TD). The first shipment contains roughly an equal amount of each. However, Sightron’s product planners want to learn YOUR favored reticle choice. Consumer preference will influence the future production allocation between FCH and TD models. So, if the majority of you folks want a particular reticle, that’s what Sightron will try to provide in future shipments. Please respond to the POLL below with your reticle choice.
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You never want to run the barrel of a precision rifle too hot. Excessive barrel heat kills accuracy, increases copper fouling, and can cause rapid barrel throat wear. Over the years people have devised various means to cool their barrels — from electric fans to dunking in tubs of ice water.
But how do you know if your barrel is too hot? Consider a “non-contact” thermometer that reads your barrel’s “infrared signature”. The $20.00 Kintrex pocket-sized, non-contact IR thermometer is ideal for shooters at the range or in the prairie dog fields.
Just 3.2″ long, and weighing a mere 1.3 ounces, the waterproof Kintrex IRT0401 (IP67) is small enough to carry in your pocket, and will easily stow in any range bag/box. The unit measures from -67 to 428 °F (-55 to 220 °C). Given the low cost and compact size, we highly recommend you get one of these units.
Kintrex is a respected manufacturer that also makes larger hand-held IR thermometers for industrial and shop applications. Priced at just $19.95 on Amazon.com, the tiny Kintrex is one new gadget that every serious shooter should have. Given the cost of replacing barrels these days, can you afford NOT to have a good temp gauge for your match or varmint barrel?
If you have more room in your range kit, and want a larger unit with longer battery life for daily shop duty, we recommend the Kintrex IRT0421. A top-selling tool, this $47.08 unit has a full-sized pistol grip and features laser targeting for ultra-precise temp-gauging. It records temps from -76 °F all the way up to 932 °F (-60 to 500 °C). Black & Decker also offers the versatile TLD100 IR thermometer, which can be used for thermal leak detection in the home as well.
Twitter.com is a popular service allowing people to share quick, short messages that can be read on the web or with a text-capable phone. On our new Twitter account, we’re using this new technology to share late-breaking updates. For example, minutes ago, your Editor was on the phone with Les Baer. He confirmed that Les Baer Custom will be producing Stiller-actioned tactical rifles early this year (2010). The rifles, chambered in .308 Win, 260 Rem, or .243 Win, are fitted with cut-rifled barrels made in Baer’s own shop. Initial testing has shown great accuracy.
Using Twitter, we can share this kind of news quickly in short, easy-to-read messages. If you want to read our latest “tweets”, visit: www.Twitter.com/accurateshooter. If you have a Twitter account you can also sign up to receive our posts with your phone.
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Here’s your chance to own a piece of benchrest history — A “classic” 6PPC benchrest rifle built by renowned smith and benchrest shooter Seeley Masker. Up for auction right now on Gunbroker.com is a pretty blue Heavy Varmint rig, built by Seeley on a blued Hart 1A action. The barrel is a 20″ Hart, marked: “Seeley Masker 6PPC .262 Neck”.
For those young folks who haven’t heard of Seeley Masker, Seeley was a “legendary BR gunsmith, an innovator, and a major force in the development of Bench Rest shooting” (AllinWA writing on Benchrest Central). Forum member Butch Lambert notes: “Seely Masker built my first two rifles. The work was superb”. And noted tool-maker (and smith) Alan Warner says Masker would be included on any “short list” of great early BR smiths. A Masker rifle would be a piece of “treasured history” according to Warner.
The rifle is Gunbroker Auction #152079095. The current bid is $615 with no reserve. Here’s a chance to get a nice, older PPC with a great “provenance” for under $800.00.
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Here’s a simple procedure that lets you get a solid zero for a hunting rifle in just four shots. Of course you probably want to fire a few more rounds to confirm your zero before you head off to your hunting grounds, but this will let you get on-target with a minimum amount of time and ammo expended. (This assumes your scope is securely mounted, and the bases are not drastically out of alignment.)
1. First, remove the bolt and boresight the rifle. Adjust the position of the rifle so that, looking through the bore, you can see the center of the target with your eyes. Secure the rifle in the rests to maintain its position as boresighted. Then, without moving the rifle, center the reticle. That should get you on paper. With the rifle solidly secured in front and rear rests or sandbags, aim at the center of a target placed at your zeroing distance (50 or 100 yards). Confirm there are no obstructions in the barrel! Then load and fire one shot. Then, return the gun to the exact position it was when you pulled the trigger, with the cross-hair centered on the target as before.
2. Locate, in the scope, where your first bullet landed on the target. Now, while you grip the rifle firmly so it doesn’t move, have a friend adjust the turrets on your scope. While you look through the scope, have your friend turn the windage and elevation turrets until the cross-hairs, as viewed through the scope, bisect the first bullet hole on the target. In other words, you use the turrets to move the center of the reticle to the actual position of shot number one. Dial the crosshairs to the hole — don’t move the rifle.
3. After you’ve adjusted the turrets, now re-aim the rifle so the cross-hairs are, once again, positioned on the target center. Keep the rifle firmly supported by your rest or sandbag. Take the second shot. You should find that the bullet now strikes in the center of the target.
4. Take a third shot with the cross-hairs aligned in the center of the target to confirm your zero. Make minor modifications to the windage and elevation as necessary.
5. Now shoot the rifle from a field rest (shooting sticks, bipod, or rucksack) as you would use when actually hunting. Confirm that your zero is unchanged. You may need to make slight adjustments. Some rifles, particularly those with flexy fore-arms, exhibit a different POI (point of impact) when fired from a bipod or ruck vs. a sandbag rest.
If you recently cleaned your rifle, you may want to fire two or three fouling shots before you start this procedure. But keep in mind that you want to duplicate the typical cold bore conditions that you’ll experience during the hunt. If you set your zero after three fouling shots, then make sure the bore is in a similar condition when you actually go out hunting.
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Preliminary statistics released by the FBI for the first half of 2009 show that violent crime continues a downward trend that began in 2006. The figures show crime falling in all categories — robbery, aggravated assault, motor vehicle thefts, etc. — with murders down a remarkable 10 percent from the previous year.
The FBI statistics undermine a favorite argument of anti-gun groups and some mainstream media that “more guns equal more crime,” especially when you consider that the decrease in violent crime from late 2008 through the first half of 2009 occurred at the same time that firearm sales were surging.
The most popular firearms selling at that time were handguns and modern sporting rifles (AR-style rifles)–two types of firearms that anti-gunners never miss an opportunity to demonize. Law-abiding handgun owners have been filling concealed carry classes across the country, and AR-style rifles–long a favorite of target shooters–are growing in popularity among hunters as new calibers are introduced for small and big game.
People across the country continue to exercise their Second Amendment rights. National Instant Criminal Background Check statistics showing an increase of 25 million background checks from a total of 75 million to 100 million initiated by Type 01 FFLs between April 5, 2007, and April 4, 2009 . (Background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing either newly manufactured or used firearms from federally licensed retailers. The checks serve as a gauge of sales but do not reflect the actual number of firearms sold.) So … Crime is down. Gun ownership — by law-abiding, responsible citizens who pass a mandatory FBI background check at retail — is up. Don’t let anyone tell you that “more guns equal more crime.”
First, we’d like to wish all our readers a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We hope that, in 2010, you’ll have time to enjoy your precision rifles, and spend more time at the range, hopefully with good friends who share your “addiction to accuracy”.
Photo of classic Anschutz 22 Hornet by Forum Member Klenchblaize
2009 was a big year for the site. AccurateShooter.com is now being accessed by more than 60,000 users every week. This fall we completed a major upgrade, moving our Shooters’ Forum to a new dedicated server that is faster and more reliable. Our Forum is approaching 10,000 members and the Forum Classifieds section, with a new seller/buyer feedback system, is more active than ever. Likewise our Daily Bulletin has become hugely popular, drawing readers from around the globe. 365 days a year we offer a unique combination of shooting tips, gear reviews, industry news, and highlighted bargains and special sales. On the editorial side we’ve continued to publish in-depth profiles of interesting firearms, along with technical articles, and feature stories on leading shooters such as World F-TR Champion Russell Simmonds.
In the months ahead we plan to release more Cartridge Guides, plus major comparison tests on Chronographs, High-Magnification Scopes, and Rangefinders. And we’ll continue to offer timely match reports and inside “scoops” on the latest precision shooting products.
But to do all that, we need your support. For some five years the site has relied largely on volunteer efforts by dedicated shooters. But as the site grows, adding new types of content and more sophisticated features, we need the assistance of knowledgeable programmers, database experts and web designers. Those guys don’t work for glory alone.
For the site to continue to expand its content, we need to bring in paid helpers. Right now, the site reaches over 60,000 shooters every WEEK. If the majority of those users could provide a small donation every year, we could deliver MORE stories, MORE tests, MORE Gun of the Week features, and provide more of the photos and videos everyone enjoys. (Yes commercial sponsors help greatly, but their contributions alone won’t do the job.)
In the past quarter a couple dozen guys have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed. But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who access the site regularly without contributing.
Here’s my proposal. First, if you have used our FREE Classifieds to successfully sell your rifles or shooting gear, consider sending in a dollar or two from your sale proceeds. Second, for those who use the site regularly, consider donating One Dollar a Month. That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee and much less than many websites now charge for their “premium content areas”. Consider this — what do you pay for a movie ticket these days? Probably $8.00 or more for 90 minutes of escapism. For a buck a month you can help this site provide a YEAR’s worth of info, tests, and shooting news that you won’t find anywhere else.
Making a donation to the site is simple and easy. Just scoll down to the bottom of this page and click the DONATE Button to make a donation. If you have a credit card, you don’t need a Paypal account to contribute. Any sum is welcome — donations need not be large. If 20% of our readers gave even $5.00 a year we could hire a staffer to do research, create videos, and help with field tests.
If you don’t like Paypal, you can send a check. Make the check payable to our Asst. Editor Jason Baney, list your Forum Name (if any), and mail the check to:
Jason Baney
P.O. Box 308
Douglassville, PA 19518
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We know many readers took advantage of the recent CMP sales of Remington 40X rifles and barreled actions. And now many proud new 40X owners are looking for upgrades. A brand new, precision-machined bolt can improve both the accuracy and the reliability of rimfire rifles. For a limited time, Pacific Tool & Gauge (PT&G) is going to offer complete 40X rimfire bolt assemblies for under two hundred bucks.
Dave Kiff of PT&G recently told us: “After all the feedback we’ve received regarding the 40X Rimfire bolts, Pacific Tool & Gauge is going to run 250 pieces and is currently taking orders. To place your order, please give us a call at (541) 826-5808. If you place your order during the first run, the price for the complete bolt assembly (handle installed) is $199, but if you miss the first run, the price will be going up to $225.”
If you’re interested in adding a new, high-quality bolt to your 40X rimfire action, now’s the time to buy. We suspect PT&G will sell out on the initial order quickly.
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Starting today (1/1/10), at the request of readers with smartphones, we will offer important news and updates on Twitter. That’s right, you can now get late-breaking firearm and shooting news on Twitter.com. We hope to use this popular service for instant updates at SHOT Show 2010. Follow our Twitter posts (“tweets”) at http://twitter.com/AccurateShooter. You can even have our posts sent to your smart-phone or mobile device. If you have a Twitter account, click the button to be one of our regular followers.
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This week’s episode of Michael Bane’s Shooting Gallery features the Bianchi Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious (and lucrative) pistol competitions. The show will be broadcast on the Outdoor Channel at 3:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., or 11:30 p.m. EST. (Check your local listings.)
Cerberus Capital Managment, through its 
But how do you know if your barrel is too hot? Consider a “non-contact” thermometer that reads your barrel’s “infrared signature”. The $20.00 Kintrex pocket-sized, non-contact IR thermometer is ideal for shooters at the range or in the prairie dog fields.
Preliminary statistics released by the FBI for the first half of 2009 show that violent crime continues a downward trend that began in 2006. The figures show crime falling in all categories — robbery, aggravated assault, motor vehicle thefts, etc. — with murders down a remarkable 10 percent from the previous year.
In the past quarter a couple dozen guys have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed. But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who access the site regularly without contributing.
