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March 18th, 2010
 Sinclair International has released its latest print catalog, the 2010-A edition. The new catalog has grown to 204 pages with more than 11,000 products. The new catalog features hundreds of new products from Sinclair, Redding, Hornady, Barnes, Redfield, Leupold, Nosler, Lyman, Lapua and more.
Trained Tech Staffers Provide Reloading Help
Sinclair Int’l President Bill Gravatt revealed that: “Our tech staff are all certified, NRA Metallic Reloading Instructors who can help answer questions regarding reloading and shooting accuracy”. In addition to live assistance (via telephone), Sinclair offers many useful reloading tips via its Reloading Press Blog.
With the product shortages and rising prices of ammo following the 2008 elections, more gun owners than ever are reloading their ammo. Sinclair Int’l has expanded its inventory to better serve both first-time reloaders as well as “expert” hand-loaders. Serious shooters know that Sinclair Int’l is one of the best sources for high-end precision reloading gear. Gravatt agrees that “[Sinclair] has … the more specialized tools for more advanced reloading tasks.”
To order Sinclair’s new catalog, you can call 800-717-8211 or submit a catalog request online. CLICK HERE to request a catalog. NOTE: You can also download a digital version of the latest catalog for FREE.
CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD Sinclair International 2010-A Catalog (204 page PDF file)
March 17th, 2010
The Shooting USA TV show on the Outdoor Channel presents its Annual SHOT Show Special today. The one-hour broadcast airs three times on Wednesday, March 17, starting at 4:00 pm Eastern Time. SHOT Show is the shooting industry’s largest annual event, attracting thousands of exhibitors and over 25,000 dealers and media attendees. Shooting USA interviews representatives of many leading companies, including Barrett, DPMS, Les Baer, Smith & Wesson, STI, and U.S. Optics.
For the 4-day event, held in Las Vegas from Jan. 18-22, Shooting USA brought its entire reporting team: Jim Scotten, John Scoutten, Mike Irvine, Brian Speciale, and videographer Greg Simmons. To preview the new products covered in the SHOT Show Special broadcast, visit the Shooting USA website.
Shooting USA SHOT Show Special Broadcast times
* Eastern Time: 4:00 PM, 8:00PM, 12:00 Midnight
* Central Time: 3:00 PM, 7:00PM, 11:00 PM
* Mountain Time: 2:00 PM, 6:00PM, 10:00 PM
* Pacific Time: 1:00 PM, 5:00PM, 9:00 PM
SHOT DAILY Digital Editions Available
You can still download digital (PDF) editions of the SHOT Daily print magazines distributed to SHOT Show attendees. Each of the four (4) issues contains a major product review, and many other shorter features. The Day 1 Daily features new Rifles for 2010, while the Day 2 Daily features new Optics and Ammo. In addition, you’ll find many other items of interest to rifle shooters.
March 16th, 2010
 The governor’s signature is the only hurdle remaining for a holiday memorializing firearms inventor John Moses Browning. The Utah House voted 64-0 to commemorate the Utah-born inventor on Jan. 24, 2011, the opening day of next year’s legislative session. It will come 100 years after Browning invented the Model 1911 pistol, which became the official sidearm for the U.S. military. Even today, variants of the 1911 pistol are among the most popular handguns sold worldwide, and the 1911 is THE platform of choice for custom raceguns and self-defense pistols.
You have to love Utah’s legislators for voting to recognize J. M. Browning. At a time where states such as California are curtailing the rights of guns owners and demonizing the shooting sports, Utah is doing just the opposite. With this proposed holiday, Utah recognizes the important role Browning and his inventions have played in the history of this nation and the defense of democracy worldwide. We tip our hat to Utah and hope that Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signs the legislation creating John M. Browning Day.
March 16th, 2010
MidwayUSA has cut the price on its Frankford Arsenal 6″ Electronic Calipers from $21.99 to just $12.99. This stainless steel caliper features a high-contrast LCD readout, and it comes with a fitted plastic case and 1.55 volt battery. With the touch of a button the tool switches from inch units to Metric units and back again. Claimed measuring accuracy (resolution) is +/- .001″.
We’ve used Frankford Arsenal calipers before. Though they won’t compare to a Mitutoyo, they are adequate for many basic reloading tasks. You can use these as a backup tool carried in your range bag or vehicle glovebox. The $12.99 price (good through March 31, 2010) is the lowest we’ve seen from MidwayUSA in a long time. Unlike some of the no-name electronic calipers sold on eBay or at Harbor Freight, the $12.99 Frankford Arsenal caliper are CE Certified and carry a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
March 16th, 2010
Here’s a good deal from AirGunsDaily.com if you’re looking for an inexpensive air rifle for your kids, or just a “fun gun” for plinking. Today only, AirgunsDaily.com is offering the RWS 34P (Panther) .22 Cal (pellet) Air Rifle with 4X32mm Scope and a 2-piece C-mount for just $227.99. Shipping is just $7.00.
The RWS 34 Panther is the most popular air rifle sold by RWS. It has an injection-molded synthetic stock and adjustable fiber optic sights. It is a break-barrel design with a 2-stage adjustable trigger, and 33-lb cocking weight. RWS has a good warranty and this rifle has earned excellent reviews from Pyramid Air customers, one of whom wrote: “Appearance and finish out of the box were flawless. It cocks smoothly and has a very well-balanced feel. From the very first shot I was surprised how accurate it is.”
If you miss today’s AirGunsDaily.com offer, Pyramid Air sells the RWS 34P, in either .177 (1000 fps) or .22 (800 fps) calibers, with NO scope, for $216.85. Pyramid also offers a package deal: $220.09 for the .177 version with a tin of .177 pellets and FREE Shipping.
March 15th, 2010
We have a “Palma/Tactical” project gun in the works built with an Eliseo chassis, Borden action, and one of Krieger’s very first 5R barrels. Initial load testing with Hodgdon Varget showed excellent accuracy potential, but we weren’t achieving the velocity we hoped to get from the 30″ medium-Palma-contour barrel. With Lapua brass and Varget we ran short of case capacity when seating bullets to mag-length, and the best accuracy came at about 2860 fps, well under competitive Palma velocities.
Mark LaFevers with .308 Win Eliseo Tubegun on SEB NEO front coaxial rest. Mark made the wood front bag-rider.
Chris Hodgdon kindly shipped us some H4895 and some of the new IMR 8208 XBR powder, lot #1022510-4798. In beautiful 70° conditions yesterday, we did a quick pressure work-up with both powders to determine “practical max” loads with the Berger 155.5gr Fullbore bullets (#30416). The 155.5s were loaded in once-fired Lapua brass with CCI BR2 primers, to a COAL of 2.860″, which is about .010″ short of land contact.
Varget-beating Speeds from Both IMR 8208 XBR and H4895
We loaded up two rounds at each charge weight, starting with the Hodgdon’s recommended starter load for a 155gr Sierra HPBT, as found in Hodgdon’s online Reloading Data Center. (There was no load listed for the 155.5gr Berger). It’s good that we started low because we saw immediately that both the 8208 XBR and the H4895 were yielding much more velocity, grain for grain, than Varget. Though we were not shooting for groups, the 8208 XBR also seemed to have a very large accuracy load window. Moreover, the velocity spreads for each two-round 8208 charge (above 43.0 grains) were remarkably low — none were more than 6 fps, and the velocities on our two 44.0-grain shots were exactly the same — 2992 fps. (This was NOT an error — the chron registered both shots #7 and #8.)
Of course, you can’t conclude much about ES/SD from just two shots, but the speed consistency in the 8208 was notable as you can see from the chart above. By contrast, each pair of H4895 shots varied in speed much more. For example, the two-shot ES for 43.0 grains of H4895 was 14 fps, while the two-shot 8208 XBR spread (for 43.0 grains) was 4 fps. It will be interesting to see if further testing confirms the low ES/SD potential of IMR 8208 XBR in the .308 Winchester.
We dispensed charges with an RCBS ChargeMaster calibrated and leveled on a granite bed. The 8208 XBR has smaller kernels than either Varget or H4895 and, as we expected, 8208 XBR dispensed very easily. The H4895, with longer kernels, dispensed fine in the ChargeMaster, but it took the machine more time to trickle the H4895.
As noted, we didn’t shoot for groups, but the IMR 8208 looked like it would shoot really well at anywhere from 43.0 to 44.0 grains. The H4895 proved accurate as well, at least in the high pressure ranges. We need to do 5-shot testing, over flags, before drawing any real conclusions. But right now we can say that, if you’re shooting a .308 with 150-155 grain bullets, you should definitely try the IMR 8208 XBR. It looks like a near-perfect match for the Palma-class bullets. The velocity is great, it appears the ES will be very low, and 8208 XBR packs more densely than Varget so you won’t have to run compressed loads.
Our most important discovery was that both 8208 XBR and H4895 offered significant velocity gains over Varget, at least in this rifle. It looks like 8208 XBR can run 2990 fps in this gun without pressure issues, while H4895 may top 3000 fps. Varget struggled to get much past 2900 fps.
IMPORTANT WARNING: The stated max load for IMR 8208 XBR with a Sierra 155gr HPBT was 45.3 grains, while the stated max load for H4895 (same bullet) was 46.0 grains. Note that, in this rifle, which has a tight 0.298″ Palma bore, we hit pressure limits well before reaching Hodgdon’s “book max.” Read that again carefully folks. Our 44.0 grain “practical max” for 8208 XBR was a FULL GRAIN less than the stated max load with a Sierra 155-grainer. Likewise we started getting stiff bolt lift at 44.3 grains of H4895 — a long way from the 46.0 grain stated max. So, the combination of a different bullet, and a tighter-than-normal bore made a significant difference in pressures. This is why, if you change ANY component in a load recipe you MUST start low for safety. And never assume that a factory “Max Load” is safe or “conservative”.
March 15th, 2010
Texas Christian University (TCU) won its first-ever NCAA Rifle Championship, on its home floor at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. In this coed sport, the all-female TCU team triumphed over the all-male Alaska-Fairbanks squad. In the 31-year-old history of NCAA rifle shooting, this is the first time an all-women squad has captured the National title. Way to go girls!
The men from Alaska-Fairbanks did win the .22LR segment of the competition, but the TCU ladies’ superior air rifle shooting secured the overall team title. TCU’s Sara Scherer also won the Individual NCAA Smallbore Championship. (CLICK HERE for team profiles.) TCU (4,675 points) won in its fourth NCAA appearance after previous finishes of third, fifth and fifth. Alaska-Fairbanks was second with 4,653 points, followed by 14-time NCAA champion West Virginia at 4,641.
 TCU alumni nationwide are celebrating this NCAA championship, TCU’s first NCAA team title since 1983 (women’s golf). TCU won football national titles in 1935 and 1938, but those years are distant memories.
The TCU “Horned Frogs” all-female rifle team is coached by Karen Monez, a former world and national champion air rifle shooter. In a few short years Monez built a championship-level squad, five members of which were named All-Americans this week. Sarah Scherer, Sarah Beard and Lorenzen were honored as both smallbore and air rifle All-Americans, while Simone Riford and Caitlin Morrissey garnered All-American honors in air rifle. Senior Erin Lorenzen was honored as the MVP of the championships by the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association.
CLICK HERE for TCU Rifle Team Media Guide
CLICK HERE for Full Match Report
March 13th, 2010
We have moved the AccurateShooter.com Daily Bulletin to a dedicated server, and have expanded the format with a new look. Hopefully, posts should be easier to read, and the search tools on the right should be more obvious. Also, now you can easily navigate to the most popular sections of AccurateShooter.com (such as our Forum) via the handy tabs at the top of the page.
If you read the Daily Bulletin regularly, please change your bookmarks. To get all the latest Daily Bulletin stories, images, and videos, please link to:
March 13th, 2010
The NCAA Rifle Championships are being broadcast LIVE right now on the NCAA.com Broadband channel for college sports. There will also be live broadcasts on March 14th and 15th. To access the future broadcasts, go to the NCAA TV website, click the “Event Guide” tab and search for “Coed Rifling”. Note: To view streaming video you may need to install the Microsoft “Silverlight” plug-in for your web browser. CLICK HERE for Live NCAA Rifle Championships Coverage.
March 13th, 2010
 The first 2010 CDNN Investments catalog has just been released for downloading. As usual, it contains impressive deals on handguns, rifles, shotguns, scopes, magazines, gun parts, and shooting accessories. Plus, as part of CDNN’s “March Madness” sale, CDNN is offering low-cost $5.99 shipping for any internet order. You can also get Free Shipping for internet orders over $200 (use Coupon Code fs200). NOTE: These special shipping offers apply to this weekend only — the offers expire Monday, March 15th at 12:00 noon CST.
CLICK HERE to Download 2010-1 CDNN Catalog (32 mb PDF file)
HK, Sig Sauer, and Springfield Pistols on Sale
Plus Nice Winchester Model 70 Rifles
Among the discounted handguns are the popular KelTec sub-compacts, HK USPs and P30s, and a wide selection of Springfield Armory 1911s. CDNN also has stainless demo models of the sleek Sig Sauer p232 — complete with night sights. Very nice gun that will hold its value. There are scores of AR15 type rifles at deep discounts, plus CD Defense AR15 bare lower receivers for just $99.99. Hunters should check out the inventory of Winchester Model 70s. There’s a nice Belgian-proofed Featherlite with Safari sights, premium Schnabel fore-end stock, and cut checkering. Chambered in either 300 WSM or 7mm WSM, this would make a handsome elk rifle for just $699.99.
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