Berger Bullets has just released its new .338-caliber “hybrid” bullet, Berger’s first-ever projectile larger than .30 caliber. The new bullet has a very high ballistic coefficient (BC): 0.891 under the G1 model, and 0.455 under the newer G7 standard for boat-tail bullets. That high BC should translate into exceptional long-range performance. According to Berger, the BC of the new Berger .338 bullet BC is roughly 14% better than the BCs of other .338-caliber 300gr offerings from Sierra and Lapua. This claim is supported by testing done on all three bullets and published in a detailed Bullet Comparison Report (PDF). The new .338 Hybrid bullets will be sold in 50-count and 250-count boxes. To order, call Berger’s Tech-Line, (714) 447-5458.
The key design feature of the new .338 bullet is its hybrid ogive, i.e. a shape that combines both tangent and secant geometry. A tangent ogive meets the bearing surface very smoothly, whereas a secant ogive has an abrupt juncture with the bearing surface. The figure below shows the geometric differences between a tangent and a secant ogive, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Practical Considerations — Load Length and Twist Rate
The superior ballistic performance of the 300gr Hybrid .338 is primarily due to the very long ogive and boat tail. However, that super-long bullet length can create some issues. Berger’s new .338 Hybrid bullets are so long that loaded rounds may not fit some magazines comfortably, unless you deep-seat the bullets, which cuts down on usable case capacity. If your loaded rounds with the new .338s are too long for your magazine, single-feeding is recommended. In addition, and this is IMPORTANT, to get optimal performance with the new bullets, you may want to extend the throat in your chamber. This can be done relatively easily by a competent gunsmith using a throating reamer. We caution, however, once the throat is pushed out, you can’t go back to a shorter throat without setting back the entire barrel.
The new .338 Hybrid bullets should stabilize well with a 1:10″ twist at the velocities achievable with popular .338 magnum cartridges. However, according to Bryan Litz, Berger’s Ballistician, at extreme long ranges (beyond one mile), as the .388 bullet goes trans-sonic, it may need more spin. As the bullet slows down into the trans-sonic range, extra stability is required — something you get by spinning the bullet faster. So, for those guys planning to shoot at one mile or beyond, Berger recommends a faster twist-rate. The faster twist provides more spin-stabilization at very long ranges. But for 1000-yard shooting, you don’t need to be concerned about trans-sonic stability. As Bryan explains: “So as long as you keep your shots under 1 mile, the 1:10″ twist is plenty adequate.”
Berger Bullets Video Update (Eric Stecker talks about the new .338 Hybrid and other matters.)
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If you want to see some of the very best smallbore and air gun shooters in the world, including many multi-time Olympians, head down to Fort Benning, GA later this month. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, in conjunction with USA Shooting, will host the ISSF 2010 World Cup USA May 22-31.
This major event is the third of four World Cups being held this year by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). So far, more than 400 of the world’s top-level shooters from 49 countries have committed to the event. There will be many Olympians (including medal winners) in the competition. CLICK HERE for Entry List by Nation.
Shooters will compete for medals and world records in the Olympic disciplines of Air Pistol, Air Rifle, Smallbore Pistol, and Smallbore Rifle. The ranges are located on the military installation at Fort Benning, Georgia, approximately 150 km (90) miles south of the Atlanta Int’l Airport. Fort Benning has some of the most advanced target systems in the United States. Sius Ascor electronic targets will be used for all elimination, qualification, and finals competitions. Seventy-two (72) targets are available for both 50 meters and 10 meters, while there are 40 targets for 25-meter events.
Bookmark ISSF World-Cup Website
USAShooting has created a full-featured website dedicated to the 2010 World Cup. There you can find travel and lodging info, match schedules, registration info, and much more. Once the competition starts, the USAShooting World Cup website will provide photos and videos, and updated match results. Visit the official match website at www.usashooting.sports.officelive.com.
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Here is an interesting tool that lets shooters re-shape and uniform the tips of their .22 rimfire lead bullets. Paco Kelly’s Acu’Rzr comes in two basic versions, the “Phase III Nasti-Nose” and the “Phase IV Baby Scorp’n”. The Phase III tool produces a deep-dished hollowpoint (like an ash-tray) that opens quickly and efficiently. There is also a Phase III insert that creates a flatter, open dish HP for target shooting. The Phase IV Scorpion tool creates a deep hollow point with a central post. The internal post in the middle helps achieve deeper penetration in game. The designer claims that ammo modified with either tool is more accurate because the bullet diameter “comes out the same every time”. In addition to the Phase III & IV tools, which reform one round at a time, Paco offers a Maxi series for bulk production. These let you process either three rounds at once (Maxi 3) or four rounds at once (Maxi 4).
Why re-shape lead rimfire bullets? The first reason is accuracy. The tool’s designer, Paco Kelly, claims you can improve the accuracy of budget-priced ammo by using the dish nose rod with the Phase III tool: “The dish nose forming rod is for accuracy and paper targets. It makes very sharp and clean cut holes in paper. And the consistency of the [re-shaped] bullet diameter pulls the group together.”
The main reason to use Paco Acu’Rzr tools is to improve perfomance on small game such as squirrels, prairie dogs, and jack-rabbits. Kelly says: “Unlike most commercial 22 rimfire ammo with small holes and negligible HP expansion, the Nasti-Nose will open even with standard velocity ammo. Yet it will NOT explode on contact like the hyper-velocity ammo. For small eating game, such as squirrels, the Hyper ammo is too much and the medium-velocity, hollow-pointed commercial ammo often fails to open. But not so with the Nasti-Nose.” The idea, Kelly suggests, is that you get reliable expansion with medium-velocity ammo, without destroying the game the way hyper-velocity ammo does.
The Phase III tool costs $65.00, while the Phase IV tool costs $75.00. The Maxi 3 which does three (3) rounds at once, costs $100.00, and the four-round Maxi 4 is $128.00. All tools can be customized for target rifles or European chambers. To order, contact Paco Kelly, P.O. Box 1170, Cortaro, AZ 85652 or use this ORDER FORM.
EDITOR’s NOTE: Do NOT use this tool with premium-grade rimfire target ammo. It won’t help. Use it with the cheaper bulk-pack ammo. Also, we have not tested the reformed ammo on live targets, so you have to draw your own conclusions as to its benefits on small critters.
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Graf & Sons has launched its redesigned, updated website. Grafs.com is now much easier to navigate, and the search is faster. Also product photos are bigger and better. To simplify shopping, products are grouped into nine primary categories: Ammo, Shotshell Reloading, Metallic Reloading, Powders & Primers, Bullet Casting, Optics, Muzzleloading, Accessories, and Tactical.
Just click on “Ammo”, select “Rifle” and you get a complete list of all calibers. Then choose the ammo you need. Likewise, click on “Metallic Reloading”, select “Rifle Brass” from the expanded menu, then choose the cartridge type you need from the full list that appears. It’s very intuitive and easy. You can also use the left menu to quickly find powders, primers, dies and other tools. Once you become familiar with the expanding menu structure, we think you’ll find it easy to locate what you need very quickly.
Of course, you can still search search by keyword or product number. Once you run a search, you can then filter the search results by manufacturer, or you can alpha-sort the products, or even rank them by price, rating, or availability. On the new website, the search engine is much faster than before.
Ground Shipping is Pre-Paid on Most Items
As before, most of the stated prices on the Grafs.com website INCLUDE ground shipping to the lower 48 states. For some products, Graf’s listed price might initially seem a bit higher than with another vendor, but when you factor in shipping costs, you’ll often find that Graf’s pricing is more than competitive. With heavy, bulky items, it nearly always pays to check with Grafs. Note, however, that there are separate hazmat fees on powder and primers. Also each internet order (no matter now many items) has a single non-refundable $4.95 handling/insurance charge ($6.95 for phone/fax/mail orders).
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Are you looking to boost membership at your local shooting range? Then check this out. To help public and private shooting facilities jump-start their recruitment and retention efforts, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will award up to $500,000 in grants this year to ranges around the country. This is the third year that the NSSF has distributed funding to qualifying ranges through its Range Partnership Grant Program.
“These grants will help shooting range managers create new strategies to drive traffic to their facilities”, said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president. The projects funded by the grants will also serve as pilot programs, which, if successful, can be used by other facilities. “The best way to increase participation is to enhance and promote shooting opportunities at the local level,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF recruitment and retention manager. “We’re looking for unique proposals that move the needle on recruiting new shooters, attracting lapsed shooters back to the range and increasing opportunities for active shooters.”
Who May Apply? Only project proposals submitted by and in the name of public shooting facilities, private facilities that offer the public shooting opportunities, or educational institutions with either public shooting facilities of their own or hunting and shooting sports curriculums shall be eligible for funding under the Grant Program. Separate proposals must be submitted for each project to be funded. A group of ranges may band together and submit one proposal. IMPORTANT — This grant program is NOT intended for land purchases, for building or improving structures (such as club-houses), or for acquisition of range equipment and supplies.
How to Apply: Download the Grant Application Form (PDF) and submit according to guidelines.
Deadline: Grant applications must be received by NSSF no later than 5:00 pm (ET) on June 17, 2010.
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IMPORTANT UPDATE: In a subsequent BBC Interview, Harrison reported it took about NINE shots for he and his spotter to initially range the target successfully. Then, he reported, his first shot “on target” was a killing shot. That makes the story more plausible.
In a stunning display of marksmanship, and the ultra-long-range capability of the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, a British sniper killed two Taliban machine-gunners at a confirmed range of 1.54 miles. The distance to the target was GPS-ranged at 8,120 feet or 2,706.6 yards — well over a mile and a half. According to Britain’s Times Online, this successful engagement was the longest ever: “The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972 feet, set by a Canadian soldier [in Afghanistan] in March 2002.” (Canadian Cpl. Rob Furlong used a McMillan Tac 50 in his 2002 engagement.)
The amazing shots were made by Corporal Craig Harrison of the Household Cavalry using an Accuracy International L115A3 rifle, chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. L115A3 rifles, part of the British Army’s Sniper System Improvement Programme (SSIP), were first deployed to Afghanistan in May 2008. Corporal Harrison, with the assistance of his spotter, Trooper Cliff O’Farrell, dropped two Taliban machine-gunners with successive shots while providing covering fire for an Afghan national army patrol south of Musa Qala last November. Harrison told the Times that: “We saw two insurgents running through [a] courtyard, one in a black dishdasha, one in green. They came forward carrying a PKM machine-gun, set it up and opened fire on the commander’s wagon. I rested the bipod of my weapon on a compound wall and aimed for the gunner firing the machine-gun.” Harrison fired three rounds, the first killing one machine-gunner, the second killing the other (who had taken over the weapon), and a third to disable the enemy gun.
A shot at this ultra-long-range requires a superbly accurate rifle, a highly-skilled marksman, and favorable conditions. Harrison said: “Conditions were perfect, no wind, mild weather, clear visibility.”
Corporal Harrison is a brave soldier. During an ambush later in his Afghan tour of duty, a bullet pierced his helmet but failed to penetrate his skull. Some weeks after that, he broke both arms when a road-side bomb exploded under his vehicle. After recovering from his wounds, Harrison volunteered to return to Afghan duty.
Sinclair International has just released its completely new Competition Shooting Rest BR. It’s a beefy unit, weighing over 30 pounds… and yes, it’s fully approved for both IBS and NBRSA benchrest competition at all distances. The new rest should start shipping in mid-May, 2010. The price is $599.00 including top bracket, but not the front sand-bag (both Edgewood and Protektor bags will fit).
Key features are: 1) Very low center of gravity for stability; 2) Smooth, precise windage control built in to the base-plate; 3) Ambi-dextrous design; and 4) Built-in carry handle on the front (target) side. The windage control, which employs twin tapered roller bearings for smoothness, is a clever design that provides nearly 48″ of windage movement at 100 yards. The oversized windage control knob is positioned near the rear (vertical) speed screw so you can easily and quickly control both the vertical and horizontal with the same hand. And you Southpaws, don’t worry… the post, center column, controls and windage adjustment disassemble and reassemble on the opposite side, for left-hand use.
The Sinclair Competition Rest’s components are “super-sized” compared to older Sinclair front pedestal designs. The new rest’s center column diameter is upsized to 1.95″ from 1.375″, the threaded post is increased to 1″ diameter from 3/4″, and the leg screws are now .5″ (up from .375″). The rear fluted speed screw is also oversized. The new Competition Rest also includes mounting holes for attachment of raised ammo caddies or a timer-holder. In addition, the Sinclair Competition Rest features a new, lockable fore-end stop assembly that adjusts for length, height, and cant (angle).
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The NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Charlotte, NC is less than two weeks away. This combination membership convention and trade show, co-sponsored by MidwayUSA, will be held May 14-16, 2010 at the Charlotte Convention Center, with some events slated for the Time Warner Cable Arena. All NRA members are welcome to attend. CLICK HERE for NRA Annual Meeting Schedule of Events.
Along with the exhibits, the NRA Meeting will feature an Antique Guns & Gold Showcase, a Firearms Law Seminar, and the ever-popular NRA-ILA Dinner and Auction. PyramidAir will also operate an AirGun range in the Convention center if you want to exercise your trigger finger.
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Texas retailer CDNN Investments often acquires large inventories of overstocked firearms and then offers them at close-to-wholesale prices. When CDNN comes out with a new catalog you know there will be some amazing deals that won’t last long. The latest 2010-2 CDNN catalog was recently released. CLICK HERE to download CDNN 2010-2 Catalog.
Listed below are some of the best long-gun deals we found in the new spring Catalog. There are also some amazing deals on HK, Sig Sauer, and Springfield Armory handguns with prices “too low to print”. You’ll need to call CDNN at (800) 588-9500 for details.
Ruger No.1 in .204 Ruger, 22″ or 26″ Barrel. $649.99 (MSRP $1147.00)
Winchester m70 Super Grade, .30-06 (24″ bbl) or 300 WM (26″ bbl), Fancy Walnut Stock, Engraved Receiver, $849.99.
FNH SLP Mark I Tactical Shotgun with 9-shot mag, scope rail, and fiber optic front sight. A great choice for 3-Gun competition, the FNH SLP was the 2009 NRA Shotgun of the Year. Call for Price.
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Some weeks ago we ran a story on Texas Governor Rick Perry, explaining that the Lone Star State’s Chief Executive is a serious shooter who sometimes carries his own handgun for personal protection. Well Gov. Perry is in good company — nearly 405,000 other Texans are licensed to carry.
2009 Licensing Statistics from the Texas Dept. of Public Safety reveal that 404,795 Texans have Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHLs) or are certified instructors. That number represents about 2.25% of all Texas residents. Remarkably, the number of Texans licensed to carry increased nearly one-third from 2008 to 2009, with 138,768 new CHLs issued last year. We’re not sure why so many more Texans decided to get carry permits in 2009, but this trend coincided with a major surge in gun sales following the 2008 Presidential election. So, now more than ever before, “Don’t Mess with Texas” is a warning would-be criminals must heed. With 1 in 50 Texans licensed to carry, Texas is one state where criminals must think twice before preying on law-abiding citizens. In Texas, the large number of citizens who carry concealed is a very real deterrent to crime.
More Guns, Less Crime
Since 1991, 23 states have adopted “shall issue” laws, replacing laws that prohibited carrying or that issued carry permits on a very restrictive basis; many other federal, state, and local gun control laws have been eliminated or made less restrictive; and the number of privately-owned guns has risen by about 90 million. There are more RTC states, gun owners, people carrying firearms for protection, and privately owned firearms than ever before. In the same time frame, through 2008, the nation’s murder rate has decreased 46 percent to a 43-year low, and the total violent crime rate has decreased 41 percent to a 35-year low. Preliminary data reported by the FBI indicate that rates fell further in the first half of 2009. (Map and Right-To-Carry info courtesy NRA Institute for Legislative Action.)
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Our friend Robert Whitley of 6mmAR.com has come up with a new, accurate 6mm wildcat based on the new Lapua 22-250 brass that has just started arriving. Robert provides this report:
“I just received a box of the new Lapua 22/250 cases — beautiful brass! My real desire with it was to make it into a 6mm version, preferably something that was ‘no neck-turn’ with a .308 Win-type body taper that would work well in bolt gun and semi-auto magazines and would have a capacity to allow superior velocities. I considered the 6XC, but since you have to bring a whole lot of the shoulder of the brass up into the neck (when you re-form the brass from 22-250 to 6XC) that would necessitate neck-turning it because with Lapua brass the shoulder metal is thicker than neck metal of the brass.
I wanted a simple ‘neck it up and shoot it’ approach so I made up a 6mm-250 Improved 30 cartridge (i.e. 6mm-250 Improved with a 30 degree shoulder) and this thing works great — just neck up the brass, load it and shoot it! The case is like a 6XC with a .030″ longer body and a .030″ shorter neck, which works out fine if you are going to be shooting mainly the 105-108 gr bullets (which it will do very well shooting 2950 – 3000 fps). If you want to hot-rod things, which I do not, I am certain the case can push the 105-108 gr bullets a fair amount faster.
I set it up and throated the reamer for the Sierra 107s and the Berger or JLK 105 VLDs (i.e. a .090″ free bore on the reamer) and it works great with them. If I was going to use it with the Lapua 105s or the Berger 108s I would add about .025″ – .030″ to the freebore of the reamer (i.e. make the freebore around .115″ to .120″).
The great thing is you can use a 6XC die set for it without modification, and all you need to do is keep the dies about .030″ up off the shell holder from their normal position and use them as is. You can make a spacer washer about .030″ thick that you can put on and take off the 6XC dies and use the dies for both cartridges (i.e. 6XC and 6mm-250 Imp 30).
6mm-250 Imp 30 Shows Great Accuracy
Fire-forming loads are real accurate. Here is a 10-shot group I shot prone at 100 yards shooting fire-forming loads with it — the group is the size of a dime. For fire-forming I use a milder, but still very accurate load: 32.0 grains of N140 with a Sierra 107 and a BR2 primer. For fire-formed cases you can jump up to N160 (around 38-40 grains — depending on lot) and it will push the 105-108 gr bullets real accurately in the 2950-3000 fps range, with low ES and SD. This cartridge has a neck length of .268″ which is plenty long for a 6mm shooting bullets with varying bearing surface lengths. The reamer diagram (link below) leaves about a .003″ neck clearance over a loaded round, which seems to work out very well for a ‘no-turn neck’ set-up.
So there you have it … the 6mm-250 Imp 30 is simple, easy to make, accurate as all get out, there are available factory die sets you can use, and it uses great new Lapua brass — what’s not to like!”
Berger Bullets has just released its new .338-caliber “hybrid” bullet, Berger’s first-ever projectile larger than .30 caliber. The new bullet has a very high ballistic coefficient (BC): 0.891 under the G1 model, and 0.455 under the newer G7 standard for boat-tail bullets. That high BC should translate into exceptional long-range performance. According to Berger, the BC of the new Berger .338 bullet BC is roughly 14% better than the BCs of other .338-caliber 300gr offerings from Sierra and Lapua. This claim is supported by testing done on all three bullets and published in a detailed Bullet Comparison Report (PDF). The new .338 Hybrid bullets will be sold in 50-count and 250-count boxes. To order, call Berger’s Tech-Line, (714) 447-5458.
If you want to see some of the very best smallbore and air gun shooters in the world, including many multi-time Olympians, head down to Fort Benning, GA later this month. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, in conjunction with 
Are you looking to boost membership at your local shooting range? Then check this out. To help public and private shooting facilities jump-start their recruitment and retention efforts, the 
IMPORTANT UPDATE: In a subsequent BBC Interview, Harrison reported it took about NINE shots for he and his spotter to initially range the target successfully. Then, he reported, his first shot “on target” was a killing shot. That makes the story more plausible.
ATK & Alliant/CCI/RCBS (booth 1403)
Texas retailer 
Some weeks ago we ran a story on 
Our friend Robert Whitley of 
6mm-250 Imp 30 Shows Great Accuracy
