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October 19th, 2010
On October 10th, John Amos Nosler, founder of Nosler Inc., passed away from natural causes at his Oregon home. Considered a true pioneer in bullet and ammunition design, Nosler developed the famous Partition bullet in the 1940s. Born on April 4, 1913 in Brawley, California, John built his business from scratch. He founded his bullet company in 1948, and was considered to be one of the great generational icons whose designs literally created the premium bullet category and influenced ammunition and bullet manufacturers worldwide.
While hunting in Canada, John experienced a bullet failure on the hide of a mud-caked bull moose. He then began developing a revolutionary new projectile, which he called the “Partition”, because of the barrier that separated the bullet into two sections. One year later, John and a friend traveled back to British Columbia with his new Partition bullets, which were designed to provide deep penetration and expansion. The men bagged two moose with two shots, and the rest is history.
 In recognition of his contribution to the shooting sports industry, John was the unanimous choice for the inaugural 2007 NRA Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award. The award was the highlight of a long and fruitful career. Even though he officially retired in 1988 when his son and daughter-in-law, Bob and Joan Nosler purchased the company, John still managed to come to the office on a daily basis until his health declined. Today, John’s son Bob Nosler still presides over the company as president and CEO.
 To learn more about John Nosler and his bullet designs, get your hands on Going Ballistic, a “Professional Memoir” told by John Nosler to outdoor writer Gary Lewis. CLICK HERE to read a short sample from Chapter 11, “Penetration and Expansion–The Need for a Better Bullet”.
John Nosler remained an avid hunter and shooter even late in life. Gary Lewis recalled that, at age 92, John Nosler attended the opening of a new shooting range outside Bend, Oregon. Even in his nineties, Nosler managed to drill two shots inside nine inches at 1000 yards. John Nosler leaves a legacy that will benefit hunters and shooters’ nationwide. The John A. Nosler Endowment of The NRA Foundation, sponsors the NRA’s Basic Rifle Training Program which instructs novices in safe rifle handling.
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October 18th, 2010
Gear Review by Germán A. Salazar, Contributing Editor
All of us have at one time or another struggled with glare in the front sight at certain ranges and certain times of year. There are a lot of ways to deal with glare, shade tubes being the most commonly seen. I prefer to avoid any type of extension on the front or rear sight, especially anything that hangs past the muzzle where the muzzle blast can cause damage and in any event, I haven’t found those tubes to be very effective. However, the need to do something about the glare at our south-facing range at the Phoenix Rod & Gun Club has become essential for me. At this time of year, the sun is directly in front at this range and I really struggle to get a clear sight picture.
The photo above, taken on 10/16/2010 clearly illustrates the problem at PRGC as the early morning sun is from the left and front. Note the backlit flag and the direction of the shadows. As the sun continues to rise, it aligns itself right down the range towards the shooters. Apart from the glare, the bull is hard to see on the targets once they’re up because the light is coming from behind the target, not from the front. A very challenging set of light conditions which will worsen from now through February as the sun stays lower in the sky month by month.
 Anti-Glare Filters from Art Neergaard
I recently spoke to Art Neergaard about this problem. Art manufactures a number of innovative products for rifle sights through his company ShootingSight LLC and he had an idea for me. The idea was simple in concept, a “donut” filter for the front sight with a hole in the middle so as not to darken the already dim bull and yet, it would cut the glare that otherwise enters the front sight. The picture at left shows the filter mounted on the sight. When you’re looking through the sights, there isn’t the large gap around the aperture, it’s actually a very close match. Sticking the camera right into the sight obviously changes the perspective a bit.
I wanted to evaluate the Centra Goliath 30mm sight on my new Palma tubegun. Since Art intended to make the filters for the 30mm size, this was a good time to begin that evaluation as well. My last match score with this rifle, five weeks ago before the light got bad, was a 600-42X, since then, I’ve had a couple of poor matches with other rifles as the light and glare have really troubled me. With the 600-42 as a “good condition baseline” with this rifle I was eager to see how the filters would work.
Art sent me a few items: two filters (one gray, one orange), and one filter-holder for them, as well as a fixed aperture cut in the same material as the filters, with a beveled edge like the ones available for many years for smaller sights. The filters are interchangeable in the holder and can be changed in a minute or so. The aperture, however, is fixed as the hole is drilled in a lathe after mounting the disc in the holder — this ensures perfect concentricity for the aperture.
 Gray Filter Preferred
Arriving at the range, I mounted the high-contrast orange filter first and looked through it. Frankly, although it cut glare well, I hate the look of an orange world! A quick change of filter and another look through the sights showed a good, glare-free and natural-looking sight picture with the gray filter. At right is a photo that shows the relative glare-cutting effect of the gray filter.
Scores Improved with Anti-Glare Filtration
Shooting a good mid-range .308 load with Winchester brass, Federal primers, IMR 4064 (manufactured in 1960, just like me) and moly-coated Sierra 190 gr. bullets, the rifle showed it’s good breeding giving me a 200-12X, 200-15X and 200-14X for a 600-41X, my 22nd score of 600! Well, quite a dramatic improvement over the last couple of weeks when I struggled to shoot 590, and back to the score I shot five weeks ago when the light was still good. Hooray! So yes, I’m very satisfied with the concept of the filter with a hole in it. All the extraneous glare that was hurting my sight picture was gone and the bull remained unimpaired. Not that the bull was too good to begin with as all I can see is a fuzzy gray blob out there, but keeping the center unfiltered was better than some solid filters I’ve tried in the past.
Clear Rain Filters for Front Sights
Art plans to make clear donut filters to use as rain shields for shooters with a front lens in their sight. That would keep raindrops off the lens — especially the middle of the lens where a drop could destroy the shooter’s ability to see the bull properly.
 Filter Works with Fixed & Variable Apertures
Although I intended to try the fixed aperture also, I ended up shooting the entire match with the filter and the Centra variable aperture. I’ll try to use the fixed aperture (photo at left) next week. The value of a fixed aperture shouldn’t be underestimated. It provides a lower cost way to use a 30mm sight, an important consideration given the current $175 price of the adjustable aperture. Perhaps just as important, the fixed aperture is something that should be in every high-end shooter’s kit in case of failure of the adjustable, which has been known to happen. If I were traveling across the country or around the world to a match, you can be sure there would be a set of fixed apertures of various sizes in my kit to back up the adjustable iris.
Art Neergaard
ShootingSight LLC
www.ShootingSight.com
eMail: shootingsight@nuvox.net
Phone: 513-702-4879
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October 18th, 2010
Want a great deal on a pre-owned precision rifle? Then visit Bob White’s Shooter’s Corner website and check out “The List”. Bob maintains a wide selection of used benchrest, varmint, and precision rifles. In fact, Bob offers the largest inventory of used benchrest rifles and equipment in the USA. Along with complete rifles, you’ll find accessories, rests, scopes, and reloading tools.
“The List” was last updated in June, but there are still plenty of great deals on hand. Contact Bob White directly for the latest offerings or ask for his personal “hand picks” from his vast inventory: (973) 663-5159; email: shootcnr [@] optonline.net.
You can find exceptional deals on “The List”, with complete, custom-action BR rifles for as little as $1300.00, and varmint rifles starting at $500.00. Here are four examples:
Rifle B15: 30BR Heavy Varmint, BAT Model SV R/L action w/rt eject; Bartlein bbl w/.330 neck, 700 rnds; McMillan/Bruno fiberglass glue-in stock; Jewell 2oz trigger; Includes Kelbly type scope bases & buttstock weight system; Gunsmith: H. Vranian; Exc. cond. Superbly accurate score rig — has fired 250-23X. $2297.
Rifle B48: 6PPC Hvy Varmint, Viper drop port R/L action; 2 Hart bbls w.262 nk, less than 900 & 2800 rnds; McMillan Edge Mod fiberglass glue-in stock; Jewell 2 oz. trigger; Gunsmith: B. LaChapelle; Exc. cond. Best group .072 has finished in top 5 in 2006-50 shooters. $1775.
Rifle B84: 6PPC Heavy Varmint, Hall mod B R/R action, Hart bbl w/.262 nk with 1400 rnds, McMillan fiberglass glue-in stock, custom 2 oz. trigger, includes B&L scope mount, Gunsmith: Spencer, VG cond, paint shows some nicks. I’ve seen this gun shoot .1 range groups. (a $1700-!1800 value), $1275.
Varmint Rifle V1: 22-250 Cooper Western Classic, Mod 22 w/color casehardened receiver finish; Blued factory round to hex bbl with less than 100 rounds. AAA French walnut w/beautiful wrap-around checkering & skeleton grip cap & buttplate; Factory crisp 1.5 lb trigger. Includes 1″ Tally scope mnts w/color case hardened finish; About 99% cond. Has all upgrades including checkered bolt knob & inlaid sling swivels. $1995. (a cool $4000 to buy now.)
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October 18th, 2010
Monitor Barrel Heat with Pocket InfraRed Gauges
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 Kintrex or Actron pocket-sized, non-contact IR thermometers are ideal for shooters at the range or in the prairie dog fields. Both are handy and inexpensive — costing about twenty bucks (on sale).
Pen-Sized Kintrex
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). Kintrex is a respected manufacturer that also makes larger hand-held IR thermometers for industrial and shop applications. Priced at just $21.11 on Amazon.com, the tiny Kintrex is one gadget that every serious shooter should have. Given the cost of replacing barrels these days, can you afford NOT to have a temp gauge for your match or varmint barrel?
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Actron PocketTherm for just $18.22
The compact Actron CP7875 PocketTherm Infrared Thermometer is on sale right now on Amazon.com for just $18.22. Roughly 4″ x 1.5″ in size, it is slightly larger than the Kintrex, but still small enough to carry in a pocket. It features an angled head and may be easier to hold than the Kintrex for some users. It works instantly with intuitive one-button operation, measuring temp ranges from -27º to 428º F (-33º to 220º C). Rated battery life is 20-25 hours. The backlit display is easy to read. However, you need to place the Actron PocketTherm close to the “target”. Most larger “industrial” spot thermometers (both laser and infrared), have beam ratios from 6:1 to 10:1, allowing them to measure a 1″ circle at 6″-10″. The CP7875 has a 1:1 ratio, so it measures a 10″ circle at 10″ distance. To get an accurate temp on a barrel, you must hold the thermometer within an inch or so. That’s not a big deal when measuring barrel heat, but the beam ratio may limit the usefulness of the PocketTherm for other tasks.
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October 17th, 2010
On October 20th, CNBC plans to air a television “exposé” about Remington Arms. The hour-long show argues that there may be a safety issue associated with the Remington 700 series of rifles. We haven’t viewed the show yet, but Jim Shepherd of The Shooting Wire is familiar with its contents. Jim, a veteran journalist, recently wrote a cogent commentary on CNBC’s “investigation” of Remington. Given the important insights Jim reveals, his commentary is well worth reading.
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Yesterday morning, I received a promotional piece from CNBC, touting an hour-long investigation into America’s largest firearms company. The promo piece teases “Remington Under Fire: A CNBC Investigation” a story that CNBC says will “take viewers inside a 10-month investigation of the world’s most popular hunting rifle and examines whether a company has gone too far in protecting their signature product.” That product being the Model 700 bolt-action rifle. With more than five million sold, it is hard to argue its domination of the bolt-action rifle market.
 It’s hard to argue with the idea that a serious safety defect — especially if it was deliberately downplayed-could cause serious repercussions.
Having spent nearly three decades in journalism, when someone says their exclusive “examines” rather than “exposes” — my first impression is always that the story didn’t come to the conclusion they’d presumed, so they’re leaving plenty of wiggle room in the story by “examining the question” rather than “answering it”. That doesn’t say it’s not interesting, whatever the conclusion.
According to the release, CNBC Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn traveled from Florida to Alaska, uncovering numerous complaints about Remington’s 700 model rifle. The most intriguing fact is Cohn’s having “tracked down” 98-year-old Mike Walker, the Remington engineer who designed the trigger for the Remington 700. The report purports to have an interview — and internal memorandums from Walker — that indicate he had repeated safety concerns about the trigger system — even after he left the company.
Video teasers for the program, however, don’t show Walker. Instead, they show Jack Belk “gunsmith, former cop” and expert witness in a variety of lawsuits against Remington. In the soundbite — admittedly designed to titillate, not answer questions — Belk says “no gun should fire unless the trigger is pulled.”
Not exactly the building of a rock-solid case. But in many cases — especially those tried in the fickle court of public opinion — emotion will trump logic.
I’ve not spoken to anyone at Remington regarding the reports — and CNBC says Remington only responded to their interview requests in writing.
For Remington, that’s prudent business practice. From CNBC, it’s couched as to leave the impression that a lack of willingness to go on camera and talk about six decades of business practices indicates there’s something to hide.
That’s not the case — it is impossible for current management to have first-hand knowledge of anything that happened nearly six decades ago. Consequently, when you don’t know what to say, the best thing to say — especially in a television interview — is nothing.
Remington Under Fire is scheduled to air on October 20. We’ll be watching and at that time, Remington officials will be offered the opportunity to respond to the program.
Article © 2010 The Shooting Wire, All Rights Reserved, reprinted with permission. “Grudge Match” graphic created by AccurateShooter.com and not included in original story.
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October 17th, 2010
In early 2011, Hornady will start shipping its new, “enhanced velocity” Superformance™ Varmint ammunition for four chamberings: 222 Remington, .223 Remington, 22-250, and .243 Winchester. This ammo uses proprietary, blended powder formulations to achieve faster velocities that most other factory-loaded ammo (for these cartridge types). In addition, the propellant burns more completely in the barrel, reducing the amount of ejecta (i.e. powder residue that exits the muzzle). By burning the powder more completely in the barrel, Hornady claims the Superformance ammo delivers higher velocities without increased recoil.
New 53gr V-Max for .223 Rem Ammo
All four types of Superformance Varmint ammo are loaded with polymer-tipped V-Max bullets. The .223 Rem ammo features a new 53-grain V-Max bullet with a decent 0.290 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. Hornady claims that: “This new bullet… enables this load to produce trajectory and wind drift equaling that of a conventional 22-250″. Well, it may come close to factory loaded 22-250 rounds from other manufacturers, but any competent hand-loader can produce 22-250 or 22-6XC loads that easily outrun Hornady’s 53gr V-Max load. As with any advertising claims, run the numbers yourself. The chart below shows Hornady’s claimed velocities for its Superformance Varmint ammo:
Hot-Rod Ammo?
Hornady released a somewhat “over the top” video touting its Superformance Varmint Ammo. We chuckled at the drag-racing animation, but you will find some useful info in the second half of the video:
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October 17th, 2010
 If you don’t have a portable GPS yet, here is a great deal. The very popular Garmin Nüvi 260W with voice instructions is on sale for the next few days for just $99.99, with FREE shipping. This unit is easy to program, and instantly switches from Map view to a Trip Info view that provides current speed, average speed, miles to destination, and more. Click the lower right corner of the Map view at any time to bring up Next Turn info.
This Editor has been using a Garmin Nüvi for a year now and it works marvelously. I now take it on any long trip, and it has also been very useful when navigating to local locations. If you miss a turn, it will usually recalculate within seconds. The spoken turn-by-turn instructions are easy to follow — it’s like having a human navigator by your side. Click the link below right for best pricing and FREE Shipping.
North American Maps are Pre-Loaded
The Garmin Nüvi 260W comes preloaded with City Navigator NT North America–road coverage for the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and nearly 6 million points of interest. City Navigator North America NT gives you everything you need to travel North America. Powered by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality digital map data, City Navigator brings you the most detailed street maps available so you can navigate with exact, turn-by-turn directions to any address or intersection.
The battery will run a few hours, but I recommend keeping the unit plugged in via your cigarette lighter outlet or other DC power port. When the unit is not in use for a few days, I also recommend removing the battery. Even with the unit switched “off” Garmin maintains a “fast access” mode that draws a small amount of current.
Handy Vent Mount Secures GPS
 I’ve experimented with a half dozen GPS mounts and my favorite is the i.Trek Vent Mount. This snaps on quickly and places your GPS in an ideal position to the right of the steering wheel. It is a little tricky to remove, but otherwise works great and only costs $6.50 at Amazon.com. The Vent Mount can jiggle a bit on big bumps, but the GPS is normally plenty stable, and it is easy to adjust viewing angle. It’s a great little device — much better in my opinion than windshield mounts (which are illegal in some states).
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October 15th, 2010
Bushmaster has issued a recall of ACR semi-auto rifles because they may malfunction and go “full-auto” with a single pull of the trigger. While Bushmaster says this problem “may develop with a small number of ACR rifles”, Bushmaster is recalling the whole production run: “All Bushmaster-produced ACR Rifles are impacted by this notification.” Here are the key terms of the ACR RECALL:
“Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC has become aware of a possible firearms performance issue that may develop with a small number of ACR rifles and we are requesting you discontinue use of this rifle immediately, and contact us at your earliest convenience so that we can make the necessary arrangements to have the rifle returned to us for inspection and update if necessary.”
“During routine test firing, Bushmaster discovered a design flaw which could result in multiple rounds firing continuously when the trigger is pulled. This unexpected firing of multiple rounds creates a potentially dangerous situation.”
Click Here for complete text of Bushmaster ACR Recall Notice (PDF)
If you have a Bushmaster ACR Rifle:
- Stop using the rifle immediately.
- Contact the Bushmaster Customer Service Department: 800-883-6229
- Get Return Authorization (RMA) code from Bushmaster and ship gun to:
Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC
Attention: Dept. ACR
999 Roosevelt Trail
Windham, ME 04062
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October 15th, 2010
 Acting on behalf of a Georgia resident and honorably discharged Vietnam War veteran, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder and the Federal Bureau of Investigation over enforcement of a federal statute that can deny gun rights to someone with a misdemeanor conviction on his record.
The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the District of Columbia. SAF and co-plaintiff Jefferson Wayne Schrader of Cleveland, GA are represented by attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued both the Heller and McDonald cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In July 1968, Schrader, then 21, was found guilty of misdemeanor assault and battery relating to a fight involving a man who had previously assaulted him in Annapolis, MD. The altercation was observed by a police officer, who arrested Schrader, then an enlisted man in the Navy, stationed in Annapolis. The man he fought with was in a street gang that had attacked him for entering their “territory,” according to the complaint.
Schrader was ordered to pay a $100 fine and $9 court cost. He subsequently served a tour of duty in Vietnam and was eventually honorably discharged. However, in 2008 and again in 2009, Mr. Schrader was denied the opportunity to receive a shotgun as a gift, or to purchase a handgun for personal protection. He was advised by the FBI to dispose of or surrender any firearms he might have or face criminal prosecution.
“Schrader’s dilemma,” explained SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, “is that until recently, Maryland law did not set forth a maximum sentence for the crime of misdemeanor assault. Because of that, he is now being treated like a felon and his gun rights have been denied. No fair-minded person can tolerate gun control laws being applied this way.” Gottlieb added: “Mr. Schrader’s case is a great example of why gun owners cannot trust government bureaucrats to enforce gun laws.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
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October 15th, 2010
 Inspecting and grading thousands of surplus rifles is a huge task. Accordingly, the Civilian Marksmanship program seeks volunteer manpower to help with this process. In an effort to give the Garand shooting and collecting communities an opportunity to view and participate in CMP Inspection and Repair processes and to reduce labor costs, the CMP established a volunteer program starting in July, 2010. Most volunteers work for 3-5 days.
 The CMP is looking for more volunteers. Assignments are based primarily on individual level of familiarity with the Garand, and the CMP’s needs at the time. Although the CMP tries to ensure that volunteers spend time working with Garands, some time may be spent in warehousing, packing, or shipping operations. Volunteers must be pre-approved, with work sessions scheduled in advance. No walk-ons. Volunteers should submit requests at least two weeks prior to planned visits (many volunteers schedule “shifts” months in advance).
The CMP reports: “[The] volunteer program that was in effect from 2001-2006 was a huge success and benefited the CMP and all the great people who had donated their time. Without exception, all past volunteers reported their visits as very educational, recreational and enjoyable. Most of the past volunteers had made several repeat visits from all parts of the country, and many have become ambassadors for the program. The CMP is a charity and expenses associated with volunteering may be tax-deductible.”
Volunteers absorb all costs for transportation, lodging and meals. Most volunteers stay 3-5 days per trip. Tools and gauges are available, but the CMP encourages volunteers to bring their own. To learn more about the CMP Volunteer program, or to schedule work sessions, contact Brian Vick at bvick [at] odcmp.com, or call 256-835-8455 x 1126.
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October 14th, 2010
 The 2011 edition of the Hodgdon® Annual Manual has just been announced, and should be at newstands in January 2011. Now in its 8th year, the Hodgdon Annual Manual includes over 5,000 rifle and pistol loads, with information on 29 Hodgdon, 19 IMR® and 10 Winchester® brand powders, with updated propellant burn rate and usage charts.
The new 2011 Manual features 31 cartridge updates including the new 30 AR Remington and 338 Marlin Express. The latest manual of course incorporates the 44 cartridge updates from 2010, which included data for the 6.5 Grendel and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Extensive reloading information is provided for popular cartridges such as the 223 Remington, 204 Ruger, 6PPC, 6mmBR, .243 Win, 308 Winchester, .30-06, 338 Federal and more. In addition, the 2011 manual boasts 70 pages of shooting and hunting feature articles by top outdoor writers.
New Superformance Powder Data Included
The 2011 Hodgdon Annual Manual includes comprehensive load data for the two new Hodgdon powders, Hornady® Superformance™ and Hornady LEVERevolution®. This pair of advanced, high-speed propellants are currently used in Hornady’s factory ammunition. Both powders can provide a significant performance boost in many popular cartridges.
The 2011 Hodgdon Annual Manual costs $8.99 at news-stands or $11.99 delivered via mail from Hodgdon. To order call 913-362-9455, visit Hodgdon.com, or write to Hodgdon Powder, 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission, KS 66202.
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October 13th, 2010
 Two ammunition manufacturers in Lewiston, Idaho, plan to add “significant numbers of workers” this year and next. Alliant Techsystems (ATK), parent of CCI, Alliant Powder, RCBS and other companies, expects to add about 100 jobs by the end of 2010, and Extreme Bullet plans to expand its facility and add about 100 jobs over the next few years. ATK’s employee ranks will grow to approximately 1,200 workers by the end of this year.
ATK will be re-hiring many workers laid off in a 2009 force reduction. According to the Spokane Journal of Business, “The new hires should give ATK a total of about 1,200 workers by the end of 2010 at its plant on the east side of the Snake River.” The Journal also interviewed ATK Spokesman Jason Nash who explained: “We’ve definitely had a few good years at the plant there. There’s been an increased demand for sporting ammunition, which has allowed us to add to our employment base.”
Speer Brothers Brought Ammo Production to Lewiston
Here is an interesting historical footnote. Today’s large ATK operation in Idaho can be traced back to the companies founded by the Speer brothers. After settling in Lewiston in 1944, Vernon Speer started Speer Bullets. A few years later, in 1951, Vernon’s brother Dick (with partner Arvid Nelson) started Cascade Cartridges Inc., a producer of small-arms ammunition and primers. Yes, as you may suspect, Cascade Cartridges Inc. is now CCI, part of ATK’s family of companies, and one of the largest manufacturers of primers and loaded ammunition. Today, ATK’s Lewiston plant produces both Speer bullets and CCI-branded ammunition and primers. ATK acquired the plant in 2001. Vernon Speer died in 1979, and Dick Speer died in 1994.
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