We wish all of our readers Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope you’re enjoying time with your family today, whether you’re basking in the sun in Australia, or shoveling snow up in Finland near the Arctic Circle.
We want to take this opportunity to thank all the folks who have generously donated to the site over the past year. (Please, if you’ve donated and are a Forum member, tell us your Forum “nickname” so we can acknowledge your contribution).
We also want to thank the many individuals who help this site by donating their time testing gear, helping with the Forum, and/or writing articles. This includes Jason Baney, Vince Bottomley, Laurie Holland, Speedy Gonzales, “Graymist”, Bryan Litz, Chris (“Techshooter”) Long, Larry Medler, Danny Reever, German Salazar, Jerry Tierney, and all the folks who have helped with Gun of the Week stories. And we want to say thanks to our commercial sponsors that have supported the site through advertising or donated items for auction. And Blessed Are the Programmers
This Christmas we want to give special recognition to Vladimir Prelovac and his talented team of young programmers in Belgrade, Serbia. Starting with our “wish-list” for an enhanced, “enterprise-quality” web site, these guys worked very hard, for many months, to deliver all that we asked for — and more. This required hundreds of hours of database programming, layout work, and creative site design. If you like the new and improved AccurateShooter.com site, we have these hard-working guys to thank for it. By the way, if you’re curious, most Serbians in Belgrade are Oxthodox Christians, and yes, they celebrate Christmas just like we do — only a few days later. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, so Christmas in Belgrade currently falls on January 7th, 2011.
2010 IBS 600-yard Shooter of the Year honors have just been announced. Sam Hall of Boonville, NC stole the show again this year, securing 100 points to earn another Shooter of the Year (SOY) Title. Congrats Sam! Not far behind was Dasher Ace (and a former Shooter of the Year) Richard Schatz with 86 Points. Brenda Hobbs was the Female Shooter of the Year with 7 Championship points, while Stanley Clarke’s 6 points him earned him “Rookie SOY” honors.
Here are the final standings, courtesy Dick Grosbier of the IBS:
IBS Shooter of the Year Rankings
1. Samuel Hall – 100 points
2..Richard Schatz – 86 points
3. Dan Hobbs – 50 points
4. Glen Sterling – 39 points
5. Rich Griffin – 32 points
Female SOY: Brenda Hobbs (7 points)
Rookie SOY : Stanley Clark (6 points)
Some months ago, Sam Hall revealed many of his shooting secrets and gun-handling tips in a short video. Because of windy conditions, the audio track is pretty poor, but if you pay attention you can learn some very valuable lessons from Sam:
McMillan has released a new semi-auto tactical rifle, based on a Springfield Armory M1A receiver, glass-bedded by hand. McMillan’s new M3A rifle is configured for scope use, and features a CNC-inletted McMillan stock with adjustable cheekpiece. The gun takes M1A/M14 magazines. The M3A features a 6-groove, 10-twist, 18″ barrel, chambered in .308 Winchester. A notable option is a massive three-sided rail system. This allows the user to fit a scope very securely in either standard or front (scout scope) position. The side rails can carry other accessories such as lights or a back up red-dot scope. The trigger is a two-stage with pull weight of 5-6 pounds. Shown below is the M3A with optional full-length upper handguard tactical rail.
CLICK HERE for more information, or call (623) 582-9674 for pricing with desired options. A variety of McMillan rifles are showcased in the Video below.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve had a chance to test and evaluate a one-piece shooting rest designed by Wally Brownlee of TargetShooting.com. The model 1000LP rest is solid, strong, nicely-machined, and versatile. We found it provides a very stable platform for every kind of rifle — from big magnums all the way down to benchrest air rifles.
The 1000LP rest is distinguished by its use of two (2) leather sandbags, a normal-sized one in the front and a compact mini-bag in the rear. Many other one-piece target rests use low-friction pads or Delrin contacts in the rear. The typical “lead-sled” rests use a solid cradle or V-block in the rear. The small, cube-like, rear mini-bag helps the model 1000LP out-perform typical, one-piece steady-rests. The small rear bag, which is supported by metal plates on three sides, does a great job stabilizing your gun. We also found that the combination of front and rear sandbags seems to provide good vibration damping — something that really helps with precision shooting.
When our designated trigger-puller Joe Friedrich tried the 1000LP with his tuned rimfire benchrest rifle, he immediately noticed that his gun shot amazingly well. Joe owns a variety of high-quality, one-piece rests, and the model 1000LP produced results equal to the best of them. Consider this, in Joe’s ARA unlimited discipline, a perfect score on a 25-bull target is a 2500, with “worst edge” scoring. “Perfect” 2500s are very rare. Only a handful are shot each year in ARA competition. Now get this, Joe managed to shoot multiple 2500s in a row off this rest, and he did that shooting in a variety of conditions (with different lots of ammo) over a 24-hour period. Joe was amazed that this rest, which was not designed for rimfire benchrest competition, could perform so well.
The model 1000LP has many features which contribute to the rest’s fine performance. First, as noted above, the small, 3-way-braced rear bag really seems to work, as long as it fits your stock well. Second, the windage control (which can be switched from left side to right side), is extremely precise and positive — it has zero slop. Third, the 1000LP has a relatively low-mass center bridge connecting the higher-mass front and rear sections. We think this barbell-type design, combined with the integral hand-rest, helps quell vibrations. Finally, the rear height control lets you make fine elevation adjustments without altering the gun’s position on the front bag.
The 1000LP Works Well for Many Purposes
While we were enthusiastic about the 1000LP’s performance with a rimfire benchrest rifle, we want to stress that this rest was not optimized for smallbore shooting. In fact the 1000LP was designed primarily to provide a stable platform for centerfire rifles. It works great for sighting in your hunting rifle, and it is a fine choice for varminters shooting off a field bench. Though not as fast to adjust as a joystick rest, the 1000LP is no slouch. The rear elevation knob is very quick and easy to employ, while the windage adjustment provides precise horizontal tracking with no vertical or diagonal drift. And because the front support is connected rigidly to the rear section, your front and rear bag always stay in perfect alignment, shot after shot. In the video below you can see Wally Brownlee shooting a 22-250 varmint rifle off his 1000LP rest. Note how well the gun tracks, and how little torque and hop there are, even with a narrow sporter-style stock. (Of course, the installed suppressor does reduce some recoil.)
1000LP Breaks Down into Sections for Transport
The TargetShooting.com model 1000LP easily breaks down into two or three sections. This makes it is easier to pack up and transport than most one-piece rests. The 1000LP also allows easy exchange of front bag assemblies so you can quickly switch from a 3″-wide bag to a narrow front bag for thinner, hunter-style fore-ends. A variety of accessories are available for the model 1000LP, including extra quick-release front bag units ($125.00), large-diameter machined discs for the feet (for added stability), and a dual-rail, front fore-end stop ($89.95).
Model 1000LP Starts at $699.95
Are there downsides to the model 1000LP? Well at $699.95 for the base unit, the 1000LP is far more expensive than a typical Lead Sled-type one-piece rest sold for hunters. However, that’s like comparing a Mercedes with a Yugo. The 1000LP is far more sophisticated than a Lead Sled. Plus, as Joe demonstrated, the model 1000LP can do double-duty as a true competition rest. Don’t even think about using a primitive $130.00 Lead Sled in ARA benchrest competition.
We also found that peak performance demands careful sandbag packing and a good fit of the rear bag to your particular stock. Someone who shoots multiple rifles may want to purchase more than one rear mini-bag so that the rear bag-to-stock fit is optimal. Joe found that bag-to-stock matching was important if you want to shoot ultra-small groups off this rest.
If you are interested in the model 1000LP one-piece rest, visit www.TargetShooting.com or call Wally Brownlee at (800) 611-2164, or +1 605-868-2164 (int’l).
Disclosure: TargetShooting.com provided a “loaner” 1000LP (with accessories) for testing, but Joe Friedrich then purchased the rest at a slight discount off retail.
Starting February 1, 2011, a new law goes into effect in California that will block mail-order sales of any loaded ammo that can be used in a pistol. That, of course, includes .22LR, 30-30, .223 Remington, 6mmBR and other popular rifle rounds that have been adapted for pistols. In the fall of 2009, when AB962 was first passed by the California legislature, we reported on this restrictive new legislation. The new law IS being challenged in court, but it is still set to go into effect on February 1st, 2011.
In response to California’s imminent mail-order ammo ban, ammunition vendors are gearing up for a rush of ammo sales in the next five weeks. Here is Cabela’s Ammo Sale Notice:
If you’ve been shopping for Burris riflescopes or binoculars, visit SWFA.com. Texas-based SWFA is running a special liquidation sale on Burris optics with some items marked way down “below distributor cost”. Supplies are limited. Here are some examples of the savings:
Below you can see a small sample of the many items on sale (CLICK HERE for full list). Visit SWFA.com or call (972) 726-7348. SWFA offers a price guarantee and SWFA claims it “will beat any price”.
Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistols have become quite popular. Many law enforcement agencies have moved away from Glock in favor of the American-made M&P. If you own or shoot an M&P, now you can train with a .22LR version that has the same size, shape, and controls as your centerfire M&P. Smith & Wesson plans to release its new M&P22 semi-auto pistol very soon. Offered with either 10- or 12-round magazines (depending on local laws), the new M&P 22 looks just like its big brother. One large dealer has listed a sales price of $364, based on a $419.00 MSRP, but the guns aren’t available quite yet. We expect to learn more at SHOT show.
In general, we commend S&W for producing a rimfire clone of its M&P duty pistols. This allows M&P owners to cross-train with inexpensive .22LR ammo, without having to adapt to different ergonomics. Reportedly made by Walther, we suspect the new M&P22 will be reasonably accurate, but we’re skeptical of the quality of the trigger. Hopefully it will be better than the trigger on the full-size M&Ps.
Of course, if you want a superb trigger in a .22LR semi-auto pistol, there is the classic S&W model 41. For $1700.00 to $2000.00 you can find the fully engraved, 50th Anniversary Model 41 in presentation case on Gunbroker.com. First released in 2008, the engraved model 41 combines superior accuracy with stunning appearance.
Butch Lambert, who distributes the Elliott “Aussie” BRT wind flags, gave us some expert advice on wind flags. Butch writes: “Chatting with the top shooters in our sport about flags gave me some surprising insights. You do not want your flags balanced. The weight should be biased to the vane side. That will help take the twitch out of your flags. It will take the windshield wiper effect out. The Aussie propellers are used for velocity reading only at very low wind velocity. They are mainly to let you see a pickup or a let up. The sailcloth tails are attached with a clip that does not allow the tail to twist and it also holds the shape of the flag in a V so that it doesn’t flop in the wind. Daisy wheels slow response of the vane, puts a shake in your wind flag, and hides the vane on any tailwind.” If you have more questions about wind flags, contact Butch at ShadeTree Engineering.
Christmas is less than a week away, so today we’re offering a selection of last-minute “stocking stuffers” for precision shooters. So as not to bust your holiday budget, all of our selections are priced under $10.00. Despite their low price, many of these items are handy tools that you’ll use over and over again at the range and/or at your loading bench.
Tactical Xmas Stocking
But first things first — to hold our selected gifts, first you need a handsome Christmas stocking to stuff. What better option for a shooter than than a tactical Xmas stocking from LA Police Gear? On the outside are two mag pouches, a flash-light holder, and a pocket for toy guns. There is also a Velcro square where you can attach a large variety of Milspec Monkey Patches. Offered in tactical black or Desert Tan, these Christmas holster stockings retail for $13.99 each (patches sold separately). There is also a $10.99 version with just MOLLE straps (no external pouches). Be the envy of all your tacti-cool friends.
Gifts $1 to $5
Surveyors Tape
$1.99
Hood Kwik Estimator
$2.50
Bifocal 3X/6X Magnifier
$2.95
Barrel Mirage Shade
$4.95
Surveyors’ Tape. You should always watch the wind when you shoot. Inexpensive, Day-Glo Surveyors’ Tape, attached to a stake or target frame, makes a great wind indicator. It will flutter even in mild breezes, alerting you to both angle and velocity shifts. This should be part of every range kit. Don’t leave home without it.
Hood Kwik Estimator. Here’s a very handy tool to measure your 6mm groups. Bracket the group within the diverging lines of the Kwik Estimator and you’ll instantly get a good approximation of the actual group size. No more trips to the tool box for calipers. The inexpensive Kwik Estimator fits in a shirt pocket. (Thanks to Boyd Allen for this suggestion.)
Bifocal 3X/6X magnifier. This handy, inexpensive dual-power magnifier is always close at hand on our loading bench, because it helps with so many task. We use a compact magnifier to inspect bullet tips, to check brass chamfers, and inspect the internals of triggers and other parts. Priced at just $2.95, a magnifier like this (or the folding variety) is a “must-have” item for every hand-loader.
Sinclair Barrel Mirage Shade. For high-volume varminters, and competitors who shoot fast in warm weather, a mirage shield is absolutely essential. This prevents hot air rising off the barrel from distorting the image in your scope. The aluminum Sinclair shield can be trimmed to fit, and comes with stick-on Velcro attachments. Two lengths are available: 18″ for short BR barrels, and 24″ for longer barrels.
Gifts $6 to $10
Dewey Crocogator
$6.50
Ballistol Aerosol Lube
$7.85
Sinclair Barrel Bag
$8.95
Sinclair Load Block
$9.95
Dewey Crocogator. The Crocogator tool, with knurled “teeth” at both ends, is simple, inexpensive, and compact. Yet nothing zips though primer-pocket gunk faster or better. Unlike some cutter-tipped primer pocket tools, the Crocogator removes the carbon quick and easy without shaving brass. One end is sized for large primer pockets, the other for small.
Ballistol Aerosol Lube. Ballistol is a versatile, non-toxic product with many uses in the reloading room. We have found it is ideal for lubricating cases for normal full-length sizing. It is clear, not gooey or chalky like other lubes. It is very, very slippery, yet is easy to apply and just as easy to wipe off. As you lube your cases, the Ballistol will also clean powder fouling off the case necks. For heavy-duty case forming and neck expansion, we’ll still use Imperial die wax, but for every-day case sizing, Ballistol is our first choice. It also helps prevent your dies from rusting and it even conditions leather. Ballistol is a favored bore cleaner for Black Powder shooters because it neutralizes acidic powder residues.
Sinclair Barrel Bag. If you run a switch-barrel rig, or take spare barrels to a big match, this simple but effective barrel bag will protect your valuable steel. The bag is moisture-resistant vinyl on the outside with a soft, quilted interior to protect the barrel’s finish and delicate crown. The 26″ bag costs $8.95, while a 31″ bag costs $9.50. Either way, it is cheap insurance for those priceless barrels.
Sinclair ‘Poly’ Loading Block. We’ve tried wood and injection-molded loading trays, and we like Sinclair’s white polyethylene loading blocks the best. They fit BR, .308, and 6.5-284 cases very well, with chamfered holes sized for the particular case you reload. The blocks are heavy enough to be stable on the bench, and the “dishwasher-friendly” material is easy to clean. The PBX model hold 50 cases, while the PLX version holds 25 cases with a tray for empties. There is also a heavy-duty model (08-4275) with an extra-thick 1″ base. Sinclair’s loading blocks are superior products at a fair price.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) is turning to the internet to spread its message and to inform Federal Firearms License holders (FFLs) regarding the latest regulations and reporting requirements. BATFE is posting a series of online video seminars designed to educate Federal Firearms Licensees on a host of topics related to the Federal firearms laws and regulations and best practices.
FFL instructional videos are now available on the BATFE’s recently created YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/ATFHQ. Linked below is Part One of the video on Record-keeping Requirements. Note that some videos are in segments and should be viewed in order. CLICK HERE to view Part Two and other BATFE videos.
We wish all of our readers Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope you’re enjoying time with your family today, whether you’re basking in the sun in Australia, or shoveling snow up in Finland near the Arctic Circle.
2010 IBS 600-yard Shooter of the Year honors have just been announced. Sam Hall of Boonville, NC stole the show again this year, securing 100 points to earn another Shooter of the Year (SOY) Title. Congrats Sam! Not far behind was Dasher Ace (and a former Shooter of the Year) Richard Schatz with 86 Points. Brenda Hobbs was the Female Shooter of the Year with 7 Championship points, while Stanley Clarke’s 6 points him earned him “Rookie SOY” honors.
The model 1000LP has many features which contribute to the rest’s fine performance. First, as noted above, the small, 3-way-braced rear bag really seems to work, as long as it fits your stock well. Second, the windage control (which can be switched from left side to right side), is extremely precise and positive — it has zero slop. Third, the 1000LP has a relatively low-mass center bridge connecting the higher-mass front and rear sections. We think this barbell-type design, combined with the integral hand-rest, helps quell vibrations. Finally, the rear height control lets you make fine elevation adjustments without altering the gun’s position on the front bag.
We also found that peak performance demands careful sandbag packing and a good fit of the rear bag to your particular stock. Someone who shoots multiple rifles may want to purchase more than one rear mini-bag so that the rear bag-to-stock fit is optimal. Joe found that bag-to-stock matching was important if you want to shoot ultra-small groups off this rest.
Starting February 1, 2011, a new law goes into effect in California that will block mail-order sales of any loaded ammo that can be used in a pistol. That, of course, includes .22LR, 30-30, .223 Remington, 6mmBR and other popular rifle rounds that have been adapted for pistols. In the fall of 2009, when AB962 was first passed by the California legislature, we reported on this 
If you’ve been shopping for Burris riflescopes or binoculars, visit 
Of course, if you want a superb trigger in a .22LR semi-auto pistol, there is the classic S&W model 41. For $1700.00 to $2000.00 you can find the fully engraved, 
Christmas is less than a week away, so today we’re offering a selection of last-minute “stocking stuffers” for precision shooters. So as not to bust your holiday budget, all of our selections are priced under $10.00. Despite their low price, many of these items are handy tools that you’ll use over and over again at the range and/or at your loading bench.
Tactical Xmas Stocking
The 
