The NRA offers a website dedicated to the interests of hunters, particularly big game hunters. The NRAHuntersRights.org website offers current news items, gear reviews, and stories about hunts in the USA and abroad. There is also a Trophy Gallery and a state-by-state directory of Places to Hunt. The site also allows readers to share their views via a Hunters’ Blog and Forum.
Site Features More Than Politics
NRAHuntersRights.org might be better titled “Hunters’ News”. The site is more a general interest resource for hunters than a platform for gun rights advocacy. While it does have links to gun rights stories, most of the content covers the basics… where to hunt, how to hunt, and what equipment to hunt with. You’ll also find interesting historical stories. For example, the website offers a video about Teddy Roosevelt’s .405-caliber, lever-action 1895 Winchester, the rifle Teddy called “Big Medicine.”
In the video, National Firearms Museum curator Phil Schreier explains that the 1895 Winchester accompanied the former commander in chief on a 1910 safari in Africa, as well as Roosevelt’s famed 1915 expedition to Brazil to find the source of the Amazon River.
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‘Gunny’ R. Lee Ermey, action shooter Jessie Abbate, and a Glock 18 full-auto pistol — hey, what’s not to like? Jessie Abbate is one of the world’s top female pistol and multi-gun competitors, and Gunny Ermey is a hugely popular TV personality (and an active competitive shooter to boot). You’ll enjoy this short video clip from Gunny’s Lock N’ Load show on the History Channel.
Former USMC Drill Instructor Ermey is in rare form, and Jessie — well she is fast and disciplined as usual. Here you have a chance to see her showing off her Glock handgun skills from a couple years ago. In 2010 Jessie switched over to Team Smith & Wesson… so no more g18s for Jessie.
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Our buddy Yamil Sued from Phoenix has accepted a freelance photographer position with Dillon Precision. Among the many projects Sued will handle are the Dillon Blue Press covers and calendars. That’s right, Yamil now gets to work with the beautiful Dillon cover models, instead of old, sweaty guys running around at shooting matches. Yamil joked: “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.”
Yamil told us: “The Dillon Blue Press is one of the most well-known publications in the firearms industry and the Dillon calendars are prized possessions within military and law enforcement circles. I am honored that Dillon chose me to handle their growing photography needs and I look forward to bringing my photographic vision to the Dillon Precision brand”.
Yamil Sued has over 25 years of experience as a professional photographer. A graduate of the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography, Sued has handled product and action photography for leading firearms industry entities including Brownells, Cor-Bon, FNH USA, Midway USA, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, and the U.S. Practical Shooting Association. His work has also appeared in numerous publications including American Handgunner, Shooting Illustrated and Shooting Sports USA.
Though he will be doing regular work for Dillon, Yamil remains available for parts-makers, gunsmiths, catalogers, and shooting organizations who need high-quality studio and outdoor photography. For more information on Yamil Sued, or to review his portfolio, visit www.hotgunshots.com or call (623) 374-4896. The slideshow below features studio photography by Yamil Sued.
Action Photography by Yamil Sued (2010 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals)
Blue Press Cover photo taken in 2007 before hiring of Yamil Sued.
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Richard M. Hammett, Olin Corporation Vice President and President of Olin’s Winchester division, plans to retire effective February 28, 2011. Thomas J. O’Keefe assumes responsibilities as President of Winchester, effective January 1, 2011.
Hammett spent 42 years with Olin Corporation in a variety of finance, marketing and senior management roles. He has served as President of Olin’s Winchester Division since September 2002. An active sportsman and industry leader, Hammett is a board member and treasurer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). He also serves on the board of the Small Arms and Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (SAAMI).
Incoming Winchester President Thomas J. O’Keefe, who holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Metallurgical Engineering, has plenty of experience in ammunition production. O’Keefe held positions in the manufacturing and engineering organization of Olin’s Brass division, and was appointed VP, Manufacturing and Engineering for the division in 2001. In 2006, O’Keefe was appointed VP, Manufacturing Operations for Winchester and assumed additional responsibility for Business Planning in 2008. For more info about Winchester Ammunition and its complete line of products visit www.Winchester.com.
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Many folks have been anxiously awaiting the release of Hodgdon’s new Superformance and LeveRevolution powders, high-velocity blended propellants originally developed by Hornady. For select cartridge types, Hornady claims, these new blended spherical powders can deliver 80 to 150 FPS more velocity than other powders on the market.
Well wait no more — Superformance and LeveRevolution powders are both IN STOCK at Grafs.com now. Both 1-lb and 8-lb containers are in stock. If you’ve been wanting to experiment with either of these new powders — get yours before it’s gone. Supplies are limited.
When choosing a riflescope, picking the right reticle is vital. Even the highest-quality scope can be disappointing in the field if you don’t select the best reticle for your intended application — whether hunting, tactical, or target use.
Online retailer Webyshops.com has made the process of reticle selection much easier by providing Reticle Selector Tables for popular riflescope brands and models.
The folks at WebyShops tell us that customers often have trouble picking the right combination of reticle type, magnification option and scope finish: “Typically, customers have already narrowed down the brand and often the model, but they want to know all their reticle and finish options for the scope”. To make the process easier, WebyShops now offers Reticle Tables for many of the most popular riflescope brands and models. To access the tables, log on to the WebyShops site and select a scope brand. When you see a gray button like the one below, just click on it to see a list of reticle and finish options.
Shown below is a sample table for Nikon Monarch scopes. The table provides all available choices for this brand and model, classified by reticle type, magnification, and exterior finish.
WebyShops currently offers Reticle Selector Tables for the following scope brands and models. More tables will be added in the future. Click the links below to access Reticle Tables for particular scope brands and models:
The NRA has licensed Krüger Schießscheiben (Krüger) to produce official NRA targets for use in Europe and worldwide. Krüger, a family-run company based in Dillingen/Saar, Germany, was the smart choice. Since 2004, Krüger has been the official target supplier of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). Krüger currently produces targets for a wide variety of disciplines: air pistol, air rifle, running target, 300m centerfire, and both rimfire and centerfire benchrest. Krüger also makes archery targets.
Mike Krei, the NRA’s director of competitive shooting, announced: “The Krüger Target Company and the NRA have signed a five year license agreement that allows Krüger to produce many of the targets used in NRA competitions. Company owner Mr. Andreas Krüger and Sales Manager Joachim Seibold flew in from Germany to work out the contract and now they will be manufacturing NRA targets both nationally and internationally”.
Browse Wide Selection of Krüger Targets
While Krüger specializes in competition targets, it also produces a large selection of fun targets and hunting targets as well. These can all be ordered through Krüger’s website (or via catalog), and yes, the targets can be shipped from Germany to the USA. Click on the catalog cover at left to download the current English-language Krüger Targets catalog as a 56-page PDF file (5.6 MB).
Here are some of the fun targets produced by Krüger. Click on the small images to see a larger version. After viewing, click browser “Back” button to return to this page. NOTE: These are NOT hi-rez images to be down-loaded and reprinted. However, Krüger’s fun targets may give you some ideas for creating your own specialty and holiday targets. See more targets on Krüger’s website, www.best-targets.com.
Krüger Fun Targets — Click to View
NOTE: After viewing larger target image, click browser “Back” button to return to this page.
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Every shooter can use a spare set of calipers. Stow them in your range bag, or just keep a back-up set at your loading bench. Right now Amazon.com offers a great deal on SE 6″ Digital Metric/SAE Calipers with large LCD Display. The calipers, including battery and storage case, are just $10.50. Shipping is FREE with a $25.00 minimum order. So if you combine this set of calipers with another qualifying item over $14.50, you’ll get free shipping.
One cool feature of these 6″ SE calipers is that you can instantly switch between Metric and SAE (English) display. These asian-made calipers are hardly Mitutoyo quality, but we’ve used them and they work fine for most tasks: measuring neck diameters, Cartridge OAL, bullet diameters, and even the group sizes on your targets. Click the link below to get the $10.50 price:
Note: The vast majority of customers who have purchased these calipers have rated them highly for the price. However a few buyers complained that the display was faulty. The unit we used worked fine and measurements were consistent with a $25.00 Lyman dial caliper. But if you want a serious “last a lifetime” set of calipers, you’ll want to spend more than $10.50 obviously. We see these as an inexpensive alternative for a “back-up” set to be kept in a vehicle or tool kit.
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If you’re looking for a modestly-priced holiday gift for a shooting buddy that is sure to bring him (or her) a smile, consider a shooting-theme T-shirt from Creedmoor Sports. Regularly priced at $12.95, these shirts are marked down to just $10.00 for the holidays. Creedmoor’s graphic T-shirts are emblazoned with clever messages such as: “Life’s Too Short to Shoot 9s”, and “X-Ring: The Only Six Inches That Matter”. There are also gift shirts for family members. Options include: “World’s Greatest DAD”, “Father of the World’s Greatest Kids”. There are more fashionable specialty shirts for the ladies: “Shoot Like a Girl … If You Can”, “Nothing Says Love Like a Girl and her AR-15″ (women’s shirts $18.00 on sale, normally $21.95). And for serious shooters who prefer to let their guns do the talking, there are simple designs with just an M16 or M1 Garand logo.
Long-Sleeve and Sweatshirt models also
These Creedmoor shirts are available in white or gray fabric. And, with most of Creedmoor’s graphic designs, you can get a long-sleeve T-shirt version for $2.00 extra, a crewneck sweatshirt version for $5.00 more, or a hooded sweatshirt version for $10.00 more. (Holiday discount pricing listed; regular prices are higher.)
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Much anticipated, the NRA’s new 575-page history of the National Matches, is now in stock at the NRA Program Materials Center. The $69.99 book, entitled The National Matches: 1903-2003 The First 100 Years, covers all the National Match venues, starting with New Jersey’s Sea Girt, followed by Creedmoor in New York, and finally the present-day home at Camp Perry, Ohio.
Richly illustrated with hundreds of photos, this book includes complete National Match results, and notable shooter histories. The book also covers the evolution of match rifles and pistols over the past century. Any shooter who has competed at the National Matches, or who has an interest in National Match history, should consider adding this book to his personal collection. The National Matches: 1903-2003 The First 100 Years can be purchased online through the NRA Program Materials Center, item number CC19740, or you can call 1-800-336-7402 and asking for Item# CC19740.
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Two New England gun-making facilities will soon close their doors. The operations of both Bushmaster (Maine) and Thompson/Center Arms (New Hampshire) are being relocated to other facilities owned by their respective corporate parents.
Bushmaster Plant in Maine to Close
First, the Freedom Group, which owns Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin and other companies, announced that it will close Bushmaster’s Windham, ME facility, “effective March 31, 2011″. According to an official press release: “The Company will relocate manufacturing of all Bushmaster products currently produced at Windham to other, existing Freedom Group Facilities. The move will have no impact on customers or the existing supply base.” John B. Blystone, Chairman of the Freedom Group’s Board of Directors, commented: “We are continuing to adjust our operations in order to remain competitive…. Given increasing costs and pricing pressures affecting the entire firearms industry, this action is clearly necessary[.]”
T/C New Hampshire Facility To Be Phased Out
Smith & Wesson, parent of Thompson/Center Arms (T/C), is pulling the plug on T/C’s Rochester, New Hampshire operation. The Rochester factory will be phased out starting in January 2011, and finishing before the end of next year (2011). T/C production will be switched to Smith & Wesson’s Springfield, MA facility. Some workers may be relocated, but most will lose their jobs. According to S&W Mktg. Service Director Paul Pluff: “We needed to streamline in order to make our company more efficient and profitable.” S&W Human Resources VP Bill Lachenmeyer explained that the plant closure was due to a big decline in T/C sales over the last three years. S&W invested heavily in the new line of T/C Icon hunting rifles but the Icons didn’t sell well. Likewise sales of T/C’s signature Encore and Contender tilt-breech hunting pistols declined in the economic downturn.
Many of the most popular powders sold under the Hodgdon brand in the USA (including Varget and H4350) are actually made by Thales Australia Ltd. (formerly ADI, Ltd.) in Australia. Some load manuals list Thales (ADI) data, but not Hodgdon data, or vice-versa, so we’ve compiled this list of equivalent powders. If you can’t find a recommended load for a particular Hodgdon powder in your caliber, download the latest ADI Smokeless Powders Handloaders Guide (2010, 5th Edition), a 5-megabyte Acrobat file.
Here’s a list of ADI to Hodgdon Powder equivalents:
AS30N=Clays
AP50N = (No Hodgdon)
AS50N = International
AP70N = Universal
AP100 = (No Hodgdon)
AR2205 = H4227
AR2207 = H4198
AR2219 = H322
Bench Mark1 = (No Hodgdon)
Bench Mark2 = BenchMark
About IMR 8208 XBR
NOTE: Although new IMR 8208 XBR is made by Thales (ADI), Hodgdon has not published an ADI-equivalent product code. Thales has loaded some of the 8208 XBR into military ammo. However, Thales Australia Ltd. tells us: “[We] have yet to release the IMR 8208 XBR propellant in Australia to the sporting shooters market; thus it does not have an equivalent Thales (ADI) name”.
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‘Gunny’ 
Our buddy Yamil Sued from Phoenix has accepted a freelance photographer position with 
Yamil Sued has over 25 years of experience as a professional photographer. A graduate of the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography, Sued has handled product and action photography for leading firearms industry entities including Brownells, Cor-Bon, FNH USA, Midway USA, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, and the U.S. Practical Shooting Association. His work has also appeared in numerous publications including American Handgunner, Shooting Illustrated and Shooting Sports USA.
Richard M. Hammett, Olin Corporation Vice President and President of Olin’s 
Hammett spent 42 years with Olin Corporation in a variety of finance, marketing and senior management roles. He has served as President of Olin’s Winchester Division since September 2002. An active sportsman and industry leader, Hammett is a board member and treasurer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). He also serves on the board of the Small Arms and Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (SAAMI).
Well wait no more — Superformance and LeveRevolution powders are both IN STOCK at 
When choosing a riflescope, picking the right reticle is vital. Even the highest-quality scope can be disappointing in the field if you don’t select the best reticle for your intended application — whether hunting, tactical, or target use.
The NRA has licensed 
If you’re looking for a modestly-priced holiday gift for a shooting buddy that is sure to bring him (or her) a smile, consider a shooting-theme T-shirt from 
Much anticipated, the NRA’s new 575-page history of the National Matches, is now in stock at the NRA 
Bushmaster Plant in Maine to Close
T/C New Hampshire Facility To Be Phased Out
