SSG Daniel Horner of the USAMU used the new 300 AAC Blackout (300 BLK) cartridge to win first place overall in the Tactical Optics division of the 2011 USPSA Multigun National Championship, held outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Horner’s choice of cartridge allowed him to satisfy “Major Power Factor” requirements while using his regular AR15 rifle and magazines. The only important change was replacing the 5.56mm barrel with a .30-caliber barrel.
The 300 AAC Blackout was created by Advanced Armament Corp. and Remington primarily for the military as a way to shoot .30-caliber bullets from the M4/AR15 platform while using standard magazines. As explained by Robert Silvers, AAC’s R&D Director: “Now there is a way to shoot 30 caliber from your AR while still using normal magazines with full capacity. Even the bolt stays the same, and all that changes is the barrel.” For more information visit www.300aacblackout.com and download the 300 BLK Cartridge Information Guide (PDF).
The concept of putting a .30-caliber bullet in a shortened 223 case has been done before, but not as an industry-wide standard that anyone can make products for, royalty-free. SAAMI, the industry standards organization, adopted and standardized the AAC 300 Blackout earlier this year. The SAAMI diagram for the 300 BLK is shown below.
Affordable Factory 300 BLK Ammo is Available
Remington now sells a variety of 300 BLK ammo: 1) 125 grain open-tip match with a custom Sierra bullet; 2) 220gr subsonic, and 3) 125gr AccuTip (photo below). While the 300 BLK is easy (and inexpensive) to reload, Remington and AAC recognized that most people are not reloaders. So Remington will be budget-priced UMC-brand 300 BLK ammo through at just $12.99 per box — that’s less than most other rifle cartridges than are more powerful than the .223.
The 300 AAC Blackout has been touted as an important new hunting round, but we see it more as a specialized “rule-beater” 30-cal option that lets 3-Gun competitors “make major” with a low-recoil cartridge that also offers long barrel life. For those who need to run a .30-caliber cartridge from a standard AR15 platform (as opposed to the AR10), the 300 AAC Blackout makes some sense. But for hunters using a bolt gun, there are any number of tried and true options, such as the 7.62×39, .30-30, and, of course, the .308 Winchester (7.62×51 NATO).
Dave Kloft, a member of the U.S. Goodwill Team and a shooter for the U.S. Army Reserve, provided this report at the conclusion on the World Long Range Rifle Championships held at the Belmont Range outside Brisbane, Australia. The U.S. Palma Team finished third, behind Great Britain (1st Place), and South Africa (2nd Place).
There was very, very stiff competition and the conditions on the range tested our coaches and shooters thoroughly. After two long days of shooting, we found ourselves bested by Great Britain and South Africa. While we did not win gold, this was still a tremendous accomplishment for our team, and it was an honor to be among the best rifle shooters in our country and from around the world.
We were overwhelmed by the hospitality demonstrated by all the great folks in Australia during the past three weeks. It was definitely a wonderful experience. With any luck, this won’t be my last time visiting this amazing country.
The 2015 World Championships will be hosted by the USA. The planned location is currently Camp Perry, Ohio following the US National Championships in August. The next U.S. Team Training event is the South African National Championships in October of 2012.
Summary by Lars Dalseide and Cloft report courtesy The NRA Blog.
MidwayUSA has introduced a new, interactive version of its monthly sales flyer. This new flyer format features some very cool web technology. For starters, you can access a table of contents and flip pages just like a print catalog. But in addition, the new format offers full interactivity: you can zoom pages, click on product links, and even watch embedded video. While viewing the file, navigation buttons on the bottom let you print pages, zoom to full screen, and even keyword search for products within the monthly flyer.
The monthly flyers can also be downloaded as PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files for viewing offline. CLICK HERE to download the latest November MidwayUSA Flyer PDF file (22 megabytes).
The Season 3 Finale of Top Shot on the History Channel airs this evening. Only four competitors remain. Tonight, one will win the title of “Top Shot” and a $100,000 prize. So set your Tivos for 10:00 pm Eastern Time and get ready for a very entertaining hour of television this evening (October 25th).
The four remaining shooters are: Chris Collins, Dustin Ellermann, Mike Hughes, and Gary Quesenberry. We’re rooting for Dustin, a modest Christian Camp Director who taught himself to shoot. Though he had virtually no competitive shooting experience prior to Top Shot, Dustin has been fast and steady. He’s out-shot more experienced competitors in every episode, all the while showing humility and good sportsmanship. In the very difficult “Wheel of Fire” challenge last week, Dustin hit dozens of targets, while most of his fellow competitors struggled to hit one or two!
Dustin is a “natural” — a born marksman. We’d have to say he’s the favorite to win it all, based on past performances. Dustin is motivated to win: “I’m from Zavalla, Texas, a small town of 647 people — I sure don’t want to let them down.” A minister, accountant, lumberjack, husband, father of two and foster father of three, Dustin lives in the middle of the Angelina National Forest and considers himself a Renaissance man.
The “dark horse” among the three other Top Shot Finalists is “Big Mike” Hughes. Mike was actually eliminated in a previous episode, but he was invited back after former Navy SEAL Jake Zweig quit the show rather than go to an elimination challenge. Hughes, as the last competitor to leave before Zweig’s surprising withdrawal, was given a second chance. Mike faced elimination again last week, but he performed brilliantly in a zip-line challenge to make the Final Four. In the video below, you can watch Hughes win last week’s elimination, with a perfect 20 for 20 run:
Trick Shooting with Jerry Miculek
Here is a sample from the trick shooting episode a few weeks back. On this segment, legendary pistol shooter Jerry Miculek demonstrates some amazing trick shots, including snapping Q-tips in half with a .22LR rifle.
Here’s an example of a major manufacturer stepping up to help our service men and women. A portion of the sales price of Federal® Ammunition’s new Top Gun® 12-gauge target load shotshells will go directly to support the Wounded Warrior Project. According to Federal: “An on-box royalty program sends proceeds from every sale of the patriotic [red, white, and blue] Top Gun product directly to support Wounded Warriors.”
The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is “to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.” To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit WoundedWarriorProject.org.
Top Gun® Target Shotshells Specifications
Top Gun Target loads, product TGL12U, are designed for high-volume shooters. These red, white and blue shotshells are made to provide consistent performance at reasonable prices. They loaded with 1 1/8 ounces of #8 shot, spec’d at 2.72 Dram equivalent to run at 1175 fps.
No hunting on Sunday — sounds old-fashioned, right? It may surprise you, but 11 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) still have sunday-hunting prohibitions that date back to “blue laws” enacted in the 1700s. But now there is a strong effort to change that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Sportsmen Urged to Attend 10/27 Hearing
The Pennsylvania House Game and Fisheries Committee will hold its third and final public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 27, beginning at 9 a.m. in Room 140 of the Main Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) along with the Sunday Hunting Coalition is urging all sportsmen to come out and show their support for the removal of this antiquated blue law. NSSF has sent this call to action to every firearms retailer in the state urging their customers to support the repeal and take action by calling committee members. The NSSF estimates that allowing hunting on Sunday could increase economic activity in Pennsylvania to the tune of more than $764 million annually.
Babes with Bullets™ is a three-day “immersion” camp program, led by a professional all-female staff, teaching novice women how to shoot handguns and some camps also offer rifle training. The head instructor is Kay Miculek, who has won multiple “action pistol” and multi-gun World and National championships. The camps also accommodate women who want to move up in competitions such as U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) or IDPA.
“This is an unusual training opportunity” stated Miculek “with all-female handgun champions picked for their abilities to work with novice women in a way that is empowering without being over-powering.” According to Miculek, many of the campers will shoot a gun for the first time and after completing the 3-day program they will have shot hundreds of rounds from various calibers of handguns. Miculek added, “Each woman will leave from this camp with a new life skill. Our emphasis is to show the ladies that shooting is a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding sport for women of all ages.”
According to Camp Director Deb Ferns, there are over 2,100 camper alumnae, ages 18 to 78, the majority having very little experience with a gun prior to camp. Ferns explained: “Think of this camp as part firearms training, part adventure camp and part pajama party”. Deb Ferns provides an introduction to the program in the video below.
Watch Babes With Bullets on the Outdoor Channel
Babes with Bullets has been a popular feature on the Outdoor Channel. Videos of Camp training sessions can be previewed at www.outdoorchannel.com/babeswithbullets. Camp registration forms and additional information are found at www.BabeswithBullets.com. If you have questions, contact Deb Ferns at (520) 331-3400 or e-mail Deb [at] BabeswithBullets.com
Smith & Wesson Supplies Guns for Camp Participants
The cost of camp is $675, which includes housing, food, range fees, instructor costs and use of complimentary firearms, provided by Smith & Wesson. Campers also qualify for discounts on Smith & Wesson handguns and rifles.
2012 Babes with Bullets Camp Locations
March 16th to 18th, 2012 Rocky Creek Ranch near Sarasota, Florida. Handgun camp for both novice and intermediate women.
April 13th to 15th, 2012 Bang-Inc.com, home range of Kay Miculek, located outside Shreveport, Louisiana. “Combo Camp” for novice and intermediates, offering two days of handgun work and one day of AR-15 rifle training. Three full range days.
June 29th to July 1st, 2012 Routt County Rifle (and Pistol) Club near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Novice and intermediate camp with lodging located near the range.
September 7th to 10th, 2012 Rockcastle Shooting Center in Rockcastle, Kentucky. New “Combo Camp” offering beginner and intermediate handgun and rifle training.
October 12th to 14th, 2012 Tucson Rifle Club in Tucson, Arizona. Novice and intermediate camp at home range of camp director Deb Ferns.
November 2nd to 4th, 2012
Babes with Bullets is planning a Texas “Combo Camp” of handgun and rifle training first weekend of November. Site TBA.
This year at the Deep Creek Rifle Range, near Missoula, Montana, the All National Guard Team conducted two very popular (and effective) marksmanship clinics. First, in the spring, All Guard Team members ran an Across the Course (XTC) clinic with individual instruction and live fire at the 200, 300 and 600 yards. Instruction covered shooting positions and techniques /strategy for the various distances involved in XTC matches.
This fall, in conjunction with the sold-out Long Range and F-Class Regional, the All National Guard Team held a long range clinic — which was sold-out as well. In attendance were competitive shooters, Army National Guard sniper teams ,and long-range hunters. With over 50 civilian and military shooters present, the program included basic instruction followed by coached shooting at the 800-yard and 1000-yard lines. Before the shooting began, instructors explained the positions used in sling shooting and F-Class, and also explained the hardware competitors need for these disciplines. The clinic continued with discussions of ballistics and wind reading strategies. For the live-fire portion of the clinic, students were grouped into pairs, with one All Guard Team member assigned to each pair. This worked well — while one student was shooting the other could observe the coach’s instructions.
The All Guard Team provides this service as part of its mission to improve marksmanship among the civilian population. The Remington-Bushmaster Team headed by Ken Roxburgh, and the USMC Rifle Team, can also provide instruction for shooting clinics.
On our main Accurateshooter.com website, you’ll find a comprehensive review of the STM system for cleaning cartridge brass with stainless media. To clean brass with stainless media, start with five pounds of small stainless pins sold by StainlessTumblingMedia.com. Place these along with a gallon of water, a little liquid cleaner, and two pounds of cartridge brass in a rotary tumbler, and run the machine for one to four hours.
Forum Member Tests STM System
Our reviewer, Forum member Jason Koplin, purchased the STM media and a new Thumler’s Tumbler. He then tested the STM cleaning procedure on his own brass, including some extremely dirty and tarnished “range pick-up” brass. Jason was thoroughly impressed with how well the STM process worked — as you can see from the “before and after” photos below. Brass which looked like it was ready for the scrap heap was restored to “like-new” appearance. The process works equally well on both rifle brass and pistol brass. Jason observed that one surprise benefit of the STM cleaning procedure is a big reduction in noise. Jason said the water-filled rotary tumbler was much quieter than his vibratory tumblers.
You’ll want to read Jason’s full review which shows more before and after images. In addition, the full article features a “how-to” video created by Forum member Cory Dickerson, the young man who pioneered the stainless tumbling process and founded STM. The video shows how to load brass, media, and cleaner solutions into the tumbler, and how to separate media from brass once the tumbling is done. The illustration below shows how to access the article from our new home page. Note that you can click on other featured articles as well.
It’s Sunday, October 22nd in Australia, on the other side of the International Dateline. That means that the World Long Range Rifle Championships (WLRC) has concluded. The last major event was the Palma Cup Match, the most prestigious event in full-bore competition. The 2011 Palma Match has been completed with Team Great Britain the clear winner with a total Aggregate of 7027-651V. That’s 35 points ahead of South Africa which took second with a score of 6992-651V. (Interestingly had exactly the same V-count, for Center hits). Team USA captured the Bronze Medal, finishing third with a total of 6980-655.
Yanks Finish Third
Our friend Kelly Bachand, one of the Team USA Palma shooters, reports: “I’m a very proud member of the 2011 bronze medal winning USA Palma Team! There was very, very stiff competition and the conditions on the range tested our coaches and shooters thoroughly. After two long days of shooting we found ourselves bested by Great Britain and South Africa. While we did not win gold, this was still a tremendous accomplishment for our team, and I was very proud to shoot alongside the best rifle shooters in our country and from around the world.”
Link for Match Results
Preliminary results for the Palma Team Match and all the 2011 World Championships events are available online. For results for both individual and team events, visit the WLRC Results Page.
The four remaining shooters are: Chris Collins, Dustin Ellermann, Mike Hughes, and Gary Quesenberry. We’re rooting for Dustin, a modest Christian Camp Director who taught himself to shoot. Though he had virtually no competitive shooting experience prior to Top Shot, Dustin has been fast and steady. He’s out-shot more experienced competitors in every episode, all the while showing humility and good sportsmanship. In the very difficult “Wheel of Fire” challenge last week, Dustin hit dozens of targets, while most of his fellow competitors struggled to hit one or two! 
Here’s an example of a major manufacturer stepping up to help our service men and women. A portion of the sales price of Federal® Ammunition’s new 
No hunting on Sunday — sounds old-fashioned, right? It may surprise you, but 11 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) still have sunday-hunting prohibitions that date back to “blue laws” enacted in the 1700s. But now there is a strong effort to change that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
On our main 
It’s Sunday, October 22nd in Australia, on the other side of the International Dateline. That means that the World Long Range Rifle Championships (WLRC) has concluded. The last major event was the Palma Cup Match, the most prestigious event in full-bore competition. The 2011 Palma Match has been completed with 
Yanks Finish Third
