Zeiss Victory RF Binoculars recently received the 2010 Sporting Classics Award of Excellence. The Zeiss Victory 8×45 and 10×45 T* RF Binoculars, the world’s first premium binoculars with rangefinding capability, LED display and integrated BIS™ ballistic calculator, were described by Sporting Classics magazine as “the finest example of an integrated binocular and laser rangefinder yet manufactured.” While other binoculars, most notably the Leica GeoVid, have a built-in laser rangefinders, only the Zeiss Victory RF Binoculars provide a built-in Ballistics solver.
Here’s more of what the testers at Sporting Classics had to say: “The RF eliminates the hassles of carrying two separate units, especially the all-too-familiar struggles when switching between them in excitable moments……. In our tests, the RF outperformed all rivals in ease of operation, speed, distance, accuracy and optical quality…….Best of all, resolution, contrast, flare control and overall optical quality showcase Zeiss’s commitment to impeccable performance.”
In a review of the Zeiss RF Binocular for his LongRangeHunting.com website, Len Backus writes: “I was able to show the Zeiss Victory RF 10×45 Rangefinder Binocular unit to several other hunters. Without exception, the first comment was always to marvel at the speed with which the unit returned a range. Only one touch of the main control button is needed. The hunters also liked the ergonomics. The focus wheel turns easily, but not too easily, and it is well located. [The] two control buttons are located well and the unit has a good, solid feel to it. The glass is superb. I thought it was slightly better than that of my Swarovski 10×42 SLC binoculars. Edge to edge sharpness was very good.”
Available in 8×45, 10×45, 8×56 and 10×56, the Victory RF Binoculars have also been recognized by National Geographic Adventure magazine, Outdoor Life and Gray’s Sporting Journal.
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Need some quality factory-loaded ammo for your .308 Win? Wideners.com is offering a great deal right now on Prvi Partizan .308 Winchester Match ammunition, loaded with 168gr BTHP bullets. This is brand-new, 2009 production ammo with reloadable brass and boxer primers. There is no military crimp. Shooters using this ammo says it shoots to a similar point of impact as Federal Gold Medal match ammo. Accuracy-wise, we expect this could shoot 1.5 MOA or better in a good rifle. The price is just $12.95 for 20 rounds or $318.75 for 500 rounds. Compare that to $34.00 or more for a 20-round box of Federal Gold Medal Match loaded with 168gr SMKs (Midsouth price). If you have an M1A, the Prvi Partizan is a good choice for training ammo — just don’t expect accuracy on a par with the more expensive, American-made .308 Win ammo.
Story sourced by Edlongrange.
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In discussions of ballistics, you’ll see references to “tangent” and “secant” bullet shapes. We know that, for many readers, these terms can be confusing. To add to the confusion, bullet makers don’t always identify their projectiles as secant or tangent designs. This article provides a basic explanation of tangent and secant designs, to help you understand the characteristics of both bullet shapes.
Tangent Ogive vs. Secant Ogive vs. Hybrid
Most match bullets produced today use a tangent ogive profile, but the modern VLD-style bullets employ a secant profile. To further complicate matters, the latest generation of “Hybrid” projectiles from Berger Bullets feature a blended secant + tangent profile to combine the best qualities of both nose shapes. The secant section provides reduced drag, while the tangent section makes the bullet easier to tune, i.e. less sensitive to seating depth position.
Berger Bullets ballistician Bryan Litz explains tangent and secant bullet ogive designs in a glossary section of his Applied Ballistics website, which we reprint below. Bryan then explains how tangent and secant profiles can be combined in a “hybrid” design.
How Bullet Ogive Curves are Defined
While the term “ogive” is often used to describe the particular point on the bullet where the curve reaches full bullet diameter, in fact the “ogive” properly refers to the entire curve of the bullet from the tip to the full-diameter straight section — the shank. Understanding then, that the ogive is a curve, how is that curve described?
LITZ: The ogive of a bullet is usually characterized by the length of its radius. This radius is often given in calibers instead of inches. For example, an 8 ogive 6mm bullet has an ogive that is a segment of a circular arc with a radius of 8*.243 = 1.952”. A .30-caliber bullet with an 8 ogive will be proportionally the same as the 8 ogive 6mm bullet, but the actual radius will be 2.464” for the .30 caliber bullet.
For a given nose length, if an ogive is perfectly tangent, it will have a very specific radius. Any radius longer than that will cause the ogive to be secant. Secant ogives can range from very mild (short radius) to very aggressive (long radius). The drag of a secant ogive is minimized when its radius is twice as long as a tangent ogive radius. In other words, if a tangent ogive has an 8 caliber radius, then the longest practical secant ogive radius is 16 calibers long for a given nose length.”
Secant Ogive vs. Tangent Ogive
Ogive metrics, and Rt/R
LITZ: There is a number that’s used to quantify how secant an ogive is. The metric is known as the Rt/R ratio and it’s the ratio of the tangent ogive radius to the actual ogive radius for a given bullet. In the above example, the 16 caliber ogive would have an Rt/R ratio of 0.5. The number 0.5 is therefore the lowest practical value for the Rt/R ratio, and represents the minimum drag ogive for a given length. An ogive that’s perfectly tangent will have an Rt/R ratio of 1.0. Most ogives are in between an Rt/R of 1.0 and 0.5. The dimensioned drawings at the end of my Applied Ballistics book provide the bullets ogive radius in calibers, as well as the Rt/R ratio. In short, the Rt/R ratio is simply a measure of how secant an ogive is. 1.0 is not secant at all, 0.5 is as secant as it gets.
Hybrid Bullet Design — Best of Both Worlds?
Bryan Litz has been developing a number of modern “Hybrid” design bullets for Berger. The objective of Bryan’s design work has been to achieve a very low drag design that is also “not finicky”. Normal (non-hybrid) secant designs, such as the Berger 105gr VLD, deliver very impressive BC values, but the bullets can be sensitive to seating depth. Montana’s Tom Mousel has set world records with the Berger 105gr VLD in his 6mm Dasher, but he tells us “seating depth is critical to the best accuracy”. Tom says a change of .005″ in seating depth “can cause the group size to increase substantially”. In an effort to produce more forgiving high-BC bullets, Bryan Litz has developed a hybrid tangent/secant bullet shape. This is explained in the illustration below.
Story sourced by Edlongrange.
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Tonight, on the Outdoor Channel, you can watch four of America’s best female action and multi-gun shooters. In tonight’s episode of the Shooting Gallery on the Outdoor Channel, ace USPSA shooters Julie Golob, Tasha Hanish, Lisa Munson, and Randi Rogers show off their skills with pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Golob, captain of Team Smith & Wesson, is a National Champion Pistol Shooter who is now taking up the multi-gun challenge. Hanish, one of the top shooters for Team FNH, is a two-time USPSA Multi-Gun National Champion (Women’s Tactical Division). Lisa Munson has captured 11 National Pistol titles over the years, and now competes with Team Smith & Wesson, along with Golob. Randi Rogers (aka ‘Holy Terror’) is a multi-time Cowboy Action Ladies World Champion who has been shooting modern pistols with Team Glock for the past few years. Randi has won numerous tournaments for Glock. If you ever get a chance to watch Randi shoot a lever gun (from her cowboy action days) — you will be amazed. In speed events, using her lever gun, she could beat most male competitors who are using modern semi-auto rifles. She is that fast and accurate.
Preview Tonight’s Shooting Gallery Episode
Here is a preview from Tonight’s Shooting Gallery, hosted by Michael Bane.
Outdoor Channel Airtimes are: 03-16-11 at 3:30pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm | 03-17-11 at 3:00am.
Tasha Hanish at Multi-Gun Nationals — You Go, Girl!
In the following video, taken at the 2010 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals, you can see Tasha Hanish blaze through a 3-gun stage. Tasha starts with her 9mm pistol, then grabs her shotgun to blast steel plates, and finally engages a bank of 200-yard targets with her FNH SCAR rifle. Tasha won the Ladies’ 2010 Multi-Gun Championship in the Tactical Class.
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Here’s the perfect part-time job for a web-savvy gun aficionado. Berreta is seeking a free-lance Social Media Manager to work with gun blogs, gun forums, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social media outlets on the internet. Beretta’s Social Media Manager will be tasked with promoting Beretta’s products and direct-marketing initiatives through non-traditional digital media. What does that mean? Well, you’ll send press releases to sites like this one, you’ll update Beretta’s facebook page regularly, and you’ll monitor gun forums to “spread the word” about Beretta firearms and sporting products.
We think Beretta is smart to utilize modern digital media to deliver its marketing message. Here are the specific job requirements:
Beretta Social Media Manager Position
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Work with Marketing team to take existing collateral and promote it on all applicable social networking touch points. Ensure social media tools are kept up to date. Manage social media campaigns and daily activities to include: on-line advocacy, writing editorial, consumer-outreach efforts and promotions. Be an advocate of Beretta in social media spaces, engaging in dialogue and answering questions. Manage presence in social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, and other similar community sites, posting on relevant blogs, and seeding content where applicable. Monitor trends in social media tools.
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or related field, or combination of education and related work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years experience representing a recognized brand.
• Knowledge of Beretta products and services required.
• Advanced pc skills including Microsoft Office/Internet.
• Ability to troubleshoot pc-related technical problems.
• Strong command of the English language.
• Attention to detail and accuracy required.
Remington issued a Safety Warning And Recall Notice on 3/14/2011 concerning Remington’s .223 Rem ammo. Remington states that four (4) lots of its .223 Rem 62gr Hollow Point (Match) Ammunition may have been improperly loaded. The affected LOT numbers are H03RAI, H04RDI, H16NAI, and H17NDI. Lot numbers are found on the inside flap of each box. Do NOT use these lots of ammo — the cartridges may develop excessive pressure, causing “damage to the firearm, serious personal injury or death.” If you have any of the recalled ammo, contact the Remington Consumer Service Dept. at 1-800-243-9700, Prompt #4.
Remington .223 62 GR (MATCH) Hollow Point Ammunition
LOT NOS. H03RAI, H04RDI, H16NAI or H17NDI
Remington has determined that four (4) Lot Numbers of its .223 Remington 62 Gr Hollow Point (Match) Ammunition may have been improperly loaded. The four (4) Lot Numbers are identified above. Improper loading may cause a malfunction of the cartridge when the firearm is fired resulting in higher than normal pressures. This malfunction may result in damage to the firearm, serious personal injury or death.
Do Not Use REMINGTON .223 62 GR (MATCH) HOLLOW POINT AMMUNITION WITH
LOT NOS. H03RAI, H04RDI, H16NAI or H17NDI
To identify if you have one of these Lots of ammunition:
* If you have a case of .223 Remington 62 Gr Hollow Point (Match) Ammunition the Lot Number is stenciled on the outside of the case; and,
* If you have a box of .223 Remington 62 Gr Hollow Point (Match) Ammunition the Lot Number is stamped on the inside flap of the box.
If you have any of this .223 Remington 62 Gr Hollow Point (Match) Ammunition, as identified above, immediately discontinue use of this ammunition and contact Remington at the below telephone number. Remington will arrange for the return shipment of your ammunition and upon receipt will send you replacement ammunition at no cost to you. If you are unsure whether or not you have one or more of these Lots of ammunition or if you have mixed boxes of ammunition; please immediately discontinue the use of the ammunition and contact Remington at the below telephone number — we will replace this ammunition for you.
For any consumer questions or instructions on how to return of your .223 Remington 62 Gr Hollow Point (Match) Ammunition with one of the following Lot Numbers H03RAI, H04RDI, H16NAI OR H17NDI, please contact the Remington Consumer Service Department at 1-800-243-9700, Prompt #4.
Story sourced by Edlongrange.
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Forster Products has released a comprehensive product catalog in digital format. This FREE 36-page PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file includes all of Forster’s most popular products, such as the Ultra Micrometer BR Seater, Forster Case Trimmer, and Co-Ax® Press.
In addition, the catalog includes the many less-well-known but handy specialty tools crafted by Forster. These include: 3-in-1 Case Mouth Cutter, Power Case Trimmer (for drill presses), Oversize Expander Balls, Co-Ax® Primer Seater, Inside Neck Reamers, Collet Bullet Puller, Stuck Case Remover, Swiv-O-Ling Vise, Magnetized Headspace Gauge Removal Tool, Gunsmith Screwdivers, and much more. CLICK HERE to Download Catalog.
As shown above, all products are clearly illustrated with photos or diagrams, and inventory numbers are provided so you get exactly the right part when ordering. If you’re a serious reloader, you should download this catalog and browse through Forster’s full product line. We guarantee you’ll find something new and interesting — did you know, for example, that Forster makes a universal sight-mounting fixture for gunsmiths (photo below)?
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The 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships is history and two new individual Champions have been crowned. The Univ. of Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires shoot superbly throughout the smallbore matches to beat West Virginia’s Nicco Campriani by just two points. But Campriani came right back to win the very competitive Air Rifle event, edging out his WV team-mate Petra Zublasing by 2.8 points.
Kentucky Wildcats Finally Win Team Championship
In team competition, the Univ. of Kentucky, lead by Heather Greathouse and Ethan Settlemires, won the overall team national title. This was Kentucky’s first NCAA Rifle team championship, though Kentucky had recorded 16 ‘Top-10′ finishes since 1994. After UK won the smallbore NCAA title on Friday in the first day of competition, the Wildcats held off West Virginia’s charge in air rifle on Saturday to secure the first national championship in program history, finishing with a 4,700 team total score.
You’ll find extensive coverage of both smallbore and air rifle competition on the NCAA sports website, including video highlights. CLICK HERE to visit the NCAA’s Rifle Championship web page.
Eathan Settlemires of Univ. of Kentucky Wins Smallbore Championship
The results for the smallbore portion of the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championship are in. With strong showings from the West Virginia University as well as Memphis and Texas Christian, it was the University of Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires who came out on top.
Final scores for the top six Smallbore shooters are:
2011 NCAA Rifle Championship – Smallbore
Name
School
Results
Ethan Settlemires
University of Kentucky
691.0
Nicco Campriani
West Virginia University
689.0
Heather Greathouse
University of Kentucky
685.5
Tom Santelli
West Virginia University
683.8
Daniel Hermsmeier
University of Memphis
682.6
Caitlin Morrissey
Texas Christian University
682.1
West Virginia’s Campriani wins 2011 NCAA Air Rifle Individual Title
Nicco Campriani of West Virginia University powered on through relay number three with an astounding score of 599. Though his teammate Petra Zublasing managed a higher score in the final round (105.2 to Campriani’s 102), it was enough to overtake Nicco’s initial run.
The top six shooters at the Air Rifle portion of the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships (held in Columbus State University’s Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center) are:
The IWA & OutdoorClassics trade show is underway right now in Nuremberg, Germany. The show, which opened its doors on Friday, March 11, concludes Monday, March 14th in the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. After SHOT Show in America, this is the second largest gun/hunting/outdoor sports trade fair in the world. In 2010, 1,141 exhibitors from 55 nations presented their products and services to 32,214 trade visitors from more than 102 countries. Nearly 60% of visitors come from countries other than Germany, making IWA & OutdoorClassics a truly multinational industry gathering.
You can watch videos from the 2011 IWA show using this player. You can also access videos from previous years. To enlarge the videos to full screen, click the little icon with arrows at four corners.
You can read more about the IWA show in the IWA NEWS Daily. These digital journals, produced each show-day in PDF format, contain interesting articles and showcase many new products at the show. It’s worth scanning the IWA NEWS just to check out the latest advertisements from European manufacturers. You’ll find some cool products we otherwise never see on this side of the Atlantic.
Forum Member Tom Sziler(aka Tomekeuro85) produces very nice CNC-milled aluminum loading and sorting blocks that can be customized with your name or catridge designation. These start at just $15 for a 50-bullet sorting tray or 25-round range block. The original 50-round loading blocks cost $25 for most cartridges (smaller than .338 Lapua), $28 for .338 Lapua, and $30 for big stuff like the 50 BMG.
This bullet sorting tray is useful if you sort by base to ogive length or bullet weight.
Trays Are Made to Precise Tolerances and Fitted with Rubber Pads
All trays and blocks have rubber pads on the bottom for grip. Holes are all milled deep, to precise tolerances to prevent rattling, but rounds still fit with sufficient clearance. Clearance is provided on the bottom of each hole to avoid potential primer contact and to make room for debris. You want something customized? No problem. Tom says: “Custom variations of any of these items are available. Just let me know what you’re looking for.”
These blocks are definitely high-quality. Forum member PGG reports: “You can count on top notch work and materials guys. I bought a boat load of them for Christmas gifts [and] they were a huge hit. Super items, super service, great value.” Forum member WoolenMammoth agrees: “[I] ordered a few blocks recently and they far exceeded my expectation. Really nice work at an absurdly competitive price.” For more info, or to place an order, view this Shooters’ Forum Thread, or email Tom.Sziler[at]gmail.com.
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This weekend, Georgia’s Columbus State University will host the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships. On Friday, March 11, the Smallbore competition will take place at Ft. Benning, GA and the match will conclude on Saturday, March 12, with the Air Rifle competition at Columbus State University.
Watch Live Match Video
On the NCAA.com website, you can watch live video of the 2011 Rifle Championships, together with select video feature stories. Live video of the NCAA Championships will begin at 8:00AM (EST) on Friday and Saturday at http://www.ncaa.com/sports/rifle/d1. CLICK HERE for current live webcast schedule.
View Targets in Real Time
Technology is amazing. Because the NCAA competitors are shooting at electronically-scored targets, the scored target images can be exported to the web in real time. So, you can see the scored targets of the competitors, as soon as they have been shot. Each competitor’s shots are plotted and scored (see example, right). The CMP has created a webpage that hosts Match Results and Live Target Images for each Relay.
Shooters who convert factory actions to run 6BRs, 6PPCs or other high-pressure cartridges should consider having the firing pin bushed. These modern cartridges like to run at high pressures. When running stout loads, you can get cratering caused by primer flow around the firing pin hole in the bolt face. The reason is a little complicated, but basically the larger the hole, the less hydraulic pressure is required to crater the primer. A limited amount of cratering is normally not a big issue, but you can reduce the problem significantly by having a smith fit a bushing in the firing pin hole. In addition to reduced cratering, bushing the firing pin often produces more consistent ignition.
This is a highly recommended procedure that our editors have had done to their own rifles. Greg Tannel (Gre-Tan Rifles) is an expert at this procedure, and his turnaround time is fast — usually 2-3 days (shop time). Current price for a bushing job, which includes turning the firing pin to .062″, is $82.00 including USPS Priority Mail return shipping.
If you have a factory rifle, a bushed firing pin is the way to go if you are shooting the high-pressure cartridges such as 6PPC, 6BR, 6-6.5×47 and 6.5×47. This is one of the most cost-effective and beneficial upgrades you can do to your factory rifle. For more info on the Firing Pin Bushing process, visit GreTanRifles.com, or email greg [at] gretanrifles.com. (After clicking the link for GreTanRifles.com, Click on “Services” > “Shop Services” > “Bolt Work”, and you’ll see a listing for “Bush Firing Pin Hole & Turn Pin”. Select “View Details”.)
Firing Pin Hole Bushing by Greg Tannel
Work Done: Bush firing pin hole and turn pin.
Functions: Fixes your cratering and piercing problems.
Price: $75.00 + $7.00 return shipping Total Price: $82.00
Actions for which Bushing is Offered: Remington, Winchester, Savage, Sako, Kimber, Cooper, Nesika, Stiller, Bat, Kelbly, Lawton, Surgeon, Borden, Wichita, Hall, CZ, Ruger, Mauser, Howa, Weatherby, Dakota, Pacific Tool, Phoenix, RPA Quadlite, and Defiant bolt action rifle or pistol. Note: There may be extra tooling charges for case-hardened style bolts (Mauser, CZ, and similar) .
Actions for which Bushing is NOT Available: ARs, Accuracy International, Desert Tactical Arms, Big Horn, Rim fires, Falling block, Break open, Lever, Pump rifles.
How to send your bolt in to be bushed:
You can send your bolt snail mail, priority mail, UPS, Fed-Ex. What ever you prefer. Please include your name, phone number, and return shipping address. Turn around is normally 1 to 3 days shop time (plus shipping time). We usually do them the day that we get them in. Total cost is $82.00 for one bolt or $157.00 for two (this includes return shipping, priority mail.) Three or more will be sent back to you UPS and we will have to calculate extra shipping. We can overnight them at your expense. Check, money order, or credit card is fine with us.
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Tonight, on the 
Here’s the perfect part-time job for a web-savvy gun aficionado. Berreta is seeking a free-lance 
Remington issued a 
The 
These blocks are definitely high-quality. Forum member PGG reports: “You can count on top notch work and materials guys. I bought a boat load of them for Christmas gifts [and] they were a huge hit. Super items, super service, great value.” Forum member WoolenMammoth agrees: “[I] ordered a few blocks recently and they far exceeded my expectation. Really nice work at an absurdly competitive price.” For more info, or to place an order, view this 
View Targets in Real Time
Firing Pin Hole Bushing by Greg Tannel
