I wish you not a path devoid of clouds,
Nor a life on a bed of roses.
Nor that you might never need regret,
Nor that you should never feel pain.
No, this is not my wish for you. My wish for you is:
That you might be brave in times of trial
When others lay crosses upon your shoulders.
When mountains must be climbed and chasms crossed,
When hope scarce shines through.
That every gift God gave you might grow along with you,
And let you give the gift of joy to all who care for you.
That you might always have a friend who is worth that name.
Whom you can trust,
And who helps you in times of sadness,
Who will defy the storms of life by your side.
One more wish I have for you:
That in every hour of joy and pain, you feel God close to you.
This is my wish for you and all those who care for you.
This is my hope for you, now and forever.
Author Unknown — some variations of this text, as translated, are found.
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Based on Report By Kyle Jillson forthe NRA Blog
Over the past few days, the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship has been held at Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). The rifle competition began with Air Rifle matches. The USAMU’s indoor range was large enough to accommodate every rifle shooter into one relay. Lead by Amos Peck (590), Tyler Luce (577), and Clayton Peck (566), Michigan State took the Air Rifle Team Title with a 2285 Aggregate, followed by Penn State (2216) and Michigan (2201). Amos Peck (photo below) was the top individual Air Rifle Shooter.
Spartans Win Smallbore Title
The next phase was the Smallbore Rifle Championship. Although heading into the finals of team competition with a 69-point lead, Michigan State needed strong performances from Tyler Luce and the Peck brothers if the Spartans were going to win the 2012 NRA Smallbore Rifle Championship. The Spartan shooters delivered. Amos Peck finished first in smallbore, edging Michigan’s Anne Sullivan by one (1) point. Amos Peck’s win, combined with strong showings by teammates Tyler Luce and Clayton Peck, carried Michigan State to victory in the smallbore Team event.
Michigan State Wins Both Team and Individual Combined (Air Rifle/Smallbore) Titles
That smallbore victory, on top of the Spartans’ impresssive win in the Air Rifle event, secured Michigan State the overall title. Michigan State took the combined Intercollegiate Rifle Championship with a final score of 4457 — 96 points better than second place Penn State (4361). Michigan again finished third with a 4306. Michigan State’s Amos Peck took the Aggregate individual title, with a score of 1149, following by Spartan Teammate Tyler Luce with an 1130 total score.
2012 Rifle Team Championship
1. Michigan State – 4457
2. Penn State – 4361
3. Michigan – 4306
4. Clemson – 4155
5. Wisconsin-Oshkosh – 4135
6. Purdue – 4026
7. North Dakota State – 3857
8. Indiana U of Penn – 3416
2012 Individual Aggregate Championship
1. Amos Peck – 1149 Michigan State
2. Tyler Luce – 1130 Michigan State
3. Abi Winegarden – 1129 UNC-CH
4. Anne Sullivan – 1128 Michigan
5. Clayton Peck – 1118 Michigan State
6. Tonya Kocher – 1110 PSU
7. Kyle Freeley – 1095 PSU
8. Brandon Godbout – 1094 NDSU
9. Rebecca Picone – 1093 PSU
10. Kevin Tuten – 1085 Clemson
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The Hickory Groundhog and Egg Shoot, the richest varmint shoot East of the Mississippi, is just three weeks away. The hugely popular Hickory Shoot will be held this year on Saturday, April 7, 2012. The basic entry fee is just $25.00 per gun. That’s cheap for a chance to win a bundle of cash, plus valuable prizes such as Shehane stocks and Nightforce optics.
Anatomy of a Hickory-Winning Rig — Brady’s Record-Setting 6BR
If you wonder what kind of rifle can win the big money at the Hickory Shoot, have a look at Terry Brady’s 42-lb 6BR. In 2010, Terry Brady won the Custom Class in the Hickory Shoot, setting an all-time record with a 99 score*. Terry was shooting a straight 6mmBR with 105gr Berger VLD bullets. His rifle looks “normal”, but it was actually purpose-built for Groundhog shoots, which have no weight limit in Custom Class. The fiberglass Shehane Tracker stock was stuffed with lead shot from stem to stern, so that the gun weighs nearly 42 pounds with optics. The Hickory winner, smithed by Mike Davis of Zionville, NC, featured a BAT DS action with a straight-contour, gain-twist Krieger barrel. The twist rate starts at 1:8.7″ and increases to 1:8.3″ at the muzzle. Terry was shooting a relatively moderate load of 30.5 grains Varget with Danzac-coated bullets. This load absolutely hammered, but Terry thinks the gun might shoot even better if the load was “hotted up a little.”
Minimal Recoil and Insane Accuracy at 500 yards
In the picture above you see the Hickory winner fitted with a 5″-wide front plate. This was crafted from aluminum by Gordy Gritters, and Terry said “it only adds a few ounces” to the gun. Mike Davis installed threaded anchors in the fore-end so the plate can be removed for events where forearm width is restricted to 3″. The plate is symmetrical, adding 1″ extra width on either side of the Shehane Tracker stock. Gordy can also craft a 5″ plate that offsets the rifle to one side or the other. Terry hasn’t experimented with an offset front bag-rider, but he thinks it might work well with a heavier-recoiling caliber. Terry actually shot most of the Hickory match without the front plate so he could use his regular 3″-wide front bag. Even with the plate removed, Terry’s Hickory-winning 6BR barely moves on the bags during recoil, according to Terry: “You just pull the trigger and with a little push you’re right back on target.” With this gun, Terry, his son Chris, Chris’s girlfriend Jessica, and Terry’s friend Ben Yarborough nailed an egg at 500 yards four times in a row. That’s impressive accuracy.
*The Hickory employs “worst-edge” scoring, meaning if you cut a scoring line you get the next lower score. One of Terry’s shots was right on the edge of the white and another was centered right between white and black at 3 o’clock. Accordingly he only received 27 points for each of the 300 and 500-yard stages. Under “best-edge” scoring, Terry would have scored even higher.
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has introduced a “No-Fault Policy” to supplement its current limited lifetime transferrable warranty. This “No-Fault Policy” is being initially offered to customers who purchase new Conquest HD Binoculars or Conquest Duralyt Riflescopes from Zeiss dealers in the USA or Canada. Under this new No-Fault Policy, Zeiss will repair or replace any of these new models for free for the first five years of ownership if they are damaged during normal and intended use. NOTE: The new policy is for original owners only and is not transferrable.
“This policy is being introduced at a time when customer service expectations are at their highest level in history. Asking consumers to pay for a repair soon after they have just invested a considerable amount of money for a high quality product is simply no longer acceptable,” said Michael A. Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. “Anybody who purchases equipment at this quality level always takes great care of it. However … serious hunters and birders are hard on our optics, and accidents happen. This new policy simply allows those who purchase Conquest HD or Conquest Duralyt products to pursue their passion with extra peace of mind.”
Product Registration Required for “No-Fault” Coverage
Customers must register all new Conquest HD Binoculars and Conquest Duralyt Riflescopes with Zeiss within 60 days of purchase to qualify for the No-Fault Policy. Scope owners will then be covered for five (5) years from the initial date of purchase. Visit www.zeiss.com/register to register these products online. This No-Fault Policy is in addition to the limited lifetime transferrable warranty. To learn more about the No-Fault Policy for Conquest HD Binoculars and Duralyt riflescopes, visit www.zeiss.com/sports or call 1-800-441-3005.
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Get ready for the 7th Annual Shilen Swap Meet. Rain or shine, the Swap Meet will be held from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 7th, in the Shilen parking lot (Ennis, TX). The event is open to “all comers” — both buyers and sellers. There are NO fees or costs. Anyone can set up a table or just back their truck up and drop their tailgate. There will be gun stuff everywhere — buy and sell as much as you like. And there will be FREE FOOD — complementary chili, frito pie, water, tea, or coffee.
Shilen does request advanced notice from Swap meet attendees, especially folks selling shooting gear: “Please call (972) 875-5318 if you plan on attending so we can have a rough head count. If you want to put up a table please call, fax or email us and let us know. We will add you to the list of vendors.”
Big Discounts on Barrels
Shilen’s ‘Swap Meet Barrels’ will be BACK. These are first-quality barrels built for customers who requested a specific contour, twist rate, or caliber, but later changed their minds. Shilen let these customers modify their orders, but some of these custom-ordered barrels remain in inventory. These pre-ordered “orphan” barrels will be sold at deeply discounted prices at the Swap Meet. NOTE: All warranties still apply; these are NOT lower quality or factory seconds.
Factory tours will be given. During the morning tours, the drill, ream and rifle machine will be operating. Schedule so far is that factory tours (with RUNNING machines) will be offered at 8:00 am, 8:30 am, 9:00 am, 9:30 am, 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am and 11:30 am. Tours will continue in the afternoon, but no machines will run then.
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George Kollitides has been appointed acting Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of the Board for Freedom Group, Inc. (FGI). Kollitides, a hunter, shooter and firearms enthusiast, sits on three NRA Committees, is a trustee of the NRA Foundation and is a director of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association. He is a past director of the Safari Club International Connecticut Chapter. Kollitides was previously a managing director of Cerberus Capital Management, where he was the architect of FGI and its lead director. Kollitides stated, “I am ecstatic to join the FGI team, where we have the greatest employees and a 200-year history of 100% American-made [products].”
In an interview with John Zent, editorial director for NRA Publications, Kollitides was asked how the Freedom Group can support hunting, the shooting sports, and gun-owners’ rights. Kollitides answered: “Our job is to build the best products possible, provide good manufacturing jobs for Americans and represent our investors’ best interests. If our efforts succeed in growing our user groups, shooters, hunters, the military and law enforcement, they will have a much louder voice in public policy. The key for us is to strengthen our industry and strengthen our users, customers, and partners. Doing that by making relevant, quality product, along with education and access, we think, is the right way to go about it, and so we are working with state and local governments, not-for-profit hunting and shooting organizations, and, of course, the NRA.”
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a bulletin on March 9, 2012 regarding web-based services that promise that the purchaser of an commercial application package will be issued a Federal Firearms License (FFL). ATF notes that such commercial services are not sponsored or approved by the ATF, and these service may use non-authorized forms which the ATF will neither accept nor approve. Here is the exact language of the Notice, highlights added:
Private Application Services and Non-Approved Application Forms
ATF has recently become aware of web-based companies which guarantee the issuance of a Federal firearms license (FFL) if a prospective applicant purchases the company’s application packet and advice about how to obtain a FFL. Anyone considering applying for a FFL should be aware that the fees paid for such consulting services and materials are not required, endorsed, or received by ATF. Any fees for application consulting services and materials are paid voluntarily by a prospective applicant, who should understand that such fees are in addition to the license and permit application fees required by law and collected by ATF. ATF collects no application fees online at this time. All ATF-required fee payments must be made by check, money order, or credit card and accompany the paper application form sent to ATF by the applicant.
It is also important to note that ATF does not guarantee the issuance of FFLs. Each application is reviewed on its merits under the qualifying criteria set forth by law.
Some private application services provide their own version of license application forms. Please note that ATF will not accept any application form not approved for use by the Office of Management and Budget and will return without action applications submitted on unauthorized versions of ATF forms. All ATF application forms are provided free of charge and may be obtained from the ATF website or forms Distribution Center by calling 202-648-6420. You may also contact the Federal Firearms Licensing Center at 1-866-662-2750 for assistance in completing FFL applications.
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Forum member Marcus Åström from Sweden has come up with a perfect luxury item for style-conscious shooters: bullet-shaped silver cufflinks. Just the thing to impress the guys at your next range session (or corporate board meeting). Who wouldn’t like silver bullets on their cuffs? Silver bullets did the job for the Lone Ranger didn’t they?
Cast from a mold taken from your sample bullet, the silver bullet cufflinks can exactly replicate your favorite projectile, right down to the ballistic tip. For considerably less money, the Swedish jeweler can create a set of cufflinks from an all-copper bullet you supply. A silver T-bar is attached, giving you a two-tone cufflink (see lower photo).
Marcus reports: “Check out these amazing cufflinks I have had made by Sofia Winberg, a jewelery smith in Stockholm. The silver links in the photo above are based on a Hornady 7mm Interbond 139gr bullet. I choose this bullet since it was the one with which I shot my first deer. Here’s how these are made. When Sophia receives your sample bullet, she makes a mold from it and then casts the silver bullet body. If the bullet has a tip, she attaches a small silver cap and shapes it to match the original tip. She can also make links from copper bullets or finish the metal so the bullet-cufflinks appear moly-coated. Sophia can also make cufflinks from cartridge cases. She replaces the primer with one in silver, with or without the firing pin mark.”
Price depends on the design and material options selected by the customer:
Silver Bullet Cufflinks, with or without silver tip, molded from bullet sample: $475 USD
Copper Bullet Cufflinks, with silver tip, molded from tipped bullet sample: $350 USD
Copper Bullet Cufflinks molded from Hollow-point or FMJ bullet sample: $300 USD
Solid Copper Bullet Cufflinks, no molding, with silver T-Bar attached: $140 USD
Cartridge Case Cufflinks: $350 USD
Special materials, jewels, etc.: Request Pricing
Turn-around is roughly four (4) weeks from the time when Sofia (the jeweler) receives the bullet. No payment in advance is needed — the customer gets to approve the product via pictures before making payment. Once payment is received, the item ships. If you are interested, contact: Sofia Winberg Jewellery Design, sofia [at] sofiawinberg.com .
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From March 15 through April 22, 2012, Nikon will give a free scope mount to purchasers of select-model AR scopes. Yep, if you buy a qualifying Nikon AR riflescope, you’ll receive the corresponding AR mount (retail value up to $99.95) for free. Included in the offer are Nikon’s P-22, P-223, and M-223 riflescopes. Nikon’s M-223 and P-223 scopes are built specifically for the .223 Remington cartridge. With BDC (bullet drop compensating) or Nikoplex reticles, they are designed to give AR shooters a high quality optic with fast sighting speed. The P-22 is the rimfire-optimized variant designed for the .22LR cartridge.
Choose Two-Piece or One-Piece AR-specific Scope Mounts
Nikon has developed two types of AR scope mounts for AR platform rifles. The new P-Series mount (shown above) is a two-piece design that can mount a P-22 or P-223 scope to almost any AR platform rifle. The M-223XR mount is a one-piece design made for the M-223 riflescope. The angled-base M-223XR offers +20 MOA of built-in elevation for long-range shooting.
The P-Series mount is available with the purchase of the following P-223 or P-22 scopes:
P-223 3×32 Carbine Reticle (#8496) | P-223 3-9×40 BDC 600 (#8497) | P-22 2-7×32 (#8498, #8499)
The M-223XR mount is available with the purchase of any of the following M-223 scopes:
M-223 1-4×20 (#8485) | M-223 2-8×32 (#8486, #8487) | M-223 3-12×42 (#8488, #8489)
To learn more about Nikon’s free scope mount promotion, visit NikonPromo.com after March 15, 2012. NOTE: Offer excludes Nikon M-223 2.5-10×40 Laser IRT (#8491); and M-223 4-16×42 (#8492, #8493).
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The Winter 2012 Issue of the CMP’s On The Mark eZine is now available for downloading as a PDF file. You can download this issue, and previous issues, by logging on to the CMP’s On the Mark webpage. The Winter 2012 Issue includes articles on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Airgun, the 2012 Camp Perry Open, Learning to Compete Successfully, Mind Over Matter (Mental Training), and much more.
CMP 2012 Summer Air Rifle Training Camps and Clinics
Each summer the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) sponsors a popular series of Junior Air Rifle Camps and Clinics to teach intermediate and advanced rifle marksmanship skills to junior shooters and their adult leaders. There are seven camp sessions (plus two outreach clinics) scheduled for 2012. The first session starts June 11, and the last session begins July 30, 2012. Detailed information about the camps and how to apply to attend them are listed on the CMP website. All camp sessions are one-week-long, three-position air rifle camps, with the exception of the Outreach Clinics and the Advanced Standing Camp. These summer camps fill up quickly, so if you know a young shooter who wants to attend, be sure he or she submits an application soon. Most of the camps cost $230.00 for the week. For additional information, please contact Sommer Wood, CMP Junior Rifle Camp Director by emailing swood [at] odcmp.com.
Leica just introduced its latest pocket-sized laser rangefinder, the CRF 1600-B Rangemaster. This unit features built-in angle compensation plus a ballistics solver that can give you either hold-over (in inches or cm) or clicks (from your zero) to put the shot on target at the ranged distance. At the heart of the CRF 1600-B is Leica’s Advanced Ballistic Compensation(ABC™) system, a precision integrated ballistics calculator that combines stored data with analysis of current ballistics parameters. To calculate projectile trajectory, the ABC™ system processes multiple ballistics variables, including measured distance, angle of incline, temperature, and absolute air pressure. The new 1600-B should be available in June, 2012. The “street price” should be the same as the current CRF 1600, $799.00.
There’s a lot of marketing mumbo-jumbo in the product release info, but what you need to know is that the new CRF 1600-B offers three important functions, in addition to ranging distance to target. These functions are: Angle Compensation, Display of Hold-Over, and Click-Value Display.
1. Built-in Angle Compensation
If you are taking an angled shot (whether up-hill or downhill), the 1600-B tells you the true horizontal component distance to the target. Use this number (as opposed to the line-of-sight distance to the target) to set your elevation. The 1600-B figures out the angle through a built-in inclinometer. This is a handy feature for hunters and tactical shooters, but it’s not really that innovative — other rangefinders have have offered angle compensation for quite some time. Still this is a nice feature that allows hunters to dispense with an angle indicator on their rifles, and you won’t have to work out math equations in the field.
2. Hold-Over Values (Inches or CM)
When you range a target, the 1600-B can display the actual hold-over you need (at the ranged distance), either in inches or centimeters. Then you simply place your cross-hairs higher on the target, according to the hold-over value displayed in cm or inches. This works well — so long as you have some idea of the actual size of the target. If you don’t know if your prey is 4-feet tall or 6-feet tall then you can make mistakes. The hold-over display can read in either inches or cm. Holdover values, based on 12 pre-programmed ballistics curves, are given from 100 yards to 880 yards (compared to only 500 yards on the CRF 1600).
3. Elevation Click Values to Correct POI
One very handy feature of the new Leica 1600-B is that it automatically calculates the elevation clicks you need to correct your point of impact (POI) for the target range. First, you must select a matching ballistics curve (based on your muzzle velocity, bullet BC etc.). Then the 1600-B uses its built-in ballistics solver to calculate drop at the target distance, figuring in temperature and barometric pressure automatically. With a click of a button the 1600-B will displays the number of up-clicks you need to have the correct POI at the ranged distance. Available click values are: 1 MOA, 1/3 MOA, 1/4 MOA, 10 mm/100 m, 5 mm/100 m.
CRF 1600-B Rangemaster Specs (and Real-World Ranging Performance)
The new Leica 1600-B features a 7X monocular optic with 24mm objective and 3.4mm exit pupil. The external lenses have AquaDura® coatings. Though it’s packed with computing power, the 1600-B weighs just 8.1 ounces and, measuring 3″ x 1.63″ x 1.25″, it really does fit in a shirt pocket. Along with target distance, hold-over, and calculated clicks, the auto-adjusting red LED display can show Angle of Incline, Temperature, and Air Pressure.
Leica claims the 1600-B will range out to “approximately 1,600 yards”. Yes, in ideal conditions, the unit can nail a large, reflective object (such as a barn) at that distance, but you’ll find real-world performance on deer-sized targets to be quite different.
It is hard to hand-hold the tiny CRF 1600-B with sufficient stability to range small objects at extreme long distance. When testing the current CRF 1600 model we’ve found the practical max range for hand-holding on a deer to be about 800 yards, and even to do that you need very steady hands and a bit of practice. For long-distance ranging, we actually prefer a larger, flat-body design, such as the Zeiss Victory PRF, which can be rested more easily on a pack or sandbag. For the new 1600-B model, Leica claims measuring accuracy of +/- 1.1 yards to 400 yards, +/- 2.2 yards to 800 yards, and +/- 0.5% over 800 yards.
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MGM Targets is now the nation’s #1 portable steel target manufacturer. To reward MGM’s customers, MGM is running a year-long “12-for-12″ contest though the end of 2012. Each month a dozen lucky winners are selected among those who have purchased one of the MGM product specials. Prizes worth up to $425 are supplied by a variety of respected manufacturers, such as FNH, DPMS, and Benchmade. MGM has already announced winners for January and February, but you can still get involved for drawings in March and future months. (Purchase of target required for prize eligibility.)
MGM’s monthly prizes include: gift certificates, rail systems, .22LR uppers, gunstocks, safety eyewear, gunstocks, shooting mats, slings, data books, knives, and flash suppressors. Prizes are supplied by well-known manufacturers: Benchmade, DPMS, ESS Eye Pro, FNH, Predator Tactical, Primary Weapons, Safariland, and Seekins Precision. MGM’s Jim Potter noted: “This will be one of the biggest giveaways in the industry in 2012 [with prizes] given away every single month.”
March Specials from MGM
This month MGM features the MGM Flash Target for long-range shooting. The March Special price is $350.00 — $77 off the regular $427.38 price. Along with the Flash Target, for March, MGM is featuring the IPSC Half Size Target for $119.00, marked down from $179.36.
New Remote-Control Running Man Target
Experienced shooters know that moving targets are much harder to hit than static targets. To provide realistic challenges for hunters, tactical shooters, and 3-Gun competitors, MGM has introduced a very cool (and speedy) portable “Running Man Target”. This motorized, cable-drive system boasts adjustable targets speeds from 3 to 22 feet per second, with quick-stop and instant reverse capability. Speed and direction are modulated with a handheld, wireless (radio) remote control effective out to 100 yards. For more info, visit MGMTargets.com or contact Mike Gibson Manufacturing, (888) 767-7371.
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Spartans Win Smallbore Title
Forum member Marcus Åström from Sweden has come up with a perfect luxury item for style-conscious shooters: bullet-shaped silver cufflinks. Just the thing to impress the guys at your next range session (or corporate board meeting). Who wouldn’t like silver bullets on their cuffs? Silver bullets did the job for the Lone Ranger didn’t they?
Marcus reports: “Check out these amazing cufflinks I have had made by Sofia Winberg, a jewelery smith in Stockholm. The silver links in the photo above are based on a Hornady 7mm Interbond 139gr bullet. I choose this bullet since it was the one with which I shot my first deer. Here’s how these are made. When Sophia receives your sample bullet, she makes a mold from it and then casts the silver bullet body. If the bullet has a tip, she attaches a small silver cap and shapes it to match the original tip. She can also make links from copper bullets or finish the metal so the bullet-cufflinks appear moly-coated. Sophia can also make cufflinks from cartridge cases. She replaces the primer with one in silver, with or without the firing pin mark.”
The 
CMP 2012 Summer Air Rifle Training Camps and Clinics
1. Built-in Angle Compensation
2. Hold-Over Values (Inches or CM)
3. Elevation Click Values to Correct POI
