Review by Alan de Lacy ofF-TR Ireland
EVO Leisure (the makers of Third Eye Tactical products) provided four brand-new EVO F-TR bipods for review and testing. When we collected the bipods from Stuart Anselm of Osprey Rifles, the European and Worldwide exporter of Third Eye Tactical products, I was struck by the lightness of the bipods. Carrying four bipods under one arm, I noted how light, neat, and tidy they were.
Build-quality is excellent, as one might expect from a Third Eye Tactical product. Manufactured from what appears to be hard-anodized CNC-machined solid aluminum parts — each element appears to have been machined from solid billet aluminum. No pressed- or sintered-aluminum parts here!
These EVO-FTR bipods are available in two colors: A very tacticool satin black and a nice satin gray. The finish appears to be hard-anodized, rather than painted or powder-coated. Milled from solid aluminum, the structural integrity is retained, while reducing the weight, by machining out sections of the aluminum to form a “honey-comb” or lattice-structure within the leg elements, on the underside.
Vertical adjustment is by way of a capstan turn-wheel, readily accessible from the prone position (even for those with short arms). The vertical adjustment is fast yet positive. When set, there doesn’t appear to have any play or backlash. The aluminum feet are decent-sized, 75mm-long curved sled-feet, finished to match the bipod.
Attachment to the rifle is by way of an aluminum mounting-block which fits quickly and neatly to a standard Universal Rail. Securing the mount is by way of a PodLoc-type lever and fixing is positive and secure. Also available from Osprey Rifles is a mount for a standard-sized QD sling-stud. The adjustment for cant is also easily provided by way of a Podloc lever and has a wide range. Again, this can be operated and adjusted while in the prone position.
EVO F-TR Bipod Specifications:
Overall Weight (including attachment): A fraction under 1.75 lbs. (800 grams)
Field-Testing at Long Range
To provide two qualified opinions and to ensure that the new bipods were truly put through their paces, the reviewer, Alan de Lacy, was duly assisted by his regular F-TR team-mate and shooting-buddy, Adrian Casey. After some initial short-range bench-testing completed, we headed out to the 1000-yard Firing Line for the serious field-test. As F-TR shooters, we were shooting prone from-the-ground at 1000 yards onto the standard ICFRA F-Class 800-1000 yard target. The .308 Win rifles used in the range-test were a factory Sako TRG-22 (with a custom 32″ barrel) and a Savage 12 FTR (with custom 32″ barrel and stock). Both rifles had Anschutz-type UIT Universal accessory rails to which the bipods were attached. Both rifles are tried and tested in national and international competitions.
Adjustment (Range and Ease of Use) – The range of vertical adjustment is excellent as is the speed with which the EVO can be adjusted. A couple of quick rotations (3 or 4) of the capstan-wheel and the cross-hairs were on the target. No more time-consuming fiddling to bring the cross-hairs out of the vegetation or down from the clouds! While the vertical adjustment is as fast and extensive as we’ve seen on any F/TR bipod, the capstan-wheel also allows for a surprisingly welcome amount of fine-tuning of the vertical point-of-aim. The fine-tune vertical adjustment is positive and solid. Both guns stayed in position and the scopes’ point-of-aim did not falter once during the entire range-day.
Solidity – Throughout the day’s shooting, the rifles remain solidly planted in position. Any initial misgivings we may have had about a small amount of slack and looseness “in-the-hand” were dispelled once the ‘pods were fitted onto the rifles and weight of the guns loaded onto the bipods. Set-up on the firing point, the bipods (and the rifles) were rock-solid.
Tracking – Over the day, both shooters fired the equivalent of roughly three details each, all at 1000 yards, with over 100 rounds sent down-range. Rifle tracking and the guns’ return-to-battery were exceptional. “What I like best about this bipod is it tracks like it’s on rails”, commented tester Adrian.
Summary
Craig Coote of Third Eye Tactical, with design input from 2011 Euro F-Class FTR Champion Stuart Anselm, has produced one of the best bipods we have had the pleasure of using. Adrian was so impressed with the one he tested, he wouldn’t hand it back! While there are indeed lighter bipods and there are cheaper bipods, we think the EVO F-TR bipod has set a benchmark in terms of build-quality, adjustment, and ease of use. This bipod, while aimed squarely toward the F-Class F-TR market, would be equally at home on any range and in other disciplines. Everyone who has tested and inspected this new bipod is convinced that we’ve found a cost-effective, performance-for-weight optimized, great-tracking and great-looking new piece of equipment.
A more detailed version of this review originally appeared on the F-TR Ireland Facebook Page. CLICK HERE to read full review with more field test information and shooter comments.
MidwayUSA is offering blemished bullets at very significant discounts — up to 51% off normal pricing. These are quality bullets from major manufacturers. However, they may have a variety of superficial external flaws, such as waterspots, discoloration, or tarnished jackets. If you need bullets for plinking, varminting, or game hunting, you can save big bucks with these “blems”. For example, .224-caliber 55gr Soft-Point bullets (stock #324450) are now just $9.79 per hundred! And you can save on large-caliber bullets as well. One of our researchers just ordered some .338 blems for fire-forming purposes.
Sale Find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Hornady Mfg., with help from the Nebraska Army National Guard, is hosting Pandemic 2012, a zombie-themed fun shoot on June 29 through July 1, 2012. The “Zombies in the Heartland / Pandemic 2012″ three-gun event will be held at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. This event will feature $160,000 worth of prizes — the largest prize table in Nebraska shooting sports history.
Complete information on the match is available at ZombiesintheHeartland.com. The match, limited to 375 participants, includes combined pistol, rifle, and shotgun stages. Two entry levels are offered. A $175.00 fee buys entry into the eight (8) main Pandemic 2012 stages. For another $100.00 ($275.00 total), shooters can compete in the six (6) Sidematch Stages. Targets will be mostly reactive, with “Hordes of steel Zombie targets [that] will either, fall over, move or blow apart.” The maximum target distance (for rifles) will be 45 yards, so this is very much an close-in speed shooting event.
“Zombies in the Heartland / Pandemic 2012 has been extremely well received by our friends in the industry who have generously donated over $160,000 in prizes,” said Neil Davies, Hornady Marketing Director. “Thanks to all the sponsors, everyone who participates in the match will have the opportunity to claim a prize.” The prize table will include pistols, rifles, shotguns, scopes, AR uppers, gun parts, and gear of all kinds. A complete list of sponsors and merchandise values can be found on the Pandemic 2012 Prize Table Webpage.
Pandemic 2012 should provide a fun and entertaining shooting event unlike anything competitors have experienced before. The Sportsman Channel and the Outdoor Channel will cover the event. In addition to the main stages, an optional Charity CQB Shoot House will feature a maze of walls, smoke, lights and sound, and reactive zombie targets. Competitors will be armed with a green-laser-equipped airsoft M-4 with over 100 rounds of airsoft ammunition. A run through the CQB Shoot House costs $5.00 extra, with all proceeds donated to the Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) charity.
Burris Signature Rings in Stock Again
Because they allow you to mount a scope without markings, to “pre-load” elevation, and to correct for windage mis-alignment, Burris Signature Rings are extremely popular. So popular in fact that Signature Posi-Align Rings, particularly the “Zee” models for Weaver rails, have been back-ordered for months. Well, Signature Ring fans can now celebrate. Burris has recently shipped large supplies of Signature Rings, including the hard-to-find 30mm High Zees, to vendors across the country. If you’ve been waiting on these unique, affordable ring sets, get your orders in now.
A quick search of webstores shows that various models of Burris Signature Rings are available from all of the following vendors. NOTE: You may have to check with more than one vendor to get the exact size, height, and model you prefer. Inventories are subject to change on a daily basis. For example, Midsouth expects to get some more 30mm Signature Zee High rings in a couple days from now.
Bruno Shooters’ Supply: 1″ and 30mm Signature and Universal, 1″ Rimfire Signature Zee (Call for availability of sizes).
Eabco.com: Signature Zee 1″ and 30mm, Medium. (High — call for availability).
Midsouth Shooters Supply: Wide selection — 1″ and 30mm Signature Zee, Universal, Dual Dovetail, and 1″ Rimfire Signature Zee. (NOTE: 30mm Signature Zee High expected 6/19/2012.)
Sinclair International: 1″ and 30mm Signature Zee, Universal, and Dual Dovetail. (30mm High and Xtra-High Zees out of stock temporarily).
FMG Publications, which publishes GUNS, American Handgunner, and Shooting Industry Magazines, has introduced a series of FREE online videos covering a variety of gun related topics. The series is hosted by Roy Huntington, editor/publisher of American Handgunner magazine. Currently, FMG offers nine Insider Tips Videos about handgun action types, gun cleaning procedures, and the process of purchasing used firearms (pistols, rifles, and shotguns). Over time, more ‘Insider Tips’ titles will be added. Embedded below is the “How to Buy a Used Rifle” video.
According to Roy Huntington, reader questions provided the impetus for creating this video library: “I get some great reader mail, and many of the questions have to do with basic gun handling skills. We created the series of ‘Insider Tips’ videos to build a library of easy-to-understand, quick videos to clear the air and dispel some of the myths circulating around”. Adds Huntington: “From buying used guns, to understanding sight picture, trigger control, grip and even stopping power, our videos are a fast and fun way to get up to speed on a host of topics that are a ‘must-learn’ for any shooter.”
Above are links to three “How to Buy” videos FMG Publications’ video tips series. You’ll find other helpful videos, including guides to gun maintenance, on the American Handgunner Insider Tips Page.
Here’s a great gift for Father’s Day that any dad with a truck should appreciate. Forum member John Niemi crafts custom hitch covers that look like the end of a cartridge case, complete with head-stamp. Costing $70.50 (delivered), they are made out of solid brass with a stainless steel “primer”. The diameter of the brass is 4 inches and the engraved letters are about half an inch tall. The section that slides over the trailer hitch is aluminum, so you don’t have to worry about rust.
The “headstamp” can include your favorite cartridge-maker and caliber (wildcats too!), or you can include the name of your business. John tells us: “I can engrave any text on one as long as there is enough room for it. Turn around time is usually less then a week after payment. I have sold many of these and everyone has been extremely happy with the quality and workmanship that I put into my product. These make great one-of-a-kind gifts.”
$75.00 Delivered in the USA The current price for brass bullet hitch covers from John Niemi is $75.00 shipped anywhere in the USA. To order, send email to JohnNiemi [at] charter.net or call (503) 440-1954.
Forum member Wayne (aka WAMBO) ordered a custom hitch cover from John, featuring the 30/338 Lapua Improved wildcat he calls the 300 WAMBOMAG. Wayne reports: “The hitch cover is very well made. I’m impressed with the quality. Buy with confidence.”
We’ve seen John’s craftsmanship on many of these hitches, and we can confirm that the hitches are beautifully made, and make a handsome addition to any vehicle. If you order one (or more), be sure to mention you learned about the hitch covers on AccurateShooter.com.
Cabela’s Web Deals and In-Store Sales
Every year Cabela’s runs a big Father’s Day Sale with some awesome web specials on Cabelas.com. Plus there are in-store-only sales at most Cabela’s retail outlets around the country. CLICK HERE for a list of stores, then click “Store Info” for the store nearest you. That will take you to a page where you can view the Father’s Day flyer for that store.
Below are some hot deals we found for hunters and shooters:
How to Avoid Shooting your Chrono: There is nothing more frustrating (or embarassing) than sending a live round into your expensive new Chronograph. When setting up a chrono, we always first remove the bolt and bore-sight to ensure that the path of the bullet is not too low. When bore-sighting visually, set up the rifle securely on the sandbags and look through the bore, breech to muzzle, lining up the barrel with your aim point on the target. Then (during an appropriate cease-fire), walk behind the chronograph. Looking straight back through the “V” formed by the sky-screens, you should be able to see light at the end of the barrel if the gun is positioned correctly.
Adjust the height, angle and horizontal position of the chronograph so the bullet will pass through the middle of the “V” below the sky-screens, no less than 5″ above the light sensors. We put tape 5″ up on the front sky-screen supports to make it easy to align the bore to the right height over the light sensors. Make sure the chrono housing is parallel to the path of the bullet. Don’t worry if the unit is not parallel to the ground surface. What you want is the bullet to pass over both front and rear sensors at the same height. Don’t try to set the chrono height in reference to the lens of your scope–as it sits 1″ to 2″ above your bore axis. To avoid muzzle blast interference, set your chronograph at least 10 feet from the end of the muzzle (or the distance recommended by the manufacturer).
IRON SIGHT Rifles: A common mistake, particularly with newbie AR15 shooters, is to use the iron sights when setting the height of the chronograph. All too often, people forget that AR sights are positioned roughly 2.4″ above the bore axis (at the top of the front sight blade). If you set your bullet pass-through point using your AR’s front sight, the bullet will actually be traveling 2.4″ lower as it goes through the chrono. That’s why we recommend bore-sighting and setting the bullet travel point about 5-8″ above the base of the sky-screen support shafts. (Or the vertical distance the chronograph maker otherwise recommends).
TARGET AIM POINT: When doing chrono work, we suggest you shoot at a single aiming point no more than 2″ in diameter (on your target paper). Use that aiming point when aligning your chrono with your rifle’s bore. If you use a 2″ bright orange dot, you should be able to see that through the bore at 100 yards. Using a single 2″ target reduces the chance of a screen hit as you shift points of aim. If you shoot at multiple target dots, place them in a vertical line, and bore sight on the lowest dot. Always set your chron height to set safe clearance for the LOWEST target dot, and then work upwards only.
The rifle shooters who will represent the United States at the 2012 London Olympics are currently profiled on the RifleShooter magazine website. Log on to RifleShooterMag.com to read about Team USA’s Olympians who will be competing in Air Rifle and Smallbore (.22LR Rimfire) events in London next month. The Olympic selection process recently concluded, and we now know the talented men and women who made the cut. CLICK HERE to read bios of individual athletes.
Men’s Rifle Team
Matt Emmons, 50m 3P 10m Air Rifle
Jonathan Hall, 10m Air Rifle
Michael McPhail, 50m Prone
Josh Olson, Paralympic R3, R6
Jason Parker, 50m 3P
Eric Uptagrafft, 50m prone
Women’s Rifle Team
Jamie Beyerle Gray, 50m 3P 10m Air Rifle
Amanda Furrer, 50m 3P
Sara Scherer, 10m Air Rifle
Story find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Texas stock-maker Wayne Young has created an innovative modular stock. The fore-end side-plates bolt on to an aluminum sub-chassis so you can alter the width, or run an offset on either side of center. You can transform the stock from 3″ wide to 5″ wide in a couple minutes. Or, if you want to experiment with offset (i.e. having more fore-end width on one side of the barrel than the other side), you can simply remove a few bolts, and stack up the sideplates on one side.
The ability to quickly (and inexpensively) transform a stock from 3″ wide to 5″ wide is a definite plus for shooters who want to use the same rig in both F-Class and benchrest. You can run your rifle at max-legal 3″ width for F-Class, then bolt on additional fore-end “wings” to run at 5″ for bench competition. The 5″-wide stocks are now legal for 600-yard and 1000-yard benchrest, at both IBS and NBRSA registered matches. Those folks who have tried out 5″-wide stocks on Light Guns have been impressed with the results. The extra width stabilizes the rifle on the bags, reducing perceived twist (torquing) and hop. There is less “Rocking and Rolling”. With the gun torquing less, the tracking during recoil normally shows an improvement as well. (But we should say that, even with the standard 3″ width, these stocks track great.)
Video Demonstrates Superior Tracking
How does a Wayne Young stock track? Straight and true — with virtually no hop. You can see for yourself. In the video below, Wayne shoots a test rifle chambered in .284 Winchester, a popular F-Class cartridge. The load is a 175gr Berger XLD bullet pushed at 3010 fps by Reloder 17 powder. That’s a stout, fast load — the recoil force easily meets or exceeds a typical F-Open match load. To better demonstrate the gun’s handling characteristics, Wayne deliberately shoots the gun free-recoil style — without gripping hard or shouldering the stock*. As you can see, the gun recoils straight back. The forearm and buttstock also slide perfectly in the bags, without “grabbing”. (Note: In the video, the rifle’s front bag-rider section is aluminum without polymer “wings”. This particular gun was built with a wider aluminum channel to fit a large-diameter, straight-contour barrel).
Stock Specifications and Design Features
Finished stocks weigh approximately 7 pounds, 4 ounces. If needed, stocks can be lightened to just under 7 pounds. Overall length is 36″. Length of pull is adjustable from 13 to 13.75 inches with standard two-way adjustable butt pad. The main chassis is machined from billet 6061-T6 (Tee Six) aluminum, while the fore-end chassis section is 6063-T5 (Tee Five). The black side sections, fore-end plates, and buttstock lowers are CNC-machined from high-grade HDPE, a rugged, chemically-resistant polymer.
The chassis for round actions features a “V-Block” seating area. There is a flat configuration for Panda and Stiller flat-bottom actions. With either the round- or flat-bottom configuration, actions can be mounted directly on the 1.25″-square aluminum chassis, using supplied action bolts. (Skim bedding is optional.) No inletting, pillar-installation, or stock finishing (painting) is required. Just bolt your barreled action into the chassis and head to the range.
Wayne’s stocks come with two-way adjustable butt-plate, adjustable cheekpiece, trigger guard, and all fasteners. If you consider all that standard equipment and the fact that Wayne’s gunstocks require no inletting and no finishing, these stocks are attractively priced. Wayne’s F-Open/Benchrest Stock, with 3″ fore-end, costs $499.00 plus $25.00 S/H. There is also a $499.00 F-TR version with a fore-end set up for bipod attachment. (Wayne produces an integral, adjustable and removable F-TR bipod for $75.00.) Add $100.00 extra if you want the aluminum components hard-anodized. With long actions or Savage actions, there is an extra charge to configure the central chassis to fit. For more information visit WaynesGunstocks.com or call (210) 288-3063 from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
* If Wayne was shooting a .284 Win in an F-Class match, he would grip the gun and put some shoulder into it. But for demonstration purposes in the video, Wayne free-recoiled the rig so you can see how well it tracks with no holding or steering by the shooter.
These EVO-FTR bipods are available in two colors: A very tacticool satin black and a nice satin gray. The finish appears to be hard-anodized, rather than painted or powder-coated. Milled from solid aluminum, the structural integrity is retained, while reducing the weight, by machining out sections of the aluminum to form a “honey-comb” or lattice-structure within the leg elements, on the underside.
Burris Signature Rings in Stock Again
The current price for brass bullet hitch covers from John Niemi is $75.00 shipped anywhere in the USA. To order, send email to JohnNiemi [at] charter.net or call (503) 440-1954.
How to Avoid Shooting your Chrono: There is nothing more frustrating (or embarassing) than sending a live round into your expensive new Chronograph. When setting up a chrono, we always first remove the bolt and bore-sight to ensure that the path of the bullet is not too low. When bore-sighting visually, set up the rifle securely on the sandbags and look through the bore, breech to muzzle, lining up the barrel with your aim point on the target. Then (during an appropriate cease-fire), walk behind the chronograph. Looking straight back through the “V” formed by the sky-screens, you should be able to see light at the end of the barrel if the gun is positioned correctly.
