Here’s a good reason to visit your local shooting range over Veteran’s Day weekend (Nov. 8-11, 2012). During that weekend, shooting facilities nationwide will participate in Patriot Range Day, a program that provides scholarships for the families of soldiers killed or disabled in combat. Participating public and private shooting ranges will request a minimum of $1 for each shooter for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has raised more than $21 million and awarded more than 3,600 educational scholarships. Patriot Range Day is being led by NRA Country and the NSSF with support from commercial sponsors, including Bushnell. To learn more, visit PatriotRangeDay.com.
About Folds of Honor Foundation
The Folds of Honor Foundation was founded in May 2007 by Major Dan Rooney, a former F-16 Fighter Pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, PGA Professional, and USGA member. A decorated military pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, Major Rooney has served three combat tours in Iraq. It was after his second tour, while a passenger on a commercial flight, that Major Rooney witnessed an event that would profoundly change his life. As the plane landed, the pilot announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have an American hero on board – Corporal Brock Bucklin. And his twin brother, Corporal Brad Bucklin, is accompanying him home from Iraq. As a sign of respect, please remain seated while Corporal Bucklin’s family receives him in his final homecoming.” Major Rooney watched through the window of the plane as the flag-draped casket was lowered. He saw a family waiting for Brock, and a little four-year old boy waiting for his father. This tragic homecoming inspired Major Rooney to create the Folds of Honor Foundation.
The European F-Class Championship (and British Championship) kick off this weekend (November 2-4) at the legendary Bisley Range in the UK. With 185 entrants, this event should be the largest F-Class competition of the year outside of North America. The Championship matches commence tomorrow, but competitors have already arrived at Bisley and they are getting their F-Class rifles warmed up during practice sessions. Here are some photos from the F-TR Ireland Facebook Page.
F-TR Ireland reports: “Here are photos taken during today’s Practice Day at Bisley on Stickledown Range at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. [We had] a great day’s shooting and excellent camaraderie amongst the team-mates.” The bottom photo shows the 900-yard Firing Line during Practice Day.
Two new mixed team events will be part of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games Program, while the total number of quotas will remain unchanged.
The International Olympic Committed (IOC) has approved the Shooting program for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. The program includes the previously approved individual events, 10m Air Rifle Men, 10m Air Rifle Women, 10m Air Pistol Men and 10m Air Pistol Women plus two new events, 10m Air Rifle Mixed Teams and 10m Air Pistol Mixed Teams.
The number of participation quotas for the individual events remains the same (20 quotas per 4 events, for a total of 80 quotas). Athletes who compete in the individual events will also form two-person mixed teams (one male, one female) according to their place finishes in the individual events. No additional athlete quotas were allocated for those events.
All teams will be composed of one male and one female athlete based on their final rankings in the individual Air Rifle and Air Pistol Men and Women events.
Mixed Team events will take place over 2 days, following the 4 days of individual competitions. In the team duels, the two members of each team will fire one shot on command. The scores of the two team-members will be combined and compared with the combined score of the other team. The team with the higher total will score one point. The paired teams will continue to fire single shots on command until one team scores ten points to win that round of competition. Detailed technical rules for the YOG Mixed Team events will be provided after the ISSF Administrative Council meeting in November 2012.
When you’re practicing or developing loads at long range, it can be a challenge to see your bullet holes on the target, even with a premium spotting scope. Yes, when viewing conditions are perfect, a top spotting scope such as the 88mm Kowa Prominar can resolve 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards and beyond. However, when there is dust or mist in the air, or when the mirage gets thick and heavy, even the best spotting scope may be unable to resolve bullet holes clearly at just 300 yards.
That’s why, if you do much long-range shooting, you should consider getting a wireless target-cam system. This combines a video camera placed near the target with a monitor on your shooting bench. The image from the camera is sent wirelessly to a receiver hooked up to your monitor. With a good camera and quality electronics, a target-cam system can provide sharp images out to 1000 yards.
Until recently, good “turnkey” target-cam systems have been expensive — $1400.00 and up. Guys who couldn’t afford this investment have tried cobbling together systems from various parts. Sometimes the “home-built” systems work, but sometimes they are disappointing.
Turnkey Target-Cam Systems Starting at $725.00
Now Target-Sight.com offers complete Target-Cam systems starting at $725.00 (for 600-yard system). This includes everything you need: 27X Sony Video Camera, transmitter, receiver, color monitor, three Li-Ion batteries, AC adapters/battery chargers, and even the tripod. Or $800.00 buys Target-Sight’s complete 1000-yard system. It includes the same package of components, but with extended range.
Dan Norgrove, the man behind Target-Sight.com, has been able to source quality electronic components at very good prices. Accordingly, you may be able to buy a complete, field-tested Target-Sight system, for not much more than the cost of buying the hardware yourself. And if you put together a bunch of miscellaneous parts, you can’t be confident that they will all work together optimally. The Target-Sight systems work, have good battery life, and everything arrives in one box — delivered with free shipping.
We know that folks considering target-cam systems are justifiably cautious before they shell out hundreds of bucks. You want to be assured that the system is easy to set-up, functions right, and that the image on the monitor is sharp and clear. To satisfy those concerns, Dan Norgrove has created a video showing his Target-Sight system in use in the field. This video shows the actual image on the Monitor from a target-cam placed 300 yards away. (Please note this video is slow in sections because the field test is an uninterrupted “single take”. That way you can be confident there were no tricks done during the editing. What you see is what you get.)
Tonight’s Episode of Shooting USA TV features the 2012 International Revolver Championship (IRC) from the Hogue Action Shooting Range in Morrow Bay, California. You can see another winning performance by Jerry Miculek, considered by many the greatest living revolver shooter.
The IRC, held in June, was the highlight of the 2012 revolver shooting season. More than 240 of the world’s top revolver shooters negotiated their way through 12 stages of fire putting more than 70,000 rounds down range.
Impossible Shots Tonight
Also tonight, Shooting USA’s “Impossible Shots” TV Show features more wheelgun action. Cisko puts a new twist on an old favorite, the El Presidente, but doing it with two six-guns. The challenge is to turn, fire twelve rounds, six double taps, with a gun exchange, in less than six seconds. Plus Jerry Miculek shows what he can do with two guns at the same time.
Shooting USA airs at 3:30 pm, 8:30 pm, 12:00 Midnight Eastern Time on the Outdoor Channel.
Impossible Shots airs at 3:00 PM, 10:30 PM, 2:00 AM Eastern time on the Outdoor Channel
The folks at Desert Tactical Arms (DTA) in Utah recently held a Halloween “fun shoot”. How does an arms manufacturer celebrate Halloween? The same way they celebrate every other holiday–shooting stuff! The DTA crew figured the perfect Halloween event would include Precision Rifles, Superheroes, and Exploding Pumpkins.
Accordingly, DTA hosted its first ever Pumpkin Shoot at the Sniper Country range in Northern Utah. Shooters (all dressed as Superheroes) had three (3) rounds to engage targets at different distances, racking up points based on target distance (the farther the target, the higher the points). Participants included Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America (after a few too many doughnuts), and Nacho Libre (still in superhero training). The DTA crew reports this Halloween Superhero shoot “was a great way to enjoy some fall air and pay homage to the all-benevolent pumpkin.” Take a look:
To add spice to the Halloween shoot, the DTA guys set up a few Tannerite reactive targets on the range. When hit, these produced impressive explosions — as the next video reveals:
If you enjoyed these Desert Tactical Arms Videos, check out the Halloween Pumpkin Shoot Out-takes featuring the full cast of Superhero characters (plus one very ‘dazed and confused’ coyote hunter who wandered on to the scene during filming).
Video find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
A few times each year, MidwayUSA puts its Frankford Arsenal Digital Calipers (product #604242) on sale, and we try to let our readers know. Marked down from $22.49, these are just $12.99 through November 30, 2012. We have a set of these calipers and they have performed basic measuring functions in the loading room reliably for many years. But there have been complaints about the long-term reliability of recently-made versions. Still, at this price, you can afford to buy a spare set for your range kit. Measuring resolution is ± .001″ and values can be switched from English to Metric. The calipers come in a handy, protective plastic case, with battery.
In preparation for Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) urges federal firearms licensees (FFLs) and federal explosives licensees and permittees (FEL/Ps) to be prepared, and stand ready to protect their merchandise and facilities. ATF has prepared guidance (available online) regarding how to plan ahead before disasters strike. First, FEL/Ps should review the PDF brochure, Voluntary Steps to Prepare for a Pending Natural Disaster, (ATF Publication 5400.16, March 2011).
Additionally, a hurricane preparedness brochure and a video are available on ATF’s website. The brochure, Disaster Preparedness for Federal Firearms Licensees (ATF publication 3317.7) provides information regarding businesses that are affected by flooding or other natural disasters. The video, “Disaster Preparedness,” can be accessed on the ATF Online Education Seminars Page.
FEL/Ps that have additional questions concerning preparedness are urged to contact their local ATF field office or the Explosives Industry Programs Branch at 202-648-7120.
FFLs with additional questions, should contact their local ATF field office or the ATF Firearms Industry Programs Branch at 202-648-7190. For other useful information on planning for a natural disaster, please visit www.ready.gov. Further information about ATF is available at www.atf.gov.
We’ve had our original SEB coaxial front rest for a few years now and we are impressed with its quality and performance (although the SEB NEO Rest is even more sophisticated). One of the great features of the original SEB Rest is the front sandbag. It employs double-layer construction on the sides and bottom, and has a unique microfiber material on the surfaces contacting the stock. The bottom of the bag is hard and flat, so the bag sits nice and square. We whole-heartedly endorse the SEB front bag — it is an outstanding product, affordably priced at $40.00, shipped (unfilled) anywhere in the lower 48 states. (SEB NEO front bags are $45.00 shipped to lower 48).
We’ve tested both 3″-wide and 2 1/4″-wide SEB front bags and they work great. With guns ranging from 22 lbs. to 10.5 lbs. we’ve found that that SEB front bags perform very, very well. They hold their shape, and don’t “hump up” in the middle. The microfiber material, in our opinion, is superior to either Cordura or untreated leather. Even without stock tape on your gun, the microfiber allows the rifle to slide very easily. With stock tape, friction is super-low. You don’t need to put silicone, sailcloth lube, or powder on the front bag — it’s not necessary.
Less Vertical, Better Groups with SEB Front Bag
One of our testers was experiencing vertical when shooting a 6 PPC with a different front bag. He tried both leather and Cordura front bags, and experimented with various amounts of sand fill, but the results were unsatisfactory. The leather and Cordura bags either did not hold their shape, or, with more sand fill, they were too hard and the gun jumped. Then our tester switched to a SEB front bag. He noticed an immediate improvement in gun handling and his targets showed reduced vertical with the same load. Problem solved.
Bag Works with Other Front Rests Too While the SEB front bag is optimized for use with the original SEB coaxial rest, it can be adapted to other front rest tops. The standard version is made from black microfiber with brown leather, but it is also available with black leather sides. The standard vertical thickness for the 3″ or 2 1/4″ section between the ears is approximately 1″, but other dimensions are available on request. The latest SEB front bags have a filler spout on each side. SEB front bags are available in the USA from Ernie Bishop in Gillette, Wyoming. Call (307) 257-7431, or email ernieemily [at] yahoo.com. The standard SEB front bag sells for $40.00 including shipping to lower 48. Front bags for SEB NEO rests, either one-piece or Tri-lobe style, cost $45.00 including shipping to lower 48.
Airguns are fun and inexpensive to shoot. During the winter you can practice indoors, developing skills you can use in smallbore and centerfire competition. If you want to get a quality air rifle for fun shooting or competition, save money by ordering through Pyramid Air, which has the largest inventory of air guns in the USA.
10% Off for Clubs, Camps, and Trainers
Pyramid Air currently offers a 10% off promotion for NRA clubs, camps, and trainers. The 10% discount applies to quality air guns, ammo, and accessories. To get the 10% discount, qualified purchasers simply enter coupon code PYRAMYD-NRA during the check-out process. You can choose from a huge selection of top brands such as: Evanix, Hammerli, Beeman, Air Arms, AirForce Airguns, IZH-Baikal, Walther, RWS, Gamo, Crosman, Daisy, Benjamin, Sheridan, Marksman, Mendoza, Remington, Beretta, Colt, S&W, Winchester, Sam Yang, Sumatra, Webley & Scott, Weihrauch, Feinwerkbau (FWB) and many more. NOTE: This 10% discount cannot be combined with free shipping and some items are excluded.
Here’s a good reason to visit your local shooting range over Veteran’s Day weekend (Nov. 8-11, 2012). During that weekend, shooting facilities nationwide will participate in Patriot Range Day, a program that provides scholarships for the families of soldiers killed or disabled in combat. Participating public and private shooting ranges will request a minimum of $1 for each shooter for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has raised more than $21 million and awarded more than 3,600 educational scholarships. Patriot Range Day is being led by NRA Country and the NSSF with support from commercial sponsors, including Bushnell. To learn more, visit PatriotRangeDay.com. 
Two new mixed team events will be part of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games Program, while the total number of quotas will remain unchanged.
All teams will be composed of one male and one female athlete based on their final rankings in the individual Air Rifle and Air Pistol Men and Women events.
Tonight’s Episode of 
The folks at 
In preparation for Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) urges federal firearms licensees (FFLs) and federal explosives licensees and permittees (FEL/Ps) to be prepared, and stand ready to protect their merchandise and facilities. ATF has prepared guidance (available online) regarding how to plan ahead before disasters strike. First, FEL/Ps should review the PDF brochure, 
While the SEB front bag is optimized for use with the original SEB coaxial rest, it can be adapted to other front rest tops. The standard version is made from black microfiber with brown leather, but it is also available with black leather sides. The standard vertical thickness for the 3″ or 2 1/4″ section between the ears is approximately 1″, but other dimensions are available on request. The latest SEB front bags have a filler spout on each side. SEB front bags are available in the USA from Ernie Bishop in Gillette, Wyoming. Call (307) 257-7431, or email ernieemily [at] yahoo.com. The standard SEB front bag sells for $40.00 including shipping to lower 48. Front bags for SEB NEO rests, either one-piece or Tri-lobe style, cost $45.00 including shipping to lower 48.
Airguns are fun and inexpensive to shoot. During the winter you can practice indoors, developing skills you can use in smallbore and centerfire competition. If you want to get a quality air rifle for fun shooting or competition, save money by ordering through 
