Peltor folding ‘Shotgunner’ ear muffs are on sale right now at Amazon.com. Available in red (#97013), dark green (#97012), or black (#97011), the muffs cost about $17.00, and you can get free shipping with an order over $25.00. That’s a good deal for a good product. This Editor owns two sets of these muffs. They are very lightweight and comfortable. Because they fit well, with gel foam cushions, they actually seem to work better than some big bulky muffs (with higher NRRs) that don’t seal so well.
Peltor’s Shotgunner muffs feature tapered ear domes, cutaway on the lower half for stock clearance. We have not found any other muffs on the market that allow a better cheek weld, with less interference with the comb on a riflestock. These muffs also fold up into a very compact package. You can keep one set in your range kit and a spare set in your vehicle for back-up or if a friend needs hearing protection.
USER REVIEW: Because I am a firearm instructor I own a half-dozen muffs including a pair of electronic Peltors. These [folding shotgunner muffs] are my favorite at 10% of the cost of electronic muffs. I bought them for trap/skeet. My Browning has an adjustable comb but these do NOT interfere with mounting the shotgun or getting a proper cheek weld as do the large electronic muffs. I highly recommend these to you. They are inexpensive but are EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE and WORK VERY WELL. What more could you ask? — F.M. (Idaho)
Ear Plugs vs. Muffs
Personally I prefer using foam earplugs, because they have a better Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) than the Shotgunner Muffs. However, there are times when the muffs come in handy, as when I am scoring for a fellow shooter and need to hear range instructions. I also like to keep a spare pair of muffs in my vehicle at all times. It always seems that, when we go to the range, someone forgets ear protection, or doesn’t like to use plugs.
For Indoor Use — Add Plugs Underneath
For indoor use, particularly on a tight firing line (with a guy shooting a .44 Mag right next to you), you’ll want muffs with a higher NRR. Alternatively, wear ear plugs under the muffs. Peltor Shotgunner folding muffs have a NRR of 21 db — compare that to 25-30 db NRR for big, heavy muffs and 29-33 db NRR for good ear plugs, such as the Howard Leight Max UF plugs (33 NRR). Of course, to achieve those 30+ Noise Reduction Ratings, earplugs must be inserted correctly.
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI), as a recognized non-government organization (NGO) of the United Nations, presented its views at the Arms Trade Treaty negotiations this week. Richard Patterson, SAAMI managing director, addressed the delegates at United Nations headquarters in New York City, saying “that hundreds of millions of citizens regularly use firearms for the greater good” and that a “treaty that does not support the positive use of firearms is doomed to cause more harm than good.”
SAAMI believes that, with its myopic focus on criminal and terrorist misuse of firearms, the treaty lacks a comprehensive view of firearms trade and use. At the U.N., Patterson pointed out the benefits and popularity of target shooting and hunting, and the universality of firearm use for protection. “Regulated hunting keeps wildlife populations in balance with healthy ecosystems and is a major contributor to economic stability–and thereby promotes peace–in rural areas and developing countries,” he said. “Target shooting has its roots in the very beginnings of civilization. This is an Olympic year, and shooting events attract the third largest number of participating nations of any sport at the Olympic Games. And people in every nation in this room–including the U.N. itself–use firearms to protect the law abiding and enforce peace.”
SAAMI suggested that a step in the right direction would be to have the treaty focus on “fully automatic military firearms only.” SAAMI objected to the inclusion of small arms ammunition in the treaty, and pointed out the impossibility of any such scheme.
“Just as you cannot be all things to all people, this treaty can’t either,” Patterson said. “Focus on the real problems that can be managed–focus on military weapons, and avoid being distracted by topics like ammunition, which are laudable in their idealism, but completely lacking in their practicality. Be focused, be specific, and draft a treaty with precise definitions that minimize the loopholes of ‘creative interpretation.'”
The UN will conclude negotiations on July 27, at which time the text of a treaty will either be approved by concensus, or the treaty will be tabled.
In a related matter, the NRA has created a “Declaration of Independence” opposing the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. CLICK HERE to read the Declaration and voice your opinion about the U.N. Treaty. You can read comments about the petition on the NRA’s Facebook Page.
Brian Zins won his 11th NRA National Pistol Championship this weekend. Zins finished with a 2649-142X Aggregate, three points ahead of the USAMU’s SFC James Henderson (a two-time past champion). John Zurek finished third. At the awards ceremony, ‘Gunny’ Zins received the National Pistol Champion trophy plaque, a gold plated National Championship medallion, a $500 Visa gift card, and a Nighthawk Custom pistol with Centennial Gold 1911 Coins, provided by Universal Coin and Bullion.
In an interview with the NRA Blog, 2012 Champion Zins stated: “It is truly an honor to win. It is actually awesome.” Zins revealed he believed he was out of the race after the .45 Caliber slow-fire match. However, Zins did not give up and “just knuckled down.”
Zins advised future Camp Perry competitors: “Don’t be surprised if you don’t shoot your personal best here. This is not the place to do it.” Zins explained: “Camp Perry is a different animal … [there is] a mystery about this place that makes it really hard to perform at your best. All you can do is do better then everybody else.” Brian Zins does not expect to stop at his 11th Pistol Championship and is looking for number 12 next year: “Absolutely, I want to make it a dozen. That’ll be a nice number.”
The National Pistol Championships are comprised of three separate matches; .22 Caliber Pistol, Center Fire Pistol and .45 Caliber Pistol. Each of those matches are broken down into four different events; Rapid Fire, Slow Fire, National Match Course and Timed Fire. Last year’s winner, Philip Hemphill, clinched the High Police title with a final tally of 2616-124X. Ohio State’s Joseph Totts was both High Junior and High Collegian. Judy Tant won the High Woman title for the fifth year in a row.
Would you like to own guns carried by America’s most infamous criminal couple? Well here’s your chance — the personal handguns of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker (Bonnie and Clyde), go up for auction in September, along with other personal memorabilia. Bonnie’s personal Colt .38 SPL Detective Special will be auctioned, along with Clyde’s favored Colt .45 ACP Government Model 1911. Bonnie’s revolver was recovered from her bullet-ridden body after the famous 1934 Louisiana roadside ambush which brought a bloody end to Bonnie and Clyde’s notorious crime spree. The snubnose was found strapped to Bonnie’s inner thigh with medical tape. Clyde’s 1911 was found tucked in his waistband.
Both guns have been thoroughly authenticated and carry a rock-solid provenance. Experts predict each handgun will bring $100,000 to $200,000 at auction. Along with the guns, there will be other Bonnie and Clyde possessions up for bid, including Clyde Barrow’s gold pocket watch and Bonnie Parker’s cosmetic case. In addition there’s a letter from Clyde to his brother L.C. Barrow signed “Bud” (the name Clyde used when running from the law). The auction, conducted by RR Auction, will be held September 30, 2012 in Amherst, New Hampshire.
John Zurek captured the .22-Caliber Pistol Championship on July 12. On the final day of rimfire competition, John Zurek surged ahead to win the .22 Caliber Championship with an Aggregate score of 893-35X. Brian Zins finished second with an Aggregate score of 887-57X.
July 15 Update: John Zurek also won the .45 Caliber Pistol Title, Scoring 886-43X vs. 883-46X for runner-up ‘Gunny’ Brian Zins. Gunny Zins did win the overall title NRA Pistol Championships — the 11th in his career. Read More on NRA Blog.
.22 Cal. Championship
1. John Zurek: 893-35X
2. Brian Zins: 887-57X
3. James Henderson: 887-44X
4. Gregory Wilson: 884-39X
5. Greg Markowski: 883-42x
Profile: John Zurek
Story based on report by Lindsey Morgan in the NRA Blog
Zurek grew up hunting with guns. Then he joined the USMC and became a member of the Marine Corps Pistol Team. Later he joined the Marine Corps Reserve Pistol Team. After leaving the sport to pursue business interests for a few years, Zurek came back to competitive shooting in 2001.
Zurek’s primary focus as a shooter is Olympic style pistol shooting — air pistol and free pistol. The precision events are his specialty. While he did not make the U.S. Olympic Team this year, the skills he developed for international-style shooting served him well at Camp Perry. “That’s why this is easy for me,” Zurek explained. “That’s why I’ve had such wonderful successes this year from training for free pistol. By practicing free pistol it allows you to work on your focus and concentration by bringing everything in smaller and smaller and smaller.” NOTE: Olympic free pistol uses a smaller bullseye target than the targets at the NRA Pistol Championships.
Zurek’s Shooting Tips: Practice for Long Periods, Use SCATT Training System
If you can’t spend time on the range, then just stay home. That’s a truth that Zurek discovered through his years and years of training. “Most shooters only get 15 minutes here, or 30 minutes there to go and train — and that’s fine when just dry firing,” Zurek explained. “I wouldn’t even go to a range unless you have a four-hour period of time to spend. If you just have a short period of time to train, it’s just better to stay at home and dry fire against the wall. Work on building up your concentration and making each shot perfect.”
Another tool Zurek uses is the SCATT Shooter Training System. SCATT, Zurek believes, gives a shooter great feedback with immediate results. SCATT Training Systems employ an infrared optical device attached to the gun. The shooter aims at an electronic target. The muzzle movement is tracked and displayed as a continuous trace on a ‘real-time’ display screen. When the shooter pulls the gun’s trigger, the point of impact is also plotted. By analyzing the displayed muzzle movement, a shooter can see any flaws in his hold and perfect his technique. CLICK HERE to learn more about SCATT training.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a longtime USA Shooting sponsor, has donated $100,000 to help support the USA Shooting Team and shooter development programs. This large donation will help the USA Shooting Team at the London Olympics and help support USA Shooting’s ongoing operations.
In April, the NSSF visited USA Shooting’s Colorado training center and interviewed marquee USA Shooting athletes and coaches. These video interviews, hosted on the NSSF’s YouTube Channel, feature noted Olympians, who provide useful tips on target shooting. In the video below, Olympic shooter and Team USA member Matt Emmons explains how to shoot a rifle from the kneeling position:
NSSF Previously Provided Funds for USA Shooting’s Electronic Targets
The NSSF has been a valuable contributor to USA Shooting for many years now. NSSF funds helped USA Shooting purchase electronic targets for its indoor ranges in Colorado Springs. In addition, the NSSF showcases USA Shooting Programs at the annual SHOT Show. This provides valuable exposure for USA Shooting’s talented shooter-athletes.
“The firearms and ammunition industry takes great pride in being a longtime sponsor of the USA Shooting Team,” said NSSF Managing Director of Business Development Randy Clark. “From its introductory junior programs to its elite athletes who soon will be representing our country in London at the Summer Olympic Games, USA Shooting broadens awareness of the challenging and fun sport of target shooting.”
Bruno Shooters Supply (Bruno’s) is already known for having very competitive prices on everything from barrels to bullets. Now you can save even more. Starting this morning, Bruno’s is offering FREE Ground Shipping on all orders over $250.00. This FREE Shipping promotion runs through July 27, 2012, so you’ll have two weeks to enjoy the savings, which applies to pretty much every item currently in stock. (Custom orders and back-orders may be exceptions. Free Ground Shipping in Continental USA only.) To order, visit www.brunoshooters.com or call 1-800-455-0350 or (623) 587-7641. Please mention you saw this promo in our Daily Bulletin.
NOTE: Purchasers will still pay a $3.00 handling fee on all orders. In addition, the FREE Shipping offer does NOT include Haz-Mat fees where required for powder, primers or other hazardous materials. FREE Ground Shipping will be via Bruno’s choice of flat-rate USPS Priority Mail or UPS ground. Free Shipping offer applies to continental USA only.
Leupold has launched a redesigned website with more intuitive navigation and many new features. Products are now organized into four main categories: Hunting and Shooting, Tactical, Observation, and Golf. Drop-down menus under each heading shorten the time for users to locate detailed info on specific products. An enhanced Leupold Scope Finder feature allows users to filter the entire catalog down through six categories:
Type of firearm
Price range
Maximum magnification range
Objective size range
Choice of Bullet Drop Compensation reticles
Illuminated or non-illuminated
With the new Scope Finder, a Comparison Tool lets users review scopes side-by-side. Key scope specs appear in adjacent columns for easy comparison shopping. Mike Slack, Leupold’s Sr. manager of advertising and communications notes: “The site’s new Scope Finder tool should help consumers quickly find the right product for their needs.”
New Leupold Site Works Well with Tablets and Smartphones
Leupold designed its new website to be fast to load and quick to navigate for users with smartphones and tablets. iPhone and Android phone users will note that the navigation is much simpler and most function screens can be utilized without excessive scrolling.
Story Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Vihtavuori has updated the loading information for a number of popular rifle chamberings. You can find the updated reloading data online in the Vihtavuori Reloading database. The updated online information supplements the Vihtavuori Reloading Guide (10th Edition) print version (and its PDF version). The online Reloading Database has been revised with updated and enhanced loading data (including some new powder options) for the following cartridges:
.22-250 Remington
.260 Remington
6.5×55 Swedish
6.5×55 SKAN
6.5-284 Norma
7mm-08 Remington
7x57R
.30-06 Springfield
.300 WSM
.300 Win Mag
.300 RUM
.338 Lapua Magnum
9.3×62
NOTE: Vihtavuori promises that: “The updated PDF for the downloads section and the printed version of the guide will be available at the end of the year 2012″.
Story Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Report by Birdog
Forum member John S. aka “Voldoc”, came over Sunday to check the elevation come-ups on his new March scope. At my home range, dubbed the ‘Dasher Dome’, we had either a gong or paper target at 100-yard intervals to 800 yards. Voldoc wanted to check his ballistic chart against real world conditions. Voldoc will use this test to verify his come-ups for a “quick-view” BDC tape that will be applied to his elevation turret. He was running his “go to”, tried and true “red mist load”, an 87gr Hornady V-Max. The rifle was a Nesika-action 6mm Dasher with 1:12″-twist HV-contour Krieger. Doc has doubles with this combination out to 700 yards and many kills past 1,000. [Editor’s Note: We featured Voldoc’s varmint rifles in our Tennessee Triple Threat story, a Gun of the Week article on this site. Notably, Voldoc made a 1,000-yard plus prarie dog kill with a 20BR shooting 55gr Bergers.]
My ‘Dasher Dome’ is a good place for testing. Dirt berms have just been completed at 100, 300, 600, 700, an 780 yards. Voldoc started at 100 and shot at 100-yard intervals recording his elevation at each interval. His ballistic chart was within a click or two at each distance. When he reached 780 yards, he repeated the test at each distance down to 300 yards. Dead on!
Custom BDC Turret Tapes
Doc already has ballistics tapes fitted to his Nightforce-equipped rigs. But Doc’s new Dasher has a March so he need to confirm the come-ups. The tapes, made by Forum member Dominic (aka “Xterminator”), show rotation clicks for various yardages. There are versions for both standard and “High-Speed” Nightforce turrets, as well as some other scope brands. For more info, send email to: media-banc [at] videotron.ca . Learn more about Dominic’s custom come-up tapes in this Forum Thread.
Doc at the ‘Dome’
Confirmed results at 780 yards Sub-Quarter MOA group on Steel Prairie Dog
The photo at right confirms that VolDoc has his zeroes confirmed at 780 yards. Look closely. That’s about a 1.5″ center-mass group on ‘Chico’ the prairie dog (lower right). Nice Shooting Doc! Chico’s buddy, ‘Chuckie’ the steel ground-hog, took many hits. Show in photo are three hits in the throat zone.
Good Friends, Good Rifles Make for the Best of Times
Birdog reports: “Overall, this was a great way to spent a Sunday. Temps reached 103° F, but Doc got to the ‘Dasher Dome’ at 5:30 a.m. and we beat the heat. After testing was completed, we walked two miles with temps in the 90s. What can I say — good friends, good BRs — this was the best of times!
Serious Rangefinders:
Very high-quality laser rangefinders permitted the shooters to confirm target distances with great precision. Birdog uses a Vectronix LRF while Voldoc uses a Leica GeoVid rangefinding binoculars.
Ear Plugs vs. Muffs
In an interview with the 
Would you like to own guns carried by America’s most infamous criminal couple? Well here’s your chance — the personal handguns of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker (Bonnie and Clyde), go up for 
.22 Cal. Championship
The 
Vihtavuori has updated the loading information for a number of popular rifle chamberings. You can find the updated reloading data online in the 
Custom BDC Turret Tapes
