We are proud to announce that AccurateShooter.com has achieved a major milestone. We now have over 20,000 registered members in our Shooter’s FORUM! This represents a big step forward for the site, which started in September 2004, nearly eight-and-a-half years ago. We witnessed major site growth in 2012, with Forum traffic rising nearly 40% and the member ranks growing significantly.
We wish to thank all our Forum members for making our Shooter’s Forum the “go-to” place for information on precision shooting and reloading. Those members are also to be credited for the “good fellowship” one finds in our Forum. We are proud to have hit the 20,000-member mark, and we hope to reach an even greater audience of avid shooters in the months and years ahead!
20,000th Forum Member Wins Prize Package
Our 20,000th member registered last night. This lucky fellow, whom we’ll call “Mr. 20K”, is an avid shooter from Pennsylvania. As a reward for becoming our 20,000th Forum member, he will receive a great collection of prizes. First, he will receive a beautiful, all-stainless Primer Seating Tool from 21st Century Shooting (or $120 credit for other 21st Century products). Second, “Mr. 20K” will get a $50 credit on a purchase of $200.00 or more with Eurooptic.com. This can be used on Lapua brass and bullets as Eurooptic.com is now a Lapua vendor.
The prize package also includes TWO autographed books from top authors in the shooting world: Bryan Litz and Julie Golob. First, Julie Golob, Captain of Team S&W, has donated a signed copy of “SHOOT”, her hot-selling guide to action shooting. Bryan, founder of Applied Ballistics LLC, will provide a signed copy of his latest book, Accuracy and Precision for Long Range Shooting.
The NSSF has issued an alert regarding proposed legislation in Connecticut that would drastically restrict the rights of gun owners. Proposed measures include: mandatory registration of ALL firearms, confiscation of all magazines with capacity of 10+ rounds, registration of ammo purchases, ban on internet ammo purchases, and mandatory locked gun storage. Legislation proposed by Gov. Malloy, Sen. Beth Bye, and Rep. Bob Godfrey, would include the following restrictions:
An outright ban on ALL modern sporting rifles, classifying them as “Assault Weapons.”
Restricting lawful magazine capacity to 10 rounds.
Confiscating ALL magazines (including pistol mags) holding more than 10 rounds.
Statewide gun registration for ALL firearms.
Re-registration every two (2) years with rising fee schedule.
Permit requirement for any rifle with a pistol grip.
Registration of all ammunition purchases.
Limits on ammo quantities one can purchase and possess.
Ban on internet sales of ammo in Connecticut.
Mandatory locked gun storage requirements.
The NSSF states that: “There will only be a few opportunities for discussion and opposition as many in Hartford are trying to pass legislation as quickly as possible. The first hearing (and may be the only time to testify) will occur next Monday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. at the Legislative Office Building.”
NSSF is urging all gun owners, sportsmen and hunters to attend Monday’s public hearing to be held in the Legislative Office Building in Room 2C at 10 a.m. and to contact their state representative, senator and all members of the Committee immediately.
Other important gun-related legislation under consideration in Connecticut:
HB 5268, SB140: Requires firearm owners to maintain liability insurance. Establishes a 50% tax on the sale of ammunition. Requires all ammunition to be purchased in person.
SB 122: Makes it a class C felony offense for any person or organization to purchase, sell, donate, transport, possess, or use any gun except one made to fire a single round.
SB 124: Prohibits the possession of magazines that accept more than ten rounds.
New Jumbo .338 LM-sized Action and New KTS “Tactical” Stock
At SHOT Show 2013, Kelbly’s showcased a pair of impressive .338 Lapua Magnum rifles. One of these guns featured the beefy new .338 LM repeater action, fitted into Kelbly’s new KTS stock (top rifle in photo above). The KTS stock shares the long wheelbase of Kelbly’s popular 1000-yard benchrest stock. The particular KTS in the above photo features a 2.5″ rounded forearm, adjustable cheekpiece, and butthook cut-away on the bottom of the buttstock. Kelbly’s website states: “The Kelbly KTS stock is designed for long-range competition and tactical shooting. The KTS stock is based off of our 1M stock. It is available in right- or left-handed models. The KTS is extremely adaptable — we can install an adjustable cheek piece, a 3-way butt pad, a butt hook, or a beaver tail front end (2.5″ wide). The standard configuration is just like the 1M stock, the previously listed options must be requested.”
Personally, I found the wrist/grip shape on the KTS stock much more comfortable than the very fat, blocky grips found on some “tactical” stocks. If you are thinking about buying a McMillan or a Manners “tactical” stock, you should give this new Kelbly KTS consideration as well.
New 1-8x24mm FFP from March
What’s new from March this year? We didn’t see any new high-magnification scopes, but Kelbly’s rolled out an all-new March 1-8x24mm tactical scope. This First Focal Plane scope should be ideal for three-gun competition. The new March 1-8x24mm should also appeal to hunters who want a bright, compact scope with a true 1-power viewing option plus ranging capability.
Kelbly’s is now importing the beautifully-crafted GRS laminated stocks from Norway. Featuring an ergonomic grip, these GRS stocks come complete with adjustable cheekpiece and adjustable buttplate. For decades, Kelbly’s has been a respected source for quality fiberglass stocks. Now, as the GRS importer, Kelbly’s will offer some of the nicest laminated wood stocks on the market. Although final pricing has yet to be set, Kelbly’s expects GRS stocks to cost $600.00 to $700.00. We think this is competitive price range when you consider that GRS stocks come standard with adjustable hardware and no final clear-coating is needed.
Having heard many good things about Vortex spotting scopes from our readers and Forum members, on Day 1 of SHOT Show we headed over to the Vortex Optics booth. On display was the entire line-up of Vortex Viper and Razor spotting scopes (both HD and non-HD), with objective diameters ranging from 50mm to 85mm. We know that the 85mm Razor HD has been very popular with our readers, as it offers excellent “bang for the buck”. This spotter runs $1599.00 complete with 20-60 power eyepiece. That’s about half the cost of the big name Euro-brand spotting scopes with comparable objectives. Making the Razor HD even more attractive this year is the availability of a new 18X/23X long-eye-relief eyepiece for Vortex’s flagship spotting scope.
For 2013, Vortex has added much-requested 65mm and 50mm models to its Razor HD line of spotting scopes. This is good news for guys who prefer a lighter, more compact spotting scope, or who don’t need the extra light-gathering power of a big 85mm objective. The 65mm and 50mm Vortex Razor HD models should be available by mid-spring 2013, and they will be priced quite a bit lower than their 85mm big brother shown above.
Watch Video to See Vortex Spotting Scopes and NEW 2.5-10X FFP Tactical Scope
Watch Factory Video on Vortex Razor 85mm HD Spotting Scope
After reviewing Vortex’s spotting scopes, we checked out an all-new, compact first focal plane scope from Vortex that we predict will be very popular with three-gun and tactical shooters. The New Vortex Viper PSD 2.5-10x32mm tactical scope features an FFP design. This enables rapid ranging with the provided reticles at all magnification levels. This scope with be offered with mil-based clicks and EBR-1 milrad reticle, or with MOA-based clicks and a EBR-1 reticle with MOA-based subtensions. We were also pleased to learn that Vortex will add a 6-24x50mm model to its Viper HS riflescope line.
At SHOT Show 2013 we had the chance to chat with legendary barrel-maker John Kreiger of Krieger Barrels. In this wide-ranging interview, John addressed a number of questions our readers often pose…. What is better for a 6mm, 0.236″ land or 0.237″ land? What are the pros/cons of various barrel types: 3-groove, 4-groove, 6-groove, 8-groove, and 5R? What types of land/groove configurations clean up more easily? (John says the 5R might be the winner there).
John also discusses barrel cleaning and he explains why it’s unwise to pull a dirty brush back across your delicate crown: “The problem comes from the fact that abrasive materials — powder and primer residues in particular — get embedded in the brush. Essentially that is how a lap works.”
When we suggested that Krieger Barrels might want to offer three-groove barrels in the future, John surprised us by revealing that he has been considering putting a 3-groove design into production. John says that, in theory at least, a canted-land 3-groove holds a lot of promise. John hopes to build some prototype 3-grooves to test. Krieger Barrels has a 300-yard underground tunnel where barrels with various land/groove configurations and calibers can be tested using a return-to-battery fixture. John admits that tunnel testing of barrels is “on the back burner” as his company focuses on filling orders. But he says that he has a strong personal interest in testing different land/groove configurations, different amounts of choke, and different internal dimensions. We hope we’ll be able to share some results from the Krieger Barrels test tunnel in the near future.
At Media Day we test-fired the new 3000 FPS rimfire ammunition from Winchester. Shooting the new 17 Win Super Mag ammo from a pre-production Savage B.MAG rifle (more on that later) and a Browning m1885 falling block, we were able to shoot sub-minute-of-angle groups with a pretty primitive front rest and lumpy rear bag. So far, then, it appears the ammo is pretty darn accurate for a mass-produced rimfire cartridge. Savage has promised to send us a B.MAG rifle for further testing. Watch the video below for more details on this new cartridge.
New 3000 FPS Rimfire Round Winchester has announced a new, high-velocity 17-caliber rimfire cartridge, the .17 Winchester Super Magnum (aka .17 Win Super Mag). The .17 Win Super Mag will initially be offered in three bullet types: 20gr plastic tip (Varmint HV), 25gr plastic tip (Varmint HE), and a 20gr JHP (Super-X). The 20-grain varieties boast a 3000 FPS muzzle velocity, earning honors as the fastest Rimfire ammo ever made.
.17 Winchester Super Mag Specifications
Symbol
Sub Brand
Bullet Weight
Muzzle Velocity
S17W20
Varmint HV
20-gr Plastic Tip
3,000 fps
S17W25
Varmint HE
25-gr Plastic Tip
2,600 fps
X17W20
Super-X
20-gr JHP
3,000 fps
Winchester claims that all .17 Win Super Mag ammo types shoot much flatter than the .22 Win Mag and .17 HMR, while delivering more than 150 percent more energy than both. In addition, the .17 Win Super Mag “bucks the wind” better than any other rimfire ammo — exhibiting significant less horizontal drift at extended ranges. The ammunition should be available at Winchester dealers by April 2013.
At SHOT Show, Leupold displayed its latest VX-6 scope, a 3-18x50mm. The new 3-18x50mm scope comes in both illuminated and non-illuminated versions. Leupold also confirmed that a 4-24 power VX-6 will be introduced in mid-year 2013. The new 4-24X will have side-parallax, with Varmint Hunters’ and Fine Duplex reticle options. Also new for 2013, Leupold is adding an illuminated version of its 2-12x42mm VX-6.
The new 3-18x50mm VX-6 scope from Leupold comes with all the features you could want. It offers side parallax adjustment, pop-up resettable dials, “diamond-coat” scratch-resistant lenses, a European-style true diopter eyepiece, and illumination control via gold push-button in the center of the left-side turret. There are 11 different illumination settings, so you can adjust the brightness to the conditions. Additionally, when you purchase a 3-18x50mm VX-6 you get one free tuned BDC dial from the Leupold Custom Shop. Reticle choices for 3-18x50mm include: Duplex, Boone & Crockett, Fire-Dot Illuminated Duplex, and illuminated Boone & Crockett.
Metal Flowers Media (MFM), a talent agency for TV shows, is now casting a new guns-related show for the History Channel. This new show “is in the early stages of development”, and MFM asked AccurateShooter.com to help the agency find “gun enthusiasts who are extremely knowledgeable and love firearms”.
MFM is a well-known agency that has cast many popular shows including: Storage Wars, The Colony, One Man Army, Ice Road Truckers, and Frontiersmen. Here’s the text of MFM’s official ‘Casting Call’ press release:
“A nationwide search has begun to find the most enthusiastic, energetic people who know and love everything about guns! This new series will celebrate firearms in all forms. These gun experts will have their dreams come true as they get the chance to be featured on the History Channel! If you eat, sleep and breathe all things firearms – if you are the biggest ‘gun-nut’ – then this is the opportunity you have been waiting for! Casting Directors at Metal Flowers Media (The Colony, American Guns) are currently seeking people who are an encyclopedia of firearms. This gun know-it-all must be able to blow your typical gun enthusiast away with their knowledge of firearms. If you are 21 + and are able to spit a wide range of ‘gun talk’ we want to hear from you!”
If you fit the bill, have a vast knowledge of firearms, and would be interested in appearing on a new History Channel TV show, send an email to: barnett [at] metalflowersmedia.com .
SHOT Show 2013 has been underway since Monday. This show seems bigger than ever, and the sheer number of noteworthy products on display is mind-boggling. We’ve seen some remarkable new scopes from Nightforce, Kahles, and IOR-Valdada. Dave Kiff at PT&G has some “game-changing” new products. Winchester’s new 17 Win Super Mag rimfire cartridge has generated lots of interest, and Savage showed off its new B.MAG bolt action chambered for the new cartridge.
Here’s a quick sample of some cool or interesting products we saw in action on Media Day or on display inside the Sands Convention Center. We’ll do more complete write-ups/reviews once we “back to the office” and have a change to digest spec sheets and edit video. But please enjoy this photo “sampler” from SHOT Show 2013.
New Kahles 10-50X Competition Scope, with Central (big wheel) Parallax Adjustment
New Savage B.MAG Rifle Chambered in 17 Win Super Mag Rimfire
Prototype “Tinkertoy” Benchrest Rifle from McMillan Built on “Alias” Action
New Datum Dial Ammunition Measurement System from Forster Products
New .338 Lapua Magnum Action and Complete .338 LM Rifles from Kelbly’s
New Savage Bolt from PT&G with User-Adjustable Spring Tension
Futuristic $22K Tracking-Point Rifle System with Automatic Ranging, Ballistic Calculation, and Aiming Solution
New .375 Caliber, 350 grain, ultra-high-BC Match-King Bullet from Sierra
Vectronix Laser Rangefinder Units ($1995.00 – $8510.00)
Air Arms S400 Multi-Purpose Rifles (Regular and Biathlon Models)
Accuracy Int’l PSR Multi-Caliber Rifle System — ‘Takedown Edition’ in .338 LM
After shooting the new Anschutz model 1727 hunter, three simple words came to mind: “I want one”. This slick little rifle was this editor’s favorite new firearm at the 2013 Media Day at the range. At first glance, it’s just a simple hunting rifle with a European-style walnut stock. But a close look reveals something very special. This little sporting rifle, chambered in 17 HMR, features an advanced, straight-pull Fortner action. This is the same action design found on Anschutz’s top of the line $5000+ Biathlon Rifles. This new model 1727 was revealed for the first time in the world at Media Day.
The nickel-plated action is very smooth and easy to operate. You can flick the action open and closed with a quick movement of thumb and fore-finger (or you can use index finger alone). The adjustable trigger is light and smooth — as you would expect on an Anschutz. This trigger is light years ahead of what you’ll find on a typical factory varmint rifle — it’s that good.
While visiting the Anschutz booth at Media Day, we got to meet young Max Anschutz, who represents the sixth generation of rifle makers in the Anschutz family. Max demo’d the new model 1727 for us and then gave a “shout-out” (in both English and German) to fans of his family’s rifles on both sides of the Atlantic. For this editor, it was interesting to meet this young man as I have now interviewed Dieter Anschutz, his son Jochen, and now Dieter’s grandson, Max.
Watch Straight-Pull Anschutz 17HMR Rifle in Video
The new model 1727 should be available in the USA by mid-April. In the video, the Anschutz rep says the rifle would cost “around $2,000.00″. However, it appears he didn’t convert to U.S. currency correctly. Expect the actual price in the USA to be $3800.00 or higher. Initially, the model 1727 will be released in 17 HMR only. However, Anschutz reps stated that, sometime down the road, Anschutz might produce versions of this gun chambered for the 17 Hornet or new 17 Win Super Mag.
We are proud to announce that AccurateShooter.com has achieved a major milestone. We now have over 20,000 registered members in our Shooter’s FORUM! This represents a big step forward for the site, which started in September 2004, nearly eight-and-a-half years ago. We witnessed major site growth in 2012, with Forum traffic rising nearly 40% and the member ranks growing significantly.
At SHOT Show 2013 we had the chance to chat with legendary barrel-maker John Kreiger of 
New 3000 FPS Rimfire Round
At SHOT Show, Leupold displayed its latest VX-6 scope, a 3-18x50mm. The new 3-18x50mm scope comes in both illuminated and non-illuminated versions. Leupold also confirmed that a 4-24 power VX-6 will be introduced in mid-year 2013. The new 4-24X will have side-parallax, with Varmint Hunters’ and Fine Duplex reticle options. Also new for 2013, Leupold is adding an illuminated version of its 2-12x42mm VX-6.
After shooting the new Anschutz model 1727 hunter, three simple words came to mind: “I want one”. This slick little rifle was this editor’s favorite new firearm at the 2013 Media Day at the range. At first glance, it’s just a simple hunting rifle with a European-style walnut stock. But a close look reveals something very special. This little sporting rifle, chambered in 17 HMR, features an advanced, straight-pull Fortner action. This is the same action design found on Anschutz’s top of the line $5000+ Biathlon Rifles. This new model 1727 was revealed for the first time in the world at Media Day.
The nickel-plated action is very smooth and easy to operate. You can flick the action open and closed with a quick movement of thumb and fore-finger (or you can use index finger alone). The adjustable trigger is light and smooth — as you would expect on an Anschutz. This trigger is light years ahead of what you’ll find on a typical factory varmint rifle — it’s that good.
