Reloading components are in short supply right now — bullets, brass, powder, primers — you name it. But here’s some good news. Powder Valley Inc. (PVI) has received a huge shipment of Berry’s Mfg. plated bullets. PVI’s president Bryan Richardson said his company now has seven (7) tons of Berry’s bullets in stock, mostly copper-plated pistol bullets. PVI now has Berry’s bullets in all the popular pistol calibers, including: .32 (0.312), .380 (0.356), 9mm, .38/357, .40/10mm, .44 (0.429), and .45 (0.452). PVI also has some Berry’s rifle bullets in stock for: .30 carbine, 7.62×39, and 45-70.
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The Transportation Safety Authority (TSA) is relaxing its rules on small, keychain-style knives. Starting April 25, 2013, the TSA will allow passengers to carry very small pocket knives on board aircraft. Small knives are allowed if they have “retractable blades shorter than 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) and narrower than 1/2 inch at the widest point.” The TSA has decided to allow these small knives to align TSA polices with International Civil Aviation Organization standards and European airport regulations. However restrictions on large knives, lock-blade knives, and box cutters remain in effect. Important — any knife with a “fixed blade [or one that] locks firmly when is use” is still forbidden even if it has a short blade. Likewise ALL Box cutters (of any size) and razor blades will still be banned.
To learn more, CLICK HERE for TSA Changes to Prohibited Items List (PIL) Notice. This PDF document shows what is and is NOT allowed. Remember the rule change does not go into effect until April 25, 2013 — and don’t “try your luck” with any locking-blade knife, no matter how small.
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Seb Lambang of SEB Coaxial has revealed the GEN 2 version of his revolutionary joystick bipod (aka “Joy-Pod”). The latest version is lighter yet more rigid. The GEN 2 design features a longer handle plus built-in cant adjustment. Seb’s first-generation Joy-Pod was tested last year in Great Britain. Laurie Holland has been testing a modified version of the GEN 1 design, and he reports that it is working great.
The GEN 2 design incorporates lessons learned with the first prototype. It offers more reach and less weight. A clamp on each leg allows for easy coarse height adjustment.
Importantly, the head unit now allows +/- 14° of cant adjustment. This allows the shooter to fine-tune the cant of his rifle to suit the terrain, or his preferred rifle orientation. Currently cant is adjusted with a screw on the Joy-Pod head unit, but the production version will adjust cant via a handy locking lever.
Lighter Yet Stronger Design
Seb tells us: “The GEN 2 design weighs just 20.6 ounces (584 grams) — very light for a joystick bipod — yet the new design is more rigid than my first prototype. This new design can accept about 50 pounds of weight with almost no flex.”
Seb has experimented with a variety of bipod configurations, including an offset design (shown below) with asymmetrical arms. One horizontal arm is longer than the other. This moves the rifle’s mass to one side (so it is not centered between the two feet). The goal of the offset design is to counter torque and rocking when the gun is fired. Will the offset design work? No one really knows yet.
Seb plans to offer a variety of feet/sled options — including round bases, plastic runners, and aluminum cone-style bases with spikes. In addition, at our request, Seb may experiment with large, cylindrical style feet, like those used on the Jennings chassis with integral bipod.
Seb’s joystick bipod is still in the prototype stage, so no price has been set yet. However, Seb hopes to have production versions available before the end of 2013. Perhaps a few pre-production units may be ready in time for the F-Class Worlds in Raton, NM in August.
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This week (March 8-17) the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) hosts the Army Strong Collegiate Shooting Championships at Fort Benning, Georgia. More than 300 elite junior and collegiate shooters are expected to compete. This event involves six distinct championships: the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships; the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship; the Scholastic Steel Challenge (SSC) Collegiate Championship; the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Challenge; the Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) Collegiate Championship; and the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) East Coast Clay Target Championship.
Colleges and Universities competing at this year’s championships include Clemson, Ohio State, Univ. of Michigan, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, Penn State, and the Virginia Military Institute. Junior shooters from Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, Massachusetts, and other states will compete in the SCTP Challenge. The Scholastic Steel Challenge (SSC) provides the opportunity for junior and collegiate shooters to participate in the exciting and challenging family sport of “speed steel.” The competitive format is based on the Steel Challenge, the nation’s most successful handgun competition. West Point will be among the favorites at this year’s SSC match.
The USAMU’s facility at Fort Benning “is the ideal location to hold a shooting competition of this magnitude,” said Lt. Col. Don King Jr., USAMU commander. “These collegiate and junior championships are on par with the World Cups, Olympic Trials and National Championships we have hosted throughout the years here at the ‘Home of Champions'”. For a complete schedule of events, go to www.usamu.com.
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These days, quality .338 Lapua Magnum brass is hard to locate — and expensive when you can find it. Here’s a money-saving solution for you .338 LM shooters. Grafs.com has acquired a large quantity of once-fired .338 Lapua Mag cartridge brass. This brass bears the “NT” headstamp, but Graf’s says this brass is “manufactured by Lapua, to Lapua specs”. Cost is $159.99 for one hundred (100) cases. That price includes shipping charges, but there is one $6.95 handling fee per order. This .338 LM brass is IN-STOCK as of March 5, 2013.
How does that price compare to brand-new Lapua-made .338 LM brass? MidwayUSA sells a box of 100 Lapua-made .338 LM cases for $257.99, but MidwayUSA is “out of stock” with no back-orders being taken. Elsewhere we’ve seen Lapua-made .338 LM brass sell for up to $289.00 per hundred.
Product tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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The Boone and Crockett Club has digitally re-mastered a series of classic hunting and adventure books. Works from Theodore Roosevelt, William T. Hornaday, Charles Sheldon, Frederick C. Selous and others are being converted to high-quality eBook versions for Kindle, Nook, iPad and other eReaders. Unlike many of older hunting and adventure books available elsewhere for eReaders, the B&C Classics series has been professionally converted to high-quality, true-digital publications. Many come complete with vintage photos and drawings not found in other editions.
Two titles are available right now in the new B&C Classics series: African Game Trails and Camp-Fires in the Canadian Rockies. Five more titles are in the works. Each book in the series was authored by a Club member in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
African Game Trails by Theodore Roosevelt. This edition includes over 100 photos, drawings and maps from the original publication as well as bonus images not found in other editions. B&C eBook price: $9.99
Camp-Fires in the Canadian Rockies by William T. Hornaday and John M. Phillips. Account of British Columbia horseback adventure with Hornaday and Phillips. Includes rare stereo camera photos. B&C eBook price: $9.99.
Other Titles Planned for Future Release:
Wilderness of the Upper Yukon by Charles Sheldon
A Hunters Wanderings in Africa by Frederick C. Selous
Big Game Shooting in Alaska by Arthur R. Dugmore
Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail by Theodore Roosevelt
In Brightest Africa by Carl Akeley
How to Purchase
These “digitally-remastered” classic B&C titles are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Apple iBookstore. Or, you can purchase direct from the Boone & Crockett online bookstore. A buyer is entitled to download the purchased publication and view it either on a computer or offline with an eReader compatible device such as a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPad, or netbook.
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The MidwayUSAPro Series Competition Shooting Mat is now on sale for just $49.99, through the end of March, 2013. That’s 51% off the regular $102.99 price. This mat is bigger and better than MidwayUSA’s original shooting mat, with many enhancements. The Pro Series mat measures a full 73.5″ x 35.5″ and the padding is thicker. There is a zippered pocket on the front extension flap to hold ammo or log book. The rubberized contact areas are tan now (rather than black) so they don’t get so hot in the sun. And the designers added webbing “pockets” for bipod feet so you can pre-load the ‘pod with forward pressure. MidwayUSA has done a good job improving a mat that was already a good deal for the money. At $49.99 on sale (through 3/31/2013), this Pro Series mat is a great deal.
MidwayUSA Buyer Reviews:
Five Stars: Great upgrades to the original. It’s bigger in every direction, and the padding is twice as thick. The new knee and elbow pads won’t get as hot as the black material on the old one did, and the new material is “grippier” than the old stuff too. The bi-pod stop is a nice touch if you shoot F-T/R. — Bob M., Missouri, 10/6/2010.
Five Stars: As a competitive shooter my mat is important. The mat I replaced had been with me for about twenty years. It had been with me through the famous weather at Camp Perry, the winds and sand of Grayling 1000 yard matches. My Midway mat arrived shiny and new, full of stuffing, stiff and green. At my next match I found I liked the feel of the mat, it has handles! The rocks and sand on the firing line were not as sharp. The rubber is well-placed. It has proven to be rugged and quite up to the task. I am seeing more Midway mats at matches. A good thing. — Tom, Michigan, 12/26/2012.
Four Stars: I purchased this mat for a 2-day Appleseed event this fall. Good overall quality and more than wide and long enough for my frame. The only drawback and reason for me giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the padding is insufficient when placed on top of a rocky surface. I wasn’t looking for a sleeping mat mind you, but you feel every single rock underneath the mat when shooting prone (especially on the elbows), kneeling and when transitioning between positions. Best to use another pad underneath if you are using it on a rocky surface. Most of the other mats out there have the same drawbacks so this is still a great choice at a very decent price. — Chris S., Illinois, 1/6/2013.
Five Stars: This is a great mat for the money. It’s larger, thicker, and stickier than my old one. I could use larger knee area friction pads, but that’s the only complaint. The elbow area is huge and that’s what’s best. Much cooler in the sun, too. Rolls up and rolls out easy. The double-adjustable carry strap has built in loops I use for carrying a rolled up foul weather cover. The fold-out front fly is large and useful. This is a good looking, hard working mat. — Steve R., Illinois, 10/11/2010
Got a billion dollars burning a hole in your pocket? Bushnell Outdoor Products (Bushnell) is up for sale according to Reuters. Bushnell, which has annual revenues of $450 million, is going to be sold off by its current owners, MidOcean Partners (private equity firm). Reuters reports that Kansas-based Bushnell could be sold lock, stock and barrel in a billion-dollar deal. The potential buyer(s) have not been revealed.
Bushnell was founded in 1948. The company makes scopes, binoculars, GPS units, laser rangefinders, GameCams, eyewear, and other outdoor gear. Bushnell is the parent of many other outdoor product brands, including: Bollé, Butler Creek, Final Approach, Hoppe’s, Millett, Night Optics, Primos, Serengeti, Simmons, Stoney Point, Tasco, and Uncle Mike’s. Last year the Bushnell group of companies had $100 million in earnings before taxes, interest, and depreciation.
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Earlier this week, the Washington Times published a special 12-page feature on gun rights. This special section was funded and sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).
The section includes reprints of articles from other sections of the Washington Times, plus commentary by SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. Also included is Ted Nugent’s famous open letter to Vice President Joe Biden, several articles by Washington Times Senior Editor for Opinion Emily Miller, commentary from Col. Oliver North, and SAF’s Alan Gottlieb, public service advertisements from SAF and a commentary by Dr. Michael Brown with Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership and more.
This special section also features essays by Texas Congressman Kevin Brady and William Perry Pendley, president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation.
“Our special section should provide readers in the Washington metro area that includes the White House, Congress and key opinion makers, a new and enlightening perspective on Second Amendment issues,” Gottlieb observed, “It is important for citizens to understand what the Second Amendment means to them as individuals, and as a community”.
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
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In a series of YouTube videos, Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA shows how to prepare, finish, and polish a wood gunstock. The first video covers sanding, sealing, and filling. The second video shows how to apply a multi-coat finish by hand, with light sanding between coats. In the third video, Larry applies a final polish to his project stock. The principles illustrated in these videos can be applied to most types of stocks. However, keep in mind that Larry is working with a hardwood stock.
By contrast, with a typical Rutland laminated stock, the finishing process is somewhat different and (usually) more time consuming. You’ll probably have to do more aggressive sanding, and the sealing process can be more time-consuming because laminates typically have very porous surfaces that soak up a lot of sealant. You may have to do multiple sealant passes with aggressive sanding in-between. Alternatively, you can use multiple coats of high-solids clear coat to fill the pores.
How to Prepare a Riflestock for Finishing
How to Apply a Multi-Coat Finish
How to Polish the Finish on a Riflestock
Clear-Coating Your Stock
While you can put an oil-type finish on a Rutland laminate, we think these often look best finished with an automotive clear coat. Rub-on finishes can cause small changes in stock coloration. If you want to preserve the colors in your laminated stock, a quality, spray-on clear-coat is probably the best way to go. CLICK HERE for expert tips on how to prep and clear-coat a laminated stock.
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The GEN 2 design incorporates lessons learned with the first prototype. It offers more reach and less weight. A clamp on each leg allows for easy coarse height adjustment.
Earlier this week, the Washington Times published a special 12-page feature on gun rights. This special section was funded and sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).
