The NRA’s American Rifleman Online website has an excellent article showing how to construct a rock-solid Reloading Bench. There are plenty of photos, and a detailed set of Bench Blueprints showing all dimensions and listing all needed materials. This bench is very well designed, with many deluxe features, such as an upper drawer with fitted slots for die boxes, and large lower drawers with 100-lb rated slides to store heavy materials or tools. If you have good wood-working skills this would be an excellent project.
The author, Dave Campbell, offers good advice on building the bench top: “I ripped a sheet of 3/4″ AC plywood into two 24″ wide pieces and cut them to 72″ long. Then I glued them together to form a 72″ long, 1 1/24″ thick top. The trick here is to keep the edges smooth and flat so that the laminate will adhere properly and without voids. I chose a light grey laminate finish for the top because it’s easier to see what I am working on and keep clean. If you have never worked with laminate, remember it’s prudent to glue and rout the edges flush before gluing on the top. The top was attached to the carcass with eight steel L-shaped angle brackets and No. 10×1 1/4″ wood screws.”
Our readers have been getting some great deals over at Brownells.com, with the big Black Friday Sale happening right now. Brownells’s Black Friday specials are good through 11:59 pm CST on December 2, 2013. Here is a Discount Code that can save you 10% on all Brownells orders over $149.00 (Use Code EBH at checkout). Happy shopping boys and girls….
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When we first ran this video a couple years back, readers were amazed at the off-hand, rapid-fire shooting skills of this young, German hunter, armed with a Sauer 202 rifle.
Check out this video of a young German hunter, Franz Albrecht Öttingen-Spielberg. Shooting off-hand with a Sauer 202 bolt action, he makes multiple kills on wild boar running at full speed. Half way through the video, a pack of boar crosses right to left, running fast. You need slow motion to see all Franz’s hits as he engages one animal after another. He doesn’t hit with every shot, but a quick count shows that nearly half his shots, fired rapid-fire from a standing position, were solid takedowns. Notice how Franz “leads” his prey, moving the muzzle from right to left along the animals’ path.
Slow-Mo Video Reveals Knock-Down Power of 7mm Rem Magnum
Near the beginning of the video, slow-motion footage reveals bullet trace, and the bullet’s impact on a running boar. The shot takes the boar right at the top of the shoulder and the animal goes down in a heap. This is impressive shooting. The video shows what is possible with a skilled marksmen, a powerful cartridge (7mm Rem Magnum), and an accurate, smooth-cycling bolt gun.
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Forum members have asked “what’s the best option in a spotting scope in the $500 to $1000 price range?” We’d certainly have to include Kowa spotting scopes on the “short list” for value-priced, high-performance spotters. And now Kowa spotting scopes are cheaper than ever, thanks to Bullets.com’s Holiday Kowa Promotion. Kowa Spotting scope and binoculars are on sale at Bullets.com for up to 26% off regular list prices.
If you need an affordable spotting scope for High Power matches or hunting, consider the 66mm or 82mm Kowas. If you want a no-compromise, ultra-low-dispersion glass, category-leading spotting scope, take a look at the 88mm Kowa Prominars. These have been rated among the “best of the best” in a variety of independent spotting scope comparison tests. Bullets.com is also discounting a wide range of Kowa binoculars.
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Here’s the kind of sale we really like — serious savings on very high-quality products, the top name brands we respect. EuroOptic.com is running a Black Friday & Cyber-Monday Sale that should interest our readers. The brands are top-tier: Accuracy Int’l, Blaser, Benelli, Heckler & Koch, Leica, Zeiss. The deals are sweet: $100 off Accuracy Int’l Rifles, a Leica CRF Rangefinder at $379, Zeiss Conquest 3-9×40 scope for just $329.00 — and there are many more deals (see below). If you have been wanting an EOTech optic, these are now discounted 10% and a $60.00 Factory Rebate is available.
These discounted prices are good through Tuesday, December 3, 2013. And in the Sale Email Announcement, EuroOptic.com declared: “We will not be undersold — if you find a better price, call us at (570) 368-3920″.
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Today is Thanksgiving. After partaking in the traditional Turkey Day feast, we know many of our readers will find time during the holiday to head to the range. A Thanksgiving Day shoot is a fun excursion, and a great way for young and old family members to share time together. For all you T-Day marksmen, we offer a special turkey target. This was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”).
We’ve packaged the turkey target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets for your shooting pleasure. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
Program Promotes Family Hunting Opportunities
Speaking of turkeys and families going shooting together, we’d like to give a plug for the “Families Afield” program. A joint effort of the Nat’l Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the “Families Afield” program works to expand the opportunities for young hunters with adult mentors. The goal of the program is to increase the number of young people getting involved in hunting. For every 100 adult hunters today, only 69 youth hunters are coming up to take their place. “Families Afield” works to reverse that trend. Several states that were restrictive to youth hunting have signed into law “Families Afield” legislation. These new laws make it possible for young hunters and their families to enjoy hunting traditions together. CLICK HERE to learn more.
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Can a pumpkin be launched over a mile? Can a gourd go super-sonic? These vital questions will be answered on Thanksgiving Day as the Science Channel covers the annual Punkin Chunkin World Championship held in Sussex County, Delaware. The previous record, set in 2011 by the Second Amendment Too Air Cannon, is 4,329.37 feet, or 0.8199 miles (1443 yards). The heavy artillery will be out in force this year — trying to break that record, and maybe hit the mile mark in the process.
Each year, competitors roll out some amazing machines designed to propel pumpkins “farther, higher, faster”. The mighty air cannons are the distance kings, but the wild and crazy devices in the torsion, trebuchet, catapult, and centrifugal divisions are impressive to watch. Many of these fearsome-looking machines replicate the designs of medieval military siege weapons.
Team Builds $168,000 Air Cannon in Effort to Go Supersonic and Chunk One Mile
With the goal of launching a pumpkin one mile, considered the “Holy Grail” of Punkin Chunkin, the American Chunker team has developed one of the biggest, baddest air cannons ever. With a new 540-horsepower compressor pumping out 500 psi of pressure, the creators of this massive cannon hope to send a pumpkin supersonic. This cannon represents an investment of $168,000 and 2800 man-hours. State-of-the art sensors are used to gauge pressure and measure the pumpkin’s speed in flight. Will the team break the sound barrier? Watch the Science Channel special to find out.
Great Video on High-Tech Air Cannon (Amazing Stuff!)
To catch all the Punkin Chunkin action, tune your TVs to the Science Channel on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th. At 8:00 PM Eastern, the Science Channel devotes a full hour to America’s wildest display of agricultural artillery — Punkin Chunkin. This hour-long special TV event covers the 2013 World Punkin Chunkin Championship. This fun-filled event, held near Bridgeville, Delaware each November, draws up to 70,000 spectators, raising money for charity. The Punkin Chunkin special is hosted by Tory Bellici, Kari Byron, and Grant Imhara from Mythbusters. Like Big Guns? View Chunkin Air Cannons Gallery.
Fly Like a Pumpkin — Pumpkin POV In-Flight Video
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McMillan will still be making stocks and other components. However, it is selling off its gun-building business. Strategic Armory Corps (SAC) announced it has acquired McMillan Firearms Manufacturing, LLC. McMillan produces quality hunting and tactical rifles including the highly-regarded TAC-50, TAC-416, TAC-308, TAC-300/338, and the new Alias modular rifle system. McMillan produces a full line of hunting rifles, including the Custom Collection, Mountain Extreme Series, and Long Range Hunting Series. McMillan also builds competition and target rifles.
The McMillan Firearms acquisition carries out Strategic Armory Corps’ strategy of acquiring premium firearms manufacturing companies (SAC has previously purchased ArmaLite Inc. and Surgeon Rifles). “The acquisition of McMillan Firearms is consistent with our focus on acquiring the highest quality manufacturers of premium firearms,” said Mark Johnson, Strategic Armory Corps CEO. “This transaction provides the perfect product line complement to the ArmaLite and Surgeon Rifles product lines and will allow us to more effectively serve the needs of the custom bolt action rifle enthusiast.”
Kelly McMillan stated, “Both Ryan and I will continue on as long term consultants with McMillan Firearms. We are proud of our heritage and are confident that Strategic Armory Corps will continue to build the highest quality firearms for our valued customers”.
Strategic Armory Corps is based in Phoenix, Arizona and is a fast-growing firearms and ammunition company that serves the needs of the high end firearms enthusiast. In July of 2013, the company acquired ArmaLite, Inc. one of the oldest names in the AR-style sporting rifle segment of the industry.
Story lead from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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Polish off your credit cards boys and girls, the big Brownells Black Friday Sale begins at 12:01 am on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. You’ll find great bargains on gun parts and accessories, as well as reloading gear and gunsmithing tools. (Brownells is the world’s largest supplier of gun accessories and gunsmithing tools) The special sale prices start on November 28th and continue through the weekend — you have until 11:59 pm CST on December 2, 2013 to grab these Brownells bargains.
Here Are Some Currently-Featured Sale Items at Brownells.
Prices May Go Even Lower When the Sale Commences Tomorrow:
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PMA Tool is now running a 10% OFF discount promotion for all AccurateShooter.com Readers and Forum Members. Use Discount Code “AccuratePMA” to save 10% OFF all PMA-Brand products on the PMA Tool website. This offer is valid right now (November 26th) and will remain in effect through January 5, 2014. Why wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday? The Discount Code provides a 10% savings on all PMA-brand products, no minimum order.
The folks at PMA Tool are offering this special savings as a Holiday “thank you” to AccurateShooter Forum members and regular readers. Pat Reagin of PMA Tool explains: “A large share of our customers are AccurateShooter.com Fans and Forum members. You folks support us, so we want to give something special back to you this holiday season.”
To get 10% off PMA-brand products, enter the Code “AccuratePMA” during the check-out process when you’re shopping on the PMA Tool webstore, www.PMATool.com. NOTE: This special Promo applies to PMA-branded products only — it does not apply to third-party-brand products that may be sold on the PMA website.
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On “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving, stores nationwide offer big discounts on merchandise. There are some amazing deals to be had in retail outlets — if you’re willing to fight hordes of crazed consumers.
Thankfully, many smart merchants now offer Black Friday deals online, so you can avoid the mobs. Traditionally, electronics, video games, clothing, toys, and home furnishings are discounted deeply on Black Friday. But there are also many money-saving opportunities on guns, shooting accessories, hunting gear, and reloading supplies.
To aid your Black Friday deal hunting, SlickGuns.com has assembled a list of gun- and shooting-related Black Friday bargains and special promotions. On the SlickGuns’ Black Friday 2013 Deal Page you’ll find a long list of Black Friday sale items including air guns, handguns, ammunition, reloading gear, gun safes, hunting gear and much more. SlickGuns.com also has scans of the Black Friday print flyers so you can see deals that may not be listed on websites.
Outdoor gear vendors offering Black Friday Sales/Promotions include Bass Pro Shops, Brownells, Cabela’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gander Mountain, MidwayUSA, Sports Authority, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Walmart (and more). On the SlickGuns.com website, you can access all Black Friday Specials with one click, and then narrow your search by vendor, product category, or price.
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Are you ready for some football? Here’s a clever rimfire challenge target from MGM Targets. Trust us, this thing is a hoot to shoot. And having fun is still the best reason to go shooting, right?
On this $129.00 Football Target, the vertical spinner runs on a threaded, horizontal “drive shaft”. When you hit the top plate, the spinner moves to the left. When you hit the bottom plate, the spinner rotates in the opposite direction, moving to the right. The goal is to advance the spinner all the way to one end zone for a “touchdown”. This target lets two rimfire shooters compete head-to-head. For a two-man game, each competitor selects a target plate (upper or lower). They can then either fire simultaneously or take turns. Whoever drives the spinner to his end zone first wins. A solo shooter can also have fun, running the spinner in one direction, and then back the other way.
The MGM Football Target is based on a patented invention of Aaron Witmeyer, of Prineville, Oregon. This unique target rewards rapid, but accurate fire. You’ll find that once you’ve developed a rhythm, you can keep the spinner moving toward your goal pretty quickly. But miss a shot and your opponent can reverse the momentum — just like an interception on the gridiron. You can either start with the spinner centered up at the “50-yard line” or you can give a “head start” to a less experienced opponent by starting the spinner closer to the opponent’s end zone. This works great for parent vs. kid matches — giving the youngsters a head start. Made from AR400 steel, the MGM Football Spinner target is suitable for rimfire use only — don’t ever use centerfire ammo! After placing the 18″ X 17″ X 11″ target frame on the ground, you can use tent pegs to secure the frame’s lower cross-piece for extra stability.
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Creedmoor Sports is offering two Holiday Specials with complete Spotting Scope systems, including Spotting Scope (with eyepiece), Scope Cover, and Scope Stand. You can choose between two price levels. If you are on a limited budget, go for the Konus 80mm bundle (item ID Konus-bundle). This includes Konus 80mm spotting scope, Scope Cover, and 3/4″-diameter Polecat Stand with two stand extension rods. These items would normally sell for $607.75, but now you can get them all for $545.00 with Holiday Special Pricing.
Creedmoor Sports also has a Holiday Kowa Scope Package (item ID SCOPEPKG) that can save you $112.65 off the regular $1487.65 price. This is really a nice bundle that should meet the needs of even top High Power competitors.
KOWA SCOPE PACKAGE — For $1375.00 you get all the following:
Kowa TSN-82SV 82mm Angled Spotting Scope
25X Long Eye Relief Eyepiece
Creedmoor Scope Cover in blue
Creedmoor 1″-diameter PoleCat Scope Stand
Two Extension Rods for Stand
Creedmoor Scope Stand Bag
See-Through Objective Lens Cover
Kowa Eyepiece Cover
The regular price for all this hardware is $1487.65, so you save $112.65 with this Kowa Scope Package. That’s a pretty significant savings you can put back into bullets and brass.
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Roy Bertalotto is an author, precision shooter, varmint hunter and part-time gunsmith. On his website, RVBPrecision.com, you’ll find many interesting feature stories, including “how-to” articles. One project that caught our eye was Roy’s clever rotating-top shooting bench. Simple to build from low-cost components, Roy’s bench design features a raised center section that traverses on rollers. This allows you to move your rifle through a wide arc without having to move your front rest or rear sand bag. Roy’s bench can be built for a fraction of the cost of the big, heavy carousel-style varmint benches. This would make a nice, winter project for anyone handy with simple tools. For a set of plans and list of materials, send email to Robert: RVB100 [at] comcast.net.
This picture shows a conventional front pedestal rest used with a benchrest type rifle. As you can see, the top swivels, allowing a tremendous sweep of the varmint fields.
The swiveling top moves on metal rollers. These roller devices are available from Trend Lines, or Woodworkers warehouse. Two are required at the front of the movable top.
Below is a close-up of the pivot point.
A conventional folding table leg (from Woodworkers Warehouse) is used in the front. In the rear, Roy’s table uses a single leg fabricated from tubing and aluminum angle iron. This creates a tripod. The three-legged design provides more room for the shooter, and is easier to set up on uneven ground.
Photos courtesy Roy Bertalotto.
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Weatherby now offers a sub-MOA accuracy assurance on many of its rifles. As shown below, the VANGUARD® Series 2 RC (Range Certified) Varmint rifle comes with a SUB-MOA guarantee as well as a factory-shot target signed by company President Ed Weatherby himself. Other Weatherby “RC” Rifles, such as the new Mark V Ultra Lightweight RC, offer the same guaranteed performance. All RC rifles are guaranteed to shoot SUB-MOA (a three-shot group of .99-inch or less) with specified Weatherby factory or premium ammunition.
Range Certified rifles are tested at Weatherby’s modern indoor range. Range technicians mount premium optics, bore-sight, and test fire each rifle to determine the most accurate load using the Oehler Research 83 Ballistic Imaging System. After testing, the rifle is cleaned and packed (minus optics) with the target signed by Ed Weatherby. Each rifle sports a special RC engraved floorplate.
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Forum members have asked “what’s the best option in a spotting scope in the $500 to $1000 price range?” We’d certainly have to include Kowa spotting scopes on the “short list” for value-priced, high-performance spotters. And now Kowa spotting scopes are cheaper than ever, thanks to Bullets.com’s 
Here’s the kind of sale we really like — serious savings on very high-quality products, the top name brands we respect. 
Can a pumpkin be launched over a mile? Can a gourd go super-sonic? These vital questions will be answered on Thanksgiving Day as the 
To catch all the Punkin Chunkin action, tune your TVs to the Science Channel on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th. At 8:00 PM Eastern, the Science Channel devotes a full hour to America’s wildest display of agricultural artillery — Punkin Chunkin. This hour-long special TV event covers the 2013 World Punkin Chunkin Championship. This fun-filled event, held near Bridgeville, Delaware each November, draws up to 70,000 spectators, raising money for charity. The Punkin Chunkin special is hosted by Tory Bellici, Kari Byron, and Grant Imhara from Mythbusters. Like Big Guns? View 
On “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving, stores nationwide offer big discounts on merchandise. There are some amazing deals to be had in retail outlets — if you’re willing to fight hordes of crazed consumers.
