|
|
August 19th, 2013
Bushnell Outdoor Products has launched a new optics family designed especially for AR-platform rifles. The new AR Optics product line from Bushnell includes six new riflescopes that range in configuration from a 1-4x24mm scope for close target acquisition to a 4.5-18x 40mm scope designed for extended range shooting. The AR Optics series scopes all feature fast-focus eyepieces, and large-diameter, target=style turrets. Side parallax control is included, except the for the lower-power 1-4X models.
One nice feature of Bushnell’s AR line of optics are caliber-specific reticle options. With three bullet-drop compensation (BDC) reticles available in the AR Optics line: DropZone-22, DropZone-223 and BTR-1, the scopes are designed for ease of use and quick target acquisition. The Bushnell AR scope offerings boast fully multi-coated optics in durable one-piece tubes. Bushnell claims that its AR-line scopes are waterproof and fogproof.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
August 16th, 2013
F-Classers — you better get your ammo loaded and your bags packed. The 2013 F-Class U.S. National Championship commences this Sunday, August 18, 2013 with an official practice day. The United States National Championship matches start on Monday with Registration and Squadding at 0700-0730. (Don’t over-sleep and miss the action.) There will be individual matches on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, with a U.S. Championship Team Match on Wednesday.
The F-Class World Championships follow immediately after the U.S. Championships, with the Worlds running Friday August 23rd (practice day) through Tuesday, August 27th. This back-to-back scheduling means that many foreign shooters can come early and participate in the U.S. Championship matches as well. It looks to be an exciting week-and-a-half of competition. Good Luck to all individual shooters and teams. Here is the schedule for the U.S. Nationals:
U.S. F-Class Championships Shooting Schedule
Sunday, August 18, 2013
There will be a squadded practice at 1000 yards for individuals and teams. Squadding at 0700-0730. Commence firing 0800. Squadded practice fee is included in the match entry fee. There will be four relays, 20 minutes per relay. The range will be closed the remainder of the day.
Monday, August 19, 2013
DAY 1: F-Class 1000 Yards
Registration/Squadding at 0700-0730. Opening ceremonies 0720
Commence fire 0800. Three individual 15-record-shot 1000-yard matches plus Aggregate.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Day 2: F-Class 1000-Yards
Squadding at 0700-0730, commence fire at 0800
Three individual, 15-record-shot 1000-yard matches plus Aggregate.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Day 3: F-Class Team Matches
Team Captains will draw for target assignments 0720, commence fire at 0800
Two, four-person 1000-yard slow fire prone team matches, plus aggregate. Two sighting shots and 20
shots for record per team member.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Day 4: F-Class 1000-yards
Squadding 0700-0730, commence fire 0800
Two 1000-yard individual 20-record-shot matches plus Aggregate.
The National Championship will be awarded based on Individual Grand Aggregate (total of matches 1-3, 5-7, 9-10). The Award Dinner/Ceremony will be held at the Coors Building at 6:00 PM Thursday, August
22, 2013. Free to all competitors. $10.00 for guests.
 The Aussies Are Coming!
The first contingent of the Australian F-Class Team is heading our way. South Australian members Richard Braund, Stuart Braund, Dave Zerbe, and Mike Willment, received an enthusiastic send-off by fellow F-Class shooters in Adelaide, before the foursome jetted off to Sydney. They will join other Aussie team members in Sydney before flying to Los Angeles, and then heading on to Raton, NM.
Coming all the way from the Southern Hemisphere requires hauling a ton of gear through multiple airports. We don’t want to even think about the “excess baggage” charges. At least these intrepid Aussies will be racking up the frequent flyer miles. Sydney to Los Angeles and back again is roughly a 15,000 mile round-trip.
Report by John Cranwell of South Australia, who tells his countrymen: “Go Aussie!”.
CLICK HERE for F-Class World Championship Information Packet
August 16th, 2013
Update August 20, 2013: The Class is full. The CMP states: “If you applied and did not get accepted, the CMP plans to hold additional classes next year in Anniston. Dates will be announced at a later date and an email announcement will be sent out.”
This fall, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will offer a 3-day, Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC) for students with strong mechanical aptitude and a desire to learn how to work on M1 Garand rifles. The first AMC class starts Friday, November 1st at the CMP Custom Shop in Anniston, Alabama. The course fee is $1,400.00. This includes a CMP Special Rifle that each student will build (as his own “keeper”) and three lunches. Students must provide their own accommodations in Anniston.
The 3-day class is intended for individuals interested in learning how the M1 Garand rifle functions and how to perform advanced maintenance procedures to their personal rifle(s). The class involves classroom lecture as well as hands-on shop time. Tools will be provided.
NOTE: This class is not intended for gunsmiths or students with advanced knowledge of the M1 rifle. No prior armorer or shooting experience is required. Students will each assemble their own CMP Special rifle from components included in the AMC fee.
CMP M1 Garand AMC Course Topics
- Component purpose and function
- Commercial barrel installation, chambering and headspace; use of gauges
- Component selection and inspection
- Fitting and proper assembly of a complete CMP Special rifle
- Some discussion of malfunctions and their remedies
- Accurizing techniques for the M1
How to Apply for M1 Garand Class
To apply for the CMP AMC, complete the online APPLICATION FORM (You can fill this out online or download the PDF file and email completed application to armorers@thecmp.org.) The class is expected to fill quickly. Students will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more info, email John McLean via email at jmclean@thecmp.org or call the CMP Custom Shop at (256) 835-8455, ext. 2114. The November AMC class is the first of its kind. However, the CMP hopes to offer similar classes quarterly at the Anniston Custom Shop.
August 16th, 2013
Need a new firearm, scope, or gun accessory, but are you overwhelmed with the myriad options available? Well there’s a new website that allows gun enthusiasts to comparison-shop firearms, ammunition, parts, scopes, and accessories. GunZillion.com, slated to launch this fall, is an online, comparison-shopping engine focused exclusively on the firearms market. The website will offer hundreds of thousands of products from a network of top online retailers. This lets consumers quickly find and compare products from many different manufacturers. Using modern web database technology, GunZillion.com offers advanced search capabilities as well as quick filters for caliber and gun type.
CLICK HERE for Sneak Preview of GunZillion.com
GunZillion.com Provides Options after Google and Other Sites Ban Gun-Related Listings
“The walls have been closing in on firearm companies’ ability to advertise online for quite some time,” explained Jake Messerly, President of GunZillion.com. “Over the past year popular sites such as Google, Nextag, and Amazon have stripped the vast majority of firearm-related products from their websites leaving retailers very few options for promoting their products online. GunZillion.com will give consumers an exclusive experience and retailers a dedicated channel to market their products.” GunZillion.com is seeking to partner with the top retailers in the firearms, ammunition, parts, and accessories markets.
August 15th, 2013
We reported two weeks ago that Texas shooter Mike Stinnett nailed a .0077″ group in competition — the smallest 5-shot group ever shot at 100 yards. This has now been officially recognized as a new NBRSA record, eclipsing the .009″ record group shot 40 years ago by Mac McMillan. Congrats to Mike for breaking the “unbreakable record”. As Glenn C. posted on Benchrest Central: “They said it couldn’t be done. Hats off to Mike for an awesome personal achievement in a Sport/Hobby where getting your name in the record books is a rarity.”
Stinnett Sets .0077″ Record with a .30-Caliber Modified Grendel Cartridge, Pre-Loaded
Many folks have asked about the gun and ammo that produced the .0077″ group. The rifle was chambered as a .30-caliber wildcat, the 30 Stewart, which is based on the 6.5 Grendel case necked up. Mike was using Hodgdon H4198 powder behind BIB 114gr, 10-ogive bullets. Notably, the record-setting ammo was pre-loaded before the match. Unfortunately, we don’t have a photo of the target yet — it is still in the hands of the official NBRSA certification committee. However, Mike has been kind enough to tell us about his rifle and his load.
Mike Stinnett .0077″ Record Group Equipment Report
Mike reports: “Several guys have asked so here is my equipment listing. The hardware build actually started in 2008 with the goal of building two identical Benchrest rifles which could be used for both group and score. The idea was to shoot 6PPC and a 30 Cal without a base rifle change.”
|
Action: Kelby Panda “Speedy Shorty” with solid bolt and PPC-diameter bolt face. Kelby was asked to build several actions which were identical with the intent to eliminate any variance in head space between the two new rifles. This helped me use a single set-up on sizing dies for both rifles and ammo is interchangeable. Both actions were sent to Thomas ‘Speedy’ Gonzalez to be blue-printed and have Jewell triggers installed.
Reamer: 30 STEWART (I just call it a 30 PPC as that is what everyone expects, but it is in fact a custom design and Ralph deserves about 99% of the credit).
Barrels: Krieger was selected for the barrels. After discussions with Randy Robinett of BIB Bullets, a 1:17″ twist was identified as the correct, safe solution. Ralph Stewart has cut all my chambers using a custom-designed reamer. [Our goal] was consistent headspace and Ralph has been able to keep my barrels within .0002 variance. The barrel tuner also comes from Ralph Stewart.
- Stock: Larson (including action bedding)
- Scope: Leupold 45X Competition in Kelby Single Screw Tall Rings
- Brass: Lapua (Base case is 6.5 Grendel)
- Bullets: Randy Robinett (BIB) 30 Cal. 114gr, 10 Ogive (secondary bullet; primary is 112gr BIB)
- Powder: H4198 – Stout Load with 2980 FPS Velocity
- Front Rest: Farley Coaxial
- Bags: Micro Fiber
- Flags: Graham Wind Flags (large)
|
About the Cartridge — 30 Stewart (Based on Lapua 6.5 Grendel Parent Brass)
Mike explains: “Our goal was to shoot H4198 as the optimal powder for stability. There were several versions of the reamer before we settled on the current configuration. I am optimized for the 10 Ogive BIB bullet, powder to the base of the bullet. I found in testing the small 30-cal case did not like compression at all. The bullet is seated only 0.12″ into the case with zero freebore.
Cases were initially created with the .220 Russian (like a PPC) but I later decided it was better to build from the 6.5 Grendel. I size the brass and bump the shoulder back until it will fit into the chamber, fill to shoulder with International Clays, cotton wad packed on top. I have a fire-forming barrel. (I would not recommend this Clays and cotton wad method in a good barrel.) After initial fire-forming, I then mandrel the neck up the rest of the way to .30 caliber, turn the necks and trim.
It takes at least 8 firings to fully form a case! If you fire only three loads I find the brass does not have a sharp shoulder or any pressure on the bolt so any die selection is incorrect. Brass continues to harden well past 25 firings. I have match brass with well over 500 rounds fired, and I have never blown a case or neck yet (using my forming method).
For loading I use a Hornady Custom Shop Sizing Die and a Ralph Stewart Custom Seating Die. For those who are curious, yes the small group was fired with pre-loaded rounds. I do this now and then with local matches or may load 50 in a batch for one match.”
Mike wanted to thank his smiths, Randy Robinett, and all the folks involved in running the matches: “A big THANKS — as these are the guys that make our matches possible and without question maintain the integrity of the targets and record system. I was very fortunate to have all the right people in the right places for this match and my record. As for measurement – I only saw the target for about 10 seconds up close and can say I’m very happy I did not have to measure that group! Thanks again to everyone!” — Mike Stinnett
August 15th, 2013
 Here’s a “heads up” for our Daily Bulletin readers and site visitors. On Saturday, August 17, we plan to upgrade our servers and install new software for the Daily Bulletin and AccurateShooter.com. As a result, the Daily Bulletin and AccurateShooter.com will be unavailable (offline) for up to 24 hours on Saturday, August 17. There is a small possibility of downtime on Sunday as well.
The work is being done to streamline the database that handles the thousands of articles on the Daily Bulletin and the main site. In addition we will be installing new server software that should be faster yet easier to trouble-shoot. This should give us improved security and stability, and it should allow the Daily Bulletin and main site to run faster. You should notice that searches run faster.
 So guys… don’t freak out if you cannot access Accurateshooter.com and the Daily Bulletin this upcoming weekend. God willing, all the necessary work can be done within a 24-town span on Saturday. If all goes according to plan, you can log in on Sunday without a hitch. All existing articles, photos, and resources will be backed up and restored — there will simply be a “time out” for 24 hours or so. IMPORTANT: You will still be able to use our Shooters’ Forum without interruption.
August 14th, 2013
The “Big Book” is back. Brownells’ Master Catalog #66, the largest ever, is now available. The 696-page Catalog is filled with a vast number of products for gunsmiths, competitors, hunters and gun enthusiasts. The latest Catalog #66 boasts more than 2,000 new items, including 10 pages of reloading supplies. The AR-15/M16, Riflescope and Pistol sections have also grown significantly.
Master Catalog #66 is presented in Brownells’ signature horizontal format, with color-coded edges and mini-indices to help readers find the 35 various product categories. To receive a catalog, simply visit the catalog section of Brownells’ website. Customers may also call 800-741-0015 to request a catalog. The Master Catalog #66 costs $5.00.
If you prefer a FREE PDF Version of Master Catalog #66, then CLICK HERE for PDF Catalog.
August 14th, 2013
Looking for a retail gunshop or shooting range near your home town? Or perhaps you’re on the road and you need to pick up some replacement gun parts or ammo. Well now you can locate the nearest gun store or range in just seconds. Visit ArmsDealer.Net, type in a zip code or city name, and click the “search” button. Instantly the ArmsDealer.Net search engine displays a list of local gunstores and ranges, ranked by proximity (nearest first) and plotted on a map. Click any listed entry and store/range details appear, along with a more detailed, interactive street map to aid navigation. It’s fast and easy. You’ll save time and spend less money on gasoline driving around in search of shooting products.
FREE Classified Ads
Another great feature of ArmsDealer.Net is the Classified Ads system. The site lets visitors easily buy or sell firearms and related items, using a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use Classifieds software solution. And the Classified Ads are FREE — that’s right, no charge. If you want to list guns, shooting accesories, or outdoor gear for sale, you can post for FREE, with no listing or transaction charges. Can’t beat that.
- Free Classifieds, no posting or transactional fees.
- Buyers can filter Classifieds by Product, Manufacturer, or State.
- Custom software lets you find local buyers and sellers in your area.
- Easy to use Feedback System for buyers AND sellers.
- Private Messaging system lets buyers and sellers coordinate sales.
August 13th, 2013
 SSG Ty (Tyrel) Cooper of the USAMU won the 2013 NRA National High Power Rifle Long Range Championships with a final score of 1243-71X. Ty grabbed the lead from fellow USAMU shooter Shane Barnhart on the final day of competition, shooting superbly to take the Long Range title. Also moving up in the standings today was SSG Brandon Green, who won the NRA High Power Championships last week. Green was a close second. Though both soldiers finished with a total score of 1243 points, Cooper’s X count topped Green’s by seven (71 to 64). On his Facebook page, Green praised his USAMU team-mate: “Congrats to Ty Cooper, he is the 2013 Long Range National Champion! And I’m the first loser! … Stupid Xs.” (Photo courtesy NRA Blog.)
Below is a file photo of SSG Ty Cooper at 2012 High Power Championship. In the Long Range Championships, Cooper used a Nesika-actioned bolt gun with long barrel chambered in 7mm SAUM.
NRA Blog editor Lars Dalseide interviewed Ty Cooper shortly after he won the 2013 Long Range title. “It’s a long time coming,” said Cooper with a smile. “Years of shooting and now here it is. It’s overdue — that much is true.”
Cooper edged out USAMU teammate Brandon Keith Green for the win by seven Xs, after four days of long-range competition. “You don’t get much closer than that,” said Russ, a competitor from Georgia. “Winning by an X count. Boy that is something.”
Rounding out the top five in the overall Long Range Championships are Bob Gustin with 1239-76X, Shirley Mcgee with a 1238-65X, and Eric Smith with a 1236-55X.
Complete Results from the Long Range Championships will be posted on the NRA Competitive Shooting Championships Results Webpage later today.
August 13th, 2013
Today marks the fourth and final day of the NRA Long Range Rifle Championship. The USAMU’s SSG Shane Barnhart is in the lead but other shooters are definitely within striking distance. Barnhart’s position atop the leaderboard has been a surprise to some, because he has been primarily a smallbore shooter in years past. But in 2013 he has demonstrated outstanding capabilities with a centerfire rifle at long range. Watch this video for a wrap-up of Long Range Day 3 at Camp Perry.
Michelle Gallagher Wins Leech Cup
Michelle Gallagher turned in a great performance earlier this week, winning the Leech Cup in a shoot-off with Ty Cooper of the USAMU. Michelle Gallagher finished with a top score of 100-6X (X stands for bullseye) to beat USAMU’s Ty Cooper by a single X.
Michelle received congratulations from SSG Brandon Green after winning the Leech Cup at the NRA Championships. “This is the first time I’ve shot this year in a sling at a 1,000 yard match,” said Gallagher. “I’ve been shooting F-Class, so this is pretty special.”
|
