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February 16th, 2014
 If you want to learn how to shoot accurately at very long range, one of the very best places to learn is the Williamsport 1000-Yard Benchrest School. The 7th Annual Benchrest School will be held Friday June 6 through Sunday June 8, 2014. Classes, taught by top 1K shooters, are held at the Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club Range, one of the best 1K ranges in the country. View the range on the Williamsport website, PA1000yard.com.
Prospective students will be taught all aspects of long-range benchrest shooting by highly skilled instructors. All areas are covered: load development, precision reloading, bench skills, and target analysis. Much time is spent at the loading bench and on the firing line. And you don’t even need guns and ammo — all equipment and ammunition will be provided. For $300 students will enjoy 1 night and 2 days of intensive training under the guidance of some of our top 1000-yard shooters. The sign-up deadline is June 1st. To reserve a spot or get more info, email School Director/Vice President Ryan Miller: ryanmiller @ htva.net.
School Schedule, Friday Through Sunday
On Friday night (June 6th), students will meet their mentors. Saturday (June 7th), the class moves to the range for a full day of hands-on technical training. Topics will include precision reloading, load development, gun handling, use of chronograph, analysis of shooting results, gun cleaning, and target analysis. The club will provide the rifles and all reloading components. Saturday’s training sessions are followed by a steak dinner which is included in the $300 seminar price.
On Sunday (June 8th), after an early training session covering bench set-up and match strategies, students will participate in a 1000-yard match, spending time both behind the trigger and in the pits. Instructors will explain how to read conditions, and will demonstrate target measuring and analysis after the relays. The program wraps up by 4:00 pm on Sunday.
To see what the 1K Benchrest school is like, watch the slide show/video below, produced by Sebastian Reist, an alumnus of the 2009 Williamsport 1000-yard BR school. Sebastian, a talented professional photographer, captured the highlights of his Williamsport 1K training weekend:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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February 15th, 2014
 Nosler has introduced a new 6.5mm (.264 caliber) hunting cartridge, the 26 Nosler. Nosler will initially offer 26 Nosler cartridge brass, and then, eventually, 26 Nosler loaded ammunition.
This new cartridge is designed to be a speedy, flat-shooting hunting cartridge, with performance exceeding a 6.5-284. This is possible because the 26 Nosler is a big, long cartridge with plenty of “boiler room”. Length from base to neck/shoulder junction is 2.33″ for the 26 Nosler, compared to 1.91″ for the 6.5-284 (and 2.04″ for a 7mm Rem Magnum). The 26 Nosler has a 35° shoulder angle and a magnum-size 0.534″ outside rim diameter.
The 26 Nosler cartridge can drive the Nosler 129 grain, AccuBond® LR bullet at 3400 fps. Zeroed at 350 yards, the 26 Nosler has a Point Blank Range of 0-415 yards. Loaded with the 129gr Accubond, the 26 Nosler retains as much velocity at 400 yards as a .260 Rem produces at the muzzle. This makes the 26 Nosler a “quintessential deer, antelope and long-range” cartridge according to company CEO/President Bob Nosler.
Nosler has just released the SAMMI print for this cartridge. CLICK HERE for SAMMI Print PDF.
Credit Grant G. for story tip. We welcome reader submissions.
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February 15th, 2014
Want to buy a bullet business? Montana Bullet Works (MBW) is now for sale. MBW, run by Dave Jennings, has been a leading “boutique” cast bullet-making shop for years. Dave is widely regarded as one of the best cast-bullet craftsmen in the country. He offered rifle bullets up to .50 caliber, and pistol bullets from .25 to .50 caliber. Forum member Grant G. says: “[Dave] made the very best hard-cast bullets with gas check for hunting. They were very accurate from the rifles I have used them in. My next elk will get thumped with one of his creations.”
Clint Smith, director of Thunder Ranch says: “Montana Bullet Works makes a great product. I was looking for a specific bullet and Dave & Marcie … got the mould and made excellent bullets[.] I highly recommend them.”
 MBW Business for Sale
Unfortunately, health concerns now prevent Dave Jennings from continuing his trade: “I am sorry to report that due to a recent spinal fusion surgery and the resultant permanent limitations on lifting and other movements, I can no longer operate MBW. If you are interested in buying MBW … I can provide information on current assests, inventory, etc.”.
Dave Jenning’s Tips for Shooting Cast Bullets
Any gun that you plan to shoot cast bullets from has to be cleaned of all copper jacket fouling first. The copper fouling is much harder than any cast bullet and will act like sandpaper on the bullet as it travels down the barrel. Not only will this lead to poor accuracy but may also give you signs of leading that really isn’t occurring.
While testing cast bullets, it’s also important to keep your barrel free of leading. You may concoct a load that is a little too hot for the bullet/alloy you’re using and have a leading issue with that one load. If that leading isn’t removed before you fire your next test load, you won’t be able to tell which load gave you the problem. Moreover, leading is cumulative and will adversely affect the accuracy of subsequent shots.
But don’t despair. I’ve shot literally hundreds of thousands of cast bullets and have found a quick and inexpensive way to remove leading. I use Bronze Wool, available from Brownells, either in the fine or medium grade. Unlike Steel Wool, Bronze Wool is softer than steel and will not scratch your barrel. Also, Bronze Wool is not oiled, so it leaves your barrel absolutely clean. Simply pull some threads of the Bronze Wool off of the pad and wrap it tightly around a slightly undersized bronze barrel brush. The tighter the fit, the faster it will remove leading. Ten to twelve passes up and down the barrel will remove all but the most severe leading. If you do this regularly, you’ll never have severe leading to contend with. Bronze Wool has become an integral part of my shooting kit for years. I wouldn’t be without it!
~ Dave Jennings – Montana Bullet Works ~
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February 14th, 2014
 If you’ve been following the Winter Olympics in Sochi, no doubt you’ve been watching Biathlon events. This combination of Nordic-style skiing and precision shooting is hugely popular in Europe. Biathlon requires great physical fitness levels, superior marksmanship skills, and of course, a very accurate .22 LR rifle.
This video shows biathletes at previous winter Olympics. Note how the straight-pull actions allow competitors to shoot rapidly without breaking their position (at the 1:00″ mark, the shooter takes five shots in ten seconds). Target racks are located 50m from the firing line. The targets, which flip from black to white when hit, are 45mm (1.8″) in diameter for prone, and 115mm (4.5″) in diameter for standing.
Watch Olympic Biathlon Competition (Archive Footage)
Biathlon rifles are sophisticated. The top competitors use rigs with slick, straight-pull actions, integrated magazine carriers, and ergonomic stock designs that work well for both prone and standing positions. The advanced slings use “bungee cords” to allow rapid deployment from on-the-back carry position (while skiing) to the shooting position.
One of the most popular Biathlon rifles is the Anschütz model 1827F Fortner. This features a straight-pull action with a two-stage trigger typically adjusted to 550 grams (19 ounces). The sprint version of the model 1827F weighs just 3.7 kg (8.16 pounds). Remarkably, even the magazines are optimized for “high-speed, low-drag” performance: “Shortened 5-shot magazines were laterally incorporated into the stock to reduce the surface on which the wind can act. Non-slip magazine bottoms make the handling of the loading process easier. An additional magazine release lever on the side makes an even faster exchange of the magazines possible.” (Anschütz brochure).
Credit Chris Cheng, Top Shot Season 4 Champion, for finding these photos of the model 1827F Fortner on the Anschütz website.
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February 14th, 2014
 AccurateShooter.com’s Forum Classifieds Marketplace is the first place we look for great deals on rifles. There you’ll find high-quality competition and varmint rifles, many built by name smiths. But if you’re looking for “mass-market” firearms, Gunbroker.com is a good place to start. Launched in 1999, GunBroker.com is the world’s largest gun auction website. You’ll find both new and previously-owned arms listed at auction, many with a “Buy Now” price that lets you by-pass the bidding cycle altogether.
NEW Gunbroker iPhone (iOS) App
A new GunBroker mobile iPhone App has just been released. This lets users search for products, bid and buy on the go, and never miss an auction. The iOS App joins other Gunbroker mobile applications — an Android App and a Mobile Website. For more information on all GunBroker mobile options, visit m.GunBroker.com/OnTheGo.
Get FREE GunBroker iPhone App via the App Store.
Get FREE GunBroker Android App via Google Play.
Check Out GunBroker.com Mobile Site at m.GunBroker.com
The GunBroker.com Mobile App offers Push Notifications, custom alerts that monitor bid status and bidding activity for auctions that you are watching. Users can also quickly locate a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) by simply entering a zip code or device location.
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February 14th, 2014
Interest in the .222 Remington cartridge has revived following Lapua’s decision in 2009 to resume production of .222 Remington Brass. If you’re thinking of chambering a rifle in this very accurate caliber, or if you already have a .222 Rem, we’ve found a useful resource on the web for you.
Forum member Peter Simonsen has created a content-rich website, TripleDeuce.Net, with plenty of valuable info for .222 shooters. Peter tells us: “I started a little informative (non-commercial) web site about the .222 Remington, TripleDeuce.Net. You’re welcome to visit and share your thoughts and ideas.” Peter’s site includes extensive reloading advice, a list of recommended components, plus links to the major bullet-makers and powder manufacturers. His Reloading Page includes load data for a wide selection of bullets, while Peter’s photo archive shows cartridge diagrams and targets shot with Peter’s .222 Rem rifles. There is even an extensive section dedicated to the 20-222 Wildcat, an excellent varmint cartridge. The 20-222 is very efficient and very accurate.
Peter offers this advice for those getting started with the Triple Deuce cartridge:
“I religiously use the load data right off the Hodgdon web site. Recently I have gravitated toward using the old tried and true IMR4198 and H4198 powders for hunting using 40gr bullets. These two powders provide a velocity edge over the other powder choices while still maintaining safe and acceptable pressure levels. You can see this in the Hodgdon data where a max load of IMR4198 yields 3583 fps whereas H322 produces 3313 fps. So for hunting where higher velocity and terminal performance are important and accuracy is as good or close I would choose one of the two 4198 powders. This situation is similar, although not as dramatic, with 50gr bullets.
For target shooting H322 works extremely well. H4895 also provides impressive results and is a chosen powder for accuracy baseline testing by some manufacturers. I have begun experimenting with Vihtavuori N133 and Accurate 2015. Both seem very promising. But H322 and H4895 are two [dependable choices.]”
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February 13th, 2014
 California gun owners can celebrate a major legal victory today. The Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California’s “good cause” requirement (for handgun carry licenses) is unconstitutional (as least as it is applied in San Diego County). A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that California’s restrictions on handgun carry permits abrogate the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
According to Fox News: “By a 2-1 vote, the three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said California was wrong to require applicants to show ‘good cause’ to receive a permit to carry a concealed weapon.” READ Related story.
“The right to bear arms includes the right to carry an operable firearm outside the home for the lawful purpose of self-defense,” Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain wrote for the majority. The court held that the requirement of “good cause” was both too burdensome and too indefinite to pass muster under the Second Amendment. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department’s requirement that applicants provide documentation to show a “special need” for permits “impermissibly infringes on the Second Amendment right to bear arms in lawful self-defense.” Vague “good cause” requirements, the court determined, could be invoked too broadly, thereby denying citizens the legitimate exercise of their Second Amendment rights.
As the result of this ruling, the appellant, Edward Peruta, may now revive his lawsuit challenging San Diego County’s denial of a concealed weapons permit.
Later in the opinion, however, O’Scannlain wrote: “We are not holding that the Second Amendment requires the states to permit concealed carry. But the Second Amendment does require that the states permit some form of carry for self defense outside the home.”
Read Washington Times Analysis of Ninth Circuit Decision on California Gun Laws.
Though this ruling settles the matter in the Ninth Circuit (for now), the U.S. Supreme Court may get involved down the road. The Ninth Circuit’s decision runs contrary to decisions by three other Federal Courts of Appeals regarding issuance standards for firearm carry permits. Accordingly, there is a conflict among the Circuits, which, ultimately, can only be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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February 13th, 2014
Staff Sergeant (SSG) Brandon Green of the USAMU has been named the Military Marksmanship Association (MMA) 2013 Soldier of the Year (SOY). Green, a native of Covington, Louisiana, received SOY honors at the MMA’s annual meeting last week.
“I’m very proud to be a member of this unit … and proud to be the Soldier of the Year,” said Green, a member of the Service Rifle Section. USAMU marksmen are extremely competitive, Brandon told us: “You have all of these outstanding shooters and anytime they pick up anything it becomes a competition. Whether we’re training on a different range or a different discipline, it’s that world-level competition that drives us to be as good as we are.”
Here is SSG Green with the Tubb 2000 rifle, chambered in .260 Remington, that Brandon used to win the 2013 High Power Championship. The other shooter is Brandon’s younger brother Braxton.
 Green won the 2013 NRA National High Power Rifle Championships at Camp Perry, OH. It was his first national championship after several second and third place finishes. Also in 2013, Green captured the Interservice Individual Championship for the fourth time and Brandon was a shooter on the winning USAMU Interservice team. He also helped his team break records and earn team wins at Camp Perry.
Other MMA 2013 Soldier of the Year nominees were: SSG Patrick Franks, Cross Functional Team-Pistol; SSG Daniel Horner, Action Shooting Section; SSG Michael McPhail, International Rifle Section; SPC Reuben Anderson, Custom Firearm Shop; SSG Glenn Eller, Shotgun Team member; SGT John Joss, Paralympics Team member; and SGT Curtis Yetman, Instructor Training Group.
The MMA supports the goals and objectives of the USAMU and provides a link to the history of the unit while hosting ceremonies and social events. The organization has more than 500 members. The USAMU is part of the U.S. Army Accessions Brigade, Army Marketing and Research Group and is tasked with enhancing the Army’s recruiting effort, raising the standard of Army marksmanship and furthering small arms research.
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February 12th, 2014
 SHOT Show 2014.
Full 1-Hour Broadcast.
Tonight on the Outdoor Channel.
Lots and lots of new guns on display.
This is the episode of Shooting USA you don’t want to miss. Set your DVR for 2PM ET/1PM CT or watch the show at 9PM ET/8PM CT, on the Outdoor Channel. Host Jim Scoutten says: “John, Mike, and I are running 12 miles of aisles in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, with 60,000 gun dealers and buyers. It’s your first look at the new guns and gear that will be making news this year. Set your DVR. We have a lot to show you in non-stop new product presentations.” CLICK HERE to See Products Featured on SHOT Show Episode
New products showcased will include: Ruger American Rimfire Rifle, Glock 42, Colt 2012 Bolt-Action Rifle, New S&W Revolvers, Remington R-51, Bergara Barrels, Hornady Rapid-Safe and much more.
Shooting USA airs its annual one-hour SHOT Show Special today, Wednesday, February 12, starting at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. Other broadcast times are listed below.
The Shooting USA Hour on Wednesdays:
Eastern Time: 2:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 12:00 M
Central Time: 1:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 11:00 PM
Mountain Time: 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM, 10:00 PM
Pacific Time: 11:00 AM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM
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February 12th, 2014
Valentine’s Day is almost here. To celebrate this romantic holiday, Kirsten Joy Weiss has devised a very special trick shot with her .22LR Volquartsen semi-auto rifle.
Braving winter weather, Kirsten manages to drill three shots into a heart shape on her target. This trick shot is performed, Kirsten adds, “for the love of shooting”. See more cool trick shots on Kirsten’s website, KirstenJoyWeiss.com.
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February 11th, 2014
For giving up her spot on the U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team so that her identical twin sister could compete in Sochi, Tracy Barnes is a candidate for an Inspiration Award being sponsored by O.C. Tanner, the company that makes and donates rings to all U.S. athletes competing at the Winter Games. Thanks to Tracy’s personal sacrifice, her sister Lanny Barnes, who missed qualifying races due to illness, now has a chance to capture the first-ever U.S. medal in biathlon. If you think Tracy deserves recognition, you can add your vote for Tracy for the Inspiration Award. Read more about the Barnes sisters.
“Lanny Barnes [is] in an unfamiliar role for a U.S. biathlete — under a spotlight. The reason for that, as people around the world are now aware, is because Tracy declined her spot on the team so Lanny could go. In the days after the story broke Jan. 13, the 31-year-old twins suddenly found themselves talking live on NBC’s Today show and CNN’s ‘New Day’. They’ve done interviews for ESPN, NBC Sports and numerous other TV stations, online media, magazines and newspapers. Requests have come from all over[.] Suddenly a sport that suffers from obscurity in the U.S. has a star.” — Read Full Story in Durango Herald.
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February 11th, 2014
The 6-day-long Berger Southwest Nationals has drawn to a close. And what a week it was. National records were set, $60,000 worth of prizes were distributed, a talented newcomer took the F-TR title, the Arizona sun was warm, and fun was had by all. Congratulations to the individual Grand Aggregate winners: Larry Bartholome (F-Open, 1238-61X), Bryan Litz (Sling/TR, 1239-64X), and Radoslaw Czupryna (F-TR, 1216-37X). Topping the team competition were: Team Grizzly (F-Open), Team Michigan (F-TR), and USA-National-Tompkins (Sling/TR).
Here are some “Take-Aways” from the 2014 Berger Southwest Nationals.
- Heavy .30-caliber bullets (200-215 grains) have become the “hot ticket” in F-TR.
- In F-Open, the 7mm caliber is still King of the Hill (it hasn’t been overtaken by the 30s quite yet). At least in the relatively calm conditions this week, and in the capable hands of Larry Bartholome, a 7mm cartridge still came out on top. The 7mms deliver competitive ballistics, great accuracy, and less recoil than the big 30s.
- F-Open front rests are so good now that folks are looking to rear bag set-ups for improvements in tracking/stability. Any old rear bag won’t cut it anymore.
- In Sling/TR class, the 155s can still do the job. The London Scottish team finished second overall shooting 155s in their .308s. (Members: Michael Barlow, Angus McLeod, Lindsay Peden, Ian Shaw).
- Eric Stecker is more than a “master bulletsmith”. The man can flat-out shoot. Eric finished second overall (1213-51X) in the F-TR Grand Agg, ahead of past National Champions. But as for the cash/bullets prizes, Mid Tompkins joked: “Eric can now pay himself with his own money and wait in line for bullets like everyone else.”
- Many top shooters in F-Open and F-TR are cleaning their barrels less — a LOT less, shooting long strings between cleanings, and then doing very little brushing, letting Wipe-Out and solvents do most of the work.
- We saw HBN-coated bullets, but there were very few moly-coated bullets in the ammo caddies on the firing line. Are black bullets a thing of the past?
- Men dominate sling shooting by weight of numbers. But there are some incredibly talented ladies in this discipline. Ladies such as Trudie Fay, Nancy Tompkins, and Anette Wachter are world-class competitors who set a great example for young female shooters starting out.
- If there is a better-run mid-winter long-range match, at a better location, with a bigger prize table, it must be in another galaxy far, far away.
Top Shooters
| Sling/TR Top Five |
F-Class T/R Top Five |
F-Open Top Five |
Bryan Litz, 1239-64X
Trudie Fay, 1235-65X
Nancy Tompkins, 1232-68X
Tom Whittaker, 1232-51X
Alan Thomas, 1231-60X |
Radoslaw Czupryna, 1216-37X
Eric Stecker, 1213-51X
James Crofts, 1212-48X
Kevin Scott Harris, 1211-32X
Alton Britt, 1211-29X |
Larry Bartholome, 1238-61X
Freddy Haltom, 1238-54X
David Gosnell, 1237-66X
Kenny Adams, 1235-69X
Robert Bock, 1230-48X |
Top Teams
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F-TR:
1. Michigan F-TR TEAM, 2532-78X
2. USA F-TR Dev Team, 2525-93X
2. True North, 2514-97X |
F-Open:
1. Team Grizzly, 2574-135X
2. Team Berger, 2573-127X
3. Long Shot, 2566-125X |
Sling:
1. USA Nat’l-Tompkins, 2580-132X
2. London Scottish, 2566-128X
3. Competition Machine, 2557-112X |
Winning Sling/TR USA National Team
Get Complete Match Results
Here are the Grand Aggregate Scores, for all matches and all divisions, in MS DOC format. For a Complete listing of ALL scores for ALL matches, click the link for full results. This is a zip file with 18 MS Word documents, six for each discipline.
CLICK HERE for SLING Results | CLICK HERE for F-TR Results | CLICK HERE for F-OPEN Results
CLICK HERE for FULL RESULTS (.zip file)
Newcomer Scores Big F-TR Victory
If there was a crowd favorite among the big winners, it was Radoslaw (“Radek”) Czupryna, the overall F-TR winner. Competing as an “Expert”, Radek outshot all the Masters and High Masters to win the F-TR Title convincingly. We’re told Radek also set a new SWN High Score for F-TR in the process. The sky’s the limit for this talented young man. He has only been competing seriously for three years or so. Originally from Poland, he now lives in Chicago. New talents like Radoslaw represent the future of the sport. Watch out for this guy at the 2014 Nationals. While Radek is built like an NFL linebacker, there’s a soft spot inside that tough exterior. Radek dedicated his victory to his daughters: “When I travel to matches, I can’t be with my daughters. So I want them to know, this win is for them.”
Radek shoots a .308 Win rifle built by John Pierce using a Pierce Titanium Action. Radek loads Varget powder behind 215-grain Berger bullets jumped .015″. I asked Radek if Ben Avery offered any “cruel surprises” this week. He nodded, saying: “Yes, a few times I got some vertical out of nowhere, but I think everybody had the same problem.”
Patience was a virtue at Ben Avery this week, according to Radoslaw: “Conditions looked stable, but that [could be] deceptive. Conditions were changing out of nowhere. So the key, I think, was being patient, and just waiting for the right conditions to come back.”
He offered this advice for other relatively inexperienced shooters: “Don’t be scared to compete. Just come out and do your best. Don’t be nervous, don’t be shy. It’s there… just go and get it.”
Over the next few days, we’ll post additional highlight reports from the Berger SWN featuring competitor and team profiles, video clips, and plenty of photos. Our media team shot over 2000 still images during the week-long match. Credit Steve Fiorenzo for most of the photos in today’s article.
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