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April 15th, 2014
When he chooses to measure his loads or sort bullets by weight, Forum Member Boyd Allen likes his trusty RCBS 10-10 scale. He finds that it works predictably, time after time, and it doesn’t suffer from the drift and calibration issues that plague some of the less-expensive electronic scales on the market.
To make it easier to see the balance point, Boyd has adapted a magnifying glass with a mirror. This makes the end of his balance beam easier to view from his normal position on the bench. Boyd explains: “This set-up uses a cheap magnifier with positioning arms that was probably designed to hold and magnify small objects while soldering them. I think that it came from Harbor Freight many years ago. The mirror lets you look at the scale as if is was at eye level, and of course the magnifier makes the image easier to see.”
April 14th, 2014
The 8th Annual Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches will be held at Camp Butner, North Carolina, May 2-11, 2014. The Eastern CMP Games run May 2-6, while the Creedmoor Cup Matches take place on May 7-11. All interested shooters, of all experience and skill levels, are invited to participate in this popular event, which offers a wide variety of shooting competitions, including: Rimfire Sporter Match, M16 Match, M1 Garand Match, Springfield Match, M1-Carbine Match, Vintage Military Match, Modern Military Match, Vintage Sniper Match, Pistol Matches and more.
CMP Games Information Page | CMP Games Program 2014 | CMP Games Photo Galleries.
Great Place to Get Started in Competitive Shooting
The CMP Games matches are ideal events for shooters who have not participated in previous competitions. Shooters are permitted to coach or assist each other in these matches. Experienced shooters are encouraged to assist new shooters with positions, slings, loading and the rules.
To learn more about the Eastern CMP Games, email croguski [at] thecmp.org or call (888) 267-0796, extension 1114. If you have questions about the Creedmoor Cup contact Dennis DeMille, demille [at] creedmoorsports.com or call (800) 273-3366 M-F, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Central Time.
April 14th, 2014
The NRA, on the recommendation of the NRA High Power Committee, has appointed Ray Gross as the new United States F-TR Team Captain, to serve through the 2017 World Championship cycle. Ray brings a wealth of experience in both national and international competition. As a member of the World Championship-winning 4-person U.S. F-TR team, and the hugely successful Team Sinclair F-TR squad, Ray is a skilled coach, a top-flight shooter, and a great guy who is respected by his peers. Ray brings a unique combination of skills to the team as its new leader.
Ray Gross (center with gray hat), with fellow Team USA F-TR Shooters at Raton, NM.
Ray has asked James Crofts to serve as US F-TR Vice Captain. James comes from a military background, having served 20 years in the US Navy aboard fast attack submarines. James has also been a shooting member of the 8-man F-TR Team USA, and he is always one of the top shooters in any F-TR competition.
James told us: “It’s official, I have been named the new Vice Captain for the USA F-T/R National Team. Now the work begins but with Ray Gross as Captain I think we can handle it. Tough act to follow, Darrell Buell and Mike Miller set the bar extremely high with back to back world championship gold medals.”
James Crofts — Photo by Kent Reeve.
April 14th, 2014
Here’s a new product from SIG SAUER — the company’s first-ever line of centerfire pistol ammo. If this stuff matches the quality of SIG’s firearms, then shooters should be very happy. Designed for personal defense, SIG SAUER Elite Performance Ammunition features a proprietary V-Crown™ stacked hollow point bullet for reliable expansion. The five introductory calibers and bullet weights are: 90gr .380 ACP, 124gr 9mm Luger, 125gr .357 SIG, 165gr .40 S&W, and 200gr .45 ACP. Instructors at the SIG SAUER Academy have fired tens of thousands of rounds in the development of this new ammo. And here’s more good news — SIG plans to bring out rifle ammunition in the near future.
“Every product SIG SAUER produces will have the same attributes for which our firearms are known around the world – reliability, accuracy, and unparalleled performance,” said Jeff Creamer, SIG SAUER director of product management. “We are excited to enter the ammunition market and will be adding additional bullet weights for pistols as well as rifle ammunition in the months ahead.”
Video Explains SIG SAUER Ammo Features
The proprietary SIG V-Crown stacked hollow point bullet features an additional smaller hollow point cavity behind the main cavity. This design, along with the V-shaped jacket skives, guarantees controlled, uniform expansion. Brass cases are Techni-crom® coated for enhanced lubricity, superior corrosion resistance, and reliable feeding and extraction. Elite Performance Ammunition is made in the USA. For more information, visit www.sigsauer.com/ammunition.
About SIG SAUER
SIG SAUER, Inc. is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes SIG SAUER GmbH & Co. KG in Germany and Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified company with more than 1,000 employees. For more information on SIG SAUER and its products, visit www.sigsauer.com.
April 13th, 2014
If you have a Federal Firearms License, or work with an FFL-holder, please read this story — there is an important change in the way the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE) will handle forms. It appears the the BATFE’s eform system was not ready for prime time, so it is being shelved for the time being. This means that import forms, NFA forms, and AFMER reports must now be submitted via paper “hard copies”.
In early April, BATFE took its troubled eForms program offline. A BATFE notice stated that: “The eForms software is not performing to our expectations. As a result, we are taking the eForms system down until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work with our industry partners to deliver a quality product. Any eForm (already) submitted will continue to be processed. The finalized forms will be sent to the user via email. Until the eForms system is returned to service for the industry, all imports forms (Forms 6 Part I and 6A), NFA forms (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10), and AFMER reports (Form 5300.11) must be submitted via paper, including any eForms in draft status.” Questions should be directed to eForms.admin [at] atf.gov.
April 12th, 2014
Remington Arms Company, LLC (Remington) is recalling Model 700 and Model Seven rifles with X-Mark Pro® (XMP) triggers, manufactured from May 1, 2006 to April 9, 2014. The reason for the recall is that “Remington engineers determined that some Model 700 and Model Seven rifles with XMP triggers could, under certain circumstances, unintentionally discharge.” READ Recall Notice.
Remington’s investigation determined that some XMP triggers might have excess bonding agent used in the assembly process, which could cause an unintentional discharge. Therefore, Remington is recalling ALL affected products to fully inspect and clean the XMP triggers with a specialized process. Remington has advised customers to immediately cease use of recalled rifles and return them to Remington free of charge. The rifles will be inspected, specialty cleaned, tested, and returned as soon as possible. Remington advises: “Do not attempt to diagnose or repair recalled rifles”.
Remington now offers a dedicated website and toll-free hotline to help consumers determine whether their Model 700 or Model Seven rifle(s) are subject to recall.
- Remington Recall Website: http://xmprecall.remington.com
On this website you can enter rifle serial number(s) to determine, in seconds, if a particular rifle is subject to recall.
- Toll-Free Recall Hotline: 1-800-243-9700
(Prompt #3 then Prompt #1) Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EDT.
The Remington Recall Notice also says that a visual inspection can reveal if a rifle is subject to recall. You may determine if your rifle is subject to the recall by visually inspecting the face of the trigger.
1) If the face of the trigger is ribbed (see Photo (1) below), your rifle does not have an XMP trigger and is NOT subject to this recall.
2) If the face of the trigger is smooth (see Photo (2) below), your rifle has an XMP trigger and IS subject to this recall. You should immediately seek further assistance by calling 1-800-243-9700 or visiting XMPrecall.remington.com.
If You Have A Rifle Subject to Recall
STOP USING YOUR RIFLE. Any unintended discharge has the potential to cause injury or death. Immediately cease use of recalled rifles and return them to Remington free of charge. Rifles will be inspected, specialty cleaned, tested, and returned as soon as possible, at no cost to you. DO NOT attempt to diagnose or repair recalled rifles.
“Remington takes safety extremely seriously,” said Teddy Novin, Director of Public Affairs and Communications. “While we have the utmost confidence in the design of the XMP trigger, we are undertaking this recall in the interest of customer safety, to remove any potential excess bonding agent applied in the assembly process. We have established significant safety and technical resources to determine which rifles are affected and to minimize any risks. Our goal is to have every recalled firearm inspected, specialty cleaned, tested and returned as soon as possible.”
If you have a Model 700 or Model Seven rifle subject to recall, contact Remington right away. Provide the rifle’s serial number and your addresss. Remington will send you pre-paid shipping tags, boxes and written instructions. Remington will cover all related shipping, inspection, and cleaning charges.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
April 12th, 2014
Here’s a great offer if you are looking for a top-quality, high-end competition, tactical, or hunting scope. Now through the end of April, 2014, Kelbly’s is offering a $300.00 Kelbly’s Credit if you purchase a March scope in stock. Here’s how this works, as explained by Ian Kelbly: “During the month of April, Kelbly’s will have a $300.00 instant gift certificate for anyone buying a March scope that is in stock. This sale does not include any March scopes that have to be ordered from the factory. You can use your gift certificate instantly on anything Kelbly’s carries, or use it on the purchase of the scope. If you would like a list of current March Scopes inventory, just email jim@kelbly.com and we will send you the inventory list.” CLICK HERE for more details.
Think about this — you can buy a great scope and save $300.00, or you could apply your $300.00 credit to a Kelbly Panda, Kodiak, or Atlas action or a Kelbly stock. Hmm, have you been wondering what to do with that tax refund? Well the folks at Kelbly’s have just stretched your budget by $300.00. Just remember this special $300.00 “instant gift certificate” is good this month (April, 2014) only. If you wait too long you may miss out on the big savings.
Special Promo Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
April 12th, 2014
New Daily Bulletin readers may not know that our AccurateShooter.com website offers an entire set of FREE TARGETS. There are over 50 free targets, including: Sight-in targets, Load Development targets, Benchrest targets, NRA Highpower targets, Scope Testing targets, Fun Targets, Rimfire BR targets, 3D Bullseye targets, and even a special set of Rimfire Tactical targets.
Most of the targets come bundled in .zip archives, so you can easily download multiple targets with one click. The targets are saved in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat), so they are easy to print and the scale is correct no matter what your screen resolution.
In the photo above, Forum member FireMedic shows some fine shootin’ with our basic Accuracy Target. With small, red diamonds and extended black lines, this target allows very precise aiming at 100 and 200 yards. The gray dot on top provides a reference point for a 200-yard zero. FireMedic reports: “My 30″, 12 twist, 3 groove does pretty good for an old Savage chambered in .308 Win.” With an average group size of 0.208 inches we’d have to agree. Great Shootin’ FireMedic!
Above are two fun targets you might enjoy. The Atomic Target was originally created as a contest for our readers. The design is by Michael Forester of Auckland, New Zealand. Hit the bigger green and red neutrons, then try your luck with the smaller electrons. Or you can try to shot some “bug-holes” with our popular Fly Shoot Target. Watch out for the bio-hazard rings!
Of course, if you happen to have actual insect land on your target, you might just shoot an honest-to-goodness “bughole”. Here we see an accurate “direct hit” on a gnat’s a** by Dr. Clint D., described by GA Precision’s George Gardner as a “gnat protologist”. The shot was made at 100 yards with a very accurate GAP .260 Rem.
April 11th, 2014
 The 2014 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) take place this month in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The prestigious event, which runs through April 26th, kicked off yesterday with air pistol matches.
Following the pistol competition, Women’s Rifle takes to the range April 16-20, and then the NJOSC will conclude with Men’s Rifle, April 22-26. Both rifle weeks will include both Air Rifle and Three-Position (smallbore) competition.
For the first time in the history of the National Junior Olympics, all competitors will shoot on electronic targets. USA Shooting completed a massive range upgrade to improve lighting and enhance the spectator experience by incorporating more than 70 new electronic targets. This is cutting-edge technology that allows both real-time scoring and even live video streaming on the internet. Shown below are the target print-outs for Air Pistol.
In our dreams we could hope for electronic scoring at high power and long-range centerfire events. Wouldn’t it be cool to have scores appear instantaneously, in real time? In addition, after firing a relay you could get a print-out that would show the exact placement of your shots in the scoring rings. That would be handy for analyzing your wind calls. But best of all, with electronic targets, shooters would no longer have to pull pit duty in the hot sun! Over time we may see more of this technology for centerfire competition. We’re told that the new 500-acre, $20 million CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park, being built in Alabama, will have some electronic scoring capabilities.
USA Shooting Video Streaming of Junior Olympics Events
On its YouTube channel, USA Shooting will provide Live and recorded events from the USA Shooting Olympic Training Center Ranges in Colorado Springs. As we write this, the NJOSC 2014 Men & Women Air Pistol Day 2 Air Pistol Relays are streaming. CLICK Here for NJOSC Videos and Streamed Events.
April 11th, 2014
This Article Originally Appeared in Sinclair International’s The Reloading Press.
Pre-Season Gun Maintenance,
by Ron Dague, Sinclair International
 I give my rifles a pre-season check before the shooting season starts. This starts with a general inspection starting with the butt-plate or recoil pad and making sure that all the screws and adjustable parts (on an adjustable butt-plate) move freely up or down and side to side. If you got caught in rain some of these screws and adjustable parts may not move when needed. I disassemble parts as needed and put rust preventative or a light oil and/or grease on threads and sliding parts. On rifles with recoil pads and fixed butt-plates, make sure the screws are tight and that holes in the stock aren’t stripped out. Make sure there are no cracks in the stock and around the butt-plate. If the recoil pad is glued-on, just make sure it hasn’t come loose.
Next I take the action out of the stock and check for cracks and wear marks. I look at the bedding to make sure that oils and cleaning solvents have not damaged the bedding. While the action is out of the stock, I look for any surface rust or dirt/dust in the recoil lug area and magazine well. Clean as needed and repair or re-bed if needed.
Trigger Assembly and Action
 With the barreled action out of the stock, it is a good time to spray out the trigger with cleaner. I use Ronson oil or lighter fluid. [Editor’s Note: Some trigger-makers advise against using any kind of lubricant, grease or oil — so plain lighter fluid is preferred.] After the trigger is cleaned you may want to check the trigger pull weight. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, take it to a gun smith and have it checked. It is worth every penny to not have a trigger issue and/or a safety malfunction. I also take the bolt apart and clean the firing pin spring and bolt housing with Gun Scrubber or automotive brake cleaner. Then lube the firing pin-spring and firing pin with light oil. I use Kel Lube and/or Butch’s gun oil. Put a small dab of gun grease on the [bolt locking lugs] and cocking ramp.
I will also spray the outside of the action and barrel and give that a light coating of oil for rust prevention. I clean the action with Sinclair’s action cleaning tool. Don’t forget to clean the bore. Even though you didn’t fire the rifle, this makes sure nothing obstructs your barrel.
Checking Metal Fixtures and Fasteners
 Next I look at the trigger guard and hinged floor plate and make sure it works as designed. Make sure there are no cracks in the trigger guard from an accidental drop. Check guard screws and /or action screws for tightness and tighten to proper spec. There are torque specs for this, but on wood stocks the wood can crush and this should be checked throughout the year as weather change can affect this. My entire collection of rifles are bedded and I just tighten them just snug with screw driver or Allen wrench. The rimfire rifles have a spec of 55 to 74 inch/lbs and I think would carry over to center fire as well. I would caution you about torque wrenches as you need a good quality wrench, and read the directions on how to use it. You can over torque if not careful. Check the swivel studs and bipod to make sure there tight as well. You may want to take scope off and check the base screws and check the rings.
Test Fire the Rifle After Maintenance
After all cleaning and is done and everything is reassembled, take a few rounds out to the range and test fire to make sure everything works as it should. Don’t forget to run 3-5 rounds through the magazine at least two times for function. I look at this as preventive maintenance on the rifle. If you give it a look over you shouldn’t have any trouble during the rifle matches or hunting trip.
Ron Dague
Certified Reloading Instructor
Certified Range Safety Officer
Email: rond [at] sinclairintl.com
Phone: 800-717-8211
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