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August 14th, 2014
If you’re thinking of buying a Remington rifle, here’s a way to put forty bucks back in your pocket. Now through December 31, 2014, Remington is offering $40.00 cash back on Rem 700 SPS rifles, $40.00 cash back on Rem 783 rifles, and $35.00 cash back on Rem 700 ADL rifles. You can save even more on Remington brand shotguns. Big Green is currently offering $100.00 cash back on Versa Max (and Versa Max Sportsman) shotguns. That’s a pretty attractive offer. Click here for Rebate info.
In addition to cash back rebates on long gun purchases, Remington has a “free ammo” incentive for 1911-type handguns. Purchasers of Remington 1911 R1 pistols can receive four, 50-round boxes of Remington HTP .45 ACP ammo. (In some states, qualifying buyers will receive $100.00 cash back by mail in lieu of ammunition.)
Rebate Tip from Edlongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
August 14th, 2014
Just when you’ve thought you’ve seen everything… somebody comes up with a see-through revolver. Credit those wacky Brazilians at Taurus for this idea. We’re not sure why anybody needs a see-through side-plate on their carry-gun. Yes, this is innovative, but we suspect the clear-view Lexan® sideplate is more a marketing gimmick than a utilitarian feature.
Taurus Wheelgun Weighs Just Nine Ounces
Once you get over the novelty of the transparent side-plate, the main attraction of this wheelgun is its remarkably light weight. The Taurus 85 View weighs just 9 ounces unloaded. That makes it 40% lighter than a Smith & Wesson Model 642 Airweight Revolver, which weighs 15 ounces unloaded. For comparision, the Ruger LC9 pistol tips the scales at 17.9 ounces empty, while a Glock 19 weighs 23.65 ounces unloaded. So this little double-action-only (DAO) Taurus really is a feather-weight. The Taurus 85 View is offered with a silver finish or (cringe) a Pink Frame, presumably for the ladies.
FREE NRA Membership with purchase
August 13th, 2014
Giraud Tool has a new case trimmer/chamferer that works with a power drill (or other power source). Giraud’s patent-pending Tri Way Case Trimmer is a self-contained unit powered by your drill or motor. Using a sharp carbide blade it will trim your cases to length, deburr, and cut both inside and outside chamfers — all in one pass. That’s pretty impressive for a $90 tool that fits in the palm of your hand.
Close-up of the Tri Way cutter with clear plastic chip guard removed.
Product Features
1. Fully adjustable for cartridge length (and depth of chamfer).
2. Tool includes carbide blade that cuts a 15° inside case mouth chamfer and 45° outside chamfer.
3. Case holder supported by sealed ball bearing raceway.
4. Tool includes removable, transparent plastic chip guard.
5. Tool can work in any orientation (vertical, horizontal, or any angle).
The Giraud Tri Way Trimmer is designed to be powered by a portable hand drill, drill press, or other dedicated rotating power source. The tool indexes off the shoulder of your cases, but the blade adjusts so that cartridge overall length (COAL) can be controlled with precision. Constructed out of 6061-T6 aluminum and 303 stainless steel, the Tri Way tool should last a lifetime. Note: This tool is not universal. The Tri Way is dedicated to a single cartridge and “related” cartridges with similar body dimensions. Thus you need a specific tool for each cartridge family. For example, the .308 Win tool will also trim .243 Win, .260 Rem, and 7mm-08.
Cartridge Sizes Available for Giraud Tri Way Trimmer:
.223 Remington (Also trims .17 Remington, .204 Ruger, .222 Remington, .222 Remington Magnum)
7.62 x 39mm (Russian)
.300 Blackout (Also trims .17 Rem Fireball, .221 Fireball)
.308 Winchester (Also trims .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, 7mm-08)
.30-06 Springfield (Also trims .25-06, .270 Winchester, .280 Remington)
.300 Winchester Mag (Also trims .264 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum)
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
August 13th, 2014
We know that quite a few hunters and tactical shooters read the Daily Bulletin. Here’s a product for you guys that need a multi-purpose padded support that can be easily carried and adapted to a variety of positions (such as on platforms, vehicle hoods, as well as flat ground). This versatile bag can be used on the front (supporting the fore-end), or in the rear (supporting the buttstock). Made in the USA, the Armageddon Brick costs $39.95. It is offered in three colors: Coyote Tan, Black, and Foliage Green.
Made by Armageddon Gear, and sold through the Sniper’s Hide Store, “The Brick” has unique features that make it ultra-handy in the field. First the “grippy” outer material is rubberized and textured so it can provide a firm grip on a support surface as needed. Overlapping Velcro-lined straps allow the bag to be attached to a rifle fore-end, buttstock, tripod head, shooting sticks, or pack. The square cross-section provides secure contact between the rifle stock and support surface. You can easily adjust the firmness of the bag by adding or subtracting filler material. (Some guys will fill their Brick with sand; others may prefer beads or other lighter media to save weight.) The panel under the strap is nylon to allow the shooter’s hand to easily slide underneath the strap when desired.
August 12th, 2014
Report by Jeff Stover, IBS President
Photos by Vera Carter
 Smooth. Efficient. Well-run. Lots of small groups. Those words pretty much spell out the 45th annual IBS Group Nationals at Fairchance, PA. Match Director Bill Reahard and his crew put on a great show that consists of six days of competition from Monday through Saturday. Bill and his team spent days getting their southwestern Pennsylvania range ready for the nearly 80 shooters who attended. Fairchance is no stranger to big matches as the club has hosted previous Nationals and World Team qualifiers.
IBS 2014 Group Nat’l Championship RESULTS (web-page)
IBS 2014 Group Nat’l Championship RESULTS (XLS spreadsheet)
Six Days of Competition in Four Classes
Some say that the IBS Group Nationals is a marathon. Six days of competition at both 100 and 200 yards with four classes of rifles: Light Varmint (10.5 lb.); Sporter (10.5 lb. – 6mm min caliber); Heavy Varmint (13.5 lb.) and Heavy Bench (known as ‘Unlimited’ in NBRSA-land). The first three classes are simply known as the “bag guns”. Most competitors use a 10.5-lb. rifle in 6PPC and compete in all three classes. The Heavy Bench (HB) class requires 10-shot groups as opposed to 5-shot groups for the bag guns. There is no prohibition to shooting your 10.5 lb. rifle in HB, but bag guns are simply outclassed by the rail guns, especially for 10-shot groups.
All 100-yard targets were shot the first three days followed by three days at 200 yards. It is done in this sequence to require only one change of wind flags.
Natalie from the Target Crew during the Powder-Puff match.
The week delivered pretty typical mid-Atlantic August weather: hazy sun with 80% humidity in the morning dropping to 50% as the temperature warmed. Fairchance is sometimes known to offer strong crosswinds that challenge the best of shooters. This week, however, the breezes were light to moderate and switchy. A shooter on his game with a well-tuned rifle could assemble a string of good groups. There were many ‘Teen Aggs’ (sub-.200 five target averages) shot this week.
Musical Chairs at the Group Nationals
IBS Nationals competition requires ‘full rotation’. That means that every time a shooter goes to the line for the next match target, he or she must move a requisite number of benches to the right. At the end of the day a shooter will shoot across the full width of the line. Some ranges offer unique properties that render some parts of the range harder or easier to shoot small groups. Bench rotation is important to even out those factors.
View looking down-range. This is a beautiful place to shoot.
Monday morning saw the Heavy Bench (HB) shooters hauling the big rail guns to the line. Bill Symons led the way at 100 yards with the only ‘Teen Agg’ in HB, a fine .1972. The 200-yard stage for HB would not be held until Saturday morning.
On Tuesday the bag guns came out for Light Varmint (LV) and Sporter (SP). Conditions allowed for quite a few very good groups. When the top five are under .1900 you know two things — Nationals competitors brought their “A Game” and the conditions were manageable. Sporter was not too much different as the first four were in the ‘teens. Ohio’s Jeff Gaidos led the way in LV with a .1714. In SP, Wayne Campbell from Virginia won with a .1902.
Sporter 100 “Top Guns” (L to R): Charles Miller, Steve Lee, Al Auman, Wayne Campbell, Larry Costa.
Wednesday was reserved for Heavy Varmint (HV) at 100 yards. Steve Lee worked his magic with a .1742. Reportedly, he was using some new Bart’s bullets on new Bart’s jackets. Steve shot well all week. Those new bullets certainly contributed to his success.
Wednesday afternoon saw the moving of flags for the 200-yard stage of the competition. The SP and LV 200 yard targets were Thursday’s course of fire. In LV, Hal Drake shot a .2045 Aggregate which edged Larry Costa’s .2076. At 200 yards the Aggregates are measure on MOA. Therefore, Hal’s .2045 Aggregate translates to an average 200 yard target measurement of .409”. The afternoon was reserved for SP targets. Wayne Campbell shot a .2250 to win the afternoon’s contest.
On Friday, a single Aggregate of five record targets were shot for Heavy Varmint (HV) at 200 yards. Harley Baker had his mojo working with a tiny .1674 Aggregate — not far off from the IBS record. On Friday afternoon many of the awards for the bag guns were given out. Saturday was reserved for HB 200. Since some of the bag gun shooters do not shoot a rail gun a number of competitors left Friday afternoon. The rail guns came out to contest 200 yards on the last day of the Nationals. The winner was Jack Neary who shot a .2324 Aggregate to edge Steve Lee’s .2361.
IBS 2014 Group Shooting National Championships — Top Fives
About the IBS Awards at the Group Nationals
The IBS recognizes winners as follows: Range Aggregates for each of the four classes of rifles; Grand (100 and 200) Aggregates in each of the four classes; 2-Gun (all HV and LV targets in 100 & 200); 3-gun (HV, LV, SP in 100 & 200) and 4-gun (HV, LV, SP and HB in 100 & 200). For the multi-gun competition, Florida’s Larry Costa won both the 2-Gun and 3-Gun titles. In the 4-gun, however, it was Michigander Bill Symons who took the 4-Gun title with an excellent .2332.
August 12th, 2014
 Shooting Sports USA, the NRA’s monthly journal for target shooting enthusiasts, is celebrating more than 100 years of reporting on competition shooting. The magazine features shooting news, technical articles, product reviews, and an annual calendar of 15,000 matches. Articles examine a breadth of topics, from tournament results to shooting techniques, and cater to shooters of all ages and experience levels.
American Rifleman and American Hunter are the high profile NRA magazines. But avid competitors turn to Shooting Sports USA for news on competitive shooting. Now in it’s 100th year of publication, Shooting Sports USA is a great resource, and it’s FREE. That’s right, the digital version of Shooting Sports USA is free to read online. Check it out:
CLICK HERE to Read FREE August issue.
CLICK HERE for FREE digital subscription to Shooting Sports USA.
Origins of Shooting Sports USA
 The progenitor of Shooting Sports USA was originally an insert in Arms and the Man (which later became the American Rifleman). The rising popularity of competitive shooting led to the creation of a new magazine in 1947 named NRA Tournament News. In 1976 the magazine was renamed American Marksman and began publishing more articles oriented toward the competitive shooter. The magazine again changed its name in 1988 to Shooting Sports USA, and it remains today one of the leading competition shooting journals in the USA.
“Anyone who has an interest in competitive shooting, from beginners to professionals, can find something to like in the pages of Shooting Sports USA,” said Managing Editor Chip Lohman. “From covering the sport’s history to tips on improving accuracy, our magazine is dedicated to helping shooters across the United States enjoy their sport.”
August 11th, 2014
 A.P. Lane’s Gold Medal-Winning Colt Revolver
This Colt Officer’s Model revolver, factory-fitted with a skeletonized hammer, belonged to legendary Olympic shooter A. P. Lane, who was known as the “Pistol Wizard”. Lane used this Colt Revolver to win FIVE Olympic Gold Medals — three in 1912 and two in 1920.
A.P. Lane was one of the greatest pistol shooters of his generation. He shot scores that were typically 25-50 points higher than those of his competitors. And he exhibited true Corinthian spirit. At the 1912 Olympics, Lane shared his match ammunition with another competitor who used that ammo to capture the Silver Medal (Lane won the Gold).
This revolver, factory-fitted with a skeletonized hammer, was used by American A.P. Lane in winning five Olympic Gold Medals in the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. It’s a .38 caliber, Officer’s Model centerfire revolver from the early 20th century. Olympian A.P. Lane’s Gun can be found in Gallery 13, Firearm Traditions for Today, at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia. The Museum exhibit includes a panoply of Lane pieces – his revolver, his five Gold Medals, and the five Olympic certificates that went along with them.
Click Photo to See Full-Size Image
Watch Video History of the A.P. Lane Revolver
August 11th, 2014
If you want to win a major multi-gun match these days, you have to go through Horner. SSG Daniel Horner of the USAMU demonstrated his 3-Gun process once again this past week in Raton, New Mexiso. Horner was the big winner at the Rocky Mountain 3-Gun World Championship, a grueling, 5-day, 15-stage event. Besting a field of America’s leading 3-gunners, Horner won with his signature combination of speed, agility, accuracy, determination, and toughness. You can’t rattle this guy.
Run ‘N Gun at 6000 feet
The Rocky Mountain 3-Gun (RM3Gun) is an action shooting match in the natural terrain of the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, NM. The riverbeds, mountains, trees and rocks provide props for the stages. There are 5 divisions: Open, Tactical Scope, Tactical Iron, He-Man Scope, and He-Man Iron.
RM3Gun is a very physical match, and Whittington’s 6000′ altitude makes things even tougher. The pace, thin air, and terrain challenge competitors’ fitness levels. The match has a healthy amount of long range rifle shooting. The match organizers state: “We try to strike a balance between rifle, shotgun and pistol, but you will definitely have lots of rifle because it’s one of the only places you can shoot as far in such a beautiful environment. Usually, we have some moving/aerial targets for the shotgun as moving targets are what the gun is designed for.”
August 10th, 2014
 Ben Emms of Australia won the U.S. Fullbore Championship with an 891-114V score. One point back, Nancy Tompkins finished second, earning the Silver Medal with 890-105V. Michigander Charles Hayes won the F-TR division with 807-34V.
For the “slings and irons” Target Rifle competitors, the individual championship came down to a ten-person Shoot-Off. Americans fared well. Along with Tompkins’ second-place finish, Kelly Bachand placed fifth, Trudie Fay was eighth, Steven Powell finished ninth, and SSG Shane Barnhardt was tenth. Overall, that was a great showing by Americans. This bodes well for the 2015 Fullbore World Championship at Camp Perry.
Today the Fullbore Championships conclude with Palma Team matches. The top shooters are on the firing line, doing their best for their teams and respective countries.
Annette Wachter, aka “30 Cal Gal” offers this report from yesterday: “Here is my Award for most awesome team shirt. Saturday was a crazy morning. I got into position to shoot and there was zero wind. But by the time I took a shot it went to 11 minutes! I Got blown off the target twice. Had to laugh. Nothing I could do. I held great elevation though.”
CLICK HERE for Individual National Fullbore Championship Results, with Shoot-Off.
The Fullbore Championship — Down to the Wire
Competitor’s Report from Kelly Bachand, Kelly’s Gun Sales
Well it all turned out pretty darn well. I was in 7th place in the grand aggregate at the beginning of the day. After the first match of the day I dropped to 10th, and after shooting one of the best strings I’ve ever shot in my life I moved up to 3rd! I then shot in the Top 10 Shoot-Off to determine the final standing and I ended up 5th overall. I’m really quite pleased with this result and I feel very blessed.
Click No Bang — You Have to Load the Rifle!
Going into the final string at 1000 yards I felt myself starting to get a little worked up. I stopped and prayed and really worked at calming myself down. I got in position and got ready to shoot, loaded my first round, made my wind call and took the shot. “Click”. It didn’t go off and worse still I jerked the heck out of the trigger. It’s odd that it didn’t go off, but it happens once in a while, I usually just cock the rifle again and the round goes off on the second try. I line up the sights again, “Click”. Yikes! I jerked the trigger again and there must be something wrong with my rifle! I pull the bolt back and check the end cap, it’s not loose, so I go to eject the round to inspect it and I discover that I never loaded the rifle to begin with! That really calmed me down, quite a lot. I was almost laughing at myself on the line.
Reading the Wind
After the embarassing “click no bang” sequence, I picked an indicator — there was a flag almost pointing at me, and I used it to judge the angle changes. I watched other flags and the mirage for velocity changes and I tried my best to break good shots, and it worked. It was as if God helped me break the right shots at the right time. On a number of occasions I took a shot I called on one side or the other and the wind had either picked up or let off in such a way that if I hadn’t shot it exactly where I did then I would have lost points (calling a shot is just guessing where the shot will be based on how it felt and what it looked like when the gun went off). It was awesome. I ended up with a 75-8V, one of only five 75s that were shot on that string. This means that in 10-15 mph crosswinds, from 1000 yards away, with iron sights, and supported by a sling, I kept 15 consecutive shots inside an area less than two feet across with more than half of them in an area less than one foot across.
The Top 10 Shoot-Off
Since this match is a dress rehearsal for the World Long Range Championships next year there is then a shoot off among the top 10 scoring competitors. Fifteen more shots at 1000 yards and the score from that additional string is added to each shooter’s running total. The overall winner is the one with the most points.
During the Shoot-Off, the wind had picked up a little more, but not much. The biggest challenge I had was that the wind had such a speed that even from prone and with a sling the rifle was no longer steady. Instead the rifle sights were bouncing around as if I was shooting standing. So it was no longer good enough to simply have a good handle on the wind, we now also needed to squeeze the shot off at precisely the right moment. Needless to say some shooters excelled and some did not. Nancy Tompkins impressed everyone present by shooting a 75-7V in these conditions. I had a 70-4V which moved me from 3rd place to 5th place overall.
So I just got 5th place in the U.S. Fullbore Nationals and I’m honestly quite blown away by that result. There were some of the best shooters in the world present. Some of the other countries brought the same shooters who will compete next year in the World Long Range Championships — they were here. This also served as a try-out session for the U.S. Palma Team so many of the best shooters from the USA were present and competing. And then there is me. I’ve shot just two matches this year: a local 1000 yard match back home, and these Nationals. I practiced about half a dozen times and usually at less than 200 yards before coming to Nationals. Yet, despite the many reasons I shouldn’t have done well here, God saw fit to bless me and helped me to shoot very well.
Read Full Report by Kelly Bachand (more details).
August 10th, 2014
Reading is good for you, and books (at least the right books) can make you a better shooter. Right now Creedmoor Sports has a great sale on some of the best books for precision shooters. All in-stock book titles are 25% off this weekend. (No back-orders.) But you have to act soon — the sale ends today, Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 11:59 pm. You snooze, you loose!
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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