Forum member Rick Curtis, a shooter from the Phoenix area, put together an interesting video showing some of the F-Class shooters at a recent club match at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. Rick notes: “As you can see (hear) at the beginning of the video the first relay was fired in a ‘frisky’ headwind.” (Don’t worry about the awful wind noise — it moderates 35 seconds into the video.) It is interesting to see the different shooting styles, and the wide variety of hardware on the line.
Watch F-Class Shooting Video from Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, AZ
One fellow who watched the video made an interesting comment: “A couple of those shooters sure do a lot of moving around before and after the shot. I shoot sling and jacket and definitely try to minimize my movement. Is minimizing movement as important in F-Class?”
Rick Curtis replied: “I sent some of the individual videos back to the shooters who were in them with some recommendations that included minimizing movement, spotting scope placement, shot routine suggestions and a few other observations.”
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Need to find an FFL near you (or near a destination to which you’ll be traveling)? Then check out this handy FFL Finder app from Huntgeek.com. This easy-to-use, inexpensive iPhone App locates FFLs throughout the country. FFL Finder sells for just 99 cents ($0.99) on the iTunes store.
With FFL Finder, you instantly get mapped results of FFL holders near your location (via GPS) or by selecting an area on a map. You can quickly find a variety of nearby FFLs you can contact to compare their transfer rates and policies. If you need to ship a gun out of state, the program quickly finds an FFL who can receive the firearm. And if you are traveling away from home for a match, or a hunting trip, the App can find locations where you can obtain ammo, supplies, and replacement parts. That’s reassuring. Imagine you are traveling and your firearm breaks, or your optics fail, so you need spare parts or a new scope immediately. The FFL Finder App can help you source what you need.
MIL or MOA — which angular measuring system is better for target ranging (and hold-offs)? In a recent article on his PrecisionRifleBlog.com website, Cal Zant tackles that question. Analyzing the pros and cons of each, Zant concludes that both systems work well, provided you have compatible click values on your scope. Zant does note that a 1/4 MOA division is “slightly more precise” than 1/10th mil, but that’s really not a big deal: “Technically, 1/4 MOA clicks provide a little finer adjustments than 1/10 MIL. This difference is very slight… it only equates to 0.1″ difference in adjustments at 100 yards or 1″ at 1,000 yards[.]” Zant adds that, in practical terms, both 1/4-MOA clicks and 1/10th-MIL clicks work well in the field: “Most shooters agree that 1/4 MOA or 1/10 MIL are both right around that sweet spot.”
Zant does note that a whopping 94% of shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) used a mil-based reticle. However, Zant says: “This does NOT mean MIL is better. It just means MIL-based scopes are more popular.” Zant agrees with Bryan Litz’s take on the subject: “You can’t really go wrong with either (MIL or MOA). They’re both equally effective, it comes down to how well you know the system. If you’re comfortable with MOA, I wouldn’t recommend switching to MIL. I have a few MIL scopes but primarily because they’re on rifles used for military evaluation projects, and that community is now mostly converted to MILS, so when in Rome….”
We recommend you read Zant’s complete article which is very thorough and is illustrated with helpful graphics. Here are the key points Zant makes in his MIL vs. MOA analysis:
MIL vs. MOA — Key Points
There are a handful of minor differences/trade-offs between MIL & MOA, but there are no inherent advantage to either system. Most people blow the small differences WAY out of proportion….Here are the biggest differences and things to keep in mind:
Whatever you decide, go with matching turret/reticle (i.e. MIL/MIL or MOA/MOA)
1/4 MOA adjustments are slightly more precise than 1/10 MIL.
MIL values are slightly easier to communicate.
If you think in yards/inches the math for range estimation is easier with MOA. If you think in meters/cm the math is easier with MIL.
When your shooting partners are using one system, there can be some advantage to having the same system.
Around 90% of the PRS competitors use MIL.
There are more product options (with ranging reticles) in MIL.
Range Card Print-Outs
Zant makes an interesting practical point regarding range card print-outs. He suggests the MIL System may be easier to read: “You can see in the range card examples below, 1/4 MOA adjustments take up more room and are a little harder to read than 1/10 MIL adjustments.”
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The digital archives of Shooting Sports USA feature an interview with Olympic smallbore shooter Lones Wigger. This constitutes the third and final part in a series by Jock Elliott on pressure during a match and the methods top shooters use to handle their nerves.Read Part I | Read Part II.
The Fine Art of Not Cracking Under Pressure – Part III
by Lones Wigger, Smallbore Rifle Olympic Medalist
It’s pretty complicated — this subject of dealing with pressure. I’m a precision shooter and have learned to excel in that discipline. You’ve got to learn to shoot the desired scores at home and in training. And once you’re capable of shooting the scores, you may not shoot the same way in the match because of the match pressure. As a result, it takes 3-4 years to learn how to shoot, and another 3-4 years to learn how to win — to deal with the match pressure. It takes several more years to learn how to do it when it counts.
To win, there are several things you have to learn how to do. You have to do it from within. You have to learn how to train just as if you were in a big competition. You work on every shot. You have got to learn to treat it just like a match — to get the maximum value out of every shot. You have got to use the same technique in practice and in training. A lot of shooters have a problem because they change their technique from practice to the match. In competition, you work your ass off for every shot. You have to approach the training the same way.
A second way to combat pressure is to shoot in every competition you can get into so that you become accustomed to it.
Do Everything Possible to Prepare
The third technique is preparation. Before you are going to shoot in a big competition, train hard to do everything you can to raise your scores. So when you’re in the match, you know that you have done everything humanly possible to get ready for the competition. If you have self-doubt, you will not shoot well. You have to have the will to prepare to win.
When Gary Anderson was a kid, he couldn’t afford a gun or ammunition. He had read about the great Soviet shooters. With his single shot rifle, he would get into position, point that gun and dry fi re for hours at a time in the three different positions. He had tremendous desire. He wanted to win and he did whatever he could to get there. When he finally got into competition, he shot fantastic scores from the beginning.
Visualize Winning to Train the Subconscious Mind
A little bit of psychology: You picture in your mind what you want to do. You have to say, OK, I’m going to the Olympics and perform well. Picture yourself shooting a great score and how good it feels. You are training your subconscious mind. Once you get it trained, it takes over. A coach taught me to visualize the outcome, and it worked. Eventually you train your subconscious and it believes you can win. At first I didn’t know about teaching the subconscious to take over, but now I do it all the time. And it certainly worked for me at the 1972 Olympics. What it really takes is training and doing the same thing in training as at a match. If you are “just shooting,” you are wasting your time. READ MORE….
CLICK HERE to READ FULL ARTICLE featuring interviews with Brian Zins, Bruce Piatt, Carl Bernosky and Ernie Vande Zande. (Article take some time to load.)
This is the kind of shooting match we like to see — with competitors of all ages having fun without having to shell out gobs of hard-earned money. More than 170 shooters competed at the NSSF Rimfire Challenge World Championship, held this past weekend (October 3-5) at the Old Fort Gun Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas. (Notably, that is ten more competitors than attended the much-ballyhooed Trijicon World Shooting Championships last month.) And, for many competitors, the Rimfire Challenge was very much a family affair — with mom, dad, and the kids all joining in the fun.
Kids Having Fun — Youth Competitors at NSSF Rimfire Challenge World Championship.
Rimfire Challenge attendance was up 60 percent this year compared to 2013. Shooters ranged in age from seven years to 83 years, with a big turn-out of junior (age 13-17) and youth (12 and under) shooters. “We are extremely pleased at the caliber of sportsmanship and camaraderie shown at Old Fort Gun Club this weekend,” said Zach Snow, NSSF Manager of Shooting Promotions. “Entire families traveled from all across the country to be here. It’s exactly this kind of supportive and family-friendly atmosphere that makes the Rimfire Challenge what it is: fun for everyone.”
B.J. Norris walked away with the top prize of World Champion. Shooting in the Open Division, Norris’ total time over the more than a dozen stages was 161.11 seconds. In second place overall was young Caleb Partch of Missouri. Caleb also won the Junior Open Division. Wayne Seale was the top Limited Division Shooter. Top Lady Shooters were Cassie Beahr of Iowa (Open) and Cheyenne Dalton (Limited and Junior). CLICK HERE for complete match results.
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You’ve heard of “Adrenalin Junkies”? Well many readers of this website could rightly be called “Accuracy Junkies”. And for true accuracy junkies nothing can beat the “rush” you get with a rail gun. These heavy Unlimited rigs are the most accurate benchtop shooting machines ever created. Campaigned by ace competitors in the 100/200-yard benchrest game, rail guns are capable of delivering the ultimate in rifle accuracy — multiple groups in the zeros one after another.
RAIL GUNS GALORE — Video shows many current Rail Guns (Ocock Rail at 0:35 Mark):
Ultimate Benchrest Accuracy
How accurate can rail guns be? Hall-of-Fame shooter (and skilled gunsmith) Gary Ocock recently shot a terrific five-target Agg this past weekend in a match at Visalia, California. The range-measured Agg (average group size of all five targets) is an amazing 0.1088″, with four “zero” groups out of five. Though it won’t be submitted for a new record, this Agg is still a stunning demonstration of the accuracy these big rigs can deliver. The current NBRSA Unlimited 5-target, 100-yard Agg record is 0.1242 by Jerry Lahr. Congrats to Gary for a fine performance. The cartridge was a 6 PPC loaded with Gary’s own custom-made boat-tail bullets. The rifle is a modified Jay Young Rail, fitted with a 1:13.5″-twist Krieger barrel.
Gary’s rail gun features a round hole in the barrel block and a Delrin sleeve placed between block and barrel. The rail gun also has been modified to save weight for bench rotations. The lead photo (at top) is from an earlier match when Gary’s rail had a BAT action. Currently Gary is running a Marsh Saguaro action, shown in the photo below.
NOTE: Gary does not aim through two scopes at the same time, in binocular fashion. However, he does have a twin mount option so he can periodically check one scope against another, to ensure the scopes are holding point of aim. Gary tells us he normally just runs one scope. But at this match he wanted to ensure that his primary scope (the black Bausch & Lomb on left) was performing 100%. So he would cross-check it from time to time using the silver Weaver (on right). Gary notes that, unlike many rail gun shooters, he looks through his scope before each shot, and sometimes makes a very minor aiming correction using the rail controls. His scopes are boosted to very high power (55X), so even when the shots are falling in a tiny “bug-hole” cluster he can see if the last shot edged a bit left or right. He then adjusts aim accordingly.
Story and photos by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
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In the “good old days”, if you needed rimfire ammo for fun shooting, you could just head over to Walmart (or a local sporting goods store) and find a wide variety of offerings, including low-cost bulk packs from Federal, CCI, and Remington. These days, there are “slim pickings”, even at Wally World. You need to “cast a bigger net” to find rimfire ammo these days.
One of the most efficient ways to locate rimfire ammunition nationwide is to use Ammoseek.com, a specialized search engine. On its home page, Ammoseek has a handy 22LR PAGE link. With just one click you can search dozens of ammo vendors.
If you click the 22LR Page link, Ammoseek instantly calls up current ammo inventories located by Ammoseek’s automated search bots. Then Ammoseek plots ALL the available rimfire ammo, sorted from least expensive to most expensive. Here are search results from this morning, October 6, 2014. We found some CCI Blazer at $4.99 per 50-rd box (40gr LRN). That’s just want we needed for a plinking session at the range.
Click Image to see full-screen version.
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Here’s an interesting contest from Kahr Firearms Group (Kahr), the makers of Kahr compact carry pistols. To demonstrate the accuracy of its pistols, Kahr invites shooters to showcase their long-range pistol skills in a YouTube Video. There’s some serious prize money up for grabs.in this Long Range Shooting Video Contest. The contest winner receives $5000.00 worth of firearm products and accessories from Kahr, Magnum Research, and/or Auto Ordnance.
Submit Video for a Chance to Win
To enter the contest you need to shoot a Kahr pistol at a distance of at least 100 yards. Video your shooting session, and upload that to YouTube. The person whose YouTube video gets the most views will be named the Grand Prize winnner. The contest period runs November 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014 and the winner will be announced on January 6, 2015.
“Our goal of this shooting contest is to dispel the myth that accuracy is sacrificed in exchange for a smaller sized pistol, like that found in our concealed carry product line.” stated Justin Moon, CEO of Kahr Firearms Group.
The Long-Range Shooting Contest video must be original footage running from thirty seconds to three minutes in length. The footage must demonstrate shooting at a target distance of 100-yards (or more), exclusively using a Kahr pistol. CLICK HERE for Contest Rules.
Tech Tip — Pistol Accuracy
What kind of accuracy is possible with a small semi-auto pistol? Rested from a bench, we’ve seen production 1911s shoot inside 2″ at 50 yards. That may be hard to achieve with a Kahr, but who knows? If you are using the standard Kahr iron sights, you may want to use a 6 o’clock hold on a black bullseye. Alternatively, you can make a target with a large, thick horizontal line with a red/orange dot in the center (see sample below) The horizontal line helps you align the top of your front blade with the rear sights for best control over elevation.
Try Custom Hand-loads
If you’re serious about this contest, you should experiment with various custom hand-loads. (As far as we can tell, the contest rules allow custom-loaded ammo.) You may find that you get the best results with cast lead bullets (as opposed to jacketed bullets). Try a variety of load recipes, with a range of velocities (slow, medium, and fast). Some of our pistols like fast loads, while other handguns prefer slow (725-950 fps), subsonic loads.
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In these two videos from the Rekyyli Ja Riista (Recoil and Game) YouTube Channel, you can see how a modern, short-range benchrest rifle is shot. Note how the gun tracks superbly, returning right on target, shot after shot. As a result, the shooter doesn’t have to adjust the rifle position after firing (other than pushing the gun forward), so he can quickly load and fire within seconds of the previous shot. Good rests and consistent, smooth bolt actuation keep the gun from rocking.
It does take practice to perfect the right technique for shooting free recoil (or nearly free recoil — with just a pinch on the trigger guard). And, of course, you must have a very good bag/rest set-up and the stock geometry and rifle balance must be perfect. The ammo caddy also helps by placing the cartridge up high, right next to the left-aide loading port. Hats off to Forum member Boyd Allen for finding these videos. Boyd told us: “Watch carefully — Now this is how it’s done.” [Work Warning: Loud gunshot noises — Turn Down Volume before playback.]
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Craters may look interesting on the moon, but you don’t want to see them on your primers. Certain mechanical issues that cause primer craters can also cause primer piercing — a serious safety problem that needs to be addressed. If you have a gun that is cratering primers (even at moderate pressure levels), there is a solution that works with many rifles — send your bolt to Greg Tannel to have the firing pin hole bushed.
Shooters who convert factory actions to run 6BRs, 6PPCs or other high-pressure cartridges should consider having the firing pin bushed. These modern cartridges like to run at high pressures. When running stout loads, you can get cratering caused by primer flow around the firing pin hole in the bolt face. The reason is a little complicated, but basically the larger the hole, the less hydraulic pressure is required to crater the primer. A limited amount of cratering is normally not a big issue, but you can reduce the problem significantly by having a smith fit a bushing in the firing pin hole. In addition to reduced cratering, bushing the firing pin often produces more consistent ignition.
This is a highly recommended procedure that our editors have had done to their own rifles. Greg Tannel (Gre-Tan Rifles) is an expert at this procedure, and his turnaround time is fast — usually 2-3 days (shop time). Current price for a bushing job, which includes turning the firing pin to .062″, is $87.00 including USPS Priority Mail return shipping.
If you have a factory rifle, a bushed firing pin is the way to go if you are shooting the high-pressure cartridges such as 6PPC, 6BR, 6-6.5×47 and 6.5×47. This is one of the most cost-effective and beneficial upgrades you can do to your factory rifle. For more info on the Firing Pin Bushing process, visit GreTanRifles.com, or email greg [at] gretanrifles.com. (After clicking the link for GreTanRifles.com, Click on “Services” > “Shop Services” > “Bolt Work”, and you’ll see a listing for “Bush Firing Pin Hole & Turn Pin”. Select “View Details”.)
Firing Pin Hole Bushing by Greg Tannel
Work Done: Bush firing pin hole and turn pin.
Functions: Fixes your cratering and piercing problems.
Price: $80.00 + $7.00 return shipping Total Price: $87.00
Actions for which Bushing is Offered: Remington, Winchester, Savage, Sako, Kimber, Cooper, Nesika, Stiller, Bat, Kelbly, Lawton, Surgeon, Borden, Wichita, Hall, CZ, Ruger, Mauser, Howa, Weatherby, Dakota, Pacific Tool, Phoenix, RPA Quadlite, and Defiant bolt action rifle or pistol. Note: There may be extra tooling charges for case-hardened style bolts (Mauser, CZ, and similar) .
Actions for which Bushing is NOT Available: ARs, Accuracy International, Desert Tactical Arms, Big Horn, Rim fires, Falling block, Break open, Lever, Pump rifles.
How to send your bolt in to be bushed:
You can send your bolt snail mail, priority mail, UPS, Fed-Ex. What ever you prefer. Please include your name, phone number, and return shipping address. Turn around is normally 1 to 3 days shop time (plus shipping time). We usually do them the day that we get them in. Total cost is $87.00 for one bolt or $167.00 for two (this includes return shipping, priority mail.) Three or more will be sent back to you UPS and we will have to calculate extra shipping. We can overnight them at your expense. Check, money order, or credit card is fine with us.
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We recommend that all hand-loaders have a couple reliable reloading manuals as reference guides. Berger, Hornady, and Sierra all offer well-respected load manuals. These can provide starting load information for a wide variety of cartridge types and bullet selections. We do like to cross-check any printed load recipes with current online data, to ensure you have the latest info.
Along with a good load manual, those getting started in metallic cartridge reloading can benefit from a good basic reloading treatise. There’s a new intro guide from the publishers of Gun Digest.
The New Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide To Reloading, by Phillip Massaro, was created for shooters new to reloading. This is a good starting point for those who want to learn to hand-load safely and efficiently. Hundreds of photos illustrate the text — and we all know a picture can be worth a thousand words.
After discussing the benefits of hand-loading, Massaro’s book covers the basics of metallic cartridge reloading, step by step. Along the way Massaro recommends appropriate presses and tools for reloading both pistol and rifle cartridges. Massaro also explains the variations in bullet and powder types, and how they affect ballistics. In addition, Massaro includes a “Specialty Situations” chapter that reveals common reloading mistakes and issues and offers practical solutions. This section on avoiding common mistakes is one of book’s best features. We wish all reloading guides had a similar section.
Editor’s NOTE: This book will be released next week. Accordingly, we have not seen the final, printed version yet. At $14.79, the Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Reloading is relatively inexpensive. The sample chapters we reviewed provided good basic information in a well-organized fashion. Certainly, we would not tell advanced reloaders and/or competition shooters to rush out and buy this book. However, for folks getting started in hand-loading, this resource should be helpful.
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Have a good look at the photos below — this may be one of the most noteworthy target strings we’ve ever published. What you can see is the effect of barrel tuner position on point of impact (POI). You can clearly see that the tuner position alters the up/down POI location in a predictable fashion.
This remarkable 15-shot sequence was shot by French benchrester Pascal Fischbach using his 6 PPC fitted with a CG (Carlito Gonzales) action and a Bukys barrel tuner.
Pascal reports: “After [bullet] seating and load validation, I put the Bukys tuner on, screwing it out 10 turns. According to Carlito, the CG’s super stiff action-to-barrel fit gives a faster vibration modulus that is detrimental below 10 turns [position of the tuner].” Pascal’s procedure was to screw out the tuner 1/4 turn progressively from one shot to the next. He shot one bullet at each tuner position, with a total of 15 shots.
Left Half of Target Strip (shots with 1/4 rotation change of tuner in sequence)
Right Half of Target Strip (shots with 1/4 rotation change of tuner in sequence)
Pascal observed: “Note the point of impact displacement [from shot to shot] tracks clearly along a sinusoide (sine wave curve).” This is indeed notable and significant! This shows how the tuner’s ability to change barrel harmonics can alter the position of the muzzle as each bullet exits, resulting in a higher or lower POI. Pascal sent his results to Carlito Gonzales in Argentina for analysis.
Pascal poses this question to readers: “Guess which three positions Carlito recommends to try?”
Editor’s Note: While this target sequence clearly shows how tuner position can alter bullet point of impact, this, by itself, does not tell us which tuner position(s) are best for accuracy. That will require further multi-shot group testing, involving careful experimentation with tuner position (and powder charge weights). But for those folks who doubt that a tuner can make a difference on a short, fat barrel, just take another look at the photos. The up/down changes are undeniable, and noteworthy in the wave pattern they follow.
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It’s pretty complicated — this subject of dealing with pressure. I’m a precision shooter and have learned to excel in that discipline. You’ve got to learn to shoot the desired scores at home and in training. And once you’re capable of shooting the scores, you may not shoot the same way in the match because of the match pressure. As a result, it takes 3-4 years to learn how to shoot, and another 3-4 years to learn how to win — to deal with the match pressure. It takes several more years to learn how to do it when it counts. 
Ultimate Benchrest Accuracy
In these two videos from the 
Craters may look interesting on the moon, but you don’t want to see them on your primers. Certain mechanical issues that cause primer craters can also cause primer piercing — a serious safety problem that needs to be addressed. If you have a gun that is cratering primers (even at moderate pressure levels), there is a solution that works with many rifles — send your bolt to 
Firing Pin Hole Bushing by Greg Tannel
Have a good look at the photos below — this may be one of the most noteworthy target strings we’ve ever published. What you can see is the effect of barrel tuner position on point of impact (POI). You can clearly see that the tuner position alters the up/down POI location in a predictable fashion. 
