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December 26th, 2014
During the Christmas season we get together with our families and enjoy the fellowship of our relatives and dear friends. For many, this holiday is a time to pause and look inwards — to examine how we can improve our relations with loved ones, and lead happier, more fulfilling lives together. To that end, consider the message of a Native-American parable, the Tale of Two Wolves.
The Tale of Two Wolves
An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.”
“One is evil: he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.
The other is good: he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you — and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old chief answered . . .
“The one you feed.”
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December 25th, 2014
 Holiday Greetings to Our Readers
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our readers and especially our 26,480+ Forum Members. This marks our tenth Christmas “in business”, and the site is stronger than ever thanks to our members and industry sponsors. AccurateShooter.com (and 6mmBR.com) are now accessed by over 150,000 unique users every week. Part of the reason for that success is the hard work of our volunteer helpers.
Unsung Heroes Deserve Recognition
I want to acknowledge some guys who have really helped out the site. Number one is JayChris, our IT guy — he keeps the servers running smoothly and maintains our Forum. We just updated the Forum software this week and Jay pulled that off without a hitch. Thanks also go to Jeff Williams, our “Answerman” who fields miscellaneous questions from our readers. We have a great place to test rifles thanks to our good buddy (and designated trigger-puller) Joe Friedrich. I also want to recognize our regular contributors, including German Salazar, Jason Baney, Robert Whitley, Mark LaFevers, and Vince Bottomley. And special thanks to Boyd Allen and EdLongRange who tirelessly supply story leads for the Daily Bulletin. These guys (and many others) have all contributed much time and effort.
You can download this photo as a FREE computer wallpaper from Wallpaperhere.com.
We also want to thank our major sponsors, without whose support the site could not provide the full AccurateShooter.com experience, with an active Forum, an archive of in-depth articles, and fresh content 365 days a year in our Daily Bulletin. We’re grateful to all our sponsors and advertisers.
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December 25th, 2014
What do you get when you combine red Cerakote and barrel fluting? Well, a candy-cane AR barrel — just in time for the holidays. This unique barrel was created by Black Hole Weaponry in St. Helens Oregon. No this is not a Photoshop job. This barrel is really finished this way (as you can see in the close-up). Thanks to Anette Wachter, aka 30 Cal Gal, for finding this festive firearm fitting.
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December 25th, 2014
One of the most popular features of our Shooters’ Forum is the Official ‘Pride & Joy’ Rifle thread. There you’ll find dozens of interesting rifles, with photos and descriptions supplied by proud owners. Today we’re spotlighting one of the more interesting ‘Pride & Joy’ rifles unveiled this year, a Mosin Nagant “senior citizen”. This 72-year-old Russian bolt gun is not like any Mosin Nagant you’ve ever seen before. It has been brought into the 21st Century with a handsome target stock and some first-class upgrades, including Lothar Walther barrel and Timney trigger. Here’s a look at a very nice Russian rifle, belonging to Forum member Ben C. (aka “Grimstod”):
CLICK TO See Full-Screen Photo:
Video Shows Rifle Shooting Sub-Half-MOA from Bipod (in the Snow):
Name of rifle: Smyert Mk3 (Modified Mosin Nagant)
Make: Izhmekh/Izhevsk (“Izzy”) High Wall
Model: 91/30 | Year: 1942
Components and Specifications:
Barrel: Lothar Walther 26″
Contour: 1.18″ straight
Chambering: 7.62x54R, .310 bore
Stock: Bluegrass Tactical (Gen 1 & 2)
Trigger: Timney with Bluegrass trigger shoe
Magazine: Finnish No-Jam magazine |
Scope mount: Rock Solid (looks like an action sleeve)
Scope: SWFA 20x42mm MRAD
Gunsmith: Sheppard
Bolt handle: Rock Solid with Surgeon tactical handle
Bipod: Versa Pod
Total Weight: 18.6 lbs |
Grimstod’s Mosin Nagant Custom Shoots Under 0.5 MOA From Bipod
Even in harsh winter conditions, the rifle shot well. (I guess we should expect that for a Russian gun). The photo below shows a group shot from bipod. (The video shows Grimstod’s snow-bound range session). Grimstod calculated the group at 0.394 MOA measuring from outside edge to edge. Using our On-Target software, which measures center to center of most distant shots, we came up with 0.428 MOA. Still that’s impressive for an ancient action being shot in the dead of winter with snow falling. To learn more about this rifle (and view photos of the build process), visit the SurplusRifleForum.com.
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December 24th, 2014
We recently featured the “Hornady Number One”, a showcase rifle featureing a CAD-designed, machine-cut stock. While many viewers liked that one-of-a-kind Hornady rifle, others lamented the absence of hand-shaped curves on the Hornady’s angular stock. So, for fans of curvy, hand-crafted rifles, we’re presenting this homage to a truly great stock-maker, Doan Trevor, an artist in the old style.
Doan Trevor is a master gunsmith and stock-maker who works in the old style. He still hand-crafts stocks from start to finish, and does all the metal-work on the custom rifles he builds. Starting with highly-figured woods, Doan carves and shapes his stocks largely by hand, with meticulous attention to detail. Each rifle he builds is optimized for its intended discipline, and custom-fitted for the customer.
With the help of his talented wife Sue (who does the photography and builds the web pages), Doan has created a wonderful website, DoanTrevor.com, that is a feast for the eyes. You can see beautiful wood-stocked rifles being hand-crafted. Doan also illustrates how he creates custom metal parts, and how he beds barreled actions into the finished stocks.
Set aside a few minutes and visit Doan’s website. Be sure to click on the site’s secondary pages: Rifle Building, Woodworking, and Metalworking. You’ll find dozens of high-quality photos and fascinating information on gun-building.
For more information, visit DoanTrevor.com, or call (505) 890-0368, 10am-5pm M-F.
Doan Trevor RifleBuilding
4119 Lanceleaf Ct NW
Albuquerque, NM 87114
505-890-0368
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December 24th, 2014
More and more shooters are “wet-tumbling” their brass (in liquid) with reusable polishing media, rather than using dry media in a vibratory tumbler. The “wet-cleaning” method works best with a rotary tumbler fitted with a water-tight, horizontal drum to hold your brass, cleaning solution, and stainless, pin-type media. The rotary tumbler of choice has been the Thumler’s Tumbler Model B Heavy-Duty. That is a great, sturdy machine, but now you have a more affordable option.
Frankford Arsenal has introduced a “Platinum Series” rotary tumbler designed to clean cartridge brass with liquid and stainless media.The watertight, polymer drum rides on four rollers which rotate the drum around its horizontal axis. Two filters are provided so you can quickly separate your brass and media. A built-in timer allows you to set tumbling sessions up to three hours. Frankford Arsenal says its new product will clean up to 1000 cases of .223 Rem brass. That’s impressive capacity.
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The Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler is sold by major retailers including Grafs.com and Cabelas. You’ll find the best prices online.
Amazon Deal
Update 12/28/2015: The Amazon special has expired. As with all sales, timing is everything. Check the link at right for current pricing. You can also check with other vendors such as Midsouth Shooters Supply. |
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How to Wet-Clean Your Brass in a Rotary Tumbler
 On our main Accurateshooter.com website, you’ll find a comprehensive review of the STM system for cleaning cartridge brass with stainless media. To clean brass with stainless media, start with five pounds of small stainless pins sold by StainlessTumblingMedia.com. Place these along with a gallon of water, a little liquid cleaner, and two pounds of cartridge brass in a rotary tumbler, and run the machine for one to four hours. CLICK HERE for Brass Cleaning System Review
Forum Member Tests STM System
Our reviewer, Forum member Jason Koplin, purchased the STM media and a new Thumler’s Tumbler. He then tested the STM cleaning procedure on his own brass, including some extremely dirty and tarnished “range pick-up” brass. Jason was thoroughly impressed with how well the STM process worked — as you can see from the “before and after” photos below. Brass which looked like it was ready for the scrap heap was restored to “like-new” appearance. The process works equally well on both rifle brass and pistol brass. Jason observed that one surprise benefit of the STM cleaning procedure is a big reduction in noise. Jason said the water-filled rotary tumbler was much quieter than his vibratory tumblers.
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December 23rd, 2014
Are you creative? Do you like to design and customize things? Then you’ll love the Target Generator from the folks at ShooterShed.com. This free, interactive webpage allows you to design a variety of fun targets, including grids, benchrest-type Score Shooting targets, sight-in targets, and even playing card targets. Choose the paper size and orientation (vertical or horizontal), then select the number of target elements on the page. For example, you could have four (4) bulls or 52 playing cards. You can include a grid on the target, or tell the program to include load information blocks. For bullseye targets, you can control the number, color, and spacing (diameter) of the rings. LINK to TARGET GENERATOR.
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The program provides a preview of each target you generate. If you like a particular design, save the file, and then print as many targets as you want. Check it out, this program is fun and handy to use. Here are five (5) targets your Editor created this morning just for this article. With a bit of practice, you can be generating your own custom targets in minutes. Have fun.
About the Creator of the Target Generator
The excellent Target Generator program was created by Rod Brown of Sheridan, Wyoming. Rod tells us: “I build custom rifles and coach shooters. I’ve got a 100-yard range out my back door. I shoot short- and long-range benchrest competitively around the country. I’m a full-time software development consultant and an FFL holder. When I’m not developing custom software for my clients, I’m usually fiddling in the shop, building a custom benchrest rifle, traveling to a match, chambering a barrel, or reloading some ammunition.
Story tip from Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
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December 23rd, 2014
Forum member Toby Bradshaw is one lucky dude. He recently acquired a “previously owned” 30BR benchrest rifle from fellow forum member Al Nyhus. This 17-year-old gun has to be a candidate for “Second-Hand Rifle of the Year.” You see, Al’s cast-off 30BR still shoots tiny little dots — as its new owner discovered. Al Nyhus reports: “That gun won literally piles of trophies, plaques and patches for me. It will win any time and any where for ‘ya if you hit the flags right.”
Here are the first three-shot groups out of the gun, during load testing by its new owner. Yeah, we would take that. Needless to say, Toby is delighted with his “hand-me-down” purchase. If only all new benchrest rifles could shoot this way!
Bradshaw Bags a 17-Year-Old Panda-Actioned 30BR from Al Nyhus
Toby tells us: “I took advantage of Al Nyhus’s move from score shooting to drag racing, and picked up his ’97 vintage Panda 30BR. I hauled my gear to the range to zero the Leupold 45x that I put in the Kelbly high rings, and to produce three snug cases to send to the Harrells for a FL bushing die. I expanded and neck-turned a few gold box 6BR culls, leaving just 0.001 clearance in the chamber to produce a fitted neck, since I don’t yet have a sizing die (but did get a Wilson seater die from Al). I have 1000 118gr 7-ogive bullets on order from Ronnie Cheeks, but I bought 200 Berger 115gr FB to do some fireforming and practice until the Cheeks bullets arrive.
I bore-sighted, adjusted the scope to the first bullet hole, and verified the adjustment with a second shot in the middle of the 100-yard score target sheet (visible in the photo).
After running an H4198 pressure test without any drama, I loaded the once-fireformed brass with a stout load of H4198, bullets still at the jam, and shot two 3-shot groups with a 2-click scope adjustment in between. You can see the results above. I’d say that’s not bad for a ‘used’ rifle with no real load development on my part.”
 Toby Bradshaw’s story about his “hand-me-down” 17-year-old rifle reinforces what we’ve been saying for a long time about the little 30BR cartridge. Necked-up from the parent 6mmBR Norma case, the 30BR is, without question, one of the most inherently accurate cartridges ever invented. And it is forgiving….
Compared to the other dominant short-range accuracy cartridge, the 6 PPC, the 30BR tends to be less finicky, and easier to tune. The 30BR offers broad accuracy nodes. Also, we often find that 30BRs are relatively insensitive to seating depth. It’s not uncommon for a good 30 BR to shoot quality bullets equally well at a variety of seating depths, both in the lands and out of the lands.
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December 22nd, 2014
Hornady Manufacturing has created its first-ever rifle. Well, kind of, sort of, maybe…. In actuality, Hornady hired Bill Wiseman & Company to craft the barrel and action and Hornady commissioned Lucid Solutions (Clem Boyd) to build the stock. But the Hornady name IS now engraved on the side of a rifle receiver and that does represent a genuine first. This one-of-a-kind rifle, serial number “H-001″, is a bolt-action hunter, chambered for the .300 RCM cartridge. The historic “Hornady Number One” rifle has two (2) stocks — a highly figured walnut stock plus a second camo-pattern Hogue synthetic stock. So this rifle is not just a safe queen — it was designed to work in the field as well.
This “Hornady Number One” rifle was commissioned as the featured 2015 SHOT Show Gun. It will be displayed in Las Vegas and auctioned on Gunbroker.com. As of December 22, the bid price was already over $14,525 with 45 bidders. The action and bottom metal is elaborately engraved by Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut. “We’ve had the privilege of designing and engraving more than a dozen SHOT Show rifles, shotguns, handguns and knives but it’s a unique privilege to be asked to help craft the Hornady Number One”, said David Baron.
Not Just a Beauty Queen, This Rifle Can Shoot
Bill Wiseman & Company, of College Station, Texas crafted the barrel and action for this special rifle. This outfit is the leading producer of test receivers/barrels for the firearms industry. About the Hornady project gun, Bill Wiseman commented: “Our Wiseman barrels have earned a bit of a reputation for accuracy. Now I guess there will be at least one other rifle out there as accurate as our Texas Safari rifles.” The 24-inch blued barrel is fluted and fitted with a muzzle brake. Thus far, the gun has shown impressive accuracy. Three test-firings of the “Hornady Number One” using 180-grain SST, 165-grain GMX and 150-grain SST Hornady cartridges produced groups between ¼” and ½” at 100 meters.
About the Stocks
“Hornady Number One” is equipped with two separate custom-fitted stocks, one for shooting and one for display. A very special select American Walnut stock was selected, fitted and checkered by Clem Boyd of Lucid Mfg. Systems & Solutions (Mitchell, SD). Boyd’s challenge was to design a functional walnut wooden stock that would frame the beauty of the Wiseman barreled-action. Several weeks of design went into a Solidworks 3-D CAD model before the group made any CNC machine cuts. The stock was produced from a XXX walnut blank grown in the Great American Heartland and selected for the vertical-line color pattern. The stock shape incorporates the natural hex design of the receiver.
The trademark Hornady name was inlaid into the stock using African Padauk wood wafers. Padauk was also used for red-tone grip cap and butt pad spacers.
Oops. Someone mounted the Leupold scope incorrectly. The diopter marks should be TDC, meaning the scope should be rotated 90° clockwise.
The Lucid stock design repeats the hexagon features in the forearm, allowing a wide forearm floor to aid in bench rest practice. The stock features a distinctive 13.5° linear checkering pattern on the grip and side panels. A custom aluminum bedding block supports the barreled action. Recoil is absorbed through a 1″ black recoil pad. Three swivel studs provide multiple options for carry and tripod use.
Auction Details and Extras
The GunBroker.com auction will conclude at 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Friday, January 23, 2015, the last day of the 2015 SHOT Show. During the Show, the rifle will be displayed at the GunBroker.com booth in a custom glass and walnut display case. In keeping with SHOT Show tradition, this 2015 SHOT Show rifle will be auctioned on GunBroker.com. At its current $14.5K bid price, “Hornady Number One” has a ways to go before it sets a record. The all-time record SHOT Show auction price was $136,014.00 set in 2013. To complement the Hornady package, the gun will be delivered with a case of Hornady .300 RCM ammo, with each box signed by Hornady President, Steve Hornady. In addition, the high bidder will receive a signed Letter of Authenticity from Hornady Manufacturing.
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December 22nd, 2014
Story based on Report by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog.com
NRAstore merchandise buyer Brian Evans has a list of his best-selling products, based on online sales. In ascending order, the Top 5 best-selling products for this 2014 holiday season are:
5) Critical Food Supply – The Critical Food Supply ($134.95) provides 56 nutritious meal servings in an easy-to-transport bin. Perfect for emergencies, varieties include chili macaroni and tortilla soup.
4) Concealed Carry Hooded Sweatshirt – Developed exclusively for the NRAstore, this CCW Hooded Sweatshirt has a discrete compartment for carry pistols. This $59.95 hoody is the only product of its kind, according to the NRAStore.
3) Concealed Carry Denim Jacket – Made in the USA, this $84.95 denim jacket is specially engineered with CCW features for NRA members.
2) Concealed Carry Handbag – This $149.95 leather handbag features a discreet, lockable side compartment that securely holsters a self-defense handgun. (Available colors: red, cognac, and black.)
And the #1-Selling item is the NRA Handgunner Backpack
The Handgunner Backpack ($119.95) features a slide-out, four gun cradle, with pockets for ammo and other range gear. Measuring 17″ wide, 22″ high and 9″ deep, the pack has plenty of room for gear.
 Quad-Pistol Gear Hauler
The cleverly-designed Handgunner Backpack carries up to four pistols. Undo the zipper, slide out the compartment, place your pistols in one of the four foam gun cradles. Store your magazines in a zip-up side pocket with six (6) individual mag sleeves. There are also specially designed compartments for ammo boxes, muffs, protective eyewear, target stapler, and more. You’ll find handy embroidered patches showing the right spot for each gear item.
Lars Dalseide, editor of the NRAblog, tells us this pack is comfortable and sturdy. The shoulder straps and the rear back panel feature moisture-wicking padding and the pack comes with a waterproof cover. And the pack won’t collapse when you set it on a bench — it stands up on its own.
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December 22nd, 2014
 Sometimes you’ll get a barrel that doesn’t stabilize bullets the way you’d anticipate, based on the stated (or presumed) twist rate. A barrel might have 1:10″ stamped on the side but it is, in truth, a 1:10.5″ twist or even a 1:9.5″. Cut-rifled barrels, such as Kriegers and Bartleins, normally hold very true to the specified twist rate. With buttoned barrels, due to the nature of the rifling process, there’s a greater chance of a small variation in twist rate. And yes, factory barrels can be slightly out of spec as well.
Before you purchase a bunch of bullets and set off to develop loads it’s wise to determine the true twist rate of your new barrel. Sinclair International, in its Reloading Press Blog provides a simple procedure for determining the actual twist rate of your barrel. Read on to learn how….
How Twist Rate Affects Bullet Stability
Most of you know that the twist of the rifling in the barrel is what puts spin on the bullet. As a bullet is pushed down the barrel and compressed into the rifling, the bullet follows the path or twist of the rifling. The combination of velocity and bullet spin is what stabilizes the bullet. Finding the twist rate for your barrel will help you in selecting appropriate weight bullets for your firearm. Remember, the general rule is that the faster the twist rate for a given caliber, the longer the bullet (of that caliber) you will be able to stabilize. (Generally speaking, a longer bullet will also be a heavier bullet, but the bullet geometry dictates the needed twist rather than the weight per se.)
Determining Barrel Twist Rate Empirically
Twist rate is defined as the distance in inches of barrel that the rifling takes to make one complete revolution. An example would be a 1:10″ twist rate. A 1:10″ barrel has rifling that makes one complete revolution in 10 inches of barrel length. Rifle manufacturers usually publish twist rates for their standard rifle offerings and custom barrels are always ordered by caliber, contour, and twist rate. If you are having a custom barrel chambered you can ask the gunsmith to mark the barrel with the twist rate.
Erik Dahlberg illustration courtesy FireArmsID.com.
Sinclair’s Simple Twist Rate Measurement Method
If are unsure of the twist rate of the barrel, you can measure it yourself in a couple of minutes. You need a good cleaning rod with a rotating handle and a jag with a fairly tight fitting patch. Utilize a rod guide if you are accessing the barrel through the breech or a muzzle guide if you are going to come in from the muzzle end. Make sure the rod rotates freely in the handle under load. Start the patch into the barrel for a few inches and then stop. Put a piece of tape at the back of the rod by the handle (like a flag) or mark the rod in some way. Measure how much of the rod is still protruding from the rod guide. You can either measure from the rod guide or muzzle guide back to the flag or to a spot on the handle. Next, continue to push the rod in until the mark or tape flag has made one complete revolution. Re-measure the amount of rod that is left sticking out of the barrel. Use the same reference marks as you did on the first measurement. Next, subtract this measurement from the first measurement. This number is the twist rate. For example, if the rod has 24 inches remaining at the start and 16 inches remain after making one revolution, you have 8 inches of travel, thus a 1:8 twist barrel.
This rifling illustration was created by Danish graphic artist Erik Dahlberg. It is published here courtesy FireArmsID.com, an excellent website for forensic firearms examiners.
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December 21st, 2014
 Want to watch some very cool super-slow-motion videos of projectiles drilling bugholes and blasting through stuff? Then check out these videos from Remington’s R&D Center. We guarantee you’ll be entertained. You’ll find some truly amazing high-speed videography. Many video sequences are captured with ultra-high-speed cameras running hundreds of thousands of frames per second. This allows stunning slow-motion playback.
You’ve no doubt heard the term “tack-driver”. Are there rifles that really drive tacks? Well Remington has given us something just as good — a “nail driver”. In the video below, you can see a bullet “hit the nail on the head”, driving a nail into the target. Very cool indeed…
Driving Tacks — Hitting Nailheads with Bullets (Slow Motion)
Remarkable High-Speed Photography Shows Bullet Performance
You can see some amazing things — bullets busting concrete blocks, smashing through wood, drilling ballistic gelatin, and tearing through skin and gel (so you can see how bullets would perform in game animals). Our favorite sequence shows five shots forming a nice, clustered group — you can actually see the bullets fly into the paper target one after another. Here are some of the video highlights.
Five Shots with .30-06 into Paper (Slow Motion)
Busting Concrete Blocks with Bullets (Slow Motion)
Bullets Penetrate through Skin and Gelatin (Slow Motion)
Dances with Gel (Slow Motion)
Story tip from EdLongRange. We welcome reader submissions.
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