If you have been waiting to purchase a chronograph… now is a great time to buy. You can get the new-model MagnetoSpeed Sporter for under $180.00. You can set up this device in a few minutes, and you never have to go downrange to fiddle with a tripod or fuss with wires. The MagnetoSpeed Sporter is simple and effective — a no-hassle solution.
We’re impressed by the Sporter chrono (as are other shooters — this unit is selling out nationwide). Like the V3, the Sporter faithfully records shots, even in complete darkness. Shot strings are recorded digitally and can be transferred to a smart phone via MagnetoSpeed’s XFR accessory (and Apps).
The MagnetoSpeed Sporter chrono is less than half the price of previous MagnetoSpeed models. This is big news for shooters who always wanted a MagnetoSpeed but found the $379.00 cost (for V3 model) too pricey. The new Sporter Chronograph costs just $179.99 at Sinclair Int’l and Brownells. It offers most of the features of the more expensive models (see chart below for details) and has a updated sensor. MagnetoSpeed says its new Sporter is “Ideal for contoured rifle barrels (sporter barrels) and long-barreled revolvers.” The Sporter Chronograph Kit (shown above) includes: Bayonet Sensor, 3.5 foot Data Cable, Remote Display (with Battery), Strap with thumb nut, Two V-block spacers, and compact storage box.
Is the MagnetoSpeed good enough? Well consider this, Derek Rodgers uses one of the original (full-size) MagnetoSpeed Chronos for his load development. Rodgers is the only man on the planet to have won BOTH the F-Open and the F-TR National Championship. ‘Nuff said.
See MagnetoSpeed Sporter Chronograph Features Reviewed in Video
Q: Will the Sporter Chrono work with thicker barrel (i.e. greater than 1″ diameter)?
A: The manufacturer recommends the $399.00 V3 model for thicker barrels. But, wink-wink, if you have a 1.25″ barrel you can get this to work, based on what we’ve seen.. If you have a really fat barrel (up to 2.0″ diameter), get the V3. Magnetospeed also says the V3 is needed for airguns, shotguns, and muzzleloaders.
Click Image for Full-Screen Photo
The Sporter Chrono attaches quickly and easily. It has a 3.5-foot-long cord, and will work with Muzzle Brakes and Flash-hiders up to 2.7″ long.
Here is the best deal we’ve ever seen on NRA Life Memberships. Read carefully — you not only get $100.00 off the price of an NRA Life Membership, but you get a SECOND Life Membership for FREE. That’s right, you can get TWO Life Memberships for $900.00 total (i.e. $450.00 each). NOTE: This is a limited-time offer good for one week. The two-for-one lifetime membership deal expires October 6, 2015. This is a great way to get a Life Membership for both you and your spouse.
Along with the Life Membership offer, the NRA is offering big savings on 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year memberships. For a limited time, a 5-year membership is now just $100.00. That works out to just $20.00 per year. Consider this, with your NRA membership you also get a free print magazine (American Rifleman, American Hunter, or 1st Freedom), and $2,500.00 worth of firearms insurance (activation required). Check it out:
If you are an NRA member, you should activate your ArmsCare insurance right now. Don’t delay. Your NRA ArmsCare insurance won’t become effective until you activate it!
NRA Membership Offer Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome Reader Submissions.
2015 WSC Champion Bruce Piatt with $25,000 check. At right is Diana Muller, WSC women’s champion.
Bruce Piatt out-gunned 218 competitors to win the 2015 NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC), a 12-stage event that required mastery of all types of firearms. How did Piatt manage the win? Versatility. Unlike many top competitors who shoot one or two disciplines, over the past 30 years Piatt has shot anything (and everything) he could fit into his schedule. Piatt told reporters: “If it goes bang, you can count me in — whether it’s Sportsman’s Team Challenge, SOF Tactical, Precision Long Range, and Bianchi Cup — I’ll shoot anything.”
Piatt’s WSC performance earned him a $25,000 check from the NRA. Piatt has been noted for his ability to “break down” stages, creating a “plan of attack” that caters to his strengths. That ability gave Piatt a “winning edge” in the complex WSC match. Piatt out-shot many of the best action shooters in the world, including 2014 WSC champion SFC Daniel Horner of the USAMU, who finished second this year. Here are the Top 20 final standings. Note that Nightforce Optics Marketing Manager Sean Murphy finished eighth overall, pretty impressive for a fellow with a full-time job in the business world.
Bruce Piatt has won multiple world and national shooting titles. He is a 5-time Bianchi Cup National Champion and 5-time winner of the SOF World Tactical 3-Gun Championship. A former law enforcement officer, Piatt has won the USPSA Law Enforcement Division National Championship 20 times. Piatt is the founder of Bruce Piatt Training Concepts LLC, which offers Police, Military, and Civilian shooting instruction and pistol-smithing classes. For more information, visit www.BrucePiatt.com.
Here’s 2014 F-TR National Champion James Crofts, with his PR&T-built rig.
Are you ready? The 2015 F-Class Nationals event is just three weeks away. The combined mid-range and long-range F-Class National Championships will be held October 23 – 31, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona.
For 2015, the Nationals will include both Mid-Range and Long-Range competitions. The NRA F-Class Mid Range National Championship will be held 23-27 October 2015. The F-Class Long Range National Championship then runs from October 27 through 31. The competition consists of two different Divisions: F- Open and F-TR (Target Rifle). Each Division is made up of five different Categories: High Master, Master, Expert, Sharpshooter and Marksman. There will also be a series of four-person team matches. The event is limited to 320 competitors maximum. All matches will be held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix.
You’ll see some serious hardware on the firing line at Ben Avery. Here’s a modern F-Open rig with a handsome maple stock. The gun, belonging to David Mann of Texas, shoots as good as it looks.
Under Two Inches at 500 Yards
To be competitive at the Nationals, one needs a tack-driving rifle and an ultra-accurate load. Shown below is one of Paul Phillips’s F-TR load development targets at 500 yards. The total 5-shot group size is under two inches. Impressive. That’s with 200gr Bergers, Varget powder, and large primer Lapua brass. Paul tell us: “The X-Ring is 5 inches at 1000 yards (equivalent to 2.5 inches at 500). We strive to be all in the X-Ring. However, wind is the big obstacle. A gust of wind can move you 1-2 feet away.”
F-Class National Championship Registration and Deadlines
Competitors must submit the official Registration & Entry Form (include NRA Membership ID#). Entries MUST be accompanied by check, money order or NRA Points. Make Check payable to Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club.
Fees are $375.00 for both Mid-Range and Long-Range matches (combined), or $200 for just one match only (either Mid-Range or Long-Range). Team Matches cost $60 per entry.
Mail Entry Forms and checks to:
Middleton Tompkins
P.O. Box 11684
Prescott, AZ 86304.
Phone: (928) 776-8576.
Entry Deadline: The deadline for entries is 6:00 PM Monday, 12 October 2015. Entries after this time are considered late entries and may be accepted to fill vacancies on existing relays only. An additional $20.00 will be charged for late entries, on top of the basic fees.
2014 F-Class Nationals Photos copyright Nightforce Optics, used with permission.
For pure shooting fun it’s hard to beat a semi-auto .22 LR. While Ruger’s 10/22 is the most popular semi-auto .22 LR rifle, manufacturers are now offering AR-style self-loading rimfire rifles. These rimfire versions of the AR-15 are excellent training tools for 3-Gun and service rifle shooters. You can practice with less expensive rimfire ammo, and save wear and tear on your centerfire ARs. Rimfire AR clones also work great for Rimfire Tactical Matches.
AR-Style .22 LR Rimfire Rifles
Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22
Smith & Wesson’s 15-22 is a nice little rifle. The M&P 15-22 is designed and built as a true .22 LR semi-auto from the ground up, with ergonomics (and most controls) identical to a centerfire M&P 15 rifle. These rimfire AR clones are very affordable. For example, right now BudsGunShop.com is offering the M&P 15-22 (black version) for just $358.44. (If that deal has expired by the time you read this, find other deals with the SlickGuns.com search engine.)
NRA reviewer Colon Noir tested the M&P 15-22 and was impressed: “This gun is unbelievably fun to shoot. There is virtually no recoil. The non-existent recoil makes shooting fast a breeze. Yeah, the magazine is a little quirky… but in the grand scheme of things, this gun feels like a full-out AR-15. The M&P 15-22 makes for a great training companion. I would place this gun in the ‘Fun Box’ — it’s reliable enough that you can have a fun time shooting. I’m picking one up, because it’s guns like these that make you truly realize how fun shooting is.”
Here’s a Video Review of the M&P 15-22 by the NRA’s Colin Noir
Hechler & Koch (Walther) HK 416
H&K offers the HK 416 D145RS, a dedicated .22 LR rimfire rifle. Engineered and built in Germany by Carl Walther, the HK 416 D145RS features a match-grade precision barrel, metal upper and lower receivers, retractable stock, and machined rail interface system with on-rail iron sights.
These Walther-made HK rimfire rifles (which employ a blow-back action) are accurate and reliable. They are also reasonably priced. Many vendors offer the HK 416 for under $550.00. One purchaser writes: “Great .22. I have had this gun a couple of months and have put about 500 rounds of 5 different brands of ammo through it. Not one FTE. I have shot other brands that can’t get through one 30-round mag without a failure. [The 416] is a little pricey compared to the competition but you get what you pay for.”
At the request of our readers, we have launched a new “Deals of the Week” feature. If this proves popular, we’ll try to run this every Monday. Here are some of the best deals on hardware, reloading components, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. Bullets.com — Close-Out Sale on Manners Stocks
Bullets.com has slashed prices on a wide selection of Manners Composite Stocks. This are very strong, very high-quality stocks, ideal for precision tactical shooting. Above are three samples of stocks on sale. There are many more Manners stocks with Close-Out Sale pricing.
2. Midsouth Shooters Supply — Sierra Bullets and CFE 223 Powder
Are you a high-volume AR shooter? Then here are inexpensive name-brand projectiles, plus a powder that is ideal for loading the .223 Rem in an AR-15. (CFE 223 also works great for bolt-action .223 Rem rifles with various 50-70gr bullets). Get these deals at Midsouth Shooters Supply.
3. Sinclair International — Remington Model 7 Receivers $199.99
Need an inexpensive action for your next varmint rifle project? It’s hard to beat this deal — get a Remington Model 7 receiver for just $199.99. These may have surface blemishes but are otherwise sound. Note — this model does NOT include a trigger — but you’d probably want to add an aftermarket trigger in any case.
4. Cabelas.com — IMR 8-Lb Jugs of Powder on Sale
Need powder, lots of powder? Then head over to Cabelas.com. Right now Cabelas has deeply discounted 8-lb jugs of IMR powder, including the popular new, temp-stable Enduron powders (IMR 4166, 4451, 7977). For example, and 8-lb container of IMR 4451 has been marked down from $239.99 to $174.99, a 27% savings.
5. Eabco.com — AR-15 24″ Barrel on Sale
Need a barrel for your next black rifle project. Eabco.com has high-quality chambered AR-15 barrels for under $199.00 — that’s $50.00 off the regular $249.00 price. These 24″ stainless fluted 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem barrels are chambered and ready to install (some gunsmithing required.)
6. Stocky’s Stocks — Composite Rifle Stock
Here’s a killer deal on a versatile Stocky’s Long Range Stock with aluminum V-block bedding system. For just $199.99, order this for Rem/Rem Clone long actions or short actions, with either narrow or wide (varmint/tactical) barrel channel.
7. Natchez Shooters Supply — Rem UMC and Blazer Pistol Ammo
Natchez Shooters Supply has slashed prices on case-lots of Remington UMC pistol ammo, both 9mm and 40 S&W. In addition, you’ll find big savings on Blazer-brand pistol ammo.
8. Harbor Freight — 4-Drawer Workbench and Small Safe
Here are two impressive deals at Harbor Freight. The Windsor 60″-wide workbench is just $159.99 on sale. And, you can save $20.00 more with a Super Coupon — that knocks the price down to $139.99. (NOTE: After 9/28/2015 try Coupon ID #21969492 — that should be good through 10/31/15.) Likewise you can get a small rolling safe for just $99.99 with a Super Coupon.
How well does the reigning National High Power Rifle Champion handle a Ruger 10/22 in rapid fire? Very well indeed it turns out. Here’s footage of SFC Brandon Green at the 2015 NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC) in West Virginia this past weekend. Brandon shows some serious speed with the little semi-auto. Brandon’s comment was: “10/22s are just too much fun!”.
Watch SFC Brandon Green speed through a steel plates stage with a Ruger 10/22:
Report by Clint Johnson, ACWLC
The 2015 IBS 200/300 Yard National Championships were held September 12-13 at the Ashe County Wildlife Club (ACWLC) outside Jefferson, North Carolina. Fifty shooters from 13 states attended. Nightforce was the major event sponsor, donating a $2,400 rifle scope. While rain threatened to mar the 200-yard match on Saturday, none fell. By Sunday, the day of the 300-yard shoot, the first cold front of the fall had passed, leaving mostly sunny conditions.
Conditions Keep Scores Low At 200/300 Yard Nationals
The rain that fell on Friday night started drying Saturday morning when the sun rose. That slow evaporation created mirage that plagued shooters looking northeast down the two-year-old, 300-yard range with a 50-foot high backstop. The wind that came in with the cold front also hampered shooters on both days.
Mean Conditions at Ashe County
“Shooters told me the conditions were as bad as they have ever shot”, said Steve Eller, the IBS chair for the Wildlife Club. “We all had a hard time seeing the rings through the mirage blur. No one shot clean, and no records were set.”
Shooters came from as far away as Maine, Indiana and Florida to Ashe County, “the coolest corner of North Carolina”. The ACWLC range is located in the mountainous northwest point of the state with Virginia to the north and Tennessee to the west. Some of those shooters have made every one of the four IBS-sanctioned matches held at the club this year and last year. The Club hosted the 100 and 200 Yard National Championship in 2014, the first full year since the opening of the club house in 2013 with its 30 benches protected by an overhang.
“I love coming here. It is my favorite place to shoot,” said Hillary Martinez of Damascus, Maryland. Hillary, shown below, was one of the four women shooters this year.
Danny Hensley of Jonesville, Virgina, won the Grand Aggregate Varmint for Score (VFS) with a score of 493 (10X), followed by David Richardson with 492 (11X) and Randy Jarvais with 491 (12X). Danny talks about his victory in the audio clip linked below. To listen, click on the black arrow in the white circle.
AUDIO FILE: Danny Hensley Talks about the Conditions at the 200/300 Nationals.
Here are all the Class Winners at the IBS 200/300 Yard Nationals:
Wayne France of Burke, Va. won the 200-Yard VFS with a score of 250 (11X), followed by rookie Ken Habedank with score of 250 (8X), and David Richardson with a score of 250 (8X).Morris Williams of Eden, Maryland, won the 300-Yard VFS with a score of 244 (3X), followed by Danny Hensley with a score of 243 (4X), and David Richardson with a score of 242 (3X).
There were just five (5) shooters in the Hunter Class. Dean Breeden topped the small field to win the Hunter Grand Aggregate with a score of 483 (10X), followed by Randy Jarvais with a sore of 480 (7X), and K.L. Miller with a score of 478 (12X). Randy Jarvais won the 200-Yard Hunter with a score of 248 (6X), followed by K.L. Miller with a score of 246( 8X), and Dean Breeden with a score of 246 (7X). Orland Bunker of Damariscotta, Maine, won the 300-Yard Hunter with a score of 238 (2X), followed by Dean Breeden with a score of 237 (3X), and K.L. Miller with a score of 232 (4X).
Dean Breeden (Frederick, Maryland) had a beautifully-figured wood composite rifle.
Barbecue North Carolina Style
Some shooters remarked that they drove to Ashe County not only to shoot, but to eat as well. A 300-pound hog was slow-cooked all Friday night by Club members. Corn was also roasted on the grill. The cost of this distinctive North Carolina pork barbecue was included in the registration fee.
Ashe County Wildlife Club maintains a website, www.acwlc.org and a public Facebook page. The Club hosts rifle, pistol, and shotgun sports (skeet, trap, sporting clays) events at its range facility located about 15 miles east of West Jefferson at 3220 Big Peek Creek Road, Laurel Springs, NC (turn north off NC Highway 88). Visit www.acwlc.org to learn more about the club or obtain Membership applications.
The ANSI / SAAMI group, short for “American National Standard Institute” and “Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute”, have made available some time back the voluntary industry performance standards for pressure and velocity of centerfire rifle sporting ammunition for the use of commercial manufacturers. [These standards for] individual cartridges [include] the velocity on the basis of the nominal mean velocity from each, the maximum average pressure (MAP) for each, and cartridge and chamber drawings with dimensions included. The cartridge drawings can be seen by searching the internet and using the phrase ‘308 SAAMI’ will get you the .308 Winchester in PDF form. What I really wanted to discuss today was the differences between the two accepted methods of obtaining pressure listings. The Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) and the older Copper Units of Pressure (CUP) version can both be found in the PDF pamphlet.
CUP Pressure Measurement
The CUP system uses a copper crush cylinder which is compressed by a piston fitted to a piston hole into the chamber of the test barrel. Pressure generated by the burning propellant causes the piston to move and compress the copper cylinder. This will give it a specific measurable size that can be compared to a set standard. At right is a photo of a case that was used in this method and you can see the ring left by the piston hole.
PSI Pressure Measurement
What the book lists as the preferred method is the PSI (pounds per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch) version using a piezoelectric transducer system with the transducer flush mounted in the chamber of the test barrel. Pressure developed by the burning propellant pushes on the transducer through the case wall causing it to deflect and make a measurable electric charge.
Q: Is there a standardized correlation or mathematical conversion ratio between CUP and PSI values?
Mahin: As far as I can tell (and anyone else can tell me) … there is no [standard conversion ratio or] correlation between them. An example of this is the .223 Remington cartridge that lists a MAP of 52,000 CUP / 55,000 PSI but a .308 Winchester lists a 52,000 CUP / 62,000 PSI and a 30-30 lists a 38,000 CUP / 42,000 PSI. It leaves me scratching my head also but it is what it is. The two different methods will show up in listed powder data[.]
So the question on most of your minds is what does my favorite pet load give for pressure? The truth is the only way to know for sure is to get the specialized equipment and test your own components but this is going to be way out of reach for the average shooter, myself included. The reality is that as long as you are using printed data and working up from a safe start load within it, you should be under the listed MAP and have no reason for concern. Being specific in your components and going to the load data representing the bullet from a specific cartridge will help get you safe accuracy. [With a .308 Winchester] if you are to use the 1% rule and work up [from a starting load] in 0.4 grain increments, you should be able to find an accuracy load that will suit your needs without seeing pressure signs doing it. This is a key to component longevity and is the same thing we advise [via our customer service lines] every day. Till next time, be safe and enjoy your shooting.
SFC Daniel Horner USAMU file photo (not from 2015 WSC).
For the past three days, the NRA World Shoooting Championship (WSC) has been underway at the Peacemaker Nat’l Training Center in West Virginia. If you’re curious about this event, which offers $250,000 worth of cash and prizes, check out this September 26th video showing SFC Dan Horner (last year’s WSC winner) in the 3-Gun Stage. Horner displays his ability to transition rapidly from one gun to the next while acquiring targets with Robocop-like efficiency. This year, Horner finished second overall, just three points behind newly-crowned 2015 WSC Winner Bruce Piatt (2631 points).
2015 WSC Champion Bruce Piatt with $25,000 check. At right is Diana Muller, WSC women’s champion.
CUP Pressure Measurement
