A new firearms TV show, GunVenture, premiers on the Sportsman Channel tomorrow, Monday, June 27th, 2016. This high-production-value TV series is hosted by Tom Gresham, the star and creator of GunTalk radio. In GunVenture’s first episode, Tom heads west to visit with RECOIL Magazine Editor Iain Harrison. After testing products at the range and visiting with local gun companies, Tom still has time to take a jeep tour of the red rocks of Sedona.
The new GunVenture TV show features on-location adventures with a firearms focus. All aspects of shooting will be covered — from hunting to target shooting, and everything in-between. You’ll see a wide variety of firearms, from rimfires, to .50 Cal, and even full-auto (as demonstrated by Harrison, a Top Shot Champion who served as a Captain in the English Army.)
Along with Tom Gresham, GunVenture features Ryan Gresham and Top Shot Alumnus Chris Cerino in front of the camera. The GunVenture crew will visit major gun-makers and provide an in-depth look at all aspects of American gun culture. Shooting sports coverage will be augmented by off-road adventures, and other “Man Card” activities — such as driving a tank and using a flame thrower.
Here is a longer, two-minute Preview of Episode One (may not play on mobile devices):
GunVenture SHOW TIMES
Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET
Tuesdays at 1:00 a.m. ET
Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. ET
Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ET
Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET
Sportsman Channel can be found on DirecTV Ch. 605, DISH Network Ch. 395, AT&T U-Verse Ch. 642, and on your local cable provider. Check your local listings for additional info and broadcast times.
Behold… the Holy Grail, Hodgdon Varget powder. Among all the rifle propellants on the market, Varget may have been the hardest to find in the last couple of years. But take heart, Midsouth Shooters Supply and Powder Valley Inc. now have 1-pound containers of Varget in stock for immediate delivery. To get to the PVI order screen, from the PVI Home page, click “Powders” then click “Hodgdon”.
Over the years, Hodgdon Varget has proven to be one of the most accurate powders ever created. And it is also exceptionally temp-stable. In the .308 Win, 6mmBR, 6mm Dasher and other popular cartridges, Varget has set many records and won countless matches. It meters well (for an extruded powder) and can be used in a very large range of calibers and cartridge types. If you need Varget… don’t hesitate. Supplies are limited. This may sell out by the end of the day today..
TIME STAMP: This Notice Issued at 9:30 am EST Saturday, June 25, 2016.
High Power and F-Class shooters have a ton of gear they need to carry out to the firing lines. To do the hauling, you can certainly purchase a factory-made, purpose-built cart that folds up and has all the bells and whistles. The Creedmoor Sports CRC-1 (photo right) is a proven, quality product that works great. You’ll find these used by top shooters at Camp Perry. But the Creedmoor CRC-1 cart costs $499.95.
For a fraction of that price ($59.99), plus a few dollars more for do-it-yourself enhancements, you can have a heavy-duty cart that will haul all your gear just fine, though it doesn’t fold up. In the top photo is a Harbor Freight Welding Cart we saw at the Berger Southwest Nationals. This rig is carrying a rifle in hard gun case, bipod, folding chair, shooting mat, tripod, spotting scope, rear sand-bag, and ammo box — that’s a lot of gear!
Check out the Harbor Freight Welding Cart, item #65939. This cart is ON SALE right now for just $59.99. Overall size is 29-1/2″ L x 20″ W x 49″ H, and width between side rails is 18″. The wheels (with tires) are 20 3/4″ in diameter for smooth rolling. Consider that, if you made your own cart from scratch you could easily pay $30.00 or more just for the large-diameter wheels and axle. Do note — this cart has air-filled tires. Be sure to inflate before you go to the Range!
As sold, the Harbor Freight Welding Cart can benefit from upgrades for range use. But with a few bungee cords (and some creativity), the cart can be adapted pretty easily to hauling your gun gear. If you want to enhance the basic cart, it’s easy to add plastic side-panels on the bottom unit, and fit a barrel-holding system on the cross-tube. This ensures rifles and gear won’t flop forward. (A small piece of wood under the bottom panel provides a bit of extra lift that will keep the bottom plate out of the dirt and gravel.)
Berger Ballistician Bryan Litz has been preparing for the King of Two Miles match next week. He’s been out testing a VERY high-BC bullet — Berger’s new prototype .375 caliber 400-grainer. In the photo above, you can see Applied Ballistics intern Mitch Fitzpatrick (flanked by twin LabRadar chronos) shooting at a target set at 2400 yards. Next week, at the King of Two Miles event, the challenge will be even greater — Bryan and his team will be shooting out to roughly 3600 yards.
Bryan reports: “We’ve been preparing for the King of Two Miles match next week. Last Friday we shot 2400 yards at Thunder Valley Precision in Ohio, measuring time of flight and refining the custom drag model for our bullet. We are logging flight times over three seconds and the bullet is still supersonic at 2400 yards! Tomorrow we’re shooting 1800 yards as a final verification before we load up and begin traveling out west.”
OPTICS for Extreme Long Range Bryan is running Nightforce ATACR scopes on his .375 rifles. These ATACRs offer 120 MOA (or 35 Mils) of elevation. That’s impressive, but you still need more “up” for these extreme distances.
Bryan notes: “No scope has enough elevation to dial direct to two miles even with these large-caliber, high-performance rifles. You need some kind of external adjustment, or use a steep rail (e.g. +80 MOA). This works but can sacrifice your ability to zero under 1000 yards.”
This video shows a hit at 2400 yards with the .375-caliber bullet. The target is 8’x8′ square. The targets Bryan will shoot at next week’s King of Two Miles competition will be up to 1200 yards further than this. (Two miles is 3520 yards).
If you’re interested in this kind of Extreme Long Range shooting, consider attending the Applied Ballistics Seminar. The next seminar will be held July 18-19 in Michigan. Bryan says: “We’ll be sharing our experiences and lessons learned in the Two Mile shooting match among many other things we’re working on.” CLICK HERE for Seminar INFO and Registration.
For the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) by Frank Danisienka
The IBS Executive Board has voted to create two new awards. These awards recognize the significant performance of a select number of shooters. Patches for Score shooting a perfect score of 750, and a perfect target of 250-25X, were designed by the board. To score 250, you need to shoot five (5) tens on each of the five record targets at a particular yardage. To score 750 you need to do that at all THREE yardages — 100, 200, and 300 yards. Certificates accompanying the patches document the commitment to excellence and dedication by these shooters to our sport.
Perfect 750 Multi-Yardage Score — A Rare Occurrence
In the long history of IBS competition only 16 members have shot a perfect score of 750 in one match! That’s 250 at 100 yards, 200 yards, and 300 yards. This very select group of shooters includes: Al Weaver, Rod Morton, Dave Short, Dennis Collins, Ken Livengood, Wayne Shaw, Dick Spencer, Hal Drake, Kim Llewellyn, Shaun Shank, Roy Hunter (2), Dean Breeden, John Bosley, Wayne France, Ricky Read and John Cascarino.
Dean Breeden is one of only 16 Shooters to have recorded a 750 total score in a match.
All Xs — the Perfect Target, 250-25X
The remarkable feat of shooting a perfect 250-25X target has been accomplished 37 times by 26 members. They are: Dennis Collins (2), Ted Parreco, Jeff Buchannan, Carl Baker, James Goody, Joe Enterkin, Rich Whiteash, Dean Breeden (2), David Apple, Al Weaver, Rod Morton, Mike Bigelow, Ken Livengood (3), Roger Avery (2), Joe Pellegrene, Mark Ludinsky (3). Herb Llewellyn (2), Jackie Stogsdill, Hal Drake (2), Johnny Lorick, Ron Collins, Wayne France (2), Shaun Shank, Steve Jaynes, Kevin Donalds Jr., Randy Jarvais (2).
Our sport continues to evolve toward perfection both in the quality of the equipment and the skill of our members and these awards recognize them for their accomplishments.
Amidst the hue and cry (and Congressional sit-ins) calling for more gun control, few observers have actually looked at the facts. Do we, in fact, have an increasing gun crime problem in this nation? Is gun violence spiraling out of control, as the anti-gunners would have you believe?
What do the verified FACTS say (as opposed to the ‘sky is falling’ anti-gun zealots)? Well, the truth of the matter is that major gun-related crime rates have been steadily on the decline for more than a decade. Likewise, most of the major violent crime rates have been declining over the past two decades. What’s more, even accidental gun deaths have been declining despite a huge rise in gun ownership.
So the next time someone tells you that guns must be outlawed to halt a terrible increase in gun crime, you can respond, with 100% certainty, that gun-related crime is going down, not up.
And interestingly, as the supply of handguns has increased, the amount of property crimes has plummeted. Maybe the bad guys are thinking twice before breaking and entering…
Gun Facts™ debunks common myths about gun control. It is intended as a reference guide for journalists, politicians and anyone interested in learning about gun control facts… crime, and the Second Amendment. The free Gun Facts e-book provides over 100 pages of indexed information.
Credit Boyd Allen for finding this first chart. We welcome reader submissions.
Competition Machine’s Gary Eliseo is a very smart designer as well as a talented shooter. The inventor/builder of the popular Competition Machine Tubegun chassis systems, Gary has come up with something new, which he calls the PickleForks. These are rails that fit to the sides of the tubular fore-end/handguard on his chassis systems. This allows you to use a pedestal-style front rest for F-Class competition. It also provides a much more stable platform for load testing, varmint hunting, or any kind of rest-assisted precision shooting. These new PickleForks transform a Tubegun into an ultra-stable, straight-tracking rig when used with a competition-style front rest.
Gary explains: “Now you can have the same super low-boreline, long ‘wheelbase’ and vertical sides of our innovative F1 F-Class chassis system for your tube chassis. The new PickleForks attach directly to the sides of the F-Class/Tactical fore-ends, no modifications are required. They are very rigid with no flex or twist and make the rifle track like it’s on rails.” The new Eliseo Competition Machine PickleForks are offered for a very reasonable $70.00 per pair, with Cerakote finish. (You get two metal units, one for each side of the fore-arm). For more information, visit www.GotXRing.com or call (928) 649-0742.
New Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
American Airgunner returns next week for its eighth season on the Pursuit Channel. On Friday, July 1st, American Airgunner kicks off its 2016 season at 8:30 pm Eastern time. This year American Airgunner will cover the many airgun competition disciplines, take viewers on airgun hunts, and spotlight the latest in airgun hardware and technology. If you enjoy shooting air rifles, you should definitely tune in….
Watch American Airgunner 2016 Preview Sizzle Reel
“American Airgunner is an incredibly popular show that epitomizes the outdoors through entertaining and educational storytelling,” said Rusty Faulk, CEO of Pursuit Channel. “It consistently ranks among the top shows in our line-up and is among the best-produced in all of outdoor television.”
This year, host Rossi Morreale interviews new guests, shoots new air guns, travels to new places, and incorporates new “explosions”. Along with a variety of airgun competition disciplines, this season will feature airgun hunting, including a successful turkey hunt in California. Host Morreale bagged his first wild turkey with a .22 caliber Umarex Octane air rifle. In the following video, Morreale compares .22 air rifles with .22 LR rimfire rifles. The results may surprise you…
Feature: How Does a .22 LR Rimfire Rig Compare to a .22 Pellet Airgun?
American Airgunner Broadcast Times
American Airgunner airs on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm Eastern, Fridays at 1:30 am and during primetime on Friday evening at 8:30 pm Eastern/5:30 pm Pacific. Pursuit Channel can be found on DirecTV Ch. 604, and DISH Network Ch. 393 and via Roku and Chromecast. Check your local listings for additional channel information.
The recent Orlando terror attack has sent Americans to gun stores in droves. Prompted by concerns for self-protection (as well as proposed new gun control laws), Americans are buying more guns — all types of guns. This reflects a general trend over the past few years. In fact, it looks like 2016 will see the highest number of gun sales in American history. Based on FBI background check data, it appears that 2016 will set new records for gun sales, with nearly 17 million new guns sold. By the end of the year it is projected that Americans will own 405 million firearms — over 1.25 guns per capita*.
Record-Setting Gun Sales in 2016 by Dean Weingarten, Gunwatch.
In 2016, Americans continue to break records for gun sales. While the National Instant Check System (NICS) does not track gun sales directly, the numbers are highly correlated. The numbers of NICS checks, and the increase in private firearms, have skyrocketed during the Obama administration.
It is possible, even likely, that 2016 will reach over 28 million instant checks. If we reach 28 million instant checks in 2016, that will be about 16.8 million new firearms added to the stock in 2016 [roughly 40% of NICS checks are for “previously owned” guns]. That projection puts us at 405 million private firearms in the United States at the end of 2016.
The total for 2016 (through the end of May) is 11,698,006 instant checks. That is more than the entire year of 2007, which held the record up to that year. Thus, during the Obama years, the number of private firearm sales has doubled. In 2015, the highest year on record, the total number of checks was 23,141,970. 2016 is shaping up to break the 2015 record by millions of instant checks.
May 2016 had the most instant checks of all the months of May on record. That makes 13 months in a row that have broken records for all previous years. If the trend continues, 2016 will reach the record numbers of 2015 by the end of October, with the busy months of November and December still ahead.
If you’re the kind of guy who likes to get his brass shiny inside and out, then wet-tumbling with stainless media gets the job done. For heavy-duty wet-tumbling jobs, it used to be that you had to buy a Thumler’s Tumbler and then figure out your own solution for media separation. Now there are other options on the market which may be more convenient for many users.
Lyman has just introduced its Cyclone Rotary Tumbler. For under $190.00 on Amazon.com, this ships as a complete system with everything you need — even the stainless media and media separators. The Tumbler unit itself holds up to 1000 pieces of .223 Rem brass and features a rubber lining to protect your cases and reduce noise during operation.
Conveniently, a built-in timer can be set from 0 to 3 hours, shutting off automatically. The drum features a large, screw-on end-cap to allow easy loading and unloading. In addition, the tumbler comes with two special sifter pans that make it easy to separate pins from brass. Simply empty the tumbler into the stacked pans. The first pan catches the brass, while the second, finer screen pan catches the pins. Very clever. The Cyclone Tumbler system ships with five pounds of stainless media pins and a sample packet of Brass Cleaning Solution.
Video shows Lyman Cyclone wet tumbling system in action:
TECH TIP: Wet-tumbling brass with stainless media really works. With enough “run-time” the process will definitely remove stubborn carbon on the inside of cases. However, some folks observe that case-mouths can occasionally get peened during the process. This is not a big deal but it is worth noting. In addition, with large flash-hole cases, it is possible (though rare) for a pin to stick in a flash hole. Therefore you should inspect every case before loading in a progressive press or bulk-priming cases with a bench tool.
High Power and F-Class shooters have a ton of gear they need to carry out to the firing lines. To do the hauling, you can certainly purchase a factory-made, purpose-built cart that folds up and has all the bells and whistles. The 
Berger Ballistician Bryan Litz has been preparing for the 
Bryan is running 
