Muzzle brakes are controversial. Some people swear by them, while others swear at them. Still, there’s no question that a good brake can reduce felt recoil up to 45%. And likewise, the best brakes, when installed properly, seem to have no negative effect on accuracy.
Roy Bertalotto has done considerable experimentation with muzzle brakes, testing dozens of brake designs on his own rifles over the past few years. Roy’s article, Adventures with Muzzle Brakes, discusses various aspects of muzzle brake design and performance. Roy doesn’t claim that his testing is definitive, but his article is definitely worth a read. Here are some of Roy’s interesting findings:
Exit Hole Diameter
“Best accuracy and effectiveness of the brake was obtained with a hole .020″ over bullet diameter. If the exit hole is too small, such as +.005″ over bullet diameter, accuracy suffers. If the depth of the exit hole is too shallow, the metal around the hole will erode very quickly.”
Hole Placement
“The most effective braking was with a brake 1″ in diameter with a 3/4″ exit hole on each side, just in front of the muzzle. The bullet passes through a cone of 35 degrees before it exits the brake. (Like the tank example), Incredible reduction of recoil. But loud and ugly. Very easy to make since you don’t need a spin fixture or a dividing head.”
Bottom Gas Venting Helps Accuracy
“In my tests, not having holes all around the brake effects accuracy a bit. I believe it does something to the bullet by the air pushed ahead of the bullet creating unequal turbulence in the bullet path. I’ve tried a few brakes where I drilled only holes on the top, test fired, and then completed holes on the bottom and in every case, accuracy improved.” Below are spiral-ported brakes crafted by Clay Spencer.
Brakes Work Best with High-Pressure Cartridges
“The higher the pressure of the particular round, the more effective the brake. I have over 20 rifles with brakes. The 220 Swift is the king of reduction. Followed very closely by the 25-06, 6mm Remington, any Weatherby small bore. With a proper brake and a hot handload under a 40 gr bullet, the Swift will move 1/2″ to the rear and 0 muzzle rise! Big boomers with low pressure like 45-70s and shot guns benefit the least.” [Editor’s Note: Roy is judging effectiveness by the percentage of recoil reduction rather than absolute levels of recoil. Obviously if you start with a heavier-recoiling round, the absolute amount of recoil energy reduction is greater. Roy is really talking about efficiency–brakes are most efficient when used with high-pressure cartridges.]
Installation is Key to Accuracy
Roy’s findings are fascinating and suggest that further study of muzzle brakes is warranted. But we can all agree that precision installation of the brake is essential for accuracy. A poorly-installed, mis-aligned brake will degrade accuracy, that is well-known.
Harrell’s Precision has made thousands of muzzle brakes, in many styles and port arrangements. The Harrell brothers offer some good advice for gunsmiths installing brakes: “Muzzle brakes aren’t magic, they reduce recoil by redirecting exiting gas. What’s important is that they are straight and the threads are perpendicular with the base. The only way to get the base and threads perpendicular is to thread, not tap, them on a lathe.”
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Today is an important day for Team USA shooters at the Rio Olympics. American rifle marksmen SFC Michael McPhail and David Higgins will be competing in the smallbore 50m prone event. In addition, 25m Pistol shooters will compete, and the Women’s Skeet Finals will be held this afternoon.
Schedule for the Remaining 2016 Olympic Shooting Events:
Friday, August 12
8:00 am – 50m Rifle Prone Men
8:00 am – Skeet Women
9:30 am – Skeet Men Day 1
10:00 am – Finals 50m Rifle Prone Men
11:15 am – 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Stage 1
2:00 pm – Finals Skeet Women
Saturday, August 13
8:00 am – 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Stage 2
8:30 am – Skeet Men Day 2
11:30 am – Finals 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men
2:00 pm – Finals Skeet Men
Sunday, August 14
8:00 am – 50m Rifle 3-Position Men
12:00 pm – Finals 50m Rifle 3-Position Men
SFC Michael McPhail
Hopes are high for McPhail, one of the favorites to win a shooting Gold Medal in Rio. McPhail, ranked number one in the world in men’s 50-meter rifle prone, won the ISSF World Cup Finals in Munich this September. McPhail also won back-to-back gold medals at the ISSF World Cup events at Fort Benning, GA and Munich, Germany, held in May and early June of 2015. This is McPhail’s second Olympic appearance, so he understands what’s at stake: “The Olympics are unlike any other match you’ll ever shoot, the magnitude of it….”
SFC Michael McPhail, shown above, is currently ranked #1 in the world in the smallbore 50m prone rifle discipline. He’s one of the favorites to win Gold today in Rio.
David Higgins
Air Force Academy graduate David Higgins has been a competitive shooter since his early teens. “I was 13 when I first began shooting Rifle competitively, and I immediately knew that I wanted to pursue Rifle as my primary sport,” said Higgins.
Higgins recently graduated from the Air Force Academy and enjoys rock climbing, sailing and surfing in his free time. He now moves on to the next phase of his military career, having cross-commissioned into the Marine Corps upon graduation to become an infantry officer.
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Are you a do-it-yourself kind of guy with a creative eye? 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.
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 four (4) targets your Editor created 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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Do you have a friend or family member who is just getting started in handgunning? The NSSF has created five Handgun 101 videos that cover the basics of handgun shooting, starting with key principles of firearms safety. Hosted by Top Shot Season 4 Champion Chris Cheng, these videos explain the important fundamentals of pistol shooting. If you will be taking a youngster (or novice adult) to the range for the first time, it would be a good idea to have him or her watch one or both of these videos. CLICK HERE to view all Handgun 101 videos.
Handgun 101: Rules for Safe Firearm Handling
Handgun 101: Single Action vs. Double Action Explained
David Tubb has come out with a new, improved version of his heavyweight 6mm match bullet. David’s new DTAC 115gr 6mm projectile is very slippery — the tested G1 1000-yard BC is 0.620. The DTAC 115 features a Rebated Boat Tail (RBT) design and a factory-pointed tip (what David calls a “closed nose”). This bullet is in production now, priced at $145.00 for 500 bullets. David tell us “the new DTAC 115 has arrived” and his company is currently filling backorders. New orders will be taken at DavidTubb.com starting Monday, August 15th. You can also call 806-323-9488 (8:30 am-4:30 pm CT) to order.
David explained the two main reasons why the Rebated Boat Tail (RBT) design was chosen for the new DTAC 115 bullet:
1. It is easier to precisely hold tolerances when manufacturing the 7 degree boat tail angle. Most conventional boat tails have 9 degree angles (or greater).
2. The RBT more efficiently obturates to the bore of the rifle barrel when fired. (It mimics a flat base bullet design). This will allow the RBT design to extend your accurate barrel life by reducing gas leakage around the bullet when fired in a worn 6mm throat.
NOTE: David does NOT claim the RBT offers a higher BC compared to a conventional boattail design.
DESIGN FEATURES: DTAC 115 Bullet with Rebated Boat Tail
Commentary by David Tubb
In the 1980s we shot 107 grain weight-range 6mm bullets for Silhouette and High Power competitions. Lower recoil and good wind drift were paramount in coming to the 6mm bullet diameter.
After I developed the 6XC case around 2003 I approached Sierra about making me a 6mm bullet in the 115 grain range. Sierra ran prototypes in 112, 115, and 120 grain configurations. I thoroughly tested these and decided on the 115 grain. In 2004 I used these at Camp Perry and the result was a Long Range National Championship Aggregate with a perfect 1450×101 score. Enough said….
In 2007 Sierra had just introduced its plastic-tipped bullets. I had them run a test batch of plastic-tipped 117 grain weights. These didn’t pass my criteria.
We then ran another test batch of 111 grain plastic tip 6mm bullets and they looked great in the Sierra tunnel tests. However when shot them over an Oehler 43 at 1000 yards the results indicated the plastic tips were deformed or nonexistent at the target. These didn’t pass my criteria.
FYI — that plastic tip deformation testing information preceded the Hornady “Plastic tips Are Bad” advertising campaign by more than seven years.
When using a .308 early in my High Power rifle career we shot 190 grain Sierras at the 600-yard stage. When 600-yard accuracy began to fall off a switch to a 185gr Lapua rebated boat tail brought the accuracy back. I remember shooting some very high X-Count scores with 185gr Lapuas. The reason the Lapua worked in a worn barrel is because the rebated boat tail allows the bullet to obturate to fit the worn throat and prevent less gas leakage around the bullet when fired.
I had a bullet-maker friend reform some 6mm 115s with a rebated boat tail (RBT) in 2015 and had excellent results. So it was a natural move to redesign the current DTAC 115 6mm with a RBT and a 7 degree boat tail.
Ballistic Coefficent and Stabilization
High BC Confirmed
David says, “The new DTAC 115 RBT testing is complete and [we] can claim a G1 1000-yard BC of 0.620″.
Required Twist Rate for Stability
David reports: “This bullet stabilized out of true 1:8″ twist or faster barrel at velocities approaching 3000 fps at sea level”.
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Think you can “get by” without protective eyewear? This story provides yet another example of why you should wear safety glasses every time you go shooting. You only have one set of eyes — they are much too precious to risk.”
Bad Primer Blasts Gas Through Side of Casehead
Our friend Grant Guess recently had a “close encounter” with a bad primer. An apparently defective primer caused part of the casehead on one of his rounds to blow out. This, in turn, allowed high pressure gas to vent through the damaged primer pocket. Take a good look, boys and girls. This is yet another very good reason to wear safety glasses. The cartridge was a 6.5-06, hand-loaded in necked-down Winchester-headstamp .270 Win brass. Grant reports:
“I had a blow-through between the primer and the primer pocket today. The action was really smoking and I got a face full of gas. This was a reasonably light charge. Thank God for safety glasses.
I should also mention that it appears there is a 3/64 hole that is halfway between the primer and the primer pocket. Like it burned a small jet hole through both of them.”
Could this happen to you? It just might. On seeing this damaged case, one of Grant’s Facebook friends, Chris D., observed: “Search the internet, you will see a lot of these pin hole ‘in the corner’ failures. Obviously Winchester has some issues with the LR primers.”
Careful Examination Reveals Apparent Primer Defect
After this incident, Grant examined the damaged case: “I pinned the flash hole and it is not over-sized or under-sized. The primer clearly has an area where it had a defect. At [50,000 CUP], it doesn’t take much of a defect to cause issues. There was a slight bit of pucker-factor on the next shot….”
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Here are cool new reactive metal targets that spin rapidly when hit (watch video above). Birchwood Casey’s new Diamond Spinning Targets are fun to shoot. And, after each hit, the diamond automatically resets to face the shooter. That’s handy. There are three versions — all feature a durable metal frame that’s easy to place in the ground
Choose the Jack, King, or Ace of Diamonds depending on your intended use (and type of guns):
The Ace of Diamonds™ is constructed of ½” AR500 steel. That’s tough enough for centerfire handguns and rifles. The King of Diamonds™ is designed for .22 rimfire pistols and rifles. The least expensive variant, the Jack of Diamonds™, is rated for airguns up to 1000 fps. These Diamond Spinning Targets are made in the USA. For more info, visit www.birchwoodcasey.com or call 800-746-6862.
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Many of the world’s best F-Class shooters have traveled to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada this week to compete at the Canadian F-Class National Championships. F-Open ace Shiraz Balolia, who won back-to-back Canadian F-Open Championships in 2015 and 2014, will pursue a “three-peat” at Canada’s Connaught Ranges. There will be plenty of F-TR talent on hand as well, including Bryan Litz, reigning U.S. Mid-Range and Long-Range F-TR Champion. The first challenge for the shooters will be the weather, which can be notoriously wet and windy at Connaught. The weather forecast looks good for today and tomorrow, but thunderstorms (and rain) are predicted for Friday and Saturday.
U.S. F-TR Rifle Team Prepares for the Canadian Championships:
Shown above is the U.S. F-TR Rifle Team, which will compete in the F-TR division. In the America Match, teams from Canada, South Africa, and the United States will battle head-to-head for national honors.
Many Companies Help Sponsor U.S. F-TR Rifle Team
It takes significant resources to field a large shooting team in international competition. The U.S. F-TR Rifle team is fortunate to have many great sponsors helping the team with equipment and financial support. The team’s top-level “Gold Medal” sponsors, are, in alphabetical order: Berger Bullets, Gemtech, Kelbly’s, McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, Nightforce Optics, Pierce Engineering, and 5.11 Tactical. CLICK HERE for a list of all sponsors.
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Tonight, August 10th, ShootingUSA TV covers the 2016 NRA Annual Convention, held this past May in Louisville, Kentucky. Host Jim Scoutten and his team spotlights hot new products, including Hornady ELD ammo, Busnell scopes, a Les Baer 1911, plus the Victory, a new .22LR pistol from Smith and Wesson. In this episode, Shooting USA also focuses on the important political issues facing the NRA this year.
Watch Preview of Shooting USA’s 2016 NRA Meeting Episode:
This year, the NRA’s Annual Meeting took place during a critical election year. More than NRA members came to Louisville, showing their support for Second Amendment rights. One of the NRA’s oldest members, 99-year-old Wayne Bird, said it’s important to stand up and be counted: “I’ve been a member of the NRA 78 years and I’m 99 years old. And ever since that time they have been fighting for our freedom, for our Second Amendment freedom….”
As part of the convention coverage, Shooting USA interviews top competitive shooters Jerry and Kay Miculek, and Smith & Wesson Team Captain Julie Golob. This week’s episode also includes a feature on the Colt Detective Special and the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) Championships at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama.
Shooting USA Broadcast Times by Time Zone
Eastern Time: 9:00 PM, 12:30 AM, 3:00 AM (Thurs.)
Central Time: 8:00 PM, 11:30 PM, 2:00 AM (Thurs.)
Mountain Time: 7:00 PM, 10:30 PM, 1:00 AM (Thurs.)
Pacific Time: 6:00 PM, 9:30 PM, Midnight
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Looking for a good job in the firearms industry? The NSSF has you covered. The NSSF Jobs Site site offers up-to-date job listings, powerful search features, and a mobile-friendly interface. It’s easy to upload your Resumé, and the Job Alert feature can send you new listings via email as soon as they post. Visit jobs.nssf.org for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry.
We congratulate Norman Houle, the 2016 National High Power Champion, and John Whidden, the 2016 National Long Range Champion. Norm secured his win with an impressive 2384-130X score. Along with the title of National Champion, Norm received a Mumma Trophy Plaque, a National Champion Medallion, Krieger Barrels Certificate, Trijicon Scope, and Geissele Certificate. In second place was last year’s champion, SFC Brandon Green of the USAMU. Brandon, who won the 2015 and 2013 High Power Championships, finished with a score of 2381-120X. In third place was SGT Nick Mowrer with 2381-114X, a very impressive score with a Service Rifle. (SGT Mowrer won the Service Rifle Championship.)
John Whidden is always strong at Camp Perry (file photo from past event).
Whidden Wins Long Range Championship
In the Long Range Competition (Tompkins Trophy Match), John Whidden of Whidden Gunworks topped the field with a very strong 1240-77X performance. This victory secured John’s fourth Long Range National title. As in the High Power Championship, in the Long Range event SFC Brandon Green also finished in second place (1238-67X). Rounding out the Long Range podium was William Gelet with a 1238-57X tally. With his Long Range Championship win, Whidden took home a Tompkins Trophy Plaque, a Gold Championship Medallion, and a $500 Berger Bullets Certificate.
John campaigned three rifles he smithed himself. These feature Barnard actions in modified Anschutz smallbore stocks. For the open-caliber events, John shot .243 Win-chambered rifles with 6mm 105gr Berger Hybrids. For the Palma matches he shot a .308 Win with 155gr Berger Hybrids. John’s ammo was loaded on Whidden dies of course. During the Long Range cycle, matches were shot with both iron sights and scopes. John had two different .243 Win rifles, one fitted with iron sights, the other with a scope.
High Power Hardware: The Guns of Perry
We thought our readers would like to see some of the ultra-accurate rifles campaigned by High Power competitors at Camp Perry. Both bolt-action and self-loading rifles are popular. Among bolt guns, Tubb 2000s and Eliseo tubeguns are popular. Semi-auto AR platform “Space Guns” offer some advantages (particularly during rapid-fire and for standing position), and are favored by many of the top marksmen. Many Camp Perry High Power competitors are also shooting less exotic AR service rifles.
Tubb 2000 with a shortened handguard, and custom hand support bracket forward of mag well.
The modern AR Space Gun, scoped version. Note the side charging handle, and absence of forward assist. A block fitted under the handguard helps with the standing position. The scope is mounted on a “piggy-back” rail that extends forward of upper receiver’s built-in rail.
On July 22, 2016 the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) issued a 4-page “Guidance” concerning gunsmithing activities. This “Guidance” described the types of tasks and services which would obligate gunsmiths to register as “manufacturers” under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Any “manufacturers” of “defense articles” (which includes firearms and ammunition) must fill out burdensome paperwork every year and pay an exorbitant $2,250 annual registration fee. The “Guidance” stated that completing even one simple smithing task, such as threading a muzzle, will obligate a smith to register as an ITAR “manufacturer”. And this holds true even if the “manufacturer” does not export a single product, or only makes component parts, such as a wood gunstock. READ 7/22/2016 DDTC Guidance.
Clearly this “Guidance” threatens the traditional activities and livelihoods of normal, non-exporting gunsmiths around the country. The potential penalties for failure to register are draconian — huge fines and up to 20 years in prison.
Recognizing that the latest DDTC “Guidance” represents a severe threat to the firearms industry, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is leading an effort to get the DDTC to change its policies. The NSSF also urges concerned citizens to contact their elected representatives in Washington.
NSSF Statement Regarding DDTC’s Firearms “Guidance” on ITAR Registration
DDTC asserts that the guidance merely restates existing DDTC policy and interpretation of the AECA and ITAR manufacturer registration requirement.
Unfortunately, DDTC’s “guidance” has created considerable and understandable confusion and concern among gunsmiths and gun owners. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is reviewing the guidance and will send a letter of protest to DDTC expressing our strong opposition to the new “guidance,” the scope of which clearly exceeds their statutory authority. The term “manufacture” as used in the AECA and ITAR is its ordinary dictionary definition. Clearly, many of the activities DDTC claims require registration constitutes gun smithing and is not manufacturing under any reasonable dictionary definition of the term. DDTC’s position is similar to claiming an auto mechanic who fixes your car is a car manufacturer.
NSSF has been working diligently for many years to eliminate, or at least significantly lower, the excessive and burdensome registration fee especially for non-exporting manufacturers and non-essential component parts manufacturers. Simply put, forcing small manufacturer to pay $2,250 annually to register when they are not utilizing the DDTC export licensing system to export products is an unfair and onerous regulatory burden. This is even more outrageous when one considers that DDTC is sitting on at least $140 million dollars of previously paid registration fees collected over many years from exporters from many industries including ours.
Additionally, we have been working with allies in Congress to pressure the Obama administration to complete the Export Control Reform (ECR) initiative, which would (with limited exceptions) do away with the AECA and ITAR manufacturer registration requirement and onerous fee for commercial and sporting firearms.
To date, the Obama Administration has refused to publish and implement the regulatory changes necessary to transfer [the] export licensing of commercial and sporting firearms and ammunition products to the Department of Commerce from the Department of State. Read more on Export Control Reform. Yet, the proposed rules have been drafted and ready for publication since December 2012. Inaction persists despite congressional testimony and letters to members of the U.S. House and the Senate that [the Administration] would publish the rules.
Why has the Obama administration refused to move ECR forward for our industry? It is really very simple. The Obama Administration is singling out our industry for different treatment under the ECR because of its gun control politics. It is time to force Congress to step in and stop the Obama Administration’s gun control agenda from stopping this needed reform.
Here is the key language in the DDTC’s “ITAR Registration Requirements – Consolidated Guidance” Ruling of 7/22/2016:
2. Registration Required – Manufacturing: In response to questions from persons engaged in the business of gunsmithing, DDTC has found in specific cases that ITAR registration is required because the following activities meet the ordinary, contemporary, common meaning of “manufacturing” and, therefore, constitute “manufacturing” for ITAR purposes:
a) Use of any special tooling or equipment upgrading in order to improve the capability of assembled or repaired firearms;
b) Modifications to a firearm that change round capacity;
c) The production of firearm parts (including, but not limited to, barrels, stocks, cylinders, breech mechanisms, triggers, silencers, or suppressors);
d) The systemized production of ammunition, including the automated loading or reloading of ammunition;
e) The machining or cutting of firearms, e.g., threading of muzzles or muzzle brake installation requiring machining, that results in an enhanced capability;
f) Rechambering firearms through machining, cutting, or drilling;
g) Chambering, cutting, or threading barrel blanks; and
h) Blueprinting firearms by machining the barrel.
How Can Gun Owners and Gunsmiths Help?
Call your U.S. Representative at 202-225-3121 and U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 urge him or her to support Rep. Collin Peterson’s (D-Minn.) Resolution, (H. Res. 829) that demands the Obama administration complete the ECR and publish the proposed rules to transfer the licensing of commercial and sporting firearms and ammunition products to the Department of Commerce (which does not require registration or payment of a fee).
Tell your U.S. Representative and Senators to force DDTC to stop imposing excessive and onerous registration fees on small businesses that do not export products. Tell them to support language in the Fiscal Year 2017 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that will reduce the registration fee to a nominal amount for all non-exporting manufacturers and component part manufacturers.
Tell your U.S. Representative and Senators to stop the Department of State and DDTC from exceeding their statutory authority. The DDTC should have no power to control non-export activities. Threading a barrel or fitting a stock should not oblige a gunsmith to register with the Department of State and pay a fee of $2,250 per year.
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Do you have a friend or family member who is just getting started in handgunning? The NSSF has created five Handgun 101 videos that cover the basics of handgun shooting, starting with key principles of firearms safety. Hosted by Top Shot Season 4 Champion Chris Cheng, these videos explain the important fundamentals of pistol shooting. If you will be taking a youngster (or novice adult) to the range for the first time, it would be a good idea to have him or her watch one or both of these videos. 
After I developed the 6XC case around 2003 I approached Sierra about making me a 6mm bullet in the 115 grain range. Sierra ran prototypes in 112, 115, and 120 grain configurations. I thoroughly tested these and decided on the 115 grain. In 2004 I used these at Camp Perry and the result was a Long Range National Championship Aggregate with a perfect 1450×101 score. Enough said….
