Quite a few outdoor gear and shooting sports vendors are offering FREE SHIPPING for the next few days during the Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber-Monday sellathon. You could easily save $20 or more on shipping fees with these promotions. Be aware that hazmat fees will still be imposed and some items may not qualify for free shipping. For example, Cabela’s free shipping does not include firearms.
Bruno Shooters Supply
Bruno Shooters Supply is offering FREE Shipping on all products, with a $100.00 minimum order. This special includes actions and AR-platform rifles. NOTE: $30 Hazmat fee still applies to powder and primer orders. This FREE Shipping special is good through 11/28/2016 at 8:00 am MST.
Cabelas.com
Cabelas.com is now offering FREE Shipping on all orders with no minimums. That’s right — get any order shipped at no charge. Use Code 6HOLIDAY during checkout. NOTE: This applies to ammunition, but not firearms. Hazmat and oversize charges may still apply. Offer expires 11/29/16, 11:59 pm EDT.
Sportsman’s Guide
Sportsman’s Guide is offering FREE domestic Shipping on all merchandise other than firearms and trolling motors. Use Coupon Code SH1252 at Checkout. NOTE: Heavy/bulky charges and Gun charges (Pistol $10 and Long Gun $5) still apply. Alaska and Hawaii charges still apply. Offer expires 12/1/2016 at 11:59 pm CT.
NRAStore.com
NRAStore.com is offering free super-saver shipping on all orders over $80 with promo code FRIDAY16. Included in your order will be a Stand & Fight hat. The NRA Store offers a wide variety of products: sportswear, shooting gear, range bags, holsters and much more. This offer runs through Sunday, December 4, 2016.
Here’s great news for mid-size cartridge fans, and especially PRS and tactical shooters. Lapua just announced it will produce 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge brass, which should be available in the first quarter of 2017. This premium-quality brass features a small primer, and 1.5mm flash hole (as found on Lapua’s 6mmBR, 6.5×47 Lapua, and 220 Russian brass). We expect Lapua’s 6.5 Creedmoor brass will set new standards for accuracy and case life for this popular mid-sized cartridge. Of course Lapua’s new 6.5 Creedmoor brass can also be necked down and loaded in 6mm Creedmoor configuration. With the small primer pocket and proven strength of Lapua brass, we think 6.5 Creedmoor shooters will see enhanced cartridge velocities with the ability to maintain tight primer pockets even with very stout loads. And we expect accuracy to be on a par with Lapua’s excellent 6.5×47 Lapua brass. Taken together, this is an exciting product release. Here is Lapua’s official announcement:
We are happy to announce the addition of the 6.5 Creedmoor case to the Lapua line! Despite a relatively short time on the marketplace, the 6.5 Creedmoor has made a tremendous splash in the field, rapidly becoming one of the most requested cases we hear about from shooters. Lapua’s 6.5 Creedmoor is designed to function in a short action, which is also a plus for hunters, vitally concerned with the rifle’s weight and compactness. In fact, many of the same features which make for a successful competition cartridge, translate nicely to the hunting fields as well.
For most species of mid-size game such as deer or boar, the Creedmoor will prove to be a deadly performer. And while the selection of high grade Match bullets in the 6.5 bore size is tremendous, there’s no shortage of exceptionally good hunting bullets either. The 6.5s as a group have always been known as excellent performers on game.
Made with Lapua’s typical dedication to precision, our new 6.5 Creedmoor case has been refined just a bit, to make it an even better performer. We’ve opted for the small rifle primer, which normally produces an optimized ignition and better accuracy than large primers in mid-sized cartridges like the Creedmoor.
We’ve also incorporated our smaller-diameter flash hole (1.5mm, rather than the industry-standard 2.0mm), which has proven to provide enhanced accuracy, and is used in a number of our other accuracy-oriented cases. In this respect, the new 6.5 Creedmoor joins the ranks of our other dedicated accuracy cartridges such as the .220 Russian (6mm PPC), the 6mmBR Norma, the 6.5×47 Lapua, and the .308 Win Palma cases.
And naturally, the new 6.5 Creedmoor will be made with our well-known Passion for Precision. Strictest control over the metallurgy, the forming and drawing processes, precise annealing all performed under the watchful eyes of our production experts. For you, the handloader, that means the durability for which our cases are famous, combined with consistency and long life. Already proven in competition, we predict that the 6.5 Creedmoor will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.
Comment on Lapua’s new 6.5mm Creedmoor
Our British friend Laurie Holland was excited about the new 6.5 Creedmoor brass from Lapua: “With this and Peterson Cartridge on the bandwagon, plus another U.S. brass maker… the Creedmoor’s momentum is becoming impressive.” Laurie observes: “A small primer Lapua-cased 6.5mm Creedmoor is in effect a 6.5X47 Lapua ‘Improved’!” That’s a pretty interesting concept indeed. Which makes us wonder if the .260 Remington has finally been fully eclipsed. With Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor brass you can probably get very, very close to .260 Rem performance in a much more efficient case.
We got our hands on the Cabela’s Black Friday Sales flyer. We found some deals so good we just had to pass them along. Get an RCBS ChargeMaster for $200 (after $75.00 mail-in Rebate). How about a Sig Kilo 2000 Laser Rangefinder for $349.99 (regularly $499.99)? Or a big, 30-Gun Liberty Safe for $999.99 (this is an excellent safe for the price — your Editor owns a Liberty). How about a Tipton Gun Vise for $59.99 (regularly $99.99). Many Nikon optics are on sale, and you’ll also find many excellent deals on rifles and shotguns from Remington, Ruger, Savage, Beretta, Browning and other major gun-makers.
These deals are available starting tomorrow (online) and on Friday (in-store). The in-store Black Friday Sale begins 11/25 at 5:00 am, while the Online Black Friday Sale begins 11/24 at 12:01 am. For a limited time, you may also be able to get Free Shipping on orders over $99.00 with code “6THANKS” (not valid on firearms and some sale items).
Need a new barrel for your Rem-actioned hunting or tactical rifle? Here’s a great DIY option for riflemen. McRee’s Precision offers complete, no-gunsmithing re-barreling kits for Remington and Rem-clone actions. These feature a high-quality, pre-chambered “PRE-FIT” stainless barrel from Criterion, a Savage-style barrel nut, a recoil lug, and a special barrel-nut wrench. With this system you can easily re-barrel your favorite Remington rifle yourself in less than an hour. You don’t need to pay gunsmithing fees, or wait weeks (or months) for a busy smith to do the job. And the price is under $500.00. McRee’s Precision even offers a Half-MOA Accuracy Guarantee with its pre-fitted barrel kits. NOTE: Check MrReesPrecision.net on Thanksgiving for a Holiday Special Price (probably 10% Off).
McRee’s Precision Remington DIY Barrel Kit includes Criterion Pre-Fit Stainless Barrel, Barrel Nut, Recoil Lug, Thread Protector, and Barrel Nut Wrench: The stainless steel Barrel Nut is set up for 1 1/16 x 16 barrel threads, while the stainless steel recoil lug has a 1/8 inch removable locator pin and is set up for 1.0625 dia barrel threads.Barrel Kit Specifications.
McRee’s Precision sells Rem-action Pre-Fit barrel packages (complete with barrel nut, recoil lug, and wrench) starting at $499.52 (get a Holiday Discount on that price commencing 11/24/2016). Choose from five chamberings: .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, .308 Win, and .300 Win Mag. These Pre-Fit barrel kits are “100% complete and ready-to-install”. All you need to do is remove your current barrel, place the recoil lug, spin on the new tube, follow the instructions for setting head-space, then torque the barrel nut against the lug. NOTE: You may require a barrel vise and action wrench to remove the original barrel. Minor inletting changes may be needed forward of the action.
The folks at McRee’s Precision say their Pre-Fit system offers many advantages: “Remington Pre-Fitted Barrel Kits have become popular over the years. If Savage can do it, why not for our Remingtons? Our [Criterion-supplied] barrels are spec’d to the McRee standard of performance. There are several places to get the tools required to remove your factory barrel correctly. Once you have your barrel removed all you have to do is follow the normal Savage procedure to install your new barrel. We recommend that you contact your local gunsmith for the install. Feel free to call us with any questions.”
Product Tip from Ed LongRange. We welcome readers’ submissions.
Want to build your own accurized M1 Garand? Then consider signing up for the CMP’s Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC), a 3-day program for students with mechanical aptitude and a desire to work on M1 Garand rifles. Each student will assemble his own CMP Special M1 Garand Rifle with a USGI receiver. This will be a “keeper” Garand that the AMC student takes home. Total cost for the 2017 AMC is $1830.00, which includes the cost of the rifle ($1030.00) plus tuition charges. Students must provide their own accommodations in Anniston, Alabama.
Registration is open for the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) 2017 Advanced Maintenance Clinics. Interested persons may register now through December 2, 2016. NOTE: If you are interested in this program, apply soon — all spots in last year’s classes filled up quickly.
Each 3-Day Advanced Maintenance Class will be led by highly-qualified Custom Shop staff members. On the third day, students will visit the Talladega Marksmanship Park as VIP guests of the CMP. At Talladega, each AMC student will have a chance to fire the M1 Garand they built in the class, shooting at Talladega’s high-tech electronic targets.
CMP 2017 Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC) dates are:
January 24-26; January 27-29
March 14-16; March 17-19
August 15-17 (Buddy Class); August 18-20 (Buddy Class)
October 24-26; October 27-29
This class is not intended for gunsmiths — no prior armorer experience is required. Students will assemble their own CMP Special rifle, which is included in the $1830.00 fee. Class topics will include:
– Commercial barrel installation, chambering, and headspace
— Component function, selection, and inspection
— Fitting and proper assembly of a complete CMP Special rifle
— Discussion of malfunctions and their remedies
— Accurizing techniques for the M1 Garand
How to Register
Applicants must register via the CMP Competition Tracker system website between November 21 and December 2, 2016. An electronic lottery will randomly assign the 20 available seats for each class date. CLICK HERE for more details.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, 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. MidwayUSA — Black Friday Sale Starts Monday, 11/21/2016
Black Friday starts today — at least at MidwayUSA. Starting Monday, November 21st, you’ll find super bargains at MidwayUSA all week. Prices have been slashed on dozens of popular products. Above are six Black Friday bargains that caught our eye — check out the major price cuts on Leupold VX-6 scopes, and save 15% on Sierra bullets. This is just the tip of the iceberg — dozens of other products are on sale. Loaded ammo is deeply discounted and you can even get an NRA Life Membership for just $600.00. You’ll find these and scores of other super-deals on MidwayUSA’s Black Friday Sale Page. These prices are good through 11/28/2016 at 11:59 pm.
2. Natchez — Hodgdon Varget 8-lb Jugs, $186.49
If you’ve been looking for Hodgdon Varget powder in the large eight-pound (8 lb.) jugs, Natchez has this in stock, as of Monday morning, November 21st. If you want this powder, you better jump on this. Supplies are limited. Sorry, no H4350 in the big jugs, but Natchez does have Varget in one-pound containers for $25.99 per pound.
3. Natchez — Special 5 Reloading Press Kit, $199.99
Looking for a great holiday gift for a family member getting started in metallic cartridge reloading? This RCBS Kit has everything a new reloader needs: single-stage press, powder measure, scale, powder trickler, priming tool, cartridge tray, “rocket” chamfer tool, case lube and more. This is an excellent entry-level reloading kit, on sale for just $199.99 at Natchez Shooters Supplies. We like the relatively compact Special 5 press for most reloading duties. Eventually you may want to add an additional, large heavy press, but this will get the job done. For the combined package, with all the tools one needs to hand-load quality ammo — this is a stunningly good deal at $199.99.
4. CDNN Sports — Ruger American .270 Win, $289.99
If you’re looking for a good deer-hunting rifle at a super-affordable price, check out this .270 Winchester Ruger American. It comes with a gray-blue digital camo finish that actually suits gray fall days pretty well. The long action sits in a integral bedding block, and features a three-lug bolt with 70° bolt lift. The 22″ hammer-forged barrel has a 1:10″-twist, so it’s capable of shooting the most popular .270-caliber hunting bullets. Ammo is held in a flush-fit rotary magazine. The Ruger American is a good, solid rifle — and this is a steal at $289.99. If you don’t like the finish, buy a $5.00 can of spray paint.
5. Brownells — GET $10 Off $75.00+ Orders plus Free Shipping
Brownells is the “go-to” source for firearms parts and accessories, and Brownells also offers a full range of reloading and gunsmithing tools. Now, with PROMO CODE L6G, you can save $10 off any order over $75.00, plus get FREE Shipping. That could easily save you twenty bucks or more on your next order. Note, this deal applies to online orders only, and you can only use one promo code per order. To qualify, insert CODE “L6G” during checkout.
6. J&G Sales — Eley Target .22 LR Ammo, $59.90 for 500 Rounds
Yellow Box Eley Target is excellent .22 LR ammunition that is plenty accurate for all but the most demanding rimfire disciplines. This is way more accurate than bulk ammo which might sell for $4.00-$5.00 per box at stores. With this special deal at J&G Sales you can get a 500-round brick (ten 50-rd boxes) for just $59.90. That’s a steal when you consider this ammo sells elsewhere (MidwayUSA) for $7.99 for a 50-rd box. So you can save two bucks a box with this deal. That’s a 25% savings.
7. Amazon — Frankford Quick-N-EZ Case Tumbler, $34.99
Look no further for a great deal on a reliable tumbler. We’ve used this very same machine to tumble both pistol brass and rifle cases. We like the see-through, transparent top and the large capacity — this will hold up to 350 .223 Rem cases. With 1000+ customer reviews on Amazon.com, this Frankford Quick-N-Easy Case Tumbler has earned a 4.5-star rating. If you need a tumbler, you might want to order soon — this is the best price we’ve seen in a while.
8. Midsouth — 17 HMR V-Max Ammo, $10.45 for 50 rounds
Need 17 HMR ammo for your varmint safaris? Then grab this Hornady V-Max ammo while you can at $10.45 for a 50-round box. This is a great price. Other vendors are selling the same Hornady ammo for as much as $15.00 per box. We’ve used this ammo and it was very accurate out of both semi-auto (Savage A17) and bolt-action (CZ 455) 17 HMR rifles.
9. Amazon — Leight MAX NRR33 Earplugs, $7.58 for 50 Pairs.
These Howard Leight NRR33 Max plugs are your Editor’s favorite foam earplugs. Between shooting, motorcycling and mowing lawns, I probably have Max plugs in my ears 2-3 days a week. This is a very good price for a bulk pack of 50 pairs. And if you act soon, you can get free shipping to boot.
Read Orchid Advisors’ Full Form 4473 Revision Report on Ammoland.com.
Dope or Guns. But Not Both…
Federal law is clear on this. Make your choice. — Dennis Santiago
You may live in a state where private use of marijuana has been decriminalized, but you still have to worry about the Federal Government. Use of marijuana (cannabis) is still prohibited under Federal law. Admitting that you smoke dope can and will prevent you from being able to purchase firearms. We raise this point because ATF has modified Forum 4473, the Federal Firearms Transaction Record, to include a new warning. The Shooting Wire explains:
“ATF notified licensees last week that ATF Form 4473… has again been revised. There’s now a warning attached to question 11.e.
11.e is the famous question, ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?’
The warning simply says that use and possession is illegal under federal statute regardless of the state’s rules. Some on social media said, ‘ATF is telling you to mark that answer “no”. Apparently they don’t remember Scooter Libby.
Lying on ATF Form 4473, as noted right above Block 14, is a federal felony — punishable by fines and a term of imprisonment. Want an all-expense paid vacation at Club Fed? If not, don’t mess with the [Federal Government].”
There are a number of other small changes and additions in the latest revision of Form 4473. These changes are reviewed in great detail by Orchid Advisors, firearms industry compliance experts. If you sell firearms, we recommend you read Orchid Advisors’ full Form 4473 Report on Ammoland.com. Below you can read all six pages of the new ATF Form 4473.
You can print Form 4473 from the ATF’s website at https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-forms. FFL dealers should note that all six pages of Form 4473 must be printed and retained as permanent transaction records.
On November 12, 2016, 46 shooters participated in the first Garand and Modern Military Match utilizing Camp Perry’s new Petrarca Range Electronic Targets. These Kongsberg eTargets allow instantaneous scoring and relieve competitors of pit duties. With no need to shuttle bodies back and forth from the pits, the matches run much more quickly, enabling more shooters to complete the match in less time. These Kongsberg targets work through the power of acoustics — “hearing” each shot and accurately triangulating its location. A variety of target centers can be employed, allowing the eTargets to be used with multiple disciplines.
The electronic target system plots shot locations using acoustic sensors on each target frame. The shot placement (and score value) is instantly calculated by the central computer, and then immediately displayed on monitors positioned on the firing line next to each shooter. Competitors can instantly see their shot locations and score values. No target markers are necessary. This speeds up matches as targets no longer need to be pulled down, marked with a spotter disc, then elevated after each shot.
Match competitors were pleased with the new target system. For example, Matthew Nodine and his sons Keegan and Isaiah, competed together in the Garand Match — each firing on the electronic targets for the first time. The Nodines, regulars at the National Matches at Camp Perry, were eager to experience the new system.
“Although my boys look forward to Camp Perry every year, they do not look forward to the target pulling!” Matthew Nodine joked. “It’s often hot and humid in the pits and makes for a long day. These [electronic] systems could eliminate that and make the shooting experience much more enjoyable.” Along with skipping out on pit duty, Matt says he and the boys enjoyed the system’s ability to eliminate human error that can come from both target pullers in the pits and scorekeepers on the firing line. The family was also impressed with the swift accuracy of the communication between target and monitor.
“My sons and I were very pleased with the system. It provides instant, real-time feedback, which is a great asset in timed shoots,” he said. “The system seems user-friendly and has some nice features, like zoom for those shooters who usually group in the black, and the display is big and easy to read.”
He went on to say, “All in all, we’d give the electronic targets a ‘Two-Thumbs-Up’ and hope it’s something that will be installed on [other] ranges at Camp Perry as well as the rest of the places CMP shooting events take place.”
For others who feel this way, there’s good news. The CMP is currently discussing plans to install systems on each Camp Perry range in the future. Moreover, the CMP now brings a set of mobile electronic targets to its regional Travel Games. The CMP website will list where and when the mobile electronic targets will be deployed at regional matches in 2017.
Thanksgiving is just four days away. What better way to celebrate the occasion than to blast away at some bearded gobblers (of the paper variety). Here’s our custom Turkey Day target, ready for some family fun. This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
Get a Full Set of Animal Targets
For your convenience, we’ve packaged the Turkey Target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
Trimming and chamfering brass are tasks hand-loaders grow to hate. Those chores are time-consuming and tiresome. Thankfully there are faster, better alternatives to manual trimming/chamfering. In this article, Forum member Erik Cortina shows how to use the Giraud tool which trims and chamfers in one operation. Erik has his own YouTube Channel dedicated to precision reloading and accurizing. Here we feature Erik’s video about the “mother of all brass trimmers”, the Giraud powered case trimmer. Erik says: “If you do volume reloading… this is the only trimmer to get. It not only trims to length but it also chamfers your case mouth inside and out.” In his video, Erik offers some very clever and useful tips that will help you get the most from your Giraud.
This is a manufacturer’s photo showing an older model.
The Giraud trimmer is very precise. When set up correctly, it can trim brass with amazing consistency. In the video, Erik trims five pieces of brass in 15 seconds (6:32 mark). He then measures all five with precision calipers (7:00-8:08). All lengths are exact within .0005 (half a thousandth). Erik notes that the Giraud trimmer indexes off the case shoulder. As long as you have fire-formed brass with consistent base-to-shoulder dimensions, you should get very consistent trim lengths.
The secret to the system is a 3-way cutting head. This cutter can be swapped in and out in a couple minutes with wrenches provided with the kit. Erik has three different heads; one each for 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 caliber. The video shows how to adjust the cutting heads to match caliber diameter (and to get the desired amount of inside/outside chamfer).
To trim and chamfer cases, you simply insert them nose-first into the cartridge-specific case-holder. Erik offers a smart tip — He uses a die locking ring to position the cartridge holder (3:15). This can be locked in place. Erik says die locking rings work much better than the hex-nuts provided by Giraud (with the hex-nut, one must re-set cut length each time you change case-holders.)
The Giraud can be used in either horizontal or vertical modes. Erik prefers to have the trimmer aligned vertically, allowing him to push cases down on the trimmer head. But the trimming unit has twin sets of rubber feet, allowing horizontal or vertical orientation.
Improved Case-Holder Made with Chamber Reamer:
For his .284 Shehane, Erik had to create his own case-holder (Giraud does not make one for that wildcat cartridge). Erik used his chamber reamer. To his surprise, Erik found that the brass was easier to trim in the custom case holder (compared to the Giraud-made spring-loaded holders). With a perfect fit, trimming and case extraction went more smoothly and the process was easier on his hands. (See 9:00-10:00). Based on Erik’s experience, you may want to create your own custom case-holder.
Trim Bullet Meplats Also
With a special bullet-holder fitting and meplat cutter head, the Giraud power trimmer can be used to trim bullet meplats. Trimming meplats can help make the Ballistic Coefficents of a batch of bullets more consistent. Uniforming meplats is also often done as a first step in the process of “tipping” bullets to improve BC.
Made with Lapua’s typical dedication to precision, our new 6.5 Creedmoor case has been refined just a bit, to make it an even better performer. We’ve opted for the small rifle primer, which normally produces an optimized ignition and better accuracy than large primers in mid-sized cartridges like the Creedmoor.
“ATF notified licensees last week that ATF Form 4473… has again been revised. There’s now a warning attached to question 11.e.
