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September 11th, 2017

Bargain Finder 103: AccurateShooter’s Deals of the Week

Accurateshooter Bargain Finder Deals of Week

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, 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. Grafs.com — Lapua Bullets on Sale, Up to 49% Off

You know Lapua makes truly superior brass, but have you tried Lapua bullets yet. You should. The Scenar and Scenar-L match bullets are outstanding. In one of our rifles (a 6mmBR), Lapua’s original 105gr Scenar bullets out-shot every other projectile we tried. And the Scenar-L bullets are some of the most consistent bullets (for weight and base-to-ogive) we’ve ever measured. Now you can get these outstanding Lapua match bullets, plus excellent Lapua hunting bullets at major savings. Here are some of the best deals on great Scenar-L Match Bullets now at Grafs.com:

.224 Cal 77gr HPBT Scenar-L: $24.99/100 (Save 46%) (Great for Service Rifle)
6mm (.243) 90gr HPBT Scenar-L: $369.99/1000 (Save 18%) (Great XTC and PRS Bullet)
6.5mm (.264) 120gr HPBT Scenar-L: $259.99/1000 (Save 39%) (Great for 6.5 Creedmoor)
7mm (.284) 180gr HPBT Scenar-L: $28.99/100 (Save 46%) (Superb F-Open Bullet)
.308 Cal 155gr HPBT Scenar-L: $299.99/1000 (Save 37%) (Excellent Palma Bullet)
.308 Cal 220gr HPBT Scenar-L: $30.99/100 (Save 46%) (Excellent F-TR Bullet)

2. CDNN — Winchester XPR Hunting Rifle, $279.99 After Rebate

Looking for a good hunting rifle at a great price? Check out this promotion for the Winchester XPR. This is a fine-handling rig with a smooth bolt and many chambering options. Right now at CDNN Sports the basic gray-stocked Winchester XPR is on sale for $379.99. But here’s the kicker, Winchester is offering a $100.00 Mail-In Rebate. That drops your net cost to just $279.99. That’s an insanely good deal. You can also get the XPR in Vias Camo for $299.99 after rebate.

3. Midsouth — Norma Tac-223 .223 Rem Ammo, $5.99/20 rounds

Planning a late-season varmint hunt, or need some reliable ammo for a 3-Gun match? Look no further. This .223 Remington Norma Tac-223 FMJ is good ammo, a lot better than bulk commercial reloads, and not much more money. On sale now for $5.99 for a 20-round box, this quality Norma ammo is just thirty cents ($0.30) per round! You can also get this ammo by the case at Brownells, $244.99 for 800 rounds.

Here are two reviews from actual Midsouth customers who bought and shot this ammo:

“Amazingly accurate, great for target practice and plinking, and Norma brass! Believe it would be very good for varmit hunting. Price point is awesome for what you get from this ammunition. ordering more now.” Pat, Ohio

“I purchased this [Tac-223] ammo primarily for the Norma cartridge brass. It shoots great and the brass is top notch.” — Jim, Kentucky

4. DeGuns.net — S&W M&P 9mm, $399.99/$324.99 after Rebate

Here’s a great deal on a very reliable, accurate full-size 9x19mm pistol — the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm in Flat Dark Earth finish. We like the distinctive color with contrasting matte black ambidextrous controls. For the next week, this 9mm pistol is on sale for just $399.99. To sweeten the deal further, this handgun qualifies for a $75.00 Smith & Wesson Rebate. Act soon — this DeGuns Deal is good through September 16, 2017.

5. Amazon — Lyman BoreCam (Digital Borescope), $174.49

Here’s the best deal we’ve found on an excellent product in high demand. The Lyman BoreCam is an electro-optical borescope with a digital display. You can record “stills” on a SD card. Our Forum members really like the BoreCam (although some wish the digital view-screen was larger). Amazon.com now has the Lyman BoreCam for $174.49 (seller Optics Planet) or $182.24 with free Prime Shipping. Grab it while you can at that price. Other vendors are charging a LOT more. For example, MidwayUSA’s price is $259.99!

6. Stocky’s — LR Stocks with Aluminum Bedding Block, $179.99

Here’s a good deal on a versatile Stocky’s Long Range Stock with aluminum V-block bedding system. For just $179.99, order this for Rem/Rem Clone long actions or short actions, with either narrow or wide (varmint/tactical) barrel channel. This would be a good choice for a varmint rifle. This is also offered with handsome hydrographic or web-pattern baked-on textured finishes for $199.99.

7. BangitAmmo.com — CCI Blazer Brass .45 ACP Ammo, $11.99

This is quality, American-made ammo with reloadable brass cases. This is cheaper than just about any name-brand .45 ACP ammo on the market offered in single-box lots. We’ve shot a lot of this ammo and it functioned 100% in 1911s, Sig P220, Glock m21, HK USP and other .45 ACP handguns. Price is $11.99 for a 50-round box ($0.24/round).

8. Brownells — Hornady Auto Charge Powder Dispenser, $139.99

Right now at Brownells the Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge electronic powder dispenser/scale is on sale for $149.99. That’s a great deal but there’s more — with Brownells Coupon CODE M3P you can get the AutoCharge for just $139.99 and shipping is just one cent ($0.01) more at Brownells right how. So you can get the Hornady Auto Charge for $140.00 delivered. Hard to beat that.

9. Cabela’s — Savage 12 FV Rifle, $319.99

Here’s a good deal on a Savage hunting rifle. Purchase a Model 12 FV for $319.99 from Cabela’s. This is a sweet deal if you’re looking for a basic, no-frills hunting or varminting rifle. Cabela’s offers five chamberings at this price: .204 Ruger, .223 Remington, 22-250, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Winchester. NOTE: The Cabela’s website includes a link to a $100 Savage rebate. That is for the 12 FCV, a different model. This basic 12 FV is not rebate eligible. But it’s still a good deal at $319.99.

10. Amazon — Mystery Deal, 28% off Typical Price, $199.00

Here’s our second Mystery Deal of the Week. Rest assured this is a very high quality product — at a very compelling price: $199.00 at Amazon. This item sold for $299.99 last summer, and around $270.00 just two months ago. Grab this steal-of-a-deal now. This big-name product will help you get on target all the way out to 1250 yards. We can say with some confidence you won’t find a better-performing, comparable product that represents such a good value. CLICK HERE to see the Mystery Deal.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Optics, Reloading 1 Comment »

September 11th, 2017

Modernizing a Veteran Benchrest Rig — “Old 87″ Gets Updates

James Mock BAT Action Terry Leonard Stock old 87

Updating a 20+ Year-Old Benchrest Rifle

by James Mock
After owning three different rifles with BAT actions, I have become a loyal fan of BAT Machine quality and customer service. Back in 2009, I traded my BAT/Scoville for the BAT/Leonard that I currently shoot. This rifle has a long history and Terry Leonard told me that “Old 87″ (as I have named it) was one of the earlier BATs that he stocked. He wrapped the stock in fiberglass and used 2-part epoxy back then. I must say that this rifle has held up remarkably well since it dates back to the 1990s. The action is a RB/LP/RE octagon Model B with .308 bolt-face.

With this gun, I have shot several barrels of different calibers (.22 PPC, .22 PPC-short .095, 6mm PPC, 6XC, 6mm Dasher, .30BR, and will soon have a 6 BR-AI). It has been an exceptionally accurate rifle in several disciplines. In the hands of previous owners, it earned several Hall-of-Fame (HOF) points, and a “middle-of-the-pack” shooter (me) even received a HOF point with this rifle.

James Mock BAT Action Terry Leonard Stock old 87

For most of its life, Old 87 served as a short range benchrest rifle, but I have used it for the last few years as a 600-yard rifle with the 6mm Dasher barrel. I was lucky enough to earn the Shooter of the Year award at the Prince Memorial Range in Louisiana for 2016.

After shooting my two Dasher barrels for last eight years, I have noticed a drop-off in accuracy at 600 yards. A decision had to be made — get a new barrel or sell the rifle and retire from competition. I will be 74 years old in six months and my competition days are limited due mainly to a chronic neck problem. After mulling over the decision to retire or not, I decided to give Old 87 one more year. Here is the story of how we upgraded the old war-horse.

Old 87 REBORN — Upgrading with New Components

I prefer cut-rifled barrels with four lands and grooves and have had success with .236 bore diameters and 1:8″ twist in long range rifles. I searched for barrels meeting those parameters and found a suitable BRUX at Bugholes.com (Southern Precision Rifles).

The 6BR-AI Option — Easy Fire Forming
I thought about having Billy Stevens chamber it for the Dasher, but decided to try something new. There seems to be a lot of interest in the 6BR-AI and I said, “Why not?” Well, I bought a shortened Dasher die from Harrell’s and will use my Wilson Dasher seating die. Bart Sauter was kind enough to let me use his reamer for chambering.

Fitting a New Roller-Type Cocking Piece on Older BAT Action
Since I was into the project this deep, I called Mike Ezell and ordered one of his Tungsten powder-dampened tuners. Since Old 87 had thousands of rounds since the firing pin spring has been replaced, I decided that it was probably needed. Well, I got to thinking (very dangerous) and asked Daryle Thom if it would be feasible to put a roller-type cocking piece and a new firing pin spring on such an old action.

The folks at BAT are very accommodating and they said that it would be no problem with such a conversion. While my bolt was in Idaho, the barrel with Ezell tuner arrived and I could not shoot it. However, my friend Jeff Turner loaned me his BAT bolt to see if it would work. Although the rifles differ in age by 15 or more years, the borrowed bolt worked perfectly in my rifle. This is a testimony to the great machine work performed at BAT Machine.

James Mock BAT Action Terry Leonard Stock old 87

New Bolt Roller Tail-Piece Makes a Big Difference in Cocking Effort
With the borrowed bolt I managed to fire-form 50 rounds and get them ready for our 600-yard match on September 16. The folks at BAT quickly fixed my bolt by replacing the mainspring and ejector spring, polishing the ejector, and replacing the tail-piece with their roller type. Pictured below is this tail piece that makes a remarkable difference in the force needed to cock the action. It is amazing what this little wheel can do… even when placed in a 20+ year old action.

James Mock BAT Action Terry Leonard Stock old 87

Working with the Ezell Barrel Tuner — Small Increments Work Best
Also, I would like to congratulate Mike Ezell on his new tuner which contains powdered Tungsten. It is easy to set up and Mike will help a buyer get maximum effectiveness from the unit. Just give him a call. Below is a picture of the tuner. I was lucky enough to have some time to “play” with it before the match.

Talking about the tuner, Mike writes: “Our new barrel tuners…
PDT stands for particle dampening technology. The science is there, we just applied it to a barrel tuner. The advantages are a wider tune window and more efficient control of barrel harmonics…in a tuner design that actually looks good.”

Mike advised me to set the tuner by turning it all the way into the shoulder and then come out to zero or the second time zero comes up if there is not at least half of a turn between the shoulder and the first zero. It is best to start with a proven load and adjust the tuner from that load. As unlikely as it seems, a rifle can go from a good tune to a very poor tune with only 5 marks (.005”) and vice versa.

James Mock BAT Action Terry Leonard Stock old 87

Mike cautions those who use his tuner to NOT make adjustments which are too large. As a matter of fact, he recommends adjustments of .001 inch at a time. Ezell’s tuners are screwed onto the barrel with .900” by 32 threads per inch and has 32 marks on the circumference of the tuner. Therefore, each mark moves the tuner in or out by .001 inch. There are three set screws with Teflon tips which provide friction for the tuner on the threads. Do not tighten the screws so tight as they damage the fine threads.

If you want the smoothest bolt possible for your BAT, call or e-mail Daryle or Bruce Thom at BAT Machine and discuss your needs with them. I am sure glad that I did. If you want a state-of-the-Art tuner for your barrel, give Mike Ezell a call or visit his Ezell Custom Rifles Facebook Page.
— Good shooting, James Mock

Permalink - Articles, Gear Review, Gunsmithing 1 Comment »

September 11th, 2017

Breathe, Relax … and Improve Your Vision

Vision Eye Target Scope Relaxation Oxygen Target

Do you find that the crosshairs in your scope get blurry after a while, or that you experience eye strain during a match? This is normal, particularly as you get older. Focusing intensely on your target (through the scope or over iron sights) for an extended period of time can cause eye strain. Thankfully, there are things you can do to reduce eye fatigue. For one — breathe deeper to take in more oxygen. Secondly, give your eyes a break between shots, looking away from the scope or sights.

In our Forum there is an interesting thread about vision and eye fatigue. One Forum member observed: “I have noticed recently that if I linger on the target for too long the crosshairs begin to blur and the whole image gradually darkens as if a cloud passed over the sun. I do wear contacts and wonder if that’s the problem. Anyone else experienced this? — Tommy”

Forum members advised Tommy to relax and breath deep. Increase oxygen intake and also move the eyes off the target for a bit. Closing the eyes briefly between shots can also relieve eye strain. Tommy found this improved the situation.

Keith G. noted: “Make sure you are still breathing… [your condition] sounds similar to the symptoms of holding one’s breath.”

Phil H. explained: “Tom — Our eyes are tremendous oxygen hogs. What you are witnessing is caused by lack of oxygen. When this happens, get off the sights, stare at the grass (most people’s eyes find the color green relaxing), breath, then get back on the rifle. Working on your cardio can help immensely. Worked for me when I shot Palma. Those aperture sights were a bear! The better my cardio got the better and longer I could see. Same thing with scopes. Try it!”

Watercam concurred: “+1 on breathing. Take a long slow deep breath, exhale and break shot. Also make sure you take a moment to look at the horizon without looking through rifle or spotting scope once in a while to fight fatigue. Same thing happens when using iron sights.”

Arizona shooter Scott Harris offered this advice: “To some extent, [blurring vision] happens to anyone staring at something for a long time. I try to keep vision crisp by getting the shot off in a timely fashion or close the eyes briefly to refresh them. Also keep moisturized and protect against wind with wrap-around glasses”.

Breathing Better and Relaxing the Eyes Really Worked…
Tommy, the shooter with the eye problem, said his vision improved after he worked on his breathing and gave his eyes a rest between shots: “Thanks guys. These techniques shrunk my group just a bit and every little bit helps.”

Read more tips on reducing eye fatigue in our Forum Thread: That Vision Thing.

To avoid eye fatigue, take your eyes away from the scope between shots, and look at something nearby (or even close your eyes briefly). Also work on your breathing and don’t hold your breath too long — that robs your system of oxygen.

Permalink Optics, Shooting Skills 2 Comments »

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Bargain Finder 103: AccurateShooter’s Deals of the Week

1. Grafs.com — Lapua Bullets on Sale, Up to 49% Off

2. CDNN — Winchester XPR Hunting Rifle, $279.99 After Rebate

3. Midsouth — Norma Tac-223 .223 Rem Ammo, $5.99/20 rounds

4. DeGuns.net — S&W M&P 9mm, $399.99/$324.99 after Rebate

5. Amazon — Lyman BoreCam (Digital Borescope), $174.49

6. Stocky’s — LR Stocks with Aluminum Bedding Block, $179.99

7. BangitAmmo.com — CCI Blazer Brass .45 ACP Ammo, $11.99

8. Brownells — Hornady Auto Charge Powder Dispenser, $139.99

9. Cabela’s — Savage 12 FV Rifle, $319.99

10. Amazon — Mystery Deal, 28% off Typical Price, $199.00

Modernizing a Veteran Benchrest Rig — “Old 87″ Gets Updates

Updating a 20+ Year-Old Benchrest Rifle

Old 87 REBORN — Upgrading with New Components

Breathe, Relax … and Improve Your Vision

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