Love your LabRadar chronograph? Or wish you owned one? Well now the LabRadar is even better. The makers of the advanced, Doppler-radar LabRadar system have introduced a versatile new LabRadar Mobile App that works with iOS (Apple) and Android systems.
The Mobile App lets you control the LabRadar remotely with your smartphone or laptop. This makes it easier when you position the LabRadar beyond arms reach (such as when using a suppressor). The App also makes it much easier and faster to change settings, display shot data, and download test results.
LabRadar Android Mobile App:
Initial feedback on the LabRadar Mobile App has been very positive, though it took some guys a couple tries to get everything working right. Android users — be sure to turn on your “Location Services”. You’ll find a full discussion of the LabRadar App, with set-up tips, on our Shooters’ Forum. Read HERE.
LabRadar iOS (Apple) App, iPad Version:
Here’s a recent review from a LabRadar owner using an Android phone: “[This App] makes the LabRadar exponentially more useful without additional cost. Firmware update to 1.20 was uneventful and quick. No issues running this on a Samsung Galaxy S9+. Shot series can be reviewed on the phone while disconnected from the radar. While connected you can change the radar settings from within the App. Great features and flawless execution.”
LabRadar Mobile App Functionality
With the new Mobile App, you can control your Labradar from your smartphone or tablet with its Bluetooth connection. Manage, store or delete the information in your series as you wish. View your data and summaries displayed in list or table formats. Even view a graph of speed vs. distance.
– Control your LabRadar from your smartphone or tablet
— Display Single Shot Stats: Velocity, Energy, Power Factor
— Display Shot Series Stats: Average, ES, SD, Hi/Lo Shot
— View Velocity by Distance as Graph and List
— Arm, disarm, and change your settings
How to Install and Use LabRadar Mobile App
First get the LabRadar App for your mobile device. Download the Android App from Google Play. Get the iOS (Apple) Version from the Apple App Store. You may also need to update your LabRadar Firmware.
Firmware Update to Enable Bluetooth
LabRadar owners may need to upgrade their chrono’s Firmware to allow the unit to communicate with the Mobile App. The latest firmware will enable the Bluetooth connectivity on your LabRadar device. Download the new Firmware v1.2.2 by following the link below.
1. Go to http://www.mylabradar.com/download/
2. Select: Labradar Firmware v1.2.2 (English) Mobile App Ready.
3. Copy the FWA and FWB files to a SD card (or use the USB cable method).
4. Insert the SD card in your Labradar and turn it on.
5. On your Android Device, make sure your location services is enabled.
6. IMPORTANT — Do NOT PAIR your Bluetooth device to the Labradar! When using the mobile App simply connect to your Labradar from within the App.
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In this .308 Win test, 70° F ammo shot 96 FPS slower than ammo heated to 130.5° F. And the 130.5° ammo was 145 fps faster than ammo right out of the freezer (at 25.5° F). That’s a huge difference…
EDITOR’s NOTE: The Sierra tester does not reveal the brand of powder tested here. Some powders are much more temp sensitive than others. Accordingly, you cannot extrapolate test results from one propellant to another. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see the actual recorded velocity shift with ammo temperature variations in a .308 Win.
Written by Sierra Chief Ballistician Tommy Todd This story originally appeared in theSierra Bullets Blog
A few weeks ago I was attending the Missouri State F-Class Match. This was a two-day event during the summer and temperatures were hot one day and hotter the next. I shot next to a gentleman who was relatively new to the sport. He was shooting a basically factory rifle and was enjoying himself with the exception that his scores were not as good as he hoped they would be and he was experiencing pressure issues with his ammunition. I noticed that he was having to force the bolt open on a couple of rounds. During a break, I visited with him and offered a couple of suggestions which helped his situation somewhat and he was able to finish the match without major issues.
He was shooting factory ammunition, which is normally loaded to upper levels of allowable pressures. While this ammunition showed no problems during “normal” testing, it was definitely showing issues during a 20-round string of fire in the temperatures we were competing in. My first suggestion was that he keep his ammunition out of the direct sun and shade it as much as possible. My second suggestion was to not close the bolt on a cartridge until he was ready to fire. He had his ammo in the direct sunlight and was chambering a round while waiting on the target to be pulled and scored which can take from a few seconds to almost a minute sometimes.
This time frame allowed the bullet and powder to absorb chamber [heat] and build pressure/velocity above normal conditions. Making my recommended changes lowered the pressures enough for the rifle and cartridge to function normally.
Testing Effects of Ammunition Temperature on Velocity and POI
After thinking about this situation, I decided to perform a test in the Sierra Bullets underground range to see what temperature changes will do to a rifle/cartridge combination. I acquired thirty consecutive .30 caliber 175 grain MatchKing bullets #2275 right off one of our bullet assembly presses and loaded them into .308 Winchester ammunition. I utilized an unnamed powder manufacturer’s product that is appropriate for the .308 Winchester cartridge. This load is not at the maximum for this cartridge, but it gives consistent velocities and accuracy for testing.
I took ten of the cartridges and placed them in a freezer to condition.
I set ten of them on my loading bench, and since it was cool and cloudy the day I performed this test I utilized a floodlight and stand to simulate ammunition being heated in the sun.
I kept track of the temperatures of the three ammunition samples with a non-contact laser thermometer.
The rifle was fired at room temperature (70 degrees) with all three sets of ammunition. I fired this test at 200 yards out of a return-to-battery machine rest. The aiming point was a leveled line drawn on a sheet of paper. I fired one group with the scope aimed at the line and then moved the aiming point across the paper from left to right for the subsequent groups.
NOTE that the velocity increased as the temperature of the ammunition did.
The ammunition from the freezer shot at 2451 fps.
The room temperature ammunition shot at 2500 fps.
The heated ammunition shot at 2596 fps.
The tune window of the particular rifle is fairly wide as is shown by the accuracy of the three pressure/velocity levels and good accuracy was achieved across the board. However, notice the point of impact shift with the third group? There is enough shift at 200 yards to cause a miss if you were shooting a target or animal at longer ranges. While the pressure and velocities changed this load was far enough from maximum that perceived over pressure issues such as flattened primer, ejector marks on the case head, or sticky extraction did not appear. If you load to maximum and then subject your ammunition to this test your results will probably be magnified in comparison.
This test showed that pressures, velocities, and point-of-impact can be affected by temperatures of your ammunition at the time of firing. It’s really not a bad idea to test in the conditions that you plan on utilizing the ammo/firearm in if at all possible. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to also test to see what condition changes do to your particular gun and ammunition combination so that you can make allowances as needed. Any personal testing along these lines should be done with caution as some powder and cartridge combination could become unsafe with relatively small changes in conditions.
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Congratulations to SFC Brandon Green, the 2018 NRA National High Power Champion. Brandon won yet another High Power title in convincing fashion, with a 2394-147X overall score. Two other soldiers finished second and third, separated by X-Count. Second-place SFC Shane Barnhart scored 2386-137X, while SGT Benjamin Cleland was third with 2386-128X. In fourth place, and top civilian, was Ronald Zerr with 2383-126X. (CLICK HERE for High Power Results.)
Now it’s time for High Power Long Range. For the next few days, the nation’s top long-range “hard-holders” will be competing at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The NRA High Power Long Range Championships run July 13-17, with the Long Range Palma match on Tuesday the 17th. Many notable shooters will be there, including John Whidden, who is aiming for a “three-peat” after winning the LR Championship for the past two years running (and five times in total: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2017).
Long Range competitors at 2017 NRA National High Power Rifle Championships.
Long Range and Mid-Range National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, 2018:
Friday, July 13 – Monday, July 16: NRA Long Range (awards ceremony on concluding day)
Tuesday, July 17: NRA Long Range Palma, Palma Team Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, July 18 – Saturday, July 21: NRA Mid Range Individual
Sunday, July 22: NRA Mid Range Teams, Mid Range Awards Ceremony
Monday, July 23: Range Clean Up/Clear Out
Whidden’s Perfect 2017 Palma Match
Whidden secured the 2017 LR Title by shooting “clean” (not dropping a point) in the tough Palma competition. In the NRA Palma match, rifles must be .223 Rem or .308 Winchester, with metallic sights (no scopes). The match is conducted at three yardages, 15 shots at each distance of 800/900/1000 yards, with unlimited sighters at 800 and two sighters at 900 and 1000.
John liked the Camp Atterbury facility and he credited his equipment for his 2017 victory: “With the change to the new Camp Atterbury venue, many shooters were a little unsure how things were going to shake out. But it all turned out really well. All of my equipment shot fantastic all week long — that certainly made shooting a big score easier.”
Whidden Palma Rifle
Action: Barnard “P” (three lugs, 60° bolt lift)
Barrel: Bartlein 32″, Light Palma contour, cryo-treated by 300 Below.
Stock: Anschutz Precise aluminum smallbore stock, set up for centerfire barreled action.
Trigger: Barnard Two-Stage adjustable
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Gunwerks is hosting its first Precision Rifle Series Match, the Monster Steel Challenge, in Cody, Wyoming, July 28-29, 2018. This will be a major match with very different experiences on Day One vs. Day Two. For your hefty $250 fee, you’ll get lots of action with 10 stages on Day One, followed by a “walk in the woods” in the Wyoming back-country on Day Two
The first match day, held at Cody Shooting Complex, will include 10 stages in a fast-paced, square, range-style set-up. Day Two, at Monster Lake Ranch, will provide competitors with a 270-degree fire fan allowing for some incredible vistas and challenging shots. For the practical competitor who enjoys the backcountry — this is as good as it gets.
Watch Monster Steel Challenge Match Preview:
“Gunwerks is very proud and excited to be hosting our first-ever Precision Rifle Series right here in our backyard,” Aaron Davidson, Gunwerks founder and CEO, said. “The courses will be challenging and the vistas that Wyoming will be offering the competitors will be outstanding.”
Match Restrictions on Gun Calibers and Ammo Velocity
As with most other PRS matches, the allowed span of calibers is .224 through .308 inclusive. No .338s and .375s gents. Velocities are limited to 3200 FPS for ALL calibers/chamberings. NOTE: If a competitor’s ammo speed is in question, he must shoot through a LabRadar to verify velocity. If the ammo exceeds 3200 FPS, the competitor will be automatically DQ’d (disqualified), with NO REFUNDS. Competitors will require 200 rounds for both days, plus extra for sight-ins or confirmation shots.
Slots for competitors are limited. Registration is available for a $250 non-refundable fee. For more info, contact Gunwerks (307-298-1313 or team@gunwerks.com), or visit www.gunwerks.com.
The rich prize table will include a complete rifle built by Gunwerks. Nice.
Cody, Wyoming is a beautiful Western locale, suitable for quality vacation time before or after the Monster Steel Challenge match. Photo courtesy City of Cody.
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Justice and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, seeking an injunction against the agency for failing and refusing to establish a properly functioning Internet-based firearms registration system.
Joining SAF in this legal action are the Calguns Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Firearms Policy Foundation and three private citizens. The lawsuit was filed in Shasta County Superior Court.
“We’re suing because California DOJ’s Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS) broke down during the deadline week for people to register their firearms in accordance with new state laws,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “For a whole week the system was largely inaccessible. People who wanted to comply with the law simply couldn’t and now they face becoming criminals because they couldn’t do what the law requires.”
The lawsuit notes that during the week of June 25-30, which was the statutory registration deadline, the CFARS system was inaccessible and inoperable on a variety of web browsers across the state. Many users who were able to initially log in and begin the process could not finish because the system crashed, obliterating all of their work. The CFARS system was substantially underfunded and understaffed from its inception, Gottlieb noted.
“It’s like a bad version of ‘Catch-22’,” Gottlieb observed. “The government required registration by the deadline, but the online registration failed and people couldn’t register. They’re required to obey the law, but the system broke down, making it impossible to obey the law. Now these people face the possibility of being prosecuted. We simply cannot abide that kind of incompetence.”
“Attorney General Xavier Becerra seems to care about everything but the constitution, the rule of law, and law-abiding California gun owners,” said FPC President Brandon Combs. “If Becerra spent as much time doing his job as he does talking about his pet crusades against the federal government, hundreds of thousands of Californians would not be in legal jeopardy right now.”
“Predictably the state of California wants to take guns away from the law abiding. In this instance they couldn’t even build a working system to respect gun owners’ rights,” explained CGF Chairman Gene Hoffman. SAF and its partners want the court to prevent DOJ from enforcing the law to allow individual plaintiffs and other citizens in the same situation to register their legally-possessed firearms through a “reliable and functional registration system.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
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The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has produced a very useful educational resource, a video explaining “How to Talk to Your Kids about Firearm Safety”. The video, starring champion shooter Julie Golob, encourages parents to have “the talk” about firearm safety with their kids sooner rather than later, and provides tips for how to have a helpful discussion.
“As a mother, I know full well how challenging this conversation can be,” Golob said. “It’s crucial that parents set an example and teach their kids about firearm safety so children don’t learn about guns solely from what their friends say or what they see on video games and TV.”
“Too often, children don’t know what to do if they find a gun,” said Steve Sanetti, President and CEO of NSSF, which developed and sponsors the Project ChildSafe firearm safety education program. “This video opens a door for honest conversation and empowers parents to be the authority on gun safety for their kids, whether they have guns in their homes or not.”
The “How to Talk to Your Kids about Firearm Safety” video was created as a resource to start positive and constructive conversations by encouraging discussion rather than lecture, and helps parents responsibly demystify the subject of guns. For more information, visit Projectchildsafe.org.
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At the SAKO/Tikka booth at SHOT Show, we saw some tactical shooters admiring the smooth Tikka T3 action and crisp trigger. They liked the action but they told us they wished they could get the T3 action in a configuration similar to the Ruger Precision Rifle. Well folks, there is a way to build a Tikka T3-based tactical/practical rig.
Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine offers a tubegun chassis for Tikka T3 actions in both Target and Tactical versions. The T3 kit is set up for AICS short action magazines. This is a “no gunsmithing” installation — no modifications to the action are required and the chassis kit works with the factory T3 trigger and safety. Along with the new Target and Tactical versions, a lower-cost Light-Weight Hunter T3 Chassis is also offered which accepts most AR-type buttstock assemblies.
Tikka’s T3 action is a very nice unit that works well as the centerpiece of a precision rifle. The T3 action is rigid and robust. It cycles smoothly and has a short 75° bolt lift. The T3 features a Sako-style extractor, with angled-leading-edge bolt lugs for smooth lock-up.
The T3 action can be installed in Gary’s Chassis Kit with either a recoil disc (and bolts) or glue-in action mounting. Price for the Tactical model is $1050.00, with a rugged Cerakote finish. Price for the Target version is $950.00 with a powdercoat finish or $1025.00 with a Cerakote finish. The Light-Weight Hunter chassis (that accepts owner-installed AR-type buttstocks) starts at $685.00. (Check for current pricing.) Tikka T3 action and AICS 5-round or 10-round magazines sold separately. For more info, visit GotXRing.com, call 928-649-0742, or send email to: spraynandprayn [at] gmail.com . CLICK HERE for order page.
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A while back, Cal Zant at PrecisionRifleBlog.com did a big muzzle brake comparison test. Along with measuring recoil reduction, Cal’s team recorded sound levels in PRB’s exhaustive muzzle brake field test. In the PRB archives you’ll find comprehensive muzzle brake sound test results, with hard data on 20 different muzzle brakes.
Sound can be a tricky subject, but Cal Zant, the editor of PrecisionRifleBlog.com, presents everything an informed shooter should know about muzzle brake noise in a straightforward and practical way. Most sound tests are measured from the side of the muzzle, in accordance with mil-spec standards, and Cal did that. But he also measured the sound level of each brake from behind the rifle, closer to the shooter’s position. This provides a more accurate indicator of the actual sound levels firearms operators will encounter while shooting.
Muzzle brakes ARE really loud — that’s something most active shooters have observed. But this study finally gives us some hard data and makes objective comparisons. The difference between brakes was quite significant. Some brakes were ear-splitting — more than twice as loud as other brakes tested.
As a bonus, Cal also provides data on how the new Ultra series suppressors from Thunder Beast Arms Corp (TBAC) compare in terms of sound level behind the rifle.
The 2018 National Matches at Camp Perry Ohio kicked off with the NRA Pistol Championship, July 8-13.
The National Matches moved to Camp Perry, Ohio, in 1907 and continue to take place every summer on the shores of Lake Erie, though the NRA High Power Rifle Championships have moved to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Drawing well over 6,000 annual participants, the National Matches have become a huge, national shooting sports festival. There’s nothing quite like it. Competitors range from beginners to many of the world’s best marksmen. Conducted throughout the month of July through the first week of August, the Camp Perry National months offer a spectacle of shooting with a wide variety of rimfire and centerfire disciplines, with both modern and vintage arms. If you’ve never been to Camp Perry, it is a “bucket list” experience for any serious shooter.
The National Matches at Camp Perry
The National Matches include Small Arms Firing Schools and a series of CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches and CMP Games Events as well as NRA Championships that are held in connection with the National Matches. The National Matches at Camp Perry begin with the NRA National Pistol Championships. For 2018, the CMP has added CMP Smallbore and Long Range Matches to the month-long schedule. The CMP fulfills its responsibility to conduct the National Matches through a working partnership with the Ohio National Guard.
The First Shot Ceremony officially opens the National Matches. This year Maj. Gen. Clark W. LeMasters Jr. addressed assembled competitors, match officials, VIPs, volunteers, and spectators. After Gen. LeMaster’s concluded his speech, he had the honor of firing the ceremonial “first shot” of the National Matches, officially signaling the opening of the National Matches. (Read First Shot Ceremony News Report.)
The John C. Garand match is a Camp Perry classic. Note the signature Garand clip in the air.
The National Trophy Junior Team Match attracts squads of young shooters from around the country.
The Springfield M1A Match is popular every year. Here an amputee shooter competes in 2017.
The 2018 Vintage Sniper Rifle Match will be held August 3, 2018 on the Viale Range. This two-man team competition using scoped rifles of WWI and WWII Vintage has become of of the most popular rifle matches held at Perry. Over 250 teams have competed in recent years. Many competitors use the M1903 Springfield, but you’ll also see scoped M1 Garands, K31s, Mausers, and even a Lee-Enfield or two. (Semi-Auto shooters are scored separately).
Serious smallbore rifle competition returns to Camp Perry this year. Smallbore competitions have been slotted into the Camp Perry National Match schedule July 16-22, 2018, though the NRA National Smallbore Championships will still be held at Camp Wa-Ke-De in Indiana. The CMP will host a new series of smallbore events in July at Camp Perry, the Mecca of competitive shooting in the USA. This way elite smallbore competitors, with their premium match rifles, can enjoy the famed Camp Perry ranges. Of course, the CMP also will continue to offer the hugely popular Rimfire Sporter Match, which attracts hundreds of competitors each year.
The smallbore matches will be fired on Rodriguez Range at Camp Perry under a covered firing line. Shooters Technology will provide a scoring App that allows instant scoring for quick results. Finals will be conducted on the CMP’s Electronic Targets installed on the Camp Perry Petrarca Range.
New Technology — Electronic Reticle Level. Activate level by pushing illumination button for 15 seconds. The level warning deactivates automatically when you rotate the scope over 30 degrees.
The latest Leupold VX-6HD scopes have a feature we’d like to see incorporated in other optics: a tilt-correction warning system. When the rifle is canted more than 1 degree off level, the VX-6HD’s new electronic reticle level flashes, telling the shooter to square up his rifle. This kind of innovation helps both hunters and target shooters. Even a small bit of cant variance from shot to shot will change the point of impact at long range (Canting Demo HERE). Proprietary MST (Motion Sensor Technology) automatically deactivates illumination after 5 minutes of inactivity, yet reactivates instantly as soon as any movement is detected.
The electronic reticle level and other advanced VX-6HD features were praised by Petersen’s Hunting magazine, which awarded the VX-6HD an Editor’s Choice award. Leupold put a lot of advanced optics technology in this scope. Leupold says: “We gave it new high-definition lenses for sharpened clarity, Twilight Max Light Management System, an in-scope cant indicator, a throw lever for fast magnification changes, and a more robust erector system.”
Leupold offers six VX-6HD series riflescopes: 4-24x52mm, 3-18x50mm, 3-18x44mm, 2-12x42mm, 1-6x24mm, and 1-6x24mm multigun. All Leupold VX-6HD riflescopes are CDS-capable and include one free Custom Ballistic Dial with purchase.
The VX-6HD series of scopes also feature a very clever, button-controlled return-to-zero system for both windage and elevation. A visible button snaps out at the zero point, locking the turret. Press the ZeroLock button to release and dial your needed elevation or windage. Simply spin the turret back and the lock snaps into place automatically at the designated zero point. Simple, easy, effective.
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Today, July 10, 2018 is the last day to register for the Crosman All American Field Target Championship.
Upstate New York heats up in the summer with the largest field target event in the country — the Crosman All-American Field Target Championship (CAAFTC). This very popular airgun event takes place July 20-22, 2018 in upstate New York. If you are a Field Target Shooter and want to attend, don’t hesitate — today is the very last day to register for the big event.
Shooters from across the nation and many foreign competitors will compete this year at the CAAFTC held at the Rochester Brooks Int’l Skeet and Trap Club.
On July 20-22, the Crosman All-American Field Target Championship (CAAFTC) will be held at the Rochester Brooks International Skeet and Trap Club in Rush, New York. 0ver 100 air rifle and air pistol competitors will participate in the big event hosted by Crosman. This event attracts top Airgunners from across the nation (and some foreign countries). Along with regular Field Target matches, there will be specialty side matches, plus a factory tour. The event is free to the public.
The CAAFTC is sanctioned by the American Airgun Field Target Association and is a featured AAFTA Grand Prix event. The 120-shot match has competitive rifle divisions based on allowable gun and support equipment. Here are the main air rifle classifications:
Hunter Division – rifle fires at a maximum 20 foot pounds of energy (FPE), shooter may use a non-attached bipod, non-restrictive clothing, and sitting stool. Open Division - maximum 20 FPE maximum rifle, shooter may wear a body harness, no bipod, 6″ maximum height seat. World Field Target Federation (WFTF) – similar to Open but shooters compete according to international standard of maximum 12 fpe for rifles. Freestyle Division – 20 FPE maximum rifle, no other restrictions. (This is new for 2016).
The pistol competition includes similar divisions based on shooting styles. Both rifle and pistol divisions include sub-classes based on the air rifle powerplant: piston driven or precharged pneumatic.
“If you want to see some of the country’s finest airgun shooters, this is the hottest event of the summer and it’s free for the public,” says Chip Hunnicutt, Marketing Manager for Crosman. “Alongside the world-class shooters, we’ll have enthusiasts simply having a good time and even parents bringing their kids for some good fun outdoors.”
The three-day competition features multiple shooting matches including the main two-day rifle event. There are five divisions for competitors: Open, Hunter, WFTF, Freestyle, and Pistol. In addition to the main rifle event, this year will also feature a pistol match, the Quigley Bucket Match and the Pyramyd Air Gunslinger match. The Bucket match re-creates famous scene in the movie “Quigley Down Under” in which the lead character shoots a bucket at 700 yards. Here the distances are scaled down a wee bit (wink). Competitors, using iron sights only, get 5 shots at a 1.75″ bucket placed at 55 yards.
Tech Talk: Why the Big Side-Wheels on the Scopes?
Field Target rifles shoot pellets propelled by compressed air. These light-weight, low-BC projectiles drop very quickly, with a looping trajectory. In order to hit targets at distances out to 50 yards or so, you have to adjust your scope to compensate for pellet drop. But you can’t set the scope correctly without knowing the precise range to the target. This is the function of the big wheels on the side of the scope. Field Target Competitors use the parallax adjustment on high-magnification scopes to determine target range. The big wheel allows quick, yet precise parallax adjustment. Markings on the wheel show the shooter the scope settings required for the distance “dialed-in” via the over-size parallax wheel.
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The new .224 Valkyrie for AR15-platform rifles has garnered lots of attention lately. That new cartridge has gotten people thinking about the options for an AR shooter beyond the venerable .223 Remington (and 5.56x39mm NATO). While the .224 Valkyrie is good for shooting long heavy bullets (such as Sierra’s new 95gr SMK), there is a simpler, cheaper option for folks who favor “fast and light” — smaller, lower-mass bullets traveling at very high velocities. That option is the 20 Practical, which is simply a .223 Remington necked down to 20 caliber. This little cartridge can launch 40-grainers at over 3900 fps. That’s bookin’. This makes the 20 Practical a great choice for an AR-based varmint rifle.
20 Practical Ultimate Varminter
A decade ago, as a “proof-of-concept”, AccurateShooter.com created a 20 Practical AR15 Ultimate Varminter with a custom 20-caliber upper from Robert Whitley of AR-X Enterprises, LLC. That project rifle was ultra-accurate — every 5-shot group out of the gun was less than the size of a dime. That gun was auctioned off, but Robert Whitley continues to produce custom 20 Practical AR15 uppers. (The 20 Practical cartridge is simply the .223 Rem necked down to 20 caliber — you can use standard .223 brass and load with standard.223 Rem dies. Just swap in a smaller expander and use smaller neck bushings.)
Robert reports that the accuracy of the first 20 Practical AR15 was no fluke. After building six (6) more 20 Practical uppers, he tested them for accuracy and they all shot great. These uppers feature DPMS low-pro receivers with side charging handles. They are fitted with PacNor 1:11″ twist, three-groove stainless barrels.
Robert reports: “We have been making more 20 Practical AR15 uppers and I have to say I am astounded by the accuracy of these things. For shooting little tiny groups out of an AR15 with bullets going 3500+ fps, it’s hard to beat the 20 Practical. Today I test-fired six more uppers, all with 11-twist barrels. Three of the uppers had 24″ barrels, two had 20″ barrels, and one had an 18″ barrel (we call it ‘Stubby’).
In four of these uppers I shot re-sized Winchester brass using 25.3 grains of WC844 powder with Berger 40gr BTHP bullets loaded at 2.225″ OAL (about .015″ off the lands). WC844 is inexpensive military surplus powder that is nearly identical to H335. I tried three different primers and the choice did not seem to matter (CCI BR4, Rem 7 1/2s and Win Small Rifle — the old silver ones). All these four uppers shot great. Here is an animated GIF with targets from uppers #6, 10, and 11. All groups are mag-fed, 5-shot groups shot at 100 yards using a front rest and rear bag.”
Targets Shot with Three Different 20 Practical AR Uppers
For more information visit www.6mmAR.com, or contact Robert Whitley via email: rcw3 [at] erols.com.
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Congratulations to SFC Brandon Green, the 2018 NRA National High Power Champion. Brandon won yet another High Power title in convincing fashion, with a 2394-147X overall score. Two other soldiers finished second and third, separated by X-Count. Second-place SFC Shane Barnhart scored 2386-137X, while SGT Benjamin Cleland was third with 2386-128X. In fourth place, and top civilian, was Ronald Zerr with 2383-126X. (
Tikka’s T3 action is a very nice unit that works well as the centerpiece of a precision rifle. The T3 action is rigid and robust. It cycles smoothly and has a short 75° bolt lift. The T3 features a Sako-style extractor, with angled-leading-edge bolt lugs for smooth lock-up.
The electronic reticle level and other advanced VX-6HD features were praised by Petersen’s Hunting magazine, which awarded the VX-6HD an Editor’s Choice award. Leupold put a lot of advanced optics technology in this scope. Leupold says: “We gave it new high-definition lenses for sharpened clarity, Twilight Max Light Management System, an in-scope cant indicator, a throw lever for fast magnification changes, and a more robust erector system.”
20 Practical Ultimate Varminter
