The mainstream media has an agenda, demonizing firearms and arguing that young people should never see, much less touch, a firearm. Given that agenda, don’t expect CBS, NBC, or CNN to ever say ANYthing about the 4-H Shooting Sports Program. Telling the truth about the 4-H shooting program (and other youth marksmanship programs) would under-cut the anti-gun agenda. Why? Because right now over 500,000 young men and women are participating safely and successfully in 4-H Shooting Sports programs nationwide.
Thatn’s right, currently more than half a million youths and 20,000 certified volunteer instructors are involved in 4-H shooting sports programs in 47 states across the USA. 4-H Shooting Sports is now the largest youth shooting program in the nation. Since it was founded many decades ago, 4-H Shooting Sports has served millions of young Americans. The organization declares: “The mission of the 4-H Shooting Sports Program is to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing life skills, and forming attitudes so they may become self-directing, productive, and contributing members of society.”
The focus of all 4-H programs is the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Program stands out as an example. Youths learn archery, marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles and ethics of hunting, and much more. The activities of the program and the support of dedicated adult leaders help young people develop self-worth, as they learn important life skills and conservation ethics. (Read Brochure)
Through the 4-H Shooting Sports Program, participants learn safe marksmanship and archery skills from an early age. State-level 4-H clubs offer programs for individual training as well as team competitive shooting. There is also a 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships Event each summer which hosts Shotgun, Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, Smallbore Pistol, Compound Archery, Recurve Archery, Muzzle-loading Rifle and Hunting Skills events.
The 2018 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships took place June 24-29 in Grand Island, Nebraska. It was a hugely successful event with hundreds of young competitors from around the nation.
This summer, many of our readers will be traveling to shooting matches near and far. Many of you will drive 1000 miles or more to attend major championships at Camp Perry (Ohio) and Camp Atterbury (Indiana). Along the way you’ll cross multiple state lines, and be subject to a patchwork of different state and local laws. While traveling with firearms you want to ensure you comply with all laws and regulations, even if you’re “just passing through”.
On the NRA’s American Rifleman website you’ll find a helpful article that provides basic tips on avoiding legal entanglements when traveling from state to state with firearms in your vehicle. The basic advice is to plan out your trip in advance, researching all state and local laws that will apply. This can be a daunting task, but a Federal law, the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) does provide some protection for travelers.
According to the NRA: “FOPA shields you from local restrictions if you’re transporting firearms for lawful purposes. Under FOPA, notwithstanding any state or local law, a person is entitled to transport a firearm from any place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry it, if the firearm is unloaded and locked out of reach. In vehicles without a trunk, the unloaded firearm must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.”
The NRA cautions that: “Laws vary place-to-place, and if you do anything other than pass through a state, you must obey all local laws. This is especially true when you are carrying a loaded firearm in your vehicle or on your person. There’s no shortcut here. You need to map out your trip state-by-state to be sure you stay legal during your trip.”
Resources for Travelers
The American Rifleman article also lists useful print and online resources you can consult to learn more about laws that apply when traveling with firearms:
This a special offer through our friends at Shooting USA television. NOTE: The shorter term 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year NRA memberships are also discounted. For example the basic 1-year membership is discounted to $30.00, a $10 savings.
No FREE NRA Insurance — That’s a Change
Please note, the NRA membership no longer includes $2500.00 in free ArmsCare Insurance for your firearms. The NRA stopped offering this insurance earlier this year, some time in May as best as we can determine. The NRA has not issued an explanation for the change in insurance availability. However it may be related to actions by the State of New York. The NRA is suing New York, claiming state officials coerced banks and insurance companies to withhold services from the NRA. (READ Story Here).
We wish the NRA would issue an official statement about insurance. However, we advise our readers to please take note that you will NOT get free Armscare insurance with any newly purchased NRA membership, even a Life Membership. Got that?
The 2018 King of 2 Miles (KO2M) event took place July 2-4 in Raton, New Mexico. Conditions were very challenging this year, yet three shooters managed to hit the most distant 3,525-yard plate at least once in five shots, a remarkable accomplishment. At that range the bullet was in flight about six seconds.
Robert Brantley of Team Manners Composite Stocks is the new King of 2 Miles. Congrats to Robert and his team-mates. Robert amassed 85178 points, finishing over 20,000 points ahead of runner-up John Buhay. Paul Phillips of Team Applied Ballistics finished third. FULL K02M 2018 RESULTS HERE.
Here’s Robert Brantley after his superb qualifying performance, which set a new 2018 King of 2 Miles qualifying round record. Going perfect on targets 1, 2, and 3, Robert missed just one shot on Target 4 of the qualifying phase, amassing 51355 points, a new K02M record.
CLICK HERE for a very complete and thorough KO2M report created by The Precision Rifle Blog (PRB). This excellent PRB Report contains complete load and rig specifications for the top five shooters. In addition, the PRB Report includes a full run-down on this year’s event.
Though the trigger pullers get the glory, this is really a three-man game. One guy shoots, a second team member spots for hits and calls corrections, and a third watches mirage and makes wind calls.
Multi-Day, Multi-Distance Competition with Farthest Target at 3525 Yards
The K02M Competition runs in stages, with the distances getting farther with each round. After five shots on target 1 at 1547 yards, there are then three shots per target for the remaining three parts of the Qualifying round. Then, in the three-target Finals phase, there are with five shots per target. You get more points for earlier hits in each string, and there are no sighters during the match. The event started with a tough Cold Bore Challenge — a single-shot at 1689 yards, just shy of one mile. Only three out of 62 competitors made that cold-bore mile shot on a 16″ plate, about 1 MOA at that distance. After that there are two rounds with the targets arrayed as follows.
KO2M Qualification Round
1,547 yards: 5 shots, 24” x 37” rectangle
1,719 yards: 3 shots, 24” x 37” rectangle
1,890 yards: 3 shots, 30” x 37” rectangle
2,095 yards: 3 shots, 30” x 37” rectangle
KO2M Finals Round — July 4
2,727 yards: 5 shots, 33” x 41” rectangle
3,166 yards: 5 shots, 42” x 54” rectangle
3,525 yards: 5 shots, 48” x 60” rectangle
Big Bore Rifles with High-BC Bullets
This year saw the continued evolution of equipment. Top shooter Brantley shot a .416 Barrett with 500gr Cutting Edge bullets. Robert’s massive 44-lb rifle featured a 39″ K&P barrel, McMillan action, and a Manners LRT (Long Range Tactical) stock designed expressly for this KO2M competition.
Second Place John Buhay shot an improved version of the .375 CheyTac, with 353gr Lehigh Defense Match Solid bullets. Buhay’s 37.6-lb rig bosted a BAT action and 36″ Krieger barrel along with a fairly conventional McMillan MBR 1K benchrest stock. Mark King built the rifle.
Third Place Paul Phillips campaigned a .416 Barrett with 550gr Cutting Edge Lazer bullets. Paul’s 42-lb rig featured a BAT action and McMillan Beast 1 stock. Shown below is the latest rifle of 2017 K02M champ Derek Rodgers, a .416 Barrett also in a McMillan Beast. Derek spotted for Phillips in the match.
Optics Options
There was quite a variety of scopes used by Top K02M competitors, evidence that a number of manufacturers now offer optics with abundant elevation and the ability to stand up to heavy recoil. Here are the optics choices for the Top Five Shooters:
1. Bushnell XRS II 4.5-30x50mm with G3 reticle in Badger UniMount
2. Nightforce ATACR 5-25x56mm with MOAR reticle, with ERA-TAC Inclined Mount
3. Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56mm, with Charlie TARAC external Prism System for Elevation
4. Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56mm, in Spuhr mount with Charlie TARAC
5. Burris XTR II 5-25x50mm in Barrett rings
Notably, two of the top five used the Charlie TARAC prism system. This provides a ton of extra elevation by essentially shifting the view seen through the scope. The unit fits to the scope’s front objective.
This article, from the USAMU Facebook Page, concerns reloading safety. In the relentless quest for more speed and flatter ballistics, some hand-loaders load way too hot, running charges that exceed safe pressure levels. Hint: If you need a mallet to open your bolt, chances are your load is too hot. Stay within safe margins — your equipment will last longer, and you won’t risk an injury caused by over-pressure. In this article, the USAMU explains that you need to account for bullet shape, diameter, and bearing surface when working up a load. Don’t assume that a load which is safe for one bullet will be safe for another even if both bullets are exactly the same weight.
Today, we continue our handloading safety theme, focusing on not inadvertently exceeding the boundaries of known, safe data.
Bullet manufacturers’ loading manuals often display three, four, or more similar-weight bullets grouped together with one set of load recipes. The manufacturer has tested these bullets and developed safe data for that group. However, seeing data in this format can tempt loaders — especially new ones — to think that ALL bullets of a given weight and caliber can interchangeably use the same load data. Actually, not so much.
The researchers ensure their data is safe with the bullet yielding the highest pressure. Thus, all others in that group should produce equal or less pressure, and they are safe using this data.
However, bullet designs include many variables such as different bearing surface lengths, hardness, and even slight variations in diameter. In fact, diameters can occasionally range up to 0.001″ by design. Thus, choosing untested bullets of the same weight and caliber, and using them with data not developed for them can yield excess pressures.
This is only one of the countless reasons not to begin at or very near the highest pressure loads during load development. Always begin at the starting load and look for pressure signs as one increases powder charges.
Bullet Bearing Surface and Pressure
Bullet bearing surface length (BSL) is often overlooked when considering maximum safe powder charges and pressures. In Photo 1, note the differences in the bullets’ appearance. All three are 7 mm, and their maximum weight difference is just five grains. Yet, the traditional round nose, flat base design on the left appears to have much more BSL than the sleeker match bullets. All things being equal, based on appearance, the RN/FB bullet seems likely to reach maximum pressure with significantly less powder than the other two designs.
Photo 1: Three Near-Equal-Weight 7mm Bullets with Different Shapes
Due to time constraints, the writer used an approximate, direct measurement approach to assess the bullets’ different BSLs. While fairly repeatable, the results were far from ballistics engineer-grade. Still, they are adequate for this example.
Bullet 1 (L-R), the RN/FB, has a very slight taper and only reaches its full diameter (0.284 inch) very near the cannelure. This taper is often seen on similar bullets; it helps reduce pressures with good accuracy. The calculated BSL of Bullet 1 was ~0.324″. The BSL of Bullet 2, in the center, was ~0.430″, and Bullet 3’s was ~ 0.463″. Obviously, bullets can be visually deceiving as to BSL!
Some might be tempted to use a bullet ogive comparator (or two) to measure bullets’ true BSL for comparison’s sake. Unfortunately, comparators don’t typically measure maximum bullet diameter and this approach can be deluding.
Photo 2: The Perils of Measuring Bearing Surface Length with Comparators
In Photo 2, two 7mm comparators have been installed on a dial caliper in an attempt to measure BSL. Using this approach, the BSLs differed sharply from the original [measurements]. The comparator-measured Bullet 1 BSL was 0.694” vs. 0.324” (original), Bullet 2 was 0.601” (comparator) vs. 0.430” (original), and Bullet 3 (shown in Photo 2) was 0.602” (comparator) vs. 0.463” (original). [Editor’s comment — Note the very large difference for Bullet 1, masking the fact that the true full diameter on this bullet starts very far back. You can use comparators on calipers, but be aware that this method may give you deceptive reading — we’ve seen variances just by reversing the comparators on the calipers, because the comparators, typically, are not perfectly round, nor are they machined to precision tolerances.]
Thanks to the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit for allowing the reprint of this article.
John Whidden of Whidden Gunworks used the .243 Winchester cartridge to win the 2017 NRA Long Range Championship, his fifth LR title at Camp Perry (and second in a row). John selected the .243 Win because it offers excellent ballistics with manageable recoil. John says that, at least for a sling shooter, the .243 Win is hard to beat at long range. Yes, John says, you can get somewhat better ballistics with a .284 Win or .300 WSM, but you’ll pay a heavy price in increased recoil. Here’s John’s story of how he wins with a .243 Win.
Great Ballistics with 6mm 105s at 3275 FPS
Running at an impressive 3275 FPS, Berger 6mm 105 grain Hybrids deliver ballistics that are hard to beat, according to John Whidden:
“My .243 Win shoots inside a 6.5-284 with 142-grainers. Nothing out there is really ahead of [the .243], in 1000-yard ballistics unless you get into the short magnums or .284s and those carry a very significant recoil penalty. In the past I did shoot the 6.5-284. I went to the .243 Win because it had similar ballistics but had much less recoil. It doesn’t beat me up as much and is not as fatiguing.
With the .243 Win, there’s no tensing-up, no anticipating. With the reduced recoil (compared to a 7mm or big .308), I can break and shoot very good quality shots. I find I just shoot better shots with the .243 than I ever did with the 6.5-284.”
The .243 Winchester — Good Enough to Win LR Championships
by John Whidden, Five-Time National Long Range Champion
My experience with the .243 cartridge for use as a Long Range High Power cartridge dates back about 10 years or so. After building a .300 WSM, I realized that the recoil was hurting the quality of my shots. The WSM shot great, but I couldn’t always execute good shots when shooting it. From here I built a 6.5-284, and it shot well. I also had a very accurate 6mmBR at the time, and my logic in going to the .243 Win was to get wind performance equal to the 6.5-284 with recoil similar to the 6mmBR. The experiment has worked out well indeed!
Championship-Winning Load: Berger Bullets, Lapua Brass, and Vihtavuori N160
For a load, currently I’m shooting Lapua brass, PMC primers (Russian, similar to Wolf), VihtaVuori N160 single-base powder, and Berger 105 grain Hybrid bullets. I switched to the Hybrid bullets fairly recently at the beginning of the 2015 season. Previously I shot the 105gr Berger hunting VLDs, and in testing I found that the Hybrids were just as accurate without having to seat the bullet into the lands. The velocity of this combination when shot through the excellent Bartlein 5R barrels (32” length) is around 3275 FPS. Surprising to some, John does load his ammo on a Dillon Progressive press (with help from his ultra-precise Auto-trickler).
For my match ammo, I seat the Berger 105 Hybrids well off the lands — my bullets are “jumping” from .035″-.060″. I only use one seating depth for ammunition for multiple guns (I know some benchrest shooters will stop reading right here!) and the bullets jump further in the worn barrels than in the fresh barrels. The bullets are pointed up in our Bullet Pointing Die System and are moly-coated. The moly (molybdenum disulfide) does extend the cleaning interval a little bit, probably 20% or so. The Lapua .243 Win brass is all neck-turned to .0125″ thickness.
Whidden’s .243 Win Ammo is Loaded on a Dillon
My loading process is different than many people expect. I load my ammo on a Dillon 650 progressive press using our own Whidden Gunworks dies. However powder charges are individually weighed with a stand-alone automated scale/trickler system from AutoTrickler.com (see below). Employing a high-end force restoration scale, this micro-processor controlled system offers single-kernel precision. The weighed charges are then dropped into the cases with a funnel mounted to the Dillon head.
The Lapua .243 Win brass is full-length sized every time, and I run one of our custom-sized expanders in my sizer die. The expander measures .243″ which yields the desired .001″ neck tension. In my experience, the best way to get consistent neck tension is to run an expander in the case neck at some point. When sizing the case neck by a minimal amount such as is the case here, I don’t find any negative points in using an expander in the sizer die.
In my experience, the keys to accurate long range ammo are top quality bullets and the most consistent neck tension you can produce. From these starting points, the use of quality components and accurate powder measurement will finish out the magic.
“Garbage In, Garbage Out.” You have to input key variables with precision if you want your Ballistics Apps to deliver reliable long-range trajectories. So says Tom Beckstrand, Field Editor for Guns & Ammo magazine. A former U.S. Army Special Forces Officer, and avid long-range competitor, Beckstrand knows the importance of using your ballistic calculator correctly. Here are his tips on how to achieve the best results using Ballistics Calculators.
“The most important inputs to make any ballistic calculator work correctly are muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficient, and sight height,” says Beckstrand.
Ascertain Accurate Muzzle Velocity with a Good Chronograph
“Cheap chronographs will not give an accurate muzzle velocity, so the serious shooter needs to spend the money on a quality chrono.” When you chronograph, make sure to measure the distance from the muzzle to the chrono unit. That input is also important to your Ballistic calculations.
Use Reliable G1 and G7 Ballistic Coefficients
Beckstrand added, “Ballistic Coefficients are available from ammunition and bullet manufacturers, and most of these coefficients the manufacturers provide are really quite accurate.” Ballistic Coefficient or BC, is a number that reflects how well a bullet cuts through the air. The higher the BC, the less the bullet is affected by air drag.
Measure Sight Height Correctly Using Calipers
Beckstrand has found that many shooters aren’t inputting sight height or they are guessing at the correct height. As target distance increases, just a half-inch of sight height inaccuracy can mean several inches up or down.
“Sight height is the input most often overlooked and is usually the source of greatest error. I think a lot of shooters, especially those new to long-range shooting, simply don’t understand the importance of this input.”
Sight height is the distance from the centerline of the scope to the centerline of the bore. Some shooters, Beckstrand believes, just “eye it up” and estimate the distance. “Really, you should use a set of calipers to measure the sight height distance … within 0.1 inch”.
Get Leading Ballistics App for iOS Devices
Need a top-notch Ballistics App for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod? Start with Ballistic AE, the number 1 (i.e. most installed) App for iOS systems. Ballistics AE (Advanced Edition) is the most popular iOS ballistics program for many good reasons. Full-featured and easy to use, Ballistics AE has been refined over many years, and it supplies rock-solid solutions derived from JBM Ballistics solver (created by James B. Millard). Unlike some other Apps, Ballistics AE is STABLE on iPhones (with various OS levels). What’s cool is that Ballistics AE is now on sale for $12.99.
We’ve used the Ballistic AE program on an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPad, and it performed well. Here are some of the features we liked:
1. Mirrors output from online version of JBM Ballistics we often use for initial calculations.
2. Controls are simple to use and (mostly) intuitive.
3. Handy comparison feature lets you compare ballistics for different projectiles side by side.
4. Advanced Wind Kit allows you to account for complex wind situations.
5. Projectile and BC Databases are very comprehensive.
6. Software is regularly updated to match Apple OS changes.
Here’s something that may benefit pistol shooters, especially those who shoot steel and often shoot at indoor ranges. Federal Syntech bullets are now available as reloading components in 9mm, .40 Cal (10mm), and .45 Caliber. These bullets feature a total synthetic jacket (TSJ) polymer coating. The potential for reduced wear and fouling is real — when tested against conventional FMJ ammunition, Federal claims Syntech produced an average of 12% less barrel friction and 14% less heat. By eliminating the conventional bullet jacket, the Syntech design greatly lessens bullet “splashback” when shooting steel. Note, however, Syntech bullets still have a conventional lead core. This means they may not be allowed in ranges with lead restrictions.
Syntech Bullet Features & Benefits
• Polymer-encapsulated Syntech bullet prevents metal-on-metal contact in the bore.
• Eliminates copper and lead fouling.
• Decreases heat and friction, extending barrel life.
• Significantly reduces the required frequency of cleaning.
• Absence of a copper jacket minimizes splash-back on steel targets.
For years this Editor has loaded his .45 ACP and .44 Mag handguns with polymer/moly matrix-coated bullets from Precision Bullets in Texas. Those poly/moly-encased lead bullets shot VERY accurately and I found that my barrels fouled much less than with conventional lead bullets. Likewise, there was much less cylinder fouling on my revolvers. If the American Syntech bullets work as well as those Precision bullets, I think the Syntech line will be a winner. Syntech bullets should benefit any high-volume pistol shooter, particularly competitors who shoot steel.
It’s July 4th, that means fireworks displays. What better time to order up some gunpowder? We’re pleased to report that Bruno Shooters Supply, Grafs.com, Midsouth Shooters Supply and Powder Valley have received big shipments from the major powder makers. In stock now at these retailers are many of the most popular accuracy powders, including: Hodgdon Varget, Hodgdon 4198, Hodgdon 4895, Hodgdon 4831, IMR 4166, IMR 8208 XBR, Vithavuori N133, Accurate LT30 and LT32, Norma 203B, Alliant Reloder 15, and many more. And YES, all these vendors have the elusive H4350 and Reloder 16! Shop around for best prices on 1-lb and 8-lb containers. Midsouth has H4350 one-pounders for $26.45, while Bruno’s has Reloder 16 for just $22.70 per pound. NOTE: If you like H4350 you may want to try RL16 — it has a very similar burn rate and is temp stable.
Yes Hodgdon H4350 is Available Now — Both 1-lb and 8-lb:
Along with Midsouth, you can also get H4350 powder at Bruno’s, Graf’s, and Powder Valley.
Plenty of Powder Options for All Disciplines
H4198 and LT30 are great for the 30BR, AR Comp and CFE 223 are excellent for Service Rifle shooters, VV N133 is a top choice for the 6PPC, Norma 203B (nearly identical to Reloder 15) is great in the 6mmBR and Dasher, IMR 8208 XBR is very accurate in the .308 Win, and Hodgdon H4831 is an excellent choice for the .284 Winchester and 7mm WSM.
All these Popular Powders (and many more) Are In Stock NOW:
Many leading vendors are running sales for the 4th of July week. There are significant savings on select products, or free shipping, or both. Here’s a quick run-down on some Independence Day Sales Events from leading online retailers:
Bruno Shooters Supply — Major Sale Through 7/10/18
Bruno’s is having a big sale now through 11:59 pm on July 10th (it has been extended). Lots of great items are on sale: Kreiger barrels, BAT Actions, Leupold Scopes, Lyman Reloading Tools, Berger and Sierra Bullets, Cartridge Brass, Powder, Primers, and much more. CLICK HERE to see all sale items.
Whidden Gunworks — 10% Off Sale
Whidden Gunworks makes some of the best dies and reloading tools you can buy. Plus Whidden Gunworks also sells Barnard actions, complete rifles, and reloading components. Here’s your chance to save 10% on nearly everything Whidden Gunworks sells. This July Sale runs through July 6, 2018. Use Code UNCLESAM at check-out to save 10%.
Bushmaster — 25% Off Everything
Here’s a great promo for AR fans. Bushmaster is knocking 25% off the price of ALL Merchandise in its online store. The covers stocks, complete uppers, handguards, grips, magazines, cleaning kits, slings, and more. If you need a new upper or accessories for your black rifle, check out this sale.
Cabela’s — July 4th Sale and Summer Sale
If you need gun stuff AND camping/outdoor gear, check out Cabelas.com. Right now Cabela’s has a big July 4th Sale, followed by a Summer Savings Sale that runs through July 15. Right now you can save $100 on Kimber pistols, $50 on Leupold scopes, and 20% on Walker’s hearing protection. The Summer Sale has other fine deals on guns and ammo as well as camping gear.
ScopeList — Significant Savings on Vortex, Zeiss, Leupold Optics
Scopelist.com has a number of attractive 4th of July Special. Many Vortex and Zeiss scopes are 13% OFF, while select Leupold scopes are marked down 10%. There are also big savings this month on Schmidt & Bender scopes and Remington 700 chassis system rifles.
Natchez Shooters Supplies — Free Shipping on Select Ammo
We wish this promotion covered all merchandise, but it’s still a good deal if you need .223 Rem (5.56×45) ammo for your AR15 or varmint rifle. Now through 11:59 on July 4th shipping is free on .223 Rem or 5.56×45 ammo, with a minimum $150.00 order. Use Code FS180702 — Details HERE.
MidwayUSA — Free Shipping on $99+ Orders
MidwayUSA is offering free shipping now through 11:59 pm on July 4, 2018. This applies to orders over $99.00. To qualify, add at least $99.01 of in-stock, qualifying products to your cart, and then use code 99SHIPFREEJULY418 during check-out. This Free Shipping offer includes clearance and sale items.
On the NRA’s 
