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.
This is a great deal — you can buy this Weatherby Vanguard Modular Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor for just $799.99 on sale. That’s less than you’d pay for most custom actions by themselves. Yes this Weatherby rifle qualifies for PRS Production class — it’s 100% within the rules.
Put the hundreds of dollars you save into optics, ammo, and a suppressor — the 20″ barrel comes pre-threaded for brake or suppressor. This rifle has a nice 2-stage trigger, and Luth AR adjustable buttstock fitted to a CNC-machined anodized aluminum chassis. Weatherby guarantees SUB-MOA accuracy with premium ammo. As tested by American Rifleman, this Weatherby has shown outstanding accuracy for a factory rifle — close to half-MOA for five shots. Three factory ammo types shot 0.53″, 0.55″, and 0.57″ respectively. That’s impressive.
2. Bruno Shooters Supply — McMillan Stock Sale, 10% Off
The name McMillan is synonymous with high quality stocks and now you’re chance to grab one on sale. Bruno Shooters Supply is running a McMillan Stock Sale on its entire inventory. That includes hunting and varmint stocks as well as McMillan Kestros and F-Class stocks. If you need a new stock and Bruno’s selection matches your action, this is a good deal.
3. Precision Reloading — Berger Bullet Sale
There’s a reason Berger bullets are so popular with competition shooters and hunters. Now you can get popular Berger projectiles at significant savings. Check out the Berger Bullet Sale going on at Precision Reloading right now. While some sizes are out of stock we were pretty impressed with the variety on available bullets and prices. We recommend you check out this sale soon — it ends August 31, 2019.
If you’re looking for a good deal on a gun vise we found the Tipton Best Gun Vise with a FREE Wheeler 43-piece driver kit for only $85.37. This gun vise is a versatile, highly adaptable unit that has earned praise from owners. Getting the Wheeler driver kit (a $27 value) for free makes this a deal you can’t ignore. If you want something more basic that’s easier to move around, check out the Tipton Cleaning Gun Vise for $37.99 from Midsouth — a crazy low price. Either way you can’t go wrong.
We’ve seen Vortex scopes on crazy low prices before but they’re usually lower power models. Now you can grab a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44mm with the BDC reticle for the amazingly low price of $299.99. Vortex offers one of the best warranties in the business, and this is an outstanding value. This scope previously sold for $429.99.
Fix-It Sticks have been around for a while but they always required having a preset torque driver for each setting which wasn’t always convenient. That is all changing now as they are releasing an all-in-one torque driver kit. These kits are great for torquing scope bases and other parts on rifles. Pre-Order now from Fix It Sticks with Promo Code MTDP1 and you can get this kit for $89.50. That’s 20% off the normal price. Orders should ship mid-September.
7. Amazon — Long Range Shooting Handbook, $20.04
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter.
8. Midsouth Shooters Supply — New Ammo Boxes
We were excited to see that Midsouth Shooters Supply just launched a whole new selection of ammo boxes in a variety of sizes with clear tops or red tops, 50-round or 100-round capacity. These boxes are made of a high-grade plastic that ensure you’ll be using these for years to come. The quality tool-kit-style hinges allow the lids to stay open. That helps with ammo access both on the bench and at the range.
9. Amazon – Proster Wind Meter, $16.99
This Proster wind meter is a great bargain. The previous model had a very impressive 4.2 star overall rating (with 300+ reviews), and the latest version has some improvements (including a square base so it can stand). Now on sale for just $16.99, this is a very useful tool for a bargain basement price. To provide reliable wind inputs for ballistics calculations, you really do need a Wind Meter. And unlike a costly Kestrel, with this budget wind meter, you won’t feel too bad if it gets lost or misplaced.
10. Amazon — 12″ x 12″ Splatter Grid Targets, 10 for $9.99
This 12″x12″ Splatterburst Target combines splatter shot marking with a grid background, with five aiming points. The bright neon shot circles make it easy to see your shots. And the handy grid lets you quickly estimate your group size. Get a 10-pack for $9.99, or a 25-pack for $17.99 (better deal). This particular target has earned rave reviews — 87% of verified buyers gave this a FIVE-Star rating. One example: “Excellent quality and durability. The adhesive is really strong. High contrast makes down range targeting easy and the splatter contrast is [great].”
The Gun Digest 2020 Annual, 74th Edition, will be available very soon. This 560-page resource covers rifles, shotguns, handguns, muzzleloaders, airguns, optics and more. We like the print edition, but there will also be an eBook version releasing later in the year. Both provide hundreds of photos with new product roundups, in-depth product tests, and scores of articles and stories. You can pre-order print versions for $30.69 at Gundigeststore.com. Or you can pre-order Gun Digest 2020 for $35.99 at Amazon.com.
Articles by top writers cover long-range shooting, personal defense, hunting, gun-making, and collecting. Reports from the Field provide details on newest firearms and accessories. There is a cool photo essay showcasing fine custom and engraved guns. Among the many gun feature stories is “Finland’s Finest — Sako and Tikka”. There are also many historical gun articles.
Gun Digest 2020 also includes: Testfire reports, Firearms Catalog by Manufacturer, Optics Buying Guide, and Updated Ballistics Tables.
Other Good Books from Gun Digest Media
Gun Digest Media produces numerous other quality books for rifle, pistol, and shotgun owners. Here are four volumes we recommend. These are offered in both paperback and eBook versions:
The AR15 is America’s rifle, right? Well it is apparently China’s rifle too, at least when it comes to replacement stocks, buffers, hand-guards and other spare parts/accessories. It seems China’s factories have been churning out plenty of Black Rifle components. Only one problem — U.S. Federal government policies ban importation of many types of gun parts from China. Washington has an embargo on Chinese-made gun components.
Because of these import restrictions, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents recently seized over 52,000 illegal gun parts. ABC News reported: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Thursday that [it] seized a total of $378,225 worth of firearms parts in violation of the Chinese Arms Embargo. [Seized items] included sights, stocks, muzzles, brakes, buffer kits, and grips which arrived in three shipments from China.” Many of the seized items were for AR-platform Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs), but other types of gun parts and accessories were seized also.
“This seizure is an exceptional example of CBP officers and import specialists vigilance, commitment and keen focus in enforcing complex arms embargo regulations,” said Carlos C. Martel, CBP Field Operations Director in Los Angeles.
Three Shipments of Gun Parts Were Seized at the Port of Long Beach in California:
The products were seized at the Port of Long Beach in the Los Angeles metropolitan region. This is a major entry point for a wide variety of products from China, Japan, and other Pacific Rim countries.
Ray Gross (left) was humbled to take the stage with David Tubb (right), a living legend: “The first time that I ever made it up on to the stage at a National Championship was in 1997. Dave Tubb had already won about a dozen Nationals by that time and I was so nervous going up on stage with him[.] It was a huge honor to get to share the stage with him again this year.”
Two notable shooters took the stage at the end of the NRA ELR Championship at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. David Tubb, 11-time NRA Nat’l High Power Champion and 6-time NRA Nat’l Long Range Champion, won the Heavy Gun Division, while the talented Ray Gross won the 25-lb (and under) Division. Ray, 8-time Nat’l Championship coach and captain, coach, or shooter on five USA Rifle Teams, was shooting Paul Phillips’s new 33XC rifle. AccurateShooter featured this impressive rig in last week’s Sunday GunDay story. David was shooting an ELR TubbGun of his own design, chambered for the 37XC cartridge.
L to R: Paul Phillips, Dan Pohlabel, Ray Gross, John Droelle, and Kelly McMillan
Ray won the Light Gun ELR National Championship with help from his McMillan/GPG teammates John Droelle and Daniel Pohlabel. Ray noted: “We shot targets from 1600 to 1950 yards and finished with the highest overall score of 88699. Paul Phillips of Global Precision Group, loaned me his 33XC rifle and ammo to compete with. The rifle shot outstanding and that is a tribute to Paul’s load development and expertise.” Ray also thanked Kelly McMillan for attending the event and supporting the competitors.
At the 2019 NRA ELR Nationals at Camp Atterbury, there were many impressive displays of Extreme Long Range marksmanship, but none better than Randy Wise’s remarkable three-shot string at 2158 yards that set a new ELR Central world record. Randy made a COLD BORE HIT and two follow-up hits on a steel target at 2158 yards. Remarkably, Randy set the new ELR record using a stock Savage action and Savage factory barrel chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. The Savage barreled action was mounted in an Accurate Rifles Systems chassis with Rempel bipod. Wise was shooting 300 grain Berger Hybrid bullets. Congrats to Randy on his new ELR World Record!
Randy’s rifle had a factory stock 26″ 1:9″-twist barrel chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. His load featured Lapua .338 LM brass, Berger 300gr Hybrid bullets, Federal 215M primers, and a stout charge of Hodgdon Retumbo powder. Ballistics solution by Applied Ballistics LLC. For optics, Randy used a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle. The match was officiated by Clay Rhoden of TARGETVISION.
About the 33XC (eXtra Capacity) Cartridge
David Tubb invented the 33XC cartridge because he thought the CheyTac cases were too much trouble — requiring a larger action, oversize presses, and ultra-expensive dies. The 33XC was designed to fit .338 Lapua Magnum-size actions and use normal reloading presses.
The 33XC (eXtra Capacity) has 137.5 grains of H2O capacity with over 125 grains of usable powder capacity while leaving the 0.393″ neck unfilled for bullet seating.
The 33XC has a .338 Lapua Magnum lineage. Think of it as a better, 35°-shoulder .338 LM. David explains: “The 33XC uses standard reloading dies along with a 7/8″ x 14 TPI reloading press. There is no fire-forming — all case ‘improving’ has already been done with a production case that has 20 grains more powder capacity, 35-degree shoulder, and longer neck compared to a .338 Lapua Magnum. This puts the various .338 Lapua wildcats and the Rem Ultra Mag Improved into the ‘also ran’ category. They simply can’t compete with the velocities attainable with the 33XC.”
The 33XC is based off of a .580″ bolt head. Tubb states that “A fired case will extract with little effort when using a properly-polished chamber with a maximum powder charge after resizing with the Superior Shooting Systems FL sizing die.” Tubb’s 33XC die reaches the case head which is important for accuracy. Peterson Cartridge produces the 33XC brass for Superior Shooting Systems. This high-quality brass costs $115 for 50 cases (or $2.30 per case), and can be purchased directly from Superior Shooting Systems.
Our friend Gavin of UltimateReloader.com has a new tool — the second generation Lyman Borecam. This upgraded version features higher-resolution 300K output so you can better see details inside your barrel. This digital borescope can also be used to inspect the interior of dies and other tools. Illumination, via LED, is adjustable. Record still images with the push of a button. The screen resolution for the latest Lyman Borecam is now 640×480, roughly 300,000 pixels (300K).
Gavin created a very thorough 15-minute video putting the Lyman Borecam through its paces. He uses it to scope a number of firearm barrels as well as some reloading dies. If you are considering buying a Borecam or other borescoping device, you should definitely watch this video. We have included time references to make it easier to “fast forward” to the subjects you want to see:
Lyman Borecam Video Timeline
1. 1:15 — Lyman Borecam Unboxing (All Components)
2. 4:00 — Shilen Match Barrel Blank Inspection (Brand New Barrel)
3. 6:16 — Thompson Center Compass .223 Rem Barrel Inspection (Used Barrel)
4. 9:08 — Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Mag Barrel Inspection (Used Barrel)
5. 10:30 — Glock 20 Polygonal Rifling Barrel Inspectino (Used Barrel)
6. 11:45 — M1911 Barrel Inspection (Defective Barrel with Bulge in Chamber)
7. 13:12 — Sizing Die Internal Inspections (Lee .223 Rem, Redding 300 BLK)
The Lyman Borecam comes complete with everything you need. Shown in photo are:
1. Borecam Wand (includes handle, rod, mirror, and digital lens/camera) with length indication scale. An inch scale runs the full length of the rod. That tells you where the lens is positioned inside the bore. Note the wand scale marks when recording screen captures. 2. Borecam Digital Display. The 600×480 display can record stills with included 128MB SD Card. A USB SD Card adapter is included. 3. Borecam Mirror Protector and cleaning kit. 4. AC Power Adapter (not shown, international plug adapters included).
UltimateReloader offers Three Key Tips for the Lyman Borecam:
— First, before you start, make sure the mirror is clear and free of dirt, lint, or solvents.
— Use the Up and Down Arrows to adjust the illumination to suit your barrel.
— Experiment with how close you hold the mirror to the bore wall. This affects both brightness and focus.
YouTube Viewer Comments on UltimateReloader Lyman Borecam Video:
“Great review, Gavin. Your video capture of the display looks better than what they show in Lyman’s own product video.”
“Price is getting low enough to think I need one on the short ‘To Buy’ list. Have some milsurp rifles with horrid bores that should be very interesting to view. Don’t waste $$ on those $20 things on Amazon, I did and thoroughly wasted my money.”
Redding Reloading offers handy Handloader’s Data Sheets in printable PDF format. This FREE form allows hand-loaders to document their tool settings, bushing size, powder charge, load specs (COAL etc.), and case prep status. In addition, the form allows you to enter your load testing information, complete with chronograph data, group size, zero range, and wind/temp conditions. With this single, handy form you can document all the vital information for your particular cartridges and loads. We suggest you print these out, 3-hole-punch ‘em, and then keep them in a three-ring binder.
We’ve seen various reloading log templates, but this Redding form (shown below) is better than most because it combines both reloading data AND range-test data in one place. You can see all key details of the reloading process (tool settings etc.) plus the end results — how the load actually performed over the chronograph and on paper. This form allows the user to capture a large amount of information for later use, while accurately track load development. Go to Download Page.
FREE Ammunition Box Label Template Redding Reloading has also developed a printable template for your ammo boxes (see photo at top of article). This lets you put all vital load info on your ammo boxes. There are fields for: Date, Cartridge, Powder, Grains, Bullet, Weight, Primer, Case type. Designed for Avery 5260 (or similar) label sheets, this template allows you to print 30 labels at one time. You can purchase the Avery 5260 peel-off printable label sheets at any office supply store.
We know that many of our readers will soon travel by air to attend major matches in Raton, New Mexico. The Spirit of America Match runs September 7-13, and the F-Class Mid-Range and Long-Range Nationals follow September 15-22. If you’ll be venturing to Raton, or to another destination by air in the weeks ahead, you need to be careful when transporting firearms through airports both in the USA and in other countries. It is important that you comply with all Homeland Security, TSA, and Airline policies when transporting guns and ammunition. Following the rules will help ensure you (and your gear) make it to your destination without hassles, delays or (God forbid), confiscations.
The NRA F-Class Mid-Range Nationals (Sept. 15-18) and Long Range Nationals (Sept. 19-22) will be held at the NRA Whittington Center 1000-Yard Range in Raton, New Mexico.
Good Advice from an Airport Police Officer
To help our readers comply with rules and regulations for air travel, we offer these guidelines, courtesy “Ron D.”, a member of our Shooters’ Forum. Before he retired, Ron D. served as a Police Officer assigned to Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Here Ron offers some very important advice for shooters traveling with firearms and expensive optics.
First, Ron explains that airport thieves can spot bags containing firearms no matter how they are packaged: “Don’t think you’re safe if your guns are placed in cases designed for golf clubs or trade show items. Baggage is X-Rayed now and cases are tagged with a special bar code if they contain firearms. It doesn’t take long for bad guys to figure out the bar coding for firearms.”
Carry-On Your Scopes and Expensive Items
Ron advises travelers to avoid placing very expensive items in checked baggage: “When traveling by air, carry on your rangefinder, spotting scope, rifle scope, medications, camera, etc. You would be surprised at the amount of people that carry-on jeans and shirts, but put expensive items in checked baggage. Better to loose three pairs of jeans than some expensive glass.”
Mark Bags to Avoid Confusion
Ron notes that carry-on bags are often lost because so many carry-on cases look the same. Ron reports: “People do accidentally remove the wrong bag repeatedly. I frequently heard the comment, ‘But it looks just like my bag.’ When de-planing, keep an eye on what comes out of the overhead that your bag is in. It’s easy to get distracted by someone that has been sitting next to you the whole flight. I tie two streamers of red surveyors’ tape on my carry-on bag.” You can also use paint or decals to make your carry-on bag more distinctive.
General Advice for Air Travelers
Ron cautions: “Keep your hands on your items before boarding. One of the most often heard comments from theft victims was, ‘I just put my computer down for a minute while I was on the phone.’ Also, get to the baggage claim area quickly. If your family/friends can meet you there, so can the opportunists. Things do get lost in the claim area. Don’t be a Victim. Forewarned is forearmed.”
Important TSA Tips on Firearms and Flying
Choosing a Rifle Transport Case
Ron advises: “Buy the best [rifle case] that you can afford. Don’t cry when your $3,000+ Benchrest rifle has a cracked stock or broken scope. Think about what it would be like to travel across the country (e.g. to Montana or the Cactus Classic) and arrive with a damaged rifle. Remember the Samsonite commercial. (For you younger shooters, it shows a monkey throwing the suitcase around in his cage at the zoo.) Baggage handling is NOT a fine art. There is no guarantee that your rifle case will be on top of all the other baggage. Then there is shifting of baggage in the belly of the plane. Ponder that for a while. Rifle and pistol cases must be locked. It doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist to figure out that a simple pry tool will open most case locks. There is not much that you can do to disguise a rifle case. It is what it is, and opportunists know this. Among thieves, it doesn’t take long for the word to get around about a NEW type of case.”
This Plano Double Scoped Rifle Case offers the functionality and durability of an SKB-type hard case for HALF the money. This is now just $111.64, while the equivalent SKB is around $240.00.
The display target is a copy, for spectators, of the larger, official target. The actual X-Ring is 10″ at 1000 yards. Amanda shot without a bipod, using only a sling to support the rifle, and aperture sights (no scope).
Congrats to Amanda Elsenboss for winning the 2019 NRA National Long Range Championships held this month at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. This completes her season of dominance, winning the Interservice, CMP, and NRA Long Range Championships. Amanda finished off her campaign with a win in the Mustin match and a shoot-off score of 100-9x. She also won the Leech Cup with a 200-15X, and 100-6X shoot-off score. Great job, Amanda!
Before his retirement from the U.S. Army, Emil Praslick III coached Amanda as a shooter with the U.S. Army Markmanship (USAMU) team. Emil was impressed with Amanda’s skill and dedication. Emil posted: “[Amanda is] by far the easiest shooter to coach I’ve ever worked with. A machine.”
Amanda expressed gratitude: “Thank you to everyone who supported me during the 2019 CMP Long Range Matches. Everyone’s support and encouragement helped me along the way, fan club included. Especially, a huge shout out to past and present AMU members for pointing me in the right direction. When the moment of confusion happened I always knew who I could count on to get me back on track. So, Thank you to everyone on and off the range who was cheering me along!”
Amanda Helps Train Young Competitors
When Amanda is not shooting matches or practicing with the USAMU, she helps train new shooters. Here SSG Amanda Elsenboss offers pointers to a Liberty University Service Rifle shooter at a CMP Small Arms Firing School (SAFS). Amanda Elsenboss hails from Woodbury, Connecticut and holds the military occupational specialty of small arms repairer. Elsenboss started shooting when she was 13, and soon became an avid rifle competitor. She now serves as a shooter/instructor on the USAMU Service Rifle Team.
Video Interview with SSG Amanda Elsenboss
This video, featuring SSG Amanda Elsenboss, was created by the USAMU to mark Women’s History Month. Amanda talks about her career in the military, and her love of competitive shooting. This is a great video, well worth watching. There are images from many shooting ranges around the nation.
SSG Amanda Elsenboss. CLICK Speaker Icon to Hear Sound!
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on some of those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness level, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $19.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
2. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
3. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $20.04 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
4. Official U.S. Army Sniper Training and Operations Manual
From U.S. Army Sources, $17.59 paperback.
This U.S. Army Sniper Training Manual is a very comprehensive resource, with over 450 pages of information in a large 8.5″x11″ format. NOTE: Unlike other editions on Amazon, this is NOT the basic, outdated FM 23-10. This is the completely-overhauled 450+ page edition (FM 3-22.10). Heavily illustrated, this is a very useful resource for tactical/practical precision shooter. Employed as the “textbook” for the U.S. Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, GA, this big manual explains ranging methods, rifle handling, optics selection and operation, and rifle maintenance.
There is also extensive discussion of ballistics, wind reading, and weather effects. Practical competitors will appreciate the discussions of moving targets, range estimation, and range safety procedures. One reviewer explains: “This book contains the distilled wisdom of the Sniper School’s instructors and expert marksmen, giving you over 450 pages of unique insight into the long range combat shooter’s art.”
We bet you’ve never seen anything quite like this before — a rimfire rifle with an integrally suppressed barrel assembly. Ruger offers this technology with its Silent-SR ISB, a multi-baffle integrally suppressed barrel (ISB) for Ruger 10/22 takedown models. This system reduces sound levels to an average of 113.2 dB with standard velocity ammunition. That’s very impressive — consider that an unsuppressed .22 LR firearm can produce noise levels as high as 140 dB with standard velocity ammunition. That’s well above the threshold where irreversible hearing damage begins. (Source: NC Silencers).
Available only as an aftermarket accessory and subject to an NFA tax stamp, the ISB is an integrally suppressed replacement barrel designed for use with any of the company’s numerous takedown-capable rimfire models (the 10/22 Takedown and 10/22 Takedown Lite rifles and the 22 Charger Takedown pistol) MSRP for the Silent-SR ISB is $629.00.
Watch Integrally Suppressed Barrel in Action. CLICK HERE to View Video on Ruger Site. To get to video, scroll to bottom of Ruger page after jump!
How well does the ISB work? The system was tested by American Rifleman in May 2019. The testers noted that sound reduction varied considerably with ammo types. Also: “Point-of-impact shift between the factory barrel and the ISB was considerable … so plan for some re-zeroing when switching between the two”.
Even if you are not interested in a suppressed rimfire rifle (or live in a state where suppressors are forbidden) we think you’ll be interested in Ruger’s technology. Here’s what Ruger says about its ISB (Integrally Suppressed Barrel) for the 10/22 Take-down:
The Silent-SR ISB quickly and easily assembles to any Ruger 10/22 Takedown or 22 Charger Takedown, and features an induction-hardened breech with cold hammer-forged barrel that provide easy takedown and accurate return-to-zero.
Reducing sound pressure levels of .22 LR to an average of 113.2 dB with standard velocity ammunition, a 10/22 Takedown rifle equipped with the Silent-SR ISB is as quiet as a bolt-action rifle with a thread-on silencer. The relatively long barrel of the Silent-SR ISB (compared to other integral suppressors) means the bullet generates energy near that of a 16″ gun for consistent, accurate and effective performance on target. The pushed-cone baffle geometry has been stretched to utilize the volume under the barrel maximizing suppression of the gunshot without disturbing the travel of the bullet.
This is a great deal — you can buy this Weatherby Vanguard Modular Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor for just $799.99 on sale. That’s less than you’d pay for most custom actions by themselves. Yes this Weatherby rifle qualifies for PRS Production class — it’s 100% within the rules.
The AR15 is America’s rifle, right? Well it is apparently China’s rifle too, at least when it comes to replacement stocks, buffers, hand-guards and other spare parts/accessories. It seems China’s factories have been churning out plenty of Black Rifle components. Only one problem — U.S. Federal government policies ban importation of many types of gun parts from China. Washington has an embargo on Chinese-made gun components.
Redding Reloading has also developed a 
First, Ron explains that airport thieves can spot bags containing firearms no matter how they are packaged: “Don’t think you’re safe if your guns are placed in cases designed for golf clubs or trade show items. Baggage is X-Rayed now and cases are tagged with a special bar code if they contain firearms. It doesn’t take long for bad guys to figure out the bar coding for firearms.”
