Paula Crenshaw earned Distinguished Badge #2521 in 2020 at age 67.
Feature based on story in CMP’s The First Shot
Paula Crenshaw, a 67-year-old grandmother, never stops reaching toward new ambitions. This November, Paula earned the prestigious Distinguished Rifleman Badge at the 29 Palms Marine Base. “I’ve always been late to the party,” Paula said. “I didn’t start medical school until I was 37.”
A physician from Reno, Nevada, Paula took up rifle shooting in her early fifties to support her husband’s interests and undertake a new challenge. Turns out she loved competitive shooting. And now, in 2020, many years later she earned her own Distinguished Badge, #2521 at the age of 67. Earning the coveted Badge was “The fulfillment of my dream” Paula notes.
Paula earned her “hard leg” 10 EIC points during the National Matches at Camp Perry in 2019.
Distinguished Badges are awarded to marksmanship competitors who collect at least 30 Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) “leg” points — earned by placing in the top 10% of an EIC match. This Distinguished Rifleman program was started way bay in 1884. Now, two decades into the 21st century, the badge continues to be a prized achievement for competitive shooters.
Paula is a member of the Coalinga Rifle Club in California and the Palomino Valley Gun Club in Nevada. She had been on the hunt for a Distinguished Badge since she earned her first points in 2018, then went on to claim her own “hard leg” (10 EIC points) at the annual National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, in 2019.
After that, “legging out” (that is, earning enough points to receive a Distinguished Badge) became a near obsession. “I dry-fired almost every day,” she recalled. “I worked out. I thought about winning first thing in the morning and as I fell asleep at night. I read many shooting books, sometimes multiple times. I drove my non-shooting friends away talking about shooting!”
By the end of 2019, she had been so dedicated to competing that she had wrangled up 22 EIC points, just eight points away from a badge.
Overcoming a Pandemic and Anxiousness about Earning the Badge
The start of 2020 met Paula with not only the difficulty of finding matches due to the enduring pandemic but also with some EIC nervousness that kept her scores below a point-earning level. With the close of the 2020 shooting season rapidly approaching, Paula decided to go to the 29 Palms Marine Base in California in November for one of her last EIC match chances — carrying within her a newfound resolve to capture those final points she had sought after for so long.
Achieving the Goal — After So Many Years
Though her emotions were up, Paula competitive game was down as she fired a sub-par offhand score to start out the first stage of her match. “I was done for, and therefore totally relaxed and enjoyed shooting the rest of the match,” she said. Her new leisurely approach to her final three firing stages, without the pressure, shockingly boosted her scores — enough to earn herself the final points she needed for her Distinguished Rifleman Badge.
“No one was more surprised than me to learn I had won the eight-point leg,” she said, proudly. “I had finally done it”.
Husband and Wife that Shoot Together
Paula and husband Greg have shot together for many years. This demonstrates that competitive shooting can be a great activity for a couple to share. Paula told us that she often meets shooters’ wives at shooting matches who are interested in trying the sport, but some feel intimidated at first. Paula encourages them to get started. Interestingly, many shooting instructors find that women learn faster than men initially, primarily because they are better listeners, and they don’t let their egos get in the way.
Paula notes: “For us, as a couple, to share in the joys and despairs of shooting competition has been really special. The wives and girlfriends of the men I shoot with have a really wonderful opportunity to grow in their relationships. So many men I shoot with have expressed remorse they don’t share this with the women they love. Greg doesn’t babysit me and we are independent at the range. But he really helped me get started, and continues to be supportive to this day. But I’m at a point I can help him too.”
Paula said husband Greg has been a great shooting partner — helpful and supportive from the very start. And Greg was very proud of Paula’s accomplishment in earning her Distinguished Badge. To celebrate and mark the moment she earned her final Distinguished Points, Greg pinned his own Distinguished Badge on her hat. “Greg most certainly helped make this possible for me….”
Details of Service Rifle — Components and Match Loads
Paula’s rifle features a 1:7″-twist Krieger barrel with Wylde Chamber, barrel sourced from White Oak. The Sun Devil lower is fitted with a Geissele Nat’l Match trigger. The stock is a Magpul UBR. The upper is fitted with a Hera Handguard. On top is a March 1-4.5x24mm Service Rifle scope with MTR-5 reticle. Paula uses a Hollis sling, Monard shooting coat, and both Monard and Creedmoor gloves.
Match Ammunition — For 200/300 yard stages, Paula runs 73gr Berger bullets, with Varget powder and Wolf primers. For 600 yards, she uses 75gr or 80gr Hornady bullets, also with Varget powder but with CCI BR4 primers. Bullets are loaded 0.060″ off the lands.
Here is Paula’s rifle from 4 years ago. She has upgraded her rig with many new components.
Shooting Sports — Multi-Generational Fun for All Ages
One thing Paula really likes about the shooting sports is that you can keep getting better even in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Walt Berger has won Benchrest matches in his 80s! Few other sports offer true multi-generational competition like this.
“The really wonderful thing about shooting is that you can do it at any age, and even with disabilities. There is a discipline for everyone. We all seem to put lots of energy into the junior shooters. I’d like to see more energy put into helping older shooters get started. For an aging person who can no longer do some of the sports of their youth, shooting is a wonderful new venture. For me, my age, just was never a factor. I do work out to stay as strong since old age is somewhat of a slide into decrepitude. Whether you are young, middle-aged, or a senior shooter, you can all compete together.” — Paula Crenshaw
Paula is justifiably proud of her accomplishment, and she notes that there is, perhaps, an important message to be found in her earning the Distinguished Badge at age 67. Paula demonstrated that men and women can achieve important things even late in life, even after retirement. “Keep striving for your dreams” Paula told us, and “stay active with the outdoor activities you love”. A physician, Paula observes some people who remain vital and active even in their 80s, while some people in their 40s let things slide.
Even during this tough Pandemic year, Paula stays fit through weight-lifting, and she also enjoys motorcycle riding (on her own machine). She wants to encourage readers to continue all their outdoor hobbies as long as they can. As they say, you only go around once in life. The important thing, Paula tells us, is to continue to do what you enjoy, focus on your goals, and remain positive. Even at 67 Paula still enjoys mountaineering and motorcycling as well as shooting. Here is Paula in her younger days, rock-climbing.
NEXT Challenge for Paula Will Be Palma Shooting
What’s the next challenge for Dr. Paula Crenshaw? Well right now our friend Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine is building Paula a new Palma rifle, using his vaunted TubeGun chassis. Paula looks forward to competing in long-range Palma matches with the new rifle, which will be chambered in the .223 Remington. Yes, you read that right. With the latest generation of bullets and high-energy powder, a .223 Rem can be competitive with a .308 Win in many conditions.
Paula encourages women of all ages to try shooting. In her experience women often excel far beyond their expectations: “Women seem to have an advantage in shooting, in that they take to it quicker. They get better quicker. Everyone has theories. I watch beginning juniors. The guys fidget more and seem to feel embarrassed if they don’t do well. The girls don’t seem to worry if they do badly. They listen better. But I see many fantastic female juniors excel only to give it up later. So it seems men stick with it longer.”
AccurateShooter’s Target Page provides over 50 FREE downloadable targets. You’ll find all types of targets — sight-in targets, varmint targets, rimfire targets, bullseye targets, tactical targets, load development targets and more. CLICK HERE for all our free targets, including our popular LOAD DEV target.
On this load development target, all your load data fits neatly in the boxes under each target. The diamonds have 1/2″ sides and you can align your cross-hairs on the horizontal and vertical lines. When we test, we crank in a little elevation, setting the point-of-impact higher. That way our shots fall in the gray circles, leaving the red diamonds intact for precise aiming.
Storm Tactical Targets — Hundreds of FREE, Printable Targets
If you want an even greater selection of targets, specialized for PRS and NRL shooters, Storm Tactical offers a vast collection of tactical targets, available in three different versions: MOA, MIL Yards, and MIL Meters. Storm Tactical also has a rimfire target set. This includes side-by-side target blocks for fun, one-on-one competition. Overall there are 299 Storm Tactical Targets in four downloadable sets.
CLICK links to launch each Storm Tactical target collection. Then you can click the download icon to save to your hard drive. OR, you can scroll up and down to select the target(s) you like which you can tell your printer to print. We do recommend downloading the complete archives. File sizes are listed.
Here’s a Tikka T3 in Third Eye Tactical cerakoted chassis.
Rimfire Twin Target, for One-on-One Shooter Challenges
You’ll find this fun target on the third page of the Rimfire Target Pack. Just download the PDF file and instruct your printer to deliver page three. Or print out all six (6) rimfire targets if you like.
Editor: This article is from the Powder Valley Website. The original release date was in October, 2020, BEFORE the election, so some factors have changed. But we are still seeing extreme shortages of primers.
If you’ve tried to purchase ammo or reloading supplies lately, you’ve probably noticed a lot of products are out of stock. Of all the components needed to reload ammo, it seems primers are the toughest to find, prompting many reloaders to refer to the current crisis as “The Great Primer Shortage of 2020″. The primer supply shortage doesn’t just affect reloaders, though. It’s also limiting the production of many popular types of ammunition. This can be frustrating for shooters and hunters looking to keep their edge on the range, and can be concerning for preppers, survivalists, and others who are concerned about their safety.
We are in the midst of the greatest primer shortage of all time, and we don’t see things getting better anytime soon. Read on as the experts from Powder Valley delve deeper into the primer shortage of 2020.
A Massive Increase in Demand
Like any other product in a market economy, primers are subject to the whims of supply and demand. As far as demand is concerned, a perfect storm of factors has caused a run on the ammo market like we’ve never quite seen before. A mix of the Covid-19 pandemic, civil unrest, and the possibility of an anti-2nd amendment President and Senate has caused demand to skyrocket. The pandemic specifically has incentivized shooters to learn how to reload their own ammo.
We have an extremely large number of new reloaders who have entered the market. The NSSF estimates that first time gun owners has increased to 6.2 million people over the past few months. [Editor: Vista Outdoor says the number may be 7 million by the end of 2020.] Unfortunately, many of those reloaders entered the market anticipating that it would be easier to make their own ammo since readily available ammunition was so difficult to find. With shortages of bullets, powder, brass and primers, that has simply not been the case
Since so many people have lost a chunk, or all of their income, it makes sense that reloading, which saves on the cost of ammo at the expense of time, would become more popular than ever. Even if you’re financially stable, reloading and shooting are great socially distant activities you can do while the movie theaters, bowling alleys, and bars are shut down. With little answers on the virus, it’s hard to see when these closures and limitations will end. This is why we believe this could end up being the greatest primer shortage of all time.
Hoarding of Primers
When there is a primer shortage the first thing people normally point to is consumer hoarding. We believe this is having an impact on availability, but probably not to the extreme that many think. There are definitely some profiteers who buy primers and then sell them on auction sites or other multi list sites. This is why many online retailers have now chosen to limit the purchase quantities to an extreme low level in an effort to reduce this.
Disruptions in the Supply Chain
Demand, however, is just one part of the story. Disruptions in the supply chain have also made a big impact on the availability of primers. When it comes to ammunition supplies, bullets are easy to manufacture, brass can be re-used, and powder is generally stockpiled by companies (though perhaps not the kind you’re looking for). This leaves primers, which are relatively difficult to make, as the component that causes the bulk of ammo shortages.
In the USA, only four companies (Winchester, Remington, Federal, and CCI) manufacture primers for civilian use, law enforcement, and the military. Even under perfect circumstances, there’s only so much they can produce at once, and needless to say, circumstances have not been perfect during the pandemic. People getting sick, missing work to take care of their kids, and self-quarantining – from factory workers to delivery drivers, and all throughout the supply chain – caused a lull in manufacturing this spring.
The Remington bankruptcy has had a large impact on the shortage of ammo and primers. With Remington in a state of financial insolvency for the past two years, suppliers were demanding payment upon delivery for products. Remington simply did not have the financial capabilities to have an abundance of raw materials on hand and had to shutter some of their production capacity. Barnes bullets and primers were hit particularly hard in the reloading market. With the recent purchase of Remington by Vista Outdoor, there is a good chance that Vista will be diverting CCI and Federal primers that would typically go to reloaders to Remington ammunition production. Remington primer production capacity has never been great. The hope would be that Vista will place more emphasis on getting the Remington primer production capacity increased substantially and quickly. The best news coming out of this is for Barnes fans. With Sierra’s purchase of Barnes we anticipate the availability of Barnes bullets to increase substantially in a very short period of time.
Reduced Supplies of Foreign-Made Primers
In 2008 we saw a huge influx of Russian primers. We are not seeing that this time as the Murom Apparatus Producing plant is only producing at partial capacity due to the COVID-19 restrictions. On top of that, there have been changes in upper management at Murom which have caused further disruptions. But, we are very hopeful that these changes will have a positive effect on production and distribution in the long run.
The situation has been worsened by dramatically reduced imports of Russian primers.
With import restrictions out of Russia, we do not anticipate seeing the help we had from them in 2008-2012. We had also seen S&B, Unis Ginex and other foreign brands of primers enter the market during the shortages to relieve some of the pressure, but aren’t seeing that influx of primers this time around. The lack of foreign primers on the market is a major reason we believe this shortage is going to last for quite some time. We may see some help from foreign primers, but we don’t anticipate the large volumes we’ve seen previously.
What Should You Do? As an individual, as of right now, there’s little you can do in the face of the reloading equipment supplies shortage. Keep checking your trusted online distributor Powder Valley for new arrivals of primers from all four manufacturers.
We have created some very stringent limitations on the purchase of primers in an effort to help as many people as possible work through this extremely tough time. Normally, we would say “stock up”. But that time has passed, and I would encourage everyone to learn from this. Stock up in times of plentiful supply so that you are not affected as greatly during these times of extreme shortage. In the meantime I would encourage everyone to pray for our country and our leaders[.]
Jason Hornady, V.P. of Hornady Ammunition Manufacturing, has a message for ammunition buyers about the shortage of ammo on retail shelves. He begins by stating that: “We understand there is, certainly, an ‘over-demand’ right now on ammunition availability.” That’s to put it mildly. An executive of Vista Outdoor recently explained that with 7 million new gun owners in 2020, if they all purchase just two 50-round boxes of ammo each, that represents 700,000,000 rounds of additional demand.
Jason assures customers that there are no hidden storage facilities, and there have been no government orders to halt production. In fact, Hornady is producing more ammunition than ever before, and the ammo is going straight from the production line out to vendors.
“We promise we are shipping everything we can. The stuff that goes out today was literally put in a box yesterday.” And Hornady’s factories are running at full capacity — “We’ve made one-third more [ammunition] than we did last year.”
Jason Hornady added: “In March, we were up 86 percent and that did it — the inventory was gone. We literally emptied our building. Since then, the sales increase is back to 15 percent a month because that’s all we can manage. Literally, we make it one day and ship it the next.”
Jason concluded: “We are shipping and doing everything we can to get product out the door. We appreciate you as a customer and we appreciate your patience.”
Founded in 1949, Hornady Manufacturing Company is a family-owned business headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska. It proudly manufactures products “Made in the USA” by over 300 employees.
Assembly Diagram: Here are all the components of the target frame. The overall maximum assembled dimensions are roughly 26″ wide, 41″ deep, and 66″ tall (the cardboard is 2 x 3 feet).
One of the easiest ways to build a portable target stand is to use PVC pipe and connectors. Utah .308 Shooter “Cheese” has created a simple yet sturdy target frame, and he’s shared his design so you can build a similar frame easily and at low cost. The components are wood furring strips, 2″-diameter PVC pipes (and connections), and a 2’x3′ sheet of cardboard. The PVC base can be glued together, or, for easier transport and storage, you can leave some or all of the connections free. “Cheese” tells us: “I didn’t glue any of it together so I could disassemble it, shove it in a bag and take it anywhere.”
“All the parts are just pushed together and not glued. That way I can break it down and carry it all in a bag. Also, if a buddy (not me!) happens to shoot the stand, I can easily replace just the damaged piece. The last 6 inches of the furring strips are wittled-down a bit so they can be pushed into the upright pipes with a little friction. The cardboard is 2 x 3 feet, and I use a staple gun to attach it to the furring strips. Then I just staple the target onto the cardboard and go at it.
Of course you can modify the dimensions as desired. I chose the black ABS pipe over white PVC simply for cost — black ABS is a little cheaper. You can also glue some or all of the parts together, it’ll just be larger for transporting. In windy conditions, the thing likes to come apart. Duct tape might work well.
For weight, I thought about filling the two end pipes with sand and gluing test caps on each of their ends. The test caps still allow the pipes to slip into the elbows.”
Add Anchors or Internal Weight for Stability
On a very windy day, a PVC stand can shake or even topple over. There are a couple solutions to this. Some people fill the PVC pipe sections with sand to add weight, or you can put short sections of Re-BAR inside the long legs. One GlockTalk forum member noted: “I built [a frame] almost identical to this. I also take four pieces of wire coathanger bent into an inverted “U” shape to anchor the frame to the ground. It is so light that wind will knock the stand over [without anchors].”
You can find photos of a similar home-made PVC target stand (with a slightly different rear section) on the Box of Truth website. This also employs a PVC tubing base with wood uprights. We’ve also seen all-PVC target stands, but we’ve found that it is easier to attach the cardboard to wood strips than to PVC pipe. Also, if the upper section is wood, you can fit different height targets, while using the same base.
Holiday Greetings to Our Readers
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our readers and especially our nearly 54,000 Forum Members. This marks our 16th Christmas “in business”, and the site is stronger than ever thanks to our Gold and Silver Forum members and industry sponsors. AccurateShooter.com is now accessed by over 500,000 visitors every month, who enjoy our Feature Articles, Daily Bulletin, Shooters’ Forum, and our Facebook Page. Part of the reason for that success is the hard work of our dedicated staff and volunteer helpers.
Unsung Heroes Deserve Recognition
I want to acknowledge those guys who have really helped out the site. Number one is Jay Christopherson who served as our Systems Admin for most of the year. Along with being a computer guru, Jay is a superb shooter who won the Berger SW Nationals F-Open this year. Stepping in for Jay in the second half of 2020 has been fellow F-classer Praveen Kumar, a very talented programmer who helped us through the challenge of a major Forum upgrade this fall. We also thank Andy B. our Xenforo ace who has contributed vital software solutions.
A huge “thank-you” goes to F-Class John who finds weekly bargains for the Bulletin and tests new products. John produces gear/hardware reviews for the Daily Bulletin with informative videos showcased on his YouTube Channel. John’s work has become a highlight of our Bulletin content. We thank Boyd Allen and EdLongRange who supply story leads for the Daily Bulletin. And we wouldn’t be here without Jeff Williams, who handles site donations by mail. We have a great place to test rifles thanks to our valued friend Joe Friedrich. Other important contributors include: Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com; Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics, Bill Marr of Rifleshooter.com, Jason Baney of EuroOptic.com, and Dennis Santiago. These folks have contributed stories, reviews, and and videos. I also want to recognize Hunting Editor Colton Reid and Norway’s Thomas Haugland (shown below). All these men (and many others) have aided the site.
Praise for our Site Sponsors and Advertisers
We also want to thank our major sponsors, without whose support the site could not provide the full AccurateShooter.com experience, with an active Forum, an archive of in-depth articles, and fresh content 365 days a year in our Daily Bulletin. We’re grateful to ALL our sponsors and advertisers. In particular, we want to acknowledge the major companies which have been strong supporters of this site for many years: Capstone Precision Group (Berger, Lapua, SK, Vihtavuori), Bruno Shooters Supply, Bullet Central, Graf & Sons, EuroOptic, Krieger Barrels, Midsouth Shooters Supply, Powder Valley Inc., Precision Reloading, Whidden Gunworks, and Zeiss Sports Optics. Their continuing support helps us keep up the flow of information and serve our readers and Forum members.
This image is from multi-time Nat’l Long Range Champion Nancy Tompkins, author of Prone and Long Range Rifle Shooting. Nancy loves to photograph the Aurora Borealis.
As a Christmas present for our readers, today we showcase eight very informative videos from AccurateShooter Forum member F-Class John. A talented F-Class competitor with a smart, technically-focused mind, John has created a series of videos about reloading and precision loading tools, along with rifle and shooting accessories. Many of John’s product reviews are the most thorough and detailed you’ll find in video format. You’ll find over 120 informative videos on F-Class John’s popular YouTube Channel.
21st Century Hydro Press and Arbor Press — Product Review
Many of the world’s top benchrest, long-range, and F-Class shooters prefer to seat their bullets using arbor-type presses with inline dies. This allows smooth, repeatable bullet-seating with very low run-out. One of the very best arbor-type seating presses ever created is the 21st Century Hydro Press. This offers plenty of leverage driving a precision ram. The Hydro Press also features a hydraulic line to drive a precision seating force gauge. Along with the Hydro Press, John tests 21st Century’s standard arbor press.
Cartridge Case Separation — Tell-Tale Warning Signs
If you reload and haven’t experienced a case separation yet then you are fortunate. It’s a fact of life in the shooting world. A bad case separation can have very unfortunate consequences. Therefore you need to watch for warning signs on your cartridge brass, so you stay safe. The video above shows what to look for — and how to recognize signs of incipient separation. One important factor leading to case head separation is improper head-spacing causing growth. To learn more about case head separation watch F-Class John’s follow-up video Case Head Separation Causes, identification and prevention.
Accuracy One Concentricity Gauge — Product review
Every person who makes precision hand-loads should have a quality concentricity gauge to measure run-out of case-necks and loaded rounds. Here John tests one of the best such tools on the market, the Accuracy One Concentricity Gauge. This measures the internal and external neck runout of cartridge cases as well as seated bullet runout. It can also measure the runout of the ogive, bearing surface, and boat-tail of individual bullets and can even measure primer pocket runout. John notes: “I think most precision shooters should have one of these to make sure their ammo is within their specs they’re happy with.”
How to Use a Barrel Tuner to Improve Accuracy and Repeatability
In this video, John works with a barrel tuner created by Erik Cortina, a member of Team Lapua/Brux/Borden. A tuner can be useful in modulating barrel vibrations and that can translate to smaller groups on target. Sometimes the positive effects are quite noticeable. Tuners have been popular with short-range benchresters for many years and now they are becoming more common on top F-Class and Long Range rifles.
John says: “I’ve been using Erik’s E.C. Tuner for a while now and I really like what it’s done to help as my final step in load development. Just remember, a tuner is a tool, not a magician. You still need good load development practices, good brass prep, and solid skills but the tuner does help make great loads even better.”
Teslong Rigid 26″ Borescope with 4.5″ Monitor — Product Review
There are a variety of affordable Teslong digital borescopes for inspecting your barrels and diagnosing issues. All Teslongs deliver impressively sharp images/video. Some units plug into a laptop or tablet, while others work via a dongle to communicate wirelessly. Here John tests a 26″ rigid model borescope that comes complete with its own 4.5″ viewing screen. Priced at $129.99 on Amazon, this system is completely self-contained — you don’t need a laptop or smartphone. You don’t have to worry about connections and there are no Apps to install or configure. John says: “Teslong now offers a 26″ rigid rod model with a 4.5″ monitor. This allows you to use the unit without the need for any mobile device or computer.”
Dillon 550 vs. Dillon 750 for Precision Reloading — Pros and Cons
Progressive presses are not just for bulk reloading these days. Many top shooters, including 5-time National Long Range Champion John Whidden, use Dillon progressive presses to complete many cartridge loading operations more efficiently. Even in the F-Class world, Top Guns such as Erik Cortina have found ways to use Dillon progressives for bullet pointing, case prep and other repetitious tasks, even if a precision arbor press is used for final bullet seating. In this video, F-Class John compares two Dillon options: “If you’re deciding between a Dillon 550 or 750/650 reloading press for precision reloading, here are some pros and cons of each. Both are capable of producing high quality ammunition but each has their own quirks so knowing your capabilities and loading style is important when choosing one over the other.
AutoTrickler V3 — General Set-Up and Operational Advice
In this video, John offers some general advice for setting-up the AutoTrickler system. He notes that you want to set the initial drop weight (from the powder measure) in an optimal range: “When you set the original drop you need it to be about 1 to 1.5 grains below. Some people set it too close to the final weight they want and it actually doesn’t let the trickler unit work as efficiently, consistently and accurately as it will if you start 1 to 1.5 grains low.” John also explains how to hook up the cords and how to position the trickler unit. John places his AutoTrickler on a 30-lb piece of granite, with a thin polymer “anti-static” pad on top. John also uses a line conditioner and grounding wire to provide the best electrical flow to the scale and trickler. John also shows how the angle of the trickler unit can be adjusted. If you own an AutoTrickler or plan to purchase one, we definitely recommend you watch this entire video.
ShotMarker Power-User Tip — How to Test Unit without Shooting
The ShotMarker is an advanced system that plots shot location using electronic sensors mounted on a frame. ShotMarker arrays are now used in many competitions because they are reliable, precise, and much more affordable than competing systems. Invented by Canadian Adam MacDonald, the ShotMarker plots bullet entry on target using sensors activated by the bullet’s soundwaves. Using 8 high precision MEMS microphones placed in the corners of your frame, ShotMarker precisely measures the point of impact and down-range velocity of each shot, so that you can analyze your groups and shoot for score in competition. In this video, John shows how you can quickly and easily test your ShotMarker before deploying it at the range: “Here’s a quick and simple way to ensure your system is working 100% before taking a shot on it.”
Spending by hunters on their activities helps the economy and funding from hunters helps preserve wildlife. According to the NSSF, sportsmen contribute more than $2.9 billion every year for conservation. And over the last century sportsmen have paid many billions for on-the-ground projects in every state, protecting the natural environment and our fish and wildlife.
Unfortunately, hunters and hunting are under attack from misguided environmentalists who are seeking to ban hunting in many areas, as well as restrict or even eliminate traditional lead-based ammunition.
The NSSF video above and Infographic below address the issue of traditional ammunition, explaining why the attacks on lead ammo are misguided. Lead pollution is a real issue, but the amount of lead left in the wilderness from hunter’s bullets is miniscule compared to most important causes of lead pollution such as industrial waste and improper disposal of lead-compound batteries. What is REALLY going on, particularly in blue states like California, is that the leftists are attempting to use “green” strategies to advance their anti-gun agenda. This really isn’t about “getting the lead out” — it is about getting rid of guns.
Creedmoor Sports makes some of the best dedicated shooting carts you can buy, and right now the Creedmoor carts are on sale. These are truly multi-function units that can haul your rifle, shooting coats, spotting scope, ammunition, and all your other gear. PLUS they have a built-in seat that lets you rest between relays.
Creedmoor CRC-1 Range Cart
Was: $499.95 Now: $475.00
Save an additional $15 with CODE “SANTA”
Rifle competitors, particularly sling shooters have to haul a lot of gear to the firing line: Rifle, coat glove, ammo, spotting scope with stand), data books, mats, slings, and of course, lunch. You’ll really appreciate how much easier life gets with this cart. It also folds up small enough to fit into the trunk of your car.
The Creedmoor Range Cart, also known as the CRC-1, is strong and durable with Solid 14″ rubber wheels with bearings (no more flat tires). The CRC-1 Cart folds quickly and easily in less than 1 minute, with a stowed size of just 30″ x 17″ x 8″. The removable rifle case that doubles as a rack/holster.
Here is Dennis DeMille, former Creedmoor Sports GM, shooting a 200-yard rapid fire sitting stage during a High Power match at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Wilcox Range 103.
Deluxe Shooting Cart Conversion Kit
Was: $129.95 Now: $120.00
Do you already have a shooting stool and want to upgrade to a cart? This Shooting Cart Conversion Kit bolts right onto your Creedmoor Sports stool and gives you similar capabilities to the Creedmoor Range Cart. Lightweight and easily collapsible, this is a handy addition to your range equipment. We’ve used this system and it works surprisingly well.
Every firearms owner should have some basic first-aid/trauma training. Sadly, bad things CAN happen at the range, even if that’s just a blown primer, or a richochet off a metal target that sends shards back at the shooter. That’s why all shooters should always wear ear and ear protection, and be PREPARED for situations requiring emergency first aid.
Thankfully, there is a way shooters can get emergency trauma training for FREE. The folks at Mountain Man Medical offer a FREE Emergency Trauma Course. This 100% FREE online course, entitled “Emergency Trauma Response” (ETR), consists of a 13-module training program conducted via a series of web-hosted videos. It can benefit anyone who wishes to be better prepared for traumatic medical emergencies.
Online Course Description — Module Subjects
“Emergency Trauma Response” (ETR) is a comprehensive training program for to help person become better prepared to deal with massive trauma. Building off the popular “Stop The Bleed” program, the online ETR course goes above and beyond to ensure the student has the practical knowledge to use emergency products and gear when dealing with a wide variety trauma emergencies. Of course, in any serious emergency, professional medical assistance (EMTs and First Responders) should be summoned immediately whenever that is feasible.
The Mountain Man Medical ETR Course Features 13 Modules:
1. Trauma Medicine and Combat Mindset
2. The Gear Of A Medic
3. Vital Signs and Anatomy
4. Intro to MARCH
5. Massive Hemorrhage
6. Airway
7. Respirations
8. Circulation
9. Hypothermia and Head Trauma
10. Reassessment
11. Other Injury Types
12. Practical Tourniquet Exercises/Solutions
13. Your Role As A Medic
As a side note, this Editor’s brother was a U.S. Army combat medic in Viet Nam. He received months of special training before being deployed. He told me this online ETR course provides valuable information, but one should always summon qualified medical professionals when presented with serious trauma. But when that is not possible, immediate on-the-spot correct assistance can save lives or prevent further injury.
Credit the Guns America Digest for finding this valuable online training resource.
If you want an even greater selection of targets, specialized for PRS and NRL shooters, 
Hoarding of Primers
One of the easiest ways to build a portable target stand is to use PVC pipe and connectors. Utah .308 Shooter “Cheese” has created a simple yet sturdy target frame, and he’s shared his design so you can build a similar frame easily and at low cost. The components are wood furring strips, 2″-diameter PVC pipes (and connections), and a 2’x3′ sheet of cardboard. The PVC base can be glued together, or, for easier transport and storage, you can leave some or all of the connections free. “Cheese” tells us: “I didn’t glue any of it together so I could disassemble it, shove it in a bag and take it anywhere.”
Holiday Greetings to Our Readers
Creedmoor Sports makes some of the best dedicated shooting carts you can buy, and right now the 
