Times are tough right now for hand-loaders. It is hard to find reloading components, particularly powder and primers. Thankfully, Brownells has made it easier for folks to find available powders without going through hundreds of searches resulting in “0ut of Stock” results. Just visit Brownell’s IN-STOCK Powder Page to see all reloading propellants currently available. This can save you much time and effort.
Brownells has two dozen major-brand powders IN STOCK today, including excellent, popular propellants from Vihtavuori, Hodgdon, and Winchester. Vihtavuori propellants such as N140 and N550 have a proven track record in competition and are popular with benchrest and F-Class shooter. As of today, 12/16/2020, here are 16 powders IN STOCK and available at Brownells.com. There are at least eight more powders in stock. But act quickly — these may sell out very soon. CLICK HERE for ALL in-stock powders.
With the civil unrest happening around the country in Democrat-run cities, more citizens are getting CCW permits and carrying self-defense pistols. With the right to carry come responsibilities of course. You should train with your pistol, and always practice gun safety. In this article, S&W pro shooter Julie Golob offers advice for concealed pistol carry.
Our friend Julie hosts a series of handgun instructional videos for Shooting USA. While Julie uses pistols mostly for competition, this U.S. Army veteran also values handguns for self-defense. In this video series, Julie first talks about important gun safety rules, then she offers training advice for persons who carry concealed handguns. The third video covers options for carry a weapon “off-body”, i.e. not in a normal holster on concealment rig on one’s person.
1. GUN SAFETY — Whether you own 1 gun or 100, gun safety must always be your main priority. Here Smith & Wesson Team Captain Julie Golob covers the basics of gun safety.
2. PRACTICE for CONCEALED CARRY — Engaging a threat from concealment could be the most important skill of your life and it takes practice to be proficient. In this video, S&W’s Julie Golob demonstrates some practice drills for concealed carry.
3. OFF-BODY CONCEALED CARRY OPTIONS — There are instances where carrying a concealed weapon on your body in a holster (or deep cover pouch) is not always practical. Here Julie explains various techniques to carrying a concealed handgun “Off Body”.
Julie — pistol champion, Army veteran, wife and mother, is also an accomplished author, who has written about the shooting sports in many shooting publications, newswires, and internet blogs. Her book, Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition, serves as both an introduction to firearms for novices and a primer to help experienced shooters improve their skills.
Our friend Ernie Bishop (SEB Rests USA) has been busy in the Wyoming backcountry. Bishop is a big fan of specialty pistols, and one of his favorite XP-100 bolt-action pistols showed its capabilities recently, harvesting a whitetail doe that will provide meat for the Bishop family and friends.
Ernie reports: “Dan Ekstrom and I did some whitetail hunting earlier this week, and tonight our families enjoyed some smoked backstrap and grilled sausage, a bunch of other fixings. We were in the foothills of the Big Horn mountains, outside of Story, Wyoming. Yes, we have whitetail here.”
Ernie’s Remington XP-100 bolt-action pistol features a 14.5″ HS Precision barrel chambered in .308 Winchester, fitted with a Mac’s Gunworks muzzle brake. The scope is a Burris 3-15x50mm XTR2. The field support consists of a BOG Tripod, with the original BOG PSR top and Holland’s small field bag. Ernie reports that, unfortunately, the PSR Top has been discontinued.
The Story of the Successful Whitetail Hunt — Report from the Field Report by Ernie Bishop
My center-grip .308 Winchester XP-100 drew first blood Friday afternoon (12/11/2020). It was a hurried, double-kneeling short shot at around 50-60 yards, using my BOG tripod with PSR top. I was doing the sneaky sneak on my way to place where I was going to sit for the rest of the day (no artificial blind). The doe was either just coming out of cover or was just inside cover. We seemed to discover each other at about the same time. I was in the open though.
Even though I had the XP-100 in one hand and my BOG tripod in the other, I could not get set up quickly enough to make a shot. She turned around and walked back into cover, and then threw up her flag and waved it a few times going away for me and to the left. Now, I need to get about another hundred yards so I can try to get set up on a two-track that’s going to my right and wait there, hoping that she will cross and give me a shot opportunity. As I was walking faster to get to that spot to set up, I look to my right and there she was (or a different one, I’m not quite sure) just inside cover — basically broadside.
Given the spookiness of these deer here this year, I didn’t think I was going to get a shot opportunity. But you don’t know unless you try, so I kneeled, spread the tripod legs and centered up as quick as I could and took the shot. I didn’t range distance before or check afterwards. The whitetail doe dropped on the spot. The 168 grain Hornady A-MAX TAP Precision .308 Win ammo performed admirably.
Ernie’s Tips for Wyoming Whitetail Hunters
There are two different ways that I hunt this area of Wymoming. First is doing the slow sneaky sneak, which has given some good results, but it also ends up with the “just wasn’t able get it done” before they move into cover (which happened more than one time on Thursday and Friday morning). The second way, is to put yourself in a place to where you have a reasonable view, of where you can tell they have crossed, in semi-open areas. I usually am sitting with my back against a tree.
About Ernie Bishop — Specialty Pistol Guru
Ernie tells us: “For those who know of me in the shooting world, you would probably know me in one of two ways — Dealer for SEB Rests or someone who does most of his competing, varminting, and or hunting with specialty pistols. These are typically bolt-action, single-shot rigs that can be used with a bipod. They are similar to a pistol-grip rifle, but without a conventional buttstock. My interest in all things specialty pistols (Remington XP-100, TC Contender, MOA Maximum, Pachmayr Dominator, H-S Precision HSP, etc.) goes back to the early 1980s. Sadly, some of these are no longer made.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or 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.
⏺ Great price for nice hunting rifle; many calibers, coated action + barrel
In today’s market, getting a quality hunting rig for under $450.00 is a very good deal. Add in a Permacote protective finish on both action and barrel and you have a true bargain. Right now Sportsman’s Warehouse is offering the Winchester XPR rifle in a variety of regular and magnum chamberings for just $449.99. Choose from 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win, 7mm Rem Magnum, .308 Win, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Win Magnum. These guns have smooth feeding and good warranties. Notable features include:
Flat Dark Earth (FDE) Permacote Receiver Finish
Free-floating Button-rifled Barrel with FDE Permacote Finish
M.O.A. Trigger System with 2-Position Thumb Safety
Mossy Oak Elements Terra Bayou Camouflage Finish
2. Midsouth — Bullets IN STOCK from All Major Brands
⏺ Berger, Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Barnes, Speer in stock
Reloading components are getting harder to find. Thankfully, Midsouth has a HUGE inventory of rifle bullets IN STOCK, from many makers, in a wide selection of calibers and weights. And many of these bullets are on sale right now. Choose your favorite projectiles from Berger, Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Speer, and Barnes. You’ll find good prices on rifle match bullets as well as hunting bullets, with both tipped and conventional designs, as well as solids (from Barnes). Hornady A-Tips are on sale. CLICK HERE for Bullets.
⏺ Very high quality brass for popular mid-size accuracy cartridges
After Lapua and Peterson, USA-based Alpha Munitions makes some of the best cartridge brass available today. In stock now at Precision Reloading is Alpha brass for these popular cartridges: 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6XC, and .308 Win. Notably, Alpha also makes 6mm Dasher brass, saving you a fire-forming step, and Alpha also produces the new 6GT case popular with PRS shooters. BIG NEWS: Alpha recently started producing 6mm BRA (6BR Ackley) brass. Alpha 6mm BRA and 6 Dasher brass are available directly from Alpha Munitions, but act soon — this will quickly sell out. Click links below:
⏺ Fast, programmable, accurate dispenser at great price
The Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper is a high-quality powder scale dispenser. It’s accurate to +/- one-tenth of a grain, dispenses in seconds, and can be controlled by a handy mobile App that can store various charges weights for different cartridges. This unit has a 7000-grain capacity with both Auto and manual trickle capability. IMPORTANT: This super-low Amazon price won’t last long. Act quickly to secure the Intellidropper for $179.95 on Sale.
5. All Dealers — Zeiss Conquest V4 $100 Instant Rebate
⏺ Instant $100 savings on outstanding Zeiss Conquest V4 Scopes
Calling all holiday shoppers! Looking for that perfect gift for the hunter or shooter on your list? Through December 31, 2020, ZEISS is offering a great deal through participating ZEISS authorized retailers. Customers looking to buy Conquest V4 riflescopes and Terra ED 42 mm objective binoculars will receive $100 off instantly at time of purchase. No Rebate forms to fill out, no waiting periods — you just save $100 instantly. CLICK HERE for ZEISS SALE INFO.
6. MidwayUSA — BOG Death Grip Tripod, $124.99
⏺ Versatile — use in all positions (even prone), secure top clamp
BOG makes very popular “long reach” shooting sticks/bipods for hunters. And now BOG has developed a clamp-style tripod that is great for hunters and PRS/NRL competitors. The BOG Death Grip Tripod has a rectangular-style padded clamp that will fit a wide variety of rifle fore-end styles (and widths).
Watch the video above to see this tripod’s versatility and why it has earned rave reviews. Non-marring rubber jaw insert protect your rifle’s finish. The 3-position leg angle lock allows for secure shooting in standing, kneeling and prone positions. Tilt adjustment lever controls up to 25 degrees of cant forwards and back and the head pans 360 degrees. Right now the BOG Death Grip Tripod Aluminum version is on sale at MidwayUSA for $124.99, $25.00 off. NOTE: You need to place the product in MidwayUSA’s shopping cart to see this special price.
7. Focus Camera — Fujinon Scope Plus Binoculars, $149.00
⏺ Killer combo deal — great gift for someone getting started in hunting
Here is a killer deal on a hunting optics combo. Fujinon does make high quality optics but the company is not well known among American consumers so Fujinon optics have been deeply discounted. Right now you can get a good, light-weight 1.75-5x32mm hunting scope AND 10x32mm binoculars for just $149.00! The original MSRP on this combo was $499.99 so you’re saving over $350! The magnification level is ideal for a deer rifle scope. We think this would be a great gift item for a hunter in your family.
8. Midsouth — Great End-of-Year Target Sale
⏺ Dozens of Hi-Viz and Specialty Targets at Great Prices
Need targets for your range days next year? Midsouth Shooters has a huge selection of shooting targets at attractive prices. Choose from stick-on targets, target dots, splatter targets, grid targets, bullseye targets, and even Zombie fun targets, in various sizes and colors.
Midsouth also has a unique stick-on white benchrest target that comes on a handy roll. The 250 target roll is $12.49. This self-adhesive target is great for practicing for benchrest matches and load development. We use it because it has a nice grid and precise aim point.
9. MidwayUSA — Dual Gong Target System, 50% Off, $44.99
⏺ Great Price for twin AR500 system — just add wood beam and have fun
Who doesn’t like shooting steel? The “clang” of hitting a steel target at long range provides instant gratification. This Viking Solutions Gong Target System features two AR500 Steel Gongs (6″ and 8″) suspended by chains. All the hardware is supplied including chains, leg stands, and nuts and bolts — all you need is a length of 2×4 lumber. Setup time is less than two minutes. The gongs are manufactured from 3/8″-thick AR500 steel for long lasting durability! NOTE: User must supply lumber beam. This unit once sold for $89.99 so you save $45.00!
10. Amazon — Cleaning Kit with 1000 Patches, Swabs, Boresnake
⏺ Great bargain cleaning kit with swabs, 1000 patches, bottles and boresnake
This handy Gun Cleaning Kit is worth the $15.95 price for the 1000 cotton patches alone. But in addition to that you get a handy boresnake for barrel cleaning, 100 cotton, tipped swabs, two empty solvent bottles (needle-nose), along with a handy kit to carry all this gear. Buyer selects the boresnake size. Chose from: .223, .270/7mm, .308, .40, .45, and 12 gauge.
There are many reasons you might want to make a chamber cast. You may have acquired an older rifle and need to verify the chamber dimensions. Or, if you have a new reamer, you may want to check the exact “cut” dimensions against the blueprint specs. A chamber casting is also valuable if you run across a firearm that you believe has a custom barrel on it and you want to find out the dimensions of the chamber. Lastly, you may want to prepare a chamber casting to be used in the making of custom dies. (Most reloading die makers know how to work from Cerrosafe chamber casts.)
Cerrosafe is a metal alloy that has some unique properties which make it ideal for chamber casting. First, it has a relatively low melting point of 158 to 190° Fahrenheit. This makes it easy for the handloader to melt the Cerrosafe in his home shop. Second, it shrinks slightly during cooling which allows it to be extracted from the chamber easily. It then re-expands to the chamber’s original size after about one hour at room temperature. After cooling for about 200 hours, the chamber cast will expand to about .0025″ larger than the actual chamber size.
One of our Forum members has done many Cerrosafe castings and he offers this smart advice:
1. Remove the barrel from the action to make the pour much easier. If you don’t remove the barrel, it can be hard to pour through the action (even with a funnel) and can make a mess if you’re not careful.
2. Pre-heat the barrel for 5-10 minutes in the oven on the very lowest setting (170° F in my oven). (DON’T overdo it!). Allow to cool for a couple minutes so you can pick it up and it is under 120° F. Pre-heating the barrel helps the Cerrosafe stay liquid as you pour the casting. This helps ensure a good, complete fit to the chamber.
How to Use Cerrosafe for Chamber Casting
The basic ingredient of Cerrosafe is bismuth. Bismuth is a heavy, coarse, crystalline metal which expands when it solidifies, up to 3.3% of its volume. When bismuth is alloyed with other metals, such as lead, tin, cadmium and indium, this expansion is modified according to the relative percentages of bismuth and other components present. As a general rule, bismuth alloys of approximately 50% bismuth exhibit little change of volume during solidification. Alloys containing more than this tend to expand during solidification and those containing less tend to shrink during solidification.
What all this means for the gunsmith is that you can make chamber castings using only Cerrosafe and a few, simple hand tools. To make a chamber casting, first clean and degrease the chamber. Use a tight-fitting, cotton patch that’s wrapped around a bore mop or brush to plug the bore just ahead of the throat. I usually leave the cleaning rod attached to the plug until it’s time to remove the plug. Melt the entire bar of Cerrosafe in a heatproof container that you can easily pour the hot Cerrosafe out of. You can use a propane torch or heat over a hot plate or the burner of a stove. Cerrosafe melts easily at 158°-195° F. While the casting metal is still liquid, stir very well, skim off the dross, and pour your chamber. The real trick with Cerrosafe is not to overheat it. If you heat the solid slowly, and keep it within the required temperature range, you shouldn’t get any dross.
Note the time the casting was poured. The casting will take only a very short time to solidify, usually within a minute. Wait 30 minutes and then remove the plug from the bore. Turn the muzzle upward and the casting will fall from the chamber. At 30 minutes after initial solidification, Cerrosafe shrinks slightly, so removal is very easy. Allow the new casting to cool thoroughly then measure the casting exactly one hour from the time it was cast. The casting will give you an exact measurement of the chamber. Cerrosafe casting metal can be used over and over. Remelt the entire amount back together and pour the Cerrosafe into a small mold of the appropriate size. Always melt the entire Cerrosafe ingot to make a chamber casting. For best results, never cut off, or use, just a part of the ingot.
Gander Outdoors in Kenosha, WI — reader-submitted photo on GMToday.com
The ammo and primer shortage is real, and it’s here to stay — well into 2021. That’s what industry experts tell us: “With [ammunition] demand far outstripping supply and inventory levels in the channel at all-time lows, we see strong demand continuing[.]” — Christopher Metz, CEO of Vista Outdoor
Certain types of ammunition, 9mm Luger for example, are very difficult to find these days. And what IS available is often marked up 300-400% over 2019 prices. Demand has far exceeded supply. And the ammo shortage won’t end any time soon. Vista Outdoor’s CEO Metz added: “Despite us producing flat-out for six months, there is no buildup of inventory at any of our customers. In fact, every one of them would like significantly more. Simply put, consumer demand continues to outpace our ability to supply.”
Ammunition Shortage Impacts Primer Supply
Rifle and pistol primers are nearly sold out everywhere, with some less-than-reputable vendors now charging 4-5 times the normal price. So what’s going on here — why can’t you find primers? One reason is that primer producers such as Federal and CCI are using the vast majority of the primers they make to complete their loaded ammunition, which is flying off the shelves.
What is causing the ammo panic buying and primer shortage?
There are a number of key reasons:
1. Concerns over the recent election and potential Democratic Party control of U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the White House;
2. General worry and paranoia caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
3. Fear of new legislation banning guns and restricting ammunition purchases;
4. Social unrest and rioting led by BLM and left-wing activists and tolerated/encouraged by Blue State government officials; and perhaps most importantly,
5. The vast increase in the number of new gun buyers.
Huge Increase in Gun Purchasing in 2020
2020 will probably set an all-time record for gun purchasing in the USA. This spike in gun buying has been propelled by the greatest annual increase in gun ownership in U.S. history. According to data from the NSSF, roughly 6.2 million Americans purchased their first firearm in 2020. A NSSF dealer survey estimates that 40% of all gun sales were conducted to purchasers who have never previously owned a firearm. And women accounted for 40.2% of first-time gun purchases. We’ve never seen that kind of spike in gun ownership in a single year. This is unprecedented.
Ammo Shortage Will Continue for Many Months, Well into 2021
What are the prospects for greater availabilty of loaded ammo in the months ahead? Not so good according to Vista Outdoor CEO Christopher Metz whose company operates Federal, CCI, RCBS, Alliant, Blazer and many other shooting industry brands. Metz declared: “We currently have over a year’s worth of orders for ammunition.” That value of those back-orders exceeds ONE BILLION dollars. “This is unprecedented for our company. With demand far outstripping supply and inventory levels in the channel at all-time lows, we see strong demand continuing[.]”
There is some good news however — the former Remington ammo factory will start cranking out ammunition again. The American Rifleman reports: “Vista Outdoor has purchased the [Remington Outdoor] ammunition factory in Lonoke, Arkansas [and will resume] production at or near full capacity. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports 300 employees furloughed by the former owner of the plant will soon be recalled to join nearly 400 still working at the facility.”
In our Shooter’s Forum there is a popular thread, Let’s See Those Hunting Rifles. This long-running thread features dozens of interesting hunting rifles of all varieties — from rimfires to big magnums. In that thread we found the focus of today’s story, a .221 Fireball. Now that we are in the thick of winter, with Christmas just two weeks away, we showcase this .221 Rem Fireball rifle from Norway. This rig belong to Thomas Haugland, aka “Roe” on our Forum. An avid backcountry hunter, Thomas also happens to be one of the best gun-content video producers on YouTube — check out Haugland’s THLR.NO YouTube Channel.
We’ll begin with two of Haugland’s remarkable videos — worth watching just for the stunning scenery. Thomas skis through the Norwegian Arctic backcountry, then successfully uses his suppressed, white-camouflaged .221 Fireball rifle to bag a Ptarmigan bird — bringing home a well-earned winter dinner.
NOTE: This is the short preview version. Watch the full hunt in second video.
The 7-minute video below shows the full ski hunt. The Ptarmigans are spotted at 4:30 time mark and Thomas takes the shot at 5:36. Great video — you feel like you are there in Norway’s white wilderness. The images above (including top photo) are pulled from this video.
About the .221 Fireball Cartridge
The .221 Remington Fireball cartridge was developed by Remington in 1963 for the XP-100 bolt action pistol. Today the cartridge remains popular with hunters/varminters, both in the original version, and with wildcats such as the .20 Vartarg and .17 Fireball. Lapua started making superb .221 Rem Fireball cartridge brass starting in 2014. However, according to Lapua: “This case is no longer in active production.” But you can definitely still find it — Lapua .221 Fireball brass is in stock now at Grafs.com for $79.99/100. Lapua notes: “Fireball brass has recently seen a dramatic surge in popularity, due in large part to the efforts of wildcatters working with this versatile case. Whether used in its original form, or necked into one of the many cases that it serves as a parent for, the Lapua .221 Fireball brass is a sure winner[.]”
Haugland .221 Fireball with New Carbon Stock and Walther Barrel
Shown above is Haugland’s same .221 Rem Fireball from the videos, but with a new camo stock and new barrel. (The previous stock was painted white). Originally a Remington 700 Light Varmint, this was rebarreled to .221 Fireball with Lothar Walther 1:12″ barrel. Thomas admits he “Goofed a little on the barrel profile, so it is a tad heavier than I wanted.” The stock is a carbon-fiber Gunwerks ClymR and on top is a Leupold 3-18x44mm MK5 HD with Gunwerks RH1 reticle. Only the action and the trigger is left from the original rifle.
With the 1:12″ twist, this rifle is restricted to 55gr maximum bullet weight. Thomas posted: “Shoots well with Vihtavuori N130 and Norma N200 powders, not so good with RL7.” Due to lack of light in far-Northern Norway in winter (see photo above), Roe has not hunted with this rifle much since rebarreling, but as you can see, it’s very accurate — look at that group. Thomas says the gun shoots much better with the new barrel: “With the factory barrel (which I believe was 1:14″-twist) it didn’t shoot better than 1 MOA at 100 yards. Now it approaches half-MOA for three shots (see photo).”
And Thomas was successful with this rig as “reborn” with new stock and barrel. Here’s the gun and a Ptarmigan he shot in the Norwegian snow-covered backcountry.
If you like that Gunwerks ClymR carbon stock, here’s a Gunwerks video showcasing the ClymR Rifle System. A complete Gunwerks ClymR rifle with Titanium action and scope is a shocking $9734.99, so we can understand why Thomas went with the stock alone, paired with a older Rem 700 action.
Image Courtesy NSSF. This story is based on an NSSF Article.
‘Tis the season of gift-giving (and Christmas Day is nearly here). Perhaps you’re considering giving a a first rifle to your grandson or perhaps a carry pistol to a spouse. When making a gun gift to a friend or family member, however, there are some very important legal considerations. Also the rules on firearms gift transfers vary from state to state. Bottom line here — you need to know the law BEFORE you deliver that shiny new firearm to a family member, close friend, or relative.
The first thing to remember if you’re thinking about giving someone a gun is that … it’s a gun! You already know that ownership of a firearm brings with it some serious legal and ethical obligations that other consumer products don’t. So let’s look at some questions you may have about giving a firearm as a gift.
Image Courtesy NSSF
The first question you have to ask is whether the intended recipient can legally own the firearm where he or she lives. With more than 20,000 different gun laws on the books, even the kinds of firearms that law-abiding citizens can own vary from place to place. For example, juveniles (under age 18) generally speaking are precluded by law from possessing a handgun. Check out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) website for an overview of local laws and, whatever you do, don’t forget that you can never under any circumstances transfer a firearm to someone you know — or have reasonable cause to believe — legally can’t own one. That’s a federal felony, so be careful.
There’s no federal law that prohibits a gift of a firearm to a relative or friend who lives in your home state. Abramski v. United States, a recent Supreme Court decision involving a “straw purchase” of a firearm did not change the law regarding firearms as gifts. The following states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State) and the District of Columbia require you to transfer a firearm through a local firearms retailer so an instant background check will be performed to make sure the recipient is not legally prohibited from owning the gun. Maryland and Pennsylvania require a background check for private party transfer of a handgun. There are exceptions, so it’s important to check the law of your state or ask your local firearms retailer.
Consider a Gift Card Instead of Direct Gift
The ATF recommends that if you want to give someone a new firearm, rather than going to a gun store and buying the gun on your own, consider instead purchasing a gift certificate/card from your favorite gun retailer. Then give that gift card as the present. That way the recipient can choose the exact gun he or she wants, and there’s no question about who is “the actual buyer of the firearm,” which is a question any purchaser must certify on the Federal Form 4473 at the time of purchase. The Gift Card option avoids any “straw purchaser” issues.
Right now, with loaded ammunition and primers hard to find, many shooters are exploring air rifle options to enjoy target shooting and maintain their marksmanship skills. While air rifles don’t use powder and primers, there IS a propellant — compressed AIR, very highly compressed air. Some of the premium air rifles on the market now run at 4500 PSI. How do you get that kind of pressure safely? You need a very good air compressor, preferrably with smart technology to run to max without over-pressure risks. Thankfully, there are some very advanced air compressors on the market today, including a new ReadyAir “oilless” compressor from Umarex and the popular Air Venturi II portable sold by Pyramyd Air. Both electrically-powered units can safely fill airgun reservoirs up to 4500 PSI.
UMAREX ReadyAir Oilless Airgun Compressor
Umarex USA recently introduced a new oilless portable air compressor to fill high-pressure air guns. The innovative Umarex ReadyAir pump is a “smart device” with electronically-controlled fills up to 4500 PSI. It utilizes a patented oilless piston compression technology to fill PCP reservoirs up to a true 4500 PSI in a few minutes. The oilless design means less maintenance hassles.
“In a growing market of 3000 PSI and greater airguns, shooters need an easy, yet reliable and portable air source. The Umarex ReadyAir reliably fills … 4500 PSI airguns like that of our Umarex Hammer and other big game hunting air rifles in just minutes”, said Richard Turner, President of Umarex USA.
The oilless system is simple and requires less maintenance allowing shooters to spend more time shooting and less time maintaining their compressor. The ReadyAir is the only smart airgun compressor in its class engineered to be oilless AND control the extreme heat generated by the compression of air. Umarex claims “the heavy-duty quality components plus smart electronic governors increases its life expectancy and decreases maintenance while eliminating the need for liquid cooling or lubrication.”
The Umarex ReadyAir can run from standard 110-volt electrical outlets without an external converter box. Or it can run from a 12-volt vehicle battery with the included 8-foot battery cables. The ReadyAir can be electronically programmed to fill to any desired pressure up to 4500 PSI. It is managed by a smart on-board computer that automatically shuts the compressor off if the set running temperature is ever exceeded. It also features a compressed activated charcoal filter to prevent dirt and moisture from entering an airgun’s reservoir.
UMAREX READYAIR FEATURES:
Oil-Free: Requires no oil or water
Smart Digital Auto-Shut-Off Control: Stops at your Set Pressure
Temp Protection: Smart Auto Shut Off prevents over-heating
Legitimately Fills to 4500 PSI
Electric: Use standard 110 volt or 12 volts with no external converter
Dual Language Capability: English / Spanish
High-Pressure Hose, Long 12 volt cables and 110 volt power cable included
Maintenance Kit Included
The portable Umarex ReadyAir has an attractive $549.99 MSRP, half the price of some other 4500 PSI compressors. (Order from Pyramyd Air for $529.99). Each ReadyAir includes the compressor unit with carry handle, 110V power cord, 12V battery clamp cable, and a high-pressure hose with quick connect fittings.
Air Venturi Nomad II Electric Air Compressor
Another very good value in a 4500 PSI electric-powered air compressor, is the Air Venturi Nomad II 4500 PSI Portable PCP Compressor. Priced at $699.99, the Nomad II offers features and performance that could cost $1000.00 or more with other machines capable of quick air fills up to 4500 PSI. Weighing under 20 pounds, and sized just 10.6″ L x 8″ W x 7.9″, the fan-cooled Nomad II is truly a “portable” unit that even includes a travel bag and a converter so you can power this pump from your vehicle’s 12-volt battery. NOTE: This requires lubricant — you must use pure silicone oil with the Nomad II Compressor.
Pressures up to 4500 PSI
Integrated LED lights on underside of the unit for low light use
Capable of running off 110V or 220V outlet or 12V car battery
Fan-cooled power supply for electrical outlet use is built-in
External Lubrication Port (Use Silicone Lubricant only)
Hose with integrated moisture catch and female QD fittings
Noise level while running is 92 dB
Jumper cables included
Efficient High Pressure Hand Pumps
Have you ever wanted to shoot at a range or in the field where there is no electrical power and you don’t have a gas-fueled pump of some kind? There IS an human-powered way to fill your air rifles — if you’re willing to expend some energy.
For the money, we like the GX PCP 4500 PSI Hand Pump, $159.99 at Amazon (shown above). This well-designed pump features a 3.5 Stage high pressure fill function along with built-in Oil-Moisture Filters. The exclusive 3.5 Stage pump design compresses the maximum amount of air possible from each stroke. That means fewer strokes and less work to fill your air gun. The design also has a wide-spread base that keeps the unit nice and steady while you are pumping.
Umarex also offers a specialized hand pump rated for 4500 PSI — though a 3000 PSI fill is more common. The Umarex SuperFill High Pressure Hand Pump compresses the maximum amount of air possible from each stroke. About 150 strokes of the pump will fill a 13ci (200 cc) tank to 3000 PSI. For $49.99 you can add the patented Dry-Pac system that removes up to 90% of moisture in the compressed air. With this pump Umarex includes a female quick-disconnect fitting that threads onto the end of the hose. This SuperFill Hand Pump costs $179.99 from Umarex
In this video, Eydin Hansen explains how to use high-pressure hand pumps. The key is to use steady strokes both up and down. Use your body-weight on the down stroke, when there is the most resistance. Hansen also suggests pumping in stages — pump for 5 minutes, then let it cool down for 15. Them pump another 5. Hansen recommends keeping Keep your airgun’s cylinder topped off so that future pumping won’t require more than the one, 5-minute session. “Slow and steady wins the race”, says Hansen.
What kind of accuracy do you think is possible from a rimfire benchrest rifle? If we said 0.44 MOA you might not be surprised, thinking this was at 50 yards. But how about 0.44 MOA accuracy at TWO HUNDRED yards. Now that’s impressive. Consider this — at 200 yards, a 10 mph crosswind will push that little 40gr bullet 15.3 inches. Here’s the story, which comes from the Land Down-Under, Australia.
A couple seasons back, Australian John Lavaring shot a group at 200 yards that would make most centerfire shooters proud. The five-shot group, with all shots in the center 10-ring, measured just 0.93 inches. That works out to 0.44 MOA at 200 — mighty impressive for a .22 LR. Recorded at a Rimfire Fly Shoot benchrest event in Canberra, Australia, this 200-yard target set two new Australian SSAA National records! John was using ELEY Tenex ammunition.
Congratulations to John Lavaring for a spectacular demonstration of how well a rimfire rig can shoot — even at 200 yards. We rarely shoot our .22 LR rifles past 50 meters. Maybe it’s time to start a Rimfire ELR series, with targets at 200 or even 300 yards. What do you think of the Rimfire ELR idea? Leave comments below.
Anschutz 54 Benchrest Rig
The rifle was a Anschutz model 54 Match in a custom benchrest stock. John’s record-setting rig features a barrel block, which you can see forward of the action. Scope is a Bausch & Lomb BR model. We don’t have the round count on Lavaring’s barrel, but good rimfire benchrest rifles can often get 10,000 rounds (or more) of accurate life.
Rimfire Ballistics at 200 Yards
Some folks may be wondering about .22 LR ballistics at 200 yards. Well, with a 25-yard zero, the 200-yard drop for John’s 40gr Tenex ammo is 54 inches, assuming 0.145 G1 BC and 1085 fps muzzle velocity per ELEY website. And at 200 yards, a 10 mph crosswind will push that little bullet 15.3 inches! We’re told the winds were pretty tricky when Lavary shot his record group. This makes his achievement all the more impressive — we have to admire John’s wind-reading ability.
This ELEY ammo has proven to be exceptionally accurate. Here is a short video showing TEN rounds of Tenex shot from a machine rest with target at 50 meters.
About Ernie Bishop — Specialty Pistol Guru
⏺ Dozens of Hi-Viz and Specialty Targets at Great Prices
Cerrosafe is a metal alloy that has some unique properties which make it ideal for chamber casting. First, it has a relatively low melting point of 158 to 190° Fahrenheit. This makes it easy for the handloader to melt the Cerrosafe in his home shop. Second, it shrinks slightly during cooling which allows it to be extracted from the chamber easily. It then re-expands to the chamber’s original size after about one hour at room temperature. After cooling for about 200 hours, the chamber cast will expand to about .0025″ larger than the actual chamber size.
About the .221 Fireball Cartridge
The first question you have to ask is whether the intended recipient can legally own the firearm where he or she lives. With more than 20,000 different gun laws on the books, even the kinds of firearms that law-abiding citizens can own vary from place to place. For example, juveniles (under age 18) generally speaking are precluded by law from possessing a handgun. Check out the 
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For the money, we like the 
Anschutz 54 Benchrest Rig
