Think you need a relatively long case-neck for good accuracy? Think again. Stan Ware broke all the rules with his radical Wolfpup cartridge, proving that a near-no-neck design can deliver match-winning accuracy. Read on to learn how the Wolfpup works…
Retired gunsmith Stan Ware is a talented shooter who’s not afraid to think “outside the box”. Stan competes in both Hunter Benchrest (HBR) and Varmint for Score (VFS) disciplines. In his quest to build the ultimate Hunter Benchrest cartridge, Stan created the radical “Wolfpup” wildcat, based on a 6mmBR parent case. Noting the dominance of 30 BRs in VFS matches, Stan wondered if a stretched 30 BR could work in HBR competition. The challenge was case capacity. Under HBR rules the cartridge must hold at least 45.0 grains of water, equal to the capacity of the classic 30/30 case.
To get the requisite HBR case capacity, Stan figured he needed to boost the volume of a 30 BR case significantly, so he would have to move the shoulder forward — a lot. He did this by running a 30 BR reamer deeper and deeper, test-firing brass along the way. After three reamer passes, he ended up with the capacity he needed (the Wolfpup holds 45.3 grains of water). But then he looked at the finished product — a case with almost no neck, and he wondered “how could this possibly work?”.
From Trashbin to Winner’s Circle
Ware’s prototype Wolfpup ended up so short-necked, so unlike any “normal” cartridge, that Stan figured it was “dead on arrival”. Stan told us: “I said ‘this ain’t going to work’ and I threw the brass in the trash can. Honest. But later I thought I better shoot it and see what it does.” There was one problem — Stan didn’t have a seating die. He noticed the short neck provided a bit of tension after fire-forming, so he literally seated some bullets, BIB 118s and 125s, with his fingers. For powder he used H4198 and started with 35 grains, one grain more than a 30 BR load. Stan then did a pressure work-up: “I actually went up to 41.0 grains and didn’t have a sticky bolt. I ended up at 37.9 grains of Hodgdon 4198 — that gave 3150 fps, where the sweet spot is.” (Later testing revealed a second accuracy node at about 3020 fps, using 36.4 grains of H4198).
Stan’s radical short-necked Wolfpup shot great from the get-go. Once he found the right velocity node, the gun shot in the ones and zeros with both 7-ogive and 10-ogive bullets, both 118s and 125s. The Wolfpup proved easy to tune — it’s not finicky at all. And it’s a winner. Stan began shooting the Wolfpup in 2006 in both VFS and HBR matches and the ‘Pup’ started winning matches right away. In 2007, Stan won the Wisconsin State VFS Championship shooting the Wolfpup. In June 2010 at a Webster City, Iowa VFS match, Stan won the Grand Agg and posted high X-Count for the match, while placing first at 100 yards and second at 200 yards. How’s that for a cartridge that almost ended up in the trash bin?
Does Stan deserve an award for “most innovative benchrest cartridge design”? Stan chuckles at that notion: “I’m not a hero, not a genius. I really didn’t do anything. The fun part is thinking outside the box — for me anyway. Shooting is an age-old process of experimentation. You never learn it all.”
Why Does It Work?
How can such a radical case design perform so well? “That’s a good question,” Stan admitted. He then explained: “The 30 BR is inherently accurate, so I figured something based on the 30 BR should be accurate too. My personal belief is that the short neck doesn’t hurt you. Plus if the throat in the barrel is straight, the bullet can self-align. If the chamber is good, the bullet will self-center in the throat. In a regular case there’s not much room to do that, so a bullet can start off-center, and you don’t get the same results every time. A bullet in a conventional case is stopped from self-centering by the stiffer neck, particularly in a tight-clearance BR gun.”
Reloading the .30 Wolfpup
Stan’s Wolfpup chamber has a neck dimension of 0.330″. He turns his necks for a 0.327″ loaded round. Bullets are jammed .020″ forward of first contact with the lands. When he closes the bolt it pushes the bullet back in the case — almost a soft seat. Stan notes: “To start with I normally bump the shoulder .0005-.001″ so they go in easy. Just by doing that I get a little neck tension. I also use a bushing. Right now I’m running a .322, but it’s not particularly sensitive. I’ve tried one-thousandths increments up to a .325 bushing and couldn’t tell a lot of difference.” For bullet seating, Stan uses a Wilson 30 BR seater die into which he ran the chamber reamer. This gives perfect case fit during seating operations.
About the Illustrated Gunstock
You’ll notice Stan’s stock contains scenes from Vietnam and a quotation. Here’s the story. A Vietnam combat veteran, Stan served “in-country” with the Army’s 509th Non-Divisional Combat Unit (out of Fort Riley) from 1965-1966. Shortly before he left Vietnam, Stan went to a shop to have a souvenir lighter engraved. He asked the vendor for an appropriate inscription. The shop’s metal-worker engraved: “War is a tragedy. It takes mans’ best to do mans’ worst.” That message, along with the combat scenes, were hand-painted on Stan’s rifle by his wife Susan, a talented artist. She spent more than 20 hours painting the rifle stock.
OK, it’s official. SHOT Show will be taking place in Las Vegas in January 2022, after being cancelled in 2021 due to the Pandemic. The 2022 SHOT Show is set to be the largest show in its four-plus-decade history. Media Day at the Range takes place Monday, January 17, 2022 at the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club. Then the 4-day-long SHOT Show main event runs Tuesday, January 18 through Friday, January 22, 2022.
SHOT Show Registration Starts Monday October 18, 2022
SHOT Show 2022 Attendee Registration opens up Monday, October 18, 2021. Media registration officially opens on October 20, but the Media Registration site has actually been accepting registrations since last week (we registered on 10/8/2021).
The 2022 SHOT Show will be held January 18-21 at The Venetian Expo and the all-new Caesars Forum. To make navigating between the two facilities as efficient as possible, a bridge was recently constructed connecting the two convention centers. This new bridge will allow attendees to walk between the two facilities in less than one minute.
Biggest SHOT Show Ever — 800,000 Square Feet of Products
Based on current bookings, SHOT Show 2022 will encompass over 800,000 net square feet. To put it into perspective, the largest SHOT Show on record, the 2008 event, encompassed 714,000 net square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center. That year outdoor tents needed to be added to fill overflow exhibit space. You can view the 2022 SHOT Show layout here:
Click image for full floor-plan with Level 1, Level 2, and Supplier Showcase.
The NSSF, SHOT Show hosts, state: “Las Vegas has learned a lot over the past year about holding live events safely and successfully. Many other industries have already returned to in-person trade shows in the city and the results have exceeded expectations. And what we’ve learned from our trade show industry peers and partners has greatly helped us in preparing for our return.”
For more insider information about SHOT Show 2022, read a report in The Outdoor Wire: “It’s safe to say Las Vegas has gone to school on hosting large events safely and successfully. While other convention cities are having difficulties hosting events of any significant scale, Vegas is already ramping up.” The NSSF’s Chris Dolnak added: “What our trade show industry peers and partners have told us has helped us prepare for our own return. Las Vegas is more ready than ever before to welcome us back.”
A high-end, full custom Benchrest, F-Class, or PRS rifle can cost upwards of $5000.00. Some top-tier competition and tactical scopes (March, Kahles, Schmidt & Bender) cost $2500-$3600 by themselves. If you’re transporting multiple custom rifles with premium scopes to the range, you could easily be hauling $20,000 worth of scoped guns. Bring along a Co-Axial rest, spotting scope, rangefinder, Kestrel, and LabRadar chronograph, and that could push the total closer to $25,000+. Think about that — your guns and gear could be worth way more than your vehicle!
How do you safeguard a big-money collection of guns (without driving around in a Brinks armored truck)? One of the best storage systems available is the Truck-Vault, built in Washington state. Truck-vaults are custom-fitted, locking storage cabinets that fit in a Pick-up truck bed, SUV, or station wagon. Various designs are available, including a waterproof “Extreme Series.” Both single-drawer and multi-draw layouts are offered with lengths up to 60″ overall, and top-load capacity of 2000 pounds. A variety of interior configurations are available.
For transporting scoped match rifles, we suggest Truck-Vault’s “Magnum Line”, which has two drawers with 10.5″ of vertical clearance. This offers two primary sliding compartments (on roller casters), plus smaller storage boxes where you can keep valuable gear securely out of sight.
Truck-Vault Video Showing Break-In Attempt
Truck-Vaults carry a big price-tag. One-drawer SUV models start at around $1100.00, but you can pay over $2000.00 for a unit with all the bells and whistles. Balance that cost against the value of the all firearms and accessories you are transporting. If you spend much time on the road with a pricey collection of guns, optics, and accessories, a Truck-Vault may be a wise investment. This editor first saw a Truck-Vault on a Chevy Suburban belonging to an Arizona gunsmith who does a lot of work for the military. It was not unusual for him to haul $50,000 worth of Class III weapons. For him, the Truck-Vault was an essential security feature. For more info, visit TruckVault.com or call (800) 967-8107.
Teslong Borescopes Update — WiFi and Rigid Rod Versions Product Report by F-Class John
Not more than a few months after the Teslong corded borescope hit the market to massive applause they’ve released a cordless WiFi-enabled corded version as well as a rigid rod model — two new models with important new features/functionality. When I originally reviewed the Teslong borescope I was blown away with the value, clarity, and ease of use. SEE Review HERE. That original Teslong really was a game changer in the borescope market. The large number of forum threads springing up since the Teslong release shows that that digital borescopes have finally found a large and enthusiastic customer base.
IMPORTANT: Guys — Watch the Videos!!! John does a great job showing the set-up and use of these Borescopes. You really need to WATCH THE VIDEOS! They show much more than we can illustrate with still images.
NOTE: Teslong Borescopes (Standard, Rigid, WiFi, Screen-Equipped) can also be ordered from the Teslong Webstore. If you can’t find what you want on Amazon, go to Teslong.com.
WiFi Teslong Works with SmartPhones and Tablets
Despite all the love people have shown for the original, plug-in Teslong borescope, one common complaint was that it could not be used with smartphones or small tablets. With that in mind, Teslong surprised the market with the release of a cordless WiFi version that works with just about any device that has a WiFi connection. The new WiFi unit, which is in very high demand, costs around $75, just $25 more than the original plug-in version. NOTE –YES this WiFi unit DOES work with both iOS (Apple) and Android smartphones and tablets. However, you may wish to try a couple different Apps.
WATCH Teslong WiFi Borescope Video Review
To use the WiFi Teslong, simply download Teslong’s viewer App, turn the unit on and connect to the Teslong WiFi in your device settings. While it does take a couple steps to connect each time, you are rewarded with a cordless version that can be used at home or the range equally well. Watch the video and you can see how the Wifi unit is set up and how it is used to inspect both a barrel and a sizing die. Do watch the video — it explains all. Along with live video feed, the WiFi control handle has a button to record still images.
Important — some guys had initial problems getting the WiFi image to display on their smartphones but that was normally just a software configuration issue. If you are patient, and follow the instructions, you should be fine. Some older guys had to enlist the aid of a 10-year-old grandkid. Note, as of 1/29/2020, the WiFi Version is temporarily out of stock on Amazon, but it can be ordered for $74.99 from the Teslong Webstore.
New Teslong Rigid Rod Borescope
Along with the WiFi version, Teslong has also released a borescope with the lens mounted on the end of a rigid metal shaft — a configuration similar to classic optical borescopes such as the Hawkeye. This new “shafty” Teslong has the same electro-optical sensors, connectors, and adjustable light as the original Teslong. However, this new rigid rig now uses a solid rod instead of a flexible cable. Having a solid rod makes using the unit much easier since you’re not fighting the cable. The rod also makes rotating the unit inside the bore more intuitive as it lacks the cable spring back of the flexible version.
Located on the borescope is an inch scale allowing the user to easily to measure how far into the bore they’ve gone for easy identification of any issues later. The whole unit comes in a nice heavy-duty cardboard tube that makes it easy to store and I can see it lasting as long as the unit itself.
WATCH Teslong Rigid Borescope Video Review
Why choose the rigid Teslong? Importantly, the lack of a tethered cord allows you to rotate the unit more easily inside the barrel. Compared to the original corded Teslong, I did find that running the rigid borescope down the barrel without the mirror provided a larger view. That may be beneficial to some users. Overall, the optical clarity and definition remain excellent — certainly on par with the original unit.
General Teslong Borescope User Tips
The new Wifi and Rigid Teslong borescope share some basic features with the original plug-in, corded Teslong. All three devices feature a mirror on the end that screws on and has a jam nut to keep it in place and can be adjusted for focal length based on the caliber and they’re now including several extras in case of damage or loss. While they’ve always been good about replacing them free of charge there is a wait time, so the inclusion of extras is a nice bonus.
SUMMARY — Both WiFi and Rigid Teslong Borescopes Perform Well, Are Great Values
Overall these two new units are great additions to Teslong’s lineup giving users two great units to choose from. While most folks may gravitate to the WiFi version, I think there’s room for all three models (WiFi, Corded Plug-in, Rigid Plug-in).
Many people may find the corded or rigid versions more practical for around the house where they don’t necessarily need the cordless version and don’t want to worry about keeping it charged all the time. For any range use or out of town matches the WiFi with its smaller footprint and ability to work with any electronic device will probably make more sense and will help justify the additional cost. In the end, the amazing thing is that no matter which version you choose you’ll have a great borescope that will help improve your shooting.
In October 2015, the legendary Jerry Miculek won the Trijicon Shooting Challenge at the Rockcastle Shooting Center. That impressive victory earned Jerry big bucks — a $50,000 grand prize. By any measure, that’s some serious cash — mucho dinero.
To celebrate his October Trijicon Challenge victory, Jerry Miculek decided to do some pumpkin carving — with a .50 BMG Barrett rifle.
Shooting the 30-lb rifle off-hand, Jerry blasted some serious holes in Mr. Pumpkin. Needless to say, the results were dramatic, if somewhat messy. Advancing the science of terminal ballistics, Jerry (not surprisingly) confirmed that “the 663-grain bullet did manage to penetrate the pumpkin all the way.”
Jerry Miculek earned $50,000 as the winner of the 2015 Trijicon Challenge.
New Zeiss Scopes Raise the Bar for First Focal Plane Optics
Here is big news for PRS/NRL competitors, and all shooters who favor FFP (First Focal Plane) scopes. ZEISS has released two all-new, state-of-the-art FFP scopes, and they are mighty impressive, with superb glass, and best-in-class elevation travel. The new LRG S5 Series Scopes, the LRP S5 318-50 (3-18x50mm) and LRP S5 525-56 (5-25x56mm) are precise and tough. Choose either Milliradian (MRAD) or Minute-of-Angle (MOA) reticles/click values. Both models boast a 34mm main tube, European-style fast-focus eyepiece, Ballistic Stop elevation turret (with 40.7 MRAD or 140 MOA of total elevation travel), and an external locking windage turret. The LRP S5 318-50 costs $3299.99, while the LRP S5 525-56 sells for $3599.99.
Here is the big news — The SCHOTT glass in these scopes is amazing. We mean unrivaled clarity and sharpness for a tactical scope. The turrets offer great repeatability and precision, and these LRP S5 optics are tough — really tough. Engineered and built in Germany, LRP S5 series scopes are engineered to withstand a 1500 G-force of recoil.
ZEISS FFP Scopes Advanced Features
The ZEISS LRP S5 318-50 and 525-56 scopes are available in four configurations, all with 34mm main tubes. The optical system delivers exceptional image quality and renders the finest of details. The premium optical design utilizes ZEISS Fluoride lens elements, SCHOTT glass and ZEISS’s proprietary T-Star lens coatings for optimum color fidelity, image brightness, exceptional resolution and edge-to-edge sharpness within the entire field-of-view. The scopes deliver 90% light transmission to the eye, clearer visuals, and faster target identification down range. The exterior facing lenses are final coated with ZEISS LotuTec protective lens coating process for anti-fogging and to repel water, dust, dirt, fingerprints and more.
High Performance Optics: Fluoride lens elements, SCHOTT glass, and ZEISS T-Star coatings
Best-In-Class Total Elevation Travel: 40.7 MRAD or 140 MOA total elevation travel value
Highly Repeatable and Tactile Turrets: 0.1 MRAD and .25 MOA precise click adjustment
Daylight Visible Illuminated Reticle: Digitally controlled, diffractive reticle illumination
Compact and Heavy-Duty Riflescope: Able to withstand up to 1,500 G-force of shock testing
The MOA-based turrets are adjustable with .25 MOA click values and offer 30 MOA of travel per rotation. Each click is audible and provides a tactile confirmation for every adjustment. The MRAD turret features a more pronounced click at whole MRAD intervals. The 3-18x50mm and 5-25x56mm scopes offer best-in-class 140 MOA or 40.7 MRAD total elevation adjustment which enables shooters to engage targets up to 1500 yards and beyond.
“For longer-range shooting, precision is crucial. With our new ZEISS LRP S5 we have decisively expanded our product line to provide an elite riflescope that can dominate at every competition” states Kyle Brown – Director of Marketing and Product for Carl Zeiss SBE, LLC. “With the compact and heavy-duty design of these riflescopes we have validated and proven that they are ready to tackle the toughest shooting competitions and the most difficult hunts”, emphasized Brown.
Illuminated MOA and MRAD Reticles
Both new ZEISS FFP scopes offer daytime visible illuminated reticles. Two new illuminated reticles — ZF-MOAi and ZF-MRi — provide intuitive aiming solutions. The ZF-MOAi and the ZF-MRi illuminated reticles represent MOA and MRAD smart reticle designs respectively. Each incorporate distinct, clean, and easy-to-understand reference marks along the main horizontal and vertical lines of the reticle. And these reticles offer relevant windage hold-offs in the field-of-view below centerline. Both offer fine line reticle subtensions and floating center dots to serve the demands of precision shooters and long-range hunters alike. At right is the LRP S5 318-50’s MRAD Reticle at 18-power. The MOA reticle also has central illumnination.
ZEISS FFP Scopes Have Been Tested by Top Tactical Shooters
ZEISS LRP S5 riflescopes have been developed with significant input from top PRS Pro Series competitors. Their comments helped ZEISS developed FFP optics that set new standards for lens quality, elevation travel, and durability. These scopes are not inexpensive ($3299+) but we expect they will be in high demand among top PRS/NRL shooters.
Phil Cashin, PRS Pro Competitor and owner of MasterPiece Arms states: “I think ZEISS has hit a home run with this optic. Excellent turret design, easy to read markings, huge amounts of elevation travel and an outstanding reticle. The ZF-MRi reticle is perfectly designed for PRS/NRL style shooting: floating center dot, 0.2 subtensions and the diffractive illumination provide unique contrast, so the shooter does not get lost in the reticle. Plus the clutter-free tree design makes it easy to spot impacts and misses for follow-up shots.”
Full Overview of LRP S5 525-56 — 7:55 min Video
ZEISS LRP S5 Scopes Also Perform Well for Hunters
While we will soon see these ZEISS LRP S5 scopes on the firing lines at PRS/NRL matches, these superb optics are NOT just for competition. With their exceptional low-light performance and rugged durability, these scopes are also a great choice for hunters. Shown below is the 518-50 model with MOA reticle.
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI), has released two new online reference tables. These resources clarify the interchangeability of certain ammunition in a specified firearm chamber, and identify the names of equivalent and historical cartridges.
SAMMI states: “These documents are important for firearm safety because they … identify what ammunition can be safely shot in firearms, whether it is an alternate cartridge in a specified firearm chamber or a known equivalent historical name for a cartridge.”
“These important documents … provide guidance to both industry professionals and the firearm-owning community. They emphasize important safety and technical information regarding the proper matching of ammunition and firearms, and what precautions must be taken”, stated Joe Bartozzi, SAAMI President/CEO.
New Resource Content (Click Charts to view PDF Files)
Generally Accepted Firearms and Ammunition Interchangeability — This document lists generally accepted alternate firearm/ammunition combinations which will generally allow for the safe firing of an alternate cartridge in a specified firearm chamber. There is also information on shotshell interchangeability and commercial vs. military standards.
NOTE: Beyond historical cartridge names that are in common use, there are a very few firearm/ammunition combinations which will generally allow for the safe firing of an alternate cartridge in a specified firearm chamber. CLICK HERE for SAAMI’s listing of those cartridges/chambers.
Getting started in the shooting sports can be intimidating, especially for women. Thankfully, there are many training resources available. NSSF has compiled a series of target shooting tips for women, by women. These tips, presented by instructors Deb Ferns, Kay Miculek, and Lena Miculek-Afentul, cover basic shooting methods and safety. Topics include pistol grip, stance, eye dominance, and ear protection. These tips can benefit any novice shooter, not just the ladies.
Rifle Stance and Hold (for Action Shooting)
Champion 3-Gun shooters Kay Miculek and Lena Miculek-Afentul demonstrate rifle stance basics and how to properly hold an AR-platform rifle for action shooting.
Grip and Stance for Pistol Shooting
Mother/daughter team Kay Miculek and Lena Miculek-Afentul demonstrate proper grip and stance for shooting semi-automatic pistols in action disciplines.
Eye Dominance (and Hand/Eye Cross-Dominance)
Learn how to identify your dominant eye. Kay Miculek, a cross-dominant shooter, explains how other cross-dominant individuals can maintain a proper sight picture.
Ear Protection — Double-Up for Safety
Babes with Bullets Director Deb Ferns says the most common complaint among new shooters is, “It’s too loud!” Deb recommends “doubling up” — wearing muffs OVER soft foam earplugs. That’s “sound advice” for any shooter.
Looking for a good stash of American-made 9mm Luger (9x19mm) pistol ammo at an excellent price? Right now you can get 250 rounds of CCI Blazer brass-cased 9mm for just $114.99. That’s works out to $0.459 per round, PLUS you get a Full Force Gear heavy-duty nylon range bag included in the price. This ammo+bag combo deal is offered by TrueShot Gun Club based in Tempe, Arizona. Click HERE for other TrueShot Flash Sales.
And if you want even less expensive, big-brand 9mm ammo, check out these deals…
NORMA and RUAG 9x19mm Ammo
NATO Quality, with excellent brass — just $16.99 for 50 rounds
Here are two very good deals on high-quality FMJ ammo from major European manufacturers Norma and RUAG. This is quality stuff produced for NATO armies by big-name companies. Choose 115 grain Norma or 124 grain RUAG. Both brands are available now at Ammo Shop Online for just $16.99 per 50-round box. That works out to just $0.34 cents per round (before shipping). That’s a Great Deal in today’s market. This vendor also offers FREE shipping with orders over $200. Act soon, these deals WILL sell out!
One of our Forum members asked us the question: “Does anybody make a good range box with cradles for cleaning at the bench?” The answer is yes — the MTM model RBMC Range Box offers slide-in plastic cradles that provide a reasonably sturdy platform for a quick clean when you’re done shooting. The RBMC box also offers plenty of storage for jags, brushes, solvents, ammo boxes and other miscellaneous gear you need for the range.
Among the many range boxes available, the MTM model RBMC Range Box leads the pack in terms of versatility. It is rugged, it has plenty of storage space, and it doubles as a handy cleaning station. This Editor has used the MTM Range Box to clean rifles and as a “range expedient” rifle holder when adjusting scopes and tensioning action screws. It’s a good product that does the job and stands up to rough handling. The MTM Shooting Range Box is in stock now for $43.80 at Midsouth (green version).
Fitted Cleaning Cradles
The key feature setting MTM’s RBMC apart from most range boxes is the rubber-coated cradle system. Wide enough to fit a 3″-wide fore-arm, the cradles slide into vertical slots on either end of the box. This allows your range box to serve as a maintenance station. The RBMC is really pretty stable in this role, and the cradles won’t mark your stock. The cradles even feature slots on each side to hold your cleaning rods. The MTM Range Box is secure enough to stay in place when you’re brushing the barrel. However, if you’re working on a carpeted bench top, keep one hand on the box when running a cleaning rod through the bore, just to ensure the box doesn’t slide.
Versatile Upper Tray with Dividers
The MTM Range Box has two major components — the box base (with cradles), and a large upper tray with hinged top and carry handle. This large upper tray clamps securely to the bottom unit for transport. The top tray has a long section that holds cleaning rod guides, long brushes, grease syringes and the like. There are two, clear-plastic fitted divider trays. These will hold your patches and jags, plus comparators, ring wrenches, and other small tools.
MTM offers a black “tactical” version of this Range Box for a bit more money — $48.76 at Midsouth. This Tactical Range Box includes a special bracket that supports AR-type rifles through the magazine well. As show at right, this is red. However, some previous production models had black brackets (see below).
What Might Be Improved
Though we really like the MTM Range Box, it’s not perfect. First, we wish the box was a bit deeper, to have added carrying capacity. The dimensions of the MTM Range Box are: 25″ long x 11.5″ wide x 8.75″ high. We’d like to see it 12″ high/deep to allow larger solvent bottles to stand upright and to provide more space to carry tools and shooting muffs. However, it is deep enough to hold the large 100-round MTM cartridge boxes that are popular with many shooters (see photo at right).
While we like the twin clear plastic dividers that fit into the removable top-tray, but we wish the dividers had individual hinged tops. This would keep small items more secure.
Retired gunsmith Stan Ware is a talented shooter who’s not afraid to think “outside the box”. Stan competes in both Hunter Benchrest (HBR) and Varmint for Score (VFS) disciplines. In his quest to build the ultimate Hunter Benchrest cartridge, Stan created the radical “Wolfpup” wildcat, based on a 6mmBR parent case. Noting the dominance of 30 BRs in VFS matches, Stan wondered if a stretched 30 BR could work in HBR competition. The challenge was case capacity. Under HBR rules the cartridge must hold at least 45.0 grains of water, equal to the capacity of the classic 30/30 case.
From Trashbin to Winner’s Circle
Why Does It Work?
How do you safeguard a big-money collection of guns (without driving around in a Brinks armored truck)? One of the best storage systems available is the Truck-Vault, built in Washington state. Truck-vaults are custom-fitted, locking storage cabinets that fit in a Pick-up truck bed, SUV, or station wagon. Various designs are available, including a waterproof “Extreme Series.” Both single-drawer and multi-draw layouts are offered with lengths up to 60″ overall, and top-load capacity of 2000 pounds. A variety of interior configurations are available.
Illuminated MOA and MRAD Reticles
Phil Cashin, PRS Pro Competitor and owner of MasterPiece Arms states: “I think ZEISS has hit a home run with this optic. Excellent turret design, easy to read markings, huge amounts of elevation travel and an outstanding reticle. The ZF-MRi reticle is perfectly designed for PRS/NRL style shooting: floating center dot, 0.2 subtensions and the diffractive illumination provide unique contrast, so the shooter does not get lost in the reticle. Plus the clutter-free tree design makes it easy to spot impacts and misses for follow-up shots.”
MTM offers a black “tactical” version of this Range Box for a bit more money — 
What Might Be Improved
