Bargain Finder 342: AccurateShooter’s Deals of the Week
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.
1. Midsouth — LEE Challenger Single-Stage Press, $72.99
⏺ Good basic or back-up press at really low price — great bargain
New to reloading and nee a simple but effective single-stage press? Or perhaps you wan to add a secondary press for repetitive chores such as primer decapping. Then the LEE Challenger Breech Lock Press. This LEE Press has a large opening for easy Case access while loading. The smart primer ejections system drops removed primers through a tube straight down into your trash big — that’s smart. The Challenger Breech Lock Press comes is fully compatible with LEE’s Breech Lock Quick Change die system. That allows you to swap dies in seconds.
2. Grafs.com — Hornady Ultrasonic Cleaner, $109.99
⏺ Very good price on a major mfg. ultrasonic cleaning machine
Using ultrasonic technology to clean your brass is a fast and effective way to get both the case outside/inside plus the primer pockets clean. The Hornady Lock-N-Load Sonic Case Cleaner is on sale now at Graf & Sons for just $109.99, a 26% savings. This machine features a one quart stainless steel tank that removes carbon residue from the inside and outside of cartridge cases with high-frequency ultrasonic energy and a cleaning solution. The L-N-L Sonic Cleaner™ effectively cleans the inner surfaces of cartridge cases as well as the primer pockets.
3. Titan Reloading — LEE Load-Master Progressive Press, $214.99
⏺ Solid 5-station progressive — add powder measure + other features later
Are you looking to upgrade from a single stage to an affordable progressive press? The LEE Load-Master offers great performance for the price — just $214.99 on sale (less that you’d pay for some single-stage presses). Start with the basic auto-indexing unit with five stations. Then, as your budget permits, you can add a LEE Powder measure, Bullet Feeder, Case Feeder, Primer Feeder, and other Lee accessories. This is a solid starter set-up that you can upgrade over time. For pistol reloaders in particular the LEE Load-Master offers good performance for the price.
4. Taurus G3c 9mm Pistol, $209.99 after Mfg. Rebate
⏺ Good 9mm carry pistol for under $210 with Rebate that ends 4/15/22
Looking for a slim, compact carry pistol but have a tight budget? Here’s one of the best deals we’ve seen in many months. The compact 9mm Taurus G3c is on sale now for just $234.99 at LockedandLoaded.com. Plus this Taurus 63c pistol qualifies for a $25 Taurus factory rebate through 4/15/2022. That lowers your net cost to a crazy-low $209.99! This pistol features a tough Tenifer-finish slide plus Teflon coatings on all operational controls. Buyer reviews have been positive: “The pistol is easy to operate, clear, and the re-strike capability is nice. Great gun and not just for the money.”
5. Amazon — Quality Clamp for ARCA Rail Attachments, $23.99
⏺ Use to clamp rifle ARCA rails to bipods, tripods, and bagriders
Need an inexpensive way to fit accessories to a rifle’s forearm ARCA Rail? We found this 70mm Quick Release ARCA Swiss Clamp for only $23.99 — much cheaper than high-end ARCA Swiss clamps. This can be used to fit a benchrest bag-rider, or PRS accessory bag. Or, you can clamp Atlas-type bipods. And yes, you can mount your rifle to a tripod with this clamping unit (which secures to the top of the tripod). One of our Editors uses this model and finds it’s a solid mount with two handy built-in levels. NOTE: This is not a true “quick release” clamp. It takes nearly a full rotation on the knob to loosen the clamp, so this may not be ideal for rapid accessory-swapping in tactical competitions.
6. KYGUNCO — Savage .22 LR Mark II FV-SR Rifle, $259.99
⏺ Inexpensive rifle has shown good accuracy for NRL22
Looking for a fun .22 LR rifle that offers good accuracy for a very affordable price? Grab the Savage Mark II FV-SR. A good starter for NRL22 work, this rifle boasts a multi-Cam synthetic stock plus 5-round detachable box magazine. This Mark II FV-SR includes a one-piece scope rail, plus user-adjustable AccuTrigger for crisp trigger pulls. The heavy, button-rifled, 16.5″ barrel is fluted, and is threaded at the muzzle.
7. EuroOptic — Athlon Talos 20-60x80mm Spotter, $139.99
⏺ Amazing value for a good 80mm objective spotting scope
Need a spotting scope but have a very tight budget? Consider the Athlon Talos Spotting scopes. These are now on sale at EuroOptic for just $139.99, 53% off the regular $299.99 price. These Athlon Talos spotters feature a large, 80mm objective lens with multi-coating treatment for excellent light transmission. Buyers report that the general clarity and sharpness are surprisingly good for the money. The Athlon Talos features a rotating ring, so you can easily adjust the viewing angle when mounted on a tripod.
8. Amazon — Wheeler Engineering FAT Stix Kit with Case, $91.79
⏺ Very good set of Torque control fastener tools now on sale
For many years Wheeler’s FAT Wrench has been a popular tool for working on firearms. Now Wheeler Engineering has introduced the excellent Wheeler FAT Stix set. This includes 12 Screwdriver Bits, 5 Torque Limiters, and fitted Storage Case. Use this FAST Stix set for for firearm assembly, maintenance, and installing accessories. Along with the bits and torque limiters, Wheeler includes a comfortable T-handle all wrapped up in a convenient case. With the FAT Stix kit you can ensure your actions and scope rings are attached properly.
9. Amazon — Caldwell Steady Rest, $24.64
⏺ Works as front/rear rifle support or detach to use as separate pistol rest
The Caldwell Steady Rest is a sturdy yet inexpensive modular rest design. At $24.64 on Amazon you can’t go wrong with this Caldwell Steady Rest, even if you use it just for pistols, or sighting in hunting rifles. Use the front section by itself as a pistol rest, or connect both units for rifle use. We’ve used this for pistols and it worked very well — the design provides a nice handrest below the pistol grip. Lightweight yet stable, the Caldwell Steady Rest is easy to store, easy to transport, and ultra-affordable.
Can you guess what your next barrel will weigh? In many competition disciplines, “making weight” is a serious concern when putting together a new match rifle. A Light Varmint short-range Benchrest rifle cannot exceed 10.5 pounds including scope. An F-TR rifle is limited to 18 pounds, 2 oz. (8.25 kg) with bipod.
