If you have ever competed in NRA High Power, Silhouette, or Long Range disciplines, you know the name David Tubb. Arguably the greatest rifle marksman in American history, David has recorded 11 High Power Rifle Championships, 6 Long Range National Championships, and 7 High Power Silhouette National Championships. Over his career David has won 130 NRA trophies for various competitions. No one has even come close to that number of Championships and honors in rifle competition.
David Tubb Biography Video
Click the video above to view a great new documentary which covers David Tubb’s career in competitive shooting. Called America’s Rifleman, this fine documentary by filmmaker Sheldon Charron takes you inside the life and mind of legendary shooting champion David Tubb.
Learn how David evolved into the most successful rifleman in the history of competitive shooting, the challenges he faced, and how he overcame them on his road to success, both at the range and in his business, Superior Shooting Systems.
David Tubb Competition Shooting Accomplishments:
11 Time – NRA National High Power Rifle Champion – Camp Perry
6 Time – NRA Long Range Rifle (600-1000 yard) National Champion
7 Time (Consecutive) – NRA National High Power Rifle Silhouette Champion
6 Time – NRA National High Power Hunting Rifle Silhouette Champion
4 Time – NRA National Smallbore Hunting Rifle Silhouette
7 Sportsmen’s Team Challenge Championships
2 Time – Wimbledon Cup Winner
2019 ELR World Record Holder recognized by 50 Cal. Shooters Association
2019 NRA ELR Heavy Gun Winner
Over 130 NRA Championship Event Trophies (Individual Match Winner)
David Tubb with the ELR Adaptive Target Rifle (ATR) he designed which has set ELR records. You can see David shoot this rig in the video below:
David Tubb Shoots ELR Adaptive Target Rifle at KO2M
For the Extreme Long Range discipline, David Tubb developed a .375-caliber, long-barreled ELR version of his famous Tubb rifle, called the Adaptive Target Rifle (ATR). A version of this rifle, piloted by David’s son-in-law Nate Stallter, set the current ELR World Record in January 2018.
The TUBB 2000 — Innovative Modular Bolt Gun
David Tubb is arguably the greatest High-Power Across-the-Course rifle competitor in American history. He won many of his championships shooting a modular rifle of his own design — the Tubb 2000, aka T2K. In this video, David shows the features of the Tubb 2000 rifle which makes it adaptable to multiple shooting positions — prone, sitting/kneeling, and standing.
David Tubb Talks about KO2M and Extreme Long Range Shooting
David Tubb’s long-range rifles have performed well in Extreme Long Range shooting. AT the 2019 NRA Extreme Long Range Championship, David Tubb won the Heavy Gun Division. In this video, created during the King of 2 Miles (K02M) competition at the Whittington Center in New Mexico, David talks about the challenges of ELR shooting, and cartridge selection. Big, heavy, large-caliber bullets with ultra-high BCs are favored for the ELR game, but recoil and cost must also be considered.
David Tubb’s Approach to Load Development
In this 27-minute video, David talks about case prep and loading with both regular and progressive presses. David shares his methods. He recommends weighing your brass and segregating them in one grain increments. He then does an initial test with powder charge weights in half-grain increments (for smaller BR cases we recommend 0.3 grain increments). He then also experiments with seating depths.
“America’s Rifleman” Movie Credits:
Production Company: Enter360 Media
Producer/Director/Editor: Sheldon Charron
Production Assistant: Christie Tubb
Hey guys, you’ll probably want to download this Powder Burn Rate Chart issued by Hodgdon/IMR. This table includes the latest IMR powders including the Enduron series (IMR 4166, 4451, 4955, 7977), shown in green below. Please note, the chart is not limited to Hodgdon and IMR propellants. This table also includes popular powders from Accurate, Alliant, Norma, Ramshot (Western), Vihtavuori, and Winchester. There are a total of 163 powders listed in the chart.
This chart provides useful information for all hand-loaders. When doing load development, and testing one powder versus another, it’s generally wise to choose propellants that share the same relative burn rate, as least for starters. While this chart contains “Nov. 2019″ in the title, this is the most recent chart available from Hodgdon/IMR. It is the chart currently linked on the Hodgdon.com Reference Data Center.
NOTE: Hodgdon powders are shown in blue, IMR standard powders are shown in yellow, IMR Enduron powders are shown in green, and Winchester powder are shown in red. DOWNLOAD Chart HERE.
Burn Rate Chart from LoadData.com with 197 Powders
The LoadData.com website has released its own burn rate chart, which is even more comprehensive than the official Hodgdon/IMR chart. We recommend starting with the Hodgdon/IMR listings, but if you can’t find a particular powder on the Hodgdon/IMR chart above, then consult the alternative from LoadData.com which lists 197 powders.
We also caution that, with any powder, start conservatively, at the low end of official load recommendations. Be aware that, even within the same burn range a ball powder can behave differently than an extruded powder. And some powders are much more temperature sensitive than others. Among the available powders on the market, some of best in terms of temp stability are the Alliant TS (temp stable) series, and the popular Hodgdon powders, such as H4350, made by ADI in Australia.
Guest Article By Michelle Gallagher, Berger Bullets
Let’s face it. In the world of firearms, there is something for everyone. Do you like to compete? Are you a hunter? Are you more of a shotgun shooter or rifle shooter? Do you enjoy running around between stages of a timed course, or does the thought of shooting one-hole groups appeal to you more? Even though many of us shoot several different firearms and disciplines, chances are very good that we all have a favorite. Are we spreading ourselves too thin by shooting different disciplines, or is it actually beneficial? I have found that participating in multiple disciplines can actually improve your performance. Every style of shooting is different; therefore, they each develop different skills that benefit each other.
How can cross-training in other disciplines help you? For example, I am most familiar with long-range prone shooting, so let’s start there. To be a successful long-range shooter, you must have a stable position, accurate ammunition, and good wind-reading skills. You can improve all of these areas through time and effort, but there are other ways to improve more efficiently. Spend some time practicing smallbore. Smallbore rifles and targets are much less forgiving when it comes to position and shot execution. Long-range targets are very large, so you can get away with accepting less than perfect shots. Shooting smallbore will make you focus more on shooting perfectly center shots every time. Another way to do this with your High Power rifle is to shoot on reduced targets at long ranges. This will also force you to accept nothing less than perfect. Shoot at an F-Class target with your iron sights. At 1000 yards, the X-Ring on a long range target is 10 inches; it is 5 inches on an F-Class target. Because of this, you will have to focus harder on sight alignment to hit a center shot. When you go back to the conventional target, you will be amazed at how large the ten ring looks.
Also, most prone rifles can be fitted with a bipod. Put a bipod and scope on your rifle, and shoot F-TR. Shooting with a scope and bipod eliminates position and eyesight factors, and will allow you to concentrate on learning how to more accurately read the wind. The smaller target will force you to be more aggressive on your wind calls. It will also help encourage you to use better loading techniques. Nothing is more frustrating than making a correct wind call on that tiny target, only to lose the point out the top or bottom due to inferior ammunition. If you put in the effort to shoot good scores on the F-Class target, you will be amazed how much easier the long-range target looks when you return to your sling and iron sights. By the same token, F-Class shooters sometimes prefer to shoot fast and chase the spotter. Shooting prone can help teach patience in choosing a wind condition to shoot in, and waiting for that condition to return if it changes.
Benchrest shooters are arguably among the most knowledgeable about reloading. If you want to learn better techniques about loading ammunition, you might want to spend some time at benchrest matches. You might not be in contention to win, but you will certainly learn a lot about reloading and gun handling. Shooting F-Open can also teach you these skills, as it is closely related to benchrest. Benchrest shooters may learn new wind-reading techniques by shooting mid- or long-range F-Class matches.
Position shooters can also improve their skills by shooting different disciplines. High Power Across-the-Course shooters benefit from shooting smallbore and air rifle. Again, these targets are very small, which will encourage competitors to be more critical of their shot placement. Hunters may benefit from shooting silhouette matches, which will give them practice when shooting standing with a scoped rifle. Tactical matches may also be good, as tactical matches involve improvising shots from various positions and distances. [Editor: Many tactical matches also involve hiking or moving from position to position — this can motivate a shooter to maintain a good level of general fitness.]
These are just a few ways that you can benefit from branching out into other shooting disciplines. Talk to the other shooters. There is a wealth of knowledge in every discipline, and the other shooters will be more than happy to share what they have learned. Try something new. You may be surprised what you get out of it. You will certainly learn new skills and improve the ones you already have. You might develop a deeper appreciation for the discipline you started off with, or you may just discover a new passion.
This article originally appeared in the Berger Blog. The Berger Blog contains the latest info on Berger products, along with informative articles on target shooting and hunting.
Brownells donated a check for $59,884 to the Washington-state-based Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to help fund the lawsuit against the state’s ban on standard-capacity magazines signed into law on March 23, 2022.
“The Second Amendment Foundation really appreciates the financial support that Brownells has given us to make our lawsuit possible,” said Alan Gottlieb SAF Executive Vice President. “This is not the first time Brownells has helped fund our [Second Amendment Rights Litigation efforts].”
Brownells raised the funds during its “Mag Dump for Washington State” event – lasting from March 14 until June 24, 2022. The event promised consumers that a percentage of sales from every Brownells aluminum 30-round magazine sold would be donated to aid in SAF’s Washington legal effort.
“Brownells is a passionate defender of the Second Amendment”, said Ryan Repp, Brownells VP for Marketing. “We support several pro-Second Amendment organizations, but we see SAF as a stalwart in the fight preserve our Constitutional freedoms. It’s a pleasure to make this donation to aid in their fight to help the citizens of Washington”.
Washington state residents took advantage of the Mag Dump to purchase reliable standard-capacity magazines during the grace period between the day Senate Bill 5078 was signed into law and July 1, the day the magazine ban took effect.
Do you have an Eliseo Tubegun that you use for sling-shooting competitions, but would like to try your hand at F-Class Open matches? Well here is a low-cost, yet very effective add-on that can transform your TubeGun into a serious F-Open rifle. The bolt-on rails also work great for load development if you want to use a front rest with 3″-wide front bag for greater stability and repeatability.
Competition Machine’s Gary Eliseo is a very smart designer as well as a talented shooter. The inventor/builder of the popular Competition Machine Tubegun chassis systems, Gary offers a bolt-on bag-rider accessory. Gary call this his PickleFork fore-end extension. The Pickleforks are rails that fit to the sides of the tubular fore-end/handguard on his chassis systems. This allows you to use a pedestal-style front rest for F-Class competition.
Pickleforks also provide a much more stable platform for load testing, varmint hunting, or any kind of rest-assisted precision shooting. These PickleForks transform a Tubegun into an ultra-stable, straight-tracking rig when used with a competition-style front rest.
Gary explains: “Now you can have the same super low-boreline, long ‘wheelbase’ and vertical sides of our innovative F1 F-Class chassis system for your tube chassis. The new PickleForks attach directly to the sides of the F-Class/Tactical fore-ends, no modifications are required. They are very rigid with no flex or twist and make the rifle track like it’s on rails.” The new Eliseo Competition Machine PickleForks are offered for a very reasonable $70.00 per pair, with Cerakote finish. (You get two metal units, one for each side of the fore-arm). For more information, visit www.GotXRing.com or call (928) 649-0742.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
For decades, Shooting USA has been a leading video resource for the shooting sports and hunting. This popular cable TV show covers shooting matches, and provides expert information on precision shooting, gun maintenance, optics, and defensive firearms use. Here are five interesting videos all worth watching. Learn about wind-reading, gun maintenance, and optics.
1. Reading the Wind — SGT Sherri Jo Gallagher of USAMU
Sergeant Sherri Jo Gallagher formerly of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) shows us how to read the wind in given conditions, and how to apply your wind assessment when aiming down-range. During her time with the USAMU, Sherri won the National High Power Championship, and was the first woman in history to earn the U.S. Army “Soldier of the Year” honors. Sherri comes from a legendary family of shooters — she was raised by Ace Marksman Mid Tompkins and mother Nancy Tompkins, the first female to win the NRA National High Power Championship.
2. Field-Stripping and Cleaning AR-Platform Rifles
Let’s face it — Black Rifles run dirty. On AR-platform rifles, the gas system blows carbon and powder residues back into the action and bolt carrier group. Accordingly, you need to clean ARs early and often, and you should fully disassemble the bolt carrier to access parts and recesses which accumulate greasy lube and hard carbon. This helpful video shows how to field-strip and clean AR-platform rifles. If you own an AR, this is definitely worth viewing. With over 2.7 million views, this is the second most-watched video on Shooting USA’s YouTube Channel.
2. MOA Defined — Jim Scoutten Explains Minute of Angle
Minute of Angle (MOA) — this is the most common measurement of group size, and hence rifle accuracy. You hear about shooters hoping to shoot 1 MOA or “half-MOA”, but many folks could not give you a precise definition. In fact MOA is an angular measurement that equates to one-sixtieth of one degree of Arc. In this video, host John Scoutten defines MOA. He then demonstrates how MOA translates to accuracy on target. He demonstrates one-half-MOA accuracy with a Les Baer Custom rifle. This company offers a three-shot, half-MOA guarantee for its rifles.
4. How to Adjust for Parallax
Most precision rifle scopes have parallax adjustment, typically a knob on the left side of the scope. but what exactly is “Parallax” and why do you need to adjust optics to ensure the parallax setting is optimal? In this Shooting USA video, John Paul of JP Rifles defines parallax and explains why you need to set parallax correctly for the distance to your target. The video then shows how to adjust parallax correctly, a process which should start with the scope’s ocular focus.
5. How to Mount a Riflescope
When mounting a scope you want to use quality rings, and ensure that the scope is leveled properly. In addition, you need to adjust the fore/aft position of the scope so that eye relief is correct. Ideal scope position may be different when shooting from the bench vs. shooting prone. In this Shooting USA video John Paul of JP Rifles reviews scope mounting basics.
Here’s a handy training option for F-Class shooters. Forum member SleepyGator is an F-Class competitor, but there are no long-distance ranges close to his home. Accordingly, he wanted some “reduced-distance” targets he could use at 300 yards for practice. There IS an official reduced-distanced standard for 300-yard F-Class matches. This utilizes the NRA No. MR-63FC – F-Class Target Center which is pasted over the MR-63 target. It provides a 1.42″ X-Ring, 2.85″ 10-Ring, and 5.85″ Nine-Ring. We offer some free targets you can print out for use at 300 yards. The dimensions of F-Class targets are found in the NRA High Power Rules, Sec. 22, part 4, page 70-71 — see sample below.
To duplicate the 300-yard target, SleepyGator made a printable version of the MR-63FC Target Center, along with a pair of training targets with two bulls and five bulls. The two-bull and five-bull targets mirror the scoring rings on the MR-63FC, but they display only the innermost three rings and two rings respectively. All three targets are Adobe PDF files that can be easily printed.
NOTE: You may need to adjust the scale (sizing) on your printer to get the dimensions exactly correct. As noted above, when printed, the 10-Ring on all three targets should measure 2.85″. This should provide some handy practice targets you can use between matches. Thanks to SleepyGator for providing these targets. You can download all three as a .Zip archive. After downloading the .Zip file, just click on the .Zip archive to extract the individual targets.
In response to an unprecedented, partisan attack on the firearm industry, lead by the Democratic administration in Washington, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. President & CEO Mark Smith responded this week with the following statement:
“A number of politicians and their lobbying partners in the media have recently sought to disparage Smith & Wesson. Some have had the audacity to suggest that after they have vilified, undermined and defunded law enforcement for years, supported prosecutors who refuse to hold criminals accountable for their actions, overseen the decay of our country’s mental health infrastructure, and generally promoted a culture of lawlessness, Smith & Wesson and other firearm manufacturers are somehow responsible for the crime wave that has predictably resulted from these destructive policies. But they are the ones to blame for the surge in violence and lawlessness, and they seek to avoid any responsibility for the crisis of violence they have created by attempting to shift the blame to Smith & Wesson, other firearm manufacturers and law-abiding gun owners.
It is no surprise that the cities suffering most from violent crime are the very same cities that have promoted irresponsible, soft-on-crime policies that often treat criminals as victims and victims as criminals. Many of these same cities also maintain the strictest gun laws in the nation. But rather than confront the failure of their policies, certain politicians have sought more laws restricting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, while simultaneously continuing to undermine our institutions of law and order. And to suppress the truth, some now seek to prohibit firearm manufacturers and supporters of the 2nd Amendment from advertising products in a manner designed to remind law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutional right to bear arms in defense of themselves and their families.
We are proud of our 170-year history. We are proud of the commitment of our employees to making a quality product. We are proud to provide law-abiding citizens and law enforcement – our customers – with the tools to provide for their security and independence. We are proud of our responsible business practices.
We will continue to work alongside law enforcement, community leaders and lawmakers who are genuinely interested in creating safe neighborhoods. We will engage those who genuinely seek productive discussions, not a means of scoring political points. We will continue informing law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutionally-protected right to defend themselves and their families. We will never back down in our defense of the 2nd Amendment.”
If you load pistol ammo you should have a case gauge (aka “gage”) for each cartridge type you reload. Caliber-specific, precision-machined cylindrical gauges perform many important functions. They will instantly reveal if your rounds are too long or have excessive headspace. They will also show if your case is bulged or otherwise too fat to chamber easily. You can use the gauge with sized brass as well as loaded rounds.
Case gauges are a “must-have” for anyone loading handgun ammunition, particularly if you crank out large quantities of pistol ammo with a progressive press. An oversize round can cause a misfeed, jam, or other problem. That can ruin your day if you are in the middle of a shooting match. If you are relying on your handgun for self-defense, the last thing you want is a malfunction of any kind. This Editor personally runs every pistol round through a gauge before it goes into the ammo box.
UltimateReloader.com Video Shows How to Use Pistol Case Gauges:
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com has prepared an excellent video that explains the benefits of pistol case gauges and shows how to use them. Gavin uses the quality gages produced by L.E. Wilson. These are available for the most popular handgun cartridges, both autoloader cartridges, and rimmed revolver cartridges. Gavin demonstrates gage use with .40 SW and .44 magnum cases.
Gavin states: “Using a case gage is very simple, and I would recommend that you add one of these gages to your reloader’s tool chest for each of the pistol cartridge types you reload. It may just save you a lot of time and hassle. Peace of mind is hard to put a price on!”
The 6mm Creedmoor has become one of the most popular cartridges for PRS/NRL competition, and it also works great in the varmint fields. There are many 6mm Creedmoor factory rifle options now, such as the Savage Model 10 in GRS stock and the Ruger Precision Rifle (6mm Creedmoor).
Do-It-Yourself 6mm Creedmoor Rifle Project — UltimateReloader.com
Another cost-effective option for 6mm Creedmoor fans is to build your own rifle, starting with a Howa barreled action. The Howa 1500 is a mag-fed, flat-bottomed bolt action that ships with the excellent HACT 2-stage trigger. Howa barreled actions have been available with a variety of barrel lengths and contours, starting at about $440.00 at Brownells. (However, many are currently out-of-stock).
There are quite a few good stocks/chassis systems now offered for Howa 1500 actions, including the excellent KRG Bravo Chassis, which features an ergonomic composite outer shell over a precision-machined inner chassis.
Gavin Gear fitted a KRG enclosed fore-end and Mystic Precision MPOD to his 6mm Creedmoor rifle.
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com has built a nice 6mm Creedmoor rifle using a Howa 1500 heavy-barreled action and KRG Bravo Chassis. This project has proven very successful. The rifle has shown impressive accuracy and outstanding reliability. Gavin hopes to use this rifle in practical/tactical competitions later this year.
In this video, Gavin fits KRG’s enclosed fore-end to the KRG Bravo chassis. This accessory fore-end features a top Picatinny rail and various attachment options on the sides and lower section. Here you can see the enclosed fore-end (upper right) next to the factory forend included with the KRG Bravo (lower left):
Gavin then fits a Mystic Precision MPod from EGW. This stable, wide-base bipod uses a T-Slot rail for rifle attachment, and has legs that adjust independently for height. The video shows the rifle coming together step-by-step. This is something the average guy can do with simple tools — no gunsmithing is required, because the Howa barreled action is pre-chambered for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge.
In the video above Gavin unboxes his Howa 1500 barreled action from Brownells. He then mounts the barreled action to the KRG Bravo stock, checking the torque levels. Next Gavin borescopes the hammer-forged barrel (5:55) noting: “What I saw I liked — there are practically no tooling marks. The finish on the lands and grooves looks really good”. Lastly, Gavin tested the trigger with his TriggerScan TS-11 (6:24), confirming a two-stage pull weight of about 2.25 pounds out of the box.
David Tubb Biography Video
Position shooters can also improve their skills by shooting different disciplines. High Power Across-the-Course shooters benefit from shooting smallbore and air rifle. Again, these targets are very small, which will encourage competitors to be more critical of their shot placement. Hunters may benefit from shooting silhouette matches, which will give them practice when shooting standing with a scoped rifle. Tactical matches may also be good, as tactical matches involve improvising shots from various positions and distances. [Editor: Many tactical matches also involve hiking or moving from position to position — this can motivate a shooter to maintain a good level of general fitness.]
