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July 24th, 2023

BargainFinder 409: 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.

NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.

1. Amazon — Frankford Intellidropper Dispenser, $188.89

⏺ 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 stores charge weights for different cartridges. This unit has a 7000-grain capacity with both auto and manual trickle capability. This is a fine deal — you save $41 (18%) off the regular $229.99 price. The same Intellidropper is $189.14 at MidwayUSA with FREE Shipping using Code RELOADING071823.

2. Precision Reloading — 12% Off Sitewide Summer Sales Event

⏺ Significant savings on nearly all products in stock with $100+ order

Now through Thursday, July 27th, you can save 12% on nearly all in-stock items at Precision Reloading with a $100 minimum order. This Summer Sales Event includes loaded ammo, reloading supplies, brass, bullets, presses, optics, tools, gun cleaners, and much more. To save 12% use Coupon Code 72123 at checkout. And through 11:59 pm on Monday 7/24/23 you can get FREE hazmat with a $150 or more powder purchase. Use code FREEHAZ.

3. Palmetto SA — AR Upper and Lower with Vortex Optic, $809.98

⏺ Great deal for AR upper WITH Scope and complete lower

Are you looking to build an AR-platform rifle but want better performance than a .223 Rem? If so, check out these AR bundle packages at PSA. For just $809.98 you get a complete upper, Vortex optic, and a complete lower (with adjustable buttstock). This AR bundle includes the PSA lower, .224 Valkyrie-chambered 20″ 1:6.5″-twist barrel, complete upper with M-Lok handguard, PLUS a Vortex Eagle 1-8x24mm scope with cantilever mount. You can also grab the 6.5 Grendel upper with Vortex 4-12x44mm riflescope (and mount) for only $579.99.

4. MidwayUSA — Vortex 20-60x60mm Spotting Scope, $324.99

⏺ Great spotting scope for the price with rock-solid warranty

Having a quality spotting scope can help when in the field, at matches, or just having fun at the range. We found a great deal on the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x60mm spotting scope, now just $324.99 at MidwayUSA, an amazing bargain. This spotting scope has good light transmission throughout the magnification range. Sharpness is good, and the spotting scope’s construction stands up to rough field use. This spotter is protected by Vortex’s VIP Unlimited Lifetime Warranty.

5. CDNN Sports — Ruger Handgun Super Sale, Save 20-42%

⏺ Huge savings on 50+ Ruger pistols and revolvers

Ruger makes fine pistols and revolvers that are rugged and reliable. Right now you can get big savings — up to 42% — on Ruger handguns at CDNN Sports. There are over 50 Ruger handguns on sale. You can save $349.00 on the new Ruger 57 (5.7x28mm) semi-auto pistol or save 42% with the sale price for the .22 LR Ruger LCP II. There are also big savings on single- and double-action revolvers.

6. MidwayUSA — ZEISS Conquest V4 6-24X, $849.99

⏺ Save hundreds on great SFP ZEISS scope — top choice for varmint work

Here’s a great deal on an excellent ZEISS 6-24x50mm SFP optic — a great scope for club matches and varmint shooting. There’s plenty of magnification on the high end, plus a wide field of view at 6X. The glass is great — at the $849.99 sale price, you’ll be hard to beat the quality of this scope which delivers 90% to-the-eye light transmission. With a Second Focal Plane Z-MOA1 reticle and 1/4 MOA clicks this scope has an impressive range of total elevation and windage travel with Zeiss’ Ballistic Stop feature. Here are actual purchaser reviews: “Excellent, A++, Clear glass”; Awesome clarity and the adjustments are spot on — Zeiss V4 scopes are hard to beat for the money”; “Great mid-level scope. Clear Glass with a good no nonsense reticle and easy to operate turrets”.

7. Midsouth — Winchester 9mm Pistol Ammo, $129.99/500

⏺ Very good price on good American-made 9mm FMJ ammo

Right now quality, USA-made Winchester 9x19mm ammunition is $129.99 for 500 rounds at Midsouth. That works out to just $0.26 per round or $12.99 per 50-rd box. This service grade 9mm Luger ammo has 115gr Full Metal Jacket bullets and Winchester brass. This ammunition is new production, non-corrosive, in reloadable brass cases. If you shoot large quantities of 9mm ammo, this is a very good deal.

8. Amazon — MOZETO Shooting Mat, $39.99

⏺ Nice 78″-long padded nylon mat stows conveniently

Whether in the field or at the range, having a comfortable mat to keep you and your gear dry and clean is critical. The Mozeto XL Shooting Mat is made from durable 1000D nylon with EPE padding fabric for long-lasting durability. There is an extra-thick padded section for elbows and knees. This big 78″ x 28.5″ mat has convenient straps and carry handle, plus storage pockets. To transport, just roll it up, fold it over and attach the quick release plastic snap buckles.

9. Amazon — H&B Ultrasonic Heated Cleaning Machine, $84.98

⏺ Excellent scope for varminters and grounghog matches

Looking to clean your brass and/or gun parts? The H&B Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine is a bargain at just $84.98 on Amazon. This unit features a heated tank for cleaning of cartridge brass and metal parts. The ultrasonic cavitation lifts and dissolves carbon, dirt, and any residue left on fired cases. Chose cycles from 90 to 480 seconds. Not only can you clean brass, but this unit can clean pistol slides, magazines, jewelry, and silverware. Note: This unit, an “Amazon Choice” with 84% 4- or 5-star reviews, is nearly identical to the unit Lyman has sold for $120+.

10. CDNN Sports — Grid Target Packs starting at $1.89/12

⏺ Great deals on colorful Champion grid target packs

Grid targets are great for sighting-in your firearms or developing loads. Right now CDNN Sports has a great deal on Champion target sheets. Get a 12-Pack of Champion Shotkeeper Sight-In Targets for $1.99, grab a 12-pack of Champion Rifle Precision Targets for $2.49, or get a 10-Pack of Champion 5-Diamond Redfield Sight-In Targets for just $1.89. These target sets feature colorful contrast and precise 1″-square grids to help you gauge your group sizes. NOTE: There’s also a 100-pack of the Champion Redfield Sight-In Targets for $11.99 (just $0.12 per target)!

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July 24th, 2023

Sierra Bullets — Leading Bullet and Ammo Maker for 76 Years

Sierra Bullets Carroll Pilant MatchKing Bullet SMK Bullet-making Jacket
Here is the original Sierra manufacturing facility in Whittier, CA.

In August 22, 2017 Sierra Bullets was acquired by Clarus Corporation (NASDAQ: CLAR), a Utah-based holding company that also owns Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., makers of ski and mountain gear/apparel. Sierra remains one of America’s leading producers of bullets and loaded ammunition. This article covers Sierra’s notable history, and also reviews Sierra’s processes for crafting and testing bullets.

Sierra Bullets — How It Got Started

Report Based on Story by Carroll Pilant, Sierra Bullets Media Relations Manager
What became Sierra Bullets started in the late 1940s in a Quonset hut in California. In 1947, three aircraft machinists, Frank Snow, Jim Spivey, and Loren Harbor, rented machine space to produce rivets for aircraft along with fishing rod guides and rifle front sight ramps. In the post-WWII years, sport shooting was becoming hugely popular, but quality ammunition was in short supply. For shooting enthusiasts, reloading was the solution to the ammo supply shortage. Snow, Spivey, and Harbor recognized this, creating Sierra Bullets to help fill the void. Before long, they were selling a 53-grain match bullet to the Hollywood Gun Shop. These bullets are still in production today as the Sierra #1400 53-grain MatchKing.

A few years later, an accomplished competitive shooter named Martin Hull joined Sierra. Hull helped develop new bullet types and served as manager of Sierra’s ballistics laboratory for nearly 20 years. With Hull’s help, Sierra’s output grew rapidly. The California company outgrew several locations before it moved to a large facility in Santa Fe Springs, CA, in 1963.

New Owners and New President in the Late Sixties
In 1968, the Leisure Group bought Sierra Bullets. Other Leisure Group companies included Lyman Reloading, High Standard Manufacturing Company, Yard Man, Thompson Sprinkler Systems, Flexible Flyer Sleds, and Dodge Trophies (Which made the Oscar and Rose Bowl Game trophies).

Soon after purchasing Sierra, the Leisure Group hired Robert Hayden as President and General Manager. Hayden was a mechanical engineer who had worked for Remington Arms. Hayden remained the president of Sierra for 42 years, retiring in 2012 when Pat Daly became president.

Sierra Moves to Missouri
In 1990, Sierra relocated to Sedalia, Missouri, where the company remains today. Sierra Bullets now employs over 100 people including five full-time ballistic technicians who answer daily reloading and firearms questions by both phone and e-mail.

The Making of MatchKings — How Sierra Produces SMKs

All Sierra bullets begin life as a strip of gilding metal, an alloy consisting of 95% copper and 5% zinc. To meet Sierra’s strict quality requirements, the gilding metal requires three times more dimensional and quality control standards than is considered standard in the copper manufacturing industry.

Sierra Bullets Carroll Pilant MatchKing Bullet SMK Bullet-making Jacket

A blanking press stamps out a uniform disc and forms the cup that will be drawn into the MatchKing jacket. The cup is then polished and sent to a draw press to be drawn into a jacket that is longer than needed for the future MatchKing, thus allowing for the trim process. Press operators constantly check concentricity to make sure we have only quality jackets. The jackets then go to a trimmer where they are visually inspected again.

Sierra Bullets Carroll Pilant MatchKing Bullet SMK Bullet-making Jacket

After being polished a second time, the jacket travels to the bullet press. In the meantime, 80-pound lead billets are being extruded into lead wire for the cores where great care is taken so that the core wire is not stretched. The core wire is lightly oiled before continuing to the bullet press to be swaged.

The lead core wire and trimmed jacket meet at the bullet press where the first stage forms a boattail on the jacket. The lead core is then formed on top of the bullet press and fed down into the jacket. In one stroke of the press, the MatchKing is formed.

Sierra Bullets Carroll Pilant MatchKing Bullet SMK Bullet-making Jacket

Quality control technicians pull samples from each lot of MatchKings to make sure they meet Sierra’s stringent standards. Samples are then sent to Sierra’s 300-meter underground test range (shown below) to be shot for accuracy on mechanical mounts referred to as “unrestricted return to battery rests” that Sierra designed and built in-house.

Sierra Underground Tunnel test facility Sedalia, Missouri

Sierra bullet sale Clarus Corporation

After inspection, the bullets are placed in the familiar green box along with reloading labels. They are then shrink-wrapped and shipped all over the world.

Sierra Factory Ammunition with Modern Tipped Bullets
Sierra also produces popular competition and hunting factory ammunition. Sierra’s modern GameChanger hunting ammunition has shown very good performance and consistency. For the GameChanger line, Sierra re-engineered its MatchKing bullet into a hollow point design for quick expansion and fitted it with a green tip for ballistic uniformity. The lead-core GameChanger bullets deliver excellent penetration and expansion at a variety of ranges.

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July 24th, 2023

Primer Basics — What You Need to Know

Primer Priming Tool Magnum primers foil anvil primer construction reloading powder CCI
Winchester Pistol Primers on bench. Photo courtesy UltimateReloader.com.

There is an excellent article about primers on the Shooting Times website. We strongly recommend you read Mysteries And Misconceptions Of The All-Important Primer, written by Allan Jones. Mr. Jones is a bona fide expert — he served as the manager of technical publications for CCI Ammunition and Speer Bullets and Jones authored three editions of the Speer Reloading Manual.

» READ Full Primer “Mysteries and Misconceptions” Article

This authoritative Shooting Times article explains the fine points of primer design and construction. Jones also reveals some little-known facts about primers and he corrects common misconceptions. Here are some highlights from the article:

Size Matters
Useful Trivia — even though Small Rifle and Small Pistol primer pockets share the same depth specification, Large Rifle and Large Pistol primers do not. The standard pocket for a Large Pistol primer is somewhat shallower than its Large Rifle counterpart, specifically, 0.008 to 0.009 inch less.

Magnum Primers
There are two ways to make a Magnum primer — either use more of the standard chemical mix to provide a longer-burning flame or change the mix to one with more aggressive burn characteristics. Prior to 1989, CCI used the first option in Magnum Rifle primers. After that, we switched to a mix optimized for spherical propellants that produced a 24% increase in flame temperature and a 16% boost in gas volume.

Foiled Again
Most component primers have a little disk of paper between the anvil and the priming mix. It is called “foil paper” not because it’s made of foil but because it replaces the true metal foil used to seal early percussion caps. The reason this little disk exists is strictly a manufacturing convenience. Wet primer pellets are smaller than the inside diameter of the cup when inserted and must be compacted to achieve their proper diameter and height. Without the foil paper, the wet mix would stick to the compaction pins and jam up the assembly process.

Read Full Primer Story on ShootingTimes.com

Primer Functionality and Primer Types Compared
This video looks at a variety of primer types from multiple manufacturers, foreign and domestic. The video explains the basics of how primers function, and then explains the key characteristics of standard primers, magnum primers, and mil-spec primers (designed for semi-auto rifles).

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BargainFinder 409: AccurateShooter’s Deals of the Week

1. Amazon — Frankford Intellidropper Dispenser, $188.89

2. Precision Reloading — 12% Off Sitewide Summer Sales Event

3. Palmetto SA — AR Upper and Lower with Vortex Optic, $809.98

4. MidwayUSA — Vortex 20-60x60mm Spotting Scope, $324.99

5. CDNN Sports — Ruger Handgun Super Sale, Save 20-42%

6. MidwayUSA — ZEISS Conquest V4 6-24X, $849.99

7. Midsouth — Winchester 9mm Pistol Ammo, $129.99/500

8. Amazon — MOZETO Shooting Mat, $39.99

9. Amazon — H&B Ultrasonic Heated Cleaning Machine, $84.98

10. CDNN Sports — Grid Target Packs starting at $1.89/12

Sierra Bullets — Leading Bullet and Ammo Maker for 76 Years

Sierra Bullets — How It Got Started

The Making of MatchKings — How Sierra Produces SMKs

Primer Basics — What You Need to Know

» READ Full Primer “Mysteries and Misconceptions” Article

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