If you are looking for a high-quality, full-size 9mm pistol, you may want to consider the new Springfield Armory Echelon, introduced last year. This full-frame 9mm handgun recently earned the 2024 Golden Bullseye Handgun of the Year award from the NRA’s Shooting Illustrated magazine. That’s impressive. Users report that the Echelon is accurate with a very good trigger and excellent sights.
At first glance the New Echelon sort of looks like a Glock mated with a Walther, with a good, ergonomic grip (definitely better than a Glock grip). The striker-fired Echelon pistol boasts multiple patent-pending features designed to make the Echelon modular and highly adaptable.
Inside the Echelon is a patent-pending Central Operating Group (see above). Employing cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, this is an entirely self-contained and serialized stainless steel chassis. This design allows all the key operating units of the pistol to be easily moved between available grip modules in seconds. The pistol comes standard with the medium grip module and three interchangeable backstraps. Small and large grips can be purchased separately. All controls of the pistol are fully ambidextrous.
For mounting optics, the Echelon boasts self-locking pins to ensure consistent point of aim/point of impact with mounted optics. Notably, the pins can be positioned to fit a wide variety of optics.
The Echelon is offered with a choice of U-Dot™ tritium/luminescent or traditional three-dot tritium sights. The standard barrel is 4.5″, while a longer 5.28″ threaded barrel is also available. The pistol ships with two magazines with a capacity of 17+1 in flush fit configuration and 20+1 with extended basepad.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Echelon, including multiple videos. NOTE about ISSUES: Some testers have had issues with factory magazines, but it appears this could be caused by the user’s grip contacting the slide release. Reports of Echelon magazine base plate issues appear to be from improper mag reassembly by owners.
Ever shot a straight-pull (aka toggle-link) action rifle? We like these action types, which were developed for Biathlon competitors who needed to shoot fast, but were not allowed to use semi-auto actions. The biathlon-style toggle action features a lever on the side of the action. Pull the lever back with your index figure to open the bolt, then push forward with your finger to close the bolt*. It’s fast and efficient. With some practice, you can cycle the action in a couple of seconds — nearly as fast as a semi-auto.
The Volquartsen Summit .22 LR rifle is based on a concept originally developed by Primary Weapons Systems. Designed for both competition shooting as well as small game hunting, this unique rifle features a straight-pull, toggle-style action with a Ruger 10/22 profile. That means you can run 10/22 magazines, swap into stocks inletted for the 10/22, and even use after-market 10/22 barrels. The CNC-machined receiver features an integral 20 MOA Picatinny Rail. The Magpul stock adjusts for length of pull. Weight is 5.8 pounds, so this is easy to carry in the field.
The Summit features a lightweight carbon fiber-wrapped barrel, threaded 1/2×28 at the muzzle to be suppressor-ready. One of our favorite features on this little rifle is the trigger — which has a light, crisp 1.75-lb pull weight. Watch the video above to see the Summit .22 LR in action. The tester, 22Plinkster, was impressed with the rifle’s ease of use and accuracy. The Summit delivered a 0.277″ group at 50 yards, shot from the bench.
Good Field Test of Summit Straight-Pull Rifle by Dustin Ellermann
Past Top Shot Champion Dustin Ellerman demonstrates the Summit’s impressive accuracy by hitting small candies at 50 yards (06:13 start/06:55 impact). In rapid-fire drills, Dustin also shows the ease and speed with which the Summit action can be cycled.
Summits Now Offered in .17 HMR and .22 WMR Also
Last Year Volquartsen announced it would be expanding the Summit series to include other rimfire cartridge chamberings. Volquartsen is now offering a Summit .17 HMR and Summit .22 WMR.
These new .17 HMR and .22 WMR offerings will be available in stainless steel and lightweight aluminum configurations, with various barrel and stock options. All configurations will feature a 2.25-pound trigger pull, 0 MOA integral Picatinny rail, and a 9-round magazine capacity. Both 1/2 x 28 threaded barrel and non-threaded barrel options will be available. READ Full Report.
* Biathlon shooters cycle their Fortner toggle actions even faster, using their THUMB to close the bolt. This allows them to get the index finger on to the trigger blade faster. The whole process takes maybe a second — as fast as you can say “snick-snick”. To use the thumb effectively, you need a stock with a more vertical pistol grip. The Magpul stock on the Summit moves your thumb a bit too far back to use comfortably to close the lever without shifting the hand.
On our main AccurateShooter.com site, you’ll find a good article by GS Arizona on the Basics of Neck Turning. If you’re new to the neck-turning game, or are just looking for good tips on improving your neck-turning procedures, you should read that article. Below we offer some highlights and photos from the article, but you’ll need to read the whole story to view all the illustrations and follow all the procedures step by step.
Why Should You Consider Neck Turning?
Let’s assume that your rifle doesn’t have a tight neck chamber that requires neck turning; if you have a tight neck chamber, of course, the answer to the question is “because you have to”. For the rest of us, and that includes the vast majority of Highpower shooters, neck turning isn’t a requirement, but it can be a useful way to bring your ammunition a small but meaningful step closer to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: perfection. I’m not talking about a theoretical improvement, but a real one, an improvement that lies in equalizing and optimizing the neck tension of your loaded rounds. Inconsistent neck tension is a real contributor to increased muzzle velocity variance which itself is a significant factor in increased elevation dispersion at long range. So there’s our basic reason for neck turning: to equalize and optimize neck tension in order to reduce elevation dispersion.
The Tools of the Trade
Here you see everything I use and a bit more. The press, a cordless screwdriver (always plugged in, turning is tough on the old battery), a couple of K&M neck turners (one set up for 6mm, the other for .30 caliber) an expander for each size, some Imperial lube, an old toothbrush or two to keep the cutter clean, a handle with a caseholder (for those emergencies when the screwdriver dies and there’s just one more case to go!), steel wool and a tubing micrometer finish the list of tools. Hey, I left the dial calipers out of the picture! They’re always handy, keep them around, but they are useless for measuring neck thickness, so don’t try. I usually use an Optivisor magnifier while I turn necks, very handy for a clear view of what’s happening on the neck.
Expanding the Neck
Put some lube on the inside of the case neck and run it into the expander. Really, this isn’t hard. I prefer to expand each case immediately before turning it as opposed to expanding all the cases and then turning them. Brass is somewhat springy and will tend to go back toward its original size; therefore, by expanding and turning immediately, you are more likely to have all cases fit the mandrel with the same degree of tightness and to get a more consistent depth of cut.
Cutter Adjustment for Cut Depth and Length
All the tools I’ve seen have pretty good adjustment instructions. The only thing they don’t tell you is that you should have five to ten spare cases to get it right initially. Anything of the right diameter will do while you learn, for instance, just use that cheap surplus .308 brass to do initial setup and save the precious .30-06 for when you know what you’re doing. Be patient and make your adjustments slowly; you’ll need to set the cutter for thickness as well as length of cut (just into the shoulder). The depth of cut (brass thickness) takes a bit of fiddling, the length of the cut is generally easy to set.
The Finished Product — A Perfectly Uniform Neck
If you read the whole article, and follow the procedures using quality tools, you should get very good results — with a little practice. To demonstrate, here’s an example of my finished, neck-turned brass. You’ll see there is a perfect, 0.0125″ thick neck. It’s very uniform around the circumference, usually I only see 1 or 2 ten-thousandths variance. Now, with the necks uniformed like this, we can select the bushing size that will give us our preferred neck tension and experiment with various levels of tension, secure in the knowledge that all of the cases will actually have the desired neck tension.
About the author — “GS Arizona” was the writing handle for German Salazar, a top-tier rifleman and gun writer. Sadly, German passed from a medical condition in 2022. German was instrumental in helping this website and our Forum get started, and we remember him as a very dear, valued friend.
German was a great individual, and a great asset to the sport. An attorney by trade, with an engineering background, German was one of the very best gun writers, who had high master shooting skills to match his writing abilities.
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. Creedmoor Sports or Grafs.com
— Garmin Xero C1 Pro Radar Chronograph, $599.99
⏺ Superb game-changing compact radar chrono in stock
Looking for a radar chronograph that works great and fits in your pocket? Check out the Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph that features an easy-to-use interface, great performance, and an excellent App for your smartphone. As of 2/4/2024 both Creedmoor Sports and Graf & Sons have the Garmin Xero C1 in stock for $599.99. If they sell out, Midsouth also has the Xero C1 Pro at $599.99.
2. Precision Reloading — Huge Sale on Forster Products
⏺ Save 10% or more on vast selection of Forster items
Now through 2/15/2024, you can get big savings on Forster Products at Precision Reloading. Save 10% or more on dies, case trimmers, primer seaters, neck-turning tools, bushings, and more. CLICK HERE to see all in-stock Forster items on sale now. Sale discounts are good through 2/15/2024.
3. Creedmoor Sports — Sightron SIII LR 10-50x60mm, $1109.99
⏺ Great price on excellent high-mag scope favored by many competitors
The SIII 10-50x60mm LR Target Dot scope is a very good choice for benchrest and F-Class competition. And now you can save $740 off MSRP. With 50 MOA total elevation travel, this scope is good for shooting from 50 to 1000 meters. Sightron’s patented ExacTrack technology provides precise windage and elevation adjustments while maintaining a positive point of contact with the erector tube. This scope is capable of winning major matches even though it is now less than half the price of some other high zoom magnification optics.
4. Brownell’s — S&W 638 or 642 Airweight, $419.99-$459.00 Plus $50 J-Frame REBATE
⏺ Two superb 5-Round lightweight (14.6 oz.) carry revolvers, with $50 Rebate
Smith & Wesson’s J-Frame revolvers are great carry guns. Get big savings now on the ultra-lightweight Model 638 and Model 642 Airweight wheelguns at Brownells. Both the 638 and 642 are under one pound (14.6 oz. empty)! We like the Model 638 because it has a shielded internal hammer. This allows you to shoot single-action during practice. The Model 642 has a fully-enclosed hammer so it is double-action only. The shielded hammer may be better for everyday carry. These Airweight revolvers have light alloy frames with stainless steel barrels and cylinders. Both pistols qualify for a $50 S&W Rebate.
5. Midsouth — Breechlock Press and Ram Swage Kit, $99.99
⏺ Great price on good single-stage press with swage bonus
The Lee Precision Breech Lock Challenger Press is a good starter single-stage press and/or a great secondary press for specialized functions (such as FL-sizing brass). This press can handle demanding brass prep operations, such as sizing cast bullets or swaging crimped primer pockets from mil-spec brass. Currently Midsouth offers the Challenger Press as a combo with the Ram Swage tool for clearing primer pocket crimps.
6. Palmetto SA — Sightmark Wraith Night Vision Scope, $449.99
⏺ Advanced thermal night-vision scope with major discount
Been wanting to try a night vision zoom optic? Consider the Sightmark Wraith 4K Mini Digital Riflescope, now on sale at a huge ($550) discount. This 2-16x32mm unit has cutting-edge digital optic technology. With its impressive 4K (3840×2160) CMOS sensor, the Wraith 4K Mini can detect objects up to 300 yards away even in the darkest of nights, presenting them vividly on a 1280×720 pixel FLCOS screen.
7. Amazon — Frankford Arsenal Tumbler Kit, $69.98
⏺ Good, reliable tumbler complete with media separator
You want your cartridge brass to be clean before resizing and bullet seating. A tumbler can clean large quantities of brass quickly and efficiently. One of the best tumblers for the price is the Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ Vibratory Case Tumbler (#ad). This reliable tumbler holds up to 600 9mm or 350 .223 Rem cases. The included separator fits most buckets, allowing efficient collection of media after tumbling.
8. Amazon — Baofeng UV-5R Ham Radio 2 pack, $35.09
⏺ Double-duty radios receive Ham Radio signals and work as walkie-talkies
Whether planning for a trip or preparing for winter storms, it’s wise to have a back-up emergency communication system. The Baofeng UV-5R Ham Radio 2 pack (#ad) can receive emergency messages even if your phone and cable connections go out. This Ham Radio set provides two complete units that can be placed in separate locations so you can contact family members in a different city. The system can access 128 channels. These units can also be used as shorter-range Walkie-Talkies if needed.
9. Amazon — Caldwell Brass Catcher, $13.99
⏺ Popular and effective, this is a great accessory for AR rifles
Tired of picking up brass or dealing with hot casings? The Caldwell Brass Catcher (#ad) prevents brass from being scattered around your shooting area, while keeping hot brass from landing on you or others. This popular brass collector uses a hook and loop (Velcro-type) attachment to secure to your firearm. A wire frame runs around the bag opening, ensuring brass enters the bag without disruption to bolt cycling.
10. Amazon — Splatterburst Target 50 pack, $35.99
⏺ Good target with hi-viz bright yellow shot displays
Splatter targets make it easy to see your shot locations, even at significant ranges (300 yards and beyond). By contrast, bullet holes on regular paper targets can be hard to see past 200 yards. With these Splatterburst 12″x12″ Targets (#ad) you can instantly see your shots upon impact and spend less time checking your target. These targets feature five diamonds in a high-viz grid pattern for precise aiming. Chose a 10-pack for $12.99, a 25-pack for $22.99, or a 50-pack for $35.99.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Need some interesting reading material? Check out the FREE digital editions of Shooting Industry Magazine. Along with reports on new products, Shooting Industry features reports on important trends in the shooting sports world. Below we’ve included quick links to the first two Shooting Industry editions for 2024. These monthly magazines can be read online for free. Also, as they are in PDF format you can easily print all or part of these monthly magazines.
If you want to review other monthly editions, CLICK HERE to access the Shooting Industry Digital Archives page with links for all 2022, 2023, and 2024 monthly issues.
The latest digital edition of Shooting Industry magazine features the third segment of SI’s comprehensive 2024 New Product Showcase. This 9-page article, starting on Page 36, showcases dozens of recently-introduced rifles, handguns, optics, and shooting accessories. There are quite a few very cool new hunting rifles including the Savage 110 UltraLite Elite, and the innovative 5.8-pound Bergara MgMicro Lite with carbon-wrapped barrel.
You can also see the 2024 NEW Product Showcase PARTS One and Two on the main Shooting Industry website with a mobile-friendly format. Click the links above.
Special Feature: New Trends in Self-Defense Handguns
The February 2024 issue of Shooting Industry has a good article on recent trends in self-defense handguns. Optics-Ready pistols are very popular, and SIG Sauer has had top-selling guns in 2023.
Our take on Bore-Store Gun sleeves is simple: They work great, so buy them and use them — for ALL your valuable firearms.
Winter’s here, with rain and snow in much of the country. We known readers will have their guns in the safe for long periods. For winter storage, we recommend Bore-Stores. These thick, synthetic-fleece sacks cushion your guns, preventing nicks and scratches. The breathable fabric wicks away moisture, and the fibers are coating with corrosion inhibitors. I personally use Bore-Stores for in-safe storage with all my guns, and I have never had one of my guns rust inside a Bore-Store, even when I lived a stone’s throw from the ocean and its salty air.
Bore-Stores are offered in a range of sizes to fit everything from a snub-nosed revolver to a 33″-barrelled Black Powder Rifle. Bore-Stores can be purchased for $9.99 – $28.99 from Borestores.com. For most scoped rifles, we recommend the 10″x46″ SCR-1 case ($25.99). The Bore-Store manufacturer, Big Spring Enterprises will also craft custom sizes on request. For a long-barreled F-Class or ELR rig you may need a custom length. Or you can remove the scope and use the 7″x60″ MUS-1 Musket Bore-Store ($28.99).
Triple-Layer Sealed Bags — Affordable and Effective
Consider Military-Style, Triple-Layer Bags for Long-Term Storage
While we prefer Bore-Stores for regularly-used guns, if you have heirloom firearms that will be kept in storage for very long periods without seeing any use, you may want to grease them up and place them in the thin, but rugged three-layer storage bags sold by Brownells. The bags are made from a three-layer laminate of polyester, aluminum, and polyethylene film, with a shiny silver exterior. Though the laminate is thin, the Brownells storage bags are puncture-resistant, and have a 0% moisture transmission rating so moisture can’t get inside. These bags are also resistant to petroleum-based chemicals and they won’t break down even in contact with soil or moisture.
Here’s one VITAL bit of advice for using these bags. Be absolutely sure, before you seal up the bags, that your guns are DRY and that all metal surfaces have been coated with an effective anti-corrosive, such as BoeShield T9 or Eezox. Brownells’ storage bags are inexpensive. A three-pack of 12″x 60″ rifle sacks (item 083-055-003WB) costs $20.99 — seven bucks a gun. That’s certainly cheap insurance for rifles and shotguns that may cost many thousands of dollars.
Get Your Guns Out of Foam-lined Cases — They Are Rust Magnets
Just about the worst thing you can do for long-term storage (short of leaving your rifle outside in the rain) is to store firearms in tight, foam-padded cases. The foam in these cases actually collects and retains moisture from the air, acting as the perfect breeding ground for rust. Even in warm summer months, humid air can leave moisture in the foam.
Remember, those plastic-shelled cases with foam interiors are for transport, not for long-term storage. Don’t repeat the mistake of a wealthy gun collector I know. He stored four valuable Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolvers in individual foam-padded cases, and locked these away in his gun safe. A year later, every one of his precious SAAs had rusted, some badly.
The Southwest Nationals (SWN) is right around the corner. Hosted by the Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix, the 2024 SWN takes place February 14-18, 2024. One of the major F-Class matches of the year, the SWN will feature top F-Open and F-TR rifles. And many of those F-Open rigs will be running McMillan stocks. Today’s Sunday GunDay story is about the most sophisticated F-Open stock in McMillan’s line-up, the Kestros ZR.
Kestros ZR Stock — Impressive Design for Competition
Review by F-Class John
Walk the line at just about any rifle competition and you’ll see your share of McMillan stocks. Known for crafting high-quality fiberglass/composite stocks, McMillan has long been at top choice for competitive shooters, hunters, and tactical marksmen. McMillan’s latest top-of-the-line F-Open stock is the impressive Kestros ZR which features an extended front bag-riding Z-Rail. McMillan notes that the ZR’s “extended rail system, which extends the fore-end of the stock, provides all the benefits of the rails on the Kestros R stock while also lowering the center of gravity.” In addition, “the bottom of the buttstock is perfectly parallel to the rail with a 5/8″ flat for improved performance in a rear sandbag.”
The Kestros line features several models, but the ZR represents the pinnacle of craftmanship. Each one is finished off by a single craftsman and takes roughly four times longer to create than any other Kestros. So when McMillan offered me a chance to test one out, I jumped at the opportunity.
The aluminum Z-Rail extends nicely from the front of the stock and has a nice contrast of metal against the matte finish of the stock. I inspected the rails and noticed that they are very cleanly machined — all the corners and rails were precise and sharp. As a result, I grabbed some 1000-grit sandpaper and just lightly knocked the edges and corners down just to keep from accidentally scratching myself or my gear.
When I was ordering the ZR, lead time was about 6-9 months. I was like a kid on Christmas when mine arrived after seven months. Holding a Kestros ZR is definitely a unique experience compared to a traditional wood stock and you can’t help but feel like you’re holding something special. I chose three shades of blue that transitioned dark from the butt stock to lighter on the fore-end in a spectacular flame pattern. With McMillan, there are thousands of possible color and pattern combinations. These color/pattern options are outlined on McMillan’s Gallery Page.
The Kestros ZR comes fully inletted with pillars. I was able to bolt my Defiance action right into the stock “as is” without a bedding job. (McMillan states bedding is not required, though this is certainly something most Kestros owners will do). I threw in my action, fit a couple action screws and tightened it all down. I was amazed at how nicely it all fit together with even the little details like the port cutout being perfectly smooth with my action port. I loaded up some .284 Win rounds and headed to the range to test the new stock at 100 yards.
Here are examples of targets shot with the Kestros ZR at 100 yards.
During initial range testing (see above) I shot nine groups for vertical and all of them were under 0.40″ with the smallest being .08″ of vertical. I topped off the testing by shooting a 200-11X the next week at my club match. The thing that really stood out was how smoothly the stock tracked with its lower center of gravity while shooting free recoil and ultimately this translated to success on target.
Low-Rider — You may find that because of how low the Kestros rides as well as its additional length due to the Z rail, you may require an extension for your front rest.
CONCLUSION — Great Modern Low-Profile F-Class Stock
Overall the Kestros ZR exceeded my expectations. After a small learning curve, it was a joy to shoot and it performed great. As someone who believes in the power of muscle memory, I found each time I transitioned between the Kestros and my traditional wood stocks there was a slight adjustment period but not enough to impair accuracy in any way. Something to consider is that because every Kestros is made to the same dimensions, it makes owning multiples an easy process of switching between guns without any need for readjustment.
For those willing to put in the practice, your patience will be rewarded, and I think most shooters will find the Kestros ZR could become their new favorite stock. If you’re in the market for a new F-Open stock, the Kestros ZR is definitely one to consider.
McMillan Kestros — Proven National Championship-Winning Stock
Norm Harrold (above) won the 2018 USA F-Open National Championship shooting a .284 Shehane. Norm’s F-Open rig features a McMillan Kestros ZR stock and Bartlein barrel chambered for the .284 Shehane, which has a bit more case capacity than a standard .284 Winchester. Norm loaded Berger 184gr 7mm bullets in Lapua brass. Norm revealed his load in an Erik Cortina YouTube Video.
Tips for Ordering a Kestros ZR
You can order a Kestros ZR and other Kestros stock models via McMillan’s Competition Stocks Page. While there are a number of options available, McMillan has a helpful guide that walks you through each one to ensure you get exactly what you need. F-Class John notes: “While filling out my form I realized that because I have a custom-designed action, I needed some help, so I gave McMillan a call. The staffers were incredibly helpful and their knowledge of all the major actions out there made answering my questions a snap. I liked the fact that there is no set, fixed price on any of the stocks. The pricing system allows customers to get just what they want (within limits) and not have to pay for anything they do not want or need.”
Want to see new-born Pandas? No, not the furry kind — rather Stolle Panda actions produced with state-of-the-art CNC machinery. If you’ve ever wondered how precision benchrest, long-range, and tactical rifles are built, check out video from Kelbly’s. You’ll see actions finished, barrels chambered and crowned, pillars installed in stocks, barreled actions bedded, plus a host of other services performed by Kelbly’s gunsmiths and machinists.
If you’re a fan of fine machine-work, this video should be both informative and entertaining. You can see how precision gun work is done with 21st-Century technology. Tip of the hat to Ian Kelbly and crew for producing this excellent video visit to the Kelbly’s production center.
Click Volume Control to Activate Sound for Kelbly’s Video:
Let’s say you’ve purchased a new scope, and the spec-sheet indicates it is calibrated for quarter-MOA clicks. One MOA is 1.047″ inches at 100 yards, so you figure that’s how far your point of impact (POI) will move with four clicks. Well, unfortunately, you may be wrong. You can’t necessarily rely on what the manufacturer says. Production tolerances being what they are, you should test your scope to determine how much movement it actually delivers with each click of the turret. It may move a quarter-MOA, or maybe a quarter-inch, or maybe something else entirely. (Likewise scopes advertised as having 1/8-MOA clicks may deliver more or less than 1 actual MOA for 8 clicks.)
Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N’C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.
Place the rifle in a good hold on sandbags or other rest. With your hundred-yard zero on the rifle, using max magnification, carefully aim your center crosshairs at the top of the ruler (zero end-point). Have an assistant crank on 36 (indicated) MOA (i.e. 144 clicks), being careful not to move the rifle. (You really do need a helper, it’s very difficult to keep the rifle motionless if you crank the knobs yourself.) With each click, the reticle will move a bit down toward the bottom of the ruler. Note where the center crosshairs rest when your helper is done clicking. If the scope is accurately calibrated, it should be right at that 37.7 inch mark. If not, record where 144 clicks puts you on the ruler, to figure out what your actual click value is. (Repeat this several times as necessary, to get a “rock-solid”, repeatable value.) You now know, for that scope, how much each click actually moves the reticle at 100 yards–and, of course, that will scale proportionally at longer distances. This optical method is better than shooting, because you don’t have the uncertainly associated with determining a group center.
Using this method, I discovered that my Leupold 6.5-20X50 M1 has click values that are calibrated in what I called ‘Shooter’s MOA’, rather than true MOA. That is to say, 4 clicks moved POI 1.000″, rather than 1.047″ (true MOA). That’s about a 5% error.
I’ve tested bunches of scopes, and lots have click values which are significantly off what the manufacturer has advertised. You can’t rely on printed specifications–each scope is different. Until you check your particular scope, you can’t be sure how much it really moves with each click.
I’ve found the true click value varies not only by manufacturer, but by model and individual unit. My Leupold 3.5-10 M3LR was dead on. So was my U.S.O. SN-3 with an H25 reticle, but other SN-3s have been off, and so is my Leupold 6.5-20X50M1. So, check ‘em all, is my policy.”
From the Expert: “…Very good and important article, especially from a ballistics point of view. If a ballistics program predicts 30 MOA of drop at 1000 yards for example, and you dial 30 MOA on your scope and hit high or low, it’s easy to begin questioning BCs, MVs, and everything else under the sun. In my experience, more than 50% of the time error in trajectory prediction at long range is actually scope adjustment error. For serious long range shooting, the test described in this article is a MUST!” — Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics LLC.
Bryan also uses a Tall Target Test to determine true click values. CLICK HERE to read a detailed, explanatory article about Litz’s Tall Target Test.
This article, as published in AccurateShooter.com, contains copyrighted content. It shall not be republished in whole or in part without advanced permission in writing. The act of republishing constitutes legal consent to licensing fees.
After the hugely successful release of the compact Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, two competitors are now playing “catch-up” with all-new compact radar chronographs. LabRadar has an impressive new unit, the LX Compact, while Caldwell introduced its midsized VelociRadar which employs innovative Chirp Radar technology. For today’s Saturday Video Showcase, we feature recent video reviews of these three notable Compact Radar Chronographs.
Caldwell VelociRadar
Caldwell showcased its all-new VelociRadar chronograph at SHOT Show 2024. This is quite a bit bigger than the Garmin Xero C1 Pro or the new LabRadar LX compact. But it is still relatively small compared to the original orange LabRadar unit.
Notably, the Caldwell VelociRadar uses a different mode of radar (Chirp Radar vs. Doppler) than other chronos, which offers some advantages. Caldwell states: “The Caldwell VelociRadar Chronograph is precision redefined with cutting-edge Chirp radar technology. This is no standard chronograph, while most chronographs stop at only providing muzzle velocity the VelociRadar tracks bullets downrange offering the full picture of ballistic performance. Using these downrange velocity measurements, the VelociRadar calculates true muzzle velocity, the bullet’s ballistic coefficient, and downrange energy.” Note that point about BCs — Caldwell says this new machine will let you calculate the true Ballistic Coefficients of your bullets as fired from your rifle.
LabRadar LX Compact
LabRadar announced its new LabRadar LX compact Doppler radar chronograph at the 2024 SHOT Show. This is a truly compact unit, measuring just 2.5″ X 2.75″ X 2.75″. The LabRadar LX comes with a tough metal case, lifetime battery, and ships with a tripod. The unit has a velocity range of 65 to 5000 FPS and it can display Average, ES, SD, Min, and Max Velocity.
Observers at SHOT Show noted the LabRadar LX has a very bright, high-contrast LCD Screen for outdoor viewing. Overall, the exterior design and specs are impressive. Definitely watch both videos to understand the difference in features between the Garmin and this ultra-compact new LabRadar LX. If you’re shopping for a compact chrono it’s worth looking at all the options. The Garmin Xero C1 Pro is currently $599.99, while the new Labradar LX is $599.95.
Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph
The Garmin Xero® C1 Pro chronograph has already been a big success. After great initial test reports, this compact $599.99 chronograph has been selling out at vendors nationwide. With the performance and quality of the Xero C1 Pro, many LabRadar owners are putting their older orange radar chronos up for sale. Check out the features of this new compact radar chrono in this official product launch video from Garmin:
Introduced in late 2023, the Xero C1 Pro radar chronograph has been an instant hit. Measuring just 3.03″ x 2.38″ x 1.36″, the Xero C1 Pro is compact and easy to transport. Using Doppler radar, the Xero C1 Pro accurately records projectile velocities from 100 fps to 5,000 fps, so it works with all kinds of projectiles. Setup is simple and intuitive, thanks to the button-operated design. SEE FULL RecoilWeb Review.
Garmin offers a modern ShotView™ smartphone app and lets you compare velocities for all shots fired, track ES/SD, and record total sessions. The rugged Xero C1 Pro chrono has a IPX7 water-resistant rating and boasts up to 6 hours of battery life. The unit ships with a compact tripod mount, and the screen is described as “sunlight-visible, transflective, monochrome” so it is easy to view in all conditions.
Above is a recent video review from our friends at Area 419. This review confirms that the Garmin is very reliable, extremely easy to set-up, and the provided Smartphone App works great. User reports have been very positive, and our testers note that the Garmin works better on air rifles than the original LabRadar.
Here’s one VITAL bit of advice for using these bags. Be absolutely sure, before you seal up the bags, that your guns are DRY and that all metal surfaces have been coated with an effective anti-corrosive, such as BoeShield T9 or Eezox. Brownells’ storage bags are inexpensive. A 
Remember, those plastic-shelled cases with foam interiors are for transport, not for long-term storage. Don’t repeat the mistake of a wealthy gun collector I know. He stored four valuable Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolvers in individual foam-padded cases, and locked these away in his gun safe. A year later, every one of his precious SAAs had rusted, some badly.
Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N’C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.
