The Gathering is a special event presented by Palmetto State Armory that allows gun writers and regular shooters to try out a variety of firearms and accessories. The Gathering 2024 runs March 22-23, 2024 in Clinton, SC. There will be live-fire demonstrations along with opportunities to try various products. Guns on display included firearms from SIG Sauer, Glock, Springfield Armory, Taurus and more.
The Gathering is a Firearm Range Day and Expo presented by Palmetto State Armory. The Gathering brings together the firearms community, media and public to showcase new and existing firearms, optics, and accessories. This year’s event is held at The Clinton House Plantation, a 2000-acre facility that houses 17 live-fire shooting bays, two clay courses, a 1000-yard range, and a mile-long range.
At The Gathering 2024, Silencer Central will have live-fire demonstrations suppressors. CEO of Silencer Central, Brandon Maddox notes: “We’ve reinvented the process of buying a silencer and are thrilled to showcase… our products at The Gathering[.]” Attendees will be able to purchase a silencer, have required ATF ID logged, generate their free NFA Gun Trust, and digitally sign their ATF application all at the event.
The pandemic-caused cancellation of the 2021 SHOT Show range day inspired Palmetto State Armory to launch its own Industry Range Day called The Gathering. The first Gathering was a big success in 2021. In 2022, PSA had its second Gathering which was even bigger and better — see the video above. And last year, the 2023 edition of The Gathering was held with great success. See the video below:
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We’ve found ten great discount/rebate programs. These specials can save you big bucks on pistols, shotguns, ammo, or bullets. Some of these rebates are worth $100 or more. For example you can Save $75 on a new S&W revolver, save $100 on a new Beretta pistol, or save $200 on a new Shotgun. Note: most of these promos are good through the end of May or June 2024, but some expire on March 31st — so check the dates.
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Peterson Cartridge Company (“Peterson”) has released a lengthy, authoritative guide to the 22 Creedmoor cartridge, a popular wildcat based on the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6mm Creedmoor necked down to .224 caliber. We think the .22 Creedmoor would be a great long-range varmint cartridge, similar to the .22-250 Rem, but with a more modern, efficient cartridge design. In addition, some PRS/NRL competitors may turn to the .22 Creedmoor because it has less recoil and is flatter-shooting than the 6mm Creedmoor. In addition, .224-caliber match bullets are typically less expensive than heavier 6mm and 6.5mm projectiles. Less recoil, and less cost — what’s not to like?*
Along with load data, this article has specific sections dedicated to: Primers, Rifling Twist Rates, and Reloading Supplies. If you are considering building a .22 Creedmoor, we recommend you download the full Peterson .22 Creedmoor article, which is available in PDF format.
Peterson states, “Since its inception in 2007… the 6.5 Creedmoor has seen some pretty meteoric growth in popularity. That growth continues as of this writing, as the cartridge has now gone mainstream with hunters and shooters alike. As the popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor has increased, so has the number of wildcat cartridges based off of it. Some of those popular wildcat cartridges are the 6mm Creedmoor, the .25 Creedmoor, and now the .22 Creedmoor. This data sheet will cover the .22 Creedmoor.
To help our customers, and anyone else who shoots .22 Creedmoor, we decided to create this Data Sheet and distribute it. [In this LOAD DATA Document] you will find four (4) common bullets, and four (4) common rifle powders used when handloading the .22 Creedmoor cartridge. We then took the different bullet and powder combinations and loaded them up to the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor cartridges, which is 62,000 PSI. [O]ur goal was to provide a wide spectrum of bullet weights and the powders used with them.
All of the following data was gathered by our ballistician in our indoor ballistics lab located in our factory in Pennsylvania. Although we were able to gather pressure and velocity data in our lab, we have NOT tested these loads for accuracy. Again, these loads are just designed to give shooters information regarding what velocity, a given bullet and powder charge combination, will produce the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) of 62,000 psi.”
Sample 22 Creedmoor LOAD DATA
IMPORTANT — Pressures can vary significantly with different Cartridge Overall Lengths (COAL). In addition, ANY change to ANY load components — primers, bullets, brass, powder — can affect pressure. Always load conservatively. In addition, because of variances in bore dimensions, some barrels may show higher pressures than others. Again, always start with conservative loads, well below MAX pressures.
*Actually there IS a potential downside — reduced barrel life. We expect that a .22 Creedmoor running hot varmint loads would experience shorter useful barrel life compared to a 6.5 Creedmoor. This is based on what we’ve observed with .22-250 and .22-250 Ackley barrels compared to our 6.5 CM barrels.
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Nikon offers eyepieces with reticles for its flagship Monarch Fieldscopes. Eyepiece reticles help spotters call shot corrections with precise click values (MOA or Mils).
Using a spotting scope seems simple. Just point it at the target and focus, right? Well, actually, it’s not that simple. Sometimes you want to watch mirage or trace, and that involves different focus and viewing priorities. Along with resolving bullet holes (or seeing other features on the target itself), you can use your spotting scope to monitor mirage. When watching mirage, you actually want to focus the spotting scope not on the target, but, typically, about two-thirds of the distance downrange. When spotting for another shooter, you can also use the spotting scope to watch the bullet trace, i.e. the vapor trail of the bullet. This will help you determine where the bullet is actually landing, even if it does not impact on the target backer.
In this video, SFC L.D. Lewis explains how to use a spotting scope to monitor mirage, and to watch trace. SFC Lewis is a former Army Marksmanship Unit member, U.S. Army Sniper School instructor, and current U.S. Army Reserve Service Rifle Shooting Team member. In discussing how precision shooters can employ spotting scopes, Lewis compares the use of a spotting scope for competition shooters vs. military snipers. NOTE: You may wish to turn up the audio volume, during the actual interview segment of this video.
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As does Lapua and some other leading bullet-makers, Barnes now uses radar to determine bullet BC values and ballistic data for its match bullets and ammunition. Barnes employs advanced Doppler Radar to record bullet speeds at multiple distances out to 1500 yards.
The Doppler radar system gathers thousands of data points as a bullet flies downrange. This radar data is used to generate a bullet specific drag curve, and then fed into a modern 6 Degree of Freedom (DOF) [ballistics software program] to generate precise firing solutions.
Determining Bullet Ballistics with Doppler Radar Data
How do you build better (more precise) ammo drop tables? With radar, that’s how. Barnes Bullets is using Doppler Radar to develop the drop tables for its Precision Match line of factory ammunition. The Doppler radar allows Barnes to determine actual velocities at hundreds of points along a bullet’s flight path. This provides a more complete view of the ballistics “behavior” of the bullet, particularly at long range. Using Doppler radar, Barnes has learned that neither the G1 nor G7 BC models are perfect. Barnes essentially builds a custom drag curve for each bullet using Doppler radar findings.
Use of Doppler Radar to Generate Trajectory Solutions
by Barnes Bullets, LLC
Typical trajectory tables are generated by measuring only two values: muzzle velocity, and either time-of-flight to a downrange target, or a second downrange velocity. Depending on the test facility where this data is gathered, that downrange target or chronograph may only be 100 to 300 yards from the muzzle. These values are used to calculate the Ballistic Coefficient (BC value) of the bullet, and the BC value is then referenced to a standardized drag curve such as G1 or G7 to generate the trajectory table.
This approach works reasonably well for the distances encountered in most hunting and target shooting conditions, but breaks down rapidly for long range work. It’s really an archaic approach based on artillery firings conducted in the late 1800s and computational techniques developed before the advent of modern computers.
There is a better approach which has been utilized by modern militaries around the world for many years to generate very precise firing solutions. Due to the sizeable investment required, it has been slow to make its way into the commercial market. This modern approach is to use a Doppler radar system to gather thousands of data points as a bullet flies downrange. This radar data is used to generate a bullet specific drag curve, and then fed into a modern 6 Degree of Freedom (DOF) [ballistics software program] to generate precise firing solutions and greatly increase first-round hit probability. (The 6 DOF software accounts for x, y, and z position along with the bullet’s pitch, yaw, and roll rates.)
Bullet-Specific Drag Curves Derived from Radar Data
Barnes’ advanced Doppler radar system can track bullets out to 1500 meters, recording the velocity and time of flight of that bullet every few feet along the flight path. The noteworthy graph below shows a Doppler Radar-derived, bullet-specific drag curve alongside the more common G1 and G7 curves:
Neither of the standard curves is a particularly good match to our test bullet. In the legacy approach to generating a downrange trajectory table, the BC value is in effect a multiplier or a fudge factor that’s used to shift the drag curve of the test bullet to try and approximate one of the standard curves. This leads to heated arguments as to which of the standardized drag curves is a better fit, or if multiple BC values should be used to better approximate the standard curve (e.g., use one BC value when the velocity is between Mach 1 and Mach 2, and a different BC value when the velocity is between Mach 2 and Mach 3.) Barnes’ approach to creating trajectory tables is to generate bullet-specific drag curves, and use that data directly in a modern, state-of-the-art, 6 DOF ballistics program called Prodas to generate the firing solution.
Story tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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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. Graf & Sons — Sightron Scope Sale — Save 20-22%
⏺ Big savings on Sightron Scopes for competition and hunting
Graf’s is running a major Sightron Scope Sale this month with 20-22% savings on many excellent optics. Get a 10-50x60mm SIII for $1179.99 or the amazing 5-40×56 SVIII ED for $2579.99, a $649.00 savings! Hunters can get the rugged 4-12x40mm S1 AO Scope for just $249.99 (20% off), and AR shooters will like the compact 1-6x24mm STAC AR1 scope for $399.99 (20% off). Note: Grab these bargains soon as sale inventory is limited.
2. Natchez — Frankford Arsenal SALE, up to 27% Off
⏺ Great prices on reloading kits, powder dispensers, tumblers and more
Frankford Arsenal makes some very effective and affordable products. Right now Frankford Arsenal products are on sale up to 27% off at Natchez. We recommend the Frankford Arsenal Essentials Reloading Kit ($299.99, $110 off), which has the excellent F-1 press, manual powder dispenser, priming tool, compact scale and more. We also recommend the Intelli-Dropper Powder Dispenser ($169.99, $60 off), the Case Prep Center ($114.99), and the Platinum Rotary Tumbler System ($149.99).
3. Midsouth — Hornady L-N-L Classis Reloading Kit, $389.99
⏺ Major $170 savings plus free Sonic Cleaner and 500 free bulleta
Right now Midsouth is offering Hornady’s L-N-L Classic Single Stage Press Reloading Kit for $389.99, a $170.00 discount. This Kit includes a nice press, manual powder dispenser, electronic scale, priming tool, powder trickler, chamfer/debur tool, case lube, shell block and more. As a special promo, this week Midsouth is including a FREE Sonic Cleaner, a $159.99 value. Plus, as an added bonus Hornady will provide 500 FREE Bullets with Kit purchase.
4. Creedmoor Sports — Starline Rifle Brass IN STOCK on SALE
⏺ Good American-made cartridge brass at attractive prices
Starline Brass is quality, American-made cartridge brass that offers good consistency and useful life at a much lower price than some other leading brands. If you shoot PRS/NRL matches or run a varmint rifle, Starline may meet your expectations. At Creedmoor Sports you can save on popular cartridge types such as 6mm Creedmoor — now $69.95 for 100 cases. You could pay $120 or more for other brands of brass.
5. Amazon — Pegboard Wall Organizer, $119.79
⏺ Very effective wall-mounted tool and parts storage solution
Here’s a great option for your reloading room or garage. There’s only so much space on the bench to store tools so why not take advantage of your wall space? The well-designed Ultrawall Pegboard Wall Organizer provides 48″ x 36″ of pegboard complete with buckets, hooks, and more ensuring that your tools and parts are organized, yet easy to access.
6. Amazon — RCBS Universal Priming Tool, $64.99
⏺ Recommended tool that adapts to multiple case rim sizes
The RCBS Universal Hand Primer tool can handle both large rim and small rim cases without any parts change. Leverage is good and the primer feeding tray is very reliable. This is a recommended tool for both beginning handloaders and expert-level reloaders. Another good feature of this tool is a patented safety gate that isolates the primer seating operation from the primer supply, lowering risk of tray detonation.
7. Amazon — 54″ Bulldog Rifle Case, $92.45`
⏺ Popular case for long-barreled F-Class, Palma, and Long Range rifles
Most rifle cases won’t fit long-barreled competition rifles. This oversize, 54″-long Bulldog 54″ Rifle Case does have the ability to hold long Palma, Benchrest, F-Class, and ELR rigs. This case has a tough 600 denier water-resistant outer shell with lockable zippers and handy large pockets for tools, ammo, and accessories (yes a Garmin GPS will fit in the outside pocket). Inside the case is a plush, heat-resistant quilted inner lining with adjustable Velcro tie downs.
8. Bullet Central — ThorroClean 20% OFF
⏺ Tests show this new cleaning product is very effective
Bullet Central has the advanced, new ThorroClean Bore Cleaning System. This cutting-edge cleaning product, developed in partnership with Iosso, is designed to provide shooters with a quick and thorough cleaning solution for their rifle bores. ThorroClean is engineered to completely eliminate copper and carbon fouling with no wear to the bore. NOTE: For a limited time you can get 20% OFF all ThorroCLean products at Bullet Central with code CLEAN20.
9. Amazon — BOG Switcheroo Tripod, $109.54
⏺ Multi-purpose lightweight tripod for rifles and optics
This BOG Adrenaline Switcheroo Tripod is a great choice as a rifle shooting support AND an optics platform. It can support your PRS rifle, and then adapt to support binoculars or spotting scope. Engineered for portability, this tripod can be used in the sitting, kneeling, and standing positions. The head rotates 360 degrees and has a handy v-shaped support. There is also a plain black BOG Switcheroo tripod version with the same features for just $88.04 on Amazon.
10. Amazon — BESTNULE Punch Kit, $29.99
⏺ Bargain price on very complete punch set for common pin sizes
All gun owners can use a quality set of precision punches for assembly and disassembly tasks. The impressive BESTNULE Punch Kit features 18 punches (both metal and plastic), plus hammer (with detachable head), bench block, and other components — all for just $29.99 at Amazon. The tools fit in a handy plastic carry case that holds hammer and pins securely.
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For this St. Patrick’s Day 2024, our Sunday GunDay story features a beautiful F-Open rifle from Ireland. This was crafted a decade ago, but it’s still one of our favorites. It has a handsome thumbhole custom stock, and it boasts an unusual chambering — the .300 Blaser Magnum. This impressive rig carries its barreled action in a massive barrel block — not often found in F-Class rigs.
Here’s a very impressive F-Class project from Enda Walsh of Custom & Precision Rifles in Ireland. This rifle features a free-floated BAT Machines ‘M’ action with a Benchmark barrel chambered in .300 Blaser Magnum (300 BM). The barreled action is secured with a large barrel block. This handsome, long-wheelbase F-Class rig demonstrated some stunning accuracy at 1000 yards when it was brand new. Enda tells us: “I couldn’t wait until the rifle was fully polished before testing. I went to MNSCI (Midlands National Shooting Centre of Ireland) to shoot my new barrel block rifle. I came home with a huge smile on my face after shooting a five-shot group with 1.5″ vertical and 3″ horizontal at 1000 yards in an 8 mph wind.”
Click Photo for full-screen version
AUDIO FILE: Enda Walsh Talks about his New .300 BM Barrel Block F-Open Rifle.
Below you can see the barrel block in the handsome Padouk wood and carbon fiber stock. Enda uses high-spec epoxy layered between the barrel and the aluminum barrel block. Yes, those three “super-sized” cartridges are .300 Blaser Magnums loaded with with 230gr Berger Hybrids. The smaller cartridge is a .308 Win (with 150gr bullet), provided for comparison. This .300 BM drives the 230s at 3140 FPS.
.300 BM Runs 230-grainers at 3140 FPS!
Enda tells us: “I wanted something to beat the 300 WSM. After studying the .300 Blaser Magnum, I decided this was the [chambering] that could deliver high accuracy consistently and be able to shoot the 230gr Bergers at 3140 FPS. Using H1000 powder, they do very well but the case life is short at these speeds. We have backed them off a little and retained the accuracy and extended case life considerably.”
Enda says the 230gr Hybrids at 3140 fps drift much less in the wind than do 7mm 180gr Hybrids launched from a 7mm WSM. A quick run through JBM Ballistics for a 10 mph, full-value crosswind at 1000 yards (sea-level) tells the tale. JBM predicts 4.2 MOA horizontal deflection for the .30-caliber 230s at 3140 fps vs. 5.0 MOA for the 7mm 180s at 3050 fps. That 0.8 MOA difference represents more than 8 inches at 1000 yards. When you consider the small size of the F-Open X-Ring, you can see how the enhanced ballistics could be a game-changer in the wind.
Note the metal bag-rider “keel” on the underside of the buttstock.
Barrel Block Acts as Heat Sink
Enda needed a way to beat the heat, with this big case. He explains: “Because of the large case volume (roughly 82 grains of usable capacity) there are two issues. Firstly, throat wear, and secondly heat. To combat this I have a new reamer on order with slight alterations which will help the throat wear. To combat the heat affecting a 34″ barrel I decided to build a barrel block rifle. It was previously mounted in a standard stock, and when the barrel got too hot accuracy was an issue. The barrel block acts as a heat sink and also shortens the overhanging barrel considerably, which has greatly improved accuracy over a complete string. The block is made from aircraft grade aluminium.” As a final note, Enda wanted to thank Pacific Tool & Gauge for the special-order reamers.
More .300 Blaser Magnum F-Classers from Enda Walsh in Ireland
Here are three more .300 Blaser Magnum F-Class rifles Enda built for the 2014 European Championships at the Bisley Range in the UK. The color scheme comes from the Irish Flag.
And here is Enda Walsh himself shooting of of these rifles in Ireland:
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Today, March 17th, is St. Patrick’s Day. With the burden of rising prices, conflict in the Mideast, and the continuing decline of a corrupt, senile President, it may be hard to feel lucky in 2024, but at least you can print out some lucky targets and have fun at the range. Here are two free Irish-themed targets to provide some fun and a bit of challenge. Shoot these Shamrocks or the Pot of Gold and see if you have the “Luck of the Irish”.
To help celebrate this traditional day of Irish pride, the NRA has created two (2) fun targets you can download, print, and shoot. Try out these free targets. Click each Irish target photo below to open a high-rez PDF file you can download and print. NOTE: The PDFs should open up in your browser, then you can click the download icon. Save to your device and then print.
The first target features a large four-leaf clover in the middle, with 17 other smaller three-leaf shamrocks around the outside. With five black bulls-eyes in the center graphic, that gives you a total of 22 aiming points for shooting fun. For added challenge we suggest you set this Shamrock Target at 100 yards for rimfire rifle and 200 yards for a centerfire gun.
CLICK Below for Big Shamrock 4-Leaf Clover PDF Target
The second target offers the legendary Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. Along with a big bullseye on the pot, there are 15 shamrocks in gold circles, plus five small gold, diamond-shaped nuggets with tiny bullseyes. Those small red dots will be a challenge even at 100 yards. You’ll need a half-MOA (or better) rifle to “clean” this Pot of Gold Target, hitting the tiny red dots on the diamond nuggets.
CLICK Below for Big Pot of Gold PDF Target
Whether you’re Irish or not, these targets will hopefully bring you a bit of luck. Click each image above to open a high-rez PDF file that you can print out. Then, this St. Patty’s day, wear your green, grab your gear, and head to range for some fun shooting.
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Here is an interesting project by one of our Forum members. Martin C. (aka “Killick”) modified an Anschutz 1411 Match 54 rimfire prone stock to become a comfortable, great-tracking F-Class Open Division Stock. No Killick didn’t sacrifice a perfectly good rimfire rifle for this project — he bought the Anschutz stock by itself on eBay, then transformed it…
Killick explains: “This project started about seven years ago. I bought the Anschutz prone stock on eBay and whittled it a bit into a Palma rifle with a Barnard action and block and a Doan Trevor cheek piece and scope rail. Then about two years ago I decided to re-task the stock/action assembly into an F-Open rig. With more whittling, gluing, sanding, body fillering, sanding, filling, sanding, more sanding…and sanding, forming, priming, sanding, painting, waiting, painting, painting…painting and before you know it, Bob’s your uncle.”
Here is the eBay-sourced Anschutz 1411 stock, with new high-gloss blue finish, as initially modified for use in Killick’s centerfire Palma rifle. Looks nice!
Next step was the addition of a 3″-wide wood fore-end for F-Open duties with front rest:
Almost done here… just needs priming and final painting:
Here is Killick’s completed F-Open rifle with its much-modified Anschutz stock now finished in fire-engine red lacquer. This image shows the detail of the grip and customized cheekpiece.
Springtime is turkey hunting season throughout the USA. The official spring wild turkey hunting season is set regionally by each state. In a few states, turkey season has already commenced, while most other states open their turkey seasons in early April, with the spring seasons running for 3-5 weeks. CLICK HERE to read Outdoor Life Magazine’s Turkey Hunting Resource page. This include articles on How to Hunt Turkeys, Best Turkey Calls, Turkey Hunting Camo Gear, and Recommended Turkey Loads.
Sportsman’s Warehouse has a great feature this month on Spring Turkey Hunting. This has features on recommended shotguns, clothing & footwear, decoys & calls, blinds & chairs, and even turkey cooking. CLICK HERE for the Sportsman’s Warehouse Turkey Hunting Page.
And Sportsman’s Warehouse has an excellent lengthy “how to” article, the Beginner’s Guide to Turkey Hunting which includes the Outdoor Dan video featured above.
Saturday Showcase Spring Turkey Hunting Videos
With 934,000 views, this Canada-in-the-Rough video shows effective turkey scouting, calling, and shooting. This action-packed turkey hunting compilation features 30 turkey kill shots with shotguns.
Get Zone — At the Ranch Turkey Hunting Videos
GetZoneHunting.com has a vast video library for hunters, with hundreds of helpful videos on all types of hunting. In time for spring turkey season, GetZoneHunting offers a big collection of turkey hunting videos: At the Ranch – Turkey. On that page you’ll find 13 turkey hunting “how-to” videos. Here are links to five GetZone Turkey Hunting videos with valuable information from skilled, experienced hunters.
At the Ranch – Turkey offers solid advice for turkey hunters. These five videos will help you better understand turkey behavior and have success on your hunt. Click any photo to watch the particular video on the GetZone website. (Work Warning — When each GetZone video opens, it may immediately launch an annoying commercial with loud AUDIO!). There are eight more turkey hunting videos on GetZone’s Turkey Hunting HQ Page.
At the Ranch: Shot Placement for Turkeys — CLICK to Watch Video
At the Ranch: Turkey Hunting Essentials — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
At the Ranch: The Difference Between a Jake and a Tom — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
At the Ranch: Early vs. Late Spring Turkey Hunt — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
At the Ranch: How to Plan a Turkey Hunt — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
Free Printable Turkey Target from AccurateShooter.com
As a special bonus for our readers, here is a free, printable Turkey Target, so you can practice for your turkey hunting adventure, This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
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The Applied Ballistics Facebook Page features great, interesting new content posted multiple times each week. This resource features videos, test results, accuracy tips, and samples from Bryan Litz’s excellent books on ballistics and the three volume series on Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting. Here are some highlights from Applied Ballistics’ Facebook posts from the past two weeks. Plus there’s a discount code, READ2024, that can save you 25% on Applied Ballistics books purchased in the month of March.
.22 LR Super Slow Motion Video — Watch the Bullet!
Watch .22 LR Rimfire Projectile Exiting Rifle Muzzle
This video, filmed with an ultra-high-speed camera, shows the milliseconds in time as a .22-caliber bullet travels the first 11 inches after leaving a .22 LR rifle barrel. Applied Ballistics states: “Notice that the bullet is fully obturated to the internal bore dimension — the step/rebate that exists on the unfired bullet where it meets the case gets expanded (obturated) and doesn’t exist on the fired bullet.”
How Important is Case Fill Ratio — You May Be Surprised
Conventional reloading practice is to select a powder that gives you a good case fill, meaning 90%-100% fill ratio for the cartridge and bullet you’re using. But why?
Some say that a higher fill ratio is good because it prevents the powder from settling differently in the case (which could lead to inconsistent ignition and greater MV SD). This explanation sounds good, and went unchallenged for a long time. However, Applied Ballistics has done some interesting testing that sheds new light on the density issue.
Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting – Vol. 2 contains the results of Applied Ballistics tests of five different cartridge types — .223 Rem to .338 Lapua — loaded with different powders to produce fill ratios of 80%, 90%, and 100%. The testers wanted to see if 100% fill ratios actually gave better results (lower MV SDs) than the lower fill ratios.
Results of testing 3 different loads in 5 different cartridges — The highest MV SD was in fact measured in an 80% fill ratio load. However, the lowest MV SD was also measured for a different 80% load! Seems like the more we learn, the more questions we have. An informative Applied Ballistics podcast covers the Fill Ratio test. Visit Thescienceofaccuracy.com to access this and interesting podcasts.
EDITOR’s NOTE: There were multiple comments from Facebook readers stating that fill ratios 90% and above worked more consistently for them. And the reloading manuals warn against very low fill ratios.
Get 25% Off Applied Ballistics Books in March 2024
Applied Ballistics, through its Science of Accuracy webstore, is currently offering big savings on its popular books — considered to be the best print resources about rifle accuracy/ballistics ever published. This month you can save 25% on all six Applied Ballistics book titles by respected expert (and past national champion) Bryan Litz. Use Code READ2024 to get 25% of one or more of these books.
Get 25% OFF Applied Ballistics Books! Use code: READ2024 at checkout.
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Americans love AR-platform rifles. However, they can be maintenance-intensive, as hot gasses are directed right back into the action to operate the bolt. Because ARs have a somewhat unique (and dirty) semi-auto operating system, we think all AR owners should learn how their rifles operate — from the inside out. This feature provides an “inside look” at the AR, with X-Ray and Cutaway views created through advanced 3D computer modeling.
AR15 Functions Revealed with 3D Computer Animation
Ever wondered how the parts inside an AR15 work together? Just exactly how does the reciprocating bolt carrier feed rounds from the magazine? How do the elements in the trigger group work and reset after each shot? How does the gas system bleed gas from the barrel and operate the bolt carrier? These and other questions are answered in this eye-opening video from 45Snipers. Using “cutaway” 3D computer animation, this 5-minute video shows all features of an AR15 inside and out. This fascinating firearms animation allows the viewer to look inside the upper and lower receivers, into the bolt carrier, chamber, barrel, and magazine.
This video starts off slow and has annoying background music, but it is well worth watching if you own or shoot any AR-platform rifle. It illustrates all the key operations during the charging, loading, firing, and ejection processes. The cutaway animation shows how rounds are stripped from the magazine and then chambered. It then shows how every part of the trigger group works, and how the firing pin strikes the primer. You can even watch the bullet move down the barrel before the empty shell casing is removed from the chamber and tossed out the ejection port. Here are sample frames from the video:
How AR-Platform Rifles Work — General Introduction
To help reader understand the general operation of AR-type rifles, this video shows the control functions of an AR and how the upper and lower sections work together.
Cutaway 3D Animation of AR15/M16 Action — Watch Video
Here is an excellent “cutaway” animation by Thomas Schwenke that shows how an AR-15 functions — how the entire loading cycle works from start to finish.
AR platform rifles are semi-automatics version of the M16. These feature distinctive upper and lower receivers which can be readily separated via front and rear pins. The upper includes the barrel, handguard, forward gas tube, and bolt assembly, while the lower contains grip, trigger group, fire selector, and mag well. In addition the lower is attached to the stock which encloses the buffer assembly.
The original ArmaLite AR-15 was a select-fire, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle designed by American gun manufacturer ArmaLite in 1956. It was based on Armalite’s AR-10 rifle chambered for the 7.62×51 NATO (.308 Win). In 1959, ArmaLite sold its rights to the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt. Some key modifications were made — most notably, the charging handle was re-located from under the carrying handle to the rear of the receiver. The redesigned rifle was adopted by the U.S. military as the M16 carbine, which went into production in March 1964.
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Using a spotting scope seems simple. Just point it at the target and focus, right? Well, actually, it’s not that simple. Sometimes you want to watch mirage or trace, and that involves different focus and viewing priorities. Along with resolving bullet holes (or seeing other features on the target itself), you can use your spotting scope to monitor mirage. When watching mirage, you actually want to focus the spotting scope not on the target, but, typically, about two-thirds of the distance downrange. When spotting for another shooter, you can also use the spotting scope to watch the bullet trace, i.e. the vapor trail of the bullet. This will help you determine where the bullet is actually landing, even if it does not impact on the target backer.
This approach works reasonably well for the distances encountered in most hunting and target shooting conditions, but breaks down rapidly for long range work. It’s really an archaic approach based on artillery firings conducted in the late 1800s and computational techniques developed before the advent of modern computers.
Here’s a very impressive F-Class project from Enda Walsh of Custom & Precision Rifles in Ireland. This rifle features a free-floated BAT Machines ‘M’ action with a Benchmark barrel chambered in .300 Blaser Magnum (300 BM). The barreled action is secured with a large barrel block. This handsome, long-wheelbase F-Class rig demonstrated some stunning accuracy at 1000 yards when it was brand new. Enda tells us: “I couldn’t wait until the rifle was fully polished before testing. I went to 
.300 BM Runs 230-grainers at 3140 FPS!
Some say that a higher fill ratio is good because it prevents the powder from settling differently in the case (which could lead to inconsistent ignition and greater MV SD). This explanation sounds good, and went unchallenged for a long time. However, Applied Ballistics has done some interesting testing that sheds new light on the density issue.
