Here is a video every shooter should watch. It reminds us that our sport demands 100% attention. Lose track of individuals down-range and the results could be tragic. This video will give you chills (starting at about the 0:25 mark). We need to remember to follow all the firearms safety rules, and apply them all the time. At the range, all it takes is one brief moment of inattention to create a life-threatening situation. Never assume the downrange area is safe. Use your own eyes and ears.
This video shows a competitor shooting a stage at an action pistol match. He starts when instructed by the Range Safety Officer (RSO). But unbeknownst to both RS0 and competitor, a volunteer is downrange working on targets. Watch carefully. At 0:27 the shooter sweeps left to right, engaging a paper silhouette target to his right. Then, at 0:30, as he begins a mag change, his head turns downrange. A few yards away is a white-shirted range worker! The shooter yells “Hey what’s going on?!”
What’s going on indeed… The RSO should have ensured that nobody was downrange before the shooter even stepped up to the firing line. If other competitors standing to the side had been alert, they might have seen the worker changing targets and called for a halt. And the target-worker himself — even if he was wearing earmuffs, he should have noticed that live fire had commenced just yards away…
We also have to wonder about the stage design. This set-up made it very difficult to see downrange. The white panels (see 0:10-0:20) definitely hid the target worker from view. In hindsight, given the way the stage was laid out, this was truly an “accident waiting to happen”. It’s fortunate that no one got injured in this incident. But this chilling video provides a lesson to all shooters — “Safety First”.
How could this “near-fatality” have been averted? Post your comments below.
The Southwest Nationals (SWN), 2025’s biggest centerfire rifle match west of the Mississippi, is coming up next week in Arizona. The 2025 SWN will be held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility on February 12-16, 2025. We know that many of our regular readers will be flying to Phoenix to attend the SWN. Here are some travel tips from experts in the industry.
If you’ll be traveling by air in the days ahead, be careful when transporting firearms through airports. It is important that you comply with all Homeland Security, TSA, and Airline policies when transporting guns and ammunition. Following the rules will help ensure you (and your gear) make it to your destination without hassles, delays or (God forbid), confiscations.
Good Advice from an Airport Police Officer
To help our readers comply with rules and regulations for air travel, we offer these guidelines, courtesy “Ron D.”, a member of our Shooters’ Forum. Before he retired, Ron D. served as a Police Officer assigned to Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Here Ron offers some very important advice for shooters traveling with firearms and expensive optics.
First, Ron explains that airport thieves can spot bags containing firearms no matter how they are packaged: “Don’t think you’re safe if your guns are placed in cases designed for golf clubs or trade show items. Baggage is X-Rayed now and cases are tagged with a special bar code if they contain firearms. It doesn’t take long for bad guys to figure out the bar coding for firearms.”
Carry-On Your Scopes and Expensive Items
Ron advises travelers to avoid placing very expensive items in checked baggage: “When traveling by air, carry on your rangefinder, spotting scope, rifle scope, medications, camera, etc. You would be surprised at the amount of people that carry-on jeans and shirts, but put expensive items in checked baggage. Better to loose three pairs of jeans than some expensive glass.”
Mark Bags to Avoid Confusion
Ron notes that carry-on bags are often lost because so many carry-on cases look the same. Ron reports: “People do accidentally remove the wrong bag repeatedly. I frequently heard the comment, ‘But it looks just like my bag’. When de-planing, keep an eye on what comes out of the overhead that your bag is in. It’s easy to get distracted by someone that has been sitting next to you the whole flight. I tie two streamers of red surveyors’ tape on my carry-on bag.” You can also use paint or decals to make your carry-on bag more distinctive.
General Advice for Air Travelers
Ron cautions: “Keep your hands on your items before boarding. One of the most often heard comments from theft victims was, ‘I just put my computer down for a minute while I was on the phone.’ Also, get to the baggage claim area quickly. If your family/friends can meet you there, so can the opportunists. Things do get lost in the claim area. Don’t be a Victim. Forewarned is forearmed.”
Choosing a Rifle Transport Case
Forum member David C., who will compete at the 2020 Berger SWN, offers this advice: “If you plan to fly with your rifle, a 55″-long case such as the Pelican 1770 may be too big and heavy. The 1770 is 36 pounds on its own and is quite unwieldly to move around. I would recommend going with a smaller case such as the Pelican 1720 with 42″-long interior. It weighs 19 pounds and if you separate your stock from the barreled action, everything fits just fine, as you can see below.” Editor: Note that you can also store a full-size spotting scope in the case along with your rifle:
Retired Airport Police Officer Ron D. advises: “Buy the best [rifle case] that you can afford. Don’t cry when your $3,000+ Benchrest rifle has a cracked stock or broken scope. Think about what it would be like to travel across the country and arrive with a damaged rifle. Baggage handling is NOT a fine art. There is no guarantee that your rifle case will be on top of all the other baggage. Then there is shifting of baggage in the belly of the plane. Ponder that for a while. Rifle and pistol cases must be locked. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a simple pry tool will open most case locks. There is not much that you can do to disguise a rifle case. It is what it is, and opportunists know this. Among thieves, it doesn’t take long for the word to get around about a NEW type of case.”
Great Deal on Large All-Weather Case at Harbor Freight
If you need a good, sturdy airline-compliant hard case to transport your rifle to the Southwest Nationals, here’s a very good option at a great price. The sturdy APACHE 9800 Weatherproof Protective Rifle Case is currently on sale for $149.99. This 53″-long APACHE case is $190.00 less than an equivalent-size Pelican 1750 case ($339.95 on Amazon). Constructed from durable polypropylene, this quality hard case can protect long guns from from impact, moisture, and dust. The built-in purge valve equalizes pressure so you can open the case after changing elevations. NOTE: Case interior dimensions are 50⅜” by 13⅝”.
Women are arming themselves — millions of females now have carry permits and female gun ownership is up 77% since 2005. What factors should women consider when choosing a handgun for self-defense? What are good choices for a lady’s defensive handgun, suitable for concealed carry? Is a self-loading pistol better than a revolver? In this article we include two videos focusing on handgun options for females. The videos cover six key factors: function, size, weight, ergonomics, reliability, and concealability.
Classic Swiss Precision — the Sig P239
The single-stack Sig P239 is an ultra-reliable, compact pistol with a grip suitable for smaller female hands. Weighing 25 oz. in 9mm, it is slightly heavier than polymer-framed handguns, but that may be a good thing. During my handgun training days, this Editor found most women shot the Sig P239 better than Glocks, with more control over recoil. This is a hammer-fired pistol with decocker but no separate safety. There are many other good handgun options for concealed carry — some smaller, thinner and lighter, but the Sig P239 provides a good benchmark for reliability and accuracy. Shown is the .40 S&W model. We prefer the 9mm Luger version. Photo Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0.
Choosing a Self-Defense Handgun — Ladies Explain the Options
Not Just a Guy Thing — Half of New Gun Buyers Are Women
According to the Wall Street Journal, over the past few years, “Close to half of all new U.S. gun buyers since the beginning of 2019 have been women.” And the percentage of female gun owners overall has increased dramatically. Here’s an interesting statistic — according to an NSSF survey, the percentage of gun owners who are female has increased dramatically. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has documented a 77% rise in female gun ownership since 2005.
And now nearly one-quarter of American gun owners are female. According to statistics from the NRA, around 23% of women in the U.S. own guns presently, when just 13% did in 2005.
The vast majority of first-time female gun buyers acquire a handgun for defensive purposes. However, the statistics also show that many new female gun owners are also getting involved in sport shooting and/or competitive shooting. An interesting TWAW survey shows that 76% of female gun owners are over 45 years of age, and most are married or in a serious relationship.
Progressive reloading presses offer shooters speed and efficiency in producing custom-tailored rifle and pistol ammunition. However, there is a wide choice of Progressive Presses and a bewildering array of options to consider. In this video, the 6.5 Guys and UltimateReloader.com’s Gavin Gear provide an overview of the leading Progressive Presses on the market along with key considerations for precision rifle shooters. If you are considering getting a Progessive for rifle ammo reloading, you should watch this informative, 25-minute video.
10 Tips for Reloading Rifle Ammo on a Progressive Press:
1. Make sure the brass is very clean. Don’t mix old range pick-up brass with newer brass.
2. Apply a thin, spray lube to all cases before the sizing/loading cycle.
3. Consider priming your brass separately (with a hand or bench tool) before the operation. Then inspect the primers before loading powder and bullets.
4. Always wear eye protection when loading with the Progressive, particularly if you are priming cases.
5. With masking tape, mark the powder measure/dropper with the powder type and cartridge charge weight. Check the charge mass multiple times (see below).
6. Cycle a few cases, sizing and adding powder but NOT seating bullets. Weigh the powder charges to ensure the powder measure is dispensing the correct charge. Sometimes this will change a couple tenths as it “settles down” after the first few charges.
7. Check the brass for shoulder bump and bullet seating depth carefully for the first few rounds, then check again periodically.
8. Try to maintain a steady pace and operate the handle the same way every time.
9. Visually inspect the powder charge in each case (before bullet seating), and use a lock-out die if your Progressive Press has enough stations.
10. Never, ever mix pistol and rifle powders! If you have previously loaded pistol ammo with your Progressive, make sure ALL the powder (every flake and kernel) is removed from all parts of the powder-dropping system before you add rifle powder.
Visit these sites for more Reloading and Precision Shooting Videos:
You don’t hear much about PacNor barrels in long-range competition, but FORUM member Wes J (aka P1ZombieKiller), proved that they can shoot “lights-out” in a rig assembled by a talented gunsmith. A few seasons back, Wes decided to upgrade a 6mmBR for mid-range benchrest and varmint matches. Wes tells us: “Since I restocked my 6BR … I have not had a chance to shoot it much since I have been playing the 100-200 game. I decided to take it out and do some playing at 500 yards. I have to give some serious props to my buddy (and fellow FORUM member) ‘PREACHER’ who did the chambering and barrel work for me. He can certainly make a gun shoot good. The barrel is a PacNor 1:8″ twist. My load was 105gr Berger VLDs pushed by 29.6 grains of Varget.” The five-round, 500-yard group shot by Wes J with his 6BR, measured just 1.240″, as measured by OnTarget software. Now that’s one accurate rig!
Five by Five — 5-Shot Group at 500 Yards, 1.240″, 0.237 MOA
This Editor knows something about the potential of a PacNor barrel. I have a 3-groove stainless PacNor SuperMatch on a Savage-actioned 6BR. This barrel shoots honest quarter-MOA in calm conditions, and it cleans up super-easy. The interior finish is so good, I’ve never had to brush the bore or use abrasives, and after 750 rounds it shoots as well as ever. I attribute the easy cleaning to the fact the lands in a PacNor 3-groove are wide and flat, so they are gentle on bullet jackets. I think accuracy is helped by the fact that my PacNor runs on the tight side (0.236 land dimension) with a good amount of choke. That works well with the 105gr Lapua Scenars and 103gr Spencers I like to shoot. You can read more about my rifle, nick-named the “Poor Man’s Hammer”, in this Feature Article from our archives. On one particularly calm day, in the hands of my friend (and ace trigger-puller) Joe Friedrich, the Poor Mans’ Hammer put 3 shots in under 0.200″ (measured center to center) at TWO Hundred yards. If you get a good one, PacNor three-grooves can definitely shoot.
Target Measurement with OnTarget Software
We used OnTarget software to measure the 5-shot group in the target above. This easy-to-use software is very repeatable, once you get a feel for plotting the shots. The latest On Target v2.25 Precision Calculator is FREE for a 15-day evaluation period. If you like it (and you will, trust us) there’s a modest $11.99 registration fee to activate the program. In addition to group size (in inches), OnTarget plots distance to aiming point, and the software automatically calculates the group’s vertical height, horizontal dispersion, average to center (ATC), and group size in MOA.
You can run a measurement on a scanned target or a photo of a target. You’ll need some known reference to set the scale correctly. The target above had a one-inch grid so it was easy to set the scale. Once you’ve set the scale and selected bullet diameter and target distance, you simply position the small circles over each bullet hole and the OnTarget software calculates everything automatically, displaying the data in a data box superimposed over the target image. To learn more about OnTarget Software, read AccurateShooter.com’s OnTarget Product Review. This article covers all the basics as well as some advanced “power user” tips. NOTE: Since the review was written, On Target has updated the software, and the free version now has a time limit.
Do you have some ammo that got loaded incorrectly, perhaps with the wrong powder? Then you’ll want to disassemble the ammo for safety’s sake. You can use an impact puller to do this task, but if you have more than a dozen rounds or so, you may prefer to use a collet-style bullet puller. These work very quickly and positively, making quick work of big jobs. The efficiency of the collet-style puller is worth the investment if you frequently disassemble ammo. These devices retail for under $35.00 (collets sold separately). Normally, you’ll need a specific collet for each bullet diameter. But collets are not that costly, so this isn’t a big deal, particularly if you only load a few calibers, such as .223, 6mm, and .308.
Hornady and RCBS use different mechanisms to tighten the collet around the bullet. On the red lever Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller, a lever-arm on the top of the bullet puller serves to tighten the collet around the bullet. Simply rotate the lever from the vertical to the horizontal position to grab the bullet. Lower the ram to remove the case. The bullet will drop out when you return the lever arm to the vertical position. This is demonstrated in the video below:
Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller Demonstrated
Collet bullet-pullers resemble a loading die with a lever or handle on the top. They screw into a standard reloading press. Hornady and RCBS both make collet-style bullet pullers. They use the same basic principle — the device tightens a collet around the bullet, and then the bullet is separated from the case by lowering the press ram. NOTE: Collet pullers may leave small marks on your bullets, unlike impact (kinetic) pullers.*
Like the Hornady tool, the RCBS Bullet Puller employs a collet to grab the bullet. However, the RCBS tool tightens the collet in a different way. The head of the RCBS tool is threaded internally. By rotating the lever arm clockwise in a horizontal circle you squeeze the collet around the bullet. To remove the bullet, after lowering the press ram, simply spin the lever arm back in the opposite direction. The use of the RCBS tool is demonstrated in these two videos:
RCBS Collet Bullet Puller Demonstrated:
WARNING: When removing bullets from loaded cartridges, always make sure there are no obstructions or debris in your shell-holder or under the loaded round. NEVER engage a primer seating accessory on your press when working with loaded rounds. You can cause a round to discharge by contacting the primer! Also, we recommend you keep your head and torso away from the bullet puller tool at all times.
*By contrast, impact pullers rarely mark bullets, particularly if you put a little bit of foam or paper wadding in the closed end of your impact puller. When dismantling loaded rounds, powder kernels can get trapped in the wadding, so you should remove and replace the wadding before changing to cartridges loaded with a different powder type (assuming you intend to save the powder).
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 — Berger Bullet Sale
⏺️ Good discounts on very large selection of Berger bullets
It’s smart to stock up now on key components. With its big Berger bullet sale Creedmoor Sports has a huge selection of Berger bullets from .17 to .30 calibers in a wide variety of hunting and match types. Choose target hybrids, varmint bullets, Elite Hunters or other bullet types for your next match or hunt.
2. Sportsman’s Warehouse — Optics Clearance Sale
⏺️ Major savings on scopes, binocs, tripods and more
Does one of your firearms need a new scope, or could you use a spotter? Get major discounts with the Sportsman’s Warehouse Optics Clearance Sale. You’ll find a wide range of scopes, binoculars, and red dots on sale. In addition, there are some great tripods and optics carry packs on sale. With this February Clearance Sale you can grab top-tier optics with prices up to 39% off.
3. Midsouth — Aguila .22 LR ammo, 2000-rd case, $114.99
⏺️ Great 2000-round .22 LR bulk pack, super-low price
Modern .22 LR rimfire ammo is a fraction of the cost of centerfire ammo, which can cost $1.00 or more per round for your own handloads, given the high costs of bullets, powder, and primers. Here’s a great deal — Midsouth offers 2000 rounds of Aguila .22 LR for only $114.99. This 38gr High Velocity Copper Plated Hollow Point is sold in a 2000-rd case. The $114.99 price works out to just $.06 (six cents) per round.
4. Creedmoor Sports — TriggerTech Clearance Sale
⏺️ Major savings on excellent after-market triggers
Having a good trigger is critical to ensure you break a clean shot each time. For match rifles you want a crisp, light pull and for some disciplines you’ll want a two-stage pull. Among the best aftermarket triggers for ARs and Rem-700 types actions are TriggerTech triggers, on sale now at Creedmoor Sports. You’ll find these top-rated TriggerTech triggers at some of the lowest prices we’ve seen in a long time.
5. Wholesale Hunter — Howa Mini Action Rifle w/Scope, $789.75
⏺️ Quality compact varmint rifle with full camo finish on gun and optic
Here’s a great, lightweight varmint rifle with a full factory camo finish. This Howa 1500 Mini Action rifle has a 20″ threaded barrel chambered for the .223 Rem. On top is a Gamepro 4-16x44mm optic included in the deal. The entire rifle (stock, action, barrel) AND yes the scope are coated in a handsome Kryptek Highlander Camo finish. The rig is now just $789.75 with scope. That’s a 19% discount off the regular $978.45 price. If you want a larger cartridge for bigger game, there is also a 6.5 Grendel version at Bud’s Gun Shop for $798.24 with free shipping.
6. Guns.com — TAURUS G3c 9mm Pistol, $215.99
⏺️ Amazingly low price on very good compact 9mm carry pistol
Need a good 9mm carry pistol at a bargain price? Then definitely check out the Taurus G3c now just $215.99 at Guns.com with FREE Shipping. That’s $124 off the regular price. This slim, compact 9mm handgun employs design features that have made previous Taurus G-series pistols a great CCW choice. And with the new G3c series, function, reliability, and durability have been improved.
7. Amazon — LEE Precision Deluxe App Press Kit, $109.25
⏺️ Big discount on LEE APP system — great for priming and depriming
The Lee Deluxe Automatic Processing Press (APP) is on sale now for just $109.25 on Amazon. This special press is great for bulk depriming and/or priming. This Deluxe APP model has the features of the basic Lee APP, plus a roller handle, APP deprime kit, and Universal Case Feed Magazine. The most noteworthy element is the patented LEE automatic primer feed system. This is fast and efficient with auto-feeding of both cases and primers.
8. Amazon — Tactical Shooting Mat & Rest Bags, $29.99
⏺️ Handy shooting mat with two bags — all for under $30
Shooting prone requires a good shooting mat. And it helps to have front and rear bags when not sling-shooting. One budget-priced option is this DGVR Tactical Shooting Mat set that comes with both front and rear bags. Get the mat and both bags for just $29.99 on Amazon. The bags are made of 600D oxford but do NOT come filled. The 1000D Nylon shooting mat is waterproof, and boasts a non-slip, wear-resistant coating. The mat includes a handy carry strap.
9. Cabela’s — Wheeler Pro Gunsmithing Screwdriver Set, $27.98
⏺️ Very good price on 43-piece handy driver set
Working on firearms requires good specialized tools. The Wheeler 43-Piece Professional Gunsmithing Screwdriver Set offers a great selection of drivers for just $27.98, a 20% discount. The set includes a nice, magnetic screwdriver handle and a very good storage case. This is a very low price on a kit that contains the popular gunsmithing driver sizes you’ll need for your rifles and optics mounts.
10. Amazon — 10000mAh Dual USB Battery Packs, $17.99
⏺️ Recharge your smartphones and tablets — good for chronos too
Do you have a cellphone, tablet, LabRadar, barrel cooler, or other device that needs mobile power? If so, we found a great deal on a pair of Miady 10000mAh Dual USB Portable Chargers. Yes you get TWO (2) charging packs for just $17.99 total! Featuring USB and USB-C ports and fast 2 amp charging capability, this pair of portable power banks is a very good deal.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Here is Ernie Bishop’s pride and joy, a specialty pistol nicknamed “Batman” because the black carbon-fiber stock looks like the Batmobile. This is one sophisticated handgun. Complete with scope, the Batman pistol weighs under 7.5 pounds, thanks to the ultra-light stock. The carbon stock is 6 inches wide at the fore-end, yet weighs just one pound. Ernie tells us: “This gun shoots amazing and is easy to shoot especially with my SEB MAX Rest.” After these photos were taken, Ernie added a “field-usable rear-grip stock so [he could] shoot it prone from a bipod as well.”
The Batman pistol is chambered for the 6mm “Long Dasher”, a 6mm 40°-shouldered variant of the 6.5×47 Lapua. Ernie loads Berger 105gr Hybrid bullets pushed by Hodgdon H4350 powder.
Gun Specifications The gun, crafted by Eric Wallance of Nawaka Firearms, features an XP-100 action, Jewell trigger, and 15″-long, Brux 1:8″-twist barrel with aluminum muzzle brake. Interestingly, this gun does not have a traditional recoil lug. Instead, gunsmith Wallace milled out a lug from the bottom of the XP-100 action to save weight. On top of the action, the rig carries a Sightron Inc S-III 6-24X56mm scope in Kelbly rings on a custom +20 MOA rail.
Long Dasher Wildcat
Shown at right is a “Long Dasher” 40° wildcat created by Forum member Sunbuilder. This is very similar to Ernie Bishop’s chambering, though there may be small variations related to reamer design (such as freebore). Sunbuilder’s 6-6.5×47 Improved (aka “Long Dasher”) reamer was made by Dave Kiff of Pacific, Tool & Gauge. This wildcat cartridge adds about 2.0 grains capacity to the 6.5×47 necked down to 6mm. The case certainly is impressive with that 40° shoulder. We’re just waiting for the tactical guys to starting run this improved cartridge with its original 6.5mm bore.
Here are three FIVE-shot groups at 500 yards, shot by Ernie’s Batman pistol:
When he measures his loads or sorts bullets by weight, Forum Member Boyd Allen often employs his trusty RCBS 10-10 balance beam scale (although he does have handy digital scales as well). He finds that the balance beam scale works predictably, time after time, and it doesn’t suffer from the drift and calibration issues that plague some of the less expensive electronic scales on the market.
To make it easier to see the balance point, Boyd has adapted a magnifying glass with a mirror. This makes the end of his balance beam easier to view from his normal position on the bench. Boyd explains: “This set-up uses a cheap magnifier with positioning arms that was probably designed to hold and magnify small objects while soldering them. I think that it came from Harbor Freight many years ago. The mirror lets you look at the scale as if is was at eye level, and of course the magnifier makes the image easier to see.”
If you have a balance beam scale, we suggest you try this simple enhancement. We predict you’ll find the magnifier speeds up the process with enhanced assurance of your load weight.
Hunters normally prefer relatively lightweight rifles. When trekking into the backcountry in pursuit of deer and elk, every pound counts. Along with the rifle, the hunter will be carrying a pack with binoculars, food, emergency gear, and tools for harvesting the meat. With all this extra mass to carry, today’s hunters want to keep their rifle’s weight to a minimum without sacrificing accuracy and durability. That was the design objective for Savage’s new Model 110 Ultralite Elite hunter — to “achieve lighter weights for higher altitude hunts and longer treks for big game.” At $3299.00 MSRP, the model 110 Ultralite Elite is the highest-priced Savage rifle on the market. But it offers impressive features and performance for that price.
This video shows key features of Savage 110 Ultralite Elite — good graphics, worth watching!
The modern 110 Ultralite Elite boasts a Proof Research carbon fiber-wrapped stainless barrel and advanced MDT HNT26 folding carbon fiber stock. With these components the 110 Ultralite Elite offers very impressive performance with a remarkably light weight. With its carbon components, and the shorter barrel option, the Savage 110 Ultralite Hunter weighs around 5.5 pounds without scope and rings — a good 3 to 4 pounds lighter than a typical wood-stocked hunting rifle. Seven chamberings are currently offered: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, 7mm BC, .308 Winchester, .300 WSM, and .300 Winchester Magnum. The internal magazine holds three rounds, and barrel lengths vary from 18″ to 22″. The shorter 18″ barrel is offered for 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm BC, and .308 Win.
SAVAGE 110 Ultralite FEATURES:
MDT HNT26 Chassis with carbon fiber fore-end, pistol grip, and foam-filled carbon fiber buttstock
Adjustable stock LOP and comb height with four LOP spacers
Proof Research Carbon Fiber-Wrapped Stainless Steel Barrel
Barrel has 5/8×24 threaded muzzle & Omniport muzzle brake
Lightweight Stainless Steel Receiver with Cerakote finish
Savage’s product page states: “Savage is taking innovation and accuracy to new heights at faster speeds with the 110 Ultralite Elite. With its exclusive Proof Research carbon fiber wrapped stainless steel barrel and MDT HNT26 folding carbon fiber stock, the 110 Ultralite Elite can achieve lighter weights for higher altitude hunts and longer treks for big game. Savage teamed up with PROOF Research to craft a barrel specific for a purpose driven firearm. At under 5.8 pounds, the 110 Ultralite is designed to combat elevation and elements while maintaining the performance of a factory blueprinted Savage 110 action.”
22 Plinkster Video with Steel Target Testing and Scope Camera
If you are potentially interested in purchasing a Savage 110 Ultralite Elite, you should definitely watch this review by popular YouTuber 22plinkster. He explains the features of the rifle, shows off the high-tech carbon components, and then bench-tests the rifle for accuracy on steel targets from 200 out to 1000 yards. The test rifle had a 20″ barrel chambered for the 6.5 PRC. The ammunition was 130gr Federal Terminal Ascent. Starting at 4:12 time-mark you can see 22Plinkster engaging the steel targets. The video provides a shooter’s POV via a TriggerCam Scope Camera.
HuntStand Quick Review of Savage 110 Ultralite Elite
Here is the HuntStand Channel video review from last year when the 110 Ultralite Elite was first released. The HuntStand’s Josh Dahlke was impressed with the rifle’s build quality and light weight. This has a five-minute dialog with a Savage representative. The video has some useful close-ups and it shows how the folding stock works. However, there is no field testing on targets.
TFB-TV Showtime Video Review of Savage 110 Ultralite Elite
This video was produced by The Firearm Blog (TFB-TV) last spring. TFB-TV states: “Savage Arms is typically associated with high quality but economically priced hunting rifles but at IWA 2024, they are unveiling a high end collaborative ultra-lightweight rifle with participation from Proof Research and MDT. The rifle will use an MDT chassis with carbon fiber elements and a folding stock, a Proof Research carbon fiber-wrapped barrel, and Savage’s excellent trigger. It’s hard to believe that Savage is getting on board with high end players like MDT and Proof, but it’s a welcome surprise, to be sure.”
Backfire Multi-Rifle Review Highlighting Savage 110 Ultralite Elite
In this video, the Backfire Channel host reviews a number of rifles. Starting at the 12:20 time-mark he spotlights the Savage 110 Ultralite Elite, calling it his “Dream Rifle”. He highlights the noteworthy features of the Ultralite Elite, and then shows how it can be mounted on a tripod using the integral ARCA rail.
Want to get more info on the Savage 110 Ultralite Elite? Here are three more web resources:
First, Ron explains that airport thieves can spot bags containing firearms no matter how they are packaged: “Don’t think you’re safe if your guns are placed in cases designed for golf clubs or trade show items. Baggage is X-Rayed now and cases are tagged with a special bar code if they contain firearms. It doesn’t take long for bad guys to figure out the bar coding for firearms.”
Target Measurement with OnTarget Software
Like the Hornady tool, the 
The gun, crafted by Eric Wallance of Nawaka Firearms, features an XP-100 action, Jewell trigger, and 15″-long, Brux 1:8″-twist barrel with aluminum muzzle brake. Interestingly, this gun does not have a traditional recoil lug. Instead, gunsmith Wallace milled out a lug from the bottom of the XP-100 action to save weight. On top of the action, the rig carries a Sightron Inc S-III 6-24X56mm scope in Kelbly rings on a custom +20 MOA rail.
