For a few years now, Lyman has offered the Case Prep Xpress, an all-in-one case prep center that chamfers necks (inside and out), cleans and uniforms primer pockets, brushes the inside of case-necks, and uniforms flash holes. The unit can also ream out the crimps on military brass. However, the Lyman Case Prep Xpress does NOT trim cases.
The Lyman Case Prep Xpress comes with all the necessary tools (listed above), so you don’t have to purchase extra accessories. The five (5) gear-driven heads on the unit are powered by a high torque, low-speed motor ideal for case prep operations. Lyman’s Case Prep Xpress features handy storage areas for accessories, a removable brass shavings dump pan, and a handy clean-up brush.
Sinclair Int’l video clearly illustrates all case prep functions. Worth watching.
In the 5 years that this product has been on the market it has been a strong seller. If you’re prepping hundreds of cases, this unit will save considerable time and reduce hand/finger fatigue. While the Case Prep Xpress is not as sturdy as the metal-bodied Hornady prep center, the Lyman unit offers a lot of functionality for the money ($115-$125 normal price, and sometimes around $100 on sale).
Lyman Case Prep Xpress Pros and Cons
GOOD Features
Quite Affordable (under $120)
Compatible with RCBS and Redding Tool-heads
Removable Bin for Shavings
Four Brush Sizes: .25, .30, .38, .45
Compact Footprint
Not-So-Good Features
Tool-heads Not Particularly Sharp
No Case Trim Function
No Flash-hole Uniformer
No Top Dust-Cover
Only 1-Year Warranty
Reviews by Verified Purchasers
“Case prep is the most tedious and boring aspect for hand loading in my opinion. The process center makes all the steps in prepping the case very quick and with consistent results. It has reduced the time required to do these steps with separate tools by easily 50% if not more. Highly recommended.” — Brandon G.
“Quiet and capable. Worth every penny. I adapted a Lee Cutter and Lock Stud, to cut case lengths, and I can fly through my brass. I can do so much more brass without getting the sore, cramped-up hands.” — Dean Ellis
“This unit has plenty of torque, and my unit is very quiet. This unit will also work with tools made by RCBS and Hornady, or anything else with 8-32 threads. My Redding tools (specifically, my primer pocket uniformers) do in fact fit on this machine. This unit is certainly worth the money, and will revolutionize the way you reload by saving you massive amounts of time and wear on your hands/fingers.” — Mule
“A simple machine to perform complex solutions. I was up and running in about 10 minutes flat. This thing has made my life of reloading so much easier. I do wish there was a trimmer included, but I have a manual one from L.E. Wilson.” — Richard Niles
You can find Lyman’s Case Prep Xpress for under $100.00 at Amazon and under $120.00 at Brownells, making it much less expensive than the larger Hornady Case Prep Center, which runs over $450.00. The Hornady unit is beefier, and will trim cases. However, we think the compact Lyman unit makes sense for guys who already have a good case trimmer, such as a Forster or Wilson. The Lyman Case Prep Xpress is hundreds of dollars less than the Hornady prep center. The money you save will buy lots of bullets and brass.
Case Prep Xpress $99.99 at Amazon
The Lyman Case Prep Xpress is sold by most of the big vendors. The best current price we found was at Amazon, which sells the Lyman unit for $99.99, with free shipping.
Gear Review Tip from Edlongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) has produced an excellent series of videos, which collectively cover the Basic Rifleman’s Course. If you are getting started in high power shooting, or want to improve your position shooting skills, this series is well worth watching. And these videos are not just for service rifle shooters — even bench shooters can benefit from these videos, particularly Part 5, which explains how to estimate wind speed and direction. The lead instructor for these videos is SFC Brandon Green, the 2015 National High Power Champion, and Service Rifle Champion at the 2017 CMP Trophy Matches. When SFC Green talks, you should listen. This man is one of the greatest marksmen in the nation’s history.
Part 5 — Wind and Weather Estimation (Very Useful for All Shooters)
Note: This video includes a hit location “target analysis” in the first 6 minutes.
Part 4 — Minute of Angle Explained
Part 3 — Ballistics and Zeroing
Part 2 — Positions, Sight Alignment, and Natural Point of Aim (Very Useful)
Part 1 — Aiming and Sight Picture
SFC Brandon Green (left above) set four new National Records at Camp Perry this year.
Story tip from Precision Shooting Journal on Facebook.
This statement was released by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:
The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) applauded on Wednesday the passage of H.R. 4909, the “STOP School Violence Act of 2018″. This bi-partisan legislation provides funding for training students, teachers, school administrators, and local law enforcement to identify early warning signs that a person is a threat to themselves or others. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a vote of 407-10.
“This important bill will help stop school violence before it happens,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA-ILA. “Identifying individuals at risk for violence is a critical part of securing our schools. This bill will give communities the tools they need to stop school violence through early intervention.”
In addition to providing funding for training, the STOP School Violence Act, introduced by Florida Rep. John Rutherford, will also provide funds to implement school threat assessment procedures, and create a coordinated violence prevention reporting system.
“We must improve security in our schools and this legislation will help make that happen. We look forward to seeing it pass quickly in the Senate so President Trump can sign it into law,” Cox concluded.
Parallel Stop School Violence Act in U.S. Senate
A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). The NRA supports both the House and Senate bills. Senator Hatch explains his legisation in this video:
The National Rifle Association thanks Rep. John Rutherford, Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Speaker Paul Ryan and the House Republican leadership for their support on this issue.
EDITOR: Our story on the Strasser RS14 straight-pull rifle created quite a stir. So, we thought we’d serve up another straight-pull feature — this time the German-crafted Merkel RX Helix. We shot the Helix a few years back during Media Day at the Range. One notable difference between the German Merkel and the Austrian Strasser is the bolt travel. During cycling, the Merkel bolt stays completely inside the action (see video below at 00:30). By contrast the Strasser bolt moves pretty far back, outside the action. For some folks that makes the Helix better for fast follow-up shots. All we can say is that Merkles and Strassers BOTH cycle way faster than conventional bolt-action rifles.
Merkel RX Helix Range Report
One of the most innovative rifles we have ever shot was the Merkel RX Helix, a very impressive piece of rifle engineering. Merkel claims the RX Helix is the fastest-cycling centerfire bolt action in the world. We can’t confirm that claim, but the Helix certainly cycles faster than any other centerfire bolt-gun this Editor has ever tried. (Yes, a Fortner biathlon action can be worked more rapidly, but that’s a rimfire). Both Jason and I really liked Merkel’s RX Helix. It balances well, the action is smooth, the wood is gorgeous, and the overall design thinking that went into this German-engineered take-down rifle is very impressive. The Helix’s universal-sized action lets you shoot anything from a .222 Rem to a .300 Win Mag with the same gun. And — get this — you can really swap barrels (and change bolt heads) in a couple of minutes with no tools, employing a dead-simple bolt-release lever concealed under the push-button-released removable forearm. (Watch VIDEO BELOW to see Barrel Swap procedure).
Rotary 7-Lug Bolt
While the RX Helix is a straight-pull rifle, it retains the strength and safety of a rotary bolt head with seven locking lugs that seat in a barrel extension. Unlike a Blaser, the RX Helix has a fully-enclosed action housing. That’s an important safety feature. Moreover, since the RX Helix employs a closed action, the bolt body doesn’t travel outside that action. This means the shooter can maintain his cheekweld with an eye on the target as he cycles the bolt.
The RX Helix’s linear (back and forth) bolt-handle motion is transmitted to the bolt head through a 1:2 ratio “transmission” gearing system. This allows smooth and fast cycling without the rotational or tipping movement found on other straight-pull, bolt-action rifles, such as the Blaser.
The Merkel linear-movement action cycles exceptionally fast, which allows for faster follow-up shots — a good thing if you’re hunting dangerous game. The RX Helix features a manual cocking lever on the tang and a direct trigger system. And here’s good news for southpaws — though Merkel does not make a dedicated left-hand version, lefties can very easily use their right hand to work the bolt while maintaining cheekweld. That may sound awkward, but with practice, it’s actually pretty efficient.
Fast, Easy Disassembly and Barrel Exchanges
The video below shows how the Helix can be disassembled (for cleaning or transport) in a matter of seconds WITHOUT TOOLS. The forearm slips off with the push of a button. A short lever on the left side of the action holds the barrel. Simply rotate the lever and the barrel (with bolt head) slips off. That’s it — in 30 seconds the rifle is apart, and you don’t even need an allen wrench as with a Blaser.
The RX Helix has a universal action length that covers calibers from .222 Rem to .300 Win Mag. Changing calibers (or chamberings) takes less than a minute with the appropriate barrel, bolt-head and magazine. Weaver rails are integrated into the action, and iron sights with three-dot rear and one-dot front fiber-optic inserts are standard.
The RX Helix is available with a standard black finish as well as four levels of design—Arabesque, Wild Boar, Spirit, and Deluxe. An all-carbon-fiber version is also available either with or without a carbon-wrapped barrel. The RX Helix comes in a wide range of popular calibers including .222 Rem, .223 Rem, .243 Win, 6.5×55 SE, .270 Win, 7×64, .308 Win, .30-06 Sprg., 8×57 IS, 9.3×62, 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag. Barrel lengths vary according to caliber, and barrels, bolt-heads and magazines are available for caliber changes. EuroOptic.com sells the Merkel RX Helix with Grade 2 wood for $3,785.00.
If you watch just one episode of Shooting USA TV this year, it should probably be this week’s hour-long SHOT Show Special. Tonight, March 14, 2017, enjoy a full hour of SHOT Show coverage. Jim Scoutten’s team of gun journalists work hard every January, bringing you highlights from the gun industry’s largest trade show. Jim, son John Scoutten, and other staffers prowled the 12 miles of aisles in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, visiting many of the 1,600+ exhibitors. This episode provides a “first look” at the new guns, optics, and gear introduced for 2018. Click HERE to learn more about this week’s 2018 SHOT Show episode.
2018 SHOT Show Highlights: Ruger Precision Rimfire, Sig P365, M1A in 6.5 Creedmoor, MR-10 Bolt Action Comp Rifle, Colt Competition 1911, and a whole lot more.
Shooting USA Hour AIR TIMES
Shooting USA’s SHOT Show Special will air for a full hour on Wednesday, March 14, 2016 on the Outdoor Channel. Here are the air times, but you should check your local schedule. Look for Shooting USA TV on the Outdoor Channel.
Wednesday Night Schedule:
Eastern Time – 9:00 PM
Central Time – 8:00 PM
Mountain Time – Check Listings
Pacific Time – 9:00 PM
Here are some of the 50+ new products featured on the SHOT Show Special:
With the support of these sponsors, the 6.5 Guys have collected over $10,000 worth of prizes.
Here is your chance to win some great prizes, including a Bergara B14 Rifle, Defiance Action, Nikon FX1000 Scope, Manners Stock, KRG Chassis, and over 30 more great products. All combined, these prizes are worth over $10,000. All prizes will be given away to visitors to the 6.5 Guys Facebook page who comment on the 6.5 Guys’ SHOT Show videos. No purchase necessary. Winners will be selected next Saturday, March 17, 2018. NOTE: Readers don’t hesitate. This is a great opportunity. For some of the prizes there are less than 80 commenting entrants now, so your chances are very good indeed!
How To Enter in the Prize Contest — Quick Summary
1. Go to 6.5 Guys Facebook Page.
2. Watch one or more linked 6.5 Guys SHOT Show Videos.
3. Comment on the Videos on Facebook, and tell two Facebook Friends.
The more videos you comment upon, the better your chances of winning!
To qualify to be selected in each random drawing for a prize, participants must complete the following tasks for each vendor promotion. First, “Like” the 6.5 Guys Facebook page and the vendor’s Facebook page. Second, leave a comment on the original 6.5 Guys’ post for the vendor’s SHOT Show prize promotion that includes a hashtag “shout out” to the donating company. Finally, you are asked to tag two friends on Facebook that could also benefit from the prize(s).
Everyone should be sure their LIKES and COMMENTS are within the original post(s) on the 6.5 Guys’ Facebook in order to qualify to enter the drawing(s). That’s it. For details on what products will be available to win and how to participate in each drawing, refer to the instructions on each of the SHOT Show videos on the 6.5 Guys’ Facebook page.
Mile High Shooting Accessories
$500 gift certificate towards the purchase of an AI product
Two Traust Shooting Bags
Nikon
FX1000 6-24x50mm SF, Illuminated MRAD Rifle Scope
RANGEX 4K Laser Range Finder
Phone Skope
Three – Phone Skopes
Rifles Only
50% discount of the Rifles Only signature Precision Rifle 1 & 2 Course
Seekins Precision
Scope mount or rings of winner’s choice
ShadowTech
Two – SS Loophole Slings
Spuhr
Spuhr Mount of winner’s choice
Tab Gear
PRS Sling
Two Large Rear Bags
Two Small rear bags
Thunder Beast Arms
TBA 22 suppressor
Vortex Optics
HD Razor Gen 2 Rifle Scope
XLR Industries
XLR Envy Chassis Package
All prizes will be awarded through a series of random drawings to take place during a Facebook live event to be held on Saturday, March 17th 2018 at 5:00 PM Pacific. Participants must be 18 years of age and reside in the USA. To learn more about prizes and how to participate in each drawing, refer to the detailed instructions on each of the SHOT Show videos on the 6.5 Guys’ Facebook page.
Fine print: 6.5 Guys, LLC reserves the right to modify the product description at any time for clarity or for any other reason deemed necessary. 6.5 Guys is coordinating the random selection of winners for each promotional drawing and will provide the winners’ contact information to each vendor for fulfillment of prizes. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including those pertaining to the transfer of firearms, NFA items and ITAR regulated items, is the responsibility of the winner and the vendor. 6.5 Guys LLC does not provide any express or implied product warranties or endorsements of any type.
How and Why to Create a Dummy Round
When you have a new custom rifle built, or a new barrel fitted to an existing rifle, it makes sense to create a dummy round. This should have your preferred brass and bullet types, with the bullet positioned at optimal seating depth. A proper dummy round helps the gunsmith set the freebore correctly for your cartridge, and also ensure the proper chamber dimensions.
Respected machinist, tool-maker, and gunsmith Greg Tannel of Gre-Tan Rifles explains: “I use the dummy round as a gauge to finish cut the neck diameter and throat length and diameter so you have [optimal] clearance on the loaded neck and the ogive of the bullet just touches the rifling.” He recommends setting bullet so the full diameter is just forward of the case’s neck-shoulder junction. “From there”, Greg says, “I can build you the chamber you want… with all the proper clearances”.
Greg Tannel has created a very helpful video showing how to create a dummy round. Greg explains how to measure and assemble the dummy and how it will be used during the barrel chambering process. Greg notes — the dummy round should have NO Primer and No powder. We strongly recommend that every rifle shooter watch this video. Even if you won’t need a new barrel any time soon, you can learn important things about freebore, leade and chamber geometry.
This has been a very popular video, with 244,000 views. Here are actual YouTube comments:
That is the best explanation I’ve ever seen. Thank you sir. — P. Pablo
Nice video. You do a very good job of making this easy for new reloaders to understand. I sure wish things like this were available when I started reloading and having custom rifles built. Once again, great job, and your work speaks for itself. — Brandon K.
Beautiful job explaining chambering clearances. — D. Giorgi
Another Cool Tool — The Stub Gauge
When you have your gunsmith chamber your barrel, you can also have him create a Stub Gauge, i.e. a cast-off barrel section chambered like your actual barrel. The stub gauge lets you measure the original length to lands and freebore when your barrel was new. This gives you a baseline to accurately assess how far your throat erodes with use. Of course, as the throat wears, to get true length-to-lands dimension, you need take your measurement using your actual barrel. The barrel stub gauge helps you set the initial bullet seating depth. Seating depth is then adjusted accordingly, based on observed throat erosion, or your preferred seating depth.
March Scopes (from DEON in Japan) has unveiled a remarkable new riflescope, the likes of which has never been seen before. The new Genesis ELR Scope has more elevation travel than has ever been packed into a scope before — 400 Minutes of Angle. That’s four or even five times as much as most other optics. This will allow the Genesis to get you on target, with no special external mounts, at three miles with a .416 magnum cartridge*.
For other popular cartridges/calibers, this is the range you can shoot and still have sufficient elevation travel with the Genesis. This is with the built-in elevation alone, no need for adjustable mounts, tilting rails, or prism systems:
.224 Cal to 2450 yards** | .308 Win to 2950 yards | .338 Lapua Magnum to 4000 yards
Take a good look — we bet you’ve never seen anything like this before (Big PHOTO). The new Genesis was unveiled at the IWA trade show in Germany this morning. The video below shows the Genesis being unveiled by Mr. Fumio Shimizu of Deon Optics and UK/Euro Distributor Gary Costello. Thanks to Vince Bottomley of TargetShooter.co.uk for the report from IWA.
NOTE: Click the Speaker Icon to hear audio.
How Much? Global Price for the March Genesis isn’t finalized yet, but March USA just took the first order at $5000.00 USD, without accessories. March expects to start shipping in four (4) months.
Claimed to be effective up to three miles with popular large, magnum ELR cartridges, the New Genesis sets a new benchmark in the Optics field. This won’t be cheap — posting on Facebook, a March representative said the the price is “still to be determined” but will be “approximately $5000 to $6000″. One of our Forum members just placed the first order in North America, and was told the base price (without accessories) was $5000.00 plus $50.00 shipping.
The All New March Genesis 6-60x50mm ELR Rifle Scope
The new March Genesis represents a revolution in scope technology/design — the dawn of a new era for ELR (extreme long range) shooting. The Genesis concept began in late 2016 when a group of world-class shooters asked for a scope that could be used effectively at ranges of two miles and beyond…
The chief engineers of DEON Optical Design took on the challenge and produced several prototype designs, tested extensively on three continents. Eventually DEON produced a truly ground-breaking optic — a new beginning in scope design. The Genesis ELR rifle scope offers up to 400 MOA of elevation, which will allow the shooter to shoot from 10 yards out to 3 miles*.
The unique design of the Genesis allows the shooter to always see through the central part of the lens, producing clarity, definition, and minimal chromatic aberration. This holds true even on 400 MOA! On other scopes, when the extremes of elevation are used, you won’t get the same performance — you may seen distortion and darkening. Also incorporated into Genesis is the proven DEON ‘High Master’ lens system — super ED lenses with high-refractive glass offering very high resolution and natural colour right to the edge of the image.
March Genesis 6-60x56mm Specifications:
– 400 MOA of total elevation travel with Zero-set feature (300 up, 100 down)
— 6-60X Power First Focal Plane (Highest FFP zoom ratio and magnification sold)
— 150 MOA of total windage travel (75 MOA left and right)
— 50 MOA per turn, 1/4 MOA clicks
— Wide-angle eyepiece with 25 degrees apparent field of view
— Eye relief 67-82mm and exit pupil 3.3mm at 6X to 0.93mm at 60X
— Six-step illumination module with on/off clicks
— Integral Picatinny mounting-points on the main frame.
— High Master ED lens system with 56mm objective.
— Side-Focus Parallax from 10 yards to infinity.
— FMA-MT MOA-based Reticle for ELR (MIL-based reticle coming later)
— Central gimble system and slider bearings with main frame (worldwide patents pending)
— Weight 1.5 Kg
_________
* March says there is 3 mile range with a “.416 Cheytac”. Well, there is a recognized .416 Barrett cartridge and a .408 Cheytac. March says the .416 Cheytac is a “special wildcat … developed due to licensing needs for Norway.”
** March lists “.224 Cal”. We assume this refers to the .223 Remington cartridge, but it could be something completely different, such as a 22 Nosler, or .224 Valkyrie.
The .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR) round is widely regarded as a relatively weak cartridge with very little penetrating power. Compared to most centerfire ammo that’s certainly true. But the venerable .22 LR actually packs more punch than you might expect. A recent test by rimfire specialist 22Plinkster demonstrated that the little .22 LR has enough power to drive a bullet through multiple walls.
In this video, 22Plinkster tests two types of .22 Long Rifle ammo, seeing how far a .22 LR bullet will pass through sheets of 1/2″-thick drywall. He shoots CCI Velocitor and CCI Stinger ammo types from both a pistol and a rifle. The results may surprise you. Shot from a pistol, the CCI Stinger ammo penetrated Nine (9) drywall sheets. Out of the rifle, the CCI Velocitor Ammo passed through Eleven (11) sheets, while the CCI Stinger stuck in the eleventh board, after passing through Ten (10) sheets.
The rimfire ammo’s penetrating power surprised .22 Plinkster: “I was really surprised that [the ammo] went through as many [dry wall boards] as it did. I was thinking four, maybe five tops …” He points out that the rifle penetration of 11 sheets was “equivalent to five walls, maybe six walls. If you were shooting in your house, and you had 1/2″ drywall, it would go through five walls. Now, that’s pretty scary that a .22 Long Rifle could do that.”
Could you hit an 18″ x 24″ target at a distance of 435 yards (roughly 400 meters)? Sure, you’re thinking, that would be easy with a good rifle fired from the bench or prone position. OK, now think about making that shot, OFF-HAND with a pistol. That’s something entirely different. We doubt many marksman would wager they could hit a plate 400 meters away with a handgun.
That’s exactly the challenge legendary shooter Jerry Miculek undertakes in this interesting video. Shooting a Smith & Wesson 9mm M&P pistol with a red-dot optic, Jerry makes the 400m shot look easy, hitting the steel plate with his first shot. This takes good eyes, a solid grip, perfect trigger control (and a bit of luck). Jerry was shooting 115gr Hornady HAP® ammunition.
25 Feet Hold-over to Make Shot at 435 yards
The shot wasn’t dead center, but Miculek still hit the steel plate on the first try. This is doubly impressive because Miculek had to hold well over the target. In fact Jerry figured he was aiming “25 feet over [the target]”. The lesson to be learned here is that a good pistol, in the hands of a master, may be capable of astonishing long-range accuracy — as long as you work out the ballistics in advance. Jerry knew that he had to hold high to arc the bullet into the target.
You can find Lyman’s Case Prep Xpress for under $100.00 at Amazon and under $120.00 at Brownells, making it much less expensive than the larger Hornady Case Prep Center, which runs over $450.00. The Hornady unit is beefier, and will trim cases. However, we think the compact Lyman unit makes sense for guys who already have a good case trimmer, such as a Forster or Wilson. The Lyman Case Prep Xpress is hundreds of dollars less than the Hornady prep center. The money you save will buy lots of bullets and brass.
Rotary 7-Lug Bolt
The chief engineers of DEON Optical Design took on the challenge and produced several prototype designs, tested extensively on three continents. Eventually DEON produced a truly ground-breaking optic — a new beginning in scope design.
The Genesis ELR rifle scope offers up to 400 MOA of elevation, which will allow the shooter to shoot from 10 yards out to 3 miles*.
