When shooting pistols do your shots normally land smack dab in the middle of the target? If not, you may have some technique problems that are causing your shots to move off center. Top Shot Champion Chris Cheng has produced a good video for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) that helps handgunners diagnose accuracy issues. By shooting 3-shot groups and looking at the pattern and location of the shots, you can see what you’re doing wrong (or right). Here are some examples. Note, this process works best for shooters whose shots fall typically in one target zone. If your shots are all over the target, your form is inconsistent and problems will be harder to diagnose.
1. Low Left — Jerking Trigger: Here we see three (3) shots at the 7 O’clock position. This shows that the shooter is jerking the trigger, meaning that the shooter is pulling the trigger too quickly and therefore forcing the barrel to drop when breaking the shot. This is a very common problem, particularly with novices who are reacting to the noise/recoil of the pistol.
2. 9 O’Clock — Too Little Trigger Finger: If we see three (3) shots at the 9 O’clock position, what this can be indicative of too little trigger finger on the trigger. And therefore with every shot, the shots are getting pushed to the left. Try moving your trigger finger on to the pad of your index finger. Also try dry firing drills.
3. High Left — Anticipating Recoil: In this next example, we see three shots around the 11 O’clock position. What could be happening here is that the shooter is anticipating the recoil, and is actually lifting the gun up when he shoots. We recommend slowing down, working on your breathing, and, again, do dry-firing drills.
4. 3 O’Clock — Too Much Trigger Finger: Finally, if you see three (3) shots at the 3 O’clock position, this can indicate that there is too much trigger finger on the trigger. Therefore when the shot breaks the shooter is pulling each shot to the right.
Note: Each of these descriptions is for a RIGHT-handed shooter. If you are a left-handed shooter you’ll want to reverse those descriptions with respect to shot position left/right of the centerline. For example, in example number 4, the lefty would have his shots fall at the 9 O’clock position
Some “progressive” states, such as California, are imposing broad new restrictions on the use of ammunition that contains lead. This is problematic for rimfire varmint shooters. Thankfully, Winchester now offers LEAD FREE 17 WSM ammunition. In this ammunition, zinc replaces lead in the bullet cores.
The team at Varminter.com has conducted an extensive test of Winchester’s new lead-free ammo. Over the course of multiple sessions, Varminter.com shot the ammo using no less than nine different rifles. Four, 5-shot groups were shot with each rifle from the bench at 100 yards.
Results were impressive. Average group size for a 1:9″-twist heavy barrel Savage B-Mag was a remarkable 0.5005 inches. Group size averages for seven of the eight other 17-cal rifles* ranged from 0.755 to 1.03 inches at 100 yards — pretty impressive for factory rimfire rigs. A LOT of time was invested in this test, and we recommend you read the full report on Varminter.com.
Fastest Rimfire Cartridge Ever
If you’re not familiar with this cartridge, the 17 WSM is the fastest, flattest-shooting rimfire round you can buy. It stomps the .22 LR, and even offers significantly better ballistics than the popular 17 HMR. This lead- free version is impressively flat-shooting. With a 100-yard zero, it drops only 4.3 inches at 200 yards. Compare that with a .22 LR which can drop 18 inches or more from 100 to 200 yards (based on 1150 fps MV).
Zinc Replaces Lead in Winchester’s Eco-Friendly 17 WSM
For folks who live in areas where lead ammo is restricted, such as California, the arrival of this Lead Free 17 WSM is good news. Winchester’s new 17 WSM ammunition features a Zinc-cored, polymer-tipped 15-grain bullet with 0.118 G1 BC. The ammo is rated at a speedy 3300 FPS velocity. Winchester says that the zinc core and “thin alloy jacket with engineered sidewall profile” deliver “explosive fragmentation.”
*The ninth rifle, a Savage BMAG with original thin-contour barrel, was the “odd man out”. Accuracy was mediocre, averaging 1.763 inches.
Proper eye protection is ‘must-have’ gear for shooting sports. In addition to providing reliable impact protection, good shooting glasses should be comfortable, fog-free, and not interfere with your preferred hearing protection. Those who require corrective lenses also need to consider the various options available. In a past episode of their Weekly Gear Review, the 6.5 Guys discuss a variety of shooting glasses they have tried, including examples from DeCot, Oakley, and Wiley-X. Ed and Steve outline the key considerations when choosing eye protection, and then review practical aspects of eyewear design and construction that enhance comfort and functionality in the field.
The 6.5 Guys (Ed and Steve) offer a number of smart tips consider safety eyewear, helping you select the most effective safety glasses at an affordable price. Here are the 6.5 Guys’ KEY Take-aways when choosing shooting glasses, including prescription eyewear:
Key Things To Consider When Choosing Eye Protection
1. Avoid polarized lenses or lenses that reduce light transmission significantly (except for action shooting in very bright conditions with large, close targets).
2. Avoid frame designs that interfere with prone shooting.
3. Avoid designs that easily fog.
4. Avoid frame designs with thicker temples that are uncomfortable to wear underneath hearing protection.
5. Select lenses with an appropriate degree of ballistic protection. CLICK HERE to learn more about eyewear safety standards.
6. When you get your prescription, be sure your ophthalmologist includes the interpupillary distance. This is a critical measurement particularly for heavier prescriptions.
7. If you have a complicated prescription select a vendor who will actually spend time with you to address any concerns.
Horrific .50 BMG Kaboom — Eye Saved by Protective Eyewear
Think you don’t need eye protection? Watch this video starting at 4:10. The screw-on barrel “cap” (chamber closure) of the .50 BMG action flies into the shooter’s face. Without eye protection the shooter would have definitely lost his right eye. (See video at 5:20 for analysis).
Safety First — Your Eyes Are Irreplaceable Accurate shooting begins and ends with the human eye. Your career as a marksman could be cut short if you don’t use good eye protection every time you go to the range and/or handle a firearm.
Every year, over 1,000,000 people suffer serious eye injuries. Shooting is hazardous; it is estimated that there are 30,000 firearms-related eye injuries each year (if you include paintball sports.) After paintball, general hunting accidents comprise most firearms-related eye injuries.
Quality eye protection need not be expensive. You can find comfortable, ANSI Z87.1-certified shooting glasses for under $10.00.
If you select shooting glasses carefully, and ensure that your eyewear is safety-certified, inexpensive shooting glasses can perform very well. But you need to avoid cheap, soft-plastic lenses that claim “impact resistance” without satisfying a testing standard.
Do you own an RCBS electronic powder dispenser? If you do, take the time to watch this ChargeMaster Tuning video from 8541 Tactical. This nine-minute video demonstrates how to re-program your ChargeMaster to “tune” the dispensing process. The video shows the exact programming procedures to follow, step-by-step. Some folks want a faster powder flow — others tune their machines for a more reliable drop (with fewer over-runs). One cheap and popular modification is to insert a 1″-long section of a McDonald’s plastic straw in the ChargeMaster’s silver dispensing tube. This works surprisingly well to smooth kernel drop and prevent “clumping” that can cause an over-charge. The McDonald’s straw MOD is demonstrated in this video, starting at the 6:22 mark.
Large-Diameter Dispensing Tube Mod
Many folks have had success with the McDonald’s straw modification demonstrated in the above video. However, some folks would like to get even better flow performance (with virtually no clumping). Forum Member Frank B. has come up with a new option using a brass hose fitting with a large outside diameter. The hose fitting (with tape wrapped around the barbed nose section) is placed inside the RCBS dispensing tube (have some kind of wrap — you don’t want metal-on-metal). Here’s how the unit looks installed:
Frank tells us: “I have found a cure for the over-throw problem. It is a simple 1/4″ barbed hose nipple. I wrapped a couple layers of tape around the barbed end for a snug fit. With this in place, I have thrown 100+ charges of Varget without a single overthrow. The ID of the barbed end needs to be approximately 3/16″ to feed a steady flow. This works because of the larger ID at the drop.”
Frank adds: “You can see in the photo that the powder is not stacking up. You can watch it drop one grain at a time. Hope this will take the aggravation out of your case charging.” For best performance with this brass fitting MOD, we recommend de-burring and smoothing out the front edge of the brass fitting over which the kernels drop.
Brass fitting mod suggested by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
If you need a good hunting rifle, consider a Tikka. The latest generation Tikka T3x rifles are very popular with hunters around the globe — for good reason. These rifles offer smooth-running actions, easy sub-MOA accuracy with good ammo, crisp triggers, and reliable detachable box magazines. The Tupperware stocks aren’t super-rigid, but they are comfortable and easy to handle. The Tikka T3 and T3X models are smart choices for hunters, offering good performance for the price (starting at $749.00 for the T3X Lite version). The T3x series is offered in a wide selection of chamberings, from .204 Ruger up to the large magnums.
Testing the T3x Series on the Range — Fun in Finland
This video was produced at a range in Finland. Tikka product manager Taneli Pokkinen shoots three Tikka rifles — the first two prone, off bipod, and the third standing (as a hunter might shoot). You can see the recoil of various chamberings, plus the accuracy at 100m, which is pretty impressive. Rifles tested are: 1) Tikka T3x Varmint Hunter; 2) Tikka T3x Super Varmint (with suppressor); 3) Tikka T3x Roughtech Ember. NOTE: At 4:30 there is a 5-shot group from the Super Varmint as shot by a gunsmith. All shots are touching — very impressive!
These two short videos explain two key features of modern Tikka rifles — the smooth running bolt and the precise, crisp, and relatively light trigger. We recommend you check out both of these tech videos if you’ve never handled a Tikka rifle before. Tikkas really do have very good factory triggers, with bolt smoothness that rivals some custom actions.
Tikka Rifles — Five Recent Models Reviewed
If you are considering a Tikka for PRS/NRL, check the first segment of this video covering the Tikka T3x TAC A1. In order, here are the five (5) Tikka rifle reviewed, with video start times (if you want to skip around): 1. Tikka T3x Super Varmint (00:40, video only); 2. Tikka T3x TAC A1 (01:13); 3. Tikka T3x Super Varmint (02:34); 4. Tikka T3x Lite Roughtech Ember (05:12); 5. Tikka T3x Varmint Hunter (wood) (07:31). Note: The review sections are done by a knowledgeable Tikka product manager Taneli Pokkinen. CLICK HERE for 40+ Tikka factory videos.
Tikka T3X — Hickok45 Shows Function and Shoots at Steel Plates
Popular YouTube gun reviewer Hickok45 reviews the Tikka T3x Tactical Compact Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. There are good explanations of the operation of the action and magazine. In addition Hickok45 shoots the rifle offhand (05:10 and 13:44 time-marks), evaluating the ergonomics of the stock and the trigger feel. Hickok45 now has 7.27 million subscribers to his YouTube Channel.
Tikka T3x Compact Lite Roughtech Ember
The Tikka Compact Lite Roughtech Ember has a handsome brown polymer stock with subtle camo. This nicely-finished 6.8-pound $1299.00 rifle comes with a stainless fluted barrel fitted with factory muzzle brake. The stock has interchangeable pistol grips for various shooting positions. The fore-grip has attachment points, allowing forearm width to be increased. In this video, at the 8:40 time-mark, the trigger is adjusted to crisp 2.5 pounds, as verified with a trigger gauge. That is excellent for a factory trigger.
Why the TIKKa T3x Is Great for Hunting
With 650,000+ subscribers, the Backfire Channel is one of the most popular gun channels on YouTube. You can trust Backfire reviewers because they pay their own money for all the products they review. This video reviews current generation Tikka rifles. Backfire had high praise for Tikka T3x rifles: “The Tikka T3x SL is an incredibly lightweight mountain rifle that should be in every hunter’s safe. We like it for its lightweight build, stainless steel barrel, superb trigger, and surprisingly accurate shooting. Overall, this is the hunting rifle we recommend more frequently than any other.”
TIKKA T3x TAC A1
Along with the hunting rifle models, Tikka also produces quality, metal chassis tactical-style rifles. The Tikka T3x TAC A1 has earned considerable praise and is PRS/NRL competition-ready right out of the box. The T3x TAC A1 is offered in multiple calibers/chamberings, barrel lengths, and chassis colors. The impressive T3x TAC A1 retails for $2199.00 – $2299.00 at EuroOptic.com.
BONUS: TIKKA T3x vs. Ruger American
This comparison video compares the Tikka T3x with the Ruger American rifle. The reviewers explain the key differences and the pros and cons of each type. The video examines the receivers, barrels, triggers, and stocks of the Tikka and the Ruger. What’s the bottom line? Well the Ruger has a price advantage, but the Tikka T3x has a better trigger, nicer action, better magazines, and probably better 5-shot accuracy.
Today’s the day folks — the first full day of the 2023 NRA Convention. The 2023 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place at the Indiana Convention Center on April 14-16, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Exhibit Hall is open all three days and will showcase over 14 acres of guns and gear from over 600 manufacturers and retailers.
There are over 600 exhibitors at the large Convention Center. Leading companies including Berger Bullets, Lapua, Vihtavuori Powder, Hornady, Sierra, Kimber, Remington, Smith & Wesson, and countless more.
Organized events include the NRA-ILA Banquet and Auction, the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum, plus multiple seminars. There will be appearances from notable celebrities, and a major Saturday concert with leading musical artists. The NRA Foundation dinner and auction was held last night. Here are the major events set for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 14-16, 2023:
This week, Shooting USA TV spotlights the 2022 GAP Grind, the largest PRS Pro-Am Tactical match with nearly 400 competitors. The 10th Annual GA Precision/Elite Tactical GAP Grind PRO-AM was held September 30 through October 2, 2022 at the K&M Shooting Complex in Tennessee. The GAP Grind, the largest, most popular PRS match in the world, drew nearly 400 amateur and pro shooters. Recognized as the premier PRO-AM precision rifle match with both individual and team competition, the GAP Grind has introduced thousands of new shooters to the sport since its inception. It was great to see the GAP Grind successfully mark its 10th Anniversary.
SHOW TIMES: This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central. If you miss the regular broadcast, you can stream the show at any time on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode.
In this video Eagle Eye Shooting Shares Highlights from the 2022 GAP Grind
Big Prize Table at 10th Annual GAP Grind Event
The year’s largest PRS match drew hundreds of attendees, and more than 80,000 rounds were fired throughout the three-day event. Bushnell gave out $5,000 to the top place finishers and added over $5,000 worth of product to the prize table. Trophies were awarded to the top 5 teams, top 5 professionals, and to the top 5 amateurs.
Lots of Action, with 20+ Stages
The GAP Grind is a challenging, “high tempo” match with minimal down-time between stages. Over the course of 20+ stages, competitors will fire 200+ shots at a variety of steel, paper, moving, and reactive targets out to 1,200 yards. Targets vary in size/difficulty based on the shooter’s position, distance, and time allotted. Most stages include “stressors” — i.e. time limits or required movement(s).
This extensive, 45-minute video shows many of the 2022 GAP Grind Stages
GAP Grind Pro-Am Format — Seasoned Shooters Help Newcomers
The GAP Grind typically attracts nearly 400 competitors — half experienced shooters and the other half newcomers to the sport. The key to growing the shooting sports is attracting new shooters. The best way to bring in “new blood” seems to be the Pro-Am type format. At the GAP Grind, experienced shooters share their knowledge and guide the new shooters through the competition.
GAP Grind Hardware
You’ll find the latest and greatest PRS hardware at the GAP Grind. Over the past few seasons, most top competitors have “stepped down” from the 6.5/6mm Creedmoor to the smaller, more efficient 6mm Dasher, 6BRA, 6 GT and other 6mm cartridges. The Dasher offers excellent accuracy with less recoil than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Also, many competitors will be switching to the impressive new Zeiss FFP LRP S3 and S5 scopes in the months ahead.
Today we showcase three videos that cover current issues with gun sales and Second Amendment rights. We lead off with an NSSF interview video that covers key actions that will affect gun owners. The first is the adoption of new product/merchant categories that will allow credit card companies to track firearm purchases. This causes concern because it can identify persons as gun buyers when they only purchased outdoor gear or accessories. And it creates the risk of creating a list of gun owners — even though a national registry is forbidden by Federal law.
The first video, from the NSSF, also covers the impact of a recent Executive Order by President Joe Biden. This seeks to impose new types of gun control by fiat — without the approval of Congress. This new Executive Order is also covered in a recent BackFire TV video and a good video from the U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA).
The NRA-ILA explains: “Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on gun control that could accurately be described as a mile wide and an inch deep. There is no doubt what it all adds up to: antagonism toward gun ownership is now the official policy of the U.S. government’s Executive Branch.
Now, Biden is basically directing an alphabet soup of federal departments — including Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and Homeland Security — to comb through the BSCA and come up with their own plans to implement it to the fullest extent possible.”
NSSF President Discusses Credit Card Issues and Executive Order
Here is a very informative video from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). The video features NSSF President/CEO Joe Bartozzi interviewed by NSSF’s Erik Scarpati. The 20-minute video interview covers three main topics. First NSSF Pres. Bartozzi covers the history of the NSSF and explains its current mission to support the Second Amendment and promote the shooting sports. Second the interview covers some very concerning developments — how Federal agencies are pushing Credit Card companies to track firearms-related purchases. This is being done through the use of Merchant and Product Category Codes. This could effectively be used to create a de facto gun registry, which is specifically prohibited by Federal law. Third the interview covers the terms of President Biden’s recent Gun Control Executive Order.
Significant Issues with Biden Executive Order
Backfire TV head honcho Jim Harmer has built a popular YouTube Channel with over 650,000 subscribers. He is also a licensed attorney based in Utah. In this video, he discusses key items in President Biden’s recent Executive Order concerning firearms. Harmer explains the ways this Executive Order could restrict Second Amendment rights and encourage multiple Federal agencies to interfere with gun owners.
Specifics of Biden Executive Order — Gun Buyer Lists, Red Flag Laws, and More…
President Joe Biden recently signed an Executive Order paving the way for eventual universal background checks, red flag laws, and further gun control measures. In this video, Katie Pointer-Baney, USCCA Director of Government Affairs, outlines what this Executive Order could mean for the future of private gun sales, Federal Firearms Licensees, and the Safer Communities Act.
Here are highlights from the video:
00:00 President Biden’s Executive Order
01:25 What is an Executive Order?
02:28 Accelerating the Safer Communities Act
03:02 How does the Order affect FFLs?
03:20 Law-abiding citizens and private gun sales
05:09 Let your elected representatives hear your viewpoint
How Credit Card Tracking Affects Gun Owners
The use of special Codes for outdoor sports stores is problematical to say the least. There is a real concern that there would be broad over-reporting of sales relating to guns, because the Code would be applied to a variety of purchases.
NRA America’s First Freedom explains: “A person who uses a credit card to purchase a gun safe, a trolling motor and binoculars from a sporting goods store over several weeks or months, as well as any ammunition they might need, will make all of these purchases under the same proposed MCC used for gun sales. If anti-Second Amendment extremists get their way, these purchases could then prompt a credit-card company to report the sales to the authorities. Next, a police officer, or an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), might show up at a citizen’s home to find out why they’ve been buying so much stuff from their local ‘gun store’.”
If you are looking for a versatile, well-crafted semi-auto .22 LR pistol, here’s an option you should definitely consider — the SIG Sauer P322. Introduced in 2022, this .22 LR rimfire pistol that should be popular with SIG’s centerfire handgun owners and anyone who wants a quality, polymer-framed .22 LR pistol. Th P322 offers excellent ergonomics and 20+1 capacity, making it good for cross-training and fun rimfire shooting.
This VIDEO explains the features of the new P322 (Loud Volume — turn down at work):
The new P322 was designed and built by SIG Sauer in the USA. It has many premium features, including an optics-ready removable rear sight plate allowing installation of a red dot optic without adapter plates. The P322 offers ambidextrous controls, interchangeable flat and curved triggers, and fiber optic front and rear sights. The P322 even comes with a threaded barrel adapter making it suppressor-ready right out of the box. And with a 20-rd magazine for 20+1 total capacity, the new P322 is the highest-capacity .22 LR pistol in its class. (And a mag extension is offered for 25-rd capacity).
Though it may look like a striker-fired pistol, the SIG P322 is a hammer-fired, single-action-only design (the hammer is enclosed by the rear of the slide). The P322 is blow-back operated with a fixed (non-tilting) 4″ barrel. This helps contribute to excellent accuracy and reliability.
Hands-On P322 Testing by 22Plinkster
SIG Sauer P322 Pistol Features:
Ambidextrous Controls With Reversible Magazine Catch
Optics-Ready Removable Rear Sight Plate
Fiber Optic Front and Rear Sights
Hammer-fired, Single-Action-Only, Fixed 4″ Barrel
Suppressor-Ready With Included Threaded Barrel Adapter
Interchangeable Trigger Shoes (flat and curved included)
20 Round Magazine Capacity (with +5 optional mag extension) SEE PRODUCT PAGE
When you make a reloading mistake, you may need to “pull down” assembled ammo. The embedded UltimateReloader.com video demonstrates how to use the Hornady Cam-Lock bullet pulling system.
When Reloading Goes Bad — The Danger of Over-Charging
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com was recently reloading some 9mm pistol ammo with his Hornady progressive press. As part of his reloading procedure, he visually checks the cases — and he noticed that the charges seemed high. Sure enough, his most recently-produced rounds were about two grains over spec. He diagnosed the issue: “I was using a powder measure without a baffle. What happened was, over the course of the loading session, things settled in, and the charge level increased.”
Not knowing just when his powder measure started delivering too much powder, Gavin decided, for safety’s sake, to pull down all the ammo he had just reloaded. Yes that’s time-consuming, but it’s better than the alternative — having a dangerous Kaboom while shooting. With fast-burning pistol powders, a two-grain over-charge could cause a blown case, damaged firearm, and/or serious injury.
Watch Cam-Lock Bullet Puller Used to Remove Bullets from Loaded Ammo:
Use of Bullet Puller starts 4:00 minutes into video.
Gavin says it is vitally important to perform safety checks during the reloading process: “You’ve got to do it — check every single round to make sure there IS powder, and that there’s not too MUCH powder. Double, Triple, Quadruple check your components… and your powder charges. You can’t be too careful.”
To pull down a loaded round, first place the cartridge in the shellholder on your press ram. Then raise the round up into the bullet puller device installed where a die would go. The Hornady Cam-lock bullet puller works by clamping the bullet in a collet when you flip down the red-coated lever. Then, with the case held by the rim in the shell-holder, the bullet exits the cartridge as the press ram is lowered. It takes time, but it’s pretty fool-proof once you get the hang of it. This entire process is illustrated in Gavin’s video, starting near the four-minute mark.
The Hornady Cam Lock Bullet Puller has four (4) key components: 1. Cam-Lock die body; 2. Cam-Lock lever; 3. Stem; and 4. Collet (Caliber-specific).
NOTE: In order to use this tool, you’ll need the appropriate collet for each diameter range of bullets you intend to pull. For example use collet #3 for 6mm, collect #6 for 7mm, and collet #7 for .308 Caliber.
RCBS Lock-Out Die
A good safety option for users with progressive presses is the RCBS Lock-Out Die. This has a charge detection rod that dips into each case after powder has dropped. You adjust the die to the proper charge height for your desired load. If the actual dispensed charge is too high or too low, the Lock-Out Die senses the problem and stops the press from advancing to the next case (it does this by preventing the ram/shellplate from fully elevating). We’ve used the Lock-out die with success for both pistol and rifle cartridges. It’s sensitive to about one-half grain with pistol powders.
This Lock-Out Die works with Hornady and Dillon progressives as well as with RCBS progressives. It does take up one die station on the press.
Accurate shooting begins and ends with the human eye. Your career as a marksman could be cut short if you don’t use good eye protection every time you go to the range and/or handle a firearm.
RCBS Lock-Out Die
