Our 2012 SHOT Show Media day adventure kicked off with some serious firepower. After arriving at the Boulder City Rifle range and signing the obligatory legal release forms, Jason Baney and I made a beeline for the Colt shooting bay where an amazing Bulldog 1877 repro Gatling Gun was on display. These fully-functional, authentic replicas are crafted by the Bulldog company for Colt. You can buy one if you have a cool $50,000.00 to spend. You heard it right — fifty thousand dollars.
Jason is friends with Gatling project director John Buhay, who let both of us send some 45-70 rounds downrange. While the Bulldog Gatling can dispense a prodigious amount of lead in a few seconds (rate of fire determined by how fast the operator cranks), this firearm is not considered an NFA machine gun. Because an advancement of the crank is required for each shot to be fired, this Gatling is not subject to the severe restrictions imposed on Class III arms. You can purchase a Bulldog Gatling, so long as you would otherwise qualify to legally own a long gun.
Three things surprised me about this Gatling. First was the stunning appearance of the unit. It is beautifully machined and every polished metal component shown like gold in the morning sun. The stability of the unit was also surprising. Because the Bulldog is so big and heavy, it barely bobbles as it sends round after round through its five barrels. And surprisingly little force is required to work those barrels. The crank spins easily. I could see how a trained team of Gatling operators could, back in the 19th century, burn through thousands of rounds of ammunition in a few minutes.
Eleven-Time NRA National High Power Champion David Tubb knows a bit about long-range shooting. One of the key factors in long-range accuracy is making sure that the tilt/cant of your rifle does not change throughout your shot string. In the clip below, the first in McMillan’s Master Class Video series, David Tubb explains the importance of keeping your rifle level. He explains that, at 1000 yards, your Point of Impact can change dramatically by canting the rifle either right or left. David states that, when shooting at 1000 yards, if your rifle is level and your shot is centered-up on a 72″ (six-foot) square target, you can actually put your next shot OFF PAPER by canting your rifle. That means you can move Point of Impact (POI) three feet or more, just by canting your rifle! Bryan Litz confirms Tubb’s observation. Bryan tells us that, as a general rule of thumb (for common cartridges), a 1° cant will produce five (5) inches of lateral displacement at 1000 yards. Thus, if you cant your rifle just 8°, the POI would move 40″ from the center of the target, putting the shot off the edge of a 72″-wide target.
David explains that, after one of his students has made two or three 1000-yard, X-Ring hits with a LEVEL rifle, “then I’ll have him take his rifle, and cant it to the right. I’ll have him shoot a shot. He will MISS the six-foot-square frame off to the right. Then I’ll have him cant his gun to the left and shoot another shot. He will miss the six-foot-square frame to the left.”
Rifle Hold and Canting — Consistency Counts Remember that you must maintain the exact same amount of rifle cant from shot to shot. Yes, some iron sights shooters do tilt their rifle slightly to achieve a better hold or to index their sights better. However, these shooters do not change the tilt from shot to shot — the amount of cant remains the same on every shot.
When shooting prone with a scoped rifle it’s probably best to keep the rifle dead level, with the scope’s vertical crosshair straight up and down. Use a rifle-mounted bubble level to maintain a level hold, and avoid canting the gun either to the left or to the right. Affordable bubble levels that mount to your scope or scope rail can be purchased from Brownells and other vendors, starting at about $15.00.
UltimateReloader.com created an informative video that shows how to use the new Hornady Lock-N-Load Concentricity Gauge and Ammo Straightener. This tool can measure run-out on both the bullet and on the case-necks. Run-out is deviation from the cartridge centerline axis. Too much run-out, i.e. poor concentricity, can reduce accuracy, although when you seat bullets into the lands, a certain amount of bullet self-straightening can take place.
Hornady Tool Supports Cartridge on Both Ends
The new Hornady Concentricity Tool supports the case at two ends. As a result, the Hornady Tool will tend to yield lower run-out figures than a tool such as the Sinclair concentricity checker which supports the cartridge on the case body alone, giving the bullet unrestricted movement as the case body is rotated. As UltimateReloader explains: “Each measurement tool measures run-out differently, so you’ll need to factor that into your goals for your own match ammunition.”
Bullet ‘Straightening’ with Hornady Concentricity Tool
The Hornady Tool can be used to push seated bullets to one side or the other, reducing measured run-out. The Hornady tool has a threaded pusher that side-loads the bullet. As you screw the pusher inwards in you can see the run-out on the dial indicator decrease. That straightening process is shown in the Hornady-produced video below, at the 25-second mark. In Sinclair Intl’s Reloading Press blog, Pete Petros reports: “It can take a little bit of trial and error to get this just right, but it does work.”
Is Bullet Straightening Really That Effective?
This bullet straightening procedure, whether done with the Hornady tool or other device, is a somewhat controversial technique. Some folks say that straightening bullets simply transfers run-out back down to the case neck. Petros notes: “One concern that comes up is what are you doing to the neck of the case in terms of neck tension.”
On the other hand, many shooters claim their ammo shoots better after they straightened rounds which initially showed excessive run-out. One Hornady Concentricity Tool user writes: “The straightening feature on the Hornady tool makes bullet/case concentricity easy to correct and after using this tool, I wouldn’t be without one. Variations on [my] cast bullets have gone .020″ and when straightened, I can get down to below .001″. It takes a bit of practice, but it’s possible to make every round straight. At the 100-yard range yesterday using my straightened rounds … five-shot groups averaged .500. Before I would always have flyers and now I can see why this time I didn’t have any flyers. Straight rounds produce more consistent groups!”. Read more.
Bullet straightening with the Hornady Tool or other devices can certainly make a difference in run-out that shows up on the dial. Whether that improvement in perceived concentricity actually produces better accuracy remains an open question. Using high-quality dies with good bullets, seated in good, straight brass, you should be able to load ammo with very low run-out from the get-go. It may be better to try to achieve low run-out during your normal loading process rather than rely on the “band-aid” of bullet straightening as a last resort. On the other hand, if you are starting with factory-loaded ammo, re-aligning bullets in the case-necks may be a useful exercise. We invite our readers to comment on their experiences with bullet straightening. Has the straightening process worked for you?
The 3-Gun Nation Championship is the culmination of a 10-event series involving nearly 2,000 match competitors across the country. The Championship finale will be held at night, under the lights, in front of an invitation-only SHOT Show crowd in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 pm at the Clark County Range. The 3-Gun Nation elimination series began in November, with a field of 64 competitors. The top eight were selected to compete in the Championship match.
Winner Earns $50,000 — Courtesy Leupold and NBC Sports
Leupold has made sure the 2012 3-Gun Nation Championship finale features one of the largest payoffs in shooting history. The Oregon-based optics manufacturer has put up a $25,000 first-place prize. A matching offer from TV host NBC Sports brings the winner’s check to an unprecedented $50,000.
Man-on-Man Competition in Finals
The eight finalists will compete in a man-on-man shoot-off using rifles, shotguns and handguns. The first competitor to knock down all the steel targets, including the final stop plate, wins the match. Watch the Video below to see last year’s 3-Gun Nation Finale from Las Vegas:
The 3-Gun Nation Tour is the only point series and qualification standard-setting body in the sport of 3-gun and is sanctioned by the National Rifle Association. 3-Gun Nation matches can be seen on the new home of Versus, NBC Sports Network.
With the success of Top Shot on the History Channel, and other shooting-themed television shows, it seems Hollywood has finally discovered the audience appeal of shooting sports. Now NBC is stepping into the fray with a vengence, launching Hot Shots on the new NBC Sports Outdoor Network (which replaced the Versus Network on January 2, 2012.) Hot Shots airs Sundays at 8:00. The first episode debuted January 8, 2012.
NBC Sports Network has assembled some of the best shooters on the planet for its new Hot Shots program: Jerry Miculek, K.C. Eusebio, Patrick Flanigan, and Randy Oitker. Miculek, an expert with rifle, pistol, and shotgun, has won 14 International Revolver Championships and is a top 3-Gun competitor. Our Friend K.C., formerly with the USAMU, was the youngest USPSA Grandmaster at the age of 12. Patrick is a world-class shotgunner who has re-defined the world of exhibition shooting. Randy is a true phenom with bow and arrow, having won over 17 National Pro Archery titles.
Every Sunday morning at 9 AM eastern, NBC Sports Network (previously known as the Versus Network) follows these four men across the nation as they compete in their respective fields. On NBC’s Hotshots website, the show’s Emmy-winning producer Brian Speciale explains: “You don’t have to be a gun nut to understand what we’re doing. We want you to get to know these guys, see their ups and downs, the personal struggle and sacrifice that’s molded them into champions.”
The popular Friends of NRA TV show, hosted by Jessie Harrison and Matt Duff, launched its second season this past Sunday. In Season 2, Matt and Jesse return for a new year’s worth of adventures that take them across the United States. See Season 2 highlights in the video below:
In this fast-paced TV series Matt and Jesse travel around the country. Along the way they hunt, fish, shoot, and show how Friends of NRA fund-raising efforts help local, state, and national shooting programs. In this entertaining series, the hosts try out new outdoor activities each week — from hog-hunting to tarpon-fishing. Friends of NRA airs on the Outdoor Channel Sundays at 10:00 PM EST.
The NRA’s new television series, Guns & Gold, debuts tonight at 9:00 pm on The Sportsman Channel. The premier episode is well worth watching. Tonight’s episode will feature Winchester firearms. Arms historians Jim Supica and Phil Schreier of the NRA Firearms Museum review some classic Winchesters, explaining the history (and monetary value) of the rifles. In addition, expert Mike Fuljenz of Universal Coin & Bullion appraises treasured guns and coins from homes of everyday collectors.
Watch the video below to preview Guns & Gold, and to learn about Teddy Roosevelt and the Winchester Model 1895. Roosevelt loved the 1895. He famously referred to his 1895, chambered in .405 Winchester, as his “Big Medicine” rifle. Did you know T.R. took a crate of 1895s to Africa for his safaris?
If you miss Monday night’s 9:00 pm premier of Guns & Gold, this same episode will be repeated at 12:00 am (midnight) Tuesday, and 3:30 pm Thursday. For more info, visit NRAgunsandgold.com.
Alexander Arms is now shipping production 17 HMR AR15 rifles and 17 HMR upper receiver kits. The complete rifles are the only semi-auto rifles specifically designed to reliably shoot the 17 HMR cartridge. Alexander Arm’s 17 HMR rifle does not employ a reworked .22LR rimfire action. Instead the gun features a new bolt assembly design purpose-built built to work with the 17 HMR cartridge. This is good news for varmint hunters who want semi-auto capability for fast follow-up shots in the varmint fields.
The complete rifle comes standard with a straight fluted 18″ stainless barrel, A1 flash-hider, free-floating composite hand guard and two molded-plastic 10-round magazines. Options include a spiral-fluted barrel and MK3 railed upper receiver. Alexander Arms’ 17 HMR ARs will be offered in both fixed stock and collapsible-stock versions. The upper receiver kit includes all the ancillary items needed to convert existing AR15 lowers to work with the 17 HMR cartridge.
17 HMR Basics
If you are not familiar with the 17 HMR, it is a popular varmint cartridge effective out to 200 yards or so. With typical muzzle velocities of 2550-2650 fps, the little 17 HMR packs much more punch than a .22LR, while bucking the wind much better. CLICK HERE for Varmint Al’s 17 HMR webpage, which provides a comprehensive analysis of 17 HMR ballistics, kinetic enegy, and effectiveness on small varmints.
Video Showing Alexander Arms 17HMR Bolt Cycling in Slo-Mo
On its website, Alexander Arms reports: “Our initial production run will be 500 units. We are extremely pleased with this [17 HMR] caliber. With help from Hornady, this unit has been extensively tested and has proven itself to be very capable in the field. At the recent Big 3 Event, we ran two rifles out to ranges of 400 yards and despite windy conditions… the guns performed well. While running guns at the Big 3 we had an opportunity to run one of the rifles with the excellent magnum rimfire silencer from Thunderbeast Arms Corp. The rifle exhibited a slight shift in zero and ran without a hitch for the two days of the event. This unscheduled test provided a quick insight into the flexibility of the rifle and everyone agreed that this combination would serve well for any varminting purposes.”
NSSF has released a short video to help attendees at the 2012 SHOT Show. This how-to video provides tips for planning meetings as well as mapping and navigating the show floor. It’s wise to plan out your show visit ahead of time. Navigating the maze-like interior of the Venetian Hotel and the multiple levels of the Sands Convention/Expo Center can be challenging to say the least. With 1600+ exhibiting companies, spread out over a 600,000 square-foot area, it’s easy to be overwhelmed, and even easier to waste time retracing your steps. You’ll get the most out of the SHOT show by identifying your priority booth locations, and then creating a walking plan that logically moves from one key booth to the next. The SHOT Show is only 35 days away, so there’s no time like the present to start mapping your show.
Sands Expo Center a Maze-Like Disappointment
What’s wrong with the Sands Expo Center? You name it. The “host” hotel is the Venetian, which is way too expensive for most attendees, not to mention a nightmare to navigate. General “front door” access is poor and there is no on-site parking at all (you have to park at adjacent hotels on the strip). The lower levels are dungeon-like with poor lighting and bad acoustics. The conference rooms are hard to find and most are either too big or too small. The Sands Center has multiple, odd-shaped levels which lack logical ingress/egress points. Floorplans are inconsistent from level to level, and bathrooms are hard to locate. Some popular sections, such as the tactical/police displays, are exiled to upper halls that are hard to reach from the main entrance. Worst of all, to get into the show, most visitors must walk a quarter-mile through the dark, noisy, maze-like interior of the Venetian hotel. It is very easy to get lost in that nightmare of a hotel. On a 1:10 scale, we give the Sands Expo Center a “3″ and that’s only because it’s (barely) big enough and the main hall is bright, with high ceilings (albeit with a leaky roof).
Check out this cool video filmed by Charles Le at the 2011 USPSA Handgun Nationals in Las Vegas. Charles focused on the top female competitors, gals with world-class speed and accuracy. The video features Julie Golob, Jessie Harrison, Maggie Reese, Diana Le, Athena Lee, Kippi Leatham, Bonnie Ryder, and Cindi Thomas. These ladies redefine, in a positive way, what it means to “Shoot Like a Girl”.
Watch High-Def Version of Video with Fast Connections
By default, this YouTube video runs in 360p. However, if you have a fast connection you can select a higher resolution including 720p and 1080p HD (High Definition). You can also click the arrows icon on the lower right corner of the video to expand for full screen. Watching this vid in 1080p on a full screen is pretty impressive — trust us. (During HD viewing, if the display is choppy, let the whole video download before playback.) Charles Le’s video shows the production quality that can now be achieved with affordable equipment. Charles used a Canon EOS 60d camera (body only about $700), and edited the video on a MacBook Pro using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.
Jason is friends with Gatling project director John Buhay, who let both of us send some 45-70 rounds downrange. While the Bulldog Gatling can dispense a prodigious amount of lead in a few seconds (rate of fire determined by how fast the operator cranks), this firearm is not considered an NFA machine gun. Because an advancement of the crank is required for each shot to be fired, this Gatling is not subject to the severe restrictions imposed on Class III arms. You can purchase a Bulldog Gatling, so long as you would otherwise qualify to legally own a long gun.
Remember that you must maintain the exact same amount of rifle cant from shot to shot. Yes, some iron sights shooters do tilt their rifle slightly to achieve a better hold or to index their sights better. However, these shooters do not change the tilt from shot to shot — the amount of cant remains the same on every shot.
17 HMR Basics
