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June 25th, 2009
California Varmint Silhouette matches are the focus of our current main feature story on AccurateShooter.com. After reading that story you might say: “Looks like fun, but how can I avoid going downrange everytime I knock down the targets?” Well, if your club already has a fixed steel plate or a gong at 500 or 600 yards, you can just shoot at it and look for the “splash marks” from bullet impact (if you can’t hear the hit). Bring a can of white paint and re-paint the target every so often. Shooting range steel is fun, but we’ve found most of the “semi-permanent” long-range steel targets at clubs are pretty large. You want something more the size of a varmint to provide a better challenge. You could set out some clay birds of course — but again that requires you to traipse down-range every dozen rounds or so.
Affordable Self-Resetting Armored Poppers
To duplicate the fun of a varmint silhouette match, we recommend self-resetting pop-up targets. These are sold by LV Steel and other target makers. Contructed of “AR500″ hardened steel, the LV poppers are rugged and very durable. The armored LV Steel targets can stand up to repeated hits from a 300 Win Mag. Shown below is LV Steel’s #4 (10″ x 6″) spring-loaded “paddle” popper. The video shows it soaking up repeated hits from a 300 Win Mag at 100 yards. Such self-resetting poppers are small enough that you could carry 2 or 3 in your car or truck easily. That way you can set up your own long-range “steel challenge” whenever you go shooting. The same poppers can also be used for pistol practice. LV Steel’s #4 paddle, made of 5/8″-thick steel, costs $150.00 and is designed to ship in a UPS flat-rate box. LV Steel makes a wide variety of other metallic targets.
June 23rd, 2009
 Joe Gross, chief operating officer for the Remington Arms Company, takes on microstamping in an op-ed piece published in the Utica Observer-Dispatch. “Microstamping,” writes Gross, “is a concept where a manufacturer incorporates the firearm serial number onto the firing pin of the firearm such that the serial number is imprinted on the cartridge when it is fired. The objective is to aid law enforcement in investigations to trace firearms used by criminals. Simply put, microstamping does not work. Microstamping is an idea put forth by those who wish to legislate burdensome, unreliable and unproven controls on an industry to drive up costs, increase burdens and force manufacturers out of business. They do this under the guise that this will help solve crimes.” Remington has a manufacturing plant in New York state, where anti-gun legislators have introduced and strongly support microstamping legislation.
CLICK HERE to read full article by Remington CEO.
In the video below scientists and leading Forensic Examiners explain the shortcomings of what the media has called “ballistic fingerprinting”. The experts conclude that the creation of a national database of firearms’ markings would not only be impractical, but it would also make it MORE difficult to identify guns actually used in crimes. Why? Because the amount of data would overwhelm those tasked with evaluating it.
This report courtesy NSSF
June 16th, 2009
The majority of competitive shooters in many disciplines are over 40, with a high percentage over 50 years old. That’s a lot of old eyes which may have trouble reading small print. Shooters who are far-sighted, and older shooters with presbyopia, may have difficulty focusing on close objects. At the range, this may make it difficult to read range cards, printed come-up tables, or even the “fine print” found in manuals for chronographs and other shooting accessories.
Here’s a solution for shooters who need better close-up vision. For just $10.50 per pair, Amazon.com sells stick-on inserts that mount to any glass or plastic lenses, including polycarbonate shooting glasses. Water is the adhesive–the surface tension effect of H20 is enough to keep the lens inserts in place. But this also lets you easily move the magnifying lenses from one set of glasses to another. ReadingGlasses.com offers the Optx 20/20 stick-on lenses for $18.00 (or $29.00 for two pair). Magellan’s, a popular travel accessory store, sells the same Optx 20/20 Lenses, Item #BA726, for $24.85 per pair. Magellan’s notes: “Flexible Optx 20/20 lenses hold fast by their own molecular attraction (no adhesive needed) and can be peeled off and reattached many times”. The video below shows how the stick-on lenses work.
June 12th, 2009
In the shooting sports, safety always has to be your number one priority. Even if you have a safe load, if the barrel is obstructed in any way, such as with mud in the barrel, a squib bullet, or a bore-sighting tool left in the barrel, the barrel can blow up, pealing back like a banana skin. Serious injury or even death can result. Below is an amazing video showing a catastrophic barrel failure caused, presumably, by a barrel obstruction — probably mud or dirt. You can see the barrel blow apart, starting at time mark 0:25 seconds.
The rifle is a Browning stainless A-Bolt, caliber unknown. We don’t know for sure, but the barrel probably became obstructed when the shooter allowed the gun to rest muzzle down on the ground, so some mud collected in the bore. Below, we’ve grabbed five frames from the key section of the video. You can see the barrel split into two segments. This shooter, who was NOT wearing eye protection, was uninjured. He is is lucky that the action held and no metal shards blew backwards.
June 11th, 2009
 These days, shooters use all sorts of battery-powered accessories: chronographs, electronic ear-muffs, wind meters, timers, laser-rangefinders, even pulse-monitors. While AA or AAA batteries are easy to find and relatively inexpensive, many modern digital gadgets use smaller (yet more expensive) 1.5-volt batteries.
Here’s a simple “hack” that gives you eight (8) 1.5-volt button batteries for the price of a single A23 Energizer 12-volt battery (about $2.00 per pair). If you use the 1.5-volt batteries, this could save you quite a bit of cash. Just peel open the Energizer A23 with a screwdriver and you’ll find eight 1.5-volt batteries inside.
Note — this trick is known to work only with the Energizer A23, 12-volt battery. If you use another brand of A23, you might just end up with a ruined A23 and nothing else.
For more interesting, money-saving projects, visit KipKay Videos.
June 10th, 2009
Have a squirrel problem in your back yard, or maybe mice in the barn? Here’s an innovative, high-tech solution. Starting with a hand-cranked, pneumatic Gatling BB-Gun kit from BMIKarts, a talented machinist created a servo-activated, air-powered Gatling that can be “aimed” with a lap-top computer. A high-pressure air hose provides the energy to launch the BBs, while both traverse and elevation are handled by computer-controlled, electric servo-motors. Watch the video below, and you’ll notice some very nice machining on this mini-Gatling. Actual firing starts at the 24-second mark.
June 6th, 2009
 Rise of the Machines? Well the latest Terminator movie, Terminator Salvation, was recently released, but we don’t think we’ll be facing a world dominated by evil robots anytime soon. Nonetheless, programmed automated milling machines are getting smarter and more capable than ever.
Here’s a remarkable video clip demonstrating state-of-the art CNC production of precision gun parts. In the video, created by STAMA America, an HK pistol gun breech is crafted from bar stock through a totally automated drilling/milling procedure. The breech is made by STAMA’s Model MC 726 MT, a unique five-axis, CNC milling/turning center. The five-axis machine is designed for continuous production of complex parts from bar stock and multiple different parts, including weapon components. CLICK HERE to play 5-minute YouTube Video.
The process shown in the 5-minute video actually takes 50 minutes to craft the breech, starting with a 60mm diameter section of 42 CrMo 4 steel. Amazingly, the 5-axis machine employs 25 separate tools in the operation!
STAMA states that its milling/turning machines “can produce even short runs of complex weapon parts in one operation with superior quality, finish and cost efficiencies. Typically, the Model MC 726 MT can result in up to 70% reductions in part processing time[.]”
June 4th, 2009
 Our recent story on the Anschütz Model 64-R Biathlon rifle prompted interest in the Olympic sport of biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with rimfire rifle marksmanship. While most of the top shooters are from Europe, there are many dedicated biathletes in Canada and the USA.
In the video below, Nicki Pacas, a former Canadian National Team biathlete, talks about the “Girls with Guns” biathlon program she leads in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Nicki’s “Girls with Guns” program has attracted many new female biathletes who enjoy the comradery and the unique challenge of skiing and shooting. Nicki explains: “I enjoy the challenge of biathlon. The best way to describe going from skiing to shooting is, say you just did a 100-meter sprint and a whole bunch of pushups and then you need to try and thread a needle. It’s really, really hard… it’s a total shift in concentration.”
With the help of top Nordic coaches, Nicki has introduced dozens of young women to the sport of biathlon. For many participants this was their first experience shooting rifles. Nicki adds: “It’s so great to see more girls participating in [biathlon]. I think because it’s a girls-only program it’s more appealing…. I think if you give girls the opportunity to have a healthy lifestyle… they’re more likely to make really positive decisions in the future.”
NOTE: You should definitely watch this professionally-produced video. Nicki is a great spokes-person for her sport.
June 4th, 2009
We often hear the question: “Where can I get a quality bench stock, with a wide, flat fore-end, for a rimfire action?” First, McMillan can inlet their popular Edge and Hunter benchrest stocks for rimfire actions such as the Hall, Rem 40X, and Turbo. Second, if you’re looking for a nice wood stock, contact Don Stith in Troutville, Virginia. Don’s St. Louis Plains Rifle Co. offers match-proven wide fore-end designs, inletted for most of the popular rimfire target actions: Anschutz 54, Hall, Remington 37, Remington 40X, Remington 540 or 580, Sako Finnfire, Suhl, Turbo, Ultralight, and Winchester 52. Stith also sells a rimfire sporter stock with a narrower fore-end. This is designed to meet the regulations of IR50/50 Sporter Class
Stith offers a variety of fancy woods, as well as colored laminates. Stock weight depends on your choice of wood. Butternut, Catalpa, and Sassafrass will weigh 1.5 to 1.75 pounds. Walnut and Curly Maple are 1.75 to 2.25 pounds and the laminates are approximately 2.5 pounds.
Stith “Class BR” rimfire stocks start at $220 for laminates, and $200 for solid wood, but fancy or highly figured woods can cost quite a bit more. Call Don for a quote. The popular “Predator” design (known for its great tracking) starts at $250.00. Don’s rimfire benchrest stocks are fully shaped, sanded to 120 grit, and inletted but no finish is done and they are shipped without buttplates.
May 27th, 2009
 Jorge Ballesteros of Spain captured the coveted Steel Challenge title at the 2009 European Speed Shooting Championships held May 22 and 23 in Winterswijk, Netherlands. Facing Europe’s best shooters, Ballesteros won the Open Pistol title with a time of 61.31 seconds, besting last year’s top time by over two and a half seconds. Jan ter Borg of the Netherlands finished second while Germany’s Oliver Damm placed third for the second year in a row. Defending 2008 champion Saul Kirsch of the Netherlands finished fourth.
The European Steel Challenge drew 135 top speed shooters from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and the United States, all vying for their share of $40,000 in cash and prizes and the title of Europe’s Fastest Gun. The match was shot indoors and featured six of the eight stages used in the USA Steel Challenge: Smoke & Hope, Five to Go, Roundabout, Speed Option, Accelerator and Outer Limits.
“The European Steel Challenge is growing in popularity thanks to the hard work of match director Hans Wigger and, with so many strong competitors, it’s only a matter of time before we see a squad of top Europeans competing at the World Speed Shooting Championships here in the U.S.,” said Dave Thomas, executive director of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA).
Fierce Competition Among Wheel-Gunners
In the Open Revolver division, shooters from the Netherlands ran the table with Mario Siemeling leading the way and defending his 2008 win by posting a time of 68.99. Harry ter Borg, who finished third in 2008, moved up to second shooting a time of 77.00 seconds. In third, with a time of 78.35, was Jan ter Borg. Below is a video from the 2008 ESC showing Harry ter Borg, Mario Siemeling (at 4:00 minute mark) and other wheel-gunners in action.
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