Shown is the Redding Model 15-P Competition Piloted Inside Chamfering Tool with pilot rod that centers in the case flash hole. Also shown is a Forster 45° Rocket Tool.
There are a wide variety of reloading tools designed to cut a slight chamfer in case necks and deburr the edge of the case mouth. You don’t need to spend a lot of money for an effective tool. A basic “rocket-style” 45° chamfering tool, such as the Forster, actually does a pretty good job taking the sharp edge off case mouths, particularly if you use a little scotch-pad (or steel wool) to smooth the edge of the cut. The Forster chamfer tool, shown below, is a nicely-made product, with sharper cutting blades than you’ll find on most other 45° chamferers. It costs $24.99 at Brownells.com.
Redding sells a handy piloted chamfering tool with a 15° inside cutting angle and removable accessory handle. This Redding Model 15-P chamferer works really well, so long as you have consistent case OALs. The pilot rod (which indexes in the flash hole) is adjustable for different cartridge types (from very short to very long). This ensures the concentricity of the inside neck chamfer to the case mouth. This quality tool works with cases from .22 to .45 Caliber, and retails for $36.99.
Sinclair International offers a 28° carbide chamferer with many handy features (and sharp blades). The $28.99 Sinclair Carbide VLD Case Mouth Chamfering Tool will chamfer cases from .14 through .45 caliber. This tool features a removable 28° carbide cutter mounted in the green plastic Sinclair handle. NOTE: A hex-shaft cutter head power adapter can be purchased separately for $14.99 (Sinclair item 749-002-488WS). This can be chucked in a power screwdriver or used with dedicated power drives when doing large volumes of cases.
Many folks feel they can get smoother bullet seating by using a tool that cuts at a steeper angle. We like the 22° cutter sold by Lyman. It has a comfortable handle, and costs just $12.99 at MidsouthShooterssupply.com. The Lyman tool is an excellent value, though we’ve seen examples that needed sharpening even when new. Blade-sharpening is easily done, however.
K&M makes a depth-adjustable, inside-neck chamferer (“Controlled Depth Tapered Reaper”) with ultra-sharp cutting flutes. The latest version, which costs $54.85 at KMShooting.com, features a central pin that indexes via the flash hole to keep the cutter centered. In addition, the tool has a newly-designed handle, improved depth-stop fingers, plus a new set-screw adjustment for precise cutter depth control. We caution, even with all the depth-control features, if you are not careful, it is easy to over-cut, slicing away too much brass and basically ruining your neck. We think that most reloaders will get better results using a more conventional chamfer tool, such as the Forster or Redding 15-P.
One last thing to note — tools like the K&M and the Sinclair chamferer are often described as VLD chamferers. That is really a misnomer, as bullets with long boat-tails actually seat easily with very minimal chamfering. In reality, these high-angle chamferers may be most valuable when preparing brass for flat-base bullets and bullets with pressure rings. Using a 22° or 28° chamferer can reduce the risk of cutting a jacket when using VLD bullets though — so long as you make a smooth cut.
Keith Glasscock is one of America’s very finest F-Class shooters. This talented trigger-puller took second in F-Open division at the F-Class National Championships three years in a row. A smart engineer with aviation knowledge, Keith is a master wind reader, who has served as the wind coach for top F-Class teams. In fact Keith is in Arizona right now coaching a team at Ben Avery.
Keith shares his wind-reading expertise on his popular YouTube Channel — Winning in the Wind. This channel provides intelligent advice on multiple topics including reloading, load development, shooting strategies, and yes, reading the wind.
Keith has the credentials to back up the advice he offers in his video lessons. A High Master, Keith finished second overall at the 2021 NRA F-Class Long Range Championship in F-Open division. He also finished second at the 2020 Nationals, and he took second place at the 2019 Nationals. His consistency is unrivaled, which means he definitely knows the secrets of long-range wind calling and loading ultra-accurate ammo.
Today we feature two of Keith’s latest YouTube videos, both focused on wind reading.
Wind Direction vs. Wind Speed — Which is More Important
Most shooters find wind reading somewhat intimidating. That is understandable. The wind can change constantly during a match, with variations in both wind velocity and angles. Sometimes you think you have a cycle figured out, but then there can be an unexpected lull. Or you may start a string in what you think is a stable condition, but then a surprise shift changes everything. In addition, wind flows can be influenced by terrain features, such as berms, which have varying effects depending on wind angle (e.g. a tailwind hitting a berm will act differently than a 90-deg crosswind). That is why a good wind reader needs to identify both the wind speed AND the wind angle. In this video, Keith explains when to focus primarily on direction and when to pay most attention to velocity. With headwinds and tailwinds, Keith notes, you should monitor angle changes carefully. With crosswinds, speed is the key variable to watch.
KEY Points to Remember
— Small changes in wind direction changes alter POI drastically at long range
— During head or tailwinds, focus on wind direction
— During crosswinds, focus more on wind speed
— The wind is cyclic — always be aware of the pattern
Determining Wind Direction with Precision
Many shooters try to read the wind merely using whatever wind flags might be aloft on the range. Flags are important of course, but there are other vital factors that a wise wind-watcher will monitor. You want to watch mirage, and the movement of grass and trees. In looking for angle changes, Keith says the spotting scope is a very important tool. His tripod is equipped with angle markings on the rotating tripod head. This allows him to ascertain wind angles with great precision.
In the video below, Keith shows how to use a spotting scope to read the wind. He explains how he uses his spotting scope in his role as a wind coach. But a spotting scope can also be used effectively by competitors shooting prone or from a bench. Many top shooters use their spotting scopes to watch mirage during their relays. Keith notes that smart competitors can also use their spotters BETWEEN relays to scout natural wind indicators (moving grass, trees etc.), check for boils, watch mirage, and estimate wind velocity cycles.
KEY Points to Remember
— Wind flags leave a lot to be desired in precision wind direction reading
— Precision wind direction can be obtained with a spotting scope
— There is a boil both directly upwind and directly downwind
— Angle indicator on your tripod helps with angular precision in wind readings
— Scouting with a spotting scope before your turn to shoot can be fruitful
Questions and Answers with Keith Glasscock
Q. How did you get started as a wind coach, and what were the most important stages in your progress in wind-reading?
Keith: I started coaching this team in 2017. I was looking for a team to shoot on, but they needed a wind coach. I’ve been a backseat driver ever since. I learned the most about reading the wind from shooting when the conditions are absolutely miserable – flags popping, wind switching, people missing the targets entirely, and there I was, having to make the big call. I learn from my own mistakes, and it shows. I still make mistakes, but try to limit them to ones I haven’t already made. In essence, I am in the most important stage now. Humbly looking at the wind knowing its power and mystery, while learning new things every day.
Q. What are the most common wind-reading mistakes you see people make at matches?
Keith: The most common, in a word, is UNDER-confidence. Most shooters can make that wind call with accuracy. But their fear prevents them from doing that, and prevents them from learning or taking advantage of smooth, solid conditions. The second common mistake is failure to anticipate changes. That comes from not gauging the wind pattern. It’s all about patterns in a sport where wind changes so small have such profound impacts on score.
Q. What’s more important — wind flags, or mirage (or maybe the unexpected horizontal that appears on the last shot recorded on target).
Keith: Both flags and mirage lie. The only thing that tells the truth is a bullet. Unfortunately, the wind can switch faster than you can shoot in most cases. I take a fluid approach. I look for what on the range right now tells me what the wind is doing.
Q. When are conditions so bad/unpredictable that it is necessary to just stop shooting and wait for things to get better?
Keith: This is situational, and comes down to what you are observing. I never like to shoot in the top of a gust condition, even when I know what the hold is. The drop off is what gets you that surprise 8.
Q: What type of wind meters do you recommend?
Keith: While Kestrels are inexpensive and quite serviceable, they are directional in nature. If I want absolute wind speed, an omnidirectional style unit is preferred.
Q. Are there ways to practice reading the wind (and judging wind speeds) when one is away from the range?
Keith: I really concentrate on seeing mirage any time I’m outside, without optics. I can, many times, see the boil of the mirage, and wind direction with the naked eye. My time in aviation has my eye tuned to see things like shear zones and venturis in the airflow. I take a moment, anytime the air is moving, to feel the air on my skin, see the trees and grass moving, and areas where the wind does funny things. Trees and grass tend to get too much credit as precision wind indicators. I use them as wind change indicators. It also gives me an opportunity to humble myself and realize how dependent I am on mirage and flags.
This article covers the basics of safe gun storage and firearms handling. It provides important guidelines — particularly useful for new gun owners. We start with a Firearm Storage and Safety Assessment Quiz. This walks gun owners through questions related to safe handling and storage of firearms. After that you’ll find guidelines for safe gun storage and transport. Bottom line, we recommend all firearms be properly secured when not is use. There are a wide variety of gun safes and gun storage systems.
This past week, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin killed his cinematographer on a movie set (and wounded another person). Had Baldwin followed these Four Basic Rules of Gun Safety, the tragic death would not have occurred. This just proves that anyone using a firearm should ALWAYS follow these rules.
KEY FEATURES: Ballistics Solver, GPS Tagging, Weather Forecast, Field Notes with Photos
Hunters, here’s a great FREE mobile APP for both Apple and Android systems. The ZEISS Hunting App offers many practical functions: full-featured ballistics calculator, field notes with photo archive, compass function, GPS tagging for documentation of hunting experiences, and a detailed weather forecast service. The Hunting App is offered as a FREE download for Android and iOS (iPhone/iPad) mobile devices.
Three Minute Video Explains Zeiss Hunting App Features:
The Zeiss Hunting App integrates multiple useful features — ballistics solver, compass, GPS tagging, hunt history. The “Field Notes” function can record a wide variety of info — you can save photos, record your shots and hits, log animal sightings during the hunt, and even plot game locations on a map. Zeiss explains: “This allows users to optimally record events, the game population in the hunting territory, and their own hunting experiences.” Shots can be tagged via GPS through the shooter’s and the target’s position, and then displayed on a map. The Field Notes hunt diary shows all entries in chronological order.
Full-Featured Ballistics Solver
The integrated ballistic calculator allows hunters to easily customize the settings to suit their favorite cartridges. You can enter your own data, or choose bullet/cartridge info from a database containing over 7000 ammunition types from a variety of manufacturers. The ballistics solver can be programmed for for current weather conditions (temp/humidity), and the angle (inclination) of the shot.
Weather Functions
The weather tool offers a Five-Day Forecast, and you can choose multiple locations. In addition to the current location, users can also display the weather for their hunting areas of choice. The weather forecast includes temperature, precipitation, wind direction, wind speed, humidity, and air pressure. (Note: For precise ballistics solutions, you must input the ACTUAL conditions at your shooting location).
This video explains how to define a hunting zone and set GPS location tags on the map:
Hunt Log and Photos
The Field Notes function can do many things. You can log all your shots and hits, and you can plot game sightings during the hunt. Events can be augmented with photos and GPS data. With the Field Notes mapping function, you can even locate game populations in the hunting territory. A compass and automatic night mode round off the list of smart features.
Over the past 12 months, 2 MILLION Americans obtained concealed carry permits. That’s a 10% rise since 2020 and a 48% rise since 2016. The number of Americans obtaining CCW permits set an all-time record according to the Crime Prevention Research Center (CRPC) The previous high number was 1.8 million permits in 2017. The 2 million permits this year represents the greatest one-year increase ever recorded. The CRPC reports that the number of CCW permits has increased “exponentially” over the last year.
Guns America Digest reports: “A record number of Americans purchased firearms since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CPRC’s new data suggests that those same individuals also sought concealed carry permits. The surge is even more remarkable considering the number of states that now allow permit-less, or ‘constitutional’ carry. As of last year, 21 states have waived the requirement to obtain a permit before carrying a concealed firearm.”
We may see further significant permit expansion based on forthcoming legal decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association V. Corlett case, which challenges NY state laws which restrict the right to carry. Guns America states that “a favorable ruling for the pro-2A side could force ‘may issue’ states to issue permits to all qualified applicants.”
Why the Big Increase in Concealed Carry Permits
There are multiple reasons why record numbers of CCW permits are being issued now in 2021. Crime is up dramatically, the economy is uncertain, and border security has collapsed, with an estimated 2 million illegal aliens entering the country in 2021 (full year number). In addition, the permit agencies are catching up on CCW license applications from the peak of the Pandemic.
Part of the increase in CCW permits is a matter of timing. Because of the COVID Pandemic, many states and cities slowed down or even stopped the issuance of CCW permits. Now those same permitting agencies are processing a heavy backlog of permit applications. Guns America reports: “The CRPC describes a ‘surge’ in states that only recently began re-opening their permit offices.”
In major cities across the country, particularly in Democrat Party-run “Blue States”, there have been significant increases in serious crime. Looking at homicide rates for the whole nation, the FBI reported a 29% rise in homicides last year. That represented the largest single-year increase ever recorded. Guns America notes that rising crime “combined with unrest due to COVID-19, race riots, and economic turbulence, convinced two million Americans to take the concealed carry plunge.”
Today, October 20, 2021 Shooting USA TV features the Talladega 600 held this past January. Shooting USA notes: “Competition is back, as America gets back to normal again. For the Civilian Marksmanship Program … the Talladega 600 brought competitors from across the country — all glad to be back shooting. Dozens of competitors are on the line at the Talladega Marksmanship Park, the impressive home range of the CMP.”
Shooting USA noted that this event was a welcome return to normalcy: “After a year of cancelled competition, the Talladega 600 offered days of shooting in matches for most everything you might own, from rimfire to High Power. That had shooters from across the country emptying their gun-safes, and driving down to Alabama to shoot.” After being postponed due to storm damage from Hurricane Zeta, the CMP’s 2020 Talladega 600 event was rescheduled to January 2021.
SHOOTING USA TV Air Times
View Shooting USA on the Outdoor Channel: Wednesdays 9:00 PM (Eastern and Pacific); 8:00 PM Central.
NOTE: If you miss the 10/20/2021 broadcast, you can still view the show on Vimeo for a small 99-cent fee, or just $1.99 per month unlimited. LINK HERE: Shooting USA on Vimeo.
About the Talladega 600 — Southern Classic
The Talladega 600, “A Southern Classic”, is held annually. Though typically fired in November, the 2020 Talladega 600 was rescheduled to January 2021, due to storm damage from Hurricane Zeta. This year, matches included Garand, Springfield, M1A, Carbine and Vintage/Modern rifle events, and versions of prestigious National Trophy Rifle Matches. There was also an Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) match, 4-Man Team match, and .22 Rimfire Sporter match.
NEW Garand Benchrest and Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Matches
Two new types of matches were conducted at January’s Talladega 600: a Benchrest Garand Match and a Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Match. Competitors at these events can use sandbags to support their rifles. The Benchrest Garand match was very popular, and is likely to become a regular event.
Pistol Matches Were Popular
The Talladega 600 included .22 Rimfire EIC and Service Pistol EIC matches, along with As-Issued 1911 and Military & Police matches.
State-of-the-art Kongsberg target systems are used at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park.
About Talladega Marksmanship Park
The 500-acre CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park is one of the most advanced outdoor shooting facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The facility includes a 600-yard rifle range, a 100-yard multi-purpose range, and a 50-yard pistol range, equipped with Kongsberg electronic targets and scoring monitors. Since the 54 targets at each line register hits and calculate the scores instantly, no pit duty is required at Talladega. The park regularly hosts rifle, pistol and shotgun events throughout the year.
NRA publication Shooting Sports USA (SSUSA) has thousands of articles online, all free for the reading. Many of these stories have been written by top competitors, including National and Olympic Champions. You will find SSUSA articles spotlighted every week on the NRA Competitive Shooting Facebook page. We recommend you bookmark that page as a valuable resource. Here are four notable SSUSA articles that have been featured on Facebook this month. Go to SSUSA.org to see even more current articles, with new content every day.
Here is an insightful, fairly lengthy 1850-word article about the phenomenon we call mirage. The article explains how and why mirage appears, how it can best be monitored, and how mirage can indicate both wind velocity and direction. Top competitors follow the adage “Mirage is your friend”, because mirage can often be the most important indicator of wind variables — sometimes even more important than wind flags. “The mirage is more sensitive than the flags since it has less inertia and momentum”, wrote Desmond T. Burke, in his book, Canadian Bisley Shooting, an Art and a Science.
Well worth reading, this SSUSA article talks about the properties of mirage. Here is a sample:
“Mirage — can make all the difference between a shot landing squarely in the X-ring or being victimized by an undetected downrange breeze. The true power of mirage is found in its ability to betray the subtlest of breezes downrange. Its fluid movement… can not only provide wind direction, but speed as well.
Typically, the ability to detect mirage is maximized on warm, sunny and sultry days. Expect mirage to be most pronounced in mid-morning or early afternoon, although it ignores these rules with regularity[.]
Mirage is extremely powerful at identifying winds of less than 12 mph, particularly those gentle breezes subtle enough to not even bother moving the flags.
When there is no wind, or a gentle head or tail wind, mirage will appear to be ‘bubbling’ directly up from the ground. Many call this ‘boiling’, and it is probably the easiest of all to detect.
As a general rule of thumb, when wind speed increases, overall height of the waves produced by the mirage is reduced. Large peaks and valleys in the waves mean that particular mirage is being driven by a very slight breeze. Conversely, crest size is reduced with wind speed, making it harder and harder to detect, until the mirage disappears entirely at somewhere around 12 miles per hour. In other words, the taller mirage’s waves appear, the slower the breeze.”
Authored by the late Glen Zediker, this article covers barrel break-in procedures. It is particularly useful for dealing with factory barrels. We CAUTION readers — with outstanding, hand-lapped custom barrels from top barrel-makers, you may want to do very little break-in — clean sparingly and keep barrel heat low. Do NOT use abrasives aggressively. On our Krieger and Brux barrels, we simply wet-patched every 2-3 rounds for 20 rounds and the barrels shot superbly from the start with minimal fouling. But for factory barrels, a moderate break-in process may prove beneficial.
Zediker explains: “Lesser, lower-cost barrels are going to have more pronounced … imperfections within the bore[.] These imperfections are largely tool marks resulting from the drilling and rifling processes. And if it’s a semi-automatic, like an AR-15, there might be a burr where the gas port was drilled. The goal of break-in is to knock down these imperfections, thereby smoothing the interior surface.”
As one who has experienced a cartridge case-head blow-out with a 9mm pistol, this Editor is very conscious of the risks involved and the damage a blow-out can do to the pistol, to the magazine, and (worst of all) to the shooter. Even with new brass, the possibility of a case failure is always present. And even if the case remains intact, we’ve seen primer failures that create a dangerous jet back towards the pistol shooter. That’s why shooters should always employ protective eyewear whenever they shoot.
We love our wheelguns, but there’s no doubt that forcing cone damage can occur, particularly with hot loads and if your cylinder-to-barrel gap is excessive. This article explains how to inspect your revolvers, and how to mitigate the likelihood of forcing cone damage. The article also explains how to clean your revolvers properly. This is very important to avoid build-up of lead and powder residues.
“A bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.”
It’s hunting season, and a good friend is heading to the high country of Colorado next week to pursue elk. He recently zeroed his rifle in California, at a range just a few hundred feet Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL). He wondered if the higher altitude in Colorado could alter his ballistics. The answer is a definite yes. However the good news is that free ballistics calculators can help you plot reliable drop charts for various shooting locations, high or low.
The question has been posed: “What effect does altitude have on the flight of a bullet?” The simplistic answer is that, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner (lower density), so there is less drag on the bullet. This means that the amount of bullet drop is less at any given flight distance from the muzzle. Since the force of gravity is essentially constant on the earth’s surface (for practical purposes), the bullet’s downward acceleration doesn’t change, but a bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, at higher altitudes, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.
Forum member Milanuk explains that the key factor is not altitude, but rather air pressure. Milanuk writes:
“In basic terms, as your altitude increases, the density of the air the bullet must travel through decreases, thereby reducing the drag on the bullet. Generally, the higher the altitude, the less the bullet will drop. For example, I shoot at a couple ranges here in the Pacific Northwest. Both are at 1000′ AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) or less. I’ll need about 29-30 MOA to get from 100 yards to 1000 yards with a Berger 155gr VLD at 2960 fps. By contrast, in Raton, NM, located at 6600′ AMSL, I’ll only need about 24-25 MOA to do the same. That’s a significant difference.
Note that it is the barometric pressure that really matters, not simply the nominal altitude. The barometric pressure will indicate the reduced pressure from a higher altitude, but it will also show you the pressure changes as a front moves in, etc. which can play havoc w/ your calculated come-ups. Most altimeters are simply barometers that read in feet instead of inches of mercury.”
As Milanuk states, it is NOT altitude per se, but the LOCAL barometric pressure (sometimes called “station pressure”) that is key. The two atmospheric conditions that most effect bullet flight are air temperature, and barometric pressure. Normally, humidity has a negligible effect. It’s important to remember that the barometric pressure reported on the radio (or internet) may be stated as a sea level equivalency. So in Denver (at 6,000 feet AMSL), if the local pressure is 24″, the radio will report the barometric pressure to be 30″. If you do high altitude shooting at long range, bring along a Kestrel, or remember to mentally correct the radio station’s pressure, by 1″ per 1,000 feet.
Trajectory of Bullet fired at Sea Level
Trajectory of Bullet fired at 20,000 feet
You can do your own experimental calculations using JBM Online Ballistics (free to use). Here is an extreme example, with two printouts (generated with Point Blank software), one showing bullet trajectory at sea level (0′ altitude) and one at 20,000 feet. For demonstration sake, we assigned a low 0.2 BC to the bullet, with a velocity of 3000 fps.
To learn more about all aspects of Exterior Ballistics, Hornady has a useful discussion of External Ballistics including the effects of altitude and temperature. To dig deeper, Sierra Bullets has a comprehensive Exterior Ballistics Resource Page with multiple sections from the Sierra Manual (4th and 5th Editions), including:
Example from Section 3.0: “When a bullet flies through the air, two types of forces act on the bullet to determine its path (trajectory) through the air. The first is gravitational force; the other is aerodynamics. Several kinds of aerodynamic forces act on a bullet: drag, lift, side forces, Magnus force, spin damping force, pitch damping force, and Magnus cross force. The most important of these aerodynamic forces is drag. All the others are very small in comparison when the bullet is spin-stabilized.”
Think you need a relatively long case-neck for good accuracy? Think again. Stan Ware broke all the rules with his radical Wolfpup cartridge, proving that a near-no-neck design can deliver match-winning accuracy. Read on to learn how the Wolfpup works…
Retired gunsmith Stan Ware is a talented shooter who’s not afraid to think “outside the box”. Stan competes in both Hunter Benchrest (HBR) and Varmint for Score (VFS) disciplines. In his quest to build the ultimate Hunter Benchrest cartridge, Stan created the radical “Wolfpup” wildcat, based on a 6mmBR parent case. Noting the dominance of 30 BRs in VFS matches, Stan wondered if a stretched 30 BR could work in HBR competition. The challenge was case capacity. Under HBR rules the cartridge must hold at least 45.0 grains of water, equal to the capacity of the classic 30/30 case.
To get the requisite HBR case capacity, Stan figured he needed to boost the volume of a 30 BR case significantly, so he would have to move the shoulder forward — a lot. He did this by running a 30 BR reamer deeper and deeper, test-firing brass along the way. After three reamer passes, he ended up with the capacity he needed (the Wolfpup holds 45.3 grains of water). But then he looked at the finished product — a case with almost no neck, and he wondered “how could this possibly work?”.
From Trashbin to Winner’s Circle
Ware’s prototype Wolfpup ended up so short-necked, so unlike any “normal” cartridge, that Stan figured it was “dead on arrival”. Stan told us: “I said ‘this ain’t going to work’ and I threw the brass in the trash can. Honest. But later I thought I better shoot it and see what it does.” There was one problem — Stan didn’t have a seating die. He noticed the short neck provided a bit of tension after fire-forming, so he literally seated some bullets, BIB 118s and 125s, with his fingers. For powder he used H4198 and started with 35 grains, one grain more than a 30 BR load. Stan then did a pressure work-up: “I actually went up to 41.0 grains and didn’t have a sticky bolt. I ended up at 37.9 grains of Hodgdon 4198 — that gave 3150 fps, where the sweet spot is.” (Later testing revealed a second accuracy node at about 3020 fps, using 36.4 grains of H4198).
Stan’s radical short-necked Wolfpup shot great from the get-go. Once he found the right velocity node, the gun shot in the ones and zeros with both 7-ogive and 10-ogive bullets, both 118s and 125s. The Wolfpup proved easy to tune — it’s not finicky at all. And it’s a winner. Stan began shooting the Wolfpup in 2006 in both VFS and HBR matches and the ‘Pup’ started winning matches right away. In 2007, Stan won the Wisconsin State VFS Championship shooting the Wolfpup. In June 2010 at a Webster City, Iowa VFS match, Stan won the Grand Agg and posted high X-Count for the match, while placing first at 100 yards and second at 200 yards. How’s that for a cartridge that almost ended up in the trash bin?
Does Stan deserve an award for “most innovative benchrest cartridge design”? Stan chuckles at that notion: “I’m not a hero, not a genius. I really didn’t do anything. The fun part is thinking outside the box — for me anyway. Shooting is an age-old process of experimentation. You never learn it all.”
Why Does It Work?
How can such a radical case design perform so well? “That’s a good question,” Stan admitted. He then explained: “The 30 BR is inherently accurate, so I figured something based on the 30 BR should be accurate too. My personal belief is that the short neck doesn’t hurt you. Plus if the throat in the barrel is straight, the bullet can self-align. If the chamber is good, the bullet will self-center in the throat. In a regular case there’s not much room to do that, so a bullet can start off-center, and you don’t get the same results every time. A bullet in a conventional case is stopped from self-centering by the stiffer neck, particularly in a tight-clearance BR gun.”
Reloading the .30 Wolfpup
Stan’s Wolfpup chamber has a neck dimension of 0.330″. He turns his necks for a 0.327″ loaded round. Bullets are jammed .020″ forward of first contact with the lands. When he closes the bolt it pushes the bullet back in the case — almost a soft seat. Stan notes: “To start with I normally bump the shoulder .0005-.001″ so they go in easy. Just by doing that I get a little neck tension. I also use a bushing. Right now I’m running a .322, but it’s not particularly sensitive. I’ve tried one-thousandths increments up to a .325 bushing and couldn’t tell a lot of difference.” For bullet seating, Stan uses a Wilson 30 BR seater die into which he ran the chamber reamer. This gives perfect case fit during seating operations.
About the Illustrated Gunstock
You’ll notice Stan’s stock contains scenes from Vietnam and a quotation. Here’s the story. A Vietnam combat veteran, Stan served “in-country” with the Army’s 509th Non-Divisional Combat Unit (out of Fort Riley) from 1965-1966. Shortly before he left Vietnam, Stan went to a shop to have a souvenir lighter engraved. He asked the vendor for an appropriate inscription. The shop’s metal-worker engraved: “War is a tragedy. It takes mans’ best to do mans’ worst.” That message, along with the combat scenes, were hand-painted on Stan’s rifle by his wife Susan, a talented artist. She spent more than 20 hours painting the rifle stock.
Teslong Borescopes Update — WiFi and Rigid Rod Versions Product Report by F-Class John
Not more than a few months after the Teslong corded borescope hit the market to massive applause they’ve released a cordless WiFi-enabled corded version as well as a rigid rod model — two new models with important new features/functionality. When I originally reviewed the Teslong borescope I was blown away with the value, clarity, and ease of use. SEE Review HERE. That original Teslong really was a game changer in the borescope market. The large number of forum threads springing up since the Teslong release shows that that digital borescopes have finally found a large and enthusiastic customer base.
IMPORTANT: Guys — Watch the Videos!!! John does a great job showing the set-up and use of these Borescopes. You really need to WATCH THE VIDEOS! They show much more than we can illustrate with still images.
NOTE: Teslong Borescopes (Standard, Rigid, WiFi, Screen-Equipped) can also be ordered from the Teslong Webstore. If you can’t find what you want on Amazon, go to Teslong.com.
WiFi Teslong Works with SmartPhones and Tablets
Despite all the love people have shown for the original, plug-in Teslong borescope, one common complaint was that it could not be used with smartphones or small tablets. With that in mind, Teslong surprised the market with the release of a cordless WiFi version that works with just about any device that has a WiFi connection. The new WiFi unit, which is in very high demand, costs around $75, just $25 more than the original plug-in version. NOTE –YES this WiFi unit DOES work with both iOS (Apple) and Android smartphones and tablets. However, you may wish to try a couple different Apps.
WATCH Teslong WiFi Borescope Video Review
To use the WiFi Teslong, simply download Teslong’s viewer App, turn the unit on and connect to the Teslong WiFi in your device settings. While it does take a couple steps to connect each time, you are rewarded with a cordless version that can be used at home or the range equally well. Watch the video and you can see how the Wifi unit is set up and how it is used to inspect both a barrel and a sizing die. Do watch the video — it explains all. Along with live video feed, the WiFi control handle has a button to record still images.
Important — some guys had initial problems getting the WiFi image to display on their smartphones but that was normally just a software configuration issue. If you are patient, and follow the instructions, you should be fine. Some older guys had to enlist the aid of a 10-year-old grandkid. Note, as of 1/29/2020, the WiFi Version is temporarily out of stock on Amazon, but it can be ordered for $74.99 from the Teslong Webstore.
New Teslong Rigid Rod Borescope
Along with the WiFi version, Teslong has also released a borescope with the lens mounted on the end of a rigid metal shaft — a configuration similar to classic optical borescopes such as the Hawkeye. This new “shafty” Teslong has the same electro-optical sensors, connectors, and adjustable light as the original Teslong. However, this new rigid rig now uses a solid rod instead of a flexible cable. Having a solid rod makes using the unit much easier since you’re not fighting the cable. The rod also makes rotating the unit inside the bore more intuitive as it lacks the cable spring back of the flexible version.
Located on the borescope is an inch scale allowing the user to easily to measure how far into the bore they’ve gone for easy identification of any issues later. The whole unit comes in a nice heavy-duty cardboard tube that makes it easy to store and I can see it lasting as long as the unit itself.
WATCH Teslong Rigid Borescope Video Review
Why choose the rigid Teslong? Importantly, the lack of a tethered cord allows you to rotate the unit more easily inside the barrel. Compared to the original corded Teslong, I did find that running the rigid borescope down the barrel without the mirror provided a larger view. That may be beneficial to some users. Overall, the optical clarity and definition remain excellent — certainly on par with the original unit.
General Teslong Borescope User Tips
The new Wifi and Rigid Teslong borescope share some basic features with the original plug-in, corded Teslong. All three devices feature a mirror on the end that screws on and has a jam nut to keep it in place and can be adjusted for focal length based on the caliber and they’re now including several extras in case of damage or loss. While they’ve always been good about replacing them free of charge there is a wait time, so the inclusion of extras is a nice bonus.
SUMMARY — Both WiFi and Rigid Teslong Borescopes Perform Well, Are Great Values
Overall these two new units are great additions to Teslong’s lineup giving users two great units to choose from. While most folks may gravitate to the WiFi version, I think there’s room for all three models (WiFi, Corded Plug-in, Rigid Plug-in).
Many people may find the corded or rigid versions more practical for around the house where they don’t necessarily need the cordless version and don’t want to worry about keeping it charged all the time. For any range use or out of town matches the WiFi with its smaller footprint and ability to work with any electronic device will probably make more sense and will help justify the additional cost. In the end, the amazing thing is that no matter which version you choose you’ll have a great borescope that will help improve your shooting.
The question has been posed: “What effect does altitude have on the flight of a bullet?” The simplistic answer is that, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner (lower density), so there is less drag on the bullet. This means that the amount of bullet drop is less at any given flight distance from the muzzle. Since the force of gravity is essentially constant on the earth’s surface (for practical purposes), the bullet’s downward acceleration doesn’t change, but a bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, at higher altitudes, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.
Retired gunsmith Stan Ware is a talented shooter who’s not afraid to think “outside the box”. Stan competes in both Hunter Benchrest (HBR) and Varmint for Score (VFS) disciplines. In his quest to build the ultimate Hunter Benchrest cartridge, Stan created the radical “Wolfpup” wildcat, based on a 6mmBR parent case. Noting the dominance of 30 BRs in VFS matches, Stan wondered if a stretched 30 BR could work in HBR competition. The challenge was case capacity. Under HBR rules the cartridge must hold at least 45.0 grains of water, equal to the capacity of the classic 30/30 case.
From Trashbin to Winner’s Circle
Why Does It Work?
