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February 18th, 2013
 This week on Gun Girl Radio, Julie Golob interviewed the talented Maggie Reese for a fun “girl talk” episode Gun Girl-style. Maggie is a two-time 3-Gun Ladies National Champion as well as a Season Two contestant on the History Channel’s Top Shot TV show.
The podcast interview explores Maggie’s journey from new shooter to national champion. Maggie talks about the challenges that she faced along the way, such as dealing with injuries. Julie and Maggie also chat about their experiences of shooting and competing with other women. Maggie shares some of her secrets to having fun and looking great on the range. In addition to talking all things competition shooting, Julie and Maggie share some reality TV insider Top Shot talk. CLICK HERE to listen to this episode. You can also subscribe to get future Gun Girl Radio podcasts.
 About Gun Girl Radio
Gun Girl Radio is a proud part of the Firearms Radio Network. The show features information and insider perspectives on shooting sports, training, hunting and all things outdoors by two of the firearms industry’s most talented female shooters, Randi Rogers and Julie Golob. Click icon at right to learn more. Gun Girl Radio releases a new podcast each Wednesday at 12:00 pm CST.
February 12th, 2013
 ON THE MARK is published quarterly by the Civilian Marksmanship Program. You can download the latest 35-page Fall 2012 issue for free. ON THE MARK is dedicated to providing news and information about junior shooting activities to leaders and coaches of junior shooting clubs, teams and camps. A typical issue of ON THE MARK includes 16-38 pages of new junior shooting program information as well as news about junior events, instructional tips and coaching information. Bonus inserts and brochures are regularly included which detail programs for junior competition and training programs or provide equipment and training material purchase opportunities.
Free Subscriptions for CMP-Affiliated Junior Clubs
One free ON THE MARK subscription is provided to each CMP-affiliated junior club, JROTC unit with marksmanship program, and 4-H Shooting Sports Club. Individual subscriptions to ON THE MARK are available at $8.00 per year. To subscribe to ON THE MARK, download the OTM Order Form.
Editorial Submissions
To submit stories, match reports, or photos for possible inclusion in ON THE MARK, contact: Steve Cooper, OTM Editor, P.O. Box 576, Port Clinton, Ohio 43420; phone (419) 635-2141, ext 1108; fax (419) 635-2573 or email scooper@thecmp.org.
February 7th, 2013
How Easy it is to Have Fun with Rifles and Equipment You Probably Already Have….
Forum member Rod Vigstol (aka Nodak7mm) has written a great Introduction to F-Class for shooters getting started in this rewarding discipline. Rod’s article, which appears in German Salazar’s Rifleman’s Journal website, covers F-Class basics and addresses concerns that “newbies” may have when trying a new shooting sport. Rod stresses that most guys who own a varmint-hunting or tactical rig likely have nearly all the gear they need to give F-Class competition a try.
CLICK HERE to read Rod Vigstol’s ‘Getting Started in F-Class’ article on Rifleman’s Journal.com
Rod explains: “If you’re reading this, you have more than just a general interest in the shooting sports and in the awesome rifles that shoot tiny groups at insane distances. You probably even have friends that enjoy shooting as much as you do. The quandary you may find yourself in is your friends haven’t quite jumped into it head-first like you have and they haven’t spent a lot of money and time obtaining the equipment you have to go shoot these matches. But you know what? Your prairie-dog shooting buddy or coyote-hunter friend can attend these matches and shoot alongside with you. He or she more than likely already has the basic equipment needed to shoot a match.” Most varmint shooters already have a suitable, accurate rifle and the following equipment:
• A variable-power scope in the 4.5-14x range or higher.
• A front bipod like the trusty old Harris 9″-13″, or maybe even a basic pedestal front rest.
• A rear sand-bag or similar sand-sock to rest the butt stock.
• A basic shooting mat from Midway or at least a piece of carpet or canvas to lay on.
Rod also provides a handy checklist of items to bring to the range. These include: Canvas or carpet strip (to set under bipod), Notebook, Kitchen Timer, Cleaning Rod, Camp Chair, Elbow Pads, Shooting Hat, and Open Bolt Indicator (OBI). Along with rifle, bipod (or front rest), rear bag, and ammo, that’s pretty much all you need.
Rod encourages all shooters to give F-Class a try — even novices. Rod explains: “We have all been rookies, newbies, new kids on the block or whatever. So we all have a good idea of what may be going on in your mind, the questions and concerns you may have. I’m telling you this sport is full of fantastic people who deep down find it far more fulfilling to help a new shooter get started than running a clean target. You just have to take the first step to get involved.”
CLICK HERE To read the entire article on Rifleman’s Journal.com. We’ve only provided a small sample of Rod’s article; it is definitely worth reading in its entirety.
January 15th, 2013
 At Media Day, we had a chance to try out a new Smith & Wesson Pro Series C.O.R.E. pistol in 9mm. Despite the wicked cold weather, we enjoyed shooting this pistol. It is accurate, comfortable, and has a decent trigger.
This M&P variant features a slide that has been milled to fit modern, compact red-dot optics. Six optic types will fit: Trijicon RMR, Leupold Delta Point, Jpoint, Doctor, C-More STS, Insight MRDS The slide cut positions the red dot optic (a Trijicon on our test gun) so that the conventional iron sites are still usable below the red-dot. That’s smart, because the front blade sight can still be used to steer the gun towards the target, and then, as you bring the muzzle down on target, the red dot appears. This is a very fast, efficient system.
This C.O.R.E. model, like other M&P series pistols, has a comfortable, ergonomic grip-shape that is far superior to the grip on Glock handguns in this reporter’s opinion. I also like the grip better than the blocky grip on my older H&K polymer .45 ACP. Grip angle feels “just right” (unlike the Glock), and the corners are rounded (an improvement on the blocky HK). Plus the M&P has three (3) optional backstraps, so the user can “fine-tune” the grip to his or her hand. For 2013 the stipling on the backstraps has been modified for better grip and comfort.
This is a nice, intelligent upgrade on a gun which was already very good. And even with the special “optics ready” slide, the gun remains affordable with a $729.00 MSRP (not counting optics).
January 11th, 2013
 The latest January 2013 issue of Shooting Industry Magazine is available now in a FREE online digital edition. To read the January issue — and sign up for a free subscription to the Shooting Industry all-digital edition — visit www.shootingindustry.com/digital-editions.
CLICK HERE to READ January eZine.
This January edition is a “must-read” for SHOT Show attendees. The January issue features a comprehensive directory of exhibitors with booth locations, plus an update on improvements for the 35th annual show.
In addition, you’ll find Part II of the 2013 New Product Showcase, which features hundreds of new firearms, optics, shooting accessories, reloading tools, and more. The hard copy January issue also provides a handy, pull-out floor map from the convention center. (No floor map in digital edition.)
Shooting Industry Magazine is an important resource for those headed to Las Vegas next week. Visit FMG at SHOT Show, booth #16327, to receive a free hard copy of the January issue of Shooting Industry Magazine, with floor map.
January 1st, 2013
 On his Riflemans’ Journal blog, German Salazar wrote an excellent article about cartridge Case-Head Separation. We strongly recommend that you read this article. German examines the causes of this serious problem and he explains the ways you can inspect your brass to minimize the risk of a case-head separation. As cases get fired multiple times and then resized during reloading, the cases can stretch. Typically, there is a point in the lower section of the case where the case-walls thin out. This is your “danger zone” and you need to watch for tell-tale signs of weakening.
The photo below shows a case sectioned so that you can see where the case wall becomes thinner near the web. German scribed a little arrow into the soot inside the case pointing to the thinned area. This case hadn’t split yet, but it most likely would do so after one or two more firings.
One great tip offered by German Salazar involves using a bent paper clip to detect potential case wall problems. Slide the paper clip inside your case to check for thin spots. German explains: “This simple little tool (bent paper clip) will let you check the inside of cases before you reload them. The thin spot will be immediately apparent as you run the clip up the inside of the case. If you’re seeing a shiny line on the outside and the clip is really hitting a thin spot inside, it’s time to retire the case. If you do this every time you reload, on at least 15% of your cases, you’ll develop a good feel for what the thin spot feels like and how it gets worse as the case is reloaded more times. And if you’re loading the night before a match and feel pressured for time — don’t skip this step!”
December 22nd, 2012
The NRA’s American Rifleman Online website has an excellent article showing how to construct a rock-solid Reloading Bench. There are plenty of photos, and a detailed set of Bench Blueprints showing all dimensions and listing all needed materials. This bench is very well designed, with many deluxe features, such as an upper drawer with fitted slots for die boxes, and large lower drawers with 100-lb rated slides to store heavy materials or tools. If you have good wood-working skills this would be an excellent project.
CLICK HERE to Download Article with Photos | CLICK HERE for Bench Blueprints
The author, Dave Campbell, offers good advice on building the bench top: “I ripped a sheet of 3/4″ AC plywood into two 24″ wide pieces and cut them to 72″ long. Then I glued them together to form a 72″ long, 1 1/24″ thick top. The trick here is to keep the edges smooth and flat so that the laminate will adhere properly and without voids. I chose a light grey laminate finish for the top because it’s easier to see what I am working on and keep clean. If you have never worked with laminate, remember it’s prudent to glue and rout the edges flush before gluing on the top. The top was attached to the carcass with eight steel L-shaped angle brackets and No. 10×1 1/4″ wood screws.”
Photos Copyright © 2008 The National Rifle Association, used by permission
December 18th, 2012
 Christmas Day is just one week away. Books have always been popular Xmas gifts. If you haven’t completed your holiday shopping, here are some recommended titles that should please the serious shooters and firearms enthusiasts on your shopping list. For Shooting Clubs, books also make great end-of-season member awards. Most of us would rather have a useful book than one more piece of wood to toss in a box in the closet.
Here are six recommended titles, in alphabetical order:
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Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting (2nd Ed. + CD)
by Bryan Litz, $44.95 (Hardcover)
If you’re a serious long-range shooter you NEED this book. Since its initial release Bryan Litz’s treatise has become the definitive resource on long-range ballistics and bullet design. While Bryan covers some very advanced topics, Bryan does a very good job of making the text comprehensible to the layman. You don’t need a degree from MIT to read this work. Bryan’s book comes compete with a CD packed with ballistics software and additional reference materials. AND, Bryan includes Ballistic Coefficient data for over 236 long range bullets. |
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A Hunter’s Wanderings in Africa
by Frederick Courteney Selous, $19.95 (Softcover)
Frederick Selous was a legendary African hunter. It was for him that Tanzania’s famous Selous Game reserve was named. If you have an interest in big game hunting in Africa, you should get this book. As readers have noted, this is “Classic Africana”… “one of the very best exploration/hunting history books about Africa”. It is an excellent book, well-written and “all about hunting”. Selous’ life was full of adventure, and his book lets readers experience, vicariously, the danger and excitement of African hunting in a bygone era. |
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Precision Shooting Reloading Guide
Edited by Dave Brennan, $22.95 (Spiral Bound Softcover)
This handy reference guide contains scores of useful tips from many top shooters. However, this is NOT a load manual. Rather, it explains the techniques for precision reloading, and offers advice on how to get the “Nth” degree of accuracy from your handloads. Each topical chapter is authored by a different expert. Chapters include: Reloading for Extreme Accuracy, High Power (Bolt Guns), High Power (Gas Guns), Benchrest, Magnums, Wildcats, Cast Bullets, and working up an accuracy load. Readers have praised this compact (5.5″ x 8.5″) reference: “I’ve been reloading for many many years, and [this] book still managed to contain pearls of wisdom I’d never heard before.” –T. Pratt. |
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Prone and Long-Range Rifle Shooting (2nd Edition)
by Nancy Tompkins, Price TBA (Coming in February 2013)
Tompkins’ treatise is a must-read for serious Palma,
F-Class, and High Power shooters. The revised and updated edition is set for release in 2013. Topics include Mental & Physical training, Reading Wind & Mirage Shooting Fundamentals, International Competition, and Loading for Long Range. Nancy Tompkins is a 4-time winner of the National Long Range Championships, and has won countless other major events. Nancy has been on six Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach). |
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Rifle Accuracy Facts
by Harold R. Vaughn, $34.95 (Softcover)
Decades after it was written, Vaughn’s work remains a seminal treatise on accuracy. Vaughn was a serious scientist, working for the Sandia National Laboratories. Many “gun writers” toss out hunches about rifle accuracy. Vaughn, by contrast, did serious empirical testing and statistical analysis. Vaughn wondered why some guns shot well while seemingly identical rifles did not. Rifle Accuracy Facts covers a wide variety of topics, including internal ballistics, chamber design, barrel vibration, bullet imbalance, external ballistics, scope design and more. Writer Boyd Allen notes: “If you are serious about precision shooting, Vaughn’s book belongs in your library.” |
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Rifleman’s Guide to Rimfire Ammunition
by Steven Boelter, $29.95 (Softcover)
Steven Boelter’s 352-page book is a comprehensive study of all types of rimfire ammunition (including 17s and 22 mags), with over 600 photos. In a remarkable undertaking, Steven Boelter fired every brand and sample of rimfire ammo he could acquire (including 22LR, 17 Mach 2, 17HMR and 22 WMR), and recorded all the results. In all, Steven tested 11 brands and 137 different rimfire rounds, firing over 32,000 test rounds. |
December 17th, 2012
How to Set Up Your Full Length Sizing Die
by Ron Dague, Sinclair International Technician
From Sinclair’s Reloading Press Blog
At Sinclair International, we are often asked for a fool-proof method to set up a full-length sizing die, and begin reloading our fired cases. The method used by many target shooters today is to set up your full length die to closely match your rifle chamber and minimally full-length size your cases –as little as .001″ for bolt-action rifles. I prefer to use this method for all of my bolt-action cartridges.
STEP ONE
I like to de-prime five (5) cases (de-prime only, do not full length resize) and measure from the base of the case to the shoulder with our Sinclair Comparator Body (09-1000) and Bump Gage Insert(09-10200). We refer to this as our headspace measurement. Our Electronic Caliper (#MIC-14) works well and may be pre-set at .000” making this headspace measurement easy to capture. The Sinclair Comparator/Gauge Body and Bump Gage Inserts make this task fairly simple. L.E. Wilson Tools & Gages, Hornady Manufacturing, and RCBS all make similar units to achieve your headspace measurement.
 STEP TWO
With your full-length die threaded into your reloading press, loosen the lock ring and run the press ram up toward the full length die with a shell holder in place (with no case). Then, screw the die toward the shell holder until it stops. Back the die out of the press and away from the shell holder one full turn and set the lock ring finger tight.
STEP THREE
Lubricate each of the cases with your favorite sizing lube (my favorite is Imperial Sizing Die Wax) and resize a case. Again, take a headspace measurement from base to shoulder. [When running the case up into the die, be sure the press ram moves the full limit of its upward travel.] If there’s no change in the measurement from the fired dimension, loosen the die lock ring and turn the full length sizing die downward 1/8 of a turn. [Editor’s Note: You’ll need to use smaller turn amounts as you get close to the desired amount of bump. We suggest moving just a few degrees of die rotation at a time once you’ve reached the point where the die hits the shoulder without moving it back.] Now repeat the sizing process with a second lubricated case and take the measurement again. Keep rotating the die downward gradually (in small increments) and repeat the case sizing process until you see approx-imately .001”-.002” reduction to your fired headspace measurement. We prefer a headspace reduction of approximately .001″ – .002″ for bolt action rifles and .003″ – .005″ for semi-auto rifles. You can adjust to your rifle as to what works best. Don’t forget to load 10 rounds or so and try them from the rifle’s magazine to make sure they function properly.
Full-length Sizing vs. Neck-Sizing
Just a quick word on neck sizing…..I have personally never been a big fan of neck sizing. Often times when I put neck sized cases back in the rifle, the bolt would close with some drag, or it would be a bit “snug”. This was mostly recognized with factory rifles. I didn’t have any problems with accuracy, just with cycling the action for a follow up shot. If your rifle is custom chambered with the action straightened and trued, neck sizing will work well on 4-5 firing’s and then you will need to full length size or use a body die to set the shoulders back when the cases begin to “stick”. Hope these tips help make the use of a headspace gauge and full length die set up much easier.
Ron Dague
Sinclair Tech and Reloading Instructor
800-717-8211
rond@sinclairintl.com
Reloading Tip Courtesy Sinclair Int’l; Story Sourced by Edlongrange
November 27th, 2012
 The National 3-Gun Association, which operates the 3-Gun Nation Pro Series and 3-Gun Nation TV, has launched a new e-Zine dedicated to 3-Gun Competition. Entitled “3GN Magazine”, this new e-Zine features match reports, gear reviews, and shooting tips. You’ll find a host of 3GN videos, including match footage, product reviews, and instructional segments. Ace 3-gunners will contribute to the articles along with leading outdoor industry journalists. Comprehensive match coverage will include local club matches, regional tournaments, national Outlaw matches, and, of course, the 3GN Pro Series Tour.
The first installment of 3GN Magazine can be previewed now on the 3gunnation.com website. There is also a mobile version of 3GN Magazine optimized for smartphones and tablets. 3GN Magazine is offered free to the public, but you can choose to be added to a subscriber list to be notified directly of new releases and special offers for fans of the 3-Gun sport.
Read 3-Gun Nation Magazine Issue #1 (Use Slider Bar to Scroll)
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