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December 8th, 2011
 Range Requirements for NRA Comps
If you’re planning to add new competition programs at your shooting range or club, you need to know what disciplines can be conducted given your facilities. What are the requirements for firing stations, target locations, berm placements and so on? That’s where the folks from NRA’s Competitive Shooting Department come in.
A new FREE Range Distance Guide explains what competitions can be shot given the layout of your range. You may be surprised at how many disciplines can be offered even in a relatively short-distance facility: 3-Position BB Rifle at 5 meters, Tyro Course Action Pistol at 15 yards, Light Standing Smallbore rifle at 50 feet, High Power Rifle (reduced) at 100 yards and more.
With information for events from 5 meters to 1000 yards, this pamphlet is a helpful reference for any club offering NRA matches. Of course, if you decide to add new discipline(s) to your club’s agenda, you’ll need a rule book, scorecards, and scoring aids. Get these from the NRA Program Materials center by calling 1-800-7402 or visiting http://materials.nraqh.org.
In addition, clubs can sign up for a updates and E-news from the NRA Competitive Shooting department regarding new programs, rule changes, and other related subjects.
December 4th, 2011
SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, is an association of the nation’s leading manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and components. Founded in 1926, SAAMI promulgates industry standards for firearms ammunition safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality.
New SAAMI Website Offers Free, Printable Cartridge Diagrams
SAAMI recently rolled out a new website loaded with invaluable info for shooters. From the new SAAMI site you can access hundreds of FREE official cartridge diagrams and chamber drawings for all ammo types: Rimfire, Pistol Cartridges, Rifle Cartridges, and Shotshells. Are you looking for the official 17 HMR diagram, or 6.5 Creedmoor, or 7mm Winchester Short Magnum? You’ll find them all, along with hundreds more, on the SAAMI site. Said Rick Patterson, SAAMI’s managing director. “This redesigned website will help provide greater visibility and understanding of SAAMI’s important work.”
Please Read These Instructions Carefully
To access the cartridge diagrams, go to SAAMI’s Technical Information webpage, and CLICK ON Cartridge and Chamber Drawings to reveal categories. You will find links to 20 new and/or updated cartridges there.
To find the full set of cartridge diagrams, you need to click on the link to Current Cartridge & Chamber Drawing documents — American National Standards Published by SAAMI. There you will find links to four categories of diagrams: Rimfire, Shotshell, Centerfire Pistol/Revolver, and Centerfire Rifle. These links will launch large PDF files that have diagrams of the cartridge types. NOTE: These are very large PDF documents. For example, the Centerfire Pistol/Revolver PDF is 189 pages long. You must scroll down to see the cartridge type you want.
Unfortunately, the organization of the SAAMI site is much less convenient than before. Previously you could access a page and then simply click on a link for the cartridge you wanted to view. Below is a sample of the first page of the previous Rifle Cartridge Diagram List.
Red arrows show you where to click, after you launched the page under the old website.
SAAMI Standards Documents With Additional Info
You can also click the subcategory links under SAAMI/ANSI Standards to see multiple diagrams in a larger PDF file. You may have to click the SAAMI/ANSI standards line first to display the four sub-categories: Pistol/Revolver, Centerfire Rifle, Rimfire, and Shotshell.
Credit Boyd Allen for finding SAAMI’s Cartridge Diagram PDF Archive.
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December 1st, 2011
 It’s great to be able to access load data on the internet. But we still recommend keeping some hard-bound reloading manuals at home for reference. Right now MidwayUSA has a great deal on the Modern Reloading, Second Edition, Revised by Richard Lee. Now through the end of the year, you can buy the latest LEE reloading manual for just $12.49. This book was recently revised, so it has more reloading data than the previous release of the 2nd Edition. The load data section now has black tabs on the side of the pages.
Should you buy the book? It’s cheap at $12.49. The load data covers a huge variety of cartridges. But some guys complain that the first section of the book reads like a LEE catalog. Here are book-buyers’ comments:
“At twice the size of my old Speer book, the Lee manual covers everything you need from a reloading reference book. The best part is that it is not produced by a powder or bullet maker so the reloading data focuses on the best performing products.” — G. Basley
“The reloading data is AMAZING for exotic loads, but pretty basic for popular loads. Also, Lee goes back and forth between Grains and CCs, which can be distracting at best. [Editor: Why CCs? Answer — Lee sells CC-graduated powder scoops]. The loading data is really the most useful aspect of the book because the charts are straight-forward and the diagrams are easy to read.” — D. Hukill
“On the one hand, this reloading manual is a great deal for the money. It’s cheapest out of all the reloading manuals, and yet it doesn’t skimp on any of the load data. On the other hand, the writing style in this manual is not professional… [it needs] a competent editor. Many parts of this reloading manual read like pure advertising copy for Lee products.” — C. Weys
November 19th, 2011
 This Sunday, November 20th, is “Ladies’ Day” on Gun Talk Radio. Tom Gresham’s popular syndicated radio show will feature interviews with handgun ace (and author) Julie Golob, and talented photographer Lindsay McCrum, creator of the hot-selling photo book, Chicks with Guns. Both Julie and Lindsay will talk with Tom about their new book releases.
 No stranger to competition, Team Smith & Wesson’s Julie Golob has taken on a challenge of a different type in her latest role as a published author. Her book, SHOOT: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition serves as both an introduction to firearms and shooting for novices (with an emphasis on safety) and a primer to help experienced shooters improve their skills. Julie’s new book comes out in 2012, but can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com and other large book-sellers. Find out more at www.juliegolob.com.
Photographer Lindsay McCrum’s new book, Chicks with Guns, presents dozens of photographs with women and their guns, and a caption about how guns play a part in their lives. “I was so surprised by the variety and breadth and diversity of these women,” McCrum said. “There are so many stereotypes about guns, mostly derived from popular culture, but the reality is so much more complex and varied than you can imagine.” More info is available at www.chickswithgunsbook.com.
In its 17th year of national syndication, Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio airs live on Sundays from 2PM-5PM Eastern, and runs on more than 130 stations, plus on XM (Ch. 165) Satellite Radio. All Gun Talk shows can be downloaded as podcasts at http://www.guntalk.libsyn.com and Apple iTunes.
November 1st, 2011
 According to Time Magazine, scientists projected that the seven billionth human was born on October 31st, yesterday. Think about that: 7,000,000,000 people are now competing on planet earth for food, resources, living space, energy, and medical care. That statistic is doubly amazing when you consider that, when this Editor was born in the late-50s, world population was just three billion. When my mother was born in the 1920s there were just two billion people. So, in her lifetime (she’s in her eighties now), she has witnessed world population increase 350%!
The exponential increase in world population is actually a relatively new phenomenon. In fact, world population did not reach one billion until 1804, and it took 123 years to reach two billion. Now scientists predict that, in just 14 more years, the world population will reach EIGHT billion in the year 2025. That will have significant consequences for everything in our lives — from freeway traffic to retirement funding. Though the world population is getting larger, it is also getting older, particularly in “first-world” countries. In 1950 there were 12 working-age people for every person over 65 years. According to Time Magazine, by 2050, there will only be three (3) working age people for each person over 65. So who will pay for the pensioners? Will this lead to “generational” civil war?
Population growth affects the hunting and shooting community directly, because an expanding population increases the pressure to replace wildlands and open spaces with housing tracts and commercial centers. We have already witnessed this in California, where a number of shooting ranges have been closed to make way for housing developments. Even where existing shooting ranges are allowed to remain, these shooting facilities may face new restrictions on operating hours and potential liabilities for errant shots landing in newly-populated areas.
Here are some interesting Global Statistics:
29 years — Median age of world population.
19% — Percentage of world population now living in China.
$10,290 — Gross income per capita, worldwide average.
50.5% — Percentage of world population living in urban areas.
7.2 — Highest fertility rate among nations (from Central Africa).
73% — Percentage of world population that does NOT use the internet.
October 16th, 2011
 One of the most prestigious rifle competitions in the world is underway right now at the Belmont Shooting Facility, near Brisbane, Australia. Many of the best sling and irons marksmen (and women) in the world are competing for individual and team honors. American aces such as SGT Sherri Gallagher, Noma Mayo, Trudie Fay, Nancy Tompkins, Bob Gamboa, Bryan Litz, Robert Mead, and John Whidden are representing the Red, White, and Blue down-under, but they and their American teammates are facing stiff opposition from the Brits, South Africans, Canadians, New Zealanders, and the host Australians.
You can get complete individual and team results on the World Rifle Championships Website. Results are updated daily, so you can follow the action, which continues through October 22nd. Russ Theurer is also providing regular reports in our Shooters’ Forum.
 One of the best performances so far was turned in by Bryan Litz, Berger Bullets’ Ballistician. In the Senior Australia Team match last week, Bryan outshot every other individual on the course, nailing a perfect 200-26V to tie the Championship Record. This was a brilliant display of marksmanship by Bryan. At the Awards Ceremony after the match, Bryan received a long standing ovation from his fellow competitors.
You’ll find lots of match photos in the official match Photo Gallery. Plus, Facebook users can access hundreds of photos uploaded by members of the USA Young Eagles Team. Young American shooters have been performing well. Russ Theurer reports: “Team USA Red won the Under 25 Australia Team Match, while Team USA Blue came from behind at 1000 to place third. Young Eagle Joshua Lehn was high score shooter of the team match of all teams combined.” Below are photos of the Young Eagles from Day 5, the Under 25 match:
Photos courtesy USA Young Eagles.
October 9th, 2011
Winter is coming and that means cold temps and wet weather. Heck it’s even raining in California this week. When it’s cold and damp out, you need to pro-actively guard against rust and corrosion on your valuable tools and firearms. As temperatures drop, moisture can condense from the air, causing guns to rust, even if they are stored in a safe.
We recommend that you use a proven corrosion inhibitor to protect your firearms during winter storage. We did extensive testing and recommend three products to combat rust: BoeShield T-9, Corrosion-X, and Eezox. These are all excellent products, but this Editor’s first choice is Eezox, because it cleans as well as protects, and because Eezox does not leave a sticky or waxy coating on your arms. Eezox is also ideal for fine, blued firearms. After 2-3 light applications it provides a dry protective finish that allows high polish blueing to shine through.
CLICK HERE for Anti-Corrosion Product Test Results
Eezox is available in small drip bottles, 4-oz. cans, and 4-, 6-, and 18-oz. aerosol spray cans. We typically apply Eezox to a patch from an aerosol can, then wipe down the firearm. Let the Eezox dry, then reapply. This will give you outstanding protection. Just make sure you wipe down ALL the metal surfaces, which may require removing the barreled action from the stock. We’ve seen examples of guns that rusted on the underside of the action because the owner had only bothered to wipe down the barrel and exposed section of the action. You can purchase Eezox from gun stores ($8.99 for 7 oz. can average price), or Warren Custom Outdoor.
Foam Cases Are Rust Magnets — Use Bore Stores
Just about the worst thing you can do in the winter (short of leaving your rifle outside in the rain) is to store firearms in tight, foam-padded cases. The foam in these cases actually collects and retains moisture from the air, acting as the perfect breeding ground for rust.
 Those plastic-shelled cases with foam interiors are for transport, not for long-term storage. Don’t repeat the mistake of a wealthy gun collector I know. He stored four valuable Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolvers in individual foam-padded plastic cases, and locked these away in his gun safe. A year later, every one of his precious SAAs had rusted, some badly.
For storing long guns in your safe, we strongly recommend Bore Stores. These synthetic fleece gun sacks are coated with silicone and corrosion inhibitors. The thick fleece also protects your guns from nicks and scratches. Rifle-size Bore Stores can be purchased for $13.00 – $18.00 from Brownell’s, or MidwayUSA, or direct from the manufacturer Big Spring Enterprises, which can also craft custom sizes on request.
October 4th, 2011
 The October issue of Shooting Sports USA is now available. The October issue features complete coverage of the 2011 National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry in an extended 42-page issue. The Smallbore, High Power, and Long Range phases of the National Rifle Championships are all covered in this issue, as well as the National Defense Match. You’ll find links to videos describing the National Trophies. There’s even a special note on how to stay in one of the historic huts on the Camp Perry base.
Shooting Sports USA Editor Chip Lohman interviews Philip Hemphill, the 10-time National Police Pistol Combat Champion. Hemphill won his first National Pistol Championship at Camp Perry this summer.
The October issue also features the second installment of a three-part series on how to deal with the pressure of competition. This segment features expert advice from top shooters such as Bianchi Cup Ladies Champions Jessie Harrison and Julie Golob.
Want to get Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox each month? Simply CLICK HERE to register for your free ezines.
October 1st, 2011
Review by Bill Brassard for the NSSF
View ‘Chicks with Guns’ Photo Gallery
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Portrait Photographer Lindsay McCrum’s new book, Chicks with Guns, is drawing welcome attention to the growing number of women who own firearms for target shooting, hunting, personal defense and collecting. [Editor: Over 15 Million American women are packing heat according to Msnbc.com.]
The book’s intent is described this way: “Because gun ownership and shooting cut across class, age, occupation, background and geography in America, guns are resolutely democratic. And the women depicted in ‘Chicks with Guns’ represent this variety. They reside in all regions of the country, come from all levels of society, and participate seriously in diverse shooting activities. From policewomen to hunters, ranchers to competition shooters, the collection of portraits in ‘Chicks with Guns’ defies stereotypes often associated with aspects of the popular culture of both guns and women.” |
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McCrum’s photographs tell a powerful story, just as these statistics do: Participation by women in target shooting has increased 46.5 percent from 2001 to 2010 and in hunting by 36.6 percent in the same period, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. In an NSSF survey of firearms retailers, 61% of respondents saw an increase in female customers in their store in 2010 over 2009.
Other evidence, too, such as the strong turnouts by women in concealed carry classes nationwide and in NSSF’s First Shots seminars, helps confirm this trend. (First Shots introduces newcomers to target shooting by providing both a classroom overview and supervised live-fire experience.) This is nothing new to the hunting and shooting community, but we think the compelling photographs in “Chicks with Guns” will bring the trend to life for those less familiar with our traditions and our pastimes.
Editor’s Comment: I wouldn’t rush out to buy this book for your coffee-table, though it might make a nice gift for a lady shooter in the family. I’ve looked through the book. The photography is professional, but overall, mostly static and uninspired. I’d give it a B+ grade. This book wouldn’t have received much media attention but for the somewhat controversial subject matter and the catchy title. Still, ‘Chicks with Guns’ presents female shooters in a positive light, and that’s a good thing.
September 2nd, 2011
Let’s face it — economic times are still tough, so it’s important to save money whenever possible. Prices are going up, but wages aren’t following (for most of us). Here are seven ways shooters can save money on gear purchases and other shooting-related expenses.
 1. Share a Ride to Matches. With gas costing close to $4.00 per gallon in many areas of the country, fuel has become a significant part of an active shooter’s hobby budget. Yet over 90% of shooters drive solo to matches, often in large, gas-guzzling trucks. If you drive 100 miles roundtrip to attend a match in a 20-mpg vehicle, you’re going to burn nearly $20.00 worth of gas total out and back. By simply sharing the ride with one fellow shooter you can cut your fuel expenditures in half.
 2. Use Discount Codes to Save. It’s always smart to check for discount codes before you buy. In the Daily Bulletin, we regularly highlight important sales, and we provide discount Coupon Codes when available. By using discount codes when shopping online, you can typically save 10-15% on your purchases. For example, right now Sinclair Int’l is running a Labor Day Promo with discount codes. To find recent discount codes, just type in “Coupon Code” or “Discount” in the search box at the top of this page. If you can’t find a Coupon Code for your preferred vendor here, visit RetailMeNot.com and/or SlickGuns.com. Both those sites list current coupon codes, and RetailMeNot.com covers thousands of vendors.
 3. Gang Powder and Primer Purchases. Every time you order powder and primers you’ll need to pay a hazardous materials (hazmat) transport fee, which costs $25.00 – $30.00. If you do a joint buy with other shooters, you can ship more powder and primers on a single hazmat fee, effectively reducing your components cost. For example, if you buy 3 pounds of powder at $20/lb with a $25.00 hazmat fee your actual cost (before shipping) is $28.33 per pound. If instead if you buy 30 pounds of powder at $20.00/lb, the actual cost with hazmat is just $20.83 per pound. Moreover, when you buy in bulk, you can usually save significantly on the powder itself. At Powder Valley, one pound of Varget costs $19.75, while an 8-lb jug of Varget costs $139.50 ($17.44/lb).
 4. Shop for “Demo” Optics. Modern high-quality optics can easily cost $1500.00 or more, often exceeding the value of the rifle on which they are mounted. However, you can often save 20-30% by purchasing demo optics. These are normally display units used at trade shows. They may have slight ringmarks, but otherwise they are “as new”, having never been carried in the field or used on a rifle that has fired live ammo. When purchasing demo scopes, you should always ask about the warranty before consummating the sale. However, most demo scopes from name-brand manufacturers come with full factory warranties. EuroOptic.com and SWFA.com are two respected vendors that offer a good selection of demo optics.
 5. Train with Rimfire Rifles. The true cost of shooting a match-grade centerfire rifle, when you consider barrel wear, approaches $1.00 per round. READ Shooting Cost Article. By contrast .22LR Wolf Match Extra costs just $0.17 per round and other good rimfire ammo can be purchased for even less. Good rimfire barrels last a long, long time, so you don’t have to be concerned about wearing out your barrel quickly. A quality rimfire barrel can retain its accuracy for 7,000 rounds or more. If you run the ballistics, a .22LR round at 100 yards can emulate the wind drift experienced by a centerfire cartridge at long range. This allows for effective cross-training with much less expensive ammo.
 6. Check Out the Forum Classifieds. There are great deals to be found every day in the AccurateShooter Shooters’ Forum. The latest deals are listed on our home page. To see all the listings, browse through the Forum MarketPlace section which has four main categories:
- Guns, Actions, Stocks, & Barrels
- Tools, Dies, Rests, Reloading Components & Misc
- Scopes, Optics, Sights, Rings, Bases Etc.
- Commercial Sales by Paid Sponsors
You can find some great deals on complete rifles, optics, and reloading gear in our classifieds. Before purchasing, however, read our Advice to Online Classifieds Shoppers.
 7. Take Advantage of Factory Rebates. There are some amazing rebates available right now from quality manufacturers such as Bushnell, Leupold, RCBS, Sightron, and Zeiss. You have to be a bit wary because rebates are typically used to move less-popular merchandise. But some rebates, such as the current RCBS $50.00 rebate, apply to very wide range of merchandise, so it’s hard to go wrong. Just make sure that, when you buy a product, you retain the sales slip and the original packaging. To qualify for the rebate, you may need to mail in a product identification code found on the box, along with your original sales receipt.
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