Coating bullets with a friction-reducing compound such as Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly) offers potential benefits, including reduced barrel heat, and being able to shoot longer strings of fire between bore cleanings. One of the effects of reduced friction can be the lessening of internal barrel pressures. This, in turn, means that coated bullets MAY run slower than naked bullets (with charges held equal).
To restore velocities, shooters running coated bullets are inclined to “bump up” the load — but you need to be cautious.
Be Careful When Increasing Loads for Coated Bullets
We caution shooters that when your start out with coated bullets in a “fresh barrel” you should NOT immediately raise the charge weight. It may take a couple dozen coated rounds before the anti-friction coating is distributed through the bore, and you really start to see the reduced pressures. Some guys will automatically add a grain or so to recommended “naked” bullet charge weights when they shoot coated bullets. That’s a risky undertaking.
We recommend that you use “naked” bullet loads for the first dozen coated rounds through a new barrel. Use a chronograph and monitor velocities. It may take up to 30 rounds before you see a reduction in velocity of 30-50 fps that indicates that your anti-friction coating is fully effective.
We have a friend who was recently testing moly-coated 6mm bullets in a 6-6.5×47. Moly had not been used in the barrel before. Our friend had added a grain to his “naked” bullet load, thinking that would compensate for the predicted lower pressures. What he found instead was that his loads were WAY too hot initially. It took 30+ moly-coated rounds through the bore before he saw his velocities drop — a sign that the pressure had lowered due to the moly. For the rounds fired before that point his pressures were too high, and he ended up tossing some expensive Lapua brass into the trash because the primer pockets had expanded excessively.
LESSON: Start low, even with coated bullets. Don’t increase your charge weights (over naked bullet loads) until you have clear evidence of lower pressure and reduced velocity.
Procedure After Barrel Cleaning
If you shoot Moly, and clean the barrel aggressively after a match, you may want to shoot a dozen coated “foulers” before starting your record string. Robert Whitley, who has used Moly in some of his rifles, tells us he liked to have 10-15 coated rounds through the bore before commencing record fire. In a “squeaky-clean” bore, you won’t get the full “benefits” of moly immediately.
To learn more about the properties of dry lubricants for bullets, read our Guide to Coating Bullets. This covers the three most popular bullet coatings: Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly), Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or ‘Danzac’), and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN). The article discusses the pros and cons of the different bullet coatings and offers step-by-step, illustrated instructions on how to coat your bullets using a tumbler.
Pistol shooting is fun — that’s reason enough to head to an indoor range. In addition, all CCW permit holders should definitely practice regularly. For many people, indoor shooting can be done in the evening, after work, relatively close to home. Indoor ranges are most convenient for those who live near urban centers, where the biggest threats to public safety currently exist. This article talks about indoor firearms training and the proper procedures you should follow at indoor ranges.
This Video Covers Basic Gun Range Safety Rules and Etiquette
FIVE IMPORTANT SAFETY PROCEDURES for Indoor Ranges
1. Follow the Three Fundamental Rules for Safe Gun Handling
ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
2. Follow ALL Range Officer Instructions
ROs are the first and final authority on any range and their decisions are generally final. Arguing with a Range Officer may just get you thrown out.
3. Don’t Bother Others or Touch Their Guns
Respect other shooters’ privacy unless a safety issue arises. Do NOT engage other shooters to correct a perceived safety violation unless absolutely necessary – inform the RO instead. NEVER handle or touch another shooter’s firearm without their permission!
4. Know Your Range’s Rules
Review and understand any and all range rules and requirements/expectations. For example, what is the range’s maximum rate of fire? Are you allowed to collect your brass?
5. Know What To Do During a Cease Fire
IMMEDIATELY set down your firearm, pointed downrange, and STEP AWAY from the shooting booth (or bench). Range Officers do not want shooters trying to “secure/unload” their firearms in a cease fire situation — they want the shooters separated from their guns instantly.
BAD RANGE BEHAVIOR — Five Things NOT to Do at the Range
Here are the five worst behaviors we’ve seen at indoor ranges. These behaviors are both dangerous and inconsiderate. Any one of these behaviors can get you permanently banned from an indoor range.
1. Sweeping other individuals after loading a weapon behind the firing line is very bad. All your weapons should be empty until you reach your shooting station.
2. Turning the handgun sideways while trying to clear a malfunction or insert/remove a magazine. This will point the muzzle at a fellow shooter. Or, after shooting a gun, the shooter fails to clear the weapon and then places the gun somewhere near the shooting station with the muzzle in an unsafe position.
3. Reacting unpredictably when firing a high recoil handgun. We’ve seen people take a second shot by accident with the muzzle way off target.
4. Not obeying range commands — in particular continuing to shoot during called cease-fires.
5. Poorly aimed shooting that hits target frames or carriers, causing ricochets.
Double-Up on Hearing Protection When Shooting Indoors
When shooting indoors we recommend quality muffs with earplugs underneath, offering double protection. When inside an enclosed range, with other shooters blasting away right next to you, you really need effective hearing protection. But you also need to hear range commands and be able to communicate. That’s why we recommend electronic muffs with plugs underneath.
For indoor pistol shooting, we like the Howard Leight Impact Pro Muffs. These offer an impressive 30 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). In addition, the electronic functionality allows you to hear all range commands clearly. These muffs are a good value. These are available for $76.99 at Palmetto SA. Howard Leight also makes good protective safety eyewear with ANSI Z87.1-2010 (High Impact) rating. These milspec, wrap-around Genesis safety glasses can be purchased for $16.63 on Amazon (#ad).
If you are looking to compete in NRL22 or PRS rimfire tactical matches, there is a new, turnkey solution that combines the legendary Anschutz 54 rimfire action with the excellent MDT ACC chassis. Called the Anschutz Model 1710, this new competition-ready rifle is capable of winning matches right out of the box. Creedmoor Sports recently received the first set of model 1710s in the USA. At our request, Creedmoor’s Brent Books and Wayne Dayberry field-tested a new model 1710. After confirming the elevation click values for various yardages, Brent put the Anschutz through its paces, showing its superb accuracy. FYI, this 1710 came with an impressive factory test target — 10 shots at 50 meters, all in a dime-sized circle.
Shooting at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship range, Brent ran a sequence of shots, hitting steel at 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 yards without a miss. You can see this 5-shot sequence, all in one continuous take (no edits), in the video below. As Brent observed, “it definitely shoots”. Then, later, Brent cranked in more elevation (21.1 MILs) and hit steel at 435 yards. Watch this all in the video — it’s impressive!
Anschutz 1710 at Talladega, Drilling Steel from 100 to 435 Yards
Watch Hits at 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 435 Yards
With RWS 100 .22 LR ammo, Brent drills hit after hit with no misses out to 300 yards.
“This video shows a run after we confirmed our dope. Brent Books and I are shooting an NRL22 match in two weeks. Although he has extensive smallbore and airgun experience, this will be his first match of this type. I thought it would be a good/fun exercise for him to run the plates fairly quickly and also showcase the performance of this rifle system at the same time on the video.” — Wayne Dayberry
Anschutz Model 1710 — Great Accuracy Right from the Start
Report by Wayne Dayberry
The Anschutz 1710 MDT ACC rifle system is purpose-built for smallbore tactical precision rifle competition. With its capabilities we went from from bore-sight to 300 yards in just 12 shots. We started with a factory-fresh .22 LR Anschutz 1710 in an MDT ACC Ghost Gray chassis. This rifle incorporates a 20-inch heavy profile threaded stainless barrel and the 5119 two-stage trigger. After a clean, lube, and inspection, we mounted up an Element 5-25x56mm First Focal Plane optic we already had in a set of rings and headed out to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park. In addition to traditional target ranges, the CMP range has an unknown distance steel range with targets out to 600 yards. Due to a compressed schedule, we did not have time to follow the traditional zeroing and velocity-gathering processes, so we headed straight to the unknown distance steel range. This range has steel from 75 yards to 600 yards much like you would see in PRS and NRL type competitions.
Given the compressed timeframe, we didn’t follow the traditional steps one would normally take to do a break-in process, zero, collect data, and build out rifle dope. We were essentially doing all of that on a steel target range as we were putting the first rounds down the barrel while shooting this piece. At the same time, with a quality rifle system, and following a process, it worked out well as we were able to stretch out the capability of this rifle to 435 yards very quickly.
Anschutz 1710 Components and Specifications:
The new Anschutz model 1710 is built with premium components top to bottom. It features an Anschutz Match 54 repeater action with blued receiver, Anschutz 5119 two-stage trigger, 20″ stainless steel barrel, and MDT ACC alloy chassis with built-in rails. The chassis is adjustable for LOP and cheek height.
Receiver: Scope mount attachment with 11mm rail and drilled and tapped
Barrel Length: 20″ stainless steel heavy barrel, no iron sights
Chamber: Optimized Match Chamber
Crown: Recessed Target Crown
Muzzle Diameter: 0.90″
Trigger: New 5119 Two-Stage Trigger
Trigger Weight Range: 4 oz. to 7.5 oz. (110 to 215g)
Trigger Weight: Adjusted to 6.35 oz. (180g)
Magazine Capacity: 10
Magazine Release: Extended
Rifle Weight without scope: 10 lbs., 10 oz.
This photo shows the Anschutz 1710 fitted with bipod and suppressor. The tripod clamps via the integral forearm ARCA rail.
Testing the Anschutz 1710 on Steel — Expedited Procedure
The closest steel on the Talladega range that day was 75 yards so we started from scratch at that distance. Brent was on the rifle, so I spotted and ran ballistics. After bore-sighting at 75 yards, and confirming zero on steel with a few rounds, we went to the ballistic solver to start a profile. For the RWS R100 ammunition we were running, I entered a G1 BC of .14 and a guess at the muzzle velocity of 1080 FPS. The call of 1.1 MILs for the 100-yard steel resulted in Brent’s shot landing .2 MILs high of center on the first round; we “confirmed” 0.9 MILs. We noted the impact and moved on to 150 yards.
As I mentioned we were very short on time so the “confirmations” of our dope for our first pass were with a single shot and measuring in the reticle. That’s obviously not the normal process, but for us, it was good enough for this exercise, given the time we had. We were shooting on freshly-painted targets and getting excellent feedback to see POA / POI deviations and could easily measure this in the reticle, which helped. And we were shooting a top-of-the-line Anschutz which came with a confirmation test target showing a 10-shot group at 50 meters with all shots touching and within a circle the size of a dime. With a former NCAA All-American smallbore shooter running the gun, and this test target in hand, confidence was high.
Moving to the 150-yard target, a call of 3.7 MILs hit 0.6 high on our first round so we measured and confirmed 3.1. We trued the muzzle velocity in the solver as we went. At 200 yards I called 6.0 MILs and the first round hit was .3 high. We measured and confirmed 5.7 MILs. 9.0 mils was the call at 250 yards and we hit just a bit high. After measuring, we confirmed 8.6 MILs. At 300 yards, Brent was holding about 1 mil wind as a storm started rolling in. I called 12.5 MILs elevation and the first round impact was near the top of the plate, and after measuring we confirmed a come up of 11.7 MILs.
The net result was this — we went from mounting the optic and bore-sighting, to making solid first-round impacts from 100 yards out to 300 yards, at each 50-yard increment, in just 12 rounds! That’s efficiency!
Stretching it out to 435 Yards on Steel
Later, we went on to make solid hits at 350 yards and 435 yards. I got on the gun and put two on top of each other at 350 yards — pretty cool. This just proved this gun is an absolute hammer. The 435-yard target was a bear target, which was quite a bit larger than the 12″ steel we were shooting in the video. Not a small target by any means, but we were shooting 435 yards with a rimfire rifle as a storm rolled in. I think between us, Brent and I hit 5 of 6 (at 435 yards) which was pretty good given the sporty conditions. Next stop… the 600-yard plates at the end of this range. That’s a come-up of about 36 Mils.
Rimfire Maintenance — Tips from a Top Competitor
An NCAA All-American smallbore shooter, Brent Books knows a thing or two about rimfire rifles, and how to maintain optimal accuracy. Brent told us: “I shot on the rifle team at Jacksonville State University so 500 rounds a week was common through my Anschutz 2013. I’d clean my rifle at the end of each week before we travelled to a competition with a wet patch through the barrel, a few passes of the nylon brush (unscrewing the brush before pulling it back through), one more wet patch, and then dry patches until they came out clean. A bore guide was always used to protect my action from debris and to align the cleaning rod. After cleaning the barrel, I’d completely disassemble the bolt to clean and lube it, making sure the bolt would glide effortlessly in the action. After cleaning, I’d shoot a minimum of 50 rounds to foul the barrel with ammo I was using to compete.”
Anschutz Model 54 Action with 5119 Trigger
The Anschutz 1710 features the competition-proven Model 54 action, running a 10-round magazine. In the 1710, the safety-equipped action is fitted with an outstanding 5119 two-stage trigger that adjusts from 4 to 7.5 ounces. First released in 1954, Anschutz Match 54 action still represents a benchmark for smallbore rifles. Match rifles fitted with Model 54 actions have captured numerous World Championships and Olympic medals. These actions are smooth, consistent, and ultra-reliable, making them a great choice for multiple smallbore rifle disciplines. Anschutz boasts that this action has: “solid, extremely reliable construction [with] a functional safety that does not fail even under the most adverse conditions.”
MDT Adjustable Core Competition (ACC) Chassis
What’s so cool about the MDT ACC Chassis? MDT’s ACC chassis is optimized for NRL and PRS shooting formats, although it can be used in other disciplines. The ACC chassis design has been optimized with input from top PRS and NRL shooters. Key features include: full 17″ ARCA/RRS fore-end, flared magazine well, extended barricade stop, widened thumb shelf, adjustable cheek riser, adjustable length-of-pull, and adjustable MDT Vertical Grip Elite. This chassis is available for popular centerfire actions as well as some rimfire actions.
The ACC boasts an integrated weight management system, allowing shooters to fine tune chassis weight and balance. Weights can be added to the buttstock, the fore-end interior or fore-end exterior. This allows the shooter to increase the chassis-only weight from 4.5 lbs up to 12.3 lbs. Complete with barreled action, scope, rings, bipod, and accessories, shooters can run 20+ lbs for the full rig.
The weight can be tuned without taking the barreled action out of the chassis. Internal fore-end weights can be inserted from the front of the fore-end and screwed in place, while external M-LOK-compatible weights can be easily attached on either side of the fore-end. This ACC weight-management system allows shooters to rapidly adjust the feel and recoil characteristics of their system.
New Budget-Priced MDT LSS Gen2 Chassis for Anschutz and Other Actions
MDT also has a newer, much more affordable LSS Gen2 Chassis for Anschutz actions (and many other rimfire and centerfire actions including CZ, Howa, Savage, Remington, Ruger Tikka, and more). This MDT LSS Gen2 Chassis retails for just $429.95, and has hundreds of 5-star owner reviews.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has prepared tips for gun owners transporting firearms in their vehicles. Whenever you are driving with guns (of any kind), the firearms should be transported securely. In some states, the firearms must be in locked cases inside the vehicle. And, with the rise of break-ins on parked vehicles, it’s important to keep gun cases out of sight if possible. This article has tips on safe and secure gun transport.
HERE Are Key Guidelines for Safe, Secure Handling of Firearms in Vehicles:
• Take note of and safely control the muzzle direction of firearms in vehicles. This is one of the main rules of gun safety and applies to the inside of vehicles as well as any other location.
• When finished using your firearm outside your vehicle, unload it before you re-enter your vehicle.
• Even after a long hunt or a day in the sun at the range, always check, and then double check, that guns are unloaded before placing them in a car or truck.
• Be very careful if you must unload a firearm in the confined space of a vehicle so as not to have an accidental discharge. If your location allows, it is safer and easier to unload the firearm outside the vehicle.
• Never leave firearms in parts of the vehicle accessible to children or pets.
• Keep firearms and ammunition out of sight to avoid tempting thieves.
• Use secure temporary storage for firearms in vehicles.
• A lockable gun case or a lock box may be the most practical choice to securely store a gun in a vehicle. These come in a range of prices and models.
• If you’re concerned about quick access to your firearm, many types of lockable safes allow for extremely fast access of your gun while at the same time helping to prevent unauthorized access.
• Secure the lock box to the vehicle, if possible. Some companies make custom concealed compartments for specific model vehicles.
Storing Firearms in Vehicles to Prevent Theft and Misuse
We travel with our firearms all the time, taking them to the range, on hunting trips or carrying them on our person, as permitted by law. When you are transporting guns, the last thing you want is to have your gun stolen and potentially misused by a criminal. In some states, you could even be subject under the law to serious penalties and fines for failure to properly secure a firearm. Unfortunately, thefts of firearms from vehicles are on the rise. Thieves commonly steal cars and trucks even when they don’t obviously contain firearms — a reminder that vehicle door locks are not totally secure.
When you are not in your vehicle, all firearms should be placed in locked storage and out of sight. Locking the doors on your vehicle does not constitute secure firearm storage. As one writer put it: As one writer put it: “Cars and trucks aren’t safes. And they’re not holsters. They’re not storage containers.”
The glove compartment or console of your vehicle, even if lockable, should not be considered a secure storage device either, as it can be pried open quickly and is the first place a thief might look. If you need to leave a handgun in a vehicle, we recommend putting the guns in secure case, preferably out of sight. Many vehicles have a compartment, above the spare tire storage recess, which can be secured.
For our readers who are stuck at home under government orders, we are reprising a video feature about hunting in Norway. For those whose horizons have been limited due to the “shelter at home” response to the Coronavirus pandemic, we offer this getaway to scenic Vesterålen in northern Norway…
This is one of the finest shooting videos we’ve ever seen. Set in the scenic Vesterålen archipelago of northern Norway, this high-quality 15-minute video is part National Geograhic travelog, part ballistics lesson, part gear review. Given the current COVID-19 lockdowns, we wish we had the opportunity to join Ulf Lindroth and Thomas Haugland on their remarkable shooting adventure. This video was originally created for Great Britain’s Fieldsports TV Channel.
This is an outstanding video, recommended for anyone interested in long-range hunting.
Long range shooters Lindroth and Haugland traveled to the Arctic Circle to field test a new .338 LM Blaser R8 (in GRS stock) fitted with a Zeiss Victory V8 4.8-35x60mm scope. (Ammo is Norma-brand .338 Lapua Magnum). The video shows how they confirm the ballistics of the Norma factory ammo in the Blaser R8 rifle system.
Ulf and Thomas initially test out the system confirming drop at multiple yardages, and then use the rifle for practical accuracy. Ulf says: “If you know your hunting will demand a long shot, and you want to push the limit but still be sure to make the first-shot kill… If you want to do an ethical hunt, if you want to push that limit, you have to do [this kind of testing].”
Ulf Lindroth (above) observed: “We shot [at 808 meters] observed the misses, clicked our way into the target, and now we have the true drop at that distance… in this air pressure, in this temperature. From there we can start working to find our TRUE trajectory. And when we have THAT… we can get serious about some target shooting.”
.338 Lapua Magnum — Big-Bore High-Performance Cartridge
From WikiPedia: The .338 Lapua Magnum (aka 8.6×70mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. Due to its use in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, the cartridge has become widely available. The loaded .338 LM cartridge is 8.6 mm (0.34″) in diameter and 93.5 mm (3.68″) long. Muzzle velocity is dependent on barrel length, seating depth, and powder charge, and varies 2,890 fps to 3,000 fps for commercial loads with 250gr bullets.
The digital archives of Shooting Sports USA magazine (SSUSA) features an Expert Forum on Wind Reading. This outstanding article on wind reading starts off with a section by ballistics guru Bryan Litz, author of Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting. Then four of the greatest American shooters in history share their personal wind wisdom. Lanny Basham (Olympic Gold Medalist, author, Winning in the Wind), Nancy Tompkins (Past National HP Champion, author, Prone and Long-Range Rifle Shooting), David Tubb (11-Time Camp Perry National Champion), and Lones Wigger (Olympic Hall of Fame) all offer practical wind-reading lessons learned during their shooting careers.
Whether you shoot paper at Perry or prairie dogs in the Dakotas, this is a certified “must-read” resource on reading the wind. Here is a sample selection from the article:
Shooting Sports USA magazine (SSUSA) has a modern, mobile-friendly website with tons of great content. Log on to www.ssusa.org. There you’ll find current news stories as well as popular articles from the SSUSA archives. The SSUSA website also includes match reports, gear reviews, reloading advice, plus expert marksmanship tips from the USAMU.
Enjoy the Shooting Sports USA Archives
As we head into spring, many Americans will be spending more time at the range. And competitors will be shooting in rimfire and centerfire rifle matches throughout the country. Here’s an opportunity to learn competition skills, gun tuning methods, and reloading techniques from leading experts. A vast resource of great gun-related content available online for FREE. Check out the Shooting Sports USA Articles Archive. SSUSA maintains a vast digital library with hundreds of articles going back to June 2009.
It’s easy to find back issues of Shooting Sports USA magazine. Here’s how: First, navigate to the latest SSUSA Online Issue (April 2025). Then click on the “ARCHIVES” icon in the upper right area (indicated with red arrow). When you click on “ARCHIVES”, a window will open with a selection of Shooting Sports USA magazine covers/dates in a vertical column. The most recent issue (April 2025) will appear at the top left. You can then scroll down — use the vertical scroll bar to go from April 2025 all the way back to June 2009. Click any issue cover to read.
How to Find and Save Articles
To search back issues, select “MORE OPTIONS” from the toolbar (top left). Then click the “SEARCH” button. When that opens, select either “Search Archives” for ALL back issues or “Search Only this Issue”. When you’ve made your choice, enter your search term(s). For example, you can search for “Camp Perry” or “Palma” or “F-Class Championship”. You can also save any archived issue as a PDF for viewing offline. Just click “SAVE” to download the article you’re currently viewing/reading.
Read Sample Articles
Here are a three of our favorite SSUSA feature stories from recent years. There are hundreds of other informative articles worth reading.
F-Class fans will enjoy the coverage of the 2023 F-Class World Championships in the June 2023 issue of Shooting Sports USA. On the cover is our friend and Forum member Erik Cortina.
Through the passage of Proposition KK last November, Colorado adopted a 6.5% state excise tax on the sale of firearms, ammunition, and certain firearm parts to Colorado consumers. Colorado’s new 6.5% guns/ammo tax took effect on April 1, 2025. The tax, codified by Colo. Rev. Stat. § 39-37-101, is levied on vendors (see below), but the amount is passed through to law-abiding Coloradans every time they purchase guns and ammo. The law also imposes burdensome registration and recordkeeping requirements on vendors and subjects them to harsh punishments for violations.
Legal experts believe this new law is unconstitutional and otherwise legally improper. Thankfully, this new Colorado gun tax is being challenged in the courts. The Second Amendment Foundation (2AF) has filed a lawsuit, Langston v. Humphreys, in Denver County District Court challenging Colorado’s Proposition KK as an unconstitutional tax on the exercise of a fundamental constitutional right. Joining SAF in Langston v. Humphreys are the National Rifle Association (NRA), Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), Magnum Shooting Center, the Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA), and a private citizen, Zachary Langston. Named as defendants are Heidi Humphreys, executive director of the Colorado Dept. of Revenue and Michael J. Allen, district attorney of El Paso County.
The complaint argues that Colorado’s new excise tax on guns and ammo violates the Second Amendment. Plaintifs seek a declaratory judgment that the tax is unconstitutional and plaintiffs further seek a permanent injunction forbidding the enforcement of the gun excise tax.
“Colorado’s firearms excise tax is an overt assault on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Coloradans and a deliberate attempt to discourage the exercise of constitutionally protected freedoms”, said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). “Recently, anti-gun activists in Colorado have been adopting California’s radical gun control agenda to systematically erode gun rights in the state. We are pleased to join with other Second Amendment advocates in this lawsuit to protect and defend the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.”
The SAF, NRA and other plaintiffs contend that the state’s 6.5% excise tax on the retail sale of any firearm, firearm precursor part, or ammunition is unconstitutional in that it impermissibly singles out the exercise of a constitutional right for special taxation. There have been several rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court prohibiting such a tax scheme.
“Colorado’s new law impermissibly taxes an enumerated constitutional right”, said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “Not only does the tax lack any basis in our nation’s history and tradition of firearms regulation, it violates Supreme Court precedent that states the exercise of constitutional rights cannot be targeted through taxation.”
“You simply cannot tax the exercise of a constitutionally-protected fundamental right” noted SAF founder and Executive V.P. Alan M. Gottlieb, who added that: “Federal legislation to prevent this sort of tax was introduced just days ago in both the House and Senate.”
New Requirements for Firearms Manufacturers, Gun Dealers, and Ammo Sellers
For the new guns/ammo tax Colorado defines a “Vendor” as a person or company doing business as an ammunition seller, firearms dealer, or firearms manufacturer. All Colorado Vendors must register with the Colorado Department of Revenue by April 1, 2025, and file annual registration renewals. After registration, Vendors are required to file monthly excise tax returns based on taxable products and submit excise tax payments to the state.
First there was F-Class, and now there will be E-Class, the “E” standing for “Economy”. The NRA Competitive Shooting Division has just approved a new form of rifle competition starting in 2025: E-Class. Unlike F-Class, E-Class will have tight rifle and gear cost controls. This is a clear response to rising F-Class costs, which have spiraled out of control. The first major E-Class National event will be a preview match held this summer at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.
The NRA’s sanctioning of E-Class competition makes sense. Let’s face it, top-level F-Class competition, both F-TR and F-Open, has become just too expensive. A modern F-Open rifle capable of winning a championship can now cost $9000.00 or more, including rest, premium trigger, and optics. Under the NRA’s new E-Class Rules, rifles can cost no more than $2000.00 total, including optics and rest (E-Open) or bipod (E-TR). In addition, new E-Class rules will recognize a special division, called E-Factory, that is limited to factory rifles, such as the Savage Axis II and Howa rifles. The E-Factory Class will also be restricted to .223 Remington to keep ammo costs down.
COST COMPARISON — F-Open, E-Open, and E-TR Factory
E-TR Factory Division
Complete Rifle
Savage Axis II: $1079 MSRP
Barrel: Included
Stock: Included
Optics: $500
Trigger: Included
Bipod: $150
Rear Bag: $50 Total: $1779.00
Under the new E-Class rules, TOTAL Cost for an E-Open or E-TR Rifle is limited to $2000.00, including optics, front rest or bipod, and rear bag. There are specific gear limits. Scope maximum is $500.00. Front rest or bipod is limited to $300.00. In the chart above you see how an E-Open rifle could be built for $1900 with a $400 action and a $400 optic. In the third column we’ve priced out an E-Factory rifle, based on a Savage Axis II Rifle, at $1779.00.
A top-of-the-line F-Open set-up like this can cost more than $8000.00 with custom stock, high-end optic, and coax front rest. All new E-Class rifles must cost less than $2000 including rests and scope.
These E-Class rigs cost less than a quarter of the price of a Top-of-the-line $8750.00 F-Open Rig. That’s a huge savings, that will allow more shooters to enjoy competitive shooting. E-Class combines the fun challenge of the F-Class course of fire, with a vastly lower investment. With the rising costs of taxes, food, fuel, and everything else, it’s high time we get serious about the money we throw away on competition rifles. We know the wives will approve!
Keeping on Lid on Expenses
In the Wings — Controls on Ammo Costs as Well
Shooters know that the price of the rifle, optics, and rests is only part of the cost equation. The price of ammunition is also significant. Currently, in F-Open, competitors can easily pay $1.40 per round just for the expendables — bullets, powder, and primers. Add in the cost of premium cartridge brass and the cost per shot goes up significantly. One competitor lamented “Shooting a match these days really empties your wallet. I cringe every time I pull the trigger, knowing what it costs.”
Therefore, the NRA is considering E-Class ammo restrictions. Starting in 2026, E-Factory class competitors would be required to shoot recycled bulk brass and blem bullets. Bulk Lake City 5.56 brass will be offered by ARMorAlly.com, and blem bullets will be offered by Midsouth Shooters Supply. Purists may complain about using surplus brass, but it only costs $199.99 for 500 cases! That’s a huge savings.
The Final Step — Claiming Rules for E-Class
As in every competitive endeavor, there may be temptation to bend or even break the rules. Predictably, some E-Class competitors may try to substitute more expensive components, such as high-cost triggers, or modified actions. To prevent this, the NRA plans to impose claiming rules for E-Class matches. This means that any rifle that captures first or second place in a major match can be claimed by another competitor for the fee of $2000.00. This procedure may seem radical but it is used in other sports to ensure parity among the competitors. If a shooter wins with a “cheater” $5000.00 rifle, he can be forced to sell it to a competitor for $2000.00.
A recent scientific discovery in Washington State suggests that areas in North America once harbored large colonies of giant, man-sized rodents — distant cousins to today’s prairie dogs.
In late 2024, while searching for ancient dinosaur fossils, a field team of Princeton University paleontologists has uncovered a startling find — the skull of a massive prehistoric rodent, along with other skeletal remains.
The skull, nearly the size of a horse’s head, is almost identical in form to the skull of a modern-era prairie dog, though it is is more than 50 times as large. Apparently today’s Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs had some very large predecessors. Based on the size of the skull and other bones, scientists estimate that the giant prairie dogs could stand up to 7′ tall and weigh up to 350 pounds. In other words, this critter was man-sized.
The giant rodents lived much like modern prairie dogs do today — grazing on vegetation and nesting underground in burrows. The giant skull was unearthed in Washington’s Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve. View More: Mima Mounds Aerial photo.
Mystery of Mima Mounds Finally Solved
Southwest of Seattle, near Littlerock, Washington, you’ll find the Mima Mounds, a vast field of clustered earthen mounds covering over 600 acres. Since their discovery (by whites) in the 18th century, the Mima Mounds have confounded scientific explanation — until now that is. The location of the giant prairie dog skull and bones inside one of the Mima Mounds indicates, with great certainty, that the mound field was created by a large colony of giant burrowing rodents. Scientists now believe that the Mima Mounds area is a prehistoric prairie dog field, created by the creatures scientists have nicknamed “Big Dogs”.
NW Indian Legends Spoke of Giant Prairie Dogs
The presence of the giant prairie dogs at Mima Mounds is confirmed by Northwestern Indian legends describing a giant burrowing beast that stood as tall as a man, when raised on its hind legs. Researchers, who transcribed oral histories of the Sauk-Suiattle tribe, have recorded numerous references to a large, man-sized creature that burrowed underground. In the Suiattle language the beast was called “Chok-lahtle-wachook”, which, literally translated, means “Standing Man-Mouse”. A number of ancient Indian carvings and artifacts have depicted this creature (see photo at right), but cultural historians had not understood their significance. For decades the historians presumed Chok-lahtle-wachook was a wholly fictional man-beast, not a real species. Such mythical hybrid creatures are commonly revered as important totemic spirits by many Native American cultures. However, it now appears that Chok-lahtle-wachook really existed, and did so in great numbers.
Can Science Revive the Giant Prairie Dog?
The discovery of the giant prairie dog has electrified the scientific community because it appears that bone samples may contain recoverable DNA. And that means — you guessed it — there is a small chance that Chok-lahtle-wachook could be cloned. Geneticist Amy Moorwall of the Univ. of Washington explains: “These are not 100-million-year-old dinosaur bones. This creature lived in relatively recent times, so there is much more genetic material remaining that hasn’t completely fossilized. Initial inspection of bone marrow samples suggest that there may be viable, complete DNA strands that could be recovered. If that’s true, this could be one of our first opportunities to revive an extinct species.”
Varmint Hunters Hope for Successful Cloning
Could Chok-lahtle-wachook once again stand tall upon America’s prairies through the application of modern genetic cloning technology? If so, that would be exciting news for the nation’s hunting community. Varmint hunting is hugely popular in North America, and the possibility of bagging a man-sized prairie dog would be a dream come true for avid varminters. Ryan Stanley of the Varmint Hunters’ Association (VHA) told us that his members hope that the giant prairie dog could be cloned successfully: “We would definitely support a cloning effort. Many of our members spend countless days, over many seasons, trying to earn a 1000-yard patch, signifying a confirmed varmint kill at 1000 yards. Getting that patch, for a varminter, is like a baseball player making it into Cooperstown. Needless to say, if VHA members have a chance to shoot at a 7-foot-tall, 300-pound varmint, instead of a puny little prairie dog, many more of our members will finally earn their 1000-yard patch.”
To learn more about the properties of dry lubricants for bullets, read our Guide to Coating Bullets. This covers the three most popular bullet coatings: Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly), Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or ‘Danzac’), and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN). The article discusses the pros and cons of the different bullet coatings and offers step-by-step, illustrated instructions on how to coat your bullets using a tumbler.
A recent scientific discovery in Washington State suggests that areas in North America once harbored large colonies of giant, man-sized rodents — distant cousins to today’s prairie dogs.
NW Indian Legends Spoke of Giant Prairie Dogs
Varmint Hunters Hope for Successful Cloning
