We like well-executed DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects. You can save money with DIY projects, and often create something unique and special that can’t be purchased from any vendor. That’s the case with this very cool double shooting bench built by Jacob D., a pilot and 6.5 Creedmoor shooter. The design of the bench is smart — it allows two right-handed shooters, but it can also handle a right-hander and a left-hander. (The lefty sets up in the right half of the bench.)
Jacob, who flies for Arizona’s Mesa Airlines, built his own side-by-side benchrest shooting bench. He then posted photos of this on the 6.5 Creedmoor Group Facebook Page. We like this — very nice work Jacob!
Jacob writes: “Sighting in my new Ruger Precision Rifle with Leupold VX3i LRP 6.5-20x50mm and Burris tactical rings, using my benchrest table I built. Very happy with the combo!”
There is plenty of room for two shooters and two rifles on Jacob’s big and sturdy DIY shooting bench.
Proper eye protection is ‘must-have’ gear for shooting sports. In addition to providing reliable impact protection, good shooting glasses should be comfortable, fog-free, and not interfere with your preferred hearing protection. Those who require corrective lenses also need to consider the various options available. In a past episode of their Weekly Gear Review, the 6.5 Guys discuss a variety of shooting glasses they have tried, including examples from DeCot, Oakley, and Wiley-X. Ed and Steve outline the key considerations when choosing eye protection, and then review practical aspects of eyewear design and construction that enhance comfort and functionality in the field.
The 6.5 Guys (Ed and Steve) offer a number of smart tips consider safety eyewear, helping you select the most effective safety glasses at an affordable price. Here are the 6.5 Guys’ KEY Take-aways when choosing shooting glasses, including prescription eyewear:
Key Things To Consider When Choosing Eye Protection
1. Avoid polarized lenses or lenses that reduce light transmission significantly (except for action shooting in very bright conditions with large, close targets).
2. Avoid frame designs that interfere with prone shooting.
3. Avoid designs that easily fog.
4. Avoid frame designs with thicker temples that are uncomfortable to wear underneath hearing protection.
5. Select lenses with an appropriate degree of ballistic protection. CLICK HERE to learn more about eyewear safety standards.
6. When you get your prescription, be sure your ophthalmologist includes the interpupillary distance. This is a critical measurement particularly for heavier prescriptions.
7. If you have a complicated prescription select a vendor who will actually spend time with you to address any concerns.
Horrific .50 BMG Kaboom — Eye Saved by Protective Eyewear
Think you don’t need eye protection? Watch this video starting at 4:10. The screw-on barrel “cap” (chamber closure) of the .50 BMG action flies into the shooter’s face. Without eye protection the shooter would have definitely lost his right eye. (See video at 5:20 for analysis).
Safety First — Your Eyes Are Irreplaceable Accurate shooting begins and ends with the human eye. Your career as a marksman could be cut short if you don’t use good eye protection every time you go to the range and/or handle a firearm.
Every year, over 1,000,000 people suffer serious eye injuries. Shooting is hazardous; it is estimated that there are 30,000 firearms-related eye injuries each year (if you include paintball sports.) After paintball, general hunting accidents comprise most firearms-related eye injuries.
Quality eye protection need not be expensive. You can find comfortable, ANSI Z87.1-certified shooting glasses for under $10.00.
If you select shooting glasses carefully, and ensure that your eyewear is safety-certified, inexpensive shooting glasses can perform very well. But you need to avoid cheap, soft-plastic lenses that claim “impact resistance” without satisfying a testing standard.
Rifleshooter.com does some great original research — providing “hard data” you can’t find anywhere else. Here are the eye-opening results of Rifleshooter.com’s 6.5 Creedmoor barrel cut-down test. You may be surprised at the results. Read on…
What do you get when you cut a 6.5 Creedmoor-chambered barrel down to just over 16 inches? A lot more velocity than you might think. Our friends at Rifleshooter.com conducted a remarkable barrel cut-down test with 6.5 Creedmoor test rifle, shortening the barrel from 27 to 16.1 inches in one-inch increments. Surprisingly, with a 142gr Sierra MK, the total velocity loss (as measured with a Magnetospeed) was just 158 FPS, an average of 14.4 FPS per inch of barrel length. With the lighter 120gr A-Max bullet, the total velocity loss was 233 FPS, or 21.8 FPS average loss per inch of barrel.
Test Procedure
Five (5) rounds of each type of cartridge were fired at each barrel length and the velocity data was recorded with a MagnetoSpeed V3 barrel-mounted chronograph. The rifle was then cleared and the barrel was cut back one inch at a time from 27″ to just over 16″. NOTE: During this winter test, the air temperature was a very chilly 23° F. One would expect higher velocities across the board had the outside temperature been higher.
The photo below shows how the barrel was cut down, inch-by-inch, using a rotary saw. The barrel was pre-scored at inch intervals. As the main purpose of the test was to measure velocity (not accuracy) the testers did not attempt to create perfect crowns.
6.5 Creedmoor vs. Other Mid-Sized 6.5mm Cartridges
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a very popular cartridge with the tactical and PRS crowd. This mid-size cartridge offers good ballistics, with less recoil than a .308 Winchester. There’s an excellent selection of 6.5mm bullets, and many good powder choices for this cartridge. When compared to the very accurate 6.5×47 Lapua cartridge, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers similar performance with less expensive brass. For a tactical shooter who must sometimes leave brass on the ground, brass cost is a factor to consider. Here’s a selection of various 6.5mm mid-sized cartridges. Left to right are: 6.5 Grendel, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor with 120gr A-Max, 6.5 Creedmoor with 142gr Sierra MK, and .260 Remington.
When asked to compare the 6.5 Creedmoor to the 6.5×47 Lapua, Rifleshooter.com’s editor stated: “If you don’t hand load, or are new to precision rifle shooting, get a 6.5 Creedmoor. If you shoot a lot, reload, have more disposable income, and like more esoteric cartridges, get a 6.5×47 Lapua. I am a big fan of the 6.5×47 Lapua. In my personal experience, the 6.5×47 Lapua seems to be slightly more accurate than the 6.5 Creedmoor. I attribute this to the quality of Lapua brass.” Now that Lapua offers 6.5 Creedmoor brass with small primer pockets, the 6.5 Creedmoor is even more attractive.
The creator of Rifleshooter.com also operates a Custom Rifle Building enterprise and gun shop in Long Island, New York: 782 Custom Guns Ltd.. He tells us: “We offer an unparalleled level of gunsmith machine shop services in the Long Island region. From precision rifles (USMC M40A3/A5/A6 XM3 clones) to customized Remington 870 and Mossberg 590 shotguns, and customized 1911s, chances are if you can dream it, we can build it!”
Do you occasionally get completely unexplained flyers, or have a shot land straight down at 6 O’Clock, right below your point of aim? That could be caused by poor or inconsistent trigger technique. How you pull the trigger can and does affect your accuracy.
Many gun enthusiasts start with pistols. When they later start shooting rifles they may carry over some not-so-good practices acquired from shooting handguns with heavy 4 to 6-pound trigger pulls. You may want to “re-learn” your trigger techniques to get better rifle results.
Shooting Sports USA has a good article on trigger technique that offers many useful tips. That article also has many helpful illustrations, including the one shown above. Another illustration shows different types of trigger shoes (straight vs. curved) and explains how each makes a difference: “With a lightly curved trigger, the shooter’s finger can contact the trigger either high or low according to preference. Higher contact will increase the resistance.” READ ARTICLE HERE.
The article analyzes common errors, such as pulling the trigger with the very tip of the finger rather than the pad of the index finger: “Using the tip of the finger can lead to lateral pressure on the trigger, which throws off the shot.”
The article also explains that you should check your trigger regularly to make sure it is functioning properly and is not out of adjustment: “Just like any other moving part, the trigger can suffer from wear. In such a precise mechanism, tiny amounts of wear can cause major problems.”
The ergonomics of the Eliseo Tubegun allow a nice, straight trigger pull.
Trigger Tips
Six Suggestions for Making your Trigger Control More Consistent.
1. If your triggers are adjustable, set the pull weight appropriate to the discipline. For a hunting rifle, you don’t want an ultra-light trigger pull. For High Power, you may want a two-stage pull, while on a Benchrest rifle you may prefer a very light trigger.
2. If you have a two-stage trigger, experiment with different combinations of First Stage and Second Stage.
3. Have a friend watch you as you pull the trigger, and maybe even take a close-up video as you pull the trigger. This can reveal a variety of flaws.
4. Practice dry-firing to see if flaws in trigger technique are causing gun movement.
5. As an experiment, try pulling the trigger with your middle finger. Ergonomically, the middle finger has a more straight alignment with the tendons in your hand. This exercise can help you identify alignment issues with your index finger.
6. For stocks with adjustable Length of Pull you may want to set the LOP differently for bench shooting vs. prone or F-Class shooting.
When Only the Best Will Do…
German-made Bix’N Andy triggers, available from BulletCentral.com, are among the very best you can buy. Available in both single-stage and two-stage, Bix’N Andy triggers are extremely precise, repeatable and smooth. The unique internal, friction-reducing roller ball system allows for extremely low reset force, yielding an ultra-crisp let-off. Bix’N Andy triggers can be fitted with a variety of trigger shoes according to shooter preference.
Q: What’s more important — wind speed, or direction?
A: Obviously they both matter, but they do trade dominance based on direction. For example, a 10 mph wind between 2:30 and 3:30 is only changing its value from 9.7 to 10 to 9.7 mph (bracket of 0.3 mph). However a 10 mph wind between 11:30 and 12:30 is changing its cross wind component value from 2.6 mph left to zero to 2.6 mph right (bracket of 5.2 mph). There is the same 30° change in direction, but this results in a massively different bracket.
Point being, in this case, a direction change is far more critical if it’s near 6 or 12 o’clock. A small direction change when it’s close to 3 or 9 o’clock is negligible.
On the contrary, a change in wind SPEED when it’s near 3 or 9 affects your crosswind component directly. But for a near head or tail wind, a fluctuation in wind speed only causes a small fraction of a change to the crosswind component.
SUMMARY: If you’re in a near full-value wind, pay more attention to wind SPEED. If you’re closer to a head- or tail-wind, nailing the exact DIRECTION will be more important.
Get More Tips on Bryan Litz Ballistics Facebook Page
This post is from the new Bryan Litz Ballistics Facebook Page. FB users should check that page regularly for more tips from Bryan, American’s leading ballistics expert and founder of Applied Ballistics LLC.
Today we showcase three videos that cover current issues with gun sales and Second Amendment rights. We lead off with an NSSF interview video that covers key actions that will affect gun owners. The first is the adoption of new product/merchant categories that will allow credit card companies to track firearm purchases. This causes concern because it can identify persons as gun buyers when they only purchased outdoor gear or accessories. And it creates the risk of creating a list of gun owners — even though a national registry is forbidden by Federal law.
The first video, from the NSSF, also covers the impact of a recent Executive Order by President Joe Biden. This seeks to impose new types of gun control by fiat — without the approval of Congress. This new Executive Order is also covered in a recent BackFire TV video and a good video from the U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA).
The NRA-ILA explains: “Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on gun control that could accurately be described as a mile wide and an inch deep. There is no doubt what it all adds up to: antagonism toward gun ownership is now the official policy of the U.S. government’s Executive Branch.
Now, Biden is basically directing an alphabet soup of federal departments — including Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and Homeland Security — to comb through the BSCA and come up with their own plans to implement it to the fullest extent possible.”
NSSF President Discusses Credit Card Issues and Executive Order
Here is a very informative video from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). The video features NSSF President/CEO Joe Bartozzi interviewed by NSSF’s Erik Scarpati. The 20-minute video interview covers three main topics. First NSSF Pres. Bartozzi covers the history of the NSSF and explains its current mission to support the Second Amendment and promote the shooting sports. Second the interview covers some very concerning developments — how Federal agencies are pushing Credit Card companies to track firearms-related purchases. This is being done through the use of Merchant and Product Category Codes. This could effectively be used to create a de facto gun registry, which is specifically prohibited by Federal law. Third the interview covers the terms of President Biden’s recent Gun Control Executive Order.
Significant Issues with Biden Executive Order
Backfire TV head honcho Jim Harmer has built a popular YouTube Channel with over 650,000 subscribers. He is also a licensed attorney based in Utah. In this video, he discusses key items in President Biden’s recent Executive Order concerning firearms. Harmer explains the ways this Executive Order could restrict Second Amendment rights and encourage multiple Federal agencies to interfere with gun owners.
Specifics of Biden Executive Order — Gun Buyer Lists, Red Flag Laws, and More…
President Joe Biden recently signed an Executive Order paving the way for eventual universal background checks, red flag laws, and further gun control measures. In this video, Katie Pointer-Baney, USCCA Director of Government Affairs, outlines what this Executive Order could mean for the future of private gun sales, Federal Firearms Licensees, and the Safer Communities Act.
Here are highlights from the video:
00:00 President Biden’s Executive Order
01:25 What is an Executive Order?
02:28 Accelerating the Safer Communities Act
03:02 How does the Order affect FFLs?
03:20 Law-abiding citizens and private gun sales
05:09 Let your elected representatives hear your viewpoint
How Credit Card Tracking Affects Gun Owners
The use of special Codes for outdoor sports stores is problematical to say the least. There is a real concern that there would be broad over-reporting of sales relating to guns, because the Code would be applied to a variety of purchases.
NRA America’s First Freedom explains: “A person who uses a credit card to purchase a gun safe, a trolling motor and binoculars from a sporting goods store over several weeks or months, as well as any ammunition they might need, will make all of these purchases under the same proposed MCC used for gun sales. If anti-Second Amendment extremists get their way, these purchases could then prompt a credit-card company to report the sales to the authorities. Next, a police officer, or an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), might show up at a citizen’s home to find out why they’ve been buying so much stuff from their local ‘gun store’.”
Will you compete at this year’s NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana? Then there’s an excellent digital magazine you should read. Shooting Sports USA has a guide to the 2022 NRA National Matches with great photos, match results, and interviews with top shooters. Featuring complete coverage of last year’s competitions at Camp Atterbury, including the High Power Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, and Precision Pistol National Championships, the recap can be viewed for free online. CLICK HERE to READ.
2022 NRA National Matches — Full Report
At the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, high-level competitive shooters from around the nation can test their skills and celebrate their achievements with medals and trophies. The 2022 NRA National Matches special edition magazine, published digitally by Shooting Sports USA, celebrates the 2022 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
SSUSA’s 2022 digital recap begins with the opening day festivities, including the First Shot Ceremony with Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb, and goes on to cover the three different phases of the NRA National Matches. Plus, there is special coverage of the 2022 Pershing International Trophy Match, where the U.S. smallbore rifle team recorded a historic victory over Great Britain.
The home of the NRA National Matches since 2021, Camp Atterbury is an active National Guard training facility located south of Indianapolis, near Edinburgh, Indiana. For the 2022 National Matches, Camp Atterbury employed 30 Silver Mountain electronic targets for the Rifle Range Six. The moder e-targets allow faster, more efficient matches, with no pit duties for competitors.
The USAMU’s SFC Brandon Green shot superbly last year at Camp Atterbury. Green won numerous matches, capturing the Long Range Rifle Championship and many other honors. Here’s Brandon with his trophies from 2022.
Each summer for the past 100 years, the nation’s top Service Rifle Teams have competed in National Trophy Infantry Team (NTIT) Match at Camp Perry, Ohio. In this match, known informally as the “Rattle Battle”, six-member teams shoot at 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards with time limits — 384 rounds total. To win this match, the six shooters must work like a finely-tuned machine. This is a popular match with spectators as there is plenty of action in a short time span.
The National Trophy Infantry Team Match (NTIT) was first fired in 1922. Only four civilian teams have ever won the prestigious Infantry Trophy that goes to the winner of this match. The first civilian team to win this honor (we are told) was the Massachusetts Team in 1929 followed by a Nebraska Civilian Team in 1930. Seventy-nine years later, in 2009, the California Grizzlies Junior Team won the Infantry Trophy.
The Infantry Trophy Team Match is a unique event where scoring is based on how many hits six-person teams, which begin the match with 384 rounds of ammunition, can score on banks of eight silhouette targets at distances of 600, 500, 300 and 200 yards during 50-second firing periods. The NTIT is sometimes called the “Rattle Battle” because it requires firing, moving to the next firing point with all gear in tow. The match emphasizes extremely fast, accurate fire and good communication among teammates. CLICK HERE for more information.
This video shows the winning 2011 NTIT team at Camp Perry. Six USAMU shooters started with a combined load of 384 rounds to be fired at 8 targets from 600 and 500 yards prone, then 300 yards seated, and finally 200 yards standing.
For the past two years (2021 and 2022) the USAMU-Greenwood Team has won the title with a 1431 score in 2021 and 1344 in 2021. The record team score for this match is 1466, set by the USAMU-Remily Team in 1996. For more information about this great team event, read Unraveling the Mystery of the Rattle Battle on the Shooting Sports USA website.
The National Trophy Infantry Team Match (NTIT) was first fired in 1922 and has been part of the the CMP’s annual National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry. The NTIT is called the “Rattle Battle” because it emphasizes extremely fast, accurate fire.
Our friend Grant U., who runs the Precision Shooting Journal on Facebook, says the NTIT is a special match, a real “crowd-pleaser: “The National Trophy Infantry Team Match (Rattle Battle)… was always one of my favorite team events. It takes a hell of a lot more planning, practice, and precision than one might expect. You get one shot at it and the entire team had better be running on all cylinders because there are no alibis. Each team of six shooters is allocated 384 rounds and when the teams fire at 600 and 500 yards, it sounds like a war.”
SFC Brandon Green, one of the nation’s finest marksmen, won the 2018 NRA High Power Rifle Championship at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
PHOTOS courtesy U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. U.S. Army photos by Michelle Lunato/released. See more on USAMU Facebook Page.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) has created a series of instructional videos about High Power Rifle shooting, Service Rifle shooting, 3-Gun matches, and pistol competition. We’ve linked five of these informative USAMU videos today along with a special profile video on Amanda Elsenboss, who, as a USAMU shooter, has won both the Long Range and High Power National Championships in recent years.
In addition, as a major BONUS, we link twenty (20) informative articles authored by expert USAMU shooters and coaches. Those excellent, detailed articles covering a wide range of topics including rifle positions, wind reading, fitness training, trigger control, nutrition, training plans, and much more.
Amanda Elsenboss — National HP and Long Range Champion
The gifted SSG Amanda Elsenboss won the 2019 NRA Long-Range Championship and the 2021 High Power National Championship. In 2022 Amanda also won the National President’s Rifle Match, the first woman ever to do so. Those accomplishments place Amanda among America’s legendary shooters. Amanda started shooting at age 8 with her father, then began competitive marksmanship at age 13. In 2009, she joined the U.S. Army as part of the USAMU rifle team. She has left full-time service, but is now a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Sight Alignment and Trigger Control
In this USAMU Shooter’s Corner instructional video, SFC Kenneth Rose explains key elements of using sights on a service rifle. Rose also explain how to make the trigger pull at the optimum moment when the sights are perfectly aligned and steady.
How to Set Up Sling and Rifle for Prone Shooting
In this video, the USAMU’s SGT Jonathan Wannemacher explains how to set up a service rifle sling for prone rifle shooting. Wannemacher has earned a number of coveted awards including the the Distinguished Rifleman Badge and President’s Hundred Tab.
Rifle Grip, Stance, and Body Position for 3-Gun Action Matches
SFC Daniel Horner, now with SIG Sauer, is arguably the best 3-Gun action shooter on the planet. Horner has won multiple major 3-Gun Championships, shooting rifle, shotgun, and pistol in timed action matches. Horner’s speed, accuracy, and mobility is without peer. In this video, Horner shows techniques for AR-type rifle shooting in 3-Gun competition.
Amazing Trick Shot with Air Rifle
In this Trick Shot Tuesday video SPC Ivan Roe shoots a pill (at two different angles) off the top of a balloon. Very impressive shooting! Ivan hails from Manhattan, Montana and has been a notable member of the USAMU International Rifle Team.
How to Use Data Books During Matches
Data books can be very valuable tools during marksmanship training. In this video, USAMU shooter SGT Lane Ichord explains Data Book basics and how to log information during practice and matches.
BONUS: 20 Marksmanship Articles from USAMU Experts
USAMU shooters and coaches have written an excellent series of articles on highpower and service rifle shooting. Many of these originally appeared in The First Shot, the CMP’s on-line magazine. Here are twenty notable USAMU expert articles:
In recent years, the California Legislature has passed a series of laws restricting the rights of California gun owners. The latest example of anti-gun legislation will hit gun owners in their pocketbooks….
If you want to practice your marksmanship in California from now on, get ready to open your wallet and pay the taxman. With the passage of AB 211, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, California shooters who use paper targets at indoor ranges will have to pay a fee for every hole they put in paper — literally. This new law, codified in the California Penal Code, states that commercial gun ranges must collect a charge of $0.38 per shot, as established by holes made in approved paper targets. This fee, the “Target Tax”, can be raised in the future at the discretion of the California Dept. of Justice.
Here’s how it will work, starting June 1, 2023, when the new Target Tax law goes into effect at California indoor ranges. First, all shooters must purchase California DOJ-approved paper targets (you may no longer bring your own). When you purchase a certified target at an indoor range, your name and the number of targets you have purchased will be recorded in a state database. Then, after your shooting session, the targets must be scanned, with the number of shot holes recorded. A charge of $0.38 per scanned hole will be added as a line item for your range session, along with the DOJ target-processing fee of $5.00 per target.
With 30 holes, the new California target tax on this left target would be 30 x $0.38 or $11.40. Conversely, the tax on the target on the right would be just 38 cents, because there is only one hole, though five shots went through the same hole. Obviously, exceptional marksmanship skills can help reduce your target tax liabilities.
California Targets Must Be Culturally Tolerant and Non-Discriminatory
AB 211 also includes a series of provisions which specify the types of targets which may be purchased. First, as you might expect, all targets must be printed on recycled paper. Second, no target may contain any “hate speech” or “micro-aggressions”. Third, while targets may still show human silhouette-style outlines, any targets which depict a protected minority type or non-binary gender type are forbidden. Likewise, any target that shows discernable culture, religion, or national origin are forbidden. So, a target showing a bearded male wearing a turban would be forbidden. If you had such a target, the range owner would be required, under AB 211, to confiscate it. Shown below are two types of targets that would be illegal in California under AB 211. NOTE: It is unclear whether a zombie target would be allowed, if the Zombie is unknown gender, ethnicity, or culture.
Accurate shooting begins and ends with the human eye. Your career as a marksman could be cut short if you don’t use good eye protection every time you go to the range and/or handle a firearm.
