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While many of our readers are caught in the wicked cold-spell hitting the Northeast, take heart — spring is not far away. That means folks will be getting ready for varmint safaris. Here’s a story that may help you choose a cartridge for your next varmint rifle.
For many years, Ken Lunde journeyed to South Dakota to visit with his father, and do a little varmint hunting. This article features Ken’s Cooper Model 21 Montana Varminter chambered in .204 Ruger. During past varminting holidays in South Dakota, Ken had a chance to try the speedy .204 against his “old reliable” .223. He came to favor the .204 for its accuracy, flat trajectory, and superior performance in the wind. Ken told us: “I love my .223, but the .204 has the edge for Dog-Town duty.”
The Cooper Montana Varminter in .204 Ruger
Story and photos by Ken Lunde
I’ve been a big fan of Cooper Arms rifles ever since my dad introduced them to me a few years ago. I prefer Cooper Arms rifles over others because they perform as they should out-of-the-box, and have outstanding workmanship and beauty. You get form and function. You don’t need to choose one over the other. For the price one pays, Cooper Arms rifles are a great bargain. I mount a quality scope, usually a higher-end Leupold with a 40mm objective, go through barrel break-in, and they always perform extraordinarily well. I should state that all of my rifle shooting is geared towards hunting. In other words, any shooting I do on paper is treated as preparation for using the same rifle for hunting, whether it’s for varmints such as prairie dogs, or for larger game.
Cooper Varmint Rifles–Components and Variations
The featured rifle is a Cooper Arms M21 Montana Varminter (aka “MTV”) chambered in .204 Ruger. It has a 24″ varmint-taper stainless steel barrel with a 1 in 12-inch twist. This twist rate seems to be typical of .204 Ruger barrels from other manufacturers. The stock is AA+ grade Claro Walnut, and has the varmint fore-end, “Buick” vents, and steel grip cap that are standard on the Montana Varminter configuration. Among Cooper’s three wood-stocked varmint rifle configurations — Varminter, Montana Varminter, and Varmint Extreme — I prefer the Montana Varminter as it seems to be the best balance of value versus features. Plus, I like the “Buick” vents. They’re very pleasing, at least to my eyes. Maybe that’s why I own seven of them, in M21 and M22 actions, and in a variety of calibers. [Editor: Ken’s father has a near-identical .204 Ruger Cooper, with consecutive serial number.]
For this rifle, I decided to mount a Leupold VX-III 6.5-20×40 LR scope with the Varmint Hunter reticle. The rifle came with Leupold STD bases in Matte finish, and I used Leupold 30mm STD rings in Medium height and Matte finish. I took the time to align the bottom rings on the bases, and properly lapped them. Other than mounting the scope, no custom work was done, because none was necessary. The trigger is superb out-of-the-box, which is typical of Cooper rifles.
Load Development and Accuracy I first tried factory ammo, loaded with Hornady 32gr and 40gr V-Max. The 32gr load shot the best — five-shot groups were slightly larger than a half-inch at 100 yards. My dad heard that Alliant Reloder 10X was a good powder for this cartridge, and he worked up a load using the Sierra 32gr BlitzKing bullet. He found that 26.5 grains was the right amount for his rifle. Considering that my rifle was probably made on the same day, having a consecutive serial number, I decided to try my Dad’s load, along with a half-grain up and down: 26, 26.5, and 27 grains of powder. I, too, found that my rifle prefers 26.5 grains of RL 10X. With this load, I could shoot consistent quarter-inch, five-shot groups at 100 yards. Cartridge OAL is 2.353″, or 1.990″ measured from the ogive.
I am using Winchester brass, Federal 205M primers, Alliant Reloder 10X powder, and Sierra 32gr BlitzKing bullets. I use Forster dies, and load with a Forster Co-Axial single-stage press. Here are two typical targets. As you can see, this .204 can shoot.
WARNING: Current lots of Reloder 10X powder may be somewhat different. 26.5 grains of RL 10X may be TOO HOT for your rifle and 32gr bullets. Seating depth, throat length, and COAL will affect pressures dramatically. START LOW at 24.5 grains and work up.
Cartridge Smack-Down — .204 Ruger vs. .223 Remington
Ken made these comments when he first tested his .204 Ruger vs. his trusty (and very accurate) .223 Remington: “I brought along two rifles. The first was my ‘proven’ varmint rifle, the one chambered in .223 Rem. It has stunning wood, and clearly escaped the factory with AAA grade Claro Walnut. That rifle also shoots consistent five-shot, quarter-inch groups at 100 yards. For the .223, my preferred load uses Winchester brass, Federal 205M primers, Hornady 40gr V-Max bullets (non-moly), and 26.2gr of Vihtavuori N133 powder.
I found that I very much enjoyed shooting the .204 Ruger rifle, which explains why I used only the .204 Ruger during the second trip, although I also brought along the .223. Why did I favor the .204? Well, those little 32gr bullets really zing out of the barrel, with a very flat trajectory, like a .22-250. And, to my surprise, they buck the wind very well, perhaps even better than .223. While I am no ballistics expert, I think that this may be due to its high velocity, clearly over 4,000 fps.
Related to the flat-shooting characteristics of the .204 Ruger cartridge, I found that I was able to depend on my Leupold’s Varmint Hunter reticle for both bullet drop and wind compensation. It was a very pleasing experience. For determining ranges in the field, I used a new set of optics for this trip, Leica’s new Geovid 8×42 BRF range finder.
Comparative Ballistics: .204 Ruger vs. .223 Remington vs. 22-250
Cartridge
Bullet
BC
Powder
Max Load
Muzzle Vel
400yd Drop
400yd 10mph Wind
.204 Ruger
32gr V-Max
.210
Benchmark
28.0
4047 fps
25.50″
17.88″
.204 Ruger
40gr V-Max
.275
H4895
27.7
3741 fps
26.93″
14.10″
.223 Rem
40gr Nosler BT
.221
Benchmark
27.3
3666 fps
30.67″
19.02″
.223 Rem
50gr Nosler BT
.238
BL-C(2)
28.0
3428 fps
34.21″
19.01″
22-250
40gr Nosler BT
.221
H4895
37.0
4060 fps
24.73″
16.67″
Load data from Hodgdon.com, for 24″ barrel. 2.250″ COAL .204s, Fed 205s. 2.210″ COAL for .223 Rem, Winch SR. 2.350″ COAL for 22-250, Winch LR. Always start 10% low and work up. Calculated at 1000′ altitude, 80° F.
This 2022 third-party video records the performance of .204 Ruger Hornady factory ammunition with both 32gr and 40gr V-Max bullets.
Dakota Dog-Town Adventures with Dad
Editor: When this story was originally written, Ken Lunde made two summer trips to South Dakota to hunt prairie dogs with his father. Here is his account of those summer-time adventures.
I drove to South Dakota twice [that year]. For the first trip, I brought two Coopers, both M21 MTVs, in .223 and .204 Ruger. My .223 Cooper was already proven during previous trips to South Dakota. I fired a total of 300 rounds, 200 from the .204 Ruger and 100 from the .223. I found the .204 Ruger to be flatter-shooting than .223, and it also seemed to buck the wind better, even with the light 32gr bullets.
For the second trip, I ended up shooting 301 rounds, all from the .204 Ruger rifle. I had discovered the importance of accuracy when hunting prairie dogs — and the .204 Ruger had exceptional accuracy. There are many variables with which to contend while shooting: wind speed, wind direction, variable distance to target, bullet drop, steadiness, and the accuracy of the load in the rifle. I find that the more of these variables I can control or compensate for, the greater the success.
I estimate I bagged about 250 prairie dogs during each trip, meaning about 500 in total for this season. There were misses, of course, but those are generally 400 yards and beyond, when wind becomes too much of a factor, or shooter error. And, for each trip, I managed to get two or three “doubles,” which is lingo that means that a single bullet results in two dead prairie dogs. Prairie dogs tend to congregate, and when they do, “doubles” become possible, and “triples” are not out of the question. One of these “doubles” was clearly visible through my scope.
The best part of these trips is spending quality time with my dad, doing something that both of enjoy: shooting and hunting. I grew up in Wisconsin, and my parents moved to South Dakota in December of 2004. South Dakota, and sometimes Wyoming, have come to be our preferred hunting states, because they’re superb hunting destinations. It is great that my parents have decided to settle in one of those states. In fact, the drive from California is not bad. It takes a little over one day. I also brought my teenage son along. He enjoyed the chance to go fishin’ with Grand-Dad, and one day “teen-angler” managed to catch us six fine trout.
My first trip to South Dakota, at the end of June, offered a unique oppor-tunity, since First Stop Guns was having a show that coincided with my time in the area. Dan Cooper, founder and owner of Cooper Arms, was present at the show. My dad and I decided to host a small dinner at my parents’ new home, and we invited Dan Cooper and others. I brought tenderloin steaks from California for this. In addition to Dan Cooper, Mark and Steve Blote of First Stop Guns, along with Paulette Kok of Dakota Arms, attended the dinner. It was a pleasure and honor to be in their company. They’re all very personable.
My father has a rather vast collection of Cooper Arms rifles, so I naturally invited Dan Cooper to check them out. A couple of them turned out to be special. One turned out to be the very first .22-250 rifle that Cooper Arms built. It is a Model 22 Varmint Extreme with ebony fore-end tip. Another is an Model 21 Classic with Schnabel fore-end, and according to Dan, less than 30 such rifles were ever crafted. It’s in the rack picture at left. Two of Dad’s rimfires are also very early Coopers, with two-digit serial numbers. They were made before Cooper started using the magazine insert supplied by Anschütz. And check out the middle rifle in the rack. It’s a Dakota Arms Model 97 Deluxe Hunter that I bought for Dad. He hand-picked the amazing wood blank, and it turned into an outstanding rifle stock. You can see how it stands out in the photo. Interestingly, the day before our dinner, I used Dad’s M21 with the Schnabel stock, chambered in .222, to hunt prairie dogs in the 9,000 acres of public hunting land bordering the eastern side of my Dad’s 56-acre “recreational” property, situated just north of Hot Springs, SD. Here’s a photo. Yes, I’d say this is a great place to hunt and “get away from it all”.
Tired of carrying old-fashioned paper Score Books? Well now you can go digital — Creedmoor Sports offers a full-featured Scoring Book App that lets you plot your shot locations/scores using an Android device or Apple iPhone or iPad. The price is right — FREE! Just visit the iTunes store or Google Play Store to download the App for FREE.
Record Match and Practice Data
This FREE Data Book App, available in the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store, provides all the same functions and capabilities of the traditional, spiral-bound print-format Creedmoor Rifle Data/Score Book, but with the convenience and ease of recording your match and practice information with your mobile device. With this App you can break your 20 shot slow-fire segments into either 10- or 20-shot targets, and also opt for sighting shots. All the specific event data can also be recorded, such as location, wind, light etc., along with wind and elevation adjustments.
COMMUNICATIONS Restrictions: In some matches you are not allowed to have electronic communication ability, so you may have to set your iPhone to “Airplane Mode”, or use this only with an iPod (which does not have two-way communication capability).
In this 54-minute video interview, Ken Clemens, co-owner of Brux Barrels, is interviewed by F-Class ace Erik Cortina for the Cortina Precision YouTube Channel. A lot of ground is covered, with many fascinating insights into barrel-making revealed. Watch and learn:
Interview with Ken Clemens, Co-owner of Brux Barrels
If you are involved in competitive shooting, and especially if you compete in F-Class or long-range benchrest, we recommend you take the time to watch this interview, perhaps in a couple of sessions because it runs for a lengthy 54 minutes. Ken Clemens explains the important procedures that go into making match-grade, cut-rifled barrels. Ken also explains some factors to consider when choosing a barrel-maker and specifying length, contour, land/groove configuration, and twist rates.
About BRUX Barrel-Making Methods
Brux starts with 4150 chrome-moly or 416R stainless steel double-stress-relieved bar stock — the best available. Barrels are bored with the Barnes gun drill, and reamed with an industry-standard Pratt & Whitney reamer. Brux uses solid carbide cutter hooks and employs special methods to achieve best results.
After the bore-cutting process is complete, each barrel is hand-lapped to high-precision standards. Multi-point inspections and meticulous hand processes (not possible in mass production) ensure extremely high quality. The Brux website says: “If there is the slightest deviation in surface finish or tolerance, the barrel is discarded.”
BRUX Specializes in Cut-Rifled Gun Barrels
Brux produces custom cut-rifled barrels, precision-crafted by professionals with extensive experience in both machine tools and competitive shooting. While Brux earned its reputation building great barrels for F-Class, benchrest, and long range competition, Brux also crafts hunting barrels. Brux states: “Hunters, big game and varmint, can benefit from the accuracy and dependability of a custom barrel made to your specifications.”
BRUX Barrels’ Owners Are Competitive Shooters
Brux owners and machinists are shooters themselves. So they understand how important a truly top-quality barrel can be. Everything else about a rifle can be great, but you need a superb barrel to win at the highest level. Owners Ken Clemens (pictured above) and Norm Brux are both seasoned shooters with years of experience using their own products.
Made in the USA — About the Home of Brux Barrels
The Wisconsin River Valley near Lodi has a storied history of hunting and shooting. The glacier spared many granite escarpments, leaving secluded glens and a topography rich in soil and wildlife habitat, which attracted families with old-world values and skills. Many of their descendants turned raw steel and iron into the tools necessary for farming – and some evolved to precision tooling and making gun barrels.
Wisconsin River Valley near Ferry Bluff State Natural Area.
Today, Wednesday, January 26, Shooting USA TV will feature the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit (ADSS) held last fall at the SIG Sauer Academy in New Hampshire. Camp Freedom and SIG Sauer teamed up with Trevor Baucom for the third year of this accessible shooting event for people with disabilities. The ADSS helps adaptive shooters train and learn at a world class facility. For persons with disabilities, including injured military and law enforcement members, the ADSS Summit provides the opportunity to learn new skills and adapt to challenges.
This hour-long episode will be broadcast on the Outdoor Channel Wednesdays at 9:00 pm Eastern/Pacific, and 8:00 pm Central. The entire episode can also be streamed later online for a small fee.
Adaptive Shooting Programs
Marksmanship is one of the few sports where physically-challenged persons can compete at the highest level — with some provisions for wheelchair access and mobility. For example, in the world of F-Class competition, Matt Schwartzkopf is one of the best in the nation. Matt, a rangemaster at Ben Avery in Arizona, is a double amputee (below the knee). He hasn’t let that challenge stop him. He has been a Top-10 finisher at major F-Class matches, and was chosen to shoot with F-TR Team USA.
NRA Resources for Adaptive Shooting Events
The NRA Adaptive Shooting Program also provides information for organizations planning an event to include person with disabilities. Events may be organized by veterans’ groups, rehabilitation facilities, and gun clubs. For more information visit AdaptiveShooting.NRA.org.
Making Ranges Suitable for Disabled Shooters
The NRA Club Connections magazine has a feature on Adaptive Shooting. This article explains how range owners can make their lines of fire more accessible with the addition of a simple mat.
NRA’s Hunter Services and Adaptive Shooting Programs have maintained a list of organizations offering people with disabilities outdoor opportunities. Now available in a searchable database, any adaptive shooter can easily choose from adventures such as guided whitetail hunts, chartered fishing trips, and accessible hiking trails anywhere across the country. To find a program, visit the NRA Adaptive Shooting Program’s Hunting/Fishing Trip Database.
Adaptive Shooting Programs in the United Kingdom
Across the pond, the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom (NRAUK) also has adaptive shooting programs. The NRA.ORG.UK website has a wealth of information for disabled shooters.
NSSF Retailer Surveys Indicate 5.4 Million First-Time U.S. Gun Buyers in 2021
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) revealed that at least 5.4 million Americans purchased a firearm for the first time in 2021. Nearly 30% of all firearm purchases last year went to new gun owners, based on NSSF retailer surveys and adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks. That figure is a 10% decrease from 2020, when an estimated 40% of gun sales when to first-time buyers.
“We welcome these new gun owners to the greater community of law-abiding Americans who choose to own a firearm for lawful purposes, including self-defense, recreational target shooting and hunting,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO.
Demographics of Gun Buyers Changing — More Women, More Minorities
NSSF’s 2021 survey of retailers showed several other key findings. Among first-time buyers, over 33% (one-third) were female, and there was a significant increase in Hispanic gun purchasers.
— Over 33% of first-time gun buyers in 2021 were women.
— 44% of retailers saw an increase of African-Americans purchasing firearms in 2021.
— Nearly 40% of retailers saw an increase of Hispanic-Americans purchasing firearms in 2021.
— Over 27 percent of retailers saw an increase of Asian-Americans purchasing firearms in 2021.
Our featured rifle this Sunday is a one-of-a-kind memorial project, crafted in 2008 to honor Michelle Sutton and her service to the sport of Benchrest. Michelle passed away in 2007 after a long, courageous fight with cancer. This special custom 6 PPC benchrest rifle was built in order to raise money to fight cancer. On August 15, 2008, at the 2008 IBS Nationals, the rifle was awarded at a special drawing. Individuals who made a $20.00 contribution to the American Cancer Society were offered a chance to win the rifle, Leupold 45X Comp scope, and an array of shooting accessories (shown below). We’re proud to showcase this unique rifle once again, and help honor Michelle’s memory.
Michelle Sutton–Her Contribution to Benchrest Shooting by Jim Borden
Michelle Sutton contributed significantly to the growth of Benchrest shooting in general and the International Benchrest Shooters in particular. She was involved in Benchrest shooting from an early age, attending shoots with her family (P.J. and Kaye Hart, Clyde and Mickey Hart). She was an active competitor in her early years and then later provided her leadership, labor and planning skills to make sure that shoots were conducted in an efficient and effective manner. As time passed, she gave up her personal shooting to schedule and plan shoots and to provide the target scoring at matches for 3 to 4 different clubs. It was during her measuring of targets that her famed and sought-after “Smiley Faces” were developed.
Michelle made a practice of hand-penciling a Smiley Face on very good targets. (Sometimes she handed out a “frowney face” when someone did themselves grievous harm with one shot.) It came to the point that you could hear on the firing line: “I just shot a small one — I hope it’s small enough to get one of Michelle’s Smiley Faces.”
Michelle spent over 15 years as the Chairperson of the IBS Records Committee and she was an instrumental part of the Group Committee, including chairing that Committee for almost 10 years. She and her husband Jack developed the ideas and plans for the four Benchrest Shooting Schools and she led the planning and running of those training programs. She was instrumental in helping a number of the clubs organize and run the IBS Shooters Championship matches.
Michelle battled cancer for over 10 years while at the same time attending to family, friends, business, and the game of Benchrest shooting. She was always an upbeat person and was a joy to be around. Her strength and character set an example for the rest of us to follow.
The Michelle K. Sutton Memorial Rifle Project
Shortly after Michelle’s death in August 2007, Gerry Malerba started organizing the creation of a special rifle to honor Michelle’s memory. The rifle would be the Grand Prize in a Sweepstakes drawing and all net proceeds would support efforts to fight cancer. Gerry enlisted the help of Jim Borden, Mike Mastrogiavanni, and Ward Tarasek to make the project a reality. Thanks to many generous individuals and companies in the shooting industry and Benchrest community, a spectacular custom 6 PPC rifle was built, with a complete inventory of matched shooting accessories.
Nick Coppogreco provided gold-plated cases with silver-plated bullets, all housed in a custom, fancy wood cartridge box provided by John Petteruti and Fred Weing. The box has a special engraved message, “Magic Bullets to Cure Cancer” with Michelle’s signature “Smiley Faces”.
Remembering Michelle — P.J. Hart’s Little Girl
I guess my best recollection of Michelle was back in 1971 or 1972. (How time flies….) I saw this little slender girl at the matches at South Creek. I was there with Frank James and some other noted shooters. Michelle was going to shoot the junior match. Here dad P.J. Hart was coaching her. In those days the 222 Rem was king and Michelle proved her shooting skills right away–she took first place, winning a silver tray.
I remember the photo session. The little girl with Popsicle legs and big pink glasses and a pretty pink dress. She was a sweet child. I remember how proud her dad, P.J. Hart, was of her.
After that I saw little of Michelle. Once in a while I would see her at Hart’s shop or at a match with her grandmother Mickey Hart. Michelle was at the age to excel in her studies and I saw very little of her until she started working at Hart Rifle Barrels some years later.
She met Jack Sutton and they married. They had quite a lot in common. Both of them loved to hunt and fish–the perfect match. As time passed, Michelle had some medical problems. The “Big C”, cancer. This was very bad news. She fought the disease fiercely. I would ask her from time to time how she was, on my visits to the shop. Her reply would be “I’m OK”. She never complained, even though she felt terrible. Jack would say very little but you could tell he was deeply concerned. He fought the illness with her, always loyal and faithful by her side. They were a team, and hoped to beat the cancer together.
She tried her hardest to beat this. I remember the last match she scored, at Camillus. I was so proud of her. Even though she was quite sick, she wanted to score for our club.
She was very special… we miss her so much. – Gerry Malerba
The Michelle Sutton Memorial Pink Rifle
How the Rifle Came Together
Gerry Malerba explained how the project got started: “I was shooting at Canastota Conservation Club last year. We had lost Michelle recently, and that was the ‘last straw’ for me in a series of losses to cancer. I vowed to do something about it, so I decided to build a special rifle to raise money to fight cancer. I figured if we could double the build cost of the rifle I’d be happy.
I approached Joan Borden about getting a gunsmith’s price on an action and a Robertson stock. Joan indicated her support for the idea. I was prepared to buy the action and stock, but before long, folks were donating key components. I mentioned the project to Paul Ryan, who donated a Jewell trigger, saying: ‘count me in, I have lost a lot of family to [cancer].’ Then David Apple generously donated a certificate for a new Borden action and Harley Baker kicked in a new Hart Barrel. We were in business!”
Smithing the Pink Rifle
Jim Borden started on the action and was getting it ready when he called Ian Robertson about the stock. Ian not only donated the stock, he put the special pink color (Michelle’s favorite), in his line-up. I guess Michelle was everyone’s friend.
Jim Borden also installed the trigger and bedded the rifle. His son Jim Borden, Jr. donated a butt plate and Jay Lynn Gore did a beautiful 100% coverage engraving on the buttplate. The barrel was sent to Hart and special fluting was done by Michelle’s brother in law Billy Sutton. Michelle’s brother Jim Hart did the chambering job. Many other special items were donated for the rifle, as listed below.
All the Pink Rifle Components Were Donated:
The Rimrock Right Bolt, Left Port, Right Eject Action was donated by David Apple (via certificate). The action carries serial number MKS007. The action was polished by Jim Borden, and Michelle’s Smiley Faces have been engraved on the receiver. Paul Ryan donated the Jewell Trigger fitted to the action. Jim and Joan Borden also donated a polished trigger guard.
Robertson Composites donated the special Pink/Black Robertson Rimrock pattern stock. Ian Robertson created this new color expressly for this benefit project and has added it to his inventory.
The one-of-a-kind pink and black anodized Leupold 45X Competition Scope was donated by Leupold & Stevens through Allen Tucker. Kelbly Inc. donated the coated Rings.
The Hart Barrel Blank was donated by Harley Baker. Michelle’s brother in law Billy Sutton did the special fluting and her brother Jimmy Hart did the barrel fitting and chambering.
Jim and Joan Borden donated the polished trigger guard and polished bases. Jim also donated his labor for the inletting, bedding, and action glue-in.
Jimmy Borden donated the polished buttplate. The plate was elaborately engraved by Jay Lynn Gore, with Michelle’s well-known Smiley face in the center of the engraving design.
Treasure Trove of Shooting Gear
Donated Shooting Accessories, Components, and Gear
As an effort to raise money for cancer research, the pink rifle and an array of other items were offered in 2008. Individuals who made a $20.00 contribution to the American Cancer Society were offered a chance to win the rifle. As shown here, the full prize package included: Sinclair Hand Priming Tool (donated by Mike Bryant), Sinclair Reloading Press and Neck-Turning Kit (donated by Sinclair Int’l through Fred Sinclair), Big Foot Rear Bag and Front Bag (donated by SEB and Paul Schmid), 1000 BIB 6mm bullets (donated by Randy Robinette), Farley Coax II Front Rest (donated by Farley Mfg.), Pink Bore Guide (donated by Russ and Martha Haydon), Certificate for 3000 Berger Bullets (donated by Berger Bullets through Eric Stecker), Custom Cartridge Box (donated by John Petteruti and Fred Weing), 100 Lapua 220 Russian prepped cases (donated by Glen Jackson), Gold-Plated Cases with Platinum-Plated Bullets (donated by Nick Coppogreco), Redding Competition Die Set (donated by Redding Hunter), Edgewood Front and Rear Bags (Donated by Jack Snyder).
Jack Snyder of Edgewood Bags crafted custom, ‘hot pink’ Front and Rear Bags. Farley donated its Coax II Front Rest, and the Bordens donated a Jackson/Borden Farley Bag container. Other donated accessories not shown in photo include: Jackson/Borden Farley Bag Containter (donated by Jim and Joan Borden), Aluminum Rifle Case (donated by Gerry Malerba), Action Cleaning Kit (donated by Dave Short), Wind Flag set and Carry Case (donated by David Halblom), Wind Flag Poles and Carrier (donated by Randy Perkowski), Gun Tent/Bolt Folder/Stock Boot, Pink with Smiley Face (donated by Bill Gammon).
How and Why to Create a Dummy Round
When you have a new custom rifle built, or a new barrel fitted to an existing rifle, it makes sense to create a dummy round. This should have your preferred brass and bullet types, with the bullet positioned at optimal seating depth. A proper dummy round helps the gunsmith set the freebore correctly for your cartridge, and also ensure the proper chamber dimensions.
Respected machinist, tool-maker, and gunsmith Greg Tannel of Gre-Tan Rifles explains: “I use the dummy round as a gauge to finish cut the neck diameter and throat length and diameter so you have [optimal] clearance on the loaded neck and the ogive of the bullet just touches the rifling.” He recommends setting bullet so the full diameter is just forward of the case’s neck-shoulder junction. “From there”, Greg says, “I can build you the chamber you want… with all the proper clearances”.
Greg Tannel has created a very helpful video showing how to create a dummy round. Greg explains how to measure and assemble the dummy and how it will be used during the barrel chambering process. Greg notes — the dummy round should have NO Primer and NO powder. We strongly recommend that every rifle shooter watch this video. Even if you won’t need a new barrel any time soon, you can learn important things about freebore, leade, and chamber geometry.
Must Watch Video — This has been viewed over 772,000 times on YouTube:
This has been a very popular video, with 772,000 views! Here are actual YouTube comments:
That is the best explanation I’ve ever seen. Thank you sir. — P. Pablo
Nice video. You do a very good job of making this easy for new reloaders to understand. I sure wish things like this were available when I started reloading and having custom rifles built. Once again, great job, and your work speaks for itself. — Brandon K.
Beautiful job explaining chambering clearances. — D. Giorgi
Another Cool Tool — The Stub Gauge
When you have your gunsmith chamber your barrel, you can also have him create a Stub Gauge, i.e. a cast-off barrel section chambered like your actual barrel. The stub gauge lets you measure the original length to lands and freebore when your barrel was new. This gives you a baseline to accurately assess how far your throat erodes with use. Of course, as the throat wears, to get true length-to-lands dimension, you need take your measurement using your actual barrel. The barrel stub gauge helps you set the initial bullet seating depth. Seating depth is then adjusted accordingly, based on observed throat erosion, or your preferred seating depth.
SHOT Show, the huge gun industry trade show, returned to Las Vegas this past week, after a COVID-caused hiatus in 2021. Though attendance was down signficantly this year, it was still a major event, with thousands of companies showcasing products in two massive exhibit halls. There were plenty of new handgun offerings, and notably, some of the big AR-platform black rifle builders are now selling bolt guns. Here is the new Aero Precision A700 bolt-action rifle.
SHOT Show Day 2 Highlights — Nine Companies
This video from the Classic Firearms YouTube Channel spotlights a number of interesting products, both at Industry Day at the Range, and inside SHOT Show 2022. Companies covered include: Zastava (1:00), Kalashnikov USA (6:33), LMT Defense (12:21), Geissele (20:35), SureFire (25:12), Foxtrot Mike (32:20), Maxim Defense (34:15), Great Lakes (44:35), and Sylvan Arms (46.20).
Top Five New Guns from Industry Day at the Range
There were many interesting rifles and handguns on display at the Industry Day at the Range. Savage’s new straight-pull Impulse PRS/NRL rifle attracted considerable attention. Many of the testers at the range were also impressed by the new .44 Auto Mag which is featured in this “Top Five” video from TheGunSnob channel. The tester said this .44 Auto Mag was “by far my favorite [gun] I shot all day.”
Magpul New Products
TFB TV showcases multiple new products from Magpul for 2022. We liked what we saw, including a new $600 Pro 700 Lite chassis, and a new 8-ounce bipod. Magpul also had its radical FDP-9 “enclosed pistols” on display. Magpul explains: “With recently confirmed classification of the FDP-9 as a handgun, the purchaser can enjoy the firearm as a self-enclosing, large-format pistol. They may also choose to file the appropriate ATF Form 1 and, after approval, purchase a conversion kit to legally assemble it into the FDC-9. It will then be classified as a short-barreled rifle (SBR) and subject to all NFA laws.”
Mantis — Advanced Dry-Fire Training System
Mantis makes a variety of firearm-arms mounted systems that monitor muzzle movement and display that through a mobile App. These systems allow dry-fire practice at home — a great way to improve your marksmanship without spending big bucks on ammo. Mantis had a display at SHOT Show 2022. A Mantis dry-fire device fitted to an AR-platform rig (with the Mantis Blackbeard trigger reset system) is featured in this video record at the Mantis SHOT Show booth:
Cutting Edge Bullets — Solid, High-BC Bullets for .22 LR Reloaders
With the growth of long-range rimfire tactical competition, there has been interest in high-BC bullets fitted into the diminutive .22 LR case. This effort has been pioneered by Cutting Edge Bullets, which offers a variety of .22 caliber projectiles created expressly for hand-loaded .22 LR. Cutting Edge also offers dies and special shellholders for reloading the .22 LR case. This video (from 2020) explains how Cutting Edge pioneered long, high-BC lathe-turned solid bullets for the .22 LR cartridge. These bullets and dies were on display at Cutting Edge’s 2022 SHOT Show booth.
Optics companies from around the globe had scores of new scopes and optics products on display at SHOT Show 2022. There are many good companies in the market these days, all vying to have the “latest and greatest”. We were impressed with new FFP scopes from Zeiss and Vortex. And there were many other interesting optics on display from big and small optics companies. 2022 promises to be a good year for scope buyers, with many innovative new products. Here are some of the notable scope and optics products on display this week at SHOT Show.
Zeiss LRP S5 First Focal Plane Scopes
The all-new ZEISS LRP S5 Series first focal plane riflescopes consists of two models — LRP S5 318-50 and LRP Sr 525-56 — and are available in four unique configurations with 34mm main tubes. The long-range riflescopes include high-performance optics, highly repeatable, precise and tactile turrets; and a daytime visible illuminated reticle. Models are available in either MRAD or MOA. The optical design utilizes ZEISS Fluoride lens elements, SCHOTT glass and ZEISS’s proprietary T-Star lens coatings for optimum color fidelity, image brightness, exceptional resolution and edge-to-edge sharpness within the entire field-of-view. With the External Locking Windage Turret (ELWT), the user can pull out on the locking collar, make necessary adjustments and then lock-in the selected setting.
Huskemaw — Innovative Scope with INTERNAL Bubble Level
Huskemaw Optics has some very unique and smart features on their scopes, including a model one elevation AND windage on one central turret. At Industry Day at the Range, Huskemaw showcased another innovative optic. This features a Bubble Level INSIDE the scope. Look at the photo. You can see the bubble level at the bottom of the circle, within the shooter’s view. This is a clever feature that could certainly help hunters and tactical shooters keep their rifles level. Watch this Backfire video from 3:44 to 4:28 time-mark to see how the internal scope level works.
Vortex Riflescopes for 2022
Vortex did not have a display at SHOT Show 2022, but they recently introduced some interesting products for 2022. The new Razor HD Gen III models have attracted attention in the PRS/NRL ranks. In the first video below (from Guntalk TV) Vortex reps explain the features of the latest Razor HD Gen III series. In the second video the Area 419 team looks at the new Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56mm, a FFP mil/mil model with an eye-opening $3999.99 MSRP. Whoa — that’s serious money by any standard. CLICK HERE for video showing other new-for-2022 Vortex scopes.
March Scopes — How They Are Designed, Built, and Tested
March Scope of Japan produces some of the most advanced rifle scopes you can buy. The March 8-80x56mm scope offers the highest magnification you’ll find in any riflescope on the market. And, for ELR competition, the March Genesis 4-40x52mm is truly a game-changer. This revolutionary optic offers an incredible 86 Mils of elevation (vertical) adjustment range.
This video shows how March Scopes are crafted and tested at the factory in the Nagano region of Japan. This is a fascinating look into world-class optics production with design by some very brilliant optics engineers. Enjoy this factory tour video.
Schmidt & Bender 3-21x50mm Exos Hunting Scope
Schmidt & Bender showcased an impressive hunting scope, the 3-21x50mm Exos. First released three seasons back, this second focal plane (SFP) hunting scope is super rugged and boasts exceptional color fidelity with lenses “optimized to the human eye”. The 3-21x50mm Exos features ultra-repeatable, temperature-resistant elevation and windage turrets. The turrets boast “Zero Tolerance Clicks” that have been verified by S&B’s technicians. The solid, hard-anodized aluminum construction (with beefy wall thickness) allows the Exos to function in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Farenheit (-40°C).
The 3-21x50mm Exos features a single-turn, lockable elevation turret engraved with big digits for easy reading. With patented Schmidt & Bender S-Spring technology, this turret is 100% repeatable/precise and can be operated easily with gloves. The Exos is available in milliradian or MOA click values. The side focus/parallax adjustment runs from 30 yards to infinity. See details in the S&B EXOS 3-21×50 Brochure.
EOTECH 1-10x28mm Vudu FFP Scope and Mini Reflex
EOTECH had both conventional riflescopes and reflex (red dot) sights on display.
EOTECH’s new Vudu 1-10x28mm First Focal Plane (FFP) riflescope is a good choice for hunting and tactical applications. It can focus extremely close, but the 10X max power is great for spotting game at long ranges. The Vudu features a 34mm, one-piece aircraft aluminum tube and single-piece eyepiece with removable throw-lever. The glass-etched illuminated reticle and first focal plane design allows for distance estimation at any magnification and lighting condition. The low-profile elevation turret includes a push/pull locking system and a capped windage turret for a secure zero.
EOTECH also showcased a new EFLX Mini Reflex Optic for handgun installations. The features are covered in this promotional video. Warning: Sound level is very high. You may want to reduce the volume setting.
Leupold 6HD Patrol 1-6X Scope
In this video, YouTube host Roger Barrera visited the Leupold booth to learn about the new Patrol 6HD 1-6x24mm optic this should be popular with hunters as well as security personnel. MSRP is $1399.99 with illuninated Firedot reticle or $1499.99 with illuminated CM-R2 reticle.
I first tried factory ammo, loaded with Hornady 32gr and 40gr V-Max. The 32gr load shot the best — five-shot groups were slightly larger than a half-inch at 100 yards. My dad heard that Alliant Reloder 10X was a good powder for this cartridge, and he worked up a load using the Sierra 32gr BlitzKing bullet. He found that 26.5 grains was the right amount for his rifle. Considering that my rifle was probably made on the same day, having a consecutive serial number, I decided to try my Dad’s load, along with a half-grain up and down: 26, 26.5, and 27 grains of powder. I, too, found that my rifle prefers 26.5 grains of RL 10X. With this load, I could shoot consistent quarter-inch, five-shot groups at 100 yards. Cartridge OAL is 2.353″, or 1.990″ measured from the ogive.
I estimate I bagged about 250 prairie dogs during each trip, meaning about 500 in total for this season. There were misses, of course, but those are generally 400 yards and beyond, when wind becomes too much of a factor, or shooter error. And, for each trip, I managed to get two or three “doubles,” which is lingo that means that a single bullet results in two dead prairie dogs. Prairie dogs tend to congregate, and when they do, “doubles” become possible, and “triples” are not out of the question. One of these “doubles” was clearly visible through my scope.
My first trip to South Dakota, at the end of June, offered a unique oppor-tunity, since First Stop Guns was having a show that coincided with my time in the area. Dan Cooper, founder and owner of Cooper Arms, was present at the show. My dad and I decided to host a small dinner at my parents’ new home, and we invited Dan Cooper and others. I brought tenderloin steaks from California for this. In addition to Dan Cooper, Mark and Steve Blote of First Stop Guns, along with Paulette Kok of Dakota Arms, attended the dinner. It was a pleasure and honor to be in their company. They’re all very personable.
Tired of carrying old-fashioned paper Score Books? Well now you can go digital — 
Michelle spent over 15 years as the Chairperson of the IBS Records Committee and she was an instrumental part of the Group Committee, including chairing that Committee for almost 10 years. She and her husband Jack developed the ideas and plans for the four Benchrest Shooting Schools and she led the planning and running of those training programs. She was instrumental in helping a number of the clubs organize and run the IBS Shooters Championship matches.
I remember the photo session. The little girl with Popsicle legs and big pink glasses and a pretty pink dress. She was a sweet child. I remember how proud her dad, P.J. Hart, was of her.
The Rimrock Right Bolt, Left Port, Right Eject Action was donated by David Apple (via certificate). The action carries serial number MKS007. The action was polished by Jim Borden, and Michelle’s Smiley Faces have been engraved on the receiver. Paul Ryan donated the Jewell Trigger fitted to the action. Jim and Joan Borden also donated a polished trigger guard.
March Scope of Japan produces some of the most advanced rifle scopes you can buy. The March 8-80x56mm scope offers the highest magnification you’ll find in any riflescope on the market. And, for ELR competition, the March Genesis 4-40x52mm is truly a game-changer. This revolutionary optic offers an incredible 86 Mils of elevation (vertical) adjustment range.
