At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
Unless you’ve been under a rock you’ve heard that Dillon has released an all-new XL750 progressive reloading press. As a result, vendors are now discounting the venerable XL650 which is still a mighty capable platform. The best deal we found for an XL650 is at Creedmoor Sports. Right now you can snag a Dillon XL650 for just $499.95 — a crazy low price. When you purchase you’ll have a choice of calibers. NOTE: Case Feeder, Dies, and other accessories are NOT included for the $499.95 price. We suggest you CALL Creedmoor Sports to ensure you understand exactly what is included.
The Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) is very popular with hunters, varminters, and tactical/practical competitors. For RPR fans we’ve found two GREAT deals. First CDNN Sports is selling the RPR in 6mm Creedmoor for just $899.99. And if you prefer the .308 Win, a great hunting round, the price is even more attractive. Right now Gander Outdoors is selling .308 Win Ruger Precision Rifles for $783.82, the lowest RPR price we’ve ever seen! NOTE: If you join Gander’s email list you may also get 10% off your first purchase.
3. Graf and Sons — AMP MARK II Induction Annealer, $1255.49
If you don’t have an AMP computer-controlled induction Annealing Machine yet, here’s your chance to save nearly $140.00. These amazing AMP Annealers are almost never discounted. But right now at Grafs.com you can save 10% on all AMP products including the superb AMP Mark II induction annealer. The 10% discount applies to all accessories as well as the annealing unit. Guys, this discount won’t last long — if you want an AMP Annealer, act soon.
4. Natchez — CCI .22 LR Rimfire Ammo 5000 Rounds, $239.99
This is one of the very best deals on quality, American-made .22 LR ammo we’ve found this year. You can snag 5,000 rounds of CCI 40gr .22LR ammo from Natchez for just $239.99. That’s $2.40 per box of 50 rounds — less than five cents per round! If you seek good rimfire plinking ammo at a rock-bottom price, take advantage of this offer.
5. Palmetto State Armory — Complete AR-15 Lower Receiver
PLUS S&W M&P Shield 9MM Pistol, BOTH for $399.99
If you need a carry pistol, and want to get started on a Modern Sporting Rifle project, here is a fantastic package deal. Palmetto State Armory now has a S&W M&P Shield 9MM PLUS a PSA complete AR-15 lower for just $399.99. YES that’s BOTH products for less than you might pay for the S&W pistol alone elsewhere. Just add an upper and you have a great carry gun plus a versatile Black Rifle.
6. Brownells — Federal 5.56×45 Rifle Ammo, On Sale + Rebate
If you’re looking for some 5.56×45 (.223 Rem) ammo, here’s a great deal on Federal American Eagle XM855 62gr green tip in various sizes. Choose XM855 Ammo in Mini Boxes or XM855 in Stripper Clips. NOTE, this American Eagle Ammo also qualifies Federal Factory REBATE. With this REBATE, you get get $15.00 ($0.05 per round) back for each 300 rounds of qualifying Federal American Eagle 5.56×45 Ammo. Maximum rebate is $500 per household.
Vortex makes a great product and offers one of the best warranties in the business. So when we saw the Vortex Strike Eagle 4-24x50mm scope for only $299.99 we had to feature it. It has a great 6 times zoom range and features Vortex’s popular EBR-4 MOA reticle. If you are looking for a SFP MOA-based scope for varminting or practical matches, this is a very good offering for the price — a real bargain.
Valuable riflescopes should be protected during transport and storage. These ProtX Neoprene Scope Covers are nicely padded, well-made, and affordable. These come in a variety of sizes from 9″ to 15″ overall, so you can find one to fit nearly any riflescope. It’s smart to use scope covers to protect your substantial optics investment. Neoprene covers provide much better shock and scratch protection than caps alone. For hunters looking to save ounces, there’s also a Gazelle $8.99 scope cover for optics up to 10″ OAL.
9. Amazon — MTM 50-Round Green Ammo Box, $10.99
MTM’s jumbo 100-round ammo boxes once ruled the line but more shooters are now using the smaller MTM 50-round boxes. These feature a metal hinge which won’t wear out like the larger boxes. With that improved hinge, the lid doesn’t spring back as with the 100-ct boxes. The smaller boxes are also easier to pack and easier to carry. Amazon currently has green MTM 50rd ammo boxes on sale for $10.99. You may want to grab some at this price.
Do you use bushings to size your case-necks? Are you assuming that your bushings are actually round on the inside, with a hole that’s centered-up properly? Well you may be in for an unpleasant surprise, based on what our friend Jim de Kort recently discovered. Jim was concerned about the run-out on his brass. His cases went into his bushing-equipped FL die pretty straight, but came out of the die with up to .004″ run-out. “What gives?”, Jim wondered. “Could the problem be the bushings themselves?”
To answer that question, Jim decided to examine his bushings. Using an Accuracy One Wheel-drive concentricity gauge, Jim checked out some of his neck bushings. What he discovered may surprise you…
Neck Bushing Flaws Revealed
Trust no one… — Jim de Kort
Jim writes: “I measured the concentricity of my 6BR rounds today. I noticed they went into the neck-bushing equipped full-length sizing die with less than .001″ deviation but came out with .003-.004″. The culprit, it appears, was the bushing itself. Without it the cases stayed within .0005″ to .001″ deviation, so something was happening with the bushing.
One bushing had .00025″ deviation on the outside, yet almost .003″ on the inside, so it is crooked. But even when using a bushing that is within .001″ I still get .003″ runout after sizing. I repeated the same procedure for my 6×47 and got the same results. When using the bushing, concentricity suffers a lot.”
Before we bash the bushing-makers, we must acknowledge that many different things can contribute to excessive run-out and/or mis-alignment of case-necks. We don’t have all the answers here, and Jim would be the first to say that some mysteries remain. Still, these are interesting results that give all precision hand-loaders something to think about.
Jim Borden of Borden Accuracy also offers this tip: “Check the trueness of the face of the die cap. That has more to do with trueness than the bushing. Also check perpendicularity of hole in bushing to top surface. When I was making dies, the cap was made by threading and facing the threaded tenon in same setup.”
Editor’s Comment: Many people have great results with neck-bushing dies, but Jim isn’t the only fellow who has seen some very odd results. I personally employ honed, non-bushing dies for many of my chamberings. These non-bushing dies (with the necks honed for .002-.003″ neck tension) produce extremely straight ammo, with run-out consistently under .0015″.
In the late fall of this year (2019), Lapua will open a second USA Lapua Rimfire Test Center at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. The new Test Center will offer rimfire shooters the opportunity to match individual lots of Lapua ammo to their match rifles and pistols. All of the capabilities of the new test center will replicate Lapua’s current USA Rimfire Test Center in Mesa, Arizona.
Patterned after the world-renowned Lapua Test Center in Germany, the new Ohio center affords shooters the opportunity to test different types and lots of Lapua ammunition, in their own firearms, under tightly controlled conditions. At the heart of each operation is the 100 meter test range. Fully instrumented, with state of the art Meyton/Bollman electronic targeting systems, the centers can record ammo accuracy at both 50 and 100 meters with a single string. Customers have the option to send their rifles in for testing or schedule an onsite appointment. Customers interested in testing at either USA Lapua Rimfire Test locations (Arizona or Ohio), should call (480) 898-2731 or email rimfiretest@capstonepg.com .
Lapua Hires Ace Smallbore Shooter to Manage New Testing Facility
Lapua has appointed Luke Johnson as manager of the new Rimfire Test Center. Johnson, a native of Marysville, PA, is a long-time competitive shooter and hunter. Luke recently became the NRA Smallbore Silhouette Standard Rifle National Champion and he was a USA Junior National Champion in 50m rifle. At the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Luke was a 4-year letterman for the University’s D1 Rifle Team.
Luke says, “I’m excited to join the crew at the new Lapua testing center in Ohio. I have trusted Lapua for many years in my own competitive experiences and look forward to helping others improve their performance and confidence. The new test center will open up more opportunities for competitors to use Lapua ammunition.”
“We’re very fortunate to have Luke join the Capstone family in this very important role. We’ve watched Luke for many years in his competitive shooting, and while that was a key in his selection to this position, his people skills are even greater. His outgoing personality and eagerness to help others excel are exactly the qualities we sought in filling this new position,” stated Adam Braverman, Capstone Precision Group Director of Sales & Marketing.
About Capstone Precision Group
Capstone Precision Group produces Berger Bullets and Ammunition, and is the exclusive distributor of Lapua components and ammunition, Vihtavuori Powders, and SK Rimfire ammunition. Capstone Precision Group is a Part of Nammo Group. For more information, visit Capstonepg.com.
Is a ZERO extreme spread possible? Yes. Lou Murdica proved that, with AMP-annealed cases, and advanced reloading methods, you can achieve the exact same muzzle velocity — 2924 FPS for two shots in a row. Oh, and the accuracy wasn’t too bad either. Shooting in a tunnel with an F-Open rig on the bench, Lou put two rounds within 0.1 inch. Note, the rounds were fired with the wood-stocked F-Open/Benchrest rifle on the left, not the Rail Gun on the right. The full annealing and reloading process is shown in the video below:
See Complete Testing and Reloading Process in 3-minute Video!
We highly recommend you watch this video ALL the way through, and then watch it again. You will see one of the best shooters in the world loading precision ammo. Lou is a world-class short-range benchrest, long-range benchrest, and F-Class shooter. In this video you can see Lou load a cartridge start to finish, beginning with annealing using a computer-controlled AMP induction annealing machine.
After firing, the 6.5 Creedmoor case was annealed with the AMP induction annealer.
Here is Lou Murdica’s Reloading Procedure Used in this Test:
1. Anneal 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge in AMP Mk II Annealer.
2. Lubricate case with Imperial Case Wax.
3. Full-length size case with Redding FL bushing die in single-stage RCBS Big Max Press.
4. Apply Moly dry lube to inside of case-neck with brush.
After FL Sizing, and before bullet seating, Murdica applies dry Moly lube inside the case-neck.
5. Seat Primer with Bald Eagle Precision Primer Press.
6. Throw charge to within 1 kernel with Auto-Trickler System and Force Restoration Lab Scale.
7. Drop charge in case with precision funnel.
8. Seat bullet with hand die and Sinclair Arbor Press.
Two Rounds, Same Case, Both with Exact Same Velocity — 2924 FPS
If you watch the video, you can see that, for the second 6.5 Creedmoor round, the velocity is 2924 FPS. That is exactly the same velocity as shot number 1. So the two-shot Extreme Spread (ES) is Zero. The second shot was 0.1″ from shot number one — pretty close to one hole. Lou was using Vihtavuori powder and Berger AR bullets. On the screen, Oehler Ballistic Instrumentation software displays bullet velocities and impact locations using inputs from chronograph and acoustic target sensors.
Credit Boyd Allen for identifying Oehler System and RCBS Big Max Press.
Did you know that there’s a free online resource that provides key data for thousands of bullet designs? The ShootForum Bullet Database provides profiles with weight, length, SD, and Ballistic Coefficient for nearly 3900 bullet types from all the major manufacturers. You can access all this info for free. This is a great place to start when you’re considering bullet options for a new rifle, or a new chambering for an existing rifle. To be fair, not all the latest, greatest match bullets are listed here. Could the database benefit from updates — yes, but it is still a great info source. You should definitely bookmark this resource for easy access in the future.
The massive ShootForum.com Bullet Database includes over 3900 bullet designs in all. We counted nearly 200 different 6mm bullets! The bullet info comes from the makers of QuickLOAD Software. Access to the online database is FREE. Most database entries include Caliber, Manufacturer, Stated Bullet Weight, True Bullet Weight, Length, Sectional Density (SD), and Ballistic Coefficient. In many cases multiple BCs are provided for different velocity ranges. Having bullet length lets you know right away if your cartridge/bullet combo can fit your magazine.
The database is great if you’re looking for an unusual caliber, or you want a non-standard bullet diameter to fit a barrel that is tighter or looser than spec. You’ll find the popular jacketed bullets from major makers, plus solids, plated bullets, and even cast bullets. For those who don’t already own QuickLOAD software, this is a great resource, providing access to a wealth of bullet information.
by Sierra Bullets Ballistic Technician Gary Prisendorf
Occasionally someone will ask, “Why did I get a flyer that didn’t go in with the rest of my group?” If I had an answer that would stop flyers from happening, I would be rich.
There are many reasons why this can happen. Everything from gripping a forearm differently to variations in the brass casing, the list goes on and on. Most of the time the flyer is usually shooter induced and sometimes what you may think is a flyer, is just part of your group. There are a lot of shooters, that go out and test a load and they may shoot a 3/8” group at 100 yards and think that load is good. But I have seen far too many times that you can shoot another group, same load, same rifle and the next time you may get a 1 ¼” group.
The total opposite can also occur. You may shoot a 1 ¼” group and turn around and follow it with a 1/2″ group without changing anything. If you only shot the one group, you might decide that load wasn’t any good and move on to something else without really knowing what that load was capable of.
To really determine how a particular load is performing we need to shoot multiple groups and take an average of the group sizes to really see what that rifle/load combination is really capable of.
I suggest shooting a minimum of three 5-shot groups and averaging the group sizes before deciding if the load is acceptable or not. Obviously the more rounds you shoot for a group and the more groups that you shoot, you will get a much better representation of what that particular combination can do.
Now I’m not saying to go out and shoot 30 groups with 50 rounds in each group to determine how well your load is shooting. That would be a bit pointless, in some cases it would be time to re-barrel your rifle before your load development was finished.
In most cases, I feel that three to five, 5-shot groups will give you a pretty good representation of how a load will perform in that specific firearm.
Need targets — not just any old targets, but the correctly-sized targets for specific shooting disciplines (such as NRA Smallbore, F-Class, and 1K Benchrest)? Well you won’t find them at your neighborhood Wally World store. Precise, dimensionally-correct competition targets are producted by a half-dozen specialty printers. In this article we provide links to the leading target sellers, with a chart showing “who’s got what”. Look for your particular discipline and the vendors will be specified.
Sources for Official Shooting Competition Targets:
AccurateShooter.com offers dozens of FREE, printable targets for target practice, load development, and fun shooting. We also offer a few of the most popular NRA Bullseye targets. One or more of these printable targets should work for most training purposes. However, some readers have asked: “Where can we get the real targets… exactly like the ones used in NRA, IBS, and NBRSA shooting matches?”
All these vendors carry nearly all the NRA High Power and Smallbore targets, including the new, smaller F-Class targets. National Target has the F-Class and High Power targets, including 100-yard reductions of the 200, 300, and 600-yard military targets.
Germany’s Kruger Targets sells all the important NRA targets, and international (ISSF) air rifle and smallbore targets too.
Orrville Printing currently sells IBS targets for rimfire (50 yard) benchrest, short-range centerfire Benchrest (100, 200, 300 yards), Hunter BR Rifle (100, 200, 300 yards), plus the official 600-yard and 1000-yard IBS targets. National Target Company also has most of the IBS targets. NBRSA short-range, 600-yard, and 1000-yard benchrest targets are available directly from the NBRSA Business Office. Call (307) 655-7415 to order for the season.
Need Steel, Cardboard Silhouettes or specialty targets? ALCO Target Company in Duarte, California is the USA’s leading producer of the full spectrum of shooting targets including paper targets, cardboard targets, steel targets, and target stands.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
This Stack-On Sentinel Security Cabinet holds 18 rifles up to 54″ tall or nine firearms with extra storage. Adjustable, padded shelves can be placed on either right or left side. This unit features a 3-point locking system for greater security. No this safe is NOT as strong or secure as a quality, thick-walled gun-vault, but this 55″x21″x18″ Security Cabinet can work well as a secondary safe for your workroom, vacation cabin, or even an RV. Right now Walmart has “Roll-Back” pricing — $159.99 with FREE delivery. That’s right — pay just $159.99 for the safe delivered to your home or the nearest Walmart.
2. Bruno Shooters Supply — Berger Bullets at Great Prices
Match season is in full swing — so make sure you don’t run short on bullets. One of our go-to sources for reloading components is Bruno Shooters Supply. Bruno’s just recently updated its website, so you should check out the new features. While you’re there, look at Bruno’s selection of Berger bullets advertised at “lowest prices on the internet”. Berger match bullets are in high demand, but Bruno’s is offering great prices on many popular calibers and bullet weights.
3. EuroOptic — Sale on Vortex Strike Eagles, $299.99
Need a good basic optic for your hunting or varmint rifle? Have a tight budget but still need good glass and adjustable parallax? Then check out these Vortex Strike Eagles. Save $140-$150 now at EuroOptic.com. Sale price is just $299.99 for the 4-24x50mm and also $299.99 for the 3-18x44mm. EuroOptic’s Jason says these scope are a “killer value” with “target turrets, parallax adjustment close enough for rimfire, and good zoom range”. These Strike Eagles are also fairly short and light-weight, so they are good for hunters. Both these Second Focal Plane scopes offer 1/4-MOA clicks and nice EBR-4 illuminated reticles.
4. Bullet Central — Kelbly Atlas Tactical Action, $895
Kelbly actions are excellent. The Atlas series are rugged actions for practical/tactical and hunting use. This action features a Black Nitride finish so you can run minimal lubrication. The Atlas action comes with +20 MOA integral Picatinny Rail plus a nice fluted bolt. We also like the super-reliable TG mechanical ejector. This mag-fed Kelbly Atlas action takes Accuracy International and AI-type single-stack magazines. This fine Kelbly Atlas Tactical Action is now on sale at Bullet Central for the low price of $895.00.
Versatile and totable, this compact Samsung Galaxy 7″ tablet computer is just what you need at the range to run your Ballistics Apps, get WiFi images from your Target Cam, or “talk” to your LabRadar. The Galaxy Tab A 7.0 inch can also get internet weather reports and email. This is a modern device with myriad capabilities — all for under $130.00. It has a micro-SD slot so you can easily add more storage. You won’t find more bang for the buck in a digital device, and it even comes with free Tech support. NOTE: This is WiFi only — it is NOT a like a cellphone. It works via an internet connection (and blue-tooth).
6. Walther — PPQ and PPS Pistols, 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
We’ve heard of money-back guarantees on household products, and even pizzas. But never firearms. This is quite a unique offer. Walther is so confident that you will fall in love with Walther PPQ or PPS pistols that the German gun-maker is offering a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Shoot it, if you like it, keep it. But if you don’t, you can send it back to Walther for a full refund. Walther even pays shipping! For more info visit www.WaltherArms.com. This offers applies to ALL Walther PPQ and PPS models.
7. Grizzly — Bald Eagle Priming Press, $80.97
Any serious competitor will tell you that consistent primer seating is one of the most critical steps in reloading. There are lots of choices out there for bench and hand-held primers but NONE of then match the Grizzly priming press which can be found for $80.97. It features a beautifully-made system that is click adjustable to .002″ and incredibly repeatable. If you’re in the market for something that’s easy on the hands and works like units that cost hundreds more give this one a look.
If you have been waiting to get a Magnetospeed… wait no longer. Priced at just $153.74 at MidwayUSA, the Magnetospeed Sporter model costs less than half as much as Magnetospeed’s V3 models. This chronograph attaches directly to your barrel so you don’t have to go downrange to position tripods and set up skyscreens. For most people the Sporter Model contains all the features they need. Using Magnetospeed’s XFR adapter (sold separately), data can be transferred easily from the display module to your mobile device. READ Magnetospeed Sporter Review. NOTE: You need to add the item to cart to see the $153.74 price. This typically sells elsewhere for around $180.00.
This versatile funnel system works with nearly all cartridge types, from 17 Remington up to 500 S&W. Even if you have a fancy metal funnel, it’s worth having one of these RCBS Kits on your reloading bench. The RCBS Quick Change Powder Funnel Kit features five (5) adapters that match case mouth diameter for specific cartridge ranges: 17-20 caliber, 22-264 caliber, 27-284 caliber, 30-375 caliber, 40 caliber and higher. The Funnel Kit includes a handy 4-inch drop tube. Price is $11.04 at Amazon with free shipping on orders over $25 total.
10. Amazon — Two Rolls of 3″ Neon Target Stickers, $12.99
We like these bright, Neon EasyShot 3″ target stickers. They are big enough to see easily at 600 yards, giving you a 1/2 MOA target center at that distance. For $12.99 at Amazon.com, you get 250 3″-diameter self-adhesive centers (125 targets per roll) that stick to almost any surface The high-contrast fluorescent red/orange color provides an excellent HI-VIZ aiming point, along with good contrast for bullet holes that fall within the 3″ circle. To help line up your reticle cross-hairs, the target centers feature black markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12 0’Clock. NOTE: These stickers qualify for FREE Shipping.
The folks at Applied Ballistics have a new toy — a large trailer filled with all the latest and greatest tech gear for testing long-range ballistics. Bryan Litz reported: “The maiden voyage for the AB Mobile Lab in Texas this week was a huge success! We look forward to supporting more long range shooting events.” Mitchell Fitzpatrick was there in the Lone Star state with fellow Applied Ballistics staffer Christopher Palka. The Applied Ballistics team will be trailering the Mobile Lab to Indiana where it will be on hand for the NRA National Championships at Camp Atterbury this month.
Ten rifles, heaps of cables, huge Doppler Radar unit, military-grade Laser RFs on tripods, spare barrels, safety gear — all ready for action in Texas.
About the Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab
Q: What is the basic purpose of the Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab?
Mitchell Fitzpatrick: The Mobile Lab allows us to effectively carry out ballistics testing in the field and at events. It has most of the capabilities of our normal lab, but on wheels.
Q: What hardware and electronics are carried in the Mobile Lab? What are its capabilities?
Bryan Litz: The Mobile Lab will transport most everything that’s in the main lab including the Doppler radar. This rig is new and we haven’t fully outfitted it yet. The load-outs will be somewhat flexible depending on the venue we are supporting.
The three rifles on the left are Barrett MRADS, $6000-$6154 MSRP, before optics.
NOTE to Readers — Check back at the end of the day. We will have more technical information from Bryan Litz and the Applied Ballistics team…
To help celebrate National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM), rifle and gear manufacturers are offering big prize packages — the Gearbox Giveaways. Enter to win rifles, pistols, ammo, and other valuable prizes. Many of the Gearbox packages are worth over $3000 with the most valuable package worth over $5000! Enter as many of the Gearbox Giveaways as you choose. You can’t win if you don’t enter.
You’ll find all the Gearbox Giveaways on the NSSF website. Shown below are TEN current Gearbox Giveaways ranked in order of value — starting with the most valuable prize package. Good luck!
