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April 23rd, 2025

New Products from Lapua and Berger at NRA Annual Meetings

lapua maxrange target bullets new 144gr 6.5mm

Lapua, respected producer of outstanding cartridge cases, bullets, and ammunition, will be attending the 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, scheduled for April 24-27, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. “Lapua uses the highest quality materials to provide shooters with components they can rely on” commented Director of Communications Morgan Joy-Twenter. “We encourage shooters and hunters to stop by booth #1916 to check out the wide range of Lapua products, including our new 7mm PRC, 6mm Dasher, and MaxRange Target bullets.”

New Lapua MaxRange Target Bullets
Lapua will offer new high-BC MaxRange Target bullets. These are designed for long-range precision rifle sports such as F-Class, Fullbore, PRS and other disciplines with distant targets, or where a very high-BC can help enhance long-range hits and accuracy. The first MaxRange Target offerings are a 6.5mm 144 grain and a .30 Caliber 175 grain.

lapua maxrange target bullets new 144gr 6.5mm

New Lapua 6mm Dasher Cartridge Cases
New for 2025, Lapua will offer 6mm Dasher brass. The 6mm Dasher has long been a popular and versatile cartridge for many precision shooting disciplines such as 600-1,000 yard benchrest, varminting, and PRS/NRL competition. It is an extremely accurate cartridge that can drive 103-110gr match bullets at very accurate velocity nodes, and drive lighter 6mm varmint bullets at high speeds. With the new Dasher brass, you no longer need to spend time fire-forming 6mmBR brass into the higher-capacity Dasher. The Lapua 6mm Dasher brass is expected to arrive in Fall 2025.

New Lapua 7mm PRC Cartridge Cases
The 7mm PRC effortlessly delivers heaviest-in-class .284 caliber projectiles, which are coveted in today’s precision shooting and long-range hunting disciplines. F-Class and long-range match shooters have suffered from the lack of quality 7mm PRC cases and ammunition. Now that will change. Lapua will begin offering high-quality 7mm PRC cartridge cases for its loyal followers this fall.

lapua cartridge brass 7mm 6mm dasher 7 PRC 6.5mm

New Bullets and Ammo Types from Berger

Berger, manufacturer of quality bullets and ammunition for competitive shooters and avid hunters, will attend the 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta Georgia. At booth #1916, Berger will showcase its entire product line, including new ammunition and bullet offerings.

lapua cartridge brass 7mm 6mm dasher 7 PRC 6.5mm

For target shooters Berger now offers new .300 Norma Magnum ammunition with the 245 grain Long Range Hybrid Target bullet. This ammo has shown excellent accuracy in testing (see above). In addition, Berger has new .338 Norma Magnum ammo featured the 300 grain Hybrid OTM Tactical bullet. CLICK HERE for product specifications.

Berger has expanded its hunting ammo line to include .30-06 168 grain and 185 grain Classic Hunter, and .300 WSM 185 grain Classic Hunter. In addition, Berger will offer new hunting bullets in 2025. There’s a new 6.8mm/270 caliber 150 grain Hybrid Target bullet that should work great in .270 Winchester, .277 Fury, and 6.8 Western rifles. Berger will also offer a new 217 grain, .30 caliber Elite Hunter bullet.

NRA Event Schedule and Special Events

The 2025 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits runs April 24-27 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia (see MAP below). The large Exhibit Hall will be open 9 AM to 6 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday, providing attendees with the opportunity to explore a host of shooting and hunting products. CLICK HERE for EVENT Schedule.

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April 23rd, 2025

High-Quality Cartridge Diagrams — Download for FREE

Winchester centerfire rimfire pistol shotshell ammo ammunition cartridge diagram illustration

Winchester’s new “Introduction to Ammunition — Ammo 101” is a four-part series including custom illustrations and information for four major ammunition categories: rifle, pistol, rimfire, and shotshell. The Ammo 101 series provides a detailed overview of centerfire rifle, centerfire pistol, rimfire, and shotshell ammunition, showcasing ammunition construction, components, calibers, and common usage. The Ammo 101 resource is free to download from Winchesters.mediaassets.com. Or, simply click one or more diagrams below. Each image will launch a large PDF which you can print or download.

TIP: Click Each Image for Full-Screen Printable PDF

Shown below are the first four ammunition information sheets prepared by Winchester. These show all the key components of cartridges and shotshells, and explain the functions. These diagrams are useful for training, and for persons getting started in reloading.

Ammo 101 Centerfire Rifle Cartridge Diagram (click for PDF)

Winchester centerfire ammo ammunition cartridge diagram illustration

Ammo 101 Rimfire Cartridge Diagram (click for printable PDF)

Winchester centerfire ammo ammunition cartridge diagram illustration

Ammo 101 Pistol Cartridge Diagram (click for printable PDF)

Winchester centerfire ammo ammunition cartridge diagram illustration

Ammo101 Shotshell Diagram (click for printable PDF)

Winchester centerfire ammo ammunition cartridge diagram illustration


CLICK HERE for ALL FOUR Diagrams in SINGLE LARGE PDF »

About the Ammo 101 Series
The FREE Ammo 101 resources can help instructors nationwide who introduce new entrants to the shooting sports and hunting. Instructors can incorporate these resources into their training presentations, use them as handouts, or have them printed locally.

“The basics of ammunition… is what we want to deliver with the Ammo 101 series,” said Matt Campbell, Winchester V.P. of Sales & Marketing. “With millions of people across the United States starting their journey in the shooting sports as new firearm owners, providing easy-to-understand information on ammunition types is one way we can help educate our customers.”

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April 23rd, 2025

3D Ammo Animation — Great Video Shows How Pistols Work

GECO Ruag Ammotec RWS ammo 3D animation video

Here’s a very cool 3D Animation showing pistol rounds being fired. Computer-generated graphics provide a look inside the cartridge at the moment of ignition as the primer fires and the flame front moves through the ignited powder. It’s really kind of mesmerizing. If you’ve every wondered just what happens inside your cartridges the moment that firing pin strikes, then watch this video…

Watch Video to See Handgun Ammo Being Chambered and Fired:

Mute Enabled — Click Speaker Icon to Hear Audio. Firing Sequence Starts at 1:28.

GECO Ruag Ammotec RWS ammo 3D animation videoThis animated video from German ammo-maker GECO (part of the Swiss RUAG group of companies) reveals the inside of a pistol cartridge, showing jacket, lead core, case, powder and primer. Employing advanced 3D rendering and computer graphics, the video shows an X-ray view of ammo being loaded in a handgun, feeding from a magazine.

Then it really gets interesting. At 1:28 – 1:50 you’ll see the firing pin strike the primer cup, the primer’s hot jet streaming through the flash-hole, and the powder igniting. Finally you can see the bullet as it moves down the barrel and spins its way to a target. This is a very nicely-produced video. If you’ve ever wondered what happens inside a cartridge when you pull the trigger, this video shows all. They say “a picture’s worth a thousand words”… well a 3D video is even better.

GECO Ruag Ammotec RWS ammo 3D animation video

GECO Ruag Ammotec RWS ammo 3D animation video

GECO Ruag Ammotec RWS ammo 3D animation video

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April 22nd, 2025

Bullet Trace Images at 3 Speeds — Sub-Sonic, Sonic, Supersonic

applied ballistics bullet mach speed science accuracy bryan litz facebook

applied ballistics bullet mach speed science accuracy bryan litz facebookOn the Applied Ballistics Facebook Page, there is a fascinating series of posts showing traces of bullets at various speeds from Mach 0.86 to Mach 3.0. At the slowest speed, Mach 0.86, i.e. 962 FPS, there is turbulence behind the bullet, but no clear shockwave. At the highest velocity, Mach 3.0 (3375 FPS at sea level, 68° F), there is a dramatic double nose and tail wave formation.

To learn more, visit TheScienceofAccuracy.com. On that site you’ll find exclusive video content and you can subscribe to member’s only Podcasts. And you can purchase Applied Ballistics books on the Science of Accuracy webstore.

Mach 3.00 Bullet Flight Image

applied ballistics bullet mach speed science accuracy bryan litz facebook

At Mach 3 (3355 FPS) this bullet now has a strong and well established shock wave forming at the tip, and at the base. Unlike the transition through Mach 1.0, nothing really interesting happens to the aerodynamics or shock waves meaning the aerodynamics and stability are: continuous, easy to predict, and model. As you go faster, the shockwaves make a shallower angle because the bullet is moving forward 3X faster than the shock wave is moving away from it. So the shock wave makes an angle that has a rise/run ratio of 1/3.

If a bullet flew within 10 feet of you traveling this fast, it would be about as loud as a 22 magnum. You’d certainly want hearing protection as the energy contained in a Mach 3 shock wave is high! How high…? Well, in 10 yards, this bullet slows from 3355 FPS to 3334 FPS in a time of 0.0090 seconds. The 55 ft-lb of kinetic energy lost during this 10 yards is due to aerodynamic drag on the bullet, which is comprised of wave, base, and skin friction drag components with the majority of the drag being due to shock wave formation. Expending 55 ft-lb of energy in 0.0090 seconds requires a power output of 6111 ft-lb/sec = 11.1 horsepower, most of which goes into creating the shock wave. Remember it’s a 3-D cone that travels great distance, and it gets its energy by stealing velocity from your bullet!

Mach 1.00 Bullet Flight Image

applied ballistics bullet mach speed science accuracy bryan litz facebook

Many shots were fired to capture an image of the transonic shockwave structure at exactly Mach 1.00. With the bullet now moving at the speed of sound, the local airflow on some parts of the bullet exceeds Mach 1.0. Anytime something is moving thru the air faster than the air can get out of the way, you get a compression wave, aka “shock wave”. That’s what’s visible in this image — the areas where the air density changes rapidly (in the compression wave) are visible as near vertical lines and a detached bow wave out front. As the bullet progresses through transonic speed, this shockwave structure develops which has strong effects on the drag (wind sensitivity) and stability of the bullet.

The exact development of the shockwaves and the resulting effects are unique and sensitive to the bullet geometry, and become very difficult to predict through the transition from subsonic (incompressible flow without shock waves) to supersonic (compressible flow with shock waves). Each bullet geometry does this differently which is why it’s difficult to determine transonic stability criteria for bullets of different shapes.

Mach 0.86 Bullet Flight Image

applied ballistics bullet mach speed science accuracy bryan litz facebook

Here’s a bullet at Mach 0.86 (86% the speed of sound, which is 962 FPS at 61° F). As you can see, this 0.86 Mach is not fast enough to make any discernable waves but you can see turbulence in the bullet wake (right side in photo). The beginning of small shock waves can be seen on the bullet tip, and at the bearing surface/boat tail juncture. For the most part, all of the airflow around this bullet is subsonic. You wouldn’t hear a supersonic ‘crack’ from this bullet flying past the observer.

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April 20th, 2025

BargainFinder 500: AccurateShooter’s Deals of the Week

AccurateShooter Deals of the Week Weekly Bargain Finder Sale Discount Savings

This week we mark a major milestone — our 500th BargainFinder Deals of the Week! That works out to 9.6 YEARS of bargains, promos, and discounts. To mark our 500th Week of Hot Deals, we’re going big time — showcasing a total of TWENTY-FIVE deals — all under $500.00. PLUS here are great Discount Codes that can save you big bucks:

SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODES:

Brownells (APRIL25 — Save $25 on $250; APRIL50 — Save $50 on $500)
Midsouth (FS417 — FREE Shipping $99+; FHM417 — FREE Hazmat $99+)
Cabela’s and Bass Pro — FREE Shipping orders over $50 (no code)
EuroOptic (VTX12 — 12% Off most Vortex Optics)
Natchez Shooting (DG5 — 5% Off Any Order)

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or 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.

NOTE: Products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are for use by minors.

Gun Rack with Pistol Rack – Holds 9 Long Guns and 8 Handguns. Amazon $79.99 + FREE Shipping over $35.

atn night day x-sight scope video

ATN X-Sight 5 3-15x50mm UHD Day/Night Scope w/ Gen 5 Sensor, $449.99 at Optics Planet with Free Shipping.

taurus tx22 veridian green dot

Taurus .22 LR rimfire pistol with Green Dot optic and 5 mags, $329.99 at Kygunco.com. Good owner reviews.

sar9 9mm handgun pistol sale

This SAR9 pistol has good ergonomics and great owner reviews. It’s now just $199.99 at Palmetto SA ($350 off).

vortex razor 11-33 spotting scope

Compact straight or angled Vortex spotting scope good for hunting or PRS/NRL, $399.99 at Amazon.

cci blazer 9mm 9x19mm pistol brass ammo ammunition

Great price on Blazer handgun ammo with reloadable brass and clean-burning propellants. Just $219.99 at LockedLoaded.com.

tikka t3X blow-out sale rifle discount

Tikka T3x rifles are now on sale at EuroOptic.com with savings up to $500. Many calibers are offered starting at $499.00.

lyman case prep xpress tool sale

Save $29 this week on this very popular 5-station case prep center, now just $159.99 at Midsouth.

SIG Sauer Tango MSR 3-18x50mm FFP scope

SIG Sauer MRAD FFP Tango MSR 3-18x50mm optic is $402.47 at MidwayUSA including Alpha-MSR mount and lens covers.

rcbs rebel master reloading kit

RCBS press, powder measure, scale, primer tool, and more. Rebel Master Reloading Kit is $399.99 at Midsouth ($100 off).

rtac tactical backpack pistol retention camo

Amazing deal on RTAC backpack with pistol holder. Tan, Black, or Camo colors for just $12.99, $47 off. 88% Five-star ratings.

cci primers sale midsouth 400 450 #41

Get top quality CCI primers at Midsouth. Save $20 on CCI 450 Small Rifle Magnum primers with other primers on sale also.

gun safe sale amazon intergreat 10 gun

Intergreat 10-Gun Safe with adjustable shelves and pockets, $169.99 on Amazon plus FREE delivery.

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Rock Island Standard FS .45 ACP pistol, 5″ barrel, 4-lb trigger, matte nickel finish. $449.99 on Sale — Save $300.

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Garmin Instinct 3 GPS Smart watch, SatIQ, pairs w/ cellphone. LED Light, solar charging. $399.99 w/ FREE shipping.

gun howa m1500 brownells barreled action april25 code

Howa M1500 barreled actions have great 2-stage trigger. These start at $399.99 at Brownells. Save $25 with code APRIL25.

caldwell steel gong shooting target AR500

This 5″ Gong AR500 target is now just $19.89 on Amazon. It measures 6.25″ x 5.5″ x 0.4″ and weighs 3.1 pounds.

walker's electronic ultimate alpha ear muffs

These NRR26 Walker’s Alpha Quad electronic muffs are great. MidwayUSA’s $39.99 price is $40 less than other vendors charge.

walker's electronic ultimate alpha ear muffs

This superb, precise Leica CRF 2400-R Laser Rangefinder is top quality. MidwayUSA’s $389.35 price is 35% Off.

HK hk416 .22 lr rimfire rifle trainer

Great .22 LR rimfire cross-training rifle with AR style and feel. German H&K quality, $492.99 at G4Gguns.com.

BOG Deathgrip tripod electronic muffs

For hunting and PRS/NRL get this excellent BOG Shooting Tripod for $166.99. That price also includes E-Max Electronic Muffs.

frankford arsenal intellidropper powder scale dispenser natchez sale

Frankford Arsenal’s Intellidropper powder scale dispenser is fast, accurate, and reliable. Grab one for $169.99 at Natchez, $50 off.

vortex diamondback gen1 10x42mm binoculars 10X midwayusa

Good 10-power, waterproof Vortex binoculars. Diamondback 10×42 now just $124.99 at MidwayUSA. Save $105 (45%).

winchester .22 lr rimfire ammunition ammo 36gr plated hp

Reliable Winchester .22 LR HP rimfire ammo is just $29.99 for 525 rounds (5.7¢/rd) at Palmetto SA. Good choice for plinking.

walker's electronic ultimate alpha ear muffs

CVLIFE Tactical Range Bag holds handguns, mags, optics, ammo & more. Size: 14.6″x9.3″x10.2″. Waterproof, 4 color choices.

Accurate Shooter Daily Bulletin BargainFinder deals of week 500 Accurate Shooter Daily Bulletin BargainFinder deals of week 500
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April 20th, 2025

How to Properly Clean Reloading Dies — Die Maintenance Tips

Hornady Die cleaning

After purchasing a new set of dies from Forster, Hornady, Redding, or Whidden Gunworks, you’ll want to disassemble the dies, inspect then, and then remove the internal grease and/or waxy coatings placed on the dies by the manufacturer. Below are two videos that show how to de-grease and clean dies as they come “out of the box” from the manufacturer. The videos also explain how to clean your dies after regular use. Cleaning your dies helps remove carbon, brass shavings, lube residues and other stuff that can get inside the dies.

In the first video, from Creedmoor Sports, Bill Gravatt (Creedmoor’s President) shows various methods for cleaning dies both when new and after they have accumulated carbon and lube after use. This video is definitely worth watching. In the second video, a Hornady technician shows the method for degreasing dies before first use. A convenient aerosol spray cleaner is used in the video. You can also use a liquid solvent with soft nylon brush, and cotton patches. NOTE: After cleaning you may want to apply a light grease to the external threads of your dies.

Creedmoor Sports Die Cleaning Video with Bill Gravatt

Hornady Video Showing Aerosol Cleaner

Clean Your Sizing Dies and Body Dies Regularly
These same techniques work for cleaning dies after they have been used for reloading. Many otherwise smart hand-loaders forget to clean the inside of their dies, allowing old case lube, gunk, carbon residue, and other contaminants to build up inside the die. You should clean your dies fairly often, particularly if you do not tumble or ultrasound your cases between loadings. It is most important to keep full-length sizing and body dies clean. These dies accumulate lube and carbon residue quickly.

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April 17th, 2025

Applied Ballistics Updates Bullet Library with New Test Results

Applied Ballistics bullet database testing update bryan litz doppler radar FPS BC coefficient drag model

Applied Ballistics (AB) has published an update to its Bullet Library, which can be accessed from all AB-enabled devices, including the AB Quantum App. The library updates are based on testing with Doppler radar. The bullet updates are based on averaging of multiple Doppler Radar tests at long range (through transonic). All of the bullets that were recently updated have been tested multiple times from various different barrels and twist rates to find the average performance. These updates to the bullet library are FREE to those who have subscribed to AB Quantum.

The AB team explained that these updates will help provide the most accurate ballistic fire solutions available. Ongoing updates are planned as AB continues testing and compiling results.

Applied Ballistics bullet database testing update bryan litz doppler radar FPS BC coefficient drag model

bryan litz applied ballistics bullet libraryOn his Bryan Litz Ballistics Facebook page, Applied Ballistics head honcho Bryan Litz noted:

“Many of our existing bullets were modeled after just one test, but after a few years of testing out of multiple guns, we have a much better assessment of the bullets’ average performance and those models replace the originals. Rest assured, when we update a bullet model, it does NOT affect an existing gun profile. It’s only new gun profiles that get built — they’ll pull the updated performance. So [there is] no need to worry about your established data changing within an existing gun profile.”

Updates to the Applied Ballistics Bullet Library are normally made whenever:

* AB tests new bullets
* AB Accumulates more test data on existing bullets
* AB runs tests to further ranges than previous tests

Typically, changes to assessed performance are small (under 2%) representing only about 1 or 2 clicks of difference at 1000 yards. But sometimes the shift is more substantial.

Bryan Litz added: “The updates don’t always change performance a lot, some are just small tweaks. Typically you would build a new gun profile from selecting the bullet in the library to get the new performance. But if you’re using BC, you can just transcribe the new one into your existing gun profile.”

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April 16th, 2025

Get FREE Reloading App from Hornady for iOS and Android

hornady handbook mobile reloading app apple ios android free download

The Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading is now available in App form. Like the print and eBook versions of the Reloading Handbook, the new Hornady Reloading Guide App provides comprehensive reloading information. It covers rifle cartridges from the 17 Hornet to the 50 BMG and handgun cartridges from the 22 Hornet to the 500 S&W. This is a convenient mobile App, that works with both iOS (Apple) and Android devices. There are versions for both smartphones and tablets (iPads and Android). With this App you can access load data at the range, making it easier to do efficient load development at the range.

Hornady Reloading App Features:

hornady handbook mobile reloading app apple ios android free downloadVelocity and powder charts
An impressive lineup of powders
Find reliable loads by cartridge and bullet weight
Information on bullet design and shooting application
Very comprehensive load data from .17 Cal up to .50 Cal

Download FREE APP — Apple and Android compatible
The Hornady Reloading App is FREE to download. The App includes more than 200 calibers with a variety of loads featuring Hornady bullets, such as the A-Tip Match, ELD-X, and ELD® Match line.

» GET Hornady Reloading App for Android

» GET Hornady Reloading App for iPhone and iPad

hornady handbook mobile reloading app apple ios android free download

Subscription Options
The iOS and Android download pages explain that fees may be required for detailed information: “Derived from extensive testing by Hornady Manufacturing Company, this App includes reloading data for over 200 cartridges and 300 bullets. [Hornady reports] only data that proved safe in our research. Users have the ability to purchase data for individual cartridges, purchase the whole current edition of the handbook, or subscribe and receive the entire handbook plus more. Subscription provides access to all handbook data on your mobile device and real updates for all new data without waiting for the new handbook publication to be produced.”

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April 15th, 2025

BE SAFE: With Coated Bullets, Adjust Loads with CAUTION

Moly Danzac Bullet Coating Anti-friction HBN

Coating bullets with a friction-reducing compound such as Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly) offers potential benefits, including reduced barrel heat, and being able to shoot longer strings of fire between bore cleanings. One of the effects of reduced friction can be the lessening of internal barrel pressures. This, in turn, means that coated bullets MAY run slower than naked bullets (with charges held equal).

To restore velocities, shooters running coated bullets are inclined to “bump up” the load — but you need to be cautious.

Be Careful When Increasing Loads for Coated Bullets
We caution shooters that when your start out with coated bullets in a “fresh barrel” you should NOT immediately raise the charge weight. It may take a couple dozen coated rounds before the anti-friction coating is distributed through the bore, and you really start to see the reduced pressures. Some guys will automatically add a grain or so to recommended “naked” bullet charge weights when they shoot coated bullets. That’s a risky undertaking.

moly coated bullets friction chronograph

We recommend that you use “naked” bullet loads for the first dozen coated rounds through a new barrel. Use a chronograph and monitor velocities. It may take up to 30 rounds before you see a reduction in velocity of 30-50 fps that indicates that your anti-friction coating is fully effective.

We have a friend who was recently testing moly-coated 6mm bullets in a 6-6.5×47. Moly had not been used in the barrel before. Our friend had added a grain to his “naked” bullet load, thinking that would compensate for the predicted lower pressures. What he found instead was that his loads were WAY too hot initially. It took 30+ moly-coated rounds through the bore before he saw his velocities drop — a sign that the pressure had lowered due to the moly. For the rounds fired before that point his pressures were too high, and he ended up tossing some expensive Lapua brass into the trash because the primer pockets had expanded excessively.

LESSON: Start low, even with coated bullets. Don’t increase your charge weights (over naked bullet loads) until you have clear evidence of lower pressure and reduced velocity.

danzac moly coated coat bullets

danzac moly coated coat bullets

Procedure After Barrel Cleaning
If you shoot Moly, and clean the barrel aggressively after a match, you may want to shoot a dozen coated “foulers” before starting your record string. Robert Whitley, who has used Moly in some of his rifles, tells us he liked to have 10-15 coated rounds through the bore before commencing record fire. In a “squeaky-clean” bore, you won’t get the full “benefits” of moly immediately.

To learn more about the properties of dry lubricants for bullets, read our Guide to Coating Bullets. This covers the three most popular bullet coatings: Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly), Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or ‘Danzac’), and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN). The article discusses the pros and cons of the different bullet coatings and offers step-by-step, illustrated instructions on how to coat your bullets using a tumbler.

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April 14th, 2025

Watch How Primers Are Made in Federal Factory Video

Federal Primer Priming Tool Magnum primers foil anvil primer construction reloading powder CCI

Do you know how gun primers are made — how the explosive elements are applied into those tiny cups? Find out by watching this video filmed at a Federal ammunition factory. It starts out with empty primer cups loaded, 1000 at a time, into trays using vibration (0:05 time-mark). While much of the process is automated, there is still a significant role played by production workers who apply a green, paste-like charging compound to the inside of hundreds of primer cups.

At the 0:17-second time-mark you can see the factory worker “charging” the primers with the priming compound. After the cups are filled, then the plate of cups “mates up with a plate of anvils” (0:40 time-mark). Then the primers are unloaded from trays and inspected.


Federal Primer Priming Tool Magnum primers foil anvil primer construction reloading powder CCI

Primer “Mysteries and Misconceptions” Article

There is an excellent article about primers on the Shooting Times website. This authoritative Shooting Times article explains the fine points of primer design and construction. The author reveals some little-known facts about primers and corrects common misconceptions. Here are some highlights:

Primer Priming Tool Magnum primers foil anvil primer construction reloading powder CCISize Matters
Useful Trivia — even though Small Rifle and Small Pistol primer pockets share the same depth specification, Large Rifle and Large Pistol primers do not. The standard pocket for a Large Pistol primer is somewhat shallower than its Large Rifle counterpart, specifically, 0.008 to 0.009 inch less.

Magnum Primers
There are two ways to make a Magnum primer — either use more of the standard chemical mix to provide a longer-burning flame or change the mix to one with more aggressive burn characteristics. Prior to 1989, CCI used the first option in Magnum Rifle primers. After that, we switched to a mix optimized for spherical propellants that produced a 24% increase in flame temperature and a 16% boost in gas volume.

Foiled Again
Most component primers have a little disk of paper between the anvil and the priming mix. It is called “foil paper” not because it’s made of foil but because it replaces the true metal foil used to seal early percussion caps. The reason this little disk exists is strictly a manufacturing convenience. Wet primer pellets are smaller than the inside diameter of the cup when inserted and must be compacted to achieve their proper diameter and height. Without the foil paper, the wet mix would stick to the compaction pins and jam up the assembly process.

Read Full Primer Story on ShootingTimes.com

Video find by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
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April 12th, 2025

Shooting Sports Spending Poll — Don’t Show This to Your Spouse!

Shooting Poll AccurateShooter.com

OK guys, you probably want to keep this page confidential. Your spouse probably doesn’t want to be reminded about all the times you ignored the “Honey Do” list and headed off to the range instead. And she certainly doesn’t want to know how much you spend every year on your gun hobby.

Answer these two polls to see how dedicated (or should we say “obsessed”) a gun guy you really are. Once you vote you can see how your shooting (and spending) habits compare to other readers. Full results display after you select an answer and click the “Vote” button.

Click to vote in our current Readers’ polls.
Click “View Results” to see what other readers have selected.

The rifle cartridge money clip was a real product from ReleaseMeCreations.com (now sold out). You can, of course, make your own cartridge money clip with a Dremel tool for free.

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April 10th, 2025

NO-LEAD Cleaner is Effective and Great for Rimfire Rifles

Suhl Rimfire Benchrest indoor cleaning
We have used NO-LEAD Cleaner in rimfire benchrest rifles similar to this modified Suhl 150-1. It helped restore accuracy with minimal brushing.

NO-lead brushless lead remover Wipe-out Sharp Shoot-rMade by the same smart folks that created Wipe-Out™, and Carb-Out™, NO-LEAD Brushless Lead Remover™ really works. Honest. If you are an active rimfire shooter, or if you shoot cast lead-alloy bullets in centerfire rifles and pistols, you should try this product. We now use NO-LEAD in our rimfire benchrest rifles, and in some centerfire guns that receive a steady diet of soft-alloy cast bullets (90%+ lead). (With rimfire guns, you don’t need to use NO-LEAD very often — maybe every 300-400 rounds unless you have a real fouler of a barrel.)

If you’ve got stubborn lead fouling in a rimfire barrel, or on a pistol’s muzzle brake/compensator, you should definitely give this stuff a try. We don’t know how but it does soften lead deposits. The manufacturer says you don’t need brushes, but we found that a bit of brushing (after NO-LEAD application) can help remove more serious lead build-up.

Yes we were surprised to find a lead remover that really works. We tried a half-dozen other lead “cleaners” that promised to dissolve lead and most of them, we discovered, are nearly useless. There’s a reason for that, as the lead alloys used in bullets don’t react to typical petrochemical-based solvents. It took the Wipe-Out chemists over five years to perfect this water-based solution that really does dissolve lead.

NO-LEAD Cleaning Procedure — Read Carefully
NO-LEAD Lead Remover is a clear, red gel that is easy to apply. Just swab it in your bore (or on muzzle brakes) with wet patches or bore mop and let it sit for a few minutes. (The manufacturer says you can leave the NO-LEAD for up to 20 minutes, but that long of a dwell time does not seem necessary with our rimfire barrels.) When it contacts lead it will start to foam and you’ll see that the NO-LEAD solvent turns a pastel pink when it dissolves lead. The pink comes from the formation of lead oxide. After the recommended dwell time, simply patch out the dissolved lead deposits (you can also use a nylon brush for stubborn lead build-up).

NOTE: After cleaning, it is very important that you get all the NO-LEAD out of your barrel, and neutralize it. We recommend following the application of NO-Lead with Wipe-out or Patch-Out to neutralize the NO-LEAD, clear the bore, and remove residual carbon and copper fouling. If you don’t have Wipe-Out or Patch-out, flush the barrel thoroughly with Rubbing Alcohol or even a solution of Dawn dish detergent — then re-oil the bore.

Be Sure to Neutralize NO-LEAD After Use
Remember that N0-LEAD is a strong, slightly acidic chemical that needs to be neutralized after use. If you leave it on a nice, blued barrel for too long, it can harm the bluing. NO-LEAD will remove all the surface oils from the barrel bore. For this reason it is recommended that you neutralize NO-LEAD with Wipe-Out, or Patch-Out, which both contain effective corrosion inhibitors. If you don’t have those products, once you’ve flushed the NO-LEAD with something like rubbing alcohol, then follow with a gun oil. Caution: A petroleum-based gun oil will NOT, by itself, neutralize NO-LEAD. You need to neutralize first, then apply the corrosion inhibitor (or do it all in one step with Wipe-Out or Patch-Out).

Where to Buy NO-LEAD Lead Remover
NO-LEAD Lead Remover costs $18.55 for an 8 oz. squeeze bottle with a flip-top spout. This product is sold directly by Sharp Shoot-R Precision Products through Sharpshootr.com, or you can purchase NO-LEAD through many other online vendors. For more information, send an email via the Sharp Shoot-R Contact Form or or contact SharpShoot-R at (785) 883-4444. You can ask for Terry Paul, Sharp Shoot-R’s owner and the master chemist who developed the NO-LEAD formula.

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