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May 17th, 2011
Midsouth Shooters Supply is offering huge discounts on “Blem” Bullets from a major manufacturer. They’ve almost run out of their .30-caliber blems, and the next batch to go on sale will be the 7mm (.284 bullets). Our “inside man” at Midsouth reports: “We decided to move some of the bigger quantities of the blem bullets we have in stock. They’ve been narrowed down to just about Eight SKUs (lot numbers) and we’re packing them up as 500-ct packs and slashing the price. The .308 150-grainer was the first to be offered and they are just about gone — they sold fast. Our GM this morning decided the next to go on sale is the 154gr 7mm bullet. These will be sold at just $89.99 per 500. They’re good bullets and if I had a 7mm I’d get some. I can’t say who the manufacturer is, but I can say there are bonded bullets similar to Accubond or Interbond.”
With a price of $89.99 for for five hundred 7mm (.284) bullets, that’s a great deal for big-name manufacturers’ bullets, even if there are some cosmetic defects. That bulk price works out to just $18.00 per hundred bullets! Midsouth can’t disclose the bullet manufacturer, but we can assure you it’s a big name company with a reputation for quality. If you need some good 7mm hunting bullets, you may want to jump on this deal before Midsouth sells out. Visit MidsouthShootersSupply.com or CALL 1-800-272-3000 to order.
CLICK HERE for Midsouth’s 7mm Blem Bullet Sale
CLICK HERE for Complete Blem Bullet Sale Selection
May 13th, 2011
 While the venerable .308 Winchester is still the chambering of choice for most tactical shooters, a growing number of tac competitors are switching to the 6.5 Creedmoor (as well as other 6.5mm chamberings such as the 6.5×47 Lapua and .260 Remington). Among the 6.5mm options, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers the advantage of high quality, relatively affordable factory ammo.
Can the 6.5 Creedmoor win tactical matches with factory ammo? Absolutely. Team Hornady’s Tony Gimmellie used Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 120gr Match ammo to win the Oregon Sniper Challenge, held May 22-23, at the Douglas Ridge Rifle Club in Eagle Creek, Oregon. Tony said, “Hornady’s 6.5 Creedmoor ammo delivered ½ MOA accuracy from [my] POF gas piston rifle, allowing me to stay well ahead of the competition.”
To learn more about the 6.5 Creedmoor, along with the other popular 6.5mm cartridges used for tac comps, we recommend three articles by Accurateshooter.com contributor Zak Smith:
6.5 Creedmoor vs. the .308 Winchester
In the first article above, Zak explains: “Why 6.5 mm instead of .30 caliber? Put simply, they sling the long, slim, high-BC 6.5 mm bullets at respectable velocity. It duplicates or beats the .300 Win Mag’s trajectory with less recoil than a .308 Win. Compared to the 175 Sierra MK fired from a .308 Win, the 6.5 mm will have 27% less wind drift and about 10 MOA less drop at 1000 yards. Despite a 35-grain deficit in bullet mass, the 6.5 Creedmoor will retain 18% more energy and hit the target 260 fps faster.”
6.5mm Cartridges — Comparative Ballistics Performance by Zak Smith
Put in order of ballistic performance, the 6.5 Creedmoor and the .260 Remington are almost neck-and-neck, pushing the same weight bullets at about the same velocities from almost identical case capacities. The 6.5×47 Lapua in factory form lags by 100 to 200 fps due to less powder capacity; however, it has already gained a reputation for having a strong case that puts up with the high pressures some reloaders push in their custom rifles. The .260 Remington’s main problem for the reloader is lack of high-quality and affordable brass and to date there has only been one factory load produced which was appropriate for serious long-range competition for the non-reloader. The 6.5×47 was designed for intermediate-range competition and very accurate ammunition is available from Lapua; however, these factory loads are at a ballistic disadvantage at long range compared to the .260 Remington and the 6.5 Creedmoor.
There will always be those who bash new cartridges, claiming that they don’t do anything better than their favorite cartridge. By this logic, we’d all be shooting .30-06. Put simply, the 6.5 Creedmoor is what the .260 Remington should have been. It looks like Hornady has the right mind-set to make its new cartridge a success in the competitive and practical market, unlike Remington who basically let the .260 languish in a few hunting rifles. The 6.5 Creedmoor enjoys additional case capacity over the 6.5×47 Lapua, which allows better ballistics at a lower peak chamber pressure.
May 4th, 2011
 OK, you .260 Rem shooters, break out your credit cards. The Lapua .260 Remington cartridge brass has finally arrived. Kevin Thomas of Lapua tells us: “Sorry for the wait guys, but it’s here. Grafs.com has its shipment and will begin shipping orders [May 4, 2011]. Kaltron Pettibone received theirs a few days ago and should be filling existing orders as I write. Let us know what you think of this stuff. Looks pretty good so far, but the proof’s in the pudding.” Grafs.com has the .260 Rem brass in stock at $96.99 per 100-ct box (Shipping included with $4.95 handling fee). Eabco.com has the .260 Rem brass in stock for $92.50 per 100-ct box.
May 4th, 2011
The May digital edition of Shooting Sports USA has a good article on Power Case Trimmers for rifle brass. Trey Tuggle reviews self-powered units from Giraud, Gracey, Hornady, and RCBS, plus a drill-mounted trimmer fitting from Little Crow Gunworks. Tuggle reviews the main features of each unit. Reading this article is recommended for any one in the market for a high-output, powered case prep machine. CLICK HERE to read story.
 State Champions Listed by Discipline
The May edition of Shooting Sports USA also dedicates six full pages to 2010’s State Champion shooters, listed discipline by discipline. The recognition give these many shooters is well-deserved. As you’ll find in every edition of Shooting Sports USA, there is a comprehensive calendar of NRA shooting competitions for a vast range of disciplines: Action Pistol, Air Pistol, Pistol Silhouette, Black Powder Target Rifle, Black Powder Silhouette, Lever Rifle Silhouette, Air Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, Smallbore Rifle Silhouette, High Power Rifle, High Power Silhouette, and more. You’ll find match listings for hundreds of shooting clubs around the country.
April 25th, 2011
Selection from BARNES BULLETS’ Tips, Tools, and Techniques
by Ty Herring, Barnes Consumer Service
The purpose of this month’s Tip from Barnes is to make you aware of valid pressure signs in most centerfire rifle cartridges so you can keep yourself out of hot water. Following the Barnes Manual should do exactly that. Below are photos of cartridges that definitely had too much pressure. Fortunately [they] were fired in controlled circumstances and no one was injured. But this shows what can happen if you are not careful….
 High-Tech Pressure Testing Equipment
At Barnes Bullets, we use some of the best equipment when we develop load data for you. Ours is state-of-the-art with a specialized “conformal” pressure system. This set-up uses a high-tech SAAMI-spec pressure barrel with a hole bored into the chamber area and a piezoelectric transducer is installed. As the pressure peaks under firing, the gauge that is specially calibrated reads the pressure and sends a signal to the control box where a technician can see the results.
For many years hand loaders have used the old fashioned trial and error method, hoping that by adding another grain of powder you don’t blow yourself up. Certain “guidelines” have been the standard — such as when the primer gets flat, or when the bolt locks up — you should stop and reduce the charge. These methods have worked for many, but some of them are more myth than reality. I’d like to go over some of these common pressure signs to help you avoid the pitfalls.
Pressure Signs That May Be Unreliable or Deceptive
When I first started hand loading centerfire rifle cartridges, I was told that when the primer flattens I should back the load down. This is one of those semi-myths. Some primers will flatten under high pressure and others will not. I’ve had some Remington primers that have blown right out of the case without ever showing any sign of flattening and on the other hand I’ve had Winchester primers that flatten with only a starting charge. I believe this to be a function of the thickness and hardness of the primer cup. The other myth that seems common is primer “cratering”. Cratering of the primer can be caused by a hot load. But it can also be a result of a slightly large firing pin hole in the bolt or a firing pin that is a bit too long or excessive headspace. Split or cracked cases are another area where it’s assumed that high pressure is the cause. Again this is only myth. Although it can be a result of high pressure — split or cracked cases are more likely caused due to a flaw in the case, improper head space or just simply from being sized and fired repetitively.
[Editor’s Note: Flattened Primers, Primer Cratering, and Cracked Cases CAN DEFINITELY BE CAUSED by excessive pressure. Accordingly, you SHOULD be careful when you see any of these conditions. If you see very flat primers or deep cratering be alerted that you may have exceeded safe pressures. Ty Herring simply makes the point that these telltale pressure signs may sometimes occur even when pressure levels are “normal” or moderate — due to the presence of other problems. Hence these indicators may be misleading. Nonetheless — all these signs (flattened primers, cratered primers, split cases) CAN be valid warnings. If you see these conditions, exercise caution because you may, in fact, have excessively hot loads.]
Valid Pressure Signs You Should Understand
So what are valid pressure signs? I’d say the most common and repeatable pressure sign that one can visually see is the “ejector groove mark”. It shows itself on the bottom of the case [between the edge of the rim and] the primer. It is caused when the pressures within the chamber force the case against the bolt face. On most bolt faces there is a round spring loaded ejector pin. On others there is a rectangular groove to eject the spent round. Under very high pressure the brass case will flow into this groove thereby causing the “ejector groove mark”. If and when you see this mark, it is a sure sign of high pressure. Some of the new high pressure cartridges such as the WSMs are made to run at these higher pressures and some factory loads will manifest the ejector groove mark even though they are within their pressure specification.
Older-Generation Cartridges
Some cartridges have very low maximum pressure ratings such as the 45-70, 30-30, 416 Rigby along with many others that will never show an ejector groove mark. Or should I say, they should never show one. By the time you reach that high of pressure in one of these rifles, it is likely the gun will be in pieces and the bolt may become part of you.
Sticky Bolt Lift and Difficult Extraction
Another common and very real high pressure sign is heavy or sticky bolt lift or extraction. This is caused due to the brass flowing and swelling in the chamber under tremendous pressure. However heavy bolt lift is not always a sign of high pressure. It may be caused by a variety of other issues. Knowing your gun and how it usually extracts a cartridge will be a clue as to whether or not you are actually getting high pressure.
This article appears courtesy Barnes Bullets. The article originally appear in the June 2011 Barnes Bullet-N Newsletter. Story tip from Edlongrange.
April 22nd, 2011
 Grafs.com is running a big sale right now on Hornady Bullets with many very popular projectiles marked down 12%.
And to sweeten the deal, for the next week, Grafs.com is waiving its $4.95 handling/insurance fee on any orders worth $60.00 or more. Graf’s already offers free shipping on most products, so this is a good deal, even if you’re only going to buy a couple boxes of bullets. Here are some of the Hornady Bullet Discounts:
- 20gr V-MAX BULLET (.172, 100/box)
$15.39 on sale, 12% savings
Item #RN21710
- 40gr V-MAX BULLET (.224, 100/box)
$15.39 on sale, 12% savings
Item #HRN22241
- 50gr V-MAX BULLET (.224, 100/box)
$15.39 on SALE, 12% savings
Item #HRN22261
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- 58gr V-MAX BULLET (6mm, 100/Box)
$17.79 on sale, 10% savings
Item #HRN22411
- 120gr A-MAX BULLET (6.5mm, 100/box)
$23.59 on sale, 8% savings
Item #HRN26172
- 168gr BTHP MATCH BULLET (.308, 100/box)
$23.99 on sale, 10% savings
Item #HRN30501
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FREE Freight and No-Charge Handling/Insurance with $60 Purchase
Grafs.com will waive the handling and insurance charge ($4.95 value) when you order at least $60 worth of in-stock merchandise. Freight is ALWAYS prepaid to the 48 states on regular ground service only except for target load ammo (see terms of service for details). Offer excludes closeout items and target loads. Offer expires Thursday, April 28th at midnight CST. NOTE: Hazmat and other special fees are NOT included. Call 800-531-2666 for any questions.
April 18th, 2011
The .308 Winchester, a shortened version of the .30-06, has almost completely replaced the .30-06 in NRA competition. The .308 is required for Palma shooting, so it is also used by many Palma competitors in other long-range and mid-range prone matches. However, with the exception of M1 Garand matches, you won’t see many .30-06 rifles on the firing lines. Does that mean the .30-06 is obsolete? Is the .308 Win really much more accurate? Or does it just offer the advantages of reduced recoil and reduced powder consumption?
Cartridge photos courtesy Deuce45s.com, a leading source of specialized military cartridges.
In his Sibling Rivalry: .308 vs. .30-06 article on the Rifleman’s Journal site, German Salazar argues that the .30-06 remains a viable competition cartridge, particularly for the long-range game. This isn’t just a subjective opinion. German has data to back up the argument that the .30-06 can still do the job.
German compares the actual scores produced by his .308 Win rifles with the scores from his .30-06 rifles. German analyzes scores, over a two-year period, shot by “matched pair” rifles (one in each caliber) with similar actions, stocks, sights, and barrels. For comparison purposes, German also includes score data from his 6XC, a modern low-recoil chambering.
RESULTS: .308 Has Small Edge at Middle Distance, But .30-06 Is Better at Long Range
Surprisingly, the .30-06 performed nearly as well as the .308 at middle distances. The .30-06 delivered 99.2% of max possible scores vs. 99.5% for the .308 Win. Notably, at 1000 yards, the .30-06 racked up 97.7% of max scores vs. 97.3% for the .308 Win. So, at 1000 yards, the .30-06 actually proved superior to the .308 Win. German explains: “This isn’t too surprising when one considers [the .308’s] limited case capacity for the bullet weights typically used in Long-Range shooting. They just run out of steam and dip perilously close to the transonic range as they approach 1000 yards of flight. The extra 150 fps or so that can be safely obtained from the .30-06 case really pays off at 1000 yards.”
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Mid-Range Comparison
In NRA Mid-Range matches (500 and 600 yards), the average score and percentage of possible score for each cartridge was as follows:
.308 – 597-36X (99.5%), 960 rounds fired
6XC – 596-35X (99.3%),1260 rounds fired
.30-06 – 595-31X (99.2%), 2580 rounds fired
If we look at the score averages, the .308 comes out on top at the Mid-Range distances… by 0.3% of the possible score. By the way, notice that the 6XC, as good as it is, simply straddles the .30 caliber cartridges; it is not the winner.
Long-Range Comparison
German rarely shoots the .308 in matches that are only 1000 yards; most of his 1000-yard .308 shooting is done in Palma matches which include 800, 900 and 1000 yards. To make the comparison useful, the Long-Range results are presented only as a percentage of the possible score and the 800- and 900-yard stages of Palma matches were NOT included.
In NRA Long-Range and Palma matches, the average percentage of possible score for each cartridge at 1000 yards was as follows:
6XC – 98.9%, 360 rounds fired
.30-06 – 97.7%, 460 rounds fired
.308 – 97.3%, 490 rounds fired
Editor’s Note: Among the three cartridges German studied, the 6XC actually proved best at 1000 yards, delivering 98.9% of the maximum possible scores. The .30-06 was second-best with 97.7%, slightly better than the .308 Win at 97.3%.
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You’ll want to read German’s full Sibling Rivalry article, which includes an interesting history of the .30-06 and .308 in High Power shooting, along with tables showing German’s actual scores with his .30-06, .308 Win, and 6XC rifles.
April 17th, 2011
 Experienced .308 shooters know that the 168gr Federal Gold Medal match ammunition often performs superbly in both factory and custom .308 Win rifles. We’ve seen this stuff shoot 1 MOA in an FN-FAL and close to half-MOA in a GAP tactical rifle. We won’t make any promises, but the reputation of this ammo speaks for itself. Right now, Champion Shooters Supply has Federal GM308M 168gr factory ammo for just $20.00 per box of 20 rounds. That’s 56% off Champion’s regular price, and way below what this ammo normally costs. Loaded with the 168gr Sierra MK BTHP bullet, this stuff is very high grade ammo at a very attractive price. NOTE: If you want it, order soon. Champion states: “Sale Supply is limited, once we run out we cannot continue this special price.”
Story sourced by Edlongrange.
April 15th, 2011
 Here’s an amazing deal if you need a large supply of .224-cal, general purpose bullets. Wideners.com is currently offering a 6000-count bulk pack of 55gr Hornady FMJBT bullets. The price is just $475.00 including FREE shipping. That works out to just $7.92/hundred or less than 8 cents per bullet!. These bullets sell elsewhere for $13-$15 per box of 100.
The cannelured, secant-ogive, 55gr FMJBT bullet was designed to duplicate the performance of military M193 ammo. The deep-penetrating FMJ design is also good for hunters wanting to preserve the integrity of game pelts.
The 55gr bullets ship in a 6000-count bulk pack with free shipping. Who needs 6000 bullets? Well a club or training group could assemble low-cost training ammo with these bullets. Or, two or three varmint-shooting buddies might want to join in on a “group buy”.
Story sourced by Edlongrange.
April 13th, 2011
 Hornady has discovered social networking. This week Hornady launched official Facebook and Twitter sites. Fans can go to Facebook.com/hornady and Twitter.com/teamhornady to get the latest news about Hornady products and events.
Hornady’s Facebook Site will offer:
- Live chats with industry experts.
- Exclusive discounts and promotions.
- Timely info on new products.
- Product photo galleries and videos.
On Hornady’s new social media pages, shooters can share their photos and stories about hunting, competitive shooting, and reloading. Importantly, the Facebook Page will allow shooters to interact with Hornady’s “brain trust” — the ballisticians, designers, and engineers who develop Hornady’s new products. Allowing customers to share their ideas/experiences with the folks who design and build Hornady products is a good thing. Hornady can get reliable, immediate feedback on its products. That should speed up the process of making improvements and enhancements.
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