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January 17th, 2009
In October, we published a preliminary report on the new 30 Remington AR cartridge, complete with diagrams and factory load specs.
At SHOT 2009, Remington displayed Remington 30AR rifles and factory-loaded ammo. There were no great surprises. This is a short, fat cartridge (.308 bolt-face) that holds about 44 grains of H20. Case size and capacity were pretty much dictated by AR15 magazine dimensions: “According to Outdoor Life columnist John Snow: “DPMS President Randy Luth and Remington’s John Fink (brand manager for the rifle division) … both said that the goal was to look at the AR lower and see how much cartridge they could fit in there.” The Rem 30AR uses a single-stack magazine holding four (4) rounds.
Factory Rem 30AR ammo is loaded with 125gr projectiles running about 2800 fps. While the 0.267 BC for those bullets is pretty low, the cartridge should perform its intended job of harvesting deer just fine. Jason also believes that, if the Remington-brand brass is decent, this cartridge could have real potential in Hunter Benchrest and for subsonic work.
30 Remington AR (30 RAR) Specifications
| Case Capacity |
Rim
Diam. |
Parent Cases |
Shoulder |
Factory Load |
Mag Type |
| 44.0gr H20 |
0.473″
.308 bolt face |
.450 Bushmaster
.284 Winchester |
25° |
125gr SP or
125 B-Tip
2800 fps
0.267 BC |
4-Round
Single Stack |
January 16th, 2009
Jason’s first stop on his 2009 SHOT Show tour was at the Berger Bullets booth. Our readers know that Berger manufactures some of the best varmint and match bullets in the world. Eric Stecker, Berger’s master bulletsmith, announced that Berger is organizing its production into three main lines: Varmint bullets (flat-base and standard boat-tails), Target bullets (both Tangent Ogive and VLD designs) with thicker jackets, and Hunting bullets (low-drag VLD with standard J4 jackets).
A design effort is underway to optimize the “long range” bullet shapes, centering around a tangent ogive BT design with shorter than normal bearing surface. This allows a longer nose shape with a better BC. It should also be easier to tune, given the tangent ogive design. Berger’s designers are also working with a double ogive shape for big bore bullets. This will feature a tangent ogive immediately above the bearing surface to allow a smoother transition into the lands. Then the shape transitions to a secant ogive for better BC and a smaller meplat.
New 20 Caliber Bullet is Ready and Two .338 Projectiles in the Works
Berger announced a new 55gr, 20-caliber “Long Range” BT bullet. Prototypes have been tested successfully in 8-twist barrels. With sufficient velocities a 1:9″ twist might work also, but Berger wants more field testing–by shooters like you. NOTE: Berger is currently looking for “volunteers” to test this new 20-cal 55-grainer in 8-Twist and 9-Twist barrels. Contact Michelle Gallagher at Berger for more details.
Big-bore shooters will be pleased to learn Berger hopes to release both 250gr and 300gr .338-caliber bullets by the end of 2009. While design work is on-going, Berger expects to offer tangent ogive, secant ogive, and double-radius .338 projectiles in both 250gr and 300gr weights. So you’ll have a choice of three different bullet shapes, each in two weights. That’s good news for hunters and ultra-long-range shooters.
Bullet Ballistic Coefficients (BCs) to Be Analyzed and Updated
Berger recently hired Bryan Litz as an in-house ballistics experts. Bryan, a top-level High Power and long-range shooter, formerly worked with the Air Force as a rocket ballistics scientist. Drawing on his expertise, Berger will be testing its match bullets to establish more precise drag figures. So, you may see the stated BCs on your favorite Berger bullets changing a bit in the future, but those changes will be based on improved design analysis and testing.
January 16th, 2009
For precision rifle shooters, Lapua brass is about as good as it gets. It is definitely the preferred cartridge brass for short-range benchrest, 600-yard benchrest, and F-Class competition. Jason visited the Lapua booth to find out what new products the Finnish manufacturer will offer in 2009. In the video below, Sales Manager Adam Braverman reviews Lapua’s new offerings.
Lapua Revives .222 Remington Line
The big news is the re-introduction of .222 Remington brass. In late 2008 we revealed that Lapua would resume production of .222 Rem brass, and now we’ve learned that Lapua will be producing .222 Rem loaded ammo as well. Notably, this new .222 Rem brass (and ammo) will be produced “in-house” by Lapua. We expect it will meet the same exacting standards as other Lapua match brass. The .222 brass will be available immediately, and you should soon find it in stock at Grafs.com.
NEW 300gr, .338 Scenar Bullet
Big bore shooters will be pleased to know that Lapua has introduced a new 300gr, .338-caliber Scenar match bullet. When launched from the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, the new GB528 300-grainer will stay supersonic past 1500 meters. And even at 1700 meters it still carries over 1000 Joules of energy. You won’t find the 300gr Scenar in a silver cardboard box, however. From now on, Lapua match bullets will arrive in durable blue plastic containers. That’s progress we guess.
New BC Data Available for QuickTARGET
The ballistic coefficient of the new 300-grainers, as well as most other Lapua bullets, can now be inputed directly into the QuickTARGET ballistics program. BC values for Lapua bullets were confirmed with actual “real world” testing using Doppler radar.
No luck this year for .260 Rem and Short Mag Shooters
Despite persistent rumors, we won’t be seeing .260 brass or Short Mag brass from Lapua this season — though Lapua hasn’t ruled this out for some time in the future. Lapua does invite input from shooters, particular on the Short Magnum question. If Lapua feels there is adequate demand, it might (we stress might) consider production of a short mag. The question is “which short magnum?” The WSM family certainly has been more widely adopted thus far, but for match shooters, particularly 7mm shooters, the Remington SAUM may be a more efficient (and potentially more accurate) case. Right now, Lapua is leaning to the WSM, according to our sources.
January 13th, 2009
Forum regular Al Nyhus has tried his hand at bullet making, producing custom 30-caliber projectiles for his 30 BR match rifles. With help and guidance from his “guru”, bullet-smith Randy Robinett, Al has produced some very impressive bullets. This demonstrates that with patience, determination, and the right tools and components, amazing results are possible, even for a novice bullet-maker.
Al writes: “My 30 Caliber bullet making adventure [has] been a lot of fun and a real learning experience. I’d like to thank Randy Robinett for all his patient teaching and guidance. The bullets have been working well in competition, being used in the Varmint for Score portion of the IBS Wisconsin State Two Gun Championship win a few weeks back.
NOTE: Al’s 30 BR rifle was smithed by Stan Ware of SGR Custom Rifles.
Here are two photos from recent testing. In the 100-yard, 15-round target, the wind velocity was purposely ignored and the group was fired only with the same flag angle, trying to determine how they worked in the wind. Winds were 12-18 mph from 4 o’clock.
This 200-yard group was fired in near perfect test conditions — overcast, early in the morning, with no mirage. We usually have a small window of what I call ‘Happy Hour’ before the winds crank up.”
Measuring Group Size
Note how Al measures his groups. Look at the top photo. You’ll see Al starts with the extreme outside edge of the hole, including the gray edge or ring. Then Al subtracts .290″, the TRUE size of one bullet-hole in the paper, as opposed to .308″, the nominal bullet diameter. If you simply subtract a full bullet diameter you will get a smaller number for your group size. That is good for the shooter’s ego, but Al’s method is more accurate because a bullet normally will cut a hole that is smaller than the actual bullet diameter.
December 22nd, 2008
Sierra Bullets has introduced a new .308-caliber MatchKing bullet, the model #2156, 155-grain HPBT Palma. This is an entirely new bullet created for Palma and other long-range shooters. Compared to the older #2155 MatchKing bullet (which will still be available), the new #2156 Palma bullet has a longer, more streamlined 9-caliber ogive, slightly longer OAL, and a pointed meplat. This is the first Sierra bullet to have the meplats “pointed up” at the factory. Sierra points the tips using a special extra die as the last stage in the production process.
Sierra’s new 155-grainer will be offered in boxes of 100 bullets (stock #2156, $38.89 MSRP), 500 bullets (stock #2156C, $180.46 MSRP), or 500 moly-coated bullets (stock # 2156M ,$203.81 MSRP). For more info, contact Sierra at 1-800-223-8799 or email sierra [at] sierrabullets.com.
 Tierney Tests NEW 155gr Palma MatchKing
Jerry Tierney, Palma shooter and 2008 NBRSA 600-yard Champion, has done extensive testing of Sierra bullet prototypes, including the new #2156. Jerry reports: “The old 2155 is 1.119″ long while the new 2156 is 1.219″ long with the point closed much tighter on the new bullet. The difference in base to ogive length is 0.004″ between the two bullets. In my test rifle, the new 2156 Sierra MatchKing Palma bullet can be shot with the same load and chamber as the old Sierra 155. However, in the interest of safety you may want to reduce your load slightly and then work up.”
Jerry has been testing various Sierra bullet designs for the USA Palma Team. As part of his research, he shot the new 155gr #2156 bullet in an NBRSA 1000-yard match in Sacramento this past summer. Here is Jerry’s field report:
“I loaded the old Sierra 155s, the new pointed Sierra 155s, and the Berger 155.5-grain bullets to shoot one each in the three targets of five- and ten-shot groups. All were loaded with 47.0 grains of Varget (2007 lot), the bullets were loaded to jump 0.018” for the Sierra 155, 0.010″ for the new Sierra 155s, and 0.021″ for the Berger 155.5s in Lapua cases. The MV is in the 3030 fps range.
I shot the bullets in this order: Sierra 155s, new Sierra 155s, and the Berger 155.5s in each of the three matches of light and heavy guns. The total round fired was 45 for score and 37 sighters for a total of 82 rounds. NO ILL effects were seen between the different bullets with no cleaning of the barrel. Temperature range was 73 to 80 degrees under our covered 1000-yard firing points.
Here are the results for the three 5-shot targets:
| Old Sierra 155s |
Group = 19 ¼” |
Vertical = 9 ¼” |
Score = 39-0X |
| New Sierra 155s |
Group = 16 ½” |
Vertical = 6 ¼” |
Score = 43-0X |
| Berger 155.5 |
Group = 9 ¼” |
Vertical = 8 7/8″ |
Score = 44-0X |
The wind changes were such that you could not compare the bullet wind drift, but the vertical showed the new Sierras were very good. The best vertical shot today was with my test rifle. I was first in the Light Gun three-target aggregate for score and third in single Light Gun score and the six-target aggregate score.
The elevation for BOTH the new Sierra bullet and the Berger 155.5 was exactly 3.00 minutes less than old Sierra 155 (#2155) at 1000 yards.”
December 22nd, 2008
Call it “paranoia” or call it “sensible preparation”, gun owners nationwide have been stocking-up on ammunition and loading components, particularly for .223 Rem and .308 Winchester. This has created shortages in supply, with the predictable price increases. Fortunately, Grafs.com has large supplies of Lake City .223 Rem Brass. This is good quality stuff, made by Federal at the Lake City ammo plant. The .223 Rem brass starts at $22.99 per hundred. If you’re looking for loaded ammo, Grafs.com has the excellent Prvi Partizan .223 Rem 75gr HPBT match ammo for $10.99 per 20-ct box (item PPA223MATCH). Forum members have tested this ammo in fast-twist .223 barrels and found that it shoots very well.
Grafs.com also has PRIMED Federal Lake City .308 Win Brass starting at $39.99 per hundred.
December 12th, 2008
 In response to increased customer demand and regional lead-free regulation, Winchester introduces new SUPER-X 55gr .223 Rem lead-free ammunition using a patented tin core technology. The new .223 Rem lead-free ammo features a 55gr tin-core bullet loaded to 3050 fps. The new product, item X223RT, will be available in Spring 2009.
“Shooters and hunters require lead-free ammunition in various regions of the U.S., and it is our goal to make sure they have a legal, high-performance product,” said Glen Weeks, Centerfire Product Manager for Winchester Ammunition. “Our goal with this new .223 Rem product… is to make sure that shooters have a wide range of Winchester lead-free products available.”
Winchester offers a diverse line of lead-free ammunition in shotshell, centerfire handgun, centerfire rifle (including E-Tip™ ammo for .308 Win, 30-06, 300 WSM, and 300 WM), and new .22 LR and .22 Win Magnum offerings.
New Ultra-Fast 22LR Rimfire Ammo
Winchester has also just announced its new 1,640 FPS 22LR round, called the Xpediter™. The Xpediter, part of the Supreme line, is Winchester’s fastest 22 Long Rifle varmint and small game round. Xpediter ammo features a copper-plated 32gr lead hollow point bullet and nickel-plated shell casing. At 1,640 FPS the Expediter is harder-hitting and flatter shooting than nearly all other 22 LR rimfire rounds. A deep hollow point in the bullet tip allows for maximum terminal effect.
“This ultra-fast bullet is going to be a favorite among rimfire enthusiasts,” said Brad Criner, Winchester Ammunition’s Shotshell and Rimfire Product Manager.
For more information about Winchester Ammunition and its complete line of products, visit www.winchester.com. Recognizing, in part, Winchester’s leadership in providing lead-free ammo, Winchester was named the Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year by the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) at the recent NASGW Annual Expo in Atlanta.
December 3rd, 2008
Now through December 8, 2008 (at midnight), Cabela’s is offering a heck of a deal. Buy anything in the store totalling at least $100.00, and Cabela’s will deduct $20.00 from the final cost. Yep, that even applies to sale items and “Bargain Cave” items. Is there a catch? Yes, you can only use this offer one time (so you can’t do multiple hundred-dollar orders to get multiple $20 savings.)
To qualify for this offer, click the link below. Enter an email address. Cabela’s will send you an e-mail with your Cabela’s Buck Rebate Number and Code. Supply this code when you “check-out” with your purchase.
What to Get for $100.00?
Consider purchasing some Black Hills remanufactured .223 Rem ammo. This is the same ammunition the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit uses in 600-yard matches. Very accurate, it can produce 2″ groups at 300 meters in accurized match rifles. The Black Hills “Blue Box” ammo comes 50 rounds per box. Black Hills offers a variety of .223 Rem loads from 52 grains to 77 grains. Loaded with 69gr Sierra MatchKings, the Black Hills ammo is $39.99 per box of 50. You could purchase three (3) boxes, and your total cost (after $20.00 rebate) would be $99.97 (not including shipping).
November 29th, 2008
Gunsmith Mike Sosenko and long-time 6mmBR.com supporter John Adams have been using a modified .243 Winchester case with great success in Varmint Silhouette matches at the Pala Range in Southern California. Officially called the “243 BR-K” (and informally dubbed the “6BR Long”), the wildcat is basically a .243 Winchester with less body taper and a 30-degree shoulder. The design essentially grafts a 6mmBR Norma “top end” to the .243 Winchester case. After fire-forming, Mike and John can reload this case using normal, unmodified 6BR neck-sizing and seater dies.
Compared to a .243 Winchester, the 243 BR-K’s body length is about .006″ longer, and the shoulder is about .0055″ wider. The main difference is the shoulder angle (30° vs. 20°), and the location of the neck-shoulder junction (“NSJ”). Based on reamer prints, the base to NSJ dimension is 1.718″ on the 6BR Long, compared to 1.804″ for the .243 Winchester. Neck length is a bit shorter because “the neck shrinks a little when the shoulder blows out” according to Sosenko. We’ve provided a mock-up diagram of the 243 BR-K, but you should check with Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge for exact dimensions. Dave created the reamers for both the 6mm and 22-caliber versions of this wildcat. Ask for the “22 BR-K” or “243 BR-K” reamer designs.
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Wicked Velocity with Stable Brass
The main advantage of the 243 BR-K is serious velocity in a case that is very stable. Mike’s favorite load is the 95gr Berger VLD pushed by Reloader 22. With a stout load of RL22 and Federal 210m Primers, Sosenko is getting 3450 fps with the 95-grainer, with no bullet blow-ups. This is with a 1:8.5″ twist Broughton 5R barrel finished at 28.5″. The cases are holding up very well. Mike has a half-dozen loads on his brass and he hasn’t had to full-length size yet. Mike runs a .262″ tight neck, but there is also a no-turn version of the case (see illustration). Accuracy is excellent. Mike says the round delivers repeatable 1/4 MOA groups at 100 yards in testing. He has also experimented with N160, but, thus far, Reloader 22 has delivered smaller groups with better ES and SD.
VIEW 243 BR-K REAMER PRINT (No-Turn Neck)
John Adams shoots a no-turn (.274″) neck 243 BR-K with 105gr Berger VLDs. He’s getting about 3230 fps using Reloader 22. John says he can push the 105s faster, but 3220-3240 fps “seems to be the sweet spot.” John notes that “after about five reloadings on a case, it gets a little tight”. John then full-length sizes with a custom Hornady FL bushing die. “The Hornady custom shop dies work great” according to John. Adams also shoots a version of this wildcat necked down to 22-caliber. It has demonstrated outstanding velocity and good accuracy in initial testing with a 9-twist barrel. Using the 80gr Amax bullets, John is getting 3570+ fps speeds. John feels that his 22 BR-K needs some more development work. “The 243 BR-K is proven. We know what works. With the 22 I want to try different seating depths, experiment with a few different bullets, and fine-tune the velocity.”
Whitley’s 6mm Super X
Robert Whitley shoots a variant of the .243 Winchester he calls the 6mm Super X. This features a 30° shoulder, and slightly less body taper. He gains a little case capacity over the standard .243 Win, and he says the cartridge is extremely accurate with both 105-108 grain pills and the heavier 115s: “Here’s a picture of a .243 Win (left), a 6mm Super X (center), and a 6XC (right). All I can say is the 6mm Super X has been good to me and I have shot many a clean in 600-yard High Power matches with it with either DTAC 115s or Berger 115s.”
While Mike Sosenko and John Adams use their BR-Ks to push 95s and 105s at high velocities, Robert takes a different approach with his Super X. He shoots the high-BC 115s and keeps velocities under 3000 fps. A long-range High Power shooter, Robert demands consistency during long shot strings. That means backing off from max attainable speeds, at least with the 115s. Robert writes:
“You can get 3050 fps with H4831SC and the 115s with no problem, I did it in testing multiple times, but to me that also does not mean anything because I shoot loads where they are the most consistent and accurate over a 22+ shot string. I have never found that any of the 6mm cartridges I have used with 115s will stay consistent, tight and accurate the whole way at 3050 fps for 22+ shots straight. I have tried 115s in the .243 Win, the 6CM, the 6mm Super X, the 6XC, the 6-6.5 x 47 Lapua and none of them ever stayed consistent and tight for 22 shots straight with the 115s at that speed. Most of the time with all the 6mm cartridges, if you get the 115s much over 2975 fps, they won’t hold tight for 22+ shots straight. Now if you’re a bench rest shooter and you only need to do a few sighters then 5 or 10 shots for record, you can run 3050 fps or more and the groups will likely hold tight during your string, but not when you need to go 22+ shots straight with no break. I have shot many different 6mm cartridges and done a lot of testing with many different powders, moly and non-moly bullets. I don’t find the ‘consistent accuracy’ (for 22+ shots straight) at those higher velocities.”
November 10th, 2008
The prices of semi-automatic rifles may be zooming upwards, but many of our favorite vendors are offering special discounts on reloading components and shooting accessories. Here are some of the bargains to be had this November:
Midsouth Shooters Supply
— 10% off Ramshot powders (already attractively priced). For example: Ramshot Tac, Hunter, or Big Game, just $14.72 per pound. Ramshot SALE ENDS Nov. 14!
— Hornady Lock-N-Load Powder measure just $57.81, and 100 free bullets with purchase. This is a good measure, similar to RCBS Uni-flow.
— Varmint Nightmare X-Treme FBHP bullets, just $34.48 for five hundred (500). Either 34gr .224 diameter or 34gr .204 diameter. That works out to just $6.89 per hundred! Great choice for .204 Ruger, 20 Practical or 20 VarTarg.
CLICK HERE to download Midsouth Fall Specials catalog
Grafs.com
— Special Savings on Leupold VX-III and VXL. Prices too low to post on the web. Call for price quotes and availability, 1-800-531-2666.
 Creedmoor Sports
— $50.00 off famous Hardback Shooting Coats.
— Free ground shipping on any order over $300.00 Total, and free shipping on Kalispel gun cases (no price limit.)
Precision Reloading
— 10% off Berger, Hornady, Sierra, and Remington bullets (if you spend $100.00 or more). Limited to inventory in stock.
— 10% off ALL Norma brass.
Lock, Stock, & Barrel
— 20% off Federal Primers (phone sales only).
Call toll-free: 1-800-228-7925.
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