CMP Acquires Surplus Ammunition with Upcoming Sales at Matches
In early 2023, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) announced the acquisition of vast quantities of surplus ammunition. Over the past year, this surplus ammunition was available to CMP customers, and available to competitors during our matches.
The CMP intends on maintaining a surplus ammo inventory large enough to support CMP Matches for the next several years and to provide discounted surplus ammo to competitors attending CMP events. All sales will include set limits to remain in compliance with guidelines specified in the Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of the Army and the CMP. The CMP’s current ammunition available for purchase may be viewed on the CMP eStore.
“CMP continues to fulfill its vision to lead the nation in marksmanship excellence providing safe, high quality, and innovative programs with a focus on youth”, said Christie Sewell, CMP’s Chief Programs Officer. “CMP continues to set purchase limits and restrictions to ensure that our competitors will have access to the surplus ammunition.”
NOTE: This video shows an M1 Garand shooting modern CMP M2 Ball ammo NOT older surplus. The surplus M2 Ball ammo obtained by the CMP is older, but should have similar velocities with 150gr bullets.
Commercial and surplus ammunition sales are currently available on the CMP E-Store to qualified individuals. Register for an account or browse the CMP E-Store at https://shop.thecmp.org/browse/Ammo.
Can you hit an egg at 600+ yards? We mean hit it reliably — not just by luck. To do that you’ll need good shooting skills and a very accurate rifle. How accurate? Well, a chicken egg is, on average, 2 1/4 inches (57 mm) long and 1 3/4 inches (44.5 mm) in diameter. That means to hit an egg (on demand) at 600 yards, you’ll need a rifle capable of 1/3-MOA accuracy (or better). Forum member DukeDuke has such a gun, and he demonstrated its egg-busting prowess in this short video. DukeDuke’s rifle is chambered in 6BRX (a 30° 6BR Improved) and it’s loaded with DTAC 115gr bullets pushed by Alliant Reloder 17. In the video, the eggs are placed on top of poles set 616 yards from the firing line.
See Egg Hit at 38 second mark…
As you can see in the video, that’s a heck of a nice shooting range where DukeDuke scrambled those eggs at 616 yards. The range is situated just outside of Lake Jackson, Texas. As for the gun… the action is a Rem 700 SA BDL, blueprinted and bedded in a Rem/HS Precision PSS stock. The 31″ barrel is 1:8″-twist Broughton. The “P3″ on the barrel stands for Porter’s Precision Products, Lake Jackson, TX. The rifle was built by Kenneth Porter. The load was 33.5 grains of RL-17 at 2950 fps, with 115gr DTAC bullets touching the lands. Cartridge OAL is 2.400″.
The 6mm BRX was developed by Bob Crone. Retaining the 30° shoulder of the parent 6mmBR case, the BRX has a little less capacity than a 6mm Dasher. Bob told us that his original design for the 6mm BRX always had a .100″ longer head space than a 6mmBR Norma and that he never deviated from that. But after Bob developed the first 6mm BRX, Bill Shehane made a 6mm BRX version that had a .120″ longer head space, and thus some confusion started. In truth, the original 6mm BRX always was (and still is) a chambering with a head space .100″ longer than a 6mm BR Norma.
Reamer Print provided by AR-X Enterprises LLC, www.6mmAR.com.
A few seasons ago, Texas gunsmith Richard King built an impressive .50 BMG target rifle for a customer. Equipped with a beefy McMillan stock, this rig has delivered some very impressive accuracy. Check out that target shot during break-in. Using On Target software, we measured this 3-shot group at 0.476″ or 0.454 MOA. Not bad for a beast with VERY serious recoil. Do you think you could beat that 0.476″ with your AR15 shooting puny .223-caliber bullets?
Compare the dimensions of that massive 50-Cal action to a Rem 700 action in the middle. When you’re shooting a Fifty, size matters!
On Facebook, some folks were surprised a guy could wring that kind of accuracy out of a monster .50 BMG. One wag posted: “Yikes! He will need flinch therapy after shooting that beast.”
Another Facebooker joked: “When shooting a .50 BMG you say…In your best Crocodile Dundee voice…that’s not a gun, THIS is a gun!”
Richard King responded that this customer has quite a bit of experience with jumbo-caliber rifles: “Remember this is the guy that shot a .338 Lapua in a two-day F-Class match. Recoil might actually be easier on this 50, given the fact that it has more weight and a brake.”
Richard King showed us the monster 13-lb BAT action for this rifle at the 2018 Berger SWN. Honestly, the big BAT .50 BMG action was HUGE — with the bolt fully extended it was the size of your forearm (to the finger tips). Richard joked “This weighs almost as much as an F-TR rifle (before optic) all by itself”.
Specialty Tools for the Big .50 BMG
Yes, the .50 BMG is one huge cartridge. Thankfully, there are some special tools for loading the jumbo-size round. Giraud Tool produces a specialty comparator for the 50-Cal cartridge. The double-ended .50 BMG comparator is quite versatile. In one orientation you can measure base-to-ogive bullet length and also measure cartridge OAL from rim to bullet ogive. When reversed, you can use the comparator to measure cartridge headspace. Priced at $33.00, Giraud 50 BMG Comparator gauge is constructed of 303 stainless and fits most any vernier, dial, or digital caliper. CLICK HERE for more info.
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: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Palmetto State Armory — Semi-Auto 12ga Shotgun, $199.99
⏺ Great owner reports on versatile, sub-$200 shotgun
This might just be the shotgun deal of the decade. Right now you can get a reliable, optics-ready 12ga semi-auto shotgun for just $199.99. The 8-pound G-Force GF99 DLX Shotgun features a 20″ barrel, full Picatinny rail, and ships with a 5+1 magazine. Weight, unloaded, is 8 pounds. Read the very positive reviews from verified buyers: “Won’t find a better gun for the money… reliability [and] usability 5 stars”; “Cycles perfect. No jamming… go for it”; “Not one malfunction… I’m 100% happy with the purchase.”
2. MidwayUSA — BOG Tripod + Electronic Muffs Combo, $139.99
⏺ Save $70 on outstanding tripod and electronic muffs combo
Here’s a great combo for PRS/NRL shooters and/or hunters. You get the excellent BOG Deathgrip Tripod AND Caldwell E-Max Electronic Muffs for just $139.99 total. Plus you get free shipping this week from MidwayUSA. The BOG DeathGrip Tripod has rugged aluminum legs and a patented hands-free clamp. The bipod head pans 360 degrees with cant adjustment. The 3-position leg angle lock allows bipod use in standing, kneeling, and prone positions. The comfortable, low-profile E-Max Pro electronic muffs have a 23dB noise reduction rating (NRR).
3. Powder Valley — Hodgdon and Alliant Powders in Stock
⏺ Ultra-popular Hodgdon powders now available at good prices
This is your lucky day — many super-popular Hodgdon powders are in stock right now at Powder Valley. That’s right, you can order Hodgdon Varget, H4350, and H4831SC right now. And other Hodgdon powders are available starting at $32.99/lb. Plus many popular Alliant and IMR powders are in stock at Powder Valley including the outstanding Alliant Reloder 16. NOTE: If your favorite powder sells out, Midsouth also has Varget, RL16, H4350, and other top choices in stock including 8-lb jugs of H4350 and H4831sc for $390.99 ($48.87/lb).
Everyone should have a good .22 LR rimfire pistol for training and fun shooting. We really like the Walther P22 Target Model. This has excellent ergonomics and a nice trigger. With its forward compensator, this pistol has almost no muzzle flip, allowing very rapid shot strings. Currently you can get this P22 pistol plus a Hornady TrekLite Lockbox XXL portable gun safe — all for just $289.99 at CDNN Sports. Get the Lockbox via Walther mail-in rebate. CLICK HERE for Rebate INFO. NOTE: If you already have a .22 LR Pistol, CDNN has the gun+safe combo offer with other Walther 9mm and .380 ACP handguns.
⏺ Save 20% ($29.95) on very good canvas shooting coat
Creedmoor Sports makes some of the best shooting coats you can buy. Right now the popular Deluxe Canvas Shooting Coat is 20% off. Regularly $149.99, this is now on sale for $120.00, a $29.99 savings. This coat is very popular with High Power shooters, and Garand/Vintage military rifle shooters. Act soon as this discount ends on Tuesday 3/12/2024 at noon CST.
⏺ Great price on versatile, well-designed gun vise
Here’s an excellent gun vise on sale for just $35.99. The versatile MTM GV-30 CaseGard Gun Vise supports rifles and shotguns for cleaning/maintenance. High and low forks allow level or angled gun placement. The rubber-padded rotating stock clamp provides a firm hold. The base has 14 different compartments for tools/solvents, plus 11 slots for jags, brushes, and screwdrivers. On the side are tabs for two cleaning rods. This GV-20 vise is made from rugged, solvent-resistant polypropylene plastic. If this sells out on GunZoneDeals, Midsouth has the GV-30 Vise for $38.00.
7. Locked&Loaded — CCI Blazer 9mm Ammo, $219.99 1000 rds
⏺ Quality 9mm brass-cased ammo at a super-low price — $0.22/round
CCI makes very reliable pistol ammo with reloadable brass cases. Right now you can get 1000 rounds of CCI Blazer 9mm FMJ ammo for just $219.99 at LockedLoaded.com. That price works out to just $11.00 per 50-round box — a fantastic price. This very affordable 115gr Blazer 9mm ammo is excellent for practice/training, and it is more reliable than commercial reloads.
⏺ Handy adjustable rest fits nearly all types of pistols and revolvers
A small compact rest definitely helps with handgun load development and accuracy testing. A good choice (at a great price) is the Caldwell Pistolero shooting rest (#ad), now just $22.39 on sale at Amazon. The Caldwell Pistolero rest is durable, and the support surfaces will not mark your pistols. The hand support is comfortable to use. With 5 inches of rear pad movement and and 3 inches of vertical adjustment in the front, the Pistolero rest accommodates virtually all handguns, providing a stable shooting surface.
9. Amazon — GuardTech Plus Gun Cleaning Kit, $43.50
⏺ Excellent full-featured cleaning kit for all types of guns
This big GuardTech Plus Cleaning Kit will work for rifles, pistols, and even shotguns. You get a big selection of brushes, jags, and mops that fit calibers .17 to .50. In addition, there are picks and tooth-brush-style brushes for cleaning your action, plus a pull-through cleaning rope. You get all this, in a nice fitted hard case, for just $43.50 on Amazon. Choose green case (as shown), or black case.
10. MidwayUSA — Wheeler Bore Lapping Kit, $21.89
⏺ Simple, inexpensive method to enhance factory barrels — Save 54%
This kit can help polish a rifle bore to remove factory machining marks and reduce fouling. With this kit you coat bullets so they can perform a lapping function as they are fired through the barrel. This Wheeler Lapping Kit consists of three 1 oz. jars of silicon carbide abrasive pastes (220 Cutting Grit, 320 Smoothing Grit, and 600 Polishing Grit) and two steel application plates. NOTE: We do NOT recommend using this kit with high-quality, hand-lapped barrels from makers such as Bartlein, Brux, Krieger, and Shilen.
UltimateReloader.com offers some of the most thorough firearms and reloading tool tests on the internet. And UltimateReloader’s YouTube Channel has over 1040 great videos that showcase reloading tools, accurate firearms, precision optics, gunsmithing methods, and top-tier reloading components. For today’s Saturday at the Movies feature, we showcase five videos recently created by Gavin Gear and his UltimateReloader team. These videos highlight a superb Long-Range Target Camera, the remarkable AMP Press, the new Hornady PRC cartridges, and other interesting topics.
Since starting his channel in 2007, Gavin has released over 1040 videos showcasing reloading products, gunsmithing, and gun testing. Thanks to Gavin’s movie-making skills and hard work, his YouTube Channel now has 335,000+ subscribers. And over the years Gavin’s videos have received over 73.8 million views. Gavin’s videos have benefited shooting enthusiasts and hand-loaders around the globe.
Multiple Muzzle Brake Performance with .224 Bullets
This video includes some serious testing of muzzle brakes in three bore sizes. One each designed for .224 caliber, 6.5mm caliber, and .308 caliber. The goal of the project was to see how brake bore affected recoil reduction, and accuracy. Gavin’s team uses two rifles, one AR and one 22-250 bolt action. Gavin’s testing equipment allows him to plot recoil force with great precision. What did they find: “With optimized clearance [.224 brake] we got the lowest recoil”.
New LongShot Ranger and Ranger Plus Target Cameras
Longshot offers superb, reliable, high-resolution target cameras favored by top shooters around the world. Now LongShot is introducing a new Ranger series of target cameras starting at just $199.00 for the basic Ranger which runs at 100 yards. For those who regularly shot at longer distances, the new Ranger Plus reaches out to 1000 yards. Right now you can get the impressive Ranger Plus for a $299.00 “Pre-Order” sale price. The features of these two systems are compared in the graphic below:
Bergara Premier Competition Rifle in 6GT
The 6GT is a popular new cartridge originally developed for the PRS/NRL discipline. It has a case capacity and case length between the 6 Dasher and the 6mm Creedmoor. This allows it to rival the accuracy of the 6 Dasher with less recoil than a 6mm Creedmoor, and potentially longer barrel life because less powder is burned with each shot. In this video Gavin tests the new Bergara factory precision rifle chambered in 6 GT. This rifle is based around the Bergara Premier action with a stainless No. 7 taper 1:7.5″-twist barrel, set in an MPA BA chassis. CLICK HERE for full test article on UltimateReloader.com.
AMP Mark II DB and RAMP Bipod at SHOT Show 2024
Top Benchrest, F-Class, Palma, ELR, Silhouette, and PRS/NRL shooters use AMP annealers. These impressive, computer-controlled annealing machines allow you to get optimal, consistent neck tension. In addition, regular AMP annealing can significantly extend the life of cartridge brass. With good brass now running $130-$160 per 100 cases, you definitely want your brass to last as long as possible.
Shown above is the innovative RAMP Bipod from the New Zealand team that created the revolutionary AMP Annealing machine. This new RAMP Bipod allows easy yet secure elevation changes with the front bipod.
Caldwell Flash Bang Target Impact Indicators
We like reactive targets for the instant gratification that comes with a hit. When shooting steel it’s great to get that rewarding “ping” on impact. But sometimes it’s hard to hear, especially when the targets are far away. Caldwell’s Flash Bang target hit indicators solve this problem, providing visual feedback for the shooter, spotter, and spectators. Gavin notes that: “These small units will mount to any steel target and are incredibly affordable. At $37, replacing them if they are accidentally shot is not a huge loss. In fact, Caldwell is the first company to bring a hit indicator to market that doesn’t eat a hole in your wallet.”
Twenty-five years ago, GunBroker.com, the world’s first firearms-centric auction marketplace, was launched. Over the past 25 years, GunBroker.com has offered firearms and outdoor enthusiasts a safe and secure place to buy and sell goods. Launched in 1999 as a response to eBay’s rejection of firearms and firearm-related auctions, GunBroker.com has led the way in listing capabilities, and volume/range of products. What began as a listing service for individual sellers has expanded into a powerful sales engines for FFL dealers, retailers, and manufacturers. So it now serves for both individual sales and commercial sales.
New Gunbroker Features
In the two and a half decades since 1999, what began as an auction-based platform has evolved to offer Buy It Now pricing, Take a Shot offers, Buy Now Button on manufacturer websites and self-service seller advertising. Brand Stores, coupon and rebate centers, and an editorial department have followed.
And, for convenience, from the Gunbroker home page you can get one-click access to all major product types:
Over One Billion Gunbroker Listings Since 1999
In late 2023, GunBroker posted its one-billionth listing. Over 36 million additional items have been listed since the one billion milestone. Gunbroker truly is the world’s largest marketplace for firearms and accessories.
Multi-Item Cart Capability Coming Soon
Looking ahead, the site will soon launch multi-item cart capability along with other new functionalities designed to make the site easier for buyers and more efficient for sellers.
“We’re celebrating the past 25 years” said Jared Smith, Chief Executive Officer. “But we’re also deeply focused on how we improve GunBroker.com over the next few months. Over the next few weeks, you’ll see these updates rolling out and we believe these will continue to make GunBroker.com the premiere marketplace for all things outdoors.”
Gunbroker Works with Nationwide Network of FFL Dealers Sellers have come to rely on GunBroker.com to help connect them with a nationwide pool of Federal Firearm License holders, ensuring a safe, secure network to handle firearms transfers across state lines. This web of dealers helps facilitate firearms transfers that are compliant with all federal, state and municipal regulations.
GunBroker.com allows small, independent shops to reach a nationwide audience of consumers, and helps buyers across the U.S. access the newest products the second they are available. For collectors, GunBroker.com offers hard-to-find firearms and accessories, with future plans designed to make it an even more valuable tool.
CEO Jared Smith added: “We celebrated the anniversary at SHOT Show, but we’re not really big on looking to the past. To remain the leader in this space, we’ve got to keep looking ahead, innovating and improving the site on a constant basis. The next 12 months is going to be evolutionary for certain, and revolutionary in many ways.”
The shape of powder grains has a profound effect on the performance of the powder charge, as it concerns both pressure and velocity. There are multiple powder shapes including flake, ball, and extruded or “stick” (both solid and perforated).
So how does powder grain shape affect pressure and muzzle velocity?
In general, it can be said that powder that burns progressively achieves a desired muzzle velocity at lower maximum pressure than a powder that burns neutrally, not to mention a degressive powder. As grain size increases, the maximum pressure moves towards the muzzle, also increasing muzzle blast. Muzzle velocity and pressure can be adjusted by means of the amount of powder or loading density, i.e. the relationship between the powder mass and the volume available to it. As the loading density increases, maximum pressure grows.
All Vihtavuori reloading powders are of the cylindrical, single-perforated extruded stick type. The differences in burning rate between the powders depend on the size of the grain, the wall thickness of the cylinder, the surface coating and the composition. Cylindrical extruded powders can also have multi-perforated grains. The most common types are the 7- and 19-perforated varieties. A multi-perforated powder grain is naturally of a much larger size than one with a single perforation, and is typically used for large caliber ammunition.
Other types of powder grain shapes include sphere or ball, and flake. The ball grains are typically used in automatic firearms but also in rifles and handguns. The ball grain is less costly to produce, as it is not pressed into shape like cylindrical grains. Flake shaped grains are typically used in shotgun loadings.
Web thickness in gunpowder terminology means the minimum distance that the combustion zones can travel within the powder grain without encountering each other. In spherical powders, this distance is the diameter of the “ball”; in flake powder it is the thickness of the flake; and in multi-perforated extruded powders it is the minimum distance (i.e. wall thickness) between the perforations.
The burning rate of powder composed of grains without any perforations or surface treatment is related to the surface area of the grain available for burning at any given pressure level. The change in the surface area that is burning during combustion is described by a so-called form function. If the surface area increases, the form function does likewise and its behavior is termed progressive. If the form function decreases, its behavior is said to be degressive. If the flame area remains constant throughout the combustion process, we describe it as “neutral” behavior.
The cylindrical, perforated powders are progressive; the burning rate increases as the surface area increases, and the pressure builds up slower, increasing until it reaches its peak and then collapses. Flake and ball grains are degressive; the total powder surface area and pressure are at their peak at ignition, decreasing as the combustion progresses.
If you’ve been thinking about a big purchase at Brownells, here are some money-saving codes. Brownells is currently offering 10% Off a $150+ purchase, 15% Off Bullet purchases, 15% Off Select Optics, and $10 Off a $100 purchase. It’s simple to get these discounts — there are no buyers’ clubs to join, no forms to fill out. Just use the appropriate Discount Code during online check-out.
Listed below are the Codes to use. Simply use the appropriate Code for your purchase at Brownells.com. NOTE: Most of these codes have no listed expiration date, so Brownells could terminate them at any time. Accordingly, we recommend you do your shopping soon. Also if the highest value code no longer works, try a lesser value CODE.
Coupon Code: BULLET15 — 15% off Bullets
Expiration date: Unknown
Coupon Code: TA10 — 10% off $150+
Expiration date: Unknown
Coupon Code: TTB10 — 10% off $150+
Expiration date: Unknown
Coupon Code: WLS10 — 10% off $150+
Expiration date: Unknown
Coupon Code: TRIGGERED — 10% off $150+
Expiration date: Unknown
Coupon Code: GIFT10 — $10 OFF $100
Expiration date: Unknown
Coupon Code: SMSAVE — $10 OFF $100
Expiration date: Unknown
NOTE: None of the above codes include FREE or Discounted Shipping. But check when you purchase to see if free (or discounted) shipping is offered for your particular item(s). Depending on the weight/size of the item, this might be a better deal than saving $10-$20.
Sierra Bullets has released extensive load data for the popular 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. This medium-sized cartridge has become one of the most popular chamberings for tactical and PRS shooters. The 6.5 Creedmoor combines excellent accuracy, good mag-feeding, good barrel life, moderate recoil, and reasonable component cost. That’s why this cartridge has caught on quickly, and is now one of the most popular chamberings in factory rifles.
Developed in 2007 by Dennis DeMille and Dave Emary, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a shortened and improved 30 TC cartridge case that was inspired by the .308 Winchester design. This short action design was created to maximize case capacity and a wide range of loading lengths, while still fitting in standard short action magazines. With the correct twist barrel, the versatile 6.5 Creedmoor can take advantage of the wide range of bullet weights available in 6.5 mm (i.e. .264 caliber). Reloaders should keep in mind that the 6.5 Creedmoor works best with medium to medium-slow powders such as H4350, Varget, Win 760, and RE-17. The light recoil and adaptability of the efficient 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge has already proven itself in high power, precision rifle series and benchrest competitions. Couple that with respectable barrel life and its intrinsic accuracy potential and you have a recipe for success which should insure its legacy for decades to come.
Here are three tables from the Sierra Bullets Reloading Manual (5th Edition). IMPORTANT — This is just a sample!! Sierra has load data for many other 6.5mm bullet types, including FB, Spitzer, SBT, HPBT, and Tipped MK from 85 grains to 142 grains. To view ALL 6.5 Creedmoor DATA, CLICK HERE.
INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION
LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.
INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION
LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.
INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION
LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.
Two More Great 6.5 Creedmoor Reloading Resources
Want More 6.5 Creedmoor Load Info? View Starline’s 6.5 Creedmoor Guide by Gavin Gear:
PRB 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor Load Survey
The Precision Rifle Blog compiled Load Data from PRS Competitors, for both 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor. This is a good place to start. PRB surveyed the match loads for “173 of the top-ranked precision rifle shooters in the country”. CLICK HERE.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) fields pistol teams as well as rifle and shotgun competition squads. Consequently the USAMU’s Reloading Shop loads tens of thousands of pistol rounds every year. In this article, the USAMU’s handgun experts talk about reloading for handguns — with smart tips on how to achieve superior accuracy with 100% reliability. This article, which offers important insights on COAL, primers, crimps and more.
Precision Pistol Reloading — Recommended Methods
Optimize the Taper Crimp
One often-overlooked aspect of handloading highly-accurate pistol ammunition is the amount of crimp and its effect on accuracy. Different amounts of taper crimp are used with various handloads to obtain best accuracy. The amount is based on bullet weight, powder burn rate and charge, plus other factors. It is not unusual for our Shop to vary a load’s crimp in degrees of 0.001″ and re-test for finest accuracy.
Use Consistent Brass
Brass is also important to pistol accuracy. While accurate ammunition can be loaded using brass of mixed parentage, that is not conducive to finest results, particularly at 50 yards. It is important for the serious competitor/handloader to use brass of the same headstamp and ideally one lot number, to maximize uniformity. Given the volumes of ammunition consumed by active pistol competitors, using inexpensive, mixed surplus brass for practice, particularly at the “short line” (25 yards), is understandable. However, for the “long line” (50 yards), purchasing and segregating a lot of high-quality brass to be used strictly for slow-fire is a wise idea.
Importance of Uniform COAL
Uniformity of the Case Overall Length (COAL) as it comes from the factory is also important to achieving utmost accuracy. More uniform case lengths (best measured after sizing) contribute to greater consistency of crimp, neck tension, ignition/burn of powder charge, and so on. Cartridge case-length consistency varies from lot to lot, as well as by maker. Some manufacturers are more consistent in this dimension than others. [Editor’s note: It is easy to trim pistol brass to uniform length. Doing this will make your taper crimps much more consistent.]
Primers and Powders — Comparison Test for Accuracy
Pay attention to primer brands, powder types and charges. Evaluating accuracy with a Ransom or other machine rest at 50 yards can quickly reveal the effect of changes made to handload recipes.
This animation showing 1911 Pistol operation has over 30 million YouTube views:
Bullet Selection — FMJ vs. JHP
Bullets are another vital issue. First, there is the question of FMJ vs. JHP. A friend of this writer spent decades making and accuracy-testing rifle and pistol bullets during QC for a major bullet manufacturer. In his experience, making highly-accurate FMJ bullets is much more difficult than making highly-accurate JHPs, in large part due to the way the jackets are formed. Small die changes could affect accuracy of FMJ lots dramatically.
The CMP now allows “safe, jacketed ammunition” in Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) Service Pistol matches, although wadcutter ammunition is prohibited. Thus, the option to use very accurate JHP designs simplifies the life of CMP Service Pistol shooters in pursuit of the Distinguished Pistol Shot badge.
Hopefully, these tips will be helpful to any pistol shooters interested in accurate handloads, not just “Bullseye” shooters. Small tweaks to one’s normal routine can pay big dividends in improved accuracy and make practice and competition more rewarding.
Can you hit an egg at 600+ yards? We mean hit it reliably — not just by luck. To do that you’ll need good shooting skills and a very accurate rifle. How accurate? Well, a chicken egg is, on average, 2 1/4 inches (57 mm) long and 1 3/4 inches (44.5 mm) in diameter. That means to hit an egg (on demand) at 600 yards, you’ll need a rifle capable of 1/3-MOA accuracy (or better). Forum member DukeDuke has such a gun, and he demonstrated its egg-busting prowess in this short video. DukeDuke’s rifle is chambered in 6BRX (a 30° 6BR Improved) and it’s loaded with DTAC 115gr bullets pushed by Alliant Reloder 17. In the video, the eggs are placed on top of poles set 616 yards from the firing line.
As you can see in the video, that’s a heck of a nice shooting range where DukeDuke scrambled those eggs at 616 yards. The range is situated just outside of Lake Jackson, Texas. As for the gun… the action is a Rem 700 SA BDL, blueprinted and bedded in a Rem/HS Precision PSS stock. The 31″ barrel is 1:8″-twist Broughton. The “P3″ on the barrel stands for Porter’s Precision Products, Lake Jackson, TX. The rifle was built by Kenneth Porter. The load was 33.5 grains of RL-17 at 2950 fps, with 115gr DTAC bullets touching the lands. Cartridge OAL is 2.400″.
Developed in 2007 by Dennis DeMille and Dave Emary, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a shortened and improved 30 TC cartridge case that was inspired by the .308 Winchester design. This short action design was created to maximize case capacity and a wide range of loading lengths, while still fitting in standard short action magazines. With the correct twist barrel, the versatile 6.5 Creedmoor can take advantage of the wide range of bullet weights available in 6.5 mm (i.e. .264 caliber). Reloaders should keep in mind that the 6.5 Creedmoor works best with medium to medium-slow powders such as H4350, Varget, Win 760, and RE-17. The light recoil and adaptability of the efficient 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge has already proven itself in high power, precision rifle series and benchrest competitions. Couple that with respectable barrel life and its intrinsic accuracy potential and you have a recipe for success which should insure its legacy for decades to come.
Use Consistent Brass
