The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Oklahoma Games are slated for October 7-13, a month away. Match shooters from the middle of the country should consider attending the popular annual event held at the Oklahoma City Gun Club. CMP OK Games Registration is still open! Note — this match is not just for seasoned competitors. There will be a Small Arms Firing School, and the Oklahoma Games will also feature a New Shooter Clinic for those who have never fired in a CMP Games match.
Previously held in April, the CMP Oklahoma Games will feature the popular M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Springfield, Vintage/Modern Military, Rimfire Sporter, and Vintage Sniper Rifle matches. Pistol matches, such as the As-Issued 1911, Military & Police Service Pistol and .22 Rimfire Pistol will also be held throughout the week. The CMP Cup Matches will again be held at this Travel Games event. This include two days of invididual competition, followed by a 4-Man Team Match, and EIC Service Rifle Match.
Electronic Targets Allow Faster Relays and No Pit Duty!
High Power competitions will be fired on CMP Targets, an electronic target system that plots shot placement in real time, and eliminates the need for pit duty — allowing quicker matches with less physical labor. Shot locations/scores appear on remote monitors placed at each shooting location.
Along with competitive matches, a rifle Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) is scheduled to instruct beginning and experienced marksmen in the classroom and on the firing line, with the help of CMP staff and certified instructors. Those in attendance will learn rifle handling, shot technique and safety, followed by firing in an actual M16 EIC match.
Match Awards will be distributed each day. All participants are invited to the annual BBQ where shooters can make friends and mingle with fellow participants and CMP staff. For some the Oklahoma BBQ is the highlight of the event.
About the CMP Travel Games
The CMP Travel Games are regional competitions held in different corners of the country throughout the year, featuring exclusive CMP rifle and pistol outdoor events. A common part of the CMP schedule for the last decade, the Games are centered around recreation-oriented competition and educational activities that are designed to accommodate experienced marksmen as well as those just beginning the sport.
Congratulations to John Mullins, the new 2019 NRA Smallbore Silhouette Hunter Rifle National Champion! Mullins tied for first place with fellow Lapua team member Dustin Flint. Then, in a dramatic shoot-off, Mullins shot 107/120 to edge out team-mate Flint. Notably, both men used Lapua .22 LR rimfire ammunition. Mullins’s ammo choice was Lapua Midas+.
The 2019 NRA National Silhouette Smallbore Championships took place August 4-6, in Ridgway, Pennsylvania. Matches consist of 3 x 120 round relays, all fired from the standing position. For each relay, shooters engage ten chickens at 40 meters, ten pigs at 60 meters, ten turkeys at 77 meters, and ten rams at 100 meters.
Champion Mullins Had Pre-tested His .22 LR Ammo at Lapua Test Center
When asked what was most critical to capturing the title, Mullins stated, “Lapua ammunition was the key factor in my success. I visited the Lapua Rimfire Test Center in Mesa, AZ and paired the most accurate ammunition with my rifle.” Mullins found that Lapua Midas+ outperformed all other options at 50 and 100 meters in the Lapua test tunnel, shown below.
Above is the Lapua Rimfire Testing Facility in Mesa, Arizona. This allows measurements at both 50m and 100m for the same shot. Later this fall Lapua will open a new Test Center in Marengo, Ohio with identical capabilities. For more information regarding ammo testing at Lapua’s USA Rimfire Test Centers, email Lapua here: rimfiretest [at] capstonepg.com
We love it when family members shoot together. It’s a great way to pass knowledge from generation to generation. Last week we featured a 10-year old boy, his father, and his grandfather who all shot a match together. Three generations! That was the young man’s first benchrest shooting match. Story HERE.
This week we are showcasing the Murdica clan. Our friend Lou Murdica was in Coastal Southern California this week. Grandpa Lou had taken two of his granddaughters to SoCal to enjoy the beach, and to shoot an F-Class match at Camp Pendleton.
Lou reports: “I took my two granddaughters (ages 12 and 14) to shoot their first-ever F-Class match! we went to Camp Pendleton yesterday and shot the 1000-yard match. This was the first time the girls had ever shot on the ground. They made me proud!”
Both girls shot very well as you can see from these targets. Angelina used a .284 Win rifle, while Bella used Lou’s 6.5×55 Improved. Both are top-level F-Open rigs. Lou said conditions were fairly challenging — with about 4 MINUTES of wind.
There were some interesting comments from Lou’s Facebook Friends:
“Lou you best quit shooting now while you can still beat them!” — Larry Bartholome (Editor: Larry B. is a past F-Class National Champion)
“Wow — just 1 point separation for the girls. Keep em in the ‘X’ girls! Good job!” — Anthony Smith
“Yea for Bella and Angelina. Such a proud grandpa!” — Kate White
All in the Family — Shooting is a Fun Hobby
Lou Murdica has also shot Benchrest Matches with his grand-children. This photo captures Grandpa Lou at Ben Avery Range in Arizona with more family members.
Camp Pendleton (California) Map
The Camp Pendleton USMC base is located on the coast between Los Angeles and San Diego. Camp Pendleton’s range is a great place to shoot if you have the opportunity some day.
Our friend Sebastian “SEB” Lambang, creator of the great SEB Coaxial Rests, Joystick Bipods (“JoyPods”), and SEB MINI Coaxial tripod rests, is working on a new front bag design. He has released photos of his new, prototype front bag system for the top-of-the-line NEO Rest.
Seb notes: “We are experimenting with a new bag for our SEB NEO rest, particularly for F-Open Class with the heavy 22-lb rifles. This new bag is sewn down the middle, slick enough for the purpose, and made from a much tougher material. The bottom/horizontal bag has two separate compartments on the left and right sides to prevent sand migration. For the production version I think I will use black instead of silver.”
Do you like the new design? Do you have any suggestions on how it could be enhanced? Seb is looking to get shooters’ feedback on this new bag design. You can post comments on Seb’s Facebook page.
New F-Class and Benchrest Front Bags for SEB MINI
Seb will also be offering a new similar bag for his excellent (and very popular) SEB MINI tripod front rest. There will be a sewn-in-middle F-Class version (see right below), as well as a flat-top, conventional bag for registered benchrest matches. Due to differences in the equipment rules, Seb notes: “The sewn-in-middle front bag can be used for F-CLASS matches. However, be sure to not use the F-CLASS bag (sewn down in the middle) for official Benchrest matches.”
COMMENT: The advantage to the Stitched-in-Middle front bag design is that the bag will never develop a hump in the middle that can cause your stock to rock a little (or sit at a slight tilt). If you are not shooting in restricted competition, Seb’s new bag design could prove beneficial — providing a more optimal front support. We don’t have the dimensions of Seb’s center-sewn front bags, but we suspect a version might fit other brands of front rests, such as Sinclair or Bald Eagle (Grizzly).
4-Gun winner Wayne Campbell is arguably the best group benchrest shooter in the world right now.
IBS 100/200 Yard Group Benchrest National Championships
Story by IBS President Jeff Stover President based on report by Harley Baker
Western Michigan was the site of the 2019 IBS Group Nationals. This major event was held August 12-17, 2019 at the Holton Gun & Bow Club. This club hosts many quality group benchrest matches throughout the season, and this one was no exception. The Holton team, especially match director Nancy Scarbrough, made everything seem easy. The shooters, however, don’t find conditions easy at all.
Summer Sun, Mirage, and Switchy Winds
In the middle of August, Holton’s sandy soils can generate fierce mirage. It can get so bad that competitors may not be able to see bullet holes clearly and target rings can become indistinguishable. In Warren Page’s classic gun book, “The Accurate Rifle”, he speaks of mirage as “shooting through the swimming pool”. Well Warren Page must have shot Holton. When mirage was not the problem at Holton, switchy winds were the order of the day. CLICK HERE for 2019 IBS Group Nationals Results.
IBS Group Nationals Course of Fire
The IBS Group Nationals can be an endurance test as the event spans six days. The sequence of competition has 100-yard targets shot the first three days, followed by three days at 200 yards. It is done this way to require only one change of wind flags. Nationals competition requires “full rotation”. That means that every time a shooter goes to the line for the next match target, he or she must move a requisite number of benches to the right. At the end of the day a shooter will shoot across the full width of the line. Some ranges offer unique properties that render some parts of the range harder or easier to shoot small groups. Bench rotation is important to even out those factors.
Classes At the IBS Group Nationals
It takes thirty targets of 5-shot groups and ten targets of 10-shot groups to win a “4-Gun Nationals”. That covers FOUR classes: Light Varmint, Heavy Varmint, Sporter, and Heavy Bench. For all practical purposes, the first three are known as “bag guns” while the heavy bench rifles are “rail guns”. In fact, most competitors shooting a bag gun opt for a single rifle, which has been benchrest standard for decades: a 10.5-lb rifle chambered in 6PPC.
Day by Day Report — Group Nationals Highlights
The first day of competition was for the Heavy Bench class — the Rail Guns. That is what Heavy Bench is these days. Jeff Peinhardt had a handle on conditions for his five 10-shot groups. His largest group was only a .202″. The rest were small dark holes where the 10 bullets honed away any paper fuzz. His average for the five groups in this aggregate was .1710″. Really small, but only .0074″ behind was Paul Mitchell. Rounding out third place was Michigander Lee Hachigian with a .1866″.
The “bag guns” come out on Tuesday for the 100-yard competition for Light Varmint and Sporter rifles. These are the 10.5-lb rifles. The only difference is that in Sporter you must have your rifle chamber with at least a 6mm bore. Since virtually everyone shoots a 6PPC it really doesn’t matter. Wayne Campbell from Virginia nailed a tight .1556” aggregate in Sporter at 100. Tony Alexander (.1758”) and Jack Neary (.1792”) rounded out the top three.
For Light Varmint at 100 yards. Larry Costa led the way with a .2022” when conditions were a little harder to read. Jack Neary and Kevin Donalds Sr. were close behind.
Wednesday morning of Nationals Week is Heavy Varmint at 100. Ken Donalds Sr. still had his rifle tuned to perfection as he won this aggregate with a .1624. Jack Neary and Harley Baker shot well with five-target averages in the .18XX. Wednesday afternoon the shooters take a break and hold a Powder Puff competition for non-shooters, including children and spouses were allowed to shot a group with bench coaching from seasoned competitors.
On Thursday the targets get moved to 200 yards along with a expanding sea of wind flags. Eventual multi-gun winner Wayne Campbell smoked the field Light Varmint 200 with a .1674 MOA Aggregate. His average group size at 200 yards was O.334 inches but in short-range group competition the scores are converted to minute of angle (MOA). The only other shooter Agging under 0.2 MOA was upstate New York restaurateur Pando Vasilovski with a 0.1927.
It was time for Sporter at 200 and Don Rosette from Ohio was the only shooter in the “teens” with a .1997 MOA Agg. Pando still had it working and was second.
Here are some of the “Top Guns” from the 2019 IBS Group Nationals in Holton, MI.
Former Super Shoot winner Larry Costa won the Heavy Varmint 200 with a .2007 MOA Agg and he had room to spare to beat Kevin Donalds Jr. and Jeff Peinhardt with a .22 and .23 respectively.
The last day, Saturday, the rail guns were hauled out again for the Heavy Bench 200. Mark Buettgen topped the field with a .2572 MOA Agg. No need to check the equipment list to know what barrel brand Buettgen used. Mark works for Bartlein Barrels in Wisconsin. Wayne Campbell was just on Mark’s heels.
Grand Aggregate (100+200)
Winners (all MOA):
Light Varmint: Wayne Campbell, .1939
Sporter: Wayne Campbell, .2133
Heavy Varmint: Larry Costa, .2026
Heavy Bench: Don Powell, .2342
Multi-gun results:
2-Gun (HV+LV 20 targets): Larry Costa, .2197
3-Gun (LV+SP+HV 30 targets): Wayne Campbell, .2205
4-Gun (LV+SP+HV+HB 40 targets): Wayne Campbell, .2279
(in 4-gun Tony Alexander was second with .2404, followed by Larry Costa with .2451)
Hardware Choices: Actions, Stocks, Barrels, Optics and More Tech Talk by Jeff Stover
Let’s examine the Top Ten rifles from this year’s IBS Group Nationals in the 10.5-lb Light Varmint Class. We’ll focus on the most popular rifle components — the choices for Actions, Stocks, Barrels, and Scopes.
For some years now, BAT has been the predominant action. This year BAT actions held nearly 100% of the Top Ten places in all the Bag Gun equipment lists. Bruce Thom’s Idaho-crafted actions, except for a couple stray actions in Heavy Bench, swept the top rankings.
Next, look at barrels. Bartlein or Krieger seem to rule with upstate New York’s venerable Hart barrels as competitive. Shooters tend to go with winners, so Wayne Campbell and Jeff Peinhardt dominate as gunsmiths for the top benchrest shooters.
In stocks there seems to be variety, but there is some commonality. The Scoville and Scarbrough stocks, both Michigan-made, are laminated wood (balsa and other wood) with carbon fiber and wrapped in carbon fiber. The Scoville stock on my 10.5-lb rifle weighs 18 ounces but is full size with a nice long fore-end. Bob Scarbrough makes a very similar product. Both are winners — it’s a choice of Ferrari or Lamborghini. The Roy Hunter and Terry Leonard stocks among these top rifles take a different route to winner’s circle. Both are wood (cedar or other), but super high-tech as they are laminated with carbon fiber. They are beautiful to boot. High-magnification Leupold, March, and Nightforce scopes rule the roost among benchrest optics.
Bullets and Powder
Bullets are important. Really important. A hot bullet gives you “Teen Aggs” and lots of trophies. An average bullet does not. Most of these are 68 grain 6mm boattails. The Peinhardt (StaMoly Precision) bullet is well represented on this list, but some top shooters make their own as you can see. Bullet jackets are likely StaMoly or J4. For powder, nearly everyone shoots Vihtavouri N133 except a few guys running LT30/32 or surplus 8208.
This week’s Shooting USA episode has two great features. Part One covers the USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals, a 3-gun match with fast action. A lengthy second sequence covers new guns and gear at the 2019 NRA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday August 28, 2019 on the Outdoor Channel, at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 pm Central.
USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals
If you are a fan of 3-Gun competition, tune in to Shooting USA this week. The latest episode features the 2019 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals held in Florida. You can see many of the nation’s top 3-Gun shooters attacking some very challenging stages with pistols, rifles, and shotguns.
Multi-gun competition has evolved considerably since it started 30 years ago. The firearms are more sophisticated, the optics are better, and the stage times are much faster. Still, the challenge remains the same: How fast can you shoot multiple targets, with the score determined by speed and accuracy? For the best in the sport, the answer is very fast indeed…
New Products for 2019 — Guns, Optics, Electronics and More
Shooting USA was in Indianapolis for the 2019 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits. At the big event, Shooting USA’s teams found some interesting new products, such as Hornady’s pricey new A-Tip bullets ($80 to $90 per 100), and new handguns from Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Volquartsen. Hornady also displayed a new Kestrel 5700 Meter with advanced 4DOF Ballistic Solver.
What’s it feel like to hit a 2158-yard target (from cold bore), and set a world record in the process? Well watch the video below to find out. Last week we reported that shooter Randy Wise set a new ELR Central world record, going three-for-three (from cold bore) at 2158 yards. The feat took place at the recent NRA ELR Championship at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. And he did that with a factory Savage action and barrel!
We first reported on Randy’s ELR record last week in the Bulletin. Now we have more photos, and most importantly, a video. You can now watch Randy Wise make his three hits in a row, starting with Cold Bore shot, at 2158 yards. The video was captured by Clay Rhoden of TargetVision/Longshot Target Cameras.
Watch Randy Wise Make ELR World-Record Three Straight Hits at 2158 Yards:
Watch the full sequence above (sorry there is no sound). Note that there were previously some hit marks on the 36″ x 36″ steel target. Ignore those. Steve’s first hit is at the bottom right — barely above the edge of the plate. At 0:42 you see the bright light flash indicating a hit. The second shot impacts in the top right — see the light flash at 1:09. The third and final hit impacts about 6″ up from the bottom, at 1:24. When the flashing light confirms Hit #3, Randy shows his emotion, pumping his fists with excitement.
Remarkably, Randy set the new ELR record using a stock Savage action and Savage factory barrel chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. The Savage barreled action was mounted in an Accurate Rifles Systems chassis with Rempel bipod. Randy’s rifle had a factory stock 26″ 1:9″-twist barrel chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. His load featured Lapua .338 LM brass, Berger 300gr Hybrid bullets, Federal 215M primers, and a stout charge of Hodgdon Retumbo powder. Ballistics solution by Applied Ballistics LLC. For optics, Randy used a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle.
ELR World Record Standards
One video viewer asked why this was a world record, when longer shots have been made in K02M competition. Here’s the answer from Applied Ballistics: “To be an ELR World Record it has to be done cold bore, and three for three. No sighters, no practice, no walking the shots on, no accuracy by volume. Also neither the shooter or rifle can have been fired in the past 24 hours, to ensure it’s truly cold bore. It’s a test of skill and knowledge of your system.” Skill indeed. 2158 Yards is 1.226 MILES. At that distance, Randy shot a group measuring roughly 1.3 MOA vertical and half-minute horizontal.
For his efforts, Randy received glory, and a nice $1000-dollar check from McMillan Fiberglass stocks. Here Randy poses with his check, flanked by Bryan Litz (left) and Kelly McMillan (right). The match was officiated by Clay Rhoden. Doc Beech of Applied Ballistics was the certifying official.
Team USA members Ashley Rheuark, Lanny Barnes, Lena Miculek, and Becky Yackley (L to R).
You go girls! Four American lady shooters crushed the competition at the recent 2019 IPSC Rifle World Shooting Championship held in Sweden. This was a major international event, with 669 shooters from 37 countries competing for six days at the Villingsberg Shooting Range in Karlskoga, Sweden.
Shooting Sports USA reports: “The IPSC Rifle World Shoot is … the Super Bowl or World Series for serious action rifle shooters around the world. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), the sanctioning body for the match was established to promote and advance the sport of practical shooting worldwide.” This match involved 30 varied, challenging stages in the Villingsberg range (Villingsbergs skjutfält) a facility of the Swedish Armed Forces.
Four American ladies finished 1-2-3-4 in individual standings, showing complete dominance by USA women competitors. Ashley Rheuark topped the field to take the Gold Medal. Lena Miculek finished second to take Silver, and Lanny Barnes was third with Bronze. And American Dakota Overland finished fourth, just 5 points behind Barnes. In winning the women’s division, Rheuark shot superbly, finishing with a score of 1883.7501, over 30 points ahead of Miculek.
The American ladies also excelled in Team competition. Team USA’s Becky Yackley joined Rhueark, Miculek, and Barnes to capture the Gold Medal in the Women’s Semi-Auto Open Division. In addition, Lena Miculek won the Women’s Division Shoot-Off. Notably, Lena’s Shoot-Off performance was broadcast on Swedish National Television. Lena wasn’t the only winning Miculek — her father Jerry Miculek took top honors in the Super Senior Class.
The Semi-Auto Open division had the largest match participation with 531 registered competitors. Finland’s Jarkko Laukia won the Open division with Finnish team-mate Raine Peltokoski finishing second. Third place was taken by Vadim Mikhailov from Russia. CLICK HERE for full men’s and women’s match results.
Watch Match Highlights on Gunroom.TV
You can watch nine videos from the 2019 IPSC World Rifle Championships on the Gunroom.TV website. We suggest you watch the Day 5 Video and Day 6 Video. These interesting video from the last two days of the competition show many of the stages, which are quite different than typical American multi-gun shooting bays. The setting is green and lush.
Ray Gross (left) was humbled to take the stage with David Tubb (right), a living legend: “The first time that I ever made it up on to the stage at a National Championship was in 1997. Dave Tubb had already won about a dozen Nationals by that time and I was so nervous going up on stage with him[.] It was a huge honor to get to share the stage with him again this year.”
Two notable shooters took the stage at the end of the NRA ELR Championship at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. David Tubb, 11-time NRA Nat’l High Power Champion and 6-time NRA Nat’l Long Range Champion, won the Heavy Gun Division, while the talented Ray Gross won the 25-lb (and under) Division. Ray, 8-time Nat’l Championship coach and captain, coach, or shooter on five USA Rifle Teams, was shooting Paul Phillips’s new 33XC rifle. AccurateShooter featured this impressive rig in last week’s Sunday GunDay story. David was shooting an ELR TubbGun of his own design, chambered for the 37XC cartridge.
L to R: Paul Phillips, Dan Pohlabel, Ray Gross, John Droelle, and Kelly McMillan
Ray won the Light Gun ELR National Championship with help from his McMillan/GPG teammates John Droelle and Daniel Pohlabel. Ray noted: “We shot targets from 1600 to 1950 yards and finished with the highest overall score of 88699. Paul Phillips of Global Precision Group, loaned me his 33XC rifle and ammo to compete with. The rifle shot outstanding and that is a tribute to Paul’s load development and expertise.” Ray also thanked Kelly McMillan for attending the event and supporting the competitors.
At the 2019 NRA ELR Nationals at Camp Atterbury, there were many impressive displays of Extreme Long Range marksmanship, but none better than Randy Wise’s remarkable three-shot string at 2158 yards that set a new ELR Central world record. Randy made a COLD BORE HIT and two follow-up hits on a steel target at 2158 yards. Remarkably, Randy set the new ELR record using a stock Savage action and Savage factory barrel chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. The Savage barreled action was mounted in an Accurate Rifles Systems chassis with Rempel bipod. Wise was shooting 300 grain Berger Hybrid bullets. Congrats to Randy on his new ELR World Record!
Randy’s rifle had a factory stock 26″ 1:9″-twist barrel chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. His load featured Lapua .338 LM brass, Berger 300gr Hybrid bullets, Federal 215M primers, and a stout charge of Hodgdon Retumbo powder. Ballistics solution by Applied Ballistics LLC. For optics, Randy used a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle. The match was officiated by Clay Rhoden of TARGETVISION.
About the 33XC (eXtra Capacity) Cartridge
David Tubb invented the 33XC cartridge because he thought the CheyTac cases were too much trouble — requiring a larger action, oversize presses, and ultra-expensive dies. The 33XC was designed to fit .338 Lapua Magnum-size actions and use normal reloading presses.
The 33XC (eXtra Capacity) has 137.5 grains of H2O capacity with over 125 grains of usable powder capacity while leaving the 0.393″ neck unfilled for bullet seating.
The 33XC has a .338 Lapua Magnum lineage. Think of it as a better, 35°-shoulder .338 LM. David explains: “The 33XC uses standard reloading dies along with a 7/8″ x 14 TPI reloading press. There is no fire-forming — all case ‘improving’ has already been done with a production case that has 20 grains more powder capacity, 35-degree shoulder, and longer neck compared to a .338 Lapua Magnum. This puts the various .338 Lapua wildcats and the Rem Ultra Mag Improved into the ‘also ran’ category. They simply can’t compete with the velocities attainable with the 33XC.”
The 33XC is based off of a .580″ bolt head. Tubb states that “A fired case will extract with little effort when using a properly-polished chamber with a maximum powder charge after resizing with the Superior Shooting Systems FL sizing die.” Tubb’s 33XC die reaches the case head which is important for accuracy. Peterson Cartridge produces the 33XC brass for Superior Shooting Systems. This high-quality brass costs $115 for 50 cases (or $2.30 per case), and can be purchased directly from Superior Shooting Systems.
We know that many of our readers will soon travel by air to attend major matches in Raton, New Mexico. The Spirit of America Match runs September 7-13, and the F-Class Mid-Range and Long-Range Nationals follow September 15-22. If you’ll be venturing to Raton, or to another destination by air in the weeks ahead, you need to be careful when transporting firearms through airports both in the USA and in other countries. It is important that you comply with all Homeland Security, TSA, and Airline policies when transporting guns and ammunition. Following the rules will help ensure you (and your gear) make it to your destination without hassles, delays or (God forbid), confiscations.
The NRA F-Class Mid-Range Nationals (Sept. 15-18) and Long Range Nationals (Sept. 19-22) will be held at the NRA Whittington Center 1000-Yard Range in Raton, New Mexico.
Good Advice from an Airport Police Officer
To help our readers comply with rules and regulations for air travel, we offer these guidelines, courtesy “Ron D.”, a member of our Shooters’ Forum. Before he retired, Ron D. served as a Police Officer assigned to Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Here Ron offers some very important advice for shooters traveling with firearms and expensive optics.
First, Ron explains that airport thieves can spot bags containing firearms no matter how they are packaged: “Don’t think you’re safe if your guns are placed in cases designed for golf clubs or trade show items. Baggage is X-Rayed now and cases are tagged with a special bar code if they contain firearms. It doesn’t take long for bad guys to figure out the bar coding for firearms.”
Carry-On Your Scopes and Expensive Items
Ron advises travelers to avoid placing very expensive items in checked baggage: “When traveling by air, carry on your rangefinder, spotting scope, rifle scope, medications, camera, etc. You would be surprised at the amount of people that carry-on jeans and shirts, but put expensive items in checked baggage. Better to loose three pairs of jeans than some expensive glass.”
Mark Bags to Avoid Confusion
Ron notes that carry-on bags are often lost because so many carry-on cases look the same. Ron reports: “People do accidentally remove the wrong bag repeatedly. I frequently heard the comment, ‘But it looks just like my bag.’ When de-planing, keep an eye on what comes out of the overhead that your bag is in. It’s easy to get distracted by someone that has been sitting next to you the whole flight. I tie two streamers of red surveyors’ tape on my carry-on bag.” You can also use paint or decals to make your carry-on bag more distinctive.
General Advice for Air Travelers
Ron cautions: “Keep your hands on your items before boarding. One of the most often heard comments from theft victims was, ‘I just put my computer down for a minute while I was on the phone.’ Also, get to the baggage claim area quickly. If your family/friends can meet you there, so can the opportunists. Things do get lost in the claim area. Don’t be a Victim. Forewarned is forearmed.”
Important TSA Tips on Firearms and Flying
Choosing a Rifle Transport Case
Ron advises: “Buy the best [rifle case] that you can afford. Don’t cry when your $3,000+ Benchrest rifle has a cracked stock or broken scope. Think about what it would be like to travel across the country (e.g. to Montana or the Cactus Classic) and arrive with a damaged rifle. Remember the Samsonite commercial. (For you younger shooters, it shows a monkey throwing the suitcase around in his cage at the zoo.) Baggage handling is NOT a fine art. There is no guarantee that your rifle case will be on top of all the other baggage. Then there is shifting of baggage in the belly of the plane. Ponder that for a while. Rifle and pistol cases must be locked. It doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist to figure out that a simple pry tool will open most case locks. There is not much that you can do to disguise a rifle case. It is what it is, and opportunists know this. Among thieves, it doesn’t take long for the word to get around about a NEW type of case.”
This Plano Double Scoped Rifle Case offers the functionality and durability of an SKB-type hard case for HALF the money. This is now just $111.64, while the equivalent SKB is around $240.00.
First, Ron explains that airport thieves can spot bags containing firearms no matter how they are packaged: “Don’t think you’re safe if your guns are placed in cases designed for golf clubs or trade show items. Baggage is X-Rayed now and cases are tagged with a special bar code if they contain firearms. It doesn’t take long for bad guys to figure out the bar coding for firearms.”
