Crosman unveiled a great new product at SHOT Show — a dedicated upper that transforms your AR-platform gun into a .177-caliber air rifle. Smart idea. Crosman deserves praise — we wish this was on the market decades ago. This is great for service rifle shooters who can now practice at a fraction of the cost of centerfire ammunition. Since the lower is unchanged, and the sights are the same as on a service rifle, the shooter doesn’t have to adapt to a different trigger or sight height/radius.
As Crosman representative Mark Deboard explains: “With the [MAR 177 upper kit], you can take off your AR’s centerfire upper, replace it with the Crosman upper and go to your basement or garage to shoot .177 pellets. You’re getting great trigger time without going to the range and without buying .223 ammo. You can buy a tin of 500 pellets for about five bucks.” (With a good pellet trap you could practice in your basement — but first consult your state and municipal regulations).
The 7.4-lb Crosman MAR177 Conversion Kit replaces your existing AR/M4 style upper and converts it into a PCP .177-caliber competition air rifle with 21″ free floating Lothar Walther™ barrel. Designed to support 10-meter match air rifle competition, the MAR177 is also suited for service rifle shooters who want to practice indoors in winter. Fitted with a 10-shot rotary magazine, all the shooter has to do work the bolt back every time after firing. The air reservoir offers up to 120 shots per fill.
It looks like the Crosman MAR177 will be popular. Crosman’s Deboard noted that: “We took the MAR177 to Camp Perry last summer for the High Power Rifle Championships, shot it inside the 20 foot Crosman Trailer and everyone loved it.”
Price and Availability
The MAR177 starts shipping 1/25/2012. It is available initially at crosman.com, creedmoorsports.com, and pilkguns.com. Look for retail price around $700, though Creedmoor Sports has a pre-order price of $600.
At SHOT Show, Creedmoor Sports’ General Manager, Dennis DeMille, spotted something that he thought would be a big hit with his customers — new builds of Springfield 1903-A3s and 1903-A4s using Remington or Smith Corona receivers with parkerized finishes. These rifles are built by Curt Wolfe at Rockridge Machine Works in Pennsylvania. DeMille learned about these rifles from Hornady’s Dave Emary, who gave Curt’s work at Rock Ridge a strong endorsement.
Dennis reports: “These rifles are NICE! Issue condition nice. Much nicer than the one I set a National Record with.” The A4s feature original Remington actions with turned-down GI bolt, fitted to new 30-06 4 groove, 1:10″ twist barrels chambered in .30-06. All fire-control parts are original GI. The A4s come with walnut-stained reproduction “C” stock, Malcolm reproduction of original Weaver 330C (M73B1) scope, original GI buttplate, and repro GI military leather sling. The A3s have original Smith Corona M1903 actions, click-adjustable iron sights, and will be available in both “Scant C” stocks and straight stocks. NOTE: Both the A3s and A4s use intact receivers, NOT re-welded decommissioned versions.
1903s Should Be Avaialble in Mid-February
Vintage military rifle shooters should find these rifles affordable. Dennis says: “We’ll be selling the A4s for $1,075.00, while the A3s will sell for $875.00. We should have some of all models in stock within a few weeks.” CLICK HERE for more info on Creedmoor’s new 1903-A3 or 1903-A4 rifles. Creedmoor Sports expects its first shipment from Rockridge in mid-February.
At SHOT Show 2012 we met with Andreas Krüger, managing director of Kruger Premium Targets, a family-owned business that has printed high-grade targets for over 40 years. Andreas takes great pride in the quality of his company’s targets. Andreas explained: “My family’s name is on every target we sell, therefore we want the quality to be the very best”. Kruger is the official target supplier for the International Shooting Federation, and FITA, the International Archery Federation. And now Kruger is producing official NRA targets for American shooters.
Shooting competitions are often won or lost by fractions of a centimeter in shot placement. Accordingly, it is important to use high-grade targets that provide sharp-edged bullet holes that can be measured with great precision. We are fortunate that Kruger produces official NRA targets for a wide variety of shooting disciplines — air pistol, air rifle, smallbore pistol, smallbore rifle, and centerfire competitions. These targets can be purchased through Kruger-US-Targets.com.
Kruger uses the best paper stock, and operates state-of-the-art printing machines, including one automated printing press that cost over two million Euros. The high quality of Kruger’s 210-gram board made from short-fiber raw materials, ensures that shot-holes have clean, well-defined edges. This makes a big difference, particularly with the low-velocity pellets used in airgun competition.
Eleven-Time NRA National High Power Champion David Tubb knows a bit about long-range shooting. One of the key factors in long-range accuracy is making sure that the tilt/cant of your rifle does not change throughout your shot string. In the clip below, the first in McMillan’s Master Class Video series, David Tubb explains the importance of keeping your rifle level. He explains that, at 1000 yards, your Point of Impact can change dramatically by canting the rifle either right or left. David states that, when shooting at 1000 yards, if your rifle is level and your shot is centered-up on a 72″ (six-foot) square target, you can actually put your next shot OFF PAPER by canting your rifle. That means you can move Point of Impact (POI) three feet or more, just by canting your rifle! Bryan Litz confirms Tubb’s observation. Bryan tells us that, as a general rule of thumb (for common cartridges), a 1° cant will produce five (5) inches of lateral displacement at 1000 yards. Thus, if you cant your rifle just 8°, the POI would move 40″ from the center of the target, putting the shot off the edge of a 72″-wide target.
David explains that, after one of his students has made two or three 1000-yard, X-Ring hits with a LEVEL rifle, “then I’ll have him take his rifle, and cant it to the right. I’ll have him shoot a shot. He will MISS the six-foot-square frame off to the right. Then I’ll have him cant his gun to the left and shoot another shot. He will miss the six-foot-square frame to the left.”
Rifle Hold and Canting — Consistency Counts Remember that you must maintain the exact same amount of rifle cant from shot to shot. Yes, some iron sights shooters do tilt their rifle slightly to achieve a better hold or to index their sights better. However, these shooters do not change the tilt from shot to shot — the amount of cant remains the same on every shot.
When shooting prone with a scoped rifle it’s probably best to keep the rifle dead level, with the scope’s vertical crosshair straight up and down. Use a rifle-mounted bubble level to maintain a level hold, and avoid canting the gun either to the left or to the right. Affordable bubble levels that mount to your scope or scope rail can be purchased from Brownells and other vendors, starting at about $15.00.
Rule 2.11:
Sets residency and “paid-up” membership requirements for Club Team shooters. Different standards for (a) Local Club Teams; and (b) Open Club Teams.
Rule 3.3.2 NRA Any Sight Match Rifle/Tactical Rifle
Part (c) now reads: “Competitors may use a service rifle equipped with optic sights to compete under this rule. Competitors using service rifles described in Rules 3.1(c) and 3.1(d) may remove the carry handle to allow mounting of the optic sight.”
Rule 7.22 F-Class Long Range National Championships
This section now reads:
“Any match sponsor that wishes to conduct the F-Class Long Range National Championships shall use the following courses of fire:
Day 1, 3-15 shot 1,000 yard individual matches.
Day 2, 3-15 shot 1,000 yard individual matches.
Day 3, 2, 4-person team matches, 20 shots per individual plus the aggregate of the 2 team matches.
Day 4, 2-20 shot 1,000 yard matches.”
Rule 14.18 Signal Systems for Scoring Targets
The Visual Signaling System described below will be used in all high power rifle tournaments:
(a) Slow Fire: Value spotters are placed as indicated on the target frame, all of a highly visible color such as fluorescent orange or black. The shooter may request the color they can best see.
X ………………………….……Center Right side
10 ……………………………..Bottom right corner
9 ………………………………..Bottom center
8 ……………………….……….Bottom left corner
7 ………………….…………….Center left side
6……………….……… Center right side (same as X)
5 ……………..…….Bottom right corner (same as 10)
Miss ……………….Both bottom Left corner
……………………..and bottom Right corner
The 3-Gun Nation Championship is the culmination of a 10-event series involving nearly 2,000 match competitors across the country. The Championship finale will be held at night, under the lights, in front of an invitation-only SHOT Show crowd in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 pm at the Clark County Range. The 3-Gun Nation elimination series began in November, with a field of 64 competitors. The top eight were selected to compete in the Championship match.
Winner Earns $50,000 — Courtesy Leupold and NBC Sports
Leupold has made sure the 2012 3-Gun Nation Championship finale features one of the largest payoffs in shooting history. The Oregon-based optics manufacturer has put up a $25,000 first-place prize. A matching offer from TV host NBC Sports brings the winner’s check to an unprecedented $50,000.
Man-on-Man Competition in Finals
The eight finalists will compete in a man-on-man shoot-off using rifles, shotguns and handguns. The first competitor to knock down all the steel targets, including the final stop plate, wins the match. Watch the Video below to see last year’s 3-Gun Nation Finale from Las Vegas:
The 3-Gun Nation Tour is the only point series and qualification standard-setting body in the sport of 3-gun and is sanctioned by the National Rifle Association. 3-Gun Nation matches can be seen on the new home of Versus, NBC Sports Network.
This Report was submitted by Darrell Buell, F-T/R Team USA Captain
The F-Class World Championships are just over a year and a half away. In the past four years, much has changed in the F-T/R game. Most noticeably, participation has increased greatly. We had 60 shooters at the 2011 Nationals in Lodi compared to 19 shooters in 2007. The level of competition has risen as well. There was a mere 3% spread in scores for the top 30 places this year. That’s tighter than it has ever been since I started keeping statistics. The top 15 spots had only a 2% score spread!
F-T/R Team USA Selection Process
With many more shooters and a higher level of competition, selecting the 2013 American F-T/R team was especially difficult. There were many qualified applicants to choose from. The selection criteria have not changed over the years. All of the 40+ applicants’ qualifications were dumped into a matrix to get sorted. The initial sort was done by examining the best data I have that compares all of the shooters side by side, i.e. Nationals scores. More weight was given to those times when I could compare shooter vs. shooter on the same relay, when they were facing the exact same conditions. From there, we used modifiers for International Team experience, and other factors. 50 million calculations later, a ranking was developed. This ranking was used to set the Roster List below.
USA F-T/R Team Roster:
Team Staff:
Captain: Darrell Buell
Vice Captain: Mike Miller
Head Coach: Mid Tompkins
Coach: Steve Cunico
Adjutant: Kathy Buell
Team Members:
Jeff Rorer
John Hayhurst
John Chilton
Chris Ozolins
John Weil
Dale Carpenter
Derek Rodgers
Team Members (cont’d):
Philip Kelley
Warren Dean
Brad Sauve
Paul Phillips
Monte Milanuk
Lane Buxton
Sierra Scott
As with past Teams, this roster will be used for the next four (4) years for International Competitions of every description. These events include (but are not limited to): 2013 F-Class World Championships in Raton, NM; 2013 South African International Matches in Bloemfontein; 2013 Stars & Stripes Challenge 2013; Creedmoor Cup; USA vs. Europe, and others.
Reserve Team Spots
The sharp-eyed will notice that I may seem to be a couple of shooters short. I am reserving a couple of spots to be named after the 2012 Nationals in Raton, in case other shooters are absolutely on fire this year, and would be good additions to the Team.
F-T/R Team USA Sponsors
As with past Team campaigns, the financial challenges (especially for the travel) will be considerable. I am absolutely committed to taking the very best Team I can field, regardless of finances. To this end, some outstanding sponsors are helping take some of the burden off the individuals: Berger Bullets, Nightforce Optics, Surgeon Rifles, Hodgdon Powder, Lapua, Kowa, and Redding Reloading. Many thanks to these and other sponsors for their continuing support.
Currently, the NRA Blog is featuring “Top Stories of 2011″. Among these stories is an account of how Carl Bernosky earned his NINTH High Power National Championship. We believe Carl’s latest National Championship title, and his amazing skills with a rifle, deserve more ink. So, here, from the NRA Blog, is the story of Carl’s 2011 victory at Camp Perry.
Bernosky Gets His 9th Nat’l HP Title
This past August, Carl R. Bernosky of Ashland, Pennsylvania, shot his way to his 9th NRA National High Power Rifle Championship at the NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championhips at Camp Perry. A National Guard training facility on the shores of Lake Erie, near Port Clinton, Ohio, Camp Perry has been home to NRA’s national championships for 102 years. The matches, which take place during July and August, have become notorious for their harsh gusts of wind, sweltering heat and storms that come off the lake with little warning.
2393-160X out of 2400
This year, during the NRA High Power Rifle Championship, Bernosky posted a 2393-160x out of a possible perfect score of 2400, Bernosky took first place and won the prestigious Mumma Trophy. In addition to winning the overall high power rifle championship, Bernosky was also the NRA Match Rifle Champion. He won top honors in eight of the eighteen matches that make up the championship and placed within the top three in five others.
“It’s just a matter of getting your mind ready to shoot the shot when it’s there and just tweaking everything a little bit”, Bernosky said when I asked him how he prepares for each match. “You don’t have to be thinking about what you’re doing, it just happens.”
During his title run this year, Bernosky tied the National Record for slow fire standing from 200 yards — an extremely impressive accomplishment. The record, a 200-15x, was originally set by Gary Anderson in 1971 during the Navy Cup.
“When I shot that 200 with 15 standing, that was discipline. I didn’t shoot a bad shot”, Bernosky told me. “That was the best target I’ve ever shot, including practice”. Bernosky tied the record during the Crescent Cup, which has the same course of fire as the Navy Cup, and finally let us know that the record had been on his mind for a very long time. “Every time I shoot a standing, whether in practice or in a match, I'm thinking about that record. I always thought I could shoot that well”, Bernosky said. “It’s tough to do and it’s a great feeling to have done that”.
The record-tying match couldn’t have come at a better time. Tied for first, Bernosky was looking for a boost to have a great day of shooting and take sole possession of the lead. The Crescent Cup was the first of the final day’s three matches and Bernosky couldn’t have asked for a better boost. “When you enter the final day and you’re tied and you just stand up there and shoot a 200-15x, it doesn’t get any better than that…”, Bernosky said.
Having grabbed the lead after the excellent performance, Bernosky held on for the last two matches and won by three points — close. Congratulated by his friends and fellow competitors as he packed up, Bernosky left the firing line a champion.
Air Rifle and Air Pistol shooters of all ages are invited to participate in the 6th Annual 2012 Camp Perry Open, to be held January 13-15, 2012 at the CMP Marksmanship Center in Camp Perry, Ohio. This year’s match will include a three-position air rifle competition, an international air rifle (all standing) event, a pistol course of fire, and an optional clinic for juniors. The match will be fired on Megalink Electronic Targets linked to viewing monitors at each firing point.
Men’s and Women’s Air Rifle – The air rifle event is open to both men and women of all ages. It is a two-day precision rifle event where competitors will fire 60 standing shots in accordance with USA Shooting rules. A final will be held each day for the top open and junior categories. The finals will be held concurrently, so if a junior qualifies in both finals, they will be squadded with open final shooters. There is a limit of 110 shooters for this competition.
3×20 Junior Air Rifle – This event is governed by the National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle Rules, and participants must be juniors eligible in accordance with Rule 3.1. The match will include a 3×20 on 13 January 2012, with Finals for both sporter and precision at 7:30 pm on Friday. The Three-position competition is limited to 150 competitors. EIC award points will be awarded.
Register Soon — Don’t Delay Registration Deadline is January 1st, so you need to act immediately. Online Registration has been closed so you need to contact Katie Harrington. Send email to: kharrington [at] odcmp.com, or you can call Katie at 419-635-2141 ext 1131. Forms may be faxed to Katie Harrington at 419-635-2573.
Ace UK shooter Vince Bottomley decided he wanted to build a new F-TR rifle for the 2011 season. Vince selected all the best components: Stolle Action, Bartlein Barrel, Precision Rifle & Tool Stock. The build came together superbly, producing a .308 Win rifle that shoots bugholes at 100 yards, and holds sub-half-MOA (or better) to 1000. After building the rifle, Vince decided to shoot Open Class at the 2011 European Championship. So, he graciously loaned his purple F-TR rig to his friend, Stuart Anselm. The rest, as they say, “is history”. Despite having just one day’s practice with the gun, Stuart drove Vince’s rifle to victory, winning the 2011 European F-Class Championship (F-TR division) by a sizable margin.
Superb Accuracy with VV N150 and Berger 185gr Bullets
This 2011 Euro Championship-winning F-TR rifle is the star of our latest Gun of the Week Feature Story. In that article, Vince explains how he modified the long PR&T stock to make weight, and how he developed an accurate load with Vihtavuori N150 and Berger 185gr Target Long-Range Bullets. Vince notes that many UK F-Class shooters are moving back to single-base powders, after trying out double-base powders such as VV N550 and Reloder 17. What’s the reason? Barrel life. Vince feels that the single-base powders can give somewhat better barrel life, even if you lose a little velocity.
New F-TR Champion Reviews Bottomley’s Stolle-Action Rifle
Stuart Anselm tells us: “I only shot the rifle a couple of days before the Europeans — two sighters and then five rounds at 800 yards which went into a 3.75-inch group. That gave me a lot of confidence in the rifle. The bi-pod is very light and looked a bit flimsy but it’s well-engineered, so it worked well. That long Precision Rifle & Tool stock is definitely the way to go and helps the rifle to track nicely under recoil. Of course, the Stolle action was perfect with the right-bolt, left-port set-up and the 10-60X March is just about the ultimate F-Class scope.”
Winning Performance: Scoring 452 points out of a possible 475, Stuart won the F-TR Euro Championship convincingly, finishing 10 points ahead of F-TR runner-up Adam Bagnall (also from Great Britain). Stuart also had the highest V-Bull count with 33.
The 7.4-lb Crosman MAR177 Conversion Kit replaces your existing AR/M4 style upper and converts it into a PCP .177-caliber competition air rifle with 21″ free floating Lothar Walther™ barrel. Designed to support 10-meter match air rifle competition, the MAR177 is also suited for service rifle shooters who want to practice indoors in winter. Fitted with a 10-shot rotary magazine, all the shooter has to do work the bolt back every time after firing. The air reservoir offers up to 120 shots per fill.
At SHOT Show 2012 we met with Andreas Krüger, managing director of 
Remember that you must maintain the exact same amount of rifle cant from shot to shot. Yes, some iron sights shooters do tilt their rifle slightly to achieve a better hold or to index their sights better. However, these shooters do not change the tilt from shot to shot — the amount of cant remains the same on every shot.
(a) Slow Fire: Value spotters are placed as indicated on the target frame, all of a highly visible color such as fluorescent orange or black. The shooter may request the color they can best see.
Bernosky Gets His 9th Nat’l HP Title
During his title run this year, Bernosky tied the National Record for slow fire standing from 200 yards — an extremely impressive accomplishment. The record, a 200-15x, was originally set by Gary Anderson in 1971 during the Navy Cup. 
