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October 21st, 2010
Thinking about holding you very own NRA sanctioned tournament? Worried there might be loads of forms to fill out and paperwork to file? Well worry no more. Now you can do it all online at NRA Competitive Shooting’s new Tournament Registration website. To request match sanctioning, log on to www.nrahq.org/compete/tournaments/. There you can register a tournament and check existing tournament details online.
Whether you’re in Alaska or Alabama, shooting high power or pistol, in an indoor or outdoor range, the online registrationwebsite offers fast easy processing of your sanctioning requests. For more information, call (703) 267-1466, or email tournopns [at] nrahq.org .
October 20th, 2010
This weekend, October 22-24, the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center hosts the NBRSA 1000-Yard National Championship (aka “Sloughhouse 1000″). Many of the nation’s best long-range shooters will be on the firing line. There will be two classes, Light Gun and Heavy Gun, with match fees of $75.00 per class. The Championship Match starts on the 22nd at 8:00 A.M. at Range 12. There will be a “sight-in & weigh-in” day on October 21st. On Friday and Sunday, food may be purchased from Jake’s Hot Dogs. On Saturday, lunch will be catered by Sierra Smokehouse Barbecue. (Sierra’s BBQ fare is truly superb!)
 This is the view from 600 yards. The 1000-yard firing line is fully covered and shaded. With blustery weather and moderate chance of rain predicted, it will be interesting to see how the 6mm Dasher aces like Richard Schatz do in tough conditions. This could be the weekend to shoot a big boomer in both classes. Past 1K NBRSA Champ Jerry Tierney will be there with his straight .284 Win. He is working on a 7mm RSAUM, but it isn’t ready for the event.
CLICK HERE for Entry Form/Information Sheet (PDF)
October 18th, 2010
Want a great deal on a pre-owned precision rifle? Then visit Bob White’s Shooter’s Corner website and check out “The List”. Bob maintains a wide selection of used benchrest, varmint, and precision rifles. In fact, Bob offers the largest inventory of used benchrest rifles and equipment in the USA. Along with complete rifles, you’ll find accessories, rests, scopes, and reloading tools.
“The List” was last updated in June, but there are still plenty of great deals on hand. Contact Bob White directly for the latest offerings or ask for his personal “hand picks” from his vast inventory: (973) 663-5159; email: shootcnr [@] optonline.net.
You can find exceptional deals on “The List”, with complete, custom-action BR rifles for as little as $1300.00, and varmint rifles starting at $500.00. Here are four examples:
Rifle B15: 30BR Heavy Varmint, BAT Model SV R/L action w/rt eject; Bartlein bbl w/.330 neck, 700 rnds; McMillan/Bruno fiberglass glue-in stock; Jewell 2oz trigger; Includes Kelbly type scope bases & buttstock weight system; Gunsmith: H. Vranian; Exc. cond. Superbly accurate score rig — has fired 250-23X. $2297.
Rifle B48: 6PPC Hvy Varmint, Viper drop port R/L action; 2 Hart bbls w.262 nk, less than 900 & 2800 rnds; McMillan Edge Mod fiberglass glue-in stock; Jewell 2 oz. trigger; Gunsmith: B. LaChapelle; Exc. cond. Best group .072 has finished in top 5 in 2006-50 shooters. $1775.
Rifle B84: 6PPC Heavy Varmint, Hall mod B R/R action, Hart bbl w/.262 nk with 1400 rnds, McMillan fiberglass glue-in stock, custom 2 oz. trigger, includes B&L scope mount, Gunsmith: Spencer, VG cond, paint shows some nicks. I’ve seen this gun shoot .1 range groups. (a $1700-!1800 value), $1275.
Varmint Rifle V1: 22-250 Cooper Western Classic, Mod 22 w/color casehardened receiver finish; Blued factory round to hex bbl with less than 100 rounds. AAA French walnut w/beautiful wrap-around checkering & skeleton grip cap & buttplate; Factory crisp 1.5 lb trigger. Includes 1″ Tally scope mnts w/color case hardened finish; About 99% cond. Has all upgrades including checkered bolt knob & inlaid sling swivels. $1995. (a cool $4000 to buy now.)
October 12th, 2010
 The 7th NRA World Action Pistol Championships (WAPC) was held October 6-9 in Blacktown, Australia. Chip Lohman, Managing Editor of Shooting Sports USA magazine, covered the event, which was dominated by American shooters.
- First Place: Doug Koenig, 1920-188x
- Second Place: Carl Bernosky, 1920-181x
- Third Place: Bruce Piatt, 1920-177x
Doug Koenig, Carl Bernosky, and Bruce Piatt all shot perfect scores at the Championships, a phenomenal feat, Lohman said. Koenig is shown at left with one of his WAPC prizes. (Photo courtesy SSAA2010.com).
Complete WAPC results (PDF format) are posted on SSAA2010.com. You can view pictures of the action by browsing the WAPC Photo Gallery.
October 6th, 2010
Many shooters using the 6mmBR case or a 6BR Improved (6 BRX, Dasher), automatically assume they should be shooting the heavier 105-108gr bullet designs because these offer the “best” ballistic coefficient attainable with a bullet that can work in an 8-twist barrel.
 However, if you are shooting a 6BR at medium ranges, say 250 to 400 yards, you should seriously consider trying the 90-95 grain class of bullets, which includes the Berger 90gr Match Target BT, the Lapua 90gr Scenar, the Berger 95gr Match Target VLD, and the Sierra 95gr MatchKing.
First, you may find that, in your barrel, the 90-95 grainers are easier to tune in terms of seating depth, and they may offer somewhat better raw accuracy — yielding smaller groups than the heavier bullets. But remember — each gun/barrel is different.
Second, another advantage of the 90-95s is that you can fill the case fuller with the Varget/RL-15 class of powders (with appropriate throats). You can use more powder and therefore get closer to an optimal 100% case fill. With a 95gr VLD seated long we were able to get virtually 100% fill with a slow lot of Varget. Don’t try that with your 105s!
Lighter Bullets Offer More Speed in a 6BR
You’ll find that, in a standard 6mmBR rifle, you can drive the 90-95 grainers considerably faster than the 105-108 grain bullets at equivalent pressures. In an Eliseo R5 Tubegun, with Broughton 27.5″ 5C barrel, we were able to push the 95gr VLDs a full 160 fps faster than the 108s. This means that the true ballistics of the 90-95s rival that of the heavy bullets — at medium ranges.
We were able to drive the 90-grainers and the 95gr VLDs comfortably and very accurately at 3050 fps, whereas we maxed out at about 2890 fps with the 105gr and 108gr Bergers. At 300 yards, the 95gr bullet’s speed advantage compensates, in large part, for any BC shortfall compared to heavier bullets. In fact, in our rifle, the 95gr VLD actually shows less wind drift at 300 yards than either the Berger 105 Match Target BT or the Berger 108 Match Target BT. See chart.
Here’s data from JBM Ballistics, using G7 Coefficients (500′ alt, 70° temp):
LESSON: Don’t always assume that the heavier bullet has superior ballistics. You have to test, find the accuracy nodes for each bullet in your gun, and run the ballistics for the velocities you can actually achieve with good accuracy. As above, you may be surprised. In our Eliseo Tubegun, the 90-grainers shot tighter than 105s and we gave up little, if anything, in wind drift at 300 yards.
Great Accuracy from 90s and 95s in 6mmBR Tubeguns
In our Broughton-barreled Tubegun, the most accurate bullet so far has been the 90gr Lapua Scenar. In a Savage 6BR with 3-groove PacNor Barrel the Berger 95gr VLD has been ultra-accurate. But we really want to try the 95gr Sierra MK as well. Forum member Randy (aka “InfantryTrophy”) has been shooting the 95gr SMK with great success, and impressive accuracy. Here is his report: “The 95 SMK shoots great. I have not had the opportunity to shoot the 95s at 200 or 300 yards, but I can’t think of anything better to use. This is my first 5-round group fired after about 15 break-in rounds. The load is 29.5 grains of Reloder 15 with SMK 95. The gun is an Eliseo R5 with Pierce action and Broughton 27″ barrel. Shown below is a 5-shot, 100-yard group shot at 100 yards on MR31 target with iron sights, from rest.” Randy measured his group at 0.214″. It looks a bit bigger than that to us, but it is still impressive:
October 4th, 2010
 The Western CMP Games/ Creedmoor Cup are less than two weeks away. From October 16-24, 2010, the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. will host the 6th Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup at the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, AZ. The Western CMP Games Matches run from October 16 to 19. The Creedmoor Cup Matches take place on 20-24 October. All interested shooters, from novices to High Masters, are invited to participate. Event registration deadline is October 13, 2010.
| CLICK HERE for Match Program and Schedule
The Western CMP Games kick off with a Garand-Springfield-Military Rifle New Shooter Clinic from 8:00 am – 11:00 am on Saturday, 16 October. The clinic includes lecture, demonstration and dry fire position work while emphasizing what new shooters need to know to shoot these matches. Gary Anderson, CMP Director Emeritus, will be the lead instructor. After the clinic the first Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match will be fired in the afternoon. Hornady will then present a Reloading Clinic from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.
 Plenty of Garand Action, Plus Rimfire Sporter Match Debuts
On Sunday, 17 October, there will be an As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match in the morning where shooters lacking EIC points can earn introductory “4-point legs.” That afternoon, there will be a new event on the schedule, a Rimfire Sporter Match. The Rimfire Sporter Match is a low-key event that caters to all ages and skill levels.
Shooting opportunities on the third day, Monday, 18 October, have also been expanded. There will be a second Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match that morning followed by an M1 Carbine Match that afternoon. The Western CMP Games Matches conclude on Tuesday, 19 October, with a third Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match, and Vintage Sniper Test Match.
Creedmoor Cup Clinic and Matches
The Creedmoor Cup schedule begins on Wednesday, 20 October, with an Advanced Clinic. The Creedmoor Cup Matches include a Practice Match, a 4-Man Team match, the 80-shot Creedmoor Cup Match and an EIC Match. Both events feature special hospitality events and prize awards. For more information visit the Western Games Webpage, or contact Christina Leveck-Roguski, (419) 635-2141 x1114, croguski [at] odcmp.com.
October 1st, 2010
 The 4R Rifle Club’s Team Hunting Challenge is one of the only matches in the country to mimic a long range hunting scenario. The match is held in central Oklahoma and has evolved over the last thee years to challenge not only the competitors’ marksmanship but also their ability to handle stress in the field.
A strict time limit puts pressure on the two-man shooter/spotter teams. In the 13-minute alloted time, the shooters attempt to find and range 12 wooden animal silhouettes and then score hits on the steel vital areas.
Shooters and spotters must work together and communicate well to get through all the targets in the given time. Plus, this year a Speed Shoot was added to the Hunting Challenge. This timed stage gave teams just 40 seconds to engage five (5) known-distance targets with one shot each. That works out to just 8 seconds per target, requiring the trigger pullers to be ultra-fast, AND accurate.
Surgeon Rifles Duo Tops Field
The Hunting Challenge was well-attended, with competitors coming from Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah, to join the usual group of shooters from Oklahoma and Texas. Small targets, improvised shooting positions, and constantly-switching winds made this a tough event, demanding high levels of skill and rifle accuracy. Preston Pritchett of Surgeon Rifles and his ace spotter Wade Stuteville came out on top with 65 out of 89 points. Preston and Wade put on a clinic, beating the second-place team, Dean Morris and Rick Jensen, by 15 points (equivalent to five first round hits). Finishing third was the team of Jeff Badly and Chase Tressler.
Hunting Challenge Teams Snag $30K Worth of Gear
This year’s Hunting Challenge prize table held over $30,000 worth of merchandise. Preston and Wade were each awarded a fully-outfitted Savage 10 Precision Carbine rifle, complete with Harris bipod, and 3.5-15x50mm NightForce NXS scope. Dean and Rick each took home a Vortex Razor HD rifle scope with rings. Two Swarovski SLC HD 10×42 binos were handed out to the third-place team. There were prizes for 24 of the 30 teams and the top 15 teams received a prize with a value that equaled or exceeded the $400 match entry fee. Full results, photos, and a sponsor list are posted on the Snipers’ Hide Forum.
Credit B.J. Bailey for this match report and photos.
September 29th, 2010
by Kerrin Brinkman, NRA BLOG
Just a few days after his win at the 3-Gun Nation Championship (earning him a $25,000 prize), SGT Dan Horner of the USAMU won another 3-Gun event, the Adams Arms Ozark 3-Gun Championship in Missouri. There was plenty of excitement at the final shoot-off on Sunday afternoon. Eight top shooters competed in the shoot-off, with a $5,000 check on the line.
The first two competitors to face-off were famed 3-gunner Taran Bulter and SGT Dan Horner, still fresh off his big win at the 3-Gun Nation Championship. Known for his speed, Horner had the advantage out of the gate and knocked Butler out of the running.
The next pairing was seasoned shooter Kurt Miller and newcomer Bryan Ray. While Miller has been a strong presence in the world of iron sights for years, Ray recently broke onto the scene, capturing first place in the Heavy Metal class for his first win at a national-level competition. In the end, Ray was able to beat Miller after an incredible run and advanced to the semi-finals.
Up next were Clint Upchurch and Rob Romero of the Noveske Shooting Team, where Romero's blazing speed earned him a win into the semifinals. The final pairing was Surefire's Barry Dueck versus Chris Sechiatano, with Sechiatano edging out Dueck to secure a spot in the next bracket.
Horner and Ray were next to the line in a nail-biting run. The pairing of Horner, perhaps the fastest shooter the sport of 3-gun has ever seen, against Ray, a hard-charger who seemingly rose to the leaderboard out of no where, was exciting to say the least. Although Ray had an incredible run, Horner’s speed and accuracy gave the young Staff Sergeant the upper-hand. The finals came down to Horner and Romero. Despite his best efforts, Romero couldn’t match Horner’s speed. SGT Horner walked away with another 3-Gun win under his belt and a check for $5,000 in his hand.
September 27th, 2010
 We’ve confirmed that Danny Biggs, the Spirit of America’s F-Open Class Winner, shot the match using a bipod, rather than a pedestal rest. This is pretty remarkable because top F-Open competitors have traditionally preferred the stability and quick adjustability you get with a deluxe pedestal rest such as a Farley, John Loh (J.J. Industries), or SEB. Of course, Danny had a trick up his sleeve — his prototype Sinclair International bipod features a quick-adjusting elevation control. No, you can’t buy a bipod like Danny’s — at least not yet. Sinclair Int’l hopes to offer production versions before the end of 2010.
Sinclair staffer Pete Petros competed at the 2010 SOA Match, and recounted his experiences in Sinclair’s Reloading Press. Concerning Biggs’ bipod, Petros wrote:
An interesting fact about Biggs’ win is that he was shooting off of the Sinclair F-Class Bipod which is generally used in F-TR competition. In F-Class open most competitors shoot off of a bench-type rest modified to shoot off of the ground in the prone position. The bipod Biggs [used] is a new-model Sinclair Elevation-Adjustable version of the newer Sinclair F-Class Bipod. Danny has been testing this product for us during the past year and obviously is having great results. We should have these bipods ready for production in a few months. Keep posted to our website for announcements. But trust me, I think Danny would shoot well balancing his gun on a rock –- he’s that good!
 While most F-Open shooters used a front pedestal rest, either a joystick design or a center column pedestal with remote-adjustable windage top, Danny used a wide-base bipod, as he had done at past Nationals in the F-TR class. But Danny’s bipod was very special. It is a prototype, modified Sinclair design with height adjustment via a central, vertical-axis knob.
As you can see from the pictures below, the left and right bipod legs are attached to a T-shaped silver (aluminum) bracket. This bracket moves up and down as the silver knob is turned clockwise or counter-clockwise. As the knob turns, its threads pull the T-shaped bracket up and down relative to a center block of aluminum bolted to the bipod’s attachment to the rifle’s forearm accessory rail. With this system, Danny can easily reach forward and make precise adjustments in elevation. Note that the Sinclair bipod’s secure rail attachment is retained and Danny can still adjust rifle cant (tilt), using the rear push-button handle. This rear handle functions like a Pod-lock allowing the rifle to be tilted a few degrees to one side or the other to compensate for side-sloping terrain.
September 27th, 2010
Many shooters expend considerable time and effort to coat their bullets with friction-reducing compounds such as Boron Nitride (HBN), Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly), and Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or ‘Danzac’). Many of these same shooters believe that coated bullets permit longer strings of fire between barrel cleanings. Also, there is some evidence that coated bullets may extend barrel life (though this remains controversial).
What if you could enjoy all the benefits of coated bullets without the effort? When you think about it, why not apply the anti-friction coating to the barrel itself, rather than the bullets? That is the thinking behind salt-bath nitriding of barrels. This nitriding process creates a very slick, very hard surface coating on the steel in the bore. The coating is only 10-20 microns thick (so it doesn’t cause pressure problems). But that coating is enough to reduce friction, and just possibly, extend useful barrel life.
John Whidden, Camp Perry Long-Range National Champion in 2007, 2008, and 2010, recently had one of his Broughton 6mm match barrels nitrided by Joel Kendrick. Joel does the salt-bath nitriding for MMI TruTec. Whidden reports he “is happy as he can be with the barrel” after the nitriding process. After nitriding, the stainless Broughton 5C barrel was “every bit as accurate as before, and noticeably easier to clean”, according to John. Also, John reports that he did NOT have to change his load after the barrel was nitrided (which left it with a handsome black, semigloss finish). Whidden says, “after cleaning, the barrel takes about 3-4 rounds to settle in… that’s the same as before.” This barrel shot very well before nitriding, and after nitriding, John used it successfully at Camp Perry in the 2009 Wimbleton Cup competition.
Overall, John tells us “Everything looks good. No accuracy loss, and easier cleaning.” He is pleased enough that he has sent more barrels to Joel Kendrick for nitride processing. John also said that he’s heard that nitrided barrels in some of the big caliber rifles, such as the .338 Lapua Magnum, are showing “significantly enhanced” barrel life.
To learn more about salt-bath nitriding for barrels, or to place a processing order with MMI-TruTec, email joelkndrck [at] aol.com, or call Joel at (704) 616-6442. Joel, a past 600-yard Shooter of the Year, is very knowledgeable about both shooting and the nitriding process. He can give you well-informed answers to your questions. Price for nitriding depends on quantity — call Joel for pricing details.
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