The latest May 2010 digital edition of Shooting Sports USA is available, and it is definitely worth reading. This May issue contains the much-anticipated sequel to Part One of Competitive Gun Cleaning. Part Two of the series on Gun Cleaning can show you how to clean more effectively, with longer lasting results. Shooting Sports USA Editor Chip Lohman explains that: “Advances in chemicals for the marine, auto, and airline industry have benefited shooting sports in general and competitive shooting specifically”. There are many new products that speed up the cleaning process, so you can spend more time shooting, and less time scrubbing barrels.
Also featured in Shooting Sports USA’s May Edition are:
A “must-read” profile of legendary High Power shooter Middleton (‘Mid’) Tompkins.
A Guide to the Distinguished Shooting Program for all 5 NRA disciplines.
An Introduction to .22LR Rimfire Benchrest Shooting, with resource links.
Complete schedules for NRA competitive matches nationwide — this covers a wide range of disciplines, including high power, smallbore, black powder cartridge, silhouette, cowboy silhouette, and pistol matches.
One of the great things about ordering an M1 Garand or rimfire Target Rifle from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is that, if you satisfy all the purchaser requirements, the gun can be shipped directly to your home (in most states). You are NOT required to receive a CMP surplus rifle through an FFL, at least in most jurisdictions.
Unfortunately, that situation has changed in New Jersey. The State of New Jersey is now requiring that CMP guns be first shipped to Federal Firearms License-holders who also have a current New Jersey State License.
New Jersey Now Restricts CMP Firearms Transfers
Orest Michaels, CMP Chief Operating Officer, reports: “On April 12th, CMP representatives met with representatives of the NJ State Police and the NJ Attorney General’s office. At issue was the fact that CMP customers were receiving rifles at their home and not from a firearms dealer licensed by the state. It was the opinion… of both the NJ State Police and the AG’s office that NJ requires all firearm transactions be face to face and the transfer of a rifle be made to the customer by a NJ licensed dealer. Therefore, NJ residents cannot certify paragraph K on the CMP order form that reads: ‘I further certify that I will not be in violation, by reason of my receipt or possession of a rifle, of any state law or published ordinance applicable where I reside’.”
Effective immediately, rifles sold and shipped to NJ residents must be shipped to NJ licensed firearms dealers. Customers should provide the CMP with copies of the dealer’s FFL and NJ State license, along with the CMP order form. This applies to all rifle orders the CMP has already received and not yet shipped. [However], New Jersey residents who visit either CMP store may purchase and pick up rifles without the necessity of going through a NJ licensed dealer.
The final results of the 2010 NBRSA 600-Yard National Championship held at the Sac Valley Shooting Center on April 23-25, 2010, are now available. Click the link below to download an MS Word file with complete scores.
Official Scorer Jim O’Connell reports: “On Friday Billy Copelin was presented his NBRSA Long-Range Hall of Fame Jacket. He joined a very elite group of shooters. Congratulations to Billy. The weather was fairly nice and the wind (light brezze) was manageable. Robert Hoppe and Don Nielson both broke the 6-target Light Gun score record with a 278-3X. Don beat Robert because Don had the smaller group. Richard Schatz broke two records, the 6-target Heavy Gun group (3.045), and the twelve target Two-Gun group (2.782). Don Nielson was the 2010 National Champion with a score of 12 (8-Heavy Gun Score, 2-Heavy Gun Group, 1-Light Gun Score, and 1-Light Gun Group). Congratulations to Don. Thank you all for your participation and support of the Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters. Hope to see you all at the NBRSA 1000-Yard Nationals.”
One of the nation’s major multi-gun competitions took place this weekend at the new Rockcastle Shooting Center in Park City, Kentucky. The Sabre Defense Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship attracted scores of top shooters, drawn by over $250,000 worth of gear and certificates on the prize table. The “Blue Ridge” is a hugely popular match — probably the biggest 3-gun event in the country.
This is the second year for the event at the Rockcastle Shooting Center, an impressive addition to the Park Mammoth Resort. With roughly 250 shooters this year, attendance was up over 42% since last year. One reason the Blue Ridge 3-Gun match is so popular is its unique terrain. Match Director Andy Horner explains: “The BRM3G has several characteristics for which it is known. First of all, being one of two major matches held over natural terrain, the match uses features of the land to create interesting and challenging courses of fire. Stage design also sets the BRM3G apart. The stages are physically demanding and have a higher-than-average round count. This is not a stand-and-shoot match. We strive to create stages that require competitors to get out of their comfort zone and have their abilities tested. This is accomplished through requiring significant movement, unusual shooting positions, unusual presentation of targets, and occasional longer shots.”
Despite rainy weather, the competitors fought through 10 stages over three days. On Sunday, among the top stage performers, 32 shooters were selected for the shoot-off. These 32 dueled in elimination matches until just two competitors were left: Taran Butler and Erik Lund. Erik and Taran then battled against the clock in a final stage run. When the dust settled, Taran Butler took the championship by a few seconds, earning a $5000.00 check from Leupold. As the Blue Ridge 3-Gun Champion, Butler earned a spot at the 3-Gun Nation Finals in September, which will be held in conjunction with the USPSA 3-Gun Nationals. Below are images from the 2009 Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun event.
NBRSA Long-Range BR Hall-of-Famer Don Nielson earned his second NBRSA 600-yard championship this weekend in Sacramento, California. Don took the overall title, which counts score and group results for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG). 6mm Dasher shooters Richard Schatz and Robert Hoppe finished second and third overall, respectively. Potential new records were set at the match, with possible new records by Nielson in LG Group Agg, LG Score Agg, and (possibly) 12-target Agg. Along with winning the Championship, Don placed first in LG Group, first in LG Score, second in HG Group, and second in Two-Gun Group Agg. Nielson also shot the smallest LG group, a 1.4″ group with four of five shots in slightly over 1/2 inch!
Don shot two 6.5×47 17-lb rifles, one in Light Gun and one in Heavy Gun. (He shot two near-identical rifles so he didn’t need to clean between LG and HG relays). For his pair of 6.5x47s, Don loaded Alliant Reloder 15 powder, with Federal 205M primers, and Berger 130 VLD bullets “right out of the box.” Don’s rifles featured Kelbly 1000-yard stocks, Bartlein 30″ barrels, and March 10-60x52mm scopes. Below Don Nielson is shown testing in 2008. Don shot this gun in the match, but it has a new Bartlein barrel.
The Match was well-attended — 46 of the nation’s top mid-range shooters competed. Don Nielson said conditions were “pretty nice until the third (last) relay on Sunday”. Don felt that winds didn’t top 10 mph until late on Sunday. Don credited both his guns for performing very consistently and he wanted to acknowledge his fellow shooters: “Richard, as usual, shot great with his Dasher. Robert (Hoppe) shot well as did Darryl Kightlinger and Everet Smith, whom we call the ‘Shasta Locomotive'”. Below are preliminary results provided by Lynn Dragoman.
Overall NBRSA National Championship
1. Don “The Pumpkin” Nielson
2. Richard Schatz
3. Robert Hoppe
4. Darryl Kightlinger
5. Everet Smith
6. Curt Mendenhall
7. William Hubina
8. Kenneth Schroeder
9. John Crawford
10. Lynn Dragoman Jr
Two-Gun Score
1. Everet Smith
2. Darryl Kightlinger
3. Richard Schatz
4. Curt Mendenhall
5. Don Nielson
6. Kenneth Schroeder
7. Lynn Dragoman Jr
8. Robert Hoppe
9. Stu Harvey
10. Lou Murdica
Two-Gun Group
1. Richard Schatz
2. Don Nielson
3. Robert Hoppe
4. Everet Smith
5. Curt Mendenhall
6. William Hubina
7. Kenneth Schroeder
8. Darryl Kightlinger
9. John Crawford
10. Greg Wilson
Three-Target Winners
Heavy Gun 3-Tgt Score — Darryl Kightlinger
Heavy Gun 3-Tgt Group — Robert Hoppe
Light Gun 3-Tgt Score — Robert Hoppe
Light Gun 3-Tgt Group — John Crawford
Light Gun Score
1. Don Nielson
2. Robert Hoppe
3. Darryl Kightlinger
4. Everet Smith
5. Curt Mendenhall
Light Gun Group
1. Don Nielson
2. Richard Schatz
3. Robert Hoppe
4. John Crawford
5. Darryl Kightlinger
Heavy Gun Score
1. Richard Schatz
2. Kenneth Schroeder
3. Everet Smith
4. Stu Harvey
5. Darryl Kightlinger
Heavy Gun Group
1. Richard Schatz
2. Don Nielson
3. Everet Smith
4. Curt Mendenhall
5. William Hubina
The Creedmoor Sports 2010 catalog will be mailed out to Creedmoor’s customer list next week. Want a sneak peek? The complete, 88-page 2010 catalog, in digital format, is available online. CLICK THIS LINK to browse through the pages, search for products and zoom in for details.
There are many new products in the 2010 Creedmoor Catalog, such as a new fullbore prone coat, with special features for belly shooters. Creedmoor worked with Dennis Flaherty, U.S. Palma Team Captain, to develop this product. $50.00 from the sale of each coat goes to support the U.S. Palma Team. Also new this year is a “No-Pulse” sling, item NPS-01, $81.95. The 2″-wide sling is made of synthetic material so it won’t stretch or shrink, no matter what the weather. Special “grippy” backing stabilizes the sling on your arm, while a unique dual-strap connection on the cuff dramatically reduces pulse effects. In addition, Creedmoor has a new, deluxe spotting scope mounting head (“Polecat” series) which comes in three versions, so it can fit 5/8″, 3/4″, or 1″ stands.
If you’re planning to attend the 2010 National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, or if you just want to learn more about this “mother of all rifle matches”, you should download the FREE 2010 National Rifle and Pistol Championships Program and Entry Information Guide. This comprehensive 100-page digital publication (PDF) is chock full of helpful content, including maps, schedules, lists of nearby facilities. and entry information. The Camp Perry Program Guide also includes complete courses of fire and rules for the numerous firearm classes and various events. Anyone involved in competitive smallbore or high power shooting will find many things of interest in the 2010 Camp Perry Program Guide, even if you can’t make it to Ohio this summer.
America’s four-time-Olympic medalist Kim Rhode won the Gold Medal and equaled the existing world record at the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Beijing, China. Chinese shooters Shi Hong Yan and Wei Ning finished second and third, respectively.
Rhode was nearly perfect throughout the competition. By nailing 74 of 75 targets in the first three rounds and shooting a final round of 24, Rhode won the competition by two targets. With this victory, Rhode has earned more valuable points in her quest to again represent the United States in the 2012 London Games. If Rhode does participate in the 2012 Games, she could become the first American Olympian from an individual sport to earn medals in five consecutive Olympic Games. Rhode was pleased with her performance: “This is an exciting time for me. I was hoping to get a 99 [to set a new record] but it just was not meant to be.” On competing again in Beijing, Rhode declared: “This city is so incredible. Things are a lot different now than they were during the Olympic Games but it still is such an amazing place to compete.”
Tired of filling out forms, making copies, purchasing stamps and waiting to hear if your application arrived on time? Wait no longer! Entries for the National Rifle and Pistol Championships — as well as the various junior camps — are now being accepted online.
Just go to the NRA Camp Perry Sign-up webpage, fill out the appropriate fields (enter your NRA ID if you have one), and your application will automatically be entered into the system. According to John Park of the NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division, “We’ve had a lot of requests for an online system and [we] can’t wait to start using the new system.” Parker advises that, for the system to function correctly, users should employ Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher or Netscape 6.0 or higher. You can also access the impressive 100-page Camp Perry digital Program & Entry Information, which contains maps, schedules, Courses of Fire, Rules and much more. Click the first link below to read the Program online. Click the second link to download the Program as a PDF file.
Texan Erik Cortina (aka X3MHunter in our Forum) showcased some great marksmanship recently. Competing at Houston’s Bayou Rifle Club, Erik shot a spectacular 600-49X to break the Rifle Club’s 300-yard F-Class Open division record of 599-32X. Erik smashed the Bayou record, raising the point count to a perfect 600 with 17 more Xs than before. Erik reports: “Conditions were calm, about 65 degrees with about a 1-3 mile wind from right to left. I would say they were almost perfect conditions. I was there at the right place at the right time!” Eric’s three strings, in order, were: 200-17X, 200-16X, and 200-16X. That’s consistency! In setting the new record, Erik demonstrated how accurate the 6.5 x 47 Lapua cartridge can be. (Note: There is no official NRA 3x20x300-yard F-Open Record at this time. The NRA currently logs only an individual 20-shot 300-yard F-Open record, which was set by Shiriz Balolia, with a perfect 200-20X).
We know many of our readers have built, or plan to build, a 6.5×47 Lapua match rifle. The question often arises: “What powder should I shoot and what weight bullet?” We normally advise people to start with bullets in the 120-130 grain-range with a powder such as Varget or Reloder 15. However, the unique properties of Reloder 17 offers a “heavy bullet solution.” In the hands of Asst. Editor Jason Baney, our AccurateShooter.com 6.5×47 Lapua test rifle shot the 140gr Bergers very accurately using Reloder 17. In fact, Jason’s most accurate 200-yard load was with the 140s and RL17.
Erik Cortina also found that the 6.5×47 cartridge can work superbly with 140 grain-class bullets. Erik shot the 139gr Lapua Scenar bullets (jammed .020″ in the lands) with a stout load of Reloder 17 (more than 40 grains). Erik was able to drive the 139gr Scenars well over 2900 fps with the small 6.5×47 case. Erik tells us: “I developed this load doing a ladder test at 500 yards. This might be a very hot load in most rifles but mine is throated specifically for the 139 Scenars since I didn’t plan on shooting anything else. This load does not show pressure signs on my rifle.” Erik got great accuracy with minimal brass prep: “The Lapua 6.5×47 brass is great. After uniforming the primer pockets, I tried to weight sort but only found .3 grains variance on 300 pieces of brass, so I just loaded the brass and went shooting.”
Rifle Components and Smithing
Erik’s rifle features a Lawton 7500 RBRP left-eject action, mated to a 1:8″-twist, 28″ Krieger barrel. The barrel was chambered for a no-turn 6.5×47. The stock is a Richard Franklin Low Rider made by West Custom Rifles. The rifle was smithed by Mark Pharr of Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles.
The latest May 2010 digital edition of Shooting Sports USA is available, and it is definitely worth reading. This May issue contains the much-anticipated sequel to Part One of Competitive Gun Cleaning. Part Two of the series on Gun Cleaning can show you how to clean more effectively, with longer lasting results. Shooting Sports USA Editor Chip Lohman explains that: “Advances in chemicals for the marine, auto, and airline industry have benefited shooting sports in general and competitive shooting specifically”. There are many new products that speed up the cleaning process, so you can spend more time shooting, and less time scrubbing barrels.
One of the great things about ordering an M1 Garand or rimfire Target Rifle from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is that, if you satisfy all the purchaser requirements, the gun can be shipped directly to your home (in most states). You are NOT required to receive a CMP surplus rifle through an FFL, at least in most jurisdictions.
The 
One of the nation’s major multi-gun competitions took place this weekend at the new Rockcastle Shooting Center in Park City, Kentucky. The Sabre Defense 
NBRSA Long-Range BR Hall-of-Famer Don Nielson earned his second NBRSA 600-yard championship this weekend in Sacramento, California. Don took the overall title, which counts score and group results for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG). 6mm Dasher shooters Richard Schatz and Robert Hoppe finished second and third overall, respectively. Potential new records were set at the match, with possible new records by Nielson in LG Group Agg, LG Score Agg, and (possibly) 12-target Agg. Along with winning the Championship, Don placed first in LG Group, first in LG Score, second in HG Group, and second in Two-Gun Group Agg. Nielson also shot the smallest LG group, a 1.4″ group with four of five shots in slightly over 1/2 inch!
America’s four-time-Olympic medalist Kim Rhode won the Gold Medal and equaled the existing world record at the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Beijing, China. Chinese shooters Shi Hong Yan and Wei Ning finished second and third, respectively.
Tired of filling out forms, making copies, purchasing stamps and waiting to hear if your application arrived on time? Wait no longer! Entries for the National Rifle and Pistol Championships — as well as the various junior camps — are now being accepted online.
Texan Erik Cortina (aka X3MHunter in our Forum) showcased some great marksmanship recently. Competing at Houston’s 
Erik Cortina also found that the 6.5×47 cartridge can work superbly with 140 grain-class bullets. Erik shot the 139gr Lapua Scenar bullets (jammed .020″ in the lands) with a stout load of Reloder 17 (more than 40 grains). Erik was able to drive the 139gr Scenars well over 2900 fps with the small 6.5×47 case. Erik tells us: “I developed this load doing a ladder test at 500 yards. This might be a very hot load in most rifles but mine is throated specifically for the 139 Scenars since I didn’t plan on shooting anything else. This load does not show pressure signs on my rifle.” Erik got great accuracy with minimal brass prep: “The Lapua 6.5×47 brass is great. After uniforming the primer pockets, I tried to weight sort but only found .3 grains variance on 300 pieces of brass, so I just loaded the brass and went shooting.”
