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June 13th, 2014
This month Ruger is introducing a new varmint version of its popular Ruger American Rifle (RAR). The RAR “Predator” model is offered in six (6) different chamberings: .204 Ruger, .223 Remington, .22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Winchester. All have 22″ free-floated, medium-contour barrels except the .308 Win, which has an 18″ tube, making it a very handy truck gun.
Gun writer Ed Head got his hands on one of the new RAR Predator rifles, chambered in .223 Remington. He reviewed the Predator for the DownRange.TV blog. The reviewer liked the compact 6.62-pound rifle, which features a molded polymer stock and hammer-forged 1:8″ twist barrel. Ed Head liked the short-throw bolt, and he praised the crisp trigger. Accuracy, as tested, was not that impressive — 1.224″ on average at 100 yards. But the tester noted that some types of ammo shot much better than others. So, conceivably, with handloads, this gun could shoot well under 1 MOA. Shooting at steel targets, the tester “managed to shoot 1.5-inch groups at 100 yards, 2.5-inch groups at 200 yards, and 7-inch groups at 300 yards, all with the Lake City ammunition.”
CLICK HERE To Read Full Review of Ruger American Rifle Predator
Overall, reviewer Ed Head liked the Predator enough that he decided to purchase his test rifle: “I like this rifle and I’m going to buy it from Ruger. It will shoot ‘minute of squirrel’ at reasonable ranges and should do well on bigger critters — predators — out to 400 yards or more.”
Rifle Features
- One-piece, 3-Lug 70° bolt with full-diameter bolt body and dual cocking cams.
- Integral bedding block system that positively locates the receiver.
- Action comes with factory-installed aluminum Weaver-style scope rail.
- Two-position safety can lock trigger (but not bolt) to allow safe unloading.
- Adjustable 3.5-lb Ruger Marksman trigger with Savage-style inner safety blade.
- Barrel factory-threaded at muzzle for muzzle brakes, flash hiders, and/or suppressors.
- Rotary magazines with 4- or 5-round capacity (depending on caliber). These magazines are a little tough to load correctly.
June 9th, 2014
 Editor: Our friend Shawn McKenna is a talented High Power competitor. A few years back Shawn ordered a Monard custom-fitted shooting coat. He found the jacket helped him shoot higher scores with less fatigue. He liked Monard coats so much he decided to sell them. Here is his report.
By Shawn McKenna
For years and years, like most High Power shooters, I used an “off the rack” shooting jacket and thought I was happy with it. There may have been one or two adjustments the supplier would accommodate during ordering, but by and large it was like wearing a suit that you bought without the benefit of having it tailored.
I’m always looking to improve my scores, and in 2008 I set out to find a better shooting jacket. I happened across Monard during a web search and was surprised to learn that they took an astounding 19 different measurements during the fitting process. I thought, “This has to be much better than an off the rack coat.”
The custom coat that Monard offers to High Power shooters is called the “HP Ultimate” coat. Consisting of 29 different sections or panels, it offers customization of the composition, thickness and type of material used in each panel. And the 19 different measurements include separate right and left shoulder profiles and separate front and back profiles.
The measurements are entered into a computer program where the ratios between various points are checked against a historical database of similar measurements. Any ratios that fall outside these typical ranges are double-checked or re-measured before confirming the order to insure the fit is right the first time. This measuring process produces a custom-fit coat with the right balance of support and comfort in each position, be it for across the course, long range, or Palma shooting.
How to Get a Monard HP Ultimate Shooting Coat
Order Monard High Power Ultimate shooting jackets from McKenna Shooting Sports. Call Shawn McKenna personally at (719) 322-3127 to talk about options, measurements, and pricing.
Shawn says: “At first glance, the order form seems daunting. But don’t worry, I can guide you through each part of the order form and explain the many different options. I’m not just the owner of McKenna Shooting Sports and a Monard-trained rep, but an experienced rifle competitor who can explain the features desirable for across the course vs. prone shooting coats (i.e. higher arm orientation, shorter torso options for prone) as well as the many different choices within those two basic options.”
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McKenna Shooting Sports, LLC
1826 E Platte Ave, Suite 110
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Ph: 719-322-3127
shawn [at] mckennasports.com |
GET 10% OFF
Mention this Accurateshooter.com article and get 10% off of your order placed by June 30th. Also, see Shawn on Commercial Row at Camp Perry for 10% off Camp Perry orders. |
 Testimonials from Monard Customers:
“The level of support, fit and comfort of my Monard is far superior to anything else available. My old coat feels like a sweatshirt by comparison. Shooters have to try one to fully appreciate the difference. All the Monard shooters with whom I talk agree – there’s no going back once you get one.”
–Jeff Lindblom, 2013 Missouri State Champ (in photo)
“Shooting offhand in a Monard is a much-needed upgrade; the support in the lower back you get with a profile matching your lower back is great! While shooting prone it is comfortable and easy to buckle all the way down.”
–Laura Monturi, Colorado State Rifle team
June 5th, 2014
The new-for-2014 Caldwell Crosswind Professional Wind Meter does much more than measure wind velocity. Along with Current Wind Speed, this device will measure and display: Average Wind Speed, Max Wind Gust, Temperature, Station Pressure, Barometric Pressure, Altitude, Density Altitude and even Wind Chill factor. Select among mph, ft/min, km/h, m/s, or knots for the wind speed units.
The swiveling impeller head (set parallel to barrel) allows you to determine an interpolated 90° crosswind value to use in your ballistics calculations. This eliminates a lot of guesswork.
You might say, “Why do I need a rotating head, I can just turn the whole wind meter to align the impeller axis with the wind?” Yes you can, but then you merely get a raw speed value, and you have to guesstimate the wind angle, and then calculate your actual windage correction based on the vector.
The rotating impeller ring on the Caldwell simplifies the job of calculating windage. The swivel head is designed to show an effective 90-degree crosswind value, no matter what the actual wind direction. Here’s how it works. Hold the unit with the display screen facing you. Then rotate the impeller head until it aligns with the barrel axis (bullet line of flight). The plastic shell surrounding the impeller is specifically designed so that the blades will spin faster or slower depending on the true wind angle. This allows the unit to estimate the effective 90-degree crosswind value (for your ballistics program). Pretty clever eh? See diagram to understand how this works:
This unit comes complete with rotating anemometer head, protective holster case, and one CR2032 battery. The unit has an auto “Power-Off” feature to preserve battery life. There is also a “Data Hold” function plus an LCD Backlight. NOTE: When figuring effective 90° crosswind values, Caldwell recommends using Average Wind Speed mode rather than Current Wind Speed.
June 5th, 2014
Whidden Gunworks offers a nicely-engineered “bolt-on” front plate that will enhance the bench-rested accuracy of any rifle with an accessory rail on the forearm.
 The Whidden Track Plate fits securely in the forearm accessory rail on prone, cross-the-course, and Palma rifles. These guns typically have a narrow and/or rounded fore-end so they rock and wobble when used with a front pedestal rest. The TrackPlate cures that. Once installed it provides a rock-solid, 2.9″-wide platform that mates perfectly with a benchrest-type front sandbag. This gives sling-shooters maximum stability when testing loads or zeroing their sights or scope. Plus you can now shoot F-Class competitively with a prone gun.
The Track Plate is light-weight, has catamaran-style runners to aid tracking and prevent rocking, and can be easily stowed in a range bag. The machined aluminum Track Plate fits BOTH Anschutz-style and American-style recessed forearm rails.
The Track Plate is available from Whidden Gunworks for $40.99 or from Champion’s Choice for $40.00 (item W29P). Plate designer (and National LR Rifle Champion) John Whidden says: “The Plate is great for any rifle with a rail whether it ís smallbore, centerfire, or an air gun. Now you can try F-Class with your favorite prone rifle: the Plate has a perfect low-drag finish for riding a rest or sandbags and is competition legal in all dimensions.”
Front Bag-Rider for AR-15s from EGW
Similar to the Whidden Track Plate is a 3″-wide Delrin bag-rider from Evolution Gun Works (EGW). This was developed expressly to fit the fore-ends of AR15-type rifles with round float tubes. The EGW front bag-rider attaches to a front sling swivel stud anchor. That allows it to mount as easily as a Harris bipod — no rail needed! Just unscrew the swivel stud, put the front bag-rider in place and attach one hex-head machine screw. The front bag-rider is contoured to match the handguard profile so it fits securely with no wobble. Overall, it is a slick system. Front and rear bag-riders can be attached in a couple of minutes. The Delrin blocks slide easily in the bags and make the gun ultra-stable. The gun tracks straight back. The front bag-rider comes in two (2) variants, a $39.99 radiused version (item 32141) that attaches via swivel stud, and a $49.99 version (item 32143) that mounts via a Picatinny-style rail.
EGW AR Front Bag-Rider System
EGW Picatinny Rail-Attached Front Bag-Rider
EGW Rear Bag-Rider for AR Buttstocks
EGW also offers a REAR bag-rider that attaches via the sling swivel anchor. The EGW AR Rear Bag-Rider accessory (item 32142), designed to work with A2-style buttstocks, sells separately for $39.99. This rear bag-rider provides a longer, straight “keel” that works very well in rear sandbags, giving the rifle more stability, and improving the tracking.
June 4th, 2014
Australian long-range shooter Meichelle K. has customized her gear in a distinctive way. Meichelle hails from a small town called Jimboomba which means “place of loud thunder” in the aboriginal language. Yes indeed, that sounds appropriate for a rifle shooter. We smiled at the “feminine touches” Meichelle applied to her new SEB Bigfoot rear bag. This displays real creativity — and now no one will ever mistake Meichelle’s bag for one belonging to another shooter.
Meichelle regularly shoots F-Class in Australia. She has traveled extensively to compete in major matches. Here is a photo from one of her favorite ranges in Australia. Looks like a beautiful place to shoot. And we love the printed fabric on the range cart! Kisses from Down Under.
Jimboomba — Place of Loud Thunder and Little Rain
Meichelle resides in Jimboomba, a small township located south of Brisbane in Queensland. Jimboomba is named after a sheep and livestock station based where the township is today. The word Jimboomba (originally Gimboomba) is a Gugingin word meaning “place of loud thunder and little rain”. The Gugingin were the first native Australian peoples of this Yugambeh region, now part of Queensland.
View Larger Map
June 2nd, 2014
 Lyman’s popular E-Zee Case Length Gauge is now bigger and better. The new version II of Lyman’s Case Gauge is much larger than the original version. The Case Gauge II now measures more than 70 cartridge types — way more than before. This tool is a metal template with SAAMI-max-length slots for various cartridge types, including relatively new cartridges such as the .204 Ruger and Winchester Short Magnums. This tool allows you to quickly sort brass or check the dimensions. If you have a bucketful of mixed pistol brass this can save you hours of tedious work with calipers. You can also quickly check case lengths to see if it’s time to trim your fired brass.
If you load a wide variety of calibers, or do a lot of pistol shooting, we think you should pick up one of these Lyman Case Gauge templates. They are available for under twenty bucks at Sinclair Int’l and Amazon.com. The folks at Sinclair say the E-Zee Case Gauge II has a been a hot seller.
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Case Gauge Should Last a Lifetime
Easily measure the case length of over 70 popular rifle and pistol cases with Lyman’s new E-Zee Case Length Gauge II.
This rugged, precisely-made metal gauge makes sorting or identifying cases fast and accurate. The template is machined with SAAMI max recommended case lengths. Made from metal, with no moving parts, the E-Zee Case Gauge II should last a lifetime. |
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May 29th, 2014
Looking for an inexpensive hunting rifle — something to harvest a buck this fall? American Rifleman Magazine has done a comparison review of four budget-priced, American-made bolt-action rifles: Mossberg ATR—$290; Remington 783—$320; Ruger American—$300; Savage Axis—$300. The costliest of the four is $320, leading review author John Barsness to write: “Considering inflation since 1950, they all cost considerably less than the Remington 721/722 did, so they really are valued priced.”
Highlights of Review
The Ruger stood out due to the three-lug bolt and steel bedding blocks, but otherwise the features were mixed up pretty well. Three of the four have adjustable triggers with little tabs in the blades to prevent unintended discharges; the lone exception is the [Savage] Axis. (This is a little strange, since Savage’s Accu-Trigger introduced the concept to American rifle shooters.)
The Mossberg’s action looks a lot like a Remington Model 700, and it’s the only rifle of the four to have a blind magazine. The other three use detachable-box magazines partly made of polymer, though in the Remington polymer parts are combined with sheet steel.
The Mossberg, Remington and Savage all have separate recoil lugs between the barrel and the front of the action, and all four rifles use lock-nuts to attach the barrels, a faster and, thus, less expensive way to set headspace.
All four have “plastic” trigger guards (on the Mossberg and Ruger they are integrally molded with the stock), soft recoil pads and sling-swivel studs.
All four rifles have more from-the-factory features than the typical “affordable” bolt-action hunting rifles of half a century ago, and better trigger pulls than the average factory rifle of any price 25 years ago. They shoot reasonably accurately to really well with the right ammunition, and none of them malfunctioned in any way during the testing. — John Barsness
May 23rd, 2014
Made in Norway by GRS, the new Kelbly “X-Eater” stock combines an ergonomic grip with the superior tracking ability of the latest, low-profile designs. Height-adjustable cheek-piece and length-adjustable buttpad allow the shooter to tailor the stock to his preferences. The ergonomic grip/wrist helps the shooter steer the rifle precisely with greater control. The low-profile design aids tracking and helps tame the torque generated by the large 7mm and .30-cal cartridges favored by top F-Open competitors.
CLICK PHOTOS to See Full-Size Versions
The fore-end is made with the same twin-runner (catamaran-style) design as the previous GRS F-Class Open stock. (On the underside of the fore-end there are left/right rails with a relieved area in the center). The big change is that this new stock sits lower on the front bag compared to the first F-Class stock from GRS. The rear of the stock is designed for a two-stitch rear bag. Initially the stock will only be offered in Right Hand versions in black/blue and red/blue laminate.
CLICK PHOTOS to See Full-Size Versions
STOCK SPECIFICATIONS
- Stratabond Laminate with lacquer finish
- Adjustable Length of Pull (from 13.8 to 15.0 inches)
- Height-Adjustable cheek-piece
- Cushy 0.5″-thick Limbsaver/GRS recoil pad
- Stock (by itself) weighs 4.07 pounds (with Rem 40X inlet)
- Optional Height-Adjustable recoil pad.
May 22nd, 2014
 Forum member Jacob spotted this simple, but effective set of scope ring inserts on the Brownells Website. With these inserts, you can use a scope with 1″-diameter main tube in 30mm rings. Non-marring, matte black Delrin sleeves surround the scope tube so it can fit larger-diameter rings. Each sleeve comes in two parts for easy installation around your scope tube. This way you can use the same 30mm rings for all your scopes.
Ring Reducers are sold as front/rear kits. Cost is just $19.99 for the 1″ to 30mm converters, item 084-000-091. There are also sets that reduce 30mm rings to 25mm, and 1″ rings to 3/4″ or 7/8″.
Note: These Brownells units simply function as plastic bushings. Unlike Burris Signature Ring inserts, they do not allow you to “pre-load” windage or elevation. If your rings are misaligned, the Brownells Ring Reducers won’t correct that problem.
May 10th, 2014
Here’s a cool product that can help you level your front rest and rear bag, level your scope, align your target frame, and perform a myriad of tasks around the house. The Digital Angle Cube (aka Electronic Level and Protractor Gauge) is basically a high-tech level that gives you exact angular read-outs to within 0.2 degrees. That’s a lot more precise than any bubble level.
Numerous Shooting-Related Applications
For you position shooters who like to run angled sights, this tool will help you set the rear sight and front tower to exactly the same angle. For High Power guys with 3-way and 4-way adjustable buttstocks, this digital angle gauge can help you quickly and precisely set buttstock angle and cast-off. Even tactical shooters and long-range hunters can use this device to confirm exact shot angle, with greater precision than a plastic protractor or even an expensive Angle Degree Indicator (ADI). Heck you can even use the thing as an anti-cant device (if you don’t mind the extra weight). We’re sure that our clever readers can find even more uses for a digital angle read-out tool.
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The Digital Angle Tool sells on Amazon.com for $29.50. It comes with magnets on the sides so you can attach the tool to any ferrous metal surface for a “hands-free” reading. You can find similar devices in hardware and home improvement stores. One of these square, magnet-equipped electronic protractor/levels is made by INSIZE. The illustration below shows how the INSIZE gauge can be used in the field.
Story Sourced by Edlongrange.
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