Do you enjoy plinking with rimfire rifles and shooting reactive targets with handguns? Champion has developed a series of fun targets that tilt, spin, hop, or roll when hit. Made from a “self-healing” rubber-like polymer, Champion’s DuraSeal Targets can be hit dozens of times before they need to be replaced. (If you shoot only rimfire, they might last 200 rounds or more.) Along with the varmint spinners, we like Champion’s weighted wobble targets. These are offered in both a bowling pin shape and a sphere on a post (photo right). When you hit these targets they rock back and forth and side to side. Weights in the round bottom then bring the target back to an upright position.
Champion also offers “bouncing balls” and a 3D Star targets that hop and roll when shot. These make good long-range tactical rifle targets. The lifespan is not that great with large heavy bullets, but one of the ball or star targets should survive many dozens of hits with a .223 Rem or 6mmBR.
What is the most-used piece of equipment on this editor’s reloading bench? No it’s not my Rock-Chucker press, or even my calipers. The one item in near-constant use is a small, folding magnifying glass. Mine folds into a square case and offers 4X viewing with an 8X bifocal insert. With this handy tool I can inspect case mouths for burrs, check primer pockets, inspect meplats, and look for flaws on bullet jackets. I also use the magnifier to see rifling marks on bullets seated into the rifling, or check my bolt for galling. The number of uses is nearly endless. I keep one magnifier at my reloading bench and another in my range kit.
Folding magnifiers are so handy yet inexpensive that you should own a couple spares (including one in the range box). I bought my magnifier in a book-store, but you can also find them on the web at FoldingMagnifier.com and WidgetSupply.com starting at just $1.95. To see the finest details, Widget Supply offers a powerful 17X/50X slide-out magnifier with a built-in, battery-powered LED light. With that gadget, you can easily see any minute flaws in your barrel crowns. That’s important because crown damage can cause hard-to-diagnose accuracy issues. We’ve known guys who spend weeks tinkering with loads, when the real problem was a worn-out or damaged crown.
Robert Whitley of AR-X Enterprises, LLC builds match-grade uppers for AR-platform rifles. Many of Robert’s favorite chamberings are based on the 6.5 Grendel case necked-down to 6mm. Until 2011, Lapua was the only source for 6.5 Grendel brass. As you’d expect, Lapua’s Grendel brass is truly excellent, but it is also pricey, and sometimes hard to find. Now Hornady is producing USA-made 6.5 Grendel brass. Robert Whitley has worked with the Hornady 6.5 Grendel brass for over a year now and he is able to assess its performance compared to the original Lapua version. Writing in our Shooters’ Forum, Robert reveals: “It’s decent brass but hot loads will loosen the primer pockets fast. With moderate loads you will get good case life and service from the brass and it can deliver excellent accuracy as well. Not Lapua but not bad either.”
Robert reports: “I was able to get my hands on some of Hornady’s 6.5 Grendel brass. My big question was how it would measure up, particularly the loaded necks, and whether it would be compatible with our existing 6mmAR and Turbo 40 die sets. As it turns out, this brass looks like a perfect fit for our existing die sets (and obviously 6.5 Grendel die sets too). Accordingly, folks with existing die sets will be able to use the Hornady brass without any issues.” However, as the loaded neck on the Hornady brass is .001″ (one-thousandth) slimmer than Lapua brass, you may want to try a smaller bushing when sizing Hornady Grendel brass.
The Hornady 6.5 Grendel brass has a LARGE Flash Hole, about .078″ versus .0591″ for Lapua brass. Dimensionally, the biggest difference is the shoulder diameter, with the Hornady brass measuring 0.428″ vs. 0.424″ for the Lapua brass. The Hornady is actually a better fit for 6mmAR chambers which are about 0.432″ at the shoulder. Interestingly, case H20 capacity is virtually identical. Water capacity of new, unfired Hornady 6.5 Grendel brass is 35.1 grains, while new, unfired Lapua Grendel brass holds 35.0 grains of H20. Both brands of Grendel brass increase to about 36.0 grains H20 capacity after firing and full-length sizing.
Here are some of the particulars of the Hornady cases:
Hornady 6.5 Grendel Brass
Lapua 6.5 Grendel Brass
Flash hole diameter: ~ .078″
OAL of brass: Average 1.515″
Weight of cases: 111.7 to 113.0 grains
Web diameter, unfired: 0.4375″
Shoulder diameter, unfired: 0.428″
Loaded neck diameter: 0.2895″
6mmAR loaded neck: 0.270″
Flash hole diameter: 1.5mm (0.0591″)
OAL of brass: Average 1.515″
Weight of cases: 111.0 to 112.5 grains
Web diameter, unfired: 0.4385″
Shoulder diameter, unfired: 0.424″
Loaded neck diameter: 0.290″
6mmAR loaded neck: 0.271″
If you have a laser fitted to one of your firearms, here’s a training gizmo that can help you practice your aiming and target acquisition. The LaserLyte Laser Trainer Target can register and display “hits” on its large bullseye display using 62 laser-activated LED lights. Under normal conditions, this laser-activated target can register shots up to 50 yards away. The $140.00 (street price) Laser Trainer Target is good for about 6,000 “shots”, drawing power from three (3) AA batteries. The unit is fully independent — there is no hook-up to a computer or separate processing pack.
Though it may appear smaller in the photos, the Laser Trainer Target is about the size of a school textbook: 9.5″ H x 6.25″ W x 2.0″ D, with a target area roughly five inches in diameter. The device can be used inside or outside, but you’ll probably get best results indoors. The Laser Trainer target can function with all user-activated lasers, such as grip lasers, front rail lasers, in-chamber “laser cartridges”, and even laser boresights (so long as they can be activated by trigger movement).
Fun to use and easy to deploy, the LaserLyte Trainer Target was named a 2012 Golden Bullseye Award Winner by American Rifleman magazine. MSRP is $219.95 but “street price” is WAY lower. These units sell at WalMart for $139.41. That makes it affordable. Of course you don’t experience the noise and recoil of actual shots with the LaserLyte Target Trainer, but the device can easily pay for itself, if you compare the cost of batteries vs. live ammo. These days, 1000 rounds of 9mm ammo can cost $400.00 or more.
WARNING — UNLOAD FIREARM FIRST: When Training with the LaserLyte Training Target and a firearm fitted with a laser-emitting device or laser sight, always remove and unload the magazine and then double-check to ensure the chamber is empty, and the gun is unloaded. If there is a live round in your gun, not only can you destroy your target device, but the round could cause injury or death to someone downrange.
Using ultrasound in a liquid solution, you can clean your cartridge brass inside and out. Ultrasonic cleaning is nothing new — we described this process years ago. But with the increased cost of brass, more and more shooters are turning to this effective process to get their cases clean.
Now RCBS offers an affordable Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine with some great features. The new RCBS machine boasts a 3-liter capacty, user-friendly keypad, and a built-in 100-watt heater with four settings. The unit also includes a handy drain valve and drain tube.
Ultrasonic cleaning works fast, without the long processing time (and dust) of conventional tumbling. Cleaning cases with ultrasonic machines has become very popular, as the ultrasonic process reliably removes caked-on carbon and grime from brass cases inside and out, even in the primer pocket. We do recommend that, after ultrasonic cleaning, you consider using a dry neck lube to restore lubricity to your necks for the first and second firings.
The new RCBS ultrasonic cleaner features a large 3-liter capacity, 60 watt transducer, and 100 watt ceramic heater. ‘Street Price’ for the RCBS ultrasonic machine is under $150.00, and this unit qualifies for RCBS Rebates ($10 off $50 purchase or $50 off $300.00 purchase). RCBS also sells 32 oz. bottles of cleaning concentrate that will make up to 10 gallons of Ultrasonic Solution.
Recently, we profiled the all-new, bolt-action Ruger American Rimfire™ rifle. It’s modular, affordable (MSRP $329.00), and it will be offered in three rimfire chamberings: .22 LR, .22 WMR, and 17 HMR. Notably, the .22 versions can use all types of Ruger 10/22 magazines — that’s a huge plus for folks who already own a Ruger 10/22. After this new rifle was introduced, readers wondered how well it functions, and how the accuracy compares to the popular .22 LR bolt guns from CZ and Savage.
GunsAmerica Blog Review GunsAmerica, a leading firearms buy/sell website, managed to get hold of one of these Ruger American Rimfire rifles, chambered in .22 LR. GunsAmerica’s staff put the rifle through its paces at the range, and came away very impressed. The test rifle shot sub-inch groups at 50 yards with Federal Lightning and CCI Stinger ammunition. We expect the rifle would shoot even better with quality, match-grade Lapua or Eley rimfire ammo. CLICK HERE for full GunsAmerica Rifle Review.
Given the smooth-working bolt, crisp 3-lb trigger, and comfortable stock with built-in bedding system, GunsAmerica concludes that this Ruger delivers a lot of performance for the $329.00 price. GunsAmerica’s writers are probably right in predicting that the Ruger American Rifle will be a hot-seller, stealing market share from other low-to-mid-priced rimfire brands (such as CZ):
“With this one new rifle Ruger has propelled itself to the front of the pack of the bolt-action rimfire market[.] While there are other great rimfire bolt guns out there at affordable prices, nobody is going to dispute that the Ruger American Rimfire has leapfrogged the entire market. The rifle is superb, and missing really nothing. These guns are going to fly off the shelves….”
Birchwood-Casey brand Shoot-N-C targets are great for fun shooting. When your bullet passes through the target, a large yellow splash of color surrounds the bullet hole. This is ideal for plinking at short range without optics. Even when using a powerful scope, the color splash on the high-contrast background helps you see your hits at long range. We’ve been able to see Shoot-N-See bullet hits at 800 yards with a 42-power scope.
The only problem with official Shoot-N-See targets is the price. A 30-sheet pack of 8″ Bullseye Shoot-N-C targets costs about $22.00 plus shipping.
Well folks, put your money back in your wallet. In the YouTube Video below, SebalHP shows how to make your own color-splash targets for pennies per target. All you need are sheets of neon (day-glow) poster paper, cheap bulk packing tape, and a can of spray paint. (You can even speed up the process if you can find full size laminating sheets at an office supply store — these replace the tape.)
Making the targets is easy. Simply place the plastic tape over the neon paper. Then spray with matte black paint. Of course do your painting outdoors, in a well-ventilated area! When the paint is dry, cut target to desired size. Watch the video and see how simple it is.
K&M Precision Shooting Products has two very handy products you may not know about yet. The first, a brilliantly simple device that lets you see your case necks as you expand them, can be used by anyone who necks-up brass (with a compatible expander die body). The second new product is a specialized “fat grip” holder that will make neck-turning easier for those of you out there who use K&M neck-turners.
K&M Expand Mandrel Window Riser
This is a simple threaded extension placed between your expander die body (K&M Expand Iron) and the top of your press. It carries the expander mandrel higher, above the press, and has a cut-out view port so you can see the mandrel as it passes through the neck. Smart, eh? This provides visual feedback during the process of expanding your brass. The patent-pending view riser costs $20.00. Will it expand necks faster, or reduce run-out? We doubt it, but we still would like to have one, if only to eyeball the mandrel to control the neck-entry rate more consistently from case to case.
Installation: Thread the Expand Mandrel Window Riser into the top of your loading press, then thread the K&M Expand-Iron (Expander Die Body) fully into the top of the window riser and adjust each so you can stroke out the press completely without driving the case mouth into the press adapter. This allows you to view the expanding operation which is typically blind under the press. The riser also eliminates the need for the stop screw in the expander mandrel. LINK: Expand Window Riser Instructions (PDF).
Ergo Holder for K&M Neck-Turning Tool
K&M’s rounded, oversized Ergo Holder lets you hold the K&M neck-turning body more securely (and with less hand cramping). Priced at $35.00, it is an expensive accessory, but we suspect many guys with K&M neck-turners will spring for an Ergo holder just because it gives you a more secure and comfortable grip on the small, square-edged K&M neck-turner.
Customer Feedback Inspired K&M’s Ergo Holder
The folks at K&M told us that their new Ergo Holder was produced in response to customer requests: “[Customers reported that] the neck turner can be hard to hold due to its compact size, especially in high-volume use. The Ergo Holder is machined from aluminum, providing a fatigue-proof grasp of the neck turner. Its mass works like a heat sink to help dissipate heat from the pilot during the turning process. The neck-turner body easily assembles into the Ergo Holder and is held in place with one set screw. The Ergo holder is also designed with the dial indicator in mind and actually makes its use more convenient”.
LINK: Ergo Holder Installation/Use Instructions (PDF).
There’s a new score game in town — it’s called Ultimate Benchrest (UBR). You don’t have to purchase a membership to compete, and the rules are designed to equalize calibers, so you can shoot a .223, a 6mm (.243), or a .30 caliber benchrest gun — all with an equal chance to win. There’s a special class for factory guns, so you can have fun with Savages, Coopers, Kimbers, and Remingtons. The next step up is the Modified Class — this is for factory guns that have been re-barreled or had the action moved to a flat-bottom, Benchrest-style stock. The Custom Class is for guns with custom actions, benchrest stocks, and premium barrels. Max weight is 13.5 lbs for Factory, Modified, and Custom Class rifles. Any rig over 13.5 lbs competes in the Unlimited Class. Here pretty much anything goes, including one-piece rests.
Next month, the Ultimate Benchrest Nationals will be held September 27-28 at the Buck Creek Range in Kentucky. There’s no limit on shooters and all classes can compete. This two-day event features 100-yard matches on the 27th, with 200-yard competition on the 28th. Many prizes will be awarded, including products from 21st Century Shooting, Benchmark Barrels, Berger Bullets, Cooper Firearms, Krieger Barrels, PMA Tools, Shilen Rifles, and Sinclair/Brownells. If you’re in the area, you should check it out. There’s a class for everyone, and hot food (and cold drinks) will be provided.
For more info, visit UltimateBenchrest.com or email George Coleman, georgeky [at] live.com. To register for the UBR Nationals, call jackie stogsdill at 606-382-5152 or send email to: jackie_stogsdill [at] hotmail.com .
Watch Video Highlights from the 2012 UBR Nationals
One of the easiest ways to build a portable target stand is to use PVC pipe and connectors. Utah .308 Shooter “Cheese” has created a simple yet sturdy target frame, and he’s shared his design so you can build a similar frame easily and at low cost. The components are wood furring strips, 2″-diameter PVC pipes (and connections), and a 2’x3′ sheet of cardboard. The PVC base can be glued together, or, for easier transport and storage, you can leave some or all of the connections free. “Cheese” tells us: “I didn’t glue any of it together so I could disassemble it, shove it in a bag and take it anywhere.”
“All the parts are just pushed together and not glued. That way I can break it down and carry it all in a bag. Also, if a buddy (not me!) happens to shoot the stand, I can easily replace just the damaged piece. The last 6 inches of the furring strips are wittled-down a bit so they can be pushed into the upright pipes with a little friction. The cardboard is 2 x 3 feet, and I use a staple gun to attach it to the furring strips. Then I just staple the target onto the cardboard and go at it.
Of course you can modify the dimensions as desired. I chose the black ABS pipe over white PVC simply for cost — black ABS is a little cheaper. You can also glue some or all of the parts together, it’ll just be larger for transporting. In windy conditions, the thing likes to come apart. Duct tape might work well.
For weight, I thought about filling the two end pipes with sand and gluing test caps on each of their ends. The test caps still allow the pipes to slip into the elbows.”
Add Anchors or Internal Weight for Stability
On a very windy day, a PVC stand can shake or even topple over. There are a couple solutions to this. Some people fill the PVC pipe sections with sand to add weight, or you can put short sections of Re-BAR inside the long legs. One GlockTalk forum member noted: “I built [a frame] almost identical to this. I also take four pieces of wire coathanger bent into an inverted “U” shape to anchor the frame to the ground. It is so light that wind will knock the stand over [without anchors].”
Assembly Diagram with Dimensions
The photo below shows all the components of the base, with dimensions. The overall maximum assembled dimensions are roughly 26″ wide, 41″ deep, and 66″ tall (the cardboard is 2 x 3 ft).
You can find photos of a similar home-made PVC target stand (with a slightly different rear section) on the Box of Truth website. This also employs a PVC tubing base with wood uprights. We’ve also seen all-PVC target stands, but we’ve found that it is easier to attach the cardboard to wood strips than to PVC pipe. Also, if the upper section is wood, you can fit different height targets, while using the same base.
Do you enjoy plinking with rimfire rifles and shooting reactive targets with handguns? Champion has developed a series of fun targets that tilt, spin, hop, or roll when hit. Made from a “self-healing” rubber-like polymer, Champion’s DuraSeal Targets can be hit dozens of times before they need to be replaced. (If you shoot only rimfire, they might last 200 rounds or more.) Along with the varmint spinners, we like Champion’s weighted wobble targets. These are offered in both a bowling pin shape and a sphere on a post (photo right). When you hit these targets they rock back and forth and side to side. Weights in the round bottom then bring the target back to an upright position.
What is the most-used piece of equipment on this editor’s reloading bench? No it’s not my Rock-Chucker press, or even my calipers. The one item in near-constant use is a small, folding magnifying glass. Mine folds into a square case and offers 4X viewing with an 8X bifocal insert. With this handy tool I can inspect case mouths for burrs, check primer pockets, inspect meplats, and look for flaws on bullet jackets. I also use the magnifier to see rifling marks on bullets seated into the rifling, or check my bolt for galling. The number of uses is nearly endless. I keep one magnifier at my reloading bench and another in my range kit.
If you have a laser fitted to one of your firearms, here’s a training gizmo that can help you practice your aiming and target acquisition. The LaserLyte Laser Trainer Target can register and display “hits” on its large bullseye display using 62 laser-activated LED lights. Under normal conditions, this laser-activated target can register shots up to 50 yards away. The $140.00 (street price) Laser Trainer Target is good for about 6,000 “shots”, drawing power from three (3) AA batteries. The unit is fully independent — there is no hook-up to a computer or separate processing pack.
Fun to use and easy to deploy, the LaserLyte Trainer Target was named a 2012 Golden Bullseye Award Winner by American Rifleman magazine. MSRP is $219.95 but “street price” is WAY lower. These units sell at 
Using ultrasound in a liquid solution, you can clean your cartridge brass inside and out. Ultrasonic cleaning is nothing new — we described this process years ago. But with the increased cost of brass, more and more shooters are turning to this effective process to get their cases clean.
Birchwood-Casey brand Shoot-N-C targets are great for fun shooting. When your bullet passes through the target, a large yellow splash of color surrounds the bullet hole. This is ideal for plinking at short range without optics. Even when using a powerful scope, the color splash on the high-contrast background helps you see your hits at long range. We’ve been able to see Shoot-N-See bullet hits at 800 yards with a 42-power scope.
One of the easiest ways to build a portable target stand is to use PVC pipe and connectors. Utah .308 Shooter “Cheese” has created a simple yet sturdy target frame, and he’s shared his design so you can build a similar frame easily and at low cost. The components are wood furring strips, 2″-diameter PVC pipes (and connections), and a 2’x3′ sheet of cardboard. The PVC base can be glued together, or, for easier transport and storage, you can leave some or all of the connections free. “Cheese” tells us: “I didn’t glue any of it together so I could disassemble it, shove it in a bag and take it anywhere.”
