Here’s an interesting new product that earns major points for innovation. Shooters Ridge has invented a shooting bench with wheels AND flip-up sides so it can serve as a field transporter. the Shooters Ridge new bench/cart is officially called the Voyager™ Shooting System. The Voyager features large 20”-diameter wheels with tubeless tires, a generous 12” cushioned seat and weather-resistant frame and hardware. The wheels come off allowing the Voyager to fold flat for storage and transport. The Voyager is surprisingly solid in the field, but we would recommend you chock the wheels, or dig in the rear handle/foot to stabilize the cart during firing. Current “street price” is about $320.00, and we’ve seen the Voyager cart as low as $309.99 at Tactical-Store.com.
Videos Show Voyager System Used as Cart and Shooting Bench
Shooters Ridge has two excellent videos on its website that show the Voyager bench/cart in use. They show varminters rolling the cart into position, setting up the bench, and then shooting. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VOYAGER VIDEOS (Select Voyager from sliding menu on Video Page).
While we prefer field benches that isolate the seat from the bench top, the versatility of the Voyager impresses us. You can use the Voyager to get your gear in and out of the field easily, yet it sets up quickly as a mobile shooting bench. If you’ve ever hauled a 100+ pound shooting bench around a varmint field you know it’s no fun. With the wheeled Voyager, you can easily roll to a new firing point, hauling your gear along with you. The folks at Shooters Ridge also say the Voyager is sturdy enough to haul game out of the field.
“Varmint hunters, big game hunters and all-day target shooters will appreciate the versatility of this new shooting bench,” stated Tom Knudtson of Shooters Ridge. “Whether it’s hauling game or gear, the Voyager is a rugged piece of equipment that pulls double-duty in the field. In my opinion, its quick conversion to a shooting bench is an amazing advancement.”
COMMENT: The concept of an easy-to-move bench that works as a cart is a good one. This editor has built a few gun-carts before. With wheels, wood, frame, and axles, one can easily spend over $125 just on materials. So, the $320.00 price of the Voyager is pretty reasonable, considering its hauling capacity and design features.
Placing your loaded ammo up high, next to your rifle’s loading port, can help you shoot faster, without disturbing your position behind the rifle. Many top 600-yard shooters, such as Sam Hall and Mike Davis, have fabricated their own high-mount cartridge caddies to place 10 or more rounds right next to their loading ports. With such a set-up, and a bit of practice, ace benchresters can fire 10 rounds in as little as 30 seconds.
If you’re handy with tools, you can build your own cartridge caddy from a block of delrin or wood, and a flexible mounting arm. But it does take time, and you may end up going through two or three prototypes before you get it “just right”.
Now there’s a “store-bought” solution. Creedmoor Sports offers the new Eller Straight Line Speed Feed Cartridge Holder. The Eller caddy has a large base that will support it on the bench. The flexible black stalk allows you to set the height and angle of the ammo block to your choosing. You can arrange your ammo horizontally, vertically, or something in-between. This unit can benefit any bench competitor, and we’ve even see this type of unit adapted by F-classers for “Belly Benchrest”. The Eller Cartridge Holder costs $94.95 and comes in two sizes: Small (6mm to 6.5×284), and Large (6.5×284 to magnum). Order item #E1002SM from Creedmoor Sports.
Many readers have asked, “Is there an ammo case that holds short BR, PPC and Grendel cases securely — one without a lot of extra clearance that allows fired brass to fall out of their slots if the box is tipped?” Yes, the J & J BR-100 Ammo Case fits BR, PPC, and Grendel cases just right. Many folks use the large green/red MTM 100-round ammo boxes for transporting 6BR and 6PPC ammo. The big MTM boxes work fine with loaded rounds, but not so great with fired cases. If you tip the MTM box on its side, the empties can spill out. That’s frustrating if you’ve meticulously sorted your cases. You won’t have this problem with the J & J 100-round BR-100 ammo case. It has tighter vertical clearance, so your empties won’t come out of their slots if the case tips over or is stacked upside down.
BR-100 cases are bargain-priced at just $4.88, and they come in Red, Blue, Smoke, or White colors. In addition to the BR-100 case, varminters who need to carry large numbers of loaded rounds should check out J & J’s 175-round Rifle Ammo Case (photo below). This foam-lined ammo transporter, item LR-175, costs $18.16 and is the largest-capacity ammo case we’ve found. For more info go to JandJProducts.Com.
Valdada 36X Scope, First Report: Benchrest shooter and noted gun writer James Mock recently tested Valdada’s new 36X Benchrest scope on his PPC. Valdada scopes are made by IOR (Industry Optic Romania) in Bucharest, Romania. James was impressed with the scope — and it certainly didn’t hurt his performance any. With the Valdada on top of his PPC, James nailed a 0.150″ three-shot group at 200 yards during testing earlier this week. Below you’ll find Mock’s first impressions of the Valdada 36X, along with photos of the scope mounted on his rifle. James — Thanks for sharing this!
NEW Valdada 36X Benchrest Scope by James Mock
Yesterday, I received one of Valdada’s new 36X BR scopes for testing. My initial tests proved that Valdada may have a winner. The scope has 7-layer coating on their German glass optics for a superb image. The 1/8th-minute clicks are positive and they repeat well. The reticle is a 1/8th MOA floating dot with 1 MOA hash marks for both windage and elevation. The scope has a very smooth worm gear parallax side adjustment that is marked in meters. Overall I am impressed with the initial testing. The suggested retail is around $1295.00, but I don’t know what the “street price” will be. Here are a couple pictures that show the scope mounted on My BAT-actioned rifle, currently fitted with a PPC barrel.
Huge Price Cut for Popular Gadget
If you’ve been waiting to purchase an e-Reader, now may be the time to open your wallet. Today, Amazon.com unveiled a new Kindle reader for just $139.00 — less than a third what the original Kindle cost. The introduction of Apple’s new iPad has forced Amazon to slash the price of its popular electronic book reader, which has been Amazon’s #1-selling product for the past two years. You may ask: “Why buy a Kindle when the iPad has web-browsing capability and a color screen?” Well consider these factors:
Kindle has a HUGE run-time advantage. An iPad can run about 10 hours before it needs recharging. Kindle can run for a MONTH between charges.
Books and newspaper articles are easier to read on the Kindle’s low-glare, black-on-white “virtual paper” screen.
The Kindle does NOT require an expensive data plan or web access contract. The Kindle has no connection fees, although you do pay a charge to download most recent book titles.
The Kindle is lighter and more rugged than an iPad. The new Kindle weighs just 8.7 ounces — less than a paperback book.
The Kindle has physical keys, and it is easier to flip pages on the Kindle without moving your supporting hands.
Two new Kindles, priced at $139.00 and $189.00 respectively, go on sale today, with delivery starting August 27, 2010. These new units are 15% lighter and 21% smaller than the current basic model, yet the screens offer higher resolution with easier-to-read text. The $139.00 Kindle is WiFi only, while the same-sized $189.00 version offers both WiFi and 3G cellular connectivity. Both the new compact Kindles offer a 6″ viewing screen. That is significantly smaller than the iPad screen, but the iPad starts at about $500, and you could easily pay $700 with memory upgrades. If you prefer a bigger screen, Amazon also offers a large-screen model, the Kindle DX, which costs $379.00.
Editor’s Note: Some readers may wonder what eReaders have to do with shooting. Well, there are thousands of outdoor, hunting, and shooting-related titles offered for Kindles. You can download an eBook for a fraction of the cost of buying the physical version. And the Kindle can hold up to 3,500 titles in a compact device that weighs less than a single paperback book.
Robert Whitley sampled a recent lot of Lapua 6mmBR brass and found that the neck-walls are marginally thinner, resulting in a very slightly smaller loaded neck diameter. Here is Robert’s report….
For the last few years the different boxes of Lapua 6mmBR Norma brass I have purchased (four different lots) have yielded brass with necks that measured around .269″ – .2695″ loaded. While this worked out very well in a variety of applications, sometimes I had to neck-turn that brass because it was a little too tight for an application or chamber I had. I recently received some of the latest “blue box” Lapua 6mm BR Norma brass (Lot # P00487801) and this latest lot of 6BR brass measures right around .268″ loaded (with popular 6mm bullet types). While some may bemoan the smaller neck diameter of this latest brass lot, for others, this can be a buying an opportunity to resolve an existing clearance issue with a “no neck turn” chamber. For example, if you have a .271″ “no neck-turn” type chamber, this may help resolve clearance issues that arose with other batches of brass. Or, for those who need to turn their necks to fit a tighter chamber, this new lot of 6mmBR brass has about .001″ – .0015″ less metal to remove, making the turning process that much easier.
This lot of brass (Lot # P00487801) was obtained from Graf & Sons. Since the batches of Lapua 6mmBR Norma brass that come into this country typically sell out quickly, if this .268″-loaded-neck brass is of interest to you, get some soon as it may go fast. While in years past I tried to keep my neck clearance very close to the chamber neck diameter, as time passes, I am now finding that in some situations a little more neck clearance can help remedy an accuracy or consistency issue. A certain amount of clearance is clearly needed for the proper accuracy and consistency of ammunition, but in some situations a tight neck clearance is not optimum and may be more detrimental then beneficial. We tinker with everything else with our loads and rifles, why not neck clearance? — Robert Whitley
Editor’s NOTE: If you need some new 6BR brass, but your existing cases have no-turn necks which are .269″+ loaded, you may want to segregate the newer .268-necked brass. Segregating the new brass will allow you to use a a slightly smaller diameter bushing to maintain the same amount of grip on the bullet (as before). Other than this minor change in neck diameter with this lot of brass, this Lapua 6mm BR Norma brass is essentially the identical product as it has been all along.
Visit Robert Whitley’s 6mmAR.com website for more information on Grendel-based cartridges, and his 6mmHOT.com site for info on the 6mmBR Improved Dasher, 6-6.5×47, and 6.5×47.
High Power shooters have a bunch of gear to carry to the firing line–pad, shooting jacket, scope stand, spotting scope, ammo, log-book and rifle(s). If you’re shooting F-Class, add a heavy front rest and 15-lb sand-bag to the list. A range cart makes life much easier, particularly if the shooting area’s a long way from the parking lot. Creedmoor Sports makes a folding range cart that is very popular with the iron sights crowd. This unit features 14″ ball-bearing wheels and the frame is made from solid aluminum–not lightweight tubing that can bend or crack. Lift a simple locking lever and the cart folds. The cart can be completely dis-assembled, without tools, to fit in a suitcase (collapsed size 30″ x 17″ x 8″). The Creedmoor cart retails for $499.95, and that includes a rifle case, tray, and rain-cover. A handy side-mount rifle rack (item CRC-RACK) is a great $62.95 option that will be available in September.
If $499.95 isn’t in the budget, or you’d like to build your own range cart with a lockable storage compartment, you should look at the carts used by Cowboy Action shooters. These wooden carts are heavy, but they provide a stable platform for multiple guns and a nice, solid perch for sitting. There are many do-it-yourself designs available. One of our favorites is the GateSlinger cart shown below. This well-balanced design breaks down into two pieces for transport. Click Here for cart plans, and read this “How-to Article” for complete instructions with many photos.
Hand Dolly Conversions — Not Fancy, But Effective
The least expensive way to go is to purchase a Dolly (Hand Truck) at Harbor Freight, or a large warehouse store such as Home Depot. Make sure to get one with wheels at least 10″ in diameter, or you’ll have problems in rough terrain. The bigger the wheels the better, and solid . Normally you can find dollies for under $30.00. Just bolt a large box or milk crate to the bottom, and voilà, instant range cart. You can clamp a piece of wood at the top with slots for barrels on one side and a flat tray for ammo on the other. Use bungee cord or leather straps to hold the barrels in place. Having built a couple all-wood range carts (both collapsible and one-piece), this editor can assure you that starting with an inexpensive welded hand truck is the cheapest, simplest way to go overall. You can buy oversize, spoked wheels from NorthernTool.com. (From the Northern Tool home page, search for “spoked wheels”.)
Pierce Engineering has just introduced its new Tactical Multi-flat action. This handsome design, crafted from chrome-moly steel, features a built-in 20-MOA rail and an integral recoil lug. The action was designed from the get-go to fit the Accuracy International chassis with no modification. With a 1/2″ flat on the bottom and 45° angled sides, the new Pierce Multi-flat short action drops right into the AI stock. Just bolt it in and shoot. The actions will cost $1295.00 and John Pierce is taking orders right now for delivery in two months.
John Pierce reports: “Our new Tactical Multi-flat action features a low-profile, 20-minute integral Picatinny rail and integral recoil lug. We made the action to drop into the Accuracy International modular stock utilizing AI’s magazines as well. Though this is a short action for .308 Win and similar-sized cartridges, the loading port is much longer than usual for better access and ejection. The current price is $1295.00, and that price includes a 30° coned bolt and/or spiral fluting if the customer desires those options.” John noted that the coned bolt option works well in Tac Comps: “I have a coned bolt on my own tactical rifle that I used at ASC. I found it picks up the rounds more smoothly from the magazine. At ASC, quite a few guys had feeding issues, but my action ran perfectly. The coned bolt works slick.” Actions will come finished with NIC CeraKote in customer’s choice of colors including: Matte Black, Titanium, OD, Sand, Brown, Gray, and Forest Green. (CLICK HERE for CeraKote color options).
Short Actions Will Be Followed By Long Actions Later This Year
Currently the new action will be available only in a short-action design. OAL is 8.050″, about the same as a Rem 700 short action if you include the thickness of the Rem’s recoil lug. The new actions will be made to order with a two-month lead time. After placing your order, you should get your new multi-flat action within about eight (8) weeks. Later this year, Pierce plans to release a larger Tactical Multi-flat action. This long action will work for cartridges such as the .30-06, .300 Win Mag, and 7mm Magnums.
For more information, or to place an order, call Pierce Engineering at (517) 321-5051, or visit www.PierceEngineeringltd.com.
Having a quality funnel helps you get carefully-measured powder charges in your cases, with no spillage, every time. If you’ve tried cheap, plastic funnels you know that they can rock on the case mouth. Also, if the fit isn’t good, some kernels end up on your bench, instead of inside the case.
Thankfully, precision, caliber-specific metal funnels are available to reloaders for about $10-$12.00. Satern Custom Machining funnels feature an aluminum top with a caliber-specific, machined brass base/neck. The Satern funnel’s aluminum body is completely static-free so powder flows into the case without bridging. Dick Saunders makes a similar, turned-aluminum funnel sized for particular calibers. Both these metal funnels make reloading easier (and they are ideal for blackpowder loading because they do not give off static electricity). As Forum member Wes notes, with a fitted metal funnel: “the possibility of the funnel sliding to the side, and spilling powder all over the place is drastically reduced.”
Satern Aluminum/Brass Funnels
Steve Satern crafts rugged aluminum funnels with brass ends. The caliber-specific sizes offer a snug fit that keeps the funnel tight on the case neck while the powder is flowing. Forum member Danny Reever reports: “If you are tired of the generic ‘fits all’ funnels falling over and powder spraying every where, try one of the Satern funnels. Sinclair Int’l sells them and they are top notch.” SMike308 adds: “I have retired my plastic funnels after buying my first Satern funnel. I now have one for each different caliber that I load for. I especially like that the Satern has the brass weight at the bottom, which adds stability to the funnel.”
Satern funnels are sold by MidwayUSA (6mm $11.29), Satern Machining (6mm $11.25), and Sinclair International (Item 11-9XX, 6mm $11.95). Satern Machining also offers two types of universal funnels, 22-30 caliber and 30-50 caliber. Satern’s universal funnels, along with the larger .338 to .50 caliber funnels, cost $18.45.
Saunders Aluminum Funnels
Some of our Forum members prefer the turned aluminum funnels made by Dick Saunders. You’ll need to order these direct from Saunders. Specify .17, .20, .22, 6mm, 6.5mm, .30 caliber or “all-purpose”. The Saunders funnels start at about $10.00. Contact Dick Saunders at the address below:
Dick Saunders
145 Delphi Rd.
Manchester, IA 52057
563-927-4026
We recently tested some interesting “club benchrest” rifles created by MT Guns. Recognizing the demand for highly accurate “club-level” smallbore BR guns, Mac Tilton and his crew at MT Guns have started producing two new types of affordable rimfire benchrest rifles. One line of rifles employs Anschütz actions refitted with modern SS barrels and benchrest stocks. As its second line of rimfire BR guns, MT Guns is offering highly-modified BSA Martinis, tricked out with bag-riders and premium barrels fitted with tuners. With the hot-rod Anschütz running about $2000.00 and the modified BSA costing about $1500.00, these guns should provide an affordable alternative for club-level rimfire benchrest shooters. Plus you won’t have to wait months or years to get a “big-name” smith to build you a rifle.
Anschütz Modified for Serious Accuracy
For Anschütz fans, MT Guns has fitted high grade Benchmark barrels to the legendary Model 54-type action. These re-barreled Anschütz actions are placed in Don Stith laminated benchrest stocks. With a modern low-profile, wide-forearm stock, MT Gun’s Anschütz BR guns track beautifully. So far, MT Guns has created two of these Anschütz-based bench guns, both built from model 19XX donor rifles — which also provided superb 5018 triggers. Barrels on both guns are Benchmark — one a 2-groove, the other a 3-groove. In the Stith stocks, complete with aluminum butt plates and weighted tuners, both rifles tip the scales at about 10 pounds. Price for the Anschütz bench guns is $1995.00 with unfinished Stith stock. A fitted Hoehn barrel tuner adds $200 to the price, while a Picatinny rail is a $125.00 option.
BSA Martini — Classic Design with 21st Century Upgrades
If you want to get noticed at your club’s next smallbore rimfire match, then a modified BSA Martini may be the gun for you. These rifles, originally built for prone target shooting, earned a well-deserved reputation for accuracy. MT Guns has done some basic modifications allowing the unique BSA Martinis to be surprisingly competitive in the benchrest game. The factory barrels were “retired” in favor of a 2-groove or 3-groove reverse taper Benchmark barrel — the type of tube that has won big matches and set records. To improve the rifle’s “bench manners” MT Guns fits a custom-made low-friction polymer sled in the front. Fitted with this 3″-wide bag-rider, the gun is extremely stable. An optional Hoehn tuner allows you to tune barrel harmonics for maximum accuracy.
Speaking of which, readers may be asking “How accurate can this BSA Frankengun really be?” Amazingly accurate. Watch the slide show below. In the last frame you’ll see two very impressive 5-shot groups shot by the BSA Martini Int’l Mark III at 50 yards. The ammo was Lapua X-Act.
In the video below, Bruce Duncan of MT Guns explains the distinctive mechanical design of the lever-activated, tilting-block BSA Martini. Bruce also discusses the history of the BSA Martini marque, reviewing the many BSA Martini models produced in the last century. The BSA Martini International MK III is perhaps the most desirable in the long evolution of target Martinis built by BSA from the Great War era to the early 80s. These MK IIIs, dating from the 1960s, feature Benchmark 28 3/4″ reverse-taper barrels, Hoehn barrel tuners, and special bolt-on Picatinny rails fabricated by MT Guns. Bruce noted: “The MT Guns bag rider attaches to the rifle’s fore-end rail. During testing, we noted that the fore-and-aft position of the bag rider on the rail affected the rifle’s tune.” For more info, visit MTGuns.com or call the shop at (805) 720-7720.
Placing your loaded ammo up high, next to your rifle’s loading port, can help you shoot faster, without disturbing your position behind the rifle. Many top 600-yard shooters, such as Sam Hall and Mike Davis, have fabricated their own high-mount cartridge caddies to place 10 or more rounds right next to their loading ports. With such a set-up, and a bit of practice, ace benchresters can fire 10 rounds in as little as 30 seconds.
Many readers have asked, “Is there an ammo case that holds short BR, PPC and Grendel cases securely — one without a lot of extra clearance that allows fired brass to fall out of their slots if the box is tipped?” Yes, the 
Valdada 36X Scope, First Report: Benchrest shooter and noted gun writer James Mock recently tested Valdada’s new 36X Benchrest scope on his PPC. Valdada scopes are made by IOR (Industry Optic Romania) in Bucharest, Romania. James was impressed with the scope — and it certainly didn’t hurt his performance any. With the Valdada on top of his PPC, James nailed a 0.150″ three-shot group at 200 yards during testing earlier this week. Below you’ll find Mock’s first impressions of the Valdada 36X, along with photos of the scope mounted on his rifle. James — Thanks for sharing this!
NEW Valdada 36X Benchrest Scope
Huge Price Cut for Popular Gadget
This lot of brass (Lot # P00487801) was obtained from 
Hand Dolly Conversions — Not Fancy, But Effective
John Pierce reports: “Our new Tactical Multi-flat action features a low-profile, 20-minute integral Picatinny rail and integral recoil lug. We made the action to drop into the Accuracy International modular stock utilizing AI’s magazines as well. Though this is a short action for .308 Win and similar-sized cartridges, the loading port is much longer than usual for better access and ejection. The current price is $1295.00, and that price includes a 30° coned bolt and/or spiral fluting if the customer desires those options.” John noted that the coned bolt option works well in Tac Comps: “I have a coned bolt on my own tactical rifle that I used at ASC. I found it picks up the rounds more smoothly from the magazine. At ASC, quite a few guys had feeding issues, but my action ran perfectly. The coned bolt works slick.” Actions will come finished with 
Having a quality funnel helps you get carefully-measured powder charges in your cases, with no spillage, every time. If you’ve tried cheap, plastic funnels you know that they can rock on the case mouth. Also, if the fit isn’t good, some kernels end up on your bench, instead of inside the case.
BSA Martini — Classic Design with 21st Century Upgrades
