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December 18th, 2007
Looking for the ultimate “stocking-stuffer” this Christmas? Here is a very clever new head-lamp that has been flying off the shelves this holiday season. The unit features five (5) bright LED bulbs and clips on to the brim of a cap, for hands-free illumination. Smart idea. This would be great to use both indoors (while reloading) and outdoors (for camping).
Here’s what one hunter had to say: “I found this light to be one of the best buys I have made in a long time. It is very easy to use, it always shines where you are looking and has a bright enough light to see for a long way. It is light and compact and is not prone to moving around like other clip on lights.” — L. Campbell, CA
If you read other User Reviews, the general consensus is that these LED brim lights are extremely useful and handy, and are a bargain. On the downside, users have noted that the clips that go over the brim can break easily. This seems to be a brand-specific problem. Some of these units have a more flexible high-quality polymer while others are made with a more brittle, cheaper plastic.
There are many different sources for these LED Brim Lights. You can even find a camo version with red lamps for stealth hunting. Price ranges from $3.99 to $21.99. The unit shown below costs $5.99 at Amazon.com.
For an extended review with better, larger photos, visit The-Gadgeteer.com.
December 14th, 2007
Credit this find to ace British benchrest shooter Vince Bottomley, United Kingdom 1K record-holder and publisher of the excellent Precision Rifle website.
Vince writes: “This beautiful compact press is made by an Italian company, Modulo Masterpiece, run by Vittorio Taveggia. Vittorio builds some superb rifles but he also has a very useful range of accessories for accuracy aficionados. I’m sure you’ll be interested in Vittorio’s loading press — this is offered in several configurations for normal dies, Wilson-style hand-dies, or both. The press is superbly made. Vittorio also crafts very nice Weaver-style rings and bases. Again they are beautifully-finished and very strong. Vittorio also makes stocks and actions. At present, there is no UK importer for the press, but there could be very soon. If you are at all interested in any of the products please drop me an e-mail at vinceb [at] 6ppc.fsnet.co.uk and I’ll pass your interest onto the ‘soon to be’ UK importer.”
Editor’s note: We don’t know of a US importer, but you can contact Vittorio directly. Information for his company in Torino, Italy is found on the Modulo Masterpiece website. Send email to: info [at] modulo-masterpiece.it.
Photo © Vince Bottomley, used by permission
December 12th, 2007
Here’s a product that should interest all F-Class shooters. It is a new bipod that offers unrivaled stability from an ultra-wide footprint. Nick-named the “Ski Bipod”, this impressive unit is custom-crafted by Canadian Henry Rempel, who also conceived the design. The height of the bipod is adjustable as is the distance between the runners or “skis” that contact the ground. And there is a cant adjustment allowing the rifle to be leveled on uneven ground. The reason Henry used ski-like runners rather than flat pads is that this allows the rifle to slide slightly reward during recoil. That eliminates much of the hop and rotation associated with conventional bipods.
Forum member Keith Skjerdal reports: “A lot of F-CLass guys in Canada are using the Ski Bipod made by Henry Remple out of Calgary. It is very well made and steady as a conventional pedestal rest. Even some guys in the USA and Britain have them now. If you want the best, this is it, in my opinion. This makes the trip to the mound easier than with a big pedestal rest. Downside? Well, since the Ski Bipod attaches to your rifle, it counts in your total weight under the rules. The Ski Bipod adds roughly 3.5 pounds to your gun’s weight. The cost is around $400-420 Cdn (this basically covers the cost of materials and all that milling work.)
To get one, contact Henry Rempel from Calgary. He does not have a web site. His home phone number (after 7 pm) is 1-403-272-8416. I think his email is henry.rempel [at] hotmail.com.”
Photos Copyright © Richard Dreger, used by permission.
December 10th, 2007
Readers enjoyed our recent “Poor Man’s Tactical” item featuring the Tikka model 595. Well here’s a followup for F-TR shooters. The Tikka “Master Sporter” features an adjustable cheekpiece, adjustable buttpad, accessory rail, and 5-round detachable magazine. Remarkably, these originally sold for about U.S. $650.00, yet it was not unusual for them to shoot close to 1/2-MOA with handloads. Master Sporters also feature the fine m595 action, and they are blessed with a very good stock design for shooting prone from bipod–just what you need for F-TR. Tikka notes the factory trigger adjusts to 2 pounds, but Mac Tilton of MT Guns can get it down to one pound. The bolt throw is a quick 70°, the bolt handle is stainless, and, in .308, the barrel twist rate is 1:11″ — a good choice for the 155gr match bullets.
These Master Sporters are getting hard to find. It’s even more difficult to find one unfired, new in the box. But just such a specimen, chambered in .308 Winchester, was auctioned this week on Gunbroker.com, item 87063398. It even came with two (2) 5-round magazines. The auction closed at $975.00. We’ve seen them go for less, but also for more.
Skim-bed the action, maybe apply a couple sealer coats to the walnut stock, attach a Harris bipod to the accessory rail and you’re good to go for F-TR. (You’ll also need a scope and rings of course.) You could probably acquire this rifle, shoot it for a couple seasons, then get your full investment out of it. Or hang on to it and eventually add a longer custom barrel (factory tube is a bit short at 23 3/8″).
CLICK to DOWNLOAD TIKKA Master Sporter SPEC SHEET
December 10th, 2007
 If you’ve been wondering what to ask Santa for Christmas, and you haven’t found something “just right” from the many print catalogs and online “webstores”, check our AccurateShooter Articles Archive. Last year we prepared an extensive “Holiday Buyers’ Guide”. You’ll find plenty of great items for shooters, from $2.00 up to $3,000+. Just be aware that some prices have changed, and a few of the items have been retired or updated. Here are some of “stocking stuffers” from the 2006 Guide (with current prices):
Surveyors Tape $1.99
(for wind flags) |
Hood Kwik Estimator, $2.50
(to measure group size) |
Sinclair Barrel Bag, $8.50 |
“Shotgunner” Folding Muffs, $14.99 |
With the addition of the Daily Bulletin to the site, we’ve decided to forgo a 2007 edition of the Shoppers’ Guide this year. (We hope to return with a Video Version in 2008.) Instead we’ve been using the Bulletin to announce special holiday sales and promotions as they come up. Don’t forget that Cabela’s is offering FREE Shipping now until December 14th, and both Brownells and Sinclair International are running holiday specials on many popular iteams. Here are two current, recommended Sinclair “Holiday Specials”.
Rubber 3/4″ high BR “Donut” (NEW)
$25.50 Holiday Sale Price
This new product from Tru-Kote fits under Protektor rear bags and eliminates any rocking or sliding motion of the bag. The durable neoprene-rubber Donut adds 3/4 inch of height to the rear bag. This allows many shooters a better head position when shooting from the bench.
Sinclair Cleaning Cradle
$44.85 Holiday Sale Price
For stability, ease of transport, build quality, and “smart” design, nothing really beats a Sinclair aluminum cradle for cleaning wide-forearm BR rifles. These cradles position the rifle in a muzzle-down position so solvents drain to the muzzle end instead of back into the receiver. Sinclair Cradles easily break down into a compact 15″x5″x2″ package for transport or storage.
December 8th, 2007
Now through 12/31, MidwayUSA has the Rock BR Competition Rifle Front Shooting Rest on sale for $139.99, marked down from $169.99 (item 348661). By now you’ve certainly see a few of these units at a range. They are far from the ultimate front rest system, but they do a surprisingly good job. The unit weighs 15.5 lbs and has a 15″ footprint, so it is plenty stable. Be aware that the front 3-lobe bag is rather thin, and, when adjusting windage, the head rotates rather than tracks straight from side to side. Some folks buy the rest and later upgrade the top with a Hoehn, Sinclair, or ShadeTree Engineering unit. But you should read the User Reviews. Most purchasers are quite happy with the unit “as is”. It’s a very good value for the money and much better than many rests you see at informal club-level matches.
If you plan to replace the top, you can also just buy the Rock BR 1000 base for $70.99 (item 532194), a great value. The BR 1000 base is very heavy, with an 18″ footproot, so it is stable and sturdy. NOTE: the rest has a 1 3/8″ diameter ram hole, while most custom rest tops have a 1″-diameter ram shaft. Accordingly, you may have to sleeve the base, OR fit a fatter ram to the rest top that you purchase. Butch Lambert of ShadeTree Engineering has done a few of these conversions, using the Rock base with his JoyStick top, and the combined system works quite well.
December 6th, 2007
Now that PACT offers an infrared Skyscreen option with its chronographs, we think the PACT is worthy of serious consideration. And now PACT is selling the PACT Professional XP chronograph (with IR kit) for $229.95, as a “Christmas Special”. That’s $40 off normal pricing and PACT throws in a FREE tripod to sweeten the deal.
Compared to other chronographs, the XP with infrared offers some very nice features:
Built-in Printer. (Every chrono should have one.)
PC interface lets you upload data to your computer. (Serial cable standard, but you can easily buy a serial to USB for use with laptops.)
Built-in ballistic computer. (The chrono has a bullet BC database and uses the BC, with your velocity data, to compute windage and elevation. Cool eh?)
With Infrared screen option, the PACT can be used indoors and is far less sensitive to tricky outdoor lighting.
Chron display unit has a nice big read-out with easy-to-use controls.
 We’ve heard many good things about the competitive CED chronograph with Infrared Screens. The CED also offers a computer interface, and the CED control unit is more compact than the PACT’s control center/printer. But we really like the printing capability of the PACT, and its built-in ballistic program (with bullet database) comes in very handy. Once you have your velocity and zero at 100 yards, the PACT will calculate your come-ups for other yardages. It can even give you windage corrections. With the PACT, once you know your muzzle velocity, you can immediately start shooting at all ranges–you don’t need to drive home to work out your come-ups on the PC, or carry around a PDA with Exbal installed.
In addition to the Pro XP chrono with IR Kit, PACT is now selling Pro XP with standard (visible light) emitters, for $199.95 as part of the “Christmas Special.” This $199.95 price also includes a free tripod. We definitely recommend spending the extra 30 bucks for infrared capability–it’s well worth it.
December 2nd, 2007
Handy 12-piece Jag Set
If you shoot multiple calibers, you’ll love MidwayUSA’s matched jag set in fitted flip-top box, item #812503. It’s now on sale for just $14.99, marked down from $22.99. The kit includes 17, 22, 243/6mm, 25, 270/7mm, 30/32, 8mm/338, 35/9mm, 375, 40/416, 44, and 45 Caliber Jags, in a sturdy box with fitted holes for each jag.
We’ve long been fans of the Tipton jag kit, and now it’s even better–with nickel-plated brass jags. This editor owns two Tipton jag kits, one for the range kit and one for the loading room. The set works for everything from my 17HM2 up to my 45/70. I use the jags for both rifle and pistol calibers. Another nice feature is that you can easily switch from a tight-fitting jag to the next smaller size (I normally apply wet patches in my 6BR using the Tipton 22-caliber jags).
Coating the spire-tip jags with nickel was smart idea. Nickel-coated jags do not react to bore solvents so you won’t get a false reading when cleaning the copper out of your barrel. “Two Thumbs Up” for this kit. Here is what jag kit owners have to say:
“Works as advertised, great idea that should have been thought of years ago. If you like this shape of jag (I do), you’ll love these. Sweets doesn’t tear these up at all, and it’s easier to tell when I’ve got things clean with Butch’s as well.” — Keith S., CA
“Great product, costs considerably less than to buy each piece separately and come with a storage box with holes marked for each jag.” — Greg D., MA
“In 45 years of gun cleaning I have never used a better jag. Precision craftsmanship, unaffected by copper solvents, large patch holding area for lots of patch contact with the bore.” — Brian S., MN
Bargain-Priced Digital Calipers
Midway’s Frankford Arsenal Digital Calipers, item #604242, are on sale again for $19.99, marked down from $32.99. This is a decent, functional set of calipers. Even if you already have calipers, at this price, you can afford to buy a spare for your range kit. This unit switches from English to Metric and comes in a protective plastic case, with battery. Makes a great stocking stuffer.
All stated sale prices are good through December 31, 2007 at MidwayUSA.
November 20th, 2007
If you are looking for a very solid, beautifully fabricated, loading press that can do double-duty at home as well as the range, consider the Harrell’s Combo Press. Though it is very compact, it has plenty of leverage to full-length size cases. As you can see in the photo, the Harrell’s combo works BOTH as an arbor press and as a standard press that functions with shell-holder and conventional screw-in dies. The arbor section on the left is tall enough to hold a Wilson micrometer-top seater. The threaded die section on the right has enough clearance for .308-sized cases.
One of the best features of the Combo Press from Harrell’s Precision is its sturdy clamp. This mounts solidly to a wood loading bench or table top. It also has enough vertical clearance between the jaws to work with most range benches. Forum member Boyd Allen has written a detailed review of the Harrell’s press, with additional photos by Paal Erik Jensen of Norway.
CLICK HERE to read COMBO PRESS REVIEW
November 14th, 2007
 Our friend Boyd Allen recently tested the new Carb-Out™ product from SharpShoot-R Precision Products on a rifle that had stubborn carbon fouling. Boyd had previously applied conventional solvents which did a good job of removing copper and conventional powder fouling. However, when examining the barrel with a borescope, Boyd saw heavy “burned-in” deposits of carbon. In this situation, Boyd observed, scrubbing with an abrasive such as Iosso or JB would normally be required. But Boyd had recently received a sample of Carb-Out™ from Terry Paul, owner of SharpShoot-R. Boyd decided to give it a try: “After working with a nylon brush and patches, getting all that I could out, I was able to see heavy carbon next to the lands, extending forward. This I removed by wetting the bore with the nylon brush, letting it soak for 20 minutes, and brushing with a bronze brush. I did this twice. Previously I would have expected to have done a lot of strokes with an abrasive to get the same result, since this was a worst case situation. Being able to to remove hard carbon without the use of abrasives is a ‘great leap forward’ to steal a phrase”.
Using this regimen, Boyd was able to remove the stubborn carbon. “Carb-Out™ really works”, Boyd told us. “This was that baked-on black stuff that normal solvents won’t touch. After a good soak, the Carb-Out™ on a wet brush knocked it out.” Boyd observed, “Others may differ, but after using this stuff, I think abrasives may be a thing of the past.” Boyd also observed that a very prominent Hall of Fame Benchrest shooter recently retired his Iosso Paste and bought a carton of Carb-Out (which he uses with a brush): “If this guy, who has been at the top of the BR heap for years, believes in the stuff… that’s significant.”
While Boyd used Carb-Out™ with a bronze brush, Terry Paul says the product is designed to work well without brushing. For the typical type of carbon fouling seen in barrels, Terry says: “You simply put it on a patch or a mop and swab it thru the barrel. Carb-Out also leaves behind a protective coating that prevents future carbon adherance. This coating is less than 100th of a micron in thickness, so it will not affect first shot accuracy.” For more info, visit SharpShootR.com, or call (785) 883-4444.
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