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October 11th, 2007
One of our favorite forms of competition is varmint silhouette at 400 to 600 yards. It’s difficult to see hits on paper at these distances, so we like to use a reactive target during practice sessions. Gongs are good but they’re a bit oversized for this kind of work. A smaller-sized, self-resetting “popper” target is ideal. LV Steel Targets LLC. offers a full range high-quality, durable, and reasonably-priced steel targets, including the spring-loaded “poppers” we prefer. Designed for hard use from centerfire rifles, LV Steel’s targets are made from rugged 3/8″ or 1/2″ thick Armorcoat 500 steel plate. Spring tension is adjustable and the targets break down for storage and transport. With a fresh coat of white or orange paint, you can see your hits several hundred yards away.
LV Steel’s owner, Kurt Stone, tells us: “We have shot thousands of rounds at our targets and never had one break. They have been tested with .300 Win Mags at 200 yards and did fine.” In 3/8″ thickness, Target #1 is $165.00, #2 is $155.00, #3 is $145.00, and #4 is $220 (shipping extra). Our friend DesertFrog reports: “I’ve had a #2 target for the last 4 months and it has become the only target I take with me in the desert. On my 6.5×20 I could easily see the hits up to 747 yards. It’s easy to take with you and install. A definite MUST if you go shooting outside a range. The quality is awesome.”
LV Steel Targets also offers swinger targets (photo below) and stationary targets on steel posts. You can preview all the targets at LVSteeltargets.com. If you have questions, or need a custom target design, contact Kurt Stone, (702) 258-7597 or info [at] lvsteeltargets.com.
October 2nd, 2007
Lee reloading products have always represented good “bang for the buck”. The Lee Classic Cast “O”-style press is no exception–it works as well as some other presses costing twice as much. This is a well-designed unit with a strong, cast-iron frame. The Lee Classic has two nice features you won’t find on a RockChucker. First, the ram is drilled in the center and fitted with a plastic drop tube so spent primers drop right out the bottom (where you position your trash can). Second, the handle adjusts for length. This allows you to change the leverage to suit your task.
Now through October 31, 2007, you can purchase the Lee Classic Cast Press for just $66.99 at MidwayUSA, item 317831. Natchez Shooters Supply also offers the Lee Classic for $69.99, item LEE90998. CLICK HERE to read comments from actual Lee Classic owners. Here are some highlights:
“It has a large, heavy-duty 1-1/8″ diameter ram that has been drilled out for spent primers … and a long clear plastic hose attached to it so you can route it to a trash can. [This is] a VERY well thought-out way to collect ALL primers to your trash can when you’re decapping.” –D. Oldham
“Fit and finish are impeccable. The spent primer disposal system is simple and neat. There is no spring or flexing of any kind. There is virtually no play in the ram, which is a good tight fit in the frame. Operation is totally smooth.” –R. Smith
“Access to the cartridge is a little better than the RCBS because you don’t have the priming fixture in the line of sight between you and your work.” –L. Dickison
“I like…the position of the ram at priming. The Lee seats the primer with the ram at the bottom of the stroke vs. the RC II, which seats in the middle of the stroke. Priming at the bottom of the stroke gives you a much better ‘feel’ of the primer seating.” –M. Gallagher
“Totally outclasses any other press in its price range. Runs with presses in the $100-$120 range.”–W. Rose
September 28th, 2007
We’re pleased to report that the MidwayUSA shooting mat is on sale again (in case you missed out the first time around). This is a great deal on a good, basic shooting mat. And this time you’ve got nearly five weeks to buy–the $24.99 price is good through October 31, 2007.
MidwayUSA’s 69″ x 27″ mat, item 169107, features rubberized padding for elbows, and a water-resistant coating on the bottom. It even has grommets at the corners, so you can stake it securely at your shooting position. The mat also stores easily, rolling up to about six inches in diameter. While this mat isn’t as thick or durable as deluxe mats costing $80 or more, for the price, just $24.99, it performs well. Here’s a customer review: “I purchased 30 of these on sale for my shooting club’s use in CMP, Rifle team , and junior shooter use. They are a good buy for the money. They are slightly thinner than some other mats I’ve used, but shooting mats are not sleeping bag pads. ” — Ross E., Dedham, MA
September 23rd, 2007
By uniforming meplats, shooters can reduce variances in the Ballistic Coefficients of a set of bullets. Many top shooters, such as David Tubb, feel that meplat trimming can also reduce group size. Danny Reever has tested and reviewed the Meplat Trimmer from Montour County Rifles. Danny reports this $75.00 tool is well-crafted, easy to use, and it offers some advantages over other meplat trimmers on the market. Starting with a lot of bullets that varied in length up to .008″, Danny was able to bring them all within .003″ using the Montour Trimmer. CLICK HERE for Danny’s full report.
September 14th, 2007
Keeping your loaded cases at a controlled temperature is vital for maintaining good ES and case life. At a late summer varmint match we observed pressure signs with cases that had been sitting in direct sunlight for about 15 minutes. As we were running a “moderate” RL15 load, the pressure indications were surprising. Testing over a chronograph, cases that had been sitting in direct sunlight showed velocities up to 70 fps higher than those that had been kept in the shade. Using QuickLoad’s temperature function, we calculated from the rise in velocities that case pressures had increased by over 4,000 psi–just from 15-20 minutes in direct sunlight!
We will now keep a temp strip in our ammo boxes at all times. Neconos.com offers Bar-L Benchrest temp strips that visually display heat readings from 86 to 140 degrees (our cases got warm to the touch so they were probably about 110-120° F). Think of these strips as compact, unbreakable thermometers. With adhesive backing, they can also be used to monitor barrel heating. Put a strip on the side of the barrel and the barrel’s temp will be indicated by a stripe that changes from black to green. There is also a “general purpose” strip that reads to 196 degrees (bottom row). The Benchrest strip is in the middle.
September 6th, 2007
 FaceAway Camo has introduced a new coating that can be applied to guns, binoculars, tripods or scopes. FaceAway claims that ThinSkin™ is a truly breathable camo tape that allows moisture to escape before rust can form, unlike traditional camo tapes. ThinSkin™ is also thinner and more pliable than most other camo tapes. Application is easy, since ThinSkin™ readily conforms to curved surfaces, unlike some other camo applications. For 2007, ThinSkin™ comes in handy packs designed for smaller items such as binoculars, cameras, and scopes. ThinSkin™ Breathable camo tape sheets are available in seven different patterns including popular Hardwoods and Grasslands styles from RealTree and Mossy Oak. For more info on ThinSkin™ breathable camo tape products visit FacewayCamo.com or call (866) 926-2266.
Editor’s NOTE: Since this product is so new, we are not able to verify FaceAway’s claim that rust won’t form on metal items coated with ThinSkin™, but the product is promising. We recommend you test the coating on an inexpensive piece of steel before you use it on expensive guns or scopes.
September 4th, 2007
 Sinclair Int’l has just released a new catalog chock-full of great stuff for precision shooters. The latest catalog includes old favorites and 100+ new items. Below are some of the more interesting additions to Sinclair’s product line-up. We’re pleased to see that Sinclair will be selling the CED M2 Chronograph, previously reviewed in the Daily Bulletin.
 CED M2 Chronograph: At $189.00, the new CED M2 Chronograph offers the best performance you can get in a Chronograph for under $400.00 (now that the Oehler 33/35 are no longer offered). It is more repeatable than lesser-priced brands in “less-than-ideal” light conditions, and the control unit is much easier to use than the “folding box” variety. Representing a significant upgrade over the previous CED “Millenium” model, the new M2 has more memory and can clock a wider range of bullet speeds–from 50 fps all the way to 7000 fps. The upgraded M2 will record velocities at much lower light levels than the previous Millennium chronograph. Included with the CED M2 are chronograph, sensors, cables, screen mounting bracket, USB computer interface cable and the new CED Data Collector Software program. NOTE: This item is currently back-ordered but units should arrive very soon.
Flexible Chamber Swab Tool: This new gadget works great with lever guns and semi-autos because you can insert it through the rifles’ ejection port without disassembling the rifle. The flexible wand (made of aircraft cable) can be bent or angled to fit the action ports as necessary. Equipped with a comfortable plastic handle, the 10″-long chamber tool is excellent for cleaning an AR15 upper. This new tool accepts all 8-32 male threaded cleaning accessories including Iosso AR brushes, chamber brushes and swabs, and all Dewey brushes, bore mops and chamber swabs.
 Kestrel 4500 Portable Vane Mount: This $46.80 system is a “must-have” for any Kestrel wind gauge owner. It provides a steady platform that allows the Kestrel to work on its own while you’re in shooting position. This new mounting system works with all Kestrel 4000 Series Weather Trackers. The lightweight Vane Mount assembles easily and enables the 4500 Weather Tracker to monitor headwind, tailwind and crosswind direction and speed. A high-quality bearing in the tripod allows the device to respond to small changes in wind direction. The kit, Sinclair Product 24-825, includes a handy Cordura carrying case. NOTE: Check the rules for your shooting discipline to determine whether one is permitted to use this unit during record fire.
Boyt Extra-Long Gun Case: Most soft gun cases are too short to handle match and varmint rifles with long barrels. Quite a few also lack clearance for big scopes–you can slide your gun in the case but may not be able to zip it up with the scope attached. Those problems are solved with the new 50″ Boyt Signature case. Priced at $90.95, the 50″ case is long enough for BR and Varmint rifles with up to a 29″ barrel and has room for most scopes. Boyt’s Signature Series cases are constructed of high-quality canvas, with a leather spine, and heavy-duty brass zippers. The Signature case comes with a large accessory pocket (all soft cases should have one) and a quality leather sling. The $90.95 Signature case also comes in a 46″ length for guns with sporter-length barrels.
September 2nd, 2007
Do you suffer from “Camo Envy” when you see those slick, realistic camo finishes offered on factory Benellis and Brownings? Well, stock-maker Bell & Carlson (B&C) has a solution for you. B&C will apply a factory quality, thin-film camo-coat to your existing firearm.
Available options include Mossy Oak® Breakup®, Trebark® Superflauge®, Realtree Hardwoods®, and NaturalGear™. Cost is $185 for whole gun (not including scope/rings, bolt handle, floorplate or trigger guard), or $65 for stock alone. B&C can also do the rings and ring mounts for $15 each. Shown below are two NaturalGear™ patterns, both well-suited for a Western summer/fall varmint rifle.
August 25th, 2007
 After some delays associated with licensing issues, Whidden Gunworks has resumed production of its bullet-pointing tool. Whidden’s Pointing Die System narrows the diameter of bullet meplats. This also makes the bullet tips more uniform by smoothing the ragged edges. The result is higher Ballistic Coefficient (BC), and, potentially, more consistent BC.
Our 1000-yard Editor, Jason Baney, has used the tool and he reports it performs as advertised. Jason noted a significant difference in 1000-yard vertical impact when he compared pointed and un-pointed 106gr and 105gr 6mm bullets. The bullets which were pointed-up with Whidden’s tool consistently hit higher on the target, indicating they flew with less drag to the target. Jason reports: “Shot round-robin, with my 6BR, 5-shot group centers were 18+ inches apart vertically. In other words, the pointed bullets flew 1.75 MOA flatter to 1025 yards. This number has been repeated in matches at Williamsport.”
John Whidden tells us: “Tests have shown pointed bullets to have a typical BC increase of about 35 to 40 points as compared to bullets right out of the box. At 1000 yards, we usually see them impact about 1-1.5 MOA higher.” The pointing die costs $250.00 plus $40 for each caliber-specific insert. For more info, call Whidden’s shop at (229) 686-1911 or visit WhiddenGunWorks.net.
August 23rd, 2007
Sinclair Int’l has a new 150-page competition log book with many smart features. You’ll like the way the book is designed and organized. There are 30 plot sheets for each position; that’s enough for 30 complete 80-round matches. Target sheets (grid-lined in 1 MOA squares) are printed as large as possible for plotting hits. The target sheets are also color-coded for each stage — 200-yard slow fire standing, 200 yard sitting rapid, 300-yard prone rapid, and 600-yard prone slow fire. The book even includes MOA windage charts for commonly used cartridge/bullets with elevation come-ups out to 600 yards.
The log book includes windage and elevation data along with separate pages to record sight settings for various yardages and ranges, separate pages for recording scores, pages to keep track of total rounds fired, note pages, and blank windage charts to fill in custom data. Plot sheets include boxes to record pertinent range data, “no-wind zeros”, actual wind, corrected wind, and values. The new Sinclair High Power Record Book, item 15-2600, costs $11.75.
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