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March 31st, 2007
MidwayUSA has the Tipton Gun Vise (item 607786) on sale for $34.99 now through April 30, 2007. This is built from gray molded plastic, with rubberized pads front, center, and rear. The base features a molded tray for tools and circular cut-outs for solvent bottles. This editor has owned and used one of these Tipton gun vises for over four years. It has performed admirably and has been impervious to every brand of solvent I’ve tried. The front bracket is wide enough for 3″ fore-arms, and the rear bracket clamps securely with a quick-release cam. Weighing about 8 lbs., the unit is light enough to pick up one-handed. This makes it easy to move around your loading room. This is a solid product that will give you years of service. More user reviews.
March 29th, 2007
Butch Lambert has been developing his ShadeTree Engineering Co-Axial rest top over the past couple of years. He’s made a variety of enhancements, making the unit smoother in its motion. Joystick “feel” can be adjusted according to personal choice and weight of rifle. He also now offers a longer joy-stick option for prone and F-Class shooters. The current unit fits most popular quality front rest bases including those from Bald Eagle, Hart, and Sinclair (all 3/4″ center post). Butch can also adapt the rest to a MidwayUSA Caldwell BR base with a 1″ diameter center post. Butch sent us these photos recently, showing his top fitted to a Bald Eagle slingshot base. The ShadeTree Coaxial Rest top costs $375.00 (sandbag extra). Call Butch at (972) 524-2247 for current costs to adapt his top for use with the green Caldwell 1000-yard bases, which are available separately from MidwayUSA for $70.99 (item 532194).
March 29th, 2007
 Precision Shooting magazine’s February ’07 issue featured an excellent write-up about Bartlein Barrels, an up and coming barrel-maker that is producing outstanding match barrels. Click HERE to read the story, by Robert Whitley. We were sufficiently impressed with reports about Bartlein barrels from top smiths such as Alan Warner and Richard Franklin, that we chose Bartlein to produce two barrels for AccurateShooter.com’s 6×47/6.5×47 Lapua test gun now in the works.
The two founders of Bartlein are Tracy Bartlein and Frank Green. Both men worked at Krieger Barrels for many years. Bartlein employs advanced CNC machining techniques to produce barrels that are super-straight and dimensionally uniform. Alan Warner says the Bartlein barrel he installed on his wife’s 6.5-284 F-Classer shoots close to 1/4 MOA at 600 yards and cleans up easily. Richard Franklin told us the Bartleins he’s received have been outstanding. Robert Whitley has ordered eight Bartlein barrels, and he reports they are “great on the outside [and] when bore scoped, looked perfect on the inside as well”.
March 17th, 2007
 It’s St. Patrick’s Day, so we bring you something green at a very lucky price. For just $139.99, MidwayUSA is offering its Caldwell Rock BR Competition front rest (item 348661), complete with fitted hard case for transport. That’s a heck of a deal.
We’ve used these 15.5-lb rests and they are solid and functional, though many owners eventually upgrade the rather thin 3-lobe front sandbag (3″ width standard). Caldwell BR rests adjust windage by rotation of the rest top rather than linear tracking. Also available is a heavier (24-lb) “1000-yard” Rock front rest for $169.99 (item 627414). For a limited time, both units now come with a free “Rest Nest” case ($39 value) shown below. Be sure to use promo code BRNEST when ordering to get your free case. Offer expires 3/31/07.
March 16th, 2007
 Here it is folks, the new Tooley offset stock. This radical new rig employs an offset design to counter the torque associated with large-caliber benchrest guns. Dave tells us, “the wide, flat fore-end and offset design really tames the big 30s.” The stock is 4″ wide along the fore-end with the barreled action offset 1.5″ from center. From the trigger guard rearward the stock is pretty much the same as a Tooley MBR, with a bottom flat and slight drop from grip to buttplate. In American walnut laminate or maple laminate the stock weighs 3 lbs., 12 oz., the same as a fiberglass Tooley MBR from McMillan. There is also a lighter “Butternut” wood version that weighs 2 lbs., 12 ounces. So making weight in Light Gun Class should not be an issue.
The stock is legal for NBRSA and IBS 600- and 1000-yard benchrest competition, but it is not legal at 4″ for Willliamsport Light Gun Class. Dave notes that you can simply saw 1″ off the left side (looking from the breech foreward), to make the stock 3″ and legal for Williamsport LG and F-Class. Dave tells us “the stock still works really well at 3″, it just doesn’t cancel as much torque as it does in a 4″ configuration.” Tests have shown that the 4″-wide stock will effectively soak up 45 inch-pounds of torque, enough to cancel the twisting effect of a 30-caliber rifle shooting 240-grainers at 3100 fps. Scott Fletcher, who is currently shooting a prototype version with a 338 Lapua Improved says the new stock “works fantastic. It’s like night and day with a heavy recoiling caliber. It makes a 30-caliber feel like a 6.5. And with a 6.5-284, you can easily shoot the gun free recoil.”
You can buy the stock right now. Dave has three stocks “on the shelf” and four more will be delivered next week. The stock, un-inletted but ready to finish, costs $350.00, or $425.00 in Tigerstripe maple. Dave notes: “there is no conventional barrel channel so inletting is very easy.” For $800.00 Dave will deliver the stock fully inletted and pillar bedded for your action, complete with recoil pad. For more info, email Tooleyrifles[at]carolina.rr.com or call Dave at (704) 864-7525. CLICK HERE to view more photos.
March 15th, 2007
Dave Dohrmann has a clever new product for Benchrest and F-Class competitors. His “Match Superfeet” consist of stainless disks with neoprene (wetsuit material) on the bottom. The disks are spring-loaded, so they self-adjust to uneven surfaces. Superfeet are legal for IR 50/50, NBRSA, and IBS BR Competition, as well as NRA F-Class. These provide solid grip on wood and concrete benches, and eliminate problems with cratered benchtops. Superfeet easily attach to all popular front rests; no modification is required to height adjustment screws. The Standard Set (2 Superfeet w/spring retainers and 1 without) costs $27.95, while the 3 Spring Set (3 Superfeet w/spring retainers) costs $29.95. To order, call Dave at (864) 884-0155 or send email to dbugholes[at]aol.com.
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