|
|
April 20th, 2008
 Howard Leight Max® Foam Earplugs offer the highest noise reduction of any shooters’ earplug you can buy–33 decibels. The NRR 33 rating makes the MAX the highest rated disposable earplug in the US. We prefer the corded variety as you’re less likely to lose them and the cord keeps the plugs comfortably draped around your neck when not in use. You can get big savings by buying in bulk. DiscountSafetyGear.com sells 100 pairs for just $25.99. That’s a heck of a lot better than the typical range price of $1.50 a pair (or more). Go in with a buddy on a 100-pack and you’ll have enough pairs for years of safe shooting, with plenty of spares to give to friends and shooting companions.
April 4th, 2008
Help keep your prized firearms in good condition with products that keep moisture off guns stored in your safe. Now through April 30, 2008 MidwayUSA has Goldenrod heating units and desiccant packs on sale.
The 40 gram desiccant box, item 799452, is now on sale for $3.99. Containing hydrosorbant Silica Gel in an aluminum shell, each unit protects up to 3 cubic feet of storage space. These desiccant packs can be “recharged” by placing them in an oven for 3 hours at 300° F.
The Goldenrod is a safe, electric heating element that will help prevent rust and corrosion. MidwayUSA has an 18″ unit, item 614184, on sale for $15.99 that will warm and protect up to 200 cubic feet.
GoldenRods are marketed as “dehumidifiers”, but that is a bit of a misnomer. The GoldenRod doesn’t absorb moisture like a desiccant per se. It works by maintaining a constant temperature inside your safe that raises the dew point and alters the relative humidity so that water vapor doesn’t condense on your firearms.
March 26th, 2008
This deal is set to expire soon, so don’t hesitate if you’re looking for a very heavy front rest at a bargain price. Now through March 31, 2008, MidwayUSA has knocked $30.00 off its 1000-yard competition “Rock” front rest (item 627414), so it’s priced at just $129.99. Offer expires 3/31/08. This is the extra-heavy 24-lb. version with an 18″ footprint. It is designed for big 1000-yard guns and comes with a 5″-wide three-lobe front bag. The rest top, however, will accept other bags from Caldwell or other suppliers.
Note that Caldwell BR rests adjust windage by rotation of the rest top rather than linear tracking. Still, we’ve used these 24-lb rests and they are solid and functional, though many owners eventually upgrade the rather thin 3-lobe front sandbag. Purchaser Richard S. from Colorado reports: “The rest is heavy and very solid. This is a great rest for the money. I replaced the Caldwell bag with a leather Protektor bag. The rest has groves made to accommodate the Protektor bag and it is a perfect fit.” Butch Lambert of ShadeTree Engineering can also adapt his joystick rest top to these units.
March 24th, 2008
 Grafs.com is offering “blow-out pricing” on the 13th Edition of the Speer Reloading Manual. Regularly priced at $20.99, the Speer Manual (item PS9510) is now just $9.99. This hefty 730-page hardcover resource offers more than 8,000 load recipes with powder charges and bullet data. The Speer Manual also includes detailed ballistics tables, bullet energy and velocity tables, plus sections on special techniques, problem-solving and more. The 13th Edition of this popular reloading guide was updated with an improved format for quick reference.
Note, however, the 13th Edition was first published in 1998. The latest edition of this manual is the 1149-page 14th Edition, published in 2007. The 14th edition has more technical tables and over 9,000 load recipes. The 14th Edition (shown below) is available from Grafs.com for $29.99 (item SP9515, in stock now), or from MidSouth Shooters Supply for $27.50 (item 021-9515, on order).
March 23rd, 2008
On March 28-30, Cabela’s is running a major gun sale at many of its stores. This “Gun Show” weekend will feature great discounts on both new and used firearms. Customers are also invited to bring in their own firearms to sell, trade, or consign. Cabela’s has collected inventories from its gun vaults, placing hundreds of used guns on sale for the first time. In addition, participating stores will offer new guns at special savings. The Cabela’s “Gun Show” will be held at these participating stores: Boise, Buda, Dundee, East Grand Forks, Fort Worth, Glendale, Hamburg, Kansas City, Kearney, La Vista, Lehi, Mitchell, Prairie du Chien, Owatonna, Richfield, Rogers, Sidney, and Wheeling.
In addition, gun safes will be offered at low, discounted prices at the following locations: Boise, Glendale, Kansas City, Lehi, Owatonna, Richfield, and Rogers. If you live near any of these locations, this is an excellent opportunity to acquire a quality gun safe at significant savings.
March 19th, 2008
Here’s a useful item that can provide secure storage for valuable tools, outdoor gear, and shooting accessories. In a pinch, it can also augment the storage capacity of your gun safe, though we recommend a conventional gun safe with UL-rated locking mechanism for long-term firearms storage.
The Better Built® 48″ Steel Job Site Safe is now on sale at Lowe’s for $259.00, marked down from $288.00. Offering 17.5 cubic feet of storage space, the Site Safe (Lowe’s item # 195894) will hold tools, barrel, tripods etc. up to 48″ in length. It is 25″ high, 24″ front to back, and is built of powder-coated 14 gauge steel. The design includes recessed lift handles to assist in installation. In the front are two lock ports which can be secured with padlocks.
Note, this Job Site Safe does not qualify as a Residential Security Container, so it won’t pass muster in some states as a qualifying gun safe. However, this unit can be very handy in your garage or workshop to secure expensive tools and other equipment. Also, its low, horizontal design allows it to fit in places where a conventional, vertical style safe will not fit. Better Built® also offers 36″-wide (item 37224145), and 60″-wide (item 37224142) Site Safes, but these products are not currently sold at Lowe’s.
March 17th, 2008
Here’s a good deal on a scope suitable for deer hunting and general field use. The magnification range is sensible for an all-around hunting rifle. SWFA is offering the 3-9×40 Team Primos Riflescope for just $199.00 (item 8435). That’s $150.00 off SWFA’s normal price, and $40-$50 cheaper than the best prices we’ve found at other vendors.
Weighing just 13 ounces, the Nikon offers near-constant 3.6-3.7 inch eye relief and 95% light transmission with full-coated lenses. The nitrogen-filled scope is 100% Waterproof/Fogproof/Shockproof and features a one-piece main body tube. Nikon offers a full, lifetime warranty.
The scope features Nikon’s BDC (Bullet Drop Compensating) reticle designed and calibrated to provide fast, simple aiming points for various shot distances. This system has a series of small “ballistic circles”-each subtending 2″ at 100 yards.
Nikon’s BDC is designed to be used with most standard centerfire cartridges with typical bullet weights, providing aiming points out to 500 yards, with a 100-yard sight-in. With Magnum cartridges and typical bullet weights, the same scopes with BDC reticles offer aiming points out to 600 yards, with a 200-yard sight-in.
March 17th, 2008
In January, we reported that Dell was offering an excellent laptop computer for under $600.00, the Dell Vostro 1500. Dell has extended that offer, and even sweetened the deal. Now for $549.00 you can get a well-configured unit with 2 Gigs of RAM, a 1.4 mhz Intel Dual-Core processor, built-in Wi-Fi, and a huge 250 gigabyte hard-drive. Previously, the $549.00 Vostro 1500 had a 160 Gig hard-drive. This is a limited-time offer from Dell. Dell even includes FREE shipping.
CLICK HERE for full Vostro 1500 Review.
Notably, unlike Acer, Sony, Toshiba, and most other bargain lap-top makers, Dell offers its Vostros with a choice of either Windows XP or Vista operating systems. For a variety of reasons, we still recommend XP over Vista. Tests have demonstrated that XP runs faster than Vista, it enjoys superior software compatibility, and it requires less RAM.
Overall, the Vostro 1500 is a very capable package for the price. This Editor acquired one (thanks to a donation from Joe. F in CA), and our 1000-yard Editor Jason Baney just ordered one. Dell laptop buyers also get special deals on printers, for example the Dell 1320c Color Laser, a PC World magazine “Best Buy”, is just $299.00. Consider that, a decade ago, a quality color laser printer could cost $1500.00 or more.
March 16th, 2008
Here’s a great product for owners of the Lyman 1200 Electronic Powder Scale/Dispenser. Lyman offers an inexpensive kit that will make your machine run much faster, AND it will be easier to clean out. Currently MidwayUSA has the Lyman 1200 Speed Upgrade Kit (item 638676) on sale for $21.99. This price is good through March 31, 2008.
Lyman 1200 owners report that the Speed Kit (Lyman part #7752428) is easy to install, and it can double the dispensing speed with some powders. Jack C. of NY reports that he could swap in the new unit in 10 minutes. He found that, with the Speed Kit, his machine was “nearly twice as fast and it cleans out in 1/10th the time.” Chris U. of Texas concurs: “This upgrade works! The bonus is that cleanup is greatly improved over the original unit. Remaining powder flows out easily leaving only a few behind.” Overall, Lyman 1200 owners report significant dispensing speed gains. Steve K. of VT notes: “The upgrade kit at least doubles the speed of the DPS 1200 and with rifle cartridges has a new charge dispensed and ready by the time I have placed and seated a bullet on the previous charged case. I highly recommend this upgrade.”
March 14th, 2008
Whether you shoot at 100 yards or 1000, you need to gauge the wind to shoot small groups. A flag or wind-sock will show you the angle of the wind, but you’ll still be guessing about its velocity. That’s where a hand-held wind gauge helps. A good gauge provides both current and averaged wind speed plus basic environmental info (such as temperature and wind chill). To get these features you can pay hundreds of dollars. Or, you can buy a Speedtech Skymate SM-18 Wind Meter from Officetronics for just $55.00. (If Officetronics is sold out, try this vendor link at $58.66.) The Skymate is a quality product sold by many of the big name vendors (Cabela’s, MidwayUSA) for $90.00 or more. The Skymate Wind Meter is accurate, rugged, water resistant, and affordable. This compact unit weighs just 2.3 ounces, and has a replaceable 400 hour lithium battery. “Smart” features include a data lock function, and an automatic power shutoff that kicks in after 15 minutes to save your battery.
|
