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April 12th, 2007
 Lock, Stock, and Barrel has a great deal right now on Hornady 22 Caliber (.224) 50 grain V-Max bullets: $29.00 per box of 250 bullets, item HRN22616. (That works out to just $11.60 per hundred!) These are regular production bullets, not blems or seconds. Offer limited to five 250-ct boxes per customer and stock on hand. With a short boat-tail and polymer tip, the 50gr V-Max is accurate and very explosive on varmints. You’ll find loads for this bullet in our .223 Rem Cartridge Guide. Contributor Graymist’s favorite .223 Rem load is the 50gr V-Max pushed by Hodgdon H4895. He says “this combo has worked great in every .223 he’s shot.”
April 12th, 2007
 The Davidson Star-D tripod is a solid, all-metal rig that is sturdy enough to be used for movie cameras. Star-Ds feature convenient rotary cam (collet) leg height adjustments and all-metal tilt and pan controls that lock solidly. The center post is clamped with a big locking ring that adjusts for tension. The rugged, machined-aluminum Star-D tripods are no longer in production but you can find good “previously-owned” models for sale on eBay. This tripod is ideal for use with a chronograph or spotting scope (for viewing in sitting or standing positions). Right now there are three nice Star-Ds on Ebay, items 170099554007, 230114024777, and 230114022708. If these units sell out, watch for the newer Star-Ds with all-silver heads and cam-locked legs. You can often pick them up for under $25.00. Look for the latest versions, as shown in the picture.
April 11th, 2007
Summer’s approaching and temperatures are starting to heat up. For all-day sessions at the range, it’s a good idea to wear a hat that shades your ears and neck from the sun. At the 2006 F-Class Nationals, we noticed that many of the top competitors, including winner Eric Bair and runner-up Alan Warner, sported wide-brimmed hats. Alan even wore his hat while shooting.
Cabela’s sells excellent brimmed hats that feature 50+ UPF sun protection ratings and moisture-wicking sweatbands. These are similar to boonie hats, but are more comfortable, better ventilated, and have a slightly broader and stiffer brim. The Yellowstone Breezer Hat, our favorite, has a mesh top, and is on sale right now for $19.88, item OG-951124. A DeLuxe Breezer Hat, with fully-vented top, is $29.95.
Cabela’s RiverGuide Series hats, shown below, are also on sale for just $19.88. The San Juan Packable Hat (item OG-951125), available in Sage (green-gray) or Natural tan is soft, well-ventilated, and packable. There is also a canvas version (item OG-951126) with a foam crown insert so it floats–great if you use the hat when boating or fishing. To order any of these summer hats, click this Cabela’s LINK and type in the item number.
April 9th, 2007
 This is a great deal for hunters. For a limited time, if you purchase a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40mm scope at Midsouth Shooters Supply, you’ll receive a free Garmin eTrex GPS. The popular eTrex has a “street price” of about $90.00. Compact, yet fully featured, the 6-ounce, 4″x2″ eTrex literally fits in the palm of your hand. All five buttons are placed on the sides, for simple, one-handed operation. Midsouth’s package price is just $235.99 (item 023-200162-GPS). That means you are getting a quality, fully-coated “major-brand” hunting scope for under $150.00.
April 5th, 2007
Now through April 30, 2007, MidwayUSA has the Wheeler Engineering Savage Barrel Nut Wrench on sale for $21.99, a $14.00 savings. The double-ended Nut Wrench allows easy removal of the barrel nut on both early and late model Savage 10 and 110 series rifles. It features two 1/2″ square drive holes for a swing bar or torque wrench. Made from 3/16″ steel.
April 3rd, 2007
 We receive many reader inquiries about gunsafes. We often hear: “Look, I know I should get a bigger, more expensive safe, but I just can’t spend more than $750″. For those on a tight budget, Granite Security builds a quality 60″x30″x20″ Winchester Club Safe sold at Sam’s Club for just $599.99 (Pick-up Only price). Weighing 575 pounds, this will be much more secure than the thin-walled “gun lockers” that can cost $300-$400. The interior is about 56″ high, long enough for 30″-barreled guns if you use the pass-through in the top shelf. You can use both sides for guns or have rifles on one side and shelves on the other. The safe has a claimed 24 long-gun capacity, but realistically, figure 8-9 per side.
At 575 pounds, the safe is heavy enough that it would be difficult for a thief to move. The safe comes pre-drilled with holes for anchor bolts, plus a dehumidifier access hole. The safe has a UL-listed electronic lock, but we recommend upgrading to an S&G or LaGard commercial-grade digital lock (or dial lock). Commercial grade locks offer higher-quality keypads with much enhanced long-term reliability. We’ve talked to many gunsmiths who say the Sam’s Club safe (by Granite), is hard to beat for the price. Click HERE to read comments from many folks who own the Sam’s Club gunsafe. One owner writes: “The Sam’s Club Winchester safe is essentially a Granite Security Ranger, minus about $300. Probably one of the best values in the safe market today.” For general info about gunsafe features, read our Gun Safe Buyers Guide.
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 20th, 2007
While researching our upcoming .223 Rem Cartridge Guide, we tested and measured various brands of brass. Recent Lake City brass shoots very well and offers the greatest case capacity (30.6 grains) of commonly available brass. MidwayUSA now offers Federal Lake City brass (item 197849) at $81.99 per 500. That works out to just $16.40 per hundred. Shooters report this brass is “very uniform” and shoots exceptionally well. Note, this is a discontinued item–so returns can only be made to Federal, not Midway.
 Wideners.com now has new IMG brass for the amazing price of $46/500 or $89/1000, item 556GUPB. IMG brass is quality stuff. This editor has personally put thousands of rounds of IMG ammo through ARs without no failures. IMG brass is made on American (Olin) machinery that was transported to Guatemala to provide ammunition for the military. This is a great choice for varminters who need large quantities of uniform, low-cost brass. The case mouths are even chamfered. Average case capacity of IMG brass is 30.1 grains, the same as Hornady and Winchester commercial. The IMG brass is brand new 5.56 NATO-spec brass (not seconds). However, please note the flash holes are slightly smaller than domestic brass. You should have no issues with ignition (since the flash hole is still larger than 220 Russian or 6BR brass), but you may have to adjust your load slightly.
March 19th, 2007
We’re excited about the release of the NEW Nikon 6-24×50 Monarch later this spring (Release date early June). Initial reports from Shot Show 2007 were very positive. It has a 1″ tube, limiting its range of elevation compared to the Leupold 8.5-25×50 LRT, but otherwise this Nikon could be a real rival to the Leupold. Priced at $629.95 from The Optic Zone (Nikoplex Reticle), the new Monarch is over $200.00 less expensive than Leupold’s 8.5-25 LRT. (Target Dot, Fine CrossHair, and Bullet Drop Compensating reticles add $20.00 to the price.) We think this could prove a great scope for long-range varminters and F-Class shooters on a budget. Just use an angled scope rail or Burris Signature Rings with inserts to add extra elevation as needed.
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