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May 5th, 2010
Here is an interesting tool that lets shooters re-shape and uniform the tips of their .22 rimfire lead bullets. Paco Kelly’s Acu’Rzr comes in two basic versions, the “Phase III Nasti-Nose” and the “Phase IV Baby Scorp’n”. The Phase III tool produces a deep-dished hollowpoint (like an ash-tray) that opens quickly and efficiently. There is also a Phase III insert that creates a flatter, open dish HP for target shooting. The Phase IV Scorpion tool creates a deep hollow point with a central post. The internal post in the middle helps achieve deeper penetration in game. The designer claims that ammo modified with either tool is more accurate because the bullet diameter “comes out the same every time”. In addition to the Phase III & IV tools, which reform one round at a time, Paco offers a Maxi series for bulk production. These let you process either three rounds at once (Maxi 3) or four rounds at once (Maxi 4).
Why re-shape lead rimfire bullets? The first reason is accuracy. The tool’s designer, Paco Kelly, claims you can improve the accuracy of budget-priced ammo by using the dish nose rod with the Phase III tool: “The dish nose forming rod is for accuracy and paper targets. It makes very sharp and clean cut holes in paper. And the consistency of the [re-shaped] bullet diameter pulls the group together.”
The main reason to use Paco Acu’Rzr tools is to improve perfomance on small game such as squirrels, prairie dogs, and jack-rabbits. Kelly says: “Unlike most commercial 22 rimfire ammo with small holes and negligible HP expansion, the Nasti-Nose will open even with standard velocity ammo. Yet it will NOT explode on contact like the hyper-velocity ammo. For small eating game, such as squirrels, the Hyper ammo is too much and the medium-velocity, hollow-pointed commercial ammo often fails to open. But not so with the Nasti-Nose.” The idea, Kelly suggests, is that you get reliable expansion with medium-velocity ammo, without destroying the game the way hyper-velocity ammo does.
The Phase III tool costs $65.00, while the Phase IV tool costs $75.00. The Maxi 3 which does three (3) rounds at once, costs $100.00, and the four-round Maxi 4 is $128.00. All tools can be customized for target rifles or European chambers. To order, contact Paco Kelly, P.O. Box 1170, Cortaro, AZ 85652 or use this ORDER FORM.
EDITOR’s NOTE: Do NOT use this tool with premium-grade rimfire target ammo. It won’t help. Use it with the cheaper bulk-pack ammo. Also, we have not tested the reformed ammo on live targets, so you have to draw your own conclusions as to its benefits on small critters.
April 12th, 2010
Last month we profiled the new, affordable Savage Edge hunting rifle. Though starting MSRP is just $329.00, this new Savage has many nice features, including a detachable box magazine, free-floated barrel, and handy thumb safety on the tang. The bolt copies the Savage 10/110 floating-head design and the Edge uses the familiar Savage barrel nut to secure the barrel and set headspace.
Jeff Quinn of Gunblast.com got his hands on the new Savage Edge. He was impressed with the gun, which he called “an excellent rifle at an amazing price.” Despite its low cost, Quinn’s test gun delivered sub-MOA accuracy with a variety of .243 Winchester factory loads: “Several [three-shot] groups were fired that measured under one-half inch, but the five-eighths inch group shown was typical for the day. No groups measured in excess of the magical one-inch mark.”
CLICK HERE to read complete Gunblast.com Review (many photos).
Overall, writer Jeff Quinn praised the Edge as a good, solid hunting rifle that offers great value: “There were no surprises in the handing of the Edge; it balances and handles very well. There were no surprises in the accuracy of the Edge; it shoots where you point it. There were no surprises in the reliability of the Edge; it fed, fired, and ejected perfectly. The surprise is in the price. As of this writing, the Edge has an MSRP of only $329 US. For only fifty bucks more, you can get the Edge with a 3 to 9 power scope already mounted and bore-sighted.”
April 11th, 2010
For many folks, a fly-in trip to a remote Alaskan fishing lodge would be a “vacation of a lifetime”. Serious anglers spend $5,000 per week (or more) at some of the exclusive Alaskan lodges.
 What does this have to do with precision shooting? Well, Shooters’ Forum member Mark W. (aka warrbuk) purchased a $3,200 Alaskan fishing holiday at a Safari Club Int’l (SCI) event, but he’s unable to make the trip this year. Mark wants to trade the trip for a rifle, scope or other shooting gear. Mark posted: “I would like to get $750 out of it, or trade for gear of that value.” If you want to make an offer to Mark, CLICK HERE for Mark’s Forum thread.
So, here’s your chance to get a trip of a lifetime for a fraction of the going price. The trip is a 6-day fully guided fishing holiday at the MacDougall Lodge in Lake Creek, AK. Lake Creek starts at the base of Mt. McKinley and runs 65 miles to the Yentna River. MacDougall Lodge sits approximately 1.5 miles from the mouth of Lake Creek. All five species of Pacific salmon run Lake Creek at different times of the year. Rainbow Trout, Grayling and Northern Pike can be caught year round. MacDougall Lodge was recently featured on the Outdoor Channel (see video below).
April 9th, 2010
We know many of our readers have a Ruger 10/22 for varminting, fun shooting, or rimfire tactical competition. Here’s an affordable new product for the Ruger 10/22 that will fit the highly-accurate Volquartsen rimfires as well. The new TriMag™ magazine coupler secures three standard, 10-round 10/22 rotary magazines together, giving you extra ammo capacity with full factory reliability. Yes there are long, banana-style magazines for the 10/22, but a TriMag 3-mag assembly won’t interfere with prone or off-hand shooting. And when varminting, you won’t have to set your tripod super-high to provide clearance for a long single-column magazine. This is ideal for rimfire tactical matches.
Designed and crafted by Alangator of Hayden Lake, Idaho, the $9.95 patent-pending TriMag™ is a clever, U.S.-made invention that any 10/22 or Volquartsen owner can afford. Puchasers give the TriMag™ high marks. One Cabela’s customer writes: “One of the best 10/22 products ever! As everyone who owns a 10/22 knows, aftermarket or non-factory extended capacity 10/22 magazines perform terribly. This product resolves that issue because you have 30 rounds available using your perfectly-functioning factory magazines.” Another buyer adds: “IMO one of the best accessories for the 10/22… one of those things that you can’t go without. An added bonus is that when you set your gun on a bench it holds it up right.”
Where to Buy
The TriMag™ is currently offered by Cabela’s, Volquartsen, and other vendors starting at $9.95. Volquartsen says the device fits all Volquartsen .22 LR semi-auto rifles.
April 5th, 2010
The 30th Annual Hickory Groundhog and Egg Shoot was held on April 3rd, 2010. Saturday’s competition proved a great day for the Brady family. Our friend (and Forum member) Terry Brady won the Custom Rifle division with a 99 score, setting a new record. Terry edged his son Chris, who shot a 98, matching the previous Custom Class record set by fellow North Carolinian Sam Hall. (That will teach Sam to go fishin’ on shoot day!) The threesome of Terry Brady, Chris Brady, and Greg Cooper also won the Hickory Team competition. Conditions were excellent for Saturday’s match, with calm winds. A total of 167 shooters attended the Hickory Shoot, which offered over $4000.00 in cash, coupons, and hardware.
Bill Shehane of D&B Supply was on hand for the match. Bill reports: “Chris Brady tied Samuel Hall’s all-time record of 98 points today only to have his father Terry Brady take it away with a scorching 99. Congratulations to this fine Father-Son team for a 1-2 finish in this year’s shoot. That’s a lot of loot for the Brady boys. Couldn’t happen to two better guys and I for one know just how much work it takes to finish 1st and 2nd. Terry told me when he arrived on Saturday morning that he intended to take home a Tracker stock. My Granddad always said if ya can do it — ‘It Ain’t Bragging!'” Actually, Terry didn’t get it quite right. His son Chris won the Tracker while Terry earned $300.00 plus a 50% off coupon for a Nightforce scope. Either way… it’s all in the family.
Terry Brady Busts Record with Heavy 6BR in Custom Class
Terry and Chris Brady brought two guns to the match, both chambered as 6BRs. The first was a special 38-pounder built by Mike Davis. It featured a BAT DS action, weighted Shehane Tracker stock, Krieger gain-twist barrel and Nightforce 12-42x56mm BR scope. The second gun was a 17-pounder built by Glenn Williams with a Borden action, Shehane tracker stock, Krieger 8.5-twist barrel and Nightforce 12x42x56mm BR scope.
Terry reports: “The conditions were almost perfect for shooting. Very small guests of wind with no mirage. I set the new score record with 99. Chris and Josh Duckworth tied the former record set by Sam Hall of 98. Josh was shooting a Borden 6BR as well. 17 people hit the egg at 500 yards, including myself, Chris, Chris’ girlfriend Jessica, and Josh. Chris, Jessica, Ben Yarborough and I busted 4 eggs in a row with the 38-pound rifle before Larry Willis (the Match Director) jokingly asked us to move on and leave some fun for the other guys.”
April 1st, 2010
In recent years, environmental concerns over lead toxicity have inspired efforts to eliminate conventional lead-based ammunition. To protect endangered species from lead poisoning, California has banned hunting altogether on huge tracts of public land. In other areas which harbor protected species, hunters are forbidden to use lead-core or solid lead bullets. There is an ongoing FDA investigation into the health of venison taken with lead-core bullets. Responding to such concerns, in 2008, Barnes Bullets (now part of the Freedom Group), introduced its MPG™ (Multi-Purpose Green) lead-free bullets. These bullets are intended for hunting and for rifle training in locations where lead is restricted.
 Following Barnes’ lead, BIO-Bullets, a small company in Wanganui, New Zealand has invented a jacketless bullet that is not only lead-free, but is also 100% non-toxic, and bio-degradable. The new bullets have zero lead content and are made from “all-natural”, organic compounds. Unlike conventional bullets formed in a die, the new BIO-Bullets are pressure-molded from a proprietary composite, using sintered mineral compounds in a silica matrix. The mineral compounds, interestingly enough, not only bind the bio-degradable bullet together, but they provide nutritional benefits for any game that might ingest the projectiles. If an animal eats the bullet, it won’t get sick — it will actually get healthier.
That’s right — these edible BIO-Bullets are not only non-toxic, they are actually nutritious. “When we came up with a non-toxic component mix, we realized we could actually provide a blend of flavorful nutrients in the matrix.” Said Trevor MacDiarmid, BIO-Bullets’ chief bullet designer. “It may seem far-fetched but just look at the label on a typical multi-vitamin supplement. You’ll see iron, chromium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, among other minerals. These are all elements that can be combined into a durable bullet form that is actually healthy when ingested by an animal.” MacDiarmid, who holds a Ph.D in chemical engineering, explains that the health benefits of the BIO-Bullet came as an unexpected bonus: “Our first goal was simply to create a shootable, lead-free bullet that was non-toxic. But when our silica matrix proved more than hard enough to survive the friction, heat, and pressure of a 3500 fps trip through a rifle bore, we realized we could add additional minerals into the mix that would have a salutary effect on wildlife health.”
 BIO-Bullet’s founder, Steven Williams, is a gregarious 45-year entrepreneur who earned his first millions promoting dietary supplements in his native New Zealand. Noting the growing interest in “eco-friendly” ammunition components, Williams expects a huge demand for his new BIO-Bullets. “Globally, the annual sales of hunting bullets exceed €500 million in value. And the military bullet market may be triple that number — as long as you Yanks keep fighting wars”, he joked. Williams believes his new company is in the right place at the right time: “Being based in eco-aware New Zealand gives us a strong marketing advantage in launching this new product.” Williams’ company has earned the coveted “100% Pure New Zealand” certification, signifying that Bio-Bullets are “all-natural” and organic.
A select group of New Zealand hunting guides has already been using prototype BIO-Bullets in the field. The new eco-friendly bullets have earned high praise from these tough-to-please outdoorsmen. “In terms of ballistics and knock-down power, I reckon the ‘greenies’ are as good as anything on the market”, reports veteran outfitter Bart Coutts. South Island guide and deer farmer Dennis Amon said, “I’ve used them for predator control, and, as a test I even fed them to some of our captive Red Deer. The Reds ate them up like they were candy. Ever since then we’ve been calling these BIO-bullets the ‘incredible edibles’.”
BIO-Bullets will initially be available in .224, 6mm, and .308 calibers starting at $40 (NZ) per box of 100. The varmint-grade, flat-based bullets will be finished with a day-glo green outer coating, while the longer, boat-tail match bullets will be fluorescent red. Said designer MacDiarmid: “Since our BIO-Bullets don’t use a conventional jacket, we can finish them in any color by adding non-toxic dyes to the silica matrix. It’s sort of like putting the colored shell on a jelly bean. I favored a more sedate color, but the boss wanted something bold and eye-catching. Steven’s the marketing guru, and he writes the checks, so we went with fluorescent colors. But any exterior color scheme is possible, even digital camo.”
BIO-Bullets is currently finalizing arrangements with North American distributors. The company expects its eco-friendly bullets to appear on American and Canadian store shelves in time for the traditional fall hunting season.
March 30th, 2010
 The Hickory Groundhog Shoot, the nation’s most popular groundhog shooting competition, will be held Saturday, April 3rd in Vale, North Carolina. Now in its 30th year, this is the biggest Varmint competition on the East Coast, with over $4000.00 worth of prizes awarded each year, including $1000.00 in cash.
You can compete individually or as part of 3-man teams. The entry fee is $25 per gun, plus (optional) $10 per team. There will also be a 500-yard Egg Shoot with a $2.00 entry fee.
Custom or Factory Classes — Simple Rules — Valuable Prizes
There are two classes, custom and factory, and the rules are pretty basic. You can run pretty much anything but a rail gun in custom class, and you can use any kind of front rest (including one-piece rests). A “factory” gun must be “bone stock” as purchased and you are limited to bipod, sandbags, or basic pedestal style front rest. The only modifications allowed for factory class are: 1) bedding job; and 2) trigger tuning (without replacement parts). Competitors may enter one gun in each class, but the fee is $25.00 per gun.
This year, ALL targets will be at known distances: 100, 300, and 500 yards. That should be a cake walk for you 1000-yard shooters. In the past, 6BRs, 6BR Improveds and the mid-size 6mms have been the calibers to beat. To see what it takes to win, read this article about Harold Seagroves’ Spencer-built 6BR (below), which has won the Hickory Shoot multiple times.
The range will be open for practice Monday through Friday the week preceding the match. The practice range is open ’til 6:00 pm Tu-Thurs, but will close at 1:00 pm on Friday. The match will start 8 o’clock sharp Saturday morning, April 3rd. If you have any questions call Larry Willis, Bulls Eye Sporting Goods, (704) 462-1948, or visit www.BullseyeLarry.com. To find the actual range using online maps or your GPS, use this address: 8216 Will Hudson Road, Lawndale, NC 28090.
March 23rd, 2010
Redding Reloading Equipment has responded to the requirements of Indiana Deer Hunters with the addition of the 358/25 WSSM to their line of regular production “Custom Series” reloading dies. The following 358/25 WSSM dies are available: full-length sizing die, neck-sizing die, and a 3-die deluxe set including both full-length and neck-sizing dies plus a seating die with crimp.
This 358/25 WSSM wildcat cartridge has gained favor as an alternative to standard handgun calibers under Indiana’s hunting regulations, which allow the use of cartridges with a bullet diameter of .357″ or larger and a maximum case length of 1.625” during Indiana’s firearms deer season. The 358/25 WSSM can be used in both bolt action and modern sporting rifle styles. The round produces effective terminal ballistics on whitetail deer.
For more info or to order a current Redding catalog contact: Redding Reloading Equipment, 1089 Starr Road Cortland, NY 13045, or visit Redding-Reloading.com.
March 13th, 2010
 The first 2010 CDNN Investments catalog has just been released for downloading. As usual, it contains impressive deals on handguns, rifles, shotguns, scopes, magazines, gun parts, and shooting accessories. Plus, as part of CDNN’s “March Madness” sale, CDNN is offering low-cost $5.99 shipping for any internet order. You can also get Free Shipping for internet orders over $200 (use Coupon Code fs200). NOTE: These special shipping offers apply to this weekend only — the offers expire Monday, March 15th at 12:00 noon CST.
CLICK HERE to Download 2010-1 CDNN Catalog (32 mb PDF file)
HK, Sig Sauer, and Springfield Pistols on Sale
Plus Nice Winchester Model 70 Rifles
Among the discounted handguns are the popular KelTec sub-compacts, HK USPs and P30s, and a wide selection of Springfield Armory 1911s. CDNN also has stainless demo models of the sleek Sig Sauer p232 — complete with night sights. Very nice gun that will hold its value. There are scores of AR15 type rifles at deep discounts, plus CD Defense AR15 bare lower receivers for just $99.99. Hunters should check out the inventory of Winchester Model 70s. There’s a nice Belgian-proofed Featherlite with Safari sights, premium Schnabel fore-end stock, and cut checkering. Chambered in either 300 WSM or 7mm WSM, this would make a handsome elk rifle for just $699.99.
March 8th, 2010
Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA have donated $500,000 to the NRA Foundation’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge. The Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) is NRA’s “graduate studies” program in outdoor skills and safety training for young hunters. This program uses simulated hunting conditions to reinforce and test a young hunter’s skills and safety practices. Since its inception in 1985, YHEC has reached more than a million young sportsmen and women.
From rifle, bow, and muzzleloader shooting at life-sized targets, to wildlife identification, to map-and-compass orienteering and more, YHEC participants get hands-on training in eight skills areas, giving them expertise in all methods of take and all types of game. State- and provincial-level YHEC programs, hosted by volunteer instructors, involve an estimated 50,000 youths each year. Top-ranked individuals advance to the annual NRA Int’l Youth Hunter Education Challenge event.
Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA remarked, “Brenda and I are excited to be able to assist the NRA Foundation in supporting this type of initiative to focus on developing tomorrow’s leaders today. Changing the future requires us to make the commitment in time or money to support these efforts.”
MidwayUSA Offers Promo for AccurateShooter.com Readers
In related news, MidwayUSA has created a special promotion for the readers of this website. Now through March 21, you will get $10.00 off any purchase of $50.00 or more. There are a few limitations — for example you can’t use the promo for back-ordered items, but basically this deal can save you 20% right off the top of a fifty-dollar order. To get the $10.00 off promo code, click the link below. Be sure to tell your friends. This limited time offer ends midnight March 21, 2010.
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