UPDATE: The Amazon price is Back up to $439.99. We told you $376.69 was a good deal!! This just proves you need to strike while the iron’s hot.
Hunting season is coming soon. That means going through your gear check-list before you head to deer country. If you don’t have a quality, compact Laser Rangefinder, here’s a great deal. The 7x25mm SIG Kilo 2000 Rangefinder is now on sale for under $380.00. This is a very accurate LRF, that ranges deer-sized targets at long distances quickly. The scan mode is fast and very effective. The unit is compact and light — a bonus for hunters.
This Sig LRF sold for $500.00 just a year ago. Now you can save 25%, with the Kilo 2000 selling for just $376.69 at Amazon, with Free Shipping. Given its performance, that’s a steal. We have tested a variety of LRFs from Bushnell, Leica, Leupold, Sig, Swarovski, and Zeiss. This Sig Kilo 2000 will run with anything in the sub-$600 price range. If you are looking for a small LRF than can fit in a shirt pocket, this Sig 2000 is a good choice. Glass is good, controls are good, ranging capability is excellent. Light-Wave DSP Technology enables the Kilo 2000 to range faster with increased accuracy. Scan mode refresh rate is an ultra-fast 4 times per second.
Read the reviews on Amazon. Virtually every purchaser gave this thing Five Stars. Here are three typical buyer reports.
SIG Kilo 2000 Verified Buyer Reviews
Five Stars: “AWESOME! Best rangefinder for the money. Easily ranges out to 1100 yards. That is the furthest I have tested it to.” (Review by Kochman, July 2017)
Five Stars: “I will review by comparing it with another 2000-yard rangefinder… a Newcon 2000 which finally broke after about 6 years. This Sig Sauer Kilo 2000 has better optics, faster readings, ranges reflective and non reflective targets farther… it’s much smaller and it’s about $150 cheaper. It has better warranty.” (Review by Hillbilly, April 2017)
Five Stars: “Challenges $3000+ Rangefinders for performance. Let me say right up front that I received zero perks, products, or considerations for the review that follows. It’s strictly the opinion of an old shooter still trying to hit groundhogs in adjacent area codes, nothing more. I’ve used laser rangefinders since they first hit the market in the early 90s and ranged all of 200 yards. I have used and owned $2K rangefinders with built-in ballistic computers.
It’s small — palm-sized. If you’re a backcountry shooter and every ounce counts, you can wear this unit around your neck all day long. In my experience and opinion, the Sig Kilo 2000 is an amazing laser rangefinder at a very reasonable price. When it comes to the raw function of a laser rangefinder, to give accurate, repeatable distance measurements within your target range, the Sig Kilo 2000 blows away anything even remotely close to it in its price range.” (Review by Verified Customer, July 2016)
Everyone should own a rifle chambered for the 17 HMR. This is an inherently accurate cartridge, with minimal recoil. The 17 HMR, loaded with 17- or 20-grain bullets, is effective on small varmints well past 150 yards. The ballistics are way better than the .22 LR and .22 WMR. There are also a variety of good factory rifles available, including Savage’s innovative A17, now available in a nice, thumbhole laminated stock. And most importantly, the ammo is becoming more affordable. You can now get good 17 HMR ammo for under twenty cents per round.
The laminated thumbhole stock version of the Savage A17 is a great carry-around varminter.
There are great deals to be had right now on 17 HMR — you can pick up a 50-round box for under $9.00. A couple seasons back you might have to pay $12-$15 for the same stuff. The best deal we’ve found is at Midsouth Shooters Supply, which has Hornady 17 HMR ammo loaded with 17-grain V-Max bullets, for just $8.69 (17.4 cents/round).
Here are other current good deals, as found with the WikiArms.com ammo search engine:
A while back we tested a variety of 17 HMR ammo types in a pair of 17 HMR rifles, a Ruger 77/17 and a Volquartsen (above), chronographing the ammo samples in both guns. Here are our chrono test results.
Dustin Ellermann (past Top Shot Champion) has tested both normal and subsonic 17 HMR ammo in another Volquartsen rifle. He got the best accuracy with the CCI-brand A17 ammo, which is optimized for the Savage A17 rifle. This impressive 100-yard group was shot with A17 ammo:
If you like accurate rifles and reactive targets, you’ll enjoy this episode of Shooting USA TV, which features long-range varmint silhouette competition in Texas, the Lone Star State. We have participated in these kind of matches on the West Coast — they are definitely a ton of fun. The sport combines the pure accuracy of benchrest competition with the fun of knocking down critter targets. These are smaller than standard silhouettes, so it’s quite a challenge to hit them at 300 yards and beyond. In this episode, host John Scoutten competes with his 6.5 Creedmoor PRS rifle. He found that 1-MOA Coyotes offered plenty of challenge at 385 meters! Most shooters use benchrest-grade rifles with premium front rests.
EDITOR: We strongly recommend you take the time to watch this Shooting USA feature — it shows some top-flight benchrest rifles, and also covers the origins of benchrest varmint silhouette in Pennsylvania. There are even some AccurateShooter Forum members on screen. John Scoutten also does nice job explaining the challenges of shooting this discipline with a PRS rig. We think any benchrest or tactical shooter will really enjoy watching this video.
Full 48-Minute Episode of Shooting USA featuring TX Varmint Silhouette:
Travis Frazier of Field & Cave Outfitters says shooters love the reactive targets: “The most exciting thing is seeing your hits — these [targets] really go airborne”. Yep, that’s the best thing about Varmint Silhouette matches — hits deliver instant gratification. Travis designs and produces these steel targets.
This Texas match features multiple target shapes, 10 at each distance: Tiny Prairie Dogs at 200m, 3″x3″ Armadillos at 300m; 3″x5″ Coyotes at 385m; 5″x4″ Hogs at 500m; Chickens (on swingers) at 600 yards; and Pigs (on Swingers) at 750 yards. Competitors are allowed 10 rounds and 10 minutes to hit each set of targets.
BONUS Features in this Shooting USA Episode
Rimfire Challenge World Championship
This episode also includes the Rimfire Challenge World Championship in Alabama (starting at 33:25). This event attracts hundreds of shooters who ring steel with .22 LR rifles and pistols. This may be the ultimate fun match for the whole family. Many of the top shooters are juniors, who can run the all-steel stages in three seconds. The 16 stages each have 5 to 8 steel targets that can be shot in any order, but the last round must go on the red-marked “Stop Plate”.
History of the Gun: Remington 700
This week’s gun history segment of Shooting USA features the Remington 700, one of the most successful bolt-action rifles ever, with over 5 million produced. The Rem 700 has served hunters, military marksmen, and Rem 700 actions have been used for countless competition rifles.
Here’s something for varmint hunters looking for a simple, inexpensive rifle support system. For just $12.49 you can get the Caldwell DeadShot front and rear bag set (unfilled). These work fine on any kind of bench, and you can also shoot off a truck hood or bed. The two bags clip together for easy transport. The front bag, when filled, is about 8.5″ high. You may want to set it on a wood block to raise it up.
[UPDATE 8/19/2017: After we released this article, the price got event lower. Amazon is now listing this bag set at just $11.99.]
Of course, this won’t match a SEB Neo front rest with an Edgewood in the rear — but it only costs $12.49! This is a good “field expedient” system that costs less than a couple movie tickets. Varminters can keep this system in a vehicle for deployment any time.
Yes this is a very inexpensive system, but it works surprisingly well, particularly with “standard” rifles with narrow fore-ends. Rather than sand, you can fill with rice or media to make the bags lighter. This system features a heavy-duty clip and D-Ring for attaching the front bag to the rear bag for easy transport. The Caldwell DeadShot bags are crafted from durable, water-resistant 600 denier polyester.
BAG Dimensions (filled): FRONT bag 11″ x 8.5″ X 6″; REAR bag is 5″ x 5″ x 4.5″.
USER REVIEWS have been quite positive. Most users seem to favor a lighter fill material to make the bags easier to carry around:
“Great bags overall. I filled mine with ground walnut shells from the reptile section at the local Petco store. Similar to sand but lighter. Filling the big bag was easy. I used the top part of a Gatorade bottle as a funnel.” — Natumes
“The large front bag is about 8″ high when filled. The smaller, rear, butt rest bag is about 3″. I filled mine with the ground walnuts.” — Hal1945
“Used with AR and bolt action .308, works well as expected. I filled mine with rice. You will need a little more than 10 lbs of rice to fill both bags.” — Li N Ngoc
Savage has added a new chambering, 6mm Creedmoor, to its impressive Model 10 GRS rifle, already sold in 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. The 6mm Creedmoor version shoots a slightly lower recoil cartridge that is well-suited for both PRS competitions and varminting. Savage’s Model 10 GRS features a very high-quality, strong, and ergonomic composite stock crafted by GRS Rifle Stocks in Norway.
With outstanding Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor brass now available that can easily be necked down to 6mm CM, we believe this 26″-barreled rifle could become popular with PRS competitors. We like the longer 26″ barrel length and the 1:7.5″ twist lets you shoot the latest high-BC 6mm match bullets, including Sierra’s new 110gr MatchKing*.
We shot a 6.5 CM Model 10 GRS rifle at SHOT Show Media Day and liked it better than many of the metal-chassis rifles being marketed to the tactical/PRS market. The Model 10 GRS is very comfortable to shoot, and the inherent accuracy is impressive for a rifle with a $1449.00 MSRP and “street price” around $1250.00.
The Model 10 GRS features adjustable cheekpiece and adjustable length of pull. The grip area is very comfortable, filling the hand naturally. The stock has a nice surface texture providing good “traction” on forearm and grip. The stock is fairly light but very strong, being made from 15% fiberglass-reinforced Durethan, with 65% glass bedding material. Only right-hand versions are available.
Product tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
* Sierra recommends a 1:7″ twist, but, given the velocities the 6mm Creedmoor can deliver, field testers are reporting success shooting the 110gr SMK with a 1:7.5″ twist.
Top Shot former Champion Dustin Ellerman likes his Volquartsens, and we can see why. With his latest 17 HMR rimfire varminter, he’s seen some outstanding accuracy with CCI ammo. On his Facebook page, Dustin reports: “Prepping for prairie dogs and I’m floored by this cold, sub-half-inch group shot with the Volquartsen Custom 17 HMR at 100 yards.” This thumbhole-stock rifle features a Bowers Group USS suppressor, and 3-12x56mm Meopta Scope. Dustin tried different types of CCI 17 HMR ammo. This small group was shot with CCI A17 ammo.
A couple years back Dustin took another Volquartsen 17 HMR on a Prairie Dog hunt in Wyoming. He was impressed with the rifle (shown below) and the little rimfire cartridge. Dustin says the effective range of the 17 HMR is farther than one might expect: “I made hits out to 300 yards. 200 yards was easy as long as the wind wasn’t too bad.”
Here’s the Volquartsen 17 HMR Dustin used in Wyoming in 2015:
After that 2015 P-Dog expedition, Dustin became a fan of the 17 HMR cartridge: “Never paid it much attention before now because the ammo is five times more expensive than .22 LR and I mostly target shoot. However, for prairie dogs, the 17 HMR is amazing!” Consider this — Hornady’s 17 HMR ammo pushes a 17gr V-Max bullet at 2550 fps, twice as fast as typical .22 LR rounds.
Are you or a friend/family member looking for a good hunting rifle at a great price? Check out this promotion for the Winchester XPR. This is a fine-handling rig with a smooth bolt and some of the best camo finishes you can get. Right now at Cabelas.com the Winchester XPR in Vias Camo is on sale for $399.99. But here’s the kicker, Winchester is offering a $100.00 Mail-In Rebate. That drops your net cost to just $299.99. That’s an insanely good deal.
You’ll also find other versions of the Winchester XPR on sale at other vendors. Here are some of our favorite XPR variants (and there are a dozen others):
The Winchester Rebate is good through September 30, 2017. It also applies to Winchester SX3, SX4, and SXP Shotguns. CLICK HERE for Rebate Form.
Written by Sierra Bullets Ballistic Technician Paul Box
Judging by the calls I’ve had through the years, I think some shooters might be placing too much importance on Ballistic Coefficient (B.C.). The best example of this comes from a call I had one day. This shooter called wanting the ballistic coefficient of one of our Sierra bullets. After I told him he seemed a little disappointed, so I ask him what his application was. Long range target, deer hunting in the woods? Talk to me.
As it turned out, he hunted deer in open timber. He very rarely shot beyond 100 yards. I pointed out to him that, under 200 yards, B.C. has little impact. Let’s compare a couple of bullets.
Let’s look at the trajectory of a couple of bullets and see how they compare. The .30 caliber 180 grain Round Nose #2170 RN and the 180 grain Spitzer Boat Tail #2160 SBT. The round nose has a B.C. of .240, while the SBT is .501. Starting both bullets out of the muzzle at 2700 FPS [with a 100-yard ZERO], at 200 yards the #2170 RN impacts 4.46″ low while the #2160 SBT impacts 3.88″ low. That’s a difference of only 0.58″ in spite of a huge difference in Ballistic Coefficient. If we compare out at 500 yards, then we have a [significant drop variance] of 14.27″ between these two bullets. [Editor: That difference could mean a miss at 500 yards.]
Distance to Your Prey is the Key Consideration
In a hunting situation, under 200 yards, having a difference of only .58” isn’t going to make or break us. But when elk hunting in wide open spaces it could mean everything.
The next time you’re choosing a bullet, give some thought about the distances you will be shooting. Sometimes B.C. isn’t everything. If you have any questions, please give the Sierra Bullets technicians a call at 800-233-8799.
We’ve been fans of the Howa Mini Action rifles since they were introduced a couple years ago. With actions that are nearly an inch shorter than typical “short actions”, these Mini Action rigs work great as a compact “truck gun” or carry-around varminter. Current chamberings are: .204 Ruger, .222 Rem, .223 Rem, 6.5 Grendel, and 7.62×39. There are 20″ lightweight, 20″ heavy contour, and 22″ standard contour barrel options.
6.5 Guy Ed Mobley Tests the 7.62×39 Howa Mini Action Rifle
The Howa Mini Action rifles come with the excellent HACT 2-stage trigger and a 5-round or 10-round, synthetic detachable box mag (depending on caliber). The Mini Action’s bolt is 13% shorter than on regular short actions, providing a shorter, faster bolt throw. Weight is also reduced. This makes for a nice, compact (and very shootable) package.
6.5 Guys Test Howa Mini Actions in 6.5 Grendel and 7.62×39
The 6.5 Guys recently secured a pair of Howa Mini Actions, one chambered in 6.5 Grendel and the other in 7.62×39 Russian: “After trying out the Howa Mini Action rifles at SHOT Show 2017, we got a couple of loaners in 6.5 Grendel and 7.62×39 courtesy of Legacy Sports. These rifles are known for their smooth cycling and lightweight actions, as well as some unique chamberings for bolt rifles (6.5 Grendel, 7.62×39). Long story short, we really enjoyed them.” In fact Steve liked his 6.5 Grendel enough that he plans to purchase the gun. Get the full scoop in this VIDEO REVIEW:
The folks at Legacy Sports also conducted extensive accuracy tests of commercial ammunition in 6.5 Grendel and 7.62×39. The most accurate 6.5 Grendel ammo, with a stunning 0.29″ group, was Alexander Arms with Lapua 123gr Scenar; second best (0.56″ group) was Hornady with 123gr A-Max bullet. The most accurate 7.62×39 ammo was Hornady 123gr SST with a 0.62″ group in the 20″ Heavy Barrel version. View Howa’s Test Reports with these links:
The NRA Black Powder Target Rifle Championship will be held August 14-20, 2017 at the Whittington Center in Raton, NM. Top Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) shooters from around the country have come to Raton to test their skills during a week-long event with targets set from 200 to 1000 yards. Today through Thursday, mid-range matches continue at 200 to 600 yards. On the firing line you’ll see many handsome, custom-built BPCRs (Sharps, Ballards, Browning High Walls, Rolling Blocks) with exquisite wood, hand-checkering, and color-case-hardened receivers.
The 800-1000 yard Creedmoor matches will be held Friday and Saturday, August 19-20. Interestingly, for safety reasons, there are minimum bullet weight and muzzle velocity requirements for the Creedmoor matches. These BPCR shooters launch some seriously heavy projectiles downrange.
REGISTRATION: Registration will take place at the Eagle’s Nest Building beginning at 13:00 – 17:00 on August 13, and 07:15 – 09:00 August 14 for the Championships. NOTE: The NRA Black Powder Committee and NRAWC has changed the minimum requirements of bullet weight and velocity. There may be a 2% variance in bullet weight or velocity. Numbers in BOLD indicate the 2% variance. Only ammunition which produces these results, or better, and only rifles that have long-range sights will be permitted for use in the Creedmoor Championships. See the BPTR Nationals Ballistic Velocity Chart below for minimum requirements.
ACCOMMODATIONS: There are many motels in the town of Raton, about 10 miles from the Range. In additions, there are accommodations on the grounds of the Whittington Center: 90 beds in Competitors Housing and 100 beds in Log Cabins. These facilities fill up quickly — call the Whittington Center right away at (575) 445-3615 to reserve.
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