In some parts of the country, hunters are now required to use lead-free bullets. Expect restrictions on lead-based ammo to become more widespread in the years to come. Recognizing this, Lapua has upgraded its line of Naturalis bullets. Fitted with a distinctive green polymer tip, Naturalis bullets employ lead-free 99% copper construction. A hollow cavity provides reliable, uniform expansion, and the solid copper bullet body offers excellent knock-down power and weight retention.
The latest lead-free Naturalis bullets boast less drag and enhanced expansion. These third-generation Naturalis projectiles have been streamlined for better aerodynamics. In addition, Lapua has lowered the velocity threshold for consistent expansion by roughly 100 fps. This significantly broadens the velocity range in which the bullets will reliably expand.
Naturalis bullets feature extremely high weight retention, as demonstrated in the video above. (Note: the video has graphic sequences showing game flesh). The mushrooming of the bullet starts immediately on impact. The expansion process is started by the green polymer “valve” at the tip of the bullet, leading the bullet to expand symmetrically and without fragmentation. Watch the video for a demonstration of Naturalis bullet performance in ballistic media and game animals.
Naturalis lead-free bullets are available as components for handloaders, or loaded into Lapua factory-made cartridges. The Naturalis bullet line ranges in weight from 90 grains (6mm) up to 250 grains (9.3 mm). Bullets are offered in most popular calibers: 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, .308 (7.62mm), 8mm, .338, and 9.3 mm. Naturalis bullets and factory ammo are available from major retailers such as Grafs.com.
If you were challenged to hit a quarter (i.e. a 25-cent piece) at 800 yards, how would you respond? Well here’s the story of a man who did take that challenge, and proceeded to put a bullet right through the quarter. Forum member Randy D., aka “Birdog”, provides this entertaining account of how his friend Junebug drilled a quarter at 800 yards one Tennessee evening….
Hitting a Quarter at 800 Yards
Story and photos by Birdog
A friend from Indy visited the DOME last summer and returned home telling stories of eggs at 800 yards. He called me back and said his friends did not believe it and wanted to know if I could hit a quarter out at 800 and mail it to him.
Well, I had finally got the time for that challenge last Sunday. My friend Junebug came over and I told him about a new challenge. Junebug is sort of like Voldoc and does not like to be told it can’t be done and set his sights on the quarter. George Clay had his sleeved 700 6XC with 115gr DTACs and Bug had his Diamondback 6 BRDX and 103gr Vapor Trail bullets.
Junebug and Shayne. The quarter was at back fence row on left of photo, 80 yards short of a half-mile
Early to mid-afternoon is not the time for precision 800-yard shooting as the mirage was terrible and the wind was gusting in the high humidity and 95 temps. We took a few shots and got close but no HIT.
I told Junebug to go home and load some shells and come back at 7:00 and I believed we could make it happen. After 7:00 pm is the best time to shoot as the mirage disappears and the wind goes to zero. We met again at 7:00 and had Shayne Halliburton as witness. I took a few shots then Junebug took a few zeroing shots on metal. He was not satisfied with the grouping so he switched brass.
He had some new Hydro-formed brass that had never been fired. He took three sighters on the metal plate and the first two made two little black spots that were touching. Followed with a third shot that almost touched the first two. Darkness was setting in and I told Bug he better try the quarter now. Through my March scope I could barely see the bright quarter and my 1/16th dot completely covered the quarter.
Junebug moved the Diamondback to the quarter and touched her off. A half second later the bright spot on the black paper was gone. I jumped up and did a dance and war hoop and the Bug jumped up for a high five. Now we hoped we could find the quarter. Luckily it jumped out in front of the backer less than five feet and Bug found it immediately.
Junebug’s Rifle Specifications
Stock: Zebra-painted stock (Shehane ST1000 we believe)
Action: Stiller Diamondback
Scope: March 10-60x52mm with 1/8 MOA clicks
Cartridge: 6mm BRDX (6mmBR Norma 40° Improved similar to Dasher)
Bullet: 103-grain Vapor Trail
Gunsmith: Barrel smithed by Tim Claunch, Memphis, Tennessee
Here’s an item of interest to hunters (and maybe a few F-Open shooters). Nosler has just introduced a new magnum-type cartridge, the 30 Nosler. Sharing the same parent case as the 26 and 28 Nosler® cartridges, the 30 Nosler® has the case capacity to launch big 30-caliber bullets at impressive velocities (3000 FPS for a 210-grainer). Nosler says the 30 Nosler combines the best qualities of other 30-cal magnums: “The 30 Nosler® easily meets the velocity of the 300 Weatherby, headspaces on the shoulder like a 300 RUM, has an efficient powder column like the 300 WSM and fits in the same standard length action of a 300 Winchester Magnum.” 30 Nosler Will Function in a Standard Length Action
The 30 Nosler has a C.O.A.L. of 3.340″ allowing this cartridge to be operated in a standard length action for lighter weight and shorter bolt throw when compared to magnum-length actions.
The 30 Nosler is a SAAMI-standardized cartridge so there will be standardized dimensions for brass, dies, and chamber reamers. Nosler will support this new cartridge with Nosler Brass, Trophy Grade™ Ammunition and a series of M48 hunting rifles. The initial offerings in Nosler’s Trophy Grade™ Ammunition will be:
Nosler® Trophy Grade™ Ammunition: 180gr AccuBond® 3200 fps
Nosler® Trophy Grade™ LR Ammunition: 210gr AccuBond® LR 3000 fps
A unique, comprehensive Cartridge Comparison Guide is available as a 340-page, spiral-bound book. Covering over 250 cartridges, the updated Second Edition of the Cartridge Comparision Guide is the product of many years of labor by Andrew Chamberlain, a Utah-based hunter. Andrew says his Guide “compares every factory available cartridge from the 17 calibers up to the 50 caliber cartridges”. (Sorry, most wildcat cartridges are not covered.) Chamberlain’s Guide also compiles cartridge data from major ammunition manufacturers such as Barnes, Federal, Hornady, Norma, Nosler, Remington, Sierra, Swift, Weatherby, and Winchester. It shows the optimal velocity achieved for each bullet weight and calculates bullet energy, recoil, and powder efficiency. Large color photos illustrate handgun and rifle cartridges.
The Cartridge Comparison Guide provides data for thousands of cartridge/bullet/velocity combos. Quick reference data sheets and ballistics charts cover Trajectory, Velocity, and Energy out to 500 yards. The Cartridge Comparison Guide also offers a firearms lexicon, plus Appendices covering Cartridge Selection for Game Animals, Bullet Selection/Design, Bullet Expansion, Wound Channel Characteristics and more.
New Content in Second Edition of Cartridge Comparison Guide
The Cartridge Comparison Guide (Second Edition) costs $32.95 plus shipping and tax. CLICK HERE to visit the Online Store where you can order the 340-page book. Here’s what’s new in the Second Edition:
Addition of Shotgun Ammunition (Both Slug and Shot loads).
Momentum Calculation for all Rifle, Shotgun and Handgun loads.
Integration of Shotgun Slug Ammunition with Center Fire Rifle Data Tables.
Factory Load Summary Added (Shows manufacturers and loads produced).
One factory load and one hand load for every bullet weight available in each cartridge.
Over 90 pages of additional ballistics content (roughly 35% more than in First Edition).
Award-Winning Content
The Cartridge Comparison Guide has been awarded the POMA Pinnacle Award for Excellence. (POMA, the Professional Outdoor Media Association, is the trade association for outdoor writers).
Great Resource for Hunters
One of Chamberlain’s main goals in creating the Cartridge Comparison Guide was to help hunters select the “right cartridge for the job.” According to Chamberlain: “This started as a personal project to gather information on the more popular cartridges commonly used for hunting. I began comparing cartridge performance, versatility, bullet selection, powder efficiency, recoil generation vs. energy produced, standing ballistic data for different environments, etc.” Chamberlain adds: “I wanted to find the best all-around performing cartridge and rifle that a guy on a budget could shoot.”
Giant Cartridge Poster for Computer Wallpaper (1665×1080 pixels)
Here’s a great illustration of hundreds of cartridges and shotshell types. For dedicated reloaders, this would work great as desktop “wallpaper” for your computer. CLICK HERE for full-size image.
Looking for a perfect gift for a hunter or target shooter? What gift could be more well-received by an avid shooter than a new firearm? And there’s still time to save on a Savage. Right now you can save up to $75.00 on the purchase of select Savage rifles. Put the money you save with this “cash-back” rebate into ammo or hunting gear. This cash-back rebate is good through 12/31/2015.
Qualifying Rifles and Rebate Rules
A $75.00 Rebate is offered for these products: the Model 10 Predator Hunter, 11/111 Long Range Hunter, 11/111 Lightweight Hunter, 11/111 Lady Hunter, 11/111 FCNS Hunter, 16/116 Bear Hunter or 16/116 FCSS Weather Warrior. A $50.00 Rebates is offered for the choose any Trophy Hunter XP, Trophy Predator Hunter XP, AXIS or AXIS II XP. Rimfire shooters who purchase any Mark I, Mark II, Model 93, Model 93R17, B.MAG or Model 42 will be eligible for a $25 mail-in Rebate.
Firearms must be purchased between August 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. Rebate coupon must be received by January 31, 2016. Offer valid in U.S.A. and Canada. USA funds only. For all the details and restrictions go to SavageArms.com/Promotions.
Looking for a tough, heavy-duty gun case for under $100? The excellent Plano All-Weather Rifle Case is now just $68.67 with free shipping. That’s an awesome deal. This Plano shares many features of a much more expensive Pelican case at a fraction of the price. An O-Ring runs all around the lid, providing dust protection and a watertight seal. The bottom-level foam is pre-configured into little “pluckable” cubes, so you can easily customize the case for your rifle (no “hot-knife” work required). The interior size is 43″ x 13″ x 5″. That’s big enough for most AR-platform and hunting rifles. For long-barreled competition rifles, you will want to detach the barreled action from the stock — and then place them in two different slots (one for the stock, one for the barreled action.) We’ve transported long-barreled F-Open rifles in cases like this — just separate the rifle into two parts first.
REAL REVIEWS: Here are comments from verified purchasers of the Plano Tactical case:
This gun case is everything I expected. Latches very securely and is durable enough to handle laying in the bed of my truck bouncing down a dirt road. The foam is nice because it allows for almost exact shaping to your rifle and accessories. I plan on ordering three more. You can’t beat this price. — Coach
The absolute best without busting my wallet. NOTHING wrong with this case … nothing. Clamps are solid and do not slip open when bumped. You will not go wrong with owning this model/price gun case. Satisfied! — SF67n2
This Plano All-Weather Case offers great value for the money. A similar, 44″-long Pelican model 1720 case retails for about $240.00. The Plano offers most of the same capabilities of the Pelican, for about one-third the price. Both cases are watertight (with O-Ring seal), both cases have pressure release valves, and both cases have strong “gorilla-proof” outer shells. If you need more capacity, Plano also makes a large Double Scoped Rifle Case with wheels for $114.99 (51.5″ x 12.63″ x 5.25″ interior). All gun case prices are subject to change.
You are looking at the Texan, the world’s most powerful airgun. Able to launch a .45-caliber projectile at 1000 fps, this pre-charged pneumatic air rifle rivals the energy of a centerfire pistol. The $1000-dollar Texan is a game changer. The Texan’s manufacturer, AirForce Airguns, has created the “world’s most powerful” production air rifle. With projectile energy levels topping 500 foot-pounds (see below), the Texan possesses capabilities never before seen in an airgun.
Watch Video of Texan Air Rifle:
500+ Foot-Pounds
Shooting a 405gr hollow-base lead projectile the Texan registered energy (at muzzle) of 505.98 foot-pounds for the first shot. Velocities at or near 1000 fps were recorded with smaller projectiles in the 120-140gr range. At right is a chart with results from Texan airgun testing by Tom Gaylord of Pyramyd Air.
Recognizing the breakthrough engineering of the Texan, the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine recently named the Texan as its NRA Gun of the Week, a rare distinction for an air rifle. The NRA’s editors wrote: “They say everything is bigger in Texas, including the AirForce airgun that bears the state’s name. The powerful big-bore ‘Texan’ features a two-stage trigger that releases a sizable burst of air from its 490cc removable and refillable air tank, driving .457-cal projectiles in excess of 1000 fps. Purported to be the most powerful production air rifle, 500+ foot-pounds of energy is perfectly capable of hunting medium-sized game. As with any large-caliber PCP airgun, shots are limited due to the increased volume of air needed for operation. Accuracy is provided by a 34″ Lothar Walther barrel, a sizeable portion of the rifle’s overall 48-inch length.”
The Texan™ by AirForce Technical Specifications:
Max Fill Pressure: 3000 psi
Action: Single shot / Low Effort Side Lever Cocking
Weight: 8 pounds
Length: 48 inches
Barrel: 34 inches Lothar Walther .457 Barrel
Caliber: 0.45
Trigger: 2-stage, adjustable for position
Safety: Automatic on cocking
Air Tank Volume: 490cc
Max Velocity: 1000 feet per second (light projectile)
Max Energy: 500 foot pounds (heavy projectile)
Ruger has been on a roll lately. The Ruger Precision Rifle has been a big hit, selling out at dealers across the country. Now Ruger has unveiled its new “tactical blacK” take-down version of the 10/22 with a suppressor-ready threaded bull barrel and modular stock. Ruger has offered 10/22 take-downs before but those previous models all had relatively skinny barrels. This version is more macho, and we expect it will be very popular. It’s just the thing for tactical rimfire games. The ability of the threaded barrel to take a suppressor will be attractive to potential buyers. A suppressed .22 LR is a very, very quiet tool.
This new Ruger 10/22 Takedown with Target Barrel features a hammer-forged .920″-diameter, 16.10″-long, fluted “target” barrel. The muzzle is threaded ½”-28 and fitted with a thread cap. Those threads ain’t just for a muzzle brake — Ruger knows buyers will be attaching suppressors. This new target barrel takedown model also incorporates the Ruger Modular Stock System which offers interchangeable low and high comb modules.
The Ruger 10/22 Takedown with Target Barrel is lightweight and compact. Weight (before optics) is just 5.5 pounds. Total length, assembled, is 34.6 inches, but each sub-assembly is under 20.25 inches. The two sections (barrel assembly and action/buttstock assembly) fit in a convenient black nylon carrying case, which provides ample storage with extra pockets and mag pouches. As it employs Ruger’s standard 10/22 action and standard 10-round rotary magazine, this gun should be very reliable. We’re anxious to test one of these bull barrel Rugers to assess its accuracy. It certainly makes for a compact and portable package. Is a take-down 10/22 (with suppressor of course) the ultimate “truck gun”?
The Savage A17 17 HMR rifle is one of our favorite new products of 2015. The model we tested proved very reliable and quite accurate with the new 17 HMR ammo developed by CCI expressly for the A17. While the factory A17 stock is not bad, the Length of Pull (LOP) was a bit short for a full-sized adult and the short, narrow fore-arm was less than ideal when used with a front rest or sandbag.
Now, thanks to Boyds Gunstocks, there are some good, very affordable stock options for the A17. Boyds has introduced Savage A17 replacement gunstocks in multiple styles: Savage Classic, Featherweight Thumbhole, Heritage, Platinum, Prairie Hunter, Pro Varmint, and Varmint Thumbhole designs. Five of these styles are shown in the photos above. Nearly all of Boyd’s laminated wood Savage A17 stocks are just $129.00 with a few left-hand versions priced at $144.00 (still a bargain). For field use, we like the Varmint Thumbhole because it has a comfortable grip and a longer, straight fore-end that works well with either sandbags or bipod. For target work, we favor the Pro Varmint stock. This stock features a relatively straight toe on the buttstock that is very steady on a rear bag.
Boyds plans to offer a variety of options for their Savage A17 stocks. These will include new custom wood options, custom length of pull, and an adjustable comb. In addition, as with other Boyds stocks, a wide selection of laminated wood colors are available. Boyds recently released eight new laminate wood color options including Sage, Prairie Wind, Ripple Timber, Ripple Forest Camo, Ripple Blaze, Ripple Royal Jacaranda, Ripple Sky and Ripple Zombie.
If you’re thinking about acquiring a 17 HMR rifle, you should read the 17 HMR Two-Gun Comparison in our Gun of the Week Archives. This two-gun shoot-out compares the performance of a Volquartsen 17 HMR semi-auto and a Ruger 77/17 bolt-action. Glen Robinson, the owner of both rifles, has done some serious comparison testing with both guns, trying out a half-dozen varieties of 17 HMR ammo. The overall results may surprise you. The semi-auto out-shot the bolt gun by a significant margin, with all types of ammo tested.
Comparing the Qualities of the Two 17 HMR Rifles
By Glen Robinson
While the Volquartsen proved to be the more accurate of my pair of 17 HMRs, I still enjoy owning both rifles. Each gun has its strong points and weak points.
Ruger Strong Points: From any angle, the Ruger 77/17 is a nice-looking rifle with classic lines. I like the gray-finish stainless barrel — it goes well with the gray laminated stock. With the addition of the aftermarket sear, the trigger is crisp and the bolt function is smooth. The action is strong and dependable. The conventional “open rear” action allows you to clean “normally” with a bore guide, cleaning rod, and patches/brushes. I feel I can do a better job of cleaning with the Ruger than with the boresnake on the Volquartsen.
Ruger Weak Points: Accuracy is somewhat disappointing. The best 100-yard group the Ruger has shot was about 0.82″ and the gun averages well over 1.25″ for 5 shots. In fairness, I haven’t done anything exotic in terms of bedding the action/barrel, and I would expect that an aftermarket barrel, perhaps combined with a barrel pre-load (up-pressure) pad, could improve the accuracy.
Volquartsen Strong Points: The Volquartsen is a well-made, accurate, dependable rifle. The gun cycles very reliably and requires very little maintenance. To clean it, just pull a boresnake through the bore. The gun exhibits very nice machining, and the VX-5000 stock rides steady on a front sand-bag, even though it’s only about 1.75″ wide. Even without any tweaking the trigger is very good, and the pull weight is fine for varminting.
Volquartsen Weak Points: The VX-5000 stock is not ideal for bench work — the comb is a bit too high, though I like the feel of the vertical grip. This stock profile is really more suited for silhouette shooting, but this stock seemed to be the best option offered by Volquartsen that could be used for both paper-punching and varminting. The receiver design limits your options for barrel cleaning.
Conclusion — The Volquartsen Takes the Prize
Having shot both rifles extensively, if I had to pick one gun, it would be the Volquartsen. The Volquartsen is much more accurate and it offers much faster follow-up shots. For varminting the Volquartsen would be superior, no question about it. I’m happy I bought the Volquartsen and the VX-5000 stock. It is a fun, versatile gun that lives up to the accuracy claims.
Hitting a Quarter at 800 Yards
A unique, comprehensive 
Great Resource for Hunters
500+ Foot-Pounds
