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January 14th, 2014
It’s official. No more “vaporware”. In 2014, Leupold will sell a 7-42x56mm VX-6 scope for approximately $1800.00. This scope will be “coming out this summer”. This is a very impressive optic that will give other premium high-magnification competition scopes a run for their money. The new 7-42 features a 34mm main tube. That large diameter tube helps the scope deliver an estimated 70 minutes of elevation (final specs subject to change). There is a side parallax control, and target turrets with 1/8th-MOA click values and built-in zero stop. We were pleased to see that the scope features a “fast-focus” eyepiece with plus/minus diopter adjustment. Initially the scope will be offered with two (2) reticles, the TMOA and TMOA Plus. These feature MOA-based hash marks, with a small gap in the very center with a target dot at the aiming point.
We did get a chance to test the scope. Jason successful engaged targets at 960 yards using a .308 Win Colt modular rifle fitted with the new 7-42x56mm Leupold. Jason reports that the clicks are tactile and positive. The scope is sharp and bright all the way out to the edges of the viewing circle, even at max 42 power. We liked this optic, and can’t wait to get our hands on a final production version.
Leupold 7-42x56mm VX-6 ($1800.00 MSRP, mid-2014 release)
- Magnification Range: 7X to 42X
- Front Objective: 56mm
- Elevation Range: 70 MOA (estimated) with Zero Stop
- Main Tube Diameter: 34mm
- Warranty: Full lifetime Leupold Gold Ring Warranty
Watch Video Showing Features of Leupold 7-42x56mm VX-6 Riflescope
January 13th, 2014
 More and more people are reading books on tablet computers and eReader devices such as the Kindle and Nook. Recognizing the demand for digital resource works, Applied Ballistics has just releases of its first eBook — a digital version of Accuracy and Precision for Long Range Shooting. This work (which has sold 5000 hard copy versions), is now available in electronic format for both Kindle and Nook eReaders. iPad users can use the Kindle app to access the eBook.
This book discusses how to evaluate multiple variables to improve your hit percentage. It explains how to correct the trajectories for drop, wind deflection, etc. through the use of Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) analysis. WEZ is applied throughout the book, showing readers how to get more rounds on targets, more reliably. Case studies (with live fire verification for many scenarios) show what things affect your hit probability at long range.
All formats of the eBook are sold for $27.99 (hardcopy is $34.99). The Kindle book is available directly from Amazon.com, while the Nook version can be purchased from BarnesandNoble.com.
Free eReader Content on Applied Ballistics Website
If you have a Kindle, Nook, or iPad, you should visit the Ballistics website. You’ll find many free technical articles you can download as PDF files or in Kindle format or Nook format. To access these FREE articles, select the “Recreational” or “Professional” tabs on the top of the Applied Ballistics home page, then choose the “Articles” link from the pull-down menu. Bryan Litz tells us: “We recently updated our website and we’ve included a number of free articles about bullet design, long-range ballistics, and aspects of WEZ analysis. You don’t need an eReader for these — just download the PDF versions.”
January 12th, 2014
 Redding is now offering Micro-Adjusting Taper Crimp Dies for the .223 Remington (5.56×45) and .308 Winchester (7.62×51), the two most popular cartridges used in competitive rifle shooting. New for 2014, these top-adjusting, micrometer-style dies, you can adjust crimp precisely without having to back-out the die and reposition the lock ring.
The process of traditional taper crimp die adjustment is generally both time consuming and imprecise due to the 1:14″ thread pitch coupled with the need to reposition the lock ring after each adjustment. The new Redding Micro-Adjusting Taper Crimp Dies for .223 Rem and .308 Win use a knurled, micrometer-type head situated to provide approximately +/- 0.100″ of adjustment after initial die set-up. The actual crimp is applied with a hardened steel “free floating” internal sleeve.
To Taper Crimp or Not to Crimp?
That Depends…
Do you actually need a taper crimp on .223 Rem or .308 Win cartridges? If you are shooting a precision bolt gun, the answer is “probably not”. However, if you are hand-loading ammo for a semi-automatic rifle, there are reasons you may want to apply a taper crimp on the cartridge. And high-volume .223 Rem shooters may want to apply a taper crimp, particularly when loading mixed headstamp brass using a progressive press. The new Redding dies allow you to control the amount of crimp easily and more efficiently. Redding claims that: “Down time and loss of production due to adjustment of the crimp are virtually eliminated, dramatically increasing the rounds per hour rates of all progressive and turret-style presses.”
High-volume hand-loaders often struggle with the realities of case variation and the resulting difficulties in obtaining a uniform crimp. Redding notes: “Case length is not the only variable, as case neck-wall thickness also impacts where the case intersects the die’s tapered crimping surface.”
January 11th, 2014
 For 2014, Kelbly’s is introducing a new series of rifles for competition, tactical disciplines and hunting. The Arcas™ Series rifles are complete packages designed with Kelbly’s recommended specifications and top-grade components. Pick your application (Benchrest, F-Open, F-TR, Hunting, Tactical) and Kelbly’s can provide a complete build with all the bells and whistles.
Shown below are the four Arcas competition rifles currently offered. In addition to these four comp guns, the Arcas series includes two tactical-style rifles and two hunting rifles (starting at $2799.00). All these Arcas series rifles will be on display at SHOT Show next week. Let us know (via comments) which Arcas models interest you the most, so we’ll be sure to feature those in our SHOT Show reports.
Every Arcas Series rifle comes with premium components and a wide choice of stock colors. In addition you can have an Arcas rifle customized. For example, the Arcas F-Open rifle shown below can be customized with an extra long barrel ($20 per inch), fluted barrel ($199.00 extra), polished metal (all parts, $249), a GRS Laminated Stock with ergonomic grip (no charge), or a PRT Lowboy stock with high gloss finish ($799 extra).
January 10th, 2014
On January 13, 2014, Winchester Ammunition will roll out new products during Media Day at the Range (held at the Boulder City Range outside Las Vegas, NV). We’ll have reporters on hand to check out new ammo options and new hardware from other manufacturers. Here’s a sneak preview of some new products that will be unveiled on Monday. In the box below you can scroll though Winchester’s 2014 new products, which include Winchester Match Rifle Ammo (.223 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .338 LM) Win3Gun ammunition, Win1911 cartridges, new VarmintX ammo, and the new Long Beard XR and Defender shotgun ammo.
Winchester Ammunition 2014 New Products
To learn more about these new items and other products visit Winchester.com. There you’ll find the latest product new, Information on Rebates and Special offers, plust a free online Ballistics Calculator.
January 8th, 2014
 It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally starting to see supplies of Winchester’s 17 Winchester SuperMag (17 WSM) rimfire ammunition, along with factory rifles chambered for the fast little 17 WSM cartridge (it runs up to 3000 fps). Leading the way among new 17 WSM firearms is a hot little rifle from Volquartsen Custom. This new Volquartsen semi-auto 17 WSM will be unveiled at SHOT Show next week in Las Vegas.
Volquartsen’s engineers tell us: “The 17 Winchester SuperMag was introduced at the 2013 SHOT Show. Soon after that we went to work on a semi-auto platform for this exciting round. Visit us in SHOT Show Booth #11329 to find out more about this exciting new rifle.”
About the 17 WSM
17 WSM semi-auto prototypes have been built and tested. Volquartsen will begin taking orders at the 2014 SHOT Show. The initial release will feature a laminated wood stock, stainless steel receiver and a stainless steel bull barrel.
- Standard magazine capacity will be 8 rounds.
- The rifle will utilize a direct blowback action.
- We are pursuing additional stock options as well as options for a lightweight version of the rifle, however there is no anticipated release date for either.
- The 17 WSM cartridge necessitates a different action than our 17 HMR rifles. Unfortunately, 17 HMR rifles cannot be converted to 17 WSM.
 New 3000 FPS Rimfire Round
Winchester has created a new, high-velocity 17-caliber rimfire cartridge, the .17 Winchester Super Magnum (aka .17 WSM). Winchester offers .17 WSM ammo with a choice of three bullet types: 20gr plastic tip (Varmint HV), 25gr plastic tip (Varmint HE), and a 20gr JHP (Super-X). The 20-grain varieties boast a 3000 FPS muzzle velocity, earning honors as the fastest Rimfire ammo ever made.
| .17 Winchester Super Mag Specifications |
Symbol |
Sub Brand |
Bullet Weight |
Muzzle Velocity |
| S17W20 |
Varmint HV |
20-gr Plastic Tip |
3,000 fps |
| S17W25 |
Varmint HE |
25-gr Plastic Tip |
2,600 fps |
| X17W20 |
Super-X |
20-gr JHP |
3,000 fps |
Winchester claims that all .17 WSM ammo types shoot much flatter than the .22 Win Mag and .17 HMR, while delivering 150 percent more energy than both. In addition, the .17 WSM “bucks the wind” better than any other rimfire ammo — exhibiting significant less horizontal drift at extended ranges.
January 7th, 2014
 There’s a first time for everything. Next week (January 14-17), Sinclair International will make its first-ever SHOT Show appearance. Sinclair will showcase its products at booth #805 in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. The big news for Sinclair is the introduction of a dealer pricing program that will allow other retailers to sell select items from Sinclair’s product line.
“2014 marks the first time Sinclair will have exhibited at SHOT Show,” said Geoff Esterline, Sinclair International Category Manager. “I think dealers and retailers will be as happy about our new dealer program as we are. It’s aimed at providing great access and pricing on some of the finest reloading and precision shooting supplies on the market.”
This year, Sinclair International celebrates 30 years in business. A member of the Brownells Group since 2007, Sinclair is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-quality reloading tools, components, ammunition, and accessories. Sinclair International stocks more than 15,000 items and supplies for handloaders, shooters, and hunters worldwide. To place an order, or to request additional information, call 800-717-8211 or visit www.sinclairintl.com.
January 6th, 2014
Applied Ballistics LLC has launched a completely updated website with many new features including an archive of FREE articles plus a full-featured online ballistics calculator. If you are interested in precision shooting, you should visit the “new and improved” Applied Ballistics website. Browse through the new content and try out the advanced Ballistics Calculator.
NEW Online Ballistics Calculator
There are many free online ballistics calculators, but the new Applied Ballistics web utility goes far beyond other web-based options. Bryan Litz states: “No ballistic solution can be more accurate than its inputs”. Accordingly, Applied Ballistics offers the most reliable BC data available — a built-in library of measured G1 and G7 BCs for over 200 bullets. The Online Ballistics Calculator also allows you to “offload” your results for use in the field in two ways. First, you can save a file for transfer to an Applied Ballistics Kestrel. (This process is supported with a ‘save profile’ option from the output page.) Alternatively, you can send the ballistics profile to Accuracy First DG to have a whiz wheel created.
The Online Ballistics Calculator has many “advanced” features. For example, you can enter sight scale factors to account for scopes which don’t track perfectly true, and also zero offsets which allows you to compensate for imperfect zeros. In addition, this is the first online ballistics program to provide dynamic WEZ (Weapon Employment Zone) analysis. This WEZ feature gives users the ability to calculate hit percentage on targets at a variety of ranges (and in various environments).
Bullet Data Files
The new website provides a number of detailed bullet data files. These data files include geometric dimensions, drag/BC data at multiple velocities, and detailed stability maps. The information is based on direct measurements and live fire testing conducted by Applied Ballistics.
Digital Media
The new Applied Ballistics website features a “digital library” of authoritative articles in PDF and eReader (Kindle, Nook) formats. You can download these FREE articles by clicking on the “Recreational” and “Professional” tabs at the top of Applied Ballistics Home Page, and then selecting “Recreational Articles” or “Professional Articles” from the pull-down menus.
Sample Ballistics Article
Gyroscopic (Spin) Drift and Coriolis Effect
Most long range shooters are aware of the effects of gravity, air resistance (drag), and wind vectors on their bullets’ trajectory. Gravity, drag, and wind are the major forces acting on a bullet in flight, but they’re not the only forces. In this article, Bryan Litz explains some of the more subtle forces that influence a bullet’s flight.
Sample Professional Article
300 Winchester Magnum vs. 338 Lapua Magnum WEZ Analysis
The specific intent of this Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) report is to compare the ballistic performance of the 300 Winchester Magnum to the 338 Lapua Magnum with several available ammunition types. Understanding how these weapons compare in terms of hit percentage is important in the context of modern military applications.
Special Projects
Applied Ballistics is involved in some advanced, special projects. The new website showcases some of these high end ballistics solutions. Bryan Litz notes: “We have an active ballistics laboratory, highly capable contractors and industry partners who all contribute to provide practical and accurate solutions for a range of recreational and professional applications.”
January 6th, 2014
 Looking for a nice, half-pound trigger for your Rem-actioned varmint or tactical rifle? Well Timney has introduced a new series of triggers with pull weights adjustable from 8 ounces (half a pound) up to 40 ounces (2.5 pounds). These new 8-to-40 oz. triggers are also adjustable for sear engagement and over-travel. They will be offered in blued steel ($209.95 MSRP, $199.00 street price) or nickel-plated versions ($10 more). The new 8 oz. to 40 oz. Calvin Elite triggers are named for Timney designer Calvin Motley, who designed Timney’s AR drop-in trigger, Timney’s Rem 700 trigger with blocking safety, and other critically-acclaimed replacement triggers.
New for 2014, the Calvin Elite series will initially be offered for Remington Model 700 and Model Seven rifles, with other action types to follow. These Timney triggers are proudly made in the USA and are covered by Timney’s lifetime product warranty.
Timney’s new Calvin Elite series triggers are precision-made with top-quality components. Sears are wire-EDM-cut and triggers are CNC-machined. Parts that receive heavy wear are made from A2 tool steel (heat-treated to Rockwell 58 hardness), with Teflon-nickel coatings. The lightweight 6061-T6 aluminum housings are CNC-machined and anodized Timney Elite Gold. To learn more about the new Calvin Elite triggers, call 1-866-4TIMNEY (toll-free), or visit TimneyTriggers.com.
Calvin Elite Remington Model 700
Fully adjustable for sear engagement, over-travel, and pull weights from 8 ounces – 2.5 pounds. Trigger-Blocking Safety. MSRP $209.95 or $219.95 (nickel plated).
Calvin Elite Remington Model Seven
Fully adjustable for sear engagement, over-travel, and pull weights from 8 ounces – 2.5 pounds. Trigger-Blocking Safety. MSRP $209.95 or $219.95 (nickel plated).
January 5th, 2014
For 2014, Legacy Sports will offer Howa rifles with Kryptek Highlander, Typhon, and Raid camo patterns. You can purchase the basic rifle equipped with hydro-dipped, camo-pattern Hogue Overmolded stocks. Or, alternatively, you can get a fully-camouflaged package rifle with Nikko Stirling Gameking riflescope. With the package rifle, the Kryptek camo coating covers the barreled action, stock, scope, rings, and one-piece base.
 The basic rifles are fitted with either blued or stainless #2 contour barreled actions, with stocks dipped in one of three Kryptek patterns. You can also order Package camo guns with a Nikko Stirling Gameking 3.5-10×44 Illuminated riflescope. In addition, the Howa/Kryptek series is also available in a Ranchland lightweight configuration with blued #1 contour barrels.
A heavy-barrel option will be offered with bipod and a 5-round detachable magazine. These rifles are available in three short action calibers with heavy (#6) contour barrels, and come with Nikko Stirling Gameking 4-16×44 riflescopes. These Heavy Barrel Howa/Kryptek rifles come complete with scope, scope rings. and one-piece base.
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