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February 26th, 2011
The wizard tool designer who runs 21st Century Shooting has invented a clever yet inexpensive new bench accessory that makes it much easier to turn case-necks. 21st Century’s new Neck Turning Tool Swivel Bracket gives you a “third hand” when using the 21st Century Neck Turning Tool, simplifying the process of neck turning, particularly when using power.
CNC-machined from aluminum billet, 21st Century’s Swivel Bracket mounts right on your bench. You can either attach it semi-permanently with screws or simply clamp it in place. Adjust your neck-turning tool (red unit in photo), at any angle from 0-90°, for best viewing of the cutter operation. With your neck-turning tool attached to the bracket, you have easy access to the arbor adjustment screw, arbor screw clamp, and the bracket rotation clamp screw. Once you’ve adjusted the angle, and locked the neck turner in place with the supplied Allen wrench, you can concentrate on turning the case, either by hand, or with power assist. The neck-turning tool is held securely; however, rubber bushings on the bracket allow the neck-turning tool to “float” just enough to work properly when using power.
This new Neck Turning Tool Swivel Bracket is simple, but very effective. It really does help you turn necks with greater ease and a greater sense of security. Importantly, the bracket lessens hand fatigue. No more “cramped hand syndrome” from struggling to hold the neck-turner steady. We really like this little device, and it only costs $19.95. However, for the time being, the Swivel Bracket ONLY works with the 21st Century Neck Turning Tool — it does NOT work with a Hornady, K&M, Neilson, or Sinclair Neck Turning Tools. For more info, call 260-273-9909 or visit 21stCenturyShooting.com.
February 25th, 2011
 Tom Manners of Manners Composite Stocks, makes very high-quality, stiff rifle stocks. Tom has designs for hunters, varminters, F-Class Shooters, and tactical shooters. All his stocks are strong for their weight, and you can count on a Manners stock to have correct geometry and first-rate build quality.
However, until recently, if you wanted a Manners stock with a molded-in finished, you had to settle for a solid color, in some variation of tan, green, gray, or black. That has changed. Manners Composite Stocks now offers molded-in camo, multi-color stock finishes. You can get these molded-in MSC Camo finishes for no extra charge over the regular price of the stock.
Manners’ MCS Camo color schemes consist of three colors: a base, which is usually 40%, and two lesser colors that usually are 30% each of the total finish. Tom reports: “We do our best to maintain the color balance of the Camo, but each one is done by hand and two stocks are never the same. There are 5 different molded-in versions of our MCS-Camo and 2 solid colors (OD Green and Coyote Tan).” The molded-in finishes are currently offered for the following stock models: MCS-T, TA, T2, T3, T4, T4quad, T5 and T5A; Special Order: Mcs-T4A and T2A.
Tom tells us: “The molded-in finishes are smooth compared to our painted finishes. For the guys that like the textured feel of our painted stock but want the durability of a molded-in finish, for $35.00 extra, we offer the ArmourGrip option — a textured dead flat clear finish that is applied to the stock.”
Custom Painted Finishes Offered Also
In addition to the new line of molded-in finishes, for an extra fee, you can order a custom, painted finish. This can be applied to either the stock, or to the complete rifle (more coverage is more money). Samples of custom paint jobs are shown below. All colors are a dead flat finish to minimize light reflection and have a non-slip pebble finish. The polyurethane enamel paint used is very durable. But, like all paints, it will scratch if dragged over rocks, limbs, and other sharp surfaces.
Manners Composite Stocks PAINTED FINISH Samples (other styles offered.)
February 24th, 2011
If you’re looking to stock up on cleaning solvents, and you don’t want to carry around fragile glass bottles in your range kit, check out the new line of Montana X-Treme cleaners. These are now packaged in unbreakable aluminum containers. That’s a smart idea that makes a quality product even more attractive. While we like Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner for regular cleaning, the Montana X-Treme Copper Killer is one of the most effective solvents you can buy for stubborn copper fouling. Copper Killer is used by many top benchrest shooters.
February 20th, 2011
 There’s a lot of buzz about ballistics programs for smartphones. Those are handy, to be sure, but most people still need a solid, full-featured program to run on their home computers. Berger Bullets offers a sophisticated ballistics programs for MS Windows computers that works really well, and lets you print out results. Up-to-Date G7 BCs for Berger projectiles are built-in to the program, and the price is right — FREE.
CLICK HERE to Download Berger Ballistics Program
The program is basic enough to be easy to use, but flexible enough to allow you to calculate custom ballistics for your rifle and load. The program accounts for all the basic external ballistic parameters including bullet BC and muzzle velocity, atmospherics, uphill/downhill shooting, etc. The output tabulates velocity, energy and time of flight as a function of range. Bullet path and wind deflection are displayed in your choice of inches, centimeters, MOA or MILS.
 Instructions for Program
On the Berger Bullets Blog (1/26/2010), You’ll find a description of program features and a complete set of instructions. Here are instructions for the bullet variables: “The bullet inputs are straightforward. The BC can be entered in reference to either the G1 or G7 standard. You can find the G1 or G7 BC for your bullet either printed on the bullet box label, or on our products page. For accurate results, you should measure the muzzle velocity with a good chronograph. If you don’t have access to a chronograph, you can estimate the muzzle velocity based on your load data.”
Tips for Best Results
Bryan Litz includes tips on getting the most from the Berger Ballistics program. Some of Bryan’s suggestions will also help you when working with other ballistics software:
G1 vs. G7 BC: The accuracy of the ballistic solution is only as accurate as the inputs you give it. The advertised BCs for Berger bullets are established by actual field firing tests over long range and are very accurate. Using the properly referenced BC (G7 vs. G1) for the bullet you’re modeling is important. For any bullet with a boat tail, we recommend using the G7 BC.
Muzzle Velocity: Knowing your true muzzle velocity is important when calculating external ballistics. It’s best to measure your muzzle velocity directly with a chronograph.
Altitude and Atmosphere: If you want a truly accurate long-range trajectory prediction, you can’t ignore atmospheric effects. This is especially true the farther you get from standard conditions (sea level altitude, 59 degrees Fahrenheit, 0% humidity).
Scope Verification: It’s important to verify the most important link between the calculated ballistics and your point of impact: your scope. If the ballistics program calculates 30.0 MOA of drop for a particular shot, and you dial your scope to 30.0 MOA, are you sure it’s giving you exactly 30.0 MOA? In reality, many scopes have enough error in them to cause misses at long range. It’s important to verify the value of your scope clicks by firing groups at short range.
If you have further questions not answered on Berger’s Blog Page, email Bryan.Litz [at] bergerbullets.com. NOTE: If your computer won’t run the program, please download and install this Java update: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp. This is a Windows PC program. You may have problems trying to run it on a MAC in emulation.
Story sourced by Edlongrange.
February 18th, 2011
The Varmint Hunters Association (VHA) has expanded its online store so now you can purchase clothing, hats, coasters, mugs, license plate frames, belt-buckles, and other small gift items. As before, you can still order official VHA patches and purchase back-issues of Varmint Hunter Magazine. To order any VHA product or clothing item, visit the VHA online store at VarmintHunter.org/shop/.
Here are some clothing items we liked:
And here are some gift and miscellaneous items:
February 18th, 2011
 Lapua now offers a FREE ballistics program for modern smart phones that run Java Apps. (Unfortunately, that excludes Apple iPhones and Android OS phones, but Lapua says that the majority of smartphones run Java). The program calculates drift and drop, and it corrects for altitude, temp, air pressure, and shot angle. The Lapua Ballistics App also includes a database of Lapua bullet profiles with ultra-reliable radar-derived Ballistic Coefficients. Sound good? Now go get your smart phone. The program must be downloaded with a mobile phone. Open a web browser in your smart-phone and navigate to www.lapua.com/ballistics and choose the correct version for your phone.
Lapua’s exterior ballistic software for mobile phones is capable of predicting trajectories in real time with extreme accuracy. Using Lapua Ballistics, there is no need for checking tables and calculating cosines for inclination compensation (you still have to input the angle). The program also compensates for the effect of cartridge temperature on muzzle velocity and the effect of atmospheric conditions on the projectile’s trajectory.
Lapua Ballistics is based on precise Doppler Radar measurements of actual bullet drag — professional data available only for Lapua bullets. Lapua Ballistics can be installed on all smartphones supporting basic Java (Java MIDP 2.0). NOTE: Apple iPhone and Android platforms do not support Java ME.
February 18th, 2011
Black Hills Ammunition (BHA) produces high-quality new and remanufactured ammo. Black Hills remanufactured .223 Rem and .308 Win ammo is popular with tactical shooters because it is cost-effective, yet very accurate since it is loaded with premium match-grade bullets. Black Hills has now come out with a line of hunting ammunition using the very accurate Hornady GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) lead-free projectiles. New loads include: 80gr .243 Win; 120gr .260 Rem; 120gr 6.5-.284 Norma; 130gr 270 Win; 150gr .308 Win; 150gr .30-06; 139gr 7mm RemMag; and 165gr 300 WinMag.
The GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) bullets are constructed of gilding metal, the same material used for bullet jackets. GMX bullets expand quickly and reliably upon impact, and retain nearly 100% of their weight. These GMX bullets contain no lead, making them a good choice for areas that restrict use of lead-cored bullets. To learn more, contact Black Hills Ammunition at (605) 348-5150.
 New Black Hills 5.56 Ammo
For 2011, Black Hills is releasing two new 5.56mm offerings for commercial sale. First, it offers a new match load with 77gr Sierra MatchKings (SMKs). The new 5.56mm ammo pushes the 77gr SMKs at 2750 fps from a 20″ barrel. According to Black Hills: “this load delivers sub-minute accuracy consistently from 10-shot groups.”
Next, Black Hills is making its 50gr police 5.56mm load available to the public. The BHA 5.56mm 50gr TSX load was developed for U.S. law enforcement. This load utilizes a specially-built version of Barnes Bullet Company’s TSX bullet. It provides expansion to .50 caliber immediately upon impact and consistently penetrates to an ideal average penetration depth of 14″ in ballistic gelatin. Black Hills calls this “an ideal civilian defense or law enforcement patrol-rifle round” that works well through a variety of barrel lengths.
February 17th, 2011
The Tikka T3 is a popular hunting rifle worldwide. The T3 Sporter, a new variant of the T3, is used for match shooting in Europe. On this side of the Atlantic, there has been growing interest among tactical shooters in the T3 because it offers a strong, rigid receiver, smooth-running bolt, and highly functional detachable box magazine. At least two tactical stock suppliers, Manners Composite Stocks and KRG, are offering high-end tactical stocks for T3 actions. Shown below is KRG’s new Whiskey 3 Modular Chassis (W3C) for the Tikka T3. We’ll be testing a Tikka T3 project rifle fitted in the W3C Chassis later this year.
JARD Triggers for Tikka T3
Tikka T3s are very nice rifles out of the box, but the T3’s trigger pull weight is a bit on the heavy side for match shooting. JARD now offers drop-in trigger kits for the Tikka T3, as well as complete Tikka T3 replacement trigger assemblies. With the $110.00 trigger upgrade kit, you can get your T3 trigger down to a crisp, 1.0 pound pull. JARD’s full Tikka trigger assembly, priced at $132.00, can be set for pull weights as low as 12 ounces. The full trigger assembly not only gives you a nice, light pull, but it also offers Over-Travel and Sear Engagement adjustability not provided by the factory trigger. For more info, or to order, visit www.JARDinc.com or call (712) 324-7409.
Story suggested by Boyd Allen.
February 16th, 2011
 Redding has introduced a new series of Bullet Seating Micrometers (aka Micrometer Bullet Seater Plug Replacements). These can be retro-fitted into standard Redding seater dies with 1/2-20 thousandths threads, replacing the standard dies’ seater plugs. So, for about forty bucks, you can now make your standard Redding seater die into a Micrometer Seater — and you can swap one Micrometer Seater top among a variety of dies in the same caliber class (such as .223 to 22-250). Notably, the new Bullet Seating Micrometers are offered in two different configurations — one for traditional bullet shapes, and another for VLD bullets. Redding’s new Bullet Seating Micrometers are priced at $48.90 MSRP, but expect to see an initial “street price” of about $37.00-$39.00.
VLD Version of Micrometer Fits Berger Bullets
Eric Stecker of Berger Bullets stated: “I spoke with Redding and confirmed that the new VLD-Version Micrometer plugs are specifically designed for Berger VLD bullets. We provided all of our VLD bullets to them from which they took deliberate measurements and made these new plugs. This is news that needs to be shared with anyone shooting Berger VLD bullets.”
Bad News: You Need Different Micrometer Units for VLD and Non-VLD Bullets
Unfortunately, the Micrometer Seater Plug Replacement is ALL ONE UNIT. You cannot interchange VLD and non-VLD seater stems inside a given Bullet Seating Micrometer. You have to buy one of each (one Micrometer unit for VLD bullets and another Micrometer unit for standard bullets). Likewise, you cannot swap in larger or smaller diameter seater stems to make one Bullet Seating Micrometer head work with dies for widely different bullet diameters. That means you can’t buy one Micrometer head and use it in both a .223 Rem Seater Die and a 30-06 die, for example. You have to stay within the same die class, as explained next.
Good News: Bullet Seating Micrometer — Use in Multiple Dies
As long as you stick with the same seater die class, one Bullet Seating Micrometer can be used on multiple dies. In practical terms, you can usually (but not always) use the same Micrometer assembly on multiple dies within the same caliber family. And when you move the Micrometer unit from one die to another, all you need to record is the Micrometer setting. Look at the photo — the knurled ring at the bottom of the black replacement plug is a dead-stop collar that does not move. That means the lower section of the Micrometer always maintains the same position relative to the die when installed. When moving the Micrometer plug from one die to another, simply adjust the Micrometer knob to the proper setting for that cartridge/bullet. Each hash mark represents an .001″ change in seating depth.
There are sixteen (16) part numbers for the new Bullet Seating Micrometers. These correspond to the VLD and Standard versions for eight (8) different classes of Redding seater dies. To see which Micrometer replacement you need, look for the number on the top of your standard Redding seater, and find that in the right-most column. Then chose whether you want the standard or VLD version (shown in columns one and two on the same line).
Editor’s Comment: We like that fact that Redding is offering these retro-fit Micrometer Seater Plug Replacements. And it’s great that the buyer has a choice between VLD and non-VLD styles. However, we think the lack of interchangeability of bullet seater stems is going to be a “deal-breaker” for many shoppers. Redding obviously wants to sell as many Micrometer Seater Plugs as possible. It doesn’t want you to be able to buy one $40 Replacement plug and use that one product for a half-dozen or more calibers. That’s to be expected. However, we think that, for a given cartridge/caliber, Redding should have engineered the Micrometer Bullet Seater Plug Replacement with swappable seating stems so that one $40 Micrometer head could seat BOTH VLD and non-VLD bullets… at least for that cartridge/caliber.
February 13th, 2011
Bench-Source, founded by David Dorris, President of Vertex Mfg. Corp., and benchrest shooter Darrell Jones, is now producing precision scope-mounting bases for the Savage round-top Target Action. CNC-machined to exact tolerances from 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum, these bases are extremely light (under two ounces) yet strong. Both Picatinny-style bases and Davidson dovetail bases are offered with either zero taper (flat) or with +20 MOA of built-in elevation. Bench-Source rails also feature precision-cut reliefs to match the loading ports on the Savage Target Actions.
The Picatinny (Weaver) base costs $84.95 (either flat or +20 MOA) while the Davidson dovetail base is just $69.95 (either flat or +20 MOA). This is a good price considering the quality of the materials and machining. (The 7075-T6 aircraft grade aluminum is three times as expensive as the aluminum alloy used by some other rail-makers.) Either style base is available with either a “luster” or polished finish. The price includes a Torx wrench and mounting screws.
 
 Technical Specifications
The Picatinny M1913-A Mounting Rail features 14 symmetrically spaced cross-slots. The base is long enough to mount any popular scope. The Picatinny base is approximately .610″ tall. Parallelism deviates less than .002″ between the dovetail clamping area and top of the receiver after mounting. The screws used are #6-48 x 3/8″ long and holes are drilled and counter-bored to the correct depths. This ensures that users will not damage their barrel threads or encounter interference with the locking lugs when closing the bolt.
The Davidson 1/2″ x 60º Mounting Rail dovetail is parallel over its entire length. The rail is held to very tight tolerances to minimize windage correction (at different ring positions). The Davidson rail should self-center on your action when installed per the included instructions. Both ends of the mount are chamfered slightly on a 30° angle to let the sharp corners of the mating rings align themselves without binding. The 60º dovetails are machined +/- .001″ and measured over two optimum-diameter pins to minimize over-clamping of your rings.
For more information, visit Bench-Source.com or phone: (662) 895-0803.
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