New from Sierra Bullets for 2011 are two new heavyweight bullets. The first, the much-awaited 180gr 7mm MatchKing, boasts an impressive 0.660 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. This should be great for F-Classers. Sierra explains: “In response to requests from top level F-Class shooters, Sierra has designed an all-new MatchKing to provide a higher weight/higher B.C. alternative in our 7mm line. This bullet’s 12-caliber secant ogive and lengthened boat tail make it the perfect choice for the discerning 7mm long range shooter. Sierra recommends at least a 1:8″ twist barrel to stabilize this bullet.”
This new MatchKing will compete with Berger’s vaunted 180gr 7mm VLD. It will be interesting to see how the two 180s perform head to head. If you are shooting a 7mm at long range, you should definitely try out the new .284-caliber Sierra MK (provided your barrel has a suitable twist rate).
A New 225-grain, .338 Bullet for Game-Hunting
The second new bullet from Sierra is a 225gr, soft-point, flat-base Pro-Hunter in .338 caliber. Sierra’s goal with this new bullet was to provide a lower-recoiling .338 projectile that still offers plenty of hitting power. Sierra tells us: “The newest member of our Pro-Hunter line is the .338-caliber 225gr SPT Pro-Hunter. The flat-based design and lighter weight of this projectile make it a great choice for medium and large game. This is a perfect choice for those hunters seeking a reduced recoil alternative where a heavier bullet is not required.”
Lyman has introduced a handy new multi-function Case Prep Tool. Most serious reloaders employ a variety of tools to chamfer and de-burr case mouths, and to clean and uniform primer pockets. As you may need four or five separate tools to do all these tasks, keeping track of all those gadgets can be a challenge. The Lyman Case Prep Multi-Tool makes life simpler. The Multi-Tool comes with six matching tool-heads, all of which conveniently store inside the orange-anodized aluminum handle.
Lyman’s new double-ended Case Prep Multi-Tool is a smart design. It holds tools on both ends, and the orange handle unscrews in the middle to provide secure storage for all necessary case prep fittings: Outside Deburring Tool, VLD Inside Deburring Tool, Large & Small Primer Pocket Cleaners, and Large & Small Primer Pocket Reamers. Both ends of the handle are threaded, allowing two heads to be mounted at the same time.
COMMENT: Priced at $24.95 MSRP, the Lyman Case Prep Multi-tool is a good value, considering what it would cost to buy a full set of case prep tools one by one. However, we wish some of the tool heads had better cutting edges out of the box. For the Multi-tool heads (as with most Lyman cutting tools), you’ll benefit by honing the cutting edges with a good whetstone or blade sharpener.
JBM Ballistics (JBM), based in Las Cruces, NM, has provided free online ballistics info for the past 15 years. JBM Ballistics’ sophisticated algorithms deliver extremely reliable ballistics solutions. To complement its software, JBM plans to introduce a new hardware product: the BallistiComp.
Laster this year, JBM will unveil its new BallistiComp, a portable handheld ballistics computer that measures atmospheric temperature and pressure. Once your load data (Bullet BC, Velocity) is entered, the BallistiComp provides instantaneous drop and windage corrections for your load and shooting conditions. Calculated parameters include drop, windage, coriolis, drift and lead, plus terminal information including velocity, energy, time of flight and danger space. All of these parameters are displayed on an LCD display with backlight. Small enough to fit in your pocket, the BallistiComp is packaged in a rugged, watertight Lexan® case, measuring about 3″x5″x1″.
Why Not “An App for That”
Why would JBM produce dedicated hardware when there are good Ballistics Apps that can run on an Apple or Droid smartphone? Battery life is one reason. The single 9-volt battery should last for months (by contrast some smartphones need to be charged every DAY). Importantly, no connection to cell towers or the internet is needed. You could use this unit anywhere on the globe. Lastly, JBM wanted something that was inherently rugged and reliable. Smartphone touch screens are notoriously fragile.
How It Works
Using an 8-button keypad, you enter your firearm, ammunition and zero parameters into the system memory. BallistiComp then calculates the bullet drop and windage correction at the current atmospheric conditions, latitude and altitude (or calculated pressure altitude). BallistiComp continually measures the air temperature and pressure and provides constantly updated drop and drift numbers.
Product Availability
JBM has not yet disclosed a launch date or a suggested price for the new BallistiComp. However, you can download an Operators Manual to learn more about the BallistiComp. JBM cautions: “The manual is just a draft and may change during beta testing”.
Ruger has just introduced a new 9mm carry pistol. Very light (17 oz.), very thin (0.9″), Ruger’s LC9 is the bigger brother to the company’s successful LCP pocket 380acp. According to Ruger CEO Michael Fifer, consumer demand inspired this new pistol: “Customers repeatedly requested a lightweight, compact 9mm pistol. Frankly, they wanted an LCP chambered in 9mm.”
Ruger LC9 Press Release The LC9™ [is] a lightweight, compact 9mm pistol for discreet carry by law abiding citizens, or a full-power, no-compromise backup for off-duty law enforcement officers. This highly requested pistol was developed through Ruger’s Voice of the Customer program….
The LC9 has a 3.12″ barrel, is 6.0″ long and 4.5″ tall, making for a very compact 9mm pistol. The LC9 is impressively narrow at a mere .90″ wide, and weighs only 17.1 ounces with an empty magazine. Featuring a black polymer (glass-filled nylon) frame and blued alloy steel slide and barrel, the lightweight, full-featured Ruger LC9 offers the versatility and capability of the popular 9mm cartridge in a highly compact, reliable, and user-friendly pistol.
LC9 Design Features
The LC9 is a double-action-only, hammer-fired, locked-breech pistol with external extractor, and single-sided manual safety. The Ruger LC9’s polymer frame and steel slide feature smooth “melted” edges. One seven-round, single-column magazine is provided with each LC9 pistol, with an optional finger grip extension. Yes there is a nanny-state mag disconnect, and a California-approved loaded chamber indicator. Sights are low-profile with one dot in front, two in the rear.
Here is great news for high-power shooters, tactical competitors, and hunters. Lapua will be producing .260 Remington brass starting in 2011. The official announcement will be made at SHOT Show 2011 in Las Vegas, and brass should start arriving in early spring. With Lapua’s introduction of .260 Rem brass, precision shooters now have a “no-brainer” first choice for cartridge brass in this popular chambering. No longer will you have to sort and cull (and re-sort) Rem-brand .260 brass. And you won’t have to fool around necking-up .243 brass or necking down .308 brass, with the problems that come with case-reforming operations.
The .260 Rem offers ballistics similar to the 6.5×55 with a cartridge size that fits short actions. For long range, the .260 Rem works great with 120gr to 142gr bullets, making it highly suitable for both hunting and target shooting. Here is what Lapua says about its new brass:
The .260 Rem was used to stunning effect at Camp Perry to win the 2010 Championships setting an incredible new national record in the process. .260 shooters have hammered their way into the winner’s circles of a wide variety of competitive disciplines, a real testament to the capability of this outstanding cartridge.
The .260 isn’t just a target round. It has also shown itself to be a fine performer in the field for medium game. Effectively duplicating the ballistic performance of the time-honored 6.5×55, the .260 has already developed a well-earned reputation for dependable stopping power on deer, antelope and similar game. Given the tremendous selection of bullets for every conceivable application, the 260 is an extraordinarily versatile cartridge. With such a solid history already established in such a short time, Lapua is proud to add the .260 to our line of premier components for the handloader.
[Editor’s Comment: I shot the .260 Rem extensively for 3 years, testing many powder/bullet/primer combinations. I tried both Remington-brand brass (very inconsistent), and necked-up Lapua and Norma .243 brass. If you want a reliable, accurate “go-to” load for the new Lapua .260 brass, I recommend Lapua 123gr Scenars with Hodgdon H4350 powder, running at about 2950 fps. Both Fed 210M and CCI large rifle primers work well. If you run the ballistics, you’ll find you give up little or nothing shooting the 123s vs. the 140gr class bullets because you can achieve significantly higher velocities with the lighter bullets, when using most powders. If you simply MUST shoot the 140s, try Reloder 17 to get higher velocities.]
Ruger has just released a new, compact .308 Win bolt-action rifle with iron sights and a front-mounted scope rail. Developed in conjunction with Gunsite instructor Ed Head, the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle is based on the Ruger M77 action. Designed for defensive and “tactical” use, the Scout Rifle features a 16.5″ barrel with birdcage flash suppressor (standard 5/8-24 muzzle threads allow muzzle brakes or suppressors to be installed). Rounds are fed via 5-round or 10-round AICS-sized detachable box magazines, with a Mini-14 style mag release forward of the trigger guard. Total rifle weight, without scope, is just 7.0 pounds. MSRP is $995.00 but expect the street price to be closer to $800.00.
Ruger Scout has Iron Sights and Front Picatinny Rail
The Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle comes from the factory with good iron sights: a protected non-glare post front sight and receiver-mounted, adjustable ghost ring rear sight. A forward-mounted Picatinny rail can hold various optics — such as Burris or Leupold Scout Scopes which allow “both eyes open” sighting and fast target acquisition.
Laminated Stock with Adjustable LOP The Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle features a gray/black laminate stock with sling swivel studs and checkered grip and forearm. A soft rubber recoil pad, with three 1/2″ spacers, allows length of pull (LOP) to be adjusted.
The rifle’s integrated trigger guard/magazine well is glass-reinforced nylon. “Gunsite Scout Rifle” is engraved on the stock’s grip cap, and the receiver is roll-marked “Ruger Gunsite Scout”. Watch the video below to see the Ruger Scout Rifle in action.
Bane Gives Thumbs-Up
Gun Jounalist Michael Bane has shot the new Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle and he gives it high marks: “I’ve had the chance to put a lot of rounds through this rifle, both on AR platform-based courses and out to 300 yards, and IT IS SUPERB! My wish list was a gun aimed squarely at the TBD/SURVIVAL market, a gun that would deliver major caliber results for self-defense and then do double duty as an easy-to-carry hunting rifle.” Read More: The Michael Bane Blog.
Enfield No. 5 Jungle Carbine Redux? When we first saw the Ruger Scout Rifle, our first thought was “that looks familiar….” Indeed, in size and intended function, the Scout Rifle is a modern version of the famous Enfield No. 5 Jungle Carbine. “Jungle Carbine” was an informal term used for the Enfield No. 5 Mk I, which was designed for fighting in the Far East and other tropical regions where a shorter, lighter rifle was needed. The No. 5 was about 100 mm shorter and two pounds lighter than the Enfield No. 4 from which it was derived. A number of “lightening cuts” were made to the receiver body, the bolt knob was drilled out, and woodwork was cut down to reduce weight. The Jungle Carbine had other useful features like a flash suppressor and a rubber buttpad to help absorb recoil.
If you found a surplus Jungle Carbine ($270-$500 on Gunbroker.com), fitted it with a forward-mounted scope rail, you could have a nice scout rifle for hundreds of dollars less than the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle ($995.00 MSRP). Granted, the Ruger offers an AICS-type detachable box magazine and some other nice features not found on the Enfield*, but the practical concept is the same.
*A reader correctly points out that the Lee Enfield No. 5 magazine is removable. Lee-Enfield magazines did open, permitting rapid unloading of the magazine without having to operate the bolt repeatedly to unload the magazine. However, the rifle was not designed like modern magazine-fed weapons, for which soldiers carry loaded magazines and discard the empties. Soldiers were instructed to leave the magazine in place and feed with stripper clips. Early models of the rifle actually had a chain holding the magazine to the rifle. There were both 5-round and 10-round magazine versions of the Lee-Enfield. Since these magazines could be removed, it is technically correct to say the Lee-Enfield had a detachable box mag. But soldiers using the weapon would not normally swap magazines in and out as with a modern-day mag-fed infantry rifle.
In the view of many handgun aficionados, the SIG P210 Pistol is one of the finest semi-auto pistols ever made. It is, without question, one of the most accurate self-loading handguns, and probably the most accurate factory 9mm semi-auto. Originally created as a police and service pistol, the single-action P210 has not been sold in the USA for quite some time. However, Sig-Sauer recently re-introduced an updated model P210 in Europe as the “Sig Legend”.
Sig P210 Legend To Be Unveiled at SHOT Show 2011
Now here’s the good news — according to the GunsForSale.com Blog, the updated Sig P210 Legend will be released to the U.S. market at SHOT Show 2011. No price has yet been set (but it won’t be cheap). GunsforSale.com states: “The new 9mm, single-action P210 will come in two basic models, with one having drift adjustable post and notch sights. The other model will feature adjustable target sights (see photo). Both version of the new P210 will feature the Sig black Nitron [QPQ] finish, manual safety, and a “US-style” [thumb-activated] magazine release. The original P210 utilized a heel mag release.” The new rear target sight has a 3-position slider that adjusts for three different target distances. According to Sig Sauer, this suits “static-precision disciplines or PPC 1500″, because the shooter can quickly re-zero the P210 for three different ranges. That’s a smart feature we’d like to see on other target pistols.
McMillan has released a new semi-auto tactical rifle, based on a Springfield Armory M1A receiver, glass-bedded by hand. McMillan’s new M3A rifle is configured for scope use, and features a CNC-inletted McMillan stock with adjustable cheekpiece. The gun takes M1A/M14 magazines. The M3A features a 6-groove, 10-twist, 18″ barrel, chambered in .308 Winchester. A notable option is a massive three-sided rail system. This allows the user to fit a scope very securely in either standard or front (scout scope) position. The side rails can carry other accessories such as lights or a back up red-dot scope. The trigger is a two-stage with pull weight of 5-6 pounds. Shown below is the M3A with optional full-length upper handguard tactical rail.
CLICK HERE for more information, or call (623) 582-9674 for pricing with desired options. A variety of McMillan rifles are showcased in the Video below.
Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistols have become quite popular. Many law enforcement agencies have moved away from Glock in favor of the American-made M&P. If you own or shoot an M&P, now you can train with a .22LR version that has the same size, shape, and controls as your centerfire M&P. Smith & Wesson plans to release its new M&P22 semi-auto pistol very soon. Offered with either 10- or 12-round magazines (depending on local laws), the new M&P 22 looks just like its big brother. One large dealer has listed a sales price of $364, based on a $419.00 MSRP, but the guns aren’t available quite yet. We expect to learn more at SHOT show.
In general, we commend S&W for producing a rimfire clone of its M&P duty pistols. This allows M&P owners to cross-train with inexpensive .22LR ammo, without having to adapt to different ergonomics. Reportedly made by Walther, we suspect the new M&P22 will be reasonably accurate, but we’re skeptical of the quality of the trigger. Hopefully it will be better than the trigger on the full-size M&Ps.
Of course, if you want a superb trigger in a .22LR semi-auto pistol, there is the classic S&W model 41. For $1700.00 to $2000.00 you can find the fully engraved, 50th Anniversary Model 41 in presentation case on Gunbroker.com. First released in 2008, the engraved model 41 combines superior accuracy with stunning appearance.
Two Oregonians, Joe Huddleston and John Weil, have developed one of the most sophisticated bipods you can buy. The new Center Shot carbon-fiber bipod is ultra-light, weighing just 19 ounces (0.55 kg). John Weil used a prototype version at the 2009 F-Class world championships in Bisley, England. John was a member of the USA Team which won the F-TR Team Championship.
The Center Shot bipod offers a very wide “wheelbase” for stability. The bipod’s long feet, shaped like helicopter skids, help the rifle recoil straight back, rather than hop or twist. The bipod is designed to attach securely via a standard accessory rail on the bottom of the rifle’s forearm. The bipod can easily be adjusted for height and cant (tilt angle), allowing the bipod to adjust to uneven terrain. The height adjustment also allows shooters to easily adapt the bipod to their rear bag height and shooting style.
The Center Shot Bipod comes in two versions. The basic model costs $450.00, while for $465, you can get one with the shooter’s national colors on the top rod assembly (see photo below). For more information, email joe [at] censhot.com or john weil at jhw1 [at] ix.netcom.net. You can also call (503) 622-3815, or write: Center Shot Engineering, 26810 E. Elk Park Rd., Welches, OR 97067.
Centershot Bipod Specifications
Weight: 19 ounces
Full height to rail: 9.25 inches | Foot Print at 9.25 inches: 16.3 inches
Lowest height to rail: 4.5 inches | Foot Print at 4.5 inches: 20.5 inches
Materials: Aluminum, carbon fiber, stainless hardware Continuous adjustment from lowest to highest setting.
New from Sierra Bullets for 2011 are two new heavyweight bullets. The first, the much-awaited 180gr 7mm MatchKing, boasts an impressive 0.660 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. This should be great for
The LC9™ [is] a lightweight, compact 9mm pistol for discreet carry by law abiding citizens, or a full-power, no-compromise backup for off-duty law enforcement officers. This highly requested pistol was developed through Ruger’s Voice of the Customer program….
Here is great news for high-power shooters, tactical competitors, and hunters. 
The Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle features a gray/black laminate stock with sling swivel studs and checkered grip and forearm. A soft rubber recoil pad, with three 1/2″ spacers, allows length of pull (LOP) to be adjusted.
When we first saw the Ruger Scout Rifle, our first thought was “that looks familiar….” Indeed, in size and intended function, the Scout Rifle is a modern version of the famous Enfield No. 5 Jungle Carbine. “Jungle Carbine” was an informal term used for the Enfield No. 5 Mk I, which was designed for fighting in the Far East and other tropical regions where a shorter, lighter rifle was needed. The No. 5 was about 100 mm shorter and two pounds lighter than the Enfield No. 4 from which it was derived. A number of “lightening cuts” were made to the receiver body, the bolt knob was drilled out, and woodwork was cut down to reduce weight. The Jungle Carbine had other useful features like a flash suppressor and a rubber buttpad to help absorb recoil.
Of course, if you want a superb trigger in a .22LR semi-auto pistol, there is the classic S&W model 41. For $1700.00 to $2000.00 you can find the fully engraved, 
