New optical technology from the Idaho National Laboratory could make a big improvement in non-telescopic iron sights. INL’s new “MicroSight” uses a Zone Plate design to focus light so that BOTH front sight-blade AND the target appear in sharp focus. This technology could be a major breakthrough for iron sights shooters, particularly older shooters whose eyes have difficulty focusing at multiple distances. The INL MicroSight’s wafer-thin optical element is only about 1/4″ in diameter, and it has been successfully adapted for match-type rear iris sight systems. Initial tests show the MicroSight can help iron sights users shoot better scores, with less eye fatigue. The technology could aid hunters and soldiers, too, either as a primary aiming device or as a lightweight backup for other types of sights.
By Mike Wall, INL Communications and Governmental Affairs
The human eye has trouble focusing on both a firearm’s front sight blade and the much more distant target at the same time. Idaho National Laboratory’s innovative gunsight technology, the MicroSight, helps the eye solve this problem. The MicroSight, a disc smaller than a dime, brings both the target and the iron sight into simultaneous focus, giving marksmen a better sight picture. The new sight has national-security applications, as it could improve safety and performance for American soldiers. Millions of target shooters and hunters should also benefit.
“The MicroSight gives you much of the performance you’d get out of a holographic or telescopic sight,” says INL engineer David Crandall, who developed the technology. “But it’s more reliable, much lighter-weight and much cheaper.” The alternating rings on zone plates bring faraway and nearby objects into focus simultaneously.
The Magic of Zone Plates — Concentric Rings Using Diffraction
Crandall is not an optics specialist. Most of his past work tended toward infrastructure engineering, like nuclear projects with INL’s Advanced Test Reactor. But Crandall is a highly accomplished target shooter — he’s a member of the U.S. national long-range rifle team — and he’s come up with several other shooting-related inventions. He patented a rifle-stabilizing shooting sling, and a small, powerful breaching shotgun that could help law-enforcement personnel storm buildings more effectively.
One day, Crandall was leafing through an optics textbook, and he stumbled across a section on “zone plates.” Zone plates are optical devices that resemble lenses. But whereas lenses focus light using refraction — essentially, changing the direction of light waves by changing their speed — zone plates use diffraction. Diffraction describes how waves bend, break up, spread out and interfere with each other as they encounter obstacles. The diffraction of sound waves, for example, explains how you can hear someone’s voice from around a corner.
Zone plates focus light via a set of concentric rings that alternate between transparent and opaque. The transparent sections let some light waves pass through unchanged, focusing objects that are far away (basically, at infinity). But light passing the edges of the opaque rings gets diffracted, which brings nearby objects into focus. The seemingly impossible result: sharp images of distant and near objects, simultaneously.
Zone plates aren’t new. Frenchman Augustin-Jean Fresnel worked out their underlying scientific principles in the early 1800s. [Editor’s NOTE: A.J. Fresnel also invented the Fresnel lenses used in light-houses and theatrical spotlights.] But it took Crandall, with his shooter’s eye, to recognize the potential zone plates held for improving gunsights. “Competitive shooters are always looking for an edge, for something better,” Crandall says. “You have to, when you’re going against the best in the world.”
Crandall took his idea to INL’s technology transfer division, which also saw the promise and agreed to fund his research. He eventually found his way to phased zone plates. Phased zone plates replace the opaque rings with transparent glass of varying thickness. This accomplishes the same goal — diffraction — but does so without losing as much light, yielding brighter images. After much tinkering, Crandall came up with the MicroSight. CLICK HERE for giant-sized photo of MicroSight element.
A Smaller, Cheaper, More Robust Sight
Without help from zone plates, the human eye cannot focus on two different planes at the same time. So shooters using only standard-issue iron sights see either a blurry target or a blurry sight. The MicroSight isn’t the only gunsight technology that can overcome this problem, of course. Telescopic sights magnify targets, bringing them into close, crisp focus. And holographic sights project a red dot onto an image of the target, showing clearly where the shot will land.
But telescopic and holographic sights have their drawbacks. For one thing, they tend to be bulky. Both types of sight can add one or two pounds to the weight of a rifle — not a trivial concern for hunters or soldiers who must lug their weapons for miles over rough terrain. Further, both are complex instruments with fragile components. They can break, especially if dropped or banged against a rock or tree. Red-dot sights require batteries, which can die. And neither one is cheap: most red-dot sights cost more than $100, and high-quality telescopic ones can run $1,000 or more.
MicroSight Should Be Versatile and Affordable
The MicroSight, on the other hand, is tiny — its zone plate is thin and only about 1/4″ in diameter — and relatively cheap. Crandall says the sight should cost significantly less than red-dot and telescopic sights when Apollo Optical Systems, which licensed the technology, takes it to market. The company is currently working with gunsight manufacturers to design and develop various MicroSight versions. In the future, some of these versions might add refractive power to the zone plate, achieving some level of target magnification. Crandall foresees other possible applications as well, such as in handguns and night-vision goggles. In any situation that requires taking the long and the short view at the same time, this new INL technology could provide a major advantage.
Article and graphics courtesy Idaho National Laboratory (INL), www.inl.gov.
Oehler Research, Inc. of Austin, Texas has announced that it has resumed production of the vaunted Oehler Model 35P Proof-Channel™ chronograph with printer. Company President Ken Oehler revealed to AccurateShooter.com that his company will produce “at least a couple hundred” model 35P chronographs in a “special run” this year. Production of the Model 43 remains suspended. The first new Model 35P units should ship “in late summer”. Oehler Research is taking orders right now, but Ken said: “we can’t start shipping until all the components are in inventory — end of July at the earliest.”
The latest Model 35P chronographs will employ exactly the same design and components as previous units — no changed features or parts. The Model 35P design has proven both highly accurate and reliable, and Ken explained that his team will make the new units “just the way they were before”. The new model 35Ps will ship in one configuration only, a complete system costing $575.00 (plus $20 UPS shipping). This includes: printer/base unit; three Skyscreen III detectors; four-foot rail; two folding stands; and a Plano (Doskocil) hard case. All the components fit into the hard case for storage and transport (see photo below):
The resumption of Model 35P production represents an effort to “test the waters”, to see if the company should re-enter the consumer shooting market, according to Ken Oehler. In the last few years, Oehler Research has focused on high-end military and industrial products. But Ken has brought in a new engineer, Gary Stafford, who is overseeing the Model 35P program. If all goes well, according to Ken, there may be other consumer products in the future and Stafford may “take over the reins” from Ken, who, at age 73, may shift to a “Senior Chairman” role in the company.
If you want to purchase a new Oehler Model 35P Chronograph, you should contact Oehler Research right away — Oehler has already logged 20+ orders. Order Online at www.Oehler-research.com. You can also email sales[at]oehler-research.com or phone (800) 531-5125, (512) 327-6900. According to Oehler’s sales sheet, you can reserve your unit with a Visa/MC and Oehler won’t bill until the product ships. Or, if you pre-pay via check or Money Order, Oehler will pay the shipping. Shipments will be prioritized according to the date orders are received.
Berger Bullets has just released its new .338-caliber “hybrid” bullet, Berger’s first-ever projectile larger than .30 caliber. The new bullet has a very high ballistic coefficient (BC): 0.891 under the G1 model, and 0.455 under the newer G7 standard for boat-tail bullets. That high BC should translate into exceptional long-range performance. According to Berger, the BC of the new Berger .338 bullet BC is roughly 14% better than the BCs of other .338-caliber 300gr offerings from Sierra and Lapua. This claim is supported by testing done on all three bullets and published in a detailed Bullet Comparison Report (PDF). The new .338 Hybrid bullets will be sold in 50-count and 250-count boxes. To order, call Berger’s Tech-Line, (714) 447-5458.
The key design feature of the new .338 bullet is its hybrid ogive, i.e. a shape that combines both tangent and secant geometry. A tangent ogive meets the bearing surface very smoothly, whereas a secant ogive has an abrupt juncture with the bearing surface. The figure below shows the geometric differences between a tangent and a secant ogive, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Practical Considerations — Load Length and Twist Rate
The superior ballistic performance of the 300gr Hybrid .338 is primarily due to the very long ogive and boat tail. However, that super-long bullet length can create some issues. Berger’s new .338 Hybrid bullets are so long that loaded rounds may not fit some magazines comfortably, unless you deep-seat the bullets, which cuts down on usable case capacity. If your loaded rounds with the new .338s are too long for your magazine, single-feeding is recommended. In addition, and this is IMPORTANT, to get optimal performance with the new bullets, you may want to extend the throat in your chamber. This can be done relatively easily by a competent gunsmith using a throating reamer. We caution, however, once the throat is pushed out, you can’t go back to a shorter throat without setting back the entire barrel.
The new .338 Hybrid bullets should stabilize well with a 1:10″ twist at the velocities achievable with popular .338 magnum cartridges. However, according to Bryan Litz, Berger’s Ballistician, at extreme long ranges (beyond one mile), as the .388 bullet goes trans-sonic, it may need more spin. As the bullet slows down into the trans-sonic range, extra stability is required — something you get by spinning the bullet faster. So, for those guys planning to shoot at one mile or beyond, Berger recommends a faster twist-rate. The faster twist provides more spin-stabilization at very long ranges. But for 1000-yard shooting, you don’t need to be concerned about trans-sonic stability. As Bryan explains: “So as long as you keep your shots under 1 mile, the 1:10″ twist is plenty adequate.”
Berger Bullets Video Update (Eric Stecker talks about the new .338 Hybrid and other matters.)
Sinclair International has just released its completely new Competition Shooting Rest BR. It’s a beefy unit, weighing over 30 pounds… and yes, it’s fully approved for both IBS and NBRSA benchrest competition at all distances. The new rest should start shipping in mid-May, 2010. The price is $599.00 including top bracket, but not the front sand-bag (both Edgewood and Protektor bags will fit).
Key features are: 1) Very low center of gravity for stability; 2) Smooth, precise windage control built in to the base-plate; 3) Ambi-dextrous design; and 4) Built-in carry handle on the front (target) side. The windage control, which employs twin tapered roller bearings for smoothness, is a clever design that provides nearly 48″ of windage movement at 100 yards. The oversized windage control knob is positioned near the rear (vertical) speed screw so you can easily and quickly control both the vertical and horizontal with the same hand. And you Southpaws, don’t worry… the post, center column, controls and windage adjustment disassemble and reassemble on the opposite side, for left-hand use.
The Sinclair Competition Rest’s components are “super-sized” compared to older Sinclair front pedestal designs. The new rest’s center column diameter is upsized to 1.95″ from 1.375″, the threaded post is increased to 1″ diameter from 3/4″, and the leg screws are now .5″ (up from .375″). The rear fluted speed screw is also oversized. The new Competition Rest also includes mounting holes for attachment of raised ammo caddies or a timer-holder. In addition, the Sinclair Competition Rest features a new, lockable fore-end stop assembly that adjusts for length, height, and cant (angle).
Our friend Robert Whitley of 6mmAR.com has come up with a new, accurate 6mm wildcat based on the new Lapua 22-250 brass that has just started arriving. Robert provides this report:
“I just received a box of the new Lapua 22/250 cases — beautiful brass! My real desire with it was to make it into a 6mm version, preferably something that was ‘no neck-turn’ with a .308 Win-type body taper that would work well in bolt gun and semi-auto magazines and would have a capacity to allow superior velocities. I considered the 6XC, but since you have to bring a whole lot of the shoulder of the brass up into the neck (when you re-form the brass from 22-250 to 6XC) that would necessitate neck-turning it because with Lapua brass the shoulder metal is thicker than neck metal of the brass.
I wanted a simple ‘neck it up and shoot it’ approach so I made up a 6mm-250 Improved 30 cartridge (i.e. 6mm-250 Improved with a 30 degree shoulder) and this thing works great — just neck up the brass, load it and shoot it! The case is like a 6XC with a .030″ longer body and a .030″ shorter neck, which works out fine if you are going to be shooting mainly the 105-108 gr bullets (which it will do very well shooting 2950 – 3000 fps). If you want to hot-rod things, which I do not, I am certain the case can push the 105-108 gr bullets a fair amount faster.
I set it up and throated the reamer for the Sierra 107s and the Berger or JLK 105 VLDs (i.e. a .090″ free bore on the reamer) and it works great with them. If I was going to use it with the Lapua 105s or the Berger 108s I would add about .025″ – .030″ to the freebore of the reamer (i.e. make the freebore around .115″ to .120″).
The great thing is you can use a 6XC die set for it without modification, and all you need to do is keep the dies about .030″ up off the shell holder from their normal position and use them as is. You can make a spacer washer about .030″ thick that you can put on and take off the 6XC dies and use the dies for both cartridges (i.e. 6XC and 6mm-250 Imp 30).
6mm-250 Imp 30 Shows Great Accuracy
Fire-forming loads are real accurate. Here is a 10-shot group I shot prone at 100 yards shooting fire-forming loads with it — the group is the size of a dime. For fire-forming I use a milder, but still very accurate load: 32.0 grains of N140 with a Sierra 107 and a BR2 primer. For fire-formed cases you can jump up to N160 (around 38-40 grains — depending on lot) and it will push the 105-108 gr bullets real accurately in the 2950-3000 fps range, with low ES and SD. This cartridge has a neck length of .268″ which is plenty long for a 6mm shooting bullets with varying bearing surface lengths. The reamer diagram (link below) leaves about a .003″ neck clearance over a loaded round, which seems to work out very well for a ‘no-turn neck’ set-up.
So there you have it … the 6mm-250 Imp 30 is simple, easy to make, accurate as all get out, there are available factory die sets you can use, and it uses great new Lapua brass — what’s not to like!”
MidwayUSA recently sent us its new Compact Competition Range Bag for review. Overall, we were very impressed. The bag is made from a strong, heavy-duty PVC-coated polyester, with high-quality, large-toothed zippers. A comfortable, curved carry strap is secured by sturdy, all-metal clips. The “build quality” is visibly much better than most range bags on the market. I wish my airline carry-on bags were built as well as this. The bag is offered in black for $26.99 or olive-drab for $39.99. We tested the handsome olive-drab version which is a good match for our khaki AIM 60 Tactical Drag Bag.
Measuring 16″L x 12″W x 10″H, this Compact Range Bag is definitely smaller than MidwayUSA’s popular Large Range Bag (22″L x 15″W x 10″H). However, the “Compact” version will hold plenty of gear — pretty much all a pistol shooter will need at the range. For a rifle shooter, it will haul ammo boxes, earmuffs, magazines, and other miscellaneous gear. You CAN get a rear sandbag in the MidwayUSA range bag, but it’s probably best to use the bag for ammo boxes and the like. Overall, we really like this bag, as do most buyers. Among 43 MidwayUSA customer reviews, the average rating is 4.9 out of 5 stars. Here are two typical buyer reports:
“This bag is great. It easily holds both my S&W MP9s, hearing and eye protection, 6 magazines, magazine loader, targets and enough ammo (200-300 rds) for a good session at the range. The quality is comparable to bags costing twice as much.” — Richard B, Virginia
“I have used many different range bags over the years, but I have to say that this is by far the best…. Plenty of room for ammo, hearing and eye protection, documentation and other materials. This bag is a great buy.” — Mark C, Oklahoma
Quality Revealed in the Details
The details of this bag reveal smart design and quality construction. On the bottom, two plastic foot pads with ¼” high ribs are stitched to the fabric for grip and moisture standoff. On the inside of the bag a removable, waterproof sole further protects the contents. On both ends of the bag are full-width zippered pockets, with a handy clear identification window on one side. Metal D-rings above the end pockets provide solid attachment points for the heavy-duty shoulder strap. The shoulder strap pad has a rubberized underside that keeps the strap from sliding off your shoulder.
The main compartment is conveniently accessed through a Velcro end closure plus two long, parallel zippers whose pull-tabs are connected with a cord. The main compartment is big enough to hold two large MTM Caseguard R-100 series rifle ammo boxes, with plenty of room left over. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to lock any compartment on the bag. That’s too bad, since some jurisdictions require handgun cases to be locked during transport.
Deceptively Large Capacity for a ‘Compact’ Bag
To test the carrying capacity of the MidwayUSA bag, we loaded it up with 100 rounds of rifle ammo, 600 rounds of centerfire pistol ammo, 500 rounds rimfire, earmuffs and FOUR pistols tucked in the padded side sleeves. All that gear fit nicely with room to spare. (We recommend putting handguns in protective sleeves if you load two per side). The padded, full-width, zippered main pocket keeps seven spare magazines organized and protected. On the reverse side of the bag, a similar, full-length padded pocket provides undivided storage space. That large outside pocket also has a zippered compartment with dividers for pens and a small notepad. The bag’s many pockets make it easy to organize miscellaneous gear such as staple gun, target stickers, small binoculars, timers, and radios.
The durable fabric, thick padding, heavy-duty zippers, and quality stitching should deliver many years of hard duty. This is a bag that holds its shape more like a luggage piece, not a thin bag that will squash flat and lay on the shelf out of the way when not in use. The black Compact Range Bag is available now. The olive drab version we tested should be in in stock on 5/28/2010.
The NRA Training Counselor Guide (TC Guide) is the “textbook” used for training new NRA instructors. It includes lesson plans and course outlines for Basic Instructor Training, plus NRA Instructor qualifications and assessment exercises. The new THIRD Edition of the TC Guide (complete with PowerPoint CD) has just been released. Shooting organizations involved in training NRA Instructors should replace older TC Guides with the new Third Edition.
The new TC Guide incorporates several policy changes and formatting has been standardized. The new edition also allows revisions to be posted as addenda, making it easier to update. The print version of the new TC Guide (3rd Ed.) is available from the NRA program materials center for $45.00. Later this year the NRA hopes to release a digital version of the TC Guide at a reduced cost.
The Creedmoor Sports 2010 catalog will be mailed out to Creedmoor’s customer list next week. Want a sneak peek? The complete, 88-page 2010 catalog, in digital format, is available online. CLICK THIS LINK to browse through the pages, search for products and zoom in for details.
There are many new products in the 2010 Creedmoor Catalog, such as a new fullbore prone coat, with special features for belly shooters. Creedmoor worked with Dennis Flaherty, U.S. Palma Team Captain, to develop this product. $50.00 from the sale of each coat goes to support the U.S. Palma Team. Also new this year is a “No-Pulse” sling, item NPS-01, $81.95. The 2″-wide sling is made of synthetic material so it won’t stretch or shrink, no matter what the weather. Special “grippy” backing stabilizes the sling on your arm, while a unique dual-strap connection on the cuff dramatically reduces pulse effects. In addition, Creedmoor has a new, deluxe spotting scope mounting head (“Polecat” series) which comes in three versions, so it can fit 5/8″, 3/4″, or 1″ stands.
Sporting Classics, a specialty publisher, has released a new edition of 45 true-to-life Jack O’Connor stories from the pages of Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Petersen’s Hunting and other popular magazines of his day. The new book, Classic O’Connor, is a sequel of sorts to Sporting Classics’ popular compendium, The Lost Classics of Jack O’Connor.
In the new 440-page book, Jack O’Connor recounts his worldwide hunting adventures, during which he pursued everything from ducks to grizzlies, pheasants to kudu. Classic O’Connor presents several of the author’s greatest gun stories and a large selection of never-before-published photographs of the celebrated sportsman and his family on hunting adventures around the world. The book is illustrated with 40+ drawings by acclaimed artist Ron Van Gilder. Hardcover with dust jacket, the book lists for $35, but it can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com for just $23.10, with an August 1st delivery date. To get the book a soon as possible, call Sporting Classics at (800) 849-1004 or visit www.sportingclassics.com.
Another O’Connor title worth reading is The Hunting Rifle, still considered one of the definitive works on selecting a hunting rifle and cartridge. One owner of The Hunting Rifle explains: “It would benefit every hunter to take the time and read this book. It offers a corrective to the spirit of things that have gripped the hunting scene lately. Today, if one reads a hunting magazine, [one is] offered the view that you need the fastest and loudest cartridges, rifles with special finishes and the most expensive of anything. Ole Jack reminds us that many have killed game with ‘lesser’ guns for a very long time, and that these new gimmicks will not make you a more lethal hunter.”
With the Cerberus-owned Freedom Group family of companies preparing for an IPO later this year, industry experts wondered: “Will Cerberus purchase a handgun manufacturer, or launch a line of Remington handguns?” With the announcement of the new Remington 1911 R1 pistol, Cerberus has showed its hand. The new 1911 R1 is the first pistol Remington has produced in decades, and the first 1911-design in 91 years.
Remington’s 1911 R1 is featured in the current issue of Shooting Times (left). A blued-steel retro design, the Remington 1911 R1 is faithful to the 1911 A1 with some modern upgrades. Like the original 1911, Remington’s R1 has a flat mainspring housing, internal extractor, short trigger and double diamond grips. Modern enhancements include a flared ejection port, beveled magazine well, loaded chamber indicator, tall single-dot front and two-dot rear sights, and a black-oxided stainless barrel. The 1911 R1 also has a Series 80-style firing pin block safety.
Classic Lines with Some Modern Features
From a subjective standpoint, this Editor likes the looks of Remington’s 1911 R1 and I favor some of its design features. I personally can shoot 1911s better with the short trigger, and I prefer the clean look of a slide without forward serrations. However, I question the decision, based on styling, to use an internal extractor, and the tall blocky sights look somewhat out of place on a retro-styled 1911. However, the big sights will unquestionably help the gun’s shootability.
Remington’s 1911 R1 will be officially launched at the NRA Annual Meeting in NC in May. The gun, which is made in Remington’s Ilion, NY facility, should be available in June, 2010, and dealers are already taking advance orders. The Remington 1911 R1 will be shipped in a custom carry case with two 7-round magazines and a barrel bushing wrench (see photo below). Suggested retail price is $699.00.
Do We Need Yet Another 1911?
It’s easy to be cynical about Remington’s entry into the 21st-century handgun market. Rather than give us something new and really remarkable, Remington merely recycled the tried and trued 1911, a design that is already produced by dozens of companies. Do we really need yet another 1911? One clever gun writer joked: “‘1911′ is supposed to be the model name, not the number of companies building versions of it.” Does Remington bring anything to the marketplace that one can’t buy elsewhere? Well, 1911 fans like the pricing of Remington’s 1911, predicting it will sell very well at the $700.00 mark. And Remington does have a history of producing 1911 handguns for the U.S. Military — Remington-UMC built 21,677 1911s for the U.S. Ordnance Dept. in 1918.
But still, one wonders how much market share Remington will grab from Kimber, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson, Les Baer, STI, Wilson Combat, USFA and other proven 1911-makers. Is Remington too late to the party with its retro-styled 1911 R1? Would it have been better for Remington to launch an all-new pistol design that creates a whole new market segment, as did Glock and Keltec? If Remington wants to become a major player in the pistol market, wouldn’t it have been better to engineer a more modern pistol that could compete for lucrative LEO and military pistol markets? Perhaps the answer to these questions is that Remington simply took the cheap and easy route — producing a pistol that required minimal engineering and testing. As ToddG writes on the Pistol-training.com Blog: “Building a 1911 is just a lazy way to enter the handgun market. There is little design and testing needed compared to making something new from scratch. Pick a design, build some prototypes, do a little testing to make sure the CNC machines are set right, and start pumping out guns.”
New optical technology from the Idaho National Laboratory could make a big improvement in non-telescopic iron sights. INL’s new “MicroSight” uses a Zone Plate design to focus light so that BOTH front sight-blade AND the target appear in sharp focus. This technology could be a major breakthrough for iron sights shooters, particularly older shooters whose eyes have difficulty focusing at multiple distances. The INL MicroSight’s wafer-thin optical element is only about 1/4″ in diameter, and it has been successfully adapted for match-type rear iris sight systems. Initial tests show the MicroSight can help iron sights users shoot better scores, with less eye fatigue. The technology could aid hunters and soldiers, too, either as a primary aiming device or as a lightweight backup for other types of sights.
MicroSight Should Be Versatile and Affordable
Our friend Robert Whitley of 
6mm-250 Imp 30 Shows Great Accuracy
MidwayUSA recently sent us its new 
The NRA 
With the Cerberus-owned 
Classic Lines with Some Modern Features
