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February 27th, 2010
Vihtavuori (VV) has started producing N570, a new high-energy, double-base powder suited for magnum cartridges. The burn rate of N570 is similar to Vihtavuori N170 and Hodgdon H870, making it somewhat faster than 24N21 or Retumbo. The new N570 has the slowest burn rate of the five powders in N500-series of high-energy propellants. N570 is an extruded tubular powder with a large kernel size (similar to VV 20N41 and 20N29) and a high bulk density.
The characteristics of this slow burning, high-energy powder are well-suited for large volume cases like the 6.5-284 Norma, 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 Remington Ultra Mag, 338 Lapua Magnum or the 30-378 Weatherby Magnum.
 Reloading Data for the new N570 Powder is available in the latest edition of the Vihtavuori Reloading Guide. (PDF).
CLICK HERE for Vihtavuori Reloading Guide (8th Ed.).
The new N570 was developed at the request of magnum cartridge reloaders. Vihtavuori told us: “Powder users have repeatedly asked for a powder suited to the needs of the largest magnum rifle cartridges. We have developed our new N570 High Energy powder to meet this special need in the market. N570 was developed to bring out the very best performance and velocity in large volume magnum rifle cartridges.”
VV Recommends Weighing N570 Charges
Because N570 has very large kernels, Vihtavuori advises that reloaders should always WEIGH N570 charges rather than rely on throws from powder measures: “We recommend that charges of this high-energy N570 powder be weighed, as measures do not always deliver consistent charges. This is especially true when the powder being used is of such a large kernel configuration. This may lead to a potential for either under- or over-charged cases, if the charges are thrown straight from the measure and not weighed.”
Vihtavuori Powders are imported in the USA by Hodgdon Powder Company and Kaltron Outdoors, and are marketed worldwide by Nammo Lapua, www.lapua.com.
February 26th, 2010
The basic AR15, with upgrades to barrel, trigger, optics and “furniture” has evolved into an extremely effective varminter, chambered in .223 Rem, or a .20-caliber such as the 20 Practical. Hunters have also adapted the AR10 platform, with its ability to fire a .308 Winchester-sized cartridge, for use on deer and Elk. Now ArmaLite has “re-introduced” a handy, compact AR10 carbine that should be ideal for hog hunters.
The folks at ArmaLite received many requests for a lighter, more compact version of the AR10. Armalite responded: “We did a small limited run and we’re pushing its use as a varmint hunter… especially good against wild boars. One of our ArmaLite gunsmiths got the idea from some buddies in Texas who are using their Ts against the wild hogs. This AR-10(T) Carbine combines the light weight and compact size of the carbine with the accuracy of the Target Model.” This AR10(T) carbine features a 16″, 1:11.25″ twist barrel, fitted to a forged, flat-top receiver with built-in Picatinny rail. With a compact 37.5″ length, the gun weighs 8.6 pounds (3.9 kg). Included with the rifle are one 10-round mag, and one 20-round mag. MSRP is $1892.00.
February 25th, 2010
SORRY — All SOLD OUT
Here’s a great deal if you need a precise, rugged, but very inexpensive watch. For TODAY ONLY (the next 10 hours actually), a Casio Wave-Ceptor watch with tan nylon band, is for sale at Pennywise.biz for just $14.99 plus one penny shipping. That’s right — delivered price is just $15.00. Every day, this watch updates its time setting automatically, in response to the WWVB calibration signal from the Atomic Clock Center in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
DOWNLOAD User Manual for this Wave-Ceptor Watch (PDF)
NOTE: This is a one-day special price. Sale ends 6:00 pm PST on February 25th. This watch has a daily alarm and auto calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099). Other features include water resistance to 30 meters (99 feet) and afterGlow LED electro luminescent backlight. That LED backlight is very useful. Case diameter is 38mm and the model number is WVQ140 if you want to compare pricing. Normally these watches sell for about $39.00.
February 22nd, 2010
We had fun testing the new Barrett Model 98B (Ninety-Eight Bravo) at Media Day before SHOT Show last month. In the video below, Jason shoots a 98B, after trying its bigger brother, the Barrett model 82A1. The new 98B, chambered in .338 Lapua, has some very nice features and it certainly is a sturdy beast. We predicted this gun would be popular, and attract considerable media attention.
That prediction was right on. Barrett’s 98B rifle in .338 Lapua Magnum has been named the American Rifleman magazine “Rifle of the Year”, earning a coveted Golden Bullseye® Award. This year the Barrett Model 98B was selected by a seven-member committee who considered a variety of factors including reliability, accuracy, design innovation, styling, and “perceived value” to the purchaser. As the “Rifle of the Year”, the 98B was chosen over other recently introduced long-gun offerings from major manufacturers.
Barrett will be presented with the Golden Bullseye Award for 2010’s Rifle of the Year at the 2010 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits in Charlotte, North Carolina. There Barrett CEO and founder Ronnie Barrett will also be personally honored as the NRA’s 2010 Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award winner. In addition, the Barrett Model 98B will be featured in the NRA’s print magazines, in the May issue of American Rifleman and American Hunter®, and the June issue of Shooting Illustrated.
In the video below, Barrett engineers explain the technical features of the Model 98B and show how to field-strip the rifle.
February 20th, 2010
Caldwell recently sent us some new pre-printed targets that we really like. The new Caldwell Tip Top Targets have a combination of features we’ve never seen before in pre-packaged targets. First, the targets are printed on a unique, plasticized card stock — just slightly thinner than a business card. The plasticized material is very rip-resistant (if you really try, you can make a small tear on the edge, but it takes a LOT of deliberate effort). The plasticized material makes the targets 100% weatherproof, though you can still write on the surface. At the bottom of the targets, Caldwell includes a labeled data entry area where you can record firearm type, shooting conditions, distance, group size, load info, and chron data. Very Handy! The targets even come pre-punched for a 3-ring binder. That’s great if you want to save your targets. The 8″ Sight-In Tip Top Targets cost $7.49 for 25-pack, or $24.99 for 100 targets.
Bullets Punch Perfect Circles on New Target
What makes these “Tip-Top Targets” really unique is the way bullet holes appear. When a bullet passes through a normal paper target, the paper can rip. At best you get a fairly round hole but with a fuzzy, uneven edge. With these Tip Top Targets, the bullet hole looks like it was made with a hole punch. No more ragged, fuzzy edges. If you’ve ever shot wadcutter rounds from a pistol into a paper target, that’s the effect here. But the bullet hole edges are even MORE sharp and uniform. As a result, you can measure your group sizes quickly, with great precision.
Overall, we think the Tip Top Target is a real step forward. Caldwell did a great job with this product. The new material does not tear, does not get soggy in wet conditions, and does not flap around in the wind. The new material delivers crisp, uniform bullet holes for easy group measurement, and the 1″ square gridlines let you quickly estimate your group size.
Caldwell Tip Top Targets are offered in six (6) different versions: large, Inverted “T” for iron-sighted rifles or pistols; 4″-diam. Bullseyes; 8″-diam. single Bullseye; 100-yard Benchrest Target; 200-yard Benchrest Target; and 8″ Sight-in Target with 1″ grid (shown in photos).
We really like the layout of the sight-in target. In has five different aim points with a central diamond split by horizontal and vertical lines running through the points of the diamond. The diamond, which measures 1/4″ on a side, provides a VERY precise aiming point. Just line up your cross-hairs with the heavy black lines and you should be able to shoot bugholes with this target. It’s a very good design, with good contrast in the center of each aiming square.
Is there anything we would change on the Sight-In Target we sampled? Yes… First, we’d like to see a long-range version with an all-white background so that bullet holes are easier to see at long distances. Second, we’d modify the data entry table so you could list results for multiple loads. See our FREE Targets Page for paper targets with multiple load-entry/chron data boxes.
Review Disclosure: Caldwell provided a free 25-ct pack of 8″ Sight-In Targets for testing.
February 18th, 2010
A reliable 22LR conversion kit for an AR-platform rifle lets you train with inexpensive ammo. That’s a big advantage for 3-gun competitors who must engage multiple targets rapidly, often at relatively short distances. Multi-gun competition is a speed game, requiring plenty of practice to “run with the big dogs”. It’s not unusual for elite 3-gun shooters to put hundreds of rifle rounds down range every week. Service Rifle shooters can also benefit from cross-training with an AR equipped to shoot .22LR rimfire rounds. With a good .22LR conversion kit, Service Rifle shooters can practice their positions and gun-handling at minimal expense. In the winter, if you have a .22LR conversion for your AR, you can train at the many indoor ranges that allow rimfire rifles, but not centerfire rifles.
Complete Conversion Kit for $189.99 from CDNN
CDNN Investments in Texas is offering a good deal on the CMMG .22lr Stainless Conversion Kit for AR15-type rifles. This includes a stainless bolt and bolt carrier assembly and two (2) 25-round magazines or two (2) 10-round mags. The CMMG Kit uses your existing fire control (trigger) group and requires no internal gunsmithing. Just drop it in and shoot. While supplies last, the CMMG Conversion Kit with magazine(s) is priced at $189.99. NOTE: CDNN is offering 2 mags with this package as a “limited time offer”. (MidwayUSA also has this Kit, with one mag, for $199.99.)
CMMG .22LR Kit Is Reliable and Affordable
The CMMG conversion is widely used and has proved quite reliable, both with the 10-round and 25-round magazines. It is recommended by Brownells, though some Brownells customers have said the kits required some minor fitting or polishing. (This may be more of an issue with “off-brand” uppers — Colt AR owners reported no issues.) In the video below you see an AR15 being fired with the CMMG .22LR conversion in place. Then the CMMG bolt is exchanged for the original .223 Rem bolt assembly and the gun is shot in centerfire mode.
In the second video below you’ll see the CMMG conversion shot with two full (or nearly full) 25-round magazines, in rapid fire. There are no malfunctions.
February 17th, 2010
Timney Triggers has a new Trigger Pull Gauge. This spring-type tension scale measures pull weights from 8 oz. to 10 lbs. and is also calibrated for metric (kg) weights. The wide hook makes the gauge easy to use even with over-sized trigger guards. The Timney gauge features a “tattle-tail indicator” that stops at the highest resistance. This works as follows — as you pull back on the gauge, the sliding indicator will move towards the heavier side of the scale; once the sear releases the sliding indicator remains at the point where the highest amount of pressure was exerted on the trigger.
We still think the Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge is the best on the market, but it costs $52-55.00 compared to $28.49 for the Timney gauge. The Timney Trigger Pull Gauge will be available at MidwayUSA (item 969947) before the end of February.
February 17th, 2010
After learning that M855 NATO ammo does not perform well from short-barreled rifles such as the M4 carbine, the U.S. Marine Corps has started issuing a new type of 5.56×45 ammo to its troops in Afghanistan. The new SOST (Special Operations Science and Technology) ammo, officially designated MK 318 MOD 0 “Cartridge, Caliber 5.56mm Ball, Carbine, Barrier”, features a different open-tip 62mm bullet. The new bullet, with a lead core (in the top half) and solid copper bottom half, is similar to hunting bullets such as Federal’s Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. The SOST bullet was designed by Federal/ATK, which will produce the loaded ammunition.
The new SOST ammo was first developed for use by SOCOM (Special Operations) in the SCAR rifle, which has a short, 13.8″ barrel. Even in short-barreled rifles, the SOST provides impressive ballistics — achieving 2925 fps in a 14″ barrel. Compared to M855 ball ammo, SOST rounds are more lethal when shot from short-barreled rifles. According to the Marine Times, SOST ammunition delivers “consistent, rapid fragmentation which shortens the time required to cause incapacitation of enemy combatants”. Using an open-tip design common with some sniper ammunition, SOST rounds are designed to be “barrier blind”, meaning they stay on target better than existing M855 rounds after penetrating windshields, car doors and other objects. This is important to troops in the Middle Eastern theater who must engage insurgents inside vehicles or hiding behind barriers.
In Afghanistan, the USMC will issue SOST ammo for both the short-barreled M4 carbine as well as the original, full-length M16A4. The Corps purchased a “couple million” SOST rounds as part of a joint $6 million, 10.4-million-round buy in September — enough to last the service several months in Afghanistan.
M855 Criticized by Ground Troops and Pentagon Testers
The standard Marine 5.56 round, the M855, was developed in the 1970s and approved as an official NATO round in 1980. In recent years, however, it has been the subject of widespread criticism from troops, who question whether it has enough punch to stop oncoming enemies.
In 2002, shortcomings in the M855’s performance were detailed in a report by Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, Ind., according to Navy Department documents. Additional testing in 2005 showed shortcomings. The Pentagon issued a request to industry for improved ammunition the following year.
CLICK HERE for Full Report on New SOST MK 318 Ammunition.
February 12th, 2010
 Many of our Forum members have reported that they have received their new Sightron SIII 10-50x60mm target scopes. These come with 1/8 MOA clicks and either a Fine Cross Hair reticle or FCH with target dot reticle. Currently the scopes do NOT include lens covers or screw-in sunshades.
In terms of optical performance, feedback so far has been very positive. Forum member Nat Lambeth recently received one of the new 10-50 Sightrons. He reports: “This scope, like the 8-32x56mm SIII, is much heavier-built than the first Sightron target scopes. It is very clear and sharp edge to edge. I shot 20, 5-shot groups with my [6BRX rifle with Savage Target action]… off a BR Rest and leather rear bag. The scope was cranked up to 50 power during my entire afternoon of shooting. The focus ring has a very short window of focus for a given distance. Otherwise clarity and light gathering was superb.”
The new scope is pretty large, measuring 16.9″ overall and weighing just under 29 ounces (without rings). Below you see the new Sightron 10-50x60mm next to a Nightforce NXS 12-42x56mm.
Some folks have been concerned about vertical clearance with the large 60mm front objective. The photo below shows the scope mounted on a Weaver-type rail with Burris Signature Zee “Extra-High” scope rings. As you can see, there is more than ample clearance. With most Weaver rails and barrel profiles you could probably go to the next lower Burris ring height — but we recommend you get the specs if you plan to use other types of rings.
The new Sightron 10-50x60mm scopes remin in stock at various vendors, but they are selling fast. MidwayUSA has them in stock today, priced at $994.99 (item 589261). Note: At this time, these scopes ship without scope caps or sunshade. Sightron hopes to have both caps and shades available by mid-summer.
CLICK HERE for more photos by Forum Member SwitchBarrel.
February 10th, 2010
These days, it’s not uncommon for shooters to bring electrical gadgets to the shooting range, particularly when testing loads. You’ll see guys running chronos with laptop computers, or loading with electronic powder dispensers (such as the RCBS ChargeMaster). If your favorite range doesn’t have AC outlets, how do you keep all that stuff powered up? You can get one of those portable 120v power supplies (basically a big battery with inverter and carry handle), but they are heavy and fairly expensive.
Another option, for those needing 120v AC to drive powder dispensers, laptops etc., is to use your car battery. Compact, affordable, and reliable inverters are now available that let you draw current from your car/truck’s cigarette lighter or accessory jack. Yes, it would be possible to run-down your battery, but if you start with a healthy vehicle battery, you’re not going to drain it by throwing a couple dozen charges with a ChargeMaster.
Black & Decker makes a rugged 100-Watt Inverter that converts your vehicle’s 12-volt DC power into 115-volt AC power. The unit has a single AC outlet, with an accessory plug that adjusts 45 degrees for convenience. An automatic low battery shutdown prevents draining the vehicle battery, and an LED indicator shows charging status. Black & Decker backs its inverter with a 2-year warranty. The Black & Decker 100-Watt Inverter costs $22.96 at Amazon.com.
Duracell has a similar Pocket Power Inverter fitted with a cord on the 12V end. (The cord is much longer than shown in picture). The cord can be helpful if your power take-off or cigarette lighter jack is hard to access. The Duracell unit has been popular, but, unlike the Black & Decker, the Duracell only delivers 100 Watts for for 5 minutes, after that it delivers 80 watts. That’s still enough to drive most of the gadgets you’ll use for load testing at the range. Duracells Pocket Power Inverter sells for $19.99 on Amazon.com. A more powerful 175 watt version sells for $48.75.
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