Report by Vince Bottomley Victrix Armaments, an Italian company, has developed new technology that could be a major “game-changer” in the world of precision rifles in general, and F-Class in particular. Victrix’s leadership group knows all about excellence — and winning. Giuseppe Valtorta, CEO of Victrix Armaments, is a top competitive shooter who won Gold with his F-TR rifle at the 2015 European F-Class Championships.
A New Breed of F-Class Rifle
Turn back the clock half a century — George Farquharson is happily shooting a modified military rifle with iron sights and sling. He hasn’t even dreamt of F Class…
Benchrest however is beginning to gather momentum. Accuracy seekers are demanding the ultimate in precision engineering. They will go to their favorite gunsmith and, if they’re very lucky, procure one of the new custom actions from Hart or Shilen.
In the last 50 years, what’s changed? Benchrest is still with us but F-Class has emerged as a world discipline and, to some extent, brought new challenges to our accuracy rifle builders. But, whilst the rest of the planet has reveled in the speed and precision of CNC machining, we still love to place our faith in the gunsmith and his trusty old lathe!
But, of course, there is a reason for this. CNC equipment is expensive and geared towards the rapid multiple production of precision parts, whereas the custom gunsmith is dedicated to the ‘one-off’ build.
Also, even with a limited run, CNC does not readily lend itself to chambering our cut- or button-rifled barrels. Good as our barrels are, there are issues that have made CNC machine problematic. Each barrel demands loving care at the hands of our chosen gunsmith – if it is to perform to our expectations.
5-Axis CNC vs Manual Barrel Chambering
What if — What if the whole barrel-fitting and chambering process could be made “CNC compliant” and produce a rifle which would equal (or even exceed) the accepted standard. And do it every time, time after time! Cost could be reduced and also waiting times.
Good as our custom barrels are, they still need to be scrupulously checked — for uniformity of the bore, the lands, the grooves — for straightness, consistency of diameter, and concentricity. This could be achieved, using some pretty sophisticated measuring equipment — but that would be outside the realms of the custom gunsmith.
Even then, how could the barrel be easily accommodated in a CNC five-axis machining center to ensure a set-up for the best possible chamber and threading? Remember, bores are rarely concentric to the outside diameter and seldom straight, so the set-up would need to ensure that any deviation would be in the vertical plane when the barrel is screwed in the action and the chamber-section would need to be exactly aligned.
These are of course the issues faced every day by the custom gunsmith but currently, there are few CNC machines which could easily accommodate this requirement. But yes, there are a few….
Let me introduce you to Victrix, an Italian engineering company with an impressive multi-million euro factory crammed with the very latest in CNC machinery and a state of the art measuring laboratory. They already have a well-established background in the firearms manufacturing industry, at both military and sporting level. Never heard of Victrix? You soon will, for Victrix has chosen the prestigious 2016 IWA Show (Hall 9 – 423) to launch its new range of high-end rifles.
Victrix manufacturing facility in Italy is ‘crammed with the very latest in CNC machinery':
Whilst Victrix initially developed a range of tactical/military firearms — some of which will also be of interest to the sport shooter — the company has now turned its attention to the F-Class discipline. By working with those competing at the highest level of F-Class competition, Victrix has developed a range of “off the shelf” F-Class rifles that are “competition-ready” right out of the box. Incidentally, Victrix have chosen American barrel-maker Benchmark as its exclusive barrel supplier. Victrix has already perfected a way of accurately assessing barrels to adapt them to CNC working, and this is the key to the new project.
Victrix Target Trigger — Adjustable down to an Ounce
Victrix F-Class rifles will feature an advanced, new target trigger engineered by Victrix. This four-lever target trigger boasts an adjustment range of 1 to 2.5 ounces (30 – 70 grams). Another trigger (8 to 21 ounces pull weight), is used for the Victrix tactical rifles.
Victrix Action
For its new line of rifles, Victrix have developed its own proprietary actions. These actions employ some interesting ideas. The bolt is three-lug with a 60-degree lift and 105/105/150 degree lug-geometry. Testing verified that this arrangement provided a greater resistance to flexing in the locked position over the more traditional 120/120/120 geometry. This geometry also aids the pick-up and feeding of rounds from a magazine when used in a tactical configuration.
Above is Victrix’s new action. It’s impressive. Multiple configurations are offered: Right Bolt/Left Port, Right Bolt/Right Port and other variations. The action can be fitted with Victrix Target or Tactical trigger.
The action and bolt are machined from 17.4PH stainless steel and then hardened (body 48 Rockwell, bolt 45 Rockwell) and treated with PVD (physical vapor deposition). Finally the actions are coated with chromium nitride and nobium for wear-resistance and smooth operation. Tenon thread is M27x1.5 and of course, tolerances are ‘benchrest’ standard. Picatinny rails are screwed and pinned to the action.
Victrix has certainly done its homework. The company will offer rifles for both F-Open and F-TR classes. Stocks will be offered in a variety of materials: wood, wood-laminate, aluminum, and carbon-fiber. The stocks share a no-nonsense, straight-forward design, specifically for shooting a rested rifle.
Whilst we are focusing on their F-Class rifles, we shouldn’t forget the Victrix tactical range. Although designed with military and police use, they will appeal to anyone who enjoys tactical-style shooting. There is no compromise on quality or accuracy so, expect the same build standard but with stocks CNC’d from 7075 mil-spec aluminum with a hard-anodized coating. The Victrix three-lever tactical trigger adjusts from 8 to 21 ounces (250 – 600 grams).
Victrix has chosen March Scopes UK (IWA Hall 3A – 110) as its business partner in launching the new Victrix F-Class rifles. This was a wise choice, as March Scopes UK proprietor Gary Costello is a former World F-Class Champion. Gary, well-known to F-Class competitors, continues to shoot with the Great Britain Team.
We look forward to taking a closer look at the Victrix F-Class rifles and hope to provide an in-depth range report in the not-too-distant future. Check out the Victrix website at www.Victrixarmaments.com.
It’s March 4th today, and that means St. Patrick’s Day is coming up in a couple weeks. To help celebrate that traditional day of Irish pride, parades, and green beer, the NRA has created two (2) fun targets you can download, print, and shoot.
The first target features a large four-leaf clover in the middle, with 17 other smaller three-leaf shamrocks around the outside. With five black bulls-eyes in the center graphic, that gives you a total of 22 aiming points for shooting fun. For added challenge we suggest you set this target at 100 yards for rimfire rifle and 200 years for a centerfire gun.
The second target offers the legendary Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. Along with a big bullseye on the pot, there are 15 shamrocks in gold circles, plus five small gold bars with tiny bullseyes. Those smallest bulls will be a challenge even at 100 yards. You’ll need a half-MOA (or better) rifle to “clean” this target, hitting the smallest red dots.
Whether you’re Irish or not, these targets will hopefully bring you a bit of luck. Click each image above to open a high-rez PDF file that you can print out. Then, this St. Patty’s day, wear your green, grab your gear, and head to range for some fun shooting.
M-K IIA2 GEN2 Tactical Trigger from The Wisconsin Trigger Co.
Gear Review by Johnny Fisher
Do you shoot an AR-platform rifle? Here’s an excellent trigger upgrade option that has recently returned to the marketplace. The Wisconsin Trigger Company (WITC) has resumed production of the legendary Milazzo-Krieger M-K II trigger for the AR-platform rifles. Not merely marketing a replica of the original Milazzo-Krieger design, Wisconsin Trigger now offers an enhanced, drop-in version called the M-K IIA2. An easy install, the Milazzo-Krieger trigger drops in with no special tools or machining required (and no modification of the safety selector switch).
For those who are looking for an extremely crisp AR15 trigger that closely mirrors the “feel” of a finely tuned M1 / M14 trigger, this trigger might be the solution. The first stage is exceptionally clean and smooth due to a proprietary diamond-grinding process. I felt that the first stage travel was longer than a Geissele, but many guys will prefer that. Upon reaching the very noticeable and defined “wall” of the second stage, a further increase of pressure provides the instantaneous snap one looks for in a high-quality trigger — complete with a total absence of anything resembling creep or slop.
If you follow the instructions in the box and watch WITC’s informative how-to videos, installation of this trigger is extremely straightforward, requiring no special tools or fitting.
As supplied straight from the factory, the first stage requires about 2.25 pounds of take-up before encountering “the wall” of the second stage. For this purpose of this review and to ensure “making weight” in CMP Service Rifle Competitions, the (white) 5-lb. disconnector spring was used. The weight of the second stage came in right at an extremely repeatable 5 lb. 3 oz. (averaging +/- 1.5 oz.) for a ratio of about 40/60 between the two.
Upon release of the hammer, the disconnector reset is decidedly short. National Match shooters in particular will appreciate the very short but easy-to-recognize trigger reset during rapid-fire strings.
Tuning the Trigger Before Installation
As with most National Match-grade triggers on the market, the Millazo-Krieger utilizes proprietary pins that come supplied with this unit. They must be used for final installation and are purposely oversized to a specific diameter for a very snug fit. This is to ensure the trigger and hammer rotate solely on the pins, as opposed to the pins eventually rotating inside the receiver. It is best to use standard sized mil-spec trigger and hammer pins for the setting of tensions (trigger weight) before final installation to help avoid undue wear to the receiver pin holes. Final adjustment of second-stage pull weight must be done BEFORE final installation.
It is recommended to first set the amount of desired disconnector engagement by performing a very simple process that is detailed in the included installation instructions from the TOP of the trigger. The swapping out of disconnector springs and final tuning of the second stage can then be done, but only from UNDERNEATH a disassembled trigger.
The disconnector tensioning springs are easily swapped out by removing the spring plug from the bottom of the trigger housing that exposes the spring pocket. After inserting the desired weight spring, the spring plug must be installed at least flush with the bottom of the trigger housing. Installing it deeper will add trigger pull weight on the second stage. Installing it too shallow will interfere with trigger movement.
Transferable Warrnty:
The Wisconsin Trigger Company offers a full lifetime warranty to all unaltered parts of its triggers. This lifetime warranty is fully transferable when the trigger is sold to a new user! When have you heard of an AR component manufacturer with a transferable warranty — we’re impressed.
Not just a retailer, John Scandale of Keystone Accuracy is a distributor of these triggers. He currently has many in stock and for sale at a very special introductory price.
What Comes in the Box:
The $265.75 trigger kits come complete with everything you need: Trigger unit assembly, trigger return spring, full strength hammer spring, two proprietary oversized trigger & hammer pivot pins and three disconnector tensioning springs (3.25 lb., 4.5 lb., 5.0 lb.). Also included is a comprehensive installation manual, a color-coded disconnector spring selection chart, some promotional items, and the lifetime warranty card.
How about a game of “Cartridge Chess”, with chess pieces sourced from your own ammunition collection? We think the concept of a Cartridge Chess Set is pretty clever, and it’s bound to be a conversation-starter at home or at the hunting lodge. With a little creativity, our readers could make their own Chess Sets like this, using a variety of cartridge types.
Create Your Own Cartridge Chess Set
This is a 3-D rendering found on the Cheaper Than Dirt Facebook page. We’d like to see a chess set with actual cartridges (assembled without powder or primers), perhaps with .32 ACP pawns and the 50 BMG and .338 LM as King and Queen.
Challenge: How many cartridge and shotshell types can you identify? The Pawns look like 9mm or 40sw pistol cartridges, while the Rooks (Castles) are obviously 12ga shotgun shells.
What’s Wrong with This Picture?: How many of you sharp-eyed chessmasters noticed a mistake in the placement of the “Royals” in the Cheaper Than Dirt 3-D rendering. Hint — look at the grid layout (top left) for the correct placement of Kings and Queens.
An impressive new rifle action was just announced by BAT Machine and Bullet Central. This new action, dubbed the “Neuvo”, has many impressive features, and it certainly looks like nothing else on the market. Hall of Fame Shooter Dwight Scott provided design input for the Neuvo action.
Bullet Central says much careful design and engineering went into this new action: “The Neuvo … action is the result of more than half a century of experience in rifle building, gunsmithing, target shooting and high-end machining. Bullet Central, Dwight Scott, and BAT Machine teamed up to develop this receiver. The Neuvo encompasses time-proven functionality with a host of brand-new features. The new action includes a wide-body, two-lug bolt, horizontal locking lugs and a totally redesigned fire control system. The Neuvo is manufactured by BAT Machine in the U.S.A. and available at Bullet Central.”
After reviewing early photos of the BAT Neuvo action, Forum member Alex Wheeler liked what he saw: “This action has some features that do set it apart. A full-diameter two-lug will open very nice due to the shallower cocking ramp angle allowed by the large-diameter bolt. There is no lug raceway, so it [could be safer] in an over-pressure situation. I also think that full-diameter bolts run smoother due to not having lugs to bind. I hope to get to handle one of these to really look it over. The big thing will be the fire control — that will make or break it in my opinion.”
Here’s a handy product for pistol shooters and 3-Gun competitors. The NRA Handgunner Backpack provides a convenient transport solution for your pistols, magazines, and assorted range gear. This product offers all the carrying capacity of a large range bag, in a design that, when worn on your back, leaves your hands free to haul long-gun cases, target frames, spotting scopes, or other bulky hardware. Measuring 17″ wide, 22″ high and 9″ deep, the pack has plenty of room for your gear.
Quad-Pistol Gear Hauler
The cleverly-designed Handgunner Backpack carries up to four pistols. Undo the zipper, slide out the compartment, place your pistols in one of the four foam gun cradles. Store your magazines in a zip-up side pocket with six (6) individual mag sleeves. There are also specially designed compartments for ammo boxes, muffs, protective eyewear, target stapler, and more. You’ll find handy embroidered patches showing the right spot for each gear item.
Lars Dalseide, editor of the NRAblog, tells us this pack is comfortable and sturdy. The shoulder straps and the rear back panel feature moisture-wicking padding and the pack comes with a waterproof cover. And the pack won’t collapse when you set it on a bench — it stands up on its own.
We’re impressed with the design and features of this pack. A lot of smart thinking went into its design. As you might expect though, because the Handgunner Backpack has so many features, it’s not cheap. This specialized backpack sells for $119.95 at the the NRA Online Store. We don’t think that’s too much, considering what this pack can do. This could be a sweet Xmas gift for the pistolero or 3-Gun shooter in the family. If you are running a shooting match, the Handgunner Backpack would make a great prize — way more useful than a walnut plaque.
At the request of our readers, we have launched a “Deals of the Week” feature. Every Monday morning we offer our Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on hardware, reloading components, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. RCBS — Buy Green, Get Green Rebate
RCBS is running a very attractive Rebate Program currently. If you spend $300.00 on qualifying products you get a $75.00 rebate. Spend $50 and get a $10.00 Rebate. This program is limited to one (1) rebate redemption per calendar year, with a maximum of $75.00. CLICK HERE for more information. NOTE: To qualify, you must supply completed RCBS rebate coupon, original UPC barcodes from package, and original cash register receipt and/or dated, itemized sales invoice.
2. Monmouth Reloading — 1000 Lake City 5.56 Cases, $68.95
1000 pieces of Lake City brass for under seventy bucks? Yep, that’s a deal and a half. Monmouth Reloading is selling genuine, once-fired Lake City 5.56x45mm brass, thick-walled and sourced direct from the U.S. Military. Monmouth reports: “Our current stock of Lake City 5.56 looks to be all newer year Lake City head stamp but may contain a small percentage of other NATO headstamps. Lake City is a popular, reliable brass, normally capable of many reloads.” Monmouth includes 1% overage to account for any damaged brass. NOTE: Brass has crimped primers, so the pockets will need to be reamed or swaged prior to reloading.
3. Grab A Gun — Remington PSS with 20″ Heavy BBL, $589.00
Remington’s Heavy Barrel PSS model established a reputation for excellent accuracy. This .308 Winchester version features a 20″ heavy barrel threaded for a suppressor. The action is secured in a strong, pillar-bedded Hogue Overmolded ghillie green stock. The trigger is the X-Mark Pro externally-adjustable model set at 3.5 pounds. Weight, without rail or optic, is 7.3 pounds. NOTE: This PSS Rifle may also qualify for a $50.00 rebate from Remington. Inquire before you order.
4. Optics Planet — Leupold Mark AR MOD 1 1.5-4x20mm
Scopes for Service Rifles. Starting next year, under proposed new NRA Competition Rules, Service Rifle shooters will be able to use optical sights with a max magnification of 4.5X (fixed power or variable). At one-third the cost of a 4X ACOG, the Leupold 1.5-4X Mark AR is a good scope choice for the new optics-legal Service Rifle Class. Optics Planet currently has this on Sale for $299.99. With a Duplex reticle, this is also a fine hunting scope.
Every gun owner should have a work mat to protect valuable firearms during cleaning and maintenance operations. Right now you can get a quality 36″x16″ mat for under ten bucks. The non-slip polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surface won’t harm gun’s finish, and its absorbent features keep the fluids from going through your work surface. This week Amazon is offering the Printed Version (shown above) for $9.99 and a Plain Black Version for just $8.09. That’s an excellent value either way.
6. AmmoMen — Federal .22LR Target Ammo, $3.25/50 Rounds
This Federal Gold Medal Target ammo is MUCH better than common bulk rimfire ammo, yet with this deal, it is only 7.5 cents per round — that’s cheaper than pretty much anything else you can buy according to Ammoseek.com. Right now you can get up to ten (10) boxes of this .22 LRrimfire ammo for just $3.75 a box from AmmoMenLLC.com. If you need rimfire ammo, don’t delay — we expect this ammo to sell out very quickly at this price.
7. Walmart — Multi-Purpose Work Bench with Light, $69.95
This 4 foot-wide bench can serve many functions in your work room. We don’t recommend mounting reloading presses to it, but it can hold your tools on the backboard, along with dies and small parts in the drawers. Place bulky items (such as media separators) on the lower shelf. This bench features built-in lighting on the underside of the upper shelf.
Weight Capacity: Bench Top 220 lb, Bottom shelf 200 lb, Top Shelf 44 lb.
Dimensions: 47.4″ (L) x 23.8″ (W) x 61.6″ (H)
8. Bullets.com — Handgun Safe $49.95
This pistol safe keeps your handguns secure while still permitting instant “push-button” access. The three-button lock can be personalized with 3- to 8-digit codes, and there is a key override. This safe will hold two (2) full-sized pistols and can also store passports, cash, or other valuables. The spring-loaded door gives you near-instant response. The all-steel case also includes mounting holes for fixing the safe to floor or shelf.
Our British friend Vince Bottomley has field-tested the brand new Vortex 15-60x52mm “Golden Eagle” riflescope. We first viewed this scope at SHOT Show and were impressed. Now Vince, in a Target Shooter Magazine review, has confirmed that that the scope works great in the real world. It has good glass, excellent tracking, and the image stays sharp even at full magnification. Vince says this 15-60X Vortex will give other high-magnification scopes a run for their money. In fact the Vortex Golden Eagle may be the new Performance-for-Price leader in the category. Price in the USA will be $1500.00.
Vince writes: “The Vortex deserves to line up alongside the competition – namely the March 10-60, the Nightforce 15-55 and the Leupold 7-42. The price is remarkable at [$1500.00 in the USA, under £1500 in the UK]. If you are contemplating the purchase of a scope in this magnification range, the Vortex must be on your shopping list.” This new Vortex features ED glass, and weighs 29 ounces, just one ounce more than the 15-55X Nightforce Comp. Two reticles are available — a Fine Cross-Hair (FCH), and the Vortex ECR-1 reticle with MOA-based windage and elevation hold lines. Turrets have 1/8 MOA clicks.
Precision of Clicks: Does one MOA (i.e. eight 1/8 MOA clicks) on the Golden Eagle’s turret translate to one MOA on the target? Vince fired one shot on target then wound on 20 MOA of elevation and fired another. Vince reports: “The shot-holes should be 20.94″ (20 x 1.047″) inches apart. They actually measured 21.5 inches — an excellent result. I don’t think I’ve ever had a scope better this.”
Elevation Travel: F-TR shooters using the .308 Win will need about 30 MOA to get from a 100-yard zero to 1000 yards. Vince maxed out the Golden Eagle with roughly 22 MOA of “up” elevation. He concluded that “a +20 MOA scope-rail is a ‘must’ if you’re intending to shoot out to 1000 yards. These days, almost everyone uses a 20 MOA scope rail anyway.”
Tracking Test: Vince did a “box test” running the Vortex to the limits of elevation and windage and then back again to verify that the scope returned to the starting zero. Vince observed that the scope tracked great, “with the first and last shots over-lapping. No problem there.”
Glass Sharpness and Clarity: Vince put the the Golden Eagle alongside a 10-60 March, with both scopes mounted on F-TR rifles. Vince was impressed by the optics quality of the Vortex — it held its own vs. the “superb” March: “Firstly, we viewed the target on 40 power, the magnification which seems most popular with F-Class shooters. Both scopes registered bright, crisp images — no difference between the two. I know the March will stay sharp at maximum magnification but will the Golden Eagle? Yes! No loss of crispness in the image at 60X.”
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com got his hands on Hornady’s all-new, pyramid-style Lock-N-Load Iron reloading press. This single-stage press features a unique, open-front design that makes it easier to place and remove cases during reloading processes. The compact footprint of this Iron Press also allows for a variety of placement options.
This video shows the new open-front Hornady Iron Press:
Gavin installed the Iron Press on his bench which features horizontal metal channels (for placement flexibility). Gavin reports: “The arrival of this press is great in its timing. I’m just about to move from progressive loading of 6.5 Creedmoor (for the Ruger Precision Rifle) to single-stage precision reloading. This will be the perfect press for that task! Based on the feedback and questions I’ve gotten recently, I’ll compare the consistency between progressive presses and single-stage presses.”
To raise the Iron Press higher, Gavin used an Ultramount from Inline Fabrication: “I was hoping to make slight modifications to the Ultramount in order to adapt it for use with my Ultimate Reloader bench system, and that worked out just fine! Here’s a picture of the Ultramount bolted down: I can easily slide it side to side to make room for other items on my bench.” NOTE: After taking the pictures shown here, Gavin rotated the Ultramount 180 degrees. This moved the whole press forward (towards the operator), providing more bench clearance for the Iron Press linkage and handle.
Over the past five years we’ve tested many target cams. Important qualities you’ll want in a target cam system are: ease of set-up, good video resolution, effective range (good signal quality/strength), and the ability to use WiFi-enabled devices for viewing. Caldwell’s new Long-Range Target Camera offers all these things, making it an impressive new product for the price — $357.02 at Midsouth Shooters Supply. If this target camera system proves rugged and reliable, then we predict it will be a big seller for Caldwell. (There are other target cam systems on the market that cost twice as much, yet lack key features of the Caldwell system). We recommend you watch the video — it shows the complete set-up process and how to use the free App.
This video shows system set-up and actual Target Cam output on a WiFi-enabled tablet:
The Ballistic Precision LR Target Camera by Caldwell is a complete kit with video camera, long-range trasmitter/antenna, base receiver, mounting stands, batteries, battery chargers, and fitted storage case. This system allows you to stream HD video to any WiFi-enabled smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Caldwell claims a range (in ideal conditions) of up to one mile. Based on our experience with similar systems, that may be a bit optimistic, but we see no reason why this could not be a solid 1000-yard system, given good line-of-sight from transmitter to receiver. This Caldwell system features both an elevated transmitter and an elevated receiver. That should provide good broadcast + reception capability over long range. An elevated transmitter works better in typical terrain than systems placed on the ground. The Caldwell LR Target Camera is so new that we have not yet tested it, so we can not verify range. But it appears that Caldwell did its engineering homework. We do wish, however, that Caldwell had shielded the camera in an armored housing.
The Caldwell LR Target Camera is very versatile, allowing you to both watch and record video and/or stills on any WiFi-enabled device. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries will run the target cam up to to 6 hours continuously. (For extended use there’s an external power jack). A free iOS/Android Mobile App allows you to record video, save still pictures, add notes, calculate group size, and save session info.
Caldwell LR Target Camera Features:
— High Definition (720p) camera delivers sharp image with good detail.
— WiFi output is compatible with Android, iPhone and most tablets.
— System can stream live HD video, record video, and save still images.
— Camera, transmitter, and receiver are contained in sturdy, waterproof housings.
— Breaks down into custom-fitted storage case for easy transport.
— Rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries for extended use.
— External power jack for more permanent installation.
— Target Camera Mobile App for iOS and Android devices.
— Includes two collapsible, tripod-base Antenna/router stands.
— Positionable, spring-loaded camera clamp.