The R-F Cam Cradle is a smart new product that lets you securely mount a Laser Rangefinder (LRF), digital camera, and spotting scope all on a single tripod. The “game-changing” feature of the R-F Cam Cradle is that it allows you to colimmate (i.e. precisely align) all your optics on the same spot. This way you can simultaneously aim all three devices at a long range target by simply moving the tripod head. A tactical shooter can easily range his target while watching the wind though his spotting scope. And the long-range hunter can range and film his prey as he watches it through the spotter. This unit costs $179.95 from DefensiveEdge.net.
You’ll find a detailed product evaluation of the R-F Cam Cradle on the LongRangeOnly.com website. Reviewer Sam Millard uses the R-F Cam Cradle in the field with a variety of optics and rangefinders. Millard explains how the R-F Cam Cradle conveniently allows combined use of spotting scope, LRF, and compact video camera.
Millard was very impressed with the system: “I field-tested the R-F Cam Cradle in the mountains of northern Idaho and the wide open spaces of eastern Wyoming. I believe the most effective way to use the cradle is in a long range ambush; get the spotting scope, camera, and LRF aligned on a landmark, then lock it down. The LRF and spotter won’t be aligned perfectly, but they’ll be well within the field of view of each other, requiring only a gentle tilt of the tripod to center the beam of the LRF on the target. At ELR distances, a well-supported LRF is crucial to obtaining an accurate range. This mount makes it easy, and doesn’t require displacing your spotting scope to get it done.”
See R-F Cam Cradle Demonstrated in the Field:
Having a video camera mounted in alignment with spotting scope is great for Long Range applications notes Millard: “The camera mount is my favorite feature of the R-F Cam Cradle. It allows co-witnessing the video camera to the spotting scope, then aiming the field of view of both with one movement of the tripod head. This is a great improvement to the normal way of recording the shot and spotting at the same time, which previously required two tripods or a clamp-on head for the camera, both of which required separate aiming of the camera and spotting scope.”
R-F Cam-Cradle Product Details
Manufacturer: RLC Customs
Vendor: Defensive Edge, Inc.
Rathdrum, ID DefensiveEdge.net
Order Phone: (208) 687-2659
Material: 3/16” 53 Series aluminum
Finish: Powder-coated Matte Black
Total Weight: 16.5 ounces
Mount: ¼-20 Threaded Standard Camera Mount
Retail price: $179.95
Shawn Carlock of Defensive Edge explains: “The R-F Cam Cradle is a way for one person to run everything. Otherwise it’s really difficult to run the spotting scope, run the video camera, run the rangefinder, get dope — do all those different things. So RLC Customs has come up with the idea to put everything together in one platform, where you can sync it together and use it effectively, as a cluster.”
Product Find by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions
Want a preview of SHOT Show 2016? Then check out the just-released December 2015 Digital Edition of Shooting Industry Magazine. This free, digital eZine contains a 22-page spread with dozens of new products — rifles, pistols, optics, reloading tools, hunting gear and more. The product showcase article reveals many new-for-2016 firearms. Savage is bringing out a laminated wood-stocked version of its A17 17HMR Rifle, and there are new rifles from FNH, Howa, Merkel, Weatherby and more.
Shooting Industry Buyer’s Guide Lists Thousands of Companies
The December Edition of Shooting Industry Magazine also contains a very comprehensive Shooting Industry Buyer’s Guide, starting on page 76. This 80-page resource lists 2500+ companies, complete with address, phone number(s), email, and website link. All the major precision shooting suppliers, such as Berger Bullets, Lapua, Hodgdon, McMillan, Nightforce, Redding, Sierra etc. are listed. In addition, you’ll find an easy-to-search, stream-lined version of the Buyers Guide at SIBuyersGuide.com.
That smart phone in your pocket is really a miniature computer. What if you could harness that electronic brain to work as a weather meter? You’d just need a way to feed the smart phone environmental data — temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind velocity and so on. Well now that’s possible with the new $69.00 Weatherflow Smart Phone Weather Meter.
This portable, multi-function Weather Meter provides key weather data to your iOS and Android Mobile devices wirelessly via BlueTooth. The unit measures temperature, humidity, air pressure and dew points. With its built-in impeller, the Weather Meter will also record wind speed (average and gust), and wind direction. You can hand-hold it or attach it to a pole/tripod with a standard camera mount. This wireless Weather Meter is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and all major Android devices. The best thing is the price — right now the unit is just $69.00 at Amazon.com.
Reviews by Weather Meter Purchasers
By Wiley on October 2, 2015 — Verified Purchase
I own and love the original WeatherFlow Wind Meter but when I saw this new one that includes temperature, humidity and pressure for under $100, I had to have it. My new weather meter arrived two days after I ordered it and I am amazed at how good this thing is. Solid and well-built, it’s super comfortable in your hand. The hard carry case is nice. The App is pretty simple – start the App and push the button to connect. The meter connected without issue to my iPad mini and my Galaxy S5 (Android) phone. It displays the extra sensor information elegantly, and the data agrees very well with the Davis weather station on my neighbor’s house. Saving and sharing reports is simple. Something cool that’s not obvious until you play with the App a bit are the ‘more data’ you can see (wind chill, heat index, crosswind, headwind, and many others including some I didn’t know existed). I’ve used various Kestrel meters over years and while they are good sensors, Kestrel’s higher price and lack of smart phone integration (or any easy way to get data off the thing) have been frustrating. [Editor: Kestrel’s brand new 5000 Series Weather Meters do offer Bluetooth connectivity as an optional extra.]
By Richard W. on October 27, 2015 — Verified Purchaser
Great device for the price. It would be nice to interface it with ballistics Apps… but it provides relatively accurate readings and is very small. Finding wind direction is a bit manual (you have to face the device into the wind), but how hard is that? The Bluetooth connectivity is great, you don’t actually have to have it physically connected to the phone — you can put it where you need it.
Technical Details — Compatibility and Settings
The WeatherFlow Weather Meter processes data via a free downloadable App for iOS or Android. The unit works with Apple iPhones 4S or newer, Apple iPads Gen 3 or newer, iPod Touch, and “all major Android devices”. Wireless functionality requires support for Bluetooth version 4.0. You can select either English or Metric units via the “settings” menu. Wind speed units/range are 0.5 to 140 mph; 0.4 to 122 Knots; 0.8 to 225 kph; 0.2 to 63 m/s. Pressure units/range are: 8.9 to 32.5 inHg; 300 to 1100 mbar.
Product Tip from Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
Want something more interesting than black-on-white bullseye targets? Champion Targets recently released a new series of game-theme targets. You can blast aerial drones, hunt dinosaurs, play a game of “H-O-R-S-E”, or shoot ducks in a Carnival Shooting Gallery. These new targets, which cost $7.49 per 12-pack, make great Christmas Gifts for the younger shooters in your family. What kid wouldn’t like a Dinosaur Target? And “kids of all ages” can enjoy the Shooting Gallery and Junkyard Plinker targets. The Know Your Limits target is good for tactical practice. These targets are available now from major retailers such as Amazon.com and OpticsPlanet.com.
The Savage A17 17 HMR rifle is one of our favorite new products of 2015. The model we tested proved very reliable and quite accurate with the new 17 HMR ammo developed by CCI expressly for the A17. While the factory A17 stock is not bad, the Length of Pull (LOP) was a bit short for a full-sized adult and the short, narrow fore-arm was less than ideal when used with a front rest or sandbag.
Now, thanks to Boyds Gunstocks, there are some good, very affordable stock options for the A17. Boyds has introduced Savage A17 replacement gunstocks in multiple styles: Savage Classic, Featherweight Thumbhole, Heritage, Platinum, Prairie Hunter, Pro Varmint, and Varmint Thumbhole designs. Five of these styles are shown in the photos above. Nearly all of Boyd’s laminated wood Savage A17 stocks are just $129.00 with a few left-hand versions priced at $144.00 (still a bargain). For field use, we like the Varmint Thumbhole because it has a comfortable grip and a longer, straight fore-end that works well with either sandbags or bipod. For target work, we favor the Pro Varmint stock. This stock features a relatively straight toe on the buttstock that is very steady on a rear bag.
Boyds plans to offer a variety of options for their Savage A17 stocks. These will include new custom wood options, custom length of pull, and an adjustable comb. In addition, as with other Boyds stocks, a wide selection of laminated wood colors are available. Boyds recently released eight new laminate wood color options including Sage, Prairie Wind, Ripple Timber, Ripple Forest Camo, Ripple Blaze, Ripple Royal Jacaranda, Ripple Sky and Ripple Zombie.
Sierra has released two new Tipped MatchKing (TMK®) bullets that should find favor with PRS competitors and tactical shooters*. Sierra is producing a new 95 grain 6mm projectile and a new 130 grain 6.5mm bullet. Both feature acetal resin tips that lower drag by improving the ballistic coefficient (BC) and making the BC more uniform from bullet to bullet. The 95-grainer should work well as a higher-speed option in the .243 Win, 6mm Creedmoor, 6mm Dasher, and 6mmBR. We were able to push other 95gr bullets nearly 100 fps faster than 105gr bullets from a 6mmBR. For those shooting the 6.5×47 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor, the new 130gr TMK should be a near-ideal bullet weight. We know that Berger’s 6.5mm 130gr VLD works great in those mid-sized cartridges, so Sierra’s new 130-grainer should be in the “sweet spot”. Also, in the .260 Remington the 130gr TMK should be capable of velocities that hit predicted accuracy nodes with ease. The 6mm 95 grain TMK requires a twist rate of 1:9″ or faster to stabilize while the 6.5mm 130 grain TMK requires a twist rate of 1:8″ or faster to stabilize.
We expect the 130gr 6.5mm TMK to find favor with Tactical Shooters
* In addition, Sierra plans to add a 7mm 160gr TMK to the line-up, product #7660, but we don’t expect this to be used for tactical games because of the heavier recoil.
IMR just announced its latest Enduron powder, IMR 4955, which features a medium-slow burn rate similar to Hodgdon H4831 or IMR 4831. The IMR Enduron powders are clean-burning, temp stable, and feature a proprietary coating that helps reduce copper fouling. We are looking forward to trying IMR 4955 based on our positive experience with IMR 4166. We have used Enduron 4166 and have seen excellent accuracy in .308 Winchester and 6mm BR rifles.
IMR 4955 lands between IMR 4451 and IMR 7977 on the burn rate chart. Hodgdon, which distributes IMR powders, says that IMR 4955 works very well for cartridges such as 25-06 Remington, .270 Winchester, and the .300 Winchester Magnum. Perhaps this will prove a good choice for the .284 Win and .300 WSM as well (F-Open shooters take note). If you are currently using H4831 or H4831sc you should probably give IMR 4955 a try.
Hodgdon says IMR 4955 offers some important advantages:
1. IMR 4955 has a small kernel size. This allows the powder to flow through powder measures easily and meter very accurately.
3. IMR 4955 is very insensitive to temperature changes, so shooters should see uniform velocities across a broad temp range.
3. IMR 4955 has very good load density for medium and big game hunting cartridges (such as the .270 Win and .300 Win Mag).
4. Like other Enduron powders, IMR 4955 boasts a special additive that helps reduce copper fouling as the rifle is fired.
IMR 4955 Should Be Available Early Next Year
— Load Data is Online Now
IMR 4955 will be available in early 2016 in one-pound and eight-pound containers. With the addition of IMR 4955 to the series of Enduron powders, reloaders have a new, advanced-formulation powder that should work for a wide variety of popular cartridges — from the .260 Rem up to big magnums. Reloading data for IMR 4955 is now available online in the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center. Below is a sample of Hodgdon/IMR load data for IMR 4955 as used in the .300 Win Mag cartridge.
Nielsen-Kellerman has just announced its new K5 series of Kestrel weather meters. With optional blue-tooth capability, these “smart-phone savvy” Kestrels can export data wirelessly to smartphones and other wireless devices for use with Kestrel and Third Party Apps. Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics reports: “There have been some major changes. The physical design has been updated. You can also use it with Android or iPhone. It has an updated, higher-contrast screen. Don’t forget about the buy-back program!” You can trade in older Kestrel model to get a partial credit for a 5000-series unit under the NK’s Customer Loyalty Program. A very detailed review of the new Kestrel 5700 with Applied Ballistics is found in our Shooters’ Forum. This covers all the new features, including data transfer capabilities. The review also explains how to use Kestrel data in smartphone Apps. Click this link:
You can pre-order the new Kestrel 5700 with Applied Ballistics for delivery in two weeks. NOTE: To get the Bluetooth option you must select “Yes” under the “Add LiNK Wireless Connectivity” drop down menu. This is an added cost option ($100 for Elite, $140 for Sportsman).
Here is the official product release notice from Nielsen-Kellerman:
Nielsen-Kellerman is releasing its all-new K5 line of Kestrels, which replaces the Kestrel 4000 series. Loaded with features such as Android and iOS connectivity, a dual-color backlight screen, a weather vane and measurements of over 10 environmental variables, the K5 family is NK’s most user-friendly, innovative line yet.
This series includes the 5000 Environmental Meter, 5500 Weather Meter, 5100 Racing Weather Meter, 5200 Professional Environmental Meter, 5400 Heat Stress Tracker, Sportsman Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics, and Elite Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics. All are drop-tested, waterproof and dust-proof and just as rugged, reliable and dependable as previous Kestrels. All K5s use AA batteries, and they are backed by NK’s industry-leading 5-year warranty.
When customers spoke about past products, NK listened. “We painstakingly addressed every complaint or problem users had with the 4000 series,” says Alix James, NK’s CEO. She believes that optional connection with Kestrel LiNK, powered by Bluetooth Smart, is one of the line’s best features. “Data communication opens the door to creating solutions for users, especially where environmental measurements, decision-making tools and guidelines intersect,” she points out, adding, “being able to pull these measurements straight into an app is so powerful.” Michael Naughton, NK’s VP of Business Development, adds “K5 Kestrels can communicate to iOS and Android devices using Kestrel and third-party apps, and they’re compatible with software on Windows and Mac computers.”
Another standout feature is the lightweight, transportable weather vane mount, which “can be put up instantly for research, safety monitoring, hazmat response and more” says James. Other improvements include a high-contrast, high-resolution display screen that is easy to read in all lighting conditions, a dual-color LED backlight, and a corrosion-resistant battery compartment.
Benchrest Hall-of-Famer Thomas “Speedy” Gonzalez has teamed up with the Shurley Brothers on a new ARK series of wood laminate competition stocks. Speedy has combined the best features of various popular F-Class and Long-range Benchrest stocks into new designs to be produced by Shurley Brothers Custom in Austin, Texas. These stocks should be very straight and geometrically correct as they will be crafted on the Shurley Brothers’ new CNC mills. These stocks will be made with new-generation precision technology, not old school duplicating machines.
Initially two models will be offered: the “Hand of God” (HOG) and the “Spear of Destiny” (SOD). Both are designed for multiple shooting disciplines, so they should work well both for benchrest and for prone F-Open shooting. (FWIW, John Myers used a Speedy-crafted stock to win the 2015 Mid-Range National Championship). The forearm is 76mm (2.99″) to comply with F-Open limits. A wide variety of options will be available including adjustable Cheek Piece, adjustable length of pull, carbon fiber inserts, and exotic woods.
We like many aspects of the new stocks. First, the front of the stock is low profile, placing the barrel close to the bags for better tracking (and less hop). However, a deeper (top to bottom) section extends forward of the action — this is important. We have seen some low-profile stocks that suffer from forearm flex/hinging because they don’t leave enough wood under the action area. Speedy’s design eliminates this problem. Another nice feature of this stock is the subtle curve from the back of the action to the buttpad mount. Speedy calls this the “scooped cheek”. This allows the “driver” to shoot without face contact if he prefers, but it also allows for a higher buttpad position — which is useful when shooting heavy recoiling chamberings such as the .300 WSM.
Note how the comb area has a curve to provide clearance. For those shooters who prefer to have face contact on the gun, an adjustable Cheek Piece is offered.
Shurley Brothers Custom says these new ARK stocks are fully customizable for competition shooters with optional carbon fiber, adjustable R.A.D. systems, and many other features. The stocks, uninletted, will run $750.00. CNC-inletting (for action of your choice) is an additional $100.00. Here are some of the many available options:
— Pillar Bed and Inlet: $425.00
— Custom Wood Upgrade (Price Dependent On Wood): $100.00 – $500.00
— Full-length Carbon Fiber Stringers: $200.00
— Cheek Piece Addition: $100.00
— Cooling Ports (Buick Vents): $60.00
— R.A.D. System #2A: $335.00 (plus $100.00 to install)
— 3-Way Butt Plate: Call for Price
— Adjustable Neodymium Magnetic Cheek Piece: Call for Price
— Install Neodymium Magnetic Cheek Piece: $150.00
— Stock Finish & Clear Coat: $350.00
— Carbon Fiber Forearm Tunnel: $300.00
The underside of the forearm is relieved in the center, leaving twin outboard rails. This helps stabilize the rifle and aids tracking. (A conventional, flat forearm without rails tends to rock if there is any hump in the middle of the sandbag). Between the rails is a carbon-fiber stiffening insert.
Weatherby’s new TacMark Rifles should be popular with long-range shooters (at least those with plenty of coin). We hope you like recoil — all three chamberings are powerful: .30-378 Wby. Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum, and .338-378 Wby. Magnum. To handle these powerful cartridge types, TacMark series rifles have a beefy receiver with integral recoil lug, set in a CNC-machined aluminum bedding system. The bolt is interesting — it has nine (9) lugs and a 54-degree bolt throw.
The composite stocks are adjustable for length of pull (13¼ inches to 14¾ inches), drop at comb, and drop at heel. The stock also has a near-vertical pistol grip with a trigger finger depression and a wide, flat-bottom fore-end with a stud for bipod and/or sling. The TacMark (11.25 lbs w/o scope) comes in black while the TacMark Elite (11.75 lbs w/o scope) is finished in High Desert Camo with black accents.
The $5000.00 TacMark Elite features a hand-lapped 28″ Krieger cut-rifled barrel*, fitted with a large muzzle brake. The Range Certified (RC) TacMark Elite is accompanied by an Oehler Ballistic Imaging System printout signed and certified by Ed or Adam Weatherby, verifying the accuracy. The Elite is guaranteed to shoot sub-MOA for three shots (and we suspect it can do a lot better than that).
The less expensive ($3600.00) TacMark also boasts a 28″ barrel — one of the longest barrels currently available on a factory rifle. This should be good for a little extra velocity. Both the TacMark and the TacMark Elite feature Weatherby’s Mark V action and Weatherby’s new LXX trigger, which is user-adjustable for pull weight down to 2.5 pounds. The Mark V TacMark and TacMark Elite rifles will be available through the Weatherby Custom Shop.
* A features list on the Weatherby website shows 26″ barrel length for the Elite. However the actual specifications show the barrel to be 28″ for both TacMark and TacMark Elite. You should verify barrel length before ordering.
IMR 4955 Should Be Available Early Next Year
