The Rockies, Great Lakes, and Northeast are bracing for a major storm this weekend, bringing cold winds, ice, and plenty of snow. Many Northern states have already seen lots of the white stuff. It seems like it will be a White Christmas for many. Does that mean there will be no more gun fun ’til spring? Heck no — just grab your snow shovel, load up your rifle, and go shooting. Here’s how Forum Member Nick (aka “ChevyTruck 83″) coped with winter’s fury back in 2012. Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a dedicated AccurateShooter Forum member….
We admire the fortitude of Forum Member Nick who braved wintry December weather to enjoy a day at the range in his native Pennsylvania. A little snow on the ground couldn’t stop this intrepid shooter, who brought snow shovel and arctic gear to his range session. Folks, here’s a true “hardcore” fan of shooting! Despite the “relentless snow”, Nick reports that “at least it wasn’t windy”. Nick shot a variety of long guns, including his .22LR rimfires, a .223 Rem, and a .308. Not daunted by the cold, Rick said it was fun to “play like a kid once in a while.” That’s the spirit!
Nick reports: “There was no wind to speak of — just relentless snow. I’ll tell you what — it’s awesome to get out and play like a kid once in a while.”
Nick’s foray into the winter wonderland really puts things in perspective for “fair-weather” shooters. After viewing Nick’s Forum thread about his snowy range session, fellow Forum member DennisH observed: “I will never complain about our super hot sugar cane fields in south Louisiana ever again! We can hold matches 12 months a year. I have NEVER had, owned, or used a snow shovel.”
With the NRA Moving the National High Power Rifle Championships away from Camp Perry starting in 2017, the CMP has stepped into the breach, offering a new series of rifle matches in the first part of the June 2017 National Match Schedule. The new CMP Cup Individual Matches, CMP Cup Team Match, and EIC Rifle Match will provide rifle competitors an opportunity to participate in the type of matches that have been fired on the shore of Lake Erie since 1907.
In the opening week of the National Matches schedule, June 26-30, 2017, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will lead off the competitions with CMP Service Rifle and CMP Match Rifle events, called the CMP Cup Matches. The CMP Cup series includes a CMP Four-Man Team Match, three days of CMP 800 Aggregate Matches (2,400-point Overall Aggregate), and wrapping up with a CMP Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) Service Rifle Match.
NOTE: The New Matches (Marked as CMP CUP WEEK) Will Be Held June 26-30, 2017:
“We are pleased to announce the introduction of new CMP service rifle and match rifle events during the first phase of the National Matches, previously occupied by other events”, said Mark Johnson, CMP Chief Operating Officer. “It is our mission… to host competitive rifle and pistol matches befitting our nation’s best shooters at the permanent home of the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio.” The CMP’s expansion of marksmanship events at Perry began in 2016 with the Legacy Series events for vintage and modern military rifles.
BACKGROUND: NRA MOVES RIFLE EVENTS to INDIANA
The NRA has announced that it is moving the National High Power XTC Rifle Championship, Mid-Range Championship, and Long Range Championship away from Camp Perry, Ohio, starting in 2017. These matches will henceforth be held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. These changes are subject to final approval by the NRA Board of Directors in 2017, but we do not anticipate a change. That means if you want to compete in both CMP and NRA rifle matches, you would need to go two different venues, located 280 miles apart, in two different states.
On July 14, the CMP will fire its second set of National Matches rifle events including SAFS for Rifle, the CMP National Trophy Rifle Matches, and CMP Rifle Games Events, which conclude July 25. The final event, CMP National Rimfire Sporter Match, will be conducted on Saturday, July 29.
For more information about the National Matches, including the finalized 2017 calendar, visit the CMP 2017 National Matches website.
UPDATE DEC. 16, 2016: The latest Daily Giveaway is for Sierra Bullets. Multiple winners will receive a box of Sierra projectiles. CLICK HERE to enter.
This is DAY THREE of Powder Valley’s 12 Days of Christmas Promotion, which started on Monday. Each day, now through December 23rd, Powder Valley will give away valuable products. You get a chance to win by visiting Powder Valley’s Facebook Page and posting a comment. Winners will be selected by lotter from those who posted a comment.
You’ll definitely want to get involved today! For December 14th, Powder Valley is giving away Lapua Brass and Bullets. That’s right, you could win a box of ultra-premium Lapua cartridge brass or a box of super-accurate Lapua bullets. Today Powder Valley will be giving away twenty (20) boxes of brass and forty (40) boxes of bullets. Now that’s a bonanza.
On the Tenth day of Christmas Powder Valley gave to me: Santa’s Lapua stash for reloaders in need! Santa says give away 20 boxes of brass and 40 boxes of bullets! (excluding .338 cal.)
What is your favorite Lapua bullet/brass and why? Caliber, grain weight, etc.?
Multiple winners will be chosen! Persons who visit Powder Valley’s Facebook Page and comment on today’s Lapua Giveaway will be entered to win.
Here’s a cool Christmas Gift item — a high-quality 70-page coloring book featuring firearms. If you have kids or grandkids that enjoy shooting or hunting, this could be a fun, interactive gift. (Heck we know some adults who would enjoy it too.) Offered by Top Shot Champ Dustin Ellermann, Full Metal Coloring features quotes from famous people and shooting tips from ace shooters such as Jerry Miculek and Bryan Zins. The WideOpenSpaces Blog says: “Forget abstract designs or run-of-the-mill shapes. Instead, get your hands on this cool coloring book full of guns.” The price is $11.99.
Product Description: Filled with humor, history and iconic images, Full Metal Coloring appeals to military, veterans, shooting sports athletes and hunters. Amusing quotes by Aristotle, Walter Cronkite, Wyatt Earp and more. Shooting tips by Jerry Miculek, Brian Zins, Jim Henderson and more!
Great news for shooters –Bill Gravatt (former owner and President of Sinclair International) has joined the team at Creedmoor Sports. Bill will work with Creedmoor on product development, customer service, and other key tasks, bringing his decades of experience to Creedmoor’s operations. Creedmoor Sports is a company on the rise — it now offers a full line of ammunition, and in recent years Creedmoor has launched its own successful “brick and mortar” retail stores.
Bill has worked in the shooting and reloading industry for over 25 years. His vast knowledge of “all things shooting and reloading” will help Creedmoor expand its product line and serve hand-loaders. Bill Gravatt commented: “The folks at Creedmoor Sports remind me of the great team I had at Sinclair International. They are all driven in pursuit of exemplary customer service, they create well-made products, love to shoot, and just enjoy the daily satisfaction that comes from helping fellow shooters enjoy their sport.”
Greg Kantorovich, owner and President of Creedmoor Sports, tells us: “We are excited to have Bill working with us in many areas including product innovation, content production, reloading expansion, and consulting with our management team.”
“Bill brings a passion for people, product, and process that is second to none. In the short time we have been working together he has helped us raise the bar on becoming a better company to serve our customers. Myself and my team are excited for the future of precision rifle shooting and what Creedmoor will continue to bring to market.”
About Creedmoor Sports, Inc.
Creedmoor Sports produces rugged, well-built equipment for precision-driven rifle shooters. Creedmoor offers products for centerfire, smallbore and air rifle/pistol disciplines, as well as hunting and recreational shooters. For more information, visit CreedmoorSports.com.
Do you really know (and understand) the gun laws in your home state? Do you know when the use of deadly force is allowed? Do you know if the “Castle Doctrine” applies in your state or whether your state has a “Stand Your Ground” law in effect? If you ever carry a firearm for self-protection, you should know the answer to these and other important questions. Thankfully there are some excellent, up-to-date resources that explain the gun laws in five key states: Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These gun law treatises, published by U.S. Law Shield, provide the text of important gun laws, along with expert commentary from experienced attorneys. The books provide clear explanations of gun laws in easy-to-understand language.
Gun Law Seminar Programs in Eleven States
In addition to its Gun Law books (offered for five states), U.S. Law Shield conducts legal seminars in 11 states across the country: CO, FL, GA, KS, MO, NJ, OH, OK, PA, TX, and VA. At these Gun Law Seminars, you can ask questions and get state-specific answers from Law Shield Independent Program Attorneys in each jurisdiction. CLICK HERE to find a seminar in your state.
Top Shot Champion Dustin Ellermann is not just a great shooter. He also directs a Christian-oriented youth program in Texas. In the spring of 2017, Dustin’s Camp His Way team will be offering weekend marksmanship camps for youngsters and teens. Dustin tells us that there are still a few spots available for the Kids’ Camps on February 25-26 and March 25-26, as well as the Teen Camp on March 11-12, 2017. These two-day Camps make a great holiday gift for youngsters. The programs are conducted at Camp His Way outside of Zavalla, Texas. For more information, visit Marksmancamp.com.
These weekend Marksmanship Camps are specially designed for kids aged 9-13 and teens 14-18. The Christian-oriented two-day camps focus on safety, marksmanship skills, and team building. Campers enjoy a host of fun skill-oriented activities: Airgun Shooting, Archery, Blowguns, Knife Throwing, Paintball Games, Slingshots, Tomahawk Throwing, and of course Rimfire Rifle Marksmanship with a variety of rifles. The Rimfire Rifle Marksmanship program features Volquartsen Custom Rifles, S&W M&P 15-22s, Ruger 10/22s, Savage bBolt Actions, and Henry Lever Actions.
The Kids’ (ages 9-13) Marksmanship Weekends cost $270. Teen (ages 14-18) Camps are $300.00. These fees include all ammo, equipment, meals, lodging, team t-shirt, and one adult guest spectator. Parents are welcome to attend and spectate, but participation in marksmanship activities is limited to the kids at this time. CLICK HERE to reserve a spot — a few openings are still available.
Notice the young campers always wear ear and eye protection when shooting firearms. That’s as it should be. We wish adult shooters, including benchrest, smallbore, High Power, and F-Class competitors, followed this important safety practice.
The CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park will host the first-ever American Marksman National Championship January 6-8, 2017. This will be the culmination of a nationwide series of competitions for the Outdoor Channel’s new American Marksman television show. The January big-money National Championship gives amateur shooters the chance to win cash, gear and fame. The top shooter will win $50,000 and earn the title of “American Marksman”.
The American Marksman competition began in March 2016 with regional qualifiers at locations across the country. That was followed by nine Regional Championships. The process all comes to a high-stakes conclusion at the American Marksman National Championship in Talladega in January 2017. Top competitors from the nine Regional Championships are eligible to compete in the National Championship. Competitors are split into one of four divisions: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Military/Law Enforcement, and Juniors. The entire process will be filmed for later broadcast on the Outdoor Channel.
American Marksman — A Nationwide Challenge Match
“If you ever wanted to enter a shooting competition and thought it was too intimidating or too expensive – then this is your chance to show the world what you’ve got,” said producer Michael Bane of the Outdoor Channel. “For only $20 at the local level, you get the chance to try to qualify with other amateurs in a relaxed, safe environment and the best of you will meet in a … National Championship with TV cameras rolling. The person who earns the title of ‘American Marksman’ walks away with $50,000.”
Course of Fire Remains Top Secret
The Course of Fire for the National event at Talladega will not be released until competitors arrive at the venue. Eligible participants receive a sheet outlining a list of skills to practice during the fall leading up to the match. The National Championship competitor will be awarded a check for $50,000, a prize package and the honor of being named the first American Marksman.
More guns were sold on November 25, 2016 (Black Friday), than on any other day in the history of the United States (based on NICS numbers). According to the NRA Blog: “On Black Friday 2016, the FBI processed 185,713 background checks through their National Instant Criminal Background Check System, breaking last year’s record by about 400 checks. Leading up to November’s Presidential election, gun retailers nationwide reported record sales in the month of October.”
In fact 2016 has been a record-breaking year for U.S. gun sales so far. It looks like, if gun sales continue at the current pace, more guns will have been sold in 2016 than in any other year in American history. The question remains, will gun sales remain high with a Republican in the White House?
The continuing record-setting volume of gun sales after the November election surprised some experts, who opined that the Republican election victory would ease concerns about future gun control. Such fears certainly drove gun sales in the first three quarters of 2016 as most “experts” predicted that Hillary Clinton would be the next President, and that she would push for restrictive gun laws.
Fast and Furious — FBI Processes Three NICS Checks Per Second
On Black Friday 2016, NICS Background Check processing topped Black Friday 2015 when the previous single-day record of FBI-processed gun transactions was set. In fact, so many Americans lined up to purchase firearms on Black Friday 2016 that the FBI was processing three background checks every second.
Think about that — three gun sales per second. That’s triple the normal rate of gun sales. The website The Blaze reported: “The typical Black Friday boom in gun sales doubles the number of background checks handled by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), from one per second on an average day to two per second.” On Friday afternoon November 25th, that figure had reached three checks per second.
This Sunday, December 4, 2016, Tom Gresham’s GunTalk Radio will feature a discussion of suppressors, aka “silencers”, “cans”, or “sound moderators”. With firearms industry experts, Tom will discuss the current regulations for suppressors, as well as efforts to remove silencers from the list of NFA items requiring expensive tax stamps and cumbersome paperwork. With the Republican gains in the November election, there are renewed calls for changes in the laws regulating suppressors. In fact, many suppressor advocates say now is the time for sound moderators to be removed from NFA control altogether, so that suppressors could purchased “over the counter” just like scopes, slings, or other common shooting/hunting accessories.
How Suppressors Work — The Science of Silencers
Suppressors are a valuable accessory for general-purpose rifles, so we would like to see suppressors legal in all 50 states. In addition, we believe the USA should follow the lead of European nations which promote the use of sound suppressors for safety reasons. In most European countries, for example, you can purchase a suppressor easily. There are no difficult barriers to ownership, onerous background checks, or special taxes. The Europeans seem to understand that suppressors protect the hearing of shooters (and bystanders), while suppressor use also dramatically reduces “noise pollution” concerns for shooting ranges in urban/suburban areas. The Europeans also understand that sporting/hunting use of suppressors does NOT increase criminal or gang activity. It is time for the USA to adopt these more enlightened viewpoints.
About Tom Gresham’s GunTalk Radio:
In its 21st year of national syndication, Tom Gresham’s GunTalk radio show airs live on Sundays from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Eastern, and runs on more than 200 stations every week. Listen live on a radio station near you or via live streaming from one of GunTalk’s Syndicated Audio Stations. After airing live, all GunTalk Radio Shows can also be downloaded as podcasts.
We admire the fortitude of Forum Member Nick who braved wintry December weather to enjoy a day at the range in his native Pennsylvania. A little snow on the ground couldn’t stop this intrepid shooter, who brought snow shovel and arctic gear to his range session. Folks, here’s a true “hardcore” fan of shooting! Despite the “relentless snow”, Nick reports that “at least it wasn’t windy”. Nick shot a variety of long guns, including his .22LR rimfires, a .223 Rem, and a .308. Not daunted by the cold, Rick said it was fun to “play like a kid once in a while.” That’s the spirit!
