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October 4th, 2015
Click for full-screen photo.
Savage has started to ship its new .308 Win Model 11 Scout rifle. Based on the concept popularized by Col. Jeff Cooper, the Savage Scout is designed to be short and handy, with an 18″ barrel and forward-mounted optic. This new Savage was unveiled at SHOT Show in January, 2015, but production models are just now starting to appear at dealers.
The Model 11 Scout comes complete with iron sights (blade front, Williams peep rear). A cantilevered Picatinny rail accepts forward-mounted, long eye-relief scopes. Available in dark Tan or OD Green*, the Model 11 Scout comes with a 10-round detachable magazine (see below). The only chambering currently offered is .308 Winchester. The gun ships with a screw-on muzzle brake. Rifle weight (without optic) is a modest 7.8 pounds.
October 2nd, 2015
IBS Report by Randy Jarvais
The 2015 IBS 100/200 Score Nationals were held August 22-24 in Augusta, Maine at the Capitol City Rifle and Pistol Club. By all accounts, the 2015 Score Nationals event was another success. Fifty-three guns participated in this year’s Score Nationals, with 38 Varmint for Score (VFS) and 15 Hunter rifles registered. Nine shooters competed for the 2-Gun award. Mike Niblett shot great to win the Varmint for Score (VFS) Grand Agg, while finishing first at 200 yards and second at 100 yards. Mike’s impressive 500-39X Grand Agg total was just one point shy of the current IBS record. Kudos to Mr. Niblett! Dean Breeden won Hunter Class with Randy Jarvais in second — and that was also the result for the 2-Gun Grand Agg (Breeden first, Jarvais second).
Equipment Report
Among the Top 10 VFS shooters, nine shot a 30 BR, while the 10th campaigned an unidentified 30-caliber cartridge. Six of the Top 10 VFS shooters used Hodgdon H4198 powder, three used Vihtavuori N130, and one loaded with Hodgdon H322. Krieger barrels were used by five of the Top 10, with two Bruxes, two Liljas, and one Rock Creek. There were a wide variety of bullet choices. VFS Winner Mike Niblett used a Hillbilly 118-grainer while 2-Gun winner Dean Breeden used 115gr “10X” bullets in both his rifles (VFS and Hunter).
CLICK HERE to download Full Equipment List (XLS Spreadsheet)
Southerners Shine in Augusta
From a Maine perspective, every USA destination is south, but the true South was well represented in both number and quality of shooters. To illustrate, in the 100-yard leg of VFS class only one person north of the Mason/Dixon line was able to crack the top seven positions, and he had the home field advantage. For match One, five shooters shot 5X targets, but from then on it was the Jerry Powers show. Powers, from North Carolina, put together a string of three 5X targets before faltering with a 3X during match four. Undaunted, Powers finished strong with another 5X. He needed to, as his 23Xs were but one better than both Mike Niblett of Kentucky and Jim Cline of South Carolina.
Eight VFS Shooters Post 500-Point 100/200 Grand Aggregates
CLICK HERE for full Results (XLS Spreadsheet)
At the Capitol City Range, the 100-yard targets are downhill, while the 200-yard targets are near level with the benches. While the benches are covered there is little covered area aft for equipment in waiting. With the prospect of showers for the entire weekend, Club members rigged tarps, hoping to provide a dry haven if needed. For the most part, ‘Tarp City’ worked sufficiently well. Fortunately, after Friday’s rain, the remainder of the weekend was mostly free of any heavy precipitation.
Score Nationals competitors line up for the Rifle Weigh-In process. The blue tarps provided a little extra protection from the elements.
Thunder and Lightning, then Drizzle on Sunday
Although the weather was very nice while shooting the 100, shortly thereafter the sky opened up with an impressive display of thunder and lightning. Although that front passed, Sunday’s weather started as overcast with drizzle and showers, but no lightning. Winds started mild but as the day unfolded and the sun was able to break through, so did the wind — it became down right gnarly during some relays. The wind was gusty, and constant switching from 11:30 to 12:30 was problematic, creating vertical issues. Even so, nine shooters were able to shoot 250s at 200 yards on Sunday, all from the VFS class.
Tough Competition in Hunter Division
In IBS, Maine is the last stronghold of hunter classification shooters, thus it was no surprise that the Hunter class was the National’s largest in recent memory. At 100 yards, five Hunter shooters shot perfect 250s on Saturday. Dean Breeden nailed a 250-19X followed by Randy Jarvais with 250-18X. Third place went to K.L. Miller who out-dueled Peter Hills and Tim O’Mara who were the other two 6-power shooters to shoot the coveted 250.
In the 6-power Hunter class, the battle between Breeden and Jarvais continued on Sunday. Breeden started better and maintained a 2X lead through match three. Skip Plummer, a long-time 6-power shooter (with a very “stock”-locking rig), shot three straight 50-point targets (on targets 2, 3, and 4) to threaten the two leaders.
Breeden shot a 50-1X on his fifth and final 200-yard target and watched through his spotter, while Jarvais dropped one point on his very last shot for record at 200. The order of finish for the five-target, 200-yard leg was Breeden (249-6X), Jarvais (248-5X) and Plummer (247-8X). Sweeping both the 100- and 200-yard legs gave Breeden (499-25X) the Hunter Grand Agg with Jarvais (498-23X) placing second.
Breedan Wins 2-Gun Aggregate… Again
The 2-Gun is a recent award and as yet has been contested but a few times. That doesn’t diminish the feat that there has been but one winner of the award, Dean Breeden. Prior to match 5 on Sunday, Jarvais had the Xs to dethrone Breeden from the 2-gun award, but this is a score game. Match 5 is now a nightmare memory for Jarvais, losing the last shot with each gun. So close yet so far! Breeden on the other hand proved again why he is the competitor to beat. With all the chips on the table, Dean did what he needed to do — dropping just a single point in the entire match. Breedan finished with 999-50X (for both guns) to secure another 2-Gun title, followed by Randy Jarvais (997-55X) two points back. That was tough for Randy, but as Orland Bunker observed: “All the Xs in the world means nothing if you don’t have the points.”
Every Shooter Was a Winner
The Capitol City Rifle and Pistol Club offered a rich prize table. Thirty Benchrest vendors donated nearly $9000.00 worth of hardware and shooting supplies. That generosity allowed each shooter to receive a door prize. In addition, a Nightforce Competition scope was raffled off, with the proceeds earmarked for new concrete benches. Wyatt Fox of New Hampshire was the lucky winner of the Nightforce.
All shooters received a door prize. Lucky Wyatt Fox (above right) received a Nightforce scope.
October 1st, 2015
 The new, 37th Edition of the Gun Trader’s Guide has just been released. This fully-illustrated resource features current market values for thousands of rifles, pistols, and shotguns. This 37th Edition, now with over 1000 photographs, includes dozens of new entries added since the previous edition. Along with the Blue Blue of Gun Values, the Gun Trader’s Guide is one of the two definitive resources on gun prices. If you buy or sell firearms, the Gun Traders’ Guide is a must-have item that will pay for itself. Over two million copies of the Gun Trader’s Guide have been sold to date. Order soon to be one of the first to own the new 37th Edition. Amazon’s price is $23.24.
If you don’t want to lug the big book around, a Kindle (electronic) Edition of the 2014 Gun Trader’s Guide to Rifles is available for just $16.17. This 608-page eBook edition of the 2014 Guide can be viewed on a Kindle, iPad, laptop, or your home computer. This is handy if you want to access gun values at a gunshop, estate sale, or auction.
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September 30th, 2015
Here is the best deal we’ve ever seen on NRA Life Memberships. Read carefully — you not only get $100.00 off the price of an NRA Life Membership, but you get a SECOND Life Membership for FREE. That’s right, you can get TWO Life Memberships for $900.00 total (i.e. $450.00 each). NOTE: This is a limited-time offer good for one week. The two-for-one lifetime membership deal expires October 6, 2015. This is a great way to get a Life Membership for both you and your spouse.
Along with the Life Membership offer, the NRA is offering big savings on 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year memberships. For a limited time, a 5-year membership is now just $100.00. That works out to just $20.00 per year. Consider this, with your NRA membership you also get a free print magazine (American Rifleman, American Hunter, or 1st Freedom), and $2,500.00 worth of firearms insurance (activation required). Check it out:
NRA Members CLICK HERE to Activate Your Insurance
If you are an NRA member, you should activate your ArmsCare insurance right now. Don’t delay. Your NRA ArmsCare insurance won’t become effective until you activate it!
NRA Membership Offer Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome Reader Submissions.
September 30th, 2015
 2015 WSC Champion Bruce Piatt with $25,000 check. At right is Diana Muller, WSC women’s champion.
Bruce Piatt out-gunned 218 competitors to win the 2015 NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC), a 12-stage event that required mastery of all types of firearms. How did Piatt manage the win? Versatility. Unlike many top competitors who shoot one or two disciplines, over the past 30 years Piatt has shot anything (and everything) he could fit into his schedule. Piatt told reporters: “If it goes bang, you can count me in — whether it’s Sportsman’s Team Challenge, SOF Tactical, Precision Long Range, and Bianchi Cup — I’ll shoot anything.”
Piatt’s WSC performance earned him a $25,000 check from the NRA. Piatt has been noted for his ability to “break down” stages, creating a “plan of attack” that caters to his strengths. That ability gave Piatt a “winning edge” in the complex WSC match. Piatt out-shot many of the best action shooters in the world, including 2014 WSC champion SFC Daniel Horner of the USAMU, who finished second this year. Here are the Top 20 final standings. Note that Nightforce Optics Marketing Manager Sean Murphy finished eighth overall, pretty impressive for a fellow with a full-time job in the business world.
Bruce Piatt has won multiple world and national shooting titles. He is a 5-time Bianchi Cup National Champion and 5-time winner of the SOF World Tactical 3-Gun Championship. A former law enforcement officer, Piatt has won the USPSA Law Enforcement Division National Championship 20 times. Piatt is the founder of Bruce Piatt Training Concepts LLC, which offers Police, Military, and Civilian shooting instruction and pistol-smithing classes. For more information, visit www.BrucePiatt.com.
September 29th, 2015
Here’s 2014 F-TR National Champion James Crofts, with his PR&T-built rig.
Are you ready? The 2015 F-Class Nationals event is just three weeks away. The combined mid-range and long-range F-Class National Championships will be held October 23 – 31, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona.
CLICK HERE for 2015 F-Class National Championships Program and Entry Form.
For 2015, the Nationals will include both Mid-Range and Long-Range competitions. The NRA F-Class Mid Range National Championship will be held 23-27 October 2015. The F-Class Long Range National Championship then runs from October 27 through 31. The competition consists of two different Divisions: F- Open and F-TR (Target Rifle). Each Division is made up of five different Categories: High Master, Master, Expert, Sharpshooter and Marksman. There will also be a series of four-person team matches. The event is limited to 320 competitors maximum. All matches will be held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix.
You’ll see some serious hardware on the firing line at Ben Avery. Here’s a modern F-Open rig with a handsome maple stock. The gun, belonging to David Mann of Texas, shoots as good as it looks.
Under Two Inches at 500 Yards
To be competitive at the Nationals, one needs a tack-driving rifle and an ultra-accurate load. Shown below is one of Paul Phillips’s F-TR load development targets at 500 yards. The total 5-shot group size is under two inches. Impressive. That’s with 200gr Bergers, Varget powder, and large primer Lapua brass. Paul tell us: “The X-Ring is 5 inches at 1000 yards (equivalent to 2.5 inches at 500). We strive to be all in the X-Ring. However, wind is the big obstacle. A gust of wind can move you 1-2 feet away.”
F-Class National Championship Registration and Deadlines
Competitors must submit the official Registration & Entry Form (include NRA Membership ID#). Entries MUST be accompanied by check, money order or NRA Points. Make Check payable to Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club.
Fees are $375.00 for both Mid-Range and Long-Range matches (combined), or $200 for just one match only (either Mid-Range or Long-Range). Team Matches cost $60 per entry.
Mail Entry Forms and checks to:
Middleton Tompkins
P.O. Box 11684
Prescott, AZ 86304.
Phone: (928) 776-8576.
Entry Deadline: The deadline for entries is 6:00 PM Monday, 12 October 2015. Entries after this time are considered late entries and may be accepted to fill vacancies on existing relays only. An additional $20.00 will be charged for late entries, on top of the basic fees.
2014 F-Class Nationals Photos copyright Nightforce Optics, used with permission.
September 28th, 2015
At the request of our readers, we have launched a new “Deals of the Week” feature. If this proves popular, we’ll try to run this every Monday. 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. Bullets.com — Close-Out Sale on Manners Stocks
Bullets.com has slashed prices on a wide selection of Manners Composite Stocks. This are very strong, very high-quality stocks, ideal for precision tactical shooting. Above are three samples of stocks on sale. There are many more Manners stocks with Close-Out Sale pricing.
2. Midsouth Shooters Supply — Sierra Bullets and CFE 223 Powder
Are you a high-volume AR shooter? Then here are inexpensive name-brand projectiles, plus a powder that is ideal for loading the .223 Rem in an AR-15. (CFE 223 also works great for bolt-action .223 Rem rifles with various 50-70gr bullets). Get these deals at Midsouth Shooters Supply.
3. Sinclair International — Remington Model 7 Receivers $199.99
Need an inexpensive action for your next varmint rifle project? It’s hard to beat this deal — get a Remington Model 7 receiver for just $199.99. These may have surface blemishes but are otherwise sound. Note — this model does NOT include a trigger — but you’d probably want to add an aftermarket trigger in any case.
4. Cabelas.com — IMR 8-Lb Jugs of Powder on Sale
Need powder, lots of powder? Then head over to Cabelas.com. Right now Cabelas has deeply discounted 8-lb jugs of IMR powder, including the popular new, temp-stable Enduron powders (IMR 4166, 4451, 7977). For example, and 8-lb container of IMR 4451 has been marked down from $239.99 to $174.99, a 27% savings.
5. Eabco.com — AR-15 24″ Barrel on Sale
Need a barrel for your next black rifle project. Eabco.com has high-quality chambered AR-15 barrels for under $199.00 — that’s $50.00 off the regular $249.00 price. These 24″ stainless fluted 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem barrels are chambered and ready to install (some gunsmithing required.)
6. Stocky’s Stocks — Composite Rifle Stock
Here’s a killer deal on a versatile Stocky’s Long Range Stock with aluminum V-block bedding system. For just $199.99, order this for Rem/Rem Clone long actions or short actions, with either narrow or wide (varmint/tactical) barrel channel.
7. Natchez Shooters Supply — Rem UMC and Blazer Pistol Ammo
Natchez Shooters Supply has slashed prices on case-lots of Remington UMC pistol ammo, both 9mm and 40 S&W. In addition, you’ll find big savings on Blazer-brand pistol ammo.
8. Harbor Freight — 4-Drawer Workbench and Small Safe
Here are two impressive deals at Harbor Freight. The Windsor 60″-wide workbench is just $159.99 on sale. And, you can save $20.00 more with a Super Coupon — that knocks the price down to $139.99. (NOTE: After 9/28/2015 try Coupon ID #21969492 — that should be good through 10/31/15.) Likewise you can get a small rolling safe for just $99.99 with a Super Coupon.
How to use Harbor Freight super coupons online: On each coupon, underneath the bar code, is a series of digits — that is the Coupon Code. Use the first 8 digits of the Code.
Stocky’s Stocks deal tip from EdLongrange. We welcome readers’ submissions.
September 26th, 2015
Benchrest legend Tony Boyer finished fifth overall in the individual standings.
Congratulations to USA Team 2, which won the “battle of the nations” at the World Benchrest Championship. Team 2 members are: Lester Bruno, Wayne Campbell, Larry Costa, and Billy Stevens. Wayne Campbell also won the individual Championship, earning him the title of 2015 World Benchrest Champion. Wayne is now officially the best point-blank benchrester on the planet! We wish to acknowledge all the many competitors, from 24 nations, who attended this prestigious event.
Penalties and DQs
Other USA Teams might have finished in the top five, but there were some major mishaps at this event. USA Team 1 suffered a big penalty because of a 5-shot cross-fire at 200 yards. USA Team 3 was disqualified from the event due to a late shot after the “Cease Fire” command (DQ details below).
Here’s how the Teams Match ended up. USA Team 2 finished first, followed by three Australian squads, with Canada Team 1 finishing fifth:
 1. USA Team 2 – 0.2230 MOA
2. Australia Team 1 – 0.2441
3. Australia Team 3 – 0.2463
4. Australia Team 2 – 0.2635
5. Canada Team 1 – 0.2678
Wayne Campbell Wins WBC with 0.1866 Agg
But who is the individual World Benchrest Champion? That would be American Team member Wayne Campbell — a very popular result. Wayne shot a remarkable 0.1866 MOA Agg over the four-day event, combining 100- and 200-yard LV and HV matches. That shows you how accurate today’s Benchrest rifles can be (and the skill of the top shooters). Here are the top five individuals, all of whom Agg’d under 0.2100:
1. Wayne Campbell (USA) – 0.1866 MOA
2. Gene Bukys (USA) – 0.1973
3. Murray Hicks (Australia) – 0.2062
4. Larry Costa (USA) – 0.2087
5. Tony Boyer (USA) – 0.2095
The USA took four out of the Top Five individual spots. Living legend Tony Boyer proved he’s still got his stuff. Tony finished just .0033 off the podium, which saw Boyer protege Wayne Campbell in 1st place, Gene Bukys in second, and Australian Murray Hicks in third. The best of the two Great Britain Teams finished in 13th spot (out of 24 teams) with a 0.2998 MOA Agg. Top individual Brit was Bruce Lenton in 31st place with a very creditable 0.2666 MOA Agg.
Shooters from 24 nations competed at the 2015 World Benchrest Championship. Here Alexander Skuratov from Russia prepares ammo for a match.
DAY Four (Friday) Match Report
The fabulous St Louis weather was with us again for the last day and this is the first World Championship I can remember that didn’t have rain! Facilities at this fabulous Benchrest range are second to none and the event has run like the proverbial clockwork. That is a credit to the Club and its helpers and officials who have worked tirelessly for two weeks, as of course the NBRSA Nationals preceded the 2015 WBC.
Today, on the final day, Heavy Varmint rifles shot at 200 yards. Winds were again light, except for the odd relay but the top shooters again banged in those itty-bitty groups that the rest of us can only dream about. Just one non-American managed to sneak into the top five:
Friday Results, 200-Yard Heavy Varmint
1. Wayne Campbell (USA) – 0.1866 MOA
2. Gene Bukys (USA) – 0.1973
3. Murray Hicks (Australia) 0.2062
4. Larry Costa (USA) – 0.2087
5. Tony Boyer (USA) – 0.2095
Thursday DQ Drama — Disqualification and Penalty for American Teams
On Thursday, we had drama when one of the three USA Teams suffered a ten-inch penalty but such is the strength of American Benchrest that USA Team 1 members fought themselves back into contention. The ten-inch penalty was given when a USA Team 1 shooter fired all five shots on the wrong target at 200 yards. But, just as things were looking possible for an American 1, 2, 3 sweep, yet more drama occurred with the disqualification of USA Team 3! That’s right, the entire team was DQ’d as the result of a safety breach. Apparently, a USA Team 3 shooter fired AFTER the “Cease fire” command. That serious rule violation caused the disqualification.
September 24th, 2015
Photo from High Bridge Arms Facebook page.
This is a cautionary tale of what can happen when municipal governments are allowed to enact radical, restrictive gun laws…
San Francisco, California has over 850,000 residents*. But thanks to SF’s gun-phobic elected officials, you soon won’t be able to find a single store that sells guns and ammo within city limits. High Bridge Arms, San Francisco’s last remaining gun shop, announced it will be closing its doors in October. The reason is the threat of a new SF law requiring gun retailers to video-tape sales transactions and turn over private customer data to the city. This proposed city ordinance goes way beyond existing state and Federal background check requirements.
“Big Brother” is alive and well in the “city by the Bay”. According to Guns.com, San Francisco Supervisor Ken Farrell introduced a municipal ordinance requiring gun vendors to video-tape gun/ammo sales transactions and deliver buyer/firearms data to police every week. Gun shop owners would be required to “hand over personal information to include names, addresses and birth dates to city officials in conjunction with gun and ammo sales.”
Given the threat of this draconian new city law, High Bridge Arms, San Francisco’s last remaining gun store, announced it would cease operations next month. Posting on Facebook, High Bridge’s owner declared: “We are closing our shop. For many reasons I cannot get into at this moment, it appears our final days will be through to the end of October of 2015.” It is not known whether High Bridge Arms will re-locate to a different location outside San Francisco city limits.
San Francisco-based Top Shot Champion Chris Cheng says the closure of High Bridge Arms will only encourage the anti-gun politicians who run the city: “With High Bridge moving out, it will be interesting to see what will happen to legislation the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering which would require video-taping gun and ammunition sales, and sharing ammo sales data with SFPD. My guess is that even with High Bridge closing by the time they vote on this, they will pass it in the hopes to keep any future gun shops from trying to open in the future.”
High Bridge Arms has a long history in San Francisco. Serving sport shooters as well as city law enforcement personnel, High Bridge has operated in the same Mission Street location since the mid-1950s when Olympic shooter and gunsmith Bob Chow opened the shop. In 1988, Andy Takahashi bought the business from Mr. Chow.
*The U.S. Census Bureau estimates San Francisco’s population at 852,469 as of July 1, 2014. San Francisco photo by Creative Commons License, attribution Bernard Gagnon.
September 23rd, 2015
Report by Vince Bottomley, Target Shooter Magazine
The 2015 World Benchrest Championships (WBC) kicked off yesterday at the St. Louis Benchrest Club Range (located in Wright City, northwest of St. Louis). The World Benchrest Championships, the premier event in the short-range Benchrest universe, is held every two years on a different continent. This is the third time that the USA has hosted the event.
Competitors from 24 Countries Vie for Benchrest Honors
This is a true “World Championship” — teams from 24 nations are competing at the WBC this week. Although America can claim to have invented the sport of Benchrest shooting it is perhaps the most ‘worldly’ of centerfire shooting disciplines with 30 countries now affiliated to the World Benchrest Shooting Federation.
Countries may enter more than one Team and the ‘big’ Benchrest nations such the USA and Australia will send three teams (of four shooters). Although a team event, there is no wind coaching and members shoot as individuals. As well as team medals there are individual awards — the World Benchrest Shooting Champion will be crowned.
Light Varmint and Heavy Varmint Rifles
The WBC is a group-shooting competition contested over two yardages: 100 and 200 yards and with two weights of rifle – the Light Varmint weighing 10.5 pounds and the Heavy Varmint at 13.5 pounds. Years ago, the heavy guns were the more accurate but now there is little if any difference and many competitors will just use a Light Gun for both Classes, though some will switch to a heavy barrel.
Day One Results — An Aussie Leads with 0.1597 Agg
The St Louis range is impressive to say the least but two days of practice have confirmed that wind and mirage are waiting to catch the unwary.
After an 8:00 am start on Day One for the 100-yard Light Varmint (LV) class, veteran Aussie shooter Paul Sullivan took the individual win with a fantastic 0.1597 Aggregate (the average of five, 5-shot groups). Nipping at Sullivan’s heels were two American Hall-of-Famers, Tony Boyer and Gene Bukys. Here are the Top Five so far:
1. Paul Sullivan (Australia): 0.1597
2. Tony Boyer (USA): 0.1748
3. Gene Bukys (USA): 0.1765
4. Murray Hicks (Australia): 0.1811
5. Alain Beaumont (France): 0.1887
Next up, on September 23, the Heavy Varmint guns come out – still at 100 yards. The WBC continues through Saturday, September 26, with team events Wednesday through Friday and the Individual World Championship on Saturday, followed by award presentations.
With so many competitors, the Loading Room was crowded…
Map to St. Louis Benchrest Club Range in Wright City, MO.
Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis
2280 Kohn Rd.
Wright City, MO 63390
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