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December 25th, 2014
 Holiday Greetings to Our Readers
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our readers and especially our 26,480+ Forum Members. This marks our tenth Christmas “in business”, and the site is stronger than ever thanks to our members and industry sponsors. AccurateShooter.com (and 6mmBR.com) are now accessed by over 150,000 unique users every week. Part of the reason for that success is the hard work of our volunteer helpers.
Unsung Heroes Deserve Recognition
I want to acknowledge some guys who have really helped out the site. Number one is JayChris, our IT guy — he keeps the servers running smoothly and maintains our Forum. We just updated the Forum software this week and Jay pulled that off without a hitch. Thanks also go to Jeff Williams, our “Answerman” who fields miscellaneous questions from our readers. We have a great place to test rifles thanks to our good buddy (and designated trigger-puller) Joe Friedrich. I also want to recognize our regular contributors, including German Salazar, Jason Baney, Robert Whitley, Mark LaFevers, and Vince Bottomley. And special thanks to Boyd Allen and EdLongRange who tirelessly supply story leads for the Daily Bulletin. These guys (and many others) have all contributed much time and effort.
You can download this photo as a FREE computer wallpaper from Wallpaperhere.com.
We also want to thank our major sponsors, without whose support the site could not provide the full AccurateShooter.com experience, with an active Forum, an archive of in-depth articles, and fresh content 365 days a year in our Daily Bulletin. We’re grateful to all our sponsors and advertisers.
December 25th, 2014
What do you get when you combine red Cerakote and barrel fluting? Well, a candy-cane AR barrel — just in time for the holidays. This unique barrel was created by Black Hole Weaponry in St. Helens Oregon. No this is not a Photoshop job. This barrel is really finished this way (as you can see in the close-up). Thanks to Anette Wachter, aka 30 Cal Gal, for finding this festive firearm fitting.
December 24th, 2014
We recently featured the “Hornady Number One”, a showcase rifle featureing a CAD-designed, machine-cut stock. While many viewers liked that one-of-a-kind Hornady rifle, others lamented the absence of hand-shaped curves on the Hornady’s angular stock. So, for fans of curvy, hand-crafted rifles, we’re presenting this homage to a truly great stock-maker, Doan Trevor, an artist in the old style.
Doan Trevor is a master gunsmith and stock-maker who works in the old style. He still hand-crafts stocks from start to finish, and does all the metal-work on the custom rifles he builds. Starting with highly-figured woods, Doan carves and shapes his stocks largely by hand, with meticulous attention to detail. Each rifle he builds is optimized for its intended discipline, and custom-fitted for the customer.
With the help of his talented wife Sue (who does the photography and builds the web pages), Doan has created a wonderful website, DoanTrevor.com, that is a feast for the eyes. You can see beautiful wood-stocked rifles being hand-crafted. Doan also illustrates how he creates custom metal parts, and how he beds barreled actions into the finished stocks.
Set aside a few minutes and visit Doan’s website. Be sure to click on the site’s secondary pages: Rifle Building, Woodworking, and Metalworking. You’ll find dozens of high-quality photos and fascinating information on gun-building.
For more information, visit DoanTrevor.com, or call (505) 890-0368, 10am-5pm M-F.
Doan Trevor RifleBuilding
4119 Lanceleaf Ct NW
Albuquerque, NM 87114
505-890-0368
December 22nd, 2014
Hornady Manufacturing has created its first-ever rifle. Well, kind of, sort of, maybe…. In actuality, Hornady hired Bill Wiseman & Company to craft the barrel and action and Hornady commissioned Lucid Solutions (Clem Boyd) to build the stock. But the Hornady name IS now engraved on the side of a rifle receiver and that does represent a genuine first. This one-of-a-kind rifle, serial number “H-001″, is a bolt-action hunter, chambered for the .300 RCM cartridge. The historic “Hornady Number One” rifle has two (2) stocks — a highly figured walnut stock plus a second camo-pattern Hogue synthetic stock. So this rifle is not just a safe queen — it was designed to work in the field as well.
This “Hornady Number One” rifle was commissioned as the featured 2015 SHOT Show Gun. It will be displayed in Las Vegas and auctioned on Gunbroker.com. As of December 22, the bid price was already over $14,525 with 45 bidders. The action and bottom metal is elaborately engraved by Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut. “We’ve had the privilege of designing and engraving more than a dozen SHOT Show rifles, shotguns, handguns and knives but it’s a unique privilege to be asked to help craft the Hornady Number One”, said David Baron.
Not Just a Beauty Queen, This Rifle Can Shoot
Bill Wiseman & Company, of College Station, Texas crafted the barrel and action for this special rifle. This outfit is the leading producer of test receivers/barrels for the firearms industry. About the Hornady project gun, Bill Wiseman commented: “Our Wiseman barrels have earned a bit of a reputation for accuracy. Now I guess there will be at least one other rifle out there as accurate as our Texas Safari rifles.” The 24-inch blued barrel is fluted and fitted with a muzzle brake. Thus far, the gun has shown impressive accuracy. Three test-firings of the “Hornady Number One” using 180-grain SST, 165-grain GMX and 150-grain SST Hornady cartridges produced groups between ¼” and ½” at 100 meters.
About the Stocks
“Hornady Number One” is equipped with two separate custom-fitted stocks, one for shooting and one for display. A very special select American Walnut stock was selected, fitted and checkered by Clem Boyd of Lucid Mfg. Systems & Solutions (Mitchell, SD). Boyd’s challenge was to design a functional walnut wooden stock that would frame the beauty of the Wiseman barreled-action. Several weeks of design went into a Solidworks 3-D CAD model before the group made any CNC machine cuts. The stock was produced from a XXX walnut blank grown in the Great American Heartland and selected for the vertical-line color pattern. The stock shape incorporates the natural hex design of the receiver.
The trademark Hornady name was inlaid into the stock using African Padauk wood wafers. Padauk was also used for red-tone grip cap and butt pad spacers.
Oops. Someone mounted the Leupold scope incorrectly. The diopter marks should be TDC, meaning the scope should be rotated 90° clockwise.
The Lucid stock design repeats the hexagon features in the forearm, allowing a wide forearm floor to aid in bench rest practice. The stock features a distinctive 13.5° linear checkering pattern on the grip and side panels. A custom aluminum bedding block supports the barreled action. Recoil is absorbed through a 1″ black recoil pad. Three swivel studs provide multiple options for carry and tripod use.
Auction Details and Extras
The GunBroker.com auction will conclude at 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Friday, January 23, 2015, the last day of the 2015 SHOT Show. During the Show, the rifle will be displayed at the GunBroker.com booth in a custom glass and walnut display case. In keeping with SHOT Show tradition, this 2015 SHOT Show rifle will be auctioned on GunBroker.com. At its current $14.5K bid price, “Hornady Number One” has a ways to go before it sets a record. The all-time record SHOT Show auction price was $136,014.00 set in 2013. To complement the Hornady package, the gun will be delivered with a case of Hornady .300 RCM ammo, with each box signed by Hornady President, Steve Hornady. In addition, the high bidder will receive a signed Letter of Authenticity from Hornady Manufacturing.
December 22nd, 2014
Story based on Report by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog.com
NRAstore merchandise buyer Brian Evans has a list of his best-selling products, based on online sales. In ascending order, the Top 5 best-selling products for this 2014 holiday season are:
5) Critical Food Supply – The Critical Food Supply ($134.95) provides 56 nutritious meal servings in an easy-to-transport bin. Perfect for emergencies, varieties include chili macaroni and tortilla soup.
4) Concealed Carry Hooded Sweatshirt – Developed exclusively for the NRAstore, this CCW Hooded Sweatshirt has a discrete compartment for carry pistols. This $59.95 hoody is the only product of its kind, according to the NRAStore.
3) Concealed Carry Denim Jacket – Made in the USA, this $84.95 denim jacket is specially engineered with CCW features for NRA members.
2) Concealed Carry Handbag – This $149.95 leather handbag features a discreet, lockable side compartment that securely holsters a self-defense handgun. (Available colors: red, cognac, and black.)
And the #1-Selling item is the NRA Handgunner Backpack
The Handgunner Backpack ($119.95) features a slide-out, four gun cradle, with pockets for ammo and other range gear. Measuring 17″ wide, 22″ high and 9″ deep, the pack has plenty of room for 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.
December 21st, 2014
What do you get for the shooter “who has everything”? How about a custom-crafted, laser-engraved ammo display case. Technoframes produces a series of ultra-sleek Ammo display units, and high-tech pistol racks. The CNC-machined display boxes, fitted to your choice of cartridge, look great. There are many varieties to choose from, including wood, metal, and plexiglass. We like the fact that many of the boxes are lockable.
 
 
Technoframes’ impressive billet-aluminum pistol racks, with magazine-style gun holders (fitted with Neodymium magnets in their bases) put ordinary plastic or wire-framed racks to shame.
Last but not least, Technoframes also makes a plexiglass-sided gun transport box and a double-tiered, two-pistol/six-magazine gun display box with removable inner tray. These units look like they were produced by “M” for James Bond.
Technoframes is the world’s leading producer of high-end CNC-machined ammo and handgun storage solutions. Along with display cases, Technoframes offers Snap Caps and historical replica ammunition. For more info, visit Technoframes.com.
December 18th, 2014
 The Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) has renounced the use of its name and scoring system in conjunction with hunting programs that use captive deer and elk. “With the growth of the deer breeding and shooting industry, and modern marketing and selling of ‘shooter bucks’ raised in captivity and graded and sold using B&C scores, it was time to make this unauthorized use of our scoring system more widely known,” said B&C club president William A. Demmer.
The Idaho Statesman agrees: “The Boone and Crockett Club has reinforced its heritage as a conservation organization by banning the use of its name and scoring system for captive deer and elk advertised for or killed in canned hunts. It’s the right call for the club and an important step to separate trophy, free-ranging big-game animals taken by hunters under fair-chase conditions from captive animals manipulated to grow large antlers and shot in a controlled, captive environment.”
For nearly 100 years Boone and Crockett’s record books and B&C scores have been considered the gold standard for evaluating and verifying the trophy quantity of wild, native North American big game taken under fair chase conditions. With this resolution, ratified at Boone and Crockett’s 127th annual meeting this month, B&C is taking a firm stand against captive game hunting programs:
The Boone and Crockett Club scoring system exists to document the successful conservation of wild game animals in North America. The Boone and Crockett Club objects to and rejects any use of or reference to the Boone and Crockett Club or its scoring system in connection with antlers/horns grown by animals in captivity.
Through this official resolution, the Club reaffirms that no one is authorized to exploit this standard by using the B&C scoring system, name or logo in connection with captive animals. The Club strictly opposes any attempt to legitimize the trophy quality of pen-raised animals or put and take shooting operations by associating either with the Boone and Crockett Club.
About Boone and Crockett Club Scoring
The Boone and Crockett Club’s records program was established in 1906 as a way of detailing species once thought headed for extinction. In response to public interest generated by B&C’s National Collection of Heads and Horns in the 1920s, and increased hunting by the general public, the Club established an official measurement and scoring system for trophy big game. The National Collection and the measurement system were initially conceived to record species of North American big game thought to be vanishing. Club Members and others in the scientific community soon recognized that the system was an effective means of tracking the success of new conservation policies. Today, the B&C scoring system is used to collect data on free-ranging big game. These data reflect successful conservation efforts, population health and habitat quality. Biologists compare and contrast records to improve local management strategies as well as state and federal wildlife policies.
December 17th, 2014
Can a human being, hand-holding a rifle, out-shoot a mechanical test rest? Who would win in this battle between man and machine? You might just be surprised. At 600 yards, with an AR-platform rifle, the results can be remarkably close, based on targets provided by the USAMU. When clamped in a test rig, a USAMU M16A2 produced a 200-18X group with handloads. The USAMU says this was “one of our better 20-shot groups at 600 yards, testing ammo from a machine rest”. Can a human do better?
Remarkably, a human soldier came very close to matching the group shot from the machine rest. The photo below shows a 20-shot group shot by a USAMU marksman with sling and iron sights, using USAMU-loaded ammunition. The score, 200-16X, was nearly the same. As you can see, the USAMU rifleman didn’t give up much to the machine rest, even at 600 yards!
In fairness, this was no ordinary human performance. The 200-16X score was a new National Record set in December, 1994. This was fired by PFC Coleman in an Interservice Match at Okeechobee, Florida. Nice shootin’ soldier!
December 14th, 2014
 AccurateShooter.com offers dozens of FREE, printable targets for target practice, load development, and fun shooting. We also offer a few of the most popular NRA Bullseye targets. One or more of these printable targets should work for most training purposes. However, some readers have asked: “Where can we get the real targets… exactly like the ones used in NRA, IBS, and NBRSA shooting matches?”
Sources for Official Shooting Competition Targets
Here are seven (7) sources for official match targets:
ALCO Target Company, American Target Company, Kruger Premium Targets, National Target Company, Orrville Printing, Pistoleer.com, and U.S. Target Company.
All these vendors carry nearly all the NRA High Power and Smallbore targets, including the new, smaller F-Class targets. Germany’s Kruger Targets sells all the important NRA targets, and international (ISSF) air rifle and smallbore targets too.
Orrville Printing currently sell IBS targets for rimfire (50 yard) benchrest, short-range centerfire Benchrest (100, 200, 300 yards), Hunter BR Rifle (100, 200, 300 yards), plus the official 600-yard and 1000-yard IBS targets. National Target Company also has most of the IBS targets. NBRSA short-range, 600-yard, and 1000-yard benchrest targets are available directly from the NBRSA Business Office. Call (307) 655-7415 to order for the season.
| Available Official Competition Targets |
| Vendor |
NRA High Power |
F-Class |
NRA Smallbore |
Air Rifle/Pistol |
IBS |
NBRSA |
Other |
ALCO Target
Company |
Yes, All |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Archery, IDPA, IPSC, Police, Realistic, Shoot-N-C, Silhouette, Fun Targets, Pasters. |
American Target
Company |
Yes, All |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
No |
No |
USBR, Sight-in, Muzzle-Loading, Police Silhouette |
Kruger Premium
Targets |
Yes, All |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
No |
No |
IDPA, IPSC, Animal Shapes, ISSF, Sight-in, Fun Targets |
National Target
Company |
Yes, Nearly All |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
Yes* |
No |
IDPA, IPSC, FBI, Police Silhouette, Sight-in, Target Backers, Pasters |
| Pistoleer.com |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, most and color training |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Bianchi, FBI, IBS, IDPA, IPSC, Silhouette, Archery, Pasters |
| U.S. Target, Inc. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
No |
No |
Bianchi, FBI, Police Silhouette, IPSC, Realistic Silhouette, Varmint |
ALCO Target Co., Ph: (626) 358-4814, 2048 Central Ave., Duarte, CA 91010
American Target Co., Ph: (877) 733-0433, 1328 South Jason St., Denver, CO 80223
Kruger Premium Targets (USA Sales), Ph: (503) 746-6816, 125 W. Main St., Hillsboro, OR 97123
National Target Co., Ph: (800) 827-7060, 3958-D Dartmouth Ct., Frederick, MD 21703
Orrville Printing Co., Ph: (330) 682-5066, 1645 N. Main St., Orrville, OH 44667
Pistoleer.com, Ph: (618) 288-4588, 12 Schiber Court, Maryville, IL 62062
U.S. Target Inc., Ph: (800) 746-6836, 16472 Common Rd., Roseville, MI 48066
December 13th, 2014
 Headed to SHOT Show in January? Then you should download the FREE SHOT Show Mobile App. Available for iOS (Apple), and Android OS devices, this App will really make it easier to plan your SHOT Show schedule, and navigate the floor of the Sands Convention Center. (There’s even a web-based app for Blackberry and Windows devices.) Learn more about the App at SHOTmobile.com.
GET FREE Apple (iOS) App
GET FREE Android OS App
Handy Interactive Map
The App includes an interactive map that can direct you from your current location to your next destination. Arrange your meetings with a handy scheduling calendar. And you can search for any SHOT exhibitor by name or product category. In addition, the App lists major show events as well as important new products.
The Free SHOT Show App lets you do some very cool things with your smartphone. You can contact exhibitors directly through the App to request appointments or callbacks. You can take notes while visiting a vendor’s booth or attending a seminar. Of course you can schedule your agenda, and see an entire day’s events in a glance. But perhaps the best function of all is the “Smart Route”. This allows you to create the most efficient point to point route from one booth location to another.
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