Guns & Ammo (G&A) recently ranked all the U.S. States (plus District of Columbia) in terms of their “gun-friendliness”. G&A looked at the freedoms available to gun owners in each jurisdication, as well as restrictions on specific types of firearms. States were ranked according to five categories: Right to Carry, Semi-Auto Rifles, NFA Rights, Castle Doctrine, and Miscellaneous. Each category has up to 10 points, for a maximum of 50 points. The NFA category relates to the availability of suppressors, short-barreled rifles/shotguns, and full-auto rifles, regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934. The Castle Doctrine is a legal principle that allows a person to use force in the defense of his home.
Arizona Was the Top-Rated State for Gun Owners
So which state came out on top as the most “gun-friendly” of all? The top-rated state was Arizona, with 49 points. Second-best was Alaska, followed by Georgia in third place. Not surprisingly, the worst jurisdiction was the District of Columbia. The worst actual state was New York, while neighboring New Jersey was the next worst. CLICK HERE to See All State Rankings.
Separately, Guns & Ammo interviewed dozens of gun owners at the 2014 NRA Annual Meeting. You can hear what these folks had to say in the G&A Interview video below:
Richard Schatz, the “Duke of Dashers”, has done it again. Just look at that group! Believe it or not, that is five shots at 600 yards. There are four shots in one ragged hole, with one a bit to the right. The group, initially measured at between 0.402″ and 0.410″, is very close to an IBS World Record. Assuming (on the high side) that that group measures 0.410″, that works out to 0.065 MOA. Wow.
Schatz, a past IBS 600-yard National Champion, shot this group in a Heavy Gun relay on May 18, 2014 at the Columbus Sportsman’s Association range in Columbus, Wisconsin. Richard was using his trusty 6mm Dasher, a 17-lb Light Gun that he has been shooting for years. His ultra-accurate load consisted of 103gr Spencer Bullets pushed by Varget and CCI 450 primers. The Lapua brass had recently been annealed and he batched his record rounds “by feel” based on the force needed to seat the bullets.
Richard said the group involved a good bit of luck, and perfect timing. The conditions were generally “switchy and difficult” at the match. However, in one Heavy Gun relay, Richard said “the wind flags just dropped straight down at the end of the sighter period. It’s like the range went dead.” Richard had windage on his scope so he just held off to correct for the calm. “I didn’t guess the hold-off correctly”, Richard admitted, “that’s why the shots ended up at the edge of the 9 Ring.”
Twenty Seconds of Near-Perfect Shooting
Richard got his five record rounds down range in about 20 seconds. He can shoot faster but, given the exceptional conditions, he took a little more time to aim: “Because the flags dropped and conditions stayed calm, I slowed down a little. I made more of a deliberate attempt to shoot a small group — a conscious effort to aim more precisely. Normally I’ll try to shoot the quickest I can get the dot close to the center of the X. I was trying to be a little more precise this time.”
Whatever Richard did, it sure worked. That’s a spectacular group — one of the smallest ever shot at 600 yards. Richard, a modest guy, credited the group to good conditions, and good luck: “Like I always say ‘the wind can blow ‘em in just as easy as it blows ‘em out’.” Richard says this rifle, with the current Krieger barrel, can typically put five shots in about two inches at 600 yards, in calm, stable conditions.
Very Close to an IBS Heavy Gun Record
The current IBS 600-yard, five-shot Heavy Gun group record is 0.404″, set by John Lewis in 2008. This recent group by Richard Schatz is very, very close to that mark. At Columbus, Wisconsin, four different measurers examined Richard’s group on May 18th. The four measurements were: 0.402″, 0.403″, 0.410″, and 0.409″ (see photo). Whether or not this is a new record will be determined by the IBS official measurement committee to which the target is being submitted. It’s worth mentioning that Richard Schatz currently holds the IBS 600-yard Heavy Gun score record, with a value of 50 points (and 0.634″ tie-breaker).
Rifle Specifications:
Nesika Action
Krieger 1:8″ twist barrel, 27″ length, 0.236″ bore
Chambered for 6mm Dasher with 0.272″ neck and 0.104″ Freebore
Shehane “Baby Tracker” stock
Nightforce 8-32x56mm NSX Scope
Load Specifications:
Clay Spencer 103gr bullets
Lapua 6mmBR brass (formed to Dasher)
Cases skim-turned for .0035 total clearance
Hodgdon Varget powder, 32.2 grains
CCI 450 primers
Muzzle Velocity 2980 FPS
What’s more fun that a barrel of monkeys? Well a barrel of ammo of course. Here’s an item for the man who has everything, or maybe the prepper who needs enough 5.56x45mm ammo to defeat a horde of zombies, plus their undead friends and relatives. For a mere $5999.99 you can get a barrel containing 12,500 rounds of Federal 5.56x45mm 62gr “Green Tip” ammunition. No joke — this is a real item offered for sale by Grafs.com. When you’re not shooting, your ammo barrel can do double duty as a handy side-table in your living room or man-cave. Just the thing to hold a plate of snacks and your favorite beverage.
In all seriousness, this is impressive Mil-Spec FMJ ammunition right off the production line. The 62-grain green-tipped bullets feature a hardened steel penetrator core. The boxer-primed cases are fully reloadable (though the miltary primer crimps would have to be removed). The ammo is delivered in a heavy-duty steel drum, with steel clamp-on lid with rubber seal. Each container is plastic-lined and packed (from the factory) with dessicant pouches for long term storage.
NOTE: In some jurisdictions there may be restrictions on this product (based on the quantity of rounds or other factors). Check your local laws and regulations.
To be honest, we’re not sure how we feel about the whole zombie-theme marketing efforts in the gun industry. However, if you’re into green-tipped bullets, and blasting replicas of the undead, then get ready for the biggest Zombie-themed shooting match of the year. Hornady’s epic Zombie in the Heartland Pandemic is two weeks away. This event will take place May 30 – June 1, 2014 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. The Pandemic traditionally has a rich prize table worth over $150,000. Prize include pistols, rifles, shotguns, scopes, AR uppers, gun parts, and gear of all kinds. Get more info (and watch videos from last year) at www.ZombiesintheHeartland.com.
Thanks to Hornady and other sponsors, the Pandemic is a veritable theme park for shootists, with many fun stages and innovative targets. Many new and reactive zombie targets have been developed specifically for this match. The use of paper zombie targets has been minimized. Shotguns, rifles and handguns will be used on most stages.
In 2013, there were 10 Competitive Stages and 5 Sidematch Stages. Match directors expect at least the same number of stages for Pandemic 2014. Each presents a different shooting challenge, and a different threat. View the Zombie Guide Page for general information and firearms classifications.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will award $100,000 in grants to public and private colleges for start-ups of new target-shooting clubs and teams. Up to $10,000 will be awarded to each qualifying school. Schools receiving grants range from large universities to community colleges. In the last grant session, 20 colleges received program start-up funding, including the University of Colorado at Boulder, North Idaho College, Slippery Rock University, Concordia College, Middlebury College and Wichita State University, to name several.
The grants are provided through NSSF’s Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative, which has assisted more than 75 schools with building competitive and recreational shooting programs through more than $1 million in support. The program is credited with helping to spur growth in collegiate target shooting across the country.
Successful target shooting programs have developed from modest beginnings — sometimes involving just several enthusiastic students, a dedicated coach and the NSSF grant. “Students and coaches provide the passion, NSSF provides the seed funding,” said NSSF Manager of Shooting Promotions Zach Snow.
Visit www.nssf.org/college to learn about grant opportunities for college shotgun, rifle or pistol teams/clubs. The NSSF also offers a PDF Brochure on Establishing a Collegiate Shooting Program. This includes sample By-laws and Rules.
25,000+ members and counting! The AccurateShooter.com Shooters’ Forum hit a major milestone on May 18, 2014. We surpassed 25,000 registered members. If you have considered joining our Forum, but haven’t done so yet, there’s no better time than now.
As a Shooters’ Forum member, you can exchange ideas with other serious shooters. Sell your gear through our FREE Forum Classifieds. You can get valuable advice on shooting and reloading from top shooters such as National Champions Larry Bartholome, Sam Hall, and Derek Rodgers. Get long-range advice from Ballistics Guru Bryan Litz and past F-Class Team Captain Shiraz Balolia. As well, many top tool-makers and barrel-makers visit the Forum regularly, such as Dave Kiff (PT&G), Frank Green (Bartlein Barrels), and John Perkins (21st Century Shooting).
Benefits for Registered Shooters’ Forum Members
FREE Classified Ads for Forum Members.
Forum Members Get Advanced Notice of Special Offers.
Specialty Sub-boards for Reloading and Gunsmithing.
Gear Talk Section with Hundreds of User Gear Evaluations.
Special Area for Varmint and Game Hunters.
Leading Accuracy Forum with High “Signal to Noise Ratio”.
Here’s “feel-good” story for Monday. The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has handed out $160,000 in scholarship awards to graduating high school students who are active shooters. It’s great to see this kind of support for the next generation of marksmen.
Report By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer/Editor
In mid-April, Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) board members and staff sifted through a slew of CMP scholarship applications to determine which young scholar marksmen would receive CMP support for the coming academic year. After careful review, the CMP awarded monetary donations to over half of its scholarship applicants.
A total of 233 applications were received by CMP Headquarters for the 2014-2015 term – the most in the scholarship’s history. With 194 accepted and 160 awarded, the CMP granted a total of $160,000 from its scholarship fund. The $1,000 CMP Scholarships are available to graduating high school JROTC, 4-H, and other junior shooting club members.
Scholarship committee members review applications. Boxes upon boxes of applications were considered carefully to determine who would receive the $1,000 scholarships.
Click photo for full-screen image suitable for desktop wall-paper.
Field Report by Jeff Stover, IBS President
In IBS-land you know that spring has sprung when the Memorial Shoot at Weikert, PA comes along. This year was the 28th edition which honors the memories of Nate Boop and Rich Altemus. These two gentlemen started the benchrest program at the Union County Sportsmen’s Club. This is one of the finest ranges you will find anywhere in the country. Both the range itself and its setting are world-class.
This year 42 shooters hit the benches at the Weikert range. Saturday’s 100-yard targets were shot in somewhat tricky, but shootable conditions — attested by four teen Aggs. Shooters enjoyed the readable conditions on Saturday but the 200-yard stage on Sunday was another matter — with strong breezes that switched on a thin dime. Red with tails out for 10 seconds, then green with tails out for 8 seconds. Then there was a nice mix of both — with tails erect all around. Some of us love to shoot tailwinds, which were there for a few fleeting moments. But there is a lot of target real estate — over an inch — between a tailwind with a wee bit of green and a tiny smidge of red.
Though Weikert is a gorgeous range, it has one drawback. The central Pennsylvania countryside only allowed for an east-facing range. So, on a sunny day, the first three targets or so are shot with most shooters hanging blue tarps from the range roof to block the sun. This works well and does not inhibit small groups.
Curtis Nelson lines up for first shot, with blue tarp sun shade in place.
The Light Varmint 100-yard stage looked to be all Harley Baker, one of the newest inductees into the U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame. Harley arrives at any match with impeccably prepared equipment tuned to a knife’s edge. He is tough to beat at any range. He was cruising to yet another Agg win, with Smiley Hensley pretty far behind. To finish off with a flourish, Harley nailed a very nice .190 on his last target.
Many times at the last match of an Aggregate, shooters will banter, “last chance to be a hero”. It is so trite as to not get much reaction from the line. Well, some days a hero does emerge. Smiley shot a .071″ group in Match 5 to win the LV 100 Aggregate with a .1902. Harley settled for a flat .2 and second place. Smiley may have won the battle, but not the war, as we shall see.
Most Shooters Use 10.5-pounders Even in Heavy Varmint Class
In the Heavy Varmint class shooters could be shouldering a 13.5-pound rifle. Most, however, stick to their 10.5-pound Sporters (a Light Varmint rifle with a 6mm bore) for an entire weekend. Many times in the loading area you’ll hear, “what are we shooting?” Yes, there a few shooters that will pull out a favored “real” Heavy Varmint, but that is pretty rare these days.
The competition in Heavy Varmint 100 was pretty fierce. Small groups were shot. Teen Aggs were possible. Al Auman shot a fine .1808 to win the Agg. Other Aggregates under 0.2 were shot by Harley Baker (.1950) and master accuracy gunsmith Sid Goodling (.1990).
First Time’s a Charm for Troy Twist. Benchrest Novice Shoots 0.126″ Group.
Shooting a .126 group would make any Benchrest shooter happy. If you accomplish that feat the very first time you ever shot a bench rifle, and in a real match to boot, then you have Troy Twist’s story.
Troy works with Dale Boop and was always talking guns. Dale convinced Troy to show up for the 100-yard stage and Dale let Troy shoot one of Dale’s rifles. Troy performed like a champ, drilling a 0.126″ group — not too bad for a rookie! Nothing like a small group to get a new shooter interested in our game.
Sunday was beautiful with sunny skies and pleasant temps. The wind was another matter. The Heavy Varmint 200-yard stage was conquered by Harley Baker with a .2689 Aggregate. No Match 5 heroes emerged to take away another Agg win from Harley. The only other Aggregate under 0.3 was posted by Jeff Peinhardt. Jeff is a newer shooter that is making a name for himself in Benchrest. Finishing off the top three in the Agg was Wayne Shaw. Wayne is sometimes more associated with score shooting, but he is a top-flight group shooter as well.
The afternoon was set for Light Varmint 200 while the kaleidoscope of rapidly-changing flag colors continued. Jeff Stover led the way with a .2602 Agg. He tried to shoot whatever tail wind was available, and do it as fast as possible. Jeff got away with this sometimes dangerous tailwind strategy for four targets; on the fifth he was not burned as bad as he might have been. Closing in towards the end was Russell Rains with a .2904. Canadian Andy Laidlaw snuck into third place with a .2937 with the only remaining Aggregate under 0.3.
Andy Laidlaw from Canada loads between stages.
In the overall 2-Gun, Harley Baker was the class of the field with a .2466 for twenty targets. Stover followed with a rather distant .2791. Steady Kent Harshman finished close behind with a .2833. Interestingly, both Stover and Harshman were shooting pull-down 8208 powder (from the Vietnam War era) rather than Vihtavuori 133 or the new kid on the block, Accurate Powder LT-32.
Two-Gun Top 3: Kent Harshman (Third), Harley Baker (Winner), Jeff Stover (Second).
Moving backers are used in 100/200/300 yard benchrest competition.
Dale and Russ Boop, shown above, are the sons of Nate Boop, in whose honor this Match has been held for 28 straight years. The Brothers Boop have been shooting Benchrest since they were little kids. Russ is in the Benchrest Hall of Fame and Dale is currently only two points out.
Father and Son Team — The Peinhardts
Jeff Peinhardt from Quarryville, PA owns PR2 Racing Technology. His company does national level motorcycle race engine development and tuning. His operation is a sophisticated engineering facility with CNC and the latest equipment. He has brought this analytical outlook and expertise to Benchrest.
Jeff is relatively new to the game, but has already excelled. His 16-year old son, Wyatt, has now moved from Junior Shooter to Rookie to Tough Competitor. Wyatt now runs with the “big dogs”. His father says the tougher the conditions, the better Wyatt does; he is a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
Here is a ‘dream job’ for those of our readers with a marketing background…
Berger Bullets just announced that the company is seeking a talented candidate to lead the bullet-maker’s sales and marketing efforts. Over the last decade, Berger Bullets has been blessed with strong growth. This has created opportunities for Berger to expand its operations. To lead this expansion, Berger is looking for a talented Sales and Marketing director.
Executive Vice President, Eric Stecker, who has been responsible to Berger’s sales and marketing efforts to date states, “when it comes to sales and marketing, Berger has a clear goal, a good plan and a great team. What we need is a quarterback to lead this effort into the future.”
The job opening is an upper management level position based in Fullerton, Californa. Candidates should have skills and related work experience in a variety of areas including leadership, communication, organization, industry and market knowledge, problem solving, budget review and planning.
Eric adds, “I regard Berger as a progressive company within the firearms industry. To that end we are looking for someone who will continue Berger down the path of growth success while at the same time bringing an open minded, outside-of-the-box perspective.” Berger will only consider applicants who have a career history in a leadership role within sales, marketing, or customer service. Candidates interested in this opportunity should email their resume to eric.stecker [at] bergerbullets.com.
Remington Outdoor Company (formerly the Freedom Group), announced some big changes yesterday. A half-dozen product lines were consolidated, some small manufacturing facilities were targeted for shut-down, and a host of jobs are being “relocated” to Remington’s new Huntsville, Alabama factory. In addition, certain product lines now being made in Ilion, New York, will be shifted to Alabama.
Remington spokesman Teddy Novin declared: “[On May 15, 2014] we announced the consolidation of multiple company plants into our Huntsville, Alabama facility. This was a strategic business decision to concentrate our resources into fewer locations and improve manufacturing efficiency and quality. We are working hard to retain as many [workers] from the affected facilities as possible.”
Doors Closing at Small Plants Around the Country
Numerous production facilities (currently operated by Remington sub-brands) will be shut down in multiple states, with business functions moved to Remington’s new 500,000-square-foot facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Most importantly, Bushmaster rifle production and the Remington 1911 production lines will be relocated from Ilion, New York to Huntsville. The DPMS plant in St. Cloud, Minnesota will be shuttered, with production shifted to Huntsville. Suppressor-maker Advanced Armament Corp. (AAC) will close its Lawrenceville, Georgia facility. Para-Ordance pistol production will halt in North Carolina and be shifted to Huntsville. Likewise,the Montana Rifleman (Kalispell, MT), TAPCO (Kennesaw, GA), and LAR Manufacturing (West Jordan, UT) production facilities will all be closed, with future production moved to Alabama. Below is a complete list of the consolidations and plant closures:
Sweet Home, Alabama — These Operations Will Be Moved:
Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC, moved from Lawrenceville, GA)
Bushmaster (moved from Ilion, NY)
DPMS – Panther Arms (moved from St. Cloud, MN)
LAR Manufacturing (moved from West Jordan, UT)
Montana Rifleman (moved from Kalispell, MT)
Para-Ordnance (moved from Pinevile, NC)
Remington 1911 (moved from Ilion, NY)
Tapco (moved from Kennesaw, GA)
We are also informed that some of the operations currently conducted at Remington’s Elizabethtown, Kentucky firearms plant and R&D facility will be moved to Huntsville, GA. However, we don’t have more specifics at this time.
The original Remington Arms Company was founded in 1816. Today’s Remington Outdoor Company, Inc. produces firearms, ammunition, and related outdoor products. The Firearms segment manufactures and sells sporting shotguns, rifles, handguns, modular firearms, and airguns under numerous brands including Remington, Bushmaster, Dakota, DPMS, Harrington & Richardson, Parker Gun, Marlin, Nesika, and Para-Ordnance. The Ammunition segment produces loaded ammo and bullets under Remington, UMC, Barnes, Dakota, and other brands. According to Businessweek, Remington Outdoor Company currently has 3,800 employees. George K. Kollitides is the Chief Executive and Chairman of the Board.
What’s more fun that a barrel of monkeys? Well a 
The grants are provided through NSSF’s Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative, which has assisted more than 75 schools with building competitive and recreational shooting programs through more than $1 million in support. The program is credited with helping to spur growth in collegiate target shooting across the country.
Here’s “feel-good” story for Monday. The 
Scholarship committee members review applications. Boxes upon boxes of applications were considered carefully to determine who would receive the $1,000 scholarships. 
Two-Gun Top 3: Kent Harshman (Third), Harley Baker (Winner), Jeff Stover (Second).
