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May 15th, 2014
Saving Private K-9, a new, original television show, debuts tonight on the Sportsman Channel. Hosted by ‘Gunny’ R. Lee Ermey, Saving Private K-9 features the dedicated working dogs who perform important tasks for the U.S. Armed Services as well as law enforcement agencies. For the 2,500 teams of canines and handlers who serve with America’s military and law enforcement organizations, the idea of a dog being “man’s best friend” is no overstatement.
Each episode of Saving Private K-9 highlights the featured dogs’ specialized training, battlefield accomplishments, and relationships with their handlers. Many episodes include inspiring accounts of courageous acts by military dogs, as told by those who fought beside them. Additionally, the show will focus on the dogs’ post-service lives, which often involve rigorous rehabilitation prior to adoption.
Watch ‘Saving Private K-9′ Trailer
Saving Private K-9 premiers Thursday, May 15 at 8:30 pm ET/PT. Hosted by actor and former Marine R. Lee Ermey, the series is part of Sportsman’s Salute to Service initiative.
May 14th, 2014
What do you call a shooting match that draws 125 competitors (ages 7 to 70), with 30 first-ever shooters, 36 ladies, and 17 juniors? We call that a rip-roaring success. Credit the Old Fort Gun Club in Arkansas for hosting such a successful event on April 26-27, 2014. The impressive turn-out shows the appeal of the NSSF Rimfire Challenge format, a fun match with FREE ammo provided by sponsors.
Video Shows Rimfire Challenge Fun Match.
The match attracted target shooters from 10 states. More than 30 participants said it was their first time competing in a shooting event. Thirty-six of the 125 competitors were female, 17 were juniors, and 17 were seniors. This is the kind of match that is fun for all age levels.
The NSSF Rimfire Challenge is a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. NSSF Rimfire Challenge was developed to introduce newcomers to target shooting by providing individuals and families with a safe, fun and exciting first-time experience using .22-caliber handguns and rifles and steel targets.
Awards were given to the top three finishers in Open and Limited Divisions, along with the top finisher in the Juniors, Seniors, Ladies, and Cowboy/Cowgirl categories. All registered shooters were also eligible to win sponsor-provided prizes.
Support for the match was provided by Volquartsen Custom, Brownells, Ruger, Hogue, and other companies. “I’d like to thank NSSF for supporting these matches,” said Bill Striplin, match director and Old Fort Gun Club president. “In my opinion, the NSSF Rimfire Challenge is the most fun shooting game in the world.” Learn more about the NSSF Rimfire Challenge at www.NSSF.org/rimfire. That web site also has a schedule of future Rimfire Challenge matches around the country.
May 13th, 2014
With so much attention given to the newest hardware, and most recent reloading innovations, we sometimes forget that Benchrest shooting, as a competitive sport, has been around for quite a long time. And some of those “old school” shooters managed to put together some pretty fine groups even without 21st Century gadgets and gear.
Click Photo to See Larger Version.
Here are some of the founding fathers of benchrest shooting, in a photo taken nearly six decades ago (4/3/1955). Men’s fashion has changed a bit over the years. Tony Boyer notwithstanding, you won’t find so many Stetsons at a shooting match these days. Courtesy of Sierra Bullets, here’s a “throwback” image of Benchrest shooters at the Brea, California “Round-Up” Shoot April 2 – 3, 1955. Left to right are: Frank Snow, (Founder of Sierra Manufacturing Company), John Moffit, K. E. “Smitty” Smith (NBRSA Director), Al Christie, E.F. Stewart, Jack Rice (sitting), I. F. Jack Williams, Lindsey King (behind Williams), Don “6mm” Smith, Frank Hemsted, and Art L. Elliott.
If you like this sort of “trip down memory lane”, visit Sierra Bullets’ Facebook page. Every Thursday morning, Sierra publishes a “Throwback Thursday” photograph from some decades past, together with a short featurette on the shooting-related item/person in the photo.
May 12th, 2014
Sierra Bullets is running a contest through the end of May, 2014. Here’s how it works. Shoot the free target shown below, and send your target to Sierra. One entry per person is allowed. 17 winners will be selected from all the targets submitted, regardless of score. The prizes are two (2) reloading manuals, five (5) Sierra T-Shirts, and ten (10) Sierra hats. CLICK HERE to download target as PDF File.
TARGET INSTRUCTIONS:
Starting with #1, shoot targets 1-5 for 1 point each. Shoot 6-11 for 2 points each.
How to Enter:
Photograph/scan your target and email the digital file to web [at] sierrabullets.com. Make sure you include your contact info! Alternatively, you can mail targets to:
Sierra Bullets, Attn: NRA Target
1400 W Henry Street
Sedalia, MO 65301
NOTE: Entries must be emailed or postmarked by 5 p.m., May 30, 2014. Mailed targets will not be returned. Void where prohibited.
May 11th, 2014
 Today we want to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms around the world. All of us must remember that we literally owe our lives and our well-being to our mothers, who brought us into the world. Without the love, support, caring, and nuturing of our mothers, none of us would be here. So to mothers everywhere, we say:
“Thank you. Bless you. May your lives be filled with happiness today and everyday.”
Here is a photo of the one of the greatest moms in the shooting community, Nancy Tompkins, along with two of her little girls (who both turned into pretty good shooters themselves). On Nancy’s right is Michelle Gallagher, a top long-range shooter. On the left is Sherri Jo Gallagher, who was the second woman in history to capture the NRA National High Power Championship at Camp Perry. Who was the first woman ever to accomplish that feat? You guessed it — Nancy Tompkins, Sherri’s mom, was the first-ever female High Power Champion.
May 9th, 2014
 At most American shooting facilities, you’re lucky to have running water and an electrical hook-up. Those Germans, with their penchant for advanced engineering, have created an amazingly high-tech (and even luxurious) indoor shooting facility that is truly state-of-the art. The NRA is proud of its modern indoor range in Fairfax, Virginia, but the NRA range can’t hold a candle to the advanced Müller Schiess Zentrum Ulm (MSZU) facility in Ulm, Germany. This vast complex features an indoor benchrest range with video monitors, a full-sized trap/skeet hall, pistol ranges, and a “running game” hunting simulator that actually displays (in 3D view) the placement of your bullet strike in the moving animal prey. On top of this, the MSZU has a cafe, a restaurant, and a large shopping/retail facility.
We still prefer shooting outdoors, but for a country like Germany, where long, cold winters limit the opportunities for outdoor shooting, a deluxe indoor facility like this makes sense. German reader JPeelen adds: “The problem in Germany is not [just] the weather but density of population. Noise problems led to the closure of many outdoor ranges. Ulm is unique because it offers a 300 meter indoor range, not just 100 meters[.]” Overall, you have to hand it to the Germans for “raising the bar” to a whole new level. View the Müller Schiess Zentrum’s amazing facilities in the video below. The editor of The Firearm Blog wrote: “I have seen the future… and it is in Germany. If you don’t do anything else today, just make sure you watch this video.”
May 8th, 2014
 Team Smith & Wesson shooter Julie Golob has a message for this Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 11th). Julie writes: “While some are using Mother’s Day week to push a gun control agenda, I’d like to encourage moms to ‘Take a Moment’. Talk to your kids about firearms safety. Help them learn what to do around firearms and have an open, honest discussion about guns and gun safety.
I truly believe that, no matter if you are pro-gun or anti-gun, everyone should know and understand the basic rules of firearm safety. It is equally important for parents to have the discussion about guns and what to do if your child finds one. Both the NSSF’s Project ChildSafe and the NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program are excellent. They offer resources for parents, educators, and child care providers to help ensure kids stay safe.
Julie encourages all who read this to share the message. So far, on Facebook, the “Take a Moment” image has been shared 639 times, and seen by 66,112 people. That’s the power of the internet. Julie says: “Thank you all so much for helping me spread the importance of firearms safety.”
May 6th, 2014
 USAMU Service Rifle shooter/instructor SSG Brandon Green set a new national record this past week, shooting a 500-33X in the individual Aggregate, National Match Course (NMC) with metallic sights. Green was near-perfect in the 200-yard Rapids, shooting an amazing 100-9X. Green was shooting a Tubb 2000 bolt-action rifle chambered in 6XC. He set the new record using Norma factory ammo. Yep, this was factory 6XC ammo, right out of the box.
National Record Score Card of SSG Brandon Green
SSG Green is the current NRA High Power National Champion and Interservice Rifle Champion. He and the rest of the USAMU rifle team have trained hard for the 2014 season. Yet Brandon joked about his record-setting performance, noting that the record was shot with his “back-up” gun. On his Facebook page, Brandon posted: “500-33X NMC. Not positive, possibly a record [Editor: Yes it was.] Not too bad for a #2 gun.” Not too bad indeed, Brandon. Congratulations on this achievement. This bodes well for Green’s goal to win a second straight National High Power Championship at Camp Perry this summer.
Note: After setting a National Record with 500-33X during the individual match with his Tubb 2000, SSG Green followed with a 498 the following day using a Service Rifle during the team match. Remarkable.
File photo of Green with Service Rifle (posed publicity photo).
May 1st, 2014
 Twenty-two years ago Larry and Brenda Potterfield launched the NRA Round-Up, a special program designed to raise funds for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). To date, MidwayUSA Customers have contributed nearly $10 million dollars to the NRA-ILA National Endowment for the Protection of the 2nd Amendment.
“On January 2, 1992 we started asking our Customers at MidwayUSA if they would ‘Round-Up’ their order to the next higher dollar and let us donate that money to the NRA-ILA. Our Customers overwhelmingly said yes and to date they have donated nearly $10 Million,” said Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA. “The actual donations have never been spent, but each year, NRA-ILA spends five percent of the interest to fight anti-gun legislation.”
At the 143rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis last weekend, Larry and Brenda Potterfield presented a ceremonial check to NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox for $9,892,195.82, the total amount of money that has been donated by MidwayUSA Customers since 1992.
April 30th, 2014
 Alliant Techsystems (ATK or Alliant) is merging its aerospace/defense operations with Virginia-based Orbital Sciences. At the same time, ATK plans to spin off its sporting arms, ammo, and outdoor gear operations into a separate, stand-alone business. ATK sells sporting products under numerous brands including Alliant Powder, Blackhawk, Bushnell, CCI, Champion, Federal Premium, RCBS, Savage Arms, Speer, and Weaver Optics. The new Alliant sporting business will operate from Utah, while the merged Orbital-ATK aerospace business will be managed from Virginia.
According to the Washington Post: “The separation of ATK’s core segments gives it the opportunity to focus on its sporting goods sector, which has grown to a $2.2 billion business through several mergers and acquisitions over the past decade. The company manufactures commercial sporting equipment for hunters, shooters and law enforcement agencies.”
 The announced merger of Alliant and Orbital, and the spin-off of the sporting business, should benefit Alliant shareholders. Alliant shares rose 8% yesterday. Alliant shareholders will own 53.8% of the new Orbital-ATK aerospace company, and Alliant shareholders will retain full ownership of the new spin-off sporting enterprise. Alliant’s current CEO and president, Mark DeYoung, will take over as chairman and CEO of the new sporting business.
Will the new Alliant Sporting operation continue to grow? Analysts believe that it will. Management has shown interest in building the company via more sporting industry acquisitions. Analysts believe the Alliant sporting division is poised for continued expansion. While Alliant’s aerospace operations have suffered in recent years from cuts in defense spending, the sporting division has seen impressive revenue growth.
According to StarTribune.com: “The sporting unit’s rocket-like growth has captured the attention of Wall Street analysts. Barclays Capital analyst Carter Copeland recently boosted his forecast on Alliant, noting that “over time … the sporting group has made a more significant portion of the total company’s sales and earnings. … The last seven quarters the business has posted average organic growth on a year-over-year basis of 23 percent.”
For those in the shooting community, the spin-off of ATK’s sporting operations is probably a good thing. The new company can focus on guns, ammo, and outdoor accessories, rather than aerospace programs with long development cycles. Likewise the new company should be more responsive to consumers, as it can adjust production to current market demands, rather than fixed government defense contracts. ATK officials stated that “the company’s Sporting and Aerospace/Defense businesses operate in two fundamentally different markets with very different operating dynamics, compliance requirements, customer sets and growth opportunities. As standalone companies, they will be more focused businesses, with clear and distinct strategic visions and objectives, additional operational flexibility and the financial strength to make the most of their unique opportunities in their respective industries.”
Under the terms of the transaction agreement, ATK will distribute ownership of Sporting to ATK shareholders in a spin-off transaction, following which, ATK shareholders will own 100 percent of Sporting. The spin-off will be immediately followed by a merger of Orbital with a subsidiary of ATK, with Orbital surviving the merger and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of ATK. In connection with the merger, Orbital shareholders will receive 0.449 shares of ATK common stock for each share of Orbital common stock that they hold. Upon the closing of the merger, ATK shareholders will own approximately 53.8 percent of the combined company on a fully diluted basis and Orbital shareholders will own the remaining approximately 46.2 percent of the combined company on a fully diluted basis.
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