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May 1st, 2013
 Just two more days until the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits kicks off in Houston, Texas. This year’s 142nd Annual NRA convention is expected to have a record turn-out because of the current political situation. Paul Erhardt, Shooting Wire Editor, explains: “This year’s NRA Show is likely to be a blow-out of epic proportions thanks to a perfect storm of political climate and location (Houston). Turnout for the NRA Show could reach a new record and break the 70,000 mark. Not bad for a three-day event….”
There will be plenty to see and do at the NRA Show, with seminars, celebrity appearances, and banquets — along with priceless collections of firearms. Virtually all the major gunmakers in the country should have their latest products on display. In fact, there will be over 550 exhibitors whose displays will cover 400,000 square feet of exhibit hall space.
NEW Product Round-Up
The editors of American Hunter magazine have prepared a handy “round-up” of the new-for-2013 products on display in Houston. CLICK HERE for American Hunter’s 2013 New Product Guide.
April 28th, 2013
 Norma announced that Paul-Erik Toivo will take over as CEO of Norma Precision AB, replacing Torb Lindskog who is retiring after 17 years at Norma’s helm. Toivo is a well-respected executive with decades of international industrial experience. He has held senior positions within Cloetta, and the SAKO- Metso- and latest the Isku concerns. Toivo states that Norma, a division of RUAG, is looking to expand its market in the United States: “We will intensify the efforts to grow in the world, and especially in the US. The cooperation with our sister company within RUAG Ammotec will also be strengthened”
Torb Lindskog retires after leading Norma for 17 years. “I am very grateful for these fantastic years at Norma, together with wonderful colleagues and I now look forward to a somewhat less hectic routine, even though I will be part of the Norma board, and keep my Presidency of AFEMS (Assoc. of European Mfgs. of Sporting Ammunition) until 2015. I wish both Norma and Paul-Erik all the best for the future.”
Norma Precision AB, which is part of the Swiss RUAG concern, has annual revenues of 270 Million Swedish Kroner ($41,068,890 USD). With a workforce of 190 employees, Norma markets cartridge brass, bullets, powders, and loaded ammunition. All production, from raw material to finished product, takes place in Åmotfors of Värmland, Sweden.
News Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
April 27th, 2013
The NBRSA has wrapped up its 600-yard National Championship, with the 1000-yard National Championship taking place today and tomorrow at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center. Richard Schatz, one of the greatest 600-yard shooters of all time, topped over 40 talented shooters to win the two-gun overall title. Richard, we’re told, also won the Light Gun Division. Forum member Terry Balding (aka “Terry”) won the Heavy Gun Class. Terry drove all the way from Wisconsin to compete in the match. We’ll publish more details as they become available. If any of our readers have more photos from the match, or a list of final results, please send them along. Here’s Richard receiving his trophy from match director Craig St. Claire:
April 25th, 2013
 The NBRSA Long-Range Nationals are underway right now at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center Range in Sloughhouse, CA. The NBRSA LR Nationals involves three separate events (over five days), starting with the 2-day 600-yard Nationals, followed by an F-Class Benchrest Match, and concluding with the 1000-yard Nationals on Saturday and Sunday.
The 600-yard Nationals (aka Sloughhouse 600), calendared April 24-25, concludes today. Guys are probably finishing up their final 600-yard relay as this story goes to press. On Friday, April 26, the NBRSA will hold a 1000-Yard “F-Bench” match. This is a popular new discipline which allows guys with F-Class rifles (up to 22 lbs.) to shoot off the bench. It’s a good idea that encourages participation from shooters who might not otherwise come to the Nationals.
After Friday’s F-Bench Match, the NBRSA 1000-yard National Championships (aka the 6th Annual Sloughhouse 1000) will be held April 27-28 (Saturday and Sunday). NOTE: It’s not too late to sign up for the 1000-yard match this weekend. Long Range National Fees are $50 a day, Late fee applies. For more information, visit www.NBRSA.org and www.SacValley.org. Below are Match Application Forms, in MS Word format (right click and “save as”).
F-Bench Match Application | Sloughhouse 1000 Application | Sloughhouse 600 Application
PREVIEW New NBRSA RuleBook
The NBRSA is updating its Official Rulebook and By-Laws. The newly revised Rulebook (version 38) is in the process of being printed. However, the NRBRSA has uploaded a PDF file you can now preview the the latest (version 38) of the Official Rulebook.
CLICK HERE for NBRSA Revised Rulebook (vers. 38) PREVIEW (PDF File, 1.7mb).
Rulebook Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
April 24th, 2013
 The first-ever Sinclair International East Coast Fullbore Nationals (ECN) was held at Camp Butner (NC) on April 18-21, 2013. Hosted by the North State Shooting Club, this first-time Sinclair ECN attracted many of the nation’s top shooters, and we know the event will grow in popularity in the years to come. The Camp Butner range served up very challenging conditions for the four-day competition. This match definitely offered shooters a chance to test their wind-reading skills.
There was a strong turn-out with 27 F-TR shooters, 21 sling shooters, and 9 F-Open competitors. A Team Match event followed the regular match relays each day. The firing points consisted of 300, 500, and 600 yards each day plus a long range portion. This included 900- and 1000-yard segments shot on alternating days. This enabled shooters to test their skills twice at each long distance firing point.
Blustery, Switchy Winds — and Nearby Tornado Warnings
For the first two days of the match, temps were in mid 80s and there were blustery tail-winds that switched in erratic fashion. The final two days of the 4-day match gave shooters the opposite conditions with opposing headwinds and highs in the 60s. This kept shooters on their toes as wind values and directions constantly shifted from left to right and back again. In the afternoon, winds increased with pick-ups that pushed 25+ mph. To top that, as the shooters pressed on to complete their relays, local radio stations were broadcasting tornado warnings for three counties to the west.
Sinclair Int’l East Coast Nationals Individual Match Winners:
1st F-TR: Derek Rodgers, 1741-62X
2nd F-TR: Tracy Hogg, 1737-59X
3rd F-TR: Philip Kelley, Jr., 1734-67X |
1st F-Open: Kenny Adams, 1767-71X
2nd F-Open: Bret Solomon, 1752-74X
3rd F-Open: Danny Biggs, 1750-72X |
1st Fullbore: Kent Reeve, 1770-94X
2nd Fullbore: John Friguglietti, 1764-79X
3rd Fullbore: Norman Crawford, 1754-78X |
Pete LaBerge and F-TR Winner Derek Rodgers
| AUDIO CLIP: Derek Rodgers talks about the F-TR equipment race — how advancements in bullets, bipods, and gear have “raised the bar” in F-TR competition. Click “Play” to hear Audio. |
[haiku url=”http://accurateshooter.net/Video/derekrodgerstalks.mp3″ Title=”Derek RodgersTalks”] |
Team Sinclair Wins and Sets Pending National Record
Team Sinclair scored an impressive win over some very tough F-TR competitors. The Team amassed a 1538-40X collective score, which appears to break the existing NRA National Record (pending NRA verification). Remarkably, with this record-breaking ECN victory, Team Sinclair now remains undefeated in match competition. Team Sinclair consists of wind coach Ray Gross and shooters Paul Phillips, Brad Sauve, Jeff Rorer and Derek Rodgers. The team was shooting Berger bullets, but of varying weights. Derek Rodgers tells us: “I was shooting 200gr Berger Hybrids, with CCI primers and Lapua brass. Other team members were using 185gr Berger BT bullets, with either Federal and CCI primers in Lapua brass. We have predominantly been using Hodgden Varget powder for most of our .308 Win loads. In selecting bullets, accuracy is key, as is a high BC to stay competitive at long distances. Berger produces high-BC bullet designs that are also super-consistent dimensionally, thus leading to more accuracy. Berger offers many .30-Cal bullet options, designs, and weights. That’s important in F-TR because we have to pick a bullet that works with the .308 Win’s case capacity. Choosing a bullet from Berger’s vast line-up is a matter of fine-tuning what works best for each rifle.”
Team Sinclair (L to R): Wind Coach Ray Gross, Derek Rodgers, Paul Phillips, Jeff Rorer, Brad Sauve
The BNX/21st CenturyShooting Rifle Team won the F-Open Team match with a score of 1516-43X. Members of this team are: Robert Burton, Luis Eljaiek, Tom Goodman, and Nikolas Taylor. Among the sling shooters, the local North State Shooting Club Team won the NRA Fullbore Prone team match with an aggregate score of 1552-61X. The team consisted of John Friguglietti, David Huskins, Norm Crawford, Russ Jones, and JP Young.
Participants agreed that Sinclair Int’l organized an excellent, well-run match. Shooters are looking forward to another great match next year and expressed their gratitude to Sinclair for sponsoring the program. CLICK HERE for complete Sinclair East Coast Nationals Match Results
April 24th, 2013
 Using digital publishing software, the NRA is now offering iPad-optimized versions of American Rifleman and American Hunter magazines. These two magazines are now available for iPad-using NRA members who download the NRA Magazines App in the Apple App Store.
Bonus Content for iPad Users
The new digital magazines will feature all the stories, photos, and graphics found in the print magazines, PLUS bonus content. NRA Members with iPads can access videos, extra photos, sidebars, computer graphics and other interactive features. NRA Publications’ Joe Graham states: “The new iPad editions are designed to be convenient, easy to use and, most importantly, fun to read. The digital magazines have the same look and feel as the print magazines [but with] additional interactive content you can only get on an iPad.”
How to Get the iPad Editions of
American Rifleman and American Hunter
As Official Journals of the NRA, American Rifleman and American Hunter are available exclusively to NRA members. You must be a current NRA member to access these digital eZines. To join the NRA visit Membership.nrahq.org or call 1-877-NRA-2000. For a limited time, all NRA members who currently receive their magazines in print will be able to download the iPad editions.
To get the new iPad editions of American Rifleman and American Hunter, NRA members can download the free NRA Magazines App from the Apple App Store. Once downloaded, launch the app and enter your NRA membership number and last name. Upon verification, the magazine you currently receive as part of your NRA membership will be displayed. Tap “download” to have the digital magazine delivered directly to your iPad and start enjoying all of the exciting new interactive features.
April 22nd, 2013
 A number of extreme gun control measures are currently being pushed through the California Legislature. In California’s State Senate, the Committee on Public Safety considered some of the most restrictive pieces of gun legislation yet proposed in California.
On April 17, the Public Safety Committee approved Senate Bill 293 that bans the sale of conventional handguns and implements owner-authorized “smart-gun” technology. This would block the sale of ANY handgun that was not “coded” to the gun owner (so that nobody else could shoot it). Of course, no such “smart” handguns are currently offered for sale by any major manufacturer.
As you’d expect, California is also moving forward on legislation to further restrict self-loading rifles. On April 16, the Senate Public Safety Committee, on a 5-2 party-line vote, approved Senate Bill 374. This bill expands the definition of “assault weapons” to ban the future sale of almost all semi-auto rifles that accept a detachable magazine. SB 374 now moves to the Senate Committee on Appropriation.
The California Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee recently considered Assembly Bill 760 which would impose a new 5% sales tax on all ammunition components (complete cartridge, bullet, or case). That’s a nickel per bullet or cartridge. We’re pleased to report that AB760 has been held in committee pending further study of its financial effects. The bill is “suspended” for the time being, but it could be reconsidered in the near future. According to the L.A. Times, “The state Board of Equalization noted in a review that the proposed tax would be in addition to an existing sales tax on bullets, and it said the new tax could become a burden to businesses.”
In addition to taxing ammunition directly, California legislators have introduced bills that would make it much more difficult to purchase ammunition. SB 53 mandates a background check for ammo purchases. In addition, SB 53 would require gun owners to obtain a permit to purchase ammo. The permit, good for one-year only, would have to be renewed annually with a recurring $50/year cost. “It’s a way to red-tape the right to bear arms to death,” said Chuck Michel, attorney for the California Rifle and Pistol Association. “It’s all part of a campaign of shame, the fight to make it as difficult as possible for law-abiding citizens to make the choice to have a firearm for self-defense.”
State-wide ban on Lead-containing Ammunition
In addition, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife (WPW) approved AB 711, a bill that if passed and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown would extend the now limited condor range ban on traditional lead ammunition to the entire state. By its terms, AB 711 will “require the use of nonlead ammunition for the taking of all wildlife, including game mammals, game birds, nongame birds, and nongame mammals, with any firearm.” This bill passed the WPW Committee and was re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
April 22nd, 2013
Story based on report by USAShooting.org
 The Alaska-Fairbanks rifle shooting program has produced many great champions, such as Matt Emmons and Jamie (Beyerle) Gray, both of whom went on to medal in the Olympics. (Jamie won the women’s 3-P 50m rifle gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics). Based on his recent performance at the 2013 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC), Ryan Anderson may be the next great world-class shooting talent from Alaska-Fairbanks.
At the 2013 Junior Olympic event, Anderson swept both men’s smallbore (.22 caliber) events — he won both the Three-Position and Prone titles. Combined with his silver-medal finish in the 10m Air Rifle event, Anderson proved to be one of America’s best young shooters — a rising star.
Dominant 3-P Performance
Anderson’s dominance was showcased in the Three-Position event where he walked into the event finals with an 11-point lead over Dan Geer. Anderson added 1.2 points to his lead, finishing the 10-shot final as the only competitor to shoot over 100 (101.1) in the final.
All Photos from USAShooting.org
The smallbore prone event was a tight battle between Anderson and Air Force rifle shooter David Higgins. Going into the prone final, the two young men were tied — having both shot identical scores of 594 and 597 in each of their two relays. They’d follow that up with identical 105 scores in the finals. So the prone event came down to a ‘sudden death’ tie-breaker. Tied after 130 shots, the match came down to a 131st tie-breaker shot for gold. Anderson shot a 10.1 to win, while Higgins managed a 10.0 for second place. West Virginia’s Patrick Sunderman took third, 8.4 points behind.
Also to note in the Men’s Rifle events, Kentucky’s Cody Manning and Anderson’s UAF teammate Tim Sherry finished the competition as the event’s only three-event finalists. Manning finished fifth (Air), sixth (Prone) and seventh (3P). Sherry finished seventh (Air) and earned a pair of fifth-place finishes in the smallbore events.
CLICK HERE for complete 2013 NJOSC results (PDF File).
April 20th, 2013
The NRA has launched a new website designed for female shooters. The new NRA Woman’s Outlook site covers firearms training, hunting, self-defense, shooting gear and much more. It includes photo and video galleries, and it even has a section for wild game recipes. According to the NRA, the site offers an “online presence for … today’s NRA woman as she exercises her Second Amendment rights in pursuit and enjoyment of the American firearms lifestyle.”
The primary sponsor of the new website is Barnes Bullets. “I must extend thanks to Coni Brooks of Barnes Bullets, our site’s first sponsor ” said Ann Smith, Editor-in-Chief of NRA E-Media. “The women in the Brooks family are examples of true pioneers in our industry, who can tell their family’s story about how they used to make bullets in the basement of their small home. Now they are known as one of the most successful and respected bullet companies in the country.”
Check out the new NRA Woman’s Outlook website at: http://www.nrawomansoutlook.org.
April 20th, 2013
 Here’s good news for reloaders. Some large shipments of propellants were delivered in the last week, and we are starting to see supplies of some popular powders start to catch up to demand. Third Generation Shooting Supply received a very large order of Alliant Powders in one-pound containers, including the popular Reloder series. If you need RL15, RL19 or RL22 you may be able to grab some before it’s gone. TGSS has already sold nearly a ton of RL15 this week.
Natchez Shooters Supplies is featuring Vihtavuori powders, and the Natchez inventory system is showing supplies “in stock” for many of the most popular Vihtavuori powders including N320, N133, N135, N540, N150, N160, and N165. All these powders (including 8-lb jugs of N133) are shown “in stock” as of this morning, but we caution that things change quickly!
NOTE FOR LATE READERS: Inventory shown for 10:00 AM April 20, 2013.
Powder Valley Inc.
Partial List of In-Stock Powders
Hodgon H380 (1 lb.) — In stock at $18.35/lb
Hodgdon H1000 (8 lbs.) — In stock at $152.00 for 8 lbs.
Hodgdon Retumbo (1 lb.) — In stock at $21.35/lb
Hodgdon Superformance (8 lbs.) — In stock at $152.00 for 8 lbs.
Alliant Reloder 50 (1 lb.) — In stock at $19.15/lb
Alliant Reloder 50 (8 lbs.) — In stock at $137.50 for 8 lbs.
IMR 7828 (8 lbs.) — In stock at $147.80 for 8 lbs.
Norma 203B (1 lb) — In stock at $24.80/lb (this is nearly identical to Reloder 15)
Vihtavuori 3N37 (1 lb) — In stock at $29.95/lb
Vihtavuori N150 (1 lb) — In stock at $29.15/lb
Vihtavuori N160 (1 lb) — In stock at $29.15/lb
Third Generation Shooting Supply
Alliant Powders (Partial list)
Power Pro 4000 MR (1 lb.) — 961 lbs. in stock at $19.99/lb
Power Pro Varmint – (1 lb.) — 133 lbs. in stock at $19.99/lb
Reloder 10X – (1 lb.) — out of stock
Reloder 15 (1 lb.) — 733 lbs. in stock at $20.99/lb
Reloder 17 (1 lb.) — out of stock
Reloder 19 (1 lb.) — 2579 lbs. in stock at $20.99/lb
Reloder 22 (1 lb.) — 1797 lbs. in stock at $20.99/lb
Reloder 25 (1 lb.) — 109 lbs. in stock at $20.99/lb
Reloder 50 (1 lb.) — 36 lbs. in stock at $20.99/lb
Natchez Shooters Supplies
Vihtavuori Powders (Quantities Limited)
Vihtavuori Oy N3N37 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $31.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N320 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $31.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N133 (8 lbs.) — In Stock at $197.49 for 8 lbs
Vihtavuori Oy N133 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $30.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N135 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $30.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N150 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $30.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N160 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $30.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N165 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $30.49/lb
Vihtavuori Oy N540 (1 lb.) — In Stock at $34.99/lb
Editor’s Note: As with all inventory systems, there can be a variance between actual inventories and listed inventories. We are reporting what is shown “in-stock” this morning. But if the inventories are not updated in “real time” as shipments are made, true supplies may be less than what is shown.
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