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July 1st, 2013
Story by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
The first shots of NRA’s National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry were fired back in 1907, more than a century ago. On July 8, the National Championships open again, commencing with pistol disciplines. Next come the smallbore matches, followed by High Power competitions.
 Running from through July and August, the the National Rifle and Pistol Championships are actually a collection of several individual competitions; Pistol, 3-Position Smallbore Rifle, Prone Smallbore Rifle, High Power Rifle, Mid-Range High Power Rifle and Long Range High Power Rifle. It all begins on July 8th at 10:00 am. That’s where Lieutenant General John S. Crosby, U.S. Army retired, will open the Championships by taking the traditional “First Shot” on the Rodriguez Range.
“It is an honor to fire a shot at Perry.” — Dennis Willing
There’s something special about Camp Perry,” said Dennis Willing, Director of NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division. “There is more than a century’s worth of shooting sports history out there on those fields. It’s a tradition every shooter aspires to.” Willing should know. For almost 35 years, Willing has been involved in the National Matches in one way or another. He’s shot in both the Pistol and High Power Rifle Championships, served as a Match Referee and was Chairman of the NRA Board of Director’s High Power Committee. He also holds four Distinguished Shooting Medals in Pistol, Rifle, PPC Revolver, and PPC Semi-Automatic Pistol.
National Championships Schedule
The first Championship is Pistol. Made up of thirteen separate events — including the .22 Caliber Fire Rapid Fire, the Center Fire Timed Fire and the .45 Caliber Slow Fire — the Championship begins on July 9 and ends on the 13th. The rest of the Championships are as follows:
Smallbore 3-Position Rifle: July 17-19
Smallbore Prone Rifle: July 20-25
High Power Rifle: August 5-9
Mid-Range High Power Rifle: August 5-9
Long Range High Power Rifle: August 10-14
If you’re signed up to shoot in the National Championships, we wish you good luck. If you can’t compete this year, visit NRAblog.com which will provide daily stories from Camp Perry with a team of reporters.
Watch Slide Show from 2012 NRA Long Range Championship
June 30th, 2013
 A study commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reveals that most first-time gun buyers are active in one or more shooting activities and that women purchase their first firearm predominately for personal defense. The study is based on online surveys of consumers aged 22 to 65 who bought their first firearm during the spring of 2012. Key findings include:
— The majority of first-time buyers (60.3%) tend to be active, using their gun once per month or more, with one in five reporting usage of once a week or more.
— Target shooting is by far the most popular shooting activity among first-time gun owners. 84.3% of respondents used their firearms for this purpose, followed by hunting (37.7%), plinking (27.4%), practical pistol shooting (17.3%) and clay-target shooting (14.6%).
— First-time gun owners who have participated in hunting (53.2%), practical pistol shooting (46.3%), clay-target sports (44.0%) and gun collecting (42.4%) said they want to increase their participation in these activities.
First-Time Buyers Acquire Guns for Defensive Use as Well as Sporting Use
The top-ranking factors driving first-time gun purchases are home defense (87.3%), self-defense (76.5%) and the desire to share shooting activities with family and friends (73.2%). Women, in particular, are highly focused on personal defense and self-sufficiency.
Fear of Gun Bans Motivates Older Buyers
Older first-time buyers–the 55 to 65 age group–indicated concern that firearms may no longer be available to them was one of many reasons for their purchase. [Note: The surveys were conducted in March and April of 2012, before the recent wave of anti-gun legislation. We expect that, if the survey was taken in 2013, all age groups would express concerns about restrictions on sales of firearms.]
Many Buyers Make Repeat Gun Purchases
Most first-time buyers purchased their guns through local gun shops (43.6%) and mass retailers such as Walmart and Cabela’s (33.6%). First-time gun buyers spent an average of $515 for their first gun and nearly as much as for accessories ($504). Apparently, one gun is not even for many buyers. Nearly a quarter of first-time buyers bought at least one more firearm within the first year after their first purchase spending more, on average, on the later purchase.
June 28th, 2013
On Saturday, June 29, 2013, just two days before Colorado’s new anti-gun laws go into effect, Magpul Industries will give away 1,500 30-rd AR-platform magazines. Magnul is giving away the magazines as a protest against the new legislation. The give-away will take place at the “Farewell to Arms” event to be held Saturday in Glendale, Colorado. The event is being sponsored by Free Colorado, a non-profit organization advocating for the rights of gun owners. New Colorado laws take effect on July 1st limiting magazine capacity to 15 rounds. Magpul announced:
 Attention Colorado
Come on out and join the festivities at Infinity Park in Glendale, CO, this Saturday, June 29, celebrating FREEDOM on the last weekend before the unconstitutional mag ban takes effect, and get your last shot at purchasing PMAGs. We’ll be there, and we’ve ponied up a LOT of PMAGs. The first 1500 attendees through the gate over the age of 18 will receive a free Magpul Gen M2 MOE 30rd magazine featuring either the Free Colorado or Boulder Airlift design, courtesy of Magpul Industries Corp. Proceeds from mag sales go towards the legislative and legal fight for Second Amendment rights in CO. There will be food, live music, and a helo-borne aerial delivery of PMAGs. Get tickets and pre-purchase PMAGs at: www.freecolorado.net.
June 26th, 2013
 Bob Munden, one of the greatest trick shooters ever, passed away in December of last year. If you never had a chance to see Bob work his magic with a six-gun (or other firearm), here’s your chance. Tonight’s edition of Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots, features some of Bob Munden’s “greatest hits” from over the years. Before his passing, Bob was a regular on the Impossible Shots TV show.
On tonight’s episode, Munden flicks coins with his Peacemaker, making them spin like a top. Bob was famous for this and other tricks — like splitting playing cards in mid-air, and shooting the fletching off an arrow. Munden was famous both as a trick shooter and as a speed-draw specialist, with fast-draw records listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Air times for the Bob Munden episode on Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots are listed below. The show airs Wednesday Nights on the Outdoor Channel, and is repeated late Friday/Saturday:
Impossible Shots Wednesday:
Eastern Time: 2:30 PM, 7:00 PM
Central Time: 1:30 PM, 6:00 PM
Mountain Time: 12:30 PM, 5:00 PM
Pacific Time: 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM |
Impossible Shots Friday/Saturday:
Eastern Time: 1:00 AM SAT
Central Time: 12:00 AM Midnight
Mountain Time: 11:00 PM
Pacific Time: 10:00 PM |
June 25th, 2013
AmmoBammo.com, an all-new auction website for guns, ammo, and gear, has just opened for business. This new site boasts “no listing fees ever”. Unlike Gunbroker.com, AmmoBammo has a very simple payment structure. There is no “up-front” listing fee, and no membership fee. If an item sells, AmmoBammo takes 2.5% of the proceeds — no matter what the price. That makes it easy to figure out what it will cost to sell your gun or gear. If nobody bids, or the bids don’t reach your thresh-hold reserve price, you pay nothing. If your product sells, you pay a flat 2.5% final value fee. That seems reasonable to us. Read detailed terms of sale here.
To celebrate its launch, AmmoBammo.com is offering a special promotion. Now through July 15, 2013, AmmoBammo is Waiving ALL Fees on auction listings, including the normal 2.5% final value fee. So, for the next couple of weeks you can sell your stuff, and not pay a penny.
Since this site is brand new, listings are sparse to say the least. As of June 25, 2013 at 12:00 pm, not a single gun was listed for sale (though there were many ammo listings). Hopefully the AmmoBammo site will gain traction as more sellers list their merchandise in the weeks and months ahead.
June 23rd, 2013
 We are sad to announce the passing of Duane Capehart, a leading figure in the long-range shooting community. Duane passed away in early June, and is survived by his wife Pat. Duane was one of the game-changing Montana marksmen who smashed records at the Missoula Deep Creek range.
Duane was always ready to share his knowledge with fellow shooters, and he helped this website with many projects. His friend Tom Mousel tells us: “Duane was among a handful of guys that started 1000-yard benchrest here in Montana. The man was breaking records before most of us knew what ‘MOA’ was, and he remained competitive to the very end. He and his wife Pat were the backbone of our club for many years. I will miss you my friend.”
We are much diminished by Duane’s passing. Those who knew Duane are very saddened by this loss. Here are some remembrances from our Forum members:
Duane Capehart was a truly great Hall of Fame shooter and a noble man. I am grateful for the wisdom he shared with me. He was a great fellow shooter at the range, that he helped build, especially on those frosty mornings. He never hesitated to help a new shooter. He was a good friend and neighbor here in the Bitterroot. He will be long remembered. My condolences, Pat. — Greg R.
Duane and I shot together many times and always had lots of fun before, during, and after the shoots. He will be missed for sure by the 1000-yard community and especially by the Missoula bunch. God bless you Pat, our thoughts and prayers are with you. — Diane & Bill Shehane
I had the honor and privilege to shoot against and converse with Duane on three occasions, and also by phone[.] Duane was funny, witty, sincere, and a friend to everyone. He was one of the best 1000-yard shooters in the business. My heart and prayers go out to Pat, and all his family. — Donovan M.
I met Duane just four years ago. He welcomed me at Deep Creek and he and I spent many a morning before the shoots visiting about shooting, hunting, work and everything in between. People there always seemed to look up to Duane, and once you got to know him you understood why. I will never forget some of the shoots with him, he was an amazing shooter, several times while pulling his targets he would not even be on target with his sighters. But then the record target would go up and he would pull off a 98 or a 99, or even a 100. This did not just happen once either — Duane [was] simply an amazing guy! I helped him and Pat hook up their camper at the end of the August final shoot last year, shook his hand goodbye and he said “I will see ya in the spring young man”. Well that didn’t happen but I will always remember Duane and always be grateful that he was my friend. Happy shooting in Heaven Duane, and God Bless you Pat. — Wayne B.
Duane’s Dawn Patrol
Duane took this photo at the Deep Creek Range in March a few years back during one of his “Dawn Patrol” missions. Temperature? Duane said it was about 17 degrees! Now that’s dedication. Duane truly loved the shooting sports. He will be missed.
June 23rd, 2013
 In just two weeks, the 2013 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships commence at Camp Perry, Ohio. The big event kicks off with the Pistol SAFS on July 7th. There’s still time to register online for the National Championships. To sign up, visit www.NMEntry.com.
In response to increased interest in F-Class shooting, event organizers have even added a new discipline this year, the Mid-Range Rifle Championship with shooting at 300, 500, and 600 yards. (We wonder what chamberings F-Open competitors will choose for this new event — could this be the year of the Dasher at Perry?) For 2013, F-Class competitors can enter the NRA Mid-Range Rifle Championship and/or NRA Long Range Championship.
CLICK HERE for Camp Perry Championships Program
Birds-Eye View of Camp Perry Ranges
We know many of our worldwide readers may never have a chance to visit Camp Perry in person, but they are still interested in this historic facility on the shore of Lake Erie, near Port Clinton, Ohio. If you’ve always wanted to see what Camp Perry looks like, here are a series of “Birds-eye” photos taken from the Beach Tower.
Photos Courtesy Civilian Marksmanship Program.
June 23rd, 2013
 Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and Gov. Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota visited Connecticut last week. The two Governors hoped to recruit manufacturers to re-locate operations to their more business-friendly states. Connecticut firearms makers are high on the list of businesses both Perry and Daugaard seek to bring to their respective states. Gov. Perry wants Connecticut gunmakers to relocate to the Lone Star State, while Gov. Daugaard hopes South Dakota can attract these enterprises.
Larry Keane, Senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, provides a perspective on the recruiting effort. Keane suggests that economic growth in Connecticut is being stymied by official state policies. And Connecticut is no friend of the gun business, though firearms production has been one of Connecticut’s few growth industries in recent years:
The economic report card for the State of Connecticut is in and the results are not good.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that Connecticut was last in the nation in economic growth in 2012, the only state where the combined value of goods and services produced (GDP) was lower than in 2011. In fact, total state GDP fell a quarter of a billion dollars last year, the same amount it fell in 2011.
On the heels of that report, the Manufacturing Alliance of Connecticut released the results of a survey that revealed Connecticut manufacturers predict a bleak outlook for the state’s economy and the health of their industries. The survey reported that a majority of the state’s manufacturers have been recruited to expand or relocate to another state and that they would consider doing so, most citing “government attitude” as the reason.
Connecticut’s firearms and components manufacturers have been the rare exception to the state’s dismal economic performance in recent years. Colt, Mossberg, Stag Arms, Ammunition Storage Components, to name four such companies, have added hundreds of jobs in recent years and, as a result, have contributed more in local and state taxes, even as other industries have cut back and moved facilities and jobs out of state.
We see a direct connection between the state’s nation-trailing GDP performance and the attitude of state government…. Gov. Perry understands all this. So he is coming to Connecticut. So too, is South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who next week will also be recruiting these same manufacturers for his state. — Commentary by Larry Keane
June 21st, 2013
F-Class shooting (both F-Open and F-TR) is one of the fastest-growing forms of rifle competition. Each season many new shooters hit the line and attendance at the big matches increases every year. But if you’re new to the game, you may ask “Where can I shoot an F-Class match?”. Well, Forum member Rod V. (aka Nodak7mm) has compiled a useful list of 109 ranges around the USA where F-Class matches are held (plus 6 “possibles”). With venues from Alabama to Wyoming — you should find an F-Class program not too far from home. The list, in Excel spreadsheet format, provides range locations and weblinks (where available). Click the link below to download the F-Class Range List (.xls file):
Download F-Class Range List, Revision 19 (12/30/2014) (.XLS file, right click to “save as”)
Note — this list, now in its 19th Revision, is augmented regularly, but info is still being gathered. No claim is made that the list is comprehensive. But it still covers the the lion’s share of the important F-Class venues nationwide. If you know of a range that should be added to the list, please post the location on our F-Class Range List Forum thread. Rod will update the list as new range info is received. Rod writes: “Range information is wanted and welcomed. I would like your help on collecting specific info on Clubs/Ranges where known F-Class matches are held.” Here’s a partial sample from Rod’s list:
June 18th, 2013
 The June, 2013 Edition of Target Shooter Magazine is now available online, in PDF format. This month’s issue contains gear reviews, match reports, and a feature on handloading for the .204 Ruger cartridge. As ever, Target Shooter boasts plenty of great, large-format photos. Optics get considerable play this month with a comparison test of spotting scopes by Richard Utting, and an in-depth review of the Vortex Razor HD 5-20x50mm riflescope by Chris Parkin. There’s plenty of great reading material this month — and it’s all free to read online. (Be patient while downloading the PDF file).
CLICK HERE for June Issue of Target Shooter Magazine (PDF file).
Laurie Holland has authored two major articles in the June issue of Target Shooter Magazine. First, Laurie reviews the latest “Mk. 2″ version of Seb Lambang’s joy-stick bipod. Laurie found that Seb’s new “Joy-Pod” was beautifully built and performs “as advertised”. Laurie writes: “The coarse leg adjustment using the ratchet lock is excellent, allowing quick and easy set-up. The overall stability was better than on the Mk.1 — provided I loaded the butt slightly to push the bi-pod forwards and take up the small amount of slack that shows in the mechanism/joystick-head. I thought the Mk.1 prototype was a winner/game-changer. The Mk.2 is a further and noticeable improvement on that.”
Laurie has also compiled a very authoritative feature story on reloading for the .204 Ruger cartridge. Laurie discusses the available brass, powder, and projectile options for this popular cartridge. Laurie also includes Ballistics tables so you can compare performance with various loads. If you own a .204 Ruger rifle, or plan to get one, Laurie’s .204 Ruger story is definitely a “Must-Read”. This is Part One of a two-part series by Holland.
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