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January 24th, 2013
After a massive boycott by dozens of exhibitors and sponsors, including the NRA and Cabela’s, British-owned Reed Exhibitions has “postponed” 2013 Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show (ESOS). The Show, one of the largest Outdoor Expos on the East Coast, was originally slated to open February 2, 2013 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The reason for the mass boycott was Reed’s decision to ban the display of AR-platform and similar semi-automatic, magazine-fed rifle systems at ESOS. The announced ban was confusing to many exhibitors because Reed also runs the SHOT Show (for the NSSF) and there was no such ban on ARs in Las Vegas last week. In fact, at SHOT Show, you couldn’t turn your head in the Sands Expo Center without seeing ARs and AR-related hardware on display.
The NSSF stated that it: “is in no way affiliated with, nor does it participate in or exhibit at this show in any way. Reed Exhibitions does, however, manage the NSSF-owned SHOT Show.” Because of Reed’s actions, “NSSF is considering all options regarding the management of future SHOT Shows.”
The NRA declared: “Due to Reed Exhibitions’ refusal to reconsider their decision to ban Modern Sporting Rifles from the February 2-10 Eastern Sports Show in Harrisburg, PA, the National Rifle Association has decided to withdraw from the show. The NRA’s future participation in the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show will be determined by Reed Exhibitions’ actions in response to the concerns raised by the NRA, the outdoor industry, and America’s law-abiding gun owners.”
Read Related Story from The Patriot-News (PennLive.com).
January 23rd, 2013
A “pimped-out” Turnbull Manufacturing TAR-10 (AR 10-platform) rifle shattered the all-time SHOT Show Auction record with a high bid of $136,024.00. Proceeds from the auction conducted last week will go to support the NSSF’s Hunting Heritage Trust. This unique Turnbull TAR-10, chambered in .308 Winchester, has features rarely seen on an AR-style rifle: color case-hardening, hand engraving, gold inlay, and select walnut “furniture”. The upper and lower are made from 8620 carbon steel that has been color case-hardened with the Turnbull bone charcoal process.
The gun has been elaborately engraved by Adams and Adams, with extensive gold inlay. The butt-stock, fore-end, and pistol grip are select fancy walnut.
“We did our best to make this a very special rifle and we had hopes of beating the all-time record of $83,025.00, but we never imagined the bidding would surpass $100,000 and then soar to more than $136,000.00,” commented Doug Turnbull.
“Our objective in creating the TAR-10 was to show that the AR platform is more than just a military rifle. We wanted to emphasize that these types of rifles can be made to look like any other custom rifle in terms of appeal,” commented Turnbull. The rifle, as sold, was equipped with a Zeiss 1.5-6x42mm Victory HT scope. Regular production Turnbull TAR-10 rifles will be the same as this special SHOT Show rifle minus the elaborate engraving and presentation-grade wood.
January 21st, 2013
 We are proud to announce that AccurateShooter.com has achieved a major milestone. We now have over 20,000 registered members in our Shooter’s FORUM! This represents a big step forward for the site, which started in September 2004, nearly eight-and-a-half years ago. We witnessed major site growth in 2012, with Forum traffic rising nearly 40% and the member ranks growing significantly.
We wish to thank all our Forum members for making our Shooter’s Forum the “go-to” place for information on precision shooting and reloading. Those members are also to be credited for the “good fellowship” one finds in our Forum. We are proud to have hit the 20,000-member mark, and we hope to reach an even greater audience of avid shooters in the months and years ahead!
20,000th Forum Member Wins Prize Package
Our 20,000th member registered last night. This lucky fellow, whom we’ll call “Mr. 20K”, is an avid shooter from Pennsylvania. As a reward for becoming our 20,000th Forum member, he will receive a great collection of prizes. First, he will receive a beautiful, all-stainless Primer Seating Tool from 21st Century Shooting (or $120 credit for other 21st Century products). Second, “Mr. 20K” will get a $50 credit on a purchase of $200.00 or more with Eurooptic.com. This can be used on Lapua brass and bullets as Eurooptic.com is now a Lapua vendor.
The prize package also includes TWO autographed books from top authors in the shooting world: Bryan Litz and Julie Golob. First, Julie Golob, Captain of Team S&W, has donated a signed copy of “SHOOT”, her hot-selling guide to action shooting. Bryan, founder of Applied Ballistics LLC, will provide a signed copy of his latest book, Accuracy and Precision for Long Range Shooting.
January 21st, 2013
The NSSF has issued an alert regarding proposed legislation in Connecticut that would drastically restrict the rights of gun owners. Proposed measures include: mandatory registration of ALL firearms, confiscation of all magazines with capacity of 10+ rounds, registration of ammo purchases, ban on internet ammo purchases, and mandatory locked gun storage. Legislation proposed by Gov. Malloy, Sen. Beth Bye, and Rep. Bob Godfrey, would include the following restrictions:
- An outright ban on ALL modern sporting rifles, classifying them as “Assault Weapons.”
- Restricting lawful magazine capacity to 10 rounds.
- Confiscating ALL magazines (including pistol mags) holding more than 10 rounds.
- Statewide gun registration for ALL firearms.
- Re-registration every two (2) years with rising fee schedule.
- Permit requirement for any rifle with a pistol grip.
- Registration of all ammunition purchases.
- Limits on ammo quantities one can purchase and possess.
- Ban on internet sales of ammo in Connecticut.
- Mandatory locked gun storage requirements.
The NSSF states that: “There will only be a few opportunities for discussion and opposition as many in Hartford are trying to pass legislation as quickly as possible. The first hearing (and may be the only time to testify) will occur next Monday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. at the Legislative Office Building.”
NSSF is urging all gun owners, sportsmen and hunters to attend Monday’s public hearing to be held in the Legislative Office Building in Room 2C at 10 a.m. and to contact their state representative, senator and all members of the Committee immediately.
CLICK HERE to find Your Elected Officials. | CLICK HERE for Full NSSF Action Alert.
Other important gun-related legislation under consideration in Connecticut:
HB 5268, SB140: Requires firearm owners to maintain liability insurance. Establishes a 50% tax on the sale of ammunition. Requires all ammunition to be purchased in person.
SB 122: Makes it a class C felony offense for any person or organization to purchase, sell, donate, transport, possess, or use any gun except one made to fire a single round.
SB 124: Prohibits the possession of magazines that accept more than ten rounds.
January 19th, 2013
 Metal Flowers Media (MFM), a talent agency for TV shows, is now casting a new guns-related show for the History Channel. This new show “is in the early stages of development”, and MFM asked AccurateShooter.com to help the agency find “gun enthusiasts who are extremely knowledgeable and love firearms”.
MFM is a well-known agency that has cast many popular shows including: Storage Wars, The Colony, One Man Army, Ice Road Truckers, and Frontiersmen.
Here’s the text of MFM’s official ‘Casting Call’ press release:
“A nationwide search has begun to find the most enthusiastic, energetic people who know and love everything about guns! This new series will celebrate firearms in all forms. These gun experts will have their dreams come true as they get the chance to be featured on the History Channel! If you eat, sleep and breathe all things firearms – if you are the biggest ‘gun-nut’ – then this is the opportunity you have been waiting for!
Casting Directors at Metal Flowers Media (The Colony, American Guns) are currently seeking people who are an encyclopedia of firearms. This gun know-it-all must be able to blow your typical gun enthusiast away with their knowledge of firearms.
If you are 21 + and are able to spit a wide range of ‘gun talk’ we want to hear from you!”
If you fit the bill, have a vast knowledge of firearms, and would be interested in appearing on a new History Channel TV show, send an email to: barnett [at] metalflowersmedia.com .
January 17th, 2013
SHOT Show 2013 has been underway since Monday. This show seems bigger than ever, and the sheer number of noteworthy products on display is mind-boggling. We’ve seen some remarkable new scopes from Nightforce, Kahles, and IOR-Valdada. Dave Kiff at PT&G has some “game-changing” new products. Winchester’s new 17 Win Super Mag rimfire cartridge has generated lots of interest, and Savage showed off its new B.MAG bolt action chambered for the new cartridge.
Here’s a quick sample of some cool or interesting products we saw in action on Media Day or on display inside the Sands Convention Center. We’ll do more complete write-ups/reviews once we “back to the office” and have a change to digest spec sheets and edit video. But please enjoy this photo “sampler” from SHOT Show 2013.
New Kahles 10-50X Competition Scope, with Central (big wheel) Parallax Adjustment
New Savage B.MAG Rifle Chambered in 17 Win Super Mag Rimfire
Prototype “Tinkertoy” Benchrest Rifle from McMillan Built on “Alias” Action
New Datum Dial Ammunition Measurement System from Forster Products
New .338 Lapua Magnum Action and Complete .338 LM Rifles from Kelbly’s
New Savage Bolt from PT&G with User-Adjustable Spring Tension
Futuristic $22K Tracking-Point Rifle System with Automatic Ranging, Ballistic Calculation, and Aiming Solution
New .375 Caliber, 350 grain, ultra-high-BC Match-King Bullet from Sierra
Vectronix Laser Rangefinder Units ($1995.00 – $8510.00)
Air Arms S400 Multi-Purpose Rifles (Regular and Biathlon Models)
Accuracy Int’l PSR Multi-Caliber Rifle System — ‘Takedown Edition’ in .338 LM
January 14th, 2013
 If you’re going to SHOT Show this week in Las Vegas, head over to the Otis Technology booth, #14213 (You can’t miss it — Otis has big tall banners). Otis has arranged for several “big name” shooters and other celebrities to make personal appearances at the show. Show attendees will have a chance to meet these industry celebrities (including Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Rhodes) and get a signed autograph photo.
 Doug Koenig, one of the top pistol shooters in history, will be at the Otis booth daily from 9 am to 10 am. Doug has won multiple Bianchi Cups, Masters Tournaments, and Steel Challenges.
Kim Rhode, 5-time Olympic medalist in Double Trap and Skeet, will appear in the booth Tuesday through Thursday from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Kim won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, giving her five medals in five consecutive Olympic Games.
Mark Wills, country music entertainer and 3-Gun Nation host, will visit the Otis booth for autographs on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 am to noon. Mark is a platinum-selling country singer with eight Top 10 hits.
Matt Hughes, 9-time MMA champion, will be at the Otis booth Tues – Thurs from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. Besides being a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, Matt is an avid hunter and firearms collector.
Otis Technology produces advanced gun cleaning systems. Otis pull-through Breech-to-Muzzle® bore-cleaning products are widely used throughout the US Military.
January 14th, 2013
 To ensure the increasing demand of Lapua ammunition and Vihtavuori powder in the USA market is met with sufficient supply, Nammo Lapua Oy has made changes to its distribution network. Effective Jan 1, 2013, Lapua centerfire ammunition and components, as well as Lapua and SK brand rimfire ammunition, will be distributed by Graf & Sons of Mexico, Missouri; Sport Shooting International (SSI) of Anaheim, California; and Crow Shooting Supplies of Brooklyn, Iowa.
VihtaVuori smokeless powder products will continue to be imported and distributed by the Hodgdon Powder Company of Shawnee Mission, Kansas.
January 11th, 2013
Here’s a great bargain — maybe the NRA deal of the decade for gun guys. Right now, if you pay $25.00 for a one-year NRA membership (that’s $10.00 off normal price), you will get a Bass Pro Shops Gift Card worth $25.00. In other words, for every dollar you spend on your NRA membership, you get a dollar’s worth of merchandise at Bass Pro Shops. Imagine if you bought $25.00 worth of motor oil and got a gas card worth twenty-five bucks. Who wouldn’t jump at that? Well this is virtually the same deal. That $25.00 gift card can be applied to pretty much any merchandise in the Bass Pro Shops store: clothes, shooting supplies, hunting and fishing gear, even optics or a GPS.
If you take advantage of this great deal, you’ll also get a FREE annual subscription to one of three NRA-sponsored print magazines: American Rifleman, American Hunter, or 1st Freedom. (Junior members have the additional fourth choice of InSights magazine.) You’ll have to agree that a FREE magazine subscription sweetens the deal even more. CLICK HERE to learn more about this great offer.
You can fill out a membership application online, print and mail a sign-up form, or call 1-877-NRA-2000 to join by phone. But don’t wait too long — this is a limited-time NRA sign-up offer.
January 10th, 2013
Classic hunting rifles never go out of style. We thought our readers would enjoy some photos of a special Jack O’Connor Tribute rifle in .270 Winchester. This unique Model 70 is a featured SHOT Show 2013 rifle. It is being auctioned on Gunbroker.com, with proceeds to benefit hunting and shooting sports. Bids are currently approaching $7,000.00 with bidding open through January 18, 2013.
Winchester Repeating Arms states that this 2013 SHOT Show Winchester Model 70 will be the last-ever Jack O’Connor Tribute rifle. The stock for this rifle is AAA grade Claro Walnut with Ebony forearm tip and shadowline cheekpiece. The rifle’s metalwork has been hand-engraved by the artisans at Baron Engraving. The rifle features a featherweight contour, free-floating barrel with target crown.
Interestingly, the Leupold 4X Mountaineer riflescope mounted on this rifle is an original 1950s-era Mountaineer from the vaults of Leupold & Stevens.
 Sporting Classics offers a collection of great Jack O’Connor stories from the pages of Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Petersen’s Hunting and other popular magazines of his day. This 440-page book, entitled Classic O’Connor: 45 Worldwide Hunting Stories, is a sequel of sorts to Sporting Classics’ popular compendium, The Lost Classics of Jack O’Connor.
In this collection, Jack O’Connor recounts his worldwide hunting adventures, during which he pursued everything from ducks to grizzlies, pheasants to kudu. Classic O’Connor presents several of the author’s greatest gun stories and a large selection of never-before-published photographs of the celebrated sportsman and his family on hunting adventures around the world. The book is illustrated with 40+ drawings by acclaimed artist Ron Van Gilder. Hardcover with dust jacket, the book lists for $35, but it can be purchased on Amazon.com for just $23.07.
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The Hunting Rifle by Jack O’Connor
Another O’Connor title worth reading is The Hunting Rifle, still considered one of the definitive works on selecting a hunting rifle and cartridge. One owner of The Hunting Rifle explains:
“It would benefit every hunter to take the time and read this book. It offers a corrective to the spirit of things that have gripped the hunting scene lately. Today, if one reads a hunting magazine, [one is] offered the view that you need the fastest and loudest cartridges, rifles with special finishes and the most expensive of anything. Ole Jack reminds us that many have killed game with ‘lesser’ guns for a very long time, and that these new gimmicks will not make you a more lethal hunter.” |
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