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December 14th, 2012
 Nancy Tompkins has been working on a new Second Edition of her popular book: Prone and Long-Range Rifle Shooting. Nancy just announced that the final proof has been submitted to the printer (at last), and the book should be available in six weeks, i.e. early February, 2013. Nancy posted today: “Mid gave me roses last night after I sent the proof for book to the printer. Yay! After thousands of hours of work… I AM DONE! In six weeks it will be a book.”
The enhanced Second Edition will feature updates to the current chapters, more photos, plus an entirely new chapter on F-Class Shooting. The Second Edition will be issued with a hardback cover, for increased durability. Price isn’t set yet, but Nancy hopes to keep the price “under $40.00″. The book will be available from Sinclair Int’l and direct from Nancy via her website, RifleShootingbyNancy.com.
Author Profile: Nancy Tompkins has been shooting competitively for over 33 years. She has won the National Long Range Championship four times. Nancy was the first woman in history to win the National High Power Championship (a feat accomplished by only two ladies, the other being Nancy’s daughter Sherri Jo Gallagher). Nancy has also been the Wimbledon Cup winner, and a 5-time Leech Cup winner. She has won both team and individual medals in the World Palma Championships, and has been on 6 Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
December 14th, 2012
 The National Bench Rest Shooters Association (NBRSA) now has its own eZine, Precision Rifleman, which covers NBRSA events and provides notices to members. The editors do a good job providing follow-up reports on popular matches with profiles of notable NBRSA members.
Along with match reports, you’ll find a list of upcoming events plus a handy directory of NBRSA-affiliated clubs across the country, complete with full contact information.
While Precision Rifleman is funded in part through NBRSA member dues, you can read the digital version online for free — you do not have to be a paying NBRSA member. (A print version goes out to NBRSA members).
CLICK HERE to read latest December 2012 issue of Precision Rifleman
December 12th, 2012
 Famed exhibition shooter Bob Munden passed away December 10th, from a heart attack. Bob was 70 years old. Munden’s friends at Hodgdon Powder stated: “Bob was a legend, a showman and a gentleman above all else.” Born February 8, 1942 in Kansas City, MO, Bob began his professional shooting career at age 11 in California. While still in high school, Bob placed second in the noted LeatherSlap competition, and that launched his fabled career as a fast-draw specialist and trick shooter.
Over his long career, Munden traveled around the globe giving shooting exhibitions. Munden was famous both as a speed-draw specialist and a trick shooter with all types of firearms. He was recognized as “The Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived” in the Guinness Book of World Records. As a star of Shooting USA’s “Impossible Shots” TV show, Munden provided amazing demonstrations of shooting skills for a national television audience — such as splitting a playing card tossed in the air. Many of Munden’s famous trick shots were “first-ever” challenges, tricks that no other marksman had ever done before.
Over the years Bob, often with his wife Becky (who is also a skilled shooter), appeared on many television shows, most famously American Shooter, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Stan Lee’s Superhumans, Shooting USA, and Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots. Munden is featured in DVDs including Bob Munden: Outrageous Shooting and Bob Munden: The Collector’s Edition.
Registered as members #118 and #119 respectively, Bob and Becky entertained at the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) End of Trail World Championships of Cowboy Action Shooting 30 times with what Becky proudly said was the most complex presentation ever offered at an exhibition shooting show. She added that Bob was Cowboy Action Shooting’s first gunsmith. After her beloved Bob passed away this week, Becky said: “We had an incredible, memorable life together.”
December 10th, 2012
 After concluding its 2012 Board Meeting, the NBRSA has issued some announcements for its membership. The Fee structure has changed, and Match Directors are requested to submit info on upcoming 2013 Matches. In addition, the NBRSA noted that Long Range Rule Books are now on sale for $5.00. Call (307) 655-7415 to order these Rule Books.
NBRSA Fee Schedule for 2013
Dues and match fees will change beginning January 1, 2013. The new fee structure is designed “to be equitable to everyone”, with adjustments reflecting shipping costs. Normal match fees change to $3 per shooter per day. Annual Fees will be:
- USA Domestic Annual Members & Clubs: $60
- CANADIAN Annual Members: $60 + $25 shipping — Total US $85
- INTERNATIONAL Annual Members: $60 + $60 shipping — Total US $120
2013 Match Schedules and Forms
The NBRSA requests that match directors send in their 2013 match schedules to Regional Directors as soon as possible. This will allow the NBRSA to post schedules online and in Precision Rifleman magazine. Match Directors who require Forms should click the links below.
Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) | Match Vouchers Forms
News Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
December 7th, 2012
Report by Jeff Williams, AccurateShooter Correspondent
If you’ve visited BergerBullets.com lately, you’ve noticed that Berger Bullets has completely over-hauled and updated its website. The new website has a very handsome, clean layout. It is also faster to load and much easier to navigate. We give Berger an “A” grade for the new website.
 On Berger’s home page you’ll find product descriptions, easy-to-use (smart-phone friendly) product buttons, pull-down menus for all four Berger bullet line-ups, recent news items, plus videos. Click “Links” to access a comprehensive list of reloading resources with a directory of shooting association websites. Click the Berger Bulletin tab to read current product status reports, technical articles, and shooting tips.
Redesigned Bullet Info Tables
The bullet product info pages are much easier to read now. Simple tables display all the bullets of a particular type (hunting, target, varmint, and tactical), organized by caliber and weight within calibers. You’ll find BOTH G1 model and G7 model Ballistics coefficients (BCs) for all the bullets in the tables, and recommended twist rates are listed.
Berger Twist-Rate Stability Calculator
The new Berger website also offers a handy Twist-Rate Stability Calculator that predicts your gyroscopic stability factor (SG) based on mulitiple variables: velocity, bullet length, bullet weight, barrel twist rate, ambient temperature, and altitude. This very cool tool tells you if your chosen bullet will really stabilize in your barrel. LIVE DEMO BELOW — Just enter values in the data boxes and click “Calculate SG”.
December 7th, 2012
 In November, the ISSF Administrative Council approved new ISSF rules calling for major changes in ISSF and Olympic Shooting Sports events. Starting in 2013, all Finalists will start with zero scores and there will be elimination rounds, ending with a final two-shooter duel for the Gold medal (the loser of the duel gets Silver). The new Finals procedure represents the ISSF’s first major format change since the introduction of finals in 1986. The new Finals format will be used in all 2013 ISSF Championships.
This rules were changed to make shooting events more “spectator-friendly”, attract media coverage, and engage a larger fan base. It is hoped that the new format, ending in a duel, is more appealing and easily understandable. The new ISSF rules contain new Finals formats for all Olympic shooting events mandating that ALL finalists start from zero. This means that qualification scores will not be carried into the Final anymore, making the scoring system immediately understandable for spectators. Furthermore, all Finals feature eliminations, and end with duels between the two best athletes to decide the gold and silver medals. The new 2013 Rules have been published on the ISSF website, ISSF-sports.org.
Other Shooting Rule Changes to Be Implemented
The new ISSF Rules also include the separation of sighting and match firing in 10m and 50m rifle and pistol events, a new position order for 50m Rifle 3-Position events, and a provisional test of decimal scoring for 10m Air Rifle and 50m Prone Rifle events. The Final for the 50m 3-P Rifle event will become a true 3-Positions Final, not a one-position Final like it used to be. And new time limits will require shooters to make more rapid position changes in future 3-position rifle Finals. Both 25m Pistol Finals will use hit-miss scoring to encourage more spontaneous spectator reactions.
ISSF Big Shots Praise Finals Format Changes
“The shooting sport has always been a leading sport in the Olympic movement. And with the new finals we made an important step forward to keep that leading position,” said ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña.
ISSF Sec. Gen’l Franz Schreiber concurred: “It was time to change….The ISSF has always been open to innovation, and we are proving it once again. All sports must adapt to the digital era of technology and media. The time has come to adopt new [formats] which fulfill these objectives.”
Legendary USA Olympic marksman and ISSF Vice-President Gary Anderson observed that the rule changes will present challenges: “We will have to work hard to make this work. But our sport will benefit from this new, appealing format.”
December 3rd, 2012
IBS Annual Meeting on January 11-12 in Pennsylvania
The 2013 International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) Membership Meeting will be held January 11 and 12, 2013 at the Harrisburg Holiday Inn and Conference Center. There will be a 7:00 pm social gathering on Friday the 11th. The Open Membership begins Saturday the 12th at 9:00 am. Ballots are currently being mailed and all will be in mail by Tuesday December 4th. If you have not received your ballot by December the 11th contact Joan at joan [at] internationalbenchrest.com
IBS December 2012 Newsletter (PDF) | Proposed Agenda Items | Proposed Bylaws Changes
The Holiday Inn and Conference Center is located at 145 Sheraton Drive, New Cumberland, PA 17070 (Off the I-83 at PA turnpike). Call (717) 774-2721 for reservations.
IBS and Precision Shooting Magazine
Since 1970, the IBS has used Precision Shooting Magazine as it official publication; the magazine ceased printing effective November 2012. Obviously, this situation is not of our making yet we have to deal with it nevertheless. As a result of PS’s apparent demise, the IBS must seek another way to keep its membership informed. The Executive Board met via teleconference on November 15, 2012 and voted to put the issue to the membership.
Agenda Item ballots will be mailed on or about November 28th and will also include a simple survey form. Members will be asked to register their preference for one of two options. Those options are: integrate IBS information and match reports into Precision Rifleman (the new NBRSA magazine), which will require a dues increase to $60; OR use the current IBS website-with enhancements-as the way to communicate with members. The latter option will result in a reduction in dues by 20% to 40%.
All ballots and surveys must be postmarked by January 1, 2013. I encourage ALL members to respond. The Executive Board will make a final decision on January 12th.
Jeff Stover, IBS President
IBS Tentative 2013 Event Schedules are posted
Shooters can start marking their calendars for the upcoming shooting season. The IBS has compiled a “tentative” schedule for 2013 matches. Click the links below to view the Short-Range Group, Short-Range Score, and Long-Range Schedules for next year (PDF files):
News Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
December 2nd, 2012
Doan Trevor is a master gunsmith and stock-maker who works in the old style. He still hand-crafts stocks from start to finish, and does all the metal-work on the custom rifles he builds. Starting with highly-figured woods, Doan carves and shapes his stocks largely by hand, with meticulous attention to detail. Each rifle he builds is optimized for its intended discipline, and custom-fitted for the customer.
With the help of his talented wife Sue (who does the photography and builds the web pages), Doan has created a wonderful website, DoanTrevor.com, that is a feast for the eyes. You can see beautiful wood-stocked rifles being hand-crafted. Doan also illustrates how he creates custom metal parts, and how he beds barreled actions into the finished stocks.
Set aside a few minutes and visit Doan’s website. Be sure to click on the site’s secondary pages: Rifle Building, Woodworking, and Metalworking. You’ll find dozens of high-quality photos and fascinating information on gun-building.
For more information, visit DoanTrevor.com, or call (505) 890-0368, 10am-5pm M-F.
December 1st, 2012
Bill Gravatt, President of Sinclair International, has chosen to leave his current position with Sinclair International, where he has served for 22 years. Bill told us “I sold Sinclair International to Brownells, Inc. in 2007 and have completed my five-year contract as part of the transition process. I had the opportunity to remain as President after my contract expired but, after giving the matter a great deal of thought over the past six months, I felt it was time to move in a new direction. I wish everyone at Sinclair International and Brownells all the best in the future.”
In Sinclair’s Reloading Press Blog*, Bill thanks Sinclair customers for their patronage and assures readers that Sinclair will continue to provide same high level of customer service.
Message from Bill Gravatt
 As you know, I sold Sinclair International to Brownells a while back. Pete and Frank Brownell and I had known each other for years, and we all agreed that the two companies would be a good fit, both in the way we treat customers as valued friends and the way our respective customer bases are complementary, similar but not identical. We also agreed that I would stay on as President of Sinclair for five years to help manage the transition.
The five years ended last summer, and now under the Brownells stewardship, Sinclair will continue to serve its customers — you — with the same care and consideration my father-in-law Fred Sinclair and I would give you. I consider it a privilege and a pleasure to have been able to serve you over the years.
Now it’s time to move on with the next (actually the third) phase of my adult life (some of you may know the first phase was the nuclear power industry). I’m certainly going to be around… I plan to continue working in the firearms industry, and you’re going to still see me at competitions and events — maybe more than before. I hope to see you at an NRA Show[.]
In the meantime, I plan to spend Christmas the way I hope you do — with friends and family, relaxing and celebrating the blessings of this life. And maybe getting started on that big winter reloading project. Wouldn’t it be great to head into the 2013 shooting season with your ammo loaded up and ready to go? Spring is closer than you think! But first [comes] Christmas — all my best wishes to you and those close to you.
Good Shooting — Bill Gravatt
*Geoff Esterline, a key member of the Sinclair team for over 15 years, has agreed to take over as Contributing Editor of the Reloading Press Blog. Bill has “every confidence” in Geoff’s capabilities.
November 29th, 2012
 GunGoddess.com features a variety of products and shooting accessories especially chosen for lady shooters. You’ll find colorful apparel, carry purses, holsters, and even jewelry crafted from bullet castings.
GunGoddess.com was started by Athena Means, an active IDPA and USPSA pistol shooter. Athena, whose husband Mike served 20 years in the military, was inspired to create the site after searching in vain for shooting apparel and accessories in colors other than black, green, and tan. Athena wanted something with more appeal to the feminine eye: “I set out to find fabulous products that women shooters would love, and bring them all together here. Ladies who love to shoot will find all the traditional gear they need, but in neon pink and leopard print instead of traditional black!”
GunGoddess.com Has Gift Items for All Members of the Family
Though it specializes in products for women, GunGoddess.com also offers gift selections for men and kids, through its companion site, GunFighterWear.com. If you’re looking for a gift for a guy, you’ll find shooting accessories, concealment gear, speciality gun storage units, and even “Tactical Ties” and cufflinks made from cartridge cases. There are many unique items on the GunGoddess webstore that will make great holiday gifts.
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