Sinclair International regularly publishes Reloading Advice and Tech Tips in the Sinclair Reloading Press Blog. Mr. Bob Blaine, Sinclair Reloading Tech, has asked Sinclair’s customers to suggest ideas for future technical articles. Here’s your chance to pose questions to be answered and topics to be covered.
Suggestions Wanted by Sinclair Int’l:
As most of you have noticed, [Sinclair has] brought out some interesting items in our recent Sinclair Summer Catalog. Introducing new products generally causes a lot of questions, and we really do enjoy answering them for you. One of our upcoming articles will be about the new Stainless Steel Tumbling Media. We will explain how to best use the new tumbling media, and will include pictures to help show you how to work with it.
I want to know what other new products you would like us to showcase in future Reloading Press articles. We do enjoy hearing from all of you, and this is your chance to let us know what articles you would like to see from our Sinclair Reloading Tech Staff. We look forward to hearing from you! — Bob Blaine
SSG Daniel Horner of the USAMU came from behind to win the 3-Gun Nation (3GN) match at the South River Gun Club in Covington, GA. Trailing Keith Garcia with one stage remaining, Horner laid down a blistering final stage to finish first. This was Horner’s second win in three events on the 2012 FNH USA 3-Gun Nation Pro Series Tour. Just a little more than two and a half months ago, during the first 2012 3GN Pro Series event in St. Augustine, Florida, it was Garcia who had a great final stage run. On that day, Horner came up just a few tenths of a second short, giving Garcia his third 3GN win.
Behind the Scenes with Dan Horner (Excellent Video, Click to Watch)
Trailing by less than a second heading into the final stage, Horner shot superbly with his rifle, was very clean with pistol, and laid down a solid shotgun run. In three Pro Series Events this season, Horner has two wins and one second place, earning a total of $13,000 this season. Garcia cashed his second 3GN check of the season, totaling $8,000 after three events.
In third place for the second time this season was Taran Butler, who shot a very solid match. Butler, who also finished third in St. Augustine, has won $4,000 on the 3GN Pro Series this season. In all, $26,000 in cash prizes were paid to the field, with $10,000 across first, second and third provided by Stag Arms.
3-Gun Nation Matches are Fast and Furious
The 3GN Pro Series puts 64 of the game’s top shooters into a one-day, all-Tactical Optics format. All competitors shoot five extremely fast, open stages, where multiple stage strategies are possible, challenging even veteran shooters. The top 10 then make the cut, proceeding to stage 6, where in front of a crowd of onlookers, including the entire field of competitors; scores are posted on the large 3GN Scoreboard for all to see.
The next event on the 3-Gun Nation Pro Series Tour with be the second annual Rockcastle Pro-Am. This runs August 26-28, 2012, at the Rockcastle Shooting Center in Park City, Kentucky. A 3GN Pro Series Shoot-Off will culminate what promises to be the largest 3-gun match of the season, with more than 500 shooters registered in the Pro and Amateur matches combined.
Along with its main search engine, Google Inc. operates the Google Shopping web portal (www.google.com/shopping), where visitors can search for products offered by tens of thousands of online merchants. Google Shopping works great, unless you happen to be looking for gun stuff. You see, Google recently instituted a new policy blocking Google Shopping search results for many firearms-related products and accessories.
For example, searches for “ammunition”, “.308″, and “rifle” yield no results. This subject-matter-based filtering also stymies searches for prominent gun-makers, component suppliers, and gun accessory vendors. Google Shopping searches for “Beretta”, “Brownells”, “Glock”, “Nosler”, and “Winchester” all yielded this “fail” message: “Your search [term here] did not match any shopping results”. Google Shopping is even blocking results for “Leupold” — yet Leupold only makes optics. Whether you call this “filtering” or “black-balling”, the fact remains that Google Shopping is making judgments about what products (and vendors) shoppers will be allowed to view.
IMPORTANT: The firearm-related filtering ONLY is in place (for now) on the Google Shopping portal. The main Google search engine (www.google.com) still allows you to search for any keyword or search phrase. That means you can search for “rifle”, or “Glock”, or “Winchester” on the main Google search engine and you WILL get results.
Google Shopping Site Search Term Test
We did a quick sample of search terms on the Google Shopping site, testing a few dozen common terms for guns and firearms accessories. There were some surprising results, and many logical inconsistencies. “Rifle Shooting” was blocked, but “Shooting” returned results. “Reload” was blocked, but “Reloading” was allowed. Some filtering seems arbitrary. “Winchester” was blocked, but “Remington” worked. “Hornady” is blocked, but “RCBS” can be used. “Brownells” was blocked, but “Sinclair International” yielded results. “Nosler” is blocked, but “Sierra” was allowed. “Leupold” and “Weaver” are both blocked, but “Bushnell” and “Zeiss” are unrestricted. And spelling makes a difference. “Anschütz” is blocked, but “Anschutz” can be used. “Hollow Point” is blocked, yet “Hollowpoint” (as one word) is OK. You figure that out….
It’s hard to guess which search terms will work and which won’t, except you can be sure that most keyword phrases which include the terms “ammo”, “rifle”, or “firearm” will be censored. Likewise, most search terms based on cartridge types (Rimfire, 45 ACP etc.) or bullet diameters (5.56, 30 Caliber, 7mm etc.) are blocked. But you can still search for “gun”, oddly enough. And this editor can’t fathom why I can search for Bushnell, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Nikon, but not “Leupold”.
IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that this was NOT an exhaustive test of search terms, and Google could change or alter its “block list” at any time.
To explain its content-filtering system, Google Shopping recently sent an email to vendors around the country. As received by Hamlund Tactical and then posted on the web, that email declared:
Dear Merchant,
We’re writing to let you know about some upcoming changes to the product listings you submit to Google. As we recently announced, we are starting to transition our shopping experience to a commercial model that builds on Product Listing Ads. This new shopping experience is called Google Shopping. As part of this transition, we’ll begin to enforce a set of new policies for Google Shopping in the coming weeks. A new list of the allowed, restricted, and prohibited products on Google Shopping is available on our new policy page: http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/ApI7UWRj6OCZpd.
Based on a review of the products you’re currently submitting, it appears that some of the content in your Merchant Center account, [Vendor Name], will be affected by these policy changes. In particular we found that your products may violate the following policies:
Weapons
When we make this change, Google will disapprove all of the products identified as being in violation of policies. We ask that you make any necessary changes to your feeds and/or site to comply, so that your products can continue to appear on Google Shopping.
To help you through this new set of policies and how to comply with them, we would like to give you some specific suggestions regarding the changes needed to keep your offers running on Google Shopping.
Weapons
As highlighted on our new policy page http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/ApI7UWRj6OCZpd, in order to comply with the Google Shopping policies you need to comply first with the AdWords policies http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/StQ08jAzM4fVtG. We do not allow the promotion or sale of weapons and any related products such as ammunitions or accessory kits on Google Shopping. In order to comply with our new policies, please remove any weapon-related products from your data feed and then re-submit your feed in the Merchant Center. For more information on this policy please visit http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/GbBNIGHOribLzf.
To assist gun retailers and Federal Firearms licensees comply with the ever-growing web of governmental regulations, the NSSF has rolled out a new compliance info page at NSSF.org/compliance. The NSSF’s new Regulatory Compliance Resource Center now provides one convenient and centralized hub devoted to helping industry members operate their businesses in compliance with the ever-changing terrain of laws and regulations. The website offers an array of practical and essential compliance resources, including articles, videos, products and solutions, on-demand training courses, and much more. Federal Firearms Licensees can also access information about NSSF’s ATF compliance consultation program and NSSF-endorsed Firearms Business Insurance providing up to $25,000 in defense coverage against any ATF record-keeping or administrative action. The table below provides direct links to Compliance Center resources.
Forum member George (aka gcarbrera) let us know that complete Shooting Sports schedules for the 2012 London Olympic Games can now be viewed online. Olympic shooting events start on July 28, 2012 with Women’s 10m Air Rifle and Men’s 10m Air Pistol. The final rifle event, Men’s 50m 3-Position Finals, will be held August 6, 2012.
Most of you have seen the “I Like Guns” music video by Australian singer/songwriter Steve Lee. This politically-incorrect ballad was released a couple years back, but in this election year, we thought it deserved an encore performance. In the song, Lee describes his affection for guns large and small, from revolvers to shotguns to safari rifles to .22 LR plinkers.
Lee wrote the song, in part, to draw attention to the gun restrictions in his home country of Australia. As a result of those tough gun laws, ownership of semi-automatic rifles and many types of handguns is tightly regulated down under. Consequently, some of the sequences in Lee’s pro-gun music videos have been filmed in other countries.
Steve Lee grew up in outback NSW and guns have always been a part of his life. “I never knew that people didn’t have guns when I was a kid, it just seemed like a normal, practical thing to have and shooting seemed like a normal, fun thing to do”. Now 42, Steve hasn’t slowed up and still loves guns just as much. He’s a member of his local pistol club, and enjoys nothing more than spending a weekend camping and shooting with his family and friends. His love of guns has led him all over the world from Africa to America, all places that allowed him to experience freedom with different types of guns.
On his Ilikeguns.com.au website, Steve explains: “I really wanted … to help us reflect on the good aspects of gun ownership and remind us that guns are a part of our Australian heritage. Both my dad and my grandfather owned guns and never had any trouble.”
If you enjoyed the “I Like Guns” video, you’ll get a kick out of Steve’s recent release, “I’ve Shot Every Gun”. Steve wrote the lyrics, but the tune is based on the song “I’ve Been Everywhere’ written by Aussie Geoff Mack in 1959 and popularized by North American performers Hank Snow and Johnny Cash.
The new Ruger Inside & Out TV program debuts tonight (June 25) at 9:00 pm EST on the Sportsman Channel. The show gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the product development process at Ruger, Hornady, Zeiss and other major manufacturers in the gun/hunting industry. Ken Jorgensen, Ruger’s Media Relations Director, explained the show’s concept: “Ruger Inside & Out tells the story of how products come to be. We talk with designers, engineers, manufacturing staff, and many others that are part of the process that brings products from concept to customer. Viewers will hear these stories and see what goes on in the factory, not only at Ruger, but also with show partners such as Hornady and Zeiss. We’ll also head out on hunts, to training classes, and to other venues where we can put these excellent products to use.”
Here Are Summaries of the First Three Episodes:
Episode 1:
The premiere episode features the .375 Ruger cartridge. The show covers the .375 Ruger’s development and field capabilities, and producers travel to Alaska to see how it fares against grizzly, moose, and bighorn sheep. Plus, Steve Hornady talks about the origins of the Ruger family of cartridges, and get advice from Zeiss about picking the right dangerous game scope.
Episode 2:
This week’s episode covers Ruger’s SR22™ semi-auto .22 LR pistol: how it’s made, and how it shoots. This episode also features “Straight Talk” on how to pick the right size, weight, and caliber handgun for personal and home defense, plus a look at the developmental history of Hornady’s brand-new .17 Hornet cartridge.
Episode 3:
Behind-the-scenes information on how the new Ruger American Rifle™ was designed and manufactured, and how it fares in the field. You’ll get more “Straight Talk” for the armed citizen from veteran law enforcement officers Dave Spaulding & Jason Teague, and take a look at Zeiss’ new Rapid-Z® reticle for Hornady® Superformance® ammo.
As conceived, the show will provide “how to” information to viewers: “Whether it is choosing the right optics for an upcoming hunt or the best ammunition for your personal protection firearms, show hosts and guests will discuss the products that will work best for you and why.” Ruger Inside & Out premieres June 25th at 9:00 PM EST during the Sportsman Channel’s Monday Night “Lock & Load” primetime block.
Our Comment: This show contains some interesting technical info, and the hunting footage shot on location is impressive. However, the “product placement” is heavy-handed and at times the show becomes little more than an “infomercial” for Ruger and Hornady.
Savage Arms is sponsoring a series of range days this year, at locations around the country. Savage provides the guns, and the ammo (limited quantity allocated to each shooter). The latest range day is happening today, June 23, at the Evans Brothers Range in Huntington, Texas. A popular shooting personality, Top Shot Season 3 winner Dustin Ellermann, will be on hand to provide shooting tips and meet the participants. If you’re anywhere near Huntington today, head out to the range and have fun. Dustin writes on his Facebook page: “Want to come shoot with me? I’ll be at Evan’s Brothers Guns in Huntington this Saturday (June 23) from 9:00 – 12:00 demoing some sweet Savage Arms rifles.” Here are some photos from last year’s Savage Range Day at Evans Brothers Range:
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
American Airgunner is the first and only television show to feature airgun shooting sports. This Wednesday, June 27, American Airgunner kicks off its 2012 season on The Pursuit Channel. This season American Airgunner covers the many airgun disciplines, takes viewers on hunts with large bore airguns and pellet rifles, and spotlights the latest in airgun hardware and technology. For 2012, American Airgunner offers an Airgunner Challenge in which eight contestants compete for $5000 and bragging rights.
American Airgunner airs on the Pursuit Channel on Wednesdays at 4:30 PM Eastern, Fridays at 1:30 AM Eastern, Primetime on Fridays at 8:30 PM Eastern. Check local listings for other Time Zones.
First Episode Highlights: .50-Caliber Boar Hunt and Airgunner Challenge
Interest in large bore airguns is on the rise. In the first episode of American Airgunner, Paul Capello, show host, teams up with long-time hog hunter, Clay Hurst, and a .50 caliber airgun supplied by Pyramyd Air to hunt wild boar. Then, viewers will meet the eight contestants for the first Airgunner Challenge and watch as they will shoot it out with a Walther Dominator PCP Air Rifle and a Magnum Research Desert Eagle Air Pistol. All the airguns seen on the show can be purchased from PyramydAir.com, the world’s largest airgun retailer.
The 2012 National Rifle and Pistol Championships begin July 9 at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio. A tradition at Camp Perry since 1907, the championships are divided into five separate phases: Pistol, Smallbore 3-Position, Smallbore Prone, High Power and Long Range.
The National Matches begin in early July with the First Shot Ceremony and conclude in August with the Long Range High Power Championship. This year, Nosler returns as title sponsor for the High Power Rifle Championships. NRA President David A. Keene said “The NRA, CMP and the Ohio National Guard work together and will continue to do so to make the National Championships the most prestigious matches in the world.
The 2012 National Championships calendar is as follows:
July 9: First Shot Ceremony
July 10-14: NRA National Pistol Championships
July 18-21: NRA National Smallbore Rifle Position Championships
July 22-26: NRA National Smallbore Rifle Prone Championships
August 5: NRA/Springfield M1A Match
August 6-10: NRA National High Power Rifle Championships
August 11-15: NRA Long Range Championship
You can follow the 2012 Championships with profiles, photos and scoring updates at www.nrablog.com. For more on the National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry visit www.nrahq.org/compete or call 1-877-672-6282. On the Online Registration page, you can enter the various competitions. To enter the NRA/M1A Springfield match, please use the NRA High Power Rifle Championship option.
As most of you have noticed, [Sinclair has] brought out some interesting items in our recent Sinclair Summer Catalog. Introducing new products generally causes a lot of questions, and we really do enjoy answering them for you. One of our upcoming articles will be about the new Stainless Steel Tumbling Media. We will explain how to best use the new tumbling media, and will include pictures to help show you how to work with it.
Trailing by less than a second heading into the final stage, Horner shot superbly with his rifle, was very clean with pistol, and laid down a solid shotgun run. In three Pro Series Events this season, Horner has two wins and one second place, earning a total of $13,000 this season. Garcia cashed his second 3GN check of the season, totaling $8,000 after three events.
To assist gun retailers and Federal Firearms licensees comply with the ever-growing web of governmental regulations, the NSSF has rolled out a new compliance info page at 
Forum member George (aka gcarbrera) let us know that complete Shooting Sports schedules for the 2012 
Most of you have seen the “I Like Guns” music video by Australian singer/songwriter Steve Lee. This politically-incorrect ballad was released a couple years back, but in this election year, we thought it deserved an encore performance. In the song, Lee describes his affection for guns large and small, from revolvers to shotguns to safari rifles to .22 LR plinkers.
The 2012 National Rifle and Pistol Championships begin July 9 at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio. A tradition at Camp Perry since 1907, the championships are divided into five separate phases: Pistol, Smallbore 3-Position, Smallbore Prone, High Power and Long Range.
