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May 13th, 2012
Readers in the Rockies region should head to the Colorado Rifle Club (CRC) range on Saturday June 2, 2012, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. There you can try out a variety of Savage rifles from 17 HMR all the way up to a big magnum. All Rimfire ammo is free, and your first five (5) Centerfire rounds per gun are free (except for .338 Lapua Magnum, $5 per round). Can’t beat that. This June 2 “rifle test-ride” at CRC is part of Savage’s Arms Club Program, which lets potential rifle buyers try out target and hunting rifles, both centerfire and rimfire, at no cost.
Savage Arms provides the rifles, Nikon supplies the optics, and Hornady provides free ammo for testing. Caliber options include .17 HMR, .223 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum. (For the .338 Lapua Magnum, premium Lapua ammo is $5.00 per round). If you have not shot Savage’s F-T/R or Law Enforcement Series rifles, now is your chance. We also recommend Savage’s model 93R17 TR, a .17 HMR rimfire with the look and feel of full-size centerfire rifle. The 93R17 we tested last year was very accurate and we liked the look and feel of the matte-black tactical-style stock.
Directions to Range:
The Colorado Rifle Club range is located at 76099 East 96th Ave., Byers, CO 80103. Byers is 40 miles east of Denver on l-70 at exit 316. To get to the range, travel 8 miles east of Byers on U.S. 36, then about 9 miles north on Leader Road (52N), then one mile west on 96th Ave. to the range gate, then one mile north to the ranges. CLICK HERE for map to CRC range.
Latitude and Longitude: 39° 52′ 12.58″ N, 104° 05′ 39.47″ W
Story Tip by EdLongRange. We welcome reader submissions.
May 11th, 2012
 Results from a recent international air rifle competition bode well for Team USA’s prospects at the 2012 London Olympic Games. In the women’s 10m Air Rifle event, a talented trio of young American lady shooters won the team silver medal at the International Shooting Competition of Hanover (Germany). Congrats to the three Hanover Silver Medalists: Amanda Furrer (393), Emily Holsopple (389), and Amy Sowash (393).
Good luck ladies on your quest for Gold in London this summer! The Olympic Games kick off Friday, July 27, 2012. Olympic shooting matches will be held 28 July through 5 August at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich. 390 shooter-athletes will take part. Rifle events will include 10m air rifle (men, women), 50m three-position rifle (men, women), and 50m rifle prone (men only).
May 11th, 2012
Story based on report by Lars Dalseide for the NRA Blog
The NRA National Firearms Museum will soon showcase the historic Theodore Roosevelt collection in a major exhibit. One highlight of the upcoming exhibit will be a high-grade 1886 Winchester rifle owned and used by Roosevelt before, during, and after his presidency.
Teddy Roosevelt loved Winchester lever guns. In his book Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, Roosevelt wrote: “The Winchester stocked and sighted to suit myself is by all odds the best weapon I ever had, and I now use it almost exclusively[.]”
According to Senior Curator Phil Schreier, this Winchester was highly customized and upgraded for its famous owner. Notable custom features include Monte Carlo cheek piece, checkered pistol grip, flat metal buttstock, and deluxe color case-hardening. Given its beauty, one might doubt that President Roosevelt actually hunted with this rifle — it looks too shiny and new. There’s a reason for that — he kept sending it back.
Records show that Roosevelt’s rifle went back to the Winchester plant on five separate occasions. Each time to be refit and refinished to the President’s specifications. That’s why the rifle remains so pristine more than a century after it was crafted. For more information on this rifle and the Roosevelt Collection, tune in to Curator’s Corner on NRANews.com and Sirius/XM Patriot Satellite Radio.
May 10th, 2012
 The good news continues for Sturm, Ruger & Co. (Ruger) which has seen huge gains in its stock price over that past couple of years. Ruger recently reported that first-quarter sales were up 49% compared to the same period in the previous year. That announcement has caused Ruger shares to rise over 6% just today! (Many of us now wish we’d bought some Ruger stock in 2010 — Ruger shares are trading today at 49.38, up from 16.93 two years ago.)
New products such as the Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifle, the Ruger SR22 pistol and the Ruger American Rifle are driving sales growth. Said CEO Michael Fifer, “New product introductions were a significant component of our sales growth as new product sales represented $40.8 million or 37% of sales in the first quarter of 2012.” Ruger’s results again beat Wall Street expectations. Ruger has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last seven quarters.
May 9th, 2012
Forum member Ryan Pierce set a pending new F-Class Open National Long-Range record this past Sunday at a Long Range Regional Palma Match in Lodi, Wisconsin. Ryan shot a “clean” 450 with 24 Xs in a 800/900/1000 match at Winnequah Gun Club. Once certified, Ryan’s 450-24X score tops the 449-33X record set by Robert Bock in 2008. To make the story even better, Ryan smithed the gun himself, doing his own metal and stock work! Ryan’s record-setting rig is a .284 Win with BAT action, Brux barrel, and Precision Rifle & Tool (PR&T) stock. Ryan shot Berger 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831SC and CCI BR2s. Interestingly, Ryan set the record with a ‘dirty barrel’. By the time he finished the 1000-yard stage on Sunday, he had put over 150 rounds through his barrel since its last cleaning. Ryan wasn’t just being lazy — he had noted that the vertical tightened up the more rounds he shot.
Ryan Reveals How Record Was Set
Ryan tells us: “I had actually debated using my 6BR last weekend but didn’t and used up my last box of 180 Hybrids. They are seated .025″ off the lands with 56.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831SC and a BR2 primer. This load is running 2900 fps. I had 1 1/2 min of wind on and was favoring another half minute. I had excellent pit service, 6 seconds, by Jeff Dick. I knew he was fast so I figured ‘let’s rock and roll’. I was done in 3 to 3.5 minutes. I was pretty stoked. Halfway through the relay I started shaking pretty bad. After my last shot came up a 10 I was all smiles and couldnt believe I’d shot the 450.”
Above is Ryan with his rifle and 1000-yard target. He had two (2) sighters in the 9-ring, but the rest were 10s and Xs. Jim tells us: “As the string went on Ryan started flirting with the bottom of the 10 ring. Those pasters were removed to validate that they were indeed solid 10s.” Jim adds: “I witnessed Ryan’s 900- and 1000-yard strings and had the pleasure of signing the score card on the 1000-yard string, it was amazing to watch and see Ryan so excited about accomplishing this.”
Ryan Pierce SPEAKS OUT
CLICK “PLAY” to hear Ryan TALK about setting Nat’l Record with .284 Win at Lodi. |
[haiku url=”http://accurateshooter.net/Video/pierceaudio215.mp3″ title=”Ryan Pierce Talk About F-Class Record”] |
Above you can see Ryan’s 800- and 900-yard strings on the same target. Jim See reports that: “Due to the rain delay, and some relay jockeying, Ryan ended up being the last shooter at 800 and the first shooter at 900, all on a clean target. So when [Ryan] hit the pits he took the picture, not knowing what was in his near future.” NOTE: The 800-yard stage allowed unlimited sighters, so there are a few shots out of 10 Ring. At the 900- and 1000-yard distances, two sighters were allowed at each yardage.
We congratulate Ryan for his great shooting. This was a tough record to beat. Forum member Nodak7mm says: “This was great shooting by an awesome up-and-coming shooter in the F-Class arena. Ryan is definitely a force to be reckoned with….”. Click the link below to hear Ryan talk about setting the record, and some surprising changes he made the day of the match.
Ryan Pierce .284 Win F-Open Rig Specifications
Ryan provided this info on his record-setting rifle: “The gun has a BAT ‘M’ action (Jewell trigger), Brux 32″ 1:9″ twist barrel, and a Ray Bowman (PR&T) F-Open ‘low boy’ stock with adjustable cheekpiece and adjustable buttplate. The scope is a Nightforce NXS 12-42x56mm. The barrel has 1300 rounds through it. All the metal and stock work was done by me.” Ryan’s record-setting load consisted of Berger 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831SC and CCI BR2s at 2900 fps. This was a straight .284 Winchester.
May 8th, 2012
 The NRA National Matches at Camp Perry, first held in 1903, have become a huge, national shooting sports festival with well over 6,000 annual participants. The National Matches include the CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches, CMP Games rifle events and the NRA National Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and Highpower Rifle Championships. The matches are conducted jointly by the CMP, NRA and the Ohio National Guard.
For those planning to shoot at Camp Perry this summer, we’ve assembled some valuable resources to help with your planning.
LINKS:
2012 National Matches Start Page (NRA website)
Camp Perry 2012 Home Page
Lodging Info and Rates at Camp Perry Lodging Center
Directions to Camp Perry (Port Clinton, Ohio)
National Matches Calendar 2012
You’ll also find some valuable tips from a current Camp Perry Thread in our Shooters Forum. Those who have attended in years past offer advice on lodging options:
Q: I was told the 4-person huts are very primitive. Are they really that bad?
A: FDShuster replied: “Yes, they really are that bad. Nothing more than a plywood, particle board “shelter” sitting on a concrete slab. Sitting out in the middle of an open field, in July and August, the temps in the huts will be very high. Plug-in electric outlets are available, so some bring a portable window air conditioner. If you would be able to reserve one of the newer units it would be closer to that of a motel room, a big jump up from a tent, and a whole ‘nuther world from the huts. My last times [at Camp Perry], I reserved an off-post motel room. Made the whole trip much more enjoyable, and I was actually able to sleep at night”.
RonD added: “The huts were made to house German WW II POWs. Take a sheet of plywood 1/2 or 3/4″ the size of the military bunks, or you’ll be sleeping on the floor( spring sag). I took a sleeping bag that I placed on top of the mattress, and put my sheets inside. Take your own pillow. You’ll need screw-in fuses for the outside exposed fuse block. Take 15-20-25-30 amp so you’ll have a variety. There is one light bulb in the center of the ceiling. Take a few spare bulbs. I took a box fan, cooler, card table, clothes line and clothes hangars, duct tape.”
Q: What about staying in the Modules or the Barracks?
A: The newer Modules, we’re told, are not available this summer. But the modern Barracks provide a good alternative. KenO writes: “They built new Barracks recently, and some of the shooters stayed in them last year and said they were real nice. Four beds to a room, and air conditioned. Same price as the huts.” KenO added: “I’ve stayed in the huts many times, but since they built the RV park, I have been staying there.”
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CMP Resources for National Matches
To help serve those shooters, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has a web page dedicated to the National Matches at Camp Perry. The CMP’s National Match Page offers easy-to-use links to Registration Forms, Match Schedules, Rules, and event photo galleries. It’s very handy to have all these links in one place. If you are thinking of visiting Camp Perry this year, whether as a shooter or a spectator, you should bookmark this page. |
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CMP No Longer Issuing Ammo at CMP Matches
The CMP will no longer issue ammunition to competitors for the Garand, Springfield, As-Issued Garand, Carbine or any other CMP matches. This includes the National Matches and all Regional Games Events (Eastern/Western Games, Oklahoma Games, Georgia Games, etc.). Competitors may purchase ammunition at the match or bring their own. Ammunition will be for sale at all CMP National Matches at a special discounted match price. For the 2012 National Rimfire Sporter Match, Lapua will donate 50 rounds of .22LR ammunition to every competitor.
May 8th, 2012
 We like rifle matches that include reactive targets. As the huge success of the Top Shot TV show proves, it’s fun for both shooters and spectators alike to see targets that break or explode when they are hit. This also provides immediate feedback to competitors, which can help develop good gun handling and aiming.
The 4R Rifle Club of Alex, Oklahoma has a fun match each spring that employs a variety of reactive targets set from 100 yards to 500 yards. This year 36 competitors turned out for the May 5th Spring Shoot. The course of fire consisted of four (4) mini clay pigeons at 100 and 250 yards and four 4″ balloons at 400 and 500 yards. Each competitor was allowed 18 rounds at the bench to break the 16 targets within a 15-minute limit. After the initial go-round, the top six shooters return for a shoot-off.
Dean Morris, Mark Deluia, and Matt Hohnstein all hit every target for “clean” scores of 420, securing spots in the shoot-off. B.J. Baily and Rick Jensen had the 4th and 5th highest scores, but the remaining sixth shoot-off spot required a tie-breaker — a single shot closest to center at 250 yards. Adam Roberts drilled a nearly perfect shot to win the tie-breaker over Tim Mulrine.
The shoot-off proved to be a tight battle between Adam Roberts and Dean Morris. Both men shot perfect scores so the targets were reset again — only this time Adam and Dean were allowed just 9 rounds to score as many hits as possible. When the dust settled, Adam Roberts was the new 2012 Champion and the first repeat winner of this eight-year-old event. Congrats to Adam! Mark Deluia was the Two-Gun Champion, Don Johnston won the Factory Class, and Ross Reeves was top Junior shooter.
Equipment Lists for Top Shooters
Adam and Dean both had rifles smithed by Jon Beanland. Adam’s gun was a 6.5 CM with Savage action, Krieger barrel, McMillan stock, and S&B scope. He loaded Berger bullets in Hornady brass with Hodgdon H4350 powder. Runner-up Dean Morris shot a 7mm RSAUM with Kelbly action, Bartlein barrel, PR&T stock, and Nightforce scope. He was shooting Berger bullets with H4350 in Norma brass. Interestingly, the next two shooters also shot 7mm rifles. B.J. Baily ran a straight .284 Winchester, while Rick Jensen had another 7mm RSAUM.
May 7th, 2012
 The Varmint Hunters Association (VHA) announced last week that the 2012 VHA Jamboree and competition would be cancelled for 2012. The Jamboree has now been cancelled two years in a row. Last year the Jamboree was called off because of extreme flooding in South Dakota.
This year, according to VHA President Jeff Rheborg, the Jamboree has been cancelled for financial reasons. In addition, “all shooting events will be suspended for the 2012 shooting year at the VHA range”. On Friday, May 4th, Jeff issued this statement:
RE: 2012 Shooting Events
I hope this letter finds you enjoying the spring weather many are having. With much regret, all shooting events will be suspended for the 2012 shooting year at the VHA Range. With the uncontrollable events of last year and the financial loss we incurred, we feel the overall cost of repairing, maintaining and preparing for these events is not financially viable for this year. The foundation of VHA is stable; we feel it necessary to protect it in this uncertain economy. If you were registered for the 2011 Jamboree your refund will be forthcoming.
We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. Thank you for your continued support!
Jeff Rheborg
May 3rd, 2012
 Recently, an AccurateShooter team including contributing writer German Salazar visited the Nammo Talley facility in Mesa, Arizona. We were given access to the new Rimfire Service Center and the .338 Lapua Magnum loading facility. The Rimfire Service Center is a brand new facility dedicated to supporting top-level rimfire shooters in all disciplines, including Prone, 3-Position, Silhouette, Benchrest and more. Lapua has over 2 million rounds of various grades of match ammunition on hand for shooters to test and purchase. The RSC has a 100-meter test tunnel where groups are measured under ideal conditions with electronic sensor-equipped “paperless” target frames placed at 50 meters and 100 meters. Shooters can make appointments to visit the center and test ammo in their own rifles. A detailed report on the RSC has just been released on German’s Rifleman’s Journal website.
CLICK HERE for Rimfire TEST CENTER ARTICLE.
.338 Lapua Manufacturing and Testing
The .338 Lapua Magnum facility is a super-sized version of the rimfire facility. With a 300-meter tunnel and pressure testing equipment on hand, Nammo’s engineering and loading staff have the ability to develop perfect loads for government clients with a variety of specific requirements. The loading facility has equally impressive technology and is well worth reading about. CLICK HERE to read German’s article about the .338 LM facility.
AccurateShooter.com will have more information on these two state-of-the-art facilitites, including video footage in the coming weeks. So stay tuned!
May 2nd, 2012
 For the second year, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will make available $100,000 in challenge grants to help expand shooting sports programs at local Boy Scouts of America Councils. The challenge grants from NSSF are available to qualifying BSA Councils that plan to expand their activities in the shooting sports. Such programs teach Scouts marksmanship skills, firearm and range safety, and teamwork.
“Our challenge grant program extends our longstanding partnership with the Boy Scouts of America and presents councils with a great opportunity to teach Scouts about the shooting sports and safe, responsible firearms ownership,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF’s director of recruitment and retention. “Target shooting is one of the most popular Scouting activities, and NSSF hopes even more Scouts will gain knowledge of the shooting sports by taking advantage of these grants.”
NSSF Grants Supplement Matching Funds
BSA Councils applying for a grant must specifically earmark funds for shooting sports programs and provide matching funds at least equal to the grant request. NSSF will provide funding to the first 50 qualifying applicants up to a maximum of $2,000 in matching support.
Councils must use awarded funds toward the purchase of equipment and supplies for their shooting sports activities from an NSSF member retailer. Examples of qualifying purchases are ammunition, eye and ear protection, firearms, targets and shooting vests.
How to Apply for NSSF Grants
Applicants may view NSSF BSA Council Challenge Grant guidelines and application procedures at www.nssf.org/bsagrant. For more info, contact Melissa Schilling at NSSF at mschilling [at] nssf.org.
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