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January 26th, 2010
It’s big, it’s bright, and yes, it’s finally here in America. We’re talking about the Schmidt & Bender 12.5-50x56mm PM II/P scope, perhaps the most impressive long-range riflescope we saw at SHOT Show 2010. We first profiled this scope in April 2007, so it’s been a very long wait, but reasonable quantities of the big 12.5-50X PM II have finally reached American shores in reasonable quantities. The suggested retail price is a jaw-dropping $3199.00, but when you consider the whole package — clarity, sharpness, image contrast, color fidelity, click options, reticle options, ruggedness, and warranty policy — the S&B 12.5-50×56, has few, if any, rivals among ultra-high magnification scopes. This is a great scope, make no mistake about it, even if does cost as much as a custom-built rifle. Jason and I both agreed that, if there was one item we’d like to carry home from SHOT Show and mount on our rifles, it would be the S&B 12.5-50x56mm. This scope is as bright at 50X as other quality scopes at 40X.
The 12.5-50x56mm is is available with 1/4 MOA clicks, 1/8 MOA clicks, or mil-based clicks, and with normal or double-turn turrets. NOTE: S&B also sells a 12.5-50×56 version optimized for 10m-70m Field Target shooting. It has a silver finish and “Big Wheel” side parallax control.
CLICK HERE for Schmidt & Bender 12.5-50×56 Rifle Specifications.
New Features on 5-25x56mm PM II
In addition to the 12.5-50x56mm long-range scope, Schmidt’s engineers showed us the popular 5-25x56mm PM II sporting a new “desert tan” ceramic coating. (CLICK HERE for large photo.) For 2010, this scope features new turret options that provide extra feedback and security for the shooter. First, either or both turrets can be locked in place by pushing down on the turret sleeve. Just pull up to unlock. Second, a pop-up cap confirms when the elevation knob is on the second revolution. That makes easier to use the scope at night. Finally, every 10th click of knob rotation is a heavy, tactile “clunk”. This does help track your revs and is especially useful with mil/cm-based turrets. S&B offers a wide selection of reticles, and you can choose between either first focal plane (FFP) or second focal plane (SFP) options.
January 23rd, 2010
As this is written on Saturday morning, January 23rd, there are officially 9996 registered members of our Shooters’ Forum. Within a few hours, we will hit 10,000 members, a major milestone for the site.
Who will be Mr. (or Ms.) 10,000? Could it be you? Our 10,000th member will receive a special prize, to be announced later. If you visit our Forum regularly, but haven’t registered yet, now is the time!
January 23rd, 2010
 Culminating a 2.5-year investigation, on January 20th, FBI agents arrested 22 execs and sales employees at the 2010 SHOT Show, on allegations that the defendants, to secure lucrative arms contracts, had tried to bribe FBI agents posing as foreign officials. The FBI based its arrests on alleged violations of the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
According to Outdoor Life: “Charged are people at companies in eight states and executives at companies in the United Kingdom and Israel. The defendants allegedly agreed to pay a 20 percent commission to a sales agent they believed represented the defense minister for an African country to win a multimillion-dollar deal to outfit the presidential guard. The sales agent was actually an undercover FBI agent, and no defense minister was involved at all.”
Over a two and a half year period, some 250 FBI agents were involved in the sting operation. Based on the length of the investigation, and the number of agents involved, this sting surely cost the taxpayers many millions of dollars, and also diverted manpower from much-needed investigations of suspected terrorists and big-time drug traffickers.
Can the Charges Stick?
At least one law professor thinks the Federal prosecutors may have great difficulty obtaining convictions. The reason is that object of the bribes was NOT a foreign official, but was instead an FBI agent. This may be similar to cases where store owners accused of selling alcohol to minors “beat the rap” because the “minors” were actually young-looking detectives well above the drinking age. Arguably, if there is no actual foreigner involved then there can not be an illegal bribe under the terms of the FCPA. However, there are some other crimes listed along with the alleged FCPA violations.
What Will Likely Happen?
We expect some of the less important defendants will plea bargain to stay out of jail. These “small fish” will be asked to turn States’ evidence to help the prosecution of the higher profile defendants, such as Smith & Wesson VP Amaro Goncalves. The big shots who were arrested will almost certainly mount a vigorous defense and appeal any convictions. The appeal process could go on for many years. Ultimately, the nation’s High Court might be asked to decide whether the FCPA can be violated when no actual foreign official was involved and the whole scheme was cooked up by American law enforcement.
Misguided Federal Priorities?
So far the mainstream media has missed the underlying question here — namely: “Why did the FBI, at the behest of the U.S. Dept. of Justice, commit millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of man-hours to trick American arms salesmen, when their alleged ‘crime’ may not be an FCPA violation at all, and when there are other far more important priorities — such as real terrorists?” The Red Alerts blog declared: “When dealing with third world nations corruption is part of the price of doing business. Everyone knows that but the government wasted the time of at least 250 FBI agents while real Muslim terrorists were sneaking underwear filled with binary explosives on airplanes.”
January 22nd, 2010
At the 2010 SHOT Show we had the unique opportunity to corner three “superstars” of High Power shooting, and solicit their wind-reading secrets. In the three videos below (in alphabetical order), Carl Bernosky (8-Time Nat’l High Power Champion), David Tubb (11-time Nat’l High Power Champion), and John Whidden (2-Time Nat’l High Power Long-Range Champion) shared some of the wind-doping strategies that have carried them to victory in the nation’s most competitive shooting matches. This is GOLD folks… no matter what your discipline — be it short-range Benchrest or Long-Range High Power — watch these videos for valuable insights that can help you shoot more accurately, and post higher scores, in all wind conditions.
We were very fortunate to have these three extraordinarily gifted champions reveal their “winning ways”. After recording the interviews, both Jason and I stood there in stunned silence…with jaws dropped. These guys REALLY know their stuff. I thought to myself “Wow, this is how a baseball fan might feel if he could assemble Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams in the same room, and have them each reveal their hitting secrets.” Watch the videos and soak up the wisdom of some truly legendary shooters….
By the way, the above clips are only part of longer interviews with Carl, David, and John. Stay tuned for other videos where these three champions talk about specific skills and techniques they’ve developed for the high power and long-range prone game.
January 22nd, 2010
Gas gunners take note — for 2010 Redding has created new “National Match” reloading sets in .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, and 30-06 Springfield. These new three-die sets are designed expressly for the AR15, M1A, and M1 Garand used in High Power comps and Garand matches. These kits include a full-length sizing die, a Competition Seater Die, and a taper crimp die. Previously these dies were only offered individually. If you’re shooting an AR, Garand, or M1A, these new sets may be just what you need.
In addition to the National Match die sets, Redding has added new calibers to its die catalog for 2010. Complete die sets will now be offered for the popular 6.5 Creedmoor, the 260 Rem Improved 40° (also know as the 260 Ackley), and the 458 Socom. This should please the growing numbers of High Power shooters using the 6.5 Creedmoor, and the tactical guys looking for more velocity than a standard 260 Rem can deliver.
New Complete Basic Reloading Set
For shooters just getting started in reloading, Redding has put together a new basic reloading package that contains virtually everything you need except a press and dies. Redding’s new Versa Pak includes a reloading scale, powder measure, case trimer, powder trickler, case lube pad, funnel, deburring tool, and other case prep tools. In addition, the Versa Pak comes with the Hodgdon Reloading Manual and Redding’s excellent Advanced Handloading DVD. The Versa Pak will retail for about $350.00. That may sound like a lot, but if you add up the cost of all the gear included in the Versa Pak, it is a good value. You’ll also save time (and shipping costs) by acquiring all the essential tools at one time.
January 22nd, 2010
Hornady is late to the party with its first electronic powder scale and dispenser, but the new Hornady AutoCharge looks impressive. This product competes directly with RCBS’s popular ChargeMaster 1500. Similar in size and layout to the ChargeMaster, the new Hornady AutoCharge has three (3) speed modes, and will be more affordable than the Chargemaster. We like the idea of three user-selectable speeds, a feature not found on other digital dispensers from Lyman, PACT, and RCBS. The Hornady Autocharge also has calibration weights suited to both low and high powder charges. Hornady claims accuracy of ± 0.1 grain, the same as the ChargeMaster.
Hornady won’t start shipping the AutoCharge until April, 2010, so we’ll have to wait until late spring to get a test unit. Then we can see how the AutoCharge performs and see if it can really deliver repeatable ± 0.1 grain precision. We do predict that when the AutoCharge starts shipping in April, it will offer stiff competition for the RCBS ChargeMaster. Hornady’s red AutoCharge will sell for approximately $300.00. That’s about $75 less than the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 scale/dispenser.
January 21st, 2010
We saw a cool new product at the Forster Products booth. Forster has introduced a new 3-in-1 Carbide cutting tool that works with all existing Forster case trimmers. This unit does three jobs at the same time. It trims the case to length, it puts a 14-degree chamfer on the INSIDE of the neck, AND (last but not least), it cuts a 30-degree chamfer on the OUTSIDE of the neck. It does this all quickly and efficiently — in a matter of a few seconds. We tested the new tool ourselves on a few cases. The tool is solid and well made. The carbide cutting tips do perform a very clean cut. Be aware, however, if you have turned your necks already, you may have to reset the blade positions before you start trimming your brass.
Forster’s CFO, Robert Ruch, demonstrates the 3-in-1 case trimming/chamfering tool in the video below. As you can see, the tool turns very smoothly (no chatter) and the job is finished in a few seconds. The actual cutting time, per case, is just a few second. The tool has an MSRP of $70.00, but we expect it to sell for around $50.00 at major vendors. It can be fitted on Forster trimmers and other hand lathes with a .490″ shaft diameter.
January 20th, 2010
Streamlined DBM Mag Release from American Precision Arms
Jered Joplin of American Precision Arms (formerly Patriot Arms) showed us a smart new product that should speed up mag changes for tactical bolt-gun competitors. The new APA detachable box magazine (DBM) bottom metal has two, spring-loaded tabs, one on either side of the tigger guard. Just push down on the tab on either side and the magazine drops out quickly and easily. You don’t have to fumble around with hard-to-operate latches anymore.
American Precision Arms’ DBM system uses the well-proven AICS magazine, as several others do, but APA’s version has the most streamlined and user-friendly mag release mechanism. Releasing the magazine with the trigger finger is very intuitive. The release levers are machined to fit flush with the trigger guard edges, so there is virtually no change of a snag or unintentional release. For more information, call Jered Joplin at (706) 534-1577.
New Protektor Model Deluxe Rear Bags
We stopped by the Protektor Model booth and were pleased to find some new deluxe rear bags on display. The DR bag, a large square rear bag, is one of Jason’s favorites. He suggested to Protektor that it combine this flat top design with the larger Loaf design, shown at right in the picture below. The loaf provides extra stabiity and it can serve as a hand/arm rest as well.
One new Protektor product that caught our attention was a thick-botomed bag with a carry handle. The thick bottom is crafted from hard, thick leather with an extra layer of suede on the bottom for enhanced grip. Though designed for bench use, I dubbed this model the “F-Class Bag” because the extra height would be very helpful when shooting from the ground, and the built-in handle would be ideal for carrying the bag out to the shooting positions. This new F-Class Bag is not on Protektor’s website yet, but it is a production model that should retail for roughly $70.00 unfilled and about $80.00 filled with sand. (Protektor conveniently offers both filled and un-filled versions of most of its sandbags.)
January 19th, 2010
Today at the SHOT Show’s “Media Day at the Range”, Burris gave us a glimpse of the future in hunting optics. The new Burris Eliminator scope will range your target, calculate your trajectory, and illuminate a spot on the reticle that becomes your aimpoint at extended range. We could write a treatise on the Eliminator’s breakthrough technology, but all you really need to know is that after you range your target with the scope, a red dot appears on the vertical crosshair that is the correct aiming point for your ranged distance. The ballistics “hold-over” is already calculated. Just put the calculated red dot on the target, and pull the trigger. It’s that simple.
The new “Eliminator” scope is being introduced as a 4-12x42mm optic, for an expected $850.00 street price. The laser is activated with a simple push-button on the left side of the scope, and also comes with a remote switch that you can attach to the rifle in a more convenient position allowing the laser to be activated while maintaining the aim of the rifle. In the above photo you can see the remote switch on the objective end of the scope.
Once the target range is acquired, the range displays for about 10 seconds and the illuminated aiming dot remains illuminated for 70 seconds. The illumination clock allows plenty of time to pull off a good shot, yet saves battery life.
So how does the Burris LaserScope calculate the appropriate trajectory of your load? The software in the scope contains a database of hundreds of factory-loaded cartridges and even calculates handload trajectories using two (2) user-provided data points. The user inputs the zero range (100 or 200 yards) along with the inches of drop at 500 yards. The 500-yard drop is best found by real world shooting, not by using a calculated trajectory approximation from a ballistic program. The scope’s software then uses the zero-distance and the 500-yard drop figure to extrapolate the entire trajectory.
While shooting this scope on a Tikka 7mm-08, we successfully engaged targets from 350-570 yards that were approximately the size of a whitetail deer’s vitals area. Seeing how the conditions were not very conducive to accurate shooting with rain and a 5-15 mph switchy wind, we were impressed with the results.
For those that hunt or shoot out to about 600 yards or so, this scope will definitely speed up the process of pulling off an accurate long range shot. In a matter of seconds, you can locate a target, range it, and engage it. There is no time wasted fumbling with a separate laser rangefinder, no time wasted looking at a drop chart, and no time wasted clicking in the appropriate amount of elevation. As long as you can get a range on your target, the only thing left to worry about is the wind! This scope is obviously not for everyone, but we are confident that many hunters can benefit from this remarkable new technology.
Burris Eliminator Specs:
Click value 1/4″ at 100 yards
Weight 26 ounces; length 13″
Eye Relief 3-3.5″
Elevation Travel 50″
Laser range 550-800 yards based on reflectivity
January 18th, 2010
Eat your hearts out readers. Today while you’re working hard at “real jobs”, Jason Baney and I will be in Boulder City, Nevada testing the latest and greatest new firearms from Savage, Browning, Sig Sauer and other makers. Jason and I will be exercising our trigger fingers as part of the SHOT Show Media Day at the Range. At this annual event, over 50 leading manufacturers will showcase their new products for 2010.
We’ll have a chance to put a variety of rifles and pistols through their paces. Sig Sauer has promised some exciting new rifles, and Beretta, Glock, Ruger, and Taurus should all have some new pistols.
We will provide a complete report, with many photos and video, on Tuesday. But if you can’t wait, check out our Twitter Page Monday afternoon and evening for Media day updates. We hope to provide “instant updates” on Twitter.com, offering quick highlights of the new firearms on display.
CLICK HERE for Media Day Instant Field Reports on Twitter.com
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