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September 1st, 2009
Labor Day weekend is coming up. For most of us, that means time spent outdoors — perhaps picnicking or camping with the family. Unfortunately, in many areas, you can be assaulted by bugs, particularly at dawn and dusk. If you’re looking for a truely effective bug repellent system, we recommend the ThermaCELL products. We’ve used these on camping and hunting trips and they really work. A single ThermaCELL creates a 15′ x 15′ barrier against mosquitos and other bugs. ThermaCELLs dispense a small amount of repellent into the air over a long period of time. You can stay outdoors for many hours, without having to repeatedly apply insect repellents on your skin.
Right now Midsouth Shooters Supply has the entire ThermaCELL product line on sale, including the new ThermaCELL Lantern. This works great set on a picnic table, providing pleasant lighting as well as protection against bugs. The ThermaCELL antern with one fuel pack and with 3 repellant pads costs just $23.93 at Midsouth. The basic ThermaCELL unit in olive drab, costs just $19.14 with one fuel pack and 3 pads. The camo version is a couple dollars more.
ThermaCELL Science — How It Works
The ThermaCELL works by heating a mat saturated with mosquito repellent. As the mat is heated the repellent is released into the surrounding area providing an area of protection (about 225 sq. feet). ThermaCELLs employ an active ingredient known as allethrin. It belongs to a class of materials called pyrethroids, which are synthetic analogs of pyrethrin, which is a naturally occurring insecticide found in certain types of chrysanthemum known as pyrethrum flowers. Mosquitoes really do not like this material. The allethrin is contained in the blue mats, and when they are heated it causes the allethrin to “volatilize”, which is similar to evaporation. The volatilized allethrin forms a zone of protection around the unit. Although the ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent is most effective against mosquitoes, field tests have shown it to be effective against black flies, no-see-ums, and sand flies.
August 31st, 2009
 If you have followed our reports on Reloder 17, you’ll know that this Alliant powder, produced in Europe by Rheinmetall Nitrochemie, is a unique propellant that, in many cartridges, can offer 100 fps (or more ) velocity than any other commercial powders. The secret to the extra speed is a proprietary Nitrochemie process that embeds or saturates the kernels with burn-rate controlling compounds. This allows a longer duration, extended energy release. Most conventional extruded powders have surface coatings only. These tend to have a strong “spike” in their energy release but then decrease rapidly in energy output. By sustaining the energy release over a longer period of time (in the barrel), powders such as Reloder 17 promise to deliver higher velocities than could be achieved with other propellants.
Following the release of Reloder 17, sources at Alliant Powder, an Alliant Techsystems (ATK) subsidiary, confirmed that we can expect more powder products using the new Nitrochemie technology. Alliant plans to release both a faster powder (for 223-sized cartridges) and a slower powder (for large magnums).
ATK and Rheinmetall Nitrochemie Announce Strategic Partnership
Rheinmetall Nitrochemie (RN) is jointly owned by Rheinmetall AG and RUAG of Switzerland. Since 2005, ATK has been a Rheinmetall sales partner. Now ATK and Rheinmetall Nitrochemie plan a much closer relationship, through which RN will share propellant technologies and ATK and RN will produce powders together in US facilities. ATK has agreed to a “strategic partnership” with the Rheinmetall Nitrochemie Group, the propellants division of the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Defence Group.
 According to DefenseNews.com, “Under terms of the agreement, propellant technologies will be transferred from Nitrochemie to ATK, and the two companies will target sales in North America and elsewhere. While Rheinmetall will gain access to expanded markets, ATK will receive licenses to manufacture and sell powder and propellant systems developed by the German firm. These products will be marketed to both the U.S. military and other ammunition manufacturers.” Through the strategic partnership, ATK will become the exclusive North American vendor of the new-generation Nitrochemie propellants. The technology transfer positions ATK as the exclusive North American provider of Nitrochemie’s Extruded Impregnated (EI), Extruded Composite Low-sensitivity (ECL), Surface Coated Double Base (SCDB), and R-Type propellants.
Rheinmetall Nitrochemie to Build Powder-Making Facility in the USA
As part of the new, expanded business relationship with ATK, Rheinmetall Nitrochemie will shift some of its actual powder production to the United States. Rheinmetall and ATK revealed “medium-term plans” under which a new, powder-processing plant will be set up in the USA and operated by Rheinmetall Nitrochemie in cooperation with ATK. This will allow Nitrochemie propellants to be sold at more competitive prices, since they will no longer have to be shipped across the Atlantic. No specific date was given for the construction of the new powder factory.
August 31st, 2009
The Indian Army has introduced a new Modern Sub-Machinegun Carbine (MSMC) that shoots an interesting new round, a shortened version of the 5.56×45 (.223 Remington). According to The Firearm Blog, “The [MSMC] chambers a round developed in India called the 5.56×30mm. This round is sometimes referred to as the ‘5.56×30mm INSAS’ after the first gun to chambered the round, the INSAS Carbine.”
This is an interesting cartridge, reminiscent of the 5.56×30 MARS cartridge originally developed by COLT for its Mini Assault Rifle System (MARS) project (see below). The MARS gun never went into full production, and the 5.56×30 cartridge remained an orphan. But it was an interesting cartridge. As designed, using just 16.8 grains of commercial ball powder, Colt’s 5.56×30 cartridge could launch a 55gr FMJ bullet at 2600 fps.
We are intrigued by the new Indian 5.56x30mm cartridge because it would seem very well-suited for varminting, either in .22-caliber form, or necked down to .20 caliber or even .17 caliber. We already have a similar cartridge, of course, the 221 Fireball, but right now there is only one manufacturer of 17 and 221 Fireball brass, namely Remington.
If the Indian 5.56x30mm cartridge is produced in large quantities, perhaps we could see budget-priced 5.56x30mm brass exported for sale in the American market. That would be a boon for high-volume varminters. Also, if the Indian 5.56x30mm is standardized internationally, perhaps one of the European brass manufacturers (Lapua, Norma, RUAG, Wolf?) would consider producing it as an alternative to the 221 Fireball. We can only wish that a 20-cal or 17-cal version of the Indian 5.56x30mm cartridge might be produced some day as inexpensive factory ammo. Many varminters are now looking at centerfire options to the 17 HMR cartridge, as 17 HMR ammo prices continue to climb. A 50-round box of 17 HMR can now cost $14.00 or more.
August 30th, 2009
 Do you have a nice scope mounted to a “safe queen” rifle that never gets used? Or maybe you have a set of premium binoculars you bought for that Alaskan hunting trip you never got to take?
Now you can convert those valuable optics into cash with the SWFA Trade-In Program. You can either sell your gear outright to SWFA, or trade your items in on new products. (Wouldn’t it be nice to swap some old glass for a new Schmidt & Bender?) Just fill out an online appraisal form, upload a photo, and SWFA will evaluate your submitted product. You can designate whether you want to sell your item outright, or trade it in on new gear.
Trade Your Pre-Owned Optics or Firearms
While SWFA specializes in optics, you can also trade-in firearms, or even barter hunting holidays. SWFA says: “We gladly accept trades on just about anything of value (firearms of any type, scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, hunts). You never know unless you ask!!! Please direct all trade inquiries using our appraisal form.”
Note, you must submit an Online Appraisal Form for all items submitted for trade-in. In addition, SWFA needs a digital JPEG photo of each item, 400 pixels wide and 300 pixels high.
August 29th, 2009
Over a two-year span (2006-08), Cerberus Capital Management, through its Freedom Group holding company, acquired Remington Arms, Bushmaster, and Marlin Firearms, along with other gun brands. Observers were concerned about the consolidation of so many legendary American gun-makers under one ownership group — too many eggs in one basket. If Cerberus suffers financial setbacks, it was feared, this could have a huge effect on the U.S. gun industry.
Cerberus Hedge Fund Investors Jump Ship
Now it appears that those fears may have been well-founded. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Cerberus Capital Management’s investors overwhelmingly want out of the firm’s core hedge funds, asking for the return of more than $5.5 billion, or almost 71% of the fund assets”. That’s bad news for Cerberus of course. However, the Hedge Fund represents only about 1/3 of Cerberus assets, so the overall picture isn’t completely bleak. The Private Equity (PE) Fund, for which Cerberus is most famous, is NOT directly affected by these Hedge Fund issues. Still, the PE Fund is not without its own problems. Cerberus’s investment in Chrysler proved disasterous. After Chrysler went into bankruptcy, most of its assets were turned over to Fiat and the UAW.
What’s ahead for Cerberus? We can’t predict. There’s no reason to believe, at this time, that Cerberus is seriously threatened. Likewise, there may be no immediate effect on the operations of Remington, Bushmaster, and Marlin. However, you can bet that the top Cerberus decision-makers will be taking a hard look at the “bottom line” of all the enterprises Cerberus controls. And that, in turn, could mean a financial squeeze for Freedom Group companies that are not performing up to expections.
Freedom Group Gun Companies:
Bushmaster, Dakota Arms, DPMS, Eotac, H&R, L.C. Smith, NEF, Parker Gun, Remington Arms Co.
CLICK HERE for further Discussion of Cerebus Hedge Fund issues.
August 28th, 2009
We now have nearly 2000 postings in our AccurateShooter.com Bulletin. Having all that content is great, IF you now how to search the archives to find material from months past. Folks email us regularly saying: “Hey, there was an interesting item in the Daily Bulletin, but I can’t find it now.” Take heart. Every Bulletin story is saved in our archive. You can always navigate to all previous posts using the “Older Posts” link at the bottom of this page.
The fastest and easiest method to find older posts is simply to search by keyword, or click one of the topic headings. If you want to see a video, for example, just click on “Videos”. If you’re looking for all stories about scopes, click “Optics”. To find a particular item, such as the story on Barnard actions, just type “Barnard” in the search field and click “Search”. Our search works very fast! Try it, you’ll like it.
August 27th, 2009
Looking for a job in the gun industry? The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) launched its Industry Career Connection two years ago as a free service for member companies. It has proven to be immensely popular with both employers and job seekers. “It’s a very helpful and beneficial tool for our members,” said Bettyjane Swann, NSSF member services manager. “On several occasions, our Webmaster has had to pull job postings early because of the overwhelming response.” The NSSF’s Career Connection is regularly updated with new positions from solid companies such as Brownells, Remington, and Smith & Wesson.
Currently, here are some of the job positions offered:
How to List Available Jobs
The Career Connection is designed to serve both job-seekers AND companies needing additional manpower. If you have a shooting-sports-related business and need to hire new personnel you can add openings to the job board (NSSF membership required). NSSF members (mostly manufacturers and wholesalers) can easily post jobs by logging into the members-only section of NSSF.org. For more information on NSSF’s Industry Career Connection, contact bswann@nssf.org.
August 26th, 2009
 Louisiana has adopted a program we’d like to see state governments copy nationwide. From September 4th through 6th (Fri-Sun), Louisiana shoppers can buy guns, ammo, and hunting supplies without paying a penny of sales tax. The Sales Tax Holiday is authorized by a new Louisiana statute that waives gun-related sales and use taxes each year on the first consecutive Friday through Sunday in September. Now that’s a “stimulus program” all shooters can support.
The sales tax holiday will take place Friday, September 4, through Sunday, September 6, pursuant to the Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Holiday Act. This law (Act 453 of the Regular Session of the 2009 Louisiana Legislature) provides a three-day exemption from state and local sales and use taxes on consumer purchases of firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies.
Business Purchases Still Taxed
During Louisiana’s Sales Tax Holiday weekend, the sales and use tax levied by the state and its political subdivisions shall not apply to any consumer purchases (by individuals) of firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies. However, sales and use taxes will still be due on business purchases of guns and ammo. Also sales tax will still apply to sales of animals used for hunting purposes .
August 25th, 2009
As if there isn’t enough coverage given to AR-platform rifles already, Grand View Media Group announced it will roll out an AR-specific digital magazine later this year. The new AR Guns & Hunting “E-Zine” covers “gear and tactics” for AR sporting and hunting applications. Its creators intend AR Guns & Hunting to be much more than a conventional print mag re-packaged for the web. According to Grand View, AR Guns & Hunting will provide interactive content and a true “multimedia experience”. You’ll also find gear reviews, tactical news, and first-person hunting accounts.
For those interested in this new web resource for AR platform shooters, AR Guns & Hunting is currently offering FREE digital subscriptions. Just supply a valid email address to get access to the content. Grand View Media plans to distribute the first editions via direct email to subscribers. (Hmmm, you may want to check the privacy policy before you sign up.)
Editor: While we applaud any effort to expand the information available to shooters, we’ll withhold judgment until AR Guns & Hunting actually launches. It may be more flash than substance, created mostly to exploit the current market craze for black rifles and accessories. We also are not big fans of “digital edition” formatting — where you flip pages as with a paper magazine. It seems cool at first but then you realize the pages are slow to load, and you don’t have the flexibility of a “normal” web page with vertical scrolling, outbound web-links, and Google searchability.
The web is truly a different medium than print. Forcing readers into a “print magazine experience” is a bit like taking the wings off an airplane so passengers can experience bus travel.
August 23rd, 2009
It’s not unusual for a shooter to acquire a nice, custom hunting rifle that spends nearly all its life as a safe queen, getting used only once every few seasons, if at all. That’s why we like to see hunting guns that “earn their keep” in regular field use.
Forum member Andrew from Geelong, Australia has two matching hunting rifles that definitely get serious use, harvesting a wide variety of wild game. Both guns are built on Winchester Model 70 actions, fitted in Australian-crafted Wild Dog camo stocks. One rifle is chambered in .243 Win, while the other is a 270 WSM. Andrew has fitted Leupold VXL 4.5-14×50 scopes to both guns. That is the scope with the odd-looking cutaway front objective that lets the scope sit lower on the gun.
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Wild Dog Stocks and Custom Rifles from Australia
Wild Dog Australia, based near Brisbane, Queensland, produces both innovative high-tech stocks, as well as complete rifles. Wild Dog’s staffers are all active shooters and hunters. They build stocks that are light, but very strong, employing carbon fiber and advanced composites. The folks at Wild Dog aren’t afraid to think “outside the box”. One of the clever signature features of Wild Dog hunting stocks is a trap-door ammo caddy integrated into the buttstock. Smart eh? The flip-open ammo storage keeps your ammo clean and secure. You don’t have to mess with clumsy strap-on ammo sleeves that can slide around and collect debris and thorns.
Wild Dog Does Tactical Too
In addition to its hunting and varmint stocks, Wild Dog now produces a variety of rugged tactical stocks. The carbon-fiber reinforced thumbhole LA-TA2 and SA-TA2 feature clean lines with no protrusions. (These stocks run about US $900, plus another US $125 for custom camo paint.) Ergonomics are excellent and we think the grip/thumbhole area fits the hand better than an Accuracy International thumbhole stock.
Wild Dog also makes an excellent REM-SA-TA1 non-thumbhole tactical stock for Rem-clone short actions. The LA-TA2, SA-TA2, and REM-SA-TA1 all feature adjustable cheekpieces and adjustable length-of-pull spacer systems. Shown below is something you don’t see very often, a snakeskin camo Barnard-actioned tactical rifle. Leave it to the Aussies….
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