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October 12th, 2008
 Conditions were hot and windy at the 2008 NBRSA 100/200 Nationals, held this week at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. When the dust settled Tony Boyer came out on top, again proving his mastery of the sport in very challenging conditions. (During many matches, winds gusted from 15-25 mph.) Boyer, widely regarded as THE best short-range benchrest shooter in history, won the Four-Gun Overall, the Three-Gun Overall, and the Sporter/LV Two-Gun Overall Championships. Consider Boyer’s class by class Grand Agg rankings:
| UnLtd. |
LV |
HV |
Sporter |
| #1, .2710 |
#1, .2407 |
#3, .2321 |
#4, .2298 |
Tony won all the marbles by showing great consistency with a TOP 10 or better finish in nearly every class and every distance. But it wasn’t easy — Boyer had some very tough competition. Tony’s protegé, Wayne Campbell, finished second in both the Four-Gun and Three-Gun Overall Championship. Mike Ratigan and Harley Baker also shot superbly throughout the match. Mike finished third in the Four-Gun, and second in the Sporter/LV Two-Gun. Larry Costa, Joe Krupa, and Bob Scarbrough were some of the other top performers.
Overall, this was a very successful match with 130+ shooters, including most of the big names in the sport. There were Hall of Famers up and down the line. Match Director (and railgun world-record holder) Gary Ocock ran a smooth match.
For complete NBRSA Nationals results, with the scores of all 130+ competitors, visit the NBRSA Nationals Thread on Benchrest.com. Woody from Colorado has posted .pdf and text files with all the Grand Agg details, multi-gun results, plus most of the individual events (e.g. LV 100, HV100, Sporter 200 etc.). Below are highlights, with the top 15 shooters in the 4-Gun, and 3-Gun Grand Agg.
Four-Gun Overall Champion Ranking
Rank Name U10-100 U10-200 HV5-100 HV5-200 LV5-100 LV5-200 SP5-100 SP5-200 GrandAgg
1. BOYER, TONY 0.2198 0.3217 0.2076 0.2566 0.2038 0.2775 0.2022 0.2574 0.2433
2. CAMPBELL, WAYNE 0.2386 0.3401 0.2766 0.2457 0.2802 0.2474 0.2646 0.2183 0.2639
3. RATIGAN, MIKE 0.2764 0.3057 0.2660 0.3919 0.2792 0.2499 0.1720 0.2685 0.2762
4. COSTA, LARRY 0.2755 0.4436 0.2136 0.3157 0.3238 0.3114 0.2078 0.2359 0.2909
5. SCARBROUGH, BOB JR 0.3480 0.4123 0.2428 0.2863 0.2360 0.3036 0.2132 0.2914 0.2917
6. HUCKEBA, CHARLES 0.2928 0.2598 0.2498 0.3419 0.2622 0.3654 0.2444 0.3288 0.2931
7. HARRIS, CHRIS 0.2750 0.4120 0.2274 0.3232 0.2336 0.3538 0.2910 0.2418 0.2947
8. BAKER, HARLEY 0.3446 0.4868 0.1472 0.3131 0.2720 0.3203 0.2448 0.2556 0.2981
9. SAUTER, BART 0.2899 0.3715 0.3022 0.3594 0.2912 0.3023 0.2398 0.2889 0.3056
10. CONRY, MIKE 0.2329 0.3634 0.2824 0.3727 0.2306 0.3769 0.2786 0.3198 0.3072
11. KRUPA, JOE JR 0.3158 0.5200 0.1652 0.3856 0.2986 0.3003 0.1908 0.2866 0.3079
12. BRUNO, LESTER 0.2490 0.3716 0.2306 0.5405 0.2520 0.3229 0.2530 0.3025 0.3153
13. ADAMS, ED 0.2761 0.4694 0.2820 0.2907 0.2716 0.2959 0.2916 0.3596 0.3171
14. CREACH, DON 0.3106 0.3371 0.3916 0.3704 0.3444 0.2843 0.1968 0.3365 0.3215
15. BUKYS, GENE 0.2881 0.5199 0.2518 0.2942 0.2260 0.3874 0.2868 0.3187 0.3216
Three-Gun Overall Champion Ranking
Rank Name HV5-100 HV5-200 LV5-100 LV5-200 SP5-100 SP5-200 GrandAgg
1. BOYER, TONY 0.2076 0.2566 0.2038 0.2775 0.2022 0.2574 0.2342
2. CAMPBELL, WAYNE 0.2766 0.2457 0.2802 0.2474 0.2646 0.2183 0.2555
3. BAKER, HARLEY 0.1472 0.3131 0.2720 0.3203 0.2448 0.2556 0.2588
4. SCARBROUGH, BOB 0.2428 0.2863 0.2360 0.3036 0.2132 0.2914 0.2622
5. COSTA, LARRY 0.2136 0.3157 0.3238 0.3114 0.2078 0.2359 0.2680
6. BROWN, Rodney0.2740 0.3778 0.2564 0.2662 0.2070 0.2429 0.2707
7. KRUPA, JOE JR 0.1652 0.3856 0.2986 0.3003 0.1908 0.2866 0.2712
8. RATIGAN, MIKE 0.2660 0.3919 0.2792 0.2499 0.1720 0.2685 0.2713
9. HARRIS, CHRIS 0.2274 0.3232 0.2336 0.3538 0.2910 0.2418 0.2785
10. MEYER, TERRY 0.2226 0.2317 0.2858 0.2897 0.3294 0.3725 0.2886
11. KELBLY, GEORGE SR 0.2832 0.3326 0.2826 0.3353 0.2234 0.2837 0.2901
12. BURBY, BERNIE 0.2296 0.2935 0.2710 0.3726 0.2806 0.3022 0.2916
13. BUKYS, GENE 0.2518 0.2942 0.2260 0.3874 0.2868 0.3187 0.2942
14. SAUTER, BART 0.3022 0.3594 0.2912 0.3023 0.2398 0.2889 0.2973
15. ADAMS, ED 0.2820 0.2907 0.2716 0.2959 0.2916 0.3596 0.2986
Special Thanks to Match Director Gary Ocock (above) and to Jeff Welker for his match photos.
October 11th, 2008
Right now the NBRSA 100-Yard/200-Yard Nationals is wrapping up. Tony Boyer and other legends will be hauling away trophies, but some newcomers also did very well in very challenging (and windy) conditions. If you’re interested in learning more about the most accurate form of shooting, Benchrest Hall of Famer Speedy Gonzalez has prepared a comprehensive Guide to Benchrest Competition. It covers all aspects of the game: gear selection (hardware), reloading methods and tools, plus shooting skills and strategies. All of this is available on the web for free, thanks to Speedy and the Swedish Benchrest Shooters Assn. (SWBSA). CLICK HERE to read Speedy’s very complete BR Guide.
Speedy’s article is a gold-mine of info on shooting components and specialized reloading tools. It is also richly illustrated with high-quality photos showing gun components and reloading gear. Many of the photos show tools that have been sectioned so you can view the internals.
Speedy also discusses bullet design, and load tuning. There is a very informative section on Time Management and Target Management that will benefit all competitive shooters, no matter what their discipline.
October 10th, 2008
 Here’s good news for fans of the “Triple Deuce”, the .222 Remington. Lapua plans to start making premium .222 Rem brass again. The .222 Rem once ruled the roost in benchrest competition. Prior to the introduction of the PPC family of cases, the .222 Rem was considered the most accurate cartridge on the planet. Some benchresters, such as George Kelbly Sr., still shoot the cartridge in BR competition, and it remains very popular with varmint shooters.
The Triple Deuce has a much longer neck than the .223 Remington. This long neck is considered a plus by many .222 shooters — they believe it reduces throat erosion (compared to a .223 Rem), while improving accuracy. Certainly, since the .222 Rem burns less powder than a .223 Rem, the .222 could yield longer barrel life than a .223, with charges of equal pressure.
Adam Braverman, U.S. representative for Nammo-Lapua, just returned from a visit to Lapua’s production facility in Finland. Adam was pleased to report that Lapua plans to resume production of .222 Remington brass. This will be produced “in-house”, and will carry a Lapua headstamp. Lapua plans to start production late in 2008, and the new .222 Rem brass should be available in early spring of 2009 in North America. No price has been announced, but we can expect the .222 brass to be priced comparably to Lapua .223 Rem brass, which runs $44.79/100 at Grafs.com.
October 10th, 2008
Grafs.com has Eley 17 Mach 2 ammo on sale for just $4.49 per box (item EL17HM2). This ammo, based on a 22 Stinger case necked down to 17 caliber, shoots a 17gr jacketed V-Max bullet at about 2050 fps. We’ve shot all the brands of 17 Mach 2 ammo, and the Eley is as good as anything out there. What you’ll typically get with a 5-shot group in a good rifle is 3 or 4 shots in a tight cluster and then one out. This is caused by a lot of factors (run-out, crimp problems, OAL variations etc.), and is true of all the 17 Mach 2 brands. Still, the round is fun to shoot and the 17 Mach 2 can deliver sub-MOA groups at 100 yards even with the “flyers”.
We recently tested the Eley, CCI, and Hornady 17 Mach 2 in a Hall-actioned BR rifle with a tight chamber. Shooting the Eley at 50 yards, we managed a couple 5-shot groups in the low ones — basically one-holers. That was exciting… but not repeatable. After a great group, the next group would typically be a 3/8″ or larger, with an unexplained flyer high or low. Still the average group size of the Eley was substantially smaller than either the CCI and Hornady ammo. Both CCI and Hornady 17 Mach 2 ammo are produced in the same plant. However, the particular sample of CCI we had did shoot better than the Hornady. The Hornady ammo also showed the biggest variance in cartridge length (from 0.961″ to 0.996″ COAL), while the Eley was the most consistent in length, with 3/4 of the 50 rounds in the box measuring between 0.990″-1.000″. All the brands performed best in a freshly-cleaned barrel. Groups opened up noticeably after 35-40 rounds had been shot without cleaning.
Bang for the Buck
When you consider that most brands of 17 HMR ammo now cost about $12.00 a box, the Eley 17 Mach 2 is an excellent value. The Mach 2 delivers the same 17gr V-Max bullet as the 17 HMR, but the Mach 2 just runs a little slower — 2050 fps vs. 2500 for the 17 HMR. For many shooters, it makes sense to use the 17 Mach 2 rather than a 17 HMR. With Eley just $4.50 a box, you can buy 133 rounds of 17 Mach 2 for the price of 50 rounds of 17 HMR.
October 9th, 2008
We often receive emails from shooters who are just getting started in hand-loading for precision rifles. These readers may have experience reloading for pistols or shotguns, but the fine points of producing precision rifle ammo are unfamiliar to them. Many readers seek advice on controlling neck tension, determining optimum bullet seating depth, and tuning loads. These are all key factors in rifle accuracy. Likewise we get many questions about using Wilson hand dies and arbor presses.
Sinclair International is now offering a new DVD entitled, “Advanced Handloading — Beyond The Basics”. This 45-minute DVD is hosted by John Barsness, contributing editor of Handloader Magazine and editor of Successful Hunter Magazine. Topics covered include correct case sizing, neck sizing, bushing selection, cartridge O.A.L. and many more. The tools and procedures needed to accomplish these tasks and measure the results are discussed in detail. This DVD was produced as a cooperative effort by Redding Reloading, Sierra Bullets, and Wolfe Publishing. Price is $19.95, Sinclair item 15-05978.
Gunsmith Richard Franklin, whose article on the 30-338 Wildcat is featured this week on our site, has also prepared a very useful instructional DVD. Richard’s two-hour-long Precision Reloading for Accuracy DVD explains many of the fine points of loading popular match and varmint cartridges. Richard demonstrates how to prep cases for best accuracy, how to neck-up or neck-down cartridges, how to turn case necks, and how to bump case shoulders properly. Richard’s DVD is a great resource if you need help with Wilson-type inline seating and sizing dies. Richard shows how to set up and use Wilson benchrest dies and to choose the right neck bushing for Wilson neck dies. Richard’s Precision Reloading DVD costs $24.00. Call 540-890-8649 to order, or email customrifles [at] hughes.net. For varminters, Richard also offers excellent DVDs on GroundHog hunting. A sequel to Richard’s popular “Death in the Green Grass” varminting DVD is scheduled for release very soon.
October 8th, 2008
The troubled economy is beginning to affect firearms manufacturers and outdoor retailers. This week Sig Sauer (NH) announced a workforce reduction of roughly ten percent. Meanwhile large outdoor retailer Cabela’s (NYSE: CAB) President and CEO Dennis Highby has announced a ten percent reduction in the corporate staff based in Sydney, Nebraska.
Major firearms manufacturers Smith & Wesson (NASD:SWHC), and Sturm, Ruger & Co. (NYSE:RGR) are both making efforts to improve their market standing, after their stock prices have tumbled in the past year. Ruger, which has seen its common stock fall from $19.50 to $6.37 in the past year, spent $7.4 million in the third quarter to buy back 1.1 million shares at $6.50/share. The situation is not all bleak at Ruger, however — Ruger officials stated that the company has about $22 million in cash and no debt on its balance sheet.
Smith & Wesson has also experienced a massive decline in its stock price in the last 12 months, with company shares falling from $21.85 last October to $2.77 today, an 87% drop. In response, S&W has taken aggressive measures. In late September, the company shuffled some executive positions, laid off 80 workers at its Rochester, NH assembly facility, and reduced production of S&W and Thompson/Center Arms (T/C) rifles. To shore up the company’s finances, S&W recently filed SEC documents proposing to sell $250 million in debt securities, common and preferred stock, and other securities.
October 3rd, 2008
 GLOCK, Inc. will donate $150,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) and the Young Marines at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting on October 7th in Washington, DC. This will be the third consecutive year that GLOCK, Inc. will contribute money to organizations that provide assistance to armed service personnel, their survivors, or family members.
The SOWF’s mission has been to provide college education to the surviving children of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps special operations personnel killed in combat or training. Currently there are more than 700 children in the foundation’s program and 120 students enrolled in colleges and universities across the country. The Warrior Foundation also provides immediate financial assistance to special operations personnel severely wounded in the war against terrorism. SOWF has been in operation for 28 years and has been awarded a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the second consecutive year.
GLOCK Inc. will donate a total of $200,000 to charities in 2008 which will include the SOWF, Young Marines and the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) Charity. The COPS donation will be made at the IACP (International Assoc. of Chiefs of Police) Conference in San Diego.
October 2nd, 2008
Up in the woods of Wisconsin, the “Guns of October” are cutting loose. Many of America’s (and Europe’s) top F-Class shooters are competing in the Fifth Annual F-Class Championship in Lodi, WI. The 5-day event at the Winnequah Gun Club continues through October 4th. The event kicked off with a practice match (won by Forum member Charles Ballard), followed by team competition. (The individual championship will be contested last.)
Hard-Fought Team Matches and Record-Breaking Performances
Team match results are available, with complete results posted on Long-Range.com. In the US Nationals Open Class Team Match, Team Spindle Shooters prevailed with a 1590-81X score, followed by Team Berger (1569-62X), and Team 4 Aces (1565-60X). Spindle Shooters’ Coach Praslik praised his shooters: “These guys shot very straight and fast. I believe we broke two national records today. The 600-yard team score of 797-42x is a new record. The 1000-yard team score of 793-39x is a new record. The aggregate of the two scores, 1590-81x, is a National Championship record. Well done, Spindle Shooters. It was a privilege to coach you.”
| Open Class Teams |
F-TR (Target Rifle) Teams |
Spindle Shooters 1590-81X
Captain: Jeff Cochran / Coach: Emil Praslik III
Shawn Ahrens
Jeff Cochran
Jeff Traylor
Brett Solomon
Team Berger 1569-62X
Captain: Larry Bartholome / Coach: Jim Murphy
Bob Bock
John Brewer
Jim Murphy
Larry Bartholome
Team 4 Aces 1565-60X
Captain: David Bailey / Coach: Emil Praslik (older)
David Gosnell
David Bailey
Rick Jensen
Emil Praslik |
Team Sinclair 1544-47X
Captain: Dan Phillips / Coach: Raymond Gross/Paul Phillips
Brad Sauve
Paul Phillips
John Droelle
Raymond Gross
Team USA F-T/R 1535-50X
Captain: Darrell Buell / Coach: Mike Miller/Dale Carpenter
Mike Miller
Warren Dean
Dale Carpenter
Jeff Rorer
Team Savage 1509-26X
Captain: Stan Pate / Coach: Darrell Buell
Monte Milanuk
John Weil
Darrell Buell
Stan Pate |
USA Wins Challenge Match
In addition to the regular Team Competition, International honors were at stake in a USA vs. Europe challenge match. Facing the combined forces of multiple European nations, the American shooters prevailed in both F-Open and F-TR Classes. Team USA-Open posted a 3117-121X score to best the Europeans, who totaled 3073-73. That was a great performance by Team USA-Open members Eric Bair, Shiraz Balolia, Robert Bock Jr., Mike Downey, Dagbs McIntosh, Dean Morris, Bryan Otey, and Larry Taite. In the F-TR division, the American team of Dale Carpenter, Warren Dean, Mike Miller, and Jeff Rorer outscored their European counterparts 1535-5X to 1447-16X to notch another victory for the Red, White, and Blue.
New Records Set Last Weekend
Preceding the Nationals, during last weekend, Wisconsin long-range team matches were held. Larry Bartholome reports: “The weather was near perfect with light, but tricky winds and sun shine some of the time. Six F-Class and Five Sling teams competed. I only have F-Class scores. USFCT1 (Team Berger/Norma) won Saturday’s Palma match with a new US record of 1781-94x. Two points back was USFCT2 (Spindle Shooters). The new record is 54 points and 45Xs ahead of the old one. Four of the five F-Class teams broke the old record.”
October 1st, 2008
 The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) lists current firearms-related job offerings in its Industry Career Connection webpage. There are a number of interesting positions offered currently by major players in the gun industry.
1. Hornady Manufacturing (Grand Island, NE)
Hornady is seeking a skilled Product Engineer to work on bullets and ammunition. Salary is listed as “negotiable”.
Job Description: This position will be responsible for design of products and the associated tooling, manufacturing processes and quality testing for the product. Must possess strong demonstrated project management skills and be proficient in CAD. Prefer a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science or Mathematics or 10 years experience in the Ammunition or Bullet industry. Some traveling to trade shows will be required.
Contact: Carolyn Weidner, HR Adminstrator, (308) 382-1390.
2. MidwayUSA (Columbia, MO)
MidwayUSA seeks a Gunsmithing Technical Services Specialist. The listed salary is $30-45K per annum.
Job Description: Responsible for providing technical information specifically for our Gunsmithing product line. This position will be responsible for writing technical product descriptions for both our website and catalog production, managing customer comments from our website and staying up to date with the latest product information. The ideal candidate will have excellent reloading experience and be versed on the best products and methods in regards to reloading, optics and ammunition in today’s market.
Other Positions: MidwayUSA also has web-related job openings for Web Marketing Manager ($60-100K), Graphic Designer ($30-$55K), and SEO Analyst (Search Engine Optimization).
Contact: For more information on all these positions, contact Jake Dablemont in Human Resources, (573) 447-5135.
3. Remington Arms Company Inc. (Madison, NC)
Remington is looking for a new Brand Manager for the Marlin Firearms line of guns. (Remington acquired Marlin in January, 2008). Salary is not specified, but this should be a six-figure position, based on comparable jobs in the industry.
Job Description: Position is responsible for managing core product categories to insure products are positioned competitively in the marketplace and are appropriately configured and featured to compete in current market conditions. Job involves updating existing products as well as introducing new products into the market, positioning these products and monitoring product life cycles. Brand Manager has key responsibility for the profitability of the product line — this requires understanding target market and keeping the product line competitive on both price and features. Candidate must develop and produce Strategic Planning documents.
Contact: Angela Holden, HR Recruiter, (336) 548-8602.
September 30th, 2008
Effective October 1, 2008, the Federal Firearms Licensing Center (FFLC) will move most of its operations from Atlanta, Georgia to Martinsburg, West Virginia. This transfer of function was mandated by Congress in ATF’s FY2005 appropriations legislation. The notice of change states: “As with previous workload redistributions, we anticipate an initial adjustment period and appreciate your patience in advance.” Please contact the FFLC toll free at 1-866-662-2750 with any questions about this change.
FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSING CENTER
244 Needy Road
Martinsburg, WV 25405
1-866-662-2750 (phone)
1-866-257-2749 (fax)
Complete contact information for the FFLC, with names and phone numbers for all regional field officers, can be downloaded in a .pdf file linked below.
Federal Firearms Licensing Center Office Roster
New Assignments Starting 10/1/2008
All applications received by the FFLC with a postmark date of October 1, 2008 or later will be assigned for processing based on the new list of State assignments (see .pdf file). Applications postmarked before October 1, 2008 will continue to be assigned to their current examiner for completion.
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