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September 7th, 2008
As we approach the fall Presidential election, it is important that all gun owners understand the differences between the Democratic Party and Republican Party when it comes to gun regulation. The choice of Vice Presidential candidates speaks volumes about the difference between the parties: Palin is staunchly pro-gun, while Biden is aggressively anti-gun. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a long-time NRA member whose family has relied on hunting to “put meat on the table.” By contrast, Delaware Senator Joe Biden has authored major gun ban legislation, and Biden carries an “F” rating on gun issues from the NRA.
How about Barrack Obama — what is his stance on gun rights? In an effort to mollify moderate “swing” voters, Obama hasn’t been talking about gun control much lately. But the fact remains that he is no friend to gun owners. He supports new bans on self-loading rifles, and in 2000 he co-sponsored legislation limiting handgun purchases. To learn more, you should watch the following video. Keep in mind it is a one-sided “advocacy” piece created by the Republican National Committee. Nonetheless, the facts speak for themselves.
September 6th, 2008
For self-defense in your home or shop, you want quick access to your handgun.
Ideally, both handguns and long guns should be locked up in a heavy, full-size gunsafe that is bolted to the floor. However, if you need quick access to a handgun for personal defense in the home, there are smaller safes that can be opened in a couple of seconds, while still keeping handguns secure from kids or any unwanted visitors.
Shown above is a GunVault Biometric handgun safe ($299.99 at Cabelas.com). This uses your fingerprint as the “key” to open the safe. Place your index finger in the scanner then press the middle button, and the safe opens up in under 2 seconds. As a back-up, you can can quickly open the safe by pressing buttons on the 4-finger keypad in the right sequence. Gunvault also makes a less costly basic GunVault version without the fingerprint function. The basic GunVault employs the keypad and/or a security lock to open the safe. Both models (biometric and standard) can be secured via a heavy security cable so a thief can’t simply grab the safe and run. Cabela’s has a video showing the biometric Gunvault in action.
 CLICK HERE to watch VIDEO of BIOMETRIC SAFE
September 5th, 2008
The Beretta Group of companies, led by Beretta U.S.A., Benelli U.S.A., and Burris Optics, have pledged to give the NRA $1 million over the next five years. This gift will benefit the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund.
 The announcement was made by Cav. Ugo Gussalli Beretta at an event at his home in Clinton, Maryland, on August 20. At this event, Cav. Beretta was inducted into the NRA’s Golden Ring of Freedom, the highest level of the Association’s comprehensive donor recognition society. This new pledge brings the Beretta Group’s gift commitments to the NRA to over $2 million. Previous gifts have benefited the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, NRA Youth Programs, Hunting and Wildlife Conservation, and the National Firearms Museum.
The NRA Institute for Legislative Action mobilizes millions of volunteers nationwide on behalf of candidates who support our Second Amendment freedom, and has been very effective in recent elections both on the state and national level. The Civil Rights Defense Fund, the NRA’s sister 501(c)3 organization, supports litigation involving significant legal issues relating to the right to keep and bear arms.
Beretta U.S.A. is part of the Beretta Holding Group. Controlled by the Beretta family, the group includes arms-makers Beretta, Benelli, Franchi and Uberti (Italy), and Sako and Tikka (Finland). The oldest among these companies, Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A., has been operated by 15 generations of the Beretta family, starting in 1526. Cav. Ugo Gussalli Beretta and his sons, Pietro and Franco, run the company today.
September 4th, 2008
Arizona gunsmith Gary Ocock ranks fourth overall on the all-time Benchrest Hall of Fame Points list. This Monday he added two potential NBRSA Unlimited (Rail Gun) records to his list of achievements. Shooting in a special Monday Labor Day match at Visalia, California, Ocock demolished the existing Unlimited 200-yard NBRSA record. Gary’s 5-target, 200-yard aggregate was 0.1129. (That’s the measured average of five, 5-shot targets, divided by two). Once certified, this will be a new NBRSA record. The previous 200-yard record was a 0.1396 shot in 2003 by Bart Sauter. Gary’s 100-yard Agg was also in the “teens”, a 0.1534. So, Ocock’s combined 100 + 200 “Grand Agg” was a stunning 0.1331, which would also be a new record, beating Bill Forrester’s 0.1496 Grand Agg shot in 1989.
Record-Setting Railgun with Delrin Barrel Sleeve
Gary Ocock was using a Jay Young Railgun with some custom “enhancements” by Gary. As with most railguns, the barrel is held by a barrel block. But Gary employs something pretty unique. Between the metal halves of the 7″-long barrel block, Gary has fitted a Delrin sleeve around the barrel. This is then clamped in place when the block is bolted together. What’s the advantage of the Delrin sleeve? According to Gary “The Delrin seems to help with accuracy. I had a couple barrels that just didn’t seem to shoot well no matter what load I tried. I first tried a sleeve made from lead and epoxy in an effort to make those barrels competitive. The barrels did shoot better, but the epoxy/lead sleeve was a pain to make. So, I came up with the Delrin sleeve and it works just as well or better. I can’t tell you exactly why it works, but it probably is damping the barrel vibration. With the Delrin sleeve I’ve turned average barrels into winners.”
| Jay Young Railgun
At right is a Jay Young Railgun, similar to the Unlimited gun used by Gary Ocock to set two new records. Gary’s gun has a longer barrel (26″) and Gary has devised a special Delrin sleeve that fits between barrel and barrel block. Gary believes the Delrin Sleeve dampens barrel vibration. For more info, email Gary Ocock: onehole149 [at] aol.com |
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Bullets Seated OFF the Lands
For his record-breaking effort on Monday, Gary used a 26″-long, 1.350″-diameter straight-contour 6mm Krieger barrel. Twist is 1:13.5″, and the chambering was a tight-neck 6PPC using Gary’s own 67gr BT match bullets. Gary shot a relatively “mild load” and interestingly his bullets were NOT engaging the barrel rifling. That’s right, he figures his seating depth was about .005-.010″ OFF the lands. The action was a BAT SV with a non-ejector bolt borrowed from another BAT. Scope was a March 50X.
Smart Wind Calls Helped Gary at 200
Watching the wind was key to his amazing 200-yard performance, Gary said: “Mirage was quite heavy, but I noticed things worked best in a light left to right condition. I tried to wait for that condition on most of my shots at 200 yards. On three of the five groups I didn’t hold off at all. On two groups I held off a little. The key was waiting to shoot in that left to right condition.”
September 4th, 2008
Here’s another outdoor industry business consolidation, another big fish swallowing little fish. Beretta Holdings, through its Burris division, has acquired Germany’s Steiner-Optik GmbH. Steiner, a respected maker of optics, particularly binoculars, is based in Bayreuth, Germany, and now employs 120 workers. Steiner will be integrated into the Beretta Group through its optics subsidiary, Burris, based in Colorado. So now the Germans will be making binoculars for a US-based company owned by Italians.
 Why did this acquisition take place? Steiner has not been very successful in the North American market. Steiner’s President and CEO, Carl Steiner, needed the help of an international group with strong distribution and plenty of marketing clout. Beretta Holdings doubtless believes that the addition of Steiner, a “prestige” optics name for over 50 years, will help Burris compete against high-end brands such as Leica and Swarovski. This is a good thing for Burris. Steiner has a record of innovation: Steiner produced the first pocket-sized binoculars, the first commercial binoculars with rubber armor, and the first binoculars with an anti-UV protective lens coating.
Burris General Manager, Steve Bennetts, said both Burris and Steiner have strong brand identification, and he suggested that the two companies will soon coordinate their product development efforts. We suspect this means the high-end optics will carry the Steiner name while mid- and low-cost optics will be sold as Burris products.
Beretta’s companies offer a vast range of products, with optic devices representing an increasingly important component. Current companies owned by Beretta Holdings include: Beretta, Benelli, Burris, Franchi, Meccanica Del Sarca, Sako, Stoeger, Tikka, Uberti Replicas.
September 3rd, 2008
Here’s your chance to own a gorgeous, .308-caliber Palma Rifle, while helping the U.S. F-Class Open Team. This handsome rifle, valued at over $3000.00, will be raffled off as a Team fund-raiser. This gun was owned by F-Class Team Vice-Captain Shiraz Balolia and very lightly used. A brand new Bartlein barrel was installed by Jim Cloward before the gun was donated by Grizzly Industrial to help raise money for the U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team. Funds will help cover the costs of sending the Team to the 2009 World Championships in Bisley, England.
CLICK HERE for MORE Rifle PHOTOS.
Donate $10.00 and get two tickets to win. The more you donate, the better your chances for winning this rifle. A maximum of 2000 tickets will be distributed. Tickets are available from many F-Class Open Shooters around the country, or you may write a check for your desired donation and send it to:
U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team
P.O. Box 3110
Bellingham, WA 98227
Make checks out to U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team. If you are making a donation of over $20.00 and would like a receipt for tax deduction, please make out your check to PALMA Promotions and mail to the above address. All tickets and receipts will be sent by return mail. Drawing will be held in February, 2009 in Bellingham, WA.
September 3rd, 2008
Special events are being planned across the country for National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day), set for September 27th. The annual celebration will serve as a reminder to all Americans that conservation succeeds only because of leadership and funding from hunters, shooters and anglers. National, regional, state and local organizations will run thousands of “open house” hunting- and fishing-related events everywhere from shooting ranges to suburban frog ponds. An estimated four million Americans will participate. For information on NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org. To find an event in your area, click the link below.
CLICK HERE for a State-by-State list of Hunting & Fishing Day Events
History of National Hunting and Fishing Day
In 1972, Congress unanimously passed legislation authorizing National Hunting and Fishing Day on the fourth Saturday of every September. President Nixon signed the first proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day, writing, “I urge all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.” Currently, the national celebration is coordinated by the official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day, Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Missouri. Sponsors for 2008 include NSSF, Bass Pro Shops, The Sportsman Channel, National Wild Turkey Federation, Realtree, Cabela’s, Woolrich, GunBroker.com, Outdoor Channel, Safari Club International, Hunting Heritage Trust, Smith & Wesson, Field & Stream and Outdoor Life.
August 30th, 2008
The .222 Remington is a superbly accurate cartridge. Younger shooters may not remember, but the .222 Rem (aka “Triple Duece”), dominated short-range benchrest before the 6PPC took over. For years, Triple Duece fans could depend on premium Lapua .222 Rem brass. However, Lapua has halted production of .222 Rem cartridge brass for the time being.
Many Forum members have asked, “where can we find high-quality .222 Remington brass?” Sinclair Int’l carries Norma .222 brass (see above), but it’s quite pricey, at $85.50 per 100 (item BR222). This is quality brass, though many shooters felt that it may not stand up to high pressures for as many reload cycles as will Lapua .222 Rem brass.
Forum members have tracked down remaining quantities of Lapua .222 Rem brass in Canada. RPS International of Alberta lists Lapua-headstamp .222 Rem brass in stock at a price of $69.00 CND per hundred. That price is in Canadian Dollars and is subject to change. Contact Mr. Joe Ponto at RPS Int’l, (780) 962-3395 or Fax (780) 962-1443, sales [at] rpsinternational.com. This won’t last long….
CLICK HERE to download RPS Int’l price lists.
August 29th, 2008
 Today, millions of Americans will hit the road to begin a long, Labor Day weekend. We urge you all to drive safely. Don’t try to cover too many miles, or drive long distances at the wee hours of the morning. Fatigue can be a killer. An average of 115 persons die each day in motor vehicle crashes in the United States — one every 13 minutes. Every year over 43,000 Americans die in auto accidents and there are roughly 2.9 million injury cases. The cost of these accidents exceeds 230+ Billion dollars.
 Famed Shooters in Recent Road Accident
Think an accident can’t happen to you? Consider this… Just a few days ago, when returning from the Camp Perry National Championships, Mid Tompkins and Nancy Tompkins (at left) were involved in an accident in Kansas. Mid and Nancy are both legendary long-range shooters, and Nancy is the author of the excellent book, Prone and Long-Range Shooting. Mid was driving a van, pulling a trailer. It was late at night, and (for reasons unknown) the van and trailer went off the road and rolled over. Mid suffered cartilage and rib damage. Nancy was trapped in the van for 20 minutes before rescue workers cut her free. She was then air-lifted to a Topeka hospital and treated for leg, knee, and shoulder injuries. Fellow shooters Bob Jones and Steve McGee were following on the same highway and helped the rescue effort. Thankfully, neither Mid nor Nancy sustained life-threatening injuries, and we send them our prayers for a full recovery.
Nancy recently posted on Long-Range.com: “Mid is doing well, but is very sore. His ribs — front and back — are bothering him and he has a nasty cut on this left elbow with some lacerations. I have a broken right tibia (leg bone), right patella (knee) left shoulder, and a tear on my left rotator cuff, a broken nose and very sore ribs and face. No matter what, we feel very blessed to have survived this. We made it as did our three cats that we absolutely love and adore.”
Drowsiness Degrades Driving Skills
A driver who is very fatigued will suffer impairment in his driving skills similar to being intoxicated. Even if you don’t nod off or blank out, drowsiness impairs your reaction time, degrades your peripheral vision, and dulls your ability to concentrate on the road. Remember that when traveling at 60 miles per hour, you’ll cover 90 feet in just one second. Nodding off for just an instant could be fatal, as the following video explains:
Night Driving — A Special Warning for Older Drivers
A significant percentage of competitive shooters (if not the majority) are over 45 years of age. As we reach “middle age” and beyond, our night-vision degrades significantly. This is a progressive process, and most individuals don’t notice a change from year to year. Scientific studies have shown that a 50-year-old driver needs twice as much light at night as does a 30-year old driver. Older eyes also do not recover from glare as well as young eyes. Pupils shrink and don’t dilate as much in the dark as we age. Various reports indicate that the retina of a senior citizen receives far less light than the retina of a 20-year-old. This can make older drivers function as though they are wearing dark sunglasses at night.
CLICK HERE for National Safety Council Tips on Night Driving.
August 29th, 2008
The Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club (Williamsport) marks 40 years of 1000-yard shooting this year. Williamsport, the birthplace of long range benchrest shooting, held its first match in 1968. Many key aspects of long range benchrest, as we know it today, can be traced back to the Williamsport range and its founders.
To celebrate Williamsport’s 40th year, and to raise funds, a Commemorative Rifle has been built by the members of the Williamsport Bench rest club.
 The rifle is chambered in 6mm Dasher. Components include: BAT action, Jewell trigger, Bartlein barrel, Baer stock, and a Nightforce BR scope. Many club members contributed time to fabricate the rifle, which would retail for $4000+. The rifle sports Bruce Baer’s innovative “Sidewinder” off-set stock. Mark King chambered the rifle. Springman Rifles pillar-bedded the stock, and Gary Hendrix applied the clearcoat. Engraved rifle components carry the Club’s logo and denote this as the 40th Anniversary Rifle — a true one of a kind.
The 40th Anniversary Commemorative Rifle will be raffled off to raise funds for much-needed range improvements. Raffle receipts will be used to repair the pit wall, which, after 40 years, has deteriorated. Fund raised will allow the pit wall to be straightened, reinforced, and elevated, with a new roof installed over part of the pit area. The raffle is limited to 1000 tickets, priced at $20.00 each. Raffle tickets can be purchased by mailing a check or money order (payable to “Original PA 1000-Yd BR Club”) to:
Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club
P.O. Box 1413
Williamsport, PA 17703
Please include a note with your payment stating that it is for 40th Anniversary Rifle Raffle. Your raffle tickets will be returned by mail. Tickets cost $20.00 each. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Club’s annual banquet on October 18, 2008. The winner will be contacted via phone, email or USPS mail, and his name will be posted on the Club’s website, www.pa1000yard.com.
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