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May 19th, 2008
 You may already know this, but just in case you missed the announcement, here’s the bad news.
The United States Post Office raised the price of first class postage one penny to forty-two cents ($0.42), effective May 12th. The USPS is now allowed to adjust stamp prices independently, based on inflation. Under new rules, the Postal Service can increase the price of a stamp by a penny without any oversight as long as it gives 45 days notice. You may recall that the USPS already increased the price of a first-class stamp to 41 cents in 2007, a two-cent hike at the time.
Other USPS Price Hikes, effective May 12:
Postcard rate is up 1 cent to 27 cents
Large Envelope rate is up 3 cents to $1.00
Certified Mail is up 5 cents to $2.70
Penny Wise Advice:
With postal rates going up a couple times a year, and stagflation looming on the horizon for the U.S. economy, it may be wise to buy a bunch of “Forever Stamps” next time you’re at the Post Office. These special non-denominated stamps, now priced at $0.42 each, are “immune” to price hikes. “The stamp will be good for mailing one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future — regardless of price changes,” the USPS has promised.
May 18th, 2008
As most of you know, Cerberus Capital Management acquired Bushmaster Firearms, a leading maker of AR-platform rifles, in April 2006. A year later, Cerberus acquired Remington Arms. Not surprisingly, Cerberus has merged the product lines of these two companies, so AR-style rifles are now marketed under the Remington label.
Yesterday, at the NRA Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY, Remington unveiled its latest semi-auto rifle, dubbed the Remington R-25. The R-25 is based on the AR-10, the “big brother” of the AR15, a heavier, beefier rifle designed to shoot the .308 Winchester and similar cartridges. The R-25 will be offered in three chamberings: .308 Win, .243 Win, and 7mm-08. We were hoping Remington might also offer the .260 Remington or other 6.5mm caliber such as the 6.5 Creedmoor, but right now Remington is sticking to the more mainstream hunting calibers. However, Remington reps indicated that Short Magnum calibers might be added to the line-up in the future.
The basic R-25 features a flat-top receiver and metal float tube. The whole rig is decked out in Mossy Oak® Treestand™ Camo. Barrels for all three calibers are 20″ in length, with a 1:10″ twist rate. Barrels are fluted ahead of the gas block but that’s more for looks than anything else. Remington chose a fairly light barrel contour, keeping the gun’s weight down to 8.75 pounds, without optics. The trigger is a single-stage unit set at 4.5-5 pounds. That’s pretty disappointing, and we expect the first thing many R-25 owners do is modify or swap out the trigger to reduce pull weight. The R-25 ships with a 4-round magazine, but will use any standard AR-10 mag.
The Remington R-25 is priced at $1532 MSRP, and the first units are expected to ship in July 2008. At first blush, the price seems high for a pretty average rifle with a heavy trigger and what, we predict, is a mediocre barrel. Shooters wanting a .308 cartridge-size semi-auto platform for a cross the course rifle or space gun should consider other, less expensive sources such as Armalite for a separate AR-10 lower. Match AR-10 uppers are available from a variety of boutique makers such as Fulton Armory.
May 17th, 2008
One key issue affecting all shooting sports is how to attract new shooters, particularly juniors. Young people represent the future of the sport, and unless we can get them involved, there will be fewer shooting opportunities for all. Gun manufacturers will see their sales decline and more ranges will be closed, both due to lack of revenue and political pressures. The closing of shooting ranges is a major problem in many areas of the country, particularly in California and other regions where anti-gun politicians and land developers are aggressively working to shut ranges down.
One great way to draw new shooters into the fold (particularly youngsters and ladies) is to host an event at your club where novices can try multiple disciplines. This is a user-friendly, low-cost way for newcomers to try different types of firearms in a supervised setting. Every year, the Ojai Valley Gun Club (OVGC) in California hosts a 7-Gun Shoot open to the public. OVGC’s 7-Gun Shoot took place on April 26th, and was a huge success, with 125 new shooters coming to the range for a day of fun, followed by a tri-tip barbecue. Participants ranged from 6 to 89 years of age. For a fee of just $10.00, visitors (of any age) could try seven different types of arms, under the guidance of club members who provided assistance and safety instruction. Guns and ammo were furnished by club members, and hearing and eye protection were offered for a nominal fee.
The 7-Gun Shoot offered a smorgesbord of shooting options: Air Rifle, Small-bore Pistol, Small-bore Rifle, Full-bore Rifle (.223 and .308), Centerfire Handgun, Black-Powder Rifle, and Shotgun (Trap). OVGC even offered an archery clinic, which was very popular with both kids and adults. A full troop of boy scouts attended the 7-Gun Shoot, and there were many families with husband, wife and kids. Participants were issued scorecards covering all 7 disciplines, and prizes were awarded to the highest aggregate totals for junior boy, junior girl, adult women, and adult men. Among the visiting couples, it was not unusual for the wives to outscore the husbands. One lady who came to the 7-Gun Shoot with her husband had never fired a long-gun before, yet she managed a perfect score with air rifle and an impressive 4 for 5 on the trap (shotgun) course.
Even many veteran shooters took the opportunity to try out new disciplines. Handgunners tried out the rifle course and some hard-core trap shooters enjoyed knocking down steel targets with replica black powder rifles. There’s nothing quite like the boom and smoke of the “Holy Black”. The day concluded with a great 4-course all-you-can-eat barbeque, ($8.50 per head), followed by a raffle of shooting and camping accessories. Overall, the event was a great success. The young people seemed to have the best time of all, and more than a few of the Scouts said the 7-Gun Shoot was one of their favorite annual troop activities.
OVGC signed up a number of new members during the shoot, but more importantly, the club gave scores of novices, young and old, the chance to have fun and get hooked on shooting sports. If you are interested in developing a similar program, visit OVGC.net where you can email the organizers.
May 16th, 2008
At the NRA Annual Meeting, Savage Arms has its latest long-range precision rifle on display — a Palma rifle, chambered in .308 Winchester. Team Savage Captain Stan Pate will be manning the Savage booth (#527) during the show and can answer questions about the new gun.
The .308 Palma is made for 1K prone competition with iron sights and sling. It comes with Savage’s Target AccuTrigger, adjustable down to six ounces. The rifle features a 30-inch heavy barrel tapered to accept standard aftermarket sights. The stock has an adjustable cheekpiece, 3-way adjustable buttplate, and forearm accessory rail. Currently, Savage is the only large manufacturer producing “factory rifles” for Palma competition.
Savage also produces rifles for F-Class Open and F-T/R disciplines. The Palma and F-Class guns, including a new 6mmBR F-Classer, “were made to compete and win against the most expensive custom guns.” Savage VP of Sales and Marketing Brian Herrick said. Terry Brady has been testing a 6mmBR Savage F-Classer for AccurateShooter.com. He reports: “It looks good. I still need to work up a load and chron it, but I’ve been able to shoot sub-inch groups at 300 yards in early testing.”
May 16th, 2008
Ten Intermedia Outdoors television shows, including popular shooting sports shows, will no longer be broadcast on the Outdoor Channel next season. The line-up of shows includes: “Guns & Ammo Television,” “Guns & Ammo Television Classics,” “In-Fisherman Television,” “In-Fisherman Critical Concepts,” “North American Whitetail Television,” “Bowhunter Magazine TV,” “Personal Defense TV,” “Shallow Water Angler,” “In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail” and “Petersen’s Hunting ADVENTURE Television.”
These shows will continue to run, but on a different cable network — The Sportsman Channel (TSC), which Intermedia Outdoors acquired last year. (See Related Story).
Intermedia pulled a large block of TV content from the Outdoor Channel and will use those shows in the future as the backbone of its own network. In a press release, Intermedia Outdoors CEO Jeff Paro declared: “We are going to build The Sportsman Channel into the leading outdoor network, both in distribution and ratings. Shifting all of our programming to TSC is a major first step in that direction. We have led in every outdoors category we have entered-magazine, internet, and television production-and now we will lead in networks.” Paro continued: “We will actively and aggressively program TSC with hunting, shooting and fishing content, with a focus on high-quality original programming….”
Jim Shepard, editor of The Outdoor Wire, believes that the Outdoor Channel was hit hard by Intermedia’s decision to move its TV shows: “In one shot, InterMedia Outdoors has announced to the television industry that it not only intends to become the major player in outdoor television, it is quite willing to hammer its former partner in a very public manner.”
May 14th, 2008
From May 16-20, the National Rifle Association will hold its NRA Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Scheduled events include the Members Meeting, NRA Foundation Banquet, Sportsmen’s Luncheon and Auction, plus a free concert. Many leading firearms manufacturers will also have products on display at the Kentucky Expo Center. In addition, major private collections will be displayed by NRA-affiliated gun collector clubs. Hunting Guides and Outfitters be featured in an exclusive outfitter section.
CLICK HERE for Schedule of Events
 Throughout the 3-day event, there will be Special Seminars, including an African Hunting Seminar, Reloading Seminar, and a full, day-long Firearms Law Seminar with officials from the FBI, Law Professor Glenn Reynolds, and Kentucky Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Will Scott. The Seminars take place at the Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, which is also the site of all Exhibits. The Foundation Dinner and NRA Celebration of American Values Banquet will be at the Kentucky International Convention Center (221 Fourth Street).
Live Radio Coverage Offered
“Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk”, will broadcast live from the NRA Annual Meeting, Sunday, May 18. The 3-hour radio program will feature appearances by spokespeople from the NRA, the NSSF, and leading firearms companies.
“Gun Talk” will air from 2:00pm until 5:00pm Eastern time, and from 8:00pm til 11:00pm Eastern on XM Satellite Channel 166. “Folks who miss the live broadcast,” said Gresham, “can always download the show from www.guntalk.com.”
May 13th, 2008
The regular, monthly 600-yard benchrest match at the Piedmont Gun Club in Rutherfordton, NC rivals a National event in terms of the quality of the shooters and the rifles. On May 10th, there were multiple IBS-record holders in every relay, with a dozen rifles capable of going sub-inch at 600 yards. Piedmont, the “home of world records”, attracts many of the top mid-range benchrest shooters, such as Terry Brady, Mike Davis, Sam Hall, Larry Isenhour, Joel Kendrick, Buster Long, Mark Schronce, and Rodney Wagner. That line-up includes some IBS Shooters of the Year.
Piedmont Gun Club:
CLICK HERE for Equipment List and Match Results
There was a very competitive field on May 10th at Piedmont. Larry Isenhour, shooting a 6 BRX, took Light Gun Overall by winning the Light Gun Group size Agg, and placing third in Score. In Heavy Gun, Mark Schronce combined a fourth in Group and first in Score to take the HG Overall. Schronce also shoots a 6 BRX. Rodney Wagner, yet another 6BRX pilot, shot a very consistent match, with all four targets under 2.55″ to place first in HG group Agg.
In both Light Gun and Heavy Gun, about half the guns were straight 6BRs, with quite a few BRXs. There were a half-dozen 6.5x47s or 6-6.5x47s, and a few 6.5-284s and 243 AIs. Learn more about the shooters’ rigs by reading the Equipment List (scroll to bottom of linked page).
May 13th, 2008
 The NRA has selected four women to receive the 2008 Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award for their contributions to the Second Amendment and the shooting sports. This year, the prestigious award, named for the NRA’s first female president, was presented to: Linda Hill of Pueblo West, CO; Cathy Lynch of Renton, WA; Paula Radcliff of Dexter, KS; and Patricia Stoneking of Bonner Springs, KS.
Linda Hill is on the board of directors of the Pueblo Municipal Shooting Range in Colorado. She started a women’s shooting group at the range and a youth shooting program. An NRA Certified Instructor, Hill is involved with Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, NRA Basic Pistol classes, NRA Range Safety Officer training, and personal protection seminars. An experienced hunter education instructor, Hill has taught in both Alaska and Montana.
Cathy Lynch is a shooting sports director at the Cascade Scout Reservation for the Boy Scouts of America. An NRA Certified Range Safety Officer and Instructor in rifle, shotgun, and muzzleloading firearms, she is an instructor at the Boy Scout National Camp School, and a hunter education instructor for the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.
Paula Radcliff is a member of the Kansas State Rifle Assn. and served as the group’s legislative representative when Kansas’ concealed carry law was passed in 2006. Her efforts were instrumental in Kansans winning the right to carry concealed firearms. Radcliff has supported the NRA’s Women On Target® and Youth Hunter Education Challenge programs, hosting events for both programs on her ranch.
Patricia Stoneking is a legislative advocate, and NRA Certified Instructor in multiple disciplines. Stoneking owns Target Master Shooting Academy in Bonner Springs and is head instructor at The Bullet Hole Shooting Range. She led a grassroots effort to pass Kansas’ concealed carry law, hand-delivering a petition to the governor’s office.
For more info on the Marion P. Hammer award, and to nominate a deserving woman, visit www.nrahq.org/women/awards.asp or call (800) 861-1166.
May 12th, 2008
Gene Beggs operates his own 100-yard indoor tunnel and rifle testing facility just outside of Odessa, Texas. Gene provides instruction and “tunnel time” for serious benchresters looking to improve their skills and optimize the accuracy of their rifles. Along with teaching the fine points of short-range benchrest, Gene has been developing two radical new rifles, one chambered in 220 Beggs, a slightly modified 220 Russian, and a second chambered in 6mm Beggs, a necked-up version of the 220 Russian that retains the original body taper and shoulder angle.
Both rifles share a skeleton design which uses the Stiller Cobra or Viper action as a central load-bearing member. Remarkably, there is no conventional fore-arm at all. Gene has bolted, directly to the barrel, a 3″-wide bag-riding aluminum sled. The sled was not designed as a mid-barrel tuner, but it might have some beneficial effects in that regard. However, the tuning functions are handled by two concentric rings threaded to the muzzle. Gene believes that with minor rotations of his front tuning rings, he can dial the gun into tune and the tune can be easily adjusted as conditions warrant.
Do Mr. Beggs’ guns shoot? Absolutely. We had the chance, a month ago, to visit Gene in Odessa. We shot both the 220 Beggs-chambered rifle, and its 6mm Beggs-chambered cousin. Both rifles are nearly identical, though the Heavy Varmint-weight 220 has a longer, 27″ barrel compared to 22″ for the Light Varmint 6mm.
In the tunnel, the 220 HV, with a no-turn-neck 220 Beggs chamber, produced three-shot groups in the low ones and zeros right out of the gate, even before the tuner was optimized. With a barrel with over 1000 rounds through it, after firing 40 rounds without cleaning, Gene produced a tiny 5-shot group in the low ones. The first shot was slightly high (a common occurence in the tunnel according to Beggs). The last 4 shots, rounds 42-45 since the barrel had been cleaned, went into 0.084″. This rig, though radical in the extreme, certainly appears fully competitive with more conventional BR rigs, and it tracked superbly, with no hopping or rocking on the bags.
220 Beggs — Simple, Accurate, Efficient
We were also very impressed with the 220 Beggs cartridge. It’s basically a plain 220 Russian with a sharper radius at the neck-shoulder junction. Gene has commissioned a 220 Beggs reamer with matching seating and full-length sizing dies. The little cartridge achieves 3600+ fps with a 52gr bullet, pushed by Benchmark powder. From what we could tell during our short visit, the 220 Beggs is easy to load for, and performs exceptionally well with either turned (.250″) or no-turn necks. The recoil was noticeably less than a 6mm PPC, making the gun a joy to shoot. This round, we felt, could also be an outstanding varmint cartridge. The velocity is there, and we don’t think any other 22-caliber varmint cartridge is going to beat it for inherent accuracy.
 Gene notes: “The .250 turned neck is probably the best choice and I have custom carbide neck bushings available for that diameter. I also have a new shipment of custom Hornady dies. Freebore? Anywhere from .035 to .045 is fine. I prefer flatbase bullets of 52 grains. Hodgdon’s Benchmark has become my favorite powder for the 220 Beggs. A case full gives around 3550 to 3600 fps with no signs of excessive pressure. The little sucker is a hoot to shoot and is competitive with anything out there on the 100/200 yard line.”
As for the 6mm version, Gene told us: “The 6mm version of the cartridge performs best with Hodgdon’s H4198 Extreme, but the 220 has proven it will shoot well with just about anything you put in it including N133, H322, Benchmark, 8208, Norma 200 etc. It is the most trouble-free, user friendly cartridge I have ever worked with and will compete heads-up with anything. It’s also very easy on the shoulder.”
How to Learn More
Gene sells components (reamers, dies etc.) for the 220 and 6mm Beggs, and also offers training/testing sessions in his West Texas Tunnel on an appointment basis. For more information, or to schedule a session, email genebeggs [at] cableone.net.
May 12th, 2008
 Over the past two weekends, concluding on May 11th, hundreds of shooters participated in the 2008 Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup at Camp Butner, NC. Some 398 shooters took part in the CMP Games on the first weekend. That makes the Games one of the most popular shooting events of any kind hosted in North America. Importantly, at a time when match attendance is shrinking for many other disciplines, CMP Games participant numbers were up dramatically since last year’s inaugural event. This reflects the growing interest in traditional, military-style firearms.
CLICK HERE for Complete Match Results
 SFC Singley Wins Creedmoor Overall
The CMP has posted complete CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Results online. The Creedmoor Cup Overall Champion was SFC Grant Singley, with a 790-31X score. A service rifle shooter with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), SFC Singley was the Military Marksmanship Association (MMA) Soldier of the Year in 2007 and 1996. Taking second in Service Rifle was Singley’s USAMU team-mate Tyrell Cooper, with a 787-26X. First in Match Rifle Class was Troy Lawton, who posted a 787-25X.
CMP Games Popular
Warm Carolina spring temperatures, light winds and only one brief spell of rain created ideal shooting condition. As a result there were 12 Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle scores in the 280s. Sean Leighton (287-5X) won the Eastern Games Garand Match, while Robert Churchill (281-5X) won the 1903 Springfield Match. Churchill was also High Senior among Springfield shooters.
The best score of the CMP Games was a 288-6X fired by CWO2 Peter Burns, USMC, in the Vintage Military Rifle Match. Burns is now the OIC of the Marine Corps Rifle Team, but he competed in the Camp Butner As-Issued Military Rifle Matches to “just shoot for fun.” He fired a Swiss Schmidt-Rubin M1911 rifle in 7.5mm Swiss caliber. The Schmidt-Rubin has a barrel-mounted open rear sight. Burns’ winning performance demonstrates that peep (aperture) sights are not essential to shoot great scores. Burns also placed sixth in the Garand Match, third in the Springfield Match, and first overall in the As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match.
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