|
|
May 11th, 2008
Forum member Scott S. (Sunbuilder) has built a sweet long-range varminter based on the 6.5×47 Lapua cartridge necked down to 6mm and then improved to 40 degrees, with slightly less body taper. Scott tells us that “improving the case adds about 2.0 grains to the case capacity”. This allows Scott to run the 103-108gr bullets at well over 3100 fps, with no pressure issues. Scott calls his Improved case a “Long Dasher”, a name suggested by Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge.
A Better Mount for the Spotter and Rangefinder
Scott designed and fabricated a very slick set-up to hold his Zeiss spotting scope and Leica CRF RangeFinder. He’s built a combo bracket that holds both units rock steady, with a parallel line of sight (same axis and elevation). Smart. Very smart. Scott explains: “I built a mount to connect my rangefinder to my spotting scope. The mount can be adjusted, so the spotting scope and rangefinder are both centered on the same object. The only way I have found to get repeatable long-range readings is to make them from a stable base.” Scott, we think you’ve got a winner here with your innovative and clever design.
6-6.5×47 Improved Works Well with Many Powders
Scott’s 6-6.5×47 Lapua Improved varmint rifle features a Stiller Diamondback action, Lilja 30″ 8-twist barrel, Richard Franklin stock, and a NightForce 8-32×56 NXS. Scott has had excellent success–his two longest groundhog hits were at 778 and 810 yards. Scott has tested many powders with his 6-6.5×47 wildcat: “I tried several powders (H4350, N160, N560, H4831sc), and primers (CCI 450, BR4, Rem 7 1/2, Fed 205Ms). I got better velocity with H4350, but my barrel likes the N160. I did find a [high-speed] node with H4350. The increased velocity potential of this cartridge is partially due to the slightly increased case capacity. The load I am shooting now is 40.5gr N160, Berger 105gr Match BT, .010″ jam, CCI BR4, .002″ neck tension at 3115 fps. This has an ES under 15 fps, and it will group under 2″ at 500 yards if conditions hold. This ‘Long Dasher’ (6-6.5×47) seems to have a lot of potential (and that’s an understatement).”
May 11th, 2008
Pennsylvania’s Mifflin Country Sportsmen’s Assoc. held one of its triple-yardage Groundhog Shoots on May 10, and the results just came in. This is a very popular match with targets at 200, 300, and 500 yards. It’s a score match, so small groups are nice, but they better be centered. We were interested in the match results because it shows the rifles that folks are using, and what’s winning, in both factory class and “Custom Limited” classes. (At Mifflin, Custom Limiteds are typical 600-yard benchrest Light Guns–full customs weighing 16.5 lbs or less.)
In Custom Limited Class, 8 of the top 10 places were taken by 6BRs, with one 22 BR, and one 6 PPC. That’s a pretty emphatic demonstration of both the popularity and the accuracy of the 6BR cartridge. Rod Morton and Steven Kotecki tied for first with 143 points apiece. Rod was named the winner, based on “X-Count”, as Rod had 7 “Xs” compared to 6 “Xs” for Steven. Now that’s a close match. Joe Pellegrene was just one point shy, to finish third with 142 points.
In the factory class, Jesse Hall, a Junior, had highest score, 125-1x, shooting a .223 Rem. Next highest factory shooter was Bill Slattery with 119-3X, also shooting a .223. The .223 Rem was the most popular chambering in factory class.
Can the .223s shoot with the 6BR? Looking at the scores, the .223s were pretty competitive at 200 yards, and even 300, but at 500 yards, most of the better .223 shooters were scoring high 20s, while the top 6BR shooters in Custom Limited class were in the mid-40s. (Junior Nick Sinkus did, however nail a 40 at 500 yards with his factory .223 Rem — great shooting by the youngster.)
CLICK HERE for Mifflin 2008 Schedule of Events.
May 9th, 2008
Richard Franklin sold his stock-making business to Greg West, but Richard is still making stunning, one-off custom rifles using laminated fancy woods such as Crotch Claro Walnut, Turkish Walnut, Curly Maple, Bloodwood, and burls of various types. One of Richard’s favorite sources for fancy woods is Northwest Timber, based in Oregon. NW Timber has one of the largest collections of highly-figured Claro Walnut and fancy Maple blanks in the country, including many “book-matched” sets that are ideal for a three-layer laminated stock. The two, mirror-image, book-matched pieces form the outer layers, with a central spine of contrasting wood.
When shopping for fancy wood for a laminated stock application, be sure to consider the length and thickness required. For a tri-laminated benchrest stock with a 3″ forearm, you’ll need a block at least 2.5″ wide and 32″ to 35″ long (depending on overall stock length). After sawing that will give you two 1 1/8″-wide slabs, so that a contrasting 3/4″-wide section of wood can be placed in the middle. Thinner blocks of fancy wood can be used in a 5-layer laminate. If you can’t find a block at least 32″ long, a contrasting end cap could be placed on the fore-end. However, Richard prefers to work with blanks that are long enough for the whole stock.
Above is a book-matched set from Northwest Timber in Crotch Claro Walnut. Note how there are two matching pieces, top and bottom.
This above photo shows how spectacular Quilted Maple can look when stained and finished with contrasting highlights. A popular material for fine musical instruments, Quilted Maple can look just as good on a gunstock (below).
For more information, contact:
Northwest Timber
3229 Jefferson-Scio Drive
Jefferson, OR 97352
(541) 327-1000
May 9th, 2008
Eight years into the 21st century, it’s easy for us to assume that our “latest and greatest” gun stock designs truly represent the cutting edge of technology and innovation. We forget that some of the founding fathers of benchrest devised some pretty interesting designs decades ago.
 An intriguing piece of Benchrest history came up for sale on Gunbroker.com recently. This 25-lb “unlimited” benchrest rifle, chambered in .222 Remington, showcases many features that were ahead of their time. The action says “Al Weber of Lodi, Calif”, but it’s not clear whether Al built the unusual wood stock, or whether that was the brainchild of someone else. The action looks like it might be an early custom action. Perhaps our readers know more….
Forum member Dan Conzo notes: “View page 17 of the Ultimate in Rifle Precision (1958), by Whelen. Ralph Pride, a barrel-maker and competitor, is using a rifle that is a twin of this rifle. Pride also wrote highly of the Weber action. The round bottom action has heavy lugs, a wall thickness greater than any conventional action at that time, and an integral recoil lug, It has three guard screws (1/4 ” socket head type), and the one-piece trigger guard extends past the front guard screw. The top of action is what they called a strong back with the port held to a minimum and it has the squared off rear tang. This action seems to have spawned the older Hart actions and even the more modern actions by other makers of today.”
In the front is a metal sled with twin Delrin rails for improved tracking. Front rails have been used on 1K Heavy Guns for quite some time, but when rails like this were added to the underside of F-Class rifles that innovation was considered fairly radical.
In the rear is another tracking rail. Interestingly, the rear rail is a wide, “Twin Keel” or “catamaran” design. Presumably this twin keel design enhances stability while reducing friction. That’s a design we’ve just started to see on short-range BR rifles, and it has been hailed as “highly innovative”.
We wanted to showcase this Vintage BR rifle, to give credit to the early innovators. Our current high-tech stocks and actions borrow from many of their design ideas.
CLICK HERE to View Gun Auction
May 7th, 2008
Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA recently established the MidwayUSA Foundation, a not-for-profit public foundation designed to provide financial support for education and training in the areas of shooting, hunting, firearms safety and outdoor skills.
The Potterfields donated over half a million dollars as the first donation to the Foundation. “New shooters are the lifeblood of our industry,” said Larry Potterfield, President of MidwayUSA, a catalog and internet retailer of shooting and hunting products. “Bringing new shooters into the sport is critical to the future of the shooting sports.”
To this end, the Foundation’s first endowment is the Scholastic Shooting Trust (SST) Fund. Via the SST fund, an alumnus (or other interested party), can make a donation to a particular high school or college program. That donation will be used to support the designated school’s existing shooting program or to help launch a shooting program.
“Here is how the program works,” continued Potterfield. “I just used the Foundation Website to make a donation for the University of Missouri’s Shooting Team. A portion of the donation will be contributed to the Shooting Team, with the remainder left as endowment principal. Every year in perpetuity, the Shooting Team will receive earnings from the principal to use for the team’s operating expenses.” Contributions to the SST Fund can be made through the Fund’s website at www.ScholasticShootingTrust.org.
May 6th, 2008
 Savage Arms has provided one of its new 6mmBR F-Class Rifles for testing and evaluation by this website. Record-holder Terry Brady will be our triggerman for the test. Terry got his rifle this weekend and should put the first rounds thorugh the barrel this morning. Here are Terry’s initial observations:
▪ The gun is a Right Bolt, Right Port. We thought it might be Right Bolt, Left Port, but apparently that is only offered (for now) in the Long-range Precision Varminter model.
▪ The stock is very stable and balances well on the bags.
▪ It looks like the neck is a .272″ and the twist, according to Savage, is 1:8″. Freebore is about 0.100″, just right for the 103-108gr bullets.
▪ The trigger was set at 13 ounces.
▪ Terry borescoped the barrel yesterday. He observed: “There’s some roughness in there compared to a custom barrel, but I’ve seen a lot worse. Overall it’s not bad. This might be a good choice to shoot a coated bullet to cut down on fouling.”
▪ This particular gun came with test targets showing 100-yard groups in the high-twos to mid-threes using Lapua 105gr factory ammo. Savage provided test targets at our request–don’t expect that with guns sold at retail.
May 6th, 2008
This Wednesday night, May 7th, Shooting USA will reprise its 2008 SHOT Show Special. The hour-long broadcast on the Outdoor Channel will include footage shot on the floor of the SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
If you couldn’t attend SHOT Show yourself, this is “must-see” television. Over 2,000 gun, hunting, and outdoor product manufacturers showcased their products at the 2008 SHOT Show. Shooting USA’s camera team found many new exciting products to feature. In addition, Shooting USA covers the Firearms Media Range Day. Held the day before SHOT Show opened at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Range Day gave media members “hands-on” experiences with some of the latest pistols, rifles, and shotguns to hit the market.
Wednesday’s May 7th broadcast times for the Shooting USA Shot Show Special on the Outdoor Channel are:
Eastern Time: 4:30 PM, 8:30 PM
Central Time: 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM
Mountain Time: 2:30 PM, 6:30 PM, Midnight
Pacific Time: 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 11:00 PM
May 5th, 2008
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility Main Range, archery ranges, and Clay Target Center will switch to summer hours of operation for the public beginning Monday, May 12. The new hours will be:
* Monday – CLOSED
* Tuesday – CLOSED
* Wednesday – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
* Thursday – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
* Friday – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Saturday – 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
* Sunday – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The summer hours are designed for the facility to be open during the coolest parts of the day during hot summer months, yet still provide the preferred shooting times on weekends. For more info, visit the Ben Avery Shooting Facility website, or call (623) 582-8313.
CLICK HERE for large BEN AVERY MAP.
May 4th, 2008
Recently one of our Forum members complained that he wasn’t able to set his primers flush to the rim. He tried a variety of primer tools, yet no matter what he used, the primers still didn’t seat deep enough. He measured his primers, and they were the right thickness, but it seemed like his primer pockets just weren’t deep enough. He was mystified as to the cause of the problem.
Well, our friend Boyd Allen diagnosed the problem. It was the decapping rod. If the rod is adjusted too low, the base of the full-diameter rod shaft (just above the pin) will contact the inside of the case. That shaft is steel whereas your case is brass, a softer, weaker metal. So, when you run the case up into the die, the shaft can actually stretch the base of the primer pocket outward. Most presses have enough leverage to do this. If you bell the base of the primer pocket outwards, you’ve essentially ruined your case, and there is no way a primer can seat correctly.
The fix is simple. Just make sure to adjust the decapping rod so that the base of the rod shaft does not bottom out on the inside of the case. The pin only needs to extend through the flash hole far enough to knock the primer out. The photo shows a Lyman Universal decapping die. But the same thing can happen with any die used for decapping.
Whenever you use a die with a decapping pin for the first time, OR when you move the die to a different press, make sure to check the decapping rod length. And it’s a good idea, with full-length sizing dies, to always re-check the height setting when changing presses.
May 4th, 2008
Smart shooters know they need a quality pair of ANSI-certified, impact-resistant shooting glasses, the kind we list in our comprehensive Guide to Shooting Eyewear.
But active shooters need MORE than a pair of shooting glasses. Think about a typical out-of-town two-day shooting match–you drive for hours, then spend most of the day standing around in the sun. The actual amount of time you’re shooting the rifle or on the firing line is probably only one or two hours a day, max.
So consider the numbers–you need shooting glasses for maybe 4-5 hours total over the weekend. But you need regular sunglasses for another 20+ hours.
Accordingly, we recommend shooters have a clear or lightly-tinted pair of ANSI safety glasses for shooting, PLUS a second, darker pair of sunglasses for general outdoor use and driving–these should be quality sunglasses, not $7.00/pair junk from a convenience store.
Consider this–If you have a QUALITY pair of driving glasses you will arrive at your shooting match with less eye fatigue. That means you will be able to see better, with less strain, through that $1000+ scope.
There are many quality brands of sunglasses, but we prefer Serengetis with the “Drivers Lens”. Most Serengetis have extremely high-grade, optically-correct lenses. The rose-brown Drivers Lens filters 95% of blue wavelengths. That reduces eye fatigue and increases sharpness — and that’s no BS. Because blue light focuses at a different point than other wavelengths, by filtering it out, far-away objects will appear more sharply focused.
Serengetis typically sell for $100 or more. We’ve found a source, Sunglasses Giant, that sells Serengetis (with Drivers Lens) for just $68.94. We like the Serengeti Summits because they have strong frames, photochromatic (light-adjusting) lenses, and decent side coverage. The Bromos are similar, but with a tortoise-style frame. Optics Planet also has the Summits with Drivers Lens for $71.95. Summits retail for $120.00 elsewhere. NOTE: Summits and Bromos are also available with a rose “Sedona” lens. Avoid that. Intended for snow skiing and mountaineering, the Sedona lens is too dark and too pink.
This editor has tried many of the other name brand sunglasses such as Bolle, Hobie, Maui Jim, Oakley, Smith Optics, and Vaurnet. I’ve owned them all. Serengetis offer a better, sharper lens than any of them. And nothing beats the Serengeti for driving. For fishing, snow-skiing, or boating, polarized SR-91 Kaenons are great–but that’s not what you want for general driving use. Polarization blocks 50-80% of visible light.
If you order the Serengeti Summits or Bromos, remember that these are NOT safety glasses. You need separate ANSI-certified safety eyewear for the relatively short amount of time you’re actually shooting or situated near the firing line.
FYI, Serengeti is a division of Bushnell Outdoor Products, a company that supports the shooting sports.
|
