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February 13th, 2008
You knew the firearms industry was big business, but we bet you didn’t know just how big. According to a report by TheStreet.com, the overall firearms, hunting, and ammunition sectors of the economy collectively represent a $76 billion dollar industry. At SHOT Show, TheStreet.com TV interviewed Mark DeYoung, an executive with ATK Ammunition Systems. DeYoung revealed some amazing statistics:
Annual Sales of “Hunting and Sporting” ammunition alone total $750,000,000.
ATK’s sporting, law enforcement, and military annual ammunition sales total $1.5 Billion dollars. ATK is now the largest ammunition producer in the world.
ATK produces 6.5 Billion rounds of ammunition every year. Yep, that’s “B” as in Billion. That includes everything from .22 rimfire up to tank ammo.
ATK uses 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 pounds of copper each year in ammunition production.
DeYoung also explained that commodity costs have skyrocketed. A few years ago copper was $0.77 per pound. Now it is $3.20 per pound. Lead prices have also increased substantially. This explains why precision brass and bullet costs have gone up significantly in recent years.
CLICK HERE to watch ATK VIDEO
While you may not be familiar with the ATK business name, most shooters will recognize the many commercial brands under the ATK umbrella:
Alliant Powder for reloaders
RCBS reloading equipment
CCI, Speer, Lawman, and Blazer ammunition
CCI and Federal Primers
Federal Premium, Fusion, and Estate Cartridge ammunition
Speer bullets
Champion traps and paper, metal and clay targets
Gunslick and Outers gun care products
Shooters Ridge rests, and gear bags
Ram-Line gun stocks
Weaver mounting systems
February 12th, 2008
 Alliant Powder, a division of Alliant Tech Systems Inc., (ATK), will be shipping new Reloder 17 powder in mid-March, 2008. This is an all-new, double-base powder produced in Switzerland by NitroChemie for Alliant. It is a high-energy powder with a burn rate close to IMR 4350, and “midway between Reloder 15 and Reloder 19.” The powder density is optimized for the short magnum cases such as the 7mm WSM and 300 WSM, but it also will work very well with cartridges such as .243 Win, .270 Win, 6XC, and 6mm Remington, according to Alliant Product Manager Dick Quesenberry.
Reloder 17, a state-of-the-art propellant, promises to deliver higher velocities than competitive powders for many popular calibers. If you have the “need for speed”, Reloder 17 is worth trying if you’re shooting IMR4350, H4350, N550 or similar powders right now. The new RL17 will be offered in 1-lb. and 5-lb. containers and will cost about the same as other Alliant Reloder powders, such as RL15 and RL19.
Mr. Quesenberry noted that Alliant tested many formulations, from a variety of makers, before choosing the Swiss-made Reloder 17. Alliant’s new RL17 is NOT the same as Norma URP, produced by Bofors in Europe. According to Alliant, the new Reloder 17 tested superior to URP (and most other powders in that burn range) in all major criteria: Velocity, Accuracy, ES/SD, material consistency, and resistance to ambient temperature-induced pressure changes.
Reloder 17 features an advanced, penetrant-type kernel coating. Alliant believes this is superior to typical surface powder coatings because it provides a more consistent, progressive burn. The powder pressures do not spike as sharply as with surface-coated powders, but remain more consistent throughout the burning process.
Testing has shown that Reloder 17 offers big velocity gains in many cartridges compared to other powders in the same burn range. For example, in the 6mm Remington, using an 85gr BTSP, Reloder 17 delivered a +156 fps gain over all other powders listed in the current Speer Reloading manual. Likewise, in the 300 WSM with a 180gr BTSP, Reloder 17 offered +104 fps edge in velocity over all powders listed in the Speer Manual. Below is a chart showing projected velocity gains compared to other Speer Manual-listed powders.
VELOCITY GAINS with RELOADER 17 POWDER
Alliant has already done extensive load testing in its ballistics laboratories and has load data available for 20 popular cartridges, including .243 Win, 6mm Rem, 6.5×55, .260 Rem, .270 Win, .308 Win, 30-06, 7mm WSM, 300 WSM, and 300 Win Magnum.
CLICK HERE for ALLIANT RELODER® 17 LOAD DATA
NOTE CONCERNING LOAD DATA:
Reloder® 17 was created with new technology to provide velocity greater than the competition in the most popular standard rifle calibers and the new short magnums. For the recipes developed in Alliant’s Ballistics Laboratory, all loads used Speer bullets and list the correct Overall Length — DO NOT SEAT THE BULLETS TO A LESS OVERALL LENGTH. These recipes are maximum loads and shall not be exceeded. Always start at least 5% low and work up.
February 11th, 2008
At SHOT Show, Jerry Stiller of Stiller Precision Firearms noted that his business grew rapidly in 2007, driven by the success of his Predator and Tac actions. These offer a Rem 700 style design, with improved tolerances and component quality. Jerry has doubled the square footage of his shop and added new machines and personnel to meet increased demand.
CLICK HERE to VIEW STILLER INTERVIEW
Jerry announced his plans to develop new actions in the months ahead. The first will be a specialized, single-shot, varmint action similar to the Predator, but “a little tighter” according to Jerry. It will be a Right-Bolt, Left-Port with a cone breach. Price should be comparable with the Predator action. “Hoped-for” release date will be mid-summer 2008. Later in 2008, Stiller Precision will introduce an all-new rimfire action similar to a Remington 40X. This will be followed by a Black Powder action.
Viper and Cobra Special–$50.00 off
If you call (972) 429-5000, and mention 6mmBR.com, Jerry has promised to offer $50.00 off existing Right-Bolt, Left-Port, Drop-Port, PPC-boltface Viper or Cobra actions. This discount is limited to the first TEN (10) Viper or Cobra orders. The discount is for this EXACT configuration only: PPC, Drop-Port, RBLP Viper or Cobra. The discounted price will be $900.00 including rings and trigger guard.
February 11th, 2008
Air rifles are ideal trainers for young shooters. They can be used indoors (with appropriate pellet traps). And, because they are not firearms as defined by state and federal law, there is no problem (in most jurisdictions) with the use of air rifles by teen shooters. Junior Air Rifles can be purchased through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).
High School Air Rifle Competition on TV
This week, the ShootingUSA television show features Air Rifle Competition at the high school level. ShootingUSA reports the shooting sports are expanding in high schools across the country: “Air rifle competition is a growing sport in high schools. The proof is the largest invitational high school team match in the country.” The tournament hosted by Mongomery Bell Academy in Nashville, TN draws over 400 competitors from 72 high schools in 16 heartland states.
The format is Olympic-style 10-meter competition. The match requires 20 shots from each of three positions — standing, kneeling and prone. 600 is a perfect score, but with the very tiny Ten-Ring, perfect scores are very unusual. There are three classes of competition. Sporter Pneumatic Class (pump rifle, no special gear); Open Sporter Class (compressed air rifle, glove allowed); and Precision Class (Shooting Suits, Shoes and Gloves allowed).
ShootingUSA runs every Wednesday on the Outdoor Channel at the following times:
Eastern Time 4:30 PM, 8:30 PM, 2:00 AM (Thursday)
Central Time 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 1:00 AM (Thursday)
Mountain Time 2:30 PM, 6:30 PM, Midnight
Pacific Time 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 11:00 PM
Camp Perry Junior Open
In related news, the Second Annual CMP Camp Perry Junior Open was held successfully on Jan. 18-19. For the second year in a row CMP’s newest three-position air rifle event, the Camp Perry Junior Open, was filled to capacity with 57 junior shooters. Travelers from as far away as Auburn, Alabama and Waukegan, Illinois made the trek to Camp Perry, Ohio, for the sanctioned precision and sporter air rifle match.
The event was held on a temporary range in Camp Perry’s Bataan Armory, which the CMP acquired from the Ohio National Guard. Next year the Camp Perry Junior Open will take place at the new CMP Camp Perry Competition Center which will house an 80-point air gun range with electronic targets. The Competition Center will open in June, 2008.
February 9th, 2008
Tired of spending $25 or $30 on a box of bullets only to find they don’t shoot well in your barrel? Wouldn’t it be great if you could just buy 10 or 20 bullets and test them out before buying a large quantity? Now you can do just that.
Tom Reddin of Oklahoma has launched a new service, BulletSamples.com that should prove popular with both target shooters and hunters. Tom has acquired a large inventory of Berger, Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra bullets in 22 through 30 calibers. He stocks hundreds of different bullet types, including match bullets, varmint bullets, and game-hunting bullets. You can create your own “variety pack” with different brands, weights, and designs. You can “Mix and Match” brands, with pricing on a per-bullet basis. Bullets range in price from $0.24 to $0.50 (the bigger bullets typically cost more), with most bullets $0.35 or less. Here are examples:
22 Caliber:
60gr Hornady V-Max $0.25
75gr Berger VLD $0.33
77gr Sierra MatchKing $0.34
6mm:
55gr Nosler Ballistic Tip $0.34
75gr Hornady V-Max $0.30
105gr Berger VLD $0.35
30 Caliber:
155gr Berger VLD $0.43
175gr Sierra MatchKing $0.38
180gr Nosler Ballistic Tip $0.39
(Price is per 1 bullet, s/h extra)
There is a 75-bullet minimum order, but that could be composed of Berger VLDs, Sierra MatchKings, some Nosler Ballistic Tips, and a selection of Hornady V-Maxs and A-Maxs. Tom carries most of the popular match bullets in .224, .243 (6mm), .264 (6.5mm), .284 (7mm), and 30 caliber. For more info, call Tom at (405) 387-4541 or visit BulletSamples.com.
February 9th, 2008
Of the thousands of handguns on display at SHOT Show 2008, one in particular caught our eye — the 50th Anniversary Smith & Wesson Model 41 22LR Target pistol. As accurate as it is beautiful, the commemorative Model 41 features full Class A+ machine engraving from stem to stern, with 24-carat gold edging. Served up in a glass-top presentation case, the 50th Anniversary Model 41 has an MSRP of $2150.00.
The Model 41 is one of those classic American designs that has stood the test of time. Many feel the Model 41 represents the apex of American 22LR pistol design, much like the Colt Python is the “crown jewell” of double-action revolvers.
S&W historian Roy Jinks recounts the development of the Model 41: “Sales began in December of 1957 and the Model 41 was first cataloged in 1958. The factory was soon heavily back-ordered and [the Model 41] became the most popular auto-loading pistol offered by the company. In May of 1959 Smith & Wesson introduced a 5-inch lightweight barrel for the handgun to meet the demand of hunters[.] The line of Model 41s was further expanded in September of 1960 with the introduction of the Model 41-1 which fired .22 shorts for the International Rapid Fire Shooters. [I]n August of 1963 the company introduced the 5.5 inch heavy barrel. The last of the major barrel changes occurred in 1965 when the company produced the 5.5-inch heavy barrel with an extendable front sight[.] During the last 50 years the Model 41 has … established many records around the world. Today it is one of the classic target handguns.”
Click For More Info and History of the Model 41 by Roy Jinks (.pdf file)
February 5th, 2008
One of the most interesting factory actions on display at SHOT Show was the Thompson/Center Icon. It’s very robust and features multiple lugs on the bottom that mate with a metal bedding platform. Unlike Remington, Sako, or Remington actions, the T/C icon features three integral recoil lugs, CNC-milled bedding block, a large-diameter bolt, and extremely sturdy bottom metal. Click here for a LARGE PHOTO showing all the components of the prototype “Icon” action. Note, production versions may have different magazines. GA Precision will also build a special run of detachable-magazine tactical rifles using the new “Icon” action.
CLICK HERE for PAGE with ICON FEATURES. Note: at the top of that page is a flash file. Click on the small red crosses to zoom and highlight particular features.
February 5th, 2008
We’ve been working the floor of SHOT Show to bring you the latest info and precision shooting products from action, barrel, bullet, optics, and rifle-makers. On a separate page, our daily Shot Shot Reports feature many large photos and video clips with knowledgeable smiths and technicians. Topic Highlights of the SHOT reports will be posted here in the Bulletin.
Click HERE for Part Two of our SHOT Show reports. Here are the highlights from our second installment:
Hornady’s Senior Ballistician discusses new 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridge.
Sightron unveils impressive new 8-32x56mm SIII Target Scope.
Glen Harrison, founder of Nesika Bay, reveals production plans (and tech features) of his new line of custom action.
Schmidt & Bender showcases much-anticipated 12.5-50 Target scope–and it’s amazing.
SKB’s new line of roto-molded heavy-duty rifle transport cases.
Chris Hodgdon summarizes new 2008 powder offerings, including Hybrid 100V and Win 780 Supreme.
February 4th, 2008
For the next three days, we’ll provide evening Shot Shot Reports with many large photos and video clips. Topic Highlights of the SHOT reports will be posted here in the Bulletin.
Click HERE for Part One of our SHOT Show reports. Here are the highlights from this first installment:
Savage Displays New Palma Rifle with Deluxe Metal Adjustment Hardware.
Battenfeld Technologies Unveils $220.00 Co-Axial “Fire Control” Front Rest.
Anschutz Will Continue to Produce Series 2000 Action. Dieter Anschutz Announces Retirement.
Lapua Debuts X-ACT Ultra-Premium Rimfire Ammo. Is this the Most Accurate Rimfire Ammo Ever?
Dave Kiff Displays new PT&G Products. Offers Discounts to 6mmBR.com Readers.
READ FULL REPORTS HERE: Shot Show 2008 Report
February 4th, 2008
Ace California shooter Jerry Tierney added a few more feathers to his cap this past weekend. Shooting a “spacegun” chambered in 6mmAR by Robert Whitley, Jerry, a retired computer engineer, set no less than six (6) new records in a reduced High Power course match on Saturday, February 2nd. Note, while distances are shorter, the targets are reduced proportionately in size so the course of fire remains very challenging. Half in jest, Jerry reported: “High Power is more fun than full-bore!”
Based on his recorded scores, it’s believed Jerry set all these records on Saturday: 3 Grand Senior records; 1 Senior record; 1 Civilian Record; and 1 Open Record (best regardless of age group or military/civilian status).
The 6mmAR is a wildcat based on the 6.5 Grendel case necked down to 6mm. It provides performance very similar to that of the 6mmBR Norma with a cartridge that will mag-feed in an AR style rifle. Robert Whitley has done extensive development for this round, developing optimal loads he’s posted on www.6mmAR.com. Robert also sells “space gun” accessories, and complete 6mmAR upper assemblies.
Jerry has enjoyed considerable success in other disciplines–as you can see from the photo below, Jerry did pretty well when he tried his hand at the 1000-yard Benchrest game. He won the 2005 NBRSA 1K BR championship with a dominant performance. Now the High Power crowd has to worry about Jerry as well…
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