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January 7th, 2008
In November, Savage’s Marketing Director told us to look for new rifles that were “right up your alley” in 2008. We’ve now received confirmation that Savage will offer the 6mmBR Norma chambering in at least two rifles in the Savage 2008 product line.
First, Savage will add a 6BR-chambered F-Class rifle, similar to the very popular 6.5-284 F-Class rifle. The 6BR F-Class gun will be in the same heavy laminated stock with 3″ fore-arm and wide flat in the rear. The barrel will be a 30-incher, presumably in 1:8″ twist. The trigger is the 6-oz. target version of Savage’s AccuTrigger. MSRP hasn’t yet been set, but we expect the 6BR F-Classer to sell for about $950.00 (street price), the same as the 6.5-284 version.
While designed for F-Class matches out to 1000 yards, the 6BR F-classer should also prove to be an excellent bench gun for varmint matches (200 to 500m), 300-yard matches, and 600-yard benchrest matches, and it should make an excellent long-range varminting platform.
But for Varminters and hunters looking for a lighter, more conventional stock, Savage will offer a 6BR Chambering in two versions of its Long-Range Precision Varminter (LRPV) Series–RBLP with blind mag, or RBRP with box magazine. This rifle features a stainless action in either Right Bolt, Left Port, or Right Bolt, Right Port configuration with a Detachable Box Magazine–something new for Savage. The LRPV comes with a high-quality H.S. Precision stock with an aluminum bedding block chassis. Like the F-Class rifle, the LRPV will have a target AccuTrigger adjstable from about 6 ounces to 2.5 pounds. The LRPV will have a 26″ barrel, and it is rumored the 6BR will have a 1:12″ twist rate, but that is not certain. The LRPV is also available in .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, and 22-250, along with 6mmBR Norma.
CLICK HERE for 2008 SAVAGE BROCHURE (9 mb .pdf file)
January 7th, 2008
The January 9th, Wednesday-night broadcast of ShootingUSA will feature the 2007 National Championships conducted at Camp Perry, Ohio. 2007 marked the 100th year of competition at Camp Perry and ShootingUSA’s weekly show will include highlights from last year’s Centennial rifle and pistol matches. Broadcast times are:
Eastern Time – 8:30 PM and 12:30 AM
Central Time – 7:30 PM and 11:30 PM
Mountain Time – 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM
Pacific Time – 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM
Camp Perry is now an Ohio National Guard base on the shore of Lake Erie. The annual national matches are a combined effort of the Guard, the Civilian Marksmanship Program and the National Rifle Association. Among the most popular events during the National Championships at Camp Perry are the Service rifle competitions. The first Service rifle competition dates back to the late 1800s. In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt formally authorized the national matches to encourage better marksmanship for soldiers and civilians. In the beginning, the matches were held at different locations across the country, but in 1907 Camp Perry became the permanent site. 100 years later, the tradition continues as America’s most prestigious shooting competition.
CLICK HERE to view a flash video showing the USAMU Service Rifle Team in action, firing rapid-fire prone at 600 yards.
January 4th, 2008
 From February 2-5, the Las Vegas Convention Center hosts the 30th Annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (SHOT Show). The Shot Show is the largest and most comprehensive trade show for the shooting sports and hunting industries. It is the world’s premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, archery, cutlery, outdoor apparel, optics, camping and related products and services. The SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 75 countries. The SHOT Show is owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. While the SHOT Show is not for the general public, if you have contacts with a manufacturer, it’s not that difficult to wrangle an invitation.
2008 Shot Show Schedule
Las Vegas Convention Center
Saturday, February 2, 2008 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Sunday, February 3, 2008 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Monday, February 4, 2008 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Make Those Reservations Now
If you plan to attend, but haven’t booked your transport or hotel yet, don’t delay. Many of the major hotels have already sold out. The NFL Super Bowl is on Feb. 3, and many fans will be in Las Vegas from the 2nd through the 4th. There are also many other major trade shows scheduled for the same weekend.
Tips for First-Time SHOT Show Attendees
SHOT Show is huge. To see it all, you will be on your feet for hours on end. Bring comfortable shoes, and it’s a good idea to have a small, portable, rolling cart to hold brochures and samples. Definitely bring a cell phone, as the displays are so numerous and crowds so thick that you can be 30 feet from a friend or associate and not see them. On the show floor, cameras are restricted to Press, but bring a small, digital camera anyway for use after hours.
EXHIBITOR LIST with BOOTH Assignments
Before you even hit the floor you need an action plan. Get the show brochure with sitemaps and immediately identify the key booths you want to visit (EXHIBITOR LIST). Hit those first and try to set up appointments in the morning. Schedules get pushed back late in the day. It’s a good idea to bring your own box lunch in a backpack or shoulder bag. Concession stand food is expensive and not very tasty.
CLICK HERE to download SHOT SHOW FLOOR PLANS
January 3rd, 2008
In its OpticsTalk.Forum, leading optics retailer SWFA.com provides advance info on new products for 2008.
New optics of interest to our readers include the 4.5-30×50 Elite 6500 scope from Bushnell, and a 6-24 power Zeiss Diavari with a massive 72mm front objective and new Fluoride Ion Glass. With a suggested retail price of $899.00, the new Elite 6500 features a 30mm main tube and an industry-leading 6.67 zoom range (from 4.5 power to 30 power). Two reticles are listed, a Mil-Dot and “Fine Multi-X”. Chris Farris of SWFA says the 4.5-30s are not shipping yet, but they should be available soon, and “SWFA will be the first to get them”.
Bushnell Elite 6500
The big 72mm Zeiss has been around for a couple years, but for 2008 it has been updated with Fluoride Ion (FL) lenses with new lens coatings, and RapidZ ranging reticles. The RapidZ reticles employ horizontal hash marks calibrated for popular calibers to allow ranging and hold-over functions. The 6-24x72mm costs a small fortune — vendors are selling it for $3,400. CLICK HERE for more info on Zeiss RapidZ reticles.
January 3rd, 2008
Following up on our recent story on the Sale of Marlin Firearms to Remington Arms, here are more details of the deal. Remington Arms will purchase all of Marlin’s stock for $41,700,000 according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The deal is expected to conclude by the end of January. Both Remington and Marlin will now be under the umbrella of Cerberus Capital Managment, which acquired Remington Arms in April of 2007. This deal combines two of the most storied American arms-makers. Remington was founded nearly two centuries ago, in 1816. John M. Marlin, who worked for Colt during the Civil war, started his own business in 1870, initially making derringers and revolvers.
January 2nd, 2008
Are you a long-gun expert, a wiz at Excel spreadsheets, who likes to travel? Here’s an employment opening that could be a “dream job” for a knowledgeable shooter with an MBA or marketing background. Remington Arms is now hiring for the position of Brand Manager of Premium and Custom Firearms. The Brand Manager is tasked with growing sales of Remington’s line of Custom/Premium firearms and associated brands (e.g. Parker Gun). The Brand Manager works closely with Remington’s Sales Division, as well as Manufacturing (Custom Shop), Planning, Research & Development, Customer Service, and Marketing Communications.
Remington lists the general job qualifications as follows: Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years product marketing/brand management experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. MBA preferred. Familiarity with premium shooting sports products also preferred. Must be able to understand financial reporting and prepare and explain financial analysis. Must have extensive knowledge of firearms market and have solid understanding of technical concepts as they relate to product design. Must be able to attend and provide presentations at trade shows. Available to travel 40-50% domestic travel and international travel as needed. Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software and SAP experience preferred.
Interested candidates should send their resume to jobs@remington.com.
Who knows — this could be your chance to significantly influence the future of the firearms industry. Want to see Remington release a line of premium target or varmint rifles? Well, as Brand Manager, you might well be able to steer Remington in that direction.
January 1st, 2008
First, we’d like to wish all our readers a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We hope that, in 2008, you’ll have time to enjoy your precision rifles, and spend more time at the range, hopefully with good friends that share your “addiction to accuracy”.
As the site grows in popularity, we hope to expand the features and the content offerings on the site in 2008. You’ll see more videos, more in-depth interviews with top shooters, and more comprehensive product tests. We’re already gathering products for a chronograph “shoot-out” that should “bust” a few myths and provide rock-solid info for shooters. We plan to comparison-test front rests, and review many of the great new scopes coming out in 2008, including new offerings from March, Schmidt & Bender, and Sightron. And we’ve got new Cartridge Guides in the works.
But to do all that, we need your support.
As your Editor, Moderator, Photo Guru, Videographer, and Site Programmer, I’m maxing out on the number of hours available in each week. I work seven days a week on the site, weekends and holidays included. For the site to continue to expand its content, we need to bring in paid helpers. Right now, Quantcast.com estimates the site reaches nearly 35,000 shooters every month. If the majority of those users could provide a small donation every year, we could deliver MORE stories, MORE tests, MORE Gun of the Week features, and provide more of the photos and videos everyone enjoys. (Yes commercial sponsors help greatly, but their contributions alone won’t do the job.)
In the past month a couple dozen guys have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed. One staunch supporter of the site donated $750.00 yesterday. (Thanks Joe… you’re the man!) But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who use the site regularly without contributing one penny.
 Here’s my proposal. First, if you have used our FREE Classifieds to successfully sell your rifles or shooting gear, consider sending in a dollar or two from your sale proceeds. Second, for those who use the site regularly, consider donating One Dollar a Month. That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee and much less than many websites now charge for their “premium content areas”. Consider this — what do you pay for a movie ticket these days? Probably $7-8 dollars for 90 minutes of escapism. For a buck a month you can help this site provide a YEAR’s worth of info, tests, and shooting news that you won’t find anywhere else.
Making a donation to the site is simple and easy. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the Donation Link. You don’t need a Paypal account. Any sum is welcome–donations need not be large. If 20% of our readers gave even $5.00 a year that would enable us to hire a regular staffer to do research, create videos, and do field tests.
If you don’t like to deal with Paypal, you can send a check. Make the check payable to our 1000-yard editor Jason Baney and mail it to:
Jason Baney
P.O. Box 308
Douglassville, PA 19518
December 30th, 2007
This recent Forum Classifieds listing from member EdwinD drew our attention. This gives you a chance to pick up near-new precision rifles built by some of America’s most respected gunsmiths. If you’re looking for a custom rifle in the calibers offered, this is a very attractive “For Sale” list:
MATCHING PAIR of BATS built by the professor, Thomas “SPEEDY” Gonzalez:
 (1) BAT 3-Lug, RB/LP/RE, Krieger 8-twist HV 28″ spiderweb barrel, Jewell trigger, Robertson LV “SGY” stock, polished butt plate, trigger guard, and action. Grey/silver stock. 6 BRX, .272.
(2) The other rifle is 14-twist, dark blue/pink stock. 6 BRX, .272.
Both rifles are chambered with a no-turn neck, .272, 6 BRX, PT&G gauge reamer. Both rifles are “glue ins” and have been shot less than 100 rounds. $3,000.00 each plus shipping to your FFL.
Ultimate F-Class Rifle by Speedy
Epitome of F-CLASS, Stiller “F-Class” SS #007 action, Krieger 1.25″ straight contour, 8-twist, 28″ spiderweb barrel, Robertson’s F-Class stock Red/Silver vented w/ adjustable comb and pad, glue in, chambered in 6 BRX with .272 no-turn neck. Rifle fired appr. 250 rounds. $3,700.00 plus shipping to your FFL.
Two Rifles built by Richard Franklin:
(1) First rifle is RFD, RB/LP, Douglas 1.25″ straight contour. Polished 10-twist barrel, Jewell trigger, Franklin 008 stock with butt pad beautifully clear coat finished and pillar bedded. Chambered with Richard’s no-turn neck, 6nn P.O. Ackley reamer. Rifle fired appr. 250 rounds
(2) Second rifle is Stiller “Diamondback”, RB/LP, Douglas 1.25″ straight contour, 14-twist polished barrel, Jewell trigger, Franklin “Lowrider” stock with butt pad. Beautifully clear coat finished and pillar-bedded. Chambered with Richard’s no-turn neck, 6mm P.O. Ackley reamer. Rifle fired appr. 310 rounds. $2,700.00 each plus shipping to your FFL.
Pair of rifles built by Jerry Simison/Tony Larson.
Jerry did gunsmithing, metal work, and Tony made and did stock work and finish.
(1) First rifle BAT 2-lug, RB/LP with action lug, Douglas HV. 8-twist barrel, Jewell trigger, Tony Larson Cedar/Carbon Fiber laminated long range stock, polished butt plate, glued in and clear coat finished by Tony. Jerry chambered this rifle with his 6 “COYOTE” reamer (similar to a 6XC). Rifle fired appr. 74 rounds.
(2) Second rifle is BAT 3-Lug, RB/LP/RE, Douglas HV. 8 twist barrel, Jewell trigger, Tony Larson Cedar/Carbon Fiber laminated long range stock, polished butt plate, glue in and clear coat finish by Tony. Jerry chambered this rifle in 6BR with .272″ no-turn neck. Rifle fired appr. 50 rounds. $3000.00 each plus shipping to your FFL.
CLICK HERE for PHOTOS of ALL GUNS
The seller, EdwinD, says: “ALL of these rifles are pristine and SHOOTERS.”
December 27th, 2007
Another legendary arms maker falls into the hands of private holding company Cerberus Capital Management. Remington Arms (owned by Cerberus), has announced that it will acquire Marlin Firearms. A major player in the cowboy action and hunting market, Marlin Firearms offers a varied line-up of popular rifles including rimfire and centerfire lever guns. This past year, Cerberus also acquired Bushmaster Firearms, and just last week Cerberus announced the acquisition of DPMS, another AR-platform rifle-maker.
Two Legendary Gun Brands Combine
The Remington-Marlin deal will create a company with an estimated half-billion dollars in total annual sales. Marlin currently employs 575 workers and generates revenues of about $28.3 million/year. The Marlin deal also includes H&R 1871 Inc., which was purchased by Marlin in 2000. H&R operates as New England Firearms. With its line of Harrington & Richardson rifles, and L.C. Smith shotguns, H&R 1871 is the leading seller of single-shot rifles and shotguns in the world.
 The acquisition of Marlin by Remington is set to conclude by the end of January 2008. Remington’s CEO, Tommy Millner, declared: “I am pleased to announce that Marlin’s well-known brands… will join the Remington family. The opportunity to combine two historic U.S.-based companies with such storied and proud histories, is both challenging and exhilarating.” Millner added that Marlin President, Bob Behn, “will remain as president of Marlin, charting a course of further growth and operational improvement.”
Frank Kenna III, Marlin’s Chairman, had these comments: “Marlin has been a family-run business since 1924[.] We knew it was time to find the right partner for Marlin to ensure our brands maintain their leadership positions and move into the next century.”
 COMMENT: Cerberus, named after the three-headed hell-hound of Greek mythology, seems relentless in its efforts to acquire and consolidate American arms manufacturers. There is a positive side to this. Affiliation with Cerberus provides improved marketing and distribution “clout” for acquired smaller players such as DPMS, which is probably a healthy thing. And we’ve already seen how Cerberus is folding together the product lines of its Bushmaster and Remington divisions. Rebranding Bushmaster AR15s as Remington Target/Varmint rifles is a smart marketing move.
Still, the acquisition of Marlin gives us pause. One wonders what comes next. Marlin has a legendary history and a strong following for its rimfire and lever action rifles. What does Remington (and its parent Cerberus) really plan to do with Marlin in the long-term? Should we worry about a “strip and flip” strategy? How is this going to affect parts supplies, warranty work, and customer service? Personally, I don’t want to have deal with Remington just to get a spare part for my Marlin 39A. And when should shooters and hunters start to worry about having so many brands owned by the same holding company? (Remember, “Monopoly” is not just a parlor game.) DPMS and Bushmaster used to be directly competitive. Now they are under the same umbrella. What’s next? Does Cerberus have eyes on Savage… or perhaps even Smith & Wesson?
Smith & Wesson has recently suffered major woes on Wall Street, losing 73% of its book value compared to summer 2007. Cerberus-owned companies currently make every type of firearm except one — handguns. It would seem logical for Cerberus to consider S&W if Cerberus’ goal is to be the #1 player in the firearms market. Right now Smith & Wesson is ripe for the picking….
December 25th, 2007
We wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope you’re enjoying time with your family today, whether you’re basking in the sun in Australia, or shoveling snow up in Finland near the Arctic Circle.
 We want to take this opportunity to thank all the folks who have generously donated to the site over the past year. (Please, if you’ve donated and are a Forum member, tell us your Forum “nickname” so we can acknowledge your contribution). In December we had four “Century Club” members who donated $100.00 or more.
We also want to thank the many individuals who help this site by donating time and effort and/or writing articles. This includes Jason Baney, Vince Bottomley, John Brewer, Mike Bryant, Brand Cole, Richard Franklin, Speedy Gonzales, “Graymist”, Dan Lilja, Chris (“Techshooter”) Long, Larry Medler, Danny Reever, German Salazar, Jerry Tierney, and members of the USAMU. We also want to acknowledge the scores of fine shooters who have helped us with the showcase Guns of the Week. They have spent much time and effort to bring you their stories and photos. And we want to say thanks to our commercial sponsors, particularly those like Savage Arms, that have donated items for auction this year.
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