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July 31st, 2007
On July 30th, internet auction site eBay announced it will change its current policies regarding sales/auctions of gun parts and reloading components. Currently, one cannot sell firearms on eBay, nor live ammunition, nor a variety of “black-listed” gun accessories such as high-capacity magazines. Now, eBay will prohibit the sale of “any firearm part that is required for the firing of a gun.” This will include brass, bullets, and barrels. The new policy was announced by Matt Halprin, eBay Vice President:
“In mid-August, we will be updating our Firearms, Weapons and Knives Policy to place more restrictions around gun-related items. Once these changes take effect, we will prohibit listings of any firearm part that is required for the firing of a gun. This includes items like bullet tips [sic], brass casings and shells, barrels, slides, cylinders, magazines, firing pins, trigger assemblies, etc. Please read the Firearms, Weapons and Knives Policy for more details on our current policy.
As you may know, eBay does not allow the listing of any items which are regulated by individual states or the federal government; however, there are still a large number of firearm-related parts that are legal and are widely available in retail stores. These items have also historically been allowed on eBay.
After learning that some items purchased on eBay may have been used in the tragedy at Virginia Tech in April 2007, we felt that revisiting our policies was not only necessary, but the right thing to do. After much consideration, the Trust & Safety policy team – along with our executive leaders at eBay Inc. – have made the decision to further restrict more of these items than federal and state regulations require. This new update… brings our policies in the U.S. and Canada in closer alignment with our existing policies in other markets around the globe.”
July 30th, 2007
 In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry, NRA President John C. Sigler (at right) is initiating a Competitive Shooting and National Championships Endowment.
An endowment is a permanent fund or savings account that produces investment income. The permanent fund is never touched – only a portion of the fund’s interest is used for qualified programs. The balance is then reinvested to ensure the fund’s growth, thus providing a source of income in perpetuity. “Competitive shooting is at the core of NRA’s mission,” Sigler commented. “This endowment will help provide permanent funding necessary to ensure continued operation and growth of national-championship level competition, and enhance shooting participation wherever feasible.”
“NRA sanctions about 10,000 tournaments a year and conducts more than 50 National Championships,” Sigler continued. “It is essential that we not only protect our current programs but expand the opportunities for Americans to find new, fun ways to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”
Commenting on the endowment, Mike Krei, NRA’s Director of Competitive Shooting, said, “This initiative is a major step toward securing the long-term growth of NRA competitive shooting events. Serious competitive shooters who want a way to give something back to the sport in perpetuity will find no better option than this endowment.”
To donate to the NRA Competition Endowment, contact Frank Cerutti, Director of NRA Strategic Giving, at (703) 267-1571 or fcerutti@nrahq.org. Donations to some programs within this endowment may qualify as charitable gifts for tax purposes. Gifts may be made in cash, stocks or other assets, and pledged over time or as an estate gift.
July 28th, 2007
We now have hundreds of entries in our Daily Bulletin. A few readers have told us: “I read something in the Bulletin last week, but now I can’t find it. Where did it go?”
Don’t worry. Every Bulletin entry is archived, and each is listed by one or more categories as well. You can search for a past entry by keyword, or just click on a category. If you want to watch a video again, just click on “Videos”. If you saw a review of a scope, click on “Optics”, or do a word search such as “Nikon” or “reticle”. The “Articles” item at the top of the list will bring up posts that link to a longer feature article on this site or elsewhere.
Once you get the hang of it, you should find it easy to find stuff using the navigation tools. The search is fast and effective. The illustration below shows how to use the navigation tools, found at the upper right of this page.
July 27th, 2007
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced the launch of its new online NSSF Marketplace Buyers Guide. Available on NSSF’s Web sites, this directory allows shooters to quickly locate specific products and services by keyword or category. The NSSF Marketplace employs a powerful search engine that continually indexes the Web sites of all companies represented in the directory.
The Marketplace has both keyword-search capability and dozens of links for specific product categories such as ammunition, optics, cleaning gear, and guide services. Click on “Optics/Electronics”, for example, and a page appears with linked subcategories for Scopes, GPS units, Rangefinders, Eyewear, Binoculars and more.
The NSSF Marketplace also offers a downloadable desktop search application. If you install this, you can search for products and services directly from a small search window on your desktop. The NSSF Marketplace also includes a Request for Information (RFI) tool, enabling users to contact a group of suppliers with one click of a button. The buyers guide can be found on www.nssf.org and other association-supported sites, including www.huntandshoot.org, www.wingshootingusa.org, www.wheretoshoot.org, www.huntinfo.org and www.stepoutside.org.
July 23rd, 2007
Many of our readers were interested in the 6BR Improved cases with a longer neck than a Dasher, such as David Stipling’s 6 BRDX and the 6 BRG from gunsmith Billy Dale. At our request, Billy measured his 6 BRG wildcat and provided us some additional details. It has slightly larger capacity than the 6 BRDX. Fire-formed 6 BRG cases (Lapua Brass) offer 40.6-40.8 grains of H20 capacity, just a little bit less than a 6mm Dasher (41.0-41.3 grains), and about 2.5 grains more than a fire-formed 6BR case. The 6 BRG neck is .264″ long, just about .058″ shorter than standard 6BR brass. That gives you plenty of neck to seat both long and short bullets, and to “chase the lands” as the throat erodes.
Billy reports: “The 6mm BRG was designed by myself and Dr. Robi Robinson as a 1000 yd competition and long range varmint cartridge. The neck is about .250″ and the body taper is reduced to .010″ (.005″ per side). The BRG fills the gap between the 6mm BR and the 6mm Dasher, giving the shooter a neck length of .264″–somewhat longer than the Dasher enabling him to seat VLD bullets out further to chase lands as they wear. Varget Powder works extremely well in the BRG and with a 28″ Lilja 3 groove barrel, you can push a 105gr VLD bullet 3100+ FPS with extreme accuracy. On a recent varmint hunt in Kansas with one of my clients, I witnessed many kills from 700 to 1120 yards with this gun and cartridge. For more info, I can be reached at 804-314-6787 or BDRCustomguns[at]aol.com. My website is BDRcustomguns.com.”
Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool & Gauge created the reamers for the 6 BRG and a 6.5 mm version, and a reamer print is available in PT & G’s archives.
July 22nd, 2007
 The 2007 NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships are underway now at Camp Perry, Ohio. This year promises to be one of the best-attended Championship series in Camp Perry’s 100-year history. More that 4000 shooters will be competing in a variety of disciplines. The smallbore 3-Position event concludes today, July 22nd, to be followed by Smallbore Prone from July 23-27. CMP Rifle matches run August 1-4. The High Power Rifle competition will be held August 6-10, while the High Power Long Range match runs August 11-14. Visit the Camp Perry web site for Camp Perry History, driving directions, and lodging information.
Complete match scores and standings are compiled daily and posted on the NRA Nat’l Championship Results webpage.
 
Camp Perry is a 640-acre Ohio National Guard Training Site located on the southern shores of Lake Erie. Ranges and Training facilities include three automated firing ranges, ballistic shoot-house and multiple field training areas. An article covering the history of the Camp Perry matches, written by Philip Schreier, Senior Curator, National Firearms Museum, is on the NRA’s National Rifleman website. Click the graphic below to read the article.
Illustration ©2007 National Rifle Association
July 22nd, 2007
 The trend of shooting industry buyouts continues. Cerberus acquired Remington, Smith & Wesson purchased Thompson/Center Arms, and Brownell’s has bought out Sinclair International. Now Bushnell is the latest big outdoor company to change hands. Bushnell Outdoor Products will be acquired by MidOcean Partners, a private equity group. MidOcean will purchase Bushnell and its sub-brands from Wind Point Partners, also a private equity investment firm. Bushnell’s senior management team will remain in place (for now) and have a significant ownership stake in the company. The deal includes Bushnell Outdoor Products’ 11 brands (15 product lines) including Bushnell®, Tasco®, Serengeti®, Bollé®, Uncle Mike’s®, Stoney Point®, Hoppe’s®, Blackwater Gear®, and Butler Creek®.
Bushnell Outdoor Products was founded 48 years ago. In the shooting optics and electronics markets, Bushnell is well-established in the low- to medium-priced segment, with excellent distribution and marketing systems in place. In recent years, Bushnell has brought out some of the more innovative, high-tech products and accessories in the shooting industry, including Laser Rangefinders with angle correction and the Onix line of GPS units that can download satellite maps and weather info via XM Satellite radio. Click HERE for Onix video.
MidOcean Partners is a private equity firm with a wide variety of holdings including Concentra (Health Care), Lecta Group (paper products), Penton Media (B2B trade shows and journals), Totes/Isotoner (clothing), Palace Entertainment (family water parks). Based in New York and London, MidOcean invests in high quality companies with stable market positions and opportunities for growth in the United States and Europe.
July 18th, 2007
Terry Brady’s name is synonymous with 600-yard world records. On July 14, shooting at the Piedmont range, Terry smashed his own IBS 600-yard Aggregate world record. Running his 15.5-lb 6BR in the Heavy Gun Relay, Terry nailed an amazing 1.5055″ 4-target Agg. Two of his 5-shot groups were under 1.3″! Target by target, here are his groups: 2.063″, 1.209″, 1.469″, 1.281″ (all subject to IBS verification.)
Terry told us: “The conditions were great. Mild temps, very little mirage, almost no wind. I shot completely free recoil and was able to drill ‘em right in there. I don’t think I looked up at the flags once I started a group.” Previously, in May, at the same Piedmont range, Terry also shot two pending IBS 600-yard records, with a 50-score (1.093″) in Light Gun, and a 50-score (1.175″) in Heavy Gun. Terry says: “As far as I can tell I have four pending world records right now.”
Terry set the new Agg record with the same 6BR rifle that produced Terry’s .860″ single-group IBS record (READ Story HERE). However, the gun has a new Krieger 8-twist barrel and Terry was using the new Spencer 103 BT bullets. In the past Terry shot moly Berger 105s. Recently he switched to shooting naked bullets: “Quite a few boys ’round here have been getting real good results shooting naked bullets lately, so I thought I’d give it a try.” He still uses Berger 105s, but recently tried out the Spencers. In his testing the Berger 105s shoot best in warm weather, but the Spencers shot better in cool to moderate air.
At the 7/14 Piedmont match, Terry shot naked Berger 105s in the first Light Gun Relay. That produced a 2.527″ Agg. Then he cleaned his barrel quickly, and switched to the Spencer 103s, loaded with 30.0 grains of Reloader 15. Terry said the weather was pretty mild in temperature, so he thought the 103s might work well. They sure did.
Terry proved it’s wise to read the AccurateShooter.com Bulletin: “I was on your website last month, and learned about the new Clay Spencer 103s. Jason said they were some of the most consistent bullets he’d ever measured, so I though I’d give them a try. I called Clay, but he didn’t have any left. I managed to get some from Glenn Burroughs.” Terry joked: “Please don’t tell the other folks how well the Spencer 103s are shooting–let me win a few more matches first.”
July 17th, 2007
We contacted Matt Dienes, Williamsport Two-Gun Aggregate Overall Champion, to learn more about his winning rifles. He shot both a regular 16.5-lb Light Gun and a big, over 50-lb Heavy Gun, both chambered in 300 WSM. He used the 30-caliber Berger 210s and Hodgdon H4350 powder.
Matt told us: “The Heavy Gun is just two weeks old. In its first big match, in Ohio, the Heavy Gun did really well. Though I had only 4 days to develop and test a load, the Heavy Gun ended up winning the Ohio HG overall, plus HG score and HG group. (By the way, I was sitting next to Tom Sarver when he shoot his 1.403″ record group at Thunder Valley. Truly spectacular. As for me–I shot a 6″ in that Light Gun relay.) I’m really pleased the Heavy Gun (and my LG) continued to perform at Willliamsport. There were are many excellent shooters and rifles at this match, so winning the Two-Gun overall is the highlight of my shooting career. The Williamsport World Open is a very tough match to win, probably tougher than the Nationals. The 10-shot Light Gun target does make it more challenging and so does the range, it is tough to shoot. Thanks to all.” –Matt
Matt’s Equipment Profile
Gunsmith: Wes Springman, Springman Rifles, Allenwood, PA, (570) 547-1905, springmanrifles[at]hotmail.com
Stock Work: Bruce Baer, Baer Custom Rifles, (717) 349-4077
Chamberings: Both LG and HG are standard 300 WSM, smithed by Springman
Light Gun Barrel/Action: 1:11″ Krieger, BAT 8.5″ action
Heavy Gun Barrel/Action: 1:10″ Broughton, BAT 10″ action
Load: H4350, Norma Brass, Berger 210gr VLD, CCI BR2
July 17th, 2007
OSHA recently proposed new regulations that would treat firearms powders and primers as the equivalent of Det Cord and Explosives. Potentially, this would block mail-order and online sales of powders, because of the tight restrictions on sales and transportation.
Proposed New Regulations:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main
Document ID: OSHA-2007-0032-0001; 29 CFR Part 1910
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) now reports that OSHA’s proposed new regulations for explosives (29 CFR 1910.109 et seq.) are being retracted pending a full review. A bi-partisan group in Congress has convinced OSHA to table the proposed regulations for the time being. The NSSF reports: “26 members of Congress expressed concerns with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed explosives rule. This bi-partisan opposition, along with NRA grassroots initiatives and the work of NSSF and SAMMI, made OSHA understand the necessity … to revise its notice of proposed rulemaking and clarify the purpose of the regulation. NSSF and SAAMI will continue to work with regulators concerning the myriad problems with the proposed rule[.]” For more info visit the SAAMI website.
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