SHOT Show 2024 had thousands of new products on display, including interesting lightweight hunting rifles, innovative optics-ready pistols, cool new compact Radar chronographs, and a variety of high-quality optics. In today’s video showcase we feature four new product videos from SHOT Show 2024. Plus we include a fifth bonus video — an interesting interview with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte.
Backfire (Jim Harmer) Channel at SHOT Show
Here’s a lengthy, 41-minute video from the Backfire YouTube Channel. Host Jim Harmer (a bright chap and trained attorney) visits dozens of booths to showcase new firearms and new products. This video is worth watching start to finish (but perhaps in multiple sessions). Hunters should check out the offerings from Tikka (13:57), Howa (16:54), Savage (18:27), and Bergara (25:56). If you’re considering buying a new chronograph, check out the hot-selling Garmin Xero C1 (8:08 time-mark) and brand new, compact LabRadar LX (7:42 time-mark).
Classic Fireams — Rifles, Pistols, and Vivek Ramaswamy
Here is another lengthy video that covers a wide variety of products and includes an interview with the very bright and articulate Vivek Ramaswamy, who was a Republican presidential candidate. The interview with Vivek starts at the 10:55 time-mark. In the gun realms, there were some interesting rifles shown by Stag Arms (13:48), and upper receivers and stock accessories from VLTOR (28:39). And at 17:18, new pistols from Ed Brown are featured. The video begins with new suppressors for HUXWRX at 2:23.
2:23 HUXWRX
10:55 Vivek Ramaswamy Interview
13:48 Stag Arms
17:18 Ed Brown
24:10 Shadow Systems
28:39 VLTOR
40:24 Modlite
46:20 Hi-Point
48:38 Toast Target
57:26 Range System
March Scopes — F-Class John interviews Gary Costello
Our friend F-Class John visited the March Optics booth to interview UK Ace F-Class shooter Gary Costello and March representative Mary, who traveled from March headquarters in Japan. John and Gary talked about the March-X 8-80x56mm Majesta “High Master” scope which John has fitted on his own match rifle. This is an amazing SFP optic offering a full 10X magnification range and six reticle choices.
New Handguns from SHOT Show — James Reeves of TFB-TV
In this video, James Reeves of The Firearm Blog (TFB-TV) reviews five notable new or recently-updated pistols. James uses some fairly rough language at times, but he is a knowledgeable fellow who gets to shoot more different guns in a year than most of us can shoot in a decade or more. The five featured pistols are: Smith & Wesson “Ultimate Carry” Revolver (00:46), Zev OZ9c (his favorite of the show (2:20), Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2 (3:33), Daniel Defense H9 (4:36), Beretta 30X Tomcat (see below).
Bonus: Interview with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte attended the 2024 SHOT Show and joined the NSSF tems to discuss the Second Amendment rights of Montana citizens and the importance of the firearm industry to his state. We wish more states had leaders like this who understand the heritage of the Second Amendment and how hunting fees support wildlife conservation efforts. If you can’t load this Facebook Video, CLICK HERE for YouTube version.
A varmint shooter’s target is not conveniently placed at a fixed, known distance as it is for a benchrester. The varminter must repeatedly make corrections for bullet drop as he moves from closer targets to more distant targets and back again. Click HERE to read an interesting Varmint Forum discussion regarding the best method to adjust for elevation. Some shooters advocate using the scope’s elevation adjustments. Other varminters prefer to hold-over, perhaps with the assistance of vertical markers on their reticles. Still others combine both methods–holding off to a given yardage, then cranking elevation after that.
Majority View — Click Your Scope
“I zero at 100 yards — I mean really zero as in check the ballistics at 200 and 300 and adjust zero accordingly — and then set the scope zero. For each of my groundhog guns I have a click chart taped into the inside of the lid of the ammo box. Then use the knobs. That’s why they’re there. With a good scope they’re a whole lot more accurate than hold-over, with or without hash marks. This all assumes you have a good range finder and use it properly. If not, and you’re holding over you’re really just spraying and praying. Try twisting them knobs and you’ll most likely find that a 500- or 600- or 700-yard groundhog is a whole lot easier than some people think.” — Gunamonth
“I have my elevation knob calibrated in 100-yard increments out to 550. Range-find the critter, move elevation knob up…dead critter. The problem with hold-over is that it is so imprecise. It’s not repeatable because you are holding over for elevation and for wind also. Every time you change targets 50 yards, it seems as if you are starting over. As soon as I got completely away from the hold over method (I used to zero for 200), my hit ratios went way up.” — K. Candler
“When I first started p-dog shooting, I attempted to use the hold-over method with a 200-yard zero with my 6mm Rem. Any dog much past 325-350 yards was fairly safe. I started using a comeups table for all three of my p-dog rifles (.223 Rems and 6mm Rem). 450-yard hits with the .223s are fairly routine and a 650-yard dog better beware of the 6mm nowadays. An added benefit (one I didn’t think of beforehand) with the comeups table (elevation only), is that when the wind is blowing, it takes half of the variables out of the equation. I can concentrate on wind, and not have to worry about elevation. It makes things much more simple.” — Mike (Linefinder).
“I dial for elevation and hold for wind. Also use a mil-dot reticle to make the windage holds easier. For windage corrections, I watch for the bullet strike measure the distance it was “off” with the mil-dot reticle, then hold that much more the other way. Very fast once you get used to it.” — PepeLP
Minority View — Hold-Over is Better
“I try to not touch my knobs once I’m zeroed at 200 meters. Most of my varmint scopes have duplex reticles and I use the bottom post to put me on at 300 meters versus turning knobs. The reason I try to leave my knobs alone is that I have gone one complete revolution up or down [too far] many times and have missed the varmint. This has happened more than once and that is why I try not to change my knobs if at all possible.” — Chino69
“I have been using the hold over method and it works for me most of the time but the 450 yards and over shots get kinda hard. I moved to a 300 yard zero this year and it’s working well. I do want to get into the click-up method though; it seems to be more fool-proof.” — 500YardHog
Compromise View — Use Both Methods
“I use both [methods] as well — hold over out to 250, and click up past that.” — Jack (Wolf)
“I use the target knobs and crank-in elevation. I also use a rangefinder and know how far away they are before I crank in the clicks. I have a scope with drop dots from Premier Recticle and like it. No cranking [knobs] out to 600.” –Vmthtr
Let’s say you’ve purchased a new scope, and the spec-sheet indicates it is calibrated for quarter-MOA clicks. One MOA is 1.047″ inches at 100 yards, so you figure that’s how far your point of impact (POI) will move with four clicks. Well, unfortunately, you may be wrong. You can’t necessarily rely on what the manufacturer says. Production tolerances being what they are, you should test your scope to determine how much movement it actually delivers with each click of the turret. It may move a quarter-MOA, or maybe a quarter-inch, or maybe something else entirely. (Likewise scopes advertised as having 1/8-MOA clicks may deliver more or less than 1 actual MOA for 8 clicks.)
Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N’C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.
Place the rifle in a good hold on sandbags or other rest. With your hundred-yard zero on the rifle, using max magnification, carefully aim your center crosshairs at the top of the ruler (zero end-point). Have an assistant crank on 36 (indicated) MOA (i.e. 144 clicks), being careful not to move the rifle. (You really do need a helper, it’s very difficult to keep the rifle motionless if you crank the knobs yourself.) With each click, the reticle will move a bit down toward the bottom of the ruler. Note where the center crosshairs rest when your helper is done clicking. If the scope is accurately calibrated, it should be right at that 37.7 inch mark. If not, record where 144 clicks puts you on the ruler, to figure out what your actual click value is. (Repeat this several times as necessary, to get a “rock-solid”, repeatable value.) You now know, for that scope, how much each click actually moves the reticle at 100 yards–and, of course, that will scale proportionally at longer distances. This optical method is better than shooting, because you don’t have the uncertainly associated with determining a group center.
Using this method, I discovered that my Leupold 6.5-20X50 M1 has click values that are calibrated in what I called ‘Shooter’s MOA’, rather than true MOA. That is to say, 4 clicks moved POI 1.000″, rather than 1.047″ (true MOA). That’s about a 5% error.
I’ve tested bunches of scopes, and lots have click values which are significantly off what the manufacturer has advertised. You can’t rely on printed specifications–each scope is different. Until you check your particular scope, you can’t be sure how much it really moves with each click.
I’ve found the true click value varies not only by manufacturer, but by model and individual unit. My Leupold 3.5-10 M3LR was dead on. So was my U.S.O. SN-3 with an H25 reticle, but other SN-3s have been off, and so is my Leupold 6.5-20X50M1. So, check ‘em all, is my policy.”
From the Expert: “…Very good and important article, especially from a ballistics point of view. If a ballistics program predicts 30 MOA of drop at 1000 yards for example, and you dial 30 MOA on your scope and hit high or low, it’s easy to begin questioning BCs, MVs, and everything else under the sun. In my experience, more than 50% of the time error in trajectory prediction at long range is actually scope adjustment error. For serious long range shooting, the test described in this article is a MUST!” — Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics LLC.
Bryan also uses a Tall Target Test to determine true click values. CLICK HERE to read a detailed, explanatory article about Litz’s Tall Target Test.
This article, as published in AccurateShooter.com, contains copyrighted content. It shall not be republished in whole or in part without advanced permission in writing. The act of republishing constitutes legal consent to licensing fees.
After the hugely successful release of the compact Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, two competitors are now playing “catch-up” with all-new compact radar chronographs. LabRadar has an impressive new unit, the LX Compact, while Caldwell introduced its midsized VelociRadar which employs innovative Chirp Radar technology. For today’s Saturday Video Showcase, we feature recent video reviews of these three notable Compact Radar Chronographs.
Caldwell VelociRadar
Caldwell showcased its all-new VelociRadar chronograph at SHOT Show 2024. This is quite a bit bigger than the Garmin Xero C1 Pro or the new LabRadar LX compact. But it is still relatively small compared to the original orange LabRadar unit.
Notably, the Caldwell VelociRadar uses a different mode of radar (Chirp Radar vs. Doppler) than other chronos, which offers some advantages. Caldwell states: “The Caldwell VelociRadar Chronograph is precision redefined with cutting-edge Chirp radar technology. This is no standard chronograph, while most chronographs stop at only providing muzzle velocity the VelociRadar tracks bullets downrange offering the full picture of ballistic performance. Using these downrange velocity measurements, the VelociRadar calculates true muzzle velocity, the bullet’s ballistic coefficient, and downrange energy.” Note that point about BCs — Caldwell says this new machine will let you calculate the true Ballistic Coefficients of your bullets as fired from your rifle.
LabRadar LX Compact
LabRadar announced its new LabRadar LX compact Doppler radar chronograph at the 2024 SHOT Show. This is a truly compact unit, measuring just 2.5″ X 2.75″ X 2.75″. The LabRadar LX comes with a tough metal case, lifetime battery, and ships with a tripod. The unit has a velocity range of 65 to 5000 FPS and it can display Average, ES, SD, Min, and Max Velocity.
Observers at SHOT Show noted the LabRadar LX has a very bright, high-contrast LCD Screen for outdoor viewing. Overall, the exterior design and specs are impressive. Definitely watch both videos to understand the difference in features between the Garmin and this ultra-compact new LabRadar LX. If you’re shopping for a compact chrono it’s worth looking at all the options. The Garmin Xero C1 Pro is currently $599.99, while the new Labradar LX is $599.95.
Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph
The Garmin Xero® C1 Pro chronograph has already been a big success. After great initial test reports, this compact $599.99 chronograph has been selling out at vendors nationwide. With the performance and quality of the Xero C1 Pro, many LabRadar owners are putting their older orange radar chronos up for sale. Check out the features of this new compact radar chrono in this official product launch video from Garmin:
Introduced in late 2023, the Xero C1 Pro radar chronograph has been an instant hit. Measuring just 3.03″ x 2.38″ x 1.36″, the Xero C1 Pro is compact and easy to transport. Using Doppler radar, the Xero C1 Pro accurately records projectile velocities from 100 fps to 5,000 fps, so it works with all kinds of projectiles. Setup is simple and intuitive, thanks to the button-operated design. SEE FULL RecoilWeb Review.
Garmin offers a modern ShotView™ smartphone app and lets you compare velocities for all shots fired, track ES/SD, and record total sessions. The rugged Xero C1 Pro chrono has a IPX7 water-resistant rating and boasts up to 6 hours of battery life. The unit ships with a compact tripod mount, and the screen is described as “sunlight-visible, transflective, monochrome” so it is easy to view in all conditions.
Above is a recent video review from our friends at Area 419. This review confirms that the Garmin is very reliable, extremely easy to set-up, and the provided Smartphone App works great. User reports have been very positive, and our testers note that the Garmin works better on air rifles than the original LabRadar.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Sportsman’s WH — Savage 64 Precision Rimfire Rifle, $259.99
⏺ Great deal on good starter rifle for NRL22
Here’s a bargain-priced .22 LR rifle in a modern chassis. The semi-auto Savage 64 Precision boasts a nice chassis with M-LOK slots and ergonomic pistol grip. The heavy barrel has a threaded muzzle for easy attachment of brake or suppressor. The testers in the video said this rifle was a “fantastic trainer gun” — very reliable AND very accurate. That makes this a great starting rifle for NRL22, plus the semi-auto action allows fast follow-up shots. Get this rifle on sale now for $259.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse.
⏺ Nice small press and LOTs of tools — great price
For people getting started in hand-loading, it’s wise to start with a kit that has most of the tools you need. The very affordable RCBS Partner Press Reloading Kit comes with Press, Powder Scale, Powder Funnel, Loading Block, Lube Tray, Neck Brushes, Dubur Tool, Load Manual and more. These Partner Presses work well for loading at the range, or use the compact Partner as a second press for depriming or bullet seating.
3. EuroOptic — 15% Off Vortex Optics
⏺ Significant savings on full line of Vortex optics
Vortex scopes are a top choice of hunters and target shooters alike. Vortex offers a superb warranty and a wide variety of optics types and zoom levels. If you’ve wanted to grab a new Vortex riflescope or spotting scope visit EuroOptic. Right now you can get 15% off the vast majority of Vortex products EuroOptic has in stock. Use CODE VTX15 to get the 15% savings.
4. CDNN Sports — HK 416 .22 LR Rimfire, $399.99
⏺ Great option for AR cross-training or rimfire gun games, save $200
If you own an AR for Service Rifle competition or 3-Gun matches, here’s a great option for inexpensive rimfire cross-training. An AR-type .22 LR rifle can also be effective in NRL22 matches. Right now you can save $134 on the HK 416 .22 LR rifle plus you get a $50 card for HK webshop products. This rifle boasts a 16.1″ barrel, retractable stock, M-LOK rail, and adjustable flip-up sights. With authentic AR dimensions and ergonomics, this is a great cross-trainer.
5. Firearms Depot — Aguila .22 LR Ammo 2000 Rds, $109.38
⏺ Amazingly low price for .22 LR Ammo for plinking and training
How’d you like decent .22 LR ammo for just 5.5 cents ($0.055) per round? This is one of the best deals we’ve seen in years. You could shoot a 100-round NRL22 match for just $5.50 in ammo cost. Heck you could pay that much for just nine major brand 6.5mm bullets (at $59.99/100 they’re 60 cents each). Act soon to get these spectacular savings.
6. MidwayUSA — Walker’s Quad Connect 26 dB NRR Bluetooth Electronic Muffs, $44.79
⏺ Comfortable with excellent 26 dB NRR plus Bluetooth connectivity
These Walker Ultimate Electronic Quad muffs have an exceptionally high 26dB noise reduction rating (NRR). Some other electronic muffs are rated at just 20 or 21 dB NRR, a huge difference. These are equipped with Bluetooth so you can receive calls and audio from your smartphone. These muffs boast FOUR Omni Directional Microphones, twin volume controls, adjustable frequency tuning, integrated voice mic, and really fast reaction time. If you want something thinner, the Walker’s NRR 23 Slim Muffs are also on sale, for just $39.99, 33% Off.
7. Amazon — Tipton Best Gun Vise, $79.59
⏺ Versatile, stable, works with all rifles, including ARs
When cleaning long guns, you need a secure, stable platform. We recommend the Tipton Best Gun Vise, now $79.59 on Amazon (#ad). This vise was designed to accommodate the widest possible array of firearms for cleaning, maintenance, or gunsmithing. This vise is easily configurable to handle bolt-action rifles, break-open shotguns, AR-15s, and handguns.
8. MidwayUSA — Wheeler AR Magwell Support Block, $19.99
⏺ Great AR holder — use with Gun Vise or bench-mounted
Here’s a cool tool for AR owners, now just $19.99 on sale. The Wheeler Delta series mag well vise block holds standard AR15 lowers with your Tipton Best Gun Vise, or can work directly mounted to a bench. The vise block has 180 degrees of rotation. There is a built-in hammer stop to protect your lower while testing triggers. NOTE: This block is designed for general maintenance only. It will NOT work for removing or installing barrels, handguards, or other accessories that require large amounts of torque.
9. Amazon — Scope Turret Magnifying Glass with Level, $12.99
Making rapid, yet precise scope turret adjustments can be challenging, especially during fast, timed stages. Most scope turrets have small, thin markings that can be tough to see (particularly with older eyes). To see your elevation turret markings better, try the Monstrum Scope Turret Magnifying Glass with Level (#ad). This simple but effective tool places a magnifier on the shooter’s side of the turret allowing easy viewing. In addition, this handy unit includes a built-in bubble level to help the shooter avoid canting his rifle.
10. Amazon — MTM R-100 Ammo Box, $17.99
⏺ Best 100-rd ammo box, securely holds cartridges nose up or nose down
For transporting ammo to the range, we like the MTM R-100 Deluxe ammo box (#ad). These durable R-100 flip-top ammo boxes provide excellent protection for your ammo. When rounds are in the nose-down position special fingers in each hole prevent bullets from hitting the bottom of the box, thereby preventing tip damage. You can also pick up a semi-transparent blue version for $17.99 at MidwayUSA. We like being able to see the cartridges inside the box.
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SHOT Show 2024 has been running January 22-26, 2024. Here are FREE digital magazines covering many new products displayed at the show. We’ve embedded three digital versions of the SHOT Daily print magazine provided to SHOT Show attendees. You can navigate page by page with the left/right white arrows in the gray box below. To quickly scan through an entire 60+ page digital magazine, use the slide bar. When you find content you want to read, use the zoom control or click the FULL SCREEN brackets icon at lower right.
We highly recommend two big feature stories. In the Day 1 Edition, check out the Guns 2024 article starting on page 30. You can also read the New Rifles section of this story on the SHOT Show Website. In the Day 2 Edition, look for the Optics 2024 article starting on page 40. And in the Day 3 Edition, New Electronics (including Garmin Xero C1 Pro Radar Chrono) are covered starting on page 40. NOTE: These magazines are large digital files that may take a few seconds to load fully. Click the titles below to read each of the four 2024 SHOT Daily issues.
The daily news of the 2024 Las Vegas SHOT Show is brought to you by NSSF and Grand View Outdoors, a division of Cole Publishing. Click each cover image to launch full digital magazine.
NEW Burris Eliminator 6 Laser Rangefinder Riflescope
The new Burris Eliminator 6 could be the most sophisticated new optics product at SHOT Show 2024. This 4-20x52mm optic combines a powerful laser rangefinder with multiple environmental sensors, in a 34mm tube format that is compact, with easy-to-use turret controls and sharp ED glass.
Burris revolutionized hunting optics with its Eliminator laser rangefinding riflescopes. These offered a magnified optic with a built-in rangefinder giving hunters and varminters a fast/accurate aiming solution. The Eliminator’s laser measured distance then provided a firing solution. Just put the red dot on the target. Building on five generations of Eliminator rangefinding riflescopes, Burris has just released an impressive, all-new, completely redesigned Eliminator 6. Hunters who are familiar with the legacy Eliminator series will instantly recognize the Eliminator 6 as “something different,” and they would be correct. It is smaller, and lighter, and it looks like a regular scope.
How does it work? Using the Eliminator 6, simply range your target, hold the illuminated aiming point on your target, and hold wind if necessary using the hold-off points in the reticle. You don’t have to carry around a separate Laser Rangefinder, or dial elevation with knobs.
See how the parallax and illumination adjustments are now conveniently located on a conventional turret-style knob that also contains the range activation and brightness button array.
Burris states that the “Eliminator 6 [has] the most comprehensive and advanced integrated technology ever delivered in a hunting riflescope.” Remarkably, this new Eliminator 6 includes multiple sensors, along with the laser rangefinder. The Eliminator 6 features a built-in thermometer, barometer, and inclinometer, and it automatically measures density altitude (which can also be manually selected). This allows the Eliminator 6 to provide extremely accurate ballistics solutions. The key features are:
• Integrated laser rangefinder capable of ranging out to 2,000 yards (reflective)
• BurrisConnect App compatible for quick programing and precise ballistics
• 4-20X Magnification
• X177 Reticle with 177 1/5 MOA illuminated aiming points
• Angle Sensor informs ballistics calculator
• Built-In Environmental Sensors
• HUD with 11 data zones
• Shotcall Marker
To maximize optical clarity and minimize chromatic aberration, Burris uses extra-low dispersion (ED) glass for the Eliminator 6. The ED glass combined with multi-coated lenses deliver a crisp optical view with superb low-light transmission. Other optical features include a new 5X system with 4-20X magnification, a +2.0 to -3.0 diopter adjustment range, and side focus/parallax adjustment from 25 yards to infinity. Parallax and illumination adjustments are now located on a conventional turret-style knob that also contains the range activation and brightness button array.
Ranging — At the touch of a button, the Eliminator 6 offers instant and precise ranging out to 2000+ yards on reflective targets and 1400 yards on deer hide. Simply place the reticle on the target, depress the ranging button, and the distance in yards or meters is presented on the scope’s heads-up display (HUD).
Environmental Monitoring — Climate and terrain play a big part in ballistics. The Eliminator 6 features a built-in thermometer, barometer, and inclinometer, and it automatically measures density altitude (which can also be manually selected). From this, the Eliminator 6 selects the ballistics solution via the previously calculated database drawn from the Burris Connect App.
Ballistic Compensation — Eliminator 6 ballistic solutions are calcuated on the BurrisConnect mobile App and uploaded to the scope. Bluetooth connectivity with the user’s mobile device allows the user to create an internal DOPE card in the Eliminator 6 that combines ranging, environmental, and ballistic data. Users can create profiles using factory load data or completely custom.
Precise Aiming Solutions – The digital DOPE card works with the scope’s illuminated X177 reticle to display the precise holdover aiming point for the ranged distance. Combined with the reticle’s windage hold-off points, the Eliminator 6 offers a massive 177 aim points with 1/5 MOA precision to ensure reliable point-of-aim/point-of-impact performance.
ShotCall Marker (SCM) – Available for display in the HUD is bullet velocity and bullet energy at the ranged distance. These features allow the shooter to recognize when the shot distance may be too far and the velocity/energy too low to ensure an ethical kill. The SCM will display an “X” if the user defined ballistic terminal performance is inadequate at the ranged distance.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. EuroOptic — 15% Off Vortex Optics
⏺ Significant savings on full line of Vortex optics
Vortex scopes are a top choice of hunters and target shooters alike. Vortex offers a superb warranty and a wide variety of optics types and zoom levels. If you’ve wanted to grab a new Vortex riflescope or spotting scope visit EuroOptic. Right now you can get 15% off the vast majority of Vortex products EuroOptic has in stock. Use CODE VTX15 to get the 15% savings.
2. Creedmoor Sports — ADG Brass IN STOCK
⏺ ADG makes very good brass — now in stock for popular cartridge types
ADG brass was designed not only for consistency, but for durability. You can grab some quality ADG Brass cartridge types now at Creedmoor Sports. They have hard to find 6.5 PRC, 6.5 SAUM and more ready to ship. NOTE: Top F-Open shooters are necking up 6.5 PRC to 7mm, to create a very effective and efficient 7/6.5 PRC wildcat.
3. Palmetto SA — Ruger American Predator Rifle, $599.99
⏺ Very solid deer-hunting rig with great Go Wild camo
Looking for a new hunting rifle? Consider the Ruger American Predator, a rugged, reliable hunting rifle without the high price tag. This 6.5 Creedmoor rifle has a nice synthetic stock in the popular Go Wild camo finish. The one-piece, three-lug bolt with 70° throw provides ample scope clearance and utilizes dual cocking cams for smooth cycling. This rifle comes with mounted Picatinny scope rail and threaded-end barrel with muzzle brake. The trigger is user adjustable between 3 and 5 pounds. The 6.5 Creedmoor round is more than adequate for normal deer hunting. For big elk, we recommend a larger cartridge.
4. Stocky’s Stocks — Quality Carbon Fiber Stocks on Sale
⏺ Excellent stock for varmint and hunting rifles — strong and light
Would you like a modern, high-tech carbon fiber stock for your next hunting or varmint rifle project? Stocky’s Stocks is running a major sale on UltraLite Carbon Fiber VG2 Rem 700 Stocks, UltraLite Carbon Fiber Hunter Rem 700 Stocks and UltraLite Carbon Fiber M50 Rem 700 Stocks. With a selection this big you’re bound to find one that fits your needs. These stocks are strong, light, and durable.
5. Bruno’s — Nightforce 15-55x52mm DEMO open box, $2150.00
⏺ Save hundreds on open box Nightforce comp scope
The impressive Nightforce Competition 15-55x52mm ZeroStop is one of the best available optics for benchrest, F-Class, and ELR competition. The glass is very good, clicks are precise, and the scope has a handy ZeroStop. Right now Bruno’s has “open box” versions of these superb scopes for $2150.00 — hundreds less than they normally cost. These 15-55X NF demos still come with full factory warranties. Don’t delay — supply is very limited!
6. Natchez — RCBS TrimMate, $89.99
⏺ Reliable, versatile case prep — $45 less than $135 Amazon price
Now offered at a big discount at Natchez, the RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center, is a good, versatile multi-station power unit. Five gear-driven rotating heads perform multiple tasks. Along with case neck cleaning, this Case Prep Center will do neck chamfering, deburring, primer pocket cleaning, military crimp removal, and flash hole deburring. This is a great price — the same RCBS machine is now $135.49 on Amazon.
7. Amazon — Lyman BrassSmith Funnel, $33.49
⏺ Very useful kit we use — avoids powder spills
Having a good powder funnel really helps precision reloading. The Lyman Products Brass Smith Pro Powder Funnel System is a great little system. Unlike plastic powder funnels, the aluminum DIE cast body and CNC-turned aluminum caliber-specific inserts are static free to eliminate powder cling. The precision fit to your case necks eliminates spilled powder. The kit includes six laser-marked aluminum inserts to fit calibers 22 to 338: .22, .243/6mm, .25/6.5mm, .270/7mm, .30, and .338.
⏺ Great for shooters who need to read logs and smartphone App details
Are you one of the many shooters who need some magnification when adjusting your turrets, reading scores, or using phone Apps? You should try BIFOCAL SAFETY GLASSES that protect your vision while helping you see better. These MAGID Safety Glasses with Level 2 Diopters (#ad) boast a ANSI Z87.1 safety rating. With these safety bifocals you get quality eye protection when shooting plus the benefit of a little extra magnification as needed. These bifocal safety glasses also have side shields.
Using a torque wrench is important when mounting scopes and installing actions. If you need a torque wrench, consider the Hiners 1/4-Inch Torque Screwdriver Wrench Set (#ad). This 31-piece kit features a driver that can be set from 10 to 70 inch-pounds with a nice, resin handle that’s comfortable to grip. There are color-coded steel Hex, Slotted, and Torx Bits.
⏺ Colorful bullseye targets work for indoor pistol and long-range rifles
Here’s a good, highly-visible target for close-range pistol practice or longer-range rifle shooting. The colors stand out for indoor pistol shooting, while the rings are good for competition rifle shooters. This 50-Pack of Bullseye Paper Targets (#ad) features a 5-color, 10-ring bullseye target with scoring values from 1 to 10. The targets measure an ample 17″x17″ square and include a log box for name, scores, and distance.
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Are you seeing unpredictable changes in Point of Impact on your target? Think you may have a scope issue? Well maybe not — when was the last time you checked your BARREL?
Yes scopes do fail, and scope bases/rings do get loose. But sometimes problems with erratic POI shifts are caused by a LOOSE BARREL. This issue came up a while back in our Shooter’s Forum. One member complained that his zero was shifting from day to day — by as much as two inches at 100 yards. He was convinced he had a scope problem, based on erratic POI:
“I think my scope loses 1 to 3 MOA per day. When I shot my rifle Monday it was dead on. On Tuesday it was 1″ low. Then on Wednesday it was 1 or 2″ lower. I don’t get it. — the elevation knob never touched. Scope will track and return to zero that day perfect. Yes EVERYTHING has been checked, nothing loose. What is the chance the erector tube spring has gone south? For the record this is a Vortex GE. Never had a bad scope, but this has me wondering”. — LB
On Forum member told LB to send the scope right back to the manufacturer. Two other members suggested mounting the scope on a different rifle to test. Good advice. That’s generally a smart strategy before you conclude a scope has gone bad…
Could Problem Be the Scope Base?
Two Forum members, ExPiper and Dickn52, suggested checking the scope base, recounting their past experiences with troublesome bases. This was intelligent — anyone with a POI problem should check all the optics attachments:
“Went crazy one day chasing my impacts on a 100-yard target. Shots would group fine for three then go nuts for 4-5. I cranked and un-cranked for about an hour. Then I reached up and the base wobbled on the rifle. Removed scope, tightened base screws and back in business.” — Dickn52
“Years ago I had a problem [where] shots were climbing with almost every shot. I was blaming the scope. However, when removing the scope I noticed that the 20 MOA base was cracked and getting wider with every shot. Needless to say I replaced the base and the problem was solved. — ExPiper
Eureka Moment — The problem was the BARREL, not the Scope
There were many helpful suggestions, but member PirateAmmo steered LB to the real problem — a loose BARREL: “We had a problem on a home-built AR-platform rifle once, barrel was loose a tad…”
Member Snert chimed in: “Yep — I had a PPC that suddenly went 19″ low. Picked up gun off bench by barrel and felt a wiggle. I tightened the barrel and the POI went 19 inches up”.
Problem Solved — Barrel Tightened up and POI Back to Normal
The gentleman with the POI problem took the advice of PirateAmmo and checked his barrel. BINGO! Low and behold, the barrel WAS loose.
LB posted: “Barrel loose by about 2%, checked it twice before and didn’t find it the first two times”.
After LB re-tightened his barrel, his rifle started shooting normally again. No more shooting low by 1-2 inches. Problem solved. The fix didn’t cost a penny and now LB doesn’t have to send a perfectly good optic back to the manufacturer.
Lesson learned? Check ALL the variables before you assume a scope has gone bad. Along with the barrel, also check your action screw tension, and of course the scope base and rings.
Thousands of new products will be on display at SHOT Show 2024, the major gun industry trade show held each January in Las Vegas. The official SHOT Show Product Planner offers a “sneak peak” at 294 new-for-2024 products for hunters and shooters. More will come in the weeks ahead. Here are nine interesting new products for gun owners and reloaders. Since these are all recently-released items, we haven’t been able to test them yet. Product profiles are based on descriptions provided by the manufacturers. We will run a separate feature on new pistols and rifles that will debut in 2024.
The Leapers UTG Big Bore Bipod is a heavy-duty bipod designed for very large caliber ELR rifles. This bipod is available with either a MIL-STD Picatinny or ARCA mount. The Big Bore Bipod is 40° pannable and 22° tiltable with tension adjustment levers. The throw levers are user serviceable. The bipod’s hub sits within minimal offset in relation to its mount. This provides improved stability with a lower center of gravity, and better weight distribution. That, plus the bipod’s 60° wide open angle, makes the bipod very stable. The extendable legs offer a wide range in center-height adjustment and retract at the push of a button. Note: This is not yet on Leaper’s website. Price: $299.97
GunStixx allow efficient use of gunsafes. GunStiXX from Winchester are designed and sized to work universally with rifles and shotguns down to .20 caliber. This new firearm storage system consists of an MDF gun rack with holes, aluminum caps, and plastic rods. Each rod is made of sturdy, damage-free plastic material to prevent scratching your gun’s surface or barrel and can be trimmed to your preferred length. This works as a modular racking system securing guns in an upright position, creating more storage capacity within the same available footprint. Note, like other barrel rods, this system works best with rifles/shotguns with relatively narrow forearms. And for long-term storage we recommend that you remove the scope. That creates more room inside the safe.
Many tactical shooters are now mounting red dot optics to a conventional zoom optic. This allows very rapid target acquisition at short range. This dual optic option can can be done easily with the Delta RDS Ring Cap. The ring caps for the Delta Series Mounts feature direct mount footprints for popular red dot sights to accommodate the use of backup red dot sights on scoped carbines. Available footprints include the RMR, Micro Red Dot, EFLX, MRO, Fast Fire, 509-T, and ACRO Red Dot Sights.
This clever Presma AR15 buttstock includes a secure carrier/holder for a spare magazine. This will attach to any regular mil-spec buffer tube and will fit all standard 5.56×45 (.223 Rem) AR15/M16/M4 magazines. This would be a handy accessory for Action Shooting competitions requiring rapid mag changes. The buttstock is adjustable and includes a recoil pad. The magazine-holder has a handy quick release, similar to a standard AR mag release. The buttstock has strap hole features for multiple sling/strap positions. Dimensions are: 7.24″ x 5.47″ x 2.23″. Price: $35.00.
Some states now limit the use of lead bullets and lead shotshell media. That can be problematic for trap/skeet shooters and bird hunters. Thankfully, there are some good options that can replace lead shot. Agescan International has introduced new, non-toxic High-tensile Superb Bismuth Shot. The maker states: “We invented a revolutionary formula and production technique. The new Superb Bismuth Shot (“SBS”) exhibits extremely high quality in terms of uniformity, perfect roundness, mirror-finished surface, and zero fragmentation rate. By saying zero fragmentation rate, the ballistic test showed SBS performs like lead shot and entirely solved the shattering issue with traditional Bismuth shot.” This can be loaded into shotshells for use in areas that ban ammo containing lead projectiles.
We like this versatile multi-gun case from SKB. It can hold THREE rifles and THREE pistols, making this one of the biggest-capacity cases on the market. This waterproof, virtually indestructible MIL-SPEC case features custom-cut foam to accommodate three ARs and three handguns, with plenty of room for magazines, ear protection, and other accessories. This big wheeled transports case is made in the USA and comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty. MSRP is $499.99 — a substantial investment.
The Bore-Max Cleaning Kit & Mobile Workstation has a great selection of tools — jags, brushes, bore mops and more. The workstation has two innovative features that make cleaning easier. The first is the Gun Gripper technology built into the yokes, which firmly grip barrels, handguards and stocks. The second is four Smart-Assist ports located on the corners of the case. These allow plugging in the included hands-free flexible flashlight or other accessories. Tools include: Smart-Fit Bore Guide, Bore-Max 3-Pc Smart Rod, Gun Gripper Form-Fitting Grips, Gun Detailing Tools (Steel Picks, Cleaning Brushes), Micro Cleaning Mat, Travel Case.
With collectors and enthusiast in mind, Custom & Collectable Firearms has proudly introduced the Colt Python Black Stag 3″. This special revolver includes hand and laser engraving on the frame, wheel, and barrel with almost 1/4″ in depth on the engraving. The firearm also showcases exceptional handsome black Stag antler grips that give it that beautiful, yet rugged look. The Colt Black Stag ships with a 1 of 200 challenge coin and hand signed certificate.
Breakthrough Clean Technologies, an Allen Company enterprise, has released an innovative Suppressor Cleaning Kit to address the challenging task of keeping suppressors, muzzle brakes, and compensators clean and in proper working condition. Based on the effectiveness of BCT’s cleaning solution, a suppressor cleaning kit has been developed to make the entire process easier and more effective. This new Suppressor Clean Kit and other new-for-2024 items will be shown at Allen SHOT Show booth #13021. Cleaning Kit includes: 16 oz. Suppressor Cleaner Fluid, Soaking Tube, Two Specialized Brushes, Retrieval Tool, and Organized Tool Tray.
A varmint shooter’s target is not conveniently placed at a fixed, known distance as it is for a benchrester. The varminter must repeatedly make corrections for bullet drop as he moves from closer targets to more distant targets and back again. 
Minority View — Hold-Over is Better
Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N’C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.
