We all have friends or acquaintances who are just getting started in the shooting sports. These newcomers are often overwhelmed with questions: “What gun do I buy… What gear do I need… How should I begin my training?”. With the upcoming launch of the MyFirstGun.net, new shooters can soon access a dedicated website that can provide answers to all these questions.
Ranks of New Shooters Are Growing
Since the year 2008 the numbers of first-time gun buyers, particularly in the handgun market, have risen dramatically. Thousands upon thousands of men and women are purchasing or considering purchasing their first gun.
Set to launch on Monday, June 11, 2012, MyFirstGun.net is an online resource specifically designed to assist the recent gun buyer or someone who is about to make that decision. The new website will feature numerous instructional articles, plus many training videos hosted by professional firearms instructor Paul Markel. Topics will include foundational material such as choosing the correct gun for the task, understanding handgun actions, ammunition choices, seeking professional training and practice. My First Gun can be accessed at www.myfirstgun.net or www.firstimegunbuyer.net.
NOTE: You can bookmark MyFirstGun.net in advance. However, the website is still two days from launch — so the links in this article may not be active before June 11, 2012. Just be patient. MyFirstGun.net will “open its doors” on Monday the 11th.
First Handgun Choice — This Editor believes that a very good choice for a first handgun is a Smith & Wesson .22 LR revolver, such as the S&W model 617. The model 617 is extremely accurate, with a very crisp trigger (in single-action mode), and good sights.
You can learn all the fundamentals with this ultra-reliable handgun, shooting inexpensive .22LR ammo. The model 617 is rugged, durable, and can give you a lifetime of shooting fun. Once you have mastered the basics of shooting with a .22 LR, you can move on to larger caliber handguns suitable for self-defense. Below is a slide-show illustrating a S&W model 617 ten-shot, with 6″ barrel. S&W also makes a 4″-barrel version of this revolver. (See: Shooting Demo Video with 4″ model 617.)
Every year, the third Sunday in June is Fathers’ Day. In 2012 this is June 17, so mark your calendars. If your father enjoys the shooting sports, we suggest planning a day at the range with him. And if you’re looking for a gift that will surely be appreciated, consider a Sinclair Int’l Gift Card. These are available in a variety of money values, and Sinclair can mail them directly to your father’s residence. If you’re running short on time, you can get an “eGift Card” sent directly to you father via email. Click the link below to learn more about Sinclair Gift Cards.
Take Your Daughter to the Range Day
This month, along with Father’s Day, there’s another special day to mark on your calendar. June 9th, 2012 is National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day. This is a great way to spend “quality time” with your daughter, and teach her the basics of firearms safety.
The organizers of this event explain: “Boys learn to shoot in Scouts, or with their Dads. Often the girls are left behind, because shooting isn’t ‘girly.’ Well, young ladies can, and do, shoot, and they often do it very well indeed. Learning to shoot gives young women confidence, helps to build self-esteem, and introduces them to a sport they can participate in their whole lives. This event will promote firearms safety and education, as well as family bonding through participation in an exciting and fun sport.”
Bryan Litz has just released AB Mobile, a new, state-of-the-art Ballistics App for Android OS devices. (An iOS version for iPhones/iPads is in the works, but ETA is not yet set.) For those familiar with the Shooter App for Android and iOS, the $29.95 AB Mobile App is basically an extended/advanced version of Shooter. AB Mobile was coded by the same programmer, and uses the same solver, but this new AB App has an enhanced interface, plus many additional features that extend capabilities beyond any ballistics App currently on the market. In the video below, Bryan explains the features of the AB Mobile App and shows how to navigate through the various function screens.
Accounts for all major and minor trajectory variables
Built-in library of Litz-measured G1 and G7 Ballistic Coefficients for popular bullets.
Access weather data and latitude from GPS or Kestrel via blue-tooth link.
Web-sync feature stores rifle/ammo libraries online for quick retrieval.
Features custom drag curves for specific bullets as in-app purchases ($1.99).
Displays single shot solution in HUD view or Reticle view.
Displays multi-shot solution in Reticle view, table, and graph.
Custom Ballistic Calibration Based on Observed Drops
In addition, Applied Ballistics’ AB Mobile App offers Ballistic Calibration, so you can enter your observed drop at range and the program will calibrate your muzzle velocity, projectile drag (BC), and drop scaling over various segments of the trajectory. This is great for tactical shooters who need highly accurate drop tables for unknown distance matches. For those without access to chronographs, Ballistic Calibration also give you a fairly reliable MV baseline.
Readers in the Rockies region should head to the Colorado Rifle Club (CRC) range on Saturday June 2, 2012, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. There you can try out a variety of Savage rifles from 17 HMR all the way up to a big magnum. All Rimfire ammo is free, and your first five (5) Centerfire rounds per gun are free (except for .338 Lapua Magnum, $5 per round). Can’t beat that. This June 2 “rifle test-ride” at CRC is part of Savage’s Arms Club Program, which lets potential rifle buyers try out target and hunting rifles, both centerfire and rimfire, at no cost.
Savage Arms provides the rifles, Nikon supplies the optics, and Hornady provides free ammo for testing. Caliber options include .17 HMR, .223 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum. (For the .338 Lapua Magnum, premium Lapua ammo is $5.00 per round). If you have not shot Savage’s F-T/R or Law Enforcement Series rifles, now is your chance. We also recommend Savage’s model 93R17 TR, a .17 HMR rimfire with the look and feel of full-size centerfire rifle. The 93R17 we tested last year was very accurate and we liked the look and feel of the matte-black tactical-style stock.
Directions to Range:
The Colorado Rifle Club range is located at 76099 East 96th Ave., Byers, CO 80103. Byers is 40 miles east of Denver on l-70 at exit 316. To get to the range, travel 8 miles east of Byers on U.S. 36, then about 9 miles north on Leader Road (52N), then one mile west on 96th Ave. to the range gate, then one mile north to the ranges. CLICK HERE for map to CRC range.
Latitude and Longitude: 39° 52′ 12.58″ N, 104° 05′ 39.47″ W
Story Tip by EdLongRange. We welcome reader submissions.
For the second year, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will make available $100,000 in challenge grants to help expand shooting sports programs at local Boy Scouts of America Councils. The challenge grants from NSSF are available to qualifying BSA Councils that plan to expand their activities in the shooting sports. Such programs teach Scouts marksmanship skills, firearm and range safety, and teamwork.
“Our challenge grant program extends our longstanding partnership with the Boy Scouts of America and presents councils with a great opportunity to teach Scouts about the shooting sports and safe, responsible firearms ownership,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF’s director of recruitment and retention. “Target shooting is one of the most popular Scouting activities, and NSSF hopes even more Scouts will gain knowledge of the shooting sports by taking advantage of these grants.”
NSSF Grants Supplement Matching Funds
BSA Councils applying for a grant must specifically earmark funds for shooting sports programs and provide matching funds at least equal to the grant request. NSSF will provide funding to the first 50 qualifying applicants up to a maximum of $2,000 in matching support.
Councils must use awarded funds toward the purchase of equipment and supplies for their shooting sports activities from an NSSF member retailer. Examples of qualifying purchases are ammunition, eye and ear protection, firearms, targets and shooting vests.
How to Apply for NSSF Grants
Applicants may view NSSF BSA Council Challenge Grant guidelines and application procedures at www.nssf.org/bsagrant. For more info, contact Melissa Schilling at NSSF at mschilling [at] nssf.org.
Our story on Gary Eliseo’s “Mad Minute” drill drew comments from readers worldwide, including C. Lemmermann from Denmark, who wrote: “In Scandinavia we have this competition called ‘Stangskyting’. It’s similar to the ‘Mad Minute’ but we only have 25 seconds to hit the target [at] 200-300m distance with a 6.5×55 [target rifle].” In the Stangskyting video below a shooter named Børklop puts 16 rounds on target in just 25 seconds. (He starts with a round in the chamber and cycles through three, 5-round magazines). Børklop’s performance, with just a sling and iron sights, is impressive. He’s shooting a Sauer 200 STR target rifle with 5-round magazine. Note that Børklop manipulates the Sauer’s bolt with his thumb and index finger, while pulling the trigger with his middle finger.
This Guy Could Break the “Mad Minute” Record
Børklop’s rate of fire, 16 rounds in 25 seconds, is the equivalent of 38.4 rounds in 60 seconds. That’s a notable number because the record for the “Mad Minute”, a British Army marksmanship drill, is 38 rounds in one minute. That record was set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, and still stands. So as you watch Børklop, keep in mind that Snoxall shot that fast for a full minute with a Lee-Enfield nearly 100 years ago!
Børklop has an average cycling time of 1.56 seconds per shot, starting with a round in the chamber. To beat the record of 38 rounds, he would need to make seven mag changes in sixty seconds. All those mag swaps could reduce his average time per shot, making it difficult to achieve 38 hits in a minute. But, if Børklop could use 10-round mags with his Sauer STR, this guy has the skills to break the record.
To emphasize the capabilities of the WWI-era British shooter who set the record, Snoxall shot as fast as Børklop does, but Snoxall reloaded with stripper clips. Snoxall’s SMLE (Lee-Enfield) rifle also had relatively crude open sights and the stock was far less ergonomic than Børklop’s Sauer STR stock.
Here’s another Stanskyting video showing John O. Ågotnes shooting rapidfire with his Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) chambered in 6.5×55. By our count, Ågotnes manages 17 shots within the 25-second time period. That rate of fire (17 in 25 seconds) equates to 40.8 rounds in one minute!
Our friend Taran Butler recorded a major accomplishment at the 2012 USPSA MultiGun Nationals held April 11-15 in Las Vegas, NV. By winning the 2012 Open Class title, Taran became the first person in history to have won all three USPSA MultiGun divisions: Open, Tactical, and Limited. You can only shoot one division per year at the Nationals, so it’s impossible to hold all three class titles simultaneously. But no other USPSA shooters have won all three class titles over the course of their shooting careers. Not even “immotals” Jerry Miculek or Mike Voight, both multi-time Open-Class winners, have captured all three class championships. Before his Open Class win this year, Butler had previously captured the Tactical Division title four times, and he won the Limited Division back in 2003.
Taran observed: “This has now become the biggest achievement in my shooting career, to finally be the first person in history to win all three divisions of the USPSA MultiGun Championships. I owe thanks to God, my sponsors, and awesome friends.”
Watch Taran Butler in Action
The video below shows Taran accepting a trophy for his 2012 USPSA Open Class victory. Then, starting at the 0:46 mark, you can watch Taran run stages at the recent Nationals. You can see Taran used all three guns: pistol, semi-auto carbine, and shotgun.
In Las Vegas, Taran used the same .223 Rem AR Carbine he shoots in Tactical Division — however he added a second optic (for close targets) when running the gun in Open class. This way he can just tilt the rifle to switch magnification levels to suit the target distance. Taran explains: “Here’s the rifle I used to win the 2012 Open Class Nationals. It’s a custom AR that TTI built with parts from Vltor, LaRue, PRI, Surefire, Noveske, Trijicon, and JP. Its called the Taran Tactical Innovations 17″ Signature Series Rifle aka TTI-17SS. The optics I use are the Trijicon TR24R 1-4 power and the RMR. This is by far the fastest optic setup on the planet.”
The pistol Taran used was an Infinity IMM with comp, shooting the standard 9mm Parabellum round. In the shotgun stages in Las Vegas, Taran used a mag-fed shotgun. The shotgun’s huge external magazines (two are sandwiched together) allow long strings with fewer reloads. However, Taran did suffer a major shotgun jam in one stage that cost him 18 seconds (watch video at 4:12 – 4:30). Amazingly, Taran shot a near perfect match after that to win the Open Title.
Overcoming Mistakes — And Staying Calm — Was Key to Victory
According to Taran, the shotgun jam marked a turning point in his match: “To win at this level, you can’t give up when disaster strikes — as it did with my shotgun in Stage 5. But I kept my cool and stayed focused. After that I really shot the match about the best I could and I didn’t try to rush, which can cause more problem. A lot of shooters, when they encounter a big problem, they get discouraged and just give up. Or, they try to shoot really fast to make up time, and then they usually make even bigger mistakes.”
Open Class: “Anything goes” in the Open Class. Rifles may have multiple sighting systems including any kind of optics. Pistols may be fitted with comps, optical sights, and very large extended magazines.
Tactical Class: This is the most popular USPSA MultiGun class currently. Rifles may have ONE (1) optic, plus back-up irons. Pistols are usually tweaked factory guns with upgraded iron sights and triggers. However muzzle brakes, comps, and Red dot or other optics are not allowed on the pistols. Taran says: “The Tactical Division is #1 in attendance. The hardware is similar to what actual operators would use — ARs with a single optic, and normal-looking pistols with conventional sights.”
Limited Class: The Limited Class restricts rifles and pistols to iron sights (or a non-magnified red dot on the rifle only). This class has seen declining participation in recent years.
Tyler Rico — remember that name. We predict you’ll be hearing much more about this young man in the years ahead. Tyler, the youngest shooter ever to earn the CMP Distinguished Rifleman Badge, is one of the best of the new generation of shooters coming up through the junior ranks. With very sound fundamentals, Tyler has shown the ability to shoot just about any kind of rifle, at any distance — from 10m to 1000 yards. And despite his young age, Tyler has the discipline and mental focus it takes to win. Tyler demonstrated that most recently at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) where he won the 10m Air Rifle Title, securing a place on the National Junior Team. Tyler will continue to compete in NJOSC smallbore competition over the next few days, where he will be one of the favorites in the Men’s 50m Rifle Three Position and Men’s 50m Rifle Prone.
Tyler has shown the ability to compete head to head with adult-age group shooters — even High Masters. Last year, Tyler won the Service Rifle division outright at the 2011 Western Creedmoor Cup. Among junior across-the-course shooters, he is one of the best ever. He was the top Junior Shooter at the Camp Perry National Trophy Individual Matches four years in a row (2011, 2010, 2009, 2008). A senior at Tucson Wells High School, Tyler will enroll in the U.S. Air Force Academy as a cadet this June.
Rico Also Excels with Centerfire Rifles
Unlike many Air Rifle and Smallbore shooters, Tyler Rico is equally capable (and confident) when shooting centerfire rifles — whether ARs in Service Rifle, or “space guns” in across the course and long-range matches. Tyler regularly competes in Service Rifle and High Power matches — with considerable success. He won the 2010 Nevada High Power Rifle Regional Championship, out-scoring seasoned competitors with decades of experience. Click thumbnail photos below to see larger versions.
This video by Mark Dalzell demonstrates the long-range capabilities of the Savage 110 BA chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. Mark took his “BadAss” rig out to the southwest Nevada desert just north of Jean Dry Lakes. He placed a 2’x3′ target way, way out there — a full mile (1760 yards) away. At that range, flight time to target was 3.75 seconds! Sighting with a Nightforce 5-22x50mm NXS scope, Mark needed a few shots to get on target, but eventually made multiple hits, using 67 MOA of elevation and 2.25 MOA left windage. You can view the hits starting at 1:56 time-mark on the video. (Mark had a second camera set up closer to the target — this displays frame in frame in the video, and if you watch carefully you can see the strikes.) The ammo was HSM 250gr HPBT match with a 3.600″ COAL. The shooting was done at 8:13 in the morning, with clear conditions, very light winds. Temp was 57°, humidity 24.5, Density Altitude 3666. Video soundtrack is La Grange by ZZ Top.
— CLICK to hear Mark Dalzell TALK about his .338 LM Savage 110 BA and how he scored hits at 1760 yards.
Good Shooting Mark. That’s darn good for a factory rifle. You also had the elevation dialed in real close before the firing started! That shows a good knowledge of your ammo’s long-range ballistics. We also noticed how effective that muzzle brake was. Recoil looked about the same as an un-braked .308 Win.
AccurateShooter.com field tester Kelly Bachand returns to Top Shot on the History Channel next week. Kelly is one of two “alumni experts” tasked with helping competitors attempt a 1500-yard shot. Along with fellow Top Shot alumnus George Reinas, Kelly guides Season 4 competitors through the longest-range marksmanship challenge ever undertaken on the Top Shot series. The show will air Tuesday, April 10th at 10:00 pm. Kelly tells us: “OK — I can finally talk about it! I’ll be on Top Shot again [next week]. I’ll be there trying to teach the shooters how to read wind so they can make a 1500-yard shot.” We asked Kelly if he was going to get one of those $2K Bass Pro gift cards for his efforts. Unfortunately the answer was ‘no': “No gift cards….Yeah I wish they gave me four of them to make up for all the elimination challenges in Season One!”
Kelly instructs this season’s competitors in the skills needed to make a hit at 1500 yards. At right, you’ll see Kelly doing something he’s becoming very familiar with — looking through a spotting scope. At the World Long Range Championships in Australia, Kelly’s spotting skills helped keep the USA Young Eagles in the center to win both Gold and Silver. The teaser for next week’s Top Shot episode shows competitors using an Accuracy Int’l AX 338 to engage a target 1500 yards away. To make shots at that distance successfully, you need to have rock-solid fundamentals, wind-reading abilities, and ballistics info. Tune in next Tuesday to see how Kelly works with competitors trying to make the longest shot ever attempted on Top Shot.
We all have friends or acquaintances who are just getting started in the shooting sports. These newcomers are often overwhelmed with questions: “What gun do I buy… What gear do I need… How should I begin my training?”. With the upcoming launch of the MyFirstGun.net, new shooters can soon access a dedicated website that can provide answers to all these questions.
First Handgun Choice — This Editor believes that a very good choice for a first handgun is a Smith & Wesson .22 LR revolver, such as the S&W model 617. The model 617 is extremely accurate, with a very crisp trigger (in single-action mode), and good sights.
Bryan Litz has just released 
For the second year, the 
Kelly instructs this season’s competitors in the skills needed to make a hit at 1500 yards. At right, you’ll see Kelly doing something he’s becoming very familiar with — looking through a spotting scope. At the World Long Range Championships in Australia, Kelly’s spotting skills helped keep the USA Young Eagles in the center to win both Gold and Silver. The teaser for next week’s Top Shot episode shows competitors using an Accuracy Int’l AX 338 to engage a target 1500 yards away. To make shots at that distance successfully, you need to have rock-solid fundamentals, wind-reading abilities, and ballistics info. Tune in next Tuesday to see how Kelly works with competitors trying to make the longest shot ever attempted on Top Shot.
