Want to show off some groups you’ve shot? Or keep a handy pack of mini-targets in your range kit? Then check out this unique product from stockmaker Bell & Carlson. Shoot’n Aces cards feature a 1-inch black square aiming box with a 1/2-inch inner square. These cards are normal poker-playing-card size, 3.5″ high x 2.5″ wide (89 × 64 mm). Shoot’n Aces cards come 56 to a pack. Carry a few extras in your wallet or a pack in your vehicle glove compartment and you’ll always have a precision target to shoot at the range. Cards can be stapled or taped to target stands.
Sniper Central says these cards work well as targets: “The bold square is easy to pick up with the inner white portion making a nice aiming point. The material of the cards is the same as normal playing cards and the bullets make a very nice hole when passing through.” The sharp edges of the bullet holes makes it easy to measure group sizes with precision.
Each pack of Shoot’n Aces contains 56 premium-quality target cards. If you want some, order Bell & Carlson item SA-2006. This is a set of four (4) card-packs with 56 cards per pack (224 cards total) priced at $20.00 (i.e. $5.00 per pack).
Leveraging the incredible success of the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge, ammo-makers and rifle manufacturers have teamed up to produce a bigger Creedmoor cartridge — the 7.6 Creedmoor. The latest addition to the Creedmoor line gets its name from its 7.62mm bullet dimension. Yep, that makes it a .30-cal cartridge, but the creators stuck with the metric title for consistency. Makes sense. We like the way “7.6 Creedmoor” sounds and we bet consumers will too. The 6.5 Creedmoor has been a singular success — it is by far the most popular new cartridge introduced in the last decade. We think the 7.6 Creedmoor could become equally successful in short order.
In creating the new 7.6 Creedmoor, the product engineers were primarily concerned with accuracy, reliability, and compatibility. In a brilliant marketing stroke, the 7.6 Creedmoor’s designers crafted this cartridge to be 100% compatible with existing .308 Winchester and 7.62×51 rifles. So you can shoot the 7.6 Creedmoor safely in your existing .308 Win deer rifle or F-TR rig. As one ammo-maker’s marketing manager told us: “The 7.6 Creedmoor gives you everything you liked about the .308 Win, with a trendy name and the undeniable Creedmoor cachet. The 6.5 Creedmoor has become hugely popular. We expect the new 7.6 Creedmoor to do as well, or better!” We agree. Consider this — the 7.6 Creedmoor offers much better barrel life than the 6.5 Creedmoor, along with better bullet selection, particularly for hunters. With these advantages, how could the 7.6 Creedmoor not become a huge hit? The Creedmoor name alone should ensure success.
We discussed the new 7.6 Creedmoor with Dennis DeRille, one of the “founding fathers” of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Dennis said — “The Creedmoor name is synonymous with innovation and tactical success. This new 7.6 should live up to its name as it delivers .308 Win performance in a package for the 21st Century.”
Reassuring .308 Win Ballistics and Die Compatibility
Another great feature of the new 7.6 Creedmoor is that you can use existing .308 Win dies and reloading components. That excited one PRS shooter: “I had all this old .308 brass and .30-Cal bullets sitting around. When I heard about the 7.6 Creedmoor I said ‘Wow this is great, I can use this stuff in a Creedmoor now’. I know it will be accurate based on the name alone. That’s cool — tacticool!”
Because the new 7.6 Creedmoor shares case capacity and design details with the venerable .308 Win, it also shares the .308 Win’s impressive ballistics performance. “Whatever you can do with a .308 Win, you can do with the 7.6 Creedmoor… and then some!” says Hornady. Here is a chart showing projected velocities for the 7.6 Creedmoor with various barrel lengths and bullet weights.
NRA Approves 7.6 Creedmoor for F-TR Competition
Currently, NRA competition rules restrict F-TR rifles to the .308 Win (7.62×51) and .223 Rem (5.56×45) chamberings. But that’s going to change. Starting in June 2026, the NRA will allow 7.6 Creedmoor rifles in all F-TR matches. In addition, the 7.6 Creedmoor can be used in service rifles such as the popular M1A. It’s great to see this old battle rifle updated with Creedmoor accuracy and performance.
USA and Foreign Ammo Makers will Produce 7.6 Creedmoor Ammo
7.6 Creedmoor factory-loaded ammunition will be available from all major USA ammo-makers including Federal, Hornady, CCI, and Remington. As well, foreign ammo-makers Hirtenberger, Sellier & Bellot, and Prvi Partizan have pledged to produce 7.6 Creedmoor ammunition. That’s good news for shooters who want affordable Creedmoor ammo. One ammo-maker told us: “The whole industry is excited about the 7.6 Creedmoor. To be honest, .308 Win ammo sales have been declining for a number of years. Now we can repackage those same great components and market them to a new set of consumers reared on the 6.5 Creedmoor. This is a great deal for ammo-makers, who know how excitable Creedmoor fan-boys can be!”
This Armalite AR-50A1 .50 BMG rifle was modified by G.A. Precision.
If you’re a fan of big boomers, and love shooting steel, then definitely watch this Wide Open Magazine video. This covers a .50 BMG build by our friends at G.A. Precision (GAP). The rifle started as an Armalite AR-50A1 ($4750.00 MSRP). Then GAP fluted the barrel and swapped the factory muzzle brake with a more compact brake from American Precision Arms*. Then, as modified, the entire rig was given a rugged Cerakote finish.
The video has nice background music (pretty loud), great aerial drone footage, and of course some serious firepower. Using Hornady .50 BMG ammo, GA Precision’s George Gardner and his Wide Open friends shoot the big Fifty from the bench as well as prone. Enjoy!
About the .50 BMG Cartridge
The .50 Browning Machine Gun (.50 BMG, aka 12.7×99mm NATO or 50 Browning) is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s, entering official service in 1921. Under STANAG 4383, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries.
John Browning had the idea for this round during World War I in response to a need for an anti-aircraft weapon, based on a scaled-up .30-06 Springfield design, used in a machine gun based on a scaled-up M1919/M1917 design that Browning had initially developed around 1900. According to the American Rifleman: “The Browning .50 originated in the Great War. American interest in an armor-piercing cartridge was influenced by the marginal French 11 mm design, prompting U.S. Army Ordnance officers to consult Browning. They wanted a heavy projectile at 2700 FPS, but the ammunition did not exist. Browning pondered the situation and, according to his son John, replied, ‘Well, the cartridge sounds pretty good to start. You make up some cartridges and we’ll do some shooting’.”
* In the video, George mistakenly says “American Patriot Arms”, but the brake is made by Georgia-based American Precision Arms.
Brian, a gunsmith at GA Precision, built this rimfire rig with GAP colleague Anthony Soukup.
On his Facebook page, Tactical competitor Bryan Sikes posted a photo of a rimfire rig we really liked. Brian works at GA Precision. He and fellow GAP gunsmith Anthony Soukup built this rifle. With a modified Rem 40X action, Manners stock, Bartlein barrel, and Mack Brothers suppressor, this rig has top-quality components stem to stern. And Bryan tells us this rifle performs as good as it looks: “This is the baddest little .22 LR trainer ever. I’m stoked about it. With the barrel length and can, it’s the exact length of my regular comp rigs.” With length, balance, and ergonomics near identical to Bryan’s centerfire competition rifles, this 40X is a superb training tool.
Many readers wanted to know about the bottom metal and the detachable box magazine. Bryan Sike reveals: “The magazine setup is designed specifically to replicate my actual competition rifles. The bottom metal is for use with AI magazines and uses a standard M5 type inlet just like any centerfire completion rifle. In this case with the .22LR, Mike Bush designed a high reliability rimfire magazine using the same outside dimensions as an AI magazine. This rifle was built no different from any other. The action was modified and trued, barreled, fully bedded, etc. using ALL components common to centerfire match rifles.” The Rem 40X action was modified by Modacam Custom Rifles to work as a repeater with box mags.
Bryan adds that a new rimfire action is in the works: “My preference is modified Remington 40X actions and the soon-to-be available, V-22 action from Mike Bush. Both of which are TRUE repeaters and don’t feed from a Savage magazine. This rifle feels nothing like a .22 LR and that was the whole point.”
Why You Need a .22 LR Tactical Cross-Trainer
Many guys who shoot long-range tactical matches practice with .22 LR rifles of similar configuration. Rimfire ammo is way more affordable than centerfire, you do not need a big range facility, and shooting rimfire saves wear and tear on your centerfire rifle. Further, for learning how to read the wind, there really is no better training tool than a .22 LR, even as close as 50 yards.
Our Friend “DesertFrog”, who shoots tactical matches in Southern California, explains: “I used to shoot an average of 200 rounds of .308 Match ammo a month for training (50 per weekend). These days I shoot maybe an average of 50 rounds of .308 Win per month and probably around 600 rounds of .22 LR. Using mainly the .22 LR for practice did NOT hurt my standings in actual competitions. I shot my .308 just as well in matches, but saved the cost of hundreds of rounds of .308. If I didn’t reload and was still buying boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Win [at $1.90/round], this would be a savings of [$350 per month on the centerfire ammo.]” Money saved is money earned.
Targets for Rimfire Cross-Training
SPECIAL BONUS–Rimfire Tactical Precision Targets
These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .ZIP archive.
Enjoy the Shooting Sports USA Archives
As we head into spring, many Americans will be spending more time at the range. And competitors will be shooting in rimfire and centerfire rifle matches throughout the country. Here’s an opportunity to learn competition skills, gun tuning methods, and reloading techniques from leading experts. A vast resource of gun-related content is available online for FREE. Check out the Shooting Sports USA Articles Archive. SSUSA maintains a vast digital library with hundreds of articles going back to June 2009.
It’s easy to find back issues of Shooting Sports USA. Here’s how: First, navigate to the latest SSUSA Online Issue. Then click on the “ARCHIVES” icon in the upper right area (indicated with red arrow). When you click on “ARCHIVES”, a window will open with a selection of Shooting Sports USA magazine covers/dates in a vertical column. The most recent issue (November 2025) will appear at the top. You can then scroll down — use the vertical scroll bar to go from November 2025 (the latest issue) all the way back to June 2009. Click any issue cover to read.
NOTE: It’s wise to use these archived digital magazine resources while you can. The NRA will continue the Shooting Sports USA website, but it has halted release of the monthly Shooting Sports USA digital magazines. Thankfully however, there will be new content posted regularly on the Shooting Sports USA website at SSUSA.org. Shown below is a review of the Tikka T3x Ace Target rifle from December 2025.
Click photo to read online Tikka T3x review.
How to Find and Save Articles
To search back issues, select “MORE OPTIONS” from the toolbar (top left). Then click the “SEARCH” button. When that opens, select either “Search Archives” for ALL back issues or “Search Only this Issue”. When you’ve made your choice, enter your search term(s). For example, you can search for “Camp Perry” or “Palma” or “F-Class Championship”. You can also save any archived issue as a PDF for viewing offline. Just click “SAVE” to download the article you’re currently viewing/reading.
Read Sample Articles
Here are a couple of our favorite SSUSA feature stories from recent years. There are hundreds of other informative articles worth reading.
Here’s a new option for hunters and tactical competitors who want to range targets and call windage/elevation corrections using their spotting scopes. Vortex is now offering Reticle Eyepieces for its Viper HD spotting scopes. Available in both MRAD and MOA versions, these fixed-power 33.5X eyepieces feature ranging reticles with handy hash marks. This allows target ranging, plus competitors can “make accurate shot calls… with subtension lines for holdover and windage corrections.”
Vortex states: “The all-new eyepiece makes measuring target range and calling shot corrections easy, with a diopter ring that allows shooters to get the reticle dialed to their eyes, and level with the horizon line, no matter how their scope is setup.”
Powering the new eyepiece is a fixed, 33.5X magnification ocular lens. This provided plenty of power most hunting and competition scenarios. The eyepiece glass is protected with ArmorTek and XR lens coatings. These easily-installed ranging eyepieces, both MRAD and MOA, are designed for a wide field of view so user won’t miss a single vapor trail or bullet splash.
Ranging MRAD — Hashmarked ranging reticle using MRAD-based subtension lines for ranging, holdover, and windage corrections. Secondary ranging references facilitate rapid range estimating.
Ranging MOA — Hashmarked ranging reticle using MOA-based subtension lines for ranging, holdover, and windage corrections. Secondary ranging references facilitate rapid range estimating.
These eyepieces have fixed, 33.5-power magnification. “Street Price” is about $200.00.
Rimfire tactical-style matches are now one of the fastest-growing types of rifle competition in the country. The USA has seen a big growth in rimfire tactical matches over the last six years. NRL22 and PRS Rimfire matches are held throughout the country. Right now there are probably ten times as many rimfire tactical matches as sanctioned PRS and NRL centerfire matches. The reason is simple — rimfire ammo is much less costly, and clubs can run challenging rimfire tactical matches at nearly any outdoor gun range that allows shooting out to 200+ yards.
The National Rifle League (NRL) started off sponsoring major centerfire tactical matches, similar to PRS competitions. That proved successful so the NRL added a .22 LR Rimfire series, called NRL22. The NRL22 rimfire discipline has been a major success, as rimfire guns are fun to shoot and ammo is very affordable. The most popular NRL22 matches have drawn up to 200 rimfire competitors. And now PRS has its own PRS .22 Rimfire series.
Precision Rimfire Match with Through-the-Lens Video
Here’s an interesting video featuring a top-tier .22 LR MDT-chassis rifle. The host, Pieter “Piet” Malan from South Africa, runs the excellent Impact Shooting YouTube Channel, which now has 320+ videos on target shooting and hunting. This video features a TriggerCam unit attached to the scope, so you can see hits on the targets, just as the shooter does.
NRL22 — Affordable, Challenging Rimfire Competition Series
NRL22 is a great way to get into competition shooting with minimal expense. There are currently eight (8) classes: Open, Base, Young Guns, Ladies, Air Rifle, Old Guns, Semi-Auto, and Adaptive. Base Class is for the budget-minded shooter — the combined MSRP of Rifle and Optic may not exceed $1650.00 (for example spend $800 on a rifle and $850 on a scope). That keeps the sport affordable. The other classes have no price limits on Rifle and Optic. The “Young Guns” division is for competitors 17 years or younger. Visit NRL22.com to find an NRL22 match near you. CLICK HERE for full NRL22 rules with 2026 updates.
Precision Rimfire Competition Match Report
This excellent video covers a big rimfire precision match, the King of 0.28 Miles event, held at the Rush Lake Range in MN. The video shows multiple stages with targets out to 300 yards, followed by a 465-yard challenge. Host Dave shot the match with a Vudoo Gunworks V22 rifle in a Grayboe Ridgeback stock, with a Trijicon Accupower 4.5-30x56mm FFP scope. The ammo was Lapua Center-X, a top-tier choice.
Rimfire Ammo Selection — Why Comparison Testing Is Important
Every gun and barrel is different, so you should test various ammo types in YOUR rifle. Additionally, you can benefit from lot testing with particular ammo types to optimize your ammo choice even more. If you’re serious about rimfire accuracy, lot testing can be very helpful, whether at your own rage or a testing center. There is no replacement for starting with a good lot of ammunition your rifle likes.
First Rimfire Precision Match — Lessons Learned
Here’s a helpful video for folks getting started in the Precision Rimfire game. Our buddy F-Class John, a top F-Open competitor (and YouTube video creator), is getting starting in the .22 LR precision discipline. Here he provides lessons learned from his first .22 LR precision match.
Tripod Review — Options for Precision Rimfire Shooters
The NRL22 match format is a great shooting discipline. NRL22 offers a high fun factor at relatively low cost. You don’t have to reload match ammo. A couple of 50-round boxes of .22 LR ammo will get you through the match. While some people bring lots of gear to matches, that’s by choice and not by necessity. You can keep it simple and still be competitive (and win).
Tips for NRL22 Competitors by Jonathan Ocab
I am a match director at my gun club and run our local NRL22 matches. People often ask me for tips for competing in NRL22. First, I recommend getting the course of fire for the month in advance and practicing those stages at the range. Here are other specific tips that should help NRL22 competitors improve their gun-handling and match results.
1. Dry Fire Practice — If you are not able to do live fire practice at the range, I encourage shooters to practice their shooting positions at home via dry fire. Setup props or barricades with pasters or other faux targets on a wall in the garage or inside the house and run through each stage.
2. Scope Magnification Level — The most common issue I see with newer shooters in NRL22 is the tendency to maximize their scope magnification. The timer will start, and the shooter gets into position on a target, but the scope is set to 15x or higher and the shooter can’t find the target. The shooter lowers the magnification, locates the target, and then increases the magnification again, takes the shot, transitions to another target, and repeats the process of decreasing magnification, locating target, etc. Novice NRL22 shooters should try using the mid-range magnification. Try shooting 7x-12x and learn to balance field of view and target image.
The March 4, 2026 episode of Shooting USA TV features the Vintage Sniper Rifle match at Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. Vintage Sniper competitions use period correct battle rifles with older-style optics. Teams of two engage targets at three hundred and six hundred yards. “It’s a match that brings … a nostalgic competitor out. You’ll see World War II time-period rifles, sniper-type rifles that were used during World War II, [and] Korean War era”, noted Mark Johnson of the CMP. “The optics are either original optics or current reproduction of old optics.”
Shooting USA SHOW TIMES: This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. In Canada, Shooting USA is broadcast on the Sportsman Canada Channel. If you miss the regular broadcast, you can stream the show online at any time on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode.
Vintage Sniper Rifle matches have proven popular with competitors of all ages, from 18 to 80. These matches are conducted with two-man teams, using vintage rifles with scopes. Most shooters use bolt-action rifles such as the 1903 Springfield and Swedish Mauser, but there is also a semi-auto class popular with Garand shooters. Along with today’s Shooting USA episode, you can watch a previous Vintage Sniper match on YouTube. Click the arrow below to start the 48-minute show:
Vintage Sniper Rifle Competition at Talladega
The Vintage Sniper Match at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park is a popular two-man team event, for shooter and spotter, using military rifles in service up to 1953. One added challenge is the time limit. The team has only 20 seconds to complete each shot — That’s 20 seconds for the spotter to read the conditions, and for the shooter to pull the trigger.
Who can identify this vintage European rifle, with its unusual scope mount?
Here’s a great Do-It-Yourself project for tactical shooters. Ed and Steve of 65Guys.com have created a versatile wooden barricade designed for easy transport. The goal with this design was to create a stable barricade that offers a variety of shooting positions, but can also fit in the bed of a pick-up or the back of an SUV. The 69″ tall barricade is hinged in the middle, so it’s just 27″ wide. To deploy the Barricade you simply fold it open and then nest the lower wings in ground-level stands.
We call this the BYOB Project — Build Your Own Barricade. Anyone with basic wood-working skills should find the Barricade pretty easy to make. The only tricky part is cutting the side Dado joints for the left and right lower wings. But when you’ve got it completed, you have a low-cost unit that is versatile and sturdy yet easy to pack in a truck and carry out on the range. In the video below the 6.5 Guys showcase their Gen 2 barricade and explain how to build one just like it.
Looking at the 6.5 Guys Modular Barricade
The Modular Barricade was drawn up by Steve in PowerPoint and then dimensions added. Once the entire plan was created, Steve cut components to size and then used ordinary wood screws and wood glue to assemble the barricade frame. This was done to ensure maximum rigidity due to the light weight construction using 2″ x 2″ frame members. A long piano hinge was used to allow the Barricade to fold in half, while still having high torsional rigidity. Each of the Barricade openings are 12″ x 12″ square. This consistent ‘window’ spacing allows interchangeable panels with different cut-out shapes to be placed at varies heights/locations in the Barricade.
Modular Barricade Key Features
— Lightweight construction using low-cost 2×2 wood beams.
— Collapsible frame with center hinges for easy transport and deployment.
— Multiple Support levels at 6″ vertical intervals (6″ variance R to L).
— Modular port design allows ports to be changed and moved as desired.
6.5 Guys’ Modular Barricade — Construction Tips
The Modular Barricade can be constructed over a weekend with the proper materials and basic shop tools such as a power saw and electric screwdriver. Steve used a router for the side panel dado joints but a table saw could also be used for that task. Steve’s only real issue with the build involved the port panels — getting them to fit right. The 2″ x 2″ frame wood wasn’t always straight; even a small variation in the wood could cause a port panel to be too tight or too loose. Steve had to do a lot of extra sanding and planing to get the port panels to fit just right.
Where and How to Use the Barricade for Training
Because the 6.5 Guys’ Modular Barricade is so easy to move, you can simply pack it up and deploy it at your local range for practice. (Do ensure club/range rules allow shooting from barricades.) While the Barricade is designed to sit on the natural ground, the base stands can also be placed on concrete if your range does not allow deployment forward of the normal firing line. While you can use the Barricade for training on your own, Ed and Steve say novice shooters can benefit from a formal clinic.
In the video below, the 6.5 Guys discuss precision rifle training with Scott Satterlee, an instructor with Core Shooting Solutions. This video explains why new shooters should consider enrolling in a formal training clinic. Topics covered are: typical course format and “curriculum”, the gear needed to participate in a precision rifle clinic, and skills shooters should practice before attending the clinic.
We’ve always liked the capacious, durable range boxes from MTM Case-Gard. And MTM offers a special “Tactical” version for AR shooters. This detachable-lid Tactical Range Box features a magwell-filling “action block insert” to support your AR securely during cleaning. Magwell posts like this have been used for years by AR gunsmiths. It’s a fast and convenient way to secure your AR.
The Tactical Range Box also comes with two adjustable cradles that will support most conventional bolt-action rifles and lever guns. These plastic cradles are gentle on fancy stocks, and they can be removed and stowed in the bottom of the box during transport.
The Tactical Range Box uses a two-piece design. The removable top storage compartment holds oils, solvents, brushes, patches, and small accessories. Unlatch the top box to reveal a large, deep storage area that will hold tools, earmuffs, ammo boxes and other larger items. MTM Range Boxes are big enough to hold pretty much everything you need at the range, except your front rest and rear sandbag. Midsouth Shooters Supply offers the MTM Tactical Range Box (item 008-TRB40) for just $52.23. Like MTM’s standard Shooting Range Box (RBMC-11), the Tactical Range Box is well-built and much less flexy than generic plastic tool-boxes. Check out the features of this range box in the videos below.
Practical USER TIP — Keep some heavy items in the box for more stability. Forum member Tom Alvez explains: “I have one of those range boxes… It’s a great product, really. But, unless there is some pretty heavy stuff in the box when the rifle cleaning starts it may get pretty skittery. Maybe [add] a block or two of lead — that could come in handy later.”
For more info, contact MTM® Molded Products at (937) 890-7461 or visit MTMCase-gard.com.
Sniper Central says these cards work well as targets: “The bold square is easy to pick up with the inner white portion making a nice aiming point. The material of the cards is the same as normal playing cards and the bullets make a very nice hole when passing through.” The sharp edges of the bullet holes makes it easy to measure group sizes with precision.
We’ve always liked the capacious, durable range boxes from 
