What’s it feel like to hit a 2158-yard target (from cold bore), and set a world record in the process? Well watch the video below to find out. Last week we reported that shooter Randy Wise set a new ELR Central world record, going three-for-three (from cold bore) at 2158 yards. The feat took place at the recent NRA ELR Championship at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. And he did that with a factory Savage action and barrel!
We first reported on Randy’s ELR record last week in the Bulletin. Now we have more photos, and most importantly, a video. You can now watch Randy Wise make his three hits in a row, starting with Cold Bore shot, at 2158 yards. The video was captured by Clay Rhoden of TargetVision/Longshot Target Cameras.
Watch Randy Wise Make ELR World-Record Three Straight Hits at 2158 Yards:
Watch the full sequence above (sorry there is no sound). Note that there were previously some hit marks on the 36″ x 36″ steel target. Ignore those. Steve’s first hit is at the bottom right — barely above the edge of the plate. At 0:42 you see the bright light flash indicating a hit. The second shot impacts in the top right — see the light flash at 1:09. The third and final hit impacts about 6″ up from the bottom, at 1:24. When the flashing light confirms Hit #3, Randy shows his emotion, pumping his fists with excitement.
Remarkably, Randy set the new ELR record using a stock Savage action and Savage factory barrel chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. The Savage barreled action was mounted in an Accurate Rifles Systems chassis with Rempel bipod. Randy’s rifle had a factory stock 26″ 1:9″-twist barrel chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. His load featured Lapua .338 LM brass, Berger 300gr Hybrid bullets, Federal 215M primers, and a stout charge of Hodgdon Retumbo powder. Ballistics solution by Applied Ballistics LLC. For optics, Randy used a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle.
ELR World Record Standards
One video viewer asked why this was a world record, when longer shots have been made in K02M competition. Here’s the answer from Applied Ballistics: “To be an ELR World Record it has to be done cold bore, and three for three. No sighters, no practice, no walking the shots on, no accuracy by volume. Also neither the shooter or rifle can have been fired in the past 24 hours, to ensure it’s truly cold bore. It’s a test of skill and knowledge of your system.” Skill indeed. 2158 Yards is 1.226 MILES. At that distance, Randy shot a group measuring roughly 1.3 MOA vertical and half-minute horizontal.
For his efforts, Randy received glory, and a nice $1000-dollar check from McMillan Fiberglass stocks. Here Randy poses with his check, flanked by Bryan Litz (left) and Kelly McMillan (right). The match was officiated by Clay Rhoden. Doc Beech of Applied Ballistics was the certifying official.
Team USA members Ashley Rheuark, Lanny Barnes, Lena Miculek, and Becky Yackley (L to R).
You go girls! Four American lady shooters crushed the competition at the recent 2019 IPSC Rifle World Shooting Championship held in Sweden. This was a major international event, with 669 shooters from 37 countries competing for six days at the Villingsberg Shooting Range in Karlskoga, Sweden.
Shooting Sports USA reports: “The IPSC Rifle World Shoot is … the Super Bowl or World Series for serious action rifle shooters around the world. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), the sanctioning body for the match was established to promote and advance the sport of practical shooting worldwide.” This match involved 30 varied, challenging stages in the Villingsberg range (Villingsbergs skjutfält) a facility of the Swedish Armed Forces.
Four American ladies finished 1-2-3-4 in individual standings, showing complete dominance by USA women competitors. Ashley Rheuark topped the field to take the Gold Medal. Lena Miculek finished second to take Silver, and Lanny Barnes was third with Bronze. And American Dakota Overland finished fourth, just 5 points behind Barnes. In winning the women’s division, Rheuark shot superbly, finishing with a score of 1883.7501, over 30 points ahead of Miculek.
The American ladies also excelled in Team competition. Team USA’s Becky Yackley joined Rhueark, Miculek, and Barnes to capture the Gold Medal in the Women’s Semi-Auto Open Division. In addition, Lena Miculek won the Women’s Division Shoot-Off. Notably, Lena’s Shoot-Off performance was broadcast on Swedish National Television. Lena wasn’t the only winning Miculek — her father Jerry Miculek took top honors in the Super Senior Class.
The Semi-Auto Open division had the largest match participation with 531 registered competitors. Finland’s Jarkko Laukia won the Open division with Finnish team-mate Raine Peltokoski finishing second. Third place was taken by Vadim Mikhailov from Russia. CLICK HERE for full men’s and women’s match results.
Watch Match Highlights on Gunroom.TV
You can watch nine videos from the 2019 IPSC World Rifle Championships on the Gunroom.TV website. We suggest you watch the Day 5 Video and Day 6 Video. These interesting video from the last two days of the competition show many of the stages, which are quite different than typical American multi-gun shooting bays. The setting is green and lush.
The AR15 is America’s rifle, right? Well it is apparently China’s rifle too, at least when it comes to replacement stocks, buffers, hand-guards and other spare parts/accessories. It seems China’s factories have been churning out plenty of Black Rifle components. Only one problem — U.S. Federal government policies ban importation of many types of gun parts from China. Washington has an embargo on Chinese-made gun components.
Because of these import restrictions, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents recently seized over 52,000 illegal gun parts. ABC News reported: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Thursday that [it] seized a total of $378,225 worth of firearms parts in violation of the Chinese Arms Embargo. [Seized items] included sights, stocks, muzzles, brakes, buffer kits, and grips which arrived in three shipments from China.” Many of the seized items were for AR-platform Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs), but other types of gun parts and accessories were seized also.
“This seizure is an exceptional example of CBP officers and import specialists vigilance, commitment and keen focus in enforcing complex arms embargo regulations,” said Carlos C. Martel, CBP Field Operations Director in Los Angeles.
Three Shipments of Gun Parts Were Seized at the Port of Long Beach in California:
The products were seized at the Port of Long Beach in the Los Angeles metropolitan region. This is a major entry point for a wide variety of products from China, Japan, and other Pacific Rim countries.
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on some of those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness level, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $19.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
2. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
3. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $20.04 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
4. Official U.S. Army Sniper Training and Operations Manual
From U.S. Army Sources, $17.59 paperback.
This U.S. Army Sniper Training Manual is a very comprehensive resource, with over 450 pages of information in a large 8.5″x11″ format. NOTE: Unlike other editions on Amazon, this is NOT the basic, outdated FM 23-10. This is the completely-overhauled 450+ page edition (FM 3-22.10). Heavily illustrated, this is a very useful resource for tactical/practical precision shooter. Employed as the “textbook” for the U.S. Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, GA, this big manual explains ranging methods, rifle handling, optics selection and operation, and rifle maintenance.
There is also extensive discussion of ballistics, wind reading, and weather effects. Practical competitors will appreciate the discussions of moving targets, range estimation, and range safety procedures. One reviewer explains: “This book contains the distilled wisdom of the Sniper School’s instructors and expert marksmen, giving you over 450 pages of unique insight into the long range combat shooter’s art.”
Frankly, we are not big fans of Red Dot sights, as they are not a good choice for precision rifle shooting beyond 100 yards. But Red Dot sight systems do have a place for pistol shooters, night-time hunters, and folks defending their home and property at short range.
Those considering purchasing a Red Dot sight system should read the latest Ammoland Red Dot Review by former U.S. Army Ranger Rex Nanorum. Rex took four affordable (under $200) Red Dot optics into the field, putting them through their paces. Rex notes: “Red dot sights are excellent options for those wanting a lightweight upgrade to iron sights and those prioritizing speed over the maximum accurate range.”
Rex tested the five Red Dot units, evaluating them based on multiple key factors: weight, brightness settings, ingress resistance to moisture and particulates, range performance, and battery life.
We recommend you read the full review, which includes detailed discussion of multiple factors. But there were some interesting “take-aways” from Rex’s Ammoland review.
Dot Size — The Bushnell has a 3 MOA central Dot, while the other units have a 2 MOA Dot.
Weight — The four units are similar, weighing 5.3 to 6.6 ounces.
Battery Life — The Bushnell TRS-26 and Primary Arms Microdot enjoyed a huge advantage in battery-life, with a claimed 50,000 hours! The Nikon SuperDot offers 14,000 hours, while the Vortex Crossfire delivers only 7000 hours.
Intrusion Resistance — All four units claim to be fog-proof, shock-proof, and water-resistant, typically good for 30 minutes immersion at 1 meter water depth. But the Nikon unit also has a particulate-ingress resistance rating. In the real world, keeping dust out may be more important than the ability to survice a half-hour dunking. In dry states such as Arizona, dust is a bigger issue than water.
The Primary Arms Microdot Earned Top Honors in Ammoland’s Test:
Overall, based on a variety of factors, Rex the reviewer rated the Primary Arms Microdot “best in test”, followed by the Bushnell TRS-26 in second place. The Nikon placed third, while the Vortex was ranked fourth. Rex was somewhat disappointed with the Vortex’s battery life and brightness controls.
Newer Bushnell TRS-26 has larger objective and longer battery life than older TRS-25:
Review of Higher-Priced ($400-$1000) Red Dot Optics
If you’re willing to pay $400 or more for a Red Dot optic, there are many good options. The same reviewer, Rex Nanorum, has tested and ranked five more costly Red Dot Sights:
So, are you feeling lucky? If so, head over to the NSSF’s Gearbox Giveaway webpage. To celebrate National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM), gun and gear manufacturers are offering big prize packages — the Gearbox Giveaways. Enter to win rifles, pistols, ammo, and other valuable prizes. Total Product Value is over $45,500! Many of the Gearbox packages are worth over $3000 with the most valuable package worth over $5600. Enter as many of the Gearbox Giveaways as you like, but time’s running out — the last day to enter is August 31, 2019.
Shown below are all 17 Gearbox Giveaways ranked in order of value — starting with the most valuable prize package. You’ll find more details of the prize packages on the NSSF website. NOTE: You need to enter separately for each Gearbox Giveaway prize package. Good luck!
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every 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.
Unless you’ve been under a rock you’ve heard that Dillon has released an all-new XL750 progressive reloading press. As a result, vendors are now discounting the venerable XL650 which is still a mighty capable platform. The best deal we found for an XL650 is at Creedmoor Sports. Right now you can snag a Dillon XL650 for just $499.95 — a crazy low price. When you purchase you’ll have a choice of calibers. NOTE: Case Feeder, Dies, and other accessories are NOT included for the $499.95 price. We suggest you CALL Creedmoor Sports to ensure you understand exactly what is included.
The Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) is very popular with hunters, varminters, and tactical/practical competitors. For RPR fans we’ve found two GREAT deals. First CDNN Sports is selling the RPR in 6mm Creedmoor for just $899.99. And if you prefer the .308 Win, a great hunting round, the price is even more attractive. Right now Gander Outdoors is selling .308 Win Ruger Precision Rifles for $783.82, the lowest RPR price we’ve ever seen! NOTE: If you join Gander’s email list you may also get 10% off your first purchase.
3. Graf and Sons — AMP MARK II Induction Annealer, $1255.49
If you don’t have an AMP computer-controlled induction Annealing Machine yet, here’s your chance to save nearly $140.00. These amazing AMP Annealers are almost never discounted. But right now at Grafs.com you can save 10% on all AMP products including the superb AMP Mark II induction annealer. The 10% discount applies to all accessories as well as the annealing unit. Guys, this discount won’t last long — if you want an AMP Annealer, act soon.
4. Natchez — CCI .22 LR Rimfire Ammo 5000 Rounds, $239.99
This is one of the very best deals on quality, American-made .22 LR ammo we’ve found this year. You can snag 5,000 rounds of CCI 40gr .22LR ammo from Natchez for just $239.99. That’s $2.40 per box of 50 rounds — less than five cents per round! If you seek good rimfire plinking ammo at a rock-bottom price, take advantage of this offer.
5. Palmetto State Armory — Complete AR-15 Lower Receiver
PLUS S&W M&P Shield 9MM Pistol, BOTH for $399.99
If you need a carry pistol, and want to get started on a Modern Sporting Rifle project, here is a fantastic package deal. Palmetto State Armory now has a S&W M&P Shield 9MM PLUS a PSA complete AR-15 lower for just $399.99. YES that’s BOTH products for less than you might pay for the S&W pistol alone elsewhere. Just add an upper and you have a great carry gun plus a versatile Black Rifle.
6. Brownells — Federal 5.56×45 Rifle Ammo, On Sale + Rebate
If you’re looking for some 5.56×45 (.223 Rem) ammo, here’s a great deal on Federal American Eagle XM855 62gr green tip in various sizes. Choose XM855 Ammo in Mini Boxes or XM855 in Stripper Clips. NOTE, this American Eagle Ammo also qualifies Federal Factory REBATE. With this REBATE, you get get $15.00 ($0.05 per round) back for each 300 rounds of qualifying Federal American Eagle 5.56×45 Ammo. Maximum rebate is $500 per household.
Vortex makes a great product and offers one of the best warranties in the business. So when we saw the Vortex Strike Eagle 4-24x50mm scope for only $299.99 we had to feature it. It has a great 6 times zoom range and features Vortex’s popular EBR-4 MOA reticle. If you are looking for a SFP MOA-based scope for varminting or practical matches, this is a very good offering for the price — a real bargain.
Valuable riflescopes should be protected during transport and storage. These ProtX Neoprene Scope Covers are nicely padded, well-made, and affordable. These come in a variety of sizes from 9″ to 15″ overall, so you can find one to fit nearly any riflescope. It’s smart to use scope covers to protect your substantial optics investment. Neoprene covers provide much better shock and scratch protection than caps alone. For hunters looking to save ounces, there’s also a Gazelle $8.99 scope cover for optics up to 10″ OAL.
9. Amazon — MTM 50-Round Green Ammo Box, $10.99
MTM’s jumbo 100-round ammo boxes once ruled the line but more shooters are now using the smaller MTM 50-round boxes. These feature a metal hinge which won’t wear out like the larger boxes. With that improved hinge, the lid doesn’t spring back as with the 100-ct boxes. The smaller boxes are also easier to pack and easier to carry. Amazon currently has green MTM 50rd ammo boxes on sale for $10.99. You may want to grab some at this price.
The Vanquish Pro ($109.99 on Amazon) has BlueTooth. The basic model does NOT have Bluetooth.
Many readers use electronic muffs during matches so they can hear range commands. The Howard Light Impact Sport muffs are popular and affordable at around $53.00 on Amazon. Now there is a new alternative from Bushnell/Champion — the Vanquish Series electronic muffs. These feature ultra-fast under 1 millisecond sound compression with HD speakers. The Vanquish Pro and Pro Elite models offer Bluetooth connectivity, so users can take phone calls or listen to music at the range. The Elite models also offer Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). On all Vanquish models, the earpads are a nice soft foam for comfort, and the shell design is angled at the rear to provide more clearance on gunstocks. That’s smart.
Vanquish Muffs Offer Ultra-Fast Reaction Time with less than 1 millisecond Sound Compression:
So far, Vanquish muff users have been impressed. Audio quality is good. The 3X sound amplification on the basic model ($54.00 on Amazon) provides ample volume for conversations (Pro Model goes up to 5X). The ear foam is soft for all-day comfort. Top PRS competitor Bryan Sikes states: “Been a big fan of these new muffs for a while. been using the Vanquish Pros and it’s nice to listen to some Taylor Swift via Bluetooth or take a call if I need to when denting primers. Comfortable and less than half the cost of Sordins.”
Consider Running Plugs Under Muffs
The basic Vanquish Muffs have a 22 NRR (Noise Reduction Rating), same as the Howard Leight Impact Pros. That’s not enough, in our opinion, for sustained multi-hour exposure to firearm noises, particular indoors, or outdoors on a busy firing line. The Vanquish Pro ($109.99 on Amazon) has a better 24 NRR, but we would still recommend using ear-plugs under the muffs, for superior noise reduction. We like the Howard Leight MAX-1 plugs, which offer 33db NRR by themselves.
The 6mm Creedmoor has become one of the most popular cartridges for PRS/NRL competition, and it also works great in the varmint fields. There are many 6mm Creedmoor factory rifle options now, such as the Savage Model 10 in GRS stock and the Ruger Precision Rifle (6mm Creedmoor).
Do-It-Yourself 6mm Creedmoor Rifle Project — UltimateReloader.com
Another cost-effective option for 6mm Creedmoor fans is to build your own rifle, starting with a Howa barreled action. The Howa 1500 is a mag-fed, flat-bottomed bolt action that ships with the excellent HACT 2-stage trigger. Howa barreled actions are available with a variety of barrel lengths and contours, starting at about $430.00 at Brownells. There are quite a few good stocks/chassis systems now offered for Howa 1500 actions, including the excellent KRG Bravo Chassis, which features an ergonomic composite outer shell over a precision-machined inner chassis.
Gavin Gear fitted a KRG enclosed fore-end and Mystic Precision MPOD to his 6mm Creedmoor rifle.
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com has built a nice 6mm Creedmoor rifle using a Howa 1500 heavy-barreled action and KRG Bravo Chassis. This project has proven very successful. The rifle has shown impressive accuracy and outstanding reliability. Gavin hopes to use this rifle in practical/tactical competitions later this year.
In this video, Gavin fits KRG’s enclosed fore-end to the KRG Bravo chassis. This accessory fore-end features a top Picatinny rail and various attachment options on the sides and lower section. Here you can see the enclosed fore-end (upper right) next to the factory forend included with the KRG Bravo (lower left):
Gavin then fits a Mystic Precision MPod from EGW. This stable, wide-base bipod uses a T-Slot rail for rifle attachment, and has legs that adjust independently for height. The video shows the rifle coming together step-by-step. This is something the average guy can do with simple tools — no gunsmithing is required, because the Howa barreled action is pre-chambered for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge.
In the video above Gavin unboxes his Howa 1500 barreled action from Brownells. He then mounts the barreled action to the KRG Bravo stock, checking the torque levels. Next Gavin borescopes the hammer-forged barrel (5:55) noting: “What I saw I liked — there are practically no tooling marks. The finish on the lands and grooves looks really good”. Lastly, Gavin tested the trigger with his TriggerScan TS-11 (6:24), confirming a two-stage pull weight of about 2.25 pounds out of the box.
To help celebrate National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM), rifle and gear manufacturers are offering big prize packages — the Gearbox Giveaways. Enter to win rifles, pistols, ammo, and other valuable prizes. Many of the Gearbox packages are worth over $3000 with the most valuable package worth over $5000! Enter as many of the Gearbox Giveaways as you choose. You can’t win if you don’t enter.
You’ll find all the Gearbox Giveaways on the NSSF website. Shown below are TEN current Gearbox Giveaways ranked in order of value — starting with the most valuable prize package. Good luck!
The AR15 is America’s rifle, right? Well it is apparently China’s rifle too, at least when it comes to replacement stocks, buffers, hand-guards and other spare parts/accessories. It seems China’s factories have been churning out plenty of Black Rifle components. Only one problem — U.S. Federal government policies ban importation of many types of gun parts from China. Washington has an embargo on Chinese-made gun components.
