Kelly McMillan recently released a Video Podcast featuring some very talented shooters including the legendary David Tubb. While Kelly has broadcast scores of audio interviews on his Taking Stock Radio Show, this is something even better — you can see Kelly’s guests on camera during the 68-minute-long Video Podcast:
David Tubb Talks Cartridge Design, ELR, and Much More
The show starts off with legendary marksman, David Tubb, winner of 11 NRA National High Power Rifle Championships as well as multiple National Long Range championships. Kelly notes: “Our first guest, David Tubb, is arguably the … winningest, competitive rifleman in history. Trophies aside, though, David’s biggest contribution to our shooting sports is his innovative mind. The underlying essence behind his company, Superior Shooting Systems, is the continued advancement of the ‘human factor’ in the shooting sports.” During this segment David addresses many topics, including cartridge design (6XC and 6.5 Creedmoor), ballistics, Extreme Long Range (ELR) shooting, optics, stocks and more.
Regina Milkovich — Top PRS and Tactical Competitor Facebook Photo and courtesy WellArmedWomen.
Kelly’s next guest is Regina Milkovich, the first woman in history to win a major practical/tactical precision rifle match outright. (Regina was the overall winner of the 2016 NorCal Tactical Bolt Rifle Challenge.) Regina has been successful in many disciplines, and is now active in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS). Starting at the 44:50 time-mark in the video, Regina shows off her current PRS rifle, chambered for the 6XC cartridge. It features a McMillan stock, Defiance Action, Vortex Razor Gen 2 scope, and Timney trigger. Tactical shooters will want to watch this segment. Regina reviews the many accessories she uses both on and off the rifle. She shows the support bags she favors and discusses how the right choice of equipment can help improve your scores.
“[This is] one of my all-time favorite pictures” Regina told us. “It was taken in Vegas at a Sin City Precision match a couple of years ago.” Facebook photo.
Kelly also chats with Buzz Miller, an industry product development specialist who has worked with large gun-makers including FN USA, and Taurus. Buzz talks about how new gun designs are conceived, proto-typed, tested, and introduced into the marketplace. Buzz also discusses customer service among other topics. The main Buzz Miller segment begins at the 41:20 time-mark.
Plan to buy or build a 224 Valkyrie rifle this year? Well now you can get the official specifications for the new 224 Valkyrie cartridge and chamber. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI), has released its official 224 Valkyrie “blueprint” which you can now download for your records. SAAMI approved the Federal Premium 224 Valkyrie as an official new cartridge this past January. The 224 Valkyrie’s SAAMI standards documents are now published and available to the industry as a whole, as well as to the public.
SAAMI allows free access to technical data and drawings for cartridge and chamber designs, which are posted in the Specifications section of SAAMI’s website. All cartridge and chamber drawing documents are contained within the ANSI/SAAMI Standards and can be found on www.saami.org. The New SAAMI Cartridge Cartridge/Chamber Designs for 224 Valkyrie can be viewed here: http://www.saami.org/PDF/224-Valkyrie-Introduction.pdf.
About the 224 Valkyrie Cartridge
Federal Premium’s 224 Valkyrie is based on a 6.8 SPC case necked down to 22 caliber. The Valkyrie has a shorter case than the .223 Remington (and 5.56×45 NATO). This allows you to load the longest, heaviest .224-caliber bullets and still feed reliably from an AR15-type magazine. The 224 Valkyrie offers flatter trajectories than other AR15 mag-friendly cartridges, including the 22 Nosler, .223 Rem, and 6.5 Grendel. With heavy projectiles, the 224 Valkyrie boasts impressive ballistics — it can stay supersonic past 1,300 yards. Plus it has roughly half the recoil of larger cartridges offering comparable ballistics, such as the 6.5 Creedmoor (see chart below).
SAAMI’s work creates standards for the cartridge, increasing safety, interchangeability, reliability, and quality for firearm manufacturers building rifles chambered for the 224 Valkyrie. Federal Premium Ammunition President Jason Vanderbrink notes: “SAAMI’s approval of the cartridge was a crucial step in legitimizing [the 224 Valkyrie] within the industry”.
The Role of SAAMI in Creating Uniform Ammunition Standards
SAAMI was founded in 1926 at the request of the federal government and tasked with creating and publishing industry standards for safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality, as well as coordinating technical data. SAAMI’s Technical Committee, which consists of firearm and ammunition industry experts, reviewed the 224 Valkyrie submission over a period of about six months. The official cartridge name, maximum cartridge and minimum chamber dimensions, pressure limits, test equipment, and other characteristics are all considered and scrutinized during the process.
Magpul has released a new modular chassis that should generate interest in tactical and PRS circles. Priced at $999.95, the Magpul Pro 700 Chassis is expensive — you can buy a complete Ruger Precision Rifle for less than that. But it looks like it has some impressive features that may justify the cost. The buttstock section features fast, ambidextrous controls for LOP and cheek-piece height. The Pro 700 features a strong, internal aluminum sub-chassis, with an universal bedding block section that works with both right-hand and left-hand actions.
Video Shows Key Features of Magpul Pro 700 Tactical Rifle Chassis:
Q: So what do you guys think — Is this thing worth a grand ($1000)?
Magpul Pro 700 Chassis Features
— Anodized machined 6061-T6 billet aluminum V-bedding block, body, adjustment knobs and fore-end with high-strength, injection molded polymer body covers.
— Ambidextrous bedding block for left-hand or right-hand actions.
— Folding stock with push-button hinge has left- or right-folding capability.
— Stock won’t interfere with bolt handle when folded.
— Fixed Stock adapter for non-folding use.
— Overall LOP adjustment range is 13.25” – 15.125”
— Butt pad adjusts up 1.33″ and down .90″ and 5° left or right.
— Comb height adjustment has a 1” range with locking knob for cheek piece.
— Cheek riser features a 3-position fore/aft adjustment.
— Polymer grip with 5° forward edge sweep, with 3/4” fore/aft trigger-reach adjustment.
— M-LOK® slots on fore-end for accessory mounting.
— Integrated AICS-pattern mag well for AICS-pattern short action magazines.
— Large trigger guard allows use with gloves and aftermarket triggers.
— Low-profile, anti-snag ambidextrous magazine release.
Product find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
For many riflemen, reading the wind is the toughest challenge in long-range shooting. Wind speeds and directions can change rapidly, mirage can be misleading, and terrain features can cause hard-to-predict effects. To become a competent wind reader, you need range-time and expert mentoring. In the latter department, Frank Galli, founder of Sniper’s Hide, offers a detailed digital resource: Wind Reading Basics for the Tactical Shooter.
Wind Reading Basics is much more than a 47-page eBook — it has charts, instructions for ballistic calculators, and even embedded videos. Galli explains: “We break down the formulas, walk you through using a ballistic computer, and give you all the information in one place. From videos, to useful charts, we make it simple to get started. It’s all about having a plan, and we give you that plan.”
Galli’s Wind Reading Basics, priced at $7.99, can be downloaded from iTunes for iPads, iPhones and iOS compatible devices. Here are sample sections from the eBook (which includes videos):
With the support of these sponsors, the 6.5 Guys have collected over $10,000 worth of prizes.
Here is your chance to win some great prizes, including a Bergara B14 Rifle, Defiance Action, Nikon FX1000 Scope, Manners Stock, KRG Chassis, and over 30 more great products. All combined, these prizes are worth over $10,000. All prizes will be given away to visitors to the 6.5 Guys Facebook page who comment on the 6.5 Guys’ SHOT Show videos. No purchase necessary. Winners will be selected next Saturday, March 17, 2018. NOTE: Readers don’t hesitate. This is a great opportunity. For some of the prizes there are less than 80 commenting entrants now, so your chances are very good indeed!
How To Enter in the Prize Contest — Quick Summary
1. Go to 6.5 Guys Facebook Page.
2. Watch one or more linked 6.5 Guys SHOT Show Videos.
3. Comment on the Videos on Facebook, and tell two Facebook Friends.
The more videos you comment upon, the better your chances of winning!
To qualify to be selected in each random drawing for a prize, participants must complete the following tasks for each vendor promotion. First, “Like” the 6.5 Guys Facebook page and the vendor’s Facebook page. Second, leave a comment on the original 6.5 Guys’ post for the vendor’s SHOT Show prize promotion that includes a hashtag “shout out” to the donating company. Finally, you are asked to tag two friends on Facebook that could also benefit from the prize(s).
Everyone should be sure their LIKES and COMMENTS are within the original post(s) on the 6.5 Guys’ Facebook in order to qualify to enter the drawing(s). That’s it. For details on what products will be available to win and how to participate in each drawing, refer to the instructions on each of the SHOT Show videos on the 6.5 Guys’ Facebook page.
Mile High Shooting Accessories
$500 gift certificate towards the purchase of an AI product
Two Traust Shooting Bags
Nikon
FX1000 6-24x50mm SF, Illuminated MRAD Rifle Scope
RANGEX 4K Laser Range Finder
Phone Skope
Three – Phone Skopes
Rifles Only
50% discount of the Rifles Only signature Precision Rifle 1 & 2 Course
Seekins Precision
Scope mount or rings of winner’s choice
ShadowTech
Two – SS Loophole Slings
Spuhr
Spuhr Mount of winner’s choice
Tab Gear
PRS Sling
Two Large Rear Bags
Two Small rear bags
Thunder Beast Arms
TBA 22 suppressor
Vortex Optics
HD Razor Gen 2 Rifle Scope
XLR Industries
XLR Envy Chassis Package
All prizes will be awarded through a series of random drawings to take place during a Facebook live event to be held on Saturday, March 17th 2018 at 5:00 PM Pacific. Participants must be 18 years of age and reside in the USA. To learn more about prizes and how to participate in each drawing, refer to the detailed instructions on each of the SHOT Show videos on the 6.5 Guys’ Facebook page.
Fine print: 6.5 Guys, LLC reserves the right to modify the product description at any time for clarity or for any other reason deemed necessary. 6.5 Guys is coordinating the random selection of winners for each promotional drawing and will provide the winners’ contact information to each vendor for fulfillment of prizes. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including those pertaining to the transfer of firearms, NFA items and ITAR regulated items, is the responsibility of the winner and the vendor. 6.5 Guys LLC does not provide any express or implied product warranties or endorsements of any type.
PRS guys — check this out. Kahles has just announced a 5-25X First Focal Plane optic that should be a class leader. If you are thinking of upgrading your tactical scope this year, the new Kahles K525i should definitely be on any “short list” of ultra-premium optics. We predict this will be one of the top-performing tactical scopes on the market. Unfortunately, it will also be one of the most expensive. Kahles lists the K525i at €3,300.00 Euros. That’s $4,093.58 at current exchange rates! You can buy a pair of pretty nice tactical rifles for that. Hopefully Kahles will consider dropping the price a bit for the American market. Don’t know how many PRS guys are willing to fork over four grand for a scope.
Thankfully, it looks like the true “street price” in the USA will be a lot lower. EuroOptic.com is now taking pre-orders for the K525i at $3,299.00 USD — that’s a lot different than the €3,300.00 Euro MSRP. Kahles says the scopes should start arriving in summer 2018.
This scope is available in both Mil and MOA versions. Click values are 0.1 MIL, or 1/4 MOA. A variety of illuminated, First Focal Plane (FFP) reticles are offered: SKMR3, SKMR, MSR2, Mil4+, MOAK. Notably the parallax control is coaxial with the elevation turret (meaning it is centrally mounted). You adjust parallax by rotating a large-diameter control that runs around the base of the elevation turret. We know that south-paws really like that feature.
Kahles also offers two windage configurations. You can have the windage mounted on either side — on the left side for right-handed shooters or on the right side for left-hand shooters. The windage knob also features a patented “Twist Guard” rotating end cover, which is easy to control while preventing accidental windage rotation.
Manufacturer’s Product Description
K527i features: Maximum optical performance-field of vision, contrast and picture quality, Exceptional repeat accuracy, precise and clearly defined turret mechanism 0.1 MIL or 1⁄4 MOA, side adjustment left or right, Parallax wheel integrated in the elevation turret, patented TWIST GUARD windage, precise illuminated reticles in the first focal plane and large adjustment range.
“The big brother of ultrashort K318i is the new flagship of KAHLES in the field of tactical riflescopes. It combines … maximum optical performance and highest precision with unique handling and ergonomics. The rugged K525i, with its practical magnification range, has been developed for tactical use and long distances.”
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
.: Maximum optical performance — field of vision, contrast, and picture quality
.: Exceptional repeat accuracy
.: Precise and clearly-defined click mechanism 0.1 MIL, MRAD or ¼ MOA
.: Side adjustment left or right
.: Parallax wheel integrated in the elevation turret (patented) for 20m – infinity
.: Innovative, patented TWIST GUARD windage
.: Precise illuminated reticles in first focal plane: SKMR3, SKMR, MSR2, Mil4+, MOAK
.: Large adjustment range with 2.9m (E) and 1.3m (W) at 100m
.: Zero Stop
Dick’s Sporting Goods, a major sporting goods retail chain, will stop selling AR-platform rifles, and require a minimum age of 21 years to purchase ANY and all firearms, not just handguns. In addition, the company will stop selling “high-capacity magazines”. The Chairman/CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Edward W. Stack, announced these new policies yesterday (2/27/2018), while appearing on the Good Morning America TV show. Stack said the ban would begin immediately, with ARs and other mag-fed semi-automatic rifles being removed from all Dick’s stores (and deleted from the company’s website).
The action was prompted by the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Stack stated: “As we looked at what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and saddened by what happened we felt we really needed to do something. When that happened we realized … we did everything by the book. We did everything that the law required, and he was still able to buy a gun. And when we looked at that, we said the systems that are in place across the board just aren’t effective enough to keep us from selling someone a gun like that.” Notably, Stack revealed that Nikolas Cruz, the Florida school shooter, had purchased a shotgun from Dick’s last year (however, that shotgun was NOT used in the shooting).
Dick’s Sporting Goods will no longer sell AR-platform rifles and other similar, semi-auto, mag-fed rifles. It is unclear if other, more traditional semi-auto centerfire rifles will still be sold.
Stack also urged elected officials to enact “common sense gun reform” by banning “assault-style” firearms (his terminology, not ours); raising the minimum age to purchase all firearms to 21; banning high-capacity magazines; banning bump stocks; and requiring more complete universal background checks that include relevant mental health information and previous interactions with law enforcement. Stack also hopes that a universal database of those banned from buying firearms is created, and that private sales without background checks are disallowed. (Source: IndyStar.com)
Previously, in late 2012, Dick’s removed semi-auto AR/AK-type rifles from its main retail stores in response to the school shooting at Sandy Hook. However, after a few months, sales of ARs and similar rifles resumed at Field & Stream stores operated by Dick’s.
There will be no going back this time, Stack said, emphasizing that the policy changes will be permanent. In an open letter, Stack announced: “We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens. But we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us.”
What do you think about this action by Dick’s Sporting Goods? You can express your views by clicking the Post Comment link below…
Forty-Nine Major PRS Matches — Thousands of Participants
The Precision Rifle Series (PRS) for tactical-style rifles, remains one of the fastest-growing forms of rifle competition. For 2018, there will be more matches, in more venues around the country. This year’s PRS will include 43 Bolt Gun Series matches and six (6) Gas Gun Series matches. The bolt gun matches average 120 to 150 shooters while the gas gun matches typically draw 70 to 100 shooters. In addition to the Pro Series, there’s the PRS Club Series, which is estimated to have 2,000 to 3,000 participants.
The GAP Grind is always one of the most popular PRS matches of the year.
Many of our readers are thinking of trying out PRS-type competition. Along with F-Class, tactical/practical disciplines are the fastest-growing forms of competitive rifle shooting. Rich Emmons, one of the founders of the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), has written an article about getting started in PRS. this Getting Started article will help PRS novices pick the right equipment and understand the game. You may also want to read the PRS FAQ Page.
This Video Shows Highlights from a Major PRS Match
Hornady Commits to $50,000 Sponsorship
One of the reasons for the success of the PRS is the support of major sponsors such as Armalite, Bushnell, Nightforce, and now Hornady. Nebraska-based Hornady Manufacturing has become a sponsor of the 2018 Precision Rifle Series at the $50,000/year Patriot Level. Mollie Tobias, PRS Sponsorship director, explained the importance of sponsors such as Hornady. “Hornady, being one of the most respected brands in reloading components, is the perfect fit to help us appeal to and educate our shooters,” she said. “Hornady’s name recognition and brand reputation are a huge help to our series and communicate to the members that we are a premier series working with premier brands.”
We are pleased to see Hornady as a sponsor. Hornady produces loaded ammo as well as brass and bullets. According to PRS surveys of its members, many of those shooters are interested in reloading, and reloading supplies (bullets, brass, and powder) are among the most requested items for match prize tables.
Need a simple, easy-to-use drop chart for your rifle? Something you can tape right to the buttstock? Then check out Hornady’s handy Online Ballistics Calculator. This user-friendly calculator will compute your drops accurately, and output a handy “Cheat Sheet” you can print and attach to your rifle. Simply input G1 or G7 BC values, muzzle velocity, bullet weight, zero range, and a few other variables. Click “Calculate” and you’ll see the full chart (shown below). Then if you click “View Cheatsheet”, you can generate the simpler, 4-line Drop Chart (shown above).
The online ballistics caculator is easy to use. You can select the basic version, or an advanced version with more data fields for environmental variables (altitude, temperature, air pressure, and humidity). You can also get wind drift numbers by inputing wind speed and wind angle.
Conveniently, on the trajectory output, come-ups are listed in both MOA and Mils — so this will work with either MOA clicks or Mil-based clicks. There are more sophisticated ballistics solvers available on the web (such as the outstanding Applied Ballistics Online Calculator), but the Hornady Calculator is very simple and easy to use. If you just want a basic drop chart, you may want to check this out.
Here’s important news for tactical shooters. There’s a rival to the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), the National Rifle League (NRL). And now the NRL has a major rifle sponsor — Howa. This Japanese rifle-maker will support the NRL’s 2018 season as Official Factory Rifle Sponsor. Good choice. We’ve shot Howa 1500-series rifles, and we know they offer excellent performance for the price. You can buy a complete Howa tactical rig, such as the KRG Bravo, or get a barreled action and put it into a variety of third-party modular stocks. Plus Criterion Barrels now offers Pre-Fit barrels in a variety of chamberings for Howa 1500 actions.
For 2018, the NRL will host 15 Precision Rifle matches, and the NRL 2018 Championships will be on October 19th – 21st in Idaho. There Howa will provide valuable prizes for top competitors. CLICK HERE for more information on the NRL 2018 match schedule.
National Rifle League Upcoming Spring Matches
Absolute Zero Sniper Match
North Carolina, February 23-25, 2018
Bighorn Steel Classic
Nebraska, March 2-4, 2018
Monster Lake Mayhem
Wyoming, April 6-8, 2018
Owen’s Armory Battle Royale
Arizona, April 27-29, 2018
JC Steel Target Challenge
Washington, May 4-6, 2018
Silent Night by Butch’s
Oklahoma, May 25-26, 2018
Howa 1500 Rifles and Actions — Good Stuff
Howa Machinery has been exporting sporting rifles for more than four decades since its first unit shipped in 1967. The Howa Model 1500 boast a smooth-running action and a fine two-stage HACT trigger (that’s a lot better than the standard trigger in most other factory rifles). For 2018, Howa is moving into the tactical/practical Precision market with a full line of competition ready rifles.
“We are very excited to be a part of the National Rifle League for 2018. We had the opportunity to be a part of a few matches in 2017 and the response was amazing. We view the NRL as an opportunity to connect with precision rifle shooters all around the country and share our passion for bolt-action rifles and the competition camaraderie.” Stated Mathew Hornback of Howa USA.
Travis Ishida, NRL President, noted “how capable these Howa rifles are for our style of shooting. The new Howa competition-ready rifles offer a sub-MOA guarantee out of the box[.] I am truly excited to have Howa supporting the NRL and to see them perform this year.”
This scope is available in both Mil and MOA versions. Click values are 0.1 MIL, or 1/4 MOA. A variety of illuminated, First Focal Plane (FFP) reticles are offered: SKMR3, SKMR, MSR2, Mil4+, MOAK. Notably the parallax control is coaxial with the elevation turret (meaning it is centrally mounted). You adjust parallax by rotating a large-diameter control that runs around the base of the elevation turret. We know that south-paws really like that feature.
National Rifle League Upcoming Spring Matches
