If you’re a fan of fine rifles, and functional shooting accessories, you’d have to be impressed with the hardware on display at the Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN). At this popular match, sling-shooters compete alongside F-Classers, so you get to see a wide variety of rifles — iron sights, and optical sights, traditional wood-stocked Palma rifles and modern metal tube-guns. And the F-TR class showcased a bevy of bipods, with numerous different designs. Here are some of the interesting guns and gear we saw at the Berger Southwest Nationals on Thursday February 6, 2013.
Here’s a nice spotting scope and front rest/rear bag set-up for F-Open. Can you name all the accessory items on display?
The rifle is battle-scarred, but the marksman’s form is good. And that’s what counts.
Team Grizzly had an impressive Kowa “Big Eyes” rig — Size Counts in the optics game.
There were quite a few Tubeguns and Tubb 2000s on the firing line. We took notice of this Tubb-gunner’s nice hold and his HBN-coated ammo.
How do you transport an F-TR rifle with a wide-track bipod? Here’s one clever solution — a rolling cart with vertical rifle-holder.
Somewhere under all that head-gear is a human being. This is one way to “tune out” visual distractions.
Here’s a good view of the Pohlabel “Flex” Bipod. Click to see a full-screen version.
Here’s an interesting, modular F-Open rig from Wayne Young. The forearm can be adjusted to 5″ or 6″ width for shooting benchrest.
CLICK HERE for a full write-up on the Wayne Young stock design.
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has launched an improved, redesigned website at www.SAF.org. As before, this website provides comprehensive news on Second Amendment issues, including analysis of important Second Amendment cases with links to actual case filings.
The new, enhanced site is now LIVE. SAF invites you to check it out at www.SAF.org
The new SAF.org website is faster, more modern, and way easier to navigate, particularly for mobile users. The new site features a “responsive” web design that optimizes the display for the user’s platform. So, if you are viewing the site from an iPad or smartphone, you see an optimized layout for that particular device/platform. It’s pretty slick, and mobile users will immediately notice the easier-to-read displays.
The new site also features better search functionality and quick access to news about Second Amendment issues and the activities of SAF.
Enhancements to the site include:
All of the latest SAF news “front and center” on the homepage.
Advanced, mobile-friendly “responsive” site layout (platform optimized).
Up-to-date info on important Amendment Cases with links to case filings.
Over 175 legal and scholarly articles on Second Amendment issues.
The Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN) have kicked off at the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, Arizona. Overall attendance has been impressive for this important shooting event. Approximately 275 shooters have registered. On Wednesday (February 5th) roughly 200 shooters competed in a 600-yard Mid-Range event, with three 20-shot matches. The wind clinic on Tuesday the 4th was also well-attended with 130 or so participants.
In addition to the rifle competition (continuing through Sunday), there will be other fun events. On Friday, after the 1000-yard match, there will be a SWAP meet.On Saturday, there will be a Banquet dinner at the Ben Avery Indoor Range.
The Mid-Range match was tightly fought. We don’t have official results yet, but we’re told that Jim Murphy was at the top in F-TR, followed by Lige Harris, Gerry Wiens, Grant Ubl, and Eric Stecker.
Next up is a 4-person Team match (800, 900, 1000 yards) starting bright and early on Thursday. AccurateShooter.com will be reporting directly from the match. Watch the Daily Bulletin for photos from the match and interviews with the shooters.
To learn more about the Berger Southwest Nationals, watch this video featuring footage from the 2013 event. Helpful interviews with last year’s competitors provide useful insights into conditions at Ben Avery. One regular shooter at Ben Avery told us: “On a typical day, when the wind builds it is pretty gradual and progressive. But when it starts to die, it can drop off quickly, with a pretty big change from shot to shot.”
Watch Berger SW Nationals Preview Video
Berger SWN Events Schedule (Thursday – Sunday)
The remaining action starts at 9:00 am each morning, Thursday through Sunday.
Thursday, 6 February 2014, 9:00 AM 4-Man Palma Team Match: 15 shots for record at 800, 900 and 1000 yards.
(Divisions – Palma, F-Open, F-TR)
Practice available to those not shooting with a team.
Friday, 7 February 2014, 9:00 AM – Start of Grand Agg Individual Palma Match: 15 shots for record at 800, 900 and 1000 yards.
(Divisions – Palma, F-Open, F-TR)
Swap Meet – after conclusion of fire at 1000-yard line.
Saturday, 8 February 2014, 9:00 AM Individual 1000 Yard Matches: Two 20-shot matches at 1000 yards. Any Rifle-Iron Sight (Any sight for F-Class shooters). (Divisions – Palma, Any Rifle-Iron Sight, F-Open, F-TR) 4 Man Team Match: 20 shots at 1000 yards. Any Rifle-Iron Sight (Any sight for F-Class shooters). (Divisions – Palma, Any Rifle-Iron Sight, F-Open, F-TR
Sunday, 9 February 2014, 9:00 AM Individual 1000 Yard Matches: Two 20 shots matches at 1000 yards. Any Rifle-Any Sight (Any sight for F-Class shooters). (Divisions – Palma, Any Rifle-Any Sight, F-Open, F-TR)
Few people love double-action revolvers as much as Jerry Miculek, and nobody on the planet shoots them better. Jerry is the undisputed double-action wheelgun master of the universe, having won just about every revolver competition you can imagine.
Jerry has long wanted a wheelgun that could shoot widely available 9mm ammo, using moon clips. Jerry finally convinced Smith & Wesson to build such a beast — officially dubbed the S&W 929 JM Signature Series. It features an 8-shot cylinder, enhanced internals, premium barrel, and a removable compensator. Jerry says “this thing is built exactly to my specifications. This is what I have been wanting forever.”
In the video above, Jerry tests one of the first-ever 929 revolvers. During the “unboxing”, Jerry is grinning from ear to ear. He actually says: “It’s like Christmas guys [with] a brand new toy.” When he gets his hands on the new gun, you can see his enthusiasm. At the end of the video, Jerry takes the new 929 out to his backyard range, and does an 8-shot rapid fire test. The gun shoots impressively fast and flat, and you can tell Jerry has a new “sweetheart” revolver. Jerry says “Wow — I don’t know if this is love or lust, but I’m likin’ it already guys.” Watch the video to see a pretty cool new S&W, and the legendary Jerry Miculek in his element.
A while back, while in Arizona, we headed out to the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, located about 27 miles north of downtown Phoenix on I-17. We were impressed by Ben Avery’s vast range complex, which includes a Clay Target (shotgun) center, 1000-yard High Power range, 100-300 yard Benchrest range, rifle and pistol silhouette ranges, handgun ranges, smallbore range, Running Boar range, and a large, 53-bay, 200-yard main range.
At the main range we ran into Forum Member Troy D., who had a brand-spanking new 6mmBR rifle built by Lester Bruno of Bruno Shooters Supply. While breaking-in his new 28″ Krieger barrel, Troy was using Sierra 70gr Blitz-Kings. Accuracy was impressive — the 70 grainers ripped tight, little knots in the high 2s, low 3s. Though his rifle has an 8-twist barrel, Troy was testing the 70s in preparation for a prairie dog trip next week. From what we saw, those p-dogs should be worried. Troy’s gun was a tack-driver with the Sierra Blitz-Kings.
Troy’s Compact Storage Box (Just $1.50!)
While Troy was cleaning between groups, we noticed he was using a compact little box to hold his jags, brushes and patches. The box was the perfect size for these items. Troy explained: “If you’re just taking one rifle to the range, you don’t need to take a big gear box with stuff for all your guns. Apart from solvent, bore guide, and cleaning rod, this little box holds all I really need to clean my rifle.” Troy sourced the box at Cabela’s for $1.50.
With the Berger Southwest Nationals kicking off February 4, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona, we thought our readers might enjoy a very interesting interview with the top decision-makers at Berger Bullets, namely company founder Walt Berger, plus Eric Stecker, Berger’s Executive Vice President.
This interview covers a wide range of topics in seven (7) separate segments. We’ve embedded the first two interview sections in this article, with links for the other five below.
Sinclair Int’l has released a 7-part series of video interviews with Walt Berger (founder of Berger Bullets) and Eric Stecker (Berger’s Exec. VP and Master Bulletsmith). The series is hosted by Bill Gravatt (who was Sinclair’s President at the time the interview was filmed). You can watch Parts 1 and 2 of the interview here, and we’ve provided links to the remaining Parts 3 through 7. All seven interview segments offer interesting material. Part 6 mentions the Berger Reloading Manual (many years in the making). Part 7, over 13 minutes long, contains interesting discussions of bullet testing and the hunting performance of Berger VLDs.
NOTE: You can view this entire video series (and many other videos) on Sinclair’s YouTube Channel Page.
Here’s something we haven’t seen before — shatter-proof, reusable bottle-shaped targets that you can blast over and over again (unlike real glass bottles). These would be fun for pistol plinking, and would be pretty challenging for rifle shooters at 300 yards and beyond.
Shatter-Proof, High-density, Recyclable Polymer Target Bottles from NRA Store Report by Lars Dalseide forNRABlog.com.
Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone, and all that’s left now is a heap of glass bottles ready for target practice. Unfortunately, real glass is only good for one shot, and the shards can be dangerous. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a bottle you could shoot repeatedly, WITHOUT any of the mess? Well, the NRA Store has exactly that!
The NRA Reusable, Shatterproof Bottle Targets are just what the name implies — tough and reusable. Whether you’re plinking with your .22 or packing a punch with a .30 caliber rifle, these targets will survive hundreds of direct hits.
Built from high-density, recyclable polymer, each target in the six-pack is rated to withstand around 300 rounds. That’s 1,800 rounds for the whole set! Every pack include six polymer bottles in various bright, vivid colors. Each set of bottles includes nine feet of rope, allowing you to stage these targets in countless different ways.
You can order these polymer target bottles online. Visit the NRAstore.com to pick up a set of NRA
Bottle Targets. The price is $39.95 for six bottles, carrier pack, and rope.
On January 9, 2014, the NSSF and SAAMI filed suit seeking to invalidate and enjoin California’s micro-stamping statute, which was codified in 2007, but not implemented until late in 2013. In the commentary below, NSSF Senior VP and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane explains the reasons gun industry groups have filed suit to enjoin California’s micro-stamping requirement.
Manufacturers Now Acting — Second Amendment Rights Are in the Balance by Larry Keane
It was inevitable given the unconstitutional and unworkable governmental overreach now under way in the State of California. Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co., two of the most recognized names in American firearms manufacturing, have confirmed that they are being forced to stop selling new or improved models of semiautomatic handguns in California because it is simply impossible to comply with the state’s microstamping law. That law became effective last year and applies to all new models of pistols introduced to the California market. Read the Smith & Wesson Statement. Sturm, Ruger & Co. also said it will stop new sales there.
On Jan. 9, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) filed a lawsuiton behalf of our respective members against the State of California in Fresno Superior Court challenging the state’s microstamping law. NSSF and SAAMI are seeking to invalidate and enjoin enforcement of provisions of state law enacted in 2007, but not made effective until May 2013, requiring that all semiautomatic pistols sold in the state not already on the California approved handgun roster contain unproven and unreliable microstamping technology.
Under this law, firearms manufacturers would have to micro laser-engrave a gun’s make, model and serial number on two distinct parts of each gun, including the firing pin so that, in theory, this information would be imprinted on the cartridge casing when the pistol is fired.
As I said when we announced this important legal challenge, there is simply no existing microstamping technology that will reliably, consistently and legibly imprint the required identifying information by a semiautomatic handgun on the ammunition it fires. The holder of the patent for this technology himself has written that there are problems with it and that further study is warranted before it is mandated. A National Academy of Science review, forensic firearms examiners and a University of California at Davis study reached the same conclusion and the technical experts in the firearms industry agree.
Manufacturers can not comply with a law the provisions of which are invalid, that cannot be enforced and that will not contribute to improving public safety. As a result, NSSF and SAAMI are seeking both declaratory and injunctive relief against this back-door attempt to prevent the sale of new semiautomatic handguns to law-abiding citizens in California.
In 2007, over our industry’s strenuous objections, California Assembly Bill 1471 was passed and signed into law requiring microstamping on internal parts of new semiautomatic pistols. We had called for a federal study of microstamping rather than a one-state mandate for this flawed, unreliable and easily defeated technology.
The legislation provided that this requirement would only became effective if the California Department of Justice certified that the microstamping technology is available to more than one manufacturer unencumbered by patent restrictions. The California legislature subsequently reorganized certain statutes concerning the regulation of firearms, including the microstamping law in 2010. On May 17, 2013, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris provided such certification despite the fact that peer-reviewed research proved microstamping does not work.
We predicted in 2007 that the passage of AB 1471 would lead to a de facto semiautomatic handgun ban. Now that the law has become effective, that ban has begun to roll forward.
The eyes of the nation are now turning to California. The national media has begun to take notice. This situation is not only about a consumer’s right to select the handguns with the latest features, or the aforementioned inability of manufacturers to comply with an unworkable law, the Constitutional, Second Amendment stakes are very high. You will want to stay tuned.
“Buy One, Get One Free” usually applies to things like cans of soup, or maybe, at best, amusement park tickets. So when a major gun manufacturer offers a “Buy one, get one free” offer on firearms, we sit up and take notice.
Here’s the deal: if you buy any one of six select Sig Sauer centerfire handguns, Sig will give you a free 1911-22 .22LR rimfire pistol. That’s right — buy the centerfire handgun, and get the rimfire pistol tossed in for free. The Sig models that qualify are: 1911 Ultra TT, 1911 Compact C3, 1911 Carry Nightmare, 1911 Tacops, 1911 Spartan, and 1911 Stainless. To take advantage of this offer, contact a participating Sig Sauer dealer. For more information on the qualifying products, visit SigSauer.com.
This deal is good through April 30, 2014 but the offer is limited to participating dealers. Also, “FREE” is not completely free for the 1911-22. Transfer fees, taxes, and all other transaction costs are the customer’s responsibility. SIG also states that: “Offer subject to on-hand inventory and not necessarily model depicted.” So, if this “two guns for the price of one” offer strikes your fancy, you should act quickly to ensure you get the model you want.
The NSSF’s Where To Shoot mobile App has topped 100,000 downloads. The app, which rose to No. 4 on the Apple App Store’s list of free sports Apps, has been a hit with target shooters and gun owners. It is available FREE for both iOS (Apple) and Android devices.
The Where To Shoot App quickly and easily locates shooting ranges near you, drawing on North America’s most comprehensive directory of shooting ranges. Users can search by current location, state, or zip code and find specifics about each range, including shooting activities offered and contact information. Once you’ve location a place to shoot, the App helps you get directions to the range. The App also includes video tips for shooters, news, and firearm-safety information.
The app is modeled after NSSF’s popular WhereToShoot.org® website and is updated frequently with range information in every U.S. state and Canadian province. New tips for hunters and shooters are also added regularly. Download the app via the links above or by visiting wheretoshoot.org on your mobile device.
The 
Few people love double-action revolvers as much as Jerry Miculek, and nobody on the planet shoots them better. Jerry is the undisputed double-action wheelgun master of the universe, having won just about every revolver competition you can imagine.
A while back, while in Arizona, we headed out to the 
Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone, and all that’s left now is a heap of glass bottles ready for target practice. Unfortunately, real glass is only good for one shot, and the shards can be dangerous. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a bottle you could shoot repeatedly, WITHOUT any of the mess? Well, the 
“Buy One, Get One Free” usually applies to things like cans of soup, or maybe, at best, amusement park tickets. So when a major gun manufacturer offers a “Buy one, get one free” offer on firearms, we sit up and take notice.
The NSSF’s Where To Shoot mobile App has topped 100,000 downloads. The app, which rose to No. 4 on the Apple App Store’s list of free sports Apps, has been a hit with target shooters and gun owners. It is available FREE for both iOS (Apple) and Android devices.
