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August 11th, 2013
Report by Kelly Bachand, KellysGunSales.com
 After two years away I’ve returned to the NRA Long Range Nationals at Camp Perry hoping to have lots of fun and shoot well. When I saw the wind coming from the East I was initially a little worried that it could be a wild day as from my memory of Camp Perry a relatively consistent wind from the West is the norm. The Eastern wind was actually pretty consistent today and some very good scores were shot.
A little background is in order you can follow the rest of this range report. When shooting at long range, the biggest variable the shooter must correctly account for is typically wind. Knowing this it makes sense that someone shooting in less severe wind could end up with a higher score than perhaps even a much better shooter who shoots in more severe wind conditions. Because of this, in order to win a trophy match at the NRA Long Range Nationals you have to win twice — you must first win your relay by having the highest score when compared to those who shot at the same time as you, then you must win the Shoot Off where you shoot against the top shooters from the other relays. This prevents someone from winning simply because they shot in an easier condition.
I shot my first 20-shot string at 1000 yards and scored a 198-9X out of a possible 200-20X. That means I had 9 shots inside a the 10″ X-Ring, 9 shots in the 20″ Ten-Ring, and 2 shots in the 30″ Nine-Ring. The wind was a little tricky, but as it turned out I had tied another shooter for the high score on our relay. I originally was not listed for the Shoot Off and I asked what tie break was used because I was simply curious. A few minutes later the referee came by and told me I was in the Shoot Off after all because I had the high score on the relay, the tie didn’t matter. I shot my second string next and the wind was trickier still starting with about 75” of drift and decreasing to about 50” at the end. I lost track of the wind at one point and shot an 8 making my total for the second string a 198-11X. That wasn’t good enough for the second Shoot Off.
Kelly Wins A Shoot Off in Palma Class with 100-5X
The Shoot Off consists of 3 practice shots and 10 shots for score. The Shoot Offs are made more spectator-friendly and many competitors gather around and watch as the trophies are won and lost. I reminded myself I was here to have fun, said a quick prayer, and got ready to shoot. I was focused. I only looked at my own target and I was very careful on my wind calls and on my shot execution. I finished and got off the line to see my score keeper giving me a thumbs up! I had shot a 100-5X and everyone else had already dropped at least one point so I had won! This first match was sponsored by Remington I believe and I’ll get a plaque and my picture taken with the trophy. (Note to Remington — I’ve always wanted a Remington 700).
This was a fun first day of the competition, I’m very glad to be able to shoot for Team Sinclair and I can’t help but smile when God’s blessed me with such a fun talent as shooting!
August 11th, 2013
New shooters are the future of our sport. If we want to “stem the tide” and resist pressures to close gun ranges and limit firearms use, we need to get new people involved in the shooting sports. And the first step in that process is getting first-timers to the range. One of the most successful efforts for enlisting new shooters is the NSSF First Shots Program. First Shots is a free introductory program of NSSF that teaches newcomers firearms fundamentals, safety and local regulations in a classroom setting, followed by a live-fire session with certified instructors. Around the country, First Shot Seminars provide free instruction by trained firearms instructors, with guns and ammo provided at no charge to participants.
First Shots Hosts 200 New Shooters at Houston Ranges
Last weekend, Houston, Texas hosted a successful series of First Shots seminars, as part of the First Shots “Big City Tour”. Four ranges in the Houston area — The Arms Room in League City, Spring Guns and Ammo in Spring, American Shooting Centers in Houston and High Noon Indoor Pistol Range in Crosby — welcomed more than 200 new shooters for training and some fun shooting. “A big thank you goes out to all of the participating ranges who gave a Texas welcome to the participants and the First Shots team,” said Tisma Juett, NSSF’s First Shots manager. Next stop on the First Shots Big City Tour is planned for Atlanta, Georgia. If your shooting facility is located in that vicinity and you’d like to be a host for this event, please contact Juett at tjuett@nssf.org. To find a First Shots Seminar near you, visit the First Shots Online Calendar Webpage.
August 11th, 2013
by GS Arizona, Riflemans Journal
Neck turning isn’t a once-in-a-while operation at my reloading bench. I shoot a lot, go through a fair amount of brass and neck-turn every piece of brass I use. I like the K&M neck turner, it’s well designed, well made, affordable if you like to have more than one caliber permanently set up and so that’s what I use. The only flaw in the K&M is that the tool itself is small enough that holding it for long and frequent session of neck turning is literally a pain. If you happen to have arthritis, it’s even more so.
Pendergraft Holder for K&M Neck-Turner
 Joel Pendergraft makes a great tool holder for the K&M that does away with the pain as it gives a much larger and more comfortable gripping surface. The tool holder is made from aluminum, nicely machined and knurled for a good grip. I thought it was well worth the price of $48.00 delivered in the USA (Price may have gone up since this story was written). Switching the tool holder from one K&M turner to another is a matter of loosening the set screw on the side, slipping out one turner, inserting the other and re-tightening. The Pendergraft tool-holder is simple, well-made, fairly priced and a real joy to use. Who could ask for more?
If you have questions or want to order the K&M tool holder, contact Joel Pendergraft via email: joelpend@bellsouth.net .
August 10th, 2013
Brandon Green and Carl Bernosky Finish with Identical 2384-126X Scores, But Green Wins Based on 600-yard X-Count Tie-Breaker.
Story based on Reports by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog
In one of the closest finishes in NRA High Power Championship history, SSG Brandon Green of the USAMU captured the 2013 National Title, besting defending champion Carl Bernosky by tie-breaker.
“It Doesn’t Get Any Tighter…” Says SSG Green
For years, the NRA High Power national title had always been just out of reach for SSG Brandon Green. But finally, in 2013, after four tense days of shooting, Brandon Green is a National Champion. “It feels extremely good,” Green said after receiving his National title at last night’s awards ceremony. “It was a very tight match the whole way through. The weather conditions were so difficult but everybody still shot well.”
Brandon would have had enough to worry about with just the weather, but throw in a neck-and-neck race with defending champion Carl Bernosky and things get nerve-racking. Green observed: “It doesn’t get any tighter than it was today. It was too tight. Too close. I got some gray hair over it,” Green laughed.
 The fourth and final day of the championships began with Green and Bernosky each at 1789 points, but Green had six more tie-breaking Xs — 98 to 92. With three matches left to shoot, the two men were presented with an opportunity to break away from one another and add an additional 600 points to their scores. As the sun sat low in the early morning sky, competitors assembled at the 200-yard line for the first match, the Crescent Cup, whose 20 shots are taken slowly from the standing position. As fate would have it, both men stumbled during the match. Bernosky and Green each dropped four points and were now tied at 1985. Green managed to push his overall X-count lead to seven, posting eight to Bernosky’s seven.
The Cavalry Cup Match came next. Here, competitors would squeeze off 20 rapid-fire shots from 300 yards while in the prone position. Green and Bernosky both bounced back from their earlier tumbles and scored perfect 200s… once again remaining tied, this time at 2185. However, here in the Cavalry Cup, Bernosky was able to close the already-small gap between himself and Green. Scoring 14 Xs to Green’s 8 Xs, the two shooters would enter the final match with Bernosky down a single X.
“After watching [Bernosky] come off the 300-yard line with a 14X, I thought I was done,” Green said. “And then, of course, I shot a nine on my very first shot for record and knew I was done at that point.”
But Green didn’t buckle. He knew it would all come down to the Crowell Trophy, a slow-fire match shot in the prone position at 600 yards. Green would go on to finish the 20-shot match with all tens, posting a 199-12X. As it turns out, Bernosky had also dropped a point, scoring a 199, and had only shot 13 Xs – bringing the two to a dead tie. Their fate almost undeniably linked at this point, both shooters dropped a single point and scored 199s, cementing their tie-by-points at 2384 each. The winner would need to be determined by the X-Count. But Green, entering the match with a one-X lead over Bernosky, ended up with 12 Xs while Bernosky totalled 13 Xs. So the two men ended the final match tied with the exact same scores and same X-counts. Amazing.
 After the final shot at the final yardage in the final match, both Green and Bernosky were tied with identical scores of 2384-126X. What now?
In order to break the tie, the two scores would be compared by how well each man shot from the 600-yard line. If the tie persisted, the comparison would move to scores from the 300-yard line. From there the 200-yard rapid fire scores would be compared, followed by the 200-yard slow-fire scores. If the men were still equally matched, the tie-breaker would eventually count the point values of the individual hits — starting back at 600 yards — until a winner was determined.
Accounting for all shots taken at 600 yards, both men had scored 597 points, however Green had 35 Xs and Bernosky had 34 Xs. That sealed it — SSG Brandon Green won the 2013 National High Power Champsionship by having one more X at 600 yards than Carl. This was the slimmest margin of victory seen in a long time, but Green is officially the 2013 NRA National High Power Rifle Champion — his first NRA High Power title after years of finishing so close. SSG Green was crowned the 2013 champion at Friday night’s award ceremony (photo above right).
August 10th, 2013
 Need quality magazines for your repeater rifle (with AI-compatible bottom metal)? Well Pacific Tool & Gauge (PT&G) now carries Accuracy International magazines — the best you can buy for many applications. AI’s steel mags feature a durable, corrosion-resistant coating. Both springs and risers (followers) are removable for cleaning. You’ll find PT&G is offering very attractive pricing on these AI mags — check the PT&G website for the latest prices.
PT&G’s AI magazine inventory includes:
.50 BMG: AW and AX 5-rd
.338 Lapua Magnum: AICS 5-rd, AW 5-rd, AX 10-rd
.223 Caliber: AI/AICS Polymer 10-rd
.300 Winchester Magnum: AICS 5-rd, AW 5-rd, AW 10-rd
.308 Win / 7.62×51: AICS 5-rd, AX AICS 5-rd, AE MK1 5-rd, AICS 10-rd, AW 10-rd, AX 10-rd
Mags may also be used for different calibers within same cartridge family. For example, the .308 Winchester magazines will work with .243 Win, .260 Rem, and 7mm-08 cartridges.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
August 9th, 2013
While the mainstream media (and many politicians) call for new bans on firearms, ammunition, and magazines, not to mention further restrictions of Second Amendment rights, too little attention is being paid to the actual facts in the debate over gun control. Sponsors of new restrictions on firearms claim that gun crime is increasing. A majority of Americans also seem to believe that firearms-related crimes are on the rise. But is this really the case? You may be surprised….
 In fact, if you look at the hard facts, firearms homicides and other gun-related crimes have been decreasing for decades. That’s right — gun crimes are down significantly over the past twenty years. Since 1993, in the USA, the number of homicides committed with guns has dropped 39% even while gun ownership rates have increased. The number of “all other” crimes with firearms has dropped 69% in the same period. And the number of fatal gun accidents has declined 58% in the past two decades — that’s a big change.
The numbers don’t lie — over the past twenty years, there has been a significant reduction in actual gun-related crime while gun ownership levels have increased. But despite all this evidence that gun-related crimes have declined precipitously in the past two decades, 56% of Americans have the mistaken notion that gun crime is on the rise. Could that be because mainstream media outlets conveniently ignore the facts?
Actual, verified gun crime trends (based on Federal crime statistics) have been presented in an interesting “infographic” chart prepared by the NSSF. Click on the illustration at right to see the full-size version with data charts.
August 9th, 2013
Forum member Mike Ezell (aka “gunsandgunsmithing”) has a clever use for a utility box. By fitting some inexpensive rod clasps to the box, he devised a handy rig to haul his wind flags and adjustable poles. Mike tells us: “With this modified utility box, I can tote six flags and six poles all in one hand. I used this set-up at a match last weekend. It worked great, and several shooters liked the idea. I simply carried the case, with poles attached and flags inside, to the target. I then set them up one at a time as I walked back.” That’s a slick system that will save time and energy when you’re setting up for a match or practice session. Nice invention Mike!
Mike Ezell Wind Flags
The wind flag sets inside Mike’s handy box are a design he makes himself. There is a pinwheel style rotor in the front, with a carbon/fiberglass wind vane in the rear. The “tails” are key to the system. Rather than have just a strip of fabric, which can curl and twist easily, Mike fits what amounts to a long, small-diameter wind sock. As the wind blows, this tubular tail fills with air and points back. This lets you clearly discern wind direction.
Ezell Wind Flags and Poles for Sale
Mike is proud of his wind flags and they are becoming popular with other shooters. Mike writes: “They are top-quality flags, made of the very best materials — NOT coroplast. The wind vanes are made almost entirely of carbon fiber and fiberglass, to be as light, sensitive and durable as possible.The pivots are made of Teflon and the colors are high-quality vinyl. I just recently added a green color option per request from other shooters. I back these flags with a 30-day, 100% SATISFACTION guarantee”.
Mike sells the single-vane flags for $60.00 each. At the request of many shooters, Mike also now offers a dual-vane version — call for pricing. You can also purchase the multi-section poles from Mike for $45.00 each. These extend up to 15 feet in height and include step pegs. If you’re interested, call Mike at 270-542-6022, or send email to: mwezell [at] logantele.com.
August 8th, 2013
Story by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog
(Camp Perry – August 7, 2013) Half way through the hunt for the 2013 NRA National High Power Rifle title, defending champion Carl Bernosky is in the lead with a 1193-69X. It is a narrow lead, but a lead nonetheless. One point behind Bernosky is 2009 champion Norman Houle at 1192-49X who himself holds off three very capable shooters by just one point.
With six matches completed and six more to go, the Championships are at the official half-way point. The High Power Championship involves a 12-match cycle, with 480 total shots for record. Two full days of shooting remain for competitors, who have already been thoroughly pummeled by Camp Perry’s notorious heat and rain. Whoever wins the High Power title will have earned it — the hard way.
Bernosky has been in this position before. The winner of ten national championships, he is more than aware of how close the race can get. All of the top shooters are veterans and capable of winning it all. At this point, with these scores, it’s nearly a blank slate when shooting begins again tomorrow morning. Will Bernosky hold on for number eleven, could Houle claim his fourth Mumma Trophy, or will a new champion step up on the podium?
August 8th, 2013
Chris Cheng, Top Shot’s Season 4 Champion, recently toured the Leupold factory in Beverton, Oregon. You can read about his experiences on The Firearm Blog. Chris was impressed with the scale of Leupold’s operation, particular the huge CNC machines “all cranking out parts for Leupold products. The machines run 24/7, and even at that rate Leupold says they cannot keep up with demand at this time.”
Read Full Leupold Factory Tour Report by Chris Cheng
Ranks of CNC Machines at Leupold Factory
Chris happened to be visiting the Leupold factory while members of the U.S. Marine Rifle Team were present. Here is a photo of Chris (far right) with the Leatherneck marksmen:
While Leupold’s production line is highly automated, Chris said that humans are still vital to the production of modern optics: “I was most impressed with the hand assembly line[.] No matter the industry, slowing things down for TLC usually increases the quality of the product. Additionally, the need for hand assembly produces jobs to help support the local community.”
Cheng was wowed by Leupold’s testing procedures: “Leupold has an intense stress test room where they push not only their products, but their competitors’ products to the limits. The details of their tests are proprietary information, but the lead tester told us stories about how he literally ‘sweeps up the floor’ when competitor’s products fall apart during stress tests.” By contrast, Leupold scopes are tough. Check out this video which shows a Leupold scope which “takes a licking and keeps on ticking” after being strapped to a running jack-hammer for 30 minutes:
Jack-Hammer Testing of Leupold Scopes
Photos by Leupold & Stevens
August 7th, 2013
 We want to say “Happy Birthday” to Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics LLC. Bryan came to earth from Planet Krypton on August 7, 1979, making him a ripe old 34 years of age today. (One more year and he’s over the hill).
In an industry where many products are conceived and marketed by folks who spend more time on the golf course than the shooting range, it’s reassuring to know that there are still guys like Bryan who shoot what they sell, and who put in the trigger-time to acquire (and maintain) world-class shooting skills. Bryan, who actually worked as a rocket scientist before founding Applied Ballistics, is one of the nation’s leading long-range sling shooters — with the trophies to prove it. As well, the bullets Bryan designed for Berger bullets, particularly the Berger Hybrids, are helping competitive shooters around the world shoot higher scores and win more matches.
Palma Match from a Shooter’s Perspective
For those of you who haven’t seen it before, here is a “shooter’s POV” video of Bryan shooting an 800-yard Palma match. In the video Bryan shoots a 149-12X over a 15-shot string. NOTE: This video was speeded up in editing to keep it to a reasonable length.
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