Burris Signature Rings in Stock Again
Because they allow you to mount a scope without markings, to “pre-load” elevation, and to correct for windage mis-alignment, Burris Signature Rings are extremely popular. So popular in fact that Signature Posi-Align Rings, particularly the “Zee” models for Weaver rails, have been back-ordered for months. Well, Signature Ring fans can now celebrate. Burris has recently shipped large supplies of Signature Rings, including the hard-to-find 30mm High Zees, to vendors across the country. If you’ve been waiting on these unique, affordable ring sets, get your orders in now.
A quick search of webstores shows that various models of Burris Signature Rings are available from all of the following vendors. NOTE: You may have to check with more than one vendor to get the exact size, height, and model you prefer. Inventories are subject to change on a daily basis. For example, Midsouth expects to get some more 30mm Signature Zee High rings in a couple days from now.
Bruno Shooters’ Supply: 1″ and 30mm Signature and Universal, 1″ Rimfire Signature Zee (Call for availability of sizes).
Eabco.com: Signature Zee 1″ and 30mm, Medium. (High — call for availability).
Midsouth Shooters Supply: Wide selection — 1″ and 30mm Signature Zee, Universal, Dual Dovetail, and 1″ Rimfire Signature Zee. (NOTE: 30mm Signature Zee High expected 6/19/2012.)
Sinclair International: 1″ and 30mm Signature Zee, Universal, and Dual Dovetail. (30mm High and Xtra-High Zees out of stock temporarily).
FMG Publications, which publishes GUNS, American Handgunner, and Shooting Industry Magazines, has introduced a series of FREE online videos covering a variety of gun related topics. The series is hosted by Roy Huntington, editor/publisher of American Handgunner magazine. Currently, FMG offers nine Insider Tips Videos about handgun action types, gun cleaning procedures, and the process of purchasing used firearms (pistols, rifles, and shotguns). Over time, more ‘Insider Tips’ titles will be added. Embedded below is the “How to Buy a Used Rifle” video.
According to Roy Huntington, reader questions provided the impetus for creating this video library: “I get some great reader mail, and many of the questions have to do with basic gun handling skills. We created the series of ‘Insider Tips’ videos to build a library of easy-to-understand, quick videos to clear the air and dispel some of the myths circulating around”. Adds Huntington: “From buying used guns, to understanding sight picture, trigger control, grip and even stopping power, our videos are a fast and fun way to get up to speed on a host of topics that are a ‘must-learn’ for any shooter.”
Above are links to three “How to Buy” videos FMG Publications’ video tips series. You’ll find other helpful videos, including guides to gun maintenance, on the American Handgunner Insider Tips Page.
Here’s a great gift for Father’s Day that any dad with a truck should appreciate. Forum member John Niemi crafts custom hitch covers that look like the end of a cartridge case, complete with head-stamp. Costing $70.50 (delivered), they are made out of solid brass with a stainless steel “primer”. The diameter of the brass is 4 inches and the engraved letters are about half an inch tall. The section that slides over the trailer hitch is aluminum, so you don’t have to worry about rust.
The “headstamp” can include your favorite cartridge-maker and caliber (wildcats too!), or you can include the name of your business. John tells us: “I can engrave any text on one as long as there is enough room for it. Turn around time is usually less then a week after payment. I have sold many of these and everyone has been extremely happy with the quality and workmanship that I put into my product. These make great one-of-a-kind gifts.”
$75.00 Delivered in the USA The current price for brass bullet hitch covers from John Niemi is $75.00 shipped anywhere in the USA. To order, send email to JohnNiemi [at] charter.net or call (503) 440-1954.
Forum member Wayne (aka WAMBO) ordered a custom hitch cover from John, featuring the 30/338 Lapua Improved wildcat he calls the 300 WAMBOMAG. Wayne reports: “The hitch cover is very well made. I’m impressed with the quality. Buy with confidence.”
We’ve seen John’s craftsmanship on many of these hitches, and we can confirm that the hitches are beautifully made, and make a handsome addition to any vehicle. If you order one (or more), be sure to mention you learned about the hitch covers on AccurateShooter.com.
Cabela’s Web Deals and In-Store Sales
Every year Cabela’s runs a big Father’s Day Sale with some awesome web specials on Cabelas.com. Plus there are in-store-only sales at most Cabela’s retail outlets around the country. CLICK HERE for a list of stores, then click “Store Info” for the store nearest you. That will take you to a page where you can view the Father’s Day flyer for that store.
Below are some hot deals we found for hunters and shooters:
How to Avoid Shooting your Chrono: There is nothing more frustrating (or embarassing) than sending a live round into your expensive new Chronograph. When setting up a chrono, we always first remove the bolt and bore-sight to ensure that the path of the bullet is not too low. When bore-sighting visually, set up the rifle securely on the sandbags and look through the bore, breech to muzzle, lining up the barrel with your aim point on the target. Then (during an appropriate cease-fire), walk behind the chronograph. Looking straight back through the “V” formed by the sky-screens, you should be able to see light at the end of the barrel if the gun is positioned correctly.
Adjust the height, angle and horizontal position of the chronograph so the bullet will pass through the middle of the “V” below the sky-screens, no less than 5″ above the light sensors. We put tape 5″ up on the front sky-screen supports to make it easy to align the bore to the right height over the light sensors. Make sure the chrono housing is parallel to the path of the bullet. Don’t worry if the unit is not parallel to the ground surface. What you want is the bullet to pass over both front and rear sensors at the same height. Don’t try to set the chrono height in reference to the lens of your scope–as it sits 1″ to 2″ above your bore axis. To avoid muzzle blast interference, set your chronograph at least 10 feet from the end of the muzzle (or the distance recommended by the manufacturer).
IRON SIGHT Rifles: A common mistake, particularly with newbie AR15 shooters, is to use the iron sights when setting the height of the chronograph. All too often, people forget that AR sights are positioned roughly 2.4″ above the bore axis (at the top of the front sight blade). If you set your bullet pass-through point using your AR’s front sight, the bullet will actually be traveling 2.4″ lower as it goes through the chrono. That’s why we recommend bore-sighting and setting the bullet travel point about 5-8″ above the base of the sky-screen support shafts. (Or the vertical distance the chronograph maker otherwise recommends).
TARGET AIM POINT: When doing chrono work, we suggest you shoot at a single aiming point no more than 2″ in diameter (on your target paper). Use that aiming point when aligning your chrono with your rifle’s bore. If you use a 2″ bright orange dot, you should be able to see that through the bore at 100 yards. Using a single 2″ target reduces the chance of a screen hit as you shift points of aim. If you shoot at multiple target dots, place them in a vertical line, and bore sight on the lowest dot. Always set your chron height to set safe clearance for the LOWEST target dot, and then work upwards only.
The rifle shooters who will represent the United States at the 2012 London Olympics are currently profiled on the RifleShooter magazine website. Log on to RifleShooterMag.com to read about Team USA’s Olympians who will be competing in Air Rifle and Smallbore (.22LR Rimfire) events in London next month. The Olympic selection process recently concluded, and we now know the talented men and women who made the cut. CLICK HERE to read bios of individual athletes.
Men’s Rifle Team
Matt Emmons, 50m 3P 10m Air Rifle
Jonathan Hall, 10m Air Rifle
Michael McPhail, 50m Prone
Josh Olson, Paralympic R3, R6
Jason Parker, 50m 3P
Eric Uptagrafft, 50m prone
Women’s Rifle Team
Jamie Beyerle Gray, 50m 3P 10m Air Rifle
Amanda Furrer, 50m 3P
Sara Scherer, 10m Air Rifle
Story find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Texas stock-maker Wayne Young has created an innovative modular stock. The fore-end side-plates bolt on to an aluminum sub-chassis so you can alter the width, or run an offset on either side of center. You can transform the stock from 3″ wide to 5″ wide in a couple minutes. Or, if you want to experiment with offset (i.e. having more fore-end width on one side of the barrel than the other side), you can simply remove a few bolts, and stack up the sideplates on one side.
The ability to quickly (and inexpensively) transform a stock from 3″ wide to 5″ wide is a definite plus for shooters who want to use the same rig in both F-Class and benchrest. You can run your rifle at max-legal 3″ width for F-Class, then bolt on additional fore-end “wings” to run at 5″ for bench competition. The 5″-wide stocks are now legal for 600-yard and 1000-yard benchrest, at both IBS and NBRSA registered matches. Those folks who have tried out 5″-wide stocks on Light Guns have been impressed with the results. The extra width stabilizes the rifle on the bags, reducing perceived twist (torquing) and hop. There is less “Rocking and Rolling”. With the gun torquing less, the tracking during recoil normally shows an improvement as well. (But we should say that, even with the standard 3″ width, these stocks track great.)
Video Demonstrates Superior Tracking
How does a Wayne Young stock track? Straight and true — with virtually no hop. You can see for yourself. In the video below, Wayne shoots a test rifle chambered in .284 Winchester, a popular F-Class cartridge. The load is a 175gr Berger XLD bullet pushed at 3010 fps by Reloder 17 powder. That’s a stout, fast load — the recoil force easily meets or exceeds a typical F-Open match load. To better demonstrate the gun’s handling characteristics, Wayne deliberately shoots the gun free-recoil style — without gripping hard or shouldering the stock*. As you can see, the gun recoils straight back. The forearm and buttstock also slide perfectly in the bags, without “grabbing”. (Note: In the video, the rifle’s front bag-rider section is aluminum without polymer “wings”. This particular gun was built with a wider aluminum channel to fit a large-diameter, straight-contour barrel).
Stock Specifications and Design Features
Finished stocks weigh approximately 7 pounds, 4 ounces. If needed, stocks can be lightened to just under 7 pounds. Overall length is 36″. Length of pull is adjustable from 13 to 13.75 inches with standard two-way adjustable butt pad. The main chassis is machined from billet 6061-T6 (Tee Six) aluminum, while the fore-end chassis section is 6063-T5 (Tee Five). The black side sections, fore-end plates, and buttstock lowers are CNC-machined from high-grade HDPE, a rugged, chemically-resistant polymer.
The chassis for round actions features a “V-Block” seating area. There is a flat configuration for Panda and Stiller flat-bottom actions. With either the round- or flat-bottom configuration, actions can be mounted directly on the 1.25″-square aluminum chassis, using supplied action bolts. (Skim bedding is optional.) No inletting, pillar-installation, or stock finishing (painting) is required. Just bolt your barreled action into the chassis and head to the range.
Wayne’s stocks come with two-way adjustable butt-plate, adjustable cheekpiece, trigger guard, and all fasteners. If you consider all that standard equipment and the fact that Wayne’s gunstocks require no inletting and no finishing, these stocks are attractively priced. Wayne’s F-Open/Benchrest Stock, with 3″ fore-end, costs $499.00 plus $25.00 S/H. There is also a $499.00 F-TR version with a fore-end set up for bipod attachment. (Wayne produces an integral, adjustable and removable F-TR bipod for $75.00.) Add $100.00 extra if you want the aluminum components hard-anodized. With long actions or Savage actions, there is an extra charge to configure the central chassis to fit. For more information visit WaynesGunstocks.com or call (210) 288-3063 from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
* If Wayne was shooting a .284 Win in an F-Class match, he would grip the gun and put some shoulder into it. But for demonstration purposes in the video, Wayne free-recoiled the rig so you can see how well it tracks with no holding or steering by the shooter.
Replacing the retiring Mike Krei, Dennis L. Willing has been named the new Director of the NRA Competitive Shooting division. Willing is a serious shooter, with decades of experience both as a competitor and shooting sports referee. Willing is a Quadruple Distinguished Shooter in High Power Rifle, Conventional Pistol, Police Combat Revolver, and Police Combat Pistol. Since 1980, Willing has been a Camp Perry regular, either as competitor or referee. He has competed in the Pistol and High Power Championships, sometimes shooting both Championships in the same year. Willing has served as the Chairman of the NRA High Power Committee. Willing is also an expert on Competition Rules, having been a member of the NRA Rules Committee.
Willing Plans to Meet With Competitors at Major Matches
Willing plans to be a “hands on” Director, who will spend much of his time out in the field: “I will attend as many tournaments as I can where I will talk with as many competitors as I can. I want to hear what they have to say then take that information back to the NRA competitive shooting committees and the NRA staff to see where improvements can be made.” In his new position, Willing will lead a 23-person staff, managing over 11,000 NRA-sanctioned tournaments and 40+ national shooting championships. AccurateShooter.com wishes Willing success in his new role as Competitive Shooting Director (which Willing called his “dream job”). It’s great to see that the new Director is an avid shooter with impressive credentials. Here is a “short list” of Willing’s qualifications:
Quadruple distinguished shooter in High Power Rifle, Conventional Pistol, Police Combat Revolver, and Police Combat Pistol
Holder of Numerous NRA national records
NRA referee at Camp Perry and NRA National Police Shooting Championship
Former NRA Board member, served on five NRA Competition Committees
Chairman of High Power Rifle Committee
Three-time Michigan State Pistol Champion
Two-time Conventional Pistol, Police Champion
Lifelong hunter and Second Amendment activist
United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran
CLICK HERE for more information on the various shooting programs managed by the NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division. You’ll find a list of the Division’s personnel on the Competitive Shooting Programs Directory Page.
This report is based on feature story by Lars Dalseide in the NRA Blog.
Last month, shooting at the Piedmont Gun Club, Chad Jenkins put together a stunning 1.495″ Aggregate at 600 yards. Once certified, that will be a new IBS 4-target Light Gun record. Chad’s smallest group was a 1.033″. Chad’s 1.495″ Agg breaks the existing 1.6068″ record set by Sam Hall in 2011. Chad was shooting a no-turn-neck 6mmBR featuring a BAT action, Krieger barrel, and Shehane ST-1000 fiberglass stock. We had the chance to talk with Chad and learn more about his record-setting rifle, and the methods he uses to achieve superior accuracy. Chad was kind enough to tell us about his equipment and what he does to build very, very accurate ammo. For starters, Chad wanted to “say thanks to Lewis Winkler, James Coffey, Mike Davis, and Larry Isenhour” all of whom provided invaluable help and support over the years.
The Record-Setting Rig
Chad credits much of his success to an “fantastic Krieger barrel that shot great right out of the gate”. It’s a 1:8″ twist, HV contour, finished at 28″ — nothing unusual there. Mike Davis did the chambering, barrel-fitting, and barrel crowning. One reason the gun shoots so well is that Chad’s friend James Coffey did the stock work and bedding, and also added weight to the Shehane ST-1000. Chad says “James really knows what he’s doing”. For optics, Chad uses a Leupold 45X competition scope, with fine cross-hair (FCH). Chad says he can “aim at the ‘X’ at 600 yards more precisely with the cross-hairs than with a target dot.”
$200 Front Rest Good Enough to Set Record
You may be surprised that Chad set his record with an inexpensive Caldwell Fire Control Joystick rest, that sells for about $203.00 on Amazon.com. The Caldwell isn’t fancy, but it did the job. Chad says: “I have a family and a young boy. I don’t have the money to pour into equipment like some other people. I will continue to use my Caldwell, but I have recently modified the base. The record though was set with an unmodified unit, just as it appears in the photo.”
Chad Shoots a “Classic” 6BR Load, But He Jumps his Berger VLDs
Chad gets great accuracy with a pretty “standard” 6mmBR match load: 30.5 grains Varget, CCI 450 primers, Berger 105gr VLDs, in Lapua “Blue Box” brass. (Editor’s Note: That load can be too hot in some guns in summer conditions). Chad loads his ammo with a Redding bushing full-length sizing die with an 0.266″ bushing. Chad says: “That’s a good size for the ‘Blue Box’ Lapua brass (I tried a 0.268″ and I could pull the bullets out with my fingers). I seat my bullets about 0.020″ OFF the lands with a Redding Comp seater die.” The brass that shot the record Agg had about 10-11 firings on it, and Chad has NOT annealed the cases yet. While Chad is a very exacting reloader, he believes in the KISS principle — he doesn’t ream flash holes or uniform primer pockets. While he weighs every load with an RCBS Chargemaster, he normally does not double-check charges with a second balance. Chad tells us: “I just get the Chargemaster to where where it is going consistently and run with it.”
Knowing that gun-handling and barrel maintenance are key elements of accuracy, we asked Chad about his shooting style, rest set-up, and his cleaning regimen:
Shooting style: “I try not to touch the gun, except with my thumb on the back of the triggerguard, and my index finger on the trigger. I use just a slight amount of pressure as the finger pulls the trigger. I don’t have any pressure on my shoulder. The buttplate is just barely touching my shirt.”
Rest position: “I usually let the gun run out to the stop. But there’s not much overhang. It hangs over an inch and a half. That’s where I always shot it. In the rear the ears are pretty much centered on the underside of the buttstock.”
Cleaning: “I use Montana X-Treme with patches and bronze brushes, and I clean every 35-45 rounds. I don’t brush a lot — I kind of go on feel, anywhere from 4-10 strokes. The gun shoots so incredibly well, I want to baby it, so I try not to over-clean.”
View Chad Jenkins’ Four (4) Targets
Common Sense Tips for New Shooters
Chad offered some advice for shooters starting out in the 600-Yard Benchrest game:
Reloading — I don’t claim to be an expert. But I will say that consistency is all-important. I learned this first from my friend Lewis Winkler (who passed away), and then James Coffey. Lewis always told me that the main thing is that you must be consistent in everything — when you’re sizing, when you’re weighing, when you’re seating bullets. You can’t be deviating and expect your loads to shoot.
Mental Game — I don’t go to a match to beat anybody, or to compete against anyone in particular. I shoot the best I can shoot and let the chips fall where they may. Even in practice, I basically compete against myself and I try to do the same thing in a match.
Focus (when to have it and when to relax) — I do try to stay focused when I’m shooting. But I also try to get away from the pressure between relays. A lot of the guys spend 15-20 minutes looking at everybody’s targets. I just look at my own targets and go back and sit down and relax. I don’t try to overthink things. When I was a teenager I was a successful competitive golfer. And in those days, I didn’t think about it … I just stepped up to the ball and hit it. I think, with some competitive activities, “thinking too much” can probably mess you up more than it helps.
In our Shooters’ Forum, Darrell Buell, Captain of F-TR Team USA, has started a discussion about permitted bullet weights in F-TR competition. Darrell observes that a new generation of ultra-heavyweight 215-230 grain bullets may spur a “technology race” that would increase the cost to compete in F-TR matches at the top level.
Darrell writes: “In order to run the uber-heavies, you will be required at a minimum to get a gunsmith to re-cut at least the throat of your chamber, then you are stuck with a tiny number of projectiles that will work in the rifle. People that want to be competitive will feel compelled to drop the expense of modifying their rifles, and not have any guarantee that their mods will turn out to be effective. We will have strayed from our successful initial model for F-T/R, as a class for ‘shooter vs. shooter’ competition, and be marching down the road that you must have a $5000 custom to be remotely competitive.” As the result, Darrell has proposed an F-TR rule change that would limit the max weight of permitted .308-caliber bullets to “less than 201 grains”.
At the beginning of the F-TR Bullet Weight Thread, you’ll find a poll on the issue of bullet weights. Registered members of our Forum can vote in the poll. You have three choices: a) Leave the Rules unchanged; b) Limit max bullet weight to less than 201 grains; and c) Limit max bullet weight to 156 grains or less.
What do you think? Should the F-TR rules be changed to cap bullet weights? Or, is it best to leave bullet choice unrestricted for .308-caliber shooters? Darrell wants F-TR shooters to express their opinions by Voting in the Poll.
Modern F-TR Rigs are getting increasingly sophisticated (and looking more like F-Open rifles). Here is Vince Bottomley’s latest F-TR rifle, which, in the hands of Stuart Anselm, won the European F-TR Championship shooting 185gr Berger Bullets.
Burris Signature Rings in Stock Again
The current price for brass bullet hitch covers from John Niemi is $75.00 shipped anywhere in the USA. To order, send email to JohnNiemi [at] charter.net or call (503) 440-1954.
How to Avoid Shooting your Chrono: There is nothing more frustrating (or embarassing) than sending a live round into your expensive new Chronograph. When setting up a chrono, we always first remove the bolt and bore-sight to ensure that the path of the bullet is not too low. When bore-sighting visually, set up the rifle securely on the sandbags and look through the bore, breech to muzzle, lining up the barrel with your aim point on the target. Then (during an appropriate cease-fire), walk behind the chronograph. Looking straight back through the “V” formed by the sky-screens, you should be able to see light at the end of the barrel if the gun is positioned correctly.
Replacing the retiring Mike Krei, Dennis L. Willing has been named the new Director of the NRA 
